Thea von Harbou (1888-1954) was indeed Fritz Lang's wife and wrote a number of novels/screenplays which Lang produced, including "Il frau im Mond" and "Spione". He divorced her in 1932 when she joined the Nazi party. "Metropolis" dates from 1926, NOT 1888 (von Harbou's birthdate). The first German edition, Berlin: A. Scherl, 273 pp., with a cover based on an original design by Walter Reimann was published in 1926, the anonymous English translation appeared in 1927. It retrospect the book is quite propagandist, but certainly quite unique. A 75th Anniversary edition is available, with numerous illustrations/stills from the film and an introduction by Forrest J. Ackerman, from Sense of Wonder Press, James A. Rock & Co. Publ.

This is a great book to read, and I great classic to experience. The writing is well written and the setting is great!! I HIGHLY reccomend purchasing this book, watching the original 1928 silent movie, and watching the new anime movie. Metropolis will live on!!

Revoltionary writing for it's time (1888) Metropolis speaks of the western world's growing fear of the indusrtial revolution, as well as young love, and the question of man as God. Harbou's charactors have to overcome a world which centers around machines, in order to become fully human again. These machines having truned the human workers into food for it's never ending hunger, and their brains into grease for it's gears. If you liked Bladerunner, Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Dark City, here is their mother. There is also there is a film by Fritz Lang (who was married to Harbou for a time)based on this book. There are many vertions of the film, try to get the longest one that is on black and white. If you can get a copy of this book hold on to it for dear life.

An amazing glimpse into the world of medicine.. this book isn't just for medical student but for everyone. There isn't a single person alive who hasn't lost a loved one, or been through ones own or others illness... a must read for those looking for perspective

...the science of health. The art and science of the human spirit.

These are given every year to first year students by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and in my opinion, it is like a trusted physician's black bag in which you have the practitioner's stethoscope and blood pressure cuff and plenty of simple pharmacies for a house call--one in which the doctor is not in a hurry to run.

Let not the title catch the layperson off kilter--it's chocked full of good stuff for the rest of us humans who just like to read classic and near-classic works. Like some of my favorites: Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Dickinson, Larynx by Neruda, House Calls by Lewis Thomas and A Summer Tragedy by Arna Bontemps. There's a superb essay on wonder and the evolution of the human spirit by Melvin Konner. There's a Vonnegutian reworking of Frankenstein ( "a crass medical genius" with my real supervisor's first name--I'm grinning as I type this). There's a Chekhov piece on the loss of hope and sadness when one loses a child. Then there's copies of art--Munch, Rockwell, Fildes. Plus, lots, lots more.

First year medical students who usually are to busy to read anything for enjoyment, are missing out on a great collection if they don't stop to smell some of these literary roses. We lay folk with a taste for a great read or two will take us this slack and pass the word on how superb is this collection.

Reynolds, Stone and (new to this edition) Nixon have produced an almost magical book. I've used the previous two editions of this anthology in a seminar with third-year law students and fourth-year medical students ("Law, Literature & Medicine") and look forward to using this new edition in 2002. The impressive literary range represented here -- from the ancients to the most modern (including a little gem from an 11-year-old poet) -- captures the perspectives of patient, healer, family member and others who must deal with illness or death. Many of the classics are collected here (Dylan Thomas (Do not go gently), John Donne (Death be not proud), O.W. Holmes (The Stethoscope). In addition, the editors' command of modern texts -- especially short stories and poems -- gives fresh voice to up-to-the-minute versions of ancient concerns. This book gives new meaning, and new signficance, to the idea of "the art of medicine." Anyone who is facing or may face illness or death, or knows someone else who will face these inevitabilities (that is: ALL OF US) will be enriched by this unique and valuable collection.

