Product Description
Combat workday blues with quick and rejuvenating exercises from renowned instructor Darrin Zeer, author of the best-selling book Office Yoga. ... Read more

Product Description
A peaceful desert town is taken over by a madman with terrifying powers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Book Jacket Is Totally Misleading
You can throw the jacket text out the window, because it's not even close.Or you can just toss the entire book.

Actually, I'm giving it one additional star because the setting interested me greatly...I like the desert/Native American theme quite a lot.

Saul is a talented writer, but I don't know if he's a great story-teller.This book lacks depth, as you feel little or nothing for any of the characters.The story is fairly predictable, especially in regards to who the bad guys are.There are some elements which have significance but are never fully explained (eg, midnight).There are also some grandiose leaps of logic, and the Native American aspect is a bit too understated (but that might be a personal thing).Plus he keeps calling them Indian, like they grew up in Calcutta, or something.What's up with that?

I struggle to find much good to say about the book, but one thing that I can think of is the book doesn't feel terribly dated, although it was written in 1990.Just pretend Verizon hasn't found its way out to the desert and ignore the lack of cellphones and Internet.

I have read one other Saul book, Darkness, and I enjoyed that book.

Very misleading
Sleepwalk was the first John Saul novel I read.The cover called it a 'terrifying' novel.The back cover described a maniac who hates teenagers.I thought it would be the perfect no-brainer horror novel.I was half right.This is not a horror novel. There is nothing scary, nothing graphic, nothing that makes the skin crawl. At best, it's a cheesy mystery.

The book did explore some interesting themes: the power of nature over man-made environments, the need to belong to a group and a family.But past that, the book offered very little.The prose was so-so at best.The characters were of the typical stereotypical fare:
...the troubled teen forced to grow up immediately and saves the world.
...the lonely teacher looking for a place to succeed after her futile attempt at teaching in the inner city.
...the aged Native American capable of seeing events prior to the occurence.

My opinion is the book offers nothing that can't be found in a million different novels with better plots and more intersting characters. Iwas not expecting much, but it would have been nice to get the advertized product.

Book Review
John Saul's book Sleepwalker is a fast paced thriller.

Judith Sheffield, a burned-out teacher from Los Angeles, moves back to New Mexico to stay with her Aunt Rita. After landing a job in the local school, Judith tries to befriend troubled Jed Arnold. His Native American mother committed suicide, believing she could never live in the white man's world since she married a white man. Jed also feels an outsider, since he is half white and half Native American.

Greg Moreland is the maniacal doctor who subjects the citizens of his town to a nightmarish mind controlling experiment that will eventually be nationwide. The purpose of this experiment is to reduce the contention of workers.

Dr. Moreland injects the students and townspeople with minuscule transmitters that travel through the bloodstream and imbed in the brain, allowing the radio transmissions from a certain frequency to control the citizens.

Jed and his dad, along with Judith Sheffield, talk with Jed's Native American grandpa about the strange happenings. Jed's grandpa had a vision about the dam exploding and Eagle coming back to his native area.

Soon Judith discovers the mind altering injections being given and decides to involve a scientist friend., who discovers the transmitters injected into the town people.

With the help of Jed and his grandfather, Judith destroys the main transmitter responsible for controlling the people and her students where she lives.

More than meets the eye
21-hour flights to Australia can be a tedious affair, but thanks to John Saul's sleepwalk, I managed to stay entertained.

This book contains a lot more than meets the eye. The back cover description is a little on the cheesy side, something about a person who hates teenagers, those troublemakers, they must die!
But Saul weaves together great characters and great suspense into something that gradually builds into a truly horrifying concept: The evils that can grow from mass corporate greed and the extent to which it's lords will go to turn everyone into loyal minions and servants.

Especially interesting are the chapters about Borrego oil and it's struggles with their Union. Well done Mr. Saul!

Slow-Moving Thriller
Once a quiet New Mexico town, Borrego has become a prime target for a local madman, Greg Moreland, and his associate, Paul Kendall. They intend to run a massive experiment on some of the town's troublemakers--Reba Tucker (a high school teacher), Heather Fredericks (a high school student), and Frank Arnold (a refinery worker), just to name a few. Their goal is to "realign the minds of the nation's youth" by injecting them with pseudo-flu shots that contain mind-controlling transformers. And it's up to three people (Jed Arnold, Judith Sheffield, and Peter Langston) to stop them before they infect the whole town.

