Book Description
THE MOST HONORED ANTHOLOGY OF FANTASTIC FICTION EVER PUBLISHED Featuring the works of such luminaries as: Isaac Asimov ? Robert Silverberg ? Philip José Farmer ? Robert Bloch ? Philip K. Dick ? Larry Niven ? Fritz Leiber ? Poul Anderson ? Damon Knight ? J.G. Ballard ? John Brunner ? frederik pohl ? Roger Zelazny
Customer Reviews:
Good Intro to Literary Sci Fi.......2007-06-20
Some great stories, the kind where you can suspend disbelief, abound in this volumn. Most of the authors went on to bigger and better things.
No longer quite so dangerous however..........2004-08-28
Of course these stories aren't as "dangerous" or revolutionary as they were when they were published 35 years ago. The culture and SF have evolved quite a bit in that time. That said, its still a pretty good collection of stories, and even more interesting as a piece of SF history.
Harlan Ellison deserves a lot of credit for preserving this book as it was, resisting the temptation to update it (like certain directors have futily tried to update their older movies). This includes his introductions, which are written in the venacular of the time, dig, (and which less secure writers might have been embarassed by). To be honest, I found them the most entertaining part of the book, and they give the reader a great insight into the time in which they were written.
Long Live the "Golden Age"!.......2004-02-19
Fritz Leiber distances himself from the other authors in this book in that his story, "Gonna Roll the Bones", has a story and understandable characters, even if those characters are not admirable. If there is a way to find this story in another collection, I would recommend finding it there. The remainder of this book is not intended to be enjoyed. Instead it is intended as a rebellion against SF authors from the "Golden Age".
My suspicion is that Harlan Ellison intended to "revolutionize" SF with this book, but all he wound up doing was showing that revolutions start with ideas, not declaring "Revolution!". The irony was that a "Golden Age" author, Leiber, wrote the only quality story in this anti-"Golden Age" book.
Dangerously dated.......2003-08-14
This is a difficult review for me to write. I really didn't like the collection though I wanted to. I believe the problem is that the success of this book has made it seem nowhere near dangerous 35 years later. They pushed the envelope, now everbody goes there and their works seem commonplace.
On the plus side we get some early works from Zelazny and Delany, Harlan's acerbic, biting introductions cannot hide the love he actually feels for his other writers.
There are some quite good stories in here, typically these stories are where the author didn't feel the need to try to be "edgy", or "dangerous" or "relevant" and let the pushing of the mores come from the story, not the other way around.
The stories where it seems the authors wanted to be "dangerous" don't come across well now. They are either irrelevant, naive and some even seem to come across as little children playing potty-mouth in the absence of their parents. When the stories are bad, they are very, very bad.
Good works do abound in this collection, thus the three stars. However some are so bad you'll wonder if it's worth continuing. The last stories are generally stronger. The stories that begin the collection are the duller and poorer ones.
I am disappointed I did not find this to be revolutionary, and it does not live up to its hype, nor legend. It is a look at a certain time in the field, a time when the style of writing changed, or tried to change with some good stories and some bad ones. That's all it is now I'm sorry to say.
Classic anthology of serious SF.......2003-06-30
This is Harlan Ellison's ground-breaking 60s SF anthology for which he invited writers to explore "dangerous" themes that were generally considered taboo at that time. Even now, many of these tales still retain the capacity to shock. Like most anthologies, the quality of the content is uneven, but the overall result is elevated by Ellison's story introductions, the afterwords to each story by the writers themselves, and the general sense that one is reading a serious attempt to push the genre in a more significant direction. Standouts include stories by Ellison himself, Fritz Leiber, David R. Bunch, Sonya Dorman, JG Ballard, and Norman Spinrad. Interestingly, the only real stinkers in the book are produced by veteran writers: Theodore Sturgeon, Damon Knight, and Poul Anderson.
Average customer rating:
- Ellison's second volume is too much of a good thing.
- Forbidden Science Fiction from the 70's
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Again, Dangerous Visions, Vol. 1
Harlan Ellison ,
Ray Bradbury , and
Kurt Vonnegut
Manufacturer: Roc
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0451075803 |
Customer Reviews:
Ellison's second volume is too much of a good thing........2000-05-30
Flush with the success of the briliant Dangeraus Visions, Harlan Ellison and his publishers leapt into the creation of a mulit-volume sequel. They should have quit while they were ahead. Most of the stories are good, but they have not dated well. Also the book runs needlessly long, with Ellison's hyper ego prattling on in the introductions and needless double header works by the writers. It took me a year to read it all and, for someone who goes through 3 to 5 books a month, that is NOT praise.
