The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte: The Secrets of a Mysterious Family : A Novel

Book Description

Using fiction to explore further his investigation into the Brontes' lives, noted true crime author James Tully creates a murder mystery darker than anything produced by their imaginations and reveals a hidden side to their literary myth. Told through the Parsonage maid, Martha Brown, The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte penetrates the claustrophobic world where the Bronte sisters wrote their stories of tumultuous passions and twisted love. Were their tragically early deaths merely the result of illness, or are there telltale clues of poisoning in their correspondence and the doctors' reports? What was Branwell's true role in the writing of Wuthering Heights? Why are Charlotte's letters about her sisters' deaths so strangely inconsistent with all the other facts we have?

Customer Reviews:

I liked it.......2006-05-02

I thought this book was great. Yes, it is a novel but a lot of the book is true. I looked it up on line. It is told by the lover of Charlotte's husband. According to the book he killed the brother then the two sisters then Charlotte. Took all of the money & his lover & fled to Ireland. He poisoned all of them.

Nicholls maybe, Charlotte no..........2006-03-24

While I have no problem in accepting the possibility that the provably controlling Arthur Bell Nicholls was capable of murder, the idea that Charlotte would have in any way condoned it is simply ridiculous.

That is where this book and the late James Tully's driving theory falls down.

We know without a doubt that Nicholls decimated Charlotte's privacy to the extent that he monitored her letters to her dearest friend Ellen Nussey, and that he destroyed all of the literally hundreds of letters from Ellen to Charlotte, along with other writings, including journals etc. after her death. He even told Charlotte that Ellen must destroy all of the letters that Charlotte had sent to her. Thankfully, Ellen never did.

Whether he was jealous of the long-term romantic friendship that Charlotte and Ellen had always enjoyed, or whether darker motives stirred him, the man behaved abominably.

As with so many Bronte-related novels, Tully employs the tiresome mechanism of diary/journal entries, as did Emma Tennant in Heathcliff's Tale and Jill Jones did in Emily's Secret. While I am not hostile to either of those books, I much prefer Maureen Peters' technique of using real-time (as it was in Charlotte's actual life) dialogue as in her Charlotte Bronte novel Child of Fire, in which she also rightly paints Nicholls as a callous and evil opportunist, if not a murderer.

Tully may have it half right, in identifying Nicholls as a monster, but his suggestions that Charlotte was in any way responsible for the other deaths in her family, which has created so much understandable flak, simply don't make sense.

As Elaine Miller proved in her stunning, well-supported essay, Through All Changes and Through All Chances, (which includes many conclusive letter segments) the love of Charlotte's life was Ellen Nussey, not her manipulative husband of nine months, who got her to change her will in favor of him while she was essentially on her death bed.

In Ellen's own words... "She told me things she never told anyone else. I have hundreds of her letters and I had her heart."

An intriguing read, if you like mysteries.......2006-03-12

I picked this book up as a bargain, and thought, "heck, this could be interesting." I have read and studied most of the sisters' works, as well as a couple of biographies (including the Frasier tome). I enjoy a good mystery, too, and that is ultimately how I regard this book: A fairly decent mystery, but in some ways unsatisfactory. The storyline rushes through a lot of perhaps trivial information that may have been better to gloss over or condense somewhat. After all, as a work of fiction, does Tully need to specifically list all of Charlotte's travels? They do nothing to further the story along, and the reader is left feeling like they'd just read the "begats" out of the Bible.

The main character, Martha, is an unreliable narrator. Because she has a personal interest in the story, she cannot tell the story objectively; perhaps Tully meant this as a contrast to Emily Bronte's more authoritative narrator in Wuthering Heights. About halfway through the book, Martha realizes what is going on with the family deaths, but instead of being repelled by the murderer, she continues with her life as it is, and passively aids and abets him according to her own petty desires. Nicholls is not so compelling and Svengali-like as Tully would like to portray him, and as such, you simply cannot see what Martha finds all that fascinating about him, apart from a good roll in the hay. As a reader, I felt cheated. Up to that point, the story was actually quite interesting, but after Anne's death, the book drags with some rather dull, almost list-like repetition of travels and speculation. The end seems like a limp wringing of an old dishrag that's been over-used. Tully could have wrapped it up much more quickly and have spared the reader a rather dull hour.

One thing that bothered me as a reader was how nobody managed to get pregnant in this book. According to Tully, Nicholls an apparently rather lusty Lothario who was willing to perform in even the most inconvenient of locations. He was also either infertile, or they had better birth control in Haworth than we do with modern medicine today. How Martha managed to avoid pregnancy over a 20 year period is beyond me. Tully's provides no real answers for this in the story, and his modern lawyer narrator is surprisingly silent on the matter.

As someone who has studied literature and life of this period, the book falls far short. People did not behave then as they do now, and this particular book is very modern in feel. While Tully effectively conveys the bleak and lonely aspect of Haworth and how one can feel trapped there, he does not convey a feel for the times. And that, I think, is the most disappointing part of the book. There were times when I had a hard time differentiating between Martha and the lawyer's footnotes at the end of each chapter...the voices were too similar. The laywer's voice was decidedly modern, and when Tully switches back to Martha's voice, it is not all that different, or even all that feminine. Martha is actually quite unsympathetic, and even though Charlotte is portrayed as a harridan, it isn't strong enough to merit Martha's hatred and passive resistance.

