Subjects Books - Page 22

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 644 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

One of the world’s most beloved and bestselling writers takes his ultimate journey -- into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer.

In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail -- well, most of it. In In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand -- and, if possible, answer -- the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. To that end, he has attached himself to a host of the world’s most advanced (and often obsessed) archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, travelling to their offices, laboratories, and field camps. He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the record of this quest, and it is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Science has never been more involving or entertaining.


From the Hardcover edition.

The ESV Study Bible

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Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best Study Bible Available 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I've had my NIV Study Bible since the early 1990's. My parents got it for me and it has become one of my favourite Bibles. In seminary I used it profusely since I was convinced the "dynamic equivalence" model of translation theory was the best one. I did not like the NASB (a popular edition when I was in seminary) as it seemed rather wooden in places. There were places I was not thrilled with the NIV but I was happy with it for the most part. And I really enjoyed the study notes.

Then, something rather amazing happened! Well, actually something rather common happened. Another study bible was released. This was the ESV study bible. I had only briefly looked at the ESV and thought it to be similar enough to the NASB that I really did not give it a second look. But so many people were coming to embrace it that I thought it should be something I should look at. And now since seminary I review many books, I can get most books I ask for to review, so I asked Crossway for a copy of the ESV study bible. All I can say is that this is my new favourite Bible!

The ESV itself takes a more literal approach to translation theory than I have preferred but makes valuable improvements in both the weaknesses of the NASB and the NIV. Where the NASB was overly wooden, the ESV is much smoothers. Where the NIV took too much liberty in interpretation, the ESV is more literal. I feel the ESV strikes a nice balance between both the NASB and the NIV. It is solidly conservative and easy to read. If I had to pick a new favourite translation, I think I am leaning more and more from the NIV to the ESV. But, what about the study notes? I had become accustomed to the ones in the NIV so the ESV had some hard work to convert me. At least I thought it did. Instead, it took less than a minute.

My only complaint at the outset is the paper that most bibles use in hardcover editions (the one I was sent). It is very thin and hard to turn the pages and can tear easily. In leather editions this is not as much of an issue, but this is my main issue with the hardcover edition.

The first thing that struck me about the study bible is the incredible amount of resources it contains. It contains 66 articles and essays ranging from topics on the Trinity, Bioethics, Reading the Bible as Literature, the Septuagint, and a History of Salvation in the Old Testament. These resources written by major Evangelical scholars are weighty but succinct providing just the right amount of helpful information that satisfy's the questions but prompts the reader for further study.

The next thing that strikes you is the full colour maps and illustrations. No study Bible I have ever had had full colour anything unless you count the maps that are put at the back of the bible. But every illustration and map throughout the bible is in full colour. This makes things really stand out and provides nice clear pictures to help aid in the study process.

When it comes to the notes themselves they are very thorough and balanced. They list major options of interpretation and usually let the reader decide. One of the most helpful items in the notes are what I will call the contextual notes. These, with a slight highlight, outline the sections in the text and give helpful brief notes focusing on the context of individual sections. So, not only are individual verses parsed specifically and given helpful specific information but even whole sections are given notes to help facilitate reading the text as a piece of literature. This helps the readers see the big picture of how each individual section fits into the work as a whole.

Before each book there is a helpful treatment of authorship, dating, and other common features. What sets the ESV apart from others are the literary features section which help to explain what is going on overall in the book and the history of salvation summary which put the content of the book in the context of the redemption story of the whole Scripture. This is a very helpful addition as it helps to put into context the book as a whole and helps to prevent moralizing the text but instead interpreting it in light of the rest of Scripture.

Obviously each note cannot be critiqued here in a brief review like this, but one will be looked at which always seems to generate much discussion, and that is the nature of the millennium in Revelation 20. Under Revelation 20:1-6 it describes this as "Interlude: The Thousand Years of the Dragon's Binding and the Martyrs' Reign." Each of the premillennial, postmillennial, and amillennial, positions are described and represented fairly. It highlights different approaches to the next (literal versus symbolic) and the representative features of each position. The notes do not take a position on the issue but helpfully simply say, "Likewise, each of these views falls within the framework of historic Christian orthodoxy" (p. 2492). This is the sort of congenial attitude we need to have when discussing issues of debate that are not part of the fundamentals of the faith. While obviously this reviewer would take a particular position, he appreciates how fairly his position is described and would not hesitate to recommend this particular note to those of any eschatological persuasion.

