'[W]hen you have eliminated the unsaleable plotlines, then whatever remains, however tasteless, must be the truth!'
(Guts, page 51)

Well, if this is the truth, I'd hate to hear about the unsaleable plotlines...

Guts is a spoof horror novel, and tasteless it most certainly is. The plot (if that's the right word!) runs a little something like this: a scientist hypothesizes that the human stomach is intelligent, finds a way to communicate with it, then the stomachs rebel (literally) and start killing people in various unpleasantly gory ways.

Still here? If so, Guts may well be your sort of book! The trouble with reviewing something like this is that, awful as much of the book is, it's all deliberate. So we can note the cardboard characters, the flour-and-water plot, the excessive amounts of bodily fluids, the howlers ('After the research paper on termites which had brought him his master's degree in etymology...'); but we can't criticise them because they're supposed to be bad.

So we're just left with the jokes then. And, luckily, the jokes are very good. No horror cliché is left untouched and the whole thing is just gloriously silly. The one downside is that, since the object of most of the satire here is a certain kind of book, there's a lot of reference to the fact that this is a novel, which can grate after a while. But there are enough other jokes to make up for it.

In short, if you can stomach gross-outs, there's a good read to be found in the bowels of this book. It will be at-tract-ive to some... okay, that's enough.

Another plus point is that the book is quite short. I wouldn't have the guts for any more!

Guts is a romp from start to finish, written by two of the funniest writers in the business. Every cliche of the horror genre is mercilessly parodied to excruciating effect -- excruciating in two senses, because not only will you find yourself laughing until you hurt, you find that these two authors can be at least twice as excruciatingly revolting as the most extreme (and famous) of the splatter novelists.

In keeping with the genre's prime exemplars, plot is sacrificed at every turn to the joyously detailed gross-out, but the story goes something like this. Crackpot scientists get the idea that our intestines are not a part of us but in fact a symbiotic organism. In attempting to contact these independent organisms they inadvertently spark them into rebellion. Dragging themselves free of their host bodies, the hate-filled intestines go on the rampage, wreaking terrible vengeance on the human race.

Somehow relevant to all this are such items as a vast sentient cheese that must be placated by daily, doggerel-filled rites; a neo-Nazi desperate to find someone to persecute because, in dismay at falling membership, his movement has had to recruit members of every conceivably minority in attempt to bolster the numbers; a sexual encounter with the Sphinx; as many deliberately asinine pseudoscientific theories as can reasonably be fitted in among the gross-outs; an R2D2-style robot that is not only cuter than its movie counterpart but also a Biblical fundamentalist and a lesbian; a tabloid journalist trying despairingly to change the habits of a lifetime and tell the truth; and much more besides.

The jokes come fast and furious as the book races along. The inventiveness never flags. What more could you ask for?

I laughed until I was ready to burst -- which latter is exactly what, in the final cataclysmic scenes of this laugh riot, the giant cheese does. But that's another story.

Many years ago, Dave Langford and John Grant wrote something that they felt was the ultimate spoof horror novel. It was called Guts and it was so horrible that it was rejected with cries of extreme nausea by every publisher to whom it was presented. Langford dined out on the story for years, and professed (pseudo-) sorrow that nobody would ever read the rotten thing.

Well now you can. Cosmos Books have taken the plunge and published it - thus proving yet again that there is no subject matter so vile that the book can't find a publisher somewhere.

The "plot" (for want of a better word) revolves around the exploits of the sentient intestines of the major characters. The intestines rather resent their interior functions. They want to break out into the world, to live and love in the open air. (It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "communicating with your inner being"). The bulk of the novel is made up of a series of set piece encounters between the rampant intestines and the populace at large.

Every intestinal joke you can think of and huge number that you can't think of and many that you wouldn't like to think of desecrate the text along with a lot of sly nudge, nudge, wink, wink digs at pseudo-scientific nut-cults, the reading room of the British Library and the sexual attractiveness of the Sphinx. I think there might be a kitchen sink in there as well.

That's not bad for a mere 173 pages! Langford's right - it's a rotten book. I loved it.

This book is nice and inexpensive. It's pretty worth purchasing!

This book is well worth the price!! It offers a quick introduction to virtually any topic in optics, from ray propagation, to nonlinear optics, to mode locking. After reading the relevant section, one is prepared to read more detailed books. Also, it's great for equation checking (was that 2*Pi in the numerator or denominator??), because virtually all the key formulae are included and they're easy to find because it's so short!

