R Books

This a great collection of poems from the past! If you enjoy whimsy, this is for you!

with eliot, a maximum of content is achieved through a FORM worked with a
care and conciousness not seen perhaps since the greeks. he understood,
as he once wrote, that the novel form ended with flaubert. in the centuries after picasso and stravinsky there is no place for anything in
literature which makes people remain sitting, whithout standing and perhaps dancing. the same thing could be said about pound, very different though very twin.

The Eliot of despair, the Eliot of 'Prufrock' and 'Wasteland' is contended with and overcome by the Eliot of the 'Quartets'. The message of modern mankind's meaninglessness, the broken fragments ( of Tradition) shored against his ruin is replaced by the vision of sacred turning, a Christian vision of redemption. Eliot is a writer whose work and life break down into these two distinct periods each of which has its champions in defining what is best in him.
As one raised on 'April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land' and 'Let us go then you and I when the evening is spread out against the sky, like a patient etherized upon a table' the most memorable lines are certainly of the first phase where it ends not with a bang but with a whimper.
Yet my admiration for the hypnotic power of Eliot's memorable lines is strongly qualified by my knowledge of his 'Burbank with a Baedaker, and Bluestein with a Cigar' with his all too fashionable literary anti- Semitism. Of course Eliot was not preaching death camps and extermination but he did connect his work to the tradition of Christian Anti- Semitism.
Thus I have always had difficulty being comfortable with my 'enjoying of Eliot's poetry. And I have never been able to sympathetically read 'The Quartets.' They have always seemed to me to be too impersonal characterless and abstract.
Eliot who for most of the century strode the English Departments as if he were a colossus did noble work in reviving interest in 'The Metaphysicals' but somehow failed in my mind to write a poetry humanly rich in the deepest sense.

When you think of the best poets ever, T.S. Eliot is one of those that comes to mind. His work is well crafted, intelligent, beautifully written, and has a flow to it that few poets can match. And this is a fine collection for the Eliot lover or for the reader unfamiliar with Eliot. It's divided into several sections. The first section is his Prufrock section, poems from 1917, which contains probably his finest poems: "Prufrock", "Preludes" "Rhapsody on a Windy Night", "Hysteria", among others. Then there is the Poems 1920 section which also contains many fine poems ("Sweeney Erect" and "The Hippopotamus" being my favorites). Then follows his masterpiece The Wasteland. Then The Hollow Men which is followed by the wonderful Ash Wednesday. Then the Ariel Poems (which contains "Journey of the Magi"). Then there are two unfinished poems, "Sweeney Agonistes" and "Coriolan" which I thought were weak. Maybe they would have been great had he ever finished them. Then there is a section called minor poems followed by the mediocre "Choruses from 'The Rock.' And then there is what I consider to be his true masterpiece, "Four Quartets." And the book finishes with some occasional verses, one of which is a sweet and touching poem to his wife. This is a great collection of poems.

Yep, this is a great collection of Eliot's works. I initially found out about Eliot throught the Movie 'Apocalypse Now' in which Brando is heard reciting the poem 'The Hollow Men'. The poem sounded so good I hunted it down and came across this little book.

My favourite poems would have to be 'The Hollow Men', 'Love song of Prufrock', 'Ash Wednesday' and 'Rannoch, by Glencoe (perfectly captured, drive through Rannoch and you'll see ;-)

Yep, definetly worth a read.

When I was in school, 10th grade, we had a chapter in English Literature. This chapter, named In the Grip of Prejudice, was from the book 'To Sir With Love'. That was such a gripping chapter, that I decided to buy the 'To Sir With Love' immediately.

Amazing book and fantastic movie (with excellent performance of Sydney Poitier). The book has been with me for more than a decade and re-read multiple times. Very intelligent book that teaches the basics of right human existance.

Excellent!

I just saw "Amazing Grace" about William Wilberforce
and the ending of the British slave trade. There is little doubt that the Ricky Braithwaite who is a relatively young black teacher in England
is the breeding product of such slaves used by sugar planters
in British colonies. In arriving at their destination a large percentage died in the crossing. An even larger number usually died each year as
a result of over work and underfeeding. Genetically this actually tended to make the black slaves superior to their white masters in many ways.
Survival makes very good people.
But the question is not if Braitwaite was as good teacher a teacher as
he is a writer, but have conditions improved since 1959 when he first published this. From hearing about the life of Amy Winehouse who is a very popular British singer, one tends to think they may have actually gotten worse in London's East End, not better?
So for all the popularity of the book and movie of this book,
not a lot of attention was really paid to his lessons in understanding
and care for the poor and hard pressed of all races.
Amy Winehouse was expelled by a Weston type for being independent and different. Progressive education has been replaced with regimentation and discipline. Braitwaite made the point that music, even classical music, got through to these children, but in California we spend money on contact football instead? In California E. R. Braitwaite wouldn't be allowed to teach in an high school. He doesn't have a recognized teaching credential.

