Product Description
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.Amazon.com Review
Jacob Jankowski says: "I am ninety.Or ninety-three.One or the other."At the beginning of Water for Elephants, he is living out his days in a nursing home, hating every second of it.His life wasn't always like this, however, because Jacob ran away and joined the circus when he was twenty-one.It wasn't a romantic, carefree decision, to be sure.His parents were killed in an auto accident one week before he was to sit for his veterinary medicine exams at Cornell.He buried his parents, learned that they left him nothing because they had mortgaged everything to pay his tuition, returned to school, went to the exams, and didn't write a single word.He walked out without completing the test and wound up on a circus train.The circus he joins, in Depression-era America, is second-rate at best.With Ringling Brothers as the standard, Benzini Brothers is far down the scale and pale by comparison.

Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob's life with this circus.Sara Gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself.The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused.Jacob, once it becomes known that he has veterinary skills, is put in charge of the "menagerie" and all its ills.Uncle Al, the circus impresario, is a self-serving, venal creep who slaps people around because he can.August, the animal trainer, is a certified paranoid schizophrenic whose occasional flights into madness and brutality often have Jacob as their object.Jacob is the only person in the book who has a handle on a moral compass and as his reward he spends most of the novel beaten, broken, concussed, bleeding, swollen and hungover.He is the self-appointed Protector of the Downtrodden, and... he falls in love with Marlena, crazy August's wife.Not his best idea.

The most interesting aspect of the book is all the circus lore that Gruen has so carefully researched.She has all the right vocabulary:grifters, roustabouts, workers, cooch tent, rubes, First of May, what the band plays when there's trouble, Jamaican ginger paralysis, life on a circus train, set-up and take-down, being run out of town by the "revenooers" or the cops, and losing all your hooch. There is one glorious passage about Marlena and Rosie, the bull elephant, that truly evokes the magic a circus can create.It is easy to see Marlena's and Rosie's pink sequins under the Big Top and to imagine their perfect choreography as they perform unbelievable stunts.The crowd loves it--and so will the reader. The ending is absolutely ludicrous and really quite lovely.--Valerie Ryan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2036)

Will Read Again and Again
What an absolutely wonderful book!I know for a fact that Water for Elephants will never leave my bedside table, as I will read this book again and again and again.Distributed as holiday gifts, birthday gifts, and feel-good gifts, this book will always hold a place in my heart and in the hearts of others!Rosie is an absolute dream, as are Queenie, Bobo, the orangutan, and the "hay burners."Each will cuddle up to you and will never leave you.Halfway through I had to keep myself from skipping forward to the "present" where Jacob struggles with his body, his mind, and the nursing home and staff.Throughout your time with this novel, your heart will break, be crookedly taped together, be crushed, and will ultimately reassemble as a deeper and more vibrant version of its former self.As dramatic as that sounds, it's completely true.If given even a second glance, this story will be your constant bedside, public transit, and vacation companion.

wonderful read..
this story was a wonderful experience. A trip into the circus and also a look at a very important subject for many who care for seniors or are becoming seniors

Beautiful and compelling historical fiction, but the plot moves slowly
I think I liked every single page of this book. It was a well-written semi-historical account of circus life and human interaction, but it wasn't over written. Definitely one of the better books I've read. It did move a bit slowly, but it's difficult to notice how slowly a book moves when you read it quickly. I imagine if I had read this book over the stretch of a week or two, it would have been a little less interesting. However, it did motivate me to keep reading, so I doubt I would have wanted to stretch it out that long.

Wonderous
I loooooved this book.It triggers every emotion in the plethora that is human emotion.I have a great love for elephants, and I think that helped in loving this story.It is funny and sad and anger inducing all in one breath.I also enjoyed the rich historical research that went into this story.I just loved it and so have many of my friends.

Murder, suspense, a love triangle and a heartwarming ending--fantastic book!
The author transports the reader from the era of the Great Depression and back to the present. A gentleman who is in his frail state of 93 years old reflects back on his earlier years. As a young man, he had just faced a horrific tragedy in his family, was left with nothing, and so ran off only to find himself working in the circus. And what an eye-opening and life-changing experience that was. From the greedy circus owner, Uncle Al, the dangerous August and his lovely wife, Marlena--the plot just kept on thickening. And the added touch of the animals--especially the charming elephant, Rosie--simply made the story line all the more entertaining.

I was stubborn for so long, not reading this. I think of myself as a tough audience as I bore easily. But wow-o-wow--WHAT a book! It took about getting two thirds through until I simply couldn't put it down. And bravo to the author for the tremendous amount of detailed research she did. It is quite apparent. I felt like I was truly getting a taste of the Great Depression and a look at the circus life of that time period. My only annoyance was finishing a chapter packed full of suspense, turning the page, only to find myself back in the nursing home with the old man. I think that is just my impatience speaking, though, because in the end the author did a brilliant job of intertwining the past and present--to the point that I got choked up and almost shed a tear (I said almost).

So, in short, read this book! Women and men alike. There are F-bombs, as well as some descriptive (yet somehow not too vulgar) sex scenes with prostitutes and Marlena, so it's not for all ages (as rarely any books are) but I certainly recommend this.

... Read more

Product Description
From one of the world's leading experts on health and skin care - a revolutionary guide that will help you look and feel ten years younger

He has been called one of the “Best Forward-Thinking Doctors” (Vogue magazine) and acclaimed as a “Beauty Genius” (Elle magazine). Howard Murad, M.D., FAAD is one today's foremost authorities on health and skincare, and his philosophies have helped men and women around the world look and feel as young and healthy as possible. With The Water Secret, Dr. Murad shares a new, scientifically proven strategy, cultivated over years of practice and treating over 50,000 patients, to help you look and feel better from the inside out.

The Water Secret will:

• Reveal groundbreaking secrets to help you take years off your looks, feel better and healthier
• Debunk health myths through cutting-edge research and tell the truth about how inflammation, hydration, and other factors really affect your health
• Explain how damaged cells that leak water can sabotage your looks
• Introduces an integrated, multidisciplinary "Inclusive Health" approach to help optimize cellular strength
• Give you a complete 10-step action plan with recipes and meal plans to start you on the path to clear skin, fewer wrinkles, more energy, and better overall health

Discover The Water Secret and learn to take control of the process of aging by improving the health of every cell in the body. Begin the program and you will see and feel the difference your healthy new lifestyle will make in as soon as one week!Amazon.com Review
Product Description
From one of the world's leading experts on health and skin care - a revolutionary guide that will help you look and feel ten years younger.  He has been called one of the “Best Forward-Thinking Doctors” (Vogue magazine) and acclaimed as a “Beauty Genius” (Elle magazine). Howard Murad, M.D., FAAD is one today's foremost authorities on health and skincare, and his philosophies have helped men and women around the world look and feel as young and healthy as possible. With The Water Secret, Dr. Murad shares a new, scientifically proven strategy, cultivated over years of practice and treating over 50,000 patients, to help you look and feel better from the inside out.

The Water Secret will:

• Reveal groundbreaking secrets to help you take years off your looks, feel better and healthier
• Debunk health myths through cutting-edge research and tell the truth about how inflammation, hydration, and other factors really affect your health
• Explain how damaged cells that leak water can sabotage your looks
• Introduces an integrated, multidisciplinary "Inclusive Health" approach to help optimize cellular strength
• Give you a complete 10-step action plan with recipes and meal plans to start you on the path to clear skin, fewer wrinkles, more energy, and better overall health

Discover The Water Secret and learn to take control of the process of aging by improving the health of every cell in the body. Begin the program and you will see and feel the difference your healthy new lifestyle will make in as soon as one week!

Q&A with Dr. Howard Murad

Q: I’ve always heard that I should drink eight glasses of water a day. But in your book you talk about “eating your water.” Why is eating your water better than drinking it?
A: What happens when you drink eight glasses of water a day? You are in the bathroom eight times – or more – flushing your system of vital nutrients. The best source of hydration is the water built into the structure of the foods we eat (structured water) especially raw fruits and vegetables. This form of hydration lasts longer since water is released slowly as you digest and doesn’t merely flush through. That’s why I encourage my patients to replace one glass of water a day with raw fruits or vegetables. Not only will they feel more hydrated, they will be getting more of the vital nutrients they need to build healthy, watertight cells, which are essential to keeping their bodies fully hydrated and operating at their peak.

Q: Will improving my ability to hold cellular water prevent me from developing chronic illnesses and diseases?
A: The Water Secret is not a cure for illness or diseases. Living according to the insights I offer in the book helps to create an Inclusive Health lifestyle that helps you create the optimal environment in your body to help fight illness and disease. At my practice, I see numerous patients who are suffering from a range of diseases in addition to their skin concerns. Many of my patients with cancer have adopted an Inclusive Health lifestyle and attribute their ability to withstand the rigors of chemotherapy to their improvement in overall cellular health. The Water Secret is not a cure but a guide to helping you become as healthy and strong as possible so you can live life to the fullest – no matter what your life may look like and at any age. By adhering to the guidelines presented in The Water Secret, you are aiding every cell in your body by giving them the best environment to thrive and become healthy.

Q: If I have a problem sticking to a diet to lose weight, how is The Water Secret different than a diet?
A: Although weight loss is a common benefit of living inclusively, The Water Secret isn’t a diet – so it really doesn’t create the physical and psychological burden of deprivation that a diet usually creates.To live inclusively, I believe that people should eat what they enjoy but also incorporate healthy raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and other nutritious food and dietary supplements into their daily meal plans. The Water Secret is not limiting; it is about small lifestyle changes that add up to a life transformation. In The Water Secret, I have included recipes and suggestions on how to integrate healthy, delicious foods into your diet to build the strong new cells you need to optimize your overall health.

Q: What is the overall philosophy of The Water Secret?
A: The Water Secret is a paradigm shift in truly understanding the aging process. In the book, I introduce people to a new way of looking at care that I call Inclusive Health® that optimizes the health of the whole person beginning at the cellular level.Inclusive Health accomplishes this through a 3-prong approach that addresses cellular health by focusing on topical, internal and emotional self care. This care is not focused on resolving or preventing one specific problem – but resolves problems in the context of making the whole body healthier. Inclusive Health is a unified way to look at health and aging. Every cell in your body is connected and if we can improve cellular health, we can make a dramatic change in our lives, our looks and even slow the aging process.I believe that with a little effort anyone can learn to live inclusively and feel as young as possible.

Customer Reviews (9)

The Water Secret
Dr. Murad translates his message on the science of aging and overall health in a very easy to understand way.Even though there is a lot of scientific data, it is easy to follow and a quick read.He provides the data all of us need to be healthy from the inside out.Obviously his years of research have given him the cutting edge on such dynamic findings.I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Follow The Water Secret
I was recently traveling across country and was i ntroduced to The Water Secret on my plane. I spoke to the lady reading it sitting next to me(I can't remember her name but she was very nice) and she told me that I must read it! I purchased the book and read it on my flight back. I have already started to implement the new things I have learned (I am a culprit of Cultural stress!) and already am feeling great! I can't wait to spread the word to my friends and family. Thank you Dr. Murad for letting me knowthe little things I can do to live a healthier lifestyle!

Great Advice
I used to simply believe that drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day was enough.Since reading the book, Dr. Murad has made a strong case to change the way one thinks about their water intake.

Great Book!!

Surprises Inside!!
As an avid baker and cook, I love trying new recipes.Many of them are hard to follow and not very healthy. When I purchased the book - I had no idea that it had recipes - and was even more thrilled to see that they are delicious and healthy.The Dinner Party Secret Salad was amazing!!
It really puts you on an easy path to a healthy lifestyle.

The Water Secret, Dr Murad
An absolutely amazing book.It has really opened my eyes to the most simple things we "should be doing" on a daily basis.I am sure things we do from time to time or get in the "short" habits of, but putting it into perspective, as Dr Murad does, really makes me understany WHY we need to eat raw and take the simplest, daily habits, such as eating 5 times a day, taking care of our skin and exercising more seriously!Thank you Dr. Murad!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in tum-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (460)

An Adventure Through the Heart AND Stomach
One of the most beautiful books I have read in years. With its incredible mix of shameless romance and magical realism, it is a treat that will have you giggling, yelling, tearing up, AND EATING! Do not miss this book. If you have yet to read it, you are missing out on a literary bounty.

Great Idea...but not fantastic
What was so intriguing about the book when I first picked it up is that the cover reads (at least my edition of it) "a novel in monthly installments with recipes, romances, and home remedies". The plot revolves around the character Tita who is the youngest of three daughters. Due to this, her family tradition dictates that she must never marry but instead has to take care of her mother until her mother dies. Unfortunately, she falls in love with a boy named Pedro whom she knows she will never marry. In addition, she is her mother's least favorite daughter and the one on whom her mother takes out her anger. The only place that Tita can find solace is in the kitchen where the housekeeper (her surrogate mother) showers her in love and guidance in cooking. As Tita faces more tragedies (her sister marries Pedro, her mentor dies, etc.), she escapes through her cooking. Magically, when people eat her food they experience the emotions that she was feeling when she made the food. On nights when she is sad, everyone at the table begins weeping. Other nights she is filled with love and lust, and that is passed on to those who eat her food. At first, Tita doesn't understand her power but she soon is able to harness it and use it to speak for her when she is unable to speak for herself.