Although the synopsis on the back of this book pinpoints teenagers as the main victims, there a lot of adults who also receive the shots, primarily ones who work at Borrego Oil and are seen as future problems. So, if you're expecting a teen-oriented book, this is not what you're looking for.

"Sleepwalk" kind of reminded me of Dean Koontz's "Midnight" in the sense they both took me several months to read, and their plots and book covers resemble each other--a sociopath tries to change the world by experimenting on a small town, and there's a silhouette of a bird on both covers. In my opinion, neither book is worth reading again, even though I'm fans of both Saul and Koontz. This book is excruciatingly slow for about 300 of the 449 pages. The ending does improve, but it's not worth wading through all those pages to get to it. So, unless you're already a fan, I'd skip this one. It's not one of Saul's best. ... Read more

Product Description
The Decision: Solo Practice or Employment, and What to Do About It; The Threshold to Entering Your Solo Law Practice; The Roadmap Into Your Own Solo Law Practice (Without Missing A Meal); Seven Basis Rules for Solo Practice; How to Administer Your Office and Practice; Law Practice Management; Ethics Traps and Pitfalls for Solo Lawyers; Expanding Your Solo Practice; and much more. ... Read more

Product Description
Meet Gun, a problem kid since the day he was born--fighting and causing trouble are a way of life for this young teen. But after a tearful plea from his family, he decides to turn over a new leaf and abandon his troublemaking ways. Gun transfers to a new high school, where he attempts to be a good student, and rents a room at the local coed dorm. There he falls for Seung-Ah, the dorm owner's granddaughter. However, love is a complicated journey for this couple...Myung-Jin Lee, creator of TOKYOPOP's bestseller Ragnarok, has crafted an action-filled romantic teen comedy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Out of the ordinary
What can I say about "Lights Out"?

To start the art is far from top notch.The style is similar to early 1990's manga style such as Maison Ikokku, but more cartoonish.I mean that when the main character, Gun, gets into fights the other charcters are punched out and the classic "eye pop" occurs.Think bugs bunny here.The artwork is also very rough, but improves steadily throughout the volume.This is not to say that Lee cannot draw.Larger panels of female characters are pretty and show that he can draw well.He just seems to prefer this manic, choppy style.

The manga panels themselves are cluttered and at times difficult to read.In one case, there is a blank panel behind an overlay female character that makes you wonder if Lee used prebought manga panels to write this.There are also author notes during the story (and I don't mean side panels) which makes the work look like Lee created a rough draft decided it was good enough and printed it.

The plot is so-so and at times confusing.The characters are quickly introduced and are accompanied by a seperate word box to give the reader all of the character's information.The overall plot to this volume seemed to be the intro of Gun, his ability to fight, and then showing Gun chasing a girl for the remainder of the work.It makes you wonder where the story goes on from here.

So why 3 stars?First of all this is the first work that Lee has done and he admits that he wanted to touch it up before publishing.However, it is printed "with warts and all" in Lee's words.Second, it is oddly intriguing.It is bad, but like a car wreck bad you just can't stop watching it.The jokes are forced and outright stupid which makes it funny.The lack of plot tends to let you wander in and out of the story at will, which lets the reader examine the goofy artwork.

I can't say if I will continue on with this work (it goes for 9 volumes) because I don't know.It's one of those works where you pick it up considered it over and over again because you just don't know.But if you feel an interest for some old-school manga or just want a really weird Korean (I think its Korean, but it certainly is not Japanese) work give it a try.

(This is a review for Volume 1 ONLY.For some reason Amazon is posting it for Volumes 1, 2, and 3.I don't know to fix that.) ... Read more

Product Description
Deputy District Attorney Joshua Jin is up against the wall. With his life in crisis, he is forced to take on a politically charged case involving the rape of a thirteen-year-old girl. The victim refuses to talk. The ex-con charged with the crime was arrested on a hunch. And . . . there is no physical evidence.

Under immense pressure to win a conviction, Jin must first earn the confidence of his stone-silent client, a troubled teenager who trusts no one. Working against a brilliant, high-priced defense attorney who wants nothing more than to crush the opposition--particularly when her opposition is Josh Jin--he throws his heart and soul into an impossible case that is far more explosive than he had ever imagined. . . .Amazon.com Review
Joshua Jin is one of the more interesting protagonists to come along inmystery fiction for quite a while. The Sacramento Chinese American D.A.'sprofessional life has fallen apart following the death of his daughter andthe departure of his wife. So mired in grief that he dissolves in tearswhile trying a man for murder, he's exiled to an out-of-the-way departmentwhere he's handed a politically charged Chinatown child rape case and toldto make it go away. It shouldn't be hard, because there's no physicalevidence, and the victim, a 13-year-old girl, won't name the man policeknow was responsible.Further, the perpetrator is represented by abrilliant criminal defense lawyer who happens to be the woman Jin jiltedfor his soon-to-be-ex wife.But Jin realizes that his personal salvationdepends on fighting a system that would ignore a little girl's pain.

