Philipe is a Frenchman and the bastard some of an English duke. He is teased and ostracized most of his life because no one in his hometown in France really believes that he is the son of a duke and because his mother used to be an actress. After the death of his father, his half-brother and stepmother make it clear that he is unwelcome in their home, so he decides to move to the colonies and start a new life. Once he arrives in Boston, he unintentionally becomes enmeshed in the revolutionary fervor that is blossoming in the town. The education he recieved as the son of a duke was very enlightened for its time, allowing Phillipe to appreciate and understand the "new" political theories emerging as the colonies break from the British empire.

This is the first book in the Kent Family Chronicles, which charts the history of one family from before the American Revolution to the late 1900s. As a first book in a series, the scene, tone, and family character is well set. John Jakes writes his story with an eye for detail and for entertainment. As I read this series when I was 14, I frequently use these stories as a reference point when remembering details of American history. I highly recommned this series for anyone who wants to learn early US history but doesn't like to read history text books.

My grandmother gave me the hardcover edition of the entire Kent Family Chronicles over two years ago. After reading several other non-related books, I finally decided to pick up The Bastard and start reading. Well, the book was so good that I ended up finishing it in 3 days just so that I could get on to the next book to see what happens next!!! John Jakes is an exceptional writer who has the ability to write about history, love, deception, you name it...and he makes all of his characters seem so alive that it is not hard to picture all of the different scenes that he creates. He nails the classic love story right on the head with the twists and turns between Philip's (the main character) feelings for both Anne and Alicia, and the choices that Philip has to make. Also, I love how Philip is always fortunate enough to met some of our most pivotal members of American History, such as Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and so on. If you truly want to learn more about American history in a fun and exciting way, then definately pick up this book and start reading. You cannot go wrong!!

I started with the North & South Trilogy and was deeply depressed when it was over. I deeply missed the characters and just didn't want it to end. Therefore, what could be better than a John Jakes story that takes 8 books to complete!! Once you read The books, you won't be able to stop until you read them all. This is a great book containing three different stories or stages surrounding the life of our first Kent -- Phillip. All of these stories collide for a finale that is as good as anything I have ever read. One of the best parts of this book is how Jakes uses Ben Franklin as the key character in bringing the story together. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. The story is superb and the history lesson makes you proud to be an American. I can't wait to start Book Two -- The Rebels!!

...that this book is absolutely wonderful? 'Cause it is. Krueger's ability to marry true edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense with lyrical and literary style and sensibility is outstanding. Iron Lake succeeds famously both as a tale of murder and mystery and as a rich and vivid portrait of an unusual town and it's divided citizens.

When a prominent and infamous man-about-town is found dead and a local Native American boy turns up missing, suspects, alibis, and racial tensions pile up as high as snow banks. Cork probably shouldn't get involved. The last time he stepped in the middle, people got hurt. Himself included. And now he's lost his badge and his wife and maybe his way. But whether he likes it or not, he's caught again, like his blood, like his past, half in the white man's world, half on the reservation. Now a man is dead and a boy is missing and it's snowing real hard out there. And Cork's sense of duty and justice didn't disappear with his badge.

Read this book. It's fantastic.

When a prominent and infamous man-about-town is found dead and a local Native American boy turns up missing, suspects, alibis, and racial tensions pile up as high as snow banks. Cork probably shouldn't get involved. The last time he stepped in the middle, people got hurt. Himself included. And now he's lost his badge and his wife and maybe his way. But whether he likes it or not, he's caught again, like his blood, like his past, half in the white man's world, half on the reservation. Now a man is dead and a boy is missing and it's snowing really hard outside. And Cork's sense of duty and justice didn't disappear with his badge.

Krueger's ability to marry true edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense with a lyrical and literary style and sensibility is unmatched. Iron Lake succeeds famously both as a tale of murder and mystery and as a rich and vivid portrait of an unusual town and it's divided citizens.

Read this book. It's fantastic.

