As a counsellor, I have encountered two individuals with Multiple Personality Disorder, a traumatic emotional affliction which is a result of a severe traumatic experience in childhood, generally extreme physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse. The mind has its own unique built-in defense system which has the potential to create other personalities to help absorb the pain, fear and humiliation.

"When Rabbit Howls" is the story of one such woman whose mind "split" and created 92 different personalities. The book gives the reader a clearer understanding of MPD, its's causes and effects, and explains how individuals with MPD can go on to live productive, fulfilling lives with the help of professional therapy.

For those interested in reading of similar cases of MPD, I also suggest reading, "Becoming One," by Sarah Olson, "Sybil" by Flora Rhets Schreiber, "First Person Plural" by Dr. Cameron West, and "Silencing the Voices. All of these are excellent books and each one is deserving of a five-star rating.

Especially since I declared my major as psychology, books dealing with psychological disorders have fascinated me. This is a true story, a documented case of dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder). It's the actual manuscript that Truddi and her 90+ personalities composed during months of therapy. It is excellent. I thought Sybil was good (and it is, you should read that, too), but I liked WRH even more. I admit, I read it for my psych class. We have to do a book report type thing on a psychology book of our choice. But I felt like I was cheating when I read it and said that I was studying because it really didn't feel like work. Go read this book. It's good, I promise.

I picked this book up at the airport right before my plane was to depart, primarily out of desperation for something to read on a 13 hour flight. Read the whole thing twice on the plane. I've read it maybe ten times since then, and every time it still shocks me. The things Truddi lived through are apalling, and the story of her treatment and recovery (?) fascinating, but perhaps the best parts are the scenes that take place inside her mind. None of the other books or movies I've seen on this subject go into detail about the inner workings of the multiple mind. Watching the Troops interact and care for one another, especially the younger, more vulnerable ones, is an experience one is unlikely to find elsewhere. Definately not for children, but I heartily recommend it to anyone with the constitution to handle this intensely harrowing story. I still have nightmares about it, but if my house was on fire, this book would come with me.

*QED* is an edited version of four lectures delivered to a lay audience at UCLA in 1983. It conveys Feynman's unique combination of earnest enthusiasm and elfish delight at the fact that "the way we have to describe Nature is generally incomprehensible to us." (p. 77) It is probably true that the book can be profitably read by every class of reader, from Feynman's physicist peers to street people (if this is not the contemporary equivalent of "the man in the street," why isn't it??) who have never studied physics. Feynman was a great communicator, and knew how to throw out a lifeline of wit, reason, or good sense in the midst of the most bewildering complexities. Twenty-first century humanity urgently needs to integrate something of the quantum view of reality into its common understanding of things, and Feynman's work is a precious contribution toward that end. Highly recommended!

Enigma - this term best describes QED, the notoriously non-intuitive basis of fundamental physics. But 'enigma" equally applies to this book, QED. Why is it so popular? Four lectures on quantum electrodynamics? Why would anyone, other than a physicist, rave about such a book?

Feynman cautions the audience that they may not understand what he will be saying. Not because of technical difficulty, but because they may be unable to believe it, unable to accept what he is saying. "The theory of quantum electrodynamics describes Nature as absurd from the point of view of common sense. And it fully agrees with experiment. So I hope you can accept Nature as She is - absurd."

I long had this problem. I wanted to understand why, in addition to how nature works. I wanted some philosophical understanding, some underlying meaning. I have come to accept that the fundamental laws (rules, behavior, whatever) of physics are not intuitive, but are incomprehensible in terms of common sense.

To appreciate Feynman's QED lectures, you must have patience, some commitment (its not really difficult), but more than anything else you need a willingness to set aside disbelief and simply listen to a physicist talk about quantum electrodynamics. A willingness to accept that nature refuses to be understood. Analyzed, dissected, mathematically described (in a probabilistic sense), but not fundamentally understood. QED.

