I don't get a chance to read a lot of romance novels, but when Brenda Jackson is the author, I make time to read it. The Madrias brothers and their friends make for good romanctic and adventurous times. This story is Ashton's. He first laid eyes on Netherland about 3 years ago. He knew she was the one for him, but his problem was to convince her of that fact. Netherland had vowed never to love a military man, but Ashton just persisted until she decided to give him a chance. And once she did, it was on from there. I really like how Ms Jackson keeps us abreast of all her other characters but interweaving them in the story. She also introduces new characters that you just know are going to have a book of their own real soon.I just wish we could get maybe 3 books a year!! My other wish was that Ashton was on the cover instead of the cartoon figure.

In this latest installment of the Madaris family stories, Ms. Jackson manages to bring a fresh new story with two very interesting people in Colonel Ashton Sinclair and Netherland Brooms. The sensual tension between the two is so strong you can feel it through the pages of the book.

The title lets you know that someone is going to have to SURRENDER, because although Ashton is in love with Netherland, she has vowed to never get involved with a military man since she grew up an army brat, moving around. It takes an awesome man like Ashton to change her mind.

In SURRENDER Ms. Jackson manages to tell a very captivating love story, full of romance and passion, and bring you up to date on characters from her previous stories in the Madaris family as well. She also manages to introduce a few new characters, all without missing a beat or taking away from the storyline. I started reading this book around 11 p.m. and found myself up reading all night because I could not put it down.

SURRENDER has the depth to stand alone, but after you read it, you will definitely want to read the previous books in this dynamite series. A list of the previous titles are listed in the front of the book. It wil be well worth it. This one is a definite keeper for the bookshelf.

The long awaited story of Ashton and Netherland has finally bloomed into a remarkable book. Be prepared to lose sleep when you start reading because you will not want to put it down.

The first time Ashton met Netherland he was determine to have her for his wife. But being a military brat Netherland swore that she would never give her love to someone in the military. But once she met Ashton her vow was tested to the ultimate level.

I can't give the full details but I will tell you that you will not be disappointed with this book. The love scenes are HOT, you are caught up with previous characters. You get to guess the sex/name of Trevor and Corinthians baby, meet new Madaris members as well as new friends of the family.

I personally can not wait for Alex and Christy's story. Mrs. Jackson leaves your mind wondering if they will ever get together.

Thank you Mrs. Jackson for books that will keep you wanting more and for helping me lose sleep.

After reading just about ALL and any books or material even videos out there I think, that even slightly relates to or resembles Twin Souls and/or Soulmates and always having an affinity to the concept for as long as I can remember, I can tell you firsthand that this was one of the best written, true to life, no holds barred and no beats skipped story of two true Twin Souls. The journey that it takes to "getting there", to be with the other half of yourself, the trials, the pain, the lessons and then the "Gift", Dennis and Alice hold nothing back in this story. Another one of those "can't put down" books, I read it in 1 and a half days time. Reading their story reminded me of Kenny and Julia Loggins story from their book titled "The Unimaginable Life" another story of true twin souls, I would have to say that these 2 books, out of all of them, run nose to nose, in truth, honesty, and might I mention..that "Naked Place" that Alice and Dennis speak of in their book.For all who know and have belief, hope & faith in meeting up with your twin in this life, I highly recommend this book. It's one that will teach you that giving up that hope and not working on YOURSELF and learning to love yourself and others unconditionally, is not ever an option, not when spirit is working in your life. :-) It's all about letting go and letting God. Thumbs up to the authors! A PERFECT description of what a Twin Soul relationship is, should be and feels like.

Was drawn to the book while browsing. After starting to read, I couldn't put it down. A definite must have for those who love to hear about people finding their "twin souls". Reading through the pages of Dennis and Alice's life up until they met was very inspiring. It gives hope to those of us who are still "waiting". Also a great general read on following intuitions and life's path. This book gives so many confirmations for when you're feeling as if you're the only one with thoughts of "I'm meant for something more" and "There has got to be someone out there for me". Beautifully written, I loved how Dennis starts out with his life story, then Alice tells her life story and they both come together in the last chapter together taking turns talking about their perceptions of the "meeting" and time spent together. Thank you for sharing Dennis and Alice.

