I've enjoyed the author's four "Dr. Zeus, Inc." novels -- well, the first three considerably more than the most recent one -- but this volume is an example of the truism that short stories often don't work as well as novel-length on the same subject. First, you definitely have to have read the novels to make head or tail of some of these stories, so I'm not sure what the readers made of them in their original magazine appearances. Second, there actually are only ten Company stories in this collection, the other four being what seem to be the first installments (first I've seen, anyway) in a new series about an apparent non-homo sapiens named Alec Checkerfield -- which really are pretty good, though Baker leaves a lot of unanswered questions. (I think "Monster Story" is the best of the four.) Having said all that, though, I'll admit that when Baker gets in the groove, she can really tear up the page! "The Queen in Yellow," which is new for this volume and may be the best thing here, is a mile-a-minute semi-slapstick piece featuring Literature Preservationist Lewis and his attempt to recover ancient Egyptian manuscripts out from under the nose of Flinders Petrie, who is almost too much for him. "Studio Dick Drowns Near Malibu," which is also pretty good, is a more romantic story about Facilitator Joseph's latest faked death and the way in which he deals with a young woman's attempted suicide (though she seems awfully naive). "The Hotel at Harlan's Landing" has a nice Twilight Zone flavor. On the other hand, "The Wreck of the Gladstone" is rather weak -- and why is it dedicated to Harlan Ellison, when it seems to bear no resemblance to any of his work? And "Facts Relating to the Arrest of Dr. Kalugin," which features all new characters, is just confusing. Well, I'll be waiting with curiosity for the next book in the novel series.

What a surprise!! I was expecting little vignettes of Company life with the same roster of characters but the depth and variety of characters, settings and plots was simply stunning. Maybe it is true that the short story - as opposed to the novel, poem, saga, chant or song - is the real American art form. If so, then Ms. Baker has accepted that challenge with gusto.

The author is said to be a fan of the X-Files and in that show, one quickly grew tired of monsters and weirdos, yearning instead for the ever-changing, ever-evolving mythology which girded the series. The Zeus books follow a similar pattern. If "The Garden of Iden" is almost childlike - you might say innocent - the following tales evolved into philosophical treatises on the nature, reason and ultimate fate of time travel and, more than anything, the mysterious Chronos Corporation and its hidden agenda.

These are splendid stories although it is imperative that one is first acquainted with the preceding novels to which they allude. The sequence seems random but one discovers a serial-like order of presentation. The young lad with the extraordinary powers shows up several times and the attentive reader will discern both the hows and whys of his origin. Some of these stories sound boring in the extreme until the first paragraph. Suddenly you are caught in the web spun by the author and the only escape is finishing the tale.

Some are tongue-in-cheek (Lemuria), some are explanatory (Search for the Delacroix), others are reflective of the author's great interest in English history (Shakespeare). All possess that unique "Baker" quality that permeates her works - the excellent turn of phrase, the fidelity to the character and the times, the occasional surprise and the relentless movement of the logic to its conclusions, tragic, maudlin or triumphant. Many of these could easily be developed into novels, a task I hope the author will undertake in the future

What a surprise!! I was expecting little vignettes of Company Life with the same roster of characters but the depth and variety of characters, settings and plots was stunning. Maybe it is true that the short story - as opposed to the novel, poem, saga, chant or song - is the real American art form. If so, then Ms. Baker has accepted the challenge with gusto.

The author is said to be a fan of the X-Files and in that show, one quickly grew tired of monsters and weirdos, yearning instead for the ever-changing, ever-evolving mythology which undergirded the series. The Zeus books follow a similar pattern. If "The Garden of Iden" is almost childlike - you might say innocent - the following tales evolved into philosophical treatises on the nature, reason and ultimate fate of time travel and, more than anything, the mysterious Chronos Corporation and its hidden agenda.

These are splendid stories although it is imperative that one is first acquainted with the preceding novels to which they allude. The sequence seems random but one discovers a serial-like order of presentation. The young lad with the extraordinary powers shows up several times and the attentive reader will discern both the hows and whys of his origin. Some of these stories sound boring in the extreme until the first paragraph. Suddenly you are caught in the web spun by the author and the only escape is finishing the tale.