If you have never seen the comedy of Rick Reynolds you owe it to yourself to read his book. An autobiography of a man who has had less than a great childhood, but tells you how he made it through with his wonderful sense of humor

I used to work as an usher at the Cannon Theater in Los Angeles where Rick Reynolds performed this entire routine. I must have sat through the show in its entirety about 30 times. It never ever lost it's edge. It is a brave and true and hillarious memoir. I luckily bought the CD which was available at the show and which was also available around LA at the time. I'm sorry to see Amazon doesn't carry the CD version, perhaps it is out of print also. Buy this classic work, you will enjoy every minute of it.

His comedy routine was on HBO and I recorded it about 6 years ago .. I then transfered the audio to a cassette tape to listen to it in my car. His routine is the most moving comedy, at several time thoughout the show it becomes serious but your riveted to the story he tells. He makes you laugh so much. If you like comedy YOU WILL LIKE RICK REYNOLDS... only 1 problem to bad it's not on CD. I've been looking for a CD version for almost 5 years.

The true life story of Bjorn Ortenheim has enough rich material to span several books and whilst some of the detail of his spiritual encounters with the 'Power of Light' were too far removed from my own beliefs, the message was as striking as it was stark. I can't recommend this book enough, it completely engrossed me and after finishing it in one sitting, I know I'll read it again. It hasn't changed my life, but it has made me sit up and take a good look around me at the world and my place in it. Utterly fascinating.

Readers of Ruth Montgomery's books on walk-ins were introduced to this Inventor-Scientist and his drive to create a polution free technology. Pattents for electric cars, hybrids, energy recovery devices and water purification are only a hint of his efforts to bring us into the 21st Century. This humanistic biography reads like an adventure novel- but its all true. A remarkable life! A necessary follow up to Ruth's final book, "The World To Come". Read and change!

Bjorn also wrote a novel, the Crystal City, just published, and has a children's book in the works. Use a search engine to find more!

A fantastic and very inspiring book that deals with the
underlying forces of nature. Bjorns guide "Power of Light"
gives us so many clues of why nature acts as it does and why
"the creator" probably will have to shake us up a bit in order
to get our priorities right.
As far as I can understand, we don't have very much time left
to change direction if mother earth is to survive.
-And of course the creator won't let the planet die, so guess
who will have to take the blow...

Obviously those who created the mess which we're in, we ourselves.

So maybe we should stop fighting for oil and gas, like now in
the middle east and focus our attention on alternative energy
solutions, as one example. Something Bjorn has spent many years
on with new inventions and good results. But with very poor
backup from the industry.

Albert Einstein once said something like that humankind won't
really gain anything from the modern western science until it
meets with the eastern spirituality and wisdom.

"POL" puts it very simply.
-Enter a dark room, light one small match, and the darkness
is gone.

-A must read for all interested in our very near future!!!

Residential and Light Commercial Construction Standards is a great book when trying to avoid disputes about various construction standards. It covers everything from asphalt paving; concrete; masonry; finish capentry; cabinetry; and many more.

I think this is an excellent book for, first, students and neophytes to learn some standard detailing and systems, and second, novice construction administrators and contractors needing help with some standard practices they might not have seen or know the whole ins and outs of. I will admit that it is not at a beginner level, and you do need some familiarity with construction to understand all of its articles, but the list of contributing editors is a who's who of construction standards, most of them being some sort of expert, whether they serve on buiding code commitees or are esteemed lecturers and each with multiple decades of experience.

The book is divided almost into the cooresponding CSI divisions it deals with. Each section starts out with a great blurb (titled "Common Defect Allegations") about what is to be expected when dealing with particular system. These are especially helpful to generalize a decision about masonry walls vs. concrete, and so on. What really excited me about this book was that in each building system article, there are the cooresponding UBC entries included with the hard to understand ones diagramed out (Like typical distance requirements for light fixtures around a shower or where you need a GFCI plug in your bathroom)

This is a necessary reference for construction and design professionals already in the field. More experienced professionals might find it more useful as a quick reference so they don't have to remember all the code issues and standards for a particular building system. This IS light commercial and residential construction, this book is missing all the steel erection, shoring, heavy concrete, etc. systems. I have found those books, though.

