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The funds for cultural revolution rest in the coffers of a bankrupt society. That's not to say that change is meaningless. Raoul Vaneigem believes - along with the rest of the troupe from THE SITUATIONIST INTERNATIONAL - that if change comes from within the very culture being critiqued, then the only way to effect change is to change the way culture affects.

UNDERNEATH THE PAVING STONES - THE BEACH!

Urban renewel and changing the economic goal posts cannot prevent the inevitable exploding of the plastic society. Sometime. When the world becomes its own refuse the voices of refusal will echo down time until it pins the world against its own refusal.

If madness is the only remedy against the insanity of our contracting world, then THE REVOLUTION OF EVERYDAY LIFE might be a good guide. Its truth will speak to anyone whose heart is passionate, whose soul is strong, and whose mind is as yet still taciturn; it will help them express the homily:

I TAKE MY DESIRES FOR REALITY BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE REALITY OF MY DESIRES.

I concur wholeheartedly that this is momentous writing:
one that is even now more critical and urgent than 40 years ago, when it was first published.

Each page offers words-thoughts that ricochet long after their initial bang! Here's a sample:

+ to work for delight and authenticity is barely distinguishable from preparing for a general insurrection.

+ the surest chances of liberation lie in what is most familiar. Was it ever otherwise?...
the living reality of non-adaptation to the world is always crouched ready to spring...
it confronts you at each self-evasion, it grasps your shoulder, catches your eye, and the dialogue begins...

+ docility is no longer ensured by priestly magic, it results from a mass of minor hypnoses...
ideological hypnosis is replacing the bayonet.

+ people who talk about revolution without referring explicitly to everyday life,
without understanding what is subversive about love and what is positive in the refusal of constrains,
--such have a corpse in their mouth.

+ if the word 'innovation' means anything it means transcendence, not camouflage.

+ consume, consume: we take ashes for fire.

+ the young are already old and everything we are building is already a ruin.

+ the obligation to produce alienates the passion for creation.

+ affluent survival entails the pauperisation of life.

+ the dictatorship of quantified exchange (market value) colonized everyday life... the bourgeoisie traded in BEING for HAVING.

+ the fight is unfair. words serve power better than they do men...
at this moment language swoops down on living experience, ties it hand and foot, robs it of its substance, ABSTRACTS it.

+ the system of commercial exchange has come to govern all of people's everyday relations with themselves and with their fellows.
every aspect of public and private life is dominated by the quantitative.

+ ideology still has one trick up its sleeve--that of posing false questions,
raising false dilemmas and leaving the conditioned individual with the worry of sorting out which is the truer of the two.

+ even when it is co-opted and turned against its original purposes, poetry always gets what it wants in the end...
no poetic sign is ever completely turned by ideology.

+ the long revolution means that we have to build a parallel society
which can counter the dominant system until such time as it is strong enough to replace it.

+ the fight for language is the fight for the freedom to love, for the reversal of perspective.
the battle is between metaphysical facts and the reality of facts:
i mean between facts conceived statically as part of a system of interpretation of the world
and the facts understood in their development by the praxis which transform them.

And on and on the explosive phrases go, injecting heavy doses of adrenaline into our resolve.

Even though I take exception to Vaneigem's advocacy of violent resistance,
his book comes the closest to diagnosing the cause of our present narcosis and, even better,
grounds the revolutionary turning on the rich dirt of everyday life.

How could we ever think it would be otherwise?

This book, along with Debord's "Society of the Spectacle", forms the core of the theoretical output of the Situationist Movement which emphasized the necessity of spontaneous, joyous creative activity to overcome the alienation and oppression of mass consumer culture, giving inspiration to the youthful insurrectionists of Paris '68.

The book is peppered with witty, canny, and memorable aphorisms on revolutionary struggle, and its emphasis on spontaneous activity motivated by felt needs for freedom and self-expression was at the time an important corrective to the Stalinist model of the revolutionary as selfless, altruistic drone. Vaneigem and the situationists go overboard at times in emphasizing the revolutionary value of selfishness, pleasure and spontaneity-- the shortcomings of 1968 are the proof. These shortcomings have been stretched to the point of parody in Hakim Bey's "Temporary Autonomous Zone" and the writings of the Crimethinc collective, but there are important elements of truth in them.

