Helen F. Copley is indeed a dedicated lady. Her book, written in an absorbing and happy tone keeps ones eyes glued to Helen's captivating text. The deceased illustrater, Howard Chandler Christy, is not an easy target for research in books, and certainly tougher to follow his tracks to places where his paintings still existed. Helen did it all. She travelled from her home in Dallas to New York City, Vermont, Ohio and California all places where Christy once lived. She located his paintings in Dallas, Ohio, and South Carolina. In Northern Florida she visited a Stephen Foster museum on the banks of the Suwanee River where Foster's melodies, "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Many Happy Days" were captured on canvass in splendid reverees that only Christy could do. Helen visited all Christy's past haunts, interviewed surviving aquaintances, and spoke to living relatives including Christy's daughter. In her travels Helen never tired. She kept up an exhausting pace. If it were not for her travelling companion, Carol Anne, Helen would still be on her Quest.

Helen's keen observations and her trips, sometime intuitive, always brought more of the unknown Christy to light. Her writing is cheerful descriptive and a delightful experience for everyone not merely Christy afficianados. Helen is a Howard Chandler Christy muse. She would not have been out of place with Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece. This is a must read for all.

What a delightful read! I did not know that I was familiar with Howard Chandler Christy, until I reviewed some of his works. His paintings are captivating; I can imagine how that portrait of Christ could have begun this journey. Ms. Copley's story of twists and turns, and "coincidences" that continued to lead her on capture the reader. Remembrances of life at The Hotel des Artistes, and the hints of Christy's own independent and fascinating life have whetted my appetite for more writings of the artist, the man. But I am even more impressed by the author herself. She followed her interest, listened to those little strong voices, and accepted encouragement to complete a wonderful story. Her travels and discoveries in New York and elsewhere are inspiring. I anxiously await more work by Helen Copley.

The Christy Quest is the story of Helen Copley's diligent research about the artist Howard Chandler Christy. The artist and his work is certainly central to the book but not the real story. The book is a joyous tale of the author's quest for knowledge about herself and her subject. The miracles encountered and so easily communicated are the product of many right next steps taken by the author. The book is a roadmap for anyone who is considering writing a nonfiction book. It is also a must read for anyone who needs a little encouragement to take a chance on themselves and a dream.

One of the most interesting book i have read about the importance of corporate identity. It is absolutely important to know how to build a good identity and how to communicate the same to the client.

I'm 100% accurate that in the next years to come, identity, image, communication will be the most important assets in guatemalan companies.

The new paradigm being promoted by Howard (and an increasing number of others in the field) is the view of Corporate Image as a completely integrated discipline - reaching far beyond the traditional (logo/font/colours/packaging etc) design approach. It's summed up in the quote, 'if it touches the consumer it's a Corporate Image issue'.

The book goes on to provide, along with a host of case studies and examples, practical steps to performing everything from an initial audit to executing a full Corporate Image program. Includes check-lists, best-practice suggestions, and some serious points on change management that must also be heeded if any such programme is to succeed!

I'll use this book for years to come as a reference and guide.

Chinese firms have started to take care of CI. This book will guide them into 21th.

There is no doubt that humans are the funniest animals on the planet, and appropos of the medical theme of this humorous book, I thought I would make one comment in that vein.

Yes, we humans are pretty funny creatures, but what would you expect of a mammal that actually has a "funny bone?" I'm referring to the upper-arm bone, which is actually named the "humerus." Well, it's actually spelled a little differently, but only by a couple of letters, and that's probably because anatomists didn't usually win first place in their spelling bees in school.

Well, I don't know if the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone myself, but I did learn how to spell way back when. Anyway, this book is sure to tickle the humerus or funny bone in all of us, and it just goes to show you that although seriousness may be only skin-deep, funny is truly to the bone.

As a medical student I really enjoyed reading this book. I've read other books and articles of Bennet, and enjoy his humorous way of putting things. Asa foreigner I had a few difficulties enjoying all of the jokes related to US health services. However, all in all I found the book worthwhile reading, and I had some really big laughs that cramped my stomach. I am sure I am going to read and reread this book in the future.....after all, good humour and hilarious jokes are the best medicine ever invented, and there are no sideeffects!!!