Forbidden Science Fiction from the 70's.......2000-04-08
To anyone who has read the original collection of science fiction stories by renowned Sci-Fi masters of the 70's that Harlan Ellison released, this sequel packs all these that were missed, such as Philip Jose Farmer's "Riders of the Purple Wage". Even doubters of repeat success will enjoy this book, as the one refreshing rule (rarely broken) is that each author could only submit ONE story. There were no other rules.
Oh yeah, and Kurt Vonnegut's in it too!
Customer Reviews:
Repent, Harlan.......2006-06-26
This is a fascinating piece of detective work - probably not of great interest to the average book reader, but a wonderful revelation to people like myself, who have long wondered what happened to the book we awaited eagerly over 30 years ago.
It was a time when Harlan Ellison seemed to be both a great story writer and a great editor.
Little did we know that his third anthology would sit on the edge of forever.
I have read a number of speculations on the non-appearance of The Last Dangerous Visions, but at last here is one that makes complete sense.
Highly recommended.
The facts of the case..........2005-09-23
This is a very specialized non-fiction book (booklet? pamphlet? it is very short) dealing with the sad history of the much awaited but never realized publication of The Last Dangerous Visions anthology by Harlan Ellison. The author, Christopher Priest, did his research, cited all of his sources, and pretty much just relates the facts of what Ellison has said and when he said it verses what he has actually done.
The biggest fact one can add to this book is that it is now 2005, over thirty years after the project began and eight years since Priest wrote his history/analysis of its non-occurence, and LDV _still_ has not come out nor shown any sign of ever coming out. And with each passing year, the stories age even further and, except for the handful of authors who took their stories back and had them published elsewhere, more of the included authors pass on with their stories unseen and unread in their lifetime.
Some of the other reviewers who have castigated Priest apparently didn't bother to do their research. One implies that Priest is being vindictive because his own story was rejected for LDV, which is not true (that was a completely different author, John Shirley). Another reveals his ignorance of Priest's publishing history, accusing him of riding the coattails of an American comic book author of the same name, when in fact the British author Priest has been around longer, pubished more and in fact has the real claim to the name since the comic book author apparently changed his name.
This book is interesting and invaluable if you're at all curious about this much talked-about but never seen anthology. Harlan Ellison is one of the truly great writers of speculative fiction and has earned his place of honor in its history. But even great men have their foibles and failures, and sadly LDV looks to be his.
By Another Man's Bootstraps.......2004-07-21
First, it should be said that if you discovered this jumped-up fan tirade to be linked in any way to REAL books by award winning writer Harlan Ellison you have been led astray. But since the link to Harlan's work and Priest's is probably established by Priest and his associates pressing on this link repeatedly in their free time you will have this.
An unsuspecting reader should also know that when pressing the name Christopher Priest one is presented with links to a number of comic book TPB's by a different Christpher Priest. Here we have an example of a person achieving marginal notice by riding on the coat tails of not one, but TWO different (and far better) writers.
If you enjoy long winded and meanspirited tirades that bleat on for pages about slights and literary misdemeanors that could be covered in a few sentences - this is the screed you've been waiting for. If, on the other hand you'd like to read a good book - fiction or non-fiction - in just about any genre imaginable - try one of the 70 or so books Harlan has published in the last 45 years.
This book is published in the United States by Fantagraphics. This is appropriate as Fantagraphics also publishes the Eros line of XXX rated comics in order to stay afloat these days. Fans of self-abuse will be right at home with this title or any of the other books in the one-fisted Fantagraphics catalog.
Insightful Little Book........2003-07-09
Really, I still think that after reading this essay it's a great loss that The Last Dangerous Visions never saw the light of day. Up to now, I mean. I hope it will be put together one day but chances seem small.
Anyway, The Book on the Edge of Forever provides plenty of information, though a sad feeling may overcome you while reading it.
Thank you, Christopher Priest, for this book.
One-sided hatchet job by two self-described "Enemies"..........2002-10-29
Priest's contribution to TLDV was rejected 30 years ago by Harlan Ellison, and this one-sided hatchet job, published by another of Ellison's personal antagonists, Gary Groth, is the result. The fact that these two individuals went so far as to actually refer to themselves as the "Enemies of Ellison" (later "Victims of Ellison" but still something right out of elementary school) speaks volumes about both writer and publisher. It is ad hominem masquerading as journalism, and wasn't worth reading as a free download, let alone paying ... for it.
If you want to be entertained, read the many many volumes of Harlan Ellison's stories and essays. If you want to know more about Ellison himself, there are far better and more objective biographies and critiques of the man and his work.
For those previous reviewers who mentioned Stephen King's "lost story," consider this: It doesn't seem to have bothered King, who has gone on to have some modest success as a writer. Priest, OTOH, has built his entire ... career by attaching himself to Harlan's ankle like an angry Yorkie.
