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Reviewer's Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 12 December 2002 Home | RBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Benjamin's Bookshelf Vicki's Bookshelf
Sullivan's Bookshelf Skea's Bookshelf Shelley's Bookshelf
Shannon's Bookshelf Roger's Bookshelf Pogo's Bookshelf
Miki's Bookshelf Michael's Bookshelf Meredith's Bookshelf
Magdalena's Bookshelf Liana's Bookshelf Leonhardt's Bookshelf
Kinni's Bookshelf Judine's Bookshelf Jennifer's Bookshelf
Hodgins' Bookshelf Harwood's Bookshelf Harold's Bookshelf
Gorden's Bookshelf Denise's Bookshelf Dana's Bookshelf
Cindy Lynn's Bookshelf Lorraine's Bookshelf Taylor's Bookshelf
Vogel's Bookshelf Carol's Bookshelf Bhule's Bookshelf
Burroughs' Bookshelf Bethany's Bookshelf  

Reviewer's Choice

Family Matters
Rohinton Mistry
Alfred A. Knopf
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
ISBN 0375403736; $26.00, 448 pages, 1-800-726-0600

Diane Payne
Reviewer

Family Matters won the 2002 Kiriyama Prize, which honors titles that encourage greater understanding among the peoples and nations of the Pacific Rim. Oddly enough, Canadian author Rohinton Mistry has canceled the second half of a U.S. book tour because on the first part of his tour, he was stopped repeatedly and rudely at each airport. Mistry's next book will probably take place at a security checkpoint, ironically focusing on that greater misunderstanding.

This is a tale that weaves around religious fanatics, showing the tensions among Hindus, Muslims, and Parsis in Bombay; but it's more than that, it's what the title implies, a book about aging, marriage, Parkinson's, loyalty, sibling rivalry, isolation, and the conscience.

The most vital character, the 79-year-old Parsi father, Nariman Vakeel, engages his family with his wry wit, his revealing nightmares highlight the secrets behind his lurid love affair, while his physical decay transforms family members. Unfortunately, as Nariman's health deteriorates and he's unable to speak, the novel's spirit diminishes also. Nariman lives with his two adult stepchildren, Coomy and Jal, in a seven-room flat in Chateau Felicity. Coomy never forgives Nariman for his role in her mother's death, and for untold reasons, all three remain together in this flat for their entire lives.

Nariman's daughter, Roxana, husband Yezad, and two sons, Jehangir and Murad, live in a two-room flat in Pleasant Villa, where they end up becoming the caretaker of their father after Coomy and Jal deviously dump him there, assuring them Nariman's depression will be lifted around the two boys.

Yezad feels strapped for money after Nariman arrives, and like Coomy and Jal, he devises his own plan to convince his boss to run as a political candidate so he'll have more responsibilities and earn a better salary. At this point, the story shifts more to the schemes Coomy and Jal utilize to keep their father from returning home, and Yezad's elaborate fabrications to persuade his boss to serve Bombay. For awhile their antics are amusing, clever even, but then they become the focus of the story, and when we next see Nariman, he's barely functioning or a functional character. Like the shift in narration at the end of the book, the readers are shifted away from feeling that personal connection to the characters where we vicariously become a part of the novel, and are now left on the bleachers watching the novel unfold into a script that has been made for a big screen movie.

We assume that at one point, Yezad will quit grumbling about his father-in-law, whom he calls Chief, living in the house, because otherwise there wouldn't be much point in having us watch Yezad repeatedly warn his sons to never assist their grandfather when he needs to use the bedpan, or help him at all. Even though we suspect Yezad will be altered by Nariman's presence, we're relieved when the transformation finally occurs.

Mistry's writing comes to life when Yezad clips Nariman's nails. This act of kindness becomes a valid testimony of sorts for his earlier ruminations about learning to help one's elders through death.

"Better now, isn't it?' said Yezad, checking the edges again. "De-clawed. And ha-ha-harmless." "Not you, chief. Not with that tongue you possess."

Unfortunately, it's been a long while since we've seen these two together, and a long while before we do again. There's so much to do with the boss and the carpenter, so many schemes and deaths, that we miss out on Nariman's death. With all that hustle and bustle, we even lose our author. After 397 pages of third person narrative, Mistry hands the pen to the youngest son, a much less gifted writer, and Jengahir tells us about the night grandfather died, how his father never gets another job after his boss has been murdered, and how his brother enrolls in college and has non-Parsi female friends, all these cyclic family traits regenerating once again. It's like Mistry has said, "Jehangoo, I've told the story once, now it's your turn. I give you the epilogue."

Had Mistry not deserted us, he could have finished the book earlier, and Jengahir would not have been burdened with this onus task of suddenly taking over five years after Mistry left off.

On page 414, after the funeral and four days of ceremonies, the rented hospital bed is returned, and our new narrator seems a bit more like Mistry and writes:

"Think of the good memories, Jehangoo. Remember the first day when Grandpa came to us by ambulance?" I nodded. "And you fed him lunch, doing aeroplanes with the spoon?" I tried my best to smile. "He used to have so much fun playing with you, no? How he laughed at your aeroplane noises." "I spilled some food on his shirt. You scolded me." "Yes, I had to, I'm your mother. But it was beautiful to see you feeding Grandpa. And how you and Murad used to stroke his bald head and squeeze his chin." At last, Mistry takes his pen back and graces the final pages by showing Roxana setting the table for Murad's birthday, using the good china Nariman gave them years ago on their wedding, perhaps the first time she has used this china. "Remember what Grandpa said to us one day?" continues my Mother. "To take pleasure in these beautiful things, to defeat the sadness and sorrow of life?"

These are the things that matter to family.

Prometheus
Alex Domokos with Rita Y. Toews
Hard Shell Word Factory
E-book: ISBN: 0-7599-0566-5
Trade Paperback: 0-7599-0567-3
http://www.hardshell.com/
Author website: www.domokos.com

S. Joan Popek
Reviewer

This story is an extraordinary blend of adventure, Abominable Snowmen, nuclear disaster, love, despair and hope. This alone is quite a combination, yet there is more. Add in ethnic diversity, terrorism and various nations' attitudes of "My dog is bigger than your dog," and you have a tale to remember.

You get inside the minds and hearts of leaders as they make world changing decisions. You experience the fanatic psychology of terrorism. You travel with a troop of brave explorers searching for the legendary Yeti and their own brand of immortality. Is the Yeti real? What would you do if you found him? If you are an adventurer who wants to know what makes humanity tick, you can't miss reading this book.

This is a story of mankind at its best and at its worst. It is a story that makes you think--a story that forces you to take a look at humanity and decide if you like what you see. The twists and surprises are as varied and winding as the mountain trails the small band of explorers travel as they search for the truth in legends.

What if you were dying but you had the chance to start a new chain of evolution? Would you have the courage to do it? Are our myths founded in reality? Greek mythology tells us that Prometheus gave Man fire and set him on the road to civilization. Because of this, the gods punished him throughout eternity. Why?

Was it indeed the mastery of fire that set mankind apart from the animals and perhaps made them more like the gods? Ludec, a major character in the expedition's search says, "That is one of the wonderful things about human nature...Men can not live without plans, and plans are the ultimate expression of faith in the future." Is this what makes us unique? Are we really so unique as we believe?

Find the answers to these questions and much more in this spellbinding adventure into one possible future. I couldn't stop turning the pages until I finished the last one. It's that good. "Prometheus" is not your ordinary science fiction. The authors have a special style that leaves you thinking about the book long after you close it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure, philosophy and just plain, entertaining fiction.

Fusion Branding: How To Forge Your Brand For The Future
Nick Wreden
Accountability Press
3340 Peachtree Rd. #1800, Atlanta, Georgia, 30097
ISBN 0-9717442-0-3, $29.95, 389 pages, www.accountabilitypress.com

Peter Hupalo
Reviewer

A brand identity that draws new customers and keeps current customers loyal is the holy grail of many businesses. Successful brands have tremendous value and create great wealth for their owners. But, why do some branded identities, such as Amazon and eBay, become so successful, while other companies pour millions into brands that fail?

Fusion Branding: How To Forge Your Brand For The Future by Nick Wreden helps us understand how successful brands are created. Wreden argues past case studies of branding do not apply to the present economy, where less-trusting customers have better access to information and customers expect personalized treatment and quality service. Wreden says today's consumer will not accept being treated like the mass-market consumer of the past who was often overwhelmed by interrupt-based advertising.

Wreden writes: "A brand's power doesn't stem from the number of ads or press releases. It derives from an emotional, even mystical, attachment between a purchaser and a company. ... a brand is a multidimensional accumulation of positive experiences resulting from performance, usability, value and the recognition of peers. Brand building is based on what's always been important. Trust. Commitment. Loyalty. Respect. Satisfaction. In a word, a brand represents a bond."

Without operational excellence, customers don't respect a brand. Wreden says that companies must shift their focus from trying to "sell" to customers and examine the relationship from the customer's viewpoint. How can the company create real value for the customer? Branding moves a consumer from satisfaction to loyalty.

How serious companies are about being customer-focused can be observed by looking at how companies deal with product glitches. Comparing Inuit to Firestone, Wreden shows that brands can be strengthened when companies confront product glitches and absorb the costs to make things right, while failure to do so quickly erodes consumer trust and destroys the brand's value.

Wreden examines the role of personalization, self-service, and build-to-the-customer customization in the future economy. For example, some customers like to mix and match their own PC components when purchasing a PC. Some customers will want more RAM. Others will want less RAM, but, maybe, a higher-fidelity sound card. Wreden tells us this is one factor that has made Dell Computer so successful. Consumers can create their own PCs online and the PCs will be made to exactly match the customer's needs.

Wreden says the Internet is "...much more than a marketing medium. It is the key to enabling a relationship enterprise that allows business to be done on customer terms." We learn that while the Internet currently only accounts for one percent of the total U.S. sales, eighty-two percent of Internet shoppers gravitate to branded sites. So, branding is very important in determining which commercial websites become successful.

On-demand personalization will extend far beyond PCs in the future. For example, Wreden tell us about the jeans maker Levi Strauss: "At some stores, a body scanner can measure customers for a pair of exact-fitting jeans. However, it takes ten days to deliver the finished jeans, and they cost about one-third more than off-the-shelf jeans. In the demand economy, customers will be able to get the same pair of personalized jeans, but they will be delivered within one day and cost about the same."

To achieve on-demand efficiency will require that companies have excellent supply chain operations. Wreden writes: "An effective supply chain is the sine qua non of the demand economy. Integrated, orchestrated supply chains will be the basis for competition, and the primary determinant of the brand's ability to rapidly satisfy specific customer requirements. Supply chains must shift from a production-centric, 'push' model, where products are pushed through the supply chain based on production, to a customer-centered 'pull' model, where production is guided by actual customer demand, not forecasts."

Wreden says wireless technology will greatly enhance the ability of companies to immediately respond to customer needs. Wreden writes, "'Smart Dust' -tiny wireless sensors-will tag everyday objects for tracking and information transfer.... Already, there are ... garbage-can scanners which scan discarded items and place immediate orders for replenishment."

In addition to consumer branding, Fusion Branding: How To Forge Your Brand For The Future discusses business-to-business branding which is often neglected. The book includes excellent discussions of customer relationship management, pricing, privacy, emotional drivers that influence customers, and the importance of accountability within a business.

Fusion Branding: How To Forge Your Brand For The Future is highly recommended to anyone who wants to understand business, marketing, and branding. The book is a great addition to the serious business library.

The Millionaires
Brad Meltzer
Warner Books
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0446611921 $7.99 524 pages

Michael Hare
Reviewer

The millionaires, the latest book by Brad Meltzer, succeeds on several fronts. One of the cardinal rule doled out in creative writing classes is: Don't write in First Person.

One of the hallmarks of a good writer is the ability to if not break, then sharply bend the rules and still succeed with a good story. Meltzer blends First and Third person views in a very readable story.

Initially glancing at the story I cringed at the use of first person, imagine fingers on the proverbial chalkboard. But being an obsessive reader short on reading material I picked up a few books out of desperation. The millionaires was the best of the batch of some pretty good stories.

The millionaires is the story of two brothers, Charlie and Oliver Caruso, the slacker and the model employee, suddenly presented with the perfect crime. Three million dollars in an abandoned bank account. Only the crime is not quite as perfect as they think, soon they see and friend killed and they have the Secret Service, and a female PI hunting them as the desperately try to find out the secret of this abandoned account. What they find will shock you. You will never look at your bank account the same way again.

The millionaires will at very least entertain you, it might even challenge your prejudices concerning good writing.

Q is for Quarry
Sue Grafton
G.P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN: 0399149155, 385 pages, $26.95

Terry Mathews
Reviewer

Q is for Quandary ??

I've been a Kinsey Millhone fan since the first page of "A is for Alibi." I love her, warts and all. Any girl who is brave enough to cut her hair with cuticle scissors deserves my respect. I eagerly await each new adventure.

Imagine my disappointment when I finally finished Q IS FOR QUARRY. It took me almost a week to finish the fiction-based-on-fact story of a long ago, unsolved murder in Santa Teresa (Santa Barbara). I felt the descriptions were way too detailed and I grew weary of descriptions of the inside of bars, houses, shops and garages. It was as if no editing took place....that every thought, word, scene was left in from the first draft.

In this volume, Kinsey is hired by two former Santa Teresa lawmen to try and solve the murder of a young girl, long dead. They have little to go on. They have no motive. They have no murder weapon. They don't even know the girl's name. The only thing they do know is that Jane Doe died from multiple stab wounds and dumped down a ravine near Lompoc, California. After many dead ends, wild goose chases and red herrings, the fictional mystery is solved. It wasn't particularly a neat ending, but since the real murder has never been solved, I applaud Grafton for trying to create a plausible scenario.

What saved this story for me was to finally find out something about Kinsey's family. Because Jane Doe's body was found on Kinsey's grandmother's land, she has encounters with her cousin and a long lost aunt. Those parts, while at times tedious, were worth the effort. I hope Grafton will pursue this sub-plot in future volumes. So much of what Kinsey is revolves around her childhood...losing her parents....being raised by a Bohemian aunt....and never having contact with other family members.

I admire Grafton for being able to sustain a series through 16 books. She and Kinsey can survive one stumble.

Teach Your Child To Read
Janice Myers
Privately Published
413 Willis Road, Spartanburg, SC 29301
ISBN: 0972016910, $19.50, (c) 2002, 112 pp.

Jan McDaniel
Reviewer

My first impression of this book was a favorable one based on its stunning, colorful cover and professional design. Then I began to explore the book's content. As a former creator of curriculum materials for this age group, I realized how much fun beginning readers would have with the cuddly character, Spot, leading the way through phonics, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, rhyming words and the sometimes arduous task of following directions.

Spot is no pushover. He's fun to read about and his adventures are just right for coloring, but this cleverly designed "tool-kit" is really a Superior Practical Orderly Trusted Reading System that is the first book in a five-part Complete Mastery Learning System. I like the fact that parents can teach their children to read by using these practice-oriented materials at home. The techniques seem easy to use, and each builds skills that can be applied in many ways. This kind of approach reminds me of how we used to learn.

Inside the front cover of the book author Janice Myers explains how she created her program and used it successfully at her reading clinic in Spartanburg, SC. Dismayed that she could not locate books that provided reading practice and filled the gap between Kindergarten and First Grade, she " . . . began typing up sample chapters for [her] tutors to use with their students." She continues, "Even before the artist had the illustrations finished, my tutors were standing in line waiting for me to finish the next chapter so their students could read it that day."

I like Spot. I like "O" and feel that this letter and the other vowels in the upcoming books can help parents and teachers work with not only very young readers, but also older students who have not mastered reading skills for various reasons. Learning Disabled students should find the repetition used here helpful, for example, and even ESL (English as a Second Language) instructors might invite Spot into their classrooms.

As Ms. Myers states in her book, "Every child in America has the right to read."

The Disinformation Cycle
William Harwood
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
ISBN 1401043542, 283 pp, ppb, $18.69, www.xlibris.com

Jack Truett, Reviewer

No way you can go wrong on this one!

Dr William Harwood's Inimitable The Disinformation Cycle should be required reading for every high school and university in America. Unfortunately that will not happen, not in any of our lifetimes anyway. In fact anyone who has to move his or her lips and mumble every word they read won't understand most of it anyway. What a pity. Well researched and ideally presented, this book will acquaint you with such subjects as hoaxes, delusions, security beliefs, and North America's compulsory mediocrity.

I will not detract from the pleasure, as well as the enlightenment you'll get from reading this remarkable work, by quoting or attempting to explain his reasoning or hardcore evidence. But friends, it is a must-read for anyone capable of thinking. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay the author is this: "Darn! I wish I had written this book!"

Editor's Note: Jack Truett's review was first published in Pagan Palaver, summer 2002.


Benjamin's Bookshelf

Motherless Brooklyn
Jonathan Lethem
Doubleday & Company
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0-375-72483-4, $23.95, 1999, 311 pp., 1-800-726-0600

The plot of Motherless Brooklyn sounds like one of its character's jokes: an orphaned private eye with Tourette's walks into a Zen Buddhist school on the Upper East side looking for the Polish giant who killed his boss. Alternatively, it could be the echolic wordplay of our Tourettic narrator transmogrifying "endorphins work to pry the barrettes..." Motherless Brooklyn is a mixture of both part bleak comedy and part study of an obsessive mind.

Author Jonathan Lethem employs Lionel Essrog's Tourette's syndrome to investigate personalities and uncover secrets of the anachronistic "cartoonistic"--borough of Brooklyn. The death of "King of Brooklyn," Frank Minna, plunges Essrog into a mystery of innuendo and taciturn connections, what Minna called the "wheels within wheels." As Essrog disentangles the wheels, we learn that he and his "Minna Men," colleagues at the Brooklyn-based detective agency fronted by a car service, are the de facto adopted sons of the king, whose legally dubious errands rescued them from St. Vincent's Home for Boys.

Brooklyn has Tourette's. It instinctually expresses itself in seemingly unintelligible ways, yet makes perfect sense to insiders. And if Brooklyn is Tourettic, Court Street is its brain. Like Essrog, Court Street is ruled by habit and wary of change. The difference lies in language. Essrog knows too much and is pathologically compelled to speak, his mental and physical soundness depend upon it. But Brooklyn's existence depends upon silence.

Motherless Brooklyn succeeds on many levels. It is a novel about language, but it is entertaining. It is self-reflexive, post-modern and concerned with the tradition of the detective novel. Fortunately, Lethem integrates these elements into the narrative and not the other way around.

Fury
Salman Rushdie
Random House, Inc.
280 Park Avenue, 8th floor, New York, NY 10017
0-679-46333-X, $24.95, 2001, 259 pp., 1-800-726-0600

In his latest novel Salman Rushdie ventures west. Fury's scrutiny of a boom-bloated America catalogues its way around New York City, weaving current trends and recent news events into a fiction both realistic and fantastic. Unlike previous Rushdie works (The Moor's Last Sigh, Midnight's Children), Fury immerses itself in a fleeing present; and in this novel's fad-crazed locale, history, particularly America's, is a missing foundation.

Fury trails former Cambridge professor and puppet-maker Malik Solanka along New York's overcrowded streets. Solanka recently left behind a tranquil existence, a wife, and a young son, to lose himself in the city's feverish pace. Rather than escaping into an indifferent, if not hostile, landscape, however, Solanka's furies overtake and torment him.

The novel's first half unfolds in a whirlpool of pop-cultural and literary reference, leaving the reader, along with our protagonist, drowning in a chaotic excess of information. However, as Solanka gains clarity, so does the narrative. While the puppeteer loses control of his creations to an exhaustive media-machine and an insatiable public, Rushdie handles a plot overflowing in information, with a deft combination of depth and efficiency.

As a critique of contemporary America and media frenzy, Fury proves insightful, sustaining a level of empty urgency consistent with the text's mad-consumption theme. The novel's characters and premise are not as strong or memorable as previous Rushdie novels, and the story feels at times rushed. Nevertheless, Fury is the work of a top writer trying out new subjects.

Benjamin Weinstein, Reviewer
afrankenstein@hotmail.com


Vicki's Bookshelf

Imagine The Girl In The Painting
Edited by American Girl
American Girl/Pleasant Company
8400 Fairway Place, P.O. Box 620998, Middleton, WI 53562
ISBN 1584855789, $14.95, 50 pages, www.americangirl.com

This unique gift book is actually a sturdy frame that houses a mini art gallery and eight art cards that slip interchangeably inside the front cover. On the back cover, a pop-out stand props up your masterpiece or choice. But inside the book, girls age eight and up will find the real treasure: 20 beautiful reproductions of paintings featuring young girls. A Victorian girl reads, resting in a hammock beneath a leafy glade. A pair of French, eighteenth century sisters pose for a formal portrait, a hummingbird poised symbolically on one hand. A 1950s girl stares moodily at her reflection in a mirror, wishing she looked more like the movie star in the magazine on her lap. Each painting is accompanied by a one-page essay prompting young readers to "Imagine it's Saturday night in 1954 " "Imagine you have your very own secret garden " "Imagine you are on roller skates for the very first time " The elaborated text takes you deeper into each painting, imparting deeper understanding of the time, place, character and the painting itself. Superficially, "Imagine the Girl in the Painting" is an unusual gift item, but in fact it succeeds as a lovely art appreciation course that girls will cherish.

The Witch Who Wanted To Be A Princess
Lois G. Grambling, Illustrated by Judy Love
Whispering Coyote/Charlesbridge
85 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472
ISBN 1580890628, $15.95, 32 pages, www.charlesbridge.com

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, agrees this funny picture book. Bella, the witch, learns that simple lesson when she does everything in her power to marry a handsome prince. She knows she's not a classic beauty, but has strong enough self-esteem to answer a prince's personal want-ad seeking "a "beautiful damsel to wed." Before going to the prince's castle, Bella asks her magic mirror if she should conjure up a potion to change her not-so-gorgeous looks. But Bella decides she likes herself as she is, and believes the right man will love her warts and all. Young girl readers will fall in love with the book when the big moment comes and the two potential mates set eyes on one another.

Robin Hood
E. Charles Vivian, Compiled by Cooper Edens
Chronicle Books
85 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
ISBN 0811833992, $19.95, 176 pages, www.chroniclekids.com

The exciting and timeless tale about "the prince of thieves" is more beautiful than ever in this special "Classic Illustrated Edition" title. As with the series' previous titles -- "Peter Pan," "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," "Pinocchio" and "Aesop's Fables" -- "Robin Hood" is illustrated with a virtual best-of variety of color and black-and-white images from a collection of archival sources. There are more than 100 splendid images in all, dating from the 12th to the 20th century and created by artists as diverse as N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Walter Crane and Honor C. Appleton. The range is considerable, the fine-detail of the works is immensely impressive, the art restoration is impeccable, and each antique image is uniquely charming. The lack of a consistent visual style is initially jarring, but quickly it becomes apparent that this inconsistency is the very source of the book's appeal, particularly for retro fans attracted to ye olde graphics. The text itself remains loyal to E. Charles Vivian's classic version of the story -- with most of the content, spelling and grammar intact from the 1906 edition, making this respectful tribute to an old masterpiece worth its weight in gold marks.

DK Encyclopedia Of The Human Body
DK Publishing
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0789486725, $29.99, 304 pages, www.dk.com

I'm constantly amazed by the consistently excellent educational book front-list from British publisher Dorling Kindersley. No other mass-market publisher comes close to producing non-fiction books of such quality, scope, sophistication, visual excitement and sheer readibility. When DK Publishing tackles a subject, it's done right, typically by a hand-picked team of editorial professionals and topic experts, as is the case with their latest desk reference book, "DK Encyclopedia of the Human Body." Here a team of medical experts provided the massive data contained in the tome's 300-plus pages. Then a team of authors and editors groomed the text into DK's characteristic style by outlining subject heads and breaking down information into easily-digested sub-sections, each with a corresponding image. There are more than 900 full-color photographs, illustrations, charts and diagrams here, all mesmerizingly revealing the workings of the human body in painstaking detail. Instead of listing subjects alphabetically in the standard style of most encyclopedias, here it is organized into related subject groupings, working parts, moving framework, control and sensation, supply and maintenance, and so on, and designed in concert with DK's uniquely eye-popping visuals. Timelines, charts and illustrated histories help put subjects into perspective and tidbits on leeches, motion sickness, head lice, and toilets will get the attention of even the most reluctant readers. Page after page, the detailed subject is presented clearly and concisely in such a riveting way that young students ages eight and up will not only find and comprehend the information they're seeking, but will become so absorbed that they'll surprisingly discover themselves reading for the sheer fun of it. For high school students, the encyclopedia is a particularly distinct and pleasurable alternative to dull textbooks, making this a must-have for every student's complete home library.

Rolling With The Stones
Bill Wyman with Richard Havers
DK Publishing
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0789489678, $50.00, 512 pages, www.dk.com

Once again, DK Publishing raises the bar, forever influencing the way the best pop culture biographies will be handled by the rest of the book industry. This time, the noted non-fiction publisher applies its unique visual encyclopedia approach to a bigger-than-life biographical subject, The Rolling Stones, making all previous celebrity bios pale by comparison. As such, this sophisticated coffee table production -- "Rolling With The Stones," written by none other than former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman himself, with the help of his "Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey" partner, Richard Havers and a staff of DK editors -- is a thoroughly engaging insider story of the world's legendary bad-boy rock and roll band. Judging the book by its cover, one might mistakenly suspect it's a common as-told-to remembrance. To the contrary, the hefty book is a virtual mini-museum providing everything anyone could possibly want to know about the band, its history, its inspiration and its affect on cultural and social history. Drawing from his massive personal collection of Stones memorabilia, Wyman provides hundreds of one-of-a-kind artifacts, personal photos, and entries from decades of daily journals that he began writing as a child. There are more than 3,000 images here in all, amid hundreds of press clippings, set lists, quotations by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Brian Jones, Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood, as well as their famous peers, political pundits and journalists. Wyman's personal account links the historical analysis, anecdotes and images, as if he's personally guiding readers through a scholarly scrapbook of sorts.

"I wanted to tell the band's story from an historical viewpoint," Wyman says, "because so much that has been written about the Stones skirts the truth, embellishes the truth or, in some cases, tells total untruths." Historically speaking, the band's timeline is a fascinating measuring stick for the social upheavals that occurred in England and the Western World since the birth of the band members in war-torn 1930s England. Wyman's meticulously thorough account extends well past his own membership in the band, up to Mick Jagger's 2002 Knighthood, and doesn't miss a thing inbetween besides discreetly omitting incriminating sex and drugs escapades, that is. That aside, "Rolling With The Stones" is extraordinary, packed with enough I-was-there accounts, anecdotes and actual facts to rock any music trivia fan's world.

Leap, Frog
Jane Cutler, illustrations by Tracey Campbell Pearson
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374343624, $16.00, 208 pages, www.fsgbooks.com

In the fourth chapter book about Fraser brothers Jason and Edward, the boys find themselves faced with a mischievous new next-door-neighbor. Pint-sized Charley is more than a little pest; he's a karate-chopping, yelling, jumping, imposing, troublemaking first-grader like they've never seen before. And he somehow manages to complicate everything. The First Annual Mark Twain Memorial Jumping Frog Contest, for one thing, which erupts into controversy due to the jumpy little guy. And for another, there's Edward's 9th birthday party at the theater, to which Charley assumes he's invited. What's a nice boy like Edward to do when a rambunctious kid like Charley sticks to him like gum on his shoe? Full of fun action, "Leap, Frog" is another winning series addition, perfect for upper elementary school boys.

Greece! Rome! Monsters
John Harris, Illustrations by Calef Brown
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, L.A., CA 90049-1682
ISBN 0892366184, $16.95, 52 pages, www.getty.edu

All the great mythological monsters are captured in this lively picture book, a mini-encyclopedia of sorts for kids age four and up. Zeus? Hera? Apollo? Nah. Why waste time on boring humanoid Greek and Roman gods when there are so many fabulously hideous creatures of legend? The author gets right to the point in a table of contents listing 20 classical flying, swimming and creeping creatures, then gets straight to brief introductions of each. On the magically delicious side there's the unicorn, phoenix, hippocamp (a literal sea horse) and the flying horse Pegasus. On the gruesome side there's the one-eyed Cyclops, snake-headed Medusa and the truly spooky Scylla which "consisted of twelve dogs that never stopped barking. What a racket!" The wry, funny treatment by writer John Harris is a non-stop hoot. Written in a casual, conversational style, it's full of choppy sentences and phrases like "check this out," "big mistake," and "one look from him and whammo!, you're dead. That's a basilisk for you." It manages to make complex concepts downright simple enough for even the young pre-readers, and, at the end, kindly leads them by the hand with a pronounciation guide and "Monster Quiz" to test their new-found knowledge. The book's true success, however lies in the tremendously fun post-modern style of artist Calef Brown, one of my absolute favorite children's illustrators thanks to his hip art and nonsense rhymes in "Polkabats and Octopus Slacks." His funky skills picked up at the Pasadena Art Center mesh tremendously well with the material here.

Jeremy Hatcher, Dragon Hatcher
Bruce Coville
Harcourt
15 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0152046143, $17.00, 152 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com

Abracadabra! Bruce Coville's best-selling "Magic Shop" adventure books are back to celebrate their 20th anniversary. These beautifully republished hard-cover editions are must-haves for the middle-grade set, particularly the one that started it all: "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher," the funny tale of a boy who accidentally stumbles into a secret magic shop and becomes the unwitting keeper of a fast-growing, fire-breathing pet like no other. The rest of the "Magic Shop" gang's all here too. Russell Crannaker, in "The Monster's Ring" (ISBN 0-15-204618-6, $16, 106 pages) -- is tired of being pushed around until he discovers a magical jewel that makes him bully-proof. Chronic liar Charlie Eggleston, in "The Skull of Truth" (ISBN 0-15-204612-7, $17, 194 pages), is compelled to steal a skull from Mr. Elives' magic shop, and suddenly finds himself unable to tell anything but the truth but will anyone believe him? In "Jennifer Murdley's Toad" (ISBN 0-15-204613-5, $17, 159 pages) the not-so-pretty girl comes into the possession of a not-so-pretty toad that talks. Together they hop into a journey to the Beauty Parlor of Doom where she faces her greatest dreams and nightmares. Each book is a fast-paced fantasy filled with laughs and surprises to be equally enjoyed by pre-teen boys and girls. For each reissue, the author has not only added a new afterword giving insight to his creations, but has actually significantly expanded each story itself.

The Wind In The Willows
Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Michael Foreman
Harcourt
15 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0152168079, $24, 232 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com

What a difference a month makes. Just a few weeks ago I pronounced Seastar Books' new edition of "The Wind in the Willows" the best gift edition of the 1908 children's classic since illustrator Ernest Shephard's classic version, due to the glorious acrylic and watercolor paintings by Mary Jane Begin ("The Porcupine Mouse," "A Mouse Told His Mother"). Yet surprisingly, it has already been surpassed, so I must pass the trophy to Harcourt's new unabridged edition. It's beautifully presented in a wide, landscape format with a satin ribbon bookmark to keep your place when the stories dutifully fulfill their destiny as bedtime reading. The notable source of the book's special appeal, of course, is the charming new artwork by extraordinary English watercolorist Michael Foreman. The pages are filled with gently expressive mixed-media paintings, from the end-papers map of Wildwood and its surroundings, to a rollicking train ride, and the wild rumpus at Toad Hall. And the illustrations are generously plentiful: nearly every two-page spread contains at least one color sketch. The sheer number of illustrations tremendously enriches the story, and the Foreman's light-handed technique, previously apparent in "Michael Foreman's Mother Goose," "Joan of Arc" and "Arthur, High King of Britain" -- is a lovely tribute to the similar style of Shephard himself. Well done.

Humphrey's Christmas
Sally Hunter
Henry Holt
115 West 18th Street, NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805071768, $9.95, 24 pages, www.henryholt.com

Humphrey the elephant and his sister, Lottie are back to share their love of Christmastime in this short and sweet holiday tale for toddlers. This time, the lovely little characters from "Humphrey's Corner" and "Humphrey's Bedtime" quietly enjoy the simple pleasures of the Christmas season by watching the snow, decorating the house and helping their mother with the yummy baking. But the best time of all is the last bedtime before Christmas Day. Young children will love hearing about how Humphrey and Lottie prepare their note and plate of cookies for Santa, then snuggle up for a bedtime story, especially when snuggled in their own beds for one last book on Christmas Eve.

Naughty Naughty Kiefer
Wendy Ann Gardner
Hyperion Books for Children
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786808861, $10.99, 32 pages, www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com

Here's an interesting case of the tail wagging the dog or bad dog, as it were. Artist Wendy Ann Gardner was inspired by real-life pets to create several very cool, post-modern plush toys based on their unique traits and habits. Now that those boutique toys have become popular around the world, they've sparked a line of bold and sassy picture books for children. Leading the quirky pet parade is "Naughty Naughty Kiefer," a ginger tomcat who has a nasty habit of leaving little "gifts" around the house. Parents will know that the little bow-topped presents are symbolic for, I'll just come out and say it, cat poop, but will kiddies get it? Nope. Then there 's "Dig Ivan Dig" about a not-garden-safe pug; "Yes, A Cat Named Marty Cohen" about a Scottish-breed cat (hence his plaid appearance) who comes to America; and even a tragic-comic chicken tale called "Heedley Pecked Me In the Eye." Adults will be tremendously amused, but each simple, oddly story-free rhyming book will leave little ones to wonder "what the ?"

Quiver
Stephanie Spinner
Knopf/Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0375814892, $15.95 -- 180 pages, www.randomhouse.com/teens

Greek mythology is endlessly fascinating to middle grade and young adult readers, so the spate of recent fantasy/historical fiction novels set in ancient Greece should come as no surprise. As with Caroline B. Cooney's "Goddess of Yesterday" and Patrice Kindl's "Lost in the Labyrinth," Stephanie Spinner's new "Quiver" retells a Greek legend and dramatizes it by breathing new life into its young female protagonist and expanding the details of her heroic, mythic tale. In it, athletic 16-year-old archer Atalanta, the swiftest mortal alive -- discovers that she is a princess, orphaned cruelly at birth by her true father, King Iasus. The king suddenly demands Atalanta's return so she can marry and produce an heir to the throne, but Atalanta has other ideas. She agrees to marry the first man who can beat her in a race but only if all losing suitors are put to the death. She hopes no man will be foolish enough to take the challenge, but will would happen if the gods intervene?

Spinner ambitiously aims her arrow high for "Quiver," choosing to tell her tale of Atalanta in a serious, classical style that has absolutely nothing in common with her previous chapter books such as "Aliens for Breakfast." But it's that seriousness that makes "Quiver" a bit ponderous to read, and keeps readers from truly connecting with the characters. Spinner's no-nonsense sentences are clipped and to the point, as if chipped from ancient marble statues at the Parthenon. The weighty words are pristinely laid on the pages,, posed stiffly as if minding their posture at a formal event. Spinner's phrasing is somber, her point-of-view detached as if giving witness from the heavens alongside unsympathetic gods Artemis, Apollo, Zeus, Eros and Aphrodite who comment from on high in a scripted format at the end of most chapters. Like them, most readers will remain mildly interested spectators, largely unmoved by the dramatic events that unfold, even given Spinner's softer version of the famously blood-thirsty heroine.

Silly & Sillier: Read-Aloud Tales From Around The World
Judy Sierra, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0375806091, $19.95, 96 pages, www.randomhouse.com/kids

With most hardback picture books priced in the $14-18 range, this timeless treasure is a true bargain. Accomplished storyteller Judy Sierra has collected 20 entertaining folktales from around the world, and retells them in read-aloud fashion with fresh style and wit. She put her Ph.D in folklore and mythology to good use while gathering these treats from such far-away places as Bangladesh ("Toontoony Bird"), the Czech Republic ("Kuratko the Terrible"), Nigeria ("The Tortoise and the Iroko Man") and Japan ("Magical Mice"). The Americas are well represented too, from Brazil ("Jabuti and Jaguar Go Courting"), Argentina ("Juan Bobo") and Mexico ("One Good Turn Deserves Another") to the U.S. Southwest (the Pueblo Indian tale "The Coyote and the Lizard"). The books catchy title comes from the irresistibly fun tale from England about a family of noodleheads whose silly antics embarrass the son so much he runs away until he discovers even bigger sillies elsewhere, so he returns home to profitably sell used ice cream cones and fireproof matches to the local numbskulls. And that's par for the course here; each story has its own unique, offbeat charm. Filled with brief and fun stories, "Silly and Sillier" is perfectly hilarious circle-time or bed-time reading, and a wonderful passport taking young imaginations on a fabulous round-the-world voyage.

Broken Feather
Verla Kay, Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn
Putnam/Penguin Putnam
345 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0399235507, $15.99, 32 pages, 1-800-847-5515

Children's author Verla Kay -- renown for her imaginative historical picture books including "Gold Fever," "Iron Horses" and "Tattered Sails" -- continues her winning streak with "Broken Feather," the poetic saga of a fictional Native American boy. As with its predecessors, the book is succinctly written in fewer than 300 words, using a technique the author likes to call "cryptic rhyme." The format is characterized by rhyming couplet verses composed of clipped phrases that outline stories in as few words as possible. This results in rich descriptions that leave lots to the reader's imagination, and gives the illustrator free reign to create rich additional visual subtext. The story is a deceptively simple one about a young Nez Perce boy named Broken Feather. He lives the happy life of a free native, joyously fishing and hunting until his tribe goes to war to protect the land from European invasion. Our heart bleeds for Broken Feather, when he is confined to a reservation, crushing his dreams: "Reservation, anguished cry. Broken Feather, `Father, why?' `There were many, we were few. Now, my son, it's up to you.'" With renewed hope, the story sensitively tells of the heartbreak of the Nez Perce tribe and how they managed to stay proud and stand tall in the face of tremendous adversity.

Quilt Counting
Lesa Cline-Ransome & James E. Ransome
SeaStar Books
11 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010
ISBN 1587171775, $15.95, 36 pages, www.northsouth.com

From the husband and wife team who gave us "Quilt Alphabet," comes this companion picture book based on a one-to-ten counting theme for pre-readers. Simple rhyming text gives glimpses into quiet country living and the traditional bonding family experience of quilt making. For the number three, for instance we see a grandmother, mother and daughter working together on a patchwork quilt: "Inside a family gathers/ three generations stand/ to piece a family history / by joining heart and hand." The count continues with four scissors, five thimbles, six measuring tapes, seven cushions, eight baskets of cloth, nine spools of thread and 10 stitches in a row. A reverse countdown from 10 to one then takes readers outside the farmhouse into the quietly beautiful countryscape. Grandmothers, in particular, will enjoy reading "Quilt Counting" to their own young granddaughters as a lovely bonding experience in itself.

Herbie's Secret Santa
Petra Mathers
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689835507, $15.95, 26 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com

Petra Mathers' newest picture book offers a new episode in her charming series featuring Lottie the chicken and her friends ("Lottie's New Beach Towel," "Dodo Gets Married"). In the holiday story, "Herbie's Secret Santa," ducky Herbie joins Lottie to help her chose a Chrismas tree. But soon Herbie's good deed goes bad when he looses his holiday spirit and greedily does something he shouldn't. When he subsequently feels terrible about his misdeed and struggles with his conscience, every little reader will intimately relate and root for the sad little duck to pull through, keeping his friendship with Lottie intact. "Herbie's Secret Santa" is a pleasant little morality tale wrapped prettily inside a non-stereotypical Christmas adventure. And though just 26 pages, long, most pages, generously feature two pages,-worth of pictures and words, making this a bountiful holiday gift.

Mannekin Pis
Vladimir Radunsky
Antheneum/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689831935, $15.95, 32 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com

Something tells me the author will be pleased that his book nearly made me pee my pants laughing. Subtitled "A Simple Story of a Boy Who Peed on a War," this fearlessly post-modern picture book tells the legendary Belgium tale of the child who stopped a battle with an innocent gesture that taught the world how silly it is to fight. Both figuratively and literally, author/illustrator Vladimir Radunsky (who took on Woody Guthrie in "Bling Blang," "Howi Do" and "My Dolly") boldly paints the mostly-true story with broad strokes. Clipped phrases and childlike art exuberantly tell the story with raw emotion as if being passed down orally to the young readers by an excitable family member. In this context, Radunsky astutely deems factual details unimportant, even when it comes to explaining what all the fighting was about: "But then something happened. The War. Enemies came to destroy the beautiful town. Maybe they were jealous that the town was so beautiful. Oh, what a terrible, terrible war." By the time the little boy stands on top of a wall to, well, take care of business, kids will be gape-mouthed in disbelief. I can't help but wonder if the book's wicked scatological humor will inspire some readers to reinact the infamous event themselves. In the name of peace, of course.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas
Illustrated by Matt Tavares
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763615854, $16.00, 32 pages, www.Candlewick.com

Illustrator Matt Tavares (creator of the award-winning "Zachary's Ball") sure has a way with a pencil. One tiny dot at a time, he fills page after page with eye-poppingly lifelike renderings. His monochromatic, black and white drawings are photographic in quality, giving his work a timeless feel. Here, the illustrator lends his talents to a new picture book of the classic Christmas poem, originally titled "Account of a Visit From St. Nicholas." The heirloom quality book features a cover trimmed in gold foil and mock red-leather binding. Inside, luminous green rectangles elegantly frame each page, rich end papers resemble red-flocked wallpaper, and a lovely "Ex Libris" bookplate invites owners to inscribe their name.

Faithfully republished with the same punctuation it had when originally published in 1823, the anonymous poem (since attributed to Clement C. Moore) offered the first presentation of a jolly, not stern or reprimanding -- Santa Claus. Tavares takes Santa's jolly soul to heart in his joyful renderings. Each illustration is an exquisitely nuanced work of art featuring period architectural details, furnishings and decorative items researched at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Children may not be immediately attracted to the colorless pages, but they'll soon be won over by the images' mesmerizing realism, and Tavares' ability to make young readers feel they are personally witnessing the mysterious and beloved Santa Claus in action.

