Dragonfly in Amber

Book Description

With her now-classic novel Outlander, Diana Gabaldon introduced two unforgettable characters — Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser—delighting readers with a story of adventure and love that spanned two centuries. Now Gabaldon returns to that extraordinary time and place in this vivid, powerful follow-up to Outlander....

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ... and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his....

Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ... in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising ... and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves....

Download Description

Diana Gabaldon holds a bachelor¿s degree in zoology, a master¿s degree in marine biology, and a Ph.D. in ecology, none of which has anything whatever to do with her novels. She spent a dozen years as a university professor before turning to writing full-time. Diana Gabaldon lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her family.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect service.......2007-09-05

Quick and efficient are the words to describe the service I received from my last purchase of Dragonfly in Amber...Thank you so much.

Book #2 in this set.......2007-08-21

You MUST read book #1 first. In fact this series needs to be read in order (you can skip Fiery Cross, though, it's very slow and uneventful).

After the way Outlander ended you'll want to jump right into this one.

Starts out with Claire back in present time, but now it's 1968--20 years later than when she went thru the stones the first time. She is no longer a nurse, but a doctor.

***I really enjoyed the medical treatment that was detailed in Outlander and the rest of this series. It was wonderful!

She and her daughter (yep) are researching in Scotland trying to learn what happened to Jamie at the Battle of Culloden.

Oh, this was a "burn the midnight oil" type of book with a box of kleenex!

Go ahead and get book #3 Voyager. It's wonderful, too. And the way this one ends, your going to want to read it.

Very Fast!!.......2007-08-03

This book arrived about 4 days after I placed the order. I was very surprised that I got it that quickly. Thanks!

A Fantastic Story of Romance woven in history .......2007-08-01

A friend gave this book to read. Four hours later I was still reading the book. I finished it over the next several days and I thought it was just a wonderful story. I understand that Dragon Fly is the second book in a series, so I won't hesitate to order the first book Outlander. Ms. Gabaldon is such a gifted writer that knows how to weave a story with history, romance and intrigue. I just love this novel and would recommend it to all my friends.

Excellent voices........2007-07-28

I love to listen to audio cd's. This one is great because the Davina Porter does a really great job of capturing the characters as she reads. I loved it.

Grandfather Tang's Story (Dragonfly Books)

Average customer rating:

Grandfather Tang's Story
Great book in many respects
parallel and perpendicular lines
A Moral in a Mystery
Excellent for teaching spatial relations!

Grandfather Tang's Story (Dragonfly Books)
Ann Tompert
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0517885581
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Book Description

"Drawing on a Chinese form of storytelling with seven shapes cut from a square of paper, Tompert recounts the tale of two fox fairies. Parker's pen-and-watercolor art adds drama, while the tangram insets will motivate children to try their own versions."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

Customer Reviews:

Grandfather Tang's Story.......2007-09-06

This is a terrfic anticipatory set for doing a lesson on tangrams. The students loved the story and had so much fun creating their own tangrams.

Great book in many respects.......2007-09-06

When I came across this book, I was in the midst of planning for an Autumn Moon event. We are having a tangram craft, and the book contains great illustrations of animal tangrams. The story is very imaginative while leading you through a series of changing animal characters. Although simple reading, I think there is still appeal for children over the age of 7 because of the introduction of the ancient Chinese art of tangram puzzles. The book also contains instructions for making your own puzzles.

parallel and perpendicular lines.......2007-03-02

You can use this bbok to introduce parallel and perpendicular lines.

A Moral in a Mystery.......2005-07-07

This story, simple on the surface, embeds a major moral of loyalty to friends in a gripping morph thriller.

Excellent for teaching spatial relations!.......2002-07-24

This book is NOT for babies and pre-schoolers! This creative story shows children how to use a puzzle set of math manipulatives called Tangrams to create pictures. It could be used in ANY grade to improve children's comprehension of spatial relations. A pattern for the tangrams is included in the back of the book to make teaching easier. Any child would love to play with these picture puzzles!

