Product Description
In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of French Elle, the father of two young childen, a 44-year-old man known and loved for his wit, his style, and his impassioned approach to life. By the end of the year he was also the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brainstem.After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working: only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to make clear that his mind was unimpaired. Almost miraculously, he was soon able to express himself in the richest detail: dictating a word at a time, blinking to select each letter as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. In the same way, he was able eventually to compose this extraordinary book.

By turns wistful, mischievous, angry, and witty, Bauby bears witness to his determination to live as fully in his mind as he had been able to do in his body. He explains the joy, and deep sadness, of seeing his children and of hearing his aged father's voice on the phone. In magical sequences, he imagines traveling to other places and times and of lying next to the woman he loves. Fed only intravenously, he imagines preparing and tasting the full flavor of delectable dishes. Again and again he returns to an "inexhaustible reservoir of sensations," keeping in touch with himself and the life around him.

Jean-Dominique Bauby died two days after the French publication of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

This book is a lasting testament to his life.Amazon.com Review
We've all got our idiosyncrasies when it comes to writing--aspecial chair we have to sit in, a certain kind of yellow paper weabsolutely must use. To create this tremendously affecting memoir,Jean-Dominique Bauby used the only tool available to him--his lefteye--with which he blinked out its short chapters, letter byletter. Two years ago, Bauby, then the 43-year-old editor-in-chief ofElle France, suffered a rare stroke to the brain stem; only hisleft eye and brain escaped damage. Rather than accept his"locked in" situation as a kind of death, Bauby ignited afire of the imagination under himself and lived his last days--he diedtwo days after the French publication of this slim volume--spirituallyunfettered. In these pages Bauby journeys to exotic places he has andhas not been, serving himself delectable gourmet meals along the way(surprise: everything's ripe and nothing burns). In the simplest ofterms he describes how it feels to see reflected in a window "thehead of a man who seemed to have emerged from a vat offormaldehyde." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (200)

A Hidden gem!!
I had never heard of this book until I found the movie via online website that recommended it as a video rental (which I did without even reviewing synopsis.)A surprisingly amazing film, I read the true account thereafter. Written via incomprehensible circumstances/methods, Jean Dominique Bauby clearly demonstrates the human spirit: maintaining his sense of humor, nonetheless conveying the horror of his physical imprisonment, while also offering comfort to the reader (as a true 'butterfly'.) A quick read - very inspiring. One of the very few times I recommend seeing the film first - then reading the book - as you will no doubt gain even more appreciation for the author.

Remarkable feat
Bauby's life as he knew it and many more promising years were suddenly taken away by the stroke.Yet he did not succumb.There was not that much self-pity in this book, and even more, no talks about euthanasia.He shared with us his memories and thoughts.I think the last chapter is the best one and it is a powerful one - a day that started like any other...

The writing itself is dry, but I give this book four stars due to the incredible feat of "writing" the book and the spirit of the book.

Great book for the ADD
To save you the time of reading this whole review, this book is definitely worth reading, but only as long as you are one who can handle the almost ADD writing style, which in my case, and the cases of several others, held my attention throughout and made this a very enjoyable read.
This book, at least not to me, is not a book for those of you who want totally coherent plot throughout with a lot of deep meaning, but more of simply the memoirs of a man with "Locked in Syndrome", with him only being able to communicate with flickers of the eyelid and occasional guttural noises. Without giving anything away, it really emphasizes the fact that once some of your senses go, your other ones get stronger. In this case, he was unable to move or do anything physical, so what was coming back was his memories, extremely vivid memories, with a vividness far beyond what most people could describe yesterday's meal with. Even with all of this rich detail of memories, and the slow, slight recovery of Jean Dominique, the main character, it is far from being an inspirational storyline.
Jean Dominique, or Jean Do, had a lackadaisical view on his condition, just going with the motions and not expressing much of either anger or sadness towards his condition, but at the same time, the book doesn't have much of a motivational point, it also doesn't have much of a somber tone to it either. Besides the obvious sadness that he was a quadriplegic who had children he left behind, he seemed to throw on no extra baggage throughout the story to throw a pity party for himself. He instead simply explains, making this, in a way a first person narrated documentary, simply explaining the process of what it is like to be locked in, without showing the feelings associated with a 1st person omniscient story.
For the non-ADD readers, there are a few faults you may find in this book, many of these faults will be embraced by the highly ADD readers such as myself, jumping around in the story quite a bit. At some parts of the book, it was hard to tell what exactly was going on, jumping from the hospital to memories and other occurrences. Another fault you may find in this book is that it wasn't highly poetic and didn't require much interpretation of symbolism, a fault that again, someone with my attention span embraces. That is probably mostly due to the fact that he was blinking the entire novel in code, or it was the fact that he simply wanted his story heard. The Biggest fault though, one that I can't blame on Jean-Do, is the ending. Without spoiling it, it seems to be a fairly nonchalant ending to a lackadaisical book, evoking no form of an uplifting sensation nor very profound sadness upon the reader.
All in all, a book for the easily distracted. One that, for those of you who enjoy short chapters with short attention spans, this book is for you. For those looking for a deep, meaningful, thought provoking inspirational book, look elsewhere.

Astonishing and Inspiring
A whopping five stars for Bauby's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, his story was legitimately inspiring and moving. Bauby is the last person you would think to be an author, considering his condition, but he pulls the role off well, using clever humor, deep metaphors and thoughtful irony. The story makes you think about everything that we take for granted on a day to day basis, the right to rustle our kids' hair, kiss our loved ones, and chew our food.
Bauby was a French editor for a magazine, until he had a stroke at 44, paralyzing him completely, except for his left eye. He was one of few people to ever suffer from locked in syndrome, a case in which the victim is conscious and aware of his surroundings, but unable to move. Bauby expresses his syndrome, with the metaphor of a diving bell, which is his body, his trap, his casket, and a butterfly, which expresses his freedom of thought, and expression through speech therapy, his hope and dream that one day like a butterfly he will break out of his cocoon.
Bauby used his eyes to write the book, thinking the thoughts and blinking them to a translator who wrote them down, even in his state he found the will power to write a book, express his thoughts and feelings. The book is full of humor which is unexpected coming from a paraplegic. It has moments of self pity which is completely understandable and expectable, but the self pity is not so overwhelming that it becomes the focus.
The story teaches us to live in the moment, with no regrets, not taking each breath for granted, because life can be taken from you in the blink of an eye. It allows us to wonder exactly how helpful new technologies are, prolonging life, but a life with agony. If you are looking for a book full of good times that is completely uplifting this is not it, however this story is brutally honest, at parts depressing, but extremely moving, and well written. Once you start you are hooked, and pages just keep turning. It packs the biggest punch for a piece of writing its size that I have ever seen, for that it Bauby's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly gets five stars.

A Memoir Worth Reading
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a memorable tale of Jean-Dominique Bauby living with locked-in syndrome. The book itself is short making a person at first believe there could not be anything worth noting in such a small space. There is a reason it is such a small book. The entire thing was dictated by blinking his left eye, the only part of his body in which he still had control of. Little does one know that the insights this man offered to the world reveals that no matter the situation a person may live in, good can come from bad, and life can come from nothing. At the same time, this is by no means a feel good book that picks you up when you are down. Rather, Bauby gives his views on how his life functions. Some being awful, and others hopeful.
A diving bell is a chamber in which people can go underwater without special tools to help them breathe. A butterfly is an insect whom one sees flying about all around them. Why did Bauby choose these two words as the title for his book? We could think of it this way, which from what I've read in the book, certainly works. Bauby, felt almost as if his physical body was trapped inside a diving bell, meaning he had no room to move, and could not leave. This situation makes up about fifty percent of his stories, most of which unsurprisingly are the ones that tend to elicit pity from his readers. While they may do that, I never believed it was his mission to dishearten people. Rather they were accounts of his everyday life and how he felt about it. The only emotions being his own.
The butterfly however makes up the other half of the book. Here it shows just how free his mind still was. Throughout the book, Bauby would make snide and often comical remarks about the people around him, showing how he still was who he used to be. Bauby would recall past events in his life with such clarity that at times one has to remember that the author of the book was completely paralyzed. With stories of his days at the horse track to seemingly inexplicable dreams, Bauby's ability to tell stories would keep readers captivated no matter the subject.
So, in reality, the reasoning behind this book's title was because Bauby felt as if he/his mind were a butterfly. Free and majestic, willing to go anywhere at any time. But, this butterfly was trapped in his useless body. His diving bell. Unable to escape and so confined to explore every nook and cranny of their imprisonment. This book was not only to tell the world about locked-in syndrome, but it was his way of finally communicating to the outside world.
This book shows us to appreciate life, which is a lesson most people need to constantly be reminded of. Appreciate everything one has, because before you know it, it all could be taken away. ... Read more

Product Description
It is November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their deaths as accidental. It does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explain that the sisters were among the leading opponents of Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s dictatorship. It doesn’t have to. Everybody knows of Las Mariposas—“The Butterflies.”

In this extraordinary novel, the voices of all four sisters—Minerva, Patria, María Teresa, and the survivor, Dedé—speak across the decades to tell their own stories, from hair ribbons and secret crushes to gunrunning and prison torture, and to describe the everyday horrors of life under Trujillo’s rule. Through the art and magic of Julia Alvarez’s imagination, the martyred Butterflies live again in this novel of courage and love, and the human cost of political oppression. 


Amazon.com Review
From the author of Howthe Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents comes this tale of courageand sisterhood set in the Dominican Republic during the rise of theTrujillo dictatorship. A skillful blend of fact and fiction, In theTime of the Butterflies is inspired by the true story of the threeMirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for their part in anunderground plot to overthrow the government. Alvarez breathes lifeinto these historical figures--known as "las mariposas," or"the butterflies," in the underground--as she imagines theirteenage years, their gradual involvement with the revolution, andtheir terror as their dissentience is uncovered.