My satisfaction with this book fluctuated. At times I found the recipes at the beginning of each chapter to be intriguing and endearing, while at others I thought they were annoying and kitschy. I thought that Tita's ability to affect others through her food was an excellent character trait and certainly carried me through the novel. However, there was no one in the novel that I actually liked and wasn't emotionally invested in the story or the characters. I think that it is worth reading because the technique is interesting and something that few others have tackled. However, I won't be re-reading this one.

Steamy goodness with a crunchy aftertaste
By far one of the best examples of magic realism that has come out of Latin America.Laura Esquivel has outdone herself with this mouth-watering, heart-wrenching novel of forbidden love and its power over all.Don't read this piece on an empty stomach or with an empty bed, else you'll be frustrated with the passionate cravings her words induce.Since she was married to the director of the movie under the same title, it follows the story line almost to the letter.Highly suggest reading and watching both, in English AND Spanish.

Like Water for Chocolate
This was a very strange book.It had been recommended to me in a foodie forum, and while it was somwhat about food, the rest of it was a very weird tale of love.

Tita is born in the kitchen, amongst the smell of onions which causes her to cry immediately.She is the youngest of three daughters, born to a controlling mother.As the youngest, she is informed that she will never marry and must take care of her mother until she dies.

When she falls in love with Pedro her mother seeks to destroy their love and instead has Pedro marry her oldest daughter.During the reception at the wedding, everyone is sick from the food that is infused with Tita's tears.This is not the only time her food would have such a strong reaction on someone, however.She also prepares another dish, that makes her middle sister flame with so much desire she burns down the shower house and runs away naked with a army captain.This causes the mother to of course, for pride, disinherit the middle daughter.

As the years pass Pedro and his wife have two kids.Both Tita becomes attached too but is grievously torn away from them at the spite of her mother.When she goes crazy after hearing about the death of one, she is rescued by Doctor John Brown who falls in love with her.With plans to marry she returns to her mother's house to care for her after a bandit attack.Her mother dies and even though Tita thinks she might be free, the return of Pedro and her sister proves that she is not.

She is torn between marrying John or being with her true love Pedro.And what of Pedro's little daughter who she cares so much about.She cannot think of leaving her either.It will be a tough decision that ultimately comes to a shocking ending.

This book, since it is a Foodie book, contains 12 recipes.All seem to be of Spanish descent and feature a lot of nuts.If you have nut allergies, this isn't the book for you, at least to make things out of.The chapters are all labeled by the months of the year, which was strange to me because rather than covering a year, this book covers 23 years.

I wasn't very happy with the ending.With all the hardship that Tita had to face in her life, the ending just didn't seem fair to me.I also thought that the author did a horrible job on the character of Pedro.I couldn't figure out what redeeming qualities he had that would make Tita love him so.I thought he was a wretch.The rest of the characters were wonderfully done though.You could hate the mother, appreciate the middle sister and Tita's other helpers, find pity for the older sister, and smile at the goodness of Dr. John.

Esquivel's writing is very easy to read.This book is in the third person and mainly focuses on Tita.The recipes ingredient lists are easy to read but as far as the preparation goes, its interspersed with the story so one would have to use the book to write it out before hand before trying to make any of them.Some of the recipes look easy, the rest look like they could take the better part of the day to make.There's even a recipe for homemade matches!

Overall while I liked the incorporation of food into this novel, I wasn't as pleased with the novel itself.The story was depressing and some of the characters were hard to connect to.It isn't one I'd read again.

Like Water For Chocolate
Copyright 1992
246 pages

Not so bad
Well, I read it because it was required by ESL advanced reading teacher. The book is Magical Realism style, it has a lot of exaggeration and tall tell. To me, it's kinda boring and the ending is absurd. I will remember this book not only because it is my first English novel, but also my reading teacher, she is so beautiful, feminine and womanly, I was attracted by her. :) ... Read more

Product Description
New Edition!This is the third edition of Dr. F. Batmanghelidj' classic water book! THis book, based on a pioneering physician's twenty years of clinical and scientific research into the role of water in the body, explains a breakthrough discovery that Unintentional Chronic Dehydration(UCD) produces stress, chronic pains and many painful degenerational diseases. Dry mouth is not the only sign of dehydration; waiting to get thirsty is wrong. You will learn the different signals of thirst when your body is calling for water. Simply adjusting your water intake - yes, water! Natural, pure water!- can help you to live a healthier, pain-free life. Lean: How to naturally prevent and reverse conditions such as asthma, allergiesHow to naturally eliminate pains including heartburn, back pain, arthritis, colitis pain, migrant headchesHow to use water to prevent and combat premature agingHow to lose weight effortlessly, without strick dietingAmazon.com Review
As a result of extensive research into the role of water in the body, the author, a medical doctor, believes that he has found chronic dehydration to be the cause of many conditions including asthma, allergies, arthritis, angina, migraine headaches, hypertension, raised cholesterol, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, depression, and diabetes in the elderly.

According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the body possesses many different thirst signals. A dry mouth is not a reliable indicator of your body's water needs. He describes a variety of more reliable ones, and helps you learn to understand when your body is calling for water. In this way, he claims you can prevent, treat, and cure a variety of conditions of ill health, at no cost, with what he calls nature's miracle medicine: Water. The author explains how much water one needs to drink a day to stay healthy, and why tea, coffee, and sodas are not good substitutes for water. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (132)

Full of useful knowledge and advice
This is a book that everybody in our western culture should own. It explains how we get sick and fat by drinking pop, coffee and alcohol instead of water. The good news is that we can get better and less heavy by just drinking between two and three liters of water a day. The big insight consists in the fact that our body needs water to function properly, water that cannot be replaced by any other fluids. Pop, coffee and alcohol in fact dehydrate us which means that the intake of these beverages has to be compensated by additional intake of water. As soon as you have read the first pages of the book, you will start to drink water because you learn that you will get seriously ill if you don't. This is important knowledge that we unfortunately don't get from our physicians. It is absolutely unbelievable how many conditions can be cured (and not only treated) by the correct intake of water. Go for this book!

Life or death!
Having been certified in medical exercise for over 25 years and constantly seeking well researched information about the food and water we consume, I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone needing more information on how and why bodily hydration truly is a life or death scenerio.If you truly want excellent health well in to your later years, this is the book to read.

My actual rating is actually 3.75 stars, so let's get that out of the way first.
Alright. I bought the book and read the reviews. Got a few minuses to share. I also refer to his other book, "Obesity, Cancer, and Depression: Their Common Cause & Natural Cure."

Here's my take on it: yes, it is VERY technical and the details might make you suspicious that there's actually not that much real meat to the book. But the explanations do make sense, so for those of you who object to all the science, relax. It doesn't go on forever and it's there for a reason. The guy is an MD and all! My second objection to any book is the need to provide testimonials. It gives a book a kind of faint whiff of "hucksterish" that I wish it didn't have. My third objection is the assertion that his work is uniformly rejected by doctors and he's swimming against the tide. I'm reminded of the tripe published with the arresting title "Medical Cures THEY Don't Want You to Know". Did you ever look in one of the two books? Talk about lousy writing. And the paragraphs go on forever! I don't want to see Dr. B's books lumped in with those. Some could...But I'lI bet good money that there's a whole lot of doctors who agree with him, as well, but they don't put it out there to be ostracized by all their golfing partners Wednesday afternoons.

But here's the other side, and there's grounds for optimism:

First, there really IS a bias in what evidence is accepted by Big Pharma and the mainstream medicos. You can't discount the value of non-traditional healing modalities. Stuff works for whatever reason for a lot of people and just because it isn't in the PDA doesn't mean it's not a valid means to achieve results. Sorry about all the negatives, but you know what I mean. Me, I am distinctly uneasy with the cozy little arrangement of doctors being rewarded for writing lots of scripts for whatever drug company they happen to be under pressure from. All that swag... Anyway, the fact that he has the swingers to get it out there is commendable. The simplicity of the treatment just makes it hard to believe, but it has worked for a lot of people with real results reported.But, dang it, they're all testimonials. Now, if there had been some rigorous studies done, with a large population, that would be better to include rather than testimonials. I'd like to see that. That would bolster his credibility without him having to resort to the picked-on tone he assumes. I can't imagine some independent body willing to pick up the tab for an undertaking like that, though. And there's a Catch-22 for you. So testimonials might be as far as he will ever get. (He cites some publications, which help. A few of them are co-authored with other researchers.)

And... and... and, for all that, I started drinking more water, although not the gallon Dr. B. suggests, and my complexion DID clear up. And I seem to be losing a liddle around the middle. My doc is giving me a month to make some changes to improve my blood pressure or else he's going to give me Pills. It's not dangerously high, but he's calling it "borderline." (Also, alluding to the Big Pharma full-court press, there certainly have been reports that doctors are prescribing a more expensive medication for hypertension when an older, cheaper one would do the trick. Hell, EVERYBODY I know is on blood pressure meds, with all the side effects. Makes my hackles rise.) And, even though I don't normally discuss my, ahem, digestion with strangers (not you. You're fine. I'm talking about somebody else), that HAS improved. I've had some other benefits too delicate in nature to discuss, but, yeah, I'm less tired. I'm sleeping better. And the thing about thinning nasal secretions, jury's still out. I've been using a Neti pot, which helps. But what's in there, you ask? Salt water. That's certainly consistent. Still, I'd be happy to join a study looking to quantify the assertions, if it ever happened.

Losing weight is a big part of it, and I've got to make that happen for sure. So if drinking more water can speed that along, then, hey, let's go. I'm game. I know there's the thought out there that you actually don't need 8 glasses of water a day. And, yeah, there's that. That's why my review is leaning toward 4 stars. It might seem contradictory but it isn't. I like what I've read so far, and if I have more marvelous changes happening to me as a result of trying his program, you'll hear from me again.On the whole, the approach looks promising. 'Scuse me while I go drink up. See you later. Cheers!

Great buy
The book I ordered came in a reasonable amount of time in good condition and at a great price.

water book a must
This book is easy to read, full of wisdom and sound advice.A must for everyone, and anyone who cares about their health and sense of well being. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (54)

Incredible Story
I picked this book up to look at in the office of our Shiatsu Therapist and couldn't put it down.As soon as I got home I ordered it online.It is a story of a young boy growing up in the projects in New York, 8th of 12 children, black daddies and a Jewish white mom who eventually chose Christianity.We share his bewilderment and her tenacity with awe and heartache.If momma's white, why am I black?Her unwillingness to talk about it, or her past, only furthers to confuse the kids.Uncovering his mom's heartbreaking past and coming to terms with himself make this an awesome read.ALL 12 of her children are college graduates, some with multiple degrees.Who says it can't be done!! She did it.Check out his website, it finishes the story of mom.

Interesting Case Study on Racial Identity and Achievement Gaps
This was a fascinating and well-written story about the identity of a "black" child growing up in Harlem with a white mother.It made me think about two issues:

1. The Recipe for Academic Achievement
All twelve children went to college and many went on to be doctors, lawyers, or professors.Clearly, the mother's emphasis on education and careful choice of magnet schools (with long bus rides outside of Harlem) were factors.The first 7 children achieved more than the last 5.Was this biological (the 1st father had a higher IQ than the 2nd father)?Birth order (older children received more parental attention)?

Just for fun, if I had to guess what factors influence academic achievement, I would guess:

Academic Achievement = f (parent participation and expectations; parent education level; quality of school - class size, teacher salary, teacher training, teacher reward system; bio-IQ; emotional stability?)

Did I miss something?

2. Racial Identity

Growing up in the "white" majority, my race has never been part of my identity nor something my family ever talked about.But this was a BIG emotional deal in the life of this child growing up in Harlem with a white ex-Jewish Mom in the 1960s.It took him years to integrate his white Jewish and black Christian sides. Is a positive racial identity a good thing?Only for minorities? Or, is the "we're all Americans" way of thinking better?

Other options:

Evangelical Christians - "Us" (evangelical Christians who are forgiven sinners) v "Them" (everyone else in the world who is not a forgiven sinner)

Hindu Priest who taught at our church - we (humans and animals) are all sentient beings created and loved by God, in various stages of spiritual development (a spiritual pecking order)

The Color of Water- An excellent read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.I started reading it one day and couldn't stop.I finished it the next day.It is a tale of human perseverance and love overcoming all obstacles.It is a tale of responding to the worst in human nature and finding a way to survive. The fact that is a real biography and not fiction makes it all the more poignant.

The Color of Water

The Color of Water was recommended by a colleague. It is a very intriguing read. The author pulls you into the story immediately. The story is amazing with alot of history and fact. I have told several people about this book and how it will change their life. Read it and you will see.

great read
This book is a great read. It tells a wonderful story while also connecting each event to the time period to give readers of sense of life during this age. It is truly heart felt and at times tends to be a tear jerker. It takes you on a journey of a boy who is becoming a man and his mother who struggles with her past but is constantly doing the best she can. ... Read more

Product Description
Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you and offer you his Holy Spirit power that will change your life forever, deepening your faith and trust in God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (92)

book order
I ordered these books and they come in as miniatures...completely insane!Who pays $5.00 a book for a 4"x4" book you can not even read! I ordered these for our small group at church and now I will look like an idiot because we will not have in time for our meeting!Thanks, Amazon! I have better luck with the other vendors!

Arrived super fast and in excellent condition.Very reliable seller!
Arrived super fast and in excellent condition!Very reliable seller!I've never had any problems buying audio/book products from Amazon and their representatives.Now, it's time to sit down and start reading this book!

