Hands down, this is Garton's greatest accomplishment to date. And judging by the thickness of the sucker, he's earned it!

The 500+ pages fly like the bullets within its pages, starting off as a suspense thriller and winding down as a bitter, satyrical legal drama. Garton's characters are quirky and unique, the kind of people Quentin Tarantino or Oliver Stone would have a field day with on screen. Sometimes they're serious, sometimes they're touching, sometimes they're humorous. But they're ALWAYS dangerous.

Garton paints a mean picture of the LA/Hollywood scene, with just enough spice to nail the pop culture phenomenon and America's enamoration with it as well. The book's labeled a horror novel, but it's not the events themselves that make it so.

No, it's the fact that these things could happen tomorrow is what scares the crap out of me.

I read some of Garton's horror novels and they were good, but "Sex and Violence in Hollywood" tops them all, and its not a horror novel. Its the funniest, sexiest book I've read in a long time. He's left horror behind to invade Jackie Collins territory, and she's got some real competition in Garton now! The story follows Adam Julian whose dad is a Hollywood screenwriter -- a bad one but he's successful, and he's also a real jerk. Adam is convinced his dad killed his mom, and now he's decided to kill his dad. It sounds simple, but the plot is like a twisty turny rollercoaster that just keeps picking up speed as it goes along for a length of 506 jam-packed pages all the way to a shocking ending that made my jaw drop. There's plenty of sex and violence, especially sex, but its Garton's characters that make the book the great reading experience it is. From Adam and his best friend Carter to a hilarious celebrity attorney named Rona Horowitz and everyone in between, including a sexy devious vixen named Rain, this is a big cast of fascinating funny and naughty people. It goes from the story of a murder plot to a gripping trial that rivals the trial of O.J. Simpson. Even some real life celebrities make appearances in the book! Garton's mix of sex and violence tops the glitzy Hollywood novels of Jackie Collins, and with more meat on its bones than a few of hers all combined. This hardcover is a little pricey but its well worth the cost for all the entertainment you'll get out of it. If this doesn't make Garton's name a household word nothing will. If you want a book to get lost in that will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you! Don't miss it!

Garton fans rejoice: Sex and Violence in Hollywood will not let you down. Never a dull moment in this book, it jumps from one scene to the next in a mix of action, sex, and fun. The Publishers Weekly review gave WAY too much information about the goings on, so I'll skip that bit. Suffice it to say that this is the best kind of read: it's fun, it's fast and just slightly sleazy.

The time has come for a terrific book like this. Sharks are the subject of widespread and abiding public interest, an interest spurred on by (often sensationalist) media portrayals. As author Peter Benchley writes, "(The) long term reaction to Jaws has been not hatred but facination," while Time magazine in response to an apparent spate of shark attacks last year, pronounced summer 2001 "The Summer of the Shark". Despite the prevailing fascination with sharks, the animal -- like science as a whole -- continues to be shrouded in misconceptions, and these misconceptions, in turn, have placed sharks in great peril. Ray Troll's engaging art and essential text present the little known depths of shark diversity with a hip whimsical flair. Beautifully designed, this very high quality printing from WestWinds Press does justice to Troll's delightful, yet scientifically accurate, rendering. A quick shout-out to the scientists whose research Ray has brought to life, especially the paleontologists. Ray has given flesh to the bones of their long gone critters. Hopefully, this "back to basics" book will offer a more balanced view of those endangered predators still with us in Earth's oceans today.

I find myself coming back to this book again and again to study the brightly-colored illustrations and tasty chunks of spellbinding sharklore. As a teacher of native English in Japan, I can testify to SHARKABET's popularity with children and adults alike; it even cuts across the language barrier with its visual wonders. In addition to pictures of unusual sharks in their native habitats, there are also fanciful but realistic scenes that leave my students gaping, such as sharks swimming in the air (for comparison with we earthbound types). Although I find the extinct prehistoric sharks to be the most fascinating -- some with mouths that look like power tools -- the little-known living sharks give their predecessors a run for their money (look for the Cookie Cutter Shark). The colors are vivid and lifelike, the facts seem like something out of God's own Sci-Fi Playroom, and even the experts find new treats to chew on in this excellent, amazing wonder.

If you, like me, LOVE sharks but are tired of all the ordinary shark books on the market, this is the book for you! Ray Trolls funny, yet biologically correct fish paintings are always a joy, and this book is no exception. Although my favorite is the goblin shark on Halloween, it has tough competitors among the threshers as well as all the prehistoric species that are described in the book. Buy this! You won't regret it.

