Product Description
The Scopes Trial, over the right to teach evolution in public schools, reaffirmed the importance of intellectual freedom. In 1925, this Tennessee trial set the stage for ongoing national debates over the separation of church and state in a democratic society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial
Everyone has heard of this trial.However, until I heard this rendition of the trial and play I wasn't as interested.This play sheds new light on it and makes it so much more interesting and actually brought it to life for me. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This book totally changed my life & has all the answers!
There are many people out there that want answers and are not finding themin their church.Many believe that God wants us to worship him everysingle day and live in our churches.I know of someone that is neglectingtheir family because the people of the church are his family now!

Confirms all I've "re-membered" in 62 years.
This book opened my life.I recognized Who had been talking to me all these years.I had thought it was the wind, the clouds, the rain, my imagination. And it was.I knew all along and it made me cry.On my seventh reading now I still cry, and of course, smile.I will read this book forever.Thank God Mr. Walsch wrote it down so I don't have to. ... Read more

Product Description
Author Ed Asner calls Misuse of Power a primer. His co-writer, retired government analyst, Burt Hall, concurs, but this primer has spoken out on people and issues on both sides of the political fence, and this small volume puts into words many of the issues being placed before the voter.Asner and Hall have written clearly, sparingly and well about the political realities. In doing so, they have reflected the views of many other citizens, questioning the actions of both political parties when confronted with important issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A very strongly recommended read political activists engaged in anti-right wing politics
Tactfully co-authored by Ed Asner (award-winning actor and political activist) and Burt Hall, Misuse Of Power is a very strongly recommended read political activists engaged in anti-right wing politics, as well as the non-specialist general reader for its revealing truths and highly informative content. Misuse Of Power offers a wealth of highly researched documentation on how corrupt and sadistic the very right-wing Republican currently in control of American government truly is. Readers will discover the overriding powers of a majority republican executive and congressional government and how the two may cause terrible affects upon the whole American population.

Think again about Ed Asner
His agenda is simply hating any one who doesn't think just like himself.He is not a cordial man, but a sour, bitter liberal who will never get over that the American people put their votes in to elect George W. Bush for two terms.If you look on the back cover of Misuse of Power at the two faces pictured there, Ed Asner and his writing partner, Burt Hall, ask your self who would you trust to save you if you were drowning?Even though, I don't personally share Burt Hall's political philosophy, I would trust him to try his best to save me from the whirl pool, not Mr. Asner...

The sickest of the sick.......
Of all the despicable people in Hollywierd; among all the alcoholics, drug addicts, multiple-divorced, and messed up left-wing actors and actresses, Ed Asner stands out as one of the sickest.These messed up people can't even run their own lives, or keep their children from trashing themselves, but they want to tell us how to run a country.

Here are some of the sick statements Ed Asner just made at the Palm Beach Democratic Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.:

"We might easily have been spared 9/11 if the president had heeded expert advice and made terrorism one of his highest priorities, as the previous administration had done,"

Huh? What did he say?"....as the previous administration had done"?Has this guy completely lost all touch with reality? Clinton was in office 8 years, refused to take Osama Bin Laden, whom we knew for years was a problem, and didn't even go to look at the previous bomb attempt in New York.Clinton wasn't even the least bit concerned.Yet, Asner thinks Bush should have got it all taken care of in a few months.Hindsight is a wonderful political gimmick, isn't it?

Here's another "brilliant" remark by this moron:
"The 9/11 hijackers would have faced great difficulty had the president simply convened a cabinet meeting to require protection of commercial aircraft -- just that one simple thing."

More great hindsight. The Clinton administration took no such step in 8 years, but Asner thinks Bush should have done this in a few months.

Here's another jewel:
"Beware; the far right will have no scruples when it comes to doing whatever it takes to hold on to power."

This is a guy who is part of the extreme, radical left that wants to buy the Democratic Party, with help from George Soros, and turn us into a socialist state.Don't they remember that the major socialist states in history failed, largely because of their welfare state? What is the educational level of this guy?Forget it; I know most of those among the Hollywood left were lucky to make it out of high school.

Then we have really brilliant "reviews" by people such as Robin Orlowski "political activist", whose "brilliant" remarks in her "review", Citizens guide for retaking the government back from extremists", October 4, 2005, shows equal stupidity. Here's a left-wing, radical extremist who wants to change the country from what has made us the greatest nation in the world, to another socialist failure like Germany or Russia, which is usually the result of this kind of thinking.I guess they really admire the Russian model, and overlook the fact that China is becoming more capitalistic every day. But this is not surprising from someone who says the Republicans attack women.I guess she doesn't think of Condi Rice as a woman, since the Democrats have been attacking the Blacks the administration tries to appoint to office.I think Sandra Day O'Conner is a woman, too, isn't she?And isn't there a Hispanic woman by the name of Chavez around there somewhere?

Asner did make one intelligent remark: "...... That would be the most dangerous thing in the world, to have future ideas of the Democratic Party come out of Hollywood."

Maybe the guy hasn't completely lost all his marbles after all.

The far right have imposed a national agenda that's taking America in the wrong direction in many respects
The far right have imposed a national agenda that's taking America in the wrong direction in many respects: that's the hard-hitting message of an award-winning actor and political activist and a retired government analyst in their Misuse Of Power: How The Far Right Gained And Misuses Power. Democracy is deteriorating as a result, the authors maintain: chapters show just how, and how the system of checks and balances isn't working in a right-controlled political system.

