Average customer rating:
- This is such a valuable book for anyone, whether you are in pain or not!
- Walk Yourself Well
- Need Something for Those Aches and Pains?
- This book took me from a level 6 of chronic pain to ZERO
- Of benefit to everyone who takes a step.
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Walk Yourself Well: Eliminate Back, Neck, Shoulder, Knee, Hip, and Other Structural Pain Forever - Without Surgury or Drugs
Sherry Brourman
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Injuries & Rehabilitation | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Hip & Thigh Workouts | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Healthy Living | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Rheumatology | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Rheumatology | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:
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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 0786883626 |
Amazon.com
Given the exotic nature of so many bodywork practices, readers will be surprised to learn that they can improve their health and well-being with something as simple as walking. But that's just what Los Angeles physical therapist Brourman asserts here. Walking isn't just a great physical and meditative exercise, she points out, it's the physical activity we do most often. And just as imbalance, poor posture and untoned muscles can lead to painful injuries, correcting the way you walk and strengthening and stretching your muscles can speed your recovery or prevent you from getting hurt in the first place. Because Brourman doesn't have the luxury of seeing every reader personally, a great deal of the book is devoted to diagnosing and solving individual gait problems--something that can be done, she says, because the standards of human symmetry are the same for everyone. "The truth is that height, weight, proportions, age, sex, and all other human features and options don't change the basic elements of a symmetrical walk," she writes. The instructions are reasonably easy to follow (although some readers may be disconcerted by a common experience--when you start thinking about how you should be doing something you do every day, you start to "forget" how you did it in the first place). Those who are suffering from pain in such places as the back and the knees may be most motivated to follow Brourman's instructions, but she makes it clear that just about everyone can benefit from a good walk.
Customer Reviews:
This is such a valuable book for anyone, whether you are in pain or not!.......2007-08-09
This book contains such a valuable wealth of knowledge for anyone, and especially for those in pain. I was having major back pains for years, and the tools that I received in this book took me to a much better place physically. I've read it all the way through twice, and although not every exercise applies to me, I learn new things each time I read it. The way Ms. Brourman has synergized the disciplines of Physical Therapy, Proper Posture, and Gait Correction is surely ahead of her time. Although all the work I did with Chiropractors and Orthopedic Doctors was valuable, it never really addressed the major problems of proper posture, gait, and muscle strength. My advice to others is to read the book and progress along at a slow yet deliberate rate. For anyone in pain looking for a "Quick Fix," good luck! It's a rare thing. Expect to do some work, but like myself, feeling good was certainly worth it in the end.
Walk Yourself Well.......2007-08-07
I found Walk Yourself Well to be an excellent tool to heal my injured hip and knee. I would highly recommend it to all of my clients.
Need Something for Those Aches and Pains?.......2006-04-01
Having a variety of foot and leg problems plus being told that I "walk funny," led me to search out this book. Anxious for a quick fix, I wanted to jump right in with exercises targeted to my specific problems.
Unfortunately the book makes you wade through too many stories of people miraculously cured by the author's program. I also found it difficult to find myself in the self-evaluation section. Gait correction sounds like just what I need, but I wish it were easier to match my needs to the body living exercises. An extended promotion for the effectiveness of the exercises hindered more than it helped.
This book took me from a level 6 of chronic pain to ZERO.......2004-07-04
I have spent the last five years in agony with a bad ankle. For some strange reason that I didn't understand at that time,(and neither did the two surgeons, one rhematologist, two podiatrists, four physical therapists and countless er docs with whom I consulted over the last thirty years), as I was doing my regular areobic work, I totally ruptured the peroneal longus tendon in my right foot. Two surgeries later I was left with a chronically swollen ankle. I had lost the tendon and the peroneal nerve. I had total ankle reconstruction and had my heel bone moved over so my ankle would be more stable. It wasn't.
Fast forward three years. The pain had increased and moved up into my back and hips. It was horrible. I couldn't sleep. My foot doc said, you will have to learn to live with it. I had an MRI. I had bulging discs in L1-2, 2-3 and 3-4. The 2-3 was pressing on the spinal cord. I was losing feeling and strength in my hips and legs despite doing all the weight lifting and cardio I could handle, about 90 minutes a day x 6 days a week.
