Product Description
Through myths and legends, the knowledge of the power of certain gems and crystals has been preserved over generations. However, the practical aspects of how to use these precious stones to promote spiritual development have been lost to all but a few initiates. In Steps on the Stone Path, Robert Sardello offers strategies and rituals for recapturing that lost power.

Sardello starts with guided meditations and rituals for developing awareness of, and the ability to experience, stone qualities such as deep silence, form, transparency, and color as modes of spiritual consciousness. Entering these modes of silent, creative consciousness requires befriending the elemental angelic beings embodied in stones. Sardello develops these initial practices into a sensory yoga of stones, in which the connection between the self and the Divine Self manifests through the medium of stone-awareness. He encourages readers to wear certain gems or to keep specific crystals close to their body, allowing them to enter the world of spirit. Steps on the Stone Path explores the possibility of uniting our soul being with the soul of specific stones, reveals unknown inner qualities and dimensions of humankind, and presents a dazzling theory of stones as critical tools in the making of a New Heaven and a New Earth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A New Consciousness
Robert Sardello has written a book about companionship.Gently, carefully, but with firm steps he introduces us to a seemingly distant and mysterious world. Yet this need not be, if we prepare ourselves to work intimately with stones.

Sardello states in his introduction that "If the mineral and crystal process of unfolding spiritual qualities can be carefully described, we can open up a new approach not only to the mineral world, but also to developing new contemplative practices that are particularly needed for the combined spiritual destiny of humanity and of the Earth."
He states that, "The primary purpose of the `spiritual path of stones' is to develop a spiritual circulation between the earthly realms and the spiritual realms without assumingthat we know what the angelic beings of the stones will bring to us."
In a reference to alchemy he tells us that,"Almost all previous writing remains with stones in an outer, though receptive way; the interior of the stone is felt but not entered into.This is the `Lesser Work', and it is completely necessary.This writing introduces one way to approach `The Greater Work'...entering into the interior of matter, making connection with its soul and spirit, and developing the capacities needed for inwardly perceiving indications of its soul and spirit--and becoming physically altered by this way of being with living substance".

Our initial interest in stones tends to be led by our desire to receive something--some `gifts' from the stone.What is required is that we break through our usual consciousness.He states that, "the two most basic necessities to come into the presence of the stone world are the acts of awakening consciously to sensing by loosening the hold cognition has on categorizing our sensing for us, and surrendering the will.The first, awakening sensing, comes about through quieting the mind and perceiving with the heart.Surrendering of the will cannot happen in a direct way.We cannot decide to surrender our will and then will ourselves to do so.Instead, surrender comes about by developing the capacity of spiritual sensing of the mineral worlds.Only through sensing can we see a stone's spiritual self."

In his first contemplative practice, Entering the Silence and Befriending the Stone, he tells us to `lovingly and carefully notice the characteristics of the stone....One by one take each quality noticed into the heart.What is seen in a sensory way then becomes present as interior feeling...You will notice a particular moment when you feel a sense of wonder and awe:that is the moment the intellect has relinquished its treasured place of having to know.You now that you are in deep and intimate relationship with the stone.It is no longer simply an object.Feel its holiness.The inner work is to simply be present with and within this awe without searching for anything."

Those familiar with Robert Sardello's book Silence: The Mystery of Wholeness or any of his other writings will deeply appreciate this work.He encourages us to develop a new, heart-centered consciousness, but with a heightened clarity of attention, thought, and feeling. Anyone who has ever `befriended' a stone will find a way to a more meaningful and transformative relationship. Those who have studied Robert Simmons book, Stones of the New Consciousness, (for which Sardello wrote a lucid introduction) will recognize in Sardello a patient and trustworthy guide to meeting the beings of the stones.
... Read more

Product Description
Robert B. Parker and his legendary Spenser series have longbeen considered the ne plus ultra of detective fiction. But thecritics' praise for Jesse Stone's debut in Night Passage proved therewas room for an addition to the Parker literary canon. "A novel asfresh as it is boldParker's sentences flow with as much wit, grace,and assurance as ever, and Stone is a complex and consistentlyinteresting new protagonist. His speedy return will be welcome"(Newsday).Stiles Island is a wealthy and exclusive enclave separatedby a bridge from the Massachusetts coast town of Paradise. JamesMacklin sees Stiles Island as the ultimate investment opportunity: allhe needs to do is invade the island, blow up the bridge, and loot theisland. To realize his investment, Macklin, along with his devotedgirlfriend, Faye, assembles a crew of fellow ex-cons --all expertsin their fields--including Wilson Cromartie, a fearsome Apache. JamesMacklin is a bad man--a very bad man. And Wilson Cromartie, known asCrow, is even worse.As Macklin plans his crime, Paradise PoliceChief Jesse Stone has his hands full. He faces romantic entanglementsin triplicate: his ex-wife, Jenn, is in the Paradise jail for assault;he's begun a new relationship with a Stiles Island realtor named MarcyCampbell; and he's still sorting out his feelings for attorney AbbyTaylor. When Macklin's attack on Stiles Island is set in motion, bothMarcy and Abby are put in jeopardy. As the casualties mount, it's upto Jesse to keep both women from harm.Filled with "light, shade,texture, and complexity" (The Boston Globe), Trouble in Paradise isthe work of a master.Amazon.com Review
Robert Parker's Trouble in Paradise imagines an old-fashioned toughguys' world where most of the women are summed up by their figures and themen are measured by their ability to intimidate. Chief Jesse Stone ofParadise, Massachusetts, is Parker's hero again in this sequel to Night Passage.When he'snot thinking about what his girlfriends look like under their clothes,Stone's touring his beat, hanging out at the Gray Gull Hotel bar to getintelligence on local thugs, or interrogating teens about their destructivepranks.But he has a vulnerable side, too, and Parker adds new layers ofdepth and complexity to his latest series character.Jesse's still reelingfrom his divorce.He and his ex-wife, Jenn, are not entirely ready to letgo.In fact, Jenn has followed Jesse east from L.A. and is suffering in theBoston climate as one of the anchors on the local news. Romance with Jennis further complicated by Jesse's ongoing attraction to attorney AbbyTaylor and his emerging relationship with realtor Marcy Campbell.

Jesse's domestic troubles are gradually overshadowed, however, when ex-conJimmy Macklin arrives in town. Macklin plans to pull "the mother of allstickups" on the ritzy Stiles Island in Paradise Harbor.He has figured outthat the Stiles Island bridge, with its underpinning of utility cables andpipes, is a veritable lifeline to the mainland, and he's gathered a rogues'gallery of professional crooks and killers to help him take the bridge andmake the island into a thieves' paradise.The one problem: Macklin neverfigured that Paradise, Massachusetts, would have a police chief as tough andresourceful as Jesse Stone.

