Product Description
The English Roses are in a tizzy over the gift exchange at school, especially Charlotte. Certain she’ll get something fabulous, she can’t hide her dismay at ending up with a dumpy pot holder. After her Secret Santa, the nerdy Jeanette Jones, runs off in tears, the English Roses help Charlotte grasp the true meaning of Christmas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

thanks heaps!
my daughter loves these books so it was great to beable purchase copies that have not arrived in australia yet...thanks amazon for very prompt delivery and great service
regards

a very happy customer with an extremely happy daughter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A book that sparked an obsession...
This book is partially responsible for my obsession with the Borgias. My grandmother was a bit of a pack rat, and as a child when I would stay with her it was always an adventure to go hunting in closets, attic space or *gulp* the spooky basement. It was during one of my hunting expeditions at Grandma's house that I came across a box of books, several by this author the two mentioned and another titled "Daughter of Satan" (just the kind of title to peek the interest of a 12 yr old). Needless to say, my love for reading saved Grandma from me digging through her closets and saved me from a summer of boredom in a small Iowa town. But, most importantly, this book, and others by this author, introduced me to a lifelong love of the Italian Renaissance and Borgia family history! Madonna of The Seven Hill's in particular is a very fascinating read. Despite the 1970's style cover art, this book reads like a historical narrative and is remarkably true to the true time line. I still have this book-though it's pages have yellowed the words written on them are still fabulous. I highly recommend searching the used book stores or even ordering a previously owned copy of Plaidy's books on the Borgia's to anyone that is as intrigued by the Italian renaissance as I was...or still am.;)

From the back cover
The legendary Lucrezia Borgia did everything with a passionate intensity. She loved with a burning lust. She hated with a ruthlessviolence. There wasn't another woman in all of Rome who could rival her exquisite beauty - or her incredible power. As the only daughter of Pope Alexander VI, she was showered with every luxury and privilege. But being a Borgia also meant having a certainand inescapable responsibility to the family. Lucrezia learned early that she would never simply love and marry. A Borgia's destiny was always carefully arranged - and there wasn;t any way for Lucrezia to excape hers...

Fascinating portrait
For someone who does not have pre-conceived notions about Lucrezia Borgia, this is where you have to start. As always Jean Plaidy succeeds in giving us background and sympathy to understand this beautiful woman. The book starts at the beginning with Cardinal Borgia and Lucrezia'a mother and proceeds to paint a fascinating picture of the Borgia family. Their closeness and family feeling being mis-understood by everyone. It also sheds light on Ceasare and Giovanni, who are the focal point of Lucrezia's childhood, as well as Guilia and other important players. The first book (Madonna of the Seven Hills) leads up and concludes dramatically as Lucrezia is getting ready to receive her second bridegroom.

It would be helpful if...
I haven't read this book. It would be helpful if someone who spoke both English and Spanish could translate the review preceding this one. I tried to translate it myself, and for what it's worth to those of you out there who'd like to read the reviews of this much beloved author, I think it says:

"This is the first part of the history of the life of Lucretia Borgia, which continues in (some other book with Lucretia in the title) by the same author. Lucretia lived during the Italian Renaissance, or the 15th and 16th centuries. She was the natural daughter (illegitimate) of Alexander VI. (I think the next part indicates that she was involved in an incestuous relationship with her father and brothers. I am NOT sure of that.) This is an interesting, serious tale of a time of licentiousness and corruption."

That's my best translation. I hope it helps someone; if it instead infuriates someone with my poor translation, please, by all means, translate it for us.

For those who don't know who Lucretia Borgia was, I will add that she was a Florentine woman from a rich banking family, widely believed to poison her enemies. She was a beautiful, manipulative, and cunning individual who has proven to be quite interesting in other books I've read about her, but she does tend to be rather mythologized.

