Fiction Literature Books

The Irish elk died out a few millenia ago. Its antlers spanned three meters making it impossible for an Irish Elk to enter a forest to eat or escape a predator. Unfortunately, big antlers were a real turn on for female Irish elks so that sexual selection favoured males with larger antlers, which then grew and grew generation after generation until they became such a burden they drove the Irish elk to extinction.

Kurt Vonnegut's tongue-in-cheek premise is that, from evolution's point of view, our big brains are as useless and dangerous to the human race as antlers were to the Irish elk.

Our big brains help us attract mates and earn a living but they are a expensive drain on our resources: a third of the oxygen we breathe and of the calories we burn are used by the grey matter within our skull. Further, big brains make us do really stupid things (again from the point of view of the human race) like inventing nuclear bombs and other ways of killing ourselves off. One million years from now, in the novel, the members of human race have smaller brains and according to Vonnegut are all the happier for it.

The premise and development are interesting and Vonnegut really gets what evolution is all about and he understands how random contingency has a deep effect on history.

I can't quite agree with Vonnegut's conclusion that we would be better off without our big brains. It's not that he missed something in his analysis of the disadvantages of big brains, but rather without these brains we wouldn't be humans. Our fictional descendants a million years from now may be "happier" than we are, but they aren't human anymore, so who cares?

A fascinating read and an excellent illustration of how contingency and randomness shape history.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

This was the first Vonnegut book I've ever read.

The story is told from a very strangle angle, which sort of releases bits of plot information in passing, slowly, like pieces of a puzzle until the whole picture comes into focus. I must admit, for the first 150 pages or so, I couldn't stand this style. It just seemed very unnatural and awkward.

However, Vonnegut's biting social commentary and obvious metaphors were like nuggets of gold sprinkled throughout.

When the story was complete, I was impressed by his ability to construct it in such a complex manner. The ending left a bit to be desired and seemed disorganized.

3/5, but I will certainly read more Vonnegut books from this point forward.

it's very well written, and pretty interesting
but it is an odd plot
i liked it, but i wouldn't read it twice

It was a challenge to stay interested. the first two thirds of the book were all over the place. one chapter he would build on characters/plot and the next he would talk about something completely irrelevant to the story. i've read many of his other books and they all were amazing. this one didn't feel like a story to me.

When reading Vonnegut, I find myself rethinking subjects I pass over in day-to-day life without a second thought. It makes me feel enlightened, like I have some unique perspective on the world. In reality, the only credit I deserve is for my choice of reading material. Vonnegut so effectively carries his reader to a different point from which to view the world that you barely notice that you didn't get there yourself. What could be a greater testament to an author than that?

All of Vonnegut's novels accomplish the same feat, but this one does it more, or better. As this book wound down, I became sad - not because I didn't want the story to end, but because I didn't want the feeling of seeing the world from a unique place to end. Fortunately, once you put the book down, a lot of that new perspective stays with you.

This is a great book for anyone who wants to see the world in ways they haven't before. Very highly recommended.

Bohner and Grant's collection has a wonderful assortment of stories, both classic and contemporary. There are some great traditional stories from the masters of the literary canon, like Poe and Faulkner, but also unique and hard-to-find stories often excluded from introductory anthologies, such as "Memento Mori," "Not a Good Girl," and "Patriotism." There's a nice section on literature into film, too.

I've been impressed with this short fiction collection since way back in my undergrad days when the fourth edition was used in one of my classes. Now that I'm teaching college myself, I actually use the sixth edition in my introduction to literature class. The selection of stories is quite good - the book includes a good selection of American, British, and multicultural authors, multiple genres, and some in-depth background on some of the stories and authors. The introductory material on fiction is excellent, and the brief overview in the back of the book on criticism styles is accessible for a wide audience. Overall, my students enjoyed the stories that appeared in this collection, and I would definitely use it again.

