Domain Books

I have thought about Alice Adams a lot these two weeks after reading it, and the thought brings a smile to my face.
First published in 1920, Alice Adams is a fresh, timeless story because we can see ourselves in it. The characters are what people call "good people," ordinary people who are characterized by pride, greed, deception and revenge. Half way through the book the reader can see what is coming, but Booth Tarkington had a knack for a happy ending, or at least one that leaves the reader satisfied (just as we learned in The Magnificent Ambersons that George was made of the right stuff after all). Booth Tarkington liked people. That shows in his books. He understood human nature, but he liked people.
Some demographics might help you evaluate my view of Alice Adams. I am a man who has been a small-town attorney for forty-two years, and I like people.

This Pulitzer Prize winning novel from 1922 is the sort of thing I would normally hate. I put down The Age of Innocence for some of the things contained in this novel: high society and classism, pretensions of upward mobility in society, and being with the "right" people. Yet I ended up enjoying this novel. Why? Well, because of Alice Adams. Not the book, the title character. Alice used to be her era's version of the "It" Girl in her community. Beautiful, from a good family, and style perfect. But with her father's lack of rise in income comparable to those of her friends and peers Alice's star has fallen. She is desperate to get it back but is also loyal to her family. Her desperation mixed with the understanding of her father's situation makes her an immensely likeable character even as she is attempting to be part of a crowd which I detest as a reader. This is a comic novel, though I would not go so far as to say it is "Laugh Out Loud Funny". Alice goes through a period of growth and her desperate maturity is charming. That's the word of Alice Adams: Charming. Considering that I find many novels of this era to be a bit dreary, Alice Adams is a charming novel and far more enjoyable than I had anticipated.

-Joe Sherry

The story is very boring. A middle class family has high aspirations for obtaining upper class status and this `class consciousness' controls everything they think and do. Despite their foolishness, one can't help but feel sorry for each character (with the exception of the mother) who continually finds failure and disappointment. The characters are not developed to the point that I usually enjoy, and there are quite a large number of characters. An interesting thing about the characters is, none of them are `good.' Probably the closest thing to a good character is Virgil's Boss, Mr. Lamb. But even he is a business monger, ultimately concerned with his own business. This reflection on man is insightful. In real life, are there any people without flaws? Major flaws? Even the Bible presents the heroes of the faith as people with big problems (King Solomon was a womanizer, David was a murderer, Peter was a coward, etc.). In general, people are selfish. Our motives are selfish, and our own desires drive everything we do. However, often fiction reflects one or two main characters who are flawless. In an attempt to make characters likable- reality is bypassed. This doesn't happen here in Alice Adams.

I believe this book is about expectations. The Adams' family lives in the false hope of a brighter future, all the while neglecting the life they are currently living. I feel that this is the same discontenting experience that Westerners face. Maybe this is even a reflection of the way the author wrote the book- seemingly slow, but with flashes of brilliant foreshadowing which gives hope to the reader that something more grand is on the horizon.

The story is interesting because of the absolute stupidity of this family, and the fact that it probably is a very real experience for many. The story, though slow, is written very well, and was very easy for me to read (a plus for me, I am a bit slow). It is also interesting because even though the story takes place in America- it seems a different culture. This different culture was interesting. I think the difference came in that the story is supposed to have taken place in the South (a foreign country as far as I am concerned), and it probably took place in the very early part of the 20th century. One aspect of Tarkington's writing that I appreciated was the way he foreshadowed things. Maybe I appreciated the subtle foreshadowing hints because of the drudgery of the story, but whatever the reason- I think he did an excellent job.

One of the great novels about failed ambition in an attempt to rise above the ordinary. Alice Adams is a dreamer who wants the things her struggling middle-class existence can't provide her, especially college and high-ranking prospects in the romance department. When the wealthy Arthur Russell comes within her sights, she fabricates a web of lies to impress him; but when he attends a family dinner at Alice's home he learns the truth about her real life and her posturing; the results are disastrous for Alice. To make matters even worse, her father is having his own humility issues involving a glue factory he owns and her brother has just stolen $300 from his employer to go gambling with. Alice loses Russell, but also her affectations, and the novel ends with her grimly entering Frincke's Business College.