I enjoyed every page of "Together Again"...it was a fantastically wonderful story and so well put together. The way Dennis tells his story leading up to meeting Alice and the way Alice tells her story leading up to meeting Dennis. It is with great anticipation of waiting on the "encounter" and then, a awesome "soul recognition" or "love at first sight". Something we all are looking to find in this life. Their story teaches us about true love. Real love which is divine love. This couple is "a marriage made in Heaven" or a "connection for all eternity". Thank you for sharing your story with our universe. We are more enlightened for having read it, more inspired and more hopeful. In many areas of this book, one finds themselves identifying, or wanting to and it was good they took the risk to discover their reflection of themselves within each other. Two beautiful Twin Souls reuniting again. God Bless them both, well, after reading this book, He obvioualy has...Amazingly so. Truly Awesome!

I have played nearly every major role-playing game there is, from D&D to Rolemaster. One of the things that I find so frustrating about other games is their ridgidity. You must adhere to defined character classes. You must use these occupations and skill groups. Not so with GURPS. You can create any character, with any set of abilities and skills, from any setting or time period. If you want to make a concert pianist from Germany in the 18th century, or if a techno-soldier from the future is more to your liking, this is the system for you. The game also excels in its simplicity. Gone are the cryptic dice-rolls like 2d4 and 5d8, or the strange systems found in Shadowrun and Star Wars. All your rolls are done with 3d6. Combat is simple and realistic, but can easily be altered to a much more involved format if that is your taste. Skills are realistic, easy to use, and interesting. You can play with just the basic set, or you can purchase any one of the many! excellent supplements for more detailed play. If that wasn't good enough, you can also get a computer program for character creation that makes it even easier. Stop reading this review and BUY THE BOOK!

I agree with other reviewers that GURPS is probably the best system on the market. It lacks both the restrictiveness of D&D et al. and the clunkiness of Storyteller. The character creation rules are extremely flexible. True, it can take a while to get the hang of creating GURPS characters, but I found it to be worth it. The most common complaint about the system is that combat is too complicated, but most of the rules are really optional. When I started playing, I used a sort of "pidgin GURPS" until I figured out the more advanced stuff. You can play GURPS with the Basic Set only, but the other books can be very useful depending on what kind of a game you're running. Compendia I and II are always useful, but the others can vary:

Fantasy: GURPS Magic is _vital_ for any fantasy campaign. Grimoire is OK, but not as useful. Compendium I is necessary for designing nonhuman races. The currently released "GURPS Fantasy" is for a specific world that I never found too interesting, but watch for the upcoming GURPS Fantasy Campaigns.

Science Fiction: Ultra-Tech is good, as is Compendium I for the reasons described above. Space is very useful, but not as necessary as you might think. I've heard that Aliens is great, but haven't been able to find a copy.

Other/General: High-Tech is a useful reference. Religion is one of my favorites; it's useful for any world-builiding efforts. As for GURPS Illuminati, I really can't say anything about it except that I liked it. They could be watching me...

I must confess that I am fairly new to GURPS, but I am an enthusiastic convert. I have played, or experimented with, numerous RPG systems over the years, such as Dungeons and Dragons, Rolemaster, Spacemaster, Chivalry and Sorcery, and others. While all these systems have their strengths, and certainly their weaknesses, I must say that I think GURPS is the best overall RPG (Role Playing Game) system that I have ever seen. What makes it so great is the brilliant way in which it manages to combine simplicity with great depth, realism and flexibility. Once a character is created almost everything you will need to play that character is on the character sheet. There is not much need for constant reference to dozens of different tables and charts, as in some other systems. GURPS also allows you to simulate any gaming environment you can imagine, from traditional medieval fantasy to futuristic sci-fi or space opera. The book is well organized, and the material is presented in a clear readable format. I find that I can quickly and easily find most of the information I am looking for. The artwork is consistently decent; apparently almost all of it comes from the same artist. Also, unlike many RPG books, the typos are refreshingly kept at a minimum. As are all of the GURPS books I have seen, this is a professionally put together product.

