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Speeches- Literary and Social

Quote, "CAPTAIN HEWETT, - I am very proud and happy to have been selected as the instrument of conveying to you the heartfelt thanks of my fellow-passengers on board the ship entrusted to your charge, and of entreating your acceptance of this trifling present. The ingenious artists who work in silver do not always, I find, keep their promises, even in Boston...
DNAML :: speeches :: literary :: and :: social :: dnaml :: home :: education :: e :: books :: literature :: speeches-literaryandsocial deluxe :: Speeches- Literary and Social

 

Dry - A Memoir

5 stars (Not So Dry After All) - Perhaps the most astonishing thing about this powerful memoir is its essential kindness and good feeling for humankind, an attitude sustained through a series of dizzying life experiences which could have soured the Dalai Lama. Burroughs' cheerily ironic point of view encompasses his terrifying childhood,his surreal career in advertising, and, most powerfully, his experiences in rehab. While on this journey with him, you experience his growth through a process of discovery, as layer upon layer of denial is peeled back and his true history and true self are revealed to him and to us. The dryness of the wit lies entirely in his refusal to feel sorry for himself; and the final phase of his recovery begins when he is at last willing to open that hardest of all human doors, love. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down, and read entranced on the bus, at the lunch counter, and through one very dull concert. It will certainly offer you several of the more entertaining hours of your life. 4 stars (Excellently written) - Mr. Burroughs has done an excellent job in communicating his experiences of alcoholism and the struggle of rehab and the 12 step programs. He has been able to share the reality of his experiences and at the same time show a great deal of humor and sophisticated irony. A very good book and one that I will read again. 4 stars (Very Good) - I started this book yesterday and read about 3/4 of it in one sitting. It's an interesting read - and the subject matter is a little less uncomfortable than "Running with Scissors". I can't help but compare this to "A Million Little Pieces", which also deals with someone going to rehab. I feel that James Frey's book was more upsetting but geniune. There were times that I had to put the book down because it was so graphic and heart rending. Anyway, "Dry" is a good read, and if you liked "Running with Scissors" or books in the vein a la David Sedaris, read it. ...
Picador :: Reading Group Guide :: Biography & Autobiography & General :: United States :: Personal Memoirs :: Novelists :: American :: New York (State) :: New York :: Literary :: :: Dry - A Memoir

 

Night

5 stars ( Night ) - Night Author Elie Wiesel Have you ever been tortured to the point when you just want to give up and die? Well, Elie and his father have been through this experience. Elie is a young fifteen year old teenager who would battle for his right in any situation. He also lives with his father. He was born in a little town called Sighet in Transylvania and lived a modern life until the Nazis came to Elie's home town and started to gather up the jews. They were put into trains that were so crammed that you couldn't even sit down. No one had a clue where they were going. They then arrived at a concentration camp called Auschwitz. The sight of seeing children being thrown into the crematories made Elie think...is my life going to end here? Elie and his father were treated like rats and lived off of every scrap of food possible. All of a sudden Elie and his father had to change camps and head out to another concentration camp called Buchenwald. They had no transportation. The officers forced them to run nonstop to get there. Elie's father tried to give up and die in his sleep, but Elie kept trying to pursued his father to keep running until they could reach the camp. People were being trampled and many were freezing to death from the cold. No one cared, no one bothered to give any food, and the only thing Elie could think about was is there a way to survive? Or is this the end? Find out yourself and read the heart stopping thriller called Night (You won't believe what you will read!). Night is my most favorite book of all time, even though it is the most disturbing book that I have ever read. If you are not into the type of books that have love stories, drama, and happy endings I suggest you read this book. If you did not like The Diary of Anne Frank it would be better to read this book because it really explains how cruel the Nazis were to the poo...
Bantam :: Biography & Autobiography & Entertainment & Performing Arts :: World War :: 1939-1945 :: Personal narratives :: Jewish :: Personal narratives :: Literary :: Jewish :: Night

 

