Product Description
Readers will love getting to work with Aunt Arctic, editor-in-chief of the Club Penguin Times, in this book where they choose the ending! Will the reader report on a party at the Iceberg, review the latest Club Penguin play, or cover the big ice hockey game? ItÂ’s in their hands! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A fun read!
My son, 6, started playing on the Club Penguin website and this book is a great compliment to his Club Penguin experience.He loves being able to choose the story line and then go back to the beginning and change the story.It keeps him interested in the book.

daughter loved it!
My 8 year-old daughter received this for Christmas.Out of all her presetns it the one she couldn't put down.She LOVED it!Any Club Penguin fan would really enjoy it also.It has inspired her to write her own reporter book.Double bonus for a mom!

Good Book
Good book for any Club Penguin fan. Great for reading levels up to 3rd grade. Ideal for 2nd, 3rd grade reading level. ... Read more

Product Description
Fans of Club Penguin, the most popular virtual world for kids 6–14, will love filling in the blanks in 21 silly Mad Libs stories about their favorite Club Penguin topics, like the site’s popular characters, mini-games, adorable pet puffles, and much, much more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

quite entertaining!
My kids love Club Penguin, so any Club Penguin is great for them. This particular item is quite entertaining and educational - made them think of all the questions and answers. I would recommend these to kids who are familiar with the series. ... Read more

Product Description
ON JUNE 23, 2000, the iron-ore carrier MV Treasure, en route from Brazil to China, foundered off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, spilling 1,300 tons of oil into the ocean and contaminating the habitat of 75,000 penguins. Realizing thJuneat 41 percent of the world’s population of African penguins could perish, local conservation officials immediately launched a massive rescue operation, and 12,500 volunteers from around the globe rushed to South Africa in hopes of saving the imperiled birds.Serving as a rehabilitation manager during the initial phase of the three-month rescue effort, Dyan deNapoli—better known as "the Penguin Lady" for her extensive work with penguins—and fellow volunteers de-oiled, nursed back to health, and released into the wild nearly all of the affected birds. Now, at the tenth anniversary of the disaster, deNapoli recounts this extraordinary true story of the world’s largest and most successful wildlife rescue. When she first entered the enormous warehouse housing most of the 19,000 oiled penguins, the birds’ total silence told deNapoli all she needed to know about the extent of their trauma. African penguins are very vocal by nature, prone to extended fits of raucous, competitive braying during territorial displays and pair-bonding rituals, but these poor creatures now stood silently, shoulder to shoulder, in a state of shock. DeNapoli vividly details the harrowing rescue process and the heartbreaking scenarios she came up against alongside thousands of volunteers: unforgettable images of them laboriously scrubbing the oil from every penguin feather and force-feeding each individually; the excruciatingly painful penguin bites every volunteer received; and the wrenching decisions about birds too ill to survive. She draws readers headfirst into the exhausting physical and emotional experience and brings to life the cast of remarkable characters—from Big Mike, a compassionate Jiu-Jitsu champion with a booming voice, who worked every day of the rescue effort; to a man named Welcome, aka "the Penguin Whisperer," who had the amazing ability to calm any penguin he held in his arms; to Louis, a seventeen-year-old medical student who created a new formula for the highly effective degreaser used by the rescue mission—whose historic and heroic efforts saved the birds from near extinction. The extraordinary international collaboration of scientists, zookeepers, animal rescue groups, and thousands of concerned individuals helped save the African penguins—recently declared an endangered species—from an all-too-common man-made disaster.

DeNapoli’s heartwarming and riveting story is not just a portrait of these captivating birds, nor is it merely a cautionary tale about the environment. It is also an inspirational chronicle of how following one’s passion can lead to unexpected, rewarding adventures—and illustrates not only how people from around the world can unite for a greater purpose, but how they can be extraordinarily successful when doing so. The Great Penguin Rescue will inspire readers to believe they can make a difference ... Read more

Product Description
The irrepressible, ever-original Sandra Boynton introduces a brand new Boynton board book.Your Personal Penguin is a read-aloud, listen-along favorite for young children and the grown-ups who read to them. Fun to hold, the book tells the story of a slightly bewildered hippo and the loyal penguin who wants nothing more than to be his pal:

Now, lots of other penguins seem to be fine
in a universe of nothing but ice.
But if I could be yours, and you could be mine,
Our cozy little world would be twice as nice.
I want to be Your Personal Penguin.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Quite simply, the most charming board book ever!
I stumbled on this book when I was shopping with my grandchildren (1 1/2 and 3 1/2). I gave it a quick look, and because the older child also saw & loved a stuffed penguin, we bought both. Little did I know how much joy it would bring....night after night. It is warm and real, funny and touching. Its appeal is for both adults and children. It has my highest recommendation.

Perfect Personal Penguin Ever!
I read this book with my little sister every day and I have practically memorized it. It is so good! This is the perfect book for little kids and I definitely recommend it.

My 2 year old loves this book!
My 2 year old asked for this book after he saw a picture of it on the back of his Snuggle Puppy book. He loves this book, and it is often the first one he asks to read before bed. I think the song version of the book is very cute, but my son likes to read the book with or without the song.

Good book, and free song download
The book comes with a free download of "Your Personal Penguin" sung by Davey Jones (formerly of The Monkeys).My daughter likes the song even more than the book.

Not Her Best
We love SB around our house, but my kids just could not get into this one. ... Read more

Product Description
JACK AND ANNIE continue their quest for the secrets of happiness—secrets they need to save Merlin. This time, the Magic Tree House takes them to the one continent they haven’t visited before: Antarctica! What can they hope to learn about happiness in such a barren place? Only the penguins know for sure . . . Jack and Annie are about to find out!


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

My daughter loved it!
My 6 year old loves all the Magic Tree House books and this one is no exception!She really was excited about the stickers included as well!Recommended!

Excellent Read
The Magic Tree House Series is wonderful. My 10 yr old daughter had been reading the series since she was 8.It appeals to both boys & girls. It also stresses cooperation & a bond between siblings. Not only is it fun but the author does an amazing job teaching kids about everything from history to animal species. Whenever a new book is coming out she insists on pre-ordering it so she can get it immediately!

AWESOME BOOK!!!!
What a delightful experience you get with the Magic Tree House Books.
Go on a magic adventure with your kids and there imaginations.
Hands down winning by an easy victory for our Family!!!!!!!

Great on the Kindle
I purchased the Kindle edition and it works great on my Kindle2. The images and features from the book are all there in the kindle edition.

The Magic Treehouse series of books keep my six-year old entertained. I don't enjoy them as much as he does, but that's not the point. He enjoyed the kindle version as much as the other books he has read in the series.

Magic Tree Books
My 7-year old grand daughter loves all the Magic Tree Books.She has enjoyed the entire series and read all but 3.
I read a few myself just to see what they were like.They are beautifully written and very informative.Especially enjoyed the book about the Revolution. ... Read more

Product Description

The internationally successful movie March of the Penguins showcases the life of these fascinating flightless birds that have become such prominent symbols of the fragile nature of our ecosystem. Faced with global warming, invasive tourism, pollution and loss of habitat, penguins -- if they are to survive -- need protection more than ever.

