The Great Adventure of Sally Rock and the Cretaceous Chicken

Book Description

Sally Rock was a normal fifth grader from Berryville, Ohio, until her whole life changed the day her Uncle Denny, a famous paleontologist, had fantastic news to share: the discovery of a new dinosaur, related to the most average of farm animals: the chicken. That summer she agrees to go with him to the mountains of Utah to the dig site of this famous dinosaur, only to find out the skeleton head has been stolen from the excavation. One night as they lay sleeping in their tents, a tremendous earthquake wakes them, and they are suddenly and violently transported to a world that many thought was gone forever. Sally knew this was going to be more than your regular slumber party summer adventure!

Amazon.com

Anne McCaffrey's Pern series has been running successfully for so long that most of the Dragonriders' original problems have been solved. In The Skies of Pern, she confronts her standard cast of characters with the consequences of those solutions, consequences that are a whole new set of problems. Now that the Red Star has been pushed to another orbit, there will only be a few more ravenous Threads descending from it for them and their dragons to fight--and what role will that leave for them? They have successfully reclaimed Earth's lost technology--and suddenly everyone with a craft that might be outmoded, or who is phobic about surgery, is on the rampage, sabotaging and smashing and making up rumors. These fundamentalist Abominators are sure that something terrible will happen if the old ways are not gone back to--and sure enough, fire descends, on cue, from the skies.

Anne McCaffrey's tales of genetically engineered dragons and a lost colony that has declined into feudalism are ultimately SF rather than fantasy because they are about finding solutions to problems, solutions that involve working with what you are given to start off with; The Skies of Pern is all about elegant solutions to credible problems. --Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Thanks to Anne McCaffrey, millions of readers have soared the skies on dragonback, shared the thoughts and dreams of the great dragons of Pern, and risked life and limb to safeguard the planet from the deadly threat of falling Thread. With the Dragonriders of Pern, McCaffrey has given us more than just an extraordinary masterwork of imagination. She has given us a whole world—and has taught us to fly. Now, in this triumphant return to Pern, Anne McCaffrey takes us on an adventure as surprising and unforgettable as any that has come before . . .

It is a time of hope and regret, of endings and beginnings. The Red Star, that celestial curse whose eccentric orbit was responsible for Thread, has been shifted to a harmless orbit, and the current Threadfall will be the last. Technological marvels are changing the face of life on Pern. And the dragonriders, led by F'lessan, son of F'lar and Lessa and rider of bronze Golanth, and Tia, rider of green Zaranth, must forge a new place for themselves in a world that may no longer need them.

But change is not easy for everyone. There are those who will stop at nothing— not even violence—to keep Pern and its people pure. And now a brand-new danger looms from the skies . . . and threatens a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.

Once again, the world looks to the dragons and their riders to solve the crisis and save the world. But now, as the friendship of F'lessan and Tia begins to bloom into something more, unforeseen tragedy strikes: a tragedy destined to forever change the future—not just of the two young lovers, but of every human and dragon on Pern . . .

Download Description

Beloved characters, and a brand new threat, prove that dragons will always be needed in the skies of Pern. The first Dragonriders of Pern novel in three years features McCaffrey's most popular characters: F'lar and Lessa, from the original trilogy, their son, F'lessan, and, of course, the dragons.

Customer Reviews:

Great if you like Sci Fiction.......2007-05-13

The Pern series of books from Anne McCaffery are great. Better if you read them in order, (look online at her website for recommendations). This is futuristic science fiction, but if you liked Aregon, you would probably like this series too

What can I say?.......2007-05-13

What can I say? It's Ann McCaffrey, Doesn't get any better. Only arthur that I can read and makes me feel good about myself and humanity. Love dragons!

The Skies of Pern.......2007-05-12

ALL of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonrider books draw me into them so that I become a part of Pern and feel all the emotions of the people involved. Except for Lessa. I've known to many women like her and have not liked any of them.

The Skies of Pern.......2007-01-09

I just love the Pern Series. I feel like I am right there along with the characters.

read this book!!.......2006-10-17

this is a great book. all i can say is that i hope this is not the end of anne mccaffrey's pern books. i want more on the characters in this book!!!! the book is well written and i never wanted to put it down!!