The presentation of the ideas is hobbled by Vaneigem's writing style-- you have to slog through 5 pages of bloated abstractions before coming across one of the keen one-liners that make the book worthwhile-- I think the ideas come across much more powerfully as street graffiti than in a 200 page manifesto. For a more palatable presentation of situationist ideas, check out American situationist Ken Knabb's wonderful piece "The Joy Of Revolution", available online or in his book Public Secrets: Collected Skirmishes of Ken Knabb.

No Amazon review can really do this masterpiece justice. This is simply one of those classics that will sweep you away, leaving you stunned that someone was able to so precisely articulate the mechanical alienation from self and palpable inner decay that you feel daily as you sit in your cubicle (wash, rinse, repeat) and mimic the farcical motions assigned to humans in modern industrial civilization--a hierarchical vaccum in which "survival" is contingent upon our economic value, obedience to Power and our ability to force others to either consume or produce. The dominance of the lie of economic value has poisoned every area of our lives and left us defunct as human beings, most notably stealing from us the innate urge to spontaneously create and give.

Vaneigem attacks the dead, vacuous nature of modern life with all of the venomous intensity conceivable. He does not misuse or mince words. Each sentence is filled to the brim with harsh truth, the sheer brute force of which will take your breath away.

[...].
I recommend at least printing it out to fully revel and enjoy the intensity, though!

This is one of the most viscerally exciting political / philosophical books in history. You can't help but be swept up by the force of Vaneigem's appeals... and though one may not assent to all of his positions or specific interpretations, all in all you will have to say that he had managed to tap into something very true.

read it, ponder it... and get out and live. you have nothing to lose but your boredom.

a little difficult to use but once you get used to it it has a wealth of info. a must have.

I have had this book for the last 10 years, and I find it indispensable for diagnosis and treatment. My daughter has diabetes, and has improved greatly when she has followed Dr. Christopher's diet and herbal formulae. You will not be disappointed.

One caveat is that the index can be a little confusing. Sometimes browsing is the best way to glean information.

I have had this book for years and it has a lot of information in it that is useful for people needing healing and wanting health. It is not organized in a way that I would like it to be (I'd like it to be organized by herbs and by health problems - it is organized by types of herbs), but it has useful info in it.

Top notch information.
Yes, it could stand better indexing, but ,worth the while.

Head and shoulders above the rest. Time wouldn't allow how highly I prize this book. Gives definitions of therapeutic terms(which is a life saver for a person new to herbs and herbal medicine) also gives information on combining herbs for best results. The 25th edition would be the only one I would by as it is updated for measurements, as well as having complete formulations for every one of Christophers' remedies. As someone new to Herbs, I was able to pick up information useable to me right away and apply it.The book includes excellent cross references for Latin and common names for herbs, as well as copious names used for each herb in case your vernacular calls the plant by a different name (also includes international names). Contains Recipes for a mucusless diet, three day cleansing program and lots of real case scenarios.
BEWARE!!! This book can get addictive! You will start looking up remedies for everyone around you and spouting solutions to ailments of those you talk with!

Before moving overseas, I practically lived outdoors with my two young children. We had easy access to nature parks and there were plenty of places to connect with nature on a regular basis. Now we live in a rural farming village and I homeschool. (So we are in the house the majority of the day.) Recently, my 2 1/2 year old screamed and was absolutely terrified of an ant that crawled on him. What a wake-up call! Walking down the country lane is NOT really a nature experience, for he appears to be afraid of insects. (I grew up with a continual collection, much to my parents' dismay. "You're a GIRL, for heaven's sake"...) My oldest two children LOVE to explore wildflowers, insects, and anything they find... so long as I deem it safe. I think this is because when they were younger we took the time to immerse ourselves in nature. I regret not doing this for my youngest, but have decided it is time to get out and get in touch with mother earth once again... this time for good. I grew up loving nature just because I spent most of my spare time IN nature exploring and observing the woods all on my own, or reading natural history books from the library. No one taught me, encouraged me, or took the time to do activities with me. Wow, that would have been a treat. Encourage kids who love nature and inspire others to get involved! Buy this book! Get outdoors! Wish others by this author were back in print.