Lucrecia Borgia - Parte I
Este libro es la primera parte de la historia de la vida Lucrecia Borgia, que continúa con "Luz sobre Lucrecia" de la misma autora. Lucrecia Borgia fue una mujer que vivió en la Italia Renacentista de lossiglos XV y XVI. Hija natural del papá Alejandro VI, esta mujer seríatristemente recordada como envenenadora, asesina, y por mantener unasupuesta relación incestuosa con su padre y hermanos. Es un relatointeresante sobre la vida licenciosa de los Papas, en una época en donde elpoder y la riqueza corrompían a cualquier persona. ... Read more

Product Description
Alfred is pleased to present the album-matching folio for Madonna's CD, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Confessions on a Dance Floor is Madonna's latest release, described as having ""one foot in the early roots of her career as a 'dance artist' and the other foot planted firmly into the sound of 'future disco' (www.madonna.com)..."" Recorded in London, the CD features songs primarily co-written and co-produced by Madonna and internationally known producer/mixer/DJ Stuart Price. This book provides the lyrics with piano and chord arrangements for all the songs on the record.

Titles are: Hung Up
* Get Together
* Sorry
* Future Lovers
* I Love New York
* Let It Will Be
* Forbidden Love
* Jump
* How High
* Isaac
* Push
* Like It or Not. ... Read more

Product Description
The English Roses is a story of rivalry and friendship amongschoolgirls in contemporary London.Four little girls-Nicole, Amy,Charlotte, and Grace-are eleven years old and the very best offriends.They have sleepovers, picnics and ice-skating parties thatexclude Binah, a beautiful girl whose seemingly perfect life makesthem "green with envy."However, when a feisty, pumpernickel-lovingfairy godmother takes them on a magical journey, they learn to theirgreat surprise that Binah's life is not nearly as enviable as it hadseemed.The English Roses is an inspiring story about theimportance of compassion and the rewards of friendship.Amazon.com Review
Madonna hangs up her material-girl cloak to teach children the importance of looking beyond a surface sheen. In The English Roses, the superstar's children's book debut, four little girls (the roses in question) "play the same games, read the same books, and like the same boys." Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, and Grace all love to dance the monkey and the tickety-boo… and they all are horribly jealous of Binah, the perfect, beautiful, smart, kind girl who lives nearby. Even though they know Binah is lonely, she makes them sick. They would say, "Let's pretend we don't see her when she walks by." And even, "Let's push her into the lake!" The pleasantly bossy narrator explains, "And that is what they did. No, silly, not the lake part, the pretending not to see her part." One night, however, the four girls all have the same dream that sets them straight. A fairy godmother sprinkles them with fairy dust and takes them to spy on Binah. When they see that she lives alone with her father, slaving away night and day at household chores, the four girly grumblers feel very sorry for her. The fairy scolds them, "… in the future, you might think twice before grumbling that someone else has a better life than you." And they do. This morality tale is nothing new under the sun, but it is cleverly told, with many teaspoonfuls of good humor. Jeffrey Fulvimari's illustrations are no less than stunning--filling every page with vivacious black ink lines and gorgeous watercolor reminiscent of 1960s fashion sketches. Children will enjoy this "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" story that celebrates friendship as much as it teaches compassion. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (310)

Enjoyed this book with my 7 year old daughter


I was happy to find this book at Amazon.com. My daughter and I really enjoyed it. My daughter loves to read about older girls and it is a very enjoyable read.

In bloom.
The English Roses by Madonna was the first children's book for the pop star. I read this book when it was released in the fall of 2003, it is a cute book and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous by Jeffrey Fulvimari but the way Madge writes is kind of one-demensional. What I do like about this book is the message, very positive. Solid book but could've been stronger.

Can't we all just get along?
Madonna, never one to shy away from controversy, has once again landed in familiar territory, allbeit undeserving, you guessed it, good ole controversy. First off, I find it curious that as of this writing, there are 315 reviews for this bookwhich is Madonna's first book. Of those 315 reviews, the overwhelming(175)have given five stars to the book. Yet, the first page(where most people look)has three reviews, two one stars, and one three stars. Hmmm, maybe Madonna should write a book about fairness. The editorial reviews give you the synopsis of this book, judge for yourself if the storyline(not the author) is something that is worthy of your childs attention. The moral of the story is something that is told in a very enjoyable manner by the mouse. Children can be very cruel and if this book, which it can, bring some understanding between children, than hip-hip hooray for Madonna. This book was obviously written for an English audience but it works for American culture too , if you fill in the blanks for your little one that is. All in all I think this is a good children's book and recommended to help a parent teach about being kind to other children. We don't need more Columbine's but can use more good positive messages to help kids get along. Step away from the Madonna haterade and take it for what it is, a good children's book with a positive message and richly illustrated.

