Abadoun is not the easiest book to read - it is complex and it covers a lot of territory - but from the first page to the last, I was in that town, on that morning, waiting for that jet to fly over ...

This is a great book for the intelligent reader.

Quinn Tyler Jackson's novelette "Avadoun" might best be likened to a skein of prayer beads. As one follows the action through the mountain village of Abadoun, moving from the mind of one character to the next, one pursues a pre-defined catechism we are helpless to prevent or alter. The prayers of one bead tie into the next, and while we may hope for a break from the path, no bead is separate from the strand or those which precede it.

Jackson's prose gives us a rare glimpse into the lives and minds of Abadoun's mostly pre-modern world in the Kurdish region of Iran - the site of constant struggle between the Iraqis, Iranians, and Kurds for local dominance. We, if only for a moment, through his prose, may glimpse the realities of life in a place with such a tenuous connection to the modern world and where the events of the seemingly isolated and inconsequential have intruded onto the world geopolitical stage repeatedly over the last thirty years.

Jackson's technique of viewing the events from the semi-sequential perspectives of multiple characters without the intrusion of 3rd person narrators, and within the unique voice of each charcter, gives the reader multiple and unique perspectives on the same events along the timeline, as these lives intersect with brief finality. If Picasso had brought his concept of multiple concurrent viewpoints to literature instead of painting and sculpture, a brief tableau akin to "Abadoun" might be the result..

This book is amazingly fulfilling for it's brief length in a world where ponderous tomes of three hundred plus pages convey much less. I would particularly recommend it to any reader interested in: the Mid-East, Near-East, International Relations, Human Rights, the lives of individuals on the margins of the modern, or simply an innovative approach to narrative..

Quinn Tyler Jackson writes very well.I have read famous books less well written than "Abadoun." The book is dense with meaning and gives a feel of a very different culture. In addition, it has a strong element of suspense. The reader ends up caring for the people in the novel.

In a time where thin stories are presented as 600 page books, Mr. Jackson's gift of brevity is refreshing and most appreciated.

I bought the book so that I could understand the roots of our American home styles. Andrew Downing, however wrote much more...He frequently wrote about European culture and the differences in the New World mentality at the time. I have a better feeling now of attitudes of the 1800's.

This book is by the grandaddy of American cottage-style home designer's: Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1852). He wanted all of us to enjoy the simple, but rich, life of the cottage. You won't understand the roots of the American cottage unless you know about the life and work of Andrew Downing. As a footnote: He died young trying to save other's aboard Robert Fulton's steamship after a boiler fire. Someone should make a movie about this guy.

This text is a true classic. Orginally published in 1850, it is a reprint of the Gothic Revival pattern book of Andrew Jackson Downing who was the authority and champion of this style. Gothic Revival houses dominated the American countryside from the 1830s to the 1860s, and most of the designs for these houses were based on the patterns found in this book. The interior layouts from this age will most likely not suit the taste of modern day houses -- Gothic houses typically have a stair case just after the front door. Most home builders today like to have a living room or foyer just after the front door to greet guests. But for getting ideas on exterior designs of Gothic Revival houses, this book is the only authority.

From the Back Cover
"No one with even a passing interest in New York will be able to live without it."- William Grimes, New York Times Book Review

Please correct me if I am wrong, but, I do not understand how an interest in "New York" has ANYTHING to do with this book.
Am I missing something?

Here is a splendid recounting of histories (the old and the older) and anecdotes of explorations in the deserts and oases of what was once Roman Egypt. In addition, credible summations of existing research and excavations provide the reader with a distanced understanding of some curious spaces. The images in this book, all black and white, seem both numinous and stunning. The maps present the only bit of chaos with their insect-like sprawlings and unorganized keys. One must scan all names of the key to find the number and location for the places described. Clearer maps would have been lovely, but since it is unlikely I'll need such maps, the existing suffice. The reading is compelling, the topics heterogenous. On the whole, this book provides significant information and pleasure.

This book was amazing! when i read it, not only did it keep me interested, but i couldn't put it down!! the photographs were amazing, and so were the detailed maps! Jackson has done an excellent job with this book, and i can't wait for his next one. his hard work on this book has really paid off as it provides an exquisite insight into the history of Rome and the other places. being the head of the history department is a high post, and i am sure he deserves it.

A great resource for beer travellers! Not as complete as I would like, but the task at hand is a daunting one with so many places to review and the ever-changing face of the industry. It will be a fantastic reference for our travels to tell us what is in a particular area and whether a place might be worth trying. A must-have for those who travel and love good beer! Keep up the good work, Stan!

