After Rahab Link, which for reasons unknown is not available via amazon.com (I found it at barnesandnoble.com), this is the third and final instalment of Joshua Bain's and Alan Hunt's spying adventures. Fast action, tense suspense and some poignant moments define this story and make it an enjoyable, though sometimes slightly far-fetched read. Sometimes the vernacular seems forced (many a gratuitous "like" despite otherwise immaculate syntax in oral speech makes for a clash in style), but other than that, McKenzie does a good job of writing; I was impressed by its page-turner qualities.

Warning: Read the first two parts first! Both Rahab Link and Jordan Intercept contain references to the previous book(s) and may give away plot elements thereof.

Rahab Link also deserves four stars.

It had a lot of great information in it and it was useful.

This book is simple and easy to understand for someone new to nutrition basics. Don't expect a lot of specifics but is a great overview and general guideline.

J. Alexander McKenzie has offered us a tight, suspense-laden spy thriller with all the twists and turns that go with the genre, while incessantly weaving elements of reflection and religion (though without being preachy or annoying). Though the scenario may be a little far-fetched, it's a fun read: look for the rest of the trilogy (Rahab Link, Jordan Intercept) and read them too!

Kathy Nichols has the natural inquisitiveness that is at the heart of good journalism. She can use her journalistic "nose" without sticking it out too far or in the air too high. This has allowed her to "sniff out" some cute stories in the slice of small-town life that she shares with her husband, Mitch, who knows the answer to the eternal question, "Which is worse: to be married to a deer hunter, or to a journalist?"

This well-written and thoroughly researched book outlines the history of CID's (Common Interest Developments, often known as Homeowner's Associations in one of their various forms) and shows why they exist and continue to proliferate. Touted as a selling point to potential buyers by realtors and builders, CID's exist--as McKenzie cogently points out--primarily as a means for developers to mitigate the rising cost of property by squeezing more dwellings on to less land and bypassing local zoning restrictions and ordinances. The author not only examines the resultant effect upon the individual homeowner, but the long-term sociological and political ramifications as well. Like many who buy a home located in a CID, I was largely naive regarding the freedoms ceded by the purchaser as well as the broad and unfettered authority wielded by the "association". "Privatopia" contains some of the horror stories experienced within the CID scenario. Some of the issues causing disputes are so trivial as to be laughable, except for the severe penalties incurred by violators, including huge fines and legal fees, or even loss of one's home in certain situations. (My own "horror" story includes being assessed thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees over an orginal debt of $500.00 in association dues) As McKenzie points out, all too often the amateurs (who are typically homeowners within the subdivision) comprising the "board of directors" that administers the bylaws of the association, take a rigid stance when it comes to enforcement, or--worse yet--simply turn everything over to professional management companies and/or lawyers. Ostensibly, of course, the reason for all of the bylaws is the maintenance of property values. (Many of the trivial rules go way beyond that premise, and most CID's require a 3/4 majority of owners to unseat board members or amend bylaws, thus virtually ensuring a de facto dictatorship) Additionally, as the author explains, the real motivation for keeping property values high is so that the lenders courted by the developers will be confident that their investment is secure. (Again, the HOMEOWNER'S interests are irrelevant) Of course, not everyone living in a CID has a negative experience, but I think it's safe to say that most buyers have little idea of what they're getting into when they purchase a dwelling in a development run by an association. This book should be required reading for anyone currently living in or considering the purchase of a home located within a CID, and will be a real eye-opener to many.

"Privatopia" is the definitive history of common interest development-based housing in the United States, chronicling its rise from a modest number of exclusive developments at the turn of the century to what has become the fastest growing form of housing development and local government in the U.S. today, serving as the new town hall for some 40 million Americans in 200,000+ communities.

Privatopia puts in perspective the rapid growth of mass market CID housing, beginning as "homes associations" in the 1960s under the tutelage of the Federal Housing Administration and the Urban Land Institute. A professor of political science, McKenzie ably outlines the political and economic factors behind this trend and explains how policies adopted by state legislatures and local governments have quietly fostered the privatization of residential government into a multi-billion dollar industry.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand this quiet revolution in local government and a controversial subject that could be tomorrow's headlines.

Professor McKenzie was one of the first to see the dangers of the new trend of private contractual pseudo-government in common-interest developments (a/k/a mandatory homeowners' associations) and his treatment remains one of the most thoughtful available. Especially useful is his history of the development of the industry's powerhouse trade organization, the Community Associations Institute. CAI started long ago as a balanced entity serving the interests of homeowners as well as others, but it has turned into a lobbying arm for professionals who make their livings off of mandatory assessments and the associated legal machinery of collection and foreclosure.

In the county in which Houston, Texas, is located, over 11,000 foreclosure lawsuits have been filed by mandatory homeowners associations in recent years, the vast majority of them since 1995, when Texas law was amended (with the help of the CAI lobby) to favor the rights of mandatory homeowners associations. A standard pattern is the experience cited by a reviewer below: a few hundred dollars in assessments or fines in dispute, and thousands of dollars of legal fees -- all secured by a homestead. McKenzie's book is a good tool to use in trying to understand the trend and the alternatives.