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This book is fabulous. My friend and I had our combined 4 kids up in a cabin for a week and I brought this book for activities we could do. I knew I didn't need to pack any "supplies" because of the wonderfully simple nature of the activities. I was amazed that in doing "meet a tree" where each child is blindfolded, is led to a tree, explores that tree, and then tries to find it again with the blindfold off, that the kids were overwhelmingly successful at locating their special tree amongst many others, touching and exploring each tree thoughtfully along the way.
Another favorite was the un-nature trail in which you hide man made objects along a trail to see how many the kids can locate. Even the kids who only found 1 out of 15 items(yes it's true) were thrilled to go back over the trail with me as I pointed out the glasses, the wooden spoon etc.
I would prepare more carefully for the "blind trail" than I did - setting out rules and perimeters before hand. I had two blindfolded, crying children who had accidentally been walked into a tree or led off of a fallen log by their inexperienced partner.
This book is one of my all time favorites despite any mishaps. I can't think of a better book to help you get children excited about being outside with the birds and the trees.

This is one of the best books that I ever bought when I was at college. The best part of this book is that it is simple and easy to use as a teaching tool. You can pull out one activity from this book and use it as a fun nature activity for children which is also educational.It gives children the chance to rediscocer the joy of playing in nature and it also encourges them to respect nature. It is truly amazing. It can be easily adapted to the climate that you are in. This book is truly a masterpiece.

This book is filled wth great ideas on giving children memorable experiences in Nature. I myself am a nature docent and I know from experience that if you try to lecture to children out in nature you just have a lot of kids not listening. If you give them an experience you will give them something that they will always refer back to for the rest of their life. I highly recommend the methods used in this book.

This book is THE original tool for connecting kids with nature.

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, you will find that this simple, small but comprehensive book will be the dog-eared book on the shelf or the coffee table...or the one that gets loaned out to friends the most. In every place I have taught environmental ed, I have seen activities from this book being used. In fact, so many enviro ed books have borrowed and adapted activities from this book that they have become classics.

The best part of this book is that it is a comprehensive teaching tool called "Flow Learning" that works like a cookbook. What I mean by this is that you can pull out just one 'recipe' for an activity, or combine several into the educational equivalent of a full four-course meal. Cornell's book is more than just a nature book, it is a system of four stages called 'Flow Learning', which very simply and effectively models how to facilitate connecting children (yes- even inner city children) with nature.

If you don't find this book extremely invaluable, I would probably offer to buy it back from you. After all, I can't seem to get back that last copy I loaned out...

I just went to Princes of Wales Island, Thorne Bay, Alaska from Dallas, Texas. I became really intersted in bears after seeing black bears on various rivers that I was fly fishing for salmon on around the area of Thorne Bay. I found this book in a book store in Bellingham, Washington on my return back to Texas. Wonderful pictures and the stories are mind boggling. I enjoyed this book so much and learned a great deal more about bears. I know in the future, I will be more "cautious" when in bear country. I have heard several of those same rumors about bears. I would highly recommed this book to anyone. Absolutely fascinating. The photography is outstanding. The author is "gutsy".

This book is another fine example of John Pezzenti's work. The pasion he has for bears and all wildlife comes through in every picture. While I and many others will buy this book for the pictures, which alone is worth the price, reading the text brought a new level of understanding and appreciation for both the bears and John.
While not all of the book is about Alaska, I highly recomend this book to all Alaskans, as well as people who not as fortunate to live here.

In the 90's when I lived in Alaska I pursued that lands great mammals with my camera. Along the way I met John Pezzenti. Not only is he an author who captures the mystery and thrill of wildlife adventure photography through a unique voice, he is one of the best nature and wildlife photographers in the world. This stunning book adds another notch onto his Nikon. It helped me be there again, but this time sitting with a cup of tea instead of the rain, bugs, miserable weather, and other hardships that John lives with daily. Buy this book! You'll love it too!