During my school days, we had an extract from this book as one of the lessons in our English subject. The lesson was named "In the Grip of Prejudice". After reading the lesson, I just wanted to read the whole book. ER Braithwaite has handled a touchy subject aesthetically.

Highly recommended! :-)

A very enjoyable book. Braithwaite tells an inspirational story about both teaching kids but also overcoming prejudice as a black man in post WWII England. I'm a new teacher and hope to develop the type of relationship he had with his students with mine some day.

I remember having read an extract of "To Sir with Love" during my school days and have been wanting to read it ever since. Unfortunately I never got around to doing so for quite a while. Recently while browsing in a bookshop, my eyes fell on the book and I decided to pick it up.

The book is an extremely inspiring autobiography which chronicles the life of a 'coloured' teacher in a particularly rowdy neighbourhood of London.

Written in an extremely touching, charming (and ocassionally witty) style, the author talks about how he has to deal with racial sterotypes. It is uphill all the way for Braithwaite as he counters the cynicism of his impressionable students and, ocassionally, that of his colleagues also. Slowly, he wins over the minds (and in the case of Pamela Dare, heart) of his students as he tries to wipe clean their minds of prejudices (racial or otherwise).

The book was also filmed starring the ever-charming Sidney Poitier in the lead role. See the movie after reading the book.

Years ago, I was assigned this book in one of my university classes. I number it in my most memorable and personally influential works that I have ever read. At the time, I had just begun to study archaeology and had very little understanding of the concept of ethnocentricism. My personal way of thinking was very black and white. The only real experience that I had with the dichotomies of the sacred versus the profane at that point was my own experiences.

The Sacred and the Profane gave me an entirely different perspective. I began seeing how others saw religion, spirituality, ritual, and symbolism in slightly different ways. How certain experiences could be interpreted in a variety of ways to become personal and cultural beliefs. I also noticed how these beliefs permeated into everyday life. So began my interests in spirituality, symbolic dichotomies, and the varied beliefs of others.

Yes, the sacred and the profane is discussed here. And guess what? They make sense. It's no secret, just sociology. Good sociology, too, none of your Discovery-Channel, sixth-tier, make every middle class viewer look down on those that are different from a Durkheim-style-deviance-arrogance and pray that they can forget just how screwed up they are kind of stuff. The good stuff. The meat, the bone and the marrow. Unapologetic, yet refined and in no way obscene. Great read. Well written, and, I can only assume, well-translated.

Be warned: The cover image on Amazon is not the one that comes on the book!!! The book you get from Amazon is a new-age style cover photograph of some half-photographed "natives" playing with a circle of candles. The nifty little negative portrait of the Triune God should have stayed. It was much more appropriate to the content.

I read this book with a great excitement. It tells people about essence of our religion. In my opinion, this book is quite good companion for religious comparison study.

Eliade's book is by nature limited to making general statements without extensive illustration and qualification. But the general statements he makes are fascinating. He makes the birth of the "world" and the birth of religion identical, since the "world" is by definition a meaningful and ordered space, and only a divine "hierophany" can establish a reference point for meaningful (& chaotic) space. Pre-religious man lives in a meaningless, homogeneous space, and therefore has no concept of the world.

This view sheds light on the association between religion and violence. The collision of two religions also represents the collision of two worlds, and the nothing is more terrifying that the destruction of the world. Of course religion is only the first source (on Eliade's account) of the "world"; today we have many non-religion sources of value from which a world-sense can emerge. Or perhaps "religion" has just taken on many new guises, even "non-religious" ones.

Eliade also discusses the recurrence of sacred time vs. the linear movement of profane time.

There are valuable reflections in the book on the hidden religiosity of modern, profane man. For all human beings without exception, meaningful existence is only possible when we respect some version of sacred space and sacred time.

Rich ideas for such a short book. Highly recommended, even if it does get a little repetitive.

I decided to read this book for a religion-course I'm taking, and I must say I'm happy I did! Mircea Eliade was a Rumanian historian of religions, philosopher and author, in addition to being a vaguely religious man himself. This book was written to serve as an introduction to the study of religion for new students and the interested layman, and it does so excellently. Eliade was interestingly enough a member of the Legion of the Archangel Michael, back home in Rumania, the organization of Corneliu Codreanu. In addition to this wonderful fact, he was also acquainted with Baron Julius Evola, so this is certainly one of "our own boys".

The book itself is, as the title implies, an attempt to show the difference between the archaic mans sacred conception of the cosmos, and the profane view of the world of today's "modern man". The first part of the book details the sacred space and the sacralisation of the world. What he means by this is the fact that so-to-speak all religions and the various races have traditions of themselves living near the centre of the world, axis mundi. This world pillar, known as Irminsûl to my own Germanic ancestors, was the place (mountain, tree, building, pillar etc.) where the world traditionally was highest and hence the underworld, the human world and the higher realm of heaven was connected the closest. The various races and peoples then thought that this was where Creation had begun, where the cosmos has flowed out from, and hence the most sacred space on Earth. Eliade then delves into some depth about this subject.

