My book was called RINKSIDE. I really liked it because it tells how Darren McCartys life was and how his dad Craig McCarty had cancer and how his son Darren made a McCarty Cancer Foundation. I would recommend this book to some body how likes hockey and how a family saves people from cancer.

i loved this book even though i've only been a fan for a year who really cares? i started to LOVE the Red Wings and my fave is McCarty. i liked him b/c if the other team was picking on one of his team mates he would do something about it. and he's just a really sweet guy! so i got more in to it when i got tickets for there practice and found out about this book. so my b-day was coming up so i got it and brought it w/ me to the practice. i didn't get it signed there but i had a friend who new him so i got it personaly aughtographed wich was more than i asked for in the first place. but he was happy to do it and i love that guy. the book was great b/c it incereged me to keep trying my best in hockey even though i can't sk8 werth [anything]!!lol. well i can bad @ explaning how things have helped me and stuff like that. so i'll just say it has really changed me for the better. ;)

Well as a die hard Darren McCarty fan, I thought that this book was very well written. Darren and his Dad have gone through so much in there lives and I thought that those two great guys need some major thanks. Not only has Darren proved that he is a good player and battling alcoholizm but he was his dad's strenght when he needed it, with his dad battling cancer, they held each other up..and Darren's Dad gets another thanks from me, for raising the best damn hockey player with the most potential, in the entire NHL>!

The majority of the book was actually on the passage of desegratation. Very interesting though. It was a wake up call of how our judges create law rather than interpret it. There were many other instances of government social engineering interlaced among the main story.

In *The New Color Line: How Quotas and Privilege Destroy Democracy*, Paul Craig Roberts and Lawrence M. Stratton argue compellingly that Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the landmark Supeme Court decision that struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, was a product not of sound, impartial legal reasoning but of extra-constitutional judicial activism based on sociological theories and good intentions, with disastrous long-term consequences for America.

The progression of legal precedents that the authors trace from the Brown decision through the 1990s proves the long-term danger of reading law non-literally or "in the light of changing times." The1964 Civil Rights Act, the authors show, was especially harmful. Its vices aside, it had this virtue: it was clearly intended, as evidenced by the Congressional record and the plain language of the Act itself, to prohibit racial quotas. Yet to no avail. In the judicial atmosphere of the time, encouraged by the Brown decision, the Act meant anything a judge declared it to mean. Determined to ensure disadvantaged groups not just equal rights but rights to equal results, increasingly activist judges gave to minorities and women, in flagrant judicial usurpation of powers that properly belong to the legislature, a host of new privileges at the expense of the legitimate rights of white males--or of anyone who wishes to succeed in life on his own merit, for that matter.

I have two significant criticisms of the book. First, while the authors include a voluminous bibliography of articles, books, court records and government documents, there are few actual citations. This aggravating lack of footnotes makes it difficult to do research to check the book for distortions, thereby diminishing, in my eyes, the authors' credibility. Stratton, an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, should know better given the vitriol that such a book as this one is likely to elicit from critics.

Second, the authors' political philosophy is rooted in conventional conservatism, with all its flaws. As their book's subtitle implies, their chief end is the preservation of "democracy"--meaning majority rule, minority oppression, whatever kind of benevolent spin they attempt to put on it. They thus cede ground to the collectivists and open themselves to attack on multiple fronts--such as that, whatever their assertions to the contrary, the Supreme Court is a fundamentally *un*democratic institution. Their belief in a strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution is laudable but needs a firm grounding in individual rights to be effective.

For good political philosophy, I recommend Dr. Tara Smith's groundbreaking *Moral Rights and Political Freedom*. It is Roberts and Stratton's account of the Brown decision and its consequences that makes their book worth reading.

I think it telling that the ANONYMOUS reviewer on Feb. 2nd below seemed to have little to say about the book, but instead bloviated about the vast-right wing conspiracy. I doubt he/she read it - probably just some Democrat intern with little else to do.