Although the selection of short stories in this anthology is excellent, presenting an array of some of the best classic and contemporary pieces of the genre, the number of typographical errors are INEXCUSABLE. This is the anthology I purchased for a short fiction class this past fall, and as a class we were increasingly astounded by each additional typo we confronted. In about half of the stories we read, we encountered at least one, and in some we noticed more than one, which was really distracting. In Conan Doyle's Red Headed League, for instance, Holmes "THOUGH as much" (as opposed to thought), and on the very next page, he "only wished to ask WHO he would get to the Strand" (as opposed to how). The fact that there was a misprint in my favorite story of those that we read - James Joyce's Araby--was the last straw for me. My professor encouraged us to write or e-mail the editors and complain, and one student did, only to receive an e-mail which defended them and declared that the errors don't really alter the content or overall effect of the stories. Ironically, instead of the monetary compensation my fellow student(unsurprisingly)requested, the person she contacted offered to send her a free book on English writing and usage. We all told her she should send an e-mail back to them, telling them to keep the book because the editors obviously needed it more than her.

It really is disgraceful, though. How could the editors possibly think that stupid errors like this don't crucially alter the story's effect on the reader? This is not the case. It is distracting and irritating, and destroys the effect for me. I can't imagine that James Joyce would have agreed with the comment that errors like this don't really damage the story. Every author whose story was massacred by these editors would shudder that their works of art were destroyed by carelessness. Isn't the editor's job to make positively sure these kinds of errors are not there? It's really hard to believe. I've never EVER encountered typographical errors in books I've read for school, and very few in the ones I have found mistakes in. Certainly no more than two! Don't buy this anthology...maybe wait for the next edition-- hopefully they will proofread a little more accurately. If the editors happen to read this-- please, this is one disappointed student who doesn't want monetary compensation--I just want another book, and I want it to be perfect!

I loved F451 by Bradbury and wanted to read more of his work. Being a huge sci-fi buff, I figured "The Martian Chronicles" would be a great place to start. The book is definitely well worth the read, and its effects are surprising.

I have to admit that I had trouble with the story at first. Because of the lack of knowledge on the "Red Planet" when the story was written, I had to forget quite a bit of facts (I'm 25). Luckily enough, the story grabs you and keeps you turning pages so that facts don't matter. The book also has an almost romantic quality in its depiction of the future. For example, in 2030+ there are malt shops, soda fountain shops and people still use wired telephones (no cell phones or wireless homephones).

The dialogue is also what you'd expect from a 40's and 50's movie. Again, its sort of romantic. I have to admit tho, this book brought with it an amazing array of emotions... Bradbury is one of the few who was actually able to make me laugh out loud (a spectacle to my co-workers). The authors talent also inspires other emotions in the reader.

Like F451, "The Martian Chronicles" has a message for and about humanity, albeit a different message. I'll never regret reading this book, and I bet you won't either.

I read the Martian Chronicles growing up in the early 70's. Bradbury was on of my favorite authors. The book does not disappoint if you love Sci Fi. I purchased this book for my 18 yr old son. He couldnt put the book down and read it through in 3 days. Very unsual for him to stick with a book like that. He raved about the book and is asking for Bradbury's other works.

Not sure how this qualifies as sci-fi. A collection of short stories, criticism of the government, wars, racism, relation with foreign creatures. Ghost stories, horror, and everything but science. Of course, I'm writing this on the 50th anniversary of NASA, and some of the stories in this book outdate that by 10 years. Worth looking into, but not for everyone. If there is any science, it's the ugly side (atom bombs, etc).

I think I must agree with the reviews in the section that refuse to simply lable this book as "Science Fiction." Truly, this is one of the most fantastic books connected with science fiction ideas I have ever read and is indeed, or should be, classic literature. Ray Bradbury is an amazing writer who uses typical elements of sci-fi to discuss timeless human themes--While at first glance this book may seem to be nothing but a collection of vaguely related stories it is really about the humans who leave their home world in order to escape its pending distruction and yet can never really separate themselves. It is also about the nature of humans to crave adventure and a new, untamed world. Instead of the Old West, we have Mars.

Every single story can stand well enough in its own right, and that is part of the appeal for me. It is a loose chronology of the colonization of Mars, from a few unsuccessful original missions to the humans completely devoted to making Mars their and their posterity's true home. Some are sad, some are hilariously funny, some are terrifying, but each one makes you think and that is the genius of Ray Bradbury.

