The Lakestown Rebellion (Black Arts Movement Series)

Book Description

Originally founded by runaway slaves, Lakestown, New Jersey, is a black community populated by people from a variety of classes and creeds. When plans for a new highway are routed past a nearby wealthy white suburb but threaten the heart of Lakestown, its citizens are inspired by their Under-ground Railroad heritage and devise a series of hilarious plans to thwart the construction and to preserve their town and way of life. Unavailable for 30 years, this reprint is more relevant now than ever.

Kristin Lattany has written nine novels, including the highly acclaimed children's book The Soul Brothers and Sister Lou. A teacher of English at the University of Pennsylvania for 23 years, she lives in New Jersey.

Average customer rating:

The Lakestown Rebellion
Kristin HUNTER
Manufacturer: Scribner's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ILGXJ8

Amazon.com

A classic novel of love after death, from one our greatest fantasy writers. The premise is deceptively simple: Chris Neilson has died in a car accident, but his life-force--his spirit--is still conscious of this plane of reality. And he is still too in love with his wife, Ann, to completely let go. She in turn does not want to go on living without him, as each regards the other as their soul mate. What Chris will do to get back with Ann after she dies makes for one of the most unusual love stories ever told. Even though the story can be enjoyed as pure fantasy, what makes What Dreams May Come unique is how the author spent years researching the subject of life after death. (An exhaustive bibliography is included to verify this.) And while Matheson admits that the characters are of course fictional, he also states that "With few exceptions, every other detail is derived exclusively from research." Whether, after reading this novel, one believes in life after death is of course a matter of opinion. At least you'll entertain the possibility that, even though we may not live forever, true love can be eternal. --Stanley Wiater

Book Description

The New York Times bestselling novel that inspired the Oscar-winning movie! What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death. But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and when tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair. Richard Matheson's powerful tale of life-and love-after death was the basis for the lavish 1998 film starring Robin Williams.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting premise, LONG, drawn-out Story.......2007-10-03

After reading I am Legend and really liking the author's style, I picked up this book. Some thought I am Legend was too short. I thought it was perfect for if it were any longer it might take on the form of this superfluous story.

What Dreams May Come should have been edited down because the story was decent.

Decent read, however pompous........2007-09-16

I really wanted to like this book. To be honest, I enjoyed the descriptive text and the (limited) story. However, the author's pompous entry saying that this is all 'fact' and only the characters are fictional turned me wayyy off. As another reviewer said 'just because you have a bibliography does not make it fact'. I am a Richard Matheson fan - loved I am Legend and enjoyed Hell House. His depictions of hell/heaven in this novel are very realistic, and moving. Unfortnately, his character development lacks. I didnt really care a whole lot what happened with Ann or chris, nor could I stand the 2 pages of tear-jerky 'thank you'.

Nearly one third of the book is new age rhetoric with little to do with a real story. The actual plot (beyond the preaching) was extraordinarily thin. The idea was excellent, however its delivery was ham-fisted.

I would have given it a poorer rating, however, I did finish it - and did not throw it across the room. I had to skim over much of the ending, much to my chagrin.

This Book Changed my Life.......2007-08-07

After reading this book, I started buying some of the books that were referenced in the back few pages. I found those to be very interesting and have since changed the way I feel about life, death, and life after death. This book changed my life for the better, it is a MUST read!

Good work, but a big bibliography does not make it real.......2007-07-21

I share the regard that most readers have for Richard Matheson as a first rate writer from his books and stories(for me also his contribution to the Twilight Zone).

My main exception to this one is his preface that states that it is not really a work of fiction (apart from using fictitious characters for demonstration purposes) but an exposition of facts in literary form. To support this he supplies a large bibliography in the back. But this bibliography is a collection of works of a most unscientific nature written by supposed mediums, alleged experts in the supernatural and paranormal, and a few celebrated savants (or should I say frauds) like Edgar Cayce. In my line of work, there is a expression "Garbage In, Garbage Out". As fantasy or science fiction this is not an issue. The assertion that this book is a tale built on facts is simply unsupportable. The author apparently sincerely believes in his sources (this is noted in an anthology of Matheson in a forward written by someone who met Matheson who discussed similar material with him as a revelation of precious but generally unrecognized truths). But on the whole these works have no more truth in them than writings taken on faith in established religions. If it is a faith being presented then say so, so that I will know that further argument is only for the sport. Otherwise, please do not represent mere unorthodoxy as fact, like a sort of C.S. Lewis for new age spirituality.

