Product Description
Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn’t go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the wings from nightingales.

So begins James Thurber’s sublimely revamped fairy tale, The 13 Clocks, in which a wicked Duke who imagineshe has killed time, and the Duke’s beautiful niece, for whom time seems to have runout, both meet their match, courtesy of an enterprising and very handsome prince in disguise. Readers young and old will take pleasure in this tale of love forestalled but ultimately fulfilled, admiring itsupstanding hero (”He yearned to find in a far land the princess of his dreams, singing as he went, and possibly slaying a dragon here and there”) and unapologetic villain (”We all have flaws,” the Duke said. “Mine is being wicked”), while wondering atthe enigmatic Golux, the mysterious stranger whose unpredictable interventions speed the story to its necessarily happy end. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

Courtship like CLockwork?
I was introduced to this marvelous fantasy in junior high and despite the passing of decades and the reading of hundreds of Young Adult books and dozens of Children's Classics I still recall this tale with fondness. Known for his droll and irreverent Midwestern sense of humor Thurber is generally known for his outrageous short stories like, "The Night the Bed Fell" and "The Night the Ghost Got In,"the Ohio journalist let out all the literary stops when he took pen in hand (or was it just an old Royal typewriter?) to decant a fairy tale of 50's vintage.

Also a pen and ink artist, whose spare cartoons are more charica- tures of people and animals, Thurber easily captured the traditional elements of a fairy tale: a beautiful princess, her evil guardian who fiendishly discourages all suitors with impossible quests, a prince with an unusual name, and a "pet" monster whose loyalty is casual at best.

But it is Thurber's use/invention of Words which boggles readers of all ages; his vocabulary is from out of this galaxy and his descriptive expressions are beyond creative--brainchildren of his darkly satirical genius.Today's young readers--trained in video games of fantasy--are remarkably resilient, and will handle the physical violence verbally unscathed. Gleep! Is that the ubiquitous Todal slurking off in disregust, because the 13 clocks risk being ungefrozen as a result of human happiness? This short book should be considered a kids' klassik--no shame to adults who rejoice in their inner kiddom.

"And he ate only pops that were lolly."
Many "modern" writers seem to miss the mark, (because the mark is not themselves;)...[even if they are named "Mark"];)). Somehow, attempts at a modern faiy tale by more modern writers would seem frivolous or contrived. One can tell that Thurber has been properly informed by literary tradition, as explained by T.S. Eliot in his essay "Tradition and the Individual Talent." Writers can do nothing on their own, cut away from tradition, and purely as individuals. This is the flaw of much of our modern writers who have not read the classics and merely focus on themselves.

13 Clocks is witty and non-chalantly sarcastic. It is down to earth enough to be a fairy tale, a real fairy tale.

There is, in a sense, a sense of Odysseus in Circe's forest at one point and another, a Shakespearean minstrel, and a bit of old Disney, with prose that combines Dr. Seuss and The Brothers Grimm.


This book would make a clever gift for a clever child.

A favorite from my childhood
I found this book in my school library in 5th grade, and it is one of the few books from my childhood that I never forgot. Admittedly, it has some dark scenes, and I remember it giving me chills when I read it as a kid. But it's also beautifully written, with funny and memorable scenes. I was so thrilled to "rediscover" this book as an adult and to find it was just as magical 20 years later.

This fairy tale is not for kids
The 13 Clocks is a wonderful and witty story, but on rereading it I realize that it contains so much physical violence that it hardly qualifies as a children's book. Very enjoyable, like most of Thurber's works, but you wouldn't read it to a six-year old.

Quite Possibly the Best Book Ever Written
I wish I'd found this book long before I was 53 years old, but I am having a wonderful time reading it with my son. I own a book store and I'm going to be hand-selling this like mad, to kids who think that Harry Potter is literature.

I am also a writer, and the writing is literally amazing. Reading it aloud is the most fun I've had in a long time. I was really unhappy that my son fell asleep, I wanted to keep reading it aloud to myself. (I did finish the chapter while he snored.)

I agree with the man who wrote the introduction, and other reviewers here. This may well be the best book ever written. It is definitely my new baby shower and birthday party gift. It's an absolute treasure.

I wish I could give it more than five stars. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

The Christmas Clock
Sylvia Winters' decision to spare Joe Dixon grief may have been a mistake, but at the time, she thought it was her only choice. Eight years later, Syl is back in Dreyerville coming face to face with the man she loved and lost. Joe Dixon's life changed forever when Syl left him. He's managed to put the pieces back together, except for the hole in his heart where Syl used to be. Their reunion is emotional, unlike the marriage that Doris and Floyd Culver have. Doris and Floyd have grown comfortable leading separate lives. Lottie Sparks is Doris' friend. Her life is drastically changing and her grandson Teddy's future hangs in the balance. With Teddy's help, maybe these couples will find happiness again.

A birdhouse, an antique clock, and little boy mend the relationships of two couples and bring peace to an aging woman in The Christmas Clock. Syl and Joe's romance is tumultuous and eventually, very heartwarming. Doris and Floyd experience what many couples do after spending such a long time together, and sweet Lottie's tale is heartbreaking and very realistic. With a bit of an old fashioned feel, Kat Martin ties the characters of The Christmas Clock together with powerful emotion and a deep sense of love. The Christmas Clock is a poignant story of second chances that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Sweet Christmas Read
It was a great holiday Christmas read. The book introduces us to the little town of Dreyerville and its various residents. They all have their secrets, their disappoints, and their hopes and dreams and it centers around little 8-year-old Teddy and his desire to give his grandmother something special, the Christmas clock in the window.

It's a very touching story and a very quick read so you can enjoy it in one sitting. I highly recommend it!

Good and Fast Reading
You could see what was coming in the end but nevertheless it is a heartwarming story.The good thing is that its so short you can read it in one or two afternoons by the fire place or your favorite reading place.The cover colors are spectacular.The bad thing is that I could see the end starting just to read the first 10 or 15 pages.Never read a book from Kat Martin, this is my first.I dont know the author or anything shes written, but I will recomend this book to uplift your Christmas spirits.

The Christmas Clock Doesn't Disappoint - By Susan R. Stoltz
The Christmas Clock by Kat Martin - Review by Susan R. Stoltz
Vanguard Press Copyright 2009 by Kat Martin
ISBN 9781593155476
143 Pages

Synopsis:

With three very strong story lines this book is a bit out of the ordinary for Kat Martin, and absolutely delightful. Although the romance is certainly prevalent, the main characters in the book are Lottie Sparks and her eight year old grandson Teddy. Lottie is aware that she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and is desperately trying to figure out what to do with Teddy yet everyday she loses another piece of herself.

Sylvia Winters has returned to her hometown and must ultimately face Joe Dixon her former fiancé. He doesn't understand why she broke off their engagement eight years ago. Their lives went in two different directions and it will take a Christmas miracle for each to find love and forgiveness.

Doris and Floyd Culver are middle-aged and have been married for many years. They aren't terribly unhappy, but don't seem to know how to find their way back to each other again. Their relationship is comfortable if not loving. This phenomenon is not unusual in long term relationships and certainly will strike a chord with many.

Review:

If ever there was a book that should be made into a Hallmark Christmas movie, this would be it. The instant you begin to read you know where the plot is going, but the complicated uncertainty of how the characters will get there entices you to read on.

The relationship between Teddy and Lottie Sparks is heart wrenching. How is the eight year old going to manage with Lottie's Alzheimer's disease progressing rapidly? Teddy secretly works to earn money to buy a Victorian clock for his grandmother for Christmas. But when social services take him away just before the holiday he wonders what will become of his grandmother and of their lives together.

Syl and Joe have complications all their own. Each has survived extreme hardship, but Syl has to try to explain to Joe why she broke the engagement off so many years ago. These two characters are strong and believable. And despite the mistakes both made in the past I wished for them to reconcile right from the start.

The descriptive passages in this book were terrific. You could smell the bakery, hear the noise in the car repair shop and visualize the Christmas displays in the windows of the tiny downtown shops.

I would recommend this book to any and all who want a feel good Christmas story that makes you want to smile and cry at the same time. It's a special story about the spirit behind the holiday and possibility despite loss and hardship.


What others are saying about this book:

"Warm, loving, and heartfelt - the true Christmas gift all wrapped up in Kat's wonderful new book." - Joan Singleton/Screenwriter/Producer

"Through it all the author keeps hope alive as we get involved with this group of people. Christmas is coming. Perhaps the joys of the season will help these characters. This is a special book and hard to put down." - [...]

"The Christmas clock is a story of compassion, healing, faith, love and forgiveness. How Teddy unwittingly touches Joe, Sylvia, Doris and Floyd is definitely a miracle and almost magical. This creates the hopes that at some point in our own lives we're able to touch someone's life unconditionally and unknowingly just as Teddy did." - [...]

Why a hard cover?
I enjoy Kat Martin..never miss a new book that comes out. But this book is a disappointment to me simply because it has a wonderful storyline but it was just too short at 143 pages.Many of the characters could have been expanded on and given much more depth and storyline. You have to wonder why this short story wasn't just put in a Christmas Anthology or even put out as an ebook? Even at the $10.00 and change that Amazon is selling it for, it's too expensive in these tough times.You have to wonder what these publishers are thinking? Oh wait, MONEY MONEY MONEY!Bottom line..if you want this book, borrow it from a friend or better yet, wait until your local library gets it and read it for free...definitely not worth the money... ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Clock Repair Book
This book is a good introduction, and left me wanting to learn more about clock repair.

