This is an awesome book! It is definitely the most colorful and one of the most interesting Beanie Baby books available. Beanie Mania covers several types of older and retired Beanies along with fabulous photos of every version of most of the Beanies. Also included is information on tags, prototypes, and Teenie Beanie Babies. However, especially since the book is almost a year old, it does not talk about or show pictures of newer Beanies. Nevertheless, I definitely recommend it!!!

Obviously this book is now slightly out of date, regarding new releases in the latter half of 97 and 98. However, that does not diminish the absolute wealth of information available on the early Beanie Babies and the history of the designs.

Aimed at the serious collector, rather than children, this book is very valuable in telling you what to look out for when buying retired Beanies, and what to look for when buying new that may be collectable later.

Look out for the next edition too!!

This was my first BB book I ever purchased. It is chock full of color pictures and info and facts about each beanie.It has- chronology, tag history, collectible ranking, market trend analysis, information guides, oddities and charts for the reader to fill in with their own beanie info. Anyone who purchases this book will refer to is over and over. Both Beckys need to create an updated book with the l998 info. This would definately be well received by all the readers who purchased the first Beanie Mania Guide. Enjoy!

There is a great need for the information in this book, for those facing trial on fabricated or planted evidence and for those studying misconduct in the Department of Justice.

The immediate response I received from peers when giving the alert on this book was, "How can any serious book on tainting evidence exclude the most important event on tainting evidence?" This means you will not find anything on the burning, destruction and classification of the evidence of Waco here. This is a book on Frederic Whitehurst and his efforts to address incompetence and fraud within the FBI crime lab. Whitehurst is weaved into six different cases, notably Oklahoma City and World Trade Center.

The authors are not men of science and make the mistake of claiming that Oklahoma City hinged on a few crystals of Ammonium Nitrate which the FBI crime lab lost. Better evidence shows that the bomb in this case could not have been Ammonium Nitrate.

The most valuable message of this book is that the FBI crime lab does not understand true science and the policemen who run it do not care about their scientific ignorance or incompetence. The sloppiness of FBI serves as exemplary conduct of the most negative sort, poisoning the already low standards of state and local government crime labs.

The value of this book is in description of documents to be requested by counsel during the process of discovery and techniques used by government to have expert witnesses perjure themselves in court.

How many people remember when this report hit the news? How many people have thought about it since? (show of hands) Since then, how many times have we continued to seek justice utilizing this overblown, corrupt, self-serving organ of the Federal Government? Would you want their evidence at *your* trial, should you for some inauspicious reason find yourself at the wrong end of the military-industrial-prison-pharmaceutical-industry? Read this book and I'm sure you will say, out loud, in unison, with me -- I think not! Nothing has changed since that report hit the airwaves, the FBI continues to fly by the seat of its pants, making things up as it goes along, following orders in order to make sure the prisons are full of the candidates properly chosen by those it *is* accountable to...and it hasn't been accountable to the American people for a very long time. And to think we are basing a *war* on their "evidence" -- and it's a wonder I don't believe a word of it. Frankly, this book is only the tip of the iceberg in FBI complicity and complacence in a world that has gone crazy -- but it's a very important tip. This book is very thorough, documented, professionally written and very readable. A must for the library of any professed patriot.

You might want to particularly consider this book in light of the Jeffrey MacDonald case, and know that there is far, far more there than meets the eye.

God bless America.

Tainting Evidence is easy to read, well organized, and alarming. The book gives many new insights into our judicial system and after reading the book, the reader will wonder how many innocent people have been falsely convicted by the FBI based on evidence the FBI has tainted in its crime lab...But this book proves the FBI is solely for the prosecution, often in total disregard of peoples' rights, sometimes even inventing evidence in order to put an innocent person in prison.

For those of us not involved in law enforcement or the judicial system, this book is must reading. There are a number of well-known cases which are used to show how the FBI taints evidence, but it was the story of Ruby Ridge , in particular, that brought tears to my eyes.

