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Stanley Lombardo has done it again!

His Odyssey is as fast-paced, lucid, poetic and punchy as his Iliad, but this time with a human feel, a warmth that the story calls for.

He brings real thoughts and real emotions to the characters...the like I've never seen! (I must have compared around 10 different translations).

...Lombardo has said that the "Iliad" is like the Sun blazing at its peak in mid-summer, whereas the "Odyssey" is like a setting Sun as fall sneaks in...

The best modern translation available! Get it with his amazing Iliad!

Cheers!

The Odyssey is mandatory reading for my freshman English classes and it has been quite difficult to teach. This literary work can be a very dry read for those who do not enjoy poetry reading (most freshmen). For this reason, I began a search for a translation that would make it easier for my students to understand. I read the previous reviews before buying it and I must say, I am glad that I did. Lombardo does an excellent job of making the translation understandable without dumbing down the text. My students this year have enjoyed this story much more than previous classes because of this. If you are looking to gain better understanding for yourself or to teach this text to others, this is the translation to get!

Stanley Lombardo's translation has brought back the original "feel" of the ancient Greek epic. Classical and Koine Greek are both what you call "earthy" languages, a tone lost with many established and contemporary translations. Lombardo restores the drama and the linguistic edge that the epic poem possessed in its original tongue. The Lombardo translation is quickly becoming standard among university professors and students of classical literature.

Lombardo's translation of the Odyssey, as well as his Iliad and Aeneid, receive much-deserved kudos as the most readable translations available. He writes with poetic and colloquial English that makes it easy for the lay person to understand.

Unfortunately, many of these same lay readers bash Lombardo's translations because they assume the personable nature of the writing makes it inaccurate. People expect a classic to have a certain formal diction to it, in the vein of Shakespeare and the King James Bible. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The King James Bible, despite having the most formal prose, is certainly not the most accurate translation of the Bible. Similarly, verbose translations of Homer do not mean it is more true to the text. Lombardo's version of the Odyssey preserves the immediacy and hard hitting nature of Homer's original Greek poetry. You will notice in other reviews that readers disapprove based on what they imagine Homer should sound like. Trust me, they haven't read the original texts. Classical scholars, some of whom I personally work with, have given universally excellent reviews to Lombardo's translations. This translation proves you can have your cake and eat it too. It is highly recommended.

One reviewer here took umbrance at some of the language used by the translator. One point he made was the use of the word "chow". Another was about the language used by a Goddess. He asked if Homer would really have used such vernacularisms. I say: YES! Of course he would have. He wasn't trying to live up to some modern readers' clueless perceptions of "high art". He was trying to tell a good story, like any good storyteller. And like any good storyteller, he would have used techniques that enabled his audience to identify with his characters. In this instance, sailors will be sailors regardless of the times. Also, the gods of the ancient greeks did a lot of things that wouldn't have been done by God as we commonly percieve him. Now, take Shakespear for example. He wrote for the Everyman of his times. It is only much later that elitists turned him into an acquired taste. I think ostentatious readers need to understand that 200 years from now critics, looking back on our literature, will probably have long forgotten the pseudo-intellectual whinings of the Kurt Vonneguts and consider as classicists solid storytellers like Dean Koontz. The problem here lies in the fact that there is absolutely no way to translate literally from the greek and retain the original impact. I would strongly recommend reading Lattimore's translation as well if one wants a more literal interpretation, but remember that something will be lost that way. Lombardo has translated more than just the words, he has translated Homer's intentions, and that is the important thing.

Old Mother West Wind was a gift for grandmother, who read her children stories from this series when we were young. Happy stories and illustrations for young elementary children. Good entertainment, useful for K-3 school. Loved it!

These stories were first told to his own children by Thornton Burgess. Then they were read to me by my mother over 60 years ago. They were long out of print when my own children were of the right age but they are back for my grandchildren. They are highly recommended.

This book was a gift to my 6 year-old grandson. He loves it; both the stories and the pictures. This is a book my mother read to me when I was little boy. My favorite character was Bobby Coon.

Thornton Burgess was a naturalist and the stories of animals in Old Mother West Wind are wonderful. The characters attitudes and behaviors are true to the animal portrayed. A wonderful way to get acquainted with nature. Perfect book for an adult to read to a younger child.

