en-US Sat, 17 Sep 2016 03:48:47 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 13543683 LENGTH -- 7 hrs and 34 mins

15 thriller masters. 1 masterful thriller.
Former war crimes investigator Harold Middleton possesses a previously unknown score by Frederic Chopin. But he is unaware that, locked within its handwritten notes, lies a secret that now threatens the lives of thousands of Americans. As he races from Poland to America to uncover the mystery of the manuscript, Middleton will be accused of murder, pursued by federal agents, and targeted by assassins. But the greatest threat will come from a shadowy figure out of his past: the man known only as Faust.
The Chopin Manuscript is a unique collaboration by 15 of the world's greatest thriller writers. Jeffery Deaver conceived the characters and set the plot in motion; the other authors each wrote a chapter in turn. Deaver then completed what he started, bringing The Chopin Manuscript to its explosive conclusion.
The Chopin Manuscript was written by:
Jeffery Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme series)
David Hewson (Nic Costa series)
James Grady (Six Days of the Condor)
S. J. Rozan (Bill Smith/Lydia Chin series)
Erica Spindler (Last Known Victim)
John Ramsey Miller (Winter Massey series)
David Corbett (Blood of Paradise)
John Gilstrap (Scott Free)
Joseph Finder (Power Play)
Jim Fusilli (Terry Orr series)
Peter Spiegelman (John March series)
Ralph Pezzullo (Jawbreaker)
Lisa Scottoline (Daddy's Girl)
P.J. Parrish (Louis Kincaid, Joe Frye series)
Lee Child (Jack Reacher series)]]> 8 Jeffery Deaver Steven 3 3.46 2007
author: Jeffery Deaver
name: Steven
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2009/02/25
date added: 2016/09/17
shelves:
review:
The writers were good, some of the scenes were well-written, but the overall story is mediocre. If the idea is to obfuscate the formula for sarin or VX, why put it in a manuscript that's going to attract attention? It seems like an encrypted file on a thumb drive would make more sense. When Faust is in the story, it's interesting. The other characters lack depth.
]]> 1 652 J.K. Rowling Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.57 2005
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Steven
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/04/29
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 6402364
Four years in the making, SuperFreakonomics asks not only the tough questions, but the unexpected ones: What's more dangerous, driving drunk or walking drunk? Why is chemotherapy prescribed so often if it's so ineffective? Can a sex change boost your salary?

SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, exploring the hidden side of everything with such questions as:

How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa?
Why are doctors so bad at washing their hands?
How much good do car seats do?
What's the best way to catch a terrorist?
Did TV cause a rise in crime?
What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common?
Are people hard-wired for altruism or selfishness?
Can eating kangaroo save the planet?
Which adds more value: a pimp or a Realtor?

Levitt and Dubner mix smart thinking and great storytelling like no one else, whether investigating a solution to global warming or explaining why the price of oral sex has fallen so drastically. By examining how people respond to incentives, they show the world for what it really is � good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky.

Freakonomics has been imitated many times over � but only now, with SuperFreakonomics, has it met its match.]]> 270 Steven D. Levitt 0060889578 Steven 2 4.00 2009
author: Steven D. Levitt
name: Steven
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2009/11/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 1581330 Packed with original research and a wealth of fascinating stories, Snoop is a captivating guide to our not-so-secret selves, and reveals how intensely connected we are to the places in which we live and work.

]]> 263 Sam Gosling 0465027814 Steven 5 Snoop is a book that teaches how to analyze the contents of a room and profile the owner. There is a psychological aspect based on five personality traits; it is also a practical guide that explains what to notice when examining a space. ]]> 3.35 2001
author: Sam Gosling
name: Steven
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2009/09/02
date added: 2009/10/02
shelves:
review:
Snoop is a book that teaches how to analyze the contents of a room and profile the owner. There is a psychological aspect based on five personality traits; it is also a practical guide that explains what to notice when examining a space.
]]> 33456
It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's got to do it.]]> 387 Christopher Moore 0060590270 Steven 4 I hope it doesn't go on like this for the whole book. Charlie improves quickly and the book becomes funny. I heard the audiobook version. The voices and accents were a bit goofy, but that added to the humorous nature of the book. It would adapt easily to the screen as there are only a few sets and most of the time there are 2-3 people in each scene with dialog. If you want something light to keep you occupied on a flight, this book is perfect for that.]]> 4.04 2006
author: Christopher Moore
name: Steven
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2009/09/30
date added: 2009/10/01
shelves:
review:
The main character is Charlie, a "beta male" who gets enlisted into collecting "soul vessels" of people who are about to die. In the first chapter, Charlie's whimpy nature is overdone to establish him. I thought to myself, I hope it doesn't go on like this for the whole book. Charlie improves quickly and the book becomes funny. I heard the audiobook version. The voices and accents were a bit goofy, but that added to the humorous nature of the book. It would adapt easily to the screen as there are only a few sets and most of the time there are 2-3 people in each scene with dialog. If you want something light to keep you occupied on a flight, this book is perfect for that.
]]> 1018304 292 Donald E. Westlake 0445408073 Steven 4 3.76 1988
author: Donald E. Westlake
name: Steven
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1988
rating: 4
read at: 2009/08/31
date added: 2009/10/01
shelves:
review:
A humorous book in which a talented journalist is lured to work on a tabloid. There are some dated plot-points, but it's not a major problem.
]]> 595678 From the author of The Scarlet Letter comes a landmark of American literature, an embodiment of the greed which can compel people to treacherous actions.



Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables is a study of guilt and renewal from generation to generation. At the time of the Salem witch trials, the patriarch of the Pyncheon family finds himself so covetous of his neighbor’s property that he is led to sinister deeds, turning the community against his neighbor who is ultimately hanged for witchcraft. Though his plot to acquire the land is successful, the dying man's curse on the Pyncheon family comes true generation upon generation. That is, until six generations later when the long-hidden truth is revealed�.