I will also take exception to simple minded karmic logic like "since you committed suicide with sleeping pills you must suffer from a sleep disorder in your new life". What makes us think that our consciousness is such a great and eternal element of enormous significance in the cosmos anyway? What makes us think our ideas of good and evil are embedded in the fabric of creation and enforced by a great clearing house of souls off somewhere that cannot be detected or observed? This is just a conventional and even childlike view of heaven, hell and judgment leavened with reincarnation.

As a work of fiction it is a bit dry, as it really is an exposition of its bibliography inside a nominal tale as stated by the author I have no doubt that it can have a deep impact on receptive persons suffering grief from the loss of loved one. Under the detail (which I found interesting and I appreciate his work in summarizing that large bibliography for me) I think I detect a deeply felt tribute to a beloved (and living) wife.

So much better than the film it's scary.......2007-05-07

This novel is the most vivid, complex, and surprisingly convincing depiction of afterlife I have ever encountered in a work of fiction. Nothing else I have seen on the subject, in literature or in film, comes close--certainly not the 1998 film. Before I read the novel, I had no idea that a story about Heaven and Hell could have such a profound effect on me.

In the metaphysics of the film and the book, dying involves shedding your physical body and entering a mental environment shaped by thoughts. Your fate in such an environment is largely self-imposed. That much of the movie intrigued me, the first time I saw it. The problem was the schmaltz. I mean real schmaltz, piled on in large mounds, in place of strong narrative.

It's hard for me to convey just how very different the novel is. Of course there are major differences in the plot. One such difference is the ending. (Even Roger Ebert, who heaped high praise on the film, was disappointed by the ending.) Another is the beginning, where the film adds Chris's children to the list of characters who die and go to Heaven. In doing this, the movie (1) makes the early scenes so depressing they become surreal (2) needlessly clutters the story with extra characters (3) introduces a silly and confusing subplot about Chris's attempts to find his children, who are in disguise.

In the book, Chris's children are adults, not youngsters, and they're minor characters who never die in the course of the story. The details of Chris's life on Earth differ so greatly between the book and the film that it's like reading about a completely different person. Even though I saw the movie first, the image of Robin Williams completely vanished from my mind as I read, because he was so unlike the character described in the book.

The entire feel of the book is different, telling a touching love story that uses real characterization, not cheap manipulation, to move the audience. And Matheson's vision of the afterlife truly comes alive on the page. The Hell scenes are actually terrifying, reminding us, as the movie does not, why Matheson is primarily famous as a horror writer.

I won't overlook the movie's gorgeous visual effects, which earned the film a well-deserved Academy Award. They just aren't put to good purpose. The movie's vision of the afterlife as like being inside giant paintings fails to evoke a sense of reality. The book, in contrast, bases its afterlife imagery (vividly brought to life by Matheson's skillful prose) much more on Earth-like scenery. This approach ironically leads to far more exotic ideas, such as architects who build things using their minds, and a library containing history books more objective than those on Earth.

One of Matheson's unique qualities as a fantasy writer has always been his almost scientific approach to the supernatural. Here, Matheson makes Heaven and Hell seem like a scientific, natural process, and one of the joys of the book is discerning all the intricate "rules" of how everything works. (That's another area where the movie falls short.) What needs to be kept in mind, however, is that Matheson doesn't do this just for entertainment purposes. In the novel's introduction, he tells his readers that the characters are the only fictional component of the novel, and that almost everything else is based on research. The book even includes a lengthy bibliography. Thus, the afterlife that Matheson describes isn't some fantasy world he concocted from his own head, but something he believes to be an accurate description of reality.

Some people may wonder, at this point, about Matheson's religious background. He was raised a Christian Scientist, but gradually developed what he calls his own religion, taking elements from many sources. One of the book's main influences, I believe, is eighteenth-century Christian mystic Emanuel Swedenborg.

From what I've seen, people react negatively to this book based on how far it departs from their personal beliefs. Christians complain about the absence of Jesus, while those who don't believe in any afterlife consider the story too nonsensical to accept. Most readers, it seems, are put off by the New Age terminology and concepts scattered throughout the book.

These reactions are puzzling, if you stop to think about it. Books about elves, fairies, dragons, and wizards remain popular even though nobody believes in any of those things. Why should people be bothered by a fiction book portraying a Heaven and Hell that conflicts with what they believe? The book is perfectly enjoyable whether or not you accept Matheson's metaphysics.