Skip this book...
Product Description
A collection of 46 Original stories
Customer Reviews:
-Umen- are the finest fightin force in the en-tire planetary military establishment........2007-05-20
Again, Dangerous Visions happens to include my favorite story 'Moth Race' by Richard Hill. It also has 'Things Lost', a memorable story about colonists on a long space flight who usually wear decorated masks in public. And it contains, 'Getting Along' a delicious story by James Blish, done in the writing style of Sir Conan Doyle/Jules Verne/HG Wells. For the most part tho, the stories are below average.
It also includes, 'With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Little Old New Alabama' by Dick Lupoff. A story about a colony of whites at war with a colony of blacks.
This story was hyped by the editor as, "Friends, there has never been a thing like this one before, in or out of the field of SF. One expects some eye-openers... but nothing like Lupoff. He takes the solid gold award for chutzpah Above and Beyond the limits of Gall... frankly, had no other story than this one been written for Again, Dangerous Visions, the book would have been worth reading." It ended up being nominated for the Nebula award.
'Boomer Boys' is dangerous because it's told from the point of view of the racist 'New Alabamans' who are at war with the planet 'New Haiti'. The story is told in part thru a succession of speeches the New Alabama leadership give - as observed thru the eyes of the servicemen 'gyrenes' in the story.
The first speech is given at commencement... - "who ever said anybody needed - a commencement speech - to tell him to blast the uppities out of black space... some bigbellied Senator from Talledega? Sheeh! What if it was the Governor himself? what could he say about the war that everybody didn't know already anyhow? We all knew what would happen... the same thing that happened on O'Earth, before the Jewrabs pushed everybody else out and left the colony worlds to shift for themselves. Who needs speeches?"
The second speech is seen from guard duty at a conference of the friendly planets, 'N'Missa', 'N'Maddoxia', 'N'Transvaal', 'N'Boer Republic' - "I can well imagine how some of you - Ole Guv Youngerman, he lookin around to see who's pain attention & who's more interested in studyin his fingernails - how some of you - Ole Guv resumes - matt wonder how come we can't smash them nigra brutes with proven superiority of our kind... I'll be perfectly frank with yall, - Old Guv he looken almost fit to cry now - we taken a thorough whompin in this war... yall have to give us some help. Now that's all there is to it."
The third speech is before a big battle in space, "Colonel-General 'Pissfire' Pallbox, addressed the men. -Umen- are the finest fightin force in the en-tire planetary military establishment. - He spit on the deck., Some swabby wone like that! -M the N'Alabama planetary military establishment - his voice rising - being the finest fightin force among the pure surn white planets under God & His Son Jesus George Christ! - M the pure surn white planets - ole Pissfire hollern rantin now, snappin his official spacerine issue galluses m turnin from side to side - being the toughest, meanest, wild-spit-in-the-eye-&-kick-em-in-the-nuts bunch of ball-barren men in the entire galaxy! - He jumped up and down with a red face & shoutin... Spacerines cheerin an whoopin an huggin each other (sometimes with a leetle more hug than you might think for spacerines, but what the H, they wuz a long way from home)."
It's not hard to like the young 'gyrenes' in the story Gordon Wallace III and Freddie, tho the story does poke fun at them or at least their society - in one case they walk by a newspaper box, "Noozes: WARGOZWELL ENEMYFALLZBACK BLACK CASUALTIZRIEZ PAPADOCS LOZING. Y Bi Noozes? Headlines allasame allagame allafine allatime. Win win win. So: Why no fizem sidewalcracks, streetlights, build some houses? Afterwarz uvocrz". Sayings have changed over time, "Rise Agin!", "Lawnorder", "I'm dreaming of a white kiss miss."
Talking about the different colonies... Gordon mentions, even, "a few worlds colonized by homosexuals of both types, but they didn't breed true in captivity and they died out." Whenever they pass by another man in town they always scope him out, "Fatman was short (5'2" 2'5"? 52"? Short), perspiration too on that noble brow helped. He jiggled as he walked but the sarge (not to mention Gord & Freddie) didn't mind, watched his big behind, a find."
The crux of the story takes place in a seedy night club. Sarge takes Gord and Freddie to a show there last night before deployment. 'Miss Markum' performs a dance there for the crowd. Her dance is interrupted by a black male 'masher', even sarge "does a double take", "but no. He's white only daubed", "Curled around her jelly hip what's that black what's that? A handle it has she grasps and uncoils a whip. Maidenhood defended. Now willya see him cringe and crawl... hear him whine (phwapp!) good O God O finefinefineO go Miss Markum and crack! the people lose their mind the cheers the screams the hips, hips working, losing minds, pelvis grinds tears cheers, Miss Markum Truimphant calls defiant independent slogan: Never!"