My fiance is an architecture student and although we didn't but the book here it is a great reference to her school work. If she ever has a question concerning framing all she has to do is look it up in this book and all here questions are answered. This is a great book and we recommend it to anybody in the architecture field.

Doing my due diligence on this year's trip to Switzerland, I checked all the relevent guidebooks in local bookstores. Finally settled on this book over the similar Lonely Planet one. This one wins out for all the bonus info it manages to squeeze into its numerous sidebars. I am especially impressed by its mini-history of counterculture in Bern and Zurich - throws a monkey wrench into the usual Swiss stereotypes. It labors to do justice to the many less-well-known charms of Switzerland, and to a large degree seems to succeed (e.g. a full section on CERN - birthplace of the web), while still remaining compact and useful (as opposited to Michelin)

However, there are still a few shortcomings:
* No coverage of the major scenic trains of the Swiss Railway (Golden Pass, Glacier Express, William Tell Express, etc.) A major omission, since they are well-known, excellent experience in themselves, and make for a great backbone to hang your entire visit.
* More generally, not enough help for new visitors to pick and choose all these sights and put together a sensible itinery, e.g. scenic routes, top-10 experiences, and sample 7-day or 14-day itineries (although very few guidebooks do this). In particular, the book should help me take advantage of the best rail system in the world to maximize my stay. Swiss Rail deserves a section all its own.
* Not enough web addresses are supplied for hotels, attractions etc. where usually only phone #s are given. URLs are much more useful than phone #s for trip-planning (esp. hotels).
* A general problem for Swiss guidebooks, but still annoying: On Lake Leman and Maggiore, coverage stops at the border, as if the other French and Italian halves don't exist. C'mon - borders are for politicians. When I am at Lake Maggiore, I want to know what's there around the _whole_ lake, and how to enjoy them all. Just give me the info and I'll deal with the technicalities. In the case of Lake Leman, the French side on the south may well be on another planet - cuz it's too small for the French guides to cover!
* In Jungfrau region, it overlooks the small town of Gimmelwald - currently the exclusive scoop of the Rick Steves book

Thanks for the great review, Milesyao! (see below for what s/he says). To answer your criticisms:

* Major scenic train routes are covered on p.38.
* Picking & choosing sights; see 2nd edition update, due for publication next year, which will have more on this.
* Web addresses, ditto.
* Cross-border coverage, ditto again.
* For details of Gimmelwald, see p.271 (top and bottom of the page).

Hope this helps!
Matthew Teller
Author, Rough Guide to Switzerland

The Rough Guide To Switzerland stands out because of its thoroughness: it goes well beyond the usual travel-book sketches to include specific information on transportation, accomodation, dining and local customs. Unlike other guides, it has extremely useful information on local regulations, for which Switzerland is sadly famous. For example, it notes that ``parking in Switzerland is hellish,'' and goes on to describe in detail the parking regulations in Zurich and Geneva (which almost require you to have a law degree to understand). Note, however, that some of the information is outdated, and you should check in advance with the local tourist office because some rules have changed since the book's publication. The Rough Guide also gives excellent travel tips. It's the only travel book on Switzerland I've read that includes information on the Audrey Hepburn Pavilion in Tolochenaz, near Morges, for example. This little side-trip is a gem for fans of the star of "Roman Holiday."

This is the first truly 'new' supplement released for the Greyhawk line (the others were mostly rehashes of old material). The title is somewhat misleading, as only some 30 pages are devoted to the Brotherhood. An equal amount is also devoted to Hepmonaland, and another dozen or so to the Amedio Jungle.

Overall, it is of very good quality, providing a good general overview of each area's history, internal structure, and long-term goals providing the needed structure for the Brotherhood, but without overwhelming detail. Quick stats and personalities for major NPCs are given, along with a gazetteer of all major areas. In addition, the SB's character is fleshed-out with details of culture, dress, and even a Suel-English dictionary.