The second chapter is about holy time and myths. He shows how the archaic peoples thought of time as always recurring, going in cycles. The first break with this line of thought was with Judaism and later Christianity, who thought of history as a unique happening, centred on Christ and his coming. The archaic peoples did their rites and their religious cultism so that they could transform themselves back into the sacred eternal present time when the Gods performed the actions the myths mirror today.

The third chapter is about the holiness of nature and the comical view of ancient religion. He shows how ancient man conceived of their own role in the cosmos, and how their actions were supposed to mirror the actions of the creation of the cosmos. It's a very wide chapter that is difficult to summarize, but as everywhere else in the book he fills it up with example upon example from all over the world.

The final chapter is about the existence of humans and the holiness of life. He tells us how many traditions thought of the human body as its own cosmos. The opening at the top of the scull was the place where the soul would leap from at death, and hence some Indians have the tradition of crushing the scull of a recently deceased priest to ensure his soul's easy transcendence. He also mentions männerbunde and various initiations that served to give birth to man anew, after the initiation was complete, and the new sacred man arose. This chapter is also very wide and difficult to summarize, but the richness of the examples is splendid.

All in all, a book that is hard to characterize, but I've read it twice in two weeks now, so I guess that says it all. An excellent book that nearly is enough to make the most profane person catch a glimpse of the holy. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

LOVE this book! It's completely marked up with yellow highlighter and dog-ears. Must Get for Spa Owners!

I read this book in one day while I was on vacation. I was so inspired, I couldn't wait to get back to work to begin a new customer service policy in our salon. We already do some of the rituals for our guests, but this book gave me so many more ideas. John Dijullius is so right about creating systems and sticking with them, day in and day out. Can't wait for the second book!!!!

By far the best book I've ever read on customer service. Nice work!

This is a book that I reccomend to all of my franchise stores that I support. This is a glossary or handbook of great service and marketing. There is no reinventing the wheel in this little book but a refernce of the tried and true. Each example is supported with results and successes. The multiple companies referred to are known companies who lead their markets in service.

I encourage my stores to take a highlighter to this book of concepts and write notes in the margins. They will refer to this book often. This is 165 pages of good information.

Even though I am in the same industry as the author, this book is full of great ideas any business could use to implement systems to improve their customer service. We have used many of the ideas with great results. Mr. DiJulius gives you these wonderful ideas and how to implement them. If you read his book you'll see why his company is so successful. I require my staff to read this book when they are hired. This is one of my favorite business books!

This story is a great allegory for young and old. I read this to my son when he was young and he has always remembered the story of a young boy becoming a hero through a series of events in his life. It has wonderful character building lessons and will leave an imprint on your heart.
I bought this for our son for a Christmas gift (he is now 25 years old). He was ecstatic when he opened his gift. He is now reading it with his fiance. Her mother read it and has bought 3 more copies to give as gifts. I highly recommend this for all ages.

My son andI read this book together. The lessons in it are incredible. The story is interesting and the opens the doors for great disscusion about life issues.

I was introduced to this book as a kid at a summer camp in PA and later as a college student at a weekend conference I was re-introduced to it. It is a fabulous collection of stories for children and adults alike that mirror biblical principles. Later when I returned to PA as a camp counsleor I read it aloud to my teenage girls and they loved it! They would ask each night if I would read to them. You won't be disapointted in this book, or the other two that make up the series!

David & Karen Mains' Kingdom Tales consist of three volumes: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. First published in hardcover in 1983, 1986 & 1996 with delightful illustrations by Jack Stockman, these three books have been reissued in softcover in 2000, but now with a limited number of black-and-white illustrations by Linda Wells which don't do much to enhance the text. Each volume consists of twelve fantasy short stories, set in a city ruled by an evil Enchanter who has usurped the throne from the true King. The stories are all separate events often involving different characters, but are bound together as part of a larger story as the Enchanted City is rescued by the exiled King and becomes the Bright City, leading to a joyous conclusion as the people of Great Park and Bright City begin the Great Celebration at the conclusion of the Restoration. The main returning character is Scarboy, an orphan boy who escapes from the Enchanted City with his brother, Little Child, and becomes Hero in the service of the King.

Although the stories have distinctive allegorical qualities, they are more like religious fables or fairy tales, drawing on the imagery of the kingdom that Jesus Christ Himself taught in His ministry. Under the influence of the evil Enchanter, the people of the Enchanted City prefer darkness to the light, and so sleep during the day and work at night. But the King is at work delivering the city and rescuing the poor and needy and bringing them to the Great Park. Even though the Enchanter's men proclaim "There is no such thing as a King", the King's men know "that "Things are not what they seem." They realize that even though the Enchanter had said "Seeing is believing", reality is different: "You have to believe in order to see." Christians will understand that these are important spiritual truths about faith and serving the King Jesus Christ.

