The New American Story

Book Description

“Politics is stuck,” writes Bill Bradley, in this insightful, informative, and provocative book about America at a crossroads, but “idealism isn’t dead. It can be reawakened.”

What will it take to make America a better, stronger, truer country? asks the bestselling author, former Knicks star, and onetime presidential candidate. Bill Bradley believes that America is at a teachable moment when we are compelled to reevaluate our political system, our leadership, our agenda as a nation, and ourselves as citizens. With clarity and urgency, Bradley shows why the story we are being told now about who we are as a people is not true. He then offers a new story about our nation, based on America’s rich heritage and his belief in the character of the American people. Bradley explores what changes need to be made in our parties, in our politics, and in citizen activism to ensure America’s future. He asserts that the American people are ready for the truth and suggests that the party that chooses to embrace this new story will be in power for a generation.

Writing from his own experience in politics and drawing on his knowledge of history, Bradley shows how the Republican Party has built a solid pyramid structure since the 1970s, at the base of which are money, ideas, and media, whereas the Democratic Party’s structure is an inverted pyramid, with too much emphasis put on the need for a charismatic leader to hold the pyramid up. Each party, for different reasons, fails to deal with the real issues that now confront America.

This informed and inspiring call to action is addressed not only to the parties and elected leaders, but to citizens as well. Bradley proposes things every American can do to shape our nation’s future. He points out that if eighty percent of the electorate voted, instead of fifty percent, it would be the most important change in American politics since women got the vote. Now more than ever, he says, we need to embrace an “ethic of connectedness,” a combination of collective action and individual responsibility, to solve our nation’s most pressing problems, and he argues that the fate of all countries is bound together as never before. Writing today with the freedom of a private citizen, Bradley provides this transformative and eye-opening book about the danger and the promise of America’s choice at this crucial moment in the nation’s history.

Customer Reviews:

A "HOW-TO" for citizenship and political leadership.......2007-09-29

Why should you read this?

- If you care about our democracy and want to help make it strong again

- If you want to understand the big domestic challenges we face today

- If you want thoughtful proposals to addresses those challenges

- If you want to better the understand the Democratic and Republican parties; what makes them function, what makes them DYSFUNCTIONAL

- If you want to hear an insider's take on what makes our democracy tick, what makes it great, and what threatens its survival

This is a terrific book. If I had the money, I'd buy one for every member of Congress.

I listened to this book unabridged on audio, narrated by Michael Prichard. He does a good job capturing Bill Bradley's dignity, but to my ear doesn't quite capture his enthusiasm and passion for good government.

excellent.......2007-08-28

bradley is a truly brilliant man. the book is filled with hundreds of good ideas. hopefully he will stay involved in politics. the problem is that the people who need to read this book will not. our government is controlled by big business and greedy men with their own agendas. how soon is that going to change? i highly reccomend this book.

Call to Greatness.......2007-08-20

You'd swear Bill Bradley was running for office or dashing down court for a breakaway three-pointer. This one-time presidential contender and New York Knicks superstar writes with the energy and urgency of a man on a mission.

Read his book, The New American Story, and you'll be tempted to join him. Bradley has issued a powerful call to action--one that promises to rescue our nation from political infighting and restore America's leadership role in the world.

His is not a story of military might and moral superiority; it is the story of our nation's founding principles, written by the men and women whose active engagement at pivotal points in history assured the country lived up to its highest ideals.

We have a choice before us that could transcend our current state of affairs, says Bradley. A choice that puts country over political party, the common good over the distracting issues that divide us.

One of our nation's most admired leaders--Abraham Lincoln--knew a thing or two about bringing a divided nation together. When he was president, Lincoln would often sneak out of the White House on Wednesday nights to hear sermons of a well-known preacher at the New York Presbyterian Church. One night, an aide asked Lincoln what he had thought of the sermon. "The content was excellent. The minister had a strong voice and a good delivery," said Lincoln, pausing. "But he forgot the most important part. He didn't ask us to do something great."

Bill Bradley is asking us to do something great.

"The answers to our problems rest in our hearts as well as in our heads," Bradley says in the introduction to his book, "and until we understand that, we'll make marginal improvements, but we won't make the quantum leaps that our Founders made and hoped we would continue."

I am drawn to stories of ordinary Americans who overcame obstacles to achieve great things. Freedom fighters on the Underground Railroad. Journalists who exposed unethical business practices at the turn of the 20th century. The immigrants who built our transcontinental railroad. A country lawyer who became a United States Supreme Court Justice, America's chief prosecutor of Nazi War criminals, and the founder of international law. These are the stories I want people around the world to know about when they think of America and its unique contributions to the world. That's why my husband and I make historical documentaries for a living.

Bill Bradley's book had me from hello, or at least from the moment I read the book jacket blurbs written by David McCullough, David Halberstam, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Robert A. Caro, all Pulitzer Prize winners. Because I love history, and because I believe in the strength of our nation's collective character, I kept on reading.

There is no question the bold policies outlined in Bill Bradley's book will be hotly debated in the coming weeks. He takes both political parties to task, taking aim at the current administration's policies with the finesse of a seasoned athlete and senator. And while I don't agree with every single one of Bradley's strategies on health care, education, environment, tax reform, and national defense, if this American story is to have a happy ending, I, like all other Americans, will have to look for common ground, and make sacrifices for the greater good.

