...i've read numerous conspiracy books, watched the videos, et. cetera, but i dare say this is one of the better!!! certainly, a must read for any conspiracy bluff! go get 'em, tiger.

...i've read numerous conspiracy books, but this one is certainly one of the better. very well written. ... good read.

Danny Casolaro was a relatively wealthy individual who decided he wanted to become a writer. He already had a few articles published in various magazines when he first learned about the PROMIS software. Basically, PROMIS is a database program with amazing flexibility and statistical abilities and can also be used to predict future trends, submarine locations, etc. This software was developed by private individuals with some help in funding by the U.S. Department of Justice. However, the government decided to [take] the program instead of paying for it and began to market it as their own. This information is widely known and well-accepted and much documentation of this exists (including a successful lawsuit by the software developers that was later overturned on the flimsiest of grounds through the interference of the powers that be). However, when Casolaro set out to write an article about the robbery of the PROMIS program by the government, potentially to sell it to a computer magazine, the deeper he dug, the more sinister things became.

First of all, he learned that the DOJ had a backdoor added into the program so that the U.S. could access the files of whoever they sold the PROMIS program to, including the governments of Israel and Canada. This led to further revelations and meetings with various informants that further revealed a complex web of deceit leading down some surprising avenues. Casolaro now changed his plans to writing a novel, perhaps even presenting it as fiction in order to avoid scaring off publishers. But before this happened, Casolaro was found dead from what was an obviously staged suicide and many of his notes disappeared.

This very well documented book (that also verifies and is verfied by information published elsewhere) chronicles Casolaro's story, citing many excellent sources, including court records and affidavits. It also attempts to recover and recount some of the information about the conspiracy Casolaro began to call "the Octopus" because of its many, long-reaching tendrils. While it is not always clear Casolaro was on the right track (Casolaro himself often took note of what information seemed manufactured to mislead and discredit him), it is clear he was onto something big given his subsequent murder and its sloppy coverup.

Casolaro might have led a comfortable life as a mediocre writer publishing the occassional article, but because of his sense of justice and the need he felt to uncover the truth, he was ruthlessly murdered. This book is a wonderful epitaph to two courageous men (including co-author Keith who mysteriously died from knee surgery).

I was looking for a book or two (as luggage weight limits were tight)to enhance my first safari experience to the national parks of Tanzania. I selected this book based on Amazon.com reader feedback. It was a real help during the safari and continues to be used while reviewing video, photos, and books on African wildlife. I also took a good field guide (Audubon)--but these were widely available on the safari 4WD as well as at the lodges. What makes the Estes book unique is it describes the MEANING of the behavior and social groups you see on the game drives. Almost daily we would see sights that struck me as unexpected--like an all male group of 40 impalas, or zebras leading a line of hundreds of wildebeest; I'd look up that species in the Estes book back at camp and he would explain the meaning of the behavior. My safari mates were all very experienced and involved in zoos in the USA. They would often ask to borrow my "Estes" for their use.

In my opinion, if you can only take one book other than your safari journal--take this one. If you can take two, include a good field guide (like Audubon).

Most African Mammal guides are designed for people working in that field. Here, we have one specifically designed for the average enthusiast who wants to know a bit more than provided in the also essential Audobon Guide to African Wildlife. Let's face it - while you may get the occasional bird or even reptile enthusiast, it's the mammals that capture the imagination of the average person on the street when it comes to the wildlife of Africa.

You don't have to travel to the Dark Continent to enjoy this one, and - in acknowledgement that people can be interested in wildlife without necessarily being able or willing to go on Safari - it's also designed for use if you're fortunate enough (as I am) to be a regular at a quality zoo or even a regular viewer of "National Geographic" or "Nature".

The book is very easy to use and browse through, explaining habits and noting the best parks and reserves for each animal, as well as the animal's major predators or relationship with other predators. You don't have to look through it long to wish for similar volumes for Asia and North America.

Certainly worthy of being one of the first books on the shelf of anyone who loves African wildlife.

If you are going on safari, and you need to bring only one book, this is the one. Contrasts with other books in that its focus is on explaining animal behavior -- answers the "what are they doing?" query better than any other book out there. And its intellectually inquisitive aspect makes for interesting reading. Also --- we happened to meet the author by chance, and he was quite nice and interesting; a passionate scholar.

