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Reviewers Recommend
The Turk and My Mother
Mary Helen Stefaniak
W.W. Norton
0393059243, $24.95, 320 pp.
Brent Spencer, Reviewer
http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/ncw/
Mary Helen Stefaniak has written a magical, funny, and touching novel about four generations of
a Hungarian family whose lives span the globe and the twentieth century, from the wilds of Siberia
to the streets of Milwaukee.
Stefaniak is a graceful and compelling storyteller who draws the reader into this family in a tale
that is both comic and tragic.
Family history is never clear, never plain, never single. It's always a labyrinth of facts, dreams, and
outright lies--the story of what actually happened balanced or opposed against the story of what
could have happened. Stefaniak captures all this well, inventing a narrator who's attempting to
piece together the fragments of family history she's given while, at the same time, she tries to
understand her own place in the family.
At its heart, the book is about family stories and family mysteries. Why did Grandma Agnes run
crying from the theater at the sight of Omar Sharif in a movie? Did the narrator's mother have a
romance with a Turkish prisoner-of-war during World War I? And what of Uncle Marko, family
legend, who may or may not be dead, who may or may not be traipsing through the hinterlands of
Siberia? And that blind gypsy fiddler the grandmother adored--could he have been Uncle Marko's
father? For this family, the truth has more hairpin turns than a mountain road.
The author has taken an interesting risk in merging actual family history with fiction. The result is
a compelling narrative about the extraordinary and everyday magic of family life. At Bottom, it's
love and magic that hold this family--and this book--together. And it's magic of a very particular
kind--the magic of forgiveness.
The Turk and My Mother shows an author who's deeply wise aobut the ways that family
mysteries hold us together and, sometimes, threaten to drive us apart. Mary Helen Stefaniak's The
Turk and My Mother is a rich, rewarding novel by a writer who goes to the heart of who we
are.
The Sword of Islam: The Muslim Onslaught all but Destroys Christendom, A.D. 565-740
(fifth volume in the 12- volume series The Christians: Their First Two Thousand Years)
Ted Byfield, Paul Stanway, editors
Christian History Project
www.christianhistoryproject.com 1-800-853-5402
ISBN: 0968987346 $39.95 288 pp.
Brian Lehr
Reviewer
On September 11, 2001, the world began to change. Since that time the term "9/11" has come
into common parlance, referring to the date when terrorists acting, they declared, in the name of
Allah shook America to its core. In the midst of these incidents we heard the cry "Allahu
Akbar!" the Muslim proclamation that "God is great!"
Questions began to arise: "Who are these people? Why are they doing this to us? What did we
ever do to them?" Politicians and religious leaders attempted to answer those questions, but, in
the process, sometimes tended to further muddy the waters. The truth is that the answers to these
questions cannot be adequately provided without going back to the very beginning. Only by
knowing how Islam started and developed in the first place will we understand how the terrible
events of 9/11, and others since then, can take place. Such is the purpose of the latest volume
from the Christian History Project, entitled The Sword of Islam: The Muslim Onslaught all but
Destroys Christendom, A.D. 565-740. This book is the fifth in the twelve-volume series: The
Christians: Their First Two Thousand Years.
Through reading this book, I discovered that, from the first, Islam was not merely a spiritual
movement. It was also a political and military one. In its formative centuries it spread by the
sword and it took over entire governments. Its intended goal was to literally take over the world,
and it almost succeeded. After Islam took over Christian Spain, and attempted to bring France
under its control, a pivotal encounter occurred between the Muslims and the Christian Franks. It
was during this battle that the Muslims were stopped cold at Tours. Were it not for events such as
this, we could all be Muslim today.
The Sword of Islam helped me understand how the initial conflict between Islam and Christianity
began, how those battles have served to shape western civilization throughout the past 1400
years, and how those battles are still going on today. If you wish to get a better grip on what's
happening in the world today, and why certain groups within Islam are attacking the very
foundations upon which western society was built, then you must read this book.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Mark Haddon
Doubleday
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN 0385509456, $22.95, 221 pp.
Coletta Ollerer
Reviewer
"And then he held up his right hand and spread his fingers out in a fan, and I held up my left hand
and spread my fingers out in a fan and we made our fingers and thumbs touch each other." That is
the only way he can tolerate being touched and only by his parents. Christian John Francis Boone
is an autistic 15 yr. old, living with his father. He is gifted in mathematics, knowing every prime
number up to 7,057. He has memorized the capitals of every country in the world and is very
comfortable with animals. He can read words but has a hard time reading people. He converses
with people but only in the most logical way, that is, the nuances of slang elude him. He is more
comfortable with facts than relationships.
One morning he goes out and looks into the yard of his neighbor, Mrs. Shears, and notices her
large poodle, Wellington, is laying dead on the grass. Not only that but a garden fork has been
thrust through the body attaching it to the earth. He is overcome with sadness at this loss, calling
it a murder, and he takes on the task of its solution by becoming a lay detective.
He announces his intent to his father who suggests he abandon the idea, that it is just a dog and
that he should mind his own business. His dad is a no-nonsense guy struggling to keep a small
business going while caring for his handicapped son. Nonetheless, Christopher undertakes to get
to the bottom of the mystery. This book follows the boy on his quest. His logical mind sets goals
and we watch as each is achieved. "I was imagining a Chain of Reasoning inside my head which
was like this. 1) Why would you kill a dog? a) Because you hated the dog. b) Because you were
mad. c) Because you wanted to make Mrs. Shears upset. . . . ." He hits upon the idea of writing a
book about the murder and he decides to interview the other neighbors as a detective would to
provide material for his book. When his father finds out about it he becomes furious and takes the
manuscript from Christopher and throws it into the trash. Later he retrieves it and hides it from
Christopher. Christopher comes to discover it is not in the trash and logically sets out to search
for it in the house and finds it along with some other things which astound him and send him
reeling emotionally.
The author's choice of Christopher as narrator introduces us to the mind of an autistic. Mark
Haddon worked with autistic children as a young man and he brings his considerable knowledge
to the story in this easy conversational style. We get inside Christopher's head and see things as he
sees them. We marvel at how well he navigates in the world despite his handicap. We come to see
how others, living in a world less logical than Christopher's, respond to his unusual behavior. His
parents are separated but each loves the child dearly and is committed to his well-being but they
often become frustrated by his less than normal choices. Christopher finally uncovers the identity
of the dog's killer and along the way many other things are revealed. This is an engaging and
informative story and well worth the read.
Understanding Astrology: How to Unlock the Secrets of Your Personality
Jane Struthers
Connections Book Publishing Ltd.
St Chad's House, 148 King's Cross Road, London WC1X 9DH
http://www.connections-publishing.com/ Tel: +44 (0)1280 813111
ISBN: 1859060366 $AUD 29.95 128 pages
Rose Glavas, Reviewer
http://home.iprimus.com.au/fhopec
For the reader based in the UK, the information provided within Understanding Astrology gives
enough information to draw up a birth chart including world time zones, British Summer Time
and planetary positions from 1930 - 2006 (for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn). If you live outside of the UK you will need to have a good understanding of time changes
associated with daylight savings and other time adjustments.
Jane Struthers has been a student of astrology for more than 25 years. She has written for The
Sun newspaper in the UK and is regularly contributes to radio and TV programs. Her previous
titles include The Book of Destinies and an ongoing series of yearly horoscope books.
The author certainly looks as though she has enough experience to be writing a 'how-to' book.
She is clever enough to avoid some of the more difficult and complex parts of chart interpretation
as these could confuse the beginner.
Ms Struthers goes through explaining a simplified process of drawing up the birth chart using the
information provided at the back of the book as reference material. She also examines the balance
of elements and qualities and offers basic meanings to these.
Part One is dedicated to the exploration of the twelve sun-signs. This includes a section devoted
to each of the following headings: relationships, money, health and career.
Part Two looks at the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and how they can be
interpreted in each of the twelve zodiac signs.
Even though I feel that astrology is a subject that is too complex to teach yourself (for most
people that is) all in all this is an excellent reference book for the person who wants to know more
about astrology than their Sun Sign and that wants to have a go at drawing up their own birth
chart.
Understanding Astrology is for the beginner.
Merlin's Door
Mary Triola
Quiet Storm Books
PO Box 1666, Martinsburg, WV 25402
Ingram, Baker & Taylor (dist.)
ISBN: 0974408433 $11.95 147 pp.
Grant R. Philips
Reviewer
Mary Triola, author of Caroline's Rose, has penned, Merlin's Door, her first middle grade novel.
Told in taut, quick-paced chapters, Merlin's Door is the kind of novel kids will enjoy reading on
their own, or have read to them by an adult. The tale is so well told and captivating it will be
enjoyed by readers of all ages.
Carter's great aunt has passed away. The eleven-year-old boy returns with his mother to the aunt's
house in order to sort through belongings and tie up loose ends. Carter's friend, Penny, lives in the
house behind Aunt B. And over the years, the two have become good friends. While staying at his
aunt's house, Carter and Penny stumble on many puzzling questions. Who is Uncle Mortimer and
how come Carter never heard of him before? Why is Uncle Mortimer and the rich old couple in
the expensive Rolls Royce so interested in an antique door?
When the kids stumble onto this mysterious door in the basement, Carter accidentally breaks it,
releasing the famous wizard, Merlin, from spell centuries old. Trying to teach Merlin the ways of
the present, the kids work to keep their secret visitor a secret. But it isn't easy. Especially since
Merlin and his magical Sphere of Power may be the exact thing everyone is searching for.
Like any Vivian Vande Velde novel, Merlin's Door promises to entertain. Triola has a way of
building witty and exciting scenes that demands page-turning action. Readers will love the
adventures Carter and Penny take, and the heroes they become. Dazzling, fun and memorable,
Merlin's Door is the kind of book that will leave fans of fantasy novels wanting more.
Kokopelli's Dream
Manny TwoFeathers
Wo-Pila Publishing
P.O. Box 8966, Erie, PA 16505
ISBN 1886340234 $10.00 176 pages
Joyce P. Hale
Reviewer
Manny TwoFeathers, Aztec and Yaqui, was born in Arizona, USA, and his ancestry influences
him in the form of southwest legends and native spirituality. He is a spiritual elder and
counselor.
A book of fantasy, Kokopelli's Dream is a fictional journey of the legend of Kokopelli, the flute
player. Kokopelli's image has been found in South, Central and North Americas and beyond, but it
is not known who he was nor from where he came; and his image and legend survive with vigor
today. The book is written with simplicity, and the author explains things well.
The author, Manny TwoFeathers, writes a story inspired by a dream he had, and written as
though he walked and lived Kokopelli's life. Anyone interested in legends, especially of the
Americas, will enjoy this tale of the peripatetic life of a man? spirit? who wanders the Americas
long ago, spreading the concept of compassion, peace, love, sexuality and spirituality; but whose
origin and end are unknown. The legend has travelled down through the ages and is a fascinating
read. However, be aware that this book is for adults only as there are several explicit sexual
situations included.
"When entering (the Tamascal - sweatlodge), we would stop at the door and say the words, "Oma
Teo." It is hard to translate, but it was brought to us to thank the Creator for all there is and for
all duality: the good, the bad; the day, the night; the female and male. In other words the Balance
to all life and all that exists."
Kendrick
A.H. Holt
Thomas Bouregy & Co.
Avalon Books
www.avalonbooks.com
ISBN: 0803496508, $21.95 190 pp.
Liana Metal, Reviewer
http://lianametal.tripod.com
KENDRICK is set in Colorado in 1898 and is an old-fashioned western involving a lot of action,
mystery and a splash of romance.
Wayne Kendrick, the hero of the story, is a Cattleman loyal to his friend Jim Carson who is
kidnapped by villains. He is in love with Meg, Jim's sister,and hopes that one day she will marry
him.
Jim Carson, the closest friend of Wayne, gets into serious trouble when he is kidnapped and
becomes one of the prisoners of Blake .
Blake, the head of the Blake Mining Company, is the major villain in this story who deceives and
kills miners looking for gold.
The story is about Kendrick who risks his life to save his friend Jim as well as a great number of
other miners who have disappeared. It is a story of slavery and courage that comes to light thanks
to the hero and his young friend, Davis, who helps him to uncover the villains and save the
miners.
KENDRICK is a fast-paced western that involves a lot of interesting characters and a lot of
action. The story is written in the first person ; it is the actual account of Wayne Kendrick who
cites the events that take place at that time in his place. The plot is complex and exciting, while
the story is well constructed offering the readers a satisfying end. There is a morale in the story
that can not be overlooked: the courageous hero beats the evil men and brings justice and relief to
the residents of Colorado. Fighting against odds and surviving has always been a popular formula,
even in up to date novels. The author has managed to grasp the readers' attention to the very end
of the story, so as this second book of hers is by no means less exciting than her first one,
SILVER CREEK. Though KENDRICK has got less romance than SILVER CREEK, as it is
mainly based on action, it raises important issues such as those of poverty of families and the
non-existent welfare of children . The story of the gold miners shows an era back in time when
people used to try desperately to find some gold in order to get by, while it also shows the other
side of the issue: the villains who try to exploit the poor and gather gold for themselves.
The first person style the author uses, makes the story more lively and truthful, while the language
is enriched by local accent and idioms suitable for that kind of story set at that time.
A.H. Holt, a historian, is an expert in narrating a cowboy's story back in 1898, using all the
devices her own experience and her studies can offer. She is also a poet and novelist and a Ph.D
candidate in history at Florida State University, and a great grandmother. You can visit her
online at: www.ahholt.com
KENDRICK is a good read for adult and young adult readers who love action, mystery and
suspence. You can get this book from: customerservice@avalonbooks.com
Related titles: Silver Creek, A. H. Holt, Baker and Taylor, Ingram ISBN 0803496001 $21.95
Masquerade
Alex Domokos and Rita Y. Toews
Books Unbound E-Publishing Co.
http://www.booksunbound.com
ISBN 159201027X E-book Instant Download $3.95, CD $8.95, 240 pp.
S. Joan Popek, Reviewer
http://www.sjoanpopek.com
When I was asked to review this book, I jumped at the chance to once again enter the exciting
worlds of award winning authors, Alex Domokos and Rita Y. Toews. I had read and reviewed
some of their work before and knew that I was in for a literary treat. I was not disappointed.
Masquerade is a lean, well written, "get to the story" tale with no excess fat/filler prose that adds
only words and little plot advancement like so many of today's novels seem to have. These
masterful authors don't need such diversionary devices to tell their tale. They are true story
tellers. In this book, you will find intrigue and mystery that draw you in from the first paragraph
and doesn't let you go until you turn the last page.
Do you like a good undercover cop story with international intrigue? Well, Masquerade has that
and more. The story begins with this paragraph, "Sealed in the cramped smuggler's hole...Sonja
Sepsik crouched on a folded blanket. Cold fingers of fear squeezed the air from her lungs and fed
her growing claustrophobia..." I was instantly hooked. I had to know more about Sonja and how
she got herself into such a predicament.
In the next chapter, we are introduced to Stan, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police undercover
agent coming home to Winnapeg after long years away. Soon he, an old childhood sweetheart, an
aging immigrant uncle with a dark past, and Sonja Sepsik are all embroiled in a deadly game
involving murder, drugs, prostitution and human organ smuggling.
Anyone of almost any age who enjoys a good mystery or thriller will enjoy this book. It is pure
entertainment with an element of "this could happen," that makes the reader aware that this is not
pure fiction, but a carefully thought out and highly possible scenario--and that, my friends, is a bit
unnerving. We are all hoping for a sequel to this exceptional story and I, for one, can't wait to see
where Stan and Sonja's next adventure will be. Perhaps they will go to Europe when they return
the stolen...umm...wait, I don't want to give away too much of the story. I'd take all the fun
away.
I highly recommend this book. Buy it, immerse yourself in this entertaining story. You will be
glad you did.
Dancing in the Mirror
Bryan Walton
Centreline Publications
ISBN Number: 0973437901 $27.95/$37.50 Cdn. 147 pages
Shirley Roe
Reviewer
"The practice of being in the heart is the essential step from which all other steps follow. The
heart state allows the opening of possibilities, the limitless expression of the greater self." Page
15
In your search for guidance and direction, not a day will go by that you don't refer to Dancing in
the Mirror. Intuitively flip to a page number and find the inspiration you need to go forward. This
is one of those "can't be without it" books that seem to come along just when you need it
most.
Like Tarot cards, Rune stones and ancient animal oracles, this book will provide deep
understanding of life's challenges and obstacles through gentle wisdom. It will inspire, encourage,
support and validate. Everyone, young and old, could benefit from Dancing in the Mirror.
Author Bryan Walton began his own spiritual quest at an early age, practicing daily meditation to
stay centered. As Bryan discovered, life journeys seem to be guided by unexpected inspirations
and life happenings. This book will become your daily source of these inspirations. Shawn
Andrews' strategically placed illustrations add a spattering of imagination and colour. The writings
themselves are reflective, enlightening and written to invoke insight into one's self and the world
around us. This is one book that will stay in my personal library. Pick up a copy of this highly
recommended book today.
Soldiers of Salamis
Javier Cercas
Translated from the Spanish by Anne MacLean
Bloomsbury
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 1582343845 $23.95 208 pages
Mary Sarko
Reviewer
On the cover of Javier Cercas' novel "Soldiers of Salamis" is a somber portrait of a Loyalist
soldier from the Spanish Civil War.The soldier is not wearing a traditional military uniform, and
he looks tired. Not surprisingly, this is a photo done by Robert Capa, the Hungarian photographer
who covered five wars in the twentieth century and created archetypal images of the gritty and
determined people who stood up in Spain to the rise of European fascism. Readers of Cercas'
novel soon find out that his novel is not about the soldiers who fought an ancient and decisive
battle between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis but about a group of Nationalist and Loyalist
soldiers who confronted each other in the final days of the Spanish Civil War, but it is not until the
end of the novel that readers find out how appropriate the Robert Capa portrait on the cover
is.
The narration begins simply: "It was in the summer of 1994, more than six years ago now, when I
first heard about Rafael Sanchez Mazas facing the firing squad." The narrator is a journalist who
hears the story of Sanchez Mazas from his son Rafael Sanchez Ferlosio. Ferlosio tells the narrator
that in January 1939, very close to the end of the war, his father, one of the founders of Spanish
fascism, was being held prisoner in Barcelona by Loyalist forces. As Franco's troops were getting
close to Barcelona, Mazas was taken with other prisoners to a sanctuary not far from Gerona,
where fifty prisoners faced a mass firing squad on January 30. As the bullets were flying, Mazas,
who was only grazed, took advantage of the confusion, and ran into the woods and hid in a ditch.
Some Loyalist soldiers went after him, and one found him in the ditch. He looked directly at
Mazas, but when someone shouted to him and asked if he had found Mazas, the soldier
responded, "There's nobody over here!"
After hearing this story from Mazas' son, the narrator begins an investigation of the events of his
father's escape. He wants to know, first of all, if it really happened. He also investigates how
Mazas survived in the woods until Franco's troops arrived and what happened to him after the
war was over. But most important for the narrator is finding out who the Loyalist soldier was
who saved Mazas' life.
The investigation is compelling because the narrator's name is Javier Cercas, and Mazas was in
fact one of the major creators of Spanish fascism. Because the narration takes a detailed traverses
of not only the rise of fascism in Spain and the subsequent war but also the denouement of the
war and Spain's postwar history, the translator provides a brief introduction and some explanatory
footnotes. History though does not merely form a backdrop for a fictional recreation of the life of
Sanchez Mazas and the man who saved him. Cercas portrayal of Mazas is a probing look at how
history is told and on how non-fiction and fiction relate to each other.
It is fair to say that this novel is a classic postmodern text, but the term "postmodern" loosely
applied. Postmodernism for Cercas, as for Jose Saramago, is an interrogation of the foundations
of history and fiction. In this novel, Cercas, for example, realizes that Mazas' version of what
happened to him has two different forms: one for his friends and one for public consumption. But
Cercas finds that otherwise the story is largely formulaic, as though the story is predicated more
on previous tellings than on actual memories. What this is means is that there is no "true" history,
no perfectly objective history, just as fiction is never a purely creative act but instead is shaped
both by history and the author's attitude toward history.
Although the narrator sets up the expectation of journalistic objectivity, he ultimately does not
waffle on his indictment of Mazas and Spanish Fascism. Early in his investigation the narrator
remarks that the more he knew about Mazas the less he understood him, but then he goes on:
I had known but not understood and was intrigued that cultured, refined, melancholic and
conservative man, bereft of physical courage and allergic to violence, undoubtedly because he
knew himself incapable of exercising it, had worked in the twenties and thirties harder than almost
anyone so that his country would be submerged in a savage orgy of blood.
Cercas is not able to penetrate Mazas' psyche to determine why he produced the lethal texts and
political movement, just as when he finds the Loyalist soldier he is unable to understand exactly
why he saved Mazas' life, although he would like to.
Cercas' search for the Loyalist soldier is guided in part by the recently deceased Chilean writer
Roberto Bola¤o, who had been living in exile since the 1973 military coup in Chile. Because
Salvador Allende would not let his followers take up arms, Bola¤o tells Cercas that he thinks that
a hero is someone who doesn't kill or let others be killed, and then had adds: "I think there is
something blind, irrational, instinctive in a hero's behavior." With that discussion as a background,
Cercas' investigation finally takes him to France, where he meets Antoni Miralles, the man who
may have saved Mazas' life. There he also finds even more history, and a glimpse of what Robert
Capa saw in the anonymous Loyalist soldier. Capa famously said that "If you're pictures aren't
good enough, you aren't close enough." Cercas' portrait of Antoni Miralles, like that in the Capa
photo, is one that comes very close and draws without any artificial glosses the anonymous
existence of a hero.
The Martians
Kim Stanley Robinson
Voyager 1999
77-85 Fulham Palace Road Hammersmith, London W68JB
ISBN 000225932X, $TBA 400 pages
William Shaw
Reviewer
This book caught my attention because I recently read Robinson's Mars Colors trilogy. It is for
readers who have read any or all of the Mars trilogy. If you haven't there is little in it you will
enjoy. Robinson always uses a lot of authentic science in his work. This one has geology,
aerology, meteorology and vulcanology to highlight just a few. There is a long section on
climbing Olympus Mons (the huge volcano on Mars) that has them all. Many of the stories in the
book are short adventures set after the greening of Mars. The book contains background about
the characters, which is only hinted at in the trilogy including the early selection of the original
explorers during their year in Antarctica. Plus more information on Martian mythology and the
Constitution for a Free Mars that Robinson interwove into the story of the Mars evolution. There
is a collection of poetry in the style of Chinese poet Wang Wei about Mars. This is an excerpt
from one that illustrates Robinson's vivid descriptions of the changes to Mars.
There, on a wet, red beach
Green moss, green sedge. Green.
Not nature, not culture: just Mars.
Western sky deep violet,
Two evening stars, one white one blue:
Venus, and the Earth.
Love Monkey
Kyle Smith
William Morrow
ISBN: 0060574534 $23.95 352 pages
Terry Mathews
Reviewer
Dying For Redemption
Chris Freeburn
Quiet Storm Publishing
ISBN: 0974960853 $15.95
Phillip Tomasso III
Reviewer
Chris Freeburn decided to take a break from her crime novels featuring Rayven Forrester in order
to write a noir-style mystery, introducing P.I. Calamar Demar, who prefers to be called simply
Callous. Intriguing and original, Dying For Redemption is like a Mikey Spillane story with a
splash of the supernatural, just to keep give it some added bite.
Please note, this is not some fantasy novel, nor is it a horror novel. It is a very well told,
believable and acceptable private eye story filled with great characters, exciting scenes, humorous
elements, some serious sleuthing and a plausible tightly crafted plot. The book is hard to put
down. In a word, it is enjoyable.
Willow was a wealthy woman, ran her own business and believes her butler murdered her. Once
dead she visits Working Shadow. A detective agency located on the corner of Heaven and Hell,
or to be more exact, in limbo. Callous, a detective who was murdered in the 1950s, operates the
agency to help souls accept their fate, answer some troubling questions in order for their spirits to
move on to Heaven or Hell. He agrees to take on Willow's case.
Abigail is Callous' great niece. She is a college student, working on a paper for a criminal justice
class. When she returns home at the end of the day she is attacked by an unknown assailant.
Though Willow is enough to fill Callous' plate, he becomes intent on helping Abby track down
who might be responsible for the savage attack.
Working the cases as a ghost, flitting about on breezes and solidifying at times to torment and
demand answers, Callous finds himself faces with many suspects and not as many possible
answers. If anything, he is forced to realize his efforts, if anything, unearth more questions. But
does he want to know the answers? Will answering the questions about his own murder free his
spirit and send him prematurely on to Heaven? or Hell?
Packed solid with emotion, humorously haunting and intelligently penned, Freeburn's latest
attempt is a full of triumphant spirit. Though I loved her other novels, Parental Source and
Generation Without Souls, I firmly believe that Dying For Redemption is her best work and
cannot wait to see Callous in another transparent adventure.
Recommendation: ***
Not my cup of tea but a good look into the world of single men, sex, the city, and publishing.
Tom Farrell is 32, living the single life in Manhattan, and working for a rag called TABLOID. I
thought this might be a male version of SEX AND THE CITY, but found it lacking in depth.
Oh, wait. We're talking about young single men. They have no depth.
What they do have is a lot of gratuitous sex and lascivious thoughts about sex, filthy apartments
with great sound systems, nights on the town blurred from too much liquor, and they seem more
concerned with a girl's body than her brain.
Author Kyle Smith, a critic himself, does teach his reader about the publishing world and a
testosterone-led life in the city, but I was disappointed at the lack of insight into the thought
process of a young male. Guess it doesn't extend beyond, sex, food, sports, and alcohol.
Alisa's Bookshelf
Bumper Crop
Joe R. Lansdale
Golden Gryphon Press
http://goldngryphon.com http://www.joerlansdale.com
ISBN: 193084624X $24.95 275 pp.
Cover Artist: John Picacio
Bumper Crop by Joe Lansdale is an imaginative collection of 26 short stories each introduced by
the author. Bumper Crop and High Cotton are a definitive collection of Lansdale's short
stories.
The author's introductions to each story alone are worth reading the book. Lansdale advises us
that many of his stories are the product of his wife's popcorn. Most of the stories are reprints from
Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, The Horror Show, and other publications.
Bumper Crop is appropriately titled as most of the stories have some food or food intake as a
major theme. These stories are not for the feint of heart or for the easily frightened. "Chompers"
in particular gave me nightmares. The idea of cannibalistic dentures is fairly disturbing to dream
about.
Each story has a definitive twist to them. From razor inspired to murderous teeth to prehistoric
sharks and on, this collection is one you will not easily forget. One theme repeated in the stories is
that inquisitive children, who find out why curiosity killed the cat are not likely to forget the
lesson. It is easy to imagine the mongoloid, albino banjo player from Deliverance to be serenading
in the background.
Bumper Crop is Joe Lansdale at his finest. I purchased High Cotton to complete my addiction to
these 'catchy' little stories.
Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over 20 books and has received numerous honors for his work.
He currently resides in Texas with his wife, Karen.
Dead Witch Walking
Kim Harrison
Harper Torch
http://www.harpercollins.com http://www.kimharrison.net/
ISBN: 0060572965 $6.99 416 pp.
Cover Artist:
Dead Witch Walking is a fantastically fun, first novel by Kim Harrison. The world Kim Harrison
has created is marred by tomatoes. In our search for genetically engineered food and medicine, we
created a nasty virus in tomatoes that has nearly wiped out mankind. This virus has exposed
paranormal races to the world as they are immune. Society has splintered with all the upheaval
and paranormal races have set-up residence in the Hallows. The Hallows can be compared to a
Las Vegas for the paranormal. 'Day-trippers' frequently take a walk-on-the-wild side to meet and
mingle in the Hallows with werewolves, vampires, witches, and so on.
Rachel Morgan is a witch and an I.S. runner similar to an FBI agent but for the paranormal
world. Her career is going nowhere. It seems as though she can do nothing right and is given the
lowest assignments available. Each day and night of work has become drudgery and Rachel is
looking for a way out.
Dead Witch Walking quickly immerses the reader in a vibrant cast of characters. We meet Ivy, a
living vampire; Jenks, a pixie with a lot of children; Trent, a businessman who may or may not be
human and is believed to be dealing in Brimstone, a nasty drug, and so on.
Dead Witch Walking is a paranormal mystery that can easily be compared to Jim Butcher's Harry
Dresden series or Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake novels. Rachel Morgan is a charming
character that is very easy to like. She certainly has her issues, but she has none of the angst or
brutality of Anita Blake.
Kim Harrison has created a fun book with laughs that are unexpected. The story line is not
completely predictable and has many different twists and turns. I hope this is the beginning of a
new series.
Kim Harrison describes herself as born in the Midwest. She has been called a witch, among other
things, but has never seen a vampire (that she knows of). She loves graveyards and midnight jazz,
and wears too much black. Please be sure to visit her website at:
http://www.kimharrison.net/
Slave Trade
Susan Wright
Pocket Star, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
http://www.simonsays.com/ http://www.susanwright.info
ISBN: 0743457633 $6.99 352 pp.
Cover Artist: David Stevenson
Slave Trade by Susan Wright introduces us to Rose Rico, a woman with a chip on her shoulders.
Rose lives in Mexico in a post-apocalyptic Earth where people just disappear regularly. Rose
learns that her mother and the rest of the World Council have entered into an arrangement with
aliens called the Domain. In return for technology, Earth provides slaves innocent human lives.
Through treachery, Rose finds herself in a cube hurtling through space as a slave.
Solians, as humans are called by the Domain are greatly desired as pleasure slaves. It would seem
as though the aliens of the Domain have lost the ability to be spontaneously sexual. They have lust
cycles that are dictated by the race of the alien. Solians are able to be sexual at any time and this
makes them ideal as sexual slaves.
Rose is not happy with her enslavement and does everything she can to escape. Lucky for Rose,
she meets Ash, a hir and hermaphrodite slave. Together, they have a chance at freedom, but have
no idea what to do once they are free.
The Domain has enslaved many different worlds. One world that is trying to fight back is Qin. Qin
is mired in political apathy that seems insurmountable. S'jen, a Qin battleship captain has decided
the time is ripe for the Qin to strike directly at the Domain. This strike places Rose and Ash
together and changes the entire tactics of the Qin.
The Domain, Qin, and the Solian slaves begin a war that takes many prisoners and has a huge cost
in life. Nothing will ever be the same for Rose and all her comrades.
Slave Trade is an interesting read, but does not contain any titillating sexual encounters. They
story is more of a space-opera/action adventure in genre. The beginning of the book is a bit on the
boring side as each player is meticulously introduced and we are given a glimpse into their
motivations. Once the action starts, things get interesting.
According to her website, Susan Wright writes science fiction novels and nonfiction books on art
and popular culture. She is the author of numerous Star Trek books and the Slave Trade series.
Slave Merchant, the second in the series was published in January 1, 2004 and Slave Revolt, third
in the series, is due to be published at a future date. New York City is her home, where she lives
with her husband Kelly Beaton. After graduating from Arizona State University in 1986, Susan
moved to Manhattan to get her masters in Art History from New York University's Institute of
Fine Arts. Susan is currently the Spokesperson for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, a
national organization committed to protecting freedom of sexual expression among consenting
adults.
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Wynette A. Hoffman
Alien Perspective
4255 S. Buckley Rd. Suite 127, Aurora, CO 80013
http://www.alienperspective.com
ISBN: 0972109803 $14.99 360 pp.
Blood Is Thicker Than Water is the first book in the Reilly Vampire Chronicles from Wynette A.
Hoffman and it is a story any vampire fan will love.
Amy Reilly has some very dangerous friends. Amy is unable to feel pleasure and as a result,
experiences pain as pleasure. This little quirk has brought her to S&M and a very dangerous,
degenerate vampire. Through help from an unknown source, Amy survives her encounter, but she
is changed. Her sadistic vampire has marked her for death and is not happy she has survived.
Luckily for Amy, fate in the form of a Celtic goddess named Ceredwyn is on her side. Into this
mix of characters is Paul, Amy's brother and his pregnant wife Marcie; Lorcan, a 2000-year-old
vampire; Jake, his thrall and an ancestor of Amy and Paul's; and Sophia, Amy's best friend.
This intrepid cast of characters is thrust into vampire politics and is hard pressed to survive.
Hoffman has created an unforgettable story that will keep readers guessing until the end. Her
vampire's are wonderful, lusty creatures that need more then blood to survive. Lorcan is a very
intriguing, heroic vampire who doesn't just sweep Amy off her feet. They save each other from
certain death. This alone makes the story very intriguing.
This Reader Advisory from the back cover of the book accurately explains all the various
references in the book. Read at your own risk.
Reader Advisory - This book contains the following elements which may be considered unsuitable
by some readers and literary purists: violence, graphic sex, erotic blood sucking, foul language,
gore, angst, questions of morality, reincarnation, guns, S&M, family loyalty, pop culture
references, the promotion of anarchy, metaphors, Wiccans, Druids, ancient Celtic goddesses,
undead politics and etiquette, thralls, snappy banter and witty retorts, pregnancy & childbirth,
bisexuality, talking dogs, car wrecks, torture, romance, sibling rivalry, psychic powers & scenery,
and true love. And though promoted as a vampire novel, it may or may not contain vampires
within the parameters of any one person's definition of the undead and/or bloodsucking leeches.
Pure pulp, read at your own risk.
Blood Is Thicker Than Water is Wynette A. Hoffman's first book. Her second book, Love &
Benjamins was published in July, 2003. Life of Reilly, the second book in the Reilly Vampire
Chronicles will be published sometime late in 2004. Please visit Wynette A. Hoffman's website for
more information: http://www.alienperspective.com/NewFiles/Life.html
Shifter: The Chronicles of Galen Sword Book One
Judith &Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Babbage Press
8740 Penfield Ave., Northridge, CA 91324
http://www.babbagepress.com http://www.reeves-stevens.com/
ISBN: 1930235186 $18.95 261 pp.
Cover artist: Lydia C. Marano
Shifter by Judith &Garfield Reeves-Stevens is the first book in the Chronicles of Galen
Sword.
Shifter introduces us to the mysterious Galen Sword. Sword is a troubled man. Orphaned at an
early age, Sword has spent most of his life as a playboy looking for new thrills. One night, Sword
finds himself in the ER after a horrible car accident. The ER staff decides he is to far gone and
they move on to the next patient. At death's door, Sword is healed and gains memories of his
childhood. These memories are of a family life and heritage he never knew. Sword is the heir to
the Victor of Pendragon but he does not know what this means or where he is from.
After the restoration of these early memoirs, Sword is convinced he is not of this world. He is
certain werewolves and magic exist and is on a mission to prove this. To aid him in his quest are
Melody Ko, a brilliant scientist with commando training, Ja'Nette, a young women with the ability
for translocation, and Dr. Adrian Forsyte, a paraplegic scientist with secrets to keep.
Sword and his menagerie find what they seek and then realize just how deadly paranormal beings
are. What starts out as an investigation into the existence of paranormal beings ends in a fight for
their lives and the survival of our world.
At the conclusion of Shifter, Sword gains a great deal of knowledge about himself. This
knowledge comes at a huge price. The world as he knows it is completely changed and expanded.
I am looking forward to the next two installments of this imaginative storey, Nightfeeder and
Dark Hunter.
According to the author's website, Judith &Garfield Reeves-Stevens are New York Times
bestselling novelists of thrillers Quicksilver and Icefire. They authored media tie-ins for Alien
Nation and Star Trek. The author's have written numerous novels and screenplays for television
and screen. The Reeves-Stevens's currently live in Los Angeles.
The Summer Country
James A. Hetley
ACE
Penguin Group
375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014-3657
http://www.penguinputnam.com http://www.sfwa.org/members/hetley
ISBN: 0441009727 $14.00 368 pp.
Cover Artist: Lori Early
The Summer Country by James A. Hetley is a wonderful first novel not to be missed.
Maureen Pierce is a very troubled young woman. She was sexually abused as a child, and as a
result feels damaged. She feels like she wears a psychic chastity belt as a result of the years of
abuse. Maureen is unable to trust any man and has allowed her fears to push her into an existence
that she loathes. Her sister, Jo has just stolen the man Maureen has spent the past two months
allowing to get close to her David. The betrayal she feels erodes any sense of self-esteem she
has fought for.
One fateful evening, Maureen is attacked in an alley by a very strange being almost looks like a
troll. Maureen's worst fear has come true someone is attacking her. To the rescue comes a
knight in shinning armor Brian Albion a Pendragon Knight. Brian dispenses with Maureen's
attacker and then continues to explain to Maureen that she is not a normal woman. She is a carrier
of the 'Old Blood' and unaware of its power.
The Old World is literally the old world of magic. It's called the Summer Country and is home to
magical beings of all kinds. Maureen's power is very desirable to the residents of the Summer
Country. Most of the residents of this Celtic Otherworld are sterile. Maureen is not and that
makes her a target. Women in the Summer Country are either sorceress or slaves. Dougal
MacKenzie has decided Maureen is his perfect mate and he will do anything to posses her and her
future children.
Brian has been sent to protect Maureen as best he can. The Pendragon Knight's are all that stand
between the Summer Country and the 'real' world. Maureen does not play the damsel in distress
and fights any protective measure Brian takes.
The Summer Country is a very fun book to read. It deals with many dark emotions, but is
tempered by true love and friendship. The characters are well written and diverse. Maureen is
such a wonderfully damaged person who decides to live and overcome her demons.
Charles de Lint says it best "Like an old Irish whiskey dark and smoky, abounding in flavor
and detail . All the tings a good novel should be."
The Summer Country is James A. Hetley's first novel. The sequel, the Winter Oak will be
published in November, 2004. According to the author's website, he is an architect and retired
Kempo karate instructor who lives in Maine. He also served three years in the U.S. Army during
the Vietnam War, and has worked such diverse jobs as electronics instructor, trash collector, and
operating engineer in a refrigeration plant. For more information please visit the author's
website.
The Piaculum
Richard C. Gray
iUniverse
http://www.iuniverse.com http://www.rich-gray.com
ISBN: 0595303013 $14.95 212 pp.
Cover Artist: Richard C. Gray
The Piaculum by Richard Gray is a book I will not forget anytime soon. The Piaculum is difficult
to categorize as it has many different levels to the story.
The Piaculum is set in a future, post-apocalyptic Earth. We follow the story of Cearl, a young
man with a white-mark and a Mone. The Mone are non-violent farmers, who value family and
religion. They are poor farmers who eek out a living in a desert-like landscape. The white-mark
Cearl has is rare. It is similar to an albino. He has pale skin compared to the dark color of the
other Mone.
Cearl is an inquisitive young man. His father is atypical of the Mone in that he fosters his son's
ability to think for himself. The Mone have a version of the Bible called the Book of Testaments.
Cearl is encouraged to read the Book of Testaments and to interpret it himself. This background
is crucial for the upcoming trials Cearl must face.
In contrast to the Mone are the Kathe. They are more prosperous city-dwellers who are religious
fanatics. The Kath have a much different interpretation of the Book of Testaments. To them,
Christ gave his only son for crucifixion in order for all to ascend to heaven. In order for a Kathe
to receive salvation, he must consume the blood of a white-mark male who is a living, walking,
and crucifixion a Piaculum. Only a Piaculum as a living God can grant salvation.
Every 12 years the Kathe send out armies to search out all young males with the white-mark.
These children are horribly tortured by a series of ascensions which result in metal chassis being
integrated into their bodies. The Kathe have no mercy for a Piaculum as the pain and suffering
they carry allows others into heaven.
The Kathe restrict reading to only a chosen few and by doing so ensures the fervor of it's citizens.
In contrast, Mone families read the Book of Testaments every night together. This crucial
difference is pivotal to the story-line.
According to Richard Gray, the Kathe are modeled after Mormons. It is easy to insert most any
religious fanatics who rule by restricting knowledge into the Kathe. Cearl's father instructed him
to also read and interpret the Book of Testaments for himself as no one can be completely
accurate in interpretation. Everyone should read and think for themselves.
Through history mankind has produced many horrors that are the result of someone's
interpretation of the Bible. One only needs to turn on the television to be reminded of the political
and religious upheavals of the Middle East. The violence man commits in the name of religion is
horrendous. Think of the Palestinian suicide bombers. How can one gain salvation by killing
others just because they are a different religion? While reading Piaculum, I was reminded of the
Romans who thought early Christians should be destroyed. The Romans believed the body and
blood of Christ was a true act of cannibalism. Today, most would not think twice about this, but
back in time it was a true outrage.
The Piaculum is a deeply moving book that will keep the reader thinking long after finishing the
book. It is a commentary on Christianity that can be applied to today's turbulent and violent
religious sects.
