I have been a student on the path of mystical knowledge for over 20 years. This is one of the most detailed and enlightening books I have read. The knowledge for true seekers is what this world needs and Joan has not only done a remarkable job at reseaching the subject, her clear and detailed explanations are right on.
This is one book that any true seeker will gain from. The exercises included, when performed, bring lasting and enlightening results.
Any seeker on the path of truth will tell you there is a lot of "shallow" materal on the market today. This book is anything but shallow. Joan's depth takes you places few have journeyed and I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it. Make sure you "DO THE EXERSICES". Do not just read them, and I am certain you will be recomending this book to others too. Great job Joan.

This book truly brings to us, the readers, the word of the
Q'ero. After a fair amount of personal preparation, including
previous trips to the sacred lands of the Andes, the author,
along with carefully chosen teachers, guides, and translators,
embarked upon another journey for the purpose of recording the
stories, accounts, and answers to many questions that the
Q'ero paqos (trained spiritual leaders) gathered to share .
It was clear that there was respect, love and friendship between

the visitors from the west and the Andean medicine men and women.
And I use the word "medicine" in the spirit of anything which
assists in giving wholeness, connection, insight and healing,
of body, mind, and spirit.
The book clearly explains various terms and methods within this
cultural system of spiritual connection, growth, and healing.
We are carefully guided into a vision of how another culture
feels, thinks, and acts. Let us not allow this knowledge to
disappear.
Reading this beautifully written book, interspersed with stories,
a bit of historical background, lovely photos, and , above all,
insightful dialogue, I felt that I , too was present and aware
during the heartwarming several days during which the "word of
the Q'ero " was gathered. It is clear that Joan Parisi Wilcox
is a gifted writer, and a person of great integrity, and she
shows us the gifts and integrity of her teachers, companions,
and the Q'ero people, as well. I feel there is great spiritual
energy present in this book. Several months later, I have been
drawn to read it a second time! And for me, it is all the more
insightful and inspiring. I am inspired to be grateful for the
world of spirit available within the world; within all of us!
I am also inspired to visit one day, not for anything lacking
within myself, but to experience and pay homage to this part of
the earth, and to perhaps gain insight and strength for my own
work within the world - for peace, understanding, and healing.
I would recommend this work to anyone curious about any of the
content described above- Peru, the Q'ero, spirituality, energy
medicine, shamanism; it is a meaningful adventure.

Joan Wilcox has done an exceptional job not in capturing the essence of the Q'ero (it is something that cannot be held prisoner) but at taking down the curtain between their tradition and ours. In a time when many profess to be in possession of a sacred knowledge that flows from them, Wilcox has managed to truthfully allow it to flow through her, acting as a conduit and empowering that ancient wisdom to make its own twists and mysterious turns as it will, and as it has for eons. Keepers of the Ancient Knowledge accurately chronicles the inner story of the Q'ero in all that can be spoken, and at the same time allows for all that cannot be told outside of personal experience to begin to shine its light as well. These are words and experiences from the mouths of the Elders, healers and masters themselves, and I deeply admire the objectivity with which she and her cohorts have chronicled the Q'ero's energetic journey.

Reading the book was like uncovering an overgrown ruin, where on the outside the crumbling walls do not meet your lofty expectations, but on the inside the simple truth emerges as something one could have never quite imagined.

There is an immense amount to be said for the starkness and grace with which she has presented such valuable knowledge at such a dire time of need. Any who take the time to read Keepers of the Ancient Knowledge will only be moved positively on their path of understanding, energy work, and enlightenment, and will be aided with extraordinary tools gifted from the Elders, made manifest by catching a privileged glimpse into an ancient tradition, for which Wilcox has provided here an incredibly clear window.

Brian Wilcox captures in this lovely book the true majesty of New York. The magic the city evokes is splashed upon these pages. His incredibly detailed, beautiful drawings are just wonderful. They're facinating to adults, as well as children.

Anyone who has been fortunate to have a groovy grandmother in their lives or who just digs that Big Apple should buy this book.
A great gift for all ages.

