The confessions of Brother Haluin is another in ellis peters series of mystery tales set in a Benedictine monastery In Civil War England in the late 1130's and 40's. the main characters are Brother Cadfael, a former Crusader who enetered the monastery late in life[age 40] his chief nemisis Prior Robert tennat[who is a strict by the book prior] ,the Priors ferret like assistant,brother Jerome, and the Abbot,Radulfus,who stands above the fray[and always sides with Cadfael] Cadfeal is a renown herbalist,and is forever off helping some sick or downtrodden individual. He has a herb garden where he is able to get a respite,and where some of the more intersting dialogue occurs. Hugh Beringer is the Sherrif of the Shire{he was introduced in the second book, one corspe too many]and Cadfaels staunch ally and dearest friend{Cadfael is godfather to The Beringers son, Giles}. Cadfael, by virtue of his long stint abroad, is far more worldly then his fellows, and by default is an ametuer sleuth. In this volume, the deep winter has decended upon the town of Shrewsbury. the heavy snows are imperelling the roofs of the monastery enclosure, and some monks are snt, in shifts[due to the intense cold] to repair the problem.Brother Haluin,a calligrapher of the highest order[and perpetual penitent] has an accident, and confesses what he believes is a deathbed confession to the Abbot and Brother Cadfeal. He recovers, though mangled for life, and sets out on a pligrimage to make amends for his wrongs, and of course, Cadfael accompanies him...things,of course ,do not turn out quite as expected. ZThis is a fine addition to the series,the writing is still fine, the scenes of 12th century england gripped in a mad civil war are well done, and the deep, profound wisdom and compassion of Cadfael shine forth, making him one of the more appealing creations in modern crime fiction. In all, good great fun,and excellent book in the series

This novel is one of two by Ellis Peters that I've now read. But I'm hooked! Although I've only read a couple of this series about the medieval detective Cadfael, my appetite has been whetted, and I'm certain to read more!

Peters' command of the English language is outstanding, as is her precise portrait of medieval times. The intriguing element of mystery that makes detective Cadfael's presence essential to the plot clinches this novel as a romping success.

If you enjoy mystery, as well as a writer's ability to make excellent use of the English language with colourful descriptions, you are sure to enjoy this book.

The rating on this book depends on your appreciation of the series. Hard core Cadfaelians may find this too simple as you can pretty much from the beginning assumes what is about to happen. Yet Ellis Peters still keeps her writing style and has points to make. She will keep you off balance so you are not sure that you know the answer. In an interview on the DVD of Brother Cadfael - A Morbid Taste for Bones (1994) ASIN: 1569384266, Ellis peters said that because they have trouble adapting her stories for video, that she would attempt to simplify the stories.
Although I have read the book and am sad that they did not make a video of this journey, I must say that Stephen Thorne's reading gives an added dimension to the story allowing you to race ahead or contemplate the past as he make the characters come alive with his unique voice for each.
This of course is book 15 in the series and so many things have been said, does not need to be said again. So lets hear the confession of brother Haluin and sojourn trough 12th century England with him as he takes a journey of the soul.

I'd read Deep Atlantic before finding this book. In Atlantic, Richard Ellis wrote elegant, spare, relatively straight science. His illustrations complemented the text perfectly. Here he's having a rollicking good time, and with a subject that's great fun. I recommend this highly, and I recommend Ellis to anyone in whom adulthood has only enhanced the ability to feel childlike wonder.

"Monsters of the Sea" is a book that'll bring out the 11-year-old kid in anyone with a shred of curiosity. It's great fun.

Richard Ellis, a capable and lively popular science author, is always wrestling with how to frame his material. His book "Deep Atlantic," for example, took a long time coming together because he couldn't figure out how to narrow his subject down to a book's length. Even then it included some repetitive material, as a few reviewers noticed. I've read a handful of his other titles now, and this one and the excellent "Encyclopedia of the Sea" are the two where he really succeeded in figuring out how to structure things. This is an effortless read.

"Monsters" alternates between reviewing people's mythological, "monstrous" ideas about sea creatures and describing the animals as they actually are: you read all the Kraken stories, and then you learn about squid, and the giant squid in particular. That outline of the book works really well. First you hear the old sea yarns, and then those lead you into the marine biology. Both sides are written very engagingly.

