Fahrenheit 451

Amazon.com

In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's classic, frightening vision of the future, firemen don't put out fires--they start them in order to burn books. Bradbury's vividly painted society holds up the appearance of happiness as the highest goal--a place where trivial information is good, and knowledge and ideas are bad. Fire Captain Beatty explains it this way, "Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs.... Don't give them slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy."

Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman undergoing a crisis of faith. His wife spends all day with her television "family," imploring Montag to work harder so that they can afford a fourth TV wall. Their dull, empty life sharply contrasts with that of his next-door neighbor Clarisse, a young girl thrilled by the ideas in books, and more interested in what she can see in the world around her than in the mindless chatter of the tube. When Clarisse disappears mysteriously, Montag is moved to make some changes, and starts hiding books in his home. Eventually, his wife turns him in, and he must answer the call to burn his secret cache of books. After fleeing to avoid arrest, Montag winds up joining an outlaw band of scholars who keep the contents of books in their heads, waiting for the time society will once again need the wisdom of literature.

Bradbury--the author of more than 500 short stories, novels, plays, and poems, including The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man--is the winner of many awards, including the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Readers ages 13 to 93 will be swept up in the harrowing suspense of Fahrenheit 451, and no doubt will join the hordes of Bradbury fans worldwide. --Neil Roseman

Book Description

Nowadays firemen start fires. Fireman Guy Montag loves to rush to a fire and watch books burn up. Then he met a seventeen-year old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid, and a professor who told him of a future where people could think. And Guy Montag knew what he had to do....

Download Description

This is Bradbury's best-known novel. The science fiction tale concerns censorship and anti-intellectualism, carried on in an alternate society that conducts huge book burnings as part of the social agenda. It is a spooky and yet uplifting book.

Customer Reviews:

Fahrenheit 451.......2007-10-10

Timeless work on a futuristic society completely and utterly ignorant of any reality except their corporate jingles, giant TV's, and fake families. A look into a shallow desensitized self censored society where intellectuals are targeted as criminals, books are outlawed, and those who refuse to submit are tracked down by the mechanical hound.

Fahrenheit 451 is a frightening look inside of a corporate dystopian hell where there is no `We the People' just `we the market' and the State is omnipotent. Out on the fringes of the state's control remains a remnant of society, mostly hobos, who are dedicated to preserving the words that many will never read. A classic example when people stop thinking for themselves.

Never Gets Old!.......2007-09-20

With what is going on in Venezuela and the Government takeover of education this book rings true today! In fact, the Firemen would be burning this book too! A great read!

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Watch tv, sheeple.

In the future, books are banned, and drugs and the good old electronic screen are used to keep the population docile and uninformed. Firemen don't put out fires here, they burn books when they are found, in a big macho showy way. One such bloke begins to have doubts about his occupation and society, and breaks away.

fantastic but realistic images of censorship and happiness.......2007-08-21

If you are interested at all in literature, I think this is a must-read. To me, it centers around the notion of censorship and how culture can seemingly determine the sense of happiness which can only really be derived from within. The characters and events seem futuristic in a sense but completely current. The writing style is not 'heavy', but the content certainly is. I believe this book is extremely well written and organized, and very applicable in a time when few people examine the substance underlying the superficial perceptions that are shaped by external forces.

John Welte's Review.......2007-08-19

I started reading Fahrenheit 451 for a summer reading assignment. As I kept reading I really got in to the book. Ray Bradbury did a great job describing the characters. The book is about a future world that gives you a glimpse of what our world would be like without books. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a book with some action and a great story.

Average customer rating:

A Flickering Flame
Not one of Tracy Chevalier's better books
Interesting historically, but not the most gripping story
Another Winner!
A Pale Watercolor/Far from a Poem

Burning Bright
Tracy Chevalier
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 052594978X
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

Unabridged CDs - 7 CDs, 8 hours

Tracy Chevalier captivated readers when Dutton published The Girl with a Pearl Earring in December 1999. Since then, she has written two New York Times bestsellers, Falling Angels and The Lady and the Unicorn.

Now, three years after the publication of her last book, Chevalier is at the top of her form in the breathtaking novel Burning Bright.

Customer Reviews:

A Flickering Flame.......2007-10-10

I just recently finished reading Burning Bright, the latest novel by Tracy Chevalier. This is her mostly recent novel and to be honest the only reason that I read it is because it was chosen for my next book club. I have read other books by Chevalier in the past and have have mixed reactions on them. So, I wasn't super enthused to read this book...and while it didn't suck. I wasn't in love with it either.

This novel primarily takes place in London, England in the year 1792, focusing around 3 teenagers: Jem, Maggie and Jem's sister Maisie. Jem & Maisie have recently moved from to quiet life in the country to the bustling city of London with their parents and are learning how to adjust. One thier first day in the city they meet Maggie, a street wise girl who likes to be the one who knows everything and tend to delight in the mistakes that Jem and his sister make while they are learning to adapt to city life. Thrown into this group in none other than Willima Blake. Who has got to be one of the most aloof, vaguley written characters that I have ever met in a book.

In some ways Mr Blake is always there for the teenagers idolize him and his beliefs. Yet, even when he is in the prescence of the teens he seems to be off somewhere else. He speaks in metaphors and doesn't seem to be bothered by anything. Even when there is a mob outside his door he just stands there limply and only reacts after Maisie starts to recite one of his poems.....or songs as they are refered to in the book. Even then his reaction isn't quite what the reader expects. There are times in which I think that Blake's character is more of an after thought. Someone famous that the author tosses into the mix in an attempt at trying to accomplish......something. What exactly I am not sure. The characters of Jem, Maggie and Maisie are all pretty underdeveloped as well. There seems to be no real purpose to any of them and I found it hard to care what happened to them.

I initally struggled to get through this book. Its not a hard read I just found it to be boring and lacking in plot. I was often more drawn to the various descriptions more then what was going on with the main characters. Where the major events of their lives seem to be swept aside and barely discussed while pages and pages are spent on them watching a circus procession going by. I finally had to give myself a shake and force myself to read the novel any time I had a chance because I just wanted it done.

Not one of Tracy Chevalier's better books.......2007-08-26

I've read every book by Tracy Chevalier and loved each of them. I was so happy to find out she had a new release,"Burning Bright". Sorry to say, the book is not as good as Ms. Chevalier's others. The story is dull and doesn't go anywhere. Only reason I gave this book 2 stars and not 1 is that Ms. Chevalier does an excellent job of bringing the 1792 time period to life.

Interesting historically, but not the most gripping story.......2007-08-17

An interesting and detailed picture of London in the late eighteenth century. The people and the industries of the time, along with the feeling of unrest as King George worries that his citizens will revolt like the French.