Born Confused
Tanuja Desai Hidier
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012
ISBN 0439357624, $16.95, 414 pages, www.scholastic.com

Who can resist a protagonist named Dimple Lala? She's a lively, club-going teenager just like anyone else, except that she's not exactly sure who she is: a normal American girl or a dutiful Indian daughter. And now that she's 17, her life is one melodiously complicated mess. She's trying to get over a break up with her boyfriend, but her best friend is smitten with a new boy so in't there when Lala needs her. The last straw comes when her traditional parents make it clear that they wish for Lala to honor tradition by accepting an arranged marriage to a "suitable boy." It's unthinkable to thoroughly-modern Dimple until she discovers the boy in question spinning records in a club.

Written by an Indian-American now living in London, the award-winning author slips every now and then, using British slang ("bloddy bollocks") for her American characters. But Hidier makes it easy for readers to fall right inside Dimple's lengthy story as she struggles to find true love and friendship while discovering her relationship with her own culture. The details are as savory as the chai and masala spices that flavor. Once readers get over the author's odd choice of abandoning quotation marks, the rapid-fire dialog will be hungrily digested. By the end, each reader will find it impossible to imagine a time that they had not loved Dimple "with every Dhage na Dhin, Dhage na Dha of (their) drumming heart."

The Best of Times
Greg Tang, Illustrated by Harry Briggs
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY NY 10012
ISBN 0439210445, $16.95, 32 pages, www.scholastic.com

Math has never been so much fun. Except, of course, with author Greg Tang's two previous picture books that revolutionize the way children can learn math. As with "The Grapes of Math" and "Math For All Seasons", Tang makes numbers exciting by showing young learners how to think outside the box with mathematical word problems and picture puzzles. For "The Best of Times," he does the unthinkable by throwing standard memorization of the times tables out the window. Tang presents an alternative lesson for multiplication that 's bold, playful, practical, extraordinarily effective and deceptively simple. Want to multiply by five, for instance? Don't memorize. Just multiply by 10 then divide in half. Even prime numbers can be simply conquered. For nine Tang writes: "Nine is faster to compute/ if at first you overshoot./ Here's a very clever tack/ do 10 times and then subtract! "What is 9 x 7? It's ten 7's minus 7 " An illustrative example completes each lesson with vivid visuals providing a memorable step-by-step demonstration. It will take multiple readings to fully grasp the lessons and memorize the ten strategic couplets, but that beats flash cards hands down. Kids will be quickly be able to answer Tang's challenge questions even on first reading, and will soon be able to compute huge figures in their heads. These lessons will last a lifetime by giving kids a concrete understanding of numbers that will help them truly understand multiplication process, not simply remember numeric series. Tang has provided a truly revolutionary and valuable tool that deserves a place in every elementary math curriculum.

Christmas in the Country
Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Diane Goode
Blue Sky Press/Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY NY 10012
ISBN 0439073340, $15.95, 32 pages, www.scholastic.com

As comfortable as an old quilt, this new picture book by beloved children's writer Chythia Rylant is a cozy bedtime book to cuddle up to this winter. It's a warm and loving tribute to the holiday season, filled with childhood memories of special moments leading up to Christmas day. Told from the perspective of an adult relating her favorite holiday traditions to her own children -- i.e. the young readers, Rylant begins with the opening of boxes carefully packed with ornaments for the tree, many of which she made herself. When she says that "each ornament reminded me of my whole life," we all know the feeling exactly. We too identify with her small pleasures trimming the tree, singing in the church choir, writing a note to Santa, leaving out a saucer of cookies and a glass of milk, and giddily going to bed. Before we know it, Christmas in the country is over, "but in that close of wool and mothballs, there would be boxes of old ornaments, waiting." Adding to the book's sentimental nature, "Christmas in the Country" marks the reunion of Rylant and illustrator Diane Goode, whose first collaboration 20 years ago resulted in the Caldecott Honor book "When I Was Young in the Mountains."

Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!
Don and Aubrey Wood
Blue Sky Press/Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY NY 10012
ISBN 0439320925, $15.95, 40 pages, www.scholastic.com

"Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!" is a holiday treat is for very young picture book pre-readers who fell in love with the predecessor, "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear." The critter characters are both accounted for (though, somewhat awkwardly, the bear isn' t hungry this time, nor is he seen) in this imaginative story about the joy of giving...and getting. The narrative text is cleverly written as a one-way conversation to the little guy, giving voice to his inner thoughts, and bringing readers directly into the action. This time the silent little mouse is thrilled with all the presents piled under his Christmas tree. When it's suggested that the big, hungry bear, in the cold, dark cave at the top of the hill would do anything for a Christmas present, the frightened mouse panics, and takes drastic measures to protect his stash. But then he realizes how it would feel to not have a single gift, not even from Santa Claus, so he hatches a plan to play Santa himself. He musters up enough bravery to bring a package to his fierce adversary and finds that the big, hungry bear has a big, giving heart too. Parents may not be entirely thrilled that the ending twist ignores the customary holiday message that "it's better to give than receive," but children will be greatly satisfied.

The Donkey's Christmas Song
Nancy Tafuri
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY NY 10012
ISBN 0439273137, $16.95, 32 pages, www.scholastic.com

The latest picture book by Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Nancy Tafuri ("Have You Seen My Duckling?") is a lovely Christmas tale for very young readers. Gloriously wrapped in jewel-tones of purple and blue, "The Donkey' s Christmas Song" is a sweet Christmas gift item, telling a simple tale of the night a special baby was born in a manger a long, long ago. Nestled in his cozy bed of straw, the swaddled babe is serenaded by the animals there. One by one, the doves coo and the cows moo their soft welcome, followed by goats, sheep, mice and chicks. But the shy little donkey is afraid his noisy song will frighten the child, so keeps quiet until the baby smiles at him. Encouraged, he brays his welcome too, with happy results. Early walkers and talkers will enjoy the large, colorful pictures and the Old McDonald-style role call, but most other picture book fans will quickly become bored with the repetitive animal-sound theme and scant text, leaving them to wonder "where's the story?"

Eleonor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine
Kristiana Gregory
Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY NY 10012
ISBN 0439164842, $10.95, 190 pages, www.scholastic.com

Scholastic adds another jewel its crown for its "Royal Diaries" series of historical fiction for pre-teen girls age 9 to 12. "Eleonor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine" is another royal effort, this time written from the perspective of the mischievous 13-year-old daughter of a count in 1136 France. When her father leaves to fight in the invasion of Normandy, Eleonor faces danger from their enemies. She survives but must face new changes when she turns 15 and becomes the politically-strategic bride of 16-year-old Prince Louis VII. Will she rise to the occasion for the sake of her country? Can true love possibly win out when she is on the threshold of become queen? It's the stuff of girlhood dreams. "Eleonor" is a feisty protagonist that contemporary girls will latch onto gladly. The series book designers deserve a tip of the tiara for their richly illustrated covers (here it features an approachably beautiful princess and knight on horseback in front of a stately castle village), gold-rimmed pages,, and gorgeous endpapers, giving the book the elegant feel of a library heirloom.

Milly and The Macy's Parade
Shana Corey, illustrated by Brett Helquist
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY NY 10012
ISBN 04392975401, $16.95, 40 pages, www.scholastic.com

"Milly and the Macy's Parade" is one of the season's most appealing Christmas book gifts for little girls, especially if it comes wrapped in a bright red Macy's box. This sophisticated picture book story about a little immigrant girl with a big idea is sure to warm hearts this holiday season and many seasons to come. To its credit, "Milly and the Macy's Parade" is related with such casual confidence, that it manages to become an instant classic of sorts, by creating a new legend about the creation of the beloved annual tradition. The story is entirely fictional, however, as are the 1920s characters, with the exception of Mr. Macy himself, although he died in 1877, long before the first Macy's parade. But how fabulous it is to imagine a young girl, new on American shores, happily playing and living out her fantasies in her father's workplace, Macy's Department store, among all the "gorgeous" goods stocking the shelves as Christmas approaches. How poignant to see her smile fade when she recognizes that so many adult immigrants are depressed and homesick for their homeland holiday traditions. How exciting to watch Milly bravely tell the powerful Mr. Macy what's wrong with his empire. And how triumphant to see her idea come to fruition! As evidenced by her previous picture book, "You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer," author Shana Corey has a knack for strong young female characters. Here, Milly's strength of character jumps off the page, in no small part due to illustrator Brett Helquist's ("An Unfortunate Series of Events") most finely-realized effort to date. It's a stellar flight of fancy with true emotional resonance that will coax a few adult tears as they read to their own little Millys and remember their own immigrant ancestors.

Vicki Arkoff
Reviewer


Sullivan's Bookshelf

The Extraordinary Voyage Of Pytheas The Greek
Barry Cunliffe
Walker & Company
ISBN 08027l3939, 2002, l95 pages/indexed, $23.00

This is ancient history at its best. Though the focus is on Pytheas, a Greek, who lived in the Greek settlement community of Massalia (today's Marseille, France) on the Mediterranean Sea, the witing covers the Bronze Age and much of the known world's history from about 500 B.C. to l00 A.D> and beyond.

Few, if any, people in those days traveled outside the Mediterranean. The hardy souls who did were daring explorers. Those who ventured out into the scary Atlantic Ocean waters, sailed south, hugging the coast of Africa. Only a handful turned north to follow the coast of what is today, Spain, France, England, Ireland, and Scandinavia, to say nothing of Iceland.

Pytheas wrote "On The Ocean" telling of his explorations into the Atlanic. He discussued many things about it, including the people he encountered, the landscapes seen, and the activities of the inhabitants observed. He also made scientific measurements of the sun from different sites. His valuable book containing all that, however, was lost or destroyed. Perhaps, as is most likely, it burned in the fire at the Great Library in Alexandria, Egypt.

Still, much of the book's contents are known, even down to the present day, because other writers of that era, and later, borrowed substantially from "On The Ocean". It was one of the few sources for such information. .

On the ocean. It was one of the few sources for such information.

Historians like Polybius and Strabo accused Pytheas of being a liar for making up his fantastic travel stories. Professional jealousy seems to have been at the root.

Of what is known of Pytheas' travels, much is, admittedly, confusing and muddled. Not the least of the problems are the various names and multiple spellings given to the same geographic location. But today's scholars are of the opinion that Pytheas did spend time traveling in and around the British Isles. He walked parts of it and sailed around other sections, visiting several of the small islands. His stories about tin mining and the collection of amber and gold sound credible to academic readers. other unique facts that he reported appear to lend further truth to his story.

Perhaps Pytheas' most controversial comments had to do with Ultima Thule, the land of the frozen northern waters where the sun didn't set. Several theories exist about where he was talking about. The strongest theory, according to ancient history experts, would have Pytheas discussing today's Iceland. Did he merely report what others had told him about the place, or did he really travel there? No one knows. And from the remnants of his book's contents that have come down to today, not enough is available to accurately discern the facts. Yet much of his writing and adventures that are known are considered seminal in travel from the known world of the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.

Eventually, he traveled back to his home in Massalia. Perhaps he did so boating down some of Europe's rivers, expecially those of Gaul (today's France). His later life remains a mystery.

Cunliffe writes, "When it was first published, about 320 B.C., "On The Ocean" must have been a shocking book. The Greeks knew virtually nothing of what lay "beyond the Pillars of Hercules" (the Straits of Gibraltar). They were aware, of course, that Europe faced the ocean, an embracing ocean that many believed encircled the known world. They also knew that from somewhere along this mysterious interface came tin, amber, and gold, but that was about all. {...} Pytheas was the first Greek to travel among them to the limits of the inhabited world and to publish a sober description of what he saw. Many would have read his account in sheer disbelief. The world of the Atlantic fringe that Pytheas presented for his sophisticated audience simply did not conform to their comfortable preconceptions.

A University of Oxford professor, Barry Cunliffe has written, previous to this volume, a trio of books on ancient history.

Recommended.

Dear Donald, Dear Bennett: The Wartime Correspondence Of Bennett Cerf And Donald Klopfer
Bennet Cerf and Donald Klopfer
Random House
ISBN 037550768X, 2002, 2ll pages, $25.00

The l942 to l945 letters between the Random House Publishing Company's two founders fills this slim volume. Klopfer, age 40, entered the U.S. Army Air Corps at the beginning of World War II. Cerf, age 43, stayed back in New York City to run their struggling little book publishing partnership.

Cerf, extremely proud of his partner and somewhat envious, wasn't all that keen on Don going off to war. Klopfer eventually became a Major while stationed in England as an Intelligence Officer in the 8th U.S. Air Force with a B24 bomber group.

The far off partner provided Cerf with news of the war, though not in much detail, for obvious reasons. And Cerf gave Klopfer business details, publishing minutia, gossip, and personnel reports. The glee that each man exhibited about the people each knew in their particular business, authors, books obtained, burgeoning sales during the war years, paper shortages, all stated in interesting ways with lots of humor makes the book pleasant to peruse.

Moreover, the genuine brotherly love between these two business partners and close friends can't help but uplift the reader. Both men felt and acted the same way towards their employees, too.

By the war's end, both publishers were rich. And their publishing firm was growing on stable ground. Their primary worry was over the astronomical income tax rate of 96 percent at that time.

Writers will get a knick out of and a revealing inside-look at how publishers feel and act concerning their authors and book sale prospects.

Cerf himself compiled joke books that had substantial sales, providing him with much additional income. He was also seen weekly on TV's "What's My Line?" during the l950s. Here's a small portion of a letter he wrote to Klopfer on October 6, l943: "Dear Don:

I was bowled over by your two letters which arrived here simultaneously yesterday. The thought of you actually flying a plane has me so green with envy that one of our new nearsighted employees on the eighth floor mistook me for an advance copy of Peter Rainier's "Green Fire".

LOVE,
BENNETT"

The book's introduction is written by Bob Loomis, a well-known and highly respected editor in the New York publishing business. Though no compileer, editor, or writer is credited with putting these letters and book together, Phyllis Cerf-Wagner and Lois Klopfer Levy, presumably relatives of the book's subjects, are listed as copyright holders.

This book is recommended.

Jim Sullivan
Reviewer


Skea's Bookshelf

Albion: The Origins Of The English Imagination
Peter Ackroyd
Random House
ISBN: 1856197212, $75.00, hardback, 518 pages

"England is a land of dreams. They think their dreams to be visionary and their visions to be divine."

Peter Ackroyd is, I think, a romantic. Not that I am complaining. His vision of historical continuity in the English character and imagination, from Bede c. 673-735 through to the twenty-first century, is one I rather like. Of course the well-known eccentricity of the English is an ancestral trait; of course we are pragmatic, eclectic, prone to melancholy and, yes, probably bloody-minded, too; of course we have always been self-deprecating, ironic and fond of "low" comedy; and of course we have always complained about the weather. isn't that what it is to be English?.

Well.......maybe.

Ackroyd's enthusiasm is contagious, especially when he discusses London, visionaries, theatre and language, all things he knows a lot about. His breadth of learning is prodigious but lightly worn, and his excursions into strange territory, like forgery, gardens and plagiarism, is often unexpectedly fascinating and provocative. But in spite of all the evidence he brings to support his thesis (and sometimes there does seem to be an awful lot), I found myself constantly thinking "Yes, but...".

Yes, there does seem to be a strong connection in English language and literature with the alliterative verse of the Anglo-Saxons and with our ancestors' patterns of vernacular speech. But did the English love of miniatures really grow from our delight in manuscript grotesques? What about the Mogul love of miniatures, where did that come from? And don't Japanese Haiku and Chinese Bonsai arts demonstrate that same love? Maybe it is a human delight, rather than a peculiarly English characteristic.

And, yes, Ackroyd makes a good case for continuity in our love of flat, intricate, decorative design. But what about the flat, intricate patterns of Arabic art?

Sometimes Ackroyd's gaze seemed to be so focused on England that I kept asking myself what the quintessential, historically based characteristics of the French, the Africans or the Chinese might be, and how similar or dissimilar to the English.

These are quibbles, however, and it is good to be challenged like that. This book (although anything but miniature) in fact displays many of the traits of language and approach about which Ackroyd writes. It is full of antiquarianism, intricately interwoven but flat patterns, miniature portraits, grotesques and visionary dreamers. I particularly enjoyed reading about Bede, a brief history of the English Bible, and the "Mongrel tendencies" of the English language. And I was delighted by the gloom and doom of "It Rained all Night".

Although the theme is constant, there is enormous variety in this book, as just a sample of the chapter headings will show: 'A Land of Dreams', 'Anglo-Saxon Attitudes', 'The Italian Connection', 'And Now for Streaky Bacon', The Song of the Sea', 'I saw you Missis', Femality and Fiction', 'Some more Dunces', 'Ghosts'. And Ackroyd's five-page list of characters is impressive, ranging from Bede (c 670), through (I choose at random) Chaucer, Byrd, Johnson, Pope, Smollett, Sloane, Macaulay, Elgar and Spencer, to Howard Hodgkin (1932).

This is a book to read slowly, and to return to and browse in. It is serious but also full of humour. Learned but also, at times, cheekily daring. Not every chapter is successful, and there is a tendency to list things in the interest of brevity, but on the whole it is a very interesting and absorbing book. I recommend it, even if Ackroyd does prove that my doubts about his thesis stem from my own inherited, quintessentially English individualism and, as he puts it, "disaffection from, or dissatisfaction with, abstract speculation".

The Piano Tuner
Daniel Mason
Picador, Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 0330492675, $ 35.00, hardback, 357 pages
Knopf
ISBN: 0375414657; $24.00, hardcover, 336 pages

Tucked away in the Author's Notes at the end of the book is a memory Daniel Mason has of travelling, as a student of malaria, on a long-tailed boat up the Salween River in Burma. From a "muddy trading post on the banks of a small river a strange sound rose up from the thick bush". What he heard was a piano. "Perhaps", he writes, "it was only a recording, creaking out on one of the dusty phonographs that can still be found in some of the more remote markets. Perhaps. It was, however, terribly out of tune".

Perhaps, too, this was the source of inspiration for his story. The Piano Tuner is imaginative, curious, almost believable, and certainly intriguing. "Edgar Drake, piano-tuner, Erards-a-speciality", is an unlikely hero. Middle-aged, successful, happily married and comfortably settled in the Victorian society of nineteenth-century London, he is suddenly the recipient of a letter from the British War Office requesting his services for an Erard grand piano. Not an unusual request, except that the piano is in the possession of Surgeon Major Carroll in a remote and dangerous part of Burma.

The circumstances surrounding this request are as bizarre as the request itself. Surgeon Major Carroll is clearly a valued but unusual officer. So valued, that his threat to resign if an Erard piano tuner is not immediately sent to tune his piano in the remote Shan Hills is being treated very seriously. But information about him and, more importantly for Edgar, about the true state of the piano which Carroll has transported into the Burmese jungle with him, is not forthcoming. All of which arouses Edgar's (and the reader's) curiosity.

Edgar decides to accept the job, and his journey to Burma is part travelogue, part history and geography lessons, part story-telling and adventure and is wholly absorbing. Mason makes the Burma through which Edgar travels historically accurate and some of the people Edgar meets did, in fact, live there at that time, but this does not constrain the author's imagination. And Edgar's own conservative, unassuming, earnest character makes him so out-of-place in the exotic and strange surroundings through which he travels that this is part of the fascination of his story.

Edgar Drake is an old-fashioned character and in some ways this is an old-fashioned novel and Mason is a good, old-fashioned story-teller. But he also takes some daring risks and carries them off with considerable skill. He begins the book with Edgar's death, and reminds us of it later in the book, but he still holds our interest. He breaks up the narrative with several short stories; he avoids torrid love scenes by keeping his lovers within the bounds of Victorian and cultural moralities; he adds a few lessons on topics which range from the malarial parasite to Burmese folk-lore and superstition; he throws in the occasional letter as an explanatory device; and he adds a touch of the 'True British Hero' and Boy's Own derring-do. But somehow, with his passion for Burma and his fluent, enjoyable prose, he manages to get away with most of this.

The Piano Tuner, is Daniel Mason's first novel and, as the cover blurb says, it is "an elegant and unusually engrossing story". Mason's inventiveness, and the playfulness and skill with which he mixes knowledge and imagination into an unusual, very readable and enjoyable story, make his name worth remembering for the future. Let's hope that he never spends so much time on his studies in biology and medicine that he gives up story-telling.

Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com


Shelley's Bookshelf

Deadly Revenge
Mary Cunningham
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
ISBN: 1401021174, $19.54, www.xlibris.com

Mary Cunningham is a woman of many talents. A resident of the Pacific Northwest, her writing has garnered an award from the Pacific NW Writers Conference. She is a graduate of the Renton Police Department's Citizens Academy and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

In Deadly Revenge, Mary Cunningham presents Detective Spenser Dawson, a sexy and likeable member of the Seattle Police Department. He is the head of a task force formed after the death of Megan McGuire, a business woman and leader who was killed in a fiery car accident after someone cut her brake line. It is up to Spenser Dawson, with a little help from his father J.L. to solve this puzzler:

"'Is your dad a consultant to the police department?' 'No, but he'd like to be, although he doesn't have the training. He's what you might call an armchair detective. He loves to read mysteries, especially the latest crimes by Earl Emerson, Ridley Pearson, and Ann Rule. In fact, he knows most of these Northwest authors because of his connections in the media.'"

Cunningham's writing is crystal clear, with lots of plot twists and turns. She throws in Kari Townsend, head of the O'Neill Foundation, as a love interest and pivotal character in the solution of the murder. Sparks fly immediately between Spenser and Kari, and their missteps in building their relationship provide Kari's friend, Gayla Graham, the chance to become the perfect fairy godmother.

Deadly Revenge is a well-written, meticulously plotted mystery with so many blind alleys that the reader is completely fooled. Cunningham presents fascinating characters and subplots that keep the action moving and the reader glued. Spenser Dawson is a wonderful hero, and his burgeoning relationship with Kari provides lots of clues as to what is really happening. Spenser's father and Gayla provide laughs, love, and a supportive web for the story. The task force is made up of interesting individuals, and Cunningham lets the reader in on lots of police secrets. A great first effort! This reviewer will be watching for more.

Amorous Accident: A Dog's Eye View Of Murder
Joan C. Keating
Astra Publications
209 Matoaka Court, Williamsburg, VA 23185
ISBN: 0967401607, $12.99, www. Astrapublishers.com

Jean C. Keating is a retired aeronautical engineer with NASA. She holds degrees in Physics, Mathematics, and Information Systems, and authored more than 50 reports and studies in her work at NASA and as Research Coordinator for Virginia's higher education board. Amorous Accident was originally published in 1999, and her follow-up is in progress under the title of Brainy Bear: Death Takes Best Of Breed. Her specialty in the dog kingdom is papillons.

Kevin Andrews is called in to investigate a particularly grisly homicide at an animal research lab. No one is too upset about the death of the scientist, Michael Porter, chief of research at a cancer institute. Andrews is a kindly veteran cop who loves animals. He enlists the help of his son and daughter-in-law, who have special expertise in the care of dogs and cats, by claiming two dogs whose future is dire if left in the lab. He has a long list of suspects, as Porter was not a popular figure, and the symbolic death left little doubt that the perp was an animal lover:

"The senior detective paused to sip his coffee before continuing. 'Twill said the victim was killed by having acid poured down his throat, a rather brutal method wouldn't you think?' he asked rhetorically. 'Porter was awake and aware for a considerable time, about four or five very long minutes maybe. There were numerous ways to kill Porter without resorting to torture, if ending his life was the only objective. He was knocked unconscious first with a blunt instrument. He was helpless. Then he was trussed up in that metal rack for some reason and acid was forced down his throat.'"

This remake of the classic Frankenstein/evil scientist story is a most satisfying plot for any dog lovers who worry about what goes on in research labs. Keating does a wonderful job of making the case against animal experimentation, and points out how the financial rewards can and do outstrip the usefulness of such practices. The plot moves along briskly; Keating hides the killer where no one thinks to look; and the characters (including the four-legged furry kind) are sweet beyond compare. Amorous Accident provides good instruction on just how smart and lovable animals are and how they are abused by greedy and sadistic people who belong not in a lab, but probably in jail. But don't fear...the story is compelling and well planned.

Mountain Ice
R.E. Derouin
Hats Off Books
610 East Delano St., Suite 104, Tucson, AZ 85705
ISBN: 1587360861, $15.95 (US); $25.95 (CAN)

Mountain Ice is R.E.Derouin's third David Dean mystery novel, Time Trial and San Juan Solution being the first two installments. Derouin is a resident of Ouray, Colorado, where he writes and occasionally works in the family toy business.

David Dean, ex-cop from Pennsylvania, has relocated to Ouray, Colorado where he and his wife, Cynthia, have recently opened a bed and breakfast called Bird Song. Dean's stepfather Fred also lives at Bird Song. Fred has started an online resale business of auction items. To date, life has been idyllic, until Edith Shipton appears. She and her son Donnie have obvious problems, including hiding out from Edith's abusive husband. But when a 100 year old journal turns up in code, chaos begins to unravel what should be a peaceful vacation paradise:

"Dean looked up at his wife after reading the strange lines. 'Damned! That doesn't sound like any minister's wife I ever knew!' 'What do you make of it?' Cynthia asked cautiously. 'It's obvious. She's a hooker. A prostitute. A lady of the night.'"

Derouin writes a lively mystery chock full of interesting characters, several levels of action, and a grand denouement. He covers a range of subjects from the running of a bed and breakfast to the thrills of ice climbing. His characters range from the quirky Gladys Turnbull, a wannabe writer with a head full of imaginary planets and people with a romanticized version of herself as the heroine, to the sad and tragic figure of Edith Shipton. He creates nice polar opposites even in his character of David Dean, as he struggles with issues he thought disappeared with his career change. David is an admirable hero, though, even as his wife Cynthia puts him through his paces. Dean takes on such subjects as abuse and marital stress in this rich and satisfying mystery.

For anyone who loves a ghost story, Derouin doesn't disappoint. Even while there is an actual murder being planned and executed, Derouin keeps the reader pointed in the direction of an old story that is resurfacing, complete with the shadows of past events. Mountain Ice is a most enjoyable story from a writer who is gaining more and more expertise.

Why Johnny Died
Marlis Day
SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc.
The Sterling Building, 440 Friday Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15209
ISBN: 1563151847, $11.95, www.sterlinghousepublisher.com

Marlis Day has been a teacher for 30 years. She holds a BS degree from Indiana State University and an MS degree from Indiana University. She is also a freelance writer, having published ten articles in Christian magazines and educational journals. Why Johnny Died is her first Margo Brown mystery.

Johnny Benson, a seventh grader with a sweet personality and a rotten home life, is found dead by his mother of an apparent snake bite. Margo Brown is his teacher, and when she reads a journal Johnny wrote for her class, she is convinced that he is too smart to have carelessly picked up a snake. She concludes that he was murdered, but no one believes her, except her colleague Roxy. Together they piece together a chain of facts that implicate their ever so stern principal in Johnny's death. Dr. Fitzbaum transparently tries to dispose of Johnny's journal because it has incriminating evidence, and he would succeed if it wasn't for Margo Brown's penchant for adventure:

"In stunned silence we stared at each other he with his gun in the doorway, and I, seated in his chair with my arms full of his private papers. . . and Johnny Benson's journal. As most school principals, Leo had been given the gift of glare, and could beat me in a starting contest any day of the week. I'm sure my expression was a combination of terror and wide-eyed astonishment, while he was calm and feral."

Why Johnny Died is a mystery with a purpose, as Ms. Day clearly expostulates in her epilogue. Teachers see children from broken homes; children who are abused; and children from homes full of alcohol and drug abuse every day. Because of the legal system, teachers no longer have any real control over their students' lives. Therefore they cannot come to the assistance of children in need. This is a national tragedy. It has pushed good people out of teaching, and made the act of teaching that much harder. Children who are troubled are simply thrown back into the classroom, where they disrupt the atmosphere and interfere with the learning process for all children. Ms. Day writes her extremely entertaining, witty, but sad story to get our attention. Children are the single most important resource we have...thanks, Ms. Day.

Final Respects
F.M. Meredith
The Fiction Works
Lake Tahoe, Nevada
ISBN: 1581247427, $12.95, www.fictionworks.com

F.M. Meredith is in the inner circle of law enforcement, having many friends and relations who are police officers. Meredith has gone along on "ride alongs" with various police departments to get a feel for what the life of a police officer is like. Meredith belongs to the Police Writers' Association, as well as other writers' groups.

Doug Milligan has a true calling for police work. It is all he's ever wanted to do. Unfortunately, his wife Kerrie has no appreciation for his occupation and lacks the grit that is essential to be a policeman's wife. Doug's town used to be quiet, but no longer. There is a funeral home employee who is about to become a psychopath in front of Doug's eyes. Crime is up, and each trip out of the house could be his last. When he is called to assist in a bank robbery, a policeman is shot. His wife Kerrie uses that opportunity to try to derail his dreams, the only job he's ever wanted, and his home:

"All the way to the Navarros', Kerrie raged on about how men with wives and children had no business being policemen. 'It's just too dangerous, Doug, and this incident proves it. It's time for you to begin looking for another job. You don't realize what it does to me to have to worry every time you leave for work, never knowing if you'll be coming home.'"

Final Respects is an inside look at the stresses of police work. Doug Milligan's character has to adjust to an intolerant wife leaving him just as bodies start to multiply. His home has been invaded by a psychopath who murders his babysitter in a twisted and vicious crime. His partner is killed during another police call due to the irresponsible actions of a fellow cop who only has his own career advancement in mind. And to top matters off, Doug is ordered to take a leave just as his family is disintegrating. It would be enough to put anyone under, but Doug has more character than that, although he struggles towards the denouement.

Meredith does a nice job of crafting this tale which portrays the police as human beings who are chosen to protect the rest of us. Doug Milligan is a straight-ahead cop readers will like because he is so accessible. The plot and characters are rich in detail, making this story the "real deal."

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer


Shannon's Bookshelf

The Monster In The Mailbox
T. E. Watson, Illustrated by Mari and Linus Lancaster
Paw Prints Press
2384 Tokay Court, Paradise, CA 95969
ISBN: 1-58478-011-8, hardcover, pp. 32, ages 7-12 years

What can you do to pay back a pesky little brother for all his teasing and pranks? How about telling him there's a monster in the mailbox? That's exactly what Cynthia does, and poor Timmy won't ever look at the mailbox in the same way again.

The Monster In The Mailbox is an imaginative tale about sibling rivalry and fun. Its full color illustrations are bright and detailed. The age range is listed as 7-12 years, but I would suspect that even kids a year or two younger would enjoy this tale.

Manifesting Methods For Would Be Millionaires
Susan James
Vast Five Publishing
Suite 218, 644 Greenville Ave., Staunton, VA 24401
ISBN: 1-59113-181-2, $19.95, 2001, pp. 139, www.susanjames.org

What if becoming a millionaire wasn't about striving to attain wealth, goal setting or aggressive marketing? What if becoming a millionaire was as easy as going to the grocery store?

According to Susan James, consultant and author of Manifesting Methods For Would Be Millionaires, becoming a millionaire IS that easy. In the opening of the book, James says that achieving millionaire status is truly just, "The application of the mechanics of Energy and Spirit toward multimillionaire status."

Using an theory James calls User Friendly Physics, this book reveals how thoughts, not action, create the millionaires of the world. Better yet, she tells us how to change our thoughts and thus raise our vibrations to millionaire status. She tells us how we keep ourselves from becoming millionaires: constant worrying about how we will pay our bills, speaking words that contradict what we say we want for our lives, even our attitudes toward other things unrelated to money. All our words and thoughts are energy and create our reality. So, in order to get to millionaire, we must align the thoughts and words we present to the world, and more importantly, to ourselves, with what we want, not what we don't want.

Divided into a series of 50 essays or "branches," each expanding on the last, this book reveals the recipe for millionaire. Also included is an index of resources for further study and "games" James devised to change our focus from lack to millionaire.

This book is very thought-provoking, revealing where our thoughts go awry, where we can change our attitudes to align ourselves with the financial situation we say we want. It seems so simple: If we need gas for the car, we think about wanting gas and drive to the gas station. We don't complain about not having gas or whine that we won't be able to drive our car when it finally runs completely out. We simply align ourselves with the need for gas, drive to a gas station and fill it up.

Is becoming a millionaire so simple? According to Susan James it is. Maybe if enough of us read and apply her ideas, we'll see how simple it is, too.

You Can Heal Your Life
Louise L. Hay
Hay House, Inc.
P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
ISBN: 0-937611-01-8, $12.95, 1987, pp. 247, www.hayhouse.com

The opening line of You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise L. Hay, is both simple and profound at the same time. "What we think about ourselves becomes the truth for us."

Hay, a metaphysical lecturer, teacher, Science of Mind minister and best-selling author of many books, adds later in the chapter that "All dis-ease comes from a state of unforgiveness" and that "whenever we are ill, we need to look around to see who it is we need to forgive." Hay developed the ideas in this book when, in her dealings with hundreds of people over the years, she began to see that those with similar physical symptoms seemed to carry around similar thoughts and life experiences.

You Can Heal Your Life guides readers through the process of uncovering what has formed our thoughts, what dis-ease has manifested from those thoughts, and how to change to bring health and well-being back to our lives.

Hay's details on healing are thorough and uplifting. The book also contains a list describing physical problems, probable causes and a new thought pattern to alleviate each problem. Covered in the list are everything from gray hair to heartburn to migraine headaches to cancer.

Concluding the book are a more general list of thought patterns to develop for improving the health of specific areas of the body, self-help resources and Louise Hay's own story of dis-ease and healing.

I found the book intriguing, uplifting and hopeful. Some of Hay's final word sum it up simply and completely, "Dis-ease can be healed, if we are willing to change the way we think and believe and act." It's certainly worth a try.

Shannon Cave
Reviewer


Roger's Bookshelf

The Balancing Act: Mastering The Five Elements Of Success
Sharon Seivert
Park Street Press
One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767
ISBN 0892817763, $16.95, Trade paperback, 313 pages

More Americans are talking about seeking balance in their lives. Many of them have actually gone beyond talking and are on the quest. The Balancing Act is one of a number of books that have been written (and will be written) on this topic. Seivert, a business consultant and executive coach, has put together a design that suggests five areas that need to be brought into an appropriate balance for you: Personal Life, Relationships, Leadership, Organizations, and World.

Various chapters of this book are keyed to the five elements; others are presented as being of general interest to the reader. This approach and book organization (the chapters are coded in the table of contents) enables the reader to concentrate, during first or subsequent readings, on those areas of greatest interest. Two appendices and an index provide additional support.

The book is organized into three parts: Finding Your Balance in Life, Relationships, and Work; The Five Elements of Success; and The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts. The first section, pre-chapters, offers almost three dozen pages of introductory material on Finding Your Balance, The Elements of Success, and The Great Ally Inside You. Readers will find a collection of worksheets to engage in some self-analysis before proceeding into the meat of the book.

The text is heavy on spirituality, as opposed to books focused on life activities and common sense advice. Seivert's elements: air, fire, water, and earth are discussed in the context of balancing them in the way you lead your life. If you are receptive to a deep spiritual approach to life, you'll enjoy this book. If you are not engaged by this approach, it will be difficult to connect with this presentation.

The Power Of Minds At Work: Organizational Intelligence In Action
Karl Albrecht
AMACOM
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407374, $24.95, hardcover, 260 pages, 1-800-250-5308

Employers are plagued by a dearth of leadership. Too many companies are populated by people who can't think for themselves and, worse, by people who can think but don't. Today, when brainpower is so critical to an organization's success, we limit ourselves by doing some really stupid things.

If that statement sounds a little brash, challenging, critical, and accurate, you ain't seen nothin' yet! After a quarter century of consulting to all sorts of organizations around the world, Karl Albrecht has earned an enviable reputation---and the bully pulpit to tell it like it is. His messages (and the book is filled with them) need to be heard by people in charge of today's departments, divisions, companies, agencies, and other organizations. We call these people "leaders," but in truth most are really managers or even administrators in leaders' clothing. Their ignorance, ineptitude, and avoidable blunders inhibit performance.

Leaders need to learn more about leadership. They need to understand leadership in its current context and, at the same time, appreciate how we arrived at this place on our journey. They need to appreciate their role, especially the importance of inspiring and supporting people to use their minds. Creativity? Yes, but an amazing proportion of workers can't---or won't---even think for themselves, limiting their potential for achievement.

Consider Albrecht's Law: "Intelligent people, when assembled into an organization, will tend toward collective stupidity." It's Dilbert (r) come to life. Albrecht's assertion is that leveraging the intelligence of an organization can determine the difference between "smart" companies and "dumb" companies. In our increasingly competitive employment environment, companies that allow themselves to be "dumb" (or even just dumber than the competition) may be doomed to extinction. The differentiating factor is leadership, and how well that leadership can utilize the individual and collective intelligence of the organization's members.

This book will grab your attention in the preface and you'll find yourself wanting to keep turning the pages to absorb the knowledge delivered, sometimes irreverently, by the author. Each chapter is filled with insights of past, present, and possibilities that will add to the vital comprehension of how the quality of thinking can help or hinder achievement. A liberal sprinkling of examples, aptly called "Case in Point," bring principles and experiences to life in each chapter. A set of Key Indicators closes each chapter, giving the reader a handy checklist to apply the knowledge gained. This design is very user-friendly.

The first two chapters make the case for smarter organizations. The second section of the book explores Organizational Intelligence, focusing on strategic vision, shared fate, appetite for change, earning discretionary energy, alignment and congruence, knowledge development, and performance pressure. The last two chapters offer the reader some serious guidance in how to make their organizations smarter. Notes at the end of each chapter and a comprehensive 12-page index add value.

The Power of Minds at Work covers a lot of landscape. It's comprehensive, yet delves into sufficient depth to satisfy some of the thought stimulated by his commentary. Yes, you read that sentence correctly: some of your thought will be satisfied. Reading this book will inspire you to go further. Wise leaders will absorb the book, then invite their co-leaders to read and discuss Albrecht's messages....and apply the wisdom that emerges. The content in these pages will generate some rich, productive conversations.

Reviewer's Note: As author of "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Not Enough People," a wake-up call about the shortage of skilled labor in this decade, I urge corporate executives to sharpen their skills in leadership and drawing more from their people. "The Power of Minds at Work" is an excellent tool to build this strength.

Laugh And Learn: 95 Ways To Use Humor For More Effective Teaching And Training
Doni Tamblyn
AMACOM
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814408455, $25.00, Hardcover. 256 pages, 1-800-250-5308

While it contains a lot of good ideas, this book will not make the list of books every trainer should read to be successful. Tamblyn pulls together a number of proven training techniques and principles, but the book lacks the depth of numerous other books in the field.

The author is a former comedienne turned trainer, with her seminal experience at the state of California's school for errant drivers. Not exactly a corporate setting. She tries to be funny and mix in research on humor. Is this a training book or a humor book? I'm not enthusiastic about either objective being accomplished well, particularly compared with other work in the field that has greater depth and value.

In the introduction, as Tamblyn begins the lightness of the book's style, I read, "Therefore, I herewith offer this personal guarantee: If you don't laugh at least once while reading this book, I will eat a raw Japanese sea urchin. I swear. All you have to do is write." As a serious reviewer, even noting her lighthearted treatment of her topic, I wondered more than once how much she likes raw Japanese sea urchins.

The AMACOM editors have contributed by supporting some good organization to the book, including an index of the 95 techniques immediately following the table of contents and acknowledgements. Each chapter ends with a pause for reflection (write in the spaces provided what you got from this chapter) and a Next Steps section. Techniques presented in the book are tied back to theoretical introductions with side notes on the pages and readers are supplied with call-out quotes to read throughout the book.

The author and editors attempted to accomplish several things in one volume, but didn't make a sufficient connection or case, in my opinion. There is some value here for less experienced trainers, but such readers might be better served by the writings of Bob Pike and Leslie Yerkes. If you know something about the field already, this book may be a disappointment.

Successful Talent Strategies: Achieving Superior Business Results Through Market-focused Staffing
David Sears
AMACOM
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407463, $29.95, hardcover, 248 pages, , 1-800-250-5308

The lexicon birthed a new word not so long ago: talent. No, actually the word is not new, but the way the word is applied as taken on new meaning. "Talent" now describes the people who work for an organization, with a particular focus on the skills, knowledge, and capabilities they bring. Talent is more than just workers; it's the collective capacity of people to contribute to the achievement of results. The concept of talent, as the definition is evolving, links the application of competence to fulfillment of corporate strategy. While some may argue that the difference between "workers" and "talent" is merely semantic, others will assert that the engagement of human capability-from education, experience, expertise, and leadership-adds considerable value to viewing employees as mere human resources.

This concept of "talent" and its appropriate productive use is getting a lot of attention in various books and periodicals. Jim Collins in his book, "Good to Great," talks about having the right people---in the right seats---on the bus. Why? Having the most talented people to perform particular jobs is critical to an organization's success.

Most organizations don't have the right mix of people--talent---assigned to the right roles. And, to exacerbate the problem, they're burdened with too many people who, for various reasons, should no longer be employed by the company. The unavoidable consequence is that the organization is seriously inhibited in its drive to achieve its strategic objectives.

This potential-limiting condition can be overcome through effective talent management. This practice must be deeply imbedded in the corporate value system, touted by its leaders and enforced by its managers. Note that talent management is not a human resources issue; it's a leadership and management role. Human resource professionals have a part to play, but its not their game.

Sears begins his book with a vital section on the relationship between talent strategies and business strategies. They are inextricably linked; success at one strategy is interdependent with success in the other. It is obvious that attracting and engaging the right talent at the right time is essential.