Alvarez'scontrolled writing perfectly captures the mounting tension as"the butterflies" near their horrific end.The novel beginswith the recollections of Dede, the fourth and surviving sister, whofears abandoning her routines and her husband to join themovement. Alvarez also offers the perspectives of the other sisters:brave and outspoken Minerva, the family's political ringleader; piousPatria, who forsakes her faith to join her sisters after witnessingthe atrocities of the tyranny; and the baby sister, sensitive MariaTeresa, who, in a series of diaries, chronicles her allegiance toMinerva and the physical and spiritual anguish of prison life.

In the Time of the Butterflies is an American LibraryAssociation Notable Book and a 1995 National Book Critics Circle Awardnominee. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (169)

AP World History Review - Rich Narrative
In the Time of the Butterflies is a well written novel by Julia Alvarez that details the story of the four Mirabal sisters and their resistance against the Trujillo regime in the 1960's. Three out of the four sisters has a first person narrative in the novel, the different chapters being headed with their different names. The narratives are fiction, written by Julia Alvarez, but are based around real events that happened to the Mirabal family, and how each event helped to spur the revolution against Trujillo throughout the Dominican Republic.
I liked this book because not only did I get context on a Latin American government upheaval during the 19th century, like we were studying in class previously, but it was also interesting to read about women leading a political movement as opposed to it being primarily led by men. It was inspirational to learn of their stories, and read of each sister's triumphs in the revolutionary movement before three of the sisters' untimely and horrific deaths.
I would reccomend this to other students primarily because it gives a good amount of relatable context to students on a revolution in Latin America, and you get to see what these experiences were really like for people during this time. Instead of reading about it in a textbook, you are engulfed in this rich narrative which is difficult to put down, as the story of the Mirabal resistance is incredibly inspirational and interesting to read. You learn about the strict regime of Trujillo, the politically unjust acts he performed throughout his dictatorship, and how the Mirabals came to lead the resistance against him and become famous as 'the butterflies'.

A haunting story about the radicalization of middle class women
Julia Alvarez provides us with a haunting story about the radicalization of middle class women, caught in the web of the Trujillo's oppressive regime in the Dominican Republic in the 1940s and 50s.The novel is based on a true story, but the form of a novel allows Julia to penetrate the inner mind of what women in similar shoes might have thought and felt. She captures so beautifully the small and large moments that occur in our lives, that change our minds and our hearts, so that we end up in a totally different place than we thought wewould be. I admit I didn't want to read the novel at first, as I find it too disturbing to read about militancy and torture. But this book is really about what makes us human, or not, and how the live the best life we can in the circumstances within which we find ourselves.

In The Time of the Butterflies
The book I purchased was listed as "like new", but when I recieved it , it was quite used and had writing in the text!!
Quite disappointing!!

women making change
Alvarez pays homage to the lives of the Mirabal sisiters.The thread of the story is kept simple and the passion is delivered.
It most certainly reveals a great deal of the "why" and
"who" are the the Dominican Women.

AP World History: In the Time of the Butterflies
Julia Alvarez'snovel, In the Time of the Butterflies, is a moving story of four sisters fighting a very corrupt and powerful Dominican government in the mid- 1900's. Her powerful tale of women bringing social injustice to the public eye was a perfect mix of romance and revolution. Each sister (Patria, Dede, Minerva, and Maria Teresa) has her own special quality and drive she brings to the revolutionary movement the sisters begin - along with a husband and children. Even though the primary duties of women in this era were to nurture children and take care of the home, these sisters bound together to rise up in retort to an unfair political system. Courage is required of all of the Mirabal family when their normal lives of hair ribbons and secret love rapidly turns to a rebellion with gunfire and prison. Their hardships and martyrdom set an example of the sacrifices a family must make in order to establish a democratic and free country for prosperity.

Julia Alvarez writes this tale with power and emotion. Although not her personal experience, she moves from sister to sister and recalls their thoughts and troubles in each narration. The plot moves on with grace, despite the toils and suffering within it. Julia Alvarez has truly captured the spirit and determination of the Mirabal sisters. Skillfully written, her characters hold a place in readers' hearts and demand justice.
... Read more

Product Description

The decisions you make and the way you treat others have more impact than you may ever realize.

Speaker and New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrewsshares a compelling and powerful story about a decision one man madeover a hundred years ago, and the ripple effect it's had on usindividually, and nationwide, today. It's a story that will inspirecourage and wisdom in the decisions we make, as well as affect the waywe treat others through our lifetime. Andrews speaks over 100 times ayear, and The Butterfly Effect is his #1 most requested story. 

Also included with the purchase of the book is a link to view a 9-minute message of Andrews telling The Butterfly Effect story to a live audience.

Customer Reviews (245)

Was expecting something different
Half of this book tries to show how if one battle back in the civil war was lost the country we live in today would be vastly different.It goes on to show how different individuals played pivotal roles in history to make the point that each of our lives matter.

Delightful presentation of an inspiring story
This edition of Andy Andrews' "The Butterfly Effect" turns the author's well-known speech into a delightful gift book.

Andrews begins with Andrew Lorenz' butterfly effect theory and proceeds to demonstrate its accuracy via actions of such historical figures as George Washington Carver, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and many others.He looks at how their actions affected their contemporaries, and how their actions continue to affect us today -- many years after the fact.

I found Andrews' little book to be thought-provoking and inspiring.The idea that all of us matter in ways that we don't even know is one that I believe should be taught early on; you never know when your kindness to another person will make a world of difference to them.

Highly recommended.

All choices and actions make a difference....
"By your hand, millions -- billions-- of lives will be altered, caught up in a chain of events begun by you this day." ~ Andy Andrews in The Butterfly Effect




What!?That's what I thought upon first reading and begin to digest this book. Then it became clear... it is a true statement.What you or I might do today has an affect on our families, on our neighbors and friends, but down the line it will affect millions of people.Amazing isn't it?




Through this simple little book Andy Andrews lays out a story line that carries from George Washington Carver (and before) and connects all the way up to present day about how one discovery...one choice, one action changed America and our life forever.




Pick up this book... share it with your friends and family, and take from it that each little or big thing you do, each decision you make has an everlasting effect, whether it be small or HUGE.It makes a great gift book for youth and adults alike!

uplifting
This is a small book but powerful. In it, Andy Andrews explores real life scenarios that show how much an impact one single decision can make. And it's not just the impact on the individual's life but also on the whole world.
The book starts off with Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the Union Army and his decision to have his troops charge the Confederate army at Gettysburg. It had to seem like a crazy thing to do at the time, but somehow it worked and the Confederate army was held back. It was because of Colonel Chamberlain's "inability to do nothing" that he decided upon the bayonet attack. That "inability" helped to preserve the United States, as opposed to a lot of splintered territories.
But I had forgotten or maybe I didn't know the story about George Washington. No, it's not the cherry tree story, it goes back much further than that. It has to do with Washington as a baby.

This book would be a great present for a loved one who felt a bit overwhelmed by life's difficulties. Mr Andrews shows how single actions by one person can affect the future of the world. His examples can be uplifting for someone who feels tossed about the sea of life.
I would recommend this book highly to anyone who feels a need to have a reinforcement that life is important and the decisions made today have far reaching effects for the future.

Actions matter!
The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews
(as reviewed on[...])
"The decisions you make and the way you treat others have more impact than you may ever realize.

Speaker and New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews shares a compelling and powerful story about a decision one man made over a hundred years ago, and the ripple effect it's had on us individually, and nationwide, today. It's a story that will inspire courage and wisdom in the decisions we make, as well as affect the way we treat others through our lifetime. Andrews speaks over 100 times a year, and The Butterfly Effect is his #1 most requested story.

Also included with the purchase of the book is a link to view a 9-minute message of Andrews telling The Butterfly Effect story to a live audience."

Book Sneeze offered me a copy of "The Butterfly Effect" by Andy Andrews as a review.

Remember, don't judge a book by its cover... or in this case, its size.The book is tiny, and is a very quick read.But it is content that matters!

Andy shares some emotional stories or action and effect in this book.The stories tug at your heart, and really make you think.What you do absolutely matters.Little changes you make in your life absolutely effect others!That person you see each day could end up being an important part of your life... maybe that person sitting next to you on the plane plays an integral part in your destiny!

Actions matter.Maybe this review was sent to you because you need to read this book!
... Read more

Product Description
The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter backlist takes flight with a whole new look.

In her ninth adventure, vampire hunter Anita Blake owes a favor to a friend-a man almost as dangerous as the ancient evil she's about to face.Amazon.com Review
Anita Blake, the tough, sexy vampire executioner, zombie animator, and police consultant for preternatural crimes in St. Louis, hunts monsters in New Mexico in the ninth book of Laurell K. Hamilton's excellent series. Edward, Anita's mentor in slaying, asks Anita to return the favor that she has owed him since she killed a backup he brought in to protect her. He needs Anita's preternatural expertise as well as her firepower. Something is skinning and mutilating a few of its chosen victims, and dismembering others. Edward has no idea what creature could be responsible for such heinous crimes.

Summoning Anita has its downside for Edward, since it means letting her onto his turf. Anita is surprised to find that this normally aggressive man has a personal life, and shocked by his ability to be entirely different from the stone cold killer she's known. She also has problems with the cop in charge in Albuquerque, who believes her powers must be evil, and with the other backups Edward has brought in. Most of all, she has to deal with her own vulnerability--she's tried to shut down her ties to her vampire and werewolf lovers and go it alone, but it turns out to be harder than she thought.