As usual, Parker's stark and facile prose perfectly complements themasculine sufferings of his hero, and the action of the novel unfolds withan effortlessness that intimates a craftsman at work.With Parker'sSpenser safely canonized as a detective fiction legend, Jesse Stone'sunfolding world offers a welcome new addition to Parker's ouevre. --Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

Trouble in Paradise by Robert Parker
I really enjoyed reading Parkers' novel. Having seen some of the adapted TV movies brought the characters to life.While reading, you can hear Tom Sellecks voice in your head...yum :} Too bad Parker is no longer with us...I would love to read more and see how his characters evolve.

Trouble in Paradise and other Jesse Stone books
Jesse Stone is a likable and sometimes amusing charactor well supported by Molly his office cop.. There is too much of his ex eife Jenn and his visits to his shrink Dix. The plot is sidelined by these two inserts . I found myself skipping all chapters about Jenn or Dix.

Don

a good book
This book by Parker is another Jesse Stone and is an excellent read.It kept my attention throughout.He manages to write so reading is easy and enjoyable.


J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

TROUBLE IS RIGHT
Trouble in Paradise (Jesse Stone)

If you like dark brooding heroes and great page turning mysteries (with twists), you have to read this series.

Spenser led me to expect better
What a sad-sack this recovering-alcoholic character is. I understand this author's need to branch out, to perhaps prove he can write something beyond "Spenser";but Jesse Stone has none of the cleverness, likability or humor of a Spenser. In the first of these I read, the character mentions in passing his acquaintance with Spenser, up in Boston; and my bored-to-tears heart actually started racing with hope, as though a rock star might appear. (Which he didn't.)I have a friend who reads these when there's nothing else, and finds them palatable enough. Sadly, I do not. ... Read more

Product Description
This book teaches people to utilize the enormous power of the brain's creative right side, and learn to strengthen their natural insight, banish negative thoughts, improve relationships, get rid of fatigue and stress, and much more. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Flying Cow
The cow has button eyes that come off easily and could be swallowed by small children.He also didn't last as long as the monkeys.But the boys still love him.

Very informative and helpful. This will chang your life if you use it.
Jose Silva is an intreaguing individual. Here he reveals results of many years of researc into developing the powers of the human mind. Some of this has been updated later with audio cd which is easier to use but these methods are free and easy to learn, compared to the audio program which is much dearer. Silve is not the most brilliant teacher but, being the originator of the Silva Method, I think this is the best place to start to get an inexpensive introduction into Silva meditation which has been taught to 4 million people. It contains a lot in a small book so you will need to read it over a few times to let it sink in. I will keep it as a book to never get rid of, an essential part of my library. The only thing I would point out that is anyone who gets into mind control for 40 years tends to become unconventional. In this case, I just ignore his promotion of reincarnation, which I do not accept, and his encouragement to get help from spirit guides in another dimension. But it is hard, or almost impossible, to find a writer out there I totally agree with in every way. This is a book that will change your view of the power of the human mind. Silva spent a fortune in research and shares it at minimal cost for the development of society. This book is great to help you overcome subconscious blockages that are holding you back in life, use intuition to guide you, get creative help from forces in the universe and use mindpower to help those you love. It is not a book about hypnosis as Silva's research did not find it effective in mind control. Strongly recommended with those reservations. ... Read more

Product Description
A searing, indelible love story of two ravaged spirits--a screenwriter and an actress-- played out under the merciless, magnifying prism of Hollywood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Parallels Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening'
This is one of Stone's poorer novels.As in his other books,
he deals with the demons of addiction and mental illness.In
this case, the plot loosely parallels Kate Chopin's 'The Awak-
ening' a la Hollywood style.Chopin's novel is about a woman
who leaves her husband in the 19th century with dire results.
I suggest you go to the source and read Chopin's The Awakening
instead of this book.

A view into the inner world and dance poetry of despair
The last fifteen or so pages of this fine novel dissapointed me to such a degree that I had to sit back and analyse why.One reason is that the ending is simply trite compared to the rest of the book in my opinion.Another is that it may not have been able to end in a way that would have pleased me no matter how it ended. But yet another, and perhaps the most important: I was enjoying it, and ending the book meant that the journey I also took with the characters came to an end, like a good party. This book rates three and a half stars for me, but closer to a full four than three.

I found this book by chance at a discount book store in the mid west and truly enjoyed it for one overarching reason: few times have I read a book by an author who made one profound gift so palpable in his creation of despair driven characters.And that gift of craft is simple: Robert Stone has a beautiful way of displaying, without judgement, the near transcendental lucidity that exists in madness. At so many times you knew exactly what his characters were going to do, but you knew it the same way you knew the plot of THE GODFATHER before you popped it in the VCR for the upteenth time.It was the dance of his characters in the context of their love affair with everything damaging within the world and themselves; their multi-layered wheel-within-a-wheel dance of insanity on top of artistry on top of genius on top of lonliness on top of despair, on top of anger, on top of rage, on top of beauty, on top of addiction, and codependency, on top of modern and Hollywood society, on top of true love, ON TOP OF INSANITY...At its lowest moments, the book is a soap opera with an ending seemingly designed to be followed by commercials.At its highest moments however, the book is a spellbinding maze that I would gladly walk through again, as knowing where it begins and where it ends has no bearing on the journey on which it takes you in between.

Defintiely a good weekend summer read.

Love at first sight
This was the first book by Robert Stone I read. Damscus Gate was the second, though I prefer Children of Light.

Stone's mind, his craft as a writer and a narrator, drew me into the story from the outset. In spite ofthe bleak, unrelenting theme, it is the writing above all-- the quality ofthe insights, the invention, and the prose, so economical and searing inits images -- that left me inspired.

Some memorable moments were theletter Gordon receives from his son and his interpretation of it; the sceneon the mountaintop with Lee Verger-- Malcolm Lowry and Stone would havegotten along well.The scene with the doctor in Mexico, when Gordon seeksdrugs, was also well depicted -- the doctor's observations of his screenworld patients, etc. Irony is everywhere in this book.

The film people,the Drogues were a brilliant, seedy lot: the driven son and the father whomade him looking on with "gypsy eyes, passive and watchful."

Iwould agree that the ending was a bit tacked on. Lee must go down, butGordon escapes too easily -- though it happens in life. I've known someincredible human wrecks who've turned on a dime and ended up leading AAmeetings, etc. Still in a novel we need more.

All in all, you arespending time with Stone the fine writer in this tale of Hollywood and thesavagery of the image world: light that reveals, images that devour.

Thiswas a great book for me.

(Damascus Gate was so different, more erudite inits approach to a very different story.)