In my work as a strategic business futurist concentrating on workforce and workplace trends, I have forecasted that the management of this linkage will influence the very survival of organizations. In our book, "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People," we sounded a wake-up call for corporate leaders about the severe shortage of skilled labor coming in this decade. A major part of the solution---to avoid extinction---is talent management, and Sears teaches the process in his book. There is a clear and powerful congruence between anticipated challenges and recommended solutions.

Sears addresses how to build, deliver, and measure talent strategies in the second section of "Successful Talent Strategies." From his perspective as a consultant with significant experience in the human resource field, explains, with ample examples, just how talent management works. Charts and graphs illustrate the journey, with the message continually connected to corporate strategy. The message is that talent strategy is driven by corporate strategy. The acquisition and application of talent, inside and outside the organization, enables leaders to achieve desired results.

This insightful how-to book will take some concentration to read and "get." Not every leader nor experienced human resource professional will be able to fully immerse and gain the considerable value of this book. But that's what separates people who make things happen from those who wonder what happened. The convergence of trends will move us along at an increasingly rapid pace. If you want to be one of those who makes things happen, by understanding, developing, and applying cohesive strategies, read this book.

The One Minute Millionaire
Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
Harmony Books/Random House
280 Park Avenue, 8th floor, New York, NY 10017
ISBN 0609609491, $19.95, Hardcover, 388 pages, 1-800-726-0600

Two authors, both of whom have done well in their worlds, have teamed together to provide inspiration, methodology, and a platform for growth. The design of the book is unique, as are some of the ideas. If you're ready and receptive, this book could be helpful to you.

Let's look at the inspiration side first. And it is inspiration "side." The right hand pages of the book, differentiated by a purple border, are the inspirational book. The story is intriguing, though it stretches the imagination at times. Several important messages are included, such as teamwork, networking, creativity, and tenacity. A literature critic could probably tear the story apart, but, like Celestine Prophesy, it conveys the authors' theme. The reader's thoughts are stimulated, pulled along with curiosity about what happens next, then massaged with the idea that the story line-though a stretch-is not impossible.

The left-hand pages of the book are a step-by-step process, a methodology. Some of the content has been around before, but bears repeating. Parts of this section seem a bit contrived, but the reader can still pick up the gist of the message.

Are there any guarantees? No. Is there enough here to provoke your thinking, and perhaps your action, to increase your wealth. Yes. Will everyone who reads this book "get" the message and take action? No. This book needs to be taken in context as a stimulator with no guarantees. The authors are both millionaires; through the ups and downs of life, they've made it.

At the start of this review, I used the word "platform." What you learn in these pages can be a platform for your financial [and spiritual (tithing is recommended)] growth. Engaging with the authors will also give them a platform to sell you seminars, follow-up learning tools, and more. They invite you several times to their website. If you take them up on this offer, expect to hear from them on a regular basis. While this process will probably help Hansen and Allen to increase their wealth while helping others, it may also give some readers more ideas on what they can do.

My thoughts were stimulated, though I found the one-side of the page reading to be a bit distracting. I don't know that I'll follow the paths the authors recommend, but I'm thinking more about more clearly mapping and treading my own path.

Work Naked
Cynthia C. Froggatt
Jossey-Bass, Inc.
989 Market Street, 5th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
ISBN 0787953903, $24.95, hardcover, 294 pages, 1-800-225-5945

Let go. That's the message to corporate leaders who have decades of reinforcement that their job is to control the people who work for them. There's a new game in town-a new way of operating that releases creativity, boosts productivity, and drives more profit to the bottom line.

This new approach involves stripping away the old ways of thinking about managing. It means removing policies that inhibit employees in their self-driven initiatives to do truly amazing things. The new approach suggests that people can work from anywhere without the traditional trappings to achieve results far beyond current reality. In a phrase, the new approach allows people to work naked, without constraints. Froggatt, a consultant specializing in aligning workplace strategies with business plans, describes the process as "shedding the layers" of control, overwork, conformity, hierarchy, poor communication, geography, and unproductive work environments to release the bonds.

While explaining the problems, Froggatt presents the principles that can empower a leadership team to change the way their company does business. Eight simple principles: initiative, trust, joy, individuality, equality, dialogue, connectivity, and workplace options. Some leaders will read this book and stick it on a shelf to gather dust. Others will really "get" the message and will transform their organizations. With the content of this book, and the way it is presented, transformation will not be that difficult . . . for the enlightened leaders. Unfortunately, we have far too few leaders who fit into that category. Hopefully this book will win a few more converts.

Do not expect policies, contracts, procedures, systems, and all that sort of garbage in these pages. No, this book is about people and principles. The pages are rich with concrete examples that will be an inspiration to readers who are inclined to adhere to the concept of working naked. Checklists, bullet-point lists, charts, diagrams, and plenty of chapter subheads make this book superbly readable. Adding to the value of "Work Naked" is an astonishingly detailed 13-page index and a index-like list of the companies profiled in the book. Over ten pages of chapter notes await you at the end of the book and a concise summary awaits you at the end of each chapter.

I read this book with a high degree of interest, from my perspective as co-author of "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People." Our book talks about the coming severe labor shortage and how many companies are headed for extinction. "Work Naked" supplies the treasure map for employers who want to avoid extinction and thrive instead.

Highly recommended!

Roger Herman
Reviewer


Pogo's Bookshelf

Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment Of Animals And The Holocaust
Charles Patterson
Lantern Books
1 Union Square West, Suite 201, New York, NY 10003
1930051999, 2002, 296pp, ppbk, 20.00 US, http://www.lanternbooks.com, http://www.booklightinc.com

Caught like a child sleeping all the rubbish under the bed to make the room look clean, Charles Patterson unexpectedly opens the door to the ugly secrets of society, the dirty habits that we hide under the public carpet. A corpse beneath the floorboards still rots, eventually its corruption pervades the rest of the house. In a society dependent on MacDonalds, Pizza Hut or Kentucky Fried Chicken, no one would keep the dead pig in the bathtub or the butchered steer in the cellar; it's so much neater to get it in celluloid package, between the buns or deep-fried in the Colonel's special batter, so much cleaner on the fingers when you can you an alcohol moistened towel or napkin to touch up.

But did you ever stop to think about what you eat between the Botox treatments and the Avon parties? Envision your pink poodle neatly filleted and fried into a nice golden poodle schnitzel between to cripsy sesame seed buns with tartar sauce and lettuce, sprigged up with Idaho sweet white onion rings. Mmmm! Finger-licking good. Just a little bit tough and sinewy, but good for those maxillary muscles to get some serious exercise; but wouldn't it taste better if it were manufactured better? A little plumper? A little more tender? A little younger? Why talk about terrorists when we live among human vampyres? And what about the victims of our selfish gratification? Angry with your boss? Mad at your teacher? Didn't like the way someone looked at you? Lost a job? Then pick up a gun and kill someone. It's the American Way of Life.

With so little repect for human life, there's less for animals. Not only do we eat them, but we wear them on our feet, feed their bones to herbivorous bovines and make soap out of them. Wearing a leather jacket is cool, but we'd cringe if it were human. Patterson strips away the facade to take a closer look inside:

"One meat inspector who worked at a "distress kill plant" in the Midwest described the plant as the end of the line for worn-out sick and crippled pigs: "Most of these animals aren't that old, they're just abused malnourished, frostbitten, injured. Lot of DOA's [dead on arrivals]. Sows with broken pelvises who pull themselves around with their front legs, scooting along on their rumps for so long they get emaciated. They call them 'scooters.'" The meat from these distress kill plants that passes inspection gets used for sausages, hot dogs, pork by-products, and ham, while condemned animals get renedered into animal feed, cosmetics, plastics, and assorted household and industrial products." (p115)

And although we read Anna Sewell's classic, Black Beauty, we never seem to learn the basic lessons of it, brushing away the maudlin tears of sentimentality easily. Outraged, onlookers and nonparticipants will boycott the annual steeplechases to protest against the senseless endangerment of horses as they leap across barricades and water hazards. We sympathize with a wheelchair hero, fallen from the horse in a public competition; but have little sympathy for the animals themselves:

"Perhaps no animal is more "downed" and vulnerable than a female giving birth. Sue Coe witnessed a birth at the Dallas Crown packing plant in Texas, which kills 1,500 horses a day for the European market, mostly France. When she arrived at the plant, Coe noticed a white mare in distress in front of the nearby restraining pen. Coe recorded what she saw: "Two workers use a six-foot whip on the horse as she gives birth, to get her to speed up and go onto the kill floor. The foal is thrown into a spare parts bucket. The boss in his cowboy hat observes from the overhead walkway." (p116)

Considering the correlation between horse slaughter and death penalty, it's a wonder if there aren't more. Be sure to read the miniscule print on the powdered soup.

Where did it all begin? How can it be justified? How much meat can a person eat and how much does one actually need in a society where nearly every week there is a recall on contaminated meat printed on the headlines of the online newspapers that screams not only across the continent, but also across the international dateline? When was the last time you hummed that wonderfully lively tune, All things great and small, the Lord God made them all.", or read the classic
by James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful?
Is it an aberration of Darwinism handed down and improved upon by Henry Ford, or is it inherrent in man's history and culture?

"In a lecture which the environmentalist and social critic Ian MacHarg gave on the question of Western man's attitude toward the natural world, he said, "If you wanted to find one text which, if believed and employed literally, or simply accepted implicitly, without the theological origins being known, will explain all the destruction and all the despoliation by Western man for at least these 2,000 years, then you do not have to look any further than this ghastly calamitous text..." (p16) indicating the opening of Genesis through which Christianity rationalizes the superiority of man over all the other living things. However, not content to be merely the ruler over the lesser creatures, Western man has also consistently classed other races as being subordinate or subhuman; particularly noticeable from the 16th century. European voyagers and colonists graphically compared other cultures and nations with animals, the Hottentots with turkeys and apes and classing negroes as animals and enslaving them in conditions that no country squire would impose upon his hounds. With the advent of scientific thought came craniological studies and psuedo theories of human inequality which was "based on the gender, and class that set white European males above non-Europeans, women, Jews, and at the bottom of the ladder, Africans. Western scientific thought accepted as self-evident the superiority of the white race and the possession of greater intelligence by the educated and wealthy." (p29)

With such mentality, nearly anything can be justified, especially with the invention of that new American field of study, eugenics. First there is the justification that other peoples are subordinate and akin to animals, comparing Japanese to "yellow dogs" or "beastly little monkeys", Chinese to "pigs", Jews to "vermin" or "parasites" of society. With such transferred attributes, it becomes easy to justify the "ethnic cleansing" of a culture or country. Vilifying a group of people systematically dehumanizes them and "makes mass murder less terrible to the murderers..." (p47) In a society immune to the slaughter of animals, the degradation of human beings facillitates their annihilation much more smoothly, especially when formulated on the efficiency of Model T Ford assembly-line transferred to the American slaughterhouse.

Nor is this a new subject for consternation, as it was Upton Sinclair who first graphically described the corrupt environment of the slaughterhouse with its brutality and putrid stench in The Jungle, first published in 1906. Nearly a hundred years later, the meat and packing industry are still making disclaimers regarding the abuses of corruption and brutality, although the results are frequently headlines in newspapers calling for the return of contaminated meat. But why? Stamped with the USDA Seal of Approval it should be Grade AAA to eat and not swept up from the dirty sewers of the street. What ho? Did God make cattle to eat corn and ingest ground bones? And live short lives on feed lots and get steroid shots? Sentimental and suffering from amnesia we close our eyes, unwilling to admit the guilt of the past. America loves eugenics and is infatuated with the ideal whether the ideal woman with Botox celluloid skin or the ideal veal raised to be killed.

What was America's contribution to the War? Especially in the early years? "Daddy what did you do during the War?" is still a very awkward question for the a guilty nation that lead the world in the studies of eugenics, endorsed sterilization of criminals and preventing the procreation of the defective and physically unfit. " Davenport, who quickly emerged as the leader of the movement in America, described eugenics as 'the science of the improvement of the human race by better breeding.'" (p83)

"Davenport and other eugenicists believed that social deviation was genetically determined and that criminality was the result of bad genes. Their proposed solution to social problems was to keep people whodeviate from acceptable social norms from reproducing. ... Davenport advocated examining the family history of all prospective immigrants so that people with "imbecile, epileptic, insane, criminalistic, alcoholic, and sexually immoral tendencies' could be identified and kept from entering the country. he also advocated compulsory sterilization of genetically defective people "to dry up the springs that feed the torrent of defective and degenerate protoplasm..." (p84) and compared human matings to horse-breeding.

Patterson carefully establishes the correlation between the American development of eugenics and sterilization to the implementation of them in Nazi Germany. And although, the arguments from the Eugenicists are persuassive, there is never any substantial base on how to evaluate patients for being feeble-minded or having inferior genetic make-up. Who decides? "The captions and commentaries of Erbkrank and other Nazi propaganda films about "hereditarily ill" people, describe them as "creatures," "beings," "existences," "life unworthy of life," "idiots," and "travesties of human form and
spirit." (p96)

In reflection, we see the long shadow over Nazi Germany and witness the shadows escaping from the chimneys. It isn't only that Jews were labelled vermin or rats to be herded like pigs and consigned to open cattle cars but that the slaughter is systematized based upon the methods of the slaughterhouses:

"In 1942, not long lafter German psychiatrists sent the last of their patients into the gas chambers, the journal of American Psychiatric Association published an article that called for the killing of retarded children (nature's mistakes)" (p106) Himmler, a chicken farmer, intent on improving the methods, was not the only member of the enormous machinery that was trained to raise and slaughter animals. There were others as well. And the means of herding animals and people to the killing floors are similar.

"At Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka, the "tube" was the final passage that led to the gas chambers. At Sobibor the tube consisted of a path, three or four yards wide and 150 yards long, which was fenced in on both sides with barbed wire intertwined with branches. SS men and their auxiliaries drove their naked victims through the tube to the gas chambers..." (p112)

When will it ever end? When will it ever end? When you pick up your double Mac sandwiched between the sesame seed bun and realize that it was once a living animal and put down the brass knuckles, knife and gun to respect both your fellow man and fellow creature? Unheard, unseen, undefended the animals are massacred in their Eternal Treblinka.

Charles Patterson's book is heavily documented and indexed. A must read for those who care about the living and the dead.

Globalize, Localize, Translate: Tips And Resources For Success
Thei Zervaki
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
075967566X, 112pp, 2002, .pdf, $13.95 US, ppbk available, 1-800-839-8640, www.1stbooks.com

Thei Zervaki introduces us into the personal world of globalized commerce by systematically defining the terminology and then the practical application of strategy. With the intervention of the Internet, the worlds of private and global interests collide, forcing the innocent bystander to become a hitchhiker to the universe.

What is globalization? Is it lethal? Will it bring irreversible harm to my kin and country? Although the historic Battle of Seattle has already been forgotten and the Roving Mobs of Prague have long dispersed into yesterday's fog, the consumer finds himself in the international market square with high-tech construction and cyber communication on every side.

But where fits the individual in this high-tech Metropolis? Thei Zervaki provides the map for the ambitious freelancer and entrepeneur to pursue. Like a good Scout leader, she provides the handbook and the accoutrements necessary for finding the way through the often hostile high-tech cyber-jungle that exists on the internet. How does the individual enter into the cyberuniverse and what is the interface between the person and the corporation? Where do the interests intersect?

No one likes to deal with the faceless, inhuman corporation, but between the great and small there must be a medium that translates mutual interest and delivers assurance that each other's interest is significant or business can't get done. Although we may accuse big business of being purely self-interested, we know that inflated egos of a corporation can get overblown and burst; then you, the insiginificant mousy individual, are important. Take away the walls of a skyscraper and lift off the lid and you'll find people inside. Whether a company is big or small, the biggest problem is still communication that can effectively translate across cultural barriers and talk in local tongues. Stop again to think whether globalization is your friend in need, because it needs your personal skills. Reconsider how it can help you to achieve your goals and open your frontiers to new careers and possibilities that you never dreamt of before. Thei Zervaki questions how a Californian company could globalize raisin cookies and then systematically responds by establishing a hypothetical system, including the complicaitons and problems of advertising and distribution. What is seriously needed? A website and skills for international communication to people at the foreign local level:

"It would: create a multilingual website, register it in different countries and research engines, find a distributor in local countries, educate them and offer customer services locally in local languages. This is the minimum requirement." (p19)

A website is never enough. Going onto the big scale becomes impersonal, particularly on the crowded information highway where websites are packed more densely than the cars parked on a Los Angeles highway during rush hour with a fifty-car collision. Even the ambulance weaving through the lanes, must stop to investigate each car to find out about possible injuries. It's time- consuming and intensive searching.

The difficulty is to make the two parties, global and local, meet at the edge of the cyber universe. The software, website and products must be perceived as being developed and supported from within the culture and country that's being targeted. This requires the intimate knowledge possessed by local people, whether the particular dialect or the liking for orange walls in the kitchen with green currtains. The goods offered must be able to match the expectations of the local inhabitants and pass the safety and industrial standards of that particular country. This also requires specialization of knowledge within the targeted country. Who are the spies that can seek out the milk and honey on the other side, but the inhabitants themselves.

In crossing over to the Global sector, Zervaki presents guidelines and tipsheets to eliminate risks and increase the chance of success by providing detailed outlines and bulleted summaries of things that can go wrong. She offers shrewd tips and checklists for evaluating vendors and freelancers for their professional skills. Even with the reduced risk of getting a bad translator, freelancer or vendor, there's still the method of translating the work across into a tangible system of operation. The work might be outsourced, but also there must be guarantees that it gets delivered at the proper time and that the payment or penalties are also transferred.

What do localization vendors do? They translate, format and adapt copy and technical documentation for implementation by the client to suit the local demands and special needs. How can a company choose one? Zervaki provides guidelines for making executive decisions and for spotting problems . She itemizes the criteria for selecting a suitable vendor, giving valuable advice on testing the situation in order to eliminate possible complications. Things that must be considered are from the bottom to the top, whether the operating sysms are compatible between the companies' computers and making the method of word count clear. Why? Because payment is frequently based upon it. It isn't trivial or frivolous, but budget-related. Reputation of fair payment also helps the companies image as unfair payment complaints frequently take wings and scream.

Leaving no detail out, Zervaki also identifies the different modes of translating, whether human or computer assisted translation, giving the strengths and weaknesses of each. She identifies particular difficulties in the communication system, giving tips on how to eliminate them. Jargon and sophisticated terminology lead to misunderstandings. Keep it Simple Stupid is now an international motto for success. Time zones and holidays present other conflicts and complications. Before you advertise for Sadie Hawkins Day, be sure that the inhabitants share similar sentiments.

Fully half the book is free resources to help you find the path that leads through the interglobal jungle. Whether worksites or software, dictionaries or translation services, Zervaki has made a point of including it for your personal support. Exceptionally well-organized, clearly written with a detailed outline, Zervaki's book is the hitchhiker's handbook to the global universe.

Pogo, Reviewer
pogomcl@dowse.com


Miki's Bookshelf

A Matter Of Fear
Seymour Shubin
Five Star Books
295 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Waterville, ME 04901,
ISBN: 0786243104; $24.95 1-800-223-1244

With A Matter of Fear, Seymour Shubin has produced one of his finest and most compelling novels. To say that he has outdone himself would be to imply he has gone beyond some of his other fine works, but of course that's impossible. However, A Matter of Fear will certainly rank high on anyone's list of Shubin's best, along with his Edgar-nominated The Captain. Let's say that he at least equals his other literate and compelling crime novels here.

In a 1970s era setting, Tom Loberg, age 28, lands a job with a vanity arm of a medical publishing house. The imprint issues books the editors don't think will sell particularly well, but that doctor authors will pay to have in print. Tom, though he doesn't like the job or respect his supervisor Sam Glennie, is glad to get a position that will possibly lead to better editorial jobs elsewhere. In the meantime, he meets a girl and falls in love--and acquires a manuscript through her connections. All is day-to-day routine at work until Tom's boss Glennie turns up drowned in the river--a suicide. But maybe not. Maybe Glennie had every reason to live. When Tom begins to think the death was murder, he tries to work out who and why against a peculiar background filled with odd, yet thoroughly believable characters.

Shubin's greatest gift to his readers with this book is his authenticity. The realness of his people and their environment set fire to the suspense, and we, along with Tom, feel for Glennie and the bereaved wife and want to find out how such a thing could have happened. We're carried along right with our protagonist in no uncertain terms. Tom is purely sympathetic, from his reactions to his job, to his growing relationship with Tina, to his identification with Glennie whose life was sucked dry by this terrible workplace.

Tom is a wonderful character, a young man who is wise to the world and growing weary, but who can be caught by the genuineness of a new love and who has a wonderful sense of humor he isn't afraid to exercise.

Shubin, who has had many prior successes, has triumphed with this one, the pages of which readers will scarf up like potato chips. This is a fast and riveting read, different from the numerous pre-plotted stories that have proliferated in the marketplace over the last decade or so. I would definitely suggest this one to real crime fiction fans. No, it's not a cozy, nor is it hardboiled--neither cats nor bloody corpses spoil the fun. G. Miki Hayden, author of Writing the Mystery, a Macavity winner and Agatha and Anthony nomination.

Bad Actors
Kit Sloane
Deadly Alibi Press
P.O. Box 5947, Vancouver, WA 98668-5947
ISBN 1886199183, $16.99, December 2002, 212 pages, trade paper.

Something about the stunning old Hollywood building Gregory McPurdy High, where Margot O'Banion Lake went to school "a hundred years ago," as she puts it, scares the living hell out of former students. And rumors about old murders there are rife. But what a building, and director Max Skull, Margot's sweetie, has decided to do some shooting inside, no matter how much Stan Blevins, the art director, opposes the use of the creepy location. Soon, Stan tumbles off a scaffolding 30-feet in the air and is out of the action-- maybe permanently. And, in the meantime, Max must promote the idea of the movie to school administrators, who don't want a film crew sullying their hallowed halls. Max decides to make the school an icon "like Hitchcock's The Birds did for that white church up in Bodega," a concept that doesn't overly impress Margot, who will be editing the movie once it's filmed. A great unease settles over the proceedings and Margot, steeling herself yet again to do battle with the forces of evil, begins to investigate.

Author Sloane's greatest gift lies in her creation of an unsettling atmosphere. Her characters become shrill and threatening, while buildings and the shadows cast upon their walls inspire dread and loathing in the reader. But this isn't horror for those fearful of that. We're still in the realm of the humanly mysterious and, with time, and Margot's dogged determination, we'll see what's what in the cold light of day.
Sloane knows how to keep the tension up and the lights/camera/action rolling along. Her people have a natural instinct for the dramatic to the delight of those with book in hand, scrambling to find out the end and uncover the solution to the puzzle. What happened when--and why--and how does all that influence the present-day enigma of a legacy of the past, that's what we cannot rest until we find out.

Bad actors is a term that applies not just to those who tread the boards of a stage, or sweat under the klieg lights used in film. The expression also applies to would-be felons who commit criminal behaviors--such as murder.

Take this book with you wherever you go. Until you're finished reading, you actually won't be able to stop.

A Loyal Character Dancer
Qui Xiaolong
SoHo Press
853 Broadway , New York, NY 10003
ISBN 1569473013, $25.00, hardcover, 351 pages, sohopress.com

What a relief! Book two in the (People's Republic) Inspector Chen saga meets the high expectations aroused by Qui Xiaolong's first, Death of a Red Heroine. A Loyal Character Dancer is just a damn good mystery--a police procedural of the first water, dangling clues like fish-meal dumplings in front of our noses and leading us on a hunt for the wife of a man slated to testify in a crucial people-smuggling case in the U.S.

No investigation in China is easy, though. Chen first discovers a body in Bund Park and wants to undertake the solving of the crime, but everything here is political, start to finish, and he's given the case of finding the missing woman, instead. Well, no, not given the case to solve it, exactly, but presented with the task of escorting Inspector Catherine Rohn from the U.S. Marshals Service around Shanghai. Chen is asked to keep her busy, show her the sights, while supposedly conducting the investigation going on hundreds of miles away. But that's China for you, and that's what makes a police procedural written against this background such a delight. Troubles abound here when good people try to bring the bad ones to justice and many of those difficulties arise simply due to the system itself.

Reading A Loyal Character Dancer offers us the exotic land of China in all its complexity, with neither the Revolution nor the Cultural Revolution ever forgotten. We discover a still-thoroughly traditional China entrenched in. but not extinguished by, the peculiarities wrought by Communism--a China where an herbalist works on a Karioke-bar Mr. Big Bucks and from which the influence of the criminal triads has never disappeared.

SoHo Press has made a big success--at least a literary one--by bucking the mainstream insistence that Americans won't read mysteries set in overseas locales unless the protagonist is thoroughly a U.S. type. That theory is just another irksome example of the dumbing down of literature to appeal to the `masses,' but thank goodness for SoHo and books like Death of a Red Heroine and A Loyal Character Dancer. These wonderfully constructed mysteries share a background closer to that of Inspector Morse and the 87th Precinct tales than to Chinese opera. Any mystery lover will understand what author Qui Xiaolong is striving for and achieves in A Loyal Character Dancer.

As the now St. Louis-based professor did in his Anthony-winning Death of a Red Heroine, Qui Xiaolong has concocted a superb and classic tale of crime investigation, one with memorable secondary characters and fascinating cultural intrigue. We must thank the author for taking us into a very up-to-date Communist China and presenting us with the full scope of so much that goes on there. The book is a stunning success, intricate and entertaining in the extreme. G. Miki Hayden, author of Pacific Empire--":people whose vibrant existence on the page is never in doubt:" NYTimes.

G. Miki Hayden
Reviewer


Michael's Bookshelf

Hiding Tree
Ramon Harris
Writer's Showcase Press
ISBN: 0595149944, Price $15.95, 324 Pages, http://www.amazon.com

Laura Kahl, Director of Analysis for Laughlin Corporation, is a 37-year-old computer programmer on the career fast track. Her other interests include art and rescuing animals. 5'7", long boned and pleasingly muscled with almost no adipose tissue. Lustrous chestnut hair, lively wide-set emerald eyes in a freckled oval face. Brains and beauty, and a kind heart.

When she is passed over for a promotion and told that she's losing her edge, she realizes that she despises her lonely life. Depleting the world's resources in the name of oil science, the frantic pace and the insane hours, glass ceilings, growing tough in a male dominated world, no one to share with, no one who matters. But where can she go from here?

A lawyer in the small town of Williams, Arizona calls to tell her that her great Aunt Sarah has left her a safe deposit box. When she makes the trip to open it, the adventure begins. There's a Civil War mystery to be solved, thousands of miles from her San Francisco home.

Always a plunger, Laura Kahl accepts the inheritance challenge while struggling to save her career. Super-talented friends help unravel the mystery. (Maybe she wasn't as lonely as she first thought.) There's Pablo Beckman, a wealthy retired attorney, and Bo Didier, a young computer genius. Together the unlikely pair find a faint trail back through centuries to a very different time and place. Murderous rivals track their every move. Laura's life is on the line. Innocent friends are badly injured. Now she would go back if she could, but that's out of the question. She fights deadly enemies as she's never fought before, while facing unpleasant truths about her own motivation.

The reader gets some clues from flashbacks to 1861, 1867 and 1931, but nothing to help the characters. Obstacles include lack of money, corporate corruption in the past and the present, thieves and Pinkerton agents.

It's not an easy mystery to solve. Fortunately, the author was not lazy here. He put in the hours and did the painstaking research. The result is an enjoyable, wholly credible novel that carries the reader right along.

The author lives in small-town Arizona, in a remote desert location, and his love of the countryside shows in his descriptive passages. He successfully makes the corporate world feel like the Kafkaesque monstrosity that it can be. With the large cast of characters, wide variety of times and places, and careful attention to descriptive detail, the reader is awed by the sense of history in a place that he may have originally thought of as boring.

My major complaint is that the publisher chose to disable printing in the e-book, and I hate reading on a computer screen. But for this book, I did it in a single sitting. It's a page turner, well worth reading.

Brotherhood: Infinity To Zero
John Ling
Great Unpublished
ISBN 1588984869, $7.99 ebook / $16.99 paperback, 406 pages, http://www.greatunpublished.com/

Do you like pulse pounding, nonstop, over the top spy action? Assassins, guns, moral dilemmas? Is James Bond a bit too mild for you? If so, then you will absolutely love this book.

Ling's goal was to merge a mainstream action thriller with Christian symbolism and Chinese culture. It sounds like a daunting task, and yet this man has pulled it off beautifully. I found it extremely difficult to stop reading and do what I most needed to do, which was sleep. He's that good.

John Ling was born in Malaysia, and he currently lives in Malaysia. What he's done in between is anybody's guess. But I do know this. The man can write!

Many "spy" novels are all about action and never about character, setting, credibility, etc. That's not the case in Brotherhood. It's all there. The action is intense. Since the author is not from the West, he invents phrases we've never seen before. Phrases that we should have seen before. I love this man's command of the English language. I chuckled at some of the goriest bits of the book, simply because of the language. I love it when that happens.

Picture a professional organization of killers dedicated to rapid-fire assassinations. Working covertly, they execute their marks with superhuman quickness. Is this the stuff of movies or suspense novels? No, it is not. Such organizations have a long history. John Ling takes us into their world.

Moses Chen is Chinese, 6'1", someone who has managed to get out of "the game." His older brother, David, has not been so lucky. His curse is to keep on killing, because if he stops it will endanger his family. The Syndicate will make him pay the price, so he keeps taking the jobs, no matter how ugly they get. David always protected Moses when they were young, and in his way he has never stopped.

Vivian Chen, the younger sister, is a lawyer. Mary, the matriarch, doesn't know what her sons do for a living. She doesn't even know if they're alive. She certainly doesn't know that they're being stalked by two mysterious persons, Lizzy and Bruno.

Yes, this is a book about killing. But it's also about loyalty. About family. About good and evil, about what these overused phrases really mean, about black and white and shades of gray.

The settings include New York, Malaysia, Sweden, England, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. The author most definitely makes the reader feel he's been to them all. John Ling is obviously what we would call a "world citizen," and this quality definitely strengthens his writing.

In short, if you love nonstop action, or if you want a whirlwind tour of the world, or if moral and ethical issues appeal to you, this is a book that you definitely should read.

The Tail Of The Sea Witch
Wendy Maree Peterson
Twilight Times Books
ISBN 1931201188, $4.50, 75 pages, www.twilighttimesbooks.com/

Marina is an eleven-year-old girl who lives near the gorgeous seas of northern Australia. Her father is a fisherman, her mother a housewife. She is precocious, and a bit of a misfit by choice in school. Marina discovers that a sea witch lives right on the beach, in a large houseboat in a private lagoon.

Madame Witche insists that this her name, not her vocation, but of course Marina knows better. The sea witch is enchanting, as any sea witch should be, quite beautiful and quite witchie.

Like any good sea witch, Madame Witche is surrounded by a menagerie of animals. Tongue-tied is a black Labrador. Captain is a cockatoo. Louis is a fox, and quite a special fox at that. (A fennek fox.) The clues are all there.

The author excels in quick, effective characterizations that only need a paragraph or two. The reader is easily drawn into this tale by subtle humor and a very convincing "childlike voice" which is never condescending. She brings the tropical paradise that is northern Australia's beaches to life, and she reminds us that there is magic in the world.

The stated audience of this book is young adults, but readers of all ages will enjoy it. The illustrations are also quite wonderful, and it's no surprise that The Tail of the Sea Witch won the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

Christmas Stalking
Mari Bailey
Awe-Struck E-books
ISBN 1-58749-318-7, $4.95 ebook / $12.95 paperback, 200 pages, http://www.awe-struck.net

Heather Morgan, a budding young artist, is visiting her Aunt Lilah during Christmas season. The last time she was in New York City, Heather was stalked by a psycho who trailed her back home to Oregon and showed up at her front door pointing a gun in her face.

Now that she has returned to New York City, her stalker dreams have returned as well. Is she being stalked again? If so, by who? Is it Curt Bonner, the original stalker? Is it one of Aunt Lilah's artist friends? Is it Santa Claus?

That's the dramatic part of this book, the tension that drives the plot. It's an enjoyable read and it'll keep you turning the pages.

But this book is more than that. It paints a picture of life as a girl between high school and college, with all those wonderful and fearful choices. When Heather is on the phone with her best friend Tara, the reader is reminded of similar friendships he or she has enjoyed.

Heather's great-aunt, Lilah, is a fabric artist, sculptor, and just generally all-around cool senior citizen. You may have met someone like her yourself. Crystal is an aspiring fabric artist who Lilah has taken under her wing, and she's just plain creepy. You've probably met someone like her as well. Aaron, a photographer who displays his works at the same art gallery, completes the dynamic by providing a love interest for both girls.

The dialogue is true to life, the descriptions are richly colorful, and the writing style is engaging. Mari Bailey is an author who young adults, adults and anyone who enjoys suspense-filled thrillers should spend some time reading.

Mari Bailey was born and raised in Hawaii. She lived in California for a while before moving to Oregon City, where she works as a full-time writer. She has published close to fifty confession stories and numerous short articles.

Michael LaRocca, Reviewer
http://freereads.topcities.com/


Meredith's Bookshelf

The Guns Of The South
Harry Turtledove
Ballantine Books
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN 0345384687, $7.99 www.amazon.com, 1-800-726-0600

What if the South had won the war? This question has tantalized scholars and armchair theorists since April 1865, the date marking Lee's surrender at Appomattox. In this first of two novels rustling with the question, Turtledove takes the question further, asking, "How could the South win the war?" and "If outside help a given, what do the South's benefactors want in return?

January 1864: The South is losing. But aides call Lee, shivering in his tent, from the task of writing gloomy dispatches to meet a most bizarre man--a man, dressed in camouflage fatigues, who offers the very weapon that will turn the tide and guarantee a Confederate victory. The weapon--an AK47.

The strange man and others like him have come from the 21st century to help the South. Calling themselves America Will Break, these Caucasian boot-stompers from South Africa have experienced the end of apartheid across the globe, and they don't like it. Driven by a radical hatred for Blacks, they see the slave-holding Confederacy as the "last hope" for the white man. Going back in time to help the South win the Civil War will "change history." Negro oppression will be assured for the future. At first, a grateful South welcomes these racists. However, before long Lee discovers the ugly truth hidden behind their aid. The ensuing conflict, Turtledove deftly paints with dark and sometimes comic images, is the grist of the story.

A classic revisited, originally published, 1992, this alternative history still delights and chills.

How Few Remain
Harry Turtledove
Ballantine Books
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0345406141, $7.95 www.amazon.com, 1-800-726-0600

Although written from the same perspective as Guns of the South--that the South wins the Civil War--How Few Remain isn't its sequel. Indeed, this alternative history has the South winning by different reasons and with different outcomes than those projected in Guns of the South.

Set nearly 20 years after that internecine conflict, the North is an anemic shadow nation while the South's economy booms, fueled by British and French commerce and entrenched slavery. The Empire of Mexico is selling the Confederacy the provinces of Chihuahua and Sonora. The United States is outraged and threatens war if the deal goes down. Great Britain and France will support the South, leaving the United States virtually alone to fight the Confederate States of American.

Enter the central characters: Lincoln lives, disgraced, discredited, a supporter of the burgeoning labor movement. He travels across the North giving anti-capitalist speeches to any group that will give him a hearing. Editor of the San Francisco Morning Call, Samuel Clemens hasn't immortalized Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, but "thinks" about writing a book "one day." Theodore Roosevelt is a wealthy easterner ranching in Montana. George Armstrong Custer still blusters and "hot dogs," because Little Big Horn never happened. And so on through these fanciful pages march the meticulously drawn personalities of the late nineteenth century.

Humorous, colorfully written, the story is also profoundly thoughtful. So much so that readers may come away from this classic read with the thought "thank God it's alternative history."

Meredith Campbell
Reviewer


Magdalena's Bookshelf

The Scar
China Mieville
Macmillan
ISBN 0333781759, RRP, A$28.00
Del Rey
ISBN: 0345444388; $18.95

Aside from The Lord of the Rings which I last read around age 12, I have read almost no literature which belongs in the fantasy genre. I've also read no speculative or science fiction writing, except for the tenuously linked "magic-realism". Along with pure romance and "chick-lit", fantasy novels are one of the few genres I actually send back to publishers, so strong is my aversion to the genre en masse. Prejudice? Possibly. Have I been missing something important? I doubt it, but Mieville is nor ordinary fantasy writer. His work is indeed set in a fantastic, implausible (at least in terms of our day to day reality) world, but it is so well through out, so richly endowed with vivid detail, that Mieville's worlds take on their own form of reality, a reality hard to shake when the books are finished.

Much of what makes Mieville's work so appealing to readers not normally enamoured with fantasy literature is classic literary technique. His settings are very well mapped out, his characters are complex and, strong and very real, even when they are insect, cactus or crayfish folk and his themes are powerful. There is also a lot of underlying suspense, a strong plot, lots of dramatic tension and above all, a powerful visual imagery and even at its silliest, an all too familiar nightmarish texture that takes the reader into ugly places he or she will recognise: "the logic of its forms derives from nightmares." It is also great fun. Although at times a little heavy handed and overly descriptive, the very original language of The Scar is reminiscent of Burgess' A Clockwork Orange with its mixture of cockney and other dialects: "godspit" and "by jabber," and even in its themes of personal responsibility versus danger, evil and thuggary, or "perversion versus subversion."

In The Scar the story follows the adventures of linguist Bellis Coldwine, as she is "press-ganged" or kidnapped along with the rest of the passengers on her ship The Terpsichoria by socialist/new age pirates while escaping bureaucratic persecution at the hands of the New Crobizoner authorities for association with a scientist thought to be involved in a serious health incident. Those familiar with Mieville's previous work Perdido St Station will be familiar with the background to the story that opens this one, although it is isn't necessary to enjoy this tale. Taken to her new home, or prison, Bellis and her fellow Terpsichorians are given jobs and allowed to become "citizens" of the Armada, a floating and slowly moving city with a mission. The story unfolds as Bellis uncovers the mission and gets to know her fellow Armadans, and her own role in the larger scheme.

Through Bellis we are exposed to a wide range of "cultures" and languages including Ragamoll, Salkirkaltor, Salt, Sunglari and High Kettai. We also learn about a number of different "species", including the Anophelli (mosquito people), Cacticae (Cactus people), Salkirkaltor Cray (Crayfish people), vampires and thanati (living dead?), and the monsterously comical Grindylow, as well as a range of High Crobizoners (the closest equivalent to Londoners) include some remade into amphibians, fitted with tentacles, grafted onto boilers or caterpillar treads, with 3 foot necks or "skeins of spasming arms", in a kind of official punishment.

There are a number of strong themes working through this book, and one of the more evocative is that of the "scar". A scar in its literal sense is a place where damage has occurred, and healed over, and many of the characters are scarred. Bellis and Uther are emotionally scarred, unable to give themselves freely or to risk vulnerability or engagement in a direct sense. Bellis, as cold as her name, is nauseated by the violent moaning passion of the Lovers and holds herself, unfulfilled, unhappy and barren. We don't know and never find out exactly what Uther wants, and despite his power, he refuses to take leadership, holds himself back from Bellis, and remains in his shadow world: "For all his deadly skills, his brilliance in braches of obscure techology and science, she thought she saw in him someone more lost and confused than she, someone removed from all societies, uncertain of norms and interaction, retreated behind cold control."

The Lovers are literally scarred, and although their leadership and intense engagement with one another is the opposite of Bellis' and Uther's frigidity and servitude, they are equally damaged, nameless and unable to experience their own commitment without pain. Tanner Sack is scarred by his remaking in the New Crobuzon punishment factory, his painfully grafted tentacles, and his sense of self-worth from years of oppression. The world too is scarred, hurt into some kind of mystical change, perhaps the whole basis for this "world", a place of unlimited possibilities, of change, but then these cuts or damage points are also opening, an opportunity for change, for possibilities, for new beginnings. Tanner has himself remade again. The Armada simultaneously hurts and helps those it press-gangs. Even Bellis begins to become involved, and to open as a result of her work on The Armada. The Scar in the world opens the door to everything and anything.

Another important backdrop is the tension between egalitarianism and bigotry, as the prisoners aboard the Terpsichoria learn about freedom and develop their strengths in their new home, even as they come to terms with their lifetime imprisonment and the varied cultures in which they all now live. A third important theme is hunger, in all its forms. There is the literal blood hunger of both the Anophelli (mosquito) women, and the Vampirs - especially The Brucolac, and the love/lust hunger of The Lovers. There is also the unfulfilled hunger of Bellis and Uther - the one hungering for home, and some sense of companionship, and the other hungering for something - we never find out what, but we feel the hunger. It might be power. It might be a sense of meaning - a kind of god, or perhaps it is just strong leadership. There is also Silas Fennec's hunger for power, and the statue he hold's own hunger, off which he feeds his need for power and invisibility. Finally, there is the hunger of the female Lover (and possibly Uther) for The Scar, and the powers and meaning it holds. This may or may not be hunger for power - it seems more likely that it is a kind of hunger for knowledge.

There are poignant moments too. Shekel's struggling attempts to better himself by learning to read, which is also a kind of hunger, albeit a healthy and reasonable one, and his real love for Angevine, as he overcomes the prejudices' we saw when he was on Terpsichoria. All of the characters in this book, including the many monsters and "bad guys" are multifaceted. One of the more powerful moments in the book is when one of the Anophelli women is killed while trying desperately to talk to one of the visiting men:

"She was full. They're...they're intelligent. It's not that they're mindless. It's the hunger, he told me. It takes a long, long time for them to starve. They can spend a year without feeding. screaming ravenous for all those weeks. Its all they can think about. But when they're fed, when they're full - really sated - there's a day or two, maybe a week, when the hunger abates. And that's the time they try to talk."

