Wyeth's biography of Forrest stands as one of the best written about him. It is a 'must read' for any serious student of the civil war as it was fought in the west (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky). While other biographies have been written (such as, "Bedford Forrest and His Critter Company", by Ansrew Nelson Lytle and "First with the Most Forrest" by Robert Selph Henry), they don't have the breadth that Wyeth's book has. Of course, the only biography actually reviewed and approved by General Forrest was Jordan and Pryor's "The Campaigns of Lieut. Gen. Forrest and of Forrest's Cavalry", but this work is flawed by a markedly biased position on the part of the authors and by their inability to access the Official Records. On the other hand, they did interview Forrest and most of his surviving authors and Wyeth drew much of his material from this work. Still, for the definitive story of Forrest's life, Wyeth's book is the acknowledged source.

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ ON THE LIFE OF GENERAL NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE POINTS OF INTEREST THAT HAS CAUSED A BLIMISH ON THIS GREAT MAN'S LIFE. IT IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE SEEKING THE TRUTH ABOUT GENERAL FORREST. IT CLEARLY SHOWS HE IS THE GREATEST CAVALRYMAN OF THE WAR. NO ONE ELSE COMES CLOSE TO HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND VICTORIES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE GREAT WAR.

This book gives exquisite detail into the life of the South's Greatest General! It is a must read for any Civil War enthusiast. I highly recomend this book for anyone interested in the South.

This is a quick grabbing suspenseful story that is extremely readable. That being said, this is not a lightweight work. Characters are well developed and intriguing, the language is descriptive and seductive, and the action not predictable. We read this book during a power outage- it made the time literally fly by

As a professional astrologer, and great fan of Steven Forrests non-fiction work, I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. Gracefully and articulately he has combined the art/science of astrology authentically and convincingly with fictional mystery, and in a way that will be easily understandable even to someone with no astrological background. Through this his first novel Steven Forrest is, to my knowledge at least, the first person to ever apply astrology this creatively in a fictional context.

And the astrology is only one small aspect of the book, it has all of the ingredients necessary to keep the reader engaged. It is an entertaining, sensitive and humorous story, plus the psychological insights and undercurrents are profound and will be clear to all who are that way inclined.

I for one am looking forward to reading Steven Forrests next novel!

I just finished this book - or more accurately, this book grabbed both sides of my brain and galloped me off on this wild, roller coaster. There were many times I couldn't read fast enough. And simultaneous with that feeling, I wanted to save it for later because I didn't want it to end. If only it was 1,000 pages. But I couldn't pull away from the books engaging power and enchantment - responsibilities cast aside as pages kept turning. I don't recall being that absorbed and possesed by a book , though maybe some of Tom Robbins' stuff now that I think about it more. I can't wait until Steven Forrest's next novel. Bravo!

This is Definitely by far the best book on Greek Democracy. It is detailed and easy to read

W. G. Forrest's classic little book is the best account of the political evolution of ancient Greece for general readers and for introductory classes in Greek History. Forrest writes beautifully, if informally, treats evidence fairly, and makes complex issues seem clear. The book is not only well written but also well illustrated. He succinctly treats Homeric Society, Colonization, the Hoplite Reform, the origins of Greek tyranny, the Spartan Revolution, Solon's reforms in Athens, Pisistratus' regime, Cleisthenes' creation of early democracy, and mature Athenian democracy, and he always shows the interrelationship of political, social, and economic factors driving developments in Greek History. His general picture is as valid today as when he wrote it in the mid-sixties. Some publisher ought to get this back in print!

I admit I first bought this little book for the pictures. It was a while before I got around to reading the text. I expected a bland textbook summary of Greek history. Instead, I found a fascinating, lively analysis of the emergence of Greek poliical institutions (not only democracy). The highlight of the book is Forrest's analysis of the way political structure was transformed by the influence of social struggles between the old-wealth aristocracy and the rising lower classes. Hmmm... when I type that, it sounds dull. It isn't! Forrest really opened up Greek history for me in a compelling and original way, one that influences the way I view political change and conflict in our own society. It belongs on the same shelf with M. I. Finley's study of class politics in the ancient world. and Donald Kagan's four-part history of the Peloponnesian War. Incidentally, the book is also a spirited defense of the much-maligned Athenian democracy against conservative critics like Plato and Thucydides. This is a book I would like to assign to my classes.

