from the very first opening of the cover you know its gonna be a high-classmagazine cover book. It features new artists, and old, with very rich photos and informative captions on many. Very rich color, so rich you forget you're looking at a book on magazine covers. Features Trent Reznor, Marilyn Manson, Green Day, Hole, Nirvana, the Wallflowers (hense the back) and more for those who like the artists. Others such as Elvis, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan (hense the cover) and Sharon Stone, exploring all the intimate stories behind some of the MOST famous covers. Documents every, or almost every cover in the history of the infamous Rolling Stone Magazine in their run. An essential for cultural info buffs and makes a nice present.

This book is a virtual history of American rock'n'roll. Each cover says something about the times, such as the now rather melancholy shot of Nirvana, form early 1994, on the verge of a huge comeback, just months before Kurt Cobain shot himself, or Annie Leibovitz's moody 1971 study of John Lennon, then deeply into his Working Class Hero phase. Rock'n'roll stars compete for cover space with politicians and film stars, depending upon what the issue or the hot stuff of the day was - Warren Beatty and Jerry Falwell both feature in political and pop-cultural contexts (the shot of Beatty is from 1975, when he was promoting Shampoo, a film set just days before the Kennedy assassination) and the text is sprinkled with plenty of choice quotes form both camps, making this a book to be slowly savoured for its pictorial and historical content time and time again.

The covers of Rolling Stone Magazine have been controversial, memorable and are a marker for musicians that they have made it. Some covers have created a stir such as a teenage Britney Spears posing in a provocative outfit, a topless Janet Jackson with a pair of male hands covering her and the last photograph session of John Lennon in which he is naked on a bed next to a fully clothed Yoko Ono. Most of the covers are simple photographs of everyone from Bob Dylan to Richard Nixon and even Dr. Hook who sang a song called "Cover Of The Rolling Stone", but they are some of the best works by the some of the best photographers in business like Annie Leibovitz and Herb Ritts.

This really is just a collection of journal topics. I liked it well enough. I think it will help me develop a gazillion topics of my own, which may well be its greatest value to me in the future. It also includes some info on how to actually deal with journals in the classroom. I found those less helpful, since I've been teaching for a bit of a while, but I think her tips are highly adaptable. So, if you're new to using journals in your classes, this could be a great resource. It's affordable, too, so why not?

This book provides a quick reference for lots of journal topics. Woodward also provides useful tips on how to work journal writing into your class; for example, she discusses the scoring of journals and how they fit into a grading plan. Some of the topics could have yes/no or one word answers, but by simply adding an "And why do you think so?" the problem can be addressed for upper-level students. As with any material you use in your classroom, you need to tweak it so it fits your particular classroom situation. The topics are general enough to give you a basic idea that you can use verbatim or that you can modify. Personally, I found the topics to be jumpstarts for my ideas as well, and huge time savers.

I have used Journal Jumpstarts in my middle school English class and find it extremely useful. It is just what my students need to stimulate their "creative juices." Not only do they enjoy writing about the topics, but I've heard them share their ideas between classes! I think every English teacher should have one!

What a lovely romance with likeable characters. Celia Langston, an orphaned vicar's daughter has lived with the Duchess of Harbrooke (Imogene) for over ten years. She is a friend and companion to Imogene and a governess to the young widow's sons. Celia also has a special friend in the eccentric Edna Forbisher, a recluse who lives nearby. The only thing that spoils this idyllic life for Celia is Imogene's brother the Duke of Severly (Drake).

When Celia was sixteen, she overheard Drake telling Imogene that she was too young to care for children. Where would she go if Imogene insisted she leave!!! But Imogene would not back down and the Duke decided to bide his time and just watch over the situation. When the Duke of Severn made his infrequent visits over the years, Celia made sure she was never in the same room and she harbored the hurt and anger about the overheard conversation. When the Duke and a friend visit, Celia is forced into his company. Drake notices her dislike for him and tries to draw her out.

Celia and Drake learn to hide their hearts, because during the course of Drake's stay at Harbrooke and a subsequent trip to London, they fall in love. Celia thinks that Drake is a faithless rake, and then thinks he's in love with another. Celia inherits some money and property from Edna and Imogene presents her to society, hiding the fact that she has been paid companion and governess. Gossip and snotty interference from Drake's jealous mistress turns that stay in London painful and after a bitter argument with him, Celia returns to the country. How can all the misunderstandings be resolved? A bolt of blue-green velvet fabric smooths the way for Celia and Drake to express their pent up feelings of love for each other.