I am largely unsatisfied by books for laymen on quantum physics, string theory, cosmology, and the like. My background includes some physics and I find that a bit of mathematics is more helpful than a great many analogies, no matter how cleverly constructed. QED should have been disappointing. But I gave it five stars.

Feynman did not rely on analogies. He talks physics and experiments. Feynman had a wonderful clarity of thought, an ability to explain advanced physics, and all with a sense of humor. No math symbols, no complex numbers, no matrices, no wave mechanics, no advanced probability analysis - just simple addition of little arrows that shrink and turn.

Feynman was unpredictable. He saw the world in unexpected ways. In a footnote he mentions that Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is really no longer a necessary construct. "If you can get rid of all the old-fashioned ideas and instead use the ideas that I am explaining in these lectures - adding arrows for all the ways an event can happen - there is no need for an uncertainty principle." Heisenberg relegated to a footnote!

The casual reader may find some short sections a bit strenuous, particularly some of the more involved manipulations of arrows, but stay with it. As Feynman points out in the preface, these lectures represent physics accurately without distortions for simplicity. Nothing would need to be unlearned if you later majored in physics. Think about it. QED may lead you down a path heretofore not taken.

This is the best book for the layman on the difficult subject of quantum mechanics. I've read much more technical works on the subject, but none of them can match Feynman's clear and concise explanations of the fascinating and paradoxical world of quantum mechanics. Feynman had a gift for explaining difficult physics concepts to the non-physicist, and this book is perhaps the best example of his ability to do this. Using primarily spatial concepts, visualizations, and diagrams rather than advanced math, Feynman clearly illustrates and explains many of the fundamental aspects of QED in a way that the non-specialist can grasp. A true classic in the field, and one that hasn't been equalled since in its clear and concise treatment of the subject. All in all, a great book from both a great physicist and great teacher.

The all-encompassing mind of Dante has produced indeed one of the main sources of Western culture. It is a rich poem, full of interesting stories and commentary and which, like all true classics, can be read from different standpoints and has different dimensions. It tells Dante's travel to Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. Daniel Boorstin has called it "Adventures in Death". It is also one of the main bridges between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Like other works from this period, it mixes classical mythology and tradition with Christian history. The first evidence of this is the fact that although Dante travels to the Christian underworld, his guide is the Roman poet Virgil, no less.

Dante's work is thus multi-layered: it is an exploration of virtue and sin and their consequences; a profound criticism of the state of the Catholic Church at the time, attacking fiercely the institution of the Papacy and Boniface VIII in particular, for their corruption; a reelaboration of old Medieval themes; a bitter analysis of Italian and especially Florentine politics of his day, whose effects he so cruelly suffered.

During his trip, Dante meets and speaks with Biblical characters, Greco-Roman ones, and contemporaries of him. These people tell their stories and explain why they are where they are. Dante touches practically on all relevant and controversial subjects of his time, as well as many of our own. Although in any translation we miss the lyricism of his verse, we can still appreciate the quality and dignity of his writing.

It is not, of course, an easy reading. It is not "light" literature and it demands intelligent, cultivated and also demanding readers. But the reward is infinite. Dante's work has had any number of repercussions in subsequent culture. I think, for example, of Tchaikovsky's "Francesca di Rimini", based on one of the fascinating stories told to Dante in Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. Dante's images are powerful, terrorific in Hell and purely Divine in Heaven. His imagination is truly remarkable, in the way he describes the punsihments and rewards, as well as the characters and their situations.

Lose the fear and plunge into this greatest tour de force. It is really Dantesque.

I am not a literary expert, nor am I well read in all of the great literature of the past, but I have read enough to say this is the best piece of literature I've read.

First, the Divine Comedy Itself. I first read the Inferno as an Undergrad in general ed. I just loved this story as challenging as it was to read. Curiosity got to me, and I bought this edition (the same as I had read for the Inferno). The book got much more challenging to read as it progresses, perhaps because the imagery is much more abstract, but it also gets more fantastic all the way through. The Paradiso definitely fits its purpose as a climax. The whole of The Divine Comedy is a good story of the spiritual journey of one man through "the afterlife" so to speak. I love the interaction the book takes of Dante's interaction with history and religion, biblical and mythical. It is an interesting perspective that shows the genious of Dante the author.