Dragonfly Genera of the New World: An Illustrated and Annotated Key to the Anisoptera

Average customer rating:

Excellent book!

Dragonfly Genera of the New World: An Illustrated and Annotated Key to the Anisoptera
Rosser W. Garrison , Natalia von Ellenrieder , and Jerry A. Louton
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0801884462

Book Description

Dragonfly Genera of the New World is a beautifully illustrated and comprehensive guide to the taxonomy and ecology of dragonflies in North, Middle, and South America. A reference of the highest quality, this book reveals the striking beauty and complexity of this diverse order.

Although Odonata -- dragonflies and damselflies -- are among the most studied groups of insects, until now there has been no reliable means to identify the New World genera of either group. This volume provides fully illustrated and up-to-date keys for all dragonfly genera with descriptive text for each genus, accompanied by distribution maps and 1,595 diagnostic illustrations, including wing patterns and characteristics of the genitalia.

For entomologists, limnologists, and ecologists, Dragonfly Genera of the New World is an indispensable resource for field identification and laboratory research.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book!.......2007-06-14

I am a professional entomologist and dragonfly enthusaist and bought this book after I got an advertisement for it in the mail. I love this book! While there are other books on North American dragonflies (such as Needham, Westfall, and May's Dragonflies of North America) that help identify North American specimens to species, there hasn't ever been a book that allows Central and South American dragonfly lovers and scientists to do the same. This book goes a long way toward filling the gap with keys to all of the genera of the New World dragonflies. It is filled with great drawings illustrating the key structural characteristics listed in the keys and contains several full color photographic images. It is organized well and beautifully laid out. I believe this book will prove invaluable to scientists studying Central and South American dragonflies. It is a great contribution to the odonate literature - the authors should be proud of themselves for creating such a masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

Me on the Map
Explains Tricky Concepts
Not as good as it could be
maps and more!
Me on the Map

Me on the Map (Dragonfly Books)
Joan Sweeney
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0517885573
Release Date: 1998-07-13

Book Description

Illustrated in full color. In this playful introduction to maps and geography, step by simple step, a young girl shows readers herself on a map of her room, her room on the map of her house, her house on the map of her street--all the way to her country on a map of the world. Once the reader is familiar with the maps, she demonstrates how readers can find their own country, state, and town--all the way back to their room--on each colorful map. Easy-to-read text, bright artwork, and charming details give children a lot to search for and will have them eager to help navigate on the next family vacation.

From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.

Customer Reviews:

Me on the Map.......2007-03-14

I use this book in PS and Elem. settings to set up lesson plans related to maps and how they can be used. This book helps children to relate maps to their own environments.

Explains Tricky Concepts.......2007-01-06

My daughter is six years old, and it's tough to explain some of the more complex concepts like time and space. This series of books does a great job using colorful illustrations and text that's a lot easier to understand than anything I could come up with myself! Besides, I am a map and globe lover, so this book especially keeps our attention. I also recommend Sweeney's other books, including the one about Time.

Not as good as it could be.......2006-10-23

The idea for this book is great, and overall my girls (age 4 and 6) enjoy it. But the book is sloppy about distinguishing country versus continent. And I think the author and illustrator could have done a better job to help kids make the leap from the abstract, 2-D concept of maps and our 3-D world.

maps and more!.......2006-05-01

Excellent book! Not only it teaches about maps (from the map of your room to the map of the world) and geography but it is also excellent for teaching about
* sequences and patterns (each page follows the same template, expanding from the room to the world)
* spacial rotation and visualization (a map is a view from above)
* abstract represntation (a map is a schematic view, a model, of the objects it represents)
* permancence, presistence, and the transient nature of objects and their location (what should be on the map? - toys, books, socks?)