Not the whole story

Part of the way into Goodrich's "The Modern Clock," I realized I needed to start with a text that didn't assume the reader already works in a clock repair shop.There being several options, I decided to check a few out of the library before buying.Kelly's "Clock Repairing as a Hobby" was one of the ones that was available.It is definitely better suited to the beginner than Goodrich.It defines many of the parts and describes the workings, and also gives basic advice on how to proceed in clock repairs. I'd rate it as useful, but uneven and insufficient. Some clock parts are mentioned in the text or appear in a drawing (e.g., "cannon pinion") but are never defined.There are drawings of several escapements or striking mechanisms, but the reader is left to imagine how the parts move relative to each other based on the description in the text.For a beginner's book like this one, a drawing showing several states of the mechanism would be much more appropriate. Several basic concepts, like how the "lift" is distributed between the pallet faces and escape gear teeth, or what is meant by the "run of the lock" are never touched on at all!If I hadn't already seen an Internet-based animation of the deadbeat escapement, I wouldn't have a clue how it worked based on the description in Kelly!So I'm going to keep looking for a better book.

Not for cuckoo clocks
Book seems fine unless you are looking for a book to repair cuckoo clocks...which I was.I searched for "cuckoo clock repair" and this came up.Seems like a fine book, but is useless to me.

WONDERFUL BOOK FOR THE BEGINNIG HOBBYIST
The work being reviewed here is the 1972 Edition.There have been two or three reprints of this work throughout the years but about all that has changed is the cover.

There are a couple of considerations that need to be addressed in reviewing this work.First, this is a work, as stated on the cover and in the preface, "....for the beginner."It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that a complete course in clock repair and building can not be covered in 124 pages, and that is 124 pages of a rather small book.Secondly, this book was first published in 1972 which makes it 37 years old at the time of this review.This is okay though due to the fact that most of the clocks targeted in this book are well over 100 years old and the principles and techniques that worked in 1972 still work just as well today.Hey folks, we are not talking about a book here that teaches you to change batteries in ten dollar digital watches. Good grief, throw the bloody thing away and buy a new one (after you properly dispose of the battery of course, and not just send it to the landfill where it will add to the poison that will haunt your great, great, great grandchildren). Once again...this book is strictly for the beginner and concept and theory has not changed in well over 200 years, much less in thirty. The information here is not outdated.Now that being said:

I love this old book.I have been fascinated with clocks since I was a wee one and was the bane of my father's existence as I would dismantle every clock in the house as fast as he could replace them.The problem came in when it was found that I was unable to put them back together.I love niggle little work, fine work, and he use to take me to his office that he shared with my grandfather.It was a dental office and they use to let me practice making dentures, partials, filling pulled teeth, and repairing such.Again, the problem came when I started taking apart their expensive dental equipment (I wanted to see how it worked), and again,I was not real good at putting in back together.

Over the years I have collected old clocks; you know the kind, the wonderful old windups that you found on your grandmothers mantel.I have only one requirement when I purchase these clocks...they must NOT be in working condition!A working clock is a wonderful thing, it is like magic, but it is even more wonderful and wondrous if you know you are the one to make it so, i.e. work.

This little volume covers basic clock movement, both theory and design, and practical clock repairing.I found that the section addressing the pendulum and the various variations of particular use.The author uses simple and for the most part nontechnical language to explain the complex workings of these machines, and explains them at the level that a beginner can easily understand.Wonderfully simple schematic drawings are provided.In the section devoted to the chimes and chiming mechanisms the author has even provided the sheet music for several popular (Whittington chime as an example) sounds.This, to be quite frank, is rather unique.

I love the section devoted to practical repairing.The author has given us a complete rundown on all of the tools needed for your hobby.We also provided with a very nice explanation as to what each tool us used for and how to use it.The author has even gone into quite a bit of detail as to the work bench which (and trust me here) is quite important.The book does discuss the lathe and grinding wheels, but to be honest with you, if the repair requires machining special parts I am way over my head in this area and I simply take that part of the task to a professional.

Now most of what I have learned has been completely self-taught.The author has stressed the importance of cleaning and maintenance.I learned long, long ago that many fine old clock that do not work and have not worked for years upon years can be purchased from the unwary for the price of a few cups of coffee, taken home and given a good cleaning, which takes very little time, and resold for enough to buy whole bunches of other old "broken" clocks!I know, I am a terrible person, but you know, business is business.If this book has one weak area for the beginner or hobbyist, it is the fact that is does not put enough emphasis on cleaning or cleaning techniques.There are other books out there that cover that and of course there is the thrill of simply learning it yourself.

Is this the only book you will need to pursue this hobby?Heavens no!Will this work turn you into a master craftsman or woman overnight in the field of clock repair?Nope!Is this the best book out there for the beginner?I haven't a clue as I have not read all of them or used all of them.Did this book work for me?Yes.It has given me all the basic I needed and I have found that if I need more information I need to find "clock specific" literature on the particular piece I am working on and in many cases have to go directly to the manufacturer.Or I find that being a complete pest pays off big time.When I get in trouble I simply pester local professionals and wheedle information out of them a bit at a time.

Am I good at this hobby?Hardly, there is so much to know and learn, but I do enjoy learning it and I do enjoy fiddling with the things.It is a good thing though that I do not have to make a living working on clocks...there would be great hunger and poverty in the family if I did. Anyway, this is a good book and I do recommend it.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

newbook
i am sure this book will helpful just haven't got to it yet but sure it will do the trick thank youjohn ... Read more

Product Description
John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales full of adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt, Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updated cover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with this haunting new look!Amazon.com Review
Lewis always dreamed of living in an old house full of secret passageways, hidden rooms, and big marble fireplaces. And suddenly, after the death of his parents, he finds himself in just such a mansion--his Uncle Jonathan's. When he discovers that his big friendly uncle is also a wizard, Lewis has a hard time keeping himself from jumping up and down in his seat. Unfortunately, what Lewis doesn't bank on is the fact that the previous owner of the mansion was also a wizard--but an evil one who has placed a tick-tocking clock somewhere in the bowels of the house, marking off the minutes until the end of the world. And when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead on Halloween night, the clock only ticks louder and faster. Doomsday draws near--unlessLewis can stop the clock!

This is a deliciously chilling tale, with healthy doses of humor and compassion thrown in for good measure. Edward Gorey's unmistakable pen and ink style (as seen in many picture books, including The Shrinking of Treehorn and OldPossum's Book of Practical Cats) perfectly complements John Bellairs's wry, touching story of a lonely boy, his quirky uncle, and the ghost of mansions past. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (94)

Tick...Tick...Tick
Wouldn't it be spooky to live in a house where you could constantly hear the ticking of an invisible clock in the walls? Lewis Barnavelt certainly thinks so. In John Bellairs' novel, The House With the Clock in Its Walls (Puffin Books, 1973), Lewis moves into a mysterious house with his quirky uncle, and is disturbed to hear ticking in the walls in every room. Lewis is determined to discover the answers to all the secrets, like what Uncle Jonathan is up to when he bangs on the walls at night? And why do Uncle Jonathan's playing cards make reference to a magical society? Lewis discovers that Uncle Jonathan is a wizard and is immediately fascinated. He becomes more involved in the world of magic until finally he tries a spell himself... and sets in motion the events that could end the entire world! Will Lewis be able to reverse his mistake and solve the mystery of the clock? This novel will keep the reader guessing and turning pages till the end. The characters are lovable, from kooky and kind-hearted Uncle Jonathan and his best friend Mrs. Zimmerman, who are constantly insulting each other, to poor chubby Lewis who has trouble making friends. This book is full of laughs and chills, mysteries and magic, family and cookies. And let's not forget... the end of the world!

If you like gothic horror, then you will love this book!
It is 1948, and with the death of his parents, Lewis Barnavelt now has to move in with his Uncle Jonathan. But, there are some strange things going on in his uncle's house. His uncle seems to be looking for something in the house, checking each and every wall. It seems that the house once belonged to an old warlock, and that Uncle dabbles in magic as well. The old man, Isaac Izard, had placed a magical clock in the house, and if you listened at the walls you could hear it ticking. Just what was the clock for? It's a mystery that will not wait, and becomes more pressing with every passing page!

Well, I must say that I am a huge fan of John Bellairs' excellent book, The Face in the Frost. I finally broke down, and got myself his second most well-known book, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, and I must say that I am most impressed! The book is excellent, having that same feeling of gothic horror. I enjoyed the characters, and interesting mystery.

So, if you like gothic horror, then you will love this book. There's a reason why it's considered a classic of young-adult fantasy - read it and find out for yourself!

My FAVORITE book EVER!
I remember reading this book as a kid and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT! I even remember an "after school movie special" of this book. It is my all-time favorite book EVER!!! And NO ONE beats Gorey's illustrations!

If you like gothic horror, then you will love this book!
It is 1948, and with the death of his parents, Lewis Barnavelt now has to move in with his Uncle Jonathan. But, there are some strange things going on in his uncle's house. His uncle seems to be looking for something in the house, checking each and every wall. It seems that the house once belonged to an old warlock, and that Uncle dabbles in magic as well. The old man, Isaac Izard, had placed a magical clock in the house, and if you listened at the walls you could hear it ticking. Just what was the clock for? It's a mystery that will not wait, and becomes more pressing with every passing page!

Well, I must say that I am a huge fan of John Bellairs' excellent book, The Face in the Frost. I finally broke down, and got myself his second most well-known book, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, and I must say that I am most impressed! The book is excellent, having that same feeling of gothic horror. I enjoyed the characters, and interesting mystery.

So, if you like gothic horror, then you will love this book. There's a reason why it's considered a classic of young-adult fantasy - read it and find out for yourself!

John Bellairs's classic children's horror fantasy - if you're looking to give your kids the creepy crawlies...
One wonders what terrific novels would've emerged from John Bellairs' fertile mind had he been allowed to make a living writing adult fiction. If one goes by his quite awesome adult fantasy novel The Face in the Frost, then I'm thinking the world has really missed out. THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS was originally intended to be grown-up reading, but no publishing house was biting. Bellairs was instead advised to rewrite the thing as a children's novel, and this pretty much cemented Bellairs's career as a children's writer.