I love this book. I thought it was many interesting. I like to make circuits like the one in this book. I enjoyed to make circuit like one in this book. This book very interesting and educational. I like to read and build thing with this book. WOW!!!!

Forrest Mims is surely the master for explaning things to the average electronics hobbyist. His hand-sketched drawings and list of interesting applications are a delight to view. I highly recommend this book. However, there are a number of things within it that are simply outdated. For example, I couldn't find one circuit that used a single microcontroller. There are also some obselete projects, such as stop watches that use numerous old logic IC's. In such cases, microcontrollers would be a better approach. Aside from this fact, there is a lot that can be learned from this book.

Classic little book, great way to really learn your circuits. Extremely clear presentation.

Forrest Mosten has written what must be the definitive book for those who are considering or might consider a career in mediation.

I have known the author since 1970, when he was a law student working part time for me in the foreign student office at UCLA. Even then he was thinking about how he might incorporate his strong social conscience into the practice of law. Ten years later he found his answer when he committed himself to becoming a professional mediator. For Mosten, mediation is more than an efficient means of resolving disputes, it is a way to work as a peacemaker at the person-to-person level. It provides its practitioners who are attorneys with an alternative to the adversarial nature of the legal system, which weighs heavily on many lawyers. Of course it provides the same benefit for clients. He makes his point about mediation as a peace effort dramatically in chapter one, where he states "...don't jump into a growing but still uncertain field like mediation unless you eat, breath and dream about creating peace and resolving conflict and are willing to risk everything to make it happen".

In addition to maintaining a highly successful mediation practice in Los Angeles, Mosten trains future mediators and he has established a nation-wide network of mediation centers. He also is the author of three previous books on mediation.

The author's purpose in writing the book is stated in the first paragraph of the preface, where he says "It was an uphill climb to build my mediation practice. This book is my effort to help you avoid many of the costly mistakes I made along the way".

The book is organized into three parts, each with several chapters, followed by nine appendices. In the first part, "Is Mediation right for You?", he covers the question of what it takes to be a mediator, such as being a good listener, patient, tolerant and neutral, flexible, and empathic, among other traits. In the chapter on "Education and Training", he discusses the question of non-lawyers as mediators. Mosten admits that lawyers have certain advantages, but he lists other fields which often provide a good background, such as therapists, business persons, teachers and clergy. Whether they come from the law or other fields, he states, extensive training in mediation will be required. Here Mosten goes into some depth on this subject which is dear to his heart because he wants "...mediation to be the first stop on the conflict resolution highway", which means having "...enough trained and experienced mediators available to meet this need".

Part Two, "Building Your Career as a Mediator" deals with the creation of a mediation signature, which includes advice on writing vision and mission statements to distinguish your particular practice. He also advocates having a board of directors to help with these tasks and to provide a sounding board along the way which he had earlier described as an informal group of persons whose judgment you trust. (He might more accurately have called them a "board of advisors). Another chapter, "Creating a Mediation-Friendly Environment", gets down to reading materials and arrangement of the reception room. Most important, he introduces the idea of the client library, described as a consumer-friendly collection of books, video tapes and other resources which will help clients learn what they need to help solve their own problems. This concept is related to Mosten's preference for informed client consent, and he reports that his library is well used by his clients.

Part Three is "The Nuts and Bolts of Private Practice", which covers topics such as finding a place to practice, naming your practice, forming strategic partnerships and networks. With respect to networks, he uses his own Mosten Mediation Centers as an illustrative model, in which he has established local mediators around the country as subcontractors. In the chapter entitled "Strategic Planning and Investing in Yourself", he gets very specific about the time and money required to establish a mediation practice, including a breakdown of out -of-pocket costs which add up to $57,000 over a five-year period.

Even though he has stated his desire to see a great increase in the number of practicing mediators, Mosten in no way sugarcoats the obstacles and challenges facing anyone who plans to enter the field. His candor, at times, would almost seem to discourage, but at least anyone who has read the book would enter the field fully warned. More important they will have read a well integrated combination of philosophy and nuts and bolts, each supporting the other.

