 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Reviewer's
Bookwatch |
Reviewer's Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewers Recommend
The Sword and the Chrysanthemum
Susan Scharfman
1stbooks Library
ISBN: 1410710777 $15.95 300 pp.
Ben Jonjak
Reviewer
Growing up, the two films that had the greatest impact on me were Akira Kurosawa's "7
Samurai" and "Star Wars." Although this may seem like an absurd pairing, there is actually more
than a passing similarity between the two works. The relationship becomes less surprising when it
is revealed that George Lucas actually based "Star Wars" on one of Kurosawa's other films, "The
Hidden Fortress." Both "Star Wars" and "7 Samurai" take full advantage of the mythological
character archetypes that have reoccurred throughout the literature of humankind. One archetype
is the youthful ideological hero (sometimes a prince) searching for his identity who is represented
by Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars," King Arthur in Arthurian legend, and even, more recently,
Harry Potter. Another is the strong-willed princess such as Princess Leia in "Star Wars" or the
peasant girl Shino (not technically a princess except in the manner in which all daughters are
viewed as princesses by their fathers) in "7 Samurai."
Because of the cultural impact of movies like "Star Wars" and "The Lord of the Rings," most
people have a pretty inherent understanding of what stories with a strong foundation in
mythological archetype are like. They are generally works that concern themselves with "greater"
themes such as: honor, love, friendship and good vs. evil, and which tend to paint their
conclusions on these topics in rather broad brushstrokes of black and white. Their greatest
advantage is that the tales tend to be larger than life and sweep you away. Their greatest
disadvantage is that they are often seen as simplistic; a criticism I personally think is rather
unjustified due to the fact that the material is only required to present its themes, it is then up to
the audience to deal with them in the appropriate fashion.
"The Sword and the Chrysanthemum" by Susan Scharfman has many of the elements of the classic
myth or archetypical format. The book can best be described as a love story/adventure set in
seventeenth century Japan. The driving force of the plot is the forbidden love between Arashi, an
orphan fisherman, and Lady Michiko, the daughter of the shogun. Surrounding this predominant
theme are, among other things, a strong fantasy element, and several interesting discussions
involving both Buddhism and the Samurai code.
As the book develops, the reader bears witness to the development of both Arashi and Lady
Michiko. The Lady Michiko grows from a defiant young girl to a unquestionably effective
international diplomat. It is during the course of her journeys under the protection of her Samurai
guard, that we are shown the benefits and limitations of the Samurai code. Meanwhile, Arashi
undergoes his own transformation from an awkward fisherman to the disciple of a Zen monk
endowed with mystical powers. These passages are as enjoyable as the "Jedi in training"
sequences from "Star Wars" but with a greater emphasis on the real world religion that was the
inspiration for the film.
Although I am no expert, Scharfman seems to have a pretty educated understanding of both
ancient Japanese culture and religion. My knowledge doesn't go any further than the films of
Kurosawa and the novels of James Clavell, but there was nothing in Scharfman's work that
contradicted either of those sources. To a reader completely unfamiliar with the codes of ancient
Japan, Scharfman's novel would be an interesting and accessible starting point.
The writing of "Chrysanthemum" is effective if a little bit rushed. There are a few more sex scenes
than battle scenes, but neither are exceptionally graphic and are not the book's defining
characteristic. Scharfman concentrates far more on the spirituality of her protagonists, and creates
several compelling characters. But for me, the main attraction of this book was merely that it took
place in Japan and it engaged in the same themes that used to draw me when I was younger.
I found "The Sword and The Chrysanthemum" to be an enjoyable read. It lacks the weight and
power of something like "Shogun," but in many ways it is more accessible and sweeter. If you're a
fan of this genre, or simply want to be taken away to another world that doesn't limit itself to the
same rules of nature and culture that we are forced to live by, then this book is a good
choice.
Confessions of an Art Snob: The Politics of Aesthetic Judgment
Barbara R. Walters
University Press of America
0761827234 $26.00 166 pp.
Bonnie Ruth Beebe
Reviewer
During a recent symposium at the Courthouse Galleries in Portsmouth, VA, Jewish sculptress
Linda Gissen exhumed her muse. "We are," she said, "all that we are from," a wrinkled brow
underlining her conviction.
I like that. I like art that contains within it the sweep of history. In fact, I have trouble validating
art that claims to shun convention in order to slap us with the shock of the new. Leave me a little
crumb trail to your artistic forebears, I say. Show me where you are from so I can see where you
are going.
Still, progress in art, as in nation-building, is often accomplished by leaps of revolution. Donald
Rumsfeld's AWOL etiquette notwithstanding, emerging cultures have routinely planted their flags
on the heap of discarded sensibilities lately referred to as "old Europe," "Machiavellian" or "the
Dark Ages."
So I was delighted to receive a newly minted copy of The Politics of Aesthetic Judgment by
Barbara R. Walters (University Press of America, December, 2003), because it is an eloquent
analysis of the fateful and fortunate wave of Impressionist art that rode in on the tide of "the
declining discipline and moral probity brought about by industrialization and other changes
toward modernity."
Dr. Walters is a sociologist by training and she focuses on the commercial records to demonstrate
that Impressionist painters benefited significantly from their transactions with third generation
French Jews, independent minded Americans and deserters from the French art police, all of them
anxious to distance themselves from the near universal adoption of the "one correct style of
painting."
The groundwork for this analysis is laid in the first of three sections contained in the book. Here,
Dr. Walters treats us to a brief and entertaining history of the unshakable Academy which ruled
the arts in nineteenth century France. Patrons and collectors, as well as the public at large, relied
on the official, proscribed methods of training and producing art, a system that was constructed to
accommodate a few hundred students and professional painters. After the National Assembly
ordered the annual Salon, or official exhibit, opened to all artists in 1791, the system was
overwhelmed when thousands of works were submitted to the jury for consideration.
It was this "expanded participation," Dr. Walters concludes, that "led to departures from the
standard Academic style." She further states that "a growing interest in landscape painting, an
authentic focus on the subjective basis of knowledge, and a shift from idealization to observation
began to shape competing factions within the art world."
Casual readers may be forgiven for skimming the middle section of the book, which includes 55
pages of charts and graphs, weirdly described by Dr. Walters' mentor, Lewis A Coser, as
"beautiful." However, it is the analysis of the data, accumulated bit by bit from the library of the
Durand-Ruel Gallery in Paris, which produced the central plot of the Impressionist drama. By
sorting through the financial transactions that moved the art from easel to parlor - and thus saved
it for future generations to judge Dr. Walters discovered that "Real market choices transformed
the meaning of affinities between artists and their patrons." In numbers dramatically
disproportionate to their census, Impressionist art was purchased by "patrons [in] sympathy with
the new ideas, values and largely secular worldview associated with the rise and institution of the
Impressionist style." This "shared world-view held in common among French Jews in
fin-de-si‚cle France predisposed them to a preference for Impressionist art [and] was amplified
during the Dreyfus Affair."
The third and final section of the book illuminates the political forces in play during the
transformation of Jewish patrons from an "arriviste" population, which was "inspired by an
assimilation model and thus emulated the landed aristocracy in their aesthetic choices," to "later
generations of collectors [who] were emboldened to search for the new." The lightening rod for
this transformation was the arrest and subsequent trials of Jewish Army officer, Alfred Dreyfus in
1894, on charges of treason. In response to the "vicious anti-Semitic press, La Libre Parole," the
"aesthetic orientation of French Jews" became "a conscious political stand." Just as the
aforementioned Rumsfeld's impolitic dismissal of "old Europe" may well have helped codify
anti-war sentiment on the continent, French Jews closed ranks around their rejection of a value
system that permitted "the active and uncensored press [to] unfurl across France unfettered by
basic legal protections against libel."
So, for those untold millions of us who adore crooked sunflowers and foggy haystacks, Dr.
Walters has shown that we have to thank, not only the artists themselves, but also the early
adopters who had the chutzpah to defy convention and embrace the shock of the new. I, for one,
am extremely grateful to them all.
Barbara R. Walters is Assistant Professor of Sociology, Kingsborough Community College-
CUNY.
Cover Photo: http://covers.univpress.com/L/07/618/0761827234.jpg
The Man Who Died Twice
Peter Thompson and Robert Macklin
Allen and Unwin
ISBN 1741140129 A$32.95 380 pages
David Skea
Reviewer
'Only as a newspaper correspondent can I expect to distinguish myself above the common
herd In spite of all that is said to the contrary, it is the noblest in my opinion of all the
professions as energy, courage, temperance and truthfulness are necessary to its success.'
G E Morrison, 1882, aged 20.
It was 16 July 1900 and the Boxer siege in Peking was a month old. Three of the besieged, the
London Times correspondent, Dr George Morrison, the senior British officer, Captain Strouts
and a Japanese officer, Colonel Shiba, making their way to an adjacent building came under fire
from the Boxers. Captain Strouts and Dr Morrison were wounded, Strouts later dying from his
wounds.
That same day The Times in London ran a report headlined THE MASSACRE IN PEKING
which stated that Dr Morrison and every other foreign defender in the diplomatic quarter had
been wiped out. Back in Australia there was shock at the news. In Geelong the flags flew at
half-mast to mourn the death of its most famous son, the legendary Morrison of Peking.
In actual fact there was no massacre in Peking, the siege lasting another month before being
relieved by the Allied Relief Expedition. Morrison was alive and, not for the first time, recovering
from his wounds.
So who was this Dr Morrison? And how many today, in Australia, know about him? Those who
do probably have read more about his long walks across Australia, his voyage with a Queensland
'black-birder' and his abortive expedition to walk across Papua New Guinea where he was speared
and almost died, than his journalistic work for The Times of London.
George Ernest Morrison was born in Geelong in 1862. His father was the principal of the Geelong
College and his uncle was headmaster of the prestigious Scotch College in Melbourne. When he
was 18 he walked alone from Geelong to Adelaide, a journey of 752 miles which he completed in
some 6 weeks living off the land. He kept a diary and, at his mother's suggestion, sent a version to
The Age in Melbourne. The Age's companion weekly magazine-style paper, The Leader,
published 'The Diary of a Tramp', paying Morrison seven guineas. The experience of seeing
himself in print was, he wrote, 'not bad; not bad at all'.
Morrison's father was not enthusiastic about his son taking up journalism as a career and
suggested that he study medicine. He therefore enrolled in the medical school at Melbourne
University. During his first summer holiday he explored the Murray by canoe, again alone and
living off the land. It was a successful trip, as The Leader published his travel diary and the fees he
earned more than paid for his expenses. However, at the end of his second university year he
failed a major medical exam and withdrew. He made up his mind to become a journalist and wrote
to his mother: 'I go to Queensland to commence the apprenticeship of a profession in which I
earnestly hope some day to make my mark'.
An eight-part series 'A Cruise in a Queensland Slaver', Morrison's account of a one hundred day
voyage recruiting Kanaka labourers for the Queensland sugar farmers was the result. Next he
walked from Normanton to Melbourne, alone and with only what he could carry in his swag,
emulating the famous Burke and Wills. It took him four months and The Age paid him ś4 10s for
his article.
The Age then commissioned him to lead an expedition to cross Papua New Guinea, an enterprise
that ended in disaster as Morrison was attacked and badly wounded, parts of two native spears
remaining in his body. He returned to Melbourne in great pain and despite the best efforts of
Melbourne's leading surgeon made so little progress that he was advised to go to Edinburgh for
treatment. Here, some 260 days after his attack, he was operated on and a wooden spear head 3
inches long and a quarter inch in diameter was taken from his abdomen. He then rapidly recovered
his strength.
Morrison now bowed to his father's advice and resumed his medical studies, graduating in 1887.
The next few months were spent in North America and Jamaica. Finding work difficult to get he
returned to Scotland where he then applied for a job at the Rio Tinto mine, in Spain. He next
went across the Straits of Gibraltar to North Africa. Finally, returning home at the age of 29, he
found a position at the Ballarat District Hospital where he remained for two years, the committee
dispensing with his services after disagreements over staffing and costs. Morrison's experiences in
Ballarat hardened his attitude to staying in Australia and he never again took up an appointment in
his own country even when highly paid jobs were offered him. He left Australia for the
Philippines, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Peking.
The wanderlust had got hold of Morrison again and his next exploit was to walk across China
from Shanghai to Rangoon in Burma. 'In the first week of February 1894 I returned to Shanghai
from Japan. It was my intention to go up the Yangste River as far as Chungking, and then,
dressed as a Chinese, to cross quietly over Western China to Burma'. So begins 'An Australian
in China' one of the monumental travel books of the English language. After Rangoon he travelled
to Calcutta and after a bout of malaria, returned to Geelong.
February 1895 saw Morrison back in London where he found a publisher for his travel book and
time to research and write up his doctoral thesis. In August that year he graduated MD in
Edinburgh. A chance recommendation led to an interview with Moberly Bell, the manager of The
Times, who was looking for a new Peking correspondent. Bell liked Morrison and offered him the
job on 6 months probation. His first commission was to travel to Yunnan City via Vietnam, Siam
and Burma. Morrison reached Saigon late December 1895 and returned after reaching Yunnan
City a year later. He received a message from Bell that he should proceed immediately to Peking,
and that many of his stories that he had filed en-route had been published; he had passed his
probationary period with flying colours and had been appointed to the permanent staff. In March
1897 he arrived in Peking and wrote 'My new life was now to begin'.
Morrison was The Times' correspondent in Peking from 1897 to 1912. During this time he was
present at the Boxer siege of the foreign nationals in Peking, saw the end of the Ching Dynasty
and the founding of the Republic of China. He also met his future wife Jean (Jennie).
In 1912 Morrison married Jennie Robin and resigned from The Times to become a senior adviser
to the new President of the new Republic of China. Now began what appears to be a most
frustrating time for Morrison. How often do people in authority appoint advisers and then ignore
their advice? Such was the situation in which Morrison soon found himself.
Morrison continued to advise the Chinese Government although his role was more tenuous as the
power of the central government waned and less able figures assumed positions of responsibility.
Also, his health was starting to trouble him and in 1917 he set sail for Australia. Morrison visited
Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and New Zealand. Towards the end of his visit he met with the
Prime Minister, Billy Hughes who asked him to 'do certain things'. Hughes wanted Morrison to
use his position and gather intelligence for Australia.
So in April 1918 Morrison left Australia for the last time. It was clear that his long absence from
Australia and his independent cast of mind made it impossible for him to seek political office in
Australia. Commerce was not his fort‚ and Australia's diplomacy was mainly conducted by the
British Foreign Office. He was 56 but paradoxically his celebrity status depended on him being
absent from his homeland. In fact, China had now become Morrison's homeland.
Thompson and Macklin find this sad and compare Morrison's achievements to those of Bradman
who is well remembered and continues to be so. But is it? Bradman played in Australia and
represented Australia always in the Australian public's eye. Morrison on the other hand worked in
Peking for a London journal. Any reference to him in Australia was second hand.
Morrison attended the Paris Peace Conference as adviser to the Chinese delegation. His health
was not good and in May 1919 he returned to England for medical examination and treatment.
Although an exploratory operation found no evidence of malignancy, Morrison became weaker
and died on 30 May 1920.
I found it a very interesting book to read. It covers Morrison's life in great detail and I am amazed
at the extent of his achievements. Fortunately Morrison was a great diarist and these records have
been preserved. I'm also aware that Morrison was born in the Victorian era a time of great
exploration and expansion of British interests and when great deeds were expected. In Morrison's
case he lived life to the full, so much so that I'm tempted to bowdlerise the famous epitaph of that
other great Victorian, Cecil Rhodes. 'So much to do; so much done'.
Snake Hips
Anne Thomas Soffee
Chicago Review Press
5017 Cullen Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455
ISBN: 1556525222 $14.95 262 pp.
Laura Giles
Reviewer
Snake Hips is a wonderfully moving story of self-discovery. The cultural insertions read like "My
Big Fat Greek Wedding"... Arab style! The honest portrayals of heartache and desire remind us of
our innocence and vulnerability. And it's all artfully woven in an unapologetic, yet hilariously
funny way. This book is sure to appeal to readers everywhere.
If you thought only Italians Mafia types have a reputation for being murderers with a heart of
gold, check out the Lebanese in Snake Hips! Each character comes to life in such a way that you
wonder how the story could have been told without them. Only Soffee could make such
unconventional and contradictory folks seem adorably commonplace.
Soffee has a knack for revealing the wounded side of life and herself. You feel her raw grief as she
smashes the Tiffany stained glass window when packing to leave after being dumped. Her
insecurity of not being young, thin, pretty, or cool enough echoes throughout the book. Her
encounters with totally inappropriate suitors has you standing on the sidelines shouting, "Dump
him, girlfriend!" But don't let the sadness fool you! Oh no, Soffee's got a super weapon on her
side. She's got- BELLY DANCE!
Once Soffee begins her journey of healing through belly dance, you can see her bruises mend and
her passion and confidence grow. I found myself smiling at the acquisition of the long-lost Port
Said album. I could feel the exhilaration of her Tilt-a-Whirl ride after her debut performance. By
the time she does "dump him,"you know that she is going to be just fine.
Dancers will love this book because they can't help but identify with the "scene."Anyone with a
sense of humor will find at least a chuckle or two staring them brazenly in the face (subtlety is not
Soffee's strong point!) that's worth the price of the book and the time to read it. But I believe the
appeal is bigger than either of those things. The human drama of torment, healing, identity, and
self-acceptance is shown throughout Snake Hips. You don't ever have to have danced a step to
know what it feels like to wrestle with those issues. Soffee touched all those things with a honesty
rarely revealed in a memoire by a person still living. For that, she gets my highest praise. Read it.
You won't regret it.
Authentic Happiness: Using The New Positive Psychology To Realize Your Potential For Lasting
Fulfillment
Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D
The Free Press
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenues of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0743222970 $26.00 321 pages
Peter Hupalo
Reviewer
Authentic Happiness is a readable and fascinating, but somewhat academic, treatise about
happiness by Martin Seligman.
The book begins with a discussion of the nun study a study that followed nuns throughout their
lives and examined factors such as longevity and health. The study found the greatest predictive
factor of successful aging and life satisfaction was optimism reflected in essays the young nuns
wrote about their lives when they first took their religious vows.
Those who were happy and optimistic when young tended to remain happy, healthy, and
successful. Those who expressed more pessimism in their essays tended to age less successfully
and tended to have less life satisfaction.
Other researchers found similar early predictive value using yearbook photos.
Seligman writes: " yearbook photos are a gold mine for Positive Psychology researchers. 'Look
at the birdie and smile,' the photographer tells you, and dutifully you put on your best smile. Some
of us break into a radiant smile of authentic good cheer, while the rest of us pose politely. There
are two kinds of smiles. The first, called a Duchenne smile (after its discoverer, Guillaume
Duchenne) is genuine. The corners of your mouth turn up and the skin around the corners of your
eyes crinkles (like crow's feet). The muscles that do this, the orbicularis oculi and the zygomticus,
are exceedingly difficult to control voluntarily. The other smile, called the Pan American smile
(after the flight attendants in television ads for the now-defunct airline), is inauthentic, with none
of the Duchenne features. Indeed, it is probably more related to the rictus that lower primates
display when frightened than it is to happiness."
Follow-up studies of people with Duchenne yearbook photos showed that they tended to have
more personal life satisfaction into their thirties, forties, and fifties than did people without
Duchenne smiles.
Seligman tells us that "external circumstances" only have a minimal effect ("no more than between
8 and 15 percent of the variance ") on happiness. Here are a few circumstances Seligman says
tend to correspond slightly with happiness:
1) Living in a wealthy democracy, rather than a poor dictatorship. Unsurprisingly, this has a
relatively strong effect on happiness relative to other circumstances. Extreme poverty and
dictators are a real bummer.
2) Marriage. Married people tend to be happier. "Marriage is a more potent happiness factor than
satisfaction with job, or finances, or community," Seligman writes.
3) Rich social network. Seligman points out that this might not be a causal relationship. In other
words, happy people might tend to build richer social networks more naturally.
What about staying healthy, getting a good education, and making more money? Seligman says
none of these are highly correlated with happiness.
Also, it's a person's subjective feeling of health, not objective health that matters for determining
happiness. Some people facing extreme illness remain happy, while other people in relatively good
health feel they aren't healthy and are depressed about it. Of course, extreme health problems have
a tendency to drag us down.
I found the relationship between money and happiness fascinating. It appears winning the lottery
or extreme wealth won't make a person happy.
Seligman writes: "In very poor nations, where poverty threatens life itself, being rich does predict
greater well-being. In wealthier nations, however, where almost everyone has a basic safety net,
increases in wealth have negligible effects on personal happiness. In the United States, the very
poor are lower in happiness, but once a person is just barely comfortable, added money adds little
or no happiness. Even the fabulously rich the Forbes 100, with an average net worth of over
$125 million dollars are only slightly happier than the average American."
However, a person's obsession with making more money can lead to less happiness. Seligman
writes: " people who value money more than other goals are less satisfied with their income and
with their lives as a whole "
While external circumstances account for less than 15% of a person's happiness, Seligman tells us
that genetic disposition plays a significant role, probably contributing over 50% to a person's
characteristics.
So, why do people become unduly pessimistic or unhappy? Seligman argues that negative
emotions prepare us for conflicts or for win-lose games. In contrast, positive emotions help us be
more creative and helps us to build social and intellectual resources. Happiness prepares us for
win-win situations.
Seligman writes: "When we are happy, we are less self-focused, we like others more, and we want
to share our good fortune even with strangers. When we are down, though, we become
distrustful, turn inward, and focus defensively on our own needs. Looking out for number one is
more characteristic of sadness than of well-being."
In addition to providing us with an understanding of happiness, Authentic Happiness provides
several tests for evaluating our own happiness. Many of the tests are available online at
AuthenticHappiness.org.
Seligman also offers a prescription for finding more happiness. He suggests that people are
happiest when they're using their signature strengths. Studying major religions and philosophies,
Seligman has identified six admirable and largely culturally-independent strengths. They are:
* Wisdom and Knowledge
* Courage
* Love and Humanity
* Justice
* Temperance
* Spirituality and Transcendence
Seligman says that if we discover a calling, something that links to a greater good, which utilizes
our signature strengths, we tend to be happy. The book also has practical advicee for using your
knowledge of happiness to improve marriages and help children become more
future-oriented.
I highly recommend Authentic Happiness to readers who are interested in studying happiness,
who want to test their own level of happiness, or who want to attain richer, more fulfilling
lives.
Tales of a Female Nomad
Rita Golden Gelman
Three Rivers Press
http://www.randomhouse.com
ISBN 0609809547 $14.00 312 pages
Joyce P. Hale
Reviewer
Rita Golden Gelman's subtitle to this book, Living at Large in the World, is exactly what this
book is about. She starts out at the age of 48 with the end of her marriage of 24 years to a
prestigious husband, a life of glamour and privilege; a marriage that produced two children who
are now grown and out on their own.
She begins her journey in Mexico, learning to enjoy the life of backpacking, meeting new people,
and living among natives of a country. Each chapter is anothr country which she visits; the people
she meets, lives with, and comes to know as family. We travel with her to Guantemala,
Nicaragua, Israel, Galapagos Islands, Indonesia, Canada, New Zealand and Thailand. We meet
her friends, loved ones, and families. I am amazed at the way people around the world opened
their homes to her at a word or note from a friend, or even an acquaintance. If I came away with
anything, it is this universal outreaching and friendliness.
We learn of the languages, the people, the foods and cooking, and customs. My only criticism
may be that occasionally it is slightly too detailed. As a whole, it is a fascinating book by an
adventuresome, interesting woman. I highly recommend it.
"I laughed again at my ragged tortillas and wailed with the woman who was holding her dead
baby. I sang in the mountains, fell in the mud, and blew bubbles with a little boy and his mother in
the middle of New Guinea. I ate green mussels and gloried in 'ho mok' and whizzed through Bali
on the back of (...a) motorcycle. And I communed with Tu Aji's spirit." So did I, through Rita
Gelman's book!
Old Rugged Cross
Catherine Ritch Guess
CRM Books
ISBN 097135345X $14.00 224 pp.
Kristina Nelson
Reviewer
Working as an exotic dancer to pay her way through college, Michigan college student Maggie
Matelli, decides to take a vacation to search for a "perfect" man in her life. En route, heading
south for the beach, she encounters bad weather and traffic delays that eventually force her to
take up lodging in Findlay, Ohio.
Meanwhile, she visits areas of the city, including the city park where a local man is building a life
size sand castle of Christ on the cross. Though she tries to get back on the road, heading south,
she finds herself staying in Findlay. Maggie takes a spiritual journey through her visit, rediscovers
herself, and finds something she was looking for after all.
OLD RUGGED CROSS is an inspirational passage that takes you to places with your own
spirituality. It is a contemporary story that takes place at Easter, and leads the reader to a better
understanding of their own relationship with God. Uniquely written, it is "reality fiction" that
merges real places and comprehensible characters, with fiction that easily connects with the
reader. This book ends with Questions and Reflections, useful in book clubs or group study. It is
the first of a series that the author has titled, The Sandman Series.
Mouse or Rat? Translation as Negotiation
Umberto Eco
Weidenfield & Nicholson (Orion)
Jan 2004, hardback, 200 pages, RRP A$35.00
Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html
If you consider the complexity involved, it is a wonder that anyone is able to produce an adequate
translation at all. Umberto Eco is so clear thinking and erudite - a true Renaissance Man - that it
would seem he can turn his mind to any subject at all, and produce insights which are wholly new,
and even seminal in their impact while keeping his prose entertaining and lighthearted. His latest
book on the difficulties of translation is no exception. The ultimate message of Mouse or Rat, is
that translation is so much more than the conversion of one language into another, but rather, a
subtle negotiation between texts - so that the meaning of one reflects the meaning of another. If
that sounds trite, believe me, this book is anything but. One of the world's most eminent
Semioticians, as well as an author of fiction and non-fiction, and a translator, Eco understands
intimately how difficult the notion of "meaning" is, and carefully proves the interplay between
author, reader, and translator, working within the shifting context of culture, time, linguistic and
social mores, and place. Serious enough to engage its target audience of translation students, but
entertaining and broadly focused enough to also interest the serious reader, this is a book which
belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who is interested in the creation of meaning through
words.
Many of the essays in this book have been taken from the Weidenfeld Lectures given at Oxford
University in 2002, and cover topics such as the nature of equivalence in meaning, where Eco
uses AltaVista's Babelfish to prove the impossibility of translating without a human context or
thought processes, the idea that all forms of translation will involve a transformation which is a
kind of loss, the importance of reference and context, the difficulties between a source from one
culture and a target in another, hypotyposis, or the why in which a text needs to render a visual
scene, the re-creation of the deep sense of a text and the importance of interpretation,
transmutation and adaptation, and the suggestion of a working philosophy based on a perfect
language. Throughout the writing is rich, often funny, pointing out some classic mistakes in
translation, always pithy, and strives, as do all of Eco's writings, to put the ideas in the broadest
context possible. It isn't always easy, since the book carefully toes the line between speaking to a
technical and extremely literate audience (those who, perhaps, reach towards an Eco-like
erudition), and making the work globally interesting. For the casual reader, as with any reader of a
work in translation, there will be passages which have to be glossed over. Many of Eco's examples
move through translations in a variety of language, and, for example, readers who can't read
French, Italian, German, and Spanish will miss some of the more complex points which Eco is
making. It is still possible to get some semblance of what he is saying by reading the English and
imagining the differences, but the real subtleties will be lost. This is nevertheless a pithy way of
proving his point.
Examples are taken from a very wide variety of work, both classic as in Shakespeare and Dante,
and modern, with many examples from Eco's own work and translations, as well as references as
broad as Walt Disney, Woody Allen, The Bible, Nicole Kidman, Eliot, Joyce, Rabelais, Homer,
Melville, Goethe, and Bly, to name just a few. The writing, done in English in this case, is elegant
and beautiful in itself, and the sentences are tight enough to warrant multiple readings:
Perhaps there are source texts that widen out in translation, and the destination text enriches the
source one, making it enter the sea of a new intertextuality; and there are delta texts that branch
out in many translations, each of which impoverishes their original flow, but which all together
create a new territory, a labyrinth of competing interpretations." (102)
Fans of Eco's considerable fiction oeuvre, will also enjoy his deconstruction of multiple versions
of his own work, and the insights into his own creative process, as there are many accounts and
anecdotes from the translation processes of works like The Name of the Rose, Foucault's
Pendulum, and The Island of the Day Before. Eco also doesn't skirt the big and difficult
philosophical question that sits behind much of what he says, about whether there is really a
reality that language refers to - something which we must find whenever we are doing a
translation:
It is curious to remark that, while so many philosophical discussions have cast doubt on the very
possibility of translation, since each language represents an incommensurable structure, it is
precisely the empirical evidence of translation that challenges the philosophical assertions about
the dependence of world views on language. Thus translation re-proposes to philosophy its
everlasting question, namely, where there is a way in which things go independently of the way
our languages make them go. (182)
Eco refers to his own phenomenal work which addresses just this issue, Kant and the Platypus,
albeit in a slightly different context. For those who are themselves translators, or writers who
intend to have their works translated, this book is sure to become the kind of classic primer which
will be referred to again and again, not just for the lessons which Eco makes so clearly, but for the
thought provoking clarity of his arguments. For anyone else who loves words, this delightful work
will repay the effort required, as above all else, Eco's arguments are based on a similar passion:
"Among the synonyms of faithfulness the word exactitude does not exist. Instead there is loyalty,
devotion, allegiance, piety." (192). Who could argue with that. Eco's depth of knowledge, his
sense of playfulness, and his clarity of expression makes his work as pleasurable as it is
important.
The End of Eternity
Isaac Asimov
Science Fiction Book Club
401 Franklin Ave, Garden City, NY 11530
www.omagadh.com
ISBN#: 0739435574 $9.95 185 pp.
Marty Duncan
Reviewer
There is Reality and there is Eternity. In Reality, the great mass of people live their lives according
to random chance. There is also Eternity where Technicians and Supervisors make the smallest
changes in the past to create a future that is for the betterment of mankind. The people who live
and work in Eternity are not 'Eternals' but the people who live in 'Real-Time' think they are.
In the 484th century Technician Andrew Harlen is assigned to spend a week in 'Real-Time' with
an aristocratic young lady who has all the pre-requisites of a sex goddess and an urge to make
herself Eternal by sleeping with Technician Harlen. That's when the fun starts. Technician Harlen
checks her 'Life-Line' and finds it has died out by the 510th century. He requires other
Technicians to determine why and they finally report that she 'does not fit' into the 484th
century.
Too late, you say to yourself, it's too late. And it is. Harlen has fallen in love with the seductress
and she with him. They flee to an upwhen (far future) where Harlen leaves her protected. This
story also involves a downwhen (from Harlen's physioreality) back to the 24th century.
That's all I can say. 'Eternity' is an easy read by a master writer with a surprising twist at the
end.
I am no Asimov, but his book reminded me of the espionage thriller Gold then Iron, two
chapters of which can be read at www.omagadh.com. Thank you.
Memories Die Last
Tim Smith
AmErica House
ISBN 1591292425 $19.95 188 pages
Shirley Roe
Reviewer
Nick Seven sits on the deck of Calhoun's Yacht Club, glass of scotch in hand watching the yachts
return from a day of leisure. Sun is low in the sky and all is well with the world. So why change
it?
Our hero, Nick is a retired CIA, one of the best and they want him back. It isn't long before Nick
and his old partners Felicia and Brodie are back in action searching for their nemesis, Lavender.
Nick is still mourning the death of his first wife Gwyn, but Felicia is hoping for more. The hunt
leads them to Europe, however things are not what they seem and it doesn't take Nick long to
figure out just who is behind all of the terrorist murders. Can Nick settle an old score or will it be
him or one of his partners that winds up dead?
Lively, and full of suspense, Memories Die Last is action packed from beginning to end. Mystery,
espionage and a sprinkling of romance provide the reader with a good entertaining mix.
Dialogue is believable with character's personalities merging and working well together. Vivid
imagery brings the Florida Keys to life for the reader. Writing style flows smoothly from chapter
to chapter. All in all an intriguing read.
Save Karyn: One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back
Karen Bosnak
Harper Collins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN 0060558199, $13.95, 441 pp.
Susan Cronk
Reviewer
Karyn Bosnak's book, mildly amusing but often offensive in construct, leaves one feeling that the
author came away from her near-debt experience, having utterly missed the forest for the trees.
She began the journey over $20,000 in debt. At its conclusion the whole trip cost Karyn Bosnak's
$7,000 and a few months of nail biting, and left those who freely contributed to her plight over
$13,000 poorer for their generosity. Praise them. Consider her.
Millions of Americans struggle under the weight of debt. They live off of a delicate balance
between their checking accounts and their credit cards, the "robbing of Peter to pay Paul"
principle in all its glory. Karyn Bosnak knows the principle too in a personal way. She took a hard
spiral from a lucrative career and financial solvency into a the abyss of insolvency in a few short
months, part in due to the loss of employment but primarily due to an all-too-obvious lack of
financial self-control.
Despite a common bond of indebtedness with Karyn Bosnak, Save Karyn's readers, particularly
those from the Midwest, may have difficulty garnering sympathy over her former financial woes.
They will likely be left feeling that the fear and pain she experienced were just-desserts for her, a
young woman who seemed to labor hard at a life of self-gratification and excessive
materialism.