A book of short stories about animals who talk, _Old Mother West Wind_ is enjoyable for a child of about five years to about eight as a read aloud (or older, if your child isn't terribly worldly.) These short tales often attempt to explain "how", as in how the skunk got his stripe, and have, in addition to the animals, characters such as Mother Nature and the Merry Little Breezes.

Many of these stories attempt to teach a moral, though often it is not obvious due to the author's skill. These are old stories and they reflect the values of the time they were written in. My ADHD eleven year old read the book himself and enjoyed it and is looking forward to the sequel.

Here are the stories included:

1) Mrs. Redwing's Speckled Egg - Mrs. Redwing has just laid a beautiful new egg and the Merry Little Breezes must help keep it safe from Tommy Brown.

2) How Reddy Fox Was Surprised - When Johnny Chuck wanders too far from home, Reddy Fox decides to play a trick on him. But the joke's on Reddy Fox.

3) Why Grandfather Frog Has No Tail - Grandfather Frog tells the Merry Little Breezes why Mother Nature took away all frogs' tails.

4) Why Jimmy Skunk Wears Stripes - When Mrs. Ruffed Grouse's eggs are destroyed by "a pair of eyes," the whole forest seeks the culprit. When Jimmy Skunk is found out, his days of night camouflage are over. (This was my son's favorite.)

5) The Willful Little Breeze - When one of the Merry Little Breezes stays in the Green Meadow after Old Mother West Wind has gone home behind the Purple Hills, he foils Hooty the Owl and Reddy Fox's plans to eat Mr. Bob White and his family.

6) Reddy Fox Goes Fishing - While Reddy Fox sleeps, he dreams he can fish as well as Billy Mink, but Reddy Fox just ends up all wet.

7) Jimmy Skunk Looks for Beetles - As Jimmy Skunk looks for beetles, he doesn't make any friends, but is rather selfish and destructive. However, the adventure really starts when Peter Rabbit decides to help.

8) Billy Mink's Swimming Party - Billy Mink invites Jerry Muskrat and Little Joe Otter to a swimming party at the Smiling Pool.

9) Peter Rabbit Plays a Joke - When Peter Rabbit tries to play a joke on Johnny Chuck and Reddy Fox, the joke back-fires.

10) How Sammy Jay Was Found Out - When Happy Jack's store of nuts disappears, Old Mother West Wind forms a committee of the whole to solve the mystery.

11) Jerry Muskrat's Party - When Jerry Muskrat throws a swim party, many of his guests aren't having any fun. Then, Little Joe Otter comes up with an idea that saves the party.

12) Johnny Chuck Finds the Best Thing in the World - When Striped Chipmunk hears Old Mother West Wind tell the Slender Fir Tree that she's found the Best Thing in the World, everyone starts to search for it--and everyone imagines it as something different.

13) Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox Play Tricks - When Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox trap Johnny Chuck inside his home, Jimmy Skunk helps Johnny Chuck surprise the two of them.

14) The Tale of Tommy Trout, Who Didn't Mind - Though Tommy Trout's mother tried to warn him of the dangers outside of their little pool, Tommy Trout didn't listen.

15) Little Joe Otter's Slippery Slide - When Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink, and Jerry Muskrat build a mud slide on the bank of the Smiling Pool, Peter Rabbit's curiosity gets the best of him.

16) Spotty the Turtle Wins a Race - When Peter Rabbit, Reddy Fox, and Billy Mink decide to race to see who's fastest, Peter Rabbit teases Spotty the Turtle that he should join. Spotty the Turtle does, and uses his mind to win the race.

This book took me back to my trip to Greece many years ago.
Now I want to go back. The food there is just THE best.

I'm now at the age at which I feel that if I'd known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself. Purchasing this book, and others like it, is one of the steps I'm taking to do just that.

So far the book is a great success. I've only made two of the recipes, but each has been easy and very good. I've got a list of about six more dishes that I'll cook in the next couple of weeks, which puts "The Olive and the Caper" head and shoulders above the other Mediterranean cookbooks I've recently bought.

Aside from the recipes, the book is great fun to read, chock-full of information about Greece and its culture of food.

No regrets here. Can't wait for the weekend so I can crack it open again.

I can hardly put this beautiful book down!! It is soooo interesting, and full of history -- reading it takes me back to my wonderful visit to Greece. The recipes are fabulous and very authentic...I was very surprised. Fast service and an incredible buy. Thanks ever so much for selling it to me. Sky

I checked this book out at the library and it had everything I love in a cookbook - lots of food and periodic history, interesting anecdotes, pretty pictures and tasty recipes. Love it!

