Epic poetry has lost its place in our culture. The common reader is not interested in the discipline of verse writing, looking more for a simple and easily-accessible series of actions with a bit of descripition thrown in. Turner's "Genesis" is a tribute to Homer, Virgil, the Arthurian tales, "Beowulf", and "the Song of Roland". Turner's story is excellent, narrative and verse techniques wonderful, and characters deep and complex. Anyone interested in epic poetry or science fiction as a genre should read this great work.

This is a really bold project---nothing less than a conscious attempt at creating a founders' epic myth for the colonization of Mars. The science fiction was appealing, but the adoption of epic poetic structure to that sturdy narrative style is what raises this to the 5 star level. There is an equal amount of what I would call mysticism, especially as a new prophet for humanity springs from Martian soil. If you ever got excited by reading Virgil, when you had to translate and put yourself back into time, but still wondered what would be the outcome of Aneas' various adventures, this is for you, except it has at its disposal the tools of modern poetry, and is fueled by a genuinely new epic story. The narrative and poetry are perfectly interfused. Turner is somewhat of a throwback, and Genesis could be taken as an apologia for human imperialism on the grand scale. However, he portrays diversity as a real virtue, and also gives the Malthusian intellectual tendency a fair chance to make its case. Humorous subsections of the poetry descend from the lofty rhythm of iambic pentameter into tetrameter, highlighting his contention as a critic that form is central to the understanding of content. The meter is the message, perhaps? This is one of the most moving things I have ever read.

"Genesis" is an epic poem about the terraforming, or environmental transformation, of Mars. It's a beautiful, thoughtful, captivating treatment of a difficult set of environmental, spiritual and political issues. It deserves to be much more widely known than it is, as it ranks with Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles as one of the most moving and unusual literary works about the planet Mars.

Maybe we just live in clunky times...and poetry embodying ideas as Happiness does just isn't every phillistine's cup of tea, I'd guess. Sorry, but I found that my own reading of Happiness offered me a compellingly open set of visions for possible human futures, along with fiercely unsparing critiques of revolution, cultural, political, and metaphysical. We need poetry, these days, to dialogue with perennial values beyond the relativities of sensuality and The Self - that's Mr. Pollack's classical edge. But he's also an Outsider, a beat revolutionary, I imagine, not so much in retirement as in tactical retreat. This isn't an easy poem - book length narrative poems sort of can't be - but its rewards are, well, revolutionary...

Clunky and inept; I'm surprised that this work was hyped. Even the Kirkus commercial review presented here is honest about it....

In Happiness, as well as in his past work, Pollack manages to do the virtually impossible: create something which is exciting, entertaining as well as intellectually stimulating as well as staggering. Reading Happiness excited me tremendously. The reader can approach it from any one of a number of different directions and always hit the target dead on. A very important book.

Libby's lie to her mother came out so easily, "like it was greased with warm butter". After spending the day on the porch for lying, Libby decides to tell nothing but the truth. Her truth-telling goes overboard, causing loss of cherished friendships both young and old. Telling everyone that Thomas got his lunch money from the teacher, for example, isn't exactly what her mother had in mind. It is only when Libby is confronted with the hurtful truth of another that she comes around to understanding that the honest-to-goodness truth told for the right reasons is never wrong.

The simple illustrations lend themselves to understanding the story line. Giselle Potter used pencil, ink, gouache, gesso and watercolor to create the pictures that my young daughter and her older brother love to look at over and over again.

This is a great theme with a fun story line done in a multi-cultural setting.

My second graders absolutely loved this book. I read it aloud to the class and then they wrote a response. They were asked to tell the lesson of this story, and to relate how they had been like either Libby Louise or a victim. The children were very honest in their responses. I think this book is a must for any classroom discussion. Though it is recommended for 4-8 year olds, the message would be good for all ages.

Terrific book and a great read-aloud! I read this book to my elementary class. The children loved it! It provided a wonderful "spring board" for a rich classroom discussion on truthfulness.

A great presentation of what I expected to be an unexciting topic. Examines the workings of the political system in a highly readable way. I was not only well-informed after I read the book, but entertained as well!

This is excellent material if you are conducting any kind of serious research on NAFTA and its negotiations' development and outcome. It provides with a huge theoretical framework, every step of the process. If your line of work is game theory, this book will really help you (or at least it worked wonders for me). This is mandatory reference material for anyone interested in studying NAFTA.