I liked the flow of this story from country to city. The characters are well fleshed out. This is not a "deep" emotional book but I liked that the trauma was mild. Imogene finds romance along the way too making this pleasant, happy and recommended reading.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. This new author provided a good plot with a different twist to the governess meets powerful guy story! I found the book held my interest and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Woodward. I always like to see local authors in the bookstore.

Celia Langston was a sixteen-year-old orphan. Her father had been the vicar of Harford, so she was considered to be well-bred. She took a position of governess, offered to her by Imogene. But Imy's husband, Philip, had died and left Imogene's brother, Drake (the Duke of Severly), half guardianship of their two sons. Drake did not feel Celia to be up to the task of caring for the boys. However, he would give her a chance. If she proved able to care for Henry and Peter, she could keep the position.

Ten years later, 1816

Celly had always been intimidated by Drake and avoided him whenever he visited Harbrooke Hall (in Kent). This time, however, Drake would be staying for quite awhile. Celia could not avoid him all the time. She tried though.

Drake saw Celia with different eyes this time. She was lovely. It was obvious how much his mother, Imogene, and the boys governess, except that she seemed to go out of her way to avoid seeing him. The chase began ...

Major David Rotham was Drake's close friend from the military. When David came back from Scotland, Drake invited him. A romance began to bloom between him and Imogene.

***** That is as much as I can tell without giving anything vital away. I found the story so well done that I read the entire book in one afternoon! Then I went to several on-line book stores to purchase he previous releases. Unfortunately, it looks as though this is Rhonda Woodward's first novel to be published! I have found myself a wonderful new author to keep an eye on here. If Signet is wise, they will get a long-term contract on this author - FAST! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.

Updated in 1998, this little book provides readers with a fine short guide to current national flags. Each flag is illustrated well with a 1/3 page description focusing on the flag and its history, plus summary country statistics (population, capital, area, languages, religion). Maps in front and back clearly show the countries' locations.

Although readers down to middle-school age can use the book, it would be useful even for adults.

The production values of the book are high, with flag illustrations authenticated by the Flag Institute, the UK's premier flag scholarship organization. This book is a great introductory volume for a young or adult reader interested in flags. And as flag books go, the price is extremely good--other comparable books of dubious value can cost more than twice its price.

Eve Deveraux's earlier book, Flags of the World (1992), proved her ability to deliver solid flag information to general-interest readers. This book is a nice compact update. I will use it as a holiday gift for young friends interested in flags.

This is a handy reference work, replete with essential details and fascinating historical information. It is, however, in need of revision, as, since publication, some nations have changed flags (e.g. South Africa), and others have gained independence (e.g. Eritrea, Belau).

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Ogre. I love the background, I love the boardgames, I love the thought of my invincible cybertank visiting hideous destruction on those brave cardboard soldiers that litter the battlefields of the future.

So when this came out I *had* to have it. I even went out and finally bought GURPS itself - so I could use it. While GURPS is great, unfortunately I can't say the same about the Ogre supplement.

The production values are fabulous - a glossy cover, filled with fun artwork that has become the trademark of SJ games. Lots of neat sidebars packed with information - and a riveting history of the "last war" - where those little PanEuropean and Combine dudes square off for the last hurrah of (tactical) nuclear apocalypse. So far so good.

Where it falls apart for me is the roleplaying dimension. GURPS : Ogre is a self-styled "military background". This is evident in the military bias of the various character templates-'GEV jockey', 'Ogre Killer' and so on - and the plethora of neat vehicles, battlesuits and other widgets of appalling destruction.

Combat in the world of Ogre is fast, deadly and incredibly radioactive. Very few individuals live to stage a rematch. As an example, set up any scenario using the boardgame - not many of those little infantry guys are going home to momma after the game believe me. So where's the roleplaying dimension here? All I can see is some munchkinesque thrill of visiting mass nuclear destruction on some poor innocent cybertank, then flipping a coin to see if it landed on the edge (which means I survived the encounter). Thats the kind of roleplaying that I grew out of as a teenager 15 years ago.

