In 1968 I received this book as a bonus from the Farm Family Book Club. I started to read it in the evening and read until I was finished at 4:00 a.m. The next day I said, "If Brother Andrew can trust God for 365 days a year, I can trust Him for one day, no matter how foolish it makes me look." I did, and I did look foolish. But I found out that He is faithful. My life has never been the same.

If self-sacrifice is the mark of true heroism, then Brother Andrew is in a class with the most valient. This book tells his story from birth and youth in WWII poverty, to the agnosticysm of a young man to the realization that God is REAL and part of his life. It will challenge your faith to rely on God as if he were a king leading his troops into battle. He is. Brother Andrew's story is one of the most involving STORIES I have read. But it isn't just a story, it is the life of a real man who has given everything for the mission to spread light to a dark land. Just because the Iron Curtin has fallen, dosen't mean that this book is any less relevant today. It will change your faith. Gaurenteed.

This book can change your life and how you see God. Brother Andrew gave his life totally to God, and God remained faithful to him. you cannot read this book and come away with the same view on God. I read this book, and could not put it down. Sure to strengthen your Christian experience. As thrilling as any spy novel. Not one to be missed by any christian. What one person can do when they give themselves totally to God. If you thought the result would be a dull life, you're dead wrong! Read the book!
IF YOU LIKED THIS, I HAVE ANOTHER TO RECCOMEND. It's called "A Thousand Shall Fall" But you must be sure to get the right one. The full title is "A thousand shall Fall: The electrifying story of a soldier and his family that dared to practice their faith in Hitler's Germany." Written by Suzy Hazel Mundy. It's as much of a page turner as this book and will also change your life.

Happy reading!

Chasing the Dragon is well-written and fast-paced, and offers a little of everything: cops, robbers, farce, trajedy, an argument or two, and most of all, lives changed by the Gospel. Jackie has led a remarkable life, but wears her experience lightly, with a sense of humor. Having lived in Hong Kong, visited her church and known people who worked with her or become Christians through her ministry, the book was especially interesting to me.

I once traveled around Asia to do research on forced prostitution and AIDs. I hope others will follow her example, in the leading of the Holy Spirit, because there is a great need. In my opinion, this kind of ministry may be one of the key cross-cultural evangelistic outreaches of our time, and this book would be valuable to anyone trying to understand either the past or the future of missions. Many of the most successful Asian evangelists I have met were once drug addicts or criminals. This book might also be a good book to give to a non-Christian friend or to a Christian police officer who has become cynical and forgotten how God can change lives.

One caution: I think readers should beware of a "one-size-fits-all" attempts to emulate the exact ways in which God's spirit works in other peoples' ministries. Jesus should be the pattern for all of us. But like he said, "The fields are ripe to the harvest. Pray the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers."

Author, True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture (d.marshall@sun.ac.jp)

Chasing the Dragon is well-written and fast-paced, and offers a little of everything: cops, robbers, farce, trajedy, an argument or two, and most of all, lives changed by the Gospel. Jackie has led a remarkable life, and her sense of humor is evidence that her success hasn't gone to her head. I've met her twice. The second time, God used our meeting to speak to me in an unexpected and round-about way, of which she was not even aware.

There certainly is room for others to follow her example by reaching out to drug addicts and prostitutes. In my opinion, this may be one of the key cross-cultural evangelistic ministries of our time. Many of the most successful Asian evangelists I have met were once drug addicts and criminals. God has delighted in using the weak things of this world to confound the strong, as Paul put it. And the need is great, especially with the spread of AIDs. Christians going to the mission field might pray about ministry to drug addicts and prostitutes. Dragon might also be a good book to give to non-Christian friends.

One caution: I think readers should avoid a "one size fits all" attempt to emulate the precise ways in which God's spirit used her ministry. Jesus should be our primary pattern, not Jackie Pullinger or anyone else. Author, True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture (d.marshall@sun.ac.jp)

This is an amazing book. Jackie describes how she lives purely by faith, not supported by any missionary society or church, and works fulltime amongst the poorest of the poor and the most wicked of the wicked in the ancient Walled City of Hong Kong. Jackie's ministry is to the drug addicts who "chase the dragon" and the Holy Spirit comes with power and healing to rescue them. Jesus is the Dragon Slayer!

