Amazon.com
Is there a way to take the break you long for--the archaeological dig in Costa Rica, the film-making course in Los Angeles, the six-month hike along the coast of Newfoundland--without sacrificing your home, family, career, and savings? You bet. For every excuse you've ever harbored as to why you can't fulfill your heart's desires, the authors have a solution. This is a take-action, how-to book for any grown-up who still believes in summer vacations.
Book Description
Six Months Off is a complete guide to planning and taking the break you've been dreaming of, without losing your job or your nest egg, or alienating your family and friends.
Customer Reviews:
This book started it all.......2005-11-27
We attended a one-night seminar put on by one of the authors and immediately began plotting our get-away with the help of the book. While we were on our trip, people all along the way kept asking us the same set of questions about how we escaped. Being retired, we didn't have to get the time off, but there were a myriad of other questions that weren't really addressed elsewhere -- so we wrote the perfect companion book to "Six Months Off" -- we titled it "Live Your Road Trip Dream - Travel for a year for the cost of staying home". If you are serious about doing this -- get both of these books!
But most importantly - go live your dream - life is short, figure out a way and do it now.
guide to turning a crazy dream into a practical reality.......2005-10-11
This is a practical presentation of the logistics of planning a sabbatical from work. It's full of ideas that will make this more realistic- such as arranging for your own temp replacement, arranging a house swap with someone from another part of the country, presenting your sabbatical to your boss as a smart business investment, and getting a "memo of understanding" about the terms of your sabbatical in writing. Furthermore, this book is full of checklists which will help ensure your time off is well-prepared. Especially useful is the chapter on negotiating with your boss. One concern- though the author strongly encourages asking for pay during your sabbatical, I think it's highly unlikely you'll get it in today's marketplace.
My only major criticism is that this book isn't as broad-minded as it could be about the possibilities of what you can do with a sabbatical. For example, the authors claim you'll save money by staying at home, when in fact you can often live much more cheaply abroad. The case studies are much more inspiring, and include examples of families that successfully enrolled their children in schools abroad.
I'm kind of surprised there isn't a new edition of this book. Though the listing of resources are outdated (and predate widespread use of the web), the book's foundations are still relevant.
Prepare For Travel Fever!.......2004-08-10
Six Months Off is an extremely inspiring and informative book. Once you start reading this book, plan on having travel fever! The authors do a great job explaining why you should take a break from your boring, dull, repetitive job and expand your mind and grow as a person by taking time to traveling the world, write a novel, go to cooking school, or attend some other educational program. Not only do the authors convince you to do these things, and list great programs to look into, but they also describe HOW to do it, in realistic terms. The book is full of case study examples of people from various backgrounds and income levels (including very low income levels) who found the ways and means to accomplish a sabbatical and return back to their former lives afterwards (for those who wanted to return anyway). Don't doubt that you can this. The authors show you how step-by-step. The sample programs and opportunities listed in the book can't be overlooked either. Not only am I looking into some of them now, but I also plan to use this book in the future for other great adventure ideas. Live is very short, and this book will help you make the most it.
Gave me courage to ask for a Leave.......2001-01-22
I was impressed. My girlfriend has been trying to get me to get out of the country for an experience that wasn't available here. I was given an opportunity to go on an archaeological dig in Peru and after fighting the negatives of leaving for 3 months, I was given this book and within 24 hours of finishing it I was in my bosses office with my initial proposal to go. It was great. If you want to know how the Leave went...I will let you know in August.
This is one cool book!.......2000-10-02
If polls are to be believed, nearly 70% of people with incomes of $40,000 or more a year (that's tens of millions of people out there) fantasize about taking time off from work (besides the standard 2-week vacation). Well, my wife and I were two of those people just a few years ago, feeling tired and burned out after almost 10 years in our jobs, and just basically in need of a break big-time. Plus, some friends of ours had taken a year off to travel the world, and we thought that would be awesome, since we both loved to travel and wanted to do a lot more of it before we "settled down" or got too much older. But how? I'm not saying it was simple or for everybody, but it CAN be done, and Six Months Off helped show us how.
Actually, my wife and I ended up taking MORE than 6 months off (by 2 months, to be exact). During our time off, we were on "Leave Without Pay" from our jobs, which we negotiated with our employers, but were still covered by health insurance. Mainly, we traveled: around Central and South America, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. We also took immersion Spanish classes and lived with local families in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, took some time to travel the United States (mainly through Kentucky, Tennessee, and down the Mississippi River to New Orleans). We rented out our condo, put our stuff in storage, called the IRS to find out what we needed to do as far as taxes were concerned, and found someone (my father) to handle our finances/personal affairs while we were gone. In all of this, Six Months Off was a great help in planning, as well as in knowing what to expect in terms of expenses and a million other things, including adjusting back into the "real world" when our sabbatical was over! Budgeting (we didn't go broke) is important, of course, as is health care, insurance, and having a job when you get back (although some decide to just wing it and look for a job after -- or more accurately, IF -- they come back).
Basically, we probably could have figured most of what we needed to do on our own, but Six Months Off (and other resources, like friends) were extremely helpful in making things go more smoothly. Many people dream of taking time off to pursue a dream, but very few actually do it. Six Months Off shows you how you CAN do it, and leads you through it step by step. I strongly recommend this book, and I strongly recommend taking Six Months Off if at all possible! What an amazing experience!
