Bentley Reviews

This play is Brecht's adaptation of Marlowe's Edward II. I suspect this play will be surprising to most readers of Brecht because it contains considerably less of the overt social satire and commentary associated usually with Brecht. More than anything else, this play is a character of study of Edward's refusal to heed social conventions. This play is surprisingly successful, at least when read. Brecht elevates Edward's wilfullness into a virtue and makes him a surprisingly sympathetic character. The play displays Brecht's wit and stagecraft quite well.

My 3.5 year old picked this out at a book fair, and really enjoys it. It has an attached nightlight: a bear figurine whose face lights up when you press a button on the back of the book (it turns itself off after 15 minutes or so, so the batteries won't conk out the first night). I think any preschooler would enjoy the book, especially one who isn't too thrilled with the idea of bedtime.

The rhymes are cute enough, but not particularly memorable. Ditto the illustrations. The story is pretty standard: child (bear) is reluctant to go to bed, so mommy provides something special to ease the transition. So, this isn't an instant classic but it's certain to please your toddler.

This book is a very simple telling of Suzanne's start to finish career as a ballet dancer and muse of Balanchine. The relationship between Balanchine and Farrell is certainly not to be described as firey and passionate, only perhaps, as innevitable because of how well they got on together and how they both seemed to understand ballet the same way. They both were always willing to experiment with there medium, and with Balanchine to conduct and Farrell to execute, they rarely failed. An enjoyable narrative, wonderful and touching.

This is a heartwarming story. This book is about Sandra Day O'Connor in the early years, late years and the politic years. This story may tell you somethings you never new about Justice O'Connor it told me somethings I never new. Read lots about Justice O'Connor in this book.

The text is somewhat dated both in terms of law and clinical practices. Lawyes will find the text narrow in scope, but it can be useful as a guide as to where to begin looking and understanding the legal doctirnes. Clinicians will find the text lacking in detail. The text is only an overview, with not enough specific depth of coverage to act as a refernece for the clinician nor the lawyer. Useful for beginners just starting out in their clinical practices.

I found this book to be helpful in obtaining more knowledge on the Rolls Royce and Bentley cars. I would have like to have seen charts on the number of cars produced how they got their names, and more technical information. The book has some beautiful pictures of these fine cars as well as some original factory sales information.

The book explains the detail that the builders go through to make each of these cars and how the evolution takes place from year to year.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is an owner or is an enthusiast of fine automobiles.

This small book combine the system development methodology (SSADM) in a project management skill (PRINCE). The two standards are suitable in my working area. So I do have to read two sets of bulky books. And I can intergate two big methods in short time.

Tjis book was rubbish and don't ever read it again!!

Egypt was great, and I really appreciated all of the suggestions on how to see it and enjoy it. Guess I'll have to go back to try more. Pluses - the info was pretty much on target regarding tourist (and non-tourist) sites; the itineraries; the informational blurbs which enhanced the overall experience; and cost. Minuses - maps & pictures (lack thereof). Didn't mind the typo's so much once I got there - they kinda fit the place.

Few destinations in the world are more worth visiting than Egypt, a land laden with ancient monuments of unsurpassed splendor and presently inhabited by a people whose generosity and kindness is unmatched. Anybody considering a visit to Egypt shoudl read all that they can, including "Egypt Guide."

The first twelve chapters cover a variety of "background" relating to general issues of travel to Egypt from basic infomation about the people and their history, to specific ideas for itineraries and how to handle a tripwith children. The following 7 seven chapters focus on spefici destinations beginning with Cairo. Each chapter includes dozens of write-ups for hotels, restaurants and historical attractions. Most of the information is relevant and accurate, and options are included both for budget and upscale travelers. In particular, those chapters relating to less traveled to regions such as the verdant oases of the Western Desert and the Christian sites of Middle Egypt which include some of the worlds oldest churches and monastaries. By in large the writing, while not gripping, is clear and easy to follow.

There are however some weaknesses, namely the lack of useful maps, and some shoddy editing. It is worth it for any traveler to rely on more than one source, however this one is well worth the $13.

Joanna Campbell, creator of the Thoroughbred series, wrote the books from #1-14, then let Karen Bentley take over starting with #15, Glory's Triumph. Bentley isn't a BAD writer. She knows which end of the horse is up and she knows something about training, which is a plus. However, it's her whole attitude about the series that really starts to drag it down. We see less of the loving camaraderie between girls and their horses, and less of the sneaky evil villain-ry of the younger Townsends, Brad and Lavinia. Glory's Rival is sugar-coated and badly held up, but hey, most of the other books in this sector (Bentley wrote #15-23, as well as two super editions, Ashleigh's Hope and Samantha's Journey) are too.