The Piaculum is Richard Gray's first book. According to the author's website, he was born in Utah
where the local landscape inspired much of his writing. He is a scientist, writer, and artist. He
earned his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Utah and is currently living in
upstate NY while working toward his Ph.D. at Cornell University. Be sure to visit his website at
http://www.rich-gray.com/
Alisa McCune
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
Fragrance In Bloom
Ann Lovejoy
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104
1570613974 $19.95 www.sasquatchbooks.com
In Fragrance In Bloom: The Scented Garden Throughout The Year, expert horticulturist and
veteran garden writer and columnist Ann Lovejoy has once again created a superb book on
gardening. This time, as the title suggests, Ann focuses upon gardening for the fragrances that
various garden plants and flowers can bring throughout the growing cycles of spring, summer and
fall. Beautifully enhanced with gorgeous full color photography by Lynne Harrison, Fragrance In
Bloom is confidently recommended reading -- especially for the novice garden wanting to
cultivate a truly memorable, imaginative, and fragrant garden offering a true diversity of aromatic
scents. Also very highly recommended are two of Ann Lovejoy's previous works: Naturalistic
Gardening and The Garden In Bloom.
Flower Origami
Kumiko Sudo
Breckling Press
283 Michigan Street, Elmhurst, IL 60126
0972121846 $29.95 1-630-941-1179 www.brecklingpress.com
Flower Origami: Fabric Flowers From Simple Shapes by Kumiko Sudo focuses upon teaching
quilters and other needlecrafters how to take a colorful scrap of ordinary fabric and manipulate it
into a visually impressive three-dimensional flower as part of a decorative needlecraft project.
Twenty wonderful flower designs are showcased on visually impressive quilt blocks. Impressively
enhanced with 300 easy-to-follow color drawings and specific guidance on sashiko stitching and
other Japanese inspired embellishment techniques, Flower Origami offers patters and directions
for an impressive diversity of fashion and home accessory projects. Flower Origami is
enthusiastically recommended as a unique addition to any dedicated and adventuresome
needlecraft
hobbyist's personal project reference collection.
How It All Vegan!
Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer
Arsenal Pulp Press
103, 1014 Homer Street, Vancouvr, BC, Canada, V6B 2W9
1551520672 $15.95 www.arsenalpulp.com
Self-described "lazy vegetarians" Sarah Barnard and Sarah Kramer are two long-time friends who
decided to "go vegan" as a result of their love of animals. Together they have collaborated to
bring aspiring vegetarians How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes For An Animal-Free Diet in
order to help them make the transition from a meat-based to a meatless diet. The recipes include
entrees, soups, sauces, breads, salads, and desserts which can provide the makings of terrific
menus for any and all occasions. From Sparkling Homemade Ginger Ale; Garlic Dill Cream
Cheese; and Stuffed Spaghetti Squash; to Maple Buttersque Icing; Zesty Cheese Spread; and
Spiced Chai Tea, How It All Began is completely "kitchen cook friendly" and is additionally
enhanced with vegan friendly recipes for cosmetics, hair products, pet treats, and even household
cleaners. Also very highly recommended is their companion cookbook for dedicated vegetarians,
The Garden Of Vegan (1551521288, $17.95).
Yoga Kitchen
Faith Stone & Rachael Guidry
Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
1570671451 $18.95 1-931-964-3571 www.bookpubco.com
The collaborative work of master chefs Faith Stone and Rachael Guidry, Yoga Kitchen:
Vegetarian Recipes From The Shoshoni Yoga Retreat offers menus drawn from the Shoshoni
Retreat kitchen and which composed of meatless recipes that share the qualities of "conscious
energy, pleasurable dining, and cultural diversity". From Baked Corn and Coconut Kachoris;
Creamy Pumpkin Seed Dressing; Crisp Moo Shoo Vegetables with Homemade Scallion
Pancakes; and Curried Chickpea and Potato Stew; to Grilled BBQ Tofu; Sauteed Green Beans
and Swiss Chard with Toasted Urad Dal; Mountain Yogi Kichari; and Peach Surprise Muffins,
Yoga Kitchen is a very welcome, delightfully delicious, nutritionally wholesome, "user friendly",
and enthusiastically recommended complement to any vegetarian cookbook collection!
The Garden Of Eating
Rachel Albert-Matesz & Don Matesz
Planetary Press
PO Box 97040, Phoenix, AZ 85060-7040
0964126710 $29.95 1-602-840-4556 www.TheGardenOfEatingDiet.com
A combination weight lost/control manual and culinary cookbook, The Garden Of Eating: A
Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook is the enthusiastically recommended collaboration of
Rachel Albert-Matesz and her husband Don Matesz who draw upon their more than 35 combined
years of experience and expertise in the natural foods field. Rachel is a former restaurateur who
has led more than 600 cooking classes and developed 130 original recipes, and now teaches
Whole Food Cuisine at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) in Tempe Arizona. Her
husband Don is a freelance food and health writer and nutritionist and heads up the nutrition
program at SWIHA. Together they have published more than 250 food and health articles down
through the past three decades. The first seven chapters of The Garden Of Eating presents and
documents a compelling case for a produce-dominated omnivorous diet founded upon time-tested
food habits and practices of pre-agricultural peoples who are free of modern degenerative
diseases. This is followed by twelve chapters of recipes showcasing 250 family-friendly,
grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free recipes with step-by-step "kitchen cook" instructions that
anyone can do -- and the results of which are wonderfully delicious, heart and body healthy meal
time delights (often of gourmet quality dining). From Broiled White Meat Fish Fillets with Garlic
& Pepper; Caveman Chili; Soothing Ginger, Squash & Apple Soup; and Frozen Banana Delight;
to Caffeine-Free, High-Protein Roastaroma Mocha; Sauteed Kale or Collards with Onions,
:Mushrooms & Sun-Dried Tomatoes; Blueberry-Protein Popsicles; and Licorice-Ginger Tea, The
Garden Of Eating offers recipes, menus, and dining ideas for any occasion from simply daily
family meals to elegant celebratory occasions around the banquet table.
The Habana Cafe Cookbook
Josefa Gonzalez-Hastings
University Press of Florida
15 NW 15th St, Gainesville, FL 32611
0813027373 $19.95 1-800-226-3822
Originally from Cuba, Josefa Gonzalez-Hastings is the head chef and owner of the Haban Cafe in
Gulfport, Florida. In The Habana Cafe Cookbook, Josefa draws upon her years of experience and
award-winning expertise to present a culinary compendium of "nuevo Latin cuisine" combined
with traditional recipes handed down through her family from her mother and aunts. This
showcase of Cuban recipes ranges from Frituras de Bacalao (Codfish Fritters); Bolliche a La
Naranjada (Pot Roast with Orange Sauce); and Rabo Encendido (Oxtail Stew); to Platanos en
Tentacion (Baked Sweet Plantains); Habana Tropical Punch; and Manzanas Rellenas En
Almendras (Stuffed Apples with Almonds). Enhanced with family stories, advice on Cuban food
and preparations, and an impressive insert of color photography, The Habana Cafe Cookbook is a
welcome and recommended addition to any and all kitchen cookbook collections!
The Everything Indian Cookbook
Monica Bhide
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
1593370423 $14.95 1-800-872-5627 www.everything.com
One of the most "user friendly" cookbooks I've ever encountered which showcases regional dishes
from India, The Everything Indian Cookbook provides 300 authentic and easy-to-follow recipes
for dishes that are the equal of anything you could order at your favorite Indian restaurant. From
Pork Tikkas; Smoked Eggplant in Yogurt; and Green Beans with Coconut; to Cumin-Scented
Rice; Carom-Flavored Flatbread; and Instant Saffron Ice Cream, Indian native, chef and caterer
Monica Bhide has organized this outstanding collection so that even the most novice kitchen cook
can prepare and deliver absolutely savory meals and menus, whether for intimate dining with a
loved one or a celebratory party of dozens of guests.
Food That Rocks
Margie Lapanja & Cindy Coverdale
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
368 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
1573249084 $24.95 www.redwheelweiser.com
Food writer and former professional baker and magazine editor Margie Lepanja and teamed up
with Cindy Coverdale (wife of David Coverdale, lead singer of Whitesnake, Deep Purple, and
Coverdale Page) to issue a unique cookbook that showcases musician owned restaurants, musical
cookbooks and songs about food, chefs who perform as well on stage as they do in the kitchen,
and recipes that "rock"! From Spicy Chicken Wingers; Pasta Alle Bossi with Pizza Bead; Ty
Peanut Sauce with Rice and Veggies; to Garlic Rubbed Rock & Roll Rib Steak; Pennsylvania
Funnel Cakes; and Oatmeal Honey-Butter Biscuits, Food That Rocks are recipes that would grace
any dining occasion. Enhanced with "Players' Hot Links" websites and "Hospitality Suite"
acknowledgements, Food That Rocks is an enthusiastically recommended cookbook.
Cookin' With Camille
Camille Johnston Manella
C & H Publishing
8437 Tuttle Avenue, Suite 128, Sarasota, FL 34243
097497420X $23.95 1-941-351-4797 hurricane03@comcast.net
Judging by the recipes compiled in Cookin' With Camille: Among Other Things, Camille Johnston
Manella is an inventive, imaginative, highly skilled, and a genuinely original thinker when it comes
to developing recipes that are true culinary delights and has a distinctive flair for thematically
appropriate anecdotes background her recipe's diverse origins and contributing influences.
Beautifully illustrated, the recipes range from Baked Grouper with Shrimp and Crabmeat
Dressing; to Camille's Best Chicken Salad; Grillades (Round Steak and Gravy); Grilled Marinated
Pork and/or Chicken with Horseradish Dipping Sauce; Turkey and Andouille Gumbo; and Veal
Roulades with Oyster Dressing. Cookin' With Camille is a welcome and recommended addition to
any and all family kitchen cookbook collections!
Sushi For Wimps
Aya Imatani
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
1402706731 $14.95 www.amazon.com
Sushi is a delicious, nutritious, and increasingly popular form of seafood that can go disastrously
wrong if and when American kitchen cooks doesn't really know what they're doing. Enter Aya
Imatani's Sushi For Wimps: From Seaweed To Dragon Rolls For The Faint Of Heart! Aya
Imatani's father owned a sushi bar in Kobe, Japan, and she draws upon her years of experience
and expertise running a catering business to show the aspiring sushi chef what tools and tableware
to use, how to go about choosing a whole fish or fillet, the role of sauces in sushi dishes, and
taking even the most novice kitchen cook step-by-step through the process of turning out simply
wonderful sushi dishes for the home. Superbly enhanced throughout with the color photography
of Matt Cohen highlighting plating and presentation, Sushi For Wimps offers mouth watering
recipes that range from sushi styles and categories ranging from sashimi, nigiri, gunkanimaki, and
temaki, to hosomaki, saimaki, vegetarian sushi, Japanese soups, and kawarizushi (Aya's
"Specials"). Confidently recommended for all make-it-yourself sushi enthusiasts!
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Betsy's Bookshelf
Thousand Years Of English Poetry
Andrew Pagett
Chaucer Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1904449085 $25.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com
No language in the recorded history of the human race has been so versatile, so rich in
vocabulary, so unique in grammar, so fertile a tool for expressing poetic imagination. Writer and
historian Andrew Pagett's Thousand Years Of English Poetry is an impressive, 152 page
collection of the very best of the great poets whose use of the English language gave expression
to an impressive range of perceptions and emotions while dealing with subjects that ranged freely
from the earthly to the divine, from the tragic to the comedic, from everyday life experiences to
epic tales. From Chaucer to Langland, from Heaney to Hughes, From Oscar Wilde to John Keats,
from Rubert Brooke to Wilfred Owen, Thousand Years Of English Poetry is a superb memorial to
the best that English poetry has to offer -- past and present. Also very highly recommended from
Chaucer Press is the companion anthology, Thousand Years Of Spiritual Poetry (1904449069,
$25.00) compiled and edited by writer and painter Fiona Pagett.
Potterybarn Storage & Display
Martha Fay, et al.
Oxmoor House
80 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
0848727622 $24.95 www.amazon.com
The latest entry into the outstanding Oxmoor House "Pottery Barn" series, Pottery Barn Storage
& Display specifically focuses on how ideas, tips and techniques for keeping, showcasing, and
storing everyday necessities just where they are handiest, most accessible, and aesthetically
pleasing through creative solutions and practical tips for storage and display in whatever room
(entryway, kitchen, bedroom, living room, utility area, laundry, closet, etc) is under consideration.
Enhanced with the showcase photography of Stefano Massei, the informed and informative text is
the collaboration of freelance writer Martha Fay, media personality and home design expert Carol
Endler Sterbenz, and professional interior designer Genevieve A. Sterbenz. Also very highly
recommended for homeowners and apartment dwellers seeking to instill a do-it-yourself elegance
into their personal and communal living spaces through deliberative interior design are the three
previous Pottery Barn Design Library titles: Pottery Barn Living (0848727592), Pottery Barn Bed
(0848727606); and Potter Barn Bath (0848727614).
The Food Service Professional Guide To Successful Catering
Sony Bode
Atlantic Publishing Group
1210 SW 23rd Place, Ocala, FL 34474-7014
0910627223 $19.95 www.atlantic-pub.com
One of the newest additions to the Atlantic Publishing Group's outstanding "The Food Service
Professional" series, The Food Service Professional Guide To Successful Catering: Managing The
Catering Operation For Maximum Profit. Here revealed are 365 "insider secrets" showcasing
everything necessary to launch a successful catering business; practical "real world" examples for
maximizing profits; and clear, accessible instructions on how to sell, market, and operate a
catering operation profitably no matter what part of the country it is located in. If you are
considering your own catering company as an entrepreneurial small business, then give a close
and careful reading to Sony Bode's The Food Service Professional Guide To Successful Catering:
Managing The Catering Operation For Maximum Profit!
Beyond The Ice Cream Cone
Pamela J. Vaccaro
Enid Press
KSB Promotions
PO Box 16462, St. Louis, MO 63125
097454440X $23.95 1-888-412-3953 www.beyondtheicecreamcone.com
Enhanced with 169 duo-tone photographs and illustrations, Beyond The Ice Cream Cone: The
Whole Scoop On Food At The 1904 World's Fair by academician and food history enthusiast
Pamela J. Vaccaro is as informed and informative as it is fun and fascinating! In celebration of the
100th anniversary of the 1904 World's Fair, Vaccaro offers an in-depth descriptive history of the
foods that were so central a part of the fairgoer's experience. Beyond The Ice Cream Cone
addresses such issues as whether or not the ice cream cone, iced tea, hot dogs, Dr Pepper, and
cotton candy (under the name of "Fairy Floss") were really introduced for the first time in the St.
Louis World's Fair of 1904. Were the life-sized "nut" elephant and the intimidating "prune" bear
the only displays at the Fair made of food items? What influence did the Pure Food Movement
have on food offered at the Fair? The phenomena of free samples to promote the newly
burgeoning food manufacturing conglomerates. Beyond The Ice Cream Cone is a compendium of
culinary fair lore and examined legendary, providing the reader with definitive historical fact
presented with a light and engaging touch. There are even 36 recipes reprinted and available for
duplication in the family kitchen! Beyond The Ice Cream Cone is simply wonderful reading and
enthusiastically recommended for personal and community collections!
Saturday Nights With Daddy At The Opry
Libby Leverett-Crew
Rutledge Hill Press
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
1401601146 $19.99 www.rutledgehillpress.com
Saturday Nights With Daddy at The Opry by artist, writer, and photographer Libby
Leverett-Crew is the biographical story of country music photographer Les Leverett as told by his
daughter. As a little girl, Libby's father would take her along with him on his job as the official
photographer for the Grand Ole Opry -- a position he held for over 30 years. This is not only a
tribute to her father but also to the people (ranging from Dolly Parton and Minnie Pearl to Roy
Acuff and Bill Monroe) who touched the lives of her family and the powerful impact a loving
father has on the formative life of his daughter. Enhanced with more than a hundred photographs
from her father, Saturday Nights With Daddy At The Opry is enthusiastically recommended
reading -- especially for dedicated fans of the Grand Ole Opry.
Familiar Spirits
Donald Tyson
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
0738704210 $14.95 www.llewellyn.com
A very highly recommended addition to any personal or professional Metaphysical Studies
collection, Familiar Spirits: A Practical Guide For Witches & Magicians introduces the reader to
Donald Tyson's revolutionary system of power glyphs and sigil-making for summoning,
controlling, and dismissing magical assistants. Even the most novice witch, warlock or magician
can now seek to utilize familiar spirits in their conjuring and occult activities with Tyson's help.
Readers are also provided a history of the use of familiar spirits and, critically important, shows
how to protect ourselves from ill-intentioned spirits. Aspiring practitioners can experience a fair
degree of confidence in following the instructions laid out in the pages of Familiar Spirit because
of Donald Tyson's long history, experience, and skill level in this difficult work of spirit
summoning -- and it should also be noted that Tyson has authored a great many respected
volumes on Western occultism, is the creator of rune dice, and has even assisted the U.S.
Department of Defense in decoding rune symbols.
Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer
Betty's Bookshelf
A Heart for God: Learning from David Through the Tough Choices of Life
Rebecca Manley Pippert
InterVarsity Press
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL, 60515-1426
ISBN 0830823417, $13.00 236 pgs.
Rebecca Manley Pippert, who once worked as a field worker for Inter-Varsity Christian
Fellowship, is now an internationally known speaker and writer. She's given keynote speeches at
many conferences, including Billy Graham's, and her books have been translated into more than
twenty-five languages.
Pippert is best known for Out of the Salt Shaker, her book on lifestyle evangelism, but I predict A
Heart For God will soon catch up. In it, as the subtitle says, she shows us what we can learn from
David's life, but instead of focusing on the same old angles of adultery, murder, and rebellious
children, which Christians sometimes feel they know only too well, she focuses on his years in the
wilderness running from a vengeful and murderous Saul, what he learned from it, and what we, in
turn, can learn from him.
Her insights on David are fresh and thought-provoking and each of her chapters end with
questions that encourage the reader to personally apply what she's taught so far.
Throughout, she shows us how David brought all of his life - his sin, his anger, his grief, his joy -
to God in honest openness, and how by doing so, he developed "... 'a heart like his' - a heart that
draws its life moment by moment from the living God, our Creator and Redeemer". Her
conclusion is that the same thing is possible for us, if we approach life the same way. We, too, can
have a heart for God.
Celebrate the Journey: Discovering God's Vision for Your Life
Debra Fulghum Bruce and Ellen Oldacre
Concordia Publishing House
3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63118-3968
ISBN 0570052440 $14.99 171 pgs.
Co-authors Debra Fulghum Bruce and Ellen Oldacre, in their book Celebrate the Journey, have
put together a book that will help readers look beyond a destination - marriage, a new job, getting
debts paid off - to the joy and contentment of the journey.
In chapter one of part one, "Celebrations and Concerns", they say, "Women of vision understand
the difference between wishing and living the life of peace and joy with which God blesses us".
Laying out problems familiar to their readers as well as various solutions for each, they offer
hope, stating, "There are times our decisions cause us to miss the biggest blessings He has in store
for us, but He creates new blessings and forgives us through Christ's death and resurrection."
In chapter two, they throw down the gauntlet: "We challenge you to consider your passion - that
highest vision in life - as you focus on reaching out and making a personal difference in the world,
as well as fulfilling your own needs as a Christian woman."
The rest of the book is divided into seven sections, each explaining an aspect of a woman with
vision and telling readers how to connect to the plan that God has for each of their lives. They
state bluntly, "When we care for our souls, all other areas of life inevitably fall into place. And this
care of the soul means giving meticulous attention to our daily actions - what we listen to, what
we feel, what we think, whom we befriend, what we read, and how much time we spend talking
with God" and they use stories of women from both today and Bible times, well-chosen
quotations, bulleted lists, and lots of Bible verses to support that. If a woman in your life could
use some encouragement to enjoy both the journey and the destination as she works out God's
plans for her life, buy her a copy of Celebrate the Journey.
The Travel Writer's Handbook 5th Ed: How to Write and Sell Your Own Travel Experiences
Louise Purwin Zobel
Surrey Books, Inc.
230 E. Ohio St., Suite 120, Chicago, IL, 60611
ISBN 1572840447 $18.95 322 pgs.
I want to go on vacation! No, not (just) because tomorrow is the first day of spring and the
weatherman just predicted snow showers all day; it's because of this book! The cover alone
(decorated with old-fashioned postcards and hotel logos) gave me the itch to go somewhere -
anywhere - that I could then write about. Then, the author got her chops in and now - bring on
that trip; I'm ready!
I don't know why I even wondered about the outcome, actually; after all, this book is a Writer's
Digest Book Club selection and WD has never let me down! Not only that, it's on its 5th edition -
in other words, it's been around a while (thus proving its value), but Zobel has brought it
up-to-date for a new generation of would-be travel writers. .
First, she tells you how to travel: what to take with you (and what to leave at home), how to
immerse yourself in the local culture, how to get oriented as soon as you get where you're going,
and what to eat and drink (including some trenchant words on handling alcohol intake).
Then, she gives you advice on how to write about it, which can also be applied to whatever other
kind of writing you do: how to write effective query letters, how to use the Internet for research,
how to find markets for your writing before you even leave your house, how photographs (taken
by yourself or bought from a stock photo company) can add to your salability, how to do
interviews (on and off the record). She even goes into how to keep your integrity in the face of
freebies and press junkets. (Oh, may I someday have those problems...)
It's all good stuff, but all by itself, her information on query letters, handling points of view, and
coming up with a "hook" would have made me give this book a place on one of my
always-overflowing bookshelves. And then there was all the rest... As I read, I used Post-It
Notes to mark places I wanted to refer back to later; by the time I was done, I had used up most
of a pad of notes and the edge of the book looked as though it had been decorated with a
three-layer-deep fringe of blue paper. So I'm keeping it, and it'll go on my shelf until I go on
vacation. Then, it'll go in my suitcase. The weatherman just said it's still supposed to snow
tomorrow. Tahiti, anyone?
Betty Winslow
Reviewer
Bogstad's Bookshelf
Some recent works of Science Fiction:
For this month, I am passing along my reactions to three recent science fiction works by three
authors at different stages in their careers. Amy Thompson, who has published many short stories
and now four novels has established herself as a write of talent but is in the early stages of her
career, and so appears first. C.J. Cherryh published her first work in the 1970s and has written
many novels and many more short stories. She's won enough awards so that her name is very well
known and a volume like that reviewed below, which collects some of her stories, is very
welcome. Ben Bova has been writing and editing science fiction since before World War II, and
his space-opera novel, part of an ongoing series, is as typical of adventure SF of that period as it
is of this. I've been reading a lot of Children's books in more recent months, and some mysteries,
all of which I hope to tell you about in the next installment. For now, here described are fictional
works by Thompson, Cherryh and Bova.
Episodes in the Lives of Two Tellers and Their Harsels:
Storyteller
Amy Thomson
Ace Trade Paperback Original
ISBN: 0441010946 $14.00 384 p.
The survival struggles of an orphan left to his own devices on a alien planet are almost a trope in
science fiction, but Thompson was not afraid to try a new twist on this tried and true method of
engaging a reader's sympathy. This young orphan is named Samad and he lives on the primitive
colony world of Thalassa. This talented but displaced boy tries to steal a bit of bread, is
apprehended but then rescued by a seemingly simple, elderly woman. His rescuer is a member of
the revered Storyteller guild, and she uses this profession because it gives her opportunities to
alleviate social ills, both large and small. Samad becomes one of Teller's projects, and then her
close friend and assistant. These are obvious parallels with Heinlein's beloved Citizen of the
Galaxy. But the story blossoms through its rich background. Samad and the elderly Teller live on
a world that is primarily water with a few clutches of small islands.
As with her other fiction, this work is more lyrical than technological. While it describes several
transition points in the lives of a young boy, Samad, as he is rescued from destitution by Teller, a
storyteller with a (long) past on the world Thalassa, it becomes broken up into several stories
rather than one continuous one. One can trace the inception, denouement and transition between
the relatively distinct stories of Samad's childhood adoption by Teller, travels in her harsel, Abeha,
death of Abeha, death of Teller and Samad's choice of profession. Each focuses on a very
different crisis in Samad's life from age eight to his early thirties. Thus the novel is thus loosely
linked together, and very distinctly episodic in nature.
Humans are colonizers of these island groups, but their civilization depends on the ability of some
to talk with and travel between islands inside the 'backs' of whale-like creatures. They are they
harsel, indigenous, are long-lived, charming and intelligent and Teller is also a Har Captain, to the
very old harsel Abeha. Having benefited from off-world rejuvenation drugs, Teller is also part of a
much larger, intergalactic culture, a culture that was responsible for some of Samad's childhood
problems. So the stages of his development from proud orphan of about eight to committed adult
in his thirties is embedded in a series of lyrical stories about the human past on Thalassa. And the
stories told by Teller and, later, Samad, give readers and colonists alike the myths and realities of
Thalassa's survival. They depend on their compact with the majestic and sometimes tragic harsel,
an agreement that binds human and harsel together both physically and psychically. These
interwoven tales will entertain with mystery and wonder.
The novel is full of ideas like rejuvenation and longevity (500 plus years), interstellar societies, the
choice of an ecological balance on Thalassa, enough to fill up a much longer novel. One of the
more enjoyable 'threads' is the secret of The Pilot, who is really Teller. Before the young character
is told the secret, the reader has first started to suspect it from hints in the text, then told it
through Teller's actions before she admits it to her young prot‚g‚. Readers will enjoy being in on
the mystery. Another is the fascinating culture of humans and aliens, large whale-like creatures
with telepathy, and the secrets surrounding their reproductive cycles. Additionally, the alien
sentients, the technology that allows humans to work with them and a related telepathic gift for
space travel in some humans, are extrapolated as the backdrop for Samad's quest for survival,
emotional stability and moral growth. Not only does this novel repay reading, it will be
re-read.
Presenting the Breadth of C.J. Cherryh's Fictive Talents:
The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh
C.J. Cherryh
DAW Hardcover
ISBN: 0756402174 $23.95 400 pp.
This collection is sure to appeal to Cherryh enthusiasts as well as initiates who want to experience
a variety of her fictional types. Representing both SF and Fantasy, it includes two previously
published anthologies, Sunfall and Visible Light, as well as sixteen additional pieces ranging in
length from 125 words ("A Much Briefer History of Time") to 43 pages ("The Scapegoat"). The
pieces in Sunfall are at once about major earth cities and about a far-future earth where the sun
has begun to cool. Cherryh incorporates general knowledge of the cities of Paris, London,
Moscow, Peking, New York, Rome and Venice to describe how the inhabitants of each might
cope with gradual cultural and physical collapse. "Masks," her new Sunfall story (c 2004) portrays
carnevale revels in a far-future Venice as if it were again an independent city-state. Visible Light
has a second introduction and a frame story of two space-farers discussing their previous travels.
Here, the Hugo-Award piece, "Cassandra" typifies Cherryh's skill with characterization. Her use
of repackaged history is strongly represented as are her techniques for creating poignant,
believable characters embedded in political and personal conflicts. In the Other section, "Pots"
simultaneously recapitulates differing priorities in the politics and science of archeology. It's basic
premise, that archeological truth is not always acceptable to those in power, could equally
describe the past or the future of this science. Readers who want to really understand the breadth
of Cherryh's writings and the characteristics of her skill will do well to look to this substantial
anthology.
The type and quality of these stories varies and demonstrates the varied quality of the author's
novelistic works. Her ongoing fascination with characterization and with history are both
foregrounded. Some of the stories are very lyrical and her success at blending the tropes of
fantasy and science fiction, as well as to success at writing more purist forms of fantasy and
science fiction are also demonstrated.
All but one story and two introductions have been published elsewhere, two of them in named
anthologies, Visible Light and Sunfall. Therefore, this anthology will appeal most to those who
want to be sure they have complete Cherryh collections or those who don't want to be bothered
with collecting general anthologies.
The author's introductions don't introduce any new information to anyone who's followed
Cherryh's career and in addition they are brief and obviously intended to be more provocative than
informative. Some of these stories have won awards. Her protestations in the introduction to this
anthology that she's really a novel writer can pretty much be ignored.
As a document which helps readers see both her development as a writer over time and the
literary techniques that enrich her fantasy and her science fiction, this anthology is very useful.
Even if it requires that a reader have broad reading tastes or be a Cherryh fanatic. I have to say I
really enjoyed reading all 642 densely packed pages but then my very first published book review
in the 1970s was for her early novel Brothers of Earth.
Also, it should perhaps be noted that Visible Light and Sunfall are currently out of print and that
some of the other stories were published in very obscure anthologies so, even though the majority
of these stories are dated (22 were published in the 1980s as opposed to two 2 since 2000 and the
rest a the 1990s), this may be the only way that most of us will see them. I'd like to have seen
another perspective on some of these stories than that of Cherryh, but then I guess critics can
write books about them too.
The Essence of Adventure Series: Another One Just Like the Other Ones:
The Silent War: Book III of the Asteroid Wars
Ben Bova
TOR
ISBN: 0312848781 $24.95 380 pp.
Ben Bova is a six-time Hugo Award winner and author of over 100 books of fact and fiction. He's
a former editor of Analog and Omni and past president of the National Space Society. His contact
with science, space travel, physics, etc. is as a writer and promoter, but is respected by his readers
as if he were a scientist himself.
This novel is the third book in a libertarian space-opera trilogy, The Asteroid Wars Trilogy, that
exports the socio-economic world-view of corporate North America to the solar system, with
space-faring action, deadly personal rivalries and archaic social theories. This is a rather scattered
work which introduces several egregious elements into a very predictable classic space-adventure.
For example, the ongoing hatred between Lars Fuchs, the pirate and Martin Humphries, a
stereotypical megalomaniacal entrepreneur, culminates in a virtual auto-de-fee which kills neither
of them but is the occasion for the destruction of property and ghastly deaths of underlings.
Predictably, they feature the death of a woman and predictably, Lars' previous wife is another kind
of victim so we have the guys left to fight one another and two of the three remaining supposed
female heroes suffering ghastly deaths (fire and childbirth) for the sin of associating with these
guys. Really, Ben, what century are you in anyway?
The explorations of habitats on the moon, within the asteroid belt and areas in between
incorporate the hard science of today. And, in the tradition of Heinlein and Asimov, this science is
used in the service of commerce as if that were the only natural order of being. Competing
corporations, headed by powerful men with overweening desires, control millions of lives in their
lust to exploit the resources of the asteroid belt. The two feuding corporations of Bova's earlier
novels, The Precipice (2001) and The Rock Rats (2003) are joined by a reclusive competitor. But
it should also be noted that THIS trilogy, The Asteroid Wars Trilogy, is only one part of a much
larger series of works set in the same universe. While the ultimate bad guy, Martin Humphries of
Humphries Industries, has survived his corporate battle with Astro's Randolph, and his rivalry for
possession of Fuchs' wife, Amanda, his plans are foiled partially by The Yamagata Corporation, a
player in the new economy of asteroid mining, and Amanda, now his wife, who has arranged to
carry Fuchs' child. And the fact that the 'inscrutable' instigator of hostilities between old enemies,
Humphries and Poncho, is 'what a surprise' a Japanese company named 'Yamagata is downright
nauseating. This novel could have been written in the 1950s. (p. 266 is where the brilliant Poncho
figures this out.)
Yamagata manipulates things behind the scenes, at first, and plunges Astro Corporation and
Humphries Industries into a bloody space-war and consolidates their assets in the power vacuum
and Amanda's former husband wreaks his own revenge on Humphries. Readers will appreciate
this triumph of good over evil that introduces many loose-ends while killing off others, with the
cavalier sacrifice of thousands of innocents. They may also appreciate the frame story, set six
years after Humphries has survived Fuch's brutal assassination attempt. To me, the frame story
reads as another major disconnect within the context of this novel. It must however be noted that
the alien artifact transforms the conquest and mayhem of the main novel into a moral tale as
Humphries faces self-knowledge of his deeds and the universe gets its final revenge. The alien
artifact is the punishment and the salvation of both Humphries and his principal henchman. It has
no other reason for 'being' a part of this story except that it puts a thick icing of morality on top of
narrative that reads like a series of predictable cliff-hanger-episodes of violence, suffering, death
and male-primate standoffs.
The chapters are very short which also makes the action, the narrative and the overall effect of the
novel very jerky. It's hard to get absorbed in the reading but might be very useful to someone who
reads a few pages before bed or on a bus or subway. There's lots of action even if the plot gets
lost every once in awhile.
Jan Bogstad
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
America's "Failing" Schools
W. James Popham
Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
0415949475 $23.00 www.routledge-ny.com
America's "Failing" Schools: How Parents And Teachers Can Cope With No Child Left Behind by
education testing expert W. James Popham focuses upon providing parents and classroom
teachers with clear, precise explanations of the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind"
doctrine and the implications this policy has for standardized testing, as well as what it means for
a school to be declared "failing", and concrete suggestions for what can be done in response to
such a school (and school district) condition. America's "Failing" Schools is timely and welcome
reading which is especially commended to the attention of concerned parents, classroom teachers,
school administrators, citizen groups like the PTA, and governmental policy makers on the state
and federal level in the field of K-12 public education.
When You Have A Visually Impaired Student With Multiple Disabilities In Your Classroom
Jane N. Erin, editor
AFB Press
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001
0891288732 $14.95 1-800-232-3044 www.afb.org
Compiled and edited by Jane N. Erin (Professor and Coordinator of Programs in Visual
Impairment in the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and School Psychology at the
University of Arizona) When You Have A Visually Impaired Student With Multiple Disabilities In
Your Classroom is an instructional guide for special education and regular classroom teachers
needing to address the learning conditions of students with visual impairments complicated with
additional disabilities. Comprehensively covering common conditions among studies with visual
and multiple disabilities to adapting instructions to meet special needs, to managing behavioral
issues, to specialized materials based on a child's ability, When You Have A Visually Impaired
Student With Multiple Disabilities In Your Classroom is an essential and continuing
reference.
Children's Play
Edward F. Zigler, et al.
Zero To Three Press
2000 "M" Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036-3307
094365775X $39.95 www.zerotothree.org
Collaboratively compiled and deftly edited by Edward F. Zigler (Sterling Professor Emeritus of
Psychology, Yale University), Dorothy G. Singer (Senior Research Scientist at the Department of
Psychology and Child Study Center, Yale University), and Sandra J. Bishop-Josef (Assistant
Director of the Yale Center In Child Development and Social Policy), Children's Play: The Roots
Of Reading is a collection of essays providing the reader with summaries of contemporary and
extensive empirical research into the value of play for both cognitive and social development. The
sixteen contributors are leading experts in play research, child development, and early childhood
education. The cumulative effect of the contributions is to underscore the importance of play in
enabling children to learn basic literacy skills, achieve social awareness, and in developing and
implementing creative problem solving skills. Children's Play is especially recommended for its
comprehensive summary of the developmental benefits of play enhanced with examples of how
research has been applied in practice, together with multicultural perspectives on play and ideas
for how to play imaginative games with children. Children's Play is very highly recommended and
quite accessible reading for parents, teachers, preschool staff members, and students in the field of
Child Development.
Closing The Achievement Gap
Belinda Williams
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
0871208385 $25.95 1-800-933-ASCD www.ascd.org
Compiled and edited by Belinda Williams, and now in an updated and revised second edition,
Closing The Achievement Gap: A Vision For Changing Beliefs And Practices focuses on the
necessity for educators becoming more sensitive to the worldviews of disadvantaged students and
incorporating this awareness into their curriculums and teaching strategies for such students. The
contributors persuasively argue that teachers, principals, and policy makers must learn about
cultural perceptions of human development; apply this knowledge to professional development
and comprehensive reform; and then aligning political and educational policies accordingly. Very
strongly recommended reading for the frontline classroom teacher, Closing The Achievement Gap
also offers specific suggestions for bridging the cultural divide through vocabulary instructions,
opportunity-to-learn strategies, and school-level organizational reform.
Viritual College
Pam Dixon
Peterson's
PO Box 67005, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
1560796294 $9.95 1-800-338-3282 www.petersons.com
Earning a college degree or other educational certificates through the "long distance" venues of
television, computer, and the mails is becoming increasingly popular and commonplace. Virtual
College: A Quick Guide To All You Need To Know To Get The Degree You Want With
Computer, TV, Video, Audio, And Other Distance Learning Tools by education and education
technology expert Pam Dixon is an ideal introductory survey which includes all the information
required to select the program and the venue that is best for the reader's own particular
circumstances and goals. Included is timely information on what kind of credits/degrees can be
earned, whether credits already earned can be transferred, how much does long distant learning
cost, what it's like to take classes without being "on site", and so much more. If you are
considering off-campus learning as an alternative to traditional enrollment, then give Pam Dixon's
Virtual College a quick and carefully reading!
College Exploration On The Internet
College & Career Press, LLC
3139 North Lincoln Avenue, Suite 208, Chicago, IL 60657
0974525103 $19.95 www.collegeandcareerpress.com
College Exploration On The Internet: A Student And Counselor's Guide To More Than 500
Websites is an impressively compiled and organized 342-page resource directory to five hundred
college-related websites offering free information about themselves, and helping highschool
students, their parents and school counselors a great deal of time, money, and avoiding incorrect
information about college admissions, financial assistance, minority resources, women's issues,
and more. Of special value is the section devoted to more than 600 online resources and
publications offered by professional associations and governmental agencies. These resources will
materially assists students in learning about their college options relevant to more than 350
careers. Thoroughly "user friendly", College Exploration On The Internet is a highly
recommended addition to all highschool counseling reference shelves, and would be a welcome
and popular addition to community library collections for the use of those seeking to enter or
re-enter colleges as post-highschool adults.
Pathways Of Diversity And Enlightenment
Keith B. Armstrong
Educational Studies Press
College of Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115-2854
1879528290 $17.95 1-800-348-7543 www.niu.edu
In Pathways Of Diversity And Enlightenment: Critical Reflections For Transformation, Keith
Armstrong offers up a series of viewpoints drawn from university affiliated academicians and
"self-appointed" scholars with respect to the contemporary condition of higher education in
America. Armstrong outlines the benefits of the participatory group approach to define, describe,
and study the strengths and weaknesses of the collegiate community today -- a once "ivory tower"
society that nowadays has become a microcosm of the larger society in terms of who is allowed to
speak and who (covertly or overtly) is compelled to silence. Pathways Of Diversity And
Enlightenment is enthusiastically recommended reading, especially for anyone with an interest in
developing a free and open academia within a college or university culture of inquiry and
expression.
Writing Like Writers
Kathryn L. Johnson & Pamela V. Westcott
Prufrock Press Inc.
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
159363000X $27.95 1-800-998-2208 www.prufrock.com
In Writing Like Writers: Guiding Elementary Children Through A Writer's Workshop, Kathryn
Johnson (who teaches Language Arts Methods and supervises student teachers at the University
of Rhode Island) has teamed up with Pamela Westkott (who has been teaching third grade for
most of her career in a suburban Rhode Island seaside town) to provide frontline elementary
school classroom teachers with a complete and comprehensive instruction manual on instilling
creative writing skills in their students through the forum of a writing workshop. Writing Like
Writers takes the instructor step-by-step through the process of creating an engaging and
productive young writer's workshop in any ordinary classroom and integrated into any standard
curriculum. The instructional text is enhanced with illustrative real-life experience-based
anecdotes and stories that will inspire the classroom teacher with respect to suggested changes in
their approaches to teaching writing to young students. Fully covered are such basic issues as
preparing classroom materials for an effective writing environment; utilizing scaffolding
techniques to guide the student through the process of writing; strategies and crafts allowing
young writers to clearly and descriptively express their ideas. There are even reproducible
workshops and helpful websites. Writing Like Writers is commended to the attention of
classroom teachers, school curriculum developers, and would prove immensely useful to
dedicated homeschooling parents for their use as well.
Improvisation For Actors And Writers
Bill Lynn Meriwether Publishing Ltd.
PO Box 7710, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7710
1566080940 $17.95 1-719-594-4422 www.meriwether.com
Improvisation For Actors And Writers: A Guidebook For Improv Lessons In Comedy by Bill
Lynn is a complete handbook for the aspiring improv actor and organized into five specific
sections: Comedy Schools; Improv Comedy Basics; Developing Comic Characters; Long Form
Improv; and Writing Sketch Comedy. This informed and informative "how to" manual is
enhanced with an extensive appendix of improv exercises. Improvisation For Actors And Writers
is a clearly valuable addition to theatre department reference collections and "must" reading for
anyone who has an interest in writing or performing improv on the stage or for television.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
The Surfcaster's Guide To Baits, Rigs And Lures
Milt Rosko
Burford Books, Inc.
32 Morris Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081
1580801188 $14.95 1-973-258-0960 www.burfordbooks.com
The Surfcaster's Guide To Baits, Rigs And Lures by angling expert Milt Rosko is a
comprehensive and superbly presented compendium of the basic tips, techniques, and equipment
so necessary for successful surfcaster fishing. The lures range from Rattle Plug, Rigged Eels, and
Plastic Bait Tail; to natural baits like Surf Clams, Sea Worms, Mullet, and Shrimp; to bait rigs
such as snap float rigs, multihook rigs, bait-snagging rigs, single-hook rigs, and fishfinder rigs.