Book Description
When the Catholic Church brought The Burning Time-aka, the Inquisition-to Ireland, it met a resistance such as it met nowhere else in Europe. Leading the rebellion was one remarkable noblewoman: Dame Alyce Kyteler, who refused to grant the Church power over her, her lands or her people, and refused to stop the practice of the Old Religion.
In a tale based on actual historic documents and court transcripts, The Burning Time tells the tale of how Dame Alyce is marked as a dangerous heretic by an ambitious emissary of the Pope, who stakes his future on bringing her to heel. To lose the battle with Dame Alyce, he tells his superiors, is to loose all of Ireland.
But Dame Alyce is just as determined to fight back against the invaders' injustice, its forced imposition of a new religion, and its blatant land grab. After she outwits the Church in a court trial, there is no return: Against the penalty of being burned at the stake, she risks all to protect her people, her faith and her beloved Ireland.
Armies are mustered and battle plans laid, and what ensues is a vivid account of an astonishing but little-known woman, and a gripping tale of bravery, treachery, guile and redemption.
Robin Morgan is one of the founders of contemporary American feminism, and the author of numerous germinal books about the women's movement including three classic anthologies: Sisterhood Is Powerful, Sisterhood Is Global, and Sisterhood Is Forever. Morgan is also an award-winning poet, and the author of the bestsellers Saturday's Child: A Memoir and The Demon Lover: The Roots of Terrorism.
Customer Reviews:
Not-so-Holy Inquisition.......2007-05-13
Mention the Inquisition and images of people, mostly women and Jews, being burned alive come to mind as do instruments of almost unimaginable torture. While the Spanish Inquisition has probably received the most thorough inspection over time, the Church's ultimate punishment of those who would not acquiesce to it's power and control, occurred wherever humanity questioned that very power.
In The Burning Time, author Robin Morgan brings the true story of the Inquisition's coming to Ireland, and a tribal queen's struggle against it. Originally, the "new" religion wasn't terribly troublesome for the Celts. St. Patrick himself, had eased the transition by "saining" (christianizing) many of the symbols and celebrations of the "old" religion so that the two could fit quite comfortably together in the minds of the people. The Celtic cross is one such example. In addition, Ireland was a very remote part of the Holy Empire (the Romans themselves never ventured that far) so strict adherence to the practices of Rome, were not part of the mix.
Probably one of the most problematic discrepancies between the old and new, was the role of women in society. The Celts had always respected women as equal to men and had no difficulty respecting and honoring the wisdom of either. It was not unusual for women to be clan chieftains or to lead armies into battle. And it was not unusual then in some parts of the Celtic world, for women to preside over monasteries and fulfill priestly duties since Jesus had shown similar regard for women.
Were it not for the Church's all-consuming desire to subjugate every aspect of a believer's life to it's will and to relegate women to nothing more than the vessels from which, disgustingly, a man's seed would be born, this story and others like it would never have needed to be told.
The main characters were true persons whose names can be found in records from that time. The story itself grows out of what is known of customs of the day and legends of the event. Records show that over a 600 year period ending as late as 1793 in Poland, the Church was responsible for the holocaust of between eight and nine million persons, most of whom were women.
This is a book that should be required reading for every Christian, not just to inform of the past but to warn of a future that seems to be taking shape. To forget history is to suffer repeating it. The Inquisitions were undoubtedly the Church's darkest moments and no good ever came of it. One can't help but make comparisons to the attempts of the current Conservative Protestant Church in it's ambition to take control of the Government and to relegate women to the home. The herbalists of medieval days are the scientists of today, to be met with distrust and suspicion.
The fear-mongering of today has much the same purpose as it did then, to "relieve" us of our freedom of thought and will. To know history is to shape a better future.
Beautifully written.......2006-09-10
Morgan spins a fantastic tale, one that is definitely worth a read. She puts sentences together seamlessly and pulls you into an intriguing tale. This book takes place in a harrowing and horrible time for humanity and yet Morgan also shows us examples of kindness and love as well. Interesting characters, a great plot, and vividly descriptive writing -- read it!
A Heartening look at a Shameful Time.......2006-07-04
Though immediately intrigued when I saw this book in a bookstore, I hesitated to pick it up because I thought, given the subject matter, it might be a story that went from grim to grimmer to grimmest. I couldn't have been more wrong. This poetically told tale opens a window on new aspects of a sad time in history, highlighting moments that actually make you think better of your fellow beings. It's not just that Alyce Keteler fights back hard, and wins. It's how she's portrayed - her high confidence, her generosity to the people dependent upon her, and her decidedly spiritual approach to her age-old beliefs. Here is a pagan saint, and there's something glorious in that. The author's storytelling skill shows itself in the way she ekes real drama out of the masses of material yielded up by historical research - not an easy thing to do, as life does not unfold like a plot; she has consolidated this story well, and given it a satisfying beginning, middle and end. The confrontations between Alyce Keteler and the bishop who brings the Inquisition to Ireland are wonderful - the two play a wicked and harrowing chess game with the lives of many people hanging in the balance; it's unnerving and exhilarating at the same time. And this enemy is complex - the bishop despises the way the nobility (of which Keteler is a member) stride through the world crushing everything in their path - and his criticisms struck a mark within me. It makes their duel all that more interesting. Bad things happen here, to be sure; Dame Keteler doesn't win one hundred percent - but at the end, I had a sense of a well-rounded tale that taught me something I needed to know about a great woman who's generally unknown, a heroine who rose above a dark time.