Why did Tully present this book as fiction? I believe that he found enough interesting material to make a plausible story, but no smoking gun or incontrovertible fact to hold up in court. I think Tully feels that there are millions who would rise up in arms against him and beat him to death with his own books. As a reader of true crime, I found some of his theories interesting. Am I going to accept them and go on some crusade? No. But I might do a little reading on my own to refresh my memory regarding the lives of the Brontes and ponder whether Tully's ideas regarding them are arguable.

I might even share this book with a friend or two.

ONE STAR TOO MANY!.......2005-06-02

Apparently, Mr. Tully never bothered to read Ms. Charlotte Bronte's work (which ought to be required when one attempts what he has), and especially Jane Eyre. There, he would have found a great deal of information for what Charlotte Bronte would or wouldn't do for any man in the world! Some wise person has said that we see the world not as it is, but as we are. That's perhaps because when one is ugly and degraded on the inside, they must believe everyone else is too, to pacify their conscience. This books says a lot about James Tully, nothing about Charlotte Bronte.

Takes off from Daphne Du Maurier.......2004-09-22

From Daphne Du Maurier's memorable 1960 account of The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte, Tully, a boy when the book was published, got the idea that Branwell was a child molester who preyed on underaged boys.

He then has the further idea that Branwell, who was not actually such a good writer, was responsible for writing Wuthering Heights and yet his sisters got away by publishing it under the name of Emily (actually, under the name of Ellis Bell). However, Branwell was able to blackmail his way out of the morass until he was stopped from further blackmail by being poisoned by the sexually attractive, Byronic anti-hero, Arthur Bell Nicholls.

Well, some people may think so, but I don't.

It is curious that the world lost Branwell, Emily and Anne within a matter of months. A terrible fact of literary history. And yes, Tully does well when he points out how their symptoms were all terrifically suspicious. But I personally do not think eirher Charlotte nor Arthur had anything to do with their deaths. Charlotte loved Emily (and Anne too, if not so much) the same way Anne loved Branwell, and I think if anything, it might have been Martha Brown who committed the murders--

IF there were any murders; and

IF there was really a Martha Brown.

Also, I do think that the parents of one of the boys whom Branwell seduced might have tried to get revenge on him by murdering him. But then again, I doubt he was murdered. He just seems to have had a weak constitution and as we know, it was not healthful in the UK to live on the Moors in the 19th century, anything could carry you off!

The CRIMES Of CHARLOTTE BRONTE. The Secrets of a Mysterious Family: A Novel.

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The CRIMES Of CHARLOTTE BRONTE. The Secrets of a Mysterious Family: A Novel.
James. Tully
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MZCKOW

Book Description

J. K. Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury in the UK in 1965. Such a funny-sounding name for a birthplace may have contributed to her talent for collecting odd names. Jo always loved writing more than anything and in 1996, one year after she finished it, Bloomsbury bought her first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Customer Reviews:

fun if you're learning Welsh.......2005-05-27

Like the other reviewer, I'm learning Welsh and find it very helpful to read something and then be able to compare it directly to the English translation. I also appreciated just having a break from things written specifically for students, which I often find really tedious - Harri at least is fun.

The translator uses northern Welsh, which I really appreciated because that's what I'm learning - may not be so great for those learning southern, which I think is more common.

I wouldn't, however, recommend that Welsh-speaking kids read this instead of the English - so much of what makes these books good is the wordplay, which doesn't quite translate.

Harri yn Cymraeg!.......2005-02-17

Dydwi ddim yn credu mod i yr cyntaf yma!
The story is likely familiar to most readers, so I will not comment on that or Rowling's writing here.
But I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to read a book in Welsh! As a non-native Welsh speaker, this was a welcome chance to practice and expand my vocabulary (how many different words are there for look/glance/peer/etc?!) and my grammar.
I read this book with a pair of Welsh dictionaries and the English translation ready at hand. It was a *great* help to know what the line was supposed to say (either from my knowledge of the story or from the English.) I could have read it without the dictionary, I suppose, but I wanted to actually learn the new verbs, and annotate things in the text.
The idiosyncracies of literary Welsh took a bit of getting used to (since I learned conversational Welsh, as most learners do), but after a few days I figured it out. The translator seemed to not be using the South Wales spoken dialect for verbs, pronouns and so on, which was difficult at first also since that is what I learned.
Hagrid's dialect, and various other terms (the 4 houses--Hwfftipwff, Crafangfran, Lleuerol, Slafennog; and Quidditch terms) were great fun to read, but would be confusing to some readers (since they would not be in a dictionary, but can be puzzled out, thanks to the translator's careful work in keeping the sense and meaning of the original English). If you are just learning the language, this book is too complex--I would rate this for medium to advanced learners. (Os dychi'n Cymru Cymraeg, basai'r lyfr yma ddim yn anodd, ond hwyl iawn.)
Pryd dyn ni'n medru darllen y llyfr nesaf?

Customer Reviews:

Great read........2007-08-31

Classic, I love her. This book is full of high adventure, interesting characters, and far away places.

