Make sure you read the previous Tintin Adventure, "The Secret of the Unicorn," otherwise you will really not know all about the background on "Red Rackham's Treasure," despite the fact Hergé offers a bit of a recapitulation in the form of a conversation overhead in a bar. The main thing is that having collected all the clues regarding the titular treasure, Tintin and Captain Haddock are prepared to go forth and find it. However, almost as important as the search for the treasure is our introduction to the final pivotal member of the Tintin family, as Professor Cuthbert Calculus offers the service of his small shark-proof submarine for exploring the ocean floor. Tintin refuses the offer, but it turns out that Professor Calculus always hears somkething other than what somebody is really saying. Adding to the fun are the Thom(p)sons, who come alone with orders to protect Tintin. "Red Rackham's Treasure" is mostly a pure adventure story, with Tintin using the small submarine and a deep sea diving suit to look for the treasure of the Unicorn. But there is still some detective work left to be done to decipher the final cryptic clues left by Sir Francis Haddock concerning the treasure's location. I still like Hergé's two-part adventure that sent Tintin to the Moon, but this two-parter is not far behind. This is the last of the Tintin stories Hergé wrote during World War II, and after this point we will definitely see his stories become much more allegorical in terms of post-War Europe.

Tintin is great. I never tire of re-reading him.
Red Rackham's Treasure sees our erstwhile hero gallivanting off with Snowy, Captain Haddock and the Thompson Twins after the adventures outlined in "Secret of the Unicorn'. In this book we are introduced to the absent-minded Professor Calculus - it's always great to see how the drawing of characters change after a couple of adventures! - and his amazing shark submarine. Suffice it to say, deep-sea diving, bottles of rum, the odd shark, all lead to the golden treasure in a most unexpected place.
Everyone should read Tintin and this adventure is one of the best.

Tintin is a legendary character and this is one of his best adventures ever. It is just breathtaking, funny as usual and full of thrill. This is a must for any comics lover. God Bless you Herge.

This is the first part, the second part is 'Red Rakham's Treasure'. This is also the series when Marlinspike Hall makes its appearance. The second part is also when Prof Cuthbert Calculus enters Tintin cast for the first time. This is a story every Tintin lover will cherish and other readers will also enjoy. Despite being more than half a century old the story has lost nothing of its charm and sense of fun.

The plot concerns miniature models of boats that bear a striking similarity to a boat in a portrait of one of Capt Haddock's ancestors. From there begins a tale of pirates, of a treasure, of theives after the same treasure, of three hundred year old rum, of our adventurers' attempts at getting to it. The story finally culminates in the Marlinspike Hall, with Capt Haddock being restored to what turns out to be his ancesteral home.

This is the first and perhaps the best of the three adventures Herge wrote that ran into two books. The others two book adventures are 'The Seven Crystal Balls' and 'Prisoners of the Sun', and 'Destination Moon' and 'Explorers on the Moon'.

All in all, an excellent comic book to read, anytime, anywhere.

First off, be forewarned that "The Secret of Unicorn" is only the first half of a two-part Tintin adventure, which is concluded in "Red Rackham's Treausre." So do not get all bent of shape when you get to the end of this 1943 adventure and Tintin looks out and you and tells you to find out what happens next in "Red Rackham's Treasure."

As our story opens, the Thompsons are trying to solve a rash of pockets being picked and Tintin decides to buy on impulse a model of an old galliard ship. But suddenly two other gentleman want to buy the model from Tintin, who refuses because he intends the model to be a gift to his friend, Captain Haddock. Then Tintin finds a small piece of parchment that was hidden in one of the masts talking about a treasure and a ship called the Unicorn. The mystery deepens when it turns out that Sir Francis Haddock, an ancestor of Tintin's good friend, was the captain of the Unicorn. After the captain tells the exciting story of Sir Francis and his glorious victory over the dreaded Barbary buccaneers, Tintin races off to track down the final pieces of the puzzle that will tell where the treasure of the Unicorn can be found.

This is only Captain Haddock's third Tintin adventure but he is already as important to the story as Snowy. Nestor and Marlinspike Hall make their first appearance in "The Secret of the Unicorn" with Professor Calculus making his unforgettable first appearance in the second half of the tale. Herge is obviously staying as far away as he can from what is happening in Europe during World War II, but that does not take away from the fact this is a first rate tale of detective work by our intrepid hero and the second half is an equally fun adventure as Tintin and company race for "Red Rackham's Treasure."

