The author challenges a number of traditional assumptions about the nature of intelligence and about our ability to 'rate' the intelligence of various animals based on our preconceived notions of either 'great chain of being' thinking or on a Darwinian evolutionay model. Why, she asks, do we rate behaviors that appear equally sophisticated as indicative of different degrees of intelligence (or non-intelligent instinctual reactions) based not on the behaviors themselves but on the 'type' of animals that exhibit them. We are far more likely to give a primate credit for exhibiting problem solving ability than we are to a scrub jay even though both routinely perform very similar actions. In addition the author offers a wide variety of ancedotal evidence for intelligence among species that normally are not regarded as being among the sharpest knives in the drawer. She also quesitons the various defintions of 'intelligence' concluding that although we use the word and think we can understand it, none of us can really offer an adequate defintion. And it is herein that my frustration lies. Our author raises a lot of questions and debunks a lot of myths. But I am left, after reading the book, asking myself exactly what MORE do I know now about animal intelligence than I did before. Perhaps I should, like Socrates, be happy just to become more knowledgeable of my own ignorance, but, to be honest, I want to know more about what THIS author thinks are some answers to the very questions she's raised.

I purchased Ms. Yoerg's book in San Diego (her hometown). Little did I know that I bought a signed copy! I felt the book was very interesting, and written with great wit. Ms. Yoerg knows her stuff, and has done extensive research in her field. I found her animal/insect comparisions informative, and quite funny (you'll know what I mean when you read about Portia, the spider). I am currently an undergraduate, and will be using her book for some of my research. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a good overview of animal behavior and intelligence.

By questioning our inadequate traditional definitions of intelligence, ethologist Yoerg, project director for the Captive Breeding Program at the University of California, leads the reader through a lively, literate book, loaded with case studies, on animal behavior, intellect and instinct. Too often, he argues, our perceptions and understanding of animals, and our feelings for and against their different ilk, are linked to cultural prejudices. We have an affinity for those we deem closer to us on the evolutionary ladder, and tend to grant primates and other mammals a higher degree of understanding and emotion than other orders of animals. Birds, reptiles, amphibians, arachnids and insects are too often perceived merely as instinct-driven living mechanisms, even though, as Yoerg points out, the tree of evolution has sprouted numerous, diverse forms of survival-related intelligence. With numerous examples based on scientific experiments and observation, combined with a wealth of anecdotal personal experiences from North America, Africa and Europe, Yoerg challenges our comfortable beliefs. This is a fast-paced read, studded with insightful perspectives ranging from behavioral authorities (Robert Yerkes, B.F. Skinner) to literary lights (George Orwell, Wallace Stevens). Specialists with an interest in ethology and animal psychology will benefit as much from this intriguing stroll through the kingdom of animal intellectual ability as the general reader.

It was nice to have the history of te JLA/JSA team ups, but it didn't have all of the teams ups and the book kind of misled that it would.

Perhaps no man in the history of superhero comics has had as many brilliant ideas as Gardner Fox. Sadly, though, his conceptual and narrative brilliance is often over-looked and/or dismissed as "kids stuff" in favor of Stan Lee's approach Marvel Universe. While I enjoy lots of the old Marvel stories (certainly much more than much of what Marvel puts out nowadays), I'm of a mind that bringing together the residents of two imaginary universes is a slightly neater trick than simply plopping your characters into the New York metro area.

As another reviewer pointed out, these stories (early 60s vintage) are from an era when comics were pure escapist fun. While the dialogue is often cringe-worthy (a trait Mr. Fox and Mr. Lee shared), there's no denying the simple joy of these stories. And if they lack some of the (ostensible) complexity of Marvel's stories of the same era, so much the better. Some times it's more fun to read about heroes working together to beat the villains than to see them pulling apart and beating on each other.

As a final note, I'm happy to say that I've heard DC has a follow-up volume in the works. With any luck, perhaps they'll cover the whole run of JLA/JSA team-ups. In the meantime, this collection is just wonderful on its own.

