Average customer rating:
- This is the one
- Early Jewels in Mistry's Crown
- CLASSY WORK OF A MINIATURIST, HARDLY READS LIKE A DEBUT!
- Short stories from the master storyteller of Bombay's Parsis
- Wonderful
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Swimming Lessons: and Other Stories from Firozsha Baag
Rohinton Mistry
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 British
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Mistry, Rohinton
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Such a Long Journey
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Family Matters
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A Fine Balance (Oprah's Book Club)
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Bombay Time: A Novel
ASIN: 067977632X
Release Date: 1997-02-11 |
Book Description
Firozsha Baag is an apartment building in Bombay. Its ceilings need plastering and some of the toilets leak appallingly, but its residents are far from desperate, though sometimes contentious and unforgiving. In these witty, poignant stories, Mistry charts the intersecting lives of Firozsha Baag, yielding a delightful collective portrait of a middle-class Indian community poised between the old ways and the new.
"A fine collection...the volume is informed by a tone of gentle compassion for seemingly insignificant lives."--Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
Customer Reviews:
This is the one.......2007-08-31
I am in the process of answering a questionnaire asking, if I could recommend one book to someone to read, what book would it be?
I came on this site to check the spelling of the full name of this book.
I love this book.
Early Jewels in Mistry's Crown.......2006-11-02
"Swimming Lessons", a short story collection, may be Mistry's earliest published work. He of course wrote the awesome "A Fine Balance", a panoramic look at life in India circa 1975. "Lessons" is set in about the same time period and chronicles the life experiences of middle-class Indians from a particular apartment complex. Major characters in one story show up as minor characters in other stories, giving the book a novelistic feel. Emigration, experienced directly by Mistry in his early 20's as he moved to Canada, is a major theme of the book. The story "Squatters", contains a "story inside the story" that affect your thinking about the trials of emigration (as it relates to bodily functions) for a long time. Those who know Mistry will enjoy this look at his early writing. Newcomers to Mistry might enjoy the short story form as an intro before tackling the epic "A Fine Balance."
CLASSY WORK OF A MINIATURIST, HARDLY READS LIKE A DEBUT!.......2004-07-19
And I thought that "A Fine Balance" was Rohinton's best! Yet again, I find myself speechless in my admiration for his astute command of language. His precise and inventive prose never quits until he has portrayed an image in sentences. Images that I grew up with myself but never quite would have thought of expressing in the grippingly sensitive way he can.
Swimming Lessons is a collection of such reminiscences from the author's childhood in a Parsi neighborhood in suburban middle-class Bombay. The setting itself may be confined to a particular community, but his compassionate brush carves such a wide sweep of the minutest of human emotions that the sheer force of this book is not in its plot or setting, but in its recognition of the universal bounty of life.
Our quirky residents of 'Firozsha Baag' have every reason to be disconcerted and baffled with their difficult lives. The walls of their building complex are coming apart. Washroom flushes don't work. One family has the refrigerator that's shared by the entire colony, and another has the common telephone. Their lives are marred by simple everyday things, innocent infatuations, unconfessed fantasies, fatal jealousies, neighborhood bullies, petty thefts, memory lapses, shared newspapers, cultural/generational clashes, etc etc.
Yet, beneath this veneer of this seeming hardships glimmers a subtle undercurrent of hope and happiness, of a bond that does not need expressing in the common social forms.
The high praise that Mistry has garnered is not exaggerated. The man has a disarming sense of humor and a lingering sense of what makes literature great. I laughed, I cried, I sat back and pondered. I was especially stirred by the moving story "Of White Hairs and Cricket", and the cover story, which is saved for the last, "Swimming Pools."
Couldn't recommend this brilliant compilation highly enough. It hardly reads like a debut.