Mayer rivals Grisham. He enfolds the strategy of NAFTA like a good murder-mystery. More proof that reality is more entertaining than fiction. It's a thriller, a nail-biter. I couldn't put it down!

If you sorta like Military History, than you should absolutely buy this book. The book captures the thrill of victory, like never before. If you are like me, and had never heard of Gustavus Adolphus before, than this is an excellent book to read, as a stepping stone to learning more about these men.

An excellent study of exactly why these four generals were so successful on and off of the battlefield. Particularly emphasizes the importance of the cult-of-personality so prevalant in history's greatest generals, while still showing you enough of the army details to let you imagine you're charging across a ditch at Lutzen.

This was a great book for me to read because it influenced me to become the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army,which I am today.I would like to recommennd this book to historians to all people who are interested(especially generals).

I listened to this again for the first time in over a year. It has lost nothing. Every humorous incident is just as funny the second time around. Wodehouse has an ingenious way of pulling you into comedic situations and you're suddenly there before you realize it. Jonathan Cecil is one of the best of the Wodehouse narrators.

To the ever growing Audio Partners catalogue of complete books on tape can be added yet another of those hilarious Jeeves novels, this one called "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit." Written in 1954, this Bertie Wooster epic brings in many characters familiar from earlier works (Roderick Strode, Aunt Agatha, Uncle Tom, Frances Craye, Stilton Cheesewright) and many all-too familiar situations. Yes, Wodehouse does repeat himself, but I look upon it as ringing the changes. A line of bells is a line of bells, but their various combinations are what make things interesting.

Again Bertie is trying to avoid both marriage and having his spine broken in an increasing number of places, again having to purloin a valuable object to help out his only likable aunt, again depending on Jeeves first, middle, and last to extricate himself from dilemmas of his own doing and (at least in this book) those of others.Of the four actors assigned to read these novels and short stories on Audio Partners tapes, I think Jonathan Cecil is the best. He gives Wooster just that goofy intonation and all the other characters their due, making this set of four audio tapes a real humdinger. I have grown to realize that it is not so much that Wodehouse says funny things as that he says ordinary things in a funny way. That is why almost all of the Jeeves adventures are narrated first person by Wooster himself.

Just the ticket to cheer one up after a hard day or during a long boring drive.

As a PS, there is a very good life of Wodehouse by David A. Jasen put out by Schirmer Trade Books, "P.G. Wodehouse: A Portrait of a Master." It makes an easy read and brings you closer to the creator of the dreamworld in which lives the Woosters and the rest.

P.G. Wodehouse writes in a Dave Barry meets Agatha Christie style which makes you laugh out loud. P.G. Wodehouse was Agatha Christie's favourite author for a good reason. He gives you a visit to England in 1930 (or thereabouts) and plots with every twist you can imagine. In this one, Bertie, the upperclass twit, gets himself into the usual fix, and Jeeves finds a way out. The plot carries you along and keeps you in both suspense and stitches. Please listen to it if you have even a smidgen of the blues! If you have kids who are intelligent teens, this is a great family car trip book.

I've often been fascinated by John Muir, ever since I started visiting many different national parks out west and seeing his name cited everywhere as an inspiration. If you are interested in environmental ethics and theory (as opposed to simplistic tree-hugging and other poorly-considered theories), and if you have a primal love for the outdoors, then John Muir is your man. Here Frederick Turner has written a solid biography of the man, with all the research and articulation that should be expected. Turner also includes a large dose of Muir's opinions and theories, as well as the historical and political background behind Muir's actions and thought processes. Therefore, what we have here is not just an informative biography on the public person, but an enlightening treatise on environmental ethics and theory, as defined by the brilliant mind of Muir himself.

I finished this book about a week ago. Despite moving on to subsequent reading material, I find that there are parts of Turner's book that I simply can't stop thinking on. For me, they are what makes John Muir's life and legacy so important.

There is about a three or four page segment at the end of the chapter entitled "Civilization and Its Discontents," in which Turner presents what appears to be a sea change in America's conception of itself. The change is fundamental in that it consists of a shift from the intellectual and human promise of America as seen through the eyes of Emerson and Thoreau, to the promise of power, wealth, and machines. That is, at one point, people, and their potential for growth and good, were at the center of the American dream. Yet, at some point in the Nineteenth century (possibly at the time of the Civil War) money and wealth became the American dream.