It took me a little while to get into the story, possibly because I wasn't particularly interested in the circus or the Astleys who owned it. I found it a little poor but it did improve and as the story developed I did grow to like Jem and Maggie, the main characters.

I would disagree with the synopsis that states, "Their friendship takes a dramatic turn when they become entangled in the life of their neighbour...William Blake." They hardly become entangled. He's a printer, a radical and poet who just happens to be a neighbour and features briefly from time to time to give them a little food for thought.

Pleasant, but not gripping.

Another Winner!.......2007-07-14

Tracy Chevalier is my favorite author. This book was fabulous! She drew me in on the first sentence. I true winner in my book. Thanks Tracy!

A Pale Watercolor/Far from a Poem.......2007-07-08

Not worth the time. There is little plot or story line other than the author tries to paint a word picture of rural England and London in Blake's time, but ends up with a lot of fog and Blake a dim drab shadow in the background. The author never seems to grasp the genius and passion of Blake's poetry or the depth of his involvement and horror over in the collaterial damage that tortured so many craftsmen and those rural people who tilled the land -- all caught in the maw of the English Industrial Revolution and the bloddy undertow from the French Revolution. If you are interested in Blake and the world in which he lived, it is better to spend your time and money on Jacob Bronowski's book: A Man Withjout a Mask : William Blake 1757 - 1827 -- now in used book sections.

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Official Strategy Guide (World of Warcraft)

Average customer rating:

great maps
0 stars was not available so it got 1 star
Burning Crusade Guide
WoW- Burning Crusade
a decent guide

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Official Strategy Guide (World of Warcraft)
BradyGames
Manufacturer: Brady Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Video Games | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0744008336
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Book Description

BradyGames’ World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Official Strategy Guide includes the following:

Strategy for the two new races, Draenei and Blood Elves.
Coverage of starting regions and Outland with maps for all.
Quest listing for all new regions.
Information on flying mounts and how to obtain them at level 70, the last level.
Data on slotted items such as their impact and how they should be used.
In-depth information on the new profession of Jewel Crafting.
Complete listing of new trade items from the new regions.

Platform: PC

Genre: Role-Playing Game

This product is available for sale worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

great maps.......2007-08-03

maps are very usefull another great book although it falls apart easily as usual for Brady guides

0 stars was not available so it got 1 star.......2007-07-11

This expansion ruined WoW.
Got my character to 70 bought the flying mount, then canceled my subscription.
Why? you may ask, class balance has been ruined.
I spent more time being corpse camped by random mages, then I spent playing.
To be sure, I understand that corpse camping is a part of the game, what I don't understand is how a level 70 character can be basically 1 hit by another 65 plus character.
Solution? simple, put a limit on the amount of dots a mage can stack on another character in pvp, have different limits applied to pve.
Anyway, If you enjoy WoW you may be disappointed by the BC expansion.
Side Note, IF you are a WoW junky that spends every waking hour in game, and have all the best gear, then BC may be just what the doctor ordered, for the casual gamer though, its a game stopper.

Burning Crusade Guide.......2007-06-27

Is a Complete Guide only it had some faults in the order the quests suppose to be done. And after a couple of days de border gave in and the book fell apart. Put the contents of the book made me a very competitive player and got very fast to level 20+. I bought the other two guides available for further use after I finished the Book

WoW- Burning Crusade.......2007-06-09

Excellent book that is very informative of the new area and quests of the expansion. very helpful

a decent guide.......2007-06-07

this guide is supposed to cover all of the BC expansion; the main part which is the new zone: outland.

the guide is a decent guide but it's not the guide it needs to be. all the basics are here; a section on the new mechanics, on the classes, on the new "races" , the armor and weapons, the quests, the dungeons, and the new zones. but those are the only things the guide manages to accomplish.

unfortunately the guide has some serious flaws;
most notably an ENTIRE section of outland is missing the section in question is shadowmoon valley. all the other sections are displayed with large maps but there is no map for shadowmoon valley.

also the guide only covers four of the new dugeons in outland.
I'll give them a "pass" on a few them; becuase you are required to complete certain quest lines to get into them.
however, there's still no excuse for omitting the dungeons in auchindoun(terokkar forest) and the tempest keep dungeons(netherstorm).

other then that its a functional guide, but when you compare it to the other world of warcraft guides the brady games has published, it seems to be the "black sheep" of the wow guide family.

Average customer rating:

Not happy with this purchase
Sloppy research, no mystery
Echo Burning
2 strikes, Jack Reacher, you are OUT.
Echo Burning

Echo Burning
Lee Child
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0515133310
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Amazon.com

Jack Reacher is Spenser before Robert Parker domesticated his Boston PI--in fact, Reacher's even tougher than Hawk. He can inhale and exhale a few times and pump up his muscles so they make a bad character think twice about tangling with him. And he's spent enough time on the right side of the law to know how to operate in the gray zone if that's what it takes to save the fair maiden, punish the bad guys, and right any other wrongs he happens to encounter in the course of his wanderings. Echo Burning is vintage Lee Child, a smartly paced, intricately plotted, and masterfully characterized thriller starring Reacher, the ex-military cop who's so concerned about commitment to anything--a woman, possessions, a permanent address--that he only owns the clothes on his back. But he's the kind of justice-seeking guy you'd want on your side, especially if you were an abused wife trapped in a marriage you can't get out of until, and unless, somebody bumps off your old man.

Reacher's sympathetic, but he's not crazy. Nonetheless, he allows himself to be drawn into beautiful Carmen Greer's orbit, which ought to teach a guy not to hitchhike. Agreeing to protect her from the husband who's about to be released from jail and, according to Carmen, who's about to pay her back for tipping off the authorities to the tax fraud that landed him in prison, Reacher moves into the bunkhouse of the Echo, Texas, ranch that's owned by the bigoted, bitter, but powerful Greer family, which despises Carmen because she's Mexican and tolerates her only because she's Sloop Greer's wife and the mother of his child. The expected bloodshed ensues, but it's Sloop, not Carmen, who ends up with a bullet in his head. Reacher's convinced that Carmen acted in self-defense, even after other evidence comes to light that suggests there's more--and less--to her unhappy tale than even her own lawyer believes. This is the best Jack Reacher yet, smart, stylish, and convincing. If it's your first encounter with Child's work, be sure to check out his backlist--Running Blind, Tripwire, etc. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Jack Reacher returns in Lee Child's new "rip-roaring thriller" (Denver Rocky Mountain News). This time, he's a hitchhiker picked up by a troubled beauty. And what happens between them has everybody talking.