Short stories from the master storyteller of Bombay's Parsis.......2004-07-02
A collection of interwoven tales told from the perspective of the different residents of Ferozsha Baag, an apartment building in Bombay. All the stories are good; some are outstanding. In particular, the story of the son who emigrates to Canada to become a writer has a uniquely autobiographical feel to it. =)
Wonderful.......2003-01-13
I read A Fine Balance about a year ago and loved it. I just finished Swimming Lessons and I'm going out to buy Family Matters right now. He writes so beautifully and descriptively that you feel that you lived alongside the characters in his books.He's my favorite author right now.
Book Description
Dive in! The latest fin-tastic tale about a feisty half-mermaid introduces a mysterious boy who shares her fate.
When Emily Windsnap discovers an old diamond ring during a class hunt for trinkets, how is she supposed to know that the ring is half the key to unlocking an ancient curse by Neptune himself? Now, with the ring stuck firmly on her hand, Emily finds herself under a new curse: in just a few days, she’ll cease to be half-human and half-mermaid and must say good-bye to one parent forever. Can she possibly find the other missing ring that will break all the curses? Is there anyone who can help her — before it’s too late?
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-09-27
My grand daughter was so excited when she opened this gift from me that I knew I had done well(kids don't always get too excited when thye open gifts that are books these days). She had read the previous Emily Windsnap books so I thought that she may want to read it. If your girl is into mermaids she will like these books.
Wonderful Mermaid Fantasy.......2007-07-14
My daughter loved this whole series! She is 9 and really loves mermaids. This was perfect for her.
A great book, one that can be enjoyed on land or at sea.......2007-06-05
EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE CASTLE IN THE MIST is the third installment in Liz Kessler's continuing saga of Emily and her friends and family in their half-ocean, half-earthly community.
Emily is a perky kid who enjoys being a mermaid, although her mother seems to be having a difficult time reconciling the fact that Emily's more academic studies have been put aside for her mermaid studies --- oceanography and underwater hairstyling. The ever-widening chasm between the lives she shares with each of her parents starts to cause a rift between them, and Emily fears they will break up.
But then King Neptune, still angered from the loss of his only intermarriage with a human, learns that Emily has uncovered the diamond ring he gave to his beloved so long ago --- which he had hoped would never surface again. As a result, he decides to ban intermarriage between merpeople and humans and curses the offspring of such unions. Emily is forced to become either fully human or a complete sea creature, thus ensuring that one of her parents would be lost to her forever. Can Emily possibly locate the other missing ring that will break all the curses? Is there anyone who can help her save the day before it's too late?
This is a complex story with deepening questions about love and its meanings, anger and its consequences, redemption and hope for the future --- all good things couched in a lushly detailed story about underwater life that should capture the attention and hearts of girls who love adventurous, romantic tales encased in charming fantasy elements.
EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE CASTLE IN THE MIST is a great book, one that can be enjoyed on land or at sea and certainly raises the bar on mermaid stories for young girls.
--- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano
Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist.......2007-05-14
This was the only place I could find the final book in a series my Daughter was reading. She was very happy with the story line, The book was in perfect condition and we are looking very much forward to the next book from this author.
Book Description
She was just a child when she was washed ashore on the exotic island of Akora, shipwrecked and orphaned. Now she must make a heartbreaking choice: to reclaim her past--or to face her future with the most powerful man she has ever known.
Raised in the fortress kingdom of Akora, Brianna’s memories of life before her parents’ tragic death at sea are blurred and fleeting. Though embraced by Akora’s elite, she longs to know her true identity--and the truth about her haunting fear that she is to blame for her parents’ fate. But while the answers lure her to far-off England, a fiery passion she never knew existed may bind her to Akora forever.
Handsome and headstrong, Atreus is a powerful warrior whose clan has ruled Akora for centuries. A secret ritual has made him the chosen ruler of his people--and revealed to him a vision of the lovely Brianna as the woman he is meant to marry. Fearing she will never return from her journey, Atreus sets sail to win her. But a treacherous enemy looms, and it will soon fall to the brave couple to unite their hearts and share even their darkest secrets to save not only their burgeoning love--but their very homeland.