At Once Epic and Intimate . . ........2006-04-18
"The Burning Time is at once epic and intimate. . . It gives the reader the privilege of a close-up view of the rituals, stories, poems, and potions of the Wiccan community and the women and men who populate it. Morgan's extended portrayal of the celebration of Lugnasad Eve, from the high priestess's self-anointing before the gathering to the final feast, is remarkable, spirited, celebratory writing. . . . The story is the thing in The Burning Time. The unstoppable course of events that makes this sophisticated book a genuine page-turner also makes it indelible, and the puzzling out of connections between our times and the Burning Time is an activity that is sure to follow this most entertaining and edifying read."--
Nimble Spirit: The Literary Spirituality Review. For full review, click on link.
Spellbinder with eloquence.......2006-04-10
Eloquent prose with spell-binding mystery, The Burning Time gives ringing voice not only to the daring, courageous and creative Lady Alyce Kyteler of medieval Ireland but to the serfs of her coven as well. Locating witch trials in the context of the Inquisition, Morgan delivers new richness to the history of women and the history of Ireland with this well researched novel. And as if that is not enough to hold the reader, this novel is an herbal pharmacopia and healing based spirituality that becomes the story of what is at risk when greed and religious intolerance conquer not only lands but hearts.
Amazon.com
It's hard to imagine that anyone writing for High Times magazine could provide incisive and cutting commentary on contemporary culture, but pessimistic smart-ass Chris Simunek doesn't let the herb go to his head when he sits down in front of the keyboard. This book is a biography of Simunek's years with High Times and his travels to Jamaica, a spring-break bash in Mexico, the Rainbow Gathering, and the annual motorcycle rally in Sturges, South Dakota. Cavorting with criminal bikers, angel-headed Rastas, and hug-happy hippies, Simunek maintains a sly cynicism that makes his self-pitying prose a dark and deeply funny pleasure. --James DiGiovanna
Book Description
Paradise Burning is the rocky-road story of a reporter for America's most notorious marijuana magazine, High Times. From pot plantations to live sex shows, from biker rallies in Sturgis, South Dakota, to the homes of Jamaica's reggae legends, Simunek blazes a trail of smoke through today's dope underground, narrowly escaping the wrath of customs agents, speed freaks, and New Age gurus along the way. The first book in decades to give you a detailed slice of the high life, Paradise Burning is the shocking, honest, hilarious truth about today's drug culture.
Customer Reviews:
Beyond Gonzo!.......2000-09-06
If you have made it to this review, Good! These people ABOVE don't know what they are talking about (wou will notice the 0 of x readers thought this helpful) and the grumpy first lady (top review) should lighten up! Plain and simple this writer is a genius. Long before his days at HIGH TIMES or doing readings in NYC, or his first great story written for EUGENE LANG (NEW SCHOOL) you could tell Chris had talent. Even if fans caught some of these stories in HIGH TIMES they will still make you laugh out loud on repeated readings. The first night I met chris was during a long frenzied night of acid on the edge of the godforsaken California desert. (moreno valley) This is long before the kind of success any NYC student would only dream about obtaining. Take a native New Yorker and drop him in the bleak unrelenting California desert and you would expect utter panic. Still, during that night his insight and sense of humor were right on the pulse of what I wanted my genaration's best writers to express. Forget dropping names like WILLIAM or HUNTER S. or Gonzo, only his employment at a magizine, makes the feeble minded reach for such easy associations. Simunek's talent goes beyond this, this is the book readers will look back upon to over a long career and see how people's demand to pigeonhole a new writer, underestimates the sounding of a true voice for our times, once CHRIS/GENE moves out of the subculture and casts he insight gaze on new areas will people realize what a unique gem they have on their hands.
Hip but harsh.......2000-05-27
This book is written in a hip way, and its writer has had an interesting time getting stoned out of his mind.
Unfortunately he is young, cynical and arrogant, and his insights tend to be either shallow or insulting.
I think that he will one day regret having revealed how sordid and pointless a lot of the journalism is for his magazine, and how he exploited his expense accounts in a dishonest way.
Marijuana is a good plant with many uses, but this author and his magazine promote the wrong image for marijuana and its users, and they are one reason that marijuana is still illegal.
Ya gotta read this one folks..........1999-07-12
Even if you don't give a hoot about smokin' one, pick-up this book. It's not completely freaky and unsettling like a great deal of beat works of fiction from an author like Burrough's, but it still has that candid and sincere feel to it. Meet a diverse array of characters while you tag along with the cultivation editor for a magazine about the greenest thing on God's earth. Once you're done, you are going to want everyone you know to read this book!