Anita's usual supporting cast is missing, and she's taking time out from her complex love life, but there's plenty of bloody action, vampires, werewolves, and Aztec ritual. Plus a lot more about Edward. Fans will find this installment similar to the earlier books in the series, particularly The Laughing Corpse. --Nona Vero. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (342)

Anti-Coal Mining Comments in Book Are Problem For Me
I just started this book and although I was enjoying the story thus far, I have made it to the part where Anita is comparing the landscape to the desolation of mining! I am deciding whether or not I will support this author further. I am from an area that thrives on strip mining. We are so mountainous that less than 5% of our land is usable and is too expensive without mining to flatten for use. All of our golf courses, department stores and other industry are located on beautiful landscapes provided by strip mining. I am so tired of people who are ignorant about mining making comments about it. Most people who are against mining have no knowledge at all about what it does for this country, or even how it is done. This is a major concern for me and as these books are very popular, I worry that this author has planted a negative view on something most important to this country. We have the technology to make fuel to replace our dependency on foreign oil, as well as clean coal technology if we could get the government to build the facilities we need because most of the country's electricity is provided by coal. There isn't even a place flat enough in Appalachia to put windmills and the sun doesn't shine here for 4 months out of the year so solar and wind are not an option, they are extremely insufficient as a replacement.I could give further education about mining, but I am afraid it falls on deaf ears. The destruction of the coal industry and the negativity promoted by people such as this will be greatly regretted, but my fear is that it will be far too late to repair the destruction that the so called environmentalists will do to the structure of this country. If only people were more open minded to being educated before standing against something, this country could thrive, but if you think the country is in turmoil now, wait until there is no electricity and no jobs and see what you think of coal mining. We have a motto here in Appalachia, Ban mining and let the "tree huggers" freeze to death in the dark!

Shocking and Thrilling
Obsidian Butterfly is #9 in the Anita Blake Series, and is one of the most shockingly gruesome so far. Anita is brought into the life of Edward (her mentor) after he calls in the favor she owes him. Edward's legal, but fake, alter identity is Ted Forrester, a Texan with an accent who lives in New Mexico. "Ted" is a respected bounty hunter, liked by the local cops, and has a reliable, friendly reputation. It is surprising for Anita (and the reader) that "Ted" is engaged to a middle-aged woman with two kids. We realize that Edward might hold some small amount of humanity, even if it's only wishful thinking. I admit I'll be severely angry if Edward dies because he is one of the characters that is consistently reliable and mysterious (albeit sociopathic and lethal). He is such a strong character to Anita. Will he live through to the end? Will Anita decide to return to Jean-Claude and Richard to mend the holes in her aura? The malevolent creature in this book, whose origins are unknown, is by far the most mysterious and frightening of any Anita has come across yet. Gruesome, tragic, heart-wrenching, dramatic and powerful, this novel has it all.

I don't understand why people dislike this book
A lot of the reviews i saw for this book and some after have been "her books were good up until Obsidian Butterfly, and it's been downhill since." A while ago, when I looked at these reviews, it was a LOT of 1-3 stars. Thank God that changed. DOn't listen to the Naysayers. This book is good. It's Anita. It's interesting to see the other side of Edward, to kinda get in on his world. I appreciated that she wrote a book that further explored Anita and Edward's relationship, and gave more info on Edward...oh, Im sorry, Ted. :-) The only things that bother me about Laurell's Anita Blake series is her lengthy discussion of each character's outfits and weaponry and so forth. Okay, yes, I kinda get it for Jean-Claude since he's kinda gawdy and has the nightclub in stuff, but it's sooooo much in other instances. For exmaple, in this book there is an entire page and a half dedicated to what wepaons Anita is taking with her. Not only that, there are lenghty conversations abuot what to wear. Oh crap, everyone's in black...Bernado, Olaf, Edward....and im in Blue. Is there a dress code? And then she makes smart comments, and ask if its a dress codes...and its like, c'mon. Get to the good stuff. Other than that, it's fine. Her idea for the storyline was great - i saw no flaws in it, and she wrote everything well. I know a lot of fans have complained that Anita acts the same way and she thinks the same as far as her moral struggles, but it's like - hello, she's a person. Fake, yes, but she is supposed to have a realistic quality. People do things all the time and have problems with their morality. I think her writing it in is just telling the fans, it's something she still fights with. I don't think it's an issue. So, I've heard bad things, but so far, I really dont see any bad. (it does weird me out that all the men have long hair. I do however appreciate her trying to put some color into the mix. I can't stand books where white is the only race in them. Hello, there are other cultures/ethnicities out in the real world. Put them in a book. Im glad she did.)
Don't listen to the reviews. If u enjoyed her last book, try the next one. And then u can see for yourself.

Moth-Eaten Plot in this Gore-Fest by Laurell Hamilton!

When one dives into an Anita Blake novel, they have to prepare themselves for lots of soul-searching, angst-ridden love and ridiculous reactions by the protagonist, Anita Blake.

Warning:Obsidian Butterfly was the hardest to read, graphic violence against men, women and especially children, torture at the hands of people who wield power, and a gun may not be your best weapon.If you can stomach the gore and mutilations and child abuse, then you might like this book.

Surprisingly, Obsidian Butterfly went against the grain of its earlier novels.I liked the earlier ones such as Guilty Pleasures, Sgt. Dolph and Bert, Anita's boss at Animator's, Inc.Later novels introduced Larry as the newbie vampire hunter and zombie raiser, but Laurell Hamilton dropped him in favor of ménage a toa between Anita, a werewolf and a vampire.But I am getting ahead of myself.

This book is very Edward-centric.Edward, as we learned in earlier books, has no morals and kills without conscience or compunction.In fact, in the book he proves to Anita that she is not that far off from that "ideal".He fakes her out and she immediately pulls out her Beretta calculating a decent shot.Edward says that he was just testing her.That her first thought was not "I'm going to shoot my friend, Edward."No, it was kill or be killed. The reader thought this was quite provocative.Anita just was irritated.

The plot, as complex as it is, has a thread through it (as others in the Anita Blake series).There's been a series of grisly murders that are so gruesome that even Anita gets sick and vomits at the sight of the victims; what is skinning people alive and leaving them that way, ripped off eyelids and body parts (and of course sexual body parts - this is an Anita Blake novel after all).

The author introduces a possible love interest in Detective Rodriguez but drops the guy towards the end of the book.We never hear or see him again after the book's climax, which I consider quite a plot hole.We're also introduced to Olaf, a psychotic killer that Edward has hired as back-up.Anita, true to her "new" character, purposely yanks his chain and it's so stupid and adds little to the plot.Yeah, we know he's a psycho and she's an idiot - so?

The book is not a complete waste of time.We meet the Obsidian Butterfly which is a place (all the Anita Blake novels' titles are the names of fictional places) and the name of a vampire that is 1000 years old and still wants vengeance for the Spanish atrocities against the Aztec civilization.Talk about holding a grudge.

As usual, the reader must put up with the ritual of meeting supernatural beings.The vampires always have something going on.Were-jaguars are the favored lycanthropic animal of choice in the New Mexico desert.Anita has to watch some gruesome things - torture, some gay sex and slicing and dicing of some male body parts that make the reading tough for the male reader!And the child abuse by the bad guys, though necessary, scars the mind of one of the kids and is very difficult to read.You are so glad the bad guys get what's coming to them.

The final confrontation between the dark forces and Anita and her gang is the best part of the book.She meets up with killers as professional and uncaring as she is.Will she and Edward survive?

The silly sexual situations and Anita being embarrassed at the sight of a man's genitals is particularly nuts and adds nothing - yes, nothing - to the plot whatsoever.Character development?Well, the werewolves and this Nicky Baco character were interesting, but the author only played them up for about ten or so pages.Nicky is a necromancer as Anita is, but we never see what he can do - except in a few scenes which would spoil the story if revealed.

So, several interesting characters not fully developed, Anita finally doing some gun action, a bit of detective work (nothing like Guilty Pleasures) and using her wits more than her supernatural powers - probably the last Anita Blake novel I'm reading.Read the earlier ones of the series, much more entertaining.

Suggest:

Guilty Pleasures
Laurell K. Hamilton Set - Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned and The Lunatic Cafe

An okay read, but had some problems...
This was an okay read, but the least enjoyable in the series so far for me. The plot was too slow-paced and repetitive. It plodded along without adding much to the characters or overall theme of the series. I did enjoy learning more about Edward and seeing him become more human, but other than that, there was no character insight or growth. There were also quite a few editing mistakes (Dolph's name was misspelled as Dolf a couple of times, the time she spent away from Richard and J-C varied from six months to a year, and a few other things here and there). And finally, I missed the secondary characters this time around (Richard, J-C, the weres, the vampires, etc.) I hope the next book in the series is better. ... Read more

Product Description
Inspired by a true story, Color Me Butterfly follows four generations of mothers and daughters—haunted by a common specter of domestic abuse—as they discover the strength, hope, and courage to survive.
 
The last thing Eloise Bingham wanted was to leave the comforts of her South Carolina home and family. But at the end of World War II, the young wife follows her husband, Isaac, to Philadelphia—only to experience his sinister and violent temper. Eloise’s children—and their children and grandchildren—will face their own trials over the next sixty years: Mattie, who has lived in her mother Eloise’s shadow, finds it takes a life-changing tragedy to help her break free; Lydia, Mattie’s strong-willed daughter, summons the resolve to rise above the cycle of abuse; and finally, Treasure, Lydia’s lively daughter, has the chance to be the first to escape her family’s destructive legacy.
 
It will take unconditional love, old-fashioned family values, faith, and fearless determination—already embedded in each woman’s DNA—to triumph over a life plagued with unspeakable pain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Amazing
This story is amazing... it is heart breaking, it is liberating, it is a breathe of fresh air.It is a keeper for sure.I would hope that every family that has struggled like these families have would share their story to prevent this from happening again.After reading this story I have repeated it to any and everyone who would care to listen.Maybe if folks had listened then we wouldn't have so much domestic abuse now.I also have a better understanding of how families get caught up in the system and never get out.Abuse in any form is not acceptable and it doesn't just affect the abused person it affects the entire family.I applaud YL Marlow for sharing her family secrets and for not making them secrets anymore.Once they were exposed you can correct them immediately.Thank you once again for sharing something to personal.My book club really enjoyed this read and a lot of emotions came out during our discussion.

