Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

Amazon.com

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience. --Daphne Durham

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Begin at the Beginning

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Hardcover
Paperback

Why We Love Harry
Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards.
* Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

* The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius.
* Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother.
* The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

* Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'.
* Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children.
* The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge.
* Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming.
* Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone.
* Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager.
* Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape.
* Dumbledore's confession to Harry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur's answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling's most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley's Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.

Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling

"I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I'm sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.

Did You Know?

The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favorite book as a child. Jane Austen is Rowling's favorite author. Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favorite living writer.

A Few Words from Mary GrandPré

"When I illustrate a cover or a book, I draw upon what the author tells me; that's how I see my responsibility as an illustrator. J.K. Rowling is very descriptive in her writing--she gives an illustrator a lot to work with. Each story is packed full of rich visual descriptions of the atmosphere, the mood, the setting, and all the different creatures and people. She makes it easy for me. The images just develop as I sketch and retrace until it feels right and matches her vision." Check out more Harry Potter art from illustrator Mary GrandPré.

Customer Reviews:

Weird, Wacky and Wonderful !!!.......2007-10-16

How can you go wrong with this?

A must purchase for you, your children and grand children!

Love it!

Never understood the hype.......2007-10-15

My review and rating, here, are for the entire series.

I've never understood the hype. Several years and several thousand pages (granted, quick-reading pages) after I embarked with HP on his many many strikingly repetitive adventures, I must weigh in with ambivalence. On the one hand, one can only marvel at the number of kids (not to mention "kids", myself among them) who have flocked to Rowling's books. On the other hand, one can't help but feel -- OK, I can't help but feel -- that the HP series amounts to so many empty calories. Next to the likes of Tolkein, LeGuinn, and Lewis, to name a few of its literary precursors, Rowling's achievement pales in all but page count -- a wildly excessive, woefully underedited page count. I'm glad I read the HP books for two reasons: having done so, I am marginally more culturally literate (by the standards of late 20th/early 21st century western culture) than I would be had I not read them, and I am also better able to relate to/converse with my nephews (huge HP fans, all). But I'm also glad the series is, finally, a wrap. It was way too much of a so-so thing.

Everything you would want in a Potter book.......2007-10-14

Although I do think this is close to, if not the best book, it seemed to me that it was rushed at the end, perhaps she had a deadline with the publisher. I think some things could have been fleshed out a little more, but this was still very enjoyable and she did mange to wrap up nearly everything. If you bought any other Potter books, you will buy this one.

Outstanding performance.......2007-10-14

Jim Dale, who reads/preforms all of the Harry Potter audio books, is an extremely talented reader. He does realistic voices for each of the different characters, in varying accents (English, Scottish, etc.) that are incredibly genuine. I've read all of the books at least twice, but I feel like I get so much more (if that's possible!) out of the audio versions because Jim Dale's acting is so accurate. His inflections and timing are perfect, and he is very articulate. I listen to the HP books over and over in my car on the way to work, and (after at least 50 combined playings) have yet to get sick of them. A must have for all HP fans and lovers of literature.

is it really the end? sadly, yes.......2007-10-14

It was really upsetting to hear about all the spoilers floating around the internet, and I'm sure JK Rowling wasn't exactly pleased with it either. People like to ruin things for others, or maybe people just have nothing better to do than pretend to hate something so they can torture us all.

But I digress. Hearing spoilers before the book came out didn't ruin it's impact on me, and it surely didn't impact sales any. It would be completely ridiculous to not read this book if you heard spoilers, especially after everything that we Harry Potter fans had been through. Six other books, five movies, so much merchandise that I'm surprised my room hasn't caved in or collapsed from my collection. It really is fantastic to be a Potterhead, isn't it? Really, a lot of people may not understand it, but they honestly don't know what they're missing out on.

Now, onto the book. Obviously, I loved it. Each and every chapter. I gobbled the entire thing down in ten hours or so and literally could not stop until I had absorbed each word. In that ten hours, it was an obsession, an addiction, one of those things I desperately needed for my life to be complete. And I quite literally mean complete. Complete is such a taunting word, however. The end of something like this is always going to be eagerly wanted, but what happens when you finally get it and come to terms with the word complete? And over? Finished? No more? I don't really know. It's still hard to believe that so much time has gone by. In a way it almost feels like it's still July and there are people sporting Hogwarts apparel left and right.

I loved each and every character in Deathly Hallows, and even if the fates of them all weren't entirely eagerly received from me, I still love them. It was the ending I wanted. I mean that both with the actual plot of Harry, that involving him and Voldemort, but also with my favorite pairings that I was desperately CRAVING to just get it on already. This explains why I'm in the majority who like the epilogue. This is a work of sheer genius. JK Rowling knows how to write a novel, and there will never be anything like the Harry Potter series again (so stop trying, people). I wish there could be 70 books instead of just 7, but I suppose it's time to let Harry finally enjoy that peace he'd been wanting all his life.

Average customer rating:

Go lick an ashtray and wash it down with sewer water.
The Idea of Hope in the Post-Apocalyptic Morality Tale
You'll remember this book for years...
brilliant
Strange Lust to Lay the Human Spirit Bare

The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
Cormac McCarthy
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0307387895
Release Date: 2007-03-28

Amazon.com

Best known for his Border Trilogy, hailed in the San Francisco Chronicle as "an American classic to stand with the finest literary achievements of the century," Cormac McCarthy has written ten rich and often brutal novels, including the bestselling No Country for Old Men, and The Road. Profoundly dark, told in spare, searing prose, The Road is a post-apocalyptic masterpiece, one of the best books we've read this year, but in case you need a second (and expert) opinion, we asked Dennis Lehane, author of equally rich, occasionally bleak and brutal novels, to read it and give us his take. Read his glowing review below. --Daphne Durham

Guest Reviewer: Dennis Lehane

Dennis Lehane, master of the hard-boiled thriller, generated a cult following with his series about private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, wowed readers with the intense and gut-wrenching Mystic River, blew fans all away with the mind-bending Shutter Island, and switches gears with Coronado, his new collection of gritty short stories (and one play).