Since I first picked up this book, I have probably read it MORE than 5 times, all-the-way-through. It's a library book, and my overdue fines are $2.00 - and counting. I've already renewed it countless times. Anyways, I love this book because it seems like Guinevere is a real person! The story is much more real than in "The Mists of Avalon", and definitely not as boring. I once read this story for 4 1/2 hours straight because I could not put it down! Not to suck up or anything, but if I win the $100, I'm buying myself this book and its sequel, "The High Queen", and I'm buying copies for my best friend. (She loves this book too.

An amazing book! The tale of Guenivere written from her point of view is very real and heartfelt. I love how 3-D she seems (a real person, not some snobby wanna be Queen). All the characters are very real, the book holds a personal value, the characters come alive. Finally a book that makes sense of Guenivere and Lancelot's love for one another, it's not evil -- but good.

I love this book. When read with the sequel, The High Queen, a whole new view of Arthurian legend is provided. It is a wonderful book! If you like Arthurian legend, this is a beautifully woven tale full of the romance in other books. At the same time, the alternative view is a new way to look at the story.

It is obvious from the first ten pages that you are left with the feeling that, if Frank Miller had written it, it would've rocked but instead it flopped. The poor writing is a complete turn-off and the ending is horrible. The only story in the book that I actually liked was the Daredevil vs. Hulk one. It was awesome and, although I am not a big fan of Frank Miller art, it was appropriate for the story but other than this, the book was not worth buying. I recommend Dardevil:Gang War which was written by Frank Miller as well as illustrated by him and that was plain awesome!!!

Daredevil: Marked For Death reprints some of Frank Miller's earliest Daredevil stories. Published in 1990, this trade paperback collects Daredevil (first series) issue #'s 159, 160, 161, 163, and 164 (Miller had started with issue #158; Miller did not draw issue #162). These early stories that Miller worked on were not written by him. Roger McKenzie was the writer. Miller would become the regular writer and artist of Daredevil a short time later, and would, of course, revive the character's history with his acclaimed run on the book.

The stories collected here still made for enjoyable reading. I liked them, and found them to be very well told. Some highlights include the villain Bullseye kidnapping the heroine Black Widow, with Daredevil coming to her rescue. Another highlight is a spectacular showdown between Daredevil and the Hulk. The last story is a retelling of Daredevil's origin, as Daredevil, while recovering in a hospital from his battle against the Hulk, tells Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich (who by his own conclusions, discovers that Matt Murdock and Daredevil are the same person) why he became a crimefighter.

I would say that this book is worthy to add to anyone's library. If you want to collect Frank Miller's entire Daredevil run, then pick up the trade paperbacks Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Volumes 1, 2 and 3 instead.

This volume collects the first several issues of Frank Miller's run on Daredevil. But be warned: he wasn't writing yet. These issues feature Roger McKenzie as the writer. Is he as good as Miller? Maybe not, but very few people are. He is, however, a wonderful writer, and these stories build the character of Daredevil well before Miller took over. Miller himself said that McKenzie was the best writer he ever worked with. These stories are a must have for any Daredevil fan.

I finished this book only because I kept hoping it would get better. The plot was rather muddled, the characters mostly two-dimensional (if that), their motivations a mystery, the plot twist at the end not much of a twist, and the time rather squishy. Months or weeks or mere days may have passed during the action of the book, but I have absolutely no idea how long the action took.

The characters went willy-nilly from place to place, without any apparent rhyme or reason. Once aligned with a higher power, the two main characters (a 14-year-old and an 8-year-old sent off into the world by their mother) still had very little direction to their journeys. The ending was unsatisfying, and I finished the book with a bad taste in my mouth.

As the other reviewer pointed out, the background for this book is intriguing, as is the world in which it is set. Unfortunately, this book read as if it were about 200 pages too short, as if all the character and plot development hadn't been given the attention the world development had. The richness of the setting, which led me to hope for a good read, actually made me feel the disappointment more keenly.

I really don't recommend this book (though the cover art is very nice).

The Golden Band of Eddris is by no means a book without merit; it simply fails to stand out from the hundreds of other mediocre books written in the genre. I find that these books have several common faults, not the least of which is that they take themselves far too seriously. The plot in GBoE is unmemorable-- two young children on a quest with many cliches (see Diana Wynne Jones' Tough Guide to Fantasyland, especially sections on Rings, Maps and Mysterious Benefactors), and Keld and Elylden join the numerous other undistinguishable characters of mediocre fantasies. On the up side, there is some very potentially interesting background, particularly concerning Anna, the settings are well done, and the plot moves along. The climax, however, is too ambiguous to have as much impact as it really needs.

If you enjoy this type of YA quest-type fantasy, you might give this one a try. As opposed to the implication of the cover art, the Sword Swinging Hero is not one of the cliches contained herein. For more in a similar vein, you might try Edith Pattou's Hero's Song. Personally, I'm going to go back to Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain.

This Book, The Golden Band Of Eddris, Is a Great book, its one of those books that once you start to read, theres no putting it down! I highly suggest it to all you fantasy fans, and all just wanting to read a good book. Aloso, for the price it is selling for, EXCELLENT!