When I signed the publication contract for my first mystery novel, I suspected I may have some promotional journeys in store for me. I figured I'd be expected to travel to New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, and other places I knew fairly well. I never realized I'd also be appearing in Anchorage, Plano, Modesto, Yuma, Palm Springs, and countless other terrific towns across the United States promoting my novel. Since my book's publication, I've been doing all sorts of traveling, and this guide to watering holes has been a wonderful addition to my baggage. If you plan on being in an unfamiliar place, refer to this book. If you want to set up business meetings in territories you don't know well, use this book. If you want to find a pleasant dive in which to spend an evening, check out this book. THE BEER LOVER'S GUIDE TO THE USA is the modern author's most indispensable companion. Buy it! Read it! Take care of this book, and this book will take care of you!

Outstanding compendium of good beer institutions and hangs. Well researched. Great work. This is a valuable resource for those who can't take the computer/internet with them. cheers! silva

There is some valuable knowledge contained within this one for a Pagan who is pursuing information about the Horned God/Herne/Cernunnos; but due to the authors style, the reader must be able to synthesis/deduce meaning from paragraphs which are often disjointed and used as nonsequitorial analogy.

It is too bad to see that this book, as well as the authors other books, namely "Call of the Horned Piper" and "Compleat Vampyre" are becoming scarce. Nigel Jackson has made a lot of important observations that bear upon the "Old Ways" that no one who is serious about Wicca can afford to ignore. I would give Jackson's books fewer stars, except that the material is so good. He isn't all that good a writer, and it isn't all that easy to follow him. Often he throws ideas together in ways that are distracting and that make one wonder if he knows how to develope his subject. He would have benefited by having a good editor. Howbeit, what's most important is that he does present this deeply interesting material, and it is up to the reader to absorb and use it. If used in Wiccan practice, the material will bring a depth of experience that is most authentic and powerful. Nigel Jackson is very deeply immersed in the oldest form of Eurasian sacred shamanistic magic that there is - at least 200,000 years old, and it's still alive and kicking.

This book takes a more anthropological overview of the European Horned God and makes comparitives between other cultures. It also takes a look at the integration and development of concepts and beliefs surrounding the Horned God. This is then intermixed with various pieces of folklore an tradition which incidently found within traditional Witchcraft. So, you not only understand the information but also understand where it came from and how it developed.

This was my first book by Jackson and I really like her style of writing. It makes a reader keep on reading until the end of the story. Very enjoyable read with some lovely characters that you will fall in love with. Good Read!

WHAT WE WON'T DO FOR LOVE. AFTER ALL LUKE'S DEMENTED FAMILY PUT HER THROUGH SHE NEVER GAVE UP. THE BOOK WAS WELL WRITTEN. I ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH. LOVE DOES CONQUER ALL.

I have never been the type to be interested in romance novels but one day my best friend left this book at my house I picked it up and took it with me everywhere I went for a couple of days. This book was so real it had me not wanting it to end. I wanted to keep in touch with the chracters and their lives. Everything was so vivid and real in the author's descriptions of characters and situations without over doing it. Now I have a new hobby looking for more books that I can enjoy as much as I enjoyed this one.

Anthologies are very popular these days, providing delightly appetizers that amuse and enlighten and tease while introducing readers to new and wonderful authors. An anthology may be considered successful if there are just one or even two terrific stories contained in its pages. This particular one succeeds admirably, as nearly all seventeen of them are wonderful. Two in particular stand out, however. Suppose you were asked who, of all the currently published mystery writers with whom you might be familiar, would be best suited to write a short mystery in the voice of a Tazmanian Devil? If you said Barbara Paul, you'd be absolutely correct. GO TO THE DEVIL is truly hilarious, and well worth the cost of the entire book, even if you didn't read any of the others.

But if you did that, you'd miss out on FINAL VOWS by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, in which more cats than not do have nine lives, and even if you don't particularly like cats, you'll still enjoy this whimsical bit of fantasy, in which all the neighborhood's cats (living and otherwise) catch the culprit.

Other stories (by such mystery luminaries as Anne Perry, Dorothy Cannell, and Nancy Pickard) feature other cats or kittens, a couple of dogs, a hamster, and an owl. It's a very pleasant and enjoyable read, not least of which are the terse introductory comments from the title character himself--Midnight Louie!

Midnight Louie has done it again! Not only is he a sleuth extraordinaire but now an editor and reviewer of short stories with animals (not only cats) as the featured heros. If you love the Midnight Louie series here is a way to get to know him better and enjoy new stories by excellent authors!

Actually, I never heard of Midnight Louie until I read this book. My wife found it in a library search for stories by Lillian Jackson Braun. One of her stories from 1966, "The Dark One," is reprinted in this book, so it showed up in the search. The rest of the tales in this anthology are copyrighted 1998, same year as the book came out, which suggests they are new tales written especially for Midnight Louie's collection.