And then there are the loose ends. There's a chapter in this book about "blobs and globsters" that I really figured I'd be bored by. Not at all. Those are the enormous things that washed up on beaches that nobody's really explained. Ellis can't write the second chapter about them -- there's no marine biology that's explained the things, not yet.

This book, like any good popular science, could lead you in a lot of different directions. If you're interested in Deep Sea life, Ellis's Deep Atlantic would be good -- or you could try William Broad's "The Universe Below" if you're more into the mechanics of submersibles and sunken ships. There are lots of books about sharks and whales of course. Ellis wrote one about the Great White shark that's supposed to be good. He also gathered lots of his giant squid material for a book on Architeuthis Dux.

I'd recommend starting with this one, though. It'll get your sense of wonder going.

One of the best works I've ever read about the ocean's most mysterious monsters and the real animals behind the myths. In an eloquent, well structured and entertaining compilation, Ellis introduces us to larger-than-life creatures that frightened both mariners of centuries past and audiences of theater and movies. Then he takes us on a voyage of discovery as he reviews the available facts and natural history to explain the equally amazing animals responsible for these fantastic accounts. Informative and thought provoking, this book grasps the interest of both the believer and the skeptic, and encourages us to instill in ourselves not only prudence and responsibility in scientific exploration, but also a sense of childlike wonder in the mysteries of the unknown.

I really liked Trey Ellis' clever, funny third book. His talent has responded well to the wider platform here and demonstrates a maturing vision. I anticipate enjoying Mr. Ellis skewer other American idiosyncracies with his absurdist wit, as he clearly enjoys that territory as demonstrated in RH,RN. It's also refreshing to see a writer so clearly have fun with form in his work, and it makes for an engaging read. I'm anxious to see what or whom this emerging talent will poke some fun at next.

Read trey's new book. It's about a self-help guru who goes a little too far for society's taste as he veers from "acceptable" behavior into the realm of megalomaniacal and quasi-mystical dillusion. In the process he drags along a bunch of gullible, souls who think all the big answers flow from his golden throat and his prodigious, erm...karma. How does the main character, Austin, an upper class African-American, go from a being relatively normal, if some what over achieving motivational speaker, to a man hunted by the feds for debunking dim middle class rubes out of their money and their wives...? It's a journey marked by wasted human lives and many empty cases of Evian water. We can see the end coming, but Trey gives us such a wickedly obnoxious blend of pretense and idiocy, that we can't help laughing all the way.

I didn't really kow where this book was going to go. It takes you in weird whirlwind, to where you don't know if the hero is hallucinating, or is actually an enlightened spirirual master. You keep asking whether this guy is a nut or is he on to something.I really liked how Ellis keeps you guessing. It's really weird how the two bes fiction books of last year came out of Ssanta Cruz, this along with Brauner's 'Love songs of the tone deaf', is a very impressive display of literary talent in one town. Buy this book, you'll love it

Nightlife would be a great vampire / horror book if it didn't work so hard at trying to take a moral stance on the plight of the homeless and how various people from different backgrounds can all pull together for a common cause to defeat evil. This aspect of it was tolerable for a while, but when the book started focusing more on the social situation of the homeless and less on the Vampire, alot of the effect was lost, since the ending was become more predictable all of the time.

Richard Carnitch lives and feeds out of Minneapolis and is often portrayed as a Vampire of incredible strength, being able to get into peoples minds, summon and control thousands of animals of many species, and cast evil sensations in entire neighborhoods. In other ways, he's seen as very weak, submitting to childish cat and mouse games, and finding himself unable to deal with a situation with a few people with little if any influence or money can stalk and attempt to destroy him.

The book moves fairly quickly and has many interesting aspects to it but about two thirds of the way through, I couldn't wait for it to be over. Would I read a sequel? Probably.

Well if Richard Carnitch lived in your city you would be. Carnitch is a vampire, but not the vampire we have come to know. He preys on the homless, the addicts, the prostitutes, those no one will miss, and he kills them in a most unusual way. While killing one of these people no one would miss, he is seen by Simon, and Simon misses his friend. He gathers a group of ragtag "friends" and they decide to find out what this "thing" Simon saw really is. They soon discover that the darkness is not always just shadows, sometimes it can kill.

