Cold Skin

Book Description

Shortly after World War I, a troubled man accepts a solitary assignment as a “weather official” on a tiny, remote island on the edges of the Antarctic. When he arrives, the predecessor he is meant to replace is missing and a deeply disturbed stranger is barricaded in a heavily fortified lighthouse. At first adversaries, the two find that their tenuous partnership may be the only way they survive the unspeakably horrific reptilian creatures that ravage the island at night, attacking the lighthouse in their organized effort to find warm-blooded food. Armed with a battery of ammunition and explosives, the weather official and his new ally must confront their increasingly murderous mentality, and, when the possibility of a kind of truce presents itself, decide what kind of island they will inhabit. Equal parts Stephen King, a phantasmagorical Robinson Crusoe, and Lord of the Flies, Cold Skin is literary horror that deals with the basist forms of human behavior imaginable, while exploring why we so vehemently fear the Other.

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2007-01-10

This was one of the funnest reads I have had in a long time. Great characters in a bizarre situation! Sweet!

To the Lighthouse.......2006-12-10

In recounting the plot of this marvelous, disturbing novel to my pre-adolescent niece, my sister-in-law from the other room chimed in, saying: "This sounds like the movie 'The Killer Shrews.'" She came in a few minutes later as I was finishing up the story and told us that "The Killer Shrews," a B-movie from the 50s she'd seen on TV as a young girl, had caused her countless nightmares. Like COLD SKIN, the movie was set on an island at the end of the world, and similarly, the island was overrun by malevolent creatures: shrews made huge by exposure to atomic radiation in the movie, reptilian creatures in this novel.

This is one way to read COLD SKIN, as a sci-fi horror story or a fantasy adventure with plenty of action, unexpected reversals, gory battles with perverse outcomes, and male main characters who though dangerously at odds with each other, struggle to make common cause to prevail against alien invaders. This, in fact, is how I told the story to my niece, and it makes for a ripping good yarn. In her words: "This would make a great movie; I can see it all in my mind."

But, equally, COLD SKIN can also be read as a psychological thriller, as an investigation of the human species under stress and the altered mental states generated as an attempt to control an unpredictable and ostensibly savage environment. In this reading author Pinol succeeds as well: trapped in incredible circumstances, the unfolding psychodrama between the two "scientists" on the unnamed Antarctic island is credible, acutely rendered and often surprising.

Also possible is an ontological reading. There is a crucial moment in COLD SKIN when the narrator comes to question his response to and understanding of the creatures who inhabit the island and the surrounding waters, creatures that seem upon reflection not to be mere beasts but to have qualities that he recognizes in himself, e.g., a sense of play, of wonder, and even an understanding of jealousy. In other words, he sees they are more than reptilian brained. He recognizes their "otherness" is no more "other" than the man, Gruner, with whom he shares the island and their last refuge, the lighthouse. The impossibility of truly knowing and entering into another being's consciousness is a recurring problem for all the protagonists.

Further, it can be read as an allegory of the age of exploration when Western conquistadors and settlers armed with Western technologies, conquered and subjugated the worlds they found, classifying the peoples they encountered as savages to justify taking their land and destroying their ways of life.

On the literary side, Frazer's "The Golden Bough" is mentioned in two significant scenes. One of the more famous passages this late-nineteenth century examination of myth and fable seems particularly relevant to COLD SKIN: "The danger, however, is not less real because it is imaginary; imagination acts upon man as really does gravitation, and may kill him as certainly as a dose of prussic acid." (Chapter 21, Tabooed Things). There is a sacrifice in COLD SKIN as per Frazer's system of world myth, as well as an appearance of the ancient cycle of death, fertility and rebirth. In this novel, however, the cycle is more reminiscent of Nieztsche's idea of the Eternal Rerturn where the universe has been recurring, and will continue to recur endlessly and infathomably, in the exact same self-similar form. There are also stylistic and thematic allusions to Poe, to Kafka, to H.P. Lovecraft and others

Altogether, COLD SKIN is a stimulating, provocative and unusual work of a fiction that knits together the devices of the gothic, myth and the fable in a headlong adventure story that Mr. Pinol has cunningly crafted to be both compulsively readable and intellectually stimulating.

Very good Read.......2006-11-10

The book is an excellent metaphor for basic (or base) human behavior. Like "Lord of the Flies" it tells how quickly a person, even a somewhat "modern" man, can, under extreme conditions, throw off their humanity and become what they most fear. It becomes clear too that the men on the island are the interlopers and it is they who eventually become the real beasts. I liked the fact that there was no extra "fluff" in the book - it was short, concise and as spare as the island. I am usually convinced that American writers of horror/sci-fi fiction, such as Steven King, get paid by the word!

creepy.......2006-09-13

I could not put this book down, I almost read it in one sitting. This is a book I would just advise the reader to read and find out as little about it as possible to enjoy the full story. But-- if you must know more, A man who desires to be away from soceity gets a job on a remote rock of an island as the weather monitor there. Upon landing on this small barren Island where his only company will be a reclusive German lighthouse keeper in the Antarcrtic, he finds that he is in for something noone would expect. At first you would imagine boughts of depression, lonliness, and solitude. Nope, no chance for that. Here is where you should be satisfied enough to stop and just pick up the book. But if you need more than I can tell you that as soon as night falls on his first day on the Island he finds himself under attack by some type of sea creatures! You should stop now and buy the book, but..... if you need more then you will find tense alliances form after the weather attendant takes a hostage... the hostage allows him to gain entry into the light house which is a better vantage point for the nightly raids by.......Sea PEOPLE! What could be so important abou the hostage!?!?!?! The hostage is a female sea creature that the lighthouse keeper has a sexual realtionship with!!!! Is your mind blown yet? Becouse there's more....

