WARNING--LOOK AT THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU BUY IT. Theoretically, Grant is in some sense the natural follower to Crowley's brand of magick. I know a reasonable amount about Crowley and Quabalah and I still found reading this book like reading a foreign language. This is my general experience with ALL of Grant's books. ULYSSES is easier reading than Grant's tomes. Perhaps you have to know Grant personally to understand his books.

Incredible and deep in esoteric substance. A cosmic blend of Occult overlays that reach from Crowley to Lovecraft and beyond in Qliphothic inspiration. Warning; Not for beginners. Not easy to follow without a good foundation in Esoteric, Occult systems. A Quad-spectrum of achievement on a Grand scale.

"Fiction, as a vehicle, has often been used by occultists ... Ideas not acceptable to the everyday mind, limited by prejudice and spoiled by a "bread-winning" education, can be made to slip past the censor, and by means of the novel, the poem, the short story be effectually planted in soil which would otherwise reject or destroy them. " wrote Kenneth Grant in an earlier book. For this book, Grant extends his reach into narrating escapades that clearly take place on several levels. Essentially an account of the magickal work of the New Isis Lodge of the Ordo Templi Orientis between the years 1955 and 1962, this now legendary episode of Thelemic history led to the Treasurer Karl Germer "expelling" Grant (which he didn't have the authority to do), and Grant taking over as Outer Head. From a magickal perspective, the work is fascinating, and this book no less so; in fact the book can be seen as an extension and completion (indeed, like the rest of Grant's ouvre) of the New Isis Lodge's work. This is, however, highly advanced magick, definitely NOT for beginners; there will always be those who fail to understand this type of book, just as Crowley's work was misunderstood by many of his generation, and react negatively towards it. Simply, if you read this book and fail to "get it", then you're not the 'expert' you thought you were. The book will repay many readings, as its subtle ideas and nuances work their way round your brain. If you are at all interested in just how far Thelema, and the OTO in particular, haved moved on since Crowley's day, then this is the book for you. If you're still reading Crowley, however, then this is not for you.

Having been quite impressed by one of Grant's Roman Empire books, I had high expectations for this book -- expectations which (excepting maybe the chapter on Herod) were not met. The problem is this: Grant had abundant source material for his Roman books, so he can give a seemingly accurate description of imperial Rome. But for most of Israel's history up to about 100 BC or so, there is almost no source material other than the Bible. Thus, you can't even try to interpret Hebrew history before 100 without intelligently explaining your view on the truth (or lack of same) of the Hebrew Bible (or as Christians call it, the Old Testament). So to intelligently discuss what might have happened, you have to show some understanding of the theological issue -- and Grant, being a historian and not a theologian, doesn't even try to do so. Unfortunately, Grant just assumes the truth of one view (the "Documentary Hypothesis" -- i.e., that the Bible was written by a wide variety of people rather than being transmitted by God to Moses and the prophets) rather than arguing the point, so his interpretations are useless to anyone but hardened secularists. I gave this book two stars instead of one only because Grant does have some interesting tidbits about various minor points (e.g. minor similarities between early Judaism and paganism).

This is an excellent resource on understanding the history of Israel following the text of the Hebrew Bible. Michael Grant is a superb writer, who conveys a solid knowledge of the Hebrew Bible, Jewish history, and commentary in a single accessible, and enjoyable text. A must read for teachers both academic and religious.

Michael Grant is a peerless writer on the ancient world. His earlier book on King Herod was superb. This comprehensive review of the history of Israel is the best thing of its kind I have ever seen. I am ordering a copy for myself even before finishing it. It will be a key reference book and essential background preparation for my own book in progress about early Christianity. Michael Grant knows how to write. And he covers all essential points in clear and insightful fashion.

This book provoked many feelings, from curiosity to hate. Perhaps this is just what Michael Grant expected or wanted. He should be commended for taking on such a controversial subject. The inclusion of works other than the Bible, however, would have given the book a greater historical impact. Unfortunately, Michael Grant fails to follow his original thesis of fully explaining the Gospels in a historically correct fashion. The one constant in the book is Grant's writing style, it reads easily. Read the book it will either make one a better Christian or cause one to seek a new religion either way it will be an experience.