Over the past 18 years, Wayne Lynch has traveled to Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and a dozen remote island clusters in the tempestuous Southern Ocean, studying and photographing all 17 species of penguins in their natural habitats. In Penguins of the World, he documents the extraordinary life cycles of these tough, resourceful and beautiful animals in the harshest environments imaginable.

This second edition has been revised, redesigned and expanded, with detailed information and the latest facts and statistics on:

• Anatomy
• Egg and chick development
• Mating and feeding habits
• Predators
• Habitats
• Climate change
• Changes to food levels.

Through his engaging text and on-location photographs, Wayne Lynch captures these birds in their wide variety of activities and behaviors. Penguins of the World will appeal to anyone interested in birds, nature and science.

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Book!
I purchased this book for my son, who loves penguins.He loved it!!!Even his small children love it.The book has become a family affair for them.

Why Penguin Can't Fly?
Quite informative and attractive. But I can't find an "ISBN/Code No." of this book.

most excellent
semi-prompt shipping, good experience, excellent condition when it arrived, and it was in the necessary packaging to keep it that way from when it left, so i was happy.

Penguins
I like this book because it can tell u and me alot about penguins but i think that this site is bad because is doesent show u the inside of this book to be better that other wed sites.My suggestion to the company if theyread these is that u can do better.

Great photos and text between the same covers!
Picture books usually have boring text, and nature books usually have photos that look like the ones used to prove the existence of the Loch Ness monster.This book has great color photos of all 17 species of penguins AND informative, readable text.Lynch obviously cares about his subject and his readers.For those who want to know more, he even includes a bibiliography.If you are a nature photographer, bird lover, or penguin fanatic, this book is for you. ... Read more

Product Description
In this scrapbook-style sticker book, kids can learn about puffles, the preferred pet on Club Penguin! Then, readers can use the reusable stickers of puffles, penguins, snowballs, conversation bubbles, and more to re-create the scenes from their favorite virtual world! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

sticker book
this sticker book is so much fun you get 4 pages of awesome stickers and then youhave like 10 backgrounds to put the stickers on and make an awesome picture my 9 years old daughter and i love it

Cute Puffles
My 6 year old recieved this as a birthday present and he thinks it is very cool.It comes with lots of stickers to decorate the book, then after the stickers are used up it can still be used as a regular picture book to read.

Puffles ROCK
Puffles are the BEST!They make Club Penguin fun for all ages!! Got these for my six year old...he loves them!

terrible experience
item arrived 3 days after the already loooong delivery time frame they give themselves. Packed on a cutout piece of cardboard... seller does not reply to communications... I would never buy from this seller again. Be warned if you do. ... Read more

Product Description
A unique exploration into the subtle art of the book cover

High standards in art and design have always been part of Penguin's publishing program. Now, on the occasion of Penguin's 75th anniversary, longtime art director Paul Buckley has chosen seventy-five covers that represent the best of what Penguin has produced over the course of the last decade. Giving readers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the complex creation of a book's cover, Penguin 75 includes comments from authors, agents, and editors, as well as the designers and artists themselves. This witty and irreverent journey into the book world will appeal to lovers of art, design, and, of course, books.

With Contributions By:
Paul Auster * Tara McPherson * Daniel Clowes * David Byrne * Elizabeth Gilbert * Joe Sacco * Tana French * T.C. Boyle * Seth * Tom Gauld * William T. Vollmann * Art Spiegelman * Kim Edwards * Melissa Bank * Ruben Toledo * Tomer Hanuka * Jamie Keenan * Roz Chast * Garrison Keillor * Yoshihiro Tatsumi * Sam Weber * Paul Sahre * Tony Millionaire * Nicholas Blechman * Jon Gray and many others!Amazon.com Review

Making the Book Covers
(Click on Images to Enlarge)

"I hired Julie for this particular title because...well, I'd rather not describe in print the things I've seen her draw...Google image 'Julie Doucet' (turn SafeSearch to off) and you'll see what I really mean--Julie gets REALLY DARK, and I thought she'd turn this book on its head. At the end of the day, though, the book is what it is, and the most we could do was the make light mention of boys. I insisted on pimples, though...lots and lots of pimples." --Paul Buckley, Art Director Read more about the Little Women cover...

"I came up with the selected cover in just a few minutes of thinking about it. It was my first idea. I sketched it out and really liked it. There was both sadness and wit, which I thought nailed the sentiment of the book. However, I dismissed it almost as quickly as I rendered it because I didn't believe it could come that easily. I set it aside and spent the better part of a week trying to come up with something I thought was stronger. Eventually, I came up with some alts that I liked, but none as much as this one." --Neil Powell, Designer | Illustrator Read more about the Junky cover...

"From the outset this seemed like a sensitive and tricky subject. How do you grab attention without offending anyone? The title is great and also needed to be fairly prominent. Best solution seemed to be something typographic. So with the help of a free Internet translator, I got to work. I thought of the most offensive phrase I could, then plastered it across the cover in Arabic! Genius, right?" --John Gray, Designer Read more about the How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? cover...

Customer Reviews (2)

Almost all good, no bad, very little ugly
Book covers matter to me.I am a general reader with an appreciation for design.A good cover, as far as I am concerned, has aesthetic intelligence in its own right but must also serve as a pointer to the heart of the content; it should have a respectful, if not amorous dialogue with the content or the author.I happen to think that we are living in something of a golden era of book cover design and the art department at Penguin has contributed to making it so.In celebration of Penguin's benchmark year, Penguin 75 is a neat, affordable art book that presents covers from the last several years, the art director and designer's commentary, and, occasionally, the author's take.For the consumer like me, it is a fascinating look at how covers end up the way they do; for the graphics student, it should be highly instructive.

The collection was edited by Paul Buckley, art director, who also worked as a designer and supervisor on most of the projects.They reflect his aesthetic, which is broad and comes down on the edgy side.He is very happy with the series of classics covers created by comics artists.For me, the designs created by tattoo artists were more successful in terms of giving the temperature of the book within.One of the reasons why this collection and Penguin covers in general succeed is Buckley's willingness to try nontraditional designers.David Byrne, author of The Bicycle Diaries, contributed his own drawing to his cover.Another artist won a contest run through Creativity Magazine.My favorite story is that of who produced the Twitterature cover.Apparently, young interns at Penguin get to do more than run the copy machine.