This book comes off as so simple, but it's really profound. Each of the short stories and quotes shares powerful thoughts and concepts that can change your life, and they are presented in short segments that you can read while on the go. A great gift.

This book reminds the reader of the little things in life that we all so easily forget. The book is uplifting and well written. A great collection of small stories and articles. A must read book!

"The Smallest Things Make the Biggest Difference is a little gem. Dr. Haring collects a gallery of profound thoughts and insights into the human character, creating a collage of very compelling stories and quotes. This book is worth your time to sit and read."

[In response to Joe below: I provided the material on the back of the book for those who want to know what the book was about in more detail. I am not allowed to provide info on my book without rating it; I tried. Should I rate my own book less than a five star? Come on!]

The first extensive, easy to use and thoroughly Catholic Bible Study guide.

As Catholics in ever-growing numbers are taking part in Bible studies, many questions arise. How do I study the Bible? Where do I begin? Is it OK to interpret the Bible for ourselves? What Bible should I use? How can I understand such a deep book as the Gospel of St, John?

This book has the answer to these and many other such questions. Stephen Ray takes the difficult and makes it easy; he takes the confusion and makes things clear. It gives a simple start for a beginner while providing the depth and profundity for the scholar. This book is one of a kind. It is the first extensive, easy to use and thoroughly Catholic study guide available.

This Bible study provides extensive "text boxes" with detailed information that helps students discover the cultural, religious, historical and other information on the specific passage they are studying. It utilizes quotes for a wide range of scholars, historians and specialists to instruct the student and give valuable insights into the background and meaning of the text. This book can serve as a basic Bible study guide for working through the Gospel of John, helping the student plumb the depths of St. John's marvelous and deeply spiritual Gospel. It is excellent for use by individuals or groups, for families or schools.

Special Highlights

The first extensive, easy-to-use Catholic Bible study guide available written in a way that is usable by both the beginner and the scholar Coincides very well with the Catechism of the Catholic Church Provides extensive "text-boxes" with detailed information on specific Bible passages being studied.

If you want to really dig deeply into the Gospel of John this book is for you. It has many notes including some from the church fathers, some historical, some theological, word studies and more. My only complaint,and it's a small one, is that the bible verses are not in the book. You have to read your bible then look up the comments, but thats not a big deal. This is a valuable resource for any catholic, and in my opinion probably the best catholic bible study out there. Stephen Ray has really done a great service for the ordinary catholic who wants to know the bible better.

Our Parish has used Mr. Ray's guide for two trips through the Gospel according to St. John. It is an incredible resource for groups who have serious interest in Bible Study. (I would expect nothing less of an author than a 5-star rating for his work! This piece happens to actually deserve it.)

Sugar Ray Robinson was One Of THe Greatest Fighters Ever.Very Uplifting of How He Overcame SO Much.He was a Great Warrior Inside of The Ring.Muhammad Ali called Him The Greatest.A Must Have.

This book was great. It is 378 pages, or something like that, with a forword and afterword by Dave. Lots of pictures, one with Sugar Ray at his restraunt in New York. Also has a list of all his fights and what happened, if it was a knock out, win, loose, draw. At one part he is in England, and his car is causing a traffic jam on the street because so many people have heard of him and want to see his car! And the desk clerk says to him, "Mosure Robinson, the police are here to you." He goes up to them, and they tell him that his car is causing a traffic jam and to move it! No one can get through!

First read "Sugar Ray" in 1970, as a student in high school and back then i read it two times. I can still recall the illustration by LeRoy Neiman on the original cover. To this present day the most influential reading in my life, along with David Halberstam's "The Reckoniing

Wonderful, heartwarming,and graphically beautiful book for doglovers of all ages.
A must have.
It's also a great gift.

This book is an especially unique addition to any dog lover's library. The photos beautifully illustrate diverse aspects of the human-dog bond. I received it as a gift, and immediately purchased copies for my dog loving friends!

Fantastic and really great book. Hard to describe, but the photo's and quotes are really fantastic. I received it today, and enjoyed it so much, that I am ordering three more copies,to give to friends.

I bought this book thinking it would be an interesting adventure tale. It is that but so much more. The writing is poetic and heart warming. An absolutely wonderful little book!!

If you enjoy reading about cycling and living this is a great book. I've read every touring and cycling book you can imagine, but this is the best! It really gives you a new perspective on how we ride today when you look at what these two boys had to endure at the turn of the century when roads did not exists as we know today. A truly well written adventure, great venacular dialogue, credible and yet an incredible story.