As for this particular edition. I could not tell you it is the best as I have never read others. I've heard this is one of the few that has tried to make the translation stay true to the original Latin poetic form Dante used. I also think it is wonderful, and from my point essential, that this edition comes with extensive notes that help explain in layman's terms what is going on in the story Canto by Canto as well as line by line explanations of the different references made to historical people, places, and events as well as literary references.

In sum, all I can say is that "The Divine Comedy" is worth a read especially if you are up to the challenge. I am not a literary expert; I work in engineering, but I find this the most fascinating literature I've ever read. Most of all, it is inpirational, the quest of one man to find his true love, facing Hell and more...

Dante, with the Divine Comedy, has produced a work that has endured for centuries and influenced many of the greatest Renaissance thinkers. This is quite a testament to his abilities. The Divine Comedy is divided into three basic sections: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Dante begins his travels in hell. Guided by the Latin poet Virgil, he sees kings, monks, popes, and an assortment of other people, all of whom are tormented in ways fitting the level and type of their sins. After leaving hell, he continues to the mountain of Purgatory. Here he encounters those souls who must be purged of their sinfulness in order to reach heaven. Finally, he enters into Paradise, where the lovely Beatrice now guides him. He travels through the seven planetary heavens (an interesting note on the science of Dante's time) where he dialogues with the Saints, beholds the radiance and glory of the Triune God and is told the mysteries of Heaven. Dante presents his poem with vividness and great detail allowing the reader to comprehend the horrors of Hell and the otherworldly beauty of Paradise.

I particularly enjoyed reading about the many colorful people he encounters on his journey. It is interesting to see the people he puts in hell, purgatory, and paradise and to hear their stories. Many are famous historical figures. His comedy has many examples of allegory, prophecy and even theology. He tackles issues such as the Atonement, divine justice, and free will. The story includes many references to both classical pagan stories (e.g. Greek mythology) and Christian writings (e.g. Thomas Aquinas). The only downside (in my opinion anyway) is that Dante devotes too much time to philosophical discussions relating to Aristotle, who was popular with nearly every prominent medieval thinker. These discussions slow the pace of the poem at times.

This particular edition contains all three parts of the comedy and is unabridged. The low price is a plus too. It is in prose, although the language is pretty stilted. It uses "thees" an "thous," for example. This is not necessarily bad because it makes the story quite dignified, but some of the sentences can be very difficult to understand. Here is an example: "Thy kindliness not only succoreth whoso requesteth, but doth oftentimes freely forerun request." Fortunately, there are long introductions that summarize each chapter (canto) and numerous endnotes, which explain in detail the people, places, things, and ideas of Dante's work. Overall, I highly recommend the Divine Comedy to every reader, especially for those interested in medieval literature. Still, you may want to find another edition.

I have been using my 30 Day Gourmet manual for 3 1/2 years now and it is by far the best of it's type!!! I started out with Once A Month Cooking, and knew there had to be a better system without all those casseroles!! A friend introduced me to 30DG and I knew from my past experience that this was THE book! And it is!

The included worksheets alone are worth more than the price of the book! The recipes are great... my family of 5 likes most everything I've tried. The recipe variety is wonderful... breakfast, sandwiches, appetizers, desserts, snacks, main dishes, salads... it's all included! When I take a 30DG recipe to a pot-luck, or serve it to company, I always get requests to share the recipe! I have been able to easily adapt my personal recipes to the 30DG system too. The website at 30daygourmet.com is great too! There are additional recipes you can get there, as well as support and info from the message boards. And more successful recipes from cooks like me who use the system.

The greatest thing about the 30DG system is the flexability! There isn't a set menu that you have to make each time you cook. You choose the recipes you want to make, based on your family's likes and dislikes. You can cook as few or as many meals as you choose. If your grocery is having a sale on chicken, stock up and have a chicken cooking day. Do the same with pork or ground beef. You can cook with a partner or by yourself. You can use the system if you only have the freezer above your fridge.