Hepmonaland seems slightly under-detailed, as it is made up of 'city-states' that actually cover vast territories. A greater density (ie more locations) would seem more realistic. One area of interest that has often been neglected in Greyhawk supplements is culture. 'The Scarlet Brotherhood' does an excellent job of fleshing out the SB, the Olman, and the Touv (a new race) with customs, dress, deities, and even language.

The map provided has a nice style to it, and is clear to read (although swamps and deserts could be more clearly delineated). It is, however, somewhat delicate - the size of the maps would have been perfect for a cardstock insert such as found in the Player's Guide to Greyhawk.

The artwork is probably the weakest part - most illustrations (a good idea - illustrating the content of the text, rather than random decoration) is sketchy and rushed-looking. Overall, I think this supplement is well worth the cost and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

From the stuff I've seen released this year, I would have to say, hands down, that the Scarlet Brotherhood is by far the best release TSR has put out this year. It details the sect itself, the surrounding area, and the different tribes and cultures in the south are of Oerth, thw world in which the Scarlet Brotherhood is set.

After the long wait, The Scarlet Brotherhood delivers with 96 pages of great stuff!

Maps of jungles you never knew existed. The character classes of Monk and Assassin are back, similar to the 1st edition folks, but these are all evil.

The Scarlet Brotherhood, Hepmonaland, and The Armedio Jungle are all detailed here with enough information for entire campaigns of sweaty, mosquito-infested fun!

Reynolds pits good against evil in a manner that keeps the reader guessing. Mayport has long had its share of dark secrets, the author is to be complimented for utilizing his vivid imagination to illustrate life in this violent and mysterious community. Each character came alive with every page.

As with Jetty Man and Mullet Run, Dr. Reynolds sucked me in andwouldn't let me sleep until I was through the book. The charactersand places are so real that a drive through Mayport is a must!

"Oak Baby," by G. W. Reynolds continues the saga of Jason, Mary C., the circus folk, Mr. King and the other characters from the "Jetty Man" series of novels. In what is possibly the best book yet, Mary C. redefines the title of Grandmother when the calypso warriors re-emerge. This is an exciting read which is almost impossible to put down once the reader begins the story. The evil Eve returns to Mayport and brings quite a surprising character with her. Miss Margaret's daughters are still conniving ways to capture Jason (body and soul) only they didn't factor in the power of the magic carousel and how it would captivate them. The novel also has about 18 illustrations which enhance the stories. Don't miss your chance to read a really exciting and totally original novel. Get "Oak Baby" today but be sure to read "Jetty Man" and then "Mullet Run" first.

I just listened to Andrew Vachss' audiobook PROVING IT performed by Burt Reynolds with a bonus track "Placebo" performed by David Joe Wirth. WOW! What great material! 28 of Andrew Vachss' short stories filled with surprising and sometimes terrifying twists. Mr. Reynolds does a wonderful job. You can feel the love and pain behind the material. He also commendably varies his voice to give a suggestion of character, helping to illuminate the stories as well as entertain the listener. However, I do think the audiobook would be better if more actors were involved. Although Mr. Reynolds is excellent on some stories, he seems to run out of steam in places, and lapses into a delivery that unfortunately does not serve the material as well as it could. Due to the enormous volume and constantly changing nature of the stories, it might have been more effective if the stories were read by a number of actors, rather than just one. David Joe Wirth's "bonus" track reading of PLACEBO is a perfect example of a welcome change of voice and delivery style. PLACEBO is truly a bonus because, as it says on the inside cover, Mr. Wirth has been closely involved in Mr. Vachss' work for the past ten years, and it shows. The reading not only demonstrates a deep understanding of the material; it is clear, direct, and extremely well paced. Bravo to David Joe Wirth, I hope to get the opportunity to see him on stage or in films soon! Bravo to Burt Reynolds for doing this audiobook! Bravo to Publishing Mills for producing a tape of Andrew Vachss' short fiction!