The basic game mechanics are not complex, and once understood allow you fairly easily simulate almost every conceivable situation. For example, there are straightforward rules on determining whether or not an archer's bowstring has snapped when an arrow is loosed, or for determining if a sword breaks on a parry, or how much damage a shield can take before it is no longer any good. Indeed, the combat system can be as simple or as complex as you want it. In the advanced combat system the body is divided up into at least six areas where one must designate what kind of armor is being worn. A character may have on a helmet and a breastplate, but if he has not armored his arms and hands or legs and feet, those areas, while relatively harder to hit, will be more vulnerable to taking serious or critical damage, if they are struck. This combat system can be used to create a more sophisticated tactical environment than any of the other systems I have played, which more often than naught reduce combat to a series of dice rolls where opponents merely stand toe-to-toe with each other swinging back and forth until one is no longer standing. In GURPS different weapons have different advantages and disadvantages depending upon an adversary's armor. Thus in combat you must consider how an opponent is armored and what weapon they are using vs. your armor and weapons, and act accordingly. Also, in each turn you must also decide how best to move. For example, should you try a feint maneuver to fake your opponent out, stand back in an all out defense, or do you make an all out berserker charge heedless of your own defense? The rules also let you decide whether you want to try and merely wound or disarm your opponent, rather than kill them. While my examples above focus on primitive or hand-to-hand combat, the rules for advanced weapons, such as automatic rifles, futuristic beam weapons, and explosive devises are equally detailed, realistic, and playable.

So far, in my admittedly limited experience with GURPS, one of the only areas I can offer any genuine criticism is with the limited number of attributes. To achieve simplicity GURPS uses only four attributes, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Health. In my mind, the Intelligence attribute is entirely too generic, and tries to cover too many different character traits. In addition to representing raw IQ, the Intelligence attribute also represents such divergent character qualities as willpower, discipline, wisdom, and education. On this one point I think GURPS sacrifices realism for simplicity. Certainly a character's raw IQ is not identical to his or her willpower or mental discipline. Also, intelligence is not identical to wisdom or even education. All is not lost, however, for supplemental rules in "Compendium I" do allow for the addition of a Willpower attribute. Also an individual game master can easily insert additional attributes, as they deem appropriate. This criticism being noted, I should state that it will not stop me from using the system, and tweaking it as I see fit. This is one of the strengths of GURPS in that the rules and basic mechanics are given in such a way that they can be fairly easily adapted to any style or system of play; thus the "G" for "Generic" in GURPS.

Everything you need to play GURPS, with the exception of dice, is contained in this one basic book. The supplements are excellent and add additional rules and details for various types of campaign environments such as futuristic space, fantasy, supers, Feudal Japan, horror, Ancient Rome, or you name it. Whatever your gaming preference, GURPS can accommodate you. I highly recommend this system for anyone interested in RPG adventuring. Steve Jackson Games definitely has their act together!