Download Description
Raised in the fortress kingdom of Akora, Brianna's memories of life before her parents' tragic death at sea are blurred and fleeting. Though embraced by Akora's elite, she longs to know her true identity -- and the truth about her haunting fear that she is to blame for her parents' fate. But while the answers lure her to far-off England, a fiery passion she never knew existed may bind her to Akora forever.
Handsome and headstrong, Atreus is a powerful warrior whose clan has ruled Akora for centuries. A secret ritual has made him the chosen ruler of his people -- and revealed to him a vision of the lovely Brianna as the woman he is meant to marry. Fearing she will never return from her journey, Atreus sets sail to win her. But a treacherous enemy looms, and it will soon fall to the brave couple to unite their hearts and share even their darkest secrets to save not only their burgeoning love -- but their very homeland.
Customer Reviews:
Wow what a great read.......2004-02-23
I am really impressed with Josie Litton. This is the first book that i have read of hers and i really enjoyed it. It is such a fun book to read. I especially loved the characters can't wait to read more.
Sweeping gorgeous romance.......2003-01-10
Josie Litton's final installment in her trilogy on the mythic Akoran monarchy weaves political intrigue, supernatural elements and gorgeous romance into a grand finale. Castles In The Mist focuses on the delicate romance between destined couple - nurse Brianna Wilcox and helming ruler Atreus in the throes of war and passion. Brianna goes back to England to learn truths on her heritage and recover the lost memory of how she ended on Akoran shores after a shipwreck that separated her and her parents. Atreus, who had visions of Brianna as his future wife during the arduous trials to becoming the ruler hides a hidden truth that may destroy their love. Brianna wonders whether he pursues her out of love or obligation.
Filled with sensual moments between two strong and intelligent protagonists, Josie Litton brings unadulterated passion and romance against a backdrop of chaos spearheaded by cunning rebel honcho Delios who is set to usurp the throne from Atreus. Family ties are threatened when Brianna's brother Polonus is misled by Delios. The danger towards the end is climatic, gripping and harrowing as Brianna is held hostage; Atreus faces his dilemma in giving his beloved Brianna the freedom to leave. Ms. Litton's emotional grip and magical narration sweeps you away to a fantasy abound with castles and adventure that gives a most satisfying end.
Great Book.......2002-11-24
For whatever reason, I was not able to get the other books in this series, but I really enjoyed this book.
Great! Could not put it down........2002-11-13
This is my first Josie Litton book and it was very good. I am going to read all of her other books, now. I love the kingdoms she has created.
Josie's back on track - a romantic, intricate story.......2002-11-06
A nice end to this trilogy. Josie had me worried with the second book in the series Kingdom of Moonlight which I found a serious disappointment. But she's back in form with Castles in the Mist. Atreus is a stalwart, duty-bound but lovable (and sexy!) hero; Brianna is an intelligent, freethinking and independent heroine. No shrinking violet, she's more than a match for this man used to command though she does so in a calm and quiet manner.
Brianna is English by birth, but was shipwrecked on the shores of Akora then adopted and raised by a family there that she loves deeply. But she also has fragments of memory of her parents and travels to England to pursue her past (and possibly her future). She finds an endearing aunt and uncle only too willing to provide family support and entree into London Society.
Atreus is all Akoran. He was selected Vanax (leader) of Akora and takes his responsibilities seriously. During the ritual of selection, a vision of a woman appeared to him and he understands that this woman is to be his wife. He finally discovers who she is, but within days she has left for England. Impatient and a bit worried that she may not return, he follows her to England to pursue, woo and win her. She succumbs to his charms, but is skeptical of his certainty of their shared destiny, and torn by the possibilities available to her should she decide to stay in England.
Ultimately, she agrees to return with him to Akora and think about his proposal. But "what a tangled web we weave"! Does Brianna sympathize with a rebel group on Akora opposed to Atreus' rule? And what does Atreus know of the truth about the shipwreck that killed her parents? Can their fragile relationship survive the truth?
