V Books

Tim Harrower provides a very practical guide to newspaper design. The art of newspaper design tends to be very subjective, so this book lays down some facts and guidelines to put to rest some of the indecisive elements of design.

For a beginner, this is a book that will give you the confidence and understanding to conquer page layout.

The CD gives the novice an even more practical guide than the book can deliver.

One criticism is that the book is printed on light gloss stock and is spiral bound. I am not sure how it was survive rough treatment.

Brian Hurst

This textbook is awesome. I've never seen a better textbook. It lays everything out, and makes it simple to understand. It tells you what to do and what not to do in simple language and clear pictures. It's one of few textbooks worth keeping for future use in your career (provided you're going into the newspaper industry)!

When I accepted my first "real" job in journalism as a page designer for a local weekly I was struck by a horrifying thought, I really knew nothing about newspaper design. I had done it before for my college paper, sure, but this was the big time. I needed a refresher course and I needed it fast... Tim Harrower and this spiral-bound book came to my rescue.

Although it was first published in 1989, this book will be relevant as long as newspapers exist, even in this age of computer design. Harrower explains and shows why certain designs are good and bad and he approaches it in a situational, problem-solving format. For example, he explains what should be done when you have to design a page with no art, when you have butting headlines, or two horizontal photos etc. Harrower says that most page designers stumble into the job and from this point of view he explains what exactly, a good design is. This book will always be on my desk.

(I wish my publications professor used this instead of the worthless $105 monstrosity he made us buy (and that we never used by the way).)

So, after some mild freaking out followed by a lot of reading, I can start my new job with confidence thanks to this book.

I ordered the hardbound and got the spiral bound, a product worth $12 less. It was then that I discovered there is no way to express a complaint to Amazon: no phone number, no email address, no human help. All that is available is a maze of pre-written web help, none of which includes "credit my account $12, since I don't want to go through the hassle of sending this book back." What's up, Amazon? Don't you want satisfied customers? I spend literally hundreds here each year. This egregious deficit needs to be fixed immediately. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book.

I am an editor these days.
I came on this book quite a few years ago when I was a sub. It was recommended to me by an old hand in the newspaper game.
Without doubt, it is the single best aquisition I have made in terms of newspaper design.
In the places I have worked, I have been regarded extremely highly for my layout skills.
This book, with a little creativity, is the basis of almost everything I do in terms of layout.
If you are serious about the newspaper game, get it, study it and then apply what you learn. It will help our career enormously.

The impact of this novel is materially diminished by its reliance on obsolete paradigms of the previous century. Science seeks to reanimate creatures of the past not with incantations, wall inscriptions and the usual mumbo gumbo of witchcraft and sorcery, but with the information storing capacity of DNA macromolecules and cellular implants. In Lovecraft's works, as in certain scriptural references, matter is endowed only with minimal capacities to create the inorganic realm - but living creatures need to have the influence of nonmaterial spiritual influences from BEYOND. Lovecraft hints at methods and materials used in the "experiments" he describes, but relies too heavily on "fancy" language to create atmosphere...a practice losing its impact after frequent repetition. His work would have proved prophetic if he invisioned the capacity of inanimate matter to link free energy with self-organizing potential. Beyond these failures of prescience, the novel also exhibits artistic failures: the plot develops much too slowly......the material would have fit more comfortably in a short story or a novelette....... it seems H. P. might have started writing a handbook for tour guides of Providence, R. I. and took a sudden turn on Route 2 in Cranston - that excursion being included is an obvious diversion from the main story line. The reader might also consider an amusing thought postcard of the of the REAL Providence and its appeal - consisting until recent times - mainly of sidewalk art of prostrate bodies, crowds of pan-handling bums, or rats scurrying about freely in daylight along the canal. In spite of these comments I would recommend this book. Read this volume and then go for a walk in the environs described therein ---watch out for ..."shunned culverts, hideously dark - wherein lurk formless masses rubbing softly in the depths...evoking delerious thoughts of sodden, ravenous rats....."