My mom loves these books! She gave me this one because she thought I'd love them too. I did enjoy reading it a great deal, but it was a bit bland for me. I don't say that because Lilian Jackson Braun is a poor writer...she's fantastic. Her characters are adorable, loveable and genuine. The setting is creative and chilling. Even the plot is intriguing. When I read, I like my emotions to be stirred a bit more than this book did.
I admit this is the first I've read in the series, and I understand that may contribute to the distaste I have for it, since its actually not the first book of the series. Conflicting reviewers say its the fourth, fifth or sixth book. To really know I think I better check out her website. Those editorial reviews might be more helpful too!
Okay, so what is likeable about this book? Simply put, the characters make the whole series popular. Qwilleran, a reporter with a funny name, is the man who drives the need to know for each case. I like Qwill because he shares many similarities with me. He writes and I've always fancied myself as a reporter. He loves cats; hard not to for me. He also observes people. In this book, Qwilleran reunites with an old flame and finds himself seething at his discovery of her demise.
The other two participants in Braun's whimsical mystery are Koko and Yum Yum. These cats are as personified as Qwill himself and take as much part in the action of the story as others do. One of them even saves Qwill's life in a round-a-bout way. Anybody who loves cats is going to fall hard for these two adorable sidekicks.
Best of all is Braun's affectionate style. She demands nothing more from the reader than a liesurely audience. I like her attention to details affectionate descriptions and penchant for ordinary experiences in extraordinary ways. I also like that she uses interesting facts and victuals of knowledge to satiate the readers cravings for intellectual stimulation.
On the down side, I think I want more emotional or spiritual stimulation from my readings. I tend to cling to books with strong ties to emotional highs and lows. Though this book provided the opportunity for that (especially when Qwill's crush becomes one of the victims), I didn't feel the same excitement I have felt reading other books.
I'm not putting this book down though. I enjoyed it enough to keep it and share with others. My students will also enjoy it's characters. I plan to do a book talk with it for my students at a middle school. I don't really suspect them to read it, but it will make a nice diversion from the ordinary and will introduce them to a great popular contemporary author.

This is one of the finest mysteries published. It was Lilian Jackson Braun's claim to fame, her very first book. Though it is a little predictable, you will find the plot pleasing, with just enough turns to keep you guessing until finally reaching a compelling conclusion. Qwill remeets an old flame, gets assigned a new beat as food critic, gets to move into a fabulous apartment, but he still isn't satisfied. (If you ask me, the Moose County Something might as well just give Qwill the crime beat, it always takes his moustache to solve all the Moose County crimes anyway!) I think this is my second favorite "Cat Who.." book because it not only debuted the famous series, it interested the publice enough to KEEP READING! Not very many writers can go as long as Lil did without publishing a book, only to become a smash hit AGAIN. If you're loo king for a first "Cat Who.." This is great. It introduces the characters nicely and makes you feel more acquainted. It also makes later works easier to follow.

This is the fourth in the Cat Who Series; we were introduced to Jim Qwilleran--the only reformed alcoholic of the twentieth century who could be featured in a book without having that part of his history be the maudlin main event--in The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, the book in which he met and then adopted his famous cat, Koko. As a man who works doing a job he doesn't really love because he must pay the bills, and who seems to be able to balance his work and outside life in spite of his divorce and occasional girl-friends, Qwill is a likeable character with a bit of this-could-be-for-real that keeps the stories interesting.
In this fourth book he lands in an improbable living situation, a boarding house for people interested in art run by a gourmet attorney who also cooks for them, and somehow the author manages, with the help of the big city atmosphere and the odd assortment of "characters" whom Qwill must deal in his work life, to make this improbable situation sound actually possible. Incredible bit of story telling, to me. Then we are introduced to several other incredibly improbable situations in perfectly credible ways, and before it was over I actually was interested in the outcome.
The reading is quick and easy, hypnotic, almost; I resented the telephone's interruption. My grandmother used to say a good story well told could transport you away just like a vacation; reading this book is like taking one of those little vacations.

I got this book shortly before getting "The Basics of Craftsmanship", and enjoyed the detailed discussion of wood types. However, I was looking for a little more "how-to" information. It's not enough to say how such-and-such a tool is good for ripping; as a beginner I want to know WHAT ripping is, and how to do it with different tools. I found that "Basics" gave more coverage to this kind of information. With all its pretty pictures I'll probably be more likely to put this book on my coffee table than in my shop.

This book is an A to Z guide describing topics as diverse as the type of woods, their uses, power and manual tools, fittings to be used, wood carving, veneering, joinery, designs etc etc.

I will guarantee that this is an investment - a fully illustrated (in colour) reference book - a complete manual.

I have used this book on various projects. This book tells you HOW to work wood efficiently without getting caught up in the details of the actual techniques. It tells you in laymans terms (for the layman also) how to accout for expansion of wood, the differences in types of woods, and dimensional analysis of the average piece of furniture, etc...