If you are new to this trilogy, it starts with the wonderful Dream Island, followed by KOM and ending with CITM. The next trilogy (coming Summer 2003) will be about the second generation of these Akoran/English unions. I look forward to reading the further adventures of these families!
Average customer rating:
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The Castle in the Mist
Manufacturer: McGraw Hill Custom College Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0072393742 |
Average customer rating:
- don't judge by my rating of this one
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Castle of the Mist
Manufacturer: Worldwide, Note: Borderline Good
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0373300697 |
Customer Reviews:
don't judge by my rating of this one.......2007-02-20
Bought this book without knowing anything about it since there were no reviews or descriptions (just buying books by this author) so my review isn't very fair on that basis. Only really read the first chapter --- widow with hellish first marriage finally free and trying to help out her brother who is in trouble. Anyway, here's the synopsis from the back of the book:
At long last she was returning home. Isabel could hardly wait to see her beloved Scotland again. But when she arrived she found her family riddled with treachery, her father dying, a vicious heir seizing power, and her gentle brother Duncan outlawed and in hiding, accused of a foul crime. Sure of Duncan's innocence, Isabel tried hopelessly to convince the man she loved --- James MacLeod, a ruthless chieftain who believed in Duncan's guilt and swore he's make him pay. Isabel knew who would have to choose between the bond of blood and the bond of love --- but either way meant heartbreak!
Product Description
**** ($3.99 USA POSTAGE FOR ALL 6 BOOKS, WHICH WILL BE MAILED AT THE MEDIA - BOOK RATE WHICH IS SLOW SURFACE MAIL, 7 - 21 DAYS DELIVERY TIME).
Average customer rating:
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Castle in the Mist
Manufacturer: Harlequin Romance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FMIS4I |
Average customer rating:
- Interesting concept. Dull Book. Lame characters
- Niven has great worlds and so-so people
- Amazing world, flat characters.
- Hard to Get Into, But Worthwhile
- Interesting World Building
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The Integral Trees
Larry Niven
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Niven, Larry
| ( N )
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| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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General
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Similar Items:
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Smoke Ring
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ASIN: 0345460367
Release Date: 2003-07-29 |
Book Description
“Niven has come up with an idea about as far out as one can get. . . . This is certainly classic science fiction–the idea is truly the hero.” –Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
When leaving Earth, the crew of the spaceship Discipline was prepared for a routine assignment. Dispatched by the all-powerful State on a mission of interstellar exploration and colonization, Discipline was aided (and secretly spied upon) by Sharls Davis Kendy, an emotionless computer intelligence programmed to monitor the loyalty and obedience of the crew. But what they weren’t prepared for was the smoke ring–an immense gaseous envelope that had formed around a neutron star directly in their path. The Smoke Ring was home to a variety of plant and animal life-forms evolved to thrive in conditions of continual free-fall. When Discipline encountered it, something went wrong. The crew abandoned ship and fled to the unlikely space oasis.
Five hundred years later, the descendants of the Discipline crew living on the Smoke Ring no longer remember their origins. Earth is more myth than memory, and no recollection of the State remains. But Kendy remembers. And just outside the Smoke Ring, Discipline waits patiently to make contact with its wayward children.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting concept. Dull Book. Lame characters.......2006-09-16
The concept of a society where everyone lives in smoke rings as a computerized intelligence waits for them to find it again seems fascinating and bizarre. And I wanted it to be better than it was, but most of the book follows a group of characters that are climbing up a floating tree. There's some food scavenging and fast death but I can see that on Survivor.
When they finally do meet the computer, they outwit it and go home. And by that time the characters are so flat that you don't recognize any of them. The fact that the writer had to put a glossary of names in the back to keep his characters straight should already tell you something. Not even the writer is interested in these people. Pretty much everyone is interchangeable and equally as boring. If he wrote decent characters he wouldn't need to list them and their character traits because we'd know them as people instead of as Level 4 Tree Climbers with +3 magic swords or guns or whatever.
