With the sure hand of a seasoned writer, Aryn Kyle has crafted a brilliant debut with her novel, The God of Animals. Alice Winston, living on the family horse ranch, a marginal enterprise in Desert Valley, Colorado, is a 12-year-old girl with more than she can handle and no one to help her cope. Polly, a classmate of hers, drowned in the nearby canal and was carried out by Alice's father, Joe, a member of the volunteer posse. Her older sister, 16-year-old Nona, eloped with a rodeo cowboy. Her mother never leaves her bedroom, a case of clinical depression. "My mother had spent nearly my whole life in her bedroom... Nona said that one day, while I was still a baby, our mother had handed me to her, said she was tired, and gone upstairs to rest. She never came back down."
Joe has little time for Alice, other than counting on her to muck out the stalls and be polite to the paying customers. He doesn't even notice that she has outgrown her clothes. What Kyle does with this scenario is never predictable or clichéd. She writes beautifully of landscapes, interior and exterior, ravaged by extremes: the hottest summer in years, followed by a deluge; a lonely, isolated girl reaching out to a teacher, Mr. Delmar, equally alienated.
Alice starts telling lies, weaving bits and pieces of other people's lives into the tales she tells the teacher. What we eventually find out about her family is more poignant and tragic than anything she can make up. Horse lore is a large part of what explains each of the people in the novel: separating mares from their foals, the way a stud is treated, breaking a horse, ordinary everyday contact. This bond is explored in depth and each person: Alice, Nona, Joe, Joe's father, Alice's mother, is affected by this closeness in a different, unique way, revelatory of each individual's character. Much more than a coming-of-age tale, Kyle told a story of compromises and dreams that will never come true. --Valerie Ryan
Book Description
From an award-winning and talented young novelist comes one of the most exciting fiction debuts in years: a breathtaking and beautiful novel set on a horse ranch in small-town Colorado.
When her older sister runs away to marry a rodeo cowboy, Alice Winston is left to bear the brunt of her family's troubles -- a depressed, bedridden mother; a reticent, overworked father; and a run-down horse ranch. As the hottest summer in fifteen years unfolds and bills pile up, Alice is torn between dreams of escaping the loneliness of her duty-filled life and a longing to help her father mend their family and the ranch.
To make ends meet, the Winstons board the pampered horses of rich neighbors, and for the first time Alice confronts the power and security that class and wealth provide. As her family and their well-being become intertwined with the lives of their clients, Alice is drawn into an adult world of secrets and hard truths, and soon discovers that people -- including herself -- can be cruel, can lie and cheat, and every once in a while, can do something heartbreaking and selfless. Ultimately, Alice and her family must weather a devastating betrayal and a shocking, violent series of events that will test their love and prove the power of forgiveness.
A wise and astonishing novel about the different guises of love and the often steep tolls on the road to adulthood, The God of Animals is a haunting, unforgettable debut.
Customer Reviews:
Ok, maybe the horse issues are off..........2007-10-01
but as someone from a city who knows nothing about horses, I cannot think of a single detractor in this book. The language stays with you like lines from poetry, and the disappointments and harsh developments aren't over the top - they happen rapidly and without pause as they sometimes do in life. I would recommend this book to anyone, except maybe those so familiar with horse raising/training that the story and the beautifully human characters wouldn't be the focus.
Relationships 101.......2007-09-30
This is a fascinating novel. What is not covered in the other reviews is Alice's understanding of what motivates people, what looks good at the start and then turns sour, what is worth it. Love both dissapoints and endures in this novel, and this lesson is delivered beautifully. Do the animals endure fates better or worse than our own messes? I look forward to her next novel.
The God of Animals.......2007-09-19
While Aryn Kyle's writing skills are superb, she's no better than James Frey in writing incorrect or exaggerated information as FACT. She writes of raising horses. I've been raising horses for 15 years and what she writes is just plain NONSENSE. Folks, it's not true. It doesn't happen. She made it up for dramatic effect, I suppose, but I became so disgusted with the absurd scenes that I stopped reading the book.