I loved this book. It is a great read with lots of things most people who are not Greek would not know.

This is a true page-turner! Anyone who has ever had a dating tale to tell should curl up on the couch with a cookie and read all day! It's a funny and insightful excerpt of her life's journey, to which most people can relate. The title is appropriate, as the book is an accurate view of being a single woman enjoying the ways of the social world. Funny! Fun! Comforting!

I purchased the book as something different to read. Was I ever surprised! While some of the dating anecdotes are reminiscent of my younger years, others were ones that I wish I could have experienced! I just couldn't put the book down, whether it was accompanied with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine! Recommend to everyone and anticipate the next one!
LKG

This book was recommended to me and I am so glad I listened!!! It was so funny that I caught myself laughing out loud!!!! The author paints such a good picture for you of all her dating adventures that you feel like you are experiencing them with her!!! Definitely a "MUST READ"!!!!!!!!

This book was also highly recommended and am I glad...I truly felt like I was on a trip with an old friend ! M. Hill does a superb job of relating her life story with all the luscious detail we all crave. Those of us who had been through the similar highs and lows of the wild and wacky world of dating will find it particularly funny, poignant and dead-on ! I also grew up in the same area as the author and found reading about her adventures in our old haunts an additional treat. I also really appreciated M.'s message that choosing to being on your own (rather than coupling up with the wrong person just to avoid being alone)is really the better choice. This author's easy, inviting, hilarious style will have you wanting more. I was sorry it had to end ! Thanks, M.
- Beth in NJ

This is a book for any woman over the age of 40 who has loved and lost either by her own volition or by the whim of someone else. I appreciated M. Hill's bravery in taking us women...and we know who we are...on the roller coaster ride through her journey searching for Mr. Right. When I closed the book, I felt as if we had been on my porch having the most wonderful exchange of stories because she helped me remember my own journey. It will take you there too....all the laughter, the tears, first kisses, first heartbreak....curl up...turn back the hands of your life and enjoy.

L. Moore

Though the Financials OCP exam is being retired, the Financials package itself remains unchanged. This book is still the best introduction to how to use Oracle Financials.

The exam this book relates to retires in about 2 weeks from now and Oracle Corporation has not given an indication of what will succeed this exam.

How relevant is the book if I can't use it for the specified exams?

This is the most thorough book on Financials I've seen. A must-have, whether you're going for the OCP certification or not.

Most complete treatment of Financials I've seen. Excellent book.

Top notch all the way around. Got me through all five exams. That OCP logo looks mighty good on my resume!

Cat Hulbert is not only a great poker player, she is also a great writer. Her timeless book is not so much about how to play poker, though important technical issues do get their fair share of ink, rather it concerns itself more with how to be a winning poker player. Cat's shrewd and witty lessons apply to many areas of life in and out of card playing, including business and leadership, because she covers topics like image, self confidence, and thinking things through without wallowing in emotions.

I'm an experienced and successful amateur poker player, as well as an avid reader. I normally read very quickly but I chewed slowly on this fascinating smorgasbord of poker wisdom until I had thoroughly digested each appetizing morsel and lingered over the savory aftertaste.

This is one entertaining and valuable book I would definitely add to my short list of "if you were marooned on a desert island forever" favorites!

Eric Random, Founder
Random Factory
Independent Critical Thinking
RandomVisits@yahoo.com

Too bad there aren't more stars to give then "just" 5, because this book deserves every single one of them. I was captured from the first page, couldn't stop reading it, so now I'm about to re-read it. It's hard to count things that are great about this book, because there are so many of them but I might as well give it a try. First of all, Cat seems like an incredible woman with amazing life story and the best thing is that she presents it in a really wise and funny way. Each chapter made me wish she was a good friend of mine. In this book you'll find pretty much everything concerning poker and being a girl playing "boys game" - making yourself feel beautiful about yourself, having confidence when entering a cardroom, protecting your winnings (paying attention if anyone is following you) and a lot more. Anyway, I am thrilled with this book and can honestly recommend it, even guaranteeing you will love it!

