For a book called "Full of Life," this work is surprisingly flat and boring. Not much happens in the life of John Fante. He drinks a lot, writes a little, drinks some more, abuses his wife, drinks even more, and saves just enough time to drown a sack of kittens in the kitchen sink while his children cry horrified. That's it for the drama, though. There isn't much life here, just a sad example of a generation of gruff and abusive alcoholic men slowly fading into memory. "Life" in these terms seems defined by random violent outbursts, failure and the bottle. Even Cooper's prose, fashioned to echo his idol, falls flat on the page with sentences like, "He was full of piss and vinegar." This isn't a biography as much as a eulogy to a time and a man better left forgotten. Fante's literary achievements were limited in his lifetime at best, perhaps in no small part due to his heavy alcoholism. There is nothing new or interesting here, not even a great work of art to point to and wonder. Cooper looks behind the curtain of Fante's existence, finding that whatever wizard we had imagined there had long ago crumbled to dust. There is no life here, full or otherwise...

Overall, a good first biography of John Fante. Fante's extensive screenwriting efforts are documented in detail here, and there are interesting insights into the writing of Ask the Dust. I found some portions a bit dry, like the delving at length into Fante's family tree at the beginning. Likewise, the fifty pages of scholarly Notes at the end are tedious reading and seem superfluous. Invaluable are facts surrounding incidents such as Fante's car accident later in life (Stephen Cooper hinting that perhaps it was an attempt at autocide), and Fante's purchase of a revolver (the biographer suggesting that Fante may have been planning to kill himself). Inexcusable, however, are omissions like the failure to note the recent writing achievements of Fante's son, Dan, whose books are big business in Europe. Dan may have his father's gift of braggadocio, and the curse of ten times the old man's bitterness, but the oversight (?) is bizarre in the context of such an obviously well-researched bio. The few glossed-over gaps in Full of Life are almost to be expected since John Fante's own letters and fictions were so frequently full of fabrication themselves.

Cooper is an elegant writer in his own right. He brings new light to Fante's life and work. After reading his stimulating biography, any readers unfamiliar with Fante will immediately be drawn to his novels and readers already familiar with Fante will get the urge to re-read and re-think an author who, with the help of Cooper, will eventually find his way into the classroom.

I purchased this book after enjoying an exhibit of Hudson River School paintings. While the premise of the book is an interesting one, I couldn't get past the conservative politics! It was Newt Gingrich's quote & the mention of Lynne Cheney as a harbinger of moral change that pushed me over the edge. I was hoping to gain a further appreciation of the genre, but found myself too iritated by the modern day political commentary to keep reading. If you have BOTH an appreciation of the school & a conservative political outlook--this is probably the book for you. However, if you find conservative definitions of morality and cultural standards off-putting, don't bother with this one!

"Knights of the Brush" is a fascinating book on the Hudson River School landscape painters, but it is not (repeat not) by the novelist James Fenimore Cooper! The author, a distinguished art historian, is James F. Cooper and unlike the novelist is very much alive! That said, I find the book a little strange. Mr. Cooper analyses and discusses a wide range of Hudson River landscape paintings by painters such as Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, and Jasper Cropsey -- stressing their moral and religious intent and content in a way that should increase appreciation of their merit. The book is filled with attractive color reproductions of their works. But this is coupled with a sometimes repetitious jeremiad against current "post-modern" culture and ethics and apparently everything else to do with contemporary American culture. Somehow the art history and appreciation and the political pamphlet do not live happily with each other. Readers and art lovers can enjoy and appreciate "Knights of the Brush," and the author's passion for art, without necessarily accepting all his passion for turning back the cultural clock.

Anyone alarmed by the loss of cultural standards in America today will find this book fascinating. Mr. Cooper clearly demonstrates the relationship between culture and art. We are reminded of a time in our nations youth when the arts served to lift up and inspire, when truth, virtue and beauty were not doubted but sought after because they represented the very best of what we could be. Today much of our art points in the opposite direction, not celebrating what we aspire to be but pointing out the worst of what we are. As an artist in todays culture I can attest to the accuracy of Mr.Coopers observations concerning the role modern art has played in our cultural decline.I can also confirm the great hunger for art that lifts the spirit and inspires our hopes and dreams. I highly recommend this book for its insight into the importance of our creative endeavors and how we direct them. I hope it serves as an inspiration to all artists seeking to better the world through their gifts.