Good writing, okay plot.......2007-09-12
Clearly a talented writer, Aryn Kyle gives a vivid portrait of a 12 year old growing up in an alienated/alienating environment. I'm not a fan of horses, but I'm a Westerner, believed in the world of this ranch and appreciated the author's obvious knowledge of the setting. But I've seen this type of coming-of-age story so often before, and the "tragic" moments other reviewers mention struck me not as shocking, but as a dramatic way to solve narrative problems. I didn't feel much sympathy for Alice by the end, just weariness that the story was dissolving under its own weight. Wait for the paperback.
Coming of Age.......2007-09-02
Aryn Kyle---for a first write you have outdone some of the best. I happen to be horse savvy and found the descriptive nature of your novel to catch my breath and take it away..The descriptions of the foaling, weaning, breeding and breaking of a colt...oh so real...And then we get to Alice who will forever stay in my heart...her life on a horse ranch in Colorado and how she deals with her lonliness... Alice is so complex and really has no one her age on her level with whom to communicate. She makes up stories to feel important and gain attention wherever she is at the moment and because of the lack of parental stability turns to a once a night phone call to a teacher who also lacks guidance...This write opens a lot of doors that could have been taken and had me guessing of the real outcome of Polly...even questioning the teacher...This book puts it all out there for one to take in, digest and read on in interest...If this is your first write...I am anxiously awaiting your next write as you had me to the very last page. Well, done!
Book Description
Everyone's favorite sleuth heads to the Rocky Mountains in the twelfth installment of Nancy Atherton's cozy mystery series
Lori Sheppard barely survived her last adventure in Scotland before she's off on her next. This time in the mountain town of Bluebird, Colorado. No sooner than she's arrived do things start to go amiss. Someone has mysteriously disappeared, a charming and charismatic man seems to know more than he's letting on, and the whole town is hiding a dark secret. With Aunt Dimity's help, Lori sets out to solve a hundred-year-old mystery and discovers in the process that sometimes the strangest places can seem the most like home.
Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series has charmed its way into the hearts of mystery fans through eleven installments. In Aunt Dimity Goes West, Atherton's vivid storytelling and knack for bringing a setting to life will have fans lassoed to their chairs and guessing to the very end.
Customer Reviews:
Great Cozy Mystery.......2007-05-14
This is a perfect addition to the Aunt Dimity series. Like always the reader is left with a great feeling
another winner !.......2007-05-07
Atherton's series about Lorri & Aunt Dimity are always fun, intertwined with mystery and an almost believable story. Here she & the twins & their nanny head for Colorado to aid in Lori's medical & psychological recovery (from the last book). Almost immediately she discovers a mystery and curse involving the 'cabin' where they are staying. How can one woman always find herself in these situations?!?! But you know it will be a happy ending! Enjoy a fast, fun read!
Lori Shepherd in the West.......2007-04-15
This book is interesting because it has mystery, humor, history, interwoven. Lori goes for healing of fears and finds herself in town who fears a home which has a ghost. The caretaker has disappeared. Is he part of a sinister plot or a victim? Within the mystery is the humor that many people are much like the people of Lori's hometown. Do small towns have similar types of people? There is a great deal of histroy of the old mining town with its struggles and hardships. There is compassion. Aunt Dimity remains level headed, but there is an interesting and unexpected new twist in this story. This is an enjoyable book to read.
A fun read.......2007-04-01
As always the Aunt Dimity series is fun, light reading. Always entertaining
Aunt Dimity Goes West.......2007-03-30
These books are always a light and fast read, but I always find them rather charming, if you can accept the concept. This takes the heroine out of the U.K. into the western US but, as always, she runs into the usual bad guys and paranormal persons. When I read these books I always know what I am getting and enjoy them for what they are.
Book Description
An essential American novel from Sandra Dallas, an unparalleled writer of our history, and our deepest emotions...
During World War II, a family finds life turned upside down when the government opens a Japanese internment camp in their small Colorado town. After a young girl is murdered, all eyes (and suspicions) turn to the newcomers, the interlopers, the strangers.
This is Tallgrass as Rennie Stroud has never seen it before. She has just turned thirteen and, until this time, life has pretty much been what her father told her it should be: predictable and fair. But now the winds of change are coming and, with them, a shift in her perspective. And Rennie will discover secrets that can destroy even the most sacred things.
