This book is so well-written, techniques so clearly illustrated, that a really great piece of jewelry can be turned out with little previous experience. It one of the best how-to books of its kind I have seen. For silversmithing beginners, it shows chains that can be made in your living room on a tray from fine silver wire, with a mini-torch, and requires no sophisticated soldering.

This book should be on every craftsperson's and metalworker's workbench!! It is thorough, detailed, and easy to follow. This is a wonderful book written by a gifted teacher and metalworker. If only Jean Stark would write more books, especially one on granulation and gold alloy metalsmithing...

Jean's book saves time! If you are a craftsman working in gold or silver just the ability to make a quick reference to wire guage and number of links per inch makes this book one of the most useful in the workshop. For the more experienced worker the basic instructions can easily lead on to more complex chain making. It really is one of the most stained, abused and distressed volumes on my shelf.

This is a book that is fun to read and to look at. There are beautiful and amazing pictures of what you can do with everyday items around your house, or, with things you can purchase for very little money. At the same time, the book is full of great ideas to copy or get you started creating your own wild decorations next time you entertain. I can't wait to put water tubes with fresh flowers in my lawn this summer !!

Great ideas for innovative party giving. Everything here can be done easily to create a true impact. A definite MUST HAVE for your next event.

It seems as though Mr. Stark has a lot of experience in hosting creative parties at economical prices. His style is fun, not flashy. While flipping through the pages of this most interesting book it is obvious that the author has a talent for turning everyday household items into something that can be used to entertain. The vase idea especially was ingenious!! With the publication of this book, Mr. Stark and his associates will definitely give Martha Stewart a run for her money.

I found about Westlake recently from the "Resevoir Dogs" DVD Bonus disc. I read "Hot Rock" and enjoyed it. So, I decided to tryout Stark. I'd seen both "Point Blank" and "Payback." So, I knew the gist of what was going to happen in the book. I was blown away, though, by how much better this was than either movie version. I'm glad Stark was talked out of killing Parker off at the end of this book. I cannot get enough of this character. Stark's up there with Walter Mosely and James Ellroy, in my opinion.

I read this in two short days. This book is great and makes you want to read more Parker novels. Parker is as hard boiled as it gets. Even in a world of killers, hookers, robbers, etc. He is hard boiled even to them.

One thing that amazed me was how faithful the Mel Gibson movie is to this book. Read this and see the movie.

So, here's where it all began. The Parker books. When this was first published it was called THE HUNTER. Then John Boorman made it into a movie starring Lee Marvin and it was re-titled POINT BLANK (read this book, then see this movie), then it was made into a Mel Gibson movie and re-titled yet again as PAYBACK. Who cares? This is a great novel. Parker is the most rue character in all the hardboiled genre. Even Vachss' Burke pales a bit in comparison. I mean, Burke in nowhere near as remorseless as Parker. though I think maybe Vachss had been reading some Parker novels before writing his excellent DEAD AND GONE. Also a great revenge novel. So, Parker is double-crossed (which happens quite a lot in his world), shot and left for dead. Lucky for us, he doesn't die. He then heads out on a violent trail for vengeance. This book remains the best in the Parker series, but each and every one, old and new (and thanks Mr. Stark for bringing back Parker!) is a great read. if you like your fiction hardboiled, search no further than Parker!

Every bit as captivating as her first novel, Stark's second novel testifies yet again to her outstanding ability to create and develop the most compelling characters. You won't be able to put it down; I read it straight cover to cover and enjoyed every minute. I highly recommend "Another Different Life" to any reader looking for a rare literary treat...

After reading "Bring Us the Old People", I've been looking forward to Ms. Stark's second novel. I wasn't disappointed. "Another Different Life" is every bit as compelling. Gloria is a character worth getting to know. It is a great book! I highly recommend it. Jill

Gloria is one of the greatest characters I ever met. I have two teenage sons, and I really relate to the choices she has to make. I think women all over will understand what she's going through with Ricky. Plus there's a lot of suspense and a great ending. One of my new favorite books!

In this fascinating book, the authors (both sociology professors) look at the evolution of the American religious landscape since the Revolutionary War. In their study, they discovered three trends. First of all, in frontier areas (which in 1776 still included whole swaths of the thirteen colonies) there was a larger proportion of men to women, and consequently a lower rate of church attendance. As areas became settled, the proportion of men to women decreased, and the rate of church attendance increased.

Secondly, they found that sects (religious organizations with a high level of tension with their surrounding sociocultural environment) tended to have a higher rate of growth, and a higher level of commitment than churches (religious organizations with a low level of tension with their environment). The third trend is that over time, sects transform themselves into churches, lowering their demands on members and as such lessoning their tension with their environment.

As they follow American history, they show how these trends affected the growth and/or decline of the fortunes of various churches, both Protestant and Catholic. I must admit to have been absolutely captivated by this book. Not only do the author make an excellent case for their theory, but also the book itself is compelling reading. I was especially interested in what the authors had to say about how denominations change, and what it means.

I greatly enjoyed this book, and recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the Christian church in the United States.