Citizens guide for retaking the goverment back from extremists
This book is a personal-political narrative of how the far right is impacting the American people's personal freedoms. Even without Joe McCarthy screaming about a 'list', we have a similar climate of fear and division. Ironically the current silence might even be masking a more dangerous environment.

Ed Asner, a recognized 'Hollywood liberal' would certainly be expected to be a 'celebrity writer' of this kind of book.His name has been connected to many progressive causes since the 1970's.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by Burt Hall's contribution. Although he concedes to having voted for John McCain (who despite his 'independence' still belongs to a party which attacks women, gays, and the environment under 'national security'), Hall's bureaucratic background ultimately gives the book enough credibility with swing readers.

These swing readers are themselves not dedicated liberals but are also bothered by the far right's agenda. They want to know that they are not the only ones who oppose the far right.

Both authors are articulate, proactive, and encouraging. They believe that being aware of and getting involved in government is an activity which anybody can do. They believe that citizen participation is something which anybody should do. They want their readers to know that they are also capable of becoming involved.

Using their own real-life examples, Hall and Asner show simple and effective ways which people have made their will known to the government. Both authors sincerely believe that the government needs to be accountable to all citizens at all times. There should not be any compromise on this.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great on a staurday afternoon
My 7 year old (and of course mee too) loves all three of these.He'll actually sit still for hours and listen to them, and race to the CD player waiting for me to change discs. It was dissapointong to see these broadcasts get progressivly smaller with each movie. From 7 in the first, to 5 in the second, and the Return only three CD's long.The last is almost nothing but the movie, with very little additional material.It's still good, but after lstening to A New Hope, The Return of The Jedi feels very short.I would highly reccommend these.They're great for those cold or raining Saturday acfternoons. ... Read more

Product Description
Speaking effective English! is the definitive "listen & learn" speech program!

In this breakthrough audio program, three of America's top voice coaches give you the tools you need to speak clearly, powerfully, and effectively -- and get what you want through the power of speech! With this audiobook, you will learn:

• How to make a knockout first impression

• How to minimize accents and dialects

• How to overcome "stage fright"

• Powerful public speaking strategies

• Job interview strategies

• Voicemail do's and don'ts

• The top 10 vocal sins

With these and other valuable strategies in Speaking Effective English!, you will improve your speech and reap the rewards of success! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Just Plain AWFUL!
I hate to be so negative, but do not waste your time or money on this item. It delivers nothing that it promises, in fact, it doesn't even seem to have a genuine purpose at all. Several 'professional' speakers crack endless lame jokes about contemporary speech and hold a painfully stinted scripted conversation about the vital importance of speaking well, patting themselves on the back about how accomplished they all are in that area while imparting nothing in the way of instruction. In fact, I found two of the speakers miserable to listen to! The female was much too loud and excessively animated while one of the males was so nasal that you could hear the air running through the back of his sinuses as he talked, clicking epiglottis and all - things that they cautioned the listeners against doing themselves!

I couldn't finish this set, after the first CD, the speaker's voices were like nails on a chalkboard and I dropped it back off at the library the first chance I got.

More of a Broad Overview than a Lesson
I bought this tape expecting the "listen and learn" method of better speech that was promised.There are only two short exercises given in the 2 tapes, the rest is general information; some of which isunecessary, such as interview tips and how to keep your vocal chordshealthy.I wish they would have taken more time to give concrete help. ... Read more

Product Description
Following the overwhelming success of Random Acts of Kindness--powerful confirmation of the need for more kindness in the world--a heartwarming sequel continues to spread the good word. Original. 75,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Profoundly Beautiful Experiences
"...think of the untapped potential that would be unleashed if we could find a way to weave the kindness in our hearts into every moment of our lives."

"More Random Acts of Kindness" is a collectible book filled with inspiring stories of people who either experienced a random act of kindness or facilitated one. This is the type of book you want to keep but you also want to share. People have been known to buy multiple copies to give away to friends and family. These stories will make you smile or perhaps even cry. I wasn't prepared for the emotional response some of the experiences provoked.

This book reminded me of one experience from my own life when I was a child and we didn't have money for Christmas presents. Someone drove up to our driveway and then dropped off a box of gifts. We heard someone at the door but when we opened the door the person had run off and had driven off very fast so as not to be discovered. That Christmas was one of the most memorable in my life and we still don't know who left the gifts.

If you love stories like this you will enjoy this book. Most of the stories are short and are two to three pages long. It is very enjoyable to read through these experiences and it reminds the reader that there are many possible ways to be loving and kind.

Highly Recommended! This book should have more than a hundred reviews it is that good.

~The Rebecca Review

Moving stories and ideas to share your gifts with others.
It's a wonderful little book and I often felt tears of joy coming from my face.

Of course, I am also a bit prejudice to this little book -- my story is featured on page 110!!! Conari Press received about 1000 stories back in 1993 and chose only twenty-five of us to be included in the book. I was one of the twenty-five!!!