The Glass Castle - A Memoir

5 stars (Excellent) - This book was excellent. Recently i have started to get into "memoirs" and Jeannette Walls memoirs was one of the best! Her parents...they give new definition to the word crazy! Jeanette cooked her own hotdogs at the tender age of 3 she was also caught fire by cooking those very same hotdogs at the age of 3...her family was always doing the "ske-daddle" from bill collectors so they were constantly on the move. Jeannete has two sisters and one brother. Her mom is a very eccentric woman who loves to paint and teaches her children to always be "self-sufficient" her father is a drunk but she loves him deeply. They move from town to town all over the mid-west to the west coast. They go from rats being on their kitchen counters and in their sugar bowls to eating "lard sandwiches" at her grandmother Erma's house. This is a book that will keep you interested from start to finish. Never a dull moment. I highly recommend it. 5 stars (Shocking Yet Truly Charming) - I loved this book. The author writes in such a style that enables the reader to absorb the harshness of her tale - without being angry. Her childhood was what it was. As adults, we cannot do anything about a tough or neglectful childhood. I applaud the author for telling it like she remembers it. Best book I have read in a while. 3 stars (Horrifying if True) - There seems to be some doubt as to the veracity of Walls's memoir. It does seem as though certain situations are far too detailed to be credible rememberances of a 3-year-old or even a slightly older child. However, the book is an absorbing read, which is why I gave it three stars. No stars, even as birthday gifts, for the self-absorbed, sick parents who brought their children up in such a lazy, dangerous way (if Walls's account is true). A mother who hides candy from her starving children? Refuses treatment for her burned, blistered daughter? A father who throws the family cat out of a moving car but protests when a mountain lion is...
Scribner :: Biography & Autobiography & Literary :: West Virginia :: Welch :: Walls :: Jeannette :: United States :: Problem families :: Personal Memoirs :: Literary :: Family Deve :: The Glass Castle - A Memoir

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

5 stars ("... you are free.") - Since reading this book, I've urged everyone I know to give it a look. It is a (very) short story, but one that delivers. Anyone who reads it with an open mind will come away at least a little changed, for the better. Enjoy. 5 stars (A basic book for any colection) - I bought this book to read to my kids. I didn't read it until I was in High School and I whished I had read it when I was younger. 5 stars (Inspiring) - This book is about a seagull by the name of Jonathan who pursues his dreams overcoming all limitations. This book shall leave a lasting impression on your mind. Richard Bach tries to convey the message that `impossible is nothing'. Through willpower and constant practice, we can exceed all limitation that we have self-imposed on ourselves. Perfection doesn't have limits. Two words best describe this book- thought provoking and inspiring. ...
Avon :: Fiction & General :: Literary :: Gulls :: General :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Richard Bach :: :: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

 

Literature- An Introduction to Fiction- Poetry- and Drama- Ninth Edition

Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, Ninth Edition...
Longman :: Literary Criticism & Collections & General :: Rhetoric :: Literature :: Literary Criticism :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: General :: Collections :: Literature- An Introduction to Fiction- Poetry- and Drama- Ninth Edition

 

Ishmael- An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

3 stars (No doubt about it, we're screwed.) - What you should remember when reading this is that it is simply one way of looking at things, one opinion, one way of looking at humankind and where we're headed. After I finished reading this, I thought "no way, the Goddess will save us." And I sure as hell hope She does because this book points out what nobody wants to hear: we're doomed. So why not just kick back and enjoy life and leave the worries to the next generations? Because think about it. If you got inoperable cancer from a certain type of toothpaste, wouldn't you try to stop others from using said toothpaste so that they too wouldn't get inoperable cancer? That's why this book is important. 5 stars (Really Good) - Lots of people have summarized it so I wont waste my time. This book is fantastic and really good book for anyone. I think it should be required in school. If you dont like this book, you did not have an open mind and that is the only thing you can have when you read this book. READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars (Wow. Just wow.) - Upon finishing this book (for the second time because once wasn't enough), I promptly sent the below email to everyone in my address book. It says everything a reveiw needs. You should read this book. Everyone should read this book. The name of the book is "Ishmael" and it's author is Daniel Quinn. I won't tell you much about it because any words I would use would make it sound foolish and it is quite the opposite. It is fiction, non-fiction, history, and future all rolled into one. I finished it a week ago, looked at it in wonderment, turned it over and read it again. The basis of the book is the response of a disgruntled, disillusioned gentleman to an ad in the personals section of the paper: "Teacher seeks pupil... Apply in person. Must have earnest desire to save the world." The story is simply the philisophical dialogue that follows between he and his teacher about "how things came to be this way" and what to do about...
Bantam :: Fiction & General :: Psychological :: Literary :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Fantasy - General :: Fantasy :: Daniel Quinn :: :: Ishmael- An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