"Smashingly suspenseful...Child builds tension to unbearable extremes." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

Download Description

"Ex-military cop Jack Reacher returns in this latest in the award-winning series critics call ""spectacular"" (The Seattle Times), ""relentless"" (Denver Post), and ""perfect"" (The New York Times Book Review). Reacher is hitching through the heat of West Texas and getting desperate for a ride. The last thing he's worried about is exactly who picks him up. She's called Carmen. She's a good-looking young woman, she has a beautiful little girl...and she has married into the wrong family. They're called the Greers. They're a bitter and miserly clan, and they've made her life a living hell. Worse, her monster of a husband is soon due out of prison. So she needs protection, and she needs it now. Lawyers can't help. Cops can't be trusted. So Reacher goes home with her to the lonely ranch where nothing is as it seems and where evil swirls around them like dust in a storm. Within days, Carmen's husband is dead-and simmering secrets send Echo, Texas, up in flames. "

Customer Reviews:

Not happy with this purchase.......2007-10-03

First I didn't realize that it was an MP3 and second,
when I played it on my portable player, it skipped so bad that
I couldn't listen to most of the disc. Would not recommend this to anyone.

Sloppy research, no mystery.......2007-09-11

I have to say S. Temerlin practically wrote my review for me (see his of 11/12/2006). Child's knowledge of firearms is not even second-hand. Also, the tactics (it pains me to apply the term) Reacher used to defeat the bad guys were sloppy, self-defeating, and would have gotten him and Alice killed except that the "professional" killers were even more stupid than Reacher. His wrap up of the major bad guy was from an old Perry Mason TV show. This was my second, and last, Child book.

Echo Burning.......2007-07-22

This a typical Jack Reacher adventure!! A lot of twists and turns! Can't wait for the next book comes out.

2 strikes, Jack Reacher, you are OUT........2007-07-18

Lee Child's Echo Burning is, as with his other "works", highly overrated. I was convinced to give the author a try and, while better than The Killing Floor, Childs continues to be all about plot with little to no character development. Fans and apologists of his will argue that his protagonist, Jack Reacher, requires little development as he is hardly "evolved". No argument here on that but no other characters warrant any serious empathy from the reader. I would add that some might simply like Reacher as the central character and are willing to accept preposterous assumptions upon which the plot is predicated. I likely do that with other mystery writers where I find the characters either fun or interesting (Myron Bolitar by Harlan Coben for one). But Reacher doesn't warrant my time as a reader. He might make it as a B movie where one can watch it for fun. Even though the book had a rapid pace, I found myself wanting to finish it, pan it both in this review and to my friend who convinced me to try again and move on to something better. Jack Reacher, two strikes, you are out.

Echo Burning.......2007-06-13

The setting of the story is West Texas and I could relate to it really well, having lived near the area. I love Jack Reacher's way of setting people straight. He's a man who knows what he's about and not afraid to stand up to anyone.

This is the second Jack Reacher novel I've read and I ate it up like it was candy. I can't get enough of this guy and will continue buying Lee Child's novels.

The Metabolism Advantage: An 8-Week Program to Rev Up Your Body's Fat-Burning Machine---At Any Age

Average customer rating:

Great content, but....
Awesome book
Nothing new, and that hasn't been done better before
If you have no clue where to begin, this is a good place to start; otherwise, steer clear
Basic and effective

The Metabolism Advantage: An 8-Week Program to Rev Up Your Body's Fat-Burning Machine---At Any Age
John Berardi
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1594863237
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

Revving up the body so that it optimizes nutrition andturns flab into lean body mass can be accomplished easily and quicklyand at any age, even after the bodys metabolism has supposedly slowed down. Thats what sought-after fitness trainer and nutrition expert John Berardi demonstrates in this new book. Drawing on the best scientific research, including his own ongoing studies, Berardi has developed a supremely effective plan that enables his clientswho include athletes, models, and ordinary men and women of different fitness levelsto stoke their metabolic fires, burn more calories, build lean muscle, and improve their health, too!

Customer Reviews:

Great content, but...........2007-07-05

Although the way that Dr. Berardi explains his program takes almost anyone by the hand to achieve excellent benefits, at the time he suggests recipes for any meals, he just considers American culture, leaving out any other out.
Even when at his web page, there are members from all over the world using his program, that by the way, really works.

Awesome book.......2007-05-14

This book is extremely informative and has some great recipes. It is a little hard to follow the diet exactly because it is a little more strict than say "The Abs Diet" , but definitely filled with great info that I needed to know.

Nothing new, and that hasn't been done better before.......2007-05-14

Clunky style, ego-ridden reading. You get much of the same done better in the Absdiet series (same publisher, I believe). Over-priced, over-hyped, and just a PITA to read. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad place to start. But so many have done it as well, and certainly better, it's hard to give this more than an average rating.

If you have no clue where to begin, this is a good place to start; otherwise, steer clear.......2007-05-13

Right up front, please do not take my mediocre rating of this book as a similar pan of John Berardi himself. Based on what I know of him from his articles on "testosterone.net" and elsewhere, I am sure that he knows and understands a hell of a lot more than he can pack into a book aimed at the diet-and-weight-loss demographic. This book is obviously his attempt to branch out from the hardcore muscle and fitness crowd and reach a broader audience.

Pros: The book has a lot of good basic info on the roles of nutrition, diet and exercise in achieving personal fat loss and figure shaping goals. If I had a friend who had no clue where to begin, this is one book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. And Berardi's writing style is encouraging and entertaining - he knows how to write for his audience without being dull, pedantic or overly self-important (always a plus).

Also a "pro" is the book's emphasis on interval training for cardio health and fat loss. Berardi makes a very good case for this relatively new protocol which may help many people stuck on treadmills for the last 20 years understand why they are still pudgy, and what to do about it. I couldn't write a better, more convincing and usuable cardio/aerobic routine if I'd had a month to write it.

Cons: The book's format and content has Rodale Press all over it. Rodale Press publishes "Men's Health" and "Prevention", 2 magazines that have been recycling a set of 30 articles each - supplemented with various "factoids","breaking news", and "helpful hints" boxouts - over and over for the last 25 years. And with the exception for the advice on interval training, "The Metabolism Advantage" is really just a repackaging of the diet and exercise advice from a prior book, "The Abs Diet", as well as every "Men's Health" diet and exercise article from the past 5 years. If you've read that book, you don't need this one. In fact, if you've read ANY other recent exercise and diet book (including the ones by Oprah's trainer Bob Greene), you don't need this one. I suspect that Berardi, left to his own devices and not forced to shoehorn his book into the Rodale Press "house style" could have written a much more helpful and innovative book than what we have here. But Rodale Press isn't about innovation - it's about the same mainstream fitness and health thinking that have dominated self=help and fitness magazines since the dawn of Pritikin and Ornish.