This novel is part of Brilliance Audio's extensive Classic Collection, bringing you timeless masterpieces that you and your family are sure to love.]]> 0 Nathaniel Hawthorne 1597371335 Steven 3 3.08 1851
author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
name: Steven
average rating: 3.08
book published: 1851
rating: 3
read at: 2009/06/15
date added: 2009/06/25
shelves:
review:
I like Hawthorne generally, but this was not my favorite book. The description of the house and the current occupants did keep me engaged in the story. It's not the best book to hear as an audiobook. The language, while not that distant from modern English, has some expressions that took time to parse causing me to miss the following sentence. For example, "the unassisted light of his countenance" means that he has a sunny disposition, but it doesn't register without a moment of thought. I would like to visit the house someday.
]]> 9742 The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama's call for a new kind of politics—a politics that builds upon those shared understandings that pull us together as Americans. Lucid in his vision of America's place in the world, refreshingly candid about his family life and his time in the Senate, Obama here sets out his political convictions and inspires us to trust in the dogged optimism that has long defined us and that is our best hope going forward.]]> 375 Barack Obama 0307237699 Steven 3 3.83 2006
author: Barack Obama
name: Steven
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2009/04/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 29501 The End of Faith, Sam Harris delivers a startling analysis of the clash between reason and religion in the modern world. He offers a vivid, historical tour of our willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs—even when these beliefs inspire the worst human atrocities. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris draws on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism to deliver a call for a truly modern foundation for ethics and spirituality that is both secular and humanistic.

Winner of the 2005 PEN/Martha Albrand Award for Nonfiction.]]> 348 Sam Harris 0393327655 Steven 3 3.89 2004
author: Sam Harris
name: Steven
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2009/02/28
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]]> 99315
Drawing on research from around the world, Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others) outlines the six fundamentally human abilities that are absolute essentials for professional success and personal fulfillment--and reveals how to master them. A Whole New Mind takes readers to a daring new place, and a provocative and necessary new way of thinking about a future that's already here.]]> 275 Daniel H. Pink 1594481717 Steven 2 I asked some rich guy. Are there any studies comparing the success rate of Team Poet vs. Team MBA? Any reviews by the employees who work for each?
Another problem with this book is that it asserts that creative thinkers are the new skilled labor because engineering jobs are all moving to India to be done for less. If you are a left-brainer, you're as boring as a toaster, as unique as a popsicle stick. As I've said in other reviews, this hackneyed theme of worthless, overpaid American engineers may play into people's fears and sell books, but it's only a short-term phenomenon at best. To the extent that outsourcing is a threat, it is a threat to all professions. Does anyone believe Asia lacks artists?]]> 3.92 2004
author: Daniel H. Pink
name: Steven
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2004
rating: 2
read at: 2009/02/16
date added: 2009/02/16
shelves:
review:
I was disappointed with this book. I must confess I did not finish it. I'm writing a review for the first 60%. I did learn some things. It has been a while since my psychology classes and I enjoyed the brain review. However, it degrades into a cheerleading book without much support. I lost interest at the point where he talks about the CEO who hires poets instead of MBA holders. I need a bit more support to the argument than I asked some rich guy. Are there any studies comparing the success rate of Team Poet vs. Team MBA? Any reviews by the employees who work for each?
Another problem with this book is that it asserts that creative thinkers are the new skilled labor because engineering jobs are all moving to India to be done for less. If you are a left-brainer, you're as boring as a toaster, as unique as a popsicle stick. As I've said in other reviews, this hackneyed theme of worthless, overpaid American engineers may play into people's fears and sell books, but it's only a short-term phenomenon at best. To the extent that outsourcing is a threat, it is a threat to all professions. Does anyone believe Asia lacks artists?
]]> 3228917 Learn what sets high achievers apart � from Bill Gates to the Beatles � in this #1 bestseller from "a singular talent" (New York Times Book Review).

In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"—the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.]]> 309 Malcolm Gladwell 0316017922 Steven 4 Outliers is a well-written, enjoyable book. Many social science books are dry, and require endurance. This one is captivating. The criticisms are that he cherry-picks the examples and excludes counter-examples, he does not discuss female outliers, and that the examples are a bit far-fetched. All of these things are true, but it's thought-provoking just the same.
I believe this book could be summed-up by the adage, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." -- Seneca, Roman dramatist, philosopher, & politician (5 BC - 65 AD). The "outliers" are people who had unique experiences that prepared them to take advantage of a later situation.
I found that he makes one colossal mistake (IMHO). In his conclusion, he poses the question, what if one million young people had the access to a terminal that Bill Gates had?. He implies that more people would have been able to contribute to the computer science industry and that we would be ahead of where we are now. I assert that the real answer is that there wouldn't be a Bill Gates.
Many would probably find that an improvement. Snarky comments aside, I think the real point is that once something is institutionalized, the participants are no longer outliers. Without the outliers, the new paradigms tend to be overlooked. I would still be working on an IBM 370. He makes this point himself when he points out the ideal birth-year for a Computer Company CEO is 1955. The older, more established people aren't going to give up good jobs to play with a toy (the Altair personal computer). His desire to proclaim that social darwinists are wrong seems to blind him to the reality that there is no way to have the oxymoronic institutional outlying.]]> 4.19 2008
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Steven
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2009/02/14
date added: 2009/02/14
shelves:
review:
I give the high rating because Outliers is a well-written, enjoyable book. Many social science books are dry, and require endurance. This one is captivating. The criticisms are that he cherry-picks the examples and excludes counter-examples, he does not discuss female outliers, and that the examples are a bit far-fetched. All of these things are true, but it's thought-provoking just the same.
I believe this book could be summed-up by the adage, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." -- Seneca, Roman dramatist, philosopher, & politician (5 BC - 65 AD). The "outliers" are people who had unique experiences that prepared them to take advantage of a later situation.
I found that he makes one colossal mistake (IMHO). In his conclusion, he poses the question, what if one million young people had the access to a terminal that Bill Gates had?. He implies that more people would have been able to contribute to the computer science industry and that we would be ahead of where we are now. I assert that the real answer is that there wouldn't be a Bill Gates.
Many would probably find that an improvement. Snarky comments aside, I think the real point is that once something is institutionalized, the participants are no longer outliers. Without the outliers, the new paradigms tend to be overlooked. I would still be working on an IBM 370. He makes this point himself when he points out the ideal birth-year for a Computer Company CEO is 1955. The older, more established people aren't going to give up good jobs to play with a toy (the Altair personal computer). His desire to proclaim that social darwinists are wrong seems to blind him to the reality that there is no way to have the oxymoronic institutional outlying.
]]> 19057 protect the diamonds
survive the clubs
dig deep through the spades
feel the hearts

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.

