Average customer rating:
- Excellent Read!
- Great action book!
- Well paced pageturner, but disappointing overall.
- Earthcore is Earthcrack for the mind!
- whats wrong with everyone?
|
Earthcore
Scott Sigler
Manufacturer: Dragon Moon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Suspense
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Ancestor
-
Raising The Past
-
Antarktos Rising - A Novel
-
Deep Storm: A Novel
-
Event: A Novel (Event Group Thrillers)
ASIN: 1896944329
Release Date: 2005-11-15 |
Product Description
Deep below a desolate Utah mountain lies the largest platinum deposit ever discovered. A billion-dollar find, it waits for any company that can drill a world's record, three-mile-deep mine shaft. EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure. But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting ...and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out first-hand why this treasure has never been unearthed.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Read!.......2007-09-19
Very nice book. The author did everything correct for my reading style. Packed with action and techno details. I am currently reading another Sigler book and it appears to be just as good.
Great action book!.......2007-08-10
If you want to read a great action & adventure, this is it. Scott Sigler writes a great story like James Rollins.
Well paced pageturner, but disappointing overall........2007-08-06
I picked the book up based on the reviews I read here, hoping to find a nice exciting SF read with an interesting story, some inventiveness and good technology. Instead, I found a fast paced but clumsy and unsatisfying monster story with an ever-diminishing level of attention paid to believability and an ultimately disappointing ending.
In short, the story is about the discovery of a huge and impossibly pure lode of platinum, buried very deep inside a non-descript mountain range in the Utah desert, and the efforts by a team assembled by a major mining corporation to reach and mine the platinum. Along the way, we meet the driven corporate guy, haunted by the death of his wife, the honorable mercenaries, the desert rat, the world-renowned archaeologist and her mentor, the impossibly gorgeous sociopathic ex-spy, the socially stunted super-genius that can repair the Space Shuttle with chewing gum and a toothpick, and other cookie-cutter characters. They discover "evil" deep inside the mountain, and I won't continue beyond that to avoid writing spoilers.
I found the book to move well and read easily, but can't say much beyond that. The characters felt like they were dreamed up in the adventure fantasies of teenage boys - everyone's "the best in the world" at what they do, one-dimensional except for a couple clumsy attempts at back stories - their interactions play out poorly - all in all, rather ham-fisted.
The technology at first was moderately interesting and inventive, but as the book progressed, the believability was disposed of in favor of writing long action sequences. The author also didn't seem to know how to finish the story, and I found the ending very unsatisfying. The pacing of the plot is good enough to keep me involved to the end, rather than just shutting it down and moving on, but I wouldn't recommend it overall.
Earthcore is Earthcrack for the mind!.......2007-07-18
Having been drawn in by the Podcast, I knew that I had to own the book.
Even though I had already heard the story, reading this was like reading a brand new book for the first time. Scott Sigler is the master of suspense and the world for that matter! He leaves you pining for more. Can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
whats wrong with everyone?.......2007-07-14
I read the reviews about this and got very excited. I got the book in the mail and dove into it. 95% of the reviews I read gave it a 5 out of 5. Theres no way it could be bad right?? WRONG!
I understand creating character development, I would rather have it than not. But for one thing if your gonna write a book about monsters don't wait 150 pages before you bring them into the picture. Second, when the monsters showed up. ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? They were so laughably stupid had I not paid 10 bucks to read this book and went through 150 pages I would have laughed hysterically. Their medicine balls with tenticles and they cary knives! WHAT!?!?!!?!?! I stopped after that. No reason to go any further. This book was horrible.
Average customer rating:
- Missing some of the classic rules of writing
- Treasure "Mine"
- Receives Renee Raudman's dramatic voice which is enhanced by her TV appearances and attention to high drama.
- recommended!
- Sister Mine--rollicking good fun and literature to boot!
|
Sister Mine: A Novel
Tawni O'Dell
Manufacturer: Shaye Areheart Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Back Roads
-
Nineteen Minutes: A Novel
-
The Post-Birthday World
-
The Double Bind: A Novel
-
Whitethorn Woods
ASIN: 0307351262
Release Date: 2007-03-13 |
Book Description
Shae-Lynn Penrose drives a cab in a town where no one needs a cab—but plenty of people need rides. A former police officer with a closet full of miniskirts, a recklessly sharp tongue, and a tendency to deal with men by either beating them up or taking them to bed, she has spent years carving out a life for herself and her son in Jolly Mount, Pennsylvania, the tiny coal-mining town where she grew up.
Two years ago, five of Shae-Lynn’s miner friends were catapulted to media stardom when they were rescued after surviving four days trapped in a mine. As the men struggle to come to terms with the nightmarish memories of their ordeal, along with the fallout of their short- lived celebrity, Shae-Lynn finds herself facing harsh realities and reliving bad dreams of her own, including her relationship with her brutal father, her conflicted passion for one of the miners, and the hidden identity of the man who fathered her son.
When the younger sister she thought was dead arrives on her doorstep, followed closely by a gun-wielding Russian gangster, a shady New York lawyer, and a desperate Connecticut housewife, Shae-Lynn is forced to grapple with the horrible truth she discovers about the life her sister’s been living, and with one ominous question: Will her return result in a monstrous act of greed or one of sacrifice?
Tawni O’Dell’s trademark blend of black humor, tenderness, and a keen sense of place is evident once again as Shae-Lynn takes on past demons and all-too-present dangers.
Customer Reviews:
Missing some of the classic rules of writing.......2007-10-17
O'dell is an amazing author, however she seemingly continues to violate some of the basic rules of writing in her books. This can be overlooked in her first book, however her second two books have struggled to overcome these errors in plot development. In O'dell's first book, she went beyond overboard with overly describing every detail of the story. This ranged from the character's movements to their very thoughts. Although this violates one of the primary rules of writing (less is more, don't offend your audience by explaining the character's every feeling), I was able to overlook it due to the beautifully woven plot, the authenticity of the characters, and the captivating mysteries. Her second book was modeled from one Western PA town that I hold near and dear to my heart, however I found she not only violated the first rule again but also began what has become a trend of oversimplifying plots into what could be considered slow romance novels. This book has proved to be no different from the second, with rather unrealistic, dramatic characters with a nice tied bow, "Full House" effect at the end. It really might qualify for the romance novel genre in some parts. There is no interest or mystery left in the characters by the end of the story, absolutely no conflict left. I understand this is the 'end' of the book, which deems that OK, however the books I remember are the ones who leave me thinking and wondering what became of the characters. There are no strings left for a sequel at the end of this book.
Treasure "Mine".......2007-09-30
As a native of western Pennsylvania, I have a particular appreciation for Tawni O'Dell's novels. I'd know her characters anywhere: The godlike high school/college football jock whose subsequent life reeks of anticlimax; the stolid denizens of the myriad of mining towns, the young people who left as part of the state's unfortunate "brain drain," as well as those who stayed home to contend with limited, depressing job markets.
Like Tawni O'Dell herself, the novel's protagonist Shae-Lynn Penrose is one of those who left the her small town (the fictitious and ironically named Jolly Mount)for the big city. Shae-Lynn escaped a dreadful childhood, an abusive father, and the apparent death of her younger sister to pursue an education and a career -- all as a single mother. Now she's back in Jolly Mount, over age 40, and driving a taxi. Her life is relatively good; she sees her son daily, although not always in the circumstances one would imagine. Her job allows her to know everything about everyone, and to administer her unique sense of justice as needed. One of those cab rides, an airport pickup of a shadowy New York lawyer, turns Shae-Lynn's life inside out. In just a few days, Shae-Lynn's tidy existence will be in chaos with the arrival of a very pregnant young woman, a housewife willing to pay any price for an under-the-table adoption, and a Russian gangster. Shae-Lynn will also confront, for the first time in years, the repulsive father of her son.