It was quite exciting to see my writing in print, and still going strong!
Sincerely, Angela Theresa Egic

Inspiring and Encouraging
This little book is easy reading, but is packed with beautiful examples of how we can give and receive these special acts of kindness. This book was given to me as a Random Act of Kindness by two wonderful people, Perry A~and David, whom I have never met in person. These short stories cover allwalks of life, including stories about those imprisoned. The only thingthat I would have preferred about the book was to know who wrote eachstory. I plan to reference and recommend this book to my participants in my"Success Skills Seminars" that I present to corporate clients, as well asto inmates...to help lower recidivism, and reduce the number of victims ofcrime. Imagine how much more wonderful this world would be if we allpracticed more Random Acts of Kindness. ... Read more

Product Description
Adapted directly from the actual transcripts, Unquestioned Integrity examines the notorious Senate Confirmation hearings when law professor Anita Hill charged Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas with sexual harassment.

A L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Edward Asner, Ella Joyce, Paul Winfield ... Read more

Product Description
In this hybrid of fantasy, memoir, and editorial, former Rolling Stone editor and Hollywood insider/outlaw Joe Eszterhas spares no one. He covers the Clintons, Monica Lewinsky, and Linda Tripp in Washington, D.C.; Sharon Stone, Farrah Fawcett, and David Geffen on the West Coast; and everyone involved in politics and entertainment - living or dead - in between. Combining comprehensive research with insight, honesty, and fiction, American Rhapsody is an in-your-face look at the people running this country. It is also a rollicking good tale filled with humor, tragedy, suspense, high drama, and melodrama. And, of course, it's spiced with plenty of sex. With performances by a cast of experienced actors, this romp flouts virtually every rule, joining the rich tradition of works by Norman Mailer, Jack Kerouac, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter Thompson.Amazon.com Review
American Rhapsody is a gleeful act of outrage, simultaneously anassault on the Clintons and a bridge-burning, tell-all Hollywood memoir inthe wicked spirit of You'llNever Eat Lunch in This Town Again. Joe Eszterhas's narrative is atorrent of consciousness with no consistent sense of direction, but it allerupts from a plausible organizing principle best articulated in thechapter "Bubba in Pig Heaven": Hollywood is where Clinton really belongs.The author claims Bill watches Blazing Saddles six times a year, andsays that Gennifer Flowers got him blazing by enacting a Sharon Stone-likecrotch-shot scene years before Basic Instinct. When a sarcasticClinton allegedly told a Hollywood producer that his enemies would soon beaccusing him of coupling with a cow, the producer sent him Eszterhas's 1989screenplay Sacred Cow, in which a president does just that.Eszterhas claims Spielberg dropped the film because of his friendship withClinton. But he still thinks Clinton would be great in the role.

The Lewinsky saga really should be ho-hum by now, but AmericanRhapsody's Evel Knievel-like leaps of free association and mad briobreathe life into it. You've never been properly introduced to Linda Trippand Lucianne Goldberg until you've read "The Ratwoman and the Bag Lady ofSleaze," its uproarious take on the pair. American Rhapsody givesdozens of stars time in the sweaty spotlight: Matt "the Scavenger" Drudge,heroic Larry Flynt (whose threat to report Republican scandals Eszterhascredits with quashing impeachment)--almost every big political scandalvictim in memory. And there are lots of Hollywood types behaving badly: Bob Dylan,Warren Beatty, Ronald Reagan, Farrah Fawcett, Sharon Stone, Robert Evans,Sly Stallone (who wanted to portray Jesus onscreen), and even JoeEszterhas. The fantasy chapters, printed in boldface, are sometimes funny(e.g., "Kenneth W. Starr Confesses"), but mostly they're both over the topand below the belt (e.g., "Willard Comes Clean," the confessions of thepresident's penis). What holds your interest is the main narrative, a headymix of showbiz gossip, personal essay, and Lester Bangs-style prose mania.--Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (81)

Joe Eszterhas has created a genre
This book is as unique and entertaining as an 8 course meal served by a team of strippers in a library.

I like Bill Clinton MORE after reading this book and suspect that he is privately a Joe Eszterhas fan.And why not?Joe Eszterhas has more closet fans than any modern American writer.

No closet for me, thanks.Joe rules.

And a P.S. to Bill... America didn't hold the knobber against you.It's just that after JFK and Marilyn, we have pretty high standards.No hoggin' in the oval office, bro.If it had been Charlize Theron we would all have high fived you.Even Hillary would have understood.

:)

Irresistably preposterous-- But know what you are in for
Eszterhas the book writer is more intriguing and ideosyncratic than Eszterhas the screen writer.Be prepared for a 60's counter culture apologia pro vita sua with interesting detours (such as a tribute to Barry Goldwater).

The book is ultimately a tour of America the Horny across the life span of baby boomers."Life span" is the proper term, since there is raunch enough for a lifetime.The organizing principle is that Bill Clinton is the avatar for the sexual acting out of the rock and roll lifestyle.Clinton is not particularly revered here, although Hilary is portrayed as so cold (and maybe gay) that Bill had little choice.

There is a lot of malicious gossip here, but some is true.The challenge is distinguishing between gossip that is malicious and that which is false and malicious.

For all the astoundingly diverse sexual activity described, there is a clinical detachment.Eszterhas uses few words (save when quoting others) that the New York Times would not print.

Eszterhas narrates lots of the book and is not an especially skilled reader-- although the ring of authenticity he gives keeps it from being annoying.Ed Asner is a fine reader.

Be prepared for Eszterhas's substantial ego.