 

Strategies for Successful Writing - A Rhetoric- Research Guide- Reader and Handbook

Strategies for Successful Writing : A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader and Handbook...
Prentice Hall :: Writing & editing guides :: Literary studies- general :: Language Arts & Disciplines & Composition & Creative Writing :: Creative writing guides :: Rhetoric :: :: Strategies for Successful Writing - A Rhetoric- Research Guide- Reader and Handbook

 

The Elements of Style- Fourth Edition

5 stars (timeless) - The Elements of Style is one of the most important books that I own. Although I'm out of college, I refer to it again and again. Even if I'm not correcting grammar or punctuation, I'll still open the book to see what beautiful writing looks like. The writing is so darn clear that I often joke, "If God wanted someone to teach Jesus how to write, God would have hired Strunk and White." The last chapter deals with writing and how to craft one's own voice. This is valuable for everyone, and although Elements isn't a "how to" book on fiction writing, I've found S&W's advice to be sound while working on novels and short stories. Keep this book in your coat pocket. Study it at red lights or on the subway. This book is timeless. Lee Tasey Author of "The Gospel of Arnie." 4 stars (A Classic) - It's funny, when I was studying creative writing with Frank McCourt, there was no mention of this book in his classroom. And in my conversations with Neil Strauss, "Style" himself never once brought up this book on Style. Who is it, then, that reads this little manual? Academics? Everything it says is important, but the most imporant aspect of great writing is clear and engaging communication. You can read this book, but you might do better to read the best writers. McCourt, Strauss, Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, E.L. Doctrow, Tom Wolfe -- now there's a syllabus for learning the elements of Style. 5 stars (Great! There is nothing else to be said about this book) - This is a short book that deserves a short review: buy it, read it, trust it. You will write better after doing what it says you should do. Your text will be shorter too, which makes it better yet. ...
Longman :: Technology & Technical Writing :: Writing Skills :: Technical Writing :: Style :: Rhetoric :: Report writing :: Reference :: Literary style :: Language Arts & Discipl :: The Elements of Style- Fourth Edition

 

Literature Across Cultures 4th Edition

Literature Across Cultures (4th Edition) ...
Longman :: Literary Criticism & Collections & General :: Rhetoric :: Literature :: Literary Criticism :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: General :: Comparative Lit :: Literature Across Cultures (4th Edition)

 

Gift from the Sea - 50th Anniversary Edition

5 stars (excellent) - Excellent service; received book immediately and in excellent condition. Would definitely use again. 5 stars (Truly a gift to anyone who reads it!) - This is my new favorite book of the summer... when I usually reads books like this, I like to highlight passages that are especially meaningful to me, however, in this case, the entire book would have been filled with highlighting. Every page seemed to speak to my soul in ways that were totally unexpected. 5 stars (Gift from the Sea: 50th Anniversay Edition) - This book will appeal to beach lovers everywhere. A great read for all women and this book goes to show the more things change the more they stay the same; the joys and struggles of family life are timeless and the time that we spend on the beach is priceless. I highly recommend it and plan on ordering some additional copies for my special friends and family. ...
Pantheon :: Biography & Autobiography & Literary :: Religion :: Philosophy (General) :: Literary :: Life :: Inspirational - General :: Inspirational :: Inspiration & Personal G :: Gift from the Sea - 50th Anniversary Edition

 