Penquin at 75 hits the mark!
If you love book design, this anniversary edition of PENGUIN 75, really hits the mark. Over the years Penquin paperbacks have been designed and branded to dominate the shelves of every book store I've had the pleasure of browsing. Within this volume you'll discover a collection of exciting new design solutions to some timeless classic titles. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Jane Austen would have been proud! ... Read more

Product Description
"This is not a book to be read in a week. It is an ocean of stories to be dipped into over a lifetime. And this new Penguin edition is the one to have." -The Sunday Times (London)

Every night for three years, the vengeful King Shahriyar sleeps with a different virgin and executes her the next morning. To save her own life, the vizier's daughter, Shahrazad, begins to tell the king tales of adventure, love, riches, and wonder-of mystical lands peopled with princes and hunchbacks, the Angel of Death and magical spirits, tales of the voyages of Sindbad, of Ali Baba's outwitting a band of forty thieves and of genies trapped in lamps. A sequence of stories to last 1,001 nights. With a new cover designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith, Tales from 1,001 Nights is a magnificent collection of some of the world's best-loved tales. ... Read more

Product Description
Almost everyone has experienced the hurt and frustration of not feeling accepted, of being perceived as "different" and not fitting into the group. People who have good ideas that differ from conventional wisdom are often ignored or criticized for the very thing that makes them valuable to the organization—their creativity. Innovation often comes from the most unlikely places, and people in organizations need to break out of their "penguin suit thinking" to create a climate where new ideas can flourish. A Peacock in the Land of Penguins brings to life the challenges of birds of different feathers trying to work together through the engaging story of Perry the Peacock and the other exotic birds who struggle to be themselves in the conformity-minded Land of Penguins. This delightful fable humorously and memorably illuminates the importance of understanding and embracing the full range of perspectives that people bring to bear on their work. This expanded edition is enhanced with practical new tips, tools, quizzes, strategies, checklists, and resources for "teaching penguins to fly," including:o A Penguin’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Peacockso Positive Penguinship: What Peacocks and Others Can Learn from Them o Avoiding Penguin Paralysiso How to Tell if You’re Becoming a Penguin o Recognizing the Quack: A Guide to Penguin-Speak o Case studies of how companies such as Kellogg, Chevron, and Chase Manhattan Bank have used the fable and its tools to transform themselves into places where employees feel fully self-expressed and appreciated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A book that should be read by the peacocks and the penguins
The best thing about a fable is that they can be used to deliver harsh messages in soft tones. In this story the penguins are bureaucratic bound managers that are unwilling to tolerate any change, even if it is the mere mention of change. The peacock is a hotshot (in the good sense) new hire that is full of energy, new ideas, creativity and purpose. Similar dynamic individuals added to the organizations are an eagle, hawk, mockingbird, and a swan. All started jobs in an organization run by penguins where the penguins professed a desire to execute some changes. At first the penguins were happy to see the infusion of "new blood."
However, over time the penguins grew insecure over the prospects of change and together they forced out all of the "unusual" birds. Although the nonconformists suffered a bit, they managed to gather together and form a dynamic and creative group that they called the "Land of Opportunity."
As the material in the afterword demonstrates, this is an excellent book for diversity and creativity training. In the modern business world, every employee needs to be operating on all creative cylinders and must be heard. For it is impossible to predict where the next great idea will arise so it could very well be suicidal to discount or suppress any new idea that is raised.

Great Book
I was asked to read this book for work and since reading it I have shared it with many others including my 8 year old daughter.Its an easy read and really gets the point across.

Catchy Title But...
I did not buy this book.It was given to me by an associate as an `idea' for a corporate-wide human resources conference.

As a corporate director, I was flabbergasted by the simpleton tone of this book.Some pages only contained 6 to 10 words while others may contain more words but made little sense.The theory behind this book is that people are different and we should allow diversity to flourish in order to make the company and the employee happy.This is an idea that any thinking manager caught up with a couple of generations ago.

It is no wonder that our creativity and abilities to sustain long term profitability - not to mention our adaptability and flexibility - is going down the drain.It is not only this book but others I have seen that are very similar.They start by developing a catchy theme and then building a one-trick pony system around the theme.It is a cartoonish way to manage but I suppose in this twitter world anything with heft is dealt out of the deck.It is so sad to see people traveling down this path.

I did find value in the book by giving it to my grandchildren to read.They enjoyed it.

If you wish to really explore this topic, I would highly recommend Don't Bring It to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns That Limit Success.

I hope you find this review helpful.

Michael L. Gooch, SPHR

Great reverse psychology
This book helped me greatly to determine what was happening in my life at a particular time in my office and its personnel structure. It takes you trhought the characters on a journey of office environments and the typical personalities found therein. I do not have anything but praise for this title. A great read, jovial, and humorous it is a definite buy.

Gag me with a spoon
This text so oversimplifies identity issues that it is at once insipid and offensive. The "solution" at the end? We should all just accept that everybody does things differently. Or, in other words: Can't we all just get along? If this insight really requires several dozen pages of poor writing and saccharine pseudo-innocence, we're in worse trouble than I thought. ... Read more

Product Description
Club Penguin throws at least one themed virtual bash each month, and kids can log on to get free items for their penguins, play special limited-timeonly games, and celebrate with other penguins. This book recaps Club PenguinÕs amazing parties, which are themed for holidays, seasons, and many other special eventsÑlike the annual St. PatrickÕs Day party, the Summer Kic off party, or the Music Jam party. This book also features interviews with Club PenguinÕs popular characters and tips for making the most out of Club PenguinÕs parties. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you're learning alone or attending classes, you'll find this complete Russian language course for beginners both accessible and indispensable. Designed to provide the student with an excellent command of basic Russian (the equivalent of A level standard) this book features thirty lessons punctuated by revision exercises to ensure you have fully understood what you have learned. The emphasis is on acquiring vocabulary, experiencing conversational language and learning useful grammar. This book also includes a vocabulary of 1,500 words and a glossary of grammatical terms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (88)

Russian course for beginners
Great course if you apply yourself, you'll be reading and understanding written russian in no time.

My two cents
This book taught me how to pronounce Russian in only two hours.I learned so much grammar from this book, but you have little guidance when learning from vocabulary lists.It desperately needs more exercises, but usually has enough dialogues and texts.I am a third through it and intend to finish it.The pages fall out, it is poorly held together.Every page I have read and revisited has fallen out, but I have not lost any pages.

Excellent beginners course handbook
This book is excellent.I have bought many other books and this one by far has been the best one I've purchased hands down.This book has alot of examples, exercises and is really easy to work with, easy to understand.I have learned alot from this book as well.I totally recommend this book.

Penguin's Russian Course on track for the Experienced
The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners by Nicholas J. Brown is right in line with previous language texts in that once material is introduced, the author can then move on.This assumes, of course, that you totally assimilated every bit of what has so far been introduced.Or should I use the dreaded "M" word?( Memorized )

For example, all past language books I have encountered had the alphabet on one of the first pages. Once introduced, it then employed the alphabet AS IF you already knew it without any teaching/learning activities.The assumption is, don't go to page 2 until this alphabet is ingrained like your mother's telephone number. For those with Memorize-itis, this would just about be as far as you would get in learning this new language unless you had been imprisoned by the KGB and this was the only book you had access to.

The language I am learning is Russian.I have been working on it during spare moments for about 1.5 years and have even taken the first class at a local Community College.With that background, I am much more appreciative of this book than perhaps I would be if this were my first introduction and I was truly a beginner.