Full Moon is a different enrty in the vast field of children's books. Black and white pencil drawing force the reader's mind to come alive as a vivid yet simple story is told that every child can relate to. Each page of Brian Wilcox's Full moon is a work of art sure to capture the rapt attention of any child with whom you share this short story. For a first work, Wilcox has a sure winner. I bought this book for my two-year old god-son and plan to buy several more for my nieces and nephews this Christmas.

The illustrations are full of incredible detail such that you discover something new each time you read it. The story line is reminiscent for any grandmother that influenced a grandchild during the child's lifetime.

My 5-year-old loves this book. He enjoys pointing to each thing and saying what it is. He also loves the sillyness. The grouping of objects in categories helps children conceptualize how things are similar and different.

This is one of the best books to trigger people's knowledge of how to learn on their own, and where learning is. More than showing what IS in the museum, Grover shows us that the museum is an artificial, tiny part of the whole wide world, and that we can step out into the sunlight. I had mentioned this book months ago and am glad to see it's still in print, still available to make the lights go on in the minds of children and their parents! ... I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone teaching a child at home!

This book is a must-own! GROVER AND THE EVERYTHING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD MUSEUM should win an award! It is hard to believe one can find something this wonderful for 3 bucks!

Grover is so entertaining as we follow him through 1) THE THINGS YOU SEE IN THE SKY ROOM, 2) THE THINGS YOU SEE ON THE GROUND ROOM, 3) THE THINGS YOU SEE ON THE WALL ROOM, 4) THE THINGS YOU SEE UNDER THE WATER ROOM, 5) THE LONG THIN THINGS YOU CAN WRITE WITH ROOM, 6) THE CARROT ROOM, 7) ALL THE VEGETABLES IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD BESIDES CARROTS ROOM, 8) THINGS THAT MAKE SO MUCH NOISE YOU CAN'T THINK ROOM, 9) THE SMALL HALL, 10) THE TALL HALL, 11) THINGS THAT CAN MAKE YOU FALL HALL, 12) THE HALL OF VERY, VERY LIGHT THINGS, 13) THE HALL OF VERY, VERY HEAVY THINGS, 14) THE THINGS THAT CAN TICKLE YOU ROOM, 15) THE THINGS THAT ARE CUTE AND FURRY ROOM where Grover decides to display himself.

I know that all the above sounds like alot of reading but I'll let you in on a little secret: [whispering] it is not everything in the whole wide world! [Ha!] Grover notices this too and says "Where did they put everything else?" He comes to this giant double-door with a sign above it that of course says "EVERYTHING ELSE." "AHA!" says Grover and enters.

This is one of the best, funniest books we own that my daughter and I BOTH enjoy. There are plenty of objects for her to learn and it is great entertainment reading a book with the charming, loveable Grover in it and laughing at all of his antics! Every family should own this book! I wish more books were this funny and entertaining yet a learning experience at the same time! 10 STAR BOOK FOLKS; IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS! BUY IT!

As a person who has spent many years working on political campaigns, I give David Wilcox high marks for doing a great job of describing what goes on when Republicans and Democrats slug it out.

It's a sad but true commentary on how low the Democrats often stoop to gain a little advantage over a good Republican candidate. I have seen first hand the kind of thing that goes on in real political campaigns, and Wilcox describes everything to a tee in this work of fiction.

Wilcox develops his characters beautifully with one exception. There is an especially dark character named Eve McAdder who receives very little in the way of development. This is similar to the technique used by Ayn Rand who deliberately tells very little about her evil characters to project them as people unworthy of notice aside from their actions.

Wilcox is very economical with his words in creating the atmosphere in several scenes. He succeeded in putting me right in the middle of the action without being wordy.

If you don't understand just how fierce the battle between warlike Democrats and their often unprepared Republican opponents is, you should read this book. It might change the way you vote!

Until I read this book I had no idea of how vicious Democrats can be. I asked a few friends who have worked for our local Congressman and State Senator. They told me that what I learned from reading "...And the Donkey They Rode in On" is more than accurate. The book is a political eye opener for those of us who are less savy to the deceptive game of politics.

According to the author Wilcox, there is a war going on right here within our shores. It's a war for our society, and everything we believe. The Democrats know it but the Republicans don't. If Republicans don't wake up soon they will lose everything...and so will we. My friends and I agree that Mr. Wilcox is right on about this.