A key element of this wonderful novel is a portrayal of those in the coal mining industry. O'Dell creates a fictional version of the group of Pennsylvania miners who several years ago survived a harrowing mining accident. O'Dell tells what happens to these men, "The Jolly Mount Five," as well as their families, in the not-so happily ever after.
Sister Mine is gritty, tragic and deadly funny. It's written with love, and will stay with the reader for a long time.
Receives Renee Raudman's dramatic voice which is enhanced by her TV appearances and attention to high drama........2007-09-03
Tawni O'Dell's SISTER MINE receives Renee Raudman's dramatic voice which is enhanced by her TV appearances and attention to high drama. Shae-Lynn drives a cab in a small town and has spent years carving out a career in a tiny coal mining town: now she's having nightmares, reliving the relationship with her brutal father, and trouble is emerging which may engulf her careful life.
recommended!.......2007-07-29
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book - I'd never heard of Tawni O'Dell. I was very pleasantly surprised. I can't wait to read her other two books. The characters and plot were great and I enjoyed learning so much about coal mining.
Sister Mine--rollicking good fun and literature to boot! .......2007-07-17
I stumbled upon "Sister Mine" at my campus bookstore, and like another reviewer, the first sentence sucked me in. Before I knew it, I was back in my dorm room unable to stop turning the pages. Shae-Lynne's gripping narrative provided a welcome respite from my Chaucer reading and the research paper I should have been writing.
This novel contains so much--pathos, laugh-out-loud humor, well-drawn compelling characters. My Chaucer professor has remarked that the difference between literature and popular fiction is that literature has cracks in it that are open for the reader to interpret. "Sister Mine" qualifies as literature according to his definition. For example, I have spent some time pondering what took place in the conversation between Clay and Shannon at the end of the book. Clay tells his mother "I realize after talking to Aunt Shannon that there are things about you I don't understand completely...." I have tried to tease out just what Shannon told him. How much of her and Shae-Lynne's childhood did she disclose? Did she confide her suspicions about Clay's own birth? But this ambiguous line, so open to interpretation, is only one of the many gems within Sister Mine.
Average customer rating:
- Honestly lousy.
- Boring book
- Still Horrible
- Another great read
- What?
|
Nobody's Baby But Mine
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth
| ( P )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
( P )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
It Had to Be You
-
Heaven, Texas
-
Dream a Little Dream
-
This Heart of Mine
-
Lady Be Good
ASIN: 0380782340
Release Date: 1997-02-01 |
Amazon.com
Physics professor Dr. Jane Darlington spends her 34th birthday in tears. She wants a baby,but not a husband. Where can she find an average or, preferably, stupid man? She decides that Cal Bonner, legendary quarterback for the Chicago Stars is perfect. Jane sets her plan into action and after some trail and error she succeeds. But the results are more than she bargained for when Cal discovers her duplicity. How can a football player with an interfering family and a nerdy professor who has never known family love ever fall in love? With lots of honesty, understanding and a whole lot of humor. Don't miss this one! It's filled with engaging characters, laughs galore and a feel-good ending. If you enjoy it as much as I did, try Phillips's Heaven, Texas.
Book Description
The Plan
Genius physics professor Dr, Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby. But finding a father won't be easy. Jane's super-intelligence made her feel like a freak when she was growing up, and she's determined to spare her own child that suffering. Which means she must find someone very special to father her child. Someone . . . well . . stupid.
The Target
Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars' legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice. But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving. Dr. Jane learns too late that this good ol'boy is a lot smarter than he lets on -- and he's not about to be used and abandoned by a brainy baby-mad schemer.
The Explosion
A brillant, lonely woman who dreams only of motherhood . . . A take no-prisoners tough guy who'll settle for nothing less than surrender . . . Can passion and physical attraction propel two strong-willed yet vulnerable people to a totally unexpected love?
Download Description
The Plan: Genius physics professor Dr, Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby. But finding a father won't be easy. Jane's super-intelligence made her feel like a freak when she was growing up, and she's determined to spare her own child that suffering. Which means she must find someone very special to father her child. Someone...well..stupid. The Target: Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars' legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice. But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving. Dr. Jane learns too late that this good ol'boy is a lot smarter than he lets on -- and he's not about to be used and abandoned by a brainy baby-mad schemer. The Explosion. A brillant, lonely woman who dreams only of motherhood...A take no-prisoners tough guy who'll settle for nothing less than surrender...Can passion and physical attraction propel two strong-willed yet vulnerable people to a totally unexpected love?
Customer Reviews:
Honestly lousy........2007-10-15
Sorry, but Jane Darlington was really hard to like. She was a deceitful dork. Her lousy attempt to pretend she was a special call girl was just silly. I really have liked other books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, so this was a disappointment. The only good quality was that I though Cal Bonner was great.
Boring book.......2007-10-08
What a boring book. I couldn't even finish it. Yep, that boring. I gave it out eventually.
Still Horrible.......2007-08-15
Either the author or her fans apparently didn't like my previous review because it keeps getting removed. So let's go for number three. nobody's Baby But Mine is about a TSTL woman with highly questionable morals and a caveman who needs to go to anger management. The plot is unbelivable and should insult most reader's intelligence. I have read other works by this author and know she can do better than this, I just don't know whether I'll be sticking around to find out.
Another great read.......2007-07-09
As with all other SEP books, this one was amazing. Of course the plot was a bit far fetched (aren't most romance novels?) but that didn't prevent me from being totally captivated. I loved the characters, and for once I actually really enjoyed the side story of Cal's parents. Definitely read this book, you will not be disappointed!
What?.......2007-07-08
Normally, I can really trust the customer reviews on Amazon, but I can not believe someone (let alone several people) rated this 4 and 5 stars. Was I reading the same book? I don't have a problem with the kind of far out story line (after all, it is a romance novel, so you can expect some of that) even though I can not imagine what intellegent woman would have the thought process the main character does.... (example: I'm so incredibly brilliant that I honestly believe sleeping with a stupid guy will produce a normal child... Really? I must have missed that little tidbit in biology class.) But mainly, this story was just boring. The characters were one dimentional. Even their huge personal problems were boring. Skip it or just check it out at the library, but don't waste your money.
Amazon.com
Confused about feeding your baby or toddler? Child of Mine, by noted nutritionist Ellyn Satter, is an essential guide for every new parent concerned with nutrition and appetite. Satter's advice is thorough and straightforward: "You can't control or dictate the quantity of food your child eats, and you shouldn't try. You also can't control or dictate the kind of body your child develops, and you shouldn't try. What you can do, and it is a great deal, is set things up for your child so she, herself, can regulate her food intake as well as possible, and so she can develop a healthy body that is constitutionally right for her."
Child of Mine provides information on all aspects of feeding, from pregnancy through the toddler years. Satter begins with historical and social perspectives on infant feeding, describing how formula was developed and discussing the social movement that lead to accepting a child's input into his or her own development. Nutrition during pregnancy, infant feeding, introducing solid foods, building positive eating relationships, and avoiding eating disorders are all discussed. The sections on breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, and on the regulation of food intake (particularly the relationship between parental attitudes and children's eating habits) are especially recommended.