We moved 400+ miles last summer, and spent 40 days in an apartment while our house was being completed. My 30DG manual was the only 'cook book' that went in my car with me... it didn't get sent in the moving van with the rest of my kitchen! I wasn't taking a chance of something happening to it!

If you only buy 1 freezer cooking book, this is the one to spend your money on!

I've been using the 30 Day Gourmet system for nearly three years now. The book is so logically written. It gives you lots of tips regarding freezing, preparing and nutrition. The recipes are all so good and contain "normal" ingredients your family is likely to eat, even the picky ones! The charts included are an invaluable tool when it comes to preparing for your big cooking day. Tara and Nanci take you through the day step-by-step. You can use their recipes or convert your own, again, charts are included for this! I've found I save an incredible amount of grocery money by cooking this way. But, by far, the biggest benefit is having the knowledge that there is something good and nutritious to eat for supper when you get home! No more wondering what we're going to eat, and then deciding it's easier to go out anyway. I always have something good ready to prepare, and save the going out for special occasions now.

I've convinced two of my friends (and am currently working on my sister-in-law) to buy the 30DG manual. You won't be sorry if you get this one!!!

Without a doubt, the best cookbook I've ever bought. Cooking the 30DG way has allowed me to entertain last-minute guests, serve nice company dinners without hassle, and feed my husband and I 2 different meals since he's a meat & potatoes guy & I'm more a chicken/vegetarian type. The recipes are down-to-earth, easy to make and who would have ever thought that freezer mashed potatoes could taste so great!! Recipes cover all courses from breakfast to dinner and appetizers to dessert. I don't especially enjoy cooking so this has been the perfect answer to "what to fix fast for supper that isn't drive-thru or casserole/crock pot". The worksheets, tips, & hints in the book are a breeze to work with and you can even adapt your own favorite recipes into the system. A must for every cook whether you're cooking for 1 or a mob, love to cook or hate to cook.

I absolutely loved this book and am glad I didn't listen to the reviews that touted this as not up to SEP's usual. The hero and heroine are great together. Daisy is a great character with a great ability to be understanding and forgiving and who has sooooo much love to offer. Alex on the other hand, had a really miserable childhood and has removed his emotions to the point he feels incapable of having a loving relationship with anyone. Alex was of the opinion that Daisy was a spoiled rich girl with nothing to offer--but she soon proves him wrong and Alex has to see her for what she is.

The story is absolutely wonderful. I too wondered how I would relate to circus life being a major part of the story, but the story is so wonderfully written that it was part of what made it intresting. The secondary characters were well written and added the right mix to the story, including Tater and Sinjin.

If you like stories that leave you feeling good and that tug at your heart, then don't miss this book--if you love SEP it is a must read.

I have read all of SEP's books and I love this the best! One can't help but love Daisy. In the beginning, the reader is treated to the misconception of Daisy's character. She was every bit the rich, spoiled brat that everyone thinks she is. But with time, circumstances allowed her to grow and reveal her true character and by the end of the book, you'd admire and love her for who she has become. Just goes to show that nothing is ever what it seems.

And I love Alex, because he is the modern day sexy, brooding hero. But mostly, I love the way he fell in love with Daisy. His firm hand taught her about herself, while at the same time, she taught him about love. Their story is very endearing, and is supported by rich characters, making the book a thoroughly enjoyable read. You will laugh, cry and sigh when "Kiss an Angel" is through with you.

Aren't all romances cliches? In a sense, that's also true of this one. But in another sense, it's quite fresh because of its unique perspective. (For instance, does the typical romantic heroine end up shoveling out an elephant trailer at any point in the plot?)

It's fun watching Daisy learn to cope with her new setting and yes, she will capture your heart. And it's just as fun watching Alex learn to laugh.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a master of romantic comedy. You'll laugh through the book and sigh when it's over. (I actually enjoyed it so much that I turned right around and read it a second time.)

