The author provides a first hand account on the civil war that ravaged Lebanon for more than 15 years. Having been a journalist for the British Times and now the Independent in London, he lived and reported from the part of the country that suffered most, West Beirut. Robert Fisk provides detailed analysis of the war, the politics, and describes the gruesome attacks and massacres on civilians by the Israelis and their allies. He witnesses the kidnapping of his fellow journalists and narrowly escapes it himself. He discusses both the Syrian and Israeli invasions of Lebanon. The author maintains, as humanly possible, objectivism as he reports on this war with no winners. Excellent reading. Cynical writing. Good history book for non-lebanese and for those with little knowledge on the war.

As he does so regularly for the English newspaper "The Independent", Fisk provides a brilliant account and analysis of Lebanon. He is particularly good on the misreportage of events by the Western media, and on the Israeli propaganda machine, and his account of the kidnapping of his friend Terry Anderson is superb. Reading this book leaves you both sad and angry. Good accompanying reading is William Dalrymple's "From The Holy Mountain," in which he interviews Fisk.

Robert Fisk has produced the most accurate book that describes Lebanon between 1975 and 1990. This is the most factual book that you will ever read about Lebanon.

If you have a heart, About Face is a tale that will touch you. With its wonderful character development, this is a compellingly told story of the relationships that can develop .. and the love and enduring hope that can, and will, exist in the hearts of those who have faced hatred and violence of any type. This is a beautiful story that touched me deeply on many levels ... as a parent, as a survivor, and most importantly, as a human.

Read the book, come to know these two brothers and their young friend, and understand, if only for mere moments, what so many face every day of their lives.

ABOUT FACE is a remarkable book. It is a very open look at the relationship between two very different brothers and their strong love for one another. It is this love, and the need to help someone else out of an abusive situation, that sets the stage for a very fast paced story that will keep you completely spellbound to the very last twist.
It is a very intense read, and I personally had trouble putting it down (I almost missed a bus to work I was so engrossed in reading this) I encourage ANYONE who loves a good read to pick this publication!

I devoured this book whole. Not a morsel was left, though I do hope the authors write a second book together!

This is a story that will appeal to a wide range of readers on all levels, as it could possibly be a "true" story, rather then fiction.

The focus in About Face is about two teen brothers, the abuse they suffer at the hand of a cold, uncaring father, and the boys attempt to help a young boy out of his own domestic abuse situation. The tale is told from each boys point of view, each writer using a different voice and writing style. I found this to add to the flavor and style of the story line. I even took this book to work to read on my lunch hour, I was so caught up!

All characters are well rounded, with clear speaking voices. I loved some,admired others and HATED others. Personalities sprung to life on the pages of my imagination wile reading About Face.

About Face is a tale of terror, without the vampires, two head demons or demented scientists lurking about. Just raw emotion
that will grab your attention from the beginning of the book.

A friend recommended I read this book and I am now passing on that advise to others. You won't regret it.

Since we frequent Perini's Steakhouse, we know Tom's award-winning cuisine first-hand! His cookbook is a "no-holds barred" approach... giving ALL of his famous recipes from his unbeatable steak rub to green chile hominy to his signature bread pudding with whiskey sauce!

In addition to fabulous recipes, the book also showcases wonderful photography depecting life in West Texas. Sidelines feature insights into several famous Texas ranches.

Your cookbook collection shouldn't be without this book! It is one you will be sure to use often!

Texas Cowboy Cooking by Tom Perini arrived yesterday. It is a cookbook that makes you want to jump up and make the recipes as you are turning the pages of the book. We have already tried the Cowboy Bloody Mary, Lisa's Favorite Caesar Salad, the seasoned olive oil for the Sourdough Bread Chips to use as croutons for the salad and are in the process of making the Sourdough Starter for the Sourdough Bread. It's the best Caesar Dressing that we've tried and the croutons are very good.

The historical information is good and has added color to this cookbook. It is not Texas boastful--simply well done. We plan on giving it as Christmas gifts to family members who have visited us here in Abilene, Texas.