An Intriguing Tale.......2006-04-03

In this novel a weather official is left on a tiny island for a long period of time to monitor wind.Unfortunately the almost deserted island is under siege every night by hordes of strange amphibious creatures.In order to survive he must try to work together with the only other man on the island,a brutish lighthouse keeper who has turned his lighthouse into a fortress.To complicate matters though the lighthouse keeper has taken one of the creatures as his "bunk buddy" and she takes a toll on their teamwork.Facinating story has great atmosphere and does a terrific job portraying the friction between 2 very different men trying to stay alive.It also has some surprisingly tender moments as it goes along.It doesn't have total all out action but it's never dull...it's a psychological tale of survival where the relationship between the 2 men makes the difference between life and death.The short length leaves you wanting more but you're better off reading a 200 page good book than a 700 page bore.

Customer Reviews:

terrific action-packed romantic thriller.......2006-04-14

Investigative reporter Magdalena "Mad Max" Riley earned deservedly a reputation for her uncanny ability to finding missing people. She is quite proud of her latest feat, locating missing billionaire Atchison Dantell, believed to be dead in a plane crash in Alaska. However, her elation turns bitter and guilt-laden when the wealthy man apparently commits suicide; she assumes he did not want to be found, her actions exposed him and ultimately led to his taking his life.

However, Dantell's son Alex insists his father did not hang himself, but instead was murdered by a clever assailant. However the police feel the death is obvious as Atchison left a note and ignores his son's plea. When Alex vanishes, Max sees a chance at atonement by finding the lad and looking into his accusations that his dad was murdered. Even more dedicated than ever on this quest, Max obtains help from peer Davis Wolfe while someone tries to kill her so she is unable to learn the truth.

MISSING INCORPORATED is a terrific action-packed romantic thriller starring two likable dedicated protagonists with Max as the lead and Davis her support when she needs it. The story line is action-packed from the moment that Max emulating Stanley when he met Livingstone says "Atchison Dantell, I presume" and never takes a break as the heroine sees the rescuing of the son as her chance to somewhat atone for her belief that she caused his father's death. Suspense fans will enjoy this fine tale due to the strong heroine and the man who encourages her to be all that she can be and more.

Harriet Klausner

Book Description

Now, joined by his boyhood friend Peter McLachlan, who arrives in Rome with a dark secret of his own, George uncovers evidence suggesting that the women of the Order have embarked on a divergent evolutionary path. But they are not just a new kind of human. They are a better kind, genetically superior, equipped with all the tools necessary to render homo sapiens as extinct as the Neanderthals. And, chillingly, George and Peter soon have reason to fear that this colony is preparing to leave its overcrowded underground nest. . . .
Stephen Baxter possesses one of the most brilliant minds in modern science fiction. His vivid storytelling skills have earned him comparison to the giants of the past: Clarke, Asimov, Stapledon. Like his great predecessors, Baxter thinks on a cosmic scale, spinning cutting-edge scientific speculation into pure, page-turning gold. Now Baxter is back with a breathtaking adventure that begins during the catastrophic collapse of Roman Britain and stretches forward into an unimaginably distant, war-torn future, where the fate of humanity lies waiting at the center of the galaxy. . . .

Destiny’s Children
COALESCENT

George Poole isn’t sure whether his life has reached a turning point or a dead end. At forty-five, he is divorced and childless, with a career that is going nowhere fast. Then, when his father dies suddenly, George stumbles onto a family secret: a sister he never knew existed. A twin named Rosa, raised in Rome by an enigmatic cult. Hoping to find the answers to the missing pieces of his life, George sets out for the ancient city.

Once in Rome, he learns from Rosa the enthralling story of their distant ancestor, Regina, an iron-willed genius determined to preserve her family as the empire disintegrates around her. It was Regina who founded the cult, which has mysteriously survived and prospered below the streets of Rome for almost two millennia. The Order, says Rosa, is her real family– and, even if he doesn’t realize it yet, it is George’s family, too. When she takes him into the vast underground city that is the Order’s secret home, he feels a strong sense of belonging, yet there is something oddly disturbing about the women he meets. They are all so young and so very much alike.
Stephen Baxter possesses one of the most brilliant minds in modern science fiction. His vivid storytelling skills have earned him comparison to the giants of the past: Clarke, Asimov, Stapledon. Like his great predecessors, Baxter thinks on a cosmic scale, spinning cutting-edge scientific speculation into pure, page-turning gold. Now Baxter is back with a breathtaking adventure that begins during the catastrophic collapse of Roman Britain and stretches forward into an unimaginably distant, war-torn future, where the fate of humanity lies waiting at the center of the galaxy. . . .

Destiny’s Children
COALESCENT

George Poole isn’t sure whether his life has reached a turning point or a dead end. At forty-five, he is divorced and childless, with a career that is going nowhere fast. Then, when his father dies suddenly, George stumbles onto a family secret: a sister he never knew existed. A twin named Rosa, raised in Rome by an enigmatic cult. Hoping to find the answers to the missing pieces of his life, George sets out for the ancient city.

Once in Rome, he learns from Rosa the enthralling story of their distant ancestor, Regina, an iron-willed genius determined to preserve her family as the empire disintegrates around her. It was Regina who founded the cult, which has mysteriously survived and prospered below the streets of Rome for almost two millennia. The Order, says Rosa, is her real family– and, even if he doesn’t realize it yet, it is George’s family, too. When she takes him into the vast underground city that is the Order’s secret home, he feels a strong sense of belonging, yet there is something oddly disturbing about the women he meets. They are all so young and so very much alike.