I am a student of Cat's and this book has captured not only her knowledge when it comes to poker but also her great sense of humor. This isn't a book to teach you how to play but one that will help you with some winning methods that the boys have no clue about. An easy read because of the smaller sections and infusion of tips and humor!

As a poker player for over 30 years, I know many of the tips Cat gives us in her book, but I had to learn them the hard way. She spells them out in an entertaining, easy to read manner. The only good thing is most people probably won't incorporate these valuable nuggets into their play; most will forget all the good advice when they get into the heat of battle, at least I hope so.

I purchased this book a couple of weeks ago and all I can say is "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Cat Hulbert". I have learned some very valuable tips from you, some I would have had to learn the hard way and some I've already learned the hard way, too. Thank you for sharing your experiences and giving away some of your tips! I've been playing poker for about 18 months and your book came to me at the right time. This book is a refreshing change from the standard poker strategy books on the market. I've applied some of the suggestions and they've already helped me in poker and in life.

I first saw Cat Hulbert on a Travel Channel special about Las Vegas, poker, and gambling. The show featured her Poker 4 Girls classes and Cat offered some valuable tips about how women approach gambling. I've been a fan ever since and I gleaned some self-awareness about my own poker playing behavior from that episode that helped me change my game play. I highly recommend this book for any woman that wants to improve her poker playing skills.

Patrick Demarchelier is one of the best artist of this age; his Photographs are pieces of history. Into this book you'll find his masterpieces: emotions in B&W!

A must own book for people that love b&w photography. Patrick is excellent at getting the perfect angle for the image. The way the natural light and shadows enhance the objects is great. The true persons are drawn by the way the pictures are taken.

My 12 year old saw this book on one of the display tables, picked it up... for the cover (naked lady) and glanced through it. He then later came running up to me saying... Please buy this book. The pictures are excellent. Well now, my son is interested in photography as a hobby.

This depicts some of what we know and expect of Mr. Demarchelier. His ability to capture so much in a photograph, in a look, is what makes him so incredible as an artist. If you are a fan of his work, this work should be part of your collection.

This is one of the best books of portraits that it has been my pleasure to view.

Before going further, let me observe that the book contains much female nudity that would earn an "R" rating if this were a motion picture.

Glenn O'Brien in the book's introduction captures the essence of the book well, "The beauty standard is being raised once again."

Whether the subjects are beautiful (and many are) or not, the result is the same -- a deep look into the personality and character of the model done in large, vivid detail in wonderfully contrasting duotone. One of the best tests for this book is to compare the celebrity images you see here with others you have seen of these same people. These images are more warm, more revealing, and more fun to see. Mr. Demarchelier has a light touch that gets out the happiest version of a person. You'll find yourself laughing and smiling your way through this collection, for sure.

The portraits displayed here are uniformly of very high quality, and provide nice contrasts of subjects (nose rings, boulders, children, and elephants among the beautiful people).

Here are some of my many favorites:

Nude, St. Barthelemy, 1994

Nude, St. Barthelemy, 1989

Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales, London, 1993

Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and their daughter, Los Angeles, 1994

Versailles gardens, Versailles, France, 1994

Gianni Versace, Paris, 1992

Nude, New York, 1995

Corbassiere, Paris, 1994

Helena Christensen, New York, 1992 (second image)

Cindy Crawford, Leh, India, 1989

Jasper Johns and Leo Castelli, New York, 1993

Roy Lichtenstein, New York, 1993

Naomi Campbell, New York, 1990

Isabella Rosselini, New York, 1994

Robin Williams (4), New York, 1990

Robert De Niro, New York, 1990

Sisters, St. Barthelemy, 1991

Christy Turlington, New York, 1990

Alice Dodd, New York, 1994

Natasha Kinski, New York, 1993

Warren Beatty from "Dick Tracy," Los Angeles, 1989

Elton John, Paris, 1992

Janet Jackson, Miami, Florida, 1993

Arthur Demarchelier, New York, 1991

Patrick and Mia Demarchelier and their three sons, New York, 1987

Meg Ryan, New York, 1994

Claudia Schiffer, St. Barthelemy, 1991

Paul Newman, Beacon, New York, 1994

Elle Macpherson, New York, 1990

Cindy Crawford, New York, 1990

After you look closely at these images, notice how lines and flaws provide balance and perspective in the same way that perfect figures provide proportion. How can you create more waves of enjoyable symmetry?

Drink deeply from the bubbling joy of humanity!