N'Haiti does win the war. They solve their manpower shortage by reanimating the war dead: creating zombies. At one point in the story Gord asks to himself, "Why so many N'Alabama ships carry N'Missa names?"
The story ends back at the same night club after the war. Freddie now works there. Miss Markum still works there too, catering now, to the 'new visitors'. Only, things are reversed. She's made up to look quite quite dark, and a white N'Alabama surn man, jumps out and tries to grab her. The show must go on. At the start of the show the Emcee proclaims, "A dramatic interpretation ladies m gentlemen, music m drama m dance combine to present a traditional reenactment." Freddie, is actually the surn man in the show, facing the whip, "Freddie howls (it's part of the act, right, but Miss Markum do you gotta make it so real!)." A very dark Miss Markham gives him one final push down with her heel.
What seems dangerous to me, is, do the 'N'Alabamans' (who have an entire planet to themselves) really have to be so obsessed with race/the greatness of their race? Of course the words 'traditional reenactment' there at the end were a bit unnerving as well.
Generally, people who read this story today, take it to be a veiled reference to our own time. There are a lot of allusions to our times in the story like the veiled reference to Gloria Steinum above. Myself I don't limit the story to just an allegory. I see 'With the Bentfin Boomer Boys' as being more than just story about our times. I see it as a story of the future that happens to comment on our time. Mankind very well could colonize the galaxy one day. With that there are all kinds of dangerous possibilities too.
Book Description
William "Fitch" Minstead, sixth Earl of Ackerman, has been living the life of a carefare bachelor when he dicovers he has a 9-year-old daughter. He increases the size of his family even more when he proposes marriage to Lizzie's guardian, Miss Hilary Compton.
But the earl has another secret, one his new bride is determined to undercover.
Customer Reviews:
Change Of Formula Following The Series.......2006-02-04
Having read the previous books in this series (He Said Yes, He Said No) I was expecting the same format. The man meets a woman, pursues her and falls in love with her, she runs away and he finds her and marries her. He Said Now however did not go this way--Fitch learns he impregnated a woman 9 years earlier and after the mother perishes, he wants to give his daughter a normal life. He becomes intrigued with her guardian, Hilary, and to remedy the situation he marries her. They fall in love and in this book she gets pregnant within the story of the book unlike in the other novels we find out characters get pregnant. It's a quick read and the author's voice improves since her writing has more meaning.
Best Book Of The Series.......2005-07-05
This is my favorite of this series of books by Patricia Waddell. I have never written a review for Amazon before, but I felt I had to after reading this book. It's not the same story lines you normally find. The characters are real, they have depth, and you find yourself routing for them to find the way to say "I Love You". I reccommend this book and series. You won't regret it.
the best yet..........2004-08-18
of the series. I like the way the author made the short courtship romantic with love scenes that are passionate at the same time sweet. Looking forward to the next one.
Another nice addition to the series.......2004-06-19
This is my second book by this author, my first being the enjoyable HE SAID NO which came out in February. This is actually the fourth in the Gentleman's Club series which started with short story LOVE LETTERS (from anthology CUPID CALLING), then continued in HE SAID YES and concluding with HE SAID NEVER coming this fall. The series follows five titled friends in 1860's England and their various adventures in love.
William Fitch Minstead, the Earl of Ackerman has just received some shocking news. He apparently fathered a child he never knew about, the result of an affair 10 years before when he was a young military man about to ship out to the Crimea. The feisty yet alluring Miss Hilary Compton who has been acting as the child's guardian since the death of her mother delivers the news. Fitch decides to meet and see this little girl for himself and travels to Miss Compton's home in Nottingham to see her for himself. One look at little Lizzie confirms his parentage, as she is the image of his late mother. Fitch is determined to be a part of his daughter's life and proposes a surprising arrangement: that he and Miss Compton marry so that Fitch can then adopt Lizzie as his daughter. But Fitch makes it clear he wants more than the usual marriage of convenience. He expects her to be his wife in every way, including providing him with an heir.
When Hilary undertook her mission to inform the earl of his child, she had fully expected him to be a rake and a scoundrel uninterested in his child. Instead, she finds him to be kind, warm, witty and all too willing to have Lizzie in his life. She has noted the attraction that swirls between them and wonders if a real marriage is possible. She agrees to his proposal and soon finds herself in London, the new countess of Ackerman! But as the days and weeks pass, her early optimism for a happy marriage begins to dim as Fitch persists in keeping a part of himself from her. She knows his withdrawal has something to do with his war experiences, but he adamantly refuses to discuss it with her. Her attempts to get closer to him just seem to make things worse until she begins to wonder if he wanted a real wife afterall. Or did he just marry her to get his daughter and the rest was all talk? As for Fitch, he wonders why Hilary can't just leave well enough alone. She's got his protection, his name and his daughter - what more can she possibly want from him?
