Book Description
There's no fun in dysfunctional
Small-town laundress Josie Toadfern has her own fair share of dirty laundry -- namely the Toadfern clan! Ostracized from the family unit ever since her parents dumped eight-year-old Josie in a local orphanage, the stain-busting dynamo's stunned to find herself invited to crabby old family matriarch "Mamaw" Toadfern's Thanksgiving celebration -- and too curious to refuse.
But an even bigger shock is waiting for her there: Josie's long lost mom and pop, blandly unapologetic and full of new -- probably illegal -- get-rich-quick schemes. And when a dead body is tossed into the already explosive chaos of bitter feelings, intra-family feuding, and incinerated turkey meat, Josie finds herself in the most uncomfortable position of having to prove her disreputable dad innocent of murder. But cleaning up messes is Josie's business. And sometimes blood is thicker than cranberry sauce -- and a much more difficult stain to eliminate.
Customer Reviews:
Dysfunctional family and murder.......2007-01-04
Josie Toadfern has been separated from her family since she was eight. Her parents dropped her off in the local orphanage, and her dad's family refused to have anything to do with her.
Now her grandma "Mamaw" Toadfern wants her to come to Thanksgiving dinner. Against her better judgment, she accepts. Once there, she regrets going. Even more so when her long lost parents show up for dinner. Things go from bad to worse when she finds a dead relative while out walking with a friend.
Her mom begs her to help clear her father's name. She doesn't want to do it. But to keep peace in the town, she decides to help. Can she clear her father's name and keep them from ruining the town with their new get-rich scheme? Can she do all this without putting herself in danger?
In the meantime, she is having second thoughts about her situation with her boyfriend.
Josie is a great character. I always enjoy reading a book in this series. She is so down to earth and likeable. It doesn't surprise me all the situations she gets into.
The author has done a great job of creating a town full of quirky but likeable characters. I can't wait for the next book. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.
Better Than The Last One.......2006-11-29
I really didn't enjoy the last book in this series much, so I was glad to find this one a much better read.
The thing I didn't like about this one was how wimpy Josie seemed. Her parents left her when she was a child, but she never stood up to them about it...she just kept going along meekly with whatever her mother said or wanted. She never stood up to her grandmother about cutting her off from the family. And she never stood up to Owen for basically ending their relationship, instead talking and acting like they were still a couple.
I'd like to see Josie grow a backbone in future installments, and stop allowing herself to be everyone's doormat.
fun family drama .......2006-02-01
In Paradise, Ohio Josie Toadfern was two when her daddy abandoned her; not long afterward her mother dumped her in an orphanage. Whereas her paternal side led by her grandma said she was dead, her maternal Uncle Horace and Aunt Clara raised her as if she was their offspring. Twenty-two years later, her father's mother septuagenarian Mamaw Toadfern wants to allegedly see her after all this time when she only lived on the other side of the river from where Josie grew up and now runs Toadfern's Laundromat while claiming to be the national expert on stain removal.
Thus that is why she is having Thanksgiving with the Toadfern brood when her parents arrive. They want to forget the past offering a deal involving a flea market. However, unforgiving Uncle Fenwick Toadfern rejects the peace offering with the two men threatening to kill one another. Not long afterward someone kills Fenwick trying to make it seem like a suicide, but local officials think hid death is a homicide and hone in on Josie's daddy as the prime suspect. Josie believes someone else killed her uncle after removing a stain from his favorite shirt.
The first half of the tale is a soap opera family drama that introduces the audience to a horde of Toads and a heroine struggling with a sudden rash of relatives who never recognized her as alive until now including her biological parents. The interrelation dynamics are interesting to follow as the audience gain insight mostly from the baffled heroine who understands stain removal a lot better than blood relatives. The suspense comes in the latter half as fans along with Josie will learn that family is inside the heart, not the blood.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
- "Based on the best-selling computer game from Interplay"
- How Appalling!