Juvenile Sci Fi at its Best.......2000-03-19

When I was 11, Andre Norton was my god. I think I read every Norton book in the Beaumont Public Library. I remember how shocked I was when I learned "Andre" was a SHE! Somehow the books were never the same...I had identified so strongly with all those youthful male heroes, to learn that they sprang from the female imagination was a little unnerving to my adolescently male mind.

The time travel books were awesome...Galactic Derelict, The Time Traders, Key Out of Time, all ranged wildly into strange alien technologies and vistas, and there was plenty of danger and suspense. I'm a little sad to learn that so much of Norton's ouvre is out of print.

If you catch this somewhere, pick it up.

Oh, and by the way, it wasn't an original 1979 edition as mentioned in another review here, the original was written in 1959.

Great Sci Fi Classic, should be a movie..............1998-05-07

I have read most sci fi books available, especially Andre Norton books they were always full of action and were hard to put down....Too bad this one is out of print so soon......I still have the original 1979 version and will read it again sometime.....

Average customer rating:

Galactic Derelict (Ross Murdock, 2)
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Atlantis Endgame: A New Time Traders Adventure (Time Traders)

ASIN: 0441272290

Product Description

"Time-travel for archaeologists was a well-guarded secret; but when the remains of an interstellar spaceship are uncovered along with the usual fossils, the time agents must call on a modern Apache Indian, Travis Fox, to guide them in the ways of his ancestors in their trip to the past. But the explorers become trapped in space as well as time, on a mad journey on an automatic starship; not even Travis Fox can tell whether any of them will ever see Earth again."

Galactic Derelict (Vintage Ace SF, F-310)

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Galactic Derelict (Vintage Ace SF, F-310)
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0441063101

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Galactic Derelict
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O5EFCA

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Galactic Derelict
ANDRE NORTON
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000WAMFM4

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Galactic Derelict
Norton, Andre
Manufacturer: World Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N451AC

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Galactic Derelict

Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HTR9AS

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Galactic Derelict
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S9NC80

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Galactic Derelict
ANDRE NORTON
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000WAYWR0

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Galactic Derelict
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: World Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPDHHU

Book Description

Paris, the food-lover's capital, is a city adept at satisfying the most discerning gourmand. Taking the reader on a gastronomic tour of the city, Parisian Food Shops offers a unique guide to the best addresses for savoring the flavors of Paris, where sampling reigns supreme. Beautiful shops and boutiques offer delectable pastry and tarts, chocolate and candy, wine, bread, and cheese, olive oil, tea, and soup: the finest products from France's many celebrated regions and across the globe.

The authors traversed the streets of the capital to bring together this mix of traditional and exoticflavors, organic and fusion trends that embody Parisian delicacies—both sweet and savory. Sarramon's photographs present a feast for both eyes and stomach: from the Cakes de Bertrand, served in a romantic old-world interior, to the Maison des 3 Thès, with its expensive teas and lavish décor. The shops, often created by a great chef or famous name in French gastronomy, may include a "take-out" counter of catered fare for a no-fuss feast at home.

From the most traditional establishments to the hottest new addresses, an indispensable address book completes the selection to provide the epicurean visitor with satisfaction in every quarter of the capital. Rich with ideas for eating well, Parisian Food Shops is the ultimate indulgence!

Customer Reviews:

A very moveable feast........2005-05-17

`Gourmet Shops of Paris', translated from the French written by Pierre Rival and Christian Sarramon is a high end oversize book which is almost as sweet and luscious as the comestibles on which it dotes. This is a foodie's travel guide to Paris, with photos which are just rich enough to make you want to get on to your favorite ticket vendor and book a flight to Paris. It especially makes you wish your passport were up to date, if it has been collecting dust for more than 10 years.

The $40 American list price may be just a little pricy, raising the risk of landing the book on the discount table at Borders and Barnes and Noble, but if you do find it well priced by Amazon and you like food, I strongly recommend you acquire a copy. This is especially true if you happen to do high end entertaining, but more on that later. As far as I can see, the translation is transparent, offering no impediment to appreciating the book.

The book is divided into four main categories.

The first is `Sweet Paris', which is further divided into sections on `Confectionery and Chocolates', `Cakes Large and Small', and `Tea and Coffee'. The first of these three parts claims that while Paris is coming to the game late, behind major players such as Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain, it is becoming one of the world leaders in creativity in chocolate, plus a dealer or two who goes so far as to actually manufacture their own chocolate in house from the beans rather than depending on chocolate processed by the big dealers such as Vahlrona or Callibut. I give strong credence to this Paris boosting, as it agrees with Mort Rosenblum's assessment of French chocolatiers in his recent book, `Chocolate'.

The second is `Savory Paris', divided into `Bread and Cheese' and `Fine Food Stores'. Bread and cheese are easily products for which France can claim world primacy. And, some of the very best bread bakers are certainly in Paris. The most famous is Poilane, who has been featured in more than one Food Network show. Their flagship product is a giant 4.2 pound boule with their initial emblazoned in the crust. If all this were not enough to run to the Internet for plane tickets, there is the section on fine food stores. I confess none of them looks quite as fully stocked as Zabar's in Manhattan or the Harrah's food court in the London department store, but the cachet is impeccable (If the lure of the pictures is stronger than your pocketbook, you can get a fix of continental food by visiting De Palo's in Manhattan's Little Italy).

