Anyone who has read literature knows the best and most noteworthy volumes. This is not necessarily because the work is 'well written' or conveys ideas easily to the reader, or because someone else says it's good. Good literature is the work that has a completely positive effect upon the reader. I have been reading serious literature for several years now, and A Sportsman's Notebook is quite possibly the most wonderful literary work I have yet encountered. If I'm feeling down, I crack it open, and by the time I'm done reading I feel better. If I'm feeling good, it makes me feel that much better. Turgenev's words ring true in this volume -- to me it's as sweet as candy.

This fine gem of a book typifies the sort of volume that one must be able to extract from the water-logged valise when the steamer has gone down and one finds oneself stranded on the proverbial desert island. After 30 years of rather serious reading, I still tend to think that Turgenev is one of the finest authors ever to put ink to paper. A Sportsman's Notebook is a wonderful place to start an exploration of Russian literature. Now, if I can just find my tramp steamer tickets.

This book has some of the best short fiction ever written. Hemingway said, "Tolstoy wrote the best books, BUT TURGENEV WAS THE GREATEST WRITER." And then he went on to praise the short story "A Rattle of Wheels" above all other Turgenev stories. So if Hemingway thought Turgenev the greatest writer, and "Rattle of Wheels" the greatest story he wrote, then he certainly thought "Rattle of Wheels" the greatest short story ever written (aside from his own works, of course, egomaniac that he was). And "Rattle of Wheels" is in this collection. I personally prefer "The Singers". Read this collection. You won't regret it.

John F. Kennedy's, "The Strategy of Peace," was written for his 1960 campaign and reflects on the major events of the time, and his proposed policies on all regions of the world. If you read this book now, some forty years later, you can see that he not only predicted disasters in dealing with Indochina and Cuba, he proposes ways of dealing with them that were over looked by Lyndon Johnson and every other Vietnam-era president.

John F. Kennedy's, "The Strategy of Peace," was written for his 1960 campaign and reflects on the major events of the time, and his proposed policies on all regions of the world. If you read this book now, some forty years later, you can see that he not only predicted disasters in dealing with Indochina and Cuba, he proposes ways of dealing with them that were over looked by Lyndon Johnson and every other Vietnam-era president.

Although I do not now have a copy of John F. Kennedy's The Strategy of Peace, I read it as a teenager and was so impressed by the brilliant new President-elect. He seemed to have a special concern for freedom for the new countries that had been ruled by colonial powers. One piece was an argument for independence for Algeria. At the time he made that speech (I recall that as being the original form of that chapter) Algeria was still ruled by France. Kennedy became President in 1961 and Algeria got its independence in 1962, after a long war. He was very concerned with Africa. He wrote about the Middle East including the State of Israel. He wanted the loyalty oath repealed. He was concerned with US-USSR relations. Scholars had a special duty to the country. If you can get a copy please do.

I was delighted to discover this book while volunteering at my son's school library. After renewing Tale of a Tail from the library twice, I decided we needed to own it for our own home collection.

This story is new to those of us in the West, but it has all the elements of a classic (and is, in fact, an old Hungarian fable.) The story of Tale of a Tail has a wonderful and surprising twist that makes it an enjoyable read for parents as well as children. The artwork in the illustrations is gorgeous; I am surprised this book did not win a Caldecott award.

This book earns the highest recommendation of our family!!!

Judit Bodnar's rollicking tale of tables turned & turned again, in a funny & Aesopian tall tale, is wonderfully endowed by John Sandford's awesome artistry of life in an amazingly enchanted forest!

Fox is a quick witted creature & soon catches himself a basketful of trout. Just as he's about to dig in to his huge supper, he hears a knocking at his door. It's Bear, drawn to his friend's home by the lovely fishy smell.

Fox is not a polite neighbor & tells Bear to take a hike & when Bear persists, Fox thinks to give him a hard time by telling him how to fish for his own supper.

Bear, being a bit of a bumbler, takes Fox's lesson to heart & sits for one miserably cold winter night with his tale stuck in a lake.

In the morning, without catching one fish, Bear decides to go home. When he stands up he finds his tale frozen to the lake. With a mighty heave Bear pulls the whole lake out & staggers away, muttering at his Foxy friend.