Overall, I find the ESV study bible to be probably the best study bible on the market. Obviously, please continue to use your other study bible's but if I was to recommend just one, I would highly recommend the ESV Study Bible. Now I just have to wait to get my hands on the Black Genuine Leather edition!

Editorial Review:

The ESV Study Bible was created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way--to understand the timeless truth of God's Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, the ESV Study Bible combines the best and most recent evangelical Christian scholarship with the highly regarded ESV Bible text. The result is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published--with 2,752 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources.

Black Ops

W.E.B. Griffin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Russian bear is stirring—and it’s hungry— in the #1 New York Times–bestselling series’ thrilling fifth novel.

The first disturbing reports reached Delta Force Lieutenant Colonel Charley Castillo in the form of backchannel messages concerning covert U.S. intelligence assets working for a variety of agencies suddenly gone missing and then, suddenly, inexplicably, found dying. Or dead. One in Budapest, Hungary. One in Kiev, Ukraine. One in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, mere klicks from the Iran border. And then one in Virginia, along the Potomac River, practically in the shadow of CIA headquarters.

Castillo finds the information both infuriating and fascinating, particularly after a recent experience with two CIA traitors whose own deaths were swift and suspicious. Despite there being some similarities, though, he thinks there’s something different with these new cases, something he can’t quite put his finger on. At first, it’s idle thought, but Castillo expects it’s only a matter of time before the commander in chief assigns him and his group of troubleshooters in the innocuously named Office of Organizational Analysis to look into the deaths while all those intel agencies fight among themselves trying to put the pieces together.

Meanwhile, Castillo has problems of his own—fallout from recent missions involving a clandestine rescue of a DEA agent from South American drug runners, and the confiscation of some fifty million dollars from thieves in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal. He’s made more than a few enemies, he knows—both foreign and domestic. And then comes another back-channel message, this one delivered personally by his lethal friend, the Russian mobster arms dealer. All that has happened so far, he says, is just a warm-up for what’s about to come out of the Kremlin.

Could sabers be rattling for a new Cold War? Or worse? Presidential Agent C. G. Castillo is about to find out. . . .

Filled with Griffin’s trademark rich characters and cutting-edge drama, this is another exceptional novel in an exceptional series.

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Marcus Luttrell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 809 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July, 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to be very close to Bin Laden with a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive.

This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His squadmates fought valiantly beside him until he was the only one left alive, blasted by an RPG into a place where his pursuers could not find him. Over the next four days, terribly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell crawled for miles through the mountains and was taken in by sympathetic villagers who risked their lives to keep him safe from surrounding Taliban warriors.

A born and raised Texan, Marcus Luttrell takes us from the rigors of SEAL training, where he and his fellow SEALs discovered what it took to join the most elite of the American special forces, to a fight in the desolate hills of Afghanistan for which they never could have been prepared. His account of his squadmates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience that is both heartrending and life-affirming. In this rich chronicle of courage and sacrifice, honor and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers a powerful narrative of modern war.

The God Delusion

Richard Dawkins

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Total reviews: 1320 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Another angle....... 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

'The God Delusion' is an interesting, sometimes fun, occasionally irritating, and mostly antagonistic writing. As a practicing biologist, I find myself reading and reviewing from within the framework of evolutionary theory. But from the concern that this could be too myopic, I consider the likes of Vine Deloria Jr.'s "Evolution, Creationism and other Modern Myths" to be a worthy companion and recommend this to other readers.

I found 'Delusion' to be somewhat scattered at times in what it was either attacking or supporting. Sometimes it was sticking to 'God', but often drifting to religion at large without re-defining the breadth of this term. More accurate clarification of definitions and sticking within these confines would have helped Dawkin's arguments.

The focus in one of the chapters on Adolf Hitler's Catholicism as potentially motivating his efforts was, to me, not as convincing as psychobiographical literature that present an alternative hypothesis. The Swiss psychoanalyst Alice Miller and the psychobiographer Lloyd DeMause, to name just two, have written on the psychology of abuse in childhood and how it impacted the adult lives of many murderous dictators, including Hitler.

