Wallace is better known as "the other man" in the history of the discovery of the natural selection concept, and for his early studies on biogeography and tropical nature. But--and this is one of the things that makes him a fascinating figure for study--he was also an avid supporter of spiritualism. This book collects five of his essays on spiritualism (the three that went into the original edition of 1875, plus two added to a new edition published twenty years later). Wallace was a thoughtful and excellent writer, and the three main essays, at least, provide some very interesting fodder for thought--especially the one on David Hume and miracles. Unfortunately, nowhere in this collection can one find any indication of why and how Wallace's adoption of spiritualism fit into his overall worldview, natural selection and all, and why this over 100 year old work is still relevant to today's concerns.... Instead, one ends up scratching one's head and wondering, "Can any of this be true...?" Still, this is just about as good a treatment of why one should be interested in the subject as can be obtained, even now.

'For nothing is purposed but mirth' Thomas Dekker tells us in his preface to this lively Elizabethan play, performed by the Lord Admiral's Players before the royal court and the Queen herself in 1599. Such mirth that was to be found in 16th century London and much that is sad and fearsome too is to be found in the story of a group of shoemakers living and working in the city. Their lives, loves and adventures are portrayed with unique historical insights of the journeyman shoemaker's trade in this fast-moving and humourous tale that eventually sees all loose ends tied, and culminates in the newly appointed Lord Mayor of London granting his shoemaker workers a 'Publicke Holiday'.

Short and Sweet...an excellent look back at New London Counties Storied Past.... the makings for a movie!

Australia has an ambivalent attitude towards its expatriates, especially the more successful ones. This book pays due attention to those ones and also gives lots of detail on less well known ones. The speculation on cultural significance and change brings in many issues and ideas not considered before and the increased complexity is very welcome. It is a little hard to keep track of the themes and the people because of the format Alomes uses, but the material is there is you want to look for it. A very useful book if you are interested in Australia's view of itself.

It's not easy to review a book like this. Anyone with a genuine interest in cryptozoology will certainly be disappointed at the whimsical and irreverent tone, which pokes fun at the visionary pioneers who have conducted scientifically painstaking research into the likes of Nessie, Mokele m'bembe and Bigfoot. A layperson however, will probably find much to amuse them and just possibly enough material to cultivate an interest in this most fascinating of topics. Amongst the silly stuff are some real facts about cryptids. The Chupacabras in particular is fairly well described and depicted. Separating fact from fancy and blatant fabrication however is not always easy and the running gag about some fictional crusty old gentlemens' club (the address given is actually the Royal Academy of Arts) does wear a bit thin after a while. If you are seeking genuine and scientifically researched material about cryptids, you would do far better by starting with Bernard Heuvelmans's seminal work or even dredging the Internet's many cryptozoology sites for references. In that respect, I would only give this book one star. If, however, you are looking for a book to foster an interest in mystery animals in a young relative or friend (my 11 year old son thought it was "cool"), then you could do a lot worse than this. My overall rating reflects the response from both extremes of potential customer.

If you are a dyed-in-the-wool cryptozoologist then it is best to leave this book on the shelf. This is more of a New Age encyclopedia of fanciful creatures and reports that sound like they belong in a fairy tale. The illustrations are quite impressive but the info is not scientifically sound. You are better off with Costello's "The Magic Zoo" or Ley's "Exotic Zoology". If you are into Mythology then this book is definitely for you.

I think a lot of people are getting steamed about this book. It is not a book on cryptozoology, but rather folklore, set up the same way as The Flight of Dragons, another very good book. It contains a ton of excellant info, on both well known and lesser known creatures, and has some excellant information. However, I could not give it a 5, since it has no real disclaimer that it is not a real crypto book. However, I think most people who have read more than a few articles on cryptos will realize right away that the book is not to be taken as serious research. My favorite sections were probably the fake journal entries, as they gave the most info, while I thought many of the personal logs got kinda of boring. So, to sum it up, If you like fantasy, mythology, ect., you will probably like this book, but if you want a serious indepth discussion on cryptos, look elsewhere, because it only skims over them.

another great compendium of design from rockport. new design london has a wide range of work samples from 26 design studios, some small and some not so small, but generally all good. whet your appetite for me company & stylorouge and all the rest with this great resource.