In each story, one or more animals plays a role in solving a mystery. In some cases, the animal itself is the detective, while in others, the animal provides a vital clue for his or her dumb humans. Not only dogs and cats, but also elephants, raccoons, an opossom, a lovebird, a robin, a half-wolf and a Tasmanian Devil take their turn at sleuthing here.

Some favorites: In "Daisy and the Silver Quaitsch," the neighborhood dogs literally dig up clues to tip off their clueless masters. "Kittens Take Detection 101," introduces us to two young cats (who don't even know how to use capital letters yet!) who find a dead body while sneaking out to explore their neighborhood. In "Final Vows," cats literally do have nine lives (or more!), and the feline detective, Colonel Mustard, returns from the dead to discover who poisoned him and help save the rest of the neighboorhood cats from the same fate. "On the Take" features a soft-hearted cop who finds a unique way to place stray cats in good homes. (If I lean toward the cat and dog stories, maybe it's because I have three dogs and ten cats. But the Tasmanian Devil get his due here, too, when a careless bomber sets off a charge near his cage, and "A Hamster of No Importance" solves a series of high-society Jewel thefts.)

Each story has an introduction by Midnight Louie, the feline detective created by Carole Nelson Douglas (who also happens to be the editor of this book.) Like I said, I had never heard of Louie before but, after enjoying this wonderful anthology, I plan to track him down and read more about his adventures. Carole Douglas, you have a new fan!

What a wonderful celebration of the horse and the training and communication that goes along with owning one of these majestic animals!!! This is a beautiful book for anyone who loves the larger than life quality and grace of the horse. The photos are wonderful! Another one of my favorites is a training book called Horse, Follow Closely by GaWaNi Pony Boy. Check them both out!!

This book is fundamental, in multiple ways. The main topic described and discussed is the horse's hooves. Anyone who knows horses understands that hoof care is truly fundamental to the soundness of the horse. This is the best explanation I have ever seen of how nature intended horse hooves to function, and how our removal of horses from their natural environment impacts their hooves, thus their ability to move as nature meant them to. The author's deep and broad knowledge of horses is especially to be appreciaed. In addition to opening our minds to a greater understanding of their natural locomotion, he also explains clearly many other apsect of horse behavior in the wild, and how their needs change as we put them in unnatural situations and make unnatural demands on them. Anyone responsible for a horse's care, rider or not, should be required to read this book. Anyone who just loves these magnificent beasts will appreciate them all the more for the enhanced understanding of them this book makes possible. If you are thinking of acquiring a horse, make this the first book you read.

Jamie definately shows us a refreshing look at the natural horse thru the horses eyes. Readers will come away from this book with a new understanding of why horses do what they do and why humans have errored in the past. Take a real look at what we thought a hoof should look like and now see " the natural hoof" and it's advantages. Getting back to the basics will shatter modern beliefs about horse care. This information has been slow coming and will take generations to take hold, and it will!

This book covers basics of pop-ups created using folds and cuts. The "gallery" in the back is amazing. Within two weeks of buying this book I was making birthday cards. The kiss for the valentine's day card alone was worth the price of the book (ah, what a crafty person can do....). If you're looking for pop-up construction with pull tabs, wheels, levers, etc, check out Hiner's books.

Really good book. Takes you through all the steps for many techniques; lots of pictures and diagrams.

This is a great book. The author starts with very basic, simple cuts and folds, and progresses through more difficult techniques.

The book has very clear, step-by-step instructions, and photos of completed samples. Each technique explained also shows several variations, along with a completed project. You won't find instructions for all of the completed projects though, (the bird on the cover, for example), because I think the idea is for you to experiment on your own, using the techniques illustrated in the book.

I found the size of the book to be a big help. Print you can actually read and photos that are a good size. All around nice book.

Catherine Wallington has always been fond of her Uncle Julius, especially since he took her in as a young girl and raised her after her parents died. So when Uncle Julius invites Catherine to fly to Kenya for a banquet to celebrate being nominated as the first African American for the World Trade Bank( an organization that aids in supplying loans to countries in dire straits) Catherine quickly accepts the invitation. She gives little thought to the fact that Kenya is undergoing significant civil unrest which might jeopardize her safety.

In the meantime, N-Zee and David, members of a rebel group, thought that their handsome and intelligent rebel leader, Jackson Shugga, would be ecstatic if they could kidnap the daughter of the only African American World Bank Director. Unbeknownst to the kidnappers, JaLisa, the Director's daughter, became ill the night of the banquet and was unable to attend the affair. The young, attractive, seductive lady they took as hostage is the Director's niece!

Jackson Shugga is shocked and appalled as the actions of his deputies and realizes they must return Catherine to her family as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he didn't anticipate that chaos and unrest would intensify and that he would have to wait before he could safely return Catherine to her relatives.