In fact, in comparing religion per se versus past child abuse and neglect (a strict and oppressive religious up-bringing can constitute child abuse) as a source of violent motivations in individuals or groups, I would wager that sustained abuse during childhood is more than just the spark that sets individuals down the road to violence. Detrimentally, some religions both promote and exploit the fear that becomes integrated into the child mind which can subsequently be fanned during adolescence and adulthood into the flames of interpopulation conflict. As any psychologist will tell you, these are not motivations which readily can be "argued away" using reason. It would be quite interesting were Dawkins to immerse himself in works following the psychobiological lineage initiated by Ian D. Suttie ("The Origins of Love and Hate") and developed into attachment theory by John Bowlby (the Attachment Trilogy books) and colleagues before addressing this topic anew.

Thoughtful writings that address not only the religious roots of violence to other humans but also to the planet in general that may be of interest to other readers are Paul Shepard's "Nature and Madness" and David Abram's "The Spell of the Sensuous".

Editorial Review:

In his sensational international bestseller, the preeminent scientist and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins delivers a hard-hitting, impassioned, but humorous rebuttal of religious belief. With rigor and wit, Dawkins eviscerates the arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of the existence of a supreme being. He makes a compelling case that faith is not just irrational, but potentially deadly. In a preface written for the paperback edition, Dawkins responds to some of the controversies the book has incited. This brilliantly argued, provocative book challenges all of us to test our beliefs, no matter what beliefs we hold.

No Limits: The Will to Succeed

Michael Phelps, Alan Abrahamson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"When I'm focused, there is not one single thing, person, anything that can stand in the way of my doing something. There is not. If I want something bad enough, I feel I'm gonna get there."

Michael Phelps is one of the greatest competitors the world has ever seen. From teen sensation in Sydney to bona fide phenom in Athens, he is now -- after the Beijing Games -- a living Olympic legend. With an unprecedented eight gold medals and world-record times in seven events, his performance at the 2008 Games set a new standard for success. He ranks among the most elite athletes in the world, and is both an inspiration and a role model to millions. The incredible focus he exhibits in practice and during competition propels him forward to his unrivaled excellence. In No Limits, Michael Phelps reveals the secrets to his remarkable success, from his training regimen to his mental preparation and, finally, to his performance in the pool.

Behind Phelps's tally of Olympic gold medals lies a consistent approach to competition, a determination to win, and a straightforward passion for his sport. Like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, he has learned to filter out distractions and deliver stellar performance under pressure. The road has not always been easy; from the very beginning, Phelps had to overcome physical setbacks and emotional trials. When he was younger, he was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; other kids bullied him; even a teacher said he would never be successful. Later, he had to work through injuries that jeopardized his career. In this book, Phelps talks for the first time about how he has overcome these and other challenges - about how to develop the mental attitude needed to persevere, not just in athletic competition but in life.

His success is imbued with the perspective of overcoming the obstacles that come your way and believing in yourself no matter the odds.

No Limits explores the hard work, commitment, and sacrifice that go into reaching any goal. Whether it is on the starting block during an Olympic swim meet or in the weight room on a typical day, Phelps's dedication has led him to unparalleled excellence. Filled with anecdotes from family members, friends, teammates, and his coach, No Limits gives a behind-the-scenes look at the makings of a real champion. One of Phelps's mottos is "Performance Is Reality," and it typifies his attitude toward achieving his goals. It's easy to get bogged down by doubt or to lose focus when a challenge seems out of reach, but Phelps believes that you can accomplish anything if you fully commit yourself to it. Using the eight final swims of the Beijing Olympics as a model, No Limits is a step-by-step guide to realizing one's dream.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector's Edition (Offered Exclusively by Amazon)

J. K. Rowling

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Total reviews: 113 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector's Edition
Offered Exclusively by Amazon (Available in Limited Quantities)

In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard (available December 4, 2008) and Amazon is thrilled to exclusively offer a luxuriously packaged Collector's Edition designed to evoke the spirit of the handcrafted original.

Tucked in its own case disguised as a wizarding textbook found in the Hogwarts library, the Collector's Edition includes an exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, as well as 10 additional illustrations not found in the Standard Edition or the original. Opening the case reveals a velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling’s signature, in which sits the piece de resistance: your very own copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, complete with metal skull, corners, and clasp; replica gemstones; and emerald ribbon. As a special gift for fans, the Collector's edition also includes a set of 10 ready-for-framing prints of J.K. Rowling's illustrations, enclosed in a velvet-lined pocket in the lid of the outer case.

Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble as it cures."

But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the Tales of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead."

Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

The Children's Voice Campaign
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is published by The Children’s High Level Group (CHLG), registered charity number 1112575, a charity co-founded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP to make life better for vulnerable children.

All net proceeds from the sale will be donated to The Children's Voice campaign.

The Children's Voice campaign is run by CHLG. It campaigns for child rights across Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe where over a million children and teenagers are growing up in institutions, often in unacceptable conditions. In most cases they are without adequate human or emotional contact and stimulation, while many only just survive without life's basics such as adequate shelter and food.

CHLG's Children's Voice campaign helps around a quarter of a million children each year through education activities; outreach work in institutions; and a dedicated telephone and email help line.

Also Available: the Standard Edition
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition contains the five fairy tales, a new introduction by J.K. Rowling, illustrations reproduced from the original handcrafted book, and commentary on each of the tales from Professor Albus Dumbledore.

Collector's Edition Product Features:
   • All five fairy tales from the original The Tales of Beedle the Bard
   • Outer case disguised as a wizarding textbook from the Hogwarts library
   • 10 ready-for-framing prints of J.K. Rowling's illustrations
   • Exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction
   • 10 new illustrations by J.K. Rowling not included in the Standard Edition or the original handcrafted edition
   • Velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling's signature
   • Metal skull, corners, and clasp
   • Replica gemstones
   • Emerald ribbon

Stay tuned for updated images and details about The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector's Edition. Check our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

Read this review and description in: Italian | Korean | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish [PDF]

Amazon Reviews the Original Handcrafted Edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard
The following is Amazon's original December 2007 review. Please note that the review and images below pertain to the handmade book purchased at auction:

There is no easy way to define the experience of seeing, holding, or reading J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard, so let's just start with one word: "Whoa." The very fact of its existence (an artifact pulled straight out of a novel) is magical, not to mention the facts that only seven copies exist in all the world and each of the never-before-told tales is handwritten and illustrated by J.K. Rowling herself (and it's quite clear from the first few pages that she has some skill as an artist). Rowling's handwriting is like the familiar scrawl of a favorite aunt--it's not hard to read, but it does require attention--allowing you to take it slow and savor the mystery of each next word.

So how do you review one of the most remarkable tomes you've ever had the pleasure of opening? You just turn each page and allow yourself to be swept away by each story. You soak up the simple tales that read like Aesop's fables and echo the themes of the series; you follow every dip and curve of Rowling's handwriting and revel in every detail that makes the book unique--a slight darkening of a letter here, a place where the writing nearly runs off the page there. You take all that and you try and bring it to life, knowing that you will never be able to do it justice. With that, let's dig in and begin at the beginning, shall we? --Daphne Durham

Caution: the full reviews contain spoilers!
Please note that the review and images below pertain to the handmade book purchased at auction in December 2007.

"The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"	"The Fountain of Fair Fortune"	"The Warlock's Hairy Heart"	"Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump"	"The Tale of the Three Brothers"

More images from the original handcrafted edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Please note that these are images of the handcrafted book purchased at auction in December 2007. Click thumbnails to open full-size images in a new window. See more on our original The Tales of Beedle the Bard pages.

The Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest
Amazon customers have spoken, and out of thousands of entrants, you have chosen Rhiannon D. of Australia as the winner of the Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest, sending her and a friend on a trip for two to London, England and a weekend with The Tales of Beedle the Bard. See her Grand Prize winning entry, as well as all of the other delightful semifinalist submissions.

Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling
"I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I’m sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.

Rediscover the Complete Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Hardcover Deluxe Hardcover

Why We Love Harry: Our Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him. * When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists. * Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards. * Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

* The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius. * Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother. * The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

* Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'. * Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children. * The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them. * Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it. * Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge. * Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming. * Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone. * Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager. * Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape. * Dumbledore's confession to Harry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

* The introduction of the Horcrux. * Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition. "Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles. * Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions. * Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!" * Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator. * The effects of Felix Felicis.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

* The revelation of Snape's nature (especially Snape’s Patronus and the emotion behind it). It serves as a reminder that it is love (requited or not) in all its forms that drives many of our actions. * Harry asking if the conversation with Dumbledore was real or happening in his head, and Dumbledore responding "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" * Ron gifting Harry a book on dating witches, a subtle reminder that they are still teens, after all.