The third section is `Paris in a Glass', covering some of the leading wine merchants in the city. While I suspect that New York City may have specialist wine merchants, I doubt that you will find as great a variety of specialties anywhere in the world to surpass the variety in Paris. What is even better, Paris offers vendors who offer tastings of great wines so you can get a sip of an expensive vintage without breaking your bank account.

The fourth section, `Small Snacks' starts off with the fact that the first major restaurant item in Paris starting around 1765 was the serving of soups. This trend became `bouillons' or shops specializing in soups. This trend seems to be the French speciality paralleling the tapas of Spain and the Mezes of Greece. This reinforces the notion that if you want to learn soup making, concentrate on learning French culinary methods. Unlike almost all the other establishments pictured in other sections, many of the soup and snack outlets in this section have a hypermodern design.

One is almost surprised that the book stops at this point. Where are the brassieres? Where are the bistros? Where are the Michelin rated restaurants? There is a sense in the title of the book that this is about `walk-in' establishments, but you almost wish they would have gone one step more, but then, that is probably more than enough material for another book.

Any disappointment felt at not seeing the inside of a name brasserie disappears when you get to the last section, `The Gourmet's Notebook'. Hock the ticket you just ordered and get onto the Internet, because this section gives the Internet addresses of all the shops covered in the book, with the means of ordering from these shops. Just imagine the impression you can make at a party when you serve bread, petit fours, olive oil, and preserves from shops in Paris! It makes you think that someone could really make a go of a store featuring these items locally at a reasonable discount.

I think this book is absolutely essential if you are a foodie who has any plans to visit Paris in the next five years. Even if you are a stay at home foodie, this gives you lots of ideas of what to look for if you happen to go to New York, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, or San Francisco.

Personally, I think Air France should give this book away, but look for it at a good price and you will be rewarded. It is an especially good source for anyone interested in getting into food retailing.

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questions which are rarely asked - and an attempt to answer

Convincing Research

Amazing, Enlightening, Thought-Provoking

One of the best books I've read lately

Telepathy as a Common Biological Function

Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home: And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals
Rupert Sheldrake
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Dogs | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ESP | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0609805339

Amazon.com

It's rare for a book's title to say so clearly what the book is about. In the case of Rupert Sheldrake's latest work, the controversial content is right on the front cover. Pet owners will see it and smile in recognition; skeptical scientists will shake their heads and mutter about "maverick scholars." We all know of cases of dogs (and cats) who know when their owners are coming home, who go to wait at the door or window 10 minutes or more before their human arrives. Conditioned by the tight rigor of contemporary scientific thinking, we either look for rational explanations or we file the phenomenon away in our minds as "unexplained" and are careful not to talk about it with our scientist friends.

Sheldrake has shown in the past that he is not afraid to be labeled a rebel, thanks to his theory of morphic resonance, which suggests the following:

Natural systems, or morphic units, at all levels of complexity are animated, organized, and coordinated by morphic fields, which contain an inherent memory. Natural systems inherit this collective memory from all previous things of their kind by a process called morphic resonance, with the result that patterns of development and behavior become increasingly habitual through repetition.

Sheldrake believes that the "telepathy" between pets and humans, or between flocks of birds or schools of fish that move as a single organism, can be explained this theory. Sheldrake is less persuaded by anecdotes that suggest animal clairvoyance--warning of something in the near future--but refuses to disallow the possibility.

He accepts that the case histories he details so thoroughly in this book are anecdotal, but that makes them no less real; and as a scientist himself he sets up experimental conditions for studying this previously ignored phenomenon that show beyond any doubt that the phenomenon exists. He castigates traditional scientists for their refusal to countenance anything that doesn't fit in with their existing paradigms (or prejudices) and challenges them to come up with some more "acceptable" explanation--but none is forthcoming.

This fascinating book is a first attempt at a scientific investigation into a puzzling but quite common occurrence. One hopes that other scientists will follow Sheldrake's brave lead. --David V. Barrett

Book Description

How do cats know when it's time to go to the vet, even before the cat carrier comes out? How do dogs know when their owners are returning home at unexpected times? How can horses find their way back to the stable over completely unfamiliar terrain?

With a scientist's mind and an animal lover's compassion, world-renowned biologist Rupert Sheldrake presents a groundbreaking exploration of animal behavior that will profoundly change the way we think about animals -- and ourselves. After five years of extensive research involving thousands of people who have pets and work with animals, Dr. Sheldrake proves conclusively what many pet owners already know: there is a strong connection between humans and animals that defies present-day scientific understanding. This remarkable book deserves a place next to the most beloved and valuable books on animals, including When Elephants Weep, Dogs Never Lie About Love, and The Hidden Life of Dogs.

Customer Reviews:

questions which are rarely asked - and an attempt to answer.......2007-07-06

In "Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home" Rupert Sheldrake continues his quest for acknowledgement of phenomena neglected, forgotten or brushed aside by modern science. This time he focuses on the unexplained powers of animals.
Starting with the observations of pets, through behavior of wild animals, to humans, Sheldrake examines the connections and bonds between living creatures, which lead them to feel each other's emotional and physical state.