Basic in its approach to writing, this book may be useful for high school English classes but is totally unsuitable for college students. Although it contains some worthwhile fiction, most of the non-fiction pieces are not very challenging for college readers. The text is extremely prescriptive, and leads students to write formulaic papers rather than original and creative college level essays.

As a freshman nutrition major, this book was required for my English 101 class. I found it to be boring, unhelpful, and plodding. The author's instructions for activities leave you depressed and annoyed, and teachers have to jump around a lot to instruct properly.

This might be a good reference book, and perhaps even a book for secondary/high schools, but not for a college English class.

I consider this book to be one of the best how-to-write books I've read. I'm not a college student, but a writer who wants to sharpen skills, and I have found many sections of the book to be extremely helpful--the section on writing profiles, for example, and the one on writing autobiographical essays, just to name two. I've also found the information contained in other sections--such as Narrating, Illustrating, Comparing and Contrasting, Field Research--to be invaluable. I'm so glad I came across this book! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a detailed plan for learning to be an excellent writer.

I just browsed the book and found it not very 'pro' related. Not many color examples. There are only 12 pages of color in a 416 page book. There should be more color where lighting and color are reletive to an image creation software book. There is more information and overlap of Poser 4 issues than the Pro Version.

I would re-consider purchasing book. I am also thinking about returning it.

This is the only worthwhile book available at this writing...for anyone looking for some help with Poser 4.0. Admittedly (as the title states), Schrand focuses much of the book on the Poser Pro Pack, an expensive but very useful add-on to the base product. But he devotes half the book to explaining and demonstrating basic and intermediate tasks, and his examples are clear and easy to follow. The CD is chock full of useful gadgets and gimcracks.

I didn't read it as a beginner, but I'm familiar with a lot of beginner's books, and I think this one will get you started in Poser and keep enhancing your knowledge and growth as you master the software.

I think this book is worth having for the price. It does have some tutorials and offers insight to the mediocre Poser user. I learned a few things but it is not the vast tome of understanding I had expected. Still, if you are grappling with some of the more advanced concepts of Poser pro pack, I'd say you probably should get this book. It may shed some light on a few things for you. Don't expect to be Phil C after reading this one though. ;>
Hydra

I bought this book when it first came out and tried several of the psychics. Contrary to the experience of one of the other reviewers, I found Kim Allen to be the worst when it came to accuracy. I used her several times over four or five years, and maybe two of her predictions came true. However, she is a genuinely kind and caring person who really cares about her clients. Jill Dahne turned out to be on a star trip and she blew me off three times and I made her refund my money. Her mother, Micki, turned out to be a whacko who wanted me to change the spelling of my name! I have found other psychics not listed in this book who are much better.

I beg to differ with the other reviewers. I used this book and found the gretaest psychic of all, Joyce Keller. I was totally blown away by her reading, which was upbeat and positive the whole way through. It was as if she knew me and my problems, and answered each one explicity. When she told me I as going to marry someone I knew named "Ed<" I denied knowing anyone by that name. Nonetheless she was very sure. Sure enough, I did know an Ed, he was a coworker of mine. We kno longer work togtehr because I am expecting my first child, and Ed, is my husband. I love this book for helping me find Joyce.

The only important part of this book, is Kim Allen the "Love Psychic" based in New York. She is accurate, inexpensive, straight to the point and extremely friendly. If you buy the book she is in it. TRUST ME, if you want a psychic that will NOT disappoint, read about and contact Kim Allen.-JD

"Fat And Proud" truly made me angry. By using the most worst case scenarios which overweight people could face, the author has done nothing but vent anger against sound medical judgement concerning obesity. From reading this book I couldn't help but think of a wounded tiger who'd fallen into an open pit, growling at its family members who'd been more careful. This not a helpful read, but an angry one.