This gripping courtroom drama ranks with the best of Scott Turow in itsbrilliant depiction of the inner reaches of the human soul; the final pagesthrow a curve that you won't see coming. Lee's voice in this secondnovel (after ChinaBoy) is confident, sure, and passionate, and his charactersmemorable and resonant. This is a novel with great heart, and Lee is awriter to watch. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Compelling personal and court drama.
This has been the most compelling crime drama I have listened to in along while. The author expertly combines the conflicts ethnic culture, personal tragedy, and work promblem into a into acourt room drama. The plot is thedifficulties of doing achild rape trial where the victim is silent. Theauthor also shows thepersonal and work difficulties the D.A. Jin has toovercome to mount a successful. The only drawback is the subject of childrape is gruesome and I personal had to stop reading at times to control myemotions. I am anxious to look forward to more novels about D.A. Jin.

Sorry, but Mr Lee can't write
The plot has some interest but Mr Lee is, to be frank, not quite literate.He simply can't write English -- and also has the annoying habit of peppering each short paragraph with one, may be two one-liners.Thesituations are also constantly unrealistic, for instance, the protagonist'sex-lover, a beautiful lawyer (yes, it's that kind of novel) who practicesboth corporate anti-trust law AND criminal defense of pederasts.Uhh,sorry, not believable.I am amazed that anyone could give this novel 4 or5 stars, considering the fact that Mr Lee needs a introductory course inwriting.

An "Abuse" Legal Thriller With Surprises Aplenty
Chinese American Writer Gus Lee explores an important area of criminal abuse in this new legal thriller. But Lee, author of four fine novels, experienced deputy district attorney, Army judge advocate, FBI trainer, andexecutive of the California state bar forgot to review his notes on how thesystem works. Lawyers and politicians will probably hate this drama.Readers will turn the last page knowing the law is not handled this way,yet will appreciate his passion for what is right, and his love forchildren and family. His window into the human soul saves this tangledstory. A little polish would have helped as Lee creates great sentences indifficult paragraphs and confusing chapters.

This book is engrossingdespite its flaws. Josh Jin's career and his personal life are slippingaway due to his emotional collapse caused by the death of a daughter.Resulting mistakes caused him to lose respect and position. Jin is forcedinto a case in which he finds himself conflicted from grief, loss ofstatus, ugly politics and morals, cultures, and outrage. A 13-year old rapevictim refuses to talk. There is no physical evidence. He has nobody'sconfidence and no professional support. The accused ex-con may not be theone. Worse, his legal adversary is a powerful ex-girlfriend he once jiltedwho knows how to pull his chain. He cries in court and colleagues think heis without hope.

Jin struggles back from the edge while pulling anotherfrom disaster. The reader learns a bit about the Chinese-American cultureand very real child sexual abuse, accurately rendered. As the storyunfolds, there are surprises aplenty.

This BOMC alternate is awkward butremains a page turner. It is a complex crime story based on what is reallyhappening, though a bit overplotted. A tale of lives in crises, untidypolitics, horrifying crime, sleazy judges, shoddy legal work, messy lives,committment and personal salvation. Lee toys with the reader right up tothe last few words. This is a book of passion dotted with cleverobservations and characters that resonate. Readers will think about thisbook for a long time despite it's rather unbelievable legal, politicalcore.Gus Lee could do better and has done so(Honor and Duty) than thissometimes confusing book, but "No Physical Evidence" remains aworthwhile read.

A truly superior legal thriller.
A complicated moral man wrestles honorably with the unpredictable complexities of evil, and the plot is great, and somehow you can't put the book down.Gus Lee reminds me of Scott Turow.The style is different,Lee's spare and vivid and Turow's discursive and courtly, but the moralcenter holds with both, and the superior writer's touch. I hope Gus Lee ishard at work on the next one, because this guy is really, really, reallygood.

