When you actually read the book, it's not as good as you think it'll be. Half the book is trying to understand a machine that if one has seen the 'toon or the comics they already understand. Could have been better.

One actual good thing, IMO was the cliff-hanger in the end. I won't say what it was so as not to spoil it for others.

Okay, the premise of the book was good, the whole time travel thing that DeFalco had going, but the dialouge between the characters left alot to be desired. But besides this, it was a rather enjoyable read.

Marvel's Merry Mutants and everyone's favorite webslinger team up for this trilogy by Tom DeFalco. Spider-Man is primarily teamed up with Bishop, who is definitely not amused by his attempts at humour! Time travel, the Old West, arthurian England, WWII, and what is probably the first appearance of Devil Dinosaur in novel form make for an enjoyable read; thankfully, we don't have to wait long for the next two books!

Chained is not my favorite of the Sam Jones novels. This book was again centered on a mystery of sorts and drama (in all forms), but the "kick [backside]" detective girl was just slightly off (and no mantra to the mini skirt - which is a key Jones symbol). It could be that she has a steady man, or that she was written to be less aggressive, but whatever the reason it makes her less of a hero and more of a normal character. I liked Sam as the [bootie] kick action hero type. I also found the "chained" part of the story a bit too dark. Over all a good read - but not the best one.

Sam Jones is a tough, no nonsense, take charge woman, so when she wakes up to find that she is tethered by a chain in a cellar, it doesn't faze her in the slightest. Once she figures out how she got there, she focuses her attention on working on a way to get out.

This is an oftentimes light-hearted mystery that revolves around Sam's kidnapping, escape and her attempts to work out who the perpetrators were. Many of the scenes are on the set of a television drama that is in the process of being filmed and is where Sam is working as a stand-in for the leading lady. The characters encountered on set provide many amusing moments as the actors' egos duke it out, trying to maintain their superiority over the hired help.

My favourite scene, and one that I can easily relate to, occurs when Sam and her friend, Tom, venture into an Ikea store with a great deal of trepidation. Their fear of venturing of the marked paths and becoming lost forever, and indignation that the store doesn't contain a bar (and their means of remedying the situation) had me in stitches.

This is a very enjoyable book that is just right for anyone who prefers their female protagonists to be strong, fearless and capable, yet feminine to the core. It's also ideal for anyone who enjoys their mysteries to be sprinkled with a healthy dose of humour.

Perhaps the cleverest Sam Jones novel to date. This novel is filled with delicious witticisms ranging from literature to sex. A combination of "chick-lit" (not to be confused with the gum) and mystery genres, it transcends the boundaries of both to become a novel without genre limitations. It is witty, suspenseful and great fun to read. Like most series novels, a good understanding of the history of the characters helps to tip the enjoyment upseveral notches. Sam Jones is a modern female who loves sex with the proper stranger, drugs with anyone and has a hangover most mornings. But as she is a sculptor working in metal mobiles (at least for the moment) she has the luxury of staying in bed till noon. This lack of morning initiative in no way prevents her from finding dead bodies during the balance of the 14 hour day, nor does it prevent her from getting into messes that threaten her death and cause significant bodily injury. If you like 'em tough, you'll love Sam

The novel opens with a prologue in which Sam is chained to a pair of handcuffs in a dank cellar. Her head aches and she has no idea how she has come to be in this place. Slowly it dawns on her that she has been kidnapped but she cannot figure out why.

Henderson makes the reader work to put all the pieces together, especially as chapters open with little seeming relevance to the end of the preceding chapter - an approach that trusts the reader to pay attention. All is explained eventually, but the reader needs to read closely and trust the novelist. This type of exposition is one of the marks of great literature and it is a pleasure to see genre writers moving toward mainstream literary techniques.

Chained introduces us to the world of TV production and animal rights. Much of the novel takes place on the set of a TV production starring Sam's new beau, Hugo. Hugo's co-star, Sarah, has given reporters a field day by drunkenly defending wearing a fur coat. The animal rights groups are furious and she is inundated with threatening letters. When a dead fox is nailed in her trailer dressing room toilet, the threats to her life become more real.

Sarah is beautiful and a good actor but is not one of those who has the need to have an affair with her leading man, so Sam's jealousy of women near Hugo remains low. That she feels jealousy at all is a new emotion for her and it scares her a bit...

...

So much of the charm of Henderson's novels is the sly placement of literary allusions. For example: "The highly particular smell of damp unwashed armpit penetrating through seismic layers of its own previous dried-off secretions had brought memories flooding back to whatever parts of my brain were still reasonably intact. Not quite Proust's madeleine, but when you were chained to the ceiling of a cellar with no chocolate in sight, you took whatever moments of distraction you could grab."