This is one of those books that only Larry Niven fans could like. Apparently he has several. I suppose it's the technology and the weird concepts. For everyone else, this is the quintessential science fiction book that literary writers and graduate students dismiss - relying entirely on "ooh look at the cool planet" and leaving characterization for Dickens.
Niven has great worlds and so-so people.......2006-02-22
You're not going to meet Louis Wu in the smoke ring. Intregal Trees was written during the period when Larry Niven just could not stand his Known Space series.
I met Larry Niven at a Sci-Fi convention back in April of 1983. This was back when Larry (Lawrence Van Colt) hated his known space series because he knew nothing he would ever write would be better than those fine stories. So, he spent a lot of time and energy on anything else but "Ringworld" and Known Space.
Larry was trying to make a new world based off the frame work established in "World out of Time". The plot is simple. People are sent into the universe with slower than light space ships. The world of the Intregal trees, of which the "Smoke Ring" is a far better name, shows how a white dwarf star circles a neutron star. The neutron star is pulling apart a Jupiter sized planet that circles in close orbit. The gases of the Jupiter sized planet supply the air for the "smoke ring". The Intregal Trees live in the Smoke Ring. The white dwarf heats the whole shebang. Got that? And you thought the Ring World was unstable!
The Characters of the plot are basic. To make a long story short, a tribe is on an Intregal tree that is slowly going out of orbit in the smoke ring. The tribe escapes the dying tree but is taken captive by another tribe that believes in slavery. Eventually, this tribe escapes from slavery and makes a new tribe on an unsettled tree.
Yep, this is fairly basic plot stuff. Indeed, when it was written the main characters were teenagers and we meet them again as middle aged adults in the "Smoke Ring", the follow up.
The Universe of the Intregal Trees and the World out of Time are depressing places. Imagine Hillary Clinton's "It takes a Village" type of thinking taking over Earth. There are "Checkers", government agents who live to make sure you comply with the many regulations that keeps society together. The spaceships are not fun like in known space. The science is late 1970s. There is not genetic engineering. The computer system is basically the same one found on "World out of Time" and "2001". This computer is an all knowing mainframe. "Intregal" was written just at the beginning of the PC revolution. Larry completely missed the implications of the PC revolution. The book will feel very dated to readers in the post 2000 period.
Larry could have done better. He avoided writing about "Known Space" for 10 years and only let people start using his universe on a franchise fee when the "Man-Kzin" war novels started.
Larry could have made a semi-series of novels about the Ringworld. Instead he spent his time and energy making the Intregal tree universe.
Now Ringworld Throne and Ringworld's Children are done. Ringworld is now gone. Louis Wu is back and Larry can write about him if he wants.
Intregal Trees and Smoke Ring are two novels about a dead end science fiction concept. They are not bad Niven reads. However, his post 1995 stuff isn't bad and it does not have the dated feel of this series.
This is a solid 3 Stars. It's not too bad.
Amazing world, flat characters........2006-02-05
It's an interesting twist in the sci-fi world when the environment is more believable than the characters, but that's exactly what happens in Niven's "The Integral Trees" and its sequel "The Smoke Ring".
The story starts off well, following the descendants of a group of humans who colonized a gas torus surrounding a former star. The description of the environment is top-notch, complete with wondrous life-forms and its own set of physical laws. But the characters are so totally flat and unbelievable that I still could not remember their names by the end of the book. I found myself becoming increasingly annoyed with Niven's invented swear words and random marriages between his characters.
In short, the book is a disappointment. It's saved only by the creativity of the world and the small amount of suspense offered by the backstory, but nothing about the characters is remotely interesting. He drops readers into the world and offers no explanation for why the humans lack not only knowledge of modern science, but the skills required to build a functional society (sorry, but I don't buy "the passage of time" as a good enough reason). Niven would have done well to take some time studying sociology and psychology instead of physics before starting in on this project.