It is always difficult and challenging to pick up what is regarded as a classic and read through it in a naive manner, not as a specialist but as an amateur who just wants to learn. There are always surprises.
In contrast to the looser Herodotus, his near contemporary, Thucydides sought to record an "objective truth" of the great war between Athens and Sparta, in the 5C BC. He consulted multiple sources and carefully judged what to include and what not to include, ito establish an idea of what really happened. While some of the forms, such as elaborately made-up speeches as a study in rhetoric, differ from what we would do today, he set a new standard for accuracy. THe result is a work of genius, the first serious attempt at writing history rather than merely storytelling.

Reading this is not always fun. There are long sections that are lists of occurences, with references to individuals who appear and disappear without followup. But there are also penetrating analyses of remarkable characters, such as Perikles, Alcibiades, and other great generals, who became reference points to the present day. Thucydides also broached the subject of political science as history - how institutions actually functioned - in new ways, with demonstrations of how the unleashing of passions led to their corruption or distortion. Finally, there are chilling sections with timeless insight in human conduct in war, with the full horror of the breakdown of all order and law.

THis translation is also sufficintely readable, far better than the turbid one I first read in college. THucydides is quite eloquent in this version.

Recommended as one of the great classics of Western literature. It is a work of genius so great that it is still relevant and vivid.

I used this book for an introductory History class. It is a great supplement to the study of the Greek periods. It has a nice glossory in the back for unusual terms, as well as helpful maps. Some of the text is a bit dry, but the reading is not very difficult.

The history of the Peloponnesian is a brilliant account of a classic war that began as a preemptive attack on Athens by Sparta to prevent the domination of the Greeks by the Athenians. The war began in the year 427 BC and ended 27 years later with the defeat of Athens by Sparta. This history however is only up to the 21st year of the war. Although there are several translations of the work I selected the translation by Thomas Hobbes the 17th century philosopher. It is the first done in the English language. Thucydides was a soldier on the Athenian side which in a sense puts a lie to the common notion that it is the winners of war who write history. The war was finally won by Sparta, powerful on land, and an oligarchy with a communal outlook on life defeating Athens with the strongest navy in the world, and a democracy with an individualistic outlook on life. Ironically it is Sparta's eventual mastery of the sea that defeated the Athenians. Whether or not this bodes ill for America remains to be seen. History is not over.

Thucydides relates not only the battles of the war in some detail describing tactics and the individuals involved, but also the strategy and the politics. There is intrigue, treason, broken alliances, and hubris. The winners of a battle rarely show mercy and treason is dealt with harshly with often entire towns put to the sword or enslaved. Among the combatants there is respect for the strong and contempt for the weak. Truces are often held to bury the dead because the dead are respected by all.

Unlike Homer's Illiad written about one thousand years earlier Thucydides does not mention the gods as having a say in the outcome of the war. While religion is a factor it is not a determining factor in the conduct and outcome of the war. One could argue that Thucydides is a secular account of history whereas Homer is a more religious account.

Thucydides should be mandatory reading and study for all white males between the ages of 16 and 18 of above average IQ. The History will prepares them for war and instill in them the desire and willingness to defeat the enemy. It teaches contempt for the enemy which is a valuable attitude in war. Pericles funeral oration to the Athenians is the most inspiring and most moving speech ever given. The resemblance of this speech to the Gettysburg address is obvious and leads one to conclude that if Pericles could inspire Abraham Lincoln in his thinking then Thucydides' History did so likewise and influenced the strategy and the eventual outcome of the Civil War including the period of reconstruction. The contrast between the Spartan outlook on life and that of the Athenians to the adversaries in all subsequent wars up to the present war on terror is striking indeed. There are lessons still to be learned from the Peloponnesian War and woe to those that fail to learn these lessons.

The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.). Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen. He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records. This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times. President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history. I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

No book has kept me up at night or occupied my thoughts in the past decade more than Thucydides. The story told here is stunningly and disturbingly relevant for any American. Sparta vs Athens seems an allegory for the conflict between traditional America, of our first hundred years or so, and modern, progressive America from about 1900 onward. Its no allegory of course, and the realization that history repeats itself gives the work an importance that no book can match.

I recall in college taking one of those Intellectual History survey courses required of incoming freshman. We were all assigned to read Perikles funeral oration as an example of how like our society Athens was and of course, how noble that likeness made the two societies. We weren't, of course, assigned the entire book, just the oration out of context. When I finally got around to reading Thucydides years later, I thought back to that course and wanted my tuition money back!

