I've never played anything but 1920's Call of Cthulhu, and have never been to keen on the idea on modern-day CoC. But I must admit, the Delta Green campaign setting is really impressive. After having taken a look at it and purchasing it, I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a change of pace in their CoC game. The best comparison I can think of is this: If CoC 1920's is the movie "Alien," Delta Green is the movie "Aliens." Both are cool, both have the same creatures as the adversaries, but they both have different moods and different types of protagonists. The background info in this book is so realistic, if I were a bit more mentally unbalanced :), I could easily believe every bit of it as gospel truth, not just a game setting.

If Lovecraft was alive today this sourcebook would make him green with envy! This takes the Call of Cthulhu game to the contemporary level. There's more than enough plots and characters to juice up a modern (postmodern?) Call of Cthulhu game. I especially like how the creators have made so many versatile options. You can make this supplement as intricate or as simple as you want. I definitely recommend this as a sourcebook to all Call of Cthulhu role playing fans.

Many have commented that DELTA GREEN is where X-Files meets the Cthulhu Mythos. They are correct, but it goes beyond that. Delta Green presents a satisfying and believable context for mythos roleplaying in the modern era. This supplement for CALL OF CTHULHU, a game which has a history of great supplements, raises the standard by which future works will be measured. This is quite possibly the best role-playing supplement ever. I have been into RPGs for nearly 20 years now, and I have seen most of what is out there. Believe me, it does not get better than this.

Kid: "Hey, little ant . . . ./See my shoe, can you see that?/Well, now, it's gonna squish you flat!"

This situation opens the book. The story then evolves into a dialogue between ant and kid to decide the ant's fate.

The kid feels like he can do what he wants if the ant cannot talk back, but his ant can. The ant begs for his life. Then the kid argues that ants don't feel, and no one will miss him. The ant points out that he will be missed. The kid argues that ants steal from people, and the ant protests that they only take a little. The kid says that his friends expect him to squish the ant, and the ant asks the kid to exchange places in his mind. "If you were me and I were you,/What would you want me to do?"

The book ends with "What do you think that kid should do?" This question is a nice set-up for a thoughtful discussion with your child. Unlike many books that proclaim the correct judgment, this one certainly suggests that the ant not be squished but leaves the question open. You can ask how your child's answer might change if other creatures are involved (a mosquito, a worm, a caterpillar, a butterfly, and so forth).

The rhyming scheme in the book is also set to music in the back, so you can also play and sing the book together.

Phillip Hoose is on the staff of the Nature Conservancy. His daughter and co-author, Hannah, was 9 when they wrote this book together. So another pleasure of changing perspectives here is to realize that parents and children can write books and songs together!

The illustrations are very wonderful. In several sequences, the two page spreads are developed vertically rather than horizontally. Ms. Tilley does this very well to portray the giant kid looming over the ant, and later the imaginary giant ant dominating the kid. Each illustration has a sense of movement and presence that makes them seem to come off the page. The details are very rewarding, and will encourages your youngster to look closely.

After reading this book, I suggest that you also talk about where parents and children should be more considerate of each other in what they ask and expect. The relative size differences there are important. You may be surprised to find that your children are a little more intimidated by you than you intended. If so, this book can have a wonderful application in your family . . . as well as in nature.

By the way, I avoid hurting any living creature . . . so I found this book especially charming.

See the world through the eyes of others and other creatures!

This is an excellent book for all ages. I love that both the perspective of the ant and the boy is given. The best part of the book is the last page, when it is up to the "reader" on whether the boy should or should not squish the ant. This books allows for so much discussion because of it's open-ended ending! More books should be written with this type of ending!

"Hey, Little Ant," by Phillip and Hannah Hoose is one of my favorite children's books. Based on a real-life experience the author had as he watched his toddler squishing ants one day, this book is as powerful a teaching tool as I've seen come along in a very long time. In this classic, a Kid threatens to squish the book's hero Ant and a clever dialogue ensues. Allowed to plead its case, the Ant explains to the boy that he, too, has a special reason for being. Through cleverly rhyming verse, set to musical notes if you'd rather sing it, the Ant tries to negotiate for its life, citing the "Golden Rule" to solidify its case. The beauty of this tale is that it ends with a dilemma: "what do you think that Kid should do?" Leaving it open-ended is a tremendous way to generate dialogue with children. It gives them the opportunity to think the problem through and offer problem-solving solutions; it serves to empower them by giving them a voice. At a time in our society when schools are reluctant to teach values through character education, along comes a little book with a powerful message. As a counselor, I used it to teach middle schoolers how to deal with the people who are ANTS in their lives - who might bite them with their words or try to poison them with their actions - focusing on characteristics we might need like Awareness, Negotiation, Tolerance and Sensitivity. I give "Hey, Little Ant" as many stars as it can get and more. Don't miss this one; you will NOT be disappointed!