The English Roses
OK, for those that don't like Madonna---step aside and give this book the objective review it deserves...This book was a gift for my daughter of 7 years.I loved many things about this book.The story is simplistic which for a target age of 7yo was perfect for my daughter.And yes, Madonna is American, but this is the ENGLISH Roses so yes, football = soccer!!OK, off my soapbox now.The story was fun and if you are really paying attention, you will notice a little mouse following the Roses around throughout the book.The mouse is a great storyteller!!The pictures are absolutely beautiful and each glance at the book brings a detail you didn't notice previously.I found the book to be perfect for any little one who might be experiencing the struggle between doing what's right versus what might be popular..I thought it sends the right message that people are not always what they first seem.We will read this book over and over again...I hope that she will write more about the Roses than the two she has already written.Well worth the read!!

A tale told 1001 times before
Other than some colorful graphics there isn't much to be had in this insipid tale of poor Binah, who finds herself odd girl out of the English Roses.It seems to be written more with teenagers in mind, but the level of writing is that of 4-8 year olds.I have a copy that was translated into Lithuanian, which pains me to read each time my little girl asks for it.Not so much that my Lithuanian is that bad, but the story itself is so boring and comes to such a trite ending with nothing much along the way to capture my girl's attention.Yet, she likes the pictures.I think Madonna better stick to making music and song and dance videos, because she is clearly out of her realm when it comes to children's stories. ... Read more

Product Description
In the 1993 edition, I considered black madonnas a metaphor for a memory of the time when the earth was believed to be the body ofwoman and all creatures were equal, a memory transmitted in vernacular traditions of earth-bonded cultures, historically expressedin cultural and political resistance, and glimpsed today in movements aiming for transformation. Since then my understanding of black madonnas has been deepenedby geneticists finding that the origin of modern humans is Africa, that primordial migrations from Africa carried a belief in a sacred dark woman to all continents. Black madonnas may be considered a metaphor for healing millennial divisions of gender and race in concerted world movements for justice. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

7 stars!
Paul Madonna's stories and art of San Francisco are heart-breaking and beautiful.This book is brimming with love for the city.Each page shows a wonderful snapshot of a moment in the life of that city.Nothing big, nothing flashy...just real life.Nothing could be more beautiful.

Transcends labels and categories; Great!
I've been following Madonna's work since he first began publishing in the San Francisco Chronicle's "SFGate" website. The drawing themselves speak a language that is universal. Anyone who has doodled in a notebook at a coffee shop will immediately relate to the style, but Madonna takes it further with his ink washes that give texture and depth to simple (but detailed) line drawings. He's a natural. What comes out are beautiful artworks that say something more about their subject than a photograph or a carefully painted landscape. The text is another matter. Madonna has drifted far from his original concept of "overhearing a conversation" in a coffee house. You can be drinking coffee anywhere, any time. His musings sometimes are simple and profound. Sometimes they are oblique and take a while to simmer in your consciousness. You let them, because the artwork invites them in. Then sometime a day or two later, you get it. He swears it's not autobiographical, that it is all fiction, but sometimes his character seems an awfully lot like an artist drawing line drawings on the streets of San Francisco with a voice that's just burning to get out. It doesn't matter where his text comes from; ultimately it's all Paul Madonna, and in my opinion, Paul Madonna is a brilliant creator of visual and textual imagery: poetry.

Try removing the text from the drawings, separating them. Neither seems as powerful as when they were intertwined together, even though they may not seem related on the surface. But enough analysis: The book is beautiful, a collector's item, superbly laid out and published with fine binding and paper. The reproductions are first-rate. And it's very interesting to watch Madonna's style and voice mature and evolve from his older works to his newer ones. (they are not necessarily in order in the book, btw) I've collected every single panel he's drawn since his first one at SFGate, many years ago, and this is one of the things I look forward to each week. The book will make you a fan. You will start reading his strips if you don't already. It's not just for San Franciscans; it's for people everywhere who get that feeling that there is more out there than they've been seeing, and who want to stretch their minds while enjoying a different kind of "nature." Nature is us. Madonna makes that very clear.-- Shooshie

Simple Beauty
I came across this book lying around in a random bookstore in West Virginia a few years back, and have thanked the fates ever since for leading my eye to it. Madonna's one of my favorite artists, hands down. This is a book I've never kept on a shelf-- it deserves nothing less than to to be left out, capable of being opened to a random page at any time.