At the beginning of her tale, Karyn Bosnak tells of a move to New York, where she earned more
in a week than most Americans earn in an entire month. That alone makes it difficult to
sympathize with her mourning the loss of a daily Cappuccino fix and being forced to drink
Maxwell House coffee; her inability to afford $1,000 coats, $200 shoes, and $140 T-shirts; and
ultimately her relegation to shopping at places like Old Navy and the Dollar Store, for what she
considered the lesser off-the rack clothing and grocery-store quality personal care products. There
Readers may be stunned and offended by Karyn Bosnak's teetering between feelings of pleasure
and shame over the discovery of the Dollar Store, as if it were uncharted territory, glad that it
offered items so inexpensively and yet insulted and embarrassed to be shopping there. Perhaps for
Karyn Bosnak places like Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, and Barney's are common excursions,
but for millions of working-class Americans the Dollar Store rates higher than Bloomingdale's
ever will because the Dollar Store is a gift to the working classes while "Bloomies" is a distant
fantasy whose marbled floors they will never trod. Miss Bosnak does not appear to intend cruelty
or insult in her tale, rather she comes across as being ignorant of an entire population of
Americans who are longtime pros at financial juggling, budgeting, and penny-pinching because
failing to do so threatens their survival. For them, living within their means has less to do with a
negative debt-income ratio and more to do with limited financial means to begin with. Miss
Bosnak comes across as a pampered and privileged young woman, and by her own admission, she
wasn't wanting for a lot when growing up. Perhaps that was part of the problem. She learned
early the power that brand names carry and came to like them, like a heroin addict likes their illicit
friend, and so it was at age 29 that Karyn Bosnak learned what all addicts learn eventually,
whether they be shopaholics or otherwise, the ride usually comes to an abrupt and painful end.
The question remains, did Karyn Bosnak learn anything from her financial misadventure? Perhaps
this lesson: That there are a great number of people in America with kind hearts and giving hands.
It is sad that the greater lessons seem to have escaped her altogether.
Conservative readers will have a difficult time identifying with Karyn Bosnak's flaunting of her
questionable personal values, despite her creative problem solving. They will have a difficult time
accepting and stomaching her "pain" at not having money to go out on a date, though staying
home seemed only a fleeting thought soon overcome. Male readers may empathize more with her
dates than for her as her admissions drive home the impression that she was more concerned over
who was going to be picking up the tab than she was encouraged by the probability of meeting
and getting to know a genuine human being. The stress and worry she put herself through and the
frantic "emergency" shopping trip and rudeness to store clerks was simply evidence that the
deeper message wasn't getting through. Did she get her just-desserts again? Just let her eat
cake.
Readers certainly could live without the expletives that Karyn Bosnak peppers her pages with.
This reviewer found herself mentally rewording the author's sentences and editing out the
offensive language, at times dreading the turning of another page. More than once the urge was
there to put it away, but when one is reviewing a book, it is expected the reviewer will have read
it cover to cover in order to do it proper justice. A futile attempt is made by the author to justify
the offensive language, insisting it necessary to convey the intensity of her emotions, but
professional writers know such a claim to be an excuse, the use of profanity being merely a crutch
for weak writing.
In addition to the unnecessary expletives, the pages are littered with filler material. The exclusion
of two-thirds of the emails and blog excerpts would have been welcomed. Without them, the
book certainly would have been blissfully shorter. Despite the filler however, unlike books of
great substance, Save Karyn was still a quick read, though one has to wonder if it is worthy of the
investment of time.
Christian readers will want to steer clear of Karyn Bosnak's book. They will certainly take offense
with her repeated taking of the Lord's name in vain. Again, she comes across as being ignorant of
the extent of her offense. Christian readers, and anyone else for that matter, would do well to
apply their $13.95 to some other literary work, despite the author's pitch that she was considerate
enough to publish in softcover in order to save book purchasers the hardcover cost. Should we all
bow down and give thanks to her now?
Save Karyn is not a lesson in debt management or financial accountability. It is a confession of
materialism and poor stewardship that led to the disintegration of a woman's financial state. In the
end, readers come away with...nothing. The same nothing that those who sent her money to help
her pay off her debt got. There is a long list of acknowledgments at the end of the book for those
who helped to Save Karyn. She forgot one all-important "thank you," however, that due the
Almighty, the most significant contributor to her freedom from debt. There are one or two places
where the author mentions God, in that flippant off-handed way many do, quickly noting that He
was "looking out" for her. For all His heartfelt efforts to move her mountain of debt, God didn't
even rate a simple "thanks" on the last page of SaveKaryn. Save Karyn indeed.
Tales of Psychology: Short Stories to Make You Wise
Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.
Paragon House
$TBA
Trish Riley
Reviewer
Tales of Psychology is both a self-help instructional manual and a fine collection of literature
offered by highly regarded authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, John Cheever, Anne Tyler and
Woody Allen. Dr. Alma Halbert Bond lends insights gained through her 35-year career as a
psychoanalyst, analyzing each story as if its protagonist were prone upon her office chaise,
introducing readers to classic dynamics of Oedipal complexes, depression, death and grief.
Dr. Bond's comments following each story don't attempt to resolve the dilemmas presented, only
to help readers recognize the psychological indicators and implications. The stories themselves,
culled from a lifetime of personal and professional study, present compelling struggles of life.
Ranging from emotional insecurities to alcoholism to parenting to suicide, each delves into a
different theme threading through the path of survival. Some are even horrific, like, "A Distant
Episode," by Paul Bowles, which tells of a man's struggle to cope with physical attack and
confinement through distancing and repression. But eventually the pain of his reality breaks
through his mental barrier, as it must always, in some way.
In analyzing these hand-picked favorite tales, Dr. Bond gives of herself in unexpected ways. In her
summation of the first story, "A Small, Good Thing," by Raymond Carver, she writes, "The end
of the story made me break down and sob," revealing that even the psychoanalyst is also a human,
feeling person. It seems rare for an analyst to shed the professional shield and admit to her own
wrenching emotional reaction.
"In a Region of Ice" is Joyce Carol Oates tragedy of unreleased emotional love, Anne Tyler's
"Teenage Wasteland" gives a glimpse into the heavy responsibilities of parenting that extend far
beyond shelter, food, clothing and education to include the more important intangible qualities of
caring and understanding. Dr. Bond says she's certain many lives have been saved when suicidal
patients were instructed to read "Paul's Case," by Willa Cather. It is a tale of a young man's
dreams of a grand life being dashed by his reality, plunging him into an unforgiving escape. But
just as his body falls through the night and into the path of an oncoming train, he realizes all that
he has robbed himself of, suddenly remembering the beauty of a sea he'll never see.
In the end, Dr. Bond reveals her own concern with death, and how her quest for understanding
has led past the existentialists, to the philosopher Seneca and finally, surprisingly, to Woody
Allen, whose wit confirms her greatest fear - that death is an unspeakable horror. In his quick
story "My Apology," Allen concedes a fear of unknown horror when contemplating death.
Perhaps the wisdom promised is the knowledge that ultimately there are no right ways of thinking
and behaving, and no definitive precedent or authority on such matters. Life presents a complex
buffet of experiences and means of coping with its challenges. Unraveling its mysteries is a
personal quest for each individual to undertake. Learning from one another's experiences with the
helpful perspective of a professional will help readers navigate their own paths more successfully.
Learning with Dr. Bond is a pleasure.
Alisa's Bookshelf
A Taste for Blood
Diana Lee
Harrington Park Press
http://www.haworthpress.com
ISBN: 156023461X $19.95 http://home.earthlink.net/~goddess_songs/Book%201.html
A Taste for Blood is lesbian erotica at its best. This book is not for the faint at heart as the sex is
very explicit. It is a refreshing look at vampirism.
Ryan is an 800-year-old vampire with an amazing history. She currently masquerades as the
mysterious Lord Wolf, a Scottish noble. Ryan dresses and acts as a man to allow her to function
in the male dominated 1800s. Ryan has a very long history with the descendants of her first love,
Bryn. Carissa, a descendant of Bryn, becomes Ryan's companion, lover, and vampire child. As the
story progresses, Ryan's history catches up with her. All her secrets are revealed and Carissa is the
ultimate price in her game for revenge.
While I would not generally recommend this book due to the explicit sex, it was very well written.
Ryan is a very powerful, intelligent, cunning protagonist. Her story takes us on a journey from the
Celts of the twelfth century, to the royal court of thirteenth century France, and finally to Scotland
of the 1800s. Each auxiliary character is involved in the plot intimately. The primary focus of the
book is female orientated, but men are included. Heterosexual men are generally weak or evil with
a few exceptions. The book is interlaced with mystery and erotic tales.
Diana Lee is the author of numerous novels and textbooks. She has been published by numerous
magazines and is the editor by NOLOSNE News, the quarterly publication of the National
Organization for Lesbians of Size.
Way of the Wolf: Book One of the Vampire Earth
E. E. Knight
ROC
http://www.vampireearth.com/
ISBN: 0451459393 $6.50 391 pp.
In 2022 the world as we know it comes to an end. Aliens who call themselves Kurians have taken
over Earth. The Kurians are not harmless and have very sinister designs on humanity. Each Kurian
controls a group of Reapers - a vampire like wraith who prowls the night stealing a human's
lifeforce or aura. The auras are the means with which the Kurians remain immortal. The Kurians
have some of humanity in league with them. Many people have agreed to help the Kurians by
selling out their neighbors. Most of humanity is now a farm animal for the Kurians.
David Valentine has had to grow up very fast. His entire family died a senseless death. It wasn't
Reapers - but humans. Valentine was forever changed that day. When Southern Command, the
remnants of the military protecting everyone from the Kurians, comes calling for volunteers,
Valentine is intrigued. His father was a Wolf, an elite military unit that engages in guerrilla
warfare. By becoming a Wolf, Valentine is driven to find a way to defeat the Kurians and salvage
what is left of humanity.
Way of the Wolf is the first of the Vampire Earth series. As such, much of the book is spent
creating the post-apocalyptic Earth and setting up Valentine as our hero. Valentine is very well
fleshed out and likeable character. He endears himself to the reader. The story line of Way of the
Wolf is slow to start, but once the action begins, it does not let up. The action is gripping and
enthralling. The dichotomy of an 'elite' group with immunity from the Kurians and all the other
'sheep' presents many opportunities for the story line to take unseen twists. Who is more devious
and deadly? The Reapers or your neighbors?
Way of the Wolf is E. E. Knight's first book. The sequel, Choice of the Cat will be published in
May, 2004 with a third novel, titled Tale of the Thunderbolt to follow in 2005. Lara Croft: Tomb
Raider: The Lost Cult, an adventure in the Tomb Raider world will be published in August, 2004.
E. E. Knight has a very extensive website at http://www.vampireearth.com/
Stolen
Kelley Armstrong
Viking Penguin Group
http://www.penguinputnam.com/
http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/
ISBN: 0670031372 $24.95 416 pp.
Stolen is Kelley Armstrong's second installment in the Women of the Otherworld Series. In Bitten
we are introduced to Elena and her fellow werewolves. Stolen introduces us to other
supernaturals; witches, vampires, demons, voodoo practitioners, shaman, and so on.
Someone is kidnapping supernaturals and they are never heard from again. Elena, Jeremy, and
Clay are invited to a 'United Nations' for the supernatural world in an attempt to stop the
kidnappings. Unfortunately for Elena, the council is unable to stop her abduction.
Elena finds herself alone, cut-off from the pack, and held captive for study. An unstable,
megalomaniac man with money has decided it would be 'fun' to study supernatural beings and
when the study is completed to have a little hunt. Elena must draw on all her resources to find a
way to protect herself physically, mentally, and emotionally. As the hunt draws closer, Elena
struggles to free herself and the other captives.
Stolen is one huge adrenaline rush that can be addictive. As the story unfolds, it brings us into the
supernatural world deeper and deeper. We learn about demons and their offspring in our mists.
While werewolves have many advantages over other supernaturals, they are still vulnerable. Each
supernatural has abilities that must be harnessed for survival. This blending of beings evolves into
a partnership and friendship between groups that have never cooperated with each other
before.
The supernaturals of Stolen are written with a great deal of care. Each being is unique and strong
in their own manner. Kelley Armstrong has created a world where everyone is a mixture of good
and bad - only a few are truly evil. Elena may be feral and a killer, but she is a moral sentient
being. Her outrage at captivity allows the reader to identify deeply with her.
Werewolves have considered themselves too strong to be held captive. Their experiences in
Stolen show them just how vulnerable they are. Elena, Clay, and Jeremy are forced to rely on
others, in contrast to their nature.
Kelley Armstrong has published three books; Bitten, Stolen, and Dime Store Magic. A fourth in
the Women of the Otherworld series, Industrial Magic is to be published late in 2004. She has an
extensive website at http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/ On her website are two novellas from the
Women of the Otherworld series.
Bitten
Kelley Armstrong
Viking Penguin Group
http://www.penguinputnam.com/
http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/
ISBN: 0670894710 $24.95 400 pp.
Elena Michaels is women going places. She has a great job as a journalist, a nice apartment in
Toronto, a very attentive boyfriend, and a serious problem. She is a werewolf. The only female
werewolf in existence.
So starts Bitten, Kelley Armstrong's first book in the Women of the Otherworld series. Elena is
summoned by her old pack's alpha, Jeremy to return to Stonehaven, his estate. With much
trepidation, Elena embarks on a journey that will alter her life once again. The pack represents all
that Elena resents male domination and treating women like dirt. In addition, there is Clay
who longs to posses Elena completely once again.
Kelley Armstrong's werewolves are feral and strong. They hunt and run at will. These beasts are
wild but still retain a trace of humanity. There are only two ways to become a werewolf by
bite or heredity. Only males can inherit the werewolf tradition. The werewolves spend a good
amount of time procreating with only interest in their male progeny.
Nipping at the heals of the pack are the mutts usually lone werewolves who challenge the
stability of the pack. Mutts have been known to indulge themselves in killing humans and the pack
does its best to guard against this. Elena finds herself drawn into the pack once again and as she
struggles to accept her nature.
Bitten is a wonderful, fresh look at werewolves. The pack is like a close knit family unit with all
different types. Elena is written as a strong woman and werewolf. Yet Elena has many emotional
barriers that do not allow her to evolve. She is unable to truly let others care for her. She fights
her feral instincts and tries to conquer them.
Throughout the book, Elena is in constant struggle with Clay. This relationship is very complex
and wonderful to read about. While reading the book, you find yourself wanting Elena to give into
Clay at other times you want Elena to cause bodily harm to him. This seesaw of emotions is
laced with love, bitterness, lust, loneliness, and so much more. Upon finishing this book, all you
want to do is read the next installment, Stolen.
Kelley Armstrong has published three books; Bitten, Stolen, and Dime Store Magic. A fourth in
the Women of the Otherworld series, Industrial Magic is to be published late in 2004. She has an
extensive website at http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/ On her website are two novellas from the
Women of the Otherworld series.
The Journal of Professor Abraham Van Helsing
Allen C. Kupfer
Forge
http://www.tor.com/
ISBN: 0765310112 $19.95 208 p.
With the impending release of the movie, Van Helsing, we are given the Journal of Professor Van
Helsing as a way to further our understanding of this mysterious character of Bram Stoker. The
journal suggests that Van Helsing was a real man and that many of the events in the original
Dracula are fact and not fiction.
Van Helsing was a doctor and a scholar from Amsterdam. A trip to the Balkans to visit a
colleague was his introduction to the plague of vampirism. Much to Van Helsing's horror, the
vampires became very interested in his activities. This journal chronicles his adventures and the
terror wrought by vampires.
The Journal of Professor Van Helsing is presented as the supposed scholarly documentation
written by Van Helsing himself and preserved by a friend. According to the author, Allen C.
Kupfer, the journal fell into his hands by accident. The journal is laced with commentary by
Kupfer's grandfather and himself. This commentary gives the journal 20th century references and
gives the impression of authenticity.
The writing style of this book was difficult to delve into. The language was very proper with
descriptions that left out many of the more titillating aspects of vampires. As I have not seen the
movie this book is tied into, I do not know if this work will enhance it. I found parts of the journal
to be interesting but the vast majority was written in a narrative that left me wanting more.
Allen C. Kupfer is credited with two RPG novels; The Luck of Llewellyn the Loquacious, based
on the Realms of Magic and Nocturne, based on the Tales of Ravenloft.
Blood and Mind
Melanie L. Bonnefoux
Publish America
http://www.publishamerica.com/ http://www.bloodandmind.com
ISBN: 1592864422 $24.95 302 pp.
Blood and Mind is Melanie Bonnefoux's first book. All the raw materials of a great book are
present - it just needs some more refinement.
Our heroine, Holly-Anne Feather is not your average co-ed. She posses incredible PSI abilities
and is an empathy. Because of these powers, she is noticed by the local vampire community.
Lucien, the vampire 'Holder' or master, takes a very keen interest in Holly. Of course, Holly is
torn. Lucien is technically a dead man - reanimated flesh. These facts are not very appealing.
Instead, Holly finds herself lusting after Lucien. Into this mix comes Ryan, a fellow student that is
also interested in Holly.
Then the bodies start to appear. Edwards University students are being murdered in a very
gruesome, ritualistic manner. Holly finds herself at the epicenter of the murder investigation and
her love-life only gets more complicated.
Blood and Mind is a fun book to read. Holly-Anne is a wonderful, strong characterization. She
has sass and fire with a tinge of very sarcastic, acerbic wit. Holly is the girlfriend we all want to
know. The ending of the book held some twists that where unexpected and very daring. My main
criticism of the book was the very poor copy editing. The numerous spelling and grammar errors
made it difficult to read the book.
Blood and Mind can be compared to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. While there are
similarities, Melanie Bonnefoux incorporated many unique aspects to her story that sets it apart.
Bonnefoux's vampires are described as an alien species with unknown beginnings.
Melanie Bonnefoux is a first time author and a 'lover of things that go bump in the night.' She is
currently working on a sequel to Blood and Mind. Please visit her website for more information
http://www.bloodandmind.com
Alisa McCune
Reviewer
Alyice's Bookshelf
Mommy & Me: Playgroup Favorites
Mary Panzer and Gregg Field
Concord Records, Inc.
100 N. Crescent Drive, Suite 275, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
http://concordrecords.com
ASIN: CCD-224-2 and CCD-2225-2, $9.98 310-385-4455
I worked as a licensed in-home daycare provider, a preschool teacher, and an assistant childcare
director. I'm also a mother and an auntie so I can speak from experience when I say this music CD
is a MUST for parents, playgroups, and teachers of young toddlers. In fact, I believe this CD
would make the perfect baby shower gift!
The music is easy to sing along to, the beats are uplifting, and many of the songs are time-honored
traditions. In fact, the time you spend bonding with your young children will become more
enjoyable because you'll no longer be concentrating on "what to do next," but you'll be enjoying
the process of playing and interacting with your little ones.
On a side note, my 9-year-old-daughter, MyKaela, thought she was "too old" for most of these
songs since she's now 9, you know. But we'll let you in on a little secret. They brought back great
toddler memories and MyKaela couldn't help but stomp her feet and dance to the music. We even
caught her singing the songs and later, whistling their tunes.
Serendipity And The Dream Catcher
Gwyn English Nielsen
CGS Press
Biblio Distribution
http://www.bibliodistribution.com
ISBN: 0966072626 $5.95 1-800-462-6420
Serendipity And The Dream Catcher was a fun book! My favorite parts were the dreams. I loved
how the author had the words in a different writing so that I knew when a dream was coming. I
liked acting out the dreams with Serendipity and The Dream Catcher.
MyKaela Edrich, Age 9
http://mykaelaedrich.com
MyKaela's mom says that MyKaela was really into this book. It kept her attention, had her
envisioning each scene, and as soon as the dreams began, MyKaela was up and re-enacting the
dreams as her mother told the story.
Gwyn English Nielsen is a master storyteller! I found Serendipity And The Dream Catcher to be
one of the best young reader's books I've read this year. Not only does she captivate the minds of
young readers, but she captivates the minds of adults as well.
Serendipity is a young girl filled with nightmares. But once she receives her very own dream
catcher, her nightmares turn into adventures and those adventures help Serendipity face real life
problems head on.
I found Gwyn's technique of implementing the use of a dictionary as part of the story to be a
remarkable way to encourage children to enhance their use of the English language by looking up
words they're stuck on. This book not only entertains, but it's educational and inspiring.
Murphy's Safety Songs
Tim Young
Murphy's Bone
P.O. Box 56835, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
http://murphysbone.com
ISBN: 0974822604 $19.95 1-818-906-8196
MyKaela's Review
Murphy's Safety Songs makes learning more fun. It teaches you how to care for dogs and that's
important because if you don't know how to care for dogs, they could die or get hurt. The main
character is really funny. I liked it when he said, "I have no thumbs if you noticed."
Mom's Review...
Murphy's Safety Songs book and music CD is not only educational, but it's cute, fun, and
uplifting. I couldn't help but giggle, wiggle, and dance to the fun beat. The songs are simple and
catchy which means any toddler can memorize them and since toddlers learn by memorization,
this is the perfect tool to teach little ones how to care for their pets.
Kindergartners can also have fun with Murphy's Safety Songs. Learning to read has never been
more fun as preschoolers read along while listening to the songs on the CD. And finally, moms
and dads can get a refresher course on many safety issues dealing with dogs by reading the short,
concise tips in the back of the book. This is definitely a book meant for the whole family!
In fact, it's the perfect gift for anyone looking to rescue a dog from the pound, for preschool
teachers looking for a new circle time activity, or kindergartner teachers looking for a fun, new
way to help their children learn to read.
Veggie Tales Personalized Music CD
Veggie Tales
2000 Mallory Ln. Suite 130-215, Franklin, TN 37067
http://justmemusic.com 615-309-5606
MyKaela's Review
Just ME! Music Veggie Tales is great. My name sounds like it belongs in the song and real
Veggie Tales sing to me! The songs are fun to sing to and they teach me about God. I like having
fun with God. My favorite song is Veggie Tales because I love to dance to it.
Mom's Review...
Just Me! Music Veggie Tales music CD was a welcome surprise. I was expecting to hear my
daughter's name mechanically inserted, but instead I was delighted to hear real Veggie Tale
characters singing her name. Not only was this professionally done, but the CD carries all our
favorite Veggie Tale songs.
One of the great things about Veggie Tales is that the characters introduce biblical truths in fun,
silly ways without making a mockery of our religious beliefs. Every song refreshes and awakens
our minds to learn and understand sound biblical truths in a new light.
Children learn best when they are having fun. And they retain more when they can laugh and play
as they learn and that's just what Veggie Tales does. If you love Veggie Tales movies, then
you'll love Just Me! Veggie Tales Music CDs!
Alyice Edrich
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
For Christians Who Are Seriously Dating Or Would Like To Be
Elreta Dodds
Press Toward The Mark Publications
PO Box 02099, Detroit, Michigan 48202
0966039033 $15.95 1-888-833-8889
For Christians Who Are Seriously Dating Or Would Like To Be by Elreta Dodds (an ordained
minister certified in Advanced Church Ministries and a Certified Social Worker) is a
thought-provoking book of questions that every faithful Christian should ask himself or herself
before becoming engaged. A frank, no-nonsense discussion of core issues, with numerous blank
lines after probing questions that the reader can use to fill in his or her own responses, For
Christians Who Are Seriously Dating covers matters concerning religion, lifestyle, the "ex" factor
(former marriages or relationships on both sides), family and friends, children, issues of domestic
violence, and more. For Christians Who Are Seriously Dating Or Would Like To Be is a superbly
presented work and very highly recommended for its patient, non-judgmental manner of
prompting the reader to think about serious issues before making the lifelong commitment of
marriage.
Off My Rocker
Gracie Malone
NavPress
3820 North 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
1576833895 $12.00 1-800-366-7788
Off My Rocker: Grandparenting Ain't What It Used To Be by Gracie Malone is a warm
guidebook to the challenge of grandparenting both as a proud parent of adult children, and as a
dedicated Christian. From how to balance assisting one's children in the tasks of being parents
without interfering; to teaching little ones about Jesus; to passing on important family values while
retaining a strong sense of fun, and so much more, Off My Rocker is a welcome compilation of
sound advice which is as practical as it is insightful.
Hollywood And Catholic Women
Kathryn Schleich
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
059530303X $13.95 www.iuniverse.com
Knowledgeably written by Kathryn Schleich (an adult convert to Catholicism), Hollywood And
Catholic Women: Virgins, Whores, Mothers, And Other Images blends two seemingly disjoint
questions into a thoughtfully reasoned whole: "Why do Hollywood roles for women tend to
typecast them as virgins or vamps, with little depth or complexity?"; and "Why are Catholic
women to this day restricted from full participation in many meaningful practices of the Church?".
Deftly exploring the history of how women have been perceived in Catholicism, and meticulously
deconstructing female roles in movies such as "The Song of Bernadette", "True Confessions",
"Sister Act", "Dogma", and others, Hollywood And Catholic Women is a unique, thoughtful, and
thought-provoking survey and commentary of institutionalized of Catholicism and Hollywood
studio perspectives with respect to and its lasting impact upon the female gender.
Mary Of Canada
Joan Skogan
Banff Centre Press
PO Box 1020, Banff, Alberta T1L 1H5
1894773039 $17.95 1-403-762-6279 www.banffcentre.ca/press
Engagingly illustrated with compelling black-and-white photographs, Mary Of Canada: The
Virgin Mary In Canadian Culture, Spirituality, History, And Geography by journalist and author
Joan Skogan is a thoughtful and original study of the Virgin Mary's perception, incorporation, and
frequent presence in Canadian culture. Exploring images and evocations of the Virgin in Canadian
literature, history, art, and geography, Skogan deftly takes the reader on an imaginative and
engaging tour through Canadian history, the human heart, and Christian spirituality.
For Those Who Serve
Carol Lee Hall
Baker Book House
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0801064627 $9.99 www.bakerbooks.com
For Those Who Serve: A Devotional For Church Volunteers by Carol Lee Hall presents more
than 90 devotions for Christians striving to keep up in a busy and demanding world and balance
the call to serve as a volunteer for the community or the church with responsibilities at work and
home. Each thoughtful devotion includes a bit of Scripture to reflect upon, recommended Bible
readings for study and reflection, a Biblical story, ideas for applying the parables to modern-day
problems, and a short prayer. An excellent tool for soulful reflection, meditation, and opening
oneself to a higher power, For Those Who Serve is especially recommended reading for any
member of a Christian community feeling the strain between their volunteer activities and the rest
of their personal lives, daily commitments, and familial responsibilities.
What Jesus Is All About
Dr. Henrietta C. Mears
Regal Books
2300 Knoll Drive, Ventura, CA 93003-7383
0830733272 $11.99 www.regalbooks.com
Knowledgeably written by the influential Dr. Henrietta Mears, who founded the Gospel Light,
GLINT, the Forest Home Christian Conference Center, and a ministry that continues to thrive
today, What Jesus Is All About is a meaningful introduction to the eternal significance of Christ's
life on Earth. Offering a clear overview of the Gospels and the book of Acts, with special
attention to scripture passages that fulfill the Old Testament's messianic prophecies, study
questions for group discussion, and a great deal more, What Jesus Is All About is a superbly
authored and highly recommended resource for individual study or a group enrichment
curriculum.
Who Will Save You?
Tauno Saila
Kiva Enterprises
10534 Penrose Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352-2123
0967017815 $14.00 www.amazon.com
Who Will Save You? Not God, Nor Religions; You Must Save Yourself by Tauno Saila is a
religious and spiritual manifesto exhortation encompassing the will of God, the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ, and most important of all, the critical responsibility that each and every human being has
for his or her own salvation. A bold accounting that makes no apologies for the spiritual demands
and responsibilities that are placed upon all who are alive today, Who Will Save You? is written
with passion and presents a highly compelling argument for personal and moral self-policing that
will be of specific and enduring interest to Christian and non-Christian alike, regardless of such
considerations as race, ethnicity, nationality, or culture.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Betsy's Bookshelf
Stitch 'n Bitch
Debbie Stoller
Workman Publishing Company
708 Broadway, NY, NY 10003-9555
0761128182 $13.95 workman.com
Expertly written by Debbie Stoller (an experienced knitter who is also the co-founder of the
feminist magazine BUST), Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook offers complete step-by-step
instructions and explicit diagrams for creating a wide variety of hip, warm, and practical knitted
items ranging from cat beds to punk rock backpacks, "pippi kneestockings" and so much more.
Stockinette stitch, rib stitch, seed stitch, fringes, tassels, intarsia, crab stitch, and many more
techniques are accessibly detailed, and a section of full-color photographs reveals finished works
any dedicated knitter can aspire to create. A sassy, vivacious, trend-setting crafting guide as bold
and uncompromising as its title, Stitch 'n Bitch is a welcome and appreciated addition to any
dedicated needlecrafter's knitting projects reference shelf.
The Complete Guide To Bread & Breakfasts
Pamela Lanier
Ten Speed Press
PO Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707
1580085288 $16.95 1-800-841-2665 www.tenspeed.com
Knowledgeably compiled and organized by recognized travel expert and B&B connoisseur
Pamela Lanier, The Complete Guide To Bead & Breakfasts descriptively rates over 4,000 inns
and guesthouses worldwide, complete with contact information, brief descriptions, payments
accepted, and so much more. Organized state-by-state for easy reference, the entries are quite
brief, easy to peruse, and collectively comprise a superbly presented resource which is ideal for
vacationers and business travelers alike.
Light Of My Heart
Ginny Aiken
Fleming H. Revell
c/o Baker Book House Company
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0800758749 $12.99 www.bakerbooks.com
Book one of the Silver Hills Trilogy, Light Of My Heart by Ginny Aiken is a soulful novel set in
1892, in the booming town of Hartville, Colorado that has sprung up next to a silver mine. Letitia
Morgan is a beautiful young woman determined to practice medicine in the wild frontier land,
only to find herself caught amidst potentially deadly quarrels and subject to personal attack. It will
take far more than courage to prove herself and establish her career, and when the young Dr.
Morgan becomes embroiled in the fate of three orphans, her life will never be the same. The first
title in the "Silver Hills" trilogy, Ginny Aiken's Light Of My Heart offers a thoroughly compelling
narrative that will leave the reader eager for more.
Love Among The Greats
Edith Pearlman
Eastern Washington University Press
705 West 1st Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201
0910055807 $15.95 1-800-508-9095
Winner of the 2001 Spokane Prize for short fiction, Love Among The Greats by Edith Perlman is
an enthralling and enthusiastically recommended anthology featuring characters ranging from
children, to the elderly, toy makers, lovers, invalids, schmoozers, angels, and others. The
captivating and superbly crafted portrayals of human dilemmas and enduringly powerful bonds
developed in each of these outstanding stories combine to fashion a common, compelling theme
that will keep the reader thoroughly hooked from tale to tale.
The Water Lily Pond
Han Z. Li
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
0889204314 $24.95 www.wlupress.wlu.ca
Han Z. Li's The Water Lily Pond: A Village Girl's Journey In Maoist China is the true story of a
young girl's adolescence and womanhood in Maoist China. Han Li recounts life in a small rural
village, where everything had value except the lives of girls and women as reflected in such
incidences as a childhood friend who drowned herself rather than live in an arranged marriage,
and a gentle neighbor who hanged herself after her husband beat her brutally for not bearing a
son. Han Li tells of having the opportunity to attend a university, yet being subject to harsh urban
snobbery and "student-thought spying" that made the ability to hide one's real thoughts central to
personal survival. A tale of how political change in the Maoist regime had deep and lasting effects
upon ordinary people, The Water Lily Pond is a poignant and compelling insight into that old
Chinese curse of "living in difficult times".
Your Kids & Sports
Michael Koehler, Ph.D.
Sorin Books
PO Box 1006, Notre Dame, IN 46556-1006
189373272X $14.95 1-800-282-1865 www.sorinbooks.com
Your Kids & Sports: Everything You Need To Know From Grade School To College by
educator, coach and parent Michael Koehler is an impressively written parental guide which is
packed cover to cover with a wealth of practical advice and information concerning everything
from helping a child find the right sport for him or her; to learning to accept and teach one's child
to accept losing; to the physical conditioning needs of young athletes; to the warning signs of drug
use including alcohol, tobacco, and steroids, and so much more. An excellent and expertly written
resource, Your Kids & Sports is a welcome and appreciated contribution to both Parenting
Studies reading lists and Sports/Athletics Coaching reference collections.
Dealing With Disappointment
Elizabeth Crary
Parenting Press
PO Box 75267, Seattle, WA 98125
1884734758 $11.95 1-800-992-6657 www.ParentingPress.com
Written by Elizabeth Crary (a parent educator of 25 years' experience), Dealing With
Disappointment: Helping Kids Cope When Things Don't Go Their Way offers parents, teachers,
child care providers, and anyone else who works with children a straightforward guidance to
teaching children how to meet and deal with seemingly insurmountable challenges. From learning
to recognize when children are truly upset or shaken; to the dangers of trying to make or keep
children happy at all times; to teaching young ones self-calming and problem-solving skills with
step-by-step guides and games; to learning how to keep one's cool when the kids lose theirs,
Dealing With Disappointment is an excellent and strongly recommended resource filled from
cover to cover with positive and practical guidance and guidelines.
Look Who's Talking!
Laura Dyer, MCD
Meadowbrook Press
5451 Smetana Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55343
0881664650 $12.00 www.meadowbrookpress.com
Knowledgeably written by Laura Dyer (a speech-language therapist especially skilled in working
with children), Look Who's Talking! How To Enhance Your Child's Language Development,
Starting At Birth draws upon academic research and field work alike in order to show how
parents just how they can help stimulate their children's ability to use language. Individual
chapters address such topics as proverbial signs and gestures; common language development
concerns and warning signs; steps for successful sign language usage; bilingualism and
second-language learning; the unique challenges of international adoptions; using music to
enhance language development, and so much more, Look Who's Talking! offers straight answers
to common questions and is highly recommended reading for the parents of bubbling young
personalities wanting to express themselves with an articulation suitable to their age.
The Horses Of Proud Spirit
Melanie Sue Bowles
Pineapple Press, Inc.
PO Box 3889, Sarasota, FL 34230-3889
1561642851 $18.95 1-800-746-3275 www.pineapplepress.com
Melanie Sue Bowles' The Horses Of Proud Spirit is the true story of Melanie's efforts to take in
and care fore broken, abused, and neglected horses. Each year, over 70,000 horses in the United
States are sent to slaughter; hundreds of thousands more suffer terrible conditions. Proud Spirit is
a place where even the most severely hurt animals are given a chance to relearn how to trust, and
experience love and companionship with human caretakers and other horses. A noble and
inspirational true-life presentation, The Horses Of Proud Spirit is a unique and welcome
contribution to both school and community library Pets/Wildlife collections -- and is most
especially recommended reading for dedicated horse lovers of all ages.