?????
I tend to vote Republican but refuse to align myself with the Right Wing or Moral Majority. I'm the guy in the middle that the candidates are really after.I say that as any review on this book should be tempered by the politics of the reader.JE is an avowed Democrat with socialist leanings.Read his most recent book "American Animal" to verify this.So it was surprising as I read the first third of this book that after an initial bow to Clinton as the Rock & Roll Prez, one of "us", he then seems to chastise him for his fatal flaws.This part of the book is interesting, engaging, but also somewhat repetitive.I still couldn't wait to read it my allotted hour a night.

But there is only so much you can talk about this subject and JE rambles on and on until he finally manages to really offend me.How?Well, I just finished his most recent book, "American Animal" an autobiography which I immensely enjoyed.Full of Hollywood stories.But reading this, I see that JE has included many of the stories I enjoyed from his autobiography in this political commentary/fantasy.So is he a writer with a message or is he just repeating his few stories to make a buck?

I don't know what to make of this book, thus my title.Did I enjoy some parts?Yes.Are there some interesting stories?Yes.But there is a lot of waste.It's like wandering thru a jungle with a machete looking for your trail.When you find it, it's worth the work.So maybe the only item I can add of interest came from reading this with some years of aging.JE takes on Arianna Huffington who he spends quite a bit of time describing her history to show what a bad person she is and how she climbed to the top while stepping on other people's faces.But would JE have included these chapters in this form if he had known that within a few years she would shift sides and now disavow her right wing leanings?I think not.

This is not a great book.But if you enjoy reading, maybe you will enjoy it.

Decent and Deplorable- in prose from the spheres.
This is the truth! I never read any other of these exposes and during the majority of the media coverage of the episode that led to Clinton's impeachment- I switched to the animal planet. After reading some reviews on Amazon, I bought this book and I'm glad I did."The Comeback Kid" takes plenty of flack from the author, but Eszterhas spares none.I like the names: The Big Kielbasa- Wilt Chamberlain, "The Bag Lady of Sleaze"- Lucienne Goldberg, the lady who got the story into the media,"Hilla the Hun," "The Night Creature"- Nixon- "The Manchurian Candidate"- McCain- "The Rat Woman,"- Linda Tripp, it goes on to the current president named, "The Crown Prince."The coarsest individual does have the funniest lines, i.e.LBJ- too much to repeat here. The few who seem to get off lightly, like Monica, and believe it or not- Barry Goldwater and Newsweek Magazine who had the story and never printed it.
Perhaps the most effective and distressing part of the book is when Eszterhas does a mini retrospective of all the things we didn't want to know,but did over the years, here are a few: Sen. Harkin blowing his nose on CNN without a handkerchief, Bush Sr. throwing up in China, Buchanon saying "Congress is an Israeli occupied territory," Bob Dylan and Elizabeth T., LBJ turning to the side and taking a whizz at an outdoor press conference, Nixon and Kissinger kneeling together and praying, Spiro Agnew, "If you've seen one city slum you've seen them all," Michael Jackson and his chimp, David Bowie and Mick Jagger. (?)

Eszterhas obviously knows more and remembers more than is probably good for him, but his prose is stunning as is the manner by which he weaves the book together- even with some fiction.The author was the screenwriter for Fatal Attraction and had a relationship with Sharon Stone- who also takes some upper cuts and was rumored to have been intimate with Clinton as well. I definitely recommend reading this- for the humor and frankly, The gossip is completely consuming.

MUCH more than smutty tell-all
What a memorable and highly rewarding read.This book is much more than the sum of it's salacious and often repugnant contents; it's also a lecture on morality and a history lesson as well.I don't see how someone who reads this book can be derisive regarding the interlacing of fiction or the sheer amount of sordid detail.Given Eszerhas' talent for script writing and keen interest for the underbelly of the American society, how his book is put together should be no surprise.It's certainly not a novel or a bucket of heresay poo.
I am one who is generally both revolted and amused by the tabloids, and shows like Entertainment Television.But I could not put this book down.The book is informative and revealing, and I found myself lauging out loud and cringing, often while reading the same paragraph.I particularly enjoyed the moments where Eszterhas reflects on his own life; it's probably the most engaging aspect of the book.Expecting to find a smutty and over the top tell-all, I found something rich in intelligent, values-based writing. ... Read more

Product Description
When Isobel Blackwell comes calling unexpectedly on Lew Archer just minutes before her husband is scheduled to meet with the detective, she expresses concern for her stepdaughter, Harriet. The young woman is about to come into a large trust fund, and she wants to marry a handsome, penniless artist named Burke Damis. Isobel has no objection to the marriage, but Harriet's father, Mark Blackwell, dislikes Damis and is staunchly opposed. Mr. Blackwell asks Archer to investigate Damis, and Archer agrees, partly because he's attracted to Mrs. Blackwell. Murders past and present crowd the investigation as various leads take Archer to Mexico, Lake Tahoe, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles. The Zebra-Striped Hearse is indeed colored black and white - but the intertwining relationships of the characters range across many shades of gray. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Revenge for Love
Ross MacDonald's THE ZEBRA STRIPED HEARSE has Lew Archer searching for many threads and being fired to be rehired on the same case as he gets closer to the truth.
Before Colonel Blackwell arrives for his appointment Lew gets a visit from his wife Isobel on a mission to help her step-daughter find happiness against her father's obsession that the groom in question is after the young woman's money.
Did Burke Damis leave behind his identity, and two murders to trap Harriet Blackwell into marriage to support him so he has the time to find his grove as an artist? Lew is hired by Blackwell to discover the background of the young man and prevent the marriage.
Harriet is determined to have Damis as a husband. Who will win in the deadly duel of goals and desire?
A great read by a master.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS.