I really enjoyed this story and I liked Fitch a lot! His relationship with his daughter was very cute and sweet and his relationship with Hilary was sensual and poignant. I liked Hilary, but felt she pushed Fitch too hard too fast to share things with her he felt he could not. But all in all a nice story that I recommend to others. I'm looking forward to the next book which will be the rascally Viscount Rathbone's story.
Pretty good book.......2004-06-11
William Fitch Minstead is a man who just recieved a major shock thanks to Hilary Compton. He is a father due a past affair. Fitch is a man knows what he wants and he want to be with his daughter, so decided to married the woman he has been raising his daughter. So now Hilary goes from a country miss to the new Countess of Ackerman.
"He said Now" is the first book tha have read from Patricia Waddell and it was pretty good read. Ms. Waddell makes her characters real with real emotions. The only reason that I did not give five stars is that the ending was not very strong.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from NewsInc, published by The Cole Group on July 2, 2001. The length of the article is 897 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: NEW(S) MEDIA In 1996 he said, 'The Mac is dead,' but now it's different "Isn't it time to take a look [at Macintosh] -- especially since Microsoft is back doing its best Darth Vader impression?".(Brief Article)
Publication:
NewsInc (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 2, 2001
Publisher: The Cole Group
Volume: 13
Issue: 14
Page: NA
Article Type: Brief Article
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Product Description
**** ($3.99 USA POSTAGE FOR ALL 4 BOOKS, WHICH WILL BE MAILED AT THE MEDIA - BOOK RATE WHICH IS SLOW SURFACE MAIL, 14 - 21 DAYS DELIVERY TIME). 4 - PATRICIA WADDELL USED PAPERBACK BOOKS, - HE SAID NEVER - HE SAID NOW - TRUE BLOOD - WHISPERS IN THE STARS.
Average customer rating:
- Best Book I Ever Read
- Very inventive and loads of fun!
- 3.5 Stars
- 2nd review for this book
- A delightful and fast-paced fantasy adventure
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Seven Professors of the Far North
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ASIN: 0142407356 |
Book Description
When Sam visits Zara and Ben and their great-uncle, the quirky inventor Professor Ampersand, he never expects to embark on a fantastical adventure. But when Professor Ampersand and his group of professor friends are kidnapped by the evil Professor Murdo, it's up to Sam, Zara, and Ben to save them. They have only three days in which to journey to an icy, desolate land and uncover Murdo's sinister plot. Only then can they save the professors— and the fate of the whole world. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Best Book I Ever Read.......2007-03-12
I liked the book so much because it had a lot of action and some mystery. The 7 Professors started out as friends but one had a sinister plot in mind. Their goal was to build a university in the far north, but then the bad professor burned the buildings down and kidnapped the other professors. Will 3 kids be able to rescue the professors?! Read this book to find out.
Very inventive and loads of fun!.......2006-10-02
I'm not a kid, and I haven't been one for so long it's sad. But like a kid, the cover of the book caught my eye and intrigued me. The price was great so I bought it and I'm glad I did. This is a really wonderful book-- full of fun, adventure, and invention. Another reviewer here compared it to the Harry Potter books and I agree: it holds up quite nicely. The characters aren't quite as rich (Fardell doesn't quite seem to know what to do with Zara) but the story is a page-turner and you never know quite what you're going to get on that next page.
For parents wondering about the book, it's definitely appropriate for kids as young as 9 or 10, provided they're up to reading a "real" book. The situations are tense but I don't think there's anything that's likely to give them nightmares. And the bad guys are punished, even when, as in one case, it's someone who does something illegal but is kind and helpful to the young heroes. Also, there are no, ahem, "adult" situations at all, so you don't have to worry about it in that regard. One other good thing is that two of the kids in the book are girls and they're very brave, noble and smart. Plus, they're presented completely on the same level as the boys, not just "smart for a girl" or anything like that.
The only problem I had was with the climactic scene: it seemed to be too quick, a little too convenient, and a little too easy. Once they got to that scene there were no more complications or twists. That's one thing I can say about the Potter books: they're twisty and interesting right up till the end.
I'm tempted to give my review only 4 stars for two reasons: 1) A "5" implies that this is the best-- that it can't get any better. But that's not the case. It *could* be better. And 2) Well, it could be better. HOWEVER, it's definitely worth reading and I wouldn't want to risk lowering the overall ranking by giving it only 4 stars. The qualms I had with the climax are likely just my own pickiness, so I don't want anyone put off, yet I do want to keep the review honest.