Cormac McCarthy sets his new novel, The Road, in a post-apocalyptic blight of gray skies that drizzle ash, a world in which all matter of wildlife is extinct, starvation is not only prevalent but nearly all-encompassing, and marauding bands of cannibals roam the environment with pieces of human flesh stuck between their teeth. If this sounds oppressive and dispiriting, it is. McCarthy may have just set to paper the definitive vision of the world after nuclear war, and in this recent age of relentless saber-rattling by the global powers, it's not much of a leap to feel his vision could be not far off the mark nor, sadly, right around the corner. Stealing across this horrific (and that's the only word for it) landscape are an unnamed man and his emaciated son, a boy probably around the age of ten. It is the love the father feels for his son, a love as deep and acute as his grief, that could surprise readers of McCarthy's previous work. McCarthy's Gnostic impressions of mankind have left very little place for love. In fact that greatest love affair in any of his novels, I would argue, occurs between the Billy Parham and the wolf in The Crossing. But here the love of a desperate father for his sickly son transcends all else. McCarthy has always written about the battle between light and darkness; the darkness usually comprises 99.9% of the world, while any illumination is the weak shaft thrown by a penlight running low on batteries. In The Road, those batteries are almost out--the entire world is, quite literally, dying--so the final affirmation of hope in the novel's closing pages is all the more shocking and maybe all the more enduring as the boy takes all of his father's (and McCarthy's) rage at the hopeless folly of man and lays it down, lifting up, in its place, the oddest of all things: faith. --Dennis Lehane

Book Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER
National Book Critic's Circle Award Finalist

A New York Times Notable Book
One of the Best Books of the Year
The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, The Denver Post, The Kansas City Star, Los Angeles Times, New York, People, Rocky Mountain News, Time, The Village Voice, The Washington Post

The searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

Customer Reviews:

Go lick an ashtray and wash it down with sewer water........2007-10-16

This tale of apocalyptic earth is a wonderfully descriptive and disturbing look at just what we could face when the term "nuclear winter" comes to mind.It is a brutal outlook to say the least and McCarthy continues to pound it in with the power of steel sledge hammer meeting anvil.The basics of life, food,safety,warmth,sleep,sex and piece of mind are all compromised and replaced with fear,hunger,despair and horror.Two are left to the characters,a father and son,hope and love,with not much else.Survival in such a scenario is bleak at best and one can only hope to be vaporized instantly if the bombs start falling.I say bombs because that was my own interpretation.The hows and whys are never really addressed in explaining just what did occur.It is full of lasting imagery and is very tactile.Reading this book makes you feel cold,you can almost palpate the heat of the fire,you taste the ash falling everywhere,you feel dirty,and hungry.You can sense the constant fear with every step but most of all a growing paranoia envelops you right up to the end.Mad Max,The Day After,A Boy and His Dog and for some strange reason Charlton Heston kept popping into my mind as I read.You won't want to put it down because every page brings new challenges and being on the road with this couple is an emotional roller coaster as they journey toward a core goal.The constant search for food,water and dry heat makes one appreciate what we do have and stand to loose if the right disaster strikes.If the earth dies,so do we plain and simple.Maybe not right away but life would be most unpleasant.The Road will take you there instantly.I don't know if it is worthy of a Pulitzer but it is written in an unusual style enabling you to zip through it quickly.It captures a global concern and reduces it to a minimalistic, isolated struggle.Hopefully mankinds urge to survive until the last person is standing never has to be put to the test as it was in The Road.Read it,file it away and think about it the next time you hear the term 'Cold War' which may be sooner than you think.

The Idea of Hope in the Post-Apocalyptic Morality Tale.......2007-10-15

A post-apocalyptic fable set in a nameless world after a nameless disaster and peopled by nameless characters, the story explores what happens when structure is gone. A man and his son scavenge through the wreckage for the basic (and extremely scarce) necessities of life, with absolutely no hope for the future, holding on only to their idea of their own "goodness." Goodness is a major theme in this novel: What does it mean to be "the good guys"? With a very stripped down approach to dialogue, the man and his son ponder this and hold it as their only value. "Are we still the good guys?" the son asks after his father has made hard choices for their safety. In a system where survival is the absolute only thing you can hope for, rules for how to go about it are laid down based on this sense of good guys vs. bad guys. The young son is the moral center of the book, raising questions about retribution and compassion.

Despite the bleakness surrounding them, the relationship between the father and the son is redemptive. Their love for one another is what makes them the good guys, because they still hold human life as a value. The father concedes to the words of the mother (who takes her own life before the story begins) when she says he wouldn't be alive without the boy. The boy gives him purpose. And being alive is still something to strive for (which should not be taken for granted in this context).

In fact, the spine of the book is hope, and the characters' relationship to hope. The questions that linger for me have to do with how hope is treated at the ending.I kept asking myself, What's the point of survival? To endure hardship in order to face nothing but more? How does hope fit into this?

I also began thinking about the appeal of the post-apocalypse story. Besides the desert island genre, it's really the only context that gives authors the freedom to envision characters without society, and thus without societal rules. I find that desert island/post-apocalypse narratives usually find the authors falling into one of two camps: utopia or dystopia. While the world set out in The Road is certainly dystopic, I would suggest that the novel is ultimately utopic-at least in the sense of human goodness (for the subjectivity of the novel, not the faceless evils that happened before). Without the hope for any material comfort, the only remaining thing to hope for is human good will. And it's here. In droves. It is tested, but it is here. Is that much hope disingenuous within the world he's laid out? Maybe. But it makes it very easy to connect with this book.
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You'll remember this book for years..........2007-10-14

I have read most of the author's books. This is by far his best. The quality of a book is the impression it makes on you years later. This book is that good. An unpleasantly dark, cold and painful book with simple writing but terrific story telling. You live and breathe it as you turn the pages. It answers the question of what's really most essential for survival - food, water, air, love and well-being of your child. This will will be remembered as a classic years from today.

brilliant.......2007-10-14

So many one stars given...wow. I understand that, but at the same time, I don't. I suppose it depends on just why you're giving it one star, but I still can't see any reason to because I loved the book.

The one thing I have to say for a potential reader, and the reason I'm making a quick little review here, is that sometimes, repentance is a good thing. Sure, there's nothing huge and mind-blowing that suddenly happens, and sure it always seems like this man and his son are constantly walking around, but deep inside it never really FELT like that. It never felt like a chore to keep reading and see where this pair ended up in two or three days. A book like this could have so easily become a chore, but it's really didn't. The emotion keeps it going, the dedication, the love. The grim nature keeps you hoping and desperately wanting someone to wake up and make the entire journey and near-end to the world a dream, or a speck of someone's twisted imagination. The end was utterly heart-breaking (I got tears in my eyes, which isn't entirely rare, but was still surprising to me); yet there was still this element of having been fulfilled. Mr. McCarthy certainly left me feeling fulfilled.