I researched why this would happen. I had a gradual onset of the back issue and couldn't remember a specific incidence of over doing or strain. The title of this book popped up in reply to an internet search I did on the L2-3 disk bulge, so I ordered it.
I had gone to see an osteopath for help with the back issue and was in physical therapy for it. My pt noticed that during exercises my ankle bowed out. She said, "That's the problem."
I went home to find this book had come. I read it in two days and immediately began to do the work recommended. I took the book to the osteopath who agreed with the pt. That was about two weeks ago. I am now totally pain free for the first time in five years, and without pain meds. Not only are my right ankle, leg, hips and back good, but my left shoulder which also hurt most of the time no longer hurts.
It seems that due to my gait my ankles roll to the outside with every step. This resulted in atrophied ankle muscles, which meant more weakness. Finally my tendon blew. And then my spine. Thanks to the information this author presents in a humorous fashion I have finally accepted the cause for my problems and am working on relearning to walk. It isn't all that easy, but then it isn't impossible either, given the other choice. A number of members of my family have the same gait pattern. My father and older brother have both had horrific ankle problems, no one knew why. They both have had back surgery, and both have lost the L2-3 disc. Again, no one knew why. I have two sons in their twenties who walk like me and who have had ankle problems and back pain since their late teens. I am buying copies of this book for them.
Using this book could be difficult for those without an open mind. The author's use of humour and stories of her patients helped me to recognize and accept my problem. I think we sometimes take life way too seriously, and that makes pain worse.
I am so grateful for this book. I can't begin to say what value being pain free is for me. It is as though I have my life back!
That said, I will admit that this information is not a panacea. I don't think it will cure asthma or aids. But, for structural problems and joint issues like mine, this information, and hard work, will be the answer. I am still in therapy and will be for a while. I expect that lasting results will not happen without sustained effort at relearning patterns of movement over a long period, probably the rest of my life. But it will be SO worth it!
Of benefit to everyone who takes a step........2003-08-22
By following the principles in this book, I'm quite sure I have minimized the pain and discomfort of two leg injuries within a year, both requiring a cast - broken ankle requiring surgery and hairline knee fracture, as well as an arthritic hip, all on the same leg. Although I found the technical explanations tough going, I believe I distilled the essence of the instruction into a brand new, better way to walk. I walk my dog twice a day so I slowly incorporated one aspect at a time into changing my walk. There is no doubt that my leg muscles are stronger as a result of my redesigned walk. The book leaves no stone unturned with respect to its topic, so I am quite thankful that I discovered this A to Z instructional reference book.
Book Description
** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **
Science fiction and fantasy authors analyze every aspect of the innovative, action-packed, and always surprising science fiction television series Farscape in this innovative and irreverent essay collection. Contributors include Martha Wells on characters Crichton and D'Argo's buddy relationship, P. N. Elrod on the villains she loves to hate, and Justina Robson on sex, pleasure, and feminism. Topics range from a look at how Moya was designed and an examination of vulgarity and bodily functions to a tourist's budget guide to the Farscape universe and an expert's advice to the peacekeepers who, despite their viciousness, never quite seem to pull it off. Fun, accessible, entertaining, and insightful, these musings will appeal to every admirer of this intriguing television series.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome book!.......2007-05-09
This book is a complation of essays, written by professional writers who also happen to be fans of Farscape. Different authors writing about different aspects of such a great series, from different points of view makes for a terrific read for anyone who was (and still is) a fan of this remarkable TV series. After you read this book, it gives watching the syndicated re-runs a whole new perspective! A "must read" for all Farscape fans!
Highly disappointed..........2006-07-30
Frankly, most of these "essays" didn't grab my attention. I was bored throughout this book. I thought it was going to be a nice walk through the past of one of my favorite shows - some stellar insight into what made Farscape great. But all I got was a lot of prentention, a lot of "let me show you how smart I am" prose. A waste of money.
Our galaxy needs better proofreaders..........2006-07-25
An interesting read, a facinating concept. Various sf writers delve into aspects of "Farscape," from a "NASA memo" that reprimands Crichton for tarnishing Earth's good name in distant parts of the galaxy, to essays that compare Zhaan to several different ancient Earth goddesses/myths.