Probably all pet owners and people fond of animals have observed that some animals demonstrate behaviors that cannot be explained by genes or instinct (or, that would be too much simplified by such explanation). Wondering, how the pets know, when their owners are coming home, when some accident or death occurred, how to find a way home from an unfamiliar place even far away, when the owner intends to give them food or go for a walk, or how to recognize an attack of an illness such as diabetic coma or epileptic seizure, or even the natural disasters, like storm or earthquake, probably happened to all pet owners some time or another - and most of the time these thoughts were probably bagatelized and quickly forgotten in the face of more important everyday events.

The book is very well ordered and organized, very much like a scientific publication. After a short, introductory chapter, summarizing the history of animal domestication, Rupert Sheldrake presents the data gathered during his systematic studies, mostly through surveys in different parts of United States and Europe. The data consists of examples of pets, which exhibited behaviors described above, collected and analyzed in impressive amounts (even with statistics). Not only does he report accounts from the owners of dogs and cats, but also gives examples of horses, rabbits, birds and fish, and negative examples of pet reptiles and insects. He proceeds from these examples to the flocking and migratory behaviors of the wild animals (the linking behavior is the return home) and compares the findings to the human abilities, which, in the contemporary, civilized world, seem ridiculously meager.

The main body of the book consists of these examples and this is its strength (as a scientific argument) and weakness (as a popular book, because the lengthy lists of examples can be boring). The conclusions, however, are not very strong. Sheldrake applies here his famous hypothesis of morphic fields, which, in analogy to magnetic and electrical fields, are created by forces - yet undescribed -which are, in turn, created by social influence between individuals. The existence of morphic fields is an interesting hypothesis, but only a hypothesis. Luckily, Sheldrake admits it himself and does not push his hypothesis as a theory or as a universal truth, like some gurus of fashionable, popular "science" books. I have to give him great credit for being a scientist even though what he does is beyond the scope of contemporary science. The same goes for his explanations of animal behaviors by their ability to precognize certain events or by telepathy. Telepathy, or mind-to-mind-communication, seems especially plausible as an explanation of pets knowing their owners intentions before the owner can communicate them in any other way (body language, any sensory signal). Although telepathy is obviously his favorite explanation of communication between pets and owners, between animals in the group, and, almost lost, between humans, Sheldrake does not give it as the only explanation. He always tries to show other ones and, giving arguments for and against each one (sometimes, admittedly, not very strong) dismisses them or not. His approach reminds me very strongly of the approach of psychologists, which very often are vague as well. That is perhaps why I liked the chapters on the migratory birds most, maybe, because, as a biologist, I see most of the ecological and "harder science" in it?

At the end of the book, the methods for investigation of pet behavior are presented, so that the interested readers can try their own experiments, which are very simple and do not require much skill - only perseverance.

I like Sheldrake for pursuing his goal of presenting to the non-scientific crowd of readers the alternative or once studies, but today neglected, scientific questions, without cheap trick or want for fame. He is doing his job and I admire his work, even though I have my doubts about it. I don't think this book was supposed to convince anybody of anything (as some previous reviews suggest), it rather intends to puzzle and ask questions, making the reader realize they cannot be unequivocally answered with the current state of knowledge. This book is not his best (some are really great), mainly because of endless lists of examples, but it is good and solid.

Convincing Research.......2007-03-02

Starts with many natural case histories for psychic pets, then describes his brilliantly simple experiment. I interviewed Dr. Sheldrake on my Skeptiko Podcast. He's extremely well-spoken and likeable.

Amazing, Enlightening, Thought-Provoking.......2006-03-14

Some dogs seem to know when their owners are coming home. No, not when they are walking up the front steps, but when they are still at the office DECIDING to come home. Some animals know when their owners are in distress or dying, far away. Some animals know when their owners are about to have a seizure, or attempt suicide.

Author Rupert Sheldrake has compiled a database of hundreds of fascinating anecdotal reports, supplemented by simple but clever research studies. He challenges us to consider these unusual but intriguing phenomena, that do not depend on physical distance or any known sensory pathways. He has a healthy respect for scientific method (and uses it when he can) but none at all for scientific dogmatism. To skeptics who discount these remarkable observations as mere "selective recall," he says, do the research and prove it.

This is a fascinating and well-written book. It was hard to put down, and in fact, I may read it again. To be sure, Sheldrake can't explain the phenomena he describes. He invokes the concept of morphic fields but can't really tell us what they are. Further research is needed, and, to his credit, Sheldrake is attempting to recruit people all over the world, to participate in just such research. Why, even you could participate. I recommend this book highly. Run out and buy it today. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

One of the best books I've read lately.......2005-12-09

This book was well-written, engaging, and thought provoking. The research was very well done, and I am usually quite skeptical. But this opened up a whole line of thought of how our minds may work, for me. I definately recommend it.

Telepathy as a Common Biological Function.......2005-08-12

One Amazon reviewer of DOGS THAT KNOW WHEN THEIR OWNERS ARE COMING HOME wrote "Budiansky's THE TRUTH ABOUT DOGS states that other researchers were unable to replicate Sheldrake's amazing results. I like pets just as much as anyone else, though I don't feel the need to glorify them with powers that their small brains are incapable of possessing."