This last caveat especially applies to the actual weight training routines in the back of the book: they are a total rehash of the same articles that "Men's Health" (and "Men's Fitness" and "Exercise for Men Only" and all the other non hardcore fitness mags) have been churning out for at least 25 years. While the emphasis on free weights over machines is good, these routines are boring, linear, one-dimensional and self-limiting; any average trainee will plateau (or burn out) on these exercise and routines very quickly and will need to look else where for more sophisticated advice. Some of the exercises are worthless, but they are included because they are always included in material like this. Some (like the Overhead Squat) are difficult-to-impossible for the average beginning trainee to perform safely and properly without proper personal coaching, yet they are presented here as if they are no more complicated or productive as the worthless ones. As I said about, Berardi obviously knows a lot more about resistance training than he tries (or is allowed) to include here, and so the book in that sense is something of a disservice to the reader.

Still there is more good than bad about the book; I plan to purchase it when it comes out in trade paperbook to share with my friends who have been stuck on the treadmill for the past 20 years.

Basic and effective.......2007-03-31

A basic and effective diet and exercise program that will help you manage your calorie intake and burn-off.

The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Great Book
ranger's apprentice the burning bridge
Still Great
A terrific continuation of the series!
A great series! Discovering greatness and picking up momentum...

The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 2)
John Flanagan
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0399244557

Book Description

Bracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Rangers rally the kingdom's allies, and Will is chosen, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn - the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle. He has found a way to bring his legions over the once impassible eastern mountains and is planning to ambush the king's army in a rout. Now with help many miles away, Will and Horace are the only ones standing in the way of the dark lord's plans.They have shown great skill and courage in their training, but how will they fare in the face of true evil?

With bigger battles and higher stakes, John Flanagan's epic adventure charges ahead with this rousing follow-up to The Ruins of Gorlan.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-09

I think this book was a very good book with many advetures, turnes and twistes. This book is the kind of book for someone who loves adventure. The first book is alot better than this one but that is only my opinion. This book is about Will a orphan who has been apprenticed to a ranger Halt. King Duncan is fighting with the rangers and nights are fighting lord Morgrath and his Wargals. I am not giving away the ending but i would appreciate if u went to my site www.simmer27.wordpress.com .

ranger's apprentice the burning bridge.......2007-10-08

This book is a fascinating book for advanced readers. This book is a book packed with action and fantasy.I encourage people to read this book with enthusiasm.

Still Great.......2007-07-04

I would really give this book 4.5 stars. Burning Bridge has the same great characters and action as the first book. However, the story is a little scattered. Rather then having one over arching story line for the book, there was the main story, an unrelated not really needed but fun substory, and the set up for the next book. All these parts were good by themselves, the book just didn't seem that unified. Once again the writing is great. The characters are interesting and learn from their mistakes. The series is clearly still going strong. A very enjoyable book.

A terrific continuation of the series!.......2007-07-01

My son and I loved this book for the same reason we loved The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1). The varied and well-drawn characters, the humor and the excitement gave us happy hours together. What a wonderful way to connect with my son!

A great series! Discovering greatness and picking up momentum..........2007-07-01

I picked up Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan with my Giftcard at Books-A-Million about a year ago, tucking the book home and quickly read it. It became one of my favorite series (right up there with Symphony of Ages by Elizabeth Haydon and The Obsidian trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory). I adored the book and placed it in with all my other treasures.
Recently I got The Thief Queen's Daughter (The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme) by Elizabeth Haydon in hardcover and read it under five hours. The book was fantastic, and I loved it! It being just as good as The Floating Island, the first novel of T.L.Js.O.V.P. I than recieved Ranger's Apprentice: The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan a few days later.
I read the book under four hours. I loved it! The ending somewhat caught me off gaurd when Morgaroth dropped dead so easily, I was shocked. It astounded me that John Flanagan killed him off so easily, and it made me love the series more because this was something diffrent from all the other epic fantasy novels I've read in the past. Evil kept on fighting tooth and nail, not in this series, at least! And I actually started crying in the end when Halt waved and cried out for Will that he would come and find him after Will was taken aboard the Skanadian vessel! I can't wait for The Icebound Lake to come out in paperback!
As well as the future novels:
Ranger's Apprentice: The Oak Leaf Bearer, book 4.
Ranger's Apprentice: The Sorcerer in the North, book 5.
Ranger's Apprentice: The Siege of Macindow, book 6.
Also, John Flanagan mentioned that he might write a book about Halt the Ranger, his past and training. Looking forward to see that book in the future, Flanagan!

The Fat Burning Diet: Accessing Unlimited Energy for a Lifetime

Average customer rating:

Warning--Will Encourage Lifestyle Change
Get A Perfect Six Pack!
Excellent eating plan
Good luck sticking with this!
Deserves six stars.

The Fat Burning Diet: Accessing Unlimited Energy for a Lifetime
Jay Robb
Manufacturer: Loving Health Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0962060836

Book Description

THE FAT BURNING DIET
By Jay Robb
256 pages (softbound)

A HEALTHY APPROACH TO LOW-CARB DIETING!
Low-carb mania is sweeping the nation as Americans become carb-conscious in their quest to lose weight. While low-carb dieting can be effective in the short run, cutting carbs long term can carry many potential drawbacks, health risks, and challenges. An extreme low-carb diet can be monotonous, boring, too high in saturated fat, too low in fresh fruits and vegetables, too low in fiber, too high in meat, and fattening because it is high in calories.

CUT CARBS, LOSE WEIGHT, AND GAIN HEALTH!
Jay Robb has discovered the secret to healthy low-carb eating, which he outlines in his newly revised book, The Fat Burning Diet. The technique he created is called "carb-cycling," where the dieter eats low-carb meals one day and high-carb meals the next day. Then the cycle is repeated. It's that simple.

EAT CARBS WITHOUT GETTING FAT!
As a clinical nutritionist, Jay teaches glycogen management, which allows the dieter to sidestep the fat-storing cycle. Glycogen is carbohydrate that is stored in the muscle and liver. When a person cuts carbs, glycogen is depleted as the body begins burning fat as its primary source of fuel, while converting stored glycogen to glucose for secondary energy needs. The average person can store approximately 350-400 grams of carbohydrate as glycogen. The human body will convert excess carbs to glycogen first, instead of turning those carbs into fat. So the secret to permanent weight loss is to keep glycogen levels in check. Once a person lowers glycogen levels, then he or she can eat carbs safely until glycogen levels are full. Then the dieter must return to low-carb eating or run the risk of getting fat. This is why carb-cycling on The Fat Burning Diet allows a person to safely eat healthy high-carb foods every other day.

