Entertainment Books

Like all Odyssey this is a great product. My children listen to it in their play room, in the van or at times before going to bed. I prefer them to listen to a show rather than watch T.V. since they have a tendency to get wired if they watch T.V. before bed. With this, they learn to listen, learn morals and relax. It's perfect and worth every penny you spend.

Great Audio to listern on the road or at home. My son and I enjoy it very. We couldn't stop listerning to it. My son listern more than once. I really suggest this to parents for there children.

This album has is one of the best heres how many stars i give them.
135: Back to Bethlehem, Part 1. 4/5
136: Back to Bethlehem, Part 2. 4/5
137: Back to Bethlehem, Part 3. 4/5
144: Someone to Watch Over Me. 5/5
139: Melanie's Diary. 4/5
148: Isaac the Procrastinator. 4/5
145: The Second Coming. 3/5
146: Emotional Baggage. 5/5
155: Waylaid in the Windy City, Part 1. 5/5
156: Waylaid in the Windy City, Part 2. 5/5
159: The Homecoming. 5/5
157: Last in a Long Line. 5/5

Overall a great Album trust me buy it.

BACK TO BETHLEHEM, PARTS I-III
Faith/The Story of Jesus' Birth
Connie discovers that the first Nativity wasn't what she thinks it was when she and Eugene take a trip back to first century Bethlehem in the Imagination Station. Connie goes to work at an inn in Bethlehem and Eugene encounters an old prophet who thinks a mysterious star is the sign of the coming Messiah. While they find themselves in the middle of a clash between the Romans and a radical zealot at the inn in Bethlehem, something unusual happens in a stable nearby.

MELANIE'S DIARY
Empathy
Robyn Jacobs learns a hard lesson about the pain of embarrassment when she reads her little sister Melanie's diary.

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME
God's Protection
Jimmy Barclay goes on his most incredible adventure ever when meets an unusual gentleman named Mr. Nagle.

THE SECOND COMING
The return of Jesus
Melanie Jacobs becomes convinced that she knows the exact day and time of the return of Jesus.

EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
Grudges
Connie starts behaving strangely when she learns her aunt is coming for a visit, and Whit uses a rather unusual game to show her what a grudge is doing to her.

ISAAC THE PROCRASTINATOR
Procrastination
When Isaac Morton keeps putting off doing his work, Whit comes up with a way for him to get the job done -- now!

WAYLAID IN THE WINDY CITY, PARTS I AND II
God's control/The folly of revenge
During a trip to Chicago, Whit and Connie get caught up in an amazing and perilous mystery involving a portable computer, the Defense Department, and some familiar -- but not very friendly -- faces.

LAST IN A LONG LINE
Family heritage
Eugene makes an amazing discovery while walking through an old cemetery -- the tombstone of his long-lost father.

THE HOMECOMING
Forgiveness
Odyssey is in an uproar when Richard Maxwell comes back to town for the most unlikely--and very surprising--reason.

This book provides fabulous insight on WWII and the spirit of America that helped win the war for the Allies. So many times, my parents said, "Why, back in my day we didn't get meat at every dinner. But we didn't complain: we LIKED it!" If you want to know more about America's patriotic spirit and how it "gets the job done", you'll love this book. The Andrews Sisters were a class act and Maxine and the other USO "soldiers in greasepaint" did their best to encourage and cheer our fighting forces on home soil and abroad. This book has a lot of history and tells about emotions of the folks during that time in a very poignant way. If you ever wondered why certain songs with wacky titles were popular ("Six Jerks In A Jeep"), you'll come away with greater understanding.

Great book about the Andrews Sisters, their work during the WWII years with the USO, and many of the other stars that participated in these shows to entertain the troops.