Some are tongue-in-cheek (Lemuria), some are explanatory (Search for the Delacroix), others are reflective of the author's great interest in English history (Shakespeare). All possess that unique "Baker" quality that permeates her works - the excellent turn of phrase, the fidelity to the character and the times, the occasional surprise and the relentless movement of the logic to its conclusions, tragic, maudlin or triumphant. Many of these could easily be developed into novels, a task I hope the author will undertake in the future.

Chogyam Trungpa (1939-1987) brought Tibetan Buddhism to our country as the founder of the Boulder Shambhala Center and Naropa University. In the Foreward to this new edition of his book, Trungpa Rinpoche's student, Pema Chodron (WHEN THINGS FALL APART, THE PLACES THAT SCARE YOU) writes: "When I took to heart the teachings presented here, a curious change slowly began to take place. I became far more open to the pain of myself and others; far more open to laughing and crying; far more able to love and accept and see my interconnectedness with all beings. As the years go by, I gradually become more and more at home in the world with its inevitable ups and downs."

In his 179-page book, Trungpa teaches us how to know ourselves through meditation. "Meditation in the beginning is not an attempt to achieve happiness," he tells us, "nor is it an attempt to achieve mental calm or peace, though they could be by-products of meditation. Meditation should not be regarded as a vacation from irritation" (p. 46). While we may believe we are free to pursue our dreams, achieve our goals, and satisy our desires, Trungpa shows us how we are instead enslaved to our habitual patterns and negative emotions such as self-absorption (pp. 23-28), paranoia (pp. 28-29), passion (pp. 29-32), stupidity (pp. 32-35), povery (pp. 35-37) and anger (pp. 37-40). "We must be willing to be completely ordinary people," he observes, "which means accepting ourselves as we are without trying to become greater, purer, more spiritual, more insightful. If we can accept our imperfections as they are, quite ordinarily, then we can use them as part of the path. But if we try to get rid of our imperfections, then they will be enemies, obstacles on the road to our 'self-improvement'" (p. 44). And in this highly-recommended book, Trungpa teaches us how to cut through the barriers separating us from the rest of the world.

G. Merritt

This is the sequel to "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism". Are you gay? Are you a crossdresser? Do you cheat on your taxes? Did you hit one of your children? The point of Trungpa's teaching seems to hammer agin and again at the main human condition. That we are afraid of being human. We are "embarassed" at being human. One woman was reported as having choked to death in a restuarant. Why? Because she was too embarrassed to cough! Through his behavior and his teachings, Trungpa kept hammering this message home at his students. "The Myth of Freedom" takes us from the beginning of the Hinayana Journey (in the Tibetan sense, not to put down Theravada Buddhism which is also called 'Hinayana') all the way to the Vajrayana teachings where there is direct transmission from the Spiritual Guide. Trungpa goes through the technicalities, but you must remember that these are lectures to his students. I shared the same block as Trungpa. He was giving a lecture in LA in December 1980. I was too embarrassed to go inside. I might stammer when I met him. I might "goof up" (as he called it). Maybe I would say something "stupid". I was embarrased. I was embarrassed until his teachings sank in. Then I began to loosen up. Unfortanately, I went back to my "cocoon", as he called it. I've read this book three times. You will love it! Just don't balk when you read other books on Tibetan Buddhism where there are very many rules. The message of Trungpa was "Stop being embarrased about yourself!". And he showed this example by indulging in the worst behavior imaginable. But, yes, you can sneeze in front of a group of people. You can leave your zipper down accidentally if you are a male. Or don't put on a bra if you are a female and then find that you clearly "see" through while you give a lecture! According to Trungpa, it this embarrassment which he referred to as "negative negativity". He pounces on this concept throughout this book and his others. Negativity is alright in itself. I get angry. But then I am embarrassed for BEING angry. So I gulp it down or explode. If we accept the basic negativity, feel it, then this is negativity. But if we shame ourselves for having it - then this manufactures even more anger or Negative Negativity. Which can eventually result in being a mass murderer. Everything is being projected outside on the world. You are not "eating your past" so to speak. This is the message of the book. BUY IY! And buy "Spiritual Materialism". Thannk you (mispelling intentional).