When is a bimbo not a bimbo? When she's as smart as Phoebe Sommerville, that's when. Free-spirited Phoebe has inherited a football team and her half sister, but she's not about to let either cramp her style. Phoebe and her dog, Pooh are Susan Elizabeth Phillips' answer to Dorothy and Toto in the "Wizard of Oz" -- complete with unlikely Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. Phoebe's following her own yellow brick road through the football season toward the AFC championship title that will secure her legacy. Along the way she finds Coach Dan Calebow, another one of the author's good-old boys with a heart of gold. He and Phoebe are like oil and water, but it doesn't prevent sparks from flying in some of the most unusual and funny love scenes I've read in quite a while. While this is the third book, I've read in Phillips' Chicago Stars series, it's her first novel. The pacing isn't as quick as it is in subsequent novels. It's good to watch a writer develop. "It Had to Be You" is a keeper.

This was the first book by Ms. Phillips that I had ever read. Since then, there is only one -Hot shot- that I have not loved. This book is so lovable! Phoebe Sommerville is such a great character! Strong yet vulnerable, she is the kind of heroine that stays with you. And Dan Calebow is simply gorgeous in so many ways. The plot ans subplots are interesting and complex, and most of the characters grow and develop through the book just like people do. The pace of the book is fast and the dialogues are natural and funny. The love scenes are sensual and hot, and so real -these are people not cardboard cutouts-. I've found out that you just can't put this book down, even when you are reading it for the umpetenth time!

"I guess we're like oil and water."

"I'd say we're more like gasoline and a blowtorch."

This quote from _It Had To Be You_ basically sets the undertone for the whole book. I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and I was thrilled to get my hands on _It Had To Be You_. I'd heard so many things about her football series that I couldn't wait to read the book that started it all.

Pheobe Sommerville just got herself a football team. After her dog, Pooh, peed on her father's grave, she found out that her father left her his Chicago Stars. Now, all she has to do is learn what to do with that little ball covered in pig skin called a "football". For, even though her father has owned the team for about a decade, Pheobe hasn't come in contact with him for longer then that. She's been spending her time flouncing around the world and making a name for herself as a sexpot bimbo. Little does anyone know that behind her curvy body lies an intelligent mind and a wounded soul.

Dan Calebow, the Stars coach, has overcome childhood poverty and abuse to become a successful football player and coach. Needless to say, he is furious that Pheobe inherited the team. When the two meet, sparks fly, tempers flare, and passions roar as the reader gets ready for the time of her/ his life. Pheobe learns how to deal with the team as Dan learns how to deal with Pheobe. And, the two are undeniably attracted to each other. Can the Stars win the AFC Championship so Pheobe can keep the team? Will Pheobe and Dan put away their pride so that they can have a love for all time?

I really loved _It Had To Be You_ and for many reasons. When I first met Pheobe, I thought, Oh great, I'll have to read about her for the rest of the book. But, I quickly saw that she was an amazingly complex character and she goes through a wonderful change through out the book. Dan is this big chest thumping, beer belching, womanizing chauvanist, and I usually don't like my heroes to be quite this alpha. But, he is definitely a charmer and as Pheobe fell under his spell, so did I.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is known through out the romance world for her witty, uncanny humor. It shines in _It Had To Be You_. Although there are definitely the darker sides to this book, it has such a cornball, smart humor to it that everyone will love it. Susan Elizabeth Phillips has an amazing talent for romance and humor, a combination that is dynamite. Not many books can have you laughing in stiches one second and crying your eyes out the next. _It Had To Be You_ is one of those special few. So, if you enjoy lovely romance and knock your socks off humor, _It Had To Be You_ is a must read.

As usual, Phil McGraw is steps ahead of the rest of us in sorting out what is *really* going on in relationships.