This easy to read work intrigues. It does this by carefully challenging the previous conclusions of the churching of America, i.e. Ahlstrom et al.

Starting with Colonial times, it reviews the quantitative analysis and the qualitative conclusions as well. It determined that much beginning from these times on has been distorted by bias and not using the best census material available.

They deduce that successful church movements base their focus on otherworldliness, starting out thus as sects which grow. The tendency however is to eventually make minor concessions to the culture, thus shifting the emphasis away from what gave them success, high tension with their culture towards lowered levels. This cyclical pattern they have found repeated over and over, the sects becoming churches thereby giving birth to new sects that revitalize the church and grow.

The pattern begins with the upstart Baptists and Methodists outgrowing the established Congregationalists, etc. Then themselves, especially the Methodists losing their dominant position to new groups.

Their conclusions are fascinating, disputing much of the established findings of scholarly American Christian history. Rather than finding the changes in churched American as attributable to sudden cultural/societal glitches, rather the authors find "a long, slow and consistent increase in religious participation form 1776 to 1926--with the rate inching up slightly after 1926 and then hovering near 60 percent. Second, they conclude that the primary factor is what they term "the sect-church process" (roughly sketched out above) in supporting the progress in America.

The future? They place confidence in humans as "rational beings, not puppets enslaved to the strings of history and always have the capacity to choose." Their surveys and literature they use suggest that American will continue to want and find or start movements which maximize otherworld rewards sufficient to inspire sacrifice.

One must remember this is sociology speaking, not theology. Theology of the best kind tells of God's unfolding plan of salvation (heilsgesitche) which will occur exactly as God has planned. True faith, belief and membership in this salvation is His doing through His church, where His Word and Sacraments are truly spoken and distributed.

Even though this book was published eight years ago, it still ought to be on the book shelf of any serious student of American Christianity, and be a part of the strategic knowledge base of any denominational executive who pretends to know what it will take for his or her denominational organization to be a viable force for societal and spiritual transformation in the twenty-first century.

The 214 years of American religious history covered by this book represents the transformation from a time when as a nation most people took no part in organized religion, to a time when nearly two-thirds do. The continual founding of new religious movements during this two-century period has allowed for a freshness that could not be controlled by institutionalized religion.

The control exercised by established churchlike religious organizations in the past actually led to their decline. They could not survive in a free market religious economy. Methods of establishing control included identifying a state-endorsed church, controlling who could be ordained and serve as pastors, and having a non-congregational polity or form of governance.

While it may seem to be a contradiction, it the high expectations that religious organizations--particularly congregations--place on individual believers that results in a tenacious and growing church movement. What was true in 1776 is still true in 2000 and beyond. To discover the secrets of past and future success and vitality, purchase and read this book.

Not only does this book include diagrams for proper and improper stretching techniques, it also includes diagrams of the origin and insertion point of the muscle to determine if you are injuring yourself while stretching. Dr. Stark doesn't try to teach difficult stretching techniques (PNF or passive-active / active-assisted stretches), that need to be taught hands on by a professional. He teaches the proper techniques of static stretch while including the anatomical / cellular knowledge needed to stretch properly.

This book is a must for anyone interested in sports and exercise. It is well illustrated and nicely details the function of muscles and how they relate to proper stretching. Finally it dispells many of the common misconceptions about proper stretching.

Should be updated with stretches of other parts of the body

Susanne has enabled us to be an audience to a true story of healing, recovery and hope. "When Spirit Speaks" shows us that the life of miracles and peace are here for all of us.... if we only reach out and believe. As one of the characters in this book I know first hand that a Spirit-filled life is available to us all......

This is one of those books that I started reading years ago, and set aside - not because I didn't like it, but because I got distracted. It surfaced recently and I finished it in only a few days. The story in this book pulls no punches. The author portrays herself as a real, fallable woman on a path of connection with Spirit. The experiences and wisdom shared in this book came to me just at the time I most needed to read them. Spirit spoke to me through this book.

I honor the author Susanne Blake in her sharing her story of her paths beginning. She graciously allows the reader to travel with her down her path and share her experiences. I highly recommend this enlightened book to anyone who is awakening to thier path, who realizes coincendences are more then mere chance. I for one am waiting anxiously for her next book ! Love and Light Susanne..... hugs !

Most people who have just had their face reconstructed would be inclined to go through a period of mourning as they lament the loss of their familiar appearance. Not so with Parker. Apart from a quick glance in the mirror to make sure he looked different, he is completely unaffected.

This reaction probably best sums up this mysterious and dark character. He always prefers to take the most prudent action rather than be ruled by his emotions, giving him a cold, calculating persona. But these same qualities also make him very efficient and strangely likable.

After receiving his new appearance, Parker goes straight back to work in planning an armoured truck heist. He has some misgivings about the job because it involves someone he has never worked with before, but this is just another contingency for him to plan around. Indeed, it appears that Parker has been built with no reverse gear installed. Once a course of action has been planned, it's full steam ahead and as obstacles rise up, as they inevitably do in this caper, he deals with them head on, scarcely breaking stride.

