We received the book as a gift. Thought it wouldn't be our type of book, but read it anyway. Couldn't put the book down and we both finished it in one day. Bought eight copies for gifts. Terrific non-stop action. Can't wait for his next book.

Clive Cussler made me adore Dirk Pitt, but Ray Mize made me love Reid Matthews. And how can you write about a strong man without a female to counterbalance him? This book had all the good stuff that kept me turning the pages. Even the dogs, Lips and Feet, were incredibly well developed characters! If you like to snuggle down with a good book, this is the one!

Author B. Ray Mize debut novel, The Comancheria: A Kill Line is a rapidly paced adventure novel that plays out on a modern Texas ranch and on the streets of New Orleans. The reader is quickly engaged with a series of memorable characters that range from Native Americans, Cajuns, and cowboys, to thugs and career women. The story is superbly crafted and thoroughly entertaining. The Comancheria is one of that class of novels that are so easy to pick up and so hard to put down!

A Contemporary Mind gives a new perspective on the realities and cultural expectations that thrive in what is considered to be Latin America. The language is exuberant and finely crafted to draw the reader into a web of multiple plots. Well worth the time and effort. Great book for the beach, a must summer read.

for those over over 30 read it fast things jump at you
for those under 30 its an under liner

Read it fast
it's a jazz composition

The Contrary Blues is such a page-turner that you might not realize until you reach the end how cleverly it is constructed. Humor, colorful West Virginia colloquialisms, and poignant characterization make this book a lot more interesting than the average mystery.

A SEASON TO INVESTIGATE FIRST-TIME NOVELISTS - Boston Globe. A fine beginning, funny, irreverent, written with an ear well-tuned to authentic West Virginia dialogue and an eye for small, accumulating scenes...Billheimer unfolds his wry tale steadily, with just the right mix of humor and menace, and his Department of Transportation investigator-auditor, Owen Allison, is convincing and likable.

John Billheimer's first Mystery novel, Contrary Blues, leaves you feeling satisfied and wanting more. Fans of Rick Boyer, Bill Crider, and Bill Tapply will recognize the sure fire formula that made their writing a success. A fast moving plot taken to sudden and unexpected turns, characters who jump out of the pages into your living room, and an unassuming hero that Mr. Middle America can relate to. Billheimer tells his story in a quick but enjoyable pace, giving the reader a glimpse into everyday life in a region of the country most of us have never stepped foot in, and with the subtle humor and true to life street dialog that show his respect for his characters and his reader alike. This one is sure to be enjoyed.

How has a tiny island had such a great impact on world culture? With it's evocative and poetic photo essays and personal almost intimate written essays about Cuba, Cuba On the Verge goes a long way to making you feel in your bones the potent Cuban 'ajiaco' the mixture of cultures and the vibrancy of the life and art it produces. I particularly enjoyed the interview with Chucho Valdes and Cuban popstar 'el Tosco' which helps us move beyond the limiting view of Buena Vista Social Club as the only Cuban music that most people in the world are aware of. Cuba is not caught in a fifties timewarp as most articles and books you read these days would have you believe, and Cuba On the Verge shows that.

A huge & quietly engrossing collection of essays & pictures by leading Cuban & American writers & photographers, offering unique insights into life in this fabled island nation.

Each essay & photo series delights--thinking men & observant women--about rituals & revolution; of struggling for love & beauty; the music of Cuba, focusing on Chucho Valdés; sugar mills & tobacco farms; the faces of change; life among the ruins; the emerging middle class; of being born too late for the revolution; of landscapes & mythology; how a Cuban comes home; letters from exile.

From the pens of Jon Lee Anderson; Russell Banks; Avilio Estévez; Abelarde Estorino; Cristina Garcia; Pablo Medina; Ana Menéndez; Mayra Montero; Nancy Morejón; Achy Obejas; Susan Orlean; Hugo Perez; Antonio José Ponte; Eduardo Luis Rodriguez & Reina Maria Rodriguez.