This book provides fabulous insight on WWII and the spirit of America that helped win the war for the Allies. So many times, my parents said, "Why, back in my day we didn't get meat at every dinner. But we didn't complain: we LIKED it!" If you want to know more about America's patriotic spirit and how it "gets the job done", you'll love this book. The Andrews Sisters were a class act and Maxine and the other USO "soldiers in greasepaint" did their best to encourage and cheer our fighting forces on home soil and abroad. This book has a lot of history and tells about emotions of the folks during that time in a very poignant way. If you ever wondered why certain songs with wacky titles were popular ("Six Jerks In A Jeep"), you'll come away with greater understanding.

I am a professional director in the American theatre, and for the last 20 years of her life, it was my joy to direct and collaborate with Maxene Andrews on many shows, radio interviews, personal appearances, and stage appearances! She was a great lady with a heart of gold, and such pride in America!

She always spoke highly of her sisters and family, and was never boastful about the major contribution "The Andrews Sisters" made to America, and especially the WW II effort to bolster the spirits of our fighting men and women.

Maxene is sorely missed by her friends and fans, but the book she wrote with Bill, "Over Here-Over There," is a treat to read and love! She was excited when "telling the memories!" The book especially reflects wit and faith in times of great trouble for our country. The music and the stories behind the shows for the USO are inspiring!

I am happy to have known Maxene and to have been a part of her life as her director and friend! No single singing group in our history has equally the perfection and spirt of these three Greek daughters of an immigrant to America!

Maxene Andrews is a spirit that continues to brighten our torch of freedom through the music that she and her sisters sang. The stories told in this book reflect the scenes behind the scenes of keeping America smiling!


CASH BAXTER
Producer/Director
Palm Desert, CA

The multidisciplinary study of archaeology requires a broad database of knowledge, and the Oxford Companion offers itself as an excellent resource. Alphabetical entries are provided in subject areas, and especially helpful is a variety of timelines and graphical data as well as a comprehensive index. Fagan's compilation of entries from renowned social scientists in the Oxford Companion is an essential in my personal library, and is referred to consistently.

"The Oxford Companion to Archaeology" is a fitting friend to the recently published "Eyewitness to Discovery," an anthology of first-person archaeological writings, also edited by Brian Fagan.

Given the space and range of the subject matter, it seems that any kind of judgmental review would be superfluous. No topic is missed, and everything is written with a depth and clarity that one expects from a book in the Oxford Companion series. There are only two regrets. I would have liked to see illustrations, photos and maps of certain sites, but that is more wishful thinking than constructive criticism.

The other problem is that the 29 maps in the back of the book are inadequate. Some sites are listed, some are not. They lack a note indicating what time period they apply to What date does "Early China" map refer to? Or the "Late China?" The sole map of the Roman Empire shows it at its largest, but omits the date of when that was. One might as well review a dictionary.

These are just a few of the idle facts and notions gleaned from these pages:

* A long-term study of what people throw away has been going on out in Tucson, Arizona, since 1973. It has found that the average U.S. household throws away 10 to 15 percent of its edible solid food, that curbside recycling has conserved about 20 percent of landfill space since it began in 1982, and that paper takes up 40 to 50 percent of landfill space.

* Although the wheel was in use in Mesopotamia from about 4,000 B.C., it was not in the Americas, nor in Africa south of the Sahara.

* Diseases brought by European explorers may have reduced North American population, estimated at 18 million, (roughly the current population of South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina combined) by up to 80 percent.

* Silk was such a lucrative export from China that from the second century on, persons caught attempting to export the technology of silk production could be executed.

*That the Great Wall of China is not a continuous wall, but a series of walls, built and rebuilt at different times. The section outside Beijing was reconstructed recently as a tourist attraction. (This account also perpetuates the popular error that the wall is the only human product visible from the moon. Astronaut Alan Bean has written that "the only thing you can see from the moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white (clouds), some blue (ocean), patches of yellow (deserts), and every once in a while some green vegetation.")

* Last but not least, after reading accounts of civilizations that have lasted thousands of years, only to collapse into a heap of dusty ruins and sometimes indecipherable records, it's hard to feel smug about a country with a mere 200 years of history.