This is Tarkington's best novel, and Alice is certainly his greatest fictional character. She is realistically drawn, and because she is so realistic we sympathize with her and feel every discomfort she experiences along with her. We wish we could get her to stop her pretending, but we know we can't, and sit by helplessly as she destroys all her dreams. We know her behavior is reprehensible and she gets what she deserves, but we can't help but feel sorry for her. It's an engaging novel, and can be read often without ever becoming dull.

The growing pangs experienced by the United States during the first couple decades of the twentieth century provided the literary fodder for a whole new school of American authors. William Dean Howells, Sherwood Anderson, Ernest Poole, Theodore Dreiser and Henry James all added their comments regarding the dissolution of traditional American values by the rise of industrialization, capital accumulation, and the strengthening of a caste system based on wealth rather than on family name. Booth Tarkington treated this subject in his The Magnificent Ambersons, but added an interesting twist: the scene of this novel was not set in the large industrial and financial cities of the East, but in a mid-sized Midwestern city as if to demonstrate the pervasiveness of this social and cultural revolution.

With this novel, Tarkington takes his demonstration one step further by writing about a middle class household in that same mid-sized Midwestern city. The Adams family, although comfortable enough, is excluded from the exclusivity shared by those families that are bound together by either name or wealth. Alice Adams is particularly chagrinned by this fact and atempts to imitate the actions and tastes of this exclusive group but can only act out daydreams in which she achieves the happiness and love that she desperately seeks. When she finally meets Arthur Russell, an elibible bachelor who belongs to that exlusive group, and futhermore, has a genuine affection for Alice, she can only fabricate lies in which she hopes to raise her own social station in his eyes. It is these pitiful, but humorous, attempts that give the novel much of its life and brilliance.

Tarkington does a fine job in developing his characters: the romantic yet incorrigible Alice; her scheming and henpecking mother, who although acting for what she sees as Alice's own betterment, brings the family to ruin; her henpecked father who falls prey to his own duplicity and fanciful ambitions; and her brother who has sense enough to see through the banality of what Alice is trying to do, only to fall victim to his own weaknesses. Although this novel won Takington his second Pulitzer Prize, it is not as well known as The Magnificent Ambersons; however, it is in every way the earlier novel's equal. His depiction of middle class society during the 1920's is judicious, balancing satire with the author's own sympathetic treatment of character. The major highlight of the novel is Tarkington's brilliant description of the dinner at which the Adams family attempts to impress Arthur Russell, a scene which makes the reader simultaneously squirm and laugh out loud.

Without giving away the ending, let it be said that the 1940s Hollywood film of the novel did Tarkington an injustice in that the filmmakers, intent on pleasing a movie audience, completely missed the point of the novel.

"A manufacturer is not through with his customer when a sale is
completed. He has then only started".

"Even as late as 1910 and 1911 the owner of an automobile was
regarded as essentially a rich man whose money ought to be taken away
from him. We met that situation squarely and at the very beginning. We
would not have our distribution blocked by stupid, greedy men."

You will read dozens of frases like this, reminding us that great ideias can become lost in time, that stupid people can if fact take control of our companies, media and what not, and we can slowly drift into oblivion.

An eye opener.

Anyone who has read "My Life and Work" will understand exactly what is wrong with our country today. There are three ways to create wealth--grow it, mine it, or make it--and activities like flipping houses or trading carbon credits do not qualify.

Ford developed what is now known as the Toyota production system, and readers will see a very explicit description of just in time manufacturing (and its benefits) in "My Life and Work."

Ford also summarized effective labor relations in one sentence: "It ought to be the employer's ambition, as leader, to pay better wages than any similar line of business, and it ought to be the workman's ambition to make this possible."

In reading the book I keep thinking what Henry was saying in 1922 could be said today. War profiteering, patriotism, interest rates, bureaucracy, education are all topics that sound so familiar in today's news. Henry had it right then in lots of ways and I think a lot of what he put forth it could be used in today's society.