We enter the minds of other monsters too. Even the horrific Grindylaw, with their "jutted prognathous jaws, their bulging teeth frozen in meaningless grimaces, massive eyes dark and unblinking", are able to laugh, and even to show a kind of mild mercy. We are inside their heads as they follow and ultimately find the Armada too, and understand their sense of violation at having their secrets stolen. The Brucolac is a horrible vampire character, but he is also a kind of man, and his humiliation is powerful as he hangs above the crowd, hungry and hurt by the sun. Nothing is entirely simple - and everyone, "good" or "bad" uses each other in one way or another. The setting may be fantastic, but the themes and emotions are very real and human and well drawn.

On the negative side, there are times when The Scar does become just a bit silly. Pirate swashbucking, boys-own posturing, cartoonish monsters, "vampirs" and "chymicals", grotesque spy antics, and language which is just a bit too self-conscious:

"The air above the battle seems as thick as the sea. It is viscous and sluggish with the discharge from guns and fire-throwers and catapults, with sinking dirigibles bleeding dry of gas; with hunting golems and blood-mist and gouts of soot."

If you aren't already familiar with the term "thaumaturgy" or "puissance", you most certainly will be by the end of the book, as they are well used, especially thaumaturgy, which means the working of miracles, including such things as "remaking" people or raising spirits or monsters from the deep sea.

Of course if you are already a fan of this kind of fantasy or science fiction, and The Scar sits somewhere between the two, this book will challenge and stimulate you - both in terms of its highly imaginative and fun world, and in terms of the quality of its writing - a cut way above any formulaic genre. If, like me, you never read literary fantasy, you might find that the extraordinary and rather bleak but evocative world that Mieville creates is worth a look, evoking some of the best of futuristic literature such as 1984, A Clockwork Orange, HG Wells and Vonnegut. Occasionally silliness aside, the wild wordplay, fast paced adventure and very visual and complex monsters will have you mesmerised, while the all too real themes will provoke a much deeper response.

Wild Surmise
Dorothy Porter
Picador
October 2002, paperback ISBN 0-220-26280-8 RRP A$22

"This is the roof, the shield of a black liquid word, where you may one day drop like a warm stone.
A new world where you might learn colder lessons than nothing."

Alex Leefson is a well known astrobiologist, a woman whose public face has made astronomy popular, and who has become obsessed with finding life on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. In addition to her astronomical work, Alex is also obsessed with a fellow astronomer, Phoebe, with whom she is having a dead end but intense affair. Meanwhile, her husband, who she continues to love, is dying of cancer. These are the bones of the work around which the poetry is built. Or perhaps the poetry forms the bones and the narrative is built around that. Dorothy Porter's latest "novel" is composed in a series of poems, pieces which, in most cases, work reasonable well on their own, but together, add up to a complete narrative work which includes traditional narrative elements such as characterisation, plot, suspense and setting. It is very effective.

The power and beauty of Porter's poetry takes the reader instantly deeper into the character than a more narrative prose would. It skips the conjunction, the "dialogue" and the external world, and goes straight for the emotional response, revealing the story in the personal pain and longings of the characters inner voices. The poems move forward as rapidly as any narrative fiction would, maybe faster, and centre around Alex and Daniel, her husband, alternatively taking one or the other's perspective, and sometimes first person. There are other characters as well, from Phoebe, the love interest, also a dramatic and glamorous astronomer who has discovered, along with dark matter, that the universe is moving apart, Alex's sexless friend and colleague Rachel, who is more a biologist than an astronomer, and Daniel's boss Brian Howard. These additional characters sit on the outside of the poems, teasing out the bigger issues which underlie the story - love, loss, passion, lust and mediocrity. Daniel's struggles with his illness, his life's work which has become meaningless to him, and most of all, with Alex's infidelity, both metaphorically and literally are an important part of the underlying narrative, as are Alex's struggles with her desperate passions, her calmer more pedestrian love for Daniel, and her alternative feelings of guilt and desire.

In characteristic Porter style, each of the poems is extremely powerful, using language in its most intense form, each word chosen for maximum impact. It doesn't take long to read Wild Surmise. Despite the richness of its language and the intensity of every word, the story progresses forward very rapidly, suspense building with each poem. The overall word count is probably a lot lower than a traditional prose novel would be, but the impact is higher, since the language is stripped of anything unnecessary. Each poem is almost an entire pulse or epiphany, a mini chapter, with its painful twist or revelation at the ending, funny, repulsive, but always meaningful:

"Nothing like fresh dogshit to make the present punch back."

The words are immediate, unsentimental, and harsh at times but mostly beautiful, leaving a lingering impression that the reader carries around after the book is finished.

"But you, darling, were no ice-crusted speck teasing me from a cold night sky. You were always ardently present."

Porter's fourth verse novel contains everything - love, death, passion, pain, loss and above all, the beauty and limitations of human frailty in a cosmological setting. Her astronomy is accurate and evocative - and Porter does make the reader feel the excitement and possibility of our most likely source of life in the solar system, the pathos of our quest and clumsiness as we destroy a living sea, and the very human need for passion, and peace. In a world where poetry is considered the unsaleable poor cousin of prose, Porter's books continue to sell, and compete for the big fiction awards. Her previous verse novel, The Monkey's Mask won the Age Book of the Year for Poetry, the National Book Council Award for Poetry and the Braille Book of the Year and was made into an international film in 2001. Her verse novel What a Piece of Work was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. It isn't that surprising. Although her poetry has a Plath type of wry inner power which simultaneously tortures and caresses the reader, it is very accessible and immediate. This is not "bush poetry", nor does it fit into any kind of academic or formal form. Wild Surmise is powerful because it combines the very best of fiction - its ability to create tension and a lasting and powerful narrative world, with the very best of poetry - where the most exacting, carefully chosen words, rhythms and structures allows the reader to bypass the limitations of sentence structure and get immediately under the skin of her characters and the story's themes.

Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html


Liana's Bookshelf

Career Starter : A Beginning Course In Children's Writing
Laura Backes and Jon Bard
Children's Book Insider
No ISBN, e-book, $TBA, 2002, 113 pp, http://www.write4kids.com

Laura Backes and Jon Bard from Children's Book Insider, have written this book to help readers and all prospective children's writers start a career in the children's writing field.

Career Starter is a self-study mini course , offering all the grounding in the real nuts and bolts of what a prospective writer needs to know in order to get started.

'This course was created in response to requests from many of our readers who wanted a comprehensive course for beginners- one that would stand as an alternative to high priced study-by-mail courses,' the writers state at the introduction of the book.

This e-book will take you step by step on your road to success, covering all areas of children's book publishing , and including a series of writing exercises to help new writers start their first book or article.

The first chapter, Understanding the Publishing Field, is covering all the basic aspects of the children's books field. There are chapters on How Books Get Published, and How Magazine Articles Get Published , as well as answers to the usual question: Do I Need an Agent? The writers advise:

'Before we begin, one important point: if your work is not salable, no agent-even the world's best agent- can sell it.'

Next chapter, Dollars and Sense, explains everything about Fees and Royalties, while, Beyond the Basics shows the writers how to become creative . Moreover, there is information on How to Start a Writer's Group and useful Advice from the Pros, such as Judy Blume, Jane Yolen and other well known writers.

Then follows a list of children's books genre and their analysis. There are Concept Books, Picture Books, Story Books, Easy Readers, Chapter Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult books, and Nonfiction Books:

'Picture Books: Unlike Concept books , picture books contain a plot revolving around a main character. The stories are simple, often based upon everyday situations.'

' Nonfiction: After you have chosen your topic, the first thing you need to do is define the age category of your book. It's important that you approach your subject from an angle that will interest your readers.'

The following chapters deal with the typical questions such as: Where Should I send my Work?, What Should I include etc, offering answers and useful tips to readers:

Submissions To Magazines: Fiction (includes poems, crafts and puzzles)
Cover Letter
Copy of entire manuscript
SASE (with enough postage to return story)'

Dealing with Editors comes next, and the Rejection issue. Great Writing Exercises follow offering thorough practice in children's writing , and the last chapter is about The Finishing Touches. Here the reader will find common questions answered, copyright and other legal issues explained, an address list for Top Children's Books Publishers and Magazines , and Writer's Organizations such as The International Women's Writing Guild .

There is also a section on Further Reading and a Publishing Glossary. The last pages explain all about CBI, followed by a subscription form on the last page of the book.

Career Starter is a highly informative e-book, clearly laid- out, and enjoyable to read. It caters to new writers who wish to start a career in the children's book writing field , and it is packed with abundant information, advice and practical exercises to help them achieve their goal.

It is by all means an excellent e-book that it is worth reading. For more information about CBI, visit the site: http://www.write4kids.co.

Related Titles:
How To Write For Children And Get Published, by Louise Jordan, Piatkus.

Recipe Hall Of Fame Quick And Easy Cookbook: Winning Recipes From Hometown America
Gwen Mckee and Barbara Moseley
Quail Ridge Press
P.O. Box 123 ,Brandon, MS 39043
ISBN 1893062260, $19.95, 304 pp, Paperback, 1-800-343-1583, www.quailridge.com

Editors, Gwen Mckee and Barbara Moseley are eager to help a new generation of cooks feel comfortable in the kitchen , as well as preserve America's food heritage.

Gwen, known as 'The Cookbook Lady', and her good friend Barbara who was raised on a dairy farm, love to cook and have families that love to eat. The two have been traveling the Country gathering the best cookbooks from each state for almost 20 years , thus creating a series of 35 books with 43 states represented and more cookbooks currently in production.

The Recipe Hall Of Fame Quick And Easy Cookbook shows people that food can be fast and simple and still be good. They don't have to stay in the kitchen for hours with long lists of ingredients for delicious, home-cooked meals or distinctive, impressive party food,' Mckee said.

Quail Ridge Press' The Recipe Hall Of Fame Quick And Easy Cookbook , sold over 100,000 copies on QVC in advance of publication and features over 500 recipes from hometown America that any cook can prepare in a snap. The company has published over 100 books, with only a handful currently out of print, and it has come a long way from the Mckee's dining room table.

' We started out as a very small company that published primarily cookbooks, then a few regional titles,' said Gwen , ' but now we are branching out everywhere.'

The Recipe Hall Of Fame Quick And Easy Cookbook is the third edition in the best-selling Recipe Hall of Fame Cookbook Collection, containing over 500 recipes carefully selected from a database of over 12,000 recipes in the acclaimed Quail Ridge Press "Best Of The Best State Cookbook" series. This innovative cookbook is designed to deliver reliable, flavorful family favorites in short order, thus it is ideal for everyday meals as well as special occasions.

The book is divided into fourteen sections, covering all cooking needs. The Preface is brief but quite informative , enhanced by the editors' comments and their own pictures taken during their long traveling food research adventures around USA.

' In our years of research, we have traveled throughout America learning about its people and what they most enjoy cooking and eating,' the editors say. ' We invite you to travel around the country with us, by way of the chapter opening photographs, to some of the places we have visited.'

' We hope the Recipe Hall of Fame Quick and Easy Cookbook will help you solve that dilemma of modern day life, " How can I get delicious food on the table in the least amount of time?"'

Beverages and Appetizers come first. Who can resist the mouthwatering Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball recipe or the simple , yet, tasty Vegetable Pizza?

In Bread and Breakfast that follows, Peach Coffee Cake and Cottage Pancakes will keep you deliciously satisfied, while, in the Soups section, Chicken Tortilla Soup will surprise you.

Salads offer low-fat variety and color: Rice Salad is filling, while Orange Delight Quick Salad if cool and light.

The Vegetables section's Laredo Potato recipe is a low-fat, energizing choice , while Parmesan Fries and Party Potatoes are just irresistible! Pasta ,Rice , Etc deals with versatile and filling meals full of flavor, while Poultry will satisfy the most demanding chicken eater. Every single recipe is sensational!

Seafood comes next, and is a pleasant alternative to meat eating. It is difficult to choose among the Hot Shrimp meal Elly's Shrimp Spaghetti, and the Lemon-garlic Broiled Shrimp you just have to taste all of them.

The Meats chapter ranges from beef to ham and pork chops, all deliciously prepared and fully flavored. In the Cakes section do not miss the Apricot Rum Cake or the Fruit Cocktail Cake for a more fruity taste. The Ice cream Cake is a cool surprise and if you love chocolate, try the Cherry Chocolate Cake. If you love cookies, then the Cookies and Candies section is for you. Brown Edge Cookies, Cornflake Cookies, No Bake Cookies, Lemon Squares are only a few of the impressive lot in the book.

Learn how to make your own candies, such as the Easy Candy and the Microwave Pralines. Pies and other Desserts offer the reader a variety of pies that are all worth trying. Buttermilk Pie and Mini apple Pies are deliciously surprising while, Pineapple Pudding and Baked Bananas are a must!

The books ends with a List of Contributors, an Extra Help section and an Index.

The Recipe Hall Of Fame Quick And Easy Cookbook is a highly informative and entertaining cookbook that has short and concise instructions, clearly written and easy to be followed by any age group cooks. Packed with family-friendly recipes for today's busy lifestyle, it also includes time-saving tips for delicious meals in less time. It caters for everyone, experienced or inexperienced cooks- everyone needs quick and easy recipes.

It is originally illustrated and offers the readers tidbits of information about the food and people of America , thus, this book is great for those who read cookbooks like novels. Moreover, this cookbook is applicable outside of the USA and this fact makes it an international bestseller. It is worth reading every single recipe of it!

Recipe Hall Of Fame Quick And Easy Cookbook is available at book stores, gift shops, online at www.quuailridge.com Or by calling 1-800-343-1583. For more information contact Jimmie Saucier at jsaucier@quailridge.com

Related Titles by Quail Ridge Press:

Best Of The Best From Oregon Cookbook, ISBN 1893062341, $16.95
Best Of The Best From Washington Cookbook , ISBN 189306235X, $16.95
Best Of The Best From West Virginia Cookbook , ISBN 1893062368, $16.95

Liana Metal, Reviewer
http://lianametal.tripod.com/


Leonhardt's Bookshelf

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger: Turning Bad Breaks Into Lessons
Maxine Schnall
Perseus Publishing
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
ISBN: 0738207322, $24.00, www.perseuspublishing.com, 1-800-242-7737

Maxine Schnall writes through the lens of someone who has felt the pain - in her case, a daughter crippled in a car crash - and deals almost exclusively with people as individuals. As a result, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger feels more emotional, less spiritual, and less structured than many books on healing and recovery, despite proposing a four-stage process to deal with tragedy:

a.. Rupture
b.. Reflection
c.. Rebuilding
d.. Regeneration

Schnall, the founder of Wives Self Help Foundation spins one story after another and fills the pages with inspirational thoughts and quotations. Her very first question is "Why me?" - perhaps the most asked question ever - which she answers simply: "Yes".

Unlike many self-help books, including my own, Schnall does not start her chapters with famous or inspirational quotations from others. However, she does scatter a variety of sidebar zingers of her own throughout the book. My favorite is: "'Answered prayers' happen only on a trial basis to see what you do with the answers." Unquestionably, Schnall is trying to get us past the curse of the self-help books, where we often settle for understanding without moving on to action.

The writing is straightforward and easy to read. It does not sparkle. It is not witty or humorous. But it does speak from the heart. This is a wonderful read for anyone looking to rebuild and regenerate after a personal tragedy.

Healing Together: How To Bring Peace Into Your Life And The World
Lee Jampolsky, PhD
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN: 0471236853, $24.95, www.wiley.com, 1-800-225-5945

Lee Jampolsky is a welder. Not by profession, of course. He is a professional psychologist and motivational speaker. But for Healing Together he takes on the role of welder, forging a strong bond between personal peace and world peace. This is a link that is rarely made, but in the wake of the 2001 World Trade Center attack, more people have begun to make the connection. This is the book for those people.

This book is about loss, about suffering, about pain .. the kind of pain the world experienced last September 11 and many individuals experience each day. More importantly, it is a book about recovery, about forgiveness, about healing.

Jampolsky takes a spiritual approach to healing, including as many faith systems as possible. He provides a global perspective consistent with his premise that the September 11 attacks call for a world view. He divides his book into three parts, starting with a foundation for dealing with tragedy, whether personal or global, and then eight steps to "Personal Growth and Global Healing". Finally, he offers ideas for how to build a positive future, including how to help children and communities cope.

Of course, Healing Together is illustrated with the usual personal anecdotes and stories about other people, exercises, inspirational quotations, etc. Of note, readers will find an excellent "suggested reading" section at the back of the book.

This is not your everyday book, and it will not appeal to every type of reader. However, readers who take a world view of life - or who want to see things in a global context - will appreciate Jampolosky's approach.

David Leonhardt, Reviewer
http://www.TheHappyGuy.com


Kinni's Bookshelf

The Book Of Agreement
Stewart Levine
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN 1576751791, 248 pp, $17.95, 1-800-929-2929

The problem with most agreements is that they are created as protection against non-performance rather than as roadmaps to success, says mediator and consultant Levine. In The Book Of Agreement: 10 Essential Elements For Getting The Results You Want , Levine describes how to design "agreements for results" and applies his design principles to thirty model agreements covering business, professional and personal situations.

Impending Crisis
Roger Herman, Tom Olivo & Joyce Gioia
Oakhill Press
461 Layside Drive, Suite 102, Winchester, VA 22602
ISBN 1886939535, 332 pp, $30.00, http://www.oakhillpress.com/

It may seem hard to believe in today's stagnant job market, but by 2010 the U.S. Labor Dept. is predicting a labor shortage of ten million people. In Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs - Too Few People, Roger Herman and his colleagues explore the dimensions of the coming crisis in the first half of this book, and offer strategies and tactics for proactively managing it in the second.

Fast Forward
Elspeth Murray and Peter Richardson
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
ISBN 0195153111, 268 pp, $29.95, 1-800-451-7556

In Fast Forward: Organizational Change In 100 Days, this pair of Canadian Business School professors detail a change process utilizing 10 "Winning Conditions" to create shared understanding, speed, and critical mass. They also show how to apply the process to five common organizational challenges: acquisition integration; new venture launches; IT roll-outs; organizational turnarounds; and culture changes.

Priceless
Diana LaSalle and Terry Britton
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN 157851746X, 174 pp, $27.50, 1-800-668-6780

Customers travel a five-stage "Experience Engagement Process" as they purchase and use goods and services, say this consultant duo. Priceless: Turning Ordinary Products Into Extraordinary Experiences explains how to enhance that process by managing three experiential elements: the product - whatever the customer buys; the service - all interactions between customer and company; and the environment - the external elements that surround the product.

Debugging
David Agans
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814471684, 183 pp, $21.95, 1-800-250-5308

Problem-solvers everywhere can benefit from Debugging: The 9 Indispensable Rules For Finding Even The Most Elusive Software And Hardware Problems, a straightforward guide to fixing glitches in systems and software. In plain English, consultant David Agans describes the basic principles of debugging and offers a logical, consistent approach to the work of identifying and fixing defects.

The Business Meetings Sourcebook
Eli Mina
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 081440670X, 653 pp, $65.00, 1-800-250-5308

In The Business Meetings Sourcebook: A Practical Guide To Better Meetings And Shared Decision Making , consultant and facilitator Mina delivers a comprehensive, one-stop reference to planning, launching and guiding business meetings. The two-part presentation covers the dynamics and key elements of effective team-based decision-making and the components and process of successful meetings.

The Power Of Design For Six Sigma
Subir Chowdhury
Dearborn Trade
155 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606-1719
ISBN 079316060X, 148 pp, $17.95, 1-800-621-9621

The Power Of Design For Six Sigma is a short fictionalized business tale in which Subir Chowdhury effectively introduces the theory and practice of Design For Six Sigma (DFSS), a quality tool that extends Six Sigma thinking to the design of products and processes. It describes a five stage DFSS process - IDDOV: Identify and Define the opportunity, Develop the concept, Optimize the design, and Verify the optimized design.

Best Business Crime Writing Of The Year
James Surowiecki, editor
Anchor Books
c/o Random House, Inc.
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
ISBN 1400033713, 253 pp, $12.00, 1-800-726-0600

In case anyone was still wondering what the big story was in business this past year, Best Business Crime Writing Of The Year is an anthology of reportage that provides the sorry answer. New Yorker business columnist Surowiecki collected articles ranging from Business 2.0 to Vanity Fair that describe the year's bumper crop of crooked corporations, sleeping watchdogs, and systemic breakdowns.

Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution
Howard Rheingold
Perseus
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
ISBN 0738206083, 266 pp, $26.00, 1-800-242-7737

"Smart Mobs" are groups of people who can act in concert without knowing each other because they are linked by mobile devices and the Internet. Rheingold travels around the world studying how smart mobs use "texting" to "swarm" and other manifestations of the wireless world. The business opportunities are left to the reader to identify.

Legendary Brands
Laurence Vincent
Dearborn Trade
ISBN 0793155606, 321 pp, $27.00, 1-800-621-9621

Legendary brands, (think Nike, Krispy Kreme, Levi's, Starbucks), are story-based, says marketer Vincent. In Legendary Brands: Unleashing The Power Of Storytelling To Create A Winning Market Strategy, the best book of the month. Vincent describes how to craft and manage "brand mythologies" - which are disseminated to customers through agents, narratives, and culture.

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
Louis Gerstner, Jr.
HarperBusiness
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
ISBN 0060523794, 384 pp, $27.95, 1-800-242-7737

At year end, Louis Gerstner, Jr. will leave IBM after what was perhaps the most-critical decade in the computer giant's history. In Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?: Inside Ibm's Historic Turnaround, Gerstner details the thinking and mechanics of the company's high profile and highly successful turnaround, explains the strategic and cultural changes that powered its revitalization, and offers lessons in leadership and profit-making based on his experiences.

The Myth Of Market Share
Richard Miniter
Crown
299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171
ISBN 0609609882, 181 pp, $18.95, 1-800-726-0600

The collapse of the dot-coms pretty well finished off the century-old market share strategy, but journalist Richard Miniter is happy to put an extra nail or two in its coffin.the Myth Of Market Share: Why Market Share Is The Fool's Gold Of Business is a short, convincing polemic, in which he says profits are what really matter and proves that typically, profits and market share are not related.

Leading Geeks
Paul Glen
Jossey-Bass
253 pp, $26.95, ISBN 0787961485

In an effort to teach how to manage "geeks" (broadly defined as technology and knowledge workers), consultant Glen examines both the context and content of geek leadership in Leading Geeks: How To Manage And Lead People Who Deliver Technology . He finds that effective leaders provide four needs: nurturing motivation, internal coordination, external representation, and ambiguity management.

Theodore Kinni, Reviewer
http://home1.gte.net/bizbooks


Judine's Bookshelf

Refill For Life
Michael Wano
Xlibris Corp
436 Walnut Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
ISBN: 1401028381, Pages: 124, Price: 20.99, Hardback

In 1975, I played on my 8th grade's softball team. I was afraid of the flying balls, and I could never seem to hit at bat. In other words, I stunk at softball, but boy did I enjoy playing the game. There's a batting range around the corner from where I live. My heart tells me to go relive the fun, but my head keeps making up excuses. So, I haven't played ball.

"Refill For Life" encourages the reader to combine past desires with the present goals, to create future optimism. Most people can relate to the search for happiness from the Star Wars and football examples. It is so easy to get sick from the disease of others expectations, that we forget to be true to ourselves. Every day you are given presents, such as a tree swaying in the breeze, or a vibrant smile. Once a month, read the chapter "A present is meant to be opened" to remind yourself of these small gifts.

Michael Wano wants others to experience the everyday happiness of life that he has found. Although sometimes sprinkled with disappointments and fears, life's experiences are a testimony for optimism. Yes, we all often down emotionally, physically, and spiritually, but that's okay. We can use past happiness as our prescriptions, for an everlasting refill. This simply remedy generates warm fuzzies for me. It is a great reference when I become sad or upset, to remind me that life my cup is always half full. I would recommend "Refill For Life" to all, especially those looking to renew a smile.

Don't Be Nice, Be Real: Balancing Passion For Self With Compassion For Others
Kelly Bryson
APC Books
PO Box 799, Great Barrington, MA 01230
ISBN: 0972002804, Price: $15.00, Pages: 296

What do you do when your partner wants to go to the theater, and you want to stay home? When there is one more cookie left, whose needs do you think about first, yours or your children? I f you did not answer in favor of yourself for either question, then you are too nice. Now is the time to be real.

"Don't Be Nice, Be Real" is for people whose smiles are frozen in ice. You know the kind. They compensate for the lack of love in their childhood, with a stiff grinning facade, thinking this will reciprocate kindness. When no one returns affection, they feel anger, depression and resentment. This book is the deicer. Although it might sound strange, selfishness, fun fighting and non rushing are encouraged. Saying what you honestly feel, and only listening when it's right for you, are charitable actions. Stirring negative emotions is okay. "If you notice that you have been staring at blackberries a long time, suffering from the fear of getting all bloody, the compassionate thing to do may be to run screaming into the blackberry bushes."

Kelly Bryson wrote this book from the experience of a student and a teacher. His personal testimony shows how he walked for miles in "nice" shoes, fell down emotionally, but picked himself up eventually to help others. There are plenty of sample dialogs to train the reader for verbally expressing the way they feel, without fear of retribution. I recommend this book for all nice people who fear the word no.

Colorless Soul
Mary Wilson
1st Books Library
2595 Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404
ISBN: 1588200191, Pages: 124, Price: $12.42

I had a dream the other day, that I was in the livingroom of Mary Wilson, the book's author. She served tea and Stella Dora breakfast cookies, as we sat on her couch looking through her family picture album. I've never met Mary's family, so I occasionally asked, "Who is this?" and "Oh, is this you as a baby?" And with each reply, Mary reminisced on the scene in the photo, and cheerfully told me a little bit of her family's history.

This dream occurred while reading Ms. Wilson's book, "Colorless Soul." Told in conversation style and sewn with pictures along the way, the background of Mary's relatives, unfolds the remnants of her past and present. The stories heard as a child about the grandparents she knew, and those who are a mystery, cross stitch through the chapters. We learn how her family mended the frayed edges of racial tension and economic status with their loving support. She seamlessly weaves the small delicate details of the 50s and 60s, which could have easily been taken for granted, into the tapestry of her life. And, thoughts of snow on an old grave embroider the finishing touch.

Mary Wilson transcribes the expressions of a griot into the written word. She should be commended on creatively combining 80+ years of ancestors and events in such a well organized and concise manuscript. Mary displays her black pride in the variety of family hues, from near white, and medium brown to ebony black. I recommend this book for all born in this melting pot called America. Let's not let our dream of unity go to the grave. Let's live in the present as colorless souls.

Midnight Whispers
Lynette Marie
Bookbooters
6 Alan Drive, Weatogue, CT 06089
ISBN: 1931297045, Price: $15.20, Pages: 162

While walking along the shore at midnight, the moon's glow shrouds the atmosphere. Peering into the horizon, you see a dolphin jump out of the water. Or, is it a shark? A soft clap of the waves whispers sweet nothings in your ears, and you wonder whether you saw anything at all.

Be prepared for the same mysteriousness in "Midnight Whispers." Duncan McKeighan is drawn toward Cathrynn's "definite aristocrat air" during a slave auction. His midnight blue eyes, and slight Irish accent mesmerize her. Within a fortnight, they marry, and prepare to set sail on the Highlander. Before their departure, Cathrynn overhears a conversation about the Black Knight riding the seas, but is he as dangerous as believed? During the journey, an encounter with a pirate ship proves her strong will is mightier than her small frame.

Once they arrive in England, Cathrynn quickly settles in as Lady Willoughby. She "cleans house" by renovating the estate, refusing to accept the butler's insubordination, and rescuing Duncan's hardened heart. A scorned lover attempts to destroy the happy union by kidnaping Cathrynn. After her servants foil the dastardly plot, the couple decide to leave the inherited wealth for a "whisper of freedom" in Duncan's homeland.

Although "Midnight Whispers" is Lynette Marie's first novel, she writes like a professional author. The ebb and flow of her artistic style remind me of ocean waves on the beach. She does a remarkable job of portraying a scenic calm, while slowly edging the crests of the narrative, which hit unannounced. I would definitely enjoy reading more of the McKeighan's adventures. If you're a history buff, or simply like drama on the high seas, this book is for you.

Helping Your Aging Parent: A Step-By-Step Guide
William J. Grote
Boomer Books
PO Box 2899, Vista, CA 92083
ISBN: 0971737304, Price: $19.95, Pages: 160

I am forty years old. My father is sixty two. He has an advanced stage of glaucoma, diabetes (insulin twice a day), and he's feet are cold from poor circulation. He is independent, right now. But, we both know the time is slowly approaching, where I will have to take care of him. He doesn't want to talk about it, and neither do I. Am I alone? No, there are many Americans who will face this dilemma in the 21st century.

"Helping Your Aging Parent" alleviates some of fears in the road to caring for an aging parent. The worksheets, checklists, and forms guide you through the stages of dependency, to include: finding the best housing, surviving the frequent hospital visits, and preparing for hospice, death and funerals. The author's personal account provides a welcoming beacon down this unfamiliar path. For example, there is sound advice for following your parent's instructions, if they should become incapable of making final decisions. And, this time of life is not only about the aging parent. Comforting information is also included to deal with your feelings.

William J. Grote learned the hard way, that aging can be a sticky subject for both the parent and the child. By fumbling through the health care system with his 80 year old mother, he gained valuable knowledge and expertise. "Helping Your Aging Parent" is Mr. Grote's way of passing the torch along the path to your parent's aging process. I recommend this book for all baby boomers.

First Aid To Mental Illness
Michael G. Rayel, MD
Soar Dime Limited
PO Box1834, Clarenville, NF, Canada, A0E1J0
ISBN: 0968781659, Price: $19.95, Pages: 200

My first love smoked marijuana, and drank excessively. Although he was very kind, his night sweats terrified me. I wanted to stay in the relationship, but I did not know how to handle someone addicted to drugs.

"First Aid to Mental Illness" could have helped both of us. Symptomatic individuals can use the basic coping skills, which offer a wide range of problem solving strategies. Early intervention solutions provide advice for the friends or relatives indirectly affected. The short chapters act as a quick reference for immediate problems, but do not replace professional help.

Michael G. Rayel, MD knows that discussing mental illness is a taboo subject. As humans we are naturally afraid of the unseen. First Aid to Mental Illness helps to alleviate the fear of these invisible afflictions. Dr. Rayel offers practical guidance in novice terms. I recommend this book for to those who suffer from non-physical illnesses, directly or indirectly.

Judine Slaughter, Reviewer
www.rahdistributors.com


Jennifer's Bookshelf

A Third Party
Chris Tanglen
Ellora's Cave
Nov. 2002 ISBN: 1843603179, www.ellorascave.com

Dale and Theresa are engaged, and madly in love. Nothing unusual there. They also like to talk about their fantasies again, nothing unusual. But one of Theresa's fantasies sparks both their imaginations and piques their interest, and they decide, together, to plan a menage a trois. Being modern and open-minded, they discuss this thoroughly before acting. And when they act, what seems like a straightforward plan turns inside out. For one thing, how to go about finding the third party? He's the most important element of the plan, and the most difficult to find, because not just anyone will do. As Dale succinctly puts it no plugging pals - and Theresa doesn't want someone who might turn her off! He has to be young, reasonably handsome (although Dale also points out he can't have a bigger cock than he does a question of male pride, you understand.) and he has to be a normal guy who won't turn into a raving lunatic. The Internet seems a reasonable place to start, and soon they find a site, (choosing one out of ninety-thousand sex sites) and put in an ad. The replies are, for the most part, disgusting. Then Theresa sees a guy winking at her in the supermarket, and sends Dale off to invite him for lunch. That does not work at all. Finally, they find an ad in the personals. "SWM seeks straight couple for intimate play." It seems perfect. A few phone calls later (from a pay phone) and they have a date! Dale and Theresa meet Jeremy, and the fun begins. Right away they know that Jeremy is 'The One', and he seems to hit it off well with both of them. The results surpass their wildest dreams, and I, for one, was riveted to this book to see how it was going to end. (And learning some very interesting things in the meantime.) Ahem, back to the review! 'A Third Party' had me in stitches. Chris Tanglen writes an up-beat, humorous tale of love, in-laws, and a menage a trois. I don't know if my favorite part was the planning or the results, or when Theresa's mother finds their carefully thought-out, quite detailed plan on thecoffee table. The characters were great, and the dialogue snappy. If you love fantasies, and would like to experience a menage a trois without actually going out and doing it, then this sexy, hilarious, fast-moving book is for you. Very highly recommended.

Always Faithful
Alli Nicole
Ellora's Cave
Nov. 2002 ISBN: 1843603055, www.ellorascave.com

Determined to regain her independence and sworn off men forever after a disastrous relationship, Nikki Phillips decides to go to England, her mother 's homeland. She takes an engineering job on a military base. But once in England, she meets a man in the local pub. He's from Texas, like her, and he 's a marine, like her father. In fact, as soon as she sees him she's intrigued. He's one of the best looking men she's ever seen. Will Chambers notices Nikki too, but he doesn't suspect she's carrying some emotional baggage, so he flirts good-naturedly with her. Nikki, still determined to remain single and free, snubs him. She wants to put as much distance as possible between herself and the handsome Texan. Unfortunately, they are neighbours, and see quite a lot of each other. Ands when her car breaks down, his visits become even more frequent. Soon she can't deny she's attracted to him. Will knows that Nikki is the woman for him, but will he be able to convince her? Through perseverance and romantic wooing, he gradually breaks down her barriers. Nikki has to admit that Will makes her feel incredible, and when they make love, sparks fly! But the life of a marine is a hard one and the marines send Will to Germany for six months. Instead of fading, their love only seems to get stronger, and when they are reunited, everything seems to be perfect. Perfect, until Will tells Nikki he wants to go back to the states and go to officer's school. He assumes Nikki will come with him, but Nikki loves her job and has long ago decided she won't be anyone's doormat. But how can she be happy without Will? Can Will leave Nikki behind? Always Faithful is the marine's motto, and the title of this book. Will is the epitome of a marine but can Nikki ever admit that she loves him and needs him? Recommended.

Hard Bodies
Vonna Harper
Ellora's Cave
Nov. 2002 ISBN: 1843603012, www.ellorascave.com

A Quickie doesn't seem like enough story to get to know characters, but in Hard Bodies, Brandy and Priest are exposed, inch-by-inch, layers peeled back until their innermost secrets and desires are uncovered. They are two of the most fascinating characters to come alive in a book that I've read in a long time. Brandy will steal your heart, and Priest will intrigue you as his motives are little by little revealed. I thought I was going to read about a seduction in a gym, what I got was a romance in a nutshell, a seduction with a twist, and in the end, I felt as if I'd known Brandy and Priest all my life. I wanted their story to go on and on, and yet, it was completely satisfactory as it stands. The sex is hot, but the story behind it is powerful and intriguing. It's a tribute to Ms. Harper that she can write such a complete story in such a small format. Hard Bodies is a sensual, erotic, yet thoughtful story. If I say anything else, it will ruin the story. It's a Quickie a novella and you can read it in one sitting, but this is one story that will stay with you long after you're done. I very highly recommend Hard Bodies

Love Magic
Ann Jacobs
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: TBA, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com

Love Magic is an anthology of two blazing hot tales about the magic and passion of love. In the first story, Drake Conover, magician extraordinaire, is in the throes of passion with two very nubile blonds but he's also discontented. Somehow, he knows life has to have more to offer than just sex, and he suddenly finds himself wanting to fall in love for real. As chance would have it, he meets the woman of his dreams at the airport. She's a voluntary worker for the hospital he's doing a charity show for, and she's smart, sexy, and seems to know exactly what she wants. In fact, it takes all of five minutes to convince her to take off her clothes and they have hot, incredible sex. He falls asleep with the woman in his arms, convinced that he's finally found his soul mate, a woman he can trust and love. But the woman in his arms is far from feeling the same emotions as Drake. In fact, she's deeply suspicious of the handsome magician. Erienne Duval is not a volunteer PR specialist. She's a CIA agent, and her heart is still broken over the death of her fiance, killed during a terrorist attack. Drake is not in her arms for nothing she's investigating him. And until she finds out who is the spy sneaking important secrets to the enemy, she's not going to let her feelings about Drake get in the way of her work. At least, that's what she thinks. Soon Drake's enthusiastic wooing overcomes her fears, and she agrees to accompany him to Europe. She even starts to fall in love with him but what will she do if he turns out to be a spy? The second story, Commitment, is about Gaelen, a fragile woman who is trying to escape the scars her past left upon her life. The daughter of a suicidal woman and an alcoholic father, growing up in a dysfunctional family, Gaelen never wants to marry. She never wants to hear the word 'commitment'. With her lover, Brent, Gaelen explores every possible way and method of having sex, but the word love is never pronounced. She shies away from it like a frightened fawn. Brent, however, is determined o marry her. He won't let her go, and he makes a deal. Spend two weeks with me, and if it doesn't convince you, then we'll go back to the way we were living apart, with no strings attached. Can Gaelen resist Brent's imaginative lovemaking? Will he win Gaelen's heart? 'Love Magic' certainly sizzles with scorching sex, but it's true love that warms the heart, and makes this book worth reading.

Aphrodite's Touch: An Anthology
Lannette Currington and Joanne Wylde
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1846302334, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com

Aphrodite's Touch is a two-story anthology based on the Greek myths. The first, Immortal Heat, is about a minor deity, one of the graces who serve Aphrodite, goddess of love. It seems that a marriage is being arranged on the island of Lemnos between a prince and a princess. Aphrodite is distraught, because the princess doesn't love her betrothed; in fact, she's in love with his younger brother. So she calls one of her graces, Aglaia, and tells her to go to Lemnos and sort out the problem. Aglaia is happy to comply, and soon she's at the palace, claiming to be a distant relation, and trying to comfort a tear-stricken princess. Aglaia thinks she has a solution, but the evil queen, Queen Eupompe, decides she's meddled enough, and tells her henchmen to toss her off a high cliff. Poor Aglaia! She's immortal, so she can't die, but her broken body washes up on the shore and Hephaestus, Aphrodite's ex-husband, finds her and takes her to his cavern. Hephaestus is a moody, crippled god who forges magnificent jewelry and clever robots. He lives in an underground palace, and since his disastrous marriage to Aphrodite, has sworn off love. Aglaia, however, is determined to break down the walls around his heart, and she sets to work trying to woo Hephaestus, even though she is wary of Aphrodite's reaction. Dancing With Dionysus looks on the darker side of love lust. It seems that on the island of Dionysus, there is a festival each year in honor of the god of wine. But the worshippers of Dionysus are a rowdy bunch, including satyrs and nymphs, and horrible creatures called the Maenads who eat the raw meat of anything or anyone they can catch. To be outside on such a night is to court death, and Kalliara is outside just then. Earlier, cruel nymphs had captured her and she'd just managed to escape. But now she's running for her life, for something is pursuing her. Sabiniano is Dionysus's son, and his job is to look after the island and make sure his father is worshipped correctly. The son of a god and a nymph, he is immortal, an lives in the debauchery his father requires of an adept. But something is wrong. He's bored and discontented, and the mortal fleeing before him has heated his blood. He'll catch her and rape her, and then he'll have some more fun. Only everything goes wrong. The girl worships Athena, and begs for help. The goddess appears, and tries to turn Sabiniano from his path, but he pushes her aside, and watches, helpless, as the girl leaps off a cliff to her death rather than submit to his terrible lust. Sabiniano is furious, but not so much as his father, who declares war on Athena, and goes to Hades to bring back Kalliara from the dead. He presents her to his son with an order. Enjoy her, then kill her and bring me her head. Of course, Athena can't stand by and let that happen, so she goes to Aphrodite, and begs for help. These two tales are fascinating and fun. The Greek myths add an extra dimension to the love stories, and Ms. Currington and Ms. Wylde bring ancient Greece and the gods and goddesses to life. Full of unexpected twists, and hotter than a sacrificial fire, these stories will captivate you. Highly Recommended

Hunter's Prey : Tales of the Texas Vampires
Diane Whiteside
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1843600684, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com

Don Rafael Perez and Ethan Templeton are the two sexiest, most fascinating vampires to leap out of a book. These short stories, all taking place in Texas, and all about the two hottest guys I've read about in ages, are fantastic. The stories take you through time; from a young woman writing back to her friend in Boston, and telling her all about the strange, exciting meeting that took place in her bedroom, to a brothel in the wild, Wild West. The stories are told in first person, always by a woman who meets one (or both) of the Texas Vampires. One such memorable tale is of by a slender vixen who disguises herself as a boy to spy on a secret meeting in order to rob a bank, and instead finds herself prisoner of the two vampires. They make a bargain with her let them do as they like to her body, and in exchange, they will help her escape the clutches of her scheming, good for nothing brothers. For the Texas Vampires are the good guys, and each time they interact with a woman, she finds her life taking a change for the better. And in exchange? Well, a night to remember, and in some cases, weeks and months to remember! Hunter's Prey: Tales of Texas Vampires, is a sexy, fast moving book that takes you through time, from cattle rustling days of the far west, to the present time. It's a beguiling mixture of cowboys and crinoline skirts, hot sex and real romance. So treat yourself to a sizzling collection of short stories, and curl up with the Texas Vampires. I dare anyone that starts reading to stop! Highly recommended

Until Eternity
Tricia McGill
Wings ePress Books
ISBN 1-59088-130-3 $TBA http://www.wings-press.com

Bart has some problems. Sure he's wealthy and lives in a beautiful manor in England. He's young and handsome. But he's had a lonely childhood, and his mother can't understand that money isn't a substitute for love. She wants him to marry a woman he's not in love with. But how can he tell her the woman of his dreams is precisely that in his dreams? She'd never understand, and frankly, he's having a hard time of it too. How can a dream have so much power over his life? A life which is about to change radically. What Bart is about to do is embark on an incredible adventure. Whereas before, his dreams had included only his lover now he finds himself on a beach, naked, and most definitely in another time, another place. Somehow, his lover has managed to call him to her. Bart, or Brys as he's called, finds himself with a motley band of Celts intent on fighting against the Saxons, Jutes and Angles invaders of their lands. The chief, Arthgul, informs Brys that he's been chosen, and hands him a pendant to wear about his neck. From Celtic chiefs, and crows that turn into hags, Brys learns that his quest is to destroy a certain Garth, and free the Lady Haesal. Of course, Lady Haesal turns out to be his dream lover. But she hasn't dreamed of him, and her treatment at Garth's hands has left her mistrustful of all men. However, once the castle freed and the prisoners set free, Brys tries to woo Lady Haesal, with more or less success! This is a wonderfully complex tale about a man in another time. Brys travels back to Celtic Britain to be with the woman he loves. Ms. Mc Gill is at her best describing the settings and making us feel as if we're in ancient times, with the good and the bad the deep forest and roman villages, the clothes and food are all brought to life for the reader. The characters are real and their story captivates as Brys tries to convince Haesal his love is true, and tells her about the wonders of his century. The two eras are held up side by side as Brys, the modern man, and Haesal, a woman from ancint Britain, meet and fall in love. Interwoven with treachery and violence, the magic of the Celts, shape shifters and the old songs and legends, this story will sweep you into another time - one that you won't want to leave! 'Did you know that of all the living things on this earth, only man can look another man in the eye? My teacher, an old Greek, taught me that. He is a very intelligent man. He said that the world was round like an orange, and that the stars we see at night are in reality other earths, like this one, or suns. Is that heresy do you think, or is it truth? I would like to know the answer to those questions and to so many more. I want to see the ends of the earth where the water drops off into a great chasm. Of course, if my teacher is right, I shall never find that. Instead, I will end up where I started out.'