How would you feel if you bought a boat and found a treasure note inside? How would you feel then, if the boat got stolen? This is what happens to TinTin and his dog, Snowy, in The Secret of the Unicorn, by Herge. Once they try to find the boat, but are not successful. After looking for the boat, they start looking for the treasure. They search by submarine, by scuba diving,and by swimming in shark infested water. Do they find the treasure? Read The Secret of the Unicorn to find out.

I sing and Amazing Grace is one of my favorite hymns. I'm also a nontheist. I'm pretty comfortable with those two seemingly incongruous facts, but I thought I'd read Steve Turner's book Amazing Grace to see if other folks like me had made it into the text. I'm also an Arlo Guthrie fan and I figured I'd do some fact checking on the version of John Newton's story Arlo tells when singing Amazing Grace in concert. Folks like me show up towards the end of the second part of the book and Turner indicates that Arlo is aware that his version is condensed and inaccurate.

The first part of Amazing Grace is the story of John Newton and how he came to write the words to what is now America's favorite hymn. I learned a lot of history, especially of the slave trade in the 1700's, while getting the non-Arlo, complicated version of Mr. Newton's life. The second part of the book follows the history of the hymn post-Newton. Turner has done his homework and I especially enjoyed learning about the history of the hymn in the 1800's, including how Amazing Grace picked up the tune we now sing it to.

I highly recommend Amazing Grace to fans of history, music, and, of course, the hymn Amazing Grace.

I just led a church service about "Amazing Grace," and Steve Turner's book served as my main resource. I read it cover to cover during the process, and found it highly intelligent and interesting, with far too many "tidbits" that I wanted to include in the service and couldn't! I encourage the reading of this book AS a "pleasure read," not just as research material.

I particularly appreciated the section on contemporary versions of "Amazing Grace" and its impact on the secular community. As a Unitarian Universalist, I was greatly cheered to find one of our ministers quoted on the impact of the hymn on those who don't necessarily believe in a divine presence.

The discography of AG recordings included as an appendix was also hugely valuable, as I compiled a CD of recorded versions as a "party favor" for my (small) congregation. Turner's correct when he says it's a "select" discography, but he got most of the really good ones!

I love Steve Turner books, and I love the song Amazing Grace. What a combination!...a work of history that reads like a good mystery novel! I couldn't put it down until I'd read it from cover to cover. This book has everything...a great redemption story, both for the man, Newton--and his song, which didn't really take off until someone put the perfect tune with it a hundred years later. Turner manages to present the context of Newton's theology in a scholarly way that will be informative, but not off-putting to those who are not into reformed theology. The secular life of the song is fascinating...to see how this song was popularized, and now touches millions. To me this song has what we wan't all music to have...something that touches our insides in a way we can't describe, but we know that it makes our lives more complete. And the biggest surprise of the book?...Newton became a slave-trader AFTER his conversion, and only opposed slavery much later in life. Considering how slowly America has repented of it's historic racism, there may be a lesson for us all as we see the sanctification that occurred over time in Newton's life.

I picked this book up after leafing through it at a salon that I go to. I literally refer to it at least once a week. I have found the instructions to be very easy and the remedies to be quite effective. It's really one of my favorite books.

This book is great! Not only does she provide and excellent source of information for beginners, but she also conveys her passion for aromatherapy through her writings,and her total faith in the use of essential oils for healing the body, and the soul. Deals alot with issues for women and children. She also provides a long list of companies that sell quality oils,and even schools in the U.S. and U.K. where you can receive education in the field. Overall her passion for the oils and knowledge of their uses can give alot of confidence to the beginner. I do have one caution though,because she lives in the U.K., some of the words she uses for different maladies are different from the ones used in the U.S. So if you don't know what it is she's talking about, make sure you ask or look it up.

I have been studying Aromatherapy for about two years now and this is one of my favorites. It reads well from cover to cover, but is also easy to use as a reference. There aren't many recipes per se, but there are multitudes of uses outlined. Tisserand utilises essential oils that are generally very safe, which is why I recommend this book for beginners. I am also very comfortable with the ratios of essential oil to base, and the safety recommendations she makes.

If you are interested in Aromatherapy, this would be a good book to start your collection.