If you want really classic Lovecraft at the top of his form, then this novel is it. It is a good, tight, driven read- except for the extensive prose tour of his beloved old Providence near the beginning. Yet, even this detailed introduction helps to weave an unmatched atmosphere that draws you deeply into Lovecraft's world. This is an ode to Providence, and to those unobtrusive and unlikely heroes that would keep it safe from cosmic evil.

Lovecraft carries us from colonial days to the "modern" 1920's in this tale. We are introduced to the hidden brotherhood of dark magicians and necromancers- those to seek to wield unnatural power from beyond the grave and beyond the stars. So much concentrated occult information, or rather enticing hints of such information, is packed into the narrative. Mystery within mystery unfolds. Yet, it is rather ordinary men that are called upon to confront this inconceivable evil, even though it threatens their very sanity.

Besides being an extremely well written tale of supernatural suspense it also serves as a teaching tale. There is madness out of time and a horror from beyond the spheres that threatens to entrap and destroy the unwary. Do not call up what ye lack the power to put down. Upon this depends more than can be put into words- all civilization, all natural law, perhaps the fate of the solar system and the universe. Perhaps even more than this- all because one fool opened a door and there was no one there with the knowledge to close it...

This is the type of story that you sit back and imerse yourself in the setting. With each new tid bit of information the horror of Joseph Curwen becomes clearer and clearer. The final chapter however sent chills down my spine, as Dr Willet searches through Curwen's undergroud, antedeluvian laboratory. The dank putrid odors, the slime green walls, and the horrific wailing from the darkness... the build up is phenominal, and the pay off will have you sleeping with your lights on!

Great read, you will go back to it again and again.

At 48,000 words, this is the longest tale that H.P. Lovecraft ever wrote. It is also his best.

This novel has both good plotting and an otherworldly atmosphere that pervades the book. The setting is 1920's New England where there was a revival in interest in the occult. However, the key to the tale is the 18th Century New England scene that Lovecraft had a lifetime interest in.

The character of Charles Dexter Ward was based on Lovecraft himself: a lonely intellectual who was an antiquarian who detested the Industrial Revolution. Ward's research into the occult leads to the reincarnation of one of his ancestors who in turn hatches a plot with both Ward and one of Ward's friends for a mass resurrection of the dead who would become mindless zombies dedicated to both the destruction of heavy industry in America as well as the forced expulsion, if not mass murder, of the Roman Catholic immigrants who Lovecraft detested so much from America.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a fantasy/horror novel that tells you a lot about its author. H.P. Lovecraft was a self-styled aristocrat from a decadent Old Money family who bitterly hated the Roman Catholic Church and especially the Irish and Italian immigrants who by 1928, when this novel was first published, had already assumed a position of political power at the expense of the WASP elite that Lovecraft was a member of. Clearly, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward was reflective of Lovecraft's religious bigotry and his hateful tendencies towards certain ethnic and religious groups. It should come as no surprise that during the 1930's, Lovecraft frequently praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a uniquely powerful and compelling work by a master of horror fantasy.

Charles Dexter Ward is a young man in Providence, RI who is fascinated by antiquities --- too fascinated, perhaps. He becomes obsessed with an ancestor, an alleged warlock named Joseph Curwen who escaped persecution in Salem over 200 years before and fled to Providence. A unusually long-lived ancestor, I might add.

If you aren't used to reading Lovecraft, or other writers of the same time period, the language and writing style might be a little tough at first, but it is well worth getting into. Lovecraft leaves a lot to the imagination of the reader --- a device that works quite well in this story.

This is one of my favorite novellas --- actually, one of my favorite stories, even. I first read when I was in high school, and I have re-read it every few years ever since. I re-read it again a couple of days ago and I still love it. This is Lovecraft at his best.