I read about this book while doing some research into Lean management. Taiichi Ohno, "father" of the Toyota Production System noted that he learned many lean principles from Henry Ford. After finishing this book, I would recommend that EVERY CEO in this country be REQUIRED to read it. It is a wonderfully clear description of management and leadership principles that all companies should embrace. Mr. Ford is clear on the purpose of a company - to build products and provide services that meet the needs of its customers. If we do this, as he notes, the money will follow. We get it backwards so often these days - we think the purpose of a company is to make money or increase its share price.

As opposed to most business books where one idea is promoted and beaten to death, Mr. Ford's book is full of good ideas on all aspects of managing a business. It's a delightfully refreshing read!

This is a book every business executive should read at least twice.
The wisdom of one the greatest entrepreneurs and practical thinkers of our time is lasting.
Exellent book. Fords thinking is focused and joyful reading

Marvellous!

In a word, that's my feeling about Puck of Pook's Hill (Dover Value Editions). I'll get into the actual story in just a moment but I first wanted to make some general observations about this terrific work of fantasy.

Kipling harbored a kid's imagination for fantasy stories and a sociology professor's knowledge of history, especially concerning 19th Century England and its colonies. Kipling lived from 1865-1936 and, of course, he generated a plethora of superb period literature including The Jungle Books (Oxford World's Classics), The Man Who Would Be King (Dodo Press), and Kim. The thread so common to the bulk of Kipling's work seems to be ADVENTURE, a theme in which he excelled beyond most other authors, either then or now.

In "Puck" he achieved a level of historical imperative and nostalgic fantasy that was only ever paralleled by Lewis Carroll and J.R.R. Tolkien. This book is (for reasons unknown to me) a real sleeper -- you don't hear much about it either in academia or in bookstores, which is a tremendous shame given its refreshing effervescence and rainy-day appeal. I feel compelled to say that it would be infinitely helpful in digesting "Puck" if you're already somewhat tutored in the history of England and, if you're accustomed to reading the vernacular of other works of Kipling's era. I luckily have the 1987 Penguin softcover edition of this book (Goodwill Store, 50 cents) which is heavily footnoted and which also includes a lengthy, informative introduction to the book written by Sarah Wintle. There even a nice little "Map of the Weald" (Kipling's Sussex) which provides added perspective.

The ten "stories" from this book first appeared in "The Strand" in 1906 which were then illustrated by Claude A. Shepperson. Additionally, some of these entries were published in "Ladies Home Journal" and in "McClure's Magazine". The lion's share of the book is prose but most stories either begin or end with a poem such as "The Runes on Weyland's Sword," a title which reveals much of the flavour of the overall work.

THE STORY: On Midsummer Eve in a secluded meadow just below "Pook's Hill," a boy and his sister (Dan and Una, respectively) acted out their children's version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," coincidentally, inside a fairy ring (of mushrooms). Such an act on the part of these two kids was surely bound to give rise to something very magical (although they never anticipated this possibility) and, in fact, it did. Shortly after their little theater, Puck appeared to them!

Puck is enigmatic, for human adults at least. While he's referred to at one point as a "faun," he seems to be part Leprechaun, part fairy, and part sorcerer. He purposefully engages in shrewd indirect speech which he knows will give rise to endless questions from Dan and Una, thus allowing him to spin his yarns and to bring forth historic figures of The Weald, one after another, over a period of days. He's also capable of conjuring a little spell which has the net effect of eliminating his actuality from the minds of the children after each day's storytelling.

Puck brings on a Roman Centurion (who guarded England), a Norman Knight, a Renaissance artisan, Saxons, Picts, Norsemen (Vikings), a Chinese slave-master and many others, each of whom imparts his respective piece of England's history. There's even a dark adventure tale about a maritime journey along the African coast in search of gold where, of course, devilish monsters were encountered and a horrific battle ensued. Dan and Una are shrewdly drawn into each of these sojourns by Puck as if they had themselves been there.