First of all, Stephen Budiansky--whom I admire--thinks dogs are social parasites (though that's not why I admire him; I like his unique approach to the subject matter). And the truth is, at least one other researcher, who was furiously attempting to discredit Sheldrake's theory (hardly an objective approach), actually ended up replicating his results exactly.

And having a small brain has absolutely nothing to do with what Sheldrake posits to be a common biological function of all social animals. He theorizes that it's a fairly ordinary form of communication that pre-dates human language and which doesn't require any kind of highly developed cognitive architecture.

Granted, Sheldrake focused on the dogs who'd been reported to already show this behavior, but the thrust of the research detailed in this book was not to provide definitive proof that dogs are "telepathic", but to start people thinking in that direction. And some of the data is quite remarkable.

By the way, my dog could care less when I'm coming home. He's always asleep when I get there (though he's always happy to see me). But I've had other experiences that show Sheldrake is on the mark. For instance, I found that if I'm walking my dog and thinking about going into a store up the block and picturing the possible behavior in my mind, he'll give up his usual path and pull me toward that store, even if I've changed my mind in the meantime.

I've also found that when teaching the down/stay at a distance, followed by the recall, if I imagine the dog coming toward me before I give him the release and the recall signal, he'll almost inevitably break the stay and come running.

I'm not a complete moron, so when I first noticed this happening I figured that I must have been doing something with my body language to cause this behavior. So I very carefully monitored and controlled my posture, my facial expressions (even though I was fifty yards away), etc. Nope. It wasn't my body language.

Huh, I thought, could it be these mental pictures I'm creating in my mind? So I trained myself not to create those mental images and whenever I kept my mind blank the dogs inevitably stopped breaking the stay until the release signal was given.

These experiences are far from being scientific proof but they do make you think.

I also recommend THE PRESENCE OF THE PAST for Sheldrake's theories on morphic fields.

Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home And Other Unexplained Powers Of Animals

Average customer rating:

Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home And Other Unexplained Powers Of Animals
Rupert Sheldrake
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000V2NPDG

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Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home: And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals
Rupert Sheldrake
Manufacturer: Hutchinson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PDLPAG

Average customer rating:

Worst Barbie Book Ever

Nice pictures, but there are better ones

Must book for all coffee tables. Just like playing again.

Coffee With Barbie Doll (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Sandra Johnsie Bryan , and Sandra "Johnsie" Bryan
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Dolls | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Toys | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Manufacturing | Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0764304127

Book Description

Sandra "Johnsie" Bryan has amassed a collection of Barbie*r dolls and her friends that will amaze and delight the casual reader. She sets them up in authentic scenes representing all aspects of this glamorous doll's adventures, from her annual celebrations to her world travels and from her many dazzling careers to her fantasy homes. This book will take readers back to a time when being grown-up was a make-believe pastime and Barbie*r doll spurred young imaginations. Is it any wonder that she's still so popular? New Barbie*r dolls are a huge marketing success and vintage dolls have skyrocketed in value as sought-after collectibles. This book of photos is a wonderful visit with an old friend that will bring back great memories for everyone who ever owned a Barbie*r doll or knew someone who did. Barbie*r & *c 1998 Mattel, used under license, but not otherwise affiliated with Mattel.

Customer Reviews:

Worst Barbie Book Ever.......2003-11-29

This book is not worth the $4.00 it sales for.

Nice pictures, but there are better ones.......2002-11-15

The pictures are nice, and funny, mine came with a defect that made me loose on 20 of them, and I am sad. Gives you nice ideas to display your dolls, but I think the pictures could have been a little better, don't know exactly why or how. I would buy it again. There is this one cute picture with a fashion queen that has her legs up in the air that says something like " 42 more and I can then eat the brownie I baked this morning" that made me laugh! :-)

Must book for all coffee tables. Just like playing again........1998-09-30

Amazing scenes and fun read. This book brings back memories of being young but acting grown-up.

Book Description

Mark Foley, one of North America's premier salon consultants, has put his vast expertise between covers, detailing how you can apply time-tested practical and psychological strategies to attract and retain clients while prompting them to purchase more of your products and services. This book provides you with hard-hitting sales and marketing methods that are sure to yield more profitable results.Features: -Sales strategies and marketing techniques and how to apply them to your salon -Customer service: what it is and how to offer it to your clients -How to make the most of client purchases -The howÆs, whenÆs and whyÆs of customer service

Customer Reviews:

Powerful, Inspirational and Practical!.......1999-03-18

I'm the author ... The book is based on the principles I've shared with tens of thousands of salon and spa professionals on making more money and having more fun in cosmetology. You can only win by exposing yourself to these time-proven strategies that will make your career more exciting and your life more rich. Read and enjoy ... you deserve the success!

Mark D. Foley

Customer Reviews:

Great Christmas Book.......2007-01-19

This is a great christmas book and not only am I not from Chicago, I'm not even from the USA. Doesn't matter.

This book is filled with great pictures of christmas displays throughout Chicago and no matter where you live, if you like to look at christmas displays, you should like this book.