The Surfcaster's Guide To Baits, Rigs And Lures is confidently recommended to the novice
surfcaster and has much to recommend as a refresher reference for even the more experienced
surfcasters.
Dynamite Doubles
Helle Sparre Viragh & Jim Schock
Regent Press
6020-A Adeline, Oakland, CA 94608
1587900661 $17.95 www.regentpress.net
Championship tennis player Helle Sparre in collaboration with sports broadcaster Jim Schock
teaches the club and tournament players just how to improve their "doubles" tennis game in a
single afternoon in Dynamite Doubles: Playing Winning Tennis Today! Players should address
four basic questions about doubles tennis: What should I have done?; Where should I have been?;
How could I have gotten that?; and Whose was that?. Enhanced with line drawings throughout,
Dynamite Doubles offers thoroughly "user friendly" instructional advice and insights
recommended to the attention of all dedicated tennis players seeking to substantially improve their
doubles play!
Rawlings Presents Big Stix
Rob Rains
Sports Publishing
804 North Neil Street, Champaign, IL 61820
1582617570 $24.95 1-877-424-2665 www.SportsPublishingLLC.com
Enhanced throughout with color photography, Rawlings Presents Big Stix: The Greatest Hitters
In The History Of The Major Leagues showcases the top twenty-five hitters in the history of
major league baseball. Veteran baseball writer Rob Rains presents a carefully documented and
descriptive analysis of baseball's all time great hitters and establishes a ranking for them that is fair
and balanced. This is no easy task as the hitter's are drawn from different eras of the game from
the legendary Babe Ruth to the 2003 baseball season phenomena of the San Francisco Giants'
Barry Bonds. Incidentally, the Rawlings referred to in the title is the Rawlings Sporting Goods
company which has a long history of providing players their bat of choice. Rawlings Presents Big
Stix is a welcome and recommended addition to any dedicated baseball fan's personal reading list
-- and will serve as the catalyst for many a spirited bar room or ball park discussion on the subject
of baseball's best and brightest hitters.
The Smell Of Sweat
William Blake Tyrrell
Bochazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
086516553X $29.00 1-847-526-4344 www.bolchazy.com
Impressively enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM, The Smell Of Sweat: Greek Athletics,
Olympics, And Culture is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of students of Hellenic
Studies and/or Olympics Sports. This remarkable body of impeccable scholarship survey's Greek
athletics from the Homeric era down through the fourth century BCE. There is a wonderful body
of sound information on ancient religious and athletic centers, the festivals that were associated
with Hellenic games; the unique culture of the "gymnasion"; and more. The CD-ROM provides
easy access to literally hundreds of ancient original sources in translation. With its extensive
bibliography for further study, The Smell Of Sweat is enthusiastically recommended for personal
and academic instructional and reference collections.
Games For The Gods
John J. Herrmann, Jr. & Christine Kondoleon
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts - Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-5523
0878466819 $29.95 1-617-369-3438 www.mfa-publications.org
Just as in our own 21st century western culture, sports and athletic contests were a vital part of
daily life in ancient Greece. Competitive tournaments were regularly held to venerate the gods,
honor local heroes, and advance the prestige of the contestants and their communities. Of all the
four major sporting events held periodically in Greece, it was the Olympic Games that held the
highest prestige and drew the largest crowds of spectators and numbers of contestants from all
over the Hellenic world. Games For The Gods: The Greek Athlete And The Olympic Spirit
explores these ancient contests held every four years and reveals the original traditions of athletics
-- comparing them to those of our modern Olympic games. Greek customs such as associating
athletic festivals with certain gods, seeing athletes compete in the nude, watching athletes resort
to fighting dirty as an accepted practice, and other elements of ancient gaming might seek
disquieting to contemporary readers, but the excitement of competition, admiration for athletic
skill, and the glorification of champions will seem very familiar indeed. Enhanced with superb
illustrations drawn from collections of antiquarian sculptures, vases and coins, Games For The
Gods is also illustrated by world class photographers in a unique celebration of the Olympic spirit.
Also available in a hardcover edition (0878466800, $45.00), Games For The Gods is a wonderful
acquisition selection for community libraries and "must" reading for anyone who has ever thrilled
to Olympic Game competitions!
The Culture Of The Roman Plebs
Nicholas Horsfall
Duckworth
c/o International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
0715632388 $19.95 1-800-758-3756
Most histories of Roman antiquity principally focus on the elite aristocracy and the military
generals that supported or overthrew them. The Culture Of The Roman Plebs by independent
scholar Nicholas Horsfall is a welcome and long needed history that specifically addresses the life
of the common people that populated and made possible what became known as the Roman
Empire. From the noisy, active role of the common populace, to their songs, dances, music,
shows, games, and daily life, The Culture Of The Roman Plebs fills in the larger picture. Of
special note is the Nicholas Horsfall has meticulously translated and reconstructed what the
average Roman talked and thought about as recorded in graffiti and the other odds and ends of
notation derived from the records of ordinary Roman life as they have survived over the past two
thousand years. The Culture Of The Roman Plebs is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended
addition to academic library collections and would make an excellent title for community library
Ancient History collections for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Roman
history.
Food Regulation And Trade
Tim Josling, et al
Institute For International Economics
1750 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1903
0881323462 $29.95 1-202-328-9000 www.iie.com
The collaborative effort of Timothy Josling (Emeritus Professor at the Food Research Institute
and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for International Studies, Stanford University), Donna
Roberts (Senior Economist at the Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture),
and David Orden (Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute and
a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University), Food Regulation And Trade: Toward A Safe And Open Global
System is a seminal and ground breaking study which examines the current state of regulation
with respect to the increasingly global food system. Analyzing the underlying causes of trade
conflicts precipitated by conflicting national interests as well as such emergency anomalies as the
outbreak of "mad cow disease", Food Regulation And Trade outlines the steps that need to be
taken in order to ensure that food safety and open trade become not only compatible but mutually
supporting. With the use of illustrative case studies, suggestions for improving regulatory
authority performance, the focus on what international institutions can do to coordinate
international efforts among developed and developing countries, the necessity for international
rules focused on reductions in transaction costs, Food Regulation And Trade is a timely and
critically important contribution to corporate, governmental, and academic International
Economics Studies reading lists and reference library collections.
Defying The Odds
Eugene Versluysen
Kurmarian Press
14 Oakwood Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06119-2127
1565490932 $24.95 1-800-289-2664 www.kpbooks.com
Defying The Odds; Banking For The Poor is a seminal and ground breaking study on the growth
of what has been termed "microfinance" within the context of developing countries and their
socio-economic conditions. Utilizing specific country-based case studies, financial economist
Eugene Versluysen sheds considerable light on the experiences and achievements of microfinance
institutions and their clients. Defying The Odds is especially commended to the attention of the
students of International Economics, and will be of immense interest to non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the welfare and improvement of third world country economics and
societies.
Wolf At The Door
James R. Powell & Alan B. Flanders
Brandylane Publishers, Inc.
1711 East Main Street, Suite 9, Richmond, VA 23223
1883911575 $16.95 1-804-644-3090 www.brandylanepublishers.com
Attacks by German submarines on Atlantic coastline targets during World War II were a very real
possibility and one to be guarded against by the American Navy and Coast Guard. In Wolf At The
Door: The World War II Antisubmarine Battle For Hampton Roads, Virginia, James Powell
builds upon original scholarship and research (an in collaboration academician Alan B. Flanders
who is an expert in naval history and a prolific author of maritime history books) to reveal the
story of the U.S. Fifth Naval District's defeat of German U-boats in the struggle for Hampton
Roads, Virginian -- including perspectives of naval officers and captains from both sides of the
conflict, and in the process also informs the interested reader in the overall development of the
U.S. Antisubmarine Warfare Program. Wolf At The Door is a unique and invaluable addition to
the growing library of World War II Military Histories.
Tariffs, Blockades, And Inflation
Mark Thorton & Robert B. Ekelund Jr.
SR Books
104 Greenhill Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19805-1897
0842029613 $19.95 1-800-772-8937 www.scholarly.com
The scholarly collaboration of academicians Mark Thornton (Columbus State University) and
Robert B. Ekelund Jr. (Auburn University is part of the SR Books' "American Crisis Series" of
books on the Civil War era and recommended to the attention of Civil War buffs as well as
academia. Drawing upon contemporary economic analyses including supply and demand, modern
market theory, and the economics of politics to interpret events of the Civil War, Tariffs,
Blockades, And Inflation: The Economics Of The Civil War presents the often complex intricacies
to reveal the role played by economics in plunging the United States into civil war during the
1860s, as well as the effect of the war (including post-war Reconstruction) upon the economies of
the North and the South. Also available in a hardcover format (0842029605, $65.00), Tariffs,
Blockades, And Inflation is a work of meticulous detail enhanced with charts, a bibliographical
essay, and an index.
Jack Burroughs
Reviewer
Carson's Bookshelf
The Catalan
Alex Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1857443462 $19.95 1-800-243-0495
The Catalan is one of the most favored chess openings executed by the world's top players. The
collaborative effort of chess experts Alex Raetsky (Russian International Master) and Maxim
Chetverik (an FIDE Master), The Catalan offers a comprehensive survey of this specialized
opening, outlining the most common plans and tactics associated with the move. The Catalan is an
indispensable addition to the reference shelf and reading list of any and all dedicated players
seeking to play at tournament level proficiency and accomplishment.
Round Barns Of New York
Richard Triumpho
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
0815607962 $24.95 1-800-365-8929
Unique and very highly recommended reading, Round Barns Of New York by freelance writer
and columnist Richard Triumpho is an historical survey and celebration of the first five "round
barns" build across the American rural landscape. These barns were an architectural innovation
engaged in by farmers and were, in fact, octagonal in shape. The first one was erected in New
York state in 1874 by Elliott Stewart. Then after a dozen similar structures were created, John
McArthur constructed a polygonal (sixteen-sided, double octagon) barn was built and, at the time,
was the largest barn in the state and the second largest in the entire country. Enhanced with more
than 70 photographs and line drawings, historical data, and anecdotal stories by present owners,
Round Barns Of New York showcases the history of the basic and innovative idea behind round
barns.
Yaxcaba And The Caste War Of Yucatan
Rani T. Alexander
University of New Mexico Press
0826329624 $49.95 1-800-249-7737 www.unmpress.com
The "caste war" that took place in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico from 1847 to 1901 is
justifiably considered to be the most successful Native American rebellion against European
influence and domination to take place in the recorded history of the New World. It was the
attempt by the Mayan people to eradicate foreign domination and revitalize their ancient culture.
The conflict led eventually to successful agrarian reform and the reassertion of traditional Mayan
land use. It also generate a new religion with priesthood and cultural practices focused on the
worship of a prophetic "talking" cross. The resulting economic and cultural transformation
provided informative insights for understanding present-day Mexico and the expansion of
capitalism to the rural countryside. Yaxcaba And The Caste War Of Yucatan: An Archaeological
Perspective by Rani T. Alexander (Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and
Anthropology, New Mexico Statue University - Las Cruces) is an impressive work of original
scholarship and a highly recommended addition to academic library reference collections and New
World Archaeology supplemental reading lists.
Antidumping Exposed
Brink Lindsey & Daniel J. Ikenson
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
1930865481 $24.95 www.cato.org
Brink Lindsey (Director of the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies) and Daniel J.
Ikenson (Policy Analyst with the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies) effectively
collaborate in Antidumping Exposed: The Devilish Details Of Unfair Trade Law to reveal how the
American antidumping law actually works. A popular law that sounds appealing with such
concepts as "fairness" and "level playing fields" is convoluted, technically complex, and doesn't
actually deliver as promised. Here revealed in comprehensive detail, is a step-by-step guide to
how dumping is both defined and implemented under current rules. The authors describe the many
methodological quirks and biases which result in the stigmatization of healthy competition as
"unfair" and penalized. Antidumping Exposed ought to be required reading for every national
politician, agency policy maker, economist, and corporate executive concerned with international
trade issues in general, and the anti-dumping laws in particular.
Analysis Of Shaolin Chin Na
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publication Center
4354 Washington Street, Roslindale, MA 02131
1594390002 $26.95 1-800-669-8892 www.ymaa.com
Shaolin Chin Na is one of the four major Chinese martial arts fighting categories, the one dealing
with "size and control". The other three are Ti (kicking), and Da (striking), Shuai (wrestling).
Now in a completely updated and significantly expanded second edition, Analysis Of Shaolin Chin
Na by renowned Chinese martial arts and Qigong expert and instructor Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
shows the aspiring martial arts students every aspect and every step in effectively defending from
attack through the use of Shaolin Chin Na counters. For the substantial benefit of contemporary
martial arts students, the old Chinese spelling system has been replaced by the new academic
Pinyin system with Chinese characters being included in the text. Enhanced with 150 illustrative
photographs, easily learned and integrated into any martial arts style, Analysis Of Shaolin Chin Na
will be a welcome addition to personal, professional, and dojo library reference collections.
The Fighting Tomahawk
Dwight C. McLemore
Paladin Press
Gunbarrel Tech Center, 7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
1581604416 $39.95 1-800-392-2400 www.paladin-press.com
A low-tech, high-impact weapon that traces its origins back into the dim mists of recorded human
history, the tomahawk has been carried by American soldiers into combat during every war and
"police action" the American military has conducted from the Revolutionary War down to the
contemporary battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. In The Fighting Tomahawk, Dwight
McLemore traces both the origins and the fighting techniques for this brutally effective weapons.
Enhanced with line drawings, readers can learn how to employ this weapon both singly or in
combination with the long knife, engaging either single combatants or multiple-opponent fights.
Both offensive and defensive moves are fully covered, including the chop, cut, rake, deflection,
intercepting punch, circular catch and pull, stab, scissor catch, and more. A combination weapons
history guide and combat instruction manual, The Fighting Tomahawk is both a unique and very
highly recommended addition to any martial arts or military combat techniques reference book
collection.
Trench Knives And Mustard Gas
Hughs S. Thompson
Texas A&M University Press
Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843-4354
1585442909 $29.95 1-800-826-8911
Trench Knives And Mustard Gas: With The 42nd Rainbow Division In France by historian Hugh
S. Thompson consists of his personal memoirs of fighting in the trenches of World War I.
Informed and informative, this is the story of a young man who entered the U.S. Army in 1918 as
an officer and served with the 42nd Rainbow Division -- which was one of the first units to secure
a sector of the line along the Western Front and experience the horror of mustard gas attacks by
the Germans. Thompson barely survived the lethal battles of Lorraine, Champagne, and St.
Mithiel, suffering severe wounds to the arm, leg, and back on three separate occasions. He was
eventually awarded the Silver Star, the French Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart with three
Oak Leaf Clusters. Ably written with a personal intensity and realism, this battlefield memoir was
originally published in 1934 in the "Chattanooga Times". This new edition from Texas A&M
University Press has been enhanced with a superb introduction by historian, academician, and
World War I expert Robert H. Ferrell. Vivid, insightful, and very strongly recommended reading,
this memoir (Thompson died in 1961) is an enduring tribute to the hardships and horrors,
comraderie and dedication, that were so characteristics of life and death on the western
battlefields of World War I.
Collapse At Meuse-Argonne
Robert H. Ferrell
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
0826215327 $29.95 1-800-828-1894
Collapse At Meuse-Argonne: The Failure Of The Missouri-Kansas Division by Robert H. Ferrall
(Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University), is the story of the American Thirty-Fifth
Division during World War I. This military expeditionary force was composed of National Guard
units from Missouri and Kansas. Engaging in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne with no previous
battle experience and only a minor amount of training, as well as a few weeks of garrisoning in a
quiet sector in Alsace, this division and its thousands of men quite literally fell apart in the face of
enemy forces in only five days. Historian and academician Robert Ferrall does an impressive work
of original scholarship to describe what the problems were (including incompetence officer
leadership at the highest levels). The focus upon this single battle offers a "window-in-time"
perspective that will prove invaluable for a broader understanding of the difficulties of World War
I era frontline combat. Collapse At Meuse-Argonne is a superbly researched and presented body
of work that is strongly recommended for both academic library collections and military history
buff reading lists.
West Coast RV Camping
Tom Stienstra
Foghorn Outdoors
c/o Avalon Travel Publishing
1400 - 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1566916712 $21.95 www.foghorn.com
Exhaustively compiled and deftly organized by Tom Stienstra, West Coast RV Camping: The
Complete Guide To More Than 1,800 RV Parks And Campgrounds In California, Oregon, And
Washington is the definitive reference for anyone planning an RV vacation, day-trip, or scenic
travel along the western coast of America. West Coast RV Camping is a 917-page compendium
of helpful descriptions outlining campground features including wheelchair access, drive-through
sites, and power hookups. Travelers are succinctly informed with respect to a variety of RV
parks, including those near beaches, forests, lakes, rivers, hot springs, and urban areas. Precise
driving directions and information on fees and reservations policies are also included. Of special
note are Tom Stienstra's own "Picks" where he designates and recommends the prettiest lakes,
best fishing, and best wildlife viewing in the three state area. If you have an RV and are bound for
California, Oregon and/or Washington, then begin planning your itinerary with a copy of Tom
Stienstra's West Coast RV Camping!
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Christy's Bookshelf
Marvin Monster's Big Date
Tabatha Jean D'Agata
Illustrated by Bonnie Everett-Hawkes
Moo Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 54, Warwick, NY 10990-0054
www.MooPress.com 845-987-7750
ISBN 0972485368 $5.95, US $7.95 CAN 32 pages
Tabatha Jean D'Agata has written many children's books, including SILENT SAM, PAMPERED
PALS, PETER'S PEPPERONIA ADVENTURES, AND KEISHA'S BEST BIRTHDAY.
Founder of The Savvy Click, an online magazine on books and writing for all readers, Tabatha is
a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Illustrator Bonnie Everett-Hawkes is a graphic designer, illustrator, and photographer. She has
been professionally illustrating books since 1975 and graduated with honors from the Art Institute
of Dallas, Texas in 1998. Her work has been shown all over the world.
MARVIN MONSTER'S BIG DATE is the first book in the Early Reader Chapter Book series
teaching important social skills. Marvin Monster lives in Marshville and is a second grader at
Grim Castle Elementary School. Marvin makes his first date, to walk Reba Banshee to school,
which turns into a day in which nothing seems to go right. However, Marvin learns some
important lessons along the way involving friendship with his peers.
D'Agata combines a creative imagination and wonderful sense of humor to produce a sensitive,
heartwarming story for all young readers. The characters are wonderfully fun, the dialogue
freshly unique, and the lessons learned by Marvin valuable and relevant to the reader's age. The
illustrations sprinkled throughout are conducive to the story and eye-appealing, and presented
with true finesse. A highly entertaining children's story, MARVIN MONSTER'S BIG DATE
would make a valuable addition to any child's book collection as well as classrooms and libraries
across America.
The Buckseller
F. E. Mazur
PublishAmerica
P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
www.publishamerica.com 301-631-9073
ISBN 1413707033 $19.95, 212 pages
Author F. E. Mazur resides on 71 acres in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. THE
BUCKSELLER is Mazur's second novel, and his writing has been praised as "intelligent,
serious."
Opening day of deer season in Bingham County, Pennsylvania brings thousands of hunters into
the small communities comprising the county, welcomed by the local businesses while being
simply tolerated by the locals. On opening day, two hunters are found shot to death, one an
outsider, the second a local man who resided in the Buckseller. Rumors abound and several
blame a national anti-hunting organization for the deaths. Meredith Tome, editor of the Tier
Sentinel, smarting from a recent judgment against his paper, agrees not to publish the suspicion
the deaths could be caused by a sniper, due to the concern expressed by politicians and business
owners this will drive the hunters, ergo cash flow, away. A decision Tome will come to regret
when the killing continues.
THE BUCKSELLER, like SPINE, is fiction with an edge; a galvanizing look into the inner
workings of a small community, the ascendancy of provincial politicians and business owners who
want nothing more than to prosper from outsiders, and the inner turmoil of a man who has been
pressured into making a decision that does not set well with his principles. Written with keen
insight, this is a powerful read doling out action and suspense with true finesse.
Wind out of the West
Lila B. Mullins
PublishAmerica
P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
www.publishamerica.com 301-631-9073
ISBN 1413704042 $19.95, 227 pages
Author Lila Mullins has lived in Nashville, Tennessee since 1946. A traveling military wife during
World War II, Mullins began writing inspirational nonfiction after her husband's death in 1990.
WIND OUT OF THE WEST is her second fictional novel.
Rosa Lee Barton, her husband, Tom, and their families are part of a wagon train caravan trekking
Westward from the Ohio Territory during the mid 1800's. Their goal is to settle on and farm free
land provided by the Homestead Act. Three months into their trip, the wagon train is attacked by
Indian warriors. Rosa manages to flee the attackers but trips on a large rock and injures her leg.
Eagle, an Indian brave, rescues Rosa and takes her to his teepee, where he nurses her back to
health. The story that follows is one filled with love and wonder, tracking the relationship that
develops between Rosa, whose Indian name is Sunrise, and Eagle, the tribe's medicine man. Rosa
is a woman of infinite insight who quickly forgives the Indian people for taking her family from
her. Although Rosa cannot marry an Indian under American law, she and Eagle commit
themselves to one another and marry within the Indian tradition. The changes that take place
within a nearby small town and the Indian camp Rosa inhabits are wondrous to observe. The two
communities learn to live in harmony and acceptance of one another, with the encouragement of
Rosa and Eagle.
Lila Mullins is a poetic writer with eloquence to stir the soul and warm the heart. This is a
beautiful story of love between a man and woman of differing cultures, as well as the peoples of
two different nations. Ms. Mullins interweaves a perfect mix of Western history into her story,
relaying the changes that took place within our country during the mid to late 1800s, as well as
natural remedies utilized by the Indians and pioneers for disease and injury. A compelling read
that entertains throughout.
Christy Tillery French
Reviewer
Debra's Bookshelf
Marion's Wall (in 3 by Finney)
Jack Finney
Fireside/Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 067164048 $13.00 416 pages
(Marion's Wall is one of three novels included in this collection)
The skeleton of the story told by Jack Finney in his 1973 novel Marion's Wall is interesting
enough. Married couple Nick and Jan--and their basset hound Al--move in to the second floor of
a San Francisco house where, they discover, a silent screen actress by the name of Marion Marsh
had once lived. (They find her name painted on the living room wall; hence the book's title.)
Marion, a brash blonde with a penchant for risk-taking, had died in a car accident just before she
would have made it big: Joan Crawford, in her first role, assumed the part Marion had been cast
for and won the accolades that were due her predecessor. Cheated of this glowing future,
Marion's ghost, as it turns out, wants to pursue her career in 1970's Hollywood, and she inhabits
Jan's body, eventually with the latter's permission, with a view to making her come-back. But
what will become of Jan, now that she's sharing her body with a wanton starlet? And how
frequently will Nick cheat on his wife with his wife's body? The reader's curiosity about these and
other questions may be sufficient to propel him or her to the book's finish line. But getting there is
a long slog.
Jack Finney, the author of, among other books, the science fiction classics Invasion of the Body
Snatchers and Time and Again, is quite capable of writing compelling fiction. And Marion's Wall
would have made a good short story. Unfortunately, the book is a short story's worth of material
stretched out to fill a novel's worth of pages. The story has not been expanded, as might have
been done, through the introduction of subplots and minor characters who make things more
difficult for our protagonists. Rather, it was expanded through the accumulation of wholly
unnecessary, mind-numbingly uninteresting description. Particularly in the last thirty or so pages
of the book, the details come so thick and fast that one reads on just to see how many more
inconsequential items the author can paint with such precision. A small example of this comes
some twenty pages from the end, when Nick and Jan/Marion are let into a gate by an employee of
the mansion they're calling at--a man whose only function in the story is to open that gate and
who is never heard from again: "We heard a sound, a rattle, and a man on a bicycle was riding
bumpily down the driveway toward us: youngish, bald, and wearing a kind of butler's uniform,
though without a coat--black pants with a narrow white stripe down the sides, black and white
horizontally striped vest, wing collar, bow tie." Now imagine that virtually every object our
heroes come across is described as precisely.
If you want to know whether Jan ever gets her body back, or what it's like to bed the ghost of a
1920s starlet, then Marion's Wall is the book for you. But if you want to appreciate Jack Finney's
writing and imagination, stick to the classics.
The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk
David Ambrose
Warner Books
ISBN: 0446527963 $23.95 309 pages
David Ambrose's suspense-filled The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk offers one of the strangest,
most labyrinthine plots I've ever encountered. It's a difficult novel to pin down: Bourne Identity
meets Memento meets St. Elsewhere meets...but if I told you the final element it would give away
the biggest surprise in the book.
The Charlie Monk to whose discrete charm the book's title refers is a highly trained government
operative who works for an organization so secretive even he couldn't identify it. Given orders in
clandestine meetings by his otherwise nameless master, Control, Charlie undertakes thrilling,
James Bond-worthy missions--and in his off hours satisfies his Bond-sized appetites. Charlie is the
perfect secret agent, focused single-mindedly on the task at hand, obedient, almost effortlessly
lethal, and loyal, having been rescued by his current employers from an unpleasant childhood in an
abusive orphanage. Charlie's memories of that period of his life are curiously indistinct, but that is
something the book's other principal character can help him with: Dr. Susan Flemyng is a brilliant
research scientist who specializes in the brain's retention of visual memories. She and Charlie
cross paths repeatedly in the book.
For the most part the writing in The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk is transparent, as is
appropriate in a book you want to speed read through. (I clocked in at just over 24 hours.) In a
few action scenes, however, the narrative seems abbreviated, as if a paragraph or two were left
out in the rush of describing dramatic events, and the reader is left confused about exactly what is
happening. But it doesn't matter. The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk is a wild ride that's well
worth the read.
Puzzled to Death
Parnell Hall
Bantam
ISBN: 0553581465 $6.50 416 pages
The third book in Parnell Hall's series of crossword mysteries finds Cora Felton, the public face of
the syndicated Puzzle Lady newspaper column, roped into co-hosting a crossword puzzle
tournament in her adopted home town of Bakerhaven, Connecticut. The brains behind the charity
tournament, and Cora's co-host, is the smug and pedantic crossword constructor Harvey
Beerbaum, also a Bakerhaven resident. (How many professional cruciverbalists, one wonders, can
one small town realistically boast of?) Throughout the book Harvey seems ever more interested in
having Cora make a display of her puzzle-solving prowess, which leaves her suspicious: does
Harvey know that Cora is only acting as the front for the Puzzle Lady operation, and that her
niece Sherry is the talent of the outfit?
Added to the personal dramas among the series' regulars is, of course, a rash of murders, all
seemingly connected to the crossword tournament--just the thing to rouse Cora from her usual
state of insobriety and set her sleuthing. Puzzled to Death is a decent addition to the Puzzle Lady
books, offering a complex mystery as well as several puzzles for the reader to solve along with the
book's principals. But it remains a shame that Cora, an otherwise intelligent and likeable
character, is so unapologetically attached to her self-destructive habits. Clever and engaging on
the page, she would in the real world have about her the stench of a habitual smoker, and the
smoker's rasping cough and abbreviated life expectancy, and she would--if she were not currently
involved in a murder investigation (and how often can a layman count on that unlikely
distraction?)--very likely be plastered. Miss Felton should lose the liquor and tobacco so she can
be around to amuse fans with her amateur detecting for many years to come.
The Intelligencer
Leslie Silbert
Atria Books
ISBN: 0743432924 $24.00 338 pages
Leslie Silbert's erudite thriller follows the investigations of two intelligence operatives working
parallel cases some 400 years apart. Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, in the last
month before his fatal stabbing (in May of 1593), uncovers a smuggling operation and ruffles
some highly placed feathers. And in our own century, private investigator/secret agent/quondam
Renaissance scholar Kate Morgan is juggling two cases, one the attempted theft of a 400-year-old
packet of intelligence documents from the safe of playboy Cidro Medina, and the other an
11-million-dollar payoff by art dealer Luca de Tolomei to an Iranian intelligence officer.
Of the two interlaced stories, Kate Morgan's is the more engrossing. It is not so thrilling as to
keep anyone up past bedtime, and the storyline which does prompt some concern for Kate's safety
peters out disappointingly in the end. The flow of the primary tale, meanwhile, is disrupted by
Marlowe's story, which punctuates Kate's in roughly alternating chapters. But The Intelligencer is
worth the read because it is clever and because its principal character--Kate, not Marlowe--is so
well-delineated and likeable. The secondary players in Kate's universe are intriguing as well: her
secret agent boss with a classics degree from Princeton, her father the senator, her dead fiance.
We can look forward to learning more about them in subsequent books, as Kate is evidently
intended to anchor a new series: according to the jacket blurb, the author is currently at work on a
second Kate Morgan novel.
Deception Point
Dan Brown
Pocket Books
ISBN: 0671027387 $7.99 558 pages
Intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton, an employee of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), is
used to absorbing complex data and repackaging it into digestible bits for consumption by the
likes of Zach Herney, the President of the United States. As it happens, Rachel is also the
estranged daughter of Democratic senator and presidential candidate Sedgewick Sexton, who is
running against the incumbent on an anti-NASA platform. When NASA makes a
(conveniently-timed) discovery of unparalleled importance deep in the Arctic circle, inside a
three-hundred-foot-thick ice floe on the coast of Ellesmere Island, President Herney shrewdly
recruits Rachel to corroborate the find and summarize the science behind it for his staff. Rachel's
involvement in the project, however, which requires observation of the find in situ, plunges her
into a nightmarish race for survival after she and a small band of civilian scientists stumble upon
certain irregularities in NASA's evidence.
Deception Point is yet another taut, intelligent thriller from the keyboard of Dan Brown, who, like
his protagonist, excels at transforming complex information into digestible prose. This is
top-notch escapist fiction. Put it on your summer reading list.
Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear
Katharine Weber
Picador USA
ISBN: 0312143834 $12.00 272 pages
Photographer Harriet Rose, in Geneva for a month on a travel fellowship, is staying with her
former roommate Anne, who had left their Greenwich Village apartment to follow her recently
acquired married lover to Switzerland. Harriet finds Anne, this "strange new mistress-person"
she's become, wholly changed from the woman she knew in New York, smothering under the
demands of an oppressive relationship with her Victor, a fastidious, subtly abusive, toeless
Auschwitz survivor. In a journal addressed to--but not necessarily intended to be read by--her
new boyfriend Benedict, Harriet chronicles the absurd and dark relationship she is forced to
witness at close quarters. Happily, she is an excellent observer of minutiae and a witty reporter.
Of a dinner out with the unhappy couple, for example, Harriet writes:
"'I will take the steak,' Victor said to the waiter--rather imperiously, I thought. Why did it bother
me so? I will take the steak. I have no toes, so I will not merely have, as others do, but I will take.
I survived Auschwitz, so I can cheat on my wife and I will take the steak."
The first part of Katharine Weber's Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear, then, is
epistolary, the stories of Anne and Harriet told by the latter in a series of lengthy, nicely written
letters. In the remaining two-thirds of the book, related in third-person prose, Harriet's back story
is fleshed out--her privileged but profoundly sad childhood, with its parallels to her current
situation. Finally, the story returned to the present day, Anne's relationship with the enigmatic
Victor meets its greatest challenge.
Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear is a wonderful book, layered, poignant, and
beautifully written, and it comes highly recommended.
Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot.com Juggernaut
James Marcus
The New Press
ISBN: 0565848705 $24.95 260 pages
James Marcus's Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot.com Juggernaut is a
surprisingly quick and absorbing account of the author's five-year stint as an editor at
Amazon.com. Hired in 1996, in the early days of the e-tailer's historic march to world domination
(Marcus was employee number 55), the author watched the value of his stock options explode in
value during his tenure, and he saw his job as a provider of editorial content become increasingly
marginalized as Amazon turned to "personalization widgets" to automate the content of its
pages.
For an Amazon enthusiast like myself (I placed my first order--for a copy of Alison Weir's The
Wars of the Roses--relatively early, in October of 1997, and have handed over bagfuls of money
to the company since), Amazonia offers a titillating view of life behind the web site. Have you
ever wondered, for example, what a professional Amazonian's take on the reviews of Harriet
Klausner (Amazon's top-ranked reviewer) might be? But the book also reminds us of our recent
history, which, given the frenetic pace of change in the computer age, seems very long ago
indeed--those early days in the mid-90's when the average man on the street was only vaguely
aware, if aware at all, of the wonders of the world wide web. Remember PlanetAll, for example,
an online datebook service Amazon acquired back when PDAs weren't ubiquitous? I remembered,
but vaguely, once Marcus jogged my memory. Reading Amazonia, then, is an experience akin to
reminiscing with a rediscovered friend from grammar school. It's also a great read.
Debra Hamel, Reviewer
http://www.tryingneaira.com
Diana's Bookshelf
Alone With the Horrors
Ramsey Campbell
TOR
www.tor.com
ISBN: 0765307677 $27.95 448pgs
Some names are synonymous with horror and then there are some that surpass that and can only
be identified as masters of the craft. One such master is Ramsey Campbell. He is a prime example
to readers of what horror writing truly is when done right and someone most horror authors, for
that matter most authors of any genre, have, and will continue to admire.
Alone With the Horrors is a collection of fiction written from 1961 to 1991, thirty years of
bone-chilling shorts provided by a writer who has a flawless delivery. This is a perfect collection
for those that might not be familiar with The Master, and want to get a taste of his work, as it is
the best from the best. What I found particularly interesting about this collection is that the stories
are placed in chronological order, allowing readers to grow with Campbell and get a glimpse of
how each time had an affect on his work.
It is rare that I can honestly say every story in the collection was brilliant, but in the case of Alone
with the Horrors, I can say without a doubt that each and every story is brilliant. It is a
cover-to-cover thrill ride filled with stories to please every reader. There is a confidence in his
style that makes readers forget they are reading a story at all and that makes for some deeply
chilling moments. It is still as I am sure it will always be, a pleasure being scared by Ramsey
Campbell.
Hot writers of the moment, the flavors of the month, will come and go-as they should-but may we
always have Ramsey Campbell.
Changing of Faces
Tim Lebbon
PS Publishing
www.pspublishing.co.uk
ISBN: 1902880784 $40.00 98 pgs (signed limited edition)
One can only imagine what it would be like to live in a post apocalyptical world. I would like to
think that being among the few survivors from some disaster, man-made or otherwise, would
provide some sort of comfort. Thankfully, I am not in the world created by Tim Lebbon in his
novel Changing of Faces. The horror of losing all of your loved ones while not only facing but
also surviving zombies is just the beginning and hardly scrapes the surface of what real horrors are
lying in wait.
Jack and his father have managed to make it to the seaside where they find a few other survivors
living in an abandoned ferry. The things that attack them, huge animals, are relentless in their
quest to not only get inside the ferry, but also to devour the few who have sough refugee there.
Right from the very first attack Lebbon baths his readers in enough fast-paced action and gore to
please even the most desensitized horror reader-like me.
What was really neat for me to see was that not only does the author tell a tale of utter horror, he
also tells a character rich story featuring a young man named Jack, who seems to have something
special about him, something that grants him a glimpse at the horror to come, something calling to
him.
One of the scariest premises in horror fiction is facing a monster that is essentially unknown.
When a writer can create an 'it' that is ever changing, it adds to the suspense of the story, not
allowing a reader to ever know what to expect, and if the author knows what they are doing, as
Lebbon does, then the results will be deliciously horrible.
Tim Lebbon has a clear and concise prose style that makes his works breathtaking and full of
stunning imagery without taking away from the story. Although he paints a world filled with
dreadful things and horrible occurrences on many levels, it is a joy to allow his words to pull you
into the thick of it. Tim Lebbon has become one of my favorite of the new breed of horror writers
and I cannot wait for his next book I already have a place on my shelf reserved for it, so don't
make it too much longer please.
Diana Bennett, Reviewer
DianaBennett.com
Duncan's Bookshelf
Into Thin Air
Jon Krakauer
Anchor Books of Random House
New York, NY
ISBN#: 0606135243 $10.95 378 pages
WARNING: Obscenities
Into Thin Air is a nonfiction replay of the conditions on Mount Everest in Nepal on May 10, 1996
when winds of hurricane force pinned down and killed twelve climbers and Sherpas on the barren
ice and rocks of Everest. Krakauer's work is a testimony to the self-sacrifice of those who died
trying to rescue climbers who should never have been on the heights of 29,028 foot Everest.
When I taught English, our rule was 'You can't criticize a work of literature unless you have read
the entire work.' I have, and I will, as follows:
Krakauer uses the word f*** inside his book. He uses 'that word' where it was not necessary and
where an alternative word would have given the book value. His use of the word amounts to a
gratuitous obscenity in a non-fiction work that marks the author as a man who panders to the
illiterate and uneducated reader.
In my opinion, Into Thin Air is a book of obscenity and should not be in our high schools. To
permit the book to be available to high school students is to allow an author to commit violence
against children, for the use of the word f*** is a form of violence that cannot be allowed.
This book made the New York Times Bestseller list. While the material may be acceptable for
adults, it is definitely not acceptable in my high school.
Here is where he used the word, by page number: 108, 128, 162, 242, 246, 250, 254, 266, 286,
287, 287, 295, 333, 363. You can accuse me of being a prude. But realize this: the author
Krakauer could have used better alternative words with no violence inherent in their use.
The Door into Summer
Robert A. Heinlein
Science Fiction Book Club
401 Franklin Ave; Garden City, NY 11530
ISBN#: 0739431293; $9.95; 166 pages
Reprint of 1956 SciFi Novel
Please understand, we must applaud the Science Fiction Book Club for re-printing some older
classic SciFi novels to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. If you like SciFi you may simply enjoy
this novel. Or you may think this novel is simple. Or you may think the author simple.
Heinlein did not foresee the Personal Computer (PC) revolution. In 'Door into Summer' his
protagonist is busy, busy, busy building machines with specific programmable 'Thorsten' tubes that
will program the machine to do a specific set of tasks, like drafting or housework. The 'Engineer'
in his novel does not see that you and I would someday have the power of the PC on our desktop.
He did not see that we could go to a store to purchase software to do tabletop drafting, or to play
chess, or to conduct all the functions of home accounting.
The book's hero, Dan Davis is a likeable drudge (buried in his work) who does not dislike 1970
and is tricked into a 'long sleep' of 30 years. In 2000 he returns to 1970 and sets the world right
with his drafting machine and his 'Flexible Frank' household robot. In the end, Davis gets the girl
(and his cat) and a fortune for inventing these machines.
'Door into Summer' is a fun book. Do not, on pain of hearing me say, 'I told you so,' dare to take
the book serious. It is an example of SciFi as it was written in 1956 with a plausible plot and a
hero for whom we can cheer.
Q is for Quarry
Sue Grafton
G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin Putnam)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN#: 0399149155; $14.95 385 pages
Two aging detectives want closure on a Jane Doe case that remains unsolved. Detective Dolan is
suffering from heart disease and Detective Stacey is trying to keep his cancer in remission. They
turn to a young Private Eye Kinsey Millhone to take one last shot at putting a name to the 'Jane
Doe.'
Sue Grafton was inspired to write Q is for Quarry by an actual unsolved 'Jane Doe' murder that
occurred in 1969. She worked with the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Dept. in 2001. They eventually
exhumed 'Jane Doe' and a forensic sculptor completed a facial reconstruction. The novel Q is for
Quarry includes photos of that reconstruction. Grafton and the Sheriff's Department are hoping
that the "photographs will trigger memories that lead to a positive identification."
Solving the murder case in Q is for Quarry hinges on a 1966 red Mustang convertible that was
stolen, used to transport the body of 'Jane Doe' and then pushed into a ravine. The car has been
under a tarp in an old garage for 18 years while the owner tries to find the energy to restore the
car. Millhone and her two infirm detectives uncover just enough evidence to tie the murderer of
'Jane Doe' to the trunk of the Mustang.
This is 'Q' in the series that begins with A is for Alibi. Grafton writes an easily readable mystery,
with just a touch of 'chilling' adventure to keep the reader involved and intrigued. Grafton is a fun
read. I am envious of her talent.
Marty Duncan, Reviewer
www.omagadh.com
Emanuel's Bookshelf
The Book of Joe
Jonathan Tropper
Delacorte Press
ISBN 0385337418 $19.95 340 pp.
When best selling author Joe Goffman returns to his hometown due to his father's stroke, he ends
up getting much more than he expected. It seems that his book, a thinly veiled fictional account of
his growing up in the town, had caused a bit of an uproar when it was released. Fortunately for
Joe, he was still living in New York City, where his greatest worries were feeling guilty for
driving his Mercedes, psycho ex-girlfriends who call just to tell him how much of a jerk he is, and
getting advice from his best and only friend Owen, his literary agent.