As a kid I read this book and its sequels The Figure In the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt) and The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring over and over to the point that I wore out the pages. As an adult I still find these stories gripping and suspenseful and fraught with gothic overtones. Still, after tearing thru THE FACE IN THE FROST, I bemoan Bellairs' turning away from writing more adult fantasies. John Bellairs created two other series, respectively featuring Anthony Monday and Johnny Dixon. But in no way do they resonate as strongly as the Lewis Barnavelt trilogy. And I have to say this, while I laud THE FACE IN THE FROST to bits, I do count THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS as my favorite John Bellairs book. It had that much of an impact on me when I was a child.

It's 1948 and shy and chubby 10-year-old Lewis Barnavelt, newly orphaned, has just moved to Michigan, to the quaint little community of New Zebedee and into his very strange Uncle Jonathan's sprawling mansion at 100 High Street. Lewis instantly feels at home in this grand old house, with its many unexplored rooms and secret passages. He vey quickly grows fond of his uncle, whose peculiar ways are matched by his lavish kindness, and of their friendly next door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann. But here's the thing: each night at midnight, Lewis hears his uncle patrolling the grounds, venturing into each room and randomly tapping on the walls. And Lewis's bump of curiosity perks up. Maybe it has to do with that incessant ticking noise seeming to originate from every wall in the house. Maybe it has to do with Lewis's uncle being a wizard.

Uncle Jonathan isn't a powerful wizard (Mrs. Zimmermann, it turns out, is a more powerful witch, and with a collegiate degree in magic at that), but Jonathan definitely knows more than just sleight-of-hand tricks. He can even eclipse the moon. And yet, even though Uncle Jonathan tries to hide it, he's clearly nervous about the ticking, which in the next few months seems to progressively get louder and louder. Lewis learns that before Uncle Jonathan came to live in it, the malevolent warlock Isaac Izard and his wife witch Selenna used to inhabit the mansion, and who knows what dark enchantments were worked during their stay?

For Lewis, times at school are horrible as ever. Squeamish and plump, it's hard for him to make friends, and when he does end up making one, he goes above and beyond in his attempts to keep the friendship going. Lewis, trying to impress his friend, ends up at the graveyard dabbling in black magic. And then the spell goes horribly, horribly wrong (or horribly right, since it actually worked). It was only supposed to be an innocent attempt at resurrection. What are the odds that Lewis would inadvertently perform the spell in front of the tomb of Selenna Izard? It wouldn't be too long from that moment that Lewis Barnavelt, his Uncle Jonathan, and the benevolent Mrs. Zimmermann would be facing peril and pursuit and a desperate search for the clock in the walls inexorably ticking down the end of the world.

Concerning children's literature, I stand John Bellairs up with the greats and most definitely with the more contemporary likes of R.L. Stine, Diana Wynne Jones and J.K. Rowling. Bellairs demonstrated this knack for seamlessly weaving in the ordinary with the occult. He introduced elements of warmth and whimsy, most felt in Lewis's relationships with his uncle and with Mrs. Zimmermann. I remember the big smile on my mug when reading passages of these comfy-homey practitioners of magic, indulging in their craft to amuse each other and Lewis. I was thinking when I first read this book: Man, Lewis has it so good, with a wizard for an uncle who fills his days with wonder and shows him Historical Illusions and plays poker with him. And Lewis has it so good, living in a mysterious house in which he runs into cool things like the mechanical Fuse Box Dwarf and the magic coat rack which allows one peeks into exotic places (although sometimes it'll just give out Dow-Jones averages and livestock reports).

That sense of charming affability works to sucker you in, though, because, at the same time, Bellairs is also building and building on that ominous suspense, starting you off with that uneasy tingle, gradually rising to a palpable tension, culminating in a crescendo of chilling supernatural terror. Bellairs does this very well. In the end, after an assortment of genuinely creepy moments, it falls to the meek but likeable young protagonist to save the day.

For a while now, author Brad Strickland has taken over the writing of the Lewis Barnavelt series, beginning in 1993 with The Ghost in the Mirror (Lewis Barnavelt), which had been an unfinished work of Bellairs. Strickland has kept the stories pretty faithful to Bellairs's sensibilities. And, frankly, I'm just grateful that there are stories still being told about Lewis, Rose Rita, Uncle Jonathan, and Mrs. Zimmermann. I hung out with them as a child, and even nowadays I don't mind at all catching up with these weird, wonderful folks from New Zebedee. But it starts with THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS. For young readers seeking to experience a new set of the willies, the heebie-jeebies, or the creepy crawlies, this book will most definitely do. ... Read more

Product Description
A typist uncovers a man's body from behind the sofa!As instructed, stenographer Sheila Webb let herself into the house at 19 Wilbraham Crescent. It was then that she made a grisly discovery: the body of a dead man sprawled across the living room floor.What intrigued Poirot about the case was the time factor. Although in a state of shock, Sheila clearly remembered having heard a cuckoo clock strike three o'clock. Yet, the four other clocks in the living room all showed the time as 4.13. Even more strangely, only one of these clocks belonged to the owner of the house! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

"He Just Came There to be Killed..."
"The Clocks" starts with possibly one of the strangest setups in the Agatha Christie canon: a young woman is called to an address to do typing for the blind resident that has specially requested her, only to find a body in a room full of clocks - all of which, oddly enough, are set at the wrong hour. Even odder, her client Mrs Pebmarsh denies having ever made the call requesting for a stenographer in the first place. The man has no identification about him at all except for a card with the name of an insurance company on it that doesn't exist.

The investigation involves the close-knit community of Wilbraham Crescent, all of whom have their own idiosyncrasies and secrets to be uncovered, but the police work grounds to a halt when no one comes forward to identity the body. Meanwhile, intelligence agent Colin Lamb has arrived in the vicinity on the tail of an international spy, only to get caught up in the corresponding mystery after Sheila Webb rushed from the house in hysterics after finding the body.

Style-wise, the plot flits a tad uncomfortably between Inspector Hardcastle's third-person narrative and Agent Colin Lamb's first-person account and "The Clocks" is ultimately a rather odd little mystery, mingling several ideas strewn throughout Christie's other books, including international espionage (as you'd expect from Tommy and Tuppence), neighborhood psychology (as in Miss Marple) and a rather light helping of Poirot. He's only in about three scenes, but is at his infuriating best, quietly taking in the evidence that the police provide him with, noting the inconsistencies, and exercising his little grey cells at leisure to draw the right conclusions.

There are a couple of extraordinary coincidences, such as an unlikely invalid witness (straight out of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window) who was watching from across the street, and a connection between the two other-wise unrelated cases, but on a lighter note, Poirot also provides commentary on several other crime writers and their techniques - poking fun at the reliance on far-fetched coincidence, lucky chance, melodrama and violence. One gets the feeling that Christie was having a little bit of fun with this particular story, taking the facets of other mystery writers and mixing them into her own plot. She also manages to get a little dig in at her readership when Poirot mentions that contemporary readers are more likely to write in and complain to the author about inaccuracies!

This is perhaps *not* Christie at her best, though she still displays a deft hand at misdirection, careful plotting, and putting the devil in the details. More disbelief than usual has to be suspended for the denouncement, but "The Clocks" is definitely a page-turner, mainly due to the riveting opening and crackling pace.

Stisfied customer
The book arrived on time, in good condition and I am completely satisfied with my purchase.

Great audiobook.
Robin Bailey does a wonderful job narrating Agatha Christie's The Clocks. Although I prefer David Suchet's and Hugh Fraser's Poirot audio books (for obvious reasons), Bailey does not disappoint. He creates unique vocal inflections for nearly all characters, although he basically gives up on Poirot's accent after a few sentences.

The story itself (which I had read several years ago) has a really neat setup, and could have gone in many directions. Unfortunately, the solution itself is so convoluted as to be nearly unbelievable. Even though discovering who the culprit is turns out to be a let down, the build up is top-notch, and Bailey keeps the story moving at a very nice clip.

The Clocks
I had always wanted to read "The Clocks" and now that I have I am a bit disappointed. Not that the story was bad, in fact it was very well done, there is a mystery element that you will not figure out, and a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. The only problem I had was that the book depicted that this was a Pirot novel, when in fact he was hardly in it. The protagonist would present Pirot the evidence and he would basically say if they were warm or off the mark. But other than that It was a fun read.

A clunker

Trying to have some fun with one of mystery's typical conventions, Christie comes up with a clunker this time. Using a British spy, with the far too cute name of Colin Lamb, as the Hastings stand in; Christie has Poirot work from home in homage to John Dickson Carr's locked room mysteries. Crescent shaped neighborhoods, international espionage, a damsel in distress, and the titular clocks all come into play in this mess of a mystery that definitely needed more Poirot to make it palatable. Too many red herrings and the underlying combination of spying and romance sit uncomfortably together causing nothing more than annoyance for the reader. As it stands it doesn't so much entertain as bore and when all is resolved you are relieved as opposed to amused as you realize this one's finally over.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Challenging and amusing book
The "Clock Without a Face" is a book with only 30 very heavy board-like pages. It tells a story about the theft of 12 jeweled gold numbers stolen and hidden in various parts of the US. Two pages are dedicated to each number, giving clues in the text and the complex pictures. It is true that 12 numbers have been hidden. All but three have been found, including the most valuable one of all, the 12. There may be one near where you live!

printing error
Do all the books skip floors 8, 7, & 6 and have floors 5, 4, & 3 printed twice?Or did I just get a misprinted book?

what a gas!
A fun hunt for you and your family. The drawings are very "Where's Waldo"-y. If you are familiar with MASQUERADE by Kit Williams, then it is hard not to compare/contrast these two books. If you are not in it for the hunt, then perhaps you will appreciate its unconventional aesthetic. It is childishly amusing, but not much more than that. Middle props yo!