Really worthwhile read.Informative and involving at the same time.
This is a truly worthwhile book to read.Definitely keeps you involved with the characters and the story line.Was very informative to me as it showed a family in a constant state of change in a environment I was not familiar with.

Thoughts on Color me Butterfly
I absolutely loved this book. This is the kind of book that will tug at your heart. It is so emotionally honest that anyone can relate to it in some way. You can tell from reading this book that L.Y. Marlow, the author of this book,is relating to us from personal experience in dealing with many of the situations that existed in this book and the telling of it as well as her very detailed description of the characters.
In reading this book I laughed, cried, empathized, related to thoughts and feeling of said characters, as well as mourned and celebrated with the characters and the author. In the end you to will see that the Title Color me Butterlfy is an excellent tiltle for this book. On a scale of 10 I would give it a 8.5

Mesmerizing
This book was a heartbreaking yet addictive read. I truly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down!

The Legacy of Abuse
"Color Me Butterfly" chronicles the lives of 4 generations of women who have been impacted by physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse by the men they hoped would love them.Based on her own experience and those of her mother and grandmother, the author describes in brutal detail the dynamics and personalities of both the victim and the perpetrator.This kind of behavior is neither inherent nor genetic, but comes as a result of being personally denigrated or witnessing the abasement of other people.Rooted in the unconscious and nurtured by denial, silence and shame, the rage and sense of inadequacy simmers unrecognized until something triggers its appearance.Ms. Marlow tells her story in a way that is both poetic, factual and fairly non-judgmental, allowing the characters to convey their own understanding.Although it ended on a somewhat hopeful note, it is discouraging to see the huge barriers facing women in this situation ~ barriers that are cultural, emotional, financial and legal. Abusive relationships are present in all socio-economic, religious and ethnic groups and despite a vast improvement in awareness and intervention, show little sign of fading.Much more work needs to be done to help women to understand their own needs, redefine what it means to "love", to be family and to "be a father"and to recognize the signs of potential abuse before they are in too deeply to escape.Circumstances were implied, but I would have liked to know more about the family history of the men as well as the lives of Eloise's other children.An excellent choice for discussion. ... Read more

Product Description
During China's infamous Tang Dynasty, a time awash with luxury yet littered with deadly intrigues and fallen royalty, betrayed Princess Ai Li flees before her wedding.

Miles from home, with only her delicate butterfly swords for defense, she enlists the reluctant protection of a blue-eyed warrior….

Battle-scarred, embittered Ryam has always held his own life at cheap value. Ai Li's innocent trust in him and honorable, stubborn nature make him desperate to protect her—which means not seducing the first woman he has ever truly wanted…. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Review of Butterfly Swords
Hey - romance lovers.Let me introduce you to a nicely priced, fantastic little adventure book.As those of you who visit my blog regularly know, I'm not really a romance reader (although I do tend to read more romance during the fall/winter months).Still, I saw this title on NetGalley and decided to check out it.Warrior girl?Bring it on!

Of course, there were all the normal cliches in this book, but that's what makes a romance novel a romance novel.There's the sense of danger, the muscled leading guy, the beautiful leading girl, the forbidden romance.Still, even with all of the normal ingredients a romance novel can be really bad.. or good, depending on the writing.

Jeannie Lin did a fantastic job with the pace, her choice of words and her character development.My only complaint was that.. for being a story set in the Tang dynasty... the language and actions of the main characters were.. pretty modern.Still, it's a romance novel and not an educational history book.. so I'm willing to overlook that.

Full of steam, romping fun and a good adventure overall!

Bridget's Review
Jeannie knows how to deliver a spicy romance.I read this book in one sitting and was amazed at how enthralled I was in the story.It's touching, romantic and entertaining.Four stars.

Ravishing romance in a fresh new setting!
FABULOUS book!!!!So so so so so SOOO romantic, and the setting was a delight (such a refreshing change!! took many familiar tropes of English historicals--arranged marriage, duty versus desire--but revivified and intensified them by taking the story to Tang Dynasty China). Wonderful writing, lush description, terrific level of sensuality, strong secondary characters, and the CONFLICT was great--I really couldn't figure out how those two were ever going to manage to be together. But Jeannie Lin pulled off the HEA really well (**smile**).Plus, the sword fights were great! I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

A terrific start to a terrific career!!!

Bold and Beautiful, Seriously Breathtaking
Ai Li is the number six child of the family Chang during the Tang Dynasty. Trained in the ancient art of butterfly swords by her grandmother, she is no meek woman, she is a warrior. As with most women of the time she is sent off to be married to Li Tao, to help cement relations between their lands. Ai Li learns of her intendeds duplicity as well as his involvement in the death of her brother and realizes that he is a traitor. She takes the advice of an old lieutenant, Wu, dresses as a young lad and escapes her promised husband in order to warn her father of his treachery.

Ai Li is a strong and independent woman, but is also very respectful of her parents and their traditions. While she does not want to marry a man she does not know, she follows her family's wishes.

When she escapes, she knowingly breaks tradition, but feels that her family would understand when they learn of Li Taos part in the death of her number four brother. It is during this juncture that she meets Ryam a barbarian from another country. She is kind to a stranger when she could just ignore him; she does not treat him as most foreigners are treated. She is a mix of strength and femininity with a very good heart.

Ryam is trying to forget his part in the death of his comrades. He is in a strange land with nothing but his sword and his wits to protect him. When he first spots Ai Li, she is dressed as a young man. He sees through her disguise immediately and is amused that she seems to be pulling it off. He gets involved when Ai Li is being attacked, where he then becomes her one man rescue. Not that she is not capable and very deadly with her butterfly swords as he sees for himself. He is fascinated by the contrast between the purity of her womanliness and the strength of her skills with the swords.

As Ryam agrees to stay with her till she gets home to Changan, they run into many serious satiations where each is required to draw on their deepest internal spirit to get them through. They are being pursued by Ai Li's bridegroom, Li Taos, who will not allow himself to lose face by her desertion. As a consequence of them traveling together, they begin to learn about each other as well as develop a trust based of mutual respect. What neither of them anticipates is the attraction, which is there right from the beginning. On Ryam's part this attraction is visceral and raw; he is hard put to keep himself away from her. The glances cause heat and you can feel his tension and his urgency. Since he has made himself her protector, he continues to try to protect her against himself. Ai Li also feels the attraction but is very aware of the situation she is in. She is still betrothed to another man, and while she at least hopes her family will understand why she has left and possibly caused them embarrassment, she is also even more aware of his foreignness and how it will be accepted by her family. Every touch, every look, between the two of them has you yearning for more. There must be a way for them to be together, as their tension strains at the very bond that holds them together.

This is a wonderful story of family and how they come together; it is about learning to trust yourself as well as those around you. Jeannie Lin brings the time and place together in such an amazing way, almost as though you were watching it through the words. This is a brutal time and place in history but also a time of the most famous of love stories, the most beautiful poetry and the most exquisite fashion . She has brought us to a place in history and brought it to life; she has allowed us to see what many have never had a glimpse of. The story was well told, the romance bold but sweet, and the characters were exactly what was needed to bring it all together. There were a few times in the story where it bogged down a bit, causing it to lose momentum, but over all, it was a wonderful read.

Summary


Ai Li has escaped her intended husband in order to inform her father of his treachery as well as his involvement in the death of her brother. She has not gotten very far before her would be rescuers decide to become her captors. Ryam is unwittingly drawn into this by the kindness that she has shown him. When he saves her, only to be saved by her in return, they become traveling companions as she races to reach her father.

They are pursued by her intended Li Tao, and run into danger and excitement at every turn. Ai Li is well trained in the ancient art of Butterfly Swords by her Grandmother, unbeknownst by her mother. This is not what well bread young women do. They are obedient and follow their father's wishes.

Ai Li is a mixture of amazing strength as well as a source of innocence. Ryam is a barbarian in a land of refinement. They are meant to be together, but they may be in the wrong time and the wrong place. Butterfly Swords is a fast paced and energetic book with wonderful characters. Will they be able to break the bonds of obedience, and what will happen to their forbidden love?


This book is a free ARC ebook received from Net Galley. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Great Read!
This book has it all. Love. Politics. An Exotic Setting and Culture. And sword fights. Lots of sword fights. While I loved the main characters, who were both very sympathetic, it was the nuances of the secondary characters that really won me over. I might even kind of have the hots for the villain... ... Read more

Product Description
With a little help from the Cat in the Hat, Sally and Dick observe a small miracle in their own backyard—the metamorphosis of an egg into a caterpillar into a chrysalis into a bright new butterfly! Along the way, beginning readers will find out how butterflies see thousands of images at once, drink nectar from flowers, avoid predators, and can be identified by size, shape, and color. Readers will also follow the amazing migration of millions of monarchs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

One of my daughter's favorites
Simply one of my daughter's favorites it makes her happy so I was and am happy to purchase it.

The BEST Book on Butterflies for Children
I have adopted a class that is now in First Grade.The school's motif this year is the butterfly, so I promptly ordered about 5 books on butterflies.I have to tell you that I ordered the Cat in the Hat book because I thought it would be cute.I didn't really expect much substance.I was WRONG!!The Cat in the Hat Butterfly Book was so AMAZING that I promptly ordered all 12 or so other books in the series like, "Is a Camel a Mammal?", etc.When I was growing up, the Cat in the Hat books were cute, but full of fluff.NOW the Cat in the Hat books are PACKED with information!I even learned a few things I didn't know!!!You will not go wrong with ANY of the Cat in the Hat books, but the Butterfly Book is simply brilliant!Excellent book for young children!