This book was one of the best I have ever read. It was a ride on an emotional rollercoaster until the very end. Jim, the teen from a broken home was a lovable and amazingly developed character. He had amazing relationships with his friends and sister. This book made me laugh, cry, and scream. You felt hatred towards his father. Sympathy for his sister, Mandy. Love for Leslie. You want to reach out and touch Jeremy, mend his heart. Cry out to Philly; tell him that he can have a future. And hold Jim. It makes you want to heal the world. It makes you cry for all the people who have to go through what they did. I believe Daniel Grey Marshall is an AWESOME writer, and can not wait until he finishes his second book. I'm telling you . . . this book is worth every page.

This novel was the probably the best book I have read. It was written with nothing held back and the climax is so sad, yet ineveitable and somewhat neccessary. Jim, the protagonist goes through so much and as you read about him, you go through it too. I HIGHLY recommend this unforgettable read.

This is the best book I have ever read. I have never felt so connected with the characters in a book as I have here . . . I have never wanted to hold and kiss and wipe away the tears of a character as much as I wanted to for Jim, the narrative in this book. This boy goes through everything. It's amazing how Jim & his friends change in ONE year. I have never laid awake at night, sobbing for one character before. But I guess I wasn't really sobbing just for Jim. I was sobbing for Philly, and Jeremy, and Mandy, and Leslie, and and all the other kids just like them out in the world, and the hellish life they are forced to live. And hell is what Jim goes through.

The book is funny though, too. It is also heartwarming. I'm not lying - there are parts when I definitely went "aww" and smiled a bit. This book is great for EVERYONE.

I love Daniel Grey Marshall. I am very anxiously awaiting his second novel.

The G8's Role in the New Millennium makes a significant contribution to our understanding of an important institution.

This publication is a succinct but authoritative primer on this organization's role as a potential policy-making alternative body for managing global financial challenges.

This book goes a some way to lifting the curtain on the secrecy that surrounds the operation of a body that has no charter, no headquarters, no secretariat. --Business Worldaware

Peters does a great job of bringing a long lost world to life. Any Inca enthusiast should read it. Peters really did his homework and it shows. I was dissappointed in the overblown homosexual relationship part of the story. It really didn't fit the rest of the book. Yes, it was well illustrated in Moche and Chimu pottery but it seemed that they were just thrown in to bring to light some contemporary issues. In spite of that I did enjoy the book very much and like I said, can't wait to read it again.

I have read this book numerous times and every time I pick it up I can't seem to put it down. Peters has obviously done his homework. The characters are human and wonderfully written.

I read this book seven years ago and still can't get it from my mind. It enriched my understanding of the Inca culture at its height and through its demise. I delighted as never before in a visit to NYC's Metropolitan Museum as I found Incan artifacts like those used by the characters in the book. THE INCAS is lengthy but a classic "I wish it would never end" tale. I have since searched for the other books in Peters' series and have had no luck. Anybody have any ideas???? I've tried to locate Mr. Peters. If you read this, please tell me how I can read more of your work. It is so well researched and written. Congratulations!

It's hard to think of a group that has amassed more information about gay men and their health problems than New York's Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). Now nearly twenty years old, the group has just published a comprehensive guide to gay male health, Men Like Us: The GMHC Complete Guide to Gay Men's Sexual, Physical and Emotional Well-Being. The result is a snappy, savvy, and indeed almost encyclopedic look at our sexual, physical and emotional health, with common-sense language and lots of information.

Part One of this book is called "Sex Basics." This involves the penis, anal pleasures, mutual masturbation, how to use condoms and so on. Our attention is flagged any time a disease risk is involved. Barely a page goes by that the book doesn't use a sidebar, or a quote from an expert, or testimony from one or another gay men who's been there and done that, which keeps things on a light tone. There's even a self-help guide for

deformalities and abnormalities of the penis and which ones need medical attention (there are actually a couple that don't).

"Body Basics" is Part Two of the book. It introduces the basics of healthy exercise (both the aerobic and the body-builder type), tells how to deal with digestive problems, find a good doctor, investigate alternative health (if you so desire), monitor things like cholesterol and blood pressure, and understand the aging process. The presumed audience is a male in his late thirties or early forties who is just starting to notice that things like cardiac health and abundant vitality can no longer be taken for granted.