Of course, I personally do think Matheson provides insight into the subject--though I admit I'm a little wary of his acceptance of paranormal phenomena. But it amazes me how so many people refuse to even touch the book, thinking that any story with such a plot must automatically be hokey. In most cases, they'd be right. "What Dreams May Come" is a big exception. It suggests the endless possibilities in a subject that normally is dead weight for fiction. And it really makes you think.

Somewhere in Time/What Dreams May Come: Two Novels of Love and Fantasy

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!
This book will open your eyes and heart to deeper truth.
Life-altering!
A book that challenged my thoughts of mind and soul.
Perhaps THE most read book in MY library.

Somewhere in Time/What Dreams May Come: Two Novels of Love and Fantasy
Richard Matheson
Manufacturer: Dream Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2007-02-05

Somewhere in Time is a timeless love story by unconventional means. It really takes you back to another time. I can't say enough about What Dreams May Come. This book changed the way I look at Life and Death. A truly moving experience. I have read them both twice. They will remain favorites of mine.

This book will open your eyes and heart to deeper truth........1998-12-12

This book has no equal. "What Dreams May Come" will consume you, and take you to a place that you have ONLY "dreamed" of. It touches so many issues that many find so dear to their souls (love, compassion, God, and the power of the spirit). If you read one book this year, make this the one. You will never think the same way about death. A person who is beyond hope because of some dreaded disease or in major depression should "read" and "re-read" this book. You will never look at life or death the same way again. Just like Jewel's song says "Only kindness matters". The movie is also good, but the book has more detailing. Take a look into your soul and find a new piece of mind and a new perspective of yourself! Make every day count towards a new goal and make your life what 'you' want it to be.

Life-altering!.......1998-09-24

I read this book for the first time 21 years ago. I was 14 and I was enthralled. It changed my teenage fear of death into hope and beauty. I, too, read it in a rainy afternoon at the library and when I went to buy it, I could not. A movie? Awesome! A re-release of the book?! Incredible! I recommend to ANYONE who has even the slightest interest in life after death to READ THIS BOOK!

A book that challenged my thoughts of mind and soul........1998-09-19

20 years ago when this book was first out in print a friend recommended it. It changed my way of thought forever. It intreged me to search and study this and similar avenues of soul searching. The author changed my life and for this I will always be so very greatful

Perhaps THE most read book in MY library........1998-09-08

I have gone so far as to highlight passages and paragraphs that are of significance to me in my life. I have an almost biblical reverence for this book and find it hard to believe that it is NOT true, the introduction by Richard Matheson, captured my imagination, the book captured my soul. I have recomended and urged all my friends who have lost a loved one to read this book and many have expressed to me a deep appreciation, which I can take no credit for. For me, this book has answered so many questions and eased so many of my worries. If the movie can convey half as much as the book did, I predict a bigger box office success than Ghost. (Which by the was I was convinced Richard Matheson wrote!)

Average customer rating:

What Dreams May Come: A Novel
Robert Thayer
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1424100410
Release Date: 2006-06-19

Book Description

What Dreams May Come is the tongue-in-cheek novel of a man wishing to change his wayward life. It is intended to spoof yesterday's chauvinism, and today's materialism. The story provides light-hearted entertainment through the character's real or imagined out-of-body experiences. The possibilities end with a humorous twist that allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusion about life and perhaps even life hereafter.

Robots and Aliens 5: Maverick (Isaac Asimov's Robot City)
Average customer rating:
Robots and Aliens 5: Maverick (Isaac Asimov's Robot City)
Bruce Bethke
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Humanity (Isaac Asimov's Robot City : Robots and Aliens)

Alliance (Isaac Asimov's Robot City : Robots and Aliens, No. 4)

Renegade (Isaac Asimov's Robot City : Robots and Aliens, No 2)

Isaac Asimov's Robots and Aliens 2: Intruder (Book 3), Alliance (Book 4)

Perihelion (Isaac Asimov's Robot City, No 6)

ASIN: 0441731317

Allergy-Free Cooking for Kids: A Guide to Childhood Food Intolerance with 80 Recipes
Average customer rating:
Allergy-Free Cooking for Kids: A Guide to Childhood Food Intolerance with 80 Recipes
Antionette Savill
Manufacturer: Thorsons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Food Allergies | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Allergies | Children's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Health & Nutrition | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes That Are Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Low in Sugar

Cooking Free : 200Flavorful Recipes for People with Food Allergies and Multiple Food Sensitivi

The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook: Two Hundred Gourmet & Homestyle Recipes for the Food Allergic Family

Special Foods for Special Kids: Practical Solutions & Great Recipes for Children With Food Allergies

Feeding Your Allergic Child: Happy Food for Healthy Kids

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0007142161

Book Description

This book includes 80 recipes free of gluten, nut, wheat, and dairy ingredients, recipes ideal for kids of all ages.