This is a critical book for those contemplating a career in mediation, it is a useful book for anyone contemplating using the services of a mediator, and it is an interesting book for those who are attracted by the concept of mediation as a force for more peaceful interpersonal relations.

Dear fellow mediators or anyone looking into the mediation profession:

Mosten's book, Mediation Career Guide, is just the book I was looking for to strategically guide me through deciding whether to go into mediation as a profession. The book is well organized and can be read cover to cover or as a reference guide. Some of the key parts of the book are 1) Deciding if Mediation is Right for You and 2) Building Your Career as a Mediator.

The chapter on deciding whether to get your law degree or not for mediation was an especially important chapter for me. I completed one year of law school and then decided to re-evaluate my J.D. path. I enrolled in SMU's Dispute Resolution program to help with my decision. Mosten's book is the only mediation book that directly dealt with the J.D. dilemma. The chapter did not tell me what to do or what Mosten thinks is best. Instead, the chapter asked certain questions about my background to see whether a J.D. is a good choice or not.

Mosten's book is a MUST HAVE if you are deciding whether the mediation profession is right for you and how to build a mediation practice.

Thank you Forrest (Woody) Mosten for this book and all of your contributions to the peace-making profession!

Roseanne Pierre

I usually wait a little longer than this to write a review of a book, but I'm thoroughly pleased and excited by this one.

Forrest "Woody" Mosten will be familiar to most readers of this page, so I'll just mention that he's been a professional mediator for more than two decades and has written other books on this subject. In the present volume, he provides something new: a thorough, beginning-to-end nuts-and-bolts overview of what's involved in making mediation your regular job. (So far as I know, the only book even remotely comparable is Mosten's own earlier "complete" volume on the practice of mediation.)

And since that's exactly what I'm interested in doing, I'm pleased to say that less than twenty-four hours after receiving the book, I'm _already_ a thousand per cent better informed about what it takes to build a career in mediation.

Mosten starts at the very beginning. After a short introduction explaining how he moved into mediation himself and found it more consonant with his core values than the ordinary practice of law, he puts his readers through a few chapters of self-analysis to help us determine whether mediation might be right for us, too. (And I'm happy to say that I'm now even more firmly convinced that I'm going into what is, for me, the right field.)

Then there's plenty of good advice about how to prepare for such a career, including the all-important question: should you go to law school? All of Mosten's discussions are finely nuanced, with carefully balanced summaries of the factors weighing on each side; the one about law school is especially so. (I'm currently in an evening law school program myself, at the tender age of 38, and I would certainly caution would-be mediators to consider carefully whether such a rigorous program is necessary to their practice. I wish Mosten had also addressed the separate question of what factors tell in favor of and against actually taking the bar exam, but since I plan to take it anyway, it's not a burning issue for me personally.)

There's also an excellent chapter on the sorts of job available to mediators -- in, e.g., government, nonprofit enterprises, and other areas. A private mediation practice is presented as one alternative among others, and Mosten doesn't pull any punches in his discussion of what's involved in running your own mediation business; he says to expect it to be tough for the first few years if you go that route.

The rest of the book is devoted to developing and marketing oneself as a mediator. I won't even try to summarize this wideranging and thorough discussion (especially since, so far, I've only skimmed it myself!). I'll just remark that, in general, this is a wonderfully well-written and highly readable work of expository prose, packed with solid advice and plenty of information from one of the world's most experienced mediators.

(The bibliographic references are also excellent, though I didn't notice any surprises; some, most, or all of them may already be in your home mediation library. But it's nice to have Mosten's specific recommendations, and he's caused me to shift some things around on my to-buy list.)

If you're remotely interested in a career in mediation, or even in working in the field part-time, you'll find _lots_ of useful information in this book. I recommend that you add it to your own to-buy list -- _very_ near the top. I don't think anything like it has been published in this field before.

Charlie was once a famous child prodigy whose paintings still command exorbinant prices and enormous attention from the art world. Her sleasy agent, Valdor, desperately wants her to return to painting, something that she has not done since the miraculous surgery that removed a brain tumor and rid her of the horrible nightmares that were the subject of her incredible works of art. The residous of that surgery is a limp and mild facial paralysis along with end of her career as an artist.