An Introduction to Literature- 13th Edition

4 stars (Great for my Literature Class. . . BUT) - I bought this book for my college Literature class, overpaid as usual too. After a semester of use, the cover is falling apart, the pages are thin and rip easily and all of the paper is of a material that is hard to clean pencil marks from. However, it is a great book. It contains a wealth of poems, stories and advice between the poorly-made pages. And, since the pages are thin, it wasn't as heavy to lug around campus. Very good content though, as I said. The stories are multi-national, there is abstract and realistic, old-fashioned and very modern, some ancient and even the lyrics to 1960's folk songs! One of my favorite lines in the book is "Margaret are you weeping over golden grove unleafing?" I also like the old sailors poem Western Wind "Western wind when wilt though blow? The small rain down can rain. Christ that my love were in my arms and I in my bed again." Perhaps it helps that my literature professor is top notch and a noted author as well (Kent Meyers "The Work of Wolves") but he really made me love this book! There is gold within these pages, a very good choice for teaching college students to truly appreciate the many genres of literature from around the world and through the ages. 1 stars (Misleading) - I ordered the 13th edition and received the 5th edition. The order was clearly placed for the 13th edition; it had the caption, picture and everything, when I ordered. Then When I received the wrong book I e-mailed back to see what happened and they replied that I didn't see their small caption at the bottom that read 5th edition. This captioned was not available when I purchased the book. 2 stars (Helpful for my Lit class. Book VERY POORLY MADE!!!) - This book was very useful for my Introduction to Literature class. (Naturally) Contains works from many of the great authors. I am VERY,VERY disapointed in the overall quality of the book. DON'T BUY THE PAPER BACK EDITION. Get it in hard back if you c...
Longman :: Language Arts & Disciplines & Composition & Creative Writing :: Rhetoric :: Literature :: Literary Criticism :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: Compos :: An Introduction to Literature- 13th Edition

 

The Zahir - A Novel of Obsession

1 stars (Narcissism ne plus ultra) - This guy is so self referential that I kept reading mostly from complete astonishment. I bought this because I had five minutes and twenty choices in an airport; why do other people do it? It is self indulgent navel gazing drivel. Mary 3 stars (Not my Coelho's favourate) - The Zahir did not mesmarize me like Coelho's other books. It is not that it is a bad book, not at all, but I just found it to be below my expectation from a book by Paulo Coelho. 5 stars (A FABULOUS FABULIST COMPELLINGLY READ) - British stage, film and TV actor Jamie Glover gives a sterling performance, immediately intriguing listeners with a mesmerizing story of obsession. Told in the first person by a nameless narrator, Glover ably carries us along on a journey, a search not only for a loved one but also perhaps for meaning, answers to the riddle of life. The narrator is a successful author living in Paris with his wife, Esther, who is an accomplished journalist, a war correspondent. She has just returned from Iraq only to disappear again. It's not known whether she ran away or was kidnaped, whether she is alive or dead. She was last seen with a man younger than she, a man who hid his true identity but was known as Mikhail. Could he be her lover? According to author Coelho the idea of the zahir stems from the Islamic tradition, it means "incapable of going unnoticed. It can refer to an object or a person, and that object or person gradually takes over our every thought, until we are unable to think of anything else. This could be considered a state of holiness or a state of madness." We'll leave it to the listener to decide which description is most appropriate for our narrator as he undertakes a journey to find Esther. He knows that she felt a deep unrest and was unsatisfied with her life, although he cannot comprehend why. He was stunned when she announced that she wanted to become a war correspondent, yet he also understood that h...
HarperCollins :: Fiction & General :: Portuguese (Language) Contemporary Fiction :: Literary :: General :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Brazilian Novel And Short Story :: Paulo C :: The Zahir - A Novel of Obsession

 