Jennifer Macaire, Reviewer
http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/Iskander


Hodgins' Bookshelf

Quietly My Captain Waits
Evelyn Eaton
Formac Publishing Company Ltd.
5502 Atlantic St., Halifax, NS, B3H 1G4, Canada
ISBN 0887805442; Can.$16.95; 365 pp. incl. map & Appendix

It was this book's title that first drew my attention. "Who ever," I ironically wondered, "Has heard of a sea captain who could wait quietly? ... at least upon people," for winds and tides are a different matter. Perhaps, though, I had absorbed a sardonic view of skippers by reading (and sometimes living) many seagoing tales over the past 30 or so years?

The story, set from 1691 to 1710, is told in English from the French point of view, and on French territory or aboard French a ships. That POV isn't unique among Canadian English-speaking somewhat-nautical authors - Victor Suthren also used it - but it seems rather unusual.

The initial weakness of this tale by Evelyn Eaton (1902-1983) lies in her grasp of seagoing traditions and terminology, specifially those appropriate to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Thank goodness, though, this is only partially a naval tale. "Write what you know" is common advice to authors, only I'd like to add, "... or else either learn before you write, or find a fully knowledgeable, very active, and very understanding editor!"

Early in her book Eaton confuses a sailing ship's raised forecastle, where many of the seamen lived, with the hold or chief stowage space for cargo and stores, several decks below; also, she supposes that a stowaway is a cabin, not a person who has sneaked and hidden aboard ship so as to obtain free transport, or to avoid the law or an enemy.

Near its outset there are extensive sea passages in this story, you see, and their telling tends to be at least occasionally marred by nautical gaffes or blunders. Landlubbers may not be greatly disturbed, in consequence; some may even admire Eaton's pseudo-nautical lingo; but a sailor's concentration on the story line may be upset by such faults.

For instance, on page 61 we learn that "... two Englishmen swung themselves aboard, on the prow ... They ran forward, firing at the French ..." Consider now that a prow is already the forward end of a vessel, from which the English duo somehow ran farther forward yet - perhaps like an animated cartoon character, before he realizes there is only air under his feet? Roadrunner & coyote fans may be pleased, but not readers who know how things work in real life.

The action happened at a time marked by frequent French-English colonial conflicts, into which native populations were also drawn. Having settled in different areas, the competing European powers, which also held competing religious ideas (although they both claimed to revere the same Prince of Peace!) were aligned with opposing aboriginal tribes. Thus the French hated and feared the Iroquois, for the latter were friendly toward the British besides being fearsome warriors.

Much less attention was paid to political correctness in 1939 than today. Thus Eaton commonly called native peoples "savages", a term of opprobrium implying viciousness in English, although it had derived from the French "sauvage", which merely meant "wild". It is to the present publisher's credit that no attempt had been made to bowlerize "Quietly My Captain Waits" in this regard, for the awful state of race relations generally around 1700 needs to be indicated in some way; very terrible land warfare could break out, and many bitter things could be said about the other side or even one's friends, in concequence ... showing that this is far from an exclusively naval story, at all events.

In Eaton's book, scalping by tribes allied to the French is presented as a good or at least acceptable practice; while the very same atrocity is considered bad, when allied to the British interest. Not only was that attitude hypocritical in the extreme, but also, such cruelty being enormously repugnant, I can scarcely recommend this book to anyone as comfortable (or even decent) reading. However, Eaton glides over the heartless realities of how scalps were "won" or "collected" so carelessly that any credibility of the act is lost, in my view.

The author was herself a colourful character whose life makes an interesting study. I leave her story, though, to the biographical Introduction on pages v to xi. That passage, added six decades after Eaton's book's original composition, may explain the 2001 copyrighting of a work dedicated in 1939. This is one of a series called the Formac Fiction Treasures, further explained on this volume's page iv.

Historical fiction invariably combines important elements of both non-fiction - the historical setting - and fiction. A work lacking either the historical element or the fictive one must necessarily be identified by means of some other genre name, such as "fantasy novel", "present-day adventure", "history", or "biography". In the present case, author Evelyn Eaton comes close to simply recording history, but without crossing the line; her invention of important characters as well as dialogues and situation involving them keeps "Quietly My Captain Waits" within the province, or genre, of historical novels.

The author seems quite at home in reading antique French records which she must have taken considerable trouble to find in archives, museums, and such places. It will be to the reader's advantage to know at least some rudimentary French, although passages of any length are translated (by Eaton herself) into English in the Appendix, pages 361-365.

It's not at all true that you can't appreciate this book without knowing French, however. When a word such as "Tiens!" (equivalent in use to our "Hey!" "Say!" "Look!" or even "Wow!", but actually being the singular imperative of "tenir", to hold) is used, it serves only as a reminder that the entire conversation supposedly takes place in French. Such an interjection may have little other significance; our failure to understand its exact meaning is unlikely to spell the end of the world.

The novel is structured in five Parts and 87 unusually short chapters. Part One is 80 pages or 20 chapters long, for an average chapter length of four pages (or somewhat less, given that each chapter heading occupies an otherwise blank 1/3 page, pages 1 & 2 are nearly blank, etc.) One's reading progress seems fantastic if judged by chapter numbers; then we discover it's nothing of the sort, though, in terms of actual pages.

The work begins with an adolescent lad and his sea-captain uncle who, toward the 17th century's end, voyage initially from France to Que'bec (the town; the Province of that name was only organized under the later British regime). The book uses old spellings though. At that time the place in question was spelled "Kebec", while France's North American holdings were jointly called la Nouvelle France, or New France.

After a sojourn in Kebec, the uncle's ship embarks a lady and sails downriver, then around Nova Scotia (as we nowadays call it) to land in the Acadian country of what we now call New Brunswick.

The lad slowly realizes that the young woman has long been the love of his uncle's life (the opposite also being true). They had however been tragically separated by her disapproving parents' machinations, both lovers having since married others, twice. At last the loving couple will consummate their old relationship, double adultery notwithstanding.

Such a bittersweet romance may have been historically factual; the woman's name is mentioned several times in governors' despatches, and it was probably the uncle's name that was given to Bonaventure Island, a seabird sanctuary island off the tip of the Gaspe' Peninsula. That is, both characters seem historical.

The nephew, soon enamoured of the same lady, is fictional. Yet in Eaton's tale, a sharp irony is that whereas three men (one too young for her, though) desperately love that one leading lady, she actually has had a disappointing (it is merely respectful on her part, if loving on his) marriage with the third. This is her second marriage, moreover, but she is once again widowed by a Iroquois attack on her second husband's seigneurie - a feudal form of early Canadian land holding that was something like a barony - in what is now middle New Brunswick.

The seigneurie siege having been lost to the Iroquois, the nephew, who had been in the thick of the action and had saved the lady, later fights with his uncle who'd been elsewhere, but who is by now living rather disreputably with her in Port Royal, the Acadian capital. In a swift series of stupid moves the nephew's rupture with civilized society becomes complete, and he proposes to his Indian companion that they two retire to the woods to live as bandits, preying upon French and English white folk alike.

Frankly, at that point in the book I felt that author Eaton should have torn up a chapter or two leading into such an inextricable situation - remember, her chapters are very short - and ought to have started again, say at the top of page 163. Possibly, she did find some way to patch up a seriously ailing plot line, but I personally am unable to afford her any more of that "willing suspension of disbelief" which makes fiction work.

The same may not be true for you, though, and in that case these notes at least give an idea what you may expect in the book's first half.

Let me end by showing why a book that seems unsatisfactory may nonetheless be validly discussed in these pages.

First, as already suggested, other readers may react differently to features I dislike. Second, the book does have certain merits, such as in vividly painting French colonial life three centuries ago. Third, to be silent about works one doesn't like is, to a degree, to abdicate one's responsibility to state "the truth, the whole truth, (etc.)".

I don't want to seem better than I am, though, on that third point; the fact is that Eaton's book is not the first work I didn't like - but I have read 100 more pages this time than in my previous abandoned try. That gives me a much better basis for criticism now than last time.

Icebones
Stephen Baxter
Eos
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN 038081899X, $14.95; 272 pp., 1-800-242-7737

Depending on your point of view, the notion that anything is possible is the glory or the curse of science fiction. To me it's a curse, but there clearly are many adherents of the former perspective to enjoy this work by British engineer and much-awarded author Stephen Baxter, credited in "Icebones"'s inside-back-cover blurb with 11 science fiction novels and four novels for young adults.

Coleridge coined his famed definition of the basic need in appreciating fiction thus: "That willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith." If you possess that quality or faculty in spades, science fiction may well be for you.

From the writer's perspective, while sci-fi (SF) no doubt demands a very lively imagination and a willingness to let go of realities, if it's true that "anything goes", research seems unnecessary; should a described world seem false or incredible, criticism can be deflected with the unanswerable argument, "How can you tell it's not like that, when there may be an infinity of other worlds out there?" That answer frees the SF writer to set down even the most outrageous twaddle, with as much assurance as there can ever be that someone will publish it - and, in that case, that others will buy it and/or read the resulting book.

It also seems likely that habitual writers and readers of SF have built up conventions and an argot peculiar to their own interests and perceived needs, as "in" groups (like sailing sailors) have always done; consider the recent SF examples, "droid" for android, and "bot" for robot. Even as an outsider, though, I haven't noticed that difficulty here.

Thanks largely to NASA's 20th century robotic explorations, we know a certain amount about our Earth's sister-planet Mars, "fourth rock from the Sun" (Earth being the third, with Venus and then Mercury orbiting still nearer our star.) Baxter imagines a Mars, circa year 3,000, that has been meddled with by mankind almost to the point of unrecognizability, except for the survival of such lasting features as the solar system's tallest mountain (Olympus Mons or Mount Olypus), two moons, and a pink sky. The changes are so striking, in fact, that at first one thinks it must be someone else's Mars - as seen, moreover, exclusively through the eyes of mammoths who turn out to have colour vision similar to ours; they see the pink of the sky and the colours of the plant life around them, for Baxter postulates that humans will have made Mars as Earthlike as possible by importing Earth species during hundreds of years of colonization.

The reader eventually realizes that it is indeed "our" Mars, the lead mammoth supposedly having survived on some remote Earth island until being transported by meddlesome Man to Mars. Only that mammoth, though, Icebones, has any memory of life on "the Island", and only she recognizes that the Sun seems shrunken and cold from Mars, as compared to Earth.

The book's one map, entitled "The Sky Steppe c. AD 3,000 (MARS)", shows a vast Ocean of the North (Vastitas Borealis). NASA has however found more like TRACES of water on the red planet - knowing which, Baxter has his mammoths credit humans with creating that ocean by importing (to me, incredible amounts of) water from their home planet.

For what little it may be worth, here's my considerably more realistic view: that altered as Mars may by year 3,000 be, the mass transportation of water from Earth will be neither attempted nor permitted, and visitors to Mars will have to make do with much less than an oceanfull of water; if they can assemble the equivalent of one moderate Earth lake out of local resources, my guess is that they will have done very well indeed.

Slightly less improbable than transporting an ocean is that Baxter's Mars is populated by woolly mammoths of incredible intelligence, not to mention a good many other species being present, as well.

This is where the word "anthropomorphic" comes in. The word-root "morph" refers, strictly speaking, to forms; however, "anthropomorphic" is defined by dictionaries also to refer to the attribution of human personalities to gods/animals/objects. Bugs Bunny and Garfield the cat are anthropomorphic in this sense, even while respectively somewhat resembling a rabbit and a cat, in form. By having humanoid personalities, then, Baxter's talking mammoths are anthropomorphic.

"Icebones" is the tale's talking, rational, protagonist female mammoth. Her given name actually doesn't refer to her very, very long sleep in a semi-frozen state at the book's outset, contrary to all expectations; it reflects the chilly sensation her mother had felt, while carrying her in the womb.

Having awakened and sloughed off layers of ice at the book's beginning, Icebones is found by a member of a group of mammoths - a young bull whose forebears and present troop have from time immemorial (to him) lived here, on the Sky Steppe of this (to her) strange planet.

Icebones thinks she is then 15 years old, and decides - her powers of observation and reasoning being remarkably sharp - that she has somehow been relocated to a smaller planet, compared to the place of her birth and raising. Her senses are not foolproof, though; she later discovers, upon comparing notes with another mammoth, that her long, cold sleep had actually lasted for many generations. Apparently, "the Lost" (mammmothese for "humans") had simply misplaced and forgotten her, however unlikely it seems for anyone to lose a huge, multi-million-dollar animal ANYplace.

Generations of mammoths on this smaller but two-mooned planet have been cared for from birth to death by the Lost - i.e., by humans. The animals thus are by now incompetent to fend for themselves, and are in dire straits because the Lost now are somehow, well ... lost.

Although unwilling, the savvy Icebones is asked to play the local troop's governing Matriarch. She is soon tested by a mercifully brief eruption of Olympus Mons, or "Fire Mountain" in mammoth talk.

The question inevitably arises of how even such super-brained Earth-type critters as these could ever have found their ways, alive, through the frigid vacuum of outer space to Mars? Lacking opposable thumbs, could they possibly have developed rocket science while humans weren't looking, using their trunks to manipulate the necessary equipment? Even then, could common mammoths be let walk about as the book's cover illustration shows, without so much as a space suit? Is that on, if it's "our" Mars - where the atmosphere is said to be very thin indeed?

There is, however, an early hint of how mammoths might better have travelled so far. We find it in the following sentence on page 8: "They had walked across the cold steppe of the Island, surrounded by the Lost and their incomprehensible gadgetry, perturbed and yet not harmed by them." A great deal is possible to "the Lost", owing to their "clever paws" (hands). The Lost must even have imported some of Earth's atmosphere to Mars, to sustain animal life sans space suits and oxygen tanks.

Discovering the mammoth's earthly island means we humans didn't need DNA and cloning to bring back mammoths; we simply went out and NABBED them! Then for reasons of our own we chose to transport them through space - surely at enormous, and I'd say prohibitive, cost - to Mars.

"Supposing an insulating thatch were vital to survival up there," I wondered at first, "Why wouldn't we choose a smaller but still meaty arctic animal, such as the muskox or the yak?" Later, though, I realized that men determined to use mammoths as work animals, not food, as a close analogy to Indian elephants - only better protected from the Martian cold.

I remain skeptical about many sci-fi premises, but I'm reminded of something a colleague once said: "They aren't as dumb as they look." Yet some of this book does go beyond all reason. A prime example occurs on pages 64-66, where several species of birds are mentioned - all presumably introduced from Earth for apparently arbitrary reasons, although at very considerable expense, without consideration of the wellknown dangers of introducing alien species, and irrespective of how birds can fly in a very thin atmosphere. Also carried from Earth were trees, now very tall; and, in Mars's introduced ocean, an enormous, aggressive, supposedly solitary, male narwhal - a parody of the mild earthly animal "on steroids", as it were - presumably carried to Mars in an enormous tank of seawater ...

The farther one penetrates into this book, the more species or classes of earthly life are identified - even mosses, lichens, seaweeds ... For it appears that the Lost had decided to outdo Noah himself, transporting not only a great many animal species, but also vegetable ones, presumably to create a balanced ecology and give fodder to the animals. Actually, it's something humans must seriously consider before attempting the lasting colonization of any other parts of the universe.

By the bye, how do you like the avian (or editorial) consistency of the following set of quotations? Page 64: "A pair of birds flew up and down the gully ..."; p. 65: "... it struck her how high she was here, higher than clouds, higher than birds ..."; p. 66: "Sandpipers fled from her, screeching in protest." Well, was she higher than birds, or was she not? It sometimes seems that nobody is perfect, though, in literature.

Ragged One, a loner on the mammoth troop's fringes, challenges Icebones's leadership, then together they discover that the Lost - the humans - have ALL been killed in a cable-car accident (yes, that's what I said!) on the mountain - a crash probably triggered by the volcanic eruption and its accompanying Marsquakes, although I didn't notice Baxter, speaking through the mouths of untutored mammoths, explicitly connecting that cause with that effect.

What can objectively be said about the writing style, etc., of this book? - for habitual SF readers will know that, even given the "anything is possible" defence, there can be both good and poor writing.

From the non-practical point of view, Baxter's book seems well written, with good grammar, etc., and an interesting scenario that's comparable in some ways to that of Richard Adams's "Watership Down" - another anthropomorphic-animal novel differing most notably by featuring rabbits, not mammoths, and by being set in England, not on Mars.

The basic problem is that things don't make much practical, e.g. economic, sense. The book implies that we will make huge investments to colonize Mars (it's amusing that we formerly feared the reverse) - but why? Using what open-ended source of funding? Why will we do so in such an extravagant fashion? I can only guess, facetiously, that third millennium Earth-to-Mars shippers will adopt as their anthem the Cole Porter song, "Anything [and Everything] Goes". Call me bemused, then.

Yet the tale will make fine escapist literature for those who need it, especially if they care little for logic and realities.

Pete Hodgins Sr.
Reviewer


Harwood's Bookshelf

Vulgarians At The Gate: Trash TV And Raunch Radio
Steve Allen
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
ISBN 1573928747, 419 pp, HC, $26.00, 1-800-421-0351

"Humans ... cannot long survive, as a rational, emotionally healthy species, without a secure family structure.... It is mostly the failed family, therefore, which has produced our present millions of prison inmates, rapists, drug addicts, burglars, muggers, sexual psychopaths, nonprofessional whores of both sexes, and general goofolas." (p. 37)

Come again? Does Steve Allen actually endorse the "family values" propaganda of the lunatic right? Sadly, the answer is yes. Despite his claim to be a humanist, he apparently believed that a tolerant, pragmatic approach to living arrangements, and rejection of a religion-derived taboo code that defined morality as whatever a sky Fhrer's dice-tossing scriptwriter said it was, is the cause of antisocial behavior ranging from nonconformist to criminally repugnant.

Allen's book is essentially a puritanical attack on human sexuality. On page 35 he expresses hostility to "the witless spectacle known as Married ... with Children-a deliberately vulgar situation comedy aired on the Fox network." In my view, Married ... with Children was one of television's few high points. And he is as equally hostile to the delightfully funny Sex and the City (pp. 45-51)

Allen also singles out Just Shoot Me as a target of his invective. After describing an episode in which the characters, without resorting to Anglo-Saxon vulgarisms, discussed uncoerced, nonconsequential, victimless recreation, he comments (p. 94), "When company dollars send this kind of depravity into the home at the early hour of 9 P.M., something is dreadfully wrong with the equation."

On pages 141-142: "I doubt that anyone has ever seriously argued that the purpose of Sports Illustrated magazine's 'annual swimsuit issue' is to enlighten the public about the benefits of swimming or the latest developments in beach couture." That would have been a valid criticism if Allen had been commenting on the presentation of visual art as sports-related. But it appears in a paragraph about "the appeal of pornography." Perhaps there is such a thing as pornography. Some defining word is necessary to explain the difference between the artistically-bankrupt images of Hustler and the tasteful eroticism of Playboy. But Sports Illustrated? Oh come now.

Allen denies taking the position "that sex itself is evil and that, therefore, almost all manifestations of it should be vigilantly discouraged." (p. 144) But that disclaimer is inserted into a paragraph containing the expression, "sex, violence, and vulgarity," as if sadistic people-hurting and responsible joy-sharing are related acts that equally pollute the vast wasteland. And Allen consistently harps that, even if sex is not evil, talking about it is. Is this hypocrisy or what?

"In today's culture it sometimes seems that our entire society has become one massive occasion for sin." (p. 107) In no dictionary that I consulted is sin defined as a synonym for unjust behavior, the unnecessary hurting of a nonconsenting victim. Rather, it means disobedience to a decree from an imaginary lawgiver in the sky. Yet Allen uses the word as if it refers to objective evil. Clearly one does not need to swallow religion's fairy tales in order to be brainwashed by its pseudo-morality. Even persons who reject the alleged lawgiver have swallowed laws whose validity is totally dependent on the pretence, "God says so."

The last thing I expected when I started reading Vulgarians at the Gate was that I would be unable to praise it. I expected an attack on the true obscenity that has made television the primary cause of the dumbing of North America: the touting of superstitious hogwash for the sake of ratings, with depraved indifference to anything but profits. I really wish I could say that, in between long harangues of anti-sex rhetoric, Allen also makes a lot of valid points. But the closest I can come is to say that he makes a few valid points. For example, his denunciation of Jerry Springer and Howard Stern are totally justified. While I am in agreement that "the love of ratings is the root of all evil," (p. 36), the rest of the book is a vast disappointment.

This book has destroyed any respect I ever had for Steve Allen as a supposedly rational thinker. He was an ultra-conservative neanderthal who had no more ability to tell right from wrong on a rational basis (e.g.: Does an action unnecessarily hurt somebody?) than the religious nutcase currently polluting the White House.

The Supernatural, The Occult And The Bible
Gerald Larue
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
ISBN 0-879755-615-2, cloth, 303 pp., $31.00, 1-800-421-0351

"My studies have led me to the conclusion that biblical supernaturalism and the supernaturalism of the occult represent two sides of the same coin, and that from some perspectives they may be viewed as rivals using the same basic premises but employing different cultic and historical settings.... Because the Bible is a product of its own time, it is not surprising to find supernaturalism threaded throughout its various documents.... Modern occultism is also characterized by belief in supernatural powers (both malignant and benign), mythical monsters, extraterrestrial beings, nonhuman forces, and other mystical themes." (p. 12) In other words, superstition A and superstition B are mirror images, and the former hates the latter out of pure jealousy.

On the claim of the most braindead of all religionists, biblical literalists who insist that the original autographs were inerrant but later copyists made mistakes, Larue asks (p. 15) "As one contemplates the claim that the autographs were divinely given or inspired, the question arises: Why, if God was so concerned about accuracy in the original autographs, did he disregard the importance of accuracy in the preservation and copying of these divine revelations?" Not surprisingly, that is a question fundamentalists pointedly ignore, in the hope that it will go away. And how or why would seven different copyists insert flat-earth passages that were not present in the originals?

"In a sense, Old Age beliefs validate New Age ideas, for if supernatural and occultist ideas are found in the Bible, which is the 'word of God,' then present-day nonbiblical supernatural and occultist notions can claim to have a basis in reality. In other words, by virtue of the authority given to the Bible by synagogues and churches, the Bible sustains and perhaps even modifies the new occultism which both synagogue and church condemn!" (p. 17) So religion's hatred of its chief competitor is hypercritical and oxymoronic. So what else is new?

"Obviously, the findings of modern scientific and societal research have not displaced beliefs in the world of magic or spirits or ghosts or demons or otherworldly powers. What is, perhaps, more distressing is to learn that there are police officers, educators, social workers, therapists, nurses, doctors, and others who work directly with human safety, human health, and human learning who believe in demonic powers...." (p. 20) Clearly that passage written in 1990 has not reached a large enough audience, since the year 2000 saw the appointment of an unelected religious nut case as President of the United States.

Larue shows that the popular (in 1990) scam of channeling, of which even Shirley MacLaine has lately been conspicuously silent, differs in no significant way from phenomena that the Bible attributes to the spokesman Samuel. And his chapter on astrology states (p.54-55), "Some people believe there is little harm done by astrological forecasts.... There is, however, clear evidence that astrological prediction can produce fear and panic. Some astrologers predicted that in May 1988 ... Southern California would be shaken by a gigantic earthquake. The Griffith Observatory received thousands off calls from individuals who were upset and even terrified by the prediction. Some persons moved out of state for the month.... Of course the earthquake never happened.... The predictors were wrong. They and those who publicized their forecasts were socially irresponsible and unethical. They disrupted lives-emotionally, physically, and financially." And he is not unwilling to assign blame for the proliferation of such nonsense (p. 55): "By their very silence concerning the presence of astrology in the Scriptures, which affect present-day beliefs, both synagogue and church give token acceptance to the validity of astrology." In the chapter, "Extraterrestrials-Angels and Other Heavenly Creatures," after showing that The X Files' aliens differ little from the lifeforms described by Ezekiel and other biblical authors, Larue concludes (p. 65) "Modern sightings are in the same literary category as biblical sightings: fiction." And he shows that the modern dowsing delusion, in which a divining rod is used to find water, is an adaptation of the biblical myth of Moses using his phallic staff to produce water out of a rock.

After showing that even the most imbecilic New Age practices are adaptations of beliefs endorsed by the Bible, Larue concludes (p. 303), "It is time, a time long overdue, for the Bible to be recognized for what it really is-a collection of writings by people who lived in Palestine and the Mediterranean world some 2,00 to 3,000 years ago, with no more accuracy or authority concerning the nature of the cosmos, the world, or life than any other ancient writing. The Bible is a product of its time. Its occult superstitions are out of harmony with the modern world.... Its supernaturalism ... continues to encourage magical thinking in an age of science."

In the twelve years since The Supernatural, the Occult and the Bible was written, it has not been superseded. It is still the definitive analysis of the connection between belief systems that their respective adherents tout as unique, but which are in fact interdependent.

An Encyclopedia Of Claims, Frauds, And Hoaxes Of The Occult And Supernatural
James Randi
St Martin's Griffin
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0312151195, 284 pp, trade paperback, $14.95

No more than about half of the 666 entries in Randi's Encyclopedia are also to be found among the 3,500 entries in Dictionary of Contemporary Mythology (1stbooks.com), and for that reason if for no other, both books should be required acquisitions for anyone who wants a handy guide to contrary-to-fact belief systems in his reference library. On average, the entries in each are about the same length, although Randi on several occasions includes additional material not found in Dictionary.

Encyclopedia is not without errors. For example, under "Simon Magus" Randi writes, "Simon Peter (Saint Peter) followed him around, outmiracling him at every opportunity and finally encountering him in Rome. In desperation, Simon Magus announced that he would fly to heaven from a specially erected tower in the Campus Martius. Despite his claims to flight, he fell from the tower when Saint Peter prayed to have him fail in his attempt. Simon broke both legs, and subsequently died from his injuries."

Since Randi clearly does not believe such nonsense, presumably the clarification stating that the foregoing was a Christian myth was omitted somewhere between the manuscript and the print shop. In fact the myth can be found in "The Acts of Peter," which in turn can be found in The Judaeo-Christian Bible Fully Translated, volume 7 (Booksurge.com).

The only other error I detected, although there may conceivably be more, is in the entry "UFO." Randi states that the inventor of the UFO, pilot Kenneth Arnold, reported seeing "saucer-shaped" flying objects. In fact Arnold reported seeing boomerang-shaped objects flying erratically "like a saucer if you skip it across the water." It was the media's misquoting him that led to the "flying saucer" craze. (see "unidentified flying objects" in Dictionary) But such errors are the exception. The bulk of the book is factual and informative.

Arthur C. Clarke, in his Foreword to Randi's book, writes, "I am a little disappointed that Randi doesn't deal with one of my pet hates-Creationism, perhaps the most pernicious of the intellectual perversions now afflicting the American public." But he also writes, "Unscrupulous publishers, out to make a cheap buck by pandering to the credulous and feebleminded, are ... sabotaging the intellectual and educational standards of society, and fostering a generation of neobarbarians," and urges, "How I wish that Randi's Encyclopedia could be in every high school and college library, as an antidote to the acres of mind-rotting rubbish that now litter the bookstands!"

Doubled, redoubled and in spades.

Hypnotism: A History
Derek Forrest
Penguin Books
375 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
ISBN 0140280405, 334 pp, $14.00

There are two kinds of authors capable of writing a gullible, scientifically illiterate history of hypnotism theory and evolution, based on the delusion that a modified state of consciousness known as hypnosis actually exists. One is a stage hypnotist who needs to shut out the reality that his volunteer actors are simulators, since the alternative would be to recognize that he is a hypocrite and a humbug. The other is a psychoquack who practices cold reading in the belief that it is a branch of medicine, and shuts out the reality that his practice differs in no way from that of a tealeaf reader or a bartender. Derek Forrest is the latter kind.

Forrest not only endorses the legitimacy of Sigmund Freud's obscene and fully discredited "psychoanalysis" hoax. He even believes in the reality of multiple personality. Describing a particularly notorious case of multiple personality playacting, he writes (p. 259), "It may have been the case that these personalities were produced unwittingly by suggestions made by Prince [the hypnotist] during hypnosis.... The other possibility, that Miss Beauchamp [the patient] deliberately deceived Prince for private reasons of her own, seems to be unlikely, as she was quite ignorant of the psychological literature and suffered much from the depredations caused by Sally [one of her personalities]." That rationalization, that a playactor could not have known how to deceive an alleged therapist, is typical of the lengths to which unteachables can go to reinforce their belief in the-thing-that-is-not. Of course the patient "deliberately deceived Prince." That is what compulsive playactors do.

Forrest's paragraph on Dr Milton Erickson is equally gullible. How anyone who has read Erickson's medical journal articles, in which he claimed results that simply could not happen, could fail to recognize that the man was an unmitigated liar, is incomprehensible.

In explaining why spectacular results in hypnotic experiments achieved in uncontrolled conditions are not replicable in a laboratory environment, Forrest states (p, 271), "The attitude of disciplined skepticism in the laboratory setting is not one calculated to allow the emergence of the dramatic and bizarre phenomena produced in response to the vivid urgings of the committed charismatic, such as a Du Potet. The really effective hypnotist has to exude confidence, enthusiasm, and certainty; in so doing, he will find it difficult to maintain the objective stance necessary for the scientist." In fairness, that is a more acceptable rationalization of why playactors do not perform well in the presence of persons willing to recognize acting when they see it, than the incredible claim of parapsychologists that ESP disappears in the presence of a skeptic because "psi is shy."

On the observable success of some applications of hypnotherapy, Forrest state (p. 272), "Much more seems to depend on non-hypnotic factors, such as the person's motivation, than to their susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion. In this context it is interesting to note that in the case of smoking, one or two sessions of hypnosis have been found to be sufficient to bring about cessation of the habit in 98 % of those who were successfully treated." What Forrest does not mention is the correlation between the effectiveness of the treatment and the size of the hypnotist's fee. The more money a smoker pays a hypnotherapist to cure his habit, the greater the smoker's incentive to see that the treatment works, not merely because he really wants to quit, but also because he does not wish to be perceived as a sucker.

On the effectiveness of hypnotic suggestion in suppressing pain, Forrest states (p. 273), "Research has shown that this relief is not simply the result of a placebo effect." WRONG. Hypnotherapy is by definition a placebo effect.

Forrest expresses the belief (p. 275) that, "Age regression may be upsetting if a 'return' is made to a traumatic past period; a bizarre suggestion to be carried out posthypnotically may cause embarrassment and even physical danger; sometimes subjects are not fully awakened after hypnosis; and occasionally they return spontaneously to a trance-like state." Such beliefs might have been justifiable twenty years ago, before the publication of Robert A. Baker's They Call It Hypnosis, which established once and for all that "Hypnotism does not exist, has never existed in the past, and will not exist in the future." That anyone could write such drivel today provides further proof that there are none so blind as those who will not see. On the good side, Forrest does recognize that "recovered memories" of childhood sexual abuse are fantasies put into the minds of their patients by therapists of whom the description "criminally incompetent" is too polite.

Forrest's history of the evolution of hypnotism theory from Mesmer to Charcot is more detailed than Peter Reveen's The Superconscious World, but also more credulous and less readable, for the good reason that Forrest did not have a skeptical editor (guess who?) looking over his shoulder and eliminating interpretations that are best described as na‹ve. Both books present a pro-hypnotism view of suggestion experimentation, but Reveen's 56 pages of history contain as much factual information as Forrest's 228 pages on the same subject, and a lot less superstitious hogwash. Both view Anton Mesmer favorably, even though he was, even by the standards of his time, as unwilling to face observable reality as Forrest still is.

This is not a book I can recommend. For a concise survey of hypnotism's origin and evolution, the place to go is the updated version of Reveen's 1987 book, now renamed Hypnotism Then and Now. It takes the position that hypnotism does exist (in a book designed to be sold at his show, Reveen could hardly do otherwise). But that does not invalidate most of the content. For the evidence that hypnotism does not exist, see They Call It Hypnosis.

Six Novels About Jesus:

King Jesus, by Robert Graves (d. 1985)
I, Judas, by Taylor Caldwell (d. 1985) and Jess Stern, (d. 1998)
Judas, My Brother, by Frank Yerby (d. 1991)
The Kingdom Of The Wicked, by Anthony Burgess, (d. 1993)
Uncle Yeshu, Messiah, by William Harwood
The Beloved Disciple, by William Harwood

In I, Judas, Jesus walks on water, in violation of the laws of reality. In Judas, My Brother, Jesus stands upright on a floating outhouse door, giving watchers the impression that he is walking on water. There is no corresponding scene in Uncle Yeshu, Messiah, as any attempt to explain a biblical miracle as a misinterpretation of a real event would have reinforced the belief that the myth had a factual basis, when in fact all of the miracles attributed to Jesus in the Christian gospels were borrowed from fables previously told in the books of Kings. There is also no equivalent scene in King Jesus, perhaps because Graves also recognized it as a watered-down copy of Eliyah's parting of the Jordan River.

The Caldwell, Yerby and Graves books portray Jesus as a lifelong celibate. Uncle Yeshu does not. Graves portrays him as a cripple, Yerby and Harwood as a madman. And while Yerby follows Christian tradition in having Jesus' father Joseph die before Jesus was fully grown, while Harwood has him divorce Mary/Miriam in order to become a Qumran monk, both attribute his departure to his inability to continue living with a ball-breaking wife. Graves' fanciful tale of Jesus' parents' relationship is quite different.

Before Judas, My Brother even begins, Frank Yerby warns his readers, "This novel touches only two issues ... Whether any man truly has the right to believe fanciful and childish nonsense; and whether any organization has the right to impose, by almost imperial fiat, belief in things that simply are not so." In chapter VIII he has his narrator state, "Therefore I was forced to the conclusion that it was less morally repugnant not to believe in God at all than it was to worship an absentee landlord of a deity on the one hand ... or Satan's fiendish twin on the other." Then in chapter X: "Like any rational man, I prefer atheism to demonolatry." Clearly Yerby is no fan of either the Christian Church or its imaginary Sky Fhrer. And when Yerby in an endnote expresses "the writer's belief that theology is a mild form of insanity," my only disagreement is with the word "mild."

Unfortunately, the novel is not completely free of superstition. In what I can only interpret as an endorsement of astrology, Yerby's narrator reads Jesus' horoscope and warns him that, if he proceeds with his ambitions, "you become the greatest criminal in the long tides of human history.... I see temples erected in your name ... a whole priesthood clad in silks and gold, blazing with jewels, bowing before graven images made in your likeness.... They'll make of you a pagan god.... And all over the earth, your people, my people, will twist in the fire, scream from the wrack, die in the chambers of the choking smoke." Was there no way, other than validating the concept of prophecy, that Yerby could have portrayed Jesus as the ultimate cause of Hitler? Perhaps not.

Uncle Yeshu, Messiah identifies the John gospel's "Beloved Disciple" as Nathanael, mentioned only in the same gospel. Nathan, narrator of Judas, My Brother, turns out to be the Beloved Disciple (that premature revelation will not spoil the story for new readers), but a scene in which Nathan meets Nathanael makes clear that, to Yerby, they were not the same person. So I was more original than I thought in concluding (Mythology's Last Gods, pp. 353-354) that The Beloved Disciple really was Nathanael. For most of the thirty years since I read Yerby's book for the first time, I had been under the impression that Yerby had reached the same conclusion first. Apparently not.

I, Judas, Judas My Brother, and King Jesus, all depict Judas the Iskariot/Sicarius as the victim of bad press, and credit him with noble motives for doing what the Christian gospels say he did. They also translate his surname as meaning "from Kerioth." They could hardly do otherwise. Since their authors deny that Jesus was an anti-Roman revolutionary, they could not very well admit that one of his chief lieutenants was a sicarius, "daggerman" or assassin, a member of the ultra-militant wing of Rome's enemies, the Zealots. Uncle Yeshu, Messiah shows the anonymous author of "Mark," unable to conceal from Vespasian, for whose benefit he was writing, that Jesus' rebel band included several Zealots, one of them a Sicarius, dissociating his hero from the anti-Roman sect by inventing the fiction that Judas (and by implication the whole Zealot party) had "really" been Jesus' enemy and had ultimately betrayed him.

Harwood and Yerby both attribute the invention of the resurrection myth to an individual. In Judas, My Brother, that individual is a mad woman, Miriam the Magdalene. In Uncle Yeshu, Messiah, it is a retard, the Beloved Disciple, Nathanael.

The jacket blurb of The Kingdom of the Wicked reads, "Opening with the resurrection of Jesus, the reader is carried through the mystical, miraculous, violent time that followed as the twelve apostles battled against the crumbling decadent Roman Empire." Since there were never any "twelve apostles," and assuredly no dead man has ever come back to life, an opening like that is a clear warning that the story will be as realistic as The Cat in the Hat. Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange, tries to demythologize some biblical fantasies. But his ignorance of the valid source documents, and his acceptance of imaginary incidents as observers' misinterpretations of real events, renders his novel worthless.

From the imaginative to the ridiculous: I, Judas was written by the authors of such scientifically illiterate drivel as Edgar Cayce, the Sleeping Prophet, and books touting the reality of Atlantis, psychic phenomena, and something called alpha thinking (whatever that is). Their belief that fairy tales of virgin birth, divine incarnation and resurrection are nonfiction should therefore come as no surprise. I, Judas tries to give an Alice in Wonderland story the plausibility of War and Peace, but unlike Dr Seuss and L. Frank Baum, its authors' unawareness that they were telling a story that only a twelve-year-old mind could take seriously guaranteed that they would not succeed. To describe this book as worthless would be undue praise.

King Jesus and Uncle Yeshu, Messiah both begin before Jesus' birth, for the purpose of falsifying the myth that Jesus was out of Mother Goose by the Great Pumpkin, or something equally Twilight Zone. But whereas "Uncle Yeshu" is the fifth-generation descendant of Syrians forcefully converted to Judaism when the Maccabees gave all residents of the totally-gentile province of Galilee the choice of submitting to circumcision or having a similar operation performed on their necks, Graves subjects his imagination to gymnastics worthy of Nadia Comaneci in order to turn Jesus into a biological descendant of both King David and King Herod. He was assuredly neither.

Harwood's Jesus, and likewise Yerby's, is the oldest of at least seven siblings, as the Christian gospels acknowledge him to have been. Graves adheres to the Catholic orthodoxy that Jesus' siblings were Joseph's children by a previous marriage, a doublethink that Protestants recognize as a desperate attempt to maintain the "perpetual virgin" hoax. And Graves na‹vely parrots the gospel fiction, invented to seduce followers of John the Immerser to defect to Jesus the Nazirite long after the death of both, that John was Jesus' relative, precursor and supporter, when the John of history was an opposition messiah.

Graves foreshadows The Passover Plot, both in having Jesus orchestrate his own execution, and in having him survive the crucifixion by achieving a comatose state that was mistaken for death. But whereas the Jesus of The Passover Plot later died from an unanticipated spear wound in the chest, King Jesus simply disappears, with the book's narrator denying any further knowledge. The logical assumption is that Graves was unwilling to offend the terminally ignorant by showing Jesus totally, permanently, irreversibly dead. (Yerby also has Jesus rendered comatose in order to appear dead and be removed from his stake alive, only to succumb to the fourth gospel's spear wound. But Yerby goes on to have the corpse buried.)

In a historical novel, anything that conceivably could have happened is legitimate, including retelling a fantasy as a not-impossible event that could have given rise to the fantasy. But when Graves incorporates such pre-Christian myths as visiting maguses, poor shepherds, birth in a cave, a virtual star of Bethlehem, resurrecting a dead man … la Asklepios, and even Herod's massacre of infants, into a novel purportedly based on fact, one has to wonder if he really knows any more about first-century Palestinian history than Hillbilly Graham. He rejects some blatant impossibilities, such as feeding thousands with a handful of bagels and lox, or turning water into wine, only to replace them with alternative absurdities no less party-lining and gullible than Caldwell's. He not only shows Jesus exorcising seven demons from Mary the Magdalene, as if "possession" were a valid concept; he even names the demons.

Graves does get one thing right. In a reference to the difference between the Jesus of history and the Jesus described in the Christian gospels, he has his narrator say that, "being unaware on what insecure historical ground their doctrine rests, ... the founders of the Gentile churches so strangely misunderstood his mission that they have made him the central figure of a new cult which, were he alive now, he could only regard with detestation and horror." Yet despite that insight, most of Graves' novel shows no more ability to distinguish between sense and nonsense than any biblical literalist. King Jesus is riddled with inaccuracies, irritants, nonsense, and interpretations that were not even defensible when the book was written in 1946. In the light of scholars' findings of the subsequent fifty years, Graves' interpretation is as plausible as The Wizard of Oz.