Strange Lust to Lay the Human Spirit Bare.......2007-10-12

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The morning after I read this book, I got the following quotation from a friend: "'Perhaps this is an age when men think bravely of the human spirit; for surely they have a strange lust to lay it bare.'-- Christopher Morley"

There is not a better way to describe The Road than a book written by someone who has a lust to lay the human spirit bare. Whether McCarthy thinks the human spirit brave is not quite clear, at least not at first.

In fact, at first I thought it was going to be like any dark epic journey, like the Tolkien Trilogy, perhaps, as in the parts of the Two Towers story where the lovable, overburdened characters are forced to go underground into mountain deeps, into the wet, lonely dark, for days that seem like years, ever followed by the trite, evil Gollum. Their mission? To rid the world of evil. That black missionary vision is a day in the park compared to the setting for The Road. This book has the grimmest backstory, the most bereft of hope, of any that I have ever encountered. Even black would be a relief: in this story everything is gray.

A father and son face a dead world. Not a metaphor. A literally dead world. Nothing lives. No birds. No animals (except for one dog (who most certainly will not live long), and the few human beings who have survived whatever catastrophe has befallen the world--a global fire, a nuclear explosion, perhaps a meteor--are so demented and de-civilized that they do anything to merely exist, including catching and eating each other (and in the most gruesome scene, a newborn baby).

The only palpable warm and living thing in the world is the love between the father and the son. McCarthy describes his two characters (whom he does not name) as each the world of the other. Indeed, one comes to see each as a world. Each is the only world left to the reader because there is nothing else to distract, no other world to see, no lovely literary interruptions of a sound of a swallow, or perhaps a novel description of a rainbow, to relieve the unrelieved dread. And, somehow--and it is writing mastery--McCarthy pulls it off. The reader's world narrows down so that all we care about are the two characters' reactions to each other, and, especially, their conversation.

I have never wished so much for the next piece of dialogue to come along in a piece of writing. What will the man say? What will the boy answer? I'm not at all sure I could exactly recommend this book to anyone, as I think I would rather have a colonoscopy than go anywhere near it again, it is so stark. But if you are brave (and have a large overflow of human feeling (you will need it to get through the book)), and if you want to experience what might be important at the end of the world, then this book's for you.

In case you would prefer that I cut to the chase, what's important at the end of the world is what has been important since it's beginning, that one protect and defend goodness and, above all, have a devotion to life, no matter what life may bring. My hope is that McCarthy's filled this particular niche and we can get back to writing about the living now and celebrate life. To my simple mind, imagining the end of the world is too close to predicting, or even--in this day of nuclear warfest--encouraging it. I have to add that I also question a novel that celebrates the value of love and eliminates women. It makes me queasy and, like the boy, scared.

The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)

Average customer rating:

Nice man, wandering story...
****LOVED IT****
MEASURE OF A MAN does not measure up
SPIRITUAL "Of, Relating to, Consisting of, or Affecting the Spirit" MERRIAM-WEBSTER
Books

The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
Sidney Poitier
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0061357901
Release Date: 2007-01-26

Book Description

"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I've suddenly come up with the answers to all life's questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I've done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
âSidney Poitier

In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measureâas a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.

Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what's coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma's voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters...and that's it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.

Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.

Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limitsâhis own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.

Customer Reviews:

Nice man, wandering story..........2007-10-04

I had to force myself to finish this book, simply because I didn't want to waste my money by leaving it when I was tempted to. It was interesting to realize that an actor whose work I had appreciated came from such a spare beginning, but by halfway through the book, the continuous wandering asides and disclaimers of the author so overwhelmed the narrative that I could barely tolerate it. It seems to me that the story could have been told to greater effect with half the words!

****LOVED IT****.......2007-09-24

Kept me interested...I really enjoyed this book...I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it!!!!

MEASURE OF A MAN does not measure up.......2007-09-21

Wow, a book about Sidney Poitier. An outstanding actor with a book that just does not give him true justice. The reading tends to be dry and lacks substance. His life struggles could have been the story of any man or woman, black or white. The writing and editing are weak in some sections.

You should rent or buy one of Poitier's movies instead. His movie roles show his true skills.

SPIRITUAL "Of, Relating to, Consisting of, or Affecting the Spirit" MERRIAM-WEBSTER.......2007-08-30

I've always been smitten with Poitier's voice--his diction and control on film, the flow of his words as they travel in and around ideas during interviews--so I read THE MEASURE OF A MAN with an ear for his voice. I wondered, Is it translatable to print? It is, but that means allowing Poitier's thoughts to meander until they find their point, and that his thoughts are less formulated (or formal) and more "in his own words," than they might be if they were written by a biographer. (I read just enough "You know?"s "You hear me when I tell you?"s and "You follow?"s to feel like he was talking to me, but not too many to be annoyed.) I read to imagine what it might be like to have a conversation with Poitier. The book reinforced what I already knew--I'd be as intimidated as heck--but it also gave me the courage to think I'd be able to speak my mind.

As an editor, I read Poitier's book because I wanted to know how he defines a "spiritual" autobiography. Is it a I-Was-A-Sinner-But-I-Found-Jesus-And-Now-I'm-Saved chronology? Is it about how Christianity or another faith influenced his life? Neither. Poitier examines the people, events, circumstances, beliefs, and so on, which have related to, consisted of, or affected his "spirit," and, in doing so, he writes about childhood experiences in the Bahamas, his changing perceptions of his parents, how he adapts to living in the United States, his approach to acting and filmmaking, and his attitude toward fatherhood. He also shares a debate a friend and he had about the Basic Truth of Nature, a debate worth every second of reading it takes to get to.

Is THE MEASURE OF A MAN going to satisfy readers interested only in Poitier's film career? No, but I urge them to read it anyway, if for no other reason than to find out how his "spirit" influenced the films he starred in.

Books.......2007-08-21

I purchased this book for my daughter and she loved it!
She is a teacher and plans to teach this story in her English class fall 2007.
A great story with a great moral.

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)

Average customer rating:

Exactly what I expected.
Calvin and Hobbes Collection
Calvin and Hobbes - one of the best comics !!!
It's a tiger's world
A Great Discovery

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)
Bill Watterson
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Calvin and Hobbes | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0740748475
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Amazon.com

An Excerpt from Bill Watterson's Introduction:

"I've loved comic strips as long as I can remember. As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as I don't even like riding in elevators. I kept my options open until seventh grade, but when I stopped understanding math and science, my choice was made. There is great personal satisfaction in attending to detail and quality, and I remain very proud of the standards the strip met day after day. I also liked the responsibility of knowing that, succeed or fail, it was all my own doing. This approach kept the strip very honest and personal--everything having to do with Calvin and Hobbes expressed my own ideas, my own values, my own way. I wrote every word, drew every line, and painted every color. It's a rare gift to find such fulfilling work and I tried to show my appreciation by giving the strip everything I had to offer."

