I highly recommend for the casual reader
347296
Well-written, this work peeks into forgotten AND forbidden areas. Not a scholarly work, but quotes many scholars who quote original sources. I highly recommend for the casual reader.
1945928
Excellent - Couldn't Put It Down.  I was afraid it would be boring but it wasn't.  My 14 yr. old son also read and enjoyed it.  I finished this several months ago and have gone back and re-read various sections.  The reference section and Writings section are a huge bonus as well.  I would recommend this book for the casual reader as well as for advanced study. check out&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Real-Benjamin-Franklin-American-Classic-Series/dp/0880800011/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Real Benjamin Franklin (American Classic Series)</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Real-Thomas-Jefferson-American-Classic-Series/dp/0880800062/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Real Thomas Jefferson (American Classic Series)</a>&nbsp;as well.
518193
I like the way the author is not afraid to use, even overuse, dialogue, and without a lot of superfluous feelings following.  After all, those feelings come through very well on their own.  Sometimes, in the reading of a book, I find the proceeding use of a handful of words meaning said, replied, explained, retorted, insisted, etc. to be redundant, and most times I simply pass by them.

At this point, I am over half way through the reading and am enjoying it a great deal.  I have, over the years, not been much of a mystery reader, but this is the book that has gained my attention enough to want to extend my reading list to include more books of this genre.  I sneak in a chapter or two at work during breaks and look forward to them.  Kindle, I'm finding, is a great way to take my reading with me.  I can't sing enough praises for the Kindle app I downloaded onto my tablet.

There are differences I see in how the parents of the boy accused are at odds, and I anticipate they will survive the storm.  Whether or not the trailer trash who is suspected by the father, a lawyer and self taught detective, it feels like he will play a bigger part as the story unfolds.  It certainly has my attention.

This is a book selection made by one of the members of my monthly book club.  I'm far too glued to classics to have come up with this one.  I'm glad someone suggested it.
915780
I read several neutral or negative reviews about this book regarding the formatting.  I am extremely pleased that I proceeded to purchase and read it despite those reviews.
The author presented the core concepts of a simple neural network in the first section with a highly engaging style, taking the reader through each decision and clearly explaining the mathematics required with graphics a physical representation and text.  The second section delved into Python code to exercise the concepts and walked through the code in sufficient detail that novice and experienced coders can easily understand the code.  The final sections on Calculus refresher and Rasperry Pi are extra benefits for the casual reader.  I am glad I elected to overlook the formatting situation, while was annoying at first - it is difficult to resize pages and do appear as PDF pages.
4601806
I am not a reader by any means, but I loved this book!
1924108
As someone who reads a whole lot, and loves to absorb all sorts of knowledge on a range of topics, I jumped at the chance to grab this book, in order to fit more in!

I was not disappointed. This is a well written and useful guide to speed reading and also covers a bit about the origins and benefits of speed reading and how it can be used in school and the workplace, in addition to reading for leisure.

As they were introduced, I found myself beginning to apply the methods and was pleasantly surprized to find that they were not that difficult to do. A recommended read for those wanting to learn techniques to improve the speed at which they read.
4624668
Great inspirational book.  This book is light and uplifting reading.  It would make a good gift for the casual reader who does not have a ton of time to spend reading.  You can plow through it in a few hours.  If you seek lengthy hard to read books with a ton of complex content, this is not the book for you.  You Are The Radiance would be good hospital reading because you can pick it up and put it down on a whim and still enjoy the uplifting content.  So if you are merely seeking to uplift a friend through a hard time, I highly recommend it.
3938473
I really liked reading FOREVER AFTER very much. The character development was wonderful, with all the personalities being well-defined and complex. The writing style was very smooth and flowed easily from beginning to end. There were some editing mistakes, but they didn't disrupt my reading the story. The dialogues were crisp, sparkling, and fun to read while the imagery was picturesque and realistic. This book was quick and easy to read and would make a nice addition to anyone's library. I enjoyed reading it very much, and I definitely recommend it.
1405195
For such a short read this book really covers a lot of ground in a very fun and informal way. The chapter lay-out is well structured and although it gives general knowledge on many categories, it tells you where you can find more information on each subject. Highly recommended for high schoolers and adults alike.