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The Skies of Pern (The Dragons of Pern)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Corgi Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0552146315

Anne McCaffrey Pern Collection: Dragonseye, The Masterharper of Pern, The Skies of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern)

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Anne McCaffrey Pern Collection: Dragonseye, The Masterharper of Pern, The Skies of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
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ASIN: 1590865359
Release Date: 2002-12-01

Book Description

Dragonseye:
Thread: deadly silver strands that fall from the sky like rain, devouring every organic thing in their path - animals, plants, and people alike. Who could believe that such a horrible thing could exist? After all, it's been two hundred years since Thread supposedly fell on Pern. No one alive remembers that first onslaught. There's no sign of it anywhere in the world. Only the dragons, originally created to be a weapon against Thread, are still around to remind people that once before their population was decimated, their hopes and dreams and livelihoods almost destroyed forever.

For two centuries the dragonriders have been practicing and training, passing down from generation to generation the Threadfighting techniques learned on the fly by their besieged ancestors. And most of the Lord Holders are prepared to protect their people, to provide sanctuary, to assemble groundcrews to search out and destroy any Thread that might be missed by the dragons soaring overhead. All but one.

Even now the ominous signs are appearing: the violent winter storms and volcanic eruptions that are said to herald the approach of the Red Star and its lethal spawn. Impossibly, one stubborn Lord Holder, Chalkin of Bitra, refuses to believe - and that disbelief could spell disaster for all of Pern. So while the dragonriders desperately train to face an enemy they've never fought before, they and the other Lord Holders must find a way to deal with Chalkin and protect Bitra.

The Masterharper of Pern:
In a time when no Thread has fallen for centuries - when, indeed, many are beginning to dare to hope that Thread will never fall again - a boy is born to Harper Hall. His name is Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known.

It is a perilous time for harpers. They sing of Thread, yet more and more people are beginning to doubt the return of that deadly scourge. They teach reading, writing, history, but Fax - who hates the harpers in general - is determined to keep his growing area of influence free of the learning that might sow unrest. And they extol the dragonriders, whom many view increasingly as a drain on the resources of the Holds. Now harpers are being turned away from the holds; and, worse yet, they are being derided, attacked, even beaten.

It is the climate of unrest that Robinton will come into his own. For despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself . . .so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when it at last returns!

The Skies of Pern:
Now that Pern can look forward to a future without the threat of Threadfall, the people are free to leave their protective stone holds and spread across more of the planet, as well as improve their lives with the newly discovered ancient technology. Not everyone is happy, though. Some resist the change, and consider anything new to be an "abomination." And the dragonriders are uncertain: without Thread, what will their purpose be in Pernese society?

Then a new danger - again from the skies - looms. Once again, the people must pull together . . . And turn to the only ones who can solve the crisis: the dragonriders of Pern!

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THE SKIES OF PERN
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: DEL RAY BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OALXGQ

Skies of Pern, The (Dragonriders of Pern)

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Skies of Pern, The (Dragonriders of Pern)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Now that Pern can look forward to a future without the threat of Threadfall, the people are free to leave their protective stone holds and spread across more of the planet, as well as improve their lives with the newly discovered ancient technology. Not everyone is happy, though. Some resist the change, and consider anything new to be an "abomination." And the dragonriders are uncertain: without Thread, what will their purpose be in Pernese society?

Then a new danger - again from the skies - looms. Once again, the people must pull together . . . And turn to the only ones who can solve the crisis: the dragonriders of Pern!

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Skies of Pern, The (Dragonriders of Pern)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged Lib Ed
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Book Description

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Skies of Pern, The (Dragonriders of Pern)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Paperback Nova Audio Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000VYJRJA
Release Date: 2002-01-28

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Skies of Pern

Manufacturer: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0606283935

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The Skies of Pern
Anne Mc Caffrey
Manufacturer: Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VOHOAO

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The Skies of Pern [The Dragon Books]
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Bantam Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J2O9TM

Book Description

PLASTIC MAN ARCHIVES VOL. 3 continues to chronicle thehumorous history of the most imaginative super hero of all time. Able tostretch his body into any size, shape, or form, Plastic Man goes aboutfighting crime in a most unusual but effective manner. Whether bouncinglike a super ball, tying himself in knots, or using his arms as lariats,the pliable hero never misses a chance to verbally or physically humiliatea foe. Mixing dark humor with original villains, these stories broke awayfrom conventional comic book plots and forged a new path for super herostorytelling.