The Power Of Losing Control
Joe Caruso
Gotham Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
1592400485 $13.00 www.penguin.com
Written by Joe Caruso (cancer survivor, business consultant, speaker, workshop leader, and
author of the syndicated column "Cup of Joe"), The Power Of Losing Control: Finding Strength,
Meaning, And Happiness In An Out-Of-Control World is a down-to-earth anthology about
adapting to, and making the best of, events that are beyond an individual's power to change.
Individual chapters cogently address such topics as knowing when to stop beating the proverbial
dead horse; the importance of making connections count; the power of faith to stand against fear;
and a great deal more. A motivational, practical, and expert assessment of dealing with the
hazards of reality, The Power Of Losing Control is confidently recommended for personal
self-help, self-improvement reading lists and reference collections.
Provoking Theater
Kama Ginkas and John Freedman
Smith and Kraus, Inc.
177 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755
1575253321 $19.95 1-800-895-4331
The collaboration of Kama Ginkas and John Freedman, Provoking Theater: Kama Ginkas Directs
is an extensive interview offering insights especially recommended for theater professionals and
students, but open to all who have a keen interest in this evolving art form as reflected in the
concerns and observations of the inspirational genius Kama ginkas -- one of Russia's most widely
acclaimed theater directors working today. In lengthy and descriptive question-and-answer
format, Kama Ginkas himself speaks of his roots in the Stanislavsky system, to inspiration gained
from the cutting-edge work of Vsevolod Meyerhold, to difficulties of communication and the
vulnerability of the actor on stage. Dramatic, inspirational, revealing, Provoking Theater is a
uniquely presented insider's viewpoint and not to be missed by students and enthusiasts of
contemporary theater.
Flight And Earlier Poems
Vona Groarke
Wake Forest University Press
PO Box 7333, Winston-Salem, NC 27109
1960630123 $11.95 www.wfu.edu
Composed by native-born Irish poet Vona Groarke (whose awards include the Hennessy Award
for New Irish Writer and for Best Poet of the Year (1994)), Flight And Earlier Poems is a
breathtaking anthology of original verse. Flight was the author's third collection of poetry and
short listed for the Forward Prize for Best Collection in the UK and Ireland, and awarded the
Michael Hartnett Poetry Prize in 2003. Flight And Earlier Poems combines the award-winning
compilation with works from Vona Groarke's more formative years, but all entries resonate with
similar resounding empathy for the cultural intricacies of Ireland's rich and sometimes brutally
harsh history. "Drama": Even the drama of the laburnum tree / backed into the evening sun- / a
Roman abundance, a gilded spree- / is nothing compared to the look / on your face when I
directed you to it.
Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer
Betty's Bookshelf
When the War Is Over... A New One Begins: Rebuilding Relationships After Trauma
Chuck Dean and Bette Nordberg
Wordsmith Publishing
P.O. Box 68065, Seattle, WA 98168
ISBN# 0972727930 $11.99 151 pgs.
Although the fighting continues, the war in Iraq is officially "over". When the troops finally come
home, they're going to expect to pick up where they left off. Everyone may be surprised to find
it's not that easy, even ones who should know better.
A friend of mine recently told me that her son, home after months of desert fighting, hasn't
unpacked his gear yet. He's still living out of his duffel bag, in the middle of his old bedroom. He
doesn't talk like he used to, and when he does, he's sharp with everyone in a way he never was
before. He's different, she says, and living with that is a challenge.
She's fortunate. As the contact person for her son's unit, she was trained in what to expect, so her
son's responses to being home haven't taken her completely by surprise. She knows how to treat
him, when to let him be distant, how to listen when he talks. Even so, it's been hard. To an
untrained mom - or wife or boyfriend - it will probably seem impossible.
Author Chuck Dean can relate. He brought home a full-blown case of PTSD [Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder] from the Vietnam War, although he didn't know it then, and for years, it cost him
jobs, relationships, and other things normal people take for granted. Finally, during one
particularly bleak period, this ex-soldier did the unthinkable: he surrendered. Not to despair,
though. Dean surrendered to God and, in the process, found the peace he'd been so desperate for.
Now, he spends much of his time writing and talking about PTSD and how to overcome it.
If PTSD is new to you, here's what Dr. John P. Wilson (of Cleveland State University's
department of psychology) said, during his testimony before a 1980 Senate Subcommittee on
Veteran Affairs. "We know now that PTSD is a dynamic survivor response to the catastrophic
stressors experienced in the war and to the intense social stressors after it."
Dean puts it more simply. "PTSD is a perfectly normal human response to a profoundly abnormal
event." PTSD is not malingering. It is not a mental disease. It can happen to anyone and affects
sufferers mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. It's been diagnosed after all sorts of
traumas and can be difficult to recognize, let alone handle without help.
And PTSD affects relationships. That may be a no-brainer in situations where the stressor affects
both members of a relationship equally, like the death of a child, but it's less clear-cut when it's
one person going off to war while the other sits home and waits.
Few civilians have been surrounded by danger every moment, have seen friends die, have had
people shooting at them. Few have been so scared it actually hurt. Civilians tend to expect the
traumas of war to go away once a soldier's home again. Meanwhile, the traumatized soldier can't
explain what he (or she) has been through and may not know or be able to express why it's
affecting home life.
So, what do you do if PTSD rears its ugly head in your life? If your answer is, "It won't; I don't
know any soldiers," remember: it isn't only soldiers that experience PTSD. Do you know someone
who's been assaulted, survived a car wreck, or experienced a loved one's death? You may already
be watching PTSD in action. Are you close to a policeman or a fire fighter or an EMT worker?
You may be dealing with PTSD every day, without realizing it. And what if you have it
yourself?
You're in luck. Dean (with the help of fellow Washingtonian Bette Nordberg) has volunteered to
be point man [the soldier who leads a patrol in hostile terrain and takes the brunt of an attack] in
his latest book, When the War Is Over... A New One Begins: Rebuilding Relationships After
Trauma. All you have to do is read it, as Dean and Nordberg take you through chapters such as
Coping With Trauma, Finding Middle Ground, and Victory Is Possible, and explain how trauma
affects relationships and how to heal the damage.
Even if you don't live with PTSD, read this book. Why? To quote the back cover, "[This] is not
only a book about personal trauma - it is required reading for anyone serious about restoring
relationships with those they love." Reading this book could change your life.
Grace by the Cup: A Break from the Daily Grind
Louise Bergmann DuMont
Fleming H. Revell
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI, 49516-6287
ISBN# 0800758889 $11.99 158 pgs.
Reading Grace by the Cup: A Break from the Daily Grind, by Louise Bergmann DuMont, can
make having a cup of coffee seem like a spiritual experience, as DuMont writes about how her
lifelong love affair with coffee has made her look at life a little bit differently than most
people.
She gets insight in the strangest ways, too. Grinding coffee beans makes her reflect on how life
experiences can roast and grind people, releasing what is best in them in a way nothing else could.
Drinking gas station coffee, instead of waiting until she can get to a real coffee shop, reminds her
that there are things in life worth waiting for, while a cup of expresso makes her think about the
wisdom of using moderation even in the good things of life. The warm brown color of a cup of
her favorite beverage inspires a list of all the things she loves about the color brown. My favorite?
The story of how her parents' wedding rings were paid for in postwar Germany with American
coffee beans!
If you love coffee (or know someone who does), keep a copy of this book on your coffee table.
DuMont's method of drawing life lessons from the pleasures of coffee drinking just might help
you slow down and really enjoy your next cup!
From Dust and Ashes: A Story of Liberation
Tricia Goyer
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
ISBN# 0802415547 $12.99 463 pgs.
Tricia Goyer may not have been alive during World War II, but according to the men of the 11th
Armored Division who were actually there, the research job she did for her historical novel, From
Dust and Ashes, has produced a story as riveting and accurate as though she'd gone back in time
and lived through it all herself.
Although the book is meant for adults, older teens may benefit from Goyer's take on the topic. My
seventeen-year-old daughter, who is fascinated by the era but hates to read, read it all the way
through and thoroughly enjoyed it!
The book opens in Austria, as the G.I.s of the 11th Armored Division have been told to take and
hold a bridge near a small Austrian town. Here, to their horror, they discover a prison camp filled
with dead and dying prisoners and more grief and pain than they can comprehend.
Goyer uses three points of view (a prison guard's wife, a young G.I., and a liberated prisoner) to
explore the camp's liberation from several angles, and although she doesn't pull any punches, she
doesn't wallow in the details, either. She deftly uses only enough darkness to make the subplots of
brokenness and healing, love, forgiveness, and new beginnings shine like stars.
In order to do this story justice and get the details and emotions right, Goyer interviewed many of
the men who served during World War II with the 11th Armored Division, who have since
heartily recommended the book as a must-read, saying that she "tells it like it was".
Best of all, in a field that too often concentrates on the horror and darkness of the events of those
days, Goyer doesn't just record the plain truth about the evils of the concentration camps. She
leavens that truth with human emotion and weaves into it all an even greater truth - God can make
new life and beauty out of anything, even the dust and ashes of a concentration camp.
Heroes at Home: Help and Hope for America's Military Families
Ellie Kay
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Ave. South, Bloomington, Minnesota, 55438
ISBN# 2002015282 $8.99 206 pgs.
Ellie Kay, author of Heroes at Home: Help and Hope for America's Military Families, grew up as
a military brat and then married U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Bob Kay, whom she affectionately
calls "The World's Greatest Fighter Pilot". She has survived over thirteen years of marriage in the
military, including several deployments and eleven moves, the raising of a large family (two adult
and five school-aged children) and life in rural New Mexico. Being part of a military family is all
she knows, which makes her an ideal candidate to write a book about life in the military from a
military spouse's point of view.
She does an excellent job of it, too, listing things military spouses need to know, ways the civilian
spouse can bless the military spouse, ideas for things to send in care packages, items that need to
be dealt with before a deployment, and loads of resources that military families can investigate or
get involved with. She even adds interviews with six other military spouses to round out her own
experiences (including one with her own mom). If you're part of a military family or know
someone who is, this book should be on your bookshelf.
It comes as no surprise to me that this book was a finalist in the 2003 Golden Medallion Awards.
The surprise comes when you hear Kay say that she wrote it in thirty days. To me, it reads as
though she spent years crafting it. I guess when you've lived and breathed a topic as long as she
has this one, you can't get it down on paper fast enough!
Betty Winslow
Reviewer
Brenda's Bookshelf
Leah's Way
Richard Botelho
Windstream Publishing Co.
303 Windstream Place, Danville CA 94526
Phone: 925-742-9251 Fax: 925-742-9562 264 Pages
ISBN 0964392682 $19.95 (Hard Cover)
ISBN 0964392690 $12.95 (Soft Cover)
Her formative years should have been a delight. Instead Leah was tormented by her mother every
step of the way. Perhaps it was because Leah was the youngest. Or perhaps it was due to the rest
of Margaret's children who ignored their mother more often than not. Whatever it was, Leah felt
the switch on a regular basis. This is one of the reasons why she married Vic. So she could get as
far away from her family as possible.
LEAH'S WAY follows a woman throughout her childhood years into adulthood. The first chapter
speaks of her older years. This is at a time when Leah does not take care of herself at all. She is
homeless. A vagabond. A woman who has given up. Immediately the tale sucks the reader into
the web. Then just as quickly pushes the reader back in time.
Botelho produced a fine tale with the literary slant in mind. It is sad yet LEAH'S WAY proves
that faith in God can bring eternal happiness. Unfortunately for Leah, she was sad and depressed
most of her life. Therefore, she never could see the blessings in her life until it was too late.
LEAH'S WAY is a spiritual tale that lets everyone know God loves all His children. Beautifully
told with the expected ending, many will see similarities within their own life.
Past Indiscretions
Susanne Marie Knight
Awe-Struck E-Books
ISBN 1587493837 $TBA
They were all back in East Prairie, Missouri. Glenda lived there with her husband and children.
Drew lived just over the border. Jacko was visiting his mother. Tommy came in for a business
trip. And Savannah was having nightmares.
The quick reunion goes downhill swiftly. Upon Jacko's entrance, Savannah immediately suffers
another attack. This time much more severe than the rest. Tom knows something is terribly wrong
but even with his medical training, he has no idea how to help. Meanwhile, Savannah finds herself
on the world of Atlantis with people resembling those closest to her. Some mean her harm just as
they do in real life. Her only piece of sanity resides with Tom who frantically tries to keep
Savannah in this world to no avail. As the tale continues, it becomes known that the only person
who can save Savannah is Savannah. And her time is running out.
Set in a modern contemporary setting with time travel and paranormal elements, PAST
INDISCRETIONS is a fun tale to read. Knight weaves an awesome spell over her readers easily
blending the lines between reality and fantasy. The mixture does not quite cover the secondary
characters as they seem to be out of the loop on everything happening to Savannah. They also
seem static and uncaring with their actions. Yet, those looking for an entertaining read where time
is a consequence, PAST INDISCRETIONS is a hot commodity.
Brenda Ramsbacher, Reviewer
http://www.scribblers.net
Buhle's Bookshelf
Your Own Mysteries
Philip Armstrong, C.S.C.
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0877938385 $8.95 1-800-282-1865 www.avemariapress.com
Your Own Mysteries: Praying Your Life Through The Rosary by Philip Armstrong (teacher,
missionary, author, and religious brother in the Congregation of Holy Cross) explores the
personal meaning prayers and the symbolism of a rosary, as prayer relates to mysteries of
imagination, divine inspiration, and all of the diverse stages of life. A deeply spiritual delving of
the depths of what it means to open one's mind to God, Your Own Mysteries is a transcendental
work of unfettered faith and highly recommended reading for members of the Roman Catholic
community.
Precious As Silver
Bishop George H. Niederauer
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0877939985 $9.95 1-800-282-1865
Bishop George H. Niederauer presents Precious As Silver: Imagining Your Life With God, a
spiritual reflection upon biblical images of the Christian life. A poignant exploration of how prayer
promotes growth, as well as the joys of living a life centered upon Jesus Christ and his teachings,
Precious As Silver is a memorable response to such difficult and thoughtful questions such as
"What is God like?"; "Does God have a plan for us?"; "What does it mean to be a disciple?"; and
"How do we serve God in the Church?" Very highly recommended reading, Precious As Silver is
a compendium of thoughtful and thought-provoking meditations that dedicated Christians in
general, and Roman Catholics in particular, will appreciate.
Apparitions, Healings, And Weeping Madonnas
Lisa J. Schwebel
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Boulevard, Mahwah, NJ 07430
0809142236 $16.95 paulistpress.com
In Apparitions, Healings, And Weeping Madonnas: Christianity And The Paranormal, Lisa J.
Schwebel (Assistant Professor of Religion, Hunter College, City University of New York),
examines a broad set of phenomena that have been claimed to be direct interventions of God into
the mortal realm. Looking at these various accounts from the twin points of view of theology and
parapsychology, Apparitions, Healings, And Weeping Madonnas offers an enormous amount of
insight, as well as providing suggestions for a reliable criteria with respect to discerning whether a
vision is genuine. A thoughtfully reasoned and meticulously analyzed account that pays due
respect to science and faith alike, Apparitions, Healings, And Weeping Madonnas is inherently
fascinating and impressively informative reading.
Wake For A Fat Vicar
Fray Angelico Chavez and Thomas E. Chavez
LPD Press
925 Salamanca NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107-5647
1890689068 $25.95 www.nmsantos.com
The third title in a trilogy of works showcasing the lives of Hispanic leaders of the Roman
Catholic Church in New Mexico during the middle of the nineteenth century, Wake For A Fat
Vicar: Father Juan Felipe Ortiz, Archbishop Lamy, And The New Mexican Catholic Church In
The Middle Of The Nineteenth Century is an in-depth account of the life and contributions of
Padre Juan Felipe Ortiz and his activities with and in behalf of the Catholic community he served.
Extensively researched, richly detailing Ortiz's life, virtues, and weaknesses, Wake For A Fat
Vicar transports the reader through time in its deft accounting of an era gone by, populated with
the people who lived, strived, who believed with a fervent faith and comprised an active and
enduring Christian community.
Hans Urs von Balthasar's Theological Aesthetics
W. T. Dickens
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0268030642 $30.00 1-800-621-2736
Hans Urs von Balthasar's Theological Aesthetics: A Model For Post-Critical Biblical
Interpretation is a critical and academic examination and study of this twentieth-century
theologian's views and uses of biblically sourced theology by W. T. Dickens (Visiting Assistant
Professor, Cornell University). Exploring the repercussions of Balthasar's analogies between
God's glory and earthly beauty, encompassing the legacy and views of historical criticism of
Balthasar, as well as focusing on how the Bible is portrayed in Theological Aesthetics. Also
available in a hardcover edition (0268030634, $60.00), Hans Urs von Balthasar's Theological
Aesthetics is a thoughtful and scholarly volume for students of Balthasar's work and thought, and
a very highly recommended contribution to Biblical literature and academic studies reference
collections and reading lists.
Return Of A Runaway Spirit
Gunilla S. Hodkin
Wind Whisper Magic
PO Box 292 497, Los Angeles, CA 90029
0974426407 $18.99 www.windwhispermagic.com
Return Of A Runaway Spirit: The Call To Inner Peace & Freedom is the compelling and
heart-wrenching inspirational story of surviving unspeakable trauma. Author and counselor
Gunilla S. Hodkin speaks openly of the loss of her infant brother due to severe neglect by Catholic
nuns, and her own horrific sexual abuse by a priest of the Catholic Church, which had such a
brutal impact on her life that it prompted a stress disorder and suicidal depression for many years
thereafter. Yet Return Of A Runaway Spirit is ultimately a tale of inspiration and hope, of coming
to terms with the horrors of the past and making peace with the unthinkable, rebuilding one's life
and spirit, healing, and learning to experience the positive things life has to offer little by little.
Highly recommended reading, Return Of A Runaway Spirit is critically important reading --
especially for those themselves who (or whose with friends and family members) have had similar
experiences with clergy and/or the church.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
Lobbying For Libraries And The Public's Access To Government Information
Bernadine E. Abbott-Hoduski
Publicity Department
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
0810845857 $39.95 1-800-462-6420
Bernadine E. Abbott-Hoduski is the founder of the American Library Association's Government
Documents Round Table. In Lobbying For Libraries And The Public's Access To Government
Information: An Insider's View, Bernadine narrates the inherently fascinating story of her
twenty-one year crusade to get funding for libraries and to establish systems that would
substantially improve how information is distributed to the American public. Drawing upon
Bernadine's impressive personal experience and considerable expertise, Lobbying For Libraries
And The Public's Access To Government Information offers a wealth of valuable tips, practical
techniques for effective lobbying as an individual or as a group, along with advice for influencing
the legislative process, as well as common mistakes to avoid when seeking to change the way
things are done. A superb accounting and a solidly useful read Lobbying For Libraries And The
Public's Access To Government Information is most especially recommended for government
document librarians, lobbyists, and policy makers. Also very highly recommended is the
Scarecrow Press edition of Richard S. Halsey's Lobbying For Public And School Libraries: A
History And Political Playbook (0810847833, $36.00).
Graphic Classics: Edgar Allan Poe
Tom Pomplun, editor
Eureka Productions
8778 Oak Grove, Mount Horeb, WI 53572
0971246491 $9.95 www.graphicclassics.com
Compiled and edited by Tom Pomplun, Graphic Classics: Edgar Allan Poe is an outstanding
graphic novel anthology of diverse comic-book style adaptations of classic stories and poems by
the legendary Edgar Allan Poe. Included are "The Raven", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The
Tell-Tale Heart", and nine others. Each black-and-white rendition is by a different artist, and the
styles range from gruesomely realistic to extravagantly bizarre; all of them deftly capture Poe's
brilliant and sometimes shocking dialogue, plots, and the helplessness of man. Also very highly
recommended from their "Graphic Classics" series are the Eureka Productions graphic novel
editions of H.P. Lovecraft (0971246440); Ambrose Bierce (0971246467); and Bram Stoker
(0971246475).
Music Business Made Simple
J. S. Rudsenske, author
James P. Denk, editor
Schirmer Books
c/o Music Sales Corporation
445 Bellvale Road, PO Box 572, Chester, NY 10918
0825672953 $14.95 1-800-431-7187 www.musicsales.com
Knowledgeably written by J. S. Rudsenske and expertly edited by J. P. Denk, Music Business
Made Simple: A Guide To Becoming A Recording Artist is a straightforward, real-world guide to
pursuing a career in the highly competitive recording industry. Individual chapters cover how to
develop songs and a stage presence; design promotional materials; knowing when to hire an
attorney, manager, booking agent, or producer; the ins and outs of getting a record deal; and
more. An excellent and practical guide, Music Business Made Simple is very highly recommended
-- especially for anyone aspiring to or working daily in the commercial business of making and
selling music.
Gilgamesh: A Novel
Joan London
Bolinda Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 307, Shelton, CT 06484
1740308654 $TBA www.bolinda.com
Gilgamesh: A Novel (winner of the 2002 Age Book of the Year award) is a wonderfully crafted
novel by Joan London which is adroitly narrated by Deidre Rubenstein in this complete and
unabridged audiobook version of this award winning saga. Drawing upon ancient myths to put
together a hero's story of struggle, battles, the never ending search for acceptance, and finally his
return home, Gilgamesh: A Novel is a profound and memorably entertaining "theatre of the mind"
experience. Flawlessly produced, Gilgamesh: A Novel is a highly recommended addition to
community library audiobook collections.
C & Data Structures
P. S. Deshpande and O. G. Kakde
Charles River Media
20 Downer Avenue, Suite 3, Hingham, MA 02043
1584503386 $59.95 1-800-382-8505 www.charlesriver.com
The collaboration of academicians and computer science experts P. S. Deshpande and O. G.
Kakde, C & Data Structures is a comprehensive and highly commended instructional text
covering general C programming and most especially the implementation of data structures, as
well as how to analyze complex data structure problems. Ranging from the most basic aspects of
the C language including operators, control structures, and functions; to practical applications
with data structures and advanced problem-solving techniques ; as well as a medley of topics and
features including graphs, arrays, searching and sorting methods, stacks and queues, files and
preprocessing, and more, C & Data Structures is a well-rounded classroom text, an ideal
self-study tool, and an easy-to-consult reference. An included is a CD-ROM which features all of
the source codes referred to in the text, as well as supplemental C programs on data structure
problems.
Degrees Kelvin
David Lindley
Joseph Henry Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
0309090733 $27.95 www.jhpress.org
Degrees Kelvin: A Tale Of Genius, Invention, And Tragedy by David Lindley is the remarkable
biography of Lord Kelven, a revolutionary thinker who made breakthrough discoveries in the
1800's. Lord Kelven earned immortality for his name when it was adopted for the temperature
scale that begins at absolute zero. Yet in Lord Kelven's senior years, he was outspoken against
new ideas to such an extent as to be a detriment to the scientific community, publicly proclaiming
his doubt of the existence of atoms, vehemently opposing the discussion of Charles Darwin's
theories of evolution, and more. Degrees Kelvin is a striking portrayal of human greatness and
human limitations, all in one man's lifetime -- and reads with the smooth expertise of a well crafted
novel.
A Splendor Of Letters
Nicholas A. Basbanes
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
0060082879 $29.95 www.harpercollins.com
A Splendor Of Letters: The Permanence Of Books In An Impermanent World by Nicholas A.
Basbanes is an absorbing contemplation of issues concerning books in contemporary society,
ranging from the destruction of books and libraries in Sarajevo, Tibet, and Cambodia; to the
matter of "discards" at various libraries; the many types of materials used to record information
from ancient times down to the modern day; debates about preservation whether in regard to
storing books on paper or keeping them in electronic format; and so much more. An amazing
study of issues critical to bibliophiles worldwide today, A Splendor Of Letters is a seminal and
impressive work which is most especially recommended to the attention of dedicated bibliophiles,
cultural historians, and Library Science reference collections.
Reference And Research Guide To Mystery And Detective Fiction
Richard J. Bleiler
Libraries Unlimited
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
1563089246 $78.00 www.lu.com
Now in an updated and expanded second edition (including 2003 publications), Reference And
Research Guide To Mystery And Detective Fiction is an award-winning research tool that
contains evaluative reviews of approximately 1,000 reference works on mystery and detective
fiction. Listing encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, genre guides, national bibliographies,
media studies, reader's guides, web sites, and much more, Reference And Research Guide To
Mystery And Detective Fiction is a broad-based guide which is superbly organized for quick and
easy lookup of the most appropriate reference or resource specializing in literary genre of mystery
and detective fiction.
Roman Imperialism
Craige B. Champion
Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
0631231196 $34.95 1-800-216-2522
Painstakingly compiled and expertly edited by Craige B. Champion (Assistant Professor of
Ancient History in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University),
Roman Imperialism: Readings And Sources collects ancient documents in translation alongside
carefully selected scholarly essays, in order to give students and lay readers alike an in-depth tour
of Roman history and the unique consequences and problems that beset Roman Imperialism. From
complicated political, economic, and cultural interplays between Romans, their allies, and people
forced under Roman rule, to military theory, and a framework of ideas concerning the expansion
of empires in general, Roman Imperialism is an excellent contribution to the field of Greco-Roman
Studies and especially recommended for any academic library's World History reference
collection.
Wealthy Choices
Dr. Penelope S. Tzougros, ChFC, CLU
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
047145396X $24.95 1-800-225-5945
Wealthy Choices: The 7 Competencies Of Financial Success by Boston-based financial planner
Penelope S. Tzougros is an impressively accessible financial self-help guide to easy and small
steps that any for non-specialist general reader can take to improve his or her financial situation.
From dealing with problems paying the bills; to guarding against financial losses; to realistically
evaluating financial dreams and lifestyle aspirations; to dealing with gift obligations in a thoughtful
yet affordable way, and so much more, Wealthy Choices is a superbly presented resource for
people of all financial standings which offers a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, and insights to
balancing fiscally related responsibilities and conserve hard earned dollars.
Mathematics By Experiment
Jonathan Borwein and David Bailey
A. K. Peters Ltd.
63 South Avenue, Natick, MA 01760-4626
1568812116 $45.00 www.akpeters.com
The collaborative work of Jonathan Borwein and David Bailey, Mathematics By Experiment:
Plausible Reasoning In The 21st Century provides a complex and informative text for advanced
mathematics students which offs an historical context and rationale behind experimental
mathematics, as well as how modern technology enables the analysis of new examples and the
discovery of patterns in a previously unimaginable "laboratory" of raw processing power. A
thoroughly detailed work, Mathematics By Experiment offers a veritable wealth of meticulously
presented examples which are most especially recommended for graduate-level mathematics
studies.
Mastering Digital Photography And Imaging
Peter K. Burian
Sybex, Inc.
1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
0782142907 $29.99 1-800-227-2346 www.sybex.com
Mastering Digital Photography And Imaging by digital photography expert Peter K. Burian is a
full-color, thoroughly detailed, "user friendly" tutorial to making the most of a digital camera or
scanner, as well as affordable image-editing software. Specifically intended to aid digital imagers
of all skill and experience levels, the individual chapters include cogent and practical advice for
selecting the right scanner, image-editing software, and printer, techniques for getting high-quality
scans from prints, slides, or negatives, professional-quality methods for fine-tuning digital images,
and so much more. Mastering Digital Photography And Imaging is confidently recommended as a
truly superb all-around reference, resource, and self-teaching tool.
Check Point NG/AI
Chris Tobkin, author; Daniel Kligerman, technical editor
Syngress Publishing, Inc.
800 Hingham Street, Rockland, MA 02370
1932266895 $59.95 www.syngress.com
The collaborative work of Chris Tobkin and technical editor Daniel Kligerman, Check Point
NG/AI: Next Generation With Application Intelligence Security Administration is an extensive
tutorial, user manual, and professional reference to the Check Point NG suite of products.
Meticulous instructions and sample computer screens show how to install and configure Check
Point VPN-1/FireWall-1 NG AI on Windows, Solaris, Nokia, or SecurePlatform, as well as how
to write a security policy, implementing user authentication at one's firewall, configure virtual
private networks, secure remote clients, register for a 1-year upgrade, and much more. Check
Pont NG/AI is confidently recommended as a user-friendly guide which is written in
down-to-earth terms explaining each step of its processes as thoroughly as possible.
The Eighteenth-Century Common-Wealthman
Caroline Robbins
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250-1684
0865974276 $10.00 www.libertyfund.org
First published in 1959, The Eighteenth-Century Common-Wealthman by the late Caroline
Robbins (1903-1999) is an expertly compiled history of the men whose writings espoused the
principles of liberty in eras bygone (the late seventeenth century down to the end of the eighteenth
century), when such drastic political changes were considered dangerous at best. Seeking to
better understand the philosophical tenets of ideas that would come to form the core of Western
democratic government, The Eighteenth-Century Common-Wealthman offers a unique and
seminal study of both the principles and the human beings who so eloquently communicated them,
and were responsible for bringing about great political changes toward personal freedom and
liberty in the irresistible tides of history.
Optimizing The Power Of Action Learning
Michael J. Marquardt
Davies-Black Publishing
3803 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
0891061916 $39.95 1-800-624-1765
Optimizing The Power Of Action Learning: Solving Problems And Building Leaders In Real Time
by educator and consultant Michael J. Marquardt (Professor of HRD and Program Director of
Overseas Programs, The George Washington University), is a "user friendly" guidebook to an
effective learning technique for facing increasingly intimidating and complex organizational
challenges, especially with regard to global business concerns. Impressing the power of "action
learning" to respond to the need to create new products, improve service quality, and transform
organizational cultures, Optimizing The Power Of Action Learning is a confidently recommended
success guide complete with a well-thought-out process for introducing and sustaining action
learning among groups to the reader's particular and maximum advantage.
Jack Burroughs
Reviewer
Carson's Bookshelf
Art Of The Japanese Postcard
Anne Nishimura Morse, J. Thomas Rimer, and Kendall H. Brown
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
0878466703 $29.95 1-800-338-2665 www.mfa.org
The collaborative project of Anne Nishimura Morse, J. Thomas Rimer, and Kendall H. Brown,
Art Of The Japanese Postcard is a gorgeous, full-color gallery of Japanese postcards from the late
19th and early 20th centuries. Far more than casual items to mail, most of these cards were
designed by prominent artists and feature striking use of color and imagery. A few companion
essays delineate the history of this unique art form as well as the immortalization of heart-stirring
pictures meant to be sent and shared. Art Of The Japanese Postcard is an impressive and seminal
work which is particularly recommended to students of Japanese Popular Culture.
Racketeering In Medicine
James P. Carter, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
187890132X $12.95 1-800-766-8009
Racketeering In Medicine: The Suppression Of Alternatives by physician and health issues
consultant James P. Carter is a sharply worded expose of just how the financial bottom line is
warping and skewing the manner in which medical treatments are researched, tested, and
approved. A vociferous and articulate warning against the undue influence of pharmaceutical
companies, and the suppression of the benefits of less costly alternative treatments, Racketeering
In Medicine is a stimulating account of a very real problem present in American health care today
and should be mandatory reading for health care activists, health care policy makers, and health
care providers.
The Great Pint-Pulling Olympiad
Roger Boylan
Grove Press
841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0802140327 $14.00 www.groveatlantic.com
Very highly recommended reading, The Great Pint-Pulling Olympiad: A Mostly Irish Farce is a
rollicking roller coaster of a novel by Roger Boylan and set in the days leading up to the
Pint-Pulling Olympiad in the town of Killoyle, Ireland. A cross-dressing church sexton, a drunk
who loses his job as a car tester and sues for wrongful termination, unemployment seminar hosts
who sell missiles to the IRA on the side, and other memorable characters populate the pages of
this engaging and topsy turvy tale with surprises hiding around every corner.
The Essential Guide To Werewolf Literature
Brian J. Frost
The University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Madison, WI 53711
0879728604 $17.95 1-800-621-2736 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress
The Essential Guide To Werewolf Literature by Brian J. Frost is a thoughtful and informative
survey of werewolf literature, covering both fiction and nonfiction works ranging from popular
Victorian tales; to scholarly treatises and medical papers; to the short stories that peppered pulp
magazines in the 1930s and 40s. An inherently fascinating examination of the human response to
the werewolf phenomenon and its powerful, continuing influence on aspects of popular culture,
The Essential Guide To Werewolf Literature is an impressively thorough and scholarly
contribution to Popular Culture supplemental reading lists and Literary Criticism reference
collections.
Warrior Soul
Chuck Pfarrer
Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1400060362 $25.95 1-800-726-0600
A welcome and highly recommended addition to the growing library of military autobiographies,
Warrior Soul: The Memoir Of A Navy Seal is Chuck Pfarrer's personal memoir of training and
participating in an elite fighting unit, one that was renowned for never surrendering, never being
captured, and never leaving a teammate or a fallen comrade in field. A vivid and gripping personal
testimony of fighting with every tool at one's disposal and never giving up, as well as the
heightened awareness and the skills that keep one alive in the midst of a war zone, Warrior Soul is
an utterly unforgettable true-life read that lives up to its title.
JavaServer Pages
Hans Bergsten
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
0596005636 $44.95 1-800-998-9938 www.oreilly.com
Now in an updated third edition covering JSP 2.0 and JSTL 1.1, JavaServer Pages is an extremely
practical guidebook especially recommended for server-side Java Developers, uses explicit
instruction, examples, and sample codes to instruct the reader in JSP application basics,
development, and applying JSP in J2EE and JSP component development. A technical user's
manual that goes into express detail, offering explicit syntax and step-by-step discussion of
technical applications. No professional level Java reference collection can be considered complete
or up to date without the inclusion of Hans Bergsten's JavaServer Pages.