Part Three, "Major Medical," has two sections. The first deals with the realities of AIDS in a very sophisiticated yet easy-to-follow format. This section really shines, and here it's worth remembering that the Gay Men's Health Crisis was the first group ever formed to deal with AIDS (before it even was called that). The second section is a very knowledgeable "user's guide" to getting the most out of a hosptial stay.

Part Four has a section on therapy and mental health, one on friendships, and one on spirituality. Of the three, the spirituality section is the weakest because it lumps spiritual and religious topics together and treats them superficially. (Remember, too, this is not GMHC's forte here.) Men Like Us is a great book for any gay owner of a male body who wants to keep it in good shape. And it's wonderful when it comes to the ins and outs of AIDS. The books is probably best suited for someone age 35 or older who lives a relatively "out" gay life and is comfortable finding bias-free resources: a gay or sympathetic doctor, say. Indeed, Men Like Us book seems to make the assumption that its readers have been around the block a time or two, as when it reiterates that the rules for oral hygiene are "the same rules you've heard since you were a little homosexual-in-training." While this would still be a good book for a 22-year-old if only for the safe-sex guidance, it might not be as useful as for someone older.

I can truthfully say that most every question that I had regarding issues ranging from the widest range of topics imaginable were answered in a professional & very informative manner. Some of the topics ranged from "The Anatomy Of Pleasure", "Sex Acts And Facts","Sex Troubles",& much more in chapter one. Through 13 chapters of fact filled up to date info.this encyclopedic book keeps your attention in high gear, gets you thinking about what really matters, and is written in an entertaining manner as well. This all-inclusive "COMPLETE GUIDE TO GAY MEN'S SEXUAL, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING" is a must read, and a great reference I refer to very often. If there is one book on gay men's info. this is the ONE!!!

Do not pass up this one. A comprehensive guide to modern gay life! Covers a range of topics that even surprised me. I guarantee you will learn something from this book as I did.

This has to be one of the best Heyer-on-audio books that I have heard (so far, I have worked my way through Frederica and Cotillion several times, through These Old Shades once, through Regency Buck once, and through The Talisman Ring twice). Daniel Philpott undertakes the challenging task of portraying the various voices and accents of Major Hugo Darracott, the despised new heir to his cantakerous and tyrannical grandfather Lord Darracott, and all the voices of those around him.

I was taken aback when I first heard Philpott, thinking that he could not possibly do the Yorkshire dialect justice. A few minutes into his reading (well before the dialect and accent started) I was hooked. It helps that this is one of my favorite Heyers where I love even the asides from the servants. But Philpott shows us Hugo tripping up his hostile family neatly into his particular net, along with Lord Darracott, his several other descendants and daughters-in-law, Lt Ottershaw (the customs officer), and even the servants - Charles the footman, Grooby and the other valets, Chollacombe the butler, and Mrs Flitwick the housekeeper. He manages to create a distinct "voice" for each character, and to make each one come alive in a way highly satisfying to me.

Highly recommended, particularly in this unabridged audio book version.

I am a very long time fan of GH. Her best books combine a talent for humor, plot twists and characterization. The Unknown Ajax combines these talents to perfection as the hero (see other reviews for plot synopsis) impales his erst-while relatives on his very reprehensible predilition for practical jokes. In so doing he manages to get the feisty heroine to fall in love with him as well as saving the family's honor. But if the hero were the only high point in the book, it would be mediocre by GH standards. Look too for a very funny aristocratic aunt, a grandfatherly curmudgeon, the de riguer independently minded heroine and a wonderfully dithering prospective mother in law. This cast of characters has pulled me back to read the book at least as many times as I've read Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. I consider Heyer as her most worthy sucessor.

Lord Darracott's heir is dead - and now the martinet and generally gouty old man must call on the new heir, Hugh Darracott - the child of a mesalliance between his favourite son and a Weaver's daughter - thus the scene is set for one of Heyer's funniest and strongest romances.

This is the story of the heir Hugh, generally disliked in advance by the entire Darracott family before he arrives, and the gradual way he insinuates himself into the household, without ever trying. His good-natured humour, but iron-will win him friends, respect and love. God, that sounds so wet doesn't it? That's the trouble with Heyer - you strip the plots back to the bare bones and the whole thing looks pathetic - yet it is her ability to characterise, overlay complex story lines and inject the whole with an ironic voice that gives her books such strength.