Good R. Stone, but not great
Robert Stone has written so many GREAT novels (Hall of Mirrors, Dog Soldiers, Flag for Sunrise) that his true followers -- I consider myself one -- expect brilliance every time. Children of light is good, but not great. Perhaps its the Hollywood subject matter; it's much less compellingthan Vietnam or Central America. Although beautifully written, as iseverything by Stone, the characters are so wan and unaware of themselvesthat the book is unrelentingly depressing. Still, despite the drawbacks,its still Robert Stone. This will be one of the best books you read thisyear.

stunningly bleak vision of the human condition
This novel is my favorite of all of Stone's disturbing and powerful works (I haven't read "Outerbridge Reach" yet). It's so beautifully and evocatively written that I somehow find the roll of the prose soothing andpleasurable, despite the all but unbearable sadness and desperation of thecharacters. I still, after several rereadings, find myself puzzled anddisturbed that these characters can't get their acts together, act soselfishly, have so little self-control and respect for one another--justlike people in real life, unfortunately. (Certainly in Stone's view, and Isuppose also in mine). Drugs, booze, insanity, and cruelty abound, and arenot punished. As the unforgettable conclusion reveals, there is ultimatelyno justice for these characters--they either survive or they don't. This isStone's harshly beautiful world at its best, in my opinion. ... Read more

Product Description
The rollicking adventures of the Stone family on a tour of the Solar System. It all started when the twins, Castor and Pollux Stone, decided that life on the Lunar colony was too dull and decided to buy their own spaceship and go into business for themselves. Their father thought that was a fine idea, except that he and Grandma Hazel bought the spaceship and the whole Stone family were on their way out into the far reaches of the Solar System, with stops on Mars (where the twins got a lesson in the interplanetary economics of bicycles and the adorable little critters called flatcats who, it turned out, bred like rabbits; or, perhaps, Tribbles . . .), out to the asteroids, where Mrs. Stone, an M.D., was needed to treat a dangerous outbreak of disease, and even further out, to Titan and beyond.

            Unforgettable Heinlein characters on an unforgettable adventure.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Fascinating and inspirational
The Rolling Stones is one of Heinlein's juveniles from his "hard science" days.

An extraordinary family, living on the Moon, buys a used spaceship, fixes it up, and heads for the asteroids. The kids include a stunning and brainy daughter, twin boys always looking to get rich and in trouble ... not necessarily in that order, and a precocious toddler who may be the smartest of all. The cast is rounded out by the wise and patient parents and the feisty grandmother, Hazel.

Reading this book always inspires me to do a bit of math study. Heinlein had a knack for making most hard science studies sound like fun, but he had a rare talent for describing math as great way to spend your time. LOL

David Gerrold "channeled" Heinlein's "flat cat's" from this book for his Star Trek tribbles. I have read that Heinlein was accorded the courtesy of a look at the script and gave it his blessing, stating that both stories were derivative of a story from the early 1900's ("Pigs is Pigs"), where a freight agent saddled with two guinea pigs winds up with hordes of them before he can return them to the original shipper. In any case, the nature of the creatures and the trouble caused by them is identical in both stories, and Heinlein's came years earlier.

The Stone's adventures amount to a set of interesting episodes, rather than a novel long battle of the heroes versus either a circumstance or a set of bad guys, making this a refreshing change from most plots. It is a "slice of life" book right out of Moon habitats, Mars settlements, and the asteroids. You'll enjoy the family and atmosphere of this book. Hazel turns up again as a major character in Heinlein's next to last novel, "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls".

Pack up the family and tour around the Solar system
Roger Stone and his family have decided that they've had enough of life on the moon, so they decide to pack up the family, buy a used space ship, and head off to see the sights in the Solar system.First stop is Mars, then the asteroid belt, then who knows!The travelers include Mr. Stone, his wife (a doctor), his mother, and four children - a pair of precocious twins named Castor and Pollux, a teen daughter, and an infant.What follows is a series of adventures and mis-adventures with lots of witty dialog in between.The main characters are Mr. Stone and the twins.Heinlein based many of the characters in the book on himself and others in his family.Mr. Stone is Heinlein of course, the author who served time in the navy.Mrs. Stone is patterned after Heinlein's wife Ginny.This is far from Heinlein's best novel, but it is in my opinion the one that most represents his 'style' - lots of witty dialog and repartee between the characters.Intelligent teen characters who are wise beyond their years, technically competent, but always getting into trouble and always learning.The twins decided that they want to become entrepreneurs and ship a load of used bicycles from the Moon to Mars.They get a real life lesson in economics when they realize that selling them isn't as easy as they think.Even though much of the astrophysics is now dated, you'll get an outstanding lesson about the Solar system and orbital dynamics from this book.One thing that Heinlein does extremely well is tie in typical, everyday life with the possibilities of space exploration.Other than cruising around in a spaceship, the Stone family isn't that different than any other Earth-bound family.They have many of the same problems (simplified for the juvenile plot-line, of course), with complicated inter-family dynamics, yet they are doing something fantastic (at least for the reader), and do it all in a matter of fact way.If you've read Heinlein before and liked any bit of it, this novel is a no-brainer.If you're new to Heinlein, I would recommend this book to start - it is very typical of easy style with an easy to read, enjoyable plot line.

Classic Juvenile Heinlein
The Rolling Stones is the classic science fiction family adventure written for the juvenile audience by the master, R.A. Heinlein.I first read this nearly 50 years ago and have looked forward to it coming out again.Many authors have been influenced by this and other Heinlein juveniles.Read about the Martian flat cats and you know where the idea for tribbles came from.I recommend this to any adult or teenager who enjoys space and a good story.

And Flat Cats too!
Many of the excellent reviewers have told you why you will love this book, and I heartily agree. But let's not forget the flat cats. David Gerrold swears he didn't mean to steal the idea as the inspiration for the "Star Trek" episode, 'The Trouble With Tribbles', and Heinlein agreed that the idea wasn't stolen; but you will see the connection.
And when you read Heinlein's later, grownup books (the ones with the annoying sex someone else mentioned), you will need to know where Hazel Meade Stone came from. She starts out as a child in "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and we will see her later in "The Number of the Beast".
And in any case, this book is good family fun; the family that travels the solar system together always has a handy airlock in case little brother really gets to be too much, but they never actually throw him overboard, and later, he saves grandma.

a wonderful book well read
I don't want to say much about the story itself - it's a Heinlein, one of the books for younger people (and older, like me), sometimes in later books referred (Hazel Stone!).
It's very well read, one of the best audiobooks I ever heard, with perfectly choosen voices. You very well can forget the real world (is it real?). It's very understandable for non-native speakers, my 10-year-old (german) son has no problems to understand the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Read it and fear !

This novel is more topical than ever in today's political enviroment . Substitute Fox News for WUSA , or how about viewing a two-bit alcoholic DJ like Reinhardt as a potential Glen Beck . Stone was a prophet!

A Hall of Mirrors
"A Hall of Mirrors" was a book that Robert Stone lost his way.Having read "Damascus Gate" and "Dog Soldiers", this book fell a little short. His book "Bay of Souls" was a stretch.