Obviously! These are stories from the early '60s, when comics were happy. This trade paperback collects the early interdimensional team-ups between the JLA and JSA. This is some good old-fashioned reading, complete with lots of inexplicable and downright ridiculous plot devices from writer Gardner Fox. BUT, for the all the absurdity in Fox's writing, he balances it with amazing creativity and some brilliant comedy (as when Johnny Thunder's T-Bolt travels back in time to put the kibosh on Batman's crimefighting career; it's like something out of MAD Magazine). Mike Sekowsky's artwork, while simple, is very appealing, especially from a design standpoint. I'd bet my lunch money that indy favorite Dan Clowes studied his work more than once. SEE the first appearance of the Crime Syndicate (in their original costumes) in a tale that puts Grant Morrison's JLA: Earth 2 rewrite to shame! SEE the eeeevil JLA, courtesy of the just-as-eeeevil Johnny Thunder! SEE Solomon Grundy and Blockbuster whip up on everything!

This is a great companion volume to COIE, but I'd rather read this one any day. It's certainly not as convoluted, and afterwards, I don't feel as if I have to sit down and decompress. It could use a few more stories, such as the original meeting between the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Flashes. Also, some of the stories begin abruptly, and it'd be nice to have some background supplied before the tale begins, instead of having to read the panel notes.

Oh yeah, the cover by Alex Ross is great!

Our hero, Jules the waddling vampire, is dysfunctional, stupid, homophobic, delusional, and racist. And not funny. Maureen and Veronika, the two main female characters in the book were vain, stupid, weight-obsessed, and creepy. And not funny.

The only character of any real interest is Doodlebug, Jules' old sidekick. He's the only member of the cast who has half a brain and a sense of style. A book about Doodlebug might be worth reading.

Throughout the book, it seems that the author is attempting to poke fun at racism, partly by creating a series of caricature characters. Guess what? He's not funny. Instead, he comes off as genuinely racist. The fact that two of Jules' best friends are black (and are two of the only decent human beings in the book) does nothing to make up for asinine statements like, "That's mighty white of you." Maureen, the vampire who made Jules, has told him that he should never make "colored" vampires, but the reason for this is never completely explained. Are we to infer that it's because they'll all turn into ghetto-crack-lords like Jules' nemesis, Malice X?

I was completely unable to identify with or cheer for Jules. There was very little to like about him, and that made the book a dreary read.

"Fat White Vampire Blues", the new novel by Andrew Fox, is probably
one of the strangest books you could read this year, as well as one of
the most enjoyable. It's mandatory viewing for any fan of the
vampire/horror genre in general, and a good dietary supplement for
those whose summer reading is seriously lacking in pulpy, off-beat fun.

The fat white vampire in question is one Jules Duchon, New Orleans
born, bred and undead. And his blues is this: too much good livin'.
Too many years of feeding off the fat-rich blood that the veins of the Big
Easy have to offer have taken their toll on poor Jules: he now weighs
in at a staggering 450 pounds, & is worried he's contracting vampire
diabetes. He's definitely not the man (thing? undead fiend?) he used
to be, but still, the scariest fate awaiting him is that of a low-fat
diet--until Malice X enters his (un)life. Malice is the street-smart,
upstart and decidedly buff black vampire that demands that Jules curb his
feeding habits to "whites only", or face the consequences. Those
consequences are what make up the bulk of our bulky anti-hero's
off-kilter journey of self-discovery and liberation--one that seems to
delight in shuckin' and jivin' the reader in all sorts of unlikely and
very rewarding directions.