Glory's Rival, in a nutshell, is all about Cindy's fears that her horse, March to Glory, will race against her adopted sister's horse, Shining, in the Breeder's Cup Classic. Cindy's competitive attitude threatens to destroy her relationship with Samantha. In the end it's all peachy anyway, since Glory wins the Classic and Shining wins the Distaff, which is the race for fillies and mares.

I don't really care that much that Whitebrook took a double victory on Breeder's Cup day, though I do think it's unrealistic. (So many horses race. How likely is it, really, that one farm will produce two winners on Breeder's Cup day? For that matter, many horses don't make it to the stakes at all.) And I don't care all that much about Cindy's bad attitude, since it only gets worse as the series goes on. (Campbell made a great start with the possibility of lots of backstory, but Bentley mostly chose to ignore her orphaned past.) I felt like the entire plot was trivial. Bentley doesn't get close enough to the characters for us to really care whether Glory wins or loses or breaks his leg. No, scratch that - it's not GLORY we don't care about. He's a nice horse. It's CINDY.

The "rivalry" between Shining and Glory is nothing like the well-drawn, fast-paced, makes-your-blood-boil competition between Townsend Prince and Ashleigh's Wonder, back when Ashleigh Griffen was a girl. Brad Townsend was a formidable foe because he was cutthroat and would go to dirty lengths to win, but he did actually care very much about the Prince. Cindy, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care all that much about Glory; she just wants to win. It feels shallow because Bentley doesn't write with conviction.

And while we're on the subject of the Townsends, this newfound sweet-and-light love between the Whitebrook group and the Townsends is close to sickening. Brad and Lavinia Townsend have always been most interesting when they act as BELIEVABLE rivals. Bentley didn't know how to write them as believable rivals - people who pull the dirtiest tricks that we, the readers, see right through but never quite come to light to the racing officials - so she ended all rivalry and competition between them.

And getting to the 31 lengths thing - yes, I suppose it's possible for a horse to win a race by 31 lengths. Sure. I buy that. I do NOT, however, buy the fact that it's the same number of lengths that Secretariat set a record with. That's sacrilegious. For goodness sakes, make it 29 lengths, make it 30, but not 31.

First off I hate Cindy!!!!!Thinking all the horses are Her horses .Shes a show off.Any way it was sort of good but mostly bad though. I have all 18 books so far but i like the books the best in the range 1 through 10.So if your just starting to read and the title Glory's Rival is appealing to you,don't read it yet because i tried reading it first and its ssssooooo confusing!!!Trust me!These books better GET BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... p.s. Sorry if im making this series sound bad ,there really pretty good.So i still think you should read this book and the others.Thankx again ...

i think that the book was ok but it could have been better. Like the fact that Glory won the Breeders Cup Classic by 31 lengths! I mean not even most REAL racehorses today could do such a thing. Also Cindy is a brat and that is something I can agree with. it's like "oh Samantha are you going to be mad at me if my "WONDER HORSE" beats you second class nag? All in all i think that the other books containing Glory are better that this one but i still have faith that they will come out with better ones!

I am always fascinated with the Clintons. From Bill's exploits to Hillary's statement (after the Sept. 11th attacks) that she understands hatred because of reaction to her now forgotten health care plan, the former first family are like a grisly car accident that reaches the end of its first decade, and we still cannot help but watch.

"Clinton: Portrait of Victory" is a breathless mash note to the then new chief executive, chronicling Clinton's primary and general election wins. The entire book features black and white photography by P.F. Bentley, a photographer I am not familiar with, but who does a very good job.

Reading this book in one sitting, I was struck at the hopeful tone the pictures and essay author strike right off the bat. Roger Rosenblatt's prologue does nothing more than beat the poor reader over the head about how important it is that these are not those ultramodern "color" photos, but b&w portraits. Rosenblatt equates Clinton to a god, and b&w photos to eternal soul searching through the eyes of the photographer.

The photographer had unlimited access to the Clintons and his bold staff, but the book does not open any new doors to the first family. Subjects wring hands, anonymous crowds surge to their media made hero, and anyone who voted against him gets a little ill. You could cut out the pictures of Clinton, insert any other politician, and you would have the same book. The essayist (Rebecca Buffum Taylor) breathlessly tells us how hard it is to campaign, how hard everyone worked, and how hard it is to win. Clinton is shown in candid moments with his family and staff, yet they still feel staged, as if the subjects knew this would make a really cool book if he won, and a tragic tome on honorable defeat if he lost.

Some of the captions are unintentionally funny. Printed below a picture of Clinton enjoying a big cigar (obviously not his last): "Clinton allows himself one small indulgence...". Ah, those small indulgences he would allow himself over the following two terms.