However, the real magic came when the stories were bound together in the volume known as "The Martian Chronicles." Through reoccuring characters and places and those that maybe only pop up once we see a multi-century journey of humans in a new world just as we have seen this journey on our own planet for eons.

Ray Bradbury is a timeless author. His storytelling borders on poetic. The Martian Chronicles was the first book of his I had ever read. After 15 years I just completed my second reading and am no less moved by his work.

A lot is accomplished in this short work of science fiction and fantasy. Its opening chapters center around Earthmen attempting to land on Mars and communicate with its not so welcoming inhabitants. As the book progresses war on Earth makes Mars either a refuge or an asylum, depending upon one's point of view. The final chapter of this book is particularly moving. The final page, the final few paragraphs send shivers down my spine and cause me to pause in wonder.

As an added side note, there is one chapter titled Usher II and involves a man who constructs a house replete with images and scenes from Edgar Alan Poe's stories. This is just an added bonus to us Poe fans.

I do recommend this to anyone, especially as an introduction to Bradbury's work. While not hardcore science fiction, it definitely has many similar elements that make the genre so compelling.

Oh my word. I don't know what most reviewers are talking about. Tis is a true gift to readers who're interested in the author's life. Angela's Ashes had more poetry while Tis has more modern day cynicism being caged to a life imposes. In transparent words, this is the book where McCourt grows up in the USA. It's about his odd and awkward days of longing for women and wondering why he was the odd one out, about days when he wanted to be disconnected from his family and despite not being poor, the author finds himself in another predicament of missing Limerick, Ireland.

Frank McCourt is my favourite author. I don't know about writing styles because I've never read many books but Tis truly broke my heart a few times and it made me laugh out loud atleast six times. In my opinion, it is a bit criminal to say that this book is better than Angela's Ashes but I must admit I enjoyed reading this even more.

Do me a favour and ignore all the negative reviews. Arm chair critics wouldn't know better.

I thought Tis was a better read than Angela's Ashes. Being an American born in 1970, I can not relate to Ireland circa 1925 (it was apparently an awful place - move on). However, I found McCourt's historical accounts of WWII America to be fascinating reading. Americans were so openly racist back then toward every group imaginable. If anyone can claim a reason for America's greatness, it's her ability to change for the better, although Iraq is a bad example. But then again, GW Bush actually lost those two elections, so we tried. I suppose there will always be material for books, like Tis, about ugly Americans who despite themselves turn out to have functioning hearts. A sincere thank you, Frank.

I ordered this book USED/GOOD CONDITION. It came in Very good condition. I was very pleased and will not hesitate to order a used book again.

This book was great and was definitely more light-hearted than Angela's Ashes. You don't need to have read his first book (Angela's Ashes) to enjoy this part of his memoir; in fact reading the first book made me enjoy this one less simply because there was just no way for it to compare to the first.

Frank McCourt wrote "'Tis" as an obvious follow-up after the success of "Angela's Ashes". This second memoir is less visceral and dramatic, perhaps because it does not deal with memories of a childhood in poverty. Nevertheless, it is still engrossing and emotionally moving, full of humor and sadness, revealing the deep family feelings and the individual self of the author.

Starting with his arrival in New York City at the age of 19, McCourt describes his first shocking experience with the priest at the hotel (I could not stop laughing, although, sadly, this is not something to be taken lightly), which led to his first janitorial job in a hotel lobby. His struggle for money to sustain himself and send enough to his mother in Limerick led him to work at the docks, where he met a plethora of people and started experiencing the true New York diversity. In his pursuit of education, he discovered the library, but could not even imagine a way to get a college degree...until he was drafted to serve in the Korea war.