Degunking Windows
Joli Ballew and Jeff Duntemann
Paraglyph Press
4015 North 78th Street, Suite 115, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
1932111840 $24.99 1-602-749-8787
Degunking Windows is a straightforward instructional and reference guide to treating with the
common problems all to endemic to Windows users. As time passes, PCS inevitably begin to run
slower, while applications crash more and more frequently. Degunking Windows is the perfect,
user-friendly antidote, co-written by Windows experts Joli Ballew and Jeff Duntemann so as to
especially be accessible to computer users of all backgrounds and degrees of experience. An
easy-to-follow guide to quickly and effectively optimizing one's computer and saving time and
headaches, Degunking Windows will prove to be an invaluable addition to any personal or
professional Windows reference collection.
Mexicans In The Midwest 1900-1932
Juan R. Garcia
University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719-6654
0816515859 $21.95 1-800-426-3797 www.uapress.arizona.edu
Mexicans In The Midwest 1900-1932 by Juan R. Garcia (Head of the Department of History,
University of Arizona) is a scholarly examination of Mexican migration to the American Midwest,
and the conditions under which the migrants lived, including (but not limited to) poor,
overcrowded, or virtually nonexistent housing and racial discrimination. An extensive and
meticulous academic study of everything from songs and poetry to (often brutal) labor conditions,
citizenship issues, and so much more, Mexicans In The Midwest 1900-1932 is a confidently
recommended and fact-filled contribution which has earned a welcome entry in to scholarly and
academic library American Regional History and Chicano/American Cultural Studies reference
collections.
Ebbets To Veeck To Busch
Burton A. Boxerman and Benita W. Boxerman
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
0786415622 $29.95 1-800-253-2187
The collaborative effort of Burton and Benita Boxerman, Ebbets To Veeck To Busch: Eight
Owners Who Shaped Baseball is a grand survey of eight remarkable individuals whose time,
fortunes, and effort invested in the baseball teams they owned helped shape the course of this
great American sport throughout the 20th Century. Especially focusing on the contributions that
each one made to their respective teams, as well as to the sport as a whole (rather than centering
upon their financial or personal lives), Ebbets To Veeck To Busch is a remarkable and highly
commended study of influence and the fruits of hard labors at the highest level of athletic team
management and baseball club ownership.
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Christy's Bookshelf
Basketballs, Goldfish, and World Championships
Patsy Neal
PlayBacks Publishers
P.O. Box 25, Bybee, TN 37713-0025
ISBN 0967149304 $9.95
Patsy Neal was three-time AAU All-American and Captain of the 1964 United States team in the
World Basketball Tournament. She is former director of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in
Knoxville, TN.
BASKETBALLS, GOLDFISH, AND WORD CHAMPIONSHIPS is autobiographical in nature,
leading the reader through Neal's life, from her early childhood in the deep South, to becoming an
acclaimed basketball player during the '50's and '60's, and concluding at the point where she lost
her amateur status.
The foreword is penned by Pat Summitt, Coach of the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) Lady
Vols, and points out the vast growth within the sport and its long-sought acknowledgment in
today's sports world.
This book is chock-full of Neal's witticisms, which makes it fun to read. It also offers much
historical information regarding the growth of women's basketball and the changes that have taken
place. Neal reveals a fine sense of humor that will leave the reader laughing out loud at some of
her statements and stories. Peppered throughout the book are lessons she has learned along the
way, which are very amusing.
This is a book any reader, sports fan or not, will enjoy, one that will bring forth laughter and a
deeper understanding of the advent of women's sports and the remarkable women who paved the
way.
Fringe Patriots
Carl R. Smith
1st Books
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47043
www.1stbooks.com
ISBN 1410700895 $21.95, pb $32.45 hc 1-866-577-8877
In the introduction to FRINGE PATRIOTS, David G. Gerkin, MD, Brigadier General, says:
"This amazing first book, a chronicle of the past, has produced a sound rendering of reality mixed
with fiction in an arena of war that often deprives youth of innocence " A very apt interpretation
of what the book is about.
Smith has broken the mold with this one and offers readers a book both men and women will
enjoy. FRINGE PATRIOTS is a strong mix of military thriller and romantic suspense. This
combination works well together. A tale of good versus evil, corrupt military and government
officials, and four young people who take on these evildoers. The reader is left wondering how
much is based on actual fact and how much is embellishment, with the hope that most of it is
fictionalized and the suspicion it is not.
A book that is based in reality and the first in a series, FRINGE PATRIOTS is one book that will
be appreciated by many in the military arena, especially during this time of American history.
The Hormone Survival Guide for Perimenopause: Balance Your Hormones Naturally
Nisha Jackson, Ph.D., M.S., W.N.P.
Larkfield Publishing
5256 Aero Drive, Unit 3, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
http://LarkfieldPublishing.com
ISBN 0974206709 $14.95 707-542-9057
Author Nisha Jackson, Ph.D., has specialized in women's health since 1991. She has dedicated her
practice to hormonal wellness and is owner of Southern Oregon Health and Wellness, PC. Aside
from her role as an author, Dr. Jackson is a radio and TV personality, national lecturer,
spokesperson, and women's health advocate.
A nationwide survey by the National Women's Health Resource Center, released in November,
2003, revealed that close to 70 percent of women are confused about the safety of hormone
therapy for menopausal-related symptoms. Almost half of them receive the majority of their
information from media sources rather than their own healthcare provider. THE HOMONE
SURVIVAL GUIDE is the perimenopausal woman's answer to any question or concern she may
have related to this phase of her life. Dr. Jackson offers readers a 7-step program designed to
balance hormones in this down-to-earth, easy-to-understand book chock-full of information
related to perimenopausal issues. Hormonal fluctuation, hormone testing, hormonal treatment,
diet as an effective way to create hormonal balance, stress, PMS, libido, thyroid problems,
hot-flashes, and many more symptoms related to this syndrome are discussed, as well as ways to
deal with them. No question goes unanswered and every symptom is addressed in this edifying
book.
Any woman who is seeking a natural way to relieve perimenopausal symptoms should read this
wonderfully clear, self-educating book. A book that should be in every doctor's office, as well as
every home, to be read by women approaching or engaged in this phase in their life and shared
with others.
Christy Tillery French
Reviewer
Debra's Bookshelf
Revenge
Stephen Fry
Random House
ISBN: 0812968190 $12.95 336 pages
Readers familiar with the plot of Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, about the unjust
political imprisonment of sailor Edmond Dantes in post-Napoleonic France, will not be surprised
by the various turns taken in author Stephen Fry's modern version of the tale. When the book
begins, Ned Maddstone, the seventeen-year-old son of a Tory MP, is bound for Oxford and,
almost certainly, for a life marked by as much success as he has already enjoyed: a cricket-playing
future Head Boy and member of a sailing club, Ned is polite and good looking and newly in love,
and he has the easy grace that comes with aristocracy. He would never dream of offending, but in
his unselfconscious perfection Ned manages to do just that, and he consequently falls victim to a
plot hatched by three jealous acquaintances.
Though Fry's plot will not surprise, his reworking of the Dumas classic is cleverly done. Loyal
Bonapartists have become IRA sympathizers, and treasures are now hoarded in Swiss bank
accounts. Most charmingly, in the latter part of the book Ned is released into a gadgetized world
that has been altered beyond measure by the computer revolution, reminding us of just how much
our own lives have changed since 1980.
Fry's book is a good read, though the animosity Ned unwittingly provokes in his acquaintances
seems unrealistically ferocious. (I do not know whether this might be said also of the original.)
Readers who do not know what to expect of the book are likely in particular to enjoy it.
Keeping Watch
Laurie R. King
Bantam
ISBN: 0553801910 $23.95 383 pages
Allen Carmichael was a second-tier character in Laurie King's delightful novel Folly, the story of
internationally-renowned woodworker Rae Newborn's attempt to tighten her tenuous hold on
reality by building a house on an uninhabited island in Washington State. In Keeping Watch,
Allen's character and history are fully fleshed out, from the experiences in Vietnam that
ineradicably imprinted themselves on him, to the mission he undertook after the War as a means
of quelling his demons: Allen has spent more than 25 years applying his jungle survival skills to
the task of rescuing abused children and wives from their abusers, usually by illicit means. When
the action of Keeping Watch begins, Allen is in his mid-fifties and is about to retire from the field,
but one final case requires his attention first: twelve-year-old Jamie O'Connell lives in terror of his
father, whose casual abuse and cruel manipulations have warped the boy beyond measure.
King's exploration of Allen's character is wholly successful, and her depiction of his patrols in the
"green" in Vietnam riveting. The contemporary story of Jamie's rescue is equally rewarding,
indeed downright engrossing after about page 240, when of a sudden one stops knowing for
certain who the bad guys are. Keeping Watch is at least as good as King's novel Folly. Familiarity
with the earlier book is not at all necessary, but readers of Keeping Watch will almost certainly
want to treat themselves to a broader view of the universe Allen Carmichael inhabits once they've
finished with King's latest.
The Pleasure of My Company
Steve Martin
Hyperion
ISBN: 0786869216 $19.95 163 pages
Daniel Pecan Cambridge is beset by a collection of neuroses that have rendered him jobless and
lonely--and the subject of study of a psychiatry student who stops by his compulsively cleaned
apartment twice weekly. Some of Daniel's peculiarities merely make his life difficult, such as his
need for the aggregate wattage of lit lightbulbs in his apartment to equal precisely 1125 at all
times. But others virtually preclude normal conduct. Most awkward, perhaps, is Daniel's inability
to step over curbs: he can only cross a street when two scooped-out driveways lie directly
opposite one another. This requirement makes an adventure of Daniel's frequent trips to the local
Rite Aid, and it complicates his attempts to woo the real estate agent showing apartments across
the street from his own.
Steve Martin's chronicle of Daniel's self-imprisonment, narrated by Daniel himself, is a sweet story
filled with often gorgeous prose. Martin's writing is both delightfully precise ("Let me tell you
about my mailbox. It is one of twelve eroded brassy slots at the front entrance of my building.")
and quietly funny: "I never have interfered with a relationship, out of respect for the guy as much
as for myself, but Brian is a dope and Philipa is a sylph and I am a man, even if that description of
myself is qualified by my failure to be able to cross the street at the curb." The Pleasure of My
Company is a quick read--163 pages and chapterless, with an ending that is perhaps too
abrupt--and it is well worth a look. You'll leave the book appreciating, quite possibly madly
envious of, its Renaissance-man author's highly re-readable prose style.
Deep Pockets
Linda Barnes
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312282710 $24.95 310 pages
Harvard professor Wilson Chaney is being blackmailed over his indiscretions with a precocious
undergraduate, Denali Brinkman, a star rower who killed herself in Harvard's boathouse shortly
after their affair ended. With his already failing marriage and, more importantly, his position at the
University on the line, Chaney turns for help to Carlotta Carlyle, a private investigator and
part-time cabby and the protagonist of nine previous mysteries by Linda Barnes. Carlotta, a
likeable enough character, calls on a variety of friends--boyfriends and cabbies and web-savvy
tenants--for help in identifying and stopping the blackmailer. It is a simple enough assignment, but
as it happens, blackmail is only the most obvious element of a more complex latticework of
crimes.
The mystery of Deep Pockets is reasonably satisfying, but the book as a whole never fully
engaged me. That is, I never cared very much about any of the characters--Wilson Chaney in
particular was never more than two-dimensional--nor was I ever made to sit on the edge of my
seat while the plot advanced. Barnes' writing is transparent, which is okay, but the prose thus does
nothing to raise the book from an okay read to a more memorable reading experience.
Debra Hamel, Reviewer
http://www.tryingneaira.com
http://www.book-blog.blogspot.com
Diana's Bookshelf
Chim+Her
Collaborations with Hertzan Chimera
Cyber-Pulp
www.cyberpulpbooks.com
ISBN# TPB 189701340X
ISBN# eBook 1897013345
$14.99, eBook $5.25, CD-ROM $10.25 260 Pages
There are some things we are not supposed to bring up in conversation, much less write a story
about. Says who? Apparently I am not the only one who asks that question with vehement
repulsion at the limits placed upon my words. Chim+Her snickers at the taboos and greets them
head on.
Who else but one of my favorite modern authors, Hertzan Chimera could take this on? Answer
Hertzan and a select group of eight extremely talented and extremely passionate female writers:
Charlee Jacobs, Alex Severin, Amy Grech, Destiny West, Brutal Dreamer, Dawn Andrew,
Queenie Tirone and Christina Sng.
People constantly claim that they don't want to hear about certain things however when we have
news stories, which contain these topics, it is aired over and again. More often than not with those
who claim opposition glued to the television. Why is that? Quite simple, each and every person
has a darker side. A side that they often try to repress but that cannot be totally shut out. This is
made very clear by the phenomenon known as rubbernecking.
That said, when you are ready to face life's more shunned taboos, Chim+Her will gladly throw
them in your face, in a way that is not only disturbing but highly entertaining, and in my opinion
much more healthy than viewing the news, as these stories deal with fiction and no humans were
harmed for your entertainment pleasure.
Kudos to all the collaborators for laying it on the table as only a woman (and Hertzan) could
do.
Spidered Web
Hertzan Chimera Interviews
Cyber-Pulp
www.cyberpulpbooks.com
ISBN# TPB 1897013426
ISBN# eBook 1897013418
$14.00, eBook $6.14, CD-ROM $11.14 164 Pages
Interviews don't hold the fascination they once did. This is in no smart part due to the fact that
they are boring and predictable. A reader can almost guess the questions and the order they will
be asked.
There is hope. As with everything he does, the author came, saw, and made his own this forum of
writing. It always delights me to read something fresh and exciting. In Spidered Web by Hertzan
Chimera readers are treated to interviews that are as engaging to read as fiction.
Among his victims some of dark fictions greats as well as its new stars: Jack Ketchum, Edward
Lee, Charlee Jacob, Tom Piccirilli, Michael A Arnzen, Alex Severin, Kurt Newton, Christina Sng,
John Lawson, Queenie Tirone, John Turi, Amy Grech, Monica J. O'Rourke, polycarp kusch,
Destiny West and DF Lewis.
Step into the parlor of Hertzan Chimera and enjoy the most unique, entertaining interviews you
will ever read.
Be weary not to get caught in the web.
Chimeraworld 1
Hertzan Chimera, editor
Cyber-Pulp
www.cyberpulpbooks.com
ISBN# TPB 1897013531
ISBN# eBook 189701354X
$14.99, eBook $6.03, CD-ROM $11.03 221 Pages
Often in reading as much as I do I get a bit bored with the cookie cutter stories that litter the
fiction world. It is then that I search for some that will push the limits and take me to a place I
have never been before. When I search for that place I know that Hertzan Chimera will never let
me down. Chimeraworld 1 a collection of 23 stories selected and edited by Hertzan Chimera is no
exception.
True to what I have grown to expect from this talented writer he has collected stories from some
of today's most talented authors that offer me the outlet I so desire. When I stepped into
Chimeraworld my senses came to life and my boundaries were pushed and tested. This is not short
of extreme sports for the reading population. I for one am hooked on the rush.
The stories in this collection fit in no genre. They blur every line and break any boundaries one
would try to impose upon them. Dear reader if you are ready for something new, bizarre, surreal,
something that touches you in ways you have never been touched, take the first step and allow
Hertzan Chimera to guide you through a place like no other Chimeraworld 1.
Once you have traipsed through the landscape created by the pens of these talented wordsmiths
you will never look at fiction, perhaps even your own world, the same again.
I, Vampire
Robert Shuster
Sevenacide
www.sevenacide.com
ISBN# 0970698941 $10.00 119 pgs
I have tended to shy away from modern vampire tales, as everyone seems to be trying to bask in
the fame of a certain author. I Might add they often have little success. In the end what you end
up with is a massive amount of poor copies and very predictable storylines. Robert Shuster in I,
Vampire, has chosen to take the path less traveled and in doing so has created quite the original
vampire novel.
The main character, vampire Jacob Szabo, is not glamorous nor is he monstrous; instead he
appears very much like your average guy. Jacob's life is also quite different than what we have
come to expect from modern day vampire tales. Rather than living a life of luxury in some
mansion or castle, he inhabits a very meager apartment and works the night shift at a convenience
store.
I particularly liked that the vampire in this tale was not truly immortal as with most lore, he simply
had a very long life expectancy. I say this although with the current state of things that surround
him it is not as long as it could be.
I found this to be fresh approach to vampires that didn't stretch credibility as much as the more
common myths ask us to. I think Shuster is braving new territory by making a vampire closer to
human than I have seen before, yet still holding the allure that readers love regarding one of
societies favorite literary monsters.
Grab your copy of Robert Shuster's I, Vampire and prepare for a fast-paced, well-written, and
fresh approach to vampires.
The Parasitorium: Terrors Within
Del Stone, Jr., editor
Cyber-Pulp
cyberpulpbooks.com
ISBN# TPB 1897013434, e-book 1897013442
$14.99, e-book $4.57 294 pgs
A parasite. It is not a pleasant thought. They come in many varieties, but I can't think of one that
would please me to come in contact with. As a child growing up in Florida, I remember being
warned of getting ringworm from playing in the warm summer puddles. I always found it a
particularly disturbing concept. The thought of a living thing taking up residence in my body
produced some interesting childhood nightmares. In The Parasitorium: Terrors Within, Edited by
Del Stone, Jr. those fears are explored and exploited to their fullest.
The stories in this anthology go far beyond simple ringworm; they focus on the extreme of both
physical and psychic parasites. These tales are far more haunting than any of my childhood
nightmares ever were. Del Stone Jr has collected some of the best, fresh new horror writers and
together under his expert guidance they have created a collection that will forever change the way
readers think about what a parasite is.
The styles and voices are as unique as the tales, which are nothing short of haunting. Readers are
in for a rare treat when they hold in their hands The Parasitorium: Terrors Within, edited by Del
Stone, Jr., for unlike many anthologies, each and every story is chock full of excellent dark
prose.
Brave the dark tales from these very talented writers and I can guarantee you will heed the
warning of your mother and stay out of the puddles.
Monsters: An Investigators Guide to Magical Beings
John Michael Greer
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, Dept K168-6, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 0738700509 $19.95 282 pgs
As a horror writer monsters have always held a special fascination for me. Due to the research
needed to write a novel or short story I was under the impression that I knew just about all there
was to know about the myths and facts concerning monsters. As I was shown in Monsters: An
Investigators Guide to Magical Beings by John Michael Greer, boy was I wrong.
The author takes a different perspective on some of the better-known Monsters. He strips away
the Hollywood and literary myths and shows the beings at their most pure form. To be quite
honest when I was reading I actually had to turn the light on.
As a pagan I do believe that out reality is not all there is as well as our perception not allowing us
to see what is there at all times. Mostly when pagans discuss this we tend to lean toward magical
beings that we work with such as faeries and dragons. It amazes me that with a background in
both magic and horror writing I never considered the fact that Monsters were really magical
beings, and the legends that surround them could have some basis in reality.
This is as much an informative book as it is a really engaging read. The facts researched give a
great insight into the well known and less known basis to some of the populations favorite
monsters such as vampires, which I must admit being an avid horror reader had lost their scare
factor until I read this book, werewolf's, ghosts, faeries, mermaids, dragoons, angels, demons, and
spirits, which all like the vampire had lost their scare for me.
Once the reader is done be dazzled by the amount of information compiled they are treated to
section how to actually investigate monsters. That is if they are feeling brave. To close this great
work is a section on magical self-defense.
This is a must have book for several reasons as well as for several readers. Any one who wishes to
research Monsters, people just interested in legends, those who feel they have been touched by a
monster, and horror writers, should all have a copy of Monsters: An Investigators Guide to
Magical Beings in their library.
Don't forget to turn on the lights.
Handfasting and Wedding Rituals
Raven Kaldera & Tannin Schwartzstein
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, Dept K168-6, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 0738704709 $16.95 320 pgs
A wedding is a joyous time. A beautiful ceremony where two people commit to the love they have
for one another. Just as people unique personalities they also have their own needs for what
makes a wedding special. They are innumerable resources available for almost any Christian based
faith you can think of. However if you wish to have a pagan handfasting the options suddenly slim
considerably. This is especially true if you are a solitary practitioner. Handfasting and Wedding
Rituals by Raven Kaldera & Tannin Schwartzstein fills that void.
In this guide readers will find everything they need to plan their own custom handfasting. There
are sixteen rites that are sure to please most as so many different pagan customs and traditions are
taken into consideration. It is also taken into consideration that not all of your guests and perhaps
even your spouse are pagans. They flexibility in the rituals and various other aspects is especially
useful when trying to make sure that in being true to your own faith no one else is made
uncomfortable.
There is so much more than just ritual covered. Readers will also find information on gifts,
candles and bonfires, help with writing vows, and even a handpartings in the event you and your
partner decide it is time to part ways, just to name a few.
This is a must have guide to anyone who wishes to have a pagan ceremony. With the help of this
guide your handfasting can be a truly special day.
Lemuria and Atlantis
Shirley Andrews
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, Dept K168-6, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 0738703974 $12.95 257 pgs
There has always been a lot of speculation regarding the lost civilizations of Lemuria and Atlantis.
Of course that is because speculate is all we can do, right? There hasn't been any archeological
evidence found, has there? Perhaps there has and the information hasn't been made available. In
the book Lemuria and Atlantis by Shirley Andrews, readers are presented with some new
information to digest.
Most people only hear what is run in programs on various learning-type channels or perhaps
information that is presented in textbooks. I for one wasn't even aware that skeletal remains have
been found in the United States. The remains were of a large human type, possibly a survivor of
the sunken civilizations. Of course I am one of those readers who, when a program comes on
regarding the civilizations I will watch it with great interest. The possibilities presented from the
research in this book made me want to begin my own research.
Along with the facts, the author also shares her own and some other respected peoples theories
and speculations for readers to consider. Even if a reader doesn't consider the theories possible
they make for a great and fascinating read and definitely fuel for anyone who might write fantasy
or another genre this would be applicable to.
So sit back, relax and open your mind, but keep a critical eye opened and enjoy the possibilities
and grandeur of these lost civilizations. As the book suggests let's try and learn from the mistakes
of these people who, even though theory suggests were far more civilized than us, managed to
disappear, 'almost' without a trace.
Shapeshifter Tarot
D.J Conway & Sirona Knight, authors
Lisa Hunt, illustrator
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, Dept K168-6, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 1567183840 $29.95 237 pgs, 81 Card deck
The art of shapeshifting is often written off as literary fiction. With regards to actually taking the
physical form of an animal or other such being I would tend to agree. However the magical art is
very real. The magical practice of shapeshifting involves taking on characteristics and traits of
animals and of elements in order to assist one in daily life or magical workings.
The Shapeshifter Tarot provides a wonder avenue to this art. The deck can be used as a standard
divination tool with the traditional spreads as well as a few new ones designed specifically for this
deck or it can be used to assist in magic or meditation. The artwork by Lisa Hunt is breathtaking
and magical in and of itself. The illustrations draw in the viewer allowing them a new view and a
perfect tool to practice meditation.
The accompanying guide written by D.J Conway & Sirona Knight, gives readers a brief history of
the art of shapeshifting from a magical point of view, with special attention paid to the Celtic
Shapeshifting principals. The guide then gives the reader a detailed description of each card,
taking note of the symbolism of all the things found on each particular card. There is also an
explanation of what the card means from a divination point of view. Readers are shown in detail
five new spreads that have been designed to work with these beautiful cards.
The Shapeshifter Tarot is a deck that is as functional as it is beautiful and inspirational. It is sure
to make a stunning addition to anyone's magical toolbox. When you are ready to connect with
natures creations and allow them to assist you in your life you should not be without The
Shapeshifter Tarot.
Diana Bennett, Reviewer
www.DianaBennett.com
Emanuel's Bookshelf
Counting Raindrops through a Stained Glass Window
Cherlyn Michaels
Archland Books
ISBN# 097295001X $14.95 304 pp.
What do you do when the man you've loved for years has asked you to marry him when you don't
believe in matrimony? This is the dilemma Vanella Morris is faced with in the new book
"Counting Raindrops through a Stained Glass Window" by Cherlyn Michaels.
Morris, the main character, is a woman who's got it going on. She works for a Fortune 500
company, drives a luxury car, and is in love with her long time boyfriend Alton Goode. Her only
problem seems to be a battle of the bulge. But after witnessing the turmoil marriage has caused
for her best friends and for her parents, she has decided she does not want any part of it.
Unfortunately, Alton is an old-fashioned, marriage-minded man who has just popped the question.
Vanella is left with the decision of marrying Goode or the consequences of losing him
forever.
The book also deals with Morris's troubles with family and friends, including her best friend
Synda, who trapped Vanella's college boyfriend into marriage after cheating with him, her sister
Jaelene, who believes she must buy a man's love, her brother Kizaar, who has a hard time getting
along with their father, and Morris's parents, whose tumultuous relationship is the main reason she
does not want to fall into the same marriage trap. Morris must resolve issues with her friends and
family if she wants to move on with a relationship of her own. Before it all ends, secrets will be
revealed, friendships will dissolve, and relationships will change.
One thing to be said about the author is that she describes a scene with great detail and clarity.
This especially holds true when discussing the two cities in which the story takes place, St. Louis
and Cleveland. The book reads like a love letter to both cities. Michaels also does a great job in
capturing the essence of conversation, particularly when all of the girlfriends get together to
discuss men. Her writing style reminded me of a combination of E. Lynn Harris and Terry
McMillan with a tad more sex appeal.
The only problem with the book is that it gives so much descriptive detail that it tends to get a
little light on plot. It would have been nice to read more about the steamy relationship between
Vanella and Alton and even more about the relationship between Synda and her husband
Tucker.
Still, "Counting Raindrops through a Stained Glass Window," is a sexy, entertaining first novel
that is exciting to read. After reading Michaels' first novel, there's no doubt that she will have a
following for years to come.
Paranoia
Joseph Finder
St. Martin's Press
ISBN# 0312319142 $24.95 432 pp.
Adam Cassidy has skated through his entire career at Wyatt Telecom, doing just enough work not
to get fired. When he hacks into the corporate computers to finance an expensive shindig for a
friend, a retiring dock worker, he must face the consequences. His abrasive boss, CEO Nick
Wyatt, gives him a choice: go directly to jail for embezzlement or go to work for Wyatt's chief
competitor, Trion Industries, as a spy. When Cassidy chooses the latter, the intrigue of "Paranoia"
begins.
Cassidy, a low-level employee, is coached by Nick Wyatt and Dr. Judith Bolton, an executive
coach who holds a Ph. D. in behavioral psychology. They teach him the ins and outs of espionage,
including giving detailed biographies on Trion employees and instructions on how to use the latest
in spy gadgetry to gather the information they need.
While at Trion, Cassidy must become a different person. He must appear to be an intelligent
innovator of one of Wyatt's most successful products rather than the slacker he truly is without
getting caught. When he gains the trust of the CEO, Jock Goddard, he is given the raise of a
lifetime and access to much of the secure information he is looking to steal. A moral dilemma
commences when Cassidy realizes that Goddard is an honest man of integrity who he enjoys
working for as opposed to the tough and threatening Nick Wyatt. Can he gather the enough
information on Trion's secret project AURORA to keep Wyatt off his back without completely
ruining Goddard or his own new lavish lifestyle, including a budding romance with Alana, a
gorgeous Trion employee?
Meanwhile he must consider his personal life, including the caretaking of his grumpy, dying father
(which he pays for); and his friendship with Seth, a local bartender and paralegal. Though the
signs of his newfound success become apparent, including his new Porsche and a luxury
apartment, he must use discretion when discussing his new position or run the risk of having his
cover blown.
Paranoia is a nail biting story of corporate espionage and morality told with incredible wit from
bestselling author Joseph Finder (High Crimes). The book will have you laughing out loud from
the onset. Although it loses some of its wit towards the middle of the book; and the unit
introductions with espionage definitions seem a bit out of place for a story on corporate spying,
the story will still grab your attention and keep it right until its surprising ending. Hats off to
Joseph Finder for writing such a clever, hilarious and suspenseful novel.
Slave: My True Story
Mende Nazer with Damien Lewis
PublicAffairs
ISBN# 1586482122 $25.00 368 pp.
History is filled with mankind's atrocities against mankind, from the Crusades, to the Jewish
Holocaust, to the legacy of slavery. It is in the new book "Slave: My True Story" that we discover
the latter is still practiced today.
"Slave" is the new book that chronicles Mende Nazer's horrific tale of capture into modern-day
slavery by Arab raiders from her small village in Sudan. It begins by transporting the reader into
the author's Nubu village where she describes growing up with her family. The author recalls the
joys of her upbringing, including watching the village wrestling matches in which her brother
participates, snuggling up with her father and pet cat during bedtime, and playing "kak," a game
similar to Jacks, with her brother. Her pains are also vividly recalled, including witnessing a
relative die from a snake bite, watching her sister cry from the consummation of her marriage, and
feeling of excruciating agony over her own ritualistic circumcision where she is literally pulled
apart and sown back together.
Next, the reader is taken to that fateful night where the raiders attack her village, setting fire to
their huts, slitting the throats of adults and children (even babies), and brutally raping girls as
young as eight years old. Unable to escape, Nazer loses her family during all the confusion and is
seized by a slave trader. When Nazer is raped by her captor, one can only imagine the pain she
experiences, which is only intensified by the genital mutilation she suffered as a child. What's
worse is that the year is as recent as 1994 when it all begins.
Later, Mende is sold to a somewhat wealthy, middle class Arab family living in Khartoum. Nazer
describes her situation in graphic detail. Her owner, Rahab, the wife and mother of the family
begins physically and mentally abusing the girl, hitting her in the head with anything she can find,
refusing to take her to the hospital when she needs it most, and even telling her that she and all
other black people are stupid, diseased, and worthless. She is forced to live in a locked shed. Her
duties include cleaning the entire house, inside and out, cooking every meal, ironing, and taking
care of the children. Nazer must also fight off the sexual advances of Rahab's male guests. Besides
her acclimation to Rahab's abuse, she must also become familiar with her new surroundings,
which is all new to her. This includes electricity, household appliances, and indoor plumbing. All
of it is foreign to the twelve-year old Mende when she arrives to Rahab's house. Before Mende is
exposed to outsiders, she is instructed to say she is a paid servant who likes her job thus proving
Rahab's knowledge of her immoral and probably illegal behavior. Even though Mende displays
some feelings for Rahab's children, she knows she can never be part of their family. Instead, she
longs for the day she can be reunited with her own family and wonders if they are even still alive.
Yet due to Rahab's threats of violence and death, she is too terrified to even consider
escaping.
After seven years, Rahab decides to give Mende to her sister, the wife of a Sudanese diplomat
who lives in London. Meanwhile, Rahab has already purchased another young girl from Nubu to
take her place. Nazer needs not to imagine what the young girl, who had already been repeatedly
raped, will go through. It is in London that Mende is given just enough freedom to plan her
getaway. After a daring escape with the help of some fellow Sudanese natives, Nazer must still
face the aftermath of freedom, which includes the search for political asylum from the British
government, attempts at a reunion with her family, and the discovery of her own identity.
"Slave" is a powerful tale that will enlighten the reader's awareness of the present day atrocity of
slavery, which still haunts many in Africa today. Though some may argue that the author's
experience pales in comparison to the experience of those slaves who spent an entire lifetime in
bondage, the mere fact that such horrendous acts still occur today should be reason enough to
shock and disgust you. This book will no doubt sadden and anger you. It will also motivate many
into action to fight against the horrors of slavery in the 21st Century. Most importantly, it should
cause one to celebrate the everyday freedom we take for granted.
Fissure Rock
John Blair
Xlibris Corporation
ISBN 1413422535 $20.99 192 pp.
When the Bridgeman family move from the big city to a small, country town called Fissure Rock,
the family must undergo some major life changes. The unfolding story is told from the perspective
of Jim, the 16-year old protagonist of the book. The changes the family endure includes an
adjustment to Jim's father's new position in advertising and the long hours he must work, Lisa's
(his younger sister) acerbic attitude shift and addiction to online chat rooms, and Jim's own
adjustment to his new high-school and the students who attend.
When Jim catches a glimpse of Cynthia, it's love at first site. However, he receives a friendly
warning from Andy, a loner with a secret past. Even though Jim befriends Andy, he ignores the
warning and pursues Cynthia, who he later discovers is the student council president and one of
the most popular girls in school. When he discovers that she and her brother are involved with
backyard wrestling, he reluctantly participates, mainly to impress her but also to prove his
manhood.
Jim discovers that the backyard wrestling federation, in which he is involved, is more than it
appears to be. Not only is it extremely dangerous and real but Cynthia appears to be making a
profit from filming the events, sending the videos to the highest bidder. To make matters worse,
Jim discovers an internet predator has been leaving him perverted messages on the federation's
website. Meanwhile, Jim's family seems to be unraveling right before his eyes. Before it all ends,
Jim must deal with his past and come to grips with his present situation.
Though the main character at times appears to be a little more mature than your average teenager,
John Blair still does an excellent job in capturing the emotions and sentiments of a na‹ve, sixteen
year old facing some of life's familiar challenges. The story is told with tenderness, attention to
detail, and surprising wit. Considering the subject matter and ages of the main characters, it's easy
to predict the book receiving a hardy welcome on the desks of high-school and middle-school
students worldwide. "Fissure Rock" is a rock solid debut novel.
Emanuel Carpenter
Reviewer
Gary's Bookshelf
Battlestar Galactica Paradis
Richard Hatch and Brad Linaweaver
Ibooks, Inc
24 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10010
www.1books.net
ISBN 0743474414 $22.95 212-645-9870
I, like many, was a big fan of the show "Battlestar Galactica." Sci-Fi Network recently revived it
with a new version that did not measure up to the original but this novel does. Part of the reason,
maybe, is that Hatch was one of the original stars of the series. A second might be Brad
Linaweaver, who is used to writing in someone else's universe. This fifth novel in a series that
Hatch has written with other writers is the best so far. Hatch's novels all tie in with the original
series and have nothing to do with the revived Galactica 1980 that was a nightmare. In this novel
the Galacticans who have been on the run from the Cylons for so long have found a new planet
they feel could a new home for them. There is a problem though; the planet is already inhabited
with another race of beings. Some voices of the ragtag fleet want to take over the planet for
themselves, while others disagree and feel they would be no better than the Cylons. The novel is
filled with conflict, tension, many of the primary characters from the show, and great writing that
makes this a wonderful addition to the Battlestar universe. Other books of the show are
"Resurrection," "The Tombs of Kobol," and "Battlestar Galactica Classic" all from ibooks.