Before Slackers there were smokers.......1998-08-21
Aint a smoker worth a dime who aint read High Times. As a cultivation editor of that esteemed publication, Simunek manifests the dreams of many a substance abuser with no real goals, no real aims, no real direction-that is, he gets paid to follow the psycho-delic brick road to where there is untold smoke at the end of the travel rainbow. Free drugs, hoping for a non-commital feel and making a hasty getaway with limbs unbroken is Simunek's Holy Grail. He gets an expense account which seems non-accountable and sometimes doesn't get the story. His editors don't seem to care too much provided he turns up with some buds (not the six pack variety) and a packet of papers. The Marx Brothers had Zeppo, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers have got Simunek.
While these kind of tales have the pot-ential to bore some people stupid, Simunek relates his adventures in a way that makes us straightos wish we'd inhaled, chuck in our jobs, sell the house and the golf clubs, pack up the family and the Bob Marley vinyl and move to California. Once there, we could live out our days worrying only about low flying choppers and nosy neighbours with an unhealthy interest in genetically confused botany.
Simunek is more than just a doper. He has an acutely sensible eye for cultural criticism and has an ascerbic wit through which he makes humorous value judgements about everyone and everything. His real talent is not so much for detail that can make these kind of yarns tedious, but for the analysis of situations from a viewpoint motivated by both a need for self preservation and lifestyle protection. I like that in an author. He is well aware that the attention span of many of us is weaker than a sparrow's ankle and moves onwards quickly to the next town, the next adventure, the next bong. His relating of a story at an LA heavy metal convention is simultaneously hilarious and sad.
I reckon Simunek has probably given one lung, one nostril and innumerable brain cells knocking out this book. Pull out the bong, light up the lava lamp and recline in the bean bag. Where there is smoke there is fire - Simunek is worth a read.
The best drug-laden gonzo tales since Fear and Loathing..........1998-03-25
Simunek's style reaches such an honesty that the bare lies shine right through his hysterical accounts of his HIGH TIMES mis-adventures that pierce the heart and soul of today's counter-culture underground. This is a book that'll be a necessary survival tool for future generations of misfits, malcontents and marijuana missionaries. Simunek's sure to leave no stoner unburned...Let the roasting begin!
Book Description
Blair recounts in detail the events that led to his downfall as a journalist for "The New York Times," as well as his personal journey to make sense of the different pieces of the puzzle.
Customer Reviews:
The lies of a liar.......2005-10-23
The "victim" approach is not acceptable when you're a discovered liar. This book is nothing more than an attempt to blame the entire Blair disaster on something or someone other than himself. His actions are because he is black, pressured, a drug user, depressed, etc. Reality should set in now, he did what he did because he is a sociopathic liar. If you want to read a book that gives you insight into nothing, this is a good choice.
WARNING! KEEP AWAY FROM THE AUDIO VERSION!!!!.......2005-10-11
Holy Moley!! Blair is the narrator of the audio version of his book. He speaks in such a passionless, monotone voice that you run the risk of falling asleep while listening to it in your car. James Earl Jones he's not.
Jive Turkey!.......2005-05-06
For the record, I HATE the New York Times!
But for this clown to play the race card,
Jayson Blair is a turd,
and a severe discredit to his race.
by that I mean, of course, the human race.
He will burn in hell forever.
Ick Ick Ick Ick Ick.......2005-03-08
To say it is poorly written would be too much of a compliment. You don't have to get even halfway through before you can figure out exactly what happened here. Some publishing house obviously offered him a large advance to write a book, and he threw together whatever he could think of off the top of his head, very little of which is probably true, threw in some "woe is me" for cohesion, and tossed it onto the editor's desk. Whether or not anyone even tried to edit this thing, I don't know, but if they did, they should be fired. This is slop, worse than those celebrities who try to "write" books. To think of all the talented people out there who receive small advances and modest printings, while this thing has done better than it ever should have can make you sick to your stomach.
Addict's "War Story".......2005-01-09
As a former chemical dependency counselor, I take this piece for what's known in AA/NA as a "war story." That is, he digresses from honest emotion into what amounts to bragging about exploits. Ultimately, drug exploits are tiresome: "I snorted a bunch of cocaine, got it on with a stranger, spent all my money, woke up with a headache, blah, blah, blah."
I also agree with the reviewer who commented that the writing is sloppy and the editing evidently minimal. I had to shut the book for a few minutes after reading about Jayson's seeing the Challenger shuttle hurtle to the earth through his ten-year-old eyes. I cringed with embarrassment as he relays the "touching moment" when his fellow mental hospital patient tells him she "liked black guys in her heyday" and would have gone for him twenty years before. One of many true self-esteem lows that add little to the story!
Average customer rating:
- An Amazing Book!
- Burning with RAGE!!!
- My Review
- So far a 14 year old reader
- Very good historical fiction
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Beyond The Burning Time (Point Signature)
Kathryn Lasky
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0590473328 |
Customer Reviews:
An Amazing Book!.......2005-12-08
Beyond the Burning Time is a wonderful book! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down! Kathryn Lasky has a talent for explaining and telling about the Salem Witch Trials. The book is about twelve year old, Mary Chase and her family. This book has amazing detail! It feels like you are in Salem Town and you can feel the paranoia of the Chase family. The trials they go through are too much for me! All in all, Beyond the Burning Time is a wonderful, well- written novel that anybody can love! So..... READ IT!!