Third Revision: Back to 5 Stars!
After looking over my notes, and after a message on the official website alluding to the lengthy hunt yet to come, I believe that there are layers of clues beyond the initial hunt for numbers.It's a great relief to think that the elegant mix of clues I was seeing was not a colossal set of red herrings.The next rounds of solutions apparently do require more intellectual digging.

Although there has been a mini "gold rush" (or 'emerald rush," as it were) in which a number of the acknowledged treasures have been found, I expect there are still plenty of puzzles left to solve and rewards yet to discover.You can catch up with background discussion and learn what has already been discovered at websites "Tweleve" or "HitContests" or the official "Gus Twintig" site.

Original review:
I think I know why Amazon is reviewing the description of this product.This is a fun, extremely clever "armchair treasure hunt" book, but 9-12 year-olds (currently cited by Amazon as the target audience) would quickly be overwhelmed by the magnitude of effort involved in solving the clues.

(Tiny, partial spoiler alert) For instance, I am pursuing one set of clues on the 7th floor.I recognized a Barcelona Chair, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, because I studied modern architecture when I was in college.When using an anagram website, one phrase from the book mentioned the word amaranth.When I looked that up, I realized that a plant near the chair might be an amaranth.I believe the clue is directing the reader to find something related to "ABC" (Amaranth Barcelona Chair = ABC).This example shows why, in my opinion, the larger hunt would be much too difficult for most kids to put together.

An adult who has a smattering of background involving the Periodic Table of the Elements, modern art, anagram websites and online search engines will enjoy this hunt.There appear to be rebus puzzles, lots of written and visual puns, allusions to clockwork, chemical formulas and possibly trigonometry involved in cracking the codes.Several websites offer active discussions or wikis for people to share theories, raise questions and tell tales of (so far) fruitless hunts for buried treasures.As the authors participate in a promotional book tour, they drop a clue at each event.

Based on the Amazon age group recommendation, I bought two copies of the book for nieces and nephews before I bought one for myself.Even my fourteen-year-old nephew (who loves wordplay) has shown no interest, even after I gave him a taste of the kinds of anagram clues I was finding.I wish I had gotten something else for the kids.(A better alternative: at age eight, my niece loved Paul Adshead's, "Around the World With Phineas Frog: A Geographical Puzzle" and his other books.) I am very much enjoying spending my own "time", however, on The Clock Without a Face.

Put back on the shelves!
This is an amazing book for kids and adults. My son and I have spent hours studying it's detailed pages and mysteries. For anyone intrigued by treasure hunts, this book will delight you. I do not understand why it is no longer available! Perhaps it is because of an intentional illustration prank that appears as a printing error? Please make it available for purchase again. ... Read more

Product Description
Cut this book into 160 pieces, glue them together, and have a paper clock operated by weights that keeps perfect time and can be rewound and regulated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Things you need to knowabout the working paper clock
I just wanted to share some of experiences while making this clock and hopefully they will be helpful to you.
First of all get an extra copy or 2. Printing a copy of each page before hand is useful for reference, just in case you cut out pieces before you mark the
number of the piece on it and don't know what it is, but an extra copy or 2 allows for spare parts, which you will need in order to make precision pieces, sometimes you will need to make the gears twice, in order to get practice down.
Important Items you will need, and get them beforehand so you have them as you move along.
glue: I bought a bottle of Tacky Glue. I use it 2 different ways, 1) straight out of the bottle for those instant tack needs. 2) I thin it out in a seperate container for those thin applications where you need to glue back to back or to cardboard or just general gluing. Using it straight from the bottle only if absolutely necessary, thinned is better.
Exacto blade kit with lots of good blades and different sizes. The kit I have has about 50 different blade types, different type holders and it also has needle points which are very handy.
For the cardboard I used the backer piece of what a pack of construction paper comes in. It is about .5mm thick so I found that for pieces 48 and 89, I needed to glue 3 pieces of this cardboard together to be sure the rubberband will fit well in these locations. After gluing them together I cleaned up the edges bu sanding them, making the pieces consistently round.
Straighy edge, a metal one will eventually dull your blades, I used a plastic triangle.
Heavy weight, I found this to be the most useful, I have a block of wood and a 12"x6"x3/4" block of steel, very heavy. I noticed the heavier the better for
flattening out those back to back glued pieces. Warping was a big issue, hence the need to make some of the gears twice!! Warping was caused by too much glue spread to thick and not moving quick enough to weight it done.
A couple of artist brushes, 1 very small, 1 medium.
I also found that a self healing cutting mat was indespensible.
Axles and bearings: I went to Joannes Fabrics and bought some bead piercing needles, found them by mistake thought they would work well for the smaller gears but they were to thin. However they work great for small holes, precision holes and temporary needs. I then found some alumunum knitting needles in an assortment pack consisting of 5 of each 2.25mm, 2.0mm, 1.75mm and 1.5mm. I used the2.0mm for the main gear and the clock hands. The 1.5mm for the rest of the gears and escapement. For the bearings I found some wooden beads, 2 sizes, however I needed to

Difficult, but fun project.
I ordered two books, because you have to actually cut the book up to make the clock.It has very small, and detailed cuts, so I would suggest very sharp exacto knife of some sort.Not a simple project, but very unique.

A Tricky Project for the Aspiring Horologist (and Experienced Paper Crafter)
This is the third time I've owned this kit.

Why?Well, aside from teenage sloppiness and overcoming the learning curve associated with paper crafting, the end result of this project is more than just a paper model: it's a machine.

No longer is it enough for the pieces in the model to fit together, or for the whole thing to stand up without crumbling. Parts must turn, rock, and slide within a certain degree of precision.Strings must be wound and pendulums adjusted.On top of all that, it's (almost) all paper, and paper isn't nearly as durable as the metal/wood/plastic found in other mechanical clocks.

Impossible then?Nah...But my experience says this:
-Papercraft experience helps.The straighter your folds and the cleaner your cuts, the better the stage is set for moving parts.I say always use a ruler and an X-Acto (craft knife), and I recommend using an embossing stylus for making straight creases (a few bucks at a Michael's or other craft store).
-Be prepared to look for materials not included: cardboard, string, paper clips (wood or metal dowels might work better), lead shot (pennies worked well for me instead), and metal bearings (little metal rings for the axles, I can't quite find any)
-Patience helps.But then again, most crafts work better as such.

When all is said and done, I find the creation to be quite gratifying, hanging on the wall ticking away proudly.

If this kit strikes your interest, try finding Wrebbit's Medieval Clock Kit, which is a pre-cut, nicely colored, all inclusive take on the paper clock idea.Sadly, Wrebbit no longer makes this, so your best bet might be eBay.

Good luck.

notice
I bought this book. and I noticed an error on piece 7. maybe it is an error, or I didn't read right. I am working on it now, and hope i will not make anymore errors. you must be very precise about how you place pieces, and you must be very careful on how you read the pieces. I mean it.

Hope it works!
I find the paperclock very interesting.The contents look interesting and convincing that it will work if one can complete.I have not started yet, but should be able to finish by the end of this year.Hope it will work!! ... Read more

Product Description
An Episcopal priest, a spiritual wilderness, and a couple who shared the fire led to longed-for renewal. This now-classic story tells how the Charismatic movement began and swept into the churches across America. Father Dennis is still hailed as one of the central figures in the early renewal movement. Through Father Dennis’ testimony, the reader discovers how God can and will release His power to His people if we allow Him to truly become the King of our lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Inspirational and Instructive
Dennis Bennett's account of his Christian walk with the Holy Spirit is a timeless inspirational classic on the charisma that God gives through the Holy Spirit.This book gives the story of Bennett, an Episcopal priest, learning about the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" and experiencing it for himself in the mid-60's.His life and ministry are radically transformed by the overwhelming presence of God's Spirit and the gift of praying in tongues.

Bennett tells the story of his own tranformation and people's reaction to his new experience.His ministry changes and blossoms, as he begins to experience and witness God's power.He sees his congregations transformed, and some people reject this move of God and become embittered.

This is a story of the Pentecostal fire of the Holy Spirit spreading through his church. It makes me hungry for a contemporary movement of God's Spirit as Bennett and those around him experienced.

This book changed my life and that of my whole family.
When I read this book, I was a young parent who had become disillusioned with my life.As the song goes, "Is that all there is?"I found out that it was not all there is.My husband, my children, my mother, my sisters, and I changed our lives as a result of reading this book.We are now living the abundant life as mentioned in the Bible.As the years have gone by, I have given this book to many others who were just like me; looking for more in life.I hope that others will read it and find out what that more is....Sandra in South Carolina

Charismatic testimony that is believable to a seeking but suspicious Christian
I met Dennis Bennett at a week long charismatic conference in San Jose, CA back in 1974.Although an ordained Episcopal priest, I had searched the New Testament back in 1972 and had determined that God intended a "Pentecostal" event for ALL Christians as a part of HIS definition of the "good news" of the gospel.At the end of that year, after three months of receiving prayer and the laying on of hands, God filled me with His Holy Spirit (after doing some serious "plowing" of my scholarly pride, my unforgiving attitudes and sins that for which I had not yet entered into what HE defined as repentance).I continued to be skeptical -- and still do -- of the reality of many Pentecostal claims, since I find them so ready to numerous numerous commands of Jesus and the apostles.But I found Dennis Bennett's story very believable.And when I met the man I was deeply impressed with his gentleness, good will and thoughtfulness.He was a VERY believable person, and I hope you will find his story to be believable enough for you to search the New Testament for yourself.

Sincerely,
Reed Merino
[...]

None O'Clock in the Morning
This is an excellent book for those who are seeking a closer relationship with God through the Holy Spirit

Beginnings of the Charasmatic Renewal - Holy Spirit
Nine O'Clock in the Morning by Dennis J. Bennett is all about the man - the "father" of the Charasmatic renewal.