However, the book's publisher needs to hire a real proofreader, instead of relying on (probably Windoze's) spell checker. One writer calls D'Argo a "Luxan," another, a "Luxon." On page 49 there's a quoted line of dialogue I'm sure must be a typo. A British writer gives a "new meaning" to the TV jibe of "jumping the shark" -- no, it doesn't mean the consummation of two characters longstanding attraction; the phrase comes from an episode in "Happy Days'" waning years, in which Fonzie (at least, his stunt double), on waterskis, indeed "jumped a shark" in a desperate attempt to lure viewers back to the show. Most "Farscape" fans would agree that the show never "jumped the shark."
Good post-script for a great show..........2005-12-01
While long time 'Scapers may become annoyed at the constant reminders of how great the show WAS--and how its demise came far too soon--this book may be of help for those who start watching it in syndication and quickly become lost, since the network doesn't show it in sequence.
Many of these essays give an interesting slant on the episodes. I especially enjoyed "Superior Villainy: 6 Secrets of the Pros", which must have been required reading by today's corporations...
Since Season 5 is out of the question (though one can always hope), this book gives a glimpse of what television sci-fi can achieve and is a great addition to any Farscape (or sci-fi) fan's collection.
Half self-congratulatory drivel, half reasonably intelligent insight........2005-11-13
Farscape is my favorite television show, with Firefly at a close second, so when this book appeared on Amazon I snatched it right up, especially after reading the impressive and thought-provoking Smart Pop book on Firefly, Finding Serenity. This book, unfortunately, is not like Finding Serenity at all. The first five or so essays are devoted to why Farscape is great, why Farscape is better than everything else, why Farscape is a brilliant work of incredible genius, why Farscape is the key to eternal salvation. You get the point.
I should interject at this point that this book is worth reading if - and probably only if - you're a hardcore Farscape fan. There is some decent insight here, as well as a couple attempts at humorous essays which fall flat. Several of the essays ("Theater of Faces," for example, which still manages to come back around to "Farscape rocks") are truly worth reading and contain some valuable gems to think about as you watch your DVDs (and I know you have them).
I hope it says something that I, who enjoys Farscape over any other show, feel that some of the praise in this book goes a tiny bit too far. I don't want to be reminded that Farscape is a great show - I can get that without putting down fifteen dollars. If you were as delighted with Finding Serenity as I was, you'll be disappointed with this tome, as much as it pains me to say so.
Average customer rating:
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Addiction Free Forever
Dennis Marcellino
Manufacturer: Lighthouse Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0945272286 |
Book Description
"Teaching a person how to be happy naturally and in harmony with the real design, meaning and purpose of their life is the key to how they get the strength, joy and deep fulfillment that is necessary for them to have no inclination for alcohol or drugs¿, says Dennis Marcellino, author of Addiction Free Forever. "But," he says, "that's easier said than done, and can only happen within THE natural design of how we were made to operate. That requires first knowing what that design is, which has been made very difficult because there is a great amount of debate and disagreement in the world as to what that design really is. But the world in general obviously has it wrong if there exists such a huge drug and alcohol problem and poor social statistics."Having been at the top of the music business as a former member of Sly & The Family Stone, The Elvin Bishop Group and The Tokens (famous for The Lion Sleeps Tonight), he knows alcohol and drug abuse well. But after experimenting with 21 approaches to lifestyle and personal growth, he became free from alcohol and drugs 25 years ago (after 18 years of use). He now says that, "Fighting nature is not a battle that anyone can win and be happy. Therefore why even try? Understanding and flowing with the natural design is how to make inner, outer and social life work their best. Therefore if a person wants to be free from a weakness for alcohol or drugs, they will have to go through a re-orientation of how the mind, heart and body that they are in are designed to function smoothly, and they will have to know how to have the strength and vision to transform to that design." So to pass on what he discovered, he wrote a book and developed a program to go with it that, in a step by step way, helps a person to know, understand and be transformed into the natural design of their being. Some reviews for addiction recovery books by Dennis Marcellino include the following: "Frank and friendly... sincere and optimistic... not only concerned with ridding people's lives of drugs, but also with leading them to a higher state of being and greater fulfillment as individuals. A sympathetic voice which will affect readers for the better. This book is personal rather than systematically therapeutic or a 'pop' treatment of a current social concern... touches upon the important factors of human life." says Corinne Perry Buck, of The Small Press Book Review. "A carefully reasoned argument against drug use that goes further than telling people to `just say no'-it offers real help for people who want to break free of the bondage of drugs," says Dr. John MacArthur Jr., popular author and radio and TV personality. "Very powerful material. An amazing piece of work by an amazing man," said Scott Fagan, head of the recovery unit at Brotman Hospital (one of L.A.'s largest). "I read your book and was very inspired to clean up my act. I'd like to order another copy for myself and one to pass on," says Theresa from Escondido, CA
Customer Reviews:
One last chance is... one last chance........1998-10-06
Venture Silk is now on New Earth being supported by his lover, spy/ intelligence agent, Zia Relanj who has just been awarded a secret "Immortality" medical treatment for her services in New Earth Security. While Venture is trying to restore his apparent loss of self esteem, created by being a man without work, Zia discovers that there is a unknown side effect to the Forever Drug... She can now read minds. Slowly she begins to realize the dangers inherent if any government discovers that a person that can live hundreds of years, can also read minds. But she also has plenty of excuses for the delay. Starting with, Venture's moving out of her home, the instinct that someone is following her and the awareness that whoever it is, is very, very good. And probably very, very dangerous.