This is a classic introductory text on optics, that is still my first choice recommendation when people ask me for a reference to bring them up to speed on optics, optical phenomena and optical devices. It is concise, readable, and not over-rigourous; perfect for people new to the field who need to "come up to speed". Although there has been a spectacular growth in optics and photonics in the last 25 years, the fundamentals one needs to work in the field have not changed that much, and Fowle's text covers the optical bases well, from polarization to interference to lasers to non-linear optics; it's all here in a condensed readable format.

This book is wonderful and MUST be read by anyone interested in Roman history. It's focused on emperors life, reported annedocts and facts.

Just beware: not all the facts are considered to be true.

I find this book essential not, as most readers see, a simple history of Rome, but rather as a grim example of the excesses possible when democracy fails and absolute power is contained in one human being(Rome beginning its career as a wonderfull Republic). Although most see Suetonius' vivid descriptions of lust and other deviant vices as mere gossip, I propose that is exactly what he is trying to elucidate for the ages to see. These same excesses gave rise to almost the entire fundamental ideas of the religion known as Christianity and their whole hearted opposition to orgies, torture, crucifictions, feeding to the lions and the like, all due to the whims of deranged monkeys who called themselves Caesar. Read for yourself, for example, the history behind St. Valentine's day.

In historical study there are two types of literature. Secondary sources are written based on the original writings which are known as Primary sources. If you want to lern about the earliest Roman Emperors this source is indispensable. True, some of it is not historical and Suetonius is somewhat of a gossip monger at times, seeing as he explains in detail the various sexual appetites of each Caesar as well as other deviant behaviour. Still, this is one of the foremost primary sources about those famous Romans and most of the history books written on the Caesars are standing on Suetonius' shoulders.

Mad about the eighties is another humorous book by the Usual Gang of (...) at Mad and Grant Geissman! In this book you'll find classic spoofs, parodies, and satires such as The Cube and I, The Trivial Pursuit survival kit, The Llighter Side of..., and Bleak for the Future.(...) ISBN: 1-55853-774-0

And why should you worry about this book! To know MAD, is to love MAD (corny isn't it?).This book is filled with the best of the 80's and it is nothing less of a true satarical masterpEACE...:-) If you have never had a MAD magazine in your life (jeeze!), then this is a perfect one to start a possible collection with. 2 1/2 thumbs way way way uP!

As they were keen enough to include the only article I ever had published in their magazine...I highly recommend this anthology.

With the editing of seasoned gay erotica veterans Jesse Grant and Austin Foxxe, more than 40 ficticious accounts of gay sexual encouters keep this collection smoldering and has us asking for more. Backed by the Gay Community News, the "Friction" series is famous (or infamous, given whoever's view) for delivering the best and steamiest in accounts of man-to-man sex. Among the stories' contributors to the collection are celebrated gay writers Bob Vickery, Thom Wolf and Dale Chase. They, and other talented writers, leave absolutely nothing untouched or left to the imagination. It's all here: oral, intercourse, kissing, caressing, love, romance and some daring experimentation. The editors obviously devoted significant time collecting the best of the genre's writings for this edition: literally, with very rare exception, the reader will need to get up after just one installment to cool down. The first entry is among the best for its simplicity and candid acknowledgement of two mens' lust for each other. Definitely not bedtime stories for the kiddies, but very definitely the bedtime stuff of something other than sleep.

There are over 40 strories included in this book so it is definately value for money. A handful of them manage to miss their mark but on the whole the quality is very high. Inclusions from Dale Chase, Alan Mills, Bob Vickery, Thom Wolf and T. Hitman are among the stand out tales.

Billed as the year's best erotica, and that it is. Friction 3 brings the best of the year's gay male writing to one place, by some of the finest authors out there: T. Hitman and R J March, who both had books published last year, lead the list. Hitman's baseball story is complemented nicely by his "Gustavo" love story, which is very sweet and hot. March delivers a decent offering, too. Definitely worth a look, and recommended to all my friends.

the book was slow moving and very boring the author made Grant Hill's life look bad. There was times when I almost wanted to stop reading the book. the book focused mainly on Grant Hill's coaching career. The book didn't talk much about his childhood or his NBA career. The author could have made the book a little longer by be more descriptive and not skipping threw his whole entire life. I don't really think the author really knew alot about Grant Hill.