This book is important because what happens in these famous cases happens on a daily basis to people like you and me. Read it and learn a valuable lesson.

Alice Valentine

Tenth House is a great thriller! The opening sequence will grab your undivided attention and will not let go until the final confontation with the forces of evil. What takes some authors 600 pages to accomplish, Phillip Tomasso III is able to achieve in 274. The pacing is great...there is never a dull moment. And there is also a healthy dose of humor...a formula which may seem familiar to Dean Koontz fans. Although similar to Koontz in some ways, Tomasso's style and technique are unique. Once you finish this book, you can join me in eagerly anticipating the next Nicholas Tartaglia mystery by Phillip Tomasso III.

Ever wonder what the end result would be if a Robert Crais novel had a head-on collision with an episode of the Twilight Zone? Well, you can stop wondering, because Phillip Tomasso has written it, and written it well. Cynical, quick-witted, private eye Nicholas Tartaglia takes on a case that completely reshapes his life when the spirit of a murdered young woman hires him- not to solve her murder, but to stop another from happening. During the investigation, Tartaglia faces a dangerous religious cult as well as his own past, a tumultuous present, and a frighteningly uncertain future. Phillip Tomasso has cut a slice of hard-boiled detective noir and served it up with a generous dollop of supernatural topping. The characters are sincere, likeable, and most of all, believable. The descriptiveness and interaction between the players sets a gritty, 'real' stage that can be seen and even felt by the mind's eye. It isn't long before you find yourself considering the wisecracking PI at the center of this work to be like an old and trusted friend. Wonderful characterization, 'real' dialogue, romance, action, and suspense make Tenth House a superb read! Mr. Tomasso has scored a direct hit on my personal bookshelf and I anxiously await his next work.

Tenth House is a fast paced and well written novel. Philip Tomasso is a mystery author who is rapidly developing into a leader in the field. His first novel, Mind Play, was good and his second novel is even better. The prologue is vivid and not for the faint hearted. It is intended to be shocking, and it succeeds. It shows a dark side of human nature, which is, unfortunately, believable.

The hero, Nicholas Tartaglia, a private investigator, is a realistic character. He has the faults, anxieties, and personality traits that we see in ourselves and in other individuals in everyday life. He develops as a person during the course of the novel, and in addition, solves the mystery that the author has constructed for us.

Tomasso drags several red herrings across our path during the course of the novel. All of the possible suspects are believable, yet at the end of the novel the actual perpetrator is a surprise. The ending, however, is not so much of a surprise that the reader can not say that he should have seen it coming. Well done.

The hot topic these days for those interested in the abortion debate is "post-abortion healing." And for good reason. According to Planned Parenthood's research department some 43 percent of women will have had an abortion by the time they reach 45 years of age. And who better to help women find hope and healing than two who have experienced the tragedy of abortion themselves.

Synda Masse and Joan Phillips, the authors of Her Choice to Heal: Finding Spiritual and Emotional Peace After Abortion, are leading the charge to provide women with spiritual renewal following abortion. Their recently-published book is an excellent guide for women seeking to accept forgiveness and reconcile with God.

Masse and Phillips have written Her Choice to Heal in a workbook style that combines helpful advice and choice Biblical passages with writing spaces where a woman can reflect on her own abortion situation and what she's read.

Speaking about women beginning to come to grips with their abortion, they write, "For months and even years, the only apparent truth is that she made the right decision for that time in her life." Yet women eventually find themselves with overwhelming feelings of denial, anger and tremendous guilt. Her Choice to Heal addresses each of these feelings in various chapters.

Masse and Phillips are intimately familiar with abortion decisions. Both are former leaders of the Crisis Pregnancy outreach of Focus on the Family and have previously suffered from abortion's lasting effects.