Never actually sent to Korea, Frank spent his army time in Germany instead, first working with dog training, and then as a clerk. He became a skilled typist, which allowed him to get a clerical job back in New York City. Another benefit of serving in the military was his entitlement to go to the university. Despite his lack of high school diploma and massive inferiority complex, Frank got a degree in English and became a teacher. In college, he met a beautiful girl, Alberta, who later became his wife (perhaps he viewed her as a challenge? A woman epitomizing everything American?). I loved his descriptions of problems with students and the school system, the family perturbations a little less so - but, all in all, "'Tis" is a great book, which reads very well and is hard to put down. I enjoyed it as much as "Angela's Ashes": in a little bit different way, but I did not expect it to be the same - the period of Frank's life here is that of a young man, and he focuses more on his personal development and experience, not so much on his family (which, anyway, is an eternal presence). Is it a typical route an immigrant could follow at that time, or highly personal? I think it is both, in a way...
I like McCourt's language, the flow of his sentences like a story told at the fireplace, his sensitivity and eye to detail. I enjoyed his view of the New York City, too.

I assume will read the third part, "Teacher Man", with equal pleasure and I am looking forward to it.

Everything he writes is so simple and yet so complex. You will just smile for days.

This is a fun book that my daughter and I are reading together. She is 8 and I wanted to teach her some of the Buddhist precepts I find character building. She loves the stories.

Again, I purchased this book for a small friend. I read it first and enjoyed it, but his mother tells me he and his brother also enjoyed the stories.

While many children's books deal with fiction this book speaks of the reality of here and now. It is thought provoking on a child's level teaching spirituality and awareness. My six year old seems to enjoy listening to the stories.

My daughter (2) is a little young for this book yet, but I read it and think it is wonderful for children. If you have children about 6 or older who are having a difficult time or are angry about something, this book would be great. Even if your children are happy though, there are wonderful lessons here for everyone and that can help the world to become a more peaceful place.

Anyone who disputes the validity of Crime and Punishment as one of the greatest novels written is likely not worth their weight in salt when it comes to literary merit. This novel is the perfect story; ideal premise, gripping suspense that carries over into each following chapter, and with a wealth of depth. This is a complex read, and not for your supermarket variety readers. It needs to be read slowly and carefully so that it will be absorbed and appreciated for it's amazing writing. You won't be able to put it down. All in all it is perfectly executed down to the very last line. It is a must read for anyone who truly enjoys great literature.

why this book is dosotoevsky's most popular: it is simply his worst. dostoevsky uses the crime of raskolnikov to attack philosophical principles that were circulating in his day: utilitarianism, philosophical determinism, and the idea of "extraordinary" persons who can transgress established laws, stomp on the innocent, etc. in the name of higher principles.

he sets up his attack of utilitarianism brilliantly but ultimately fails because (spoiler) a) the murder of the innocent and pregnant lizaveta destroys the original parameters and b) he does not take the money and put it towards the greater good. so of course, in the end, his crime is heinous and useless. but had he followed through with his original plan, readers might have instead found themselves in a moral gray area, disputing the morality of what he did.

i have talked to far too many people who read c&p and write off dostoevsky as a consequence. the fact is: he is a brilliant, incredibly talented, funny, and fascinating writer. this book does not quite show that. so - if this is your first round with dostoevsky, i would recommend the brothers karamazov or the idiot as opposed to this one. if you have read c&p, please do not judge dostoevsky based on it. give a guy a chance!

Here I am not going to be quite so bold nor so presumptuous as to think that I have anything new or innovative to say about one of the greatest books ever written, and one of the most critically read and commented on books ever written. I will say that I love this book and all of Dostoevsky's books, and I have read several different translations of this particular book. I found this translation to be very good, but that isn't why I am reviewing this particular book.

Really I wanted to review this edition because I found the critical essays in this edition to invaluable. These essays greatly enhanced my understanding of this book, and greatly enriched my reading experience. I feel after reading these essays and this edition that my experience has been taken to a level that I couldn't have reached on my own. Of course some of the essays were better than others, and a few were really bad (I am sorry that I can't remember which ones here now), but on the other hand the essays by George Gibion for one were excellent. He opened up a whole world of symbolism that I had missed in my own reading. There are essays on structure and plot and many more that are very important for a complete understanding of this book.