Been There, Done That: An American Story
Carl Group
Trafford
Suite 6E 2333 Government St., Victoria. B.C V8T 4P4 Canada
www.trafford.com/robots/03-0529.html
ISBN 1412013399 $14.95 1-888-232-4444
This is bound to be a very controversial book on the course of the military, political parties,
government, and how it handles the nation's problems, education, and other tough subjects,
because the author is very straightforward in what he has written. What also makes this different
from other books of this type is that the author does not reveal whether he is conservative or
liberal. He is just someone who served in the military, loves his country, and does not like the
course it is on. He has a keen insight into so many things.
Those Who Teach Do More
Linda Evanchyk & Carol Mendenhall
1st Books Library
1663 Liberty Dr., Bloomington, IN 47404-5161
www.1stbooks.com.
ISBN 1403393990 $10.50 800-839-8640
The authors have compiled tributes from many famous people who tell about teachers who
influenced them in their lives. Over 150 successful people from all walks of life were asked to
write something about the person they felt was a guiding force in their life. Among the
participants are former President Jimmy Carter, Al Pacino, Dan Rather, Joan Baez, and Yogi
Berra. Some of the writings are longer than others, but all show the importance of good teachers
in our society. Overworked, underpaid, and for so long not recognized for their contribution to
society, it is nice to see that finally teachers get their due and that they are appreciated for the
difficult job they do. The two authors, who are educators themselves, have assembled these pieces
in a book that is long overdue
Secrets of a Small Town
Jean Buonanno
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595221270 $14.95 877-288-4737
I tried to get into this story of life in a small town, but found it very hard to read. The writing style
never gave me the feel that the people involved were fleshed out characters. Instead, the author
has written a book that has 205 pages mostly retelling the events that happened instead of making
you feel the story come alive. She has dialogue in small doses but it does not add anything. I think
if this author had been in a writers group she might have gotten some useful feedback that could
have improved this novel.
Politicians Partisans, and Parasites My Adventures in Cable News
Tucker Carlson
Warner Books
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0446529161 $24.95 www.twbookmark.com
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at CNN? Now journalist/talk show host Tucker
Carlson tells all in this book. He talks about the several shows he has been a part of, the other
members he has worked with, dealing with producers, covering politicians and political events,
guests who have appeared, and bloopers. The book is for anyone who wants to know the inner
workings of television. Tucker's writing is easy to read and he takes the reader on a guided tour of
CNN.
Gadgets, Varmints and Their Manifestations
Robert L. Patenaude
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595225624 $10.95 877-288-4737
Patenaude has taken many simple things of everyday life and written a new perspective of what
they are and where they came from by letting them tell their own story. Some of the things he
educates us about are the thermometer, mirrors, fingerprints, fleas, the anchovy, and lots of other
things uncovered by the author in a witty entertaining book that shows that learning is fun.
A Girl A Guy & A Ghost
Sherrie Rose
Dorchester Publishing Co. Inc
200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
ISBN 0843952768 $5.99 www.smoochya.com
Traci Nettleton has it all. Good grades, a new boyfriend who is the envy of all the girls on
campus, and a ghost in her computer. Yes, there's a spirit in her computer and it's not happy. The
novel is a fast fun filled read that gives a new perspective on the age-old ghost story. The writing
is easy to enjoy with believable characters in unreal situations with lots of conflict. Rose has
written a very fine YA novel that can be read by anyone who wants a good ghost story.
PROOF OF INTENT
By Walter Sorrells
St. Martins Press
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010
www.stmartins.com
ISBN0-312-98633-5
$6.99
Having read all of the other William J. Coughlin legal thrillers, it is nice to see that Sorrells is
carrying on the character of Charley Sloan, created so long ago by Coughlin. Attorney Charley
Sloan has a tough job getting his client Miles Dane a famous author off for the murder of his wife.
The police are convinced that Dane is the only person who could have committed the crime. He
has a shoddy alibi, motive, and one of his novels seems like a blueprint for this case. Sloan has to
come up with some way to show Dane did not kill his wife even though the deck is stacked
against him. Sorrells has the character down and the writing is very much like the original
author's. There are also many interesting new characters including Charley's daughter who quits
college to come and work with him. She proves to be a major asset and a wonderful addition to
the series.
Nowhere To Run
Mary Jane Clark
St. Martins Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
ISBN 0312288778 $24.95 www.stmartins.com
This thriller is timelier than ever with the new attacks on Washington of white powder sent
through the mail to our politicians. In Clark's new novel someone sends a substance to the KEY
News organization causing a lockdown of the network. Clark brings her network news experience
to tell a very tense thrilling tale. This is another trademark Clark novel of being suspenseful while
showing the behind the scenes world of TV journalism.
Intent To Harm
Jonnie Jacobs
Kensington Books
850 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
www.kensington books.com
ISBN 1575668297 $22.00 1-800221-2647
I've always been a fan of the Kali O'Brien legal thrillers but this one takes the cake. By far it is the
best in the series. The novel begins with a bang when Kali is asked to meet a woman who wants
to hire her. She will only tell Kali she wants a face-to-face meeting. Kali goes at the arranged time
with high hopes. Before the lady can tell her anything, a sniper shoots and kills the woman also
wounding Kali. The tale is filled with tense situations that conclude with a smashing finish.
Blue Blood
Susan McBride
Avon Books
10 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10022-5299
ISBN 0060563893 $6.50 www.avonmystery.com
Since I am a fan of Jane Heller, Janet Evanovich, and Jennifer Cruse, it is with delight that I can
now add Susan McBride to the list of female authors who tell great offbeat tales that are just fun.
Andy Kendricks wants no part of the high society her mother is a part of. Andy is an artist who
wants to do her work. But in this fine novel, that is not going to happen. A friend from college is
arrested for the murder of her boss at a local restaurant. Andy believes her friend is innocent and
is determined to get to the bottom of the whole mess by going undercover at the eatery. "Jugs" is
a combination "Hooters" "Wingshouse" establishment that has female protestors who don't like
the image the place conveys. With delightful characters good writing and laugh out loud situations
this novel was such a pleasure to read. I hope McBride continues to write novels about the
character Andy.
Good Press an Insider's Guide to Publicizing Business and Community News
Richard V Tuttell
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595130240 $10.95 877-288-4737
For many years I've seen people make so many costly mistakes in how to promote themselves,
their business, an organization, or an event. Part of the problem has been people have gotten into
something they know nothing about and have no idea where to find information on how to do it
properly. This is a valuable resource on the correct way to get things done. The author deals with
press releases, how to write them, when and where to send them, how and when to contact the
media, ways to cut costs, mistakes to avoid and a lot more. This book is an easy to grasp
approach that, if followed, will drastically reduce any problems because as they say "knowledge is
power" and with the person educated, they can know what to expect and avoid it.
Death in a Beach Chair
Valerie Wolzien
Fawcett
Ballantine Books
A Division of Random House Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN 0449007294 $6.99 www.ballantinebooks.com
This mystery was very interesting with lots of twists and turns to its finale when all was revealed.
For me, it was a little hard to follow because the author used so many similar names for her
characters that it made it a little difficult to keep each one straight. Otherwise this is a fine
mystery. Four friends from New England decide to take a vacation to an island in the Caribbean.
Before they can enjoy their stay there one of them is held for murder. Susan Henshaw makes it
number one priority to find out who the killer is.
The Jogging Lady
Eddy Bryant
Xlibris Corporation
www.Xlibris.com
ISBN 1401092020 $22.99 1-888-795-4274
Bryant has written a dark horror tale that is on numerous levels. Perhaps I missed a lot because I
have never been very good at reading the symbolism in literature. Others who read this novel may
do better than I. Still, Bryant has filled the story with some interesting characters that work well
on a simple level. Ross Mallory has a neighbor he becomes obsessed with, who is into jogging,
later gets him to go with her. The more they get together, the stranger things become.
Gary Roen
Reviewer
Gorden's Bookshelf
The Da Vinci Legacy
Lewis Perdue
Tor Books
Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.tor.com
ISBN: 0765349671 $7.99 385 pages
With the success of last year's 'The Da Vinci Code,' publishers have gone back to re-print
previously published thrillers with Da Vinci in the plot. 'The Da Vinci Legacy' is better written
than the Code but with less of a story hook. The novel is a very satisfying read. The biggest
problem with the book is the speed the publisher pushed for the new mass-market release. The
most obvious result is with the blurb on the back cover, which names a protagonist that is not in
the story. There are a few noticeable touches to the story that are appreciated. The twenty year
old story has been updated to match current events. Dan Brown has done a service in the adult
action genre by stimulating the re-print of good techno-historical thrillers such as 'The Da Vinci
Legacy.'
Vance Erikson works for an independent oil company and is an amateur Da Vinci scholar. He
purchases a private Da Vinci Codex for his charismatic boss. Examining the Codex, he discovers
that some pages in the Codex were forged shortly after Da Vinci's death. A murderous conspiracy
wants the pages lost to the public and will do anything to stop Erikson from finding out the truth.
The conspirators' aim is to control the world. A few more deaths, including Erikson's, is a small
price to pay for world dominance.
'The Da Vinci Legacy' is a well written adult action adventure. Its plot includes the same world
shattering struggle that you would find in a James Bond or Dirk Pitt novel. Erikson's charisma
isn't in the same league as Bond or Pitt and is the one drawback to the story. Legacy is a good
story that anyone who likes adult action adventures will enjoy.
The Bone Vault
Linda Fairstein
Pocket Star Books
Pocket Books
c/o Simon & Schuster, Inc
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0743436679 $7.99 503 pages
Fairstein writes complex intricate stories but the telling is unfocused. There are at least three
secondary plotlines woven around the main story. Fairstein also has a tendency to drop out of the
narrative to fill in secondary details. Despite the problems, or possibly because of the mess they
create, the story is a fun read. Fairstein's voice is easy to follow. Assistant sex-crimes prosecutor,
Alex Cooper, is at a gala dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when an Egyptian
sarcophagus is discovered with the preserved body of a murdered museum researcher. The
researcher had been working on a 'bestiary' exhibit, a joint project between a Hollywood media
company, the Met, the Museum of Natural History, and the Cloisters. Nearly everyone involved in
the project is lying. Are they lying because of the murder or to protect themselves from other
scandals? The deeper Cooper looks the more hidden agendas she finds. When a second suspicious
death at the Museum occurs, Cooper knows the case is ready to explode.
'The Bone Vault' is the type of thriller you read relaxing in a chair with a hot cup of chocolate.
The story is detailed and messy enough to require a comfortable chair and the thriller part is tense
enough that the taming affect of hot chocolate is needed. 'The Bone Vault' is filled with rich
details about the museums. The history of the unsavory practices needed to create major museum
collections mirror the modern intrigue and murder. 'The Bone Vault' is recommended for any
thriller or mystery reader. It might not stand out as the best in the genre but it is a story you can
read and enjoy more than once.
S.A. Gorden
Reviewer
Harold's Bookshelf
Crocheted Aran Sweaters
Jane Snedden Peever
Martingale & Company
20205 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072
ISBN: 1564774848 $24.95 96 pp.
Aran patterns have been popular for a very long time in the knitting world. With the book
"Crocheted Aran Sweaters" author Jane Peever brings these patterns into the world of crochet.
While it does provide a guide to the stitches featured in the book at the back of the book, I would
not consider it a teaching book for the absolute beginner. On the other hand, it provides some
beautiful designs of both simple and complex patterns. For the average person who already knows
the basics of crochet this is a recommended book.
Threads, Knots, Tapestries
Tess Castleman
Syren Book Company LLC
2402 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55114
ISBN: 0929636171 $19.00 254 pp.
Is it possible that our dreams affect others and the dreams of others affect ours? Is there some
kind of collective dream world that we all share in and that through it we affect each other? These
are the kind of questions author Tess Castleman, a Jungian Analyst based out of Dallas, Texas,
examines in her book "Threads, Knots, Tapestries". Her primary area of interest and expertise is
the use of dream groups. After years of studying these groups she now shares her experience and
how common dream threads demonstrate our interconnectedness with each other.
Some schools of psychology teach that all the characters of your dream are just different parts of
yourself. Is it possible that there are times when a dream is much more than this? Tess Castlemen
examines situations where it appears there is some type of communal dreaming occurring.
Apparently there is some sort of collective dream world that we can all access and do at times.
Going one step further she shows how we may be interacting not only other people, but also with
our environment itself, or even with other cultures.
"Threads, Knots, Tapestries" is a fascinating trip into the realm of possibilities and how closely we
may all be bound together in the web of life.
Design Ideas for Decks
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
ISBN: 1580111475 $12.95 125 pp.
First let me make it clear that this is not a book about building decks. "Design Ideas for Decks" is
a sourcebook for exactly what it states - designs. And the design ideas are plentiful and beautiful.
Unique layouts, multi-level decks, accents to give aesthetic beauty, everything about design is
covered in the book. Just looking through it once gave me several ideas for my backyard deck
that I would not have thought of but will add a lot of character to the deck and make it the
functional deck that I want. "Design Ideas for Decks" is a highly recommended resource for ideas
for your new deck or to remodel your current one to make it more functional or aesthetically
pleasing.
The Complete Table Saw Book
Tom Carpenter
Landauer Corporation
12251 Maffitt Rd., Cumming, IA 50061
ISBN: 1890621669 $27.95 283 pp.
Written primarily for the beginning to intermediate table saw user "The Complete Table Saw
Book" provides thorough coverage of the art of using a table saw. The first part of the book
examines the table saw itself and the coverage is excellent. Starting with an education on the
various parts of the table saw it progresses through different types, blades, and functions. Next
comes a thorough section on table saw maintenance and how to select a used table saw. The
analysis of what to look for and how to determine the condition of a used saw is very detailed and
well illustrated.
The next section covers basic cuts, joinery techniques, sawing accessories and basic jigs. One of
the things that I really liked about the book is the detailed information on making your own jigs.
Making the cuts to create a specific joining method is fine but it can be a pain to do several of
them in a row by hand. So, he not only teaches how to make the cuts to make the join but also
teaches how to make a jig so that it can be used to make the cuts quicker and easier. This shows
that the author not only knows his joining techniques but also has the real life knowledge of how
professional woodworkers actually do it. The last section of the book contains several projects
you can make using your table saw. These projects include various cabinets, a play table and
chairs, and an entertainment center.
"The Complete Table Saw Book" is an excellent reference that I can highly recommend to anyone
who wants to learn about table saws and how to use them for everything from basic cutting to
cabinetry. Filled with illustrations so you can easily understand everything in it, you can't go
wrong with this book.
Topsy-Turvy Tracy: The Upside-Downer Day
Susie Taylor
Zondervan Publishing
Zonderkidz Imprint
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310704421 $12.99 40 pp.
Getting out of bed one day Topsy-Turvy Tracy ends up upside down. Realizing that the world
looks different from this perspective she begins a day of staying upside down. Go with her on her
day as she walks on her hands, hangs from her knees, and shares what the world looks like when
you are upside down. "Topsy-Turvy Tracy: The Upside-Downer Day" appeals strongly to the six
and seven year old market and is a highly recommended read for six to eight year old
children.
The Sophisticated Gourmet
Noel Tyl
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164
ISBN: 0738703494 $24.95 274 pp.
With over a hundred recipes "The Sophisticated Gourmet" is sure to have several that are pleasing
to even the most discerning palate. Don't let the title fool you, the recipes may have fancy names
and an usual ingredient or two but they are not difficult to prepare. Anyone can prepare such
excellent dishes as Tortellini with Pesto and Pistachios, Fettuccine Pasta with Alfredo Sauce and a
touch of Prosciutto, or Chicken Breast with Prosciutto-Provolone Roll-Around. These are all very
good dishes sure to impress anyone.
The various categories of dishes include pasta, fish, meats, nine full dinners, sauces, dressings,
potatoes, vegetables, salads, and desserts. In each of the sections you will find anecdotes, tips,
and background information to help you work with the various ingredients. Noel Tyl's "The
Sophisticated Gourmet" is a highly recommended read for anyone interested in preparing meals
that are sure to please and be the subject of conversation for days.
Topsy-Turvy Tracy: The Grimy-Slimy Bug Safari
Susie Taylor
Zondervan Publishing
Zonderkidz Imprint
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 031070443X $12.99
Topsy-Turvy Tracy is back at it again in this sequel to her first adventure. Tracy plans a trip to
explore her yard looking for bugs. But when she climbs up a tree to get a better look she ends
upside-down again. From this viewpoint she continues her hunt for bugs. When down is up and
up is down it is hard to tell whether a bug is climbing up a tree or down. A fun read that seems to
appeal strongly to the six or seven year old market, "Topsy-Turvy Tracy: The Grimy-Slimy Bug
Safari" is a recommended read.
Charts of Reformation and Enlightenment Church History
John D. Hannah
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310233178 $29.99 90 pp.
"Charts of Reformation and Enlightenment Church History" contains simple graphical
representations of the major thought and church movements between approximately 1500 and
1800 A.D. The book includes charts on the major schisms of the church in the first sixteen
centuries, differences in church government, the Lutheran Reformation, Calvinist Reformation,
Anabaptist Reformation, English Reformation, Roman Catholic Reformation, the Rise of
Religious Rationalism and the Enlightenment, the Colonial Period of American Religious History,
Congregationalism, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Quakers, Lutherans, and the Great
Awakening, among many others.
A great resource and teaching tool by itself, it also includes all the charts on CD in PowerPoint
format so they can easily be used for group study or other presentations. The CD even contains a
PowerPoint viewer program if you don't have PowerPoint. "Charts of Reformation and
Enlightenment Church History" is a highly recommended purchase for anyone interested in a basic
understanding of the events of this time period.
Bathrooms: Plan, Remodel, Build
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
ISBN: 1580111386 $19.95 245 pp.
"Bathrooms: Plan, Remodel, Build" is a lavishly photographed and illustrated book on bathroom
design and construction techniques. The authors cover the spectrum from budget to mid-range to
luxurious bathrooms. Whether you want a simple functional bathroom or one that is an escape to
a relaxing environment it can be found here. The chapters are divided into master bath, family
bath, half bath, tubs & showers, sinks & toilets, vanities & storage, tile, stone, & more,
construction basics, windows and skylights, installing fixtures, wiring and lighting, and putting it
all together.
Creative Homeowner has never disappointed me with any of their publications and this one is not
any different. If you are designing your bathroom or looking to remodel it you will find creative
ideas and complete instructions in "Bathrooms: Plan, Remodel, Build".
The Complete Table Saw Book
Tom Carpenter
Landauer Corporation
12251 Maffitt Rd., Cumming, IA 50061
ISBN: 1890621669 $27.95 283 pp.
Written primarily for the beginning to intermediate table saw user "The Complete Table Saw
Book" provides thorough coverage of the art of using a table saw. The first part of the book
examines the table saw itself and the coverage is excellent. Starting with an education on the
various parts of the table saw it progresses through different types, blades, and functions. Next
comes a thorough section on table saw maintenance and how to select a used table saw. The
analysis of what to look for and how to determine the condition of a used saw is very detailed and
well illustrated.
The next section covers basic cuts, joinery techniques, sawing accessories and basic jigs. One of
the things that I really liked about the book is the detailed information on making your own jigs.
Making the cuts to create a specific joining method is fine but it can be a pain to do several of
them in a row by hand. So, he not only teaches how to make the cuts to make the join but also
teaches how to make a jig so that it can be used to make the cuts quicker and easier. This shows
that the author not only knows his joining techniques but also has the real life knowledge of how
professional woodworkers actually do it. The last section of the book contains several projects
you can make using your table saw. These projects include various cabinets, a play table and
chairs, and an entertainment center.
"The Complete Table Saw Book" is an excellent reference that I can highly recommend to anyone
who wants to learn about table saws and how to use them for everything from basic cutting to
cabinetry. Filled with illustrations so you can easily understand everything in it, you can't go
wrong with this book.
Pen Turner's Workbook: Step-by-Step Instructions for 9 Projects
Barry Gross
Fox Chapel Publishing Co., Inc.
1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520
ISBN: 1565232151 $12.95 73 pp.
Lavishly illustrated and full of detailed information, the "Pen Turner's Workbook" is a fascinating
trip into the world of custom-made ink pens. Using a micro-lathe the author shows how to turn
pens that are works of art. Whether you make it out of wood, corian, or antler each results in a
classic, prestigious looking pen. If you are looking to create your own conversation piece or sell
custom-made ink pens the book will give you all the information you need to know. "Pen Turner's
Workbook" is highly recommended to anyone interested in this specialized craft.
Quiltmaking by Hand: Simple Stitches, Exquisite Quilts
Jinny Beyer
Breckling Press
283 Michigan Street, Elmhurst, IL 60126
ISBN: 097212182X $29.95 258 pp.
One of the most thorough books on hand quilting I have ever read, "Quiltmaking by Hand" covers
just about everything you might need to know. The first chapter covers several basic items such as
selecting fabric, dealing with shrinkage, items in a typical quilter's basket, threads, batting, rulers,
markers, scissors, needles, pins, thimbles, and the quilting hoop.
Chapter 2 is basically a primer on pattern drafting. It details the use of an underlying grid to create
the pattern and then creating a larger grid of those squares. Unlike many other books, this one
takes advantage of modern technology and even covers drafting the grids on a computer if you
are so inclined. This is a very important part of designing your own quilt and is often not covered
in such detail in other books. Jinny Beyer does a very thorough job of teaching this discipline and
has produced the best coverage I have seen.
Chapters 3 and 4 cover the details of starting the sewing including cutting the fabric, working
with the grain and assembling the pieces, sewing the running stitch, seams, developing a rhythmic
sewing technique, joining four pieces, joining two stitched pieces to a third, and beginning a
quilt.
Chapters 5 and 6 cover sewing bias edges, unmatched angles, joining multiple points, working
with curves, and sewing irregular shapes.
Chapters 7 and 8 cover working with border prints, creating borders, design and measuring
borders.
Chapter 9 covers quilting techniques such as all-over quilting, outline quilting, quilting in the
ditch, following fabric designs, and quilting unpieced spaces. It also includes decorative
background quilting such as stippling.
The last section contains several patterns and complete construction information. These patterns
are both traditional and non-traditional, but all are beautiful.
"Quilting by Hand" is a very highly recommended book that contains the most complete
instructions I have seen in any book. If you are new to quilting you can learn everything you need
to know to do hand quilting. If you are not new you are still sure to find many tips to learn how to
create new and beautiful designs and add fancy quilting techniques to your work.
Meadowbrook Quilts: 12 Projects Inspired by Nature
Jean Van Bockel
Martingale & Company
20205 144th Ave NE, Woodinville, WA 98072
ISBN: 1564774937 $24.95 93 pp.
When I picked up this book I expected to see variations of standard quilt designs done in autumn
or spring colors. That is not at all what I found. Instead it contains some creative designs that
really bring out the spirit of nature. Ones that I found particularly attractive include changing
leaves, spring wildflowers, riverbed, and the postcards designs. For each of the designs Jean Van
Bockel provides complete instructions on how to make the quilt, materials, how to cut the
pattern, etc. Even the novice quilter should be able to complete these quilts without much
difficulty. "Meadowbrook Quilts" is recommended for any quilters interested in nature
designs.
The Era of the Crusades
Kenneth W. Harl
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Audio CD, DVD, Tape, Lectures: 36
In "The Era of the Crusades" Professor Kenneth W. Harl of Tulane University transports the
listener into the historical, political, cultural, and religious situation that existed during the
approximately 200 years of the Crusades. Of course this situation can only be understood
completely by examining the events that lead up to the Crusades. Professor Harl dedicates the first
twelve lectures to laying the groundwork for understanding the Crusades. Some of these events
include the declining Byzantine Empire, the disruption of the pilgrimage routes, and changes in
European warfare and politics.
The following 12 lectures cover the beginnings of the actual Crusades from 1095 to 1187. During
this period the European crusaders were successful and resulted in the establishment of the
Crusader states. Some of the problems they had to deal with were the problem of establishing
European settlements in the Near East and the defense of holy cities against the Muslims. Dr. Harl
also examines the dramatic changes in the Mediterranean economy that were a result of the
Crusades.
The final 12 lectures cover the period from the Third Crusade (1189) to the end of the Crusades
in 1250. The Third Crusade is one of the most romanticized of all the crusades. King Richard the
Lionhearted was in charge of the Crusade and his exploits as the leader are the source of many
legends. During this time there were several royal crusades in an attempt to retake Jerusalem from
the Muslims with the seventh and final crusade ending in complete failure.
For anyone interested in the various factors surrounding the Crusades Professor Harl provides a
complete understanding of the political, religious, economic, and historical factors of the time and
his thorough treatment makes this a highly recommended course.
The History of Science: 1700-1900
Dr. Frederick Gregory
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Audio CD, DVD, Tape Lectures: 36
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw science break out of the stranglehold of superstition
and religion into acceptance as a source of truth and a legitimate route to understanding the
natural world. This was an era that eventually saw the questioning of just about everything,
including those things once held as truth as an act of faith. During this process natural science
took many wrong turns. Sometimes these wrong turns still provided insight and generally a partial
answer. Dr. Gregory shares not only the triumphs of science but these mistakes as well. Through
it all he shows the common problems and methods of gaining new knowledge.
He also discusses how culture, politics and religion all affected scientific theory and the various
directions scientific investigation took. A good example is the discovery of fossils, which caused
people to question the assumed time period of earth and the creatures on it. Traditional religion
had long stated that mankind was placed on the earth approximately five thousand years ago. But
how could that possibly be reconciled with the fossil record.
Through the lectures the listener comes to understand the problems faced by people such as
Newton, Galvanni, Volta, and Darwin. The subject areas covered include theories of the earth,
alchemy, healers, mesmerism, electricity, disease, forces, electromagnetism, heat,
thermodynamics, molecules, astronomy, light, and even extra-terrestrial life. For those interested
in science and how it has matured over the years as well as how, sometimes, an incorrect
conclusion has been drawn, "The History of Science: 1700-1900" is a highly recommended course
and a great follow-up to the "History of Science: Antiquity to 1700" course.
How Do You Compare
Andrew N. Williams
The Berkley Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 0399529519 $13.95 251 pp.
A fascinating trip into the world of psychology and relationships, "How Do You Compare" is a
joy to read. The text examines several areas where we tend to compare ourselves with others.
Some of the areas include intelligence quotient, creativity, healthy relationships, ability as a lover,
and even if how happy we are. Included are several short tests to help you understand where you
stand in each of the areas followed by an analysis of how you then compare to others in the
general population. Each section also contains the results of various research projects. These
projects answer questions like whether there is a relationship between tall stature and intelligence?
What about a relationship between racism and intelligence, or wearing glasses and intelligence?
Can music help you fall in love? "How Do You Compare" is a highly recommended an interesting
read.
The Instinct To Heal
David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD
Rodale Press
33 East Minor St., Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
ISBN: 1579549020 $24.95 232 pp.
"The Instinct to Heal" takes a combined look at healing through various non-traditional
techniques and the most recent research in the interconnectedness of our various systems. Several
relationships are examined in detail starting with neurobiology and the relationship between the
emotional and logical brains. From there the author moves to the heart/brain relationship and how
heart coherence affects so many parts of your emotional being. He also examines more surprising
relationships like those involved in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing techniques.
This particular technique uses rapid eye movement to quickly heal emotional problems. Other
healing techniques examined include the energy of light, the power of Qi, Omega-3 Fatty Acids
and the emotional brain, love, and emotional communication. This is a fascinating journey into the
relationships between our various biological and emotional systems that shows how we have an
instinctual ability to heal ourselves. This is a definitive work on new research in the relationship
between the mind and body and a recommended read.
The Power of Divine: A Healer's Guide
Tiffany Snow
Spirit Journey Books
PO Box 61, San Marcos, CA 92079
ISBN: 0972962336 $TBA 238 pp.
"The Power of the Divine" is one of the most interesting books on the market today when it
comes to understanding the importance of prayer in the healing process. Author Tiffany Snow
takes the reader on a trip through science, healing, and religion and how these intersect to provide
healing for the body and soul. Perhaps one of the most important points in the book is the clear
delineation between spiritual healing and divine healing. Spiritual healing includes things related to
energy including spiritual energy. Divine healing, on the other hand, is healing that includes prayer
and an invocation to God to actively take a part in the process. We know that putting an antibiotic
on an open wound helps keep it from becoming infected because we apply the laws of nature that
God has put forth. We can use similar principles for spiritual or energy healing. But above using
laws of nature for healing is the Divine healing that comes from God's active participation in the
process. This places Tiffany Snow in an interesting philosophical position. For conservative
Christians she will be too much New Age and for many New Age people who wish to take credit
for all healing she will be too much Christian. Those in the middle will find her delightful.
I appreciate that she also has the wisdom to include the importance of forgiveness and emotional
healing as part of the complete healing process. Elsewhere in the book she discusses how to pray,
and some techniques that have worked for her. Near the end is a collection of inspirational healing
scriptures, poems, and prayers.
Some may have a problem with the chapter on deliverance and exorcism. It is a curious anomaly
that most people believe in angels but don't believe in demons. If that is the case with you then
you will probably have difficulty with this chapter. But don't discount the whole book because of
this, as there is a lot of good information available as well as encouragement for those who wish
to understand divine healing and the importance of prayer in a person's life.
"The Power of Divine: A Healer's Guide" is a recommended read for anyone interested in the
healing process and the importance of the Divine in the process.
There Is No Prince: And Other Truths Your Mother Never Told You
Marilyn Graman, Maureen Walsh
Life Works Books
55 Fifth Avenue - Penthouse, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0971854874 $22.95 277 pp.
One thing that is common among both men and women is that unconscious beliefs hold us back
and often keep us repeating our mistakes over and over. There is no place this is truer than in
relationships. "There Is No Prince" examines how a woman's unconscious beliefs may limit her
relationships and keep her from finding the person who is right for her. For example, waiting for
your prince to come and sweep you off your feet. Look inside yourself, honor and be true to
yourself, find the right relationship with you and then find the right relationship with a man. or
don't. You really do have a choice. This is an insightful guide to creating the relationship you
want; "There Is No Prince" is a highly recommended read.
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Harwood's Bookshelf
Human Devolution: A Vedic Alternative to Darwin's Theory
Michael A. Cremo
Torchlight Publishing
776 10th Street, Imperial Beach, CA 91932
ISBN 0892133341, $35.00 584 pp
Human Devolution claims to be a sequel to Forbidden Archeology. I have not read the latter, but
I did read a review of it by Gordon Stein. The review indicated that the former book was a
competent debunking of pseudoscientific drivel and metaphysical hogwash about human origins
and evolution. Cremo's new book is an endorsement of the very masturbation fantasies that the
earlier book allegedly debunked. After reading Stein's review, my initial conclusion was that
calling Human Devolution a sequel to Forbidden Archeology is like calling The Wizard of Oz a
sequel to the memoirs of Marco Polo. But then I read Cremo's Introduction, in which he quotes
from several other reviews, and the kindest interpretation I can reach is that either Stein only read
chapter headings and drew manipulated conclusions, or he read the book under the influence of
hallucinogenic mushrooms.
For example, Cremo acknowledges that his previous book had been written from a metaphysical
Hindu perspective. He quotes approvingly an alleged scholar (p. x), "There is a tendency among
scholars to say [of Hindu scripture] it is all myth and concoction . I think that such a negative
attitude toward the ancient and early medieval Indian texts as sources of information should
definitely be discarded." In other words, Forbidden Archeology was a work of religion posing as
science. That is made even clearer when he writes (p. xii), "Fundamentalist Darwinists within the
world of science have not been as successful as they would like to be in maintaining a boundary
between science and what they call religiously motivated 'pseudoscience,' to use their favored, and
charmingly cranky, terminology. I personally do not accept the increasingly irrelevant distinctions
some try to make between scientific and religious ways of knowing." "Fundamentalist
Darwinists"? Oh come now! And if there is such a thing as a "religious way of knowing," it exists
only in the minds of the incurably brainwashed.
According to Cremo (p. 55), "Skeletal remains, footprints, and artifacts indicate that human
beings of our type have existed for hundreds of millions of years and that we did not evolve from
more primitive apelike creatures." He argues (p. 17), "The evidence shows that anatomically
modern humans existed millions of years ago." How many millions of years? "The coal in which
the Macoupin County skeleton was found is at least 286 million years old and might be as much
as 320 million years old." (p. 41) Furthermore, intelligently-designed "letterlike shapes" were
found in a solid block of marble from 500-600 million years ago, while a nail was found embedded
in a block of sandstone from the period 360 to 408 million years ago. (p. 23).
So why is this evidence that humans preceded dinosaurs not common knowledge? Cremo's
answer is (p. 17), "Large amounts of evidence have disappeared from view by a process of
knowledge filtration. Because this evidence contradicted the established evolutionary doctrines at
particular times over the past 150 years, it has been eliminated from scientific discussion." In other
words, the 99.9 percent of anthropologists who do not take Cremo seriously are part of a
conspiracy to suppress the truth. Sure they are. And how does he know that he is right and
persons who adhere to scientific methodology are wrong? "Evidence for extreme human antiquity
is consistent with the ancient Vedic literature of India." (p. 17) In other words, the scientists are
wrong and Cremo is right because his religion says so. If he was a Christian or Jew he would no
doubt be arguing that the earth is flat, as those religions' sacred books say it is in fourteen
places.