In summary, if you have so far missed this most excellent proto-Hobbitish legend of ancient England and beyond, my personal opinion is that you cannot order this book fast enough. I give it my highest recommendation, especially for fans of either Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Signet Classics) or The Lord of the Rings. 3 Vol. Set.

Puck of Pook's Hill is Rudyard Kipling's attempt to convey British history in a unique way--as a kind of fantasy told to two small children. The children, Dan and Una, participate in a performance of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and then come across an elf (Puck) who claims to be from a nearby hill (Pook's Hill). Over a series of nine chapters characters appear from British history to relate stories of their experiences to the children. The children, of course are in awe and wonder at these tales. Each chapter also begins and ends with a song.

The first series of chapters deals with the adventures of Sir Richard Dalyngridge who came to England with William the Conquerer. In this story we also meet the heroic Saxon Hugh and De Aquilla the Norman warlord. Sir Richard and Hugh go on grand adventures involving being caputred by pirates and get a large quantity of gold. It is the stuff of Peter Pan and such fantasy adventures.

The second story returns to Roman times and here we meet Parnesius, a Roman centurion and other figures from that time. The story involves fighting between the Romans and a group called the "Winged Hats," as well as the internal intrigues within the Roman ranks.

While several other stories provide information on different aspects of British history, these two stories form the main part of the book.

It is hard to rate this book as it will have a strong appeal for some people--children interested in fantasy and history and adults with an interest in Great Britain. For others it may not be very interesting.

Most of this book is worth reading as fantasy fiction, and all of it is worth studying as an example of late Victorian attitudes. Kipling didn't handle the transitions between "fantasy" and "reality" as well as modern writers who specialize in this sort of thing, but he did pretty well. However ... every time I read this to enjoy the adventures of Dan and Una, I trip up on the character of the medieval Jew who has an inborn, racial "talent for gold." While I don't usually think books should be updated or abridged for modern readers, I would consider excising just a few sentences of this one before letting a child read it.

I recall the comments of a Chinese-American reader who discovered that the beloved Louisa May Alcott used some demeaning stereotypes of Chinese people: Suddenly, one is cast out of the category of "reader" into the category of "other," and one never quite comes back.

I will not recommend this book to people who are not familiar with English history. I found myself stopping in the middle to research the characters because you cannot truly appreciate the book otherwise. This took away from the book's appeal. Someone who doesn't have an idea of who the characters are and what role they played during the period will undoubtedly be completely lost, because you cannot really glean all this from the book alone. Otherwise the book was well written, as Kipling always is. It is, however not a book everyone would enjoy.

It seems to be fashionable, in this politically correct time, to find fault with Rudyard Kipling. But Kipling was a great writer with big ideas and a big heart. He wrote "Puck of Pook's Hill" and "Rewards and Fairies" to share his love of his mother country with young readers. These books are a great introduction to English history. I find it hard to imagine a reader not falling in love with the land and people of this great country after reading "Puck of Pook's Hill". The curious reader will seek out more information on what happened during their favorite characters' times, possibly leading to a lifelong love of history and the inclination to explore the world through reading.

When my daughter was 3, I started reading these Raggedy Ann stories to her from the original book I had as a child. She so loved them I added Raggedy Andy Stories (new) and Stories from the Deep Dark Woods (also my own) to her nightly reading list. Yes, the stories are sweet and moralistic, and the original drawings are beautiful and full of sentimental memories, but what constantly astounds me is the way she has transferred these stories into so many aspects of her daily imaginative play. Did you know that dolls & toys really DO talk and move when she is away? And when one is on the floor in the morning, it is because it just didn't quite make it back on her bed in time. Hours are spent getting them positioned in vignettes where they can be happy and productive while she is at school. Even now that she is older and reads the books on her own, that belief is as strongly rooted as Santa. Any book that can inspire that level and quality of imaginary play not only is NOT old fashioned and outdated, but more timely than many publication out there today. And although she still adores Fairy Tales and many other fantasy related stories, these books are not fantasy to her. No other stories we have read have drawn out that level of continued imaginative interaction.