The book would be a welcome addition to any cookbook library, but we don't think you will be content looking at this book on a shelf. Our guess is the purchaser will find the book being used over and over. There is a wonderful variety of recipes from which to choose, whether preparing a meal for family or friends from the neighboring ranches or, shoot, if you happen to live in a city then this type of cooking is sure to please. Over the years we have been fortunate to enjoy many pounds of prime rib cooked the Perini way with the flavor of the beef drawn out with his Texas Herb Rub found on page 85, cooked over mesquite coals and served with some of the delicous recipes that can be found in the side dishes section, followed by Tom's bread pudding with whiskey sauce found on page 173, leaves me hoping others will be so fortunate. In additon to recipes, the book is filled with ranch photographs taken by a well-known rancher/photographer and the food photography is stunning. Also the information about historic ranches, ranch cooking and the old photographs will be fascinating to anyone with an interest in real Texas food told by a man who is now sharing great food ideas with you.

Smart Medicine does a wonderful job listing multiple approaches to common childhood ailments. The authors list conventional methods of treatment as well as natural and homeopathic methods. It has been helpful in my household in the decision-making process of what to do when one of our children show symptoms of distressed health. I recommend it to all parents who are sick of giving others control over their child's health.

I appreciate the range of health care options in this book, from allopathy through osteopathy through herbs and nutrition, even venturing into quackery with homeopathy. :-) Sometimes I take immediate action after consulting this book, such as when my daughter's symptoms were accurately described as scarlet fever, and sometimes I continue with palliative care, as when breastfeeding a vomiting child.

The authors encourage you to examine your options, when appropriate, and when to seek immediate care such as with poisoning, shock or polio. I have never had the impression they push any method of health care over any other, but rather want the parent to have all the options. Read the introductory sections on all of the modalities they offer so you fully understand the rationale behind them. Read the home safety tips too; most are pretty obvious to parents, but there may be something you overlook; don't we all?

I'm lucky to have very healthy children so I don't need the specifics a lot, but this book is well written enough just to have on hand and read out of curiousity such as when the neighbor's child has roseola or just to tell your child what it really looks like when someone breaks a bone.

Calling all Parents: Today's allopathic world of modern medicine can be overwhelming and excessive for our children. Side-effects from even over-the-counter relief medications can be devastating. The greatest gift you can give to your children is health, and this does not come from doctors, it comes from you and your knowledge. This is simply the best book to help you understand the basics of just about any childhood illness. Where doctors are limited to one kind of medicine, this guide gives you a great advantage in diversity of treatments, from allopathic to naturopathic. Strengthen your childrens immune system and treat their illnesses through the use of nutrition, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and accupressure. Learn about your children and yourself and empower yourself with the knowledge of the healing arts. THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANY PARENT!

This is the best Lovecraft edition for those who have been acquainted with Lovecraft and like his writings. Definately the best of the Arkham House collections and is the first of the Arkham House books to get. Probably not the best for those unfamiliar with Lovecraft just because of the cost.

This collection includes my favorite Lovecraft story "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", as well as the wonderful stories "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Dunwich Horror". Some of the other better stories include "The Music of Erich Zann" and "Pickman's Model". Robert Bloch's introduction is a nice supplement to Lovecraft's writings. Highly recommended, but I also recommend buying additional Lovecraft because this collection does leave out some Lovecraft gems(i.e. "At the Mountains of Madness").

I highly recommend this first in a series of Arkham House books which comprise the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft. As Robert Bloch points out in his introduction, Lovecraft was the premiere horror writer of his day and even now we owe much to him. The genre of horror fiction (and cinema) owes and insurmountable debt of gratitude to Lovecraft. His existential vision of an uncaring universe, his colorful and panoramic prose, and his penchant for turn of the century vocabulary (such as "phantasy")takes the reader into *his* narrative like few other writers of horror can. Consider writers like Stephen King, who like Lovecraft sets many of his tales in their familiar and beloved New England and you realize the unmistakable presence and influence of Lovecraft. This edition published by Arkham House is the definitive edition of Lovecraft's work, corrected, re-edited, and thoroughly revised.