*Update: Would love to see some comments as to why the review isn't helpful. If you need more information, please comment as to what you want to know. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the English language, even if you (think) you know everything.
1706195
This is a great casual read.  Roeder does a very good job of conveying the conflicting feelings that all teens have in their relationships.  He also does a great job of building up enough sympathy for the main characters that you definately feel moved at the end of this Romeo and Juliet tribute.

I don't mind giving away the end because Roeder's references to Romeo and Juliet begin in the very first sentence.

This isn't high literature but it is very effective and you will cry in the end.
1781413
Let me preface this by saying I'm an EXTREMELY picky reader. There are only a handful of authors I genuinely love (such as Stephen King and George RR Martin). I read a lot but most books I'm really just "meh" about. I bought this on a whim since it was cheap and I was out of books to read. I honestly wasn't expecting much but the description sounded like something I'd be interested in so I decided to give it a try.

I was completely surprised at how much I really loved this book. I really connected with the characters and felt genuine sorrow for them and their plights. There is a lot more to this book than the Amazon description lets on. This is a book I wouldn't have minded paying full price for and I rarely read books twice, but I definitely see myself giving this one another read in the future. My only disappointment is the author seems to have only one other book. I hope to see more from him soon!
795720
Loving it still reading, but highly recommended
3861547
I bought this for my boyfriend, who adores Final Fantasy and often discusses major philosophical issues with me as they come up in my classes. We were both pleasantly surprised how readable it was (compared to many other works that address Nietzsche, Kafka, et cetera) and how well it analyzed the major points of interest in the Final Fantasy series; it's not often you see a deep knowledge of philosophy matched with a deep knowledge of a popular video game. I highly recommend this for anyone with an interest in either of those fields, and I'm excited to read more by this author.
557154
I'm going to keep my review short since everyone has gone over all the ins and outs of the Kindle 2.0.

I'm a first time user of the Kindle and I suggest it to anyone who loves to read. I spent the day home "sick" yesterday and spent over 10 hours reading and easily found myself lost in the story and not just "reading off a screen".

I love being able to read blogs and newspapers just by picking up my Kindle and selecting them. I also really enjoy being able to put MP3's on it and listening to them while I read.

I am now able to download (almost) all off my books and I will now be able to see if I enjoy them before spending $50 on a nice leather bound edition. I feel this is only going to enhance my enthusiasm for reading. (And I certainly didn't need any help getting excited about reading)

I know it's not perfect, but it's a fantastic tool for anyone who loves the printed page.
1732313
Having earned various degrees in literature, and being one who loves to read, I have to say I greatly enjoyed this book.  And I appreciated the more modern, succinct formatting and literary style of the author. For me, it was a fast and good read, and it's refreshing to read a 'feel good' story about growing up, rather than the ubiquitous, jaded, sarcastic and vitriolic subject matters that pervade the news and society in general.  I hope the author, Trevor Johnson, has more plots in his head and heart that he'll soon share.  Also,  I'd love to buy the paperback version of DAVEY as soon as it's released!  I'd give this emotional and inspiring book an A+
363217
Although I am an avid reader of historical nonfiction in and around this time period, I am very far from being a professional historian. However, from a purely "amateur history-lover" standpoint, I have to say that I greatly enjoyed this book. I found it extremely readable - I burned through it in about 2 days - as well as very informative. I'm not qualified enough to pick up on finer shades of bias, but it seemed pretty neutral to me, based on the evidence that was available. If the author's goal was to engage the educated but nonprofessional history lover, she did a fantastic job. I loved her premise, interweaving the lives of these seven influential women.
1931166
I ended up reading this book in a couple of sittings. It's a quick and easy read, but still intelligently written. I agree with the reviews that said the stories are in sort of a prose poem style. I am not much of a poetry reader, but this did not detract from my enjoyment whatsoever. It's obvious the author has significant scientific knowledge (not suprising considering his occupation) and it was interesting how he incorporated it throughout the book. Many of the stories showed real insight into the "human condition". I will absolutely recommend this book to the other readers in my life.