Me on the Map.......2005-09-30

My six year old daughter loved this book. The words were easy enough for her to read and the repetition reinforced her early reading skills. We used this book as an introduction to perspective, maps, and self-awareness. The pictures were fresh, clean, and uncluttered. We plan on getting the rest of the series.

Average customer rating:

A near-wordless picture book documents a series of zany mishaps in this fun story.
Good story and engaging illustrations

Stick
Steve Breen
Manufacturer: Dial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0803731248
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Book Description

Stick is a frog who likes to do things on his own—with no help from Mom. But one day he gets carried away . . . literally. His tongue accidentally sticks to a dragonfly when he tries to catch a mosquito, and off he's pulled across the swamp, through town, and into the big city of New Orleans, causing some very funny havoc along the way. When he finds himself stranded at the seashore, far from his mom, will he finally be ready to ask for help?

Author/illustrator Steve Breen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Grand Avenue. Stick, his picture-book debut, is rambunctious, silly, and couldn't be more endearing.

Customer Reviews:

A near-wordless picture book documents a series of zany mishaps in this fun story........2007-10-07

Steve Bresen's STICK tells of a young frog to likes to do things on his own with no help from Mom - until he gets carried away by a big, strong dragonfly and is pulled from his swamp home into a busy city. A near-wordless picture book documents a series of zany mishaps in this fun story.

Good story and engaging illustrations.......2007-06-12

Steve Breen, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, has entered the world of children's books with flair. His first picture book is called Stick and tells the story of an all-too-confident young frog who likes to do things on his own. This little frog is in for the adventure of a lifetime when his tongue "sticks" to an enormous dragonfly, and he is taken for a ride through the Deep South. The theme of this story will ring true for all those with little ones who sometimes find themselves in over their heads while trying to discover the world.

The simple story line of Stick is enjoyable, but the real appeal of this books lies in its beautiful illustrations. Each page is covered in vibrant color. From the bayou to the French Quarter, the illustrations are engaging and certainly show a slice of life from the Deep South.

The book is targeted for children ages four and up. The words are few, and the engaging graphics plentiful. I think the young ones in your life will find this story truly delightful and will want to look at the pictures over and over again.

If you're not already convinced to pick up a copy of this book for a child that you know, you may be interested in knowing that author Breen will be donating a portion of his royalties to Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. Here is a children's book that is visually appealing, geographically informative, and contributing to the rebuilding of a great city.

Armchair Interviews says: What a gift to give a child!

Dragonflies And Damselflies of Georgia And the Southeast (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book) (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book)

Average customer rating:

Great field guide.
Excellent!
Very impressed
Review from Florida
Dragonflies And Damselflies of Georgia And the Southeast

Dragonflies And Damselflies of Georgia And the Southeast (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book) (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book)
Giff Beaton
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0820327956

Product Description

Visit any pond on a summer day and the air will be alive with dragonflies and damselflies--shimmering aerobatic daredevils that dart above the water and even into nearby fields and woodlands. Organized for easy use in the field, this abundantly illustrated guide, with more than 400 color photographs, is the first to cover Georgia's dragonflies and damselflies (odonates). It details more than 150 species--species that are also the ones most likely to be seen throughout the U.S. Southeast north of Florida.

The guide first explains dragonfly and damselfly body parts, taxonomy, life cycles, and habitats; discusses conservation issues; and offers tips on observing and photographing odonates. Later chapters, organized according to the ten odonate families, such as spreadwings, darners, spiketails, and emeralds, provide general family information followed by accounts of individual species. The beautifully illustrated species accounts describe general appearance and key identification features, distribution, habitats, life history and behavior, and conservation. Supplementary materials include suggestions for the best places to watch odonates in Georgia, a comparative listing of species' level of endangerment, and the date range during which each species can be seen.

Odonates are easy to find and observe, and because they display an astounding variety of colors, sizes, and behaviors, they are popular with birders, butterfly watchers, and other nature enthusiasts. This guide will be welcomed by everyone who wants to learn about odonates and their habitats and what can be done to help protect them.

