I was disappointed in this novel with its layers upon layers of women and their daughters - chains rather than layers. And one of the women - shock, horror - had invested her hopes in her son who mysteriously disengages himself from the family. Of course I tried not to be influenced by the feminine in the message - and I have read many women writers (Anna Kavan is one of my favourite dozen writers and 'Let Me Alone' one of my top ten novels) - but I found myself trying to suppress the masculine in me, trying not to object to the way many men are portrayed in this novel.
In the end there were too many tears, too many disappointments, not enough mathematics, too many twists and turns, too many identical viewpoints. I have never actually attended a mathematics convention (and I wonder if Ms Woolfe has either), but I found the one described in 'Leaning towards Infinity' totally unconvincing.

I wanted this book to continue. I loved it. I read it about the same time as some other books ...Hanna's Daughters was one, and I thought it had every bit as much to say about mother-daughter relationships. Also 'Gut Symmetries' by Janette Winterson, which I did not like...this had more to say about the mathematical woman genius.

It makes the point rendered over and over by Dale Spencer in 'Women of Ideas and What Men have Done To Them' but in a fictionalised account, well plotted and without the hyperbole to which Spender is prone.

Woolfe is a good writer, and her use of language approaches the delights of Arundhati Roy in God of mall Things (but never surpasses).

I loved it. Beautiful piece of prose. Funny, sad - some of the relationships heart-wrenchingly so. Haunted me for a long while after.

I think Carol Shields fans would like it.

This book is seemingly a compilation of dive locations frequented by dive resorts, with little independent research or reviews of specific dive outfitters. The book lacks basic information on water temperatures, currents, winds and seasonal influences. The independent traveller primarily interested in snorkeling will also be disappointed in the lack of practical information on the best sections of the main islands for shoreline snorkeling.

Simple no-nonsense guide to diving in Fiji

"Ni sa bula vinaka", as it is said in Fiji. As a master diver who has dived since 1956, and has visited many of Fiji's dive sites, I can heartily recommend this book to anyone contemplating diving Fiji. The Mahaney - Witte team- authors, photographers and dive tour guides well-known and respected in the diving community- are knowledgeable and credible. Mind you, NO book can ever catalogue ALL of Fiji's diverse and innumerable dive sites... but this book is well planned, has a very good selection of sites- rated for conditions and experience levels- and information for the would-be Fiji diver. The book has some maps, and a visual feast of photos. In summary- going to Fiji to dive? Be prepared for stiff currents, and a kaleidoscope of colorful fishes and soft corals... and BUY THIS BOOK! Dive well and safely.

I can't even tell from this description. I can't imagine a book serving both functions, on the coffee table or at the "crag". I am looking for a climbing guide to Australia, ratings, route, descriptions, odd bits of gear needed. If anyone knows where I can get this let me know. Thanks

This is the best collection of climbing photographs in one book that I have ever seen, and it's just one photographer! I never get tired of looking at this book or showing it to friends. Simon Carter has truly managed to capture the beauty of the Australian landscape and the magic of climbing in it. A book to be treasured.

...the photography is brilliant, the essays interesting, and the reproduction is top notch. buy this book and you may as well buy a plane ticket to australia, because once you've seen the cragging you won't be able to resist!

I first fell in love with Rachel Cohn's writing with her book Gingerbread, which focused on teenagers. This story is focused more on the preteen set. Annabel has quite the confusing family, as demostrated by the family "tree" on the cover, which I thought was a nice touch. During Christmas break, her mother decides she should spend some time with her father, who happens to now be married, have two stepchildren and a new baby with his new wife, and oh yeah, lives in Sydney, Australia. I noticed a lot of similaries between this story and Gingerbread, however, I still thought it was an entertaining read. Annabel is a awesome kid, someone you'd want as your younger sister. I only wish the story had been longer and developed some of the characters a little more fully.

I first fell in love with Rachel Cohn's writing with her book Gingerbread, which focused on teenagers. This story is focused more on the preteen set. Annabel has quite the confusing family, as demostrated by the family "tree" on the cover, which I thought was a nice touch. During Christmas break, her mother decides she should spend some time with her father, who happens to now be married, have to stepchildren and a new baby with his new wife, and oh yeah, lives in Sydney, Australia. I noticed a lot of similaries between this story and Gingerbread, however, I still thought it was an entertaining read. Annabel is a awesome kid, someone you'd want as your younger sister. I only wish the story had been longer and developed some of the characters a little more fully.

A quick and easy read, funny, probably most appropriate for readers ages 10-12. A great choice for the young person dealing with blended families (divorce, step-parents and step-siblings, etc.).