The story is fast paced enough that you never want to put it down (I read this book in 1 day). The characters are developed enough that you do feel for them, including the monster himself. The plot twists and turns, suprising you every few pages. I like the fact that Richard is not the prissy, woe is me vampire that so many writers are fond of these days. If your looking for a fun read and magnificently fresh take on the vampire story then i can not urge you enough to grab this book.

Nightlife is by far one of the best vampire novels written in recent years. Jack Ellis, a pseudonym for Stephen R. George, chose to save his best work for last. This was the last title he had published under the Zebra/Pinnacle horror line.

The vampire, while holding true to many of the features of vampires from previous works and movies, does have a few new wrinkles. For one, this isn't a vampire that sucks its victims dry of blood. I won't spoil the means by which it captures and kills its prey because it's something you'd never expect from a traditional vampire.

The vampire, Richard Carnitch, is more than 200 years old and preys on the types of people who wouldn't normally be missed by society in general -- transients, prostitutes, etc. This keeps him flying "under the radar" and helps him to sustain his life by feeding at will with no repercussions since no one would notice the victims missing. That is, until the main character, Simon, sees a friend of his killed by the vampire. From there, Simon forms a party to hunt and destroy the vampire.

The book is a fun and easy read and a good way to spend an afternoon. Of the books by George/Ellis I've read, this is his best. It's been reprinted a few times and is still available. If you can find it, grab it, read it, and enjoy sinking your teeth into it.

I am not a regular reader of short stories. In general, I do not like them. Still, as a Mark Helprin fan, this is one of his few works that I had not read. I pressed on ... when I concluded the final story, Ellis Island, I felt completely satisfied with the journey. If you've never read Helprin, I believe "Ellis Island" and "A Vermont Tale" are most representative of his longer works. Each story will tempt you to read his novels, all of which are poetic magic. As I read through these stories, I saw glimpses of each subsequent novel, particularly my favorite, "A Winter's Tale." If you've read Helprin before, you owe yourself the time to read this collection. If you are new to Helprin, this work will encourage you to read more.

Few writers can evoke a sense of place and mood like Helprin. The first story, "The Schreuderspitze", is as mystical and moving a story as you'll ever read. "Ellis Island" brings to mind the best of Issac Bashevis Singer. These are brilliant, mature, beautifully crafted tales by a master.

My first encounter with Mark Helprin was his long novel, Winter's Tale. I thought it was perfect: glorious and mysterious, realistic and magical, funny and fantastic and wondrous and sad. It was almost too much of a good thing; sort of like chocolate decadence topped with mocha ice-cream and drenched in hot fudge sauce.

The stories in Ellis Island and Other Stories offer the same enticing overdose of goodness but in smaller doses. Lest you be thrown off by the cover or the title, these stories are definitely not history or even historical fiction. They are not exclusively about immigrants, Europe or the War, although threads of these subjects do run through them.

The title story, Ellis Island is the longest and the last. It is about the Ellis Island and immigration, of course, but it is also fantastic fantasy complete with a wonderful machine that melts the snow from the streets supported only by its own jets of fire, the Saromsker Rabbi and his glorious sermon on bees, the lovely Hava, and Elise, whose hair is nothing less than a pillar of fire. Of the eleven stories, Ellis Island comes closest to Winter's Tale in its spirit of fantasy, although A Vermont Winter best describes the perfection of a deep Northeastern snow. As in Winter's Tale, in Ellis Island, Helprin is not averse to destroying beautiful things for the sake of a larger good, even if the logic of his narrative does not demand that he do so. But that, you see, is Helprin; for him death is just another part of art.

All of these stories are brilliant and all of them are beautiful. In The Schreuderspitze, a photographer deals with tragedy in the luminous beauty of the Alps; in Letters from the Samantha, questions of humanity and guilt are dealt with on an iron-hulled sailing ship in 1879; in Martin Bayer, we get to know a small boy on the eve of war; in North Light and A Room of Frail Dancers, we glimpse the devastating effects of battle on soldiers. La Volpaia is wonderful, wise and witty and Tamar is nothing if not lovely in the extreme. White Gardens and Palais de Justice defy any sort of description; you simply must read them and then savor them yourself.

Anyone who has read any of Helprin's other works knows he certainly has a way with words. Here are words from the end of Tamar that not only describe the story's beautiful seventeen year old protagonist, but serve to sum up this volume as a whole: Perhaps things are most beautiful when they are not quite real; when you look upon a scene as an outsider; and come to possess it in its entirety and forever; when you live in the present with the lucidity and feeling of memory; when for want of connection, the world deepens and becomes art.