Included in species accounts:

- beautiful, detailed photos that show odonates from angles important to determining species, sex, or age

- common and scientific names o important features for field identification, with tips on distinguishing between similar-looking species

- typical behavior of the species, including breeding and feeding habits

- occasional commentary on taxonomy or other notable features

- colorful quick guide, with a range map, incidence information, sizing graphics, and flight period information

Additional features:

- listing of twenty ideal sites around the state for odonate watching

- notes on infrequently sighted species

- ratings for each odonate's conservation status, from most critically imperiled to most stable species o chronological listing of flight dates

- listing of additional resources: books, organizations, Web sites, and equipment suppliers

- glossary and index

Customer Reviews:

Great field guide........2007-09-07

This book sets new standards for odonate field guides. In addition to covering the Southeast this book is also useful for people living in the mid-atlantic states. Photographs are excellant.

Excellent!.......2007-08-20

Everything I wanted is in this book: beautiful photos, identification tips, larva information, possible locations, flight dates, and much more.

If you have even the slightest interest in odonates, you should buy this reference.

Very impressed.......2007-06-18

I have recently purchased this book and I am extremely happy with it. It contains a great deal of useful information and I actually found the quick key inside useful. I admit that am not very familiar with odonates, but this book has helped me i.d. a good portion of the dragonflies I have in my collection and has really encouraged me to pay more attention to them on my outdoor excursions.
Highly recommend this guide!

Review from Florida.......2007-05-30

Even though I am located in central Florida, I found the book to be extremely helpful. We have many of the same odonates here in Florida. Only a few of our species are not covered in the book and these are primarily South Florida species. The pictures are large and vivid which is very important in IDing dragonflies. Information is also included on flight seasons, range, similar species, habitat and behavior all of which are helpful in locating and identifying these little critters. Also, this is the only recent book covering the southeast that includes damselflies, a real plus.

Dragonflies And Damselflies of Georgia And the Southeast.......2007-05-12

An excellent pictorial treatment of the dragonflies and damselflies of the southeastern U.S. The photographs of each species is excellent. Every Odonata enthusiast needs this book in their library.

Average customer rating:

The warm, emotional colors of award-winning artist Barbara L. Gibson
Jewel's Reading Excellence Review: Helps children understand nature's life cycle
A Message of Hope for Children Who Are Grieving
Beautiful and excellent for all who grieve

The Dragonfly Door
John Adams
Manufacturer: Feather Rock Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1934066117

Product Description

Parents will help children identify the beauty and hope in all cycles of life as they follow two insect friends, Lea and Nym, and the struggles one of them endures when her friend disappears. This is a tender story about loss and change, written to help parents express their views about life and death. The book may serve many purposes, such as comforting a grieving child who has lost someone close or providing facts about dragonflies to inquisitive minds. Lea's transformation into a dragonfly may even be used as a metaphor for life-after-death. The Dragonfly Door is beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Barbara L. Gibson. The book is cherished by parents, grandparents and teachers. It was recently brought to life as a mini-play in Alabama to help children cope with the loss of their classmates. The following is an excerpt from the book: While Nym slept, she heard Lea's voice saying, "Follow me, Nym. I'm going to show you where I am." "Will I see you again?" Nym asked. "Only when it's time for you to die too," Lea replied. "You won't see me in the marsh ever again. But let me show you what I will look like the next time you see me. Here, close your eyes." Nym closed her eyes. "Now look at me," Lea said. Nym opened her eyes and saw ...