The Beloved Disciple is a fantasy, written as a hoax that I hoped to con a pusher of superstitious hogwash into publishing as nonfiction, so I could then expose such disinformation peddlers as the same kind of gullible incurables who swallowed James Randi's "Project Alpha." That never happened, and it was eventually published with an Afterword explaining its true status.

So is Uncle Yeshu, Messiah more historically accurate than the four other novels under consideration? Being written by a historian specializing in the period, as the others were not, it logically should be. But every author of a historical novel believes that his is the most approximate reconstruction to what really happened (or why write at all?), and the author of Uncle Yeshu, Messiah is no exception.

Is Uncle Yeshu, Messiah better than the two novels that start from the assumption that Christian myths are literal truth? How could it not be? Is it better than Judas, My Brother? Since Yerby was one of the giants, such a claim would require more hubris than I am able to muster. Is it better than King Jesus? If claiming equality with Yerby would be conceited, claiming equality with Graves would be no less so. Graves presents his interpretation of history with the competence later perfected in I, Claudius. But it is an interpretation no biblical scholar has ever taken seriously. If my book is recognized as ranking no higher than fourth of five in literary skill, but first in historical accuracy, I can live with that.

Apart from Uncle Yeshu, Messiah, the only Jesus novel I can recommend, not only for its plausible reconstruction of the social conditions under which Jesus lived and died, but also for its literary skill that Graves (in 1946) had not yet equaled, is Judas My Brother.

William Harwood
Reviewer


Harold's Bookshelf

The Power Of Failure: 27 Ways To Turn Life's Setbacks Into Success
Charles C. Manz
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St., Ste 650, San Francisco, CA 94104
ISBN: 1576751325, $14.95, Pages: 146, 1-800-929-2929

Our society teaches us to fear failure. It teaches us that if a project or activity fails then we are a failure. This is a real problem because the only way we don't fail is if we don't try. Moving forward means that failure will happen at times. Instead of teaching that failure is personal in nature we need to redefine failure as part of the learning process. Failure has a purpose. Failure can be used to grow as a person or to redefine and improve a project or plan.

"The Power of Failure: 27 Ways to Turn Life's Setbacks into Success" provides a framework for redefining failure and using it to get ahead and improve your life. Failure can be a devastating factor that completely stops a person in their tracks or it can be the tool that they use to become successful. The choice is yours. A highly recommended read.

Essential Musical Intelligence: Using Music As Your Path To Healing, Creativity, And Radiant Wholeness
Louise Montello
Quest Books
306 N. Geneva Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
ISBN: 083560814X, $18.95, Pages: 227 plus several appendices

Throughout "Essential Musical Intelligence" author Louise Montello builds her case that we are all connected to music when we come into this world and it is through losing that connection that we become ill and disconnected to our spiritual self. Reestablishing that connection can be a source of wholeness and health.

She builds her case that even when we are born babies soothe themselves with sounds, melody, and rhythum. Then as toddlers we make up songs and hum tunes. As we get older at some point many of us lose that connection with our innerselves. That is where this book comes in. How do we reconnect with the musical part of ourselves? How do we use that connectedness to make our lives better?

Louise Montello provides specific techniques to reestablish that link. Based on Eastern chakra philosophies, she provides ways to increase your self-awareness, to touch your creative side, to bring healing and wholeness to your body and spirit. The proof of the success of the system is contained in several cased histories and personal testimonies.

This book falls squarely within the realm of alternative health and for those who are comfortable with the ideas of chakras it will prove to be an interesting and highly beneficial read. For those who are not comfortable with Eastern Philosophies she does an excellent job of explaining the reasons behind EMI and is very convincing. It is when she moves to therapeutic techniques that it moves to the Eastern philosophies. However, it appears that the chakra philosophy is used more as a vehicle to explain why the therapies work than as a required part of the therapy. If a therapy works it doesn't matter to most people why it works as long as it does. A valid form of centering and therapy it should prove useful to just about anyone. A recommended read.

Trim & Terrific Cookbook
Holly Clegg
Running Press Book Publishers
125 South Twenty-second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-4399
ISBN: 0762413344, $24.95, Pages: 527, 1-800-345-5359

The "Trim & Terrific Cookbook" is the largest of Holly Clegg's cookbooks. With over 500 recipes it contains many common recipes as well as many newer ones. What makes this cookbook different from many others? The answer to that would have to be that the recipes are all either trim and healthy recipes concentrating on lots of fruits and vegetables or are more traditional recipes that have been altered to be more healthful. If there is any place in the recipe where a healtier ingredient can be substituted without changing the quality of the taste of the food then the substitution is made. Sometimes it is not a substitution of ingredients but a healthier way of preparing the food. Either way, if you are looking to change your eating style or that of your family to a more healthy regimen without sacrificing flavor then you can't go wrong with this book.

500 Five Ingredient Recipes
Better Homes and Gardens
Meredith Books
1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309
ISBN: 0696215470, $14.95, Pages: 256, 1-800-678-8091

Produced by the Better Homes and Gardens and tested through their test kitchens "500 Five Ingredient Recipes" is a wonderful collection of no fuss recipes. Don't make the mistake of thinking these are necessarily fast recipes. While some take only a few minutes to prepare others such as the "Easy Elegant Beef Roast" can take several hours to prepare. The purpose of the book is exactly as the title states - each recipe takes only five ingredients.

If you are tired of recipes that requires so many ingredients that the clean up time is longer than the preparation time then this is the book for you. No corners are cut on these recipes, they are absolutely delicious, just what you would expect from Better Homes and Gardens.

It contains the typical divisions for a cookbook - appetizers, beverages, salads, main dishes, sauces, sides, and desserts. In addition it has a section of recipes just for children and a section on meatless main dishes.

Make sure to try the Stuffed mushrooms in Phyllo or the German style beef roast. They are both excellent. Although I really liked the cookbook and it definitely has its place in the library of anyone who loves to cook, there are two things that I did not like. First, is that it is not spiral bound and so does not lie flat so you can reference while cooking (although I understand that they do have a spiral bound version available - definitely get the spiral bound if you can find it). Secondly, I found the cooking times to be deceptive. You should always read the instructions in detail if preparation time is an issue. For example, the "Easy Elegant Beef Roast" is listed with 15 minutes preparation time and one and three quarters of an hour roasting time. If you read the roasting instructions they state that one and three quarters to two and a quarter hour for medium rare and two and a quarter to two and three quarters of an hour for medium. The preparation time listed under the recipe name should not have the minimum time but either an average time or a time range such as "one and three quarters to two and three quarters of an hour depending on taste preference" or something similar. For this cookbook just keep in mind that the roasting, cooking, baking, etc. times are the minimum times.

Still, a highly recommended read and a real asset to any cookbook collection.

Capturing Soft Realism In Colored Pencil
Ann Kullberg
North Light Books
F&W Publications, dist.
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
ISBN: 1581801696, $27.99, Pages: 127, 1-800-289-0963

Soft realism is the ability to create a realistic artwork without including all the fine details. Ann Kullberg is a master of the technique and in "Capturing Soft Realism in Colored Pencil" she teaches the reader how she does it.

In a step by step manner the reader learns how to capture the essence of a subject in sufficient detail to create a somewhat realistic work of art.

"Capturing Soft Realism in Colored Pencil" begins with the basics of the materials needed, stroke types, density, and building color. From there it moves to various projects dealing with interior subjects (wicker, windowsills, wood grain, etc.) and then to various projects dealing with exterior subjects (various flowers, hedges, grass, trees, water, stones, etc.). From developing the right hues and textures to resolving problems and providing shortcuts and solutions, it's all here in this book.

Well illustrated and sufficiently detailed to actually teach the techniques, it is highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn how to work with colored pencils.

Romancing The Rain: A Photographic Journey Into The Heart Of The Amazon
Stephen Kirkpatrick (photographer) and Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick (author)
Thy Marvelous Works
102 Proprietors Point, Madison, MS 39110
ISBN: 0961935324, $38.00, Pages: 166, www.amazon.com

Breathtaking, beautiful, inspiring, these are only a few of the words that come to mind when leafing through the photographs of Stephen Kirkpatrick taken during a photographic journey into the Amazon jungle. Organized on the basis of the progressive growth of Stephen's feelings for the forest it is divided into four basic sections. The first is enchantment in which the photographs demonstrate how the Amazon enchants the visitor. The second section is disenchantment and focuses on the perils of the jungle. Spiders, snakes, camoflage and death are parts of the disenchantment as the reality of the dangers of the Amazon forest comes to light. The third section is work in which the phtography relates to understanding the forest in all of its detail. Filled with giant lillies, orchids, birds of various types, and similar photographs it is the melding of the enchantment and disenchantment into a deeper understanding of the Amazon basis. The fourth section is longevity, the movement to lasting commitment and joy based on a complete understanding of the Amazon.

While the pictures alone make the book worth the purchase price, the narrative that goes along with the pictures is also interesting. The narrative helps the reader to understand how the author and photographer moved through the four stages of growth. From the romantic concepts of the rain forest they started with to the fears and struggling for survival as they became lost in an uncharted area to rescue and reflection it is an interesting tale on its own.

For those that enjoy photography, it even includes exposures and setting information in the back for each picture along with comments by the photographer. A highly recommended book.

Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice
Robert W. Firestone, Ph.D., Lisa, Firestone, Ph.D., Joyce Catlett
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
ISBN: 1572242876, $15.95, Pages: 200, www.amazon.com

"Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice: A Revolutionary Program to Counter Negative Thoughts and Live Free from Imagined Limitations" is a powerful therapeutic work for dealing with the inner voice that holds us back. It is both an explanatory text that describes how we acquire a critical inner voice and its purpose in our lives and a workbook that walks the reader through exercises, questionaires and other activities to get it under control.

If you find that no matter what you do you don't seem to get what you want in life or you are often engaged in self-talk that is not positive in nature then this workbook could be the path to changing your life. A highly recommended read.

Anger Busting 101: The New Abc's For Angry Men & The Women Who Love Them
Newton Hightower and David C. Kay
Bayou Publishing
2524 Nottingham, Houston, TX 77005
ISBN: 1886298041, $14.95, Pages: 193 plus endnotes, references and index, www.amazon.com

In "Anger Busting 101" Newton Hightower provides a framework for change that anyone can use. The author starts by establishing his credentials - he is not only a professional therapist but has had an anger problem that nearly ruined his life. He tried the therapies that were thought to help but was not successful. In fact, he found that many of the traditional therapies actually made his problem worse.

In this text he goes over the techniques that he found actually worked to change his life. These techniques came out of a whole new approach to anger, this approach is to treat anger as a recovery situation. This brings me to the only item that I had a problem with in the book. In chapter 3 he discusses how to respond to questions of "why" from a spouse, sibling, or other person. For example, if asked why you got so angry and threw the lamp against the wall then you should use one of the answers given in the text. The basic idea of the answers is understandable as they focus on the angry person taking responsibility for their anger and actions. However, the way they are worded is highly questionable. For example, one response is "I'm crazy" or another is "I'm stupid". Current traditional psychotherapy would say to word it more along the lines of "What I did was a crazy thing to do" or "I did a stupid thing". Taking responsibility for your actions is one thing but taking it to the point of putting yourself down and endangering your self esteem when angry people often already have low self esteem does not seem like a good idea to me. Then again it is hard to argue with results. From the cases listed in the book and the comments from other people that have used it successfully it does seem to work.

If anger is controlling you in any way and you want to start living a postive and fulfilling life then this book is for you. I would use caution with the wording in Chapter 3 and feel that you could take responsibility without the self-deprication, but other than that this book seems to offer hope to people who have been unsuccessful in controling their rage in the past. A highly recommended read.

Parting Words/Parting Ways: Saying Good-Bye to Your Pet
Laura Ritter Carlson
Lost Coast Press
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
ISBN: 1882897625, $16.95, Pages: 229, www.amazon.com

In our society we have various acceptable ways to deal with the loss of a loved one. Everyone knows what is expected of them and the rituals that we go through to help us to work through the grief. However, the loss of a family pet can be very devastating and leaves the pet owner with no set of rituals to help move pass the pain. "Parting Words/Parting Ways: Saying Good-Bye to Your Pet" fills that void.

In the first part of the book Laura Carlson discusses the five stages of grief, the five stages of healing, memorial services and memorializing your pet. Throughout the book one thing stands out, that it is okay to grieve over the loss of a pet and there are ways to work through the grief.

The second part of the book contains many letters from pet owners who have lost a pet. The letters are written to the pets and show the deep emotions involved with the loss of a loyal companion. Reading the many letters one comes to realize the strength of the bond between many pet owners and their pets and the depth of grief that many go through. Recommended for those going through such a loss as it offers constructive methods of working through the loss and validation of their feelings.

Exploring Wild South Florida
Susan D. Jewell
Pineapple Press, Inc.
PO Box 3889, Sarasota, FL 34230
ISBN: 1561642622, $14.95, Pages: 272, 1-800-746-3275

As a person who has spent a good deal of time in many of the places listed in "Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsula and the Florida Keys" I can say that it is a thorough, accurate, and informative guide to the South Florida area. This book is specifically made for the person who likes to explore areas that are still predominantly in their natural condition. If you are looking for a landscaped park to hike through then you will be disappointed. If you are looking for places where you are likely to see endangered species, the only air conditioning may be a breeze, and you may see very few people (if anyone) during your hike then this is the book you are looking for.

Some places are truly remote and you may be on your own finding your way around (like the Florida Everglades) and some are less remote and may even have boardwalks through the forest to make your trip easier. The book starts with an extensive overview of everything you need to know about southern Florida - weather, what to wear, animals and plants to be cautious of, information on the various park systems, and anything else that you might have a question about when planning a trip.

One of the nicer features of the book is a section on the various habitats that you are likely to encounter in south Florida. The author does an excellent job of explaining estuaries, coral reefs, cypress stands, mangroves, marshes, hammocks and other habitats. She covers what qualifies them as a specific habitat, what you should look for and expect in each of them and general educational information on each of them.

She then covers special wildlife and unwanted pests before moving into the Federal Lands part of the book that actually starts the information on each site. When she gets to the specific sites she provides all the information that you will need to plan a trip there. She covers the local habitats you might find, wildlife, facilities, and complete contact information (worth the price of the book by itself).

A highly recommended read for those who think camping equipment should not involve the word Winnebego.

Inside Photoshop 7
Gary David Bouton, et al.
New Riders
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290
ISBN: 0735712417, $49.99, Pages: 960 plus Index, www.newriders.com

"Inside Photoshop 7" is one of the most complete and still approachable books on Photoshop available. It is well organized with the core topics at the beginning of the book followed by specific areas of interesnt. For example, you might want to move from the core concepts to the section for photographers, or to the section for artists, or for the web. The choice of how to proceed is up to you and your interests.

This is Gary Bouton's 13th book on Photoshop. To say that he has learned not only the details of the program but also how to impart that knowledge to a reader is an understatement. Throughout the book he explains what he is trying to accomplish with a project, how he is going to accomplish it and then walks you through the process. The end effect is that you actually learn how to use Photoshop 7 to create the effects that you want.

Feature rich and full of examples, it covers the basic and advances features of Photoshop 7 in detail. Complex concepts are explained in detail in a very easy to understand writing style. If you want to become a Photoshop expert this is the place to start. A highly recommended read for anyone interested in Photoshop.

Momentum: How Companies Become Unstoppable Market Forces
Ron Ricci and John Volkmann
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN: 157851522X, $24.95, Pages: 188, 1-800-668-6780

"Momentum: How Companies Become Unstoppable Market Forces" focuses on the most important questions in marketing: What motivates a purchaser to actually buy? When competing products appear similar how do they decide which to purchase?

In the area of digital products there are additional questions that rise out of basic characteristics of the industry itself. For example, digital products come and go so quickly that the consumer must make a decision as to which companies they believe will exist in the next few years. After all, a five-year warranty is of no value if the company folds in two. Will the company be around and supporting their product in three years when technology has changed?

This is the focus of the book, in the area of digital products what produces the momentum that makes consumers purchase the particular vendor's product? The authors conclude that what makes consumers purchase and companies survive in this industry is momentum. And momentum is a function of Mass, Speed, and Direction. A digital company must create mass, develop speed, and set direction.

Customers buy from a company that is perceived to have momentum because they have a fear of ending up with a product that is no longer supported or completely orphaned as a competitor establishes itself as the industry standard. Part of the problem is the conception that digital products are never finished. There is always an update, patch, add-on or newer version of almost any software or hardware that has any sort of digital component. So, how do you develop and use momentum so that the consumer believes they can confidently purchase your product without fear?

The evaluation of a digital product for most consumers is evaluated differently from non-digital products. For non-digital products the consumer has traditionally focused on the features of the product. For digital products the consumer typically evaluates a product not by the features but by how it will make their life easier, more productive, or more entertaining.

The major part of the book discusses the six forces of differentiation and the effect they have on the purchasing decision. For each one of them the authors show how to create them and use them to create momentum. An excellent book on the unique marketing factors of digital products it is a highly recommended read for anyone manufacturing or selling digital products of any kind.

Men Are Like Fish: What Every Woman Needs To Know About Catching A Man
Steve Nakamoto
Java Books
17202-204 Corbina Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
ISBN: 0967089328, $14.95, Pages: 206, www.amazon.com

"Men Are Like Fish: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Catching a Man" is a book about how to get a man to become totally committed to you. Set in a fishing metaphor it is an entertaining read while covering the dynamics of male/female relationships. The text contains various tests (Big Fish Test, Bait Self-Quiz, etc.) that are insightful and fun.

It's enjoyable to watch the author continue to develop the fishing metaphor for all the situations he discusses - spooking away men, favorite fishing holes, the keeper, landing the big fish, etc. While he doesn't expound on anything new the fishing metaphor makes it fun while allowing the reader to look at various aspects of the dating ritual in a new way.

The Heart Of Nourishment: Feeding Your Body To Awaken Your Spirit
Hale Sofia Schatz
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
ISBN: 078686883X, $23.95, Pages: 299, 1-800-759-0190

In "The Heart of Nourishment" author Hale Sofia Schatz invites the reader to transform their view of eating and nourishment. Do you eat just to provide basic physical needs or are there other purposes to eating? Besides sustenance are there other deeper and spiritual effects of nourishment? The author provides a resounding "yes" to these questions.

We are all familiar with eating "comfort foods" when we are depressed or under stress and similar eating habits. So, we do, in fact eat for emotional and spiritual reasons as well as physical needs. From the realm of psychology and religion we all understand the importance of keeping a balanced energy level and how that helps us keep a balanced life. How do we keep a balanced energy level? By eating appropriate foods that provide that energy. It is this location, the place where eating for sustenance and providing foods for our spiritual balance and awareness intersects that Hale Sofia Schatz calls the heart of nourishment - "the daily practice of feeding your body to awaken your spirit."

Just as some foods can help us keep spiritually and emotionally balanced, some foods also keep us stuck in old habits and patterns. Changing these foods and eating patterns helps us get out of that rut and make the changes we need to make in our lives in order to grow.

"The Heart of Nourishment" not only presents the evidence for using foods to become more spiritually aware, but also includes a cleansing program to remove the bad items from your system. Perhaps the most unexpected but insightful addition to the book is a collection of recipes that are designed to use the principles of the text and help you nourish your spirit and keep an even energy level throughout the day.

Thought provoking and insightful, it is a recommended read.

The Founding Fish
John McPhee
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0374104441, $25.00, Pages: 334, 1-888-330-8477

Pulitzer Prize winning John McPhee provides a wonderful saga of his love affair with the American shad in "The Founding Fish". He masterfully draws the reader into this love affair and into the minds of those who pursue the shad. He reveals how the shad played important roles in American history and economics including roles in the lives of such historical figures as George Washington, General Pickett, and John Wilkes Booth.

Through masterful writing McPhee deepens our understanding of the shad and shad afficianados with detailed visits with a fish behaviorist, master shad dart maker and similar professionals. With McPhee we learn to appreciate the fish as well as the hunt, we learn to stand is awe of those that are truly proficient at catching the shad, and even thrill in the pleasure of the catch.

Easy reading that artfully takes the reader into the mind of those who would wait all year for a few weeks of opportunity to seek and catch the American shad. It is truly a wonderful piece of prose that is so well written that even those who do not engage in the art of fishing find the book a fascinating read. A highly recommended read and a fine example of one of the most engaging writing styles today.

Constructing The Erotic: Sexual Ethics And Adolescent Girls
Barbara J. Blodgett
The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
ISBN: 0829814787, $20.00, Pages: 189 Plus Index, 1-800-654-5129

In "Constructing the Erotic: Sexual Ethics and Adolescent Girls" author Barbara Blodgett posits the position that the purpose of sexual morality is to garner enough trust between sexual partners to weather the difficulties of erotic desire. The text reads like a research paper. For those who like a well reasoned arguement framed in the classical rhetorical style of persuasive argumentation it will be an excellent read. For those who hold a position for a more emotional or philosophical reason than an intellectual one the reading will be tedious.

The author actually does an excellent job of defining "erotic", analyzing various other people's discussions on the topic, discussing where they are strong and where they fail and delivering a position that covers the weaknesses in the other positions. She points out that sexual morality as it relates to teenage females has been a topic of research for several years now. However, the conclusions among various researchers and philosophers has been inconsistent. She builds a persuasive argument that the purpose of sexual morality among teenage girls is primarily to wait until they are in a relationship where there is a strong level of trust. In a time of their life when they are trying to understand the many issues, feelings and fears of adolescence trust becomes the primary factor of when they are ready to experience the erotic.

Written from a feminist point of view Fundamentalists will have a hard time with the concepts presented here. However, it is persuasively argued and a fine example of classical rhetorical technique. Those who enjoy a research paper style of writing it is a well done book.

Stronger In The Broken Places: Nine Lessons For Turning Crisis Into Triumph
James Lee Witt, James Morgan
Times Books
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
ISBN: 0805070001, $25.00, Pages: 229, 1-888-330-8477

James Witt is the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In "Stronger in the Broken Places" he takes his knowledge and experiences and develops a plan for dealing with disaster. His experience has taught him that there are four critical times when you can deal with an emergency. The first is to anticipate it as a possibility and prepare for it. The second is once you understand it you can make plans to prevent it or mitigate its effects. The third is when and how you respond to the emergency. And the last opportunity is during the recovery phase.

"Stronger in the Broken Places" clearly explains how businesses, communities, or even individuals can work through a potential crisis. Thorough in its coverage of crisis management, it starts with examining your company's values since everything you do will have to be based on your company value system and priorities. From there it follows a logical progression through communication, changing priorities, identifying strengths, keeping employees encouraged and functioning well during a disaster, re-evaluating the plan, etc. One of the best texts on managing through a major crisis, it is filled with multiple examples from real life that make it a truly educational read while driving home the important points. A recommended read for business leaders and others who may be involved in crisis management.

How To Stay Married & Love It: Solving The Puzzle Of A Soulmate Marriage
Nancy Landrum and Jim Landrum
River Publishing
PO Box 27433, Anaheim, CA 92809
ISBN: 0971931429, $17.95, Pages: 204 plus bibliography and index, www.amazon.com

"How To Stay Married & Love It! Solving The Puzzle Of Soulmate Marriage" is a response to the high and climbing divorce rate in America. It was conceived as the result of the difficulties that the authors had as a married couple and how they overcame those struggles. After arriving at what they feel is a soulmate marriage they realized that the lessons they learned may prove helpful for other marriages. From that idea the book was born.

The book does a good job of covering the most common relationship problems and offering constructive advice to move through those problems. While there are many chapters on specific items, the book can basically be divided up into four primary areas (the areas referred to as "corner puzzle pieces"). These areas are 1) point of view/perspective, 2) communication, 3) respect and 4) commitment. Sometimes the book seems more like a workbook with exercises, checklists, skits and other teaching devices. But going through the skits, exercises, etc. can be illuminating. While there is really nothing new here that is not in other relationship and marriage books, some will find this a particularly easy to read and understand book compared to others. No fancy theories or long drawn out psychological descriptions of techniques, just good, direct information and techniques that anyone can work through.

I Love What I Do! A Drummer's Philosophy Of Life At Eighty
Sam Ulano
Enhancement Books
PO Box 544, Bloomingdale, IL 60108
ISBN: 1890995339, $13.95, Pages: 159, www.amazon.com

"I Love What I Do! A Drummer's Philosophy of Life at Eighty" is basically Sam Ulano's musings about life and the important lessons learned over the years. It is his system for personal happiness and reaching your goals. Much of the advice is pretty much common sense, but then again we all know that common sense often appears not to be very common at all. With that in mind, there is definitely a place for a book such as this.

It is not filled with the trite sayings and theoretical advice that is common to many such books, but has practical items that anyone can do. If other books give the goal with comments such as "to be happy you have to not be sad", then this one gives the steps.

Most of the advice is written from a musician perspective with items such as "Stay on Top of Your Practice", but still that can be applied to anyone engaged in activities that require skill. Some items are for encouragement (Don't Believe Those Who Aren't Tops in Their Fields) and others are real life (You'll Pay the Price Even If You Don't Pay the Price), but all are valuable if you can see how to apply them to your life and your needs.

Although not particularly organized well it is still a fine list of what is needed to be successful in life along with complete explanations of why each is important. If you didn't have a wise grandfather to turn to for advice when setting out on the road to life, take Sam Ulano along and learn from him some of the most important lessons in life.

The Last Violet: Mourning My Mother
Lois Tschetter Hjelmstad
Mulberry Hill Press
2710 S. Washington Street, Englewood, CO 80110
ISBN: 0963713973, $14.95, Pages: 133 plus Appendix and Index, www.amazon.com

"The Last Violet: Mourning My Mother" is the strongly moving and emotional reflections of Lois Tschetter Hjelmstad as she travels from regret and pain to peace and acceptance after losing her mother. The author opens her heart and provides the reader a voyeuristic view inside the strong emotions accompanying her journey. It is hard to read the book without feeling her pain and travelling along with her on her journey to peace. For anyone that has lost a loved one the book offers a roadmap to working through the grief as well as the solace of knowing they are not alone and their emotions are normal. For those who have not lost a loved one it brings the realization that sooner or later we will all experience such a loss and we should use our time with others wisely while they are alive.

Very personal in nature, it is a highly recommended read for those working through such a loss and anyone who wants an understanding of the grieving process. A recommended read for everyone else.

Earth Dreams: Finding Light In The Shadow
Elizabeth A. Brensinger
Red Road Press
PO Box 71, New Tripoli, PA 18066
ISBN: 0971337209, $14.00, Pages: 155, www.amazon.com

"Earth Dreams" is a chronicle of the experiences of Elizabeth Brensinger as she engages in her "vision quest" and how it affects her life afterwards. The author and several others travel to a remote area of Utah where they receive instructions for engaging in a vision quest. From there each goes their own way into the canyons and seeks out their special spot to begin their spiritual journey. Each then spends three days and nights alone in the canyon.

A well-written account, the author bares her fears and triumphs as she deals with the quest and her journey into her own spiritual canyons, shadows and dreams. Through it all she comes to renew her passion and purpose in life.

A recommended read for people who are interested in the concepts of a vision quest, shadow and dream work, or similar therapeutic devices.

Wealth Mentality: Program Yourself To Get And Keep The Wealth You Want
S. Ross Ingram
Jourdan & Brown Publishing, Inc.
104 W. Chestnut St., #101, Hinsdale, IL 60521
ISBN: 0971647844, $15.95, Pages: 169 plus Endnotes and Index, www.amazon.com

"Wealth Mentality: Program Yourself to Get and Keep the Wealth You Want" is a book about the mental attitudes that are required in order to define and accumulate wealth. The definition of wealth can be quite different between different people. For one it might be monetary riches, for another it might be the free time and money to persue goals, and for another person it might be something entirely different.

The author points out that some people seem to acquire wealth easily while others seem to be continually chasing wealth without ever actually acquiring any. The difference between those that are successful and those that are not is often their mental attitude. Is it enough to be positive? Is it enough to regularly research options? The author argues that these things are not enough. It requires a mentality that leaves the person receptive to opportunities as they come along and able to act on those opportunities. Throughout the book the author teaches how to change your belief system and program yourself to automatically become aware of opportunities as they come along, how to maintain that system, and how to develop a plan to actually move toward your goals.

While it does not cover any aspect of finance, investing or similar parts of wealth generation, it is a very good book on the mentality required as a precursor to getting and keeping wealth.

Rainbow Remedies For Life's Stormy Times
Joanne K. Hill
Moorhill Publishing
PO Box 4114, South Bend, IN 46634-4114
ISBN: 0970703201, $19.95, Pages: 256 plus Resources list and index, www.amazon.com

"Rainbow Remedies for Life's Stormy Times" contains the wisdom that Joanne Hill has acquired as she worked through some of the stormy times of her life. And what stormy times she has had! Among other things she lost twelve members of her family over a four year time period.

Throughout the book she shows the reader how to see the rainbows in the face of stormy times. She presents seven "remedies" (coping processes) that are useful in dealing with difficult times. These seven remedies are 1) Stop, Look, Listen and Learn, 2) Praise and Thanksgiving, 3) Accentuate the Positive, 4) Power of Choice, 5) Forgiveness, 6) Helping others Help Themselves, and 7) Support. Each of these has it's own chapter in which she distills the basic facets of the remedy and follows up with the ingredients or steps needed to use the remedy. Deeply moving at times, it is a highly recommended book for anyone hurting or trying to move on past a hurt.

Almost Home: Embracing The Magical Connection Between Positive Humor & Spirituality
Jacki Kwan
Cameo Publications
PO Box 8006, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
ISBN: 0971573913, $14.99, Pages: 118 plus appendices, www.amazon.com

"Almost Home: Embracing the Magical Connection Between Positive Humor & Spirituality" is the autobiographical journey of Jacki Kwan as she learns to bring laughter into her own life as well as the lives of others. In the text Jacki shows how she has learned to use laughter to help heal (physically as well as emotionally) and inspire. It is consistently clear throughout the text that she encourages the use of positive humor to connect to your deeper spiritual self as well as to help others connect with themself.

Jacki works with a theraputic humor program and has helped create such programs at various locations. If you are interested in using humor for therapy the appendices contain useful information and resources.

An enjoyable book that reminds the reader of the importance of laughter in our lives, it is a recommended read.

The Beginner's Bible With Coloring And Fun Activities Book
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310705762, $14.99, Pages: 528 plus 128 pages in the Activities Book, www.zondvervan.com

"The Beginner's Bible" has been popular for children for many years. With 95 Bible stories written on the level of a child from two to eight years old and colorful cartoon-like illustrations on each page children and parents both delight in this book. The stories are arranged in the same order in which they occur in the Bible which makes it easier to give children a concept of the flow of the Bible.

Now Zondervan introduces a companion "Coloring and Fun Activities Book". The activities are related to the Bible stories and help the children to remember the stories. Activites include word searches, mazes, secret codes and matching games. A delightful and fun way to introduce children to Biblical stories and start teaching them about God, it is a highly recommended purchase.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible: Indexed (Black Bonded Leather)
Zondervan
5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310929776, $79.99, Pages: 2198 plus map section, www.zondvervan.com

The NIV translation of the Bible is one of the most popular translations in use today. In the "Zondervan NIV Study Bible" Zondervan publishing has produced the ultimate study Bible for the average user. I will admit that I have always been a fan of Zondervan Bibles because of their quality and organization. I have used the Zondervan King James Cyclopedic Bible for almost thirty years simply because it was the best study Bible that I could find. This NIV Study Bible is a better study Bible in many respects (although I will still be keeping my old one).

The Bible contains thousands of study notes throughout the text. The notes are organized at the bottom of each page so you don't have to go to another section of the book to cross reference notes to the text. The notes also contains icons next to each of them so that you will know at a glance about the type of note. For example, a small trowel icon indicates that the note is about archaeological information.

Each book has an introduction and outline just before the book so you can quickly get a feel for who wrote it, when, and why. They also have all the features that you have come to expect in a quality Bible, center column verse cross references, words of Christ in red, etc. In addition there are many, many features that make this a quality source for study. For example, a chronological chart that shows how the different book, people, and stories of the Bible fit in with world history, multiple maps, an index to maps, charts, diagrams, subject and study notes index, etc.

In short, this is unquestionably one of the best reference Bibles on the market today. If you are looking for a Bible for serious reading and study then you could not do better than the Zondervan NIV Study Bible.

Harold McFarland
Reviewer


Gorden's Bookshelf

The Four Feathers
A.E.W. Mason
Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN : 0743448219, $6.99, 386 pages

Watching any of the five movies based on 'The Four Feathers,' you would think the novel was an action/adventure. You would be wrong. There is adventure in the novel but the true story is a romance. The weakest part of all of the films was the justification for Harry not leaving for Egypt and the psychological interactions between the characters but those same parts are strongest in the book.

'The Four Feathers' is a true turn of the twentieth century story. Today's readers might find the paced style a little slow but 'Feathers' is a powerful novel. It is easy to see how movie producers have over and over again used its storyline. The simple premise is part of the strength in the writing. Four white feathers are given to a person for cowardice, three from friends and one from his fianc‚e. But the man isn't a coward. In secret, he proves his courage to each one who gave him a feather until all four feathers are in the hands of his former fianc‚e.

The characters in the novel are extreme. There is little of the shading that makes a character true-to-life. Where the story picks up the grittiness of reality is in the complex interactions and messy storyline. You find yourself thinking that you are sitting in a proper British club listening to an aged gentleman reciting a tale he lived through. The story properly filtered to fit the stayed surroundings.

If you are an action/adventure movie fan looking for more, you should try other turn-of-the-century authors such as Burroughs or Baroness Orczy. But if you are looking for a strong character based novel, 'The Four Feathers' is one of the best.

Crisis Point
Ken Currie
Leisure Books/Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
276 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
ISBN: 0843951079, $6.99, 370 pages

Ken Currie is a retired Air Force intelligence office. The insider bickering, politicking, and resentments between branches of the government and the military have a ring of truth to them. Unfortunately, he has also brought into the story the intelligence thinking of a decade ago.

The US fast military transport ship 'Regulus' reports unidentified aircraft approaching its position and disappears. An accident is first suspected until the wreckage is found. Terrorists, traitors, spies, all mixed with the resentments and politics of bureaucracies have to be navigated by the investigators before they can find out the truth about the 'Regulus' and the weapons she was transporting.

'Crisis Point' is a good military mystery. Currie shows the potential of developing into a noted suspense writer. 'Crisis Point' is ordinary storytelling with just enough insider reality to make it of interest for any military/political suspense reader.

The Shadow's Justice
Walter B. Gibson, Introduced by Jean Marie Stine
Renaissance E Books
P.O. Box 1432, Northampton, MA 01060
ISBN: 1588731456, $4.00, electronic download, 151 pages, www.renebooks.com

If you have had the treat of seeing, reading, or hearing the serial stories of the first half of the twentieth century, you will fall in love with the writing style of Gibson. He might be the quintessential serial storyteller. Every chapter ends with a standardized lead-in advertising the need for the reader to start the next chapter. The narrative continually hints at more taking place in the shadows. The storyline is pushed fast enough that any logical questions are ignored. So much of Gibson's writing is now clich‚, that it is easy to forget that in 1933 it was new and fresh. 'The Shadow' is one of the first super-hero characters. By reading Gibson, it is possible to see the beginnings of the truly great graphic storytellers.

Late at night, a lawyer is driven to the isolated estate of a dying tycoon. Thugs are in the shadows watching and waiting. The lawyer meets with the magnate. A shadowy figure comes out of the darkness and climbs the wall of the mansion until he is at the window of the room the meeting is taking place in. A nephew listens in from the hall. The old man tells the lawyer that his son is coming home and will inherit millions that he has hidden. The chain of events that follows results in death and mayhem from Havana to the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Only the Shadow knows what will come next.

'The Shadow's Justice' is a must read for readers of the action/mystery and for any who enjoy classic storytelling that is fundamental to a genre.

S.A. Gorden, Reviewer
www.paulbunyan.net/users/gsirvio/content.html


Denise's Bookshelf

Fleeting Thoughts
Michael McGan
1st Books Library
2511 West 3rd. St., Suite #1, Bloomington, IN 47404
ISBN: 0759628467, $16.50, www.1stbooks.com

This book is 'just for fun'. Refreshing, funny, irreverent and oh-so-true, 'Fleeting Thoughts' is just the thing to read when life begins to drag. Captivating vignettes captured in the life of Mr. McGan find their way onto the printed page and provide hours of reading enjoyment and smiles. No topic is off-limits; Fleeting Thoughts covers them all. Reading this book reminded me of the kind of witticisms witted out by George Carlin. and kept this reader smiling. Best of all, it can be read anywhere; on the beach, in bed, in the pool, it's like a Reader's Digest or a lollypop. You can read it in one sitting or tease yourself and read it a little at a time. Either way, readers, young and old will be delighted with this wonderfully lighthearted look at our daily habits and idiosyncracies, whether rational or lacking in common sense.

Highly entertaining and written with a professionally smooth pen, Mr. McGan has created a perfect 'pick-me-upper' for anyone's bookshelf. The author employs the use of common scenarios that we're all familiar with, up to and including those ever present 'mall walkers' (just what are they thinking?!)and the thoughts that cross our minds on those occasions when we find a penny laying on the ground. While the vignettes are certainly humorous, they also provoke thought. Behind every laugh the reader may find a pearl of wisdom, or at the very least, something to think about.

Mr. McGan's writing style is both professional yet friendly and laid-back, his prose expressive and his topic choices unique. When was the last time you wondered why people behave the way they do? When was the last time you thought, really thought, about that great, broken-in pair of jeans you used to love? This is McGan's second book, his first, 'The Hamster Never Sleeps' as much
of a treat as his second.

Mission: The Birth Of California, The Death Of A Nation
Margaret Wyman
Idyllwild Publishing Company
P.O. Box 355, Idyllwild, CA 92549
ISBN: 1931857008, 316 pps., Pbk, $16.95, www.wildink.com

Not since 'Ishi-Last of His Tribe' has there been such a thorough, extensively researched novel relating the demise of the California Indian. Ms. Wyman's impressive venture into the world of missions, southern California history and the true state of the early Catholic Church in California is both disturbing and exhilarating.

The author's research of the Kumeyaay Indians of Southern California brings life to her characters, which are as diffuse as the points of view rendered within the pages of this 'live history lesson'. The story revolves around a young Kumeyaay girl named Web, so named because of her webbed fingers, and her struggle to fit into her new husband's world. Moving from her lifelong home to his village of Nipaguay on the coast is a traumatic experience for Web, as is her at times unwelcome presence in her husband's home.

As the young couple learns to get along with each other, they must also contend with encroaching Spaniards and their oppressive rule. While some readers may find this novel of passion, deceit and corruption a disturbing journey into the past, it is also an eye opening read that exposes the 'rose-colored' view that many have of Early California's history. Ms. Wyman thoroughly squelches any thoughts that many of the mission's founders and priests were as benevolent and kind as whitewashed history has led some to believe.

Ms. Wyman's writing style is both professionally honed yet compassionate, and her ability to express a range of emotion from different characters is very well done. Her characters, from Spanish guards and priests to the various members of Web's new family, are expertly rendered, each provoking emotion on some level, from compassion to disgust. Her narrative blends nicely with believable dialog, which is also riddled with the native language of the Kumeyaay tribe. This may not be an easy read, but it is certainly a rewarding one.

Ms. Wyman lives in the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California. She has been a programmer, scientist and salesperson, as well as author of numerous essays and articles, and two additional novels.

Helping Your Aging Parent: A Step-By-Step Guide
William J. Grote
Boomer Books
P.O. Box 2899, Vista, CA 92083
ISBN: 0971737304, 160 pps., Pbk, $19.95 (with CD-Rom)

Contacted by this writer for a book review of his guide to helping aging parents, this reader was impressed by the amount of knowledge amassed by author Grote in his effort to help those faced with the awful decision of finding adequate care for the elderly. There has never been a greater need for the type of book author William J. Grote has put together, yet there comes a time when the information becomes essential to making the best decision possible for our loved ones.

In Helping Your Aging Parent, Grote offers advice that ranges from visiting the doctor with your parent/s to finding a hospice to making funeral arrangements. And because this is such a difficult subject for many to face, it's easy to see why so many put these arrangements off until the last possible moment. Who really wants to deal with trust funds and living wills when it's the parent we're worried about? What about the stress involved in seeking a retirement home or nursing home when it becomes painfully obvious our parent can no longer function on his or her own? The issue of housing for the elderly is thoroughly covered in Grote's book, as are warnings and issues to watch for when exploring options.

Mr. Grote also deals with geriatric illnesses ranging from Alzheimer's to various stages of dementia, hospital care, hospice care and the struggle most children face when dealing with the fact that their parent needs additional care. This extremely well written and researched book gives the reader a road map of sorts to follow, a guide for what to watch for and how to deal with nearly every imaginable situation. Face it - this is, unfortunately, an unavoidable subject. But after reading compassionate and intensively detailed how-to care book, it is obvious that ignoring the issues of aging won't make them go away. This book offers hard-earned advice and experience in ways to make the transition as stress free for the parent as possible, while offering support for those that are left to make difficult decisions. This is a must reference for any household, for sooner or later, we're all going to have to deal with the issue of aging and elderly care within our family.

Mr. Grote, a worker in the publishing industry for a quarter of a century, decided to put this book together after having to face the reality that his own parent was showing signs of suffering from dementia. This guide is the result of many lessons, frustrations and hours of research.