Satter provides specific nutritional information (including charts, diagrams, and nutritional breakdowns) interspersed with a no-nonsense, experienced perspective that will help you establish good eating habits that your children will benefit from long after they're out of diapers. --Ericka Lutz
Book Description
Widely considered the leading book involving nutrition and feeding infants and children, this revised edition offers practical advice that takes into account the most recent research into such topics as: emotional, cultural, and genetic aspects of eating; proper diet during pregnancy; breast-feeding versus; bottle-feeding; introducing solid food to an infant's diet; feeding the preschooler; and avoiding mealtime battles. An appendix looks at a wide range of disorders including allergies, asthma, and hyperactivity, and how to teach a child who is reluctant to eat. The author also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of giving young children vitamins.
Customer Reviews:
Feeding with Love and Good Sense.......2007-09-15
This book is great for parents of infants through preschoolers. It combines information on feeding dynamics, parenting, nutrition, developmental stages of eating and children's behavior. I purchased it to gain more information on feeding as a professional (occupational therapist) and have now started buying it as part of baby gifts. I wish I had it when my kids were babies.
Its great to see clinical 'proofs' that help to build parents confidence.......2007-08-05
Feeding seems to be a very emotional topic for many and parents seem to argue a lot with one another around this topic especially if their child is overweight or underweight. In many cases when talking to other parents you hear "My child is doing just fine and I'm not following the methods in that book", or "Well you grew up fine following my techniques didn't you?" mentalities that will be mirrored in our own beliefs and your own parents.
So what I find extremely useful in this book is the clinical evidence and references to studies presented. Since children even in the same family are different its good to hear the history of the previous century and read about the studies conducted. This scientific approach is helpful in building my confidence in what approaches to use and understanding that the approaches put forward in the book are not just the latest fad but something that has been tested and held up to scrutiny. She also discusses where she has been mistaken herself and is willing to admit her mistakes; mistakes that were proven out through (yes) more clinical studies.
So my advice for those looking at this book is read it with a scientists mindset and not with a mind of 'I bet this book proves my wife is wrong'. If you do this then I'm sure you'll enjoy it and find it useful in removing some of the stress of being a parent.
One more thing; I read one review that read:
"We eat curries, stir-fries, pastas, burritos, and a zillion other things. How could a celebrated nutrition expert have so little clue that lowfat food can be wonderful varied stuff?"
I'm sure this reader is more skilled than I at creating low fat burritos and congratulations are obviously due. However, I think this demonstrates my point in that here is an example of someone reading the book wanting to prove out their own approach and then being disappointed and offended that the book wasn't on their particular line of thinking.
Perfect baby shower gift.......2007-07-14
This book really helped us understand about how to introduce food and feed our children. The information incules everything from nursing and bottle feeding, through feeding during the toddler years. Ellyn Satter's philosophies make sense; they were easy to adapt to our life. We learned how to avoid food battles with our two year old. We wish we would have had this book when our first child came along! We now give it as a baby gift to all our friends.
Good Advice on Bottle Feeding and Starting on Solids.......2007-07-13
As someone who adopted my son at 5 months of age, I really appreciated a book that covered bottle-feeding sensibly without making me feel like my child was actively being harmed by formula or that I was a piece of s#$@ for not being able to breastfeed him. Too many books - particularly those from the attachment parenting realm - lead those of us who are unable to breastfeed to despair for our children's future.
It was also helpful when getting my son started on solids. After about 2 weeks he decided he was not going to let me spoon feed him (batted the spoon away at every opportunity). My instinct was to NOT let him hold the spoon and instead to find creative ways to jam that spoon in his mouth. Without this book, I don't know that I would have realized that he was not rejecting the FOOD, but was just really insistent on feeding himself. With this books tips and suggestions, I was able to find ways to accommodate his desire to self-feed with his lacking motor skills.
Also, my sister is a pediatric nutritionist. She gave me this book and always recommends it to all her patients' families.
child of mine.......2007-04-01
although this book had lots of information i needed more direction and actual meal ideas to get started.
Book Description
This latest edition in the best-selling annual Letterhead and Logo Design series features the most innovative and exciting work in the field from well-known design leaders, new design firms, and cutting-edge artists. From logos to labels, business cards to envelopes, the creative techniques and full-color images portrayed in this broad range of work will inspire new design solutions for age-old challenges that beg for a fresh approach. Both design firms and their clients will find this an invaluable resource for inspiration and ideas that grab the viewer's attention and create a lasting impression.
Customer Reviews:
Some fabulous logos, not enough background.......2007-03-17
There is no doubt this book contains some beautiful and smart logos. I just wish more information would have been given about the clients. In fact, some of the best logos in the book are in the introduction, designed by the author, and here a very brief desciption of the client is given (such as "Logo to identify certified vegan foods"). But this stops once the heart of the book begins. To be fully appreciated, a logo needs to have context, and none is given in this book except for the client's name (such as "VIP Industries" - who?).
Nevertheless, definitely worth buying.
Definitely stirs up inspiration!.......2007-03-09
I was hasty about getting this book vs. some of the newer logo books out there. I read all of these reviews and everyone keeps saying how it will stir up inspiration. I have to agree. I bought this in hopes that it would help inspire me for a logo project I was working on. Sure enough, it did. Regardless of being a little bit dated, it has a lot really interesting ideas.
Tons of great ideas, but seems to have been rushed to publication. :).......2007-02-26
I thumbed through and read this book in about an hour last night, and saw some annoying typos, so it seems the proofing stage might have been skipped... but regardless, I was inspired by what I saw in there, for sure, and can only hope and pray that I'm good enough to be in that book someday. (And by the way, if I ever get in, you are FREE to spell my name however you please.) ;) I'd recommend this book.
Inspired cookie-cutter.......2007-02-24
"Letterhead and Logo Design 9" sits on my bookshelf in my office. That's basically it, except when I do logo or letterhead design work. That's not to say that it's a bad book, it really isn't. In fact, it's a good book, for when you need inspiration to do logo or letterhead work.
But even then, the inspiration isn't really that good. Most of the ideas in the book, aren't really that new and revelutionary -- the 3rd logo on p. 166, for instance, is strangely similar to the one for Norwegian chocolate-producer Freia (part of Kraft Foods). A book of this kind should inspire new ideas, not advocate recycling of old ones.
If you are constantly getting inspired by cookie-cutters, no matter how good cookie-cutters, won't you eventually wind up producing them yourself?
Great.......2007-02-24
Great inspirational book. So many wonderful design that got me dizzy with a bit of envy. Highly recommended.
Book Description
The Gold Mine: a Novel of Lean Turnaround deftly weaves together the technical and human pieces of implementing lean manufacturing in an engaging story that readers will find both compelling and instructive. Authors Freddy and Michael Ballé have produced the first integrated and systematic approach to a set of ideas that have maximized value and minimized waste throughout the world. At the heart of the Gold Mine is Bob Woods, a curmudgeonly sensei coaxed out of retirement by his son Mike to help boyhood friend Phil Jenkinson save his struggling company. Despite terrific products and a backlog of orders, Phil's company cannot generate enough cash from its operations to pay its bills. And so Mike enlists Bob to help his pal fix this crisis.