Despite attending a "private Christian college," Sydna Masse found herself pregnant. She faced a dilemma that seems to typify the desperate situation young women find themselves in -- one that compels them to feel they have no other choice besides abortion.

Her boyfriend threatened to "turn my whole world upside down" if she chose to carry the pregnancy to term. He threatened to divulge her pregnancy and refuse any support for her and her child, to reveal the pregnancy to her mother (who would likely not support her), and to get Sydna kicked out of school. "You'll be on your own! It doesn't look like you have much choice." Sydna chose abortion and began "drowning my feelings with drugs and promiscuity" -- a lifestyle she would unfortunately "continue for many years."

Joan Phillips' story shocks even readers most familiar with tragic abortion experiences. Following a high school romance that turned into a domestic abuse nightmare, Joan made an appointment for an abortion after gathering her two sons and leaving her husband. But no one heard the "silent screams" she cried during the abortion.

Phillips soon begins a sordid affair with a married man. This produced two abortions but millions of heartaches. By day she became a "supermom" to her kids; by night she'd "smoked pot until I couldn't see, cry for no reason until the tears were gone, and wonder what was wrong with me."

This book is not just for those who have a personal abortion experience or know someone who does. Every pro-life activist needs to purchase Her Choice to Heal for the outstanding explanation, in layman's terms, of post-abortion syndrome. We all should have a working understanding of the types of emotional and psychological torment women who have had abortions face. After sharing their personal stories, the authors outline just that in the first chapter.

Joy comes in the mourning. Her Choice to Heal isn't simply a plunge into the roller coaster world of post-abortion emotions. In the final chapters, Sydna finishes her personal story by touching on her newfound Christian life and husband, her work at Focus, and her goal to produce enough "courage to face my emotions and release them" and to "release my long lost baby as well."

The authors define their mission well.

"As two of those who have experienced first-hand the lasting effects of abortion, we believe that Post-Abortion Syndrome does, indeed, exist, but that it can be overcome. To the woman who is struggling, we would like to extend you our compassion -- as well as a supporting arm to guide you along the way to healing through the pages of this book. You are in our prayers as you begin your journey toward peace."

Sydna Masse and Joan Phillips have presented a masterpiece to millions of post-abortive women desperately seeking God's forgiving touch. The brilliant combination of personal testimony, dry facts and Biblical wisdom provides women with a solace many thought they might never find. The book's interactive nature, fostered by the inclusion of "Healing Place" writing spaces for reflection, dramatically enhances women's ability to understand the message and apply it to their own situations.

I encourage you to purchase Her Choice to Heal. If you have had an abortion experience, know someone who has, or simply want to better understand how abortion hurts women and how to help, Her Choice to Heal is a must-read.

As a twice post-abortive woman, this book was an amazing help to me. Before reading it, I'd felt as though God had done much healing in my heart about my two babies...but I found out He wasn't finished with me yet! Now I believe all the corners of my abortion experiences are swept clean and I know I will be reunited with my daughter and son for eternity, because of the forgiveness possible in Jesus Christ. I wholeheartedly recomend this book!

I read this book several years after going through the Bible study entitled "Forgiven and Set Free" by Linda Cochrane. Its contents reflect the content of the Bible study closely, with personal testimonies from the authors interwoven through the chapters. I counsel women who are struggling with the emotional aftermath of abortion, and I reccommend they read it before beginning the aforementioned Bible study with me. I suppose that neither this book, nor the Bible study, would be extremely helpful if a woman does not consider herself a Christian, since they both address the issue from a Christian, biblical perspective. But it is possible, I suppose, to find some measure of comfort in the knowledge that there are others who understand and share your painful experiences. Our grief, guilt, regret, and shame can be common denominators regardless of our faith or lack therof. Therefore, I highly recommend this book for any woman who is struggling with her feelings connected to a past abortion.