Get Published Today! No More Rejections!
Penny C. Sansevieri
Infinity Publishing
519 W. Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041
ISBN: 0741411113, $15.95, www.buybooksontheweb.com

Get Published Today! is the only book to date that deals extensively with POD (Publish On Demand) publishers and offers valuable how-to information and advice for aspiring, novice and experienced authors. The average newly published author is unaware of many self marketing opportunities out there, but Get Published Today offers advice and direction in this area; advice ranging from self publishers to creating a killer press kit.

Topics range from a brief history of Print On Demand publishers to how to put together media kits to breaking into the media and how to organize a book signing. All on your own! No middleman! Geared toward low budget promotion and marketing, Ms. Sansevieri shares her experience and expertise in this thorough, well organized and researched book filled with valuable sources and tidbits of information and suggestions that will come in handy for a wide range of writers. Anyone can utilize the advice contained with these pages, whether for genre fiction, non-fiction POD or self-publishing houses right up to the big league houses.

A friendly and competent approach written in plain language with plenty of examples makes for easy browsing or a more thorough examination of the information contained. Ms. Sansevieri's uses an easy-going writing style and her efforts help writer's shines through in her prose and layout, making this one is a definite must for any writer's reference shelf.

Ms. Sansevieri is an expert in the field of publishing, and her first book, 'Cliffhanger' occupied the #1 spot on Amazon.com for three months. She speaks on innovative marketing techniques and classes, as well as working as a publicist

Denise M. Clark, Reviewer
http://www.denisemclark.com


Dana's Bookshelf

Success For The New Global Manager
Maxine Dalton, Chris Ernst, Jennifer Deal, and Jean Leslie
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
ISBN 078795845X, $29.95, Hardcover, 224 pages, http://www.josseybass.com

One of the most valuable features of this book and there are quite a number of them in its 183 context-dense pages is the use of a hypothetical story to mirror the realities of what the book is about. The story is about Peter, pretty much an all-American boy, rational, functionalist, type who sees management as engineering and is more comfortable with the securities of expertise than he is with the fluidity of personalities. But corporate fate intervenes and he finds himself assigned to managing an overseas affiliate in France and a second in Mexico. He is dreadfully unprepared for the complexities of a globalalizing era, and even more so for dealing with personalities from other cultural systems. His first experiences in his new role are jarring, even embarrassing. But slowly, chapter by chapter he grows, keeping up with the lamp of cultural cognition that, mistake by mistake and challenge by challenge, leads him like a headlight into what a fiction reviewer would be called a satisfactory ending. Like any decent fiction or film reviewer, I won_t reveal whether Peter rides off into a sun that never sets or is left burnishing his resum‚ in hopes of a life closer to home.

In principle meaning the authors' intent this book is a guide to the internationally inexperienced manager as he or she learns the complex world of global management. Note the word "management". This book differs from most books from a business press, which tackle the terrain of global "business". Blissful for their absence in these pages are the topics most business books are about economics, investment, trade policy, finance, taxes, labor factors, upsizing, downsizing, reengineering, accounting and accountability. Instead, there are terms like "global manager", "boundaries of distance, country, and culture", "cultural adaptability", "perspective-taking", and "ability to play the role of innovator". Where most business books are about seeing the world through the eyes of one's own goals, Success for the New Global Manager is about seeing the world through the eyes of others. Or put another way, understanding how and why other people see you differs from the way you see yourself.

Peter, with whom the reader presumably identifies, has a major ego-education task on his hands. He must learn to let his way of seeing the world not merely coexist with others' ways of viewing the world, but sometimes give his own view up entirely in order to conform to the view of others.

This is something of a revolutionary principle in an America-dominated business world where most Americans assume prospective partners must think, act, behave, and motivate themselves like Americans if they are to "fit in". This idea may be arrogant, but it is a lot older than American business, and American business merely reflects it. The American "my way or no way" attitude originates very far back in Western culture. In fact, as far back as roughly 2500 years in the myth of Odysseus. American business style is essentially the Hero Myth in suit and tie.

The Hero Myth recently was recently restated to great profit in that future-retro epic Stars Wars, in which the bright young thing heads off into the unknown to right a great wrong by vanquishing the malevolent force holding everybody back. He returns the saving hero, a plenitude of lauds fly his way, he gets the girl, and there the story ends. Add lots of explosions and sinister costumes and you, too, can make half a billion.

Now you just know that twenty years later this hero is paunchy and directionless, on a treadmill for a career, his kids play music he can't stand, and the erstwhile princess is overweight, whiney, and plays a lot of bridge to get away from the house, meaning him. Odd how "The Sequel I, II, III, and IV" never reveal this.

Most American business leaders envision themselves as the hero in this scenario. They would be horrified to learn that overseas business owners and managers mutter that they behave like they lived in the second half.

Clueless managers are what this book seeks to nip the bud. It is revelatory how the authors perhaps unwittingly even to each other try to reach the naive hero before he heads out lance in hand, and to convince him to take a second look at what he is doing. The authors provide our would-be hero Peter with nothing less than an entirely new myth to go by. Peter accepts his new assignment confident that he pretty much knows all he needs to know (the lance). But soon he makes a misstep here, a blunder there, here and there and everywhere a misunderstanding or two, till he's all but squandered every opportunity he had.

The reason is that he shows little concern for the needs of others, or for how they perceive him. Not to fault him, he's been brought up that way what the French call mal el‚v‚ poorly brought up. If any one thing brings up young Americans poorly, it is the American educational system. If you want to witness first-hand a great portent, talk to an American young person about the world, then go talk to a young Asian. Asians know very much about America (including things Americans don't like to hear about themselves), while Americans know very little of Asia, be it good, bad, or indifferent. Then consider how diligently Asian young people study. Add to this the fact that Asia is discovering regional pride the way Europe did in the post Jean Monnet years, and you have the makings of a 75th to 150th Meridian Renaissance comprised half of a family ethos of "we all benefit from each other" and half of a mindset that thinks in economic cycles of a decade to a generation while Americans think quarter to quarter. Does one really need to put two and two together?

So poor Peter. Unlike the Lucas/Disney Hero Myth in which the sojourning hero picks up a couple of comic sidekicks and a guru clued into The Force, with Peter you have to watch him make an ass of himself before he learns basic, practical humility. You think this is new? Straight out of Sancho Panza and Rocinante.

Luckily, the authors of Success for the New Global Manager endow Peter with a willingness to adapt to others' needs a quality that in this writer's 10 years in Europe and 12 years in Asia, most Americans do not possess. The Modern Hero Myth of Peter is that he realizes he has much to learn, and earnestly sets about improving himself through discerning and providing for others' needs. The Hero is made by modesty, not swordsmanship.

Modesty is about as un-Western a concept as can be found flowing off the pens of Westerners who don't happen to be Buddhists. The values of compassion suggested in Success for the New Global Manager are far closer to the Bhagavad Gita and Confucianism than it is to any legend wafted to sea from the shores of Greece. One wishes that many more books with these authors' set of assumptions could address the conduct of business itself instead of management alone.

All this not to say that upon reading this book a sunshaft of benignity will shine upon the bastardy world of business. The authors set forth their epistemological message in managerial terms. For them, Peter needs four "pivotal capabilities" international business knowledge, cultural adaptability, perspective-taking, and ability to play the role of innovator. Most of the book is devoted to acquiring these. However, they are not mere qualities one can study, pass an exam upon, and sage forth unto success; they are not ends in themselves. These four capabilities represent an attitude shift which is the psychological equivalent of a paradigm shift. Adapting to others' reality requires both motivation, specialized knowledge, and a particular set of skills.

The throughput of the book is about acquiring the motivation, knowledge, and skills which give rise to the above pivotal capabilities. The authors break the process into two major parts. The first focuses on what a global manager needs to know and do; the second outlines the learning pattern one must ingrain into oneself in order to develop the capabilities global management requires. Here let the authors speak for themselves:

"In Chapter One we examine the idea that global managers today work in a world that is globally complex. That is, they work across borders of distance, country infrastructures, and cultural expectations. We also present what we mean when we speak of effectiveness and provide a list of the questions that the bosses and direct reports in our study used to rate the effectiveness of managers who participated in the study.

"In Chapter Two we discuss the capabilities and knowledge that all managers need-what we term the five essential managerial capabilities-whether your work is global or domestic in scope. We explain how, though the specific roles and knowledge may be the same, the behaviors needed to fill those roles will be different in different cultures and countries. We also present a set of tools that illustrate how these basic managerial skills must be adapted when they are being used in other cultures and within a variety of legal and political systems.

"In Chapter Three we describe the pivotal capabilities for global management in terms of the skills, knowledge, and motivation that you need as a successful global manager to allow you to adapt and change as the situation demands.

"Chapter Four presents a dynamic framework for developing the pivotal capabilities. We show you how to integrate who you are, what you already know, and the experiences available to you in order to develop the skills for global management. Given that many organizations are currently limited in their systems for developing global skills, managers must take greater responsibility for their own progress.

"Chapter Five is written for the individual manager, but it is also meant for those in organizations who are responsible for the development of others. Here we discuss the dynamics of learning and present a menu of opportunities and experiences that can be used by organizations to select and develop their current and future pool of international managers and executives.

"Finally, in the Epilogue we sketch the challenges that we believe represent the next step for global managers: grappling with the ramifications of global business within an even more complex world context."

All this said, this is not a theory of learning book, it is a research book. The four authors all work with a U.S. educational not-for-profit foundation called the Center for Creative Leadership. This book is, as are many Jossey-Bass business books, an expansion into the public realm what began as a private research study. In this case, the study comprised 211 managers from European and American businesses. The mechanics of the project are summarized in Appendix A, which is geared more for the reader trained in research methodology and statistical analysis. Luckily, the authors wrote the rest of the book in plain English. Indeed, the text is so shorn of techhie talk that most of the time you can actually understand what they are saying.

Books like this one that address globalization in cultural rather than entrepreneurial terms are much needed today. Had the upper-mid managers of garment manufacturers like Nike known some of the basic tools described in this book, perhaps the fiascos related to Indonesian labor exploitation would not have occurred. For one, they would have been forewarned of the pitfalls of delegating management to third party organizations without also exercising strong oversight, in the manner many Western clothing manufacturers did with Korean subcontractors whose management style was ... well ... less than optimal.

But there is a bigger fish to fry than inept sports shoe manufacturers. It is that globalization is driven largely by American interests, whose managers view business in aggressive entrepreneurial terms and are largely unaware that a great many people value other ways of conducting business. In the Malay countries of Southwest Asia there is a mentality called gotong-royong ("everybody doing their part" or "we all pitch in") which can be described as task-directed consensus management. Shear away the patriarchal overlay imposed by ancient religions, and Asia's much-lauded family-focused social system is really nothing but gotong-royong.

Across the Atlantic, Germans value managers who demonstrate technical creativity and competence. It is much less profit-oriented but creates a world-famous perception of value. The British and French regard entrepreneurialism as socially disruptive and think "working with the system" is more important than an unceasing series of product roll-outs fueling the truly bizarre notion that consumption is culture. In both Asia and Europe, there exist very broad-based levels of cultural awareness, prompted by their regional identities, languages, religions, ethnic groups, and cultural ideologies. As any tourist can tell you, these parts of the world are kaleidoscopic in color and variety while the U.S. is a coast-to-coast progress of franchises, plastic-lettered signs, and dumbed-down media.

The U.S. melting pot has melted all too well, to the point where it is so narcissistic it does not realize the whole world is not that keen to melt with it. Success for the New Global Manager is an octagonal red sign. It reads, "Stop! There is danger ahead." There is nothing quite so scary as being ignorant of being ignorant. The cultural ignorance that this book addresses really should have been addressed way back in the early semesters of business school (and for that matter, as far back as secondary school). Why does a book like this one have to offer advice such as that on page 120, on which they counsel that if you are going to live in a country, you should listen to its music, read its literature and business books, and learn about the food.

The world knows a lot more about the U.S. than the U.S. knows about the world. -- Think about it.

Changing Fortunes: Remaking The Industrial Corporation
Nitin Nohria, David Dyer, and Frederick Dalzell
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN 0-471-38481-X, $27.95, 6" x 9" hardbound, 320 pages, http://www.wiley.com

Paleontologists have been on a roll lately. In the science world, picking over old bones has reconstructed not just skeletons but a vastly clearer picture of the why and the way in which species fail to thrive.

Now come Nitin Nohria, David Dyer, and Frederick Dalzell, corporate bone assemblers par excellence. "Paleontologists" because they go beyond mere historianship. Their book Changing Fortunes tackles its bone piles (these days politely termed "case studies") of the type that MBA students pick over in search of an idea. Rather, it is the climate of the times that these authors abstract, and the forecast is not a sunny one. Unintentional or no, the unpleasant reality that emerges from their discussion is not that systems which fail to adapt die, but that they also die when they pollute their own habitat. If any recent book is a bone pile for Robert Heilbronner's thesis that capitalism is inherently self-destructive (summarized in the concluding chapter of 21st Century Capitalism), Changing Fortunes is that book.

A bit grand, this?

Maybe. But at this very moment the corporate/political alliance is puncturing an equilibrium that has been in place since the end of the Second World War. That equilibrium is the theory of creative destruction, the notion that to build a better widget you have to destroy not the previous widget, but its market. Today's corporate/political/media alliance shunts aside the idea of checks and balances. Allowed to continue, meaningful democracy in the sense that elections really mean something will follow.

To a book reviewer accustomed to teasing out the subtexts in a novel in search of the root causes of human fallibility, a business book is usually a piece of cake. The causes are sitting there in full view. I read Changing Fortunes through once, making lots of notes. Then I boned up on the history of the Catholic Church from the time of St. Francis till the Reformation, and the Enlightenment from Giordano Bruno till James Watt. Then I read Changing Fortunes again, a wiser and more dolorous soul.

The authors make a solidly researched, reasoned, and documented case that large economic institutions manufacturing corporation in this case have a skewed bell-shaped curve of evolution. Each curve emerges almost unnoticed out of the debris of a fading economic institution frontier agriculture in the case of the medieval Church, religion in the case of the Enlightenment, and piecework in the case of manufacturing. It rises rapidly to previously unimaginable heights of power and prestige (as peas in a pod, cathedrals and high rises are separated only by centuries), and then begins a long decline that never quite ends in demise (Christmas and Easter are relics of paganism, not the progency of a new religion).

The reasons for the decline are varied and many, but several threads seem ever present: selfish interest replaces collective interest (American politics), accountability shifts from external to internal (American business), the network effect grows too inwardly dependent (Japan), and the life support of the whole thing the everyday Joes and Joannes feel more and more betrayed as they watch corruption replace commonweal. The shabby little personal deals these days between CEOs and Congressmen reminds one of the commerce in Church offices during the 14th through 16th centuries, which led to unprecedented levels of disproportion between principle and practice. The book Silent Theft by William Bollinger comes to many of these same conclusions from the commonweal-holder's point of view.

However, a sea change from one econocultural institution to the next doesn't come from the Joes and Joannes. Their protest tends to take the form of peasant rebellions. Howard Jarvis and Prop 13 was such a rebellion at first it worked, but then special interest reasserted itself and today Prop. 13 has been defanged except for a few molars left way in the back. Rather, change comes from intellectuals in the leisure class who toil little but wordspin marvelously. If today's disaffected intellectuals are creating a new mindset to breed lilacs out of the dead land, wish them well. Today's gerontocratic model bases its decisions on ideas that were current thirty or forty years ago. (Listened to the Pentagon lately?)

Changing Fortunes documents its case very well. It is so lucidly written that typically leaden case studies are polished into brilliance by blunt, often witty assessments of corporate goofs. No softening the blow with genial dollops of well-wishing comes from this trio. And of goofs, boy are there some dandies. The sequence of awful decisions that took Xerox from poster-child of TQM (Total Quality Management) revolution of the 1980s to the blunderer of 2000 that shredded both their billing system and customer loyalty makes one chortle, but behind management's arrogant imbecilities are unemployment lines.

The book is a goldmine of facts. Between 1982 and 1992 the number of U.S. business consultants went from 30,000 to 81,000 (if you can't do it, teach it). In 1998 102,171 MBAs graduated from American universities (enough to populate a medium-size city, and wouldn't that be a dull place). Such statistics hint at the explosion in business information and expertise now revolutionising U.S. corporate life. Yet how many bright young things lust for life at a widget factory? The authors cite many examples of manufacturing sector decline, but in the end the example they don't cite is the most telling of all: employment in the manufacturing sector is at its lowest point since 1961, and out-of-work statistics have risen every month for the last 27. Somebody's hurting, and it's not the guys at the top. Now recall that every seismic shift in thinking in the West since Rome has happened because the Joes and Joannes have become ill-served to the point where they no longer believe what they are told.

Changing Fortunes certainly has its virtues. For one, its procedure is sound. The authors examine the Fortune 100 lists from the turn of the 20th century up till today. They find a scowly mask behind the veil with the smile: American industrial companies may be turning out more products than ever, and many of them may have healthy balance sheets, but their relative importance in the economy is inexorably declining in favor of firms based on technology, finance, and services. Classic Schumpeter creative destruction. Wonderful, until you realize that corruption is far easier in a service economy than in a manufacturing one. Enron, WorldCom, and the Wall Street analysts didn't manufacture a thing.

For another, the authors' analysis is impressive. The companies they study are household names General Motors, Xerox, Merck, Kodak. It's not hard to relate to those. These companies have survived some bad shakes the 1974 oil price shocks, the rise of an information economy that sucks up the best brains, a compliant but aging workforce, and globalization that hurts as much at home as it does abroad. In search of lifebuoys corporations spent 13 years trying to convert to TQM, six years to soak up Business Process Re-engineering, and three years to embrace network technology. The first two had inward effects: management got better. IT, on the other hand, made for better informed and therefore more footloose customers. Despite all these stopgaps, the decline continues.

In addition to its analytic interest, Changing Fortunes is a formidable resource of interpretive history. One detects the hands of dozens of grad students busily scrabbling together the raw material. The authors' main point that industrial companies are on the way out has a flaw, however: It is very US-centric. Offshore, manufacturing is still an extremely important engine of global wealth. Asia and Latin America set the pace in steel, cars, computers, televisions, and so on. If the authors had examined the top 100 global corporations instead of the Fortune 100, quite different conclusions might have turned up. One is that globalization has brought sovereign nations to grovel for the blessings of corporations the same way corporations grovel for the blessing of consumers.

For those who hold out high hopes for the Internet economy, disappointment came soon but in the nick of time. With nearly 100 percent of the Internet economy's blossoming dot-coms vanished into that great bankruptcy court in the sky, the belief that information will transform us all seems less than persuasive. And a good thing, too, because the so-called "Network Effect" that the value of a service increases as more and more people use it (a sort of reverse wear-and-tear) is becoming the biggest Frankenstein since the atomic bomb. It gives us unprecedented access, but we are accessed in turn, without knowing when, why, and by whom. The Network Effect is so pervasive and invasive that any business with bucks can insert itself into our lives to a degree unimaginable even to the former East German government. The most worrisome fact about corporations and government today is that their spanky new network economy is accountable to no one at all. (How's your email box looking these days?)

This gets us back to the bell-shaped curves of econoculture and their rise from completely unexpected places like comfy salons. Robert Heilbronner's thesis was that capitalism will destroy itself because it is unable to subserve economic wealth to social health. The world around us, on these shores and off, is largely run by geezocracies, and the Joes and Joannes know they're being had. Changing Fortunes frames their dilemma very well on page 217:

Sharlow had started with Kodak as a machinist at the age of 23, and eventually moved into managerial ranks. "Kodak was everything. How far I could go seemed to depend on my own ambition," he recalled feeling, neatly articulating the social contract that had governed corporate managerial employment. . . . "I knew there were hundreds, even thousands being laid off. I guess I thought I was special. Then the day came when they made a business decision to let me go. It was, Bye, and don't let the door hit you.' The event was a deeply wounding blow for Sharlow, and a lesson for his (grown) daughter, Karen: "We've been taught all our lives that if you give your loyalty to something or someone, it gives you something back. Now we know. No one will take care of you."

The Great Wall of China didn't succeed at keeping the barbarians out nearly as well as it did at keeping the Chinese in. The ultimate penalty for the regressive thinking that congealed over the great corporations analyzed in Changing Fortunes is the inspiration it gives to the tiny little lumps on the next bell curve the inspiration to respond to a brick wall by walking around it.

Bad Medicine: Misconceptions And Misuses Revealed, From Distance Healing To Vitamin O
Christopher Wanjek
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030
ISBN 0-471-43499-X, $15.95, 6"x9" paperback, 280 pages, http://www.wiley.com

Someone in Wiley's cover design and marketing departments did this book no favors. The cover depicts a largely faceless woman in a 1950s to 1960s era nurse's uniform. (The Little Lord Fauntleroy collar and watch the size of a blood-pressure dial are the giveaways. What kind of casting department to they have at that place, anyway?) The "nurse" is pointing to a brown medicine bottle (Clue 2: today everybody uses plastic) half filled with pills. She smiles, and it's not the Mona Lisa's. The word "Bad" is in the "Inkpad" font or equivalent, sized in 96 point type and ugly black. The subhead opener, "Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed" looks cribbed from a checkout stand tabloid, and the rest of the subhead, "from Distance Healing to Vitamin O," seem a rather small sampling on which to bitch into existence a whole book. The cover promises a diatribe at best, polemic at worst. In a bookstore only a screwball health nut could be seduced by such an unpromising cover.

Sad, this, because the book is anything but a screed for overly convinced fanatics. It is in fact a wide-ranging explanation of most people's health concerns written in most people's terms. It is especially good at reinforcing time and again that proper diet, nutrition, and exercise throughout life are the surest and cheapest keys to good health. Along the way Mr. Wanjek dispatches no end of windmills, from the myth of racial exceptionalism to where, exactly, does the tongue taste sweetness and saltiness. The tiny little appendix (the one inside us, not the somewhat more commodious one at the end of the book) really does have a use after all and shouldn't be willy-nilly snipped out whilst the belly is open for other reasons. Kidneys, liver, skin, hair, the resident populations of microbes all these get a fair hearing and an even better explanation. As a periodic refresher on why it is a great idea to take care of oneself, this book is about as good as they come.

But it is not, as the cover implies, a debunking screed. Mr. Wanjek is very good at thoughtful explanations of when to take health claims at their word and when to look deeper. Chapter 24, for example, entitled "Organic Food," starts off with a appetite-flattening set of facts about the secretive industry that calls itself "Organic". Milk sold under that rubric is in fact produced by cows penned up in the same ghastly poop-palace conditions as the bone & brain-meal variety. They are simply fed organic food (whatever that might be) instead of the truly dangerous stuff the industrial-food lads have dreamed up. If we take off the rose-colored glasses with the word "organic" silk-screened on the surface, we find many similarities in the minds of "Organic" corporate nutrition designers and the minds of the tetracycline-and-sheep-brains designers. Corporate, after all, is corporate. Strange things happen to thinking and values whenever that word enters the picture. So organic cows are penned up like their less well-fed sisters in row-stalls, mouth in a trough and teats in a machine that sucks them dry three times a day. They just get a nicer label for their fate. Soya milk, anyone?

You'll probably not want to keep this in mind next time at the McChicken place, but "free range" chickens range freely over a pecked-to-death enclosure with thousands of others, their beaks sometimes removed so they won't go on a murderous frenzy at the spark of something scary. And did you know that five California farms grow half the country's "organic" crops, right amidst other crops, and how in heaven's name do they keep the insecticides and fertilizers from wafting in?

There are many similar examples of gut-spasming truth-telling, but Mr. Wanjek sticks to facts and graciously stays out of rubbing our noses in it. He also lays low some foot-soldiers of popular mythology that health-products industry generals use to scare the wits out of everybody. Remember the bottled Perrier scare a decade ago? To quote Mr. Wanjek, "Perrier mineral water comes from a variety of sources beyond France, such as Texas and New Jersey. Somewhere, somehow, in 1990, unacceptable levels of benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical, made their way into the stylish green bottles. The benzene level was far from deadly or even cancerous. You would have had to drink a couple hundred bottles a day to get to a level that would significantly increase your lifetime risk of getting cancer; and by that time, at $2 a bottle, you would have died of poverty."

Going this example one better, he relates the delicious (inadvertent pun?) story of Alasika brand Alaska Premium Glacier Drinking Water: Pure Glacier Water from the Last Unpolluted Frontier, Bacteria Free. "The FDA made the company change the label upon learning that the water came from a public supply." Methinks they professed too much.

He gets into trickier territory in Chapter 32, "Herbs as Alternative Medicine." Here the line between boon and bunk is as greasy as a butcher's doorknob. On the one hand he gives full credence to proven herbal medicaments like European milk thistle, the only known counter to a certain poisonous mushroom (and many similar examples of like kind). On the other he says things like, ". . . the herbal field us undermined by untrained herbalists, aromatherapists, astrologers, and New Age healers who blindly recommend herbal remedies with no clue how dangerous they can be." When two people who believe the same thing talk about what they believe, the one thing of which you can be certain is the exclusion of everything else.

Some of his examples are hilarious: "What good is the stress-relieving herb kava-kava when it is bound to a chocolate bar?" And for those of you who are more than a little dubious about the efficacy of whatever ingredients have the ability to enhance males by large inches in small weeks, you might want to check the pages of the teen magazines where a product called "Bloussant" will "wake up your body's growth process" and "actually stimulate the inner-cell substance in the breast.... Your confidence level will soar." Note that the ad doesn't directly state that the boobs will actually swell; they will merely be stimulated to do so. What does swell is the profit margins of WellQuest International (Bloussant's makers) for their blend of don quai, black cohosh, fennel seed, and saw palmetto, which, in the industrial quantities WellQuest orders them, go for pennies the pound.

There is a certain progression in Mr. Wanjek's book, like looking at the pictures drawn by a schizophrenic during the descent into irrationality. By the time he gets us to Chapter 38, "I'm Not a Reporter, But I Play One on TV," we've reached a sort of health industry "Last Exit to Brooklyn". He sums up the condition of health reportage on mainstream TV, "When cable television became mainstream with its endless choice of the marvelous, mawkish, and mundane network television took a belly punch. The challenge was to make news even more entertaining to attract viewers who could just as easily switch to cable without ever leaving the comfort of the sofa." And you thought this happened only to politicians.

Mr. Wanjek's is an excellent book. Knowledgeable, fair, even-handed, clearly written. And above all, non-polemical. He has a point to make and he makes it well: When he's got a gripe, he gripes. When something good is being bad-mouthed by populism, he says that, too. There is bunk in the health industry as everywhere, but there are also some musts one needs to leaven with must-nots. The musts he reinforces time after time in the simplest possible language: balanced diet, moderate amounts of stretching and exercise as long as you live, skip the noxious weed, treat alcohol with respect, and above all, moderation, moderation, moderation. For heaven's sakes, this is what the Buddha said, and it's a testimony to human willfulness that the obvious can be so hugely missed by so many people in so many ways for so long. The wish can a mortal enemy be.

So skip the lousy cover and read the great book. It's going into my personal library of once-a-year must-reads.

Czech Photographic Avant Garde, 1918 1948
Vladimir Birgus, Vera Orac & Karolinka Vocadlo with transl., Janine Mileaf and Matthew Witkovsky, eds.
MIT Press
ISBN 0-262-02516-7, $50.00, hardbound, 311 pages, 328 illus., 15 color, www. mitpress.mit.edu

The 1989 implosion of the communist regime released Czechoslovakia from its cultural isolation. The world discovered a treasury of unknown ideas and techniques that had been developed by Czech avant-garde photographers during the first half of the century. They had worked quietly, even obscurely (and in some cases riskily), as they pursued their artistic and experimental paths. This landmark survey of Czech avant-garde photography is the first time we can see how Central European experimentalists found the same mainstreams and explored many of the same byways as did their American and European cohorts. And yet, as the images in this book testify, almost every shot has a quality distinctive enough to be called Czech. Specialists will take years defining that quality, but anyone interested in the richness of Central European art and originality can catch a look at it now by reading this book.

Czech photographers had a vision of modernity that resembled Bauhaus in its desire for a major houseclean of old forms, but avoided the Bauhaus's smothering insistence on theory first and reality later. The Czech vision was really many visions, each varying dramatically on the surface but coursing down the same mountain. We see aesthetic old friends here: pictorialism, picture poems, abstraction and its quasi-abstract variant called nonfiguration, social journalism, surrealism and a home-grown movement named Poetism. (Sadly, in one of the worst oversights imaginable in a book from a university press, the Index cites only the people named in the book, so we can never track down where the term "Poetism" appears.)

The text is an anthology of essays. They have a elbowy reach as they knock into each other introducing the period and movements; exploring the background of the photographers and their mutual influences on each other; and much more. The biographies of most of these photographers were completely unknown in Western Europe till this book came along.

Photography is a study in the ability of a technique to transfer task from person to technology and thereby liberate the creative impulse. The early photographers in the 19th century were as much chemists as recorders. Matthew Brady required wagonloads of gear to take his famous pictures of the Civil War. Putting all that on a strip of film did more than popularize: it opened minds.

Photography came to Czechoslovakia well after film had been put onto rolls. They could spend their spare time thinking. It is tempting to compare the Czech efforts with the boundary-pushing experiments of North American and Western European photographers in the Twenties and Thirties. They were, after all, conducted almost simultaneously. Yet there is a clear difference in technique between images by Paul Strand, Minor White, Ansel Adams, and Edward Steichen, and their Czech counterparts named Jeromir Funke, Jindrich Styrsky, and Drahomir Ruzicka. The difference is largely due to the Czechs being essentially untrained, unlettered hobbyists with very little aesthetic theory to distract them, and therefore an ability to see objects and scenes on their own terms.

It shows.

Take some of the high-angle panoramic portraits of cafe terraces and outdoor restaurants of Josef Ehm, Jan Lauschmann, Arnost Pickart, and Eugen Wiskovsky. They resemble the overhead shots of Atget and Cartier-Bresson. The big difference is that Cartier-Bresson was consciously seeing a "decisive moment" to push the shutter (as does Richard Avedon's "Portraits" series), while the Czechs seem more preoccupied with panorama in and of itself. For example, there are almost no humans in the pictures; unoccupied cafe tables march off in rows like stamped-metal plates on a production line. From the flat, even light one knows the skies were overcast. Did the photographers go there on such days because they sought a scene without life? If so or even if not, they succeeded.

This same sense of dyspersonalization also occurs with the nudes. If ever there was a case for elan as a series of curves, the nude is it. Yet the nudes of Frantisek Drtikol are so embedded in (and mostly behind) angularities and factory-hewn curves that the figures come off as union-shop amazons fresh from the factory floor.

Jaromir Funke went this one better by removing the nude, letting metal dishes and chrome-plated spiral tubing take their stead. Eugen Wiskovsky does the same to electrical insulators, wires, and turbine rotors. The aura of celebration is obvious these things will make Czechoslovakia mighty. The Thirties' obsession with structure and function removed life almost completely from architecture. Only four of the fourteen pictures between pages 130 and 139 have any sign of life in them. Otherwise they look like fully-automated manufactories, a sort of capitalist architectura c_listis.
While the text assigns terms to the various classes of imagery Constructivism, Futurism, Functionalism, and the like the impact on the eye is rather different: of all the catchalls one can apply to remove being from reality, industrial photography is as cold and correct as a calculus solution.

The rather smallish amount of commercial photography presented likewise is unremarkable, even the page layouts trying to be with-it in an era when Art Deco dominated almost everything a few longitudes to the west. This surprises, because the American experimentalist Man Ray, living in Paris, was a formidable esprit de l'oeil to Jaroslav Rossler and others. Ray's was is the most energizing foreign influence on Czech photo imagination of the time.

All the factory fantasy took an abrupt swerve when Surrealism arrived. The Czechs were not content to imitate. Photographers such as Jindrich Styrzsky, Hugo Taborsky, Frantisek Vobecky, and Bohumil Nemec spared us Western Europe's metaphysics of dripping clocks and life-vacated forms to concentrate on a more local product: the magical encounters to be found on a human visage. With surrealism the Czechs utterly reversed themselves. A human-seed sensibility blossomed into a broad meadow whose subtext was poetry, imagination, creativity, and the inner model. Literature was as much a part of photography as photograph was of literature, just as complexity, too, contains its own antonym. The term "Surrealism" as defined in Paris didn't quite fit this heady mix, so it was aptly called Poetism by the locals. Antonin Dufek's chapter on the subject is arguably the most stimulating in the book.

And indeed, the two most striking images in the book are Surrealist. In Jeroslav R”ssler's "Untitled, 1931" on page 117 (and the cover jacket), a woman's face fills the frame, tilted at 45 degrees as she looks the lens in the eye. The pictorial strength may come from her thin line of almost black lipstick and one eye encircled by a black ring, but the psychic strength comes from the translucent panes before her that divide the image into portions of clarity and bad focus. What we see isn't a reality, it is a focusscape.

On page 211 Jindrich Styrsky demonstrates how even sexual explicitness can be turned into art. The scene is metaphysical conception. A couple is immersed in an astronomical scene of stars and nebula. He is swan-diving into the stars while she is curled up receptively with her vagina and eyes both awaiting. His smoky stream of ejaculate divides, with one whisp entering her and the other sailing into the stars. He is energy about to be remote and she is the state of rest already there. It is perhaps the most primal image in the book. Though it adds no new contributions to psychology, it speaks to our inner life as seen much later and from afar.

The book is as complete a view as we can find of the entire Czech world between the White Carpathians and the mountain rim that barriers off Czechoslovakia from the rest of Europe. Photographers had a great old time in the years between the arrival of democracy with Jan Masaryk's government in 1918 and its end with Hitler's invasion in 1938. An astonishing number of them were hobbyists with little interest in what today would be called a career path. It is quite something to watch them trying the same experiments and making the same mistakes finding their own metier like good artists should with results quite different that events further westward.

They defined aesthetics, possibilities, and learned the limits of their medium. But much more. They ventured well beyond the typical hobbyist's preoccupation with technique and equipment. (In the entire book there's not so much as a single paragraph that describes their equipment and this in the era when the Leica and 35mm film were commoditizing photography to the point of social revolution.) Their great contribution was essentially the same as that of Atget and Bressai: a vivid glimpse into the realities of their part of the world Westernized Slavs which no one had paid much attention to. It turned out that society and commonplaces were more relevant to them than theory and manifesto.

Originally published as Ceska fotograficka avantgarda 1819 1948

Dana De Zoysa
Reviewer


Cindy Lynn's Bookshelf

A Passion For Steam
Patrick Whitehouse and David St. John Thomas
David and Charles
FW Publications, dist.
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207
ISBN 0715313843 $19.99 1-800-289-0962

I have only ridden a few steam trains in my time, and these were tourist attractions, where you can almost hear the people saying "Once around the loop boys and make sure to point out the fields and the trees to the passengers as you go past." So I can imagine some of the magic. I can remember the juttery starts and the rocking of the cars, and the hiss of steam. It was a slight taste of something long gone in my part of the world, depressing in some ways as it is enlightening.

The book begins: "You wait by the line side on a rough day, every sound drowned by the wind, until you think you hear a distant -- very distant -- whistle. Before you ears can confirm it, your eyes catch a glimpse of steam rising over a fold in the hills through which the railway comes..." and even as I type this I can hear the train whistle in the distance, as in the reality of my own world a diesel locomotive pulls its cargo of coal through a river town. Evocative? Oh, yes. Even for a 28 year old girl like me, whose general associations with trains are the ones that she has to stare at while waiting at rail way crossings.

This book is about stories. Real stories, to be sure, and the more descriptive the better. These stories are divided into chapters, such as "Bygone Byways" and "Delivering the Goods", grouping the subjects together. Sidebars run throughout, telling a related story while the main tale goes on. In their own words people like Sir Peter Allen tell us what they saw at the time they saw it. For example we have a 1941 piece on Altoona's horseshoe curve originally written for Trains Magazine. That's not to say that the authors have just gathered other people's work. These pieces only add to the over all feel of what the authors are trying to create. Their own work for each chapter is filled with information, written in such a way as to feel very immediate. They take you into the world of steam engines and engine drivers, drawing every detail so that you can really get a feel for the steam experience. One of my favorite passages that encases this combination of information and image is about Texas and Pacific Railroad's train number 67 in 1926. They added so many cars to it that "the weight behind the engine's drawbar is 3,600 tons; the train is so long that the observer who has left his bag at the rear caboose takes three-quarters of an hour to collect it and return to the locomotive." Iron horse, indeed...but the passage continues "They move off again with the exhaust reaching 50ft up into the night sky as the 2-10-4 demolishes the next twenty-eight miles in 56 minutes reaching a speed of 47mph on level stretches. Though the engine is coal burning the cab is spotless, for there is an automatic stoker in use. Driver and fireman are wearing immaculate white gloves." Reading passages like these certainly give a different perspective...I never imagined that the driving of such a vast machine could ever be clean enough for white gloves.

The trains they feature are from all over the world, and are generously photographed. In China we are introduced to Lanzhou's QJ class 2-10-2s, who, at least when the hard back edition of this was published in 1989, were still pulling trains through the mountains and around the edge of the Gobi desert. A 1947 Baldwin 2-8-2 pulls special cars to and from Guatemala city. Trains from Britain, South Africa and many other locations are represented.

There are many types of pictures, from full color modern pictures taken by the authors to black and white pictures found in archives. Most of them are what I call postcard pictures, beautifully set up photos of trains actually running, sooty smoke rising from their stacks. If you love looking at trains, there is plenty to look at, accompanied by in depth captions. The saddest pictures, for me, are the ones in the final chapter, where the authors discuss the eventual fate of most iron made things -- the scrap yard.

My judgment of this book is that it has a lot to offer anyone who loves trains. It gives a good feel of all aspects of steam, including ones, such as that of a yard at night, that will entertain as well as challenge the view that is most commonly held about these types of engines.

Doll's House Details
Kath Dalmeny
David and Charles
FW Publications, dist.
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207
ISBN 0715313673 $29.99 1-800-289-0962

As a crafty person who owns her own dollhouse, the hardest aspect of the hobby is to go to a store an buy the tiny details that really make a doll house look complete. Mostly it's the expense, but part of it is that nagging voice in the back of my head that tells me that I can make the little item I'm holding.

That's where this book comes in. Dalmeny takes different scenarios...a Manor House kitchen, a 1950's birthday party, and creates every little detail possibly needed in that scene. There's a whole section on food done by setting - a Georgian banquet, an Edwardian picnic, a Tudor meal. She explains what you need to make it feel proper for the time, and how to recreate it. Every possible scene, such as a clock collection, a woodshop, an interior decorator's shop and a Parisian artist's studio are displayed. Since there is such a huge variety of things, you can pick and choose what you need for your own house. I think that the groupings actually make it easier to find the kind of thing you're looking for. It also turns the book into an idea book, helping you think of different ways you can set up the rooms of your house, or even create a diorama.

One of the best things about this book is the templates. You can make a rocking horse, a record player, a display case for shelves and many other things. You can photocopy these plans for easy cutting, and you won't have to figure out if they're the right size, because you already know it's 1/12 scale. For me, the thing that often keeps me from just mucking around and trying to build something for the doll house is that the fear that it won't be quite the right size True, 1 inch equals 1 foot isn't too hard to figure out, but it's nice when it's all done for you. She also describes, step by step, how to make several types of flooring, wall paper and curtains.

For the most part, the tools she uses are things you probably have laying around the house, and the materials are simple to acquire. She uses polymer clay a lot, which I don't usually like, but she's pretty good at explaining how to mold the clay to make it look proper. Most of the projects don't require any artistic skill, just patience. For a lot of projects, such as the fire grate, you only need thin card and a copy of the template. With care, and some black paint, it looks really good. Surprisingly good, actually.

Some of the ideas are simple, yet so effective that I felt like silly having not thought of it myself. For instance, she fills a bowl with sesame seeds, or uses a pair of snipped off straight pins with matching heads as drum sticks. She also adds little tricks she learned from experience, such as how to make paint stick better by adding a tiny bit of glue.

To see if this book was truly practical, I made three things. I had some balsa wood sticks, so I made the easel. The instructions were short, but very straight forward, and with the template to study while I placed the sticks together, it was no problem. Then I made the paper doll...basically, a template I scanned and printed, with a teddy bear on a sheet with a selection of costumes. Then I got all self confidant and tried to make the spider plant...and ended up with a mess. But the mess wasn't the author's fault, but rather the reader, and her obsession with over gluing. Overall, I am extremely pleased with this book. even if you're like me and really don't like using clay, there are a lot of other things, label templates, little wooden and cardboard projects that you'll find fun to do.

World Of Embroidery
Helen M. Stevens
David and Charles
FW Publications, dist.
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207
ISBN 0715309773, $29.99, 1-800-289-0962

World Of Embroidery begins with a fairy tale, of a woman who waits for her Viking husband to return from his voyage. As he goes forth on different journies she passes her time, and her life, creating a beautiful embroidery. The story, ultimately, becomes the myth of how the Aurora Borealis came to be, and is a fitting beginning, showing how embroidery can become symbolic of even the most elusive and magical parts of nature.

Helen M. Stevens has a unique way of looking at embroidery. For those of us whose whole experience with stitches are the basic five that are generally used for pre-stamped pillow cases, it is also an awakening. To her, embroidery is a form of art, the floss and cloth are paint and canvas. There are no real patterns in this book, though there are line drawings you could photocopy out and transfer to cloth, beautifully drawn pencil sketches of butterflies, plants, and many other subjects. Instead, there are tons of beautiful full color pictures of her own embroideries. Primarily these are of gorgeously colored flowers and other things from nature, but there are also city scapes, people and fantastical creations such as fairies and a unicorn. Each chapter is an essay, chapter one, for instance, is called "Sea Fever". Each essay describes the area, why people are fascinated with it, why people wish to work their embroideries in it. She discusses techniques that will help the embroiderer more accurately and artistically portray the objects they are depicting. These chapters are a mixture of natural fact and stitching theory. For example, she discusses the jelly fish and its florescence, and then talks about what stitches can best represent the texture of the fish. It's both poetical and practical, showing the reader how she achieves the effects. Her book is heavy on technique, showing us how to compose embroideries that are worthy of being framed more than being used on linens. With a scene as simple and gentle as a farmer on his tractor, a pheasant flying up from the bushes in the foreground, she shows us how to place elements together in the fore, middle and backgrounds, how to use different types of flosses, twisted silks and cottons, to create different textures, and how to choose color to convey both subtlety and emotional effects.

