Not meant for anyone interested in a serious book
921765
This book does have some good concepts.  There is a glossary of photography lighting concepts at the beginning that it fairly detailed.  What I learned after reading this book was that this was just filler to make the book bigger and therefore justify the price.

The concepts in this book are not outlined well enough to be taken seriously.  For that, I would recommend you look at something more comprehensive by someone like Scott Kelby.
3827508
I realize that there are very different tastes in reading materials. At risk of offending those who obviously enjoyed this book, I need to provide a warning. Somewhere Lies the Moon is a book that clearly appeals to a certain type of reader. I am not that type. I found the characters annoying, over-the-top hyper-emotionals. I could not believe in any of them as actual people, but they rather seemed to be the product of the author's fervid wish that there exist, somewhere, preferably in the "special to Americans" northern portions of the British Isles, "special" women who have "special powers." Women who are always flaring their nostrils, tossing back their heads, intoning, "Something is amiss." Whereupon they go rigid, with a blank stare, and all about them fall into a state of fear. What actually happens in this book is... very little. The events causing such storms of tormented emotion are pretty much everyday events, sometimes sad, but still... everyday. The whole thing just seemed silly and a bit witless. And I don't like books about hyper-emoting women who seem incapable of summoning up enough rationality to keep themselves from harming themselves and others. Also, from a purely practical point of view, how did these women keep themselves in a decent state of dress? One or another of them was forever stumbling through the glen, sightless, heedless, with dress or nightgown rendered "stained and torn." (A phrase I want never to read again... please.) Author never mentions the mending frenzies that must have taken place in those lowly crofts. Or the regular shipments of replacement night and daywear from the distant city. Oh, well. So, be warned, gentle readers.
1760425
I don't know who her target audience is, but it is not your junior high kid who otherwise might be interested in zombie birds. Ms. Crew drops the "F" bomb in the introduction and throws at least one four-lettered surprise into each of the chapters I luckily previewed instead of handing it to my son to read. I had to get rid of it. I'm sorry, but this otherwise interesting book will not be welcome on my home library shelf.
30579
If you are Christian and easily offended, I strongly suggest you quell your curiosity and skip this book.  It will only disgust you.  Others might find it a fascinating read.

Within the first dozen pages, the bible is referred to as the "Book of Lies."  God is portrayed as a parasite taking human faith for sustinance; an ancient, self-centered and cruel being of energy from a pre-universe that seeded the big bang.  Other biblical or biblical-era charactors are also shown to be less than saintly.  God receives sustinance from some pretty sick, depraved acts yet approves because the taste of fanaticism is so sweet.

If considered a work of historical fiction, it makes for a great story.  The biblical verse style of writing is much easier to read than, say, King James Bible verse, so don't let that disuade you.

It really is quite a page-turner, and for those with a Christian upbringing, makes you feel a little guilty just for reading it.  Is it true, or just an interesting retelling?  It almost doesn't matter, for this can be an entertaining read either way.

It's a hard book to rate, star-wise.  Those who find it offensive will give it one, those who find it interesting will give it more.  I found it captivating and a little disturbing.  Truth or fiction, it's gets a good grade from me for that.

As with the Bible itself, this also raises as many questions as it answers.  I've read from iminent scientists that beings of energy simply aren't possible.  Also, how does one draw sustinance from faith?  Exactly what is being "beamed up" to God from a praying Christian?  Given that the "original author" is the author's grandfather, the manuscript was probably written somewhere around the turn of the 20th century.  Why, then, the cryptic references to the "New World" and "Old World?"  Why not just call them America or Mexico or Brazil or Canada, and Germany or France or Hungary?  It's such things which chip away at any chance for this to be real and smack of forced antiquity.  But you can still decide for yourself.