Each volume has some stories that were especially memorable. Volume 1 describes how Sarboy escapes the Enchanted City, where orphaned and handicapped children are enslaved. In the Great Park he discovers the wonderful truth about God's kingdom. One of my favorites in this volume was "The Baker who Loved Bread", which describes the King's Baker who bakes the King's Bread, but withholds this bread from poor and needy people, thinking he is doing a service to the king by doing so. When he beats a person whom he believes to be a thief about to steal his bread, he discovers that he has actually harmed the King himself, and learns an important lesson: "Love for the King is measured by one's love for his people. So the Baker fed the hungry and fed them well - lest the One he loved the most should starve." This concept is very clearly based on Christ's teaching in Matthew 25.

How successful these stories are on their own apart from the underlying spiritual truths is hard to tell. The moral of the stories is generally quite transparent, although in the case of a few tales it is rather obscure. But on the whole the message about serving and honouring the King Jesus Christ comes through loud and clear. I found the stories thoroughly enjoyable particularly because of this deeper meaning. I suspect that those who don't appreciate the deeper meaning will find it hard to enjoy the tales as stand-alone stories for their own sake. The concept is similar to the Narnia Chronicles, although not with the same degree of success, because the Narnian stories can also function on the level of stories alone. But although the world isn't as fantastic as C.S. Lewis' Narnia, Narnian fans may find themselves appreciating the Kingdom Tales of the Mains for the same reasons: the spiritual depth. They will certainly lead to a greater love for the King and His Kingdom! -GODLY GADFLY

I came to Amazon to purchase a copy of TALES OF THE KINGDOM by David and Karen Mains. There were several reviewers that were disappointed in the illustrations of the newer editions. So, I sprung the extra money to buy an older copy. BELIEVE me, the old illustrations by Jack Stockman are only "fabulous" if you have some childhood memories to make them special. Otherwise, they are rather ordinary and do little for the stories. The stories themselves shine and shine. Such excellent stories. If I had to do it again, I would buy the newer edition and save my $$ for other books.

The Treehouse Chronicles is a book for everyone who loves good writing, beauty, honesty, practical wisdom, and proof that dreams do come true. I am not a carpenter, nor do I know one thing about building. This beautiful book captivated me from page one. The art work compliments the pages and progress of the enormous project.
Best of all, I am inspired to start thinking in the realm of possiblity and promise.
The author, S. Peter Lewis is not the only one rewarded with this project, so is the reader!

Treehouse Chronicles is an intelligent mix of not just how-to build a treehouse, but why someone would want to in the first place. Great artwork and detailed diagrams plus a bit of philosophical thinking combine with great storytelling. If you think you like treehouses, this is the book for you.

There are two types of people who buy great books. I'm driven to write this review from both perspectives: the first from a reader, and the second from a coffee-table-book browser. Since you're reading this as one type or the other (or maybe both, like me), I want to assure you that you're making the right choice by purchasing S. Peter Lewis's "Treehouse Chronicles."

The intent reader: from the compelling foreword by Anne LaBastille and into the opening passages by Lewis where the treehouse is just a glimpse of a possibility, the writing is captivating to the point where you'll want to turn the pages to learn what happens next. A dry humor, sometimes so subtle you'll have to re-read the lines, is employed throughout and gives a feeling of what it might have been like to work with Lewis and his crew on this project. It must have been a joy for each participant. The painstakingly written words tell more than the details of building an amazing grown-up's treehouse, it paints pictures of the author's family life in the Northwoods and transports you to the cool mornings of mortise-cutting with a chisel and hammer.

The casual browser: "Treehouse Chronicles" is simple and beautiful. The intricate drawings and delicate paintings provide details about construction techniques, life as a builder, and even little bits of natural history from the Maine woods. Lewis's second skill (of many, I presume) as a photographer shines in this book with unique angles of the building team high up in the tree, and one of my favorites of an old, lightning-struck white pine silhouetted in the pre-dawn purple sky. You'll be able to page through the book in true browser-style and get a fair understanding of the entire conception, design and construction. You'll be able to page through the book several times, marveling at this detail or that. (Then you'll have no choice but to start reading bits and pieces.)

I have such a strong feeling about the merits of this book that I've already given away four copies as gifts. I know you'll want to do the same before you've even finished reading (or before you're done browsing, if that's the book-buying type you are)! If you like learning how things are made, this is the book you want to buy. But more importantly, if you want to see how one man's perseverance makes his wildest imaginations come true, you'll pick this book off your shelf time and time again.

You know that delightful list of warm and wonderful things that Julie Andrews tucks the children in with in the old musical classic?

It's like that.

That novel that you can't put down?
It's like that.