As I have said I have read this book a few times, but until I read this edition in conjunction with these essays I did not have nearly as intimate of an understanding as I do now. If you love Dostoevsky and his books, especially Crime and Punishment, then you need to read this book. It is like reading it again for the first time. This book is a must for the Dostoevsky fan.

The Norton edition features the best translation (Coulson) and a *ton* of critical essays and notes on the novel. Even if you don't normally seek out literary criticism, you'll want to after reading Dostoevsky's story of Raskolnikov and his desperate perversion of the Nietzschean "superman" mentality.

Easy to read, packed with practical philosophy and tragedy-as-spectacle, and thoroughly engrossing. Don't miss it.

Just a quick note to point out that if you're gonna read "Crime and Punishment" in English, the Jesse Coulson translation is indisputably the best one published to date.

Avoid at all costs the Garnett translation (as ubiquitous as it is stuffy), and try to keep away from the recently done one, the Pevear and Volokhonsky job (said to be breezy and inaccurate). The Sidney Monas translation (published in the Signet edition) is unimaginative, limp, and lifeless, lacking the oft-remarked vigor of Dostoevsky's prose. No, no: Coulson has never been outdone. Too bad he never did the Brothers K.

The only drawback with the Coulson translation, I must say, is that this guy does inject a lot of British slang, much of which can't be precisely deciphered even with the aid of a good desk dictionary. This is irritating.

However, the clarity and force of his work more than makes up for that shortcoming. He really knows how to make his characters speak differently, his descriptions are vivid and forceful, and the rhythm and dynamism of his prose can really knock you for a loop.

Admittedly, I'm not qualified to state whether all these characteristics were Dostoevsky's own and have merely been faithfully rendered into English by Coulson, or whether Coulson improved upon a stuffy and awkward original, as is perhaps suggested by the plethora of disagreeable translations. All I know is that using this translation will make your descent into Raskolinkov's world much more rewarding and memorable.

I should also note that the Coulson version is the translation employed in the Oxford World's Classics edition, which is also in print and available from Amazon. Naturally, that edition doesn't have all the critical essays the Norton edition has, but its footnotes are far more numerous and superior.

I'm not quite finished this book, and I swore that if I did, I'd be able to join the people giving it 5 stars. But I realized while reading it last night that will never happen so decided to write my review and be done. In one word, this book is extremely frustrating. I love this genre of books, but this one is by far the worst written one of the batch. There are way too many characters, none of which are developed enough to give you a buy in with any of them. And to make matters worse, sometimes in the same paragraph, the author calls them different names, in effect, doubling the names you have to try and keep sorted out. Tripling the frustration is the fact that several of his characters seem to lead double lives, or suffer from multiple personality disorder. There is way too much going on in the storyline to the point where, just like the characters, there is no development of plot for you to buy into. Typos and grammatical errors abound. Codes to this point in the book have made no sense, and I'm a puzzle and code freak. The author will give the answers, but there is no way for the reader to figure out how the code led to the answer. And the big sell code - the one for you to look for throughout the book, is so lame as to be laughable.

I WILL finish the book (if it kills me) because I'm not one to give up part way through. But it will be a tough slog, even with few pages to go. This book does not entice me at all to investigate any other books by this author.

Should a miracle happen and everything in the last few pages sort itself out, I will write a retraction below this review. But I think not. Alas.

I waited quite a while for the price of this book to come down, but it didn't. Not being able talk myself into waiting longer, I bought it at the given rate expecting a real thriller read. I was greatly disappointed. I read only part of the first chapter and put the book in my retreads, those books not worth reading. Poor sentence structure, quite juvinile in fact and no depth to the plot. Don't waste your money like I did.

I'm giving this book four stars based upon what's important-the story and plot, the pacing and the characters. I love action/adventure spy thrillers. Especially when they have realistic details about inner government agency workings, military and weapons and tactics. This novel has all of the above. And for a plot-driven thriller I thought the characters were fleshed out enough for this type of pot-boiler. Since the plot's the thing, I only want to know enough to care when the heroes are in jeopardy. The action scenes were as well written as any, and the chapters short and end on cliffhangers without overdoing it.