I ran across this book while looking for the Jesus Seminar series. I decided to pick this one up to compare with the JS books, and it compares favorably. It is written in a much more "approachable" fashion than the JS works, and Grant seems to recognize the fine line he treads between historical research into Jesus' life and offending Christians' beliefs. As a history buff I found it intriguing, and I will look for more books in this line--fact-based historical research without a political or religious agenda. I find it interesting that some Christians are offended by revelations into the historical acts of Jesus, or the differentiation between his acts and the works of the founders of the Christian church some years later. An honest attempt to research the actual mission of Jesus should only help scholars & Christians better understand him.

Grant has managed to treat the life of Jesus as one would treat any historical figure. He has sidestepped centuries of interpretation and misinterpretation, and presents a portrait of Jesus based on the actual historical evidence. It is not the Jesus we are used to, and Grant's own interpretations challenge many common assumptions

Mizlansky/Zilinsky sounds like it would be good. Nathan lane and Paul Sand are 2 well-respected actors who you'd think would create something to look forward to. But instead, the series is crude, rude, and very unfunny. Other then a few funny antics from Nathan Lane, including some lines, the show is very bland and leads to a road of nowhere.

Absolutely hilarious play, with great acting by a terrific cast. The plot is funny, and the dialogue is funnier. What made this very special for me was the format -- a "live" audio theater performance. It was like being on Broadway. A great experience.

The superb cast bringing Jon Baitz' dark comedy of sleazy Hollywood producer Davis Mizlansky and his problems with ex-spouses, colleagues, customers, and the IRS to life includes Nathan Lane, Paul Sand, Julie Kavner, Samantha, Harry Shearer, Richard Masur; Rob Morrow, Grant Shaud, Kurtwood Smith, and Robert Walden. Ably directed by Ron West, this superbly produced, 106 minute, two cassette unabridged comedy was recorded before a live audience and offers a terrific listening experience enhanced with a full course of sound effects. Mizlansky/Zilinsky will prove a popular and entertaining addition to any personal, drama school, or community library audiobook/audioplay collection.

Scott of the Antarctic belongs in any complete collection of books on Antarctic exploration. It has a wealth of good, basic information on Scott's Discovery and Terra Nova expeditions.

But, having said that, the prospective reader must be warned that the book is a love letter to Scott, and has been utterly eclipsed by Roland Huntford's The Last Place on Earth, a far more scholarly and accurate account of the race to the South Pole.

A true classic of the genre, "Scott.."chronicles the exploration of the world's last frontier: the great polar ice caps. The reader is emersed in the expedition as the pair of explorers plod endlessly in the tractless permafrost, unaware of the gaping crevaces hidden beneath the snow, but painfully aware of the howling winds that pelt their faces with stinging ice, and numbing cold. This very well written book is indeed a fitting tribute to those intrepid scientists who brave hostile regions to further man's knowledge of the globe.

Huxley gives the background information on why and how the South Pole expedition of 1910 -1913 became a disaster. The author gives valuable information to understand the history of this endeavor and why Scott was chosen as a leader beginning in the 1880s. She gives an excellent insight on preparations of the expedition and Scott's rivalry with Shackleton. The analysis on why Scott chose ponies and motor sledges as auxillary means of transport over dogs is excellent. The mixture of amateurism and masochism that led to failure shown by the immense feeling of pride to do everything -especially man-hauling the sledges- the hard way has not been explained as well in any other book I have read on the subject. In the foreword the author states that Scott only became a hero because he died and led his four companions into death. After reading the book one can only wonder how muchbecoming a hero might have been a motive that led to self-destruction after having only been second to the Pole after Amundsen's Norwegian expedition.

Ulysses S. Grant was a complex, fascinating personality who led a dramatic, multi-faceted rollercoaster of a life. Why hasn't anyone been able to write a decent novel about the guy? "Ulysses" accomplishes a near-impossible feat: It succeeds in making Grant look dull. His life is presented as a series of brief, disconnected, uninvolving scenes, the personalities are as flat as my computer monitor, and Skimin's idea of plot and character development is to get Grant drunk on every other page, even at moments when not even his hostile biographers accuse him of getting plastered. Poor Ulys deserves better. Calling all talented dramatists--here is your next project!