Powerful but doesn't entirely pay off
Robert Stone is a writer I want to like more than I actually do.He's certainly a bold stylist who, in this book and others, presents an unrelentingly bleak view of humanity that is hard to shrug off.And he manages to also sneak in some sly humor and jaundiced observations about various social mores that offset the darkness of his prose.Being a former resident of New Orleans, I did think this book was quite effective at evoking the city's character and grit in many passages.Ultimately, though, I started to get bored with the plot well before it reached a conclusion.I might well try another Stone book some day (also read Dog Soldiers some time ago) but he's not exactly at the top of my to-read list at the moment.

stone's first novel bold, accurate look into future
stone's powerful first novel is a characteristic melange of right-wingers, political intrigue and paranoia, drugs, poverty and a deeply spiritual yearning. it is as relevant today as when it was written more than 30 years ago, a testament to stone's vision.

what is most captivating is his dazzling writing, intense spiritual vision, powerful dialog and deep insights. the evocation of new orleans is accurate and immersive. as with future stone novels, the reader himself may feel like they are in a hall of mirrors as they try to puzzle it all out, but this is part of the challenge Stone throws out to his audience.

one of the most powerful and important american writers of the last 50 years.

This Book Gets Better With Age
This book is as wise and penetrating today as when it was written.In this age of predatory capitalists aligned with the Christian right, Stone's corrupt evangelists and attorneys come alive again in New Orleans.Amid this corruption, broken people try to live, love and survive.

Stone's language is poetically compressed, and his range of imagination uncovers detail and image that lesser writers would never discover.It is astonishing that this is a first novel.It is truly a "Great American Novel" on par with anything Faulkner ever wrote.If we did not live in an age of cultural lobotomy, he would certainly get the attention that he deserves.

How often do we read something that leaves us changed?Not often.Read this book if you want to go home to the best part of yourself. ... Read more

Product Description
Day Hikes on Oahu takes you to 57 of the island's best hikes. All levels of hiking experience are accommodated, from easy beach strolls to mountain climbs that reward the hiker with sweeping views. Highlights include spectacular waterfalls, lush rainforests, tropical preserves, volcanic craters, gardens, ancient shrines, swimming holes, tidepools, coastal cliffs and panoramic vistas. Each hike is an enjoyable day's adventure. (5 1/2 x 8 1/2, 128 pages, maps) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Critical Omission
Wow! I could not believe it! Nowhere in the hike descriptions does the author state the DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY. This is "must have" information, especially for those who are hiking on Oahu for the first time. I keep looking at the the hikes thinking I've simply missed it, but alas, this information is not available. How much more costly could it have been to add: Easy/Moderate/Difficult before the verbiage on each hike. Very disappointing, and potentially dangerous.

Another thing I would have like to have seen are GPS coordinates. They make getting to trailheads much easier and if a few trail site waypoints are included, it can give hikers much needed assurance that they are on the right path.

Good book
This book covers lots of hikes and has good information, but there are just as good or better resources available online for free.We use a combination of the book and websites when choosing which Oahu hike to do.But you could do fine with just websites.

good hikes to do with kids
We have another hiking book for Oahu but found many of the hikes to be too long and too challenging to do with young children so I bought this one.I am very happy with it.All of the hikes/walks are pretty short.Long enough to get out and get some exercise but not too long.The book lists hikes throughout the entire island-I think there is good variety. Some of them are just simple beach walks that you may not have thought of on your own.There are a few serious hikes but if you are a serious hiker I'd get a different book.It has great directions and explanations for the hikes.This would be a great book if you are planning on traveling to Oahu and don't want to hang out on the beach all day, every day.The two very small negatives are it doesn't have the difficulty rating for each hike, but I imagine they are almost all beginning to intermediate. The other is it lists a hike that has been closed by the government for over a year now and it doesn't look like it will open any time soon.I would prefer the author replace that with another hike.Enjoy!

Hikes for Tourists on Oahu
This is a well organized guide for the traveler who wants to step away from the sand and crowds of Waikiki. The author gives you vital information on 22 different hikes around the island including Diamond Head. All of thehikes are easy to moderate, even for a 75 year old grandmother. One traildescribed has been closed indefinitely since the book was published (SacredFalls) due to several deaths caused by flash flooding--therefore readersand hikers should exercise due caution when hiking on Oahu. Eachdescription covers the hiking distance, hiking time, elevation gain, andappropriate topographic map (although you won't need it). There areparagraph hike summaries and directions for getting to the trailhead andnavigating the trail itself. In some cases there are maps too, but theseare useless without scale or compass orientation. If you want to hike onOahu this is the guide for you! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Why is this out of print?
This fantastic book tells the tale of one of America's most successful publiciations while simultaneously chronicling its seedy underbelly. You'll laugh at the hijinks of Hunter S. Thompson one minute and get infuriated by the way editor in chief Jann Wenner chooses to treat fellow human beings the next. I highly recommend it for ANYONE who is interested in the music industry, the magazine world or fine music writing in general. It's a shame that this book is out of print, but on the upside, you can get a pretty cheap used copy without much trouble. A great read.

So if you can't become a rock star...
Robert Draper's Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored Story is a stunning testament to the magazine which helped herald in an era, and has been here ever since.This book isn't about the artists that were covered; instead it's more about the staff, the writers, th editors, and especially founder Jann Wenner, almost biographically so.

Now out of the 60's came many things good and bad but in the late 60's Rolling Stone the magazine was formed.However it's never that simple and Draper conveys that well.With inside information due to hundreds of interviews and just some good research he pieces together what life was like behind the cover.

My only fault is that I wish this book could have been written in 2004 instead of 1990 so that I could learn about recent events.Overall this is a great book and I highly recommend it for musicians, journalists, and any Rolling Stone magazine avid fans out there. ... Read more

Product Description
Bay of Souls is a gripping tale of romantic obsession set against the backdrop of an island revolution. Michael Ahearn is a midwestern English professor who abandons his comfortable life when he becomes hopelessly attracted to a new faculty member from the Caribbean, Lara Purcell. Seductive and a bit dangerous, Lara claims a vodoun spirit has taken possession of her soul. Michael follows Lara to her native St. Trinity, only to find himself drawn into an ever-deepening whirlpool of Third World corruption. Writing an almost feverish dream, Stone reveals Michael"s choices to have disastrous consquences as the novel crescendoes to an utterly unforgettable conclusion. Intense, erotic, and brilliantly observed, Bay of Souls is a finely wrought tale of one man"s moral dissolution which showcases Robert Stone at his most provocative and psychologically acute. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

The Angst and the Pity
I enjoyed this reading this novel. While it's not up to Stone's best works like A Flag for Sunrise and Dog Soldiers, the story gripped me.
I believed the characters, even if I didn't like or understand their motivations.
The basic conceit of the novel, that one can be so enthralled by another that one throws one's life away, unfolds around us daily.
The voodoo ceremonies were terrifying. I was reading the book at the beach during a storm at night. It so effected me that I didn't want to walk my dog in the dark.
I've given this book to friends to read and they've hated it. Many reviewers on this board didn't like it. But I thought Bay of Souls was a memorable read.