True, there are some editing errors that should have been caught and the level of writing certainly doesn't rank with the literary greats, but I'm inclined to say "so what?"  It's an easy, compelling read anyway.
1636041
This is a less than fascinating book on a fascinating subject.  I don't recommend it to the casual reader.  Instead, I od very muych recommendit to the serious student of the subject.  The writing is unfortunately dull and lifeless.  To its credit, it is thoroughly researched and certainly is packed with information  So if you're really into the history of the CSI, I recommend it.  But if your interest is casual, I'd skip it.
2976668
I ordered this book because it was recommended by an author I trust(ed), Rick Hanson, author of Buddha's Brain.  He said that it was funny.  It's not, it's just filled with Jewish cliche "humor."  The "heroine" of the story is a caricature (I hope) of a Jewish woman, obsessed with dropping the names of the labels she wears, the cars in her world, the accomplishments of her family.  Who does that?  Are there real people who are that shallow?  Perhaps this book is just an example of the "dumbing down" of American writing/thinking.  I wasn't expecting "War and Peace," but I was expecting to find characters with substance, at the very least, or perhaps a profound discovery at the very best.  I don't know that many Jewish people, but I am hoping that this portrayal is not even remotely accurate and that it is merely the author's attempt at "Jewish Ebonics."
2340007
Seriously. I don't really know what else to say -- you can read about the plot in the product description, and it's a reasonably fair description of the book, but it did not prepare me for what I was about to read, at all.

If you like to read and are looking for something different than you have read before . . .

If you covet books with interesting, even unexpected, premises, and characters who are both implausible and inevitable, with prose that slips into the poetic from time to time, and brimful of ideas and images that leave you thinking for weeks after reading . . .

If you want that kind of experience, read this book. Then let it settle and read it again.
4478301
I bought this thinking it would be about these remarkable animals, but the author only uses them as jumping-off points for philosophical meandering (and I DO mean MEANDERING).  While there is some information on each fascinating creature, it is generally overwhelmed by the musings, often going off into completely unrelated topics, often sparked by just one word or phrase that barely touches on the creature itself.

Black & white illustrations (very few), lack of color illustrations.  I see some people wanted to buy this for a child - this is NOT a book for children in any way.
1716586
This book features the brutal killings of children, animals & adults. Had I known that I would not have purchased or have begun to read it. As it was, I abandoned it at the halfway point when it seemed as though another killing of a pet was imminent.

This was not a book about war, spies, secret agents or one in which the taking or brutalizing of any life would have been expected. It was not clear to me what the point or purpose of this book was but the course of it was sufficiently unexpected and unpleasant that it was discarded. I think the synopsis was disingenuous in the depiction of a mother simply saving her children.
3280962
It isn't very flowing story-wise because there is a fair amount of jumping around to different conversations.  There is also a lot of loaded sarcasm.  This seems like more of an interactive book where the adult would need to explain a lot of subtext.  If this is a thing you are prepared for and like to do, awesome.  If you are looking for an easy mindless read, this is not the book for you.
779721
We are told never to judge a book by its cover, although often we are wise to do so. The cover of this book claims it is a "Good" book. Most of us are too humble to make such a claim, and leave it to our readers to decide. Not content with this self-praise, the author makes the pretentious claim that it is a "Humanist Bible." The rest of the cover is empty space -- a warning to those thinking of reading the 600+ pages.

The purported subject of this book, the wisdom of the ages, is one which greatly interests me. Unfortunately this author, born in a British colony in Africa and advanced to high status in what remains of the British Empire, gives us a second-hand version, muddled a bit, and sanitized of all religion (in keeping with the author's proclaimed atheism). The result is second-rate. When compared to the King James Version of the Bible, created by many scholars, it is a comic book.

Mr. Grayling is a professor of philosophy. As Henry Thoreau noted this is to be distinguished from a real philosopher. He has no doubt sought to teach what others, some wise, have said or written. As someone once noted, the streets of London have experienced centuries of history without learning much. So it is that one may read much wisdom and never become wise.