So knowing what I know about the original game why am I disappointed? Well, so many opportunities were lost here. The background over the years has grown into something more than a simple counters and die boardgame - it has richness and depth. Some of that depth is admirably explored in the supplement - and it *is* a great read ... but the inherent bias of the book is as a participant in the slaughter. I have nothing against using war as a backdrop, even having characters who are engaged in the struggle - but in my humble opinion the opportunities for roleplaying in war are better served by plotlines like "Where Eagles Dare" rather than "Saving Private Ryan - Ogre style". You get the point :-)

So, I gave it three stars, two for excellent production values and one for plain old nostalgia (Ogre is, after all almost 20 years old!). From reading the sjgames website - I understand that they are planning to release Ogre : The Factory States - which does emphasise roleplaying. We can only hope. I for one, considering the fantastic legacy that is Ogre, am more than willing to give them a second chance.

This was a great read and a very interesting background. However this is one of the bleakest futures I've even seen presented for gaming. I recommend it wholeheartedly, especially if you're a fan of the original board game. I think I will have to do some tweaking and planning before I run something with this, though.

Willie Lee Rose describes what took place in the Sea Islands of South Carolina during the Civil War. When Union troops took over the Islands in 1861 the plantation owners fled. They left behind their negroe slaves.

Administration of the area was divided between the military, various missionary associations and cotton agents. The negroes continued with their agricultural duties, but no longer as slaves.

Under the new system, cotton productivity declined. One major factor was because the negroes preferred to grow food crops rather than cotton. They could not eat cotton.

When the Civil War ended in 1865, some of the old planters returned, but in many instances their land had been forfeit.

From a non-academic layman's viewpoint, even though there is worthwhile information to be learned from this book, it was very hard for me to finish it. The basic ideas could have been presented in a much shorter monograph.

This is perhaps the only book that describes how suddenly-emancipated negroes responded to their new freedom before they were forced back into non-slave servitude under Jim Crow.

This book has a wealth on information on the Chromatics. That makes is valuable in itself for the Game, but teh galaxy shaking events that happen in the story add even more to its worth. If you plan on running any campaigns in Trinity, this is a must, it give information, serves as a springboard for your own ideas, and even gives youa glimpse at what White wolf could do next.

This book reminds me of Suskind's 'Perfume' on many accounts. Both are translations into English. Both are set in Europe of the 18th century, and both have left me disappointed. The Virtuoso is the story of Italian noblewoman Carlotta and her love/crush on the male soprano Gasparo, whom she remembers from her village childhood. So far, so good. But i find that i can't feel anything for any of the characters in this disjointed book. De Moor is a trained singer, and fills the book with technical terms. A background of music study at tertiary level meant i could understand what she was writing, but i didn't feel that it added anything to the story. I couldn't help but imagine that someone without a musical background would find it outright annoying.

This work by Ms. Margriet de Moor is very well written, however I believe it will appeal to a narrower group than some other works in the same genre. The Neapolitan setting is wonderfully detailed but is merely a side note to the dominant first person narrative.

And the narrative is a bit unusual in that the woman who is the center of the work has a variety of affairs, intimately detailed but not lurid, however her obsessive affair is with a "Castrato". The book is massively detailed for the musically literate, however for those of us not familiar with the unique singing skills of this physically modified man, the detail can be an impediment to seeing what the Author intends, the larger your musical lexicon the more this story will appeal.

The idea of a love affair between this unusual pair could easily sink into a voyeuristic trudge, but this never happens as Ms. De Moor writes well, and when describing the intimacies never descends to the prurient.

A very good book that should be approached cautiously, for the musically very well informed a wonderful read, for those looking for a bit less romance search elsewhere.

Do you love romance? Do you love opera? Do you love history? Do you love Naples? If you answer "Yes" to any of the foregoing, Margriet de Moor's THE VIRTUOSO is a book for a lover such as you.

De Moor's story is richly sensual -- not in the lubricious but in the fullest sense of that word. With great power and beauty, she makes you see and hear, taste and smell, touch and feel what her characters are seeing and and hearing, tasting and smelling, touching and feeling.

The story is poignant and powerful, and manages also to be informative as it moves swiftly yet without any sense of haste to its ending. As with any richly sensual experience, the reader is apt to finish this book with only one regret: that it was altogether if ever so sweetly too brief.

Especially in the current climate, where more people are canonised in a year than were in the previous century, the interesting background of the process, and how it has changed in recent decades, is quite interesting.