ROSS MACDONALD'S "THE ZEBRA STRIPED HEARSE"
DO NOT THINK OF ROSS MACDONALD AS A MERE MYSTERY WRITER; HE IS A GIFTED STORY TELLER WITH A STYLE THAT IS SIMPLY WONDERFUL. HE DRAWS YOU INTO THE STORY PAGE BY PAGE, WITH FASCINATING CHARACTERS, CRISP BELIEVABLE DIALOGUE, AND LINES THAT OCCASIONALLY SOUND LIKE POETRY, SUCH AS, "I HAD STARRED GLIMPSES OF THE LAKE BETWEEN THE TREES, LIKE POLISHED STEEL CATCHING THE DROPPINGS OF INFINITY." CAN'T WAIT TO READ EVERYTHING THE MAN WROTE, ESPECIALLY THE LEW ARCHER NOVELS.

Unabridged reading with a full cast of actors
Retired colonel Mark Blackwell hires private detective Lew Archer to ivestigate his daughter Harriet's new fiancee, painter/layabout(/murderer?) Burke Damis, in The Zebra-Striped Hearse. (The title vehicle actually has a pivotal but otherwise tangential role.) It was the tenth in the popular private-eye series by author Ross Macdonald (the pseudonym of Kenneth Millar), widely considered to be among the top handful of best writers of detective fiction, especially of the hard-boiled noir variety.

Archer begins the case rather simply, but it soon becomes increasingly complex as questions lead to uncovered murders that relate to the case. The deeper Archer gets, and the more people he talks to, the more connections are made until there's a veritable web of links for him to sort through. (At one point, I actually wondered if it were possible for everyone to be guilty, much like a famous mystery set on a train.)

This is a different kind of audiobook and one I'd like to see more of: a full, unabridged reading of The Zebra-Striped Hearse performed by a cast of forty actors, with about a dozen of those tackling multiple roles. Some names may be familiar: Ed Asner plays Colonel Blackwell, with Kathryn Harrold as his wife Isobel, Jennifer Tilly as Harriet, and Joe Pantoliano as Burke Damis.

Prolific character actor Harris Yulin directs and carries the main role of Lew Archer. Yulin grounds the production with his solid portrayal, always in the foreground, but never getting in the way of his supporting actors. Other than Yulin, Asner and Harrold shine the brightest, though Tilly's turn is surprisingly earthy. Pantoliano, unfortunately, is given little to do -- even "understated" would be an understatement here.

The whole venture is underscored by a piano- and trumpet-based soft jazz score that lends the perfect "lonely gumshoe" feel typical of the films of the genre. And film is the word of the day, because unlike single-reader audios, The Zebra-Striped Hearse is really a movie for the mind -- it combines the best parts of unabridged narration and old-time radio. What a terrific way to be introduced to such a legendary series; I only hope the print versions can match up.

Brilliant by Chandler's Once Famed Heir
Why on earth are these former best sellers almost forgotten? The Lew Archer series gives my personal favorite (and that of an sizable number of mystery fans), Raymond Chandler's superb Phillip Marlowe, a run for the money. Ross MacDonald was a major name in the business for decades, and this story, spellbinding and with a smart and satisfying conclusion, is just terrific. Try it!

Another stellar novel in a spectacular series
The bad news about this wonderful novel is that it is not Ross MacDonald at his very best. The good news is that it is still far better than most mystery novels that have been written. Of the three great masters of the American hardboiled detective novel, MacDonald never achieved the brilliant prose style of Hammett and Chandler, but neither of those two came close to the meditations on the vagaries of the human soul that MacDonald made his subject over and again. All of MacDonald's novels deal with the consequences of original sin, of an evil that seems to be greater than any individual human being, an evil that constantly threatens to overwhelm human beings when they least anticipate it. Frequently, we discover in MacDonald that, as in the Old Testament, the sins of the fathers have been visited on the second and third generations. Often in his novels, the roots of the crimes of the present lay twenty or thirty or forty years in the past. In this novel, Lew Archer at one points explains to his client, "The past is the key to the present," thus stating explicitly one of the fundamental principles underlying all of MacDonald's fiction. Ironically this novel extends less into the pass than almost any of his other novels. One of his truly great novels such as the incomparable THE CHILL or THE INSTANT ENEMY will extend decades into the past, which MacDonald brilliantly links to the present. Often one gets the sense that MacDonald's is revealing the secret history of his character's lives. This one does as well, but instead of going forty years into the past, he goes merely a few years.

I loved the locales of the novel. Although I wish he physically described the areas Archer visits, MacDonald was always more of an ethicist than a sociologist. He was always less interested in communities and the way society worked than in the way that humans worked and how the decisions they make ripple down through the lives of other human beings. Thus he visits Lake Tahoe, but there is a kind of timelessness to the area he described. In reading Chandler, on the other hand, there is often a deep consciousness of the character and nature of the places where the stories occur. These technique benefits both authors, by providing a concreteness to Chandler's stories that is often missing in MacDonald's, while lending a sense of timelessness to MacDonald that is impossible in Chandler. Most hardboiled writers have tended to follow more in Hammett and Chandler's footsteps than MacDonald's, though James Ellroy is one notable exception.