As I sit today watching all the anniversary specials on TV commemorating the people who were heroes and those who were victims on that fateful day, Sept. 11th, 2001, I can't help but think that it is sad so relatively few people had the opportunity to read this book prior to that date. Although written for entertainment, and written very well, the story also included some incredibly accurate prognosticatons about how the terrorist's fixation on killing westerners leads them inevitably to act out their diabolical plans. Everything our leaders needed in the way of a wake-up call was in this book, including what now seems in retrospect, an eminently practical method of exterminating the fanatic organizers and directors of such horrible events. I applaud Carpenter for his insight and expertise, the flashes of brilliance in his writing, but commiserate with him that apparently the message did not get through in time, despite being couched within an extraordinarily imaginative adventure plot that should have enticed every lover of action-oriented fiction to read it. I found it by inserting a keyword search for books on terrorism and among all the dry semi-documentary non-fiction treatises, found this extremely satisfying jewel. One day Osama's fate may be finally verified and it will be interesting to see how closely it parallels the epilogue of Arabian Assignment.

This book is one ... ride. Written prior to the 9/11 attacks, the story interweaves Al-Qaeda (who had heard of them before that?) Osama Bin Laden, slavery in the Sudan, terrorism, courage in the face of unbelievable circumstances, and yes, even love. The amount of insider information regarding not only US national security, but how things really work in the rest of the world is amazing and mesmerizing. The author's knowledge of weaponry, intelligence, tracking, and African government is well-versed, knowledgable and seemingly hands-on (only the author knows for sure).

Although as a whole, I enjoyed this book greatly and, indeed, had difficulty putting it down, it was off to a slow start. The first 75-100 pages or so I found to be slow moving, weak, and with some very cheesy dialogue: a couple of rewrites would have tightened this up. However, having said that, after page 100 or so it picks up speed and does not slow down. Although there is a lot of gore and violence, some realistically depicted and some implied, it is not gratuitous and adds to the story, rather than detracting from it. For the squeamish, do not let this deter you.

... A timely write that is not just great action and adventure, but "Arabian Assignment" may be the handbook for the world we now live in.

Such coincidences don't happen often where a book comes out that includes a scenario where Osama bin-Laden executes a major plot against the United States and then such a thing really happens just a short time later. I loved the richnesss of this book, the way you felt sympathy, fear and pride with the young girl captured by the Sudanese slavers, the bravery she showed in her ordeal. I also admired the rescuers, two men from completely different age groups and backgrounds but who shared the values of integrity and courage. The humor shown by the various characters, including the villains, made them seem even more real. I was so gratified at the way our government dealt with the terrorists, including bin-Laden, that I actually said "Yes!" out loud, earning a strange look from my cat. I certainly felt this book was well done, the plot was complex but not murky or unrealistic, the action scenes were so vivid I felt I was there myself. The educational aspect of this book is not to be dismissed either, as it had a wealth of information about African and Middle Eastern politics and military activities. I am recommending this book to my women's reading club despite it's gritty violence and explicit sexual content, since those aspects are a natural and truthful part of life in that part of the world. A really great read!

Once you finish reading this story of a set of young adults coming of age, you will immediately want to start on book two. You see, this is what happened to me, except I didn't know about books three through seven until I was well into book #2! I finally finished the series earlier this year and consider it to be a major accomplishment (and a very fulfilling one). I must say that after book seven I was disappointed that I will no longer be hearing of Anna Buerenin and the illustrious characters that touched her life.

This series is typically categorized by bookstores as "religious fiction". I will say that there is an underlying message about God (after all religion plays a huge part of Russian history) but it was simply woven into the story subtly and relevantly. I have read other Pella books and found this to be the case with them as well.

This book was the start of my infatuation with historical fiction and I am thankful for it. I do recommend all seven in the series - read them, although it may take a while!