Part thriller, part historical novel, Tallgrass is a riveting exploration of the darkest--and best--parts of the human heart.
Customer Reviews:
Great Read.......2007-09-21
Very interesting story....Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. You will love this story....no need to say more...just over all very good - keeps your interest...
Could have been wonderful, but fell short........2007-08-23
First let me say I like Sandra Dallas's works and have read most of them. Persian Pickle Club, The Chili Queen and Alice's Tulips have their reserved spots on my library shelf. I expected more from this novel, as she usually develops her characters so well, especially with this subject matter, she could have given us so much more. I love historical fiction and a bit more depth in the details would have added a lot to the reading experience.
It wasn't bad, I don't think she can write bad, but I kept expecting something to grab me and not let go, but it didn't happen for me. I didn't find myself thinking of the characters after it was finished either as sometimes one can be. There is good discussion material for a club however, and a few of the characters were interesting enough to talk about.
LIFE IN SMALL-TOWN AMERICA.......2007-07-16
SANDRA DALLAS TELLS A WONDERFUL STORY OF LIFE IN A SMALL FARMING TOWN IN MIDDLE AMERICA DURING WW II. I HAD READ OF INTERNMENT CAMPS BEFORE - IT WAS A TIME WHEN WE AS A COUNTRY WERE AFRAID - AND THAT FEAR TURNED US INTO A SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE. I AM DEEPLY REGRETFUL OF THE WAY THE JAPANESE WERE TREATED. I AM, HOWEVER, GREATFUL THAT THE AUTHOR HAS WRITTEN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AND HOPE WE HAVE ALL LEARNED FROM IT. SANDRA DALLAS HAS A SPECIAL WAY WITH WORDS THAT MAKES THIS BOOK A "WINNER".
Tallgrass.......2007-05-24
I just completed this wonderful book. I have read all of Ms. Dallas's
previous novels and was joyous to find this new read on the library shelf.
The Persian Pickle Club was, up until now, my favorite from this terrific author...but I believe that Tallgrass will take its place. Rennie would have been the same age as my own mother and I have heard mom mention some
of the same things that occurred in this book. A highly recommended read!
Sandra Dallas' Masterpiece.......2007-05-15
This story, told through the eyes of a 13 year old girl caught my full attention from the first paragraph and never disappointed me throughout the entire story. When I picked up the book to read a new chapter I was immediately transported back to WW II Colorado (and America) and felt the characters were people I knew. This was a book that I did not want to end but, alas, it had to. I have read most of Ms. Dallas' other works and consider her a favorite author of mine because she develops her characters with such depth that one really feels they know them. Keep up the good work and I would not be at all surprised if this book was made into a movie.
Book Description
Written teen to teen as a first-person narrative, this is not a book about the Columbine shootings - instead, it's a story of faith, told in Rachel's own words. The book includes first person narratives, journal entries, drawings from Rachel's diary, and notes from her parents and friends at Columbine High School. Additionally, "me pages" (what makes me angry, what I'm aftraid of) encourage teens to explore issues central to their lives and faith. Highlighting Rachel's faith journey from the time she became a Christian, through her joys and doubts, her hopes and dreams, this story is a triumphant testimony that teens will treasure.
Customer Reviews:
engrossing book.......2006-11-13
I highly recommend this book. Based on her real journals, you feel by the end of this book like you knew Rachal Scott personally. Even though it's not the exact journal entries, Beth Nimmo, Rachal's mother collaborated with the writer, and you get the sense that Rachal's true character was captured. This book brings to life a girl mature and inciteful beyond her years. I was humbled and deeply moved by her total commitment to living out her faith in Christ. I appreciate especially her honesty. Her story brings to life the loss of such a beautiful young woman. You don't need to be a teenage girl to read this book, but every teenager should read it.Thank you Beth for allowing us to walk along side her in her last years.
Great for teenage girls.......2006-06-30
I bought this book for my 16 yr. old daughter and her mind set has changed. After reading this book, all on her own she started journaling and recently asked to be baptised. I thank GOD for Rachel Joy Scott and her parents.