As days pass, Catherine is annoyed and angered that she has to stay longer than another day. She just wants to go home. N-Zee is upset that Jackson appears to be smitten by Catherine and as such she's plotting how to eliminate Catherine. Jackson knew that N-Zee and other women in his rebel faction were in love with him, but until he met Catherine he had never felt passion and quickly he allows his emotions to lead him to ..."I must have Catherine." Slowly Catherine allows her guard down and lets Jackson seep into her space but can she really be falling in love with this infamous terrorist?

A Reluctant Captive is a well-written and intriguing jungle romance adventure. The character development was on point, the imagery was vivid and the storyline was engaging. Jackson has written an exciting debut novel which I recommend to serious romance readers.

In her debut novel, Joyce Jackson pulls together a story full of adventure, intrigue, politics, and that ever needed ROMANCE with much style!

The Reluctant Captive brings us Katherine Wellington, a D.C. financial advisor who flies to Kenya in order to celebrate her uncle's new director appointment into the World Bank, an organization that aids in supplying loans to countries in dire financial straits. Unbeknownst to Katherine, Kenya is in extreme turmoil, and a rebel faction has been created in order to bring about justice to Kenyans.

Jackson Shugga, the faction's leader finds himself in a tight predicament when Nziguniziju (N Zee to her friends) who is third in command wrangles the help of fellow comrade David to abduct the new director's daughter. The major problem? They mistake Katherine for his daughter and abduct her instead.

Though frightened, a brave Katherine keeps her spirits up and her wits about her as she deals with the rebels and their stone cold leader, Jackson. The rebels' goal is to use Katherine as a pawn to help Kenya, but what isn't expected is the ignition of passion between Jackson and Katherine that explodes in the jungle's heat.

N Zee is furious that her plan has backfired. Being beautiful and devious has allowed her to get whatever she wants from many of the men in the group, including Kimya who is second in command. But her feminine wiles have never snagged Jackson, and when she sees his affection for Katherine grow, she vows to destroy their pending love, by any means necessary.

I have to say, I could literally write a BOOK of a review for The Reluctant Captive. This book contained so much that a review can barely do it justice. I will admit, the heftiness of the book (400+ pages) was daunting to me initially, but the story that Joyce Jackson intricately develops is a great one. The characters are thoroughly fleshed out with great back story, the dialogue is crisp, the images that Jackson paints of the jungle and happenings there are very realistic.

At the publisher's site (Genesis Press) they state that Indigo romances are sensuous love stories with strong plots and are character driven, and this novel hits all three points straight on the head: detailed romantic trysts, tightly woven plots and characters that jump off the page. There were many things I enjoyed about this novel, but one that I TRULY enjoyed was the strength of the heroine. She was independent yet feminine, but her will was just as strong as any man, and in romances, sometimes I have to swallow hard with the "faltering" of the female characters whenever the male is present.

Joyce Jackson has written a wonderful debut romance, and her future as a romance novelist looks very bright.

Reviewed by Shonie

The Reluctant Captive was an intriguing tale of a young woman named Katherine who fell victim to mistaken identity.

Katherine's uncle Julius Wellington had been appointed to the Board of Directors of the World Bank. He asked Katherine if she would accompany him to a banquet in honor of this history making event in Kenya. Mr. Wellington was the first African American to be appointed to the board. Katherine is crazy about her uncle and accepts. Julius' daughter JaLisa is going also, but when it's time for the dinner, she is ill and can not attend.

Katherine is in the ladies room and is kidnapped by NZee and her accomplice David. They take Katherine to their leader Jackson Shugaa. They thought Katherine was Julius's daughter and felt they could use her to influence him to do what they wanted him to do.

Jackson wants to return Katherine, but unfortunately there were events that made him have to keep Katherine longer than he anticipated.

NZee didn't like Katherine period. NZee was in love with Jackson and wanted no one else to be near him. She beats Katherine up and Jackson decides that Katherine will stay with him until she can be returned. NZee is burning up now! She hates the American!

Katherine didn't want to be there, let alone stay in the same place with Jackson. She just wanted to go home. She did notice Jackson's golden eyes and was mesmerized. She didn't like living in the wild life, but noticed she had to survive and did. Katherine started feeling things that she had never felt before. Jackson seem to pull her to him anytime they were near each other.

Jackson knew NZee and a couple other women in his village was in love with him. He loved them too, but not in a passionate manner. Katherine on the other hand, really made him think about things of the heart. Their closeness every night was very sensual. I think Jackson was taken with Katherine right away.

THE RELUCTANT CAPTIVE was a very romantic story. I usually don't like jungle adventures, but this one was very well done. I loved the chemistry between Jackson and Katherine. Ms. Jackson did a wonderful job bringing adventure and romance together. Good Job!