I'm a 43 year old bricklayer and father of two - the kind of solid citizen you'd expect to have a hung-up, unadventurous love life - and until last fall, you'd have been right. I love my wife dearly, but we're not young anymore, and things had gotten stale - the magic was seeping out of our marriage like so much poorly applied grout. Seeping, that is, until I happened upon Grant Tracy Saxon's "Making Love: The Happy Hustler's Guide to Bisensual Lovemaking" while sorting donations for our church's annual charity drive. Although shocked at first by his raw language and libertine attitudes towards homosexuality, we were frustrated enough to throw caution to the wind - and eventually to take Saxon's message of a swinging, unfettered loving to heart. With his frank instructions and stimulating photographs to guide us, we were on our way to new heights of erotic bipleasure. While we may never reach the levels of feverish bacchanality achieved by Mr. Saxon and his friends, I honestly feel this book helped to save my marriage. I highly recommend it to any couple in need of a connubial pick-me-up.

All of the sudden, after years of obscurity and neglect, there's a buzz about Grant Tracy Saxon. As a veteran (now retired) swinger, I can tell you that his books were once considered gospel in certain circles. No one was more disappointed than I when AIDS and the '80s swept in, and dozens of important books like "Making Love" went out of print. So I was obviously surprised when, looking his book up on a whim, I found that other Amazon customers remember GTS, and are still finding his books as useful and life-changing as I did in the early '70s. Clearly, someone should be thinking about a new edition - maybe even a Grant Tracy Saxon omnibus - I think he still has a lot to teach us.

Grant Tracy Saxon, the foremost American scholar in the fine art of libertinage, has for a little over three decades enlightened, instructed and educated the unitiated masses with his teachings. With his second book, "Making Love: The Happy Hustler's Intimate Way to Bi-Sensual Lovemaking", the reader is given a privileged look inside the world of bi-sensual love- it's joys, its pains, but most of all its value as a "liberator" from the often times repressive and psychologically damaging ethical and moral codes of bourgeois society. Saxon finds common ground between the teachings of Freud and De Sade and in so doing successfully articulates his own doctrine of healthy mind, body and spirit. The book also comes with 8 pages of helpful illustrations- each a Baroque panel of highly artistic representations of Saxon's writings. For the curious or for the skillfully advanced, this book is a solid addition to any medical library.

Fee's commentary is thoughtful and helpful for the pastor. Among the commentaries that have come out recently, it is not as technical as the one by Peter O'Brien, but it is more thorough than that by Moises Silva. Evangelical readers will appreciate Fee's pastoral and devotional comments. The weakness of Fee's commentary is its overt egalitarianism and slight misunderstanding of the cultural context of friendship in the ancient Greco-Roman world. For input on this context, search for works by B. W. Winter. Fee's commentary fills a needed place in Philippians commentaries.

If you are looking for a readable commentary that goes deeper into the meaning of Phillipians and it's application today but you aren't a pastor or a bible school student, then I would highly recommend this one. I thought his comments on the structure and intent of the letter were outstanding and a revelation to me. I think there is also much in this book for the serious student but for a layman like me just wanting to understand what God could say to me through Paul's little letter, this book is a dream come true!

I have been doing a Sunday School classes on Philippians and have found this commentary indispensible. It is thorough beyond expectation, insightful to the core and complete with life applicaiton sections following each section. I have been blessed and challenged so often by what he has to say. The Christ Hymn (so some - I prefer Christ Story), 2:5-11, had me in tears of joy and worship. It's a must have for any serious student of the Word. You won't regret this purchase.

It appears that this was the first complete series of The Punisher to be published. It begins with Frank Castle in jail. As you might expect word spreads out quickly about him within the prison walls. As the story develops, Frank is involved in a plot with an army of Punishers, formed basically by brain-washed criminals. In short, the story is worth every penny.

In the 1980's marvel refused to make a miniseries on the punisher (who first appeared in amazing spiderman) because he was too violent and often killed the bad guys. When artist mike zeck threatened to leave marvel however marvel decided to allow the miniseries to be made. In the first 3 hours the first comic was in newstands, it completely sold out. It was an instant hit. Marvel suddenly decided to embrase the punisher as a character. soon the punisher gets his own long term series called "the punisher" the "punisher war journal" and countless others as well as a movie called the punisher. This miniseries was in my opinion the most influential comic that came from the 80's. This graphic novel is very well written and clever. If you give it a chance you'd like it

I've been a fan of this particular Punisher series since I bought the second issue of it when I was 7 years old. I can still remember seeing Frank on the cover with his machine gun and thinking to myself, "Whoah he looks just like Rambo!".