Burning with RAGE!!!.......2004-03-18
Mary and her brother, Caleb, lost their dad to a raging fever after he caught a chill. Their mother was widowed, but still wanted to fulfill her husband's dream of growing/making things that would be shipped around the world. They finally did it, but when they get it going, Mary's mother is accused of witchcraft. There have been some girls who have been "afflicted." They are the ones who cried out that they saw the "shape of Mary's mother" doing witchcraft. Caleb thinks that he sees a pattern of the people being accused. He thinks that this whole "strangeness" is due two a rival of two groups over money. Mary is positive that her mother isn't a witch. She is determined to save her mother before it's to late. Can she save her mother in time with the help of her brother? Lasky has captured the thoughts and feelings of Mary and Caleb. It feels like you are right there with them. You want to cry for them and RAGE AT THE UNFAIRNESS OF IT ALL along side them.
I thought that this novel was very emotional. It told of the unfairness of the Salem Witch trials. It also had examples of discrimination and tolerance.
My Review.......2004-02-20
Beyond the Burning Time
By: Lasky, Kathryn
Reviewed By: R. Gandhi
Period: P.1
It starts out in the village of Salem. Mary Chase and her widowed mother, Virginia Chase, tend a farm with the help of a friend named Gilly. Gilly is soon chased away because he was caught spying on Virginia Chase. Caleb is Mary's brother and works as an apprentice nearby at a shipyard. Soon rumor spreads around that witchcraft is going on in Salem. Innocent people are wrongly accused, taken away for a dehumanization exam, given a trial, and later hung. Mary Chases' family isn't affected until Virginia was accused. Caleb is frightened and takes Mary to Boston where Mary works in a tavern. However, Boston is where Gallows Hill is located. Also, the new governor wants to continue the witch trials. Therefore, Caleb and a new character, Captain Coatsworth chart a plan and save Virginia Chase before her hanging. Virginia gets her foot amputated and later marries a Captain in Jamaica.
This book was very intoxicating! Since I am deeply interested in the supernatural world, I thought the book was great! The author was also descriptive. I could see a movie of the book in my head as I was reading. One great example is, "The girl's tongue lolled out, long as an eel. Her eyes widened. She began making the most piteous cries." Another great example is, "...dusk had settled thickly on the land. They moved quietly through the deepening shadows to the lilac bush. Inside the house they could see the glow of several candles and kerosene lamps."
This book was not very dislikable. At times it got somewhat boring. However, you could read on without falling asleep. Also, directly after the tedious part came something that was quite interesting. One example is when Gilly came to his door and saw an underskirt that was blown to his door accidentally. This short part was a bit tedious. As the story goes on he spies on Virginia to see what her legs look like because he has never seen a woman's leg. This is how he was chased away.
My favorite part was when Abigail Williams becomes afflicted. The author becomes more descriptive. Abigail Williams is described to do many unusual things. One unusual thing is listed above when her tongue lolled out like an eel's. One of the most disrespectful things I thought she did was saying her father's name. It was disrespectful because if you were afflicted and you said someone's name, it was like accusing them of being a witch. Her father is a Reverend and was saying a sermon at the time.
So far a 14 year old reader.......2003-01-28
I am only on chapter 16 of this book but so far I must say that it is very enjoyable. I just started reading it but once I read it I could not put it down. There are some dull points to the story however such as when the author goes on for a page about Gilli's eating habbits. The book is very detailed and though it doesn't have much in the line of action, it is some how still addictive with it's suspence. If you enjoy stories about long ago when many people were thought to be witches then you will most certainly enjoy this colorful tale of witch trails, lies, and suspence.
Very good historical fiction.......2002-10-17
Beyond the Burning Time was a gripping account of the Salem witch trials told through the eyes of a 12 year old girl named Mary Chase and her family. Mary is caught in the turmoil of the Salem witch trials when her mother, Virginia Chase, is cried out as a witch. Now, with the help of her brother Caleb, she must save her mother from the evil of the village. Will they succeed? A great historical fiction that shows the inner turmoil of the village and the innocent victims in a greater light. I liked this book because it showed how much the victims of the Salem witch trials suffered and also showed how far the girls of the community would go to cry out on people as witches. However, there wasn't really that must character development, and you couldn't connect with Mary Chase, the protagonist as much.
Book Description
The year is 1357. The Inquisition rages throughout medieval France, searching ruthlessly for heretics. In an epic tale of passion, mystery, and unspeakable danger, one woman faces the flames...and triumphs.
Mother Marie Françoise, born Sybille, is a midwife with a precocious gift for magic -- a gift that makes her a prime target for persecution at the hands of the Church. She flees her village and takes refuge in a Franciscan sisterhood. Before long, Sybille's unusual powers bring her under the scrutiny of the Inquisition. Michel, a pious and compassionate monk sent to hear her confession, finds himself drawn more intimately into Sybille's life and destiny than either of them could have imagined.
Like a magician herself, Jeanne Kalogridis weaves a tale of star-crossed love, of faith and heresy, of mysticism and witchcraft, against a fascinating historical backdrop -- the Black Death, the Hundred Years' War, and the catastrophic defeat of France at the hands of the English. The result is a page-turning novel about one of the most intriguing periods in history.