Sure, this is Jules' story, but the real star of the show here is New Orleans
itself. Its' fading locales and details are lovingly evoked by Fox in all
their delicate, eccentric hot-house glory, and the rhythms of that town
define the novel's rhythms: it is at turns funky, obtuse, ornery and whimsical.
Jules can't bear to change his ways anymore than he can bear the thought of
leaving his home town--no matter what Malice X threatens. One of the bittersweet
notes this novel hits is not of Jules' battle with the new flashy hip-hop culture
Malice represents (as opposed to the old school French Quarter jazz Jules and Fox
obviously loves so much), but that of another, undefined vampiric source: the
strip-malling of America, the encroachment of redundancy, where local
names are replaced by brand names, and every place is the same, no
matter where you are. Through Jules' eyes, we see New Orleans slowly
falling victim to this self-replicating virus--its' individuality
wiped clean bit by bit, block by block. Jules is wiser than we are.
He knows a bled-dry victim when he sees one. We simply line up to become one.

Old Jules also represents a big, flaming loogie in the face of the whole Anne Rice aristocratic undead pantheon---Fox is practically shouting, "Hey, lady! Take a look at what a real New Orleans bloodsucker looks like!" Ms. Rice even appears as a background character of sorts, in the form of local horror writer Agatha Longrain (yuk-yuk!), whose unholy offspring are the
pasty-faced, Goth-dressing vampiric wanna-be's clogging up Decatur
Street, blocking the way between Jules and his next calorie-rich,
home-grown meal.

Another strand of New Orleans DNA deeply entwined in the proceedings here is that of native son John Kennedy Toole's great cult-novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces." Jules and Ignatius J. Reilly share many qualities: they are both
obese mammas-boys out to find their way in the world, prone to endearing
delusions of grandeur as well as epic bouts of self-loathing. They
both represent in their own overwrought ways the twins of inspiration and
sloth that live in all of us--and so we cheer them on even they disgust
us, as we laugh at their fantastically elaborate foibles. Because they
are us, fully dressed in all our glory and (very literal) dirty
laundry. He is heavy, yes, but he's still my brother.

In the end, "Fat White Vampire Blues" is that odd bedfellow who wears
its high and low culture roots proudly, and helps to blur the
distinction between the two. It revels in the bayou-like miasmic
paste of its varied inspirations (pulp fiction, horror movies and comic
books, etc.), while turning over that mulch to find surprising tweaks
and flashes of light in those very genre-specific constrictions. Who knew
that a vampire's ability to take the form of a bat or wolf was both
tied to cultural prejudices and Einstein's theories on "Conservation of
Mass"? Well, Mr. Fox knew, apparently, and he's more than happy to pass that information onto us. He's cooked up a spicy gumbo of a book whose racial politics and potty-humor might make you a bit queasy at times, but like any good Bourbon Street drunk, you're still left asking for more.

Jules Duchon, native New Orleans vampire-a 450-lb, working class, underachiever-is not the kind of character that one might expect to like, to sympathize with, to agree with, to think of as moral, to think of as deep...but Andrew Fox makes the reader feel all of these things about Jules. When the book begins, Jules is a rather oafish, free-range type of vampire-one who hunts for victims on the street, rather than one who operates some sort of racket to receive blood. (Other vampires in the book have devised ingenious ways to receive easy, regular blood donations without hunting and killing victims.) Jules has been in a slump over the past decade-his world is changing; his neighborhood is going downhill; his favorite nostalgic places are disappearing; he has lost his convenient job with the coroner's office; and he has lost touch with his girlfriend. Jules does not seem to mind his existence, stagnant as it is. Then comes "Malice X," a truly evil, sharp-dressing, black vampire, who threatens Jules to stop preying on black victims, or else.... Jules' journey to claim his territory forces him to confront his (also morbidly obese) ex-girlfriend, Maureen, who seemingly detests him for his obesity and his lack of suavity; and his old vampiric side-kick, Duddlebug, estranged by Jules since becoming a cross-dresser. Jules also is forced to face his feelings about his childhood in the Catholic church, his own vampiric killing, his weight and obesity, his preconceived notions on homosexuals (cross dressers), and his true views on racism, while leading the reader through a lively and accurate description of the up and downsides of New Orleans. Jules is a character that grows (emotionally) and brings the reader along with him on his journey of self-exploration. All of the book's characters, both main and supporting, are completely engrossing and real. The dialogue rings true for each character, and dialects are accurate. The book is very fast moving and hard to put down, with each ingenious plot twist spelled out in believable ways, all based on strong foundations laid down from the beginning of the book. Fat White Vampire Blues reads like mainstream fiction, with lovable characters, believable plot twists, snappy dialogue, and tons of New Orleans lore. Although the lessons Jules learns are serious and the reader takes Jules seriously, lots of laughs are scattered throughout the book. Anyone who has spent time in New Orleans will marvel at the accurate portrayal of the City. Those who have not spent time there will be forced to wonder if such a dichotomy of a place could truly exist. (It does!) I would recommend this book to a wide range of readers, from those who like vampires, to Sci-Fi/fantasy/horror fans, to plot/action-oriented readers, to readers who read character based fiction. Fox's timing, plotting, and character development are flawless. I love this book.