Truly a remarkable work and an excellent source for students and arm-chair archaeologists alike. Short on the hoped-for graphics and illustrations but long on information, the Oxford Companion proves its worth when one is looking for an appropriate overview of various archaeological topics. Just enough cross-referencing to excite one's imagination and more than enough to whet one's appetite to dig even deeper into archaeology and all that is has to teach us.

Brian Fagan's 'Oxford Companion to Archaeology' is a wonderful encyclopedic dictionary of archaeology worldwide. In the past century and a half, archaeology has graduated from being the hobby of pith-helmeted explorers in search of the unknown cities and treasure to the scientific and research-oriented study of ancient civilisations. Archaeology takes as its province the entire world, and the history goes back in some parts of the world as far as 15,000 to 20,000 years of human civilisation, and back several million years to the earliest human ancestors.

Fagan marshalled a huge team of contributors -- literally hundreds of contributors and dozens of editors worked together to make this a text majestic in scope. Useful for specialists and non-specialists alike, it draws on background resources from the natural and physical sciences, social sciences and humanities. Fagan and co. have include among the entries here articles on archaeological method, general interpretation, history and discovery. This includes coverage of the history and development of archaeology itself, how archaeology attempts to interpret and explain the past, and how this comes together into a coherent discipline.

This being said, this is not a text book or an introduction (or even more advanced) narrative, but rather is a collection of pieces alphabetically arranged. In addition to the main text, there is an extensive index that includes topics, persons, places, key discoveries, and more, with blind references and cross-references. These cross-references are also listed at the end of entries throughout the text. Many major entries also include suggestions for further readings. At the conclusion of the text, there are dozens of pages of maps and timelines. The maps are not as detailed as one might hope, giving only general features and major sites. The timelines are very good at placing the various developments and cultures side-by-side; for example, the developments of culture in the Indus Valley, the Fertile Crescent, the Nile and the Mayan Yucatan arose independently of each other, but not at the same times (there were thousands of years separating the initial rise of Egyptian cultures and Mayan cultures, for example).

While there are many fascinating entries in the book, perhaps the most unique article (and perhaps unexpected) is 'Popular Culture, the Portrayal of Archaeology in...' -- this discusses archaeology in film (for many, the only exposure to archaeology comes in Indiana Jones films), in fiction, and in science fiction. The article, written by editor Brian Fagan and contributors John Pohl, Shelly Lowenkopf, and Edward James, talks about these developments in interesting methodological and interpretative ways -- Pohl, for example, demonstrates that Indiana Jones' adventures in fact represent 'dismal project planning'. The popular image of archaeology as simply digging something up causes some concern and consternation among professional archaeologists.

Despite the small print (the text is 850 pages long as it is, and a larger font, while desirable, would have likely required the book to be a two-volume edition), the writing is generally lively and interesting, concentrating on accessibility over jargon. Those with strong interest in archaeology will find this very useful; for those with interest in history, cultural studies, religious studies, art history and more will also find this a very helpful guide for background and peripheral development of their subjects. Every continent and every time period is covered -- from the statues at Easter Island to the statue-menhirs of the French Mediterranean; from the Pyramids of Egypt to the pyramids of the Central Americas, from burial mounds in North America to burial finds in China and India, this book covers it all.

A great text!

I am in charge of our church's children's church ages 4- 7. When I ordered this book the description said ages 4-8. When I got the book, it had long pages of text. I did not think that 4 0r even 5 year olds would sit still long enough to hear the story. I love the concept of the book, but I prefer shorter pages of text with illustrations that I can show the kids; or I think I will lose their attention. I do recommend it for ages 6 and up.

This attractive, hardback book "Parables for Kids" is excellently written and illustrated. Not only the Biblical story, but a contemporary one is presented to allow the child to put today's events and places and things together with the concept the Bible teaches. I used this book to teach a couple of parables to a large group and it was well received. I am eager to buy additional books by these same 2 authors, Danae and James Dobson, daughter and dad.