Though this is not one of MacDonald's best novels, it is still exceptionally enjoyable. It is also one of his least typical. Some people survive you anticipate meeting violent ends (the body count for his central characters is usually quite high). As always, he unrolls his plot skillfully. The characters are all vividly drawn. And unlike many of his other novels, there is more than one unexpected twist at the end. This is as fine a place as any for any newcomer to MacDonald to start, and any MacDonald veteran who has not read it certainly should. It may not contain the glories of his great masterpiece THE CHILL (which more than one critic of the genre considers to be the supreme novel of the entire detective genre), but it is nonetheless a very fine book. ... Read more

Product Description
Commerce and heroism clash when a titan of American business orchestrates a U.S. invasion of Mexico. A once-lost 1927 Broadway melodrama with a crackling, contemporary cast. ... Read more

Product Description
Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Edward Asner, Brian Bell, Scott Foley, Henri Pachard, Ted Shawn. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Edward Asner est un acteur et producteur américain, né le 15 novembre 1929 à Kansas City, dans le Kansas aux États-Unis. ...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! EdwardAsner (born November 15, 1929) is an Americanfilm, television and voice actor and formerPresident of the Screen Actors Guild, primarilyknown for his role as Lou Grant on The Mary TylerMoore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant. Morerecently, he provided the voice of Carl Fredricksenin Pixar's award-winning animated film, Up. ... Read more

Product Description
New! Featuring exclusive interviews by Michael Toms with James Redfield, Shakti Gawain, Ram Dass, and Neale Donald Walsch, this boxed set includes "Conversations with God, Book One, Volume I: The Language of the Soul, Volume II: Life's Great Questions" and "Volume III: Mastering Everyday Life". 6 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

About James Dobson
I Lived in Colorado Springs just down the road from focas on the family for several years and the review I read about what James Dobson was saying struck me as funny. This man claims to be a godly and rightgious man hiself yet he is only in this for the money as well. You go into the gift shop at focas on the family and when you go to purchase anything in there on it, it says donation price is.... So that Mr Dobson does not have to pay taxes on it. So Who is the hipocrite here????? I do not know if this book is true or not but I would like to keep an open mind. None of us in this world knows the truth that lies out there the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and others is pure love and I think that is what is trying to be said in this book. There is no wrong or right way there is just faith and the ultimate to except everyone and everything and to obtaine that higher level and to love one another unconditionally......

Finally
I grew up in the church, l was bombarded with the bible and its endless threats of sin and hell. Finally through the Conversations of God books I have discovered a God that loves us all. Would you torture the ones you love for making mistakes? God is love. More love than you could ever understand. I am thankful to have found the truth, Finally! Thank you God.

Beware of this misleading book, warned from my friends email
Beware of "Conversations with God" books

Conversations with God

Dr. James Dobson talked about this book twice this
week. It is devastating and parents and Christian
schools need to be aware of this. Do pass it on to
your pastor/church/e-mail addressees. Parents Beware
very disturbing information. Please read. Parents,
Grand parents, Aunts, Uncles, Please pay special
attention not only to the what your kids watch on TV
and in movie theaters and the music they listen to
but we must also be alert regarding the books they
read... Two particular books, Conversations with God
and Conversations with God for Teens, written by
Neil D Walsh. sound harmless enough by their titles
alone.

These books have been on the New York Times best
sellers list for a number of weeks; these
publications makes truth of the statement "Don't
judge a book by its cover/title". The author
purports to answer various questions from kids using
the "voice of God"

However, the "answers" that he gives are not
biblically-based and go against the very infallible
word of God.

For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks
the question "why am I a lesbian?" His answer is
that she was born that way because of genetics (just
as you were born right-handed, with blue eyes,
etc.). Then, he tells her to go out and "celebrate"
her differences. Another girls poses the question "I
am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I
should marry him because I am living in sin. Should
I marry him?" His reply is "Who are you sinning
against? Not me, because you have done nothing
wrong.

Another question asks about God's forgiveness of
sin. His reply - I do not forgive anyone because
there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing
as right or wrong and that is what I have been
trying to tell everyone; do not judge people. People
have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong
because the rule is "judge not lest ye be judged".

And the list goes on. Not only are these books the
false doctrine of devils, but in some instances even
quote (in error) the Word of God. . These books (and
others like it) are being sold to school children
(The Scholastic Book Club) and we need to be aware
of what is being fed to our children. Our Children.

Our children are under attack. So I pray that you be
sober and vigilant about teaching your kids the Word
of God and guarding their exposure to worldly
mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams
about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour
(1 Peter 5:8). And how many of us know that lions
usually hunt for the slowest, and weakest and
YOUNGEST
OF ITS PREY?

Pass this on to every believer you know. God BLESS!

PLEASE, DON'T BE FOOLED BY THIS "god"!
Don�t waste you hard earned money!This book is utter nonsense written to swindle and mislead the weak-minded.

The "god" of this book is simply THE RHETORIC OF EASTERN MYSTICISM, which is ironic since that particular �god� is an impersonal force that could not communicate with anyone.The whole concept of this book is as idiotic as saying you could have a conversation with electricity.