Unfortunately, the writer has far more understanding of the "legal process" in this area than any of either popular devotion or very obvious reasons why one candidate may be favoured over another. For example, devotion to saints, amongst the general population, often is not at all based on identifying with the total circumstances of the saint's life, but with a particular aspect. The author devotes much time to the lack of being "uninhibited" in bed which would supposedly keep married couples from identifying with Louis and Zelie Martin (whose marriage began rather oddly largely because both had longed for religious life). Aside from that one wonders how he would have known such details, that such are seldom mentioned in polite company much less in archives, and that a couple who had nine children must have not spent all of their time in chapel, it would be ridiculous to think that those devoted to the pair would have sexual inhibitions or a negative attitude as a result. The people I've encountered who wish to see Louis and Zelie canonised are generally those who envy that the Martins had five children who gave their lives to the Church... rather than two who want no part of church at all.

Part of what marks one for beatification is a continued devotion. Heavens, if two women, both saintly, lived in the same period, and one was the foundress of a religious order, the other a local parent, the fact that the cause of the former would be more likely to endure is simply practical. Mother Foundress would have been well known, because her Sisters would have told her story to all whom they served for generations afterward, would have published books about her life, and would have scattered descriptive holy cards far and wide. (Not to mention that the Order later would have financed the canonisation research.) The mother of a family would have been unlikely to be well known, and her kids may have found the stress of living with a saint rather strong ... her memory may die out with her grandchildren. It is not an indication that marriage is not holy.

Read with discretion. The political correctness and catering to popular misconceptions can obscure much. The political and legal aspects are nonetheless interesting reading.

One thought kept going through my mind while reading this book. Throughout the centuries, God continues to reach out to us, even physically. The four Gospels tell us that Jesus is not simply a God-teacher. He is a God of words and works. He physically fed people and raised the dead and healed the sick. He got his hands dirty, literally, to cure the blind. The miracles of the saints are simply God working through His people to reach out and touch the rest of us. The saints are pointing us to God and leading us to God and connecting us to God and to each other. Mr. Woodward has done a deeply personal job pointing out that there are necessary procedures to determine the validity of claims of miracles. To merely accept all claims of miracles would be a disservice to the candidate (I love the formal term used in the candidacy procedure, Servant of God) and to the Church at large. One point which I wish Mr. Woodward had covered is the process (if any) by which it is determined that the intercession of a particular saint is responsible for a particular miracle. For example, one family may be praying for the intercession of Padre Pio for a particular cause, and another person may be praying for the intercession of St. Katherine Drexel for the same cause, and so on. How is it determined which saint's intercession is responsible in the event of a cure? If the mark of a good writer is to leave the reader wanting more, Mr. Woodward has succeeded.

Basically, this book is totally rad. It not only provides a solid historical basis for understanding the evolution of hagiography, but also details Woodward's in-depth conversations with the movers and shakers in the Saint-Making World today. This really helps to make a connection between the past and present in this fascinating book.

Typical of many academic types, Hopfe explains away that which he has no experience with. In this instance, it results in a lifeless mind explaining away world religions, one by one. E.g. the first sentence in the introduction is Webster's definition of religion. One would gather the impression that world religions were the result of a manufacturing process - one similar to the manner in which this book is written - with all the truth and sensitivity of a .45 caliber handgun. If what you want is a kind of macabre vivisection, I suggest Stephen King - he's much better.

The book does a good job of explaining major religions without getting caught up in issues of faith.
It would be nice to know the authors personal religious beliefs, in order to confirm a suspected bias. Their beliefs are not listed in the book. I found it odd that in the Christian chapter, it is not mentioned the trinity or that Christians believe Jesus is God.

More color pictures would be nice. Many words are missing from the glossary and the index, such as "li". The authors use lots of words that the common person doesn't know such as pantheon/patheon?, monastic, etc...

Outstanding book! I used this book to study for the DANTES exam "Introduction to World Religions." I received a "substantially above the minimum ACE recommendation" score, and I highly recommend it to anyone else taking the exam. It provides a very concise and non-biased review of the world's religions from a mainly historical perspective. The book provides the basic facts of the religions without becoming bogged down in all the dogma commonly found in such books. It will definitely get you a passing score on the exam without requiring a tremendous amount of effort. Well written.