Excellent Book
I bought this book because I was drawn by the Topic. I read a few reviews before, just to see what others thought of it.
I am overly impressed with the Author. The story of Peter walking on the water is not new to me, but John has taken this story, and has brought it into our everyday situation.
We all desire to do great things in God, and would love to walk on water. However, we fail to leave the boat for many reasons.Fear of failure, lack of trusting God, or because we are afraid to leave our comfort zone. The Author has really challenged me to step out in faith. I hope this book will meet you at your point of need.

Andrea

Loved it!
I loved this book, and it couldn't have come at more perfect timing in my life! I have often felt inadequate in just about everything I do. My relationships, my job, you name it, I always feel like I'm not good enough. I am afraid of failure. However, the chapter about "seeing the wind" and learning about failure management -- and learning from failure itself -- really made me see that there is no point in worrying about it. Everything in life has risks, and the only true failure is being a "boat potato!"

I also really liked John Ortberg's writing style. It is light and entertaining and he has a great sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud several times during the course of this book. "I may be small potatoes, Lord, but this spud's for you!"

In addition, he also provides questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. I imagine that would make this book perfect for a small group study. However, they are also good for personal reflection as well.

Excellent
Delivery took a very long time but not seller's fault.I think USPS lost it.Book appears to be new. ... Read more

Product Description
Luis de Santángel, chancellor to the court and longtime friend of the lusty King Ferdinand, has had enough of the Spanish Inquisition. As the power of Inquisitor General Tomás de Torquemada grows, so does the brutality of the Spanish church and the suspicion and paranoia it inspires. When a dear friend’s demise brings the violence close to home, Santángel is enraged and takes retribution into his own hands.  But he is from a family of conversos, and his Jewish heritage makes him an easy target. As Santángel witnesses the horrific persecution of his loved ones, he begins slowly to reconnect with the Jewish faith his family left behind. Feeding his curiosity about his past is his growing love for Judith Migdal, a clever and beautiful Jewish woman navigating the mounting tensions in Granada. While he struggles to decide what his reputation is worth and what he can sacrifice, one man offers him a chance he thought he’d lost…the chance to hope for a better world. Christopher Columbus has plans to discover a route to paradise, and only Luis de Santángel can help him.
   Within the dramatic story lies a subtle, insightful examination of the crisis of faith at the heart of the Spanish Inquisition. Irresolvable conflict rages within the conversos in By Fire, By Water, torn between the religion they left behind and the conversion meant to ensure their safety. In this story of love, God, faith, and torture, fifteenth-century Spain comes to dazzling, engrossing life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

By Fire, By Water
Living in 15th century Spain, Luis de Santángel has just been caught in the cross-hairs of the new Inquisition. Santángel is a very wealthy and respected member of the community and also the chancellor to Fernando, the King of Aragon. But he is also a Jewish covert to Christianity, and when he begins to cast about looking for information and edification of his forgotten and displaced faith, he and his family are put into great danger. Though Santángel tries to exercise discretion and stealth in regards to his new curiosity, he attracts the attention of Thomas Torquemada, the leader of the new Inquisition, who goes to great and torturous lengths to punish both nonbelievers and those who he believes to be escaping from the fold. As Spain struggles to dominate and unify its kingdoms under severe Christian rule and Christopher Columbus petitions Ysabel and Fernando to finance a trip to the prosperous Indies, Santángel's once envious life begins to unravel. Meanwhile, Judith Migdal, a Jewish woman living in Granada, is facing her own trials. After losing half her family to tragedy, Judith must reorganize her life and learn the difficult craft of silversmithing in order to provide for the remaining family members. When a chance meeting between Santángel and Judith occurs, the two are inexplicably drawn towards one another, forcing each to examine the strength of their beliefs and the ways in which their futures may intersect. In this intricately crafted and exceptionally researched new historical novel, Kaplan brings to life a cast of characters who are caught in the craze of a dangerous religious fervor and explores the way in which those people remain true to themselves and to those that they love.

In the past few months, I have read quite a bit about the Inquisition and the effects it had on the people it persecuted. This has actually been a rather new area for me to study, and the more I'm exposed to it in the books I read, the more questions I have. What I really liked about this book was the way the repercussions for those affected were examined with great depth and sensitivity. After finally closing the book for the last time, I really felt it was the best representation of those fateful events that I could have sought out and read.

From the outset, it was clear to me that Luis de Santángel had an extremely comfortable life. Aside from his wealth and position, he had a family that loved and supported him, and I can imagine that it wasn't bad to have the king's ear and attention when he needed it. But Luis was hungering for something that he didn't have access to in his everyday life. He wanted answers about the faith that he was forced to leave behind, knowing that seeking these answers would endanger everything he held dear. I don't even think it was a matter of Luis wanting to convert back to Judaism. I think it was more a way for him to hold on to the values and ideals of his ancestors and a way for him to puzzle out some of the deeper questions he had about God. Luis' was a quest for knowledge, but in its discovery, his intentions got misconstrued and perverted. Although he tried to mitigate the disaster, the powers against him were too strong to resist successfully.

The representation of the Inquisition brought forth a lot of questions while I was reading. How does one man, or one group of men, come to believe that they can accurately police the spirituality that lives in another's soul? Indeed, what would God think about this? My religious education has taught me that God is a being of mercy and love who forgives those with sincerity in their hearts. But the Inquisitors had no room for mercy or forgiveness, and dealt with people brutally, leaving no room for those who were spiritually adrift or who questioned their faith. These men had an agenda that I believe was not from God, and I began to feel that all their punishments were only meant to dominate and subjugate those who they felt were spiritually unworthy. I can't imagine living in a time where your inner motives are constantly suspect and where another person has the right to torture you or take your life due to perceived spiritual discrepancies. It was was a shameful time, filled with shameful men who knew nothing about the love and forgiveness of God.

I also really liked the dual narrative half that focused on the life of Judith Migdal. She was a worthy heroine who embodied a clarity of purpose and an inner strength that I admired. When faced with a problem, Judith was resourceful and optimistic and she has great loyalty to those in her sphere. Pairing her with Luis also seemed like a brilliant move because both of them had similar strengths and resoluteness. Though they came from very different spiritual backgrounds, they were able to see beyond these things and get to the core of each other rather quickly. The fact that Luis became enamored of Judith was another danger that he took upon himself, but to him, this risk seemed to be of small consequence. The intertwining of these two characters gave the story an added layer of depth and resonance. I would have liked to have seen a more hopeful resolution to the story of Judith and Luis, but somehow what Kaplan did felt more realistic and faithful to the times he was describing.

Call me naïve, but it actually took me some time to figure out that the Cristobal Colon that was discussed in the narrative was none other than Christopher Columbus. It did became very clear in later sections, but for the first half of the story, it went by almost unnoticed. I liked the way that Kaplan fit Columbus into the story, and in his creation, Columbus came off as not only an adventurer but a scholar and a loyal friend. I was also surprised to learn that Luis (who was also a real historical figure) was the main financier for Columbus' trip to the Indies, and had it not been for him, the world may have been a different place today. This is one of the reasons I really enjoy well-written and researched historical fiction. It fills in the gaps in my education in a way that is inviting to read about and gives me a much more rounded and balanced picture of historical events and the way they played out.

As a reader and lover of historical fiction, I get very excited when I feel that a book has accurately and skillfully represented the times it describes. This book did that perfectly for me and I think other readers of historical fiction would also glean a great deal from it. Kaplan not only handles his history well, he also creates characters that are easy to identify with and care for, which made this book an engrossing read. The style of the writing was also very tight and fluid, which is something that earns it extra points in my book. If you are in any way interested in the events and place that Kaplan features so wonderfully in his book, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend picking up a copy and giving it a try. A great and absorbing read.

Wonderful debut!
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction. I love reading about other cultures, other times, and learning more about periods that I may only have a fleeting knowledge of.

This book is a gem; meticulously researched, but written in such a fashion that you are drawn in almost from the first.

Conversos were Jewish people who converted to Christianity; however, they were all looked at with suspicion by those aligned with the Spanish Inquisition.It was basically a crime to have any Jewish artifacts if you called yourself Christian, and being overly familiar with those of the Jewish faith was also a reason for suspicion.You could be tortured until you confessed, or tortured until you refused to confess and died in your squalid cell.

Luis de Santangel, in spite of being a converso, was the chancellor of Aragon and a close confederate of King Ferdinand.This story is about events surrounding Luis and the larger events that he played a part in.We see a man troubled by the inequities of events, who, as part of the power structure, is facing a larger struggle of conscience.He loses a close friend in a horrible fashion, and exacts his revenge in an equally unexpected fashion.He then suffers through additional losses which would have crippled a lesser man.Thsi is not a 'feel good' book, but then how can we feel good when reading about such horrid happenings, especially in the name of God?It IS, however, an "oh, gosh, I really really need to get some sleep instead of reading this" type of book!

Judith is a wonderful character, and we feel as though we are walking beside her in her struggles to get by in a world where Jewish people are second-class citizens at best.Most telling is a phrase I read spoken by a Jewish character:"I heard that they treat their Jews well" in speaking of a Muslim city.

With the current strife between Israel and many of those in the Muslim community, it was eye-opening to me to read about a period where Muslims sheltered Jews and protected them (but only to an extent, as we find out).

There are wonderful side characters, and supposed Christians who commit unspeakable acts, and tragedy, and love, and love lost, and .. well, everything that makes a book worth reading.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, to anyone who loves to read about historical events, to anyone who loves a family story, a love story, a story of conflict .. I think that covers about all of us.

Oh!and did I mention?This is a DEBUT novel - and a glorious one.I am so thankful that people with wonderful talents like to share!

(I was provided a complimentary copy of this title by the author to objectively review)

Compelling Time In History
While I enjoyed learning about all that was going on in the late 1400s in Spain, I never quite connected to the main character.I do recommend this to fans of historical fiction.

Succinct and Engaging
This historical novel is set in the pivotal time period of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, the New Inquisition, conquest of Granada, and expulsion of Jews from Spain.

Here's the scoop - Isabella and Ferdinand are the ruling sovereigns of Spain.There is general mistrust in the country regarding the coverted Jews to Christianity.The protagonist, Luis de Santangel, is an actual man who consorted with Christopher Columbus, held an office in the court of Isabella and Ferdinand, and was Jewish by blood, although not by belief, necessarily.

Mistrust is a far too weak of a word for the feelings of converts by Christians.Paranoia is much more accurate.Tomas de Torquemada had the fantastic idea to start an Inquisition.Except his idea of an inquisition was not to merely inquire of one's beliefs, but to torture, in the most brutal of ways, the accused until s/he confessed and named names. Anybody could accuse another.All were fair game.

The novel includes a scenario where the protagonist and a few others casually study Judaism.One of the men is arrested, tortured, and dies before his "trial."Meanwhile, there is a transcript of his confessed sins.The best way to deal with this transcript is to steal it and kill the inquisitor, Pedro de Arbues.The group of men hire another to murder to inquisitor.

True to history, Arbues is murdered in a cathedral.The Inquisition plants the belief that the murderers were conversos and the Inquisition becomes something from a Freddie Krueger movie.Santangel is a suspect and his family is obliterated.Okay, that was spoiler without an alert.Sorry about that.But that is historically correct.

Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus is attempting to obtain financing and ships to explore his hypothesis that India can be reached by sailing west.Not only that, but Columbus holds in his possession ancient Jewish writings.One of which being apocryphal and quite dangerous. Columbus continues to use the ties he has with Luis to gain acceptance and funding for his exploration.

Of course, an Inquisition tends to be quite expensive.The king and queen are not prepared to finance such lunacy as sailing "around" the world.Okay, that last part I exaggerated.It was becoming quite fashionable to accept that the earth was not flat.Isabella and Ferdinand, being a bit on the paranoid side, decided it was time to stake their claim on Granada and drive out all the Jews.

This is where the fictitious Judith enters the story.Judith represents the Jewish people in Granada.She is Jewish but also Spanish.Through her experiences, the reader will understand how the Crown treated the Jews at this time.

I can not believe this is Mitch Kaplan's first novel.The time period is so intricate yet he weaves each of the conflicts together through the protagonist.Without being superfluous, he describes the beauty of Spain, along with the architecture, in a visceral manner.The story moves along succinctly yet includes all the necessary information to understand the conflict and history.Kaplan is a screenwriter and, I swear, I heard the orchestra crescendo at the end of certain scenes.The history is incredibly well researched.The novel is intriguing yet does not detract from history, which is interesting by itself.And extremely gross.Torture on "the rack" and death by burning described in detail.

Reviewer's editorial on irony:This period of history is not one I knew well, by any means.I found it fascinating (with the help of a great book) and realized the irony of what was not included in this book because it was not relevant to this story.

Henry VIII of England had six wives.His first wife could not produce a viable son so he wanted to divorce her.Of course, Catholicism frowned on that so Henry decided to start his own Christian-like church where he would be the pope equivalent.So he put his first wife away with their daughter, Mary so that he could marry the saucy, and eventually headless, Anne Boleyn.Plus four more.Anne is the mother of Queen Elizabeth who remained true to the Church of England.Her sister, from Henry's first marriage, was Mary.Bloody Mary who was maniacal about Catholicism.

Mary's mother just happened to be Catherine of Aragon, youngest daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella.