I have always loved Russian history, and I found these books an excelent way to learn more about it. After reading the series, I got the opportunity to visit St.Petersburg, Russia where much of the story takes place, and I was amazed at how accurate the books had been in history and setting. The books are so well written that you feel like you are part of the story. The characters seem like your best friend and you never want to put the books down. I found myself reading in eery spare moment I had and before I read these books, I hated to read. These are great books for teenagers to read because of their clean content. You will not be disappointed.

When I came across this book in my church's library a week ago, I wasn't too thrilled with it. Somehow, I ended up checking it out, but my expectations were not high. I expected either a boring, dry chronicle of Russia's history or a sappy, overdone love story. Well...a week later I can assure you that that is definitely not the case. "The Crown and the Crucible", set in the 1870's, is essentially the story of two families who represent the two basic types of people that were in Russia. There is Anna Burenin, a 17-year-old whose family has always been peasants, and there is 15-year-old Katrina Fedorcenko, whose life has been that of a high-ranking Russian aristocrat. Anna and Katrina's lives become intertwined when Anna goes to the Fedorcenko household to be a kitchen servant, and by a remarkable sequence of events, becomes Katrina's personal maid. But other things are happening as well in this novel. We see how unstable life was in Russia, and read how even Viktor Fedorcenko (Katrina's father) had to guard what he said around the tsar, whom he had known since childhood. Segei Fedorcenko, Katrina's brother, also has problem. It seems that he and Anna are beginning to fall in love...and how could ever be easy since he is an aristocrat and she is a maid? And the brutal war in Turkey over Russian territory only intensify his not-so-loyal thoughts toward the government. "The Crown and the Crucible" is a magnificently written story that expertly blends history with the lives of people. The characters themselves are wonderful, and I loved seeing the changes and growth in all of them...most notably Anna's Christian influence on Katrina. There is no character who you do not like and begin to know "personally" and nothing fake about the characterization. There are few books that are so well-written, historically accurate, and filled with characters you can't forget. I'm certainly glad I came across this book! And, of course, I desperately need the sequel now...

Caputo' Horn of Africa is a well-written novel in a style that emulates or aspires to Graham Greene or Joseph Conrad. I enjoyed the book, and admired the writer but the story never completely 'clicked' for me.
Horn of Africa is a psychological/military thrill that takes place in a fictional province of Ethiopia, Bejaya, that closely resembles Eritrea but is not really supposed to be anyplace. The story is told through a first person narrative of one of the characters, Charlie Gage. Gage is a burnt out journalist hanging around Cairo. He's recruited by a simultaneously creepy, pompous and shadowy CIA character to go along on a clandestine mission to Bejaya to assist local rebels against the Ethiopians. Gage is joined on his mission by an uptight, by the book Britain with local experience and a larger than life American, Jeremy Nordstrand, with a borderline psychotic sociopathic philosophy about life and their mission. Nordstrand is both philosopher (in a base way) and soldier, with obvious capabilities despite his slightly unbalanced philosophy. Soon enough, he becomes the group's real leader. Nordstrand first willingly descends into violence, testing both himself and his idea of society, and then slowly descends into madness.
Caputo has Gage set the tone of the novel in the first two pages: the reader knows that this is not a story with a happy ending, and that ugly things happen. This is both good an bad: I thought it simultaneously gave a great sense of foreboding throughout the novel, but when the dark events occur they were anti-climatic.
Also, Nordstrand wore his psychosis on his sleeve, as did the British character. I had a hard time believing that they would be put in a position of power on an important mission, rogue or not. The story was interesting but the base premise, in my mind, was a little hard to believe.
Anyway, I don't think you will be disappointed by Horn of Africa. Its extremely well written with deep characterizations, and an interesting story. Is it quite up to Conrad or Greene? Maybe on one of the formers' worst days... but its still a good novel and a worthwhile read.

Mind you, I said "novel" rather than "book" or "story." Caputo's best book, of course, is his memoir "A Rumor of War." His best story (actually, novella) is that incredibly haunting piece "Standing In" from the collection "Exiles."

As far as novels go--and I hate to say this, because I like very much what this writer stands for--Caputo has certainly written some stinkers. "Indian Country" is truly awful, "Equation for Evil" reads like a Grisham-type potboiler, and "DelCorso's Gallery" has a lot of clumsy writing and emotional posturing that mars a potentially good story. I haven't read "The Voyage" yet, but I have noticed that there are a considerable number of negative reviews.