I am a Christian Psychologist and I have recently applied to work as a Prison Chaplain. I think God directed me to read this book so that I would know that the Holy Spirit is wanting to help the drug addicts in Australian prisons too.

They selected the best songs and I'm very glad to have a copy. It's a bit difficult to play these numbers on a harp (I have no piano)... but I like having it anyway, being a Phantom nut as I am. There's not much I can say about sheet music but I recommend this.

This is a great piano book for those who love the music of The Phantom of the Opera. The songs are not terribly difficult, but they sound great. The keys some of the songs are written in could make it hard for less experienced players.

I've been playing piano for 13 years. When I was younger I had the easy piano version of these songs. And they are fine when you're just learning. I didn't play any songs from the Phantom until recently when I heard it was coming back to town. I pulled my old book out and played it. It just wasn't full sounding and the keys the songs were in weren't close to the CD. I bought this book and it was a bit difficult to adjust to all the different keys at first, but you definetly get used to it; especially if you practice at them. This book has more acurate presentations of the songs. They sound much fuller and beautiful.

This is the perfect book for those who don't know, and those who think they know everything there is to know about your every day casino games. The book examines all casino games from a cerebral point of view, and advises (correctly) which games to play and those to avoid, while describing all of them fairly, intelligently and in perfect detail. All the gaming myths have been presented (and exposed in some cases), and the book does NOT read as though a person were trying to sell you a 'system'. All popular and not-so common gaming systems are discussed on a easy to read, per game section, and dissected thoroughly so to offer us as much knowledge (power) as possible before selling the portfolio and going to Vegas! There is mathematical support of all games to illustrate pros and cons of your particular game of choice (especially nice are the Craps buy vs. place bet table, and the video poker scenario tables). Logic, emotion, fun and sense are separated to provide a great enteraining and educational perspective into casino gaming. Important issues such as bankroll, statists and the dreaded casino edge are addressed in-depth and again, with the simple and complex math (for those who crave it) to support respective claims. I've read many intro and expert type how-to books, and this book is by far the best all purpose gaming book around.

Gambling books are like the internet: Lots of information, most of it not very reliable. If you're the type to fall for Britney Spears nude fakes, then by all means, buy one of the better-selling titles. They'll tell you what you want to hear, and you can always say "Oops ... I did it again" when you lose. If you can take the truth -- that with the exception of blackjack card counters and a few video poker machines in Vegas, the house always has the edge -- then this is a very worthwhile investment, and just a darn good read about gaming. It doesn't preach or get bogged down in statistics and probabilty, but it does provide information and sound strategies for virtually every game you'll find in a casino, allowing you to make an informed decision about your options. It explains quite well why "money management" systems don't work, and, most importantly, why a house edge of even just a few percentage points -- face it, to the novice, a difference of a 2 percent edge and a 5 percent edge just doesn't sound like much -- can eat your bankroll many, many times more quickly. The author assumes you have a brain, that the attraction of a casino is its action and its entertainment value, and provides you with strategies and expectations to either deal with a volatile game (where you can win big or lose very quickly in the short-term) or make bets that will (on average) maximize your playing time. This book will not insult your intelligence, assumes you know there is no Santa Claus, but also assumes you know that Christmas can still be a lot of fun (although costly at times). An outstanding reference for the casual gambler.

I read so many gambling strategy books, and many of them are full of baloney. This is the only one you need to get all of the mathematically best strategies for any casino game, and which games to avoid at all costs (which is most of them!)

After owning this book, I can now give the other 30 gambling books I own to charity, this is the only one you need to cut through all the BS in the gaming world, it is comprehensive!

Also, the reader that thought this book has a Mensa attitude is hallucinating, this author strikes me as humble & shrewd!

Austen Andrews is the master of dialogue. Really. He writes some really fantastic dialogue. His character are also extremely likeable. This was another page turner book for me. I finished it in a couple days as well.

If any of you are familiar with the Ultima games or Ultima Online then you'd know where this book comes from. This book is actually a novelization of what Ultima Online 2 was supposed to be before it was canceled. Even though I hate MMORPGs reading this book makes me wish that UO2 had seen the light of day.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Very nice dialogue, fantastic characters, engaging storyline.