Books of this type need to be assessed from two entirely different perspectives. The first concerns whether they relay their information in a manner sufficient for the reader to successfully employ it. The second concerns whether the information described (in this case, golf technique) has any merit

I have read both 'Natural Golf: Get a Grip on Your Game' and 'Natural Golf: A Lifetime of Better Golf'. Of the two, I vastly prefer the technical presentation in the latter. 'Grip' is the older of the two books and seems overly concerned with selling the 'Natural Golf' concept at the expense of actually describing it. It is a fairly aggressive sales manual, rendered entirely in black and white with actions shown in line drawings. Lots of scientific justification is claimed, but none is actually offered.

In contrast, 'Lifetime' was cycled thru Golf Digest's publication machinery and is better for it. Its emphasis is on instruction, not sales, and to that end it presents a wealth of color photographs as well as a couple of useful drills absent from 'Grip.' The technical material presented in the two books is, of course, very similar, but there are key differences. For example, 'Grip' describes the downswing as a hammering action dominated by the golfer's right side, while 'Lifetime' suggests that it is a pulling action of the left arm on the right elbow. Also, the stances described in the two books are somewhat different, with the stance advocated in 'Lifetime' being a little more conventional. Readers should note, however, that there have been recent changes to the Natural Golf method that supercede the teaching in both books.

The second issue, whether the method has any merit, is difficult to assess. Natural Golf is an implementation of the 'single axis' swing employed by the eccentric Canadian champion, Moe Norman. The swing mechanics are strange to say the least. I am a lifetime middle handicapper, who is naturally athletic and frustrated to death that no amount of effort applied to the game seems to lead to improvement. That probably makes me a sucker for radical approaches and quick fixes, of which Natural Golf is both. My first swings using the method felt strange and awkward, because the essential components of the single axis swing are nearly the opposite of everything I have ever been taught. On those occasions when everything clicked, however, the ball took off just like the books said it should ' laser straight and surprisingly long.

But they weren't always straight and long, and that was the crux of the problem. In my hands, at least, the single axis swing was no more reliable than a conventional swing. After a short period of time I developed a periodic pull-hook that would not be denied. It made no difference if many of my shots were good if even a small proportion ended up out-of-bounds. Golf is more a game of limiting bad shots than cultivating good ones. But, to be fair, I have talked to other golfers who are deliriously happy with Natural Golf. Perhaps I have too many conventional golf habits that aren't compatible with the single-axis swing.

If you decide to read the books and try the method, be prepared for the necessity of a few equipment modifications. Because of the palm grip, you'll need oversized, non-tapered grips. Even instructors of the method indicate that these are essential. Also, because of the strange stance, you're going to want a longer club and one with a more upright lie angle. In order to accommodate these needs, I ordered a demo club from the company, and I'd recommend that anyone serious about the method do the same.

I don't want to play like Moe - that's Moe Norman, the discoverer, inventor, and grand guru of the system. It ain't that pretty. I'm a Tiger wannabe. But of the twenty-something million golfers in the country only a relative handful can master the so called conventional swing, so Moe and his handlers provide hope for us duffers to at least move the ball around the course without being completely humiliated.

