Riordan's PI, Tres Navarre, somewhat reluctantly gets involved when his older brother, Garrett, becomes suspect number one in the murder of his old friend and business partner in a computer start-up, Jimmy Doebler. Neither Jimmy or Garrett, both skilled programmers, has much in the way of business acumen, and it appears that perhaps there's a sinister scheme underway to undermine their product, a potentially lucrative security system, and get them to sell for peanuts. Tres, sho normally works out of a home base in San Antonio, has been hired to teach a summer school course in British literature at the university, so it is his proximity, in part, which draws him into the investigation. There are also unexplored feelings of guilt regarding his brother and an accident in the past which took Garrett's legs.

There are some excellent things here: very clear, vivid descriptions of scuba diving; a very frightening, psychopathic killer, whose true identity is continually misdirected; and family infighting among the Doebler clan. Tres is a vivid creation, as are his brother, his old girlfriend, Maia Lee, and the local policeman, Victor Lopez. I had a great time with this book and am eagerly looking forward to reading the others in this series. Receives my strongest recommendation!

In the end I am very impressed with the level of scholarly attention that Austin has managed to mix in with personal observations and what many would term "new age" ideas. He links many aspects of meditation and its effects to observed physiological phenomenon in a style that is on par with what one would find in Scientific American. That is, someone with some biology background from upper high school should be able to grasp Austin's salient points.

Austin also compiles a number of other researchers' information in the book and, in conjunction with his work, finally links many aspects of Zen to other work such as Grof's holotropic studies.

Austin is primarily concerned with the brain in terms of the roles and interactions of the various large-scale structures such as the frontal lobe and brain stem. Most of this work is based on animal studies with some observations from humans who have suffered either selective damage or had special operations. As he states near the beginning, humankind owes the animal kingdom much for all the damage and pain we have caused to learn how complicated we are.

The basic lesson to be learned from the book is simply how incredibly complicated the brain is; for all our studies we only just seem to know enough now to say "wow, this is really complicated".

The book's real weakness lies in the fact that it doesn't comment on the fact that the brain's basic building blocks, neurons, are non-linear "devices" for lack of a better term. I recommend Wilson's "Spikes, Decisions, and Actions : The Dynamical Foundations of Neurosciences" for more information in this regard. This would imply that Prigogine's work on non-equilibrium systems is very applicable to attempting to describe the interactions between the various components of the brain - more evidence for Maturana and Varela to uphold autopoiesis.

Going on a long trip or have several months on your hands? Want to see how complicated that stuff between your ears really is? Read this!

As somone who struggles to reconcile Eastern, intuitive philosophy with Western rational philosophy, I was totally absorbed by this book. It successfully puts each in the context of the other and has helped to fundamentally change my views on the nature of spirituality and religion.

It maps observed experience of "altered states of consciousness" and spiritual experience onto the emerging understanding of brain physiology to give a glimpse into the underlying dynamics of what is happening to the experiant.

My hunch is that this book will come to be regarded as a watershed in our understanding of spirituality.

This is a weighty tome with a lot of scientific detail but it is extremely well written and enjoyable to read.

This book also tries to uncover the mystery of who actually dealt the deathblow to Charles Whitman as well, was it Houston McCoy or Ramiro Martinez? It protrays the effects of having the media splash their lives as heroes all over the newspapers and shows just what type of man could be the Father of Charles Whitman.

If you like true crime and want the back story on this savage assault on the University of Texas, I highly recommend it as the words flow from Lavergne's narration and puts you in the spectators seat as he unfolds the shooting of forty-five and killing of fourteen----including his own wife and Mother.

The story and the book that details the mayhem caused by Charles Whitman represent one of the top true crime episodes in the history of America.

This was one of America's first mass murder stories in the era dubbed "The Media Age." The carnal horrors of Vietnam presented on the six o'clock news by the broadcast media closely paralleled the impact felt by the horrified followers of the Tower killings.

Lavergne does a fine job of detailing the early life of Whitman and the events that led to his premeditated madness.

The Kennedy assassination, the Speck murders, and Whitman's killing spree woke and shocked America from its contented and homogenized post-Eisenhower dream. Innocence was truly lost in 1966 that day in Austin, Texas, under a scorching August sun.

I don't believe in the theory of "closure"; any event that must encompass the concept of closure will always be so painful that the person involved will never completely forget that tragic incident. For the people affected by the Whitman murders or any other earth-shattering event, closure is an inane concept.

Lily of the Valley Carnie, author - Chi Gung: Chinese Healing, Energy, and Natural Magick

The main character is Philip (what a giveaway, eh?) who works at Ralph's One-Day Resumes in Austin, Texas. He moved there to find his girlfriend Amelia, who ran away from the high-tech company Micromeg that they had both worked at previously because of an accident which Philip crazily attributes to the workings of the Great Old Ones. Amelia attributes insanity to Philip, likely brought on by his obsession with the characters of H.P. Lovecraft, and manifested in the magnum opus of a novel that Philip is constantly revising entitled The Despicable Quest. Philip claims that the novel is the only thing keeping Yog-Sothoth at bay.

Is Resume with Monsters funny? Yes, but it is in its incongruities, the warped reality of what Philip sees and how others react. The strength of the novel is wrapped up in the ambiguity of Philip--we recognize him as an unreliable narrator, but, as in Philip K. Dick's novel, the question is not whether to trust the narrator, but how much one can trust the world. Spencer handles this well, and there are quite a few plot twists to make things interesting, including having Philip's consciousness flung back in time to relive the Micromeg incident, the zombie co-workers, and a management recruitment program straight out of Dilbert (well, if Scott Adams worked for Nyarlathotep, Inc.). Resume with Monsters is not as well done as Spencer's latest, Zod Wallop, but is well worth checking out, especially for fans of both Dick and Lovecraft.