Chicken soup for the cat and dog lovers soul is a wonderful book that warms my heart and gives me a happy feeling reading thru the stories and the love people feel for there pets. When I recently lost my beloved siamese cat it helped me to feel better about my "furry baby" passing over the rainbow bridge because I knew he had a wonderful life and he knew he was cherished. All the books in the chicken soup series are very uplifting and spirtual and make people smile, I highly recommend them.

I have bought many books from this series and found this one to be my favorite. This book is a must for the animal lover. I will read a few stories before bed every night. Some stories bring tears to my eyes and others make me simle from ear to ear. Great book that people of any age will love!!

My 10 year-old son tried reading it,and thought the stories were too sad, but I adore this book. Very sweet, humbling stories about good people and good animals.

I really enjoyed this book. The main reason I liked it is because it is all about cats and dogs, and I am a hardcore animal lover. Another reason I liked it is because the stories are not made up in someone's mind. These stories are real stories that real people lived through. The last reason I liked this book so much is because you don't have to read it like an ordinary book. You can read it like I did and just jump around to stories that sound good to you, instead of reading the book cover to cover.

In this volume, Mr. Canfield and crew have compiled a smorgasboard selection of short stories about pets who fortify us and make life bearable. Especially poignant to me was "the medicine cat" as I, too, had one named Tosca. She gave up the ghost a few months ago at the age of eighteen years, as I had no way to get to her when she needed support of the kind she gave to me several years ago. They recognize the special love and devotion of animals to bless our hearts and homes.

"Cat lovers will tell you that felines are 'poetry in motion,' living sculptures at rest, and that the warm weight of a purring cat...is a surefire cure for all that ails you."

It is the physical acts of love to bring the gift of life as expressed in "The Healing Touch." I cried as I read "The Language of the Heart" about an unusual rabbit and his healing the hurt of a little girl who'd turned inward and no longer could talk. Something had died in that child which this loving rabbit cured. His innocence and trust had rekindled the same qualities in the child. The loving presence of an animal can heal where words have no effect. Alas, Roger Rabbit bit the tip off my little finger one day, which led me to the ER for a Saran-wrap bandage (to stop the bleeding -- a bandaid wouldn't work) and a tetanus shot. Needless to say, I found him another home.

"A small gesture -- the insistent tap of a cat's paw" about Jack, an adopted stray kitten (like Dante in Troy, Alabama), who grew into Ellen's savior. He woke her from a daydream of tragedy; Star woke me up with that same gesture over and over so that I would not strangle from Acid Reflux. Pets do love and care for their owners. This volume is one I will treasure for years to come. It is full of memories about pet owners' animals, not just cats and dogs.

My Bichon, Bailey, has food allergies. I bought this book to do research on this subject, and found it had lots of other very informative information. I am looking into natural homemade diets and natural care. It did the trick! It was very resonably priced for the size and information it has in it... Also so easy to read and understand.. I would highly recommend it!
Sharon Coombs
Herndon, Ky.

This is one of the more detailed books I have found. I also got Health for Happy Cats and Your Cat by Elizabeth Hodgkins. This one has a lot of details about what to feed, how to feed it, what the diseases are and what the treatments are. You can look it up by both disease and symptom and treatment, which is fantastic. They discuss pros and cons of various things. They also have a good section on cooking natural diet versus raw natural diet. They are more advocates of cooked diet as far as I can tell. They also have a few diets. If you are going to get one book on natural health for cats this should be it. there is a lot of information on supplements.

This book contains lots of helpful information for those seeking alternative treatments for their pets. I was pleased with the level of detail in the explanations given for specific health conditions and the suggested treatments.

I've owned this book for over 4 years and I use it here and there. Although no book ever covers everything, it covers quiet a bit and it is worth every cent you pay for it. If you are into natural health for your dog, this book is a must have.