I've made the swing and created the sound, and my scores have improved a lot - but I'm still a hacker - as a result of the natural swing. This swing is far simpler and easier to repeat than what passes for the conventional swings of the pros we see on television, but that doesn't mean it can be repeated every time. Only Moe can do that.

Like previous reviewers, the cult aspects of the author and the endorsers surprised me. I wouldn't have bought the book if I weren't going to give it at least a serious review and likely trial. The book comes on like a door to door bible salesman. Ease up already with the hawking of of videos and equipment. Put some more detailed instruction into the book. An eighty-one-page book about a swing should contain more than forty-six pages of how to text and pictures. Those of us who buy it can then make up our own minds about the need for further investment.

It seems to me that these folks may really be onto something for the millions of golfers who would enjoy hitting the ball straight and true on a semi-regular basis but who don't have the time or talent to master the Tiger stroke. But it appears that, like many firms with good ideas, they're trying too hard to maintain control of their product. ...With a better business model and improved sales techniques, I think they could penetrate much deeper.

This is good medicine for duffers, but these guys and gals have got to be convinced that it's not snake oil.

This is great! I learned the technique in an hour. I had my clubs bent up 4 degrees to compensate for the upright stance.
It's neat to be able to aim at a target, and hit a ball straight to it. Your back swing is no higher than your shoulders.
You eliminate all the angles of the wrists and elbows. You don't sway, because your stance is wide. Your grip is left hand
strong, right way right, like nailing with a hammer. You learn to acquire distance with solid hits and confident follow
through. I'm hitting in the low 80's now, having lowered my scores by 10 in less than a month. The pictures and philosophy
are helpful, and encouraging. Golf is not life or death, its more important, and like life, keep it simple stupid. This book
makes it easy, fun and gives you confidence you will improve every time you go out, without stress on your back.
Get it. Ed.

As with Gideon's Trumpet, Anthony Lewis (long time New York times columnist who went to Harvard Law so that he could better report on the Supreme Court) manages to explain a complex legal decision, set the decision against its historical background, explain the legal history of the Court's reasoning, and give cogent examples of how the case has been applied--all in a very readable book.

In the early 60's, the struggle for racial justice in the south had reached the boiling point. Bull Connor was using his dogs and hoses against non-violent blacks marching in the streets, and Alabama expelled several university students for sitting in at a restaurant. Martin Luther King had been arrested for tax fraud by the State of Alabama--claiming that SCLC funds had been diverted for his personal use (all charges were eventually dropped). The media was covering these events nationally (and increasingly internationally).

To raise some money, some southern ministers placed an ad in the New York Times, describing some of these events, and asking for money to defend Dr. King against the false charges.

A member of the Birmingham City Council, in a well orchestrated attempt to shut down northern media coverage, sued the New York Times for lible, and won a $500,000 verdict in state court.

These events set the stage for the now famous decision by the United States Supreme Court in New York Times v. Sullivan.

While the decision was unanimous (at least in the result), Lewis digs deeper, and describes the process by which the judges meshed often incompatible views into a coherent rule of law, which continues to be applied today (although, not always as the Court intended).

The intended and unintended consequences which flowed from Sullivan form the third strand of Lewis' book, and are in themselves instructive, but probably not as interesting (they are often both obscure and dated) as those parts of the book (most of it) which focus on the history.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in today's media, the history of the contitution, how the Supreme Court works, or the history of the Civil Rights movement.

In "Make No Law" Lewis brilliantly chronicles the evolution of freedom of speech as American courts strive to interpret the broad language of the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. The courts' interpretation of the First Amendment within Founding Father James Madison's broad protection by "absolute immunity" for criticism is contrasted with the British premise that truth is NOT a defense for libel and if an individual is defamed they do NOT have to demonstrate damages to be awarded huge amounts of money. Lewis engagingly recounts the courts' struggle to ensure that plaintiffs with frivolous loss of reputation claims do not intimidate the whistleblower and the news reporter into the silence of self-censorship through vivid examples of individuals ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a simple "letter to the editor" and the incredible saga of the landmark Supreme Court case, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which could have bankrupt the New York Times into oblivion in 1964. The courts must be ever wary that the threat of multi-million dollar judgments do not become mightier than the pen. After reading "Make No Law," the fight for Internet free speech detailed in another monograph, "Be Careful Who You SLAPP," will come into sharp focus as the tragic miscarriage of justice in modern times. Yet, hope remains for the American legal system. Read "Make No Law" and be a proud optimist. And never stop striving for "liberty and justice for all"!