The oxymoron of �ABSOLUTE RELATIVISM� is strongly preached throughout the book.There is no separation of right and wrong or good and evil.THE AUTHOR EXPECTS US TO PARK OUR BRAINS IN NEUTRAL and accept that the most wicked mass murders, serial rapists, and hate breathing racists are only �bad� because we �think� they are bad, not because they really are evil.This �god� would have us believe that there is no difference between a Mother Teresa and an Adolph Hitler.

In an ever increasing age of moral relativism, which is a large reason for much of the current financial market woes, HELLO, it never ceases to amaze me the depths to which publishing companies will stoop to print any trash that can make a buck for them.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS BOOK, AS IT WON�T TELL YOU A THING ABOUT THE TRUE, PERSONAL CREATOR WHO LOVES YOU!

Gods will not mine
I felt like this book was written for me.It was all i needed to know at the time.I realized that following Gods will was not done without courage and belief.I fell almost reborn it sounds remarkable but it is true.I came up with an excerise to help me remember Gods will and i remind myself everyday.Your in a room tied to a chair and a person comes in with a gun and holds it to your head and ask you one question,which you can only answer yes or no.Do you believe in God?Something to think about.Passages from the book that relates to this;
"Mine is always your highest thought, your clearest word,your grandest feeling.Anything less is from another source"God Bless! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

This is right up there
Great books have a ring of truth to them. As you read, you can feel the truth resonating in your soul. Neale does a superb job of letting Spirit flow thru him into our hearts and minds. If you haven't read any of the CWG books, I recommend that you give them a chance. As to which, I have trouble distinguishing. It's like asking me which was my favorite time connecting with someone I love.

The most dramatic and significant thing in my life.
I have been on several journies in my lifetime, most of them have been bitter experiences. I have been asking questions about my existence and reasons for being in this universe. I have questioned the authority of thechurch and christianity in my life and the lives of others.

I am anAfrican, and I have witnessed different spiritual powers and and differentways of worshippingand interacting with God. I have spoken with the deadaand it is for real!

Finally, I was in a bookstore in Holland onofaithful afternoon,very depressed and asking God why I have to go throughso much hardship in my life, when I accidentally stumbled onto this greatbook. It has really changed my life. I believe that somethingpropelled metowards this book. I believe that God has finally aanswered my call. I alsobelieve that I deserve to have this great revealation because I have chosento know the truth. However, I have finally realised that religion isjussta vehicle used by people to gratify there selfish needs. I have since beenliving in peace.

This book will keep gravitating to those who are readyfor it and no church nor authority in this universe can stop the intensitythe message is radiating all over the world.

I choose to wish themessages in these books for my fellow travelers and may your lightscontinue to shine O Illuminatis!

the book is excellent. Walsch captures the essence of truth
in reading the first book of conversations with God it brought the realization to my inner self that we do have freedom of choice and why would God interfere with that choice. The book was so simple in thewritings and yet right to the point. It reveals all the questions thatpeople do have. It opens up our thoughts to realize that other personsexperiences are given to us and if we do not do it their way than we arewrong. The book was right when it said that there is no right and there isno wrong who are we to judge others. Very good conversation, the truth isthe truth and I am looking forward to reading the other books that havecome out. Someone gave me this book as a gift to me and what a gift it hasbeen.

this god reflects the bias of the author's unconscious
Though Walsch no doubt believes he had conversations with God, a much simpler explanation is that he had an unusual experience of getting in touch with his unconscious. Some would say that this is the same thing, since either A) the the unconscience is God, or B) God speaks to us primarily through the unconscious, anyway. Walsch tries to give us the impression that these conversatons are with THE God, the Universal God, of everything. But, it appears that the god that Mr Walsch is talking to is a highly personal one, with ready answers to the deep personal travails that he is having, and, if it's his unconscience, has a complete memory of his total life's experiences. The god of a more educated person will by necessity have a wider variety of experiences to draw on,and these will be reflected in the god's answers. For instance, Walsch's god, in trying to express his trinity, compares it to the id, the ego, and the super-id of psychology and again later, the body, the mind, and the spirit. Then he says this is equivalent to energy, matter, and anti-matter of the scientists. This reflects a naivete' of both sciences. Physics and Psychology would have alot to say about this speculation, were they inclined to so indulge. I think, perhaps space, time, and matter mght be a better trilogy, where matter consists of both mass and energy, and where space and time are just two different aspects of the ame continuum.But, matter and anti-matter are not so different, and make a lousy illustration of the point.Are we to believe that a universal God would give us a lousy illustration?No, but I think the example is sufficient for Walsch, so his god offers it match his level of understanding. This god says that he has divided himself in order to experience himself discovering himself, and that therefore, our ultimate quest is to discover Who We Are.This sounds good, and comes in part from Eastern religeons,but one wonders if the dynosaurs were also doing this self-discovery? Was evolution strictly designed to lead to humans, or were the dynos searching their souls for a couple of hundred millon years?Was there a dyno Moses who said that dynosaurs were made in the image and likeness of God? Maybe there was also a dyno Neale D Walsch telling them to find out Who You Are.And, when the experiment was all over, the total unconscious of all the dynosaurs brought on the fatal comet. More questions and comments to come.