I am a certified alternative healthcare consultant in NY and for PEOPLE I know alot, but dogs , especially my beloved Elmo, are quite different. While we use a holistic vet and Dr. Dym was here and gave free consults. I wanted and needed MORE so I personally was well informed and was doing the BEST I could to give all of my pets the longest , healthiest lives .
I think most all of us know the basics of GOOD quality food, exercise, emotional closeness, etc.(real Age .com gives you a questionarre and advice on your dogs real age and where and what to improve upon)
So this book gives you a multitude of preventive and curative advice in one easy to read and to use book that is quite accurate.
I am glad to have it . AND a MAJOR point is that this is not a fear inducing book i.e. your dog will die from generic dogfoods, cancer is rampant etc(We own a grooming shop and these dogs even on awful generic food are doing quite well and many are pretty old) I do agree premium dog food is best BUT that is not the ONLY factor in good health,and this book stays on an even keel not going off the wall in either direction.
Very useful.

I am a mom of 6 kids (mostly adults now) and grandmother of 1 and was delighted to receive this book to review. The books that have often been assigned or available in school for kids to read if not the "classics" of literature many times have questionable values and language that are not appropriate for grades third through eighth. This book is written primarily with that audience in mind although kids (and adults!) of all ages can enjoy this story and parents can rest assured that while both good and evil are present that there is a clear distinction.

Nick Stewart is an eleven year old boy and he has just been transplanted from his home in Washington, D.C. to Colorado. His mom was killed in an auto accident earlier that year and only Nick and his dad, an anthropology professor, are left. Nick's dad is having a rough time coping with his grief as is Nick. Nick's mom, Laura, was the glue that held them together but now the two of them are drifting apart. Nick is resentful of the time his dad spends with his students and misses his mom very much.

Nick is on a history school trip to an old West town called Silverado where he learns of a legend of Slim Marano who was wrongfully hanged by the town for murdering his boss at Falcon Mine. As Nick goes through the town with the tour guide, some strange things happen. Nick also become convinced he needs to find out who the true killer was and looks forward to researching and writing the paper the history teacher assigned. However, somehow Nick ends up in the wrong place and the wrong time and is accused of stealing Slim's journal from the museum!! Nick knows who did it but it is his word against theirs so he is suspended from school.

Nick's dad is very frustrated with Nick and doesn't know what to think but takes Nick along on a student dig in the mountains only a couple miles from Silverado. Unfortunately there is a cave-in and Nick is caught in it. However the spirit of Slim Marano appears and tells Nick that he needs his help to clear his name so that his family in generations to come will not have the shame of a murderer as an ancestor. Nick agrees to help him and so the adventures begin.

I enjoyed the way the book was written and the many abilities of the "spirits" of Slim and his friends. I also enjoyed the good vs. evil as well as the plot twists and turns that were not too complicated for even younger children to follow but do add excitement and intrigue for kids of pre-teen age. Most of all, I really enjoyed that Ms. Henn did not feel it necessary to add vulgarity or swearing to the book as so many authors do in the guise of making it "real."

Very highly recommended especially for third to eighth graders!!

I read the book Nick and Slim the Legend of the Falcon Mine which is a mystery. What made me keep reading this book was that I wanted to find out who killed Otis. My favorite scene of the book was when Nick first found Slim. The author did a great job of expressing Nick's fear. My favorite character was Nick because he was a great spy for Slim. I recommend this book because it is suspenseful and full of adventure. Any kid my age would really enjoy it. I can not wait for the author's next book to be released.

Nick & Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine is a novel for young adults that blends fantasy and the Old West into a rollicking adventure. In the present day, a young Nick is framed for stealing a museum artifact - the journal of the notorious Slim Marano, hanged for murder more than one hundred years ago. An unexpected meeting with Slim's spirit shows Nick that he and Slim have something in common; both of them have been unjustly set up. Nick travels through time and becomes embroiled in a search to expose a dark and terrible conspiracy. Aided by spirits and mortals a like, Nick and Slim must discover the truth, prove their innocence, and rescue lives in the balance. A handful of black-and-white illustrations enhance this lengthy yet enthralling novel.