We borrowed these audio cassettes from the library. My daughter listened to them over and over. Friends of hers who happened to ride in the car with us listened too, and they didn't want to get out when we arrived at our destination because they needed to finish the story they were on. Very powerful current day illustrations that all kids relate to. They make the parables of Jesus come alive. It's a shame the title isn't more catchy because some kids will miss listening because of it.

I particularly enjoyed using the story of the Good Samaritan. The authors do an excellent job of telling a modern story followed by the Biblical story then tie the two together. The Good Samaritan brings home the meaning so very well for kids. I would recommend this book or cassette for Children's Church or for home Bible study. It would also be good for young homeschoolers.

In the Bible, the Israelites were ordered by the Pharaoh to make bricks without straw. Similarly, Blaisdell had to create visually interesting and workable monsters on short notice with virtually no money. He succeeded admirably despite having the deck stacked against him. Anyone remotely interested in genre movies will be fascinated by this thorough, excellent book. Highly recommended.

Gives a great insight into Paul's work, in some cases you'd think you were there with him. The conditions that Paul worked under was amazing and his commitment and materials used.
His wicked sense of humour and support from his friends in this
then under exposed art of effects and monster making. Still think Technicians behind the scenes should get more support and recognition - grin. This book tops up your enthusiasm to do more

Randy Palmer eloquently invokes the fun-loving spirit of Paul and his funky, renegade creations. Paul certainly was a rare breed; capable of creating fiercely original monsters under less than thankless conditions. Paul's monsters are as endearing as they are memorable, imbued with a soulfulness that few possess. Technique can be learned - imagination can't! Like most gifted artists Paul possessed this and met a tragic end. Randy Palmer sets the record straight and Paul is finally given his due. Randy's book is a MUST own for monster lovers/makers everywhere! A big "Beulah" thank you to Randy...and of course Paul.

For those of you who don't know, Paul Blaisdell designed and built some of the most memorable movie monsters of the late fifties operating under incredible time constraints and a budget laughable even for American International Pictures. Remember the carrot creature from It Conquered the World? How about the pulpish titular antagonists from Invasion of the Saucer Men or the anatomically correct She Creature? While other special effects men of the time, such as Ray Harryhausen, went on to acclaim and respect in the Hollywood establishment Blaisdell was ignominiously fired upon asking for a little respect in an industry that treats its unknowns even worse than its shining stars. The only information available on the man has been from an old article in Cinefantastique magazine and in the reminiscences of his friend and champion, Bob Burns. This well researched biography can be seen as a celebration of a forgotten special effects man and as another cautionary tale of the Hollywood fringe (a great companion piece to the Ed Wood biography, The Nightmare of Ectasy). Some of his notable creations may be so for the wrong reasons but they had more heart than a good majority of the slick and forgettable monsters made these days. Mr. Palmer's book is a wonderful addition to the bookshelf of any fan of fantastic films and their creators.

This book can be read by young and old alike. It is very light-hearted and easy reading. Very entertaining and especially enjoyable for a New Yorker.

I laughed so hard I Pharted.

It's amazing how 2 boys who were handball partners in their youth each became such accomplished literary giants - Richard Price and David Becker. This puts Becker up there among the other great Bronx authors like Chayevsky and Doctorow.

A math teacher may excel in more than one area, like Tom Lehrer, or Leonardo da Vinci, or Lewis Carol,or David Becker. Reaching down into the depths of his former experiences as raconteur, furniteur, bicycleur,and inland seaman extraordinaire, he unleashes his fecund imagination in creating this roman de sicle, that is eminently defenestrable. Many hours will be spent extracting the symbolic intimations of this sequel to "Flatlands". The Phlatts

It was my uncle Jacko ,who during the battle of Mosholu Parkway invented the wheel allowing his troops to roll down Gun Hill Road fleeing the enemy. May your bird Bianca continue to sit on unferilized eggs.