If you read any of Caputo's fiction, read "Horn of Africa." It is a good "second-rate" novel. Edmund Wilson once called Jean-Paul Sartre a "first-rate second-rate novelist." If Caputo's work was as consistently good as "Horn of Africa" he might merit that title himself.

Caputo, like his contemporary Robert Stone (whose work, although superior, bears a great deal of similarity to Caputo's), is going for the Graham Greene-Joseph Conrad approach; dignifying the novel of adventure and action with philosophical depth and resonance. This novel is an exploration of the old "heart of darkness" theme (the idea that man, unfettered by civilization, tends toward brutality and atrocity), set in the deserts of eastern Africa (in a fictional country called Bejaya, which seems to be a composite of Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, etc.) No doubt, Caputo is no Conrad, but "Horn of Africa" at least comes close to the caliber of one of Greene's lesser novels.

The story, narrated by a troubled Vietnam veteran, Charlie Gage, concerns a group of mercenaries/thrill seekers who are hired to run guns to an Islamic mujahideen group fighting against the Ethiopians. Eventually they become involved in the actual fighting themselves.

The main character, who emerges as the real leader of the group, is Jeremy Nordstrand, a Nietschze-reading Great Blonde Beast who seems to be modeled after Jack London's Wolf Larsen (from "The Sea Wolf"). Nordstrand, having misread "Beyond Good and Evil", seeks self-liberation or self-definition through the violent imposition of his will upon those weaker than him--those fit only to be "slaves." Nordstrand views his adventure in Africa, far from the reach of laws and police forces, as an oppportunity to explore his darkest impulses with impunity. Charlie Gage, the Marlow-like character, watches horrified as Nordstrand plunges to the bottom of the moral abyss, and then lives to tell us about it.

This is a tightly-woven narrative with solid, rich characterization.

Caputo here gives us Conrad in a modern context--and in a way we of the Pepsi generation can understand. Herein we find supposedly civilized men thrust into a primitive situation; but then, what is war, anyway? Who are the savages? Lines drawn by rationalism are blown away by the winds of the moment. The story will grab you by the neck, and you will see man as he naturally is.

Sight and Insight! As a painter this book is invaluable to me, as an appreciator of art and a viewer it is an opportunity to view some of the most magnificent and masterfully executed paintings all bound together in a spectacular reproduction of artwork in itself. The execution in his draftsmanship, the use of form and the genius of the use of color by Mr. Silverman is incredible to behold. The narrative is clear and thoughfully written. I have purchased not just one book but two, one for use in my studio as a reference book. The other is a special edition signed by the Master. All who pick up the book have a delightful treat in store for them, for each time one gazes at his art, there are new discoveries to be made. As an artist I am in awe and hold a great deal of admiration and respect for his art, to have this treasure to enjoy and learn from in the form of a book is indeed a feast.

"I purchased Sight & Insight ;the art of Burton Silverman several months ago, but just came across his listing with Amazon. I think it's a beautiful book with some of the best paintings I've seen that uses representational realism. The people depicted are both very real and very arresting in a thoughtful, reflective way. It's like reading a good book and looking up to conjure the image of the character in ones mind only this artist does that for you. He doesn't exclude the viewer though, because there's a lot of ambiguity in his characters that leaves room for ones own speculations as to the meanings of the paintings. The writing, by both Prof. McGrath and Philip Saietta are excellent if sometimes difficult sledding, particularly with the Professor. But it's really a very readable and informative collection of essays. Silverman also writes about his career with compelling honesty. It's a real treat to go through this book and well worth the price, many times over."

As the art director of the Merrill-Johnson Gallery, we are privileged to exhibit Mr. Silverman's work including several of the paintings in the book, "Sight and Insight". The paintings depicted in the book are fine example of the work that has made Mr. Silverman one of America's most respected realist painters. There are many books that are "how-to" paint (in fact Silverman has written two wonderful ones himself), but there are few "why-tos." "Sight and Insight" provides the reader an insight into the interpretive and artistic motivations behind his paintings. The book deserves to be in every serious art book collection for both the artist and the art appreciator.

Sarah Phillips has a lot of great ideas. However, this cookbook doesn't deserve a 5-star rating because:

(1) some of her recipes have more sugar than most.

(2) she included recipes that call for Healthy Oven Baking Mix, which I don't have & don't wish to purchase. Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but I purchased the book thinking that all the recipes would be completely from scratch.

