Why Read?
Because it's good for you.

Why Read Short Stories, Essays and the like?
Because they're perfect for those tiny slices of your day when you're bored but have time to read only a few pages or so. Sure, if you have 6 hours straight to sit down and read something as thick as your wrist, no problem. But if you're the kinda person who catches the train, reads before bed, or waits in cafes for eternally tardy companions, shorter pieces are great because, well, they're short. There's no nasty 'What'll happen next? Darnit, my stop's coming up, I'll have to wait 'til tomorrow to find out!' sentiment. Stegall has masterfully crafted his stories to fit into the length of you bus trip; his interviews are precisely long enough to fill the ten minutes it'll take you to drink that latte.

Why Read James's Short Stories, Essays and the like?
Because they're good, GOOD i tell you. Look - everyone loves Retail Commando. What are you reading this for? Extra confirmation? Ok then: it's good! Buy it! You know you wanna!

Retail Commando is short in much the same way that War and Peace is not. But as James has always said, it's not the size that counts, but how you use it. He proves this chunk of wisdom right with this book. His brand of satire pierces the nipples of consumerism and his painful tragedies plunge shis-ka-bob skewers into your chest like Buffy's steaks into vampire hearts.

On Mr. Stegall's website, he has pictures of himself handling a lizard. I say, with writing of his caliber, he can handle any lizard he wants.

This book is electric much like the slide of the same name; the one danced at weddings. This book is magic much like the johnson of the the same name. Unlike my johnson this book is not very long, but then again it doesn't ruin promnight with premature [...] problems. This book is wacky and eclectic with stories and interviews and essays on well over two subjects. This book is deserving of a infomercial epitaph like, XL, Omni, Ultra, or 2000 and 1. It is both exciting and interesting. I wonder whether I should have taken out the johnson remark, [...]. I say the johnson comment stays, james Stegall would want it that way.

I think the most striking aspect of this book is the warmth and humanity with which James manages to infuse into stark scenes. He manages to observe without passing judgement and without detracting from the harsh reality. I was left wondering what he really thinks about all of these things and with that in mind, felt that he has left the reader space to think for him/herself, which is a rare talent.

Very well written with excellent descriptions of the subject
Writer is very articulate and has a unique style and approach
with sensitivity, to the American Drug culture.
I highly recommend the reading of this book for all who have been involved in Drugs,know someone who has used drugs,or curious of the life in Drugs. This book is not JUST for the Drug related society. Any one with the appreciation of modern poetry will enjoy the style of this book. It has a variety of well written poetry,easy to read and understand and covers a variety of subjects . There is more than one poem which would apply to everyones life and emotions in some aspect of their life.

Mr. Murphy's book is an amazing collection of brutally honest poetry. Once I began reading the poems it was hard to stop. As a person that was raised around the sort of subject matter in the book, several of the poems reminded me of something I had experienced in my own life. The collection of hard-life realisms will take the reader on a realistic journey through a life of drugs, alcohol, and violence and ultimately hardships on the road to recovery. I highly recommend "Road of Sighs" to anyone who may have had some of these experiences in their own life or may be just curious about the life style. I look forward to future work by Mr. Murphy.

I have bought other titles in this series when on vacation in the States, so I was delighted to find this book in a bookstore on a recent visit to Boston and Cape Cod. The descriptions of peri- and post-glacial geology were particularly illuminating as I walked beaches and trails on the Cape and Islands. Comparing these descriptions with older books on the geology of the Cape it is amazing how much detail is encompassed in a small number of pages. Similarly, descriptions of other areas familiar to me, such as Cape Ann, Boston and the Concord/Lexington area, all gave me a much better understanding. I look forward to visiting unfamiliar parts of the state, with this book in hand. It is not just for residents, but is a must for the vactioner interested in the natural history or landform of Massachusetts.

James W. Skehan's Roadside Geology Of Massachusetts will please residents of Massachusetts and any with a special affection for its local geology, providing a geologic history of the mountains and rocks of the state. An organization by area makes it easy to locate the part of Massachusetts which is of particular interest, while geologic facts assume no prior scientific knowledge - lay readers will relish this guide.

This is a very nice work, written so anyone can understand it, with a lot of information delivered succintly, loads of rides around Boston, and good maps. It is an excellent starting point for enjoying the geology of Massachusetts. My only wish would be to make it longer.

This is a treasure. This is my first book on Roseville Pottery and it has been so informative. The information and layout of the book is compact and very easy to read and understand. It gives you current prices and a discussion of various lines of the pottery. Volumes could be written of this line of Pottery but this guide gives you quick and precise information and prices of the most common pieces of Roseville Pottery. I give it an A+++++.