What are the advantages of this text?First, I got the paperback, so it is much lighter. Next, Mr. Brown does not start with a listing of the alphabet, but rather immediately breaks it down into sections and creates a "teachable moment" by giving you starter vocabulary WHILE you are learning how to pronounce the letters. He gets points for this.

He also explains some oddities about the alphabet like, "The soft sign" and "The Hard sign" in a way that I could understand better than my teacher and the text we were using and guidebooks that I had been using previously. More points.

After he has explained all of the letters with the starter vocabulary, he then lists the whole alphabet, with pronunciation guides in dictionary order. And more points.Next there are practice exercises!Next there are some emergency "signs" like toilet, post office, pull....things that are very necessary to know and pictures of some of them. More points.

Next he introduces a short list of words that have the same sound in English as in Russian. Once you employ the sounds of the Russian letters, what comes out of your mouth is the same name as you would use in English.It is just spelled differently.

I have not gone through the book to evaluate the next important feature of any teaching text: concomitant learning.That is, once I have mastered the things in chapter one, does the structure and speed of chapter two and succeeding chapters move me along because it builds on my previous learning?Or is it completely new stuff which puts me back on page one and back into memorizing mode?I leave that for another reviewer.

So, with a little experience, this book makes excellent sense as a supplement.For the memorizers of the world, I should think it would make acquiring Russian easier than with previous texts.But for the beginner without assistance and without a terrific memory it still may not be their cup of chai.

Very helpful
I am not very good at learning foreign languages but have to do some of it for my job.For me, the key to learning is to stay interested enough to be able to continue practicing regularly. Each chapter here builds on the previous one just enough to make me feel like I am learning and making progress with each lesson. I also enjoy how the dialogues show easy to use and understand examples of the points introduced in each chapter. It is also nice to see how exceptions to the rules are introduced and demonstrated in a relatively painless fashion. If you are looking for serious grammar and vocabulary help in a fairly straightforward format, by all means give this course a try. I have made many half hearted attempts over the years to learn Russian using several cassette and workbook type courses, but I lost interest in them quickly. After taking a brief two month intensive classroom course, I found this book and decided to give it a try based on other good reviews. I am very glad I did. Perhaps because the chapters are organized in a manner similar to the language textbooks I remember from school, I found this book easy to follow and very suited to my own personal learning style. The sections in each chapter are short, and I have found that I can do one or two sections each night without being overwhelmed. Vocabulary lists at the beginning of each chapter are useful for vocabulary building. Noun declension and inflected endings were the most difficult concepts for me to grasp in the classroom, but thanks to the straightforward manner in which they are presented in this book, I am quickly coming to terms with not only how they work but also when and how to use them properly. That being said, I agree with other reviewers who mention the need to hear the spoken language in order to acquire proper pronunciation, but there are resources out there online that can be downloaded, not to mention Russian language movies available even on the rental scene.

... Read more

Product Description
Now fully updated to 2009, this acclaimed history of Latin America tells its turbulent story from Columbus to Chavez. Beginning with the Spanish and Portugese conquests of the New World, it takes in centuries of upheaval, revolution and modernization up to the present day, looking in detail at Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Cuba, and gives an overview of the cultural developments that have made Latin America a source of fascination for the world. 'A first-rate work of history ...His cool, scholarly gaze and synthesizing intelligence demystify a part of the world peculiarly prone to myth-making ...This book covers an enormous amount of ground, geographically and culturally' - Tony Gould, "Independent on Sunday". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Not good
How can you write a history of Latin America and not write about the Haitian Revolution or Haiti in general? Simon Bolivar was educated, inspired, and helped by the Haitians to free South America. Totally irresponsible history.

A wonderful introduction to Latin American history
As others have noted, this is a highly readable introduction to Latin American history.I had no background whatsoever on this subject and wanted to find out more, and this was just the right book.I found its coverage of modern (i.e., 19th and 20th century) history of Brazil, Chile, and Mexico to be quite illuminating.However, its treatment of cultural history was not as useful; I wish he had provided more excerpts of the original works of the writers and poets discussed.But, all in all, a very handy introduction.I am going to proceed to other books on Latin American history, and that is due in no small part to this work.

The Penguin History of Latin America
The book is well written for a history book. It is very easy to read.

Great Insight
Since the history of Latin America is so intriguing, I was expecting this book to be a bit more intriguing. It is a very broad-brush book; a little more anecdotal and personal stories could help flesh it out a bit.

But it does give excellent insight and precise analysis into the how's and why's of why Latin America is the way it is today, and that has increased my understanding of the Latin culture tremendously.

Good stuff to read
I have been able to find this book only with you. I need it for my university exam. Very good organisation even it's a little bit expensive. Anyway for a ggod job I am ready to pay.

thx& rgds

FRank Brunone ... Read more

Product Description
In 1572, Montaigne retired to his estates in order to devote himself to leisure, reading and reflection. There he wrote his constantly expanding 'essays', inspired by the ideas he found in books from his library and his own experience. He discusses subjects as diverse as war-horses and cannibals, poetry and politics, sex and religion, love and friendship, ecstasy and experience. Above all, Montaigne studied himself to find his own inner nature and that of humanity. The Essays are among the most idiosyncratic and personal works in all literature. An insight into a wise Renaissance mind, they continue to engage, enlighten and entertain modern readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

If the price is around a dollar, you are looking at an old 17-centurytranslation. New translation are available.
This Kindle edition of Montaigne's Complete Essays get a three star rating because as of today Amazon is still treating different translations as if they are the same thing. So, if you are looking at something costing about a dollar, you are probably looking at an old translation by Charles Cotton, which is widely available for free on the internet from sources such as project Gutenberg, and I'd give it a rating of one star. On the other hand, if you are looking at something costing around $15, it might be a modern translation by M. A. Screech (from Penguin) and I will give it a five-star rating. Please be aware that these prices are subject to change in the future. If you are not certain which is which, download a sample first to make sure it is the edition you want.

The Charles Cotton translation Michel de Montaigne - The Complete Essays (mobi), dated back in the 17th century, could be a little hard to understand sometimes. If you prefer (as I do) to read a modern translation of Montaigne, M. A. Screech's excellent translation has just become available on Kindle The Complete Essays. It is a little more expensive than the Cotton translation, but well worth the money. I also have the complete essays translated by Donald Frame The Complete Essays of Montaigne, which I actually like a little more because I have been reading the book for a while. But it is a physical book and I don't think it is available on the Kindle yet.

FAIL.
This book is advertised as specifically having Chapter 12 "An Apology for Raymond Sebond".
When you download this book, IT GOES FROM CHAPTER 11-13 WITHOUT NO CHAPTER 12.
I repeat- this book does not have the essay it specifically advertises, the essay I paid for.

This is terrible, false advertising, and extremely disappointing. For a book to be missing an ENTIRE CHAPTER, WHEN YOU PAY FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK FOR THIS CHAPTER AND THIS CHAPTER ALONE, WITHOUT TELLING YOU BEFORE PURCHASING IT, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY ADVERTISING THAT IT HAS THIS CHAPTER, IS COMPLETELY WRONG.