This was my first "Cork O'Connor" book and found the characters believable. An excellent read and hard to put down once you start.

I love a good romance novel, and this delivers---just like The Notebook. But it has so much more, too. A very moving story of how the lasting strength of real love can change someone's life around. The characters are very real and very appealing. It's a love story between two intelligent people who just happened to meet when things don't seem destined to work out for them. Or maybe they are responsible for letting destiny override their feelings----isn't that the question we often ask about relationships that don't work out? The history and sweeping story of campus unrest at Kent Stant adds such dramatic tension to the characters own youthful emotions and insecurities. I would say the book is a tad short(I'm deducting a star just for that), but maybe that's because I could have used a few more hours of really good reading. I hope Gary Drake's first novel isn't his last.

Silent Bell is a wonderfully written tale of lost love and lost hope, and a tale of how love can return out of nowhere to renew our hope. I enjoyed the way the story played out with the characters---Stuart and Melina---in present day ('95)considering meeting for the first time in 25

years, and then reliving, through flashbacks their young romance on the campus of Kent State

University during the year ('70) the National Guard opened fire and killed four students. I really felt for the way the characters related during the college years, but, maybe more importantly, felt for how they relate now, after a life time has been spent apart. A

powerful love story with a powerful backgound. And real good reading.

Silent Bell is a wonderfully written tale of lost love and lost hope and how love can return to renew hope. I loved the way the story played out with the characters---Stuart and Melina---in present day considering meeting for the first time in 25 years, and then reliving through flashbacks their young romance on the campus of Kent State University the year The National Guard shootings happened. While a teriffic romance novel, its intelligent for two reasons: 1)the characters are intelligent with more on their minds than just their love connection, and 2)the story has more on its mind that just love too, with politics and philosophy woven into the background (even Jewish angst!). Quite simply, Silent Bell is real good reading.

Poor Richard's Web Site is a practical guide for any one who wants a straight forward approach to getting a private or commercial website up and running quickly. Although I am a fairly experience systems integration professional, I found myself somewhat intimidated by the latest internet technology. Fortunately, Peter Kent demystifies the terminology and technology so that you can focus on the truly important elements of your website (namely content).

Note that this is not a programming book. You will still have to purchase books on the specific technologies that you wish to use. It is a primer on how to run a website development project.

The book consists of four major sections. "Part I - Preparation" walks through the basics of deciding how to obtain a website (web hosting, domain registration). "Part II - Creation" addresses website design, HTML, site authoring, on line ordering and email integration. "Part III - Promotion" deals with how to effectively roll out your site once it is up. The final section is composed of the appendixes which contain a number of helpful checklists.

Overall I think that most people will find the straightforward language and real world examples to be very helpful in planning the development of a website.

Every business needs a Web site. The online brochure has replaced the printed brochure because it is easier to change and cheaper to distribute. With your "store front" open to the world, customers will come to you.

There are a lot of specialized books on html written in geek-speak. Peter Kent covers the whole field and makes it easy. He discusses the preparation, creation and promotion of your site. For coverage, click on Table of Contents in the left-hand column of this page. Includes checklists and an index.

Peter Kent is the author of more than 30 books about computers and the Internet.

As the author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in business. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.

     The Internet has become the home of a number of Websites offering information on a variety of issues, products, and services. Would you like to join us? Need help? There are plenty of fine books around to help you design a good Website. They offer different levels of instruction for a variety of reading audiences. Peter Kent has written Poor Richard's Web Site to help the average non-technically inclined person to design an effective Website and to have an effective online presence.      This book stands out from most other Website design books because the author writes from his own personal experience. His personal interest shows as he guides his readers along. His personal involvement throughout the book offers his readers, particularly those new to the online scene, the confidence they need to succeed online. It is user-friendly, avoiding the big hype and technical jargon found in many other books.      The author provides extensive help on a variety of Website matters such as determining if a Website is necessary, selecting Website hosting companies, selecting and using HTML authoring tools, Website design tips, taking orders online, registering domain names, registering Websites with Internet search engines, searching the Internet for prospective clients, advertising, and applying effective marketing principles.      One notable feature of the book is the listing of hundreds of Website links offering additional Website design assistance, marketing help, graphic images, scripts, online payment information, and other important help. A companion Website for the book features an extensive updated listing of these Websites. The author offers his readers a truly amazing collection of additional resources!      This book targets aspiring Website designers who need help setting up an online presence. If you are short on time, money, and experience this book will provide all the help you need. It's packed! Keep it within your reach while designing your Websites. Highly recommended!