I swear I just saw a guy in a hockey mask go across the screen.

This book was provided by author in exchange for an honest review.I can't help that I thought the book was excellent.

Heart-Rending Choices at a Time of Dramatic Change
At one of the critical, pivotal times of change in human history - the year 1492 - By Fire, By Water brings to life the wrenching effects of one historic plateau shift on the lives of everyday people. The Spanish "New" Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, the voyage of Colombus to "India" -- these were events that created a new world in more ways than one. Mitchell James Kaplan has written an extraordinarily readable novel--poetic, lyrical and historically sound as well as imaginative--that explores the hard choices people had to make about faith, family, country and livelihood in the face of certain torture and death by fire. Other reviews summarize the story line very well, so I'll just add that reading this book was an enlightening, if at times uncomfortable, experience, one which shows once again that prejudice, greed, ambition and love of power will always be part of the theatre of humanity -- but so also will love, truth, faith, adventure and loyalty.--Mary F. Burns, author of J: The Woman Who Wrote the Bible ... Read more

Product Description
Perhaps more responsible than anyone for the revolution in the way we eat, cook, and think about food, Alice Waters has “single-handedly chang[ed] the American palate” according to the New York Times. Her simple but inventive dishes focus on a passion for flavor and a reverence for locally produced, seasonal foods.

With an essential repertoire of timeless, approachable recipes chosen to enhance and showcase great ingredients, The Art of Simple Food is an indispensable resource for home cooks. Here you will find Alice’s philosophy on everything from stocking your kitchen, to mastering fundamentals and preparing delicious, seasonal inspired meals all year long. Always true to her philosophy that a perfect meal is one that’s balanced in texture, color, and flavor, Waters helps us embrace the seasons’ bounty and make the best choices when selecting ingredients. Fill your market basket with pristine produce, healthful grains, and responsibly raised meat, poultry, and seafood, then embark on a voyage of culinary rediscovery that reminds us that the most gratifying dish is often the least complex.Amazon.com Review
Do we really need more recipes for beef stew, polenta, and ratatouille? If they're the work of famed restaurateur and "food activist" Alice Waters, undoubtedly. In The Art of Simple Food, Waters offers 200-plus recipes for these and other simple but savory dishes, like Spicy Cauliflower Soup, Fava Bean Purée, and Braised Chicken Legs, as well as dessert formulas for the likes of Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp and Tangerine Ice. In addition, readers learn (or become reacquainted with) the Waters mantra: eat locally and sustainably; eat seasonally; shop at farmers markets. These are the rules by which she approaches food and cooking, and hopes we will too. Organized largely by techniques, the book is a kind of primer, designed to free readers from recipe reliance.

Some readers may look askance at advice that they search out sources for locally produced food, for example, given the everyday exigencies of shopping and getting meals on the table. Yet it is precisely the need to "remake" our relationship to food that, Waters contends, determines the ultimate success of all our cooking and dining, not to mention our health and that of the planet. This relatively small book has a large message, and good everyday recipes to back it up. --Arthur Boehm ... Read more

Customer Reviews (105)

Art of Simple Food
The title, the art of keeping it simple intrigued me. Back to basics, no fussing, good healthy food. And the author was of highest reputation.
I was not disappointed as I scanned through the contents and read bits from chapters that caught my eye. Good ideas almost made me jump up and empty my kitchen cupboards of unnecessary gadgets and start over, but I resisted and read further and found that I could integrate a few of my treasures into a new format.
Life is so fast these days. This book is an island of calm informative suggestions on how to feed your family and friends healthy, superb food.
Thanks Alice, for taking the time to write this great book.

real help in kitchen
This book is really helpful for beginners who want to have a good guidance on how to cook, what materials to use, what to keep in the cupboard and how to organize your "kitchen life" successfully.

It is also a very good reference for more advanced cooks as well as it gives loads of ideas on how to vary recipes, which I think we, housewives appreciate a lot!

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get more inspired with cooking and does not want only a book of recipes with special foods and unattainable ingredients but also handful help in every day cooking.

Already there is trouble
I have owned this book for about a week, but already I am having trouble using it. On pages 309-310, there are recipes for chard that instruct the cook to use one large bunch of chard. My chard is growing in my garden. I own a scale for weighing my produce, but I have no idea how many pounds equals a bunch of chard.

Great for new ideas!
Great cookbook for new twists on simple everyday recipes. They are fresh recipes. Some of the recipes do take time, but the end result is always worth it!

Fine Lessons in Cookery
When I was first on my own I cooked spaghetti with a meat sauce, three times a week.Spaghetti is still my favorite food, although I now have it only about once a month. My first cook book was "Joy of Cooking" and I'm now into my third copy.I have more cook books than I can use and I'm good at cookery, but I'm mainly a recipe follower.I enjoy reading cook books and on any given weekend I will take up a book and follow a recipe which I've never tried before, often from a culture I've never experienced.

I bought the "The Art of Simple Food" about three years ago and read and cook from it.I have often thought that "The Art of Simple Food" compares to "Joy of Cooking" because Ms. Waters book is a complete introduction to cookery.This book explains how to cook, how to cook simply, in an elegant way, using fresh ingredients... but the book is so much more.This book is a narrative of Ms. Waters knowledge of cookery; the experience of a renowned and innovative chef.

The recipes aren't difficult, they aren't pretentious, but they are elegant for any table. "The Art of Simple Food" is so much more than a recipe book.

I own a number of Chez Panisse cook books and some day I may get around to writing reviews for "Vegetables" and "Fruit" which must also rate among her best. It should also be said that the graphics which illustrate these three books are remarkable.


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Product Description
This book has the potential to profoundly transform your world view. Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (197)

Hidden meaning of water
While I don't agree with every procedure as scientifically grounded, the notions that it opens up are wonderful and it is likely that he has a seminal insight that he shares.The Hidden Messages in Water

Change the world
I believe this book has the power to transform the way you view life.I am a teacher and I discuss this book in my class.It is always intriguing to the kids.I now raffle it off at the end of the year and I can't tell you how happy the students are to receive it.It opens their eyes to how important their thoughts and feelings are.That is a wonderful gift to give a child.

Masterful Work
Dr Emoto is a visionary and this work is masterful.

Oneday we, humanity, will begin to fully realize the importance of vibration....everything in the universe is vibration...we are energetic beings, beyond mind and analysis. To those reviews that dismissed Dr Emotos' work due to lack of 'valid scientific evidence', I say; let go of the mind and move into the heart of the One knowing...when you truly read with your heart, and absorb his work with your soul, you too, will begin to understand the profundity of what Dr Emoto has so passionately discovered and and earnestly documented.

I hope this wondrous book will awaken many.

Blessings~

An interesting book
Does water remember emotion? It's a stretch of the mind to think about this subject, but the author states a strong case as long as you keep an open mind. The photographs are fascinating.

The book may work as an allegory but not as science
There is no credible scientific evidence to support Masaru Emoto's claims that water is able to alter its crystal structure based on human words, thoughts and music, nor has anyone been able to reproduce his work. Why then are his books and ideas so popular and accepted as true by so many people?

Emoto has successfully published several books, presented his work as scientific fact, been featured in a popular movie, What the Bleep!, and been invited to lecture around the world. All of which lends credibility to his claims of scientific veracity - without the necessity of requiring any of his statements to actually be True.

Emoto's message is not ultimately about the water crystals; he uses water crystal shapes as a vehicle to communicate his views on human relationships, God, human origins, the environment, and other subjects important to him.

In my estimation Masaru Emoto's books are allegories; he has invented a fictitious universe that behaves according to the requirements of the story he is trying to tell.In "Hidden Messages in Water" and "The Shape of Love", he creates water molecules that are sensitive to human communications and magically transform messages into crystal shapes. It does not matter whether the water is actually responsive to his manipulations - only that he can find the right crystal (among the hundreds that probably form in a given experiment) to convey HIS message to readers.

Below are just some of the more easily extracted passages Emoto seems to present as Scientific Fact that I suspect will set off the mental alarms of most scientists who read his works.

Use the analytical portion of your brain and evaluate the quotes below based on your common sense, experiences and understanding of the world - check some of them against authoritative library or Internet references; are they statements you would accept as scientifically valid?
______

If we consider that before we became human beings, we existed as water, we get closer to finding the answer to the basic question of what a human being is. (HMW pxvi)

And as sound is created, there is a "master listener" to receive the sound: water. (HMW p43)

The written words themselves actually emit a unique vibration that the water is capable of sensing. Water faithfully mirrors all the vibrations created in the world, and changes these vibrations into a form that can be seen with the human eye. (HMW p43)

What information did ancient water bring with it when it left outer space and fell to earth? We can assume that it carried the program needed for the development of life. (HMW p60)

In the process of falling to the earth, seeping into the ground, and then emerging, water obtains information from various minerals and becomes wise. ...Water records information, and then while circulating throughout the earth distributes information. This water sent from the universe is full of the information of life, and one way to decipher this information is through the observation of ice crystals. (HMW p61)

Scientists estimate that there are between 108 and 111 elements (I suspect that the number s 108 - for reasons which I'll explain.) Thus far, 90 elements have been verified in the human body - of all the creatures alive, only the human body contains so many elements....The more evolved creatures contain a greater array of elements. Compared with human beings, plants contain far fewer elements, and what is the result of having fewer elements? We can deduce that fewer elements means a smaller capacity for emotions.(HMW p69)

If we consider that the human body is a universe within itself, it is only natural to conclude that we carry within us all the elements.According to Buddhism, the human being is born with 108 earthly desires... I think it is logical to conclude that these 108 earthly desires have counterparts in the 108 elements. (HMW p70)...Humans are made up of combinations of all 108 elements - the 103 elements in the periodic table and the 5 new elements {found through nuclear reactions}.Other animals, plants, and substances have fewer elements.For example, roses may be made up of combinations of thirty atoms. (SOL p136)

The simpler atomic composition of a plant means its hado is purer and has stronger energy for specific types of information.This may explain why plants have better communication abilities than humans and animals, and they can communicate with other plants on this planet as well as with the home base somewhere in the universe. (SOL p86)

I was able to measure the vibrations coming from many different people, and I realized that the negative vibrations that we emit correspond to the vibrations emitted by the various elements. For example, the vibrations created by irritation are equivalent to those of mercury, by anger to those of lead, and by sadness and sorrow to those of aluminum. (HMW p70)

Let's say that you fall from a building and hit the ground. At the moment of impact, your body's frequency increases many hundreds of times, creating an obviously critical situation. Dramatic and sudden changes in the body's frequency result in great pain and damage. In such cases, treatment must involve equal or stronger frequencies to be effective - often having to do with the scalpel. Sharp instruments, by nature, have a high frequency, and it's the surgeon's job to use such instruments to cut into the body and return the patient's frequency to normal. (HMW p75)

When I talk to people about vibrations and frequency, I use what I like to call the "Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti theory."This means that the frequency of everything in the cosmos can be summarized in seven parts - do, re, mi, fa, so, la, and ti. (HMW p47)

I believe we came from the Big Dipper, which may sound startling; but the reason may be explained by my special attachment to the number 7.Why do we have seven basic notes? (sound): Why does a rainbow have seven colors? (color): Why are there seven days in a week? (time): Why do we have seven chakras in our bodies? (body):
I am fascinated by the fact that the important elements for humans (sound, color, time, and body) are related to the number 7.So when a friend of mine and I were talking about our origin, he said it must be the Big Dipper, seven stars.I was immediately convinced. ...Of course this belief is just the result of my own reasoning. (SOL p107-8)...Among old fortune-telling practices, I believe we can find the keys to discover where our true home is. (SOL p130)

...scientists at the beck and call of those in authority in Japan who insist that water must be tainted with chlorine, resulting in an overall decay of society.(HMW p140)
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Emoto rants in several places about the evils of water chlorination (xxiii, 45, 140) and implies that Japan would be better off if their water were not chlorinated - without providing any alternative strategy for disinfecting the water.

Emoto is completely wrong about something as simple to research as the number of elements in nature.There are 88 - 94 naturally occurring elements, depending on definition and 118 total.His acceptance of 108 elements because of the number of "earthly desires" may be religion: it is not science.

More here:[...]
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Product Description
The island is nearly deserted, haunting, beautiful. Across a slip of ocean lies South Carolina. But for the handful of families on Yamacraw island, America is a world away. For years the people here lived proudly from the sea, but now its waters are not safe.Waste from industry threatens their very existence–unless, somehow, they can learn a new life. But they will learn nothing without someone to teach them, and their school has no teacher.

Here is PAT CONROY’S extraordinary drama based on his own experience–the true story of a man who gave a year of his life to an island and the new life its people gave him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

A POIGNANT YET JOYFUL LOOK AT OUR PAST

Following his acclaimed "The Great Santini" and "The Prince Of Tides" we have come to expect not only radiant prose but honesty and intriguing story telling from Pat Conroy.There is no disappointment whatsoever in his THE WATER IS WIDE, a memoir of the time he spent on a small South Carolina island attempting to teach the poorest of the poor who could neither read nor write.Making the task even more difficult was the fact that they spoke what is called Gullah, a type of Creole developed by the African American people living there.

On Yamacraw (a fictional name for the island where Conroy stayed) the living is credibly stark, tantamount perhaps to a third world country.The children have nothing - of course, no television, radio or anything.One might think of them as growing up in a cultural void.Yet they're hungry to learn, even almost hypnotized by Beethoven's Fifth symphony.

