The series certainly has gone downhill since the glory days. "The Case of the Silk King" is among the best CYOA ever produced.

I don't know if Shannon Gilligan ever wrote another CYOA book, but this one rivals Edward Packard. It loosely takes the real-life story of Jim Thompson, an American silk magnate who disappeared in Thailand, and has the reader pretend to be a young detective asked to track down Thompson years later.

There no real reason tendered for why so many people don't want you to discover the truth, but this minor quibble never distracts from the general quality of the book. It takes the hoary conventions of CYOA books -- especially the use of the exotic locale -- and plays them to the hilt. If I recall correctly (I'm nineteen...it has been years...), you can get killed off by everything from a Bengal tiger to a flash flood if you make the wrong choice.

This is rather unique in the series, in that it takes off on an actual historical happening. CYOA doesn't get any better than this.

(P.S. -- Check out my review of "Your Code Name is Jonah" -- another classic CYOA book. E-mail me...we can talk about the strange hold this series has on the imagination...)

This publication gives anyone interested in the Catholic Church's social teaching a one stop tour of all the essential encyclicals and other writings that break open and build on the foundation of "Rerum Novarum".The translation of the encyclicals is well done and makes reading and understanding the message a lot easier than some previous translations. Over all a much needed and well done volumne.

This collection of essays is a revelation. From the fractured loyalties of mountain people to speculation about and examination of the mountains' manpower's effect on the war's outcome to the manufactured identity of Appalchia that grew out of the war's aftermath, this book begins to shed light on a long-dark aspect of Civil War history and a long-neglected part of the country.

From the author...bestselling author Harvey Mackay just forwarded the following endorsement:
"A must read for every youth athletic coach! John's inspirational advice comes from working with kids for nearly 30 years, and he's right! The number one goal of every youth coach should be the development of the character of each player on his team. That's Real Winning!" - Harvey Mackay, America's #1 Business Coach and best-selling author of "Swimming With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive", and his new book "Pushing the Envelope: All the Way to the Top"

I can't wait to use this book during Chinese New Year with my ESOL class! The kids will love it!

Although an adult, I still enjoy reading children's books, as you can see from some of my previous reviews. I found this book to be educational and very interesting, and believe that children will enjoy learning from it.

In Colors of Russia, Ms. Zemlicka uses different colors to convey a variety of facts about Russia. For example, the color orange tells us about the Siberian tiger, how it's the world's largest cat and is on the verge of extinction. To acquaint yourself and your child with Russia I highly recommend this exceptional book.

Leave the word "Idiot's" out of the title, and you'll have a clearer idea of what this book is about. Let me make one thing clear... this is NOT a beginner's "how to draw" book. This book assumes that you already know how to draw, and offers you guidelines on how to apply that skill to cartooning. The authors give a much too brief overview of the origins and history of cartooning (with a few minor errors), and discuss the basics of cartoon construction: expression, perspective, composition, and gag writing. They also briefly review the various forms of cartooning, and what special talents and knowledge each one requires: gag panels, comic strips, comic books, editorial cartoons, greeting cards, animation, and computer graphics. There's an entire chapter devoted to manga, the Japanese style of cartooning that's currently popular in the US. Plus, a helpful bibliography, glossary, and lots of tips on how to get your work published.

My one complaint, and it's a minor one, is that I was distracted by the authors' repeated use of the word "media" as a singular noun rather than plural... but that's the proofreader in me.

For an art book, it's surprisingly heavy on text and light on illustrations... but that's not a drawback in this case. This is not a book for beginners, but if you're an aspiring cartoonist in need of direction and encouragement, then I can't think of a better book for you.

This is the most interesting and challenging work on American social thought in many years. An exercise in social criticism influenced by the work of Alisdair MacIntyre and Christopher Lasch, _Conspicuous Criticism_ should be read by anyone interested in engaging truly radical approaches to the history of ideas. This book will last; it's well worth the price for having it available on your shelf. --Mark Weiner, Stanford University

I am a very recent baseball fan, partially as a result of Mark Schraf and this book. He was my chemistry professor this summer and I learned of his book and bought it for my dad for his birthday, later buying one for myself, too. Every poem in this book is beautifully written. Even though I don't know the story behind all the poems, Mr. Schraf and his book have really opened me up to baseball, and I am eager to learn the hidden meanings of these poems. Each poem is unique in it's own way: some are insanely funny, some sad and sentimental. He uses many different styles of poetry, too. I think everyone needs a dose of baseball, especially by this intelligent, creative author.

This book is one of my children's favorites. I have read it so many times I could quote it by heart. The pictures by Jose Aruego are funny, colorful and full of whimsey. Highly recommended for children of all ages.