Holy shit, I loved this book!! Consider this a written prequel to the movie Tomstone. The author admittedly takes some fictional liberties, but she haHoly shit, I loved this book!! Consider this a written prequel to the movie Tomstone. The author admittedly takes some fictional liberties, but she has really done her homework on the facts. The characters are in keeping with how they are portrayed in Tombstone. This novel explains how the Earps became so close with Doc while in Dodge City. A fabulous read full of wit, charm, history and whimsy; I loved it....more
WHY DID I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH???? There's no substance, no thought-provoking plot, no cause, no purpose, no zombies, no plagues and STILL I loved iWHY DID I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH???? There's no substance, no thought-provoking plot, no cause, no purpose, no zombies, no plagues and STILL I loved it. It was full of cliches, cheesy humor, drivel, and pretense all surrounding a bunch of down-and-out people living in a Melrose-Place-meets-Three's-Company apartment complex. AND STILL I LOVED IT!!!! WTF??? Seriously. I loved the characters in this book and their whimsy and the intertwining of their lives and the time and space when the story occurred and the relationships and the setting. I want to live in this book. ...more
If you want to take control of the dominant risk factor for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, obesiIf you want to take control of the dominant risk factor for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and more, then you need to read this book. If you want to learn about how to control skyrocketing health care costs, then you need to read this book. If you want to be enlightened about the ways in which the food industry and government are trying to keep us in the dark about nutrition and health, then you need to read this book. If you want to keep your head buried in the sand and pretend that the American diet is healthy and that the government is looking out for your health, then don't bother. ...more
I became fascinated with the Dust Bowl when I first started watching the HBO series "Carnivale". At the time, all I was able to dig up on the topic waI became fascinated with the Dust Bowl when I first started watching the HBO series "Carnivale". At the time, all I was able to dig up on the topic was one, small Scholastic book at the library, but it left me yearning for more. This book is the first in-depth chronicle that I've come across, and I enjoyed it, thoroughly. It tells the story of how it all started: the free & cheap land grab offers (land stolen from the Indians, of course) for farmers to come and make a go of it in a part of the country that received little rainfall and had never been farmed (the western parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, soutwest Nebraska & eastern Colorado). Land that for centuries was rife with grasslands that sustained buffalo and plains Indians. The author does a magnificent job of setting the context for how this, the greatest man-made ecological disaster of our time, took place. It follows several homesteading families through the boom years of the twenties and through the bust years of the 1930s. The book also details the efforts put forth by FDR's administration to try to save the people and restore the land. The book manages to frame an important historical issue in a way that is informative, human, and touching. ...more
Well, I don't rate books -- especially, fiction-- 5 stars very often, but this is just a perfect book. The story-telling style and language of the booWell, I don't rate books -- especially, fiction-- 5 stars very often, but this is just a perfect book. The story-telling style and language of the book sucks you in from the first moment. This book is like a cross between the "Carnivale" HBO series and Stephen King's novel "The Green Mile". Every chapter alternates between an old man coping with his life in a nursing home, and a young boy coping with the anxieties of circus life in the 1930s. Many elements of this book are based on historical fact/legend. I just can't say enough great things about this book. ...more
This book is fabulous. The book gives a thorough accounting of the devastating disease that ripped through our country in 1918 and an education on howThis book is fabulous. The book gives a thorough accounting of the devastating disease that ripped through our country in 1918 and an education on how that disease changed the face of science and research forever. ...more
This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. At once, it is eye-opening, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. I cried and smiled and laughed andThis is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. At once, it is eye-opening, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. I cried and smiled and laughed and cried some more. You'll learn about everything from childhood autism, to the evolution of language, to the fight for the humane treatment of lab animals. This book is flawlessly constructed and flows effortlessly from start to finish, making it a book that I couldn't put down for two days straight. What started out an experiment to teach one chimp how to communicate using sign language, exploded into a phenomonon. The auther dedicated his whole life to humanely working with and protecting these chimps (often times, at the expense of his own personal gain). As a side note, the author and Central Washington State cooperated some years ago to create a permanent home for a handful of the signing chimps. Called the Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute, it can be toured for a small donation. ...more
This is one of my top favorite books of all time. It's classic Stephen King. Loads of characters and character development in the ultimate knock-down,This is one of my top favorite books of all time. It's classic Stephen King. Loads of characters and character development in the ultimate knock-down, drag-out fight between good and evil. Love it. I can't wait to read it again...one of these days when I run out of new books that I'm interested in!...more