Exclusive Images from the New Collection

More Calvin and Hobbes Books

The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book
Weirdos from Another Planet!
Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons

Book Description

Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger was first syndicated in 1985 and appeared in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. More than 30 million of the 17 Calvin and Hobbes books (all published by Andrews McMeel) have been sold. And now, the entire body of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons published in a truly noteworthy tribute to this singular cartoon. Composed of three hardcover, four-color volumes in a sturdy slipcase, this edition includes all Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that ever appeared in syndication. This is the treasure that all Calvin and Hobbes fans seek.

Customer Reviews:

Exactly what I expected........2007-10-10

It's the Complete Calvin and Hobbes collection, what else could you be expecting? It's bound in three giant books which is beautifully done, simply no complaints here. Use your heads people.

Calvin and Hobbes Collection.......2007-10-05

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)
Love the collection. The only real problem is the size of the books can make them unwieldy to hold when reading, however, it is well worth it!!!

Calvin and Hobbes - one of the best comics !!!.......2007-10-01

Got this as a gift for my wife on her b'day, C&H are her fav comics. she loved it !!! Cant go wrong with C&H.

I am a fan of pearls before swine tho' :D

It's a tiger's world.......2007-09-26

Still love Calvin and Hobbes; read it every day for years when it came out.
A perfect melange of adult and kid perspective, this strip will remind you of how you were as a kid. I was definitely Calvin, minus Hobbes. I've got the report cards to prove it.
This edition is worth getting for adults, for the quality of the printing and care in the binding. For kids I'd say get used copies of the big paperbacks; cheaper and less worrisome when your little devils inevitably tear it apart from reading it over and over.
Right up there with Doonesbury and Bloome County as a modern comic strip classic.

A Great Discovery.......2007-09-23

As a foreigner, living in England, I was introduced to Calvin and Hobbes by a friend, Rod Patten of Austin TX.
Firstly I trawled the websites, but now I have this three volume combined edition. Anytime I'm a little low or bored, out come C&H.
The humor and draftsmanship are both superb.
I can thoroly recommend this book to anyone with a g.s. of h.

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

Average customer rating:

...and so is this book
Ranks up there with Common Sense, Uncle Toms Cabin, The Femine Mystique
Embracing Business Globalization's Irreversibility
What a good boy am I
My opinion is flat

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Thomas L. Friedman
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Globalization | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

ASIN: 0374292795
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Amazon.com

Updated Edition: Thomas L. Friedman is not so much a futurist, which he is sometimes called, as a presentist. His aim in The World Is Flat, as in his earlier, influential Lexus and the Olive Tree, is not to give you a speculative preview of the wonders that are sure to come in your lifetime, but rather to get you caught up on the wonders that are already here. The world isn't going to be flat, it is flat, which gives Friedman's breathless narrative much of its urgency, and which also saves it from the Epcot-style polyester sheen that futurists--the optimistic ones at least--are inevitably prey to.

What Friedman means by "flat" is "connected": the lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution that have made it possible to do business, or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet. This in itself should not be news to anyone. But the news that Friedman has to deliver is that just when we stopped paying attention to these developments--when the dot-com bust turned interest away from the business and technology pages and when 9/11 and the Iraq War turned all eyes toward the Middle East--is when they actually began to accelerate. Globalization 3.0, as he calls it, is driven not by major corporations or giant trade organizations like the World Bank, but by individuals: desktop freelancers and innovative startups all over the world (but especially in India and China) who can compete--and win--not just for low-wage manufacturing and information labor but, increasingly, for the highest-end research and design work as well. (He doesn't forget the "mutant supply chains" like Al-Qaeda that let the small act big in more destructive ways.)

Friedman has embraced this flat world in his own work, continuing to report on his story after his book's release and releasing an unprecedented hardcover update of the book a year later with 100 pages of revised and expanded material. What's changed in a year? Some of the sections that opened eyes in the first edition--on China and India, for example, and the global supply chain--are largely unaltered. Instead, Friedman has more to say about what he now calls "uploading," the direct-from-the-bottom creation of culture, knowledge, and innovation through blogging, podcasts, and open-source software. And in response to the pleas of many of his readers about how to survive the new flat world, he makes specific recommendations about the technical and creative training he thinks will be required to compete in the "New Middle" class. As before, Friedman tells his story with the catchy slogans and globe-hopping anecdotes that readers of his earlier books and his New York Times columns know well, and he holds to a stern sort of optimism. He wants to tell you how exciting this new world is, but he also wants you to know you're going to be trampled if you don't keep up with it. A year later, one can sense his rising impatience that our popular culture, and our political leaders, are not helping us keep pace. --Tom Nissley

Where Were You When the World Went Flat?

Thomas L. Friedman's reporter's curiosity and his ability to recognize the patterns behind the most complex global developments have made him one of the most entertaining and authoritative sources for information about the wider world we live in, both as the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and as the author of landmark books like From Beirut to Jerusalem and The Lexus and the Olive Tree. They also make him an endlessly fascinating conversation partner, and we've now had the chance to talk to him about The World Is Flat twice. Read our original interview with him following the publication of the first edition of The World Is Flat to learn why there's almost no one from Washington, D.C., listed in the index of a book about the global economy, and what his one-plank platform for president would be. (Hint: his bumper stickers would say, "Can You Hear Me Now?")

And now you can listen to our second interview, in which he talks about the updates he's made in "The World Is Flat 2.0," including his response to parents who said to him, "Great, Mr. Friedman, I'm glad you told us the world is flat. Now what do I tell my kids?"

The Essential Tom Friedman

From Beirut to Jerusalem
The Lexus and the Olive Tree
Longitudes and Attitudes

More on Globalization and Development

China, Inc. by Ted Fishman
Three Billion New Capitalists by Clyde Prestowitz
The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs

Globalization and Its Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli
The Mystery of Capital by Hernando de Soto

Book Description

The World Is Flat is Thomas L. Friedman’s account of the great changes taking place in our time, as lightning-swift advances in technology and communications put people all over the globe in touch as never before—creating an explosion of wealth in India and China, and challenging the rest of us to run even faster just to stay in place. This updated and expanded edition features more than a hundred pages of fresh reporting and commentary, drawn from Friedman’s travels around the world and across the American heartland—from anyplace where the flattening of the world is being felt.