This book was one reason why I took up the study of law at 50. Anthony Lewis begins with a Supreme Court case and ends up reviewing this country's long experience of free speech. The premise is simple enough: Sullivan v. New York Times, which started as a 1960 civil rights case, involving a defamation lawsuit in Alabama, and ending up as a pivotal Supreme Court ruling on freedom of speech and of the press. The legal importance of the case alone justifies Mr. Lewis' interest.

However, Mr. Lewis' real contribution, at least to me, are in the background chapters to the case, in which he goes back to the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and tells of the ongoing tension between free speech and official power. His discussion of the WWI wartime legislation and its aftermath -- a period very much like the post-9/11 era in its attempts to legislate security -- is central to the book.

It is here that he acquaints us with the dissents by Justices Louis Brandeis and Oliver Wendell Holmes, dissents in freedom-of-speech cases that didn't prevail in that time but burn brightly ever since. One Brandeis quote suffices: "Those who won our independence by revolution were neot cowards. They did not fear political change. They did not exalt order at the cost of liberty. To courageous, self-reliant men ... no danger flowing from speech can be deemed clear and present."

Mr. Lewis rightly regards these jurists with awe. Certainly their words are as noble as anything the Founding Fathers wrote on the nature of our liberties. If patriotism means an appreciation of the depth, timelessness and principle of our liberties, then you'll find much of that here.

I have read Anthony Lewis' earlier, arguably more famous book, Gideon's Trumpet, another work of reverence to our legal system, and would still put Make No Law ahead of it, though I also recommend Gideon's Trumpet as well. But this book did reinforce my own appreciation for this country's liberties and I cannot recommend it more highly.

This book is nothing more than a template or a compilation of numerous other books that deal with marketing, prospecting, and selling. In fact the title is disingenuous. The book should be renamed to "Building, Marketing and Selling Your Business." The fact that the word Accounting appears in the title is misleading as this book could and does discuss the things necessary to starting and building any business.

The book also includes a glossary of accounting terms which is insulting. If you are an accountant purchasing this book you should already know them hands down or seek a refund from the institution of higher learning that gave you your education in accounting or ask your state accountancy board to revoke your CPA certificate.

This book is full of checklists and numerous discussions of what to do but rarely gets to "How" as the outside of the back cover states. While the information is useful it is again generic to any business and not specific to accounting.

The author bets to death the value of using Microsoft products (to the exclusion of others) and goes though a litany of the things that Microsoft uses/provides. I am certified by Microsoft in almost all the things that the author mentions in the beginning of his book and I found the authors marketing plug for Microsoft quite humorous but also very wrong. The author almost gave the impression that he is "in bed" with Microsoft and may even be a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider himself but never really states his relationship to Microsoft. This diatribe should have been in an appendix and not part of the main body of the book.

Another grating plug is the constant mention of the Accounting Guild that the author is involved with. It would have been far more professional to discuss this at length in an appendix rather than constantly marketing it to his readers by repetitive mention of it in the text. One more grate was his constant mention of the Goldmine software for tracking clients without explaining why he thinks it is the best and what is his involvement with it and more importantly why he mentions no other PIM software when he goes though a many page discussion of the various software packages available. It makes me very suspicious.

Also unless you are a firm with at least two or more accountants, two or more marketing people, two or more sales people and the accompanying support staff you are reading the wrong book. You will also have no life.

The author implicating states that unless you are dealing with businesses that are $500,000 to $10,000,000 you are not dealing with a small to medium sized business nor are you one yourself. What a grave insult to small business in general.