- Awesome Book
- Worst Book Ever!!!!, Philip Athans-Worst Writer Ever!!!!!!!
- Embarrassing
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Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (Forgotten Realms: Computer Tie-In Novels)
Philip Athans
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Baldur's Gate: A Novelization
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ASIN: 0786915692
Release Date: 2000-09-01 |
Book Description
Bhaal is dead!
But his disciples want to bring him back. The blood of the god of murder runs through his children, and bad blood attracts bad people.
Shadow thieves, vampires, ninjas, and rockworms run rampant on the Sword Coast in the action-packed novelization of the Baldur's Gate II computer game from BioWare and Interplay.
Customer Reviews:
"Based on the best-selling computer game from Interplay" .......2007-05-09
It's a good thing this warning was placed on the FRONT COVER of the book, lest one gets the impression that the book should include everything found within Baldur's Gate, which by the way has to be one of the BEST computer RPG games of all time (along with Planescape: Torment)!
The book is set on the Sword Coast where it deals with the ongoing adventures of the main character, Abdel, and his efforts to break free from being a pawn in other's schemes. His quest takes him and his companions from Baldur's Gate to Athkatla in Amn, on to the Underdark and the land of Tethyr.
The book starts off incredibly well, immediately catching the reader's interest and attention. The plot as a whole is excellent! The book is so incredibly well written and presented that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense.
Philip Athans has done a FANTASTIC job of acquiring and presenting, efficiently and successfully, essential knowledge relevant to Faerun, including customs, religion and the history of the peoples of Toril. His solid grasp of factual detail makes him capable of providing the necessary background needed to carry out the difficult task of writing Forgotten Realms novels, which is something often missing from the work of many Fantasy authors. Consequently, from the moment you pick up the book you have trouble putting it down and if that is not a clear sign of a fantastic writer/author, I don't know what is!
The description of battle at the hideout in Amn, on page 23, was breathtaking: "The lesser vampire twisted the crossbow back into the soldier's throat. The steel tip punctured skin, and the soldier jerked, releasing the catch and sending the bolt slicing through his own throat with nearly enough force to behead him. The man coughed once, and the thrall opened his mouth straining for the taller man's neck. The soldier's eyes rolled toward the thrall in abject horror, then blinked when a spray of blood covered his face. Bodhi's servant was feeding, and she let him."
Moreover, similarly to Steven Pressfield's extraordinary best-selling novel Gates of Fire (1998), Philip Athans too provides detailed, realistic and mature descriptions of torture: e.g. on page 5 "... Booter pulled the poker out of the hot coals and dragged it across Abdel's chest. He screamed, smelling his own skin and hair burning and feeling every popping blister and seared inch of flesh in a pain that was almost a living thing on its own," while on page 9 "Abdel roared in rage, frustration, and bloodlust, but not in pain, even when Booter latched onto the second fingernail with his needle-nosed pliers. `This will hurt too,' the self-styled dungeon master murmured, then pulled hard, tearing the fingernail up and off in one swift, cruel motion."
On pages 105 and 117 respectively, the author provides two more exceptional descriptions that help teleport the reader to Faerun, beside Abdel and his companions: "His toes caught the half-ogre's damaged knee, and he dug them into the gaping wound," and "Abdel dragged the blade of his broadsword across the rockworm's eyes and was happy to see them burst open and pour out a dark gray, watery putrescence."
In addition, Abdel's psyche is very well portrayed throughout the book: "Do it. It's as good a day to die as any." (Page 159)
As for the graphic descriptions on pages 190-191 and 195-196, they are simply AMAZING!
Furthermore, Philip Athans has done a FANTASTIC job of catering to adults. Subtle, and not so subtle, this is exactly what many of us fans who are now in our 30's would like to see more of; something a bit more spicy than the usual (we're not ten anymore). Bodhi felt something she hadn't felt in a long time, since before she entered her state of undeath. The feeling made her smile," (Page 23) and "She did not think she'd be able to stand." (Page 64)
Orcs, Minotaurs, Elves, Drow, Dragons, Rocksnakes, Carrion Crawlers, and factions like the Shadow Thieves and the Harpers (Jaheira) have been presented very well.