As one who was once overweight and who knows the humiliation of biased notions of beauty, I was interested by the title of this book. Now while the author makes some adequate observations about society's prejustices against the overweight, this book left me with the feeling the author is simply attempting to make these flawed concepts a scapegoat for poor choices. Any act of discrimination is unforgivable and should not be tolerated, and I am only too familiar with cruelty vented toward the overweight. Yet, an attempt to promote pride for an unhealthy life choice is not only self-serving but also irresponsible.

I found this book to be engaging and empowering! I disagree strongly with those reviewers who claim that Cooper is irresponsible by celelbrating an "unhealthy life choice." Fat in of itself is not necessarily unhealthy. A fat person who excercises if far healthier than a thin person who does not. In addition, it has been proven that dieting and other dangerous weight loss methods (such as intestinal and gastric bypass surgeries) are far less healthy than simply trying to maintain one's normal body weight, even if it by definition "overweight."

I did not like this book at all. I didn't like the writing style, it took way way too long to say one thing. the entire book was very boring and it only had one interesting character, and it's not even Buddy! The ending is uninteresting and it left me wantto rewrite it. Buddy's character is way too dull. Maybe it's just me. I think late elementary or early middle school students might enjoy this book. If you are looking for a book with alot of action, don't even pick this one up!

Many times Iget a book. But I don't read them. The first time I read this book Ithought in my mind maybe Ishould read a whole book. This book has good illistration. This book is the kind of reading material that some people who would like funny reading and sometimes it has some emotion.

The begining of this book was a bad thing for the Love family. When Mr. Love came home he said he had a surprise for the family. so they came into the kitchen. His mom does not like surprises, so he got them all in the kitchen and told them what he got: He said I won a camcorder. And when they were talking about what they were going to do with it, his sister and mother had the same opinion to get rid of it while Buddy and his dad had different things they wanted to do with it like Buddy wanted to make his own movie and his dad wanted to tape the Chicago Bears practice.

There were many parts I liked but there was this one part that got me; it is where Buddy locks his sister in the garage for taping him in his underware. He left her in the garage for hours.Another part I didn't like was when his sister got revenge on him by filming him in the shower.

I would recommend this to people who like funny revenge. It is an excellent book to revenge and tells you that you can get revenge without making it evil.

In theis good book focusing on the good and bad points of life Buddy Love finds out things that he never knew about himself and his family

A very sick and werid book. It seemed like the book put what the Nazis did into a positive light

This book is an exceptional survey of the development of a genocidal mentality among the doctors of the Third Reich. Of great interest to those doing research on this topic are the diaries of Nazi anatomist,Dr. Hermann Voss in Posen during the war. It demonstrates, among other things, a pervasive manichaean attitude that extended from Hitler on down- A tendency to view the world in all-or-nothing terms. The characters are largely repulsive (Dr. Friedrich Mennecke referring to victims as "portions")and it is sometimes hard to handle the intricacies of the history unless you have a background in this area. If you are looking for a general understanding of the doctors, try Lifton's book, The Nazi Doctors. For more history of this type, try Death and Deliverance by Burleigh or The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code by Annas and Grodin. If you want to know about the experiments, go to a library and sift through the case of United States vs. Karl Brandt et al. (1947 - the Nuremberg "Doctors" Trial). This book is valuable to those initiated into the macabre studies of Hitler's Germany, but you might want to stay away if you're only a general reader.

While I have not purchased this book from Amazon.com, I have reviewed it at a local bookstore. The book itself speaks more on the psychiatric area of "Nazi-medicine" rather than on actual experimentation. For those interested in a more focused book on the Nazi's "bio-medical vision" they should read "The Nazi Doctors" by R.J. Lifton. It is an excellent and descriptive book, giving accounts from survivors. It is careful to give actual accounts instead of fabricated stories, at the same time not glorifying Nazi science. I disagree with the comment about this book being reviewed. In my personal opinion, it does not glorify Nazi science. I have read many books on this subject and say that this book deserves credit, but not enough for five stars.

I picked this book up by accident, I'd ordered Practical Sigil Magic by Frater U.D., but this one had come in instead. I thought, what the hell, and bought it anyway. I now wish I hadn't.