I first bought the book because of its Vashon Island connection, being a lifelong islander myself. But I quickly decided it's one of the best bicycle touring stories in my library -- the boys come alive in the writing, no dreary list of statistics and mileposts, just two boys becoming men on their ride north to Seattle. Puts a whole new perspective on that ride for anyone who has cycled the Pacific Coast route in modern times.

This excellent, accessible, and extremely well documented integration of the economics, administrative infrastructure and politics of the economy is a must read. Canterbery clearly deflates current politically correct talking point that Dubyah's skewed tax cut is in any meaningful way related to "capital formation". With only 5% of the transactions in the stock and bond market attributable to the "primary" capital raising markets (i.e. IPOs and new treasury debt) the churning of the remaining 95% of the secondary market is the "overhead" that's necessary to achieve "efficient" pricing for capital. That's like a shop owner who has to sustain $95 in operating overhead to keep his store open in order to make $5 in sales.

Witty, insightfully integrative and deadly accurate, this is a must read.

The past decade of financial euphoria has slowly built in the public's mind the myth of the "millionaire next door," and the belief that democratic redistribution, through capital markets accessible to all, existed. This book, owing to a thorough analysis of the US capital markets, definitely draws an accurate and realistic picture of who the real "winners" are. The answer is explosive and the statements fully backed up with data. If you want to have a better understanding of how the Fed, the government, and the markets have been creating this "dream come true," this book is definitely a must read.

This book explains why the health of the stock market is not equivalent to the health of the economy. The Wall Street bull has transferred enoumous amounts of wealth from the bottom 95% to the top 5% of the population. The result is an economy that is producing goods and services at a rate that is well below its capacity to produce, reducing the standard of living of all but those few who are winning the speculative Wall Street lottery. The book is written in an engaging style with plenty of data to back up the claims. A very important book for a very crucial time in the economic history of the US.

This is an outstanding book despite being over 10 years old. The clarity of the text and examples is far superior to the average text. One of the few books I have been able to easily learn new material from without having the benefit of a class to attend.

This was my textbook for Water Resources during Engineering School in the Spring of 1985. I have the Third Edition. It is well worn, underlined, highlighted and annotated, evidence of a very useful book! At my current position as Water Engineer at an Air Force Base, it is at the top of my shelf with my most used refernces. The right mix of theory and application. You will need a basic knowledge of Fluid Mechanics to use this text effectively.

This book is one of the few books that introduced me to Water Resources Engineering as a student and I am still using it more than twenty years later as a University teacher and a Professional Consultant!

It contains some hydrology, some probability, some engineering economy, and some water resources planning to supplement the material on hydraulic machines and structures, water resources projects such as hydropower, wastewater treatment, irrigation, river engineering/navigation, flood damage mitigation, and water supply. It also has worked examples, exercises, and useful tables.

This book does not overload you with verbosity. It just gives you enough to make a topic sufficiently clear for one to proceed with using the same in real situations.

The book is so well done, but the talking book is far better. You enter the jounery with them. You hear the wisdom of the spirtiually elders and long with the creaking of the doors and beatiful pow-wow/drumming in the background. You get a great opportunity to hear the calling of the eagle out of the sky at wounded knee that was prayered out of the sky by Frank Fools Crow. The best part that makes me laugh is when Steve Wall and Harvey Arden go and see one of the elders. Steve doesn't have a chance to go into his spell when the elder tells them I know why you are here you lost your orginial instructations. Also when they go and see charlie Knight and he asks them each time when Ya Leavein.

As it seems many.. many. yeasrs ago it seems the thought of me reading this book aloud in front of Chris and BJ, i thought of how this man had entered a world so special and brought it back to all of us with a carizma only Steve Wall and Harvey Arden can bring you ,A tale of watermelon and cowboy hats,sights beheld in your minds true eye and the love that we all share ...and how thankful we are to have had them share it with us on the lakes Denver.NC. Tacowa-tuks and all:)................

This is a book of incredible beauty - linguistically, visually, and spiritually. In an era which seems to skew more and more to the material and superficial, the Wisdomkeepers who are interviewed bring life and its challenges to the level of essence. Although I have walked in the daily company of Native Americans for more than fifty years, my understanding of the nobility of heritage and centered life grew immeasurably with the reading of every page. Anyone who passes this one up will be the lesser for doing so.