Customer Reviews:

They're terrific!.......2005-09-15

Jack Cole was one of the true geniuses of the comic book art form. Here we have some great examples of his masterwork, Plastic Man. Plastic Man and his sidekick Woozy Winks are two of the greatest characters of the Golden Age of comics. Jack Cole's odd outlook on life, and his sometimes dark sense of humor, make these among the best of the superhero comics of the era. Highly recommended to superhero fans, especially those who don't them too seriously.

A great blast from the past!.......2004-04-29

After a nice little introduction, this great DC archive book launches into the meat - thirteen Golden Age Plastic Man comics! With a good deal of action and humor (not to mention humorous action), Plas and his sidekick, Woozy Winks, take on the bad guys. My son and I loved this book, and thought it was a great blast from the past! We both highly recommend it!

In case you are interested, this book includes stories (in this order) from Police Comics #31 (6/1944), #32 (7/44), #33 (8/44), Plastic Man #2 (8/44), Police Comics #34 (9/44), #35 (10/44), #36 (11/44), #37 (12/44), #38 (1/45), and #39 (2/45). The funny thing is just how little World War 2 seems to have intruded into these stories! But, in a way, that helps make the stories somewhat timeless. Anyway, buy this book!

Book Description

• The first book to fully explore the sexual philosophy and practices of the ancient Egyptians

• Lavishly illustrated with erotic scenes from papyri that have long been hidden from the public

• Clarifies the connection of sacred sexuality to Egyptian cosmic symbolism

Until recently the forbidden papyri, whose explicit illustrations of Egyptian sexual practices were judged too shocking, were off limits to all but a few scholars. In this book, the first to fully explore Egyptian sexual philosophy and practices, Egyptologist Ruth Schumann-Antelme provides us a new view of the provocative sexual life of the ancient Egyptians.

Richly illustrated throughout, Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt explains the symbolism of the erotic images found on the inner walls of the temples and tombs as well as those carved into pieces of limestone and sketched on papyri. The authors cover in detail the astonishing erotic scenes illustrating the Turin Papyrus, which have long been kept from public view. These papyri reveal in great detail Egyptian attitudes about love, religion, and even medicine, as well as specific sexual practices. Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt reveals the intimate details of a society in which sexuality was the dynamic principle of the divine world, and the cosmic symbolism of religion imbued every level of Egyptian society with sexual significance.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Scholarship!.......2006-10-30

This text is very interesting and it shows that human sexuality in its self hasn't changed that much over the past few thousand years. However, this book is not for the prudish or "up tight" individuals, the content is presented in a forthright and rather blunt manner. This may even give you a few pointers to spice up your own "playtime", I know I learned a lot.

Touches the surface..........2003-05-14

This book is a great source of information for life in ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphic explanations are offered (from a mundane point of view), clothing and hairstyles are explained, food and artistic cultures are discussed. All of these are explored within sexuality and its expression through Egypt's creation/origination stories. I learned very much about Egypt's pantheon and many questions were answered which I haven't found in other works on Egypt. My only complaint with this beautiful book is the lack of spiritual application. Sexual energy is a necessary part of awakening and enlightenment, and the ancient Egyptians were fully aware of this. The practice, study and employment of sacred sex was a vital piece of their esoteric learning. I was disappointed to find the authors ignoring this aspect completely. After reading the book, the title is misleading. It is "sacred" sexuality only in the sense that the practices studied were originated in the religion of that era.

Considers the sexual life of the ancients.......2002-01-11

Ruth Antelme and Stephane Rossini's Sacred Sexuality In Ancient Egypt is the first book to explore the sexual philosophy and practices of the ancient Egyptians, considering the sexual life of the ancients and revealing the social and personal influences of sexuality in their society. Over 160 black and white photos pepper this informative survey of the symbolism of erotic images found in temples and on papyri. A truly intriguing study.

Bits-n-Pieces.......2001-12-26

This is an entertaining and informative book about sex, drugs and rock and roll in ancient Egypt. I am happy to recommend it for amatuer Egyptologists.

I wish it included a more comprehensive presentation though with more detailed footnotes and much less conjecture (presented as fact).

The presentation also suffers from repeated and tiring comments demeaning men and the dronning insistance of ancient Egypt as really a matriarchal society. The tenor and tone of this book is rich in 1980's feminism.