You've got Mossad, the NSA, al-Qaeda, the OSI, and a covert ops unit known as SHADO named after the main character, Nick Rossi, whose code name is the Shadow.

I also liked the secret codes hidden the text, which were simple at first and then progressed to complicated ambigrams that required you to go Online to Ambigramgenius.com to decipher. The secret Masonic symbols in Dürer's Death, Knight, Devil engraving were also very interesting.

Yeah, there are some typos, so what? It's a story. I just read a review of Steve Alten's latest thriller The Shell Game and some anal retentive reviewer ignored the complicated killer details, the writing and plot of this 500 page thriller and listed 19 typos as his reason for bashing the novel. Get real people!
Another favorite novelist of mine Douglas Preston listed this response to his latest reviewers on Amazon (probably) by saying:

"This review brings to mind the immortal words of the Irish writer Brendan Behan: `Critics are like eunuchs in a harem: they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves.'"
-- Douglas Preston
So take heart Mr. Weber.
The Shell Game
The Monster of Florence

There is really nothing in this book that I found worthwhile.

Starting with its poor typography (and multiple font & styling errors) of the many ill-formed sentences containing numerous factual errors, it started off bad and never got better.

In addition, the book read as a "let me tell you every single piece of minutiae that I can think of" rather than an actual true plot and storyline. And in the end, he just killed off characters rather than wrapping things up.

Not worth the paper it's printed on. Even if someone gives you copy - give it back! Mine's going in the trash so no one else wastes their time on it.

Thrills, chills, and juicy conspiracies. A Mossad agent and an Italian-American secret agent square off against an al-Qaeda terrorist. But there's trickery and manipulation on a world-wide scale. A New-Age cult, similar to Scientology, and its power-crazed, delusional leader, are behind the plot to overthrow the world's organized religions and pit Christian against Muslim. Using false-flag terrorism, The Eschatology Institute sponsors a reign of terror, bombing and kidnappings in the Middle East and Rome.

The story begins with the discovery of the true Book of Q beneath The Dome of the Rock.

With the aid of Professor Alberti Giovanni, the agents must solve a puzzle hidden within the Clavicula Salomonis, the Greater Key of Solomon the King.

Meanwhile, the within the Vatican, high-ranking cardinals plot with the New-Age cult to also unlock the book's secret and launch a vicious attack against the Church.

The final scenes in Kashmir and the race to discover the Tomb tie the plot together nicely. There's also a nice character arc when the heroine and her nemeses discover a link that binds them for eternity.

Religious history and facts about secret societies pepper the plot. Whether any of it is true or not ... well who cares? It sucks you deeper and deeper into the mystery. Lots of action and spy daring-do scenes.

I found nothing chauvinistic about this novel. It uses the standard model and characterization of spy thrillers. Sure there is a femme fatale villainous, a few racy scenes, but that's typical for thrillers. But I related to the main heroine, Josie, her emptiness and search for love and meaning in her life.
Also, I saw some misquotes by one reviewer. I don't think that fair usage of copyright allows for this, but if you're gonna do it at least get it straight! and don't take things out of context.
Here's what the reviewer quoted incorrectly:
The language, some examples."Bast, having donned a nun habit, run with uncany feline grace." Another one: "haughty German posture." Or "the voice of the other end of the pistol said" (before the voice orders a woman to strip).



I tore open my book and searched for these quotes.
Here's one example. In my copy the actual sentence reads:
Speaking of the villain spy:
'Another nun ran to join them, clutching her over-sized white wimple as she merged with the group. Bast, having donned a nun's habit, ran with an uncanny feline grace.'
What's wrong with this?

Next:
An overbearing newswoman climbs into her van.

'She went to the news van, pulled open the rear door and climbed into the back. When she looked up, the gaping maw of a handgun's muzzle greeted her.
"Close the door," the voice on the other end of the pistol said.'

Yes, the character is asked to strip. But it turns out that it is the heroine who is asking, because she is in need of the newswoman's clothing and ID to pull off a mission. Not sexist at all, despite what the misquotes imply.