This book offered an actual in-depth inspection of the danger of allowing the courts to rule - something the Founding Fathers warned about but continues to go on with barely a mention. I think the Founding Fathers would have been disappointed in our apathy. They fought a revolution for less.

i read the book and thought it was very very good sometimes it was hard to follow the plot.translating this book must have been very hard to do for i should now because Helen C. Mccullough was my wonderfull Grandmother.She taped herself and i used to watch her on tape as she translated the book to english. even if she was not my grandmother i still would have thought the book was good it gave me a new love for Japense lituire. did i spell that right? oh while i recommend this book to any one.

Translations of Japanese and Chinese classics are often hampered by the archaic language used in the originals. This was not the case here and the translator has achieved a balanced fusion of great story-telling and accurate presentation of the text. This is no small achievement since the Heike tale is populated by many diverse characters some of whom are only mentioned once whereas others have great influence on the plot despite their brief appearances.

I have found that the best way to read the book is to treat oneself to the episodic nature of the chapters. This reflects the original format of the story; that it was expressed in minstrel style story-telling by the "biwa-hoshi" in nightly recitals. As such each segment of the story can be treated like individual pearls in a string, each complete and entertaining by its own merit but strung together to form the whole epic saga of the Heike. Attempts to read the book in the style of a conventional Western novel with its continuous narrative will result in frustration since the story seem to take many didactic excursions and side plots. This may also have been the rootcause to the earlier frustration of another reviewer who encountered too many characters to comprehend at one single reading. A similar experience can be found if a first time reader tries to read the Bible continuously from Genesis to Revelation.

The other great challenge in this translation is in its reference to the characters of the story. The long titles accorded to each individual felt cumbersome and unnecessary at first but as I continued reading I began to appreciate that the original narrators of the tale were relating to the traditional Japanese audience, not the modern reader. As such the titles and honorifics were not only essential but required for reasons of protocol. Many listeners in feudal Japan were related or held similar positions to those described in the story. This realization helps the reader to savour the vintage of this work.

The book also helps to lift a veil over 12th Century interaction between Japan and China. The narrators often recited characters from ancient China as part of the shared heritage of Japanese perceptions of honor and duty. The exchange of ideas and cultural practices between the two empires comes across as very vital and alive at that period as expressed by the presence of a Chinese physician during Taira no Shigemori's death. My initial fascination about the extermination of the Taira (from reading the story of Earless Hoichi from Kwaidan by L. Hearns) have been greatly enriched by the full account of the Gempei Wars found here in the Tale of the Heike. The sense of karmic justice where the terrible fate that befell the Taira clan was a direct result of the evil deeds of Kiyomori was all but pervasive in this book. Great reading!

Admittedly, the book is a bit rough for the average reader. It is, nonetheless, the root of oh so many modern stereotypes of Japan, and, interestingly enough, Western popular mythologies (Star Wars anyone?). If you read, keep in mind that the book is based on historical facts - facts translated through the mouths of blind traveling bards - performances then immortalized in various text/versions - and then, centuries later, translated into English. Ms. McCullough had a daunting task and has done an amazing job. It takes effort to read this text, but it is well worth your time.

I lost my dear husband on 9/11 and I think it's deplorable that people are trying to make money off the tragedy. Yeah I know the whole country felt pain, but for me and others in my situation it's a loss you all could never understand.

Got this after a desire to collect the 9-11 comics as my ending run in comic collecting, and I must say I am impressed with not only the size of it, but the consitent and diverse work inside. Loads of unfamiliar work that perhaps wouldn't be seen on such a public level with such quality, and at 200 pages for the price its at, its damn good.

The stories themselves? Some make you think. Some make you wonder. All make you remember.

There's really not much I can say about this book. The stories contained in it are poignant and touching and heartbreaking and hopeful all at once, and each and every contributor has given not only their time and talent to the project, but clearly they've also given a piece of their hearts. Being born and raised in New York City, the events of September 11th are especially painful to me, but I came away from reading this book feeling just a little more hopeful than I did when I started it. Kudos to all involved for a magnificent effort. (And all of the money goes to a good cause, too!)

First of all, what this book contains will not disappoint if you spent time on the core worlds. Most parties will eventually go there, and this book will help you as the GM make them come to life like you wouldn't believe.