Henderson is an intellectual whose learning lies lightly on her shoulders and gives the reader a smile of recognition without pushing things too far. So the reader gets sex, drugs and murder through a literary sensibility that gives the whole series its particular flavor of the sweet, the bitter and 180 proof.

I love A Blessing from Above because it is such a simple story which you can use to talk to your own child about their special adoption story. The illustrations are beautifully done and the story of Mother Roo desiring a child and then receiving her Blessing from above (a little blue bird) can easily led into a number of different types of adoption whether foreign or domestic and even those with trans-racial families. This is the first adoption book I have found that is of its type using an animal's experience which is great for the younger child. It is great in reinforcing that the child is a blessing and was very much wanted. It also shows the birth-mom as happy to see her child safely and lovingly received into Mother Roo's pouch.

This is a very sweet book. I've been reading it to my son since we adopted him as a newborn. (He's now 3.) We both love it. No, it will not really answer your child's questions about adoption. It is a starting place. This book's message is that the adopted child (bluebird) is a blessing to his adoptive mother (kangaroo). You can detail your own child's adoption story to them as they are ready, but I'm sure the basic message you'd want them to always know in their heart is that your child is a blessing to you. If you longed for a child and prayed a lot before your prayers were finally answered by adoption, I would definitely recommend this book as a must have! (You'll probably cry the first 5 times you read it, though.) ;)

Just as there is the miracle of childbirth,there is the miracle of adoption-a mother who can instantly love a child that is not biologically her own. We have an adopted 2 year old and this is the most precious book I have seen thus far on the subject of adoption. I couldn't have written a story that was more suitable myself!! The author does a lovely job of conveying the yearning of Mother Roo to have a family of her own. I can't wait to read this to my little boy and explain to him that he fell write into my "pouch"! I highly recommend this book for all adoptees and their friends and families.

This text provides the tools necessary to make an informed decision as a member of the financial senior management team. The most valuable element of the book is its current and future approach to valuation. The modeling techniques allow the reader to properly access and implement innovative methods for proper and precise valuation. Thank you Mr. Glantz for making me look smarter to my boss and other senior members of my large capitalization company.

As a senior analyst at a prominent Wall Street firm, I found this book extremely helpful in advising my Fortune 500 clients on their valuation strategies. The interactive CD demonstrates that the author does not only have the powerful tools of knowledge and insight, but offers cutting edge technology that helps the reader put insightful words into immediate action. This highly acclaimed book provides extremely useful techniques for senior managers whose ultimate goal is to maximize shareholder value.

Morton Glantz brilliantly bridges the gap between advanced mathematical theory and real word applications. "Scientific Financial Management" is an extremely valuable source for all levels of an organization - junior analyst through CEO. The author provides thorough explanations of topics ranging from the traditional quantitative models of econometrics, statistics and optimization to the more modern techniques of neural networks and real options. He presents and describes the techniques that are most applicable for solving today's complex business problems quickly, easily, and accurately. It is a must for staying informed and competitive in today's ever-changing "e-society."

Most importantly, Mr. Glantz provides a comprehensive explanation of each technique without the detailed mathematical theory and applies the techniques to practical business problems. These examples are an excellent source and supplement for learning each described technique.

"Scientific Financial Management" is a great reference source for practitioners or anyone with an interest in mathematics and business. It is a must for any Financial Analyst.

This book works extremely well if you're a fan of both the original movie and the TV series, as it provides answers to the question of when, precisely, did Duncan and Connor meet and other details about their friendship. The evil Immortal plot is really secondary to that detail, and weak in comparison until the middle third of the book. The writer doesn't give enough detail to developing Khordas as a horrific character until then, and by then, you've decided whether or not to continue with the book. It's worth it, though.

So, in the wake of one of the cinematic classics of my generation and a television series that spawned its own following, we have the beginning of a book series.

I cannot tell you how badly I wanted to love this book. The obstacle, of course, was that I thoroughly enjoyed the original movie and the series, so my expectations were perhaps impossibly high.

Taken on its own, the book is good...but not great. Connor and Duncan are written very well, and it's clear Mr. Henderson has done his homework with the ancillary concerns and subplots. We see more development of the characters' internal machinations, lending depth to their ruminations and subsequent reactions. It's a good example of the dichotomy drawn between the ever-cold blooded rules of The Game and the mytho-poetic figures of the Immortals. We begin to see the characters as flawed personages, not archetypal images who always do the "right thing". In this aspect, the book mirrors the t.v. series, and is appreciated for it.

Grab it before you get on an airplane. You won't be disappointed.