Buy the Penguin version!
The Kindle edition by mobi lacks a decent table of contents.Although there is one, with links to all the individual chapters, no title is given to them, only their respective roman numbers!A very hard way to navigate this gigantic book!

I'm in the minority
I didn't have to read this book for a course, but I'd heard good things about it. What can I say? I finished it but it wasn't particularly interesting and a week after I finished it I couldn't remember what any of it was about.

During Reading, Montaigne Becomes A Light-Hearted, Warm, Beneficially Critical and Thought-Provoking Friend
Montaigne was a truly astounding soul and intellect.His essays are at once rapturous, skatter-brained, focused and convincing.He writes about, literally, everyting- from war to sex, from love to solitude.And his insights truly create synaptical connections in each reader's brain that change your viewpoints on life, and how you live.It's like having a great two-year conversation with a very, very valuable friend.

What surprises me most of all about his work is how modern and penetrating his thoughts and rationality still seem, some hundreds of years later.These essays a truly a testament to how revolutionary the Renaissance was, and an early milestone in the increasing rational objectivism and inquiry of science.There is wisdom for the ages, here.Highly, highly, highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
"Indispensible, illuminating, and comprehensive." --The Times (London)

This has remained the best and most successful guide to classical music for more than forty years. Fully revised by its team of eminent authors and written with wit and passion, The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music offers reviews of all the latest releases as well as the finest established recordings.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Garbage: 1600 pages of meaningless vague drivel.
What bothers me most about the reviews is they are so vague one wonders if the editors actually LISTEN to the recording they are supposedly reviewing.
e.g. "de Laroccha brings a beguiling charm to the recording" or "Jones, penetrates the ethos of these pieces with a natural feeling"...utter useless uninformative nonsense.

Their marketing gimmick of the rosettes is just that...a gimmick.Even THEY admit it is completely subjective...so what's the point then? It caters towards the lazy, uncritical consumer who just buys based on a childish rating system.

Time to put this publication out of it's misery.At least some trees will be saved.

Penguin Guide to Classical Music, 2010
Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music, 2010

What a great resource to have and use when you are considering the purchase of a new recording. There are so many options to choose from. This is an indispensable guide for choosing the best recordings of a particular work. I previously owned an earlier release of the Penguin. Now I am pleased to have its updated version.

conservative
Generally wary of guides, I bought the 2010 update - my first Penguin guide - only to find out that, extraordinarily, Dallapiccola, Maderna, Nono, Feldman are not in there, Mahler is shortchanged (what with the avalanche of extremely good recent recordings and cycles - I advise people to look elsewhere, e.g. the GustavMahlerBoard, or Classicstoday for informed discussions and reviews of the most recent Mahler recordings), and Xenakis, Stockhausen and Cage get pathetic coverage (and it's condescending to boot), compared to the generous attention paid to totally irrelevant, more conservative contemporary composers such as James MacMillan and John Tavener. Fair enough that they are included, but then also the far more interesting (and also British!) composers Ferneyhough, James Dillon and especially Jonathan Harvey should have been included (quite apart from continental heavyweights such as Lachenmann and Sciarrino). It's clear that the authors of the guide have a preference for the less progressive type of music and also that they are chauvinistic in choosing English performers rather than the best (oddly, the overrated Lindsays are prominently recommended for a good deal of the Haydn and some of the Beethoven quartets).

The record you are looking at isn't in the book
The negative reviews here are pretty funny, and certainly pretty much right: the British bias. etc. But the real problem is this: unless you are looking at a record from a label that was big in the vinyl era with an artist who is a big name, the recording just isn't in this book. So what use is it?

A useful reference
As only a mid-level classical music fan, I have found this guide to be highly useful over the years as I have assembled a small library of recordings.

Not only have this guide's listing helped steer me toward better recordings, but also reading the listings has introduced me to the magic of all sorts of performers and conductors I was not previously aware of.

No doubt there are great recordings of things that are not listed in here, as the ongoing comparisons with the Gramophone Guide are happy to point out. That problem cuts both ways.

But if you are an average enthusiast of classical music like me, you can bet that any recording listed in here is going to be a worthy expenditure, and that means this book is money well spent.

Now if only they could make it into a web/iPhone app so a user could search for and easily find all recommended recordings by a certain performer, for example. And to have all that in my iPhone the next time I unexpectedly decide to start shopping... ... Read more

Product Description
Paul Morel both loves and is repelled by his mother, a good woman who makes up for her poor marriage to a violent, uneducated man by lavishing all her attention on her sons. But as Paul grows up and takes lovers, the feelings between mother and son will produce only terrible conflict between what Paul wants, and what he truly needs. Books that save lives come in one colour Choose (Penguin Classics) RED, Save Lives Penguin Classics has partnered with (PRODUCT) RED to bring you our selection of some of the best books ever written. We will be contributing 50 per cent of the profits from the sale of (Penguin Classics) RED editions to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Now great books can help save lives.Amazon.com Review
Sons and Lovers was the first modern portrayal of a phenomenon that later, thanks to Freud, became easily recognizable as the Oedipus complex. Never was a son more indentured to his mother's loveand full of hatred for his father than Paul Morel, D.H. Lawrence's youngprotagonist. Never, that is, except perhaps Lawrence himself. Inhis 1913 novel he grappled with the discordant loves that haunted him allhis life--for his spiritual childhood sweetheart, here called Miriam, andfor his mother, whom he transformed into Mrs. Morel. It is, by Lawrence'sown account, a book aimed at depicting this woman's grasp: "as her sonsgrow up she selects them as lovers--first the eldest, then the second.These sons are urged into life by their reciprocal love of theirmother--urged on and on. But when they come to manhood, they can't love,because their mother is the strongest power in their lives."

Of course, Mrs. Morel takes neither of her two elder sons (the first of whom dies early, which further intensifies her grip on Paul) as a literal lover, but nonetheless her psychological snare is immense. She loathes Paul's Miriam from the start, understanding that the girl's deep love of her son will oust her: "She's not like an ordinary woman, who can leave me my share in him. She wants to absorb him." Meanwhile, Paul plays his part with equal fervor, incapable of committing himself in either direction: "Why did his mother sit at home and suffer?... And why did he hate Miriam, and feel so cruel towards her, at the thought of his mother. If Miriam caused his mother suffering, then he hated her--and he easily hated her."Soon thereafter he even confesses to his mother: "I really don't loveher. I talk to her, but I want to come home to you."

The result of all this is that Paul throws Miriam over for a married suffragette, Clara Dawes, who fulfills the sexual component of his ascent to manhood but leaves him, as ever, without a complete relationship to challenge his love for his mother. As Paul voyages from the working-class mining world to the spheres of commerce and art (he has fair success as a painter), he accepts that his own achievements must be equally his mother's. "There was so much to come out of him. Life for her was rich with promise. She was to see herself fulfilled... All his work was hers."

