This book offers an invaluable example of how, even in the worst circumstances, good and the will to survive can triumph over evil. Although the cruelties of the Holocaust are detailed, the author never forgot the kindness of others and with equal emphasis meticulously recorded each good deed which gave him the strength to carry on. The acts of kindness shown to the author during the final days of Warsaw's occupation make the ending historically significant, demonstrating that the desire to destroy was not universal among Germans, and that many German solders were merely pawns in Hitler's sadistic game of domination.

This book is just another version of a well-worn and highly overused story. However, this did not doom the book, which could have been salvageable had the story been written in an engrossing manner and the ending be dramatic. Unfortunately this was not the case and instead the reader is subjected to characters as lively as cardboard boxes, meandering along until the flat ending is reached. The only exception is the mother-in-law character, whose obnoxious, haughty manner does stand out well. We can almost understand why the villianess does hate her so much. This, and a inane sub-plot having nothing to do with the main story are the only things that stand out. Mercifully, this book is very short.

This book offers an invaluable example of how, even in the worst circumstances, good and the will to survive can triumph over evil. Although the cruelties of the Holocaust are detailed, the author never forgot the kindness of others and with equal emphasis meticulously recorded each good deed which gave him the strength to carry on. The acts of kindness shown to the author during the final days of Warsaw's occupation make the ending historically significant, demonstrating that the desire to destroy was not universal among Germans, and that many German solders were merely pawns in Hitler's sadistic game of domination.

As a bear just emerging from hibernation, I found Tae-Bo to be exactly what I needed to get myself energized and in shape for the coming spring and summer. Billy's motivation got me going and the music kept me there. While the moves may be a little too much for some, just do what you can and you'll get there (I did!). Tae-Bo got my blood moving and also helped me to tighten up a few muscles that were beginning to get a little slack over the long winter months. If you're tired of hype and tired of exercise vidoes that just make empty promises, you need Tae-Bo. Tae-Bo is a workout that really delivers and I can't recommend this four-pack highly enough.

A man born without the ability to feel either pain or emotion is definitely an interesting character, but an interesting character alone does not a great novel make. Andrew Miller has taken a great idea and created a mediocre book. While I don't have to have every detail spelled out, I would like to see characters working towards some sort of goal, even if it's just to become a better person. In Ingenious Pain, Miller simply reports random events in the life of James Dyer. There is no goal, no plot, no point. (We already know that a life without emotion is really no life at all!) The author has simply cast us to sea and let us drift. Miller also denies us access to the characters' thoughts (a typical beginner's mistake). Had we been privy to those thoughts (especially Dyer's) the novel would have been greatly enriched. In my opinion, Miller is being far too coy with us and coyness in the service of plot is really not fair to the reader. Finally, while Miller's writing style is definitely not the purple prose of Anne Rice, it is much too flowery (the absolute mark of the amateur...ask your writing teacher!). Great books don't need gimmicks. Ingenious Pain is a wonderful premise that falls far short of the mark.

This is a great, cheerful CD. It's full of upbeat songs, although I love the beautiful melody of "Diamante. Zucchero's music is certainly as beautiful as Bocelli's, but in a lighter way.

I found the basic idea of the book to be excellent and very true to life, however, I cannot say the same for the characters, Felicia in particular. Beyond her frustration, we are never privy to any of her emotions. What did she think of her plight? Why did she never worry that Johnny, her lover, might reject her? I feel that the author made a mistake by never writing in Felicia's viewpoint during her scenes with Mr. Hilditch. We certainly know many of his feeling and thoughts concerning Felicia, but never, never any of her thoughts about her sinister friend. ...

The character of Mr. Hilditch is very well developed, unfortunately more so than the main character. I felt that too much of the book (one quarter) was devoted to Mr. Hilditch's downward spiral. It almost becomes a completely different story.

As a previous reviewer mentioned, the author's practice on going back and the forth between past and present was confusing.

This book must be considered one of the greatest works of fiction ever written. Each character is so unique that I felt drawn into the story. Although one cannot identify easily with these characters, their desires and pain are shown clearly throughout the book and this is part of the reason it is such compelling reading. So compelling, in fact, that I almost couldn't put it down until the heartbreaking, yet very fitting, end.

This book was pretty good plot-wise. I like the way Grisham had two parallel plots running and then wove the two together. Good job! But I still don't like his prose or his characters. For me, his people just aren't real and I don't care what happens to them. But if you're a real Grisham fan, this book won't let you down!

This book poses many questions as to why the disaster on Mt. Everest even happened. Why did experienced guides ignore their own turn-around time? Why were inexperienced climbers allowed to attempt this physically demanding task? Krakauer has written a riveting account of the disaster--a real page-turner. I enjoyed it more than "Climb" however both books offer different views of the disaster and both are worth reading. Krakauer alternately sets himself up as both hero and villian, but it's obvious his soul is torn and he will never forget the events of May 10, 1996. Excellent in every way.