That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?]]> 357 Markus Zusak Steven 3 4.03 2002
author: Markus Zusak
name: Steven
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2009/02/12
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]]> 18116
These thrilling adventures tell the story of Lyra and Will—two ordinary children on a perilous journey through shimmering haunted otherworlds. They will meet witches and armored bears, fallen angels and soul-eating specters. And in the end, the fate of both the living—and the dead—will rely on them.

Phillip Pullman’s spellbinding His Dark Materials trilogy has captivated readers for over twenty years and won acclaim at every turn. It will have you questioning everything you know about your world and wondering what really lies just out of reach.]]> 1088 Philip Pullman 0440238609 Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.26 2000
author: Philip Pullman
name: Steven
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/11
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 119324
Each is searching—Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father—but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, and their destinies are bound together... until they are split apart.]]> 326 Philip Pullman 0679879250 Steven 5 4.12 1997
author: Philip Pullman
name: Steven
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/11
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]]> 119322
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.]]> 399 Philip Pullman 0679879242 Steven 5 4.02 1995
author: Philip Pullman
name: Steven
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/11
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]]> 38447
Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.]]> 311 Margaret Atwood 038549081X Steven 4 4.15 1985
author: Margaret Atwood
name: Steven
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1985
rating: 4
read at: 1990/02/11
date added: 2009/02/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 51762 Harper Lee 0606297758 Steven 5 4.47 1960
author: Harper Lee
name: Steven
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1960
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 934838 12 John Steinbeck 0140868445 Steven 4 4.29 1939
author: John Steinbeck
name: Steven
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1939
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/11
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]]> 76740
Ben Reichs heads a huge 24th century business empire, spanning the solar system. He is also an obsessed, driven man determined to murder a rival. To avoid capture, in a society where murderers can be detected even before they commit their crime, is the greatest challenge of his life.

]]> 250 Alfred Bester Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy 3.98 1953
author: Alfred Bester
name: Steven
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1953
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/11
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 1796458
Introduction (Writers of the Future Volume XXIII) � essay by Algis Budrys
Primetime � by Douglas Texter; interior artwork by Randall Ensley
The Sun God at Dawn, Rising from a Lotus Blossom � by Andrea Kail; interior artwork by Yuliya Kostyuk
The Frozen Sky � by Jeff Carlson; interior artwork by Bogdan Stetsenko
Art and Communication � essay by L. Ron Hubbard
The Stone Cipher � by Tony Pi; interior artwork by Lars Edwards
Obsidian Shards � by Aliette de Bodard; interior artwork by Marcus Collins
Ripping Carovella � by K. J. Zimring [as by Kim Zimring]; interior artwork by Artem Mirolevich
If Only I Had the Time � essay by Kevin J. Anderson
Our Last Words � by Damon Kaswell; interior artwork by Amelia Mammoliti
Saturn in G Minor � by Stephen Kotowych; interior artwork by Randall Ensley
By the Waters of the Ganga � by Stephen Gaskell; interior artwork by Artem Mirolevich
Pilgrimage � by Karl Bunker; interior artwork by Peter Town
Here's the Thing � essay by Judith Miller
The Gas Drinkers � by Edward Sevcik; interior artwork by Geir Lanesskog
The Phlogiston Age � by Corey Brown; interior artwork by Bryan Beus
Mask Glass Magic � by John Burridge; interior artwork by Lorraine Schleter
The Year in the Contests (Writers of the Future Volume XXIII) � essay by Algis Budrys
Contest Information (Writers of the Future Volume XXIII) � unattributed essay]]> 529 Algis Budrys 1592123988 Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy 3.79 2007
author: Algis Budrys
name: Steven
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2008/06/11
date added: 2009/02/11
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:
The stories I liked: The Stone Cipher, Our Last Words. The Stone Cipher, though I felt it shorts Marie-Claire's character a bit, it's clever. Our Last Words is a Time Machine derivative, short and sweet, but a good take on an old story.
]]> 46722
A New York Times notable book

Unpurified drinking water. Improper use of antibiotics. Local warfare. Massive refugee migration. Changing social and environmental conditions around the world have fostered the spread of new and potentially devastating viruses and diseases—HIV, Lassa, Ebola, and others. Laurie Garrett takes you on a fifty-year journey through the world's battles with microbes and examines the worldwide conditions that have culminated in recurrent outbreaks of newly discovered diseases, epidemics of diseases migrating to new areas, and mutated old diseases that are no longer curable. She argues that it is not too late to take action to prevent the further onslaught of viruses and microbes, and offers possible solutions for a healthier future.]]> 750 Laurie Garrett 0140250913 Steven 4 The Hot Zone. It has more cases and details.]]> 4.20 1994
author: Laurie Garrett
name: Steven
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 1995/02/11
date added: 2009/02/11
shelves:
review:
This is the more thorough and academic version of The Hot Zone. It has more cases and details.
]]> 16213 The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.]]> 352 Richard Preston 0385495226 Steven 5 4.15 1994
author: Richard Preston
name: Steven
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at: 1994/02/10
date added: 2009/02/10
shelves:
review:
I couldn't put it down, read the whole thing in one shot.
]]> 567650 'Mesmerizing' Time

An art expert instantly spots a fake. A cop decides whether to shoot. A psychologist accurately predicts a couple's future in minutes. This book is about those moments when we 'know' something without knowing why. It shows that honing your instincts could change the way you think about thinking forever.

'Trust my snap judgement, buy this book: you'll be delighted' David Brooks, The New York Times

'Fiendishly clever' Evening Standard

'Provocative, fascinating, radical' Fergal Byrne, Financial Times]]> 7 Malcolm Gladwell 1586217194 Steven 4 3.78 2005
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Steven
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 47063 297 Nathaniel Hawthorne 0451530209 Steven 4 My Kinsman, Major Molineux and Young Goodman Brown.]]> 3.91 1864
author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
name: Steven
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1864
rating: 4
read at: 1984/02/10
date added: 2009/02/10
shelves:
review:
Among the books I was forced to read in high school, this is one I didn't mind reading and actually liked. It's a collection of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories. The ones that made an impression back in the tenth grade were My Kinsman, Major Molineux and Young Goodman Brown.
]]> 7604 Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780141182537.