Cremo also alleges that (p. xv), "demands to totally exclude the Vedic perspective of Forbidden
Archeology from the discourse of science were confined to the publications of extremist groups,
such as skeptics societies (whose skepticism does not extend to the theory of evolution) and the
unremittingly anticreationist National Center for Science Education." Skeptics who demand
evidence before accepting improbable claims are extremists? The NCSE are extremists? Persons
who recognize evolution as a proven fact are extremists? Cremo should go to a psychobabble
dictionary and look up "projection." As for his claim that (p. xxi), "The first widely publicized
reports that genetic evidence allowed scientists to say that all living humans arose from an African
Eve who lived 200,000 years ago in Africa turned out to be fatally flawed," I find myself
wondering if the reliable source that agreed with his contention that Homo sapiens coexisted with
dinosaurs was a publication of an alleged "creation science" cult.
Cremo includes a long chapter on the cosmologies of various cultures in all parts of the world that
would have been valid and useful as a study of comparative religions. But Cremo uses it to justify
a series of conclusions that he fails to recognize as non-sequiturs (p. 328): "We find that humans
and other living entities are possessed of souls that survive the death of the gross physical body."
And on what does he base such a finding? The answer seems to be, that if enough cultures belief a
metaphysical hypothesis, then it must be true. On that basis, since the entire human race once
believed that the earth is flat, then it must be flat. "At the topmost level, we find a supreme
conscious being, living in a purely spiritual domain. We find a creator god assisted by many
other demigods and demigoddesses. We find that souls can travel from body to body." So finally
we get to the crux of the matter. Cremo is an unmitigated theologian pretending to be a scientist
in order to pass off his god as a scientific hypothesis. It is no wonder that apologists for Western
mythology have praised his book. They are hoping that his readers will be convinced by his
anti-naturalism arguments, but will reject his Hindu alternative in favor of a Judeo-Christian
alternative.
Cremo asks (p. 9), "Has not science, using physical evidence, demonstrated beyond doubt that we
did on fact evolve, by natural selection, from more anatomically primitive hominids?" His answer
is that (p. 8), "It would appear that human beings are not modified apes who arose on this planet
by a process of physical evolution. Instead we are fallen angels, beings who came to this planet by
a process of devolution from spiritual forms that preexisted in another dimension of reality . In
this state, their natural freedom is constrained by the conditions imposed upon them by their
bodies, with which they struggle to enjoy the material energy, in a cycle of repeated births and
deaths." Whether Cremo is following the common practice of theologians of quoting opposing
views in the belief that quoting is the same as rebutting, or whether he actually beliefs that his
metaphysical fantasizing constitutes a rebuttal, is irrelevant. Either way, his new book, like its
predecessor, is religion posing as science.
For example, after an attempt worthy of the Brothers Grimm to rationalize away the evidence that
human and chimpanzee DNA are 98.5 percent identical, Cremo states that (p. 81), "Most of us
find it hard to believe we differ by only 1.5 percent from an ape. It appears that something more
than DNA is necessary to put together the complex structures that define different species. That
'something' more is arguably intelligent design." "Intelligent design," despite its pushers' pretence
to the contrary, is a fraudulent euphemism for "God." Creationists deny the reality of evolution
because it contradicts Genesis. Cremo denies the reality of evolution because it contradicts the
Vedas.
If Cremo's previous book really did debunk superstitious hogwash as Stein concluded (and I am
finding that increasingly difficult to believe), he has done a complete about-face. He endorses the
claim of James Esdaile to have hypnotized a blind man by magnetic passes unrelated to
suggestion. He endorses the gullible SRI paranormalists' claim that Uri Geller has genuine psychic
powers. He endorses spiritualism, reincarnation, out of body experiences, ghosts, demon
possession, angels, alien abductions, psychic healing, Marian apparitions, and practically every
other crackpot delusion of the past two centuries. He writes (p.183), "In addition to isolated
studies with single subjects like Geller, there is a great deal of experimental evidence for
paranormal effects associated with mental intention." Also (p. 203), "The experimental evidence
accumulated by scientists of the past two centuries in the areas of telepathy, clairvoyance, and
psychokinesis cannot be easily dismissed." But they have not been dismissed. They have been
examined by such organizations as CSICOP and definitively refuted. Cremo is not unaware of the
falsifying evidence. His religious fanaticism makes him unable to evaluate it. As for his claim that
clairvoyance in particular is supported by experimental evidence, either he has not considered that
clairvoyance could only exist if information can travel backward in time, or he believes that
information can travel backward in time.
Human Devolution is a masturbation fantasy. If it is a work of scholarship, then so were the
ravings of Immanuel Velikovsky and Erich von Daniken. If it is nonfiction, then so is The Cat in
the Hat. I have not read such incompetent drivel posing as archeology since Barry Fell interpreted
(and translated!) plow scratchings on rocks as a nonexistent language called Libyan.
For Us, The Living
Robert A. Heinlein
Scribner
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10020
ISBN 074325998X, $25.00 282 pp.
For Us, The Living was the first novel Robert Heinlein wrote, but the last to be published
(posthumously). For readers already aware that Heinlein was the pioneer without whom science
fiction would still be nothing more than space opera, it provides incomparable insights into
Heinlein's transformation of the genre from action-adventure into what was for many decades the
only form of rational moral philosophy capable of sneaking past the theofascist censors. But for
persons unfamiliar with Heinlein's achievements, this is not the place to start.
For Us the Living is essentially an unedited first draft. That is not to say that it did not already
demonstrate Heinlein's monumental literary skills. But whether it qualifies as a novel is debatable.
As Spider Robinson wrote in the Introduction (p. xiii), "Robert began this book with the perfectly
honorable artistic intention of lying through his teeth: of disguising a series of lectures as fiction,
purely in order to bring them to the attention of those who, finding the implication of their own
imperfection upsetting, would not knowingly consent to be lectured. He succeeded
brilliantly."
For Us contains the seeds from which grew many of the later books that made Heinlein a unique
phenomenon. For example, when a character from 2086 spells out for the time traveler from 1939
the extent to which the laws of that time had been imposed by organized religion, the hero
comments (p. 85), "But surely most of the laws that you mention arise from common sense rather
than religion?" The modern (2086) man answered, "You believe so because you were reared in
the environment that the churches created. You were conditioned to regard them as the natural
order of things." That recognition that the evils of religion-derived sex laws could be effectively
demonstrated by viewing them through the eyes of a resident of the future, was brought to
perfection when Heinlein showed the insanity of masochistic taboos by viewing them through the
eyes of an immigrant from Mars in Stranger in a Strange Land.
Marriage in 2086 is portrayed as precisely what it is, an observable reality unrelated to magic
words (p.116): "Marriage isn't a public contract anymore. It's strictly in the private sphere. You
and I love each other and want to live together. We are doing so. Therefore we are married." As
for laws prohibiting or restricting privately performed acts of victimless recreation (p. 89): "No
law shall forbid the performance of any act, which does not damage the physical or economic
welfare of any other person. No act shall constitute a violation of a law valid under this provision
unless there is such damage, or immediate present danger of such damage resulting from that
act."
As a virtual immigrant from a society culturally brainwashed by religious customs that can only be
justified by "God said so," Heinlein's hero falls victim to the glorified insanity of jealousy. He is
promptly convicted of antisocial behavior, and given the choice of exile among nihilists or
reeducation. In choosing the latter, he is told (p. 145), "You are now in the process of unlearning
your errors and superstitions . You are not insane, any more than our savage. You are simply
confused . The confusion can be eliminated by proper training." In explaining to the hero the
predictable consequences of his jealous rage in a culture in which jealousy had long ceased to be a
survival factor, the re-educator tells him, "Many women would have told you to go to the devil
and taken up with a less selfish man." In other words, the desire that no one else be permitted to
engage in nonconsequential recreation with one's personal sex toy is at best selfishness, and when
chronic can legitimately be termed insanity. And when an educator asks the jealous lover's cohab
(p. 22), "Do you see that to spend your life guiding your actions by the possible opinions of a
person suffering from delusions will become very complicated?" that question foreshadowed the
issues elaborated in Stranger in a Strange Land a bible of rationalism that unfortunately curable
believers in the taboos of theocratic tyranny have not read, for if they had, the most insane taboos
would have already disappeared.
However, even in 2086, not all inability to act rationally, the only defensible definition of insanity,
is curable: "If a person is truly insane, suffering from physical lesions, whether congenital,
traumatic, or pathological, we treat by physical means, surgery, chemical therapy, physical
therapy, and so forth. Frequently there is little we can do other than care for them, keep them
from harming themselves, or others, and prevent them from reproducing." (p. 146) Heinlein
recognized in 1939 that persons afflicted with congenital incompetence should be prevented from
reproducing. Social workers in England in the 1970s who went to court to prevent a woman from
having her Down syndrome daughter sterilized, and judges who issued such an injunction, had
clearly not recognized that there are indeed situations where the good of the many outweighs the
whims of the individual.
Writing in 1939, and hoping to have his novel accepted by a publisher (in fact it was rejected
twice, and then shelved until after his death), Heinlein recognized the necessity of conforming to
the publishing mores of the time. While none of his later books contains the kind of sex scene
usually understood by the term "explicit," the scene (for example) in which Lazarus Long went
back in time and mated with his newly nubile mother was unambiguous. The reader did not find
himself wondering, "Are they or aren't they ?" But in For Us, The Living, the first indication that
the hero and heroine have become lovers occurs in a discussion of possible pregnancy, when he
asks (p. 117), "Say, have I already? I mean, do you think it likely?"
For Us The Living introduces Nehemiah Scudder, a theofascist politician who, in the Future
History series, became the First Prophet. Heinlein at one time planned to write a whole novel
about the rise and reign of the First Prophet, but found himself unable to do so because the
character so nauseated him that he could not force himself to write more than short passages in
which the First Prophet was front and center. Almost certainly many journalists and historians
who consider writing biographies of George W. Bush will be prevented by the same
consideration although Spider Robinson sees Scudder as not a prototype Bush but a prototype
Richard Cheney (p. xvi), presumably because a lip-moving blockhead like Bush needs a Geppetto
to pull his strings.
Heinlein's 1939 vision of the future was not flawless. He showed the 2086 man still using the
peculiarly Christian dating system, "A.D.," as if that "my god can lick your god" bigotry will still
exist through the 21st century. He showed people in 2086 casually smoking, with no
comprehension that sucking on a dog turd and inhaling its poison would by then be practised only
by acknowledged perverts. Like the movie version of The Shape of Things To Come from
approximately the same year, he could not conceive of airplanes without propellers that were in
fact already in the prototype stage while he was writing. And he showed the 2086 man forecasting
that a man would walk on the moon at some future date. But he was one of the few people in
1939 to recognize (as many still do not) that (p. 83) "It is a mistake to believe that our forefathers
came to this continent in search of religious freedom. On the contrary they sought a place in
which to exercise their own brand of religious totalitarianism."
Obviously none of my own books was modeled on a book first published in 2004. But the
influence on my writing of Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land and Time Enough for Love, each
of which derived its philosophy from For Us, The Living, would be difficult to conceal even if I
wished to do so. In a very real sense, Heinlein's rough draft can be seen as the ultimate source of
"The Hughieist Manifesto" that constitutes every third chapter in The Autobiography of God, and
Heinlein's dictum, "Sin means hurting someone unnecessarily," as the source of Hughie's Law.
And anyone who reads There Be No Sun But Yahweh, and Jesus Be Him's Planet, will have to
check the publication dates to verify that For Us, The Living was not published first.
The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense
Michael Shermer
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, NY 10016
ISBN 0195143264, $25.00 368 pp.
The Borderlands of Science starts slowly, with a seemingly credulous, even gullible, account of
the author's participation in a remote viewing experiment. If I had not known up front that
Michael Shermer is a competent investigator who could not be manipulated into seeing a positive
result where none existed, I might not have continued reading. But I did continue, and I was not
disappointed.
Shermer's ability to examine borderline claims and determine whether they constitute science or
pseudoscience is, however, less than perfect. On the one hand, his investigation of remote
viewing, leading to the conclusion that it does not exist and all claims to the contrary have been
based on prejudicial preconditions, biased interpretation of what were really negative results,
self-delusion, retroactive rewriting of subjective impressions, and plain deception, cannot be
faulted. The Pentagon's wasting of millions of dollars on a twenty-year experiment to "remote
view" Soviet military establishments, even though a skeptical investigator such as Shermer or
James Randi would have taken one day to expose the whole thing as a masturbation fantasy, is
simply one more proof that "military intelligence" is an oxymoron.
On the other hand, in his investigation of the reality of hypnotism, Shermer ignored all of the
checks and balances he recognizes as necessary everywhere else. His conclusion that the
probability that hypnotism exists is as high as .5 is based on his observation of a single subject
whose unverifiable testimony he apparently accepts at face value, his subjective acceptance of
suggestion-induced motivation to succeed as evidence that he had been hypnotized, and his
apparently legitimate descent into sleep while imagining that he was being hypnotized. On that last
point, I can testify that I similarly once believed I had been hypnotized, when in fact I merely fell
asleep in a hypnotist's audience, did nothing but sleep, and awakened when the hypnotist snapped
his fingers in front of my eyes as I would have reacted to a similar intervention in my own
bed.
Shermer cites none of the experiments in which brain scans showed that the suggestion of a
specific hallucination caused the same neurological responses as if the hallucinated object had in
fact been present. Business Week (Feb 2, 2004) cited the most recent such experiments as the
strongest, indeed the only, reliable evidence that hypnosis really is an altered state of
consciousness. What Business Week did not mention was that there was no control group,
instructed to "imagine that you can see " If such a control group had been involved, it would
assuredly have produced identical results. I urge Shermer to investigate further, and specifically to
conduct experiments with an allegedly hypnotized group and a control group that is
unquestionably not hypnotized. I have little doubt that he will then agree with Robert Baker (They
Call it Hypnosis) that, "Hypnotism does not exist, has never existed in the past, and will not exist
in the future." I make that prediction even though Shermer was willing to accept a psychobabble
explanation of why an MRI scan showed that two persons experiencing identical pain manifested
identical brain activity, even though one acknowledged the pain while the other, instructed by a
hypnotist that he felt no pain, obediently claimed that he did not. I would like to remind him that,
unless he accepts that "hypnotized" persons who make statements that contravene observable
reality are lying, he is going to have to accept that John Mack's subjects really were abducted by
aliens. Mack is a fatuous oaf who sincerely believes that he can tell if a patient is lying. I am
confident that Shermer suffers from no such delusion.
Also, since Borderlands and my own The Disinformation Cycle were in press at the same time,
Shermer cannot be expected to have taken my chapter on hypnotism into consideration. Will he
do so next time? I hope so.
Shermer has some harsh words for the Vast Wasteland, which he correctly identifies as the most
blatant dispenser of intentional disinformation the world has ever seen. He makes clear that
conscienceless prostitutes like Rupert Murdoch do not perpetrate swindles like the "alien autopsy"
hoax out of any good-faith belief that they conceivably might be genuine. All TV networks, but
Fox in particular, buy ratings, and therefore profits, by pandering to the most ignorant,
superstitious, scientifically illiterate segment of the human race, and knowingly peddle lies
designed to maximize ignorance and thus maximize their potential audience. The dumbing of
America is not collateral damage. It is the TV moguls' intended purpose.
Shermer writes (p. 100, "Fox television network is not known for sticking closely to a
truth-in-advertising policy when it comes to its so-called "reality programming." If their alien
autopsy film wasn't farcical enough, they followed it two years later with another special which
itself was a bait and switch.." Also (p. 11) "When NBC aired a 'documentary' hosted by [expletive
deleted] in which it was claimed that the Egyptian pyramids were actually built by an ancient
civilization some ten thousand years ago not a single archaeologist, scientist, or skeptic of any
academic or mainstream credibility appeared on the show to present even an iota of dissent." And
when CBS broadcast The Incredible Discovery of Noah's Ark as an alleged documentary (p.12),
"Any archaeologist would have spotted the hoax in a second, but none were consulted." The
show's producer screamed dirty pool when the hoaxer told the world how easy it was to deceive
nonsense peddlers to whom truth will never outweigh ratings, even though the whole point of the
hoax was to get through to television's prostitute programmers that presenting nonsense as
nonfiction without making any effort to determine if the nonsense can withstand competent
scrutiny is unacceptable to the segment of the population who are not scientifically illiterate
ignoramuses.
And lest anyone thinks that only an atypical segment of TV producers have a depraved
indifference to truth, Shermer rectifies that delusion (p. 14): "Most people that work in the
television business realize that most of the claims presented on these paranormal shows are utter
nonsense. They know but they don't care because they are in the business of selling commercials,
not ideas . It turns out that most of them have known all along that many of these claims are
bunk, but they were restricted by the networks from saying so on the air." In other words, what
was once a Vast Wasteland is now a Toxic Dump, administered by the same kind of barely-human
lifeforms that Only You Dick Daring was unsuccessful in eliminating forty years ago.
In 2001, when Borderlands was published, Americans still looked down their noses at the kind of
drooling voyeurs responsible for making obscene and repulsive "reality" series the most popular
programs on Japanese television. Now that such TV AIDS is infesting America, Shermer will
presumably make an appropriate comment at a future date.
Shermer's pages on ecocide show that several human cultures became extinct through ecological
suicide. "Reconstructing environmental history reveals that the great rise and fall of civilizations,
previously credited to "great men" or "class conflicts," was more often the result of human
environmental exploitation or destruction . These four examples not only demonstrate that the
BPM [Beautiful People Myth] is wrong; they show what could be in store for us if the global rate
of population growth is not checked, and if solutions to environmental problems caused by human
selection are not found." (p. 251) While he points out that the fatal consequences of past
ecological ignorance are being replicated today, he does not identify the criminals-in-chief whose
enforcement of irresponsible and insane policies (such as refusing to ratify the Kyoto Accord, or
permit birth control) are turning Planet Earth into the former habitat of an intelligent species.
Perhaps he was reluctant to offend the theofascists in the Vatican and the White House?
In his chapter, "Only God Can Do That," Shermer shows that opposition to cloning and other
genetic engineering is motivated solely by religious conditioning, not by scientific objections or
rational thinking. "Birth control? Only God can do that. Artificial insemination? Only God can do
that. Life extension? Only God can do that. Euthanasia? Only God can do that." (p. 75) Shermer
debunks the "playing God" myth, by providing sufficient evidence to enable the reader to
recognize the desperate fear of godworshippers that, every time humankind achieves something
that "only God can do," the necessity of a "God" explanation of anything is undermined.
Several of Shermer's chapters consist of history or biography rather than science. Rather than
analyze such chapters in details, let me say only that I found no identifiable errors. I certainly
endorse his conclusions about the two most influential writers of the nineteenth century, that
Charles Darwin "is among the great scientists in history," while Sigmund Freud "has become
nothing more than a historical curiosity." There were minor points of disagreement, but someone
who disagrees with me is not necessarily wrong. For example, Shermer believes that Stephen Jay
Gould's punctuated equilibrium theory still lies in the realm of borderland science, to be proven or
disproven on the basis of further evidence. I consider it almost an Occam's razor assumption that
Gould is right. But I agree that the jury is still out. I did however find typos: lead for led; plane for
plain. So Shermer's proofreading is as fallible as my own. Big deal.
In his final chapter, Shermer cites the Piltdown Man hoax as evidence of science's self-correcting
nature, since it was evolutionists, not theologians, who exposed the hoax. As to who was the
perpetrator, he spells out the evidence against several possible suspects, including the bones'
discoverer, Charles Dawson, but concludes that (p. 317), "if scientific crimes were resolved in
courts of law and I was called to serve on a Piltdown jury, I would force a hung jury for everyone
but Dawson."
The verdict? Borderlands is slow reading in places, but nonetheless highly recommended.
William Harwood
Reviewer
Hodgins' Bookshelf
The Tiger Ladies: a Memoir of Kashmir
Sudha Koul
Beacon Press
25 Beacon St., Boston
ISBN 0807059188, $24.00 218 pages
This study of (often domestic) Kashmiri life, nominally but not exclusively in the female line, is
divided into three large chapters or perhaps sections, titled "Grandmothers", "Mothers", and
"Daughters", but there also are grandfathers, fathers, a brother, and other males.
The ladies in question don't seem particularly tigerish, either - any more than the great number of
Sikhs bearing the name "Singh" (meaning "Lion") are all lionish, or people named "Victor" are all
victorious in battle. "Tiger ladies" seems really just a striking name.
I've written "exotic", above, only in relation to the expected ethnicity/nationality (e.g., U.S.) of
most readers of this Bookshelf. Author Koul's thoughts about Kashmir will be unexotic to other
Kashmiris.
Exotic character may, though, have been a major advantage in finding publication for this work in
the United States. In a celebrity-mad world where being a wellknown figure carries nearly all the
weight, Beacon Press is to be lauded for daring to be different. The publisher has, instead, allotted
more importance here to content than to author personality.
That content is however reflective and descriptive, rather than active; there is relatively little
"story" in Koul's story. Instead, we must make our ways through many, many pages of
continuously flowing Kashmiri lore, in the course of which we receive an almost encyclopaedic
view of daily life in a Kashmiri Brahmin (the top Hindu caste) family that is largely surrounded by
agreeable, equally Kashmiri Muslims, often of the same genetic stock.
The author's family, apparently like the rest of the local population, is obsessed with locally made
textiles ("cashmere" woolens, but the real thing, called pashmina - and also silks). The author's
grandmother, Dhanna, "... is a collector of pashmina; she has great yards, medium-sized shawls,
and small pieces of the reassuring fabric." (A description of Dhanna's elaborate care of her goods
follows.)
Pashmina is considered "as good as gold", and in bad times can always be cut into pieces and sold
to keep the wolf from the door.
An important ethno-religious relationship is outlined on page 9, as follows:
"My grandmother's shawl peddler, like all our tradespeople, is a Muslim. We Hindus [of Kashmir]
are all Brahmins and are commonly called pandits, denoting our tradition of being the learned
caste. There are no other Hindu castes in the valley. Many explanations have been put forward ...
The most common ... is that most of the Brahmins were administrators and did not have to
convert to Islam ..."
Thus the economic stratification of recent Kashmiri society is, or was, reminiscent of that in
Victorian England, where the Upper Class was too genteel to soil its hands in "trade", but relied
implicitly on tradespeople to keep the wheels turning for the good of all.
However, eventually Koul's vein of pashmina-as-gold is all mined out, to be replaced by other
topics for further cultural descriptions.
Concerning religious differences in that peaceful, comparatively isolated society, there was little
active intolerance (although Muslim only married Muslim, and Hindu only married Hindu) until
the British withdrew from the Indian subcontinent in 1947, and the competing states of Pakistan
and India were defined and partitioned along religious lines. Now, quite suddenly, religious
discord was injected into the valley of Kashmir by "strangers" representing the national powers to
the south.
Accordingly, events heat up rather suddenly at the corresponding point in Koul's memoir,
beginning on page 26. "At the height of the [separation] madness, to precipitate its acquisition of
Kashmir, Pakistan sends Afghan hill tribes called Kabailis to invade Kashmir. The tribesmen's
appetites are whetted by truckloads of [borrowed] carpets, brassware, and luxury goods ... They
are told that all this had been easily looted from Kashmir, and that the brassware is pure gold
..."
India's reply is to send in her troops. It is the first polarization of Kashmiri relations in many
generations.
Yet Koul doesn't dwell long on that turning point - she doesn't for example describe any real
fighting - but blithely slides back into the more folkloric and family-lore themes that she obviously
prefers.
"We sing the songs of a beautiful village girl in a field of purple flowers. She is gathering crocus
for saffron, singing her poems of yearning and love. [She] is oblivious to a prince passing by ...
Her lips are on fire from her songs and her saffron and he is consumed ... But time ... lives in
cycles and what begins must end. Royal duties separate the lovers, and [her] agonized messages
... reverberate in our gatherings three hundred years later. She lives forever as a pioneer of love
poetry in Kashmir ..."
"... The valley cradles us [Hindu and Muslim alike] in her beauty and love songs, and does not
leave us with much time or desire to hate anything. Visitors to the valley call us lazy, and the
Western-educated among us call themselves Lotus-Eaters, but we live in Heaven."
Without shifting paragraphs, she goes on to introduce another topic: "Kashmiris pray to
long-gone Sufi mystics, madwomen and madmen who are our poets and prophets. Our Sufism is a
combination of the esoteric elements of Hinduism and Islam, and gives the highest priority to
what-is-not-of-this-world. With us reason is not everything, and insanity demands instant
veneration."
Koul goes on like this for some pages, if we include a tale that's apparently familiar in Kashmir of
a man, his new wife, and his mother, all under one roof. Its telling here is unclear, and we may feel
uncertain which of the two women is meant when Koul writes "she" or "her", but one of them,
anyway, is beyond weird; she's a conjuror or something even more unnatural. This yarn, as I
understand it, exemplifies true Sufism.
Despite what I've said about Koul's having raised then dropped the subject of politico-religious
strife, in her desultory style she once or twice mentions again the contest that has been awakened
between Hindus and Muslims, between India and Pakistan, as in an incident (page 77) where she
happens upon a group of Muslim children who are burning Pandit Nehru in effigy, only because
"He is the Prime Minister of India."
More often Koul mentions a traditional chief way of staying warm in Kashmir, which lies not far
below the perennial snows of the Himalayas. It's done by the dangerous means of each person's
carrying a tiny incendiary device called a "kangri" under the clothing, and of huddling over it in
bed, too - sometimes resulting in mattress and house fires.
"It is too ancient and vital a system to come under any criticism. The firepot is like a limb to a
person ... People say with pride that we Kashmiris are listed in the British medical textbooks. We
are the only people in the world who suffer from `kangri cancer'. People hold the kangri between
their legs all the time ... and this sometimes sets their inner thighs to rot." Burning coals from the
kangri also serve to light the tobacco in hookahs.
All this and more is told in the "Grandmothers" portion of Koul's present book. Certainly, a world
very different from that known to most of us is described - but as I say, one should not look here
for "action".
There is no striking or immediate change when one begins the second section or chapter,
"Mothers". Grandparents continue to figure prominently, in part because young Sudha, the tale's
protagonist, lives with them while her mother and two siblings have followed her father to any
one of a series of military postings, he being in the Indian army.
In part, though, the story becomes one of modernization with, for instance, the appearance of
electric and gas appliances, even central heating, in the home. Bit by bit, the old ways pass from
the scene.
Although Koul writes, "When the time came for me to graduate from childhood to adolescence
and marriageability, my mother's presence in my life returned ... Marriage was an undertaking that
required more energy, money, and time than was possible for grandparents to provide," the
remark goes noplace immediately, for we next learn how she got her recipes (presumably those
used in her first book) from an old man, a family retainer, who refuses to cook unless over a
good, oldfashioned wood fire.
The paucity of "action" thus continues.
Next comes yet further Kashmiri lore about setting out treats on the Winter Moonless Night for
the good spirits who surround the house - actually the neighbours' cats, it seems. The subject
matter then drifts into something akin to ancestor-worship, or rather ancestor-honouring lest an
earthquake be sent to remind the impious of their duties. Moreover -
"Whenever we have an earthquake, we have to run out immediately and splash a bucket of water
on the verandah. Our ancestors are thirsty and have come to ask for water ... Mercifully, no one
remembers a really destructive earthquake ..." The reason is held to be all the fervent
precautionary chanting that's been done, and that continues more urgently in times of crisis.
Young Sudha, despite being considered a beauty (if with large feet), isn't successful in finding a
marriage partner by the customary age of the early teens. Writing later as an eventually married
grownup, she assures us several times that it wasn't a failure of romance, for all Kashmiri
marriages are arranged, in any case. Things just didn't click.
The parents' matchmaking work kept failing, then, but meantime Sudha's increasingly desperate
mother obsessively amassed more and more trousseau items for the daughter to take away with
her. It is in this connection that the section's name, "Mothers", at least if taken in the singular,
becomes more or less justified. "Tiger Lady", though? Hmm ...
The pairing process, too, is largely folkloric material. Other facets of Kashmiri life are also
described, but the point is that the book remains more a cultural study - for instance, the milk
vendor marks special customers' birthdays, "... carrying large wide-mouthed pots of creamy
yogurt covered with blanched almonds ..." - than an account of singular or dramatic happenings.
Here's another example, this time concerning family visitors:
"Our relatives from the crowded ancient city [Srinagar, it seems, but precision isn't Koul's strong
point] covet the abundant flowers of our suburban gardens. They take bouquets of them home,
only to tear them up and throw them at the idols in their temples the next morning. Gods like
petals more than entire flowers. We are always careful not to smell the flowers intended for the
temple. If you smell a flower, what is left for the gods?"
On the same page, 119, the place name "Shalimar" is explained - and thus also the first line of a
Victorian "Kashmiri Love Song", the first stanza of which went thus (by memory):
"Pale hands I loved beside the Shalimar,
Where are you now? Who lies beneath your spell?
Whom do you lead on rapture's roadway far
Before you agonize him in farewell?"
Shalimar was, explains Koul, "... once the field of jackals ... [it] and all the other Mughal Gardens
[are] set around the Dal Lake like gems in a necklace. In one of the gardens ... is a plaque
inscribed by a Moghul [the same as "Mughal"?] emperor in the seventeenth century, `If there is
Paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this!'"
Just before the present detente between Pakistan and India began, a paragraph on the volume's
back dust-jacket flap summed up the work as follows: "This is a magical memoir of a land now
consumed by political and religious turmoil, a richly detailed story of a girl's passage into
maturity, marriage, and motherhood in the midst of an exquisite and fragile world that will never
be entirely the same."
Let's put that last remark into context. Whose world, anyplace, can be entirely the same as it once
was? Will people of European descent vanish from the Americas, and the indigenous peoples
return to their ancient ways as if uninterrupted? Will kings again rule France? Will we give up
computers, airplanes, and other machines, delete cities from the face of the earth, and resume an
animal-powered agrarian subsistence? No; change, especially "progress", is irreversible.
We "Can't go home again", a generalization applicable far outside the limits of Kashmir. We can,
however, enjoy what now exists, and try to imagine whatever has gone before.
Pete Hodgins Sr.
Reviewer
Jennifer's Bookshelf
What the Parrot Told Alice
Dale Smith
Deer Creek Publishing
ISBN: 0965145271 $11.95 http://www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff
WHAT THE PARROT TOLD ALICE, appropriate for ages nine to adult, teaches children about
vital issues such as extinction, habitat ruin, and mistreatment of wildlife. Messages conveyed in
this entertaining and educating novel encourage readers to get involved in saving wildlife
creatures and the earth we share with them.
Divided into chapters, the back of the book includes a "Not-So-Common Words" list, "Parrot
Anatomy" illustration, and organizations including ones for parrots and the environment.
Author Dale Smith has written a thought-provoking, resourceful story that parents, teachers, and
children alike will surely enjoy. It includes human and parrot dialogue, realistic characters, and
beautiful, descriptive settings.
This reviewer highly recommends WHAT THE PARROT TOLD ALICE by Dale Smith.
Polar Slumber/Sueno polar
Dennis Rockhill
Raven Tree Press
ISBN: 0972497315 $16.95 http://www.raventreepress.com
With the inspiring text at the end of the book, children are first encouraged to look at the picture
and tell a parent or teacher what they think is happening on the page. Small black and white
illustrations, offset from the charming, vivid full-color illustrations, adorn each page to help
children expand the story or to make up their own.
This beautifully written story book, set in a winter wonderland, is about a little girl who dreams
about the polar bear she made out of snow. As she sleeps, she explores the snowy dream-like
environment with her new friend.
Described as a wordless picture book, POLAR SLUMBER/Sueno polar will help children
develop language skills, get their creative juices flowing, and will enhance reading and writing
skills. Appropriate for ages 5-10, this book would make a wonderful addition to any library. It
provides excellent opportunities for classroom teaching.
Raven Tree Press books come in English and in Spanish. At the end of each book, readers will
find a helpful glossary for those who want specific words translated.
This reviewer highly recommends POLAR SLUMBER/Sueno polar by Dennis Rockhill.
Curiosity
Gerald Allen Wunsch
1st Books Library
http://www.1stbooks.com
ISBN: 1410736997 (paperback) $11.45, 1410737004 (e-book) $TBA
Told in first person by young Ginger Wanamaker, CURIOSITY tells the story of how she and her
best friend, Irene Fong, stumble across an incredible discovery while spending the month of July
at Ginger's grandparent's house in southern Indiana. Laird, a wire fox terrier, help the fifth graders
discover a hidden passageway that eventually turns out to be part of the Underground Railroad
during the Civil War.
This book not only tells an engaging adventure story, it also teaches its readers about history
during the Civil War, as well as slavery and the importance of the Underground Railroad. Gerald
Allen Wunsch's young adult novel is perfect for ages 9 and up. It is well-written and its characters
and dialogue are realistic and intriguing. In the back of the book, the author includes small chapter
lessons on the wire fox terrier, the country of Suriname, the MG TF sports car, slavery in America
and the Underground Railroad, and the Buffalo Nickel. Readers, teachers, and parents can learn
more about each subject by visiting the web sites included.
This reviewer found CURIOSITY by Gerald Allen Wunsch educational, entertaining, creative,
and worthy of note. This book and its author come highly recommended.
Counting Coconuts/Contando cocos
Wendi Silvano
Raven Tree Press
ISBN: 097201926X $16.95 http://www.raventreepress.com
After gathering coconuts, Monkey decides to count them. However, just as he begins counting by
ones, a snake, dangling from a nearby tree, suggests that Monkey count by twos. Just as Monkey
begins to count by twos, a Macaw, hanging from a vine, suggests that he count by threes to save
time. Every time Monkey starts to count, another animal friend has a faster method of
counting.
COUNTING COCONUTS/Contando cocos by Wendi Silvano is an excellent children's book. Not
only can readers learn to count by twos, fives, and tens, they learn animal names, and they learn
English and Spanish on top of enjoying the tale of a counting monkey. This book, put together
with delightful color illustrations by Marty Granius, would make the perfect book for teachers to
read when celebrating the 100th day of school. My younger children, ages six and seven, enjoyed
reading and counting with Monkey. Labeled as an Accelerated Reader book, my six and seven
year old read the entire book by themselves.