I bought the 2003 1/2 Roseville Art Guide for my dad. He loves it. He has already put it to good use. He has been trying to build a Roseville collection for some time, but he has been frustrated. This price guide has helped him tremendously. I highly recommend this guide to anyone collecting Roseville pottery. AAAAA +++++

Kudos Jim Jenkins. I bought my husband the 2003 1/2 Roseville art guide. It was quite possibly the best purchace I have ever made in pricing pottery. My husband has saved a considerable amount of money using this price guide. AAAAA +++++

great guidebook. Describes in detail the good, the bad and the ugly of Nepal. The language section was extremely useful. A few hours spent learning some useful greetings and phrases will pay off tenfold upon arrival in Nepal. Being able to bargain or ask for directions in the native language is a lot of fun and much appreciated, especially since most travellers do not take the time to learn anything more than "Namaste."

This book has given me comfort and a wealth of information about what I would like to do and see in Nepal. Having a well planned trip in advance is smart and this book will probably tell you everything you need to know about anything, and more. Food, health issues, places to stay, sights, special points, etc. Definitely worth the investment.

I just returned from Nepal using this guide. The book was very well-written with lots of practical advice-- everything from how to book an airline to what kind of diahrrea you may have picked up. Very accurate information re. hotels, modes of transportation, etc. Useful vocabulary list.

This is a book not only for children but for adults too. So much is said in so few words. The illustrations are key to the message. With so much going on today and so much of our pain and feelings kept inside, this book helps up to own our feelings without having to fix them.
I know personally that this book has had a deep affect on mnany children as well as adult friends.

J. McArthur

The words of E. McMahon and P. Campbell about "Sadie Listens" from the Foreword to the book summarize the essence of the book for me. They wrote: "Steele's ingenious little classic provides a unique glimpse into that moment of transformation when body-connections are made and inner worlds unfold" And they conclude this paragraph with "The outer conflict we experience and the social disorder so prevalent in our world today, stem directly from this state of inner disconnection."

The author provides this glimpse with the use of incredible drawings which appear almost three-dimensional. Sadie's appearance could be related to by a person of either gender, or most any racial background.

The book is of exceptional quality. The hard back cover contains the same rich design that is also on the dust jacket. The colors throughout are rich and meaningful. The author describes his reason for the choice of tones in the synopsis on the front flap of the dust cover.

The book can not fully describe what Sadie does inside when she listens, but I have seen it open readers to want to learn more. A resource for learning more is listed at the bottom of the Foreword page.

"Sadie Listens" accomplishes a complex task in a profoundly simple story. It is easy to talk "about" feelings. It's easy to say "I'm sad" or "I'm mad" but it is very difficult to focus inside and just "feel" feelings--especially the scary ones. Working with children who are grieving, this is one of our tasks; so I am always looking for ways to help the children move from just talking about their feelings to actually feeling and listening. The first time I read the book to a group of bereaved children, it was obvious that they "got it."

Mr. Lane's excellent use of detail to capture a world that we can only dream of is incredible! He leaves no gaps and answers all your questions. Think we're not alone in the universe? This book is for you!

When I finally got enough time to sit down and read Mr. Lane's book, I was enthralled from the beginning. I really appreciate books that take familiar plots and shape them into something knew and completely different. His imagination and creativity made this one of the best books I've read in a really long time. I highly recommend it to all!

If I had to describe "Redeeming Factors" in a word, it would be "FUN." James Lane has taken a fantasy/science fiction idea and turned it into one of the most interesting works I've ever read. As I followed the adventures of protagonist, Jack Ross on a trip in and out of fantasy land and to Hell and back, I found myself reveling in Mr. Lane's dry wit, dark humor, and literary genius.

It is difficult for me to describe the book without giving away too much of the plot, but I would like to stress that the combination love story and exciting adventure can only be described as a 'must read page-turner.' Mr Lane's most original similes are right up there with Stephen Kings's.

RIOT AND REMEMBRANCE is a detailed look at the tragic Tulsa race war of 1921. The 1921 Tulsa race war story is simular to the well-known Rosewood, Florida event but on a much larger scale.

Mr. Hirsch includes both sides of the "truth", the black truth and the white truth. The entire event had been essentially remove from hisory until recently.

Mr. Hirsh's attention to detail makes one feel like they were in Tulsa MAY 1921. The racist Jim Crow laws along with the irresponsible Tulsa Tribune's reporting created an atmosphere that turned a simple misunderstanding into a race war.

African-Americans dared to stand up for themselves and the result was the entire Greenwood section of Tulsa was obiterated. Afterwards the city attempted to then take the Greenwood area away from the land owners.

Mr Hirsch includes testamony and documentation from black and white folks that were involved directly and via historical research.

He shows us how the story went from a whisper to the front page of major newspaper as the story was exposed.

See from a modern point of view, the fact that an event even approaching this scale actually took place is surreal. The nefarious pathological additude towards African-Americans during this time in history is beyond comprehension.

I had only heard of the Tulsa race riot of 1921 a few years ago, even though I went to high school in the early 1980s in Bartlesville, OK, 45 miles north of Tulsa (and have driven on the highways that now run through the Greenwood section more times than I can count). I remember the fear that was passed on to me about that section of Tulsa and the dread of facing students from its high school whenever we played them in football, a darker fear than seemed warranted for a city of its size. Now, knowing the history of the race riots and the fears both sides had of sparking another one, I understand why.