Refreshingly, he begins the book by questioning the therapeutic standards too often given to the thousands of couples in trouble. "The divorce rate in America refuses to drop below fifty percent, and twenty percent of us will divorce not once but twice in our lifetime. Clearly, pleasant and generic instructions on how to communicate better or theoretical musings that give you great insights about relationships just weren't going to cut it fifteen years ago and won't cut it now. " Obviously (to paraphrase him), couples therapy as we have known it isn't working.

You can watch him often on Oprah, but this book is the next best thing to either watching him there, or having him as your personal therapist.

This book is primarily for relationships 'on the rocks' - the first steps are set up to evaluate and understand what your relationship is, how it got this way (no surprise, it didn't fall apart on its own, or because of your partner). The Seven Steps are not simple or simplistic, but provide structure for thought and more. This book is not about what's wrong with your partner and how to fix him or her. It is about the person reading the book -- you!

This would be a great book for new couples to read together (and for this price, why not order one for you and one for your loved one, and read them first in private, then together), not just before they are in crisis, but before they decide to marry. When the relationship is still strong, new, fresh, it is more likely that both people will be willing to talk openly about what they expect and want, and to be able to use the truly helpful instructions on how to stay together.

For those in a troubled relationship, you might want to read this yourself first, and work on your own issues. Dr. Phil has a directness that can be intimidating to some - but for some of us, we need that extra push. This book is on my must have list for newlyweds as well as those in trouble.

Highly recommended for those who truly want that relationship to work!

This is by far the best resource I have ever seen for doing focused relationship repair/building work. I initially picked up this book at a friend's house and found the cover to be enticing. Dr. Phil was blowing apart some long-held myths about relationships and I was intrigued. By the time I got ahold of the book my own relationship was needing some serious attention and I drove in with both feet. I doubt my fiance will ever even see this book and it really doesn't matter. I'm a hypnotherapist and I work a lot with people who are looking for change in their lives. I understand the power of taking responsibility for my side of the street and the difference that can make. I'm a little more than halfway through the book and things have improved dramatically between my fiance and me already. I am learning more about myself than I ever imagined I would, and what I am learning will be useful for me going forward in many areas of my life, not just the romantic love relationship that I'm in. I rarely endorse this kind of self-help, but this book is excellent.

Relationship Rescue is my pick as the top book of 2000.

This book deserves many more than five stars. It is as close as you can get to having a hands-on guide to improving your relationships as you can get without having a trained counselor present.

It's too bad that most people will take on this book because they have a bad or failing relationship. It would be much better to start with this approach in the beginning. I hope marriage advisors, parents, living together couples, and engaged people will become familiar with this book and recommend it to others.

The book is extremely direct. The author makes it clear that you have to first change yourself before you can change you relationship.

The book is extremely well structured for easy use both as a book and as a workbook. It is divided into seven steps (define and diagnose where the relationship is now; get rid of your wrong thinking about relationships; find out what you are doing to hurt the relationships; internalize the values needed to build and maintain strong relationships; the necessary format for a strong relationship; and how to reconnect and manage the relationship).

Each section is filled with diagnostic questions for you and your partner to use, as well as directions for implementing what you learn.

The process involved is a good one. It begins with identifying stalled thinking, works on stallbusting that thinking, and then builds new habits that will work better.

The steps are extensive, but you can take them in bite-sized amounts. Before you are done, you will be sharing what you have done with your partner. I have to believe that anyone who was told that their partner had been working on these questions and exercises would be very impressed by the commitment to the relationship that this effort represented. It can help overcome a lot of thoughtlessness that may have preceded that sharing.

If your relationship is on the rocks, that idea of reconnecting can be scary. I was impressed to see that the book provides a 14 day program to help you with exercises that help reconnect you emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. Most counselors would probably not give you this much guidance.

You can improve the benefits you will find here by also using the excellent workbook that is sold separately. It contains many more questions and a convenient place to write them down. You can read my review of that as well, if you like.

One of the finest things in life is to have a great relationship with other people. This book gives you the necessary background to move in that direction. The rest is up to you, as the author says. Give it a shot! You have a great quality of life to win!