From the cameras of Niurka Barroso; Ernesto Bazan; Virginia Beahan; Carlos Garaicoa; Kastia Garcia Fayat; Abigail Gonzáles; Andrew Moore; Inge Morath; Abelardo Morell; René Peña; Manuel Piña; Silvia Plachy; Adalberto Roque; Fazal Sheikh & Carrie Mae Weems.

William Kennedy's Introduction is written in the style of a Miami newsman, who has written about Cuba for decades & now at last he's going to the "incipient phoenix, an exotic ambiguity...one of the major social experiments of the twentieth century..." & his excitement is palpable.

Playwright Arthur Miller's Epilogue is rich in impressions & American points of view of an encounter with The Leader, President Fidel Castro.

We were drawn to the title of this book simply because of our interest in Cuba and its history and hardships. Hoping to someday visit, we were intrigued by the visual and literary representation of the story. The photography is provocative with components of sadness and pride evident in the faces that are looking back at the camera. What is remarkable is the tragedy of a once beautiful country. The destruction of Cuba and the hopelessness of its people are vividly depicted. Yet the pride and strength that is intrinsic to Cuba's culture fosters growth and change.

This book is very portable (slim and easy to carry). While it includes day hikes in the first section, the second section is great if you are planning to hike (and camp) for more than one day. Not only does it include trail descriptions, mileage, it also offers advice on how many miles to do per day, etc. I did find one "error" during the Hazel Mountain day hike section (the mileage in the text doesn't match the mileage in the description) but that's not major. Overall, GREAT BOOK!

Molloy obviouly spent a lot of time at Shenandoah because all the hikes he picked were winners (at least all those I have gone on so far!). This book tells me just what I want to know: the hike, distance, difficulty, and hiking time. Even better, it gives me a running commentary about what I am going to see on the hike, so I don't miss anything. And it fits right in my pack! I really like the directions to get me to the trailhead. I can pack up and be on the trail in a jiffy. So if you are looking for just the right information (in our era of information overload) Molloy's book is for you.

I barely have time to hike, much less shift through a thick, overdone guidebook. Molloy's guide is the perfect size. It saves me time, accurately detailing specific hikes to lesser known destinations with exact directions to the trailhead and good maps. It's all I ever need to explore Shenandoah National Park.

A great way to learn about life in the American wild west arid zone in the early 1900's. The author describes his life experiences with a rich cast of rugged characters who are hard to find these days. If you have either visited or lived in a mining town or been to the Australian outback opal diggings, you'll have extra appreciation for the entertaining detail and perspectives on what really is important in life. One of the better books I have read in a while!

I live in Arizona and picked this book up in a map store. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. The style of Frank Crampton's writing is so descriptive that you feel you are listening to him tell the stories of his life as a hard rock miner in Arizona. This is not a documentary, but accounts told by the one that lived them. One chapter is so graphically described that I could feel the pain of the miners. This chapter is followed by the funniest of any I have read. I have used this book as a guide book of the mines and ghost towns of this area and have found many of them. I've given this book as a gift to many people and highly recommend it for anyone interested in the old west and mining.

Frank Crampton didn't have to become a tramp miner, he chose too. Born well conneced, he gave it all up to discover what it is like to become a working stiff in the western mines. His discriptive writings of the every day workings under ground are so real one can smell the powder after a blast. His experience while being traped under ground in the Bingham Canyon Mine, and being cold boiled,made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. The loyalty of his fellow miners to rescue his crew,espically his two old friends who traveled hundreds of miles to help get Frank out can only be understood by a miner of that era. Frank Crampton's drive for self improvement is in it's self a blueprint for any young person to succeed the hard knocks of life. The Frank Crampton's built this country, what a wonderful gift he left us.

Double Helix was a fascinating view into gene research, sailing and computers, enveloped in a heart-stopping tale of suspense.
I had previously been fairly uninterested in any of these three topics, but had enjoyed her previous novel so much that I gave
it a try. Two days later I emerged from this intelligently written book, thoroughly entertained, wiser and with a stronger sense of ethics. Ms. Parker is able to deliver plenty of
realistic evil in her thrillers, but with human values inherent in the main characters in a way that is uplifting and never "preachy". This is a great read from a great story teller.