Inspiring.......2006-02-24
This book will change the way you view life and its meaning. I also recommend you read Rachels Tears as well!
Great gift.......2005-12-22
I bought this for a teenager I know and she loved it. She is a quiet teen but she made sure she brought this book to church to show it off. It is a thought-provoking book, very well written.
Deserves more stars * * * * * * * * *.......2005-07-13
When I first began reading this book it was right when I first wanted to give my life to God. This book helped me sooo much. It's full of inspirational quotes and accounts of a true christian. Her story really had an impact on my life. I bought this book for a few of my friends so that they could also read her incredible story. If you read any book it should be this one!
Book Description
The Columbine tragedy in April 1999 pierced the heart of our country. In December 1999, we learned that the teenage killers specifically targeted Rachel Scott and mocked her Christian faith on their chilling, homemade videotapes. Rachel Scott died for her faith. Now her parents talk about Rachel's life and how they have found meaning in their daughter's martyrdom in the aftermath of the school shooting. Rachel's Tears comes from a heartfelt need to celebrate this young girl's life, to work through the grief and the questions of a nation, and to comfort those who have been touched by violence in our schools today. Using excerpts and drawings from Rachel's own journals, her parents offer a spiritual perspective on the Columbine tragedy and provide a vision of hope for preventing youth violence across the nation.
Customer Reviews:
Beautifully done book.......2007-05-19
This young lady was a beautiful soul. It is a sad story but one of hope as well.
Her parents did a wonderful job describing the tragic story.
Anyone interested in the Columbine event should read this.
Excellent.
blessed.......2007-05-04
i was so blessed by the words of faith that your little girl has shared.Its very rare to see such faith in anyone.Thank You for sharing her story. It has really blessed me.
Rachel is weeping for her children.......2007-03-26
This is an awesome book. I wept more than once while reading it. For those of you unfamiliar, this book is about the story of Rachel Joy Scott, a young girl, deeply committed to Christ who was martyred in the infamous Columbine High School massacre. I learned a lot about this horrible event, and the wonderful life of this girl who knew, as evidenced by her journals, that she would die young. After reading this book, I became convinced, as Darrell Scott was the morning of the killings, that this was a spiritual event. It is interesting to note that prior to the killings of April 20, Klebold and Harris had turned a school project detailing their dark fantasies, and no on seemed to have picked up on this. I gave this book five stars not based on quality of writing, which could have used some thorough editing, but on the story, which blew me away. I think everyone who has children should read this book.
People who claim that the demonic music,tv,video games have no impact on their children should definitely read this book. I also agree with Darrell Scott's opinion that is clear these children(the murderers) opened themselves up to spirtitual influence that were beyond their control.Klebold and Harris deliberately targeted Christians on that day, and they had made tapes prior to the event that illustrate their intense hate and dislike of Christians. I ######### this book, but don't be suprised if this book changes your outlook on things!
Thus says the LORD,
"A voice is heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more
True story.......2007-03-23
This is a very emotional book, especially since it is a true story. I think this is a really good way to make teens aware of what kind of society we live in. It gives them the opportunity to look for some of the signs before something can go terrilby wrong. Make your children aware of their surroundings, educate them.
Amazing story.......2007-02-25
This is the most inspirational book I have read in years. I highly reccommend it to everyone. A sad but beautiful story of a very brave young woman.
Book Description
On April 20, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, two seniors at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, walked into their school and shot to death twelve students and one teacher, and wounded many others. It was the worst single act of murder at a school in U.S. history.
Few people knew Dylan Klebold or Eric Harris better than Brooks Brown. Brown and Klebold were best friends in grade school, and years later, at Columbine, Brown was privy to some of Harris and Klebold's darkest fantasies and most troubling revelations After the shootings, Brown was even accused by the police of having been in on the massacre--simply because he had been friends with the killers.
Now, for the first time, Brown, with journalist Rob Merritt, gets to tell his full version of the story. He describes the warning signs that were missed or ignored, and the evidence that was kept hidden from the public after the murders. He takes on those who say that rock music or video games caused Klebold and Harris to kill their classmates and explores what it might have been that pushed these two young men, from supposedly stable families, to harbor such violent and apocalyptic dreams.