Joe's return to Hope Falls is anything but dull. While his father's physical condition worsens, he
begins to get to know his jock brother Brad and Brad's family a bit better. Joe forms a special
bond with Brad's son Jared, a somewhat rebellious teenager who has a penchant for paintball and
marijuana. Joe even gets re-acquainted with Carly, his high-school sweetheart and only woman
he's ever loved and his best friend Wayne who is dying from AIDS. To top it off, Joel is presented
with the opportunity to live out a childhood fantasy with one of his best friend's mom.
Meanwhile, Joe must deal with the wrath of those who were affected by his writing, including an
ex-con, a policeman, and the local basketball coach who practically owns the town. When the
coach's wife greets Joe with a milkshake poured over his head, he knows he's in trouble. Even the
book club gets in on the act by personally dumping their copies of his book on the front lawn. It
seems that everyone wants a piece of him.
The Book of Joe is a touching coming-of-age story told with a smidgen of emotion and a
truckload of sarcasm and humor. Jonathan Tropper (Plan B) has created a first person narrative
that dances back and forth through time, from his Springsteen-inspired teen years, to his
unpredictable present, never missing a beat. The Book of Joe is currently in development at
Warner Brothers Studios. Let's just hope the movie is as good as the book.
Highly recommended.
Closing Techniques (That Really Work!)
Stephan Schiffman
Adams Media
ISBN 1558504109 $9.95 152 pp.
Selling is a tough business not for the faint at heart. If salespeople aren't dealing with prospects
slamming doors in their faces or hanging the phone up in their ears, then they're stressing about
meeting their quotas. Luckily there are books like Stephan Schiffman's "Closing Techniques (That
Really Work!) to help guide those in need of assistance.
The book is divided into three parts, Part One: The Fundamentals, Part Two: Breakthrough Ideas
for Closing Success, and Part Three: Rethinking Your Relationship with the Prospect. The
chapter titled "Verifying Your Information" is probably the best and most sound advice Schiffman
gives. He insists on doing all the necessary due diligence before the close so that time and money
isn't wasted when the close is presented.
Schiffman's experience as a corporate trainer shows when he states "Focusing on "closing" the
deal instead of "opening" the relationship is a classic sales mistake." He also gives helpful advice
on avoiding complacency. But above all, the advice given on closing techniques should help you
get from "no," "maybe," or "I'll think about it," to a resounding yes. Schiffman doesn't overwhelm
the reader with charts, graphs, or the latest re-packaged mumbo-jumbo on how to sell. Rather, he
does give sound, no-nonsense advice, not just for closing but for navigating the entire sales cycle.
He evens throws in a few proven scripts to help you get started. Closing Techniques makes an
ideal desk reference for those salespeople who may need to sharpen the saw and get back the
basics of selling.
Shifting Through Neutral
Bridgett M. Davis
Amistad Press
ISBN 0060572493 $23.95 320 pp.
"Shifting Through Neutral" is a coming-of-age story that covers the life of the Rae Dodson, the
main character (and narrator), from a young age until she turns seventeen. The story centers on
Rae's relationships with her somewhat dysfunctional family, including JD, her father who suffers
from migraines and hypertension, Vy, her mother who loves Stevie Wonder's music but has a
problem showing her love for her daughter, and Kimmie, Rae's older sister living in Louisiana
whom she idolizes. Though the family relationship is strained due to the fact that both of Rae's
parents are in love with other people, her parents continue to live in the same house so that Rae
can have access to both her parents. When Kimmie returns to Detroit for her summer vacation
after a long absence, Rae is torn between spending time with the ladies of the house and her father
with whom she shares a special bond that includes sleeping on his back for comfort. When
tragedy strikes, it threatens to tear the thin fabric of a relationship between Rae and Vy. Yet it
also reveals a deeper and stronger relationship between Rae and JD, exploring the social dynamic
of "daddy's little girl" to the nth power.
"Shifting Through Neutral" is the debut novel from Bridgett M. Davis, an associate professor of
English at Baruch College. The poignant story is written in first person narrative from the
protagonist's point of view, giving the reader a first-hand view of what it must have been like
growing up black, female, and confused in Detroit during the sixties, seventies and eighties. One
of the book's greatest strengths is that it never forgets the age and appropriate mentality of Rae
causing the reader to almost feel every twist and turn in her life. The cultural and geographical
references to pre-casino Detroit, i.e. Faygo pop, the giant slide at Belle Isle park, and driving on
Seven Mile Road will make those who grew up in the Motor City nostalgic for life in the city that
gave us Motown.
Though the reader may want to put on the brakes after reading the uneventful first half of the
book, the story begins to accelerate during the page-turning second half, when secret plans are
revealed and Rae must make what proves to be a life-altering decision. The style of the book is
driven by the book's driving theme, which includes its section introductions. For the patient
reader, this mellow story catapults into an original, well-written, and inviting piece of work, a nice
break from the current trend of "girlfriend" books and sex driven plots. "Shifting Through
Neutral" just may stand the test of time.
Emanuel Carpenter, Reviewer
www.geocities.com/emanuelcarpenter
Gary's Bookshelf
Abducted
Brian Pinkerton
Leisure
Dorchester Publishing Co. Inc
200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.smoochya.com
ISBN 0843953314 $6.99
Anita Sherwood's son is kidnapped. There is no trace of the kidnappers, no ransom note nothing
at all; he has just disappeared. Two years later in Chicago while attending a convention for her job
she sees a boy at a bus stop who bears a striking resemblance to her lost son. She tries to make
contact when a woman takes the child away. Anita now is obsessed with finding this boy she has
determined is her son. I love this type of book that is a fast paced thriller, but this one has several
flaws that took my enjoyment down a few notches. An example is that the author has described a
character who was killed, or so it seems, when a few pages later the same described dead person
fights off an attacker and is this time killed. I know that authors try to hold the suspense but they
still have an obligation to readers to make it logical. He does this same kind of thing with
something else, but to tell here would be to reveal the rest of the novel. At any rate, the book is
still worth reading because the author, for the most part, does a good job of keeping a tense pace
all the way to the end.
Crisis
Alexander M. Grace
Ibooks, Inc
24 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10010
www.1books.net
ISBN 0743486714 $6.99 212-645-9870
The author, who teaches international relations at the University of Central Florida in Orlando,
has written a great what if thriller of a military action by Fidel Castro against Russian and United
States troops. Covertly supporting him is China. Grace, who is also an expert on Latin America,
conveys the feel of the Cubans and shows how easy it would be for the world to go down the path
to a third world war. Crisis is a thriller that moves fast to its final conclusion.
Addicted to Unhappiness
Martha Heineman Pieper PH.D. and William J. Pieper M.D.
McGraw Hill Companies
www.books.mcgraw-kill.com
ISBN 0071433694 $14.95
The authors make a convincing argument that what you are is because of your parents. They in no
way are blaming parents, they are just saying that to trace a problem you have to go back to a
person's childhood. They are also saying, now that you know about it, do something to change it
instead of blaming everyone and everything else. This is the first time I have read a book of this
nature that tells individuals to take control of their own lives and not continue to pin the blame on
something else. The authors document with cases they have personally been involved to back up
their findings. The book is easy to read and has a lot to say about why many continue to be
unhappy.
Gasparilla Gold
M. Diane Vogt
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595212719 $16.95 877-288-4737
During the Festival of the pirates taking Tampa Bay named The Gasparilla, there is a jewelry
theft, bank fraud, and murder. Add to that mix the fact that Federal Judge Wilhelmina Carson is
not taking well that her father is dating someone closer to her own age. Just as she is dealing with
that, she finds she knows one of the victims of the murder at the festival, and that her secretary
and father could both be suspects in the killings. She realizes she has her hands full but is
determined to find the real killer. Set against the backdrop of Tampa and the Gasparilla, this novel
was a delight to read because the author has written well fleshed out characters involved in a
mystery of who did the killing and why at the celebrated event. The pace is very even and this is a
very good read for anyone who wants to have a good mystery to cuddle up to in the wee hours of
the morning. This book is coming out later this year in a hardback edition from New Millenium
Press.
Shakespeare Plays the Classroom
Stuart Omans and Maurice O' Sullivan Editors
Pineapple Press Inc
P. O. Box 3889, Sarasota, Florida 34230
www.pinapplepress.com
1561642770 $24.95 1-800-746-3275
With college students across the nation voting to not have Shakespeare and Chaucer in the
curriculum, it is refreshing, to see this fine book of essays that include Fred Rogers of "Mr.
Rogers Neighborhood" on why Shakespeare should be taught at all levels of education. Another
outstanding piece is titled "The Young Company" in which the author shows how staging
Shakespeare plays affected each of the kids' lives. All of the authors make convincing arguments
for not eliminating Shakespeare. Though the book is geared to an educator audience, the writing
is very simple and anyone can read and benefit from the fine expose of the truly master of the
written word. This collection should also be read by anyone who doubts the influence of
Shakespeare.
Lisa Maria's Guide for the Perplexed
Susan Hubbard
Red Dress Ink
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills Ontario Canada M3B 3K9
www.RedDressink.com
ISBN 0373250614 $12.95
Lisa Maria Marino is sick of her life in New York. She is tired of her nine to five job and all the
men she's been out with lately are just not the type she wants to be with so she decides to go back
home to her little town of New Sparta and start life over again as a maid who cleans peoples
homes. She is also asked to take over the advice column of the local weekly. Hubbard's story is a
delightful tale of the characters and the town of New Sparta in search of their identities. This is a
great summer read that should be highlighted on the Regis and Kelly show as one of Kelly's
choices for the month.
Americans Lost
Linda J. Falkner
Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc
P.O. Box 9949, College Station, TX77842
www.virtualbookworm.com
ISBN 1589392027 $13.95
In the summers of 1994, 2001 and September 11 2001 the author talked to homeless people in the
Tampa area. She reveals from their conversations how they became homeless, why they are still
there, how they live and lots more. As I was reading her pieces I thought if this is just one citiy's
homeless, how many more are there in the rest of the countr? The sad commentary is that we have
a whole population that, as a society we are not dealing with. This is a book that should be
required reading for all politicians at every level.
REC:ord
Vivian E, Garcia
Cloneminers
cloneminer@hotmail.com
ISBN 0972677801 $15.00
Garcia has blended the mystery and sci-fi genres into a thrilling novel that has a very surprising
ending. It seems that there are a rash of murders happening in a small Colorado town. But what
she comes up with as the reason is something the town's people would be too horrified to learn.
She flows her story along with many strange and interesting characters while leading slowly up to
her final conclusion that could be the next realm of humanity. I very much enjoyed this novel and
wonder when she will follow up with the sequel she bates the reader with at the end of the
book.
The Men Downstairs
Adam Gittlin
Bleak House Books
P.O.Box 8573, Madison WI 53708
www.bleakhousebooks.com
ISBN 1932557008 $23.95
I had a lot of fun with this tense thriller because a main portion of it takes place in my area of the
state of Florida, and its always fun to see if authors have described something here accurately. I
must admit though I did have a bit of confusion of characters at times because two of them have
very similar names. The story is of a serial killer on the loose in search of prostitutes in "The Big
Apple" with a tie-in with the Central Florida area. With easy to read prose the author takes the
reader on a roller coaster ride that is a delightful thriller to the very end.
Green Streak
Daniel J. Hale and Mathew LaBrot
Top Publications Ltd
12221 Merit Drive Suite 750, Dallas Texas 75251
www.ZekeArmstrong.com
ISBN 1929976283 $8.95
Zeke Armstrong and his best friend Pow Wow are in the Big Apple for an inline skate -off
competition. While practicing for the race they spot a woman being robbed by one of the racers.
Thus begins a new crime novel for the amateur sleuths who later solve the mystery of this old lady
and why someone would want to hurt her. The authors have written a very fast moving story that
is filled with interesting characters.
Dionysos in Tears
Charles L. Fontenay
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595288731 $16.95 877-288-4737
This is a very different book from this author's usual fare of sci-fi. Fontenay shows with finely
drawn characters and very tight writing what really goes on inside the world of a newspaper. The
story is about the relationships of the workers at the daily publication. Fans of his sci-fi may be
disappointed but others may enjoy it for its strong characterizations and behind the scenes
revelations
Night Feeders
Audrey Del Bene
Morris Publishing
3212 East Highway 30, Kearney, NE 68847
Dreyrock1@AOL.com
$7.00 1-800-650-7888
Something strange is happening in the waters of Tampa Bay. Bizarre creatures are swimming
around in the waters eating just about anything in sight. No, it's not great white sharks but like
"Jaws" that scared me out of the water at the ocean, this will have the same effect when you want
to swim in a lake. The novel is a fast paced read that races along with monsters that just could, be
because of the author's explanation for their existence. This is a novel that can be read very
quickly but has a lot to say about many things mankind continues to do to wildlife and this
planet.
Cop Talk a Dictionary of Police Slang
Lewis J. Poteet and Aaron C. Poteet
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595288731 $11.95 877-288-4737
This is a fun book to use for trivia. It also has another purpose that is more serious. For any writer
it is a great resource for getting character's dialogue accurate. I don't know how many times I've
read a novel dealing with police where what they said was just not believable. The authors have
done a very thorough job of research to show the realities of cop's language.
Shakespeare for the Modern Reader
Henry I. Christ
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595193560 $19.95 877-288-4737
This is another easy to read book about Shakespeare. Christ discusses the plays, the writer, the
world that Shakespeare created and a lot more that readers can follow, unlike other textbooks I
have read. The author has a charming style that is refreshing and makes the book very interesting
to read
The Road to Ruin
Donald E. Westlake
Mysterious Press
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.twbookmark.com
ISBN 089296801X $25.00
Normally I get very excited when I see there is a new Westlake Dortmunder caper novel. I've read
the series from the beginning novel "The Hot Rock" that introduced the gang of great characters.
Through the years the author has brought out numerous titles that always had me laughing out
loud at the comic things the gang did. Sadly that is not the case with this novel. I thought I was in
for a treat with these wonderful characters but the book just didn't deliver the laughs I have come
to expect from this author. In fact I was rather bored with the whole story. Maybe the next
Dortmunder novel will go back to being like many of the others. Very funny.
Gary Roen
Reviewer
Greenspan's Bookshelf
Dead Man Running
Roy Lewis
Allison & Busby Ltd.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
0749006773 $25.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com
Simply put, Dead Man Running is one terrific read from cover to cover! Lawyer Eric Ward
represents Paddy Fenton, a landowner who has tried to make a little money on the side by renting
out his barn. The problem is that the renters are involved in the illegal business of making bush
meat resulting in a police raid that goest completely sour. The result is Eric finds himself
embroiled in a violent turf war. The plot is magnificently tangled, the charecters are memorably
drawn, and the intrigue is page gripping down to the very last page!
The Interviewer's Handbook
John Brady
The Writer
c/o Kalmbach Publishing Company
PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
0871162059 $19.95 www.kalmbach.com
An ideal addition to any journalist or author's Writer Reference shelf, The Interviewer's
Handbook: A Guerrilla Guide by John Brady is a compendium of instruction into the diverse
tactics and techniques of acquiring and conducting interviews by journalists and writers. Enhanced
with lively anecdotes, practical advice, conventional (and unconventional!) methods for
approaching varied situations, dealing with "off-the-record" issues, securing colorful quotes, even
what to do when assigned to get interviews with entertainment celebrities, business leaders, and
influential politicians. Of special interest are the lists of ready-to-use questions for an
interview.
Creative Self-Publishing In The World Marketplace
Marshall Chamberlain
The Grace Publishing Group
PO Box 3070, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
0974098205 $19.95 www.gracepublishing.org
First a bit of disclaimer, the Midwest Book Review is featured four times as an invaluable and
recommended resource for the self-published author. Nonetheless, Creative Self-Publishing In
The World Marketplace, compiled and written by successfully self-published author Marshall
Chamberlain offers the reader a clear and methodical compendium of succinct advice and
resources that will prove invaluable to anyone considering publishing their own work whether it
be fiction or nonfiction. Of special note are the resources and advice specific to utilizing the
internet to get a self-published book reviewed, publicized, promoted, and marketed. If you have
self-published a book, then give a careful, deliberative reading to Creative Self-Publishing In The
World Marketplace -- and then keep it on hand an a continuing reference resource.
"The Craft So Long To Lerne"
Annabel Johnson
TFG Press
244 Madison Avenue, #254, New York, NY 10016
0974352179 $21.95 1-877-822-2500 FloatinGal@aol.com
In every generation there are those of us who would like nothing more than taking to the road like
Jack Kerouc and writing the great American novel. Annabel Johnson is one of those very few
dedicated literary souls who actually did just that! She and her husband Edgar (a successful New
York artist) roamed the American west researching and writing novels, of which twenty-three
have
been published to the enjoyment by readers of all ages. It was after the death of her husband in
1990 that Annabel began writing "The Craft So Long To Learn: An Author's Journey" to share
with her legions of fans and admirers her memories and anecdotes of a writer's life on the road in
a small camping trailer for ten years, followed by financial security and more than 30 years of
settled life in Denver, Colorado (where Annabel would write five popular and successful science
fiction novels). This is a remarkable, unique, and superbly written biography which is especially
recommended to the attention of anyone who has ever written (or wanted to write) while "on the
road".
Jazz And Its Discontents
Francis Davis
Da Capo Press
Eleven Cambrdige Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306810557 $20.00 www.perseusbooks.com
Jazz And Its Discontents: A Francis Davis Reader is a collection of columnist and jazz expert
Francis Davis best writing on diverse musicians who have made American jazz a universal
artform. From Wynton Marsalis and Duke Ellington, to Jack Kerouac to Sun Ra, Jazz And Its
Discontents provides an insightful analysis of the alienation of musicians and their contributions in
the form of profiles and commentaries that are as brilliantly written and presented as they are
informed and informative. Jazz And Its Discontents is a welcome and recommended addition to
personal reading lists, as well as academic, and community library Music History reference
collections.
Able Greenspan
Reviewer
Harold's Bookshelf
qmail: Managing Unix-Based Mail Systems
John R. Levine
O'Reilly Media Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
ISBN: 1565926285 $34.95 212 pp. plus appendixes and index
Although sendmail is installed in more Internet mail servers than any other Mail Transfer Agent
(MTA) it has come under scrutiny for being a large awkward program by today's standards. More
and more new MTA servers are moving to a modular program like qmail that has a multitude of
smaller programs for each function instead of one huge program that does everything. This allows
for greater speed and flexibility. John R. Levine's new book "qmail: Managing Unix-Based Mail
Systems" examines the qmail program in depth from installation to configuration to
troubleshooting. While qmail is fairly straightforward and you can achieve great results on both
small and very large systems, it is a very different way of thinking if you are moving from
sendmail and are already familiar with it. The author recognizes this difficulty of changing the way
you think and spends a good portion of the beginning of the book detailing qmail and how it
works so you understand the "qmail frame of mind". I've never setup a sendmail server and so I
did not have the obstacle to overcome but I have setup and configured the postfix MTA which is
also a modular type program. With that background the book was a breeze to follow along and I
was even able to download a copy and configure it correctly for my system. The coverage was
excellent and the installation and configuration information provided all the information I needed
to get it up and running. If you are thinking of building a qmail MTA you will find "qmail:
Managing Unix-Based Mail Systems" absolutely indispensable and the only reference you need to
get it done right the first time.
The Pain-Free Back
Harris H. McIlwain, M.D., Debra Fulgham Bruce, Ph.D.
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
ISBN: 0805073264 $15.00 273 pp.
"The Pain-Free Back" is a comprehensive examination of back pain and what you can do about it.
The authors discuss various symptoms and when you should be concerned that it might be
something serious. This includes answering the very important question "When do you try to treat
it yourself and when do you call a doctor?"
After this groundwork is laid and you and your doctor have determined that your back pain is
nothing serious, the authors delve into a detailed program for alleviating your pain. The first part
details an exercise program and how exercise helps resolve back problems. The appendix includes
detailed stretching and other exercises. Of course exercise is only part of the treatment plan, it
also requires a healthy eating program. Because excess weight can contribute to back pain losing
weight and correcting unhealthy eating habits is part of a total approach. This section also
includes various dietary changes that keep bones strong, connective tissues healthy, and other
health issues that can affect back pain in check.
In the interest of being thorough it also includes complementary and alternative medicine
techniques that may help. These include herbals, balms, back to basics of sitting, lifting, lying, and
other normal activities, music therapy, biofeedback, massage, Rolfing, Pilates, chiropractic,
osteopathy, acupuncture, and even surgery.
Of course all this advice is not of much help if you don't provide the details of how to get there.
So, the appendixes contain many recipes, exercises, references, and supporting information. If you
have a back pain problem "The Pain-Free Back" is a recommended read and an excellent resource
to become informed about your treatment options.
Linux Unwired
Roger Weeks, Edd Dumbill, Brian Jepson
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
ISBN: 0596005830 $24.95 284 pp. plus index
Based on postings to user forums it seems that one area of Linux where people tend to have a lot
of problems getting it to work is wireless networking. With wireless finally coming into its own
over the last couple of years "Linux Unwired" is a very timely and useful book. All the aspects of
wireless in all of its current manifestations are covered including Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity),
Bluetooth, infrared, cellular networking, and global positioning system (GPS) devices.
Before getting into the details of getting Linux to work with wireless the authors provide a
thorough understanding of radio waves and how they act, hardware, and antenna types.
Understanding these basic concepts is important if your system is to work the way you want.
One of the really nice features of the book is the information on picking the right card so you have
the fewest problems getting things up and running. The authors even name specific manufacturers
and card models that work well with Linux and then they go through installing the driver and
configuring the software to work with the device. Along the same lines they provide information
on Linux friendly access point providers and even building your own access point.
One you have your Linux system up and running on wireless there is a chapter on locating
hotspots and using them to get onto the Internet. This chapter really only covers the basics of
locating hotspots. If you are really interested in this area you might try another O'Reilly book just
on this subject titled "WarDriving, Drive, Detect, Defend". Of course, if you are concerned about
your wireless security (and you should be) it includes information on configuring Wired
Equivalency Protocol (WEP) and Wireless Protected Access (WPA).
If you are anticipating moving your Linux system to a wireless interface you can't go wrong with
"Linux Unwired". The authors do an excellent job of providing all the information you need to get
it done right. "Linux Unwired" is highly recommended for anyone interested in Linux wireless
networks.
Learning Red Hat Enterprise Linux & Fedora, 4th Ed.
Bill McCarthy
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
ISBN: 059600589X $34.95 273 pp. plus multiple appendixes and index
For people who are starting to look at Linux as a potential desktop system "Learning Red Hat
Enterprise Linux & Fedora" will get you onto the right track right from the beginning. These
particular distributions are intended for the workstation market and so have many productivity
related tools and fewer of the server tools. I particularly appreciated that it does not assume the
reader is a high level technician but starts with all the basics and theory behind Linux including
things like hard disk organization, hard disk track, sectors, cylinders, etc. Bill McCarthy does an
excellent job of explaining what is going on.
The author walks you through the installation and configuration using the graphical interface (by
far the only appropriate interface for the non-technical person trying to install Linux by their self).
This section includes configuring networking and user accounts, organizing data, the default
directory tree, file permissions, and using the X system. It also includes a good description of
devices and how they are used in Linux, something you really need to understand to setup Linux
correctly.
The two most common graphic user interfaces (GNOME and KDE) are examined in detail
including common applications that come with Red Hat Enterprise and Fedora. These applications
include OpenOffice, Evolution - an email client and personal scheduler, a PDA tool, and a CD
writer.
For the more serious administrator he discusses the Bash shell (the default command interpreter),
installing new software using the RPM package manager, and network services like Samba (to
share files with Windows systems), Apache (web server), Secure Shell (for secure connections),
and firewall configuration.
The authors also include a complete copy of Fedora on CD so you can actually install the
operating system and configure it while you learn. "Learning Red Hat Enterprise Linux & Fedora"
is highly recommended for anyone looking to make Linux their desktop operating system.
How Linux Works: What Every Superuser Should Know
Brian Ward
No Starch Press, Inc.
555 De Haro Street, Suite 250, San Francisco, CA 94107
ISBN: 1593270356 $37.95 329 pp. plus appendix and index
This is one of the best basic books on learning Linux and is written with the power user in mind.
It takes a different approach to learning Linux than most other books. Other books typically focus
on a section of Linux and go over it in detail. For example, it may cover the file system from
selecting an appropriate one to how to mount disks, security, directories, links, and similar
information until it has presented all the information on the file system. Instead this one divides
the learning task up into basic stuff you need to know, intermediate knowledge, and more
advanced levels. This is actually more consistent with the knowledge expected in the real world.
While I would expect even a basic administrator to understand how to mount and unmount a
drive I would not necessarily expect them to know how to interpret and change an fstab
configuration file. To go over the whole file system from beginning to advanced levels leaving the
student unknowledgeable in other basic tasks doesn't make as much senses. I would rather hire
someone who knows the basics of the system including adding users and other administration than
one who knows everything about one area. So, I really like the way it teaches basic knowledge in
all areas, then intermediate knowledge in all areas, then advanced.
The focus is on the user or the person who has been assigned to administer an existing Linux
system. If you need to add a peripheral device, setup or change printing, mount a CD for access
by Windows based machines, or pretty much anything else that an administrator of a Linux file
server needs to know its covered. There are better books for other type of servers like setting up
a web server, MySQL, or other items. However, if you are completely new to Linux or a fairly
novice Linux user and need to be able to administer a file server type system you will enjoy this
book. Designed for the person who wants to really learn about Linux from the ground up "How
Linux Works" is a recommended read.
High Performance MySQL
Jeremy D. Zawodny, Derek J. Balling
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
ISBN: 0596003064 $39.95 236 pp. plus appendixes and index
While the authors go over the basics of MySQL briefly in the first couple of chapters this is not a
book for the new MySQL administrator. It assumes a good deal of basic knowledge about
MySQL. On the other hand, if you know the basics and need to get that extra knowledge to move
your system from one that just works to one that truly performs then this book is for you. From
the initial steps of benchmarking your system and tweaking the indexes the book moves on to
improving your performance through optimizing queries and server performance tuning. This
includes examining all aspects of your system from disk and file system selection to minor
configuration changes that may make great changes in performance. Once the server is working at
its optimum for your needs the book turns to how to scale your SQL system up to multiple
servers and configure replication, load balancing, and high availability systems. The main text of
the book ends with a section on backup, recovery, and security. If you need performance,
reliability and security beyond the standard configuration and need to maximize throughput this is
the book you will want to have at hand. "High Performance MySQL" is one of the best
optimization and performance books available for the intermediate to advanced user of MySQL -
very highly recommended.
The Walt Disney World Trivia Book
Louis A. Mongello
The Intrepid Traveler
PO Box 531, Branford, CT 06405
ISBN: 1887140492 $14.95 214 pp. plus index
From the really interesting like "Why should you ride Big Thunder Mountain railroad in the late
afternoon?" to the most innocuous of trivia like "The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse has about
how many man-made leaves?" you will find plenty of facts about Walt Disney World in the pages
of "The Walt Disney World Trivia Book". Each area of the park has it's own section (Magic
Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, etc.) and within that section they are subdivided (i.e.
Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland). This makes it easy to read trivia about a particular
section while in that location. Finally, there is something interesting to do while waiting in those
long lines. For anyone headed to Walt Disney World or who just wants to impress their friends by
the depth of their knowledge, "The Walt Disney World Trivia Book" is a recommended read. (By
the way, you ride the Big Thunder Mountain railroad in the afternoon because the afternoon heat
melts the grease and it runs faster and there are about 300,000 leaves in the Swiss Family
Robinson Treehouse).
Get Out of the Way
Doug Thorburn
Galt Publishing
PO Box 7777, Northridge, CA 91327-7777
ISBN: 0967578841 $12.95 85 pp. plus appendix and index
There are a lot more drunk drivers on the road than most of us would like to think. How big is the
problem? Based on a study in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for every 10 people cited for driving under
the influence another 37 are missed. According to the National Highway Safety Traffic
Administration DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Manual as many as five
percent of drivers are intoxicated on any given weeknight and 10% on a weekend night.
How do you protect yourself with all these intoxicated drivers on the road? The easiest way is to
learn to identify them on the road early so you can choose not to be involved in their accident.
"Get Out of the Way" contains a lot of information on how to spot them early so you can keep
get out of the way. For example, did you know that according to a NHTSA study sixty percent of
those who make obscene gestures at other drivers on the road are driving under the influence?
Fifty percent of tailgaters and sixty-five percent of those who make a wide radius turn are driving
under the influence. These are just a few of the extensive list of signs included in the book.
With the information in this book you can easily teach your children and yourself how to keep
safe on the road. "Get Out of the Way: How to Identify & Avoid a Driver Under the Influence" is
highly recommended and should be required in every drivers education class.
Earl the Emu Discovers God's Greatest Gift
Pat Winston
Light Way Publications
PO Box 10123, Jackson, TN 38308-0102
ISBN: 0970282133 $14.95 24 pp.
Join Jason and Earl the Emu as they try to find God's greatest gift. After searching high and low
and asking various other farm animals they are just about to give up when they finally figure out
what it is. The third book in the Earl the Emu series; it is a delightful read and a fun adventure
with a strong Christian theme. "Earl the Emu Discovers God's Greatest Gift" is a highly
recommended read for children ages three through eight.
Earl the Emu: God Has a Purpose For Those Who Are Different
Pat Winston
Publisher: Light Way Publications
PO Box 10123, Jackson, TN 38308-0102
ISBN: 0970282109 $12.95 24 pp.
The first book of the Earl the Emu series, "God Has a Purpose For Those Who Are Different" is a
children's story about accepting people who are different. While Jason is visiting on the farm his
grandfather brings home Earl the Emu. Of course he is not like anything the other animals on the
farm have ever seen before and they make fun of him. Eventually Earl saves the day because of his
difference and the other animals come to accept him as a friend. This is a fine story with a strong
moral lesson and is a recommended purchase. However, it is not a book that holds a child's
interest well because of the large ratio of words to pictures. With each book of the series author
Pat Winston has gotten better and better and the illustrations have improved significantly in the
third and fourth of the series. This book is important for those who are reading the series with
children because it gives the answer to the question of how Earl got onto the farm in the first
place and completes the collection. But don't expect the child to read it or to sit still while you do.
After establishing interest with one of the other books come back to this one to fill in the gaps in
the story.
Earl the Emu: God Loves Me Just the Way I Am
Pat Winston
Light Way Publications
PO Box 10123, Jackson, TN 38308-0102
ISBN: 0970282117 $12.95 24 pp.
The second book in the Earl the Emu series, "God Loves Me Just the Way I Am" is a children's
story about everyone being different but still being just the way God made them. Earl the Emu is
feeling bad because he is so different from the other farm animals, but Jason soon shows him how
God made him the way he is and he is "as special as he can be". A good children's book with a
positive theme, "Earl the Emu: God Loves Me Just the Way I Am" is a recommended story for
young children from three to eight years old.
Drunks, Drugs & Debits
Doug Thorburn
Galt Publishing
PO Box 7777, Northridge, CA 91327-7777
ISBN: 0967578833 $29.95 324 pp. plus appendixes and index
Alcoholism and drug addiction are part of one of the biggest problems of our society. According
to author Doug Thorburn alcoholics alone are estimated to be between seven and fifteen percent
of all adults. If this isn't a big enough problem by itself each alcoholic also adversely affects three
or four other people. Because of their problem they often bring financial and emotional ruin not
only to their self but also to the ones they love, and who love them, the most. Recognizing this
problem and intervening early is what the book "Drunks, Drugs & Debits" is all about.
By far alcoholism is the predominant focus of the book but most of the information also applies to
drug addicts. The author does a good job of presenting the information from a neutral and factual
perspective as he examines alcoholism, factors that tend to exacerbate it and why some people
seem to be more prone to it than others. One of the best chapters deals with recognizing the
addict and why it is hard to identify them when you know them personally.
Of course, the debits part of the book is about how addiction often results in financial abuse of
others; including friends, spouse, parents, partners, children.
Doug even includes a section on recovery for the non-addict who is trying to move forward in life
and relationships. "Drunks, Drugs & Debits" is recommended if you have an addict in your life,
think you may have one, or are one of the many people affected by one.
The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook
Christopher A. Crayton, Joel Z. Rosenthal, Kevin J. Irwin
Charles River Media, Inc.
10 Downer Avenue, Hingham, MA 02043
ISBN: 1584503726 $54.95 828 pp.
While focused toward passing the A+ Certification exam, the practical real-world knowledge
included in "The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook" is extensive. Hardware is covered
very well from the basics of identifying components to diagnosis and repair. The authors even
include information on websites with various freeware and shareware programs as well as
commercial programs to help diagnose problems and test system equipment.
For operating system problems and maintenance they cover most of the versions of Windows (95,
98, ME, 2000, XP). The only one not covered is NT, which is becoming more rare every day.
There is no coverage of Linux as a desktop operating system and that is consistent with the A+
Certification exam.
All chapters end with a set of typical certification style questions to help make sure you
understood the most important points of the chapter. Throughout the book the authors have
included excellent photographs, illustrations, and tables with clear labels that make the material
understandable and easy to learn. Tutorial exercises are also scattered throughout so you can
actually test what you have learned. The book is divided into two distinct parts with Part I
actually teaching you what you need to know and Part II organizing it for exam study purposes.
Lots of little tips are also scattered throughout the book and help bring years of experience to the
reader.
In summary, not only does it prepare you well for the exam but also provides an excellent
education in PC hardware and basic configuration and maintenance. The included CD-ROM
contains, among other things, several videos showing how to do things, and four practice exams.
"The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook" is highly recommended for anyone who wants a
solid basic education in PC repair and maintenance or who is trying to pass the A+
certification.
Understanding the Koran
Mateen Elass
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310248124 $12.99 164 pp. plus discussion questions, notes, and index
Written by a Christian who was raised in a Muslim family "Understanding the Koran" is one of the
most even-handed and accurate treatments of the Koran by a Christian writer that I have read.
This book stands out as a refreshing breath of fresh air in an area far too crowed by prejudiced
and misleading books based more on fear than anything else. Author Mateen Elass provides an
understanding not only of the Koran but also of the Muslim faith in general. She discusses history,
traditions, and religious custom as well as the belief system itself. If you are tired of the multitude
of books that tell you what the Koran says when it is obvious the authors have obviously never
read it themselves you will be delighted with this one with an author that obviously has an
intimate knowledge of Muslim and Christian religious texts, practices, and beliefs. "Understanding
the Koran" is highly recommended to all readers and given the current state of inaccurate
propaganda being spread from all quarters it is required reading for anyone who wants an
accurate portrayal of the Koran.
One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps
Kevin Griffin
Rodale Press
33 East Minor St., Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
ISBN: 1579549055 $13.95 281 pp.
The first question to come to my mind with this title was what is the relationship between
Buddhism and the twelve step program? Author Kevin Griffin answers this question succinctly
when he points out that the Buddha said the cause of suffering is desire and the twelve steps
program tries to heal people from the most extreme of desires - addiction.
This book is about Mr. Griffin's personal path to addiction recovery and how integrating
Buddhism and the twelve steps allowed him to become at peace with himself. He explains
Buddhist meditation and the Buddhist eight-fold path as it parallels the twelve step path. While
the twelve step program allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of the "Higher Power" you reach
out to, many groups have a Christian focus. Kevin Griffin provides an alternative for those who
are uncomfortable with a Christian focus but want to overcome alcoholism and co-dependency.
"One Breath at a Time" is a deeply personal story of one man's journey and he invites you to
travel his path from realization that he had a problem to freedom and shares how you can take the
same path.
Idiot Proof
Francis Wheen
PublicAffairs
250 West 57th Street, Suite 1321, New York, NY 10107
ISBN: 1586482475 $25.00 287 pp. plus notes and index
As a society have we completely lost touch with the reason and enlightenment that brought us out
of the dark ages and into modern science? If so have we become so confused that we are headed
back to a time when reason is thrown away in favor of what can only be called superstitious
belief? Author Francis Wheen examines our world today and how cults, superstition, and the
desire to want to believe have caused a veritable epidemic of foolishness often passing as science.
In his book "Idiot Proof" he takes on several people who are veritable icons of contemporary
society - people like Nancy Reagan, Deepak Chopra, George Bush, Hillary Clinton, and many
others. In addition to people he takes on various subjects like UFOs, crystals, psychics, and
astrology. This is a book about how people are lead like sheep to the slaughter merrily bleating
along the way totally unaware of their folly. While you may not agree with all the assessments,
they are logically founded and well argued.
While I enjoyed the book and Mr. Wheen's commentary, I don't personally agree with everything
in the book. Still, I recognize the importance of having people like Mr. Wheen occasionally point
out the contrasting side of a belief. The way we grow and refine our beliefs requires that we keep
an open mind and examine all sides. Mr. Wheen serves this purpose of presenting the opposing
viewpoint very well. Then again, if we have learned anything from history it is that science can
lead us down the wrong path just as easily as any superstition. There was a time when doctors lost
their jobs and were subject to ridicule if they believed in germs. The whole concept was nonsense
and against logic and current knowledge.
With plenty of notes and cross-references at the end of the book, "Idiot Proof" is a recommended
read and sure to be enlightening to everyone on at least a few fronts.
WarDriving, Drive, Detect, Defend
Chris Hurley, Frank Thornton, Michael Puchol
Syngress Publishing, Inc.
800 Hingham Street, Rockland, MA 02370
ISBN: 1931836035 $49.95 478 pp. plus index
This book literally contains everything you might need to know to successfully engage in
WarDriving. Starting from the most basic setup of homemade components to purchase and use of
commercial ones it is one of the most thorough books available today on the subject. The authors
wisely start out the book with defining what WarDriving is and what it is not. They define
WarDriving as moving around a specific area and mapping the wireless access points for statistical
purposes. It does not include actually accessing these points without prior permission. As such,
the purpose of WarDriving is to raise awareness of the security issues related to wireless
networks.
The first section of the book covers setting up both a laptop and a PDA for WarDriving purposes.
This includes important general concepts like antenna types and their advantages and
disadvantages, and connecting antenna to a wireless NIC. It also includes very specific
information like specific NIC cards that work well and are conducive to the connection of external
antennas and the like.
Once your hardware is set up you have to turn your attention to appropriate software. The
authors detail both Windows and Linux software (free and commercial products) available to
discover access points. It includes how to use NetStumbler, MiniStumbler, and Kismet to locate
wireless LANs, the various options, and how to interpret the results. These are very detailed
chapters and explain both the concepts and actual product use very well. Each of these chapters
ends with additional software available to actually map the access points.
The final section of the book covers the details of attacking wireless networks. It includes
information on finding cloaked points, hijacking, man-in-the-middle attacks, defeating MAC
address filtering, and even attacking encrypted networks. In addition they include the details of
enabling security on several specific models of Linksys and D-Link access points. The last part of
the book covers advanced security information including configuring WiFi Protected Access,
Wireless Gateway, VPN setup, RADIUS, and LEAP.
This is clearly one of the best books available on the subject of WarDriving. It provides a
thorough examination of the subject, detailed explanations and instructions, and pretty much
everything you need to know in this area. "WarDriving, Drive, Detect, Defend" is a very highly
recommended book for anyone interested in wardriving.
Deflation: What Happens When Prices Fall
Chris Farrell
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
Harper Business Imprint
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060576456 $22.95 194 pp. plus notes and index
Is the United States currently in a deflationary period? If not then are we headed for one? Why
have such major economic figures as Alan Greenspan started hinting that deflation is a possibility?
Is deflation always a negative event bringing on recession is its wake? Author and financial
columnist Chris Farrell answers all these questions and more in his fascinating book "Deflation:
What Happens When Prices Fall". Mr. Farrell makes a strong case for deflationary pressures
coming about from globalization of many industries as well as the strong pressure from retailers
forcing suppliers to continually lower their prices. While deflation is a normal part of the
economic cycle most of the 20th century has seen pronounced inflation. What does it all mean
now that there are legitimate concerns about deflation? Mr. Farrell makes a convincing case that
deflation does not necessarily equate with depression. In fact deflation can co-exist with a strong
economy! This is definitely not the economics that I learned in college but is a well presented
argument for a different view of where we are headed. Brilliantly done, "Deflation: What Happens
When Prices Fall" is highly recommended for anyone interested in economic theory and may
represent a more accurate view of deflation than the popular Keynesian theory of economics.