High quality graphics production inside. Mostly "underground" and "industrial", aggressive design layouts. As every showcase-kind of book, there are no words or suggestions. Nice to watch, excellent print quality, good choice for your graphics design bookshelf.

Top Book! Shows off the best in British design by the countries top agencies

I must say I was disappointed with this book. I really enjoyed the Anniversary Party along with the character development in the film. Perhaps I gave too much credit to Alan Cumming and not enough to Jennifer Jason Leigh, but I thought Cumming would make a good novelist. Guess I was wrong.

The story itself wasn't all that bad, and I'm fairly certain it'd make an interesting film (The film would take elements of 'Sweet November', 'Trainspotting', 'Groove', and 'Tales of the City'). Tommy's a 29 year old guy who simply isn't willing to let go of his youth and is pretty [darn] irresponsible for somebody entering his thirties. Thankfully he can rely on his cool and intelligent roomates and on his boyfriend, Charlie. That basically resumes the story. Obviously Tommy goes through a bunch of crises and keeps [messing] things up. Personally I prefered Ethan Hawke's first novel way better. Here, the character development was [poor]... it truly felt like this should have been a screenplay. Oh well, I still admire Cumming's films and acting. Can't be good at everything.

Tommy's Tale is described on its jacket cover as "rollicking". And it is. Written by Alan Cumming, this book is sharp, smart, laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly poignant. Tommy, the narrator of the story, is a 29-year-old adolescent. He has made a choice not to grow up and he revels in his decadent lifestyle. Living in London with his friends and roommates Sadie and Bobbie, he lives a self-indulgent life of drugs, sex, and parties.

As he approaches his thirtieth birthday however, Tommy suddenly finds himself faced with the very emotions and feelings he's been trying so hard to avoid. It seems like everyone is telling him to grow up, including his sort-of boyfriend Charlie, who is ready for more of a commitment. Even Charlie's charming eight-year-old son wants Tommy to be more responsible and be his "second daddy". Most demanding, though, is Tommy's own desire to have a true family of his own.

Tommy's bad decisions continue to pile up, and he resorts to more and more drug use in an effort to stem the rising tide of depression. Will he be able to overcome his excesses and be the man his friends and family need him to be?

This is Alan Cumming's first novel, but I'm hoping it won't be his last. Cumming is better known for his Tony Award-winning turn as the emcee in Cabaret. He has also starred in quite a few recent movies, including his critically acclaimed cowritten, coproduced, codirected and costarred The Anniversary Party. Cumming writes in a very personal style. It feels as if you are having a conversation with an old friend in your favorite bar. He has a knack for capturing the small things in life that make his story feel all the more real. This isn't for the moralistic or squeamish. He tends to glamorize drug use, although he doesn't pull any punches when it comes to their effects, and the sex is graphic and abundant. My biggest reservation about this book was the predictable and somewhat flat ending. It leaves you with warm fuzzies and wraps everything up neatly (perhaps too neatly), but it doesn't quite live up to the rest of the story. You can't help but get the feeling that perhaps Cumming is already thinking about the screenplay for his first novel and wrote the perfect, feel-good, Hollywood ending. Still, Tommy's Tale is one of my favorite books I've read in a while.

For Alan Cumming's first attempt at a novel, I thought this was very engaging and a very easy read, due to the style of the writing with the first person narrative that constantly addresses the reader as if you were in a conversation with the author. I certainly enjoyed the insight this gave me into his head. I found the tangential observations to be entertaining and made the storytelling more personal. I am mystified by the reviewer who criticized the numbered outlines about Tommy's depression "repeated again and again throughout the book", when the rules of depression actually only appear once and then are just referred to one other time. Regardless, I loved reading about Tommy's exploits, sexual and drug-related. I am not a big fan of drugs myself, but that didn't stop me from enjoying "Trainspotting" or this book (in fact, he makes a reference to the film that surprised me so much I laughed out loud, after making comparisons in my head all along). That is why we read books and watch movies, for a glimpse of experiences outside our own. Cumming's language is delightfully colloquial, giving the narrative an English flavor without so much slang as to make it unreadable to Americans (as "Trainspotting" did). One of the first rules of writing is to "find your voice"; Alan Cumming has definitely found his, and I hope he uses it to write again.