For over a year I've been passing up "SPINDOC" by Perry. The back cover write up just didn't interest me. This book is Part 2 of "SPINDOC". Although "THE FOREVER DRUG' is a neat stand-alone story, enough hints of what happened previously mean that now I have to get a copy of "SPINDOC", and it's no longer on the shelf at my local bookstore. I should have known better than to pass up a book by Perry.
Average customer rating:
- A Sweet Surprise
- First Time Pelecanos reader
- sex, drugs, rock & roll ... perhaps the best from Pelecanos?
- Well Done and Engrossing
- It's only rock 'n roll . . . .
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The Sweet Forever: A Novel Tag: Author of King Suckerman
George P. Pelecanos
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Shame the Devil
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King Suckerman
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Shoedog
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Right as Rain (Derek Strange/Terry Quinn)
ASIN: 0316691097 |
Amazon.com
George P. Pelecanos's latest book is not only a tremendously detailed and emotionally powerful crime novel but also a virtual compendium and update of his other excellent novels that are all similarly rooted in the nonpolitical neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. Brought back for major roles are Marcus Clay, Dimitri Karras, and other important players from King Suckerman. There are poignant cameos by Randolph of Shoedog as well as the two Nick Stefanos--grandfather and grandson--from The Big Blowdown, A Firing Offense, Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go, and Nick's Trip. As always, Pelecanos uses jabs of pop music, basketball, clothes, and cars to quickly root us in time and place.
It's 1986, 10 years after the Bicentennial events of King Suckerman, so a woman in her 30s wears a Susanna Hoffs-style haircut "from the cover of the 'All Over the Place' album, not the redone look off the new LP." Dimitri, after a brief career as a teacher, is now working full-time for his friend Marcus's expanded chain of four Real Right record stores; he drives a BMW 325 and wears his graying hair moussed and spiked. (He also snorts more cocaine than Al Pacino did in Scarface, one of several films used as icons here.) The doomed basketball star Len Bias--just finishing his college career and about to sign a huge deal with the Boston Celtics--is on TV screens everywhere, admired equally by the former local hoops hero Clay and a conflicted cop named Kevin Murphy who has misplaced his moral compass. The complicated, satisfying plot involves $25,000 stolen from a drug dealer; several children in peril; smart adults who screw up their lives in dumb ways; and the speed with which violence festers and explodes in unexpected directions. --Dick Adler
Book Description
George P. Pelecanos's latest book is not only a tremendously detailed and emotionally powerful crime novel but also a virtual compendium and update of his other excellent novels that are all similarly rooted in the nonpolitical neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. Brought back for major roles are Marcus Clay, Dimitri Karras, and other important players from King Suckerman. There are poignant cameos by Randolph of Shoedog as well as the two Nick Stefanos--grandfather and grandson--from The Big Blowdown, A Firing Offense, Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go, and Nick's Trip. As always, Pelecanos uses jabs of pop music, basketball, clothes, and cars to quickly root us in time and place. It's 1986, 10 years after the Bicentennial events of King Suckerman, so a woman in her 30s wears a Susanna Hoffs-style haircut "from the cover of the 'All Over the Place' album, not the redone look off the new LP." Dimitri, after a brief career as a teacher, is now working full-time for his friend Marcus's expanded chain of four Real Right record stores; he drives a BMW 325 and wears his graying hair moussed and spiked. (He also snorts more cocaine than Al Pacino did in Scarface, one of several films used as icons here.) The doomed basketball star Len Bias--just finishing his college career and about to sign a huge deal with the Boston Celtics--is on TV screens everywhere, admired equally by the former local hoops hero Clay and a conflicted cop named Kevin Murphy who has misplaced his moral compass. The complicated, satisfying plot involves $25,000 stolen from a drug dealer; several children in peril; smart adults who screw up their lives in dumb ways; and the speed with which violence festers and explodes in unexpected directions. --Dick Adler