A Courtroom "thriller" with no substance
As a trial attorney, I found this book almost unreadable, to my great disappointment, since I very much enjoyed Mr. Lee's HONOR AND DUTY. The author clearly lacks any knowledge or experience of how our legal systemworks or how the people within it do their jobs. At the outset, the policeall bear a grudge because of misbehavior by the D.A., and no longercooperate in prosecutions. What kind of fantasy is this? The police wantsuccessful prosections a whole lot more in the real world than anythingelse and would NEVER respond in this fashion. Nor does the politicalinfighting in the D.A.'s office make much sense. I have seen plenty ofpolitical infighting in my time, but Mr. Lee's account of it is quitefantastc and unbelievable. His knowledge and understanding of criminalinvestigations and prosecutions is pathetic. Any reader who thinks criminallaw really works like this is very mistaken. His turning criminal defenselawyers into morally compromised monsters bears no relation to real life,where such attorneys often work long hours for very little compensationsimply out of a dedication to justice, and whose personal lives are abovereproach. On the whole, a sadly failed effort. ... Read more

Product Description
From The Ashes...

It's always been Hayley McKeon's secret passion to make it as a jeweler, to take a perfect stone and create a beautiful work of art. Single again and ready for a change, Hayley decides to abandon the ashes of her old life and embrace her dream.

Comes The Spark...

Strolling along the aisles of a gem show, Hayley is drawn to a stunning display of rare black opals. She is seduced by the smoothness of the stones and by the mesmerizing swirl of color within their depths. Then she meets Mazati, the owner of the opals, and she is shaken by the intense spark of passion she feels for this mysterious man.

Of Red-Hot Desire...

The moment Hayley touches Mazati, her body quivers with need. Incredibly aroused, she allows him to run his hands over her body, rake his fingers through her hair, and possess her in a deep, penetrating kiss. Suddenly reality slides away as she imagines the ultimate surrender, bound in place, completely naked, and aching for release...a slave to sweet, sexual desire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Mostly bondage sex scenes.Plot was too vague with parts never explained.
This plot was odd and hard to understand.Mazati was a warrior in the ancient Mexican Aztec civilization before the Aztecs were destroyed by Cortez.A god gave him immortality for the purpose of spreading the truth about the Aztecs to people in the future.It is now current day.Hayley creates jewelry using gemstones.She goes to a gemstone fair to buy stones and meets Mazati.He transports the two of them back in time to an Aztec pyramid.He ties her, puts a collar on her, and tells her she is the only one who can help him, but he won't tell her why or what he needs.He only tells her she must be his sex slave, willing to be bound and submit to both pain and pleasure.They have several encounters like this where he takes her back in time, and then returns her to the present.It seemed like most of the book consisted of these bondage scenes.More often than not, he arouses her sexually but doesn't let her finish which leaves her frustrated.By the end of the book I was still confused as to why he had to use bondage to accomplish whatever goal it was he needed to do.He also claimed she must submit her soul to him, but I didn't see how that part came into the story, if it did.He showed her some scenes of people in his past.I would have liked more explanation of what they were doing and why.This book may appeal to readers interested in the bondage scenes, but I wanted more plot and character development and emotional connection.

Minor but annoying point: the cover picture does not match content.Hayley's fingernails are short due to her work.The cover picture shows long painted nails.Mazati uses ropes and leather to tie Hayley.The picture shows modern day metal chains with fur cuffs.Hayley made a line of jewelry using black opal stones with red colors inside.Night Fire is the name she gave to this jewelry line.It would have been nice to see some of this jewelry on the cover or at least one of the stones.Instead the cover showed flames coming from an actual fire.

DATA:
Story length: 267 pages.Swearing language: strong.Sexual language: strong/erotic.Quantity of sex scenes: more than half of the book.Includes rear door activity, sex toys and spanking.Setting: present day possibly U.S. and ancient Aztec locations.Copyright: 2007.Genre: erotic time travel romance.

2 1/2 stars
Save your money. I hate to write a negative review but I also hate to waste my money and my time. This book was so repetitive it was all I could do not to skim it til the end. The author had a good idea for the novel but the follow-up was poor. The main characters were poorly-written and by the end of the book I had no investment or empathy for them. I read a short e-book by this author that I liked pretty well (something with Cougar in title) but this was not very good in my opinion.

entertaining erotic romance
Hayley McKeon has always dreamed of becoming a jeweler whose work is well received.However, she put her aspirations on hold when she married.Now divorced, she wants to pursue her life's goal: to become a first rate jeweler.