The first book I read from Kent Haruf was Plainsong, which I thought was one of the best books of the year. The Tie That Binds, however, may be even better. It's bleak simplicity, as stark as the Colorado plains in which it takes place, assaults the reader slowly and steadily, unrelenting, but sublime and oh so human. The story of Sanders Roscoe and his neighbors Edith and Lyman Goodnough is heartbreaking and inevitable. Told by Roscoe in a voice as authentic as any I've ever heard, the tale unwinds slowly and passionately. I can imagine sitting in Roscoe's house listening to him tell his side of the story with the rapt attention he demands and deserves. Like Plainsong, the book is full of characters who, with the exception of Edith's father, straddle the line between heroism and villanry. No one is without blame or imperfections, regardless of their intentions. Haruf obviously understands life in Holt, Colorado, and does a wonderful job of conveying it to the reader. Likewise, he knows people and the characters in this book jump off the pages with honesty and realness. An excellent book and another reason to delve deeper into the Haruf portfolio of fine books.

Fifteen years before he wrote his masterpiece Plainsong, Kent Haruf produced this gem. The Tie That Binds will surely find readers as a result of Plainsong, a fine story about brothers and loneliness and tenacity in the High Plains community of Holt, Colorado. Haruf's first novel also features the relationship between siblings, the dutiful Edith Goodnough and her simple brother Lyman, both children of failed homesteaders condemned to a hard life on a dryland farm south of Holt. She is, in the words of the narrator, Sanders Roscoe, her admiring neighbor from the adjacent ranch, a person who "continued to endure by plain courage and a clear eye to duty." In her 80 years, Edith has known 4 men well - her own flawed father and his feckless son Lyman - and another father and son, John and Sanders Roscoe, who are the only persons in the world who truly understand her courage, incredible sense of duty, and beauty. But, as Sanders says "understanding it doesn't mean liking it". Edith's story is haunting yet inspirational. Sanders wonderful narration is filled with the stoic truths of the Great Plains: "Life ain't fair" and "If you can't understand it, you just have to accept it" and "It wasn't anybody's fault. It happened; that's all." The tenor of The Tie That Binds is reminiscent of a two very different classics of the Plains: Larry McMurtry's "Last Picture Show" and Ole Rolvaag's "Giants in the Earth." Having grown up on the Eastern Colorado plains, I swear I know many of the characters. They are as genuine as the real article and every bit as tragic. Five stars without reservation.

Kent Haruf's novel, The Tie That Binds, is a sad, beautiful little book that ultimately has a kernal of hope buried deep within it. The fine writing and the strong voice of the narrator will carry the reader along through the story of Edith Goodnough and all her eighty years of hardship, sacrifice and small pleasures. Edith is a vivid and true creation that seems formed from the earth of the Great Plains itself. It is hard to believe that this is a first novel and it will certainly lead this reader to other novels by this author. It is a little depressing as Kent Haruf is superb at capturing the isolation of the prairies but the novel does find a way to squeeze precious drops of joy from the situation. A fine read.