As a fellow author (romance fiction...write it, don't read it...I read Mystery fiction)But I know the effort it takes to finish a manuscript, one that doesn't reflect the total excitment we feel when getting what we know to be a WONDERFUL story off our minds. Idelia's story is just that...A wonderful story thats paced and poised, graceful in it's delivery. I also know that HALF way through we just can't WAIT to know what our readers think... so I was reading... at work... at home...in lines.. ONLINE... and then I go.. WAIT a minute... I'm loving this and I need to tell her! Connor is a wonderful character full of BELIEVEABLE ability. Martin, Paxton, Hayes are GREAT male characters... developed thoroughly and believably. I could just see them lusting the poor woman at every turn.(smile)The build up to the kidnapping was not over set. The inner workings of the characters brains, helped the readers to feel the growing suspense. It was like choreography...Very well done. All I know was that I couldn't LAUGH hard enough at the restaurant scenes... they were GREAT! Well, let me continue reading this 5 star book! On to its climax I'm right there...the Sedan is closing in! Can't put it down!

I just finished reading the marvelous debut novel of Dr. Idelia Phillips and was completely taken in by her protagonist Dr. Connor Phillips, lawyer and techno-insider. After being passed over for a promotion she most richly deserved, Dr. Connor Phillips sets her sights on another employer, confident that her skills and background will be an added plus to APPLIED MICROIALS, a highly successful technology firm. The sparks start to fly when she meets her new employer Franklin Hayes III and the two embark on a rollercoaster ride of suspense, romance and intrique. They meet their toughest test when Connor is kidnapped and held hostage by people bent on having her reveal secrets vital to MICROBIALS. It is a ride and a half as Connor and Franklin must wrestle through their own personal agendas to find their true togetherness. Star Light, Star Bright showcases the talented storytelling of Dr. Idelia Phillips and should be added to your must read list. Waiting anxiously for the next story.

Excellent read! The story line romance with the big business intrigue (and a side of kidnapping) was perfect, and laced with just the right amount of "laugh til you cry" humor. The main character, Connor, is a woman we would all like to be....beautiful, super intelligent, and genuinely human. This story takes you on the ride of your life. Once I started I couldn't (or wouldn't) put it down (I was done in a day and a half). Idelia Phillips deserves a big round of applause. I only have one question......when is the next book from this author going to be available!

The editors of this book obviously made a very pointed effort to pick those stories that are not only tied to the Cthulhu Mythos, but are actually worth reading. The stories by Lovecraft, Derleth and Bloch are the best in the book, and even Stephen King gets a short tale in. There probably should be a couple more Cthulhu Mythos follow-ups to this as there are several good selections that didn't make it into the book.

Here is raw horror as only Lovecraft can write it!
As much as I have enjoyed the Cthulhu mythos over my 50 years, I often wondered why Lovecraft never wrote in his stories about science and romance. I have discovered a new full length book all about Cthulhu's evil doings, the Necronomican of Abdul Al-Hazred and the Yog-Sothoth. This book, "The Riddle of Cthulhu", has all the Lovecraftian horror plus science fiction and romance! If after reading "Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos," you want to read a well rounded modern adventure with more of evil Cthulhu; then, this is a perfect next book for you!

MOST of the stories in this collection are not by H.P. Lovecraft: only 2 out of 22 are actually HPL's work! Nevertheless, this is a good collection of stories written by other authors who followed HPL in writing about the so-called "Cthulhu Mythos" that Lovecraft created. If you're looking for stories by Lovecraft himself, look elsewhere: there are other collections available composed entirely of his work. But if you want to read stories by the many authors who contributed what are felt by many to be the core of the Myhos, then this is a good beginning for you.

I'm definitely over 40 with a body that is changing in directions that don't necessarily please me. I also work full time and have two teenagers in the house. Believe me there is little time to focus on fashion! What I liked about the book was the author's very positive slant on being over 40. She is realistic in expressing the thoughts and confusions of this decade -- especially insofar as looking one's best. What was less than favorable was the assumption that the reader has plenty of disposable income and a lot of time on her hands (neither of which is true in my life and in the lives of my co-workers). Many of the "hints" were really rather common sense ideas. Other hints required money and time to truely pull off. Overall, I'd recommend the book beccause I liked the portrayal of the 40+ year old woman. I'd think twice about suggesting it to someone who wants to get fashion savvy but has little extra money or time.