I'd have to agree that the stories are charming from an adult perspective. However, as in many pieces of classic literature the representation of the African-American maid "Dinah" working for a extra white family is pretty bad. In this particular collection Dinah appears only once, but there is an illustration replete with head wrap, laundry wringer, and extra large lips. Dinah is also the only character who gets the colloquial speech.."Jess lemme hang Miss Raggedy on de line in de bright sunshine foh haff an hour..". Since she only appears in one story it is avoidable - but it's there. Buyer beware.

My daughters, 5 and 3, enjoy listening to this CD of Raggedy Ann Stories, mostly on nights where they are too wound up and need a little more than their usual bedtime routine. The narrator has a pleasant, soothing voice that sounds like she could be Marcella's grandmother. The sweet and simple stories share values and lessons learned by the adventures of Raggedy Ann and her other dollie friends. This CD has inspired my 5 year old to pick out the classic Raggedy Ann books for read alouds. When asked what was her favorite story off of the CD, my daughter said, "They're all cute, but I like the one where Raggedy Ann helps hatch the baby chicks". We have both the audio Tapes (Raggedy Ann & Andy Stories) and this unabridged CD, and I prefer the CD's narrator.

These are well produced/read versions of the classic stories. A bit "old" for my 2 year olds, as it didn't hold their intrest as well as some others we have purchased. (Hence the 4 starts) I'd say it's a 5 star for older kids who may be familiar with the stories already.

NOTE: the age of the stories and the "mind set" from the time they were written may offend some, they are not the "Politically Correct" stories of today; can been seen as slightly racist, as are many stories from that time.

...then do your family the favor of buying and reading this book. The language is beautiful (especially compared to the garbage I see in so many children's books) and classic, but not dated. Oh, and my six year old girl and three year old boy are both rivetted when I read from this wonderful book. I would recommend you add it to your permanent collection.

This is a hard cover collection of what were originally short stories written by Willian Hope Hodgson (killed in 1918). The central character is Carnacki, a kind of Sherlock Holmes of the supernatural. All the stories are entertaining, and some of the ideas are fascinating--many have inspired to a greater or lesser degree subsequent supernatural-type TV stories. Only problem is that this hard cover edition does not contain ALL the Carnacki stories: three published later, including the truly scary The Hog, are not here. These three are available in some paperback editions.

The setup with this story collection is that Carnacki is a ghost buster, and every so often he invites a bunch of mates around for a genial evening at his place, involving dinner and drinks and a smoke, while keeping them waiting for the good bit.

The good bit being a retelling of one of his recent exploits, and pretty good quality stories they are.

Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 1 The Thing Invisible - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 2 The Gateway of the Monster - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 3 The House Among the Laurels - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 4 The Whistling Room - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 5 The Searcher of the End House - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 6 The Horse of the Invisible - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 7 The Haunted Jarvee - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 8 The Find - William Hope Hodgson
Carnacki the Ghost Finder : 9 The Hog - William Hope Hodgson

A supernaturally wielded weapon means Carnacki has to resort to fairdinkum old fashioned plate and chain to survive this investigation.

4 out of 5


"Twice more was the dead cat...," as Carnacki waits in his defense pentacle for what comes, and finds a bet and a ring as part of it.

4 out of 5


Carnacki is actually forced to run away in this case, but discovers that it is really a Scooby Doo story, with nastier than cartoon miscreants.

3.5 out of 5


A noisy monster in a castle, as Carnacki investigates, has origins going back a rather long way.

3.5 out of 5


Carnacki, living with his mum sends her on her way when ghosts appear. Working out what is going on he decides moving is a good plan.

4 out of 5


Not good to be the first born girl in this family, it seems. A Scooby Doo hoaxer gets a bit of a shock in real ghostly fashion, as well.

3 out of 5


Weird electrical phenomena at sea suggest a psychic focus Carnacki tells his listeners.

3.5 out of 5


Rare book shenanigans.

3 out of 5


Carnacki tries out a new defense method in a case involving psychic attack by supernatural swine monsters.

4 out of 5

Wm. Hope Hodgson's Carnacki is thematically Holmes's occultly inclined first cousin, a cerebral, driven man who faces apalling supernatural danger (and some more mundane cases) with Edwardian super-science, self-admitted utter terror, and some truly dubious mediaeval manuscripts as guides.