These stories are nothing if they are not art.

This is the first Brother Cadfael mystery that I have read. In the past I have enjoyed the Brother Cadfael Mysteries on PBS and that is what prompted me to read one for myself.

The language is difficult to understand at times, (I suggest keeping a dictionary handy)but the mystery is a masterful "who done it". In this story the husband of a former love of Cadfaels suddenly dies and it is discovered that the victim was poisoned by the deadly Monk's Hood. The same tincture that Brother Cadfael himself has prepared for medicinal purposes. There is a large cast of characters that may have purpose and reason to murder Gervase Bonel but when the authorities believe the murderer to be his young stepson Brother Cadfael takes matters into his own hands to prove the youth innocent.

This is not a light read. Stick with it. You will enjoy it.

The third book in the Brother Cadfael series, "Monk's Hood," is a powerful parable of forgiveness.

The more I read of this series, the better it gets. I recommend it to anyone.

Historically, I have not been much of a reader of mystery writers. The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael have made me a fan of Ellis Peters's writing. She does not write the one-sided characters that too often fill such books. She consistently surprises me with the depth and realistic humanity of her characters. This is seen most clearly in the "villain" of "Monk's Hood."

Peters's vision of medieval Shrewsbury becomes, like Cadfael and fellow monks, more interesting with each book. It is a perfectly conceived (or reconstructed) world in which to act out her tales.

I am pleased to see Brother Robert's return to a place of prominence within the storyline. He is the perfect personification of pomposity-a delightful foil for the straightforward Cadfael.

I give a heartfelt recommendation to "Monk's Hood" and the whole Cadfael series. Check it out.

"Monk's-Hood" is Ellis Peters' third Brother Cadfael mystery, following nicely on from "One Corpse Too Many". It is set at the close of the year 1138. Almost six months have elapsed since King Stephen's army laid siege to and finally took the English town of Shrewsbury. But, whilst the King may have withdrawn his forces, and departed the town to impress his claim to the English throne on other areas of the Kingdom, murderous deeds are still afoot on the Welsh Marches. And, once again, Brother Cadfael finds himself firmly in the midst of it all.

The tale this time involves the mysterious poisoning of a guest of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, by means, what's more, of one of Brother Cadfael's own healing concoctions. With his own - as well as the Abbey's - honour at stake, Cadfael refuses to let matters lie, especially when the sheriff's somewhat over-zealous sergeant appears to be rather hastily leaping to the wrong conclusion as to who is responsible for the dire deed. To add further complications to the task before our mediaeval sleuth, Cadfael suddenly finds himself confined to the Abbey precincts by a more than usually overweening Prior Robert. As always, though, Cadfael's greater humility and wit (aided somewhat by divine providence) win out in the end, with our hero triumphing over arrogant authority of both secular and cloistered varieties.

Ellis Peters uses her own flawless wit and easy flowing prose to spin an enchanting and compulsive story around the central mystery, although the book is not really of the classic whodunnit mould. Her ingenious tale of family intrigue unfolds at a wonderfully leisurely pace, with the reader following a tantalising breadcrumb trail of snippets of information, released at just the right rate to ensure that the reader does not solve the mystery before Cadfael himself. Along the way, we learn something of the complex political and social webs common to Mediaeval life on the English/Welsh borders, as well as much more about the past life of the book's central character. As ever, attention to historical detail is meticulous.

Whether you read this book in sequence or not depends on how much of a purist you are. Reading later volumes before this one will give away something of the book's very ending, though not so much that it will in any way be spoiled. Reading this (or any later ones) before the first two would be a mistake, though, as that undermines some aspects of the first volumes' mysteries. There is no need to have read any earlier volumes, though, if you just want to pick this one up and enjoy it!