Culture and Prosperity
John Kay
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
Harper Business Imprint
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060587059 $25.95 355 pp. plus various after matter and index
The subtitle to this book describes the content succinctly - "Why Some Nations are Rich but Most
Remain Poor". Author John Kay, a prominent British economist, postulates that one of the
reasons is due to cultural factors. These cultural norms may both free and confine the society
when it comes to prosperity. If international trade benefits both rich and poor countries then why
do poor countries remain poor? In a brilliant exposition of economics he argues that it is not the
free markets and constant search for materialistic acquisition that has made America prosperous
but it is largely a factor of the various institutions we have in place. That is one reason why many
countries have been unsuccessful in trying to emulate the American economic machine. If our
success were based entirely on free markets then bringing them to other countries would allow
them to prosper, but they often do not. If you were taught the traditional Adam Smith and
Keynesian economic models you will be delighted with this additional perspective on the
international market and why our models often don't work in other countries. By the same token
the models that work in their cultures may not work at all in ours. A fascinating read and a fresh
view of international economics, "Culture and Prosperity" is a highly recommended book.
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Harwood's Bookshelf
The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden
Rule
Michael Shermer
Henry Holt & Co
115 West 18th Street, NY 10011
ISBN 0805075208, $26.00 350 pp.
The subtitle is misleading. Nobody follows the golden rule, for the logical reason that it is
impossible is some situations and immoral in others. A person who wants a billionaire to give him
a million dollars is incapable of giving the billionaire a million dollars. And a man who wants a
supermodel to strip him naked and ravish him with reckless disregard for his own wishes, had
better not do the same to her if he wants to stay out of jail. The so-called silver rule, "Do not do
to another what is hateful to yourself," is perfect. Reversing it turned a realizable ideal into an
impossibility and an absurdity.
Shermer defines himself as an agnostic nontheist. (p. 3) He echoes my own reason for preferring
nontheist to atheist, when he writes, "Nontheism also avoids the pejorative spin doctoring
typically applied to atheism." (p. 5) While nontheist and atheist both mean "one who is not a
theist," the ignoranti have distorted the latter to mean, "One who believes there is not a god,"
whereas the former is still understood to delineate, not a contrary belief, but an absence of
belief.
In support of agnosticism, Shermer writes, (p. 4) "We cannot prove or disprove God's existence
through empirical evidence or rational analysis." But since rational analysis shows that God is an
oxymoron, a morally retarded higher lifeform possessed of qualities that are mutually exclusive,
God's existence has been disproven. I refer anyone who still buys into the Big Lie that religion can
only be disbelieved, not disproven, to the chapters, "Has Religion Been Disproven?" and "Is
Agnosticism Defensible?" in A Humanist in the Bible Belt. Shermer does acknowledge that,
"atheists have slightly better arguments for the nonexistence of God than theists have for the
deity's reality." Slightly better? Definitively better!
In his section on "The Problem of Evil," Shermer reiterates points that have been made by dozens,
possibly thousands, of previous writers. But unlike his predecessors, Shermer takes an approach
that is analytic rather than didactic. When I (among others) quoted Epicurus's argument that, in a
world in which evil observably occurs, the gods could be either omnipotent or omnibenevolent,
but not both, it was for the purpose of making the point that Epicurus was right. Shermer quotes
the same argument in order to explain why it has not wiped religion from the face of the earth. He
cites a random high school shooting in which the father of a non-victim attributed his son's
survival to divine intervention, in effect implying that his protector in the sky played favorites and
had no interest in saving the shooter's actual victims. The ability to rationalize that, "When God
does it, it's not evil," stems from religion's anthropological status as an arbiter of behavior that had
group-survival value at the time of its invention. What is truly disheartening is that Shermer is
probably right.
Shermer finds that (p. 20), "Religion was the first social institution to canonize moral principles."
But he does not swallow the delusion that religion fills a basic human need: "In his three decades
of research in New Guinea, for example, Jared Diamond says he has 'never heard any invocation
of a god or spirit to justify how people should behave toward others.' Social obligations, he
explains, depend on human relationships." (p. 36) "Where resources and rewards are available
through secular avenues, religion is not needed. Where resources and rewards are scarce (for
example, rain for crops), or nonexistent (for example, immortality), through secular sources, then
religion becomes the accepted venue for the exchange of goods and services." (p. 35) And he
recognizes that (p. 33), "Organized religion came of age along with these other social
institutions to fill many roles, not the least of which was the justification for the ruling
elite."
"Humans are a hierarchical social primate species, and as such we need rules and morals and a
social structure to enforce them. In the social mode, religion is that social structure, and
God even a God that exists only in the heads of those who believe in Him is the ultimate
enforcer of the rules." (p. 7) So religion, as an enforcer of culturally dictated moral principles, has
the potential to be a force for good: "Moral principles are provisionally true that is, they apply
to most people in most cultures in most circumstances most of the time." (p. 21)
But mob mentality, perhaps religion's most pernicious quality, can be an even greater force for
evil: "Depending on the circumstances, perhaps any of us could become Nazis. Who is to say
otherwise? Raised in a free, democratic society like America, how do any of us know how we
might react in a totalitarian regime like Nazi Germany?" (p. 73) That point is driven home in
spades when Shermer cites a study of 1,066 Israeli school children. (p. 39) The researcher read
the students the biblical fable of Joshua's treatment of Jericho, "Then they utterly destroyed all in
the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep and asses, with the edge of the
sword." When the researcher asked the children, "Do you think Joshua and the Israelites acted
rightly or not?" 66 percent of the children endorsed Joshua's genocide. But when the researcher
substituted 'General Ling' for Joshua and a 'Chinese Kingdom 3,000 years ago' for Israel, only 7
percent of a control group of 168 Israeli children approved the genocide. Can anyone doubt that
the figures would have been near identical if the experimental and control groups had been
Christians, who are similarly culturally conditioned to believe that the behavior of biblical heroes
is meritorious? Can anyone doubt that, if a bible were published, unchanged except that "Hitler"
was substituted for "God," persons who believe that, "When God does it, it's not evil," would
have no difficulty identifying the protagonist's behavior as monstrous?
Shermer is not a biblical historian. So when he is obliged to cite biblical material, he tends to
follow the path of least resistance and assume that biblical assertions on non-normative issues are
reliable. He consequently refers to "the monotheistic God of Abraham," (p. 46) presumably
unaware that neither Abraham (to the degree that the character was based on one or more real
persons) nor the Torah authors were monotheists. They were monolatrists, devotees of one god
but believers in many. And he writes, "Consider what Moses thought God meant by 'neighbor.'"
(p. 37) The implication is that Moses wrote the books attributed to him. Shermer's contributing
editor at Skeptic, Tim Callahan, could have steered him clear of such misleading implications.
(Callahan is mentioned in Shermer's acknowledgements, but apparently was not consulted on the
issues where his input would have been most useful.) But Shermer does make clear that the word
translated as neighbor in the King James Bible, whom followers were to treat as they would be
treated, meant only a member of the in-group, in other words a fellow Jew. (pp. 37-39) However,
he uncritically quotes the propaganda of the World Christian Encyclopedia that there are two
billion Christians and only one billion nontheists currently alive, (p. 160) when there are in fact
two billion nontheists and one billion Christians. Persons who swallow the pushers' self-serving
statistics should read the chapter, "Is This 1984 or What?" in A Humanist in the Bible Belt.
Shermer also acknowledges the recommendation of Stephen Jay Gould, who "encouraged a
conciliatory attitude toward religion." (p. 333) Fortunately, Shermer does not carry that
conciliatory attitude to the imbecilic length Gould did when he labeled science and religion
"Non-Overlapping Magisteria," not incompatible because they refer to separate "Magisteria."
Shermer does argue that (p. 6), "As long as religion does not make quasi-scientific claims about
the factual nature of the world, then there is no conflict between science and religion." But he
acknowledges that religion does make quasi-scientific claims, such as insisting that the earth is
only 6,000 years old, when science has refuted that biblical chronology beyond all logical dispute.
And he quotes with approval a minister's statement, "If the Bible gets it wrong in biology, then
why should I trust the Bible when it talks about morality and salvation?" (p. 147)
In the chapter, "Can we be good without God?" Shermer quotes that good Catholic, Adolf Hitler,
"faith is often the sole foundation of a moral attitude," (p. 153) and very thoroughly demolishes
the Big Lie that humans need the blind, yellow terror of a torturer in the sky to inspire them to act
humanely. In A Humanist in the Bible Belt, I asked, "Can a theist be moral?" The answer to both
questions is that a nontheist has no problem being moral, because his criterion for evaluating his
behavior is, "Does it unnecessarily hurt a nonconsenting victim?" In contrast, a theist, whatever
his religion, can only be moral if he ignores the teachings of his sacred books, that the
persecution, enslavement, murder and genocide of infidels, heretics and taboo-breakers are
virtuous and godly acts. Asking if a nontheist can be good without a god is like asking if a human
can swim without cement shoes.
Shermer refers to sociobiology and evolutionary psychology as sciences, even though they can
only be sciences if the natural sciences with which they are incompatible are not. He recognizes
the "not guilty by reason of insanity" defence as a science fiction concept invented by psychiatrists
for the purpose of passing off their glorified tealeaf reading as a form of medicine. (pp. 111-120)
He stops short of acknowledging that, if psychology is a science, then so are bartending and taxi
driving, which place a premium on the same sympathetic-listening skills and have at least equal
predictive value. But he is far from purblind on the issue. He recognizes that "hindsight bias" is
the real reason psychoquacks arrogantly pretend that criminal behavior could have been foreseen
if they had been consulted.
In the section, "Provisional Morality and Adultery," Shermer states, (p. 193) "According to
evolutionary psychologist sexual betrayals are primarily a biologically driven phenomenon
encoded over eons of Paleolithic cuckolding." Since the discipline being quoted is incompetent
drivel, not surprisingly Shermer's entire discussion of the subject is as valid as a creationist's
opinion of evolution. The concept of adultery came into existence c 3500 BCE, to mean depriving
a man of his right to pass on his inheritance to his biological offspring by fraudulently
impregnating his privately-owned breeding woman. It still retained that meaning when Thomas
Malory showed Sir Lancelot mating with Guinevere but not committing adultery with her,
because he practised coitus interruptus. The belief that adultery is a recreational taboo has existed
for barely 500 years. Backdating it to the time before men discovered that children had fathers as
well as mothers is one of the myriad of proofs that "evolutionary psychology" is as scientific as
crystal gazing. (see "The real meaning of adultery," in Where Is George Washington Now That
America Really Needs Him?, currently in press.)
But while Shermer's discussion of the ethics of adultery is based on disinformation, his evaluation
of the alleged ethical implications of pornography, lies as a lesser evil, abortion, cloning, genetic
engineering, and animal rights is as useful as anything I have encountered. Anyone seeking
arguments to rebut the neo-Luddites would be well advised to read it. And, not for the first time,
Shermer annihilates the "playing God" myth. Despite my nitpicking objections, The Science of
Good and Evil is a momentous accomplishment.
Nothing Sacred
Tom Flynn
Prometheus Books
ISBN 1591021278, $20.00 474 pp.
Nothing Sacred suffers by comparison with Tom Flynn's earlier science fiction novel, Galactic
Rapture. Galactic Rapture was incomparable. Nothing Sacred is merely excellent. But I do have
one major complaint with the continuation of the story. Its 10-point font is far too small to be
read comfortably by a reviewer in his late youth.
Nothing Sacred starts slowly. In my view, the first 200 pages could be profitably abridged to 100.
But long before the midpoint, the story progresses into a gripping narrative written with all the
skill and wide-screen imagination of Frank Herbert's Dune, and the suspense of Arthur C. Clarke's
Childhood's End. Only the too-long build-up keeps it from equaling its predecessor.
Nothing Sacred delineates a future society that continues to use expletives for emphasis: "What
the forjeling plorg!" But the mindwarping that allowed the same word to be used as synonyms for
both hurting and shared recreation has been neutralized: "It watches us screwing." Screwing, not
forjeling. That the expletives are future "dirty words" is made clear when a character says (p.
251), "Sfelb, yes," and hurriedly adds, "Pardon my language, First Elder." But by dissociating
expletives from words pertaining to sex, Flynn envisions a society that has outgrown the religious
teaching that sex is dirty. He is in good company there. Robert Heinlein annihilated the equation
of sex with immorality in Stranger in a Strange Land.
The religions of the future sound eerily familiar: A theocrat preaches A and practises not-A.
Adherents of mutually hostile factions of the same Cosmic Christ cult batter each other senseless
over a doctrinal dispute analogous to the Big ender versus Little-ender interpretations of hoc est
corpus meum. A Mormon suicide bomber hijacks and destroys a starship, killing thirty thousand
Catholics, not from any belief that such an act can benefit Mormonism, but simply to show the
galaxy how much he hates infidels. An Intelligent Design addict with no ability to think outside of
his mindset is asked (p. 208), "There's no such thing as disproof where your faith is concerned, is
there?" and answers, "If there were, it wouldn't be faith."
Many characters in Nothing Sacred preach (literally) philosophies ranging from those Flynn
presumably endorses to those he assuredly does not. A minor character states (p. 204), "If there is
a God, why did He (sic) bother creating anything? Why didn't he (sic) just remain alone in the
cosmos? Masturbatory Vatican fantasies to the contrary, surely God's motive in creating
intelligence wasn't merely to engender a race of flatterers who'd strum harps and sing His praises
day and night." Does that character represents the author's position? That's a maybe. But another
minor character, identified only as the unnamed Apex Executive of the Privy High Council, is
assuredly speaking for the author when he says (pp. 215-216):
"The problem is not that, say, Christianity of Terra is a 'gutter religion.' Rather, religion in general
is a gutter institution . It is one thing to teach that there exists a God who made us. The Galaxy
is full of religions that say that. It is quite another thing indeed, it is audacity itself to claim this
God loved humankind. Yet that is what Christianity taught . If that teaching were true, it would
be the most beautiful the most momentous of all doctrines. But it is untrue, and so its vast
capacity to ensnare the human mind and heart its terrible power to distract attention from more
urgent, if less comfortable, realities makes it among the most dangerous artifacts created by the
human mind. This virulent sort of faith is new to the Galaxy, but to Terrans as old as thought
itself. It is true madness."
Perhaps in the hope of embedding some factual information into the minds of Mormons who
might not encounter it from any other source, Flynn has the future head Mormon acknowledge (p.
153), "It turns out that at various times, Joseph Smith wrote out or dictated three mutually
incompatible accounts of the First Vision. In one, he reported seeing just one personage; in
another, many. Only in the third did he report seeing the canonical twosome of Jesus and God the
Father. There was a fourth account, too, suppressed after the first few editions of the official
History of the Church, in which Smith claimed not to have had a vision at all, but rather a
'visitation of angels' when he was fourteen." And in "the historic first edition of the Book of
Mormon God was once a man like us the righteous may hope one day to reign as gods over
universes of their own." (p. 148) To paraphrase an English comedian: Not many Mormons know
that.
Since Flynn's Mormon characters cite information about the founder of Mormon mythology of
which Joseph Smith's earlier biographers, Ernest Taves, David Persuitte and Fawn Brodie, were
unaware, perhaps he should now write the definitive expos‚ of Smith's lies, incompatible
autobiographical claims, and plagiarisms, that even moderate Mormons will be unable to
rationalize away?
Meanwhile, for persons with little interest in the genesis of science fiction religions (there's
another kind?), but an appreciation of science fiction literature, Nothing Sacred is the best thing
that has come along since Galactic Rapture.
William Harwood
Reviewer
Henry's Bookshelf
This Great Battlefield of Shiloh - History, Memory, and the Establishment of a Civil War National
Military Park
Timothy B. Smith
U. of Tennessee Press
Conference Center, Suite 110, Knoxville, TN 37996-4108
www.utpress.org 800-621-2736
ISBN 1572332816 $28.95 179+xxi pp.
The establishment of a memorial park at the site of the major Civil War battlefield in Tennessee
originated among war veterans on both sides. Even before the park was created, veterans were
drawn to the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War to erect monuments and recall
their experiences. The civic, patriotic, nostalgic, and to some degree spiritual movement for such
a park at Shiloh grew to involve the public and regional and national politicians. Smith, on the
staff of the Shiloh National Military Park and author of historical articles, identifies the emotions
and memories sustaining the movement, and he describes the practicalities and challenges the
committed individuals and interested groups faced. Smith covers the period leading up to the
Park's opening in 1894 and its administration for two decades or so from this. He covers
especially how the veterans who took the lead and those who joined with them overcame the
challenges they faced to establish the Park and keep it running, including a tornado in 1909 that
damaged much of what had been accomplished and led to extensive renovations. Many period
photographs accompany Smith's informative and occasionally moving text. The book doesn't only
tell the story, but in a great many notes and seven appendices furnishes extensive documentation
and factual details for ones interested in this.
Native North American Armor, Shields, and Fortifications
David Jones
U. of Texas Press
PO Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713
www.utexas.edu/utpress 800-252-3206
ISBN 0292702094 $55.00 hardcover 188+ pp.
ISBN 0292701705 $24.95 trade paper
Any reader will surely learn something new from Jones's informative, fascinating study of the
different aspects of Native American combat and warfare. For example, studies the author cites
find that bone, including pieces of antlers, was used for arrow tips more often than stone;
although pictures of arrows in books, say, or Hollywood movie posters usually have arrowheads
of stone. Bone arrowheads shot with bows that could be as thick as a forearm could piece the
metal breastplates of early Spanish explorers. There was a major regional Native American town
of covering five squares miles with more than 30,000 inhabitants at the confluence of the
Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This town was protected by a fort with a wooden wall two miles
in length around the 200 acres of the town's center. European as well as Spanish reports attest
that "entrenching, breastwork construction, and fighting from foxholes were defensive techniques
found among almost all North American Indian groups". Jones covers tribes in all parts of North
America, including the far North, in both pre-Columbian times and after the European discovery.
In many cases, Native American armor and weapons can be traced to Japan, Siberia, other
northeastern Asian societies; and the spread and modification of these throughout North
American can be traced. As with other cultures, weapons, tactics, and fortifications reflect
geographical, military, and historical experiences and considerations. Jones is a Professor of
Anthropology at the U. of Central Florida, and founding director of its North American Indian
Studies Program. He brings together a great deal of widely-scattered scholarly, archaeological,
enthographic, and historical bits and pieces to give a comprehensive picture of this subject of
Native American warfare and its practices and tools for both scholars and general readers.
The Heart of Revolution - The Radical Life and Novels of Olive Dargan
Kathy Cantley Ackerman
U. of Tennessee Press
Conference Center, Suite 110, Knoxville, TN 37996-4108
www.utpress.org 800-621-2736
ISBN 1572332433 $29.95 237 pp.
In her day of the 1930s and early 1940s, the North Carolina writer Olive Dargan drew attention to
her novels about working class Southerners from a socialist perspective. She wrote these works
about "people who triumphed over economic, cultural, and spiritual poverty" under the
pseudonym Fielding Burke. Her most noted "proletariat novel" was "Call Home the Heart"
published in 1932, followed by two others over the next 15 years. Besides engaging in a literary
critique of this largely forgotten women author of the mid-1900s, Ackerman searches for the
answer to the question why Dargan fell into obscurity. Even in these days of feminist criticism,
regional studies, and minority interests, Dar gan is largely unknown. Ackerman's answer is that
the "failure of Communist to achieve the dream of the literary Left doomed her novels...to relative
obscurity". Along with this, Ackerman sees that "the thirties remains one of the most neglected
literary decades." Yet Ackerman recognizes that Dargan was basically an individualist whose
works hold interest for their literary quality and reflection of the social currents of her time. In
some way, Dargan was like a female John Steinbeck, only with a more pronounced socialist
stance, which during the 1930s and 40s was virtually synonymous with Communism.
Maritime Alexandria - The Rise and Fall of an American Entrepot
Donald G. Shomette
Heritage Books
Bowie, MD
www.HeritageBooks.com 1-866-282-2689
0788423649 $31.50 314 pp.
Shomette is a consultant on history for National Geographic and the Navy, and a former staff
member of the Library of Congress. His history of the growth of the Virginia city of Alexandria as
a major regional trading center is filled out with tables of data, maps, illustrations, and photos.
Alexandria's location on the Potomac River and proximity to the large waterway of the
Chesapeake Bay were the main reasons for the city's rise as a commercial port for domestic and
international markets. Shomette covers from the exploration and limited settlement of the area
under the English Captain John Smith up until about World War II. This includes the efforts of
the Union Army to capture Alexandria in the early days of the Civil War. Shomette's history
combines color and facts in an engaging style giving attention to the ships, goods, activities, and
development of Alexandria during each historical period.
Alaska's Hidden Wars - Secret Campaigns on the North Pacific Rim
Otis Hays, Jr.
U. of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
www.uaf.edu/uapress
ISBN 1889963631 $39.95 hc 182 pp.
ISBN 188996364X $19.95 trade paper
An intelligence officer in World War II, Hays concentrates on the intelligence operations in the
struggle between the U. S. and Japan for the outermost Aleutian islands in the War. For the
Japanese, outposts on the Aleutians would bring them into distance for bombing American cities
on the West coast or invasion of Alaska. For Americans, control of the Aleutians allowed for the
possibility of invasion of Japan from the north. Both sides recognized the strategic importance of
the Aleutian Islands in World War II; although neither side got around to committing major forces
and resources to take over the remote islands. Control of certain islands shifted back and forth,
until events in the south and central Pacific determined the closing phases of the War. In places,
Hays departs from his succinct overview of the general course of the Aleutian campaigns to
elaborate on little-known, interesting topics. One of these is the activities of the American-trained
Japanese doctor Paul Nobuo Tatsuguchi, whose diary was found after he was killed. Hays brings
in the effects of the north Pacific weather on military operations; and the activities of the Soviets
who seized islands north of Japan as soon as the War ended. Hays' relatively short, quick-paced
work is of interest mainly for its attention to smaller subjects which bring the nature of the war in
the Aleutians home to the reader.
Cuban Cinema
Michael Chanan
U. of Minnesota Press
111 Third Ave. South, Site 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
www.upress.umn.edu.
ISBN 0816634238 $77.95 hardcover 538 pp.
ISBN 0816634246 $25.95 trade paper
This is an updated edition of a 1985 book titled "The Cuban Image" that covered Cuban cinema
up until 1979. The most important effect on Cuban cinema up until that time was the success of
the socialist revolution led by Fidel Castro. In the 1960s and 70s, Cuban cinema had a special
status for Cuba's relationship to insurgent movements in Latin America. Although that era has
passed, Cuban film still has distinctive and influential qualities to draw attention to it--the central
one of these being its continued vibrancy and creativity in a Cuba that is no longer the beacon of
regional political agitation and is much poorer since the collapse of the Soviet Union which had
supported its economy. As Chanan, a documentary filmmaker and professor of cultural and media
studies at the U. of the West of England, puts it, "even in its weakened state, [Cuban cinema]
provides primary evidence of the complex factors at play in this extraordinary situation, and that
fulfilling this role is what nourishes its aesthetic and political fascination." As this comment
suggests, Chanan is interested in Cuban film from the historical and political standpoints, as well
as its aesthetic qualities. Whereas the earlier edition saw Cuban cinema as intriguing and telling
because of the unique status of Cuban before Castro and after he took power, the latter sections
of this new edition present the cinema as equally intriguing and telling because of its ability to
survive under markedly different conditions, conditions which would have devastated the film
industry of practically any other country. Chanan is demonstrably the leading authority on Cuban
cinema. It will be hard for another book to top this lengthy work studying the cinema which has
had a leading place in Latin American cinema ever since this art began to develop in the late
1800s.
Rethinking Social Realism - African American Art and Literature, 1930-1953
Stacy I. Morgan
U. of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
www.ugapress.org
ISBN 0820325643 $54.95 hardcover 356 pp.
ISBN 0820325791 $24.50 trade paper
The cornerstone of Morgan's study is a comment by the African American poet and novelist of the
mid 1900s Margaret Walker that the New Negroes who came of age in the 1930s were "poets of
social protest who began to catch a glimmer of a global perspective, who as spokesmen for their
race did not beg the question of their humanity...." Walker's view of African American authors
and artists differed from the way those associated with the Harlem Renaissance flourishing in the
1920s were seen. Walker was from the Midwest. Walker, along with many other black "cultural
workers", as Morgan sometimes calls them, saw those in the Harlem Renaissance concentrated in
New York City's Harlem as displaying the decadence of modernism. The black artists setting
themselves intentionally or incidentally off from the Harlem Renaissance practiced in and
cultivated an American vein of socialist realism. This realism extended into the decade after World
War II, after the Harlem Renaissance had petered out. Not only did this African American
socialist realism keep notions of social justice, working-class solidarity, and black pride alive in
elemental and enduring ways, but it gave impetus, shape, and direction to the civil rights' struggles
of the 1960s. Moving easily and always engagingly among the fields of aesthetics, social history,
black studies, American history and culture, and literary and art criticism, "Rethinking Social
Realism" adds much new terrain to black studies and social history of the mid 1900s. Morgan is
an assistant professor of American studies at the U. of Alabama.
Reading the Roots - American Nature Writing Before Walden
Michael P. Branch, editor
U. of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
www.ugapress.org
ISBN 0820325472 $54.95 hardcover 408 pp.
ISBN 0820325481 $24.95 trade paper
The Puritans and other English settlers were not the only ones to be impressed by the natural
world of the New World. In Columbus's son's biography of his father, he quotes Columbus as
writing that the land he discovered was "so enchantingly beautiful that it surpasses all others in
charm and beauty as much as the light of day surpasses night." Writings on nature by Englishmen
in this thick anthology begin after ones by several southern European explorers. Branch's
anthology not only broadens realization of American nature writing chronologically back to the
earliest days of its discovery, but also in including writings by theologians (e. g., Cotton Mather),
ornithologists (e. g., Audubon), and ordinary persons whose letters exhibited how much they
were involved with and affected by nature even as they wrote about it matter-of-factly. By this
anthology, Branch brings a new perspective to American nature writing--so that Thoreau, with his
literary plan to record his attachment to nature, becomes the exceptional nature writer instead of
the seminal one as he has been seen. Not that Branch means to diminish Thoreau--but to show
that there is an abundant and diverse nature literature in addition to Thoreau's. Branch, a
professor of literature and environment at the U. of Nevada, Reno, collects numerous writings
which make for good reading as distinctive literature or a text for relevant courses.
The Sensitive Self
Michael Eigen
Wesleyan U. Press
110 Mt. Vernon St., Middletown, CT 06459
www.wesleyan.edu/wespress
ISBN 0819566845 $45.00 hardcover 196 pp.
ISBN 0819566853 $17.95 trade paper
Eigen is a psychologist and psychoanalyst, author of many previous books, and member of the
Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis Dept. at NYU. But in this book, he does not write so much as
a professional psychologist; although he does make reference to writers on the subject and uses
tales of patients as springboards into the areas he delves into. "The Sensitive Self" is about how
the emotions pervade and form, and often determine, the quality and continuity of one's life. Eigen
sees attention as mostly a focusing of emotions which "provides us with the ability to create
worlds of experiencing by subtly blending sensation, perception, feeling, and thought." This is a
work which takes further the subject of emotional intelligence that was introduced by popular
previous works in recent years. Eigen's writing is like poetry. It meanders through the subjects
and ideas which arise without leading to any perspective or conclusion; but is like a lamp leading
one into the depths of one's emotions.
Russians in Alaska, 1732-1867
Lydia T. Black
U. of Alaska Press
PO Box 456240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
www.uaf.edu/uapress.
ISBN 1889963046 $65.00 hardcover 328 pp
ISBN 1889963054 $29.95 trade paper
Black's history is a "new synthesis, based primarily on archival materials" that have lately become
available. This synthesis integrates the history of Russia in Alaska with the nature of Russian
history going back to the Neolithic period and especially the settlement of the original territory of
Russia in the Baltic area by Germanic and Scandinavian traders and raiders following this. Russian
movement into Alaska followed naturally from Russian expansion southward and eastward into
Siberia. Black chronicles the Russian activity in Alaska from initial explorations to defeating
resistance from the native inhabitants to involving them as partners in Russian economic
enterprises and social experiments the Russian people were engaging in under some of the czars.
Usually, the Russian presence and activity in Alaska mirrored what conditions were under
different Russian rulers despite the great distance between Alaska and Moscow. Black is a
Professor Emerita at the U. of Alaska with many published works on Russia in Alaska. This
comprehensive history of hers with many illustrations is suitable for general readers as well as
students and scholars.
Tree - Belief/Culture/Balance
Ralph Lemon
Wesleyan U. Press
110 Mt. Vernon St., Middletown, CT 06459
www.wesleyan.edu/wespress
ISBN 0819566993 $34.95 271 pp.
"Tree" is like a scrapbook filled with diary-like entries, letters, notes, photographs, sketches, and a
few pages of hand-written manuscript relating to Lemon's trip to India, China, and Japan. His trip
was a personal spiritual journey tracing routes taken by the Buddha as a part of the lore of the
Asian religion of Buddhism. But in Lemon's spiritual journey he was seeking not only spiritual
growth for himself, but also the inter-relationship and symbioses among all the cultures and
peoples of the world. Lemon's journey was tied in with the development of globalism as this is
bringing persons of different cultures into contact with one another and forming a global
consciousness. Although Lemon realizes this global consciousness cannot be defined at this time
and that his individual journey is not going to bring it to culmination or clarity, his activities,
reflections, ideas, and heterogeneous elements of "Tree" to some extent reflect this emerging
global life. This work is the second part of the award-winning choreographer Lemon's three-part
project to explore extensively spiritual and cultural developments involved in globalism and
express these in the art of dance. The first part of his project took him to Africa. Lemon has been
associated with dance programs at Yale and Princeton.
Early Art of the Southeastern Indians - Feathered Serpents and Winged Beings
Susan C. Power
U. of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
www.ugapress.org
ISBN 0820325015 $39.95 254 pp.
Power, a professor of art at Marshall U., elaborates how artists of the Southwestern native tribes
were "resourceful beyond measure [in drawing on] nature's bounty for a rich supply of local and
exotic materials, many brought from great distances." Such native artists created intricate social
and ceremonial objects, numbers of which are shown in photos. The reach of the Southeast
extents to parts of the Midwest for close sources for the native art being studied and in some
cases for evidences of it. With some tribes, the artistic desires and ambitions embodying the tribe's
spiritual beliefs and cultural and political position led to large-scale land sculptures. Reader's will
notice the resemblance of much of the Southeast Native American art to that of the
Mayans--leaving the lesson that the tribes of this region had more highly developed cultures and
individual and regional social systems than ordinarily thought. Not only is Power's book uniquely
educating regarding the Indian cultures of the Southwest U. S., but it also has the visual appeal of
a high-quality, coffee-table art book.
A History of Russian Architecture
William Craft Brumfield
U. of Washington Press
PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096
www.washington.edu/uwpress
ISBN 0295983949 $90.00 hardcover 644 pp.
ISBN 0295983930 $50.00 trade paper
Brumfield's "Prologue to the 2004 Edition" notes that it "keeps a fundamental work [that is] the
most comprehensive study of the topic" in print. The long time period covered is the early
medieval period through the twentieth century. In the Prologue, Brumfield also cites the
significance of architecture in the northern and eastern regions; although he mentions that these
areas will not be added to this new edition which is voluminous and comprehensive as it is. New
to this 2004 edition, however, is a 14-page gallery of photographs of churches, houses, and other
representative buildings in the areas outside of European Russia, the area covered in this work.
For anyone wishing to be knowledgeable about Russian architecture, Blumfield's text is a standard
and a necessary work.
Letters from an American Utopia - The Stetson Family and the Northampton Association,
1843-1847
Christopher Clark and Kerry W. Buckley, editors
U. of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umass.edu/umpress
ISBN 1558494316 $34.95 284 pp.
Although the collected letters cover only five years in the time the Civil War was approaching,
they disclose widespread changes occurring in the perspective of large numbers of persons,
especially in the Northeast U. S., and new ways of life that were evolving formed around social
activism. The Northampton Association of Education and Industry founded in 1842 by a group of
abolitionists and reformers was tied to a silk mill in the western part of the state. For the Stetson
family and other members of the Association, there were no separations between work,
community, and spiritual, idealistic, and social beliefs and aims. The letters of the Stetson family
members to one another and to outsiders record not only the inner activities and the outlooks of
the Association, but also include comments and critiques of the society of the time. The different
personalities of the varied letter-writers all involved in the aim of abolishing slavery and reforming
American society along communitarian lines are also displayed in the letters. Besides presenting
several abolitionists as individuals, the letters with extensive notes following them imply how the
religious values, independence, and ways of life of the early settlers of New England were
working their way into an American society that was becoming more multifaceted and more
secular. Three essays, one by the editor Clark and the other two by different authors, in the last
half of the book take up the subjects of social aspects of the Northampton Association, the work
of making silk, and African Americans relating to the Association. Clark is a university professor
of history; Buckley, executive director of Historic Northampton.
The Pussycat of Prizefighting - Tiger Flowers and the Politics of Black Celebrity
Andrew M. Kaye
U. of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
www.uga.press
ISBN 0820325902 $26.95 208 pp.
Theodore "Tiger" Flowers was the foremost black prize fighter in the 1920s. His prominent career
came between the more celebrated, and controversial, ones of Jack Johnson and Joe Louis.
Flowers' nickname "Tiger" is somewhat of a misnomer. Outside of the ring, he lived a typical
middle-class life. Flowers' behavior did not disclose a grudge against whites for slavery or
prejudice. Flowers broke the mold of top black boxers before and since. Flowers was unfailingly
polite to all, a manner which some blacks saw as differential. He became a deacon, owned a
modest home in Atlanta, was contentedly married, and bought property and started commercial
ventures. Many whites, in fact, identified with Flowers, though most could not openly associate
with him because of the deep-seated racial prejudices running through the South in the mid 1900s.
Yet the affect of those who admired him was genuine. Another epithet for Flowers was "the
whitest black man in the ring'; and tens of thousands of Atlantans attended his funeral in 1926
after his untimely death from a botched surgery shortly after he won the world middleweight title.
Kaye, a lecturer in American History at the U. of Durham, writes about Flowers' boxing career
and his exemplary life in such a way that the questions of black athletic skill, social history of the
Southeast, modern celebrity based on mass media, and the image of masculinity are an integral
part of this distinctive biography bringing this lesser-known, but exceptionally influential, black
figure to attention.
The Boston Braves, 1871-1953
Harold Kaese
Introduction and Photo Selection by Richard A. Johnson
Foreword by Warren Spahn
Northeastern U. Press
360 Huntington Ave., 416CP, Boston, MA
www.nupress.neu.edu
ISBN 1555536174 $24.00 310 pp.
A popular sports' history of the Boston Braves, the "oldest continually operated professional
sports franchise in North America," follows the influence of the team on the sport while at the
same time giving profiles of individual players, managers, and owners who left their mark. This is
a paperback edition of the book published in hardcover in 1948 and 1954 by Putnam's. Having
traveled with the now-defunct franchise for close to 40 years as a sportswriter, Kaese (d. 1975)
knows the history and lore of the team like no one else. Warren Spahn did the "Foreword" for this
new edition shortly before he died in 2003. All in all, a lively and informative picture of big-league
baseball in its earlier years. The development of this major team in existence over 80 years mirrors
developments in professional baseball and other sports that foretell of today's sports involving big
business, celebrity players, and extensive media coverage.
Henry Berry
Reviewer
LaRocca's Bookshelf
A Living Heart
Judith Vido
Electric eBook Publishing
http://www.electricebookpublishing.com/
ISBN: 1553520874 $5.00 ebook / $13.95 166 pages
"Single, Hispanic male, mid-forties, attractive, financially independent, seeks single Hispanic or
white female for business arrangement, contractual marriage. Duration three to four months.
Ample financial compensation for right applicant."
Judith Reece decides to answer this personal ad. She is an insulin-dependent diabetic who is blind.
She needs a great deal of money.
Sebastian Calderon is the wealthy fashion designer who placed the ad. He is handsome,
sophisticated, charming and witty. He grieves the late Isabelle, but he needs a temporary
wife.
Judith and Sebastian achieve their immediate needs and discover a future hitherto blocked by the
pain of abandonment and loss. However, secrets from the past are motivating others. Behind the
scenes they wait and watch... and manipulate Judith and Sebastian's unfolding relationship.
Romance is not my genre of choice, but I found this highly readable. In fact, I don't especially like
classifying books by their genres. It is akin to dismissing them. And that, incidentally, is why I
love ebooks. We cross genre lines at will.
(This book is available in both paperback and ebook.)
To define a person as "blind" and then to stop your definition right there is just plain wrong.
Perhaps you already knew that, but I've never met you. Judith lost her sight, but not who she is.
She's still the girl who rebelled against her parents, who fell into the bad marriage, who has other
regrets about her past. She's still the survivor she always was, though, and a good person who
you would enjoy meeting and knowing. She loves singing, walking in the park with her wonderful
dog... In short, she loves life, and she has the ability to remind the reader to do the same.
Author Judith Vido does a wonderful job of showing the reader how the blind function in our
sighted world. She shows us ordinary things we all take for granted from her perspective.
Newspapers, telephones, getting dressed, a walk in the park.
Oddly enough, I saw parallels. Judith can't see. I live in a country where I can't talk. But we can
accept help without losing our independence. Also, we're both terrible Spanish students.
You probably know that I have a soft spot for authors who can make the animals in their writing
"real." In this case, it's a Seeing Eye dog, Tiki. Of course we know the relationship between a
Seeing Eye dog and her person is special. But I feel like I understand it now. And of course I love
Tiki.
Curiosity
Gerald Wunsch
1st Books Library
http://www.authorhouse.com
ISBN: 1410737004 ebook $3.95
1410736997 paperback $9.50 110 pages
Yet again, Michael ventures into children's literature despite a marked lack of qualifications. I
have no children, and I can't write in the genre. But, no matter. I enjoyed the book.
Fifth-grader Ginger Wanamaker is our storyteller, and she seems quite likeable and realistic to me.
I was a fifth grader once, long ago. Her best friend is Irene Fong.
Ginger wonders if they became friends because they're the only two girls in class who wear
glasses, or perhaps because they're both only children.
I don't know either, but it seems obvious to me that they belong together. Irene's brains and
Ginger's guts. Not unlike me and my little brother. Like Barry, Ginger has a knack for leading
expeditions and getting this dynamic duo into trouble.
They are visiting Ginger's Grandma Abby and Grandpa George for the summer. Two city girls out
in the country. While they are there, they have the chance to explore the Underground
Railroad.
Through the author's words, that little two-word phrase comes to life. Underground Railroad. I
learned about it in school myself, but never in such a gripping manner. Oddly enough, I read this
book right after showing the Civil War film GLORY to my students here in China. The author
reminded me of my laxity in failing to mention this subject.
Oh, and let's not forget Laird, the irrepressible wire fox terrier. I love an author who can write
about animals without making them mere background scenery and without overdoing it. I'm
probably guilty of the latter, and far too many are guilty of the former. Laird is based on a real
dog who I wouldn't mind meeting.
Ginger's grandparents, George and Abby, are way too busy to spend any time in their porch
rockers. George zips through the Hoosier Hills in his classic MG sports car, while Abby beats
time with a spatula to her oldies-but-goodies radio station. That is, when she's not surfing the
Internet.
Grandpa George services the car himself, by the way. It's an MG TF sports car, 1955 edition. It's
an awesome machine. I've always loved those MGs myself, even though I've never had the
pleasure of riding in one. The book made me sigh with jealousy. Maybe one day...
The author does a wonderful job of weaving his many interests into a children's novel. The
Underground Railroad, old British sports cars, numismatics, and his love of a certain little terrier.
It's obvious from his descriptions of Suriname and the Netherlands that he's been there, just like it
says in his bio. If the bio didn't tell me that this was his first children's novel, I wouldn't have
believed it.
And let's not forget illustrator Irene Joslin. She has an impressive resume, but what really
impressed me were her illustrations for the book. I don't care about resumes. In case you do,
Irene's cartoons appear weekly in the Brown County Democrat, her portraits and art are featured
in various other places, and she teaches art classes. This comes as no surprise to me.
So, I recommend visiting http://www.1stbooks.com/ and searching for "Wunsch." If you do that,
you can easily click on CURIOSITY and learn more about this book. There's a free sample right
there. Little more needs to be said.
Michael LaRocca, Reviewer
http://freereads.topcities.com
Lori's Bookshelf
Fated Love
Radclyffe
Bookends Press
PO Box 14513, Gainesville, FL 32604
http://www.bookendspress.com
ISBN: 1932667148 $18.99 312 pgs
New employee Quinn Maguire shows up at Philadelphia Medical College's ER/Trauma Unit on a
quiet Monday morning, but before she's even had a chance to be introduced to the lone woman
sitting behind the intake counter, a gunshot victim is wheeled in. Quinn looks around, can't find an
attending physician, and immediately takes over the victim's care with the help of a nurse and the
woman who first greeted her whom she assumes is a resident. Big mistake. Instead, it's Honor
Blake, the chief of emergency services. Fortunately, Honor doesn't hold Quinn's assumptions
against her. While both women are secretly impressed with the skills the other displayed in saving
the patient's life, they're also wary of the other.