Read the original text. Political writers and propagandists of all stripes make reference to Thucydides to give weight to their views. Don't trust their interpretations. Read for yourself and decide. Skip the commentaries and translations and go right to page one of the text.

In living with someone with a disability, the hardship is obvious. The reverse side of this life, as the author describes from his own experience, is the beauty of God's face, His love for us, and how the ability to show compassion and love grow as we care for disabled individuals. Mr. de Vinck's beautiful book will renew one's faith, or light it for the first time.

This book is so perfect for anyone, but especially someone who has a disabled person in their life. It is touching and beautiful...you'll want to read it again and again, and you'll definately want a copy to give to others! I wish everyone would read it and maybe change the way we think about certain things!

The Power of the Powerless is a beautiful testimony to the power of love. It includes true stories of four individuals whom society would consider to be disabled and shows how they brought growth and joy to their families and others. The book is a reminder that we ought not judge the worth of others by how much they can do, but rather by how much they can cause us to grow. We are the ones who benefit from the power of the powerless.

This is one of those books that can cause a dramatic change in perspective for some people; you will never view a mentally and physically challenged person in the same way again. It confirms the wisdom that God has a purpose for us all, and is written with great tenderness and intelligence by Mr. DeVinck.

My daughter is Special Needs and this book is so heart warming. It is always a pleasure to read that other people see the love and joy that I find in my daughter's eyes in others. If you are just looking to open your eyes to the Special Needs community this is a great start. Happy Reading!!

This is a great intro book for pre-foreclosures. I knew next to NOTHING about the foreclosure and pre-foreclosure process, now I believe I have a good grasp. I am only 20 years old and am already an investor in stocks and was looking for other investments. After reading this book you will know if you want to get into the pre-foreclosure business. The only thing I think is "wrong" about this book is that is does not give you everything you need to know...well it doesn't even give you a fraction. Read this book first if your interested in pre-foreclosures, it is a very easy read that makes common sense. Also the author obviously knows what he is talking about. The thing that you will find out when you read this book is that you will need many more books and much more information before you get started with your first pre-foreclosure deal. For example making sure you know the laws in your state about foreclosures and everything that goes with them would be a taxing job that would take allot of effort and even in some situations a lawyer's advice (you know how much they cost). So read this book for an INTRO but don't think that after your finished reading it, you will be able to jump out into your real estate market and make big bucks!

This book provides a very general overview of the foreclosure process, but it provides very little specific information that you would actually need. This book might be a good resource to the novice (like myself), but it does not get you all the way there. Try checking out a real estate investors blog.

This material is good basic information for anyone wanting to get started in buying potential foreclosure properties. Begins by explaining basic terms and processes - eg. mortgage foreclosures lead to Sheriff's Sales, while Deeds of Trust lead to "Trustee's Sales" and lack a redemption period (owners can buy back their property during this period, leaving you with nothing to show for your effort, though you do get your money back).

On average, foreclosure buyers have 90 days + 20 days publication time to work a deal with the homeowners. Buying from onwers prior to foreclosure also eliminates the redemption period. FHA and VA loans are much more likely to be assumable.

Buying at auction means having to contend with competitors, an inability to inspect the property prior to bidding, and all sales being final. After foreclosure one is less likely to get a good price, it is harder to inspect the property (utilities probably turned off).

Finding foreclosure properties is eased by looking in public records for "Lis Pendens" (judicial process) or the "Notice of Default" (non-judicial process); there is also the later Foreclosure Auction notice. Other sources include looking in the newspaper of record and/or the County Recorder database. Still other sources include divorce proceedings (likely problems with the lawyers involved), probate filings, FSBO listings, Internet sites (eg. foreclosure(s).com, street signs, Internet ads.

Author also recommends a full title search ($100-$350), and contracts written "Subject to" eg. inspections.

Excellent book, writer F. Orlando give's Great insight to
the whole foreclosure process and the way to approach
this business investment. Book written in Easy to read
style, with good legal issues to consider in this business.
Great Read!

i wanted to learn about investing in foreclosures so i purchased this book. it's full of resources and solid advice. it's obvious that the writer has much experience in this field. the writing is easy to read and humorous at times. highly recommended.