In the age of computer games and 3-D animation, the simple imagination of a child to envision himself learning to be a jazz musician is refreshing. Unlike previous reviews, I feel the dramatic black and white drawings set off some of the cultural issues the illustrations portray. Obviously, young Ben does not live an idealized childhood at home. Yet, he finds that his passion for music can only be fulfilled outside of jazz clubs (which usually perform late in the evening and he is too young to enter). The point of the book is how he acts out THIS reality. He is looking "outside of the box" (hence the illustrations of his home life) and finds the attention from the father-figure (the trumpeter) who Ben wants to imitate. The book vividly illustrates the importance of role models in a child's life.

As an international music teacher we need to give all theencouragement we can give to keep the music programs alive in ourschools. Not just in the states but in the world. This short story relates to the young hopeful musican who hopes to be a contributor to the music world - Keep the dream.

This one little picture book is among the most beautiful and powerful books I've ever read. In fact I don't feel as if I've simply read this book; I feel as though I've experienced it. It was fast and dizzy, yet calm and peaceful. I could almost feel myself sitting outside on a warm night, listening to the wail of jazz music floating on the air. With its simple, easy charm this book taps into the hopes of a small boy, and gives the reader hope that the goodness of the human spirit can triumph over its evils. This book has some of the most amazing illustrations that I've seen in a children's book, and it uses them very effectively. So, whether you are a parent looking for a book that will stimulate your child's imagination, a jazz enthusiast, an admirer of fine illustration, or just a person looking for a heart-warming experience, this book is a fabulous selection.

This is one of the best books I have seen on Saint Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. The pictures are bright and colourful, descriptions of the instruments very clear and the explanation of the correlation between the instruments and the animals very easy and fun to follow. It is an extra bonus to have the CD included and each animal track numbered. I would highly recommend this to any elementary teacher, even with little or no of music experience.

Completely enjoyed by our 2 year old and his parents. Pictures are absolutely beautiful. Having the CD is useful. Each of the 14 tracks has a beautifully illustrated 2 page spread, which makes it easy to follow the music - the book and music work very well together. The text, which is written in a perfectly simple and direct and short manner so as to render it very useful, helps the listener focus on different aspects of the music and appreciate the music by putting it in terms we could understand more easily (e.g. for the Lion's March - "the strings are playing the lion's marching tune as he walks...Sometimes he roars loudly. Can you hear the pianos playing the lion's roar?") Our toddler loves classical music but this is a great choice for any child or adult. The entire package - the CD, the format of the book, the pictures and the text - really make this a great way of experiencing the music and just a plain good old story.

Of any age... this is such a treat! You will love it. Wonderful way to bring music in through language arts.

Excellent writing from a motivated and dedicated young man. Jerrold Ladd experienced disrupted education, a lack of early age positive male influence while proving first hand, that you can over come all obstacles and succeed in America.

It is a gut wrenching look into living in America's projects shortly after desegregation. It reminded me of the fact that life in America is not and has never been the same for everyone. For many, it is a living torture. Once you have read Out Of The Madness, you feel like you personally know the author. The author, Jerrold Ladd, tells an in-depth story about his life, his family (Mother, sister and brother) and some of his friends and associates. He provides an incredible amount of detail for a relatively short book (under 200 pages and large print). He allowed me to walk in his foot steps, feeling his disappointments, success's and failures. Each chapter presented intense quality of life and life treating situations that would test and potentially break the fiber of any man or woman. Jerrold exposes himself, his friends and associates in a bold and remarkable manner that allows you to actually feel his emotions. This book is a dead serious look at life within a segment of America, yesterday and today. The book reminds you that to many people (children and adults), needlessly, experience this and worst everyday. I recommend the book as a must read for everyone. My reason: This book provides an insight into a situation that many generations of Americans helped create. It gives motivation to those in similar situations and those that have not lived integrated into murder, drugs and abuse. Most of all, it proves, in America you can change your life.

As a 24 yearold 1st yr. teacher in West Dallas I have been looking for answers. I work at the Middle School across from the projects referred to in this book. I am not too far from "Fishtrap", and the gangs (boyz) have changed from Ladd's time but only by the faces of their members. Some of the most infamous being my most delightful students. My kids are not like all of the others in America. They are different...special even and Jerrold Ladd told me why. As I read this book with every page I turned I anticipated that the "story" would get better. I prayed that his mother would change. I longed for the chapter when some long lost Great-Uncle from Georgia would come and take him from the reality of his torrid life. But it never happened. And I became frustarted because my students do not have anyone to rescue them from their realities, not for the long haul at least. Jerrold Ladd's book explained to me the generational frustaration that West Dallas incorporates. The resentment and struggle of blocks and blocks of people is the only thing this community truly owns. Ladd wrote the testament and explanation of a community's fear. His hopes and fears were evident on every page of this book. I only wish that my studenrs could take time from their troubles of hunger, fear, anger, and poverty to big up this reflection of possible positive self. Thank you for this invaluable tool of living and learning.