In the pages of The Fat Burning Diet, you will discover:

1. -how to safely eat carbs every other day without getting fat. Now you can eat the carbs you love without feeling guilty!
2. -how to lose all the weight you want, without even trying! Once and for all, you will stop worrying about your weight and start enjoying your new energized life!
3. -how to turn a slow metabolism into a fat-burning furnace! You will be energized, and your metabolism will be running on high, which can melt away fat like butter in a microwave!
4. -how protein can keep your mind focused and your memory sharp! You may be able to score higher on tests, keep your thoughts focused, accomplish more, and remember everything that is important in your life!
5. -which supplements can help you gain energy and lose fat! You can stop wasting your money on useless supplements and focus on the ones your body truly needs!
6. -an instant breakfast that requires only minutes to prepare but will supercharge your body. Now you can easily have a great fat-burning breakfast every morning without ever being late to work or school and slaving over the stove!
7. -how to eliminate carbohydrate addiction and chronic hunger and feel truly satisfied after a meal. You may no longer be a slave to food or have the desire to binge!
8. -which carbohydrates are safe and which ones can put you to sleep. You will no longer be tired and sleepy after a meal or snack so that you can be an energy dynamo from sunup to sundown.
9. -how you can eat all that you want and anything you want once a week without blowing the diet! In fact, I encourage this once-a-week "ANYTHING GOES" meal so that you will never be deprived of any foods you truly love!
10. -why diets that are TOO LOW in carbohydrate can limit your energy supply and stop you from losing weight. You can end your frustration with those typical low-carbohydrate diets that can crowd out all the good carbs! No more severe carb restriction. In fact, I encourage you to eat plenty of the right carbohydrates at the right times!

Twelve years of research was required to develop this uniquely satisfying and effective diet plan than can dramatically change the way you look and feel. If you are serious about your life, your looks, and your health, The Fat Burning Diet is a must-read for you. This 256-page softbound classic is complete with easy-to-understand information, exciting menus, delicious recipes, inspiring quotes, and humorous antidotes on the world of weight loss. This is a book you will enjoy, appreciate, and utilize for a lifetime.

Customer Reviews:

Warning--Will Encourage Lifestyle Change.......2007-08-29

Besides losing FAT (not weight) for the first time in a year of constant dieting, this book has more importantly encouraged me to live a healhty lifestyle. Jay Robb teaches you how to eliminate bloating, gas, constipation and, yes, fat. He makes eating fun again while teaching you how to increase your immunity and energy. I have also tried his Fruit Flush twice already and highly recommend you consider purchasing it along with The Fat Burning Diet. I now enjoy eating and no longer worry when I jump off the path a little. This is a great reference book for optimal health and lifestyle change.

Get A Perfect Six Pack!.......2007-08-13

If you want to build a perfectly toned physique or are just interested in healthy eating, this book is for you. I have been following the "diet" for a little over a month now and the results are truly amazing. I will break this review into different segments to allow for easy reading.

WHAT IS THIS DIET?

The term "diet" is really a misnomer here. People conjure up all sorts of negative images when they think of dieting. Most people immediately assume they are going to have to count calories and make all sorts of rigorous calculations. Other people think of a diet consisting of various "phases" or "point systems".

Thankfully, this diet is like nothing you have experienced before. The core concept behind this diet is carbohydrate cycling. Some days will be "Low-Carb Days", in which you limit your consumption of carbohydrates while focusing on proteins and fats. Other days are "High-Carb Days" in which you will focus on foods rich in carbs, such as bread, fruit, and pasta. A lot of people know that the overconsumption of carbs can lead to weight gain, yet few people know that carbs are actually very important and must be consumed at the right times. The timing and amount of carbs to consume is the focus of this book.

WHY DOES IT WORK?

It constantly keeps your glycogen levels in check, which in turn forces your body to burn fat rather than carbs. Glycogen is just a fancy term for stored carbs, and once the stores are full, all excess carbs turn to fat. Also, once carbs are in your system, your body will tend to use those carbs as energy first because it is an immediate energy source. However, if your glycogen is depleted or very low, the carbs you are consuming will be solely used to fill those glycogen stores back up instead of using those carbs as energy. Thus, you can still burn fat even though you are consuming lots of carbs on your "high-carb days". It should be mentioned that these are the same techniques that professional bodybuilders use to become absolutely shredded and drop their body-fat into the low single digits!

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS DIET?

Increased energy, rapid fat loss, improved digestion, and a fast metabolism just to name a few. When your body starts to use fat as energy, amazing changes happen in your body which I will describe below.

MY PREFERRED FOODS:

It should be noted that while Jay Robb does recommend eating organic foods, I have noticed that I can essentially consume any foods I want and as long as it follows the carbohydrate guidelines, I burn fat. Thus, while these foods are not necessarily recommended in the book, you can actually eat them and still lose weight without even having to exercise.

Low-Carb Days: Tyson Buffalo Style Hot Wings with Ranch Dressing, Grilled Chicken Salad with Ranch, Steak, Protein Shakes, Veggies, Danon Light and Fit Yogurt (Limited intake due to some carbs), and Frozen Pizza (I cook the pizza whole then use a fork to scrape off all the toppings, leaving behind the crust for a low-carb treat). Virtually any meat is fair game on a low-carb day. Don't worry about fat intake, either.

High-Carb Days: Any kind of fruit, Toast with Butter spray (0 Carbs, 0 Calories), potatoes with Butter Spray, Old-Fashioned Oatmeal with blue-berries or bananas, Fat-Free popcorn, and Danon Light and Fit Smoothies, and Muscle Milk. The important thing to remember is to focus mainly on carbs - protein and fat shouldn't really be consumed. Particularly avoid fat intake because High Carbs + High Fat is a surefire formula for packing on pounds of fat.

WHY I LIKE THIS DIET:

It is very simple to follow and I still get to eat a lot of great foods that I would eat normally anyways. The only thing that has changed is the timing, really. It doesn't even feel like I am on a diet at all!

Also, it is very easy to eat out at restaurants using this system. There is almost always something appetizing on the menu that will still enable you to stick to your plan.

MY PERSONAL RESULTS:

TIME - I have been following the diet for a little over a month.

FAT-LOSS - I started around 17% and am currently around 13%. The results came very quick at first, and now have somewhat leveled off. Each day, however, I get leaner and leaner. My favorite part of the day is the morning - I rush to the bathroom and look into the mirror and flex my stomach. My abs are starting to show, for once! If my results continue, which they will, I will have a perfect six pack in the next two months.

ENERGY - Very stable throughout the day. I never yawn anymore.

STRENGTH - I am lifting the same, if not more, than when I first started this diet, despite losing weight.

ATTITUDE - Mood improved at first and I felt great about life, probably because I was finally seeing results so quickly which has always been my fantasy. Lately, I have been going through some rough events in my life and stress at work as I prepare to move back to my college apartment, so I have been a little less peachy than usual. I really don't think this has anything to do with the diet, however.