The book is broken up into two parts 'The Psybermancer' and 'The Psybernomicon', it's unclear why. It's also unclear why the author spells magick with a 'c' in the title, then switches to 'ck' throughout the rest of the book. I'm not particularly bothered by which spelling is used, only that it be consistent.

After throwing out the mind - without giving a decent explaination as to why (pg. 15) and denying the power of emotions and their useful place in your life (pg. 16-17), Cooper then decides to do away with karma as well (pg. 17).

Before you can master the effects of your mind, you need to understand it, and in doing so, yourself. Take the example of emotions given (pg. 17) he suggests that 'each time you find that you are being negative, stop, remind yourself that your thinking will effect the outcome.' Denying how you think and feel will only surpress these thoughts and emotions until you burst, which can far more disasterous. He offers no real solutions to fears or doubts, just suggests you push it down a little deeper. He does away with karma, denouncing it as a useless concept, but doesn't seem to have a firm grasp of what it means, then decides to fabricate his own debt-system, calling it 'The Great Law of Tenfold Return'.

Copper's preference of Spare over Crowley seems not to have any real foundation, a common thread throughout this book. While I don't necessarily disagree, I would like to see an explaination given. The only quote by Crowley cited is secondhand, coming from a book by another author - it looks as though he's not even bothered to read Crowley before forming this opinion. There is no mention of Crowley in the bibliography.

The concepts presented in this book are barely even a rehashing of everything that's already been established much more effectively by other authors, and in more depth. The only new concepts he presents are baseless and useless.

I found this book to be a useless load of rubbish. Perhaps this ridiculous magickal philosophy is explained futher in his other works, but I found this one such a waste of time that I'm not inclined to persue them.

i did not enjoy this book.

it takes a Very Simple technique, and adds a whole bunch of useless fluff to it, without giving much explanation of theories, or even any new ideas on "gnosis".

What makes magick work, is the ability to communicate our intentions to our subconscious mind and the most effective way of doing this is via symbols or sigils. This book explains the significance of sigils, how to create them and how to charge them with psychic power. The work is divided in two parts: The Psybermancer and The Psybernomicon. The first deals with the basics of magick, critical self-analysis, magical preliminaries including the altar and equipment, rituals and formulas, the creation of sigils and a discussion of inhibitory an excitatory gnosis. The author provides extensive information on whirling gnosis and charging methods for the sigils. Chapter Six: The Master Ritual includes pieces on words of power, the use of sound and the colors of magick. The Psybernomicon examines the concept of color in magick in detail, including white, red, black orange, green, blue, yellow and silver, and the last chapter provides magical techniques and exercises. The book concludes with a bibliography and index. I found it to be quite an enjoyable read with simple instructions and sound advice.

Questionable content, unsubstantiated speculation, and apparently delusional as per his extensive sections on runic projection. Yes, one can successfully use the runes (as well as tarot and skrying) to project, but the circumstances Cooper alleges are unlike anything I've heard from any other source. I believe that many of his astral exploits are fantasy presented as fact . . . they read like a poorly written "swords & sorcery" novel! A little bit of good information, but very tedious reading . . . it kept putting me to sleep! Not recommended.

If you've read anything published by Llewellyn in the last ten years, you pretty much know what to expect from this.

A cutesy cartoon cover designed to appeal to the teens and stunted young adults that form Llewellyn's core audience. The Norseman on the cover is the runic equivalent of Silver Ravenwolf's "Barbie on a broomstick".

Information that is inconsistent, unsubstantiated, or unexplained (for example the author does not spend any time telling the reader why the given names of the runes do not correspond to most other books).

Writing at a sixth grade reading level at best.

Llewellyn has managed to insult my intelligence - indeed, that of all self respecting Witches and occultists - yet again. So why two stars instead of one? Only because there is nothing in here that will cause harm to the newbie. Even so, you are better off sticking with Thorsson.

I liked the relaxation and visualization exercises in it. The interpretations of the runes are good, and the book is easily readable. I enjoyed it, but there wasn't anything really outstanding about it. I would reccomend it for people interrested in studying runes.