In this story, a devious president who is seeking revenge for being impeached tries to direct who will win in San Diego Congressional and Assembly contests. This is a lot like what happened in my hometown where President Clinton wanted to defeat Congressman Jim Rogan and Assembly candidate Susan Carpenter-McMillan.

The story takes a bunch of quick and unpredictable turns in the final days of the campaign and nothing is as it appears. Then, the roof caves in on the Democrats and the election turns out to be a lot closer than expected. Too bad this didn't happen for Ms. Carpenter McMillan...I thought that she was a better candidate than the Democrat she lost to. It appears that in today's times, money buys more than justice. Sadly, it also seems to buy revenge, campaigns, elections and our towns.

I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to people who have no idea what goes on leading up to election day.

This book is a hoot. Wilcox's character Rocco Sarducci is the Inspector Clouseau of politics. He is the ultimate sleazy politician who plays dirty tricks---some of which backfire on him---and smiles at you while he's doing it.

Still, I had a lot of trouble hating him personally. His actions are repulsive, yet he has a fuzzy, likeable side. Wilcox did a terrific job of showing us just how these seemingly warm Democrat politicians wage war on Republicans and on America's culture.

This book is very timely with the November elections just around the corner.

Someone who knew that I was in the Interdisciplinary Book and Paper MFA program at Columbia College Chicago gave this memoir to me. It's a really nice read---especially since the bookbinding world is a small one, and everyone in it knows everyone else, as people travel around the country giving workshops. Always interesting to read about people who you've had as teachers. I found it very well written, an evocative and accurate depiction of an obscure art/craft/lifestyle choice, an illuminated window into a small, specialized world.

A practical person can read this book as an extended essay on how to approach an apprenticeship, and how to bind conservation texts. A spiritual person can add layers to the stories and extrapolate life lessons. Either way, the main character/author is extremely sympathetic character. Her teacher had amazing gifts, both as a conservator and as a teacher.

The book is deceptively short. Looks like a quick read, but was so meaty and detailed, I found myself reading it for several weeks in order to digest all the material carefully.

If your taste runs to the obscure, the "sleeper," I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

A Degree of Mastery tells the story of one woman's journey through the education and apprenticeship necessary to become a book preservationist. Annie Wilcox, a bright woman with an impressive past in the field of English and writing, begins to take an evening class in bookbinding at the University of Iowa taught by a world-reknowned preservationist, William Anthony. Little does she know that not more than two years later she will become the first female apprentice ever to study under the direct supervision and teaching of Bill Anthony, an honored position granted only to six others before her. Through her apprenticeship, Wilcox learns the art of preservation and the dire need for conservation in every library, but especially those libraries that house an archives, manuscript or rare books collection. Through Wilcox's autobiography, the reader learns the basic process and means by which book preservation becomes possible as well as the importance and value of conservation in today's libraries. It is a wonderful piece of literature well-worth your time.

I already wrote a review here. Where's it gone?

A very smart, very knowing and very amusing slant on the Vampire myth. Wilcox obviously has his tongue pressed firmly into his cheek.
The book has no pretence of horror but is simply innovative and hugely entertaining. One of the least frightening books you are likely to read this year but without doubt one of the funniest!
A great comic talent.
Buy this book - it is available on Amazon.co.uk.

...

This book is a wonderful mixture of the insanely manic (student vampires in modern day England), cut-your-pinky off sharp wit and moments of shocking hilarity. Influences of Pratchett-esque silliness and fantasy throughout, but written in a very original and effective style that kept me from putting this gem down until I had thoroughly embarassed myself in public by laughing out loud so much.

Weird, wacky, colorful, creative and comical. Salty and sanguine fun. Do read this book.

Even if you have other eclipse books at home, TOTALITY provides fresh information about this fascinating phenomenon. This book describes in clear language what makes a total solar eclipse so special. The authors explanation of the science behind eclipses helps to demystify the eclipse, while the chapter devoted to impressions from a group of dedicated eclipse chasers, gives a sense of the magic of a total solar eclipse. There are plenty of drawings and photographs complement the writing, with an excellent set of references in the appendix. Highly recommended, Jerry Levy ....