This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. Dr. Bennett did a terrific job pulling together both classic and original quotes about doctors and medicine. Enjoy the material when you have some free time during the day or comb through the collection looking for amusing lines to use on rounds, lectures, or other medical situations. Best of all, buy the book for your medical friends or anyone who enjoys funny and insightful lines about doctors, medicine, and health.

Donald Bartlett and James Steel's book, "Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes" is an excellent example of journalistic reporting converted into book form. The book is simply fascinating. The authors accomplish the gargantuan task of separating fact from fiction in the very complex life of Howard Hughes. "Empire" is impeccably researched and documented; It is a bona fide biography that reads more like fiction than real life-such was the world of Howard Hughes.

"Empire" traces the rise and tragic fall of Howard Hughes; a man who wore many hats, he was an aviator, Hollywood movie producer, Las Vegas hotel/casino owner ... and a recluse. For one brief shining moment, Hughes was considered one of America's premier aviators, breaking flying records, but then falling out of grace with government and the aviation industry for breaking contract deadlines. In the long run, Howard Hughes would become a grand failure in the world of big business.

Bartlett and Steel show the reader a man who had everything to live for, good looks, fame, fortune, power and prestige, but he was unable to triumph over his social and physical phobias that led to psychological, emotional, and physical illnesses and to his final descent into the dwellings of the insane. Hughes' deep mistrust of all people-even family, worked against him and led to his demise and the lose of his billion dollar empire by the very people whose job it was to safeguard him and his empire.

By the time I finished reading "Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes", I was much more accepting of my status as a non wealthy individual. Although Howard Hughes had everything a man could possibly wish for, he was underprivileged in peace of mind.... The authors do a superb job in separating fact from myth in the life of Howard Hughes. The book is worth reading.

"Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes" is indeed an empire within itself. This book manages to expose the life of a very seceretive and private man of power who lived in his own unique way in the world. An incredible book about an incredible man...

This is the first book I had read about Mr. Hughes. A wonderful book. At times slightly more detailed than I would like.. Buts lots of great information about truly one of the most interesting characters of the 20th century.

I found it hard to put this book down. The characters are well developed, the plot quite believable. Trauma surgeons rule!

Howard Simon gets it right the first time! He captivates the reader with this ultra-realistic account of animal rights activists gone mad. The characters are well defined and the action keeps you turning the pages hour after hour. I've read this book several times and it got better every time I read it.

The author's scientific/medical background is apparent in this exciting thriller. Simon does an excellent job in painting a complete picture of his characters. Even the antagonists were people whose motives, if not methods, could be appreciated. A great first novel!

An excellent introduction to this turbulent period in Roman political history. Recommended for all students of Rome. Very thorough, but stays interesting throughout. Very factual, yet still allows one to form one's own ideas on the transformation of Rome from republic to principate. Scullard's extensive footnotes provide students with ideas on both the Ancient sources as well as modern contributions. An excellent Book!

I am very surprised to find only 4 reviews on Amazon about this marvellous collection of primary sources.
Scullard's 'From the Gracchi to Nero' is the definitive primary source material for the period covering the Fall of the Republic through the Flavian Emperors. Whilst it may be viewed as slightly out-of-date, any serious student of Roman History musst have this on the shelf and it should be very dog-eared. There is nothing else out there to parallel its usefulness.
An absolute must-buy.

Scullard provides the advanced class with a good solid examination of one of the most confusing and violent periods of Roman history. Using his work, one can see how a Caesar or a Pompey or even an Augustus is not only an outstanding man but a product of his society and his time. A good lesson for those who think one man can make all the difference without considering the complexity of politics and human culture.

I've finally read "The Butcher's Wife" by Li Ang. It is almost definately one of the most amazing novels I have ever read. In a short three hours I felt almost every emotion that I could have felt. There is so much involved within this novel, and I beg you to experience this for yourself. I will warn you that few book stores carry it and almost no library's do that will allow it to leave their grounds.

I dare you to take a real chance with this novel.
JXI

The Butchers Wife will grab you and force you to keep reading. It will often disturb you, and you will feel as if you are engaging in an act of Voyeurism. At points you will be too disgusted to go on, but you will. The discussion of rape and violence in this book is so graphic and true that as a reader of Chin Lin Shi's horrible abuse you will feel more like a friend to her than of a simple witness.