While I'm on a soapbox, the reviewer states that a character is referred to as "the Little Man," as if this is somehow demeaning.
It's common fair for thriller novelists to invent tag names for characters, especially villains. It just adds color and is a writer's device, nothing more.
James Patterson among others uses tags like:
The Fat Man
Mr. Trenchcoat
Mr. Clockmaker
The Geek
Funnyface :alluding to a villainess with a nasty facial deformity.

In this case, the Little Man, is a despicable, sadistic killer who is short in stature, and is described a looking like Truman Capote's evil twin. It's simply a colorful way of referring to a character.

Enough. But I think people should at least try to be familiar with the genre they are reviewing, don't you?

I needed a book to help my children understand this word at a time when we are faced with deep family crisis. My son is 7. My daughter is 4. It is a short simple book with simple pictures. If you not only read the book, but, discuss the drawings (like jumping off a diving board..or saving one candy bar for the next day...or seeing an airplane fly away while the kids watch with one parent)...they will understand the word better. My son was afraid to go to camp one morning. The book helped him through.

A friend in Maine showed me this book, which she'd just bought for all her grandchildren and children, when I was visiting her last week. I promptly ordered one for each of my adult children to give them next Christmas.
It's a honey of a book, detailing courage in all its permutations. Written as a children's book, it could leap the gap (like Pooh, and Where the Wild Things Are, and many of Dr. Seuss' books) into classic adult enjoyment status.
Give it a try.

When I think of examples of courage, only a few things come to my mind. Waber listed all kinds of courage...even for dogs! Everyone must have experienced one in the book. I really enjoyed it because I could relate to many pages of the book. Waber did a good job to show that courage is never too small or silly. And I loved the last line- courage is what we give to each other. It's so true~

As Maya Angelou has said "One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential." If you agree with this philosophy, then you realize that courage, as character, must be fostered and developed.

Bernard Waber's book works so well because it shows young readers the many faces of courage. There are the obvious kinds -firefighters entering a burning building, mountain climbers scaling the heights - involving people and actions which youngsters find heroic, larger than life-size. But children will realize, thanks to this insightful book, that ordinary, everday actions also require courage, whether it's breaking bad habits, holding on to your dreams, or being the first to apologize after an argument. Even acts of common courtesy may display courage in action.

This book encourages youngsters to go on in the face of adversity and feel good about themselves for doing so. It should serve as an excellent starting point for parents to discuss this important topic with their children.

[...]

To paraphrase Maya Angelou once more, "Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest."

Those who read Courage will undoubtedly agree.

As Bernard Waber tells us on the first few pages of this sweet and engaging little book... "There are many kinds of courage. Awesome kinds. And everyday kinds. Still, courage is courage-whatever kind..." You don't have to have a dangerous job, like a firefighter or policeman to be courageous, and you don't have to climb Mt Everest, or fly into outer space, or explore the depths of the ocean. We all show how brave we are in special ways, every day. Courage is taking off the training wheels and finally learning to ride your bike, going to bed without a nightlight, and being the first to make up after an argument. Courage is getting a new haircut, never telling a secret entrusted to only you, and walking right up to the new kid and introducing yourself. You're courageous if you taste the new vegetable first before you make a disgusting face, or if you read the whole mystery without turning to the last page to see who did it. And sometimes it takes courage to start all over again, or hold on to your dream.....Mr Waber's simple, clever text is enhanced by his playful and humorous artwork, and youngsters are sure to see both the truth and a little of themselves on each page. Perfect for kids 4-8, Courage is a heartwarming and utterly charming book, sometimes poignant, often uplifting, but always stated in a positive way, that should get little ones thinking and open interesting discussions. "Courage is what we give to each other."

My daughter is coming up to 5months old, and has been 'reading' this book for about a month. She has become accustomed to the narrative and squeals at certain words and pictures. I feel that she has enjoyed it more as she has grown.

I also have 'Squishy Turtle' from the series. Fuzzy Bee is her favourite. I believe it's because there is more contrast in the colours than in 'Squishy Turtle' (which is mostly blue and green). The primary yellows and reds are sure to catch a little one's vision.

The 'story' includes a ladybug, snail, beetle bug, firefly, worm, and a butterfly.