One of the most radical stitches she uses is floating embroidery, which allows a peacock's feather to have its loose, waving fronds. She also uses raw silk to create the mist that surrounds the buildings of New York and allows a unicorn to rest his hooves. She has an appendix fully explaining her more unusual stitches, from opus plumarium, which gives a bird's plumage a more feathery look, to cob webbing. She also has a chapter about practicalities, describing equipment and techniques for working on different sized canvasses.

The joys of this book, for me, are in how pretty it is. It is a luscious book to look through if you love the colors and textures of embroidery. Her prose is very beautiful, her advice practical and easy to follow, but it's really for people who are serious about perfecting their art, not their table cloths. Her many ideas and techniques will definitely improve your concept of embroidery style and turn it into a challenging and meaningful medium for expression.

The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
Mark Chadbourn
PS Publishing LLP
c/o Hamilton House
4 Park Avenue, Harrogate HG2 9 BQ England
ISBN 1902880323, $14.00, 109 pages, http://www.pspublishing.co.uk

"The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" was painted by Richard Dadd after his decent into madness, which began with his conviction that he had spoken with the Egyptian deity Osiris, continued with his murder of his own father, and ending with his incarceration at various madhouses. In it, fairies of all kinds gather among the daisies to watch with a nearly single minded intent as the fairy feller, whose back is to the observers outside the painting, raises his axe to cleave a chestnut shell. This painting captures the imagination of Danny, who as a child, is trained by his mother to hone his mind, to reach the potential of genius she is certain he has. She does this out of love, because she knows that life will be hard on him because of his intellect. In some ways mother and son are more good friends who discuss everything from how paint is made to the meaning of life. She, loving Dadd's masterwork as much as her son does, is hoping that he will gain from it the perspective a boy with such a brilliant mind needs in order to survive.

Danny does not take these lessons well. All grown up, he squanders his brilliance in cocaine and alcohol. A few days after this combination of things nearly kills him, a copy of the print mysteriously appears inside his doorway. There was no natural means a person could have delivered it, and he is taken in once more, determined to solve the mystery the painting holds. His journey will take him along Dadd's footsteps...almost too precisely.

Although the book flirts with the existence of fairies, leaving it up to the reader to guess whether they are real of a fragment of an overwrought mind, that is not the point of the story. The story is about how we learn to accept ourselves. Danny is so convinced that he doesn't want to grow up and loose the magic of his childhood that he really messes up a lot of opportunities for himself. Even though he was marked as a child prodigy, and shows hints of brilliance in how he retains and connects information, he isn't any better off, generally, than anyone else. In fact, although he has much, he fritters it away. I think that, if he wasn't so frank about his failings and if he wasn't surrounded by people who genuinely love him -- and that love reflects well on him, making him seem better in our eyes -- Danny would not be a likable person.

This is not to say the story is not fantastical. Sometimes the fairies that appear are strange and frightening, sometimes they encapsulate all that is beautiful in magic. As Danny and the reader seek to discover what Dadd is really saying with his painting, if, in fact, he truly saw the people he painted, we make discoveries about Danny himself. Some of these discoveries are mysterious, leaving the reader still, to wonder, even in the face of the rational, if perhaps there really are fairies. Looking at the devotion and understanding that Danny receives from his mother and from his girlfriend Beth, there certainly is magic.

Three Fingers
Rich Koslowski
Top Shelf Productions
PO Box 1282, Marietta, GA
ISBN 1891830900, $14.95, 137 pages, Trade Paper

Rickey Rat was one of the most popular Toon star to ever see the silver screen. He had it all -- looks, a sense of humor, and a remarkable personality that easily drew people to theaters. But why? Why did this Toon of all the others rise to fame? And why were fellow Toon actors who had just as much talent doomed to failure? Scandal, and the words "The Ritual" would stalk Ricky all his life, shadowing his career and asking questions that were never satisfactorily answered.

Three Fingers is a documentary style look at Ricky, and his human partner, Desmond "Dizzy" Walters, who would gain an empire from Ricky's hard work. The list of faces that are interviewed are very familiar -- Carhorn Armwhistle, a rooster who seems to yell everything he says, the bitter Portly Pig, and the snide, smoke jacket clad Buggy Bunny. The characters are very familiar, and each is so cleverly done so that, even though their identities are changed to protect copyright, you know exactly who Koslowski is talking about. Whether he's interviewing Toon actors, executives or historians, Koslowski's characterization of them is flawless. Anyone who has sat down to watch an episode of Nova or a Ken Burns documentary is familiar with the format: talking heads, voiceovers and photographs. His treatment, from art to dialogue manages to poke a little bit of fun at this format while keeping the whole of what he is doing intact. While the feel of tongue and cheek to what he's doing makes the story a lot of fun to read, he never goes too far with it. Even while you're waiting to see what character he is going to interview next, he's never over the top...his light handedness with these elements are wise, as they keep the story strong and interesting.

He also has some interesting things to say about fame, and about what lengths people are willing to go to gain it, especially in the movie industry. In here is where we get our sharpest edges of satire. How different are these Toon stars from the actors of today? We have people starving themselves to fit the proper Hollywood look, getting themselves trimmed and tucked into a mold of what the studios see as what the viewers want. We look back at stars such as Rita Hayworth, who had so many things done to her to make her "acceptable" to standards, and think how terrible it is. Yet today, when we are in a more "enlightened" age, the same thing -- and worse, thanks to new technologies -- are still going on. Koslowski, in his depiction of the ritual, says much the same thing.

The combination of pencil and pen and ink art is very cool. The pencil portraits of the interviews are both very suggestive of the character, and lend a softness to the person that feels more round, more like skin. The ink and was photographs are well rendered, and the choice of this medium nicely separates them from the interview footage panels. He is a very talented, very realistic artist. His pictures of Marilynn Monroe and other historical figures are lovely and his portrayals of the Toons are clever and deft.

Cindy Lynn Speer
Reviewer


Lorraine's Bookshelf

Sweet Dream Douglas
Regan Dunnick, author/illustrator
Junior League of Houston
1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, Texas 77027-3405
ISBN 0-9632421-3-X $16.95 1-713-622-4191 www.juniorleaguehouston.org

Sweet Dreams Douglas is a wonderful children's book about a dog-child named Douglas who doesn't want to go to bed and doesn't think he knows how to dream. Perfectly suited for ages 3-7, Sweet Dreams Douglas bridges the tender gap between the fun of wide awake play and the joy of deep asleep dreams. Children who fear bedtime will be especially reassured and empowered by its humourous illustrations in inviting, soft yet vibrant colors, skillfully executed by author/artist Regan Dunnick.

In the story, Douglas goes on a dreamquest adventure, asking a fantastic variety of animal friends what they dream. In an effort to find his own dreaming ability, Douglas tries "on' all their dreams and finds that nothing quite fits him. Finally one of his dream companions tells him his answer - "Just dream, little one." Then he really begins to explore some dreams of his own. When Douglas wakes up, he is proud of his dreaming accomplishment, and coincidentally all the animal characters in his dream are found in toys and pets and pictures in his room around him.

The subtle soft pastel charcoal and muted greens, flesh, mustard and salmon palette are colors that encourage drowsiness, an invitation to deep creative dreaming. Sweet Dreams Douglas is deep and delightful, quiet and wise, refreshing and healing, like deep sleep.

Sweet Dreams Douglas is a reassuring, imaginative bedtime story book, bound to be beloved by children of many origins. The multitude of models in the dreamquest gives a positive message to the affirmation of cultural/racial and other differences. Sweet Dreams Douglas is the perfect gift for the 3-7 year old child in your life, especially if they are not fond of bedtime.

Key To A Cottage, An Intimate Story Of Confessions And Discovery
Marian Coe
SouthLore Press
730 Grouse Moor Drive, Banner Elk, NC 28604
ISBN 0963334190 $19.95 1-929-9898-3490 www.mariancoe.com

Key To A Cottage is a fluid, inviting feminist contemporary novel that absorbs and creates its own artistic context. It will appeal to women who remember the events of the past four decades in North America, and the challenge of finding their way in changing and confusing and exciting times.

Rae Kendall is the gently Southern born and bred heroine who challenges the female stereotypes of her time while soothing the onlooking members of the previous generation. Deeply attached to her aunt, a powerful and lasting influence on her life, she struggles with issues of single parenthood, free love, financial security, success and its price, sexism, and the meaning of friendship and love. An unerringly authentic historical tone pervades each decade's crises and discoveries. Questions about female identity and the need for dialogue between the sexes are explored. Transcending the age old debate is a rediscovery of the meaning and experience of love. Rae's close friends of both sexes span a wide ideological and geographical spectrum.

Key To A Cottage helps its reader explore what it means to be a woman, alive, intelligent, and growing in a series of confusing decades, today.

Passionate Vegetarian
Crescent Dragonwagon, Illustrated by Robbin Gourley
Workman Publishing
708 Broadway, New York, N. Y. 10003-9555
ISBN 1-56305-711-5 $24.95 www.workman.com

Passionate Vegetarian: More Than 1,000 Robust Recipes With Notes On Cooking, Eating, Loving, And Living Fearlessly is one of those ''bible" type of vegetarian cookbooks that contains so much more than recipes that it is almost an invitation to live, or to live more fully. Almost overwhelming in its 1000 plus pages, it is dauntlessly studded with jewel-like recipes within recipes for special sauces, seasonings, condiments and exotic blends.

Author/creator Crescent Dragonwagon is the famed Vegetarian chef and owner of the former celebrated Bed and Breakfast establishment Dairy Hollow Inn in Eureka, Missouri. Though it is now a writer's retreat, many remember fondly the days of its other operation which saw the evolution of many of the succulent recipes contained in Passionate Vegetarian. I never was lucky enough to be a guest there, but I had a friend who did with her husband and never stopped raving about the place and the food.

Chock full of delicious vegetarian classic recipes, Passionate Vegetarian is that wonderful composite, a cookbook designed to educate. Though you might be looking for, say, the definitive recipe for a garbanzo bean stew, when you arrive at the recipe entitled "Spice-Market Melange of Chickpeas and Cauliflower" in the chapter entitled "A Bountiful Bowl of Beans," you absolutely cannot help reading page after page about "Bean Diversity, ""Beans and Grains," "The Three Sisters (beans, corn and squash)," and more. Divided into fifteen exciting chapters, each crammed with scrumptious recipes and suggestions, Passionate Vegetarian covers all things vegetarian from hors d'oeuvres, to soups, stews, savory cobblers, wraps, beans, soyfoods, savory cakes, burgers and patties, to sauces, salsas and seasonings. And of course the grand finale of Just Desserts contains such gems as Triple-Caress Moch Chocolate Chip Cookies, Hazelnut Biscotti, and Ginger Sorbet. However my absolute favorite new recipe that I tried and fought with my husband over the division of was Roasty-Toasty Jerusalem Artichokes, a simple recipe made with Jerusalem artichokes, vegetable oil, and tamari sauce. Clearly, Chef Dragonwagon is unafraid of simple combinations and doing more with less, as well as complex and palate- teasing adventurous dishes, for which she must be justifiably famous. I really cannot rave enough about this cookbook.

It is a classic, a "must-have", and destined to become a favorite of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. It is all the more enriched by the author's marvelous sense of humour and her willingness to share her history. I am very sorry to learn of the sudden death of her husband Ned November 30, 2000. Passionate Vegetarian stands as a splendid memorial to the rich culinary life they shared as vegetarians.

Nancy Lorraine
Reviewer


Taylor's Bookshelf

The Blindfold's Eyes
Sister Dianna Ortiz with Patricia Davis
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
1570754357 $25.00 www.maryknoll.org

The Blindfold's Eyes: My Journey From Torture To Truth is the horrific and candid story of Sister Dianna Ortiz, a Catholic nun who physically and emotionally suffered at the hands of ruthless Guatemala's torturers, and who was able to escape to reveal her story to the world and tell of a figure who intervened with her captors and may have had connections to the U.S. Embassy. Raw, harsh details not for the squeamish fill this chilling tale of terrible suffering and the gradual inner journey toward physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. The Blindfold's Eyes is highly recommended reading and a true testament to the power of faith under the most trying and tragic of circumstances.

In God's Time
Craig C. Hill
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
0802860907 $16.00 www.eerdmans.com

In God's Time: The Bible And The Future by Craig C. Hill (Professor of New Testament, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.) is an informed and informative contribution to the on-going theological debate about the Bible, the future, and the predicted day of Rapture. Taking a moderate stance between those who intensely burn with "rapture fever", and those of the Jesus Seminar who believe that Jesus did not teach about the approaching Kingdom of God, In God's Time is a scholarly, thoughtful, engaging examination of apocalyptic writings, the history of prophecy, patterns of theological orientation, and much, much more. In God's Time is a welcome and highly recommended combination of intellectual and theological discourse.

Shepherding The Small Church
Glenn Daman
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
0825424496 $14.99 www.kregel.com

Seventy-five percent of America's churches have an average weekly attendance of 150 parishoners or less. Shepherding The Small Church: A Leadership Guide For The Majority Of Today's Churches by Glenn Damanis (Director for Small Church Health, Western Seminary, and Senior Pastor of Cascade Locks Community Church, Cascade Lock, Oregon, and First Baptist Church, Stevenson, Washington) is a useful and "user friendly" guide specifically written for pastors of small Christian congregations, and presents effective ways to better serve the faithful, as well as attracting more parishioners to the Church's ministry. Individual chapters address the importance of laying a theological foundation, developing a teaching and recruiting mission, keeping love for God in one's heart, and transforming one's church through service. A guide that encompasses both the practical and the spiritual, Shepherding The Small Church is especially recommended reading for neophyte pastors and anyone concerned with the spiritual health and growth of their Christian community.

It's All About Him!
Bishop Nate Holcomb
It's All About Him Publishing
PO Box 1006, Copperas Cove, TX 76522
1930918550 $19.95 1-254-547-3348

It's All About Him!: The Doctrine Of Christ by Bishop Nate Holcomb (founder of "Christian House of Prayer Ministries") is a book specifically written for Christian and lay leaders about turning away from the greedy demands of the self and embracing Jesus Christ as one's savior. Focusing on six guiding principles, and explaining spiritual lessons about the seven types of baptisms, the purpose of "laying on of hands", and the resurrection of dead and eternal judgement, It's All About Him! is a passionately written and emphatically spiritual testimony, supporting Bishop Holcomb's interpretations with numerous Biblical quotes. It's All About Him! is a confidently recommended addition to any non-denominational Christian Studies reading list.

The Fallacy Detective
Nathaniel Bluedorn & Hans Bluedorn
Trivium Pursuit
PMB 168, 139 Colorado Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761
No ISBN $22.00 www.triviumpursuit.com

Collaboratively written by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn for a Christian readership, The Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Six Lessons On How To Recognize Bad Reasoning presents common-sense guidelines to reasonable discourse that readers of all faiths and backgrounds can understand and appreciate. Indeed, The Fallacy Detective is a first-rate guide to common logic pitfalls and errors in human decision making. From red herrings and ad hominem attacks that avoid the issue at hand altogether, to fallacious hidden assumptions of "either-or" in a world filled with multiple possibilities, hasty generalizations and statistical fallacies, as well as the dark power and abuse of propaganda, The Fallacy Detective covers and immense range of illogical appeals that are as frustrating as they are distressingly effective. Highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader, The Fallacy Detective is a superb written and presented primer for making informed conclusions in a world filed of lies, deceits, and misconceptions.

Christian Egypt
Massimo Capuani
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814624065 $79.95 1-800-858-5450

Compiled and written by Massimo Capuani (historian and researcher in the field of Eastern Christian Churches, as well as Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culture) and enhanced with informed and informed contributions by Otto F. A. Meinardus (Fellow of the Institute of Coptic Studies in Cairo) and Marie-Helene Rustschowscaya (Head Curator, Department of Egyptian Antiquities, Louvre, and Director of the Coptic section), as well as emendations and an introduction to this English-language edition by Gawdat Gabra, Christian Egypt: Coptic Art And Monuments Through Two Millennia is a truly stunning and unusually panoramic history of the artistic expression of the Coptic Church ranging across hundreds of years. Gorgeous color photography, illustrative black-and-white images, showcase the extensively detailed background information on the history and creation of great works of architecture and expression which fill this singularly impressive volume from cover to cover. Christian Egypt is a highly recommended and much appreciated contribution to Art History, Christian History, and Egyptian History academic reference collections as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Coptic art and monuments.

The Maybe Universe
J. H. Hacsi
Writers Club Press/iUniverse
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595238793 $16.95 www.iuniverse.com

The Maybe Universe by J. H. Hacsi is a forceful and persuasively written argument for accepting Creationism as an explanation for the creation of the Earth and the presence of life as we know it today -- as opposed to conventional scientific hypothesis for the universe's existence that base the presence and form of life on blind evolutionary chance alone. Carefully worded and eloquently debated, The Maybe Universe is a considerately written, thought-provoking read and a well recommended addition to any Creationism Studies reference collection or reading list.

Mile Markers
Daniel J. O'Leary
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0877939721 $12.95 www.avemariapress.com

Mile Markers: Thirty-One Stops On Your Inner Journey by the Irish priest Daniel J. O'Leary offers the reader thirty-one deftly presented Christian self-help meditations, each specifically designed and intended to bring the reader into a closer union with God and thereby achieve spiritual happiness. Thoughtfully written, offering deep insight into God's love and the wonder of creation, Mile Markers is a spiritually reverent, emotionally touching, highly recommended read -- whether one chooses to browse one meditation a day for a month or peruse them all of them at once.

One Gospel From Two: Mark's Use Of Matthew And Luke
David B. Peabody, editor, with Lamar Cope and Allan J. McNicol
Trinity Press International
4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17112
1563383527 $26.00 www.morehousepublishing.com

The collaborative effort of David B. Peabody (Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, Nebraska), Lamar Cope (Carroll College, Waukesha, Wisconsin), and Allan J. McNicol (Austin Graduate School of Theology, Austin, Texas), One Gospel From Two: Mark's Use Of Matthew And Luke offers a dissenting voice from the mainstream claim that Mark was the first Gospel historically written, and that Matthew and Luke borrowed materials for their accounts from Mark, among other sources. Instead, One Gospel From Two claims that the Gospel of Mark was dependent upon those of Matthew and Luke. Iconoclastic and highly recommended reading for students of New Testament Studies, the extensive analysis of literary details, careful annotation, an erudite text, and persuasive details derived from meticulous research, distinguish One Gospel From Two as a carefully conceived and a particularly well-argued New Testament study.

John Taylor
Reviewer


Vogel's Bookshelf

Hey God; Got A Minute?
John Barr
Allen Ayers Books
4621 S. Atlantic Ave. #7603, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127
0965870227 $9.75 http://home.att.net/~allen-ayers

Hey God; Got A Minute?: Good Questions To Ask The Next Time The Big Guy Calls You In For A Chat by John Barr is a sometimes lighthearted, sometimes introspective, always thought-provoking and attention engaging discourse of one man's conversations with God. Offering a series of thought-provoking questions, universal dilemmas, and unique insights worthy of contemplation, Hey God; Got A Minute? is an eminently accessible and enthusiastically recommended reading -- the kind that lingers in the heart and mind long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf.

The Book Of Mystical Chapters
John Anthony McGuckin, translator
Shambhala
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
1570629005 $19.95 www.shambhala.com

Ably translated and with an informative introduction by Orthodox Christian Priest John Anthony McGuckin (Professor of Early Church History, Union Theological Seminary, New York City), The Book Of Mystical Chapters: Meditations On The Soul's Ascent From The Desert Fathers And Other Early Christian Contemplatives is a hallowed collection of more than three hundred short meditations written by Christians from the second through the fourteenth centuries. Many of these meditations were written by the Desert Fathers, monks who deliberately left behind the corruption of city life for the isolated deserts of Egypt and Palestine. These brief yet moving and heartfelt meditations focus upon practice, theory, gnosis, embracing spiritual enlightenment, and the expansion of one's mind and soul. The Book Of Mystical Chapters is very highly recommended reading for all serious students of Christian Theology, History, and Spirituality, regardless of denominational background or affiliation.

The Power Between Us
Anthony Obey & Crystal Majors
Protea Publishing
6920 B Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross, GA 30071
1931768528 $14.98 www.proteapublishing.com

Collaboratively written by the husband and wife team of Anthony Obey and Crystal Majors, The Power Between Us: Singles Walking In God's Order To Establish His Kingdom is a book designed specifically for youth groups, engaged and married couples, close friends, and business/ministry partners. The Power Between Us offers a process for two people whereby they become more in touch with each other, and more in touch with God. Individual chapters cogently address the true power of ordained relationships, recognizing the good characteristics in oneself and others, guarding one's heart from destructive relationships, and much, much more. A spiritual and emotional guide for Christians to learn how to better open oneself to and connect with one another and with God's love, The Power Between Us is highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to establish and foster mutual intellectual, economic, social, emotional, and companionable roles with their significant other within the context of their personal and mutual Christian responsibilities.

Walking Through Shadows
Ken Ham & Carl Wieland
Master Books, Inc.
PO Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638
0890513813 $11.99 www.masterbooks.net

Walking Through Shadows: Finding Hope In A World Of Pain by Ken Ham and Carl Wieland is an engaging and thought-provoking compilation of true accounts of personal suffering (such as everyone has or will experience in the course of ordinary life), ranging from the loss of a loved one, to the slow destruction of health and life through incurable disease. Specifically written to help Christian readers understand why such horrid things exist in God's world, and expressing a deep admiration for a God who offers comfort and wisdom to his people for the purpose of for learning to cope with tragedy and to look forward to the future, Walking Through Shadows is a profoundly written and powerfully inspiring spiritual read which is confidently recommended to a Christian readership regardless of denominational affiliation or theological orientation.

Capital Punishment And The Bible
Gardner C. Hanks
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottdale, PA 15683-1999
0836191951 $16.99 1-800-759-4447

Written by death penalty abolitionist Gardner C. Hanks (Amnesty International State Death Penalty Action Coordinator for Idaho) as a stringent denouncement of the process of state-sanctioned execution, Capital Punishment And The Bible draws directly from the Christian scriptures to emphasize the importance of forgiveness, love, and restoration. A strongly worded, powerfully articulated, highly persuasive, theological and humanitarian stand that invokes both Biblical and secular reasonings against capital punishment, Captial Punishment And The Bible is a welcome and timely contribution to the on-going national dialog, especially in these troubled times. Also highly recommended reading is Gardner C. Hanks earlier work, Against The Death Penalty: Christian And Secular Arguments Agasint Capital Punishment (0836190750; $14.99).

Finding God Through Sex
David Deida
Plexus
815-A Brazos, Suite 445, Austin, TX 78701
1889762156 $18.95 www.deida.com

Finding God Through Sex: A Spiritual Guide To Ecstatic Loving And Deep Passion For Men And Women by author, spirituality and human sexuality expert David Deida is an informative, thoughtful, emotional, and quite practical guide to the art and craft of enriching our spiritual life and taking deep pleasures in the love and sexuality that is God's gift to humankind. From learning how to connect and balance lust and love, to learning to open oneself to ecstasy, to lowering barriers to our innermost emotions, Finding God Through Sex is a profoundly insightful, spiritually sensitive, and accessibly written guide which is highly recommended reading in both matters of the physical flesh and the needs of the soul.

Finding Heaven
Christopher de Vinck
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
0829416463 $12.95 loyolapress.org

Finding Heaven: Stories Of Going Home is the inspirational autobiography of Christopher de Vinck, and is divided into thirty brief, upbeat and thoughtful vignettes. Embracing simple truths about God, heaven, goodness, pain, and loss with reflections upon heritage and history, Finding Heaven also emphasizes that the true path to heaven lies in past and present moments, not in the future. The importance of memories, and the eternal pathway to God and His love, are the underlying themes in this emotionally fulfilling, deeply spiritual, highly recommended read.

God At The Ritz
Lorenzo Albacete
The Crossroad Publishing Company
National Book Network, dist.
481 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1550, New York, NY 10001
0824519515 $19.95 1-800-395-0690

God At The Ritz: Attraction To Infinity is the candid discourse by Lorenzo Albacete (a Catholic priest and physicist with a degree in Space Science and Applied Physics), about the essence of life itself, its meaning, God's plan, and a great deal more. From surveying the balance between science and faith; to addressing the eternal questioning of why such suffering and horror exist in God's world; to the "big three" contemporary issues of sex, money, and politics; God At The Ritz is a refreshing, insightful, articulate, "reader friendly", and highly recommended attempt to make sense of the great mysteries of life, and to acknowledge that there are some concepts that can only be understood by God himself.

Introduction To The History Of Christianity
Tim Dowley, editor
Augsburg Fortress Press
PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440
0800634969 $30.00 fortresspress.com

Compiled and edited by Tim Dowley from the contributions by more than sixty specialists from ten countries, Introduction To The History Of Christianity is a very highly recommended single-volume reference that spans Christian history from the first century AD down to the present day. Enhanced with a wealth of black-and-white and color photographs, maps, diagrams, The History Of Christianity is a thoroughly "reader friendly", straightforward, and comprehensive chronological presentation of the Christianity's many evolutions. Introduction to The History Of Christianity is a solid, basic, well organized and easily accessible reference which is particularly ideal for use by the non-specialist general reader

Paul T. Vogel
Reviewer


Carol's Bookshelf

Simple Pleasures Of The Home
Susannah Seton
Conari Press
Red Wheel/Weiser, dist.
2550 9th Street, Suite 101, Berkeley, CA 94710-2551
1573248541 $14.95 1-800-685-9595

Compiled by Susannah Seton, Simple Pleasures Of The Home: Comforts And Crafts For Living Well is a wonderful treasury of stories, recipes, crafts, and tips for adding comfort and atmosphere to one's home. From making floating candles, to luxuriating in a "spa-day" with a home facial sauna and skin refresher, to tasty kitchen treats, to spiced sachets for bedroom drawers and closets, and more, Simple Pleasures Of The Home is a first-rate, "user friendly", and enthusiastically recommended compendium of small, easy-to-accomplish, yet highly rewarding projects for the home.

In America's Shadow
Kimberly Komatsu & Kaleigh Komatsu
Thomas George Books
Box 861853, Los Angeles, CA 90086
0970982909 $35.00 1-626-572-3544

Collaboratively compiled by Kimberly and Kaleigh Komatsu, In America's Shadow is a very personalized retelling of the injustice the United States of America perpetrated upon more than 120,000 members of the Japanese-American population during the World War II era, when they were compelled by the American government to live in relocation camps. Powerful black-and-white photographs and the wistful captions tell the story of a young girl and her family's experiences. A timely book in light of today's political turmoil, and very highly recommended for readers of all ages, In America's Shadow is vivid and unforgettable photography book highlighting one of the relatively lesser known aspects of World War II.

Good Cholesterol Bad Cholesterol
Anita Hirsch, M.S., R.D.
Marlowe & Company
c/o Avalon Publishing Group Inc.
161 William St., 16th Fl, NY, NY 10038
1569245282 $9.95 1-800-788-3123

Good Cholesterol Bad Cholesterol: An Indispensable Guide To The Facts About Cholesterol by nutrition and health expert Anita Hirsch provides a thoroughly "reader friendly" compendium of accurate information about one of the most important risk factors for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Readers are provided the facts on all of the varieties of cholesterol (including HDL, LDL, and VDL); show how to determine what their blood cholesterol test results mean; provides guidance on how to manage cholesterol levels through diet, exercise, and stress management; presented with fourteen delicious recipes which will help lower their cholesterol levels, as well as invaluable advice on modifying recipes with healthier ingredients. If you or a loved one is having a problem with cholesterol, then read Anita Hirsch's Good Cholesterol, Bad Cholesterol -- it could well be life saving.

Counselling Couples And Families
Charles J. O'Leary
Sage Publications, Ltd.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
076195791X $26.95 www.sagepub.co.uk

Counselling Couples and Families: A Person-Centered Approach by educator and therapist Charles J. O'Leary (Approved Supervisor of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists) is a straightforward instructional guide to the "person-centered" approach in family and relational therapy. Written especially for professional counselors, yet filled with wisdom and insight totally accessible to the non-specialist general reader, Counselling Couples And Families is an informative, practical, meticulous study which is especially recommended for professional and academic Applied Psychology & Family Counseling reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Spirit Of The American Southwest
Tom Prisciantelli
Sunstone Press
PO Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
0865343543 $22.95 1-800-243-5644 www.sunstonepress.com

Spirit Of The American Southwest by geology and archaeology enthusiast Tom Prisciantelli is an exciting an informative tour through the geology, archaeology and history of twelve great hikes through Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Spirit Of The American Southwest is filled from cover to cover with a descriptive text which is enhanced with black-and-white photographs, forming a superb basis for an adventurous hiker's journey through the eras. From ancient sites once inhabited by Paleo-Indians millennia ago, to geological treasure troves that bespeak the history of the Earth itself, Spirit Of The American Southwest is an impressive and confidently recommended guide for armchair travelers and on-site visitors, as well as an unusual and invaluable contribution to Native American Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Vulnerable Children
J. Douglas Willms, editor
The University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1
0888643314 $34.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

Capably edited by J. Douglas Willms (Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy), Vulnerable Children: Findings From Canada's National Longitudinal Survey Of Children And Youth is a compilation and comprehensive analysis of findings from a seminal, scholarly, and ground breaking research project. A variety of essays by a series of learned authors cogently address such topics as socioeconomic gradients for childhood vulnerability, the effect maternal depression has on childhood vulnerability, the roles of peer groups in pre-adolescent behavior, and much, much more. Packed with research findings, educational discourse, conclusions, recommendations, and warnings for the future, Vulnerable Children is highly recommended reading for governmental policy makers, teachers, social workers, counselors, and anyone else who regularly works with young people.

Carol Volk
Reviewer


Bhule's Bookshelf

Between The Dark And The Light: The Grateful Dead
Blair Jackson, editor
Backbeat Books
600 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
0879307234 $35.00 www.backbeatbooks.com

Compiled and edited by Blair Jackson and enhanced with a introductory foreword by Phil Lesh, Between The Dark And The Light: The Grateful Dead is an impressive, informative, and memorable collection of both black-and-white and color photographs of The Grateful Dead rock band. Sparse captions and very brief commentary enhance what is primarily a visual record which competently captures this enthusiastic, successful, popular, and enduring rock-n-roll group. Between The Dark And The Light is mandatory reading for all true "deadheads"!

Blondie, From Punk To The Present
Allan Metz, editor
Musical Legacy Publications/Barnabas Publishing Service
2072 East Bennett Street, Suite D-11, Springfield, MO 65804
for distribution to libraries through Quality Books, www.quality-books.com
1892477238 $35.00 www.amazon.com

Compiled by Allan Metz and enhanced with a Foreword and other essays by Victor Bockris, Blondie, From Punk To The Present: A Pictorial History is an amazing, 512-page chronicle of the band Blondie and its lead singer Deborah Harry, who is a fascinating woman and a genuine pop-culture musical icon. Packed with black-and-white photographs from a wide range of professional and amateur photographers, as well as brief but informative essays highlighting Blondie's New York City career, Blondie, From Punk To The Present is a vividly written, decade-spanning, informed and informative chronology of a uniquely talented band and singer -- and a "must" for their legions of fans.

"Stu Who?"
Stu Phillips
Cisum Press/Wrightview Productions, Inc.
12400 Ventura Blvd., Box 663, Studio City, CA 91604
0972036334 $29.95 www.stuwho.com

"Stu Who?": Forty years Of Navigating The Minefields Of The Music Business by record producer, television and film composer Stu Phillips is the fascinating, informative, personal history of a life-long career in the music industry. Phillips shares heretofore unknown anecdotes about entertainment and music world personalities ranging from Sammy Davis, Jr.; Donna Reed; Librace; and Russ Meyer; to Shelley Fabares; James Darren; The Monkees; and Don Kirshner. From Phillips first professional job as a copyist for The Milton Berle Texaco Hour, to his work with Russ Meyer soft-porn movies, to his participation with cult classics such as Battlestar Galactica (where he was privileged to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic), to his years in the recording business at Command, Colpix, Capitol, and Epic, to his work composing music from The Donna Reed Show, Gidget, as well as films like Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, to his unsuccessful "dabbling" in film-making and screenwriting, "Stu Who" is an impressive autobiographical compendium that is enthusiastically recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the history and personalities of the music, television, and film industries.

Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer


Burroughs' Bookshelf

We Are The Poors
Ashwin Desai
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001
1583670505 $19.00 www.monthlyreview.org

We Are The Poors: Community Struggles In Post-Apartheid South Africa by South African educator, journalist, and community activist Ashwin Desai is an informed and informative explanation of how the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa in 1994 failed to end the conditions of economic, social, and political inequality for the oppressed majority of South African blacks. Nonetheless, new forms of solidarity and resistance to conditions of inequality have emerged, principally in the form of new and dynamic political identities as reflected in the growth of community movements, eventually coming together in massive anti-government protests at the time of the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism. We Are The Poors is a significant and timely contribution to contemporary South African studies.

The Wind In The Trees
James E. Duffy
Endymion Publishing Company
c/o Sound Words Marketing Communications
38582 John Wolford Road, Waterfrod, VA 20197
0971556903 $24.95 www.amazon.com

The Wind In The Trees: From The Farm To The Front Line Of Television's Influence by television broadcast executive James E. Duffy (a 46-year veteran of the American Broadcasting Company), is the compelling story of television's pervasive ability to influence American society and culture. Written by an "insider" familiar with the complex business of corporate television and its inescapable bottom line of network programming, The Wind In The Trees combines history with an invaluable and eyewitness view of power politics, scandal, the struggle for artistic integrity, and much, much more to present the non-specialist general reader with a fascinating, informative, "behind-the-scenes" look at this American institution and pastime that has formed and shaped a universal part of American and global culture.

Playa Giron/Bay Of Pigs
Fidel Castro & Jose Ramon Fernandez
Pathfinder Press
410 West Street, New York, NY 10014
087348925X $20.00 1-212-741-0690

Playa Giron/Bay Of Pigs is an historical reference work about all aspects of the unsuccessful attempt by anti-communist forces to invade Cuba, an event (Washington's first and notoriously scandalous military defeat in the Americas) that came to be known Bay of Pigs. The story is told from the perspective of Fidel Castro and the Cubans. Collecting the words of Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro himself, as well as Jose Ramon Fernandez, the commander of the main column of revolutionary Cuban forces who repelled the CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Playa Giron/Bay Of Pigs is a unique, primary sources reference which is very highly recommended for students of American military history, foreign policy, and contemporary American/Cuban relations.

Decks: Step-by-Step Projects
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
1580111041 $8.95 www.creativehomeowner.com

The newest title in the outstanding "Smart Guide" series from Creative Homeowner, Decks: Step-by-Step Projects is a straightforward, "user friendly", how-to guide to building, sprucing up, and properly maintaining decks of all sizes and functions for the home. Profusely illustrated from cover to cover with full-color photographs, meticulously detailed instructions, combined with an easy-to-follow instructional text and solid recommendations walk the reader through a wide variety of projects and tasks that range from applying fascia, to installing footings, to building designs for deck stairs, Decks: Step-by-Step Projects is very highly recommended to any do-it-yourself enthusiast as a truly first-rate instructional guide and reference.

Modern Trains And Splendid Stations
Martha Thorne
Merrell/The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603
1858941490 $39.99 1-312-443-3600

Compiled and edited by Martha Thorne (Associate Curator of Architecture at The Art Institute of Chicago), Modern Trains And Splendid Stations is a wonderfully descriptive and impressive collection of photographs showcasing inner-city railroad travel stations in North America, Europe, and Japan. Gorgeous color pictures, railway station histories, and an informed and informative wealth of background information on each spotlighted railway make Modern Trains And Splendid Stations an enthusiastically recommended title for personal and academic Architectural Studies, as well as a welcome contribution the reading list of any railroad buff.

House Of Cards
Lynn Brewer with Matthew Scott Hansen
Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc.
PO Box 9949, College Station, TX 77842
1589392485 $19.95 1-877-376-4955

Written by former Enron junior executive Lynn Brewer, with the assistance of Matthew Scott Hansen, House Of Cards: Confessions Of An Enron Executive is an insider view of the scandals, secret deals, corruption, and shocking revelations that led to the collapse of the Enron financial empire, and with it, the investment portfolios of countless unaware investors and stockholders. A very personal and insightful story, as well as a parable about the corporate greed that infests the worst side of human nature, House Of Cards is an invaluable expose and highly recommended reading for anyone wanting more than what newscast headlines and speculative television "talking heads" commentators had to say.

PCN Tours
Brian Lockman
Camino Books, Inc.
PO Box 59026, Philadelphia, PA 19102
0940159686 $29.95 www.caminobooks.com

PCN Tours is an enjoyable companion reference to the Pennsylvania Cable Network's television series "PCN Tours". Following in the footsteps of the TV series, PCN Tours leads the reader on a guided journey through 28 of the most popular American factory tours that have appeared on the show since its premiere in 1995. The manufacturing sites of Pennsylvania's helicopters, fire trucks, marshmallow "Peeps" candies, mortar shells, pianos, pretzels, beer and much more are all brought to life with fresh insight and black-and-white photographs. PCN Tours is highly recommended as being a fun and informative read, either by itself or in supplemental conjunction with the show.

Jack Burroughs
Reviewer


Bethany's Bookshelf

Munchie Madness
Dorothy R. Bates, Bobbie Hinman, Robert Oser
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
157067115X $9.95 1-800-695-2241

Dorothy R. Bates, Bobbie Hinman, and Robert Oser mutually collaborate in Munchie Madness: Vegetarian Meals For Teens, to provide 120 quick, nutritious, delicious, and easy-to-prepare meatless recipes.. Enhanced with nutritional information by Suzanne Havala, Munchie Madness offers sound dining ideas for every dining occasion. From Chunky Monkey Shake; Vegan Holiday Nog; Taco Salad; and Italian Bean and Cheese Pockets; to Potato Knishes; Veggie Reuben Sandwiches; Falafel; and Banana Pudding, Munchie Madness has culinary delights will please any adolescent palate and satisfy any teenaged appetite.

Dar Es Salaam
Tara Kai
Bridge Works Publishing/NBN, dist.
PO Box 1798, Bridgehampton, NY 11932
1882593618 $24.95 1-800-462-6420

Tara Kai's debut novel, Dar Es Salaam is the story of Tatum who is transitioning from a fanciful adolescent girl to a knowledgeable woman. Tatum travels with her family on vacation to the Tanzanian capital city of Dar es Salaam where she finds herself drawn to Mohammed (called Mo), a 40-year-old Indian man and friend of her stepfather. Tatum's attractions evolves into desire, then obsession, culminating in a resolute and emotional manipulation of the older man by the much younger girl. A deeply engaging, ultimately satisfying, highly recommended novel, Dar Es Salaam is deftly written, with the characters truly coming alive within the mind's eye of the reader.

Still Life With Waterfall
Eamon Grennan
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
1555973639 $14.00 1-651-641-007 www.graywolfpress.org

Eamon Grennan is one of those academicians (he is currently a Professor of English at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie and the winner of the 2002 Heimbold Professor of Irish Studies at Villanova University) who is particularly gifted with an ability to spin and weave a poetry that is at once elegant, romantic, original, and linguistically subtle -- a memorable kind of literary music. Still Life With Waterfall is a welcome and recommended compendium of Grennan's unique and adroitly written verse. Windowgrave: The dead bee lies on the window-ledge, a relic,/its amber-yellow body barred in black and it head//tucked in, dust gathering on every follicle/and on the geodesic dome of the head--all rucked in//and tucked away, so near is death. And the many/flies too, all sizes, lying on their sides as if//asleep, just a quick nap and they'll be up and off/about their business. Souls, we used to say://bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, all sorts of flies,/the air crowded and loud with left over angels--/but not the spider in its complex web, fallen/from grace but walking on air, vigilant in ways//that harden the heart, getting its appetite back.

The Death Party
Kevin Wall
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road, Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
1561676993 $9.95 1-800-873-2003

The Death Party is a 99-page anthology of the poetry and verse of Kevin Wall, demonstrating and documenting her keen ability to craft poetic imagery out of descriptive words, thoughts, and emotions that are as succinct as they are memorable. Michael The Angel: The angel had wings on his back./The devil did attack./The Maker gave him the facts./And he made a pact.//Boy can he fly./Right up in the sky!/Look at his wide eyes./Even Michael the Angel had to die.//Michael the Angel has propeller feet./The devil went down in a defeat./The corpus was eat./And his wings did beat.//Michael knew how to glide./He had a pleasant ride./Always he went in a stride./Natural law was his pride.

The Border
Cleatus Rattan
Texas Review Press
Texas A&M University Press, dist.
English Depart. Sam Houston State Huntsville, TX 77341
1881515478 $12.00 1-800-826-8911

The Border showcases the poetry and lyrical style of Cleatus Rattan, a former academician (he recently retired from the English Department at Cisco Community College) and a Texas rancher (a hundred miles west of Fort Worth near the small Bible Belt community of Cisco). Rattan writes with a robust imagination, a compelling sense of humor, and an artist's eye for detail that readers will find as entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought provoking. In Cisco, Texas: Here, no one comes to visit/to see the sights. In San Francisco,/well scrubbed guests arrive at the door,/bags in hand, sheepish smiles/on their faces, with plans to scamper/in well known directions. Fewer friends/arrive now, but those who come/have no plans, their hands reach/for the dog's head. They see sheep,/mesquite, scrub oak, the smile/on my face, and stars meandering/to nowhere known.

Susan Bethany
Reviewer


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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