In The World Is Flat, Friedman at once shows “how and why globalization has now shifted into warp drive” (Robert Wright, Slate) and brilliantly demystifies the new flat world for readers, allowing them to make sense of the often bewildering scene unfolding before their eyes. With his inimitable ability to translate complex foreign policy and economic issues, he explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century; what it means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals; how governments and societies can, and must, adapt; and why terrorists want to stand in the way. More than ever, The World Is Flat is an essential update on globalization, its successes and discontents, powerfully illuminated by one of our most respected journalists.

Download Description

The Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist gives a bold, timely, and surprising picture of the state of globalization in the twenty-first century

Customer Reviews:

...and so is this book.......2007-10-10

Though it has become an immensely popular book, Friedman's work is fairly shallow and simplistic. It is important to remember that this is a world analysis written by a journalist, not by a political economist or any type of economist or political scientist. His views are oversimplified and his support relies heavily on anecdote, making his 600-pager about 400 pages too long. We read it for a poli sci class and proceeded to tear it apart intellectually.

Ranks up there with Common Sense, Uncle Toms Cabin, The Femine Mystique.......2007-10-10

One of the greatest books ever written. Everyone in America should read this book. Every teacher in America should read and teach Frieman's lessons. Every parent should read and help prepare their children for the world that is coming. Every student should read and begin to prepare for the world they are going to face. This is the most important book of our times, bar none.

Embracing Business Globalization's Irreversibility.......2007-10-10

This is easily the most relevant book written on the new realities of business globalization, its irreversibility, and the practical consequences to our future. Friedman does an excellent job describing the numerous factors that led up to our current global economy including the ongoing fall of communism, the advent of the personal computer, and the ubiquity of the Internet. His historical review and assessment is fascinating and it sets up the reader to understand the context for his theories and practical applications. Friedman delves into numerous industries, businesses, personalities, case studies, technologies, psychological factors, and sociological factors. Although he covers numerous business, technological, and economic concepts, his writing style is very engaging and entertaining, using many personal examples and narratives, thereby holding the reader's interest. Rather than bemoaning some of the common perceived negative consequences of a global economy (such as US auto workers losing jobs to overseas cheaper labor) Friedman helps the reader to understand business globalization's irreversibility. In so doing, he describes many personal, practical, and business strategies for thriving in this new environment. Friedman is realistic and compassionate concerning the changes and the challenges. He states, "the great challenge for our time will be to absorb these changes in ways that do not overwhelm people but also do not leave them behind. None of this will be easy. But this is our task. It is inevitable and unavoidable" (pp. 46-47). As Friedman unfolds his strategies, he gives the reader a broader, global perspective that is filled with hope and excitement. Whether as a CEO, a business student, or a brand new professional embarking upon a career, this book is insightful, practical, and essential reading.

What a good boy am I.......2007-10-06

Reading this book is like watching someone else's kids open their Christmas presents from relatives they don't really know. I'm not sure how the author can possibly be so fascinated by technology and yet know absolutely nothing about it at the same time, but his endless diatribes about the miracles of PayPal and Microsoft Word are beyond laughable, and I was pretty much in shock when he started citing howstuffworks-dot-com as a technical reference on fiber optics and SOAP. What editor told him that this was OK?

So enamored with his own cleverness is he that Mr. Friedman dedicates several pages to explaining the book's title, even though a single sentence would have sufficed. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop after the first chapter; rather than make a point and move on, he has to point out the fact that he just made a point and tell you what a wonderful point it was just in case you missed the point. It's like hanging out with that one friend who sits around smiling and pointing to his hindquarters after he rips one off at the dinner table.

If you want to learn about globalization and are not old enough to remember the first light bulb, go read "No Logo" instead. This is horrible, irrelevant geriatric babbling.

My opinion is flat.......2007-10-03

When a book has had over a thousand reviews, what can I possibly say that hasn't already been said? So I will keep it short and not so sweet.

No one will read this book, or any of the updates, for "fun." Do you NEED to read it? Yes, it contains some important economic concepts and realities, but it's a bit overlong. I'd say it could be cut in half, so skim through some of the numerous "interviews," repetition of central points, and endless advice and encouragement. The global pie is getting bigger and better, but the competition for piecies of that pie is heating up. Smart, ambitious, creative people will thrive; slow, lazy, dull people will languish, and everything inbetween. For too long many Americans have been sitting on their laurels and the day of reckoning is near. Heed this warning: Put down your TV remotes, game controllers, and iPods, and start working like your life (or lifestyle) depended on it. Get your rear into some serious gear, and don't balk at the notion that you should be an "expert" in at least three different, unrelated fields. Does this scare or excite you?

In so many interviews with foreign entrepreneurs, we are told (or reassured) that no matter how much of the "mundane" work is performed by countries other than the U.S., America's creative and innovative spark is still unsurpassed: All the world looks to America to lead the way into the future. I'm not sure. A lot of that "mundane" work was high level and highly paid, and why should we expect that America will continue to dominate in creativity and innovation? The truth is, we're in for a flattening of living standards, and from the perspective of the relatively high American standard of living, it will seem like a drop in standards until we reach another equilibrium (who knows how long that will take?). In any case, the reassurances about the talents and abilities of Americans seem at odds with other parts of the book, such as Bill Gates feeling "terrified at the American work force of tomorrow."

If you're already working hard at becoming an expert in three fields, then you probably don't need to read this book. Indeed, you probably don't have time to read it, or to read and write Amazon reviews, for that matter.

PMP Exam Prep, Fifth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam

Average customer rating:

Great book to pass the PMP on the FIRST TRY
Strangely useful book, if you can sort through the clutter
Essential Study Guide to pass the exam
Extremely Disappointed
the only guide you'll need

PMP Exam Prep, Fifth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam
Rita Mulcahy
Manufacturer: RMC Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try (Test Prep series)
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ASIN: 1932735003
Release Date: 2005-08-08

Product Description

Can you imagine valuing a book so much that you send the author a "Thank You" letter?

Tens of thousands of people understand why PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy, PMP, is a worldwide best-seller. Is it Rita's years of PMP exam preparation experience? The endless hours of ongoing research? The interviews with project managers who failed the exam, to identify gaps in their knowledge? Or is it the razor-sharp focus on making sure project managers don't waste a single minute of their time studying any more than they absolutely have to? Actually, it's all of the above.