Lovecraft's work does for the horror fiction tale what David Lynch's films do for cinema. It takes the genre into a stratum of the unconscious so abstract and frightening that one finds beauty in the macabre madness that exists there. "The Dunwich Horror and Others" is the ideal starting point for any Lovecraft neophyte. All of Lovecraft's most important and frightening short stories are found in their original forms in this beautiful Arkham House hardcover. There are a few omissions such as "The Lurking Fear" and "The Dreams in the Which House," but these stories and more are easy enough to locate in other Arkham House or Del Rey collections. To sit and read this volume cover to cover is to experience horror fiction at its most dismal and horrific. In "The Dunwich Horror," the reader visits the damned Whateley farm, where an extra-dimensional being has been summoned. In "The Colour Out of Space," a farm in Arkham, Ma. has been hit by a meteorite that carries with it a pestilence that drives the land and its inhabitants to madness and death. The maddeningly eerie "The Whisperer in Darkness" an isolated man describes his encounters with a malign alien colony that has taken residence near his home in backwater New England. "The Whisperer in Darkness" is one of Lovecraft's most potent tales due to the fact that it's narrative is largely drawn from letters, journal entries and even phonograph recordings of the extra-terrestrials themselves.

Like the reader from Seoul, I began reading Georgette Heyer around age 13. I quickly discovered Frederica, and in fact, tried to use a passage from the book for an elocution contest (unsuccessfully). What is it about this book that stays with you over the ages?

I believe it is not just Georgette Heyer's wit, sparkling dialogue, careful historical research (despite the occasional error), or her lively characters. Somehow this book transcends even her usual output. Both the hero and heroine are older and more mature, with Frederica believing that she is fit only to be a chaperone. The Marquess is bored, cynical, and shows more affection for his secretary than for any member of his family. And of course, he values his horses above them all, as famously said by his sister. While his intentions for taking up Frederica and her family are hardly benevolent, his continued interaction with her and her irrepressible younger brothers Felix and Jessamy gradually humanize him. In that sense, this is the Heyer book closest in spirit to Pride and Prejudice, my all-time favorite. Perhaps that is why I love them both.

There is a thrilling chase after a balloon which results in near-tragedy, the usual minor characters who act in ways designed to exasperate the hero and heroine, and two sub-plots with two other couples falling in love during the book. The latter half of the book takes place with Frederica very preoccupied with family concerns. If you want a book full of drama and chases, this might disappoint you. However, this is the very part which shows me how much Alverstoke has changed. The part about the pork jelly is priceless, but I will leave it to the reader to find that out.

In conclusion, if you like the mature Georgette Heyer with the older hero and heroine, this is probably going to become one of your favorites.

I first stumbled upon a Georgette Heyer novel when I was 14 and for more than 30 years I have been an avid fan of her books. I got hooked on reading regency romance novels just because of Georgette Heyer books and NOTHING I have read until now (and I HAVE read a lot) compares to her original and sparkling romances. Her characters come alive on every page and there is no one who can write witty dialogue better. Frederica is one of my favorite Heyer heroines and this book has a really funny almost-proposal scene.

I really feel this book rates 6 stars.

Georgette Heyer researched her books in great detail and they are quite simply in a class of their own. Many people feel she invented the Regency Romance. The dialogue used is often from original sources, this book actually contains one of her very few historical mistakes, Soho in Birmingham not Soho in London is where the foundry was located. There are misunderstandings but ones that seem to occur quite naturally. In this book Felix Fredrica's schoolboy brother with a scientific bent questions practically everything and is quite central to the story. The character descriptions and dialog are excellent and all in all it is one of my favourite Georette Heyers.

From the dust cover of the Bodley Head edition...