As a 24 yearold 1st year Teacher in West Dallas I have looked for reasons as to why my students (my kids) as I call them are the way they are. I teach eighth grade History at Thomas Edison Middle Learning Center which is located across the street from the projects referred to by Mr. Ladd. I can testify that all of my 109 students are the soul of Jerrold Ladd.

I have gone home frustrated many nights, crying myself to sleep distraught over what my kids must face at home from day to day after a long day at school. Mr. Ladd brought home the realities of my student lives. He pushed their questionable futures to the forefront of my classroom and by this Christmas I was sad to see them go. I was sad because I questioned how many of them would bathe without the motivation of not being ridiculed by mean classmates. I was sad because I wondered to what length one of my kids would go to pay his mother's rent, the same mother who stood in front of me and her precious son parent-confrence night and stated how he was a waste of 13 years.

As I turned the pages of this book I waited with each page for Mr. Ladd's situation to get better. Similarly, as I come to work everyday I look for my kids situation to get better. In the final ten to twelve pages of this testament to the community of West Dallas I finally saw inspiration and hope, however I shudder to think how long it will take the children of West Dallas to see the same thing.

Jerrold Ladd thank you for this guide into the minds of my babies. It is a invaluable tool.

Fantastic photography in another large book from Versace. This book captures the 'rock chic' glamourama which the late Versace excelled at creating. The association between 'Rock and Roll', and art is full indulged here creating a empirical illusion to the Versace dynasty. The glossy presentation of the images also adds to an overall feeling of luxury. The only reason I have not given this book the top rating is for its inclusion of Elton John - who makes me sick. So what if its expensive, luxuries like this don't come cheap. ciao,

Maureen Farquhar (maureenfarquhar@yahoo.com)

Gianni Versace was a designer who loved to push the envelope. His clothes were a mixture of extremes: sexy, sleazy, colorful, tacky, and elegant. One adjective you'd never find in a sentence with the word Versace is "boring." His clothes commanded--and often got--attention, which is why he was such a favorite among celebrities such as Madonna, Elton John, Liz Hurley, Courtney Love, Prince, Jon Bon Jovi and even Princess Diana. This book is a fabulous, eye-opening collection of vivid photographs of models and rock stars in Versace: from Prince to the members of British boy band Take That. Some outfits are more releaving than others, but they're all unmistakably Versace. Diana herself is also included in the book, along with a few words of praise for the designer. Tragically, Versace was murdered in the summer of 1997, but his spirit and influence live on. This book comes highly recommended. Drop it on your coffeetable, and your guests won't want to put it down.

A must have book for all Versace fans.

I was sure this was going to be a real Zen Buddhist message about facing the war we call life. And it starts out that way. It reminds one of the writing of Bruce Lee.

But as you read more, you discover that the words "God" and "Jesus" and "Holy Spirit" become more frequent until you begin to realize you're not reading a Buddhist text at all but a Christian text.

This is another example of a writer using the word "Zen" to sell books. In his defense, he did quote a few Buddhist passages and he mentioned Buddha a time or two. But the book is steeped in the Bible and Christianity. And that's okay. If that's what you're looking for.

Apparently the author felt the need to explain this dichotomy after page 102. He says, "As a warrior who began the Path in the Christian church, I never saw any reason to stop worshiping God in the same way as my fellow Christians, even though I later became a Zen-Dhyana Initiate. Church was my focus on God as being Supreme and Zen and the yogi paths reveal who I am as a single human being. The two do not conflict in any way when you actually practice."

My point is that no school of Buddhism, to my knowledge, acknowledges a god or supreme being, a heaven or a hell. So to that extent, if that is the sort of book one expects, he'll be disappointed.

Having said that, this is a beautiful book with a lot of wonderful insight and a lot of help for the warrior of life. It helps one to understand a good deal about life and fear and death and how we can relate to them in a healthy way.

I expect I'll re-read parts of the book frequently. But I will have to leave out many parts of the book because it espouses thoughts that I can't buy into.