Customer Reviews:
Kalogridis tries too hard.......2007-08-11
As a historical fiction fan, I thought this book was right up my alley. However, Kalogridis' writing leaves much to be desired. She must have written with a thesaurus by her side because she unnecessarily replaces adjectives with the largest words she can find. The over-use of words like "ere" and "naught," combined with the overabundacne of pronouns like "Evil" and "Race" bog down the narrative.
The magic instilled by the Goddess of the story seems inconsistent and the heroes are too full of doubt. The only character that felt strong was Sybille's grandmother. The most enjoyable part of the narrative was when Sybille was young and under her grandmother's care. As the book progressed, the events became too urgent and felt scattered. There are so many historical side notes that could have been left out: the war with England, the involvement of the pope, midwifery... It would have been a much better book if it was shorter and more straightforward.
Terror in the Name of God.......2007-06-12
A graphic recreation of the 14th century Inquisition reign of terror aimed at the political/economic dominance of France by the church - a world ravaged by recurring bubonic plague epidemics and the Anglo/Norman effort to control France. An intense plot, unfortunately fostering the peculiar notion that a "race" of pagan godess worshippers with magical powers actually existed ("devil worshippers," as the christian church charged) and operated in league with the Jews (a calumny perpetuated by the church which is, in fact, utterly nonsensical, considering the exclusivity claimed bt the "chosen people." Equally incredulous is the author's notion that an unshakeable love existed between the male and female heirs to the powers of the godess`, although they had never met. Great historical recreation, rousing characters and plot, but a very silly thesis.
Intriguing read.......2006-06-02
Abbess Marie Franchise, or Sybille before entering the nunnery is many things to many people. To some she's a saint, to the Catholic church, she's a threat, and because of that, they have accused her of being a witch. To others she's a pagan goddess.
The story revolves around the Abbess's confession to a priest who during the confession realizes that he is inextricably linked to Sybille. To tell how would be to ruin the story.
There seems to be much discussion about what "type" of novel this is. In my opinion it's historical fiction with a healthy dose of either pagan or gothic thrown in. I would not call it fantasy. To me fantasy needs elves, dwarves, or some fantastical creatures like Tolkein's hobbits.
But enough background and analysis aside; it's a thoroughly entertaining book. Through the confession and flashbacks we're given Sybille's life from that as a child, her initiation into the pagan rituals that become her life, her becoming a nun, and her eventual trial and aftermath.
I would not recommend this book to someone who is a fundamentally religious person that might take offense at the idea that there just might be another alternative to Christianity. I would not recommend this book to someone who cannot suspend their belief in the "real" world. But if you like historical fiction and have an open and fanciful mind, you'll probably enjoy this book.
My star ratings:
One star - couldn't finish the book
Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author
Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.
Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.
Five stars - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.
Intense (in a good way)..........2006-05-02
At times and take "a breather" because you will find yourself blown away by the intensity of the story. Kalogridis, with this single book, makes a name for herself in the historical fiction genre. Focus on something that fascinates all of us--witches and witchtrials in history--the background is flawlessly researched. The ending is one of thos amazing bits of writing that makes you go, "how did the author think of THAT?" A joy to read, thanks to masterful use of language and images and a crisply-moving plot. You'll care about the characters, too. This is one you will read and re-read.
Definitely Odd.......2006-02-26
This novel was exceptionally odd. It was my first encounter with this author and I was hopeful about the prospect of this book. Instead of what I expected, a more traditional novel about the persecution of "witches" in the Middle Ages, this book took a turn towards the weird. Marie Francoise, an abbess accused of witchcraft relates her life story to Father Michel, a very young Catholic priest. Through the telling of her tale, Michel comes to see that he is entwined with Marie, and that he is actually a supernatural figure, not a mere priest.
It was absolutely interesting to read, but was extremely odd.
Average customer rating:
- Generally Solid Books
- The good novel that could have been great
- Gory but good
- Great "Time"
- leslie glass is good!
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Burning Time (April Woo Suspense Novels)
Leslie Glass
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Glass, Leslie | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books | Griffin, W. E. B.
General | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
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Loving Time (April Woo Suspense Novels)
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Hanging Time (April Woo Suspense Novels)
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Stealing Time (April Woo Suspense Novels)
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Judging Time (April Woo Suspense Novels)
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Tracking Time (April Woo Suspense Novels)
ASIN: 0553561723
Release Date: 1995-07-01 |
Book Description
A serial killer leaves a college coed to die in the California desert, his signature of fire seared into her flesh....
A beautiful Chinese-American detective, recently transferred from Chinatown to the Upper West Side, is assigned a routine missing-persons case...
A famous doctor returns home from a lecture to discover that his actress wife has been living a secret life....
Now, the paths of the cop, the killer, and the psychiatrist are about to converge....
A savage killer is on the loose in New York City. His calling card is a tattoo of flames; his trail of victims leads from the scorched sands of Californa to
the blistering heart of Manhattan.
Only Detective April Woo can block this vicious madman's next move. And with the help of psychiatrist Jason Frank, this NYPD policewoman will prove that the predator she's hunting is no ordinary killer--but then, April Woo is no ordinary cop.