Each planet is divided up into a player's and GM's section. The players section lists history, locations, and things of that ilk. The GM's section includes plot hooks and major NPCs. I think that more WotC books should implement this sort of organization, where a player can read through the book and not worry about accidentally spoiling something for him- or herself. The plots are interesting, and tend to involve whatever makes that planet unique (the shipyards of Corellia, for example). They are also divided along era lines, which is a worthwhile practice that should be continued in future WotC projects.

That said, the book does have a few flaws. First, the art, while good, is sparse. Each planet (Coruscant has the biggest section and is therefore an exception) has only one or two pieces, and they don't really give a suffient feel for the planet, leaving it up to the descriptions and the GM's knowledge. Second, the section on planetary histories is a little short for most worlds, usually constituting little more than a page. For some of the minor worlds (like Anaxes) this is permissable, but even Corellia and Coruscant are lacking in that regard.

In short, this book is worth getting (almost essential, in fact) if you plan on spending time in the Core, but not really if its a casual thing that you "might do someday." Its limited nature makes it less useful than, say, WotC's upcoming Ultimate Alien Anthology.

One of the most memorable things about Star Wars is in just how unique the worlds are, and that is definitely the case here. The worlds in this book have one thing in common: they are Core planets. Other than that, they are as different from each other as Hoth is from Tatooine.

This wonderfully illustrated hardcover book details no less than 29 Core worlds. Coruscant gets the most space at nearly 30 pages, and most of the other worlds, including Alderaan and Corellia, get three to five pages each. In general, each world has brief sections on its description, history, people, and important locations. Changes from the time of the Old Republic up to the New Jedi Order are also discussed.

At the end of each planet's profile there is a "GM-only" section for each world with adventure hooks and a selection of important NPCs. There are also several new species, six new feats, about a dozen items of new equipment, over a dozen new vehicles and starships, four new droids, and more new creatures than you can shake a stick at (my favorite was the fearsome Coromon Headhunter). Sadly, there is only one new Prestige Class, the five-level Seyugi Dervish.

While I really would have preferred to see a greater selection of PrCs, the book's other qualities largely make up for this deficiency. I should emphasize that while each planet receives a generous amount of information, it is by no means a complete description. The focus of the book seems to be on providing GM's and players with ideas for their own campaigns and characters, rather than on being an exhaustive resource.

As a GM I found the plot hooks and NPC sections to be the most useful. And boy, there are a lot of NPCs, over a hundred of them in fact. Even better is the fact that the plot hooks and NPCs are often connected to each other, which makes for easy adventure creation.

My main complaint regarding this otherwise excellent book is that some of the maps are a bit lacking. Specifically, many of them don't have a scale, which makes it difficult to tell if the map of this or that location covers hundreds of meters or dozens of kilometers. The maps are also far too small for tabletop use, but a trip to the copy shop should solve that problem.

As others have pointed out, a GM would probably get the most use out of this book, especially in a Core-based campaign. Of course, a player could still find this book to be a valuable tool for fleshing out the background of a favorite character. Even so, there is so much variety, information, and so many ideas in this book that I'd recommend it to anyone. Overall I'm giving Coruscant and the Core Worlds a very strong 4 out of 5.

And besides, what campaign could possibly be complete without the main characters visiting Coruscant at least once?

The collaborative effort of Craig R. Carey, Chris Doyle, Jason Fry, Paul Sudlow, John Terra, and Daniel Wallace, and specifically crafted to be compatible with the Dungeons and Dragons game's d20 system, Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Coruscant And The Core Worlds is an information-packed reference filled from cover to cover with memorable characters, exotic locations, vehicles, alien creatures, story ideas, and much, much more. Configured and organized so that even the most novice Game Master can create a memorable Star Wars-themed role gaming adventure, Coruscant And The Core Worlds is an excellent and faithful guide, and a very welcome addition to the growing library of Star Wars related role-play adventure resources and references.