That cup of coffee that is brewed just right?
It's like that.

That poem or song that says it all and brings a tear to your eye?
It's like that.

That photo that captures you and makes you want to frame it and put it on your wall?
It's like that.

The gift that you decide is the best thing that you can give to all of the families on your Christmas list?
It's like that.

In fact, last year when I first saw it, that is exactly what I did! I just had to. As different as all those families are, there was something about it that was perfect for each of them. The contractor, the dreamer, the writer, the displaced Mainer, the hobbyest, and the photographer; it was perfect for each one of them.

Thanks Peter.

Treehouse Chronicles: One Man's Dream of Life Aloft

This is not a how-to book on treehouse building. Rather, it's a book about philosophy, friends, family, and place written by a gifted writer who uses his folly as a foil. It is eminently readable as well as very browseable. There are one-page asides on various topics throughout as well as good pictures and striking watercolors a'plenty.

While the technical details of the construction are mostly absent from the book (for instance, the roof is mentioned not at all) there are still plenty of nuggets burried within. I was particularly taken with the chessboard they created. Also, the drawbridge was a neat idea and will probably be referenced in one of my future designs.

The main flaw I see in this work is there is a sort of deus ex machina in the person of Ted. Ted is endowed with preternatural mental abilities and always shows up at the right time to help the hapless author out of his latest jam. I'm afraid this may cause those of us who lack a Ted to hesitate before undertaking a folly of this type.

Another big problem is the way they fastened their structure to the tree. In their effort to not harm the tree by drilling holes, they do potentially catastrophic damage to the future health of this stately pine. I have seen this over and over. Call an arborist before starting, he will (hopefully) set you straight. Despite their tree health faux-pas, I expect this elder giant will make it through fine.

The real reason to crack this book is to be inspired. This is an uplifting book. The little aphorism that I will take with me from this book is attributed to the author's mother: "Dreams need feet. Give feet to your dreams."

Highly recommended for the dreamer. An interesting book for the builder.

I got really frustrated with this book because it did'nt say who had Stevie for secret santa! I liked it when they went caroling, but I wish Carol or Lisa would ride the Prancer rather than lead it. I think that would draw more attention. Over all. I would recomend all saddle Clubs to any one! There great!!!

this book is great it brings the special and giving side out of any person. what Caroles " secret santa " does for her is remarkably special! I love this book and I think you will too!

Another rare SADDLE CLUB great. When the girls draw names for Secret Santa's, Max tells them they have to DO something, not give something! Lisa and Carole are fine with who they draw, but Stevie draws...Veronica! Also, the girls are shocked when toys are stolen from Carole's dad's Marine Corps toy drive and they invent an exciting, equine way to raise money for more toys. But will they finish in time? And what will Stevie do for--not TO--Veronica? This is harder than anyone imagined. I loved this SUPER EDITION and I think everyone who loves horses and has friends should read it.

Hey everyone! I really liked this book, but I had a question for the people who've read it. What happened to the Starlight Ride this year? Why don't the Saddle Club girls go on it? That part really confused me. Thanx.

First of all I want to say that Bonnie Bryant is a really good author, I think the Saddle Club and Pine Hollow Books are brilliant! This book was very good, so much happened in it. At Pine Hollow Max held a secret santa but instead of buying something for the person you got you had to do something for them. Stevie got Veronica, Carole got Lisa and Lisa got Max. What Caroles secret santa does for her is really something special! Lisa's realatives, the Rosses from Scotland are over spending Christmas with the Atwoods, although she thinks there great she feels like shes no space to breath, this inspires what she is going to do for Max as his secret santa! Stevie is busy getting voice lessons to prepare for an audition for a solo part in her schools Christmas play..................While all this is happening Carole is busy helping her Dad and the marines collect toys as Christmas presents for needy children...Until!?! I would really recoment this book. It was very enjoyable to read!

In the short-run, it's like Shadowrun only without anything in the way of mysticism or magic. It's all metal or nothing in this game.

Plenty here have praised the games mechanics, so I won't dive into that... ditto the excellent storyline (I haven't actually GMed a CP game in almost 10 years, and haven't played in five, yet I'll still flip through the rulebook every so often just to read about the local color and stories provided)

If the game has a downfall it is only in that the story lineage is a little dated by modern standards (although strangely prophetic). As 2020 is fast approaching us (being 12 years away as of this writing) much of what was theorized as being "part of the future" has actually come to pass: The internet (ok, not QUITE as they have invisioned it, but can it be far off?), cellphones, corperations wielding vast political power, even modern stem-cell research is a harbinger to the body limb-regrowth capabilities tauted in the game, ditto with cyberlimbs/prosthetics.

The game itself is still very much worth playing. Only now instead of a "dark future", the game has instead become more of a "grim alternate reality"... or alternately, you could just move the game's story ahead 20-30 years and adjust accordingly :)

I highly reccomend it. If I could find another regular crew to play with locally, I'd be all over it!