The cycles of Paul's relationships with these three women are terrifying at times, and Lawrence does nothing to dim their intensity. Nor does he shirk in his vivid, sensuous descriptions of the landscape that offers up its blossoms and beasts and "shimmeriness" to Paul's sensitive spirit. Sons and Lovers lays fully bare the souls of menand earth. Few books tell such whole, complicated truths about the permutations of love as resolutely without resolution. It's nothing short of searing to be brushed by humanity in this manner. --Melanie Rehak ... Read more

Customer Reviews (82)

Separation Anxiety
This book made it to Time's Top 100 List of the best fiction of the 20th century. While the prose has merit, I don't quite see why it placed so high on the list nor is this edition the best. There is no table of contents and the chapter distinctions are poor; so too is the editing as there are many typos. Despite all that, Lawrence's primitively modernist novel is well-constructed and very innovative for its time. All in all, this book is worth the read.

On the border of modernity
This great and slowly moving novel remains one of the final great works in the English Romantic tradition. D.H. Lawrence's conservative style almost wants to remain in the pre-industrial world. This wonderful novel is both an oedipal portrait of a bourgois mother and her domestic conflicts with her mismatched and drunken husband and her future attempts to conserve her possession over her children. Paul Morel is the central figure, whose life revolves around his struggle with his love of two women and his devotion to his mother. Sons and Lovers is at its core about the dehumanizing effects of the modern world. It is no longer possible to live in peace and harmony with ones environment. Man has now been reduced to his functions. Although this novel does not really get going until the second half, the final passages remain some of the finest of English writing. A great though often dreary classic.

Sad and lovely
It was a pleasure to read this book,written in such a simple, crisp style and yet conveys the gravity of emotions between mother and son flawlessly with beautiful prose, subtle expressions, quiet reflections and profound discoveries.This is a true classic.

Overdramatic, largely biographical novel of the author's early life
Sons and Lovers is D.H. Lawrence's highly autobiographical novel of the early years of a young man's life in mid-nineteenth century England. As such, the book is very intense emotionally, as Lawrence seems to convey his own strong feelings about his family into his characters. One result of this exaggerated level of emotions is a constant state of tension and unreality. A simple scene becomes a moment of high drama and the constant repetition of such scenes eventually dulls the reader to those moments of genuine crisis.

The book begins with the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Morel. Gertrude is an educated, sensitive woman who marries Walter because of his physical appearance and charming personality. She also believes, falsely as it turns out, that he does not drink and is the owner of this own house. Mr. Morel is a miner and the family lives in "The Bottoms," a hardscrabble mining community. It soon becomes clear that he cannot cope with the responsibility of raising a family that grows to four children. In response he turns to drink and abusive language (although no real violence) toward his family, and especially toward his wife. Throughout the book Walter is portrayed, not as an evil man, but as one defeated by life. His family comes to despise him and at the same time love him, depending on his moods and behavior.

William, the first child, is athletic and intelligent. He grows to manhood early in the book and leaves to go to London to seek his fortune, but comes to a tragic end. The second child, Annie, has only a modest role in the novel as benefits a book with this title. Paul, the third child, is the main character and Lawrence's alter ego. Unlike his siblings, Paul is sickly and unathletic, and he and Mrs. Morel develop a strong attachment for each other that carries throughout the book.The final child, Arthur, also plays a minor role in the plot.

The book is divided into two parts; the first largely concerned with the early years of the Morel family and the second with Paul and his love affairs. As a teenager he meets Miriam, a young girl on a nearby farm. Paul develops a fondness for the whole family and he and Miriam become entangled romantically and the understanding is that they will marry some day.But neither Paul nor Miriam can make a sufficient commitment to this idea and even when Miriam finally does so Paul is incapable of a similar response. At this point an older woman, Clara Dawes, comes into Paul's life. She is married to Baxter Dawes, a brutish man from whom she is separated. Paul is attracted to her physically and they begin an adulterous relationship. But again Paul has difficulty sustaining a mature relationship and is constantly torn between his love for (and even dependence on) his mother and his wish for a mature and stable relationship with a woman.

The novel is also infused with a heavy dose of religion. Miriam in particular, is described as highly religious and even derogatively referred to as a nun. The religion view that sex is something dirty is also evident.

It would help, given the nature of the book, to read a biography of Lawrence before tackling this novel. Many of the characters in the novel act in dysfunctional ways and the reader wonders how much of their behavior is a reflection of Lawrence's own life experiences.

It is difficult for me to rate this book much above three stars because of the depressing tone and unrealistic behaviors of the characters. One wants to say to Lawrence, "get some psychological help before writing about your life!"On the other hand it is a fascinating story written by one of the outstanding English writers of the nineteenth century. It is not his best work, but still quite good in many respects.

Touched by genius...
D.H. Lawrence was a guy that came out of the womb knowing how to write. You read his prose and his innate genius quickly becomes self-evident--this is an artist for whom the creative act of literature is akin to a Mozart symphony--airtight, beautiful, logical, NATURAL. Floooooowing.

Compare Lawrence with someone like Wallace Stegner--the latter being a writer with a fair amount of talent and a heckuva lot of dedication...but whose works seem...synthetic. Over-written, almost. As if he would look at a sentence and say, "This needs another adjective here--and a polysyllabic synonym for this word here."

With Lawrence, there is no sense of writerly straaaaaaining for profundity...no sense of sweaty self-consciousness. The sentences seemingly emanate from the ether, with a fundamental soundness and beauty which only a tiny, tiny few lucky people are capable of creating.

Stegner could study the craft of writing for thirty years and still produce an inferior book to the twenty-seven-year-old Lawrence's Sons and Lovers. Lawrence had IT. He was the real deal. The genuine article. He WAS Mozart (Stegner was you-know-who).

Sons and Lovers is a masterpiece. Not without its flaws, surely, but a masterpiece all the same. Some parts drag; some parts are choppy; some parts are frankly uninteresting. Notwithstanding that, it is just a single rung below Lolita and Under the Volcano in terms of quality.

The MLA concluded that Sons and Lovers is the ninth best novel of the 20th century--and it's hard to quibble with that assessment. (Even though it is ranked AHEAD of the supernally brilliant--and better--Under the Volcano.)

If you are a serious connoisseur of literature, this is one you have to get under the belt. ... Read more

Product Description
The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

The Odyssey
Knowing the precise condition and price of the item is always great. It helps me with picking out which item best suits me. The Odyssey (paperback) that I received was exactly in the condition as stated in the description of the item on Amazon. I had received it before the given estimated date of arrival. I am very satisfied with the product and with the sender.

A classic re-made...
(I'm not sure why amazon has over half of these reviews for Fagels's translation on Rieu's page? I noticed this happening quite a bit on amazon, but anyway...)

I have spent quite a bit of time comparing versions of "The Odyssey", and out of all of them I settled on Rieu's pioneering translation.

It was originally published in 1946 as Penguin's very first book!

He would recite "The Odyssey" from the original Greek to his wife and children during the second world war in London while bombs dropped around them.It was Rieu's wish to start a publishing company that dealt with reviving the classics for common man. Penguin Classics is now the most widely loved, read and utilized editions on the market!What a vision he had!

