The title should suggest it all, book for sale discussing matters that would never be put into print by the people discussed -- i.e. hand-book. There were some interesting anecdotes and kinda interesting reading about BDSM, but should be considered complete fiction or fantasy novel.

The Leatherman's Handbook is truely remarkable. This book being published back in the 70's, has some strange lingo. I found it to be a bit funny myself. This book uses stories to illustrate the chapter topic. For a portion of the chapter Larry talks about the topic and then goes into "story telling" mode. During the later he tells of expriences he has had in relation to the topic. Lots of good information here and gives a good look at "Old Guard" thought.

If it weren't for the lingo I would give it a 5 star rating.

A good introduction to the gay male SM world of the early 1970s revised briefly for the 2000 edition. It gives a good basic overview of the history of "Old Guard" as well as insights into how different from and similar to gay SM is from het SM. There are some odd digressions and a bit too much focusing on why women and hets are in the book (why would they be? this is a book about gay male SM!). Still useful for everyone who does BDSM with a male though if you are too homophobic.

I just received this Bible and am debating whether to return it or not. My main complaint is that the print in this otherwise lovely Bible is not large print, as advertised, by ANY stretch of the imagination. It is disappointingly small. I have several (that's an understatement) Bibles in various translations and in the last 15 years or so, have always purchased large print versions, and although the type size has not been uniform among them, not one of them has print as small as this one. The print is slightly larger than my older Bibles (from when larger print was not an issue), but not by very much.

However, this Bible is very slim and lightweight, has a lovely genuine leather cover, clear print, and does meet my primary need for it. My pastor mostly uses NKJV, so I wanted an easy to carry Bible to take to church and follow along in the same translation. I think it will fill that slot nicely and the bright lighting in our church should make it easier to read. I'll try it out in Bible study tonight and see how it works for me.

I am pleased with the overall size of this Bible. It even slips easily into several of my larger purses. I'll probably keep it, as I'm sure I would have to purchase a much larger and heavier Bible to get the size print I had really hoped for.

One of the most beautiful bibles on the market

Commenting first on the other reviews, I would say that giant print it's not, but it does qualify as 'large' according to common definitions among publishers today. By way of comparison, Kirkbride's Thompson chain reference large print edition is 9 points, even smaller than this one. So while not outrageously large, it still qualifies as 'large' print. If you need truly large print, you may want to look at one of the Nelson Giant Print Bibles.

The translation, the New King James Version, is, I believe, the best translation for today. It retains much of the beauty and expressiveness of the King James Bible of 1611 (actually a 1769 update), while updating words that have either fallen out of use or changed their meanings over time. It reads like a modern translation while retaining the beauty and word-for-word accuracy of the KJV. I started my Christian walk with the KJV and then switched to the NASB and NIV, believing them to represent the best of modern scholarship. I've since changed my mind and, along with a growing number of scholars, I regard the Majority text family (KJV/NKJV) as superior to the newly discovered critical texts which form the basis of most modern translations like the NASB and NIV.

At any rate, this is an excellent Bible. It's in genuine leather and looks and feels like a quality Bible. The print size is not super large, but it is larger than standard and I find it quite comfortable. I don't believe you will be disappointed with this Bible.

I was absolutely delighted to see that someone finally took the time to write a book about this lovely lady. Alice Faye was one of the best performers to come out of 20th Century Fox and this book is a long overdue profile of her career as well as a revealing study of her life.
Written with the full cooperation of her daughters Alice and Phyllis, it is surprisingly objective and isn't one of those saccharine biographies often authorized by family members after a person's death. It presents an interesting portrait of Faye. There is the public Alice who was seemingly very accessible to her fans. The private Alice is a woman with a bitingly sarcastic sense of humor who could be a warm and caring friend, but always sort of held back and had few intimate friends.
What I found most interesting was some of the things discussed in the book such as her relationship with Rudy Vallee (where they ever romatically involved?), her interesting yet enduring marriage to Phil Harris (a strange dynamic here, but it worked), her reticence to discuss family history with her kids.....all these elements made her seem a lot more interesting than what appeared on the surface.
While I can't say that this book answers all the questions surrounding Alice Faye, it certainly has made a solid attempt to try to present the facts that are known and letting the reader draw his/her own conclusions.

Alice Faye was an ordinary woman who led an extraordinary life. In this well researched, lucidly written biography, Jane Lenz Elder explores the many contradictions of Alice Faye: her struggles with stage fright and poor self image despite her enormous stage presence and success, her commitment to marriage and family despite a busy professional life, and her courageous willingness to act in her own best interests in a day when performers were expected to conform to the rigid codes of the Hollywood contract system.