Humbert Humbert - scholar, aesthete and romantic - has fallen completely and utterly in love with Dolores Haze, his landlady's gum-snapping, silky skinned twelve-year-old daughter. Reluctantly agreeing to marry Mrs Haze just to be close to Lolita, Humbert suffers greatly in the pursuit of romance; but when Lo herself starts looking for attention elsewhere, he will carry her off on a desperate cross-country misadventure, all in the name of Love. Hilarious, flamboyant, heart-breaking and full of ingenious word play, Lolita is an immaculate, unforgettable masterpiece of obsession, delusion and lust.]]> 368 Vladimir Nabokov 0679723161 Steven 5 3.87 1955
author: Vladimir Nabokov
name: Steven
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1955
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/10
shelves:
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]]> 81520 336 Mira Kamdar 0743296850 Steven 2 3.24 2007
author: Mira Kamdar
name: Steven
average rating: 3.24
book published: 2007
rating: 2
read at: 2008/10/09
date added: 2009/02/09
shelves:
review:
There's a whole slew of books out now with a similar message: watch out american worker! Indians are smart, plentiful and willing to work for less. You're screwed! I work with a lot of people from India. The ones I know are smart, great people. They don't want to live on dirt piles any more than I do. I suspect that as India becomes more affluent, the bargains will dry up. There will be more competition, but there will also be more to do. Somehow I don't feel all that threatened. Maybe I'm naive. We'll see.
]]> 46674
- Recognise what causes your mood swings
- Nip negative feelings in the bud
- Deal with guilt
- Handle hostility and criticism
- Overcome addiction to love and approval
- Build self-esteem
- Feel good everyday]]> 736 David D. Burns 0380810336 Steven 5 4.03 1980
author: David D. Burns
name: Steven
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1980
rating: 5
read at: 1989/09/30
date added: 2009/02/09
shelves:
review:
Of all the self-help books out there, this one helped me a lot. David Burns makes cognitive therapy accessible to all, and I feel fortunate to have discovered this book at a young age. He enumerates the most common types of distorted thinking and suggests ways to counter the negative effects.
]]> 3035891 173 Wilanne Schneider Belden 0689309511 Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.40 1983
author: Wilanne Schneider Belden
name: Steven
average rating: 4.40
book published: 1983
rating: 5
read at: 2008/02/08
date added: 2009/02/08
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:
It's a YA fantasy with good and bad witches, and a good challenge. I like this one because Minna is one of the few non-crippled female heroines I can think of, like Tenar in Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea stories.
]]> 738002 254 Edward Smeloff 1559634553 Steven 5 4.00 1996
author: Edward Smeloff
name: Steven
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at: 2008/02/08
date added: 2009/02/08
shelves:
review:
I have to love a book like this because it puts the facts and examples behind my beliefs about power generation. The picture on the front cover is of solar panels that have been placed in front of the now defunct Rancho Seko nuclear power plant. It explains why nuclear power will never be cost effective or practical and offers real alternatives.
]]> 52529 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781582701707.

The worldwide bestselling phenomenon that has helped millions tap the power of the law that governs all our lives to create—intentionally and effortlessly—a joyful life.

In 2006, a groundbreaking feature-length film revealed the great mystery of the universe�The Secret—and, later that year, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that became a worldwide bestseller.

Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions, and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it.

In this book, you’ll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life—money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.

The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers—men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.]]> 199 Rhonda Byrne Steven 1 The Secret and could not bring myself to finish it. It reads like a late-night infomercial, similar to those that proclaim they will help you get rich in real estate. There is one insidious thing about this book is that if you actually buy what is being sold here, it is a recipe for feeling bad. There's no way to accept the notion that envisioning what you want will bring it to you on your cosmic frequency without also implicitly accepting the reverse. If you imagine the million dollars and don't get it, you must have a lackluster imagination. It's all your fault. Sucks to be you.
Sure, if you walk around negative and scowling, expecting the worst, you're going to have a rough time. That doesn't mean that the universe hands out freebies. I suspect that if I eat KFC every day and stop exercising, I'll get fat regardless of how I imagine myself. Effort counts too.
]]> 3.74 2006
author: Rhonda Byrne
name: Steven
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2006
rating: 1
read at: 2009/01/16
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:
I started reading, The Secret and could not bring myself to finish it. It reads like a late-night infomercial, similar to those that proclaim they will help you get rich in real estate. There is one insidious thing about this book is that if you actually buy what is being sold here, it is a recipe for feeling bad. There's no way to accept the notion that envisioning what you want will bring it to you on your cosmic frequency without also implicitly accepting the reverse. If you imagine the million dollars and don't get it, you must have a lackluster imagination. It's all your fault. Sucks to be you.
Sure, if you walk around negative and scowling, expecting the worst, you're going to have a rough time. That doesn't mean that the universe hands out freebies. I suspect that if I eat KFC every day and stop exercising, I'll get fat regardless of how I imagine myself. Effort counts too.

]]> 127269 320 Mike Resnick 0756401488 Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy 3.65 2003
author: Mike Resnick
name: Steven
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 1173368
"This is a beautifully written statement of a philosophy which will please and uplift, both by its bittersweet aphoristic quality and the solidity of its message."
-George Adelman, Library Journal]]> 206 Allen Wheelis 1892746719 Steven 5 4.25
author: Allen Wheelis
name: Steven
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 5954 Narcissus and Goldmund tells the story of two medieval men whose characters are diametrically opposite: Narcissus, an ascetic monk firm in his religious commitment, and Goldmund, a romantic youth hungry for knowledge and worldly experience. First published in 1930, Hesse's novel remains a moving and pointed exploration of the conflict between the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh. It is a theme that transcends all time.]]> 315 Hermann Hesse 0374506841 Steven 4 4.26 1930
author: Hermann Hesse
name: Steven
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1930
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 16631 Steppenwolf is a poetical self-portrait of a man who felt himself to be half-human and half-wolf. This Faust-like and magical story is evidence of Hesse's searching philosophy and extraordinary sense of humanity as he tells of the humanization of a middle-aged misanthrope. Yet his novel can also be seen as a plea for rigorous self-examination and an indictment of the intellectual hypocrisy of the period. As Hesse himself remarked, "Of all my books Steppenwolf is the one that was more often and more violently misunderstood than any of the others".]]> 256 Hermann Hesse 0140282580 Steven 4 4.15 1927
author: Hermann Hesse
name: Steven
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1927
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 3290072 Siddharta, Shambala, Boston & London, 2000