This juvenile biography of Grant Hill came out after his first season in the N.B.A. in 1994-95. Consequently, instead of detailing a lot of the injuries that have plagued Hill in recent years, especially after he left the Detroit Pistons to sign with the Orlando Magic, the focus is on Hill's stellar prep and college careers as well as the promise for superstardom he showed as a N.B.A. rookie. Hill's story is also unique because his father, Calvin Hill, was a former star N.F.L. running back. Young readers will see how having a famous father, who engaged in PGAs (Post Game Analyses), not only impact Grant Hill's personality but also his decision to attend Duke University.

Matt Christopher does a nice job of relating key moments in Grant Hill's career in some detail, such as the spectacular dunk he made in the NCAA championship game as a freshman or the famous pass to set up Christian Laettner's winning buzzer shot against the Kentucky Wildcats the next year. Young readers will get a sense of Hill as a scholar athlete, who never too his basketball talent for granted. The book includes black & white color photographs, mostly of Hill playing for the Blue Devils and Pistons, along with his stats and accomplishments on the court in college and the pros. This was one of the first titles in the Matt Christopher: Sports Bio Bookshelf, along with Michael Jordan, Steve Young, and Wayne Gretzky. Reading this book can certainly give young readers a sense for why it is not just Hill's talent but his character that makes him so popular with fans.

I was impressed with this book. It was really well writen. I recommend people to check this book out because it is surprising to what happens to Grant Hill throughout his life.

I have a problem with those he chose. He left out some of the greatest generals of all time. Grant????? Please! What about Phillip of Macedonia? His little boy Alexander would have been just another hot-headed babe if not for his incredible father.

And Jeb Stuart, the Confederate General that Grant could never hold a candle to??? Perhaps this generals are great but the author seemed to deem "great" those generals to whom history has given us more inforation in our history books instead of those who were truly great.

There were also some other great generals in the past. They just couldn't finish their military duty because their commanders or should I say superiors forbade them to do something very spectacular that would have changed the world history. The Author seriously left out alot of great generals. What about George Washington? George S. Patton? McArthur? These three alone would really have changed the world alot more if their stupid superiors, who were concerned more about their personal lives than the war itself. If They just stepped aside and let them did their job then I think that the world would be alot more fascinating today!

Having read the same author's I, Caesar which was brilliant - a great introduction to the Roman Empire - I thought I'd give this book a try too. It's not normally my area of interest but the stories are gripping. And, as a woman, I, of course, found men such as Alexander the Great fascinating to read about. Beautifully written and nicely illustrated, I enjoyed the book so much I even bothered to spread the word on the internet!!

I know both Maren and Joan and they are probably the most spirital people I know. I have often called Joan a "twentieth century mystic". This resource fills a wonderful place for those of us who use the lectionary and who believe that the Church should be more grounded in its spirituality. Thanks friends!

This book provides excellent material for worship planners, as well as a Bible Study lesson for small groups based upon the scripture reading. The Bible Study lessons can be used independently - like gettings two books in one.

This is a wonderful book that needs to be on every pastor's shelf. It has amazing resources for worship, Bible study and personal devotion. There are resources here that take risks--you will find prayers and resources about topics that are too often taboo in our churches. The writing is beautiful and clear. The uses are many. This is my favorite book for use in my work, I have often gifted copies to colleagues and would quickly replace mine if lost.

JACKALS is a gem of a horror novel. It is filled with vivid, haunting images that kept me turning page after page to reach the end. Brooding hero Jim Scott reminds me of the dark, take-charge Ethan Proctor, investigator extraordinaire in Grant's later BLACK OAK series. Filled with chilling little one-liner paragraphs such as "Something reached them on the wind" this little novel is sure to crawl under your skin.

Scott hunts the jackals. That's what he's done since the heartbreaking loss of his beloved sister to one of their packs. Convinced that there is still something human about these jackals, Scott grapples with some guilt over murdering them, but along with the help of other hunters (Maurice is a particularly intriguing character), he is determined to prevent the jackals from destroying more lives. The novel begins with a bloody and beaten Rachel literally crawling her way to Scott's cabin for help. From then on, the novel never stops delivering with haunting writing and nightmarish visuals. Grant is one of the masters of the genre; he relies on our own fears rather than basic gross-out value to scare the reader. If you haven't read Grant, do so now! You won't regret it.