At a gem show, Hayley finds most of the displays boring.That is until she spots a showcase of beautiful black opals.These gems have a perfect sensual texture and a mesmerizing pattern that has her dreaming of what she can do with them.However, she is more stunned by her instant attraction to the owner of these precious gems, Mazati; especially since she has sworn off men since her marriage ended.This Aztec warrior has her dreaming more than just about his gems.He soon takes her into a realm of sensual bondage like nothing she felt before

Using Aztec mythos to enhance a modern day erotic romance, NIGHT FIRST is a refreshing entertaining tale that will hook the audience from the first moment the heroine notices the opals.Like Hayley, readers will find the hero mystifying yet sensual as he struggles to control his desires while dominating the submissive jeweler who appreciates his stones (opal and otherwise).Mazati brings a unique NIGHT FIRE to this heated bondage tale.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description
Actress Cassandra Winter lies in intensive care, the victim of a vicious assault by an unknown assailant. Eight years earlier, she discovered the bountiful splendor of love--with the powerful and wealthy Chase Tessier. It was a love that seemed perfect, until she left him cold. Now, Cassandra needs him, and Chase is still there--to help her if he can and to love her if she will permit it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Convoluted mess . . .
This was my first Katherine Stone book and it will be my last.These are my reasons:Some readers praise her "beautiful" writing, but the attempts at lyricism are overdone and painful.Bed of Roses contains enough misunderstandings, failed communication, and implausible coincidences, and plot twists to fill five books.And finally, Stone has to spend a lot of time with her characters giving exposition in order to get through character motivation and background, and the result is a painful read.I hate talking about a writer like this, but sometimes the truth must be told.This book is atrocious, and I think she must be able to do better.Don't waste your time.

Another Great Story!!!But Doesn't Jusitify Length...
I like a lengthy story, but KS's are only lengthy because of too many repetitive lines; she writes practically the same sentences throughout most of her books. That is a little annoying. That said, I thought Chase was perfect, Cassandra was lovely, and the story line held my interest.However, I could have done without the blatant description of Cassandra's wounds, Dr. Stone.
This is a book well worth reading. KS is one of the few authors whose work captures the reader on page one.

Different but good
I liked this book.The author has a different writing style, the story goes forward and backward in time alot which became a little tiresome but overall I enjoyed the characters and the plot held my interest.The ending was a surprise which is always good in a romance/suspense type novel. I would recommend it only to someone who loves a romance novel.

Annoying
I listened to this on tape. The reader was very annoying, as was the way it was written, had to be written, his grey eyes...It was a soap opera on paper. Who knew you could, had to.. actually write things down the way the melodramatic soap stars have always spoken- in italics. The only thing that kept me going was to see how the story would resolve and now I feel like a sap for even waiting for that. Not for intelligent readers. I embarrass myself admitting I listened till the end.

Another wonderful story from Katherine Stone
I love her books, and Bed of Roses is another flower in her beautiful bouquet. I'm very happy she's out there doing what she does. Especially since I enjoy giving her books as gifts to my sisters and mother. ... Read more

Product Description
America's #1 media personality and bestselling author delivers a light-hearted, highly personal yet universally appealing look at the different ages and stages through which we live and learn. A book for every age. HC: Doubleday. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Cosby Flies
Bill Cosby is the best at looking at life's little unpleasant situations from a humorous perspective. Always lifts your spirits when your down.

Better Than Expected
I've been a fan of his for many years, and if you've somehow managed to live in a cave so long that you don't know why, you could easily find out by reading this book.I've also read one of his later books, which I also enjoyed, but this is somehow much better.Not a whole lot in it that's new -- observations about getting older -- but the style is Cosby at his best.Skip the introduction by Alvin Poussaint, however.If any writing is more painful to read, I haven't had the misfortune to find it.

Excellent Book on Passing Middle Age!!!
This is an excellent book for men and women to read who are really concerned about getting past middle age. It presents a humorous approach to accepting the reality of each birthday.I am still laughing from reading this novel.It's classic humor!I like the use of figurative language including the way the metaphors and similes come across in a comparative way.Cosby presented truth and facts about life in an acceptable manner with humor.This book tears down the closet walls and exposes the truth as a process of life.This is a great book to read!!!

I was kicked out of the library...
This book is so funny, i could not contain myself, i started laughing in the library, i was eventually kicked out!! i have never looked more silly in my life but i walked out giggling and laughing. my roommate says he heard me laughing in my sleep. A graceful book, full of truths handed out as comic situations and dialogue, a must if you need to laugh. and who doesn't these days?