Customer Reviews:

The warm, emotional colors of award-winning artist Barbara L. Gibson.......2007-09-07

The debut children's picturebook of author John Adams, The Dragonfly Door dares to confront serious topics - of loss, death, grieving, and transition. Nym and Lea are two close insect friends, but one day after Nym yells at Lea, Lea disappears. Nym searches everywhere for her missing friend, and can't find her. At last Nym falls asleep, grief-stricken, and finally hears Lea's voice one more time. "'I died and went to this special place,' Lea said, her voice full of love. 'But I didn't want you to leave,' Nym pleaded. 'I'm sorry I yelled.' 'I know you're sorry,' Lea assured her. 'I left because my water nymph body died while I was picking flowers in the reeds, not because you yelled.'" The warm, emotional colors of award-winning artist Barbara L. Gibson illustrate this highly recommended picturebook for sharing the bittersweet realities of life with young people.

Jewel's Reading Excellence Review: Helps children understand nature's life cycle.......2007-05-10

John Adams brilliantly invites the reader into the world of Nymphs and Dragonflies to explore the changes that take place when Nym's friend goes to a special place.

When I had lost a family member I had read a wonderful story called, "The Water Bug Story." John Adams adds a fresh approach to this story by focusing on friendship loss and giving a voice to his characters. With the help of Gibson's eye-catching nature illustrations, "The Dragon Fly Door" answers general questions surrounding loss, such as feelings about loss, what happens to the nymph's body when he dies, and how a nymph is transformed into a dragonfly.

Adams creatively normalizes typical friendship rivalry and takes the reader on a nature journey to discover that one chooses to resolve conflict, loss, and changes in different ways. Adams concludes the book with uncomplicated educational facts for the inquisitive science mind.

This is a great educational tool for parents, grandparents or professionals to use to help explain the uncontrollable life cycle changes and loss.

Reviewed by Jewel Sample, MS
Award-winning author of Flying Hugs and Kisses(2006), also translated: Besos y Abrazos Al Aire(2006, Spanish edition) and Flying Hugs and Kisses Activity Book(2007)

A Message of Hope for Children Who Are Grieving.......2007-02-26

As President of a nonprofit organization that reaches out to those who are grieving, I was very pleased to read a book such as The Dragonfly Door. This book provides a much needed way to offer children (and adults) a message of hope following the death of a loved one.

Children can relate to the playful nature of Nym and Lea who are the two young nymph friends, the sorrow of Nym when Lea dies, and the comforting feeling when when Nym realizes that he will one day see Lea again as a dragonfly, when he too has made his transformation into a dragonfly.

Our nonprofit organization recommends this book so highly that we have decided to make it available for purchase at all of our events.
-Valerie Marquardt

Beautiful and excellent for all who grieve.......2007-02-18

I received this wonderfully beautiful book on the 8th anniversary of my son's graduation to Heaven ... that evening, I was able to read it with his daughter, who is now 9... I believe she gained another understanding of her Very Own Daddy in a beautiful place that we have not seen just yet ... and though she already knew he is waiting for her, this was another good reminder of that ... I was unaware of the dragonfly's life cycle and was so blessed to see how it seemingly parallels this life and the next. Thank you, John, for a wonderful way to help us all in our continuing journey with grief and the Hope we can have.

Me and My Place in Space (Dragonfly Books)

Average customer rating:

Okay, but inaccurate.
Me and My Place in Space
Great resource for home or classroom
Great non-fiction for young Children.
Wonderful for my 1 year old

Me and My Place in Space (Dragonfly Books)
Joan Sweeney
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0517885905
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Book Description

Where is the earth? Where is the sun? Where are the stars?

Now in a Dragonfly edition, here is an out-of-this world introduction to the universe for children. With earth as a starting point, a young astronaut leads readers on a tour past each planet and on to the stars, answering simple questions about our solar system. In clear language, drawings, and diagrams, space unfolds before a child's eyes. Colorful illustrations, filled with fun and detail, give children a lot to look for on every page and a glossary helps reinforce new words and concepts. A terrific teaching tool, Me and My Place in Space is an easy and enjoyable way to introduce the concept of space to the very youngest astronomers.