The book is one of Heyer's best. All the action takes place at Darracott Hall which geographically is somewhere down on the border of Kent and Sussex, it has the requisite number of smugglers, dandy's, beau's and gouty grandfathers, along with a beautiful grand-daughter for a love interest. What sets this book above the norm is the wonderful hero - Hugh - or Hugo. He is a gem.

The first time I read this book I have to admit I didn't much like it. I was defintiely put off by the accent which Hugh adopts at the start. He did seem a clumsy oaf and I never quite recovered. However as a confirmed fan of Heyer I have come back to it again and again and not only has it grown on me, it is one of the top five (alongside Talisman Ring, Corinthian, Cotillion, and Toll-Gate). It is witty, ironic and the hero is so capable but so humourous I can't help falling in love with him each time I read it.

The story develops at an even pace. There are a number of threads to tie together. The grand-daughter love interest - Anthea has been told by her grandfather that she must marry Hugh - and naturally she is very resistant to this idea. There are also some mysterious goings on round the manor and these need to be sorted out - and the estate is going to wrack and ruin.

If you find yourself a bit at sea for the first part of the book - new readers of Heyer often find this difficult, then bear with it - it is worth the effort and re-reading will only get better. But it this has an especially good and complex ending which is difficult to predict.

First, if you haven't read the first two books in the Myth series, this book is a great chance to correct that. If you own the first two books, there's not much point in buying this collection. However...

According to the Asprin's new publisher, Meisha Merlin, the next few books, Myth Adventures 2 and 3 will both have NEW Myth Adventure novellas written by Asprin and Jody Lynne Nye. The short story in number 2 will be Myth Congeniality.

Also according to Meisha Merlin, there are at least two new Myth titles forthcoming, both of which will be by RLS and JLN. The next is due sometime in 2003 and will be called Myth-Alliances. The one after that is is Myth-taken Identity and is due August 2004.

Just thought you might want to know.

If you like fantasy books, if you don't like fantasy books it doesn't matter you'll love this series of Books. Robert Aspirin (who by the way, edited the theives world books) has written an inceredibly hilarious series of books. Skeeve and ahz are the main characters and the situations they get into and the witty and inventive way they get out of those situations is very comical these books have everything from demons ( not demons as we know them but demons= short for deminsion traveler) to dragons ("Bleep"). I have been blind sided more than a few times by these books they are anything but predictible... you can't even count on the main characters being alive at the end of a book..( of course it's just a cliffhanger for the next book). Each book is a continuation of the last. I could talk about these books for hours, and i can get lost in them for even longer.... I have never met anyone who hasn't finished one of these books after starting it.... It is a good idea to start with the first book in the series, Another fine Myth, that way you have a good idea of what kind of relationship ahz and skeeve have and how they became friends.... the myth series is hilarious witty inventive and overall the funniest books i have ever read. I have read and re-read these books a hundred times and they never get boring

I was never much a fantasy fan before. I watch the Si-Fi Channel and I love the fantasy movies but I would refuse to read. Then my dad gave me the original hardcover copy "MYTH Adventures" (Another Fine Myth, Myth Conceptions, Myth Directions, and Hit or Myth) with the original cover illustrations (just to show how old my copies are) and ever since I have been addicted to fantasy books. Especially the MYTH series.

Just to warn you this is a laugh-out-loud story. I would not recommend reading this in public. You might get some odd looks from people that obviously have no sense of humor. Everything is a play on words and the characters are amazingly thought up. The plot is actually imaginable and it flows smoothly. The magik (not magic, there's a difference) has rules. What Skeeve and Aahz can and cannot do in the world of magik does not change throught the series.

To make a long review short, get this book. If you don't enjoy it then don't read it. It just means that you are a boring and unimaginative slouch. However, I can guarantee that from the very first chuckle you'll be hooked. Take it from a fantasy skeptic turned MYTH addict.

I came to know Daniel P. Mannix through his many articles for the 50's publication "True: The Man's Magazine." He was a competent writer on many subjects, and his stories were always entertaining. "Those about to Die" is nothing if it is not entertaining. But it is NOT a piece of sober history.

The book is not so much historical fiction as it is fictionalized history. Historical fiction is a make believe story told against the backdrop of historical events. Mannix' takes historical events and relates them in "documentary" fashion, but unabashedly invents details and descriptions which, if they are accurate, are accurate only by accident.

If you understand from the outset what you are dealing with, "Those about to Die" can be great reading. If you're looking for a well researched, scholarly study of gladiators, check out Michael Grant's "Gladiators."

