Customer Comments

This was a wonderful read about the author's journey along the Pacific Crest Trail, and a look into her past to help explain why she felt the need to take the hike. Often heartbreaking, but totally uplifting. It almost made me want to take a hike...almost. A great weekend read, especially for the summer!

For a non-scientific mind, this is an interesting look at the life of Galileo and of others during the 17th century. The explanations of his discoveries and the science and mathematics behind them are explained well, and the relationship between Galileo and his daughter are touching. The inclusion of the letters is particularly nice. This is a great read for someone who is unfamiliar with this great scientist and who might be looking for a good introduction.

This book was a fun and interesting read, obviously well researched with great subjects. The four women Abbott chose to highlight were vastly different characters, but the author did an excellent job of tying them together (as she mentions in the introduction, each woman is a "liar, temptress, solider, and spy" in her own right). In my opinion, the weakness in this book comes with how each section is organized. I'm fine with authors moving from one character to another throughout a book, but I think the author could have done it a little more neatly. Otherwise, great read!

I thought this sequel to "The Shining" would be an excellent pre-Halloween October read--and I was not disappointed. Having read "The Shining" this time last year, I was glad to note that I had no problem jumping right into the story, which begins a few years after the burning of the Overlook Hotel. I find that some sequels have a tendency to disappoint, especially ones that introduce new characters and new points in time, but I think Stephen King did a fine job of bringing the reader up to speed on the new Dan Torrance. I had no problem confusing Dan Torrance with Danny (or "Doc") and I found his adult life believable, and appreciated the flashbacks to points in his life. This book is nowhere near as terrifying as "The Shining" (I had no problem going to sleep after reading it, unlike my experiences with those hedge animals) but it is interesting and at some points, very exciting. I would suggest reading "The Shining" before picking up "Doctor Sleep"--the movie just does not do the book justice and some might get confused over certain plot points. As King states in his Author's Note, "Doctor Sleep" is a sequel to the novel, which is the true history of the Torrance family.