Pure Genius!
I have never written a review of anything, but Paul Madonna's "All Over Coffee" is so brilliant, I can't not write one. "All Over Coffee" is not just a comic that appears in the SFC, or, maybe, to some, that's all it is. But if you take the time to look at each drawing and really reflect on it, the drawing and accompanying text will likely become so much more. Some drawings and textss are simply windows into poignant moments, but others are so startling and arresting that reading them will make you stop what you are doing and reconsider what you've just seen and read, only this time, with regard to your particular station and situation in life. I bought this book at City Lights Bookstore while visiting San Francisco in June 2008. The cover interested me, so I picked it up and looked inside. I opened to drawing #299 (not page #299), "It's more than possible that all sides are wrong." I knew I had to have this book. I have purchased, to date, eight copies of this book for other people. Everyone I give it to finds new things in the drawings and in the texts, and not just new, but different than what I found when I looked at the same drawings and texts. Buy this book! Not every drawing may speak to you immediately, but they likely will at some point. And when they do, they will mean something to you. And there's a good chance that what you see is altogether different from what anyone else saw. That's the genius of Paul Madonna!

beautiful, serene, wise
Paul Madonna's book is delightfully quirky, in an inoffensive yet bitingly honest way.I read the whole thing through in one sitting, enjoying the detailed (yet almost sloppy) pen and ink drawings.

I am thoroughly bored and very, very unimpressed with the comics page in my local newspaper.Besides a small handful (RIP Calvin & Hobbes and Far Side . . . you are missed dearly) they are tedious, repetitive, and uninspiring.All Over Coffee is the opposite.Every scene is delicious; perfectly composed and rendered with such grace the light feels like it comes straight from the sun.And the text, while sometimes a little odd and perhaps a bit too "make you think", it consistently makes me smile, makes me shake my head and chuckle, and even, yes, make me think.Which is a good thing.

The artwork is glorious and the writing sublime.I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Madonna's RAY OF LIGHT is a collaboration with British studio wizard William Orbit (Strange Cargo). This album-matching folio contains 4-pages of full-color art. Titles are: Candy Perfume Girl * Drowned World/Substi- tute for Love * Frozen * Little Star * Mer Girl * Nothing Really Matters * The Power of Good-Bye * Ray of Light * Shanti/Ashtangi * Skin * Sky Fits Heaven * Swim * To Have and Not to Hold. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Sad
This book is not a continuous story, rather a compilation of interviews between the author and Madonna Swan. However, the interviews flowed nicely and you almost forgot you weren't reading a story. It begins in the 1920s when Madonna is young, talks about half of her siblings passing away for various reasons, then when she's older she suffers from TB, and is placed in a sanitorium for about ten years with miinimal contact with family. Throughout these years in the sanitorium, she sees about 500 people come in and leave in body bags and is always believing she'll be next. Then finally she escapes and ends up at the "white sanitorium", because up untill now she was at the "indian saitorium". Here, she meets an okay white doctor who tries to help her by doing a surgery that is still new and has never been done on anyone. She agrees to have the surgery, which includes taking out a couple of ribs and parts of her bad lung. However, we learn in the book that the doctor accidentally cuts her arm nerve during surgery, but he apparently apologizes, so I guess it's okay. Now, she can't use her one arm, or control her head, so she has to be placed in a brace for support. Eventually she recovers, but it takes about a year. Anyway, she continues her life, but discovers she cannot have children because of all the TB medicine she had to take, she does get married, but they have issues later on with their cattle ranch. She tries to go to school and finish her degree but her health continues to stop her. The book ended with her being positive as usual. I was kind of disturbed by the whole thing, and I thought why would God put someone on this earth just to suffer like that? I reccomend the book for everyone, just to see what some people have gone through in their lives. You kind of come out of it appreciating what you have a bit more, especially, if you have your health.

Mark St. Pierre has put together a book deserving of fame!!!
Being a fanatic of Native American writings and lore I find again Mark St. Pierre, top of the list. I understand he has lived in the Lokata nation for the last thirty years and writes from the heart. Follow this writer becausehe is destined for fame. No writer has captured this beautiful culture withmore passion than he has. I look foward to his next work.