Now an adult she lives in fear of an unknown stalker and relies upon her parents and the dog, Jagger, her father had specially trained for her security. John Rubidoux (Ruby) is the ex policeman who reluctantly trained Jagger despite misgivings about the mixed signals that would be sent to this gentle golden retriever. He attends a showing of Charlies paintings to see how Jagger has adjusted to his new regiment. Ruby is attrcted to Jagger's delicate and tormented owner. He and Charlie begin to see eachother. As their relationship develops Charlie's tumor seems to be returning along with the nightmares and the stalker appears to be even more determined to get Charlie.

The story takes many turns but neatly finds its way to climactic conclusion. Forrest sets up enough possible culprits to keep you guesssing for quite a while. The editing could use improvement as there are many spelling and grammatical errors that annoy the reader, but the story and the writing are excellent. I couldn't put this book down.

This was an absolutely terrific book. I could not put it down! In fact, I read it in 1 day! I loved Charlie and was very intrigued by John. And, of course, I couldn't help but root for Charlie's dog, Jagger. The ending was a real shocker. If you want to read a great psychological thriller, please read this book.

Wade Clarkson is a gifted micro-neurosurgeon who has saved many a patient. His list includes a cop killer scheduled for execution to Charlie one of the century's most gifted painters. Though he saved Charlie's life from a brain tumor, the artist lost the ability to paint.

Eleven years later, the tumor and Charlie's ability to paint both return. As before the surgery, the images come to Charlie while she sleeps. She releases the terror of "Midnight" through painting. A recent murder that Charlie previously seen in her nightmares indicates that a dormant killer has surfaced. He knows he is linked to Charlie, who must stop him, before he kills again.

It is a question of when before Elizabeth Forrest is recognized as one of the true talents on the market today. RETRIBUTION is a fascinating work of psychological suspense that grips the audience from start to finish. The ending is a shocker even though, looking in hindsight, all the clues were there. This is great work from an author who will soon be recognized as the dean of psychological horror thrillers.

Harriet Klausner

This astonishing book is a whole lot more than just a reprint of the Forrests' earlier classic. They discuss the astrology of relationships in so much depth and with such detail, and with such positive, affirming attitudes, that I know I'll refer to this book over and over again. The "cookbook" stuff alone is worth the cover price--what it means if your Venus squares your mate's Sun and all that--but most of all it's the spirit behind this work that is so precious, that committed love can truly work in this day and age, and that it can be improved.

I've always loved my copy of the Forrests' earlier version of Skymates, which has become kind of a collectors item since it went out of print years ago. I kept having to get it back from friends I'd loaned it to. I ordered the new one, not sure if it could be very different. But it's a major re-write with lots of new material. The best part for me are the huge "cookbook" sections where you can just look up what it means if your Venus conjuncts somebody else's Saturn and so forth. Their writing style is mostly simple and easy to understand, but their interpretations are the deepest and the most "real" I've ever seen anywhere. There's a long section about F Scott Fitgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald that actually made me cry, it was so beautiful. That part also shows how to put all the details and techniques the authors describe into a kind of "big picture," so you're left with more than a head full of unconnected ideas. They've got some past-life stuff in the book too - the soul-reasons behind certain issues a person might have in relationships. Everybody will have to make up their own mind about that, but it all rang really true for me. This is the synastry book I've been waiting for. I recommend it totally.

If Shakespeare's lovers had had this book, things might not have ended so badly...

"Skymates" doesn't tell you that if you're a Cancer, you should never marry a Scorpio. The Forrests respect our freedom to choose our mates; they use astrology -- with humor, intelligence, and compassion -- to help us make the best of the relationships we have.

Early in the book, Chapter Two offers a quick overview of the building blocks of astrolgy: signs, planets and houses -- this way, one doesn't have to be a certified professional astrologer to use "Skymates."

The Forrests then cover in-depth the houses that make up the Arc of Intimacy and detail the significance of having planets in those houses.

After that, they move into the synastry portion of the book, touching briefly but not boringly on the mathematics of calculating aspects, then what the various major aspects mean: conjunctions, oppositions, trines and squares. Configurations are covered in a sizeable "cookbook" section where couples can look up their charts: Your Mars is square your partner's Mars -- what does that mean? Look it up and find out!