Double Helix is a marvelous combination of sci-reality and fiction; it gives you the thrill of "living" it as you read and pondering its implications for weeks to come. Grounded in the rapidly maturing science of genetics, with all its inherent ethical issues, the tale of human arrogance and greed that knows no limits is plausible. How "the good guys" combat that menace results in a gripping intellectual and action venture. Scrupulous research, scary details, a swift pace, twists and turns that grab you, brave and caring characters, and a tightly woven plot keep you sitting up in bed until you finish it in the wee hours of the night.

Double Helix is a wonderful combination of sci-reality and fiction; it gives you the thrill of "living" it as you read and pondering its implications for weeks to come. Grounded in the rapidly maturing science of genetics, with all its inherent ethical issues, the tale of human arrogance and greed that knows no limits is plausible. How "the good guys" combat that menace results in a gripping intellectual and action venture. Scrupulous research, scary details, a swift pace, twists and turns that grab you, brave and caring characters, and a tightly woven plot keep you sitting up in bed until you finish it in the wee hours of the night. The views of Paul Von Ward, Author of Solarian Legacy: Metascience & A New Renaissance

The stories are haunting and enthralling in the best fairy tale tradition, and the illustrations are spectacular.

I have loved this beautifully written and drawn book since childhood. I would love to see it back in print, as it is a wonderful addition to any book collection.

I am a professor and an artist. I have a book pitch which would contain color prints of the most valued artists and illustrators with the highest valued out of print books and I am looking for a publisher.

This book is great! I have already made 3 of the menus and it was incredible each time. The book tells you everything from what type of wine, how to set the table and most importantly, what you can make ahead and how to have everything ready at the same time. For once I was drinking wine with my husband, waiting for the guests instead of rushing around at the last minute. Did I mention the meals are incredible?

In "Entertaining 101," the authors present recipes for a whole meal: appetizer, wines, entree, and dessert, so you don't have to bother figuring out what goes with what! They are themed for the holidays, and turn out tasting delicious and looking great! I have very little cooking experience, but their directions are easy to follow and very clear. Also, their food is healthy and fat-conscious without being bland or boring. This book is fantastic!

This book is an entertainers dream come true. No more backbreaking work, no more sore feet, and above all, no more feeling like I'm going to fall asleep during the party. Why does entertaining have to be so exhausting? There is no need to spend 8 hours in the kitchen getting ready for your guests to spend 3 hours enjoying. Why not just spend one hour, and enjoy yourself? This is the book for you! The recipes are easy, quick and excellent. With 52 different menus to choose from, you're set for the entire year. I found myself wishing the summer away because some of the winter menus looked so great! Now all I need to do is figure out who to invite over and enjoy myself.

The only improvement that could be made is the coupons in the back of the book could have expiration dates a little later in the following year. I purchased this book in January of 2000 for a trip in Febuary and the coupons touted as saving up to $1000 expired in December of 1999. Other than that the book is very eazy to understand and will be very useful in our upcoming trip.

This is the best guide I have come across for Walt Disney World and the Orlando area. I had purchased several different books in 1999 when we took our first trip. I am purchasing this book again for our upcoming trip. Each park and it's attractions are covered in detail with helpful Power Trip info that helps make the most of your time. In addtion there are several other Orlando attractions that are covered in this book with detail covering Universal's parks and Sea World.

The book also reviews many hotels including Disney's, critiquing each in detail. Includes pricing and some of the ameneties, tips on the best times to travel to Orlando in relation to crowds, weather, and how to negotiate the best packages and pricing.

The candidness of the author and reviewers of the parks contained within this book are remarkable and really helped us plan our trip using our limited time to the best of our advantage.

I highly recommend this book as one to use to plan your Orlando vacation.

We used this book on our vacation and saved *much* more than the cost of the book by using the great coupons inside.