Mr. Krueger's third Cork O'Conner installment can't get here fast enough. First with IRON LAKE and then BOUNDARY WATERS, this reader found herself completely drawn into the not-so-easy life of Cork and his family. Though I live far away from the setting of this series, and read both IRON LAKE and BOUNDARY WATERS while experiencing 100+ degree weather, both novels gave me chills of delight. I truly like Cork. He is my favorite kind of character -- very human. He makes mistakes, he has regrets, but also has a lot to offer. And yes, the mystery in each of these novels is well-drawn as well, whodunits that kept me guessing. I appreciate that. Thanks, Mr. Krueger. I hope there will be many, many more Cork stories to come.

I've been vacationing in Northern Minnesota for 17 years. I've spent time in the eastern Iron Range and Quetico/Superior wilderness. Krueger creates characters that you'll love. From the Grain Belt beer to the Duluth packs, he does a great job of capturing the lifestyle and spirit of this region in Boundary Waters and its predecessor, Iron Lake. However, what's with a black bear (or any bear) standing up on its hind legs in a show of aggression? My favorite novels anyway.

Boundary Waters is an opportunity to get lost in a vast, cold wilderness. It is a look at treachery and salvation. I was grateful for the opportunity to fall into the drama of the world William Krueger created. He touches on more than mystery . . . I am looking forward to reading his next work - may it have the action of Boundary Waters coupled with the great character development of Iron Lake. He's a magician.

The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music 1972-1995 is a most insightful collection of essays and articles on modern rock music. Author Nick Kent has been a staff writer for New Musical Express for many years, as well as a musician in his own right (the Subterraneans).

In The Dark Stuff, he presents a collection of finely tuned profiles of Brian Wilson, Roky Erickson, Elvis Costello, Morrissey, The Pogues, Lou Reed, Kurt Cobain and other significant figures in recent rock music history. With a writing style recalling profile pieces in the cultish ICON Thoughtstyle magazine, Kent demonstrates an objectivity sometimes difficult to find in 1990s music journalism. Fans of Brian Wilson should take note, as the writer delves deep into the rumors and facts surrounding Wilson's roller coaster career with and without the Beach Boys, posing a genius songwriter's intrinsic desire for creative expression against constant battles with record label executives and other band members often misrepresented in the press.

David Bowie's estranged protege, Iggy Pop, contributes a somewhat skeptical one-page foreword to the volume. Though unclear whether this inclusion demonstrates an effort to sell books or simply present an insider's honest opinion of the music journalist's work, Iggy Pop eloquently summarizes his emotional response to each chapter, claiming to experience "an exhausted, depressed feeling, coupled with a desire to relisten to the music of the subject/artist."

Most interesting is Kent's autobiographical account of his career as a music journalist in the preface, which takes him from rookie stints in various underground publications to one of the foremost music critics in both British and international publications like New Musical Express, The Sunday Times, Details and Spin, among others, making the volume a must-read for aspiring journalists and music fans wanting a raw, honest glimpse inside the darker side of rock.

A great book about the people populating planet rock music, with every chapter worth reading. The chapters I found most interesting were the ones about Neil Young, Roy Orbison and Sid Vicious, and about the author's non-interview with the very strange Roky Erickson. There is also a longish chapter about Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, written when Wilson was a very disturbed man, which makes one realise what a miracle it is that he is now performing again. Kent's prose is worthy of his subjects and he portrays them in all their twisted, but fascinating, glory.

The book also features a brief, but very good, introduction by the legendary Iggy Pop, which seems to indicate that Iggy could have been some author, had he not decided to pursue a music career.

The book made we ponder, anew, a question about artists which has bothered me for many years: are artists destroyed by their art, or do they have to be tortured people from the start to produce work which is different and interesting?

very good,obviously some stories are more interesting than others.all around great reading for fans or non-fans.the sid+nancy story was my favorite,but this shows just how bad it really was.author comes across as likeable,which is unusual in the rock biz.also,the tale of iggy pop ranks as one of the finest gems ever put to words.