This album is for the head banger. For the casual listener, there is no way in. But since this is about the book and not the album, here's a bow shot: There is no tablature in here. So if your skill lies in reading music, this is the place to go but don't expect any fret numbers laid out for you neatly to go home, have a few beers and play along. I doubt if Gilmour himself will be able to play along this stuff considering he cannot read music. Additionally, here's a bit of trivia for you. The outro solo on Pigs on the wing - Part 2, was crafted and executed by Snowy White and not David Gilmour, as is usually thought. In conclusion, this is one of PF's heaviest albums and worth learning to read notes to play the stuff. Have fun

RK

this cd is almost perfect...
Pigs on the wing.. almost makes me cry every time I listen to it..

Dogs is a 17 minute tour de Force.... All thanx to Waters...
Waters is god...
This is a great book... Gilmour's solos are great... But thanx to waters... ahhaha

I thought I'd save everyone the trouble and let you all know that this book does NOT have the popular Tablature format!
Otherwise, the book has a nice collection of photos and essays as well as the music in standard format.

The animals is not generally known for it's musical prowess. It was also admitted by the band that they needed something badly for a tour and threw in this material. While waters dominates the album's song credit, David Gilmour's contribution to it's music has not gone unnoticed. Dogs features some of David's best guitaring and of which he admittedly was very proud of. For him as well, It is not his normal run of the mill solo. Historically for Floydians, it is a track(the solo parts) that Waters accidentally erased and that Gilmour had to re-record. Anyway, It is subtle in the guitar sound and has a pace remniscent of Money, all the luscious signature Gilmour bends. Also sonically, It is an altered tuning that is tuned down a whole step on all strings. Pigs features some repetitive musical parts, the only musical highlight being the outro solo with good bass finishing things off. This solo is a good example of Gilmour's lyrical playing. Rarely does he move around in this solo between too many notes. Instead his attitude is compositional by just staying around a few notes riding it high with bends and vibrato. The two solos are a must for progressive guitarists and there is a lot of learning here in terms of feel and those huge bends. Sheep, not to metion, has some unusual guitar playing on it as well and is a great track and fantastic usage of biblical psalms by Waters. Lyrically, Roger has put George Orwell's Animal Farm to good use here and in Rock & Roll format. It is his lucid observation of the workings of society and the evils that go with it that makes Pink Floyd the band they are and worthwhile listening to.

This is a must-have for fans of Drew Hayes' "Poison Elves" comic. This single volume collects the first 20 self-published issues of Drew's cult smash, and features reprints of the original "I, Lusiphur" #1 and #2. At about 480 pages, the book is a bargain, and I imagine would appeal to anyone interested in the (dark and violent) fantasy genre. This collection is an absolute godsend to all Johnny-come-lately PE fans, 'cause these issues just aren't out there anymore, and if they are, prepare to hand over your paycheck.

drew hayes has developed a fully convincing and original fantasy world here. nothing like you've seen in popular movies or books. lusiphur is on par with john constantine for the greatest anti-hero ever. check this out, you won't be disappointed.

wow. this was just an excellant book. kept me wanting to read on. it really was a good choice. i highly recommend it.

This book (obviously) showcases Drew Hayes' early work. At first, he begins as the King of Crosshatching, but as one reads through the graphic novel, the art style truly begins to evolve into cleaner lines. I give four stars rather than five because, while I love this book, and the series, I don't feel that The Mulehide Years really is Drew Hayes' best work. It is a great, well-paced read and the characters are complex. He has a gift for mixing one-liners into otherwise dark moments. I do highly recommend it if you're curious about Poison Elves, because, as any fan of the series will tell you, even the minor characters are going to show up again. Also, the interview with the main character is well worth the price.