Customer Reviews:
A Sweet Surprise.......2007-02-16
Initially I had read all of the novels with protagonist Derek Strange, and there wasn't much history of Nick Stephanos in those novels. It was good to get more background on Nick, though he seems to be a clone of Dimitri Karras since both of them have lives that similar notwithstanding that Nick was a private investigator while Dimitri was a professor. There was introduction to Marcus Clay who was a much more interesting character or clone of Derek Strange, in that he has a similar motivation to see that justice is done. It was an interesting story though I feel that I have spoiled some aspects of it for those who haven't read it yet. The drug dealer antagonist seem almost comic book in their villiany but are well balanced against the crooked cops, one of which turns out to be a hero and the other goes down as an atypical villian. The story was more like an episode of the Wire. I preferred Right As Rain to this one but it's still a good read to pick up to escape to 80's version of DC. The city hasn't changed much in the way of senseless crime. Pelacanos remains a hard-edged writer of crime fiction.
First Time Pelecanos reader.......2004-04-25
This is my first time reading a pelecanos book, not even sure why I chose to read it. I have to admit, that I read the first 100 pages, sporadically over a week. I really was not being pulled in by the plot, but I wanted to keep reading because of the characters. They are realistic, in language, habits and all have depth.
The characters do stay with you long after the book. The ending may have been a little too clean, but it was still realistic. The details about the music and the streets seemd to take away from the story. It was just too much detail. It was DC in 1988, so the backdrop of a Presedential election seems to be completely ignored, considering how much detail he put into other areas.
The Len Bias backdrop was a great backstory.
i definitely want to read mroe from Pelecanos.
sex, drugs, rock & roll ... perhaps the best from Pelecanos?.......2003-10-20
'The Sweet Forever' is one of several novels from Pelecanos based in urban Washington, this time in the mid-1980s. The city is an absolute mess; violence, drugs and corruption reign supreme. In this backdrop Pelecanos weaves a story of inter-racial strife, heartbreak, disillusionment, and despair. Yes, this books packs it all in without appearing to be forced, preachy, or sentimental. While most books from Pelecanos sort of delve into these areas in one way or another 'The Sweet Forever' really succeeds in every way. [As you can tell, I really liked it. :-)]
But the book isn't perfect. Without trying to explain its somewhat complex and interwoven story let me just say the ending seems to fit together just a bit too nicely. I would have liked a least one loose end, which would a been a better reflection of reality. The ending wasn't disappointing, but rather it could have been just a bit more powerful.
Bottom line: my favorite so far from Pelecanos after reading nearly of his books. Strongly recommended.
Well Done and Engrossing.......2003-01-15
The Sweet Forever is a well done and engrossing crime novel. Pelecanos' story shifts from the Washington DC gang members to the corrupt cops to honest people just trying to get by and back again. It's not really about one crime, like a murder that must be solved. Rather it concerns a chain reaction of events which occur after a bag of drug money is taken from a flaming car. The characters are real and will stay with you after you put the novel down. The resolution is satisfying--nothing canned or predictible here. The Sweet Forever is an enjoyable, engrossing read.
It's only rock 'n roll . . . ........2002-11-25
Pelecanos is one of those elusive writers who avoids (either by design or subject matter) the spotlight. Like James Crumley, his body of work is substantial and applauded by those who continually seek him out. He seemingly has yet to break into the Top 40, to coin a music phrase he would probably agree with, but it seems inevitable.