I LOVED this book. As an art major, a lot of the advice was common sense/second nature, but the underlying theme of the book (to me)was PAMPER yourself. If you have a closet FULL of shoddy bargains, thrift store has beens, hasn't fit in 10 years knits and poor gift choices from sis/hubby/kids-you have NOTHING to wear and you truly are NOT taking care of yourself. There is a very wise emphasis on buying one or two items you adore, and building around them. The book does not preach shop 'til you drop, or only buy designer things-it says love yourself. You can build a wardrobe around really well made pieces. Most of us readers have spent 40+ years taking care of/looking after others. Now the focus is doing unto ourselves. It will be hard for a lot of readers to embrace ("I don't deserve this expensive-fill in the blank")-but the author gently convinces us WE CAN. We've earned it, and the pay off is more than just pandering to vanity. It's going with a stylish sense of entitlement into the second (better) half of life!

I hate to shop! I have to look good (on occasion) and I am definitely over 40.

This book is really great. For example, I spend far less on clothes now that I took the advice of creating a working a wardrobe around just a few good pieces. I don't throw away or give away so many failed pieces. I use the accessories to change the core outfits and I think I look a lot better.

If you go to the mall, it's plain that clothes are geared to younger women who shop often, wear somethink a short while and then move on to the next fad. These kinds of clothes don't work for me, don't fit me and cost plenty. You can save a lot of time and money by figuring out what is right for you and then building a working wardrobe around it. About time someone wrote a fashion book "for the rest of us."

Low Rider gives the reader another look into the life of Harold Dodge, in a page-turner that reads quick and holds you in the grip of suspense. Who knew that the underworld of car dealers had so much going on? The off-the-wall characters add humor and excitement to the story. Through it all, there is the extremely likeable and realistically flawed Harlod Dodge. Will there be a third novel in this series?

Phil Reed has created a modern Don Quixote in the unlikely form of Harold Dodge. Dodge is your average, hard-working joe that has become the fodder for the miscreants of our society. He gets mad as hell in BIRD DOG and marches right through into LOW RIDER on a one-man quest to correct the incorrigible wrongs and infidels that have befallen him. In lieu of his trusty steed is a lime green '64 Chevy Impala SS with plenty of horsepower to crusade against the evil gang-bangers, rip-off insurance agents and crooked car dealers. Dodge battles to get a piece of an insurance settlement on a man that he has wrongly been accused of murdering in BIRD DOG.

The journey is replete with temptations, brutality, maidens in distress and evil at every stop light. It is a battle that will keep you on the edge of your seat and white knuckled as you race to a climatic conclusion.

Phil Reed has created a marvelous world where the good guy fights back and even has a chance at the girls and the fast cars. It is my hope and wish that this is just the begining of a long and exciting career for both Phil Reed and Harold Dodge. Long live the "car noir"!

Philip Reed's LOW RIDER is the second book featuring reformed car salesman Harold Dodge, who always tries to do the right thing but doesn't mind making a little money on the side. And once again, Reed mires Harold in endless "car noir" calamities. The story is peopled by memorable sleazeballs, con men and women who can resist Harold's odd charms. Reed's books add a much-needed dose of levity to crime fiction that proves humor doesn't have to be over-the-top to be brilliant. I highly recommend LOW RIDER and its predecessor, BIRG DOG.

The workbook for Relationship Rescue has some very useful exercises. It definitely supplemented my understanding of my relationship and helped fill in for me some of the parts of the main book that I didn't understand.