The story, the dialogues, and the small details are all wonderful and create a strong sense of mystery and anticipation.
Romance, intrigue, betrayal, and swordfights are all about.
Looking forward to reading the sequel, Baldur's Gate II, Throne of Bhaal.
PS One should seriously start thinking about turning Baldur's Gate into a movie...
How Appalling!.......2007-05-06
I have been overheard saying that Judith Kranz is the worst writer I have ever read. Her crown is now taken! Phillip Athans is so bad that he makes tears run down my face, thinking of the novel that this could have been and isn't. Imoen a lesbian! Oh, give me a break and go into dentistry, Athans.
Awesome Book.......2007-01-15
Going to read this book right now. If you read the first one there will be no dought in your mind to buy this book because it sort of ruins the first book if you don't buy this one. Trust me.
Worst Book Ever!!!!, Philip Athans-Worst Writer Ever!!!!!!!.......2006-05-03
I read the whole book in Barnes and Nobles, because i had a bad feeling about what this book would be. And let me tell you, I'm glad I didn't buy it. Philip Athens is by far the worst author ever. He must not have played the games at all. The games Baldurs Gate and Baldurs Gate 2 are the best games I have ever played in my life. So I think, as long as the author follows the main storyline of the 2nd game and picks a character that will suffice for the storyline then he really shouldnt have too much of a hard time for writing the story. But the impossible happens. hmm.....where should i start. Usually in a game like this the main character would be best suited as the good guy. But in this case the main character is a piece of trash. Abdel Adrian is his name and he is the Stupid, impulsive brute that doesnt think before doing anything that we have all come to hate. 1st thing that doesnt make sense is that he loves Jahierra, one of the main npcs in the games, yet he sleeps with a vampire, yes a vampire just because she is good looking and she seduces him; are you kidding me??? He is a son of the god of murder, theres no way a vampire can do anything to him. Overall his morality is very low for the title that he gets called in the book, "Hero" which he is called all the time. If he is worthy of the title "Hero" then what will they call Drizzt Do' Urden of the forgotten realms. Philip Athans also did a good job destroying the other great NPCs that we all liked in the games. Minsc for example has red hair, is analytical, cant do anything without asking boo if he should do it, and the biggest of all doenst fight. Instead of aiding the main character like in the game, he works as a waiter in the copper coronet. Are you kidding me??? Minsc in the games is the fearless, crazy, justified barbarian that we have all come love. Then there's other characters that were cool in the game that got destroyed. Solaufein is evil in the book which makes no sense, he was cool in the games and was kinda like Drizzt. You'll laugh at this one too; The author made Imoen a lesbian with a drow in the underdark. I believe Phaerre is here name. (There's a bathtub scene with those 2 which doesnt make any sense) For those that dont know, Imoen is the Main characters half sister. That never even got close to occuring in the game. Then comes the fighting scenes. Oh god were they bad. I'm saying that because I read RA Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden books and those books are very good at describing the fighting scenes, it's like your actually there when your reading it. This book doesnt even make any sense with the fighting scenes, this is the type of book where you can clearly tell that the author is rooting for the main character in the fighting scenes because there is no challenge present when he fights against anyone, except maybe Irenicus. Overall I would give this book a negative -10. I know thats an abyssmal rating but i cant believe this book. Philip Athans, you destroyed a book that could have been an overall decent book if you just followed the storyline of the game. What a pity......
Embarrassing.......2004-05-21
The game i considered a trivial masterpiece. However, i later picked up this novel just to use as bathroom reading, it seemed short enough.
The author sure left a lot of stuff out of the game, which would have probably made it a better book too. The romance with Abdel and Jaheira was still really lame (but atleast it didnt make me laugh like Baldur's gate one did though,) and Imoen, seems more like a plot herself then an actual character. If you want to read some good fantasy/adventure, try novels by RA Salvatore or Cunningham. For a truly submersive BGII experience, play the game and dont read the book, it gives FR a bad name.