The only reason I deducted a star is because the materials used for the creatures (made for baby to touch) could be better. For example, the ladybug has a somewhat shiny black material for her dots. But the shine is so subtle that it can't be noticed by a baby. And seahorse's fin is pathetic.

However, the arms of the octopus are great for baby's fingers. Equally good are beetlebug and firefly. Also, the rhyme and pictures are engaging enough, the crinkly first page is great for the ears, and the cloth aspect is perfect for babies who like to chew. I recommend it.

We had this book as a gift, when our daughter was born...she loved it! It was used constantly!Just fades a little when you wash it. Great buy!

i purchased the cloth reindeer book first for my nephew when he was around 11 months old, and after my sister in law was still having to read it for him in march - i purchased all the other priddy cloth books for his easter basket. several months later these books are still his favorites. they are brightly colored with fun features like crinkly textures and flaps to lift up and explore. i hope new ones come out so i can add those to his collection!

My newborn was immediately attracted to the book. The colors are primary and exciting. I am glad I purchased it but you can't throw it in the wash like the Taggies book. The instructions on the tag are surface wash only.

I have no problem with the book - my daughter loves the characters in it - just the fact that Priddy Books has apparently eliminated two characters (Sally Spider and Fly to be exact). The only reason I know this is because I recently bought (and returned) Fuzzy Bee based on our enjoyment of an older version. The reduced characters/number of pages wouldn't necessarily be a problem except that Priddy Books is apparently trying to pull a fast one - the copyright date, ISBN, etc. are all exactly the same...only there's two fewer characters and pages than before. Perhaps there's a good explanation for it, but Priddy Books won't return my phone calls. So I'm giving Fuzzy Bee the lowest rating out of principle.

Outstanding addition for those who have enjoyed the series. Many details are clarified and explanations for why are given. A must for those who have read the books as they were published and forget the minor subplots over time.

Fans of this (some say too wordy) time traveling series will find a generous amount of information given here, both of the behind the scenes sort and simply of the type that details and hopefully enhances an understanding of the colorful world Diana Gabaldon has created over the past decade and a half. As they've moved from Scotland to North Carolina, England to France, from the twentieth century to the eighteenth, the characters of these novels have certainly lived eventful, albeit imaginary lives, and in the pages of this encyclopedic overview, much is, as promised, explained by this likeably down to earth writer. Gabaldon has cordially taken the time to answer the questions readers have most often asked her, listed and given short biographies of everyone (sigh, yes everyone) who ever appeared in her hefty books, has talked about settings, customs, legends, histories, and anachronisms as they've related to her 4,000-plus page-long saga, and has probably unintentionally turned out yet another work so massive it will bend the shelves of almost any bookcase.

Of course for those (um, like me) who bailed out after getting through the first book and who might wish to read condensations of Gabaldon's epic novels in order to see what came next, The Outlandish Companion is a time saver, because it includes dense, thorough, Cliff Notes' like overviews of every book in the series the author had released up to the time of this guide's publication. Personally I found spending two hours reading a couple hundred pages of overviews was more enjoyable than investing three months in her novels, but I know fans of the series will glare at me for thinking so, and I respectfully understand why.

All in all I'm tempted to say a hard-core fan might get more from The Outlandish Companion than someone who has casually read her works, but there is still much here to catch the eye. Frankly, there is also a lot contained within that the book would have been better without. Like her novels themselves, this reference work was too wordy, too self-indulgent, and heavy enough to leave your chest bruised if you try to read it in bed.

Possess it at your own peril...

Not exactly what I expected but overall a good companion for the Outlander series. I think it was worth the price just to find out how to correctly pronounce Laoghaire (which in my mind was pronounced as Log-hair).

I have enjoyed this series and particularly like this one as it gives alot of details about Scotland...

I almost enjoyed this book as much as the series books themselves. It brought back so many wonderful points I'd enjoyed and forgotten about, questions remaining to be answered, thoughts of other readers that enjoyed the series as much as I did. This is a great gift for anyone that's read (and looks forward to perhaps more) Gabaldon's Outlander series.