INTERESTING FACTS I LEARNED:

EXERCISE IS A POOR WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT - Most people have this notion that if they work like a horse in the gym or on the treadmill, they can eat whatever they want because all that hard exercise counter-balances their poor diet. WRONG WRONG WRONG! The calories you burn through exercise are very small and will NOT have much of an effect on your fat loss. Diet is really the only way to lose that weight. In fact, I strongly believe that diet is 90 - 95% of the equation in fat-loss. Don't get me wrong, exercise has its place and I do recommend it. But if you believe you can just eat what you want and burn it all off in the gym, you are in for a surprise. No amount of exercise can correct a poor diet. But if your diet is right, you can melt away pounds of fat without lifting a finger!

BODY TEMPERATURE - Your Body temperature is actually a good way to check your metabolism. If it isn't around 98.6 degrees, you may need to stoke the furnace!

FAT IS THE PREFERRED SOURCE OF ENERGY - Your body likes to burn fat over carbs. Carbs are only good for quick movements, such as sprinting or lifting weights. Fat is a much more dependable energy source for long events that require continuous effort, like a marathon.

GLYCOGEN STORES ARE RATHER LARGE - Glycogen stores can hold around 400 grams of carbohydrates for the average active individual! "That is the equivalent of approximately 16 bowls of oatmeal, 50 rice cakes, 40 pancakes, 36 slices of wheat bread, 40 cups of steamed green beans, 10 cups of cooked corn, 50 cups of steamed zucchini, or 19 medium-sized apples." On this diet, your glycogen stores are never full so you never risk gaining fat if you stick with the program. QUOTE TAKEN FROM JAY ROBB, PAGE 32.

CARBS SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM - Going without carbs forever would be stupid. This is exactly what I tried to do once with a diet known as, "The Anabolic Diet". I just stuck to eating high fat and high protein and went for as long as I could without eating carbs - sometimes a week or more. I lost a lot of fat at first, then my results came to a screeching halt. Why? My metabolism had shut down! It had caught on to my trick and wouldn't let me win that game. When you have been going without carbs for a day or two, your glycogen is low. That next "high-carb day" is critical to your success because it boosts your metabolism and keeps your body on edge!

FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY - Eating a lot of fat actually liberates body-fat. Most people think fat is the reason America is so obese, but it is not. HIGH FAT + HIGH CARBS = Disaster. But fat by itself or with protein is actually fat-burning.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT - Eating healthy foods will make your body work with you and not against you. My thoughts are clearer and I am just physically living a better life at this point. I am excited about my diet and the results just keep coming. I have never been happier with respect to my body, and that confidence is going to show in other parts of my life, too.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT:

Exercise - On Low-Carb Days, stick to cardiovascular exercise for even more fat burning. My favorites are jogging and swimming. My reasoning is that during Low-Carb Days your glycogen will be low and your body will be burning fat primarily. Cardio will deplete your carbs even further and may help you burn even more fat. On High-Carb days, lift weights. When you lift weights, all those carbs will rush to your muscles and give you an incredible pump. I am still toying with when to do my cardio and weights, but as of now I think this would be the best system.

Meal Frequency - A lot of people recommend eating 6 small meals a day, while Jay Robb recommends eating 3 solid meals a day. My take is that either way will produce results as long as you stick to the carb guidelines and follow the system. Personally, I eat whenever I am hungry throughout the day because I hate having to time my meals. That requires way too much planning for me, especially if I mess up and get hungry before I am due to eat again.

The Free-Meal - Once a week, Jay Robb encourages you to totally splurge and during one of your meals, eat whatever you want. So you may have a typical high-carb breakfast and lunch, but when dinner rolls around anything is fair game, including cookies, pasta, chips, ice cream, etc. He maintains that the meal must be limited to 60 minutes. I think this is a great idea but you may even be able to take it a step further. For me, I am following the "Maxi-Burn" variation of the diet, and although I generally stick to the once-a-week cheat meal, sometimes I go one step further and engage in a total free-day! And you know what? I AM EVEN LEANER THE NEXT DAY! However, I don't recommend doing this often. Perhaps once a month would suffice.

END-NOTES:

Overall, this diet is the best diet I have ever tried and actually been able to stick to. I have tried many other approaches, and there was always something that irked me with their systems. With the Anabolic Diet, I was deprived of carbs for way too long and my energy crashed after awhile. Also, my fat-loss crashed, too. With Body-For-Life, the results were good but there was just way too much planning and too many rules. I became so tangled up in shopping all the time and making sure my meals were proportioned correctly. Quite frankly, it become a hassle that was beyond discouraging and I just couldn't stick with it. The Abs-Diet didn't give me any results because it was too high in carbs. This is the only one that has given me both the results and freedom I need to keep me on track.

I also really like the fact that there are all sorts of variations of the diet in this book. The standard approach is basically one low-carb day followed by one high-carb day - then repeat the cycle, alternating low-carb days with high-carb days. The variations give you even more options. Let's say you really want to burn fat like crazy - no problem, just follow the "maxi-burn" variation. Now, you have two low-carb days followed by one very high-carb day! Endurance runners wanting to expand their glycogen stores have their own special variation, if they wish. Going to a wedding or some other event in which you will be eating lots of calories and carbs? That's okay - Jay Robb has the "Banquet Buster" variation to help you plan ahead. There are 12 variations total inside the book.

The book is chocked full of tips for improving digestion and also includes numerous useful charts to help you understand more clearly how your body works and the effects this "diet" will have on it.

It should also be noted that I no longer have "cravings" for sweets. I used to salivate when someone mentioned potato chips or ice cream, but now I simply shrug and opt for fruit. I no longer feel a physical need or want to eat any refined carbohydrates. Most people are addicted to carbs, but I believe this unique system of carb cycling has ridden me of my cravings for good!

Why settle for anything else? These are the techniques the pro's use to become "walking anatomy charts", in the words of Tom Venuto. The results are truly astounding and I have only been following it for a little over a month. In about two more months, I will have a perfect six pack of abs! I plan to return to this review to keep you all posted, as well as have my body-fat percentage measured so I can track my progress. If you have failed with dieting in the past, please, I urge you to give this one a try. This is not only the best book about nutrition I have ever had the pleasure to read, but it is the most important book I have ever read in my life! It really changed my life and I hope it will change yours, too! Good luck to all of you!

ONE FINAL NOTE: Yes, it is true that Jay Robb preaches about God and other religious ideals throughout this book. I am an atheist, and I survived it! While I found it a little awkward for a book about nutrition, it really WAS NOT A PROBLEM! If you are religious, you probably won't mind. If you aren't, just roll your eyes and skip over it. It isn't worth letting that ruin the book for you and it really isn't that frequent. Most of this book is pure gold!