Book Description
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, sequel to the phenomenal MILLION SELLER title Baldur's Gate, is one of the most eagerly awaited RPG titles for PC this year! The Versus Books guide will be a must-have for gamers who hope to navigate their way successfully through this awesome sure-fire hit! The Versus Books guide will provide gamers with extensively detailed, color maps to explore such areas as the Abyss and the Sahuagin City. The guide allows gamers to choose their own Adventure-style navigation while revealing hidden pathways and treasure locations. Every gameplay secret is revealed without disclosing the thrilling plot!
Customer Reviews:
Not quite better than nothing, but pretty pictures.......2005-03-02
Not very helpful in actually getting you through the game, since there are numerous errors and quite obvious typos (one that is repeated several times refers you to "page ????" - think they rushed into production and didn't quite finish editing). On the other hand, the full color illustrations are nice and there are a number of detailed maps, which unfortunately are not keyed to the numbered events in the text. The item list in the back is nice to have but also incomplete and with some errors.
Since you're probably going to have to buy it used at this point and pay way more than the original price (I did, anyway), think about whether you want this just for the not-totally-complete maps and item lists. The text is juvenile and the plot line is incomplete, so don't buy it for that. There are wonderfully detailed guides free for the downloading available on line, so if you wants hints and walkthroughs, get one of them, not this.
Very unprofessional.......2005-01-09
Versus books made some of the best strategy guides I've seen. They were colorful, helpful, and concise. However, this pile of schlock is inexcusable. I payed $17, and it felt like I was reading one of my 8 year old brother's book reports (typos included). TONS of rancid information, lack of adequate coverage, and misprints. Save your money and find an online walkthrough.
Verdict: Far from a "perfect guide".
You've got to be kidding.......2004-10-05
Ok, so I made sure I read all the reviews first to get a general idea if it was worth the hefty price. Based on what I read I decided to get it. What a mistake. Sure, the book looks outstanding, plenty of full color and detailed maps, great character, NPC, monster spell and equipment lists... I just found it to be really lacking in information. There was so much left out about areas that I came across on my own and would have loved to know more about. While I didn't expect a step-by-step walkthrough, I did expect the covered areas to be a little more informative. I also didn't like the way it was written, "Duh!", "If you're playing a multiplayer game (like we TOLD you to do)...", "...you have to admit that she's pretty darn hot, eh?". There were times I felt like they were speaking to a moron and I didn't appreciate that at all. Well, I bought it and I'm stuck with it, for now, but I can safely say I wouldn't purchase another guide from Versus again, unless their writing staff grows up.
The best guide that I've ever used........2004-08-03
The guide for Baldur's Gate I by Brady Games was abysmal. It's far better to go online for information BG:I than buy the guide.
However, the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Guide by Versus is absolutely brilliant. It gives you all the secrets, tells you exactly where everything is, exactly what needs to be done to get what, how much XP you get from each quest, etc. It's nigh on perfect.
I have never seen another guide as good as this one. Perhaps it has some errors in it as other reviewers say, but what guide doesn't? I certainly have no complaints.
I want a guide to give me detailed maps, detailed explanations of side quests,and detailed information on what items and XP you get from each monster, quest, etc. In short, I want it to explain everything there is to know about the game, except perhaps for strategies on defeating enemies - those are nice once in a while, but I tend to have my own style of gameplay anyways. This guide did all that. It gives all the vital information for this game - INCLUDING cheat information in case you are so inclined.
This guide is nigh on perfect. I just wish that more guides were like it.
Awsome.......2004-07-08
This guide contains everything you need to beat the game. Definatly a good buy.