For example, the author spends considerable verbage attacking female circumcision precisely BECAUSE the Egyptians DID NOT practice it.

Nevertheless, these objections aside, this book is a great coffee table conversation starter and fun to read.

Amazing . . but it needs a content warning!!!.......2001-12-13

This book dips into the hidden realm of sexuality in Ancient Egypt! However I would only suggest this book to adult readers, as the content is extremely explceit and graphic!!!!

Book Description

This crafty cookbook encourages children to go beyond playing with their food. Like the creations of great chefs, the finished products are tasty works of art. Fifty easy activities turn the food that's already in your refrigerator into works of art.

Customer Reviews:

Author Comments from MaryAnn Kohl.......2001-11-15

*** Important note: The projects and recipes in"Snacktivities" are selections from the previously published Gryphon House book, "Cooking Art" by MaryAnn Kohl and Jean Potter.

Look in your fridge. See all that boring ol' food? Turn it into art with these playful art experiences...and eat the results! These are easy cooking and food prep projects for kids of all ages. I personally love the Bunny Pear Salad and the Polka-Dot Party Melons. How about you? ~~~ MaryAnn Kohl

Customer Reviews:

There are two volumes in the Crystal Clear set..........2003-08-04

ISBN: 188660603X is Volume 2 (252 pages) which describes and pictures additional radio sets not in volume 1.

1886606013 is Volume 1 (282 pages).

The important part is the hundreds of pictures of the actual radio sets and/or magazine adds and, when possible, also shows a couple of sentences or so of information about each particular set. The idea is to help identify the huge variety of the many makes and models of crystal sets from around 1920 to 1950, but is also a nice travel down memory lane.

A few of the more modern crystal sets are also covered.

Also a special section with a history of the big four companies:Wireless Specialty Apparatus Company, Radio Corporation of America (in Vol.1). And Philmore Manufacturing Company (in Vol.1 and Vol.2) and Western Manufacturing Company (in Vol.2).

Both fully indexed.

Also both have long tables summarizing the various makes and models of radios.

And both have long summary tables for the spare crystals sold for use as replacements in the sets (when crystals get old they oxidize and lose power).

Very nice presentation of all this material, highly recommended!

Fan-tastic, Informative, Comprehensive.......2000-10-28

My father used to tell us children about the "old" radio days and how the family would gather around and listen to the radio shows. He would speak of his love for those old radios. I , like everyone else I suppose, have seen old radios in antique stores. However, I don't recall having ever seen a Crystal Radio. I happened to be at an antique show and saw a copy of the book. I decided to buy it for my father. When I got home I started going through the pages and was amazed by the information in the book and the amount of crystal sets there had been. The author has done so much research and I feel the wiser for it. I am glad that I happened upon this book. I have learned from it and know that my father will enjoy it whenever I finally decide to give it to him. He is bound to have many more stories to tell me about "the old radio days" but somehow I think I am going to enjoy listening to them even more.

Crystal Clear: Vintage American Crystal Sets, Crystal Detectors & Crystals

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Crystal Clear: Vintage American Crystal Sets, Crystal Detectors & Crystals
Maurice L. Sievers
Manufacturer: Madison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Radios & Televisions | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0911572961

Average customer rating:

good, informative

The Bobbin Lace Stitches

An amazing book

The Book of Bobbin Lace Stitches
Bridget M. Cook , and Geraldine Stott
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Lace & Tatting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Needlework | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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The Bobbin Lace Manual

Lessons in Bobbin Lacemaking (Dover Needlework Series)

Bobbin Lace: An Illustrated Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques (Dover Books on Needlepoint, Embroidery)

The Torchon Lace Workbook: A concise lacemaking course--the basic skills fully explained, with prickings and diagrams for 27 finished lace products. (Color Craft Workbooks)

An Introduction to Bobbin Lace Making

ASIN: 0486422283

Book Description

Comprehensive, profusely illustrated reference--the first of its kind--describes over 260 different stitches and variations--from the simplest to the most complex. Includes nets, grounds, and fillings as well as such decorative features as braids, spiders, fish, buds, leaves, shells, and peas. Photos, prickings, diagrams, and instructions for each stitch appear on a single page, making this book immensely practical for veteran and beginning lacemakers.