Bill Bradley has faith that, given the right information--the true American story--we will do the right thing.

Current state of affairs for the middle class .......2007-08-07

I confess I have read many other books on the current status quo and state of politics in our country before reading this book. If you have too, this may be a bit repetitive as most issues have been discussed before. What I do like about Bill Bradley's book is it is not simply a laundry list of complaints. He offers at the end of each chapter (designated to each issue) some thought out solutions. This is a good book for eye-opening for our major issues - health care, education, energy... and would recommend it to readers who want to learn more about the who, what and why our social issues are being ignored by government. I also recommend "War on the Middle Class" by Lou Dobbs or "Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- And What We Can Do About It" by Thom Hartmann. I enjoyed reading those a little more.

Long-winded and Confusing Story.......2007-07-29

I'll confess right up front that I haven't finished the book yet, and I'll update this review when I do. I'm still slogging through lengthy, wandering passages that fail to make any points. I keep waiting for any kind of "here's a solution" or "here's what we should do" sentence, but I have yet to find one. He spends a lot of pages in the first 25% of the book telling the reader about the "story" that he says we're being told -- by whom? On every issue he seems to pick the most extreme right-wing position as representative of this "story" rather than the positions that the majority of Republicans and conservatives hold. And thus far all he's offered for his "new story" is idealistic pie-in-the-sky notions with no plan to get there. I trust that he gets there in the second half of the book.

Just one example of the poor writing and editing: In the section titled "Inequality" in chapter on The Economy, he goes on for quite a while about financial inequality, then about globalization and technological change, finally claiming that you can no longer get ahead by working hard. He then admits that that there is no way around benefiting the wealthy if you want to encourage investment. And then this sentence:
"But there is no excuse for failing to conduct rigorous oversight of and increase resources to education ... which in the long run will result in ... greater equality."
Okay, he tied it back into equality, but how did he suddenly switch from tax cuts and investing and unions to education in the middle of the same paragraph? Where did this out-of-the-blue accusation come from that someone isn't overseeing and funding education? I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with that accusation, just pointing out that it's completely out of place in any kind of logical or narrative flow.

And so goes this story so far. I'll keep at it and hope the writing and presentation of ideas tightens up. Maybe his publisher paid him by the word...

Average customer rating:

Captivating
Twilight Book Series
Incredible, astounding, breathtaking, dazzling... absolutely MAGICAL.
Author should condense Twilight, New Moon & Eclipse into one book
Not Bad But . . .

New Moon (Twilight, Book 2)
Stephenie Meyer
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316160199

Book Description

Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Customer Reviews:

Captivating.......2007-10-17

The Twighlight series is "G" rated for all ages, it is very captivating and well written. I am 33 years old, single mom and I loved it, my son who is 13 is reading it now and he loves it. I have to agree with the rating of New York's Bestseller List...this is a must read trilogy..I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Twilight Book Series.......2007-10-17

I love these books. I can't say enough good things about these books. I'm 24 years old and these books are intended for teens, however, they are a great story for just about anyone - any age. My friends got me started on book one - Twilight. I was hooked. I read the book in about 5 days. (for me that's a big deal, I'm not really a reader) Book two, New Moon, took me a little longer. After falling in love with the characters in book one, they go through some terrible times in book two. This book two, New Moon, pulls at all of your heart strings. I could really feel all the pain and suffering these characters were going through.

If you like love stories, if you like action, if you like comedy, and if you like vampires and werewolves - These are the books for you. Most people push the book away when they hear me speak about vampires and werewolves - don't. I know people who want nothing to do with vampires and werewolves - but LOVE these books.

Trust me, they're addicting.=)
Thanks Stephanie Meyer!

Incredible, astounding, breathtaking, dazzling... absolutely MAGICAL. .......2007-10-16

There aren't enough words to describe the impact this book has on a person. It was every bit as sensational as Twilight. I must warn you before you begin reading this book that Eclipse (the next book in the series) won't be coming out until 2007. After reading the last page you'll understand my warning. If I had one wish in the world it would be that Stephenie Meyer published Eclipse tomorrow. I know most people feel the same way because I have yet to find a person who hasn't enjoyed this series as much as I have. This book, like Twilight is extremely unique. It is very hard to explain the way you feel while reading, I can only say that it allows you to comprehend every aspect of human emotion. I can say the same thing for very few books, if I had to describe New Moon in a sentence I would have to say... Painful to put down and utterly heartbreaking to finish. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it. While I'm near the end, I'm reading it at a rapid pace because it's so addictive. There is something about his books that bring you in and get you hooked. and I'm loving this one.

Author should condense Twilight, New Moon & Eclipse into one book.......2007-10-15

Twilight made me crave more. So, I purchased New Moon. Much to my dismay the wording is extremely flowery. I wish Ms. Meyer would just say exactly what she wants to say straight to the point and not repeat the same old stuff over and over again. Honestly, there's a lot of pages though it doesn't say much. I think it could have been very easily condensed into one book with Twilight and Eclipse.