So begins an uneasy alliance during which circumstances draw Honor and Quinn together, and
they find themselves unaccountably attracted to one another. Honor can't figure out why a
surgeon as skilled as Quinn chose to leave a prominent position at a big-time New York hospital
to be an attending ER doctor at a university hospital in Philly. And Quinn can't figure out why
Honor shies away from her when it's clear there's an undeniable pull between them. Both of them
have secrets they refuse to divulge. How can they work together, much less become friends or
more so long as each is so carefully guarding her own little world?
The story of these two women's lives and the twists and turns that take place to bring them to
the same place is impossible to put down. With ample angst, realistic and exciting medical
emergencies, winsome secondary characters, and a sprinkling of humor, FATED LOVE turns out
to be a terrific romance. It's one of the best I have read in the last three years. Run do not
walk right out and get this one. You'll be hooked by yet another of Radclyffe's wonderful
stories. Highly recommended.
Minus One: A Twelve-Step Journey
Bridget Bufford
Alice Street Editions of Haworth Press, Inc.
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
www.haworthpress.com
ISBN: 1560234687 $17.95 238 pgs
Stubborn, angry, and fresh out of treatment, Terry Manescu moves in with her friend, Angela,
who takes her in provided Terry stays sober and contributes to the household. Terry at first
doesn't realize the depths of her own pain and is facing a lot more problems than she can imagine
fixing. She's got intelligence and guts going for her, but she's also got an attitude which has not
entirely changed even with treatment and AA attendance. "Everyone with more sobriety than me
thinks that they know what's best for me. AA is a conspiracy to rob me of my individuality and my
intellect" (p. 14). She says this halfway tongue in cheek, even while at some level, Terry knows
that she must change. She just isn't entirely sure how to go about it.
Though only 26, Terry has already been through a lot in her life. Through her own drunken rage,
she lost the love of her life. She's got issues with her family, some of which are because she's
lesbian, but also because she was such a wild girl, and her connections with her brothers and
parents have been affected by all the lies and failures. She flunked out of school, ran with a fast
crowd, and did a lot of risky things. She knows the addiction to drugs and alcohol is terrible for
her health and well-being, but she for a long time she kids herself whenever her shortcomings
become apparent to others or to her. "These insinuations about my ego just chap my ass," (p. 31)
she says early on. This first-person narrator has got a comic voice at times, and the story she tells
is, by turns, very funny and very heartbreaking.
It takes a long time and quite a number of mistakes before Terry starts to get her head on straight.
For anyone who has ever been addicted, particularly to alcohol, or been around others struggling
with the nightmare of drunkenness, every angle of her story rings true. When Terry finally admits
that she "cannot take the pain of knowing that I can't trust myself, of knowing the rage and
insanity that lurk within me, waiting for the next drink," (p. 122), a glimmer of hope can be found.
She still has to hit bottom, learn to connect with others while not high, and figure out how to
fashion a life worth living, but with that admission, she is starting to change.
Bufford opens each chapter with a quotation from the 12-Step world, and that's where the title of
the book came from: "If there's a minus (step) one, that's where I'm at." But don't mistake this
book to be about recovery only. It's a coming-of-age story, a love story, and an entertaining and
engrossing journey through one woman's life. I couldn't put the book down and read it in one
sitting. I highly recommend it.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Lowe's Bookshelf
Packing Mrs. Phipps: A Jo Jacuzzo Mystery
Anne Seale
Alyson Publications
6922 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 1000, Los Angeles, CA 90028
www.alyson.com
ISBN: 1555838375 $13.95 240 pages
"When Superman returns from his faster-than-light flight around the earth, Jo Jacuzzo will find
herself in her room in Buffalo, New York, talking to her mother about going to Florida and
packing up Mrs. Elinor Phipps. And this time she'll say no." p62 With these words, Jo Jacuzzo
from Buffalo, NY sums up her feelings about a "simple errand" that has turned into the road trip
from hell.
This first novel from Anne Seale introduces readers to a new lesbian mystery series. Jo Jacuzzo, a
27-year-old, shy, intelligent (if not the most educated), softhearted butch finds herself thrown into
a series of unexpected, complicated, and even life-threatening events. Jo's first person narrative is
often amusing and her view of the world has a sweet, almost childlike innocence that is charming
without being saccharine. While touchingly neurotic and somewhat naive, Jo is also loyal and a bit
stubborn with a definite moral core.
Until the last few weeks, Jo has worked as a homecare-nursing aide. However, an accusation and
complaint from the family of one of her clients has resulted in unemployment for Jo. Although she
still lives with her mother and her mother's partner, Rose, Jo has been paying her part of the
household expenses for years and her unemployment is a hardship for all. Soon her mother pushes
Jo to accept a temporary job. That "errand" is to go to Tampa, Florida, and help pack up the
snowbird mother of a friend for her summer return to Buffalo. Of this mother-daughter talk, Jo
comments, "I knew I was in for a deep discussion. [Mom]'d said, "So, Jo" when explaining what
Kotex was for and before telling me that Daddy had left us, among other depressing things.
(Having Daddy leave was depressing only because we didn't leave him first.)" p9
The road trip begins safely enough. Jo stops to visit her Uncle Dom in Cincinnati to help him with
some chores. She gets the low-down on him from the neighborhood kids including, "The best bit,
however, was that he pushed an evangelist off his porch last year and had to do community
service. That's my family, heathenish to a fault." p15
When Jo's beloved Toyota truck has a break down in Georgia, she finds herself accepting a detour
to Arizona to help the beautiful if enigmatic heiress, Charity Redmun, drive a motor home across
country. The complications from here on are exponential.
Packing Mrs. Phipps is quite a funny novel and Jo's observations are wonderfully droll at times.
For example, this exchange with a woman who befriends Jo: "I guess people name their kids Faith
and Hope, so why not [Charity]? Sonny and Cher even named their daughter Chastity. How'd you
like to go though life with a name like that? What guy would want to have sex with a girl called
Chastity?" [Jo's response] "I'm guessing that doesn't bother her too much." p184
The mystery's plot has several unexpected twists, not the least of which is Jo deciding to go
undercover to try to find a killer, and dressing as a high femme named "Sheridan" to infiltrate a
right-wing militia group near the Mexican Border. Few things are quite as they appear to be in
this suspenseful little tale. There are one or two incongruencies uncaught in the editing process --
like the change of a meeting "time" from afternoon to morning within three pages and without the
implied change of that time. -- Nevertheless, Jo Jacuzzo is one of most charming reluctant
detectives since Sarah Dreher's Stoner McTavish series. This entertaining and promising first
novel will have this reviewer looking for Jo's future adventures.
Once upon a Dyke: New Exploits of Fairy Tale Lesbians
Barbara Johnson, Karin Kallmaker, Therese Szymanski, Julia Watts
Bella Books
ISBN: 1931513716 $14.95, p. 307
Once upon a Dyke: New Exploits of Fairy Tale Lesbians is an amusing and arousing quartet of
novellas from four well-known lesbian writers. Culturally speaking, fairy tales were created for
several reasons: community identity, teaching morality and, of course, as entertainment. Thus it is
fitting for a group of lesbian writers to reconsider fairy tales and ask in their introduction, "Why
were the heroines always pretty, pure, passive little things who needed rescuing? And even if a
girl did need rescuing (as we all do from time to time), why did she have to be rescued by a
handsome prince? Why not a handsome princess, or a comely peasant girl, for that matter? What
was so charming about Prince Charming anyway?" pviii
Julia Watts pens an interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the rural South roughly 100
years ago. "La Belle Rose" questions the nature and quality of "otherness." Everyone sees Rosie
as "normal" and yet this "pretty" young woman has always felt the different-ness of her internal
self. Rosie escapes the expectations of others by joining a carnival show, and finds that her views
of what is proper and normal resonate with the show's company more than with her family. When
Rosie finds love with a "beast" many expect that it is only a temporary amusement because Rosie
is "normal" and could return to the "normal world."
Watts challenges readers to look beyond the surface and our assumptions. "La Belle Rose" is a
parable for many gender issues, including the ability for more traditionally "feminine" lesbians or
bisexual women to "pass" in the "normal" world. She points out that these women who have a
"choice" about their role and place in society, suffer pressure from both the "normal" and "other"
world. Rosie's solution to this quandary is a very touching one. For fans of Watts' novels, the tone
of "La Belle Rose" is recognizably hers with its engaging characters, empathetic presentation of
heartache, the rural southern setting, and the touching, unexpected, resolution.
Therese Szymanski takes her readers on a witty little romp in "A Butch in Fairy Tale Land." This
trip through several fairy tales is a kind of "Queer Eye meets Quantum Leap." Cody is a sweet
(but don't call her that), sexy, well-meaning, romantic butch who likes to rescue fair maidens, or
meddle in the lives of friends, depending upon one's point of view. Thus when she stumbles into
an enchanted forest and runs into Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and a range of
princesses, Cody finds she HAS to solve their problems. (This despite the fact that the characters
are rescued in the stories that come down to us.)
The action grows erotic as Cody discovers Rapunzel in her tower, not to mention a totally new
slant on Snow White and the seven dwarves. Cody's wry observations prompt several laughs.
For example in this little bit when she evaluates her decision to kill the witch that Hansel and
Gretel have met in the forest:
"The point I was struggling with was, what if this was a misunderstood good witch, a victim of
patriarchal mistrust of feminine nature and oppression of old womyn and their unusual abodes?
What if I chopped up a good Crone? How would I ever go [to the Michigan Music festival]
topless and share tofu again? Well, now that I thought about it maybe the key was to just get it
over quickly. Trust the fairy tale. Next time I was passing the talking stick around the bonfire, I
just wouldn't mention this little episode." p82
Most contemporary fairy tale reinterpretations attempt to flesh out the stereotype or symbolic
characters of the story. However, in this satirical survey of fairy tales, Cody is the opposite. She
becomes "The Butch" a new queer fairy tale persona for the 21st century. Overall this
characterization works as a way to keep the humors, as it were, flowing.
Barbara Johnson's "Charlotte of Hessen" is a sweet retelling of Cinderella with a sprinkle of "fairy
dust." An orphaned Charlotte finds herself at the mercy of an unpleasant stepmother and two
stepsisters. Charlotte finds solace in the animals of her woodland retreat and in Mina, a striking
young woman sporting men's clothing. Mina's love makes her life worth living. Little does
Charlotte know how true that will be! This charming story is after a fashion the most "traditional"
retelling of the four. However, the erotic moments and amusing double lavender twist ending will
please readers.
Karin Kallmaker's "A Fish Out of Water" turns "The Little Mermaid" on her tail and creates a
"Mer" culture that is complex, magical, sensual and perhaps not as superior as it first appears.
Ariel is the seventy-seventh daughter -- Not the most advantageous of birth order -- of the Queen
of the Mer. When Ariel and some of her Mer friends go "hunting" for "human song" one night and
Ariel accidentally breaks an edict from the queen and is punished for it. In a complicated twist, her
sentence holds the possibility of a "cure" which is heavily laced with its own punishment.
Kallmaker reflects the original story's themes of love, redemption and self-sacrifice; poses
questions on the nature of desire and obsession; and tweaks the reader's point of view in what is
considered "perverted." As a tale about magic and fantastic beings, "Fish Out of Water" is more
typical of her Laura Adams' fantasy novels than Kallmaker's contemporary romances. The story
also carries Adam's lyrical writing voice with the Mer "song" imagery, dark mystic elements, and
use of symbolism. This thoughtful, bittersweet story is a vast improvement over Andersen's
original. Yes, it is definitely a fairy tale for this century.
Finally, Once upon a Dyke is a title in Bella Books, "Bella After Dark" imprint or as the editors
say in their introduction, "Fairy Tales are about sex, and we're not shy." pviii The sex gets steamy
and sometimes may challenge readers. The novella formats make for a nice change of pace in
reading. Once upon a Dyke is romantic, funny, thoughtful, and hot. Buy a copy and live happily
ever after, for a while.
The Wizard of Isis
Jean Stewart
Bella Books
P.O. Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302, Phone: 1-800-729-4992
www.bellabooks.com
ISBN: 1931513724 $12.95 224 pages
The Wizard of Isis, opens moments after the close of Winged Isis, and this fifth title in Jean
Stewart's Isis novels is possibly the best of the series. As with other Isis books, Wizard is
fast-paced and action-packed reading. Tomyris "Whit" Whitaker and Danu Sullivan ended the
dogfight that culminated Winged Isis by chasing two jets (one carrying a nuclear weapon) back
across the barrier between Freeland and Elysium. In their enthusiasm to defeat the invaders, Whit
and Danu find themselves trapped in the racist, patriarchal, theocratic country. Occupying the
eastern portion of what was the United States, Elysium arose some nine decades prior to the
book's setting in a panicked response to a population-devastating pandemic.
Having established her futuristic, post-apocalyptic world that divided what is now the United
States into two extremely divergent cultures, Stewart explores the possibilities of pockets of
resistance inside the oppressive Elysium, where women who are not willing to subjugate
themselves to men are literally enslaved or killed. She sets this resistance in the difficult terrain of
the Appalachias. Dubbed "Amazons Outlaws" by the Elysium authorities, Stewart suggests that,
women banding together for survival in mountain enclaves might easily carry the archetypal
characteristics of the independent woman, the fighting "Amazon." While the women warriors of
Freeland were lucky enough to preserve and further develop their technology, these Amazon
communities have been struggling to maintain what has reverted to a pre-renaissance trade culture
in the last three generations. For several years, they have received an added boost in the form of a
very psychically powerful witch. Whit is concerned that the witch might be a nemesis from her
past. Certainly, the witch's motivations and control over the community do have a dark side.
One of the interesting points about Stewart's Freeland democracy is that it is not some mystic tofu
utopia. The political struggles and factions are a lively, complex element of the society. While
these women are not afraid to defend their homeland or their loved ones, the method of rescue for
Whit and Danu is subject to debate by the ruling council. During these council negotiations, Kali,
Whit's life partner, and Tor, Danu's girlfriend, decide to circumvent the time-consuming political
haggling by launching their own rescue mission. Needless to say, this impulsive venture
compounds the problem.
As non-mainstream, speculative fiction, Stewart's Isis series raises some frightening questions
about our political system, health care, and our environmental responsibility. These issues ring
even truer today than when the series first appeared in 1992. Indeed, Stewart's Isis has long been
a warning parable for our times. She furthers this exhortation in regard to the controversial issues
of freedom, independence, diversity, safety and community; issues with which the United States
has been struggling with since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
An exemplifying moment is a scene of Danu reciting the Preamble to the Freeland Declaration of
Independence concluding, "We are the summit, the democratic ideal that mankind has been
aspiring to throughout the ages. It is our duty to protect liberty and freedom in order to ensure it
for those who come after us." p111 Despite the ironically sexist and unlikely use of "mankind,"
the ideals stated so eloquently sent shivers through this reviewer.
The point becomes more blatant near the book's climax when Kali tells a crowd of Elysians "A
long time ago, your ancestors exchanged freedom for promises of safety, and you're doing it still.
You stopped being Americans." p 210 (Kali was doing great until those last four words since the
Elysians present at this moment are not likely to remember or have knowledge of "America" given
the repressive cultivation of illiteracy some 90 years after the fall of America.)
Despite the heavy political topics, bleak circumstances, and explicit violence, Wizard of Isis has
some charming to downright funny moments. When an imprisoned Kali faces the local Elysian
warlord, her strength of will and defiant nature prompt her to use what weapons she has left,
namely her wit and voice (and perhaps a touch of her psychic abilities) to strike out at her captors.
For this reviewer, the humorous "pay off" of this scene is practically worth the book's
purchase.
Wizard of Isis has all of the qualities that readers have come to expect from Stewart. The story is
thoughtful and intelligent, action-filled and exciting. While she deals with archetypal elements in
some of her characters, not all of her women are noble and heroic and not all men are evil. Indeed,
one of the themes of Wizard is the idea that most Elysians are trapped themselves rather than
actively supporting the regime. With a signature high-energy climax, Wizard of Isis adds a few
surprises to the Isis Saga and it will be interesting to see where Stewart takes readers next.
M.J. Lowe
Reviewer
Magdalena's Bookshelf
The Lemon Table
Julian Barnes
Knopf
ISBN: 1400042143 $22.95 224 pp.
Julian Barnes has made an art form of pulling together short stories that add up to a collective
meaning greater than the sum of its parts. In his seminal work, A History of the World in 10 1/2
Chapters, the book of short stories which Barnes insists is actually a novel, the stories work
together, themes repeat, ideas get strengthened as the book progresses, and by the time you've
finished, a single overriding theme around life and love comes into focus. A similar tension occurs
in Cross Channel, where the individual pieces move around a central core of things French, but
ultimately adds up to a whole that once again illuminates what it means to be a human being.
Barnes has stated that the origin of each book's he's done was in the previous one. Since he is so
prolific, and since his writing takes on a wide variety of genres, from farce to drama to literary
criticism to food writing to very literary fiction indeed, one could probably find the origins for this
one in his last book of grouped stories, Cross Channel, in his character "The Elderly Englishman"
of "Tunnel" who returns home to create "the stories you have just read." As with History and
Cross Channel, the stories in The Lemon Table, while able to function separately, add up to a
single picture, a totality of expression which has more meaning than any of the stories on their
own. You need to stand back to get the full density of the work.
The key theme of The Lemon Table is old age, and some critics have stated that it seems odd that
Barnes would write such an epitaph type of work so early in his life, but Barnes has always stated
that his work, and all novels, start with life. There is no better way to illuminate life than to take
the reader to the end of it. There are eleven stories, each with a different structure. The first, "A
Short History of Hairdressing" tells the story of a character through his haircut appointments.
You could probably do this kind of perspective taking any recurring event in a person's life, but it
is the combination of mundane and regimented - of meditative and vanity ridden - the image in the
mirror a tangible reminder of the aging process accelerated at each visit - which makes a
haircutting session so appropriate. We watch Gregory, from his first terrified trip to the barber on
his own: "Boys didn't tip. Perhaps that was why barbers hated boys. They paid less and they didn't
tip. They also didn't keep still. Or at least, their mothers told them to keep still, they kept still, but
this didn't stop the barber bashing their heads with a palm as solid as the flat of a hatchet and
muttering, 'Keep still.' to his twilight victory over the mirror - a tiny revolt in old age. Another
story which revisits a meeting point is "The Things You Know" which follows two friends as they
have breakfast together at different times and reminisce over their dead husbands . The reader is
made aware of the irony through the perspective of time, but the characters don't have that
vantage, even when they should.
The stories follow a wide variety of different settings and structures. Love lost, missed, idealised
and regretted form the basis of the 18th century Swedish tale "The Story of Mats Isrealson"
where the main character mis-tells a story to his neighbour's wife, a woman with whom he has
fallen in love, and the two resist the temptation and go their separate ways, living a life of regret
and longing. The story culminates in Isrealson's one chance to make amends before dying. In "The
Revival", an aged Turgenev falls in love with the actress who played Verochka in one of his plays,
but is it really love, or just another way of avoiding love? "This is safe. The fantasy is manageable,
his gift a false memory." (98). There is Major Jacko Jackson of "Hygiene," who travels regularly
to visit his mistress, a retired prostitute in London - his two days of furlough from his wife, "as
per," until he finds that aging has caught up with his mistress, as it has caught him. In "The Fruit
Cage," we learn about a couple through the narration of their son, a boy who discovers a third
party in his parent's marriage. All of these stories have a strong undercurrent of irony - of the
human and fairly unattractive needs which are hidden under what we call love in our youth. There
is always a twist in the tale - the politics of the ego, the idealisation of beauty, and the vanity of
our romantic illusions.
Other stories deal with self-justification and the vanities that become entrenched as we age, such
as Vigilance", the story of a man who takes increasingly violent steps to pay back those who are
cough or otherwise rude during the concerts he attends. The blackly humorous piece ends with an
ironic nod to the notion of 'civilisation.' In another blackly humorous piece, "Bark," Jean-Etienne
Delacour's becomes a member of a subscription loan scheme to build the municipal baths. The last
man surviving acquires the capital amount. Delacour becomes increasingly neurotic about his food
and lifestyle in an attempt to live the longest. Barnes' food writing skills are shown to great
advantage as he describes Delacour's former gastronomic excesses.
"Knowing French" brings back the Elderly Englishman, Mr Barnes, as the subject of Sylvia
Winstanley's letters. She is working her way through the alphabet at her local library: "Having
done Barnes, I move onto Brookner, Anita, and blessed if she didn't appear on the Box that very
day." (142) Although Winstanley is a character who is silly at times, the fictional Barnes is clearly
affectionate towards her, and this grandparent-grandson relationship is moving. The final story,
"The Silence" pulls the previous stories together, as a fictional Sibelius reflects on his life, his
work, his silence, and impending death in a number of different ways, through overt discussion: "I
join the lemon table at the Kamp. Here it is permissible - indeed, obligatory - to talk about death.
It is most companionable." (206), and through sound and motion: "The day was heavy with
clouds, but for once the cranes broke from the flock and flew directly towards me. I raised my
arms in acclamation as it made a slow circle around me, trumpeting its cry, then headed back to
rejoin its flock for the long journey south. I watched until my eyes blurred, I listened until my ears
could hear nothing more, and silence resumed." (213)
Barnes' craftsmanship is second to none. Minutely detailed, beautifully paced, and often wryly fun,
each of the stories in The Lemon Table can be read on its own. Together however, the book
becomes a rich and varied exploration through the pain, frustration, and vanities of aging, of what
it means to be alive.
Writing.com: Creative Internet Strategies to Advance Your Career, Revised Edition
Moira Anderson
Allen Allworth Publishing
ISBN: 1581152701 $19.95 256 pages
If you're a writer and have been spending time in cyberspace the chances are good that you've
already heard of Moira Anderson Allen. Her web site Writing-World.com is one of the pithiest
and most useful sites for writers, with hundreds of articles, links and submission calls. Allen's own
columns have been published in prestigious print journals, but it is as an online presence that Allen
really stands out. She has been guiding writers to create their best work virtually since the
beginning of the Internet, and it is likely that her knowledge of how to maximise the value of the
Internet specifically for use by writers is unparalleled. Writing.com has been in print now since
1998, but the latest edition has been significantly revised to take into account the many changes to
technology, changes in legality, differing trends, and revised resources.
For those writers who are already very familiar with the necessities and benefits of using the
Internet to further their writing careers, Writing.com will serve as a good overview of the basics
and handy reference guide, covering such topics as setting up a writer web page including hosting
and domain names, dealing with viruses, conducting online searchings, writing communities,
online markets, protecting electronic rights, avoiding scams, promoting online, and e-publishing.
The book is written in simple, easy to understand language, but always assumes that the reader is
a serious, and experienced writer. Some of the information may well be familiar, but there are
chapters which can be referred to repeatedly, such as the very useful advice on how to avoid
getting gibberish appearing in your cut and pastes from MS-Word, or advice on how to query by
e-mail (Allen wrote a whole book on submissions and queries and her advice is very sound):
IF THERE IS A SINGLE rule about e-mail submissions, it is this: Never send an unsolicited
manuscript by e-mail! No editor wants twenty unsolicited pages in her inbox - or worse, an
attachment that takes five minutes to download. And with today's fears about viruses, many
editors will delete unsolicited attachments unread - along with the e-mail that sent them. (85)
Allen's predictions on future online trends is also very interesting, covering topics like
cyber-security, issues on e-rights and e-publishing. The book is enriched by articles from a range
of experts, including Debbi Ridpath Ohi on the value of writer's web sites and the benefits of
author showcases, Mary Janice Davidson on using 'chats' to promote your book, Lenore Wrights
on using the web for screenwriting, and Charles Petit on how to find out if your work has been
pirated, to name a few.
For novices -- writers who are relatively new to the Internet -- this book is a must. It provides
information on why the Internet is critical, some of the dangers, along with a wide range of clearly
written areas, from using the internet to find markets, making use of online tools, to promoting,
and avoiding the scams which abound. The focus throughout the book is on usefulness for the
writer, and the book avoids technical language without overly simplifying the subjects. Each
chapter ends with a list of resources, and the whole book is supplemented by a "live" always
current .pdf files of two thousand online resources for writers which can be downloaded at the
publishers site. The text is lightened by sidebars, excerpts and examples, some of which come
from Allen's considerable experience as both a writer and editor.
Writing.com is a very well paced, clearly written and nicely organised reference book which
writers will find significantly more useful than any Dummies guide or technical manual. While no
single book could cover everything that the Internet has to offer writers, this one does a good job
of covering, in a neatly paced manner, the key issues which writers will face as they work their
way around the Internet. From submitting and promoting your work online to actually creating
work that takes advantage of the new technology, and then protecting that work, Writing.com is a
classic guide which packs a lot of information between its covers.
Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html
Margaret's Bookshelf
The Perfect Smile
James H. Doundoulakis & Warren Strugatch
Hatherleigh Press
5-22 46th Avenue, Suite 200, Long Island City, NY 11101
1578260957 $15.95 1-800-528-2550 www.hatherleighpress.com
Cosmetic dentistry was original the province of movie stars and people recovering from horrific
facial damage necessitating extensive plastic surgery. Now it has become a common place
alternative for anyone who would simply like to look better when they smile or speak! The Perfect
Smile: The Complete Guide To Cosmetic Dentistry From Tooth Whitening And Bleaching To
Veneers And Implants is the perfect introduction to every aspect of the subject of cosmetic
dentistry from at-home remedies to choosing a dentist, and blends the professional expertise of
cosmetic dental specialist James H. Doundoulakis with the writing skills of journalist Warren
Strugatch to provide the non-specialist general reader with competent, comprehensive, and
accessible reading. If you or a loved one are contemplating cosmetic dentistry in order to look and
feel better, then read The Perfect Smile!
The Role Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine
Daniel Callahan, editor
Georgetownn University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
1589010167 $29.95 1-202-687-9298 www.press.georgetown.edu
Painstakingly compiled and expertly edited by Daniel Callahan (Director of Intentional Programs
at The Hastings Center and Senior Fellow at the Harvard Medical School), The Role Of
Complementary And Alternative Medicine: Accommodating Pluralism focuses on measuring and
comparing the effectiveness and compatibility of traditional and alternative medical practices.
Fourteen scholars drawn from the fields of medicine, philosophy, sociology, cultural and folklore
examines the clash between growing public support and the often hostile stance of clinicians and
medical researchers with respect to alternative medical practices ranging from acupuncture and
chiropractic treatments to homeopathy and nutritional supplements. Addressing both
methodological problems of assessment and conflicting culture perspectives with respect to basic
issues such as patient choice, The Role Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine is both
informed and informative -- and very highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in
medical ethics, as well as all those actively working within the medical community, whether they
are traditional or alternative medicine practitioners and advocates.
Sex Without Guilt In The 21st Century
Albert Ellis
Barricade Books
185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 308-A, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
1569802580 $14.95 www.barricadebooks.com
Dr. Albert Ellis is a recognized authority on human sexuality and when his pioneering work, "Sex
Without Guilt", debuted in 1958 it created a profound national debate arising from his candid and
provocative essays on the relationship between sex, love, and marriage. Now in a fully updated,
newly released, and strongly recommended collection published by Barricade Books as Sex
Without Guilt In The 21st Century, Dr. Ellis continues to explore and demystify human sexuality
issues about love, sexual inadequacy, and sex-related fears so rampant in contemporary American
culture. Of special note is the chapter on "Adventures with Sex and Censorship" detailing Dr.
Ellis' extensive struggle to get many of his articles and books on sex published for the benefit of
academia as well as the non-specialist general reader.
Shifting Sands
Steve Donahue
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
1576752801 $16.95 www.bkconnection.com
Shifting Sands: A Guidebook For Crossing The Deserts Of Change by public speaker,
organizational development consultant, and individual development coach Steve Donahue, is
based on the author's overland adventure across the entire breadth of the Sahara Desert. It was
during that journey that Donahue discovered that life (especially during times of change) can be
considered an allegory of crossing a desert: We can get stuck, we can get lost, we can chase
mirages, and with no clear boundaries, the horizon offers us no clue to how much desert has been
crossed or how much desert remains to be traversed. Such commonplace life experiences as
divorce, death, mid-life crisis, illness, and addictions are like deserts -- deserts of the soul. Starting
a business or launching a careers, losing a job, healing childhood wounds, or any major transition
thrust upon us, can propel us out into the allegorical shifting sands of our life's journey. Enter
Steve Donahue's Shifting Sands, enhanced with vivid vignette's from his traverse of the Sahara
Desert, the reader will discover the "Six Rules of Desert Travel": Follow the Compass, Not a
Map; Stop at Every Oasis; When You're Stuck, Deflate; Travel Alone Together; Step Away from
Your Campfire; and Don't Stop at False Borders. Shifting Sands is a welcome and strongly
recommended addition to personal self-help reading lists and self-improvement reference
shelves.
Passports Of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823
Dorothy Williams Potter
Clearfield Company
200 East Eager Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
0806312726 $29.95
Compiled, edited and organized by Dorothy Williams Potter, Passports of Southeastern Pioneers
1770-1823: Indian, Spanish And Other Land Passports For Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia,
Mississippi, Virginia, North And South Carolina is a photomechanically reproduced edition of a
specialized genealogical resource title originally published in 1982 but which has long been out of
print. Enhanced with an extensive section of "Notes and References"; a selected bibliography, and
a comprehensive, multi-paged index, Passports Of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823 is a very
welcome and seminal addition to professional and genealogical society reference libraries.
American Idle: A Lola Collection
Steve Dickenson & Todd Clark
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
0740741373 $10.95 1-816-932-6700 www.amuniversal.com
Grandma Lola is a sharp-tongued, cigar-smoking, politically incorrect 70-year-old lady on the
loose! Featured in approximately 100 newspapers, "Lola" is currently featured in about 100
newspapers and has been the source of outrageous humor since 1999 wonderfully entertaining
readers of all ages with the adventures and observation of a senior citizen who speaks her mind.
The team of Steve Dickenson and Todd Clark have created a cartooning phenomena and
American Idle: A Lola Collection will introduce the comedic talents to a whole new audience of
appreciative readers!
Margaret Lane
Reviewer
Molly's Bookshelf
The Other Side of the Mountain
John Braswell
Publish America
ISBN: 1413707041 $14.95
Exciting Read Highly Recommended 5 stars
When Apache Jim Callingbird, special forces Vietnam veteran, finds his family dead he knows he
must avenge their deaths. And avenge them he does before setting in play a series of not all
unexpected adventures for himself. Followed by local Sheriff Coontz who will not cross
reservation lines Callingbird begins a climb up the mountain he hopes will bring him relief if not
freedom from the memory of his dead loved ones that he cannot escape. An inexperienced, over
confident Federal Marshal is soon on the case tracking the Indian for whom he has little respect.
Before long Marshal Thompson realizes he has met his match in Jim Callingcrow. Neither a well
known Zuni tracker or tracking dogs are able to more than turn up an empty trail. Only
Callingbird's old friend Sam Little Bear is a match for Callingbird's resourfulness. A bounty of
$25,000 placed on Callingbird's head proves too much temptation for even close friends and
Thompson at last finds someone with both willingness and ability to track the elusive
Callingbird.
On the pages of The Other Side of the Mountain Writer Braswell has crafted an exciting work
filled with caves, illegal hunters on reservation land, wanted posters, haunting dreams, a fatherless
boy, repercussion, test of friendship, conflicting cultures, respect for nature, Native American
view of justice, and hope. Callingbird's meeting with an elderly Indian brings the reader closer to
understanding motivation behind Callingbird's actions.
Braswell's hero Callingbird is a likeable fellow who allows the white man's justice it's chance when
his family is destroyed. However, he knows what must be done when that justice fails to
materialize and sets out to get it done with little thought for his own comfort. Callingbird's
willingness to accept a life as a hunted man to vindicate his family is admirable.
Profuse conflict fittingly resolved, fast paced action, picturesque characters, detailed scenes, are
all presented in this masterfully engineered work by up and coming writer Braswell. The Other
Side of the Mountain captures the essence of the futility of man's injustice to man in an easily read
format.
A sure favorite of those who enjoy skillful writing, a commendable story line and well depicted
characters. Good book for a lazy summer afternoon or a cold wintry evening.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
I Love You Because
Diana Rubino
http://www.dianarubino.com/iloveyou.htm
Domhan Books
ISBN: 1583454233 $12.95
Charming Read . Well Recommended . 5 stars
It is August 1894 and red haired Vita Caputo lives with her family including father, brothers, step
mother in New York City. Father Lorenzo and brothers Bruno and Vincente have little use for
either the Irish or the police. Vita works in a sweatshop when a pick pocket makes a move that
will change her life. Getting fired from her job, and meeting Tom McGlory both Irish and a
copper will bring about changes in Vita's life that she had never imagined. When Tom's cousin is
murdered and all the evidence points straight to Vita's family Vita is sure her nice Irish cop will
turn away from her. Things are not always as they seem as Vita soon learns. Hot weather forces
New Yorkers out onto fire escapes to sleep. Vita's dreams of independence, a fortune teller with a
purple door, a bohemian, boarding house and meeting church all figure in this tale of romance,
politics, intrigue, fifty shares of GE stock and a church wedding.
I Love You Because is a remarkably accomplished work with transitions so smooth one scene
slides into another without the reader noticing. Rubino's matchless voice and charming attention
to detail once again hold her in good stead on the pages of this pre cursor to her later works.
Once again writer Rubino obviously has done much research into the time and place that was
New York City at the turn of the century. Under the pen of this talented writer the reader is
carried into the heart of politics, murder and chaos that was rampant during that hectic time.
A fast-paced chronicle I Love You Because is a real page turner. From the opening paragraph as
we follow Vita from putting on her stockings into the kitchen at six in the morning after working
until midnight to make shirts she could not afford to buy, right down to the last page as Vita sits
in her new parlor with the people most important to her the reader is kept enthralled.
Rubino's talent for cleverly twisting, perilous scenarios filled with struggle, powerful motivations
and richly portrayed characters again comes to life. Vita's courage, determination and plain old
grit are admirable. From quiet dutiful girl to compelling woman who can not only stand up for
herself, but wage battle for others Vita Caputo grows before our eyes. Tom McGlory is a likeable
fellow we would all enjoy having in our own family lineage.
Great book for a long and lazy summer afternoon spent sipping tea and reading for pleasure. I
Love You Because will make a nice addition to the family library for those who have a love for
history, adventure and bit of romance thrown in.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
Dancing in the Mirror
Bryan Walton
Centreline Publications
http://www.centrelinepublications.com/
ISBN: 0973437901 $27.50
Interesting read Recommended 5 stars
Dancing in the Mirror is an inspiring work of one hundred forty-four entries comprising thoughts
running the gamut from A Y: from Aimless Action, Boredom and Loneliness, to Dealing with
Anger and Fear versus Love to The 'In Love' State and Meditation and Relationships and
Sadness. Other subjects covered include Times of Testing, Unconditional Love, The Void and
The World of Learning. Yesterday and Tomorrow finish up the work.
Author Walton is a trained electronics engineer who of late holds seminars on project quality
management. Dancing in the Mirror is a systematically directed book of random readings meant to
be opened and enjoyed at will. Whether the reader is filled with concern for relationships,
learning, miracles or the Power of Love released there is something for him on these pages.
Dancing in the Mirror is a useful work about awareness of individual validity composed of, warm,
clear-sighted entries aimed to offer principles for enhancing contentment of life, strengthening of
the healing power of love, and methods for letting go of the past. Motivation to positive action,
guidance for letting go of attachments, and directions for being fully present are offered on the
pages of the book. Those seeking confirmation of the true self, options to judgement and
denouement from conflict to peace will find answers.
Writer Walton's understanding that explicit enlightenment is a key remedy to the anxiety and
apprehension controlling our manifold and rushed lifestyles. Walton's book is meant to serve as a
guide for those taking time each day for tranquil contemplation to encourage a state of harmony,
permitting us to raise ourselves away from the cares of the world. Many comprehensive,
authoritative works are available today to show us the way forward on our spiritual journeys;
frequently what is needed is particular rather than general tutelage. Choosing works pertinent to
our present situations can make a profound difference in guiding our growth.
I especially enjoyed On The Elasticity of Time. 'Wonders surround you and the half veiled eyes
can only glimpse the beauty.' I like this notion.
Writer Walton has crafted an easily read work meant to be picked up and read often. Whether
seeking help with choices or internal conflicts, listening to god or setting goals there is something
here for every reader. A nice addition to the home or therapist library Dancing in the Mirror is a
book to be reached for often.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
My Little One
Nancy Rechtman
http://www.nancyrechtman.com/
Publish America
ISBN: 159286340X $19.95
Interesting read Recommended 5 stars
Thirty four year old Emma Bronfman respected teacher and her LA talent scout husband Steve
have tried for years to have a child. Seven years of criticism and pressure from Steve's controlling,
grandchild hungry mother, trips to infertility clinics, hormone injections and nothing has produced
a baby yet. To top it all off Emma's widowed father has a bimbo girlfriend who is twenty six and
pregnant. Emma's crippled self esteem continues to nose-dive and then she discovers what she
believes is a serious liason between her husband and a woman who may well be able to give him
the baby lacking from his life. Emma's dissatisfaction with her job, her mother Dottie's death, her
grandparents Abe and Sadie, Rhoda and Norm her in-laws and friend Jodi all have a part to play
in this narrative of anguish and often despairing hope.
Drawing the reader into the account My Little One opens with a hopeful Emma entering the office
of her doctor. Staring into the computer screen with Dr Asher she can see the fertility drugs have
been doing their work. It is her fourth insemination try and her body has produced five eggs.
Surely this time she will become pregnant. From that beginning the tale wends it way through
anger, disappointment, thoughtless relatives, and friends who have their own lives to live. Reader
interest is maintained right to the last pages as Emma begins to come to grips with her situation as
she sits down to go through old photos of family and friends. Writer Rechtman has crafted a
highly readable work meant to be enjoyed in one sitting.
An inviting account filled with believeable, real-life people and situations abounding with far flung
jocularity and prickly colloquy sure to please those who enjoy a slice of life type read. Merriment
and poignancy, discouragement and longing are supplied by the liberal pen of writer Rechtman. A
powerful work of fiction although the premise, frustrations, and despair is one many women and
their partners know well. Multi layered characters living realistic lives spring from the pages of
My Little One.
A nice addition to the home library, happy to recommend for those who like the genre.
Deadly Distractions
William Manchee
Lean Press
http://www.leanpress.com/titles.asp
ISBN: 1932475028 $13.00 300 pages
Pleasantly puzzling Read Highly Recommended 5 stars
Stan Turner, Dallas based Attorney, husband and father along with his family are on vacation in
July 1986.
Stan's wife Rebekah is looking forward to having some special time with Stan. The kids are
hoping for fishing and white water rafting. Stan has a brand new partner; Paula Waters who has
brought some much needed cash as well as 'a head for business' into the firm, and is set to enjoy
so time away from Dallas and the pressures of his law practice. It isn't long before Stan finds
himself flying to Texas to meet with an old friend. Dusty Thomas, a bad luck kid from way back,
is accused of shooting and killing a federal officer. Bobby Tuttle was just doing his job in trying to
confiscate some the Thomas farm machinery for back taxes. The worst of it is: there are witnesses
who saw Dusty, weapon in hand, standing over the body. Before the tale plays out Ecuador, a
radical paramilitary group known as the CDA Citizen's Defense Alliance, a DC income tax
protest, scrutiny of both Stan and Paul by the press and the FBI, soft ball sized hail stones, a
woman with a crush on Stan, 1.8 million dollars and a hit and run all figure in what appeared at
first glance to be a simple case.
As always Manchee has a tale to tell, and he does so in the same fast paced, action packed thriller
rounded out with a well developed theme manner as he so known for from past works. Manchee's
penchant for presenting an intriguing tale wherein little is as first seemed is getting better with
each book he writes. Manchee's writing skills are becoming finely honed. On the pages of Deadly
Distractions there are enough twists and turns to please and perhaps lead astray even the most
discerning reader. Action addicts will be pleased, the lively tale has something for everyone who
enjoys a good yarn, an intriguing mystery and just plain a good read. Manchee's genius for taking
knowledge from his own attorney background experience and bolstering his scenes is evident
from Deadly Distractions' outset.
Writer Manchee's legal thriller brings us in contact again with Stan Turner, one of my favorites of
Manchee's characters. Watching the amicable, at times bumbling Stan trying to balance family
with work against a woman determined toward more than a casual relationship brings more than
one smile to the lips of any reader who may have found themselves in any part of the particular
scenario.
Manchee's characters are well developed, dialogue is gritty, believable, hard hitting at times,
milieu are filled with sights and sounds and enough description to draw the reader into the setting.
Deadly Distractions is a gripping tale grasping the readers interest from the opening lines as we
nod in agreement with Stan 'never call your office while you're on vacation' across all 300 pages
and right down to the last paragraphs where we discover Dusty's luck remains the same.