Eighty-three years after his death, Jack London's work remains in print throughout the world, and his popularity abroad vastly exceeds the accord he is given in America. Over twenty biographies have been written, yet the man behind the persona perpetuated by the press has remained elusive. Jerome Lofgren, however, brings both London and his wife to life with remarkable perceptiveness and intensity in his novel IN SEARCH OF JACK LONDON.

As Lofgren's personal life disintegrated around him, having come through divorce, bankruptcy and blindness, his spiritual life opened to new possibilities. As his questioned his purpose in life, he began a spiritual journal that led him to conclude that he is Jack London reincarnated.

Lofgren recounts his work with hypnosis, visions and research, drawing a web of intimacy seldom matched by most biographers. Interestingly, Lofgren focuses on the loving relationship between Jack and his second wife, Charmain Kittredge. Most biographers have overlooked the significant role Charmain provided as both a partner to London and a preserver of his work, journals, photographs, and so forth. Further, Lofgren seeks to correct many of the misconceptions of London, often perpetuated by other biographers.

Rather than a typical biographer, Lofgren's goal is to write "about different subjects, different matters, but there will be the essence of the strength from the London lifetime." Indeed, he succeeds in creating a reflective work filled with the emotional insight sadly lacking in most biographies.

Regardless of personal beliefs, this contemplative, thought provoking view of America's most published author will provide unique insight into the life of Jack London.

This is a quirky, individualistic, passionately eccentric book in
which fiction, fantasy, and fact are inextricably mixed up. I enjoyed
it.

There is no way for me to ask Jack London about the truth of
this book, but Jerome V. Lofgren was kind enough to answer some
questions I had, and to give me permission to quote them.

(DPBS)
"The Search for Jack London" is told in first person by a
narrator who claims to be Jack London's reincarnation. Is this simply
a literary device or (as the blurb material suggests) do you truly
believe this?

(JVL) What I personally believe is not the issue
here.. From the onset in my prologue and in the text itself I put
forth that if you believe in reincarnation read it right from the tap.
If you don't believe in reincarnation at least accept it as a literary
technique to tell a beautiful story (Such as The Star Rover).. This
is not a dissertation on reincarnation but an effort to understand
Jack and Charmian London.

(DPBS) The story is framed by "the
annual banquet celebrating Jack London's birthday... the Jack London
Foundation gathered as they had each year in the Sonoma Country
Club." Is your description of this meeting intended to be:
factual? A dramatized version of real events? Fictional?

(JVL) A
dramatized version of real events. However, the actual confrontation
with Clarice Stasz took place on September 30, 1987 at a BBQ hosted by
Russ and Winnie at their Glen Ellen home with Earle Labor, Milo
Shepherd their spouses and Clarice. It was a very foggy night when
Clarice hoved to out of the fog to launch her broadsides at
me.

(DPBS) In the portions of the story which are told in Jack
London's voice, I can, here and there, pick out actual quotations from
Jack London's works (a snippet from "To Build a Fire" first
Klondike episode, a snippet from "The Cruise of the Snark"
in the passage where he meets Ernest Darling, etc.) Are the parts
told in London's voice _largely_ pastiches of quotations?

(JVL) As
Russ Kingman commented repeatedly, anyone who gets immersed into Jack
will encounter the, "Dreadful Parallels." My question to you
is what other voice would Jack speak in?

(DPBS) The narrator quotes
the late Russ Kingman repeatedly and at length as having very definite
opinions on various controversial aspects of Jack London's life. Are
these actual quotations from Russ Kingman's writings? If not, do you
represent them as factual and as being accurately representative of
his views?

These are Russ' actual words. Russ went over this
manuscript several times and gave his approval of my actual
representation of him. As Russ commented, "I come off as a
Southern Baptist Preacher, as of course, I was."

(DPBS) In
places, you mention events in Jack London's life that are not
well-known to his biographers (his affair with the Native American
woman, Ruth). Are these actually buttressed by material you found in
your researches?

(JVL) Russ asked the same question in the book.
And I answered by pointing out how it came to be in the story. Jack
never wrote of or spoke of that period from January to May when he was
alone in the cabin, "a time when he came to himself." No
matter how Charmian tried to weasel it out of him he wouldn't tell. By
the way Russ was satisfied with my answer.