Customer Reviews:

Okay, but inaccurate........2007-10-01

I liked "Me on the Map" MUCH better. I ordered the space book because the map book was very useful in explaining the concept of map representation to my four year old. This book simply wasn't as good. It is inaccurate, also, as it includes Pluto as a planet, though it is no longer considered to be one.

Me and My Place in Space.......2007-04-01

This book is great! Excellent teaching tool. Engaging for children.

Great resource for home or classroom.......2007-02-14

I bought this book to introduce a unit on Saturn for my third grade class. When I first scanned the book I thought maybe I'd made a mistake and bought something beneath their level. Not so! I read it aloud to them & they loved it. They all wanted to take it home to read again.

Great non-fiction for young Children........2006-10-16

Great illustrations, and informative non-fiction for preschoolers. I am a big beleiver in improving young children's vocabulary through non-fiction reading. This book series will help keep your youngsters attention while you talk to him/her about the world around us. A couple sentences per page. If you want to read another science series with more reading and more detail, but still great illustrations try the "Let's read and find out science" series including "Why Frogs are Wet" and many others.

Wonderful for my 1 year old.......2005-12-16

My one year old daugher and I read this book at least once a day. She loves the illustrations-like the space suit with pop beads for the oxygen line. It is not too wordy, so she stays engaged, yet provides all the basic information about our solar system and planets. She can now identify the pictures of the moon and the earth by name and knows that earth is where she lives. An animal lover, she also likes that the cat journeys into space. My daughter and I often look at the night sky, and she knows the ASL signs for moon and stars. I think that is why she loves this book so much despite her young age. This is a wonderful introduction to basic astronomy, and has spurred me to order more books on space for us to share.

Dragonfly: Nasa and the Crisis Aboard Mir

Average customer rating:

Thrilling Look at the NASA - MIR Program
Realistic portrayal of NASA? Please say it ain't so!
Author did his homework
One of my favorite space books!
The history of NASA's own internal cold war.

Dragonfly: Nasa and the Crisis Aboard Mir
Bryan Burrough
Manufacturer: Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060932694

Amazon.com

Bryan Burrough, coauthor of the bestselling Barbarians at the Gate, has a talent for reworking factual accounts so they read like first-rate thrillers. Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard Mir is overwhelming in its scope and breadth of detail, culled from one-on-one interviews and transcripts of recorded conversations between the astronauts and cosmonauts on Mir and Russian Mission Control. Burrough delves deeply into the personal and professional lives of the 11 people who lived aboard Mir from 1995 to 1998. What we soon discover is simultaneously disheartening and fascinating: the men and women who would be astronauts must run a gauntlet of hazings, are judged professionally on their personal lives, and win flight assignments through serendipity as often as through hard work. NASA is controlled by cliques and cults of personality: "People don't speak out, because George makes short work of you if you do.... If you get on his bad side, you won't get a flight assignment...." There are "issues dealing with training and the selection of crews that you don't dare speak up about." The down-to-the-last-bolt descriptions of life aboard the station, from what the air smells like to an explanation of "penguin suits" to the distance between the dinner table and the original, now seldom-used toilet--2 feet--will thrill space enthusiasts. Space may not be "where no man has gone before" anymore, but it nevertheless provides endless dream fodder for those of us left behind on Earth. --Jhana Bach

Book Description

In this riveting account of the ill-fated American missions to MIR, bestselling author Bryan Burrough tells the incredible true story of how a joint Russian-American crew narrowly survived almost every trauma an astronaut could imagine: fire, power blackouts, chemical leaks, docking failures, nail-biting spacewalks and constant mechanical breakdowns, all climaxing in a dramatic midspace collision that left everyone on board scrambling for their lives.

Based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the cosmonauts, astronauts, Russian and American ground controllers, psychologists, and scientists involved, Drangonfly is the saga of a mission as fraught with political and bureaucraticintrigues as any Washington potboiler.