Not Bad But . . ........2007-10-15

While I was reading this book, I liked it, until I got done with it and realized how much I didn't care for the subject matter. If you're into fantasy (which I'm not) and vampire romance, then you'll love this. Otherwise, you'll be caught up in the action, and realize in the end that you fell for the hype.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Very entertaining, but....
AWESOME!
Just... not very good.
Great
The descent into hell is easy

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments)
Cassandra Clare
Manufacturer: Margaret K. McElderry
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1416914285

Book Description

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Customer Reviews:

Very entertaining, but...........2007-10-10

The book was entertaining, the characters were fun, the plot was twisty enough to warrant the page count, and the setting was gritty and fantastic at the same time. She also plays with themes a lot: I noticed homages to Star Wars, Buffy, Harry Potter and the Evil Overlord List to name a few. For the most part these were homages and not ripoffs, and added to the story.

You may know she made a name for herself before this writing Harry Potter fanfiction, and if you've read her work, you might notice that a few things from it made it into this book. I don't know if she included them in her fanfiction as guerilla advertising or what, but as they're good bits and they account for about three of the five hundred pages, it isn't really a problem- it just jumped out at me as I read.

Good book, very entertaining overall.

AWESOME!.......2007-10-06

This book was great! I have a hard time finding things that I really enjoyed reading but this is second only to the Twilight series. Loved it!

Just... not very good........2007-10-04

I think the problem with this book is that it's like looking at every movie or tv show about teens and the supernatural for the last twenty some odd years. It's loaded with cliches and wise cracks, and if it seems like you've read or seen a story like this before, you probably have.

Teen vampire stories tend to be fairly similar anyway - you can't call the monsters vampires or werewolves unless they follow certain conventions, but this book wasn't even interesting. It's dull. You'll figure out the story long before the characters do, and by the time they catch a clue, you'll be tearing your eyes out from the purply prose.

But I would have tossed it two or three stars just because I do like teens battling demons.... except that it was so poorly edited. Characters described completely different, subplots that went nowhere... Either the publisher didn't care or the author... but someone sure didn't.

Skip it unless you can buy it cheap.

Great.......2007-09-21

My friend and I read this book and both loved it. It was hilarious and a really lovely book. There are many books with duller plots/beginnings, so why is everyone moaning and crying about that? Oh well, I totally recommend this book to everyone.

The descent into hell is easy.......2007-08-21

Things go afoot at the Pandemonium all ages nightclub in Brooklyn for young Clary Fray (15) and her best friend Simon. First, Clary sees a young blue haired boy follow a slim, dark haired girl into a room, then she sees them pursued by two young men, one of whom is carrying a knife. Clary points this out to Simon who alerts a bouncer, but when she sees a dreadful crime committed that no one else can see she begins to wonder what is behind it all. Who are these runic tattooed, attractive young people, and why does the one who resemble a lion treat her so mockingly?

The three turn out to be in an elite group of humans called Shadowhunters, or demon hunters, in "Mundie" terms. Alec and Isabelle Lightwood are beautiful dark haired siblings while Jace, the tall leonine one, is an orphan. After Clary is attacked by a Ravener Demon and poisoned Jace takes her back to the Institute, that is the head of the Shadowhunters realm in the land of Idris, where she can recover from her near fatal wounds.

Clary meets Hodge, the elder tutor of the three, and he begins to unravel the tale of the Shadowhunters and their greatest enemy, Valentine, a former Shadowhunter. He decides to let her in on their history after realizing that her mother has gone missing mysteriously and, based on the information Jace has supplied about Clary being able to see demons, Hodge suspect that she has Shadowhunter blood in her. The Shadowhunters are run by a group of lawmakers called the Clave, who hand down punishments for those who flaunt the laws set up between the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders, otherwise known as the Fey, demons and faeries and what not. Valentine was the greatest source of unrest within the world of Idris, believing that the entirety of the Fey should be killed to leave the world pure for humans. He was not approved of in this quest and he decided to take out the means of turning other humans into Shadowhunters- the Mortal Cup- by setting fire to it, his family, and himself. Now, years later, someone is invoking his name again and the world of Idris and all the Shadowhunters know, is in the gravest peril at this new threat. But how does Clary's past connect with Valentine, a man who wants to purify the world of all non-humans, and why is she getting drawn into their war?

I was so impressed by the first of Clare's urban fantasy series that I started the article in Wikipedia about it. All I can say is wow... and then shake my head and say wow again... This was such a compelling read, dark and rich with vivid textures and description. The characters are real and edgy and the plot twists are original, unexpected, and complex. Clare is the queen of setting literary bombs that explode and astound unexpectedly throughtout the books. Amazingly done. I found myself thoroughly drawn into the lush world that Clare has created. I will be reading "City of Ashes" when it is published in 2008. I have to know what happens next.