Now, joined by his boyhood friend Peter McLachlan, who arrives in Rome with a dark secret of his own, George uncovers evidence suggesting that the women of the Order have embarked on a divergent evolutionary path. But they are not just a new kind of human. They are a better kind, genetically superior, equipped with all the tools necessary to render homo sapiens as extinct as the Neanderthals. And, chillingly, George and Peter soon have reason to fear that this colony is preparing to leave its overcrowded underground nest. . . .

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Stephen Baxter possesses one of the most brilliant minds in modern science fiction. His vivid storytelling skills have earned him comparison to the giants of the past: Clarke, Asimov, Stapledon. Like his great predecessors, Baxter thinks on a cosmic scale, spinning cutting-edge scientific speculation into pure, page-turning gold. Now Baxter is back with a breathtaking adventure that begins during the catastrophic collapse of Roman Britain and stretches forward into an unimaginably distant, war-torn future, where the fate of humanity lies waiting at the center of the galaxy....

George Poole isn't sure whether his life has reached a turning point or a dead end. At forty-five, he is divorced and childless, with a career that is going nowhere fast. Then, when his father dies suddenly, George stumbles onto a family secret: a sister he never knew existed. A twin named Rosa, raised in Rome by an enigmatic cult. Hoping to find the answers to the missing pieces of his life, George sets out for the ancient city.

Once in Rome, he learns from Rosa the enthralling story of their distant ancestor, Regina, an iron-willed genius determined to preserve her family as the empire disintegrates around her. It was Regina who founded the cult, which has mysteriously survived and prospered below the streets of Rome for almost two millennia. The Order, says Rosa, is her real family -- and, even if he doesn't realize it yet, it is George's family, too. When she takes him into the vast underground city that is the Order's secret home, he feels a strong sense of belonging, yet there is something oddly disturbing about the women he meets. They are all so young and so very much alike.

Customer Reviews:

Somebody please tell a story!.......2006-10-23

How to describe this novel? Well, there's a bunch of people, mostly women, living in the catacombs under Rome. Then there's this Brit software engineer who's going through a meaning-of-life crisis, who's somehow connected with them. His story is interleaved with the story of a woman named Regina, who lives through the fall of the Roman Empire and is responsible for the abovementioned catacomb community. That and a couple of other story threads lead up to the BIG SECRET, which is basically that under certain circumstances people will tend to adopt the same social patterns as naked mole rats.

Sort of an interesing premise, but not really worth all the time Baxter spends on it. Oh, and there's also yet another version of the King Arthur Was Real story that Baxter trots out as if it were new, interesting, and had anything at all to do with the rest of the book.

But what's *really* frustrating is that this book is advertised as the first volume in a new series called "Destiny's Children". Which is pretty much a lie: there's no new series, just more stories set in the "Xelee Sequence", the future history that most of Baxter's early work is set in. Which would be forgivable, except that the "Destiny's Children" stories make all kind of references to the "Xelee Sequence" stories, so you'll never understand everything that's going on unless you read the other books in the XS -- which you can't, BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT OF PRINT.

Writers like Baxter seem to think that they can just throw ideas at us without actually trying to tell a story. What am I saying, of course they can -- half the books that consider themselves "hard" SF are like this. Which is why I'm about ready to give up on the genre.

Mixed.......2006-09-25

Very very slow, but very very good. Sometimes Baxter's books feel like they were written in a rush; not this one. I get the feeling that it was very well crafted. However, it is excruciatingly slow in spots. I borrowed this book 3 times from the library and was unable to get past the first chapter each time and had to return it when it was due. Finally they gave a used copy of the book away and I snagged it, given 2 months, I could finally slog into the book enough to be able to finish it.

Overall though I would say that this is excellent writing.

A rough opening for two series of books.......2006-09-08

First, as others have noted, this is the first book of the "Destiny's Children" sequence, as well as being chronologically (if not by publication date) the first book in the "Xeelee Sequence." Readers who have already read Ring will see elements here that were brought up there.

I found it very hard to follow Baxter's flipping back and forth between Rome and what is near-tense not-quite-science fiction. In general (and I may be in the minority here), I find it very hard to keep up with the sometimes huge discrepancies in setting in Baxter's books. In this case, there's a swing of about 1500 years, with an exception around the end, of a vignette added from some time later in the Xeelee Sequence (which didn't really need to be in this book at all). I felt that both pieces of the story, the Roman/British part as well as the contemporary piece, were worth reading, but superimposing them on one-another in this fashion was confusing.

This work, like the rest of Baxter's, is exquisitely polished. There are very few typographical and copy errors in the text. His prose is easy to read, and the concepts expressed, while somewhat esoteric and speculative (straying a bit from "hard" science fiction), are generally plausible and not difficult to follow.

Realize as you are reading this book that it is the first book, and is setting the stage for the remaining 2 (or 8, if you count the Xeelee Sequence books as well). So it serves its purpose, and familiarizes the reader with what they're in store for, 1,000 pages down the line.

Waste of time.......2006-07-08

I was making my way through a bunch of sci-fi and this was the last book on my nightstand. I had to *force* myself to finish the book. I found the "hard science" and theoretical history a giant yawn. It's the worst fiction I have read in years. Anyone who gave this more than a star is probably a schill.

Is Baxter Writing in the Wrong Genre?.......2006-01-23

Perhaps Stephen Baxter writes in the wrong genre. While the science fiction aspects of Coalescent are decent, the part of the book which imagines wht it was like to live in 5th century Britain was really first rate. We actually know very little about this period (for instance, estimates of the British population range from 1 to 4 million) and mysteries abound. Why did the British society (particularly in the Southeast) collapse so quickly before about 100,000 Germanic invaders, when nothing of the sort happened in Gaul or Spain? Why are there almost no written records from what was a literate and sophisticated British aristocracy? Baxter offers insightful suggestiongs through a blow-by-blow picture of the decay of Celtic society seen through the eyes of a few refugess of the ancient regime, and his picture is pretty convincing. To be sure, he takes a little poetic license (Mount Badon was fought at least 80 years after Rome withdrew her legions, for example, so the female "lead" could not possibly have been a contemporary of King Arthur). But all-in-all, Baxter's historical imagination is so much better than his futuristic one that one laments his choice of genre.