Bennet was an episcoplian of a 2,500 strong congregation and the Holy Spirit comes - the joy, consequnces, misunderstandings etc. of the 'baptism of the Holy Spirit'in his American Anglican church.

A good read, enjoyable and informative a a great social history of the charasmatic renewal from the 1960s onwards. The book has gone through many editions. ... Read more

Product Description
Nancy Drew's keen mind is tested when she searches for a missing will. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (73)

Worth Reading MANY Times
I grew up on Nancy Drew.I matured on Nancy Drew.And I'm bound and determined to spend my Golden Years re-reading Nancy Drew!One of the neatest things is the perspective.These were written before I was even a glimmer in my Mom & Dad's eyes.Heck, they were written even before Mom & Dad had even laid eyes on one another.Women's Lib (the way it's defined today) didn't exist.And yet the Heroine is a Girl!She wasn't rebelling against the Glass Ceiling Society.She was just doing what she did best.Seeing and listening, remembering and putting 2 + 2 together to make 4.Solving the Mystery in the process.I can see the Deus ex Machina.So what.

You don't have to read them in order.But I am so very grateful that they are all available.From 1 to who knows???(I don't.I'm only on 19 now.I'll be ordering 20 - 25 once I get done here!!!)

The Kindle Version is as good as the Hardcopy.They've included the Drawings AND the Copyright Page.The Table of Contents works ... not that I ever give it a chance to do so since I read from page 1 to the end.Not at one sitting, although you could since they aren't humongous!!!

Bottom line:If you enjoy Mysteries and don't need a lot of blatant sex & violence or foul language to enjoy a book, then Nancy Drew will give you at least an hour or two of pleasure!!!There's fast action and not a lot of boring "gotta add words just to make the book bigger".

When there's a will there's a way!

Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene is an awesome mystery book! It is about a girl, Nancy Drew, who goes out to find a will in a clock that could help her friends with their financial situations. One will says that all the money would go to the rich, mean Tophams. But there were rumors that there is another will--and Nancy was determined to find it. To find this will Nancy faces many challenges from trying to get clues out of Tophams to chasing down robbers who had what might be the key to her success. In the end Nancy learns that when there's a will there's way and she is a great detective!
This book was one of the best mystery books I have ever read! There was lots of action, excitement, and mystery. I loved how right when you thought you knew where the will was; there was another clue to be considered. For example, when Nancy found the clock and she thought she had found the will, there was another clue waiting inside. Nancy Drew was very smart and you can tell this book was very well thought out--from the main plot about the mystery, to the tiniest details about how she finds the most crucial clues. This book is amazing and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery!

A good start to the "yellow hardcover" series!!
NOTE: The original version of "The Secret of the Old Clock" was written in 1930 and was 210 pages long, but the book I am reviewing is the rewritten version from 1959, and is only 180 pages long, including illustrations.

This book is first in the standard "yellow hardcover" Nancy Drew series, and is definitely one of the better books in the series, suitable to capture the attention of new readers and invite them into this classic world in which any criminal or fraudulent activities become targeted by the relentless teen sleuth!

The standard "yellow hardcover" series generally has three types of books, and this volume is of type number 2:

1. Totally new stories written and published between 1957 and the early 1980s.Most of the yellow books that fall into this category are not that great (for example, Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion).Instead of keeping focused on mystery and adventure, they tend to pause the story to include "educational material," and they tend to have over-complicated plots with too many characters that have very little to distinguish them from each other.They feel quite artificial in design and have a bland tone focused more on Nancy's perpetual schedule of appointments, with the mystery often dragged out over a matter of weeks because of trivial obstacles and distractions and runs of "bad luck."Try to identify which books were written in this fashion, and avoid them until you've read all those that were written in the other two styles.The original stories tended to all be much better than these re-writes, although a few of these new stories did turn out okay.One hint to identify which books were these weaker ones is that they were usually written in the late 1960s or early-mid 1970s, and the artwork is often inferior to that contained in the other volumes.Since some decent stories were also written during that same time period, a second hint is that the volumes that were originally written in the 1930s to early 1940s tended not to fare very well in their "yellow edition" re-writes - these primarily include many of the volumes numbered in the teens, but also apply to the majority of new volumes numbered in the late 30s to the early 50s.For example, "The Secret of the Golden Pavilion," which starts okay and then drags out into mediocrity.These types of books are usually readable, but are much slower-going and less interesting than the other two types of stories, described below.New readers may find them okay, but seasoned readers will feel at least a bit of disappointment.

2. Rewritten versions of the old, original stories that were first published in 1930.These types of stories (mostly those re-written before 1965) tend to be pretty good, retaining the ideas of the original novels, but in an updated form that is set in the latter half of the 20th Century rather than the first half of it.They are pretty fun books, even though the writing style is not as moody and detailed as the original, longer versions.Many of the books in this style keep the focus on adventure and mystery, sometimes including long action scenes (such as chases, suspenseful investigations, stakeouts, and faceoffs with criminals in perilous circumstances).These books keep the flavor of what made these stories good.The mystery is usually solved within a week or less, with memorable, swift-moving action and moodiness.The centerpiece of "The Secret of the Old Clock" is when Nancy finds and pursues criminals while looking for a vital clue that will restore swindled property back into the hands of its deserving owners, and this adventure scene moves along for dozens of pages without a break in the suspense, just as the original book had.This style of storytelling is much better than the newer "type 1" stories in which a brief, contrived-feeling event happens at the end of each chapter, only to be resolved quickly on the very next page.(That kind of storytelling was not very memorable.) "The Secret of the Old Clock" starts the "yellow hardcover" series very well, and this good start continues in volumes #2, 3, 6, 7, and 9 in a similar style of memorable storytelling that is faithful to the originals despite being shortened markedly.Those 6 books should probably be read first, and contain some of the best stories in the "yellow hardcover" series.The artwork tends to be quite good, as well!

3. Edited, shorter versions of the original stories that were published from the early 1930s until 1956.These are usually pretty good as well, so long as the original story was of good quality.Examples include "Clue in the Crumbling Wall" and "The Ghost of Blackwood Hall."This style usually covers those books that were originally published from the late 1940s and early 1950s that were re-released with mere editing instead of re-writing, and so these books often retain the flavor of the original stories quite well.These tend to be the volumes numbered in the 20s and early 30s.The quality of the artwork varies from good to fair, but since it's the story that counts, these stories are usually a good bet.

I loved it, my 8 year old daughter doesn't...
Since I read somewhere that the older version of Nancy Drew features a younger, feistier Nancy Drew, I opted for this edition of book one instead of the later version from the 50's?.My daughter is an avid reader, who, once enamored of an author, will read that author's entire series, but this is the first book in a year she simply put down and had no interest in.I read it, and being old school, loved the turn of phrase from a bygone era.My daughter would rather read the popular titles that today's kids are reading.I'll try the newer version on her to see if that makes a difference.

Give it a try, but don't be disappointed if your child prefers the likes of Geronimo Stillton, Judy Blume or JK Rowling.

Loved it
actually had the book as a little girl and still do.

So when I listened to it it followed perfectly it was great. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Practical Clock Repairing
The book has plenty of easy written information for the average clocks repair person. There are good number of drawings, which are very helpful to explain propely all important steps. Also, the book can be used by not professional person, who treats repairing clocks as a hobby. There is not enough of books of this type on the market. Thank you.

clock repair
the book is very good but what i found out is that i already own this book mi guess 2 is better than one.ihave other booik and thyis i would rate as very goodj mailler

Classic
This book is a classic, around in various incarnations since the 1950's.

The reason is simple: it covers a wide range of clocks and tackles a complex subject with admirable clarity. Well over 100 illustrations.

Practical Clock Repairing
The book was what I was looking for and more.Answered questions I didn't know I even had. ... Read more

Product Description
A how-to guide to diagnosing and correcting faults in clocks, antique and modern.Laurie Penman has written an indispensable guide for both the absolute beginner and the experienced clock enthusiast. The Clock Repairer’s Handbook provides information on how to repair and maintain a clock’s delicate mechanics and teaches the basics of clock repairing through detailed, easy-to-follow instructions and more than three hundred instructive diagrams and illustrations. Advice and directions for cleaning clock movements, pivoting and mounting, fixing train faults and gears, the importance of lubrication and friction, and how to make sure the strike and chimes work on the hour, every hour. The Clock Repairer’s Handbook provides all the necessary information to troubleshoot any clock’s problems and to make sure your clock continues to run in perfect order for generations to come. 300 black-and-white illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

You Need This!
The Clock Repairer's Handbook by Laurie Penman If you own a goo clock (especially a grandfather clock or other keepsake one) this book is a MUST for you, since clock-repairers are a rare breed in today's world. With the invention of cheap clocks and watches that are easier to throw away than to repair, few people became clock makers, formerly one of the most important crafts in the world. Now, if your heirloom clock ceases to work there is no one to repair it.With this excellent, illustrated, step-by-step guide book, even a novice or beginner can build or repair a clock using the most basic tools which you probably already have in your home.Penman has been repairing clocks for over thirty years and has authored three other books on the subject . The worod is very fortunate that he has shared his expertise in a form that every home can keep, just in case!EXCELLENT!

Clock Repair Handbook review
The book arrived quickly, and in good shape. The book has a lot of good information, with clear diagrams.

Not for the novice!
A very concise and detailed book, with many simple graphics but no photographs and certainly not of use to the novice who just wants to clean up and maintain a collection of old clocks.

you need this book
Excellent book!! Very detailed. It will require study, but is easily understood. And it's ALL in there- ftom nubie to expert. I've purchased 5 books, and this is the last one. I'll never need another.

hard to understand
Very difficult book to comprehend. Just about useless as an aid to repairing clocks. I think a lot of it has to do with the language gap between American English and what the people in Britain speak. I am sorry I wasted my money on this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Ponder, if you will ...
What is the difference between a kit and a caboodle?
Why don't people get goose bumps on their faces?
Where do houseflies go in the winter?
What causes that ringing sound in your ears?