Incisive teachings by one of the most influential Tibetan Buddhist teachers in the West. A central theme: giving up our hopes that meditation will bring us bliss or tranquility or make us better or wiser people or otherwise serve our ego's purposes, and realizing the liberation that is right here within our pain and confusion and neurosis. Trungpa's "Cutting through Spiritual Materialism" seems to be more widely known and more often recommended, but I like "The Myth of Freedom" even better, and I think it's a more suitable book for folks who are new to meditation. (Also recommended: "The Wisdom of No Escape" by Trungpa's student Pema Chödrön.)

No doubt this is a great volume and is an essential reference work for evangelical theology. The dictionary provides a good overview of the evangelical position on many contemporary issues in theology.

I am periodically disappointed, though, at the biased perspective of some of the articles. For example, the one on "election" simply assumes a Calvinist position (though many "evangelicals" are Arminians, and many Arminians even contribute to the dictionary). In this regard, Van Harvey's classic "A Handbook of Theological Terms" is superior in its unbiased treatment of terms.

I found this to be a useful, standard, objective primer for theological studies. The contributors, all brilliant scholars, were very fair to the opposing view, adequatley describing thier position and only rarely critiquing it.

I found this to be a fresh evangelical approach to the Neo-Orthodoxy that I am exposed to daily. I recommend the second edition which has been updated to include modern scholars as Packer and Lloyd-Jones.

Final Analysis
The qualities of this work are its objectivity, freshness (without being preachy), and its broad expanse of topics. The downside would be its tendency for being wordy and laborious on some issues. Do not let this prevent you from buying it, just be forewarned. All in all, a handy tool.

This is by far one of the best theological dictionaries that I have used in my 10 years of research. The contributors of this volume are worth the price of this work two times over. The articles on each topic are detailed and very easy to comprehend. There are bibliographical references at the end of each entry which guide the reader to further research material. Some of the contributors include Gleason Archer, Craig Blaising, F.F. Bruce, D.A. Carson, Gordon Clark, Winfried Corduan, Bruce Demarest, Millard Erickson, Charles Feinberg, John Feinberg, John Frame, Norman Geisler, John Gerstner, Wayne Grudem, Donald Guthrie, R.K. Harrison, Douglas Kelly, William LaSor, George Ladd, Robert Lightner, and the list goes on and on. The book, of course, is exactly what it says it is; a dictionary. Therefore the entries are listed in alphabetical order and the topics range from Abaddon to Zwingli (and everything imaginable in between). This is an indispensable reference work that every student of the Bible or theology should have in their library. Naturally, it is a standard reference text in theological libraries and seminaries. I highly recommend this work!

I loved this book. Everything in it reminds me of the fun and antics that I experience with my two Pugs. I would highly recommend this to any dog owner or soon to be dog owner. It is a lot of fun and has many "out loud" laughs.

I got this book as a gift and really enjoyed it! It made me laugh from beggining to end. Very funny and great as a gift for dog lovers.

My daughter gave me this book for Christmas. It made my day! I could swear that my 4 year old Chinese Sharpei, Smokey, had written it! I looked over and he was watching me while I read and laughed my way through it. My neighbor has the world's "dumbest and biggest" bulldog, Duke and I am getting him a copy. My son is a Vet, and he is getting a copy! Read it and see your self in this Dog-Mirror!

I read this collection because I had heard the author was a modern day Erma Bombeck, who I absolutely love. I don't see it. Yes, there were a few funny parts, but nothing as good as anything Bombeck ever wrote. This book may appeal to someone who is married with kids, which I am not.

This book was so funny!! I couldn't stop laughing. You really feel a part of the family because you can relate to at least one thing but most likely many more!! It is set up in a great format and is very readable for all. I am going to recommend it to anyone I come across!!!!

Baker is definitely on the front lines of parenting. Her stories ring true and had me laughing in recognition!! I'd recommend this book to anyone.