One great advantage of Amazon is that it allows potential buyers to read a bit -- either through a free chapter via Kindle (if you are not located in a disadvantaged country) or through the Look Inside feature. I think reading just a bit of Genesis, which has very little to do with the sort of thing that might be found in the Hebrew Bible's "In the Beginning," should disabuse most potential buyers from any thought that this will be enlightening. I really wonder why anyone would think it worthy of publication.
494818
If this were a purchase made for leisure reading, not to say I wouldn't have done that, I may have enjoyed the onset to reading it but it's for a course so I suppose this is a very biased rating.
2450525
Sorry, had to return this book after reading the Intro and the first 35 pages...

Alister McGrath may have a proper reverence for the language and a deep knowledge of the historical theology he teaches at Oxford, but it is extremely difficult for a serious reader to take the author's analysis serious when he fails to provide proper citations or reference sources. I would have left this book on the shelf "from the get-go" had I know professor McGrath had compiled somewhat of a "personal opinion" historical look at the development of the KJV based on his interpretations and exposure to some undocumented scholarly works, this is very unfortunate for the serious reader. There are only 6 names in the "List of Works Consulted, amazing for a book 354 pages long.
3877778
The book's title is a ' concept'. It is the concept of the heartless louse who steps on any and everyone to get what they want.

It is possible to think that reading about such a louse would be great fun.

I found it quite disheartening and monotonous. Once I got the idea it all seemed to be simply that.

Reading about this particular louse was not such great fun.

I do not like cruelty and rudeness- and this work is pervaded by it.
3625228
I thought the book was a little jumpy.  It deffinitely wasn't the best book I have ever read in my life.  But then again, the purpose was not to be a literary classic.  The purpose of this book is to raise awareness.  So the book does it's job.

I read some reviews before my copy of the book arrived.  Julia's stood out to me because it was a one star review.

She said that "no one cares if you are a Christian."  Just because you do not care doesn't mean that it is not important to others.  Some people do care, even if you don't.  No one made you get the book.  If the author's Christianity turned you off that much then you could have put the book down, or you could have simply not bought it.

The author never says "Our President George W. Bush."  He mentions the President twice.  Each time he simply writes "President George W. Bush."

Basically her "review" is nothing more than a rambling paragraph in which she vents her hatred of Christianity and the current President.  If you have something against a religion and and politician, that's cool.  Is a book review really the place to do that?

As I said before, the book isn't the best read in the world, but it really does give the reader at least a clue as to what is happening.  That is the most important thing.
3621185
Not having read any of the other, "Coffee with", books it's hard to know whether this playful means of entering the thought worlds of such important figures is, by itself, inherently shallow or whether this particular instantiation of the series is the problem.  Here's what I do know - as intended, it's a quick read; even so, the time I spent reading it is honestly time I wish I had back.  The information conveyed was VERY superficial and I don't feel my knowledge of Aristotle grew through reading this book. Let's be clear, I was well aware of the lighter intentions of such a book and the potential for it to be rather thin on "deeper" content, but it seemed like a fun concept, so I bit - only to be left with a bad taste in my mouth.  Each time I felt as though the author was close to revealing something important or enlightening about Aristotle's thought he stalled and my hopes evaporated.  It's all well and good for a book to have you wanting more, but that "more" has to be "in addition to", well..."something".  I don't believe this book provided that "something" - that base of knowledge from which one can grow intellectually.  I love learning through reading and consider it almost blasphemous to say reading a book is a waste of time - but this one comes pretty close (which strikes me as amazing given the credentials of Professor Barnes).  I would certainly recommend looking elsewhere for those interested in entering the world of Aristotle (in this regard, one could try Guthrie's short work, The Greek Philosophers and/or Cornford's (even shorter), Before and After Socrates).
1108481
Maybe I was unclear as to what I was buying (into?) here, but this book was a real disappointment.

Truly little, with fairly juvenile humour, as far I'm concerned this book is only suitable for toilet-side reading material or, if really stuck, a stocking filler. But giving it a miss altogether would not leave a huge gap in your life.