Customer Reviews:

Thrilling Look at the NASA - MIR Program.......2007-08-29

This book is an excellent look at life on board an aging space station. The author does an amazing job conveying all the problems on board including the relationship between the cosmonauts as well as the problems with TSUp (the Russian "mission control"). What also makes the book even more exciting are the transcripts of the communication between the cosmonauts and the ground team in Russia. We really get a sense of actually being in the station and going through the chaos along with the cosmonauts. One of the best accounts of life on board a space station. Highly recommended.

Realistic portrayal of NASA? Please say it ain't so!.......2007-03-18

NASA these days is nothing like what I expected. I thought an astronaut had to have balls. You know, as in courageous. Apparently that is no longer the case. NASA is now just another bureaucratic monstrosity that is more about paperwork and kissing butt than exploring outer space. I read in despair about how everyone must act like a little girl if they want to fly into space. That is, they must be cute, pretty, obedient little cyphers. They must have a half dozen college degrees and have a clean record that reveals a predictable, risk-adverse character. They must also get on the good side of some fat bureaucrat who is in charge of the place. Yes, Abbey, I'm talking about you, you fat henpecked b*tch.

No wonder NASA is no longer breaking ground with its manned missions. It is now run like a freakin' accounting firm, complete with effeminate sissies who pass for men and plenty of loud-mouthed spoiled brats who enjoy being women.

This is an excellent, informative book, and I ate it up. And it is no wonder that space exploration has stagnated in the past 30 years. Every successful company needs to be initiated by a strong man with balls. But down the road, it is inevitable that the women move in and make everything complicated. Rules are made, rules are made, rules are made, etc. Layer after arbitrary layer. Risk is abhored and chased away. Then you end up with today's NASA, where a character like Abbey must have his butt kissed if a man wishes to ride the space shuttle. What ever happened to daring? Why do we let the soccer moms take charge and mess it all up???

Author did his homework.......2004-11-16

This is a very well written and very well researched book. I was very much drawn into the story from the beginning of the book until the last page. Burrough did in depth interviews with about everyone associated with the program and conveys his interviews into a cohesive, interesting and very intriguing story . . . it was hard to put down!

One of my favorite space books!.......2003-12-28

This is a great book, very entertaining! You'll feel like you are really there, floating around in the space station.The book goes into a lot of behind-the-scenes personality clashes between astronauts/cosmonauts. Tells the story of the Mir and International space stations.

The history of NASA's own internal cold war........2003-11-28

Some of the history of big projects and peoples within NASA. This is a snapshot of the agency when it started to interact with the Russian and its MIR station. The point of view of many individuals on the ground and in space are shared.

A writtings about things in the past and the author should have kept it that way. One speculation that he made about the future was that a certain cosmonaut would never go to space again after a stay on MIR. That same cosmonaut was part of a crew for the ISS.

Space is unpredictable both on the ground and in orbit.

Average customer rating:

Great Way to Ease the "Pain" of Death

Water Bugs & Dragonflies

Great for Preschoolers to Adults!

A TINY book that encourages TREMENDOUS faith

religious thinking about death

Water Bugs & Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children (Looking Up)
Doris Stickney
Manufacturer: Pilgrim Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Grief & Bereavement | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Gifts | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Waterbugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children

I Miss You: A First Look At Death

Help Me Say Goodbye: Activities for Helping Kids Cope When a Special Person Dies

Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying

Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing With Loss (Elf-Help Books for Kids)

ASIN: 0829816240

Customer Reviews:

Great Way to Ease the "Pain" of Death.......2007-10-04

When I first received this book, I thought there is no way this is going to help explain anything and boy was I wrong. My husband of 5 years passed away very sudden and unexpectedly and I bought this book for our two sons who are 4 and 2. I read the story to them when I first received the book. The whole concept of how the water bug's body changed once he became a dragon fly and how he could not go back into the water was excellent. My 4 year old evey requests me to read this book to him. The prayer at the end is awesome. THANKS from a worried mother!