Translator: Sovia V.P.
Editor: Ahmad Norma Permata]]> 224 Hermann Hesse Steven 5 3.81 1922
author: Hermann Hesse
name: Steven
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1922
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 427319 240 Cathleen Schine 0452276756 Steven 3 3.27 1983
author: Cathleen Schine
name: Steven
average rating: 3.27
book published: 1983
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:
This book is an easy read. I enjoyed reading it in the morning with my cup of coffee. It would also be a good airplane book. Alice has a problem with her hips, so she's stuck in a hospital bed. Different people come to visit her.
]]> 428263 "BELLA?"
Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again.
This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine - like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

READERS CAPTIVATED BY Twilight AND New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much-anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga.]]> 629 Stephenie Meyer 0316160202 Steven 3 sci-fi-fantasy Eclipse seems like it may have been rushed by the publisher. It's my least favorite of the series. The first half consists of consecutive monologues by the supporting characters. When each character started to speak about the past, I imagined the cheesy sitcom effect with harp music and a wavy video transition. We get story dumps from Rosalie, Jasper, and Billy. Billy's story is told at a bonfire and is about the werewolves. The second half focuses on the battle between Victoria and the others. There's a fourth book, so you know who wins.
I think a better title for this book would have been Boys Fighting Over Me. Edward and Jacob go at it with Bella constantly saying something like, "don't fight, stop it!" The boy in me was secretly wishing they'd both dump her so the males could maintain a modicum of dignity and she could spend some time studying for finals. Bella has no life without her relationships, not the best message for the YA crowd. It doesn't help that the male characters are elated by fighting to the death ... barf.
Jacob is obnoxious. He sexually assaults Bella twice. I couldn't believe she eventually falls for him under these circumstances, albeit to a lesser extent than Edward. Jacob is rude, immature, and slow to realize that Bella isn't going to be in love with him. Perhaps that's some of the attraction? For us boys, we can sit back and feel superior for handling our rejections better.]]> 3.73 2007
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Steven
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2009/01/21
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:
Eclipse seems like it may have been rushed by the publisher. It's my least favorite of the series. The first half consists of consecutive monologues by the supporting characters. When each character started to speak about the past, I imagined the cheesy sitcom effect with harp music and a wavy video transition. We get story dumps from Rosalie, Jasper, and Billy. Billy's story is told at a bonfire and is about the werewolves. The second half focuses on the battle between Victoria and the others. There's a fourth book, so you know who wins.
I think a better title for this book would have been Boys Fighting Over Me. Edward and Jacob go at it with Bella constantly saying something like, "don't fight, stop it!" The boy in me was secretly wishing they'd both dump her so the males could maintain a modicum of dignity and she could spend some time studying for finals. Bella has no life without her relationships, not the best message for the YA crowd. It doesn't help that the male characters are elated by fighting to the death ... barf.
Jacob is obnoxious. He sexually assaults Bella twice. I couldn't believe she eventually falls for him under these circumstances, albeit to a lesser extent than Edward. Jacob is rude, immature, and slow to realize that Bella isn't going to be in love with him. Perhaps that's some of the attraction? For us boys, we can sit back and feel superior for handling our rejections better.
]]> 1162543 "Don't be afraid," I murmured. "We belong together."
I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words.
This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.
His arms wrapped around me,
holding me against him....
It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.
"Forever," he agreed.

WHEN YOU LOVED THE ONE WHO WAS KILLING YOU, IT LEFT YOU NO OPTIONS. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

TO BE IRREVOCABLY IN LOVE WITH A VAMPIRE is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

NOW THAT BELLA HAS MADE HER DECISION, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