PMP Exam Prep, Fifth Edition by Rita Mulcahy contains hundreds of updates and improvements from previous editions--including new exercises and sample questions never before in print. Offering hundreds of sample questions, critical time-saving tips plus games and activities available nowhere else, this book will help you pass the PMP exam on your FIRST try.

Customer Reviews:

Great book to pass the PMP on the FIRST TRY.......2007-10-11

I bought this book off of Amazon, read it twice, and was able to pass my PMP exam on the first try. One of the things that also helped me was that I outlined each chapter and studied those as well.

I do recommend using the PMBOK guide as a reference mainly for the Scope, Procurement and Risk chapters. Make sure that you know the difference between all the charts/diagrams and analysis techniques as well.

If you need the PMBOK, you can get a PDF copy off of ebay for $6.00 US. Furthermore, there are paper tests, study materials, and helpful hints on ebay for under $15.00 US.

Good luck!!!!!

Strangely useful book, if you can sort through the clutter.......2007-10-10

I passed my PMP Exam, but I would not be thanking this book for it. Unlike other books, this book presents a lot of good material, but the material is strewn across several useless exercises and discussions. The workbook style is going to serve you no good purpose, as it is not meant to test your understanding and retention, rather it is geared towards pointing out how much of your real life understanding of the topic is different from the one the author is presenting. This gets exasperating, repetitive, and inane in a few pages. The text is not coherent, not easy to follow, has a lot of repetitive elements, and is poorly organized for an exam study guide.

Look past the crowd of words, and you will pick up some gems of information for the exam. I would suggest Head First PMP for those looking to "understand and retain" some of the key concepts for the exam, but I will recommend using combination of these books and PMBOK Guide for a good coverage.

The questions presented in this book are similar to those asked in the exam, and I'd rate the book high for just that reason.

Essential Study Guide to pass the exam.......2007-10-08

Of course PMBOK is necessary to get the knowledge of PM best practice, but if you want to pass the PMP exam, Rita's book is a must, cuz PMBOK never tell you what you should be expecting in terms of exam questions.
After going through PMBOK and PMI's own training course, I read through Rita's PMP Exam Prep 3 times, practicing using the software included and the test questions at the end of each chapter, and passed the exam in first try.
This book's really cool. Not only for exam prep, it also highlighted areas of importance of each section so the information will be useful in real-life scenario as well. I highly recommended this book for everyone, esp those trying to pass the exam through self-study.

Extremely Disappointed.......2007-10-07

I've read this and many other PMP study guides and here is my opinion. I passed the PMP exam but NOT due to this book. The main disappointment I have with this book (and a few others) is that it is organized according to the knowledge areas, whereas the PMP exam specifications by PMI are organized according to the process groups. Also it makes more sense to study project management by process groups because this approach is closer to the real life experience: initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. If I need to look at the project management body of knowledge organized according to the knowledge areas, I would rather look at the PMBOK Guide. The exam study guides should follow the exam specifications, and should not be a mere re-run of the PMBOK Guide. Also, there is no mention of the exam objectives in any chapter. It reads like more or less a re-run of the PMBOK Guide without any consideration of the exam spec. Other drawbacks of the book are the following:
1.Questions are artificially difficult and not very close to the real exam questions.
2.Lots of empty spaces in the book
3.Lots of uncovered topics (or missing explanations) for which the book refers to the PMBOK Guide.
4.Lots of errors/typos
So, don't use it as a primary source for your preparation. It's ok as a secondary source.

the only guide you'll need.......2007-09-26

Pros:
1 - very well organized.
2 - great exercises help eliminate memorization. (although some amout of memorization is required).
3 - Helped me understand "wrong" project management practices. My favourite is the planning process. I have actually built my own little PM planning check list.
4 - Rita does an excellent job mixing concepts with examples, making reading the material a lot easier.
5 - if you are into project management, you will easily relate to a lot of concepts.
6 - great end of chapter review questions. (Some quite tricky)

Cons
1 - shameless advertising of other products is a bit of a turn off.
2 - There were times when I disagreed with Rita's point of view.
3 - Sometimes the end of chapter questions test you for english comprehension instead of project management skills. For example project manager is working on completing risk identification versus project manager has completed risk identification. The intent here is to deliberately trip the student.

Average customer rating:

Best yet
Great as always!
Dead or Disappeared
Another winner
Love harry but need more Bob the Skull

White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
Jim Butcher
Manufacturer: Roc Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0451461401
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

A sensational addition to the Dresden Files adventures-from a USA Today bestselling author.

Professional wizard Harry Dresden is investigating a series of deaths in Chicago. Someone is killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of becoming full-fledged wizards. Shockingly, all the evidence points to Harry's half-brother, Thomas, as the murderer. Determined to clear his sibling's name, Harry uncovers a conspiracy within the White Council of Wizards that threatens not only him, but his nearest and dearest, too...

Customer Reviews:

Best yet.......2007-10-08

Any series featuring a single main character runs a risk of getting stale, following a formula. I'm delighted to say that has not only NOT happened with White Knight, it's the best book yet.

Harry Dresden grows emotionally. His relationships with his brother and Murphy change and develop in both heartbreaking and heartwarming ways. And the main plot gets more exciting and more engrossing in each book, something that rarely occurs. My only complaint (as usual) is that it will be so long before the next book!

Great as always!.......2007-09-22

Jim does it again! Harry Dresden continues to grow and evolve as a character. Fast paced and I couldn't put it down!

Dead or Disappeared.......2007-09-21

White Night (2007) is the ninth Urban Fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following Proven Guilty. In the previous volume, Harry fetched Molly Carpenter back from Arctis Tor, with a little help from his friends. He took her back to her family, but she decided to turn herself in to the White Council for violations of the Fourth Law.

At the trial, the Merlin arbitrarily convicted her of using black magic and sentenced her to death. Harry pointed out that the Gatekeeper hadn't yet cast his vote. Then Ebenezar McCoy arrived with survivors of the Warden training group accompanied by Molly's father Michael. Merlin reconsidered his verdict and Molly became Harry's apprentice.

In this novel, Sergeant Murphy has a probable suicide, but she rides a hunch and calls in Harry. He checks out the scene and casts a spell at a particular place on the wall. The notation "EXODUS 22:18" appears and Karrin knows the victim was murdered.

Suddenly, Murphy strikes out with a foot sweep and a young woman -- little more than a girl -- becomes visible and falls to the floor. Harry's apprentice Molly hasn't done as he told her and now she has a few bruises and pains to remind her to obey her master. Not that she is going to pay attention, but one more lesson won't hurt . . . much!