If you are interested in bears,then this is the book for you.Amazing photographs,and accounts by the author,who has spent over 30yrs working and living with these wonderful creatures.A fantastic book,thank you Mr Pezzenti for sharing your experiences with us less fortunate people.

John Pezzenti once again is shareing his world with us in his latest book, Shooting Bears: This beautifully bound album of magnificient photographs truly show cases John`s mastery of the lens and his knowledge of his subjects. The stories John shares with us in Shooting Bears:, both with his pen, and with his camera, are a pricless treasure that will leave you in awe of these wonderful wild animals and in wonder at this artists extreme talent. John takes you along in his travels and shows you

in his photographs just why he goes there. This wonderful display is a must-have for all who enjoy wildlife and bears in particular, and for those who appreciate being right out there with them. Thanks for the wonderful trip John, God Bless.

This is a very readable, engaging, and concise look at the U.S. Civil war by Fletcher Pratt (1897-1956). This book first arrived in 1935, but don't worry about its antiquity. This is an excellent account of that tragic conflict, and you should enjoy it whether you are a Civil War buff or one with only a casual interest. Pratt concentrates heavily on the major battles and events, and tells the story of this bloody conflict in concise and readable detail. As one who has read superb in-depth accounts of specific campaigns or occurences by James McPherson and Bruce Catton, I'd recommend these two excellent authors for indepth reading. For a solid, concise, general history, Pratt has the ticket.

Where I thought the book was really outstanding was in the occasional observations about the big picture that the author threw in occasionally. For example, this is the first book where I have read that the North's oft cited advantage in men and machines at the start of the war was not as great as most claim. Also interesting was the observation that it was the battle at Chickamauga that was more important than Gettysburg. Agree or disagree, I really liked these observations when they happened.

What disappointed me was that the battles were dealt with in such a cursory way that they were hard to follow. Probably a necessity when dealing with the entire war in 480 pages. But Gettysburg, for example, took only about 15 pages. It was hard to get a sense of the drama and the personalities involved. Little was mentioned of Stuart's disappearance and late arrival to the battle or of Chamberlains desperate defense and repulse. Also, there were few dates given in the book. If you are already knowledgeable about the Civil War, this may not matter, but if not, it could be a problem... especially since the author sometimes follows one campaign to it's conclusion then backtracks in time to pick up the thread of another campaign.

This book's value, to me, came in those moments where the author put aside simply recounting events and offered up some insights into the bigger picture. I'd recommend this book most to people who know a bit about the war already but want to get some new insights.

I have the new edition of this book, I bought it soon as I saw it sitting on a store shelf, despite already having 5 or 6 copies of the old pocketbook sized editions. I love this book. If you are going to read only one history of the civil war, make it this one. If you are going to spend the rest of your life reading histories of the civil war, start with this one.

It would take thousands of words to express the reasons I love this book. But somehow that wouldn't be appropriate. What I will say is this:

Bruce Canton could spend two pages discribing a muddy campaign, and you will come away knowing it was muddy and what a loggistical problem that was. Shelby Foote could spend a chapter on a muddy campaingn and you will come away knowing it was muddy and how much the troops complaigned about it and maybe a funny incident or two. Fletcher Pratt could spend a paragraph or two on that campaign, and when done you'll notice your leg's hurt. Why? Because you didn't want to get mud on your couch.

What can I say about this book? Well, how about in a lifetime of reading many books on the Civil War, both good and great, this one stands head and shoulders above them all. While more ink than the blood that was spilled has been used by many others to explain this terrible war, Pratt managed to capture the essence of the conflict in a short, brilliant book.
Pratt was a military historian of the first rank, but was also known for clever and exciting high fantasy stories. Perhaps it was this versatility that honed his storytelling ability to the sharp edge that we see here. While not missing a single important detail of politics, causes, battles, and personalities, he weaves an engrossing tale from start to finish, and creates a solidly researched history that is also a page-turner. This book is a joy to the student of the Civil War, but also appeals to those with no particular interest in that conflict, solely on the merit of Pratt's tight storytelling.
This book was written in 1935, and much new material on the Civil War has surfaced since then. Others, such as Shelby Foote, Bruce Catton and James McPherson have written much longer and more comprehensive works on the war that are excellent in their own right. Yet this little book still shines out as a gem among them. With its solid scholarship, sharp storytelling, and precise choice of details, it is the first rate Cliff Notes to the Civil War.