Hard to Get Into, But Worthwhile.......2005-03-13
"The Integral Trees" is a novel from Larry Niven's "Known Space" that can be read without any prior familiarity with his other work. In this sense it is "stand alone." However, it helps to have read his other books to have a feel for this universe.
This book was difficult for me to get into. Part of the problem is that the fascinating world involved is so far different from our own. Time has to be spent reading and reviewing the charts provided from time to time to figure out how things are happening. Another reason for difficulty of getting involved in the story is that too much information is withheld, leaving the reader wondering for too long about what certain things mean.
A final drawback is weak character development. The Smoke Ring itself takes center stage, so much so that the characters are mere shadows in the grand scheme of things.
This is, however, wonderful science fiction. The fictional world created is truly remarkable and worth exploring.
Interesting World Building.......2003-08-30
First let me say that this edition I'm reviewing is a two for one. You get both the Integral Trees and The Smoke Ring in one volume, which certainly makes it worth the price.
Secondly, The Smoke Ring was published four years after The Integral Trees. But reading The Smoke Ring, immediately after the Integral Trees, makes it a much more enjoyable and stronger book. I doubt I would have enjoyed it quite as much had I read it four years after reading The Integral Trees.
Both of these novels are concept novels in the hard science fiction genre., which is both a strength and a weakness. Niven sets up the world he creates in The Integral Trees, and there is character development but it is a bit thin. I found the novel hard to slog through at times and frankly had a hard time conceptualizing the environment Niven creates. The Smoke Ring is a lot more fun on two accounts. First, Niven goes about exploring a lot more of the world he created. And the characters a bit more developed.
Overall, both are worth reading. If you get through The Integral Trees and really liked it, I think you'd love The Smoke Ring. If you get through the Integral Trees and liked it, but just barely, The Smoke Ring is better. If you really hated The Integral Trees and didn't get it at all, skip The Smoke Ring.
Average customer rating:
- Not up to Niven's best
- Worth it for the Front Cover... Not
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The Integral Trees
Larry Niven
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Niven, Larry
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
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Similar Items:
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Ringworld Throne
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Ringworld
ASIN: B000F28FSM |
Customer Reviews:
Not up to Niven's best.......2007-03-17
I read this expecting it to be much better, based on Niven's reputation & the short stories of his I had read in my many sci-fi anthologies. While the characters and the world they inhabit are interesting, the plot is so thin and shallow that the only good thing I can say about it is that it allowed me to wade through it quickly. Disappointing.
Worth it for the Front Cover... Not.......2006-10-24
Yes, there is a smoking hot girl with long toes on the front cover. Buy it for that. Amazon can probably wrap it in brown paper for you and you'll be all set.
No, seriously - don't you hate it when you see a book and almost put it down because the cover is unnecessarily provocative? That's what I almost did with this one. And it's a shame, because the world Niven creates is very compelling. His look at a drifting world of gigantic drifting trees and floating lakes in an atmosphere ring around a star is fascinating.
That said - the thing that bothers me about this book is its attempt to push the typical "free love" ideas of the sixties. As we most of us know now - that open sex lifestyle doesn't work. It only leads to heartbreak, misery and plenty of STDs. Yet authors keep dreaming of it... living vicariously through the sexual escapades of their characters. I get a little bit of that "dirty old man" feel from this book... maybe the girl on the cover should have been a warning.
It's hard to recommend because of that angle, but it's still a read you can't put down. And with how inexpensive copies are, you can always heat your house cheper than fuel oil if you decide you didn't like this tale of trees.