Great book
I purchased this book as a Christmas gift to go with the butterfly habitat for my 5 and 6 year old. They love it. It;s filled with lots of interesting facts. It teaches them the life cycle of a butterfly. Highly recommend!FYI I have also purchased the dinosaur,reptile and space books that are in this series and they love those as well.

Fantastic Book
Wonderful book. Bought this to go along with a butterfly garden and explains everything so good to our little ones. I would highly recommend this. This would be a great activity for any classroom!

perfect book for butterfly lovers
I bought this book to accompany a butterfly growing kit for my grandson. It was the perfect companion to our little science project. ... Read more

Product Description
In clear, luminous prose Marcia Preston brings readers the story of three women, connected by friendship, family secrets and a single moment that binds them together forever.

As a child, Bobbie Lee found refuge from her lonely life at her best friend's house. Rockhaven was a place of magic, colored by the butterflies that Cincy Jaines's mother, Lenora, studied. Her friendship with Cincy and Lenora soon became Bobbie's compass. But the tangled intimacies between them began to unravel, and in one night, Rockhaven became a place of unspeakable tragedy.

Now, a decade later, the long shadows of that night continue to haunt Bobbie, despite her attempts to hide from the past. When a stranger with ties to Lenora and Cincy arrives at her doorstep, she is forced to confront the memories she has tried to avoid, and the dark secret at the heart of the tragedy slowly emerges. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Boring......
If you like "LifeTime" or "Hallmark" movies, this is the book for you, unfortunately, not for me.The character's were flat, the storyline predictable with every cliche imaginable.It was so dull, I finished it 3 days ago and have already forgotten about.

Save your money and get this one from the library.

Good, but easily forgettable
Synopsis: Bobbie Lee does not have a favorable childhood. Most of the time, she feels lost and alone. This forces her to find ways to seek refuge. Eventually, she finds this escape in her best friend, Cincy Jaines.
Cincy and her mother, Lenora, automatically accepts Bobbie as family, in their house in Rockhaven. Over time, these three women has managed to form an unbreakable bond. But in one fatal night, this magical house --"the butterfly house"-- becomes a place of tragedy, that will separate the three of them and change their lives forever.
Ten years later, Bobbie, still troubled by the tragedy, is surprised by an unexpected visitor. This immediately brings back the shadows of her past, haunting her again. She is then forced to face the truth, and to go back to the night she has been running from all these years.

Review: Let me start with some of the good points.
The poetic and engrossing prose is something worthy of a good review. The pace was just right, and the flow of words were effortless. Also, every chapter that was included was important -- not too much information, but enough back story to help the readers learn more. As for the characters, I thought they were well-developed, well-defined, and believable. It was easy to relate to them, and feel for them and their situations. The truth is, I feel as if without these complex and genuine characters, this would just be a pretty 'blah' plot -- one without much substance. This now leads me to the bad points.
Personally, I thought that the actual story itself, even with its twists and 'secrets,' wasn't anything special. The plot, also, has been done many times before, and didn't offer anything new to the table. It didn't "wow" me in any way whatsoever. In fact, instead of "wow-ing" me, I felt let down by it.
As for the ending.... well, let's just say it was what made up my mind and made me say, "This book is not good at all.." The conclusion was rushed and anti-climactic. This of course, left me disappointed.
I know I'm making it sound like it's such a bad book, which probably isn't fair, because it wasn't that bad. Like I said, there are some strong points. For one, it is entertaining. At times, it was even thought-provoking. It does have its moments. Unfortunately, these moments were just not good enough. To be honest, if I haven't picked this book up or read it at all, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I'd still forget about it in a couple of weeks. But that's just me.

Archel
A deeply moving story in which we are let in to the depths of a young girl's battle to grow up a whole person amidst a world full of struggling and broken people. Discovering the truth behind the dreams she holds dear will take you back to your own discovery of mortality, reality, and the truth behind the surfaces around us. This beautifully written story is unflinching in its presentation of the world, and is deeply real in its vision.

Awesome Read!
This book stared a bit slow but about 2-3 chapters in, I was HOOKED! I was drawn to the characters and was engrosssed in the storyline. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I do wish Cincy's character was elaborated on more thoroughly. There were times when she was described looking a certain way or acting a certain way but no explanation why (with the exception of the very end of the book). Other than that, great book!

Beautiful Story
This was a wonderfully written story that I could not put down!The story was such a powerful telling of friendships and family.I have recommended this to a few people already and I just finished the book yesterday! ... Read more

Product Description
Fifteen thousand children under the age of fifteen passed through the Terezin Concentration Camp. Fewer than 100 survived. In these poems and pictures drawn by the young inmates, we see the daily misery of these uprooted children, as well as their hopes and fears, their courage and optimism. 60 color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Children of the Holocaust
Even if one more reference to the Holocaust is painful for you, you must own and read this book. Why? Because you will see the horror of that bleak chapter of human history through the eyes and hearts of children. As if by a miracle, these children purify their suffering and elevate it to the level of a spiritual experience. The simplicity of their art and the poignant insights of theirpoetry strike us with a power and honesty that no adult can capture by more sophisticated and intellectual means. This book should be in the library of every person who loves humanity, children, and historical truth. In their creations we experience the evil of war and the redemptive power of childhood's unspoiled sanctity.

Beautiful, heartbreaking
I read this book to prepare lessons for my 6th grade classroom.We were learning about the Terezin Ghettothat was open during WWII in preparation for attending the play I Never Saw Another Butterfly.The book is a collection of poems and visual artwork that were done by Jewish prisoners who were held in this ghetto, mostly by children.The history of the ghetto is amazing and something I was never aware of until I read this book.My students were silent as they read and responded to the poems.We also read large parts of The Cat with the Yellow Star as we studied these poems.The Cat with the Yellow Star is an autobiography of a girl who was in the ghetto and was published in 2007.It helped to round out our understanding of the messages in the poems.

Heart Wrenching
This collection of artwork and poems by the children confined to Terezin Concentration Camp is beautiful and thoughtful.I used it in my classroom to give my students an idea of what life was like for them.This is a great resource when doing a Holocaust unit.

testimony of the Holocaust existenceby children through art
childrenart and poemsthatshowtheirreality aslived everyday close to death , the loss of familiar, and the every daylife , the unexplained hatred towards them and their people, just for being Jewish .

A great Holocaust teaching resource for both parents and educators
I came across this title whilst visiting the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The title captured my interest "I never saw another butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944". Immediately, my interest was piqued - who were these children, and what happened to them during those dark days of the Holocaust? I was also keen to discover the artwork of these innocent children who had been victims of Nazi oppression and brutality.

Between the years 1942-1944, about 15,000 children were incarcerated at various times in the Terezin [or Theresienstadt] Concentration Camp, just outside of Prague. This camp was promoted as the 'ideal' camp by the Nazis, who used it as a cover-up for their brutalities in other camps, such as the death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Dachau, Majdanek, Sobibor, etc. The Nazis were so successful in their propaganda efforts that even the Red Cross was hoodwinked into believing that conditions in the camp were exemplary, and that inmates flourished here. The reality was far from the truth as conditions were terrible - starvation and diseases flourished, and the inhabitants were merely biding their time before being shipped off to the camps in the east for extermination.

Of those 15,000 children under the age of 15, only 100 survived...but before these innocent lives were taken, many of these children wrote poems describing their thoughts and feelings and produced works of art that voiced their innermost fears and desires. Thanks to the great number of art teachers in this camp, children continued to gain access to art supplies and were given an outlet to vent their creativity and frustration. Many of these pictures are now displayed in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. As I perused these pictures on the wall, my soul silently cried out for all the lost potential due to the premature annihilation of these innocent lives [though a few of these children did survive the Holocaust]. One poignant image is of a simple drawing of a little child running into a house with a sun in the background - which was so simple yet effective in conveying the desperate need of a child for the comfort of home from which he/she had been torn away from, so very violently.

This is a great resource for parents and educators seeking to make the Holocaust more accessible to children. I think it's suitable for children ages 7 and older, if only because some of the poems are a bit 'deep' in content.This is also a wonderful resource to get children to express themselves through art. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Ever since the Nazis marched into Monique’s small French village, terrorizing it, nothing surprises her, until the night Monique encounters “the little ghost” sitting at the end of her bed. She turns out to be a girl named Sevrine, who has been hiding from the Nazis in Monique’s basement. Playing after dark, the two become friends, until, in a terrifying moment, they are discovered, sending both of their families into a nighttime flight.Amazon.com Review
Lying in bed one moonlit night, Monique awakens to see what she thinks is a little ghost sitting at the foot of her bed, petting her cat. In the time that her French village has been occupied by Nazi troops, Monique has come to believe that nothing can surprise her anymore. But when she discovers that the little ghost is in fact a Jewish girl named Sevrine, who is living in a hidden room in Monique's own basement, she is very surprised indeed! The two become secret friends, whispering and giggling late at night after their families have gone to bed. An unfortunate and alarming moment of discovery by a neighbor forces the girls to reveal their friendship to Monique's mother, who has been harboring Sevrine's family and others throughout the Nazi occupation.

Based on the true experiences of the author's great aunt, Marcel Solliliage, this poignant story is a good introduction to the terrors of Nazism, racism, and World War II. The emphasis is on simple friendship and quiet heroism, with an occasional lapse into clichéd metaphor (butterfly as symbol of freedom). Any child can relate to the bewilderment the two friends experience in the face of prejudice. Patricia Polacco has written and illustrated many other picture books, including Chicken Sunday and Pink and Say. (Ages 6 to 9) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Subject matter not appropriate for the 4-8 age group
This book is well written and beautifully illustraded, but the subject matter is a little heavy for the 4-8 age group.My husband and son brought this home from the library when he was four.My son was already reading at this level and the title was very misleading.I previewed the book and took it right back to the library.My son is now 9 and only now do I think the subject matter could be appropriatly explained to him in a manner he could comprehend.Some very mature children could maybe read this at 8, but not without parental guidance to give them a historical perspective. This book tells a valuable story, but I believe its mature subject matter is aimed at the wrong age group.

children's book
i love patricia polacco books. this one is a good one if you want your kids to have a taste of what the jews went thru during wwII.