But this book is more than just another biography of a silver screen legend. Ms Elder's background as a historian is evident in the detailed background provided. The reader will learn about the difficulties of life in Hell's Kitchen in the early years of the 20th century, how Prohibition created the night club milieu in which Faye developed her skills, and how business was conducted during the heyday of the great Hollywood studio chiefs.

The result is a rich story about a simple woman during one of the most interesting times in Hollywood history.

Good things do happen to good people! In Ms. Elder's comprehensive biography of Alice Faye's we experience a young girl who emerges from a broken and impoverished home unscarred and loving. Her dreams of becoming a dancer place her in an atmosphere of traveling bands and their leaders, one night stands, and the New York night club scene, and in this atmosphere where so many others lost their ideals, she enjoys the friendship and respect of all her co-workers, male and female, as well as success.. She enters the Hollywood movie arena of the 40's and 50's, where Mr. Zanuck and moguls of the movie studios try to dictate movie roles to her, yet she holds fast to what she inherently knows is correct and triumphs. And when she knows the time is right for her to quit show business and begin a private life, she does so and has many happy years with her family in a good marriage.

Ms. Elder's excellent writing maintains a balance between the career of Ms. Faye and the social and business environment in which she found herself. Indeed, this book gives splendid insight into the world of show business, from the early night club scene in New York to the developing Hollywood movie business with its contract players, radio broadcasts, and the early days of television. Of particular interest is the role of the newspaper reporters and the film magazines, as well as the role of the movie studios' publicity departments.

This is an all-round interesting book, well researched and documented. I felt I really knew Alice by the end of the book, and admired her strength and values.

I was disappointed in this book. The characters are so flat that I couldn't keep the heroine's relatives straight. The gothic Southern atmosphere vaunted on the book cover isn't there.

Suppose that Dame Agatha Christie had allowed her wonderful creation,
Miss Jane Marple, to have married when that lady was young, and the
happy couple had a child. (Certainly Miss Marple would NEVER have had
a child without having first been married!) Had this happened, it
would not then be too much of a stretch to also imagine that Miss
Magnolia Amelia McLendon could be the grand-daughter or perhaps great
grand-daughter of said Miss Marple. Intelligent, a keen observer of
both her surroundings and the people who inhabit those surroundings,
Maggie is yet a modern young miss, working on her pre-Ph.d exams,
when her life is turned upside down. A letter from the only aunt
she's ever known, her father's Aunt Helena--pleads with them to
return to the family home in Jackson, Mississippi, for two reasons.
One is the illness of the family patriarch, Maggie's grandfather, who
is, after all 80 years old, but the bigger news is that the 27
year-long breach in the family is ready to be mended.

For a variety
of reasons, all of this family history is news to Maggie, and she
urges her father, Gerard, to accept the invitation, and to include
both of them in the visit. He grudgingly accepts, inadvertently
setting off modern-day reactions to events of long ago, including a
previously unsuspected murder.

From the very first person she
meets--Adrian Worthington--driver/butler/whatever, but all too
intriguing, through aunts, uncle, cousins--the ambiance of the South
is never far from the surface, although the family secrets are
anything but that. Using the legacy of Miss Marple, (for whom both the
author and his characters freely profess a fondness) Maggie patiently
sorts through all the events, both current and past, to find the
solution.

It is rare indeed, for an author to begin with
award-winning non-fiction, proceed to highly-praised short fiction,
then graduate to a full-length mystery story, but what a pleasure this
journey by Dean James provides for us all. If you, too, share a
fondness for the works of Dame Agatha, or any of the other past
classical mistresses of mystery, you should also enjoy this
wonderfully civil, witty and well-written recreation of the classical
British country house mystery novel. It's just been transported to
the American South, that's all!

Cruel As The Grave by Dean James

Maggie McLendon is surprised when a letter from her father's Aunt Helen bearing bad news of the health of her Grandfather Henry McLendon, gains little reaction from her father Gerard. Although, Maggie had met her Aunt Helen on two occasions, she had learned as a child that the rest of the family was a taboo subject. However, she reasoned, if her Grandfather was seriously ill, this could be her only chance to meet him and on this point she takes a firm stance.

Arriving with her father at the McLendon family home, Maggie is stunned and disconcerted at how wealthy the family must be, a fact concealed by her father. Welcomed eagerly by her Aunt Helen and with varying degrees of interest, disinterest and hostility by the other members of the family, Maggie starts to get to know her new family.