With all that out of the way, I highly recommend this book.

Susanna K. Hutcheson

Soul Sword definitely gets five stars from me. From the moment I picked this book up I couldn't put it down. I still refer to it often as a daily guide. Myself being a personal student of Master Kitabu Turner consider myself truly blessed to have such an intriguing, insightful, master as my spiritual guide.Master Kitabu Turner has definitely been an inspiration to my whole being since having come in contact with this great man. Whether you're a martial artist or not Soul sword is must reading for anyone looking for answers on how to deal with the battlefield of life. I give Soul Sword five stars.

It is said that only a few men may ever know the taste of true enlightenment. Vernon Kitabu Turner is one of those men. When I first saw this book, I thought to myself, "Oh, no, another self-proclaimed master," but then I leafed through it and ended up purchasing it. All I can say is, "Wow." What a writer, what a poet, what a philosopher, what a man! This is truly an awe-inspiring book.

I remember in the 1970's when Alvin Toeffler's "Future Shock" was on the best seller list. I devoured it and made it a central part of my "Weltanschauung". It swept the whole country. When a friend told me about "Bold New World", I read it and felt quite sure it would also make the best seller list and would sweep the country. I was really surprised when it didn't, even though it did go through more than one printing. Some of what Knoke predicted is already a fact of everyday life - five years later. I'm sure a new edition will eventually be printed, but this one is still current.

The book is aptly subtitled: "the essential road map to the twenty-first century". The central theme of the book is that we now live in a "placeless society" - a society that is being restructured in every way. How we communicate, how we learn, how we bank, how we fight wars, how we create wealth, how we govern and are governed are all in flux. The world is being restructured for the 21st century. The 20th century will be thought of as the last century when people do not routinely interact with machines.

"Place no longer matters". We live in the age of "Everything-Everywhere". He examines the environment, migration, telecommunications, ethics, computers, war, money and other topics. Each chapter starts with several vignettes that take place sometime in the future. A few of the vignettes are a little far-fetched, but most are interesting and thought provoking, even five years after they were written. He has thought provoking ideas in many areas about what the world in the next millennium will be like:

Financial Centers are less important. Lenders and borrowers do not have to meet face to face or even be in the same place. Banking can be done across state national boundaries. Paper isn't so important, and neither are middlepersons.

Warfare will be changed, since an enemy could attack your capital without ever setting foot on the border.

Terrorism will replace warfare as the biggest threat to our security.

Government will eventually become a world government. National governments may lose some of its control to multinational corporations.

Economy: The infinite global labor pool will cause the labor unions to lose their grip over industry. Robots will continue to displace humans in increasingly complex tasks. The world will not be "unemployed", but rather "redeployed". In the Stock Market "Merrill Lynch's neural network...immerses itself in historic stock market data and teaches itself to recognize patterns of behavior in pricing. ... The more information such systems digest, the more they develop an uncanny ability to anticipate future events." In capital intensive projects such as aircraft or spacecraft, the best technologies from all over the world will be melded together into one or two designs used worldwide. Multicurrency accounts will enable writing and cashing of checks in any currency.

Large Corporations will fragment.

Telepresence will be developed so sights, sounds and tactile feelings will be transmitted just as words are transmitted over the Internet now. Datasuits will enable people to visit with and touch one another when they are located in different parts of the world. The computer revolution is in its infancy. "The true computer revolution has yet to begin."

Transportation Hypersonic flight, supertrains, and highly specialized fleets of cargo ships will transform our world. the expense of shipping overnight packages across the country is no more than shipping them across the street. Distances will still exist, but they will no longer so powerfully determine how society will be organized.

Demographics People will no longer have to live where they work. They will no longer be place bound. Population centers may shift, and may become less important as some people move away from more populous areas.

Schools and Learning will be uncoupled. Schools no longer need buildings (library, classrooms, auditoriums...). Lifelong learning will be required in lieu of or in place of degrees. Learning will be done in a body suit -- in a simulated environment that responds with artificial intelligence. Education will be redesigned to mimic reality. The student will be free to explore. "Countries that thrive in the twenty-first century will be those adapting their educational systems to the Placeless Society."

Religion is likely to have a resurgence as people strive to cope with rapid change.

Knoke covers a whole series of challenges the world faces that result from the changing foundations of society: Terrorism, xenophobia, detached labor force, pollution, radioactivity, environmental degradation, social class and a host of other problems.