Book Description

Rupert Sheldrake's theory of morphic resonance challenges the fundamental assumptions of modern science. An accomplished biologist, Sheldrake proposes that all natural systems, from crystals to human society, inherit a collective memory that influences their form and behavior. Rather than being ruled by fixed laws, nature is essentially habitual. The Presence of the Past lays out the evidence for Sheldrake's controversial theory, exploring its implications in the fields of biology, physics, psychology, and sociology. At the same time, Sheldrake delivers a stinging critique of conventional scientific thinking. In place of the mechanistic, neo-Darwinian worldview he offers a new understanding of life, matter, and mind.

Customer Reviews:

Paradigm-shifting work.......2007-03-15

Sheldrake's opus shakes the axioms of causality underlying experimental science. Not many books have done that. Not many books can address metaphysical topics, suggest alternatives to the standard Aristotelian underpinnings of science or "naturalism," and do so plausibly without recourse to superstition.

Sheldrake, a biologist, examines the many anomalous phenomena that seem to cut against some very basic beliefs about "how things work." The book integrates observations from many different fields of endeavor from physics to biology to psychology. The scope of this work as as wide as it is deep.

If you have ever read Thomas Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions," this book will resonate along the same lines for you. Well worth your time and money.

A Simple Idea Viewed from a New Perspective .......2005-12-07

Legendary managment guru W. Edwards Deming spoke frequently of "profound knowledge." Basically, this is knowledge that profoundly changes the way you think and releases new creative energies. See his book The New Economics.

Rupert Sheldrake's ideas about "morphogenetic fields" and "morphic resonance" must surely be that kind of knowledge. He begins with a fairly simple scientific concept and brings it into another creative universe. Many of us are familiar with "fields". For example, there are electomagnetic fields, gravitational fields, and quantum matter fields.

We know from Science that we are immersed in a sea of electromagnetic fields of numerous frequencies. Waves of energy pass through each other without interfering with each other. Matter is condensed energy. We can see that form of energy, however there is a lot of energy we cannot see.

Based on mathematical calculations, we also know that an infinite spectrum of energy waves is theoretically possible. Waves in infinite variety might be passing through each other continuously without noticeably interacting. Perhaps, the world we know is just one spectrum connected to many other spectrums we haven't seen yet.

We'd have worlds have within worlds, in other words: "baby universes", ten dimensions in "space time", "superstrings", "universe splits", and so forth and so on.

Author and physcist David Bohn famously explained it this way. "Everything material is also mental, and everything mental is also material. But, there may be more infinitely subtle levels of matter than we are aware of." This is where Sheldrake's morphogentic fields come into the picture, or big picture, it seems to me. The forms and physical properties that we see resonating throughout existence are developed by some kind of know-how or knowledge. Could it be that there are fields in Biology and Chemistry like the fields we recognize in Physics?

If I've got it right, Sheldrake's morphogenetic fields are mental or maybe spiritual fields that spread know-how and knowledge throughout creation. Maybe I've skipped a rung of the inner and outer worlds of existence, but I feel like I'm getting pretty warm here.

Sheldrake doesn't want us to just take his word for this, however. Theories in Science need to be tested. And, Sheldrake's already working on that. He proposes several experiments in the last few chapters of the book. Browsing Amazon, I see there's another book or two in publication about these experiments.

You might want to read this book with Out of Control by Kevin Kelly and/or Living Systems by James Grier Miller, which is what I did. Several reviewers of this book have mentioned "metaphysics". If you'd like to go in that direction as well, you might enjoy What is Process Theology by Robert B. Mellert or Process Theology: A Basic Introduction by Robert Mesle.

UNFORGETTABLE IDEAS.......2004-01-19

I read this book some years ago and find the ideas in it have stayed with me, as they go a long way toward filling some holes in our understanding of reality. Sheldrake's Morphic Fields mean living things communicate even when they are not in physical proximity. This explains some of his other research, such as psychic connections between human and animal. Read Sheldrake's book, Dogs That Know When Their Owners are Coming Home, a fascinating look at the human-animal bond.

But the idea that once a new technique is learned by part of the population, it is more easily learned by the rest is startling. Can it explain the rapid spread of computer literacy? Like the old joke in school, can we actually learn "by osmosis?" Sheldrake's examples of group behavior and generational learning in the animal world points exactly in that direction. What one generation learns can be passed to the next. What I learn can make it easier for you to learn. This is a radical idea!

I've recently read astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell's book, The Way of the Explorer, in which he presents his view of reality, based on years of research into psychic and spiritual pehonomenon. His view incorporates Sheldrake's ideas in that he accounts for knowledge that does not come from standard learning methods. Knowledge received from spiritual insight or received psychically is part of the natural but unseen web underlying our universe, according to Mitchell. All knowledge of past and present is available, but is not sought by most people, since they do not know or practice the techniques for tapping into that source and there are no currently accepted scientific theories to explain how it works. Sheldrake's Morphic Fields are one such explanation.

The Presence of the Past is an influential book that will continue to be consulted and discussed. Since reading it, I've had more reason to think Sheldrake is right and I've read nothing elsewhere that disproves his fascinating conclusions.