At her first meal with the family, Maggie becomes quickly aware of the tensions and hostility harboured by the various members. When murder strikes within a short time of their arrival, and with her father under suspicion, Maggie starts to investigate. She uncovers in this beautiful Southern home, secrets, bitterness, and maybe someone hides a need for revenge.

Dean has woven an absorbing debut mystery. The characterisation was brilliant, and as Maggie discovers more and more about the family members I kept changing my mind as to the murderers identity. I did think at one point that I worked it out, but as I read on I began to have doubts, so I had to start again.

Highly recommended. Lizzie Hayes

A sequel to Tolkien. Not much happens in this one. They head off for some caverns. Lots of travel. Get delayed by floods and storms. At the end they have a battle with a monster. Nothing real creative here.

If you liked the chase through Moria in The Fellowship of the Ring, then these two books are for you. While the Silver Call duology is not as much of a rip-off of Lord of the Rings as the Iron Call trilogy was, all of McKiernan's books have been a good read and enjoyable.

In the authors defense, he did say in the beginning of one of the books that he could not find anything else as epic as Tolkien and set out to create something similar, albiet a little too similar.

I got this Book as a gift from a friend and didn't touch it for a month. Then one day while i was bored I picked it up. I only put it done once and that was to pick up The Brega Path(Book 2). Im now Reading both for the second time, and looking forward to reading his others.

As an avid reader of fantasy (and many other genres), I find it hard to believe that any other well-read person would enjoy this book. The story is okay but underdeveloped. It wants to be epic (think Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, etc.) but doesn't quite have the stamina. It feels more like an outline than an actual novel. On top of that, the editing is extremely poor. I felt like I needed a red pen to make it through to the end! There are many, many mistakes (i.e. your/you're, duplicate words, too/to, etc.) that make for a bumpy read at best. The character development is lacking and much of the words are redundant within single paragraphs. I have no desire to expend either money or time in order to continue with this series.

After navigating some basic flaws from being written by a first-time author and being a self-published work, I somehow still found this book entertaining. The story is fresh and the concept original. I've read plenty of fantasy books in my time and I've never heard of anything like Onyxdrop. Plus the characters were well-developed and the fighting scenes well-written, although at times some of the characters' actions seemed a little stilted or incongruous with their personality/background. The book does have major problems with editing, or lack thereof. It is distracting, and I hope that with the second book those problems will be ironed out.

The author did do a good job of pacing the action in the book and keeping the reader's suspense. I'm sure as he gains more experience writing novels, each successive work will be more polished.

I was very pleased with this book. As stated in other reviews, it was well paced and not too wordy. It had just enough description to keep the story interesting and to allow me to visualize the people, locations, etc. The characters are interesting and realistic and the ideas of Onyxdrop, Silverdrop and the rune casting were all nice touches. I'm already recommending this one to my friends.

I found this book to be a great improvement on the first book.

Nam deals with a very real problem in a realistic manner, although some of the book's events, like those of the first book, seem a little farfetched. Nevertheless, if you are simply looking for entertainment, it is written in a fastpaced and very readable style. Sidney is a welcome addition to the cast. The ending is wrapped up in a far more satisfactory manner than the first book.

Isobel Bird's CIRCLE OF THREE is a more accurate portrayal of life as a Wiccan teenager. WITCHES CHILLERS focus on being murder-mysteries as much as being Wiccan books for teens. They're pretty good as thrillers go, but like thrillers, require more suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader to overlook some things that tend not to happen to the average person. This is a thriller first, rather than a depiction of life as a typical Wiccan teen. That being said, it's a gripping and entertaining story.

I have read all of the Witches' Chillers books and they all are amazing. But because this one introduces them all and give background makes it the best one in the series. I personally wish that there were more teen fiction books from her. It combines her knowledge of Wicca and the art of fiction which makes the best combo. I would recommend this and everyone of Silver Ravenwolf's books for anyone interested in Wicca or just a very cool read.

This is a great book. I love the that Silver Ravenwolf wirtes her ficton books. This story deals with the magick from the religion of wicca, not the fairytale stuff you know about. Bethany Salem, a 16 year old girl, along with her friends Tillie and Nam search for new members for their coven WNO(Witches' Night Out). During the book some strange things are happening with Nam. She get a new boyfriend and sunndenly she forgets to do things for the coven that she's supposed to. Also she stops showing up at meetings. Well bethany and tillie with the help of new friends try to figure out what's wrong. What they find out is very disturbing. All tuns out well in the end and the action and the mystery never stop. Another thing I like about this book and her other books in the series is that in the back she's listed hotline numbers for abues and other things. I really enjoyed this book and I hope she writes more for this series.