I don't normally get audiobooks. I like reading more than listening. But I'm a longtime fan of Vachss's work, so I made an exception--and I'm glad I did. I don't know what other audiobooks are like, but what Burt Reynolds did here feels more like a performance to me than a reading. His range of voices is terrific, and he really taps into the themes in Vachss's writing. And the bonus track, "Placebo," is not to be missed. Never heard of the actor before, and I haven't found any other audiobooks by him, but I'll be looking.

Being a long-time fan of Vachss' work, even I was skeptical that Burt Reynolds could bring the right voice to his short fiction. But "Proving It" proves that the combination of Vachss' hard-hitting truth and Burt Reynolds' range makes this a winner. This isn't the Reynolds of his comic capers, think hard-boiled like "Sharky's Machine," reading some of the best written and honest short fiction around.

This 27 story collection includes a chilling portrait of a family gone horribly wrong ("Anytime I Want"), a loyal warrior sacrificing it all to honor the life he couldn't save and protect the ones he can ("Mission"), and the frightening result of an abused child who isn't heard ("Witch Hunt"). But my all time favorite has got to be the title track, "Proving It." Burt Reynolds brings a haunting and beautiful voice to a story of true love and loyalty that only Vachss could write.

And finally, don't miss the bonus track of David Joe Wirth reprising his stage role of "Placebo." The liner notes say he's been involved with Vachss for a long time and his performance here shows his knowledge and feeling for the material and the message. Mr. Wirth should certainly be a name we all know, hopefully this brilliant performance will make that happen for him.

There are so many more, too many to list in fact, but all winners. Everyone who hears this collection will find something that speaks to them.

I vaguely remember THE AMERICAN BUND from my college days in the early seventies, but I had never been aware that this mostly German-American anti-war organization had such an impact on history before, during, and perhaps even after WWII. The Reich Mutiny takes the reader on a trip from innocent war protester to something far beyond, with a fascinating look into the psychological steps on how a small group of highly motivated SICK, evil people can turn a "dove" into a terrorist. Extremely well researched and filled with information that a lot of politically correct history books don't divulge, The Reich Mutiny keeps the midnight oil burning. WWII history buffs will love this book, and with current events since 9-11-01 and the various "Leagues" and "Societies" in the U.S. and abroad taking their stances...

This was not at all what I expected. I accidentally showed up the day the Author was there signing books. He was a rather plain looking fellow with a somewhat loud and projecting voice. After listening to him talk to people about the book and answer their questions, I understood why it took him 20 years to finish writing "The Reich Mutiny." So I picked one off the table where Steve Reynolds was signing the books and started reading it. I not only couldn't put it down I had to buy the book just to figure out the book, the boat, the characters and much, much more. I must say I am very impressed with the book. It is surprisingly well written which I later discovered the reason is that Mr. Reynolds is an English teacher and took 20 years to research this book and to write it in great detail. I, of course, didn't let that stop me and continued reading. I gave it a 4 overall because I couldn't justify a five right off. It just seemed wordy and I don't like that in a book. However, as I read more and more of the book I discovered it wasn't wordy at all, it was simply using a lot of adjectives to help describe the aharacters and develop the characters. I believe this Author is going places. As ha grows and matures he will develop a style (like Tom Clancey) of his own and each book will get better and better. I look forward to his next book and can't wait to see it in print.

Sincerely,

Ronald P Lafferty

Knowing that I love historical fiction, especially about the Second World War, a friend recommended THE REICH MUTINY by William Reynolds.
Not only was this one of the best books I have read on the Second World War--perhaps the best--this was also one of the best novels I have read in my life.
The book fairly crackles with action and captures an event of espionage that I never knew existed.
I had never known about Americans who actually worked for Germany aboard U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic.
The book also contains nail-biting suspense and a great love story.
Simply put--this might be the best World War 2 book I have ever read.