Knoke is an investment banker, business consultant, and futurist. He has written a book that's thought provoking and well worth reading.

I remember in the 1970's when Future Shock was on the best seller list. I devoured it and made it a central part of my Weltanschauung. It swept the whole country. When a friend told me about Bold New World, I read it and felt quite sure it would also make the best seller list and would sweep the country. I was really surprised when it didn't. Some of what Knoke predicted is already a fact of everyday life - five years later.

The book is aptly subtitled: the essential road map to the twenty-first century. The central theme of the book is that we now live in a placeless society - a society that is being restructured in every way. How we communicate, how we learn, how we bank, how we fight wars, how we create wealth, how we govern and are governed are all in flux. The world is being restructured for the 21st century. The 20th century will be thought of as the last century when people do not routinely interact with machines.

Place no longer matters. We live in the age of Everything-Everywhere. He examines the environment, migration, telecommunications, ethics, computers, war, money and other topics. Each chapter starts with several vignettes that take place sometime in the future. A few of the vignettes are a little far-fetched, but most are interesting and thought provoking, even five years after they were written. He has thought provoking ideas in many areas about what the world in the next millennium will be like:

FINANCIAL CENTERS are less important. Lenders and borrowers do not have to meet face to face or even be in the same place. Banking can be done across state national boundaries. Paper isn't so important, and neither are middlepersons.

WARFARE will be changed, since an enemy could attack your capital without ever setting foot on the border.

TERRORISM will replace warfare as the biggest threat to our security. Government will eventually become a world government. National governments may lose some of its control to multinational corporations.

ECONOMY The infinite global labor pool will cause the labor unions to lose their grip over industry. Robots will continue to displace humans in increasingly complex tasks. The world will not be unemployed, but rather redeployed. In the Stock Market "Merrill Lynch's neural network...immerses itself in historic stock market data and teaches itself to recognize patterns of behavior in pricing. ... The more information such systems digest, the more they develop an uncanny ability to anticipate future events." In capital intensive projects such as aircraft or spacecraft, the best technologies from all over the world will be melded together into one or two designs used worldwide. Multicurrency accounts will enable writing and cashing of checks in any currency.

LARGE CORPORATIONS will fragment.

TELEPRESENCE will be developed so sights, sounds and tactile feelings will be transmitted just as words are transmitted over the Internet now. Datasuits will enable people to visit with and touch one another when they are located in different parts of the world. The computer revolution is in its infancy. "The true computer revolution has yet to begin."

TRANSPORTATION Hypersonic flight, supertrains, and highly specialized fleets of cargo ships will transform our world. the expense of shipping overnight packages across the country is no more than shipping them across the street. Distances will still exist, but they will no longer so powerfully determine how society will be organized.

DEMOGRAPHICS People will no longer have to live where they work. They will no longer be place bound. Population centers may shift, and may become less important as some people move away from more populous areas.

SCHOOLS AND LEARNING will be uncoupled. Schools no longer need buildings (library, classrooms,auditoriums...). Lifelong learning will be required in lieu of or in place of degrees. Learning will be done in a body suit -- in a simulated environment that responds with artificial intelligence. Education will be redesigned to mimic reality. The student will be free to explore. "Countries that thrive in the twenty-first century will be those adapting their educational systems to the Placeless Society."

RELIGION is likely to have a resurgence as people strive to cope with rapid change.

Knoke covers a whole series of challenges the world faces that result from the changing foundations of society: Terrorism, xenophobia, detached labor force, pollution, radioactivity, environmental degradation, social class and a host of other problems.

Knoke is an investment banker, business consultant, and futurist. He has written a book that's thought provoking and well worth reading.

Everything causes cancer. Right? Well, this book has thatsentiment beat. According to Knocke's theory, everything in today'ssociety causes people to become "placeless." The author would have you believe that if you aren't connected to a "community" you just might blow up a Federal building, or the World Trade Center, or drop chemical agents in a crowded subway, or believe there is an alien spaceship behind the nearest comet. But, who would do those things? I couldn't put this book down. It was like ripping the ski mask off my neighbor's face and really seeing him for the first time. I kept thinking that the author must be a little off. After all, who is going to believe that Boeing and McDonald Douglas will merge? Yep, he writes about it way before it happened -- AND he tells you why it happened! The placeless society is so unnerving that you shouldn't read it alone. Buy two; give one to a dear friend who likes to talk things over. This book definitely has a "place" on the keeper shelf in my house.