No Expectations
Having never read Stone prior to Bay of Souls, I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. I agree with other reviewers that it seems to be two separate stories, but there is such truth in his minimalist description of the landscapes and the characters. And the two (landscape and characters) seem to be intertwined - the mid-westerners cold and spare and the islanders exotic and hot. The stories show the "normal" us- conventional and uptight - and then the way we'd perceive ourselves if we could really cut loose - voodoo and dope and oh so coolness. The bookend of the Hunter's bar/bartender is spectacular. It is a mirror of the professor's life. First full of promise and then bereft of any hope.

Cosmopolitan barbarity
Robert Stone casually introduces us to refined Argentinian in "Bay of Souls" who seems to be a government official. What he does is throw people out of airplanes over the Atlantic. The plane circles until the very moment of sunrise or sunset before the deed is done. While they circle, he reads French poetry to the weeping victim. Then, on the verge of the big push, he takes out a handkerchief to wipe the victim's tears. The handkerchief has been taken from the poor guy's wife or lover to intensify the horror as the scent of the beloved is inhaled in the moments before death. Sometimes, the victim asks if there are sharks below. He is assured there are no sharks in the south Atlantic. "You'll see."

That's Stone in a nutshell. He's a bone chiller, old Bob. That's what I mainly read him for, the way he intimates there are things going on out there that you really don't want to know about. But he's gonna tell you anyway.

This is not top quality Stone ("A Flag for Sunrise" is his masterpiece). Lara might as well be wearing a flashing neon sign saying "dangerous femme fatale." Michael is a Stone archetype -- the academic who thinks he's worldly, but gets in way over his head.

I do like the way he off handedly tosses in a major plot point, such as when opens a chapter saying that Lara flew to Washington "on their money."

I've read all Stone's books and I believe I would recognize his prose in a blind taste test. Oblique dialogue. Agonizing introspection. Weird sex. Barbarity disguised in cosmopolitan sophistication. Third world decadence and corruption. The sea, the awful sea.

great, if flawed, stone novel
i don't agree with many of the readers who panned this stone novel. i agree that stone set a high bar for himself in previous books, and that this one falls short, but still think a subpar stone novel is a notch short of a classic.

there are familar themes and motifs -- an academic, war, revolution, drugs, sex, deep-sea diving, religion -- as stone weaves his tale of an angst-ridden professor who follows an affair to third world revolution. my criticism is that the novel feels like two books crudely bolted together: part 1 takes part in a midwestern university; part 2 takes part primarily on a carribean island undergoing revolution. despite this flaw and the confusing climax on the island, this still has ton to offer and ponder. the writing is earing and memorable as always. the insights and surehanded descriptions of academic life, DC politics and war are powerful. and the spiritual quest at the book's heart will leave you pondering for a while.

so, yes, flawed. but give me a flawed stone novel anyday!

That Voodoo You Do
Robert Stone explores familiar terrain in this story of a man who gets into the ring with his own myths of masculinity, marital betrayal, and family discord. Stone adds strong drams of voodoo and dark spirits into this volatile, seductive concoction, which promotes a nightmarish carnival ending reminiscent of his first novel, A Hall of Mirrors. While a treat for his fans, this book doesn't reach the artistic peaks set out in Outerbridge Reach or the emotional depths of A Flag for Sunrise. ... Read more

Product Description
With soaring vision and profound intelligence, Robert Stone has written a harrowing, breathtaking novel about our desperate search, at any price, for the consolation of redemption - and about the people who are all too willing to provide it. A violent confrontation in the Gaza Strip, a mind-altering pilgrimage, a race through riot-filled Jerusalem streets, a cat-and-mouse game in an underground maze, a desperate attempt to prevent a bomb from detonating beneath the Temple Mount - Damascus Gate is an exhilarating journey through the moral and religious ambiguities that haunt the holiest of cities and its seekers, cynics, hustlers, and madmen. Set in Jerusalem, where violence, ecstasy, heresy, and salvation are all to be found, Damascus Gate is simultaneously the story of a man's search for truth - or some version of it - and the story of a city where sanity is casually traded for faith.Amazon.com Review
In his earlier novels, Robert Stone has taken us to such hotspots as Vietnam, Central America, and that ultimate sinkhole ofdepravity we call Hollywood. This time around, it's Jerusalem. GivenStone's gift for depicting both political and personalembroilment--indeed, for making the two inextricable--this particularcity is an inspired choice. For starters, Jerusalem remains a sacreddestination for Muslims, Jews, and Christians and a hotly contestedone. It's also a magnet for hustlers, fanatics, and millennialdreamers, a generous assortment of whom populate the pages ofDamascus Gate. As always, Stone introduces a (relatively)innocent American into the picture--a journalist named ChristopherLucas. This career skeptic prides himself on his detachment: heprefers the kind of story "that exposed depravity and duplicityon both sides of supposedly uncompromising sacred struggles. He foundsuch stories reassuring, an affirmation of the universal humanspirit." Yet Lucas, a lapsed Catholic, has journeyed to Jerusalemat least in part to recharge his devotional batteries. And as he'sslowly drawn into a terrorist plot--which involves drugs, armssmuggling, and a plan to blow up the Temple Mount--Lucas sheds hisdetachment in a hurry. Stone's novel functions as an expert thriller,whose slow, somewhat clunky wind-up is more than compensated for by abrilliant grand finale. It is also, however, a dogged exploration offaith, in which cynics and true believers jostle forpredominance. "Life was so self-conscious in Jerusalem," theauthor reflects, "so lived at close quarters, by competingmoralizers. Every little blessing demanded immediate record."It's hard to imagine a more vivid record of these mutualblessings--and maledictions!--than Robert Stone's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (126)

Enter at Your Own Risk
I will give Stone another shot, possibly with one of those earlier novels that brought his some repute.As far as Damascus Gate is concerned, I found it a jumble of nothingness, appropriate since the protagonist himself is bogged in the quagmire of religious confusion (and never surfaces), that is, the nothingness he professes at the outset is the same that he clings to at the conclusion. Depressing.