Upon arriving on the island Conroy is met by the school teacher, Mrs. Brown, a martinet if there ever was one.Her teaching methods consist primarily of striking the children or delivering verbal insults.Obviously, her methods havenot been successful, so Conroy tries a much different, more relaxed approach - chairs in a circle, walks together.Eventually, his methods win over not only the children but the island's residents as well.However, Mrs. Brown and school officials remains opposed to him.

Although in truth the island is much changed today THE WATER IS WIDE remains a heartwarming true story of what patience and understanding can accomplish.It is a poignant yet joyful look at our past.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

RIPPED OFF
I never received this book I ordered and paid for. The sender did not reply to my email informing him/her that I had not received it........what's up with that???

Interesting book
This is an interesting, well written book about the true story of a South Carolina teacher. It covers his joy of teaching, the obstacles he faced, and his thoughts about teaching. I recommend this book.
No Child Left Behind? The True Story of a Teacher's Quest

The Water is Wideis beautifully written. A distressing, yet inspiring memoir.
The Water Is Wide: A MemoirIn the book, Pat Conroy writes an honest, candid account of his year as a teacher at Yamacraw, based on Daufuskie Island, off the South Carolina coast.
Pat's early teaching position prepared him for yet another milestone in his courageous writing. From day one, at Yamacraw's school, Conroy seeks to reconcile years of disregard for every child's right: the right to a proper education. Conroy shares his shock, hopes and dreams for the children who are neglected and uneducated, which is sad, yet inspirational.
As with Conroy's, Prince of Tides, I was drawn immediately into the unique story. I was appalled at the lack of education on the island and even more so, at the men in control who bent to no man to assist Conroy in his efforts to alter the offensive school system. It would take more than Pat Conroy's unconventional teaching methods to deliver the tools required for the system to meet their children's needs.
The children on Yamacraw were part of our future; the island's school system investment let them down.

An Honest Writer
Pat Conroy is an honest writer.Throughout this powerful book, he blames himself--his ego, for getting in the way of educational success, or at least bringing about some minor changes on the Island.While he certainly was as good an enemy to himself as any other, that fact does not dilute the powerful evil of prejudice and fear that runs freely and daily through the Island's educational enterprise.

At times, Conroy reminded me of Yossarian inn Catch 22 or Leper in A Separate Peace--wild, chaotic, and bound to bring fear to those who didn't understand or appreciate him for what he was--a teacher, pure and simple.

While this did take place in the South, it could have been in any segregated school system.His tracing of segregation and desegregation is seering in its honesty, charitable in its perspective, and a sad testimony of this phase of American history.If we pay attention to this book, perhaps we will learn from it.

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Product Description
The author of the Twelve Hours series welcomes readers to a new fantasy world, where the elements rule.

Zoe Ardelay receives astonishing and unwelcome news: she has been chosen to become the king's fifth wife. Forced to go to the royal city, she manages to slip away and hide on the shores of the mighty river.

It's there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood-and the secrets of the royal family-she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An adventure into a unique elemental world
Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn was an enjoyable stand alone set in an original magical world that focused on the five elements, earth, wood, air, fire, and water. The writing style was easy to read, giving a clear understanding of how this world works without getting lost in endless descriptive detail. I was thoroughly drawn into this world and the array of unique personalities that inhabit it.

The main character, Zoe Ardelay, was fascinating. Being raised by her father in exile and growing up in a small village far from court intrigues, she had to overcome a lot of obstacles to find her place as the head of one of the five families, which constitutes nobility in this world. Given insight by both the blessings bestowed upon her at birth by 4 strangers, and the blessings drawn from the baskets at various temples, Zoe learns that her strength lies in the elements of water and blood. Zoe then uses this affinity to help her navigate the complex scheming of the court, sometimes letting her temper cloud her judgement on how to best use her new found power.

The relationship between Zoe and Damien Serlast remained rather combative, it was clear from the beginning what direction they were heading, however, I felt that this romance was a bit underdeveloped and not quite believable. Darien alternately helps her and hides things from her throughout the book.

Some of what I found most fascinating were the blessings themselves. There are 43 blessings, 8 from each of the elements, and 3 that do not belong to an element. Each blessing describes either a personality trait or something to expect, for example, some of the blessings include love, beauty, change, surprise, joy etc. I loved how these affected the lives of those who drew or was given each blessing.
The ending, for me, felt rushed and incomplete, leaving a lot of questions unanswered for a stand alone novel.

Overall, I would rate this a 4, the incredible world that Shinn created in this novel makes it one I would definitely recommend to fans of fantasy.

Waters may be troubled, but Sharon Shinn writes a smooth and flowing tale
I would honestly read anything Sharon Shinn writes, but I've been less than impressed at her more recent efforts. With "Troubled Waters," I firmly believe that she is up to the par of her earlier books. Part of it is the world-building that goes into all of her literary efforts; I don't think I know any other author who paint such an evocative portrait of an imaginary society. I loved the details about the temples, and the idea of drawing blessings.

I also enjoyed the return to a more mystical setting, rather than the overt magic of the Twelve Houses books. I think it enhanced the book, and having a more subtle magical backstory allowed the story to progress more than in other books. I would never say Sharon Shinn is formulaic, but there are certain elements that tend to appear in her books; a protagonist, usually younger and female, a step out of her comfort zone, self-discovery, a love interest in the form of a reliable man, along with, as I said, very rich imagery and mystical or religious themes. This is what her readers love and want, and I found these elements woven together splendidly in her latest work. I would highly recommend, and, if this is indeed the first in a new series, I am eagerly anticipating her next.

Marvelous - a fantastic world
I'm a big Shinn fan so I was waiting for her next book, and once I got it, I couldn't put it down!In Troubled Waters she creates a world of political intrigue and spiritual mystery you just want to sink into and swim around in for awhile.

The characters and story were almost secondary to the world of Welce, but the creativity of that world was so fantastic I didn't mind.It's all about the five elements (air, earth, wood, fire, water), so for example the calendar year is broken up accordingly - instead of twelve months there are five quintiles. That's not to say that the characters and story are uninteresting - not at all.The dialog was a constant cat and mouse game and the story a carefully constructed maze of secrets.Her main characters were both much more subtle than her usual protagonists, and there wasn't a lot of bold action, but they were still interesting.However, the world of Welce was the real star.

I think Shinn's genius is in making the parts of the fantastic that are real very real.This world is quite a departure from ours yet everything is so real that its easy to suspend disbelief when something slips over into magic or fantasy.The plot was structured so that it was wholly accessible, and nothing was too obvious, but when it stretched reality I wasn't left hanging, either.

By the end, even though all my questions were answered, I was already looking forward to the next story from Welce.Highly recommended.

Not quite as good as Mystics and Riders series
Some of my favorite fantasy novels were the Mystics and Riders series.And I was expecting a lot from Troubled Waters, because Sharon Shinn created such realistic and engaging characters in that series, with plots that were both character and action driven.In Troubled Waters, I felt that the main character was hard to relate to.The decisions that Zoe made didn't seem consistent (even given that her character, governed by water, was supposed to be changeable).Zoe felt contrived to me.Also, although there was much detailed description, the story didn't come alive.It seem a lot of the author's focus was to develop the underpinnings of the world she was creating in this series (I'm assuming it will be a series).On the plus side, the concepts of the novel were extremely interesting.There are many fine characters, and a rich world in which to spin new plots.I can imagine the next book could be amazingly engaging and entertaining.

great opening political fantasy
While grieving the death of her father Navarr of the flame, Zoe Ardelay receives a surprising visit from the capital Chialto where she and her late father once fled to rusticate in safety.King Vernon sent Darien Serlast to bring back Zoe as the fifth bride of the monarch in order for a numerically balanced court. The Five Families fight through their respective queen to propel their offspring as the heir.Zoe met the ruler before her father fell out of favor and learns from Darien that his family possesses all that hers once did.

However, before entering the castle, Zoe slips away to the nearby river where she is stunned to realize she is the "Coru Prime" of another family Lalindar of the water.Ergo she is no longer the next bride of Vernon.Zoe explores her new power and investigates palace secrets while facing danger from envious enemies, many of whom remain shadowy unknown adversaries who reject an upstart new dynamo.She and Darien also are attracted to one another, but both know many will use their desire as a weapon to destroy both of them.Zoe's biggest lesson at court is trust no one as everyone seems manipulative with a personal agenda to move up the ladder without regard for others.

Troubled Waters is a great opening political fantasy that is filled with a strong cast, wonderful refreshing laws of magic and court intrigue.From the moment Darien arrives for Zoe, the story line never takes a respite as this is a fast-paced thriller.Sharon Shinn affirms what her fans already knew from the Twelve Houses saga that the author is one of the best fantasists; with her new series loaded with action yet introducing the key characters and significantly the mathematics of magic.

Harriet Klausner
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Product Description
From the day Cobb and Mary meet kayaking on Maine's Allagash River and fall deeply in love, the two approach life with the same sense of adventure they use to conquer the river's treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily...and neither does their love. So when Mary's life takes the cruelest turn, she vows to face those rough waters on her own terms and asks Cobb to promise, when the time comes, to help her return to their beloved river for one final journey.

Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on the Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting -- a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love's power. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Beautifully written love story, that weaves its way into your heart
Eternal on the Water is a thought-provoking, emotion-laden novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I typically stay away from fluff filled romances, and in reading this book I did not compromise my choices. I was drawn into the story of Johnathon and Mary's courtship and subsequent life together. The author gives his characters depth and true traits; it is easy to be enveloped by their love. It is also heart-breaking to watch Mary's deterioration. This is the type of story that makes us women want to slap our men, but not in an unrealistic way. This is not one to miss, and I plan to add it to my personal library.

Raw, Real, Unforgetable.
Raw love, real life and everything that life is: The good with the bad. They say that if we never died that life would have not meaning. The MOST touching book I have ever read.

Lovely, Eternally
I was privileged to have read Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger, as a First Look Book with the Barnes & Noble Book Club. I was not sure that I was going to enjoy the book, but I kept at it and was glad I did. Mary and Cobb are two teachers who meet while kayaking on the Allagash River in Maine. Monninger writes with terrific imagery, and is poignantly written and thought provoking.

Eternal on the Water
Lovely book,I have shared it with three friends so far.Beautifully written love story about living your life and making choices that are authentic and deeply personal.

Magical yet earthy, tender, inspiring and original.....
ETERNAL ON THE WATER is a tender and original love story which alerts us from the beginning that one of our primary characters will die in the Maine wilderness. Yet knowing what is to come does not diminish our enjoyment of the novel, for Mary, our heroine, is unique and fascinating, and her relationship with Jonathan and experiences kayaking the Allagash river are emotionally and intellectually engaging.

Jonathan Cobb is a New Hampshire teacher who meets his soulmate in the northern Maine woods, falls instantly in love and marries her despite the likelihood of her having a terminal disease. Mary, in particular, is a delight - witty, straightforward, knowledgeable, athletic, articulate, courageous, silly and loving. A biologist, she is an expert on crows and ravens and their mythology. She tells knock knock jokes, restores antique furniture and each year guides the Chungamunga girls - a specially chosen group of girls with debilitating illnesses - down the Allagash river. The chapters involving the Chungamunga girls are especially vivid and magical. In the course of the novel, we also meet such intriguing characters as Wally the cook, Francis, an emotionally challenged student, and Mary's brother Freddy who lives and works among turtles and coral reefs in Indonesia.

Eternal on the Water manages to be both magical and realistic, combining unusual characters and circumstances with witty but ordinary banter and dialogue, as well as details of daily life. The novel draws us into another dimension where we are both enchanted by the singing of the Chungamunga girls while very aware of the limitations imposed by illness and impending death. Mary's determination to take charge of her destiny is also particularly inspiring.

Yet although Monninger transports us into another world, he also grounds us via earthy details - the requirements of kayaking, "everything knives," a black gum tree, or learning the proper way to eat a peanut butter sandwich. His simple, direct yet fluid use of languages keeps us flowing with the river to its inevitable destination.

I loved this novel, but also believe it has a major faultline in its structure. The interlude in Indonesia does not belong, and disrupts the narrative and the mood. Living in New England, I also had a difficult time believing in characters who could kayak in 39 degree weather, capsize in 34 degree water, and remain freezing and wet for miles without even catching cold. I also aware that this story could only happen to characters who had considerable leisure time, secure financial resources and adequate health insurance. For many of us, that in itself is alternate reality.

Eternal on the Water is a poignant novel which gently tugs on our hearts while awakening us to the beauty we can create in our lives not just in spite of but also BECAUSE OF our confrontation with death. I highly recommend it.
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Product Description
The New York Times bestseller and Booker Prize contender that "delivers...a ghost story that creeps up your spine" (Seattle Times).

One post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline. Its owners-mother, son, and daughter-are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (158)

I Wanted To Love This
I had fond hopes for this book, but they weren't altogether realized. I wanted a chilling but comfortable ghost story that moved along at a steady pace, set in a dank English mansion lit by wood fires and candles. With some genuine shocks thrown in. If this book had been shorter, tighter, and the characters less plodding, it would've fit the bill. There are a couple scenes that are very frightening, and the author is gifted with setting up atmosphere. But the story left me wanting something more, from the romance, from the characters, there were loose ends that came up empty.

