Advantages: Magical, inspirational and uplifting
Disadvantages: none really; though too many seagulls for some people's taste

...Seagulls are not my favourite animals - too much noise and too much sh*t. There's just one exception to my no-seagull rule. It's Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull, one of my favourite books of all time. It's available from Amazon at £4.79 new and £2.29 used. ***And so to the plot*** Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a seagull who wants to do more than squawk and grub around on the beach. He wants to soar above the clouds in a quest for perfection and excellence. He spends his days learning about speed and flight, ignoring occasional hunger pangs and stiff opposition from the traditionalists in the flock. But eventually these powerful traditionalists make him Outcast and he is forced to leave the flock and live on the Far Cliffs. He continues to practice and at what appears to be the end of his life he is whisked off (into what... Read review

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Advantages: The smile on your face
Disadvantages: It has cost me a fortune

...I have read this book more times than any other tome I have ever read. I have also given more copies away than any other book, it has that effect. You read it, you think someone will like it, so you lend it to them, but deep down you know that you are not expecting it back. In some respects that is what the book is all about, gaining knowledge and then the terrific feeling of goodness attained when you pass that knowledge onto others. The Book The book itself is very distinctive, about 3.5” (9cm) square, it is blue all over with white and yellow lettering, giving the title – Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the name of the author – Richard Bach, and the name of the photographer - Russell Munson, it also has a seagull in flight on the front and on some of the later copies a short recommendation by Ray Bradbury. It is approximately 90... Read review

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Advantages: smithsonian museums, and a lot more
Disadvantages: haven't had time to look for them

...I haven't had many really touristic holidays in my life. I usually worked or studied in towns where I lived, and didn't have enough money to visit just the right places. My only really sightseeing holiday has to be my three-weeks stay in Rockville, Maryland, where I didn't know what to do and went to Washington, D.C. almost every day. I took the metro, which is very nice and clean, - nothing too artistic I should say, nothing to do with Moscow-like wonders, but much nicer than, say, the New York one. What really surprises you in Washington, D.C. is the abundance of squireels and seagulls virtually everywhere. Squirrels are a marvel. Grey, unlike the European ones, and very sweet, they come to see you in groups whenever you sit down at a park bench and usually end up eating your French fries or whatever eatable you had on you... Read review

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Advantages: inspiring, enlightening, uplifting, beautiful, a real classic
Disadvantages: none

...Jonathan Livingston is a Seagull. But he isn't an ordinary seagull. No, Jonathan is a seagull who enjoys the fact that the Great Gull gave them wings. Unlike the rest of his flock, he isn't satisfied with the daily hunt for food and need to fit in with its own societal rules. JLS enjoys his flying. He wants to push the parameters. Each day he tries to fly faster. Climbing higher and diving ever more steeper and faster. Trying to take that one step further. Just a little but more. His lack of need to be with his peers sets him apart. Not purposely but he is different. He doesn't want to be different but in order to be the same, he'd have to cast away his inner dreams and desires. His flock detest and feel fearful of his difference and cast him out. Still he continues until one day, he is taken into a different place...... And so... Read review

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Advantages: A fantastic climax to the Blind Dead movies
Disadvantages: The worst acting of all the movies

...from coming back to destroy the village. This final instalment, like the third chapter in the series (Ghost Galleon) is a breath of fresh air in what seemed to be a stagnant pond of Zombie style movies. Night Of The Seagulls is almost like two movies, it has elements of The wicker Man, and elements of George Romero's Dead quartet of movies. The movie has so much atmosphere that simply was not seen in the previous Blind Dead outings (The Blind Dead are a long dead group of Templar Knights executed for trying to bring the occult into the Catholic church). Before anything really happens in the movie the tension is building, carrying us on a journey of terror. So much development occurs in setting out the village, and its secrets its very hard to see the movie as part of the same stories. For over half the movie the Knights are not really... Read review

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Advantages: you can read as much into as you like
Disadvantages: erm - none.It is what it is.

...Jonathan Livingston Seagull is simultaneously simple and profound. Only 90 - odd pages long, yet Bach has managed to create a powerful message. He opens up doors to his readers, which they are able to walk through long after they have finished reading. This book is about life and wonderment, questions and revelations, curiosity and stiving for knowledge. Also important to the overall 'atmosphere' is the question of physical and imaginary barriers...philosophy which everyone can (if they are willing) apply to their own lives. Bach is successful in making each one of his readers feel as though he has written this especially for THEM, the individual. J L Seagull is a bird who does not fit in with the rest of his flock. He breaks the mould and is shunned for his alternativism...which ultimately drives him to discover the secret... Read review

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Advantages: Flock Of Seagulls! Flock Of Seagulls! Flock Of Seagulls!
Disadvantages: A handful of boring tracks

...Roxy Music are just so darn brilliant. 'I Ran (So Far Away)' by A Flock Of Seagulls is easily the best song on the album, the song itself being one of the best songs of the whole 1980's. It has such a rush, such energy and propulsion. A Flock Of Seagulls was the band with the singer who had the most terrible haircut known to man, worse even than Phil Oakey of the Human League (if such a thing were possible). If you can imagine dyed blonde hair teased up into points at either side of the head and then a big point coming down (yes, down) to the forehead, hairsprayed to the point of becoming toxic. I think scientists should look into the theory that the o-zone layer was done more damage during the 'New Romantic' era than any other. Regardless, this is a fantastic song by a band who have passed into the annals of history. Rene & Angela's 'I... Read review

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Advantages: Good price for sound, playability and workmanship.
Disadvantages: Frightened of dropping it!

...The wife and I decided it was time to replace our old £25 nylon strung guitar. We both wanted a 12 string guitar but on a budget. We trecked to the music shop and tried a couple in our price range (cheap!), we then tried the Seagull for camparison and fell in love. Not being able to afford the £369 price tag, we began to feel dejected, then up popped the salesman with all the info on interest- free-credit, we left with the Seagull and a Yamaha 6 string. This Canadian made guitar is constructed of solid wood - cedar for the body and hard woods for the neck and fretboard. The workmanship is outstanding, a lot of care has been put into this guitar and the action is very low making it easy to play (no forearms like popeye's needed here). The sound quality for the price range (the high end of the budget guitars) has to be heard... Read review

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Advantages: A book which inspires you and provokes you to look at yourself, yet is (in itself) an endearing story
Disadvantages: None

...Once in a while, someone passes on a book for you to read - and it ends up as one of your all-time favourites. So it is with Jonathon Livingston Seagull. From the very first page, I was hooked on the story of Jonathon, the seagull who wants to be more than just one of the flock, who has dreams of other things. This is one of those books which is full of metaphors; you can put the experiences that Jonathon has into context with all the obstacles and progressions in your own life. It is uplifting in its simplicity, just a small book of approximately 90 pages and yet has proved to be so inspirational to many. Where the other birds were content just to eat, breed and fly, Jonathon is diferent from the other gulls, he wants to get more out of life. He constantly takes risks, pushing himself to limits, just to prove that he... Read review

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Advantages: great plot, funny and colourful
Disadvantages: Can't buy it yet!

...kept older children amused and laughing at the jokes presented. It also kept the younger audience amused because the use of vibrant colour in this film is fantastic and this is backed up with mellow music. Please go and see this film. It offers numerous advantages (if you don’t like the sound of the plot including); 1. Learning how to speak Whale. 2. Learn the entire vocabulary of seagulls. 3. Learn how long turtle actually live for. 4. The children will be quiet all the way through.... Read review

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