Customer Reviews (14)

Why do Clocks Run Clockwise?
I've always been a Q&A fan, so David Feldman's great books were just the thing I needed to read.There are questions for everyone, but the risk with that is that there are undoubtedly some questions you just won't be interested in.Many of the questions are also irrelevant in the modern world, as it is a slightly older book.I love the tone in Feldman's answers: sprinkled with sarcasm, making for an even more enjoyable read.As funny as the answers are, of all things, the illustrations accompanying some of the questions.Priceless!

Rating: 4/5

Read and Learn!
I learned a lot reading this book of unusual "Why" questions about things I never thought about.The answers are short and to the point but well researched.It's an amusing book that I enjoyed reading a bit at a time.A good reference book, especially if you have children who are constantly asking "why" questions!

Cute - but sometimes left you wanting more
I found this really interesting to read; however, many of the answers seemed not enough.Filled my head with lots of useless trivia none the less.

239 "why's" answered
This book is a lot of fun and it is possible to actually have some thing in it tat you did not know. However the statements or answers are limited in scope requiring you to do further research to flesh out the answer. The answers are given by contributors, not Davis Feldman. So we must rely of the credibility of the contributor. Again because of the limited answer the contributor does not feel compelled to back you the reason for the statement.

How ever for a quickie answer to questions you might not have asked such as "Why does Coca-Cola from a small bottle taste better than Coca-Cola from a large bottle or can?" this book is fun.

A more appropriate question "When did Coca-Cola substitute corn syrup for sugar and why?" Maybe in the next book

TRULY SUBSTANTIAL FOR A BETTER LIFE.........
A funny little book, filled with trivia information that will show you how to live a happier and more balanced life.....For instance, you will never again have to go to the psychiatrist to discuss your frustration, about your inability to understand things like: Why have humans lost most of their body hair? Why are hamburger bun-bun bottoms so thin? Why do doughnuts have holes? For a relatively small sum, you will get rid of tranquillizers, since you will not awake anymore in the middle of the night, wondering about: Why don't people get goosebumps on their faces? Why are there eighteen holes on a golf course? What happens with the tread that wears off tires?
Last but not least, this fact filled book, will enable you to settle all those boring, but potentially dangerous arguments with your couple about delicate issues such as: Does putting women's hosiery in the freezer forestall runs? What purpose do wisdom teeth serve? Why does Coca-Cola from a small bottle taste better than Coca-Cola from a large bottle or can?
So, rush now, if you really want to know why clocks run clockwise.Or not, if you have other, existencialistic (real), problems...... ... Read more

Product Description
George Stroud is a hard-drinking, tough-talking, none-too-scrupulous writer for a New York media conglomerate that bears a striking resemblance to Time, Inc. in the heyday of Henry Luce. One day, before heading home to his wife in the suburbs, Stroud has a drink with Pauline, the beautiful girlfriend of his boss, Earl Janoth. Things happen. The next day Stroud escorts Pauline home, leaving her off at the corner just as Janoth returns from a trip. The day after that, Pauline is found murdered in her apartment.

Janoth knows there was one witness to his entry into Pauline’s apartment on the night of the murder; he knows that man must have been the man Pauline was with before he got back; but he doesn’t know who he was. Janoth badly wants to get his hands on that man, and he picks one of his most trusted employees to track him down: George Stroud, who else?

How does a man escape from himself? No book has ever dramatized that question to more perfect effect than The Big Clock, a masterpiece of American noir. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

classic noir, but please skip the introduction before reading the text
The Big Clock a classic work of noir, twice made into movies. Nicely plotted, based on characters who drink, sleep around, and lie, and who are not much characterized beyond that. The twist that makes this book a classic is that the main character is forced to lead an investigation that, if successful, will result in his being framed for murder. The plot moves briskly and despite the main character's subtle efforts to slow the investigation, his situation soon grows dire.

I will say no more, which I wish could also said of Nicholas Christopher's introduction at the start of the book. It is an intelligent analysis of the story and its failings, but matter-of-factly gives away the entire plot and its resolution. I urge you, if you have not read the book before, to skip the introduction until after you have done so.

Pretty Good, But a Bit of a Disappointment
Critics consider The Big Clock to be one of the classic mystery novels. So I jumped at the chance to buy it when I saw a dog-eared copy in a used bookstore for 25 cents. I enjoyed reading the book. I cannot, however, give it more than three stars. It was a bit of a letdown due to the high expectations that I had prior to reading it.

The Big Clock concerns George Stroud, a hard-drinking adulterer. One evening Stroud drops his mistress off at her home. As Stroud leaves, from a distance he sees his boss approach the mistress. (The boss is also involved with the mistress). Subsequently, the boss murders the mistress in a fit of passion.

To complicate matters, the boss then assigns Stroud to find the mysterious stranger who saw the boss before the murder. Stroud is forced to conduct the investigation that leads the boss closer to uncovering Stroud's identity.

It's a great setup, but author Kenneth Fearing cannot quite make it work. I do not think that there is one fatal flaw in The Big Clock, but a number of lesser faults detract from the reader's enjoyment. One, the plot of the book is a little too neat. The Big Clock is a short read (144 pages); I think that the book is too short to develop a complex novel with many characters. Two, Fearing uses multiple narrators to tell the story. I have no objections to this technique per se, but books that use it often end up with a choppy, uneven quality. Unfortunately, this is the case with The Big Clock. Three, I don't want to give up any key details, but some of George Stroud's behavior during the investigation is irrational.

The Big Clock is well worth reading. But it is not my favorite novel of suspense.

The Big Clock
This is an excellent novel, which was made into an almost equally excellent movie.Well-plotted, and told in an innovative way, this story is short but intense.Fearing was a splendid writer.

Somewhat of a Disappointment
The Big Clock is considered to be a classic representation of American Noir and, in many ways, I agree with that assessment. It has all of the elements that reflect that style of writing: a dark atmosphere, hardboiled narration, crime, suspense, obsessive passions, guilt ridden individuals caught up in circumstances beyond their control, etc. But this 1946 Kenneth Fearing novel fell flat for me and I can't say that I much enjoyed it.

George Stroud, one of the novel's several first-person narrators, works at a major publishing corporation and has a nice little life going for himself. His world includes a wife by the name of Georgette and a little girl called Georgia, a family that seems to genuinely enjoy calling each other by the name "George" in casual conversation. But all is not what it appears to be. George Stroud has cheated on his wife in the past and he makes little effort to change that habit, even going so far as to start an affair with the mistress of the founder of the company that employs him, one Earl Janoth.

Circumstances catch up with Stroud at the end of one weekend spent with this mistress of both men when, upon returning her to her apartment, he is glimpsed by Earl Janoth who has unexpectedly shown up at the apartment house. The brief encounter with Janoth becomes a threat to Stroud's very life after Janoth, in a sudden fit of rage, strikes the young woman a death blow with the wine decanter from which they were drinking before he confronted her about the mystery man he had seen with her.

The novel takes a Hitchcockian twist when Stroud is called into Earl Janoth's office and is placed in charge of a massive project to identify the mysterious man who might have the power to place Janoth at the murder scene. Stroud, of course, has to appear to be making the most of the company's massive resources to find the man while, at the same time, trying to make sure that he is never identified as being that man himself.

Author Kenneth Fearing still had me up to this point. I enjoyed watching Stroud squirm as he tried so desperately to appear to be the hound rather than the rabbit. The suspense level continued to build nicely and I wondered if he was going to avoid the goons who wanted to kill him or if he was going to have to finally confront them directly. But the timing involved in Fearing's solution is just so improbable that it ruined the novel for me and I wonder why the book is considered to be such a classic of its type. The book did translate well to film and has been made into two movies, The Big Clock starring Ray Milland and No Way Out, a Kevin Costner film.

A great New York noir - and a little more.
If you saw and liked the film you should read the book.Not only a great book but also a metaphor for the rat race of "The Organization Man" era. ... Read more

Product Description
Six o+clock looms, and dinner has to be on the table pronto-the kids don+t care if you+ve just come home from work exhausted and out of ideas or spent the afternoon ferrying them from school to playdate to tae kwon do practice. The Scramble to the rescue! Each week+s worth of recipes is utterly organized, easy-to-prepare and designed to please both adult tastes and finicky children+s palates. Everything is homemade, with a clever reliance on just enough prepared or packaged-but never fake-foods. Inventive, flavorful, and healthy are Aviva Goldfarb+s watchwords; her Scramble recipes include:¥ Recipes that can be prepared in thirty minutes or less¥ Weekly menus so parents need only shop once a week¥ One vegetarian main course per week¥ Meals that kids can help prepare¥ Fun foods for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, or weekend get-togethers¥ Complete nutritional information for each recipe¥ Dinners like honey-glazed salmon, Asian turkey burgers, and Moroccan Chicken that will please the whole family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

The best cookbook for family dinners
Our absolute favorite cookbook for dinner time.The recipes aren't particularly original, but they are tasty, relatively healthy, fairly kid friendly, and cook up fast and easily.We use it for many meals each week. A great purchase!

BEST recipes for my family!Highly recommended
I have tried several of the "family recipes for busy cooks" category of cookbook, and this is the only one that gives consistently good results---the recipes actually turn out the way they are supposed to by following the directions!!The ingredients are quick, healthy, and delicious, just as the cover promises.This is why I gave it five stars, but.......I wish some editor had helped with the organization a bit before they went to print.It is very difficult to find the recipes, because the seasonal sections that list the recipe titles don't give a page number for each recipe.A small complaint, but I've gone back and written in the page numbers so I can find them, something that I shouldn't have to do.However, the recipes are reliably so good that I turn to this again and again--definitely the most used book on the shelf.I also like the suggestions of sides dishes that go with the main recipes.There is a section of easy side dishes in the back--all very good.