I just finished 'The Technocrat War' and all I can say is: Wow! I had no knowledge whatsoever of the Ultima game/world before reading this book, and I didn't find it a hinderance at all. The world leaps off the page and into your imagination with an almost uncanny ease. The story and characters are so intriguing and vivid that I had trouble putting it down. This is a splendid work, and I look forward to future titles from this talented author.

Austen Andrews is a man of talent and, obviously, hard work. It takes a lot of both to write a novel as intricate and arguably beautiful as this. The world and characters fairly leap off the pages at you, regardless of any knowledge--or lack thereof--of the world and setting of the Ultima series of games on which the book is based. I found myself unable to set the book aside, and irritated by interruptions. This is not only an excellent first novel by a talented author, but a marvelous beginning to a trilogy. I can hardly wait for the next book!

Required to read Henry for my AP English Language class, I came into the play with a bias. I honestly felt that it would be a boring political play. I was utterly wrong! A huge fan of Shakespeare, I found Henry V to be a formidable match for the Bard's more critically acclaimed plays, such as Hamlet and Macbeth. Henry has it all! Shakespeare's attitude toward Henry the King is certainly one of admiration. By communicating the fact that an effective monarch must have a complete understanding of the common subjects (Pistol and Bardolph and Quickly), Shakespeare sets up Henry to be the ideal Christian king. The controlled language of Henry's speeches, particularly his response to the Dauphin's idiotic insult, also glorifies Henry. I certainly recommend this play to anyone, fan of Shakespeare or not.

I looked long and hard (and asked many a scholar) for the "perfect" Shakespeare publication that I might purchase to study "King Henry V" (for a experiential education requirement, I had undertaken the translation of Henry V into American Sign Language). The Arden Shakespeare came highly recommended by everyone, and has lived up entirely to all its rave reviews.

I will never buy Shakespeare from another publisher. While these books may be slightly more expensive than a "mass market" edition, I believe that if you are going to take the time to read and understand Shakespeare, it is well worth the extra dollar or two. The Introduction, the images, and plethora of footnotes are irreplaceable and nearly neccessary for a full understanding of the play (for those of us who are not scholars already). The photocopy of the original Quatro text in the appendix is also very interesting.

All in all, well worth it! I recommend that you buy ALL of Shakespeare's work from Arden's critical editions.

Written by Shakespeare for Queen Elizabeth I amidst a time of Irish rebellion, Henry V more than adequately serves its intended purpose of galvanizing nationalistic fervor. It proved itself to be an unwavering and unfaltering impetus of patriotism in Shakespeare's day, during WWII, and still today it continues to resonate and reverberate this provocatively telling tale of the most gloriously revered monarch in English history.

Henry V's stirring orations prior to the victorious battles of Harfleur("Once more unto the breach") and Agincourt("We few, we happy few, we band of brothers") astonish and inspire me every time I read them. Simply amazing. Having read Henry IV Parts I&II beforehand, I was surprised Shakespeare failed to live up to his word in the Epilogue of Part II in which he promised to "continue the story, with Sir John in it." The continuing follies of the conniving Bardolph, Nym, & Pistol and their ignominious thieving prove to be somewhat of a depricating underplot which nevertheless proves to act as a succinct metaphor for King Harry's "taking" of France.

Powerful and vibrant, the character of Henry V evokes passion and unadulterated admiration through his incredible valor & strength of conviction in a time of utter despondency. It is this conviction and passion which transcends time, and moreover, the very pages that Shakespeare's words are written upon. I find it impossible to overstate the absolute and impregnable puissance of Henry V, a play which I undoubtedly rate as the obligatory cream of the crop of Shakespeare's Histories. I recommend reading Henry IV I&II prior to Henry V as well as viewing Kenneth Branagh's masterpiece film subsequent to reading the equally moving work.

The latest effort in the impressive body of work from Andrew Vachss, THE GETAWAY MAN, tells the story of Eddie, a character whose outwardly simple nature masks a complex psychology that reveals itself in the subtext of this carefully crafted story.