After being three times under the Moon's shadow, I already know very well what kind of excitement, marvel and amazement a person can feel during a total eclipse of the Sun. Reading "Totality", not only you learn, understand and comprehend better everything concerning the "most awesome sight in the heavens" (sic from the book's review), but feel again those very special sensations you only expect to find during totality. If you are not infected by the eclipse bug after the 1999 European eclipse, perhaps this book will do the work. I only miss a bit more extent on science (chapter 9) and about historical eclipses (chapter 5). Anyway, a very well-written, complete and fascinating book.

"Totality" is a superior reference providing a very comprehensive coverage of solar eclipses. I highly recommend this book for advice on understanding, enjoying, photographing, and experiencing solar eclipses, especially total solar eclipses. The information provided is easy to understand as well as practical and useful. I have about a dozen books on eclipses and this is one is the best. "Totality" is a must read for anyone preparing to experience a solar eclipse.

This is a very densely packed and fairly technical book. It is a terrific explanation of the realities of managing investments using quantitative technicques in a professional manner.

It exposes all the complexities and real life issues. It is full of insights and ideas.

Very hard work but worth it.

This book is hard work. I had to read it twice, quite slowly.

It will suit people who are comfortable with some math. It is dense and requires concentration to read and understand. Overall the approach is quantitive, although he follows wherever that leads, e.g. into some technical things.

What I like is the combination of theory and practical experience and the way both add value to the other.

The book is worth it for the discussions about market structures and dynamics alone. Full of insight and ideas.

Boston Security Analysts Society Book Review Column

"Investing by the Numbers"

Jarrod W. Wilcox, Ph.D., CFAPublished by Frank J. Fabozzi Associates © 1999 Jarrod Wilcox, Director of Currency and Overseas Products at PanAgora Asset Management, wrote this guide to quantitative investing over a 14 month period, using most of his evenings and weekends to complete this illuminating work. The underlying theme throughout is "Be scientific, but don't believe in science for the purpose of investing." He warns quantitative investors against making easily avoidable mistakes, which he describes through witty narration and an assemblage of easy to follow charts and tables. Formulas are included for those who wish to delve into the mathematics, but in general these are easy to follow and the reader does not have to be a mathematician to understand the author's train of thought. This book manages to show the humorous side of quantitative investing and I suspect the more investment experience the reader has, the more he or she will laugh. He explains the ins and outs of indexing, comparing the practice to betting on past winners, which is a form of momentum investing that is destabilizing to markets. The fascinating issue of "learning taking place in the markets" is covered in detail, an important concept to fundamental analysts as well as those who are quantitatively oriented. Of course this leads to the interesting question of "What is the half-life of private science?" And the observation that successful active management can never be accepted science because destructive imitation by others will soon take away whatever performance advantages one initially had. The author challenges so much of what is current investment thought, subjecting commonly accepted ideas to his rigorous analysis and leaving the reader a more knowledgeable investor for having read this excellent book. I highly recommend this book to professional investors, it will, in the author's words, "change your life. END

Remember, it all started because Elias had a touch of greed. Elias
Hackshaw, a small town reporter, antagonist to local law
enforcement, and a man with a penchant trouble, had gotten himself in deep
this time around.
A swindler is dead, and the Sheriff wants to believe he's involved,
because, of course, Elias bought a few of the victims items on the
side from the towman who brought in the victims car. The towman, of
course, was more than happy to relate Elias knowledge of how
the items worked and what the could possibly relate to. This begins an
adventure Elias is sure he would have preferred to sit out.
A gypsy princess is missing, and her more than dangerous father, is
certain Elias knows where to find her. Pain is involved, and Elias,
much to his own disgust, finds himself now searching out the beautiful, if
more than dishonest young lady determined to hide from her
family.
And if that wasn't enough, someone also wants to make certain while
investigating the swindlers death, and the gypsy's
disappearance, that Elias doesn't learn the secrets they're keeping.
The Jericho Flower is a surprising deep, amusing, and character driven
mystery that will keep you on your toes, and keep you shaking
your head at the predicment Hackshaw has managed to get himself into.
Throughout the story, narrated by Hackshaw himself, you glimpse a man,
more than aware of his unlucky habit of finding trouble, and
his own confusion as to how he does it.
It's a mystery that keeps you hanging until the very end, an unlikely hero
who will keep you laughing, and a full range of characters that
opens you up to small time life, and all its inherent problems, solutions, and
support networks.
Throughout The Jericho Flower, I was amazed at Mr. Wilcox thorough
grip of his characters. The plot was strong, moving
progressively forward, and always interesting.
If you're looking for a soft mystery, one that will both amuse and tempt
you, then this is the story for you.
31/2 daggers to a most involved, and amusing mystery from this very
talented author.
Reviewed by Shadoe Simmons, All About Murder Reviews