Hmm? am i really the first to give 5 stars?.......2002-08-05

I felt compulsed to write a 5-star review after seeing only 3 reviews, all of them giving 3 or 4 stars to this classic masterpiece. Hey, don't get it wrong! this is a superb book you can't put down once you've started. I have read it twice and intend to translate it into Estonian.
Although, yes, only maybe a quarter of orthodox biologists can stand Sheldrake's name, the implications of his theory - if correct - are enormous. It would thoroughly change our present understanding of the concept of memory, which means that we need new fields of science - physical semiotics, for example. It would push the "borders" of semiotics to include the very first particles after the BB. Followers of C.S.Peirce would drink lots of champagne and would celebrate the victory. It would also require a radical revision of the ideas of evolution.
So - yes, yes, this IS a popular half-science-fiction book, easily dismissed by orthodox scientists. However, several of Sheldrake's examples are convincing and his theoretizing makes sense. So, I prefer to keep Sheldrake's ideas in "Interesting unsolved cases" drawer. Sheldrake is very much like Ken Wilber. "Serious" philosophers don't call Wilber a philosopher, but an "interesting individual". I would take it as a compliment.

An excellent place to start.......2002-04-19

Sheldrake's ideas, while controverial are an excellent place to add to anyone's ongoing exploration of Metaphysics. I agree with a previous reviewer in that these ideas can be interpreted using old terminology. Instead I have found it better to synthesize Sheldrake's excellent works with David Bohm, and any other relevant source I can find. Where do these Morphic fields come from? That is the truly interesting question.

The Presence of the Past: Morphic Resonance and the Habits of Nature

Average customer rating:

The Presence of the Past: Morphic Resonance and the Habits of Nature
Rupert Sheldrake
Manufacturer: Park Street Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N656BY

Book Description

Provides updated values for more than 10,000 cacheted and uncacheted U.S. First Day Covers. Cover authority Michael Mellone edited the 2006 edition. Listings are arranged by Scott Catalogue number and includes brief description featuring denomination and subject. Collectors can determine the value for a specific cachet using the exclusive Cachet Calculator, compiled by Mellone. Using the list of cachet makers, collectors multiply the Scott Catalogue value by a multiplier found in the calculator to find the approximate value of most covers. Values and prices are also provided for first cachets from individual cachet makers

Average customer rating:

Flaws without a printed errata sheet

Excellent book

great book

UNDERRATED KNITTING BOOK !!!

Didn't find the sweaters irresistable . . .

Irresistible Knits: Sweaters for Men, Women, and Teens
Kirsten Cowan
Manufacturer: Martingale and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Fitted Knits: 25 Designs for the Fashionable Knitter

ASIN: 1564773728

Book Description

Find a perfect fit for you, your partner, and your teens in this collection of classic to contemporary sweaters for adults and teenagers! Choose from more than 25 seasonal patterns in an array of beautiful colors and styles that suit the size range--and the fashion sense--of your family.

Easy to advanced projects spotlight a rainbow of colors, a range of stitches, and a variety of designs that take you through autumn, winter, and spring. From a chic cropped sweater for girls that transforms into a long, tailored version for women to beautiful Nordic-style pullovers for both men and boys, you'll find all the inspiration you need to showcase individual style.

· More than 25 gorgeous projects feature complementary--but not identical--designs for men, women, and teenagers, with teen patterns given in hard-to-find sizes

· Choose from boldly styled sweaters for teens, plus richly textured cables, delicate floral patterns, and colorful intarsia knits in traditional shapes for adults

· Teen patterns focus on fresh colors, fitted shapes, and simplified knitting techniques that will inspire young adults who want to learn how to knit

Let this unique blend of classic-to-contemporary designs inspire you to pick up your needles and make a special sweater for yourself and your family!

Customer Reviews:

Flaws without a printed errata sheet.......2007-04-26

The very first sweater I tried from this book has HUGE numbers of typos, and there is no errata sheet available. The instructions are fairly clunky in their layout, and after finishing this sweater I will most likely toss this book away. I understand that proofreaders won't catch everything, but many of the errors could have been caught through simple addition (i.e. if we begin with "y" number of stitches, by casting off "x" number will there be enough stitches for the next step, or shouldn't the number of inches required for the large by necessity be LARGER than the number of inches for the small?) The errors would have been so easy to catch--this book is sloppy and not worth buying.

Excellent book.......2003-07-26

These sweaters are beautiful, and the directions are clear and easy to understand. I had a question about one pattern, and the author personally responded to my email. I love this book, and I highly recommend it.

great book.......2002-03-15

I like this book because the styles relate to the seasons and the photographs make me feel as though I'm really outside, breathing the fresh air. This of course encourages me to get back to knitting and trying out these patterns. The photos also give a close-up detail of the stitches, which is very helpful. A real treat is the men's styles featured of which 'gryphon' and 'wishbone' are very handsome and well suited to any age group. Although some of the models are young, several patterns would be very suitable for women in their forties or older--such
as 'mariner', 'salish','kells' and 'twister'. This is an excellent book for a beginner or someone who likes a challenge but isn't ready to completely design their own. Bravo Kirsten Cowan!

UNDERRATED KNITTING BOOK !!!.......2001-10-25

This is a wonderful book. There are VERY inspiring patterns in this book. I look forward to making several of the sweaters for myself-- a first!!
This is a great book younger knitters who are looking for hip sweater styles.
I really enjoyed this book

Happy Knitting,

Nanette

Didn't find the sweaters irresistable . . ........2001-09-24

The book is nicely produced, a high quality paperback made in China. Photos of the sweaters are fairly clear, with only some emphasis on poses of the models that obscure the sweaters here and there. The instructions seem clear also. The patterns call for Paton's or Naturally yarns, fairly inexpensive although Paton's is difficult to find in the US -- try a Canadian resource like Ram Wools in Winnipeg. The fault I found in this book is simply that I found most of the sweaters unappealing. The cover title and photos led me to believe that I would find more stylish sweaters than I did. I purchased based on one of the cabled sweaters I saw in an ad for the book -- only to find on seeing a full-size photo that the sweater is much too juvenile for me. Hence my disappointment, although the sweaters are all quite nice for teenagers or young adults. But then, most of the sweaters seem ordinary, things you can find in any simple knitting book or things that you could actually create yourself without needing any book/instructions at all. The patterns are arranged by season, and the more interesting sweaters are in the winter section. Those for spring and summer are typical, tiny cotton sweaters without much inspiration. A plus is that the sweaters are sized for adults and teens. In a season when we are seeing a good number of knitting books being published, this book may not be able to compete with those that are more stylish -- on the other hand, this is a very good book for the advanced beginner looking for a little challenge.