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More Information Than You Require

John Hodgman

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The bestselling author of The Areas of My Expertise— also known as The Daily Show’s “Resident Expert” and the PC in the iconic Mac ads—picks up exactly where his first book left off. Exactly.

Like its predecessor, MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU REQUIRE compiles incredibly handy made up facts into brief articles, overlong lists, frighteningly complex charts, and beguiling narratives on new and familiar themes such as:
THE PAST (because there is always more)
THE FUTURE (because they say there is still some left to discuss)
THE METHOD BY WHICH WE “ELECT” OUR PRESIDENTS (as this will be happening soon)
THE STRANGE OKAPI (an actual animal) GAMBLING: THE SPORT OF THE ASTHMATIC MAN (includes hermit crab racing)
HOW TO BE A FAMOUS MINOR TELEVISION PERSONALITY (hint: go on television)
PLUS: 700 MOLE-MAN NAMES (and their occupations)

Yes. HODGMAN MAY HAVE BEEN BRIEFLY ABSENT FROM YOUR LIFE, but with this volume he is ready to pick up exactly where THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE left off—specifically AT PAGE 237.

Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis

Tom Daschle

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Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A much-needed and hard-hitting plan, from one of the great Democratic minds of our time, to reform America’s broken health-care system.

Undoubtedly, the biggest domestic policy issue in the coming years will be America’s health-care system.  Millions of Americans go without medical care because they can’t afford it, and many others are mired in debt because they can’t pay their medical bills. It’s hard to think of another public policy problem that has lingered unaddressed for so long. Why have we failed to solve a problem that is such a high priority for so many citizens?

      Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle believes the problem is rooted in the complexity of the health-care issue and the power of the interest groups—doctors, hospitals, insurers, drug companies, researchers, patient advocates—that have a direct stake in it. Rather than simply pointing out the major flaws and placing blame, Daschle offers key solutions and creates a blueprint for solving the crisis.

      Daschle’s solution lies in the Federal Reserve Board, which has overseen the equally complicated financial system with great success.  A Fed-like health board would offer a public framework within which a private health-care system can operate more effectively and efficiently—insulated from political pressure yet accountable to elected officials and the American people. Daschle argues that this independent board would create a single standard of care and exert tremendous influence on every other provider and payer, even those in the private sector.

      After decades of failed incremental measures, the American health-care system remains fundamentally broken and requires a comprehensive fix.  With his bold and forward-looking plan, Daschle points us to the solution.

The Wordy Shipmates

Sarah Vowell

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Total reviews: 83 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

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The Wordy Shipmates is New York Times–bestselling author Sarah Vowell’s exploration of the Puritans and their journey to America to become the people of John Winthrop’s “city upon a hill”—a shining example, a “city that cannot be hid.”

To this day, America views itself as a Puritan nation, but Vowell investigates what that means— and what it should mean. What was this great political enterprise all about? Who were these people who are considered the philosophical, spiritual, and moral ancestors of our nation? What Vowell discovers is something far different from what their uptight shoe-buckles-and- corn reputation might suggest. The people she finds are highly literate, deeply principled, and surprisingly feisty. Their story is filled with pamphlet feuds, witty courtroom dramas, and bloody vengeance. Along the way she asks:

* Was Massachusetts Bay Colony governor John Winthrop a communitarian, a Christlike Christian, or conformity’s tyrannical enforcer? Answer: Yes!
* Was Rhode Island’s architect, Roger Williams, America’s founding freak or the father of the First Amendment? Same difference.
* What does it take to get that jezebel Anne Hutchinson to shut up? A hatchet.
* What was the Puritans’ pet name for the Pope? The Great Whore of Babylon.

Sarah Vowell’s special brand of armchair history makes the bizarre and esoteric fascinatingly relevant and fun. She takes us from the modern-day reenactment of an Indian massacre to the Mohegan Sun casino, from old-timey Puritan poetry, where “righteousness” is rhymed with “wilderness,” to a Mayflower-themed waterslide. Throughout, The Wordy Shipmates is rich in historical fact, humorous insight, and social commentary by one of America’s most celebrated voices. Thou shalt enjoy it.