As a Universalist pastor and animal rights activist of many years, I have to say that this is an excellent book. The cover is absolutely adorable and worth the cost of the book alone. Much of the material presented regarding the souls and spirits of animals is very similiar to my own, which has been posted on the internet for a number of years, however, to Jean Holmes credit, she presents it in a much less confrontational manner than I usually do.

So, if I like this book so much and love the cover, why have I only given it four stars instead of five? Well, I feel that the author fell short of presenting, of what could have been, one of the most important books of our time. She is knowledgeable enough to discuss "apokatastasis" in her book, which indeed offers evidence of animals and all of creation being eventually being restored, however, I feel she has greatly missed the full understanding of this teaching, as she seems to hold a more traditional view of hell, by stating it is eternal. Of course hell can not be eternal if, as scripture says, it will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Such an oversight is, to me, unfortunate.

Jean Holmes, like myself, has spent a lot of time researching the original Hebrew words of various texts involving animals, I just wish she had done the same for the Greek word "aion", and other Greek words, which are mistakenly translated in English as "Eternal" and not as a "Period of Time", as they should truly be rendered... and perhaps she could have seen the truth of "apokatastasis". Of course if those reading this review also believe in eternal hell and are animal lovers as well, then I am sure that "Do Dogs Go To Heaven?" will be a five star book to them....

This book is a must read for all pet owners, and future pet owners. It is inspirational, first and foremost. Then, it offers comfort and solace to the pain of grief. And, there is much information to be had, as well. Worth a try, and you will read and re-read it, as a source of reference and comfort.

Arlene Millman
author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY
(The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier)

After the loss of my cat I was happy to find a book that told about God's plan for the animals. It is reassuring to know that we will be with them in heaven someday. I would have loved to read this book, as well as "There Is Eternal Life For Animals" and "Will I See Fido In Heaven" before my cat passed away. It is very interesting that the Bible tells us about the animals going to heaven, but many of us didn't realize it. All three books are good Bible-based research on the subject.

I gave this book two stars because it was more bad then good. I mean the kids could have met a little differently. that's because who meets someone on vacation that they don't know and they just saw shoot a guy, and after he sees the one kid shoot the man he talks to him like they have been friends forever. Then they start hanging out every day.
The only good part is the mystery behind the fake man and how it ends. It ends completely different then I thought it would. At first you'll think the old man is a kingpin drug dealer, but i guess you'll have to read it to find out how it ends.

To read at any time, but don't want one really long novel, then this is the book for you.
I give Following Fake Man four stars for being a really good book, but more suspence would have made Following Fake Man a five star book in my opinion. Following Fake Man is about a boy named Homer Whinthrop who has to go live in Maine for a few weeks because his mother wanted a vacation and she chose her old home in Maine for the vaction. Whenever Homer wants to know about his father, his mother won't tell him and she has a unique way of not answering his questions. Wwhen they get to the vaction spot, Madeleine, the housekeeper, almosts hits an old mysterious man and Homer's mother yeaps out like she knew the man. Homer doesn't know that he will meet his first real friend and find out more about the Fake Man that Homer's family hit when they arrived. Homer will finally find out about this fake man, his mother's willing to hind the answers, and how his father's death is all figured in all of this.

A compassionate and exciting novel, Following Fake Man tells the story of a boy who is yearning to know the truth.
Homer Winthrop is a moody city boy from Boston, MA. His father died when he was two, and his mother suddenly has migraine headaches or is struck dumb when he askes about his father. But this summer, things are different. Homer, his mom, and his housekeeper all go on a vacation to Herring Cove, ME, his father's hometown. Once there Homer meets Roger Sweeney, and they both get wrapped up in a mystery complete with disguises, supposed smugglers, and Homer's father's past. In the end NOTHING is what they expect.
I really enjoyed reading about Homer's progression through his mysterious past. Anyone with a 'sweet tooth' for mystery would!

Jane's did a great job on with what is new with the F-14D but lacked the flying characteristics, which would've been great to read what Turkey drivers say. The virtual missions were "ok" but I felt that they didn't expound enough, which me wanting more information.

I liked the avionics update but I'd wish they would expound more on the flying characteristics. (Flight envelope, landing..etc) This mission scenario wasn't bad or great.