Although in a panaceal sense, Mr. Keating's ability to relate through his speeches appears contrived to the limit of being exemplary. Numerous references to the elements from which he has served justify his relevance to society as a whole. Plenty of motives are given for his pounding theme: the news from which he drinks is suffocating to the masses. Unlike former pensioners, his is almost believable. One need only place an order and it is prescribed. Two sanguine articles decline his mouth, and escape his authority. One must neglect certain wisdoms so that those who know, do. Fortunately, without bounding aims and governmental figures, all has been said in a tornado of wealth. Those who have skipped and jumped have faltered; lest he be that which hath opened -- not yet. We may redden the darkest yellow with greens of splendid blue. Lies are articulated in inter-culinary spaces. Forget the limping; burn the texts of allowance. Let them become in some category found, but not to impart too much sorrow. Why have you read this far? We must strive to dine on the walls of boundaries. Get his face and wipe. Plaintively, orcas present my tooth. Carded and frayed, like some graded talismans, one hath but to both of noss and leek of uvulas. And that is what reading the speeches is like.

It is significant that Keating's first foray into publishing, is not an autobiography, but rather a considered appraisal of the geopolitics of Asian and Australia's role in that developing geopolitcal framework. The book is not overally academic, and occassionally does slip into a historical accounnt of what occured in foreign policy duirng the Hawke and leter his own Governments. A worth first book, and I hope for more to come.

With Gough Whitlam, Keating was the leading Australian statesman of his time. This book reveals why: in his speeches, Keating expounds his vision for Australia - a mature, open and free society, mindful of its history and heritage, embracing the future and the rest of the world. Some of the speeches recorded here - notably the 'Redfern speech' and the Speech for the Unknown Soldier - are among the best ever delivered and rank with those of Churchill, Lincoln, Kennedy and King. Highly recommended.

Ethell and Price present a summation of the air war in and around the Falklands Islands during the 1982 war. The detail is complete, down to a complete chronology, summaries of important missions, details on combat , aircraft losses, successful strikes, and opposing order of battle comparisons. This is a book more aimed at the military buff or military historian. The viewpoint is obviously British, but the authors present well documented information about the actions taken by the Argentinian forces and staff during the conflict.

Beyond the day-to-day action, the most interesting facet of this book is a revelation of the immense strategic effect British air power played in the contest. The embarked air wing sealed off the Argentine garrison, repeatedly drove Argentian aircraft away from support of their own troops, devised tactics to defeat numerically superior forces in spite of very limited resources, controlled the air, and confounded a tottering Argentine military establishment.

The British Navy payed heavily for the Falklands War, the army fought and won a decisive victory, the air arm triumphed.

Facts such as why the air wing guaranteed the Paras win at Goose Greene, and why the bombing raid on the Port Stanley airfield (much derided) produced an unforseen and brilliant strategic succes shed important light on the British triumph.

A must read for those interested in the strategy and tactics of air war.

I was 10 years old when I picked out this book in a grocery store to read on a family road trip; it had a cool picture of a jet on the cover. This book began a long-running fascination with everything military, especially fighters and the Harrier in particular. It is detailed and somewhat technical, but the fact that a 10-year-old was willing to struggle with it speaks volumes for its captivating narrative. Highly recommended should you happen to see this lying around somewhere.

As a student which has written papers on the Falklands Conflict of 1982, I have found this book to be an invaluable reference. Though written from the British point of view, this book does pretty well in being as unbiased as possible. Its day-by-day accounts are excellent, and the appendicies are excellent also. The only possible downside to this book is the Kill Tables in the back of the book are innacurate when compared to both British and Argentinian sources. But, considering the fact that these numbers were compiled by the authors can explain this.

I had real trouble with this one. I loved "The Power of One", and hated "Tandia", so I was hoping that "April Fool's Day" would show me whether Bryce Courtenay was a wonderful writer or whether "The Power of One" was a one-off. It did neither. The only thing that it did do for me was explain why "Tandia" was so awful -- working under strict publishing deadlines while his child is extremely ill must have been extremely upsetting.

On the one hand, I applaud Mr. Courtenay for publishing such a personal experience, as I don't know whether I could be as frank as he has been in front of an unknown audience. It certainly would make interesting reading for health-care professionals who treat terminally ill people (not just those with HIV/AIDS/ARC).

On the other hand, the story didn't grab me by the heart. I didn't find Damon particularly heroic, even though I realize that he went through hell for most of his life between the haemophilia and HIV. He was a man who had a pre-existing condition, contracted a disease and lived with and died from the disease. He is no different from anyone who has cancer or any other terminal illness, nor is he different from any other person who consistently has been discriminated against. His story's a personal tragedy, but I didn't get the feeling of the awful things that happened to him a community tragedy... what happened to him is called "life".

Mr. Courtenay gets full marks for detail and poignancy. At times, I did feel that I was going through the process with the Courtenay family... and that made finishing the novel difficult. For example, I thought that I didn't want to go to the hospital AGAIN several times throughout my reading of the book. I liked the depictions of Damon's interactions with his family and caregivers and how Damon addressed obstacles in his treatment as both patient and person.