I constantly wanted to reach into the story and pull Lin Shi out and give her a safe place to be. I was extremely disturbed by the sexual subjectation that she (and through her, and women in China) have to endure. It really made me stop and think about what do men in America (not to mention other places in the world) say about women behind closed doors.

This is a definate must read. It is moving, and compelling. But my advice is, don't read it alone. Have a girlfriend, or a trusted male friend nearby to discuss the disturbing images that you will encounter.

I feel that The Butcher's Wife is an incredibly well written book. Li Ang's use of description intrigues and disgusts the reader all at the same time. The story of an abused wife who finally kills her husband captivated me from start to finish.

Jockey Kelly Hughes and trainer Dexter Cranfield have their licenses suspended by the Oxford stewards for supposedly throwing a race. Hughes believes that they were framed and he sets out to clear their names and get the licenses restored. Who would want to ruin their careers? As the truth is revealed we hear a story of sexual deviation, blackmail, fixed evidence and attempted murder.

"Yesterday I lost my licence."

That's how the book begins ... and indeed Kelly Hughes, a leading jump jockey , has been indefinitely suspended from racing after being found guilty of deliberately losing a race.

He knows that someone has rigged evidence against him, and rather than sit back and wait for the ban to be lifted , he sets out to find his secret enemy.

Hughes isn't a detective, and just as he doesn't really know how to carry out an investigation, the reader can't guess at how the plot will develop. My favourite highlight is when Hughes is driving home after a dance. At first it seems to be just a 'filler' scene, but it turns into something more dramatic - and the writing here is particularly well-crafted.

The two main characters are Hughes himself , a widower, and Roberta, the snooty daughter of his employer. Near the start of the book Roberta asks him:

" "That picture .. that's your wife isn't it?"
I nodded.
"I remember her". She said. "She was always so sweet to me. She seemed to know what I was feeling. I was really awfully sorry when she was killed"
I looked at her in surprise. The people Rosalind had been sweetest to had invariably been unhappy. She had had a knack of sensing it, and giving succour without being asked. "

Unfortunately Roberta has been brought up by her father to regard jockeys as an inferior social class, and it takes a long time for the two of them to kindle any real friendship, let alone romance.

Francis is particularly good in this book with the minor characters - such as the aristocratic Bobbie, who clearly is very fond of Roberta but can't help hinting that Hughes is a better match for her, or Derek the diffident mechanic who kept most of his brains in his fingertips.

The plot doesn't flag, the tale builds to a satisfactory climax and I only wish Hughes had appeared in another of Francis' books.

The primary reason I continue to seek out and read Dick Francis is that he continually creates heroes that are efficacious and rational. He avoids the common pitfalls of most modern writers, and instead invents characters who pass the ultimate test: "Would I like to meet and know this person?" If you can answer "yes" to that question then there is great potential for enjoyment in the fiction centered around that character. If you answer "no" to that question, why even bother reading further?

Dick Francis' characters almost always recieve an unreserved "YES!" Read "Enquiry," it's not the best from Francis but it's still furlongs beyond the rest.

Howard the Duck. Short. Crusty. Insightful. Fun. Everyman in feathers. How can you go wrong? Steve Gerber's writing will take you to places you'd never imagine, both satricial and down to earth. Parts of the book are a little uneven and I think the first 10-15 issues were far superior to the final 16-27 issues but still, a great read. It makes you understand why George Lucas wanted to make Howard into a film. (Even if it doesn't explain why Lucas [messed] it up so badly.)