This book is the last word on the F-14. I wanted to read more about the 79 F-14's that were sold to Iran before the fall of the Shah and how they performed against Soviet supplied Iraqi aircraft during the 1980-1988 Iran - Iraq war but nothing was mentioned

From my opinion, I think this is 1 of the best book about the F-14 Tomcat. The information provided are satisfying & the pictures are cool & are rare to find anywhere else. The amazing part of this book is the mission which the Tomcat flew, with jaw breaking dogfights & bombing missions. The book also tells you the weapons that are in used with the F-14 Tomcat like the Sparrow, Sidewinder, Pheonix & the M61 canon, & lets not forget the leser guided bombs. It also shows you the differences in the Tomcat models like the A,B & D but just simple information about that. The book shows you the sensors used whcih I think it's interesting just simple background about it. Most of all, this book is going to be a valuable aset to the F-14 Tomcat fans. They still say, Tomcat rules!

Most people who know a little about Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series know that at one point Doyle got sick of the detective series and killed off his star character, only to be forced into "resurrecting" him after a two year absence. Here, in one of the many, many, many, modern takes on the Holmes series, eminent Tibetan author Norbu details Holmes adventures incognito in India and Tibet during those two years. The role of Dr. Watson (both as bumbling sidekick and chronicler) is here assumed by Hurree Chandar Mookerjee, a Bengali spy lifted from yet another work of fiction, Rudyard Kipling's "Kim" (and just to be totally clear, he was based on a real Indian who spied for the British!). The adventures initially consist of a plot by the henchmen of Holmes' now-dead nemesis, Moriarity, to avenge their leader's death. Holmes ends up hiding out and getting the notion to make a pilgrimage to Lhasa to meet the Dalai Lama'something strictly forbidden for Westerners. This leads to the second main adventure, which involves helping the young 13th Dalai Lama (a man critical to real-life modern Tibetan history) evade the deadly machinations of the powerful Manchu Imperial agents in Lhasa.

Norbu should first and foremost be commended for being able to almost perfectly capture the correct period speech for each character (there is a lengthy glossary at the back for all the Hinustani phrases and period slang). I say" almost" because I found Hurree's speech to be just a little too over the top, even for the type of educated servant of the Empire he is'it's just a shade too forced at times. Norbu has also captured the period perfectly and manages to seamlessly insert his own agenda by portraying early Chinese imperialism in Tibet. The portrayal of Holmes is excellent (enthusiastic, abrasive, arrogant, drug abuser) up to a point. That point is the final quarter of the book which starts melding the Holmesian world of deduction and reason with the Tibetan world of mysticism and occult powers. Up until then, I had been having great fun, but once people started throwing around hellfire and erecting mental shields and whatnot, I lost faith and interest in the whole exercise. It's not that I'm prejudiced against such things (I've played sword and sorcery role-playing games for 15 years), I just don't think they belong in the hyper-deductive world of Sherlock Holmes. It's well known that Conan Doyle had a strong belief in the occult and was fascinated with the spirit world, but to mix that in with Holmes just rubs me wrong.

Surely something happened in the years when Sherlock Holmes travelled through India and Tibet. According to author Jamyang Norbu, what happened was a fabulous adventure that challenged Holmes to the full, gave him a new sidekick (an Indian spy out of Rudyard Kipling). Holmes comes to India fleeing Mortiarty's henchmen who seek revenge for their fallen master. Unfortunately, they arrive in India before him and his life is in constant danger. Holmes shows his traditional detective skills, solving an apparently impossible crime, but then develops a fascination for Tibet. Travelling to forbidden, mysterious, and beset Tibet, Holmes seeks to help the High Lama escape from the influence of Imperial China and a mysterious and arcane dark power. The battle becomes a bit more physical than usual in Holmes stories, but retains a true Holmes feel. I especially enjoyed Norbu's descriptions of British India, with both its positives and the incredible British arrogance both on full display. Norbu's political objective (the end to Chinese oppression in Tibet) is clear but does not overwhelm the novel. Whether Doyle would approve of this story is certainly open to question. Given that we know that Holmes travelled to Tibet and met with the High Lama, I think a more mystical approach to these years is certainly appropriate. Go ahead and enjoy this fine novel.