PROS

** Touches on nearly all aspects of woodworking.

** Tells you about the material that you are working with ... WOOD.

** Detailed dimensions of the average "good feeling" piece of furniture. EX: Counter top height of kitchen base cabinet is generally 36"

CONS

** If you are the type of person who likes project books, this has none.

As a high school student reading this play for educational purposes, my first impression was that it would be long and boring. I was, however, corrected within the first few pages as I encountered the hilarious discussions between Jack and Algernon. The language and wit is so dry its hard not to find something amusing. This line said by Algernon is one worth saving, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!" Contrary to popular belief, this play is not one thats difficult to get into. Right from the start there is a conflict that grabs the readers attention and carries them through the mix up of fiances with Cecily and Gwendolen, also a scene that is sure to amuse even the most serious of readers. Lady Bracknell could seemingly be a thorn in the readers side in the beginning, but not to worry, the old woman set in her ways becomes if nothing else a source of comic relief. This play is not only a quick read but also has the perfect combination of characters that makes it delightfully funny.

One of Oscar Wilde's most famous works, this play is a must read for anyone that is even remotely interested in English theater at any level.

"Comedy of Manners," Wilde's play is on the very shallow surface, a funny play that is full of some of his greatest epigrams.

At a deeper level, this play is full of political commentary, social satire and a look at the upper class British of a hundred years ago.

Using his world renound style and wit, Wilde, wrote a play that brought to light the majors flaws of the idle rich and the hypocracy that lived right on the surface of their every day lives.

Often immitated but never surpassed, Wilde had a way with words and an ability to get to the heart of matters while protecting himself; by making the people he was pointing his finger at, laugh at themselves.

This play should be bought, even if one has seen one of the many film versions, or a live revival of the show. The jokes are piled so thickly on top of each other, that in real time, it is imposible to catch everything, or to digest all of the deeper meanings that this play attempts to expose.

That's right - if it isn't the single wittiest, funniest play ever, it's as close as you can get. Oscar Wilde had a great talent for dialogue and writing, but the real fun comes in the ingenious plotting and the side-splitting comments. "The Importance of Being Earnest" is absolutely filled with insightful, humorous barbs that take jabs at society - you'll literally be laughing out loud every page.

Not only is the play brilliantly ironic and witty, it's quite cheerful and good-natured. The characters are likable, the plot never takes itself too seriously, and the ending is happy. It seems that Wilde knew exactly what he wanted: to write a light-hearted, amusing play without serious overtones, and he succeeded wildly. This isn't to say that he sacrificed any literary qualities, as the play is recognized for the marvelous writing, but it is considerably more fun and entertaining than many other literary works.

In sum, Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" is a classic in every sense of the word, and it's tremendously fun to read. I can't recommend any comedy more highly.

I have read all of The Cat Who... books by Ms. Braun and am now in the process of re-reading them again. You might think this is strange, but my cat, Quebie, only nibbles on the covers of Ms. Braun's books! Do you think he knows Koko? These books are very well written, fast reads and extremely entertaining for cat lovers as well as anyone else who enjoys a good mystery book. I consider these books as "light" reading. They don't scare me, just simply entertain and are hard to put down. I've read most of her books in about 2 days! Ms. Braun is a fabulous writer and I'd like to know how she got the idea for these books. I'd also like to read an interview about her. My advice is to read all of her books, starting with this one, then go down the line and finish them. Each one is as good as the next. I promise you will enjoy them.

Jim Qwilleran has just been hired as an art writer for the Daily Fluxion, a position he's unqualified for and reluctant to take. His first assignment is to interview Cal Halapay, a successful commercial artist who has no interest in answering any of Jim's questions. The only time Cal reacts is when he voices his contempt for George Bonifield Mountclemens III, the art critic for the same newspaper Jim works for. As Jim continues learning about art and befriending artists and gallery owners, he discovers Cal isn't the only one who hates George; several other people (mostly artists) consider the heartless critic better off dead. Yet when Jim meets the man, he's charmed by George's sophistication--not to mention his characteristic Siamese cat, Kao K'o-Kung (aka Koko)--and agrees to rent the bottom apartment to George's Victorian home. However, the art recluse harbors one too many secrets, ones that will lead to murder, including his own. With the help of Koko, Jim tries to uncover the link between George's death and the two other murders in the art community.