Time Flies- AReview
Book Review

TIME FLIES

It was out of curiosity that I picked up Bill Cosby's "Time Flies" from a second hand bookstore in downtown San Francisco.I knew him earlier as an actor in the series "I Spy".He starred opposite Robert Culp.I tried not to miss the show.Later in life I followed avidly his hit comedy series, "Cosby Show".Knowing him, I thought it must be a book of humour reminiscent of the old P G Woodhouse.But behind all the zaniness and hilarity, there is a sombre message: that growing old is a serious business and should not be taken too lightly.Cosby deals with a topical subject on reaching 50 and growing old gracefully.It is also a subject close to our nation.

Dr Alvin Poussaint, who wrote the introduction to Cosby's "Time Flies", rightfully observes that, "Growing old begins to concern most of us to some extent when we are in our fifties.But growing old gracefully, in good mental and physical health, is unnecessarily impeded by attitudes in our culture that devalue old age." The aged people need to adopt a positive approach to ageing and accept ageing as not only a physical process but also a state of mind.After all a person is as old as he feels rather than how old his actual age is. It is Mark Twain who said: "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

Cosby does not look at ageing from the viewpoint of social demographics or the socio-economic cost to a nation.He does not suggest policies and programmes that need to be designed or implemented to cope with a "greying" population.His is an anecdotal account of coping with growing age.Activities of living that seemed so obvious and effortless become pronounced and visible at age 50. One suddenly realises that the human machine is slowing down.As Cosby laments, "It seems that only yesterday I was fifteen and old people were people of forty, who were always going some place to sit down.And now I am doing the sitting....".How often old people have difficulty in remembering.Cosby recalls how with growing despair he began to hunt for the can of insect spray.He tells himself, "There is no point, of course, in also hunting for your mind: it is permanently lost".He later finds it on his desk only after drifting back upstairs.

Cosby deals with the many day-to-day predictable encounters faced by him with sensitivity, purpose and self-deprecating wit and humour.The events seem so real and their familiarity are quite comforting as if some of them had just happened to you a week before. Any person in his fifties can identify the situations.Cosby faces failing eye- sight and quips on his need for trifocals. He becomes conscious of his weight and the battle he has to keep away from fried egg-sandwiches and buttermilk pancakes.I could not help laughing under my breath when he describes his battle with his belt and growing mid- riff."No matter what size belt is strangling you, there are times when it will disappear under a roll of dough", he observes.How true it is with some of us.

Maybe the climax of all his ins and outs of coping with growing old is his anxiety on going to bed. He says:

"A man of my age comes home late from the office, has dinner, takes a shower, ignores a few bills, and finally makes it into bed.Discovering another person in that bed, and dimly aware that this person is a different sex, he starts to make his move.
`Not tonight', says his wife.
And the man rolls over with a smile.
Thank you very much, he silently says.
His heart had not been in the mood, or any other part. All he wanted really to do was to go on record."

Cosby's treatment of his experiences is personalized to the extent that one feels that he is talking about them to a convivial group of friends in a neighbourhood coffee house. The language is simple, lucid and chatty. It makes for easy reading and one can probably finish the book at one sitting.

I would recommend the book to any causal reader who is probably seeking a quick anecdote for his transient depression.

K.V.Veloo
... Read more

Product Description
1971 ... Read more

Product Description
Offering a study of five Plato dialogues, this book takes students through a variety of creative questions and tasks, aiming to help them to develop their critical thinking and reading and writing skills. Annotation tasks in the margins invite students to underline key sentences, paraphrase main ideas, or supply original illustrative examples. A chapter gives advice on writing about Plato's works, and an appendix new to this edition provides a brief overview of epistemology, metaphysics and ethics. ... Read more

Product Description
In Star, her twenty-third novel, Danielle Steel, America's number one bestselling novelist, explores the lives of two women and one man--each compelled to follow a dream . . . a beacon . . . a vision . . . a star. "Ms. Steel's fans won't be disappointed."--New York Times Book Review. HC: Delacorte. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Star
Life seems perfect for Crystal as a happy 14 year old growing up on her fathers ranch. She's beautiful, has a perfect singing voice and a father who loves her. She meets Spencer when she's 14 and he is completly taken with her, even though he is in his 20's.

Spencer goes on with his life after they meet, even though she is always on his mind. Throughout the story, we see Crystal's life changing for the worse and its suprising how even though her life starts out so well all's not what it seems.

The main character in this book Spencer, to me seems some what weak. He has numerous chances to marry Crystal but lets Elizabeth, who later becomes his wife, minipulate his life and feelings for Crystal.

If your a Steel fan, you should read this but if you havent read any of her books before there are better out there.