This was the first book by Phillip Margolin that I have read. It was mostly a thriller, but some reviews hinted at a courtroom drama type thing.

It was defiantely a suspense/thriller. While the book was a very entertaining read, that moves along at a very quick pace, it is also very predictable.

Margolin throws in plot twists that, you, the reader, will find yourself suggesting before they happen. Still, this was a very exciting read. I unfortunately have this knack for plotting and development that ruins most mystery books and movies.

And for the ending, it was well drawn out and somewhat believable. I have read that Margolin should be compared to Grisham, but I don't think that is true. Grisham would have built up some suspense, and then ended the book on the last 2 pages. The endings have always been the worst thing about a Grisham novel. He always ends his books so abruptly, like running as fast as you can to the edge of the cliff, and then just falling.

Gone, But Not Forgotten is a fun book to read. If you like thrillers, or suspense books, then you should definatley read this.

The first question I asked myself is why did I wait so long to read Phillip Margolin. We've had this book in our home library for years, and I've finally gotten around to it! Wow...did I waste some time! This is an outstanding, well-written and terrifying book. Margolin has captured a lot of "personality" within most of the characters in this book: flawed, driven, ambitious, and of course with the killer, actual demonic qualities. The book is filled with many surprises, including some really nasty ones, too! I especially liked the characters of Alan Page and Betsy Tannenbaum---lawyers that seem to have a true sense of justice, fighting even their own demons. Betsy's failing marriage to Rick at first seems cliche, but as it evolves and it's final dramatic resolution, we can see how two people who love one another let jealousy destroy their lives. The character of Nancy Gordon is also a good one, and one has to wonder during the proceedings if she could perhaps somehow be involved in the killings. But at the heart of this book is Martin Darius and Peter Lake----these guys are truly villians in the worst sense of the word. No remorse, no compassion, evil to the core. A stunning book that certainly made me go in and put the rest of his books on my wish list; hopefully, my wife will have such a hard time deciding which ones to get me for Christmas, she'll get them all!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I have always loved the John Grisham books, someone else who reads them suggested I read Phillip Margolin's books also. I live in Portland, OR where Mr Margolin lives and he shares pieces of the city and state in his books, making them seem more real to me. He has a real knack for twisting plots! You think you know where the book is going and then as you read on, the book twists in a new direction. I love to read, but his books I have simply not been able to put down! I have to know what's going to happen next. Gone but not forgotten is one of his best at this. He is truely a one of the great writers. If you like mysteries and intrigue, read this, you won't be disappointed!

A century ago a book such as this would have been a call to the barricades. Today with the state as powerful as it is, this book simply makes you want to leave the United States and let it rot.

For those who haven't read the book, O'Brien's story is one of a survivor of a CIA-sponsored program called MK Ultra, which aimed to explore the limits of human "suggestibility." The program began following World War II, when numerous top Nazi scientists resettled in the United States, at the invitation of the CIA, to continue their research into mind control. The project was based upon the research finding that if a person is severely traumatized, he or she will "split" off a "multiple personality" as a defense mechanism. It was those "multiples" that CIA scientists sought (successfully) to "program." Today thousand of people exist as mind-controlled slaves whose "programs" for various activities, such as performance in pornography films, prostitution, message carrying, and drug "muling," can be "accessed" by their "controllers" by cryptic keywords.

A reader curious about O'Brien's book should be forewarned of the exceptionally bizarre nature of its revelations. In fact, at least in my view, the revelations are so bizarre, it would probably be a bad move to read this book without first reading something that "builds" up to it. A good primer on the subject would be John Decamp's _The Franklin Cover-Up_.

Those who do read the book and are of sufficient independent thought to see through the haze of disinformation put forward every day by the state-influenced newspapers and magazines and see the truth in O'Brien's book are placed in a difficult position. They're in possession of extremely rare knowledge, and, futhermore, extremely bleak knowledge. For the picture painted by O'Brien, unfortunately, is nearly without hope.