Complex but not complicated
Polacco has an uncanny way of facing sophisticated themes head-on and succeeding in finding a child-like simplicity in them.It's this ability of hers that draws her readers into the core of big issues instead of allowing them to get caught up in politics and other trivialities that merely skim the surface.One thing I like about this work in particular is the literary quality of it; it's very subtle.Polacco does a splendid job of reaching kids with the message by fixing big moral ideas around something very familiar to them: friendship.I read this to my third grade class and we not only had intriguing conversations about Nazi occupation in Europe, but conversations from a writer's point of view.The kids shared thoughts like, "The butterflies still fly in the sky even though the Nazi killed one..." or "Maybe if people still have hope they win instead of the bad guys."Witnessing young children take hold of moral issues and deep convictions is truly breath-taking.Thanks again, Ms. Polacco.

Poignant and moving
My 3rd graders had asked a lot about Hitler, Nazis, and the Holocaust after one student had brought up the subject.I tried to make it understandable to that age group.But when I was searching some ofPatricia Polacco's books for another unit, I came across The Butterfly.I decided this was the perfect way for my students to access the subject, by seeing it through the eyes of these 2 girls.My class was so quiet and focused as I read it.We talked about it a lot when I finished. As usual, Mrs. Polacco handles a tough subject with sensitivity and art that conveys the deeper meaning, yet in a way elementary students can handle. I am an even bigger fan of her after reading this book.

Exceptional, moving and sensitive
Patricia Polacco is, by far, one of the very best author-illustrators I have read.The Butterfly is the perfect balance in portraying the horrors of hatred, yet not becoming overwhelming to our young readers.

I use quality literature with my students to teach the basics of language and social issues.Whenever I read this book with my students, they are riveted from the very beginning.The discussions resulting from the story are always insightful, inspiring deep questions from the children and considerable thought.

The illustrations, as always with Patricia Polacco, elevate the emotional impact of the events of the story.

The fact that this story is of Patricia Polacco's aunt and great-aunt and a true story is meaningful to my students. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Reflective Memoir
This memoir captures the complexity of being an American Muslim after 9/11.Wilson tries to navigate through the challenges of accepting Islam while preserving her American identity.In the end, she finds a personal balance that works for her.

Wilson writes carefully to show the multiple layers of an individual's identity.One of my favorite parts of the memoir is when her friend Jo punches her twice during their game of "Punchback Fundie."It showed that even those Muslims who appear "fundamentalist" may actually be lighthearted enough to drive a yellow buggy.

I hope she eventually follows this books with a second memoir - the one where America tries to accept an Egyptian married to an American convert.

Honest to the Bone and Beautifully Written!
G. Willow Wilson is honest to the bone, and I laughed and cried by turns at the vivid and poetic account of her life's journey in The Butterfly Mosque.

From a student's philosophic interest in Islam to a religious awakening in the hospital while suffering from what she calls adrenal distress, to Egypt, where she accepted a teaching position for a year, to meeting Omar, her adored and adoring soon-to-be Sufi husband and his extended family--all against the backdrop of the Middle Eastern way of life in Cairo, that overcrowded, overhot, overdusty great city of the Nile.

Willow's descriptive and analytical powers are at once affectionate and insightful. The Middle Eastern way of life, with its emphasis on family and community interdependence instead of independence, its Islamic tradition of courtesy and hospitality,and its foundation of religion woven into every aspect of daily living, is something few in the secular West seem to appreciate.

Indeed, the Middle East division of the State Department as well as Western Think Tanks and Islamic Studies seminars would benefit greatly if The Butterfly Mosque were required reading.

Her candor is both refreshing and thoughtfully intelligent, and her bravery in forging a common ground, a space in which to live with her husband and within Islam the way her heart beckoned, is to glimpse what is left unsaid, but there between the lines--those that accept their calling and follow their heart are on the Divine path, no matter their religion.

If you have not yet read this wise and intimate memoir, buy a copy now, or order it online here, or check it out of your local library.Willow's is a life worth knowing.

Highly Recommended!

Simply Intriguing!
This is my first book review, I usually don't review books but I had to with this one because I really had to take the time and tell everyone what an amazing book this was to read! I absolutely LOVED it! I couldn't stop reading it, it was very addicting, fascinating, and I never wanted it to end! The author is simply an amazing writer. She did an excellent job describing her feelings/experiences and her story was very inspiring! I am a Muslim convert as well, so I felt very connected to this book! Even if you aren't a convert, I think you would really enjoy this book. It definitely accentuates facts rather than all of these made up stereotypes you hear on t.v. EXCELLENT BOOK! Wish there was a continuation of it! It leaves you wanting more. Willow Wilson is definitely my new favorite author!

Well-written & Authentic
Instead of the same old tired stereotypes about the Middle East, we found a fresh voice, an authentic experience and lots of insights in between. Whatever your views of Islam or Arabs, this is a well-written travel memoir, an insider's view that is inter-laced with love and faith. Inspiring & highly recommended.

Well Told
Never failing to see the humor or compromising what she wants and believes, Willow Wilson navigates a hazardous cultural path in her enlightening memoir, The Butterfly Mosque.While studying Islam, Wilson shocks her family by converting.Eager to embrace her new religion, Wilson uproots her life and moves to Egypt, where she falls in love.Struggling to reconcile Islamic and Egyptian culture with her own values and desires, Wilson tries to build a life for herself. Her uplifting story has classical fairytale appeal in a very modern circumstance. ... Read more

Product Description
A delightful small-format book that will appeal to butterfly enthusiasts young and old, with vivid images by the leading butterfly photographer and texts by preeminent writers in the field.This chunky small-format gift book-432 pages, hardcover-features exquisite full-page pictures of 200 butterflies from around the world, accompanied by text that is informative and engaging, including essays on butterfly migration, butterflies and the environment, gardening, and watching and collecting butterflies. The selection of butterflies is arranged by location, from the Arctic Circle to rainforests, woodlands, grasslands, and deserts. Species in the book include butterflies from India, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ireland, Russia, New Guinea, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, and many North American favorites. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

a world of butterflies.
book was a gift and arrived a few days after placing order in brand new condition. This book is destined to be a classic - if not already.recommend for the casual nature lover or professional. Beautifully photographed.

fabulous....
A wonderful book.My butterfly fan loved it as a Christmas gift.It was the first present to arrive. The pictures are so crisp and bright along with the descriptions.It is a must for all butterfly lovers.

Emerging slowly... graceful!
Received this book as a birthday gift and I couldn't be more happy!It is very thoughtful and gorgeous for the true butterfly lover in your life.Very compact with the beautiful jacket shown.It is a wonderful coffee table book and will surely get a lot of viewing time.

My daughters love to glance during commercials and ask many questions.The images are truly breathtaking and there is information provided as to where you would see these beauties.On a typical page, you will find this info:

*Information of the name and species and interesting little facts in a small paragraph.

*Description: The colors, markings etc.

*Habitat: Where they like to live or stay.

*Range: Location; as in where in the world.

*Wingspan: Self-explanatory

Highly recommend to butterfly and nature lovers in general!

Wonderful creatures
The photos are superb and the text informative. My only wish is that the book was larger because it would be a great coffee table tome.

Ready To Suspend in the Frieze of Time
This is a book of photographs of butterflies from all over the world, arranged for the artist's eye; it has been quite helpful to me as I design pottery, wooden boxes, drawings. I have been working on a series of colored rice paper drawings and this book has inspired better work by being able to consider different butterflies to include in the images.Easier for me to use than a computer in that context. I find butterflies, just rarely, not enough for what I am doing. So here is a solution to allow me flight into art.

I think it is true, and read it here, that a small map showing the locations visually over verbally, would be a good addition. Actually though for the most part I do know the names and global placement having had geography in school. But seeing the range is pretty effective. That is a fair suggestion on re-issue. Also a CD with these images might be a most appreciated extension.

This book is placed in my home in a bowl and from it guests seem to gather attention to something worth looking at. I love books that show us the world, some aspect, photographed, explained, collected. It's small, a hand full, chubby. I open it randomly to predict the day ( particular tome) and mean to use it as a poetry exercise. Mean to. The photographs are just so clear, color vibrant. I used it in San Diego to identify a large butterfly that stayed beside me a long while, Nymphalis antiopa, The Mourning Cloak, out sunning on that day in the warmth of a particularly clear brilliant path of light. So it has proved useful to me identifying though I think it's clearly gathered more as an artistic tribute.

I found some lovely typo's "due" for "do", things that made the volume dearer. ... Read more

Product Description
A play based on the true story of a French diplomat, Bernard Boursicot, posted to Peking, who fell in love with a seductive opera singer, named Shi Pei Pu, apparently unaware that Pei Pu was a man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Just what I ordered
Nice to be able to receive scripts from Amazon without having to go to NYC to shop.This was brand new and just what I wanted. It arrived in perfect shape.

Amazing work
M. Butterfly contains a sense of tranquility of tempo but with sharp and deep cuts of theatrical drama. I just found the play to be completely moving, shocking, and highly entertaining with the multiple perspectives underline themes of race, gender, and the love that is intertwined within it. A wonderful and beautiful piece of theatrical art.

Pained Love
M. Butterfly / 0-822-20712-5

Hwang's drama takes a real life story, often distilled into a joke or a bit of trivia, and creates a compelling drama. He refuses easy answers here, noting that the thing people "really" want to ask is "Did he or didn't he know?" The novelty of the situation shocks us - Did he know? Didn't he know? If he didn't know, HOW did he not know? - and we want to hear the details, partly to satisfy a vicarious desire, and partly to reassure ourselves that such deception could not happen to us.