Allergy-Free Cooking for Kids : A Guide to Childhood Food Intolerance with 80 Recipes

Average customer rating:

Allergy-Free Cooking for Kids : A Guide to Childhood Food Intolerance with 80 Recipes
Antionette Savill
Manufacturer: Thorsons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Food Allergies | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000O8RRWM

Maidens, Myths and Mermaids: A Handbook of Patterns by Jody and Delina Sheppard
Average customer rating:
Maidens, Myths and Mermaids: A Handbook of Patterns by Jody and Delina Sheppard

Manufacturer: Wardell Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Glass & Glassware | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Painting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Faerie Frolics: Patterns for Craftspeople and Artisans

Faerie Lights

Butterfly

Fantasy Designs Stained Glass Pattern Book (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Great Book of Dragon Patterns: The Ultimate Design Sourcebook for Artists and Craftspeople

ASIN: 0919985408

Customer Reviews:

Good introduction to decorating with fabrics.......2000-04-13

This book is good for people who are new to decorating and like fabric craft ideas for the home. It actually contains more information than I expected from the description (it is only 72 pages). The pictures are generally good and helpful. One thing I must say though is that on the pictures illustrating machine sewing the fabric and thread are ofthen similar color and it is very hard if not impossible to figure out where the seams are. Other than that, I think it has enough information to get you started. The price is right too.

Amazon.com

Just what the title says -- "essential tips." This is small book that you shouldn't be without if you are preparing to paint, hang wallpaper or tile. Having it has saved me from making some embarrassing mistakes such as not priming the surface properly before painting or mis-measuring wallpaper or tiles. At the same time, it will show you how to fix those mistakes easily. The section on using safety equipment is the real lifesaver.

Book Description

Know-how in a nutshell.

The step-by-step series that offers expert advice at an affordable price. Home Decorating breaks down core information on home decorating into 101 easy-to-grasp tips. Fully illustrated in color throughout, and gives quick answers to all questions.

Customer Reviews:

Good one.......2000-03-27

This is a very good book having tips to decorate your home.

Average customer rating:

101 ESSENTIALS TIPS HOME DECORATING
Unknown
Manufacturer: DK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RZDUKK

101 Quick Tips to Make Your Home Smell Sensesational

Average customer rating:

a lovely gift, but for references, I give it a 1/2 star

101 Quick Tips to Make Your Home Smell Sensesational
Terry Willits
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

101 Quick Tips to Make Your Home Sound Sensesational
101 Quick Tips to Make Your Home Taste Sensesational
101 Quick Tips to Make Your Home Look Sensesational
Simply SenseSational® Decorating

ASIN: 0310202256

Customer Reviews:

a lovely gift, but for references, I give it a 1/2 star.......1998-10-04

Was able to read the book in 15 minutes. I was hoping to get new ideas from it, but nothing in the book was of value to me. I make gifts with fragrance and the 101 tips were useless to me and being an aromatherapist, my knowledge far exceeded the authors.This book would make a nice gift for someone interested in learning about scents, a beginner, but for the professinal, this small book was not worth the money, and I definitely would not have ordered it had a review been present.

Average customer rating:

Home Decorating (101 Essential Tips)
Nicholas Barnard
Manufacturer: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

101 Essential Tips: Home Decorating (101 Essential Tips)

Average customer rating:

101 Essential Tips: Home Decorating (101 Essential Tips)

Manufacturer: Southern Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Album Description

Down At Julie London's House is the Diddley Daddies' second album and contains 13 tracks, 11 of them originals. It follows the critically praised Calendar Of Love and finds them poised to convert new fans all around Australia. Sound Vault. 2005.

Krishnamurti: The Taormina Seclusion 1912
Average customer rating:
Krishnamurti: The Taormina Seclusion 1912
Joseph E. Ross
Manufacturer: Edwin House Publishing Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0964924781

Book Description

THE TAORMINA SECLUSION 1912 by Ross is a rare book of eye-witness accounts of Krishnamurti's three months training in the esoteric arts by mentors Leadbeater, Besant, and Arundale on the island of Sicily in 1912. With a Foreword by International Theosophical Society President Radha Burnier this book is an important historical document as all the contents are original accounts, letters, reports by those present at the time. An important book for students of Krishnamurti's teachings and seekers of the truth.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books