Intrigues, But Doesn't Scare
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, "The Little Stranger" accrued positive reception from many critics when it was released in May of 2009 - quotes ranged from describing it as "deliciously creepy" to "a terrific, chilling read you can get lost in".Even Stephen King weighed in, saying "several sleepless nights are guaranteed".If by "sleepless nights" King meant the scares it offers will keep a reader awake most of the night in a state of nervous tension, he is wrong.Though it is an interesting and elegantly told story about the possibility (not confirmation) of a malevolent spirit causing a family severe distress, it does not come close to the chilling and oft disturbing depictions and scenarios a horror novel offers (especially his).The "scares" contained herein are of a more insidious nature- what the reader is offered instead of aggressive and demonic aura is a slow and delicious build, a grand tease, the reader strung along to the very end. So if by "sleepless nights" King meant that the story hooks a reader with such urgency that sleep is sacrificed to finish that paragraph, that chapter (and chapters are LONG, averaging about 30 pages each) or perhaps the entire book, then he is not far off the mark.

British author Sarah Waters (Tipping The Velvet) brings things full circle for the character of Dr. Faraday, the voice of the book.Though never having lived within the walls of Hundreds Hall, an 18th century Georgian estate in his hometown of Warwickshire, Faraday has a long and curious history with the house, beginning when he is 10 years old.Returning 30 years later on a call to examine a young housemaid, he is disheartened by Hundreds's fall into disrepair and his once innocent fascination with the place slowly but surely starts to border on obsession, Faraday gradually becoming an integral part of what will come to be a strange and tragic history for the Ayres family.

It is through his eyes that we see Hundreds' distraught occupants.There is Angela Ayres, the matriarch, described by those who know her as lovely and old-fashioned; Roderick, her son and a war veteran who has returned from combat, his psychological scars more prominent than the physical; and Caroline, her 27-year old daughter who seems to care nothing of her spinster status and runs free and barefoot about the property like a tomboy, her dog Gyp always two steps behind.Faraday awkwardly falls into their lives and once he bridges the gap from family physician to family friend and begins courting Caroline, he is without escape from the "taint" of which both the Ayres children are convinced has taken hold of the family.

Before I started reading "The Little Stranger", I went to Amazon.com's product page and took a brief glimpse of its customer reviews.The average review was 3.5 stars (out of a possible 5), a substandard score that suggested that many people who read it found that, on a grand scale, it didn't meet their expectations. I consider myself of the majority because I went into this novel expecting what most people did: a ghost story, a narrative that focused on a frightening haunt.What I got instead was something literary rather than plot-driven, an examination on the effects of modernization (Waters never intended to write a ghost story; she was exploring "the rise of socialism in the UK and how the fading gentry dealt with losing their legacies"), familial hardship and tragedy, and possibly the author's supposition on where the paranormal comes from through a theory offered by a character named Seeley.

The book is best read at long stretches - those who drift in and out frequently due to lack of time will become disinterested quickly because of Waters's painstaking build (it takes over 100 pages before anything untoward happens at Hundreds).Characters are also a bit irksome - Caroline very much bothered me at times, her emotional restraint bordering on detachment and frigidity, particularly towards Faraday.I began to wish as much as he did that she would just let go and let herself be loved by him and I became as frustrated with her as he did when his gentle advances were rebuffed time and time again.On the other hand, Faraday is disappointingly transparent - Caroline's insinuation that he wants a marriage in order to possess the house isn't just paranoid accusation and in the end he gets what he subconsciously longed for, but at great price.Nonetheless, Waters is a masterful storyteller and it is because of her capabilities as both a raconteur and an astute craftswoman of prose that I award her book a 4-star rating.If not for my diminished expectation of plot and Waters deliberate pace, it would've had 5.

Bottom line: Do not go into "The Little Stranger" thinking you will get a straightforward story about frightening apparitions and disembodied voices, the kinds of in-your-face scares that most people look for this time of year.This is, much like Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" before it, a tale of psychological terror, one that picks away slowly and agonizingly at the sanity of its characters.Waters will pick at your imagination, stealing it well into the wee hours that you'll be reading.Don't forget - those sleepless nights "Uncle Stevie" spoke of are a guarantee.

No page-turner here. Yawwwn.
Neither a a psychological thriller nor a page turner, The LIttle Stranger is a lengthy drab attempt at a ghost story and love story, neither of which are in the least convincing. How this book managed to attract any glowing praise is the true mystery of The Little Stranger.

The book lacks heart and a single likable character for the reader to pull for. They're all drab, unattractive, odd and awkward, lacking in spunk or humor. The endless conversations are so cumbersome and repetitive, if you lose your bookmark you'll never remember during which chapter you fell asleep (and don't expect the book to keep you up).

The pace picks up a bit in the last third or so, at which point the reader has some expectation of a resolution at the end, whether in the realm of the supernatural or not. To say it ends with a whimper is a gross overstatement. Don't expect as much as a shrug. Imagine whatever you wish, for the author gives you nothing.

Worst of all, you feel sorry for no one and are just as glad that the house is the last thing left standing. At least the description of the mansion is more convincing than that of any of the characters.

A definite "buy" for Sara Waters fans!
I've been a long time fan of Sara Waters work and expected nothing less but perfection from her latest novel.Her talent to transform herself never seems to amaze me.I felt like I was reading "Brideshead Revisited" again and mesmerized with characters like as Caroline and Dr. Faraday.This book definitely got a hold of me, I couldn't put it down for days.Great language, very thorough description of the house.I would be interested to see a movie based on this book.So far, all features based on her books have been great, especially "Tipping the Velvet" with Keely Hawes.

Brilliant, dark, hauntiing, page turner
A few years ago I read Affinity, but I didnt know about this one until I saw it recommended in the back of Halcyon Crane, also a great read, but not as great as this one. The Little Strangers has it all, its the best gothic I've read since Penmarric, another great crumbling old mansion haunted mostly by memories of better times as is the family who lives there. Told from the viewpoint of an increasingly possesive and somewhat smarmy country doctor the story builds....terror creeps and then all is fine again a fantastic rollercoaster another words for the reader intermittent horror, accompanied by always fabulous writing. Anything more I could say now will only spoil the story which anyone at all will enjoy completley I wish it could have lasted another 700 pages!The Wedding Gift ... Read more

Product Description
Off the shores of Sea Haven, a beautiful diver rescues a man from drowning, a man with no memory of who he is-or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. But soon, he and his savior will be engulfed in a storm of dizzying passion and inescapable danger... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (55)

Disappointed
I love Christine Feehan! I look forward to all her books but this one was a disappointment. It dragged on and on and on. I kept waiting for things to pick up but they never did. Lev was trained to be a heartless killer and Rikki is autistic...I got that in the first 100 pages no need to restate it over and over in for the next 200 pages. I applaud the use of an autistic heroine and Feehans shedding light on an important and seldom discussed issue, however 100 pages of her habits and fears would have been enough. Riki is a great character but Feehan spent way too much time explaining her and in the end sacrificed the plot.If you haven't read her books before don't start with this one!

Thoroughly Enjoyed!
When Rikki pulls a stranger out of the ocean, she doesn't expect the killing machine with holes in his memory and the drive to survive at all costs that might be more of a danger to her. Or the changes that his presence make upon her life as he inserts himself into her home. As a high functioning autistic with an affinity for the sea and a sordid past of her own, Rikki finds herself connected to Lev in a way she has never connected with another human being.

Although Rikki searches for answers to the questions that have plagued her past and Lev hides from those wanting him dead, Water Bound was a little slow in the action department. It was more of a book about the inner conflict of the characters, their struggles to overcome their basic nature and allow another in. I enjoyed the loving attention that Lev bestows on Rikki as he learns her idiosyncrasy and her acceptance of the man she sees underneath the hard man he was trained to be. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants a tender romance with hot sex.

Thoroughly enjoyed it
I gave up on the Dark books long time ago, but kept reading the Drake sister books and loved them.I bought this one unsure of what to expect with a spin off.Loved it!Great storyline, good characters.I loved that the heroine was autistic, there are so few heroes and heroines in romance that have disabilities.I really liked how the two characters complimented each others' personalities.

Epic fail
I love Christine Feehan. I loved the Drake sisters books. I prordered Water Bound. I was dissappointed!

Water bound is a LONG novel and yet very very little ever happens. There is a lot of info given on sea urchin diving. But does anyone buy Christine Feehan for info on sea urchin diving? No sir.
And yet the main draw card, the romance, was really irritating. I commend Feehan for writing about an autisitc heroine, but I have to say, I honestly couldnt relate to Ricki at all. She has issues, especially intimacy issues and after two thirds of the book (boring and depressing) in which Feehan outlines a character who will never be able to have the kind of romance we come to expect from these books, Ricki does a total backflip and jumps into bed with Lev.

I kept reading in the hopes for a Prakenskii brothers show down, but it never happened. I found it really tough to finish this book and mostly felt like putting it down and re-reading the old drake sisters books. For someone who preordered this book, I found it an epic fail on most counts.

Very dissappointed.

Disappointing
I am a huge Christine Feehan fan, I have read all of her books.This book was on the boring side.I skipped a lot of the book in order to get through it.The book had very little interaction with the Drakes, and no interaction with Ilya. Lev's character was undeveloped, I was looking forward to his character.A reunion of the Prakenskiiswould have been nice, and maybe would have helped with how drawn out the book was.The book was probably 100 pages or more longer than it needed to be.Rikki's character was totally unbelievable and boring. This is hands down my least favorite of her books, had this been my first it probably would have been my last. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

John Waters does it again !!!
I am and have always been a big fan of John Waters work, and I was very interested to read his new book. I laughed throughout the entire reading of this book. His sense of humor can be found in almost every page. I also enjoyed the book because a lot of the places he spoke about in the book are in my hometown of Baltimore Maryland. One of the most eye opening parts of the book was the chapter on Leslie Van Houten. It was a bitter sweet chapter as he was able, in my opinion, to show both sides. I am glad that he is doing what he can to support her cause, unfortunately I think it also shows that this will be a very uphill battle. I hope someday she will be freed from prison because I think she can have a positive effect on society. So I would recommend this book to other readers who like to laugh and want to learn about the other side of Baltimore. The part the Baltimore Chamber Of Commerce will never tell you about.

Waters' Bizarro Manifesto
In Bizarro World, the rules are "Us hate beauty!Us love ugliness!"John Waters may not have read Superman comics as a kid (he was probably shoplifting Jean Genet books instead), but he's seemingly internalized the Bizarro ethic of absurdist contrariety.The new collection of his waspish writing won't surprise readers of "Shock Value" or viewers of his films, but this is stronger stuff than what you'll find there.I found it surprising in two ways.

First, the section on Leslie Van Houten is thoughtful in a way Waters hasn't been before.He's written about her in the past, but here he seems genuinely remorseful for his previous insensitivity to the victims of the Manson Family.There are limits to mockery, even for John Waters, who has always reveled in sniggering paeans to crime and all manner of vileness.Can Waters be sincere and earnest?He is here, aware of the suffering of the LaBiancas and heartbroken over the injustice done to Leslie Van Houten, who long ago should have been released from prison.

Second, he's much more up-front about his gayness, something he always elided in past writings.This time, the post-modern Peck's Bad Boy wades deeply into sex, and he's mostly amusing about his own predilections-- well, he's mostly amusing about everything.But the chapter on gay porno enters some truly twisted territory.Porno is exploitative by its nature, but this stuff is hard to read about-- at least I found it so.I guess that's the point: Waters glories in the transgressive, so the kinkier the better.

There's real pathos here, and Waters shows his softer side in exposing the effed-up lives of the most effed-up people who've ever lived.Lady Zorro, a Baltimore stripper with a gorgeous body and almost inexpressible addictions-- and a young daughter-- is an unforgettable character, and Waters does her justice.

I laughed out loud a dozen times reading this.What I'll remember from "Role Models" isn't the funny stuff, though; it's the heartfelt emotion that sneaks though at the edges.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
If you want to go to strange places involving some folks you may or may not know this is the read for you.

more ee cummings than Henry James
I can't analogize it to anyone else's autobiography except maybe Rosie O'Donnell in the sense that it lacks any kind of structure as to time or place. The key thing is he did see Johnny Mathis in a Blockbuster parking lot and apparently, never got over it because years later, he's sitting with Johnny Mathis on his patio in West Hollywood and he's still talking about the parking lot incident as we might call it. Not sure why it matters, but Mathis is relatively sweet to him given he may be dealing with a celebrity stalker who is himself a celebrity but he's too in awe of the ultimate cool performer to do anything but stare. If Mathis doesn't try at all, and that seems to be his career path, then by his own admission, Waters tries too hard, as it's not necessary to shock to cause an effect. Then again, maybe if this book were more shocking, it would be more memorable than it is. For someone so odd, he seems to have a lot of fairly normal friends and even his relationship with Leslie van Houten of Manson fame seems ultimately fairly reasonable and sane.