Theo Logos

I first read this book when I was about nine years old, having fished it out of my parents' bookcase to while away some idle hours. Eventually, I wore out its fragile binding and was left with a heap of pages until one day, on a visit to Washington DC, I was delighted to find a fresh copy in a second-hand bookstore. To this day, if I crave entertainment and inspiration, I take this book down from the shelf and open it at random. Whatever chapter - paragraph! - I choose is bound to shine.

Just how accurate or balanced Pratt's account of the Civil War is, I do not know. I have not read any other books about it. But he has made Grant, Lee, Lincoln, Stanton, Davis, McLellan, Hooker, Sherman, Sheridan, Bragg, Jackson, Stuart and dozens of others come alive for me.

Aged nine, I did not understand all the long words by any means. (What on earth was the "Dithyramb of Shiva", and what was an "Experiment in Tauromachy"?) But I loved them, and almost always figured out the meaning by the context.

In a way, Pratt made it possible for me to study history at university many years later. He inoculated me against the idea that history has to be boring, because I had such a stunning counter-example at the back of my mind. There are very few books of fiction that I have read that come anywhere near being so entertaining.

Anyone who hasn't read this book really ought to, if they have the slightest interest in military matters and delight in fine writing. Just one tip: if you can get hold of a hardback, it will last longer. The paperback gets fragile after a few readings, and the pages are apt to fall out unless you hold it very carefully.

I couldn't wait to get this book and I just love it. The illustrations are clear and easy to follow. Everything is step by step so it's hard to make a mistake. It also gives a wonderful overview of the different types to ribbon to use and fabrics that work best.
I highly recommend this book for the beginner like myself and as an excellent reference book for the experienced.

Tina

This is a wonderful book with a lot of stitches and clear instructions
it has a few projects but over all this might be the only book I need and
can come up with my own projects. This book is a beauty. Was very excited to get it and was not disappointed. Enjoy this wonderful book and let
your imagination soar.
Barb of colorado

This is one of the best books ever for Ribbon Embroidery! I keep it on my coffee table so it's handy! Very detailed and simple explanations.

I have never done any silk ribbon embroidery and this book is a great place to start. There are great pictures, easy directions and a sturdy user friendly back. Definitely a good purchase.

Anyone who works with ribbons has to have this book.
I love mine.
Everything you need to know...
clear instructions on every page.

Hard to believe this book would ever go out of print, or that the author apparently wrote nothing else. I got this book when it first came out, and periodically reread it -- and I'm not even a cat person. A wonderful book, beautifully written, about life, love, loss and renewal. Get a copy, this one is a jewel that shouldn't be missed.

Lyrical, poignant, tender, this is a book clearly written by a cat lover. A slim memoir of her time as an veterinary research assistant in the oncology department of NYC's Animal Medical Center, the author is above all hopeful, despite the inevitable early demise that awaits most of her patients. She knows that while the doctors may not be able to cure the cancers of their feline patients, they can certainly improve the quality of life, allowing the cats to live out their lives as happily as medically possible. Highly recommended.

...this time I felt the need. Of all the books I read after my sweet black cat, Flash!, died a year and a half ago, this one meant the most. Ever since my sweet boy passed away at the ripe old age of 11 (old for a cat with FIV, I was told), I searched for a book like this one...someone who feels as I do, and Samantha Mooney captures this. My heart aches when I think of Christmas without him...spring without him...he was alive just a little while ago...where did he go? What happened to him? Ms. Mooney seems to be the only writer that shares these thoughts with me, and so this book helped me tremendously. If you're mourning a loss as deep as ours, please don't hesitate...treat yourself to this book.