Customer Reviews:
Generally Solid Books.......2005-06-07
I have enjoyed Leslie Glass' writing a great deal but have found that I need a break from reading her books too close together. I love reading a series in order as I like to see the character progession and development. I also like the feeling that I am getting to know the characters. In that vein though, I can get frustrated at the communication that the characters show. In most of the books I want to shout at April to just tell her mother how she feels! I know communication exists like that but I find it frustrating.
Overall the stories are engrossing and very interesting with a great focus on New York. I love books that show me a great deal about the area they are in. I would suggest these books to anyone who likes detective mysteries that are not graphic. Very solid series, just can't read them in a row.
The good novel that could have been great.......2003-12-05
Glass does a great job in getting the reader into the story, creating an interesting plot and intricate characters. Nevertheless, towards the end the action is too rushed and events unfold without a clear connection. It seems to me as if the author had to comply with a deadline and could not finish the book in the way it deserved. This series will get another chance from me, and hopefully the experience will be better next time!
Gory but good.......2002-05-13
I was made aware of Leslie Glass' novel by a Japanese friend of mine, who had read her translated books and thought that the Asianness of the book was great. We're both big mystery fans, so I quickly went out and bought whatever Glass novels I could find. Being half Asian, it is great to not only see a leading Asian character, but also see someone capture the Asian culture and essence so well. April's mother is somewhat like my mother (and definitely like many of my friend's Chinese mothers!), she always makes me laugh - especially her dialog, which is just so true to form. I would be very interested to find out how Glass learned so much about Chinese culture??
Compared to her other books (I'm afraid I haven't read then in chronological order), this one came across as a bit more gruesome and gory. However, I enjoyed it nevertheless. It's a good murder mystery, with solid characters, what else can one ask for?
Great "Time".......2001-05-16
This was my first exposure to Leslie Glass - great first impressions! I really enjoyed the book, the characters were well defined and the plot was exciting and twisted. April Woo is a great character - strong, independent and smart! Other reviewers have correctly compared this author to Thomas Harris (Hannibal series) - April is similar to Clarice, the serial killer plot is well thought out and moves at a great pace.
I have already purchased Hanging Time and can't wait to get started!
leslie glass is good!.......2000-02-20
first time i pick up a book from this author and i loved it.the storyline keeps you wanting more and more.good story but some facts about san diego are not accurate.
Average customer rating:
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Burning Women: A Global History of Widow-Sacrifice from Ancient Times to the Present
Joerg Fisch
Manufacturer: Seagull Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Suicide | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
India | Asia | History | Subjects | Books | Ancient
Cultural | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Death | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1905422032 |
Book Description
Burning Women explores how the Indian Hindu custom of sati, or widow burning, has existed in various forms in most parts of the world. The practice of widow-burning combines strong spiritual beliefs in the hereafter with the more secular power struggles of this world, both between the sexes and social groups. Widow burning in India has long been hotly debated, but its practice in other parts of the world has been neglected. Burning Women is the first history of the anthropological, religious, social and political contexts of widow-burning across the world.
Book Description
During the evening of October 4, 1980, in the Pacific Ocean nearly 330 miles from Valdez, Alaska, a fire engulfed the engine room of the Prinsendam, a Holland America cruise ship carrying 320 passengers, most of them elderly.As the fire raged out of control, the ships captain faced the most dire decision of his career: Could he give the order to abandon ship in the face of a typhoon bearing down on the Prinsendams position? The story of this disaster at sea, and of the near-miraculous rescue that ensued, is recounted in heart-stopping detail in this powerful book. Drawing on extensive interviews with passengers, crew, and coast guardsmen, combined with exhaustive research, Burning Cold brings to life the last moments of the doomed cruise ship and the heroic efforts of the Coast Guardsmen who managed to transport every passenger to safety before the Prinsendam rolled and slid bow-first to the bottom on October 11. Told in the hour-by-hour style of Walter Lords Titanic classic, A Night to Remember, the book recreates the drama of one of the most memorableand successfulrescue operations ever to be conducted at sea.
Customer Reviews:
Cruise Ship Prinsendam.......2007-08-23
A very interesting tale of disaster at sea. An enjoyable read with a few technical errors. Having been involved in this event as a member of the U. S. Coast Guard in Juneau at the time of the disaster I was very interested in the story. Overall a very good job on the part of the author.
(Nurse) Opinion From One of the Last Off The Ship.......2007-06-08
The Story Of The Prinsedam is one that was long overdue. As the only Nurse onboard the Prinsedam as it caught Fire and Sank I would have greatly enjoyed sharing my accounts of what happened on that day to Mr. Jeffers. The Story is still very intriguing, swaying here and there from the truth. Overall I enjoyed reading about an event in my life that makes a really great story.
a book about the "Prinsendam".......2007-04-17
The book was interesting. Why did it take so long to get a book on the "Prinsendam"?