A thriller and a spiritual quest
It takes a brave writer to attempt a novel about contemporary Jerusalem and, if nothing else,Stone has written a book that can be discussed and argued about for days.Because I intend to criticize some things in the novel I hasten to say that I found the book fascinating from beginning to end. It is a book that reverberates, part thriller, part spiritual quest.It should unsettle a lot of today's secular intellectuals, not because it takes a stand, but because it shines a harsh light on our evasions.
The book has a Jewish sensibility because a constant here is a religious longing and desire, a waiting for the Messiah. God is absent and everyone is waiting for the world to come. Although Stone has powerful scenes among the Palestinians in Gaza, and showstheir misery and rage, he really does not get into the politics. For the irony is that what the Romans did to the Jews almost 2,000 years ago the Jews are now doing to the Palestinians. Any real re-approachment to the problem by an Israeli politician is political suicide or worse.
So our journalist hero, Christopher Lucas,born of a Jewish father and a Catholic mother , concentrates on writing a book with a Jungian psychiatrist, called the Jerusalem Syndrome: religion as a mental illness, a messianic obsession. Not that Lucas has contempt for religion. He once believed and wants to believe again.He is ambivalent, and has come to Jerusalem to get some resolution.But the book really offers no resolution and I think the reason is that Stone has none himself.He knows it all in his head but it has not percolated into his heart and spirit. At least I didn't sense it in the book. So the book let's you have it both ways.
None of his characters really break out from their prison, though you can make a case for De Kuff, the "messiah" of the book.What he preaches is beautifuland salvific but the way Stone presents him it is easy for the deracinated over-educated reader to dismiss him as a mental case.Sonia, a brave and authentic spiritual pilgrim, daughter of a black communist father and a Jewish mother, finally, in my view, gives up and takes refuge in The Law. Our hero, Lucas is forced to go back to New York, his home town, but tells us that he will soon bein some world trouble spot . He tells Sonia to look for him at the Café No Problem.War and alcohol and foreign lands, anythingto escape from yourself.Lucas, a sophisticated man of the world, who knows so very much, in the end. does not know enough. But he may be on his way. Stone ends the book with theambiguous words that to Lucas, "it was a differentworld."
I had some trouble believing that ultra-right and apocalypticIsraelis and Christians would plot to blow up the mosque in the Old City, one of the most beautiful buildings in the Middle East, but anything is possible. Such an act would lead to all out war between the Muslims and the Jews. Since the status quo has not worked andappeasement has not worked, maybe, some ultra-rightIsraelis think, the Palestinian problem requires a "final solution."Push them out, terrorize them, kill them and then rebuild. How sad, for such a beautiful, dynamic and important land.

Overly Complex; Lacked Precision and Clarity
Before I decided to read this book (which someone had given me), I read a handful of Amazon reviews, to inform myself of what I was in for.One reviewer described this book as "very complex."Enjoying the literary challenge of a "complex book," and being interested in the subject matter, I decided to give it a try.

While I quickly confirmed that the book was, in fact, "complex," I also discovered that it was complex for all the wrong reasons.Rather than the complexity of wrapping my mind around challenging intellectual ideas, this book was a jumble of acronyms, Israeli and United Nations agencies, foreign names, foreign cities and Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic words.In fact, I quickly found it necessary to create a scorecard to keep track of who was doing what to whom.While this jumble of competing factions and interests probably accurately reflects the multicultural nature of the region, the author's it nonetheless took away from the enjoyment of the read.

Exacerbating this problem, I often found the book murkily written and presented, making it difficult to figure out who was who, what their relationship was to everyone else, why they were doing what they were doing, and why anyone else cared--or didn't care--or better put, why I should care.In essence, I found the novel to lack a good writer's crispness, clarity and precision which such a "complex" novel required.

Finally, I felt the novel lacked the tension and suspense necessary to truly characterize it as "a thriller," as advertised in the snippets of reviews which graced the front and back of the novel.The author meandered into the plot, taking a good 200 pages to get it rolling.With the largely soporific pacing, the long descriptions and the numerous sidetracks and dead ends, the novel never really got out of second gear.

All of this negativity notwithstanding, I actually enjoyed some parts of the book.There was a significant subplot regarding the attempts to establish a psychotic character, De Kuff, as the messiah.While the author's cursory attempts to tie this band of messianic searchers to the main plot largely fell short, the descriptions of the relations of the group's members, and their and internal struggles and doubts, was nonetheless fascinating.

The Bookschlepper Recommends
Chris Lucas, American half-Jewish reporter in Jerusalem, agrees to do a book on the pilgrims to the Holy City who become overly inspired. Beyond the characters with Messianic dreams, there is an assortment of misfits, NGO and U.N. workers, former Communists, archeologists, settlers, nightclub impresarios, drug/arms runners and relief worker wannabes. Stone plots a tight scheme for the coming Millennium and corners the reader in a Bermuda Triangle of intifada, religious zealotry and psyche. I could feel the bullets whizzing past.

masterful work by america's best living novelist
first let me state my very strong bias -- Robert Stone is the best practicing novelist in america today. He is a serious novelist in the classic sense, drawing on hemingway and conrad, among others, for inspiration. he also is an embodiment of the 60's generation, one who survived and who has felt and filtered the last 50 years thru his considerable intellect.

yes, this novel requires work on the part of readers. if you want a light read, a beach novel, read grisham or others. (although, in interest of full disclosure -- i did read this on the beach.)

stone has serious business at hand here -- trying to make sense of the religious, cultural and political issues in israel in a way only fiction can. this is powerful stuff. his research is meticulous and i learned a ton. it also does what novels should -- it pushes you, rivets you, makes you feel a range of powerful emotions and when you read the last page, you will pause and stare into empty space for a while. such is the effect.

yes, this novel is dense and complex. but give it time, stick with it and it will reward as much as or more than any novel you have read.

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

What I Learned About Stone Walls
The book, Exploring Stone Walls, A Field Guide to New England's Stone Walls by Robert Thorson is split up into eleven detailed chapters. From there it is distributed into three separate sections. The first section is divided into four chapters. Thorson mainly talks about how there are many different types of life in and or around a stone wall. Many different types of organisms live here including the smallest life forms such as lichens and bacteria to large mammals such as dogs and cats. Although Thorson doesn't give much of an overview about this section, it is highly detailed fact-wise. I found this quite interesting because even if you are not an in-depth stonewall observer, than you can still have an enjoyable time watching them if you also have other interests such as ecology or if you're a naturalist. During the course of this book, there was one small segment about how he talked about artificial stone being very abundant throughout New England. I feel like this had little reference to the rest of the topics that Thorson was explaining. But there was an extremely well-developed chapter that I felt helped me overcome the very puzzling question of "How do you know whether to classify stone as a wall or a pile?" Very challenging question. Or is it? There is a simple answer to this problem. If the wall is anything less than four times long than it is wide it is a pile and vice-versa. In chapter eight of the book there is a well thought of segment about how to determine a certain wall's age. If you like to have history tied in with reading than you'll like this book. I didn't enjoy the chapter about the terrain because it was too detailed and it barely even talked about the walls. But his best chapter was chapter eleven, where he described some of his personal favorite stone walls to visit. This is even more interesting if you love to travel and explore. Overall, Thorson is a very good author and many people will benefit reading this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Okay, but very white light.
Not a bad book.Some great ideas on how to meditate and visualize your goals.However, very "white light" at times.White magic is great, but sometimes it would be nice to kick an enemy's ass with a little black magic!