Customer Reviews:

good, informative.......2006-08-24

Every combination of bobbin lace stitches are featured and explained in this book. I found it a wonderful reference for designing your own or to learn a new technique .

The Bobbin Lace Stitches.......2000-06-07

I'd like to get this book but I want to know .How much is this book Please tell me to my e-mail.

An amazing book.......1999-11-11

This book is compenium of stitches used in bobbin lace. Beautifully photographed and diagramed, it is meant for the lace designer. There are no patterns. The only thing I would do to improve this book is to give some indication what style of lace the stitches shown would be used in. That aside, I love this book. Even if you never design a piece in your life, it is beautiful and informative to browse through.

Book of Bobbin Lace Stitches. New Revised Edition.

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Book of Bobbin Lace Stitches. New Revised Edition.

Manufacturer: 2002
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ICFHNU

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Book of Bobbin Lace Stitches. New Revised Edition.
Bridget M. Cook
Manufacturer: 2002
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TABXWA

The Priscilla bobbin lace book;: Designs for torchon, Cluny, Russian and Bruges laces, with stitches and lessons for working,

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The Priscilla bobbin lace book;: Designs for torchon, Cluny, Russian and Bruges laces, with stitches and lessons for working,
Ellen Lawrence
Manufacturer: The Priscilla Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00087M5I0

Supplement to the art of bobbin lace: A practical text book of workmanship in antique and modern bobbin laces, including Venetian, Milanese, Genoese, Guipure, ... rare stitches and fillings for various laces

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Supplement to the art of bobbin lace: A practical text book of workmanship in antique and modern bobbin laces, including Venetian, Milanese, Genoese, Guipure, ... rare stitches and fillings for various laces
Louisa Augusta Tebbs
Manufacturer: Chapman & Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00089418K

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Wonderful Book!

A great book on introducing new pets to your household

A must have for the multi-pet household!

This book provided a lot of useful and caring information.

Creating a Peaceable Kingdom: How to Live With More Than One Pet
Cynthia D. Miller
Manufacturer: Animalia Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals

ASIN: 0964941368

Book Description

Creating a Peaceable Kingdom: How to Live with More Than One Pet, the first-of-its-kind book written for multiple pet households, offers practical tips and techniques to make pet care easier, quicker, and more rewarding. Focusing on dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits, this book guides readers through the challenges and solutions of successfully living with more than one pet. Covering subjects from A (acquiring a new pet) to Z (how pets add zest to one's life), the author assists readers in enjoying the companionship of their pets.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book!.......1999-01-14

The most useful book around for help in introducing multispecies in the household and enjoying a peaceful animal family. Wonderful advice on scheduling, bonding, cleaning, communication, etc. The rabbit information is up-to-date and accurate. Cynthia Miller knows her stuff!

A great book on introducing new pets to your household.......1998-11-11

This is a great guide on how to introduce any kind of pet into an existing pet household. It gives tips on how to introduce cat to cat, dog to bird, bird to rabbit - you get the idea. I feel this book will help reduce the number of pets relinquished to animal shelters because it will help insure that new pets will be successfully introduced and remain in their new home. The book is very attractive and produced with quality materials. I, who purchase very few books, bought this as a reference book and recommend it highly. Judy Coene of Bugsy's Animal Network

A must have for the multi-pet household!.......1998-05-31

This book is essential for any multi-pet household. It contains strategies for introducing pets to one another as well as valueable tips for everyday care.

This book provided a lot of useful and caring information........1998-03-02

I really enjoyed Cynthia Miller's book. Living with a houseful of pets myself, I found the book not only helped me with the four listed species (cats, dogs, birds and rabbits), but it helped me with my other pets. This bok was written in a format that is helpful for both the novice and the experienced pet owner. Hats off to Cynthia Miller!

More Lives Than One? The Evidence Of The Remarkable Bloxham Tapes

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More Lives Than One? The Evidence Of The Remarkable Bloxham Tapes
Jeffrey Iverson
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0446893722

Product Description

A Welsh housewife, under hypnosis, tells of her lives in Roman times, during the massacre of the Jews in 12th century York, as a serving girl to a merchant prince in medieval France, as maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, in the London of Queen Anne, as a nun in the American midwest.