(DPBS) Is there a reason
why you do not provide notes or explanations to make it easier for the
average reader of this "biography" to pick out which things
can be considered recognized facts, and which are imagined, guessed,
dramatized, invented, or received via occult methods of
communication?

(JVL) This piece was written as a historical novel.
Irving Stone used this style in his "Sailor on Horseback"
without notes or explanations. There are over 20 biographies of Jack
London with Stone's the most popular. Most died a quick death. Why?
That puzzled Russ and me. So I set out to write a different
"biography" where the world, past and present, are viewed
through Jack's eyes. Not only is the old Jack revealed more fully but
the present world of the friends of Jack London is revealed so that
the general public can visit Glen Ellen and appreciate the Ranch and
the Jack London Foundation.
ÿ

Setting aside all personal beliefs and preconceptions about how life "really is" is a prerequisite for journeying with J. V. Lofgren not only through elliptical parts of his own life, but through the life of the famous American writer, Jack London. To experience the numerous stories and people in this book is a unique reading adventure. The twists and turns are fearsome as Lofgren brings himself and Jack London to life with panache in an eloquent and passionate gallop into strange times and places. Lofgren believes himself to have been Jack London in a previous life and sets out to inform us of his experiences alaong the way. To quote Lofgren, "Whether my soul ever energized the body of Jack London or not is important only for my personal understanding. That was then. Now is now. I'm satisfied that my soul once lived a life as Jack London not because of what others have said, but because of my own personal remembrances." This book contains an enormous cast of diverse and strange characters all of whom interact with Lofgren himself and Jack London as Lofgren's reincarnation. There are spirit people and mediums, professionals of every stripe and color with their own beliefs and conceptions few of which they are willing to give up in favor of the author's basic contention, "...that my soul once lived a life as Jack London." And all, he adds, are "subjective elements for which I cannot provide objective proof." He also insists that this work is not creative fiction or a product of his imagination. The southwestern writer Carlos Castanada comes to mind when reading Lofgren's work with all its psychic nuances and far-flung reachings into the "great unknown." Jack London was born on January 12, 1876 in San Francisco at 2 p.m while Lofgren was born November 29, 1933 in Isle, Minnesota at 7:52 p.m, and as we travel through Lofgren's world, it is clearly the journey that matters, not the destination, which is indiscernible. In the end, Lofgren seems to believe, with Carl Jung, "...that there were two truths, scientific and psychic, and the great tragedy of the 20th century was the over-emphasis upon scientific truth and the supression of psychic truth." As for one character's suggestion that the book is a "love story," referring to Jack London's relationship with his last wife, Charmian, in fact the real love story is between Lofgren and Jack London and Lofgren and Lofgren, a kind of triangle. So fly away into this good night if you dare, but expect to meet a few

The Etheric Double, by Arthur Edward Powell, first published in 1925, is well written, clear, comprehensive on the chosen subject and probably completely incomprehensible to modern educated readers. Incomprehensible, not because the writer is obtuse, which he is not, but because the author builds a view of human existence that depends on assumptions none but the most gullible would believe.

The author's intention is obviously to make the world a better place for mankind by improving man himself. The method chosen is to explain that there are seven kinds of matter from which man is made. The three most coarse (solid, liquid and gaseous) making up the physical body, and the four more refined (super etheric, etheric, sub atomic and atomic) making up other bodies such as the Etheric Double, the Astral Body, the Mental Body and the Causal Body. Apparently man should be able to improve himself by strengthening and learning how to improve the communication between his several bodies. To give the author credit, the content is a compilation of works by previous students of the occult and is probably a lot easier to read than their works.

The only reason I read beyond the first page was because the author was my father. The mystery is: How could my father, who always insisted that logic and commonsense should rule human behavior, how could he have written such balderdash.

Those who have studied eastern energy modalities such as Reiki, Prana or Kundalini will enjoy this early century interpretation of the energy body. Old Fashioned language is used but those who have studied the modern energy understandings will be intrigued by explanations that we now know even quantum physicists support about the mind and body connection.

I could not even finish this book. After 100 pages I found the whole story line dis-jointed, strange and distasteful. There are too many great books out there to bog your mind down with this one