However, Hwang turns the question aside as meaningless and points out that the underlying deception - that of a false lover - is one that we've all seen (and many have experienced) countless times. The gender of the participants is less important than their feelings and motivations. Whatever else may have occurred, he argues, a human being was used in a terrible way, and his heart was destroyed in the process. Everything else in immaterial.

Interesting
I had to read this for a college course.It was a very quick read and very interesting.It is a great book to write a paper over because of all the gender themes as well.It's a little grotesque at times and definitely not moral, but you wont regret reading it.I would suggest it highly.

quite happy experience, recommended
I received my order right on time, in good condition, fast and efficient, very satisfactory service. ... Read more

Product Description
Above an exclusive men’s store on Rodeo Drive, there is a private club called Butterfly, where women are free to act out their secret erotic fantasies. Only the most beautiful and powerful women in Beverly Hills are invited to join …

Customer Reviews (98)

Very Good Read
Loved this book. A bit different from the normal, not predicatable at all andbelievable. Life and romance with a twist - I couldn't help wondering if it could be true? Makes you wonder what the "Butterfly" set really get up to!

Just fabulous!
This is one of those books that takes you away from your own life and plops you down into someone else's universe for the duration of the yarn. What a ride...what emotions are brought forth. This is just a darn good book that entertains. Trashy? Oh, yes, and delightfully so!If you're looking for something that will keep you turning the pages, this will do it for you!

Great timeless book
I first read this book may years ago when it was first released and absolutely loved it.It holds your interest from the very beginning and never lets go.I was so excited when I found it's sequel "Star" which just completed the entire story and shows there can be a satisfying ending.What is it they say about karma?

Great book.
My wife wanted this so badly, as she remembers just loving it years ago.So, I got it for her as a present, and she read it in about 2-3 nights time.She's been bugging me to read it, and perhaps I will.

A great read!
This book has everything to maintain your interest: mystery, sex, politics,and revenge.It's a great read. ... Read more

Product Description
Goodnight, Sweet Butterflies

makes bedtime a fun, soothing experience for little sleepyheads. They will love the rhyming story -- and the glittery butterflies teach colors while easing children into dreamland. It's the perfect way to say good night, every night!Amazon.com Review
Babies and toddlers who loved the "real" ladybugs in Ten Little Ladybugs will adore the nine sparkly, three-dimensional butterflies in Good Night, Sweet Butterflies. Each glitter-covered butterfly flits through a color-themed spread which offers a place for the little winged one to sleep: "on red roses as a red robin sings good night," is the text accompanying a psychedelic, color-saturated image of birds, flowers, and various insects. The meter of the rhyming text is a bit off, which makes it hard to read the book rhythmically, but little ones are likely to be so enthralled with the illustrations that it won’t matter. The thick, kid-friendly pages are easy to turn and hard to tear; the butterflies are securely mounted, but not impossible to remove, so it might be a good idea to keep this one for reading together. (Ages 2 to 6) --Jennifer Lindsay ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

A Bedtime Favorite
This is one of my 3 year old little boy's favorite bedtime books.It's a rare night that we don't read this.Not only is it a good read with beautiful pictures, it has sparked many wonderful conversations.

Beautifully illustrated book
What a lovely book, the illustrations have very bright colors and a lot of detail. My Grandson saw one in the doctor's office and tried to bring it home, he kept looking at it over and over. I bought this one for him, it is beautiful and he loves it. I thought if it could stand the abuse at the doctor's it would do fine at home.

My little one absolutely loved this book
This is the story of a group of butterflies looking for a place to sleep. Each one is a different color, and each pair of facing pages (color-coordinated, of course!) tells the story of where each of the butterflies found to sleep. Each of the butterflies is shown as a brightly-colored, foil-looking toy that your little one will not be able to resist touching.

My little one absolutely loved this book, and it did go great as a preparing for sleep read. The colors and the butterflies, and the cute story all were a hit. We both highly recommend this book!

Daughter loves it
I bought this for my daughter for her 1st birthday. She ADORES it! She loves touching the butterflies with her fingers and staring the illustrations (which are pretty and very well done).

A sweet book for babies and toddlers
This beautifully illustrated book featuring ten colorful,glittery butterflies is a favorite at our house. The nana-babies like to count the butterflies as they flit off! The book is also good for learning colors, discussing the activities the butterflies do and the plastic butterflies are great as the babies and toddlers like to touch them! ... Read more

Product Description
Kaufman Focus Guides cut through the clutter to focus on the essentials.

* More than 2,300 images of butterflies in natural, lifelike poses
* Pictorial table of contents
* Convenient one-page index
* Full index that doubles as a life list
* Similar species arranged side by side for easy comparison
* Range maps on text pages showing where each species is common or rare and indicating seasons of occurrence ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Butterflies of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides)
This is the perfect book for identifying butterflies and moths. Whether you are a novice or more knowledgeable there is a wealth of information. The organization of the book is very user friendly showinggeographic habitat, outstanding color plates and silhouette of adult butterflies. Excellent descriptions.

Just what I was looking for
This guide has all the features I wanted-- excellent pictures, descriptions and ranges of the butterflies I am learning to identify.

Review
This is a fine field guide and companion to Peterson because of the complimentary formats.

GREAT FIELD GUIDE
I'VE BEEN AN AVID BIRDWATCHER FOR YEARS AND BECAME FAMILIAR WITH KENN KAUFMAN THROUGH FIELD GUIDES AND MAGAZINES.I THINK THIS IS A GREAT FIELD GUIDE FOR SOMEONE SUCH AS MYSELF WHO IS JUST BEGINNING TO LEARN BUTTERFLIES OR PROBABLY FOR NON-BEGINNERS AS WELL.THE BEST THING ABOUT IT IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW WHAT FAMILY OF BUTTERFLY THE ONE IS IN THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY.IT IS COLOR CODED, WHICH HELPS ME TREMENDOUSLY.THAT HAS BEEN MY SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION IN TRYING TO IDENTIFY BUTTERFLES ON-LINE AND IN LOOKING AT OTHER FIELD GUIDES.IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT FAMILY IT'S IN, IN MOST CASES, IT'S HARD TO FIND IN OTHER GUIDES.THIS IS TRUE FOR WILDFLOWERS, TREES, BIRDS, ETC.I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS FIELS GUIDE TO ANYONE.

Comprehinsive, nice pictures and logically designed
In my humble opinion, most field guides are not logically designed.If you have a bird or butterfly in front of you, you may not have half an hour to thumb through the book looking for a likely suspect.This book has a few little aids that make searching faster and easier.The pictures are pretty good and show the tops and bottoms of the wings which is very important.Also important, it is complete.Most field guides leave a lot of butterflies out.

I have four other field guides that are pretty much worthless.This is the best I've found so far. ... Read more

Product Description

Nancy thinks butterflies are simply exquisite. And that is why she can't wait for her friend Bree's Butterfly Birthday. It's going to be the fanciest birthday party ever! But when Nancy finds out she can't go because her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary party is the same day, she is furious. (Mad is way too plain for how she feels.) Will Nancy be able to overcome her disappointment?

Customer Reviews (48)

Deceptively Delicious!
Surprise! From the cover and title, you'd expect a frothy, superficial story in which a spoiled little girl is indulged in her love of glitz and finery. But, FN, Bonjour Butterfly! is actually a wholesome book with solid values, a loving family in which both parents are hands-on and committed, plus educational extras like vocabulary, science, and forming letters. Who knew? And the brilliant author manages this without the slightest hint of moralizing, pedantry or lecturing. Quite an achievement. The illustrations are wonderfully appropriate and worth returning to again and again. I absoulutly love this book and little girls (and their moms) will too.

Great book!!
This book is so fun! It has several different topics and keeps my 4 year old daughter entertained. We read it every night. If your child's name starts with a "B" you will love this book.

Adorable...
Purchased for youngest niece, but even the older, teen-aged girls really enjoyed this book.Super cute!

Love the Fancy Nancy series
Love the Fancy Nancy series, totally exceeded expectations, this is a must have for reading time, one of my child's absolute favorites!

Always Love "Fancy Nancy"
I am never disappointed when I get a "Fancy Nancy" book for my girls. Thay never fail to love it and this one was no exception. They already have it memorized and will 'read' it to me! ... Read more

Product Description
In One Hundred Butterflies, photographer Harold Feinstein showcases butterfly varieties from around the world, turning exquisite details into mesmerizing works of art. Feinstein's breathtaking photographs capture the color, vibrancy, and infinite variety of patterns that occur on the wings of these ornate insects. One hundred impeccably reproduced, oversized photographs allow viewers to appreciate the Blue Morpho of Central America, the African Birdwing, and the Asian Swallowtail at a scale and depth impossible to experience in nature. An elegantly printed deluxe gift book, it is a treasure for butterfly enthusiasts and art lovers alike.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

100 Butterflies that Got Away
I bought this for my daughter, and had high hopes for it. Though it's great to have large photos of both the top and underside of butterflies, I was really disappointed in the quality of the photography (perhaps it was the printing). I expect macro photography - extreme close up of small objects - to be crisp and full of detail. This was colorful, but vague - not detailed. Not blurry, but definitely not the sharpness that I expected. Seller was fine, but book was a real disappointment.

Strikingly beautiful collection of photographs
Harold Feinstein whose previous works include The Infinite Rose, The Infinite Tulip, One Hundred Flowers, One Hundred Seashells, Foliage and Orchidelirium recently released another beautiful collection of photographs in One Hundred Butterflies.

"Who among us has not at one time or another gazed at a butterfly with a sense of awe? In the journey of completing the photographs for this book, it was not unusual for me to cry out in astonishment while looking at these creatures. I had been transported. The earth laughs with flowers, but it dances with butterflies."
- One Hundred Butterflies by Harold Feinstein

One Hundred Butterflies is a collection of artistically compiled and detailed photographs of butterflies from all over the world. The colors and wing designs range from striking greens, blues, and yellows and oranges to the discrete patterns that allow the butterfly to camouflage itself in the wild.