After what seems like a long hiatus, writer Stephen Wilcox has finally released a new murder mystery centered around his popular character Elias Hackshaw. The character of Hackshaw, a struggling newspaper reporter who somehow manages to get directly involved in each murder he reports, once again captivates readers as he bumbles through this new tale of murder in the small Upstate New York community of "Kirkville".

Irreverent, sarcastic and just plain nosy probably best describe Elias Hackshaw as he tries to find out the true story behind a suspicious car accident out on a country road outside the town of Kirkville. As he peels back the layers of facts surrounding the accident, Hackshaw realizes that there is much more to this story than what appears on the surface. Little by little, author Stephen Wilcox releases key facts behind the car accident that show it to actually be murder in disguise. The big question about who actually committed the murder takes a while to be answered as the plot twists back and forth as the story unfolds. All I will reveal in this review is that the butler is innocent in this case !!

Wilcox's writing style has a natural flow to it that makes this an easy read. I highly recommend this book for fall or winter reading by the fireplace. It just seems like an appropriate setting for taking in this intriguing mystery that has so much humor intermixed in it.

A former newspaperman, Stephen F. Wilcox now runs an online newspaper, The Wilcox Gazette. His prior novels, The Twenty-Acre Plot and The Painted Lady, drew rave reviews from the likes the the San Francisco Chronicle and Publishers Weekly. Niagra Fall precedes The Jericho Flower, and all books seethe with murderous plots, quick wit, and rapacious humor.

Elias Hackshaw has a talent for stumbling onto murder. In this fourth installment, he happens upon a dead con man, a missing gypsy princess (named Bimbo Wanka, which brings to mind a picture of Gene Wilder, crazy-eyed and ranting in the chocolate factory), a former high school crush, a jealous cop, and his own unique perspective to ensnare himself in the middle of what at first appears to be the "offing" of a cold-hearted con artist. Elias keeps digging at the story, in part to free himself from beatings from Bimbo's overzealous brothers, and in part because that it's what he does best:

"But all my nocturnal cogitating hadn't factored in a role for the Koons and, frankly, I didn't see where they could possibly fit into the picture. The Koons in cahoots with the Hemfords? It would make for the oddest of odd couples, the uptight, overachieving, image-conscious Koons and the profane, slothful, lowlife Hemfords. I mean, picture Ozzie and Harriet playing bridge with Bonnie and Clyde.

Wilcox is an absolutely first-rate writer, with enough picturesque metaphors to make up for the brawn he assures the reader he lacks. He does have quite an active libido, which makes for some strange bedfellows as he embellishes his already multi-faceted, character-laden tale with his own foibles as he stumbles towards a raucous, followed by a serious, denouement. Suffice to say Hackshaw emerges with his sense of humor intact; immensely satisfied with his own devilish methods of revenge and detective work. The Jericho Flower is a well-crafted, imaginative tale that this reader wished could go on for much longer. It's a great read, and Wilcox deserves acclaim and kudos festooned with big sales for this delicious story.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Written by an acknowledged expert in the area of video-conferencing and IP networking, Wilcox's "Videoconferencing - the whole picture" serves an excellent jumping-off point for further investigation into understanding crucial network infrastructure issues surrounding multimedia-over-IP. The concise content expresses this complex subject so well that it makes the material lively for readers.