Asking the Right Questions- A Guide to Critical Thinking- Seventh Edition

5 stars (Outstanding) - Currently I am studying for the LSAT (Law School Aptitude Test) The major section on the test is logical reasoning. I have read many books from LSAT books to books on critical reasoning. This book has finally made everything clear to me. It presents topics in understandable language, with excellent questions to ask as you read or hear an argument. If you are preparing for any test such as LSAT or GMAT or just want to be able to understand arguments that you hear on TV or editorials in newspapers or political speaches, get this book. 5 stars (If I could get this book long before...) - I bought a lot of books in amazon. In the beginning, I just was a sponge, the worse way this book pointed out. After reading this, I was happy and sad. The happy one is this book exactly addresses what I need in my career including self study and work. The sad is I need to re-read all the books I've read, which may take me about 1 to 2 years. It's the most important book I've bought until now. Thank you. 5 stars (foundation for critical thinking) - Although this book will probably tell you that personal testimony is not very effective as an evidence since you do not know me, I still want to contribute here to say that this book is terrific. Throughout the book, the author guides you what questions to ask when you look at an argument. This book provides me with insights to how to approach arguments and opinions. More importantly, it helps me understand how to revisit my own opinions and positions and how to contruct my argument more effectively. ...
Prentice Hall :: Language Arts & Disciplines & Composition & Creative Writing :: Rhetoric :: Literary Criticism :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: Language Arts & Di :: Asking the Right Questions- A Guide to Critical Thinking- Seventh Edition

 

The Norton Anthology of Western Literature- Eighth Edition- Volume 2

The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Eighth Edition, Volume 2...
W W Norton - Company :: Rhetoric :: Reference :: Literature- Classics :: Literature - Classics & Criticism :: Literature (General) :: Literature :: Literary Collections :: General :: Collect :: The Norton Anthology of Western Literature- Eighth Edition- Volume 2

 

The Alchemist- A Fable About Following Your Dream

4 stars (pleasant) - im personally drawn to portugese authors. in both the works of jose saramago and paulo i sense a very strong current: both of these men have a gift for capturing the essential human spirit in prose. to me, the alchemist was a dance; seamless blending of wordplay and personality, reaching for a portrait of the beauty of human experience. the story is fair and lighthearted, a saunter; however there is something quite magical about it. one could say it comes with paulo's integration of mysticism and arab cultures. there are many scenes where the reader, with the help of paulo, can deceive the senses into letting go as to transcend the present and play amongst the ethereal literary setting. all this works together to make reading this book a pleasantly positive and enjoyable experience. when low scores are given i do not understand what one could possibly be seeking other than a nice story. in terms of storytelling, this one is exceptional, and it would be something else if all approached this one with intent and respect. it deserves at least that. 2 stars (occasional insights in a shallow text) - Occasionally in The Alchemist there are moments that made me dog-ear the page, words and turns of phrase that I thought captured an important sentiment about life and the pursuit of dreams. But these rare moments are embedded in a foggy text, a text that has the appearance of wisdom but is actually quite shallow and vague. In Santiago's various discussions with the people and things he encounters, from the Englishman to the desert wind, there is a superficial feel of deep ideas being discussed when most of the time there is little substance to the ideas, little development and thought put into them. Profound words like "omen" and "heart" are tossed about without any effortful exploration of their meanings. These thoughts, these words, are dealt with too easily and superficially. Rather than stir me and engage me in deep thought, the book act...
HarperSanFrancisco :: Reading Group Guide :: Fiction & Literary :: Visionary & Metaphysical :: Literary :: Fiction - General :: Fiction :: Fables :: Paulo Coelho :: :: The Alchemist- A Fable About Following Your Dream

 

Literature for Composition- Essays- Fiction- Poetry- and Drama 6th Edition

3 stars (Literature for Dummies) - This is by all means a decent anthology of literature for an introductory course, and a fairly respectable stab at a guide to good university writing. The selections are for the most part diverse, encompassing Native-American, African-American, Canadian, and English writers. Short fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction and, to a more limited degree, film get a fairly decent treatment here, too, encompassing chronolical - literature from the classical to the contemporary period is treated - and thematic terrain, making this a worthwhile text for students who simply want a brief introduction to all aspects of English. Still, it is a bit unwieldly, and too often feels less like a solid anthology, and more like an 'English-for-beginners' type deal. You get what you pay for, I guess. ...
Longman Publishing Group :: Rhetoric :: Problems :: exercises :: etc :: Literary Criticism :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: General :: English language :: Criticism :: College readers :: :: Literature for Composition- Essays- Fiction- Poetry- and Drama (6th Edition)

 