Time Well Spent with One of Your Most Interesting and Down to Earth Friends
This is the first book I have read/listened to by John Waters (I got the audio book) and I haven't seen many of his films (I think just Pecker), but I have always loved his interviews on NPR's Fresh Air with Teri Gross. And, I think it is because I know him for his wonderfully personable conversational style and broad interrests (art, reading, creativity, music, people, etc, etc) that I decided to purchase this book and see what it had to offer.
Excellant. What a pleasant conversational way to hear about John's interresting personal life and his tastes through his appreciation of his role models. Yes, yes, we all know about his film exploits or public image with sex and shock, but if that was all he had to write about the book would feel very flat and two dimensional. The fact that he is so well rounded as a person and in his interests made this book my favorite of the year.
And, yes, there's plenty about sex, some wonderfully unihibited and some that is a little bit shocking for my taste. But, this just adds flavor to the soup.
Now, I'm just waiting while Amazon ships the next book I ordered from John's back catalog. ... Read more

Product Description
Fifteen-year-old Pearl DeWitt and her mother live in Fallbrook, California, where it’s sunny 340 days of the year, and where her uncle owns a grove of 900 avocado trees. Uncle Hoyt hires migrant workers regularly, but Pearl doesn’t pay much attention to them . . . until Amiel. From the moment she sees him, Pearl is drawn to this boy who keeps to himself, fears being caught by la migra, and is mysteriously unable to talk. And after coming across Amiel’s makeshift hut near Agua Prieta Creek, Pearl falls into a precarious friendship—and a forbidden romance.

Then the wildfires strike. Fallbrook—the town of marigolds and palms, blood oranges and sweet limes—is threatened by the Agua Prieta fire, and a mandatory evacuation order is issued. But Pearl knows that Amiel is in the direct path of the fire, with no one to warn him, no way to get out. Slipping away from safety and her family, Pearl moves toward the dark creek, where the smoke has become air, the air smoke.

Laura McNeal has crafted a beautiful and haunting novel full of peril, desperation, and love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Descriptive Style Reminiscent of Cisneros' THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET
DARK WATER is a YA novel in which the setting of the story--rural Fallbrook, CA--is a character in the plot-driven story. Author Laura McNeal asks her 15-year-old narrator Pearl to lyrically describe the land where she lives, the avocado groves, the river, the roads, the hills, and so on with careful, but never overwrought, detail, much like Sandra Cisneros asks Esperanza Cordero in THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET. This makes the book a refreshing, yet up-to-date, breather from the many character-driven YA novels.

DARK WATER'S topics are timely--forbidden love, illegal immigration, devastating wildfires, divorce, loyalty vs. common sense, guilt, and the breadth of responsibility for one's actions.

This book is sure generate lots of thoughtful discussions between young adult and/or adult readers.

Fearful story
My thoughts...Dark Water is a book based on actual events.The fires in California are a reality many people deal with regularly.The characters, while fictional, felt very real as did their fear.This story left me with goosebumps.

The beginning of Dark Water started off slow.There was quite a bit of character development and few side stories that distracted me.The love story between Pearl and Amiel took a while to develop and fell a bit short.I would begin to feel a strong pull between the two of them, then it cooled.The characters are not in an ideal situation to develop a relationship.This is a story with forbidden love.

While Dark Water does have some of the elements of a love story, the real action is found in the fire.You know it's coming, you know it's going to be devastating, and you fear it.This book started off slow, then suddenly becomes extremely intense.It was sad, frightening, and exciting all at the same time.The adrenaline of the main characters becomes contagious as you pray for their safety.Then the ending...well, not all stories have a happy ending, especially when you are dealing with real life.

Dark Water is a great book for those who are looking for a realistic YA story.I am glad I stuck with it and finished the book.It gave me a better understanding of fear that victims of these fires experience and it will stick with me for a long time.

Dark Water
I particularly admire both the beginning and ending of this book.From page one, the reader is caught up by Laura McNeal's gift for precise, careful, and beautiful writing.
This story is set in a lovely, semi-rural Southern California town, but life for the main character, Pearl, is not idyllic.She has to deal with complex family relationships that test her determination and independence, but her total honesty as well as her humor never fail her.
Pearl's growing and precarious friendship with a young Mexican migrant worker is sensitively developed by Ms. McNeal.At first, Pearl is simply intrigued by him, then she becomes sympathetic and protective, and finally the two become emotionally close.Pearl and Amielhave a heart-wrenching need for each other.
Then the frightening, raging wildfires come racing toward the town. All the story lines come together in a highly dramatic and desperate climax.
The book ends exactly where it should, with an open-ended final scene.Just as the town needs to recover and rebuild from its charred landscape, so Pearl comes to terms with her past actions, and faces a new beginning and new possibilities.
I think young adults, and old adults too,would appreciate and value this book.

Like the back cover says, "Beautiful, haunting"
I picked up Laura McNeal's Dark Water because of the setting: Fallbrook, California.

Fallbrook was one of those magical places of my childhood. A place where my memories are faded yet still triggers feelings of happiness.

As such, I got the book and I'm pleased that I did so.

Pearl DeWitt is a 15 year old whose father has left her and her mother. Both of them are reeling in different ways. They've gone to live on her mother's brother's avocado ranch. It is clear that Pearl admires her Uncle Hoyt. He employs migrant workers to pick the avocado trees. From Pearl's description of him, the reader knows that her Uncle Hoyt is a good man.

Now 15 is a transition age and Pearl is right in the middle of that transition. Her best friend has become some guy's girlfriend while she's still being ignored by most boys. She has a normal relationship with her mother but given how her father exited their lives, it is under stress.

Into her life comes a boy who is different from her in ways that makes her push the boundaries that surround her.

Amiel is a migrant worker. He's not a big talker but he has a way about him. Enough that Hoyt picks him up to work.

Pearl becomes intrigued by him and eventually, they form a friendship.

It isn't hard to see where this is going. He's 17, she's 15. Both are in need of a friend and perhaps a little more.

In this day and age, one would think that a relationship between Pearl and Amiel would be a 'Romeo & Juliet' scenario but McNeal reminds the reader of why it is.

In fact, McNeal does so many things right with Pearl, her mother, Uncle Hoyt, Amiel and even the secondary characters of Robby, Agnes and Mary Beth. Even Pearl's father is given a balanced portrayal in that he's a selfish man but he's not an unrecognizable one. We've all known a person like Mr DeWitt.

Each character is given a care so that as the reader heads toward the climax of the novel, the impact hits as if the reader were part of the affected community.

Unlike Romeo and Juliet, the inevitable obstacle that will challenge them is not their families but a force of nature. And as we all know, nature can kick our butt any time she feels like it.

What happens in the aftermath is portrayed so simply yet so evocatively that it is as haunting to me as the ending of Helen Hunt Jackson's Ramona.

Before anyone think that gives away the ending, it doesn't. Dark Water in many ways reminds me of the classic Ramona in its setting and struggle of young love, but make no mistake, Dark Water is its own story, done without extra fluff or melodrama. McNeal's prose is linear and clean with no extra padding.

An excellent novel. The kind of Young Adult novel that reminds me why I still read YA even though I'm long done with my YA years.

As the back cover rightfully notes, it is "a beautiful and haunting novel full of peril, desperation and love."

And I highly recommend it.

... Read more

Product Description

Far more than oil, the control of water wealth throughout history has been pivotal to the rise and fall of great powers, the achievements of civilization, the transformations of society's vital habitats, and the quality of ordinary daily lives. In Water, Steven Solomon offers the first-ever narrative portrait of the power struggles, personalities, and breakthroughs that have shaped humanity from antiquity's earliest civilizations, the Roman Empire, medieval China, and Islam's golden age to Europe's rise, the steam-powered Industrial Revolution, and America's century. Today, freshwater scarcity is one of the twenty-first century's decisive, looming challenges and is driving the new political, economic, and environmental realities across the globe.

Customer Reviews (12)

Solid, but nowhere near spectacular
This is a good **starting place** for modern water use issues along with an interesting historical overview. BUT, on the issue of water issues today, it's ONLY a **starting point.** Nothing more, and nothing to gush about.

First, there's not much, if anything, new here. I did learn one or two new things about ancient hydraulic civilizations, especially China, but I'm sure I could have learned them elsewhere.

Second, as far as U.S. water issues, Marc Reisner's "Cadillac Desert" is the gold standard, period, even though he did before he could do a third edition to take account of global warming and climate change issues. And, Reisner doesn't restrict himself to the U.S., either. And yet, it gets mentioned but once, in passing, by Solomon. Ugh.

Third, as far as developing world water shortage and sanitation issues, Rose George thoroughly covers this issue in "The Big Necessity." Solomon may not been aware of her work while writing his, so that's not an issue. But, he simply doesn't give much depth to that.

Fourth, he talks but briefly about water privatization issues. With the rise of neoliberal economic policies in more and more of the developed world, and through their levers of the World Bank and IMF, this is a big issue.

Fifth, there's a variety of minor errors and one big oddity. NOBODY uses "Centigrade" temperature mentions; it's "Celsius."

So, if you want an OK or bit better overview of these issues, this book is a good starting place.

In a class by itself, more to be done
This book is in a class by itself, and for the US audience, I would recommend The Atlas of Water, Second Edition: Mapping the World's Most Critical Resource, this book, and Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping And The Fate Of America's Fresh Waters or the more recent Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It as well as When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century and The Blue Death: Disease, Disaster, and the Water We Drink.

For the international audience, this book is a very fine complement--despite lacking visualization and a more interesting lay-out on both water technologies over time and the environmental challenges they generated (with what time lags)--to the top world view books.If you buy only one, Marq de Villier Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource is still the very best single book, followed by Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water now also a DVD Blue Gold: World Water Wars, and the original short book Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit.There are others, you can find my reviews of all water books I have touched at Phi Beta Iota the Public Intelligence Blog, under Reviews/Water (middle column far down).All my reviews there lead back to the Amazon page of the respective book.

Over-all this is a very intelligent book, and unlike most of the other books that focus on the water cycle and its problems, this book focuses on water in relation to the larger civilization.It does not, however, do what books like 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, which is to catalog indigenous knowledge about water management that is starkly relevant today.

The strategic points the author emphasizes are:

01Water innovation now leads to environmental problems later.No one has ever thought through the overall context of water use in relation to everything from poverty and disease to family and society.

02Water, not oil, is the bell ringer on the 21st Century demand that humanity finally recognize its limits and its responsibilities, and get serious about holistic behavior.

03New forms of governance, not just new technologies, will be critical innovation factors.I like this but neither Water Footprint nor True Cost nor Environmental Economics are in the index and I do not see any analytic model within this book--see the Strategic Analytic Model and especially the Holistic Analysis--Water Central Graphic at Phi Beta Iota (active links in my review there).

I almost dropped this book to a four because it lacks the two things I really hoped for in a book of this particular nature:

01Single page reviews of specific water technologies and their relevance today (e.g. barges on the Erie Canal true cost per ton compared to rail and truck)

02A specific program of innovative investment.The author says that 180 billion dollars a year must be invested in infrstructure, but I have to struggle to put the pieces together (all the while thinking about our 3 trillion elective war on Iraq, and our 12 trillion criminal-treason bail-out of Wall Street millionaires who are also pathological liars to the public and the government).

However, this is a master work, the author clearly met his own goals of a historical review, and I cannot do better.I give him high marks for getting the percentage of water that is fresh and clean right: 1%.Most water books use 2.5% which I believe is wrong.

I grew increasingly frustrated as I went through the book, but was rewarded with some quotes at the end that I reproduce here.The author is clear on how the four paths societies take when confronted with scarcity range from complacency to efficiency to waste more water without regard to the future. I respect what I take to be the core point: that every society struggles with scarcity of one sort or another, and how they innovate around that scarcity will define them into the future.The author avoids taking a position, or deeply examining, the range of options from public to private, or hybrids therein--see the other books for that.

QUOTE (466): "Look, if one of those [New York water] tunnels goes, this city will be completely shut down," said James Ryan, a veteran tunnel worker."In some placed there won't be water for anything...It would make September 11 look like nothing."

QUOTE (469):Alone, five gian global food and beverage corporations--Nestle, Danone, Unilever, Anheuser-Busch, and Coca Cola--consume enough water to meet the daily domestic needs of every person on the planet.

QUOTE (486): Countries with scarcity are likely to veer toward famine; countries already in water famine face greater human catastrophes and political upheavals.Overtaxed water ecosystems are likely to grow more and more depleted and less and less capable of sustaining their societies.Asthe gulf between those with sufficient water [Iceland, Quebec, and Scotland] and those without deepens as a source of grievance, inequity and conflict, the politics of scarcity in mankind's most indispensable resource is becoming an increasingly [the] pivotal fulcrum in shaping the history and environmental destiny of the twenty-first century.

QUOTE (495): With extreme water scarcity showing through as a root cause of many of the world's famines, genocides, diseases, and failing states, I am inclined to believe that if there can be a meaningful human right to any material thing, surely it starts with access to minimum clean freshwater.At the end of the day, how each member of the world community ultimately act in response to the global freshmater crisis is not just a matter of economic and political history, but a judgment on our own humanity--and the ultimate fate of human civilization.

I have two more books, both on water governance, law, and politics, that will complete this "set" of reading, it will be easiest to find them all together at Phi Beta Iota the Public Intelligence Blog.I will end by pointing to Alvin and Heidi Toffler's Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century as well as their more recent Revolutionary Wealth.This book strives to make water central, but water is NOT central--thinking holistically, rooted in reality, deeply ethical, is what is central.No government and no corporation and no international or non-governmental organization gets this yet although the Nordics and the Netherlands see it on the horizon--most are still in industrial era "marketshare" mode where information is something to be hoarded not shared.That is why I believe that public intelligence in the public interest--connecting all humans with all information in all languages all the time--is the core challenge.Water, while critical, is one of twelve policies that must be harmonized in order to eradicate the ten high-level threats to humanity.We are the enemy.We have to deal with We first.