Excellent eating plan.......2007-06-14

I recently got this book and have been following the plan for a week and can already seen some results. The best thing about this eating plan is that Jay will give you 3/5 different meal plans to chose from within the category of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most of the foods are easily found in your pantry or frig and you can also eat out and actually stay with the plan. I'm not a soy/tofu eater so it's great to actually see a diet plan that is not loaded with soy (couldn't find any soy/tofu mentioned in the menus). I have been carrying this book in my purse so I can refer to it when I'm away from home-great variety.

Good luck sticking with this!.......2007-06-09

[....]

This book details a version of a carbohydrate cycling diet. These types of diets have been proven effective, but like any other reasonable diet plan, caloric moderation plays an important role. If you have lots of time and money on your hands, I have no doubt that this diet will work. This diet, contrary to what other reviewers have stated, is not easy to follow. The following are the things I really dislike about Jay Robbs diet plan:

-You can only eat three meals a day. This is contrary to conventional wisdom that shows smaller and more frequent meals help to boost your metabolism and keep your blood sugar in check.
-You have to constantly measure your temperature and the acidity of your urine. Most people will find it difficult to do this on a daily basis.
-You are limited to only all-natural/organic foods. While I think this is great, the cost of stocking your kitchen with these items, and other items like "sweet dairy whey" that Jay Robb hawks on his website, can be prohibitive.
-You will be preached to. As a previous reviewer stated, the author includes religious proselytizing. I found this aspect to be annoying, as well as, out of place in a nutritional book.

To summarize, I think the basic principles behind this book are beneficial. I have lost 90 pounds and gotten my body fat percentage down to about 10% using a variation of this diet. I just believe that the author proposes a somewhat impractical means of carbohydrate cycling and most people will find it difficult to stick with in the long run. Do your research on the internet. There are lots of "free" resources out there that provide better information.

Deserves six stars........2007-06-06

This is it folks. The magic bullet. Or at least what most of us have been looking for. Seriously, after more than 15 years of bodybuilding and strength training I had it with supplements, fad diet plans and programms that did not deliver results. 15 pounds pf flab around the waistline that refuse to disappear no matter what - does that sound familiar ? Thought so. This diet finally gives you the energy and metabolism with the power to blowtorch stubborn fat or any fat on your body that you want to get rid of. But don't assume that this is just another bodybuilder and fitness diet. Far from it. This program teaches you the real nuts and bolts of healthy nutrition and an energetic lifestyle. If you are like me then you have probably tried to lose belly fat by gulping down water based protein shakes and ricecakes in the morning. Yummy, Wallpaper paste and polysterene at 7.30 AM. That diet will fail on day one with meal number one. Jay Robb's fat burning diet simply has you eat healthy foods, with alternating high carb and low carb days, and a few twists based on what you want and need for personal goals. Also Diabetes, Colon problems and several other topics are covered and real solutions are being offered here. In fact, the Fat burning diet is no simple fitness or bodybuilding diet plan. It is a real doable eating plan for everybody which can help you maintain your health and good looks.

Average customer rating:

Jay Robb Fat Burning Diet cook book

Jay Robb Fat Burning Diet Cook Book
Jay Robb
Manufacturer: Loving Health Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0962060879

Book Description

The Fat Burning Diet Cook Book
By Jay Robb
216 pages (softbound)

The Fat Burning Diet Cook Book is the perfect companion to Jay Robb's classic book, The Fat Burning Diet. Jay Robb's cookbook contains 150 delicious fat-burning recipes that can make you and your fat cells shrink faster than a cheap cotton t-shirt in a hot dryer!

Weight Loss is Now Easier than Ever!
You'll discover low-carb recipes and high-carb recipes that can make following Jay Robb's Fat Burning Diet easier than ever. And it's fun to do Jay Robb's diet! Just use the low-carb recipes one day and high-carb recipes the next; then repeat the cycle. You get the best of both worlds!

Mouthwatering Ways to Melt Fat!
In the pages of The Fat Burning Diet Cook Book, you will discover delicious fat-burning recipes for "healthy" pancakes, omelets, waffles, potatoes, pizza, sandwiches, beef, chicken, fish, turkey, protein drinks, almond milk, whipped cream, desserts, blueberry cheesecake, salads, salsa, and more!

Customer Reviews:

Jay Robb Fat Burning Diet cook book.......2007-01-10

Excellent book, clear easy to read. To the point. Easy recipes to stay on track!

John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962: The Wayward Bus / Burning Bright / Sweet Thursday / The Winter of Our Discontent (Library of America)

Average customer rating:

Fititng Conclusion to Series

John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962: The Wayward Bus / Burning Bright / Sweet Thursday / The Winter of Our Discontent (Library of America)
John Steinbeck
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1598530046
Release Date: 2007-02-01

Book Description

John Steinbeck was never content to repeat himself, and his restless search for new forms and fresh subject matter is fully evident in the books of his later years. This volume collects four novels that exhibit the full range of his gift, along with a travel book that has become one of his most enduringly popular works.

In The Wayward Bus (1947), Steinbeck leads a group of ill-matched passengers representing a spectrum of social types and classes, stranded by a washed-out bridge, on a circuitous journey that exposes cruelties, self-deceptions, and unsuspected moral strengths. The tone ranges from boisterous comedy to trenchant satirical observation of postwar America. Burning Bright (1950), an allegory set against shifting backgrounds (circus, sea, farm) and revolving around the fear of sterility and the desire for self-perpetuation, marks Steinbeck's involvement with the drama in its fusion of the forms of novel and play.

Sweet Thursday (1954) marks Steinbeck's return, in a mood of sometimes frothy comedy, to the characters and milieu of his earlier Cannery Row. A love story set against the background of the local brothel, the Bear Flag, Sweet Thursday is for all its intimations of melancholy one of the most lighthearted of Steinbeck's books. It was subsequently adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein into their musical Pipe Dream. Steinbeck's final novel, The Winter of Our Discontent (1961) is set in an old Long Island whaling town modeled on Sag Harbor, where he had been spending time since 1953. The book breaks new ground in its depiction of the crass commercialism of contemporary America, and its impact on a protagonist with traditionalist values who is appalled but finally tempted by the encroaching sleaziness.

Travels with Charley in Search of America (1962) was Steinbeck's last published book. A record of his experiences and observations as he drove around America in a pickup truck, accompanied by his standard poodle Charley, it is filled with engaging, often humorous description and comes to a powerful climax in an encounter with racist demonstrators in New Orleans.

Robert DeMott, co-editor, is the Edwin and Ruth Kennedy Distinguished Professor at Ohio University and the author of Steinbeck's Typewriter, an award-winning book of critical essays. Brian Railsback, co-editor, is dean of the Honors College at Western Carolina University and the author of Parallel Expeditions: Charles Darwin and the Art of John Steinbeck.