This is the first Brother Cadfael mystery i've read. It was, perhaps, not the most fortuitous choice i could have made; certainly it was rather different from my expectation. Part of the difference can, of course, be explained by the fact that i have seen some four or five of the adaptations starring Derek Jacobi, so despite my best efforts i interpreted everything i read through that filter, seeing the characters in my mind according to their development in the television shows. The murder/mystery is well plotted out, though simple not quite simplistic, and nicely both hidden and revealed. I can point to the exact paragraph, sentence even, i was reading when i suddenly knew ~ not through anything revealed in that paragraph ~ the solution; the rest was mere reading to prove myself correct and see how Peters would handle the results of the revelation. Though this was not what i expected, i shall read another Cadfael book, just to learn a little more about him, and to see if i can't erase Jacobi's excellent interpretation from my mind.

This Brother Cadfael mystery was absolutely riviting; I couldn't put it down. I know it sounds cliche, but true. I have been reading the books in order and this is the best one so far. I was totally engrossed in the plot and characters. The silent monk and the former nobleman turned monk were beautifully formed characters. The interplay between the repeating characters of the series was at its best in this novel. It just made me want to finish the series, so I could start all over again. I highly recommend any of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but feel they should be read in some sequence to understand the relationships between some of the characters - especially our dear Brother and Sheriff Hugh Beringer. They are one of the best detective pairings since Perry Mason and Paul Drake.

I have to say that this is my favorite of the Chronicles. It has great characters, a riveting storyline, and the most beautiful picture of true, sacrificial love I have ever read. To say anymore would give away the ending. DO NOT skip ahead in this one or you will not get the full impact of the story. It is better to keep guessing. But read it a second time to get the details that you missed from not knowing the secret.

Ellis Peters' fourth Brother Cadfael mystery is set in the summer of 1139, in a Shrewsbury still recovering from the siege of town and castle by the army of King Stephen the previous summer. To speed the rebuilding of its defences, the townsfolk are eager for financial help from the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which, being located just outside the town, came through the episode of the siege without harm. With the lucrative annual three-day St. Peter's fair fast approaching, the burghers of the town are anxious to secure a share of its profits - normally given over entirely to the abbey. The new abbot, however, is far from anxious to set a dangerous precedent by ceding away the abbey's dues.

Thus it is that merchants arriving from distant towns for the fair find themselves suddenly embroiled in a dispute between town and cloister - and embroiled rather too deeply for comfort as the town's youth escalate the situation out of hand. And so it is that Shrewsbury (and therefore Brother Cadfael, of course) suddenly finds itself with the mystery of another murder (and various other nefarious goings-on) to solve.

With her characteristic meticulous attention to period detail, Ellis Peters weaves an intricate web of deceit and intrigue into this far from obvious murder mystery. As usual, she balances the political manoeuvrings of the principal parties with the playing out of a separate romantic sub-plot. This serves to keep the reader (and, in this case, Cadfael too) guessing almost up to the very end as to the real drama running through the story and, of course, to the identity of the villain of the piece. Indeed, the reader is well into the nail-biting conclusion to the story before realising fully what has been going on.

Peters' writing style ensures that this book is as enjoyable as Brother Cadfael books ever are. Fans of the mediaeval sleuth may be somewhat disappointed to find that he actually has very little to do here beyond collating the pieces of others' findings but this does not really detract from the tale over all. If the Cadfael books are new to you, I would really recommend reading the first two volumes before any others to truly get the most from them. On the other hand, if you are not interested in reading the whole series but simply want an evocative tale of mediaeval England, then you need look no further than this.

St. Peter's Fair is another excellent Brother Cadfael chronicle by Ellis Peter's. She continues the story of a monk inside the monastery, who has already seen much of the world. St. Peter's Fair opens with a controversy between the locals and monastery. The local people of Shrewsbury feel that the monastery is reaping unjust benefit from the fair without giving the town its just due. Soon a merchant at the fair is found murdered and a local is implicated.

Cadfael uses the skills he developed outside of the monastery to help track the murderer. Aiding him is Hugh Beringar, who was introduced in a previous chronicle. Cadfael continues to develop as a warm, loving human, who has a sense of justice.

Ellis Peters is a must for any fan of medieval tales.

St. Peters Fair. For those who like watching the Brother Cadfael series on PBS, St. Peters Fair is a must read. This book will fill in much of the missing character development of those we meet on the television screen. We also get a much fuller picture of the town and castle of Shrewsbury. The story is engaging and leaves one guessing as to the final outcome until the very end. As one who loves to watch the televised productions of Brother Cadfael, St Peters Fair will encourage you of the value of also reading the chronicles of Brother Cadfael. Also check out the Brother Cadfael web sites. You can find a list of the Ellis Peters books and maps and history about Shrewsbury.