Naturally, the lake melts & Bear gets his own feast, beyond Fox's imaginings!

A wonderful book to be read & re-read for the story & for the pictures!

My son was read this book in school and absolutely loved it! He's 7 years old and begged me for a copy of his own. He can't wait to receive it.

"Tam Lin" has been my favorite fairy tale since kindergarten, and Jane Yolen retells it beautifully. The illustrations, too, are wonderful.
I especially like this story, because it is very unique. There is a heroine instead of a hero, Tam Lin and Janet are not a prince and princess, but commoners, and the fairies are evil.
This book is not only for children; teens and adults who are fans of Scottish folklore will adore it, too.
A tear always comes to my eye every time I read "Tam Lin". It will be enjoyed by many generations to come.

With Tam Lin Jane Yolen presents a beautiful retelling of the ancient Scottish ballad Tam Lin. Which concerns the young man Tam Lin who is enchanted by the fairy queen but saved by a brave maiden. Our resourceful and intelligent heroine here is Jennet McKenzie and she manages to free Tam Lin from the fairy queen's clutches and is rewarded with hislove. A book not just solely for children, I think. But an asset for all ages. Ms. Yolen's writing has the exact poetic touch and the illustrations are simply lovely. Text and illustrations thus are perfectly balanced.

This is one of several versions of the Tam Lin legend I've read, and by far the best--even though the other books were highly acclaimed novels. Jane Yolen's version is short but sweet--not to mention haunting, eerie, and beautiful. It's certainly not just a children's book; the spare, elegant writing and magical illustrations should charm readers of all ages who enjoy folk tales of dark magic, forbidden romance, danger and redemption. The heroine is spunky and courageous, the hero enigmatic and seemingly doomed. This is a classic.

If you like southern cooking, this is the cookbook for you. We've tried many of the recipes and have yet to be disappointed. If I could use one phrase to entice you it would be: "Just like my mother used to make". The recipes are simple, easy to prepare and delicious. 'Nuff said.

This is one of the best cookbooks I own, and I own a lot of them. I can read cookbooks like some people read novels. The recipes I have tried in this book have all been extremely good. I am buying several to send to friends who live in the North - (they don't know a lot about good Southern cooking!)

This is a great source for excellent recipes! It is primarily "comfort food" and family tradition type dishes - items which are not usually found in routine cookbooks. I've never made anything from it that was not outstanding. That says alot, since I'm from Texas myself, and a good chicken fried steak or chicken and dumplings recipe is hard to find! I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to make all those "traditional" down home meals but doesn't know how to do it from scratch.

I am in a band and i play the clarinet. I am much farther in it than my classmates because i have this book and i feel that it helped me learn, because i knew if i was doing something wrong. But i caution all kids that this is not Aaron Carter; this is oldies.

I learned the hard way that this was formerly known as "The Book," and, except for the cover, the "Ultimate Fake Book" I bought is exactly the same as my copy of "The Book." Not to worry - it will make a great present for somebody. All of the Hal Leonard "Ultimate" fake books are excellent, but this one and "The Best Fake Book Ever" are particularly generous, with lyrics, chords, and melody for some 1200 songs each. The variety is phenomenal - from Broadway to Folk to Big Band to current hits. My friends and I like to gather around a fake book and sing the night away. I can't think of a better way to spend an evening. One complaint other than the mixup with the other book - the paperback cover and plastic looseleaf binding are a bit flimsy for a book this big. -Joe Offer

I learned the hard way that this was formerly known as "The Book," and, except for the cover, the "Ultimate Fake Book" I bought is exactly the same as my copy of "The Book." Not to worry - it will make a great present for somebody. All of the Hal Leonard "Ultimate" fake books are excellent, but this one and "The Best Fake Book Ever" are particularly generous, with lyrics, chords, and melody for some 1200 songs each. The variety is phenomenal - from Broadway to Folk to Big Band to current hits. My friends and I like to gather around a fake book and sing the night away. I can't think of a better way to spend an evening. One complaint other than the mixup with the other book - the paperback cover and plastic looseleaf binding are a bit flimsy for a book this big. -Joe Offer

I absolutely loved the story line in this book! A Princess is given 3 Princes to choose from to marry. She has a difficult time deciding and in the end chooses the best one. A very fun find for children, and a valuable lesson is learned as well. Definitely an enjoyable book. Great for Multicultural classrooms or integrating Arab culture into the room!