I am not attempting to slam the author at a personal level in my review but having read the third edition I am left with the begging question as to what was so wrong with the first two that there is in fact a third edition. After all I was the one that paid for it and I feel that I was stung and strongly so.

This book is basically a written seminar on how to build, market and sell your (any) business accompanied with numerous plugs for the authors products (at least it smells like it). The author did not follow his own advice....be honest with your clients.

I also found his web site for the Accounting Guild inactive and email is not there.

If you are looking for a book to help you build your accounting business this is not it unless you have $$$$$$ capital and staff to do so. The book is definitely not intended for the true small business person.

Save your money.

This book is an excellent source for starting an accounting practice. It is very heavy on the aspects of technology and working that into your business to grow clients and business partners.

The caveat here is this. Mr. Fox discusses Arthur Anderson a great deal in this book when referring to ways consulting is performed and how to sell clients. In addition, he refers to his own "Accounting Guild." Unfortunately, the web site for this guild no longer exists, his Yahoo message board is inactive and he does not answer email requesting information on solvency of his own business. Although I am reading this book 3 years after it was published I find it disturbing that the book is still in print yet very out of date and no longer factually correct. i.e Offering services in the Accounting Guild.

It would be nice to at least get an explanation or have the book removed as a valid and complete source, which it no longer is.

Having been recently laid off, I am now looking into starting my own accounting practice. I am a CPA, but have no public accounting experience. I bought this book as part of a CPE course and was truly amazed at the wealth of information it contains, especially on marketing. It gave me some great ideas on areas to pursue and I know I will refer back to it many times over the next few months and even beyond.

I really like all the Wilbur smiths books i have read except the 7th scroll. And even that was much more readable than this. Wilbur Smith writes yarns so I am not looking for a plausible storyline but this just reeks of a childish romance novel. the first 100-150 pages of this novel are so unremarkable that I had completely forgoten I had read this book before untl the entrance of the inimitable character of Centaine. Sasha just seems a shadow of his former self. As someone who likes this author(River God, Warlock, Monsoon, Birds of Prey, The Delta Decision, Rage are all incredible books), I would like to advise new readers, please dont form opinions based on this. Everyone is entitiled to a bad book.

Cheers to Wilbur Smith for writing this great book. It has everything one could want in a book, strong story, great character development, and a gripping climax. I would start out reading the first book of the Courtney series called the "Burning Shore". The reader will get a lot more out of the book if they are privy to the Courtney legacy. Definitely recommend this book

I am a huge Wilbur Smith fan. "River God" is the best novel I have ever read. My second favorite Smith book is his newest: "Monsoon", then "Men of Men", then "The Sunbird", then "Golden Fox". This is part of the Courtney series. If you have read all the Wilbur Smith books like I have, you'll yearn for more, but it takes him years to come up with a new book these days. You might look at "Churchill's Gold" by James Follett after you have read all of Mr. Smith's books. It is very similar in style and quality to "Golden Fox".

I think this book is very creative but there is nothing to do with the animals when you finish them. and so i just put them in a drawer.

I bought this book on a whim -- I wanted a quiet indoor activity that my 7 year old niece and my mom could do together. My niece absolutely LOVED this book. She was old enough to know how to read, and young enough to enjoy doing little crafty projects -- I think that's a key combination to how much a child will like this book. She could figure out the directions herself, and she and my mom spent a few hours making the projects in the book. Later, she reused some of the pipe cleaners to make up her own projects.

All in all, this book kept her occupied for several hours over the weekend. I expect that she's still having fun with it -- we bought her a stack of pipe cleaners from the local craft store.

I HIGHLY recommend this book -- it's not messy or noisy, kids like it, they can follow the book or use their imaginations, they can do the projects independently or in a small playgroup, and buying more pipe cleaners is very inexpensive -- a few dollars gets you several packets. I bet it would be a great activity for kids taking long car trips, or for rainy-day fun.