Aristotle was one of the greatest men that has lived on Earth, and his contributions are numerous, however, I found this book to drone on and on about the types of government...I had to put it down, because I was so bored. If it gets better later in the book, please let me know.

Aristotle's The Politics is without a doubt one of the most celebrated works of political science from antiquity. He begins with a description of a state, advances through the numerous types of constitutions, describes the ideal citizen, and defines good government-not to mention numerous other fascinating political insights into the running of a state.

Aristotle's outline for government and state has been influential to political scientists for over 2,400 years. His discussion on the cons of complete unity, as well as his chapter on "the natural and unnatural methods of acquiring goods," certainly must have influenced Karl Marx, and his discussions on the "good of all" certainly led to Mills and Bentham's utilitarianism.

The Penguin Classics edition gives the reader an authoritative, inexpensive copy that is ideal for scholars as well as students. The footnotes are helpful, but not excessive. An excellent purchase all around.

As a mystery novelist, I find that reading a wide variety of materials helps enormously in my work. This book is one I read regularly. I first read POLITICS OF ARISTOTLE during my college days at Claremont McKenna College. The political science department insisted on a classical background for its students, and this book was one of the canon. It impressed me then. It still impresses me today. I only wish Aristotle could collect royalties on the books sold.

The great pulp magazines are unfamiliar territory to many people, and this Guide offers valuable data for both the serious collector, and people with general interest in the pulps. Publishing dates, number of issues, as well as an overview of the magazines and other great information makes the Guide a valuable item. While bits and pieces of this information on individual titles are available in other forms, this is the first effort to pull it all together, including data on some very unusual and obscure titles. I found the book very useful, and I'm sure other pulp enthusiasts will too.

"The Adventure House Guide to the Pulps" is a seminal book for pulp magazine collectors. A three-year project reflecting a lifetime of collecting on the part of its three author/editors--Doug Ellis, John Gunnison and John Locke--this book should find a cherished spot on every collector's shelf. It lists by year and date 97 percent of all the pulp magazines ever published from October, 1896 to when they died in the mid-fifties. The book has a long introductory history that is a valuable resource in and of itself, as well as thumnail photographs of most of the magazines covered. Each issue gets a small box in which the buyer can check off the issue in his own collection--and keep track of those he still needs. The book is NOT a price guide--anybody who follows eBay knows the futility of that. Nor is it intended as a pictorial history of the field. But for a collector to see at a glance how many issues of a magazine were published, their date, the publishing company that issued them, etc., is information that's usually not readily available and is hard to come by. One thing for sure, if Lawrence Davidson and I had had this book prior to compiling "Pulp Culture" (now out of print), it would have made our task far easier. The author/editors are to be congratulated for a book that should be on every collector's--and every library's--shelf. Highly recommended. -- Frank M. Robinson, San Francisco, CA.

I've been a collector of pulps for nearly forty years. I own one of the largest pulp magazine collections in the world and have written numerous books and articles about these great magazines. The pulps are a major part of American publishing that have never gotten the attention they deserved. Great authors from Dashiell Hammett to H.P. Lovecraft to Robert Bloch to Ray Bradbury all began writing in the pulps.

However, there's always been one major obstacle in collecting pulp magazines. There has never been a comprehensive guide to exactly what magazines exist. When buying pulps, you never know if you are getting one of three issues or one of a hundred. The volume numbers were deceiving as many publishers mixed them up or never used them properly. Many pulps were even dated wrong. As a collector, I went crazy for years trying to discover what pulps existed. That's all changed with this book.

For the first time ever a collector can discover exactly how many issues of Weird Tales or Black Mask or literally a thousand other magazines were published. And know the exact dates of the issues. This guide is a perfect checklist for anyone who wants to collect the pulps or wants to know when they were published. It is a book aimed at pulp fans and pulp collectors. This book was never intended to be a pulp price guide or some sort of index to the contents of pulp magazines. It does exactly what it promises and does it extremely well. It is a checklist of what pulps were published and when. That information is invaluable to anyone who is a collector, fan, or researcher involved in the pulp field.

As a collector, fan, and researcher I found this book incredibly valuable. My only complaint is that it wasn't done thirty or forty years ago. If you are interested in the pulps, this is a book you must own.