I am not a religious person, and I have always been both mildly amused and mildly offended by the stories of organized religion. But this is, I must admit, a book that can change such a person as me, for after reading _Tranceformation of America_, I'm left asking an unanswerable question.

Where did all this wickedness come from?

I first heard of Cathy O'Brien through David Icke's books which was traumatic in their own right. Then I read Cathy's "Transformation" and I had to keep putting it down as to absorb her shocking testimony. This material WILL shock you and yet having been an entertainer in country music many years ago, I do not find such testimony unbelievable. The truly thought-provoking part is the role our so-called 'leaders' partake in these hideous events ESPECIALLY those of child abuse.

After giving this book to a close family member, his reaction was "This cannot be true" (especially for being a member of the Republican party for over 50 years). My reaction was 'Why would Cathy O'Brien risk her life and her daughter's to publish this book if it were not true?" Makes you think. Cathy e-mailed me once with the one hope that her book will spread the 'news' that mind control does exist in America and that those of us who read her book will disseminate this information.

Read this book. THE WORLD IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS.

I was moved to tears many times reading this detailed and horrendous account of Satanic Ritual Abuse and CIA Mind Kontrol (MK Ultra) perpetrated on Cathy O'Brien as a baby and upwards. The men and women that did this are in the highest positions of government and the Roman Catholic church today. (Dick Cheney, current U.S. VICE-President, is named as a key abuser and controller.) If you have a weak stomach, do not read this book. If you have a heart and are ready to be moved to give your life for those in need, as did Mark Phillips, then definitely read this book. Many facts contained in this expose of the filthy and powerful are corroborated in "The Franklin Cover-Up", by John W. DeCamp (Laywer and ex-State Senator of Nebraska).

I got myself a Fender Stratocaster and have been taking guitar lessons. I also bought this book. It's a great book to pick up a lots of great hints and has a wealth of good information about buying and caring for an instrument. However, this book does not replace lessons. For exzample, even though charts show you the proper fingering for the various chords, you need lessons to show you the proper positioning of you hand in order to be able to actually play the chord. If you are holding the neck of the guitar wrong, many chords are very difficult to play. Another example.. bending strings! The book can explain it but it sure is a lot easier to learn when you have a teacher showing you and practicing with you. On the other hand, the book shows chord progressions you can pick up and other techniques that, in conjunction with your lessons, you can learn. I recommend the book as a great supplement to lessons. A main reason for my recommendation is that the book is well written and is interesting to read. The fact that it can hold your interest makes it easier to learn than if the book were dry and technical in it's approach. However, I much less strongly recommend the book as your sole method of learning to play guitar. It can be done but not nearly as well as with a teacher guiding you along.

This is a great guitar overview but I'm puzzled that so many beginners rate this so highly. I started with Ernie Ball method books and can't imagine using this particular book as a single substitute. For example, unless you're a natural, you're not going to go from playing in open position to playing in other positions in one paragraph. I think the best package for beginners would be this book AND a progressive method AND some lessons.

If you are an intermediate player, you can enjoy reviewing things in this text that you've already learned as well as getting quick concise information about particulars, be it string bends, double double stops, power chords, or whatever.

This book is a great buy as it saves you from acquiring a whole shelf of guitar books to find out all there is to explore. Once you find a particular topic of interest, seek out a more specialized book.

The CD is unbeatable as you can immediately associate what you hear in different types of music with the musical notation.

If you're a Rock bigot, note that there is a Rock Guitar version. However, this one is my favorite. If you're going to be a rolling stone, you gotta be well rounded, right?

I just picked up a guitar a few months ago having no history of instrument playing of any kind or music theory. I got the book after taking a few lessons because I was bored instantly with the lessons, because they focused on learning music. The book was great! I learned some basic chords right away and began playing. The CD is very helpful too. Lots of helpful photos and illustrations. The book is presented in an easy to read and understand format. It also has sections on different playing styles such as blues, rock, classical, etc..If you are interested in learning to PLAY the guitar and not just read music and learn boring theory then this is the book for you.