Product Description
Game manual Baldurs Gate II Shadows Of Amn
Average customer rating:
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Baldur's Gate II - Shadows of Amn Game Manual
Manufacturer: Interplay Entertainment Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Internet Games | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B000MQQ0N8 |
Product Description
Table of Contents of many sections and subsections, picking out the first (after Intro), the middle and the last (before Tables) two subsection titles: "Installation; How to Get Help ... Monsters of the Sword Coast; Time in the Realms ... Weapons; Magical Items and Treasure."
Average customer rating:
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Baldurs Gate II - Shadows of Amn Game Manual
Manufacturer: Interplay Entertainment Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Internet Games | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Video Games | Games & Strategy Guides | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MQOFMG |
Product Description
Table of Contents of many sections and subsections, picking out the first (after Intro), the middle and the last (before Tables) two subsection titles: "Installation; How to Get Help ... Monsters of the Sword Coast; Time in the Realms ... Weapons; Magical Items and Treasure."
Average customer rating:
- Very clear and interesting reading
- The best "Where could Atlantis be" book...
- Interesting Book
- Seems pretty good but...
- Where is Atlantis
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When the Sky Fell: In Search of Atlantis
Rand Flem-Ath , and
Rose Flem-Ath
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0312964013 |
Book Description
The mystery of Atlantis the legendary advanced civilization described in ancient texts, has been solved at last. Scientific evidence, exciting new research, and the breakthrough discovery of an amazing Egyptian map prove without a doubt that this lost continent did exist....and reveal where its ruins can be found.But the fascinating truth about Atlantis also leads to a chilling conclusion about the environmental catastrophe that destroyed it. Now you can find out how the forces that shattered the first great civilization on Earth can happen again, bringing the end of the world to us all!
Customer Reviews:
Very clear and interesting reading.......2007-09-10
If the topic is interesting to you then this book is one-day-and-night-reading. As soon as you start you can not put away before you finish.
We usually assume that it has been always like now, or at least that we can use the similar logic as we use now for understanding the history. There is always the background system we have to use when making opinion about new information.
For a moment just forget about the name "Atlantis" and use instead some other termin for example "The old island motherland" or something :) I mean there is too much emotions connected to the termin "Atlantis" that distracts us from the reading. Just try it.
I personally got very much information connecting different pieces to the overall image about our global history. I am grateful for this.
I take the responsibility to recommend you this book, strongly.
Thank you for atention.
The best "Where could Atlantis be" book..........2006-09-28
It looks like a cheap paperback novel,
but the argued premises for Atlantis
and where it was (is) located is
is beautifully presented.
I have read this book twice and it holds
to the same convincing information
that it had the first time I read it.
I would love to see a new edition come
out with more information plus pictures
and drawings.
Interesting Book.......2006-07-02
This book has a few errors in it, but on the whole it has very interesting ideas in it and is a very interesting read.
Seems pretty good but..........2006-03-29
I am completely shallow in some things, I understand this. I have no problem with the actual content of the book, it is a pretty good read. However, I was disappointed when I received the book because it looks so...insignificant. I don't know if it is because it is paperback, or so small, but it just doesn't look like the quality of book I like. The paper is bad, the pages are a bit yellow, and the cover is totally boring. The book itself, I would recommend, but for crazy people like me who like to have pretty books too, I would recommend looking for a different version, because this one is unimpressive...just because of that, don't overlook its quality in content, but still.
Where is Atlantis.......2006-03-19
Very interesting, you can not stop reading till you are finished with the book.
Average customer rating:
- this dated SF novel does have its moments..
- Short Entertaining!
- Possibly the best science-fiction book ever
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Search the Sky
Frederik Pohl , and
C. M. Kornbluth
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0345216601
Release Date: 1969-06-12 |
Customer Reviews:
this dated SF novel does have its moments.........2005-05-21
'Search The Sky' by Kornbluth and Pohl was written in the early 1950s and it clearly hasn't aged well. The story lacks any sort of credibility from a variety of angles ... readers would have surely caught these fifty years ago. However the story does have some very intriguing elements. So one can say this science fiction novel has some great fiction but bad science.