The Worst Shlock DS Has Ever Written
This was without a doubt the dullest of Danielle Steel's novels, and I'm a huge fan of her books.I couldn't finish this one, it was so boring!I read about a fourth of the way through and then I just read the last chapter.I absolutely don't recommend this book to anyone.

great story, but frustrating to read!
Overall, I loved this book. Good storyline, it definitely keeps you interested (especially after the first few chapters)..but I found the book to get quite frustrating after a while. Crystal and Spencer have everything fighting against them it seems like and you begin to wonder if they'll ever be together. I also didn't care for the way she ended the book. I like what happended, but I didn't like how it was rushed into the last 10 pages of the book. It's like you finally get what you want and then you don't ever get to know the details of what happens. Also, I know what people mean when they say Crystal isn't really likable, only because she makes some pretty stupid decisions and it's kinda stupid how she turns down Spencer when she can finally HAVE him! I would recommend this book though, just be prepared to get a little anxious!

Extremely Interesting
I recently started reading Steel books because my mother in law bought me 10 at a garage sale and I've always wanted to try them. This book kept me interested , there were so many twists and turns that it made me want to keep turning the pages. I also love the books, message from nam, zoya, the gift, and kalidescope.

What a boring book.
I have to agree with the recent reviewers. Star could have been so much better. I got literally sick of how much people fawn over the main character. I'm not understanding why there's a film made out of this either. ... Read more

Product Description
Ex-federal prosecutor Michael Ryan has been estranged from his son Ned for three years when Ned is murdered, bludgeoned to death in the private room of a Soho art gallery.His daughter-in-law, wealthy socialite Jennifer Kneeland Ryan, has been indicted for the crime.Jennifer insists she's innocent and begs her father-in-law to defend her.Though Ryan wants to believe she's guilty, he can't turn her away.He takes the case.And as his ambivalence toward Jennifer intensifies, as the painful truth about his son's life begins to emerge, Ryan realizes that his own life is also on trial -- as a father, as a lawyer, and as a man.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not Hard-Boiled, but Perfectly Done
This book has everything I want in a mystery--human drama, plot twists, surprises, and a hopeful ending--and doesn't have what I don't want--excessive violence.I've enjoyed Kate Wilhelm's courtroom dramas and was glad to find another good author now that I've read them all--Mr. Friedman's plot was even a little more plausible than hers are.I'm looking forward to ejoying more of his books.

WONDERFUL
I picked this book up from the airport store on my way back from the USA, really knowing nothing about the author. When I arrived Buenos Aires I have read the first half of it, and I couldn't wait to reach home to continue my reading!!!Congratulations to Friedman! I have already purchased two more books written by him, by e-mail!

WOW
I picked up this book at the library because an old man, who had heard me talking to my mom about what I had read, told me I would like it.I was a little skeptical about an author I had never heard of, who looked like something out of the 70's.Boy, was I wrong!I got through it in 2 nights, only stopping because I fell asleep.The story starts off slow, but when he gets going, Friedman writes just as well as Grisham and Turow.And the plot is electrifying.Who would have ever thought of a murder victim's father defending the accused, angry daughter-in-law.The end was enough to make me really think.I never would have thought of the real killer.A very good book. ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Times bestseller is now in paperback.

Power, religion, and bioscience collide in the new novel from the master of the medical thriller. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (79)

I recommend you read the jacket review and go buy another book.
I would only recommend you read this book if:

* You are a die-hard Robin Cook Fan.
* You liked SHOCK, and understand that Spencer Wingate and his cohorts at the Wingate Clinic play a relatively small but central role in this book.
* You are interested in the medical aspects and the ethical debate concerning cloning and stem cell research.
* Finally: you are a speed reader who only skims most novels for the central element of the plot and are not bothered by unlikable characters and uneven writing.

The plot is as described the book jacket. Dr. Daniel Lowell, a brilliant medical researcher (previously employed by Merck) resigns the Harvard faculty to start his own biotech firm. He is joined by his younger associate, Stephanie D'Agostino, with the hope of commercializing a procedure developed by Daniel, HTSR (Homologous Transgenic Segmental Recombination). Their future is threatened when the powerful Senator Ashley Butler threatens to introduce legislation banning the procedure at a time when Daniel's firm is in need of a further cash infusion from his venture capital backers. Meanwhile, Senator Butler's staff research has led him to believe that the HTSR treatment might successfully provide a cure for his recently diagnosed but rapidly progressing Parkinson's Disease. (Since it would threaten his political career, his disease has been a closely kept secret, known only to his long time aide Carol Manning and his physician.) There are several subplots including a DNA sample extracted from a fragment of the Shroud of Turin, the use of the facilities of the Wingate clinic (which has relocated to the Bahamas), and Stephanie's family connections to the Boston Mob (in an unbelievable use of stereotyping).