It has changed my life,in so many ways!
This book is easy to understand and can teach you many things, that pertain to your life! Yourself, (things you did'nt know) love, money, health, fame, ect...This book is awesome...Get it somehow and you will be glad you did! Want to keep looking young for your age? Things around you togo your way? Even the weather? World events? Get the book! ... Read more

Product Description
Award-winning designer Robert Lee Morris has dominated the world of high-fashion jewelry and body ornament in America for more than three decades. Morris's strong yet graceful shapes recall artifacts of ancient and aboriginal cultures, transformed by his imaginative vision and fine workmanship into sublimely fluid, organic works. This engaging book-told in his own words and illustrated with eye-popping photographs of his innovative designs-provides a candid, insider's view of the fashion world, seen through the eyes of one of its genuine icons.

The first gallery to show Morris's work was New York's Sculpture to Wear, which offered one-of-a-kind jewelry by fine artists such as Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, and Man Ray. Today Morris's pieces are found not only at his own gallery in New York's SoHo, but also in the high-fashion collections of Donna Karan-for whom he created a signature look-and in jewelry stores throughout the United States. Robert Lee Morris is sure to appeal to jewelry lovers and fashion aficionados everywhere, and to have a powerful influence on the next generation of cutting-edge designers.AUTHOR BIO: Robert Lee Morris, a leading designer of jewelry and body ornament, is known for his one-of-a-kind pieces as well as his collaborations with such designers as Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, and Donna Karan. He has received the Coty Award and two Council of Fashion Designers of America awards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Robert Lee Morris: The Power of Jewelry
This book was a Valentine's Day present for my wife.She absolutely loved it.The shipping, service and follow-up from the seller was superb.I would definitely buy from this seller again without hesitation.Robert Lee Morris: The Power of Jewelry

Great Book For Amateur Jewelers
I walked up the steps to my door yesterday and found a large, flat box waiting for me. Inside was Robert Lee Morris's "The Power of Jewelry." I hadn't been expecting this for a few weeks, as Amazon had said it was the one book out of four I had ordered that would be backordered. `Darn, I had thought. That's the one I just couldn't wait to read.'

I'm nothing if not impetuous, not so much in my day to day, get things done, life, but in my hobby du jour. And forthe past several years that hobby has been jewelry making, whether it be metals or mixed media including fabric and paper. I get a notion that I want to learn more about something, and I have to have it, Now.

So it was like a special little gift, this book. And when I began reading it, I realized just how much of a gift it was. Let me explain about the, for lack of a better term, cognitive dissonance, I've been engaged in over the past few years. As I take classes and talk to people and read about jewelry making, I hear over and over that the best designs are planned and sketched and basically plotted out before you put hammer to metal.

Well, I don't like to do it that way.

It's not that I can't. Even though I'm an okay sketcher and I can plan a design, I get itchy to put my fingers on the metal, grab the hammer and start pounding or soldering. And as I read this book, I realized that that's what RLM likes to do too.

His drawings and paintings are spectacular, but he doesn't describe his exploration with metals as being planned out. Here is his description of his attempts to emulate the look and feeling of Cycladic figures that had moved him "so powerfully" in the Met shortly after he moved to New York City at age 25:

"I began by making a ring with wire, which I soldered to flat sheet metal. Then I trimmed the sheet to the ring, thereby creating a blank disc with a nice thick edge. I placed the blank onto a base of sandbags that sat on a tree trunk to absorb the shock, and then hammered directly into the middle of the disc with a round steel dapping punch. The results were sheer magic! What happened was that the center of the disk bulged outward, stretching the metal in between the center and the soldered edge to create a concave surface. Following this, I laid the disc over a rounded arm of my anvil and bent it slightly into a curve. The result was that the entire piece suddenly seemed to have taken on a new level of life and energy; it looked like a living creature of some kind. I was reminded of what pizza dough might look like when it was made into a flat pie shape and tossed into the air, curving and floating like a piece of cloth. I had just created my first totally original and unique design, one that would become the foundation for my classic core collection that continues to sell today, thirty years later."

And he definitely hadn't sketched it. Well. If it's good enough for RLM, then -- Hey.

"The Power of Jewelry" isn't a how-to-make-jewelry book, even though any metalsmith could glean great tips, such as the one above on how to approach the design process. It's essence is a picture book with well-written text.

The biographical portion describes RLM's childhood as an Air Force brat who lived in Japan and Brazil and soaked up the visual and cultural offerings of his early environments. You realize that, in addition to having a deep intellect and creative disposition, RLM was born at a time and lived in parts of the world that bring to mind Malcolm Gladwell's thesis in his book, "[...] In it, Gladwell offers several examples of spectacularly successful people who are "products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy." All of these, Gladwell states, are critical to making these people the cultural stars they have become.

Morris's transition from youth to adulthood reflects American cultural norms and expectations as they metamorphosed from the 1950s to the 60s. He entered college as a pre-med student but left as an artist and filmmaker. After college he and his friends formed a small commune in Wisconsin, where each member chose a craft to develop as a livelihood. His was handmade metal jewelry. He then moved to Vermont, the center of the back to the land movement of the 70s and the birthplace of several well known craft fairs. After the owner of the New York art jewelry gallery Sculpture to Wear discovered him at one and told him to move to the City, he entered a social circle that included Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring and Tama Janowitz. It was a time when collaborations between fashion designers and jewelers was just beginning, and he was right there in the midst of it.

RLM is indeed a fascinating person, and his creations are iconic. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in late 20th Century fashion, art culture, wearable art or - my interest - jewelry making.

[...]

Disappointing
This book is more about Robert Lee Morris than his jewelry. It contains more images of RLM than his jewelry.I returned the book.

Genuine Man and his Fascinatingjourney thru Jewelry design
I read the book and enjoyed all the photos from cover to cover!
Robert Lee Morris is such a great natural designer, very genuine as human being.

I found many similarities with his life and mine as a jewelry designer.
I discovered that my first pieces were much like his style, when I didn't knew who he was and never saw his work before.

Totally inspiring. You can be tempted to tear and frame the photos of the book as art pictures!

Benjamin P.
Puerto Rico

Beautiful Book
This book is more that the best expected.I am familiar with The RLM jewelry line and knowthis artist to be innovative and creative.This book gives an fascinating look at the man as a sculptor and jewelry designer. ... Read more

Product Description
Blood Brothers:
Every seven years, on the seventh day of the seventh month, strange things happen. It began when three young boys - Caleb, Fox, and Gage - went on a camping trip to the Pagan Stone. This modern-day legend draws reporter and author Quinn Black to Hawkins Hollow with the hope of making the eerie happening the subject of her new book. It is only February, but Caleb Hawkins, descendent of the town founders, has already seen and felt the stirrings of evil. Cal will need the help of his best friends, but surprisingly he must rely on Quinn as well.