Now, all of these years later, I consider this work to be the single finest Marvel mini-series; yes, even better than anything involving Wolverine, X-Men, or my beloved Spider-Man.

Circle of Blood is a complete story within itself, and would be the perfect comic to turn into a movie. The artwork is fantastic, and the dialogue is less cheesy than you normally find in 80's comics. There are none of the annoying references to every other comic book in the Marvel Universe (I was one of those kids that really hated that), and there are -- thankfully -- no appearances by other Marvel characters. These factors, combined with the story's grittiness and adult nature, make it one of the more original and realistic of anything Marvel's done. Frank's enemies in this book are not flamboyant villains, but just the kind of thugs you would expect in a mob movie. Frank's not out to save the world, but to get revenge upon and eliminate those who caused him so much grief. Oh, and did I mention? Frank isn't afraid to kill.

The story follows Frank from his family's murder, through prison, war with the mob, and ultimately to one of the most satisfying endings you could possibly imagine finding in a Marvel mini-series. I must stress again how delightful it is to be able to read this story over and over and not be made to feel like a goof because you missed a particular issue of this or that comic, or to have the entire credibility of a scene shot down by an appearance of a wise-cracking super-hero in tights. Not that there is anything wrong with wise-cracking super-heroes in tights, but you get my point.

Apparently this graphic novel has (...) been re-issued. I'll be ordering it immediately. I lost my copy years ago and I long to read it again.

This book is an incredible resource for cyclists. It is unfortunate that it hasn't been given more recent updates, or that the publisher doesn't adequately support it. The degree of topographical detail on the root profiles is unsurpassed on any books I've seen in the United Stages -- perhaps the Atlas les Cols des Alpes comes close. It fails to get a 10 because:
1. it is becoming obsolete
2. there may be some minor errors in the data

This (and its companion book) are the best ride books I have ever read. In fact, they're the only ones I've ever even liked.

Each route is laid out in elevation profile in an attractive, uncluttered profile. Scale is provided in miles and kilometers for the distance; feet and meters for the elevation; 0 at road start for both. The gradient for steep sections is cleanly labeled on the profile itself. Intersections with other major (from the cyclist's perspective) roads are indicated with a reference to the page number for that road.

The short, spare route descriptions do it for me. They're not the usual boring blow-by-blow description of the road. "At this point, if it's spring, notice the colorful flowers on the left." Rather, he provides a spare description of the feel of the riding of the road, as a cyclist would feel them. At least, as I do.

Note: the book also contains a number of black and white photos of the roads, back roads usually empty, with curves, and shot at low angle. The photographer often darkens the road, so there is little contrast between it and the surroundings. The road appears incorporated into the natural environment. Again, a cyclist's feel.

This book is the best resource for a rider that you can find. It's written to appeal to everyone from a budding racer to someone looking for family fun.

The book has two distinct sections. The first 100 pages is a report on the Mellon family lifestyle, and how a rich maverick Mellon got to Haiti. The rest of the book details Dr. and Mrs. Mellon's founding of a hospital and civil engineering projects in central Haiti.
An important finding is that the Mellon's hospital was founded on the humanitarian premise, "Reverence for life." Taken from Dr. Sweitzer's work in Africa, life refers not only to human life, but also plant and animal. This little detail is critical to understanding the book. Many missions to Haiti are Christian, while Dr. Mellon's hospital is distinctly humanistic primarily as presented in the book.
As all books on Haiti fairly present, doing anything in Haiti is hard, and without American financial support, very little work done lasts. The hospital Dr. Mellon founded did well as long as he provided two of the four million dollars needed to run it. His civil engineering projects, in which he was much more interested than medicine (he actually only practiced medicine 3 years), all crumbled when turned over to the Haitians. Many other cottage industries met the same fate.
The book thus captures the Haitian dilemna, how to serve in Haiti and lift up the Haitians to be self sufficient. If Dr. Mellon's millions couldn't do it, how can any of us with less money at our disposal. Never the less, we go to Haiti because we cannot not go, nor can we not go back after going once.
An excellent book about how a real rich guy did his best to follow his heart, not his accountant's advice, and another book about how a strong wife really does the grunt work while her husband plays with big boy's toys.

The life of William Larimer Mellon is an example of the life Americans should dream for themselves and those they love dearly. For one who majored in biology and gave it up for 18 years in auditing the paralells to Mellon's change of career and motivations struck me deeply. On witnessing the WTC disaster personally (a few hundred yards away) man should strive for something in life and go for it. Barry Paris well written account of a life inspired by Dr. Schweitzer is highly recommended to all readers committed to God and American morals and values. If readers have a noble vision the price of this book is totally insiginificant to the highest rewards you will gather from reading it.