This edition of The Odyssey was revised by his son in 1991 and reprinted with a better print and layout in 2002.It still carries a type of "joie de vivre" all throughout, a wonderful raciness, and a strength of believablity.

...as good as the revised one is, Rieu's original more important and historic because of the eloquent and humble human language he uses...which has largely been taken away.

"I long to be homeward bound" Simon and Garfunkel
The Trojan War is over and one of our hero kings is lost. His son (Telemachus) travels to find any information about his father's fait. His wife (Penelope) must cunningly hold off suitors that are eating them out of house and home.

If he ever makes it home, Odysseus will have to detect those servants loyal from those who are not. One absent king against rows of suitors; how will he give them their just deserts? We look to Bright Eyed Pallas Athena to help prophecy come true.

Interestingly all the tales of monsters and gods on the sea voyage was told by Odysseus. Notice that no one else survives to tell the tale. Therefore, we have to rely on Odysseus' word.

Many movies took sections of The Odyssey, and expanded them to make interesting stories those selves.

Not just the story but also the way in which it is told will keep you up late at night reading.


The Odyssey

Down-to-Earth Translation of a Classic
Over the years, I've encountered several different translations of Homer's 'The Odyssey' in school textbooks. These were generally excerpts, not the work in its entirety. I had become quite familiar with it's plot, as well as its ties to Greek mythology, though I'd never read the whole work. I've made attempts at reading Robert Fitzgerald's full translation of 'The Odyssey' in the past, though I found that I couldn't get into it. A couple of months before writing this review, I came across this particular translation...After leafing through the pages, it appeared to be much more accessible than others I had seen, so I thought I'd give it a try.

One of the key differences between this translation and others is that it has been rendered in the style of a novel than like the epic poetry its been translated from. Though the literal meaning of the passages has been largely retained, I find this translation's layout to be more aesthetically appealing and, thus, easier for a casual reader to become immersed in.

'The Odyssey' is the story of the main character, Odysseus, and his return to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, had to leave both his wife Penelope and his newly born son Telemachus behind because he has to leave for Troy. 'The Odyssey' begins, chronologically, in the 'middle' of the actual sequence of events in Odysseus' story. While Odysseus has been away from Ithaca for an unusually long length of time, his patron goddess, Athena, is discussing his fate with her father, Zeus. In the meantime, Odysseus' wife, Penelope, is constantly being harassed by a large group of men collectively referred to as the 'Suitors', who wish to marry her, since it appears that there is no chance of Odysseus returning. Athena visits Telemachus, who is now around 20 years old, and is able to help him get news of his father's whereabouts. Odysseus has been held captive by the nymph Calypso for many years, though the messenger-god Hermes persuades her to free him. Odysseus builds himself a raft, though it ends up being wrecked by the enraged sea-god Poseidon. Odysseus swims to an island, where he is rescued by a young girl, Nausicaa. He is welcomed by her father, Alcinous, and mother, Arete. At this point, Odysseus tells of the trials he has had to endure since his participation in the Trojan War so long ago.

Many of these events will be familiar to anyone interested in Greek mythology; for instance, his crew's ships being wrecked on the island of the Lotus-Eaters, his encounter with a Cyclops (Poseidon's son, who Odysseus blinds by thrusting a stake through his eye; this is the reason why Poseidon is angry with Odysseus), and passing through the land of the singing Sirens. After he is finishing telling of his adventures, a group of skilled sea-men, the Phaecians, help him reach Ithaca. Odysseus is able to introduce himself to his son Telemachus, who he hasn't seen since he was a baby. In disguise, Odysseus is able to walk amongst the Suitors and Penelope, and tells them that Odysseus is going to be returning soon. Penelope tests all of the Suitors, saying that anyone able to string Odysseus' bow in an archery competition may have her hand in marriage. Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar, is the only one able to do so. Then, he reveals his identity to the Suitors, then kills them after turning his bow upon all of them. His wife, Penelope, tests Odysseus to see if he is really who he says he is by telling the maid Eurycleia to move their bed from the bedroom. Odysseus then tells of how he built that bed himself from an olive-tree and how it would be incredibly hard for anyone to move it. Thus, Penelope was convinced of his identity, and they talk of all of the events that have occurred in each of their lives during the long span of time that they haven't been able to communicate.

'The Odyssey' is one of the central works of Western literature, which is understandable based on the story's scope: mythology, adventure, an intelligent and cunning hero, and an unpredictable plot. The fairly flat, and sometimes archetypal dispositions of the characters are made up for by the complex and enjoyable nature of the tale.

An Epic Thriller
The Odyssey is an epic story about a king and his twenty year journey back home to Ithaca. The book starts off in the city of Ithaca where Odysseus is told that he has to off to Troy to fight in the Trojan War. Odysseus is the main character of this story that goes to fight in the Trojan War in which he hides inside a Horse (A gift for the Trojans) and come backs home to find that his house is overran by suitors. This epic poem could be compared to the Iliad, which tells about some aspects of the Trojan War, by Homer.
The author uses great and specific details of the killings and the in the injuries the characters endure during their adventure. I suggest this book to anybody who loves action filled epic stories.
When I read this it makes me want to read it again every time because of the action and details in this story. If you are a fan of epic adventure I recommend you read this book because of the compelling characters the specific details.
... Read more

Product Description
By looking back at seventy years of Penguin paperbacks, graphic designer Phil Baines charts the development of British publishing, the ever-changing currents of cover art and style, and the role of artists and designers in creating and designing the Penguin look. Rich with stunning illustrations and filled with details about individual titles, designers, and even the changing size and shape of the Penguin logo itself, Penguin by Design shows how covers become design classics.

Features 600 color illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Design for reading
Phil Baines's extraordinarily beautiful study of Penguin paperbacks (both their design and their publishing history) not only fills a gap in telling the full story of one of the most striking visual artifacts of the twentieth century. On gorgeous paper the book reproduces the many different designs for the Penguin paperbacks from the mid30s onward, showing small experiments launched by the company that sometimes took hold (such as their Pelican series) and sometimes did not (such as the beautiful Abram Games full-color covers of the late 50s). The stories of the cover designs make you astonished at a company that has courageously encouraged so much innovation consistently over the decades.

Great Book
I am a graphic designer, but I recommend this book to anyone who is curious when looks at books at the library and ask him/her self - who made this cover is great or is horrible or what a great idea! Excellent compillation.

Great gift for book/art lovers
As a book lover as well as an art lover, I wanted this beautiful book as soon as I saw it. So I bought it and then realized it was a perfect birthday gift for a friend who is a graphic artist and an admirer of classic Penguin book design. He loved it, of course. So then I had to order another one for myself. Definitely a keeper.

A treasury
Penquin books have been a great joy ever since I discovered them in college many years ago. This fine collection is a trip down memory lane with beautiful designs and intriguing hints of the pleasures inside.

It's wonderful to see that so many of the books are still in print. An excellent sampling of the covers, including the ability to blow them up for closer inspection, appears on the Penquin Books website.