This book has shown me that not all authors of the Highlander books write the same. This book has everything from comedy to romance, and fear to saddness. This is an o.k. book based on the series Highlander. It has Duncan MacLeod, and Connor MacLeod in it. They are over 300 year old immortals. The Salamander, the evil character, is immortal too, and thinks he is the god of Fire. When Duncan kills his companion, the Salmander seeks revenge. Keep in mind that the only way an immortal can die, is by having his head chopped off. This, along with the element of fire, allows this book to take off. It does take a while for it to take off, but you will be interested to find out how it ends.

I found this guide to be extremely helpful. However, I also noticed that the book has many markets that publish only articles and stories from teenagers. In fact, most of the best ones . I think this is very annoying and even more frusterating. If you are in the 8-12 age catigory, I would reccommend trying another book. If you are thirteen or older, this is the book for you.

I'm 13, and I'm serious about becoming a writer - no, not about becoming one, but being one right now. This book was good in the sense that it answered all my questions like "what is a query letter?" and "what does 'pays upon acceptance' mean?" Ms. Henderson explains what they automatically assume you already know in adult market books. There's also interviews with successful young writers that encouraged me.

However, the one thing that bothered me in this book is that most of the markets listed are non-paying ones. I think that if you're an author, work professionally, and write well, you should be paid for your work even if you are young.

This book is good for young writers who want more info on writing, but not if you're looking for a paying market. A better book covering most paying markets is the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, published by Writer's Digest. I have submitted three stories to markets there already.

Educators often wonder how to direct their students to the world of publishing. This book is suitable as a classroom tool for those teachers looking to encourage students to enter their work in writing contests and/or for publication. This book outlines the "science" of submission, and clearly states how to prepare a manuscript.

A good book, but not for beginners. I purchased the Circuit Boards from FAR Circuits and went gang busters. Found numerous mistakes throught the book. Some components are also very hard to find. The RF power transistors alone cost 100.00 US. Had to debug main oscillators and SSB oscillators as well. My friend and I have also redesigned various components to add stability. Randy's web site is gone ? So the updates and corrections are no longer available. If you know what you are doing and have access to RF generators, Scopes and the like, then this may be for you. Otherwise for a first timer there are some other kits that will be much better. (VE3SLJ). Reach me through RAC, or the Call Sign Database for questions.

Este libro me permitio comenzar a armar un transceiver de HF (todas las Bandas) con un control con microprocesador y un osciladorsintetizado.Es un proyecto largo y un poco dificultoso pues lo que propone Randy no es un Kit de armado, es un proyecto desde cero! He tenido el apoyo personal de EL para armarlo via e-mail, y tambien tiene una pagina Web que apoya la construccion de el equipo. El hallazgo del libro fue una alegria .El libro tiene errores que son faciles de identificar con una lectura en profundidad. Yo he armado practicamente el 90 % de las plaquetas y estoy en la etapa de como poner todo en un gabinete lo cual no es poco. Es un proyecto ambicioso pero realizable y me gustaria compartir con otros las experiencias que he tenido. Creo que faltaba un libro asi, futuras ediciones si las hubiera lo podrian completar mas. Es un proyecto para encarar de a varios. END

Well actually that was War and Peace, with The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich coming in a close second. But if those had building instructions...... Excellent read, I was warming up the soldering iron before I got out of chap. 1. Needs more info on FM bands and the upper microwaves for reception though!

The gaping holes in the prosecution's theory of this case are conspicuous in this book by the fact that they are totally ignored. The book has no legitimacy because the author uses no critical judgment whatsoever in analyzing the evidence. He just gets on the prosecutor's bandwagon and leads the cheers.

The author also turns a blind eye to prosecutorial misconduct and outright criminal activity by the district attorney, preferring instead to ladle in more and more embarrassing information about the defendant. Instead of an analysis of a murder case, what we wind up with is a modified version of the Kenneth Starr report: 300 pages of smut and no evidence.

If you want to read hero worshipping of the cops and the DA, this is the book for you. If you want a real analysis of the crime, get another book about this case.

I don't think the man did the crime.

I thought this book was very good. Dan Willoughby is an arrogant hypocrite. He sheds his skin like a snake. I hope he goes down in flames with his new trial along with his playmate. I stand totally behind Thera Huish and her family!

This is a well written, true crime book. It tells the story of a self absorbed, sociopathic personality. It is the story of a married man, Dan Willoughby, who, during a mid-life crisis, decided he wanted to marry the sexy, wanton, and amoral Yesenia Patino with whom he had been cheating on his wife. Instead of simply divorcing his wife, Trish, the mother of his children, he decides to kill her, motivated soley by greed.

Masquerading as a hard working, devout mormon, family man for many years, Dan Willoughby was nothing more than a con man, gulling all those whom he knew. The ensuing investigation of the murder revealed Willoughby to be a real bottom feeder. A liar, a cheat, a thief, and, ultimately, a murderer, Willoughby would not escape the long arm of the law, as his dead wife's family would not let the matter rest in their pursuit for justice.