Turner is the not the first person to present this argument, as he himself notes. Nor am I certain that his take on this cultural shift is entirely accurate. However, I do think it points out the value that Muir had, and his intellectual descendants have, in directing the national attention back in the direction from which it came--not so much that we should live for nature, but that we should live for people.

As for the rest of the book, I found it enjoyable if not without problems. Turner's presentation of Muir's life, including the emotions and conceptualizations that he imagines for him, is thoroughly engaging and seems quite complete. The only problems I encountered are that Turner seems to run out of steam at the end, seeming to skip years of Muir's life at a time, and that Turner has an interesting use of commas in that he doesn't use them very often.

If you read this, and I think you should, you'll probably be as interested in reading Muir's own writings as I am.

I enjoyed this book very much. Until now I've only read short articles about Muir, so I am not qualified to comment on Turner's accuracy or how comprehensive his book is. But I can tell you it is beautifully written, evoking the world that Muir inhabited... or better yet, the worlds. Because Turner follows the boy John Muir from Scotland to Wisconsin, and then takes us along on all the adult John Muir's extensive travels. We learn about this majestic life that's as full of crags and crannies as the mountains he so loved. And we are left with no doubt about his genius and his incalculable importance to the America we live in today.

A retired detective lieutenant, Frederick Price spent thirty-three years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department. He spent time in everything from patrol to special investigations, and investigated cases ranging from organized crime to terrorism. Lair of the Dragon is his first mystery.

Every portion of police work involves the writing of reports. Combine this with the years spent in dangerous situations with bad guys, some life tragedies, and an overbearing captain and you have the beginning of Lair of the Dragon. Chad Belmontes is a Metro Detective who is still mourning the loss of his wife and child. When his supervisor threatens punitive action if he doesn't catch up on his caseload, he fakes some reports to save his hide, never dreaming that his faked report sets up an alibi for a murderer. As he and his friend Stan begin to dig, they uncover an organization of Triads, a Chinese mob, run by Benny Chi:

"Returning to his chair, Wu accepted Belmontes' offered cigarette. 'Chad,' he began again, 'these are real fanatics you're dealing with. Triad rites and ceremonies are based upon 36 Hung Mun oaths. They are...' 'Hung...what?' Belmontes interrupted. 'Blood oaths,' Wu answered. 'These oaths basically demand allegiance by all members to the Triad. As part of their initiation ceremony, new members drink a mixture of their own and other initiates' blood. It's supposed to make them bound for life.'"

Chad Belmontes is a marred cop who is lovable in spite of his warts. The one thing that stands out is his basic sense of honesty and decency...even to the point of putting his life in jeopardy for a system all too ready to pounce on one mistake. Frederick Price does a bang-up job of creating a real police environment, which translates to overworked men who are expected to be superhuman in their pursuit of crime and organizations. They are often outgunned and out manned, and they have to use their wits to get the better of their adversaries. Price reminds us, via Belmontes' character, just what a thankless and dangerous job police work is. Lair of the Dragon pulls the reader through a maze of criminals and murders that is exciting and frightening. A great read!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

A good read! Fast-paced, interesting characters, lots of excitement. An easy to read and follow story, with a more complex plot, with lots of twists which keeps the reader wanting to read another chapter, another chapter, and yet another chapter. There was a little something in each character that I recognized in people that I have personally known which made the book even more interesting. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of this author's books.

At the recommendation of a friend, I bought this book. To make a long story short, I started it one evening and finished it the next day, as I couldn't put it down. I loved it. It kept me going the entire time. Both the adventure and realism were there. Anyway, I hope that the author does a sequel with the same characters, as I'm hooked.

Readers should note that this book was written for unmarried opposite-sex couples only. Same-sex couples should instead read _A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples_ by Hayden Curry and Denis Clifford, also published by Nolo. Although many of the issues overlap regardless of sexual orientation, this book considers specifically the concerns facing unmarried male-female partners.

Within this scope, this book does a wonderful job of exploring every legal detail unmarried couples should consider when sharing a household. This is the stuff you'll hopefully never have to consider if your lives go happily ever after, but just in case they don't, both you and your partner will be glad to have in writing certain understandings that spouses automatically have granted to them by law. The authors make this wonderful suggestion: "Approach the task in the spirit of clarifying your understanding and preserving the shared memory of two fair-minded people." At its best, using this book will not only hammer out legal essentials but strengthen your relationship with your partner.