Yummy & Simple
I ordered this book after a MOPs meeting where it was recommended by our speaker, a mother and nutritionist with a major grocery store chain. I love the breadth of recipes. There are some that my family won't eat, but with 1 dinner for every night of the week, there are still plenty to choose from. The suggestions for side dishes are also helpful. My personal style is to not follow the book day by day, but to look through the section for the season we are currently in and see what strikes my fancy.

Some of the meals are not super quick to make, but by doing the prep work at the beginning of the week or during nap time, I can manage those meals pretty easily. I do wish there were a few more crock pot meals, but understand that I can also buy cook books dedicated to that kitchen marvel.

Realistic and truly practical
Six O'Clock Scramble is the kind of book I would give to a new mom or anyone who thinks they might be eating too much take-out.The book is filled withreliable, fast recipes made from a limited number of inexpensive, easy to find ingredients. I meet lots of people who tell me they "don't cook" during the week.This is the kind of cooking that could get someone back into the habit fo feeding the family something healthy and less expensive.

Six'O'Clock Scramble is filled with the kinds of meals that someone can feed a family with when everyone's hungry and its already six.I love to cook, but nightly cooking is not a time when I am looking for an opportunity to be creative.Nor do I have the time to be choping four kinds of veggies for a side dish.This book provides a range of options--some for nights when you have fifteen minutes, others when you have thirty.

The meals are healthy, though some require a quick salad or vegetable on the side.Many can be prepared with pantry items and staples such as eggs, bacon etc.This is a really good, practical cookbook for everyday.

Use it every week
I checked this out from the library and decided to buy a copy. This is a great cookbook. The recipes are easy, quick and wholesome. I like that you can throw together something quickly using your ingredients on-hand plus maybe a few things from the grocery store, and voila, a meal! It's economical because it uses basic ingredients and is as quick and easy as take-out. I've tried several of the recipes and some have become staples for me. I like the extra info. between the recipes too, like how to deal with a picky eater. Unlike other "quick" cookbooks I have seen, the recipes are always healthy. Love it! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

Good Sale
This was an easy transaction.Product was just as described and shipping was quick.

Fantastic cookbook
I have been using Aviva Goldfarb's recipes through the Six O'Clock Scramble meal planning service and website for 3 years and most of my family's favorite recipes are Scramble recipes. I was excited to try her new cookbook and since receiving it a few weeks ago I have not been disappointed. The arrangement by seasons allows me to easily choose recipes with seasonal ingredients and flavors.The recipes give me the ability to cook healthy, easy meals from scratch using real ingredients with confidence. I highly recommend this cookbook.

Have the first and I think I like this book even more
I've cooked several things from this book and they've been delicious.I swear the author has special skills: even dishes I don't think the kids will like they love.It is scary!Thank you so much for a fabulous cookbook.

How about doing a breakfast and lunch cookbook?

Many family-pleasing recipes here!
I have been a Six O'Clock Scramble subscriber for years.Aviva's recipes are family-friendly, healthy, and easy to prepare.The focus in this latest book on creating earth-friendly meals is a welcome help.All suggestions are do-able, not extreme in any way. Our family has enjoyed, among other recipes, the Lemon-Parmesan Fusilli, Melted Sweet Potato Quesadillas, Chicken Parmesan with Garden Herbs, and Baked Risotto with Spinach and Cremini Mushrooms. Yum!

Fantastic family cookbook
This is an unbelievably good cookbook. First, the organization is great- everything you need for a dinner is laid out together; the side dish suggestions are great & recipes are on the same page; the weekly menus are helpfully grouped with the related recipes. More importantly, the recipes are written in a clear and easy to follow style- and they cook up as promised. And, critically, the recipes are so successful that we have already adopted several as household staples- and we're still in the first couple weeks of using the cookbook.

The only, relatively minor, caveat is that Ms. Goldfarb's children are clearly better at eating certain foods than mine are. I would love for them to cheerfully eat a black bean salad, but alas they have not yet seen the light.But I live in hope, and in the meantime, I can make it & eat it myself.

I have quite a lot of cookbooks, and have given away even more, because the recipes didn't live up to the book around them. This one is a keeper. ... Read more

Product Description
The Cuckoo Clock is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Mrs. Molesworth is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Mrs. Molesworth then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Best of the Best
Alice, Peter, Dorothy, the Wardrobe, half-magic . . . all on quests in magical places. But this one is the best and the most meaningful. Alone, Griselda is be-friended by magical creatures--not unlike imaginary friends--until she finds strength within herself and her real world. This old book never gained the notariety of others, but is far more enchanting, well-written, and touching than those that became more fashionable. It is a book that many readers claim changed their lives. It entertains and touches the hearts of young and old.

The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs. Molesworth,et al
This is one of the most magical & imaginative children's books I have ever read, I first read it as a child and have never forgotten it! Buy it for your children....

I don't believe you could give a better gift. . .
than "The Cuckoo Clock"to an imaginative child of the properage!While its tales-within-tales were lovely, what really caught me werethe evocative details of the little heroine's surroundings.I realize mylove for potpourri, nodding "Mandarin" porcelains, and yes, evencuckoo clocks were formed as I read this book. ... Read more

Product Description

"For hundreds of years ships had been sailing to places far and near without really knowing where they were!"

Sailors knew how to measure latitude, their location north or south of the equator, but they could not measure longitude, their location east or west of their home port. Because of this, many lives were lost worldwide. The key to solving this problem lay in devising a clock that could keep absolutely accurate time while at sea, unaltered by rough water or weather conditions. With such a timekeeper sailors would be able to know the time back at their home port and calculate the longitude. But no one knew how to design such a clock.

John Harrison (1693-1776), an Englishman without any scientific training, worked tirelessly for more than forty years to create a perfect clock. The solution to this problem was so important that an award of 20,000 pounds sterling (equal to several million dollars today) was established by the English Parliament in 1714. Harrison won recognition for his work in 1773.

Together with beautifully detailed pictures by Erik Blegvad, Louise Borden's text takes the reader through the drama, disappointments, and successes that filled Harrison's quest to invent the perfect sea clock. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Fine Children's Book
SEA CLOCKS tells the story of John Harrison, the English craftsman who solved the problem of how to determine longitude. Until he came along, latitude (distance north or south) was pretty easy to determine but longitude (distance east and west) was nothing more than a guess. The idea was understood but there was no practical way to make the determination. It depended upon the accurate determination of time which was beyond the mechanical devices of the day, especially at sea.

Harrison came from a humble background and trained himself. He managed to make important friends and connections. He also had many who were jealous of him and held him down. He spent his life solving the problem of longitude only to find that many snobs wanted to wait for a solution until it could be provided by somebody of the right social class.

This is not an exciting read but it is in informative one that might well appeal to young people. It presents just enough of the technicalities to make the problem understandable but does not go off into detail. Mostly, it is just a story of perseverance and honor. It's a good example.

An engaging picture book about solving a real world problem
Louise Borden's Sea Clocks: The Story Of Longitude is a picture book rendition of a troubling problem for sailors in the 1700's and before - although they could measure their latitude, they could not calculate their longitude, and therefore did not know exactly where they were on the waves. Many lives were lost at sea because of this. The solution to the problem would be to devise a clock that would keep accurate time at sea, regardless of water or weather conditions. Many struggled to create such a timekeeper; Sea Clocks follows the work of mechanical genius John Harrison (1693-1776), who labored tirelessly to make a viable sea clock a reality. Black-and-white and some sketchy color illustrations by Erik Blegvad nicely illuminate this engaging picture book about solving a real world problem. ... Read more

Product Description
A medical breakthrough explained by the leading authority on the connection between health and your body clock.

Chronotherapy -- adjusting the care of the body to coincide with the body's natural clock -- is poised to be the next major revolution in medical science. An understanding and awareness of these rhythms will enable us to maximize the effects not only of medications and other treatments but also of diets, exercise programs, and other daily routines.

The Body Clock Guide to Better Health combines a detailed discussion of major issues, such as sleep, exercise, and nutrition, with a comprehensive A-to-Z reference to specific disorders. Among the health concerns it addresses are AIDS, arthritis, asthma, ADD, cancer, depression, diabetes, digestive problems, allergies, heart disease, chronic pain, sexual dysfunction, and complications from pregnancy. General chapters explore the big picture -- including monthly cycles and life cycles -- and provide invaluable advice on foods and dietary supplements, fitness, better sex, jet lag, and more.

The Body Clock Guide to Better Health offers readers the dual benefits of improving the treatment of specific conditions while boosting their overall health and wellness.
Amazon.com Review
We've all used the terms night owl and earlyriser; all felt the intense hunger pangs of midday and thesubsequent ebb of energy after lunch; and all know what time of day weprefer to exercise or have sex. As explained in The Body ClockGuide to Better Health, these are normal cycles controlled by asort of biological timepiece (housed in the brain's hypothalamus) thatregulates everything from sleeping and eating patterns to heart rate,body temperature, and hormone production. These rhythms are vital toeveryday functioning, yet, the authors claim, they're mostlyoverlooked when doctors prescribe treatment. This oversight, theysuggest, diminishes the effectiveness of medical care; the potentialfor recovery and better health is enhanced when the timing ofmedication and other treatment is aligned with certain internalrhythms.

The Body Clock is an exhaustive guide to the meritsof chronotherapy, which synchronizes healthcare with the patient'sinternal clock. This can be as simple as taking pain relievers at thetime of day the body will best benefit from the medication, such asseveral hours before the patient's pain threshold will be at itslowest. (For most people, this is in the early morning; for thisreason you're probably better off scheduling dental work in the lateafternoon if possible.) Chronotherapy also has been shown to beeffective for people managing chronic health problems such as asthma,fibromyalgia, and arthritis.