As the author has explained, he wants to use his books to inform and enlighten, as well as preach whatever happens to be his message of the moment. However, in the process he forgets that his stories should also be interesting and entertaining. He claims that he needed to research the political aspects of this book in D.C., and yet the political insights are minimal. The information on the Shroud of Turin was new to me, but the segments on therapeutic cloning were much too technical and lengthy to maintain my interest. Thus a story with several potentially interesting subplots and which had the potential to involve an interesting discussion of the potential ethical dilemmas involved in biotech experimentation tried to do too much and as a result accomplished almost nothing.

In addition, without exception the characters were totally unlikable stereotypes and caricatures. Daniel was a selfish individual lacking in judgment who was only interested in fame and fortune; the Catholic clergy were primarily interested in their political goals; Senator Butler was a totally self-centered fraud, Stephanie was portrayed as the typical female companion who was too weak to resist Daniel's and the Senator's plan even though her instincts and her intuition told her it was wrong and would probably fail; finally, the distractions caused by her family had no discernible purpose except to lengthen the book. And if you plan to read this book to find out what happened to Spencer Wingate, Paul Saunders and Kurt Hermann you will be disappointed as well. Even the dialog and the writing style seem unnatural for much of the book.

I recommend you read the jacket review and go buy another book.

Overrated and badly written
It's been a while since I read a Robin Cook novel, it will be a long time before I read another one.
The use of language in this book is pathetic to say the least. He throws in numerous long words that he clearly doesn't know the meaning of, presumably to try and elevate the rest of the poor writing. He failed to do so, only managing to further confirm that he has lost any ability that he may once have had.
There are a few typos in the book as well as mixing up words, like using negligent when he means negligible: did he skimp the process and not bother with an editor?
The story itself? Sets up a number of interesting scenarios and one by one ignores them all. The characters were boring, predictable and wooden. As was the plot.
Who in their right mind would say to their girlfriend "I find you alluring"? A 13 year old might do right after he'd seen it written in a book like this one!
I was going to copy a couple of other ridiculous phrases but there are so many it wasn't worth the effort finding them again.

Buy a bucket of paint instead, decorate some walls and watch it dry. At least you get something for your money.

3 stooges
This book is extraordinarily bad.The main characters bicker endlessly, when they are not rolling their eyes at each other.It is apparent early on that Dr. Cook needs plot filler so he goes off in any feasible direction to fill his word quota.Eventually it is entertaining because it is so funny.Basically the plot proceeds due to the ineptitude of all characters, especially the main ones, and while I am supposed to be reading a "serious medical thriller" I am laughing at the antics of characters who cannot do anything right.All ends appropriately just out of the three stooges.Somehow the seriously little lecture at the end ("faction") tops things off perfectly.

Not his best work
It is completely unrealistic to use an off-shore clinic for secrecy and then tell them that the DNA being used came from the Shroud of Turin. When no one asked. How long would that secret be kept? From that point on it was obvious it would fall apart.

promising, but missed the mark
At the outset I thought this book was going to be very good.A senator looking to keep a promising medical prodecure from the public for purely political gain becomes ill and has to go to the very people who came up with said procedure for help, the very definition of irony.

But after that, the book starts to languish.I don't mind a good long book, but I think this one was perhaps TOO long.In addition to the medical procedure and the senator's plight to use it despite his political 'views' on it, there's a whole subplot involving one of the protagonist's relatives and the mafia.This is something that really didn't help in the book's main development.It was almost shoved right into the middle of everything.I do think that the subplot is going to be in a book later on down the line (if it hasn't been already, I haven't read cook's latest).

In any event, the book kind of drags for the most part.One of the good things is that it once again pulls in characters from previous books in the Cook 'universe' if you will: Wingate and Saunders and they're crazy security cheif, of the Wingate Clinic.I always enjoy seeing guest appearances from characters, both good and bad, in later works by any author.

I wouldn't say it's the worst book I've read or a complete waste of time.There were some enjoyable parts but I just found them to be interspersed with alot of dragging chapters. ... Read more

Product Description
This informative resource explores the purposes of homework and how teachers and school administrators can create more inventive and meaningful assignments. Through numerous examples of math homework assignments, Annette Raphel demonstrates how homework can reinforce skills, prepare students for classroom discussions, and inspire their mathematical creativity. ... Read more