My _ONLY_ critique of this book is that they should give enough pipe cleaners for TWO of each project, instead of for just one. That way, if a child wants to play with another person, each one can make the same item. The cost of doing so should be quite small, as the the pipe cleaners are really cheap, but even if it raised the book cost by another dollar or two, it would be worth it!

I bought this book for my son,who just turned 8. He had wanted to make animals out of pipe cleaners, they had done this at school. He really liked this book. I liked it because it comes with enough pipe cleaners to make everything in the book. It really does! The pictures are step by step and really clear. We had a lot of fun with this book.

If I were to use two words to describe this book, they would be "religious pamphlet." This book is a waste of your money. In this book, B. Fox, writes that UFOs are a weapon of "Satan" and that these UFOs are trying to take over "God's" people. If you are a religious fanatic or a Christian fundamentalist, you will except this book without any thought. If you are a thinking person, this is nothing but stupidity in 66 pages. Look elsewhere for a decent UFO book, such as William Bramley's "The Gods of Eden."

One of the best books on this subject !!! B. Fox might as well be right, read as science fiction it might be science fact.As a former abductee and new ager but now born again believer, this book is very close to the truth if not the truth about the u.f.o's visiting earth.All abductions ended when I put my trust in Christ and only Christ.Satan is described in the Word as the prince of the power of the air and as the god who has blinded many, we should never underestimate him and his power, all the information that the aliens ever gave me were anti-biblical, anti christ, which would only lead me to believe that Satan is behind the u.f.o's flooding our modern world.In Genesis 1:2 the word was in hebrew really means became, so "the earth became without form, and void" meanning that it was already created and whatever was there was destroyed.Fox is above and beyond while yet down to earth in this book.Without a doubt she is a blessing to many in need of answers."The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may we may do all the words of this law".(Deuteronomy 29:29)

This was not a subject that interested me at all. Never thought about UFOs. Everytime I saw a news clip about a sighting I more or less ignored it. Didn't want to think about it. Kind of frightening. Someone sent this book to me. My kids liked it even better than I did and encouraged me to read it. They are 19 and 20. When you read this book, the subject does not seem so frightening and overpowering. The explanations seem quite plausible. I will pay more attention to news on Ancient civilizations and UFOs from now on without it scaring me. The ancient civlization connection was really an eye opener. I thought, why hasn't anyone else thought of that? Sometimes I think the media is out to scare people to death rather than give us anything positive. This is a book that will encourage those who are afraid of the subject.

This is a very concise and readable historical review of the gene concept from its origins in the nineteenth century to the live debate which is taking place now due to some fascinating work done by cutting edge contemporary researchers. Keller is an excellent writer and a thought provoking thinker. Her analysis is thorough but easily accessible by anyone with a high school knowledge of the biological sciences. It's not ground breaking philosophy of science but it's a refreshing change from the kind of superficial analysis of this trendy issue provided by the mass media. An excellent weekend read for the thirsty mind.

An excellent introduction to its subject. The book provides a clear explanation of the idea of the gene and how genes "work". I particularly like the focus on the history of genetics, showing how the research inspired by the fruitful idea of the 'gene' leads us to the conclusion that the very concept has outlived its time. The importance of issues involving genetics--biotechnology, explanations of 'genetic' differences among people, patents on life forms, etc.--require the average citizen to make a little effort to understand the science involved. This book provides a good introduction to those issues and to some of the complexities. For example, if genes don't exist, then what are private companies trying to patent? The book is a short, accessible window on some of these questions.

It is quite telling that shortly after this book's release, the scientific community was humbled by the relevation that the human genome is made up of about 1/3 the number of genes previously thought. Keller deconstructs the very notion of a thing called a gene, and instead presents to us a molecular world where vast networks of processs interact to produce the phenomena convenionally attributed to genes.

Even better, she presents her critique within a historical context that allows the reader to see how the current myopic model of gene primacy came to be, and how information conflicting with that model has very gradually moved from the periphery toward the center of mainstream genetics research.

Overall, I found the book to be well-written and sobering with respect to the parade of biological and behavioral attributes and conditions attributed to these things called genes.