Out of the whole cyberpunk movement and craze, it would seem that a role playing game was a natural. This had an interesting setting and information, and was appropriately brutal. This would lead to characters having the life expectancy of at least a little more than a paranoia clone, so you had to do something about that if you wanted to feature violence in your games.

I was stationed in Vilseck Germany with the 2nd of the 63rd Armor when I friend told me about Cyber Punk. It was almost a year before we found someone with the books, and immediatly set up a game. It was a game that I have never forgoten. It sits in my mind like the begining of Secret of Mana, forever a defining factor in my oppinions.

This game does tend to drag with its role to hit/role to dodge rules, but it is more believable then any other game I have seen or played. The setting for Cyber Punk is OURT world, with OUR history. It is science fiction. We can look at our own lives, make few changes to the timeline, and see that it IS possible. In reality, these things would never happen, but in the game, it is easier for us to adapt to this new world because it is so close to our own. Realy, what has changed? The world has met a sort of anarchy, like in Mad Max. The government is now run by Corporations. Bionics are common enough that you see people with mettle limbs on a regular basis. This world is more real then any other I have seen, and this makes more believable. Since it is more believable it becomes easier to enter your charactor and enjoy the game.

If I had to rate all the games I have played, I would put this on tope, even with its long combat and ineffectiveness with machine guns.

CP 2020 is by far the best pencil and paper RPG, this is all you need to get started. Playing CyberPunk will open your eyes to the world and the direction it is heading in and also opens your creativity and imagination. Everything from the weapons, the armor and the stat system whips AD&D. Anyone who doesn't like the whole fantasy ideals and/or combat system of AD&D needs to give CP a serious look-see.

If you like CP:2020 check out the CyberSphere MOO, well coded and reasonably closely based on CP.

Telnet on over to:

cs.vv.com:6969
or
cs.vv.com:7777

I've ben GMing for something like fifteen years and this is the system I always return to. If I want to run someting of my own, this is the system I base it on.

Slim-line, fast, flexible, simple, expansive, effective. All words that describe Talsorian's game mechanics - it simply does not get any better.

As for the universe - this is a REAL world of darkness. No bright dawn, no happy ever after. Only your wits and tech, style and edge. No right or wrong, only power and death, a world of grey areas that seems only just around the corner.

If you are a gamer and you don't have this - get it now.

If you aren't a gamer but love the Dark Future setting, it's worth it.

Magnificent.

Freddy the Detective is about a pig called Freddy who reads Sherlock Holmes and wants to become a detective. The first case starts when the boy who lives in the farmhouse loses his train of cars. Freddy is on the case right away. He goes up to the boy's room and finds clues to who has stolen the cars. He finds out it is the rats, who have come back to the barn. Soon more cases have come up for him to solve, including when Egbert, a bunny, goes missing from his mother, and when Prinny, a little dog, has her dinner go missing.
I enjoyed this book because I like funny stories, and this was very funny. I also enjoyed it because I don't usually read mysteries, and this made me more interested in detective stories. Freddy is very funny in the way he solves cases. I recommend reading this book, even if you don't usually read mysteries. It is a great detective book for anyone who enjoys reading.

Wonerful, Triumph, for all ages.
It tips my planet, shakes my world.

Caleb A. Craig

The second in the utterly charming "Freddy the Pig" series, "Freddy the Detective" chronicles the adventures of Freddy and his barnyard friends as they delve deep into the world of clues, suspects and the criminal world. In the great tradition of Sherlock Holmes, there is a disguise involved.

Cases are solved (like just what becomes of Prinny the dog's dinner), a jail is constructed to house all the freshly-caught criminals (who have more fun inside than out) , and in the ultimate test for a pig, some infamous bank-robbers are caught red-handed and carted away by the thankful police. It all culminates in the trail of Jinx the Cat, during which a hen faints dead away at the mention of roast chicken and the courthouse erupts in cheers at the end of the summation because they admire they way the attorney argued a hopelessly weak case.

The Freddy books are great fun for kids (boy or girl), and they won't put you to sleep reading them aloud, either. I would place them just below the Betsy/Tacy books and the work of Leon Garfield, and high above anything coming out nowadays. They do nicely as a comfort during stressful times, the gentle and goofy stories easing kids to sleep. Highly recommended for ages to 5 to 100.

GRADE: B

Freddy the Detective is one of a series of pig books written by Walter R Brooks. Freddy the cool detective is a master of disguise who helps Mr. Bean and the Bean Farm solve crime.

Freddy the Detective is one of my favorite books because I love pigs and the main character is a very smart pig. The book is exciting and fun to read. I recommend it for people who like pigs! You will love the book if you read it.