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More Lives Than One.
Joseph Wood, Krutch
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0688021077

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More Lives Than One
Charles Bracelen Flood
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B0006BQ9V2

Lives of our presidents: Complete biographies of all the Presidents of the United States, from the formation of the government to the present time, incidentally ... this country for more than one hundred years

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Lives of our presidents: Complete biographies of all the Presidents of the United States, from the formation of the government to the present time, incidentally ... this country for more than one hundred years
William Andrew Peters
Manufacturer: F.M. Lupton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008808VA

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More Lives Than One
Jenny Williams
Manufacturer: Libris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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This is a love story...with a sting in the tail
MORE TALENTS THAN ONE

More Lives Than One
Libby Purves
Manufacturer: F A Thorpe (Publishers)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0708991238

Customer Reviews:

This is a love story...with a sting in the tail.......2006-06-12

It's about a life together that could have been perfect, but for a secret.

The book's `blurb' warns of disaster, but there's no hint while you're reading it when or who it will strike. The story accelerates and events suddenly spin out of control. There are lots of interesting twists in the storytelling but the final twist (and sting) comes out of the blue - my only criticism is that it is a bit far fetched, and though you feel sorry for the characters, you're not entirely sure you should.

Although the book is unevenly paced it didn't at any point lose my interest.

MORE TALENTS THAN ONE.......2006-03-21

To get the maximum enjoyment out of this book I suspect one has to be familiar with the author as a radio journalist. She has a style all of her own as the leader of an intellectual discussion programme at 9a.m. on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesdays - bright, alert, witty and always friendly - and on top of the style she has a particularly attractive voice. Being used to her helps in two ways when reading the book - it sharpens one's appreciation of some of the best and most characteristic sequences, and it helps us get through the second-best bits.

I would say this novel is a bit of a curate's egg. The start really did strike me as rather dull and conventional, written in a familiar airport-bookstall idiom, albeit an upmarket version of that. Before making her career in broadcasting Libby Purves had been a particularly brilliant graduate of the school of English at Oxford. So far as I could tell, this particular school required a reading-capacity analogous in its power of extraction and absorption to that of the Japanese deep-sea fishing fleet. How anyone who had undergone this process retained the smallest capacity to appreciate literature I never understood, and I find myself still intrigued and uncertain about that when I read this creative effort by one of the most triumphant survivors of the ordeal. She does a good deal of quoting, but I'm not certain what the quotations really mean to her other than a kind of display of jewellery. For one thing, the very title of the book puzzles me. The actual words are taken from Wilde's Ballad of Reading Gaol, but read from that point of view I'm not sure of their relevance. Where they do seem to fit the narrative particularly well is in the way Purves keeps switching the focus of the thoughts and action from one character to another, a feature that I would call particularly skilful and successful, except that I'm not too sure to what extent the author consciously intended it or meant it to reflect the book's title.

Another matter is the plot line or lines. Up to the point of the return of the school party from Venice, everything seems fine to me. The characterisation has been good, the situations convincing, the insights varied and the quality of the writing much better than at the start, with some very witty touches that are all the more effective if one's mind's ear hears the author's own voice in them. The press notices that I've seen also pay particular tribute to the evocativeness of the writing about Venice itself, and I'm only too happy to endorse this estimate. What convinces me rather less is the final denouement. This has been `prepared for' in a rather perfunctory way earlier in the story, but it still has rather the feel of a tail pinned on to the donkey as in the children's game. I don't complain that the author doesn't take sides in the `nature vs nurture' argument, I do complain that she raises a new and slightly contrived issue like this towards the end of the story, fails to integrate it properly with anything that went before and takes no particular stance of her own concerning it. It all left me feeling that the story didn't really conclude in any convincing or satisfactory way but rather petered out.

If I ever read the book again, which I suppose is doubtful, I may revise this opinion. In the meantime, most of the book seemed to me very worthwhile and involving. The school staffroom politics in particular were acutely touched on, and above all the issues of the vulnerability of schoolteachers to irresponsible accusations that receive even more irresponsible support, and of the way that rumour can spread and be spread so that it becomes the shapeless and hideous monster that Virgil called it, reveal a major talent. I'd call this a pretty good novel all things considered, and my guess is that it will please most of its readers.

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More Lives Than One
Carolyn Wells
Manufacturer: not applicable
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PZ7RM4

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More Lives Than One
Hobert Douglas Skidmore
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LU9JT2

Average customer rating:

More Lives Than One

Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000DEMYWA

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