Average customer rating:

The wrong message
Read this book
Life As We Knew It
Well....
Great look at that thoughts of a young person in criss

Life As We Knew It
Susan Beth Pfeffer
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152058265

Amazon.com

It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

Veteran author Susan Beth Pfeffer, who penned the young adult classic The Year Without Michael over twenty years ago, makes a stunning comeback with this haunting book that documents one adolescent's journey from self-absorbed child to selfless young woman. Teen readers won't soon forget this intimate story of survival and its subtle message about the treasuring the things that matter most—-family, friendship, and hope.--Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

Customer Reviews:

The wrong message.......2007-09-27

What should you do if a sudden natural disaster - an asteroid hitting the moon - causes tsunamis to drown both coasts, destroying our electrical and communications grid, and provoking new volcanic eruptions that obscure the sun? Should you band together with others to distribute available food and fuel to the needy and find alternative ways to grow food? Not in this book, at least. Here the heroine mom thinks to clean out the food stores before anyone else realizes the extent of the disaster. She retreats to her home with her wood stove and denies food from her well-stocked pantry to anyone other than her immediate family. While she thinks the country's president, who has been evacuated from the flooded Washington D.C. to his "Texas ranch" (wink, wink), is an "evil jerk," she hunkers down in her home waiting to be bailed out by the government that he heads; failing that, she will starve, or die of disease. If this happens to you, make sure to be entirely selfish while you're waiting for government handouts (while simultaneously despising the hand that feeds you). What sort of message is this for teens, or anyone else?

Read this book.......2007-08-25

I am an adult who sometimes reads good young adult fiction. But only when it is outstanding do I reread the same book. I have read this book twice even though I only have had it since June.

Parts of this reminded me of Anne Frank's diary. The last section reminded me of what Anne would have written had she been able to keep writing in her diary until later on. But the ending of "Life as We Knew It" is a more hopeful one.

It is the story of an ordinary family and how they showed extraordinary courage.

It is a story about growing from self centeredness to maturity, from girl to young woman, and a story of becoming strong and how being compassionate is a way of being strong: perhaps the best way.

The story had a reality to it: I could almost believe that it was truly happening.

Then I thought about how there may be families in various parts of the world who are struggling for survival: due to war, or drought, or disasters, and realized: that it IS happening. And that we need to show kindness and reach out to each other.

And like other readers, yes I went to the supermarket and stocked up on canned food. (:

I look forward to the sequel, "The Dead & the Gone", and hope that it continues the story beyond the time frame of "Life as We Knew It" because there are some questions:
Was the flow of food temporary, and are people still going to starve?
Will normal life really return in May, as the President promised?
If the volcanoes were continuing, how can there be any hope for life on earth: won't people still not be able to grow food, or are they using the Texas oil reserves to grow food in greenhouses? Are there areas, such as near the equator,but inland, where the normal climate is hot enough that agriculture can continue? I hope though that this sequel will have different things to say than "Life as we Knew It", or else there will be no point in HAVING a sequel: there are so many series, such as "The Shadow Children" series by Haddix, where the first book was great, yet then she stretched it out to more and more books that did not have the same power or freshness.

In "Life as We Knew It", the author has built a world that I CARED about and wanted to hear more about.

If you are interested in what if books about the future, or even just in books about courage and survival, read this.

Life As We Knew It.......2007-08-15

I am so glad that I read this book. It was a real eye opener, about what life could really be like. It makes me realize how many things I have... the option to go to school, to walk down to the store and buy a Snickers bar, and even being able to leave my house and get some fresh air. Not to mention the internet and TV and the radio... all good things that I can't really imagine living without. But this book lets me see what a sad life it would be without these simple luxuries.

I cried almost nonstop towards the end- although some of it might have been PMS. Still, this book was fantastic. I probably wouldn't read it again, but it was definitely something I'd recommend to others.

Well...........2007-08-14

What do you say about reading possibly one of the most depressing books of all time? I was very intrigued to read this, but at so many points it was very hard to turn the pages. Of course, I was amazed at what Miranda and her family proved themselves to be capable of, following what could have possibly been "the end" -- of everything. There is a point in the story where Miranda (bear in mind she is like 16) is completely on her own, forced to do everything in her power -- including forgoing sleep and food -- to keep her family alive through the night (and for several days afterward). As you read, you begin to rejoice in the small miracles that occur, such as their very heartwarming Christmas celebration, a long awaited phone call or letter, the treat of eating a "real" dinner, or the return of their beloved cat, Horton. I think that it is very true that people surprise themselves with how they find ways to adapt and triumph over adversity -- and in this case, worldwide catastrophe.

Great look at that thoughts of a young person in criss.......2007-08-08

Life As We Knew It I believe was intended to be a book for young readers. However, the point of view of a girl keeping a diary to record her thoughts, hopes and fears has great meaning for all of us. This book I think should be required reading for students and adults alike. The way the author keeps you hooked by keeping the reader guessing on what will happen next is very rewarding. Instead of keeping the reader updated with what is going on in the rest of the world like in most disaster (end of the world) books the author keeps you focused emotional on one family and their stuggle to stay alive.
The ending is open but gives us hope that everything might just turn out ok.

Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory

Average customer rating:

Interesting and frightening read
The U.S. Government exposed...again.
Worth your time!
Hurricane Bob, Hurricane Katrina = Government Keystone Cops
Lab 257

Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory
Michael C. Carroll
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060011416
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Amazon.com

That the United States government engaged in dangerous biological research during World War II will come as no surprise to Americans jaded by revelations of secret medical experiments and radiation exposures. But that the accident-plagued facility where it happened--and continues to happen--is just off the coast of Long Island may alarm many readers of Michael Christopher Carroll's Lab 257. Carroll, an attorney by trade, gamely takes on complex microbiology and shady government record-keeping in telling the story of Plum Island, home of the Animal Disease Center--no place for a casual picnic. The lab, initially set up by the Army to research ways of destroying Soviet farm animals (and to keep them from destroying ours), has often dealt with bacteria and viruses that can be passed from animals to humans. Carroll draws compelling causal links between Plum Island and the introduction of Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and duck enteritis, all non-native germs that wreaked sudden havoc in North America, and all germs that Plum Island scientists were allegedly working with. With hurricanes and terrorists on his mind, Carroll asks readers to imagine a scenario in which the Plum Island lab might release pathogens into the most densely populated area in the country. He ends the book with two chilling questions. First, does the United States need a research facility that investigates animal pathogens with potential for human transmission? Second, considering that Plum Island never had a particularly good safety record, is it the right place for such a facility? Lab 257, while occasionally veering into unsupported speculation, introduces key questions to the debate on biological security in the 21st century. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Nestled near the Hamptons, the fashionable summer playground of America's rich and famous, and in the shadow of New York City, lies an unimposing 840-acre island unidentified on most maps. On the few on which it can be found, Plum Island is marked red or yellow, and stamped U.S. government—restricted or dangerous animal diseases. Though many people live the good life within a scant mile or two from its shores, few know the name of this pork chop-shaped island. Even fewer can say whether it is inhabited, or why it doesn't exist on the map. That's all about to change.

Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory blows the lid off the stunning true nature and checkered history of Plum Island. It shows that the seemingly bucolic island on the edge of the largest population center in the United States is a ticking biological time bomb that none of us can safely ignore.

Based on innumerable declassified government documents, scores of in-depth interviews, and access to Plum Island itself, this is an eye-opening, suspenseful account of a federal government germ laboratory gone terribly wrong. For the first time, Lab 257 takes you deep inside this secret world and presents startling revelations including virus outbreaks, biological meltdowns, infected workers who were denied assistance in diagnosis by Plum Island brass, the periodic flushing of contaminated raw sewage into area waters, and the insidious connections between Plum Island, Lyme disease, and the deadly 1999 West Nile virus outbreak.

An exploration of the complex world of microbiology, viruses, and bacteria, Lab 257 also shows how the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which ran Plum Island for the last half century, is far more than wholesome grade-A eggs and the food pyramid. The book probes what's in store for Plum Island's new owner, the Department of Homeland Security, in this age of bioterrorism. And for those interested in questions of national security and safety, it is a call to action for those concerned with protecting present and future generations from preventable biological catastrophes.

Lab 257 will change forever our current understanding of Plum Island -- a place that is, in the words of one insider, "a biological Three Mile Island."

Customer Reviews:

Interesting and frightening read.......2007-04-11

I picked up this book on a whim because I love the conspiracy theory-type books about all the shady government projects. As it turns out, this book really disturbed me.

Carroll, an attorney, wrote this book over the course of seven years, during which he requested government documents under the FOIA, conducted interviews with current and former employees of Plum Island, researched the connection to US-harbored Nazi scientists, and the inevitable decline of lab conditions under the new American trend of "privatization". Carroll visited the island himself before his access was pulled; he never states exactly why this happened. The book outlines the creation of the labs, how and why the island location was chosen (prevailing winds blow out to sea rather than inland, or so they said at the time), how it went from the US Army's jurisdiction to the USDA, and from there how the program went into a long, slow decline in standards, safety, and hazards. The chapter on the hurricane was terrifying in itself - you can feel the terror the maintenance workers must have felt knowing how helpless they were to prevent a potential "biological meltdown".

The book brings up some interesting potential connections between the labs on Pulm island and the relatively sudden appearance of Lyme disease and West Nile virus. Even if the research into animal diseases is the absolute truth, you still can't help but feel incredibly suspicious that the highest concentration of both Lyme and West Nile began in and around Connecticut and Long Island - the closest points of civilian population to Plum Island. Couple that with the discussion of bird migration and mosquito infestations, and you're inspired to do further reading on your own to uncover more of the truth - you can't take anything at face value, but any time the US government is involved on this large of a scale, healthy skepticism of government denials is required.

For those who wonder if we aren't already seeing "bioterror" attacks in the form of salmonella and e. coli attacks on our food manufacturing facilities and mad cow disease ravaging British livestock, this book is a must read on the programs that Richard Nixon supposedly ended in 1972.

The U.S. Government exposed...again........2006-12-13

I don't know about most American's, but I for one am fed up with the insane amount of government corruption. Every day there is something new discovered, or admitted by the government that shows how the principle that one's government should benefit them and protect them before anything else is falling apart. Lab 257 exposes the truth about some of the nation's greatest mysteries, including the outbreak of both Lyme disease and the West Nile virus, both unseen in the United States until after Plum Island's research on the substances, both originating in the area immediately surrounding the island. Carroll ultimately allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the Biological Time Bomb known as Plum Island, but as for me, it is quite obvious that the American government is not always working for its people. The sad truth, the harsh truth, must be known; reading this book is essentially to destroying the ignorance so prevalent in the mass society we live in, the ignorance towards politics and just what exactly is going on in terms of biological research. The greatest threat to America is not from Islamic terrorists, but from its own government's lack of care for the most dangerous of situations. Plum Island is one startling example of such blatant disregard, and Lab 257 ingeniously exposes the true nature of its past, present, and frightening future.