The stories are great and often genuinely scary despite the somewhat trite language and cardboard characterisation. But Carnacki is refreshingly honest about his fears, making his efforts to deal with the 'ab-natural' often truly heroic.

This edition is well typeset in a large face that makes it very easy to read. Unfortunately, it is missing at least two of the Carnacki stories, 'The Haunted Jarvee' and 'The Hog'. These are admittedly two of the more fantastical of the the set but they are also, in my humble opinion, two of the best ('The Whistling Room' is the third of this troika of terror), so I was disappointed to make this discovery.

I am still looking for a complete collection of Carnacki.

So you like tales of the ghostly and supernatural, do you? Well, for the discerning and literate, true terror is much more potent than most contemporary "horror" on the discount shelves. You need to discover the collected stories of M.R. James (there's a really pricey edition out there, but there are also cheaper versions available) and Hodgson's Carnacki stories. I'll just echo the reviewer who thought "The Whistling Room" one of the best, if not the best, ghost stories of all time: One of the scariest reading moments I've ever had came at the climax of that story the first time I ever read it--and even now, years later, it can STILL produce actual physical shivers when read over again. (While I'm at it, if you like James and Hodgson, move on next to Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood. Blackwood's short stories have been collected in two relatively easy-to-find volumes.)

When I discovered this book I was immediately excited from memories of the extraordinary 'House on the Borderland' and the evocative but arduous challenge of 'The Nightland'. Hodgson is a true visionary with imagery that has a vividness unusual for his time (in my experience any way).

In this collection of short stories you will find occult stories that hinted at Charles Williams. But there are stories reminiscent of Conan Doyle too. The fact that both of these were mixed in the one volume was somewhat unsettling in that I never knew whether I was reading a detective story (and they are ingenious) or a true dip into the occult.

other recommendations:
'The House on the Borderland' - WH Hodgson
'The Nightland' - WH Hodgson
'The Place of the Lion' - Charles Williams
'The Devil's Pool' - George Sand

I have to concur with most of my fellow reviewers, this is a great read and not only for the adventure.

The detail of life and events in the early 1830s is remarkable. There have been other authors who have
described rendezvous as part of their story line, but Johnston goes to such detail that he makes a reader
feel that he is actually there. The word pictures are absolutely fantastic!

A few points of contention with the other reviewers: This book is not the first Titus Bass novel, and it fits very
well with the beginning story of Titus where he runs away from home, becomes a blacksmith and eventually gets to the mountains of the West. Then, he continues in his adventures following recovery from a scalping and matures in his trade, beaver trapping, in the second book.

Josiah Paddock does not run away in the usual sense, but rather flees his eastern home after killing a man who had challenged him to a duel. He is a man, although young, and his skills in certain areas, namely kickfighting and throwing a knife accurately will be very useful as the story unfolds.

The latter part of this book is one of constant wondering - one is tempted to read ahead to find out how it turns out.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves great western fiction, especially of the pre-Civil War time in our nation.


Until reading the reviews, however, I was unaware that there are actually 9 books in this series.

The dialogue used by the characters in this novel was difficult to read. I got 1/3 of the way through and had to stop. It was almost incomprehensible. I am sure it is historically accurate but when I constantly have to stop and translate, it takes the fun out of the story. I also felt that there were too many mentions of urination and defecation by the characters. It is not entertaining to constantly be told about the urinary and bowel habits of the characters.

Reading "Carry the Wind", as with any Terry C. Johnston book, takes the reader on an adventurous journey to a time and place in which men battle nature, the great predators of the wilderness, and each other. "Carry the Wind" is the first of a nine book series about mountain man Titus Bass. Bass, also known as "Scratch" in the books, comes upon young Josiah Paddock who has fled St. Louis and a charge of murder for the Rocky Mountains and the chance at becoming a mountain man. Bass soon mentors Paddock and the two set out for rendezvous and a wealth of other adventures.