The Hollow:
As the dreaded seventh month looms before them, Caleb, Fox, and Gage can feel the storm brewing. But this year, they are better prepared, joined in their battle by three women who have come to The Hollow. Since that day at The Pagan Stone, town lawyer Fox has been able to see into others’ minds, a talent he shares with Layla. He must earn her trust, because their link will help fight the darkness that threatens to engulf the town.

The Pagan Stone:
Though Gage and Cybil share the gift of seeing the future, that’s all they share. But Gage knows that a woman like Cybil — with her brains and strength and devastating beauty — can only bring him luck. Good or bad has yet to be determined — and could mean the difference between absolute destruction or an end to the nightmare for Hawkins Hollow. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Signof Seven review
The Books in Sign Of Seven collection live up to Nora Roberts work, BUT and its a big but, the male reader in the audio collection ruined the books for me. I have all of her published audio books collections both as Nora Roberts and JD Robb. I listen to them over and over again while driving back and forth to work. I can visually see her scenes with all of her previous readers ( I laugh and cry with the characters ), but the gentleman that read Blood Brothers ruined the book for me and if he does any further of her books, I for one, will not buy the audio version. I just hope that Nora Roberts or her Publisher reads this review.

sensational
another great for ms roberts..i ordered this one in audio and couldnt turn it off..definitely held my interest.

Love the books....but disappointed with this audiobook
I absolutely love Nora Roberts' books....have a very large collection of them. I purchase the print version of the books and then tend to purchase the audiobooks when they are available.

I am disappointed in these audiobooks.Not because of the content, but the man who is reading the books does not portray or 'get across' what is actually going on. He has a great speaking voice, but when it comes time to do the character voices, I can't help but laugh at the 'sissy voice'. Reminds me of a bad skit from Saturday Night Live when a male is trying to do a female voice. In these audiobooks, its just not believable.

I could only get through the first disc and then decided I'd had enough.If you can get past the voice, then that's great. After reading the books and feeling the strength of the female characters and then listening to the reader imitate a womans voice,it comes across as whiny and sissy on the audiobook, its a stretch of the imagination for me.

I am giving it 4 stars because of the content and because I love Nora Roberts' books. ... Read more

Product Description
The realist paintings of New York-based artist Stone Roberts resemble those of the Old Masters, yet his art is unmistakably contemporary. While his exquisitely detailed canvases—primarily still lifes and figural scenes—exhibit a wealth of narrative complexity and subtlety, it is his ability to inject into his work a mystery and commentary on modern society that sets him apart from other artists of his generation. This expanded hardcover edition of Abrams’ 1993 paperback has been updated to include the past seven years, during which Roberts’s output has nearly doubled, he has had a highly successful one-man gallery show, and his work has enjoyed increasing attention and acclaim.

This new edition—with 31 new colorplates—includes cultural critic Charles Michener’s original essay on the individual works and on Roberts’s peculiarly American sensibility. New commentary on the artist’s recent paintings is provided by the noted writer Verlyn Klinkenborg. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful Art
A collection of Robert's beautiful paintings, including Still lifes, Figures, portraits and flowers. Mostly in color, with studies and preparatory drawings. Biographical essay, good to read. I recommend it. There is a new updated edition of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This unique atlas is a study guide to the anatomy and actions of human skeletal muscles. It is designed for use by students of anatomy and physiology, physical therapy, chiropractic, medicine, nursing, physical education, and other health-related fields. This concise, compact reference shows the origin, insertion, action, and innervation of all human skeletal muscles. Students and instructors appreciate this atlas for the simplicity of the line art, which helps students learn the main structures without overwhelming them with detail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Atlas of Skeletal Muscles
An amazingly simple book with an abundance of fabulous information for students of Anatomy and Kinesiologists.

this book
Great shipping! it was fast and there was a stabilizer on it so it wouldnt bend.very thoughtful, would buy from them again.

Student's Review
I'm currently a student, and when my professor showed me this book I was hooked. It's great for it's simplicity. I can pay 10 bucks for a huge chart that shows me every single muscle in the body all at once. But I need more than that. I need every single muscle's origin, action, insertion and innervations. So I rushed home to order a copy of this book. Knowing that it'll be a great help with my studies!

Clarity of display
Atlas of Skeletal muscles is a basic book on anatomy which clearly illustrates each of the skeletal muscles in line drawing form.Bones to which the muscles attach are highlighted so you can clearly see point of origin and insertion.Small text section beneath or beside each illustration demonstrates Origin, Insertion, Action and connecting nerve.

It's spiral binding allows the book to lay flat when needed for ease of study.A basic, beginner book for students of anatomy, and one which I would reccomend.It was a textbook of mine in Massage Therapy school.

Most-frequently-consulted anatomy book on my shelves
I have used this book constantly since I bought it for my human anatomy dissection lab a few years ago.The clarity it provides by giving each muscle its own illustration is unparalleled.The summary pages are excellent as well.I recommend this to my fellow yoga teachers and students, and use it frequently in the classes I teach. ... Read more

Product Description
The Sign of the Seven Trilogy: The Hollow and Blood Brothers have spine creases - The Pagan Stone like new ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A Little Something Extra in Napa Valley and Nearby
We all know why people visit Napa Valley.Indeed, you can take a train tour to avoid driving while getting a little too tipsy with all the samplings of California's finest wine.But Napa Valley is a very pretty place as well, with lots of historic features that deserve some exploration.So, if you are planning a visit to Napa Valley and plan to walk a little in addition to tempting your taste buds, consider this book by veteran hiker Robert Stone.It includes numerous, mostly short, walks in and around Napa Valley and will add to your trip.

Like most hiking guides Stone has authored in California, this one includes a heavy emphasis on short day excursions and includes small wildlife preserves, city parks, and other open space areas that are often overlooked in larger guidebooks.Some of these are fun to explore, but Stone is at his best describing the many hikes found in state parks in and around Napa Valley.Boothe Napa State Park and the nearby historic Bayle Grist Mill (one of the best preserved specimens on the west coast) almost merit an entire chapter of the book, and rightly so.Jack London State Historic Park in nearby Sonoma County is much larger than the typical historic park and Stone details no less than 12 hikes at this wonderful park alone.Annadel Park, Hood Mountain Regional Park, and Robert Louis Stevenson State Park are also featured prominently in this guidebook.Indeed, the latter includes what is probably the premier hike in this part of California, the climb to the summit of Mount Saint Helena.At over 4,000 feet, this is by far the highest point in the region and the view is spectacular.I visited there in December, and was taken with the 360 degree vista.

In all this is a good book to supplement any trip to Napa Valley that lasts more than a day or two.Indeed, I will be using it again on subsequent trips.Fair warning, like most Robert Stone books, this one has nice sketch maps, but no photos besides the covers.If you want to look at the Napa Valley before or after your trip, take some good photos yourself, or find another resource on Amazon. ... Read more