Worth your time!.......2006-08-08

Quick read that will really make you question your government. While the intentions were good in the beginning..it just goes to show what happens when we get lazy about certain things (security) and start neglecting important details.

This one will have you scratching your head about the intelligence of our government. I only wonder if this would happen in a post 9-11 America.

Hurricane Bob, Hurricane Katrina = Government Keystone Cops.......2006-03-14

Read and become informed of an enemy within, your? government's arrogance coupled with incompetence. But they did stay at a Holiday Inn Express! With leaders like these who needs enemies? Plum Island brings on the West Nile virus, Lyme disease & many more. Yes, the point of origin, Plum Island USA, a biological laboratory doing dangerous germ/bacterial warfare expermintation. Your tax dollars are killing you! Surprize, Surprise! Well researched by an author who lived it for more than 5 years before publishing. The mainsteam press won't touch this! Its simply too true. Off limits for public consumption. You be the judge.

Lab 257.......2006-03-01

Carroll has done his homework - he documents all the chilling incidents in the history of this "lab of terror." His speculations on the origins of Lyme Disease are thought-provoking, too. A good read with a lot of detail.

Duck for President (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))

Average customer rating:

Elections explained in fun way
They dynamic duo strikes again
A fun look at the electorial process.
Geatest Book Ever!
Duck For President

Duck for President (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))
Doreen Cronin
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689863772
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Book Description

My fellow Americans:

It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land.

Some say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he is a duck.

We say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America.

Thank you for your vote.

Customer Reviews:

Elections explained in fun way.......2007-09-30

I loved this book. Ordered it for a school project for young children; then ordered more for others. I liked that it includes that the farm animals have to be registered to vote, they have to meet criteria, they fight for their rights. Includes a lot of info in a fun way.

They dynamic duo strikes again.......2007-08-05

You had me at "Click Clack Moo" and my son still breaks down into hysterical gut busting laughter every single time he reads "Giggle Giggle Quack".

Imagine my surprise when I hear my husband laughing hysterically while reading my son a story. I said what is going on and he says "It Duck!" He could not even hold it together to give me the gist of the story. It was entertaining and educational (sneaking in a little social studies).

Thank you for creating a wonderful family experience. Also now, my son wants to run for president so he can get out of chores.

But we have to save that five star for Giggle Giggle Quack.

A fun look at the electorial process........2007-06-05

I liked Click, Clack, Moo and Giggle, Giggle, Quack. This one hasn't really grown on me.

It starts with duck not liking his chores of mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage, and grinding coffee. He decides Farmer Brown is wrong and holds an election. He wins and learns running a farm is tough. Time to be Governor! He wins and learns it's hard work. Time to be President! Which he wins and learns its the toughest job of all. Time to retire and right the autobiography.

There are humor spots as this is an attempt to make fun of the electoral process. It's done in a good way and it makes references to past Presidents. I particularly liked the JFK pose.

Overall it's a good book. My daughter likes it and that's what counts!

Geatest Book Ever!.......2007-03-29

This book was an enjoyable book.This book teaches me that you can do what you have always wanted.The book teaches us how is important to vote in these days.Will I want you to read this funny book!
By,
David Trevino

Duck For President.......2007-02-21

This is a fun and enjoyable children's book. The book's humor makes it interesting and funny. Duck for President can teach about how fun the electoral process can be.
It is an educational storybook for kids. It includes duck campaigning, winning over voters, and being elected. The book is silly because it is so unreal. A duck on a farm becomes the president of the United States of America. Duck for President teaches you to never give up and to follow your dreams. Duck made a good campaign, studied his opponent, and came away with the win.
This is a fun and enjoyable book that teaches you a lot about the electoral process. It is very silly and teaches you a lesson about how to follow your dreams. It will be a quick read that could give you some laughs.

The Universe Is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story

Average customer rating:

The Universe is a Green Dragon
A Unique Perspective.
Cosmic Creation From A New Perspective
The Universe is a Green Dragon
Undiscriminating mix of fact and fancy, patronizing tone

The Universe Is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story
Brian Swimme
Manufacturer: Bear & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0939680149
Release Date: 1984-06-01

Book Description

Communicating his ideas in the form of a classical dialogue between a youth and a wise elder, cosmologist Brian Swimme crafts a fascinating exploration into the creativity suffusing the universe. His explication of the fundamental powers of the cosmos is mystical and ecstatic and points directly to the need to activate oneâ€™s own creative powers.