Each display gives you some information about that particular display, not just directions but sometimes history, personal feelings/descriptions, reasons why the person/people used what they used, etc........ A real nice christmas mood book.

It would have been nice to have larger pictures, though, so as to really capture the full beauty of the displays, but don't worry about that as it's only minor. The pictures are still big enough to enjoy and the writing/descriptions with each picture add a really nice 'christmas' touch to this most recommended book.

Oh, and on a plus side (despite the small, but not too small pictures), there are a ton of pictures so you will really get a visual, eye-candy, christmas treat with this book.

100% recommeded for those who like christmas displays/christmas images.

A Delightful Photographic Compendium of Christmas-Decorated Properties.......2007-01-03

This uplifting book provides numerous photographs of creatively-decorated properties. Of course, this was now 12 or more Christmases ago. The decorations are secular and religious, and traditional as well as non-traditional. For example, some have tropical motifs.

A very helpful feature of this book is the division of the Chicago area into areas, each of which has a map that locates every photographed property. The homes are indexed by name. One of the best-known decorated properties occurs in the Sauganash community on the north side of Chicago.

Great Book!.......2004-12-14

Some of my fondest memories are of driving around with my parents, and later with my children, to wonder at the displays of those few festive folks that help make Christmas more joyous for us all. My mother and father drove us to the two streets in our small town where people bothered to sparkle as a community in tribute to the birth of love. In Chicago, those communities are in abundance....but who would ever know...unless somebody told them. In her book Mary Edsey tells everybody . She shows them, too. She seems to know everything about Christmas lights in Chicago...the history, the story behind the families that make the displays, the whereabouts, the types of bulbs and figurines used. And she shows us everything in detailed photos. It's like looking at a family album. Plus...She has maps to every display! It's great table entertainment as well as a wonderful guide. I highly recommend this book to any lover of Christmas and the lights that come with it!

Makes points just for existing.......2000-12-20

Perhaps one of the fondest memories of any Chicago childhood is the Christmas lights. We love our decorations, and in some parts of the city, we go all out, turning our homes into little "winter wonderlands" for our own pleasure and that of our friends, neighbors, and often carloads of strangers who cruise the more decorated neighborhoods. That's why I snarfed up this book as soon as I knew it existed, and for the most part, I wasn't disappointed. Edsey covers a lot of the best areas for decorations, gives some historical background, and displays a real love for her subject, which strikes a responsive chord in me. However, I was disappointed in the photography which was a bit fuzzy and rather darker than I would have liked. Now, granted, all this has to be shot in the dark for maximum effect, but holiday magazines manage to make their photographs crisp and clear, with little loss of architectural detail. And I know it's not about the architecture, but that always will inform the way the decorations appear to onlookers. To lose those details is to lose some of what makes the lights and decorations so appealing.

However, nothing else like this exists, and I have to give high marks to this volume if only on that count. It's way better than nothing! So if you're a Christmas junkie and a Chicago lover, then by all means, buy this book, and enjoy.

A terrific guide to a memorable Christmas outing.......1998-08-23

This book has it all! It has precise directions and maps that make it easy to find the most spectacular holiday displays; it has fascinating stories about the decorators; and it even has helpful hints on decorating your own home for Christmas. The photographs are beautiful--they really inspire the yuletide spirit! This book helped my family experience a delightful holiday adventure--my kids are still talking about it! I think we've created a new Christmastime tradition with the help of Ms. Edsey''s glorious book!

The Best Christmas Decorations in Chicagoland

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The Best Christmas Decorations in Chicagoland
Mary Edsey
Manufacturer: Tabagio Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PH4OJ6

Book Description

This complete guide to Tiki culture in North America and abroad lists, describes, and reviews every known Tiki bar, Polynesian restaurant, and other site of interest to fans of "Polynesian Pop." From Tiki godfathers such as Edgar Leeteg and Don the Beachcomber to contemporary Tiki artists like Shag and Bosko, this resource covers all things Tiki in prose that is witty, entertaining, and essential for anyone who has ever stepped up to a bar, glanced up at the pufferfish hanging from the ceiling, and ordered a Singapore Sling. In addition to the exhaustive listings, recipes for classic cocktails, a glossary of Tiki terms, and resources for buying Tiki goods and artifacts are also included. Reminiscences of famous points of interest that have closed are provided for the completist, for historical perspective, and for those seeking information on the current status of a favorite Tiki site.

Customer Reviews:

book.......2007-09-15

great book. loaded with info. on tiki. the only thing missing was web sites for the places in the book. it would be nice to find more info. otherwise great book with a lot of info.

Worth the Upgrade.......2007-06-27

So you already have a no doubt well-worn copy of the first edition of "TRT" and you're wondering if it's worth buying this new one?

Yes. Get it.

Sure, you've got the expected updates to the fast-changing world of tiki, along with more of the tell-it-like-it-is reviews that were the first edition's trademark.

But Teitelbaum has also expanded the historical information about locations that are no longer with us. And there seem to be more photos and other "urban archaeological" tidbits sprinkled throughout, giving it more of the flavor of Sven Kirsten's "Book of Tiki". These are welcome improvements, and it makes this edition just as suited for armchair reading as it is for actual trip planning.