The book will surely interest those who already appreciate the butterfly. But for those that have a basic knowledge of the animal, Harold Feinstein teaches us about its life cycle and unique characteristics.

Did you know that the colorful wings are a collage of microscopic scales that are much like shingles on a roof that protect the wing from moisture? Our eyes only perceive a fraction of the wing's color patterns, but the full beauty can be seen under ultraviolet light - which is what butterflies' eyes see. Some of the yellow "sulphur butterflies" that we see come across to other butterflies as a flashy blue.

The adaptation of butterflies is fascinating. Some wing have evolved to look like leaves and animal faces, others use bright warning colors that announce "I'm deadly, eat me at your peril," and others mimic the color of their poisonous cousins.

As the author points out, "Butterfly museums and books are just some of the ways to tell people, 'Look what is out there in the world we live in every day. There is so much more than butterflies. . .yet look how much butterflies there are!'" One Hundred Butterflies affords us a rare glimpse into this rich and diverse world of butterflies.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (November 4, 2009)128 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Absolutely stunning....
I've been reviewing photography and coffee table books this month and they've all been amazing, but I really have to say, One Hundred Butterflies is simply and absolutely stunning.

Once I actually got past the cover, I had to stop and linger on the flyleafs. There are at least 40 colour images presented here as well.

Moths and butterflies have evolved to survive. Their wings sometimes mimic owl eyes, some colours are interpreted as poisonous by predators, sometimes they blend in with the leaves on the trees. Fred Gagnon provides an excellent forward about moths and butterflies at the beginning of the book. There are quotes and an 1800's essay included as well.

Each species is photographed with a black background. The colours and patterns are just magnificent. Nature is truly the greatest artist. The pictures are close ups, so that you can see the finest details. Each species is named, with it's Latin name and country of origin as well.

There really are not words to describe the beauty. Each plate is a work of art on it's own. (I briefly thought that each piece would be a wonderful framed picture, but wouldn't want to desecrate the book) The book is oversized, the stock heavy and glossy. A book to be savoured and enjoyed.

A truly remarkable book, one that nature or art lovers would appreciate.

reviewed by www.beachbrights.blogspot.com
I have never seen butterflies photographed like this. It is like they are plugged in and emitting electricity. All the butterflies are photographed with a back background, which only enhances their images more. This is truly beautiful. Stunning.I love the big glossy pages and the feel of the book with each turning page. This is a substantial book. There is not a lot of words in this book, really no need with these photographs, but there are literary quotations and small bits of information scattered about. Just the right amounts as not to distract from the photographs.

Fred Gagnon wrote the forward. He was the curator of a man-made ecosystem that shelters three to four thousand butterflies, as well as the plants needed for their habitat.

This is a museum quality book. This is a coffee table book for the interiors in Elle Decor Magazine.

Bridget's Review
This is such a gorgeous books. My mom is obsessed with butterflies so I knew that she would show great appreciation for this book. Once I gave it to her, we both sat down and flipped through the pages. This is one of the most gorgeous books I've ever flipped through. ... Read more

Product Description
A wise spider helps a despondent cricket realize that he is special in his own way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

One of my favorite all time children's books!
My daughter picked this book out at the local library.I was skeptical as the cover is a bit 'dark.'Opening the pages and reading the book was magical!Yes, I said, it.Sounds corny but it was so beautiful.

Love it!!
I love this book so much, that this was my third time buying it. The of two copies have grown feet and walked off of my shelf. Hopefully I will have better luck with this book.

Perfect Class Read..
This is a beautiful book that can lead to some wonderful discussion. I've read it in my classroom every year since I purchased it.

great for children building self esteem
I found this book to be great for children between the ages of 4-8.It teaches them about self esteem. They can use the knowledge from this book for their lives.The pictures were beautiful and ful of wonderful colors.When I read it to preschoolers, they enjoyed the pictures and could follow along with the story.Plus, I got great feed back from them.Amazon's shipping was great because I needed the book fast and it got to my house right on time.

Great book!
This is a great story, well-told without being preachy, about a subject that concerns every child from time to time.A++ ... Read more

Product Description
A profound transition is taking place in our society, a revolution that is largely hidden, and led predominantly by women. A society once based on domination and power over others is beginning to crumble as an era of cooperation and community emerges, founded on the principle that power should only be exercised with and for others.

This is the inspiring, central message of Iron Butterflies, a compelling narrative that weaves together the stories of sixty successful women from all walks of life and throughout the world. Author Birute Regine spent several years in eight countries interviewing these dynamic female role models: businesswomen, CEOs, a Congresswoman, a governor, an ex-Prime Minister, a novelist, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a winemaker, artists, doctors, nurses, and many others.

Regine calls these women "Iron Butterflies" because they meld a will of iron with the gentle, nurturing touch of a butterfly. With disarming candor, these women talk about their struggles, their fallibilities, and their strengths in the journey to the top of their professions. Forging their leadership from an amalgam of masculine and feminine skills, all of these Iron Butterflies have transformed themselves and in doing so they are contributing to a larger social transformation.

A key to this personal and social transformation rests in their ability to address vulnerability in themselves and those around them, and transform it into a crucible of healing, growth, and innovation. Knowing how to deal with vulnerability, in ourselves and with others, evokes feminine skills and values and is a key to the societal change so many are seeking.

Critiquing the command-and-control style of leadership, derived from the gladiator concept of male invulnerability, Regine convincingly demonstrates how traditional feminine skills and values --such as inclusion, empathy, a holistic perspective, relational skills, and emotional strength-- can be applied to empower more people than ever before. Like the sixty Iron Butterflies profiled, leaders in the 21st century will paradoxically embrace vulnerability and durability, creating better working and living relationships for us all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Outstanding book for men and women alike!
This book is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read.I was amazed by the amount of research that Ms. Regine included in her book; even more stunning were the statistics.Each page made me aspire to be a true Iron Butterfly - to spread my wings in this world and live up to my true potential as a strong, intelligent woman.Thank you Ms. Regine for such an amazing book.I am a fan on the Iron Butterflies Facebook page and love the fact that I can keep in contact with other Iron Butterflies like myself.I have already passed the book on to two friends and have recommended it to countless others.Outstanding!

College-level collections strong in social issues and women's studies will relish this
IRON BUTTERFLIES: WOMEN TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES AND THE WORLD maintains that a transition is taking place in society which was once based on power over others and is now seeing a new era of community founded on the idea that power should only be exercised with and for others. The stories of sixty successful women in eight countries considers changing women's roles and role models - women who are 'Iron Butterflies' because they meld a will of iron with the grace and care of a butterfly. College-level collections strong in social issues and women's studies will relish this.

Iron Butterflies
This is a profoundly important book for every woman in your life to read.It is empowering and uplifting while being educational and entertaining all at the same time.The author takes a very different approach to viewing the world and the possibilities of world change when the Era of Women becomes a reality.

Bold, Provocative, Inspiring
A book I will reference for years to come.
Woven throughout this book is a compelling account of womens history (which left me feeling angry and sad) while also providing a view of the work that remains to be done (which left me feeling overwhelmed and even discouraged at times).But through the stories of courage and persistence that the women interviewed possessed, I was brought to feelings of inspiration and motivation, as well as a sense of responsibility.Within the stories there is a call to action.We all, men and women working together as a cooperative team, are called to help move us to a place of true equality and harmony in our work environments, political arenas and certainly in harmony with all of nature's systems.Iron Butterflies offers direction through the paths blazed by modern women leaders, including Birute Regine herself.
I have chosen Iron Butterflies as required reading in my Contemporary Social Problems class.These stories need to be told again, and again and again.

Women's Feminine Presence Can Transform the World
I was struck with the fact that the former Harvard-trained psychologist, Birute Regine, found a publisher for a book about gender in 2010. I had come to believe the party line that women are no longer discriminated against, at least in North America and Europe. So, why should we read another gender politics book?

Why, indeed? Regine tells us why, in the stories of more than 50 women leaders from all over the world who share their struggles, their methods of counteracting discrimination in subtle and overt forms, and the feminine strengths that allow them to be leaders who are capable of "transforming the world."

Despite attempts to derail them, women are finding ways to lead that differ dramatically from the "gladiator" style that predominates in macho-led corporate and institutional cultures. Rather than become "Amazons" (or wanna-be gladiators,) these women have given themselves permission to be who they are: empathic, inclusive, compassionate, and cooperative. Unlike conventional wisdom, Regine discovered, these are the qualities that contribute to the bottom line; they don't detract from it. Rather than choosing to be "shape changers," Regine's phrase for women who've tried to be all things to all people while risking losing their integrity and authenticity, these women have an iron will to get things done, but to do it by using the culture of care, instead of the culture of power over others.

That women can get things done as leaders by caring about others' needs doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is Regine's historical cultural chronicle of just how many ways that women are still hitting glass ceilings, still being subordinated or subordinating themselves, still encountering blatant sexism in the workplace.

How can we cultivate feminine presence? When I interviewed Regine on my TV show, "Alivelihood" (See the Karma Kitaj channel on YouTube for a clip of the interview) I asked her this question. We need to gather together, "find our sisters," as she says. Sometimes our "sisters" are men who are in our industry who share our vision of the world. Sometimes we need to gather women together and give them permission through our leadership to embrace their vulnerabilities and express them in a well-thought out way. And often men come on board because they see the value of feminine presence to themselves, their employees, and their clients.

Iron Butterflies is one of those books that just might be around for a long time. Leadership training programs would do well to include it on their syllabi. But it's well-enough written for the curious and motivated reader who aspires to a leadership position in any field.



Women Riders Who Could and Did:Life Stories of Top Level Equestriennes ... Read more