As for the story, spin forward several millenia into the future and we find several planets in distant galaxies inhabited by humans. For some unknown reason interplanetary communication/trade died out generations ago. However along comes an ancient ship carrying people with a curious, undecipherable message. This ship is the used to transport a trader/explorer to these other planets to see what has happened. The results are unexpected, .. and I'd rather not disclose spoilers. But Kornbluth/Pohl make some interesting observations about human nature and genetics. Believable? No, but certainly thought-provoking.
Bottom line: a creative story line and insightful observations of mankind save this from being an amateurish, outdated SF novel.
Short Entertaining!.......2005-02-27
This book is basically about the demise of the human race across planets and one man's search to find out why. It is a very short (165 pages) and easy read. Not particularly funny or heart warming, but kept my interest. A good read.
Possibly the best science-fiction book ever.......2000-03-26
I read this book years ago and I still remember it clearly. Strange things are happening on the distant planets where, in the far future, mankind has scattered. Every planet has something oddly wrong with it. On one, people simply have no drive left; on another, the old rule the young; on yet a third, women rule men (yes, it's faintly sexist, but don't let that ruin a great book). A group of adventurers go from planet to planet, trying to find out what has caused this problem and barely escaping from each planet with their lives. Finally they make their way to old Earth... and what's going on _there_ makes all the messed-up planets look like paradises. Only in a great book like this could the statement of a mathematical formula make you gasp and drop the book. (Well, I did.) It's a shame that this book is out of print, but I strongly recommend that you find it somewhere!
Average customer rating:
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Heroes of the Sky : A Search-and-Rescue Pop-Up
Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0689848358 |
Book Description
Grab your flight suit and take off with the search-and-rescue helicopter crew! Complete with pop-ups, flaps, and movable parts, this edge-of-your-seat adventure follows the team in the air and on the ground as they make a daring mountaintop rescue. This book is an exciting, three-dimensional introduction to the field for young heroes-in-training.
Amazon.com
On October 13, 1980, alpinists Rick Ridgeway and Yvon Chouinard, in company with National Geographic photographer Jonathan Wright, were struggling up the slopes of the little-explored Tibetan mountain Minya Konka when an avalanche swallowed them. Wright, only 28 years old, died. As he did, Ridgeway writes, "something left him. I saw it." The survivors buried Wright in a rocky grave on Minya Konka's flanks and, dispirited, returned home with the haunting vision of that death always in their memories.
Fast-forward nearly 20 years. Wright's daughter, an infant when he died, asks Ridgeway to take her to Tibet, climb Minya Konka with her, and find her father's grave. Their remarkable journey in honor of a lost friend and father, one that would honor Wright's vow "to live each day as though it were my only one" and that would take them into mountains that had never before been climbed, forms the heart of Ridgeway's thoughtful memoir, which is sure to become a classic of mountaineering literature. The book is, however, more than a simple narrative of a difficult task accomplished; it affords Ridgeway an opportunity to reflect on his many perilous adventures (kayaking in the stormy waters off Tierra del Fuego and scaling Mount Everest among them) and on what drives him to undertake such challenges in the face of hard-earned knowledge of the risks involved--all of it having something to do, as he writes, with "telling yourself you're not sure you can make it, but making it anyway."
Like Peter Matthiessen's Snow Leopard, Ridgeway's book involves a voyage of personal discovery that's rich with meaning. And, like Matthiessen's book, Below Another Sky deserves a place on the shelves of anyone possessed by the spirit of adventure. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Combining gripping adventure writing with intimate memoir, Rick Ridgeway takes readers to the mysterious mountain domain of Tibet and into the remote corners of his past. In what Tim Cahill called the "most intensely personal" of his books, Ridgeway recounts the extraordinary journey he takes with Asia Wright, the daughter of his friend Jonathan, who was killed during an expedition with Ridgeway in a terrifying avalanche twenty years earlier. Hoping to help her connect with the father she never knew, Ridgeway takes her to the breathtaking Himalayas her father so cherished. Trekking through forbidding terrain and threatening weather, and past jumpy border patrols, they search for the place where he died.Here, Ridgeway's storytelling technique hits perfect pitch as he weaves together indelible stories of past adventures with his and Asia's journey of self-discipline and self-discovery. Below Another Sky is at once an evaluation of a life lived on the edge and a wrenching story of loss-and of truths revealed.