"You're trying to deal with your mess as if it was a technical problem," Bob tells Phil. "Move this machine here, change this design there, which it is to some extent, but … it's all about people. You have a leadership problem not just a production or business problem." As Phil begins to tackle the key challenges necessary to improve his company's operations, he comes to understand the deeper points of lean. Readers will also draw powerful insights from his journey.
The Gold Mine presents all the key lean principles, ranging from well-known ideas such as pull and flow, to lesser-known yet equally important principles such as jidoka and heijunka. The book also reveals lean as a system—using a realistic story to show how the principles are interrelated and how they lead to useful tools such as kanban or 5S.
Customer Reviews:
How to make Lean happen.......2006-06-30
An increasing number of people learn about Lean tools, ideas and even the overall phylosophy behind. We all see Toyota's success and believe, that's mainly due to TPS and the Lean mindset.
We all agree, that Lean is simple, easy to understand and the right thing to do. However, only very few companies get past the obstacles to initiate, implement and maintain Lean thinking. Why?
This book illustrates in a very realistic way the challenge of a Lean change management. It describes the common obstacles, fears, misunderstandings and political games and how difficult it is to overcome them. Thanks to the story-telling style, You can really feel the heavy load resting on the shoulders of change agents.
Besides, the book also describes the Lean concepts, but the book's main purpose is Lean change management, not Lean tools.
If You plan to make any organization Lean, this book prepares You for the coming challenges.
Good book ! I saw it get my plant started on the journey........2006-05-11
It is a Good book !
I saw it get my plant started on the journey. The lean mentality and the resultant manifold, multilevel gains are continuing to spread.
The Gold Mine.......2005-09-26
A good combination of lean implementation details and an interesting story line. This book in similar in concept to 'The Goal', in that it interweaves the personal story of an owner's desperate need to turn his mfg company around with the blocking and tackling requirements to get it done. It spends a good deal of time talking about how people handle these changes and reminds you never to lose that focus during the sometimes daunting process changes encountered during lean implementation.
Way beyond the Lean "Tools".......2005-07-26
I read "The Gold Mine" when it came out, and immediately had it added to our company Lean Library, and my own "read again" list.
It is definitely a must read for those that want to get into the depths of Lean, not just the tools. To get beyond and behind the mechanics of the tools, I group this book along with the outstanding Harvard Business Review articles: "The DNA of the Toyota Production System" by Spear & Bowen, and "Learning to Lead at Toyota" by Spear.
Understanding the mechanics of the Lean tools is necessary but not sufficient. Understanding the power behind the tools and the real challenge implementing them is critical. Tool books and true-life but superficial turnaround stories are helpful, but cannot reach the levels that a fictional story like this can (especially when told by authors who clearly "get it").
Here are specific thoughts on the book itself:
On the positives:
1) the descriptions of the dad character's interations with his sensei's were so realistic, I could picture myself with my own sensei's years ago (Hiyashi-san and Oba-san from Toyota and Matsubara-san from Tokai Rika). I found myself learning as much from remembering and rethinking what they said as I did from the book itself.
2) I was thoroughly impressed with the depth of understanding of Lean conveyed by the Balle's. The dad character hits on some real subtleties of Lean that it took me years of doing to even appreciate the power. I encourage readers to go over the 5S, 5 Why and TPM sections several times - the sections are brief, but there is some hard won wisdom in those passages.
3) the description of 5S on pages 120-126 is about the best I've seen anywhere (especially the often misunderstood 3rd and the rarely comprehended 4th and 5th).
4) The real dangers of a Lean transition are talked about in human terms with "real" people - the Materials Manager that couldn't make it, the production manager that did, the business partner that was focused on his relationship with the technical manager not the operation, and the change agent that gets burned out and recruited away. You just don't get that in the standard literature - the fictional story is much more effective.
On the wish list:
1) I wish the authors had set the story in a place without a "crisis". Getting across the "need to change" is somewhat easier (admittedly still difficult) when everyone knows there is an imminent crisis. It is harder to get a company with 20% margins to realize they could improve to 40% or to capture a larger market. I believe the Balle's have the capability to write the harder story of a business that just wants to move to a higher level without a crisis.
2) "The Gold Mine" shows the "Lean Way" to change an operation, and takes a few well aimed shots at regular consultants. I wish they had taken a few more at the mythical search for "the" bottleneck espoused by another famous fictional turnaround story (see pages 46-47). The Balle's insight and storytelling ability might have been able to give us Lean disciples some more help in the Lean vs TOC debates. As it is, they left it hanging.
3) I wish more of the story took place at the plant (in Gemba). The point still gets made in the book, but changes happen in Gemba, not on the consultant's boat. I understand the character's frustrations, but was somewhat dissapointed and saddened by the lack of passion for manufacturing and the desire to "get in there".
4) I wish there was more dialogue with and from the actual operators. The characters talk about them, but the only real interactions with them take place at the stamping presses late in the book.
On the nitpicky side:
1) some typos got through editing that should have been caught - in a couple of places they were confusing, in others, just annoying.
2) I could have done without the son's personal life issues. I don't think they added much to the story and I found myself wanting to skip ahead, but afraid I'd miss something...
Two Thumbs Up for The Gold Mine!.......2005-06-27
Two Thumbs Up for "The Gold Mine"! This is by far the most insightful tale I have read about what it is like to try and drive lean manufacturing principles in the real world. Most books about Lean/TPS are dry technical "how to" guides that give you a tool and then dogmatically tell to go apply it and drive improvement. Or they are general overview books that describe what lean is, why it is so great, why you need to do it, but then of course give you no clue as to how to do it...(I won't directly offend any authors by mentioning titles this is after all just my opinion).
This novel strikes a unique balance that is both insightful and fun to read for those of us interested in lean manufacturing methods (a.k.a. Toyota Production System) or for anyone just interested in a good business story. The book uses a fictional (but very real sounding) plant backdrop and describes the struggle of how a management team embarks upon learning about lean from a reluctant and wise old sensei. It covers how they struggle to implement the methods with some human drama, and eventually how they find a way to make improvements for their respective situation.
In fairness I must admit that I am a somewhat biased reviewer. I was fortunate enough early in my life to lived in Japan for nine and a half years and a great part of this time I worked for Toyota Motor Corporation as a manufacturing engineer in an old engine plant. My boss, my boss's boss, and his boss, etc. were all first hand disciples of Taiichi Ono in the 1960's and 70's (I claim no such lineage I just happened to work there long after Mr. Ohno had left). What I find amazing in this book however is that the teachings are remarkably similar to what my Japanese superiors taught me back in Toyota over 15 years ago. There is no secret recipe for making lean happen but there are some basic concepts and practical patterns that you can follow. Specifically as the book reveals via its structure is the highly useful implementation framework of Stability, Flow, Takt Time, Pull, and Level Production that Toyota often uses in consulting work with suppliers needing to make operational improvements.
The closest parallel for this book in manufacturing literature is probably Eliyahu Goldratt's novel "The Goal". If you liked that book (and I must admit that I really did even though it contains a lot of practical holes) then I suspect you will enjoy this one as well. Like "The Goal" it combines a cast of interesting characters each with different personalities and technical problems from the shop floor. Better that "The Goal" however is the fact that this book actually correctly explains the technical elements of lean manufacturing and how to go about doing it in a realistic setting. (I don't know but I bet this is a real plant somewhere in the world).