Harry does congratulate her on the invisibility spell, but points out that both he and Sergeant Murphy had noticed a few out-of-place sounds and smells. Molly needs to put in some extra practice, but she is improving. Molly goes home happy, but aching in several places.

In this story, Harry and Murphy find other victims around Chicago and elsewhere. Most of the Chicago victims belong to a witch group known as Ordo Lebes, which Dresden translates in his correspondence course Latin as "Order of the Big Pot". Karrin, however, suggests that a better interpretation would be "Order of the Cauldron". But one victim does not belong to this order.

Harry also discovers that one of the Ordo Lebes is Helen Beckitt, whom he has had problems with in the past. Although she cooperates with Harry and Murphy and doesn't even deny her prison record, Dresden just can't bring himself to trust her. When he discovers that she works for John Marcone, both Harry and Murphy become suspicious of her behavior.

Harry meets another old acquaintance on this case. Elaine had been his first girl, but they had parted after Harry killed their mentor. While the White Council ruled that the killing was in self-defense, Elaine was already gone. Yet she had not forgotten him and even followed his career path as a consulting wizard.

This story also has a minor side plot involving the fallen angel Lasciel. The shadow of Lasciel residing in his mind provides some useful services, such as translation of dead languages, but is still trying to seduce him to the evil side. It occurs to Harry that such seduction can go both ways and he treats "Lash" as an almost trusted friend. Some surprising changes occur.

While Harry doesn't really like being a Warden of the White Council, he hasn't considered it as a handicap. Then a mysterious Grey Cloak is noticed as somehow involved with the dead witches and everybody is afraid to tell Harry. And his brother Thomas is often observed with these victims shortly before their death or disappearances. Being an enforcer for the Council is bad enough without the paranormal community wondering whether you are responsible for these passings.

Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of preternatural creatures, paranormal individuals, and strange happenings.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Another winner.......2007-09-17

The Dresden File books have maintained their quality and readability. This one is no exception. Love the way these stories play out.

Love harry but need more Bob the Skull.......2007-09-05

I love this series and enjoy the way it is going. Harry is amusing and this one does not disappoint. I do miss Bob the Skull. He was not featured as much in this one and i miss that... just my own personal quirk.

Photoshop CS / CS2 Wow! Book, The, 1/e (WOW!)

Average customer rating:

Top Notch
Easy to understand
WOW!!!!!!!!!
WOW you can learn alot from this book!
This book is awesome!

Photoshop CS / CS2 Wow! Book, The, 1/e (WOW!)
Linnea Dayton , and Cristen Gillespie
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adobe Photoshop | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Adobe Illustrator CS2 Wow! Book (WOW!)
The Photoshop Channels Book
Photoshop Artistry: For Photographers Using Photoshop CS2 and Beyond (Voices That Matter)
Photoshop Masking & Compositing (VOICES)
Adobe Photoshop Restoration & Retouching (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter)

ASIN: 0321213459

Book Description

Ever since Photoshop version 2.5, The Photoshop Wow! Book has enlightened and inspired graphic designers, illustrators, and photographers around the globe. This newest edition delivers the familiar award-winning mix of explanations and step-by-step tutorials for creating both commercial and fine-art images, with tips and beautiful galleries that distinguish this book as the most inspiring Photoshop resource around. Redesigned for easy reference, Photoshop CS/CS2 Wow! also includes new short features in which professional photographers and designers let you in on their creative secrets for quick solutions. The DVD-ROM includes hundreds of before-and-after tutorial files, Layer Styles and Patterns, as well as Actions, gradients, custom tools, and other goodies. You’ll learn the most innovative techniques for creating and enhancing images, graphics, and type, including:

• How and when to use the new features in Photoshop CS and CS2, including the Spot Healing Brush, Lens Correction, Lens Blur, Vanishing Point, and Variables
• How to build your skill with familiar Photoshop features such as blend modes, adjustment layers, channels, and filters
• How to focus attention on the subject of a photo, retouch a portrait, tint an image, or convert a color image to black-and-white
• How to bring out your inner artist with Photoshop’s sophisticated brushes and vector-drawing tools
• How to create dazzling special effects for type and graphicsâfrom custom textures and realistic materials to animation and rollover for the web
• How to build a striking layout or a seamless composite, including the little details that make a big difference in the art of creating illusions
• How to keep your creations organized with layers, layer set or groups, layer comps, and Smart Objects

Customer Reviews:

Top Notch.......2007-07-26

This is your Photoshop Bible that you should keep with you at all times! I just hate that I paid $65 for it at Borders, when I could have gotten it here for MUCH less!

Easy to understand.......2007-07-03

This book has photos that are easy to see, explains things as to why (unlike most books) and goes into depth on how to create a website in Photoshop. If you are looking to get this book for scrapbooking, try looking at digital magazine subscriptions. While this is a great book, it doesn't show how to make elements or how to even scrapbook. However, you won't be disappointed if you purchased this book. You'll learn a lot that can be applied once you open your scrapbooking files.

WOW!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-30

I waited for ever for this book to come out. I loved the last one and wanted the new one when CS first came out. It is almost twice as big as the last one, because each section has been enhanced. enhancing photos section is almost twice the size, as photoshop gets better they keep up. if you already worked with photoshop it is really easy to skim through by just looking at the side images, which also help when u are a beginner and have no idea what they are talking about in the main section. all the wow books seem to feature that system.

WOW you can learn alot from this book!.......2007-06-29

Well written for the novice to the advanced user. (There's always something you'll learn).

Worth the money.

This book is awesome!.......2007-05-23

This is the ultimate BIBLE and a MUST have for all PhotoShop users! It shows you all the tips & tricks to create very professional graphics.

The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 11th Edition

Average customer rating:

way over-rated
Great guide for GMAT
Aashish
Here's How I did it...
Great, but watch it!

The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 11th Edition

Manufacturer: Graduate Management Admission Council
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Education | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review
The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review
Kaplan GMAT, 2007 Edition: Premier Program (Kaplan Gmat (Book & CD-Rom))
Kaplan GMAT 800, 2007-2008 Edition (Kaplan Gmat 800)
Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (Manhattan GMAT Preparation Guides)

ASIN: 0976570904

Customer Reviews:

way over-rated.......2007-10-07

The Kaplan book is soooo much better. This gives you the answers but doens't explain how to get to them. obviously if you're trying to brush up on your math...it's very very very very frustrating.