Book Description

•Includes detailed eBay buyer's guides organized by category, with tips on the hottest trends—plus tips on buying brand-new furniture and accessories at a discount

•Packed with advice on targeting "diamonds in the rough" online

•How-to pictures and step-by-step instructions for displaying collections, fixing fixer-uppers, and creating a personal decorating style

With this book and a computer readers have everything they need to remake their homes with a few simple clicks of the mouse. Readers can save time and money and get what they really want by buying everything they crave for their home—from brand-new furniture, fixtures, furnishings, and accessories to distinctive, one-of-a-kind and/or valuable antiques and collectibles—on eBay. Whether you're looking for a new sofa, designer bed linens, lighting fixtures, tiles, 1940s fabric, a rug, of McCoy pottery, eBay's the shopping destination for you. The eBay Home Makeover also explains how to surf safely and securely for nifty project material—and when the find arrives, the fun really begins. Tons of great ideas show how to turn unusual items into functional pieces, from transforming a steamer trunk into a cunning wardrobe, to turning tattered sheet music into sophisticated framed art, to sewing vintage scarves into cool cushions. More than twenty-five step-by-step projects showcase the author's winning redos and inspire the reader's own creativity. Let eBay show the way to fun, funky, fabulous home decorating.

Customer Reviews:

Not as I expected.......2006-06-06

I am in the process of decorating my new apartment and thought this book would be a great idea. Not only are the photos of poor quality but the so-called decor is awful. I do not recommend this book for anyone who wishes to decorate stylishly. Also, the book is not that informative about buying on eBay.

Transform Your Home with a Click of the Mouse.......2005-11-24

I love browsing on eBay, but hadn't thought about using it in my decorating efforts. This book opens your eyes to the wealth of objects (often one-of-a-kind) on the auction site that you can use to transform your home.
For beginning eBay users, the book covers registration and tips for browsing and buying so you get the most for your money. It includes a buyers guide with lists of power sellers and the types of things you can count on them to offer. This is reassuring if you are nervous about making your first purchases.
Anyway, this book is a great alternative to searching flea markets and estate sales looking for great deals for your home.

Awesome book!.......2005-10-18

Just like stumbling across a treasure on ebay, I happened to see this book at a bookstore and immediately took the "buy now" option. I absolutely love this book! It has great photos; they look like real rooms from real homes - not stuffy staged shots. I have bought a few things off of ebay but I really didn't know the extent of the home décor items available. This book list "power sellers" whom have good ratings and sell great home decorating items. This book addresses shipping issues, relevant decorating tips, and do-it-yourself projects. I highly recommend this book.

Book Description

An innovative and essential guide, Big Book of Typographics, combines the first two internationally successful books in the Typographics series: Typographics 1: the art of typography from digital to dyeline and Typographics 2: cybertype-screens and 'zines.

Book Description

Typography is a fundamental element of all forms of design, endless in its variety and application.As such, it's a topic that inspires debate and discussion among design professionals, teachers, and students. To aid in this discourse, The Big Book of Typographics 1 & 2 brings together the most exciting and experimental work from typographers the world over—leading designers with international standing, new independent groups at the forefront of modern design, and gifted students from a range of major colleges alike. The book's attractive flip-format emphasizes different themes to the showcased works: the first section presents innovative font design and textual and compositional type usage; the second, looks at type inspired by magazines' churning information flow, freed from the constraints of the conventional printed pages' usual linear narrative.

Provocative and compelling, The Big Book of Typographics 1 & 2 is an excellent, extensive resource for everybody creating or commissioning graphic design.

Book Description

Sheri Rose Shepherd's fascinating personal journey is a remarkable testimony to God's power. She grew up in a divorce-plagued Hollywood home; by her teens Sheri Rose suffered from depression and addiction to food and drugs. Then God intervened -- and today Sheri Rose is a joyful Christian wife and mother, a former Mrs. United States, and a popular author, conference speaker, and media personality. In this contemporary repackage of the bestselling Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal, Sheri Rose shares her path from misery to victory with the side-splitting humor and active faith that helped sustain her. With passion and poise, she relates how God pursues every person with relentless and life-changing love. An inspirational read!

Customer Reviews:

AN UPLIFTING PATH TO GOD.......2002-10-24

I have owned this book for less than a year and in that time I have read it almost three times. Sheri Rose Shepherd illustrated Gods path in the comical truths of her life before, during and after finding the Lord. I would recomend this book to anyone who enjoys laughter.

Want to learn more about yourself and the power of prayer?.......2002-02-22

What a great book! Thanks Sheri Rose Shepherd! I found this book inspiring, touching and down to earth. The real life experiences are refreshing to read and several times I said, "that's me!" she's talking about! As a Christian myself, I enjoyed the "lesson to be learned" at the end of each chapter, and how it related to the Bible. I laughed, I cried, and I shared it with others. Thanks again!