Although this is a pretty good book, I was a little disappointed that Koko didn't show up earlier. I suppose since this is the first book in The Cat Who... series, the author didn't want to rush character introductions, but I hope Koko's more in the spotlight in the following books. Still, this is a great series for animal and mystery lovers.

I have always liked TV mysteries like Law & Order. There are twists and turns and things aren't always as they seem. I decided one day that I should read a mystery novel. I had noticed on many previous occasions all of the Cat Who... books. I decided that if I should read them than I should start from the beginning. This book is excellent and still remains one of my favorites now that I've read most of them. It introduces you to James Qwilleran (Qwill to most) and Kao Ko Kung (Koko to his friends). This is an excellent and fast read so go get it and enjoy.

Our Colorado Springs book group read this. The consensus was that the book was a quick, enjoyable read with a story line which were all curious to read what the final outcome would be. It would have been helpful to us to have a better understanding of the time at which the story took place. We thought 1950s or 1960s. As women, we found it hard to relate to how Anna could take as much as she took at the hands of her emotionally abusive husband and sister-in-law before she stood up for herself. However, the interwoven internal conversations of Anna with her yet unborn child and her absent childhood friend were insightful. As for the ending, we were disappointed that we did not get to finally meet Anna's friend Ida Mae and we found Anna's epiphany predictable and we were surprised at how long it took for her to reach it

This book was read for discussion on my book club and everyone agreed it was wonderful. Coming from a male author, the voice is truly female and that comes as a surprise. Anna, the protagonist, is the backbone of the family and in enduring her circumstances and the times in which it is set, keeps the family from falling apart. We see where her strength of character comes from (in flashbacks) and we see how her best friend and alter-ego, Ida Mae, provides her freedom. Each character is written strongly and the style is taut. Even when a horrible sentiment is being expressed it is done so with either humor (Anna's sister-in-law's malapropisms which also serve to lessen the evil of this character and point out the difference between Anna and her sister-in-law) or with a spare style of writing. It is matter-of-fact. Anna, herself, is matter-of-fact and she knows her family better than they know themselves. It is a book we all enjoyed and have been recommending to everyone.

Told largely in part by the unborn child, this is a story of self-discovery, strength, and family love. The View From Here is excellent! It goes deep into the soul and deep into the impoverished rural South into the home of Anna and J.T. where years of depression, predjudice, mental and physical abuse has taken its toll on the family. An unplanned pregnancy throws the family into crisis and the loss of employment makes a bad situation worse. J.T. "fixes" things by offering the unborn child to his older sister/surrogate mother, Clairese, the preacher's wife, and turns to corn liquor as console for his idle time. Anna eventually saves her family by (a) pulling on inspiration of her best friend, Ida Mae, who has "gone up North" in search of freedom and a better life and (b) her mother's strength to preservere and do the right thing. This book is a quick read, a real winner...I was really intrigued to see that it was written by a man! I give this body of work 5 stars and two thumbs up!

When I began to read this book, my initial thought was that it was going to be about leading basketball players. However, my impression immediately changed as I continued to read the book. Phil Jackson describes his ideas and thoughts of mindfulness through his experience as an athlete, coach and son. Jackson discusses building relationships within a team and maintaining these relationship require selflessness and involving all members. His path is shaped and formed from his experiences with various with forms of spirituality, from his Presbyterian upbringing, interest in Eastern religion and Native American philosophy. Jackson's unconventional approach toward leadership is a combination of his spiritual insights and applying those insights on and off the court as well as his experience in the sport of basketball. I thought this book was enjoyable. I felt at times the basketball stories overpowered the thought provoking messages, but nonetheless a book that made you think about being mindful.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a fan of basketball. But it is at least a sport that I can appreciate, which is more than I can say for American football. Nevertheless, this book is not really about basketball-it's about spirituality and selflessness through basketball. The author is Phil Jackson, formerly of the New York Knicks (and colleague of Bill Bradley) and, later, coach of the Chicago Bulls - the only coach in NBA history to pull of twin "three-peats" - three consecutive NBA Championships, not once but twice. Under Jackson's guidance and the leadership of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, and others, the Bulls became the best basketball team in the world.