Written in Georgette Heyer's lightest vein, this is the story of the adventures in Regency London of the Merriville family: Frederica, riding the whirlwind and directing the storm; Harry, rusticated from Oxford and embarking with enthusiasm on the more perilous amusements pursued by young gentlemen of ton; the divine Charis, too tender-hearted to discourage the advances of her numerous suitors; Jessamy, destined for the Church and wavering, in adolescent style, between excessive virtue and a natural exuberance of spirits; and Felix, a schoolboy with a passion for scientific experiment. In Frederica, Georgette Heyer created one of her most engaging heroines; and in the Marquis of Alverstoke - a bored cynic who becomes involved in all the imbroglios of a lively family -a hero whose sense of humour makes him an excellent foil for Frederica.

This book was pretty good,... I felt that this novel was very choppy. Years would pass all of a sudden, leaving you to wonder what happened during that period of time. I'd lose interest sometimes, leaving the book to sit for weeks before picking it back up again. Despite these faults, I really liked the concept of the "Alliance" of races, and I thought the battles were well written. I'm glad Yavamaya finally got some attention as well. Hopefully Bloodlines will keep my attention better.

After we were pretty discouraged from reading Planeswalker, J. Robert King knew he had to create a novel to recover the greatness of the Magic the Gathering "Artifacts Cycle" after Lynn Abbey wrote his book that barely reaches average. In Time Streams, the famous Tolaria is one of the main places were the story takes place. Tolaria is the place where Urza gathers the greatest minds in Dominaria to study at his academy (no, I didn't get this from the back cover, mind you). They include Malzra, Barrin, and the mischivous Teferi (to a huge extent he frequently calls Karn "Arty Shovelhead") . In the end of every chapter, there is a very intelegent monologue written by Barrin, Mage Master of Tolaria (it's fiction, J. Robert King wrote everything). In the prologue, it is only a monologue but it quickly addicts you to the story ( use thehandy tool on this page to look inside books and read the prologue, you'll know what I mean). Tolaria get's destroyed and many scholars killed by a Phyrexian threat, war becomes at hand. Ten years after the battle, Urza, Teferi, Karn, Barrin, Malzra, and the others return to the wreckage of former Tolaria and build a new academy called "New Tolaria". More battle comes and some may be tired out of battle, battle, battle, battle, battle, war, war, war, war, war, but I haven't read such an action-packed book since Apocalypse (Invasion Cycle, book III). Hopefully, you'll make a wise desicion and buy Time Streams. Ya'll love it.

Alex

Time Streams continues the tale of the continuing of Urza's striving goal to eliminate the Phyrexians from the world of Dominaria. Introducing the characters of Karn and Jhoira, great thinkers as well as good friends to Urza, they make an alliance with the Viashino and Goblins of Shiv, and the nature spirit Multani to bring the end of Phyrexia and later, the minions of Phyrexia hanging out in Serra's Realm. A great story for those fans of Magic and others.

If you haven't read The Brother's War (Jeff Grubb) or Planeswalker (Lynn Abbey), I encourage you to read these two books before reading Time Streams for better understanding of this book. Fans of the Artifacts Cycle series of books for Magic the Gathering should look for Bloodlines (Loren Coleman) in August, and Mercadian Masques (Lynn Abbey, Francis LeBaron) in September.

Colonel Sun is a sadist. So was Kingsley Amis, as the miniscule details of pain and torture are given as much relish as Fleming did about the class trappings that we enjoy. It's also clear that the style was more "modern" than Fleming, but it still remains true to the character that he built, more so than what's been coming about lately.

Even without the minor details, it's still a great Bond book; compelling throughout.

Forget Raymond Benson. Don't even waste your time with John Gardner. They're hack writers who learned all about Bond from the movies. Markham (aka Kingsley Amis) knew enough about Fleming's vision of Bond to write "The James Bond Dossier", one of the first critiques of Fleming's series. "Colonel Sun" picks up right where Ian's final novel, "The Man With The Golden Gun" left off, and brings 007's career to a fitting close. The writing style is eerily like Fleming's, even containing dashes of the famed "Fleming Effect". Read this one, put in on the shelf next to your original 007 books, and forget about wasting your time with any other authors who attempt to write Bond.