The authors, Michael Smolensky, who isdirector of the Memorial-Hermann Chronobiology Center and a professorat the University of Texas-Houston's School of Public Health, andLynne Lamberg, a health writer, explain how monitoring one's clock bykeeping a "chronorecord"--a personal chart that maps variations inmood, alertness, sleep cycle, eating habits, and symptoms of pain--canempower us in achieving long-term vitality. Chapter by chapter, theyshow how timing is everything, whether applied to weight loss, sleep,sex, exercise, or recovery from illness. In the section "Sickness andHealth from A to (Nearly) Z," they address issues ranging fromdepression and hay fever to heartburn and skin disorders, givingpractical advice on how to integrate awareness of the body clock andconventional treatment methods. For example, application of topicaltreatments such as moisturizers and hydrocortisone creams may be morebeneficial in the afternoon than the morning because body temperatureis higher and the skin more porous. Chronobiology may also explainthe seasonality of illnesses: multiple sclerosis tends to worsen in latespring and summer; testicular cancer is diagnosed more in winter; andpostmenopausal women detect their own breast cancers most frequentlyin the fall, probably due to "annual cycles in ... hormone activity orseasonal changes in melatonin secretion."

Aside from the insight wegain into our body's rhythms, perhaps The Body Clock's mostvaluable contribution is its advocacy of a more holistic understandingof bodily cycles and our capacity for healing. While not a replacementfor conventional medical care, chronotherapy may at least give ahelping hand in the process of recovery and health maintenance, addinga more personal dimension to the ordinary routines of conventionalmedical care. The Body Clock is an engaging resource for thosewho take, or want to take, an active role in wellness. --RebeccaWright ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Just What I thought i purchased
The book arrived as described (used, a bit mildewy) but very readible (: This is a very informative book but i wish it were longer and had even more information in it. i read it all in about 1 hr.

Makes Total Sense
This is an excellent book that thoroughly explains your internal "clock," why we wake up when we do, sleep when we do, and even why we tend to gain weight in winter months (it's not what you might think).

I recommend this to anyone who works nights or shift work.

This books has a detailed section describing many ailments and how to prevent or correct them.

Major Publisher Error!!!!!
I just received this book (summer '09) and there is a major mistake on the part of the publisher.My copy has the right cover for "The Body Clock Guide To Better Health" by Michael Smolensky and Lynne Lamberg, but inside all the pages are for a different book called "Proclus A Commentary On The First Book of Euclid's Elements" by Glenn R. Morrow.

Obviously this is a major error.I have nothing against math or any of the ancient Greeks, but I really wanted to read about my internal clock.I feel bad having to write this "review" for a book that I only have the cover to, but I wanted to warn future purchasers of this book that you may not get what you ordered.

Nothing here to guide me to better health!
Not impressed! There is nothing healthy about being told what time of day is appropriate to take more pharmaceutical drugs. I'm throwing this one out!

This info should be known by every person!
When you know this, you should tell about it all your friends, and educate your doctor. ... Read more

Product Description
The odd couple of detection—the brilliant but cranky detectives of London’s Peculiar Crimes Unit—return in a tense, atmospheric new thriller that keeps you guessing until the final page. This time Bryant and May are up against a series of bizarre murders that defy human understanding—and a killer no human hand may be able to stop.

A mysterious stranger in outlandish Edwardian garb defaces a painting in the National Gallery. Then a guest at the exclusive Savoy Hotel is fatally bitten by what appears to be a marshland snake. An outbreak of increasingly bizarre crimes has hit London—and, fittingly, come to the attention of the Peculiar Crimes Unit.

Art vandalism, an exploding suspect, pornography, rat poison, Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, secret societies…and not a single suspect in sight. The killer they’re chasing has a dark history, a habit of staying hidden, and time itself on his side. Detectives John May and Arthur Bryant may have finally met their match, and this time they’re really working against the clock…. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Clocks run a little slow
"Seventy-Seven Clocks" has its fine moments as all of the Bryant and May mysteries do.Set in 1973 London, this is the story of the serial murders of members of a large, wealthy British mercantile family who are singularly unlikable, unproductive and disagreeable down the last young child.And here is one of the problems with this book, the reader cannot care a whit about the victims, let alone the killer(s).

In any event, author Christopher Fowler, has crafted an intricate plot that has its roots in the Victorian hay days of the British Empire and offers little clue before the last 100 pages (of nearly 500) as to how the tale will sort out.The route to the final solution is littered with many, many bodies, killed off in some pretty ingenious ways. Along the way, Fowler has much to say (through his two detective protagonists) about the rottenness of the British class system--particularly the upper middle class--which he effectively portrays as
destroying the country.

I did enjoy most of this book, mainly because Fowler has such a large bag of tricks that he has dragged out here.But I agree with another reviewer, who advised that this was not the best Bryant & May Mystery to start with.The series is grand and has several other gems that shine brighter.

77 Clocks
Classic Christopher Fowler...always a great read - the bumbling Arthur with his sophisticated sidekick John are always entertaining. Fowler has a way of writing that allows you to picture his main characters and their situations vividly. The 'supporting cast' also come to life and add a welcome dimension to the tale. There is always a twist and you won't be disappointed with 77 Clocks. Do yourself a favour and check out some of his earlier novels - Disturbia and Spanky are two of his best - totally different to this series but you won't want to put them down!

If you're new to the Bryant & May mysteries, don't start with this one...
I love these old school detectives- no fingerprints, no fiber evidence here, just two cops bouncing ideas off of each other as they interview witnesses and suspects. Each book is set in London, and the city's rich history and geography play a part in each book.

However, this book is not the strongest in the series. There are a couple of coincidences that don't work for me, and the plot is just so complicated that it strains belief.

Read them in order, starting with Full Dark House. By the time you get to Seventy Seven Clocks, you'll forgive the author of any mistakes he has made.

A quaint mystery of the old school type
Although the book is a recent release (relatively), the plot takes place in 1973, which Fowler uses to good effect in creating atmosphere.Bryant & May, the main characters, are old-school English detectives in charge of the Peculiar Crimes Unit - in other words, crimes that are odd or unusual.I enjoyed the book and enjoyed following them as they trailed their criminal and tried to figure out how and why the murders were occurring.A great find for people fond of old-school mysteries and good atmospheric reading.

Far fetched solution, indeed.
Publisher's Weekly indicates that readers may be disappointed by the far-fetched solution, and that's a kind way to put the ending -- tying the Savoy Hotel desk clerk who only happened to witness the first death, back into the heart of the whole murderous mechanism -- that yanks the long arm of coincidence right out of its socket.In a mystery, I like at least a sporting chance to spot the murderer and the mechanism; here, no such luck.What happened to the fabled British sense of fair play? ... Read more

Product Description
Instead of cringing the next time your colleagues utter the words, These students don t care, hand them Clock Watchers. Describe your personal struggles and your experience with the book so they know that you know what they re going through. Then point out a few of your favorite ideas. As you walk away, you ll smile knowing you ve made a difference.
Cris Tovani
Author of I Read It, but I Don t Get It

For Stevi Quate and John McDermott, this was the missing piece of their teaching: How can I motivate my students and then create a context that will engage them? Clock Watchers is their powerful answer a plan that gets kids to care about learning and truly engage with the curriculum.

Clock Watchers is not a book of tips and tricks. Instead it applies the research on motivation and engagement to support increased achievement and improved attitudes about school. Quate and McDermott s six-step framework:
catches students interest across the content areas
holds it through meaningful learning and valuable interactions
uses assessment to create further opportunities to connect kids with content
sustains it all with ideas for projects, activities, and even classroom routines and rituals.

Clock Watchers works with the most reluctant learners. Its end-of-text study guide makes the book ideal for PLCs and study groups, and it is a research-based resource for district-wide initiatives aimed at improving student motivation and engagement.

If deeper learning, increased achievement, and reduced drop-out rates matter to you, then motivation and engagement are an urgent matter. Read Clock Watchers with colleagues and put it into action before the time to change your students lives runs out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Solid Psychological Underpinnings
Great tips for the beginning teacher.Excellent reminders for the veterans.Relatively short and easy to read.As a teacher and high school librarian with 20 yrs. in the business, I can tell you this one is worth having on your shelves!I'm buying extra copies for our professional libraries in our middle and high schools.

Chapter 1:Do We Have Time for Motivation and Engagement? (Obviously, we save time if we plan ways to meet the emotional needs of the humans we work with.)
Chapter 2: Caring Classroom Community (the foundation...SO true)
Ch. 3 Checking In and Checking Out (the motivational value of various types of assessment)
Ch. 4 Choice (essential to provide relevancy, autonomy, self-responsibility),
Ch. 5 Collaboration (how to design and monitor assorted collaborative communities)
Ch. 6 Challenge (excellent example of a high school social studies class with a focus on questions, arguments, and high expections)
Ch. 7 Celebrations (appreciating students and honoring their achievements)
Ch. 8 Putting It All Together:The Six C's as a Braided River

Recipe for Effective Instruction, Effective Learning
As an instructional strategies coach for beginning teachers k-12,I read, I annotate, and I model, many ideas from many professional books. Reading professional books and applying the concepts to the classrooms of the beginning teachers is my job. So I read many books and by far Clock Watchers is the best book I have read in the last 2 years.In my opinion I find the book as valuable and mindset changing for viewing learning and how to be an effective teacher as Radical Reflections by Mem Fox and I Read It and I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani.

Each chapter weaves anecdotes and examples with practical ideas and strategies.Each chapter weaves student engagement theory into the text. And yet this text treats the reader as a professional; there are no "scripted" strategies in the text, it is up to the professional to determine implementation.

Page after page I find thoughts that reinforce the findings of Classroom Instruction That Works, by Marzano, Pickering, and Polluck.
Page after page I find strategies that reinforce the instruction and guidance of The Strategic Teacher by Silver, Strong, and Perini.

I realize this review sounds like a paid commercial and maybe a little scripted but it is a honest, spontaneous reaction to a great book. ... Read more