But Jackson is not focused solely on success for the sake of success. He recounts his fundamentalist upbringing, his forays into Zen Buddhism and Lakota spirituality, and his efforts to bring ideas of oneness and attunement and selfless play into an NBA dominated by ego, money, cynicism, and media hype. He describes the esoteric "triangle offense" that was based on those philosophical principles.

I was very impressed by this book. It takes many of the principles I've learned in other places and applies it directly to something that I would normally not think of as spiritual. Moreover, Jackson and his Bulls are a powerful and very prevalent example of how spiritual principles can be applied in the real world and made into a success.

Plus, there's a foreword by ex-Senator and ex-Knick Bill Bradley, and numerous stories about Jackson playing with the Knicks and coaching basketball greats. Though I'm not a basketball fan, the magnetism of personalities still fascinates me, and these personal anecdotes only add depth to the lessons Jackson conveys.

In lieu of the recent NBA lockout and the subsequent retirement of its premier star attraction, Michael Jordan, reading Sacred Hoops, brilliantly written by former Bulls' coach Phil Jackson, provides a very refreshing and thought-provoking look into the money-driven and often soulessness world of professional basketball. The book takes a wonderful look into the mind of Jackson, raised by Pentacostal parents in Montana, who later became enlightened by Zen and Native American principles during his playing career with the New York Knicks and early coaching stints in Albany, N.Y. and Puerto Rico. Jackson's higher wisdom of teamwork - his philosophy of preaching the expression of the power of mindfulness and compassion in action - became a paradigm for his success in guiding the Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s (the paperback edition chronicles through the 1995-96 season). The book also serves as an insightful memoir full of stories about Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman. For devotees of Jordan, Sacred Hoops serves as a nice complement to other books written about him and shows how Jackson instilled in Jordan - and his teammates - the ability to act with a clear mind and stay calmly focused at all times; how he changed the Bulls into a team that served the "we" instead of "me". Sacred Hoops is an inspiring book - one which you won't want to put down.

I have loved the Cat Who...series ever since I picked up my first one over ten years ago, and I still look forward to each new one coming out. I love following along and keeping up with the lives of Qwill, Koko, and Yum-Yum and all their friends. I persuaded my husband, whose favorite reading material is the sports papers and comic books, to read one, and now he's hooked, too. I hope Ms. Braun keeps writing them for many years to come.

Lilian Jackson Braun is my favorite mystery writer. She always keeps gross and explicit things out of her books and trails the adventures of Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese Ka'o Ko Kung (Uh, Koko for short), the male cat, and Yum Yum, the female. In this particular book, Qwill is in for many surprises and Mrs. Braun did a great job. The suspense builds until the last couple of chapter where the climax and falling action leave you too ecited to put the book down. An elaborate plan by a criminal and his kleptomaniac "wife" leave Moose County in a swirl of confusion until Qwill reveals the real intentions of the dashing decorater. A must read!

This is the 19th of the series. I do agree with some others that there weren't quite as many surprises in this one but it was still good. Braun's specialty (in my opinion) is character development, and as a couple of other reviewers have mentioned, the characters are written in so much detail that after reading the books we come to feel they are real people! I especially enjoyed getting to know Wetherby Goode, who has previously been something of a joke. Also I liked the cat naming information and the "tales" Qwill was collecting. I wish that the first death in the book had been investigated more, and I wish that the second death hadn't occurred at all. (That is one thing I don't like - Ms. Braun occasionally kills off a character that I have come to like!) P.S. If you haven't read any of these books, start at the beginning and read them in order. The character development will be much more evident. First is The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. P.S.2 - Please, no Sean Connery playing Qwill. Maybe Sam Elliot - but perhaps someone a little more substantial physically? Why haven't these been made into movies by now?