Eddie is determined to fulfill his dream of becoming a getaway driver. That is the extent of his ambition. Eddie is not in the game for easy money or for the thrills --- he just wants to drive. He is a simple and likeable character, whose dedication to his craft and loyalty to those who hire him for his abilities is admirable, if misguided. But that's a good deal of what makes Eddie so fascinating. He takes to the outlaw's life in a manner so unassuming and natural that it's as if "Life of Crime" was a booth he visited on Career Day in high school. For Eddie, a straight life was never a consideration --- it wasn't even on the radar.

Despite his chosen profession, there isn't the slightest hint of menace in Eddie. This sets him apart from Burke, the main character in several of Vachss's previous books. Burke is a bad guy, an anti-hero whose moral matrix occasionally syncs-up with the law. Burke oozes a streetwise menace that is as impressive as it is frightening. Eddie, on the other hand, is as threatening as a cocker spaniel, yet he and Burke follow a similar moral code. But where Burke survives on projecting this menace and on the judicious delivery of the violence it presages, Eddie gets by on a keen ability to read people and tell them what they want to hear. Yet, there's nothing insincere about Eddie. He's not manipulative; he's desperate for approval. There's a childlike quality about this need that hints at some hidden tragedy. This is something that Eddie and Burke share: a dark and troubled psyche that is implied rather than revealed. Vachss trusts his readers to look not just at the characters in the spotlight, but also at the shadows they cast. It's there where Eddie takes shape, where his form is filled in and it's there that Eddie gets into your head.

Eddie's story is told in first person, in a narrative that describes his evolution from misguided teen to career criminal. The story is a remarkable distillation of detail and action into a form so crisp and concise that reading it is a bit like pouring water onto a dried sponge --- it expands before your eyes. In the end, you're astonished that a story so rich was contained in so small a package.

--- Reviewed by Bob Rhubart

Andrew Vachss has a long series of hits with the Burke books. (Also recommend each of them). The Getaway Man is something different and new for Mr. Vachss. The characters come to life and emotional attachment occurs. The main character is a criminal but you care for him none the less. This book is a quick read that leads you through the life of Eddie who's only goal is driving. Through a series of stays in prison, comes out and begins driving for a series of criminals, each case seemingly to get more complex. Eddie gets through the story with his simple views on life and fierce loyalty to the people he drives for. After all, he's a professional. The last page makes the whole trip worth the time to read this book.

The reason this book appears to be so retro is that most of the current crime writers are trying to follow the editorial rules and transcend the genre. The notion is that you have to reach a broader audience: noir with suspense, noir with horror, noir with psychological thrills, noir with . . . whatever. How about noir straight up and in a dirty glass? Here it is. The REAL THING doesn't have to feel like a guilty pleasure. It's the REAL THING. So join Eddie and Vonda and J.C. and company on that dark road. You know right where it's going but you still can't stop reading.

Let's hope this starts a trend. What we need is a stable of solid writers of paperback originals. The world hasn't felt right since Donald Hamilton stopped writing. Thanks, Andrew, for reminding us how sweet it can be.

Let's not get too mushy about this book. I agree that it has its message about spiritual aspects to healing, and that modern medicine ain't the godsend that seems to justify all the faith people put in it. But I want to point out a couple of things: First of all Mehl-Madrona's spirituality is not pure native american by any stretch of the imagination. I would be generous if I said it was a combination of native american and christian beliefs. Second, and more important, the "healing" that he claims occured was never proven medically. There's no official results shown before or after the "treatment" that indicates there was indeed a sick person that became well. You're just taking Lewis's word for it, and the truth of the matter is that I doubt it - I read it and I doubt it.

I'm all in favor of getting in touch with our spiritual nature, and I do believe that good medicine requires strong direction from the patient as to the course of the cure. The kidney patients in the beginning of the book are a prime example of how "medicine" can go bad when it takes it's own unmanaged course. I applaud Mehl-Madrona for writing about that. But oddly, he exudes powerlessness throughout the entire book. There are many such inconsistencies here, so be forewarned.

I think that in summary I have to say that the Coyote he claims to know is not the one I am familiar with. Nevertheless, for what it's worth, I liked it.