Also, my thanks to Robin Benson for his illustrations here on Amazon; they sold me on buying the book. Well done!

Robert C. Ross 2009

Design history
A light but enlightening journey through the evolution of cover designs, as impacted by world events, technology and taste. Particularly interesting for those in the industry. ... Read more

Product Description
From its humble origins as a cluster of rival chiefdoms along the banks of the Nile, ancient Egypt rose to become one of the most advanced civilizations of its time. Noted Egyptologist Bill Manley traces its history from the founding of Memphis around 5000 B.C. Recent archaeological evidence sheds new light on the vast architectural legacy of one of the world's oldest nations. Full-color maps and b&w illus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Ancient Egyptian Atlas
A well-crafted and organized history of Ancient Egypt with excellent maps and descriptions of territories, kingdoms and movement of people and rulers throughout 7000 years of transformation.

Unsatisfactory
The book has a great collection of maps; however, sidetracks from major aspects of Egyptian history. The information presented on the 25th Dynasty, is particularly unsatisfactory. Major events like the battle of 701 BC between Egypt's 25th Dynasty and Assyria, which changed map of the middle east, is vaguely mentioned. The information presented is inconsistent and certainly unsatisfactory for the average reader.

Not the most informative book on Egyptian history, but then again it IS an ATLAS!
Many people are writing that this book did not satisfy their desire for facts and more in-depth explanations of Egyptian history, and that the book's text is not informative. This book is not meant for that purpose, and is really and truly an atlas. The maps are what matter.
In that reguard it serves its purpose and more. The maps are extremely easy to follow, clearly labelled and idenitified, colorful, and most of all- informative. One can tell so much about a period of history by analyzing a map, particularly several which have trade routes, battle sites, important roads and cultural sites CLEARLY marked. Who could ask for anything more! This atlas is wonderful, and is, I repeat, an atlas.
Anyways? What kind of person sits down and reads an atlas? I mean, seriously, its just a reference book, its not a novel. Its not supposed to tell wonderful stories and dazzle you with vibrant facts, its just maps, and anything else, is extra.

Great aid to study of Ancient Egypt
Maps showing the changing boundaries of countries through a period of history are great visual for students of ancient history.

Informative but dull
It is a good read for people with recent encountering with Egypt. But I was little appalled because information seemed dull. Book will give you facts and names but there isn't much more. Colorful images will attract your attention but I really believe those images have interesting legend and tales by their own. ... Read more

Product Description
An anthology of ghost stories across the ages

Michael Newton is the author of Savage Girls and Wild Boys: A History of Feral Children (Faber & Faber, 2002; Picador USA, 2004) and Kind Hearts and Coronets in the BFI Film Classics series (2003). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Decent starter collection but there are better (see review)
"The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories" is an anthology of 19 oft-collected ghost stories--Michael Newton's selection of what he considers to be the cream of the crop from Elizabeth Gaskell's "The Old Nurse's Story" (1852) and Sheridan Le Fanu's "Green Tea" (1869) through Edith Wharton's "Afterward" (1910).

The stories in this book are already in print in several anthologies, most notably "The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse)" (1986), the twenty-volume Fontana books of 'Great Ghost Stories,' and the classic "Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (Modern Library)" (1944).I would rank any of these anthologies over this Penguin starter collection.

The editor, Michael Newton says in his 'Note on the Texts' that this collection "aims more at the person who will buy only one such book [of ghost stories] for private reading or for study, and for those who want one volume that brings together the very best examples of the genre."

I think he succeeds, for the most part in his choice of stories.The only one I had never read before was Lafcadio Hearn's "Nightmare-Touch" which reads more like a dream diary than a short story.I'm not certain I would have included so many stories told in dialect, most especially Robert Louis Stevenson's "Thrawn Janet" (1887), but there are extensive notes at book's end, plus a "Glossary of Scots Words.""What Was It?" by Fitz-James O'Brien is not a ghost story, so strictly speaking, it probably should have been excluded from this collection.

Be sure to read Mr. Newton's "Introduction" to this anthology in which he analyzes the purpose of the ghost story, and gives us a brief history of the genre.

The stories in this collection:"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell; "What Was It?" by Fitz-James O'Brien; "The Haunted and the Haunters: or, The House and the Brain" by Edward Bulwer Lytton; "The Cold Embrace" by Mary Elizabeth Braddon; "The North Mail" by Amelia B. Edwards; "No. 1 Branch Line: The Signal-man" by Charles Dickens; "Green Tea" by Sheridan Le Fanu; "The Ghost in the Cap'n Brown House" by Harriet Beecher Stowe; "Thrawn Janet" by Robert Louis Stevenson; "The Open Door" by Margaret Oliphant; "At the End of the Passage" by Rudyard Kipling; "Nightmare-Touch" by Lafcadio Hearn; "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs; "The Wind in the Rose-Bush" by Mary Wilkins Freeman; "'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'" by M.R. James; "The Moonlit Road" by Ambrose Bierce; "The Jolly Corner" by Henry James; "The Readjustment" by Mary Austin; "Afterward" by Edith Wharton.

Starter Collection
This newest collection of great ghost stories sticks pretty closely to the title as advertised: an actual ghost is present within most the stories which refuse to haunt other avenues of the supernatural. The editor's intention is admirable and clearly stated early on: "I felt it best not to shy away from some obvious choices. In my view, some very good anthologies of ghost stories are weakened by a desire to pick surprising, neglected or substandard stories by the best writers in the genre, or second rank stories by largely forgotten writers. As a result, the editors produce anthologies for people who collect such anthologies and who already own the classic tales. While this book aims to provide something for such readers, it aims more at the person who will buy only one such book for private reading or study, and for those who want one volume that brings together the very best examples of the genre". He also mentions authors he couldn't get for copyright reasons: Blackwood, Machen,de la Mare, Hitchens, Onions.

He addresses what I perceived to be a fault with the new Library of America anthology by Peter Straub: too many second tier stories by famous authors. And while his own anthology corrects this fault to a degree, it lapses into other errors. Some of the most famous stories are not always the author's best or there are other works that ought be equally famous and are much less anthologized (though hardly unknown): I would take MR James "Casting the Runes" before yet another inclusion of the overly availableand disappointing "Oh, Whistle". As "The Monkey's Paw" is probably the best ghost story ever written both in its economy of story and proper eeriness, I have no problem with its ghostly presence. But Fitz-James O'Brien's "What Was It?" is not very frightening and Henry James' "The Jolly Corner" is well written and famous but a ghost story in name only. So if I would complain it would be of overall taste, a hard thing to defend or even define.

Newton writes a very admirable introduction to the whole topic of ghost stories and gives readers many directions for further reading. But if I were to choose a single anthology that does what Newton aimed to do, I would chooseGreat Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (Modern Library) or the Dark Descent anthologies. Both are unsurpassed in picking the best written, scariest stories and are still in print. But yet another anthology that seriously aims for quality and frequently achieves it should not be shunned either, like an old dark house in a deserted part of town. ... Read more