Lukas

I run a bookgroup for homeschoolers and have the very great pleasure of introducing this bunch of alternative education kiddies to some of the great classics in children's literature. It can be a very rewarding experience. Once in a while, however, the kids teach me about books that I've never heard of. One of the children I organize has been obsessed with the "Freddy" books for years. Occasionally he would ask me if I had read them or he'd promote them to the group. In my initial ignorance, I assumed that he was referring to the Freddy the Hamster books by Dietlof Reiche. Those books are very good but the kid was actually referring to the classic Freddy the Pig series dating back to the 1930s. Recently these books have been earning themselves an entirely new audience and children everywhere are engulfed in a kind of newfangled Freddy fever. I picked up "Freddy the Detective" (not realizing that "Freddy In Florida" is actually the first book in the series) to give the books a look-see. I did this with a kind of snide attitude that went something along the lines of, "well I'm sure these books have aged poorly over the years and that the only reason kids are reading them because their parents made them". Oh how wrong a children's librarian can be. The Freddy books are marvelous. Author Walter R. Brooks is marvelous. In fact, "Freddy the Detective" is so wry, well-written, and delightful that I am truly shocked that more people are not aware of this series. Consider me a convert of the pig. One who will be singing his praises to the masses every chance I get.

Freddy is just your average highly intelligent pig. He lives on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Bean and has a lovely little life. He has a fine library in his pen and it is from his books that he gets the idea to become a detective. After reading a couple Sherlock Holmes stories, Freddy is sure that he can pull off becoming the farm's number one crime-ridder. This decision is made not a moment too soon, for a nasty clan of rats has stolen a valuable toy train from the Bean home and is performing dastardly crimes with it. As we follow Freddy, he solves crime after crime and participates in adventure after adventure. When Jinx the cat is ultimately framed for a crime he did not commit, it's up to Freddy to sway a jury of his peers as to the feline's innocence and the true criminals in the case.

One of the first things that caught my attention in this book was the lack of human/animal interaction. For kids that grew up reading that other classic farm text, "Charlotte's Web", the fact that there are two kids on the Bean farm that never ever appear in the book is downright bizarre. In any other story we'd be getting everything from the children's point of view. Brooks, however, knows who the true star of his book is and he's not going to muddle the action with a couple of pesky young 'uns hogging (ho ho!) the spotlight. Another interesting choice comes with the fact that the humans and the animals on the farm cannot talk to one another. This makes quite a bit of sense, when you consider it. Animals have no vocal cords. Animals also don't usually use their hoofs like hands, but that's neither here nor there. The point is that humans and animals have their own fixed roles in Brooks' world, and for kids this is very easy to understand.

But it's the writing of Walter Brooks that has made this series as memorable as it is today. He continually peppers his books with songs and rhymes that not only pan out correctly but are rather clever in their own right. Consider the following:

"Habitually we offend
Against our country's laws.
It works out better in the end
Than being good, because -

No home has a superior
Or cheerier interior
Than this old jail
The which we hail
With constant loud applause".

Nicely done, eh? Better still are the 1930s turns of phrase and common references long since lost to the annals of time. In one section the children reading this book are urged to sing "Aunt Laurie" as fast as they possibly can. If a single child in this country knows both words and tune, I'll be amazed. In another instance a chapter title is simply, "Jinx is indicted", which I thought was great. And opposite the title page is a picture of Freddy falling down a flight of stairs backwards (as occurs later in the book) with the caption, "- but at that moment Freddy came to grief". Obviously the publisher of this book found that turn of phrase just as charming as I did. Well done there, Puffin Books. Paired with these words are German illustrator Kurt Wiese's original pen and inks. Known almost entirely for illustrating books with Asian themes (he won a Newbery for his illustrations in "Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze", for example), Wiese eschews his normal style in favor of this most American of tales. His animals are both deeply familiar and oh-so-slightly human. There is not a picture in this book that jars with the action or distracts from the words. The pairing of Wiese with Brooks can only be described as heavenly.

I was a little afraid when I picked up this book (and took a gander at its copyright date) that we'd have to deal with a fair amount of sexism and racism in this book. To my somewhat naïve shock, no such prejudice pops up. In fact, Brooks could even be credited with breaking down a few barriers here and there. Female characters do just as much good as male ones in Freddy's world. Freddy comes to realize early in the game that while there is no end to his cleverness, he's rather lacking in the common sense department. By partnering with the down-to-earth cow Mrs. Wiggins, however, the two are able to combine their equal strengths and solve any number of crimes.

I haven't even mentioned the clever things Brooks has to say about our legal system or the state of law enforcement itself. You'll just have to discover them on your own as you read through what can certainly be called a true children's classic for the ages. A marvelous and deserves-to-be-remembered tale.

I must Say I agree with the popular opinion about this series. That it was one of the best ideas put down on paper. I don't think that this is the end of the series at all. Down to the sea left of at a point that was screaming of a follow up book. As for me I am eagerly awaiting another installment into this wonderfull series. The idea itself is unique I think when it was first concieved. I remember reading about it in his first book at that time there was nothing else like it out there. I am seeing a lot more books that are starting to branch out into the same field. "1632" mainly that is looking to be another really great series that I think readers that liked this series would like that one.