Customer Reviews:

Fititng Conclusion to Series.......2007-04-12

This volume is up to the LOA's customary magnificient standards. This is not Steinbeck's best work (although I persist in viewing "Sweet Thursday" as under-valued), but still worth every penny.
Steinbeck fans should have this on their shelves. DeMott's previous editorial work on The Grapes of Wrath establishes him as the editor of choice for any edition, and these Library of America editions are becoming, justifiably, the "standard" texts.

Lean, Long & Strong: The 6-Week Strength-Training, Fat-Burning Program for Women

Average customer rating:

Strength training in 15 minutes a day
A sane and great program
Short on load-volume, chin-ups, dips, and barbell exercises
suggestion
Leaner and Stronger

Lean, Long & Strong: The 6-Week Strength-Training, Fat-Burning Program for Women
Wini Linguvic
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 157954956X
Release Date: 2004-12-09

Book Description

Lean Long amp; Strong is a tailored strength training program created just forwomen. Each workout, designed to be completed in just 12 minutes a day,incorporates synergy sets, a combination of precision strength trainingexercises with specially chosen stretches.Now top personal trainer Wini Linguvic tailors her precisionbody-sculpting methods just for women in workouts that integrate the "flow"and stretching of yoga to produce the even more impressive real results ofstrength training. Finally, an expert women can turn to for a programdesigned to create the fabulously fit, lean, long, strong body that today'swoman yearns to achieve.o Features beautiful, large full-color photographsof the author doing each exercise, accompanied by detailed instructions forcompleting each moveo All exercises can be done at home with hand weights and an exercise ballo Specific workouts focus on firming key trouble spots such as abs and core,butt and thighs, or upper body

Customer Reviews:

Strength training in 15 minutes a day.......2007-01-09

I have been very impressed with this book. The strength training only takes 15 minutes a day and you can do it at home with only an exercise mat, exercise ball and 2 free weights. There is no excuse not to do it when you can do it at home in 15 minutes. She incorporates stretching with the weight-lifting - so you feel better afterwards. I would recommend this book to men and women. My husband has also found the workouts helpful.

A sane and great program.......2006-11-30

Here's what I like about this program:
1) It is designed for women, meaning that it has exercises that hit our trouble spots: e.g. inside thighs.
2) It can be done at home. This is essential for some of us. (note to some reviewers: barbell exercises require a spotter for safety.)
3) It's designed for those of us who are not already in great shape.
4) WIth all the variations, you could easily do workouts from this book for a long time.
5) It fits into my schedule.
6) It's all laid out, so all that is necessary is to pick a program and follow along.
7) The author incorporates stretching, which has been found to increase gains from strength training.
8) The eating advice is sensible.

I've just started it, so I will do my best to check back in, in six weeks, and let you know how it worked for me :).

Short on load-volume, chin-ups, dips, and barbell exercises.......2006-06-12

"No one dies from weak biceps" is my favorite sentence in the entire book. Also, the foreword is very eloquent and concise. The book photos and printing style are superb as well.

As a 20-year personal trainer, the author's experience has evolved along the normal path many athletes follow. First, she discovered the great potential of strength training and how it empowers women to lead healthy lifestyle. She has gone through the various phases of repulsion, attraction, and finally obsession with a sport long viewed as men's territory. Now, she appreciates the value of being long, lean, and strong. That helped her have great and effortless everyday living. Second, she realized that she must rev her heart in order to endure long and monotonous activities. That took her to aerobics. She realizes right away that although aerobics is vital to the health of the lung and heart, aerobics does not build up muscle mass. Third, she discovered yoga and ventured into flexibility training.

The three phases of evolution of personal trainers and athletes took 20 years of her life in order to experience their rational significance. Yet, the author claims that you could change your life with only 12 minutes of strength training, four days per week, in addition to 20 minutes of aerobics, three days per week. That is an unrealistic proposal. Furthermore, she suggests that if you do the aerobics and the strength training in the same day then you should split them into two sessions. That is also impractical, since all the exercises in the book are very low on load-volume. The last promise of achieving apparent body change in 21 days is equally bogus.

The common belief that unmotivated people would be stimulated to engage in exercise if promised short and easy routine is simplistic. Change in health and fitness requires commitment to consistent exercising and discreet eating, drinking, and sleeping mannerism. It is not worth it that professional trainers or educators attempt to delude people with false hopes. Reasoning with others in realistic fashion strengthens the mutual trust and supports them in coping with the tortuous challenges of learning to exercise wisely. It is much wiser to exercise three days a week than seven days as the book suggests. Training 4 days with weights and 3 days of aerobics would leave very little time for relaxation, even if the exercise load is sub-minimal.

The major shortcomings in the book are:

1- It starts with crunches on an exercise ball, followed by back extension. No sane person should start exercising from the core. People should be advised to perform total warm up, toe to head, before exercising the abdominal or lower back. Otherwise, serious neck or spinal injury could ensue due to contracting major and strong muscles on cold start.

2- There is only one deep squat pose on page 154, the rest of squat and deadlift exercises are partial and extremely low on resistance. The lack of heavy and deep squat and deadlift results in the characteristic flat butts and loss of lumbar curvature. That is attributed to unduly weak glutei, hamstrings, and spinal erectors. The flat lumbar curve and wasted buttocks and quadriceps are early signs of osteoporosis. Bone density at the lumbar spines is the primary index for gauging osteoporosis.

3- There is no single barbell exercise in the book. No dips. No chin ups. No running or jumping exercises. Those are the golden standards of strength training.

4- The photo of the author on the book cover is more feminine and pleasant than the inside photos due to change in hairstyle and posing in side profiles. That shows gloomy facial expressions. In addition, many of the ball exercises are repeated redundantly for no good reason.

5- The book's theme revolves about the regional anatomy of legs, core, and arms. Those regions are exercised on four levels of difficulty: basic, intermediate, challenge, and express. That renders exercise a quite challenging activity. The book is missing a single focus that links all the pieces of the puzzle along one goal.

Mohamed F. El-Hewie
Author of
Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training

suggestion.......2006-03-20

I think this book is wonderfully well written and well thought out. I do have one suggestion which is to take the book to your local Kinkos and have the binding cut off and three hole punched. This allows for moving the six week programs around to suit your needs at the time. I did this for $1.50 which added greatly to the user friendly aspect of the book.

Leaner and Stronger.......2006-03-03

I bought this book thinking it would be just like all the rest of the strength training books out there. I am glad that I was wrong! This is one of the best books for women especially those who do not have time or want to go to the gym for strength training! I recommend this highly!!!

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