Other reviewers have listed Johnston's writing as "long-winded" and I will agree that he goes into detail not only about his characters but also about the weapons they use, the geography of the land, and the history that they became a part of. For me, it was not tedious writing. Instead, I soon became aware of the significance all of the information presented and how it related to establishing a strong sense of time and place. I savor each of Johnston's books, but especially the nine-book Titus Bass series because I can easily imagine sitting next to a warm, crackling fire on a cold winter night and having old Scratch himself come in and recount the adventures he has been through.

Johnston's narrative moves quickly and the characters seem real. Titus Bass is a character of mythical proportion yet has his faults and his sensitivities as we all do. Johnston truly is the master story teller and you simply can't go wrong with "Carry the Wind", the book has it all-history, action, violence, geography, and a damn good story that will leave you wanting more.

I wish the author put some more emphasis on Josiah Paddock and the Flathead Indian girl he slept with. She would've made a good wife for him and it was obvious he was interested in her, not just a one night stand.

I have purchased the complete Plainsmen Series Books by Terry C Johnston. And I have never more enjoyed these Historical/Novels and I'm 70 years old. I can completely and wholeheartedly recommend the reading of Mr. Johnston.s Books, not only "Carry the Wind".
I'm truly sorry that he passed away in 2001 and that was the end of a wonderful author.
Richard Reupert, Snohomish WA

If you are a Ravenloft DM, this book will make your life MUCHeasier. Everything you'll need for quick reference in your game ishere and INDEXED (Yes, they finally made it easy to find what youneed!) I love this book and it's made my life much easier. Watch for the "Fear, Horror, Maddness check" sections - they've made them a bit separated for each class so that can muck you up a bit the first go-round, but it's TONS better than those 50 odd books from separate box sets. If you were considering buying all of those "accessories" forget it - this book covers nearly everything you could even need. Players do not really need any books for Ravenloft, and if your DM has this one you can borrow it for the rare times you may need it.

I collect Ravenloft stuff so I already had the first two boxed sets ("The Red Box & The Black Box") when I bought this book. DOD goes in to more detail on the various domains and offers a nice selection of player classes and races. The drawbaks that I have include the interior art and the repeating of some material from other sources. The interior art of earlier Ravenloft products is a bit more in tune with the Gothic setting than the art in DOD. I wish the would have included a nice map with the book. Overall, this is a great book for anyone looking to get into Ravenloft for the first time.

I have always been interested in the Ravenloft campaign settings, but never much felt like buying each individual module just to have a good view of the Core. I picked up this book a couple of days ago and have not put it down since. This is a must buy for any D&D people who want to run a Ravenloft game, or even just for DM's who need ideas to add a touch of horror to their own games.

Though this book does restate a lot of what has already been set down in many boxed sets and modules, it is an invaluable guide, at the very least for condensation's sake. I'm a compendium person, myself, so I appreciate the value of an "all-in-one" source for the Demiplane of Dread. With an even half-experienced, half-talented DM, this, and some office supplies is all you need to run a long-lasting, fully enjoyable campaign. I strongly recommend purchasing one, along with some mechanical pencils, and a case of Jolt Cola. (Having had recent experience, this is the second best solution to a long evening of thunderstorms, power outages, and insomnia.)

Domains of Dread takes TSR's popular gothic horror Ravenloft setting and gives it a new soul: an evil one, naturally. Imagine a city whose sewers materialized from another dimension, a heart-eating mummy who retains her beauty, or a lithe and limber Frankenstein's monster as lord over his own land, and you'll start to get an idea of the new and improved Ravenloft.

This expanded version of Ravenloft contains a much wider geography of the Demiplane of Dread, and for the first time includes the option for playing characters who are Ravenloft natives. Included is a chronology that sets all previous Ravenloft publications, whether novels, adventures, or accessories, into context as the history of the current campaign book. Earlier Ravenloft material is also tied in, item-by-item, to each description of a land, realm, island, or kingdom (called domains) and the lord of each region. Enough background is presented so that an inventive dungeon master can proceed from the material given, while those interested in the novels and available adventures may single out which products they may be interested in buying.