This is the second Parker book, following his appearance in The Hunter and is a thoroughly enjoyable story. The no-nonsense attitude of Parker, whether it's going ahead with a plan or casually shooting someone in the ankle makes for very entertaining, if a little cold-blooded, reading.

You don't need to read the predcessor of this book to enjoy it, but you might as well. This is book is great from start to finish. It is thoroughly enjoyable.

Donald Westlake writes of Dortmunder, a bumbling petty criminal it's really hard to like. Then as Richard Stark he gives us Parker, a much more competent crook who will kill when he has to, and surprisingly or not, a much more likeable character.

It was written in 1963 when the mob was "The Outfit", Exxon was still Esso and you took the ferry to Brooklyn, not the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Parker gets a new face from Dr. Adler, a plastic surgeon in Nebraska who was a pre 50s Commie, then goes back to New Jersey for an armored car heist. Skim and Elma, Skim's overbearing waitress girlfriend, set up the heist, develop an unworkable plan that Parker fixes and set up a doublecross that Parker anticipates. All would be fine except Dr. Adler has been killed, and a guy named Stubbs is sent to find the killer.

The interaction between Parker and Stubbs and their search for a swindler named Wallenbaugh, now Wells, take up the rest of the story. Parker's reasons for getting to Wells and going back to Nebraska to square things come from logic only his mind could concoct, but it makes for a fun adventure.

More than one person has referred to Stark as the David Letterman of legal writing instructors. He advances the notion, also advanced by Bryan Garner and for many years by James Raymond, of clear and (hard as it is for a lawyer to do) interesting writing. The several series of commandments at the beginning chapter beginnings enable you to keep the main ideas in your mind. The book is a good combination of instructional manual and a quick briefing paper. All lawyers should read and embrace Stark's notions. I only wish he had not emphasized winning as the goal, but I suppose that what his publisher needed to get someone to buy the book.

I own the book by Mr. Stark, and I also recommend the books by Bryan Garner, including, Elements Of Legal Style. The Stark book and the others, like the example I gave are useful for lawyers, law students, and paralegals, like myself, or anyone who writes on legal matters.

Stark's credentials as a practicing litigator and writing teacher give him great credibility, and he makes the most of it with this entertaining and useful book. It is superbly organized and easy to read. Plus, he gives lots of practical examples that drive home his points. A great book.

This book is an important eulogy for the now deceased comic. In many ways it is the opposite to Roger Lewis' destructive biography, in that we actually hear from someone who spent time with Sellers. Touching, funny, but ultimately honest, Graham Stark defends his dead friend, by showing his genius, his frailties [numerous as they were], but also his humanity. A good portrait of damaged talent.

Well-written, insightful, sometimes poignant, mostly humourous, this was a joy to read from start to finish. I think I've read just about every book on Peter Sellers ever published, and this was certainly the most enjoyable.

This is not some psycho-analysis of his character or motivations; it is the affectionate but honest recollections of someone who was a close and loyal friend for many many years. And despite the personal involvement, Stark soon proves his views are more worthy of trust than any twisted analytical "biographer's" bizarre conclusions (see Roger Lewis).

Stark struck me as the sort of behind-the-scenes person we may not hear about very much, yet who is vital to those in the spotlight. I ended up having as much respect for the book's author as I do for its subject. To my amazement, I actually stayed up all night reading this book - the humourously-told anecdotes of the escapades these two shared, as well as the insight into personalities of the film and entertainment world of the time, was fascinating and constantly hilarious.

Subject aside (ie. even if you're not specifically interested in Peter Sellers) this is a surprisingly well-written book, very "readable", from someone who can write perceptively without ever being harshly critical. Stark strikes a wonderful balance between being appreciative of people without being blind to their faults. His good-natured, no-false-pretensions outlook, fair views and wry humour are a refreshing change from so much of the biased, sensationalist stuff written about stars, and I look forward to his autobiography out in a few months.

Well-written, insightful, sometimes poignant, mostly amusing, this was a joy to read from start to finish. I think I've read just about every book on Peter Sellers ever published, and this is top of the list. This is not some psycho-analysis of his character or motivations; it is the affectionate but honest memories of someone who was a close and loyal friend for many many years. And despite the personal involvement, Stark soon proves his views are more worthy of trust than any twisted analytical biographer with possible ulterior motives (see Roger Lewis).

Stark struck me as the sort of behind-the-scenes person we never hear about, yet who is vital to those in the spotlight, and I ended up having just as much respect for the book's author as I do for its subject. To my amazement I actually stayed up all night reading this book - the wryly-told anecdotes of the many escapades these two shared, as well as the insight into characters of the film and entertainment world of the time, was fascinating and constantly hilarious.

Subject aside (ie. even if you aren't specifically interested in Peter Sellers), this is a very well-written book, very "readable", from someone who can write perceptively without ever being harshly critical. Stark strikes a wonderful balance between being appreciative of people without being blind to their faults. His down-to-earth outlook, balanced, fair views and sense of humour are a refreshing change from so much of the biased and/or sensationalist stuff that is written about "stars", and I look forward to his autobiography out in a few months.