A WELL WRITTEN PASTICHE THAT COVERS A SUBJECT LONG NEGLECTED,THOSE FABLED MISSING YEARS.I SAY ALA SAX ROHMER BECAUSE OF THE ATTEMPT ON HOLMES WITH A POISINOUS LEECH.(THE KISS OF ZYAT ON SIR DENNIS NAYLAND SMITH)AND MEMBERS OF THE MANCHU CLAN POLICING TIBET. VERY MUCH ENJOYED THIS ONE,DON'T PASS IY BY. RICHARD S. DAVIS

The problem with this book is that the setting has almost nothing to do with the plot or character. So it's an orwellian world. Surveillance cameras are everywhere, all susupicious moves are screened out by pattern matching and suspects are immediately identified.

And then, the special unit named PEACE will nail the suspect using a tranquilizer gun. The city became safer, less crimes. Fine.

You would imagine that this sort of setting would lead to an Orwellian dystopia, where people's freedom is compromized under a police rule. No. The only problem is that there is some side effects with the tranquilizer and the hero goes after it. and then he uncovers this huge conspiracy...

But even after everything is revealed, I can't really understand the problem. So why not use another tranquilizer??! That's all there is to it. Everything else about this system, according to this story, is just peachy. Really?

The story avoids all difficult issues about this sort of setting, and just does this tough good guy (with a beautiful wife) against a big conspiracy. I don't think the characters and the plot are well worked out. He devotes a chapter about a news reporter's past, you think he's an important character, but he doesn't do ANYTHING. Why bother? The final battle seen, where somehow, the major characters come together, is totally unbelievable.

I regret the time I spent on this story. I wouldn't want other people to repeat that waste.

In light of the recent tragic events I began thinking of this book which I read a while back. As we (rightly) edge our way to becoming more of a security state to protect ourselves from terrorism the scenario laid out in Holmes's novel set in New York city (massive video surveillance linked to facial recognition technology linked to behavioral recognition neural networks) looks frighteningly relevant. Though this technology is only begining to be effectively used and is just entering the American public's conciousness it is obvious that it may become a vital part of our future. Holmes touches on the possible (probable?) abuse of this invasive "Big Brother" technology but he doesn't take this obvious route and looks into more subtle and complex underpinnings for the conspiracy which propels the plot. In this regard, I strongly disagree with the previous review. In questioning the saftey of a widely embraced but untested technology Holmes takes a route less predictable but still exciting (you have to read the book to get the details but a good present day analogy might be the massive proliferation of cell phones). There's a secret government and enough conspiracy here to make even the most trusting of us a little paranoid. With recent events I took a second look at this novel. Though a fun, can't-put-it-down kind of read, P.E.A.C.E is also the type of book that can change the way you look at our future.

A very disturbing view of future world, where police wear 'sleeper' guns which are, in theory, supposed to put you into a light sleep and calm you down. But what if the drugs used in the gun are not as innocent as they seem? Guy Holmes explores the (grim prediction for) future with breathtaking detail. This stuff sounds so real, that I am afraid that, few years from now, we will be walking the streets we only read about.

plenty of conversational language, but the cassette has to be listened to with the book to make sense (not good for the learn-in-your-car crowd). Also the WHOLE THING is done in phonetics; doesn't the author think we're smart enough to learn a new alphabet?

Some additional caveats to add to the previous reviews: though Holes' book is a respectable text that presents quite a large amount of Arabic grammar well and thoroughly, all material is in transliteration--there is NO Arabic script in this book. (The advantage is that Holes doesn't have to deal with Modern Standard Arabic spellings from which the spoken language deviates; he can also mark stress on all words, a very useful feature of the book.) Also, though each of the 20 units has an Arabic-English vocabulary, there is NO Arabic-English or English-Arabic vocabulary for the entire text at the end of the book--not even an index to the lesson in which a word is first used. (Nor is there a grammatical index.) And despite the length of the text for a Routledge Colloquial, there is only a single cassette--three or four would be better, though it would have pushed the price of the whole into the barely affordable range. All in all, worthwhile only if you have a serious interest in spoken Eastern Arabic AND have other resources for learning Arabic.

I started this book with no knowledge of Arabic whatsoever. It is set up somewhat like a class in that there are lessons and assignments (with answers in the back) but it is at your own pace. After about a month or so of studying, I really began to grasp it. I shocked myself one day when I went into a local Middle Eastern grocery store and was able to understand the conversation between a woman customer and the counter clerk. It was amazing. I disagree with the previous review putting the book down for not teaching us the alphabet. Learning another language is complicated, especially when the alphabet is COMPLETELY different from our own. We learn to speak our native language long before we know how to read or write it-that's part of learning as we grow up. I think it's a natural progression to do the same with another language. If you do want to learn to write it, an excellent companion would be The Arabic Alphabet : How to Read and Write It. But this book was very comprehensive and detailed. I definately would only get this book if you are serious about learning it, because otherwise you will be overwhelmed with information. I highly recommend it.