THE ASTONISHING, BREATHLESSLY anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.]]> 756 Stephenie Meyer 031606792X Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy Breaking Dawn, the final book of the Twilight series. There are plenty of problems, and someone who sets out to trash the book has a stockpile of ammunition. However, I think that would be the wrong way to write a review because the book delivers the promised entertainment. Stephanie Meyer can write, and I was dazzled.
First, I'll mention a few things I liked about the book. Bella eventually becomes a vampire. Her conversion could have been delayed forever by contrivances, the way it's done in sitcoms. Jacob gets a makeover. It's not a complete or great one, but at least there is an attempt. Leah's presence makes the werewolf thread more interesting.
That said, there are many missed opportunities in this series. It was a disappointment from the beginning that the La Push story is neglected. In book one, Jacob is there for a single information dump. The lack of development is so glaring that it had to be corrected in the first movie. In the book, Charlie bought the truck beforehand. In the movie, Billy and Jacob are there to drop off the truck and greet Bella when she arrives in Forks. In book two, Jacob goes from pining to jerkiness and becomes utterly unlikeable when he rats out Bella by exposing the motorcycle. As Matt Dillon says in Over the Edge, "a kid who tells on another kid is a dead kid."
In book three, Jacob remains the ineligible suitor. However, instead of the natural thing, to simply portray him as the "nice guy" destined for the just-friends discard bucket, he evolves into an insufferable rapist-in-training who never really comes to terms with the situation. The problem is that Bella's other option for a life-path isn't convincing. The tension could have been more captivating if the two choices, vampire or werewolf, were more equal.
Breaking Dawn "jumped the shark" at the point where newborn Bella is able to break off the hunt for the humans with such ease. If I had been writing this book, I would have had Bella's newborn strength and speed help her get away from Edward and find her way to the hunters. There are so many possibilities. The hunters could have been tribe members. She could have eaten one of them, or grazed one before being stopped by Edward. The peace treaty becomes void, and the werewolves swear vengeance. Because there are two alpha-wolves, there could be a division in the pack about how to handle the Cullens. It would be the Cullens' challenge to convince the wolves to forgive, otherwise everyone is toast when the Vulturi show up. But that's just me.]]> 3.74 2008
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Steven
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2009/01/24
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:
I was glued to Breaking Dawn, the final book of the Twilight series. There are plenty of problems, and someone who sets out to trash the book has a stockpile of ammunition. However, I think that would be the wrong way to write a review because the book delivers the promised entertainment. Stephanie Meyer can write, and I was dazzled.
First, I'll mention a few things I liked about the book. Bella eventually becomes a vampire. Her conversion could have been delayed forever by contrivances, the way it's done in sitcoms. Jacob gets a makeover. It's not a complete or great one, but at least there is an attempt. Leah's presence makes the werewolf thread more interesting.
That said, there are many missed opportunities in this series. It was a disappointment from the beginning that the La Push story is neglected. In book one, Jacob is there for a single information dump. The lack of development is so glaring that it had to be corrected in the first movie. In the book, Charlie bought the truck beforehand. In the movie, Billy and Jacob are there to drop off the truck and greet Bella when she arrives in Forks. In book two, Jacob goes from pining to jerkiness and becomes utterly unlikeable when he rats out Bella by exposing the motorcycle. As Matt Dillon says in Over the Edge, "a kid who tells on another kid is a dead kid."
In book three, Jacob remains the ineligible suitor. However, instead of the natural thing, to simply portray him as the "nice guy" destined for the just-friends discard bucket, he evolves into an insufferable rapist-in-training who never really comes to terms with the situation. The problem is that Bella's other option for a life-path isn't convincing. The tension could have been more captivating if the two choices, vampire or werewolf, were more equal.
Breaking Dawn "jumped the shark" at the point where newborn Bella is able to break off the hunt for the humans with such ease. If I had been writing this book, I would have had Bella's newborn strength and speed help her get away from Edward and find her way to the hunters. There are so many possibilities. The hunters could have been tribe members. She could have eaten one of them, or grazed one before being stopped by Edward. The peace treaty becomes void, and the werewolves swear vengeance. Because there are two alpha-wolves, there could be a division in the pack about how to handle the Cullens. It would be the Cullens' challenge to convince the wolves to forgive, otherwise everyone is toast when the Vulturi show up. But that's just me.
]]> 129731 Ěý
� Can the size of your plate really influence your appetite?
� Why do you eat more when you dine with friends?
� What “hidden persuaders� are used by restaurants and supermarkets to get us to overeat?
� How does music or the color of the room influence how much—and how fast—we eat?
� How can we “mindlessly� lose—instead of gain—up to twenty pounds in the coming year?
Ěý
Starting today, you can make more mindful, enjoyable, and healthy choices at the dinner table, in the supermarket, at the office—wherever you satisfy your appetite.]]> 276 Brian Wansink 0553804340 Steven 5 3.93 2006
author: Brian Wansink
name: Steven
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 5470 328 George Orwell Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.15 1949
author: George Orwell
name: Steven
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1949
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 1911 593 Thomas L. Friedman 0374292795 Steven 2 3.69 2005
author: Thomas L. Friedman
name: Steven
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2008/03/01
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:
For the most part, the narrative is flat. I gave it two stars instead of one because the section on insourcing and UPS is interesting. I had not considered that aspect of marketplace evolution before.
]]> 56627 � Why will sighted people pay more to avoid going blind than blind people will pay to regain their sight?
� Why do dining companions insist on ordering different meals instead of getting what they really want?
� Why do pigeons seem to have such excellent aim; why can’t we remember one song while listening to another; and why does the line at the grocery store always slow down the moment we join it?

In this brilliant, witty, and accessible book, renowned Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to mis-conceive our tomorrows and mis-estimate our satisfactions. Vividly bringing to life the latest scientific research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, Gilbert reveals what scientists have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, and about our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there. With penetrating insight and sparkling prose, Gilbert explains why we seem to know so little about the hearts and minds of the people we are about to become.]]> 263 Daniel Todd Gilbert 1400077427 Steven 4 3.82 2006
author: Daniel Todd Gilbert
name: Steven
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 2739355 0 Albert Camus 3125974712 Steven 5 3.84 1942
author: Albert Camus
name: Steven
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1942
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 32145 Stiff an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. In this fascinating account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.]]> 304 Mary Roach 0393324826 Steven 5 4.06 2003
author: Mary Roach
name: Steven
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 12296 279 Nathaniel Hawthorne 0142437263 Steven 5 3.43 1850
author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
name: Steven
average rating: 3.43
book published: 1850
rating: 5
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date added: 2009/02/07
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]]> 5297 Apaixonado pela sua própria imagem na tela, Dorian deseja que esses traços imutáveis de beleza fiquem para sempre no seu rosto e que seja o retrato a envelhecer. É este o parti-pris narcisista, ou fáustico, do romance de Oscar Wilde.]]> 272 Oscar Wilde Steven 5 4.13 1890
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Steven
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1890
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 3109 What should we have for dinner? For omnivore like ourselves, this simple question has always posed a dilemma. When you can eat just about anything nature (or the supermarket) has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of the foods on offer might shorten your life. Today, buffered by one food fad after another, America is suffering from what can only be described as a national eating disorder. The omnivore’s dilemma has returned with a vengeance, as the cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet confronts us with a bewildering and treacherous food landscape. What’s at stake in our eating choices is not only our own and our children’s health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth.
The Omnivore's Dilemma is groundbreaking book, in which one of America’s most fascinating, original, and elegant writers turns his own omnivorous mind to the seemingly straightforward question of what we should have for dinner. The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire, how we answer it today, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, may well determine our very survival as a species. Should we eat a fast-food hamburger? Something organic? Or perhaps something we hunt, gather, or grow ourselves?
To find out, Pollan follows each of the food chains that sustain us—industrial food, organic or alternative food, and food we forage ourselves—from the source to a final meal, and in the process develops a definitive account of the American way of eating. His absorbing narrative takes us from Iowa cornfields to food-science laboratories, from feedlots and fast-food restaurants to organic farms and hunting grounds, always emphasizing our dynamic coevolutionary relationship with the handful of plant and animal species we depend on. Each time Pollan sits down to a meal, he deploys his unique blend of personal and investigative journalism to trace the origins of everything consumed, revealing what we unwittingly ingest and explaining how our taste for particular foods and flavors reflects our evolutionary inheritance.
The surprising answers Pollan offers to the simple question posed by this book have profound political, economic, psychological, and even moral implications for all of us. Ultimately, this is a book as much about visionary solutions as it is about problems, and Pollan contends that, when it comes to food, doing the right thing often turns out to be the tastiest thing an eater can do. Beautifully written and thrillingly argued, The Omnivore’s Dilemma promises to change the way we think about the politics and pleasure of eating. For anyone who reads it, dinner will never again look, or taste, quite the same.]]> 450 Michael Pollan 1594200823 Steven 5 4.18 2006
author: Michael Pollan
name: Steven
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
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review:

]]> 1869
Millions of Americans work for poverty-level wages, and one day Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. She was inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that any job equals a better life. But how can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on $6 to $7 an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich moved from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, taking the cheapest lodgings available and accepting work as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson. She soon discovered that even the "lowliest" occupations require exhausting mental and physical efforts. And one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.