Did I tell you that I was Mrs. United States..........2002-01-13

This book claims to be a spiritual, self help book. However, I found it to be an autobiography, beginning after she won the Mrs. United States title. She says that that the title gave her the platform to spead God's word, but she never speaks of any good works that she performs other than preaching to others. An average chapter would be... First let me tell you that I was Mrs. United States. I met two boys in the foster care program. I was afraid of them, they smelled awful and didn't have the talent to be in my production, but I let them work back stage and I preached to them and now they are Christians. By the way, did I tell you that I was Mrs. United States.
Too many times she belittled the people that she was preaching to. The only message that I got from the book was; Do as I say and not as I do...and never forget that I was Mrs. United States.

Funny & amazingly inspirational!.......2001-08-04

This book was awesome! It made me bolder in sharing my faith with my friends. A must read for any woman - single, married, Christian or not! It was great!

Funny & amazingly inspirational!.......2001-08-04

This book was awesome! It made me bolder in sharing my faith with my friends. A must read for any woman - single, married, Christian or not! It was great!

Average customer rating:

pristine condition of used book
Great
AWESOME
Fine writing on a difficult subject
Contradiction in Terns: A Conservative Gay Man / Personality

Life Is Not a Rehearsal: A Memoir
David Brudnoy
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Gay | Biographies & Memoirs | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 057119933X

Customer Reviews:

pristine condition of used book.......2004-11-01

I just received this book two days ago. I was looking forward to reading it, since I did not know Mr. Brudnoy was back on the air. I had lost track of him after his announcement to his listeners that he would be retiring, and went on to discuss his physical condition. When the book arrived and I saw what beautiful condition it was in, I decided to give it to my daughter, who is an avid fan of David`s. The book was beautifuly packaged, so I let her open it, and she promises I will be the next to read it. Thank you readingstore for such a nice buy, and your prompt mailing of the book. Helen in Pa.

Great.......2000-10-13

Brudnoy has done a great job with telling it "like it is"

AWESOME.......2000-01-19

Brudnoy does an FABULOUS job dealing with a touchy subject. Other have said it is "disjointed," but that is Brudnoy's style. 5-stars, David!

Fine writing on a difficult subject.......1998-07-09

Brudnoy is characteristically frank and open in the memior, though it will appeal to only those with an interest in him or his lifestyle already.

Contradiction in Terns: A Conservative Gay Man / Personality.......1997-10-10

David Brudnoy has been a fixture on Boston radio for years. As host of an evening talk show on regional power-house, WBZ Radio, he is the atypical talk-show host. Very opinionated but always polite and respectful to those with whom he disagrees. A libertarian in a town noted for being ulra-liberal. And gay.

Dr. David Brudnoy is an intellectual giant; no one disputes this. His politics run a little to the right of Ronald Reagan, Jesse Helms, and other noted conservatives. When he collapsed and nearly died of complications of AIDS several years ago, it came as a surprise to the public to find out that a man can be both gay and conservative. It seems an oxymoron. The public support for Brudnoy following his near death was gratifying to even the most hardened moralist among us.

Brudnoy documents his life-story in this well-written, often very moving story of his life. He delves often into his life as an intellectual seeking to be "like others". He speaks to his rise to national media prominence and to the values of integrity and humbleness he maintained during that rise. And he speaks often of that subject that he kept to himself all of his life: his sexual orientation.

If I were to object to the book, it would be that he belabors the point of his being gay. He does not delve in the graphic details of his sex-life for that is none of anybody's business. And, I suppose one can forgive the focus on his being gay and the problems that (in his perception) it created for him since the motivation for the book seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to the outpouring of good will following his collapse. Still, maybe it is I who miss the point. Maybe where I see him concentrating too much on his being gay, to Brudnoy that *is* what has defined his life.

This is not a book about being gay. It is a book about how being gay has impacted his life. It is also the life story of a very impressive and likable man to whom life has been both good and bad. I wish Dr. Brudnoy the very best and thank him for sharing his life. I am beter off for it.

Average customer rating:

trying to be nice...

The Spiritual Journey of a Spoiled Brat

Papa Law

I wish I were a teenage traveler

Orlando Fan..

Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal: The Spiritual Journey of a Teenage Traveler
Anthony W Orlando
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0595369987

Book Description

"We are finite beings in an infinite existence on a neverending exploration called life," notes this teenage author. Struggling with the basic questions we all encounter along the journey yet guided by his father's often overused but subtly comforting adage Life Is Not A Dress Rehearsal, Anthony Orlando takes us through his unique adventures in the hope that we might all find the answer to life's queries. With the pioneer attitude that man was meant to explore, Anthony combines the stories of his interesting travels with insights from a teenage soul to write Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal: The Spiritual Journey of a Teenage Traveler. From a near hole-in-one on the cliffs of Pebble Beach to a historic journey through Colonial Williamsburg, Anthony's trek is a refreshingly original parable that allows us to explore our own existence and the underlying spiritual thread. In a heroic tale that entails exciting trips across the world, sentimental insights into the beauty of the human condition, and a distressing search into life and death at their worst, Anthony tells the saga of human nature in prose so down-to-earth and inviting that we cannot help but join him on his reflective journey.

Customer Reviews:

trying to be nice..........2006-12-20

but i just don't see the need for this kid to publish a book expect for by the guidance of his parents who grew up in some rich neighborhood and are getting their kid started early.

rarely does this book offer any useful tips or suggestions, i turned around and gave this to the friend of mine who knew the author and maybe it becomes useful, i doubt it.

The Spiritual Journey of a Spoiled Brat.......2006-06-06

I purchased this book with the expectation of gaining some insight from a person my age that had evidently experienced something extraordinary. I was excited to hear about the author's journeys ("spiritual" and otherwise) and intrigued to discover what he had learned from them.

Well, I ended up learning just how far and for how long it was possible to roll my eyes, but I won't talk about that. I would rather focus on the unanswered questions that one commenter (a friend of the author's, apparently) posed below.