Marcus Clay, up from mean streets, is a successful record store owner. Actually four record stores. So successful, Pelecanos points out, his wife Elaine has left him.
Right there is an extraordinary subtlety. Pelecanos paints his black characters with the same confusing mish-mosh of emotional color as he does his white characters, saying, 'we are all the same, all confused, all looking for love, losing it, trying to recapture it.'
Marcus resists the encroachment of drug dealers in the location of his stores and that resistance turns not surprisingly to bloodshed.
Karras, his colorblind Greek friend, suffers the moral dilemma of his own drug habit and recognition of the consequences of his acts.
Very compelling; very noir. Highly recommensded.
The only caveat I might suggest is that you may want to read some of the earlier works to get a better grip on the personality of the characters. Kudos.
Product Description
A shapeshifter and freelance agent for the Lone Star police department, Romulus risks his life to save a beautiful amnesiac woman from ruthless drug dealers who are peddling the ultimate high--a magical creature that gives its victims an extraordinary feeling of euphoria before it destroys them.
Customer Reviews:
Good Plot. Needed better writing & better char. portrayals........2001-02-16
I enjoy reading about Shadowrun Novels that take place in cities other than Seattle (though Seattle is VERY exciting!). I felt the general idea of this novel is a good one and was captivated by it. I also was curious to see how a Wolf Shapeshifter could possibly be integrated into a structured organization like Lone Star.
The main character had a lot of potential and so did some of the secondary characters (like Dass), and I was saddened at the end when the main character suffered the same 'memory loss' as the woman he was trying to help and was so loyal to. That was really good.
Lofwyr showing up at the end actually DID seem plausible to me in the sense that what Mareth'riel and Romulus were involved in was very secretive and involved some VERY powerful individuals. And the tie-in to Tir Tarngire makes Lofwyr's involvement more plausable since he is a Prince of Tir Tairngire. Lisa Smedman did do a good job in conveying Romulus' loayalty to Mareth'riel - which added to the tragedy of the ending, for me at least.
What the book lacked was a good flow in writing - the mechanics. It was comparable to riding in a lurching car with the driver learning how to drive stick-shift and failing miserably! Very distracting. There were many ways Lisa Smedman could have re-worded her sentences to make them flow better and incorporate the characters' discriptions, attitudes and perceptions into the flow of the book in a more effective and interesting manner.
Also, the main character, Romulous, was WAY too tame. He was supposed to be a WOLF SHAPESHIFTER, not a German Shephard Shapeshifter! His situations and behavior were SO watered down, they simply weren't believable! I would figure that he would have had a MUCH harder time assimilating into (meta)human society to get to his current status as it is portrayed in this novel. Also, that Lone Star would have had to excercise more control over him to keep him in check.
And, enough with the 'frig'! It's clearly frag. I kept trying to convince myself that it was an accent-thing for that partof the UCAS, but I didn't believe me. It came off like a typo, or like an editor who had tried to invent new Shadowrun jargon. In either case, it simply didn't work for me.
By and large, despite the drawbacks of this novel, I liked it and I'd like to see a continuation with the main character because he has a lot of potential for further development, but these future books need to be written in a MUCH better fashion to do justice to the events and the characters.
Most annoying Shadowrun novel I've read........1999-09-19
To start off, I was wrong. I read the previous reader's reviews for this book before picking it up. I had a couple of Smedman's previous SR novels (The Lucifer Deck & Psychotrope), and found them enjoyable enough (if not great works of literature). My initial intention was to read the book, then point out it's good points - believing that Smedman probably was being unfairly/overly criticized for this one. But, having read the novel now, I must admit the previous reviewers were correct. This is a bad book, its substance overwhelmed by the writer's need to score political points unrelated to the storyline.
"A reader from USA" is correct about the main character. To give credit where credit is due, Smedman was trying to capture the mindset of an "inhuman" character, and make it unlike the outlook of (meta)humanity. But this effort largely fails (I'm not sure Lisa Smedman has ever had a dog - her Cat Shamam in The Lucifer Deck is more plausably feline than her Canine Romulus).