They put it all together using famous artistic pairings: Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Anyone interested in improving his or her own relationships should pick up a copy of this book.

A long history/memoir by Morton, who rose to command of Forrest's artillery after the death of (my relative, perhaps) Captain Freeman. Morton was only 18 when he joined up in '62 and spent seven months of the war in Northern prisons, of which he gives some description.

Forrest wasn't happy to accept this "tallow-faced boy" at first, but Morton slowly won him over and participated in all of his campaigns.

We get a lot of observations as to Forrest's character -- including that, according to Morton, he believed one attacker superior to two defenders (this is alarming) and that he was "at times the most insubordinate of men" (13). (Greatest general of all time, eh? I can't quite feature that.)

We learn as well about the activities of Forrest's troops, and I found it interesting to observe how often his men charged entrenched opponents (cf. Morton's description of the Battle of Dover, p. 76; etc.). I would be interested to know what Forrest's casualty rates were, as compared to other cavalry commanders and as measured against what he achieved.

The death (possibly a murder) of Captain Freeman, Forrest's deadly brawl with Lieutenant Gould, Chickamauga and Brice's Crossroads all are covered, among other events. Though Morton quotes letters between Forrest and the Federal commander Washburn regarding the treatment of prisoners of war, there is little discussion of Fort Pillow and it is implied, as far as I can tell, that Morton and his artillery weren't there--which seems hard to believe, but that's what the text seems to suggest.

A detailed account, a vital source for the activities and personality of Forrest. Limited personal narrative, with Morton tending to refer to himself in the third person, but quite vivid nonetheless. For anyone wanting to understand the war in the West this would be indispensable.

This book reflects Forrest's will to win the battles, and the fights he put up in the process. He will ALWAYS be known as the GREATEST general any war has ever seen.

A young woman is found murdered outside a lesbian bar, and Kate Delafield is on the case. The young woman was a prostitute and a junkie who was rejected by her judgmental parents, all of which gives Kate a plethora of suspects. During the investigation, Kate has a brief liaison with a woman from the lesbian bar, and ultimately reconnects with the lesbian community, which she hadn't done for years. And when Kate discovers who killed the young woman, it's a jolt to the reader as well, even if, like myself, you suspected it. Forrest is a gifted writer, showing in her second Delafield mystery the reasons why she has such a devoted following.

This was the first in the Delafield series that I read and I've been an addict ever since. This book, along with Beverly Malibu, is one of the best in the series and an excellent read. Great story of how lesbians react to their own who wear badges, and how those women officers deal with it.

This book is perfect to me. Every actor seems to be alive. And if you know L.A., you know the Nightwood Bar and every place in this book.

In the Delafield series, this book ranks as one of the most, if not the most, meaningful stories. It didn't have the love scenes I so deeply enjoy reading but the story line more than made up for that. Excellent reading!

Katherine V. Forrest, in her Kate Delafield series manages to present a tight, taut mystery along with a political statement, which she doesn't present in a heavy-handed manner. The two just seem to blend seemlessly and if you want to ignore the message (if you can), then you can simply enjoy the mystery. Kate and her dullard partner, Ed Taylor, investigate the murder of Teddie Crawford, a very "out" gay man. In fact, even he calls himself a queen. Teddie was stabbed about 40 times, which indicates to Kate that it was more than just a simple robbery. The first half of the book describes Kate and Ed cornering the killer. The fact that the killer, himself, was hurt badly is a big help to Kate as well as the description given by one of Teddie friends, Gloria. Watching Kate using her interrogative skills to trap this man is very tense, especially since she knows that without a confession all they have is circumstantial evidence. As good as the "law" part of the story is, the "order" part is really more fascinating and suspenseful. Kate has found out that the killer's attorney is someone she knows slightly but someone who knows her secret. Throughout the trial, she wonders how he will try to bring it out and taint her testimony. Sadly, no matter what the outcome of this fictional trial, Forrest shows that gaybashing is alive and well in these United States.

I read this book in one afternoon. I was drawn in by the emotion of the killing as well as the trial. I found this book to display the court system at it's weakest and loved the heroine, Kate.

I loved this book. I just found the Kate Delafield series and can't wait to read all the books in this series.