No exaggeration here, this book is quite possibly the best book I've ever read - and I've read a LOT of books. I probably average 100-150 books per year and this book stands out like a shining beacon of what a book should be.

Without melodrama or saccharine-laced manipulations, the author manages to successfully illustrate the pain, no, the agony, of watching a beloved animal slip away. She shows the behind the scenes anguish and dedication of those who care for and strive to better the lives of our furry children. Nowhere have I seen animal-human relationships portrayed with such tenderness, sincerety and respect without a trace of the maudlin.

Ms. Mooney does not proselytize nor does she moralize, yet somehow she manages to bring forth a sense of the divine and everlasting bond possible with a special animal. She gives the sense also that however difficult, life does go on and that somehow, it must.

One other important note about this book - With her words, her attitude, and her wisdom, Ms. Mooney does a better job than could 12 trained counselors at helping to appease any guilt a companion person may have at any decisions made out of love for an animal.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever loved an animal or even anyone who has simply had a friendship with one. This book speaks to a level rarely seen or addressed in a simple paperback book.

In law school, in a cinder block dormitory, Samantha Mooney's cats were a surrogate animal family for me, but such a tragic family, since death came sooner for them than for most of our pets. This was one of the very few books I carried home with me and I have never let it go in all the intervening years. If we must acknowledge that we are destined to outlive most of our pets, again and again we need a book to remind us to cherish their lives but not tether them to hopeless life when they are ready to let go. Many animals have shared their lives with me in the years since I graduated. This is the book I turn to when that sad day comes around for each of my animals in turn.

Rarely are sequels as entertaining or as well written as their predecessors. In this case, Christy Barritt not only manages to match the appeal found in Hazardous Duty, but has actually exceeded the fun.

This time Gabby St. Claire, crime-scene cleaner finds herself scrubbing up another mystifying scene when she literally stumbles upon a dead Elvis impersonator. The laughs never stop coming. Yet, we feel for Gabby's struggles as she sorts out her personal life and begins the road to a spiritual journey and self discovery.

And what of her would-be competitor, Chad Davis? As annoying as he is handsome, could they possibly team up without conflict? Even he comes under suspicion as Gabby pieces together the myriad of clues leading to a double murder. Adding the threats against her own life.

In characteristic lovable humor, Christy Barritt has woven a delightful tale that can be enjoyed by any age and gender.

Are you tired of thinking about rising gas prices, the falling stock market, and the static real estate trend? Moments after you begin to read Suspicious Minds you will find yourself transported to another place - a hilarious one. I read this book while my husband was asleep in another room and literally had to clamp a hand over my mouth to drown the laughter.
The tongue-in-cheek Elvis quips are too funny. Gabby St. Clair becomes even more lovable in this book. I can't wait for the third.

Gabby St. Clair cleans up crime scenes for a living. Not a job most of us would want, but someone has to do it, and she needs the money. When a client calls about a potential mold remedial job, she takes it on too. She has to wiggle through a crawl space draped with cobwebs and dirt, dodges snakes and spiders, and finds plenty of mold. She also finds something she never expected: Elvis, fancy pantsuit and all, and guess what--he really is dead. Except he turns out to be a guy named Darnell Evans, an Elvis impersonator, whom several people might want dead. Gabby sets out to find the killer, and gets herself into a heap of trouble. Another humorous suspense from Christy Barritt, featuring her klutzy, wise-cracking amateur sleuth, Gabby St. Clair.

In Suspicious Minds crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Clair is back, larger than life and up to her cleaning eyeballs in another murder. Not only do we get to see the quirky yet lovable Gabby again, but the cast of oddball neighbors hold starring roles in the book as well. Add a new love interest in the form of surfer dude, Chad Davis and you've got a zany mystery that no one could resist.

I certainly couldn't. I zipped through the fun murder mystery in a night and sat forlornly waiting for another. What? Murder fun? If you think murder can't be a hoot, Barritt proves you wrong when Gabby branches out from crime scene cleaning to crawl space mold remediation. But the moldiest thing she discovers in the disgusting spider infested space is the body of Elvis. Yes, Elvis. A tribute artist, that is.