This was a first rate book by Pamela Henn, I could not put it down, it really holds your attention, I could not wait to finish it to see what happens. I hope she continues with another one, and makes it a series.
She has a wonderful imagination, it reminded me a little of Harry Potter.
Good luck Pamela, I hope you get to publish more in this series.

The Birth of a New Classic
Nick and Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine

By Samantha Roberts January 30, 2007 [...]

From the moment I picked up the book, I felt like I was a character in Nick and Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine. Every chapter revealed new plot twists and villains, and left me eager to find out what happens next. Even the author, Pamela Henn, said she experienced the same sense of surprise while she was writing the book.

"I didn't know who the villain was until the last couple chapters revealed who made the most sense to be the villain," Henn told me. "That was kind of the fun part of this whole project."

Just when I would start to guess where the story was headed, the storyline would change and draw me further into the adventure.

Nick and Slim is the story of Nick Stewart, whose life undergoes a series of tragic changes. His mother dies when he is 11 years old. His dad Lee then moves them to Colorado where he gets a job teaching anthropology. Nick finds himself in a new school trying to deal with his grief and a work-obsessed father.

On a school trip to the ghost town Silverado, he runs into more trouble. The field trip is part of a school assignment. He has to investigate the murder of Otis Watkins and the hanging of Slim Marano, who was wrongly accused of committing the crime.

Nick notices that the glass in a display case is broken. Before he can react, some of the school bullies beat him up. The bullies had stolen Slim Marano's journal--"the one piece of circumstantial evidence that had convicted Slim"--and slipped it into Nick's pocket. Nick finds himself not only trying to clear Slim Marano's name, but also trying to clear his own.

Later, Nick meets the spirit of Slim Marano, who takes him back in time to help him unravel the mystery and stop Slim's hanging. Slim's ghostly friends Michael, Keenan, and Christopher join in, and they begin on an adventure that uncovers a lot more than they ever expected.

The story of Nick and Slim grew out of a challenge to the author from a friend. Henn was an animation artist for Walt Disney. She worked on The Little Mermaid, Roger Rabbit shorts, Mickey Mouse shorts, Pocahontas, and The Legend of Mulan. She was also the model for Belle in Beauty and the Beast. After 20 years, she quit Disney and started her own business, White Wolf Studios. Nick and Slim is her first children's novel, which grew out of writing classes she taught at the studio.

"I'm really excited about it," Henn said. "I love history, and I use history as the template, or the background that we can lay the characters on. Slim is a ghost or a spirit. He can go anywhere, and he can take Nick anywhere or to any time, so we can explore really neat countries, cultures, and times."

I would compare Pamela Henn's story to The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series. Silverado seemed like a town right out of the Old West. Add a kid from the 21st century and a few spirits wanting to change history, and you have a classic.

Henn is already working on a sequel, Nick and Slim: The Secret of Smuggler's Cove. A third book in the series is in development. I am certainly looking forward to them!

Samantha Roberts is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

Why you should buy this book:
1. If you want to teach yourself massage.
2. If you massage school gave you a crappy Milady's massage book, or worse, their own hand written, poorly illustrated version.
3. If you really want to own a great massage therapy reference.

Why I think its so great:
The illustrations and visuals, give you everything you need to know to massage any area of the body. They have created a much more 3-d experience to learning massage from a book and translating that experience to a real body. ANYONE can learn from this book. Its an incredible resource. I don't know why every school doesn't use this book! If you are in school -- buy it!

I borrowed this from my library before purchasing it.
It is a must for an massage therapist, bodyworker, or closet healer!
Also great for National exam review.

I have bought many books and DVD's on massage and anatomy and this is by far the best. It acomplishes what others often fail at and what all my teachers tried to instill in me, looking at a body in a 3 dimensional way. Did I mention the DVD? I was soo suprised that it actually showed everthing (well at least all the anatomy, palaptations, striping and crossfibering) thats in the book. I am very glad I bought this book and see using it again and again, unlike several DVD's and books I currently have.

can only say 'FABULOUS'!!! One of the most clearly illustrated, and easy to understand texts available, great for students and teachers alike!