This book has been reissued in paperback under the new name "The Way of the Gladiator," and it is available from Amazon.com under the new name.

when I was given this book, I thought it would be a laborious read; I was wrong! Daniel Mannix has done an excellent job of bringing dimension & depth to a subject that few of us really understand. It's a real pity that this piece of literature is now out of print because every student of history should have this narrative in their personal library. I now watch 'SPARTACUS' from a totally different perspective!

Mannix' "Those About to Die" combines a historical and sociological view of the Games of the Roman Republic and Empire. With the title taken from the traditional gladiators' greeting, "Hail Caesar! We who are about to die salute you!", this book traces the history of the Roman games from Anchises' funerary games in Vergil's Aeneid to the inevitable coarsening and excess of Imperial Rome. Along the way, we learn about the engineering of the Circus Maximus, the training of the gladiators, the orgiastic response of both plebs and patricians in the audience, and even the horrific cruelty inherent in such a scene. Mannix' "Those About to Die" provides tremendous insights into a cultural and sociological ritual the likes of which have never been seen before -- and, hopefully, will never be seen again.

This book explores the world of gypsies, scamps and thieves and the offbeat group of Private Investigators who pursue them.

Always planning the next con, theft or bunko, a band of gypsies in San Francisco pull off a perfect crime. Using four branches of the same bank, slick tactics and phone banks, a group of gypsies manages to steal 32 cadillacs, all in the same day.
Facing a million dollar loss, the bank hires DKA, a local PI firm, to recover the stolen cars. Tipped off that a gang of gypsies was responsible, the DKA operatives, or repomen, start a chase that follows the cars across the US. Using very unconventional methods this quirky band of PIs, who are rejects and misfits, must use their wiles to "outcon the cons."

What makes this story really outstanding is the background tale of the gypsy life, description of how the cons are done and the plotting of the PIs to get the cars back. There is lots of action too including breakneck chases and escapes, including one where a DKA agent must leap into a car while his rear is filled with buckshot.

My favorite character is Ken Warren, a repoman with such a severe speech impediment that he barely communicates. But with extraordinary skills in hunting down and absconding with cars that no one else can get, he earns the respect of his fellow DKA agents.

A fun ride which I highly recommend.

Why Joe Gores isn't a better known author is a complete mystery to me. Ok, Ok, he's won 3 Edgar Awards and all, but still you don't hear his name mentioned too often when asking for recommendations. His DKA Files series are full of action, humour, cons and scams and in short are pure entertainment. Well, no matter, I've discovered him now and I'm here to tell you that the series, and 32 Cadillacs in particular, is one that's not to be missed.

For the first time, the DKA Agency is pitted in a head-to-head battle with San Francisco's Gypsy community following a Gypsy scam that had netted a grand total of 31 Cadillacs. This is a once-in-a-lifetime job, recover the 31 Caddys for a nicely negotiated fat fee. But the Gypsies are crafty specialists of the long con and are exceedingly difficult to track down, so the recovery process will require the DKA team to use every resource available as well as every underhanded trick in the book.

To give you a head start, I'll introduce you to the central DKA characters. They are, Dan Kearny, Giselle Marc, Patrick O'Bannon, Larry Ballard and Bart Heslip. And two new characters are added to the staff, Trin Morales, a sleazy Latino who failed on his own as a PI, and Ken Warren, the genius carhawk with a killer speech impediment. Both bring tremendous dimension and entertainment to the DKA team.

But the real stars of the book are the Gypsies, colourful in character as well as in their various ingenious scams. Although they're such big thieves that they'd make a kleptomaniac look like a saint, you can't help but like them and hope that every now and then they'll catch a break.

Joe Gores is an author who has walked the walk, having been an agent in the real life DKA Agency. His first-hand knowledge and experience is apparent as his agents work through their cases. Rumour has it that the Larry Ballard could very well be modelled on Gores himself.

As a final word, if there are any Donald Westlake fans out there who have read and enjoyed his Dortmunder book Drowned Hopes, I would urge you to read this one too with a brilliant crossover of storylines. This book was an absolute pleasure to read and, I know it's a much-overused catch phrase but I would term it a "must read book".

This book is full of heroes on all sides as DKA agents and gypsies strive to outwit each other throughout a very funny story. 32 CADILLACS is the best entry in the entertaining DKA series.