Let me tell you this is one of the, if not the best series, I've ever read. It's fast paced, hard hitting, accurate account of a take no prisoners, no holds bared, battle for survial just blew me away. The advances through the stages of both technilogical and tatical warfare of 75 or more year squeezed into less than 15 years is consice and beleivable. I'm somewhat of a war buff and this series is like a dream come true. On top of that he left the door wide open to continue the series without missing a beat. The Uplift Wars, The Foundation series, or even the Armour series lacks its simplisity and strength. I may not have the greatest grammer in the world, but I know what I like and this series I loved.

I loved the concept and initial books of this series. It was great story telling. Couldn't wait for the next one. However, as time went on and the series was nearing the end, the character development got weaker, the story telling became abbreviated.

I feel 'ripped off' with Men of War. I just had a sense that the author just wanted to finish the series quickly. Hawthorne gets religion and you really don't know why. Keane gets banished and you don't read another word about him until the end when he comes back. Not a single new interesting character. So on, so on, so on. This doesn't hold a candle to Rally Cry or Fateful Lightening. Slam, bang and give me my check!

I gave it 3 stars only because of the earlier work, some words about characters that I liked and the concept has been interesting. Very Disappointing.

This is absolutely the best alternate history series that I have ever read- you not only end up caring about the characters, but you want become part of the action. When they say that this series "reads like a bullet" they are not exagerating. Any author that can get me to zip through five or six hundred pages in two or three days is doing something right.

There are scenes that you remember for years- compared with many books these days that you can't remember after a few months.... The idea of Union Soldiers transplanted to an alien world and taking an oath to carry on Mr. Lincoln's war until an entire enslaved planet is free still chokes me up. There are scenes like a brigade strength force forced to form a giant square on an open plain and fighting to the last man (while singing the Battle Hymm of the Republic) that you don't forget. Or a Republic airship sweeping down to rescue Hans and his Zulu and Chin comrades from worse than certain death....powerful images. As for the villians,well, the "Moon Feast" is my definition for evil.

Oh yes, it is also comforting to think that the real life 35th Maine and 44th New York didn't simply dround like rats, but went on to unite Russians, Romans, Chinese, Vikings, Zulus, etc. under the flag of the Republic....

My only real criticism is that if you have any experience in industry and engineering then the speed at which the Yankees manage to industrialise a pre-industrial society (and go into mass production) will drive you nuts!

By the way, this isn't the final book of the series. _Down to the Sea_ brings the Battle of Midway to Keane and the Republic. With any luck Forstchen will bring us even more....

I have read the entire saga for the second time from book one to book eight. For little more than a week I left Earth and went to Forstchen's world to live his characters' agonies and triumphs, to worry about the Republic, the Rus, the Roum, the Chin, even the Cartha and, yes, the Tugars, with Muzta leading them as best as he could. But, most of all, I went back to see the Yankees once more transforming a planet like stranded messengers of the best that the human race has to offer. "Men of War" is the end of this saga and I was elated and sad. the Republic wins, but it's not a smashing victory: this one, like all the other ones, will be obtained paying for it with thousands of lives, making terrible mistakes, letting friends die to win hours that may prove to be crucial. Forstchen, a master story-teller, weaves his tapestry from different angles to achieve a rational conclusion, but one that leaves several doors open, including that of more sequels.

Jurak, the troubled, almost noble leader of the Bantag, is back, bringing with him all the revulsion at a segment of his race gone barbarian, and feeling, apparently, all the guilt that a mamber of the hordes needs to feel at what has been done for thousands of years in that world. Keane is back, too. Not in top form (and one doubts he will ever be in top form again, given the ghosts he had to face in order to lead once more), but even at 80% Keane is better than most. A nice touch is the mention --almost literal-- of a poem by Keats, in page 11, that goes "I know that I shall meet my fate/ somewhere among the clouds above;/ those I fight I do not hate/ those I guard I do not love..." (The poem is "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death"), but in this case it is Jurak who remembers such a poem from his own homeworld.

A dear character will be lost at the beginning of the book, another at the end. "Men of War" has an air of closure that, although not total, seems to invite a continuation in the less immediate future. The problems with the names will continue, as well. This does not bother me very much, but I think it requires more attention. Father Casmar becomes Casmir, and Marcus Licinius Graca is mentioned now as Crassus, which does not make much sense. I have already mentioned the Jamul/Jurak problem. These are details, but they might distract readers from the better parts of the books.

"The Lost Regiment" comes to an end. Or does it? I'm not clairvoyant. I have inside information, so, cheer up: we will see more of the Republic yet. "Men of War" is the end of a story, not the end of "the" story. Happy reading.