Highly recommended -I am finding it a great study guide and will be using it for years to come ! an essential tool for massage

I am surprised at the depth of knowledge this book imparts to massage therapist. It will be more useful for National Massage Therapy examination for all aspiring therapists.

Never before have I experienced a translation of Old Testament scripture that truly brought me into what the essence of the text was. Fox makes it perfectly clear that these books were written in Hebrew, not English. I would reccommend this translation to anyone who is curious what it is like to peek in on an ancient text and learn from the first five books of Moses in the way it was more likely intended to be learned from.

I liked the consistent inclusion of the Divine Name represented by the letters YHWH and some of the interesting renderings of certain texts.

Our Disciple Bible Study used the first version of this book in our Basic Resource Library. When the original book "went missing" we had to reorder, and discovered to our delight that the new book now included The Five Books of Moses. What a wonderful resource for Bible study, or personal use! It has become one of my favorites and I plan to purchase the next volumes as well.

I used to say that it was pointless to try to study the Bible without Hebrew - that it was impossible to "feel" the text, to get the humor, the irony, the poetry. Not anymore. This is a must for any student of the Bible, as it captures the liveliness and strangeness of the original and expose it as the allusive, alliterative, jabberwocky text that it is.

Hebrew is best, but this is, finally, a good second choice. It would be perfect if it had Hebrew written alongside - a great way to learn for students.

This is not the only edition with English translation of the Pentateuch/Chumash that I own, and I don't think it's the only one anyone should own, but it is an essential part of my collection. Fox has combined precision in translation with interpretation and poetry, and the combination makes me run to it very often to see his version, which often makes a challenging and provocative comparison to more traditional translations. The type is large and well-spaced. My only criticism is that the Hebrew is not included; at times I'd like to be able to compare the original words to Fox's renderings, to see how they compare.

Vera Brittain (1893-1970) was raised as the daughter of a mill owner in the north of England. She was an intellectual who dreamed of majoring in English Literature at Oxford University's Somerville College for Women. In the post-World War I period Vera would return to Oxford taking a second in History and later winning a Master's degree.
The first third of this book deals with Vera's autobiographical description of her raising in a conservative Edwardian home. She was close to her brother Edward; fell in love with poet Roland Leighton and enjoyed poetry. She and her generation were not ready for the horrific reality of the war which would kill over 10 million people.
During the war Vera temporarily dropped out of Oxford to serve as a
V.A.D. (a volunteer nurse). She would serve in London, Malta and France.
She would minster to German Prisoners of War as well as serving with distinction. Vera's beloved Roland was killed in battle as was her brother Edward who fell in the last summer of the war. Vera was seared by these overwhelming tragedies. And yet she went on with her life serving with bravery.
As the war ended she returned to Oxford becoming a feminist and pacifist. She lectured all over England on behalf of the League of Nations Union. Vera married a World War I veteran who became an academic.
Vera would write over 25 books becoming a beloved and popular author in her native England.
This is a long book over 600 densely printed pages. It is also one of the best books about non-combat, civilian life ever written about the war. Many of the scenes in which Vera is serving as a nurse are graphic and touch the human heart with the sadness and tragic loss of a bright generation of young Europeans. This book has become a modern classic which should be required reading in any course on World War I. Several years ago it was broadcast in a miniseries by BBC appearing on Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. This is a book which will remain lodged in your memory. Do your self a favor and purchase a copy soon!

I clearly am in a minority here but I did not like this book. A peer of other notable young British writers like Robert Graves and Wilfred Owen, Britton's book stands out among the male writers of the period as giving a woman's view of the war. The problem, at least for me, is that Britton is so over come with bitterness that she flogs the reader with it from the start.