The Gods of Golf is one of those books that almost make it into the realm of classic golf fiction like "Kingdom" or "Bagger Vance". Interesting characters, a great basic premise, yet the authors fall short of making any real conclusions about the link between life and golf that the "classics" tend to make. That link is what draws all avid golfers back to the course for another round of constant abuse and occasional success. Instead, The Gods of Golf comes off like a trip through a teenager's video game -- interesting but forgettable.

Excellent book. It was funny, and had a great story. Even if you are not a golfer you can enjoy it. If you are a golfer you will enjoy it even more. The group of gods are excellent. I loved the book.

All 'hackers' should read this book

In this novel, 16-year-old Caleb DeWilde kills himself for reasons revealed to his mother, Meg, at the end of the book. Right at the very end, Meg feels "a deep sense of contentment." This book takes place over a time period of less than 2 months. A mother feels contentment 2 months after her son kills himself? My goodness, when someone loses a loved one suddenly, it takes months if not years for the survivors to feel any happiness at all, let alone "contentment." Holmes writes that her characters want to have a happy family life like it was before. She leaves the reader with the feeling that this will be achieved in the near future. When you lose a child, your life is completely changed and things are NEVER as they were before. I know couples who've lost children years ago and the pain is still sharp. I can't believe how little the author understands about the pain and enduring grief that comes with losing a loved one. I am almost offended.

This is the first book I've read by Dee Holmes. I was drawn in immediately. The author doesn't waste any time and hooks you within the first couple of pages. I felt deeply entangled in the DeWilde's pain, anger, fustration as to why Caleb committed suicide. It was totally unexpected. The mother, Meg is driven to find an answer, while her husband wants to "forget" that it happened mostly to cover his own guilt over having a one night stand with a co-worker while his son was hanging from the tree. Meg finally finds the answer she was looking for...in a journal she wasn't even sure existed. The only problem I had with this book is it tied up too neatly all the loose ends of betrayal, anger, and grief within a short period of time. Meg was much too forgiving for all the devastation she endured with her son and her husband. At the end of the book, the author didn't delve into ways Meg should/could have dealt with the shock of why Caleb killed himself and his father's involvement in the suicide. She just decided to forgive and go on, which is a nice tidey way to wrap up the book, but I would have like the book to continue with her struggle and how her husband had to EARN her trust again.

I'm an avid romance reader and usually check the RITA Award recipients just to make sure that I've read those considered best in the genre. I hadn't read this one and decided to pick up a copy. Am I glad I made this selection. I have read other Dee Holmes novels, but the books are issued farther apart than most and I usually forget to look for them. Her books have a depth that you don't find often. While the sensual aspects are not the overriding factor, you always find that the themes are relevant to today's issues. The Caleb Trees is the story of a family devastated by suicide. Each family member deals with the tragedy in their own way. Meg, the mother, is desperate for answers, for there is no warning that a problem exists. Jack, the father, doesn't know how to deal with his grief, so he tries to go on as if nothing major has happened. Bethany, the teenage sister, goes on a rebellious spree in anger at her brothers' death. We are introduced to Caleb, the suicidal teen, who is a sensitive young man that has his own ideas as to what he wants to do with his life. Involvement in the plot is immediate. You realize how Caleb's life has touched so many others as a result of his death. This book pushes all of the emotional buttons as the plot is unraveled to reveal the ultimate conclusion. There are some surprises along the way, which keep the story moving. I thought this might be kind of depressing, but it was written well and with sensitivity. Since this sometimes happens in real life, I reflected about the need to communicate with your loved ones because life is so fragile. Buy this book if you want to read a great Romance novel that makes you think and feel good about the important things in life!

The material gets across, but it is rather haphazardly organized; you learn how to say "plastic handle" long before learning any object pronouns. There seems to be an effort to translate new vocabulary as it is introduced, but this is not entirely successful; I found myself repeatedly having to look up words in the reading sections that were not included in the vocabulary lists following the readings. Also, the book makes the unwritten assumption that the reader is British, which produces surprisingly many inconveniences for an American reader. All things considered, one can certainly learn beginning Swedish from this book, but not in a particularly efficient or utile manner.