Customer Reviews:
A great read.......2004-07-29
This was a great book. Ridgeway did a great job of weaving in stories of his mountain adventures, along with his current quest: taking his best friend's daughter to a high alititude climb they did 20 years before to find her father's grave. It is really touching - and a quick read. I am looking forward to possibly reading another book by Ridgeway now.
Below Another Sky.......2003-03-18
The book Below Another Sky by Rick Ridgeway is a book about a man (Rick) and his friends going to various countries and climbing various mountains. Rick is a man who loves to climb and his best friend, Jonathan is a photographer going on a trip to this mountain to get pictures of the mountain. Later, Jonathans dauter, Asia, and Rick set out on their own trip to other mountains. I thought that this book was okay, but it wasn't all that great. I didn't like why he did not mention why he and Asia set off on their journey because that set me off track a little, although, I like hiking and climbing mountainous areas, so it was kind of interesting for me. I would especially recomend this book to people who like adventuresome books and movies.
Typical Ridgeway!.......2002-05-25
Ridgeway is the best....
I've been reading adventure non-fiction for a couple of years now and Rick Ridgeway has never let me down...
His writing is complete...informative, emotional, and structured. A very fine writer.
This book is a solid read! Very touching story of pilgramic voyage between two searching souls....one for closure and one for exposure. Excellent.
Introspective and Revealing.......2002-01-07
After reading Shadow of Kilimanjaro, I was interested in reading more by Ridgeway. The premise of Sky is for the author to accompany the daughter of a friend who died in his arms while climbing Minya Konka. It was to be a trip of discovery for the daughter, to learn about her father and understand what drove him to the mountains of the Himalayas. But I think the author spends more time trying to understand the decisions he's made over his own lifetime.
Extremely well written, packed with accounts of the author's own near death adventure experiences, and full of personal introspection, I found it hard to put the book down once I started it. Not only a memoir and adventure book, but a book that makes the reader stop and think about the decisions they have made in their lives, and the consequences that result. Also makes you question what your true motivations in life are.
Definately will become part of my permanent Library.......2001-10-25
I bought this book after reading Seven Summits which recounted Rick Ridgeway's involvement with Dick Bass's and Frank Well's attempt to be the first to bag the "seven summits".
This is a moving story of not only the loss of Rick Ridgeway's friend and climbing buddy in an avalanche in the himalayas where he also almost died but an account of his return voyage with the friend's twenty year old daughter to where the avalanche had occurred some 18 years before. It is a travel narrative, mountaineering book, great insights on Nepal and Tibet with interesting sidetrips through his memories, trips to Patagonia, being in a Panamanian jail when he was but twenty and what it taught him...etc. You have got to like this guy! A perfect read for the introspective armchair adventure traveller who loves Asia; which is the name of the twenty year old girl who finds her father's grave and her way in life on this trip.
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In Search of Open Skies:Law and Policy for a New Era in International Aviation
Brian Havel
Manufacturer: Kluwer Law International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 9041103538 |
Book Description
European Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock praises this book as `an important contribution' to the open skies debate in international aviation, noting that it `breaks new ground' in its comparative treatment of US and EU airline deregulation. The book exposes the anticompetitive bias of the archaic regime of bilateral air transport treaties launched over fifty years ago at Chicago. Repudiating bilateralism, it interweaves the successes and limitations of the US and EU air transport liberalization programs to define a 21st century multilateral open skies solution that, in Commissioner Kinnock's view, poses `intellectual challenges to all of us whose professional mission is the evolution of new law and policy for the international air transport industry.' This is the first full-length study of the world airline industry to evaluate: - the new American international aviation policy - the European Commission's controversial campaign for a mandate to enter multilateral air transport negotiations with the US - code-sharing and global airline alliances - the findings of important industry studies by the US presidential airline commission and the EU's Comite des Sages. A major feature of Professor Havel's analysis is his unprecedented use of the unpublished transcripts and archival materials of the blue-ribbon US presidential panel. The book is intended for an academic and professional audience, in both the United States and Europe, interested in the complex legal and policy issues that currently affect the world's most visible service industry.