Gabby, the wannabe forensic investigator and soon to be one if she finishes college, can't help but investigate the murder. And if that isn't enough to keep her busy, one Chad Davis surfer and retired morgue attendant turned crime scene cleaner gives Gabby a run for her cleaning business.


Suspicious Minds is the second book in The Squeaky Clean Mystery series from Christy Barritt. Barritt has penned a terrific second novel that combines a strong mystery, boat loads of humor, and romance. Gabby is a loveable, witty, and caring character. But Barritt doesn't leave us merely with a fun read, she brings non-Christian (Gabby is gonna get me for this) closer to faith and along the way shows believers how they might be misconstrued by seekers. And there's a more serious thread about loneliness running through the book as well.


Please run, don't walk to your nearest book store and pick up Suspicious Minds and if you haven't read Hazardous Duty, the first in the series, snatch up one of those as well. You'll race right through them and like me, sit in longing for the third book.

A kooky red head, a dead Elvis, a live Elvis, a surfer, an animal rights advocate, too many good looking men, danger, confusion, blood, guts and murder...
This book has it all!
Gabby St. Claire, a crime scene cleaner, finds more than a mess in a moldy crawl space. There's a dead Elvis in there. She meets a variety of oddballs during her unauthorized investigation of the crime and someone desperately wants her to mind her own business!

Christy Barritt addresses some very serious topics in a book that is easy to read, fun, and deep at the same time.

After reading this book, I felt so excited. I'm glad that this book is out there to challenge Christians to join the exciting adventure with God, experience God's power in our daily life. I read this book 6 months ago and found me life getting more and more exciting as I continuously give my life to the Lord and trust Him. We Christians should be the most alive group of people on earth. Life in Jesus is true life which the world would not understand nor able to experience. The power from our Lord which is in us now would conquer all the enemies in our life, but you need to believe, truly believe to be able to used by God. This book helps me to see the spiritual world which is more real than the seen world around me and realize I have high calling from God.

This is one of three books (The Final Quest Series) which contain propheties about the times we live in and times to come. Personally, I found these books amazing. I also realize that there are many negative comments about this prophecy and prophecies in general. There is only one thing that really needs to be kept in mind, the Word of God.

John 16:12-14 (New International Version)
12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

The books are easy to read like a science fiction novel. They moved me to tears many times and revealed many truths. Of cause they are not to be treated like scripture, but Rick Joyner says that himself at the beginning of each book.

I read these two books about 2 years ago;I was blessed by them both. I realize you must be ready and stable enough in the word of God to catch the revelation. I since then have given away my two books but was pleased to find out that they were still available. I am looking forward to reading The Torch and the sword. May God continue to write the vision and make it plain because those that have a ear will take heed. Mr.Joyner may God continue to bless you.

Rick Joyner is always good to read.
His book has no redundancy; his logical flow is so natural.
He is surely a master of a biblical knowledge and history, and its experience and practice alike. Especially his emphasis on "humility" at the end of the book is so overwhelming and engaging and even awesome.
It is full of so many vivid imageries and powerful insights. I should say, "Strongly Recommended Book to Everybody, Especially to the End-Timers!"

This is the third in a series of books by Rick Joyner in which he had a series of visions where he was allowed to see The Church of Jesus Christ as God really see's it. Not as we see with smiles and fascades.
We see the Saints of God (the people who have asked Jesus personally into their lives) in an actual real live battle and we see Armies, Angels and Demons.
We see the body of Christ deeply divided and many struggling in fear, unbelief, unforgiveness, bitterness, sexual and many other sins and the saddest part of it is they don't even realise what is happening. They think this is their 'lot in life' and put up with it.
Then the Lord starts to restore His Church.
But not without severe opposition from both inside the Church and the World.
In the visions Rick himself makes many foolish mistakes which leave him open to attack and little by little he and we hopefully learn how to walk with God as He wants us to in love and faith.
If you liked 'The Pilgrim's Progress' by John Bunyan (which was also given as a vision in a dream and has blessed millions world wide.) then you should like this too.
I recomend you read the other two books first being in order; 'The Final Quest' and 'The Call'.
All three books are excellently written too and with wondefull descriptions of Heaven and of our lovely Lord Jesus.
These would be great books for a new Christian as they could jerk the slack out of his life and help him press deeper into the Lord.
May God really bless you.