Kingsley Amis was Ian Fleming's true successor. It's absolutely criminal that this thriller remains out-of-print while John Gardner's drivel remains on book store shelves. Raymond Benson claims to be familiar with this novel. Well if he is, then he should try to model his own work on it and stop writing like he's only seen the Bond movies.

I have always been greatly impacted by the words and works of Roberts Liardon and this book is no exception. I've actually heard him preach on this series before, but reading it straight from the book is a definite different experience. He makes each unique individual come alive with fire and passion. This book will open the eyes of many to catch a glimpse of the awe-inspiring lives of men and women who once lived so very closely to the Most High God!

(I've already reviewed this on October 16,1999, but since then I've changed my email address) First off, I'd like to say that Pastor Roberts Liardon is a man of God. With these men and women that God has called him to write about, he explains their lives, and helps us to look at ourselves more in deph with the spirit realm. Are we walking according to God's standards? Are we operating in the great gifts of the Holy Spirit? Are we showing compassion and love and taking care of our bodies which are the temples of the Holy Ghost? These questions may arrouse you when you read this book, or watch the video series. I encourage any baptized believer in Christ who wants to grow spiritually to read this book! It will help change you life!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a blessing to me and I learned a lot from it. I especially enjoyed reading about: Smith Wigglesworth, Jack Coe, Amy Mchperson, A.A. Allen, Kathryn Kuhlman and others. Roberts is an anointed man of God and it shows in his writing. I love to read his books and watch his videos. They are very inspirational! If you haven't read this book, READ IT! It will help change your life!

The protagonist David Selig was born with the gift of reading minds, but finds around the age of forty that his gift is fading. This story is pretty much summed up in that one sentence, and from there we have flashbacks to his past when the power was strong broken with interludes in the present.
The problem is, David is never a sympathetic character, past or present. He starts out shallow and finished shallow, never exerting any self control over his gift to better himself, and mourning it pathetically and placidly as it fades. His relationship with his sister was horrible from childhood, where he made it unbearable for her, through his life. It did intrigue me that his sister only seemed interested in his as his power faded, but her motive seemed more to rub it in his face than any actual familial concern.
There are a few really good parts, such as David's interview with the child psychologist, and only being 200 pages it is a very quick read, but don't expect too much insight into David or any of the other characters. Silverberg is a master of SF, but I can only give this three stars for the unique idea and nothing for the actual content.

Along with THE BOOK OF SKULLS and DOWNWARD TO THE EARTH, this is 1 of Silverberg's very best novels, & 1 of the finest science fiction novels of the 70s. An intimate portrait of a telepath losing his powers, the book Dscribes the depression of that loss, as well as the exaltation of David Selig's gift. The brilliant writing U can almost take 4 granted -- it's Silverberg. What's really stunning is the painfully up-close, intimate, personal portrait U'll get of Selig & the people in his life. It's so vivid, indelible -- U'll feel like U've met this person. There's even a happy ending. It makes 4 an amazing, rewarding mind-movie. An all-time classic -- the fact that it didn't win either a Hugo or a Nebula Award (which both went to Isaac Asimov's 2nd-rate THE GODS THEMSELVES) is 1 of the major lapses of R time.

I have read almost all of Silverberg's novels written before 1980, and believe that "Dying Inside" is his best. It is unfortunate that it is out of print, but one can find it with a bit of effort. My daughter found a used copy in a small bookstore in NYC -- I have since re-read the book and found it even more poignant than the first time I read it. Readers not interested in science fiction should take the plunge into the genre with this book, as it explores the psychological aspects of alienation that can result from possessing a rare quality (or affliction). The main character of the story, David Selig, struggles with his relationships with others because of his ability to know exactly what they are thinking, feeling, etc. He learns that even his parents aren't always loving despite what they say. His unique loneliness is heartbreaking. Take the time to find this book. You may conclude that it is one of the most powerful science fiction novels ever written.