When I first bought this book, I thought I was taking a chance. But from page one, Robert Skimin takes you on a wonderous journey of one of the most interesting men in US History. It starts out with a few stories from U.S. Grant's early childhood and moves to his years at Westpoint, to the Mexican War, to his life during peacetime. Obviously the main part of the book is dedicated to the Civil War, but that is to be expected. Skimin takes you to Fort Henry, Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and the Wilderness Campaign. You have Lee surrendering to Grant and the Grant's life after the Civil War, including his scandal-torn presidency. Skimin keeps the book interesting as you follow the life of Ulysses S. Grant. This book is a must read if the Civil War or this point of history is even of slight interest.

This book covers Grant's life from when he was young all the way though to his death. The book showed us what a complex and interesting person Grant was. I truly enjoyed reading this book and found it very hard to put down. The book draws you into Grant's life and lets you experience his life's triumphs and tribulations. Anybody who likes good historical fiction will enjoy this book. My brother also read this book and really enjoyed it.

If you believe that the best fundraising comes from personalized stewardship, you should read this book. Sturtevant takes his years of experience in the higher education fundraising circle, and translates many of the best practices into a format that anyone can use. He offers a great understanding to the novice fundraiser (be they board, staff or volunteer) and really helps humanize an otherwise scary endeavor.

Even the seasoned fundraiser will learn much from his experience, though you may notice redundancy toward the beginning of the last half of the book. Skip over the stuff you know, and you will still be pleased with the outcome.

I've successfully used this book to help train members of my board and to aid in the development of a pro-fundraising philosophy around the office.

This book was loaned to me and now I have got to have a copy for my own library! Sturtevant not only tells what he is doing he tells us why and starts at the very beginning. He draws extensively on other heavyweight fundraising authors so reading this book is really giving you the info from 3 or 4 of the top fundraisers in the country. A "must have" in any development office.

Tad Crawford has written many useful books for working artists. This book primarily focuses on the state laws for all 50 states. It has some info on the nuts and bolts of gallery/artist interactions and good examples of sample contracts, but overall I was disappointed.

Most of the book focuses on reciting the state statutes. I would have liked more "juice" on navigating the minefield that can occur in artist/dealer relations. Of course, a contract should allow an artist to avoid such messes, but more examples of things going wrong even with contracts would have been useful. It is a good reference book if you are past the point of no return and need to know the legalities of your particular state so you can proceed accordingly. I found Tad Crawfords other books more useful.

I own a small gallery because I love art and artists, but I was not prepared for the variety of business and legal headaches that this field could produce. During yet another frantic call to my attorney, she recommended this book to me and life has been considerably calmer ever since.

Let's face it: art is a business and if you are an artist or a gallery owner, you can't afford to be without this information. I use this book to maintain records; I check paperwork against it before visiting my accountant; I use its sample forms and agreements every time I get the place ready for a new exhibit; and I follow this book's advice with every sale and display we make. This book should be required reading for everyone who has anything to do with art consignment...

If you want to see Batman fight Judge Dredd, you'll find this book disappointing (unless you think a three- or four-panel scuffle constitutes as "fight"). You'll also find this book disappointing if you're hoping to see Batman and Judge Dredd team up, because they don't. Instead, Batman teams up with Anderson to go after Judge Death, who has teamed up, rather randomly I think, with the Scarecrow (surely the Scarecrow and Judge Fear would have been a more logical combination?) It's not an activally bad comic, but it's certainly not a great one.

It's crime fighting time when Judge Dredd and Batman take on each other!It's even better than Batman Forever!Highly recommended!

I've read all of the stories in this Batman TPB, and while the Bat-Mite and Poison Ivy tales are OK, the first tale, "Blades" by Robinson and Sale, is spectacular. If you're a fan of "Starman" or anything else by Robinson, buy this quick. If you like great storytelling and great art by Sale, buy this quick!

I especially liked the story with Bat-Mite! HE is so cute and funny. "Hothouse" is a little confusing though, but I think I pretty mush got it down.