Literature and the Writing Process

5 stars (Ideal Textbook for Introduction to Literature) - I chose to use McMahan's text because it saves me time as an instructor of English. Composition comprises the most significant portion of a student's grade in a college literature class, and this text teaches students how to write an essay about literature from the beginning of the process to the end. I also like the bonus of a novella, The Awakening, which is often taught at the intro. level but under separate cover. Such a deal. ...
Prentice Hall :: Literature- History & Criticism :: Literary Criticism & Collections & General :: Rhetoric :: Report writing :: Problems :: exercises :: etc :: Literary Criticism :: L :: Literature and the Writing Process

 

Traveling Mercies - Some Thoughts on Faith

4 stars (Let Anne tell her story) - God rescued Anne from a horrible situation. And the thing that broke the ice, so to speak, was something that most church-goers like myself hardly think of as a missionary outreach: the simple act of singing songs of praise to God when we are gathered together. At that point in her life, Anne wasn't much interested in hearing preaching, but the music, and then the love, drew her in. God, in his sovereign will, chose to use a Christian congregation far outside of my "box" to reach Anne. And as the story goes on, we see that Anne also has her God in a pre-conceived box. But I, from my conservative point of view, have to be merciful, remembering what God has brought Anne, and me, out of. Every Christian is in recovery, from all the crap of our past whatever it was. And with God's help, we are growing, learning to love those who don't think like we do, and slowly realizing that God is beyond any of our human boxes: totally awesome, pure, wise, loving, forgiving, patient.... Anne Lamott, I, every Christian, are "traveling" on that road to greater faith, and we are in constant need of God's "mercies." 5 stars (A real conversion experience, in all its messiness) - Salvation and baptism are for people stained with sin, people who have been walking too long on the wrong path. It's amazing that Christians, who know this about salvation, fail so regularly at depicting what a conversion experience is like. Lamott tells a lot of stories and shares a host of ruminations in this book, but her account of her conversion experience is the highlight and is more than worth the price of the book. 5 stars (We're Only Human) - Anne Lamott style of writing and style of life make this collection of essays a delight to read. She's honest, humble, humorous and spiritual-all wrapped up in a nice package. Every person reading this book will identify with the life challenges, questions about faith and quirky happenings that Anne speaks about. She ...
Anchor :: Reading Group Guide :: Religion & General :: Women novelists :: American :: Women :: United States :: Religious :: Religion :: Mothers and sons :: Literary :: Christian b :: Traveling Mercies - Some Thoughts on Faith

 

Writing Fiction 6th Edition

5 stars (Review?) - This is not a review - but I have a question. DOESN'T ANYBODY WHO REVIEWS AT AMAZON KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REVIEW AND AN OPINION????? I get utterly frustrated at all of your opinions and I still don't know what's IN the book most of the time. Go read up on how to REVIEW a book before you enter stuff here and waste our time! 2 stars (Are YOU ready to write mediocre *blah* fiction?) - First let me say that I am not a mean person. I am sure Ms. Burroway is doing her best to teach people how to write here. And look, the book is popular, and it's sold a lot of copies so that's something, right? Well, popularity is not enough for me. And I would hope it's not enough for other smart consumers too -- professors and students alike. This book shares a virtue in common with many other fine American textbooks these days -- it takes up a lot of space to say disappointingly little. It's structured thusly: The author covers all the elements of fiction, one after the other, in a very cursory manner, interspersing between her thoughts a few mildly inspiring, mildly relevant quotes from a few "Important Writers." Now the author's commentary on the elements of fiction is why I bought the book. I wanted to know about the elements of fiction and how I can use and fuse them to help me build legendary, immaculate fiction. Some of the commentary here, though not so original, is helpful. The author has clearly read up on the topic, and she doesn't do a terrible job distilling the basics. But each chapter left me wanting. These mini-essays are sparse, folks, sparse, and they won't get you past Fiction Writing 101. After each fiction element is discussed, the author then presents a selection of short stories which feature the techniques discussed. Theory in practice. Not such a bad idea -- in theory. But in practice, this idea doesn't work so well, because the author's taste for fiction is generally (excuse me) mundane, to put it kindly. ...
Longman :: Literary Criticism & Collections & General :: Technique :: Narration (Rhetoric) :: Literary Criticism :: Language Arts & Linguistics & Literacy :: General :: Fict :: Writing Fiction (6th Edition)