SphericalPretzel asks us to step back and marvel at the fact that a seventeen year old wrote a book because, well, the author is seventeen and...he wrote a book. This is insulting. I am eighteen years old and I keep a journal. If my parents were to PAY to have my journal published, would this confirm my initiative, drive, persistence, writing skills, or courage? Hardly. Sphericalpretzel assures us that this book was not published because of a business favor. That may be true, but what he fails to mention is that his book was published because Anthony Orlando's (clearly wealthy) parents paid for it to be published. iUniverse is a "publishing company" that will publish anything as long as it is financed. As previously stated, my own journal could be "published" if I should choose to "publish" it.

It is amusing that SphericalPretzel should mention the Oxford and Harvard programs at which Anthony studied and quickly follow up by stating that these opportunities were not "purchased favors." I have received more invitations to summer programs at remarkable universities (Harvard, Princeton, Brown, among them) than I can count, but have not been able to attend any of them for one reason. They are outrageously priced and it would have been an extraordinary financial burden for my family to allow me to attend. I know many, many students that have also been invited to attend these summer sessions and that have sadly turned them down for the same reason. One or two worked diligently to raise funds through local businesses so that they may go, and I might have a little more respect for Mr. Orlando had he done the same. Though, something tells me he did not. Something even tells me he flew first class to these prestigious schools, but that's just a hunch.

As for the boy's other achievements (especially his well earned college recommendation letter from Pennsylvania's governor), this book and the date it was published (December 30th; the eve of college admissions deadlines across the country) included, I cannot help but be a little suspicious of the ulterior motives for them. Such generic "accolades" and this publication itself surely looked wonderful on Orlando's resume for college, I assume? That is, unless college admissions officers were savvy enough to see through the rich boy's scheme.

Sphericalpretzel also refers to Anthony's failure to fully discuss his classmate's suicide in his novel. I am puzzled by this. Finally, an issue more serious than what the Orlando family ate for breakfast at the Ritz Carleton in Paris or more somber than what it felt like to golf at Tiger Woods's favorite spot, and yet the author does not delve past the surface. This might be fine in any other case, of course, as death and suicide is a personal issue that is quite difficult to deal with. However, such a "spiritual" author that often gets lost in thought about Jung and Freud could have surely tackled the one serious issue in his life in such a way that would leave the reader enlightened and not confused.

As for Orlando's syntax, it is superfluous and verbose, forced and boring.

Granted you do not wish to read about the adventures of a spoiled brat's trips around the world on his parents' dollar, skip this book and read something by Lance Armstrong.

Papa Law.......2006-04-09

I'm surprised at some of the negative reviews about this book, especially those that include personal attacks on the author.
Watching the news, I've seen stories about 17 year olds involved in shootings, stabbings, arson, and rape. And all of that was just THIS week. To see a 17 year old writing a book is a refreashing chamge from what we normally hear about young people today and gives me hope about the future of our country being in the hands of people like Anthony.
I think that those other reviewers should look around and hope for more young people of this caliber learning about the world that they will some day be running.

I wish I were a teenage traveler.......2006-04-07

First, let me begin by making everyone aware that the author of this book was/ is a mere 17 years old when it was published. To all of you who have criticized thus far, have any of you had the initiative, drive, persistence, writing skills, or courage to do the same? I would be willing to bet that even those of you older than this young man have failed to accomplish that same deed in an even longer period of time. Regardless of whether or not the book sucks (which it most certainly does not), the kid had a book published before he even graduated high school. That is an undisputable remarkable accomplishment.
Secondly, I happen to know the author and his parents personally and I can attest to him being anything but the rich, snobby brat that some have accused him to be. Due to his humble nature, he avoided announcing all of his other accomplishments his book. He has studied at Oxford in England as well as Harvard during summer vacations. Those were opportunities he earned just like any other person; they were not purchased favors. He is an active member of the local chapter of American Cancer Society as well as several other community service organizations. He devised, organized, and chaired an Education Fair at his high school and even managed to personally arrange for Pennsylvania's state governor, Edward Rendell, to speak at his high school. That's right, the governor who, by the way, wrote anything a college recommendation letter for Anthony. Clearly, he must be a snotty, spoiled child who has had everything handed to him upon a silver platter. I could go on and on about Anthony's accolades. He is class valedictorian, student council president, and captain of his high school's tennis and golf teams.
As much as some of you would like to believe that this kid has no life experience, let me point out a few things. The teenage classmate mentioned in his book that he lost during his sophomore year of high school was due to suicide. Anthony avoids that fact in his book for a reason of which I am not aware. To this day, neither family nor friends have been able to determine the cause of Patrick's decision. Death alone is difficult to grasp at 14 years old, let alone suicide.
In closing, I just would like everyone to understand that Anthony is much more than he allows his book to inform you. I can assure you this book was not published because his father got a favor from a business friend nor was it published to make those who read it envy his vacations; it was published because Anthony has voluntarily learned a great deal before he was even able vote and was willing to share it the rest of you. I can assure you that everything Anthony says in his first book is worth hearing.

Orlando Fan.........2006-04-06

First, I would like to say that the review by Matisse Musique is completely ridiculous and has no foundation of truth about his personal character. I know Anthony Orlando and he is an inspiration. He, in his almost 18 years of living, has accomplished more than most people could ever hope to accomplish. I am extremely disappointed in the judgemental attitudes of some of the reviewers on here. Calling Anthony an idiot is like calling a red pen a blue one. It just is not true at all.

Second, his book is very well written and an interesting read. I enjoyed it and related to it. Anthony is wise beyond his years.

Average customer rating:

Life is not a Rehearsal, a Memoir
David Brudnoy
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W7AOF2

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