3.5 Stars.......2006-02-28
Young Sam Carnabie is staying Professor Ampersand and his great niece and nephew, Zara and Ben for a few weeks while his parents attend a conference. Professor Ampersand's home is filled with Rube Goldberg inventions and "labor saving" devices.
Late one night an old friend of the professor's arrives, exhausted and fearful with news that an old enemy, has returned. In the course of the evening, Professor Ampersand tells the children about an earlier part of his life when he and six other professors founded a university on Nordbergen , a remote island in the far North, only to be betrayed by one of them. Roderick Murdo was discovered to have kidnapped a baby for some ghastly experiment. The baby was saved but Murdo left the professors to die in the wilderness of the Arctic and disappeared.
Ampersand summons the other professors to let them know that their nemesis has returned to Nordbergen. As they plan how to thwart him again, Murdo's goons arrive and kidnap the professors. The children are left to follow the few clues they have in order to rescue them and save the world.
A secret subterranean railroad (very cool,) snowmobiles, and submarines convey the kids to Nordbergen. Murdo is a "James Bond" style villian whose human shaped high rise headquarters is a super complex of high tech gadgetry and genetic engineering evil.
The kids must figure things out but they are helped by adults along the way.
I liked the small b&w drawings that are sprinkled throughout the text. The book had an old-fashioned feel that got better as the story progressed. I will be interested to see how kids go for it.
2nd review for this book.......2005-11-21
I realized I wanted my review in the hardback too!
My son): I really liked the part when they were on the ISNT train and I really liked when they went on the plane and how one of the characters escaped. It was a fascinating book. I would definitely read another book that he has written.
(Mom:)My son read the book in 5 days and was glued to the book. It was a great adventure story about 3 kids saving the world (and it had a few pictures). It was a great mixture of a good story, fantasy and geography. In fact, the book was very well written especially for a children's book, but a much more manageable size than Harry Potter. My son is a third grader and enjoyed every minute of it!
A delightful and fast-paced fantasy adventure.......2005-09-24
THE SEVEN PROFESSORS OF THE FAR NORTH is an exciting adventure tale, rippled with inventive and surprising technology. It begins when 11-year-old Sam Carnabie is invited to spend his Easter holidays with an old friend of his parents, Professor Ampersand. Professor Ampersand, an inventor, has dozens of interesting contraptions, from a motorcycle built for four to an oven-boiler that heats water at the same time that it cooks food. Professor Ampersand's great niece and nephew, Ben and Zara, are delighted to show Sam all the innovative delights their house has to offer.
No sooner have they finished dinner on the very first night of Sam's visit, however, than an urgent message arrives, quickly followed by five of Professor Ampersand's former colleagues. Together with another scientist, Professor Murdo, they were once responsible for trying to found a top-level university at Nordberg, a tiny island in the far north. However, when Professor Murdo's unethical experiments came to light, he decided to flee, taking his six colleagues with him and abandoning them in a huge field of snow and ice. Only a secret known to one of them, a secret they've all promised never to reveal, got them home safely. When Professor Murdo's private soldiers show up a few hours later and kidnap all six professors, Sam, Ben and Zara are left with only a confusing clue to the secret and their unwavering determination as they set off to find the professors and unmask Murdo's frightening scheme.
The three children's surprising and exciting adventures are at the heart of the rest of the book as they wend their way north to the island of Nordberg. Alternating with scenes from the life of another girl, Marcia, who ends up in Professor Murdo's clutches for entirely different reasons, the story of Ben, Zara and Sam's escapades are edge-of-your-seat exciting, but always plausible in the context of the story. Fardell's world of surprising inventions means that the reader is constantly making new discoveries right along with the kids in the story. Although based in fact and science rather than fantasy, Fardell's world building is on a par with the Harry Potter books --- in fact, THE SEVEN PROFESSORS OF THE FAR NORTH reminded me more of the spirit of Harry Potter than any of the numerous copycat fantasy books spawned since the young wizard's success.
Each of the three children brings his or her own skills to the adventure --- Sam's preparedness, Ben's map-reading abilities, Zara's boldness --- and each of them comes up with innovative ideas when they're most needed, usually just in the nick of time. As the book approaches its exciting conclusion, it's easy to believe that their adventures have helped Sam, Ben and Zara develop the courage they need to confront Professor Murdo.
From start to finish, John Fardell's THE SEVEN PROFESSORS OF THE FAR NORTH is a delight to read.