By the same token, the book was almost too detailed and repetitious in places, leaving me to wonder if I really cared if Damon made it to the next chapter. This also had the result of my feeling like Mr. Courtenay's counsellor/psychotherapist in many places throughout the book, which irritated me.

I'm not sure what to think about this book. It's definitely not a light read, and has some good points, but I don't think that it's one of Mr. Courtenay's must-reads. I'll have to read the next Courtenay book to make my decision on what kind of writer he is.

I can't believe this book is out of print, it should be required reading for medical students. Although the medical information here is (thankfully) out of date, I can say from first hand experience (UK) that there are still plenty of ignorant, arrogant people working in the medical "profession". That Bryce Courtney found the strength to put his book together is quite amazing, though no doubt a lot of it was driven by justifiable anger and bitterness. Whilst I know a lot about the gay side of Aids, I was fairly unaware of what haemophiliacs have been through, though it is now common knowledge that they were well and truly screwed by governments and health systems in many countries. Bryce Courtney's testament to "the mighty Damon", his son, is constantly heartbreaking, whilst never sinking into sentimentality. I do hope this book will be reprinted at some point, ideally with an update on the current medical situation, for the benefit of any readers who may be in the Courtney family's position and being kept in the dark by their doctors. Whilst Aids is no longer the death sentence it was, books like this are very, very important in the fight for compassion and understanding that still goes on in this terrible war. May the Courtney family find peace.

Bryce Courtenay has shared with us not only the life but the death of his beloved son from Aids in this warm,real ,sad yet beautiful book.It's not only about the experience of losing a loved one,but it also lets us know just how real the disease is...no matter how it is acquired.Bryce's son tragically contracted the virus via blood transfusions needed for his Haemophilia(a blood disorder).This book not only tells us of the courage of young Damien,but also of the power of love his family and girlfriend showed.It also hits on the prejudice and discimination experienced by those with the HIV and makes you realize that that approach is neither necassary nor right. This book is a must for everybody.....It left me breathless,tearful yet stronger.

This book was really a load of rubish and I don't know why people have raved over it. It's boring and is really a book for quite a young age group. Half the characters in it are really dumb for their age. It's not very good at all.

This story is about a girl named Rowena Batts that can't talk. Her father is a apple farmer. Even if she thinks he is the best dad in the world she thinks his shirts are ruining his chances of love,and that his singing voice is ruining her friendship,and she'll stop driving his trator if he doesn't pull his head in.

Mr. Glietzman, Please write more books just like this one. I think the characters are funny. The story is interesting.

Not much "hidden" stuff in here. Most of the places they call hidden, is also written in every other tourist guide. The only things this book has that the others don't in a more comprehensive guide to local restaurants. But as for hiking, beaches, etc. their suggestions won't be so hidden because every tourist with any guide will know about them.

The first 75 pages are the normal travel guide stock. In the succeeding pages the only thing hidden seem to be some boutique hotels, curiosity shops and small restaurants focusing on specific cuisine.

These books by Riegert are great; I have used them for 20 years. I would not dream of going to the islands without them. But you have to be adventurous, if you are not going to go past the NO TRESPASSING sign, you probably should not buy this book. (I only do it when Ray says it's OK). Stick to something more sedate. But if you will follow advice these books will show you da kine parts of Hawai'i you will not hear about anywhere else.

My tip: Buy this book months before your trip. Plan to stay at least one night in one of the funky hotels he finds in the backcountry. You won't regret it! Most of our favorite Hawaii moments have been due to this book.

Buy this book and go to the islands while they are still no ka oi!

Set on a ship sailing from England to Australia in the 1800's, Sarah is traveling in the unmarried women's section (in steerage) of the ship. With a tough matron to watch over them and nothing better to do, each girl tells a story of what they are running from and hoping to find. At the heart is Sarah, who believes she has a fish in her stomach and is made of salt water. She tells her story in broken bits, as part of the journey causes her to remember.

I am really not sure what to think of this book. Sometimes, I think it is good, others, it seemed very poorly done. Christine Balint is more known for her short story work, and in my opinion probably should have stuck to it. "Salt Letters" is a good story, with vivid descriptions that pull you in and make you feel what is going on. But, the Balint has goes from each characters story, and back to Sarah's, the main character. The ending, well, it just ends, leaving you wondering what happened.

Balint's language and tone were pitch-perfect. A fascinating story, wonderful book.

This book was one of the best I've ever read. I throughly enjoyed it and was very upset when it was over. Throughout the book, I wondered what it would be like to be in the girls shoes. To have to run away from a man whom her parents wish her to marry, and run off to Astralia of all places with her lover. It really made me sad to think that her love wasn't on the ship but happy to find out the secrets of the end. I especially loved how the author had her start letters to her family but never finish them, and then the resolve on how she came to fix that. I recomend this book highly to anyone intrested in historical fiction! I loved it!! I hope you do too!