Sarah Phillips cuts through much of the hype over low-fat baking to offer up an easy-to-use cookbook that allows those with middle-American palates to enjoy healthy eating. While most low-fat books sacrifice flavor for lower-fat counts, use hard-to-find ingredients, or bizarre techniques that leave many cooks stumped, Sarah explains her techniques for light cakes, decadent chocolate cheesecakes and impossibly low-fat cookies clearly. And best of all, she uses ingredients anyone can find at the local supermarket!

Healthy eating isn't just a choice, but a necessity for anyone facing weight or health-related challenges. Her book's clear dietary information makes selecting the appropriate recipe easy.

Joyous baking!

Dear Sarah:

What I like about your book is that it has all the information that I have been stumbling to discover on my own by experimenting. I am always transforming recipes into lower fat recipes and I also have the added challenge of substituting honey, maple syrup, etc. for refined sugar. My baking is limited to quickbreads and muffins so those are my favorite recipe parts of the book, however I'm sure once I have time to get to the desserts, it will become another favorite. They look absolutely fabulous!

"Healthy Oven Basics" is another part of the book that's very valuable to me. It's really a blessing. It's just saved me an incredible amount of time and money in trial and error experimenting. I was just starting to get some of these ideas down on my own, but you have really got them down to a science.

I also like the way that the "dry" ingredients are separated from the "wet" in the ingredients list. The color of the print is great, the font is very readable and I love the nutritional analysis of each recipe. The drawings are also nicely distributed. Thank you for a very valuable addition to my library.

Sincerely,

Seppo Ed Farrey

Heyer is absolutely the Queen of Regency romances, and Venetia is, as far as I'm concerned, her best. An independent woman determined to resist her two insistent suitors and take good care of her younger borther; she meets her new neighbour, Damerel, the most notorious rake in England. At first he is tempted to seduce her, but later becomes protective towards her. Then, when her older brother marries and she is forced to leave her home for London, she thinks she will never see Damerel again. Desperate measures are called for...

This is not a typical Regency; Venetia is not a blushing debutante, and Damerel is not a dandified town gentleman. But the characters are delightfully appealing and Damerel is such a wonderful, down-to-earth hero! Read it, re-read it, treasure it for ever. I do.

Lord Damerel's humour finds a perfect respondent in Venetia. The witty interludes between Venetia and Damerel are engrossing, but the narration of the book gets to be a bit cumbersome when it digresses into the history and psychology of the various other characters in the book. Aubrey--Venetia's brother is a delight, while her older brother, Conway thankfully remains obscure throughout. Nevertheless, an unusual heroine and a wonderful love story.

I love just about everything Georgette Heyer's written in the Regency genre, but this book is the best of an excellent crop. Venetia is a delightful heroine, mature and intelligent while at the same time extremely naive about men and the ways of the world - so much so that she has absolutely no notion just how much danger her new next-door neighbour, the wicked Lord Damerel, could be to her. And yet it is her innocence which is her greatest protection where he is concerned.

Their growing friendship, assisted by Venetia's young brother, and the interference of Venetia's other suitors, is portrayed with humour and a light touch by Heyer. But once he decides that he cannot in all conscience seduce her, Damerel believes himself to be unworthy of her. Even when she needs him most, he appears to turn his back on her.

Of course, being a Heyer book, all works out in the end, but the journey to that denoument is alternately witty, sparkling and heart-wrenching.

Like most Heyers, this book is now out of print; however you manage to get a copy, keep it! This is a book you'll want to read over and over.

Ms. Phillips certainly knows how to tug at those heart strings! I felt as though I were right there with Mac and Sammy Jo, feeling the emotions they felt. This is a great story that proves that true love can happen when it's least expected and that true love always prevails. I recommend this book to any romance lover.

This is a wonderfully written book. The emotional content was overwhelming. And I have only to words to describe the romance. REAL HOT! Ms. Phillips gave us a beautiful compassionate story with her debut book. Can't wait for the next one.

Give many writers the premise of a heroine seeking a no-strings, week-long affair with a perfect stranger, not to mention that both parties are not exactly being honest with each other, and what you often get is "hot" for the sake of "hot", but a love story that's less than believeable. Not so with Carly Phillips's BRAZEN. Yes, the love scenes sizzle, but within the context of a tender, surprise love affair that quickly turns into the real thing. Ms. Phillips takes great care to show the motivation for her characters' lies of omission, and well as their basic goodness and integrity, a complexity of characterization not often found in short romances. Definitely a writer to watch.