The book covers "living together" contracts, finances, sharing real estate (rented or purchased), estate planning, starting a family, confronting issues that stem from one partner having previously been married, and what to do if you separate. A lot of it is common sense, but common sense may vary by state, and the book does a good job of noting exceptions. It's written in plain language, and if you're not a lawyer, I guarantee you'll find stuff in here that you'd never think of in a million years but could be vitally important. (For instance, if your partner owns a home in her name only but the two of you have agreed in writing to keep all your personal property separate, her homeowners' insurance will not cover your property if a disaster occurs!)

If you love creating neat and tidy forms electronically, you'll love the companion CD-ROM, which has all the forms discussed in the chapters. If you're not so great with computers, don't worry -- most of the forms are available at the back of the book to be torn out and filled in by hand or by typewriter.

Planning to maybe someday get married? Using this book is still a good idea, plus it includes a section on pre-marital agreements and explains whether or not a living-together contract qualifies as one for your circumstances.

My only complaint -- I wish making all of the necessary decisions were as easy and straightforward as this book was to read!

As Judge Judy points out to her audience, there are no courts that protect couples living together. People who decide to live together, need to set up a legal contract. When things fall apart, the last thing needed is the distress and lawsuits that don't have any validity of who or what is owed. In a society that pushes marriage on men and women, it's refreshing to know that there are people who choose to be happy with an alternative lifestyle. When the marriage falters, couples have to seek legal assistance to end their marriage. And divorce drags on for years because the courts fuel the fire which drains both parties emotionally and financially. And children are caught in this mudslinging. Perhaps an alternative to marriage may change the divorce laws in this country.

NOLO's Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples is such a wonderful resource. I would encourage all couples who are living together to purchase and read this book. It details a little bit of history of how laws have changed regarding unmarried couples who live together. This guide has been published and updated since 1979; there have been a lot of changes!

It is clear, concise, and user friendly. There are forms to set up all kinds of agreements, whether your intention is to join all your assets and property or keep them all separate, or anywhere in between. The book includes a CD so you can modify any of the agreements you want to use.

This guide makes it clear that not having written agreements like these can cause major problems if ever your partnership should end. The guide is suprisingly informative about lots of small legal details and does provide some information about how certain laws differ from state to state.

This is a wonderful resource and I recommend it to all, including heterosexual couples who don't want to be legally married but aren't sure of their rights if they don't marry.

This spellbinding account of a young man's journey into adult-hood will keep you up all night. An autobiography that reads like a novel, Fred Weller takes you along as he unashamedly describes his first humorous and less than satisfying sexual experience. Then ride along with him and a professional hit man on a cross-country odyssey that won't let you put the book down until the finish.

Sometimes frightening, sometimes humorous, and often poignant, Weller tells the story of his struggles as he ventures out into the world to make his way as a man and has you rooting for him while wondering how one twenty year-old can get into so much "stuff."

If you liked Weller's first book, Always Courage, you'll look forward to this one so you can follow the further adventures of this young immigrant. What's next, Fred?

A magnificent display of candor in the author's young adult life! Yes, there's sex; yes, there's language; and yes, there's violence, but it's not gratuitous. It's just honest. It's the story of the author's coming of age in terms of his first sexual experience that is so indelibly imprinted that he gives credit to his "teacher." It's the story of the author's choice of friendships at that age with some very unsavory characters. It's the story of the author's cross-country trip in the grasp of an Irish gangster. It is a sexy, powerful tale that is at once seductive and precarious. There is even some comic relief as he describes his captor's encounter with the United States Border Patrol. The author's life hangs in the balance as he seeks his opportunity to escape--an attempt he knows may only come one time. Gripping, powerful, emotional. I felt I was living it and I just wanted to reach in there and pull him out of that maelstrom.

When I read this book I found it very hard to put down. It caught my attention and it never let go. I felt as though I were in a maelstrom--constantly being buffeted between good, evil, sexual sensations, superficiality and deep, lasting values. It imediately took me back to the time when I was the author's age. I related totally with the author's feelings--his first sexual encounter, his views of right and wrong and his fear for his own safety and survival. It was a most wonderful reading experience for me and I have recommended it hightly to audiences of all ages.