In summary I think you will like this book if you are looking for something entertaining to read about lean manufacturing and are tired of the dry technical descriptions and stereotypical car plant examples that are floating around. This book is one part entertainment, one part introduction to lean, and one part structured implementation guide in an actual setting. My guess is that there are multiple audiences for this unique book. It can serve as an entertaining introduction for people new to the topic. Or it can also serve as a useful "how to" implementation example for more intermediate readers. Advanced readers will get an ironic chuckle out of the story and have several "God, I've run into this before!" moments and relate to the wise old sensei. Or if you are just looking for a fun business novel to read on the airplane I think you will thoroughly enjoy it as well.
Book Description
The Day the Earth Caved In is an unprecedented and riveting account of the nation’s worst mine fire, beginning on Valentine’s Day, 1981, when twelve-year-old Todd Domboski plunged through the earth in his grandmother’s backyard in Centralia, Pennsylvania. In astonishing detail, award-winning journalist Joan Quigley, the granddaughter of Centralia miners, ushers readers into the dramatic world of the underground blaze——from the media circus and back-room deal-making spawned in the wake of Todd’s sudden disappearance, to the inner lives of every day Centralians who fought a government that wouldn’t listen.
Drawing on interviews with key participants and exclusive new research, Quigley paints unforgettable portraits of Centralia and its residents, from Tom Larkin, the short-order cook and ex-hippie who rallied the activists, to Helen Womer, a bank teller who galvanized the opposition, denying the fire’s existence even as toxic fumes invaded her home. Here, too, we see the failures of major
political and government figures, from Centralia’s congressman, “Dapper” Dan Flood, a former actor who later resigned in the wake of corruption allegations, to James Watt, a former lawyer-lobbyist for the mining industry, who became President Reagan’s controversial interior secretary.
Like Jonathan Harr’s A Civil Action, The Day the Earth Caved In is a seminal investigation of individual rights, corporate privilege, and governmental indifference to the powerless. Exposing facts in prose that reads like fiction, Quigley shows us what happens to a small community when disaster strikes, and what it means to call someplace home.
Praise for The Day the Earth Caved In:
"Her scene-by-scene narrative reads like fiction but inspires outrage in the muckraking tradition of Lincoln Steffens and Rachel Carson.”
—The New York Times
"[A]s a piece of explanatory journalism, The Day The Earth Caved In shines."
—Washington Post Book World
“It is quite a story.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“First rate research and journalism combing to tell a sad, often infuriating tale.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“ Quigley’s riveting account of the nation’s most devastating mine fire will change the way you think about so-called natural disasters, and the emotions we attach to the places we call home. This is an extraordinary book.” — Sean Wilentz, author of The Rise of American Democracy
“Quigley’s tale is a real-life epic of brutally indifferent government, greedy corporations and the unlikely heroes who fight for their basic human rights. It's all here; made in America. You'll feel enraged to know the truth of what happened in our mountains and proud of your fellow Americans who took on Goliath."
— John Passacantando, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA
“If you can imagine a book that combines the gritty dignity of How Green Was My Valley with the muckraking of Silent Spring, then you have some sense of this deeply affecting work.”
— Samuel G. Freedman, author of Upon This Rock
“Joan Quigley, the granddaughter of coal miners, has combined meticulous reporting and personal passion to bring us this important book — one that illuminates an underground blaze that many corporate and government officials sought to smother and conceal.”
— Gay Talese, author of A Writer’s Life
Customer Reviews:
A Great Book! A Must Read!! .......2007-08-24
Joan Quigley has done magnificent research in this book that captures the essence of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region. This story is a tragety and shoes the ineptness of government to protect the people it was ment to protect. This is a must read!The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy
One Mine Fire, Two Books.......2007-08-24
I first found out about the underground coal mine fire at Centralia PA and the devastation of the town above it while surfing the Web, looking for information about urban ruins. The photos I saw on various websites were eerie: where a small town once stood there was now only streets and sidewalks. A sliver of a dwelling that had once been part of a string of row houses stood alone, propped up on either side by brick chimney-like buttresses that provided the support that other dwellings, now torn down, once gave. Steam rose from cracks in a twisted and abandoned highway or from patches of scorched earth surrounded by dead vegetation. While these photos were very creepy and intriguing, I didn't stop to read much about the story of Centralia; I was on a quest to find out more about abandoned sites closer to my home in New York State's Hudson Valley region that I have seen for myself and visited: the Lente house, Bannerman's Island Arsenal, and the Cornish Estate.
Years later but a few weeks ago I happened across the last five minutes of a segment on C-SPAN's Book TV that caught my attention. Joan Quigley, author of "The Day the Earth Caved In" was talking about the Centralia mine fire. From the little bit I saw of the show it was clear that there was much more to the Centralia story than what I gathered from the photos on the Web. I eagerly wrote down the name of the book and its author so that the next time I visited Amazon I could order it. After adding the book to my shopping cart, Amazon suggested that I also might want to check out David DeKok's "Unseen Danger", an earlier volume on the same subject. I ordered both.
As chance would have it, "Unseen Danger" arrived about a week before "The Day the Earth Caved In" and now, having read both books, I'm glad it did. I have a busy life and don't have a lot of time to read but I found Mr. DeKok's telling of the story so compelling that I neglected a lot of my duties around the house to make time for it. I took it to work and read it on my lunch and dinner breaks. I stayed up into the early morning hours, far longer than I should have, to finish it in a couple of days instead of the weeks it usually takes me to read a book.
As the blurb quoted on the cover from the New York Times Book Review states, there are "enough bureaucratic villains [in this story] to fill a Dickens novel." I would add that there were some Centralian citizens (especially one infuriatingly obnoxious homeowner in particular who I kept hoping would disappear into a subsidence) and the local Catholic church (who should have also suffered the same fate) who deserved to be included in that category as well. This is a story of missed opportunities, inter-governmental squabbles, denial of the present realities and local feuds all working together to turn the lives of the residents of this beleaguered town into a living hell. Mr. DeKok does a fine job of telling the story and it is obvious that he put a tremendous amount of effort into researching it and a lot of detective work into trying to separate fact from fiction, especially when it comes to the matter of how the mine fire got started in the first place. He paints a clear and terrifying picture of what the residents who were most effected by the danger had to go through before they got some relief, and the unconscionable indifference that government officials showed to the plight of their constituents in order to protect their own political behinds. The cast of characters in "Unseen Danger" is large and varied and includes the above mentioned villains and a few heroes too. The attention to detail is astounding and makes for extremely compelling reading.
However, in my opinion, the book is not without its flaws. While the above mentioned attention to detail is most welcome, at times it can be confusing, especially when trying to picture the relative locations of the events. Three small maps are included in the paperback edition that I read; one showing where Centralia is located in relation to large East Coast cities, a local map indicating local landmarks and some street names along with the locations of the fire's origin and the site of one especially scary event, and a third map that indicates where the fire hot spots were located in 1983. These graphics are only helpful in a minimal way and don't go far enough toward clarification.
Photographs appear at the start of each chapter and there are a few in the bodies of the chapters. In terms of graphic clarity (not subject matter) all leave much to be desired and in many cases they are of such poor quality as to be useless. They have the appearance of being photocopies of photocopies of photocopies and are of such high contrast that the very features that they were intended to illustrate have become invisible. I do not blame Mr. DeKok for this - his publisher should have done a better job. As for the type of photos included, there are many of Centralians effected by the fire, some of the government workers who had to deal with the situation on almost a daily basis, one of the fire itself, and many of the government figures involved. However there is one glaring omission: aside from the cover photo which is obscured by the bold lettering of the book's title there are no pictures of the town, either as it was at the beginning of the story, during, or after. For those, one must go to the various websites dedicated to the subject.