History of Civilization in Terms of Water
An excellent review of how our current way of living came to us through history, floating on the waters of the world.

Good overview
This book provides an enjoyable and accessible overview of the role of water resources in the development of the major civilizations around the world.As a single volume it is necessarily a broad-brush treatment of the subject. The stories of the early Nile River and Tigris-Euphrates civiliations are familiar but enlarged upon somewhat. His discussions of the Indian subcontinent, China, and Europe were less familiar but made more understandable in the context of the near early near-eastern civilazations. Some of Solomon's theories about the shape of governmental systems being derived from the nature of the water resources are instructive and valuable but not rigorously presented.In particular, I thought the focus on the West mastering open-ocean sailing as a critical water-related factor in the fate of civilizations, while interesting, was a stretch for this book.I read the book expecting it to focus on early civilisations, but half of the book chronicles early industrialization and modern times. I was initially disappointed with this, but came away glad that Solomon had brought the issues current, and given a valuable background to current water resoure issues in the U.S. around the world. His discussion on the era of mega-dam construction in the 20th century was very interesting. I found this book a good complement to Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, & Steel", sort of picking up where Diamond left off, albeit through the lens of water resources.

Best Book Ever Written on Global Water
Simply put this is the best book ever written about the contemporary and historical global persepctive on water! Log on to Google Earth and trace the commentary of this book around the world as you read. Your view of global water will be superior to anyone who has not read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
KEN FOLLETT'S INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER-

September 1939. England is at war with Nazi Germany. In Southampton, the world's most luxurious airliner-the legendary Pan Am clipper-takes off for its final flight to neutral America. Aboard are the cream of society and the dregs of humanity, all fleeing the war for reasons of their own...shadowed by a danger they do not know exists...and heading straight into a storm of violence, intrigue, and betrayal... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (70)

Great cast & amazing premise!!
Ken Follett always does such an amazing job of blending history into a fantastic fiction piece this time involving one of the last sea planes to cross the Atlantic at the start of World War II.The book really shines with the many cast members all being fleshed out and becoming individuals.This was a great drama with personal relationships thrown into a war time action novel.Great stuff!

An OK Soap Opera Set in WW II, Feminists Might Like This
Well, there are plenty of other reviews telling you about this book and most of them at least give you a pretty good idea of what it's about.Someone wrote that Follett's work is noted for having strong female characters.In "Night Over Water" the female characters are all out of the feminist's handbook.There is the dummy wife who can't make up her mind who she's in love with.Of course, she's never worked in her life, so she has to be a dummy and a victim of her cold, business-oriented husband.Then there is the corporate biatch.She's all about being a champion of corporate life and she is cast as nobly plotting revenge against her wimpy, conniving brother and his slimey attorney (well at least we agree on lawyers.)Note, this woman has far less redeeming qualities when juxtaposed with, say, Dagny Taggart in "Atlas Shrugged." And, the movie actress who is well-adjusted to the man's world because, well, I guess just because she's an actress and we all know that in the 30's an actress had to be a champion to survive in a man's world.But, Follett's male characters are all wimps, weasels, chauvinists, or some mix of all three.There is a scene where the biatch, who's quite attractive, leaves a room where the air crew are planning their flight.The author writes that as she closes the door behind her she hears the sounds of the crew talking and, although she can't make out what they're saying, they must be commenting on what a fox that was who was just in here.Are you kidding me?I mean, c'mon Follett, maybe they were talking about the flight.
If what you're looking for is a soap opera that does very little to capture the anxiety and sense of danger of early trans-Atlantic flight or World War II, "Night Over Water" is right up your alley.I strongly recommend Alan Furst's novels over this one.

Slow paced
Maybe this is just Follett's style, but there was tremendous character development, but it was just too slow paced for my taste.I only made it 60% through the book before I just became too bored to read what happens next.The action takes place on a plane, and the characters don't even get ON the plane until around p. 120, so I give the book 2-stars.I personally wasn't engrossed in the story, but I appreciate there is an audience for richly detailed, advertised suspense stories, even if they aren't exciting reads to this reviewer.

Makes me wish I'd travelled on the Pan Am Clipper
This is an interesting story.The details about the Pan Am Clipper are fascinating - the author gives us the feel of what it would have been like to take this 30 hour luxury flight.The dilemma faced by flight engineer Eddie Deakin is heart-wrenching, and the story of the thief is interesting.I don't think that this book is as good as Pillars of the Earth, but then that's a pretty high hurdle.

One distraction was the fact that a main characters, Margaret, was such a conceited, brainless little twit.We had to hear over and over again about how she was superior to her sister Elizabeth, because Elizabeth had mindlessly adopted the beliefs of their father, while Margaret had mindlessly adopted the beliefs of the first guy she had sex with.Not surprisingly, by the end of the book she has sex with someone else and conveniently forgets her earlier convictions.

This brings up another distraction - the author portrays people of the time (1939) as being obsessed with an arcane, pointless debate between two virtually identical political philosophies - communism and fascism.This is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or trying to choose between two flavors of vanilla.(Of course, there's a difference in the two philosophies in terms of track record - communism in the last 100 years has killed far more people than has fascism.But we all know that fascists would have killed more if they'd only had the chance.)

Perhaps the author was trying to show how muddled people's thoughts were at the time, and how little perspective they had.However, reading it today after all we've seen in the last century, it seems odd to hear people debate whether communism or fascism is better, as if there's any real difference!

Other than those points, it's a good story, and I recommend the book.

I was "nonplussed" after all the "bucking"
I read a lot of books but do not often write reviews. Mostly only after being completely disappointed and trying to be benevolent towards my fellow reader...warning them against wasting time. Time that I'll never get back.
The author has written some real stellar works (Pillars of the Earth, Eye of the Needle, which many other reviewers note, plus Triple which was left off reviews but I found to be a nice read).
This book, Night over Water, is easily one of the worst books I've read in the past couple of years. What an embarrassment to the author...really, Mr. Follett...you need to come forward and admit that you didn't actually write it. It's pathetic. Other readers commented on one dimensional characters, obvious plot lines, predictability, etc. but trust me, it's much worse than that. This book reads exactly what I would presume a drugstore romance novel might be. Just awful, shallow, and incredibly unrealistic from start to finish.
OK, so maybe in the late 1930s there were a lot of 40 year old millionaires out there but there's no possible way people in such situations act as they do on this flight into the point of no return. Well, unless they're on the set of a soap opera. Several places in the story I was inclined to toss it aside...but then gave it another chance as the plot shifted (albeit a gnat's breath) but then when the sex scene happens in Newfoundland near the end, that was the final straw. That was just too stupid. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a sex scene. But this was cribbed right from a tv soap opera or a Harlequin Romance. Very amateur. That was as far as I got folks...I have no more time to waste on this crap.
By the way, my title has to do with a couple of words that were strung together repetively in the story. Another tip off that this was not actually written by the author of Eye of the Needle; not his style. (Please please please Ken tell me I'm right!)
... Read more

Product Description
As a boy in Brooklyn, James McBride knew that his mother was different. But when he asked about it, she'd simply say, "I'm light-skinned". Later he wondered if he was different too, and asked his mother if he was black or white. "You're a human being", she snapped. "Educate yourself or you'll be a nobody!" When James asked what the colour of God was, she said, "God is the colour of water". As an adult, McBride finally persuaded his mother to tell the story. Her story was of a rabbi's daughter, born in Poland and raised in the South, who fled Harlem, married a black man, founded a Baptist church, and put 12 children through college. This is James McBride's tribute to his eccentric and determined mother, and an exploration of what family means.Amazon.com Review
Order this book ... and please don't be put off by its pallidsubtitle, A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, whichdoesn't begin to do justice to the utterly unique and moving storycontained within. The Color of Water tells the remarkable storyof Ruth McBride Jordan, the two good men she married, and the 12 goodchildren she raised. Jordan, born Rachel Shilsky, a Polish Jew,immigrated to America soon after birth; as an adult she moved to NewYork City, leaving her family and faith behind in Virginia. Jordan metand married a black man, making her isolation even more profound. Thebook is a success story, a testament to one woman's true heart, solidvalues, and indomitable will. Ruth Jordan battled not only racism butalso poverty to raise her children and, despite being sorely tested,never wavered. In telling her story--along with her son's--TheColor of Water addresses racial identity with compassion, insight,and realism. It is, in a word, inspiring, and you will finish it withunalloyed admiration for a flawed but remarkable individual. And,perhaps, a little more faith in us all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (601)

the color of water.... james mcbride
a well written true story of an american life that is full of inspiration and challenges. i enjoyed every chapter and was especially motivated to see how this story ended. a victory for hardwork, dedication, values and overcoming a past that could have caused others to simply give up. loved it... jim mitchell

Sooooo slooooow
Ugh. This book had a good message but I had to trudge through it. I'm actually surprised I finished it. The best part of the book was the last page because I knew it was almost over! Overall, if you like biographies about a person you've never heard of that matters nothing to you, you'll love it. :(

Puts alot of things into perspective
You hear alot of people complain about how hard thier lives are, especially now in these economic times. You especially hear alot of people complain about how hard it is to raise children these days, with the rise in college tuition and cost of living.

Then you read "The Color of Water" and the story of Ruth McBride; A white jewish woman who raised 12(!) inter-racial children in inner city NYC during the civil rights movement. Born in eastern europe, she immigrated to the US as a toddler just before WWII. She grew up in the segregated south, where her father abused her. Then she ran away to NYC where she married her husbands and raised her children.

Not only did she raise her children largely on her own (Both her husbands died) but they all stayed out of trouble and all but one completed a college degree. Two even became doctors.

If Ruth McBride can suffer and survive through all of that, then people today can manage thier own affairs, including thier two or three children.

The Color of Water
Thank you!This book arived timely & in great shape.

Kathleen S Vaccaro

The Color of Water by James McBride
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.James McBride tells us the touching story of his white Jewish mother, black preacher father and how life was for himself and his eleven siblings growing up in a housing project of Brooklyn. When you read how he pulled his mother's history from her, bit by reluctant bit, you're heart will soar at her determined spirit to raise her kids alone.Her struggles as a Jewish girl coming of age in Virginia, her life as a lone white woman in a black neighborhood with 12 children of color, being widowed not once, but twice will have you rooted to the pages of this book to see how she coped and survived.All of her children went on to finish college and pursue professional careers.She went to college herself and received her degree in her sixties.This is a book of what love and a determined spirit can accomplish.I'd like to share a couple of passages in the book that stood out from all the rest; these words really touched me and made me think we should ALL teach and preach this truth:


James asks his mother, "Am I black or white?"


"You're a human being," she snapped.
...


"What's a spirit?"
"A spirit's a spirit."
"What color is God's spirit?"
"...God is the color of water..."


I wish we would all remember this.


This is a book I highly recommend.You will broaden your horizons with this book, and learn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Water Dog
This book is great.It was in great shape when received and the content is very interesting and valuable for a new dog owner.

Water Dog
The book is a little older. All the pictures are in black and white and the author likes to ramble alot before actually getting into the training. It's geared for starting a pup when they are very young and teaching them proper habits and techniques as they get older helping them to retain and become better hunters vs. starting them out older like the myth has been. Despite some of the "rambling", Mr. Waltors does a good job of still entertaining you and keeping your attention while waiting for the techniques to actually start. I would recommend it to anyone who is wanting to teach your new pup how to become the best while teaching you the patience and practices of becoming a great handler.

Training your retriever
I am a proud owner of a now 6 month old Chesapeke Bay Retriever. Unfortunately, I am not a hunter, but the training methods as described and instructed in the book, Water Dog, by Richard Wolters, offers excellent insight into bringing out the best in your retriever dog. If you have never had a retriever, they are wonderful companions and love to be outside doing something to please their owners. Mr. Wolters gives precise, straightforward instruction in how to bring out the best in your retriever whether it be for hunting, field trials or as a well-trained devoted companion. The key is to start early and be consistent with your frequent, if not daily, training. My advice is to read your book before getting your retriever.

Dog Training at it's BEST
I so wish I had this book about a month before getting my first Lab. I purchased a gently used copy through Amazon and was blown over by the great information for training Labrador Retrievers.I should have gotten the "family dog" version of the book, but Water Dog had some great information and tips for training our dog. Easy to understand, and his writing style was humorous.Great book for the beginner, or for the old hand at dog training! (I'm a beginner, but was given the name of this book by an old hat at training--he said it was the best book he'd read on lab training!Glad I made the purchase!

Wrong Book for the Job
This book is over 46 years old and the training methods in it have largely been overcome with more knowledge on dog behavior, development and newer training methods which yield better results.

For whatever reason there are still the stubborn die-hard disciples of this book who hold onto it and recommend it every chance they get.They also get really defensive when you suggest that the book is out dated.

Please do yourself and your dog a favor and look into books by Evan Graham (Smartworks), Chris Akin (Duck Dog Basics), Amy Dahl (10 Minute Retriever), Mike Lardy (Total Retriever) or Jackie Mertens (Sound Beginnings).

If you do buy this book please disregard the methods he uses for intro to gunfire (banging pans at dinner) and correcting a dog that has not been taught what to do.

If you don't believe me get in touch with your local retrieving club and ask them or go to [...] and ask there. ... Read more