Shocking as well as inspirational and insightful, No Easy Answers is an authentic wake-up call for all the psychologists, authorities, parents, and law enforcement personnel who have attempted to understand the murders at Columbine High School. As the title suggests, the book offers no easy answers, but instead presents the unvarnished facts about growing up as an alienated teenager in America today."If there is any solace to come out of a tragedy of the magnitude of the Columbine shooting, it is what lessons might be learned in its aftermath. With bravery, wit, and striking honesty, Brooks Brown and Rob Merritt allow us a glimpse into what led to that event, what happened afterward, and most importantly, why any community would be naive to think it might not happen to them, too. How thin is the line between a bully and a victim? Who is to blame, when a community is turned inside out? As No Easy Answers suggests, it may just be the community itself. And it offers up a question of that resonates after the last page is turned: What can you and I do to keep this from happening again? If you're a parent, read this with your child; if you're a teen, leave this on your parents' bedside table--and above all else, start the conversation too much of this world is unwilling to have." --
Jodi Picoult, author of the New York Times #1 bestselling novel Nineteen Minutes
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-09-01
I have Writen many papers on Columbine High School when I was in school. I have looked at web site, looked at all the information that I found I have spoken with people and authority's for my papers. Brooks Browns book told quite a bit that had never been told before that shows friendship and distructive behavior. It talks about how Dylan and Eric began their friendship, unless someone who was there in the library or in the school writes a book we will never know who said what. What happened we only have the accounts that have been told to others and their family's. This is a great book and if you want to know how Eric and Dylan started off this is the book for you.
Bullying and Teasing As Possible Causes of School Violence.......2007-05-22
"No Easy Answer" is a look at the Columbine massacre from the perspective of Brooks Brown, a friend of the two shooters. As a retired middle school teacher, I can tell you that the bullying and teasing described in this book does go on. This book is a page-turner that gives the reader a look at the sociology of the present-day high school. I highly recommend "No Easy Answers" for anyone interested in learning more about school shootings. I also recommend the young adult novel "Give a Boy a Gun" by Todd Strassor.
No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Columbine.......2007-03-14
This was a very interesting account by a young man who had some insights that few have of this most tragic event in our history. As a school administrator it was a wake-up call.
Learn the whole truth about the causes of Columbine.......2006-12-13
The Roman poet Virgil once wrote, "From a single crime, know the nation."
Brooks Brown, who knew both Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, gives a unique perspective on the root causes that may have led to the infamous Columbine massacre, a list that includes intense bullying, preferential treatment given to athletes and a culturally-ingrained intolerance for anyone deemed to be different from the status quo.
Detractors of both the book and the author seem to be entirely missing the point Brown makes in this book, i.e., the same sort of "bullying" behavior that one reads in the hostile comments left on the various reviews here are just the sort of thing that probably helped to perpetuate the hate and discontent felt at Columbine. When will people ever learn, one must ask?
All in all, this one is an excellent read and I highly recommend it for learning the whole truth behind the causes of the Columbine massacre.
You've Gone Way Over Your 15 Minutes of Fame Brooks.......2006-10-28
Forget the 13 who were murdered and all those wounded on April 20, 1999; forget the pain of their families; Forget Harris and Klebold; Forget them all because I have just realized the real victim of Columbine was Brooks Brown. It has to be so. I just read as much in 277 annoying pages.
I made a deal with myself awhile back. When I start a book I am committed to finishing it. This worthless waste of paper really tested my will.
Brown seems to have an exaggerated opinion of his 'role' in the lives of Harris and Klebold, the whole massacre in general as well as it's aftermath. And it seems that as time goes by he will do just about anything to keep his name 'out there' regarding this tragedy and that includes typing (I refuse to call it writing) this poorly planned book.
If anyone knows of an objectively written, well researched book on Columbine, drop me a line. The subject is incredibly interesting on so many levels, but unfortunately Brooks Brown doesn't touch on any of them.