Excellent book for a long lazy afternoon when you have time to savor a well written thriller,
watch the red herrings. Manchee does his usual excellent job leading the unsuspecting astray!
Jimmy Fincher Saga A Gift of Ice
James Dashner
Bonneville
http://www.cedarfort.com/catalog/1555177530.html
ISBN: 1555177530 $14.95
Interesting read Recommended .. 4 stars
Fourteen year old Jimmy Fincher and his family have been staying in Japan for a week. Jimmy
discovered a conspiracy of strange men trying to open a magical door later the gift of a shield in
book one have made Jimmy indestructible. The disappearance of Jimmy's friend Joseph,
kidnapped by winged shadows, have left him sad. The Givers, a peculiar group dedicated to
helping save the world offer some hope. Jimmy and his family have spent seven quiet days in
Japan when the night silence is broken by the roar of motorcycles. Enter Kenji who announces
that the Bosu Zoku have come to end Jimmy's quest against the Stompers. Jimmy discovers a
little black stick belonging to Kenji is more than it might first appear. The Ka are a group sent to
prepare the way for the Stompers who will come and wreak awful havoc on the earth. Jimmy's
dad dreams peculiar dreams, the Geezer from Oklahoma, Joseph is returned and Jimmy has a run
in with a giant money before the story ends. He receives his second gift Ice and uses his new
treasure to save his family when they are abandoned on board a flying helicopter. Jimmy as the
leader of the Alliance is gaining in power when Joseph announces they need to locate a ship, fast.
They must get to the bottom of the sea before the Tower of Three Days collapses. The Stompers
are coming and Jimmy must yet receive two more gifts.
The notion that the fate of the entire world rests on the shoulders of one youngster may seem
ludicrous however I have never known a child who does not think himself invincible, nor one who
does not want to be a hero to his family. Thus, on the pages of Jimmy Fincher Safa A Gift of Ice
we find a young boy, in whose hands the fate of world rests. Writer Dashner offers meritorious
values of family solidarity and a passion for people in his saga of a young hero. Jimmy Fincher
Safa A Gift of Ice presents an engaging story fittingly complex to keep them interested, while yet
sufficiently easy for kids to track.
Kids will enjoy the fast paced romp beginning with Jimmy telling of the seventh day his family has
spent in Japan and ending with Jimmy's desire to be given his third gift. Jimmy Fincher Safa A Gift
of Ice show cases writer Dashner's fertile imagination in a well crafted tale of astonishing
escapades and exceptional, well fleshed characters. Dialogue is filled with childish wonder and
excitement. I like Joseph and his use of vernacular. He is a character much like fellows I have
known. This is a book sure to please youngsters in the target audience and will be a good addition
to school, home and personal libraries.
Book 3 Tower of Air is next in the series.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
May It Please the Court: A Lawyer's War Stories
Mitchell D Kessler
http://www.cedarfort.com/author/Kessler_M.html
Bonneville Books
ISBN: 1555177301 $10.95
Interesting read ............... Recommended ...........4.5 stars
With a Table of Contents bearing titles 'Secrets of Jury Selection,' 'The Foot Soldier's Law
School,' 'Endangered Species,' 'Mollie,' and 'Judge Given' writer Kessler offeres a series of twenty
anecdotes comprising some of the varied experiences Kessler experiences as a personal injury
lawyer. Kessler recounts in 'Zargon' his needing to find a job: his student loan was about to go
into default and finding a job was imperative. With his resume tendered and interview to begin
Kessler wasn't too sure just what to expect. Meeting with the taciturn Fineas Pearl was not all that
Kessler hoped for. For one thing the salary offered was $15,000 a year, and even for the year it
was pretty low. Kessler was sent next to talk with Robert Zargon; a man about whom Kessler
knew nothing. Later he learned that Zargon was 'the' personal injury lawyer of the day. Kessler
learned most of the Zargon associates lasted a year or two. Kessler found the job to be a rugged
one: Zargon was a tough taskmaster, he expected devotion in exchange he taught and trained and
challenged his young lawyers to become the best they could be. Kessler stayed for three years
before moving on.
On the pages of May it Please the Court A Lawyer's War Stories Kessler offers a appealing peep
into the excitable ups and downs that a personal injury lawyer faces while offering the reader
opportunity to gain a better awareness of how the courts really work. Written in a coherent,
readable manner Kessler's reminiscences and examples of the various methods, people, cases and
matters he has dealt with over the years May it Please the Court A Lawyer's War Stories is a
pleasant break from the often usual fare offered for an afternoon read.
On any given day there are thousands of cases awaiting in courts. Most are predictable standard
fare where individual drama play out before zealous juries who may be the only occupants in the
courts save the judge and other officials and a handful of people waiting for the trial to resolve.
Most times, for most cases the rows of courtroom seats are empty save for the parties to the case
itself. Few cases heard in the courts garner the type of interest engendered by a nationwide
grabber in which a sports star or other celebrity is taken before a jury. May it Please the Court A
Lawyer's War Stories offers a glimpse into some of these routine, but highly interesting
cases.
Writer Kessler is a personal injury lawyer offering a glimpse into some of his triumphs both in and
out of the courtroom and of his personal struggle against some of the wrongs of our imperfect
society. His job is to speak for those who cannot always speak for themselves. May it Please the
Court A Lawyer's War Stories offers powerful tales involving random acts of violence, falsified
police reports, incorrect autopsy reports, prescription drugs providing tragic side effects,
consequence of reckless drivers as you glimpse into the world our nation's courts.
Fine book for an evening read when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet.
My Little One
Nancy Rechtman
http://www.nancyrechtman.com/
Publish America
http://www.publishamerica.com/
ISBN: 159286340X $18.22
Interesting read ... Recommended .. 5 stars
Thirty four year old Emma Bronfman respected teacher and her LA talent scout husband Steve
have tried for years to have a child. Seven years of criticism and pressure from Steve's controlling,
grandchild hungry mother, trips to infertility clinics, hormone injections and nothing has produced
a baby yet. To top it all off Emma's widowed father has a bimbo girlfriend who is twenty six and
pregnant. Emma's crippled self esteem continues to nose-dive and then she discovers what she
believes is a serious liason between her husband and a woman who may well be able to give him
the baby lacking from his life. Emma's dissatisfaction with her job, her mother Dottie's death, her
grandparents Abe and Sadie, Rhoda and Norm her in-laws and friend Jodi all have a part to play
in this narrative of anguish and often despairing hope.
Drawing the reader into the account My Little One opens with a hopeful Emma entering the office
of her doctor. Staring into the computer screen with Dr Asher she can see the fertility drugs have
been doing their work. It is her fourth insemination try and her body has produced five eggs.
Surely this time she will become pregnant. From that beginning the tale wends it way through
anger, disappointment, thoughtless relatives, and friends who have their own lives to live. Reader
interest is maintained right to the last pages as Emma begins to come to grips with her situation as
she sits down to go through old photos of family and friends. Writer Rechtman has crafted a
highly readable work meant to be enjoyed in one sitting.
An inviting account filled with believeable, real-life people and situations abounding with far flung
jocularity and prickly colloquy sure to please those who enjoy a slice of life type read. Merriment
and poignancy, discouragement and longing are supplied by the liberal pen of writer Rechtman. A
powerful work of fiction although the premise, frustrations, and despair is one many women and
their partners know well. Multi layered characters living realistic lives spring from the pages of
My Little One.
A nice addition to the home library, happy to recommend for those who like the genre.
Fun, enjoyable read, happy to recommend. 5 stars
Marvin Monster's Big Date
Tabatha Jean D'Agata
Bonnie Everette-Hawkes, illustrator
Moo Press
PO Box 54 Warwick NY 10990
ISBN: 0972485368 $5.95 www.MooPress.com
'Marvin Monster lives in Marshville where the neighbors are more than a bit strange.'
Marvin slicked his hair back with a handful of Slug Slime. Marvin's mom thought he looked
gruesomely handsome. Today Marvin was walking Reba Banshee, that raging cool monster, to
school.
When Marvin met Reba on the way to school he found Bobby Zombie handing her a bunch of
weeds. And, in a matter of minutes he was ditched. During howling chorus he stood next to Reba,
and things went from bad to worse. A toad-wart, whiff of Nurse Hagilda's skunk juice and lunch
that wouldn't stay still didn't do much for Marvin's downhearted state. A note from his old friend
Gretchen Goblin did help a bit. Bug science class, a bit of pond scum and a walk home with
friends round out the tale.
Writer D'Agata's Early Reader Chapter Book tale of a little monster who learns a big lesson is one
sure to please children in the target audience primary grades. Youngsters will identify with the
predicament Marvin gets himself into on the pages of Marvin Monster's Big Date. Marvin is a
delightful fellow who discovers an important lesson about the importance of keeping promises.
Marvin Monster's Big Date is the initial offering in a new series that teaches important social skills
to children.
Illustrator Everett-Hawkes has outdone herself to produce a succession of children pleasing
drawings for the work.
Marvin Monster's Big Date is a fun read for parents, teachers and kids alike. The book has a place
in both the home and school library where it is sure to be reached for often. This is a 'read' to
book for the K-1 set, and a 'read with help' for the older primaries. This is a book I would be
happy to use in my own K-1 classroom.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
Michael's Safari
JennaKay Francis
http://www.jennakayfrancis.com.
Craig Howarth, illustrator
Writers Exchange
PO Bx 372 Atherton QLD 4883
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/
ISBN: 1876962798 Download $3.00, CD $15.95
Interesting read .. Highly Recommended .. 5 stars
Michael draws a map, a big map. Bears and seals and kangaroos and camels, binoculars and
kool-aid and letters to Mom are part of the adventure found in Michael's Safari. Day by day
Michael's adventure across his map and around the world continues. A boat made of Legos, a
snowman, paper airplanes and playing hide and seek, a bridge of blocks and walking with great
big steps, a tunnel under the ocean and squirrels, home again in time for lunch. What an adventure
Michael has had.
Michael's Safari is an entertaining work by well know writing talent Jennakay Francis. Illustrations
done by Craig Howarth finish the product to perfection. Vocabulary used is a bit advanced for
very early readers, however the work lends itself well as a 'read-to' for the 3 to 5s as they sit
beside Mom or Dad, operate the buttons to turn the pages while hearing the words read aloud.
With some direction 6-8s will read the book alone as a pleasure reading work. The 9-10 set will
find the book perfect to read to little siblings or to younger schoolmates as they work in the
school tutor program.
Youngsters in the 3-7 group will enjoy the notion of play much as they themselves engage in.
What Mom has not prepared a 'picnic' lunch for their youngster to enjoy during playtime. What
child has not built wonderful structures and experienced wonderful adventures sitting on the floor
playing alone with toys or with a sibling or a parent?
Michael's Safari is an excellent choice for the home or school library. The book works well for a
unit on family, pleasure reading or the in school reading mentor program.
As a teacher I particularly like the concept of listing things done day by day. This is a book I
would use in my own K-1 classroom.
Entertaining read, happy to recommend.
I, SpiritKin
Frances Evlin
Writers Exchange E-Publishing International
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/
PO Bx 372 Atherton QLD 4883
ISBN: 1876962402 $3.00 (download) $9.95 (CD)
Absorbing Read Highly Recommended 5 stars
Upon the death of his parents by the gray clads Gage son of Allett is driven from his childhood
home. Despite his SpiritKin ethic of non-violence. Gage pledges to hunt down his parents'
murderers and kill them. As a half breed Spiritkin/Solith he is no longer welcome in the Solith
township. Gage possesses the unprecedented and singular capacity for reading lights/auras, effect
the behavior of animals, and can set fires with his mind. Taking the last of pencyls to the local lord
Gage is not surprised to be cheated on the price, but what can he do? Setting out alone he hopes
to reach the homeland of his mother where he hopes to find acceptance. Before long Earl Randle
appears and Gage is given the care of the two foster sons of the royal. Daveith and Breen prove
to be a bit of handful for the courageous Gage. At last the village is located, the boys are hidden
from the gray clads, but trouble continues to follow them. The death of Daveith is a blow to
Breen and Gage before the pair join forces to help train local unskilled men in the art of warfare.
War is not an option, the gray clads leave no alternative. A well with a secret hiding place,
attacks, ships loaded with combatants, and dogs who carry messages all figure in the tale. A
springtime visit to Earl Randle at Merrestone Manor offers a pleasant surprise as does the
realization that a supposed fellow combatant is not all as first appears. A royal marriage and the
birth of royal twins bring happiness to a lonely pair.
On the pages of I, SpiritKin writer Frances Evlin has crafted a fascinating tale filled with magik,
challenging experiences, craftiness, treachery and forceful motivations. The reader is drawn into
the tale from the opening lines when Gage is forced out of his home. Reader interest is maintained
right down to the last paragraphs when the war is won and life can at last become quiet owing to
the excellent choice of words, milieu and story line offered by talented writer Evlin.
Evlin's characters portrayed in I, SpiritKin are absorbing, well fleshed, and plausible. The amicable
are likeable folk the reader will cheer on to victory and the unlikeable are ones the reader will
enjoy detesting, cheering against and dismiss in defeat. Reader interest is held fast in this finely
crafted tale set against a backdrop of sights, fragrance and action of mediaeval days.
A sure winner for the target audience of young adult to adult aficionados of 'moderate' fantasy.
The tale has enough action to satisfy most, but does not contain the gory or dark of the darker
venues. Excellent choice for middle to high school level libraries, home library and gift for readers
aged 13-older who possess good reading skills and enjoyment for a gripping tale well told.
Enjoyed the read very much, happy to recommend.
Beside Myself
Ginger Simpson
Writers Exchange
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/
PO Bx 372 Atherton QLD 4883
ISBN: 187696278X Download $3.00, CD $15.95
Entertaining Read .. Recommended . 5 stars my pick of the month for June
Opting for an exciting new life in San Francisco following finishing up her MBA Nebraska native
Cynthia Freitas soon discovers high rent, low pay and little time for anything except work and
trying to clean her less than wonderful apartment. The newspapers are filled with stories of
missing petite blondes, one body has been found and more are missing. Cynthia's already frayed
nerves begin to really unravel; she is a petite blonde. Meeting tall good looking Alex Carlyle
encourages Cynthia toward believing maybe her life is not going to remain as boring as it has
been. Little does Cynthia realize just how exciting her life is to become. Even the arrival of her
brother Kevin does little to calm the recent storm of excitement caused when accountant Cynthia
and police officer Alex realize they have somehow become fused in a personality transference
following a sudden electrical surge. More bodies are found as the maniacal serial killer continues
his mad quest.
Beside Myself is an exhilarating, fun romp through a series of events sure to tickle the funny bone
of all who enjoy light hearted sci fi coupled with a little romantic suspense. The problems faced by
Cynthia and Alex as they struggle to find their way in one another's bodies and jobs while
searching for some way to transfer back to their own selves without any one becoming the wiser
are handled with sagacity and expertise. Writer Simpson possesses an obvious good sense of
humor as she weaves an acceptable and compelling tale from a dubious circumstance.
Characters are well fleshed, dialog is fitting, at times gritty, but not specious. Reading of Alex's
problems in trying to comb his/her hair or wear high heels while trapped in Cynthia's body brings
first a smile then a giggle and finally a belly whomping gale of laughter. Cynthia fares as badly
when she faces having to dress in uniform for the first time in the station house locker room.
Reader interest is caught immediately as Beside Myself opens with a view of the murderer sitting
and brooding darkly to himself. Simpson's piquant writing style moves the reader right along from
the suspense filled plot of the serial killer to the monumental dilemma of daily living facing
Cynthia and Alex and back to the search for the killer. Twists of plot, spine tingling action,
well-drawn characters, profuse struggle suitably resolved, potent dialog; Beside Myself has it
all.
Writer Simpson's ready wit has taken an implausible notion and created a staggering tale sure to
enthrall the most picky reader.
Great book for a lazy afternoon spent in the hammock under the shade of a very large tree.
Heads up, Simpson offers enough red herrings to trap the unwary.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
Kangaroo Clues
Margot Finke
Mustafa Delioglu, illustrator
Writers-Exchange ePublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/margot-book1.php
PO Box 372 Atherton QLD, Australia
ISBN: 1876962011 Electronic Price $4.95 CD Price $9.95
Entertaining, Educational Read Highly Recommended 5 stars
It must have Dreamtime spirit-man who sewed the pouch in kangaroo. Near a shady billabong Old
Man Kanga and his friends, Marsupial mouse, Emu, Goana, Platypus, Kookaburra, frill neck
lizard, Cockatoo and Echidna all heard the dogs coming. With leaps and bound Old Man Kanga
made it to the water just in time. The dingos were right behind. Into the water went Platypus and
Old Man Kanga while Kookaburra laughed and Goana hid. Galas screamed while Koala's
encouraged Kanga on.
Kangaroo Clues is a marvelous book told in rhyme, created by talented writer Margo Finke and
filled with delightful illustrations from Mustafa Delioglu. For readers living outside of Australia
the tale introduces children to animals and words not heard in every day conversation. For
children living in Australia the words may not be new, but the story will offer as much appeal.
Delioglu's drawings are vivid, well executed and large enough for children to understand.
Full page art work sets off the narrative to perfection. Kangaroo Clues covers 31 pages of cheery
rhyme and exciting illustrations sure to please the target audience of beginning readers.
Vocabulary is a bit advanced for the youngest readers, however even very young children will be
held captivated by the tale as they navigate the buttons turning the pages while Mom or Dad, or
older sibling read the words to them.
A read-to book for the 3-5 set, read-with some help for the 6 and 7s, and read mostly alone for
the 8 and 9s. Wonderful book for the home or classroom library. Teachers will find the work a
good addition to the 'multi culture' unit. Kangaroo Clues is a book sure to be reached for often for
both pleasure time reading and for class work.
Enjoyed the read. Kangaroo Clues is a book I would use in my own Kindergarten-First grade
classroom.
Happy to recommend.
I Promise Not To Tell
Brenda M Weber
www.brendaweber.bravehost.com
Publish America www.publishamerica.com
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705 (301) 695-1707
ISBN: 1413704271 $19.95
Interesting read . Recommended .. 4 stars
What this book is NOT is a feel good glance back at a happy childhood. What this book is is one
woman's attempt to make sense out of the chaos of her life.
Brenda Weber's book of childhood abuse and adult life filled with poor choices, mental anguish
and heartache is not an easy one to read. To know that I Promise Not To Tell is autobiographical
makes it all the more difficult. While on a date at age sixteen with a boy Weber calls Luke
repressed memory of childhood molestation complete with a promise not to tell surfaces. It is then
that Weber begins her long tortuous road from abused to woman who is taking charge of her own
life.
Weber's tale of a shy, quiet, friendless child attending parochial school who was often left out of
recess games by her peers, received beatings at the hands of her instructors and was too often left
unsupervised is told in straight forward fashion. The bluntness of the work is what keeps the
reader turning the pages of this gripping at times disturbing publication.
With the death of Weber's mother when Weber is nine her father remarries to a woman who was
herself in an abusive first marriage. Weber begins to realize she is not alone when she learns her
step-sister too has been molested. Weber's father was a man who worked hard to support his
family, was given to harsh discipline and apparently little close parental contact with his children.
During her childhood Weber remembers many instances of sexual play with peers, and when she
is older of allowing herself to enter into dangerous situations and experimentation with drugs and
alcohol.
A broken engagement, out of wedlock pregnancy and fear of being unloved an alone drive Weber
from one abusive situation to another. Broken marriages, four children, learning that her own
mother was molested as a girl and Weber at last begins to come to grips with the cycle she is
desperate to break in her own life. A counselor tells her that molested girls often end up in
multiple divorce filled relationships while molested boys often become abusers themselves.
I Promise Not To Tell is not for everyone, graphic descriptions and graphic language will turn
some readers away, however both were a large part for most of Weber's life. The work is aimed at
a target audience of other abused women who may need a boost to extricate themselves from the
situation in which they find themselves. It can serve as well as a goad to parents to who do not
give their children enough supervision to really know what the kids are doing, when, where, and
with whom. Weber first thought the sexual explorative play in which she often found herself a
party during childhood was normal and something all children did. And some is, however the
prolonged, ongoing sexual activity as a young child became something Weber later began to feel
proved she was 'bad' and was something she had to atone for. Abusive relationships were the
predictable outcome of that guilt.
Sure to find a home in the counselor library and with the target audience I Promise Not To Tell is
a book meant to aid other women as they too break free from a lifetime of abuse.
Emotions: Love Made Courageous
Milena G Alvarez
Infinity Publishing
519 West Lancaster Avenue Harverford, PA 19428
http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/search.asp
ISBN: 074141404X $12.95 877-BUY-BOOK
Enjoyable Read Recommended .. 4.5 stars
Emotions: Love Made Courageous is an elegant work comprising sixty-four pages upon which
writer Alvarez shares her innermost self. Alvarez' opening offering Emotions touches upon the
notion that a poem itself may be imposing enough to open every emotion for the reader. Fervent,
quixotic ardor is explored in Different, I'll set you free, White Dove, and Your Kiss as each
pronounce the rapture and calenture of loving devotion experienced. "Fireworks explode, I give in
to the magic" says it all. My own special luck, Between us, I can't command your heart carry
through with the probing of the enchantment of being enamored of another. We belong together
"People may not agree with us but we are meant to be" is a heartfelt line often voiced or felt by
most sweethearts at one time or another during their beginning relationship.
Heaven needed an angel is a gentle-hearted thoughtful eulogy praise to a teacher lost to death.
Alvarez' mournful line 'Sadly, I still mourn for you although I have been unable to express it' is
distinctively stirring; for who among us, young or old, is capable of burbling on when confronted
with death and particularly the expiration of one who is special to us. Tears Fall continues the
theme of trying to understand and deal with a loved one's demise.
Devotion lost or not to be is also explored in Alvarez' work. Emotions: Love Made Courageous is
not merely a assemblage of satisfaction and giggle romantic elegies, but are lyric verses telling of
fondness felt deep within. Reality, The letter with heartbreaking words, To part, Love ends, To
have trusted him completely ring with the sorrow of love lost. "It felt like a stab in the heart being
alone when I needed him more" is a heartbreaking line sure to affect even the most hardened.
Lost Friendship is the theme found in Friendship without a friend. "I took you for granted and was
deaf to hear " the words speak a simple truth.
Poet Alvarez has crafted a cultivated offering of graceful verses sure to enthrall those who hold a
fondness poetry, and to touch those who profess to not. The sensitive interpretations for the
characteristic sensitivity that we humans experience on a daily basis come from a poetic heart
older than the poet's years. This set of poetic offerings set down on the pages of Emotions: Love
Made Courageous are intended for everyone who loves; parent for child, romantic lovers, casual
or longtime friends and those who have deep feeling for mankind as a whole.
It is because affection causes us to feel happy and sad, upbeat and distraught throughout any
relationship that we need to express the emotion to those for whom we have strong caring
feelings. Emotion is not be denied, when shared it restores and strengthens each one caught up in
the relationship. When emotion is denied something worthwhile is lost to all involved.
Enjoyed the read, sure to please the target audience of poetry readers, happy to recommend.
The Edge Chronicles: Beyond the Deepwoods
Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
David Fickling Books
Random House
New York, USA
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids
ISBN: 0385750684 $15.00 average
Entertaining Read . Highly Recommended .. 5 stars
Far away, is the edge where the Edgewater River pours incessantly into the abyss below. The
headwater for the river is found far away in the dark regions of the Deepwoods. And that is where
our tale begins in the Woodtroll village where a mother must ready her youngest child for striking
out on his own in the world. Tuntum and Spleda Snatchwood have never told Twig he is not their
own child. Now Twig is grown, he will be thirteen on his next birthday. Twig leaves the only
home he has known with his mother's words to stay on the path ringing in his ears. Woodtrolls do
not leave the path, nevertheless Twig already has a history for wandering away from the path. It
does not take Twig long before he realizes he has done it again, the nighttime forest is beautiful. It
is also filled with scary sounds and scary things. Twig meets Gyle Goblins, a gabtroll, a
prowlgring, Spindlebug and Milchgrubs, blood thirsty wig wigs, and a rotsucker. A halitoad,
hoverworm and a boy named Gristle are all there in the woods. Slaughterers, hammelhorn pens,
and sleeping in a hammock high in the tree provide a big of respite. Twig is there for the hatching
of a caterbird, is saved from a skullpelt, is nearly devoured by a flesh eating bloodoak and makes
friends with a banderbear. Sky pirates, termagant trogs, and a gloamglozer round out the
assembly of creatures Twig encounters on his journey from the Snatchwood home to cousin
Snetterbark's house. Twig's adventures have only just begun. Book 2 continues his
adventure.
The Edge Chronicles Beyond the Deepwoods evoke happy memories spent reading and
re-reading Frank Baum's Oz books. The Edge Chronicles present an unlikely hero in the form of
Twig a supposed woodtroll. He sets out on a quest filled with tumult, excitement, and travail. The
line drawings gracing the pages of the work are ideal as they add a special depth to the work.
Opening the covers of Beyond the Deepwoods brings the reader straight into to the wonder world
of The Edge; a detailed map of the locale is presented even before the tale is begun. Beyond the
Deepwoods is presented in the style of old time children's books, obviously author Stewart and
illustrator Riddell work very closely together to produce a work sure to charm young people in
the target audience and adults alike. The narrative draws reader right into the tale from the
introduction as the author sets down some of the places and inhabitants we can expect to face in
the story itself. The array of life moves Twig and the reader from zany hazard to crony to
horrifying and horrible at a pace allowing little time for Twig or the reader to catch a breath.
Sure to please the target audience of middle grade readers to high school age youngsters The
Edge Chronicles will be reached for often for pleasure reading. Beyond the Deepwoods is an
excellent choice for 'reading time' as teacher reads aloud following the noontime recess.
Youngsters will relish the tale, quiet down for their afternoon's work activities and open the book
at home later that evening to read more of Twig and his exciting adventures.
Enjoyed the book, while I do not always keep the books sent to me for review: Beyond the
Deepwoods is a keeper for my own library. Happy to recommend. Anxious to read more of the
series.
Dear World a suicide letter
Paul E Jones
ZassCo Inc
5054 Western Hills Ave, Cincy OH 45238
www.bipolarbooks.com
ISBN: 1553955951 price varies from about $10.00 to $18.00
Interesting Read . Recommended . 4 stars
'Having three children is the one thing that has kept me alive.' Stand up comedian, songwriter and
now author Paul E Jones opens his book with a poignant thought. Suffering from bi-polar illness
Jones had begun a suicide letter to his family. From that beginning grew what was to become Paul
E. Jones' Dear World a suicide letter, a treatise of optimism rather than a letter of
hopelessness.
Those who endure the 'invisible disabilities' continue at a real handicap even today in our
'enlightened' society. As a group we offer succor and assurance to those who have disease, broken
bones and poor eyesight. While we still have a long way to go to full acceptance: Mental illness is
at last being recognized as a true and real condition, treatable, and not just the figment of those
who seek attention or 'could do better if they just would'.
Writer Jones exposes for public scrutiny the ongoing pain he suffers in his personal battle with
Bipolar Disorder. Jones' wrenching good-byes to his family, his coming understanding per the
pain his death would cause his family, his growing awareness for what Bipolar Disorder really is
and does; is not an easy, bit of froth read for an afternoon spent watching the kids out by the pool.
The reader should be prepared to shed some tears, to do a little introspective thinking and to
perhaps put the book down with more understanding for himself and others around him.
Excellent work for the home and counselor library. Dear World a suicide letter is a book
recommended for counselors to use with their clients, for anyone suffering disability and in
particular for those who may also contemplate suicide. Dear World a suicide letter is not a 'I made
it, you can too,' accomplishment, nor does the writer claim that he offers suggestions for others.
Dear World a suicide letter IS ones man's coming to grips with the demon torturing himself, and
most likely is father before him. And, it is in the writer's burgeoning understanding of the
condition that the reader is offered hope.
From Jones' opening words in his letter: 'Dear World, I know that you do not know me, nor do
you probably care about what I am about to do ' through his expressions to his family, and on to
his final words: 'Dear World: I'm still here .' The reader is carried along on a breath taking,
difficult, at times heart rending read.
Not for everyone, those too wrapped up in themselves to try to see beyond the obvious are not
going to accept or enjoy the work. Anyone who has lived with a loved one suffering a 'hidden'
condition is going to relish the words, read them over and over and recommend the book to
others in their family, friends and total strangers. As the young folks say: been there, done that,
happy to recommend Dear World a suicide letter.
Reviewed by: molly martin QMRP Director training center adult developmentally disabled,
daughter of a woman who suffered life long 'hidden' disability in a day when the only help/hope
was keeping quiet and taking 'mind bender' medication.
Killer Cats In San Francisco
Lew Shields
Publish America
PO Box 151 Frederick MD 21705
http://www.publishamerica.com/
ISBN: 1413709125 $19.95
Engaging Read .. Highly Recommended . 5 stars
Puma attacks in the suburbs of San Franciso are met with the usual stun, tag, release to the wild
methodology prevalent in many areas today as man encroaches upon the habitat of critters. The
notion that 'the wild' might in fact be inhabited by more than opossum, raccoon and the occasional
rabbit is not part of the thinking of the 'preserve the puma' at any cost set. When Glade County
(Napa? Sonoma? Solano?) residents begin to suffer puma attacks: small animals are the first to
disappear. They are followed by pets and finally people. An attempt to get an initiative onto the
ballot denying the release of puma's to outlying areas is voted down, primarily by the residents of
San Francisco. Glade county suffers a horrendous attack: Marion Moody and her infant daughter
are attacked near their home. Marion's husband Jed will never be the same: he and several friends
track down and shoot the murderous cat. It is one of the tagged critters released into 'the
wild.'
In the city officials are first alarmed then dumbfounded and finally anxiety-ridden when puma's
begin to prowl among the streets with increasing frequency. Skid row bums, down and outers,
children and pedestrians out on the street all are falling prey to the murderous beasts. The only
clue is a run down truck, reeking of critter and seen in first one and then another location in the
city. When a big cat corners children in a school gym something must be done. Suddenly the
outbreak of cats reappearing in the city stops. Minnesota does report wolves released into the
wild have somehow found their way back into populated areas.
Writer Shields has produced an exciting read based on an intriguing premise. Animals released
into the wild is a neat notion, however wild animals who have developed a taste for human blood
or a willingness to come where the hunting is easy . fenced back yards filled with trapped pets
and kids are not likely to relish being released into an area where they have to search for food and
fight with others for territory.
Running through Killer Cats In San Francisco are several sub plots: Jed Moody and is distress to
have lost his wife and child to a killer cat. The ongoing tension between the 'do-gooder' head of
the governmental body releasing critters into the wild and his brother over what is to become of
'the old home place.' Various vignettes detailing some of the lives of the folks introduced in the
work.
Writer Shields pulls it all together with a zigzagging hand to produce an spine tingling, highly
readable publication certain to satisfy those who luxuriate in a shocker filled with fascinating
characters, gratifying interplay, absorbing exchanges, exciting plot-line, and at times pleasantly
puzzling consequences.
Killer Cats In San Francisco takes a meandering look at settings, people, and the social ills we
humans tend to foist on one another in the name of doing well by whatever our own personal
agenda might be.
Found Killer Cats In San Francisco to be a most agreeable way to spend a long evening. Gives the
reader much to think about. Reader interest is held tight from the opening lines as the reader is
treated to an overview of 'Glade County' and is held fast from the work by the county residents
during their defeated ballot initiative right down to the last paragraphs as the focus changes from
cats to wolves.
Exciting read, happy to recommend.
Soccer Dreams
Leah Lauber
WCI Press
6967 Sunset Drive South, South Pasadena, Florida 33707
www.SoccerDreamsBook.com
ISBN: 0974548006 $19.99
Enjoyable Read Recommended 4 stars
Told in flowing narrative richly illustrated with over 200 photographs shot mostly by the author's
father as Lauber followed the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup team playing here in the US and
abroad Soccer Dreams is an exhilarating work. Leah Lauber has produced an eminently clear,
entertaining publication sure to be enjoyed by the target audience of young, and old soccer
enthusiasts. Soccer Dreams includes detailed descriptions of the many accomplishments, defeats
and struggles experienced in 1999 by a collection of women as they learn to work together to
become a World Cup team.
Soccer lovers will delight in the detailed descriptions of games, her own and those of the 1999
team offered by a young writer Lauber. As she chronicles her own setbacks and obstacles Lauber
was steadfast in her determination to play well and to and learn everything she could about the
World Cup Team. First as a seven year player, later as a Junior Reporter for the St. Petersburg Fl
Times, as a fan and finally when she meets the women who are her heroes Lauber's enthusiasm is
infectious. Reading of the time and effort writer Lauber put into her favorite sport in addition to
her work as a junior reporter for the St Petersburg Times is indicative of a dedication to both the
sport and to writing not found in many much older than she. The assistance Lauber received from
the Women's Team and its press agents is impressive. Lauber was aided in receiving press passes.
Because of her age Lauber's father was allowed to accompany her while attending practice
sessions and interviews with the players.
Copies of her feature news articles, comments from individual members of the Women's Team, all
the photographs all lend a wonderful interest producing factor for the reader. The notion that if
you work hard you will achieve you dream is a wonderful lesson for young readers to brush up
against.
Soccer Dreams is an exciting read, the energy, crowds, pace and thrill of the sport all leap from
the pages of this work offered by soccer enthusiast Lauber. Lauber began playing soccer at seven,
is now in high school and continues playing. Her youthful enthusiasm shines through her writing.
Collecting autographs from both the American Team and the one from Norway is told in typically
excited youthful prose.
A sure winner for the target audience of middle grade to older readers Soccer Dreams has a place
on shelves of home and school libraries. The book will be reached for often for pleasure
reading.
Soccer Dreams is a read-to book for the younger set. Because of the profusion of brightly colored
photos even young children ages 4 and up will enjoy looking through the book by themselves, or
will delight in having the book read to them by an older sibling, parent or school student mentor.
Soccer Dreams is a tribute to the spunk and dedication of a young woman who will no doubt do
well in whatever her chosen future field may be.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
Molly Martin, Reviewer
http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin
Nancy's Bookshelf
Cannibal Ballrooms
Anthony Cain
Publish America
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 141372079X $16.95 113 pages
Cannibal Ballrooms is a stirring collection of nine stories, so diverse yet intriguing; you will eat
these up repeatedly. I cannot pick a favorite; each one affected me, left me unsure of what to
think, and craving more. Because of that I felt it fitting to flaunt a description of each one.
"A Touch of a Vanished Hand" heads up the brilliant descent into the mind of Anthony Cain. It is
written in a surreal style, words flow in steady rhythms, in tune with breath and pulse. The best
way I can sum up it up is an infusion of a man with a cyber program as real as the human she
resembled. With perfect flesh tones, human movements, and softness, a data Vanessa gets more
than under his skin.
I made the mistake of reading "Meatboy" while having lunch. Note to self, not the best time. Told
in excerpts of files, it is a sick and twisted, morbidly ingenious way to serve up a story. Possibly
the closest I can call to my favorite of the nine. The vivid descriptions alone were powerful and
for a moment I had to pause and remind myself it was a story.
"Memories of Places Never Visited" reminded me of watching a movie backwards. With a strong
beginning, smooth middle, and satisfying ending, I felt moved, empathy, and sorrow for the
character. Taking the theme of love and dissecting it piece by piece, going backwards to the time
two lovers met, all the while filtering in scenes and excerpts of a movie that brings the forefront of
one man's life to fruition. This story is laden with provocative inner dialogue and a touch of
bittersweet sentiment.
"Portrait of the Messiah as a Trickle of Blood Down the Inner Thigh of a Just-pubescent Girl" to
say the least, is praiseworthy for not only having the coolest title but the most thought-provoking
material I've ever read! The imagery alone is gritty, raw, and intense. Each word is strung along
with mass intelligence behind it. In a world where the one the people wait for is cast aside, placed
with freaks in bottles and experiments gone wrong, the hope of man dwindles fast. No summary
here could do enough justice; just trust me when I say this is scintillating material.
While reading out loud "Tongueless Blocks", the words danced across my tongue. The author
calls this an "industrial symphony" and it is a score of disease, viruses, machines, cells, and the
humans that fall prey to changes of the modern techno world. I didn't just read the words, I took
them in and feared the "what if" factor. Anthony Cain paints a fantastical world that is disturbing
and bleak.
"Meat Market" is a tortured story of one man's obsession to find the perfect "meat" that haunts his
mind, deep in the heart of Amsterdam. Perversely entertaining, highly erotic, and sexually
charged.
The story "Paper" represents a lucid dream, a semi-conscious transition between sleep and being
awake. A voice tells a man he woke too soon, and was not meant to see the horrors that occur
while one is sleeping. Prolific and haunting.
"Bingo" starts out innocent enough. I don't even want to give away who or what Bingo really is.
About midway into the story you are slapped with a horrific twist that is just plain nasty, but oh so
good, but oh so gruesome!
And finally to round out this shocking sequence of sweet mind candy is "The Teeth of My Heart;
The Things That They Hunger For". Somewhat disturbing aftermath of a one sided union between
two people, the feelings, or lack thereof, the thoughts of getting even. A woman plagued by a
cold heart and the only pleasure she has left to derive, is that of revenge.
It took me a few moments to realize I had finished reading the last story. I shifted between feeling
numb, fascinated, lost, and educated. This is a must own collection by an author who looks at life
with the most beautifully deranged thoughts I've ever encountered. Cannibal Ballrooms will be a
sought-after prescription for those who are in need of a good dose of intense reading.
I.M. Internet Message
Stephanie Simpson-Woods
Publish America
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 1413702287 $19.95 205 pages
Vampires. I can't get enough of reading about vampires and while some may spout this is a dead
end subject, I beg to differ. Authors as well as producers have been resurrecting these stories for
some time with new twists, angles, and storylines. Case in point, from accomplished writer
Stephanie Simpson-Woods, I. M. Internet Message is a novel that gives the reader a fresh idea,
enticing characters, and an unexpected bittersweet ending. If you are a fan of vampires, this will
quench your thirst and remind you why they will never go away.
Our main character Lily is very likeable; and I found myself caught up in her daily routine and
inner thoughts. She is a young college student, sharing an apartment with two other roommates
and pulling a stint as a radio DJ at night. Sleep isn't her friend, and spends countless nights waking
from the same terrifying dreams, ones that seem a little too real. Unable to shake the disturbing
images, she goes online and strikes up an important friendship with a mysterious man named Batt.
He offers an outlet for Lily to open up and share her feelings. For months they log on and talk,
two people with mutual respect for one another, finding comfort in their chats, and both unsure
where it all is going. One night he asks for them to meet, and more than just their friendship
changes.
Tristan, a silent walker of the night, is bound to Lily in love and devotion. He has a request to
fulfill, one given to him by his very own maker. At night he haunts her dreams and waits for the
invitation to taste her essence and take her soul. With her destined to be his mate, no one will
stand in his way.
One by one Lily's roommates and close friends change, heated desires take over and fresh blood
runs thick. The identity of Tristan's maker comes to fruition, but perhaps a little too late.
This is a spellbinding tale packed with subtle horror, poetic eroticism, suspense, and class. The
dialogue alone is engaging, realistic, and drives the action and events along. There is never a lag
between the storyline and transitions of central characters and chapters. The ending alone is a gem
and quite surprising. I look forward to more works by author Stephanie Simpson-Woods, she has
a talent that like a vampire, is timeless.
Dreamkeeper
Holly Catanzarita
Lulu Press
ISBN 1411603516 $18.00 300 pages
Dreamkeeper starts and ends with such visually haunting words it gave me the chills! You are in
for a trip into the darkness where what you see is what you get. Mirrors, they show so much, and
for some unfortunate victims, it's truly the last thing they see. Reflected back is not only their
eyes, but also the fear behind them.
In the usually calm town of Taft, Georgia, a string of murders has everyone on edge, even more
so after a cop falls victim as well. Antonio Valenti is a police detective caught in the middle of the
disturbing murder scenes, trying to bring a peace of mind to the people in town. Without visible
signs of any kind of blood, attack, or break in to explain the cause of the murder, they have only
one vital clue left at the crime scene, a broken mirror. The need to find the crazed serial killer
becomes daunting as more bodies turn up, and it doesn't look like the deaths will be over any time
soon.
Together with a range of multifaceted yet rich characters, Valenti must explore the darkness
within and track down the stalker, a demon hell bent on its ability to be a taker of dreams and
souls. With so many unanswered questions, no existent reason as to why or how these people
were killed, it takes everything he has to stay ahead of the game and not become the next
casualty. He must keep his head and not give in to the mental breakdown that has been grinding
away at him.
Holly Catanzarita's writing style is a mix of strong imagery and subtle yet disturbing horror. If
you've read my reviews previously, you know I'm a serious sucker for getting into the heads of
the character. If I can't connect, I just don't enjoy the story. Dreamkeeper does just that and at a
startling flawless rate, you can't help but be taken in. Each character must rely on their own wit
and strength and trust one another in the process. Their only hope is to destroy the evil before it
destroys them.