Customer Reviews:

The Universe is a Green Dragon.......2007-09-30

I am not a scientist, but a college science student. I am also passionate about my sprirtuality. This is a wonderful book. Remembering that all spritual and religious language is peotic metaphor, this book only affirms my understanding of the divine loving nature of the Trinity and Jesus, the Christ. If you are a fundamentalist "Christian" (I think those terms are mutually exclusive) or an atheist, you will not like this book. If you love God passionately and believe that He is much bigger than you are, then you should enjoy the insights that Dr. Swimme presents.

A Unique Perspective........2007-08-23

Although I am a Christian, I found many points brought up in this book to be well worth consideration. I assume that a person devoted to this particular sect would find more in common, but on any front, it is a read worth a small amount of consideration.

Cosmic Creation From A New Perspective.......2006-11-10

A very well written and thought provoking look at something a lot of people have probably felt in their gutyet weren't quite sure how to quantify and elucidate.

The Universe is a Green Dragon.......2004-01-13

Thanks for getting the book out so quick!

Undiscriminating mix of fact and fancy, patronizing tone.......2003-07-25

I am a scientist, and I do appreciate and feel the vastness and beauty of the universe, and the elegance of biological evolution. But I don't think Swimme's romanticizing of science, cosmology, and particle physics is going to lead us to build a better society or better individual lives. Educated people have already tried making a god of science in this culture, I presume because of the seeming miracles it has performed, and the result has been people with empty spiritual lives and a desperate need to fill the void with stuff - food, things, travel - anything to avoid facing the sense of meaninglessness they get when they feel like tiny insignificant cogs in a vast machine. It doesn't really matter whether the machine is the military/industrial complex or the universe, in terms of its effect on the human spirit. Granted, the current state of much organized religion is not ideal, but I don't think Swimme's approach is going to have any better results. There are many alternative approaches between religious fundmentalism on one pole and an exclusive devotion to matter on the other.
This particular book is also painful to read, due to its patronizing tone and the way science is mixed with the subjective speculations and opinions of the author. There is a lack of respect for logic or fact in this book, which is surprising considering its topic and the author's credentials. Swimme is misusing the hard-won authority of science, which has performed its seeming miracles by a rigorous attention to observable facts. He owes it to his trusting readers (note the many 5-star reviews at this site) to distinguish clearly between the facts and his interpretations. There is a lack of intellectual humility here, which ironically mirrors his complaint of inappropriate human grandiosity in relation to nature.

Hidden Files: Law Enforcement's True Case Stories of the Unexplained and Paranormal

Average customer rating:

Good read.
In Law Enforcement's Own Words....
Just Blah
Hidden Files, REVEALED !
Outstandingly interesting

Hidden Files: Law Enforcement's True Case Stories of the Unexplained and Paranormal
Sue Kovach
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0809231212

Amazon.com

Ghosts, UFOs, and other reports of paranormal phenomena often test the bounds of credibility, but can such reports be easily dismissed when the witness is an officer of the law trained to make calm, detailed observations under the most stressful situations? In Hidden Files Sue Kovach presents some of law enforcement's most intriguing (and often repressed) files from around the United States. For example, while looking for a woman and her son, Deputy Rich Strasser believes he was guided by the spirit of the deceased mother to find the wreckage of her car and her young son still alive inside it. Officer Ron Chancey recounts being chased by a boomerang-shaped flying object in Florida. And Brian Gosselin shares his encounter with a Sasquatch-type creature in Washington county, New York. These strange reports by respected police officers rival anything on television's X-Files, because they're not works of fiction, but events that actually occurred on the streets of America.

Book Description

Most of these amazing stories of unexplained events from the files of law enforcement across the U.S. and Canada involve actual police cases, or occurred while an officer was on duty. A few are personal, off-duty experiences. These are thought-provoking and fascinating accounts, supported by credible witnesses. 60 photos.

Customer Reviews:

Good read........2007-09-16

This book reminds me of an author (Sapphire: who wrote the book "Successful Astral Projection to the Space and Universe), because only this author knows how to deal with all these types of ghosts in this book.

Hidden files certainly is a very interesting read.

In Law Enforcement's Own Words...........2007-03-31

When someone says they saw a ghost, it's natural - and in fact encouraged - that they be closely questioned as to the details of the occurence. As someone who's seen a number of apparitions I can say that a number of the things I've seen can be explained away due to factors such as remnant REM images upon waking, etc. Police are trained to ask questions, to note details, to review evidence objectively. So when I read a police officer's report on an unusual event, it naturally carries more weight as to plausibility.

While a couple of the stories were less than completely convincing (at least in terms of there being a 'supernatural' explanation), overall the book was well-written and covered a range of subjects. Although this may "taint" the book, I have to say fans of the X-Files will appreciate Hidden Files. While the X-Files fictionalized basic story elements existing in real accounts of the paranormal, this book recounts actual cases, and as the tired-but-still-accurate phrase goes, "Truth is stranger than fiction."

This was a good read. I bought Hidden Files for the section on ghosts and poltergeists, and although disappointed that there weren't more stories specifically on that topic, I found the book engrossing.

Just Blah.......2006-09-16

I bought this book for about a dollar second hand and paid three or four dollars for shipping. It wasn't worth it. It was dull and uninteresting from beginning to end. I've read owners manuals for appliances that had more kick! If someone gives this book to you for free, it still isn't worth a read.