Product Description
The Photographing the Southwest guidebook series is the culmination of over twenty years experience exploring and photographing the natural landmarks of the Southwest. Volume 3 will take you on a remarkable journey of discovery from the vast plains of Northwestern Colorado to the deserts of Southern New Mexico, exploring geological marvels, sand dunes, the alpine scenery of the San Juan and Rocky Mountains with their incredible wildflowers and fall colors, ancient cliff dwellings, old mining towns, Spanish New Mexico, and Indian Pueblos . We also make a short foray into Texas to visit Big Bend National Park.
Customer Reviews:
well done.......2007-08-14
This book is a fabulous guide to photographing the natural sights in Utah. Martres provided specific information on where to be for the best shots and also gives basic photographic advice. While you read, you need to remember what he says at the beginning of the book: he photographs the southwest in autumn due to the heat and light. So, use common sense when Martres says, "early afternoon is the best time to photograph..." If you are there at other times of the year, you'll need to do a little research about when the best light is available.
loved the book and will buy more of his work!
Very accurate!.......2007-06-27
I bought this new book as it came out just in time for my photography journey through the four corners area of Colorado and New Mexico. I've seen some of the same sites before but Martres gave routes I've never known existed or was possible. Hence, I have new photos from angles I've never known I could get.
This book is great and a must-have for photographers in the Southwest area!
Highly recommended.......2007-06-09
I bought all three books from the series Photographing the Southwest by author Laurent Martres. I'm preparing for 2 weeks trip to USA next year. I found these books very useful. All provide very valuable information about the best time and conditions for all the people having passion for taking fotographs at most famous places all over Southwest. Simply must have.
Not as complete as expected.......2007-06-07
I had bought the earlier two volumes in the series. I specifically brought this volume with the hope that it would describe photo areas for the Glenwood Canyon area along route 70 west of Denver. I drove through this area a few weeks ago and it was spectacular. However, there did not appear to be any place to stop on route 70 except at the "No Name" rest stop. I was expecting this book to describe some area but there is no mention of the area. I have seen some nice photography from kayak trips but I'm not able to do this. I had also seen a photo of the "Painted Mine" area near Calhan at the recent Moab Film Symposium but this area also was not mentioned. However, there are so many spectacular areas listed for Colorado, New Mexico, and part of Texas that I will not run out of photo opportunities. Great book for the photos inside and ideas for places to investigate. Howard McPherson
Quality item arrived quickly........2007-03-29
My husband and I were surprised at how promptly "Photographing the Southwest: Volume 3 arrived. It was also packed well and arrived in excellent condition. It is also an excellent source for locations that will make for outstanding photograph oportunities.
Book Description
Some people are born to lead and destined to teach by the example of living life to the fullest, and facing death with uncommon honesty and courage. Peter Barton was that kind of person.
Driven by the ideals that sparked a generation, he became an overachieving Everyman, a risk-taker who showed others what was possible. Then, in the prime of his life — hugely successful, happily married, and the father of three children — Peter faced the greatest of all challenges. Diagnosed with cancer, he began a journey that was not only frightening and appalling but also full of wonder and discovery.
With unflinching candor and even surprising humor, Not Fade Away finds meaning and solace in Peter's confrontation with mortality. Celebrating life as it dares to stare down death, Peter's story addresses universal hopes and fears, and redefines the quietly heroic tasks of seeking clarity in the midst of pain, of breaking through to personal faith, and of achieving peace after bold and sincere questioning.
Customer Reviews:
Perhaps the best book I've ever read...........2007-07-15
My father passed away in the fall of 2006, from cancer, at age 58. I found this book during the winter, it was out of place and I picked it up. Maybe I was looking for meaning, I don't know. But I have read it cover to cover twice, and pick it up often to browse. It is beautiful, poignent, raw with honesty. On the surface, my father was nothing like Peter Barton, but as I read the book I saw my father in every page. Much of what I witnessed in his final months were hard to articulate, yet Peter Barton and Laurence Shames gave me the words I could not find.
A beautiful book about death and dying, about life and love and lessons. Read this book. It's more joyous than sad, more beauty than darkness.
I randomly selected this book...and I'm glad I did.......2007-05-25
I happened upon an advance uncorrected proof of this book quite by accident. I read a few sentences and thought, "Why not give it a read?" Well, I have to say that the book - both the writing and the content - are absolutely wonderful. Laurence Shames gets all the emotion and humility and pride down flawlessly in the pages of this book. You can't help but wish you had known Peter Barton after reading this.