I wouldn't have bought this book if I wasn't dealing with a VERY defiant, and manipulative teenage daughter--so when this book assumes that I can just say the right thing and everything will be fine, is an absolute joke! This advice would be great if it worked as simply as the book says. But if you already have a tough kid, these tips are NOT going to suddenly make her see the logic in my rules. Kids don't care about the explaination of why it's wrong to dress trashy or wear too much makeup...they want what they want. This book assumes that your kid obeys you in the first place! The title really drew me in--I thought that I had finally found a book that understood what I am going through. But it's just another below-average parenting book with a catchy title!

At a time when I was ready to give up on being a mother till my teen "grew up", this book was a godsend. My feelings of desperation, confusion, loss, and wondering where I went wrong were all validated. I have already started trying techniques recommended. Even if it doesn't change my daughter, my perception has changed so that I'm better able to cope. Very readable (not a bunch of jargon) I'd recommend it to any mother of a teenage girl. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was because there were no illustrations. Of course, as an adult I don't have to have them, but I like them. Sometimes a well-placed cartoon helps to illustrate a point. It may be the authors thought illustrations are inappropriate for their book.

I thought I going was nuts, not knowing how to parent my pre-teen. At last, a book to let me know I was not going crazy by myself, that it is perfectly normal what we are going through, why I as the mom am the target and spring board for her growing up. It also gives ideas on how to rethink parenting, your responses to issues. It shows why "I" the mom am the only one, cuz I'm the closest one to her, that she is 'experimenting with life' off of. I don't feel so alone, I'm okay, and can see why I get the backwash, and the testing. I highly recommend this book to other moms and also dads too, so they can understand the battle while they watch from the sidelines.

If you are looking for a complete, easy-to-follow, well-organized Pokedex, buy "Pokemon Master Pokedex: Prima's Official Strategy Guide" instead. Prima's "Pokemon Master Pokedex" (which covers ALL Pokemon) and the "Pokemon Gold & Silver" Strategy Guide are much more complete and user-friendly than this "Gold & Silver" Pokedex (limited to just the new Pokemon), which, like Prima's "Pokemon Yellow" Strategy Guide, is visually eye-catching, but less complete and harder to follow than the other titles mentioned above. (Another reviewer writes that there is no map. Remember: this is a Pokedex, not a Strategy Guide that will take you step-by-step through the game.)

The book is really informative and everything but it doesn't have some things the blue and other ones had. Such as the animal type (cat or mouse etc.) I mean some of the new ones are pretty crazy looking. It shows you all the moves your dudes will learn and it has charts to show you the different moves there are and what they do and where you can find them.
Over all it is a good pokedex

My six year old son, Lukas, and four year old daughter, Josie, LOVE this book. They spend hours leafing through this book honing their expertise of Pokemon. They are not really into the Gameboy so much; they prefer looking at the pictures and reading up on the characters. Lukas, Josie and I go through the book and play many creative games. We pick our favorite Pokemon on each page; we take a tape measure and figure out the Pokemons heights; we list all the Pokemons that are our height, ETC.! It has also expanded my children's vocabulary to include such words as "psychic", "hypnotize", "gust", "leer" and many more!

The Silver King, by David B. Lentz starts out in Costa Rica in October of 1986, introducing the main characters, Sheridan Quince, Victor Quince, and Elsa Paraisio. Sheridan Quince is a businessman and a pilot, as well as a fisherman who wants to catch the record-breaking tarpon (referred to as Silver King) with a fly-rod. He was named after Civil War Army General Philip Sheridan, of whom his mother is a direct descendent of. Victor is the fatehr of Sheridan who lives in Parismina. He was raised by Nicaraguan-American parents, and knows Spanish well. Elsa is a beautiful Nicaraguan woman who met and fell in love with Sheridan at the Key Largo. She is a student in Parismina. Sheridan Quince travels to Costa rica to visit his father and fish, but he gets caught up in an oil deal and Elsa gets him involved in the confli\ct between the Sandinistas and the Contras.
In my personal opinion, I wouldn't recommend young adults or older teens to read this, as it may be like it needs more character. Personally, I believe the book may make a good movie, because there is a lot of dialogue, but during the dialogue there aren't many creative descriptive words. It's either "he said", "she said" or something similar to that followed by "said." Other words should be used to give the book character. and althought the book is an easy-read, and flows smoothly, it tends to lack interest and attention-grabbers. Maybe a fisherman or someone fromt he Central American area unlike myself may fuind the book more enjoyable because of the common ground. *** of 5.