Water Bugs & Dragonflies.......2007-03-08

What a beautiful and simple way to explain death to children (and adults) using the cycle of the waterbug. This story was told to me 22 years ago by the pastor at my father's funeral and I was so excited to find it in book form. I shared it with families when I was a school nurse-teacher and now with my grandchildren when my mom passed away. I would highly recommend it to all who are faced with the task of helping children (and grieving adults) through a very difficult time.

Great for Preschoolers to Adults!.......2007-01-10

My 3.5 yr-old daughter's great-grandpa passed away. We were going to be attending the funeral, and I was one of the readers at the funeral. I knew she needed an explanation of what was going on. A bright girl, I knew that whatever I told her was going to stick, so I wanted to get the words right. I read a touching review of this booklet and decided to give it a try. It is small - the size of a CD booklet. But the words, written by a minister after his son's friend died, are poetic and poignant. 3 months later, my daughter still understands that great-grandpa is in Heaven (dragonfly) and we're still "in the pond" (water bugs). The word Heaven is not used in the book until the prayer at the end of it, which is also simple and great.

A TINY book that encourages TREMENDOUS faith .......2006-07-02

With I first bought this book, - I thought to myself "The Jehovah's 'Watchtower' is bigger than this!" Doubtful this teeny tiny thing would be of benefit at all.... So many of the books I have bought on this delicate and heartwrenching subject are far too scientific, cold, and frank in their language -- too few support a Religious child's upbringing; to BELIEVE that death is not the END, their love LIVES ON, and WILL be with them again.... And finding so many lacking a message of faith only discouraged me further to hold onto my own.
And all these others were bigger, fancier, far more artwork, many more pages - - But "Great things come in small packages"...BELIEVE IT!
I read it aloud just after I purchased it to a friend as we stood waiting for coffee - and found very quickly I had an audience - the patrons in line and the employees behind the counter were listening to me read, to my embarrassment - BUT..it seemed to reach down into each of us, and touch us all in some way or another. The kind employee confided in me when he handed me my coffee that he had lost his girlfriend to Leukemia 5 years ago,-how she suffered, - how HE STILL suffered... And he THANKED me for reading that outloud - ...and then, recognized me as the girl ALWAYS in the store, ALWAYS with tears streaming down my face, for hours, until closing - drinking coffee and kneeling on my knees in the aisles, SEARCHING every bible, every Religious text, books by every psychic and every therapist --Searching for SOMETHING, and he looked in my eyes and said he always knew what it was.....
I bought this book because my first and only love, left me a widow at 26, just two weeks before Thanksgiving, dying beside me in the car on the way to his mother's house- I thought he was sleeping, - but he had suffered an annuerisym, at age 30. My great heartbreak is I have no children to share this with of ours; we were trying to be "smart" and wanted to have everything ' ready ':( - But his nieces and nephews were so very attatched so very close to him, - I am desperate to comfort them -- even though I have yet to find it myself......
To my surprise, - these few pages seemed to have brought some tiny spark of life back into me.
I was never expecting what I intended to ease these children's hurt, instill hope and strengthen their waning faith in this tragedy - would have done this for ME.
There are even prayers and passages from the bible in the back, and an epilogue as touching as the story itself.
This will prove to be a great and cherished blessing, for whomever you give it to.
God bless The Stickneys for sharing this beautiful tale. And God bless you and comfort you if you are searching, too.

religious thinking about death.......2006-02-24

This little tiny book is a wonderful tale for small children about the difficulty of knowing what lies beyond the grave. In the most delicate and gentle way, the authors use the metaphor of the dragonfly larva, who live below the surface of the water, and the adult dragonflies, to illustrate the notion of someone going beyond our sight, to a marvelous place. They can't return to tell us about it. we just have to wait our turn. The authors' notes help to provide a spiritual context for talking to a young child about the death of someone close. I am an Episcopalian, and found the language and theology very congruent with our tradition.

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