Indeed, a LIFE Well-Lived.......2007-03-03
Mr. Shames wrote a poignant and very real account of the disease that took his life at a very early age. I read this a couple years ago, and just re-read after hearing the story of a "younger" person stricken with cancer. This book will inspire, but will also force the reader to consider; "What would I do? Would I have that much grace and zest and enthusiasm?" The dirt-nap gets us all, this book demonstrates how one man dealt with his impending demise---and teaches valuable life-lessons that we could all use. Highly recommended.
Inspirational Read.......2006-06-04
For Peter Barton, a maverick businessman whose career has been characterized by creativity and billion-dollar partnerships, the psychology of cancer was difficult to digest. Unlike most business agreements he has brokered in the media industry, the deal between a terminal patient and his cancer appeared to be a zero-sum game, and the forty-something year old media mogul struggled to bridge the disconnect.
Hardly a person to let death dictate the terms of his legacy, Barton preserved his insights on the matter before he left the living. As such, Not Fade Away -- Barton's chronicle of the last days of his life -- is an attempt at coming to terms with one's finality. The chapters switch back and forth from Barton's first-person narrative and the observations of Barton by a professional writer assigned to shadow the terminal patient during the last stages of his life.
Despite the subject matter, Not Fade Away is an uplifting read because even as death closes in around Barton, we see that life reveals itself in all its sublime beauty. Such a paradox, namely that death is infused with life, leads Barton to embrace both the fact of his imminent death and the ever-present life that surrounds him. Barton reformulates his understanding of the linear aspect of the past, present, and the future, and realizes their convergence and singularity. Just as death is a part of living, we are not fixed to a single point in time; the past, present, and the future are manifest in the now.
Although such notions are not terribly original, Barton's honesty and courage in sharing his innermost fears and doubts during the last days of his life provide a refreshing look at life, death, and perhaps what it means to "not fade away" in a language that resonates with timeless relevance.
What a brilliant life..........2005-12-04
This is easily one of the most inspirational books I have read in a long time. Peter Barton was an extraordinary buisnessman, father, husband and friend...a man who knew how to make each day count and to challenge a terminal illness in a way that must have made his family so very proud of him. I highly recommmend this book to anyone and everyone!!!!
Book Description
In "Horses Never Lie," acclaimed horse trainer Mark Rashid breaks new ground by challenging the longstanding belief that a person must become the "alpa leader" in order to work with horses. Instead, "Horses Never Lie" teaches you how to become a "passive leader"—a reflection of the kind of horse other members of a herd choose to be around and to follow. It's a must read for all horse owners who care about their horses and the kind of relationship they have with them.
As he did in "Considering the Horse" and "A Good Horse Is Never a Bad Color," Rashid writes about his experiences with real horses, always featuring his sense of humor and an overriding compassion for the horse. His instructive anecdotes reach back to when he was a youngster under the mentorship of the "old man," and continue to his experiences today as a horse trainer and a popular clinician who has traveled the world to teach his remarkably effective methods to enthusiastic horse owners.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful book.......2007-09-03
I absolutely loved this book. I am so impressed with Mark's compassionate approach to working with horses. He is a master of behavioral psychology, using reinforcement principles to extinguish bad behaviors and then shape the positive behaviors he is looking for from a horse. This requires the ability to be able to really observe the horse and to never react out of frustration or anger. I recently started riding again after a 27 year absence and found myself wondering what kind of a relationship I could expect to have with a horse. This book helped me see that most horses do bond with people who are compassionate, consistent and thoughtful. Even though I ride English, I feel this book has helped me to be a better rider because I am being more observant and making sure I reward my horse by "relieving the pressure" when he gives me what I want. This book is a pleasure to read and very informative about Mark's philosophy of horsemanship.
This is an awesome book!!.......2007-08-23
I had great difficulty putting this book down. The personal stories Mark writes about pulls you right in. And I finally understood how to be
quiet and find the slightest try. It just clicked with me. I highly
recommend this book and can't wait to read his others!
horse human relationships.......2007-06-18
Mark Rashid shows other ways to fill in your relationship with horses. Sometimes having a dig at other 'natural horsmanship' guru's like Robertson or Parelli. I think this book is a must and an addition for all those who seek to improve their relationship with and understanding of the horse. Lovely book, reads like a novel but has great depth. Strongly recommended.