At least, that verdict is my opinion after thirty years of reading everything from Eisner to Barks to EC to Miller to Lee and Kirby and a whole lot more. Twenty five years after they first appeared, these Howard the Duck stories by Steve Gerber continue to move me like no other comics I have read. Explaining why isn't easy. Certainly what I wrote about the other Howard volume applies equally here: "If I had to list one feature of Gerber's writing that stands out above all others, it would be characterisation. This may be a comic book about a talking duck and his girlfriend, but these two are more vivid and realised than nearly all the characters you'll find in comics, film or TV. However, characterisation is just for starters - Gerber puts more care and intelligence into his comics than you'll find arguably anywhere." But there is so much more: great satiric insight into 1970's America, weird humour and fabulous artwork by Gene Colan. And that still doesn't capture it. Ultimately, I really can't say why Howard the Duck remains so meaningful after all this time - beyond suggesting Gerber exposed something of his soul here in a very special way. The only drawbacks to this volume are that it's not in colour and the great HTD newspaper series does not appear(Marvel take heed!). Very, very highly recommended for anyone who likes comics with thinking - as is the other Howard volume available and Steve Gerber's Nevada.

One might think it's amazing that this brilliant comic only lasted a couple years - but then again, it's so unique that it's equally amazing it was published at all. I remembered this comic from its brief incarnation as a daily newspaper strip. Alas, that's not contained here, but the complete comic-book adventures are. The spine says "Vol. 1," which gives me hope that the newspaper serial might be on its way.

After this book came in the mail, I liked it even more than I expected to - this from a 30-something NON-comic book fan. The stories are twisted, laugh-out-loud funny, and even touching in a bizarre way. See below for more detailed reviews.

The existence of evil - undeserved human and animal pain and suffering - has been a barrier to religious belief for many people. One of those people was this reviewer's mother, raised Catholic but turned atheist after witnessing terrible suffering in her native Scotland during World War II. As she once told me, "when you've seen mothers holding their children, both riddled with machine gun bullets from German planes, it's impossible to believe there's a good God in heaven". Bertrand Russell once made the comment that "no one can believe in a good God if they've sat at the bedside of a dying child."

C.S. Lewis called this issue "The Problem of Pain" in his book of that title. The current preferred term is "The Evidential Argument From Evil" because, as explained in the Introduction, it's not a "Problem" except for people who believe in God.

Readers of this book will discover why belief in an all-good, all-powerful God, in the face of human suffering and evil, is not necessarily "cognitively dissonant". It provides a balanced, fair treatment of the issue by both believers and atheists.

The book is quite technical at times. Several of the essays feature complex equations purporting to illustrate various logical propositions. There is also a good deal of philosophical jargon used. Nonetheless, while the book is not as readable as anything by C.S. Lewis (or Ayn Rand for that matter), it provides the best treatment I've seen in print of the arguments for both sides in this perennial issue.

The existence of evil - undeserved human and animal pain and suffering - has been a barrier to religious belief for many people. One of those people was this reviewer's mother, raised Catholic but turned atheist after witnessing terrible suffering in her native Scotland during World War II. As she once told me, "when you've seen mothers holding their children, both riddled with machine gun bullets from German planes, it's impossible to believe there's a good God in heaven". Bertrand Russell once made the comment that "no one can believe in a good God if they've sat at the bedside of a dying child."

C.S. Lewis called this issue "The Problem of Pain" in his book of that title. The current preferred term is "The Evidential Argument From Evil" because, as explained in the Introduction, it's not a "Problem" except for people who believe in God.

Readers of this book will discover why belief in an all-good, all-powerful God, in the face of human suffering and evil, is not necessarily "cognitively dissonant". It provides a balanced, fair treatment of the issue by both believers and atheists.

The book is quite technical at times. Several of the essays feature complex equations purporting to illustrate various logical propositions. There is also a good deal of philosophical jargon used. Nonetheless, while the book is not as readable as anything by C.S. Lewis (or Ayn Rand for that matter), it provides the best treatment I've seen in print of the arguments for both sides in this perennial issue.

Anyone interested in the debate over the evidential argument from evil simply must have this book. It includes two influential but distinct formulations of the argument--those by William Rowe and Paul Draper--followed by a number of essays written in response to one another. The list of authors who contributed to the anthology is impressive. Besides Rowe and Draper, the book also contains essays by Richard Swinburne, Alvin Plantinga, Richard Gale, Bruce Russell, Peter van Inwagen, and Stephen Wykstra.

Like Cole Mitchell, I was also somewhat disappointed by the demographics of the book (10 of the book's 16 articles were theistic). Despite this flaw, I was still so pleased with the book that I rated it with 5 stars. Any serious student of the problem of evil will want their own copy of this book.