Ms. Quigley's book generally does not suffer from these kind of setbacks. Even before her Prologue we are provided with a nearly full page map which clearly indicates street names, locations of local landmarks, locations of the principal character's homes, indications of the sites and scope of efforts to stop the fires, and a distance scale to help us better grasp the relative proximities of the places and events described. I wish I had this map while I was reading "Unseen Danger", it would have increased my appreciation of that book all the more. "The Day the Earth Caved In" contains eight pages of black and white photographs, all well reproduced, including one of the authors' grandparents row home from 1984, and one taken in 2000 of a tourist observing a cloud of vapor emanating from a non-descript area in the woods, as well as photos of mine workings from the 1880's and pictures of some of the people central to her telling of the story. As with "Unseen Danger" wide angle photos of the town before and after are absent and their inclusion would have helped drive home the immense scope of this catastrophe. Again, one has to search the Internet to find those kind of pictures.
While David DeKok relates the Centralia story by presenting an almost day by day account of the events that occurred he does not get inside the heads of the principals too deeply. He doesn't have to - anyone who has an atom of imagination can empathize or sympathize with the horrors that these people must have been through. But what left me scratching my head in bewilderment after I finished his book was why the Centralians were so reluctant to leave their homes and flee the danger. I suppose this is because I was born and raised in New York City and have moved to new homes five times since I left my parents house - once because the dangers of living in a loft on NY's Lower East Side became too much to bear. It wasn't until a few days ago while discussing the matter with a co-worker who grew up in a small town in upstate New York (population about 2000) that I really began to understand what made Centralians want to cling to their homesteads so tenaciously. Joan Quigley, by telling her version of the story through the eyes, histories and emotions of a few of the key players attempts to explain that sense of attachment, but is only partially successful. Ironically enough, it is DeKok's sparse explanation that comes closest to what my co-worker told me and what I've observed since moving from NYC to a small town: that many people living in small towns are fearful of the outside world and are much more likely to cling to surroundings that are much more familiar and therefore comforting.
Quigley's device of presenting the story by delving into the personal histories and feelings of her selected subjects is a welcome supplement to the mine fire disaster story as told by DeKok but ultimately it falls short in conveying just how desperately dangerous their situation was. At times I got the impression that she feels that the personal relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children or neighbors and neighbors is the interesting part of the story and the mine fire and its dangers were just a backdrop to that soap opera. Major events, like one man's close encounter with death by carbon monoxide poisoning while asleep in his bedroom and the circumstances leading up to it are described in great detail in "Unseen Danger" while Ms. Quigley mentions it almost in passing, preferring to more often dwell on what clothes a person was wearing. (What bearing does who wore what color pants suit on a particular day have on the story at hand? Inexplicably, these kind of observations appear far too frequently.) This is generally indicative of both authors approach to their subjects.
Similarly, Mr. DeKok tends to speak with authority and presumably understanding on technical matters while Ms. Quigley shows some lack of comprehension. For example, at one point she states that oxygen was the fuel that kept the mine fires burning. Just for the record: coal is the fuel that is consumed by the fire while oxygen needs to be present for oxidation - burning - to occur; oxygen in and of itself does not burn. This is elementary Junior High school science. While I realize that the point Ms. Quigley was trying to make was that some scientists proposed that if the mine fire were to be deprived of oxygen then it might go out, it is this misunderstanding of basic physics that influences me to trust Mr. DeKok's opinions over hers.
One rare instance where Ms. Quigley's narrative excels over Mr. DeKok's is in her scathing indictment of the Reagan administration and of the local Catholic church, an institution highly revered and trusted in Centralia, who let their parishioners down as shamefully and grievously as the government had. Mr. DeKok also criticizes these institutions, but instead mostly relies on the method he employs when dealing with other facets of the story, that of letting the facts speak for themselves. Ms. Quigley does this as well, however, she goes one step further on this one point by including examples of government official's blunders not cited in "Unseen Danger", in particular those of the lunatic James Watt (who was Secretary of the Interior near the end of the story) whose public statements were so insane that President Reagan gladly accepted his resignation, and none too soon: after Watt left office he was indicted on charges of influence peddling. None of this information about Watt was in "Unseen Danger" and I strongly feel it should have been.
Both books tell pretty much the same story (though from different perspectives and not equally as well), but one disagreement between the two is about how the fire started in the first place. In my opinion Mr. DeKok presents a far more plausible explanation, citing specific evidence in chapter 3 of his book while Ms. Quigley covers the subject in an author's note at the end of hers. While she states that her research provides strong evidence for her version of the events, she reveals very few specifics of it and appears to rely heavily on the testimony of residents living near the ignition site, claiming that they had no reason to lie. I view this claim with a lot of skepticism. Her own depiction of the character of the Centralia residents (especially some who lived near the dump) leads me to conclude otherwise. Also, Ms. Quigley seems to overlook one gigantic 500 pound gorilla in the room: Why would the town dump be set on fire if it was already burning? It seems painfully obvious to me that they wouldn't. In any case, the cause of the fire is only one part of the story and either scenario would have led to the same result.
If one is interested in reading about this subject my advice is to get both of these books. Read "Unseen Fire" first (it is by far the better of the two because in part it tells the horrific story in much more frightening detail) but keep "The Day The Earth Caved In" handy so you can refer to its superior map. Then read Ms. Quigley's book as a supplement, to flesh out some of the characters involved and to learn a handful of interesting but not necessarily essential facts that were left out of Mr. DeKok's. Some may find her more personally intimate and emotional method of storytelling preferable to DeKok's somewhat dry, fact based delivery but I for one did not. For as much as I enjoyed "The Day The Earth Caved In" on a certain level I think I did so because I already knew the facts ahead of time. Much to her credit, Ms. Quigley invoked in me even more sympathy for the people she chose to focus on than I had before, (at least those who were deserving of it,) especially one young couple's story of being pulled apart because of wanting different things out of life, which paralleled my own personal experience. However, I feel that this concentration on the private lives of a select few takes too much attention away from exploring and understanding the broader picture of governmental incompetence that any one of us could fall victim to under similar unfortunate circumstances.
Hope that nothing like this ever happens in your town.
The Human Face of an Ecological Disaster.......2007-08-17
It might be a scene from a horror movie, but it really happened to seventh grader Todd Domboski in 1981 in the small town Centralia in the Pennsylvania mountains. Todd was crossing a neighbor's backyard when hell opened up below, a steaming fissure of mud that began swallowing him. He was in deep to the knees, then to the waist, then to the neck, and his struggles did nothing. There were roaring gases coming out of the pit, and he knew he was going to die. A friend, however, heard his screams, and was able to put a hand down and pull Todd out. Todd was covered in hot mud but was otherwise unharmed. His story is the start of _The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy_ (Random House) by Joan Quigley, a story of a peculiar but not isolated coal mining disaster. There were a dozen other underground fires in abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania alone, and almost three hundred nationwide, but the Centralia fire was the most serious, destroying the little former mining town and all but emptying it. Quigley's book gives a brief history of mining in the area and describes the geology of underground coal fires, and particularly describes the governmental and industrial neglect that allowed this fire to fester for decades. Quinton pays particular attention to the citizens of the town, faced with a living horror story, at risk for having their homes filled with poisonous gas or sucked into the mud but still torn by devotion to the town many of them had grown up in.