Raven Tree Press books come in English and in Spanish. At the end of each book, readers will
find a helpful glossary for those who want specific words translated.
This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed reading COUNTING COCONUTS/Contando cocos by Wendi
Silvano and highly recommends it for ages 5-10.
Down On The Farm
Merrily Kutner
Holiday House
ISBN: 0823417212 $16.95 http://www.holidayhouse.com
Highly Recommended!
Perfect for story times at libraries, schools, classrooms, and at home, DOWN ON THE FARM by
Merrily Kutner is an easy-to-read rhyming picture book for preschoolers and kindergartners.
Merrily Kutner has written an adorable story about sounds and life on the farm. Young readers
can easily follow along with the animal sounds found throughout the book. Great for reading
aloud, or turning into a catchy song, Kutner's book comes in large font, making it easy for little
ones to follow along. Will Hillenbrand's vivid full-color illustrations add charm and magic to this
wonderfully entertaining book for children.
Jennifer Leese, Reviewer
http://www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff
Lori's Bookshelf
An Intimate Ghost
Ellen Hart
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
ISBN: 0312317476 $24.95 320 pgs
In this 12th installment of the Jane Lawless mystery series, the opening prologue begins with a
gripping kidnapping that takes place on Halloween in 1972. The circumstances of that prologue
don't connect up for some time, but the shadow of the kidnapping hangs over the events that
follow. In the present day, Jane Lawless is called to the location of a wedding her staff is catering.
The guests are behaving oddly, and it quickly becomes clear that they've been poisoned with
something hallucinogenic. The police come, and the wedding guests are rushed to the hospital,
but not before the Nick, the bridegroom, is badly injured diving into an empty swimming pool.
Jane is frantic. Not only is she upset that people have been injured after eating her catered food,
but she also fears lawsuits. Who would do such a terrible thing? She can't believe her workers
would have anything to do with it. Why has she been targeted?
Alden Clifford, the groom's father, is a high school teacher, and he comes to the forefront as it
becomes apparent that the attack might be connected to him and not about Jane at all. Six months
earlier he had tried to prevent a school shooting, and the boy with the gun eventually shot and
killed himself. Allegations about Alden's relationship with the boy come out, and Jane begins to
wonder if this has made Alden the intended target. Nothing is immediately resolved, and Jane and
The Lyme House are under police investigation. Jane turns to her best friend, Cordelia, but
Cordelia has her own problems: namely a toddler dumped upon her doorstep by her sister. The
little niece and Cordelia offer some great comic moments, and Cordelia, all by herself, is always
funny. She refuses to ride in Jane's new Mini Cooper, calling it the "Daisy Duck-mobile." Instead
she has bought herself a green Hummer, a useful purchase which becomes clear later in the
novel.
With an intricately interwoven plot, Hart rolls out perfectly timed scenes and details. The tension
builds as the injury and death count increases. The author has never been better and does a
marvelous job weaving in a compelling back story with the events of the present. She draws the
reader in to this complex structure and doesn't let go until the final denouement some three
hundred pages later. It's a gripping and compelling story. By the time the reader reaches the end,
an intimate ghost has truly made its haunting presence known. Highly recommended.
The Last Chance Texaco
Brent Hartinger
HarperCollins
1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019
www.harpertempest.com
ISBN: 0060509120 $15.99 230 pgs
15-year-old Lucy Pitt arrives at Kindle Group Home, the last stop on her eight year journey
through a foster care system where she has been bounced around since her parents died in a car
accident. She's had problems everywhere she's gone and been basically labeled incorrigible. One
more screw-up, and she'll be sent to a prison-like facility until she turns 18. Against her better
judgment, Lucy connects right away with Leon, one of the counselors who she finds out later has
had his own painful foster care past. When he tells her early on that there is "hardly anything in
Kindle Home that isn't broken somehow," it resonates with the reader. Lucy later says that the
home is nothing more than "a storage shed for broken teenagers," and she isn't too far off. Lucy
and her fellow residents have major problems, many of which have to do with having been
deprived of love early on.
Though only in her mid-teens, Lucy is worn out and on the brink of giving up. She is tired of
fighting the other kids; tired of uncaring counselors; most of all, tired of being uprooted
continually. So she decides to make an effort to stay at Kindle Home, but right away she finds
herself facing obstacles, not the least of which is her own temper. And then things get even more
complicated when she gets in a fight at school, one of the fellow residents has it out for her,
someone's setting fires in the neighborhood, and the funding for the home is being threatened. Can
Lucy pull things together and face up to all the issues that are coming down upon her?
In this second novel, following his critically acclaimed GEOGRAPHY CLUB, Hartinger has done
a marvelous job of bringing Lucy, the counselors, and the kids to life. He's written the story in
first-person point of view, and Lucy's voice is clear and refreshing. You can hear and see her
grow throughout the events of the story. From Lucy's first line, "The door was locked, and I sure
as hell didn't have the key," until the end of the story when Lucy has managed to find and fully
possess all the keys she needs to succeed, I was charmed and moved. THE LAST CHANCE
TEXACO is a terrific book geared toward the Young Adult market, but also worthwhile for
adults to read, if only to see and understand the world that kids like Lucy Pitt are forced to
survive in. Highly recommended.
They Wrote the Book: 13 Women Mystery Writers Tell All
Helen Windrath, editor
Spinsters Ink
P.O. Box 22005, Denver, CO 80222
www.spinsters-ink.com
ISBN: 1883523354 $12.00 138 pgs
A tremendously engrossing and warm collection, THEY WROTE THE BOOK, contains essays
by thirteen talented mystery authors on the craft of writing novels. "Beginning at the Beginning,"
Penny Sumner starts things off with advice about planning a novel and its opening. Marcia Muller,
a pioneer in the field of writing women sleuths, talks about developing a series character while
Ellen Hart covers sidekicks and supporting characters. Essays on writing villains,
atmosphere/suspense, place, setting, character creation and development, research, plotting, style,
pacing, and ending the mystery fill out the book.
One of my favorite essays is Joan M. Drury's "The Wrong Way: My Approach to Plot, Process,
and Endings" in which she describes the organic methods she employs to create her stories.
Instead of adhering to a strict outline and knowing in advance exactly where her plot is going, she
lets it take her whither it will. This is a particularly useful essay for a new writer because most
first-time authors are, indeed, making it up as they go.
The voices of each author are clear, sincere, and helpful. Reading this book was like getting an
audience with a panel of experts who had already walked the path I am treading. Whether you are
a new writer or an experienced author, this collection will be useful and entertaining. Highly
recommended.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Lowe's Bookshelf
Back to Basics: A Butch/Femme Erotic Anthology
Therese Szymanski,
Bella Books
P.O. Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302
www.bellabooks.com 1-800-729-4992
ISBN 193151335X $14.95 256 pages
Back to Basics is Bella Books' first collection of short stories and this anthology sizzles with hot
exchanges of long time couples as well as new found lust. Several of the 23 writers will be
familiar to readers, yet over half are relatively new to published works. Therese Szymanski has
assembled a wonderful collection of erotica in this book. Back to Basics is also the first book
from the publisher's new "Bella After Dark" imprint, a series of erotic romance titles. And more
impressively, she has succeeded in leading the reader through a dialog on butch-femme issues with
the story selections and their placement in the anthology. For example:
The collection opens with Karin Kallmaker's "The Butch Across the Hall," the highly charged
story of Ronnie, a femme who is finally admitting -- and asking for -- what she wants. This very
explicit tale marks a new aspect to Kallmaker's writing. However it still contains her signature wry
wit and intelligent characters. Next is Barbara Johnson's "On the Road Again," a story that
introduces Taylor Donovan and a truck driving femme named Rose. These woman are quite
comfortable with their gender identity, yet they push one another to explore new dynamics in their
first sexual encounter.
Jean Stewart (author of the Isis series) presents "Scoring" and addresses issues of appearance
with a tough soccer playing butch who confuses some people with her "femme hair." However, an
equally strong player from another team is not mistaken in her attraction. Amusingly, there are
two entries that deal with lesbian writers at book readings. The editor's story, "The Fan" presents
a femme author of main stream romances who pens lesbian love stories on the side and draws on
her rich fantasy life for her writing. Or does she? And is contrasted with Jesi O'Connell's "Butch
Between the Sheets," which is a delightful little scene that deals with a femme's response to a
book reading by butch sexpert and author, Syl Salesberg.
Perhaps one of the most thoughtful "couplings" of stories is Kallmaker's "The Curve of Her"
which features Louisa and Rayann from her novel Touchwood. For the first time, Kallmaker gives
us a first person look at the world from the older butch, Lou's eyes. Set some two years after the
novel, the couple are not only still very much in love and sexual with one another, they are
growing together. Here, Lou discovers the power of surrender. This very sweetly romantic and
erotic story is juxtaposed to Joy Parks' "Touching Stone."
Parks' story is the heartrending by a femme who thought she had fallen in love with lesbian. This
introspective monologue explains the increasing grief of her life with a Stone Butch who is
moving toward FtoM trans-ing. Discovering surrender is the last thing on this butch's agenda.
And the story offers up wonderful observations from the femme that echo Kallmaker's first story.
Written with an aching empathy this femme speaks of the women that will come into her life with
these words, "I will know how to make a woman feel as butch on her back as she does in her
boots. I will learn that it is my gentleness, not my weakness, that can make another woman feel
strong. And I will touch them with everything I could never give to you." (p175)
Julia Watts' "Found in an Antique Trunk" allows us to glimpse a relationship between two women
in late Victorian America, via four letters. It is a wonderfully touching story that seems to remind
us that there is very little "new" under the sun. Leslea Newman gifts readers with a charming entry
from her Girls Will Be Girls anthology, called "A Femme in the Hand." I'd say more about this
story except I don't want to spoil any of its fun. And there is a great deal of fun in these stories.
Many of them have the kind of "got ya" twist that is a strong element in good short stories for this
reviewer. The anthology's final entry, "requiem" by Elizabeth Dunn, suggests a poignant twist to
the "personal is political" as a couple discover one another anew in the face of death.
One could almost wish that Szymanski included an introduction to discuss her selection and
arrangement of the stories in Back to Basics. It is clear that she put great effort into both aspects
of the editing process. However, the stories do speak for themselves. The editor has succeeded in
creating an arousingly readable as well as interestingly thought provoking anthology.
Furthermore, Bella Books is to be commended for the steadily improving quality of their cover
art. This cover is sexy and pleasing as well. All in all, Back to Basics is a fine anthology of erotic
stories that may be read on many levels. The collection is as thought provoking as it is arousing,
and for a reader with little shelf space, this book is a keeper.
Maybe Next Time
Karin Kallmaker
Bella Books
P.O. Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302
www.bellabooks.com 1-800-729-4992
ISBN 1931513260 $12.95 260 pages
Scientists who map the human brain have discovered that when most people hear music, their
pleasure centers are stimulated in the brain. When musicians hear music, their language centers
are stimulated. For violin virtuoso Sabrina Starling, the protagonist of Karin Kallmaker's novel,
Maybe Next Time, music is not only a language, it is the language she depends upon to express
her emotions. Bree, as she is known from childhood, first began to play the violin when she was
four years old. And it is music that allows her to survive the death of her mother and her father
before she is six. Music is the only way she can breech the wall that grief and loss have built
around her childhood. With her music she can adapt to living in rural Hawaii with her mother's
best friend, Lani, and Lani's daughter, Jorie. Through her music, Bree will be blessed time and
again as her life crosses other great musicians who guide or encourage her.
However, there are things that Bree doesn't seem able to understand. She struggles to understand
her feelings for her Jorie. Her love for Jorie is exciting and frightening. Jorie, Bree believes could
be "music for a lifetime." (p108) Despite the teens' explorations, Jorie doesn't seem to reciprocate
Bree's love. This rejection is just one more section in the wall that stands between Bree and the
rest of the world. Identifying as lesbian when she goes off to study music at the Conservatory,
Bree discovers other women who are very attracted to her. For several years she takes a "living in
the moment" approach to romance, indulging in the groupies of the classical music world. While
her professional life was successful beyond imagining, her personal life was lonely. Bree's love for
Jorie is an ache that she hasn't been able to fill.
Recuperating from an injury and floundering without her music, Bree finds herself drawn to
Diana. Diana and Pam have been together for years. They have a kind of happiness that Bree has
been missing. Without her music, a confused Bree decides that having Diana will fill her life with
the love she has missed. And she will risk everything to have that happiness.
Told in a series of flashbacks; Maybe Next Time is not a light read. The journey of Bree's
redemption is a painful one. She must face her own arrogance and mistakes. However, it is a rich
story with complex characters struggling with their faults and weaknesses as well as several
charming moments. Kallmaker reminds readers what it was like to be a sixteen-year old girl in
1976 and realize that you're in love with another girl. It was a time and place far away from the
Pride Parades of San Francisco, let alone the relative freedom of the 21st century.
Kallmaker depicts respectful insights into Polynesian culture. Perhaps one of the most touching
moments in Bree's childhood is when Lani takes her to a native Hawaiian celebration. Young Bree
is blessed by a gentle singer and finds the voice of music again. From this moment it becomes
clear to Lani that her newly adopted daughter must have music in her life. Lani will make certain
that Bree gets musical training.
Even with the angst there are signature Kallmaker elements. The erotic energy between Bree and
Jorie is electric and evolves throughout the novel. Kallmaker's wit enlivens the book. There are
delightful moments such as Bree's first opportunity to play an 18th century Guarneri violin. Or the
poker night when Diana and company create new group terms including, "'A clench of clits" and
"a lick of lesbians!" (p186)
No "formula" romance, Maybe Next Time is an engrossing, compelling read. Kallmaker has
explored complicated themes and done so with heart and a touch of humor. In this reader's
opinion, it is one of her best novels.
M. J. Lowe
Reviewer
Nancy's Bookshelf
She's the Girl: Part Headtrip. Part Roadtrip. A Gender-Bending Journey on the Road to
Ruune
Susan M. Brooks
Small Dogs Press
ISBN 0972932925 $14.95 300 pg.
She's The Girl is one of the most enjoyable adventure novels I've read in a long time. It is also an
emotional journey from start to finish that will leave you wanting more. I was drawn in from the
first page and had a hard time stopping so I could go on about my day. The style of author Susan
M. Brooks is prolific, realistic, whimsical and a no nonsense approach that speaks volumes to
anyone considering how love affects them.
This story is infectious and smart. We are introduced to some dynamic characters, offering their
own life story and experiences along the way. These inhabitants could be your friends and
neighbors or the people you only dream of getting to being acquainted with. The journal-like
novel follows our main character Nat on her travel to North Dakota in hopes of marrying the man
she has dubbed as her soul mate. Along the way she comes in contact with some of the most
eccentric people she's ever known, who in turn draw her into their unique yet complex lives. We
first meet Trina, a carefree wild child hitching a ride in the rain to marry a convict. As the pages
turn we learn of attention-seeker Madeline, Mexican Bob, and Ivy an older woman with her own
ideals of love and how it fits into our lives. Everyone has quite a tale to tell.
She's the Girl isn't your typical love theme by any means, but instead gives us insight into one
learning about themselves and gathering a wealth of knowledge about the one subject that eludes
us all; love. Through Nat we learn there are no right or wrong answers in love, and sometimes it's
the illusion that gets in the way of reality.
I appreciated the author's ability to bring the reader in and create so much compassion for the
characters. Here is a story that is genuine, down to earth, quirky, and filled with more emotional
prose than one could imagine. It's real, raw, and will make you laugh out loud. It's a book that
will be talked about and remembered for its sheer honesty and a drive that will surpass time.
There is so much more here than meets the eye. I tried to put it down and but found it difficult to
not find out what was going to happen next. Read and enjoy and look forward to more from such
a talented writer.
The Well of Lost Plots: A Thursday Next Novel
Jasper Fforde
Viking Press
ISBN 0670032891 $24.95 400 pages
This is the third installment following the adventures of SpecOps Literary Detective Thursday
Next. After having read The Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book, I have to say The Well of
Lost Plots is my favorite by far and I think many fans will agree.
By now I've really had the chance to get to know the main character, Thursday Next and almost
consider her a very dear friend. I care about her and what she does and I'm compelled to stay
glued to every page; all the while getting lost in the plots, creative atmosphere, and playful
conversation. Not only that but the humor blends perfectly with sarcasm, dry wit, and severe
energy.
Just the use of author Jasper Fforde's imagination makes this an absolute thrill to read. A brand
new world has been created based on, what else, but the world of reading, literary achievements,
and the greatest classics of our times. The originality of these novels is what is so contagious!
The pages overflow with enchanting characters, unique yet sharp dialogue, and some of the most
descriptive settings one will ever read.
With each turn of the page the reader joins in on one adventure after another. This time we
venture with our heroine to brand new places. Thursday Next is now pregnant and thrust into the
world of B-novels, similar to that of B-movies, and chasing after a new villain. In need of a
vacation she attempts to take time off and takes part in a character exchange program, only to
find she ends up with more than she bargained for.
I don't want to give too much away as this is pure fantasy and imaginary fun. Jasper Fforde has a
talent for bringing us new and innovative ideas and delves into intense character development.
The author does not expect you to take it all too seriously, and besides, what would be the fun in
that? It reminds you why books are a great escape from reality an indeed this is an enjoyable
escape. While there is a lot going on, and it helps to start with the first book to really get a feel
for the direction the book leads, the author writes the constant transitions with a smooth, firm
hand. You will find yourself addicted to this series right away and looking forward to sharing in
on the next grand adventure. While it's not your typical read, it is one that is worthwhile and
rewarding at the same time.
Confessions of a Shanty Irishman
Michael Corrigan
Publish America
ISBN 159129228 $19.95 215 pages
Bittersweet, heartwarming, and beautifully written, Confessions of a Shanty Irishman is worth
reading. The words in this memoir of an Irish family, is full of romance, personal journeys, and
some somber moments. Writing of one's history can be more interesting to the author than the
readers, but pleasantly this autobiography is worth every minute of your time. What you take
away is a sense of having been somewhere.
As someone who has a love for Ireland, I was drawn into this book and all its ideals, history, and
charm. Michael Corrigan writes in a style that makes you believe you are right there with him,
seeing or hearing exactly what he is; experiencing his trials and tribulations. I consider that feat to
be topnotch writing, especially if it leaves a lasting impression, which it did. Throughout the book
we travel his cobblestone roads, reminiscing, crying, and laughing along. In fact the author has a
great sense of humor and the comic relief areas really keep you in stitches.
Battling alcohol, issues of religions and faith, and secrets of his family, Mr. Corrigan indeed has
reason to write such a powerful story. Starting from him youth, we learn more about this man,
abandoned by his mother, and raised solely by his humble father. It is the remembrance of his
father where this author develops a sensational poetic sense. Obviously he loved the man very
much and had great respect for him. Things were not easy in his childhood, but the presence of his
father did much to build his character, even some parts that were looked down on. Having lost
his father early, it forced a lot of personal questions inside, and throughout this book he looks to
find the answers. Along the way are also his battles with being a second- generation immigrant,
living in America, trying to stay true to his original roots. What is the American way of life does
not always sit well with him and he makes his points clear.
Family history is certainly a subject we should all take the time to learn more about. Knowing
where and whom we originated from is fascinating and like Mr. Corrigan, you may find some
surprises along the way.
The author brings you into this story as if you are a member of the family, welcome to come in
and stay for dinner. I recommend reading Confessions of a Shanty Irishman and see if you don't
get whisked away on an exciting Irish adventure.
Nancy Jackson
Reviewer
Pogo's Bookshelf
Howard Hopkins
Pistolero
Atlantic Bridge
Indianapolis, Indiana
http://www.atlanticbridge.net
1931761280 $TBA 216 pp. .pdf
Served up spicy, Howard Hopkins delivers another dish of chili con carnage in the west of
yesteryear. The language is pungent, saucy, not for the complacent reader who likes to drift along
a smooth narrative in a first class carriage. Meeting the plot head on, we are introduced to Johnny
Hickok, a wanted man-- alias Jonathan Cody, Jonathan Gunderson with a two hundred dollar
price on his head; in short, a killer last seen in the area of Wishingstar, Texas where he hired out
as a bronc buster on local outfits. A drifter and dodger, there never was more shifty than the likes
of Johnny Hickok.
The proposition is given in a barroom by Nat Redling. He needs a man taken down: it's either kill
or be killed in the vicious circle of the west. He is a man, "dedicated to seeing justice done in
townswhere the local lawmen are sometimes as bad as the criminals they profess to hunt or where
one man can do a better job than an army of marshals."
Enlisted through the effective use of Winchesters, Johnny picks up his walking papers with the
new identity of a Pinkerton man by the name of Jonathan Parker as he gets sent back to the scene
of his crime with the drooling muzzle of a bounty hunter tracking him.
The only hang-up with Johnny the killer is that he is reluctant to kill and his Remington seems to
be more of a stage prop that an effective weapon.
"He had waited an instant too long. he froze as the familiar clack of a shell levering into a
chambersounded behind him. A chill skittered down his back and a whispered curse escaped his
lips.
"You know Hickok, this was almost too easy." The voice was deep, controlled, taunting. "I
expected more from someone with your reputation. Didn't figure that I'd get the drop on ya."
Hickok edged round. A man stepped from the shadows of the livery and Hickok realized why he
hadn't spotted him: he'd been hiding behind the doors, observing. Hickok's eyes took in the figure,
recognizing the type instantly. The man seemed an apparition in the dying daylight, the smell of
horse latherand too long without a bath about himas he took a step closer. A burly man, garbed in
buckskins,craggy face smeared with trail dirt. Grey whiskers that seemed to bob like a living
creature as the man slid his jaw back and forth framed a wide mouth. His upper lip was parted by
a scarthat ran to the edge of his nostriland naked of a moustache, as if he were proud of the
disfigurement. Curly black hair speckled withgrey and flecks of leaves, dirt and twigs fell to his
shoulders. A bounty hunter.(p32)
The assignment in this cowboy tale turned James Bond? To free the west from the band of
outlaws that that tear apart innocent lives and make the west safe for decent folk and and civilize
it -- a small order from the invisible group called the Crucible Society that hunts down hunted
men to send them hunting for each other like a snake devouring its own tail, setting Branoff after
Hickok alias Cody alias Gunderson alias Parker.
Two hundred's not much for the life of a wanted killer, but Hickok sets off with five in his pocket
to Mascarada Texas where he dropped his rosebud in the dust. The memory comes back to haunt
him on his jaunt across country, conjuring up her lovely face and the brutal man who bruised it.
Now there was more than personal business to get done in squaring up the past, as he found
himself coming face to face with a band of vigilantes imposing justice on the town as he rides in
and finds a lady in distress.
Carefully staged, Hopkins sets his audience on the edge of their chairs as he draws them through
one twist after another. The problem is obvious: someone is slaughtering the whores of the
town but the solution is insoluble, hidden behind a mask of intrigue.
First there's Gerdy, who works at the Matanza Saloon where batwings open like jaws to swallow
the doves alive and spit them out as old shrivelled whores, used up and dessicated of life. Across
the street is the lawyer's office, a small guy, Thomas Fate, who blew into town with his gang of
ruffians to mete out justice in the town and keep the sheriff in his place. The plot thickens with the
lynching of Jenkins, but there's no sight of Cale Branton, the man with a lump for a nose.
Mascarada is ripe for the pickings for any vulture who comes to town to nibble on the bones.
Howard Hopkins has a knack for choosing the right words that flow together to create dynamic
settings and fast-moving dialogue. There's not a boring line or dull page as the reader trucks
along, trying to keep up with the action. The characters are realistic, breaking the mold of
stereotypes that you might expect to meet in a genre novel. Gutsy, the vocabulary does not mince
words but ladles out salty language appropriate to the characters with a great deal of creative
cussing. Language never turned the sky so blue as when Gerdy spews her opinions about
men.
Who wins in this Russian roulette of chance? A reviewer never tells the audience. You just have
to hit the trail to Mascarada to find out for yourself and spend a few days tracking Parker to find
out what happened and whether he cleared his infamous name ascribed to him by Howard
Lance.
Carole Waterhouse
Paradise Ranch
Publish America
Baltimore
http://www.publishamerica.com
1592864996 $16.95 146 pp.
Carol Waterhouse presents a collection of short works which pivot around human relationships
with animals and the effect they have on our lives. A writing professor at california University of
Pennsylvania, Ms Waterhouse demonstrates skilful writing through the using animals for studying
the human psyche as effective foils. Ms waterhouse eschews the nostalgic sentimental, examining
the harsh realities and issues of life from divorce to homelessness and sudden loss through death.
She creates psychological tension through splicing past with present and contrasting reality with
wishful thinking. Through the use of internal dialogue contrasted with actual dialogue, the reader
slowly views a fragmented world which assembles to form a colorful mosaic.
The themes are ordinary, but the handling is exceptional. Nearly everyone has faced the problems
of dislocation and moving at some point in life, but few can express the psychological anxiety and
agony of relocation so aptly. Christa, a survivor of divorce, settles for the house rather than
alimony support with the instinctive knowledge that payment is not forthcoming from the ex.
However, her good planning is reversed by the highway coming to town when the house is
boarded up for standing in the wrong place. Unemployed, a single mother, she has to move and
takes up the suggestion of investigating Paradise Ranch as a future home.
Paradise Ranch has the bleakness of Mt. Aetna with a motley assortment of animals in which
peacocks strut lacking their dignifying feathers and look like oversized chickens about to be
cooked. Parasdise Ranch is the microcosm of dysfunctional American life, complete with
patriarch, misfits and accompanying gossip. We do not meet the characters casually like
hobnobbing at a cocktail party and assessing their personalities from the gaudy clothing; instead
we are slowly initiated into the complexity of Christa's life through snatches of conversation and
mundane details which define each character through actions rather than through a mass of
verbiage hung on their names like clothes. We see them as through a grimy window that has taken
on too much winter soot before the spring cleaning, recognizing them only afterwards as their
identities are finally revealed. And although the animals seem to be incidental, by their casual
introductions, they are pivotal, creating the tensions between the characters and reflecting their
personalities.
Waterhouse is able to build psychological tension through the use of natural description, building
expectations and then blowing them aside like the wind tearing apart a dandelion head:
"Christa looked, as she already had several times that day, at geraniums she had planted that
morning by the walk leading to her apartment, a cheery little row of pink heads she'd be able to
watch bloom well into the autumn months. Already that morning she had fed Sunny's horse and
turned her out..." p 39
Life slips into the routine. Recognizing it, we expect to plod along through the story when the
author suddenly makes a twist in the trail, throwing us from our seat. We wonder how it
happened, because we know certainly that the story should end a different way and like the fallen
rider, we are still dazed when she closes the chapter and begins a new narrative.
The stories are pertinent to the social upheaval present in America today. They carry he critical
voice and pathos of Steinbeck of failing public institutions and crumbling social relations, or
irrevocable social dilemmas. The skilful use of metaphor and symbol evoke complex thoughts that
haunt the reader long after the book is left on the table. Where do pople go when they are
burned-out by overwork? Where can they escape the interminable pressure of a high-tech society.
Ever since the beginning of time, man has yearned to fly, evident in the myth of Daedalus, but
Waterhouse takes it into a different route, using the techniques of magical realism. We slide over
the edge of our chairs into a different world with the same effectiveness that Lewis used when we
were children, stepping through the wardrobe to enter Narnia and disposing of the christian
moralism.
For those who enjoy short fiction, then these are gems that should be collected and passed among
friends for their mutual admiration. Each of the eight stories is unique in construction and tone.
They take the normal, the ordinary and transform the incidental into something extremely unusual
and memorable.
Pogo
Reviewer
Rick's Bookshelf
Bradley's Ghost
Ray Derby
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com www.rayderby.com
IBN# 0595294561 $17.95 285 pg.
Ray Derby has done it again. The author of The Shadow Government, one of the most gripping
and suspenseful thrillers I have had the pleasure to read in quite a long while has proved he is not
a flash in the pan writer with the release of his latest novel Bradley's Ghost.
Bradley's Ghost is the type of thriller that I enjoy the most, one which could have been taken from
the headline of today's news stories, yet personalized in the way fiction allows, making for quite
the page turning thrill ride.
A bio-terrorist attack has ravaged a Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota and before long
the FBI and other Federal agencies are brought in to oversee the investigation not realizing the far
reaching implications and dirty secrets about to be discovered, with Washington DC not
completely without blame.
Mr. Derby writes with a style that is on a par with any of the 'name' authors published today. The
fact that his background is in over 40 years of providing information on protection as a Civil
Defense Director, Civilian Preparedness Officer for the US Air Force, and a Federal Emergency
Coordinator, as well as providing chemical, biological, and radiological expertise to five, count
them, five U.S. Presidents only adds to the authenticity he brings to his words.
In my review for his first novel, I said the following "Mr. Derby is on his way to being one of the
big names of political thrillers if there is any justice in this world, and it will be an honor bestowed
upon him which is both richly and rightfully deserved." Bradley's Ghost only goes to secure my
viewpoint. There is a major talent here waiting for the big publishing houses to wise up, and
believe me, when they do, and he gets the kind of exposure he should, he will become a household
name like Clancy, Collins and Grisham.
Buy Bradley's Ghost by Ray Derby-I guarantee you will enjoy it as munch as I have, and then
when someone tells you about the new best selling author they are reading, you too can say,
"Derby? Yeah, I've been reading him for years, what took you so long?"
The Collected Jack Kirby Collector Volume 1
John Morrow, editor
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
ISBN# 1893905004 $24.95 240 pp.
There is a reason why even years after his death, Jack Kirby is still respectfully and with reverence
called 'The King.' Just take a look at some of the characters he created, or co-created; The
X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Captain America, The New Gods,
The Mighty Thor. These and so many others that I could fill not only this page, but many beyond
with the wondrous characters which flew full born from the amazing mind and fast pencils of Jack
'The King' Kirby.
With Kirby's art, characters didn't just live within the panels of the four-color pages of comics;
they exploded from them with dynamic action. And as if the things going on in the foreground
were not enough, the backgrounds were anything but stagnant, with detailed machinery, and even
nondescript bystanders in crowd scenes filled with life. When you saw art by Kirby, you never
forgot it. There have been many artists over the years who have tried to emulate the Master's
style, but none have come close enough to claim the crown from the King. And practically every
artist working in the world of comics today names him as one of the, if not the major reason why
they decided to become an artist-his influence is felt that strong.
Kirby was also very prolific with his art; as much a necessity to make a living during the time
when page rates were next to nothing, as it was his desire to create. There are estimates that the
pages he produced over his lifetime number in the tens of thousands-unfortunately many lost to
the ravages of time or mismanagement of the companies which he worked for, but luckily many
are safe in the hands of collectors, or his estate.
Enter The Jack Kirby Collector by TwoMorrows Publications. A quarterly magazine dedicated to
not only showcasing the art to the many fans of the King, but in ways never seen before. Where a
fan might be used to seeing the art after inking, lettering, and coloring, The Jack Kirby Collector
will show the raw pencil art, allowing the power to shine through unfiltered, and what a revelation
seeing the work this way is. There are also interviews, insights, checklists, anecdotes and
recollections of the man and the myth form those who knew him, those that admire him, and the
man himself, but most of all there is the art. This is obviously a labor of love for all involved-it
shows on every page.
This is a trade paperback collection of the rare early issues, numbers 1-9, including not only the
hard to find ones spotlighting what is known as The Fourth World, but also a Fantastic Four
themed issue. As if that was not enough, there are also over 30 pieces of Kirby art never before
published, including uninked pencils from Thor, Captain America, Jimmy Olsen, New Gods, and
many more; interviews with some of the biggest names in comics, and a new introduction by long
time Kirby friend Mark Evanier.
The Collected Jack Kirby Collector Volume 1 is the perfect book if you are a comic fan, or know
someone that is. I can guarantee you that even if you are a major admirer of his work as I am,
you'll still find something there that you never knew before-I know I did. This book deserves a
place of honor on your shelf-how could a King deserve less.
Dick Tracy: The Collins Casefiles Volume 1
Max Allan Collins
Checker Book Publishing Group
228 Byers Road Suite 201, Miamisburg, Ohio 45342
www.checkerbpg.com
ISBN# 0974166421 $17.95 168 pp.
Sure, you got your Joe Friday, Steve McGarrett, Andy Sipowicz, Dave Starsky and Ken
Hutchinson, Chris Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey, even the guys in Adam-12-Pete Malloy and Jim
Reed. Yet to me, none of them can ever hope to hold a .38 next to the greatest of them all-Dick
Tracy.
Yes, Dick Tracy, created in the gangster era of the 1930's by Chester Gould, was and still is the
epitome of the detective. His adventures were firmly entrenched in police work, and boasted one
of the most creative cast to ever make up a rogue's gallery of arch-villains with names like Flat
Top, Split Face, Mumbles, and Big Boy. Then there were the cool gadgets, the two-way wrist
radio, later updated to a TV, and in the 1960's the Space Coupe allowed the characters to take
trips to visit the moon and Tracy became the Chief of Moon Security. Maybe quite a far distance
from the days of fighting criminals on the streets, but Tracy, like many other characters, needed
updated to fit in with the times, and still his popularity was strong.
Then in 1978, Gould retired, turning the writing reigns over to Max Allan Collins, a gifted
mystery writer, who returned Tracy back to his hard-core detective style with action and suspense
along the way. Coupled with first Rick Fletcher, and then Dick Locher on art, for the next 11
years, the team revitalized the strip and took it on to both commercial and critical acclaim; making
it modern, yet entrenched in all of the things that made Dick Tracy great.
Dick Tracy: The Collins Casefiles Volume 1 is a beautiful collection of three storylines:
Angeltop's Last Stand, Return of Haf-and-Haf and Big Boy's Revenge, which originally ran from
January 1978 to January 1979. Printed on high quality glossy stock and three strips per page,
these are the best reproductions of newspaper strips I have seen. The blacks are solid, the lines
smooth and sure, and on a par with Gould at his best-capturing the style of classic Tracy, yet
making it so fresh and contemporary it still holds up even now, 26 years from its original
publication.