Hirsch does an amazing job of piecing together from both "official" and oral history the story of the riot, as well as what led up to it, and the racial climate surrounding the event. While he clearly favors the "black" side of the story, he doesn't give in to the most extreme views, and he does give the "white" views time and space. He also points out the difficult questions of reparations, and why there are no easy answers. Most importantly, "Riot and Remembrance" shows the readers why history can never be neatly tied up and packaged. We will probably never know the details of what happened on the ugly night and day of May 31-June 1, 1921, in Tulsa. We'll never know for sure the death toll, or what exactly was in the hearts of the African-Americans, the "ruffian" white, or the city leaders who coveted the Greenwood land. But at least with Hirsch's book, we have a chance to ponder all sides and draw our own conclusions.

And, by the way, this is one Oklahoman who thinks the state and city SHOULD pay reparations in the form of scholarships and economic development in North Tulsa. I suspect I am in the minority, though!

In addition to an important new chapter about race relations in America, James Hirsch's book is must reading for anyone interested in how histories are suppressed and can be rescued. There is no more important story that no one knows than the one covered here. The fact that the Tulsa riot never made it into our history books makes one wonder what other aspects of our collective past have slipped our notice.

This book is written in rather an old-fashioned way and is difficult to understand due to queer wording. In spite of the great exaggeration it makes entertaining reading, and brings to light the life, habits, dress, ideals, and manner of worship of the people of the year 2167.

Kracht's dark and fatalistically humorous work appears to be as influenced by movies and television as much as it is by other works of science fiction. From the explosive prologue to the "brief" courtroom denouement, Kracht knows how to draw an audience into his shamelessly chaotic universe, filled as it is with mega-corporations, oppressive bureaucracies, useless police and the consequences of religion without restraint. This IS a dark vision. Only Kracht's bemused, semi-detached narrative style imparts the material with a sense of lightness. The closest parallel this reviewer can draw would be to John Varley's "Gaia Trilogy" (Titan, Wizard, Demon). Make no mistake, though, Kracht's tale of the hapless Simon Shadow bears only superficial similarity to Varley's final tome (Demon) - in which a genetically engineered moon suddenly appears in orbit around Saturn, attracting the faithful - and those who prey on them. Perhaps Frank Herbert's "The Jesus Incident" - a story of a desert enclave, the Redoubt, whose population of genetic misfits seeking transcendence - is more conceptually akin to "The Rise and Fall of Shimmerism." This is not the sci-fi of marauding aliens and incomprehensible physics - instead, this is a STORY, a tale of one man's journey into the unknown. Simon Shadow is us. Along the way we witness the futility and consequence of dogmatic adherence to faith beyond reason. We find that a small favor may be remembered - and we find that even when all is lost Simon still lands on his feet. We all want to break away from the Dilbert-like humdrum of every day life, only Simon actually goes and does something about it. Ultimately, the cost of pursuing this vision may be too high, but it seems that in the end, he did what he had to do.

One part utopian satire, one part apocalyptic vision; an imaginary voyage that reads like an encyclopedic epic. Strong images dominate this work, and they did not leave my consciousness for weeks. There is also an element of realism that is hard to ignore, dealing with drug use/abuse and the nature of human perception. This is one of those works that is almost recursive in its use of allegory. The primary story thread - that of Simon Shadow and his quest for freedom from the constraints of a society plagued by overpopulation - has, wrapped around it, two "lesser" story threads, which themselves are intertwined (the military presence above the planet Reetar, and the survivors of the crashed starship below). The three work in unison, leading to an almost perfect (and always entertaining) use of the 'deus ex machina' - and I say 'perfect' since this work's overall theme is religion - or rather, the dominant, soulless spirituality that runs rampant in the year 2167. Despite its length, it blazed by. Very well written.

I can't say it enough- this book is excellent! Jim Mahoney is a great story teller. I went through a phase where I read a lot of veterinary anecdote books and this is by far the best one. The focus of the book is about how he saved a puppy he found, but throughout it he tells stories of other animals throughout his career. The stories are truly touching and very well written- I was constantly reading them outloud to anyone who was around. I definitely recommend this book to everyone, not just animal lovers!! You won't be disappointed!

I have read and re-read this book. Everytime, Dr.Mahoney's sincere account of his life with Molly and the chimps , his love for the fellow creatures and his agony over some of the hard choices he made, move me. This is a must read for everybody who wants to understand the meaning of love and understanding between human and animals.

No matter which side of the fence you're on regarding animal research, Dr. Mahoney's thoughtful and well written book is a must read. It's a wonderful peek into the lives of some courageous and caring individuals (animals and humans) who have given their lives to science so that all mankind may benefit. As an animal lover it's comforting to know that people like Dr. Mahoney are out there making the lives of research animals better and helping fight disease for all of us. Buy this book, read it, then make a contribution to the retirement homes of Dr. Mahoney's friends!