The incredible book "The Silver King" is written to portray a time frame in the fight for freedom and democracy in Nicaragua during the Contra Revolution. It is as the author states a "creation of fiction". The book intertwines political intrigue into a short romance between Elsa and Sheridan and while I did not understand the importance of this lusty romance, it served as a great entertainment and hooking device. I found myself reading more and more as their relationship unfolded. Especially when Elsa left Sheridan the note that read: "I came here also to talk to you about something important. But now I cannot. There is not time." This bit of foreshadowing and instances similiar to this are throughout the book.The author utilizes many rhetorical elements such as irony, satire, foreshadowing, symbolism, religion, and imagery along with thematic elements such as religion, specific symbols such as the Tarpon fish and Love to create a tapestry of events leading to the Contra Revolution.
While reading the book my classmates and I had the chance to converse through e-mail with the author. While on the subject of rhetorical elements, I was most curious to know what the significance of the stars at the end of each "chapter" or "section" were. He answered back, quite enthusiastically, that he refers to his writing as "pixilism." "It considers sentences as pixels, which are the small dots that make up a photograph." He revealed that he believes life is portrayed as pixels which in turn creates his role as an author to tell a story. I admire his desire to be unique but I found at times his sentence structure too broken up to read through fluently. I found myself having to stop at each thought and think about what he was trying to say. At times I also found the repetitive use of the words "he said", "she said" after each sentence in a conversation were a nuisance and a waste of valuable words when there are a whole lot of descriptive words such as "he chuckled", or "she snarled," that could have been used. These words seem a lot more useful in creating a visual picture in the readers mind.
While I am saying all this, keep in mind, I loved the book! It was extremely intriguing and had great plot structure. And the fact that 10% of his proceeds that came from the book are donated to the International Red Cross for Humanitarian relief to Nicaragua, makes me admire the author even more. I like books where the main character is really fighting for what he believes in and while the author states that his characters are purely fictional, I can't help but wonder is Sheridan represents the authors attitude, and tone toward the Contra Revolution. I highly recommend this book to everyone. The struggle, the love, and the mystery are so intriguing you will find it hard to put the book down!

The incredible book "The Silver King" is written to portray a time frame of the fight for freedom and democracy in Nicaragua during the Contra Revolution. It is as the author states a "creation of fiction". The book intertwines political intrigue into a short romance between Elsa and Sheridan and while I did not understand the importance of this lusty romance, it served as a great entertainment and hooking device. I found myself reading more and more as their relationship unfolded. Especially when Elsa left Sheridan the note that read: "I came here also to talk to you about something important. But now I cannot. There is not time." This bit of forweshadowing and instances similiar to this are throughoutthe book.The author utilizes many Rhetorical elements such as irpony, satire, foreshadowing, symbolism, religion, and imagery along with thematic elements such as religion, specific symbols such as the Tarpon fish and Love to create a tapestry of events leading to the Contra Revolution.
While reading the book my classmates and I had the chance to converse through e-mail with the author. While on the subject of Rhetorical elements, I was most curious to know what the significance of the stars at the end of each "chapter" or "section" were? He answered back, quite enthusiastically, that he refers to his writing as "pixilism." "It considers sentences as pixels, which are the small dots that make up a photograph." He revealed that he believes life is portrayed as pixels which in turn creates his role as an author to tell a story. I admire his desire to be unique but I found at times his sentence structure to broken up to read through fluently. I found myself having to stop at each though and think about what he was trying to say. At times I also found the repetitive use of the words "he said", "she said" after each sentence in a conversation were a nuisance and a wasteof valuable words when there were a whole lot of descriptive words such as "he chuckled", or "she snarled." These words seem a lot more useful in creating a visual picture in the readers mind. While I am saying all this, keep in mind, I loved the book! It was extremely intrigueing and had a great plot structure. And the fact that 10% of his proceeds that came from the book are donated to the International Red Cross for Humanitarian relief to Nicaragua, makes me admire the author even more. I like books where the main character is really fighting for what he believes in and while the author states that his characters are purely fictional, I can't help but wonder is Sheridan represents the authors atitude, and tone toward the Contra Revolution. I highly recommend this book to everyone. The struggle, the love, and the mystery are so intrigueing you will find it hard to put the book down!