Average customer rating:
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Der Schwebende Wald (The Integral Trees)
Manufacturer: Bastei Lubbe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
All German Books
| German
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
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ASIN: B000FYZLK0 |
Average customer rating:
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The Integral Tree
Larry Niven
Manufacturer: Macdonald
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Authors, A-Z
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Fantasy
| Gaming
| Large Print
| Media
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ASIN: 0356103439 |
Average customer rating:
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The Integral Trees
Larry Niven
Manufacturer: New York: Ballantine Books, 1983
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NV8B52 |
Average customer rating:
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The Integral Trees
Manufacturer: Ballantine NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I4MQC8 |
Book Description
Lessons and rituals from the women of the Bible, connecting contemporary women with their sacred stories
In this vivid collection, Judaic scholar Vanessa Ochs brings the legends of the biblical matriarchs to new life. Intimate, familiar, and wise, the heroines in Sarah Laughed are revealed to be inspiring role models for women today. From Eve's rebellious taste of wisdom to the righteous anger of Job's wife, each woman's story is retold in imaginative prose and accompanied by real-life rituals that you can perform at home, gaining insight into:
- Finding inner wisdom
- Speaking the true self
- Being a good friend
- Maintaining romantic partnerships
- Raising a family
- Letting go of children
- Feeling blessed with a life well lived
- And much more
Download Description
Lessons and rituals from the women of the Bible, connecting contemporary women with their sacred stories
In this vivid collection, Judaic scholar Vanessa Ochs brings the legends of the biblical matriarchs to new life. Intimate, familiar, and wise, the heroines in Sarah Laughed are revealed to be inspiring role models for women today. From Eves rebellious taste of wisdom to the righteous anger of Job's wife, each woman's story is retold in imaginative prose and accompanied by real-life rituals that you can perform at home, gaining insight into:
- Finding inner wisdom
- Speaking the true self
- Being a good friend
- Maintaining romantic partnerships
- Raising a family
- Letting go of children
- Feeling blessed with a life well lived
- And much more
'
Customer Reviews:
Bible Women Come To Life.......2006-03-08
I really enjoyed the characters in Sarah Laughed and some of these women are real characters! I like the format of each chapter beginning with the scripture reference, followed by a partially hypothetical story, then a personal account by the author and finally suggestions for real life. These womens' situations in life are not that different from our own. Very enjoyable and informative reading. As ususal Ms. Ochs has managed to bring reality to our spirituality.
Disappointing.......2005-09-13
Most of the stories in this book are about women being strong and independent. Eve, Miriam, even the Woman of Valor, the impossibly perfect woman. Then I got to the story of Esther. Instead of telling how she hid her identity and saved her people from destruction, Ochs has chosen to tell the tale of how she became the queen because of her beauty. I get that her point was that Esther had the ability to reflect the beauty of others, which is an admirable trait. But if Ochs wanted to depict a strong woman, she should have chosen a better part of Esther's tale. Instead, we're shown how beauty can get you everywhere. How about a trip to 2005, Ms. Ochs?
Lovely, Full of Comfort and Learned Wisdom.......2005-02-02
Vanessa Ochs has written a lovely book in which she fleshes out the stories of Old Testament women - stories that, very often, are short on detail and leave us with more questions than answers. In the process of filling in the gaps with imaginative and meditative narratives, Ochs supplies ideas on how modern women may use the lessons of our Old Testament forebearers to ease our souls, bodies and minds.
The book is divided into six sections, each addressing one aspect of modern womanhood - Being a Friend, Being a Parent, Living in a Woman's Body, and so on. Each section contains several chapters, each of which focuses on a single biblical woman. The opening chapter, in a section entitled Being Wise, focuses on Eve. The imaginative retelling of Eve's story (from Eve's perspective) following a modern-English version of a portion of the bible dealing with Eve, puts an interesting spin on the story and adds layers to what we assume we understood about the oft-blamed and misunderstood woman. A short essay (I'm tempted to call it a sermon) suggests ways in which we may hear echoes of Eve's story in our own lives - the ways in which we are misunderstood and blamed for the consequences of being too inquisitive, too adventurous and ignoring our own developing wisdom. Finally, we are invited to "Embrace the Gift of Eve" and Ochs offers suggestions for making the most of our abilities to explore and learn under our own volition and without apology. She recommends additional readings, rituals and even a recipe for apple cake to celebrate our existence as learning beings.