The building of suspense is smooth yet intense and fuels you to want to read it straight through in
one sitting. Holly Catanzarita's imagination takes us on a ride where we visit not only her vision,
but also our nightmares at the same time.
Drown in Fear
Elizabeth Blue
Publish America
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 1413718663 $19.95 221 pages
I knew Drown in Fear would be disturbing because of my own fear of swimming but I was
intrigued to read it nonetheless. From the stunning blood-red cover to the satisfying end, this is an
absorbing and suspenseful story.
Recent accidents in the James River had remained for the most part, unexplained. Of course
reports made it sound like they were ordinary accidents, but others knew the truth. One knew
more than any of them. Unsuspecting passersby fell victim to an unseen force hidden deep beneath
the water. With a force so strong, they could not turn away, becoming the prey to a hunter that
wants only one thing, to taste their very being.
While many things lurk under the water, what Jake Hillard witnesses upon seeing his best friend
drown, was anything but normal. Plagued with visions and nightmares, he is unsure of what to
believe. Strange images take hold and he no longer questions what was seen that day, there was
something in the water; his friend had always been a good swimmer before. No one believes him,
not the police and not the townspeople. Without anyone to help, he faces the dangers of becoming
the next target.
She is the terrifying beast that has come to taste life. Her striking beauty alone attracts the men
into her liquid arms, but once they venture in, they cannot escape. She is hungry and they give her
nourishment. Finding many to be less than a challenge, her interests turn to Jake and she won't
stop until she can bring him in. Drowning never tasted so delicious.
Elizabeth Blue delivers a well-written story with intrigue, character complexity, and a unique turn
on what lives and breathes in the water. Her play on senses and fears adds to the chills and makes
you want to look over your shoulder once in awhile. Visually it was vivid and clear, lending to the
haunting darkness and suspense. The author has much strength in tapping into solid reactions of
people, sensitivity to the thoughts of someone dealing with tragedy, and the inner workings of the
beast herself. Dialogue is rich and real, nothing sounds contrite or out of place. Since I'm already
not a water girl, I think this story just gives me more of an incentive to stay away from lakes and
rivers, but I'll be sure to look for her next novel.
The Ghostbreakers: New Horrors
Danielle Naibert & G.W. Thomas, editors
Cyber Pulp Ebook
$4.99
Take several talented authors, a well-known editor, fourteen original stories, and one incredible
theme and you get Ghostbreakers:New Horrors. If you aren't very familiar with the term
Ghostbreakers, there is a well-defined explanation about them and the different identities they can
take in the introduction. I appreciate the insight a reader is given on a subject they may not be
familiar with; it brings validity to the book. You are also given a link to a list that boasts over 160
different Ghostbreakers to date. Most names you will recognize such as Van Helsing, Doctor
Who, Lovecraft, and some will be new or surprising, but trust me when I say this complete
package makes for an intriguing read.
I thoroughly enjoyed each and every story in here and was thrilled to see a varied amount of plots,
characters, and settings. No two stories were alike, and each author brought their own style and
personality. Fans of the occult, detectives, crime, mystery, and thrillers will enjoy immensely.
While there wasn't a bad one in the bunch, there are a few that stood out for me I'd like to touch
on briefly. "Backs to the Wall" by K.K is about as original as you can get, done more like a
television series or something close to it. You will find this a quick read with engaging characters
and action. "Body of Work" written by G.W. Thomas himself has a smooth flow, sharp wit and
dialogue, his style of writing is very down-to-earth and intelligent. It shows he is quite a fan of
Ghostbreakers and it comes across in his method of suspense and facts. I think if anything he
brings a voice of wisdom into this collection, that stands out from any other.
"Automatic" by Alex Severin and Kailleaugh Andersson delve into a modern world meets the past
type of story that unfolds in an eerie and suspenseful way. Mark Orr's "Hard Justice" is a complex
yet traditional tale with tie-ins and great character development. Again, each story is strong and
stands on its own, drawing you in, taking you back to the days of Sherlock Holmes and other
such fine classics.
Currently it is available as an ebook in multiple formats, however it will be available as a trade
paperback in the near future. There are new collections surrounding the Ghostbreakers such as
Sinister Sleuths and Vampire Hunters on the way as well, and no doubt they will be every bit as
exciting and smart as this one was. G.W. Thomas has started a wonderful trend by bringing back
the beloved tales of the old with styles of the new, allowing for a whole new generation to
enjoy.
Nancy Jackson, Reviewer
http://www.nancyajackson.com
Pogo's Bookshelf
Sandra Cisneros
Caramelo
Vintage Books, Random House; New York
0679435540 $13.95 439 pp.
"Tell me a story, even if it's a lie," beguiles us to go beyond the contents and the flyleaf to get to
the heart of the book. A convincing liar, Sandra Cisnero snarls her in yarn, twisting the tales about
us about a rebozo made of caramel which interweaves a complicated family history involving as
many lies as possible. How to tell the lies from the twisted strings of truths is as difficult as
finishing the complicated pattern of knots on the unfinished fringe of the rebozo.
When summer arrives, they all pile into Uncle Fat Face new used white Cadillac or Uncle Baby's
green Impala and Father's red Chevrolet to drive from Chicago to Mexico city to visit the Awful
Grandmother and Grandfather in their house on Destiny Street. The three Reyes brothers have
quit their jobs, packed their cars with junk they bought from Maxwell Street to hawk in Mexico
while they visit their mother. Everyone knows that the love between the mother and son is stonger
than between a husband and wife, and perhaps this caused the problem. Every year, the three
brothers drive south with their families to visit the Awful Grandmother in her house as one huge
family, but this time they flock down together in three cars, each leap-frogging with the other to
make the journey shorter.
This summer is different than all the others because they go to Aculpulco. even Candalaria is
included in the journey because Awful Grandmother says that she can help with the babies.
Miother is frustrated because the journey was originally planned only for the family to include
the six brothers and Lala, but Awful Grandmother insists on being included, demanding that
Candalaria comes with her shopping bag of stuff. Candalaria's village is in Nayarit and she's never
seen the sea. The Awful Grandmother is afraid that she will get lost and pins an address to her
underskirt just in case.
Long journeys by car allow for stories, so the time must be filled by telling things about the past
when Little Grandfather was young. There are so many secrets in the past like the hidden objects
in the drawers of the walnut armoire in Awful Grandmother's room. Trespassing is prohibited. In
Aculpulco, Awful Granndmother quarrels about money. She's stingy and doesn't want to pay for
any extras. The wind comes up and blows away the rose from Lala's hair onto the water where it
disappears. Mother and Grandmother quarrel, making the trip miserable as fires flame between
Mother and Father because a true Mexican son is devoted to his mother. Mother jumps out of the
car while thee car is moving during the time when all of Mexico is full of the evening
movement.
"--Zoila! Father says, out of breath. For the love of God! Get back into the car!
--I'm never going anywhere with you again, you big fat liar! Never! What do you take me
for?
--Zoila, please don't make a scene. No seas escandalosa. Be dignified...
--Largate. Scram! I'm warning you, don't come near me!
Father clamps on to Mother's arm and tries to force her to her feet, just to show that he's still the
boss, but Mother jerks herself free. The little girl sitting next to Mother scowls at Father
fiercely....
In two languages, Mother hurls words like weapons, and they thump and thud their target with
amazing accuracy. Guests peer out of half-naked from the windows of third-class hotels,
customers at fruit-drink stands twist around on barstools, taxi drivers abandon their cars, waiters
forget their tips. The corn-on-the-cob vendor ignores his customers and moves in for a better
view, as if we're the last episode of a favorite telenovela. Vendors, townspeople, tourists,
everyone gathers around us to see who it is Mother is calling a big caca, a goat, an ox, a fat butt,
a shameless, a deceiver, a savage, a barbarian, un gran puto." (p84)
Sandra Cisneros invites us to watch the grand spectacle of life, setting us on the edge of our seats
as the entertainers fill the ring. Awful Grandmother with her tyrannical, sadistic demands; Little
Grandfather with his feints to escape, Inocencio, the favorite son and the two other Reyes
brothers involved in the family uphostelery business, abandoning the fine art of renovating
antiques to manufacturing plastic pillow seats. Torn between generations of Reyes and divided by
cultures, Celeya grows up being tormented by her six brothers as Lala the crybaby and bullied in
school. Never having a place to sleep of her own, but always in the center of another family
storm, she survives the whirlwinds of life and the vindictiveness of Awful Grandmother's torment.
Awful Grandmother harbors secrets and grudges, seeking revenge on the younger generations for
the past wrongs. The wheel of fortune turns round when Awful Grandmother decides to sell her
house on Destiny Street in Mexico City and moves in with them in Chicago. Nothing remains the
same as she brings the bitterness of winter into their daily lives.
To appease her, Inocencio moves his family south once more to take up a house in San Antonio,
but things do not work out. With perceptive understanding for the conflicts between generations
and cultural identities, Cisneros exposes the joys and hardships of Mexican Americans and the
forged historical myths. Filled with lively dialogue, interspersed with historical commentary,
Cisneros takes us into a different world to open our eyes to gain an altered perspective of
American and Mexican heritage, far different than the propaganda which middle school textbooks
and history books promulgate. Lively, colorful, we see, breath the world in which her characters
live, tasting the spiciness of their lives.
Michelle Miller Allen
Journey from the Keep of Bones
Amador Publishers, Albuquerque NM
http://www.amadorbooks.com
0938513362 $20.00 376 pp.
Michelle Miller Allen leads her reader into the exploration of other worlds, in other times. Unlike
the great classic of H G Wells, Time Machine the movement of time travel is not dependent on an
mechanical convenience such as Dr. Who's telephone box. or the exploration of the unknown with
recycled Trekkies in space. Cleverly written, Allen transcends time by exploring the internal
dimension of the human mind and subconscious. What is it that we don't know ? Or rather, can
we remember the dreams we had of the past? Have we lived in past civilizations to be
reincarnated with new faces? She explores the possibilities that lay beyond death-- of other lives
and other places in other times. By mixing elements of reality with magical realism and
shamanism, Allen immerses us into a spell-binding story regarding the human quest for knowledge
and exploration beyond our limitations. The story opens simply enough:
Once there were two shaman brothers who were sitting by the water, watching the water to
induce a state of altered consciousness. Longing for new understanding with a thirst for
exploration of the unknown, the one ired stepped into the water and disappeared, leaving his
brother in charge of the village and to care for his wife until he returned. Their story is set in the
ancient past of Mesoamerica, but their memory lingers in contemporary society of Albuquerque,
New Mexico where a jaguar knife is discovered plunged into the red clay of Red Rock Mesa.
Ever since Travis Dylan found it, his life seemed haunted by soneone else's karma the haunting
of the mummy from the tomb scene something unreal. Cut from obsidian, the jaguar knife had
vacant eyes, hollow from ancient knowledge. What stones had filled the the sockets except those
of ruby or garnet, reflecting the bloody prey it ate?
Maxine maxed him out with her constant desire for analysis. They had met first in Sante Fe at the
first session of a relationship workshop in the back room of the Twelve Steps bookstore. Travis
was on the rebound Paige who was prowling the streets now with The Creature. They went to
Sante Fe for the sake of total honesty, rather than remain in Albuquerque where social constraint
might inhibit their open relationship. Within a week, they had latched onto each other to test out
some relationship exercises privately from a book for dysfunctional adults, Creating Conscious
Relationships:Workbook for the 90's, presenting such enthralling chapter titles as "Unlocking the
Fear of Intimacy" or "Healing Childhood Wounds" with the convenience of doing exercises 39, 56
or 46.
"They had been fun at first, but, for Travis, the "fun" times became a "reprieve." Life began to feel
like some kind of mental istitution where yuou had therapy after breakfast, sandwiched dinner
dates in between couples therapy, and then all those late night serious talk-walks. So intense, all
the time. Not natural, not spontaneous. Even theior sex began to feel like therapy." p32
With I Ching for breakfast and direction for the day's guidance, Travis throws The Wanderer and
instinctively knows it's time to roll.
Maxine, a paralegal for D L Obermeyer, knows the fury of slighted love. Used to being in control
and sumamrizing relationships into legal paragraphs, she is at loss when a spunky, punky woman
enters her office with a demand for divorce settlement involving a food processor. Convinced that
Adrienne Manfred could do with more, Maxine tries to advise her on how to get the max out of a
divorce with an affluent doctor. A message from Conner McKnight informs her that a client has
suddenly died. Finn Nolan was killed by the cops and Conner wants to retain Obermeyer who
handled Finn's legal affairs. Frustrated from the evasiveness of Travis and bored with life, Maxine
volunteers to deliver the legal documents to Conner en route with the food processor to
Adrienne.
Through accidental meetings, Miller Allen persuasively establishes the credibiity of the characters
as we enter their worlds, thoughts and dreams. Each searches for fulfillment and understanding of
their hidden motives, questioning their dreams and seeking assistance in the channeler Light, who
helps them on their individual paths. Newly divorced, Adrienne returns to her original profession
as an artist, creating paintings from the people she meets in dreams. Maxine, used to control,
shifts her household again, searching for the one, the other, elusive mate. Conner retreats from the
world, disillusioned and distrusting of the chaos of modern society and immerses himself in the
discipline of the Japanese sword. Each turns away from the world they live in while turning
inward to connect with the inner soul, the psyche and explore the subconscious world beyond the
limitations of human control.
Developed in alternative levels of human consciousness, the scenes shift effortlessly from ancient
to modern as the drama of the past is replayed against contemporary society. Although written
with the channeler Light as omniscient, each player has limited knowledge as he/she sets out on
the quest before him. For each, the outcome is unknown although fragments of their past lives
emerge through dreams and images. Only Light comprehends the intersections and ultimate goals
of their lives, discreetly avoiding spilling all the beans. Old relationships are broken and new ones
formed, as the two shaman brothers emerge from the past, reincarnated into new bodies of the
opposite sex a great device for a plot with a slightly feminist twist. Scenes of the ancient past
are vividly described as we join a television anthropologist in search of past civilizations and the
secrets of the dark cave.
Journey from the Keep of Bones received the nomination as 1st Runner up for the Coalition of
Visionary Fiction Award. Mystical, dynamic and vibrant, seek it out to discover the secrets the
brothers keep and the magic of the violet feather.
Pogo
Reviewer
Roger's Bookshelf
Killer Customer Care
George Colombo
Entrepreneur Press.
ISBN 1891984861 $16.95 246 pages
Comprehensive, Practical
Who is George Colombo? As a book reviewer, I can't tell you. There is nothing in his book that
offers an author profile, biography, or credentials. I'm often inspired to read books because of the
qualifications that give the author authenticity and standing to present ideas for my consideration.
Without this knowledge, I was handicapped, but was attracted to the volume partly by the title,
and partly by the subtitle.
The word "killer" implies to me that the strategies or tactics presented in the book will equip me
to dominate the competition. Customer CARE, rather than the customary use of the word
SERVICE, also caught my attention. The subtitle referring to "customer service that will double
and triple profits" validates that the author recognizes the relationship between taking care of the
customer and taking care of the bottom line. Unfortunately, acknowledging that critical
relationship is missing from most how-to books in this field.
The 25 chapters of this book are organized into four sections: The One Critical Factor for Success
in the 21st Century, Laying the Groundwork for Killer Customer Care, Implementing Your Killer
Customer Care Program, and Keeping Your Killer Customer Care Program on Track. The titles
of the chapters alone will stimulate and remind you of things that must be done, and will guide
you to practical tactics and illustrations of the techniques. The organization of the book, presented
in the table of contents, makes this a good book to read from cover to cover, as well as an
easy-to-use reference tool. A comprehensive index adds to the value.
Colombo emphasizes his position that service is more transaction-oriented, compared to customer
care that implies a long-term relationship. While that position is stated clearly, the distinction is
not carried through with an obvious emphasis in the text. The same deficiency occurs with the
"killer" concept: the word "killer" is used in the text, it is applied more as a contextual theme,
rather that a differentiating factor. The book does not compare traditional customer service with
killer customer care as it could to make the concept really come alive. Opening comments suggest
the book is intended for senior executives, yet the unusual size of the book and cover design are
atypical for what would appeal to executives.
Killer Customer Care is filled with valuable tactics, including important management
considerations such as measurement and teaching of the concepts. It will be a worthwhile read for
owners of small and medium-sized businesses seeking approaches to building long-term
relationships with customers. It's definitely a management book, rather than one to be read by the
people on the front line who are most responsible for generating the kind of customer care that
establishes and sustain lifetime-value loyalty. This book will also be valuable for managers of
franchises, dealerships, and branch locations of larger companies. It portrays the role, and how to
support it, in ways that will equip managers to carry the message to their people.
Sun Tzu's The Art of War Plus Its Amazing Secrets
Gray Gagliardi
Clearbridge Publishing
PO Box 33772, Seattle, WA 98113
ISBN 1929194072 $15.95 191 pages
Thought-Provoking, Insightful
Sun Tzu is recognized as a brilliant military strategist from the ancient Chinese cultures when the
world was much different than it is today. Yet, his principles still apply today, particularly in the
conduct of business. There are many lessons to be learned.
Gary Gagliardi is acknowledged as America's leading authority on Sun Tzu, so he has a deep
understanding of the teachings of the philosopher and his perspectives on war. The approach he
takes is that the art of war is much deeper than just fighting battles. In fact, confrontations are
best avoided, according to the concepts explored in the book.
The author explains that all ancient Chinese philosophy and science was based on diagrams. Those
diagrams are included in the book with explanations and interpretations that relate the ancient
teaching to today's environment. Gagliardi has already written about the application of Sun Tzu's
teaching to sales, marketing, management, and other modern endeavors.
The organization of the book forces the reader to move slowly to gain understanding and
appreciation of the Master's ideas. The teachings, the interpretation of the diagrams are presented
on the left hand pages. On the opposite right hand pages, the author relates the insights to current
applications. Reading and absorbing the contents of this book will give the readers strength to
think and perform differently more wisely in managing both business and personal endeavors.
Each of us is engaged in competition, the basis of Sun Tzu's teachings.
The writings include the Chinese words next to the concepts. While this gives the text an air of
greater authenticity and linkage with the original thinking, it can be distracting as this writing
technique interrupts the speed of flow of reading which may be another benefit of the way the
book is written. The greatest value from this book will be your contemplation of the application of
the principles in your own life.
The Price of Government: Getting the Results We Need in an Age of Permanent Fiscal Crisis
David Osborne and Peter Hutchinson
Basic Books
ISBN 0465053637 $25.00 370 pages
Highly Valuable, Depth, Practical
There is no question today that governments at all levels are in dire fiscal straits. Years of
political maneuvering, wasteful spending, mismanagement, and an economic roller-coaster have
taken their toll. While wonderful innovation has been seen in a number of government agencies at
the federal, state, and local level, most have a very long way to go. The resistance to change must
be overcome if we are to avoid widespread bankruptcy of the very organizations that we, as
taxpayers and citizens, rely on for shared services and support. Change is a community effort, not
just something to be delegated to a few elected or appointed officials. But the work to be done is
akin to hugging a hippopotamus especially if the animal doesn't want to be hugged!
The authors are consultants which could be considered good news or bad news. In this case, it's
good news. They are founder and senior partner of Public Strategies Group, a firm specializing in
the field of improving government. Osborne is author of the best-seller, "Reinventing
Government." These authors have the credentials that cry out how valuable their book might
be.
The five sections of the book organize their huge volume of information, commentary, and advice:
Smarter Budgeting, Smarter Sizing, Smarter Spending, Smarter Management, and Smarter
Leadership. Through fifteen chapters the authors describe what's been happening, the impact,
what changes could or should be made, and what benefits will result. There are no illustrations
in this book a few charts; it's straight text in page after intriguing page. Tremendous content that
can be absorbed in a straight-through read or studied in a reference book fashion.
Community leaders will find an incredible amount of material to work with in these pages. The
question is how many communities will have sufficiently strong and committed
leadership political and apolitical to overcome the resistance of tradition and self-serving turf
protection in order to bring about critically needed change. If you can build the community
resources to make the needed improvements, this book will be a real treasure for exploring
opportunities and finding wise solutions.
Roger E. Herman, Reviewer
www.hermangroup.com
Sherry's Bookshelf
Jesus: His School Years
Walter Parks
71 illustrations
Unknown Truths Publishing Company
Orlando, Florida
ISBN: 0974539317 $24.95 304 pages
Mr. Parks masterfully peels back the layers of research to reveal fascinating and convincing
information unveiling the curious mystery of where Jesus was from the age of 12 through 30.
"Jesus: His School Years" hits the bull's eye of facts with the engaging explanation of how Jesus
mastered his calling and how he metamorphoses from the human baby into the Messiah.
The research uncovers that Jesus and John the Baptist were schooled together by the Essenes.
The Essenes were one of four principle sects and were thought to be saintly and "athletes of
virtue". In discussing the personal beliefs of the Essenes verses the power base of the Pharisees,
the author states that certain rabbis were "torn between expressing his real beliefs and his desire to
be part of the most powerful sect". This strangely reflects on how many believe today making the
reader wonder if human nature ever changes.
In the twelve easy to read chapters you learn or revisit your thinking about the star of Bethlehem,
Jesus' actual birth date, the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus and the role of the
Essenes.
The information is delivered in a practical manner with twelve easy to read chapters. The author
also offers a chatroom for further enlightenment and discussion.
Kate's Journey
Kate Adamson
Nosmada Press
409 North Pacific Coast Highway, PMB 415, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
www.katesjourney.com 800-641-KATE
ISBN: 0974190721 $19.95 211 pages
Kate Adamson gives us a lesson in truth. She honestly and courageously digs deep into her soul
pocket to share her story about suffering a stroke at the mere age of 33. The account is bold,
disturbing and alarming. Yet, you will smile at her humor, cry tears of frustration at her many near
deaths and shed tears of delight for her extraordinary persistence.
The reader is a voyeur as Kate relates her thoughts while in a "Locked in Syndrome" state. Her
words vibrate through you and you feel her confusion and desperate yearning to let people know
she could hear them.
Kate tells of her second-guessing a decision she made to visit a chiropractor rather than her
medical doctor. She speaks about the telling signs of migraines. She allows you full entry into her
life detailing her attitude about fitness, her two children, two divorces, a rare thyroid condition
and a $96,000 emergency room bill with no explanation of what was wrong.
This book is much more than a story about a survivalist attitude. It is about capturing everyday
for all it is worth. It is about the intensity of love, fear, loyalty, anger, pain, joy and
communication. This book is a admirable example of how the power of tragedy shapes life.
The Wilderness Within
Barbara Spring
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, Maryland 21705
www.publishamerica.com (301) 695-1707
ISBN: 1592867855 $16.95 118 pages
As a child I loved poetry. As an adult, one of my favorite possessions is a 1921 edition of Walt
Whitman's Leaves of Grass. I also possess several other collector copies of 19th century poets. It
is said that the earliest forms of poetic expression induced the very unfolding of communication
and language itself.
When I started reading The Wilderness Within written by Barbara Spring, I was not expecting to
fall in love with this little gem of a book and savor it poem by poem. Ms. Spring considers the
mystery of the world in her poems sharing impulses of curiosity along with the complexity of
nature, life and death. Her poems are in privileged alignment with the living and breathing spirit.
She possesses the poetic eye for passing flecks of details while bearing witness to her vast travels
and experiences. Several stories and pictures flank some of the poems.
The stories offer trip details to the Copper Canyon and the Galapogos Islands while the pictures
add additional stimulation for the mind. I read this book three times before writing this review
trying to find my favorite poem. I simply couldn't decide on one favorite. Each poem has its own
unique spiritual and intellectual wandering to it. Poems such as "Bedtime Story", "Bloodroot
Bearings", "The Green Man's Secret" and "The Entryway" all bear witness to the author's
yearnings and passions about life.
This book offers up a number of delicious poems. It is a true fascinating delight, elegant in style
and profound in feeling. "The Wilderness Within" is a tempting glimpse of the moves of a first
rate talent and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Spring.
Sherry Russell
Reviewer
Taylor's Bookshelf
Finding God In The Questions
Timothy Johnson
InterVarsity Press
DeChant Hughes & Associates (publicity)
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
0830832149 $19.00 www.ivpress.com
In Finding God In The Questions: A Personal Journey, Dr. Timothy Johnson (Medical Editor for
ABC News) to addressing the existence of God and the relevance of Jesus Christ. Finding God In
The Questions examines the evidence for belief and is also an intimate personal accounting of his
faith in God. From his perspective of being a man of science and of faith, Dr. Johnson shares his
own
lifetime dealings with the tension between doubt and belief. Finding God In The Questions is
strongly recommended reading for the Christian community, especially for those who are dealing
with the stress of doubt and seeking the bliss of faith.
The Basis Of Christian Unity
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
085151846X $6.99 www.banneroftruth.co.uk
The Basis Of Christian Unity is comprised of two of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' address to the Westminister
Fellowship in 1969 which were original given against a background of ecumenical discussion and
debate with respect to issues, problems and promises underlying Christian unity and a shared faith.
After an informative introduction, The Basis Of Christian Unity presents "The Teaching of John
17";
"The Teaching of Ephesians 4"; "New Testament Corroboration"; and "Conclusions". Dr.
Lloyd-Jones is one of the most respected theologians of our time. The Basis Of Christian Unity
makes some of his best work available to a whole new generation of Christian readers.
A Prayer Book For The 21st Century
John McQuiston II
Morehouse Publishing
4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
0819219746 $12.95 www.morehousepublishing.com
The image of God as an all-powerful father figure goes back thousands of years, yet in the
contemporary world today (especially with respect to the West), traditionally standard prayers
and
worship language have fallen out of favor, while a spiritual yearning to know and communicated
with the Sacred continues to remain a strong and compelling aspiration. In A Prayer Book For
The
21st Century, John McQuiston II (an attorney and active lay leader in his Memphis, Tennessee
congregation) provides morning and evening devotions for a two week span, plus complete
Morning
and Evening Prayer services, along with a Service of Commemoration for Our Union. McQuiston
employs a language for and about God that reflects contemporary understanding of the nature of
God and His actions in the universe. A pocket-sized devotional, A Prayer Book For The 21st
Century is especially commended to the attention of individuals and congregations yearning to
worship and express themselves to God in a manner that is appropriate to contemporary realities
and
Christian theology.
Same-Sex Marriage?
Marvin M. Ellison
The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, East, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
0829815600 $24.00 1-800-654-5129 www.pilgrimpress.com
A professor of Christian Ethics and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, Marvin M.
Ellison presents Same-Sex Marriage?: A Christian Ethical Analysis, a discussion that refuses to
oversimplify the complex issues involved in the modern debate whether individuals of the same
sex
should have the recognized right to marry. Examining marriage regulations today, and conducting
dialogues with legal scholars and theologians alike to better understand how both advocates and
critics of same-sex marriage shape their arguments, Same-Sex Marriage? sets the stage for a
rational
and debate of relevant ethics from not only a Christian, but also a human point of view.
Songs For The Holy One
Thomas Barnett & Donald Patriquin
Wood Lake Books
c/o The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
1551454971 $45.00 www.pilgrimpress.com
Christians have made songs from the psalms in the Old Testament from the very beginnings of the
Christian movement. Tom Barnett and Donald Patriquin have collaborated in Songs For The Holy
One: Psalms & Refrains For Worship to provide contemporary worshipers with a songbook that
draws upon our Judeo-Christian legacy to lift up our voices and worship God with new cadences
for
songs based upon a fresh translation of the psalms. Songs For The Holy One is especially
commended to the attention of choirs directors, clergy, cantors, contemplatives, and other
members
of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation or background.
Ignatian Humanism
Ronald Modras
Loyola Press
3441 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
0829419861 $16.95 1-800-621-1008 www.loyolapress.org
Ignatian Humanism: A Dynamic Spirituality For The 21st Century portrays the work, teachings,
and
spirituality of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, and five of his successors: Matteo
Ricci,
the first Westerner at the court of the Chinese emperor; Frederick Spee, who stepped forward to
defend women accused of witchcraft; Karl Rahner, reknowned Catholic 20th-century theologian;
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, scientist and mystic; and Pedro Arrupe, who has led the Jesuits since
the
era of Vatican II. The final chapter of Ignatian Humanism focuses especially upon spirituality for
and
within the rapidly changing 21st century. At once both an extensively researched history and a
profound work of faith and meditation on what it means to form a connection with a dynamic,
actively involved God, Ignatian Humanism is a passionate discussion especially recommended for
modern religious and Jesuit studies shelves.
Jesus Of Africa
Diane B. Stinton
Orbis Books
Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
157075537X $25.00 orbisbooks.com
Jesus Of Africa: Voices Of Contemproary African Christology reviews both the theologies of
French
and English-speaking African scholars and clergy, and also relates how African lay people regard
Jesus Christ. Thoughtfully written for scholars, students, and mission professionals especially,
Jesus
Of Africa is a unique theological work covering the origins and modern-day revelance of Christian
teachings in Africa, as well as models of contemporary African Christologies including Jesus as
Life-Giver, Mediator, Loved One, and Leader. An in-depth evaluation that draws directly upon
the
testimony, faith, and experiences of people living in Africa today.
Eternal Seasons
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Sorin Books
PO Box 1006, Notre Dame, IN 46556
1893732770 $18.95 1-800-282-1865 www.sorinbooks.com
Compiled and edited by journalist, lecturer, and broadcaster Michael Ford, Eternal Seasons: A
Liturgical Journey With Henri J.M. Nouwen showcases a series of sermons on the great mysteries
of
the Christian Faith . Drawn from his forty books, Here are the late Henri Nouwen's responses to
the
spiritual seasons that, in their entirety, cover the entire liturgical year. Eternal Seasons is an ideal
introduction for a whole new generation of Christian readers to Nouwen's thought and insights,
and
will engage a desire on the part of those readers to seek out Nouwen's earlier writings.
What Would Jesus Do Today?
Mike Cope & Rubel Shelly
Howard Publishing Company
3117 North 7th Street, West Monroe, LA 71291-2227
1878990799 $7.99 www.amazon.com
Mike Cope has been a minister for over fifteen years, serving much of that time working with
university students and is currently an Adjunct Professor Abilene Christian University. Rubel
Shelly
has served as a minister for the Woodmont Hills church in Nashville, Tennessee since 1978. What
Would Jesus Do Today is their collaborative effort to show a Christian readership that such real
life
issues as poverty, competition, honesty, commitment, stress, money, sexuality, injustice, death,
and
more, are quite often too complex for a simply response to the enduringly popular question
(especially among Christian fundamentalists and evangelical, "What Would Jesus Do". Offering
solid
principles and a biblically-based direction, What Would Jesus Do? Today combines considerable
biblical scholarship, practical experience, and hard won wisdom to help the non-specialist general
reader deal with some of life's toughest questions, stresses, and dilemmas from a Christian
perspective.
Grieving God's Way
Margaret Brownley
WinePress Publishing
PO Box 630288, CA 93063
1579216641 $15.99 www.winepresspub.com
The death of a loved one is always accompanied by grief and grieving. Normal grief-related
sadness
is all to often compounded and complicated with the use of drugs and/or alcohol in today's
shallow,
impersonal, media dominated, "quick-fix" society demanding that people get over their grief as
quickly as possible. That's why Margaret Brownley has done the Christian community an
outstanding service with Grieving God's Way, revealing healthy ways to heal which are based on
Biblical scripture. Brownley offers hope, comfort, inspiration, and encouragement to anyone
dealing
with loss in their own lives. Providing fresh insights into how God works through our grief to
our
ultimate benefit, Grieving God's Way takes the reader on a journey of personal and spiritual
self-discovery and releases previously undiscovered sources of strength, wisdom, courage, and
compassion. Enhanced with inspirational haiku poetry by Diantha Ain, Greiving God's Way is a
welcome and recommended addition to Grief Counseling reading lists and reference
collections.
Catholicism, Protestantism, And Capitalism
Amintore Fanfani
IHS Press
222 West 21st Street, Suite F-122, Norfolk, VA 23517
0971489475 $23.95 1-757-423-0324 www.ihspress.com
Catholicism, Protestantism, And Capitalism by the late Amintore Fanfani (1908-1999), is an
impressively comprehensive and scholarly presentation between traditional Catholic doctrine and
the
spirit of economic capitalism. This posthumous edition of Amintore Fanfani's seminal and ground
breaking study is enhanced for contemporary readers by an informed and informative foreword by
Charles M.A. Clark (Professor of Economics, Tobin College of Business, and Senior Fellow,
Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John's University, New York) and Giorgio
Campanini (Professor of the History of Political Thought, University of Parma, Italy).
Catholicism,
Protestantism, And Capitalism is an uncomplicated read and especially commended to the
attention
the those of the Christian community with an interest in economics and theology.
John Taylor
Reviewer
Vogel's Bookshelf
Internet And Personal Computer Fads
Mary Ann Bell, et al.
The Haworth Press, Inc.
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
0789017725 $15.95 1-800-895-0582 www.haworthpress.com
The impressive and highly recommended collaborative work of Mary Ann Bell (Assistant
Professor
of Library Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas); Mary Ann Berry
(Associate
Professor/Chairman, Department of Library Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville,
Texas); and James L. Van Roekel (Director of Academic Instructional Technology and Distance
Learning, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas) Internet And Person Computing Fads
is
a seminal A-to-Z reference presented in a straightforward, accessible style that will make it
essential
for academic library collections and welcome utility for non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject matter covered. From artificial intelligence, to the "Mac vs. PC" debate; to
commonly used abbreviations, to distance learning, and so much more, Internet And Personal
Computing Fads is as easy to use as it is informed and informative.
The Rosa Luxemburg Reader
Peter Hudis & Kevin B. Anderson
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001
158367103X $23.00 1-212-691-2555 www.monthlyreview.org
Rosa Luxemburg was one of the major Marxist political theoreticians and economic reform
advocates during the period of the Russian Revolution. Although communism and marxism as
political and economic s systems have now been largely discarded, Rosa Luxemburg's writings
continue to be relevant, especially in view of the current global nature of the struggle against the
excesses of capitalism and corporate sponsored exploitations assault the lives and initiatives of
ordinary people and the universal struggle for human liberation. A definitive, single volume
anthology of Luxemburg's writings in English translation, The Rosa Luxemburg Reader includes
all
of her major political and economic work (including many previously untranslated and
recently-discovered texts) and is enhanced with a substantial and information Introduction. Very
strongly recommended reading, The Rosa Luxemburg Reader will aptly serve to introduce her
perceptive commentaries to a whole new generation of social and political activists.
John Evelyn And His Milieu
Frances Harris & Michael Hunter, editors
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, ON, Canada, M4Y 2W8
0712348174 $70.00 1-800-565-9523
Collaboratively compiled and jointly edited by Frances Harris (Curator of Manuscripts at The
British
Library) and Michael Hunter (Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London),
John
Evelyn And His Milieu is a compilation of fifteen academic essays with respect to the life and
times
of John Evelyn (1620-1706), one of the best of the English diarists. Each of the contributors are
leading experts in their respective fields and draw upon The British Library's exceptional holdings
of
John Evelyn's books, manuscripts and family papers. John Evelyn And His Milieu is the first
compendium of original research to fully explore the depth and diversity of this gardener,
environmentalist, connoisseur, bibliophile, intellectual, and influential lay Anglican of
seventeenth-century England. Indeed, no 17th Century British History collection can be
considered
either comprehensive or complete without the inclusion of John Evelyn And His Milieu.
American Splendor
Harvey Pekar, et al.
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London, England, SE1 OUP
1840237872 16.99 Brit. pounds www.titanbooks.com
Harvey Pekar has been chronicling his life for more than twenty-five years in the form of a series
of
"underground comics" now compiled into graphic novels. Filled with ordinary and mundane life
stories which are both funny and touching, Pekar deftly describes his work as a hospital file clerk
in
Cleveland, and his personal relationships with others. Very highly recommended reading,
American
Splendor showcases under one cover Pekar's "slice of life" approach combining two classic
collections of his graphically presented life story: "American Splendor: The Life and Times Of
Harvey Pekar" and "More American Splendor: The Life And Times Of Harvey Pekar". Of special
note for underground comic enthusiasts is an informative introduction by R. Crumb.
Ilan Ramon: Jewish Star
Devra Newberger Speregen
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
0827607695 $9.95 www.jewishpub.org
Ilan Ramon was Israeli astronaut who was part of the two-week, ill-fated voyage of the space
shuttle Columbia. Ilan Ramon: Jewish Star is the biography of this genuine national hero
specifically
written by Devra Speregen for young adults and tells the story of a young boy who dreamed of
becoming a pilot in the Israeli and as a member of the Israeli air force participated in top secret
operations to defend his country. A colonel in the Israel air force, Ilan was the first Israeli to train
with NASA. This is an engaging, informative and highly recommended biography that showcases
the
personal story of a courageous combat pilot, astronaut, devoted husband and father.
The Encyclopedia Of Judaism: Supplement 2, Volume 5
Jacob Neusner, et al.
The Continuum International Publishing Group
15 East 26th Street, Suite 1703, New York, NY 10010
0826415806 $150.00 1-212-953-5858 www.continuumbooks.com
Collaboratively compiled and knowledgeably edited by the team of Jacob Neusner (Distinguished
Research Professor of Religious Studies, University of South Florida, and Professor of Religion,
Bard College, New York); Alan J. Avery-Peck (Kraft-Hiatt Professor of Judaic Studies, College
of
the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts); and William Scott Green (Philip S. Bernstein
Professor
of Judaic Studies and Dean of the College, University of Rochester, New York), The
Encyclopedia
Of Judaism: Supplement 2, Volume 5 is the fifth volume of an academically respected and seminal
reference series published by The Continuum International Publishing Group. This newest
supplement is comprised of thirty scholastically impressive articles ranging from "Astrology in
Ancient Judaism"; "Homosexuality in Judaism"; and "Biblical Characters in Pseudo-Philo"; to
Samaritan Judaism"; Torah and Culture"; and "Zionism in Moroccan Judaism". Enhanced with a
"List of Illustrations"; a "Cumulative Index to Volumes I-V"; an extensive "General Index"; and
an
"Index of Textual References", The Encyclopedia Of Judaism: Supplement 2, Volume 5 continues
to
uphold and enhance the scholarly reputation of this outstanding series and is an important addition
to any academic or rabbinical studies reference collection.
Health And Disease In The Holy Land
Manfred Waserman & Samuel S. Kottek
The Edwin Mellen Press
PO Box 450, Lewiston, NY 14092-0450
0773487646 $129.95 1-716-754-2788 www.mellenpress.com
Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited Manfred Waserman and Samuel S. Kottek, Health
And
Disease In The Holy Land: Studies In The History And Sociology Of Medicine From Ancient
Times
To The Present is a seminal and scholarly work of impressive dimension. Following an informed
and
informative introduction, Health And Disease In The Holy Land is comprised of seventeen
scholarly
contributions that ranger from Paleopathology in the Middle East (Baruch Arensburg & Marcus
S.
Goldstein); Health and Healing in Medieval Muslim Palestine (Felix Klein-Franke); and Pilgrims,
Crusades and Plagues (Stephen R. Ell); to Hospitals and European Colonial Policies in the 19th
and
Early 20th Centuries (Norbert Schwake); Kupat Holim and Jewish Health Services during the
Mandate (Shifra Shvarts); and Judea-Samaria and Gaza: Twenty-Five Years of Changing Health
1967-1992 (Theodore H. Tulchinsky), Health And Disease In The Holy Land represents ground
breaking scientific inquiries and descriptive/analytical regional public health and specialized
medicine
histories. Enhanced with an extended bibliography for further studies and readings, as well as a
comprehensive index, Health And Disease In The Holy Land is a unique and strongly commended
addition to academic library reference collections and medical history reading lists.
Of Mice And Mountain Lions
Ronnie Ridley George
Eakin Press
PO Box 90159, Austin, TX 78709-0159
1571686231 $19.95 1-512-288-1771 www.eakinpress.com
As the title implies, it is the function of a wildlife biologist to manage animals in the wild, ranging
from mice to mountain lions. The basis for this regulatory science is to understand the complex
eco-web of animal and plant species which are absolutely critical to the survival of
non-domesticated
animal life. Of Mice And Mountain Lions: The Adventures Of A Wildlife Biologist by Ronnie
Ridley
George (Deputy Director of the Wildlife Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) serves
as
an inherently fascinating autobiography as well as an informed and informative description of what
a
professional wildlife biologist does. Of Mice And Mountain Lions is specifically recommended for
anyone aspiring to become a game warden, park ranger, rancher, farmer, naturalist, or biologist.
With a profusion of anecdotal incidents, Of Mice And Mountain Lions fun to read as it is
instructive,
and will be greatly appreciated by those who hunt and fish, as well as non-specialist general
readers
with an interest in wildlife and armchair adventuring!
Paul T. Vogel
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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