Philip has a big problem. He sees monsters at work, behind every filing cabinet, around every corner, in the eyes of his fellow co-workers, and in motivational pamphlets handed out in his paycheck envelope. In order to maintain his slipping sanity, Philip spends his free time constantly rewriting his sprawling 2000 page book called "The Despicable Quest," a Lovecraftian tome full of references to Azathoth, Yog-Sathoth, and other unpleasant beings from beyond space and time. Philip is aware that spouting off about monsters from dimensions beyond our own tends to alarm people, which brings in Lily, an aging psychologist who promises Philip she can help him through his troubles.

Philip probably would not have many problems with his demons if he gave up trying to save his ex-girlfriend Amelia. Philip's relentless quest to expose the monsters coupled with the undying devotion to his book infuriated Amelia, spurring a rancorous split. When she moves to Texas Philip follows her, desperate to convince Amelia that he once saved her from eternal doom when the two worked at MicroMeg, a giant international corporation (the details of which can be found in the section of the book hilariously entitled, "The Doom that Came to MicroMeg). Philip drifts from one low paying job to another, always on the lookout for the reemergence of the evil ones. Not only does Philip see potential evil at his own jobs, there seems to be something seriously astray at Pelidyne, a big company where Amelia just started a new job. It looks like Philip will have to return once again into the belly of the beast.

Spencer really has a grasp of Lovecraft's horrific intentions. His style does not reflect Lovecraft's ornate use of the English language, but many of the adventures Philip embarks on mirror a trip through a Lovecraft novel: the weird bending of time and space, the strange rituals of the Old Ones, and the feeling of helplessness one gets when confronting an evil beyond the comprehension of the human mind.

I suspect there is a lot of the author in this story. My copy has a painting on the front cover of a man who looks suspiciously like the picture of Browning on the back cover. The detailed descriptions of corporate stupidity and the shrieking mindlessness of working a low paying job tell me that the author spent many years working in the same type of jobs as Philip does in the novel. Anyone who has ever worked in a boring job with high pressure jerks as bosses will recognize and sympathize with Philip's plight. Ultimately, that is the greatest horror in "Resume with Monsters": the pressures of a job in today's world are worse than seeing monsters with dripping scales falling out of a time rip in the ceiling.

The comical aspects of the book abound throughout the story. Everything from Philip's confessions about the evil ones to the motivational pamphlets is gut bustingly funny. Be sure and pay attention to the group sessions during Philip's stay in the mental hospital. These scenes are some of the funniest in the book.

"Resume with Monsters" is essential reading for Lovecraft fans. Those who are unfamiliar with Lovecraft may want to read at least one collection of his stories before settling into this book because the references to particular entities are meaningless unless you understand the mythos. I am placing Spencer's book in my top five list of books read this year, and I hope you will too.

Yours in fitness, Linda Snyder

The theme of Fit and Fabulous After 40 is how to get into the groove of habits that set you up for great health. One important one Austin puts in the book is to start up a four-week plan for exercise. This is important to avoid a lifetime of fitness attempts that are just a series of great beginnings and no follow-through. The inclusion of Kegel exercises is clever. While you are building good exercise habits, you can incorporate simple but valuable pelvic exercises that pay off big time later on.

Austin doesn't neglect eating habits and gives tips on avoiding trouble spots when you go to fast-food restaurants. Again, this helps you to build good habits. And there are tips for getting into the habit of taking the right medical tests for preventative health care.

In my opinion, this is one of the best "After 40" health books ever written because it has not only the right information, but it presents it so you can develop good habits and keep them. Hurray, Denise! Good job!

If you find yourself reading trite and obvious mysteries with endings that leave you wondering why you bothered, you have GOT to read Blood and Bone, its a REAL mystery! I can't wait to get my hands on more from this new author. When and where can I get more?

Denise places fitness in perspective. I like her bubbly personality. It helps me to get the get up and go. I also use her exercise videos alternating with Kathy Smith. Both are an inspiration to me.

Most weight loss books promise the world with ridiculous foods and bizzare ways of eating (Believe me I tried them all). We need to be healthy and enjoy what we eat. The secret to lasting weight loss is common sense. There is no miracle pill or magic potion. Exercise and eating right is the only way to go, but you don't have to suffer doing it. I never thought I would enjoy exercising, now my body craves it.

My hat is off to Denise Austin and Kathy Smith. Thank you ladies.

Thank you Denise.

Dr Evil

Some critics have complained that all of Austen's novels have the same plot: a young naive girl learns about herself, others, and the "ways of the world." Granted, these comments may have some merit, but many times readers and critics comment on Austen without having read the majority of her works. They read Pride and Predjudice, perhaps Austen's most well-liked novel, and maybe Sense and Senisbility, Emma, or Persuasion, and then consider themselves authorities on the Austen canon.

Jane Austen: The Collected Novels allows readers and critics alike the opportunity to read all of Austen, not just her more popular works. One sees Austen's growth from a young, aspiring novelist who wrote Lady Susan, Sandition, and The Watsons, to the mature writer so many readers admire.

This collection's importance cannot be stressed enough, because to truly appreciate and understand an author, one must be familiar with his or her canon. Now, with the publication of such a complete compilation, we have the chance to do just that.