Hidden Files, REVEALED !.......2004-03-26

Ms. Sue Kovach's "Hidden Files" was a breath of fresh air! I first became VERY interested in this weird, unknown stuff after reading Jerry D. Coleman's "Strange Highways". My concerns about finding another book with actual police testimony and actual research work ended when I read "Hidden Files". It's full of logic which I seek and true investigations that I demand. Great book, great read!

Outstandingly interesting.......2002-06-21

I found out about this book while looking for another book by the author ("Be Alert, Be Aware, Have A Plan")and found it to be extremely interesting. "Hidden Files" is a collection of detailed stories of the unexplained, and is well-written, and very entertaining, but with that added twist of being true
stories from cops from the US and Canada. Definitely definitely recommended for a fast and very enjoyable read.
_____________

Average customer rating:

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery
Escher and imagination
Worlds Above the Rest
I'm a big fan.
fun and imaginative!

Sector 7 (Caldecott Honor Book)

Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395746566

Amazon.com

In another wondrous, wordless picture book by Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner (Tuesday and June 29, 1999), a class visiting the Empire State Building finds complete cloud cover and no visibility. One boy makes friends with a cloud (identifiable in the mists by the red mittens, hat, and scarf and swipes from the boy), and goes AWOL on a wonderful adventure. The cloud whisks him away to the "Sector 7" floating cloud factory, a bizarre sky station that looks like a Victorian design for a submarine.

Hiding behind his new cumulonimbus friend, the boy enters an area resembling Grand Central Station (complete with "Arrivals" and "Departures" boards) and watches officious human types in uniform giving the clouds their weather assignments. When the clouds complain to the boy that their assigned shapes are boring, he, a talented artist, creates new blueprints for them. The stuffy grownups are furious when clouds start emerging in the shape of fantastic fish; they shout at the clouds, tear up the new designs, and escort the boy back to his school group. But the revolt of the clouds is unstoppable now, and in the last few pages the skies over Manhattan suddenly get a lot more interesting. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by David Wiesner. With permission of Clarion Books.) (Ages 2 to 8) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Only the person who gave us Tuesday could have devised this fantastic tale, which begins with a school trip to the Empire State Building. There a boy makes friends with a mischievous little cloud, who whisks him away to the Cloud Dispatch Center for Sector 7 (the region that includes New York City). The clouds are bored with their everyday shapes, so the boy obligingly starts to sketch some new ones. . . . The wordless yet eloquent account of this unparalleled adventure is a funny, touching story about art, friendship, and the weather, as well as a visual tour de force.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery.......2007-09-15

This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

Escher and imagination.......2007-08-05

Flotsam and Freefall were the first two books I explored by David Wiesner. Sector 7 is not to be missed either. Wiesner's style and creativity are wonderful explorations for all humans(and especially children). M.C. Escher has an honored presence in this book, as he does in Freefall. The theme of flying is present here, as in all of Wiesner's books, and the fanciful creative nature of Wiesner's story and illustrations (paintings?) are not to be missed. Second language learners will immediately have something to say (in their own language) about this book. So will everyone else who reads it. Anyone who has taken the time to sit back and enjoy the show clouds put on will appreciate the ideas within this book. Don't hesitate!

Worlds Above the Rest.......2007-05-07

Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York: Clarion Books.

Synopsis: Cloud watching on a lazy day while lying in the grass, is a fun summertime activity for adults and children of all ages. But how are these clouds formed? Who created them? David Wiesner amazes readers once again with another wordless book that tells the incredible adventure of a young boy who goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. The imaginative and creative young boy yearns to express his creativity meanwhile he is approached by a friendly cloud that takes for a tour of Sector 7 where clouds are created for this portion New York City. Sector 7 resembles an old train station with departure and arrival times posted which provide clouds with their assigned locations. The boy encounters clouds that are bored with their usual shapes. With a wild imagination and skilled artistry, he designs inspiring shapes that excite the clouds. When the staff discovers the changes, they are perturbed by the clouds that stray from their usual and regimented routines. The boy is sent back to his class field trip. However there is no undoing the chaos he has created which begins to spread out across Sector 7.

Evaluation: David Wiesner's Caldecott Honor award winning book allows readers to create the text and interpretations within their minds. Wiesner's wordless tale captures your mind with its full page watercolor illustrations and story board formatted frames. The vivid, yet soft watercolor illustrations provide humor combined with elegance. Readers can create their own individual stories based on their personal experiences. The main character is wildly imaginative with a talent for skilled artistry. Wiesner's tale leaves readers wondering if there are depots like Sector 7 where imaginative clouds are created. Educators will find that this tale allows children to create their own words to this magical adventure. It will encourage struggling writers to utilize their imaginations and picture themselves in the boy's position and be able to write a terrific tale of visiting the place where clouds are made. Children ages 6-10 will love this enchanting journey.

I'm a big fan........2007-02-25

I loved the art in this book. A great story told through pictures.

fun and imaginative!.......2006-11-07

My 5 year old loves this book and wants to read it a couple of times a week. He always asks new questions as he points out things he hadn't discovered last time. Even telling this story (since there are no words) changes each time as you(as the reader) will surely discover more things as well.

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