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The Search for Sonny Skies
Mickey Rooney
Manufacturer: Carol Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1559722312 |
Customer Reviews:
Hazy Skies and Mild.......2000-01-04
The Search for Sonny Skies is a novel where the readin' is easy. The Richards character is a sleezeball with a heart of gold.. Sonny Skies is a sympathetic, mentall,y traumatized former movie star. He thinks he's only eight years old. He's supposed to have died in World War II combat fifty years ago. The movie giants of those days knew how to make things happen or not happen. Mickey Rooney makes it all happen in his own burlesque and vaudeville way.
Book Description
Sake is hot, hot, hot (though the best are actually served cold). It's the hippest sip at the cocktail hour and, as the sommeliers will tell you, can be a delicious accompaniment to food. This fun and informative guide demystifies an age-old wine and explains the many types of sake and how to properly taste their complex flavors. Beau Timken's foolproof TasteMatch system profiles 50 suggested sakes and provides their beer and wine flavor equivalents, creating a simple-yet-effective resource for finding a perfect match. Plus, recipes for 30 sake cocktails and 15 sake-friendly dishes make sake appropriate for any occasion (try a refreshing glass of Sake Sangria, or surprise guests by pairing sake with Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms and Pancetta). There's even a section on planning and hosting a sake-tasting party to share your newfound sake expertise. A contemporary look at a traditional drink, Sake captures 1,000 years of culture and updates it for the modern lifestyle. Kanpai!
Customer Reviews:
A great book for Sake lovers of all levels.......2006-09-20
I've read many Sake guides over the years. Some leave me with lengthy, lengthy lists of sakes I'd like to try, if I could ever decipher the labels at my local Japanese liquor store. Most leave me even more confused than before I started reading. This book was the first I ever read where I walked away feeling like I could explain why I liked what I liked. But the best part of the book is the list of Sakes to try that are available in the US. Afterall, what's the point of a long list of exotic drinks to try if you're never going to be able to find them?
Great Beginner's Guide to this Mysterious Beverage.......2006-06-08
Whether you enjoy sake already or are just interested in learning more, this is a wonderful place to start. The book includes a short sake history, a lesson on how it is made, and some key terminology necessary for understanding this amazing beverage. The best part of the book is Beau's detailed reviews of 50 different sakes. Plenty of tastes to begin or continue your journey. There are also recipes in the back that help demonstrate that sake isn't just good with Sashimi, it can taste great with risotto or even a pizza.
Must Have Guide for the Sake Traveler.......2006-05-17
For those people who love the adventure of good food and soirits, this book is a must have. Very informative, it provides the reader with a very good basic understanding of Sake. With history, science, and etiquette all wrapped into one informative guide, I highly recommend this book. If you love Sake, or are interested in learning more, you MUST read this book. I find I return to it time and time again as I delve deeper into the fascinating world of Japan's most famous beverage. One of the bibles of Sake...
Books:
- Invitation to Murder: A Card-Making Mystery (Signet Mystery)
- Killjoy
- Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles (Kolchak the Nightstalker)
- L.A. Requiem
- Lullaby Town
- Malpractice in Maggody: An Arly Hanks Mystery (Arly Hanks Mysteries)
- Midnight Come Again (A Kate Shugak Novel)
- Mind Prey
- Mortal Prey
- Mortal Stakes
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