Chicken Soup for the Horsepersons Soul.......2007-05-12
This book is not only filled with wonderful stories, but also plenty of sage advice. It is less a course in horse training, and more a wonderful book of short stories that describe a horse behavior, along with the typcial method of dealing with it, and then the "old mans" method of dealing with it. I agree with most everyone here, and read the entire book from cover to cover before putting it down. It is just a great read, and if you are open to suggestions, it gives you plenty of ideas of new things to try with horses that sometimes seem to have issues we can't figure out.
Something for even the experienced horseperson.......2007-04-21
In my experience, there is value to be had from the teachings of all the equine gurus. I like to listen, observe and tuck the various approaches into my toolbox of horsemanship skills. Never-the-less I am skeptical of any practitioner who claims to have "The Answer" so having never read any of Rashid's work, I ordered this book just for a look see.
Rashid's book was anything but preachy, the storytelling format made for compelling reading and his principles were well explained. I do recommend this book to anyone with a love of horses. Even if you do not train, it is a wonderful warm tale told with great humility and compassion.
One concept in the book is about "looking for the try". I was intrigued by Rashid's description of the subtleties of a horse's response. I decided to experiment on my mare who tends to get tense when I ask for certain things. Employing Rashid's "look for the try" I refocused on my mare's response to my cues rather than focusing on the accuracy and intensity of my cues and it really felt like magic. As a horse who works very hard to give you everything that you ask for, my mare was trying to do what I was asking for but because I didn't notice her tries and kept asking more "loudly" she would tense up. The very first ride after reading the book, we made huge strides in our training. I could immediately see her trying to respond, and by pausing and rewarding her try, then repeating, we had almost immediate success. My mare remained calm and indeed seemed really happy and pleased with both herself and her rider!
I know it sounds too simple, and it is simple...and subtle and I really really liked the book.
Average customer rating:
- Colorado Atlas
- Great product
- Scale
- Great Deal
- Very helpful for travel in remote areas
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Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer, Eighth Edition
Manufacturer: Delorme Mapping Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Map
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| Altimeter Feature
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Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer (Virginia Atlas & Gazeteer)
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New Mexico Atlas & Gazetteer
ASIN: 0899332889
Release Date: 2004-01-01 |
Product Description
EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about a State! These Atlas & Gazetteer Books give you detailed geographical information, GPS grids, complete travelways for fishing and hunting areas (indexed by type of game), hiking, canoeing... even seaplane routes, for Pete's sake! Large 11 x 15 1/2" soft cover books, most topographical (see below). Select State, as available in the Shopping Cart below. *Note- Florida, Maine, Michigan and Ohio are Non-topographical maps (elevations not shown) but with same information otherwise. Atlas & Gazetteer
Customer Reviews:
Colorado Atlas.......2007-07-28
Very poor details compared to the Colorado Road and Recreation Atlas. Do not even use it.
Great product.......2007-06-02
I think the title says it all. It is very useful. I got it really fast and it is flawless.
Scale.......2005-08-14
It would be good if Amazon reviewers of maps and atlases used the standard definitions for "large-scale" and "small-scale."
Great Deal.......2004-07-12
I love this map. I always take it with me when I go anywhere in Colorado. The scale is small enough so that you can see all the little back roads, and it's pretty easy to read.
Very helpful for travel in remote areas.......2003-04-14
You should receive the sixth edition (2002) of the DeLorme Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer when you order from Amazon, even though Amazon's listing still shows only the fifth edition (2000). The atlas is indispensable if you're planning to travel on the back roads or the major Forest Service or BLM roads of Colorado. Governmental jurisdictions are well-differentiated by color, and the topographic relief is very nice.
The only caveat is that the scale of the maps in this atlas, at 1:160,000, is too large to show great detail. If you're mountain biking or hiking in remote terrain or on minor trails, you should get additional maps, such as smaller-scale governmental maps or those made by Latitude 40.
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