The Part about the Lasombra is very interesting and shows the machinations of the Magisters. The Ventrue are perfect Antagonists to them, their completly different approach to power is nice written. But the the part on the Tzimisce is written from the Point of a Tremere, their deadly Enemies, giving a very morbid View to them. On the other Hand, having only your enemies speaking about you, doesn't show your beliefs and aims... ;)

All societies have their leaders, and Cainites are no exception. However, when you live for centuries, it can be difficult to tell exactly who is in power. From this comes the three fountainheads of leadership. Clans Lasombra, Tzimisce, and Ventrue all carry an air of power, but each knows they are the only true leaders for the Cainites. This book is analagous to the many Clanbooks printed for Vampire: The Masquerade. However, they have grouped them together into clans of like minds, if such a thing can exist with these power-driven demons.

The first book deals with the Leaders-from-the-Shadows. Just as ever king has a king-maker, every king-maker has the one who made him. Just like their Obtenebration that manipulates the shadows, these Magisters are the ones to pull the power behind the power behind the throne. Seeing a pattern? Although they are internally strifeful, they will not let the others know this. Clan Lasombra should run Cainite society, and if they have their way, their shadowy tentacles will eventually touch every aspect of both Mortal and Cainite culture.
Their section is a wonderful extension on core book material. It offers more information on the behind-the-shadows workings of this clan. These details are also augmented with clan specific discipline levels and powers. Now players can see the horrific powers of Obtenebration. Not only can they cloak the night, but Tchernabog can even cloak the day! Even if a Cainite cannot summon this level of Obtenebration, a simple use of Dark Steel will slow down even the staunchest of aggressors. Now those who rule from the Shadows are shown to have their own teeth as well. While it is better to let others do the killing and dying for you, the Lasombra will not need to stand idly by. They can go toe-to-toe with any other clan, if that clan ever sees them coming.

Book two takes a decidedly different tone by delving into the ultra-horrific world of the Tzimisce. These Cainites are well called fiends by their peers. Although the view is biased and from a Tremere source, it is evident the strength and power they wield is terrible. This is a place not for the squeamish. The Fiends live well beyond the realm of monster. They relish in their unlives and their ancient powers. Beware when you sup with the Fiends for you never know who is the main course.
Now this section does give information on both Vicissitude and a little on Koldunic Sorcery. Do no be fooled. Koldunism is not the same as Thaumaturgy. As others not, Koldunism is far older. If this book seems to indicated the two are the same, then obtain Blood Magic and use that instead. Often, one should not just lump the two together. This is what started the war long, long ago. Granted, killing a Tzimisce elder and invading the lands of the Voivode was not a good idea either. Also, most of Clan Tzimisce do not use Koldunic Sorcery. They have instead been infected with Vicissitude, which is the difference between Clan Tzimisce and the Old Clan Tzimisce (see Black Hand). So, use this section to build the better fiend. Remember, these are your lands and have been since before those mortal upstart mages where ever born. Your power traces back to Enoch, to Cain, to Adam himself. You were the keepers of sorcery long before the mages.

Book three brings in the ever popular, yet rather plain Ventrue. This is the shortest section because the Ventrue are very straight forward. We are the ones who are to rule, and all others are usurpers. Ventrue is the Kingship Clan after all! I like the section, especially the new skills and discipline power. The data is just as useful as that from the Lasombra and Tzimisce. I personally do not play Ventrue enough to fully rate this section, but it has helped me create some truly loved, or is that loathed, non-player characters.

In summary, this book along with the other clanbooks forms the most expansive base of core knowledge that is needed for games. If you want more in-depth clan interaction and knowledge, this is a must add to any collection.

Koldunic sorcery IS thaumaturgy for all intents and purposes. All thaumaturgy is is using the power of vampire blood to power magic. It's like magic in Mage basically, except it uses vitae instead of quintessence or tass. Koldunic sorcery is the same thing. It is using blood to power magic. Simply enough, it is just an ancient form of thaumaturgy that is not as polished as the Tremere form (they had been Magi for quite some time before they became Cainite).

I think it wouldn't make sense to call Koldunic Sorcery as thaumaturgy, mainly because the former predates the later. But, as stated previously, they are basically the same thing.