Great guide for GMAT.......2007-10-05

It is imperative that when you practice for the GMAT you actually practice with questions that are most likely to appear on the GMAT.

All questions are GMAT are copyrighted, that means other guides cannot reproduce or even represent the questions with minor modifications. Since you cannot predict the question that will come on the GMAT, the best thing to do is to practice on questions that have previously appeared on the GMAT.

This guide book does exactly that, it gives you a LOT of past questions arranged in ascending order of difficulty for both the quantitative and the verbal section. According to me, it is the best guide book you can find for practicing for the GMAT.

Aashish.......2007-09-17

This, in addition to the Manhattan GMAT book-set and their online prep tests, should be good preparation enough..

Haven't yet given my GMAT...

Here's How I did it..........2007-09-12

Here's how one old geezer (47 y/o) prepped for the GMAT. I started in late June 07 and first bought the Princeton Cracking the GMAT and Math Workout books. I worked through all the quantitative sections in those books and skimmed the verbal (I am far weaker in math than verbal). That took about a month. Then I bought the GMAT Official Guide and again worked through the quantitative areas and skimmed the verbal. That took another 4 weeks. In the meantime I had signed up for the test and received the GMAT prep software. I took the first practice test in mid-July and scored 560. That was fine with me because I only needed to score 500 or better to get into the grad program I wanted. When I completed the Official Guide (about three weeks later) I took the second practice test and scored 680. I reviewed certain math topics for another two weeks and took the test Sept 6. My official score was 670, not Harvard-worthy but plenty good for someone who took their last math class twenty years ago. So my advice in a nutshell is use the Princeton books, the Official Guide and take both tests on the GMATprep software. The practice tests are great for acclimating yourself to the actual test taking environment and learning how to pace yourself. And don't be afraid to guess on math questions- a wild guess is better than taking 5 minutes to work out one problem. Good Luck- believe me, if I can do it you can too.

Great, but watch it!.......2007-09-03

This book does a great job of breaking down questions and problems. It shows you the patterns used in the tests so that you can recognized WHICH kind of problem is being presented. It explains a lot! However, you have to be careful because there are several errors, especially in the math section. The answers are right, but the mathematics getting to the answer is not always correct (ie. multiplication sign used where an addition sign should be).

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

A thin book with everything you need
eye-opening analysis
Fantastic - Easy to Understand and Use
Mandatory reading for developing on the Web
Good content, poor binding

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
Steve Krug
Manufacturer: New Riders Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Website Architecture & Usability | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
Bulletproof Web Design: Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and CSS (2nd Edition)
The Design of Everyday Things
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions

ASIN: 0321344758

Amazon.com

Usability design is one of the most important--yet often least attractive--tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humor and excellent, to-the-point examples.

The title of the book is its chief personal design premise. All of the tips, techniques, and examples presented revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain. Readers will quickly come to agree with many of the book's assumptions, such as "We don't read pages--we scan them" and "We don't figure out how things work--we muddle through." Coming to grips with such hard facts sets the stage for Web design that then produces topnotch sites.

Using an attractive mix of full-color screen shots, cute cartoons and diagrams, and informative sidebars, the book keeps your attention and drives home some crucial points. Much of the content is devoted to proper use of conventions and content layout, and the "before and after" examples are superb. Topics such as the wise use of rollovers and usability testing are covered using a consistently practical approach.

This is the type of book you can blow through in a couple of evenings. But despite its conciseness, it will give you an expert's ability to judge Web design. You'll never form a first impression of a site in the same way again. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

User patterns
Designing for scanning
Wise use of copy
Navigation design
Home page layout
Usability testing

Book Description

Five years and more than 100,000 copies after it was first published, it's hard to imagine anyone working in Web design who hasn't read Steve Krug's "instant classic" on Web usability, but people are still discovering it every day. In this second edition, Steve adds three new chapters in the same style as the original: wry and entertaining, yet loaded with insights and practical advice for novice and veteran alike. Don't be surprised if it completely changes the way you think about Web design.

Three New Chapters!

Usability as common courtesy -- Why people really leave Web sites
Web Accessibility, CSS, and you -- Making sites usable and accessible
Help! My boss wants me to ______. -- Surviving executive design whims

"I thought usability was the enemy of design until I read the first edition of this book. Don't Make Me Think! showed me how to put myself in the position of the person who uses my site. After reading it over a couple of hours and putting its ideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more to improve my abilities as a Web designer than any other book.

In this second edition, Steve Krug adds essential ammunition for those whose bosses, clients, stakeholders, and marketing managers insist on doing the wrong thing. If you design, write, program, own, or manage Web sites, you must read this book." -- Jeffrey Zeldman, author of Designing with Web Standards

Customer Reviews:

A thin book with everything you need.......2007-10-13

This book is excellent. It's very accessible and easy reading without being superficial. It's not a usability cookbook, it actually makes you understand its principles and gives you critical sense to analyze any website and see what's wrong (or right) with it.
I just couldn't find any negative points about the book.

eye-opening analysis.......2007-10-07

I'm not a designer and I would by nature make many of the mistakes Krug points out in this great book. Krug's reasoning and reasoned approach that he presents in this book is invaluable.

Fantastic - Easy to Understand and Use.......2007-10-06

This book on internet usability has not only changed the way I design websites, it has changed my thinking on many areas of life. The other day I was asked to review a print media item and I kept saying to the designer - "Don't Make Me Think!" The idea of designing easy to use, simple to understand websites is so simple that it is often overlooked. This is a fantastic read. I'm halfway through my second reading of it.

Mandatory reading for developing on the Web.......2007-09-28

As it promises, Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think: 2nd Edition, is a quick, but extremely usable, guide to Web usability and design. The book took me less than a day to read (less than 3 hours), but has become, in my mind, a requirement for even beginners (like myself) of Web design. Since everyone who develops for the Web should have some idea of design and usability, this book should really be a mandatory requirement for said work.

In short, there's no reason not to read this book if you're developing for the Web (writing content, programming, etcetera), or working with a team that does so.

Good content, poor binding.......2007-09-27

Others have said that Krug's book (2nd edition) is for those with little experience. That is exactly why I found it so useful. There are lots of concepts that are common sense, sure. But until they were pointed out I had not even considered them. His point about the usefulness of tabs was particularly useful to me. I am creating a site now and will incorporate them into my design.

My only complaint is with the binding. The book was so poorly produced that pages began to loosen and fall out before I was finished with the first reading. I am now looking for a big rubber band to hold everything together. I just hate it when that happens.

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