Song of Haiti is an absolutely awesome book! As a nurse who has done mission work in Haiti, I found this book authentic, a true inspiration, as well as a compelling, indepth view of the lives of many dedicated and compassionate people. Barry Paris' work describes the country and the people in beautiful and fullfilling language. Oftentimes, I felt as if I were in Haiti again experiencing the amazing, hard-working and loving people of the country. I've never before read a biography with such griping prose. I looked forward to my time to read because I became more and more interested in the life of every person described - be it Dr. Mellon and Gwen or Albert Schweitzer, or the nurses and doctors and friends with whom they shared their lives. I believe this is the way that biographical work should be written. Song of Haiti is thorough in that it covers the entirety of Dr. Mellon's life, touching on his downfalls as well as his high acheivements. I found that the realism with which the story is told is excellent and believable. The many everyday encounters and adventures are interesting and mesmerizing - it makes a person want to travel and experience the third world for all of the beauty and intensity it offers. I recommend this book to everyone, regardless of your interest in medicine, mission work, or biography. It is amazing.

"The Southern Heirloom Garden" is a rich and instructive work.

At the start of the book, William C. Welch and Greg Grant tell us that "gardening is one of the oldest, and richest, of our Southern folk arts."

The authors divide the book into two sections. The first section refreshingly explores French, German, Spanish, Native American, and African-American contributions to Southern gardening.

The Spanish, for instance, intensely developed and utilized small garden spaces, while African-Americans used brightly-colored flowers in the front yard as a sign of welcome.

This section also has a commendable essay on historic garden restoration in the South.

The second section addresses the plants "our ancestors used to build and enrich their gardens."

There are nearly 200 full-color photographs here, along with dozens of rare vintage engravings. While some of the pictures are a bit small, they are still informative.

Southern gardeners and historians will particularly enjoy this fine volume.

This is a really great book. I loved the essays on each plant. Greg Grant is very humorous. This is not just a coffee table book, although the pictures are beautiful. It offers advise and inspiration to those of us who will never have the "Southern Living Landscape" look.

In these days of trying the "Western grass garden" or the "English perennial border" it's particularly refreshing to study a book devoted to plants that happily grow in the Southern humidity and heat. While the opening chapters on historical gardens in the new world (French, Spanish, etc.) were interesting, the later chapters on plants were the most informative. When reading I could hear my Grandmother using the same commonplace names, like "paw-paw" and how to make jelly from the fruit. The challenge will now be to find some of these plants. (The authors admit some plants are only available from old gardens in the South). It remains one of my favorite garden books for its affectionate commentary on one of the oldest southern pastimes - our gardens and the talking and sharing of plants with loved ones.

This is actually one of the more useful books by Mr. Grant, who hasn't been an actual member of the O.T.O. since his expulsion by it's Grand Master in 1954. :)

Mr. Grant's books get more confused and deluded as years go by; this one, however, is one of his earlier works, and has many interesting points and observations. I heartily reccomend this one, along with Hidden Lore, The Magickal Revival, Cults of the Shadow, and Aleister Crowley & the Hidden God. I would strongly reccomend against even an intermediate student wasting their time or money on much else of his, save for "Zos Speaks", which is actually Austin Osman Spare. The advanced student can of course do as s/he Will, I personally have some care and concern for people who start to take Mr. Grant's works *too* seriously.

Grant's books are exspensive - they are also nearly incomprehensible. So if you're thinking of buying this one I'd recommend you do it for pratical reasons. One being: If you would like to study the darker aspects of the tarot, this is where it begins. Practical equals comprehensible. Linda Falorio, Fred Fowler and Mishlen Linden have put out a few books based on Grant's Nightside of Eden that make this possible - The Shadow Tarot and Typhonian Teratomas. I've also found that John Coulthart and Alan Moore's extension of Grant's Nightside Tarot in their book The Haunter of the Dark, plus H. R. Giger's work with Akron alow this subject to come to life. Start here with Grant's book, but if you're going to do, do it right. Piles of books can be found on the tarot, but this is an area that needs to be explored. An understanding of the shadow is essential to a magical unerstanding of the self. I hope this helps. Enjoy this book.

Back in 1977, when this book first appeared, people thought that Grant was being more than a little paranoid with his dire warnings of what he termed 'Nightside' forces ready to invade the Earth. With the benefit of hindsight however, over the last twenty-odd years we have seen a massive rise in UFO sightings and so-called 'alien abductions'. This is precisely one facet of the phenomena that Grant warns of, and more importantly, he details both the causes and the cures in this incredible, pivotal book. The Stellar Gnosis of Ancient Africa and its permutations provides the grist of the first half of the book, whilst the second half is taken up with an examination of the 22 Cells of the Qlipoth that truly sets the tone for magickal books. Any other magical book about any other system just isn't worth buying. Thelema, and the OTO in particular, has moved on so far since Crowley's day, that it's really not worth reading Crowley anymore: Grant has taken his place as the world's greatest occultist!