--- Reviewed by Paula Jolin
Average customer rating:
- Curious about Mantras
- Energy-based sounds
- Excellent Building Block
- Worth Its Weight in Gold
- Outstanding Value; Masterful
|
Mantra: Sacred Words of Power
Thomas Ashley-Farrand
Manufacturer: Sounds True
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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Book Description
In 1978, Thomas Ashley-Farrand traveled to India for the first time, where he astonished the spiritual community there with his perfect command of mantra, the practice of using specific "sacred sound syllables" for spiritual and material transformation. Now, 20 years later, he shares for the first time his mastery of this ancient spiritual art on Mantra: Sacred Words of Power. Here is the first English language audio curriculum that teaches you how to use mantras to enhance the powers of your mind, influence the environment around you, and deepen your spiritual practice.
According to the Vedic tradition of India, the universe was birthed from pure sound. This symphony of vibrational energy continues to unfold at this moment, creating everything that we hear, see, and touch. In 12 fascinating sessions, Thomas Ashley-Farrand teaches you a library of traditional mantras with relevance to every area of your life. From work and health, to love and enlightenment - here are dozens of authentic chants that are used every day by millions of people to activate the energy of creation.
"The power of mantras comes not from the meaning of the syllables," teaches Ashley-Farrand, "but from their direct vibrational effect on our body's physiological and energetic systems." He also teaches, "Sanskrit is an energy-based language, and mantras are spiritual formulas for working with this energy. They are designed to eliminate obstacles as we progress spiritually, and to help us make energetic progress toward the good." With Mantra: Sacred Words of Power, you can begin practicing these powerful chants to heal and change your own life - with the very first mantra that you chant. Includes a 36-page study guide.
Customer Reviews:
Curious about Mantras.......2007-04-02
I was drawn to this and glad I found it as I have not read a plethora of information about Mantras - but this is very comprehensive, interesting and informative. I have already started chanting and hope to continue with more. I have listened to these CDs in the car and transferred them to my iPod. I hope to take my own notes to remember information I am intersted in. I highly recommend this series to open up new information to those of us in the "west" who think we understood much about the knowledge of the Hindu/Buddhist world.
Energy-based sounds.......2007-02-15
This is a comprehensive mantra tool-bag. A must-have in your library of book collections for those who're interested in playing of consciousness. Explanations are concise and clear. Most important is, you'll see results if you really follow the guidlines and practice it.
Excellent Building Block.......2007-01-17
This cd set builds on the basic Abundance, Beginners Guide, and Relationship mantra teachings. I've listened to the first three cds and I have learned new mantras for the chakras, planetary influences, and the insurmountable. Learning about the avatars and Ashley-Farrand's personal applications of the mantras set a solid foundation as the cd program advances. It is well worth the investment. I highly recommend it for the beginner as well as the advanced mantra mediator. Namaste.
Worth Its Weight in Gold.......2006-01-12
This album is just what I had been looking for. The
printed guide book is also indispensable. I look forward
to reading his book, True Stories of Spiritual Power.
I hope he comes out with more advanced mantra tape albums/CDs.
He should go on a speaking lecture tour and hold workshops.
Outstanding Value; Masterful.......2005-07-18
This six audio tape series (with study guide) is an excellent progression from Thomas Ashley-Farrand's beginners and Healing Mantra's series. I was wary of it repeating some of his entry level products on Sanskrit Mantra and I was happy to be proved wrong. This series builds knowledge, and goes a few steps deeper into such things as the seed mantras, karma, Avatars, masculine and feminine energies, attunements, physical organs, and the Gayatri Mantra. It does this without losing the benefits of the beginner's series, yet it also stands on its own. Its an elegant expression of what amounts to an incredibly dynamic and wise system of ancient spiritual practice.
A very well structured series, its easy to learn and to find specific areas of interest including a section on Tibetan Buddhism. Thomas Ashley-Farrand's passion and commitment is apparent to anyone willing to listen.
Its also a wise choice for audio tapes instead of 6 x CD's because if you're like me, I don't have a CD stacker in my car!
Regards,
Daniel John Hancock
Average customer rating:
- A Great Place To Start With Mantras
- Sounds of Energy
- Sanskrit Mantra is a wonderful spiritual and material tool!
- The power of Mantras: Sanskrit Pronunciation problems
- Wonderful tool for those who are interested in Chant!
|
The Power of Mantras: How to Use Sacred Words for Protection, Abundance, Creativity and Healing
Thomas Ashley-Farrand , and
Thomas Ashley Farrand
Manufacturer: Sounds True
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Mantra: Sacred Words of Power
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ASIN: 1564556824 |
Customer Reviews:
A Great Place To Start With Mantras.......2004-06-21
I got turned on to Mantras through the music of Deva Premal during my Yoga classes. I was really drawn into her music and wanted to learn more about what I was listening to. This music and the sound of the language has had a very powerful effect on me.
I found this 2 tape program to be an excellent introduction to Mantra. I have since bought two of his books ("Healing Mantras" and "Shakti Mantras") because I found this author to be very knowledgeable about this subject.