The story got off to an exciting start - Jenny Braedon has been the captive of an Apache tribe and forced to be the second wife of their chief, Kayitha. One day, Ryder Fallon, a half Cheyenne, is also captured by the same tribe and held in their camp to be tortured after he was caught leading an Army group through their territory. Ryder survives the torture and is forced to be the chief's first wife's slave. The depiction of the Apache life and the daily struggles that Jenny and Ryder faced seemed very real and compelling, and their blossoming relationship had me hanging on each page. However, once they escape the Apaches, the book really disappointed me. There are a series of misadventures that follow - to include coping with the fact that Jenny already is married to Hank Braedon and feels she must return to him. Some scenes just seemed pointless - such as when Ryder gets picked up by some bounty hunters and the whole matter is resolved by the end of the same chapter. Madeline Baker has a great writing style - she makes her characters seem very real. This book started out very promising, but just didn't hold me until the end. I found myself skimming over parts just to get the book over with.

Ryder Fallon and Jenny have both been captured by the Apache and resist assimilation into the tribe. Jenny was taken from a stagecoach while on her way to meet her husband. Jenny bribes the injured Ryder by taking care of him while he is recovering from severe injury by making him promise to take her with him when he is well enough to escape. During the months until the escape, Jenny learns that she is carrying the child of the Apache chief who captured her, a man she does not love. Her love for Ryder, however emerges and grows. When the night of escape arrives, Jenny goes into labor and Ryder delivers her son; however, he gives the child over to its father to save Jenny's life. The child's father, once he has his son, sets Jenny and Ryder free. What follows involves Jenny's plight to escape an unusual and eventually abusive relationship with her husband, her growing relationship with Ryder, and her turmoil as she tries to accept the loss of her first born child. The adventure is top notch and the love story is sound. Liked this book, so will look for the follow up "Chase the Wind."

Well I too, have been a fan of Cassie Edwards. Having read 43 of her books! BUt dicided to try Madeline Bakers books. And I am glad that I did. I am most definately hooked. This was wonderfully written. The book had it all. Captivating plot with outstanding characters. I loved it and will be looking for more of her books.

As a commuter trying to train for a century, I thought this book would be great. However, the part of the title "for all levels" is misleading. You must have a heart rate monitor, clipless pedals and an indoor trainer to even consider buying this book, as it focuses primarily on medium-to-high level bikers. It refers very frequently to racing season, has an infuriating section about training with weaker riders, specifically your girlfriend or wife, and says often that if you can't make such-and-such a goal, you're out of shape. This book is for YOU, the male, hard-core racer with seven days a week to train for cycling, but not for riders of ALL LEVELS.

Arnie Baker is very succinct in his writing. When he writes about a topic, i.e. bike fit or cycling shorts, he explains the terms and why it is important every rider. There is no fluff. Every subject is treated this way. This makes for a very easily digestable, quick read. Some of the sections on racing may not be applicable to everyone, but it's nice to know, esp. if you are watching a race on TV. The strategy is great, if you are into that stuff, like me :-)

I bought this book primarily for the 12-week indoor trainer workouts, and it has not disappointed. If you perform the workouts every week, you will definitely see an improvement in your fitness. This is my second winter with the 12-week cycle, and I can see the improvements. Charting your progress is a great idea and is a definite motivator. At the end of the 12-weeks, I was able to easily complete a 100k rally. You can too, regardless of your level. If the workouts are too difficult, simple adjust your gearing or effort appropriately and you will see improvement. As Arnie says many times, the gearing and effort suggestions are nominal and should be adjusted based on your abilities. A very reasonable approach.

The only reason this book did not get 5 stars is because the trainer workouts only cover one day per week. I ride at least three days a week in the winter, so I would like to see a more detailed plan for the entire week, not just the one specific workout.

Racing is one focus of this book, but the training methods and indoor workouts are valuable for riders of any ilk. I'm a pleasure and fitness road rider, now on workout 6. Combined with a HR monitor, I've seen measureable improvement and workouts fly by. The workout structure is easily understood. My only recommendation is to make copies of the workouts, so you don't trash your book as you record your performance. Enjoy the time on your trainer for a change.