In 1962, something on fire was discarded within the garbage dump near the Odd Fellows Cemetery at the edge of Centralia, and it ignited the coal vein that fed into a colliery that had been abandoned in 1931. When the fire started, officials estimated that $30,000 for excavations would put it out, but there was a delay in finding the agency that might provide the money, the first of decades of delay that allowed the fire to grow. Once the story of Todd almost dying in the fire came out, though, there was more activity. Quigley tells this amazing story impartially and neutrally, but inevitably among all the indifferent or ineffective officials who peeked into the matter, there is one particular villain. James Watt was Ronald Reagan's Interior secretary under the "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem" philosophy, which in the case of Centralia meant that Watt withheld federal solutions and insisted that the fire was Pennsylvania's problem. Watt blandly declared at one point that there was "no threat to the health and safety" of Centralia's citizens who had a fire burning beneath them and carbon monoxide and methane spewing into their homes; he maintained that the fire would eventually burn itself out. A final solution of buying out the residents and moving them was supported with regret by most of the town's citizens, but much of Quigley's story has to do with those who could not bring themselves to consider leaving, even as steam holes punched through and as children became sick with inhaling the fire's poisons. The activists who pressed the government to relocate the citizens hated the prospect of having to give Centralia up, but saw no other solution for the toxic town. They were opposed by citizens that resisted any buyout and who wanted to keep the town intact; there was polarization, ill-feeling, and even the throwing of a Molotov cocktail. National media attention to the conflagration and to the conflict of the citizens increased pressure and may have done more harm than good.
Centralia still exists as a locale, of course, but many of its houses and other buildings have been demolished. A dozen or so people still try to live there, but any real town is gone. If there is any silver lining to this sad story told with genuine sympathy for all of Centralia's citizens, it is that at least some officials have learned that underground coal fires must be fought immediately upon their discovery. Tourists come to see what used to be Centralia and want to see a fire, but it is far below the surface right now. James Watt was right when he predicted the blaze would burn itself out, but whether this will be in a decade or in a century, no one can say.
Well-Written -- and Outrageous.......2007-08-14
Joan Quigley does a masterful job of telling the story of Centralia, Pennsylvania -- its people, a mining disaster, and then and what has to count as one of most egregious cases of government's failure to respond to an environmental calamity. The outrage multiplies with each passing year, and each new disclosure, and Quigley maintains a pitch-perfect pace throughout. Along the way you get a vivid portrait of a depressing place, and its almost heroic residents. Highly recommended.
The Day the Earth Caved In:An American Mining Tragedy by Joan Quigley.......2007-07-24
The book was very interesting, I used to drive thru Centralia to reach Selinsgrove. The book describes the town to a "T", I remember the cracked ground where the smoke was pouring out. It's a shame the people were treated so rotten by the Government.
Average customer rating:
- Imagine Twain sending Huck Finn to California via Wagon Train
- Great American Fun!!
- Best fiction since Twain
- A Dissenting Opinion
- Some of the finest reading available!!
|
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (Arbor House Library of Contemporary Americana)
Robert Lewis Taylor
Manufacturer: Main Street Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Edge of Sadness (The Loyola Classics Series)
-
A Fable
-
The Reivers
-
The Keepers of the House
-
Andersonville (Plume)
ASIN: 0385422229
Release Date: 1992-12-01 |
Book Description
Enjoyed by millions since its first publication in 1959, The Travels Of Jaimie McPheeters is the lively story of a 13-year-old boy's adventures on a journey across America in 1849. This million-copy Pulitzer Prize-winning classic details the journey of Jaimie and his father from Kentucky to gold-rush California.
Customer Reviews:
Imagine Twain sending Huck Finn to California via Wagon Train.......2007-09-02
What fun! But also exciting, poignant and heartbreaking at the same time. This is the story of Jaimie McPheeters and his father Sardius (a doctor), who is a bit of a gambler and prone to drink. Sardius has run afoul of his creditors and decides it's best to strike out with Jaimie to the California Gold fields to make their fortune and the adventure is on.
The story is told both in the first person view of Jaimie and by Sardius via letters home to his wife. Jaimie has one adventure after another -- from falling off the river boat, encounters with murderous thieves (loved how he got himself out of that one!), getting separated from the train and after being caught in a thunderstorm finally "finds" his camp again although it's really another camp he "found" (no spoilers here, you'll see that one coming a mile away). There are so many laugh out loud moments in this book one can't describe them all, but I have to say the time when Sardius tried to teach Jaimie the "dead" language of Latin was tops with me. ROFL.
Jaimie's travels take you across the plains of the Midwest, the Rockies, a winter stopover with the Mormons in Salt Lake (now those were some interesting moments), across the desert and finally over the Sierra Nevadas and on into the Gold Country and burgeoning San Francisco. All in all a jolly good yarn, both for the very young and the still young at heart. Highly recommended.
Great American Fun!!.......2007-06-15
I could not put this book down. It was my library's discussion choice and we had a delightful journey together with Jaimie and Sardius McPheeters. The historic detail keeps it interesting on a serious level, Jaimie gives us the wit and mischief. For something written in the 1950's to stand up to today's standards of political correctness is also important. This is a wonderful story for all ages. If you're looking for a book and can't decide, look no further.
Best fiction since Twain.......2007-05-19
This is quite possibly the most enjoyable work of fiction since "Huck Finn." Reading it was a pure delight--it is very well written, the story is gripping, and I was simultaneously satisfied and sad when I finished the last page.
I think of the best nonfiction as "brain candy." This novel is more, shall I say, "soul candy" or perhaps (without sounding smarmy, I hope) I can call it "heart candy."
A Dissenting Opinion.......2006-11-02
I have been reading my way through the Pulitzer Winners, and this book comes to the forefront as a headscratcher as to how it won the prize in the first place. I will grant that the narrative is paced well, and there are some humorous moments (Jaimie's dicussion of the merits of learning Latin with his father comes to mind), but overall, the book is episodic flim flam.
It is as if the author attempted to start with Tom Sawyer, mix in a little Holden Caulfield and Bertie Wooster, and then edit out the redeeming qualities of these characters. And then each plot turn is telegraphed, not merely by repeated use of foreshadowing, but by following every hackneyed recipe for calamity ever used in a frontier piece.
Any book set in the mid-19th Century and told in first person will, no doubt, be full of misogynism, racism, and general prejudice. What could be forgiven as "being true to time and character" seems less so after Jaimie attempts to give a balanced opionion of Mormons. Further, this book offers up its small-minded observations with a wink and a nudge as if pining for the old days of panning for gold while harboring ideas such as good Indian / bad Indian. Certainly, the book was published in the days of Ed Ames' cartoonish embarassments, but let's not forget that Twain wrote more fairly almost a century prior.
If you want a good page turner, read this, but only if you can avoid cringing at bad stereotypes and a plot littered with the cliche.
Some of the finest reading available!!.......2005-08-25
This was a thrilling read, at times heart rending often humorous. A historical tale enveloping the reader in the intrigue and danger of the western travels of the early settlers and gold venturers of the mid to late 1800's. It is filled with chronologic reference to place and event that gives accurate insight and depth into the struggles of the time. I highly recommend this book to one and all. A character builder for the young! Even found the bibliography was inspiring.
Average customer rating:
- disappointing
- H-O-T
- Improbabilities Sweetened by Sugary Romance
- Couldn't put this one down to save my life....