Nickel and Dimed reveals low-wage America in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity -- a land of Big Boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate strategies for survival. Instantly acclaimed for its insight, humor, and passion, this book is changing the way America perceives its working poor.]]> 240 Barbara Ehrenreich 0805063897 Steven 4 3.65 2001
author: Barbara Ehrenreich
name: Steven
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
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]]> 49041 There is an alternate cover edition for ISBN13 9780316160193 here.

I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect - not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place.

I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can't make your body move fast enough.... But this was no dream, and, unlike the nightmare, I wasn't running for my life; I was racing to save something infinitely more precious. My own life meant little to me today.

FOR BELLA SWAN THERE IS ONE THING more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could ever have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning....

LEGIONS OF READERS ENTRANCED BY THE New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for the continuing story of star-crossed lovers Bell and Edward. In New Moon, Stephanie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural spin. passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.]]> 563 Stephenie Meyer 0316160199 Steven 3 sci-fi-fantasy 3.61 2006
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Steven
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 41865
First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.]]> 498 Stephenie Meyer 0316015849 Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy 3.66 2005
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Steven
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 126009 352 Wen Ho Lee 0786886870 Steven 5 3.70 2002
author: Wen Ho Lee
name: Steven
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
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]]> 43877 Wisdom to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Peace.

This inspiring tale provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. A wonderfully crafted fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to:

Develop Joyful Thoughts, Follow Our Life's Mission and Calling, Cultivate Self-Discipline and Act Courageously, Value Time as Our Most Important Commodity, Nourish Our Relationships, and Live Fully, One Day at a Time.]]> 208 Robin Sharma 0062515675 Steven 3 3.88 1996
author: Robin Sharma
name: Steven
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1996
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
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]]> 224127 484 John J. Mearsheimer 0374177724 Steven 2 4.06 2006
author: John J. Mearsheimer
name: Steven
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 4135 I Like You provides jackpot recipes and solid advice laced with Amy's blisteringly funny take on entertaining, plus four-color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary flair.ĚýYou don't even need to be a host or hostess to benefit-Amy offers tips for guests, too!Ěý (Number one: don't be fifteen minutes early.)ĚýReaders will discover unique dishes to serve alcoholics (Broiled Frozen Chicken Wings with Applesauce), the secret to a successful children's party (a half-hour time limit, games included), plus a whole appendix chock-full of arts and crafts ideas (from a mini-pantyhose plant-hanger to a do-it-yourself calf stretcher), and much, much more!]]> 304 Amy Sedaris 0446578843 Steven 4 3.88 2006
author: Amy Sedaris
name: Steven
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves:
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]]> 38709
It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.]]> 272 Louis Sachar 0439244196 Steven 4 4.01 1998
author: Louis Sachar
name: Steven
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
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]]> 15881
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls� bathroom. But then the real trouble begins � someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects� Harry Potter himself!]]> 352 J.K. Rowling Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.42 1998
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Steven
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 2
Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...]]> 912 J.K. Rowling Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.50 2003
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Steven
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 6 734 J.K. Rowling 0439139597 Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.56 2000
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Steven
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 5 435 J.K. Rowling 043965548X Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.57 1999
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Steven
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 136251
In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited.]]> 759 J.K. Rowling Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.61 2007
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Steven
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 3 309 J.K. Rowling 0439554934 Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.47 1997
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Steven
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/07
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

]]> 14106
Here's some good news for everyone who's ever been bullied into believing they can't speak their own language: The grammar snobs are bluffing. Half the 'rules' they use to humiliate others are really just judgement calls and the rest they don't even understand themselves. Learn the truth of basic grammar and punctuation from June Casagrande in chapters like:

I'm Writing This While Naked--The Oh-So Steamy Predicate Nominative


I'll Take "I Feel Like a Moron" for $200, Alex--When to Put Punctuation Inside Quotation Marks


Snobbery Up with Which You Should Not Put--Prepositions


Hyphens--Life-Sucking, Mom-and-Apple-Pie-Hating, Mime-Loving, Nerd-Fight-Inciting Daggers of the Damned


In this collection of hilarious anecdotes and essays Casagrande delivers practical lessons not found anywhere else, demystifying the subject and taking it back from the snobs.]]> 199 June Casagrande 0143036831 Steven 5 3.81 2006
author: June Casagrande
name: Steven
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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]]> 14743
With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament, to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion, and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence.

The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong, but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.]]> 374 Richard Dawkins 0618680004 Steven 5 3.89 2006
author: Richard Dawkins
name: Steven
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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]]> 136975
On Getting Unstuck , Pema Chödrön introduces a rare Tibetan teaching she received from her teacher, Dzigar Kontrul Rinpoche, and one that has become critical to her practice. Here, she unveils the mystery of an ineffable a pre-emotional feeling that arises in us, brings us discomfort, and causes us to react by escaping the discomfort often with harmful habits.