Maps, perhaps one at the beginning of each state's section, would've been nice. Many of these tiki spots are in the suburbs, which can make it difficult to tell what's near the particular city you're visiting if you're not familiar with the names of the surrounding towns. But that's not enough of a quibble to detract from a solid, five-star rating.

Great book to include in all your retro vacation planning.......2005-10-17

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have used the reviews while on several different trips, to Las Vegas, San Diego, and in Southern California. A lot of this info could not be found elsewhere!

A word of advice to lucky purchasers of this book however--do double check, call ahead, and make sure your destination still exists! I have made several blunders as well assuming that a place was open for lunch when many are nightspots only.

That said, a great guide (and check out the inside of the Hanalei/Red Lion Hotel in San Diego--the bartenders make a mean scorpion in a nifty souvenier bowl!!)

Nice book, needs updating.......2005-09-14

In the ever changing world of Tiki land, you need an up to date reference. Please update this great book with a new edition!!

Scattershot but worthwhile.......2003-09-13

Tiki Road Trip is an excellent, if somewhat scattershot guide of Tiki bars, restaurants, and other Polynesian-themed facilities. Teitelbaum provides names, addresses, reviews and in some cases, photos to help you plan your next driving trip.

The author's reviews vary from cursory to pretty detailed. His emphasis is on the "Tikiness" of each place, based on decor, atmosphere, and food/drink. I didn't always agree with his "TiPSY" rating of some places, primarily because his emphasis seems to be primarily on Tiki decorations. I felt that Teitelbaum did not give enough weight to rarer architectural features (e.g. lava rock construction, A-framed roofs, etc.) in calculating his TiPSY scores. However, he states in the beginning that TiPSYness ratings are subjective, so any criticism described here is very minor.

This book isn't so much a road trip guide, as it is a compendium of Tiki joints past and present. While some places are alive and well, Teitelbaum includes places that are closed - in some cases for many years. Some of the Tiki spots documented are long forgotten, and the only testament that they even existed is a mug or matchbook. Also the addresses or, in some cases, cities of some of the spots listed are not provided.

A few improvements would help with subsequent editions of this guide. An index would be useful. Tables listing Tiki joints by TiPSYness, category, etc. would also be beneficial. Another recommendation is the inclusion of maps, at least at the state level. Finally, color photos are a must. Teitelbaum includes some outstanding pictures, unfortunately all in black and white.

While this book could be a bit better, it is still a must have for Tiki buffs.

Book Description

Written by six black women, these stories embody most of the predominant themes and narrative forms found in African-American women's autobiographies from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave (1831), the first female slave narrative from the Americas, recounts one woman's suffering and courage in the pursuit of freedom. The Story of Mattie J. Jackson (1866) not only tells of a quest for personal freedom, but also concludes with a family reunion in the North after the Civil War. The Memoir of Old Elizabeth, a Coloured Woman (1863) blends the traditions of the slave narrative and the spiritual autobiography together in a tale of a ninety-seven-year-old ex-slave who becomes a preacher. Lucy A. Delaney's From the Darkness Cometh the Light, or, Struggles for Freedom (c. 1891) records a former slave's life achievements in the quarter-century following the end of the Civil War. Kate Drumgoold, in A Slave Girl's Story, and Annie L. Burton, in Memories of Childhood's Slavery Days, also describe their successes in the postwar North while eulogizing black motherhood in the antebellum South. Each of these stories reveals the black woman's ability to recover in past oppression the hope for a better day.

Customer Reviews:

Six womens slave narratives critique.......2005-11-13

An overall good read, however, it was longer than it should have been. This book gave an insightful view of slavery through the eyes of six slaves and the people in their lives. At some points in the book I gasped at the thought of how these women were treated. I was intrigued to continue reading in some spots, but in others I chose to skip over entire paragraphs. I would recommend this book to anyone writing a paper on slaves and the cruelity in which they were treated, and also how slaves percieved themselves in the early 19th century.

Why not read 'The Slave Narratives' and get 2500, not 6.......2001-08-22

If you will read 'The Slave Narratives' you will get to read interviews with over 2500 former slaves who were still living in the mid-thirties, and also their views and feelings about life in the old South. Why limit yourself to just a handpicked 6 stories when there are 2500 out there? Hmmm?

Completely moving, gain a deeper understanding of the past........2000-04-25

Six Women's Slave Narritives is an absolute must for any historian or seeker of truth. You will cry and shivers will run down your spine as you feel the past rush through you with every turn of the page. This is a compilation of 19th century Black women writers in different situations. Interestingly, the typeface changes slightly throughout the book, imitating the possibility of time travel. Some of the women are educated, and some are simply expressive. The editors notes help clarify confusing issues and questions. If you are studying history, women, black history or slavery, you will be engrossed by this heartrenching and soul-moving collection of personal exposure. Be ready to cry, wince, and change your outlook on life.

Average customer rating:

Six Women's Slave Narratives

Manufacturer: Bt Bound
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Average customer rating:

Six Women's Slave Narratives
William L. (intro) Andrews
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKBIJS

Average customer rating:

SIX WOMEN'S SLAVE NARRATIVES SLBWW
ANDREWS
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK7CRA

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