As a new student of Swedish, I bought the book and tapes as a suppliment to my course materials. The book is helpful, but not as easy to use the Ake Viberg grammar reference - which facilitates more rapid reference to grammar rules. The Holmes courses emphasis on everyday spoken Swedish is however welcome. I was very dissapointed in the tapes - the British narrator is quite dry and somewhat annoying with his constant "listen to the speakaa" phrases, and I was expecting more drilling on verb usage as opposed to just listening to conversations and reading. The tapes main function I guess seem to be to get the student used to hearing rapidly spoken Swedish.

Except for the introductory pronunciation section, the book is fairly easy to use. The first five or six lessons are a bit slow. After that, it gets more interesting.

SINCE I PAID FULL PRICE FOR THIS CLUNKER, I MADE MYSELF READ IT. INJECTED WITH A BIT MORE REALISM,COULD HAVE BEEN A CUTE STORY. I LIKED THE PREMISE OF THE TRAVELING SANTA BUS VISITING THE HOMELESS SHELTERS AND GIVING SOME HOLIDAY SPIRIT TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE, BUT SO MUCH OF THE "LOVE" SCENES WERE UNBELIEVABLE IT WAS HARD TO PLOW THRU!

I LOVE Sandra Hill, so this was the reason I wanted this book and boy was I surprised! It was written 'round-robin' style. Each author takes a chapter and writes her own characters and intertwines the story. There are 15 chapters of pure fun here that will make you laugh out loud and wish you were right there on that bus with them!
The story consists of Sandra Hill's characters, a Navy Blue Angels Pilot named Sam Merrick who is stranded in Philly at the airport trying to find a way to Snowdon, Maine for his old friend and mentor's wedding. The problem with this is that a huge snowstorm has forzen the roads and all transportation! The only way there? A Santa Brigade bus full of cherry and escentric seniors on their way back to Snowdon and his old flame, Reba Anderson, the senior's director who wants nothing to do with the gorgeous Tom Cruise wannabe! She still remembers him dumping her 14 years ago! Sparks are again ignited as these two find each other again, but will love be enough to keep the flame alive?

In comes Sam's best friend, also on his way to Maine and also stranded at a train station in Allentown, PA. Trish Jensen's characters Kevin Wilder, a bounty hunter for the NYPD, runs literally right into his quarry, a woman named Callie Brandt, a woman wanted by the law for running out on her court date. But she isn't what she seems. Kevin, now trying to find a way out of Allentown, hops on the Santa Brigade with Sam's help and Callie cuffed to his wrist. Sparks soon fly when Kevin realizes that Callie is no criminal but her body should be outlawed!

Last, but not least is Kate Holmes's characters, an ex-football quarterback for the SanDiego Typoons named Stan Kijewski who finds himself stuck in a snowbank in the middle of nowhwere Vermont when he spots a lone cottage in the distance. Not wanting to freeze before he makes it to Maine for the wedding, Stan decides to try and walk to the place. He is dumbfounded when he finds the place is run by the forest ranger Dana Freeman that he was supposed to pick up along the way for his mentor and friend in Maine. He discovers that Dana is no rough woman he thought she'd be and is fastly becoming tempted by her cool attitude and very womanly curves under the heavy sweater she wears. After realizing they are stuck, Stan calls his best friend Sam and they too are picked up along the way with the Senior Santa Brigade!

A bus full of wacky and nosey seniors, the trio of friends and trio of women soon learn that getting to Snowdon is going to have to be a group effort! Amid storms, strandings in lodges, snowbanks that can't be moved,(but with the wily ways of the bus's driver, a NASCAR driver from tears past and a list of old boyfriends that owe her favors, anything can happen) charity stops along the way, two 'Dr. Ruth' wannabes, Mr. Senior-Studmuffin, A Retired Marine Drill Instructor, Cyber Granny, and the rest of the wacky bunch, love blooms between the three couples. Although there wasn't nearly enough room for real in-depth introspection into each couple's thoughts and feelings, the story was well worth the read and extremely funny and touching. If only I could've been on that bus...Stan, watch out hahahaha

Tracy Talley~@

A bus of Christmas joy plowing through the states to homeless shelters all the while trying to find love lost! What a wonderful story, however, the love/lust department was a little lacking. I think she could have injected a little more loving than the "slam, bam" approach with one of the couples. Overall, great story given the season.