Amazing
I wasgiven thisbook bya stranger.Someone I met one night.It hasbeen the most amazing gift. "it was meant to be"The message in this book changed mylife, I in turn gifted it to a friend of mine who was anxiously waiting to buy it, she told me, "Thank you, you have made my weekend". I responded "this book will make your life". Iwould like to respond to all of those individualswho have harsh negative comments on this book.You are entitled to your own opinion and that opinion is based on your own perception of things.However, the message is veryclear.If you do not see the messagethat is gifted to you via this book, you are at a different stage inyourpath,You are probably not readynow. ... Read more

Product Description
A mystery anthology follows the first appearances and first short stories of several favorite characters and includes contributions by such authors as Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Max Allan Collins, Lawrence Block, Bill Pronzini, and John Lutz. Reprint. PW. AB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting for Historical Purposes
"First Cases" is a collection of the first short stories by classic private eye writers featuring their heros (or heroines).That should be the book's caveat, as many of the protagonists had already appeared in full length novel form before these stories were published.The lineup includes such luminaries as Loren Estlemen's Amos Walker, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder, Bill Pronzini's "Nameless" and Editor Robert J. Randisi's own Miles Jacoby.All of the series characters featured are currently ongoing (or at least were as of 1996, when the book was published).Editor Randisi knows his stuff, having been the founder of the Private Eye Writers of America.

All that said, the quality of the stories varies.Some of the writers had yet to really find their voice and some (especially the older) stories are somewhat by-the-numbers.Nevertheless, the book is an inetersting historical artifactfor those who want insight on how their heros developed.My personal favorites are Block's and Estlemen's.They show again why they are, for my money, the two best and most consistent private eye writers currently working in the genre. ... Read more

Product Description
At the heart of Christianity is a very simple message of love and kindness, the most powerful tools people have to affect their lives and the lives of those around them. These inspiring stories present shining examples of everyday Samaritans around the world living the Christian credo to "love thy neighbor as thyself." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Let's You See the "Great" in Everyday Activities
This is a darling book, that truly gives you many ideas on how to go just a little bit out of your way to make life better for someone (or in some cases, many others) else.It's a short book, but long on impact.If you're looking for a "rememberance" book for someone graduating, this would be perfect.

A gentle but powerful nudge
As stated in the preface, acts of kindness need not be elaberate or planned.This small book is a treasure trove of esperiences of kindness, given and received.Some are big, like a complete christmas provided for a family down on its luck.Some are small, like not hitting back.It is a reminder that we all have the capacity to reach out.I took this book to church with me, in case the services got too boring.I read it, my kids read it , and I have since reread it several times since.A gentle nudge towards becomming a kinder person.

beautiful reminder
This small book made an important difference in my life.Example after example of people being kind to each other penetrated and softened my pressured, irritated heart, and made me a better person.It reminded me of something crucially important, something I had forgotten.And how wonderful to be reminded.When I began to put kindness and love into practice, the world transformed from something dull and disappointing into something beautiful and sweet.This is a book about the most important thing in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very enjoyable and worthy of listening to.
Heard and liked CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD, BOOK TWO by Neale Donald Walsch . . . whereas Book One dealt with personal matters, this dialogue takes on more political and global concerns . . . Edward Asner and Ellen Burstyn served as narrators, along with Walsch, and they certainly added to my enjoyment of the cassette program.

There were several memorable passages; among them:
You do not live each day to discover what it holds, but to create it.

"I am" is the strongest creative statement in the universe. Whatever you say after "I am" calls forth these expectations.

The point of life is to experience who and what you are, then to experience it.

Your life is always a result of your thoughts about it.

The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you, but to have another who might share your completeness.

If you cannot love yourself, you can't love others.

Ask: What would love do now?

book 1
this book is haven sent,ive all ways felt that god talks to everyone.and that no-one could have a relationship based on fear,and that anyone and everyone is special to god. i was soo happy to also be clairafied that there is no hell or saten,that god used as a scare tactic to force anyone to chose him.

This book told me everything I already knew in my soul.
Throught-out this entire book, I kept exclaiming," I knew that!"But it is always nice to read it from another source than my own innersource.It's nice to know that God communicates with all of us if we butlisten.The information and concepts were more than insightful.A MustRead!

total absorbing and enlighting
This book does not tell you toworship god as much as you should worship yourself.It made me realize that there are many many things we have to learn about , life, ourselves and our relationship to one another ... Read more

Product Description
Each of Martz's anthologies on women's writings, beginning with When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple, has been received with accolades from readers of all ages. Martz's latest anthology asks "How do we look at each other as we grow older?" Our children grow up, our lovers age, and our lives take on different dimensions. The poems and prose in this collection revel in the joys of being older, not necessarily wiser, and continually involved with the process of living. 2 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Grow old along with me the best is yet to be
I hated this book.I thought it would be pleasant and uplifting poems/stories about growing old and instead the poems/stories were so depressing that I felt crushing despair.I would never recommend this book to anyone of any age.

I bought this book for my father and he loved it.
It's hard to buy for my father but when I read this book I knew he would love it. It was so real. He just turned 50 a couple of years ago and he was so down. I wanted some way to let him know that he was still a veryimportant part of my life. The poems are just fantastic. You can understandthem. And they are about real life.

A beautiful gift for weddings and annivesaries.
I bought this book for my parent's anniversary and had to read it myself before I gave it to them. It touched my heart. My favorite story was about an older man who washes his wife's hair and has since they were firstmarried. It was so beautiful that I cried. I also enjoyed the poems andphotographs. Some of them reminded me of my grandparents. I always enjoythe books from Papier-Mache. ... Read more