An early feminist Britton had strong views and supported her male friends and family going off to the First World War but as they fell to the german guns she, like many of her generation, became disillusioned. This is understandable but in writing her book, Britton cannot set aside her bitterness and it makes the reading ponderous and heavy. For example noting a fete in her early childhood and the bunting and flags put out she says "If only I knew then it was all meaningless." we are taken from a little girl's views to a bitter adult in the blink of an eye and it just gets too much.

By comparrison the autobiography of Robert Graves, Goodby to All That, starts out with the childish illusions being enjoyed as a child and slowly the bitterness slips into the writer's world view as he matures and is exposed to the horrors of the war. this is far more subtle and easier to read, meaning you are guided to the ponit he wants you to reach, instead of trying to bludgeon you into the mindset as Britton does.

This is a fascinating, insightful book that it would behoove many of us modern folk to read. Learn about the harder times of the past, while sipping latte in a comfy chair. You'll be thankful for today's comforts -- and today's modern attitudes towards the capabilities and intelligence of women -- after you read what it was like for one woman early in the 20th century. Simply a great book.

The word "classic" gets thrown around a lot these days. Many so-called "modern classics" are not that important, but "Testament of Youth" deserves this reprint as a Penguin Classic. Brittain tells of her early life in the north of England between 1893 and the start of World War I in 1914 in beautifully clear prose, and her clarity of thought and powers of observation make the bulk of the book, dealing with the war's impact on her, painfully vivid without ever lapsing into self-pity. Like too many others of her generation (and the next and the next) Vera Brittain learned almost unimaginable lessons about life and her own inner strength. To that extent, "Testament of Youth" can serve as both example and inspiration.

Vera Brittain came from an upper-middle-class background shared by millions of young women in late Victorian England. One thing that made her different was her great intellectual curiosity and determination to escape a truly suffocating existence that few of today's Western women can easily imagine. What made her like most citizens of the time (and of later times)was her complete ignorance of the meaning of "war." Patriotism, her social conscience, and a desire to take part in the bigger world led her to volunteer as a nursing sister with the British Army. Her grueling hospital experiences were a revelation to her. Her personal losses are even more powerfully revealing of the human condition. Brittain was a "survivor" in every sense of the word.

"Testament of Youth" is just as fresh and moving today as it was when it was written 75 years ago and Vera Brittain tells a story that must be told and retold to each generation. For every reader who finds the book "too long" by current standards (its almost 700 pages), there will be two who wish they could follow the author even further. But even if you find yourself skipping ahead, particularly in the early part, you will not be able to forget Vera Brittain or her story. "Testament of Youth" is one of the great autobiographies of the past 100 years.

Vera Brittain enrolled in Summerville College, Oxford, in a time before degrees were granted to women. This was just before The First World War changed almost everything for almost everyone. When it was over, her best friends, her fiance and her brother had all been killed. She also personally witnessed the agony of thousands in the surgical wards where she worked as a volunteer nurse.

In response, she became a suffragette, a feminist and a liberal writer and lecturer. She sought to prevent such tragedy from reoccurring.

The answers to the political and social questions with which she struggled elude us still. But Vera Brittain's autobiographical account of her generation's trials, Testament of Youth, remains both a stunningly-honest portrait of a courageous young woman and a vivid chronicle of a time almost out of living memory. Through her words we see what we might have thought, felt and believed, had we been born into her era.

This book was more than what I expected...a very attractive appearance, without breaking the bank. It was purchased as a gift, and he is ecstatic about it!!

They don't make books like they used to - or, so i thought, until i bought this elegant edition of The Arabian nights. Beautifully bound, printed on high-quality paper, with an erudite introduction, and clear, but stylish font, I thought how appropriate for the publisher to release a classic such as The Arabian nights in such a 'classic' style, hearkening back to a time when great care was put into published books.
Congratulations on a great edition.