Dan arranged to commit the brutal murder in Mexico and planned an elaborate charade that included using his children in his murder scenario. He ensured that they would be the ones to find their dead, blood soaked mother. He went to all this trouble so that he could get some insurance money, his wife's share of a thriving business, and the freedom to marry the person with whom he had become obsessed, Yesenio Patino. Little did he know that his wife would have the last laugh from the grave, as the police investigation revealed that Ms. Patino was a transexual who had once been a man and had had a sex change operation! It was a fact that Ms. Patino had conveniently neglected to tell Willoughby.

The author paints a compelling portrait of the personalities involved in this matter. It persuasively lays out the details of the events that propelled Willoughby to the consummate finale. The police investigation and courtroom drama is succintly summarized. The book is neither a police nor courtroom procedural. What the author attempts to do is provide a portrait of those who were in some way involved in this matter. In that, it certainly succeeds. Persuasively written, the book leaves the reader with little doubt as to the guilt of Dan Willoughby and his accomplice, Yesenio Patino.

The book provides sixteen pages of photographs of the parties involved in this tragedy. It is a compelling and absorbing read that will keep the reader turning the pages. Those who enjoy reading well written books in the true crime genre will enjoy this one. It will certainly appeal to fans of Ann Rule and Jack Olsen.

Clothes...clothes and more clothes, haute couture name-dropping, ensembles, accessories, jodhpurs, faille and chenille...endless descriptions of character's clothes!...Argh! The off-white, off-the-shoulder, and off-the rack nattering just drove me off-my-rocker in this book!

OK, I didn't hate this book. It was OK. But it was very, very lightweight, and didn't click for me. With a little more silliness, it could have been a 'daahling!' parody of a mystery novel, or going the other way, it could have been genuinely scary.
But the characters are mostly airheads, and there's too much focus on theater production and hardly any attention to the actual murder--everybody's too busy vocal training, having meetings, emoting, gossipping or--grr!--changing their darling clothes to make room for any serious plot. There was a lot of entertaining talk, but no suspense whatsoever, and the murder weapon was so boring it was downright nerdy. Sam Jones dissappointed me...she's likeable enough, gets off some sarcastic lines, but she doesn't do any thinking or detecting. She's just kind of...there. In her ever-changing clothes. And the last line of the book, which was apparently supposed to be a witty zinger, just left me thinking: "...Huh?" Maybe it's some obscure double-entendre, but it feels like Henderson just didn't know how to end the book.

Overall, I would have liked more parody or more horror, or both, for Sam Jones to get her hands dirty with more than steel filings, and for most of the silly actors in theis book to rent a brain.

And I dare Ms. Henderson to write a book set in a nudist colony.

Lauren has produced another entertaining read. Sam Jones has yet again found herself in the mitts of a mystery. She meets up with an old friend who asks her to think about making some piece of art for a performance of Midnight Summer's Dream. She agrees and everything from love, death and odd diet control techniques follow. This book would have been a 5 if it hadn't covered the production aspects of a play so much. I really didn't enjoy that bit. Otherwise, another fun read from Lauren Henderson! And if you finish the book you will understand the title.

Lauren Henderson improves as a writer with each new book. This one is better written than the last, with wittier dialogue and crisper characterizations. Also, there is a lot of insider-type information about how a theater production is put together. The mystery is well done, with the required red herrings and obvious suspects who turn out not to be so obvious in the end. It held my interest throughout, which is what I require of a mystery story. I'm looking forward to "The Strawberry Tattoo", which should be out shortly.

I, too, was very disappointed after buying this book. It was a totally one-sided effort to prove the defendant innocent. No matter what the evidence, the author seemed blinded by his own prejudice and favoritism toward Michael Fletcher and his family, including a rather bizarre fascination with Michael's sister, a Christian singer. He seemed to find it impossible to believe that such an attractive woman of God could have a brother capable of committing murder. Perhaps a better title for this book would have been, "This Man is Innocent, His Sister Said So."

This book would have been a good read if the author did not spend so much time trying to convince the reader of the innocence of Mick Fletcher. If you look at the book jacket, you would never have a clue that the author was writing a book dedicated to proving the innocence of Michael Fletcher. The story in itself was interesting but the book could have been much more interesting if the author had spent any time with Leann's family learning more about her relationship with Mick. I did not even read the last portion of the book which was dedicated to the author stating his reasons for believing Mick was innocent and then a boring diatribe by the suspect about everything but the crime.

I'm usually not a true crime reader, but when a friend told me to read this book I agreed. I'm so glad I did. Tom Hendersons approach to the often boring and repetitive court room drama held my attention for hours. I found that I had a difficult time putting this book down. Tom has a way with words and I hope to see much more from him in the future. He has a very promising future a novelest. Keep up the good work!!