I, like another reviewer, read this about 8 years ago when in a college Civil War course. I never sold mine back because I knew I would want to read it again. I also immediately bought copies for my mom and a friend that is a descendant of Caribbean slaves. I can't believe this book isn't more widely known; in fact, it saddens me because Solomon Northup's story is so riveting and deserves recognition.

I was glued to the story from about the third chapter to the end. It was almost like a thriller or mystery because you want to know what happens! Much of it was heartbreaking, though. I had tears streaming down my face when he describes Patsey's predicament. The unending hope and love from his family really touched me, too.

I think this account is even better than Uncle Tom's Cabin for 2 reasons. First, the plot is not as disjointed. Second, and most importantly, everything in the account is true. What's even more amazing is that the author, despite being stolen from his family and forced into servitude, remains somewhat objective about his ordeal. He is a natural storyteller. You can tell Northup was extremely intelligant and observant. His prose is beautiful and easy to read despite being written in the 1850's.

Anyone with even a remote interest in American slavery or Antebellum/Civil War history should read this book.

I had to read this book for school and was very suprised because the story takes place in and around my hometown. I had always saw the "Northup Trail" signs but never knew what they were about until I read this book. I grew up in Avoyelles Parish so this story really hit home. It is an awesome but tragic story everyone should read.

While browsing thru the Boston Public Library in 1970 I accidentally came across this book. I have read it at least ten times over the years, have kept in touch with the editor, Sue Eakin, an expert on the South and cultural matters of this kind. This book is an inspiration to everyone. You will be amazed at the tenacity and sheer courage of Northup as he makes his way thru 12 long years on the plantation, and remember that he did not KNOW it would be 12 years. Every Jan 3 or 4th I wake up and think to myself, this is the day Solomon was set free! This book is clearly a treasure that is relatively unknown. You will not read this book only once-----

This book presents its readers with a first-hand account of not only the cruelties of United States slavery itself, but more importantly it touches upon the ways in which other areas of social life were negatively influenced by the institution. Solomon Northup was a black man who was born a free black man in New York in 1808. In 1841, Northup was kidnapped in Boston and take to the south to be sold as a slave. He spent the next 12 years as a slave, and this book was written after he was rescued in 1853.

Many people have associated this book with "Uncle Tom's Cabin" ever since the former was published. While the story line is not exactly the same, there are a lot of similarities. Most notably, both books have evil Northerners and benevolent Southerners, a feature that I think is too often overlooked. This adds credibility to Northup's account, insofar as he does not simply condemn all Southerners. Other themes, such as the break-up of slave families, the harsh treatment of slaves (especially female slaves who had the misfortune of handsomeness), and camaraderie between slaves also reflect those written about in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

In the past the credibility of Northup's work had been in question, especially since a newspaper worker helped him write his account. However, in light of the vast number of particular details the Northup provides and the extent to which those details match up with other records, historians generally view this work as an authentic and truthful account of a free man sold into slavery. This is an incredible read, and the fact that it is a real account makes it even more fascinating. This book should be required reading for high school or college American history classes that cover the Civil War era.

A compelling and wrenchingly honest first-hand account of slavery, many
times breaking my heart and making me think of the children of Africa
today. A new book, "The Last Witness From a Dirt Road" which takes
place in 1946, was given to me after commenting about Solomon Northup's
narrative, and it could almost be a sequel to Twelve Years a Slave,
written a 100 years later by the son of an overseer on a plantation
along the banks of Bayou Bouef in the same location in Louisiana. Old
social and economic orders seemed little changed from 1841 to 1946,
tragic, heart rendering but both books are riveting and honest, are
timely and universal.