I have been reading this to my 8 yr old and changing or leaving out the inappropriate parts. She loves to hear it, and with the cliff hangers she is always asking for another chapter.

Excellent translation, from the oldest known manuscript of the tales. True to the original, it captures not just the letter, but the spirit of the text. Clearly, Haddawy is a talented writer on his own accord.

A very good place to discover Arab culture as well.

As I took a trip to Egypt over the new year, I thought it fitting that I should read books pertaining to the culture there. So I picked up this authoritative copy of Arabian Nights from the library and took it with me for some reading.

This edition is followed by a second edition that includes the better-known stories (including Aladdin and Sinbad). I didn't recognize any of the stories in this edition. Granted, I didn't read every story.

I think the trouble with getting together an "authoritative text" on the Arabian Nights is that the stories were never meant to be compiled into a book and read straight through. The stories were part of a rich oral culture that involved sitting around a fire with fine musical instruments, good food, great company and a storyteller who could draw in extra details and add in any embellishments that he thought the crowd would appreciate. Meaning- you never really heard the same story twice.

All of this is lost in a print copy. The stories begin to seem repetitive (which they wouldn't, if they were told over the course of a few years by a traveling storyteller) and the language becomes onerous- every section begins and ends with the same two phrases over and over, again and again.

However, the stories are a lot of fun :-) If you're interested in the Arabian Nights, I would certainly recommend this edition- Haddawy does well in his translation. But I'd also only read a story or two here and there, so that you don't become tired of the book. That way, the magic will still hit you. Or maybe, you can become the storyteller and read it aloud to someone else- it would probably be excellent in that form as well!

This isn't just an update to the 3.5 rule set of d20/D&D, this is a whole new book! With the addition of like 50 pages, new classes, NPC archtypes, sub-types, equipment, etc... this breaths new life into tired old cities in any campaign. A must for world building and small adventures in or near a city!

Another great Skirmisher resource. I'm really getting to the point that if Skirmisher publishes a d20 book, I'll buy it sight unseen! Another must buy!

As a new DM, I found the material in this book to be invaluable in populating the major city for my PC's to play in. The standard WotC books provide a little too general information on Experts for a novice DM to easily dive in and begin creating a somewhat realistic world. I faced the challenge of filling in those gaps myself, but was lucky enough to come across this book at my local game seller. It is exactly what I needed.

Since I'm far from being a history expert, particularly on the daily lives of folks in medieval times, I found the first chapters describing the various types of experts (in broad categories of craftsmen, entertainers, professionals, scholars, and tradesmen) to be a fascinating read. It fully answered simple but important questions like "What is the difference between an armorer, blacksmith, and weaponmaker?"

The most valuable part of the book is the chapter on new skills. This chapter really gives nitty gritty details that are useful to my campaign. For example, there is a table in the section describing the Craft (Armorsmithing) skill with the self-explanatory title "Armor Creation Requirements, Times, and Costs". One of my PC's was looking for an armorer to craft him a mithral breastplate. I could easily tell him how much it would cost by using the DMG, but figuring out how long it would take, and who (if anybody locally) would have the skill to do it would be a much greater challenge. With the above table in hand and using the sample Expert provided in a later chapter as a template, getting this together was no sweat!

The only thing I'm unhappy with is the font that is used for many of the headings. It is very difficult for these old eyes to read. A minor quibble, but it is frustrating nonetheless.

I can't judge how valuable this book is for experienced DM's, but for an inexperienced DM that is building a world or extending an off the shelf product this is a must have!

This book is by far one of the best OGL/d20 books for DMs on the market. Finally the most forgotten NPC class gets the respect it deserves. With so many OGL/d20 books coming out that lack usable content, this book is a welcome addition to my considerable library. The expanded class descriptions, with its customizability is phenomenal. And some of the new feats, well, my players are now begging for permission to use this book. Keep it coming!

- Chris

I found the experts book to be incredible. It expanded the breif and uninformative experts described in the DM handbook very well. A must-buy for all DMs.