With Getting Unstuck , she offers us a first look at both the itch and the scratch, which Tibetan Buddhists call shenpa. On this full-length recording, Pema Chödrön, bestselling author and beloved American Buddhist nun, shows us how to recognize shenpa, catch it as it appears, and develop a playful, lively curiosity toward it. Join Pema Chödrön to discover more

Critical mind―how to recognize this fundamental shenpa, and approach yourself and others with a sense of humor and loving-kindness
� Ways to unravel the patterns of self-denigration, and develop the fundamental maitri ―loving-kindness―toward yourself
� How to cultivate acceptance of your irritability, insecurities, and other simply human traits
� Recognition, Refrain, Relaxing, and the four R's of working with shenpa, and more
An urge comes up, we succumb to it, and it becomes stronger, teaches Pema Chödrön. We reinforce our cravings, habits, and addictions by giving in to them repeatedly. On Getting Unstuck , Chödrön guides us through this sticky feeling, exploring the moments when we get hooked, and offers us tools for learning to stay with our uneasiness, soften our hearts toward ourselves and others, and live a more peaceful life in the fullness of the present moment.]]> 3 Pema Chödrön 159179238X Steven 5 4.21 2004
author: Pema Chödrön
name: Steven
average rating: 4.21
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rating: 5
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]]> 9007
In his debut collection of essays, Rakoff uses his razor-sharp wit and snarky humor to deliver a barrage of damaging blows that, more often than not, land squarely on his own jaw–hilariously satirizing the writer, not the subject. Joining the wry and the heartfelt, Fraud offers an object lesson in not taking life, or ourselves, too seriously.]]> 240 David Rakoff 0767906314 Steven 5 3.86 2001
author: David Rakoff
name: Steven
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2001
rating: 5
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]]> 375802
But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.]]> 324 Orson Scott Card 0812550706 Steven 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.31 1985
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Steven
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1985
rating: 4
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]]> 26329
Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our “two minds”—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.

Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, Goleman shows the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well. These factors, which include self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy, add up to a different way of being smart—and they aren’t fixed at birth. Although shaped by childhood experiences, emotional intelligence can be nurtured and strengthened throughout our adulthood—with immediate benefits to our health, our relationships, and our work.Ěý
Ěý
The twenty-fifth-anniversary edition of Emotional Intelligence could not come at a better time—we spend so much of our time online, more and more jobs are becoming automated and digitized, and our children are picking up new technology faster than we ever imagined. With a new introduction from the author, the twenty-fifth-anniversary edition prepares readers, now more than ever, to reach their fullest potential and stand out from the pack with the help of EI.]]> 352 Daniel Goleman 055380491X Steven 3 4.07 1995
author: Daniel Goleman
name: Steven
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1995
rating: 3
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]]> 529172 Chosen by John Updike as a Today Show Book Club Pick. Already an award-winning writer, ZZ Packer now shares with us her debut, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. Her impressive range and talent are abundantly evident: Packer dazzles with her command of language, surprising and delighting us with unexpected turns and indelible images, as she takes us into the lives of characters on the periphery, unsure of where they belong. We meet a Brownie troop of black girls who are confronted with a troop of white girls; a young man who goes with his father to the Million Man March and must decides where his allegiance lies; an international group of drifters in Japan, who are starving, unable to find work; a girl in a Baltimore ghetto who has dreams of the larger world she has seen only on the screens in the television store nearby, where the Lithuanian shopkeeper holds out hope for attaining his own American Dream.

With penetrating insight that belies her youth—she was only nineteen years old when Seventeen magazine printed her first published story—ZZ Packer helps us see the world with a clearer vision. Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is a striking performance—fresh, versatile, and captivating. It introduces us to an arresting and unforgettable new voice.

Brownies --
Every tongue shall confess --
Our Lady of Peace --
The ant of the self --
Drinking coffee elsewhere --
Speaking in tongues --
Geese --
Doris is coming]]> 265 ZZ Packer 1573223786 Steven 3 3.88 2004
author: ZZ Packer
name: Steven
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2004
rating: 3
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]]> 968 The da Vinci Code, The da Vinci Code, The da Vinci Code, and The da Vinci Code

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

The Da Vinci Code heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.]]> 489 Dan Brown Steven 4 3.92 2003
author: Dan Brown
name: Steven
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2003
rating: 4
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]]> 240206 8 Barbara Freese 1400150876 Steven 4 3.53 2003
author: Barbara Freese
name: Steven
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2003
rating: 4
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]]> 5129 Brave New World is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order–all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. “A genius [who] who spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine� (The New Yorker), Huxley was a man of incomparable talents: equally an artist, a spiritual seeker, and one of history’s keenest observers of human nature and civilization. Brave New World, his masterpiece, has enthralled and terrified millions of readers, and retains its urgent relevance to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying work of literature. Written in the shadow of the rise of fascism during the 1930s, Brave New Worldd likewise speaks to a 21st-century world dominated by mass-entertainment, technology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, the arts of persuasion, and the hidden influence of elites.

"Aldous Huxley is the greatest 20th century writer in English." —Chicago Tribune]]> 268 Aldous Huxley 0060929871 Steven 5 sci-fi-fantasy 3.99 1932
author: Aldous Huxley
name: Steven
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1932
rating: 5
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]]> 213387 336 Christopher Buckley 0446579815 Steven 3 3.72 2007
author: Christopher Buckley
name: Steven
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2007
rating: 3
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]]> 24450 The New York Times bestselling investigation into white-collar unemployment from "our premier reporter of the underside of capitalism"--The New York Times Book Review

Americans' working lives are growing more precarious every day. Corporations slash employees by the thousands, and the benefits and pensions once guaranteed by "middle-class" jobs are a thing of the past.

In Bait and Switch, Barbara Ehrenreich goes back undercover to explore another hidden realm of the economy: the shadowy world of the white-collar unemployed. Armed with the plausible resume of a professional "in transition," she attempts to land a "middle-class" job. She submits to career coaching, personality testing, and EST-like boot camps, and attends job fairs, networking events, and evangelical job-search ministries. She is proselytized, scammed, lectured, and--again and again--rejected.

Bait and Switch highlights the people who have done everything right--gotten college degrees, developed marketable skills, and built up impressive resumes--yet have become repeatedly vulnerable to financial disaster. There are few social supports for these newly disposable workers, Ehrenreich discovers, and little security even for those who have jobs. Worst of all, there is no honest reckoning with the inevitable consequences of the harsh new economy; rather, the jobless are persuaded that they have only themselves to blame.

Alternately hilarious and tragic, Bait and Switch, like the classic Nickel and Dimed, is a searing expose of the cruel new reality in which we all now live.]]> 272 Barbara Ehrenreich 0805081240 Steven 3 3.51 2005
author: Barbara Ehrenreich
name: Steven
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2005
rating: 3
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]]> 5728117 0 Robert Swindells 1740304934 Steven 3 3.00 1998
author: Robert Swindells
name: Steven
average rating: 3.00
book published: 1998
rating: 3
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]]>