From the Shadows is an ideal adventure for first time DM's to Raveloft. The map of Azalin's castle were perfect, easy to follow and read. The whole Grand Conjunction "series" was great. Any DM's running in Ravenloft who haven't converted to "the new Ravenloft" with the land changes and the Shadow Rift should think about doing so. I run in both. Look into finding this adventure. It's worth the hassle of finding an out of print item.

Erskine Caldwell takes us on a journey in search of a childhood friend whom he never forgot. Erskine and Bisco were good friends as children but were torn apart due to the segregationist mores of their times. Bisco was a so-called Negro and Erskine a so-called White. The two were destined to inhabit a land and culture which promoted inequality and friendship for both young people.

In Search of Bisco is a chronicle of Caldwell's search not only for his friend (now that he is an adult) but also an examination of the root sources of hatred and racism that separated the two. He takes us to South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana and their varied communities and asks about his friend. He gets a wealth of information about attitudes both black and white concerning Bisco.

Caldwell's south as he knew it doesn't exist today but the attitudes that it nurtured still persist. Bisco is more than a mistreated Black man but for Caldwell has become a metaphor for the oppression of Blacks throughout the south. In every state, whites share their contempt for the Biscos of this world. When encountering Blacks Caldwell finds rebellious Biscos, conservative Biscos and proud Biscos who refuse to bow to the conventions of their day. The reader is given a superb portrait of the struggle of African-Americans in the south prior to the civil rights movement and the attitudes of their white counterparts.

Bisco is a commentary on race but most of all it is a look at a friendship that could have blossomed but was stunted early in these men's lives. Bisco and Erskine show us the possibilities of what could have been in the south in terms of enduring friendships. Erskine presents us with the harsh realities. This is an excellent book worth your reading and reflection over a time and a friendship that is no more.

I read this book when I was in my last year of high school and it helped me to keep a healthy perspective vis a vis education. I ended up being a healthy sceptic of all "authoritative knowledge" "taught" me by my teachers. It also encouraged me to "learn" on my own even after I was done with formal schooling. Must read for people who feel unduly constrained by the educational system.

Pornography - Erotic Art is only few of his works! but takes big place in every reader mind!! (and please don't tell me u buy Playboy for the articles...) Jeff Koons decided to expose himself and his intimic life. He is no longer takes his wife and show HER nudity! but expose himself as well! he makes us think about the thin line between Pornography and Art! and he defenatly do it in a wondergul gentle way! Have fun and don't feel guilty forenjoying the regular Art inside the book!

This account (of a battle that everyone's heard of but nobody knows much about) drags a bit in its beginning and ending sections, but its middle(the actual description of the battle) is a well-paced, crystal-clear description of the battle action of both sides. Good depiction of how individual leaders and their strengths and weaknesses influence military actions. The attempts to place the battle in a much larger historical context sometimes were a stretch, but the book overall is a great read for Civil War history buffs.

The book is well written and best suitable for middle - junior high school students. Though the book is a little aged, it still provides much information about the history and culture of the region. Note that East Pakistan is now Bangladesh, and the picture on page 57 may be offensive to some readers from New York.

This wonderful book has an ambitious scope - not only does it have a well-detailed description of the first magic item-selling shop ever published by TSR, it also includes the gold piece and experience point values of thousands of magic items - with hundreds of illustrations to enhance play! (So what does a currach look like, exactly, anyway?) Even better, from a collector's point of view, is the TSR Product List - a summary of every single release ever put out by TSR from the very beginning (1974) to 1992, complete with product codes. A veritable treasure trove of reference information for the discriminating DM!

The Marklands decribes two Greyhawk lands at the time of the "From the Ashes" box set. I think around 591 c. Anyway it goes into the political and military intrigues of Furyrondy and Nyrond. If you like Greyhawk I recommend it as a source to build lots of adventures or wars.

The Mentalism Companion gives a very good listing of extra spells, professions, and training packages for the Rolemaster system. The professions and training packages are pretty cool, such as an Enchanter profession and the Dreamweaver Training Package. There are also some interesting new abilities, adrenal quick draw is a favorite of mine, it allows you to ready your weapon instantly. Overall this is a nice companion to have if you are into mentalism.

In this book, Dr. Charles Ryrie examines 35 of the Lord's miracles and provides a brief analysis of each. After scripture is quoted, Dr. Ryrie provides the setting and the circumstances under which each miracle was performed. The reader is educated as to the significance of the miracle, the impact the miracle had on the people involved at the time and how the miracle has significance to present day Christians. The only disappointment I encountered was that each miracle was only given three to five pages of exposition. Other excellent works by Dr. Ryrie include "Basic Theology" and "Dispensationalism".