Book Title: Apache Flame
Pages: 342
Author: Madeline Baker
Genre: Historical

Main Characters:

Alisha Faraday and Mitchy Garrett

Overall Quality
First, let me explain that I purposely seek out little known historical romance authors because I prefer unique story plots. I abhor the standard published romance drivel forced on us by certain publishers who think we women are a bunch of low iq idiots!! I hate the standard boy girl - love hate plots these publishers throw at us. These reviews reflect my tastes and my tastes in romance reading only. I do not claim to be the expert for everyone like our romance publishers think they are.

Story Plot:
Growing up together the boy from the wrong side of parentage is befriended and falls in love with the preacher's daughter. Secretly their friendship grows to love. Both sets of parents lie to the children. These lies complicate their innocent lives until fate unites them as adults. The truth is revealed and together they fight the deceit to bring their love and family together.

I especially liked:
The Native American peoples in this story were not treated as hollywood plastic stereotypes. This author treated them as they truly were, loving and devoted to family.

I didn't like
the Comanche part, but it was necessary for action in the story.

When I finished the book I wanted to:
Find more of her books.

This book made me feel:
Interested and the way she wrote created a movie in my mind.

I recommend this book because:
The plot is unique. Baker has a good hook and an interesting story.

This book was really worth the 2 hours I spent reading it. It was really clever of Baker to give us the flashbacks into Alisha and Mitch's past. It really helped you to understand how they fell in love. The real plot of this story in my opinion was to undercover all the lies that tore them appart. The most hurtful lies were the ones from their fathers. First telling Mitch that his mother was dead. Then Alisha's father telling her that the baby she was having by Mitch was stillborn. Man what fathers would do to keep their children under lock and key. Besides the gloomy parts this book will give you a good laugh. I had to keep covering my mouth to keep me from laughing out loud. All in all this is a great book hope you enjoy.

This book was completely satisfactory. i enjoyed its content. I loved Baker's creativity. This was my first book by Baker, and it will certainly not be the last. Mitchy sounds like Prince Charming to my imagination, and i certainly love to dream. Keep 'em coming Baker!

I used to think this book was the bible. Now that I look back on it, however, it gives out a really bad message to young girls. It says that it's important to be popular, that you need to do this, do that, blah blah blah. It doesn't encourage girls to be themselves. It really is [bad].

THIS BOOK IS THE MOST AWESOME BOOK ON POUPALITY THERE IS.CAMY BAKER GAVE SOME VERY HELPFUL ADVICE SUCH AS DON'T FOLLOW TRENDS SET THEM I'M IN THE 5TH GRADE BUT AFTER LISTENING TO CAMY'S ADVICE I'VE LEARNED THOSE RULES WORK.CAMY BAKERS BOOK IS FIERCE SO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT. START READING

This is a great book because it will not only help you in 6th grade, it will help you in any grade. This book will also help you make friends. I try to follow these rules and I have made 2or3 new friends. Plus, I have just started 6th grade and I am not as un-popular as I thought I would be. And I have this book to thank. So, I would have to say it was a great book.

Ed Wood and I became acquainted 10 years ago when his Brittany tangled with a porcupine near our home in North Dakota. By the time we got all those quills out, I knew about his sourdoughs. Since then my wife has used his recipes and cultures for the sourdough breads we serve every day in our Bed & Breakfast. With no previous experience in sourdough baking, she now uses both the Russian and San Francisco cultures that Dr. Wood has collected, and both have proved to be great additions to our menus. Of course, I'm biased but I think the new approach in the latest book is more foolproof and tells the home baker exactly how to produce the best sourdough bread.

This book really is for the home baker who doesn't have the special ovens and tools of the artisans like Daniel Leader's Bread Alone or Nancy Singleton"s La Brea Bakery. Ed Wood's book gives instructions that can be used with any sourdough starter although I have produced far better sourdoughs with his starters than any I captured myself. There isn't a baker's yeast recipe in the entire book. If you're a novice baker or an old hand, you can learn a lot about sourdoughs from this book.

The thing I liked best about Dr. Wood's new book was the section on doing sourdoughs in bread machines. For the last 10 years I've been totally frustrated trying to get a decent sourdough out of a machine. Now, I'm turning out a perfect sourdough with the sourness I really like and the loaf comes out with that open texture with all the big holes of a real San Francisco sourdough.