In addition to some minor, but highly distracting annoyances, the novel's ending is in my opinion weakened by two things: one, the introduction of a un-entertaining "terrorism" subplot involving an Amerindian takover of Prince Edward Island, which serves no apparant purpose to the plotline and is just an expression of her antipathies. The other is an appearance by the Great Dragon Lofwyr which I must say is the most inept, heavyhanded use of this re-occuring SR character that I've seen. I guess his role is to provide the nessissary backstory explaination that Smedman could not weave into the storyline because she spent too much time on the wholely unrelated P.E.I. sidestory/distraction - the ending could have been much stronger had she kept her idiosyncratic preferences in check. Note to Mike Mulvihill: next time please, please let Lisa set her novel somewhere in the NAN - she'll clearly be much happier that way, and thus the story will be more enjoyable for the readers as well. It's about time something get set in Ute or Sioux anyhow.
A nice try.......1999-08-12
I started out realy enjoying this book despite it being centred around yet another LoneStar Cop Romulus is a good character stuggeling to do the right thing evan though he over matched be just about everyone in the book. The Story moves you along Ok despite some obvious "why don't they just" On the whole until the ending its a good lite read not in the same league a any of Lisa Smedmans work but fun The real Problem I have with this book is ending it does not have one and unless this is the stangest lead to a sequal I have ever seen I cant imagine what happened.
Decent read.......1999-07-19
Not the best Shadowrun book written, but not too bad if you like the world's setting. Probably the most jarring problem with the book is that it appears some editor chose to do a global search & replace on the word "frag" and replace it with the word "frig". Readers familiar with the jargon of the Shadowrun world may find this more than a little irritating. (I know I did - it was like driving down a six lane expressway and finding a stop sign.)
A one-joke character doesn't make a story!.......1999-06-16
This novel could have had a lot of potential, had its main character, Romulus, been treated with the sort of deftness and "alien" POV given to Striper or the various SR dragons. Instead, he spends half the novel behaving like a dog -- not even a wolf, but a DOG ... and a rather idiotic one, at that -- and the other half chasing an assortment of villains whose motives, and relationship to the "mystery woman" Jane, never seem very convincing. Shadowrun fans who are still obsessed with tracking down the odds and ends from Dunkelzahn's will can tie up a few more loose ends here, but for the rest of us, it's the same old "elves/dragons know something you don't know, nyah nyah!" nonsense that was already getting overripe when "House of the Sun" was published. Given that Lisa Smedman's done far better than this (e.g. "Blood Sport") for Shadowrun, "The Forever Drug" is a real let-down.
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Addiction Free Forever Workbook
Dennis, J Marcellino
Manufacturer: Lighthouse Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Alcoholism | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Drug Dependency | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0945272308 |
Book Description
The Addiction Free Forever Workbook is the companion workbook to the Addiction Free Forever book. This workbook has a 10-phase program on how to permanently and naturally cure an alcohol or drug addiction. Designed to be used along with the Addiction Free Forever book, it contains exercises to help a person evaluate and improve their life and to become addiction free. It includes a way to successfully (and as painlessly as possible) get through withdrawal as well as showing how to naturally have an inner experience that is strong and consists primarily of good feelings and not bad ones. It also gives tips on how to have a life of deep fulfillment, inner strength and great purpose.
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Forever Natural: How to Excel in Sports Drug-Free
Dave Tuttle
Manufacturer: Iron Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Nutrition | Special Topics | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Nutrition | Basic Sciences | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Accessories:
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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 0962574007 |
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Forever Sober
Douglas H. Ruben
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Alcoholism | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1587211475 |
Books:
- When the Bough Breaks (Alex Delaware)
- Witches, Druids and King Arthur
- 15 Books in 1: L. Frank Baum's Original "Oz" Series. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, Little Wizard Stories of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow Of Oz, Rinkitink In Oz, The Lost Princess Of Oz, The Tin Woodman Of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda Of Oz.
- 2007 Physicians' Desk Reference (Physicians' Desk Reference (Pdr))
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Signet Classics)
- Ancestry and Narrative in Nineteenth-Century British Literature: Blood Relations from Edgeworth to Hardy (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)
- Batman: Knightfall, Part Three: KnightsEnd
- Blood Diamonds
- Blood Revenge: Family Honor, Mediation and Outcasting
- Buckland's Complete Book Of Witchcraft (Llewellyn's Practical Magick)
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