The writing in this book was very vivid and allowed the reader to really picture each scene as though I were in the room with them. It was the kind of book that I could not put down and was anxious to get to the end as I was unable to guess the outcome ahead of time. I look forward to reading other books by Charles Grant.

If you are looking for a comfortable, cozy reading experience,
don't even think about looking at this one.
This haunting & fastpaced tale of hunting and being hunted by
otherworldly creatures leaves you with a racing heart and a
fear of shadows in the night.
Never once before have I had such a strong urge after a chapter
to go on reading the next, and the next, and the next, ....
I am sure looking forward to Mr.Grant's next book.

Try 147 pages of easy to read and understand logic to improve your leadership skills. This should be part of an advertisement for this little gem.

It's a small book, with more white space on the page then words, but the power and effect of the words included are tremendous. No fancy, long, complicated wrtiing, but just right to the point writing that will make it's impact. If it takes 4 hours to read the whole thing, you're a slow reader. But it's the lessons, the lessons that will be around you for a long time. And it's all so simple. That is the truly amazing aspect of the book, simplicity.

Dr. Holton, in discussing General Grant's leadership qualities, in fact uses them in his writing. Every character that he discusses is reflected in the writing style of the book. The section on "Brevity", well it's the shortest of the book. See what I mean? Dr. Holton also shows the greatness of Grant through the eyes of others using their own words to describe the man who was the General.

This is a very, very good book for learning and studying. I didn't enjoy it as some other reads that I've made recently, but I have not a single regret. The time went fast, and the book succeeded in it's goal, to teach me about the great man that was General Grant, and also about the tools he used, that I can use, to lead people.

Thank you Dr. Holton. R. E. Lee is next.....

Once upon a time, books of this nature were written by people such as Benjamin Franklin and called "Poor Richard's Almanac."

"Eat to live, and not live to eat," Franklin advised in 1732, without crediting his wisdom to Socrates or Moliere. The result was a very practical book, for people who consider themselves to be very practical Americans. This book is similar, except for its somewhat narrower emphasis on leadership rather than the all-encompassing appeal of Franklin.

Holton, Ph.D., does something better than Franklin -- his method of instruction is by citing examples and then offering an explanation.

"I never learned to swear . . . I could never see the use of swearing . . . I have always noticed . . . that swearing helps to rouse a man's anger," is one such observation, from 'Campaigning With General Grant.' Bil (sic) Holton, Ph.D., explains, "Profanity is nothing more than a vulgar descendant of Neanderthal grunts" and goes on to point out that "Leaders who use it are suffering from delusions of its relevance."

It's a book of common sense. Grant was not a man who would ride past marching troops, splashing them with mud and water; he was not a man who demanded better food, instead he often ate the same food as his men; and to have a well-disciplined command, he did not consider it necessary to have an unhappy army. Compare that to modern executives who think an imperial limousine, an executive dining room and the fear of employees are necessary elements of modern management.

The book is successful on two levels; first, it explains why Grant was the most successful general in American history, and secondly it explains how his methods can be applied to modern business and everyday life. For example, Grant once asserted, "It is men who wait to be selected, and not those who seek, from whom we may expect the most efficient service." Holton, Ph.D., points out "Those who covet the next promotional opportunity usually miss relevant -- and defining -- work experience. Fast-trackers eventually suffer from competence anorexia . . ." Time and again we see this fault in modern corporations, the Business School graduate promoted into middle or upper management without having a clue about the product or employees who make the product. Likewise, the employee who is always a toady to the boss without ever caring about fellow employees is an eventual loser.

This is a book about common sense. Grant was superb at it, which is why he so out-classed Robert E. Lee when it came to winning a war instead of fighting clever battles. It's not manpower or supplies that make a conquering army, it's leaders such as Grant for whom the soldiers are ready to die. There are two types of armies -- those who fight, and those who run. Grant's army knew it would never have to run.

Grant was a winner, primarily because his soldiers respected him. It's a good lesson for modern executives. After all, if his attitude was more widespread among modern managers, there would be little need for books such as this or motivational experts such as Holton, Ph.D.

Good management isn't in bossing people around, it's convincing people that they want to do what needs to be done. When dying is a big part of that equation, it requires some mighty fine management. That, in a nutshell, was Grant.

Take away the glamor, the pomp and circumstance, the haughty style of a Napoleon, Pakenham or Lee -- and the result is Grant. This book beautifully explains why.

I did write a review for this, and you people deleted it! Please email me to explain why?