Other biblical woman receive similar nuanced tratement. Miriam, "The [Unnamed] Woman of Valor", Esther, the titular Sarah and even Job's wife are among those whose stories gain new relevance and interest under Och's able scholarship. No longer do women seem to hold a lesser place in the bible for Ochs fills in the blanks in their narratives and offers us valuable lessons for today and helps us learn their lessons - not just with our eyes and ears, but with our hearts.
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Sarah Laughed
Trevor Dennis
Manufacturer: Abingdon Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0687013712 |
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And Sarah laughed: The status of woman in the Old Testament
John H Otwell
Manufacturer: Westminster Press
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Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 0664241263 |
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Sarah Laughed: Modern Lessons From The Wisdom & Stories Of Biblical Women
Vanessa L. Ochs
Manufacturer: American Media International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: 1932378847 |
Book Description
In this vivid collection, the Biblical matriarchs are brought to new life and revealed to be inspiring role models for women today.
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Sarah Laughed: Sonnets from Genesis
Judith Goldhaber
Manufacturer: Ribbonweed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0976155419 |
Product Description
The men and women of Genesis, the great family story of Western civilization, come to life in all their surprising and unabashed humanity in this series of 73 sonnets by Judith Goldhaber, based on Jewish folktales and legends, each illustrated by a watercolor painting by Gerson Goldhaber. Here Eve confronts her rival . . .. . . Cain learns the facts of life and death . . . Noah bakes bran muffins on the Ark . . . Sarah greets a miracle with rude laughter . . . the angel of death begs God to send somebody else! . . . Jacob has a conversation with a wolf . . . Joseph hides a silver goblet in Benjamin s luggage . . and all of them argue stubbornly with God. Poet Judith Goldhaber and illustrator Gerson Goldhaber s previous book was Sonnets from Aesop (Ribbonweed Press, 2005), winner of the Independent Publisher Outstanding Book of the Year Award. Those are some of the bouquets that pre-publication reviewers are tossing at SARAH LAUGHED: Sonnets From Genesis, coming this fall from Ribbonweed Press. A sparkling rendition of the tales of Genesis, filled with insight, pathos and humor. The poetry and illustrations work their magic together, delighting the eye and beckoning the mind to wonder." (Daniel Matt, The Essential Kabbalah) Utterly charming, poem and icon, and cunning way to miraculous Genesis. In the best tradition . . . it illumines the Abrahamic religions. (Willis Barnstone, The Secret Reader) Humorous and magical . . . Provides both a fresh perspective for adults and a fun and memorable way to introduce children to the Bible . . . Gerson's Chagall-like paintings add a mystical flavor, while Judith seems to have been born speaking in sonnets . . . (Jendi Reiter, A Talent for Sadness) Another delight, in the pattern set by Sonnets from Aesop . . . It probes wonderfully through poetry and visual image into a world that is humane, imaginative, surprising. . . . (Reverend Gregory I. Carlson, S.J., Curator, Carlson Fable Collection) Skillful iambic pentameters psychologize well-known Bible tales with not just wit, but wisdom, compassion, and mystery. (Peter Dale Scott, Crossing Borders)
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Sarah laughed.(sex and laughter in the Bible): An article from: U.S. Catholic
Patrick T. Reardon
Manufacturer: Claretian Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B0008GTQEW
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Claretian Publications on January 1, 2000. The length of the article is 2298 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Sarah laughed.(sex and laughter in the Bible)
Author: Patrick T. Reardon
Publication:
U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2000
Publisher: Claretian Publications
Volume: 65
Issue: 1
Page: 43
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Sarah Laughed
Manufacturer: MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GTEO0W |
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Sarah Laughed
Vanessa Ochs
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG0T60 |
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