I am a civil engineering student who just finished a course in stregth of materials with this text. I found the book fairly easy to follow with good example problems. My main complaint is that the authors consistantly referred to diagrams and figures that were on different pages, causing the reader to flip back and forth. Sometimes the figures were 5 or 6 pages back. This interrupted the continuity of the text, making it more difficult to read. Otherwise, I feel the book is excellent. (If you care, I got an A- in the course. Take this however you want to)

I guess I can see some criticism from a mechanical enineers point of view for lack of fatigue failure analysis. But this book is mainly written for the beginning undergraduate for stress and strain analyis. It is by far one of the handiest and most well written books on the subject that I have come across. If you want fatigue life buy a Shigley book. If you want the basic understanding, Timoshenko is wonderful.

I bought this book as a supplement to my old school text because an engineer can never have enough good resouces in the working world. I chose it after much research as it was well recommended as THE BOOK to have. I have found it to be an excellent reference book. Most all the homework problems have answers in the back as a check. The publishing and editing qualities are excellent.

I didn't want to put the book down, but when I did, I looked forward to when I could read it again. While the story takes place over a short period of time, it eloquently speaks of thousands of years of life and culture. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It opens the door a crack to a world many of us will never know, but it is a world we need to learn about, acknowledge, and respect. I finished it weeks ago, yet I can recount all of the story, and I still can't look at the white, nor the Native American, way of life in the same light. I don't think I ever will. A wonderful book and a must-read.

Review written by Russell P. Loven and Juanita Loven:
Once I finally got into this book, it was hard to put it down. Nerburn's style is exciting and easy reading. The author rides around with an "old" (elder) indian resulting in a very thought provoking oral history. The old man trusted few white people, but it is evident that he trusted Nerburn. His comments regarding the white man's treatment of Indians is very dramatic, philosophical and revealing.
While I did not expect to enjoy this book, I quickly found it held my attention to the end. An excellent oral history about the sobering and sad violence inflicted upon the Native Americans. It was moving, powerful and forcefully forced me to think about (and reevaluate) this sad chapter in American history. It should be read by all students of American history. I learned more about the the feelings held by Native Americas (about whites) from this book than from all the other American History accounts studied in my entire life (age 68)."

Finally, a book about indians that tells it the way it was and the way it is today. At first I thought Old Dan was full of BS. But the more I read the more I knew he was speaking the truth. I was truely sad when I reached the last page of the book, I wanted it to go on forever.

"The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home" is written very straightforward and is well organized. It covers not only the building process, but the planning aspect, as well tips on dealing with local building authorities. There are Internet addresses for information, cost estimate forms, and much more. The project schedule lays out the sequence of events of the house building process. This book is well worth the price and I plan to buy some of the other books in the series.

I built an addition onto my home, and what I learned from that is, it is easier than you think. A friend of mine just had extensive work done remodeling an older home that he just bought. New electric, plumbing, heating, landscaping, garage-shop addition etc. What he learned from that is the General Contractor he hired was busier making everything more expensive, rather than running the job. Now he is finishing the job himself, and doing a good job of being his own GC. This book gives you step by step instructions> great hand holding every step of the way. With checklists for each stage of the game: What to look out for, what is needed, and what works. This book can save you a bundle, and keep you on top of what is going on. Definitely worth every penny. Highly recommended.

Even if you aren't sub-contracting your own home, this is a great book. The diagrams of the foundation to the plumbing was easy enough for the novice to understand. There are checklist included for every stage to make sure that things are being done right the first time. This helps save lots of money on costly and time consuming mistakes. You might not be planning on doing most of the work yourself, but you have the tools in one book to help you make sure that the sub contractors are doing it right. It is your house and your money, with your new found knowledge you will have the upper hand thanks to this book. No one will be the wiser after you read this book that you aren't a contractor yourself. There are also project schedules, reference sheets, plan analysis checklist, item estimate worksheets, subcontractor agreements, affidavits and more in the book to help you get started. You can use the ones in the book or use them as a starting point to make your own. There is a glossary in the back to help with those words that salesmen, subs, or bankers may throw at you. You will be armed and ready. The price is great for a book packed with such helpfull information.