I found this book an inspiration and true-to-life.
If you are a "Little House on the Prairie" fan, this book, based on a true story, is for you.The story follows a Native American woman's life as she survives tragedy and ultimately triumphs.I'm not usually muchof a reader, (in fact this was an assignment) but I just couldn't put itdown!The author did an excellent job capturing the reality of the NativeAmerican way, and depicting the main character's struggle with TB; theisolation, loss of friends and her own illness.This book really makes youappreciate your health and everything you have. ... Read more

Product Description
Welldon explores why the quality of their bodies is fundamental to women's psychology; how this may lead to self-mutilation; and how such perverse behavior may also be aimed at objects which women see as their own creations, specifically their babies. The potential causes and consequences of these conditions, including maternal and paternal incest and its frequent aftermath, prostitution, are also discussed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MOTHERS AND POTENTIAL MOTHERS READ THIS BOOK!
I found this book fascinating. Written by a Pshychotherapist who has obviously had much experience in dealing with "hard case" personnas, it shows the most intriguing, almost disturbing, conclusions on the way some mothers and their kin relate and behave. Extreme cases are always good for then extrapolating and identifying more subtle traits in normal everyday people, including ourselves! I must say that it made me get into an "auto-therapy" mood while reading it... I was engulfed by this book, which has been written with minimized technical terms, making it of easy access to non-experts as myself. ... Read more

Product Description
Perhaps the most important female entertainer of the last two decades, Madonna Louise Ciccone has led a fascinating life. This is her story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pretty detailed information about Maddie
If you are a Madonna fan, you already know most of what you'll read in here regarding Madonna's career history, but the material is presented in a nice, chonological format that makes for a good night of reading.

I think that the author must be a little "square" of a person, given such mistakes as the misspelling of Charles Barkley's last name (here, he spells it "Barclay").I'm no basketball fan, or sports fan for that matter, but I picked up on that error right away.

In his updated editorial since the original printing, he seems to have soured his attitude towards Madonna.He is a lot harsher on her, and makes her every career move since the Like a Prayer era to be calculated and cynical.

There were a couple of items of Madonna trivia here that I didn't know, but I'll let you find that out for yourselves.

All things considered, this is a worthwhile read for a Madonna fan. ... Read more

Product Description
When the body of a lovely young woman is found floating beneath a party pontoon on a popular lake in northern Wisconsin on the same morning that a prominent widow is found bludgeoned in her gracious home, Loon Lake Police Chief Lew Ferris is caught short-handed.

This is not a problem for Doc Osborne whom she deputizes to act as coroner and to assist with the investigation. Fishing aside, there's nothing Osborne likes better than helping Lew-- a world-class fly fisherman in her own right - delve into Loon Lake's criminal underworld.They're joined in their efforts to untangle two seemingly unrelated murders by walleye-expert, talented tracker and teller of really bad jokes, Ray Pradt.

A charming resort town on the surface, life in Loon Lake turns murky as bank officials soon discover that both victims' accounts have been looted - along with a dozen others. One grisly development after another further links the two murders even though the victims did not know each other.Wealthy Chicagoans, visiting entrepreneurs and the young denizens of "Party Cove" complicate the scene.Whoever thought life in the Northwoods could be this dangerous? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Happy Fishing
When you meet Lew the police chief and Dr. Osborne , a retired dentist who occasionally works as the assistant medical examiner in Loon Lake you know the day is set for murder and mayhem.A supposed drowning and a murder in town sets the scene for what turns out to be a double homocide investigation.There is a little misdirection and a lot of memorable characters including the part time -when we need him-deputy who has a record, and cops from neighboring towns who just don't want to seem to help. Just sit back and let Lew and the doc take care of business and have a very pleasant evening doing just so.And when they are done solving crimes the are out to the water fishing and giving tips on certain types of flies.Good Fishing

Dead Madonna
I love this series.The main characters seem like old friends by the time you've read the first book, now several books later, I can't wait to see what's happening next. This series is well written.The key to wanting to read this book is the setting, the resort lake areas around Eagle River. Victoria catches the flavor of the people in northern Wisconsin.