As an ESL teacher, I'm always looking for books to share as a read aloud to honor my students' native cultures. Not only is this a noteworthy book, but the illustrations are magnificent. My students from the Middle East always enjoy the sharing of this story with their new friends. I applaud the princess in this tale for her choice of a prince. Her wisdom is extraordinary; she provides a worthwhile lesson for all students.

The plot will be familiar to anyone who has seen the old silent movie "Thief of Bagdad." This is a Middle Eastern tale of three princes who search the world for rare treasures in order to win the hand of a princess. Will true love triumph? Wonderful telling of a classic story.

"Ticket to Ride" was a radio show hosted by Scott Muni devoted entirely to the music and memory of the Beatles (remember the radio station in New York City that played nothing but Beatles music?). Muni was a New York radio mainstay for more than twenty years who was not only a disc jockey but a friend to the Beatles. "Ticket to Ride," the book, brings together photographs, rare Beatles memorabilia from Muni's personal collection, and, most importantly, the transcripts of interviews with those touched by the Beatles in important ways. This means musicians like Elton John, Jimmy Page, Sting, and the Rolling Stones talking about how the Beatles inspired their own careers. Then there are friends like Pete Best and Tommy Smothers, family like Yoko Ono and Julian Lennon, musical associates like Billy Preston and George Martin, and the Beatles themselves talking candidly about their lives and music. Muni writes the introduction, and the transcripts are edited by Denny Somach, Kathleen Somach, and Kevin Gunn. The order of these transcripts could not be characterized as chronological, but there is a general attempt to provide a sense of moving forward. An index would have been nice, so that if you want to read about the Beatles appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," Brian Epstein, or the recording sessions for "Let It Be," that it would be more by purpose than happenstance, but transcripts rarely get presented that way. So, basically what we have in "Ticket to Ride" is an expert interviewer talking with about four dozen famous names about the Beatles, including the most famous names (John, Paul, George and Ringo). These are essentially primary document and virtually every interview is an enjoyable and informative read. Warning: when you read the John Lennon interview be prepared to rummage through your music library to play the same songs that pop up during the conversation.

This book is perfect for Beatles fans of all ages. Based on the radio show that ran for seven years, it collected a lot of great stories. Should be reissued!

The best compilation of stories on The Beatles. A must for any Beatle Fan. The book is based on the succesful Radio Show "Ticket to Ride"

This book should be re-issued.

Good book for a good game

I think that this review was one of the best there was...now if they could only do it from email..as in give secrets to email addy's

I think it is a good book and I really thought it had some cool stuff on it I really liked it alot

I can't wait to share this book with my student and his mother from Eritrea. Most of the time I have to find books on Ethiopia which doesn't sit well with mom even though she understands the difficulty. I also recently purchased a mancala board so we can play that game after we read the book. Mancala has been promoted to teach math and cooperative learning social skills.

Jane Kurtz has once again taken the raw material of the oral tradition and translated it to print, without losing the "feel" of a story told face to face. Tekleh, armed with a plaything that was designed to keep him out of trouble, finds himself trading it and each new item he receives, to stay out of trouble. As is traditional in such a circular tale, he ends where he began.

For those who wish to venture into the world of telling a story without the book, this is one story that will help you avoid "trouble" as you retell the tale. For those who appreciate the appeal of an illustrated tale, the pictures are just enough to delight, but will allow the reader/listener their imagination at the same time.

TROUBLE is a circular story in the best tradition of folkloric literature. Young Tekleh is always in the company of trouble as he tends his goats in the Eritrean countryside. He loses the gebata board, which his father has made for him to keep him away from trouble, to a group of traders. Yet another board is cleverly regained, in a circular fashion, by the end of the book. Kurtz's rich imagery enlivens the story as do Bernhard's sprightly folk art illustrations. With an ever changing palette, she tells her own small jokes in the pictures. A wonderful, child-centered story kids will ask for again and again