This book addresses today's hot networking trends, describes high-demand multimedia applications and provides in-depth explanation of the latest developments. It is a truly wonderful book that will teach you how various technologies actually work, how they compare with each other, what the regulatory framework is and what it could become. It is a one-stop book. Demand for multimedia-over-IP could not be more intense, with an exponentially growing number of Internet dreaming of interactive movies, music, and more. As broadband access becomes ever more available, "Videoconferencing - the whole picture" serves as a wonderful book that will teach you how various leading (and lagging) networking technologies work, how they compare with each other, and what the regulatory framework is and could become. It is a one-stop book, as you don't have to go through a book on each of these technologies.

The approach taken in the book is to emphasize core concepts and underlying principles to illustrate detailed textual descriptions. In addition, many carefully prepared illustrations are used throughout the book to enhance the textual explanations. By distilling complex technologies down to the basic issues needed for intuitive understanding, both serious and novice readers are able to gain valuable insights into the exciting world of multimedia communications.

However, the purpose of the book goes beyond making the reader merely conversant in these issues. In fact, it serves to stimulate reflection and further research, to encourage readers to more fully explore the topics covered. Most of the references have been chosen because they are either informative or particularly well written, and useful Internet resources and references have been included as well. Hence, the book can serve as an ideal course reader for video conferencing and multimedia over IP networks.

The chapters of this book are organized as follows. Chapters 1 & 2 provide a detailed introduction to videoconferencing history, terms and applications. Chapter 3 describes numerous (interesting) case studies while in Chapter 4, the author offers a primer on presenting the business case for (or against) videoconferencing. Chapters 5 & 6 area an excellent discussion of the history and technologies that prepared the way for current videoconferencing standards. Chapters 7, 8, and 9 provide a comprehensive view of multimedia standards including Videoconferencing, audio conferencing over IP. Chapters 10 and 11 are a comprehensive review of circuit-switched and packet switched networks, their histories and their future. Chapter 12 describes group videoconferencing issues, while chapter 13 details implementation issues for group applications. Chapters 14 and 15 are dedicated to personal videoconferencing, and provide an excellent resource for that endeavor. Chapter 16 addresses information security issues, and belie the fact that the author is a seasoned data security professional (hence the CISSP after his name). Chapter 17 is a fun chapter discussing a wide swath of technologies that will doubtless receive center-stage attention in future editions of this book. The remaining appendices (there are more than 200 pages of reference material) are an excellent (and valuable) compilation of information including the names and contactact information for numerous standards bodies, detailed MPEG standards, project planning and installation checklists, and numerous product suppliers as well as an excellent glossary of terms.

Have you been thinking of what is the "next big thing"? Wishing for something to take us out of the techno slump we are in? Well, this is a book for you. He's given us details of the industry that would help a business write a plan, evaluate different models of vc, and see around the corner of what is "on the horizon" in vc. It's simply the most you can get in a single volume. Hey, it has humor in it too, like the part about the nascent higher level mpeg technology-- This technology challenges us to imagine a time when, out of the massive quantity of digital content, we'll be able to locate the exact location and spot where... (well I won't spoil it for you) READ THE BOOK ... IT's GREAT!

Jim Wilcox is a recognized leader in the videoconferencing technology knowledge space, and he doesn't disappoint with this latest edition of his seminal work.

Having referenced several other popular titles in the course of my work in the videoconferencing and collaborative computing space, I've come to realize that Wilcox's treatise is the only volume that stands up to the test of providing the reader with outstanding background and historical information through the detailed analysis of the complexities of the technology proper.

All too often, technical books of this nature focus exclusively on the technology without commenting on why and how the technology evolved. Wilcox excels in his ability to convey such information in a way that enhances the technical content of the book, versus simply regurgitating technical specifications and facts. This is specifically why this reference shines above similar efforts. Additionally, the book is quite approachable for newcomers to the field in that it presents very useful and pragmatic application overviews which better balance the theory with the practical.

Now required reading for my engineering team, I highly recommend this book to anyone, beginner or expert, requiring a detailed rundown on this exciting and rapidly emerging technology space. It is an outstanding reference and a "must have" for any complete networking and computing technology library.