Another hit from Victoria Houston!
I've read several Victoria Houston mysteries. All of the Loon Lake mysteries, so far, have been brief, but well-written. The character development is pretty good, the descriptions of the neighbor are funny, and the mysteries engrossing. I don't LOVE them, but I look for them in every used book store I frequent. Most of the time, I order them from Amazon, as they're hard to find.
Once I start the book, it's hard for me to put down. I'm just glad they're short...or I'd never get anything done!
Good read!

Waitexpectantly for every new title
I so look forward to every new title in this series. I love the doc and the sheriff.And who could not love a 6'6" man with a trout on his head. these are a delightful quick read.

Vickie does it again
Like her other books, this is great reading. It should appeal to fishermen, mystery addicts and folks who would like to just sit back, relax, and enjoy a fun book. If you like mysteries and would like a taste of northern Wisconsin, I'd suggest you start with her first book and read the series. You'll soon become an addict. Classic Vickie Houston !!!!!
I wish I didn't have to wait a year for the next one. Iloved it !!!!
Thanks Vickie, you've given me much enjoyment again !! ... Read more

Product Description
From cartoons to academic essays to tabloid journalism, Madonna has been interpreted in almost every way possible. Here is an original collection of these writings that is almost as diverse as the Material Girl herself which attempts to uncover as many interpretations of Madonna's appeal as is possible. Photographs and cartoons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Many Essays
Book contains many essays of varying dates, all about Madonna herself and her supposed impact on society. It was everything it was promised to be, although I still cannot get into the whole Madonnamania thing. She's more of an exhibitionist than anything else. If she hadn't crucified herself and hitchiked naked she would be forgotten by now, but that's just my opinion. Some essays are very favorable, some more critical. Good book for the fan or critic, or anyone into music.

Pop culture criticism at its best!
Whether you're a devotee or detractor of the lady in question, "Desperately Seeking Madonna" never fails to entertain (and even educate). Sexton features an impressive array of contributors (where else can you find essays by both Camille Paglia and Henry Rollins?) and himself uses Madonna as a springboard for such thought-provoking questions as "does our culture need to pigeonhole women in order to understand them?" An intelligent, fun and fascinating read.

This book is great
Where else can you read about the relationship between Madonna and man's desire to bowl?

The literary hodgepodge of Madonna
This book contains 51 different articles, thesis', poems and rants about Madonna, by authors varied as Camille Paglia and Vincent Canby to Henry Rollins and Liz Smith. It includes various one page cartoons and strips from "Mad" magazine and the Village Voice, and also in the mix are Rolling Stone poll results, a David Letterman top ten list about "Truth or Dare", and Sandra Bernhard writing about her Madonna dreams from her book "Confessions of a Pretty Lady".This book is chock full of more useless information about Madonna that us fans crave, new and old...The information covers roughly the 1984-1991 era (her most active IMHO) and is very entertaining, though not for the average reader. Madonna fans will find this book a great resource and companion to "The Madonna Companion", also a collection of written works about Madonna, though it is more on the scholarly edge.So this book is recommended to Madonna collectors, and all others...Borrow it from your own "Madonna freak". ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A good start, but it leaves much to be desired.
The Black Madonna is a sound starting point for anyone with an interest in Dark Goddesses, the Magdelene, and the Black Virgins (BV) of Europe.As this is a book published by a house providing information about Jungianpsychology, Gustafson spends much of this work exploring the Jungiansymbolism behind the BV.He also provides the history of a specific BV,using its history and symbolism as a lens to dissect theories conceringother BV's.

An entire chapter of the book is devoted to comparing the BVto other Dark Goddesses, such as Kali, and Isis.Although I found"The Black Madonna" a useful tool in learning more about thephenomenon of the BV, I was dissapointed by a publisher's 'teaser' on theback cover of the book.The teaser hints that a relationship between theHebrew Lilith and the BV will be established in this book.Although manyDark Goddesses are mentioned, Lilith is overlooked.

I also found some ofthe scholarship of this book in opposition to other books concering the BV. For example, "The Templar Revelation" disproves the oft-repeatedtheory that BV's black coloration was created by accidents concerning sootdeposits from centuries of exposure to flame."The TemplarRevelation" also makes the case of Mary Magdelene's ties to the BVmuch clearer.I would recommend starting with "The BlackMadonna" for a background about the BV, and then tackleing "TheTemplar Revelation" for more information.