I'm Matthew Low, better known on both Pojo.com as the person who techs decks and stuff like that. I wrote one of the articles in this neat book; the Videl deck, dedicated to my sister.
This is one of the best things you can get if you want some tips starting out. Of course all card game books get outdated from time to time, but this one is all you need to catch up to right before Buu Saga. People like the almighty IQ and accomplished veterans like Zeller, Williams, and Fashbinder give their ideas. Most of the people included in this book (not all) are of the greatest there are in the game; take their advice.
It helps the person wanting to start out with a bunch of nothing, like the Cheap decks, to the tournament level ones like Richie's outdated Cell Namekian. More or less the decks are still good for the most part; make sure you swing by dbzcardgame.com and find any changes that have sprung up in the last few months.
If anything, read the articles. They are by far the most useful things you can read to help you in this game. The decks will get you started. After all, this is a beginner's book. If you are ready to go to the advanced/expert level, feel free to email me (go find my address in my article ^_^) for a deck tech or some tips.
So... I say get this book, especially if you need some help in the game of DBZCCG. It has a wealth of information you won't find ANYWHERE else. Get this. I said so.

I'm Matthew Low, better known on both Pojo.com as the person who techs decks and stuff like that. I wrote one of the articles in this neat book; the Videl deck, dedicated to my sister.
This is one of the best things you can get if you want some tips starting out. Of course all card game books get outdated from time to time, but this one is all you need to catch up to right before Buu Saga. People like the almighty IQ and accomplished veterans like Zeller, Williams, and Fashbinder give their ideas. Most of the people included in this book (not all) are of the greatest there are in the game; take their advice.
It helps the person wanting to start out with a bunch of nothing, like the Cheap decks, to the tournament level ones like Richie's outdated Cell Namekian. More or less the decks are still good for the most part; make sure you swing by dbzcardgame.com and find any changes that have sprung up in the last few months.
If anything, read the articles. They are by far the most useful things you can read to help you in this game. The decks will get you started. After all, this is a beginner's book. If you are ready to go to the advanced/expert level, feel free to email me (go find my address in my article ^_^) for a deck tech or some tips.
So... I say get this book, especially if you need some help in the game of DBZCCG. It has a wealth of information you won't find ANYWHERE else. Get this. I said so.

It's about time someone created a book about the DBZ Card Game. This game has been around for years, and there's not too many places to get information.

This book is perfect for newbies, and people that are trying to get better. I think you World Champion type guys will enjoy it too, as you finally can read about your sport. ;-)

This book has History, Killer Decks, Top 10 Lists and more. My favorite part is the Top 20 Most Collectible Cards, as I like to collect the rare ones.

There's 96 pages ... and all of them are fun to read! Pick in up!

I'm Matthew Low, better known on both Pojo.com as the person who techs decks and stuff like that. I wrote one of the articles in this neat book; the Videl deck, dedicated to my sister.
This is one of the best things you can get if you want some tips starting out. Of course all card game books get outdated from time to time, but this one is all you need to catch up to right before Buu Saga. People like the almighty IQ and accomplished veterans like Zeller, Williams, and Fashbinder give their ideas. Most of the people included in this book (not all) are of the greatest there are in the game; take their advice.
It helps the person wanting to start out with a bunch of nothing, like the Cheap decks, to the tournament level ones like Richie's outdated Cell Namekian. More or less the decks are still good for the most part; make sure you swing by dbzcardgame.com and find any changes that have sprung up in the last few months.
If anything, read the articles. They are by far the most useful things you can read to help you in this game. The decks will get you started. After all, this is a beginner's book. If you are ready to go to the advanced/expert level, feel free to email me (go find my address in my article ^_^) for a deck tech or some tips.
So... I say get this book, especially if you need some help in the game of DBZCCG. It has a wealth of information you won't find ANYWHERE else. Get this. I said so.

Mr. Reppen writes exceptionally well in any genre, whether informative, argumentative or persuasive. This volume is no exception. A welcome respite from the slew of mediocre fare that characterizes much of this type of stuff.

Erik is an excellent writer and a great undiscovered talent. Read his book!

I think the book that I wrote is great! I made these great diagrams with Microsoft Paint and I'm sure the hardest of hard core were blown away by my section on inertial space flight. Definitely buy this book... or steal it.

Erik Reppen

It's difficult to credit the grace and dignity of language which Mssr. Reppen brings to this strategy guide. The wealth of intelligence and tact which he bring to the task of describing Independence War is normally reserved for the finest of cathedral architects. A paean to you, fine craftsman.