Eh. Smith knows how to talk. But the subject at hand isn't the greatest for an entire book.

I was looking for a book on Neutra and came across this beautiful book instead. The photographs, taken by Grant Mudford, give a vivid sense of space and relationship. He does an excellent job of capturing the light and emotion of the home. It feels much like a Japanese teahouse. Sparse and natural, bringing the outdoors in. Also included, a wonderful selection of archival photographs providing history and a glimpse of Schindlers personal life. Kathryn Smith, who actually lived at the house for five years, understands the spirit of the place. Her text covers Schindler's history, the house's structural engineering, and the philosophy upon which the cooperative dwelling is based. A truly inspiring home. The next time I am in Los Angeles, I will certainly make time to visit the Schindler House.

...My book was the result of over ten years of research in the Schindler archives, revealing new information and unpublished photos taken by Schindler himself. It is a monograph on one of the most important buildings in the history of twentieth century modernism. Half of the book consists of stunning color photos by Grant Mudford which were taken especially for this book. Grant has visited the Schindler House numerous times over the last ten years (as he lives in LA) and he has a great sensitivity and insight into its spatial qualities and how to capture this elusive character in light and shadow. The price of the book (even less on Amazon.com) is aimed at a general audience, especially students. It is an affordable introduction with sumptious photos and a text that covers history and analysis. The printing is excellent on very good quality stock; Abrams (the top art publisher in the US) did a superb job. I hope you make this a part of your library. Kathryn Smith.

This is a short, readable, heavily anecdotal account of women's history in sailing. It contains many amazing facts (e.g., The world's most successful pirate was a woman. The only teenager ever to captain a clipper ship around Cape Horn while pregnant was a woman.) The book gave me a different perspective on sailing and a different perspective on women's place in history. I wish the stories had been footnoted with sources, though. De Pauw explicitly cites sources in a handful of cases, but not in many others.

I think women pirates are cool to read about because I didn't know a lot about them. The book was good because it had a lot of imformation on women in the pirate days.

This is a wonderful book of biographies of 19th century seafaring women. The women vary from female pirates, to merchant ship captains to the wives of captains who went to sea with their men. I have reread it several times and find it a delightful addition to nautical lore.

I loved this book! The Seven Faces of Philanthropy offers a very helpful donor-centered approach to interacting with donors.

Although thoroughly researched, the authors' humility is also refreshing. Prince and File specifically say they are not offering a framework that supplements, not replaces, the strategies and techniques our offices are using. Later, they acknowledge the limits and constraints with this framework but affirm that the strength is in the process.

Throughout the book, actual comments from donors illustrate the points the authors are making. I could almost hear donors I know talking to us through those quotations! As I read The Seven Faces of Philanthropy, I found myself scribbling notes in the margins about how I could implement the framework in my daily work.

I was disappointed that this reprint merely had a new introduction. Part Two is laden with statistics and I found myself wondering how they have changed in the last ten years. Nevertheless, this book is well worth reading and implementing.

In addition to a preface, two introductions, and a research appendix, the chapters include:

Part One: Profiling the Seven Faces of Philanthropy
1. The Communitarian: Doing Good Makes Sense
2. The Devout: Doing Good is God's Will
3. The Investor: Doing Good is Good Business
4. The Socialite: Doing Good is Fun
5. The Altruist: Doing Good Feels Right
6. The Repayer: Doing Good in Return
7. The Dynast: Doing Good is a Family Tradition

Part Two: Cultivating Major Donors with the Seven Faces Framework
8. Making Connections Through Charity Networks
9. Building Relationships with the Seven Philanthropic Personalities
10. Identifying Appropriate Giving Strategies
11. Sustaining Relationships Through Donor Centered Strategies

Conclusion: Applying the Seven Faces Framework

Prince and File really did a number on this book. It contains valuable information about how to friend raise, how best to serve friends of your non-profit, and how to keep them on board with your organization. The book describes seven philanthropic "personalities" and allows the reader to think about his or her own constituents and how they might fit in with these personalities. A remarkable work, that is insightful yet easy to understand and apply.

This is a very important read for the not-for-profit person planning to ask for money. It is important to understand the motivations for giving and incorporate that into your "ask".
This book is the best resource for simplifying the giving patterns and motivators of people.