- Entertaining, but a little disappointing
|
This Heart of Mine
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth
| ( P )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Romance Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
( P )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
It Had to Be You
-
Nobody's Baby But Mine
-
Heaven, Texas
-
Dream a Little Dream
-
Lady Be Good
ASIN: 0380808080
Release Date: 2002-02-05 |
Amazon.com
Ever since she was a teenager, children's book author Molly Somerville has been infatuated with handsome Kevin Tucker, quarterback for her sister's Chicago Stars football team. Unfortunately, Kevin doesn't know she's alive until one fateful weekend when they're marooned together at the family vacation cabin. When Molly gets carried away by her creative imagination and compromises Kevin, the results are disastrous and before the dust settles, Kevin's in trouble with his boss, Molly's in deep trouble with her emotions, and both of them are in danger of losing their hearts. Their journey to a happy ending is dicey, at best, and even if they can get past their outrageous and painful beginning, whether these two can lower their guards and let the other into their equally wary hearts is questionable.
Bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips makes her hardcover debut with this wonderful contemporary tale that features two familiar faces from prior novels as the hero and heroine. The characters are complicated, with difficult pasts that have shaped the adults they now are, and Phillips uses a deft touch in sketching their personal growth as they're tested with tragedy and bound together with love and a healthy dose of humor. As always, Phillips brings her delightful wit and a warm family setting to this novel that is sure to captivate readers. --Lois Faye Dyer
Book Description
Molly Somerville loves her career as the creator of the Daphne the Bunny children's book series, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. She has a reputation for trouble that started even before she gave away her fifteen-million-dollar inheritance. Then there's her long-term crush on the quarterback for the Chicago Stars football team her sister owns—that awful, gorgeous Kevin Tucker, a man who can't even remember Molly's name!
One night Kevin barges into Molly's not-quite-perfect life and turns it upside down. Unfortunately, the Ferrari-driving riving, poodle-hating jock isn't as shallow as she wishes he were, and she soon finds herself at a place called Wind Lake. Surrounded by paintbox cottages, including a charming old bed-and-breakfast, Molly and Kevin battle their attraction and each other as they face one of life's most important lessons. Sometimes love hurts, sometimes it makes you mad as hell, and sometimes—if you're lucky—it can heal in a most unexpected way.
Download Description
Take a children's book illustrator, who's a bit down on her luck; add a handsome new quarterback from the Chicago Stars; and throw in a poignant search for a birth mother. The result is This Heart of Mine, a mesmerizing tale from a bestselling author at the zenith of her storytelling powers. 384 pp. National ads. Author appearances. 100,000 print.
Customer Reviews:
disappointing .......2007-08-05
I couldn't wait to read this book after reading "Nobody's baby but mine" but I was sooo disappointed. I was hard to see where the characters fell in love. There were a few funny moments but nothing like in "Nobody's baby but mine" (which made me laugh out loud and cry). The secondary plot about the older couple didn't flow very well in this book...their relationship really made no sense to me, the whole time I was reading about them I was thinking "huh?" Maybe I just didn't understand the humor and the chemistry of the characters, there were parts that i just didn't understand why were in the book...
H-O-T.......2007-07-08
Okay. Like any piece of romantic fiction, there were some silly elements to this story. However, I found the characters sexy enough to keep reading. Enjoy!
Improbabilities Sweetened by Sugary Romance.......2007-04-09
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a master of the romantic fiction genre, and she has a clever turn of phrase that makes her dialogue always funny and never stale. However, despite her skill with conversation, sometimes Phillips tends to lack in the practicality quotient of the novel.
Molly Somerville is a child storybook author, the sweet, mousy (yet actually quite pretty), and spunky heroine romance authors love to write ... again and again and again. When she spends a weekend at her sister's spare house, an unexpected visitor drops in - the star football player of her sister's sports team. He is, of course, a handsome, speeding, thrill-seeking, close-mouthed bad boy that would never, ever, not in a million years, fall in love or even so much as look at a girl as plain as Molly Somerville.
And yet, the inevitable happens, but in such a way that it almost distasteful - this is the book's lowest point, a period where giving it up seems almost preferable to moving on. No sort of romance would seem to blossom from this soil, and the fact that it happened at all is so utterly improbable that you're laughing through the bizarreness of it all.
However, after this lapse, the book picks up and develops a sweet, tender romance that gets quite good. The male lead is one of Phillips' most attractive, being a little broody and taciturn and of course everything turns right and rosy in the end.
The getting there, however, takes some teeth-gritting. If you like Phillips, you'll love her other works, like It Had to Be You, Match Me If You Can, and Ain't She Sweet. This Heart of Mine has the same irresistable lead and witty dialogue, but the plot gapes illogically.
Couldn't put this one down to save my life...........2007-01-25
I've become a romance novel junkie and I've read a ton but this one really stands apart for me. This was my first read from SEP and I almost didn't pick it up because the cover art reminded me of historical romance which totally isn't my thing but after reading the back cover I went for it and boy am I glad I did.
I fell in love with these characters. I want to be Molly, I want to marry Kevin. Not only are the main characters wonderful but the supporting characters are charming as well. I've read other books where I've just wanted everyone else to go away except for the hero and herione but not this one.
Although the general plot is the tried and true girl has crush, boy doesn't even know she exists, girl catches his attention and they eventually fall in love SEP does it with twists, turns and humor. At one point I thought I knew exactly where the plot was headed and I was totally wrong.
In addition to everything else that I loved about this book I adored the Daphne The Bunny children's books that Molly writes. I wish they were real, I'd buy them for my kids in a heartbeat. I wish Daphne and Benny had been the cover art for this book!
I am heading right out to find more books by SEP. I think she's just moved right to the top of my favorite authors list which includes Janet Evanovich, Rachel Gibson, Susan Donovan, Susan Anderson, LeAnne Banks, Christine Dodd, JoAnn Ross and when I want something a little naughtier I pick up Shannon McKenna, Erin McCarthy, Lori Forester or Jenelle Denison.
Entertaining, but a little disappointing.......2006-07-27
I have to admit that I was disappointed by this book. I liked the Kevin character from Nobody's Baby But Mine, and Molly from It Had to be You.... so what happened to them? I was entertained and found several parts of this book funny, but Molly's actions that force the characters into each other's proximity are pretty preposterous. Also, it was a little disconcerting to find that the intelligent Molly from It Had to Be You turned out to be pretty flakey. It was nice to see the continuing connections between the characters we were introduced to in other SEP books. All in all, This Heart of Mine is a worthy read if you can get past a few bizarre plot points.
Books:
- Eclipse (Twilight, Book 3)
- Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time
- Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters
- Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep , Stay Asleep, And Wake Up Happy
- Grandfather Tang's Story (Dragonfly Books)
- Graven Images: The Best of Horror, Fantasy, and Science-Fiction Film Art from the Collection of Ronald V. Borst
- Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles, Book 5)
- Happily Ever After: Walking with Peace and Courage Through a Year of Divorce
- He Was One of Us
- High Profile
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Color: The Quilters Guide
- The Bromeliad Trilogy: Truckers, Diggers, and Wings
- Handbook of Elemental Speciation, 2 volume set
- Riddley Walker
- Oil Pastel: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist
- The Biological Farmer: A Complete Guide to the Sustainable & Profitable Biological System of Far
- Selling Mrs. Consumer: Christine Frederick & the Rise of Household Efficiency
- Holbein and England
- Nordic Dawn: Modernism's Awakening in Finland 1890-1920
- A Complete Life of General George A. Custer, Volume 2: From Appomattox to the Little Big Horn