This book blew me away. I have reread much of it so many times and bought multiple copies for friends. I have filled the margins of my copy with notes and filled notebooks with essays and thoughts inspired by Dr. Mehl-Madrona's book. It is nothing short of miraculous itself, in addition to describing medical miracles and how they are brought about by spiritual intervention and Native American healing.

A child prodigy, Lewis Mehl-Madrona hitchhiked to a local college while still in high school, read philosophy science voraciously and was the youngest peacetime graduate of Stanford Medical School. The more impressive since his childhood was at times difficult.

At medical school, Dr. Mehl-Madrona became interested in shamanic traditions and attended some sweat lodge and tipi ceremonies. Here he encountered otherwordly phenomena such as blue light, sparks, sensorial stimulation and miracle cures in cases that were deemed too far gone by western doctors. Most importantly, Dr. Mehl-Madrona learned how shamans talked to patients, asked questions about their families and lives and spent long periods of time with them. The author learned that shamans tap into the inner healer of the patient, and consider themselves only partially responsible for any cure.

At the same time, Dr. Mehl-Madrona was encountering negligent and dehumanizing healing practices in his western medical pursuits. A few spine-chilling tales display the callousness and arrogance that exists in some hospitals and clinics. One example: two obstetricians made a bet concerning the fastest C-Section birth and the winner, very triumphant at seventeen minutes, accidentally tied something shut in the woman's internal organs. It was fixed and the woman even wrote a letter of thanks to the hospital! Such is the blind and sometimes unjustified trust the public has in the medical establishment.

The book is wonderfully woven with many colorful strands of storytelling. On one level, it is a memoir of Dr. Mehl-Madrona's journey to reconcile his western medical training with holistic and in particular Native American healing. He is part Native American, so this pursuit poignantly reflects his mixed heritage. Poignant because Dr. Mehl-Madrona often felt like an outsider in all areas of his life, as a Native American man, as an American man, as a western doctor and as an aspiring and ultimately successful shaman.

Another strand of his story is the Native American tradition of healing itself, which we discover in almost the same timeframe that he does. We are introduced to the traditional practice of storytelling as a healing technique at the same time that he is. Early in the book, when the doctor is a resident, he is tending a man whose medical condition is exacerbated (and perhaps caused) by his intensely critical nature. A wonderful passage in recounts Dr. Mehl-Madrona's tentative attempt at telling a story to the cynical patient, himself a psychologist, who groans with sarcasm as the story begins. As it continued, he was intrigued, however, and even hazards a guess at the meaning, to which guess the doctor gives an ambiguous confirmation. The great part of this passage is how Dr. Mehl-Madrona successfully enacts the role of enigmatic shaman even though he himself is still unsure of the story's meaning.

Coyote Medicine also discusses the role of the supernatural in shamanic healing, and the perception of magic and nature. For anyone who ever sat in the woods or even on his aparment steps late at night and felt a mystical connection to something unseen and bigger than himself, Coyote Medicine is a kindred spirit.

At one point the author goes on his vision quest and meets his power animals and is given shamanic healing tools. We as readers are present at many important moments in his life, including personal and family struggles (his first wife, according to the book, seemed to wrestle his children away from him and resented his shamanic efforts), professional travails (Dr. Mehl-Madrona's questioning intelligence, sense of dignity for the patient and also his holistic beliefs created friction with several different western medical institutions). When, at the end of the book, the author finds an accepting partner and on a professional level, a venue where he could combine holistic healing with Western, we feel as thought a close friend has triumphed in the face of great odds.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in healing, either for herself or others, and also about finding one's own individual path, as difficult as and untraveled as it might be, but that is true to the traveler.

Many blessings on this book and thank you Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona.

Robert Murray Diefendorf, Author of Release the Butterfly

This is THE best book on Native American spirituality I have ever read. Lewis Mehl-Medrano did an excellent job of sharing his autobiographical experiences as a "half-breed" in learning the spirituality of his family in a way that was relevant to those readers unfamiliar with N.A. spirituality. His presentation was refreshingly non-New Age in an honest, clearly written description of Native American healing beliefs and practices juxtaposed with his training and experiences as a western-trained medical doctor. The book was inspirational without being syrupy or lecturing. I truly enjoyed this book and will read it again.