He gives a good amount of background on mantra, including aspects of the philosophical system that is related to this practice as well.
While I can't speak personally as to whether certain results can be acheived by specific mantras, surely the meditative aspect of Mantras is surely beneficial in and of itself.
The author usually repeats each mantra about 3 times before explaining each one in detail. This lets you get a feel for the pronunciation as well as the overall meaning of each mantra that is presented here.
I liked this program and author enough that I would like to eventually get the longer audio program he has done for Sounds True.
My only very slight criticism, and it's a small and strictly personal one, is that the author seems very mechanical in his rendering of the mantras. However, I would have to admit that from a teaching standpoint this is perhaps the best approach as he is focusing on clarity of pronounciation rather than passion here :)
Highly recommended!
Namaste
Sounds of Energy.......2000-01-15
Thomas Ashley-Farrand is a boon to the west. His work with Sanskrit Mantra is the most accessible and clearest demonstration of its meaning and practice that has ever been presented in the Western Hemisphere. With "The Power of Mantras," the new audio release from Sounds True, we not only get to read about Sanskrit Mantra with a concise and well-written study guide included with the two audio cassettes but we also get to hear Ashley-Farrand relate the ancient Hindu fables of masculine and feminine deities and energies which for millenia were kept alive via the oral tradition. Ashley-Farrand explains in the simplest terms comprehensible to any layman the intricate dynamics of the Vedic teachings from which Sanskrit Mantra is drawn and demonstrates with great clarity the actual pronunciation of the discreet units of sound and energy which comprise this most ancient of spiritual disciplines. Mantra remains the foremost art which exemplifies what Ashley-Farrand calls "the spiritual primacy of sound." It is not so much about meaning as energy. And the great array of energies it bespeaks apply to every aspect of human life on a physical, emotional and mental level. In a highly entertaining fashion we are given a short but comprehensive course in Vedic teachings with "The Power of Mantras" that can serve as the perfect introduction to a more exhaustive pursuit of this fascinating spiritual discipline. The emphasis here is not so much on history as practice. And the practical benefits of using sacred words for personal empowerment and healing remains the primary focus throughout "The Power of Mantras." This handsome boxed two-cassette package with study guide is a perfect companion to Ashley-Farrand's book titled "Healing Mantras" (Ballantine Wellspring, 1999) which presents the same practical examination of Sanskrit Mantra in somewhat greater detail. Both works, however, have rescued the ancient spiritual art from dusty tomes of esoteric obscurity and brought it forth with a new and shining simplicity.
Sanskrit Mantra is a wonderful spiritual and material tool!.......1999-12-17
Thomas Ashley-Farrand is known in the west as well as in the east for his accurate pronunciation of the Sanskrit language. His chanting conveys such great energy that it lifts me to higher states of spiritual awareness merely by listening to the mantras. I have been chanting on a daily basis for over a year and the foundation for my pronunciation is Mr. Ashley-Farrand's recitation. It has been my experience that with faithful recitation of the mantra over time the mantra actually corrects your pronunciation. Over the past year my spiritual and physical body have undergone changes due to the chanting of Sanskrit manrtas as taught in these tapes and his book, "Healing Mantras". I once suffered from lactose imtolerance, a supposedly incurable inability to digest dairy products. Through the chanting of such powerful mantras like the Gayatri and Mahamrityunjaya, both included these tapes, I was completely healed and am now able to eat as much cheese as I want. Please understand that mantra usually leads you on to a more mundane route to solving your problems and I have had numberable experiences with mantra guiding me along a normal course that was merely blocked by an unseen inner obstacle, the tapes explain all about this process. Sanskrit mantra has also given me greater clarity of mind and a more dynamic sense of love. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to hear these tapes. Please give this mantra a try and see how you feel:OM MANI PADME HUM. I wish for all your desires to be satisifed and may you all experience pure love for your chosen Ideal's Divine Lotus feet. Om & Prema, Vishwabhakta.
The power of Mantras: Sanskrit Pronunciation problems.......1999-12-02
The cassette study guide is good; however, the quality and pronunciation of Sanskrit words and chants is poor at best. The language of Sanskrit uses highs and lows, pauses and stresses, to convey the meaning and energy; such authentic breath control and voice modulation is nowhere to be seen in the chant-recordings in the two audio tapes on the Power of Mantras.
Wonderful tool for those who are interested in Chant!.......1999-08-27
Thomas Ashley Farrand is by far one of the western world's finest teachers of ancient Sanskrit Mantra and it's practice. By incorporating Mantra into our daily lives, it is possible change Karma and re-direct energy in a more positive flow, for ourselves and for others. This is a "must have" for practitioners of Yoga and Meditation.
Shanti Om...
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