The reason for four stars is that the author claims that this was "the greatest sea rescue of all time". No, it wasn't. THE GREATEST SEA RESCUE OF ALL TIME WAS IN JULY 1956 WHEN NEARLY 1,700 PEOPLE WERE SAVED FROM THE "ANDREA DORIA"
Blah.......2007-02-06
I was on the Woodrush at the time of this disaster. Nice to see a review by one of my old friends here, who felt the same way I do about this book. This truly was not only a Coast Guard response, but a Sitka response as well; everyone in that town turned out to help, be it hotelier, clothing store, or EMS (kudos to Anne and my former mother-in-law) This book just didn't seem to give much thought to the bigger picture. Purchase the book if you were not there, but my advice would be if you were involved in "The greatest maritime rescue in Coast Guard history," to simply keep your memories of this in your heart.
Fire And Water Don't Mix.......2006-11-13
This book chronicles the October 1980 voyage of the Holland America liner "Prinsendam," the rescue of her passengers and crew, and her ultimate foundering in the Gulf of Alaska. The story certainly has enough substance to be enthralling and suspenseful, but I found the book to be overly wordy; references to authors like Shakespeare pointlessly bloat the book, there are frequent, over-dramatic bits of trivia inserted, and the author reminds the reader in approximately every other sentence that rescuing elderly passengers at sea in bad weather is a difficult proposition. (I got that concept the first time.) There is also seemingly limitless speculation on what movie stars would play what roles if the story was produced as a feature film, a device that I found extremely annoying.
The book relies on press clippings and passenger recollections more than the official Dutch accident investigation, which tends to color and sensationalize some of the events. There are also some factual errors and oversights both on the maritime and on the aviation rescue side of the house, which detracted from the book. The author attempts to personalize the accident with backstories about the passengers, which in many cases backfires: in particular the former New Jersey state senator (Fairleigh Dickinson) who is lionized by the author comes across as a pompous windbag, and appears more insufferable than heroic in my estimation. Characters are great for plot development; the right characters are critical.
One major flaw in the book, which tends to relegate it to the historical litterbin is the complete lack of a bibliography or reference citation system of any sort. In a nonfiction book of this nature, that is an absolutely unpardonable sin, and one that would essentially force any serious maritime historian to take the book with a grain of salt.
Having said all this, I awarded the book three stars: despite the faults, it is the only published account of a noteworthy sea disaster, and does teach valuable lessons about maritime safety on cruise ships. The "Prinsendam" disaster taught the cruise industry a lot about shipboard safety, and the ships of today are safer because of the accident. I recommend this book only with reservations: the storyline is occasionally gripping (though generally bloated with trivialities), but the account could, and should, have been much better. If you are interested in safety at sea, this is a quick and not uninteresting read, but understand that the safety systems in cruise liners have changed substantially since 1980, and many of the lessons learned have now been broadly incorporated in shipbuilding and procedural practices.
Customer Reviews:
If only it had succeeded.......2004-10-04
Re-reading the book after many years brings up poignant reveries of what could have been if it had only succeeded. The heady optimism, the potential for a true peace, for harmony. Michael Bernet captures the human story of arab and jew, soldier and civilian during the brief days of war.
A Real Eye Opener.......2004-08-23
Most of us are too young to recall Israel's stunning Six Day War of 1967 against Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Most of those who were then old enough, seem to have forgotten the details of that earthshaking event, and have been taken in by decades of Arab lies and deceit. Michael Bernet was there and recorded the events from the points of view of both Israelis and Arabs, warriors, politicians, soldiers and civilians. It was not a war of aggression by Israel but an unexpected unnecessary war that was forced on her. It was also not a war of conquest: the Israelis were hoping to speedily give back all the territory they had captured in return for a genuine peace.
What is even more surprising, at the end of the war Arab and Jew treated each other as long-lost brothers. There was genuine hope and excitement on both sides, an expectation of peaceful, productive and synergetic coexistence. That hope was dashed twelve weeks later when the Arab states met in conference and vowed never to negotiate with Israel, never to recognize the Jewish state, never to permit peace. Now, forty years later, the Islamist warmongers have won out, as we see tragically from Iraq to Afghanistan, Spain and Bali, and New York and the Pentagon.
Bernet is a brilliant writer. His book is gripping, the personal details he recounts bring the participants to life with all their fears, their courage, their hopes and the flow of their emotions.
A must reading for anyone interested in the shape and future of today's world.
A clear insight into the way it all happened.......2004-08-23
The Six Day War of 1967 was perhaps the last war of the old era, before media technology developments facilitated bringing the gory truth into our living rooms and rendered all operations seemingly transparent. Michael Bernet, with this excellent book, sheds light on what really happened to the people involved. He does this like a good documentary director, with parallel editing and surprise twists in the 'plot' of fascinating real life stories, and with his own refreshing insights.
I am eagerly waiting for Michael Bernet's new book on the psychology of the Middle East.
Looking back.......2004-08-15
I remember the excitement and optimism as a young Israeli teenager in the summer of 1967. Venturing across the "green line" to meet with people my age in Eastern Jerusalem and Ramalla. I was filled with awe at the prospect of peace and coexistence.
Jews and Arabs got together like long-lost cousins, rejoicing in the rapid end to the war, learning to understand and accept each other, seeking channels for cooperation in education, health, commerce, democratization.
This book takes me back to those optimistic euphoric days and sheds some light on the reasons why we are now at such a dead-end...
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