And the story-even at a relatively early stage in his career, Collins shows the flair for
characterization and plot which would serve him well in works to come down the line such as
Road to Perdition. You have, I'm sure, heard the clich‚ where someone says how he or she
couldn't put a book down. With this book, it was true-not because it is a quick read, but because
the action and twist and turns won't let you.
Dick Tracy: The Collins Casefiles Volume 1 is a collection of crime mysteries of the highest
caliber reproduced with the highest possible archival quality of the greatest detective of all
time-what more could you desire for your entertainment dollar. Checker Books should be very
proud of the series they have started here, and on behalf of Dick Tracy fans everywhere, thanks
and keep them coming.
Rick Mohr
Reviewer
Sherry's Bookshelf
Ghostwriting For Fun & Profit Second Edition, Revised and Updated
Eva Shaw, Ph.D
Writeriffic Publishing Group
P.O. Box 524, Carlsbad, CA 92018
www.writeriffic.com 866-244-9047
ISBN: 097057584X $12.95 200 pages
Ghostwriting For Fun & Profit delivers a golden formula for success. The book is a detailed easy
to read bare knuckles manual on how to acquire the tools of the ghostwriting trade and how to
implement them to create a thriving income. Ms. Shaw, being a ghostwriter for thirty years,
explains that "all it takes to become a ghostwriter is the ability to put your ego aside". She
skillfully dissects the ghostwriting business down to its bare foundation. If the reader is wrestling
with the dilemma of to be or not to be, Ms. Shaw provides the answer. She squeegees the mirror
for you to see if you possess the internal oomph for such a career and if you do, she unfolds
formulas for achieving the goal. You will learn how to meet with clients, discuss business, ask for
money, about copyrights, and ethics. The book guides you through the different types of
ghostwriting, contracts, and fees. All of this leads to "you can and will become a respected and
requested ghostwriter".
The book brings into sharp focus twenty reasons for becoming a ghostwriter. It will have you
knocking your noggin wondering why you haven't considered ghostwriting before now.
Ghostwriting For Fun & Profit energetically spot lights the spawning sea of creative ghostwriting
opportunities.
The Bodyguard
Christy Tillery French
Mystery and Suspense Press
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN: 0595308937 $18.95 260 pages
Beautifully fresh faced with uninhibited innocence, Natasha wants to shake up the world. Natasha,
a.k.a. Nattie and Dudette, is scrambling for excitement and meaning in her life when she is given
an opportunity to act as a bodyguard. Since Natasha is not one to pass a problem on, she jumps in
with unabashed passion. Natasha is the kind of gal that would play chicken with a guy whose
strapping his foot to the gas pedal. She is gutsy and blind to danger. She also turns every setback
into an occasion to learn and grow. Natasha does and says what so many of us would love
to.
Natasha, in protecting wealthy Roger Valentine, takes on the likes of a "gun toting computer
nerd" with creative intuition and gusto while learning the ropes of being a bodyguard. There is a
lot of humor with Natasha and many tender spots like the one where she rescues a Weimeraner
named Brutus. She is a true humanitarian and the reader finds,when introduced to her mother,
that Nattie is an acorn that didn't fall far from the tree.
The Bodyguard is a four dimensional captivating suspense luring the reader to believe they have
solved the case. The author, writing in a lightening bolt style of energy, shocks the reader with a
striking surprising twist. This is definitely a story filled with chuckles, tears, true to life details and
a must know what happens next story line.
The Bodyguard is the fourth offering and the first series by talented author Christy Tillery French.
The book is written in a seductively enchanting and charming style woven with a blend of humor
and delicacy which makes it a "must read".
One Incredible Dog! Lady
Chris Williams
Illustrations by Judith Friedman
Moo Press, Inc.
www.moopress.com
ISBN 0972485333 $15.95 32 pages
This charming early reader, inspired by the courage and determination of the 9-11 Therapy Dogs,
is a superb fun teaching tool. The book focuses on a trained Therapy Dog named Lady. Lady's
story is a remarkable one as she was abandoned and left on the side of the road. Her owner, Kathy
Miller, trained Lady to work as a Therapy Dog and they now work together at the hospital
bringing comfort, compassion, joy and hope to those they visit.
The softly drawn true to life illustrations compliment the story as the author takes you through
visits with several different adults and children patients. The patients are dealing with an array of
situations from broken bones to a more serious state with cancer. All the left improved in spirit
after a visit from Lady.
The children reading this book will quickly learn that a visit from a therapy dog like Lady has a
transformative effect on the patients. One Incredible Dog! Lady is vibrantly written with a creative
blend of part education and part magic of therapy dogs.
Being a hospital volunteer myself, I have witnessed first hand how a dog like Lady opens up the
wonderment of spirit, mind, and body. Lady is a living ode to love as she performs tricks,
patiently allows pulls and tugs, and wags her tail with patient anticipation. The book is an
excellent educational tool not only for children but for us adults as well.
Change of Heart: The Bodhisattva Peace Training of Chagdud Tulku
compiled and edited by Lama Shenpen Drolma
Padma Publishing
P.O. Box 279, Junction City, CA 96048-0279
(530) 623-2714
ISBN: 1881847349 $16.95 299 pages
When all the huffing and puffing won't make your life the way you would like for it to be, read
Change of Heart. It will shake up your thinking about the world and those in it. Change of Heart
is an outstanding book consoling readers with knowledge, instruction and inspiration for living a
radiant meaningful life. The reader, looking in the rearview mirror of their past, will be able to
determine how the unplowed ground of the future will be. Change of Heart is broken down into
three parts along with a list of meditations.
The compiled teachings takes you on a voyage of discovering areas of yourself you had never
been keenly aware of before as you stride toward spiritual freedom. The book outlines a course of
instruction called Bodhisattva Peace Training, which is friendly to all faiths. The reader will find
help for troubled relationships, family, workplace, community, and/or world problems and
situations. Bodhisattva Peace Training "is meant to serve as a mirror with which to examine
ourselves". It explains how fear, self-interest and impulse toward self-preservation attracts
negative energy. The book continues on to outline and teach you how to make "good heart" the
foundation of all your commitments. Statements like "awakening good heart is like finding a
precious gem in a mound of filth" and "commitment to free all beings from suffering" are simply
teasers for the mound of philosophical information to be had by reading this book.
The shared conversations with Rinpoche are unforgettable and chronicles the questions about life
and soul proving the more crowded life gets the more insulated people make themselves which
leads to a life of boundaries rather than freedoms. As the book points out the choice is ours. It
goes one to explain about karma, being in hell, and the hungry ghost realms.
I found particularly interesting the four powers of purification which are support,
acknowledgment, taking responsibility, not repeating mistakes and purification. The intense and
direct conversations about karma are awe inspiring and engaging. As the book states wealth and
poverty are a state of mind. When you finish this book you know that something of importance is
at stake you. Change of Heart shows you how to live your life with courageous honesty. I
learned a lot from this jewel of clarity and insight and will re-read it many times.
Sherry Russell
Reviewer
Stephanie's Bookshelf
Sick: An Anthology of Illness
John Edward Lawson, editor
Raw Dog Screaming Press
Hyattsville, MD
www.rawdogscreaming.com
ISBN: 0974503118 $14.95 296 pp.
It took a while for me to open this book. Not because I knew that editor John Edward Lawson
had put it together and that there would be some very disturbing material inside, but because I
was so fascinated by the brilliant cover art by David Anthony Magitis. And it wasn't only the
sickly remarkable cover that sold me, but the mind screw within.
"Sick: An Anthology of Illness" is exactly what the title describes. The pages have been plagued
by a fistful of authors and thirty-eight amazingly grotesque and gut churning tales that will not
only give you the creeps, but also make you rush for the nearest garbage can or bathroom.
The first story, "The Christ Machine" by Tim Curran, invites you into a vividly described world
where everyone has been infected and only those who's names have been drawn in a lottery can
receive a cure, but once tossed back onto the streets, the machines start sniffing for those who
have had it, desiring their blood. Vincent W. Sakowski throws a bit of gross comedy in the mix
with his short "The Legend of Jimmy Wad", about a sick man whom gets a kick out of coughing
up phlegm and making it into art and decides that he can earn a killing selling art created from the
foul, slimy throat-snot of celebrities.
A few pages further into the book, I was snapped into the dismal reality of Internet porn, bodies
of pedophiles found dead at their computers by a creature awakened after a mix of prayer in a
story called "Unicorn's Revenge" by Greg Beatty. Jack Fischer shares a bone chilling tale about
the disappearance of a little girl and a man's blood thirsty shadow in "Shadow", and in "Battle
Fever" I stepped into the mind of a man created by Scott Thomas, who's deceased father was
haunted by a headless baby.
Other tales include "The Call of the Worms" by Jeffrey Thomas, "If I Wanted Any Lip from you, I
Would've Opened My Zipper by Jessica Markowicz, "The Leak" by Earl Javorsky, "Poker" by
Brandi Bell and many more tales of illness that vary from the extremely mental to the cursed and
diseased. Strange, colorful, nauseating, dark, "Sick" has it all. It's a brain bending, heart stopping
mix of razor sharp delight that even the healthiest being should get their hands on.
Phantasma
L. Marie Wood
Cyber-Pulp
Houston, Texas USA
www.cyberpulpbooks.com
ISBN: Unavailable at this time $TBA 88 pp.
The author of the Bram Stoker Award nominated novel "Crescendo", L. Marie Wood, has come
back to haunt us again with a collection of short, eerie tales in her latest collection, "Phantasma".
The book opened with a bloody bang and from there sent me into an alarming realm of horror
fiction at its finest. "Phantasma" is cover to cover clad with the dazzling description L. Marie is
known for, along with plenty of shakes and shivers along the spine.
These stories include:
"Everything She Wants"- Poor Lauren has a husband who is a terrible lover. He hates to cuddle,
he snores afterward and he just can't satisfy her. Finally tiring of his weak attempt to strike her
womanhood's fancy, she takes matters into her own, vengeful hands.
"Congratulations on Your Wedding"- Steve, his love still strong for Jasmine, watched as she wed
another man. When she asks him for a small favor, he ends up sharing more than just his presence
at the wedding.
"The Bathroom Door"- Her husband had left her with everything, the house, the cats, the
computer and the mystery behind the slightly closed bathroom door.
"Noon"- It seemed like another day at the office for Corey and his little brother, that was until the
creatures took over.
"The Blackout"- Sometimes it's more than just darkness creeping around during a blackout. When
Rich flips on the flashlight, Jessica catches more than just the light.
Those are just five out of the thirty-five evil spell binding tales and paragraphs that switch from
scene to frightening scene, character to tormented character. "Phantasma" is the kind of collection
that will sometimes keeps you guessing at the end, but will always leave you with a haunting
feeling that will make you peer behind your back. If I had any advice to give Mrs. Wood, it would
be to keep on spreading her devilish charm with her imagination.
Natalie's Grove
Mikal Trimm
Scrybe Press
Massena, NY, 13662
www.scrybepress.com
ISBN: 0974834009 $2.99 24 pp.
Mason Wells wanted the best for his pregnant and single friend Becky. All she wanted was for
him to meet her friend Natalie. And so he did, was captured by her charms and decided to spend a
little time with her.
Meanwhile, Becky is getting bigger by the second, happy to see both of her friends together.
One day, Natalie decides to take Mason to her favorite spot, a clearing surrounded by singing
trees, which enchants Natalie. After a few more visits, the couple make love in the grove and
things begin to go awry. Becky rants about how she should have never fixed him up with Natalie
and that she wants to take her baby, and Mason, enticed by a newer morbid song by the trees,
becomes rough with his new love.
Come to find out, the trees were much more than a chorus of leaves and bark and had a sinister
plan for the players in this short, stirring tale.
Though a short read, about the size of a long story, Mikal Trimm proves a worthy writer with his
bright characters, great word play and the talent to draw a reader into the ruthless grove with
beautiful expression. I only wish it were longer, because I really enjoyed the tale and I'm sure
more havoc could be wreaked in "Natalie's Grove". Hopefully Mr. Trimm will have more for us in
the near future.
Stephanie Simpson-Woods
Reviewer
Steven's Bookshelf
Boots on the Ground
Karl Zinsmeister
Truman Tally Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
ISBN 0312326637 $24.95
A book that provides an unprecedented, up-close view of a war in progress doesn't sound like it
would make the most uplifting read. Add the facts that sometimes significant vestiges of the war
are still being fought, a steady--if statistically minor--stream of casualties heartbreakingly trickles
on, and while the conflict remains popular on the home front, a minority of loud and obnoxious
opponents unceasingly make their amorphous disdain well-known. While these scenarios
accurately describe the current War in Iraq, "Boots on the Ground" takes its place on the list of
great books and leaves readers feeling rejuvenated and hopeful.
Fans of the American Enterprise will recognize the work as an expanded version of a piece that
first graced the magazine's pages shortly after major combat ended in Iraq. Editor Karl
Zinsmeister, who was embedded with the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, became the first
reporter to release a book-length treatment of the war, and what a story he tells. While
professional journalists collectively have come under some not inaccurate fire for their knee-jerk
antimilitary opinions, Mr. Zinsmeister maintains a standard neutrality where appropriate, but at no
time do readers need to guess whose side he is on. It is quite likely his acknowledgement of a
right (American) position and a wrong (Baathist) side that earned him the trust of the troops and
enabled him to pen this vivid history which will unquestionably be studied for generations.
From his arrival in Kuwait through repeated (fortunately) false alarm responses to incoming
chemical attacks right on through victorious battles in Iraq, the author brings the reader along
with prose that makes the action palpable. What makes the work so special are Mr. Zinsmeister's
snippets of various individual soldiers from commanding officers to frontline grunts. It is these
abridged profiles--perhaps more so even than the nobility of America's liberating actions--that
infuse readers with a righteous pride in the USA. He spares the superlatives in introducing the
troops but clearly respects his protectors and from his presentation it is easy to see why. In a
telling passage, the author describes a prayer service shortly before battle commenced. During an
open call for intentions, he relates, "I was struck that several requests for prayers for Iraqis were
offered up by servicemen in the congregation--prayers for the safety of Iraqi civilians, and even
for the Iraqi soldiers, that they might recognize U.S. troops as 'liberators not enemies' and not
throw away their lives."
Mr. Zinsmeister is obviously grateful for the embedding policy. Said to be the brainchild of former
Pentagon Spokeswoman Victoria Clarke, the journalistic initiative simultaneously served many
purposes. By allowing reporters first hand access 24 hours a day, the Defense Department went
above and beyond the call of duty in honoring America's commitment to freedom of the press.
Americans who were "riding along" with the troops via their home TV sets were afforded a
unique view of the many facets of war. The constant scrutiny allowed mistakes to be seen and
greatly reduced not only the chance for abuse but also false allegations of mistreatment. Finally,
journalists are notorious carpers when they cannot cover anything and everything they so choose,
so the embedding precluded on-air temper tantrums by Peter Jennings and company that marked
much of the coverage of the first Gulf War. Although Mr. Zinsmeister only skirts the issue,
readers can divine how some pampered newspeople must have abhorred the horrors of war and
the inconvenience of their austere accommodations. He is frank in discussing his hardships but
keeps his own situation in perspective. Discussing a middle of the night dispatch he composed on
his laptop, Zinsmeister is both wistful and thankful in acknowledging "I'm not expecting any more
than a few restless hours of sleep snatched upright in a rough truck seat, but even that suddenly
seems a great luxury. For no sleep at all and conceivably not even another sweet day of
life--would accrue to me or the other(s)...if it wasn't for a handful of tough men willing to force
themselves awake all night." He trenchantly adds "they are literally the only reason that I (and a
longer range, you and the rest of America) can drift off peacefully when slumber beckons." His
lack of comfort pales compared to the young liberators about whom he recognizes, "by the time
they're deployed back home, these guys will have gone literally months without lying in a
bed."
It is clear that his encounter with the troops strengthened the author's putative appreciation for
the sacrifices they make. He observes that "outsiders have no idea how much intimacy and hearty
comradeship exists between fighting men...if there is a corner of modern life where boundaries
between men (like race and economics) melt away more completely than in the military, I have
never seen it," and readers can tell that he is glad to have been afforded a glimpse of these
precious bonds.
Although dwindling handfuls of fogies are still vehemently denouncing the war, the book should
eliminate any doubts as to the its necessity. Mr. Zinsmeister tells us of life under Saddam, "cities I
saw were a mess---without effective sewage, water, telephone, power, or transport systems." One
night as his division headed into battle, his pensive thoughts articulate the case for war more
sublimely than most of the marathon sessions at the United Nations. He simply states "it is an
almighty strain on the soldiers bearing the burden, but Americans need to be here--because a good
world is made not found."
Boots on the Ground is the first book-length treatment of Iraq's liberation. It may be a very
difficult work to follow, but it sets a standard that all subsequent efforts should aspire to match. If
even a handful come close, they will prove to be essential reading too, but for those who only
read one work on the subject, this is the one that absolutely will not disappoint
Militant Islam Reaches America
Daniel Pipes
W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393325318 $15.95
Last year President Bush was forced to take advantage of a recess appointment to install Middle
Eastern expert Daniel Pipes as a member to the Institute of Peace, (a federal government think
tank) because like they have with so many of his eminently qualified candidates, leftwing Senate
Democrats had indefinitely stalled his nomination. While a case can me made that this obstruction
is merely spiteful politics, any open-minded person with questions about Mr. Pipes' views should
read this book. Corrigible individuals will learn that he is a reasoned and fair scholar of Islam.
Although he lacks any vestige of bigotry, Mr. Pipes does clearly see disturbing factions among
Islamic adherents and bravely articulates the threats posed by these sporadic elements.
Mr. Pipes contrasts the activities of peaceful Muslims with the radicals' violent vituperations and
crimes, deducing "this contrast not only implies that militant Islam threatens in a way that the
traditional faith does not; it also implies that traditional Muslims who are often the first victims of
militant Islam hate this ideology." He then quotes many prominent adherents of genuine Islam
including several in predominantly Islamic nations who courageously denounce the terroristic
tendencies of extremists--not exactly the modus operandi of a Muslim-hater as his ignorant critics
charge.
He faults the Clinton administration for trying to bifurcate terrorism not from true Islam but even
from radical militancy and quotes then-assistant secretary of state Robert Pelletreau who
audaciously declared militant Islam has "a renewed emphasis on traditional values." Such vacuity
obviously insults all true Muslims as well as any other practitioners of time honored virtues.
Those looking to find examples of bigotry in Mr. Pipes works will have a difficult task when he
writes "the number of Islamic operatives with plans to carry out terrorist attacks on the Unites
States is a statistically tiny proportion of the Muslim population." Still he does suggest that
President Bush and other leaders refrain from propagating the mantra that "Islam is a religion of
peace." He non-threateningly notes that "by dismissing any connection between Islam and
terrorism, complaining about media distortions, and claiming that America needs Islam, they have
turned the U.S. government into a discreet missionary for the faith." Furthermore he lists many
likely terrorists incidents on American soil (from the rampage atop the Empire State Building, the
July 4 LAX shooting, the mysterious crash of an Egyptian airliner off Long Island's coast, etc.)
perpetrated by Arab nationals with a history of Islamic militancy. He laments that the government
has failed to publicly identify an evident connection between these incidents.
Perhaps the most puissant refutation of intolerance charges is seen in Mr. Pipes' celebration of
true patriotic American Muslims. He quotes Yale grad student Tarek Masoud who supports racial
profiling on airplanes. The young man acknowledges "people say profiling makes them fell like
criminals. It does--I know this firsthand, but would that I had been made to feel like a criminal a
thousand times than to live to see the grisly handiwork of real criminals in New York and
Washington." Iranian defector Fereydun Hoveyda is quoted as saying "there is no animosity at all
to Islam" in America. The heroic Sheikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, head of the Islamic
Supreme Council (the only major U.S. Muslim organization to unequivocally condemn all
terrorism) is sited a few different times. Mr. Pipes tells of one instance when the honorable sheikh
was stopped on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in mid-September 2001 merely because of his
"suspicious" appearance. Kabbani was obviously let go and until this book's publication the story
has not been widely circulated. He sought no hate crime protection, did not scream "racial
profiling" on national TV, nor made himself to be a victim. He maturely put up with
inconvenience at a time when many others were bearing far greater burdens.
Despite the naysayers, Mr. Pipes' record speaks for itself and this treatise clearly shows him to be
respectful of true Islam and condemning only of those who pervert it for hateful purposes.
Steven Fantina
Reviewer
Sullivan's Bookshelf
The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill
Ron Suskind
Simon & Schuster
ISBN # 0743255453 $26.00 348 pages/indexed
Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Paul O'Neill, is the hero of this story. He worked hard and
honestly throughout his life and reached the top of the business and political heap not unike
Horatio Alger or U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, whom O'Neill had a verbal battle
with over who had been the most deprived of life's amentities as a child. Though neither man won
the improptu debate, the result was that Byrd evidently made O'Neill a political enemy.
President George W. Bush, and several of his political associates, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Daniels,
Lindsey, Rove, Rice, Hughes, among them in this saga are the villains: ideologues, in other words.
O'Neill is a conservative, but practical, non-politician. The others mentioned, with few exceptions,
are motivated by neo-conservative idealism, and are unmoved by contrary facts in an array of
issues facing the country.
"Ideology," write O'Neill, "is a lot easier because you don't have to know anything or search for
anything. You already know the answer every time. It's absolutism."
According to the author, Suskind, O'Neill is a rational thinker, and a good one at that. The
Treasury leader had been a member of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Ford
administration and an adviser to President George H. W. Bush. At OMB, O'Neill honed his
financial skills and gained a reputation for intellectual thinking and straight talking. O'Neill had
been the CEO, and a very successful one at that, of Alcoa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, prior to
becoming Secretary of the Treasury.
Though known for hs outspokenness, O'Neill's biggest asset for the current Bush administration
was a close friendship with Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. O'Neill could
be President Bush's bridge to the monetary chief. The two financial men seemed to see eye to eye
on most economic matters. The pair, after reasoned discussion, felt strongly, that the big tax cuts
that President Bush wanted to make should, prudently, be less in amount and tied to economic
triggers. Only if certain financial conditions were met down the road, should a tax cut be made.
The administration didn't like that way and went without the trigger. Greenspan and O'Neill
disagreed with various other policy details of the administration, too. And both men came to feel
slighted by the president's team.
The Bush administration, almost from day one, had talked about the need for doing something
about Iraq. The treasury secretary had sat in on meetings where the subject was bantered about.
But he was not a member of the cabinet when war broke out.
O'Neill had few, one on one, conferences with the chief executive. But when they occurred,
George W. Bush hardly ever responded, seldom questioned, or seemed even remotely interested
or curious about what the Treasury Secretary had to say. The president did, however give O'Neill
two nicknames, 'Pablo' and 'The Big O'.
The public is, perhaps, most aware of O'Neill's trip to Africa with U2 singer Bono. They were
truly an odd couple. However their travels across the poor nations made quite an impression on
both men. When the Treasury Secretary learned of the primary need for water wells in African
communites, he was most sympathetic to requests for the U.S.to provide the well drilling.
Estimated costs, he was told, would be, at most, $25 million. He, enthusiastically, took that
request back to the Bush administration and found that a proposal to dig these same wells had
already been made for $2 billion. That's when his request got bogged down in the
bureaucracy.
The EPA administrator, Christie Todd Whitman, a cabinet officer, too, and former Governor of
New Jersey, sought the Treasury Secretary's counsel after she was treated shabbily by the
administration, too. A pragmatic non-politician, like O'Neill, she soon left the Bush team because
she didn't see the protection of the environment the same way as those around the president
did.
The Treasury Secretary would be forced out of the administration a little later. He was somewhat
surprised but more relieved than angry. Though his old friend, Cheney, had asked O'Neill to join
the administration, it was the vice president who now told the Tressury Secretary that he was
through and suggested that he give the press a phony excuse. O'Niell, typically, refused to lie and
insisted on telling the truth, as he did in all matters, about his termination.
Suskind, a journalism prize-winner, won that laurel while serving as a reporter for The Wall Street
Journal where he worked for seven years. Currently a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College, he
also has written the well received A Hope in the Unseen. With his family, he lives in the nation'
capital.
Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life
Steve Johnson
Scribner
ISBN #0743241657 $25.00 274 pages/indexed
The author is a writer, not a scientist, but he knows th brain well and takes the reader for a
detailed journery through some of its myriad functions. It's an interesting trip. Readers learn about
the primitive and the modern brain, the left and right hemispheres, and the amygdala, the
hippocampus, and the thalamus among many other parts of the brain.
In the chapter on fear, he discusses the mind's old fight or flight responsse. Citing a personal case,
he tells of living in a high rise building with a big plate glass, floor to ceiling window that gave he
and his wife a wonderful panoramic view of the city. During storms, the pair would watch the
lightning patterns from that glass vista. Then, one day, while watching a ferocious storm, they
heard an odd popping noise. Johnson's wife immediately went to check other rooms in their
apartment for the source of the unusual sound. He instinctively moved to the side of the window
just before it shattered and blew out of its frame.
Had he or his wife not moved away from that window when they did, both could have been
seriously injured or killed by the flying glass shards That put fear in him. From then on, every time
he heard the slightest wind, his mind reflected back on that narrow escape from disaster, and told
him to get out of there (flight). Over time, however, he found ways to reduce his fear. He further
takes the reader through the mind's method of focusing conscious attention on some things and
ignoring others. Next, there's the tickling phenomenon and its laughter response, brain hormones,
like serotonin and dopamine, and their functions, and much more.
Throughout this story, Johnson visits various laboratories and partakes of several different types
of brain tests. They include biofeedback, visual comparisons, and brain scans, employing the huge
magnet machine that takes fMRI[functional magnetic resonance imaging] x-rays. And the latter is
all done in the claustrophobia-inducing tunnel within that machine.
Perhaps most intriguing of all found in this volume is the author's resurrection of Freud and some
of his psychoanalytical concepts as still being valid in today's world. This is surprising in view of
the number of scientists who, through the decades since Freud's death, have seemed to disprove
so many Freudian theories.
Though there is much more unknown about the brain and mind than known, it is fascinating to get
a glimpse of what goes on inside the human skull and what it has meant for mankind.
"The brain," the author writes, "is the beginning of human culture, which makes culture an
outgrowth of the brain's biology, like a blooming vine more beautiful than its support system, to
be sure, but shaped by that system nonnetheless. To grasp the true story of our lives in its entirety,
we have to move beyond te bloom, past the poetry and philosophy, [..], down to the level of our
brains in themselves as they really are. That this is even possible is one of the great miracles of our
time. The mind is now open to us in ways that exceed the wildest dreams of poets and
philosophers. Why not peer inside?"
Johnson has written one other book, Emergence. He has also written for numerous periodicals,
including The Nation, Harper's, and The New Yorker. This author resides in New York City with
his family.
Recommended.
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Taylor's Bookshelf
Credo
William Sloane Coffin
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396
0664227074 $14.95 www.wjkbooks.com
Credo is an inspirational treasury of thoughts, musings, hard-learned lessons, and much more
from William Sloane Coffin, whose remarkable activist life has included service as chaplain of
Yale University and Williams College, publicly opposing the Vietnam war, being jailed as a civil
rights "Freedom Rider", and earning the immortal caricature of Rev. Sloan in the Doonesbury
comic strip. His uplifting wisdom in matters both spiritual and mundane is presented in bite-sized
pieces, each pondering deftly wrought and worthy of extended contemplation. "A central message
of Christian life is this: ask Jesus for but a thimbleful of help and you get an oceanful in
return."
What Does God Know And When Does He Know It?
Millard J. Erickson
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
0310247691 $24.99 zondvervan.com
Millard J. Erickson is an experienced theology instructor who has served several evangelical
seminaries and who has more than twenty-five books and numerous published articles to his
credit. In What Does God Know And When Does He Know It?: The Current Controversy Over
Divine Foreknowledge, Professor Erickson grapples with tough questions and issues that
transcend academic contemplation and reach into personal life, such as "When we pray, do our
prayers make a difference, or is everything that will happen already determined?" and "Does God
have a plan for our lives, and is it based on a knowledge of all that will happen?" A powerful,
astutely reasoned treatise filled from cover to cover with deep spiritual reverence and a respect for
the divine while simultaneously striving to better understand common concerns in the light of
profound faith, What Does God Know And When Does He Know It? is strongly commended to
the attention of clergy and lay readers alike.
The Passion Of Jesus Christ
John Piper
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
1581346085 $7.99 1-800-323-3890 www.crossway.com
Persuasively written by John Piper (the Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in
Minneapolis), The Passion Of Jesus Christ is a collection of fifty reasons why Jesus Christ
suffered and died on the cross. Reasons for why Jesus died include "That we might die to sin and
live to righteousness"; "To ransom people from every tribe and language and people and nation";
and "To show that the worst evil is meant by God for good". A powerfully argued, deeply
spiritual, biblically grounded, steeped in abiding faith, and steadfast in its exhortation that the
sacrifice of Christ is the one and only means for humankind's salvation, The Passion Of Jesus
Christ is confidently recommended reading for Christians of all denominational backgrounds.
Your Rights To Riches
Henry Wolmarans, D. Min., Ph.D.
Tsaba House Publishing
2252 12th Street, Reedley, CA 93654
0972548696 $14.99 www.TsabaHouse.com
Knowledgeably written by Henry Wolmarans (an evangelical pastor of 20 years experience), and
featuring a forward by Oral Roberts, this newly revised fourth edition of Your Rights To Riches
deftly examines a controversial question for Christians: "Is it God's will for Christians to be poor,
rich or struggle to get by daily?" Highly recommended for Christians of all denominational
backgrounds, and drawing upon nearly 100 scriptures that refer directly to money and material
possessions, this significantly revised and expanded fourth edition of Your Rights To Riches
condenses an informative Christian viewpoint upon man's obligations to himself, to fellow man,
and God in easy-to-read, persuasive, inspirational and motivational testimony.
Anabaptist Preaching
David B. Greiser & Michael A. King, editors
Cascadia Publishing House
126 Klingerman Road, Telford, PA 18969
1931038198 $22.95 www.cascadiapublishinghouse.com
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by David B. Greiser (Pastor, Souderton Mennonite
Church and Adjunct Professor of Preaching and Church History, Eastern Baptist Theological
Seminary and Biblical Theological Seminary) and Michael A. King (Pastor, Spring Mount
Mennonite Church and Editor of "DreamSeeker Magazine), Anabaptist Preaching: A
Conversation Between Pulpit, Pew, And Bible is a compelling compilation of thoughtful and
though-provoking commentaries regarding hermeneutics, grace, doctrine, multiculturalism,
preaching, and more. Taking an open, matter-of-fact tone, these diverse and articulate essays
reflect various authors' piety and experience in religious service, presenting an open discussion of
the distinguishing philosophies of Anabaptist faith and how it is orally shared. Anabaptist
Preaching is a welcome and appropriate addition to a Christian Studies reading list or library
collection.
Christian Responses To The Holocaust
Donald J. Dietrich
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
0815630298 $24.95 1-800-365-8929
Ably compiled and deftly edited by Donald J. Dietrich (Professor of Theology, Boston College),
Christian Responses To The Holocaust: Moral And Ethical Issues assembles under one cover a
variety of highly recommended essays contributed by learned Jewish and Christian authors -- and
which study the responses of Protestants, Catholics, theologians, clergy, pastors, and the Christian
laity to Nazi anti-Semitic idealogy and genocidal acts of deliberate extermination of Jews.
Exploring diverse responses that varied from endorsement and/or accommodation to disapproval
and/or active resistance, Christian Responses To The Holocaust impressively explores all facets of
a complex issue, and collectively does so in an impartial, reasonable, and scholarly manner.
Jonathan Edwards At Home And Abroad
David W. Kling and Douglas A. Sweeney
University of South Carolina Press
937 Assembly Street, 8th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
1570035199 $59.95 1-800-768-2500
Collaboratively compiled and edited by David W. Kling (Associate Professor of Religious Studies,
University of Miami, Florida) and Douglas A. Sweeney (Associate Professor and Chair of the
Department of Church History and the History of Christian Thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity
School, Deerfield, Illinois), Jonathan Edwards At Home And Abroad: Historical Memories,
Cultural Movements, Global Horizons collects and showcases the insights of fifteen academicians
and scholars concerning one of America's most important religious figures whose influence
extended well beyond the borders of the United States. Offering diverse, erudite, and meticulous
explorations of Edwards' impact upon American and world history, the essays range from issues
concerning the status of African-Americans in nineteenth century America; to issues concerning
the salvation of children, theological ideas that spread across the seas, and more. A very highly
commended and commendable addition to academic and seminarian library collections, Jonathan
Edwards At Home And Abroad offers the reader a wealth thoughtful and informative perspectives
on the life and influence of a most remarkable man's global influence on theological development
in England and Scotland, the late 18th and early 19th century Christian missionary movements; as
well as the then contemporary Christian attitudes and controversies on such subjects as sex,
property rights, and the salvation of children.
The Disciple Making Church
Glenn McDonald
FaithWalk Publishing
333 Jackson Street, Grand Haven, Michigan 49417
0972419683 $14.99 1-800-335-7177 www.faithwalkpub.com
Glenn McDonald is the senior pastor of Zionsville Presbyterian Church in suburban Indianapolis.
The Disciple Making Church: From Dry Bones To Spiritual Vitality is the true and inherently
interesting story of Pastor McDonald's reaction to a profound question: "How long would it take
for someone who visits our church to learn about his or her need for Jesus and to find out what to
do about it?" Taking this serious issue to heart, Pastor McDonald overhauled and reexamined
everything about his church in light of Christ's call to "go forth and make disciples". Blending
insights from scripture, the knowledge of biblical scholars, and highlighting the six discipling
relationships and six marks of the disciple, The Disciple Making Church is an inspirational and
spiritual testimony that is practical while replete with insights directly relevant to Christian
congregations across America and around the world.
John Taylor
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design