Its nice to finally read something about Atlantis which doesn't rely on ancient astronauts or mystical crystals! Andrew Collins believes that Atlantis was located in the West Indies and related islands, basing his theory not on shadowy ideas about ruins under the ocean but on realistic measurements of travel times, directions, and other clues found in Plato and other ancients who mentioned a lost civilization to the west. While this book won't do much for the von Daniken crowd, it will certainly please those who can distinguish fact from mysticism!

There's no doubt to me that this is THE book about the many theories and explorations concerning Atlantis. If Atlantis did exist, the author's conclusion about its location sounds more reasonable than the other theories. If Atlantis did not exist, this book is more than worthwhile as a look into ancient history, a study about ancient trade routes, the fascinating premise that ancient Europe and Africa knew about the American continents, and the most complete coverage of the main Atlantis theories of any book I've seen. This book is extremely well researched and written. It should be part of the library of anyone interested in ancient history as well as anyone interested in Atlantis. It's a Landmark book on its subject.

The ever elusive Atlantis has never failed to arrest the imagination of many throughout the ages. In this latest and impressively researched work, Andrew Collins traverses the evidence available in order to unravel the 3 prime mysteries - whether Atlantis indeed once existed, its probable location in the modern world, and how it all came to an end.

Starting with Plato's Timaeus and Critias, Collins ploughs through a formidable mass of ancient and not-too-ancient literature to garner evidence about the lost land and its probable topography. He then applies the result with meticulous care (and with much erudite discussion in the process) to all the prime contenders for the location of Atlantis to determine which in fact is the most likely candidate for the legendary realm. He then seeks to corroborate the findings with legends from both sides of the Atlantic (in particular those from central America) as well as other more scientifically verifiable facts, such as information gleaned from ancient relics, the presence of tabacco in Egyptian mummies and some distinctive method for dyeing cotton. Having established the location of the lost Atlantis, the author completes his theory by examining the sort of catastrophe that brought about the end of the advanced civilisation there as well as the possible fate of those who managed to escape from it.

What makes this highly readable book doubly commendable is that the author has at all times followed the available evidence instead of making wild guesses and unsubstantiated propositions in order to advance his theories. Such a scholarly approach has made the discourse much more convincing than many other books written about lost civilisations. And if Collins's conclusions are not absolutely compelling, they nevertheless are very well argued and presented and warrant serious consideration by ancient historians. Besides, all those materials amassed by Collins for the book are already by themselves of great value to those interested in the subject. David Rohl's Introduction is also very illuminating and provides enlightening remarks about the methodology used by many alternative historians. A most enjoyable work on a fascinating subject. Highly recommended!

Many books have been written on the 'I Love Lucy' series, but this one stands the test of time as the best ever. Originally published about 20 years ago, under the title 'Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel' it was revamped after the death of Lucille Ball and updated into this volume. Bart Andrews had access to everyone who had anything to do with the series, including Vivian Vance, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball. His research is exhaustive, and the book is richly detailed in behind the scenes looks at the making of the series.

This is not a biography of the people, but the story of the series. There are small biographical sketches of the stars, but here you see how the series came to fruition, and the incredible talent and foresight of Desi Arnaz inventing the three-camera method. You also find out the gossip of who didn't get along, the perfectionism, and the comraderie.

The icing on the cake are detailed descriptions of each and every episode, including air dates, music, and guest stars. Each season is covered in detail. Every 'I Love Lucy' fan should have this on their bookshelves.

I recently bought Bart Andrews revised, and updated version of Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel. The "I Love Lucy" Book is the definitive tome on the history of THE Classic T.V. show of all time. Mr. Andrews inside information and wonderful stories and anecdotes from head writer Jess Oppenheimer, to Lou Jacobi, the janitor, make this book a must read for all "Lucy" fans. I wore out my original copy and had to buy a new one. Thanks Bart for updating. It's a winner. I Love It as much as I Love Lucy.

Robert Howe Scripts360@aol.com

"The I Love Lucy Book" has no equal. If you want to make a fan drool with delight (or if you want to keep them quiet for hours at a time), buy them this book. Stuffed with more trivia than I ever thought possible, it is the perfect companion for the devoted Lucy fan. I've read and re-read it, till I know it inside out, yet it's still fun to read. This is one of the most excellent compendiums of television history you'll ever find.