This book has ok pictures but not that many drink recipes. Get another book that has more substance and less "style," because there simply aren't that many exciting drinks in here. If you don't know how to make a screwdriver without a recipe, I suggest you get a life.

I bought this as a gift and it was one of those "basics but nothing new". It was interesting to see the ingredients of some of the oldies, but there were no goodies in this one.

For the starter, I recommend. Otherwise, skip it.

Walking past the bookstore the other day I thought I could hear the faint sounds of a party coming from inside. It struck me as odd, so I entered the store, wondering where this was sound was coming from. After wandering up and down the isles, I discovered the sound was coming from the bartending section. Silly me, where else would such sounds be coming from!! Now I was really intrigued, I just had to find out where this was coming from. I opened several books before I found the object of my quest, Sex on the Beach and other Wild Drinks. Now I'm not saying your book with play music, but if you are looking to improve your next party this is a great place to start. From the graphic on the cover, to the colorful pages this book screams fun!! With such classics as the Long Island Ice Tea to such trendy drinks as Surfer on Acid and the Brain Eraser is sure quench your insatiable appetite for refreshment. Whether you're just looking to improve you're your night out at the club, or looking to be the star of your next frat party, this book is a must have!! So mix yourself a Woo Woo shooter, and hop aboard the party train!!

technically useful, but written in an irritative prolo-supposed-funny language, and culminates with offensive comments about "European trash" climbing sites. Must be good to promote the patriotism of the USA climbers.

This book gives a little bit of information about a lot of different topics. Therefore, you may find a tidbit here or there that adds to your knowledge. However, because the book covers so many topics, the amount of in depth detail is very limited. For this reason, rather than getting this book, I would prefer to spend my money getting more specialized books on specific climbing topics rather than trying to get a little bit about everything from this book. If this is the only advanced climbing book you are going to buy and your experienced friends can fill in the blanks, then it would be a good introductory book for you.

I am a professional climber/guide with over 25 years of experience, and I am an owner of a climbing guide service in Moab Utah. While there are many good climbing "how to" books on the market, I heartily recommend this book to all of my friends and clients over all others.
The material covered in this book is both comprehensive and easy to understand. The authors both have extensive experience climbing and teaching climbing which gives the book a credibility lacking in many other "how to" books. Also the material in Advanced Rock Climbing is extremely current and gives many techniques and suggestions you will not find anywhere else.
If you are looking for a great climbing refference book this is the one to get!

OK, the "Vineyard" series does not represent great literature. However, that's not the point about these 'atmospheric' novels is it? You read these kind of books while you're on the Cape or to bring you mentally back to the place. This one has a better plot that the others I have read in the series but the dialogue remains the weak point. Enough with the fishing and the traffic jams too, please. All in all, since we go to the Cape every year, this series is a fun read for me. However, if you want read a good series with excellent dialogue and a strong sense of place, find one of the Dibdin novels. They are set in Italy and they are wonderful.

Craig's biggest downfall is the third-rate dialogue he employs. It's often trite and unrealistic, I criticism I noted in another review of one of his books. The storyline is actually better in this book than in others. There's an unexpected twist that throws you at the end, which makes it better reading than Craig's other works. As with his other "Martha's Vineyard Mysteries," the story centers on another adventure with retired Boston cop (and Vineyard resident), J.W. Jackson. He finds a dead girl in his driveway, and goes about solving her murder. There are subplots that don't really add to the story, and as I said above, the dialogue is crap. I'm sure the reason I keep reading Craig's books is that if you are a Vineyarder (as I am), there are few better ways to conjure up images of the island than his books. His descriptions of such things as the traffic jams and night life on the Vineyard are incredibly realistic and offer a respite to someone like me who only gets to spend a week or two per year on the island. Non-Vineyarders would do better to find something else.

This novel seems to be a little bit of mystery added into a story about fishing on Martha's Vineyard with a travelogue of the island. The author puts a little too much emphasis on the fishing. An interesting basis was developed for the crime, i.e., manipulating inter-bank transfers, with intelligent criminals fumbling the implementation, but maybe there are one too many characters/complications/side issues.