While I like his "no-nonsense" approach - I also find that there are other books with a more balanced as well as spiritual approach that were also very helpful as well as as profound for me in my relationship. The two books that I am thinking of are not usually what people think of as "Relationship" Books but I highly recommend them. 1) The Mastery of Love, by Ruiz; and 2) Working On Yourself Doesn't Work, by A. and S. Kane. Both these books have deep insights about how to be more truthful, how to have more compassion, and how to not get caught in being "right", and to learn how to stop fighting your partner/lover/mate...and how to have harmony and happiness.

I would not have normally bought a book like this but for anyone whose ever been in a difficult relationship this book will provide eye opening observations into who you are and how well you know your partner.

By it for yourself, by it for a friend or loved one. You won't be dissapointed.

I am ordering two copies of this workbook. I have the Relationship Rescue book already. This book is not only helping to save my marriage, it is also saving my life! When I first got the book, I asked my husband to read it and he complied to my suprise.A time later he was on the phone talking to his friend who was having problems with his wife. I heard my husband recommending this book! At that time did I realize there was hope......

Imagine the American Dream refracted through a shattered kaleidoscope and you will begin to have sense of the life of the significant characters which populate "My People's Waltz," a series of interconnected short stories mainly revolving around the central character, Richard. Divorce, alcohol addiction, domestic violence, ruined trust and unethical business practices compete with dancing in kitchens, genuine affection, teen-age debauches and waterskiing buck naked. Richard, the son, witnesses the dissolution of his parents' marriage; Richard, the husband, participates in the deterioration of his own marriage, and Richard, the father, considers exactly what his own son, Fisher, will remember about the chaos of his own early life.

Dale Ray Phillips is a fine writer, and his style encompasses sympathy for his characters and wisdom as to their circumstances. He describes his characters: "A people like mine were not pleasure-fearing Pilgrims, nor the landed aristocracy of the Virginians who would write the Constitution...We became whatever the new landscape required: reluctant but rum-fortified revolutionary soldiers; willing purveyors of smallpox-infested blankets...traders of horses and human flesh." These "owners of damaged dreams" don't stumble through life; they make war on it. They love hard, recklessly, and without consequence. Their unions, emotional, familial or sexual, are intense and unlasting. They lie, cheat and steal with abandon. But, Philipps makes them appealing to us. Richard, his failed father, his emotionally-damaged mother, his frustrated wife Lisa -- all of them contain that quality of humanity which ultimately bonds them to us. The author provides the best description of his novel: "I wish these wer the stories of people who cavorted more with happiness than with the moments from which they needed rescue...All my people have ever aspired toward was a place where the geography of ourselves made sense."

My sole reservation of the novel derives from the disjointed, and, at times, repetitive nature of the prose. Rather than evolving as a unity, the novel is a bit too episodic, and lacks the cohesiveness of other intgegrated short-story novels. However, this criticism does not diminish my respect for the author nor for the incredibly sensitive portrait he has created for a segment of our population often ridiculed, but seldom understood.

As a former fiction writing student of Mr. Phillips, this book gives me new insight to his often repeated words of wisdom, "Write what you know." I must agree with another reviewer who said that these stories might be more enjoyable if read seperately, grouped together they provide us with sense of dread and a complete picture of the inescapable life of Richard. Most of the stories were printed seperately at first as short stories in magazines and they lose something if read in chronological order.

Still, My People's Waltz showcases the extraordinary talent of Dale Phillips and his slant on the Southern fiction writer. The stories each draw you into to the characters' lives and force you to care for them, while the sad humor attempts to lighten the underlying message.

Dale Ray Phillips is a great voice in American fiction. Summing up the life of the character he calls Richard, Dale Ray breaks into the broken human heart like a burglar and finds the lost riches there. His characters are lost, deaf, and knowingly unholy in a landscape of mischance, love, and unbearable knowledge. Fathers betray sons as naturally as crappies bite hooks, and lovers try to force each other into different shapes. A forceful collection of stories.