"The BlackMadonna" is, all-in-all, a good starting point for those interested inthe BV and is certainly the definitive resource for psychological symbolismsurrounding her.It is not, however, her full story.

The Black Madonna: Mystery Unearthed
This book is a treasure-find for any one interested in unearthing the dark and mysterious Feminine within themselves or exploring more about thephenomenon of the Black Madonna and the rich symbolism She has for ourculture today.The author has researched his materially masterfully andthoughtfully.His presentation is serious and deep, inviting the reader todive in to the deep pool of the mysterious darkness that the SacredFeminine presents to us in today's world. This is essential reading foranyone who has a thirst for the Grail Adventure, Marian devotion andJungian Study. ... Read more

Product Description
Once we understand that the truth cannot be fathomed by the rational mind alone, we are ready to follow an intuitive 'circular path of knowledge', discovered by the author in this instructive and thought-provoking book. We are invited to contemplate the meaning of the ancient statues of the 'Black Madonna', still found in a number of European churches. We continue to sense their mystery, but what exactly do they represent and is it possible to decipher their message? In her search, the author traces the history of the 'Black Madonna' to the mysteries of Isis, the Dark Goddess, and the eternal cycles of death and rebirth that are part of every spiritual tradition. Then, in an impressive reworking of the myth of Perceval's quest for the Holy Grail, the stages of the Underworld Initiation are rediscovered, together with the meaning of the Grail and the ways that the spiritual powers of the four Elements (air, water, fire, earth) shape the continuity of human experience. The energies of the four Elements provide the mechanism of spiritual alchemy in the circular fusion of masculine and feminine powers, which are fundamental to all creative manifestation. When the qualities of the four Elements are related to Jungian psychotherapy, these archetypal powers can be used to merge the mundane with the sacred in every situation of learning, change and rebirth - the secret message of the 'Black Madonna'. Mano Warren has been researching the mystery traditions of the world for many years with the aim of recovering their ancient knowledge. She now lives in Glastonbury, England, working as a healer and past life regression therapist. ... Read more

Product Description
Hampstead School is getting political! When school elections roll around, Nicole decides to run for class president, and Grace volunteers to be her campaign manager. The only problem is, Grace starts treating the election like one of her football matches, and instead of focusing on Nicole, Grace starts making the election all about beating opponents. Can the English Roses help draw Grace in before the final ballots are cast? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Terrific Addition to the Series!
As a mother who screens everything her 11-year-old daughter reads, and one who grew up in the 80s, I rolled my eyes when Madonna first launched this series. Loving the old lady's music while growing up, I very frankly didn't think her children's books would translate to much. We now own every book in the English Roses series, except for "Too Good To Be True" because it's not the same size!! The books are great fun, and the five Roses are optimistic, empathetic, genuine girls who are not too worried about growing up too fast. "Ready, Set, Vote" is the 10th book in the series, and said daughter loves them as well. For this book, she had the following to say:

"The book, 'The English Roses: Ready,Set,Vote!' by Madonna is a great read in the series. When Nicole notices the school is a mess, she decides to run for president with Grace as her manager. Sadly, when Grace begins to show her competitive streak in the school politics, her actions almost cause Nicole to be thrown out of the election!! Luckily, though, the Roses stop her in time and Nicole becomes president.

"My favorite part in the book was when Grace snuck into the principal's office and put a paragraph in his speech for the next day saying, 'Vote for Nicole, Fanny would make a horrible president, Nicole will help Hamstead! Vote Nicole!', knowing he wouldn't notice what he had read over the public announcement system till it was too late. It was funny and even though I knew what would happen next, it still made me hold my breath. I give this book two thumbs up and I know every girl would love this book for a fast read." ... Read more

Product Description
MADONNA OFFICIAL 2011 CALENDAR + FREE MADONNA FRIDGE MAGNET ... Read more

Product Description
Easy piano arrangements of seven huge Madonna hits from the much-buzzed-about episode of ÊGleeÊ dedicated to this trendsetter: Borderline/Open Your Heart Û Express Yourself Û 4 Minutes Û Like a Prayer Û Like a Virgin Û What It Feels like for a Girl. (Please note thatVogueis excluded due to licensing restrictions.) ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Literary; ... Read more