Domains introduces four new character classes (avenger, anchorite, gypsy, and arcanist) as well as one new race, the half-Vistani. All changes and effects pertaining to spells, items, and character traits in Ravenloft settings are included, along with special rules applying only to Ravenloft. New sections explain the rewritten fear, horror, and madness checks for characters. However, dungeon masters will find that some of the other Ravenloft products, particularly the Monstrous Compendiums, are necessary in order to use this campaign book.

The emphasis is, of course, on creepy: many of the characters and situations in Domains will be familiar from classical horror literature, with different names of course. Vampires and lycanthropes abound; Dr. Jekyll's spiritual brother is here; and Dr. Frankenstein, as Victor Mordenheim, seems to have acquired an unwanted empathic link with his creation. Other classic characters with a delicious horror twist appear here, such as a domain lord called "Pinocchio" who led his wooden brothers and sisters on a murderous rampage.

A "nice" romp on the dark side for fans of horror and things of the night.

--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

I am in ethereal love with Mary Shelley. Why is her literary importance and fancy not uplifted more than it is? I grimace whenever I go to a bookstore and glance each time at the Mary Shelley section to find only Frakenstein. She has other great books probably not many people know about. Such is the case in The Last Man. I thought Frankenstein was about as sad as one could allow a character to feel but after reading The Last Man Mary out does herself by really putting poor Verney in a pickle. This story really tugged at me hard and actually made me feel for the characters in a way so few books or movies ever have. If you know about Mary Shelley and have read Frankenstein or anything else by this, I feel, greatest author to have ever put word to paper, then you MUST read this beautiful accounting of "the last year of the world". It astonished me to find out that the book was out of print from 1833 to 1965. Wow! I failed to compare the story to such contemporary biological warfare or AIDS for that matter and took the story's meaning for what Shelley may have wanted to get across during her time that had neither. I believe she wants to almost persuade us of a deeper level of human condition and compassion by taking us as low as we can and then allowing us to constantly strive upward from that awful place she leaves Verney. Please, read more of Mary Shelley.

If you are a fan of the book Frankenstein, then you will
definetely enjoy this book. Mary Shelley is obviously
a gifted writer who is inciteful on human interplay.
The story is not so acurate when it describes the 21st
century, but that is not what the story concentrates on.
It is similar to Frankenstein about doomed characters
in a Greek tragedy. If your a fan of Mary then you must
buy this book.

I recall seeing a "Twilight Zone" episode close to fifty years ago, about a man who really wanted to be alone. He got his wish when a nuclear war wiped out everyone else. He was quite happy at this state of affairs, migrating to the New York library to spend the rest of his life reading all the books. Unfortunately, he tripped on the steps and broke his thick reading glasses. So much for solitary bliss.

Being the last man on earth is once again a hot topic, with two recent movies addressing the issue. I Am Legend is set to enter theatres on Dec. 14, and as of Late November of 2007, a movie based upon The Last Man is in Post Production. The movie updates the setting of The Last Man to take into consideration the technology advances of the past two centuries plus the seventy-odd years that will take place before the novel's action begins. Looking at the trailer, however, it appears that technological accuracy is the only improvement made to Ms. Shelley's novel. For those interested, information on the movie can be viewed at their website.

Reading Mary Shelley's The Last Man will, if nothing else, send you running to your history books to find out, among other things, when Napoleon waged his wars for world domination (the battle of Waterloo took place in 1815-eleven years before The Last Man was published), when English Monarchs became more of a figurehead than a ruler (1867), and when Jules Verne first wrote about traveling in a balloon (Five Weeks in a Balloon in 1863, Around the World in Eighty Days in 1872), and what type of plague would kill a person before the sun goes down on his first sick day.

As in Frankenstein Mary Shelley shows herself as a sci-fi pioneer and visionary with enough political savvy to know that the strife between Christian and Muslim would not be resolved even two hundred years into the future. She also envisioned that in this distant future, we would not be safe from disastrous epidemics, although she did not suggest that germ warfare (rather than a natural spread of disease) might be the culprit. Her visions of balloon travel as a means of rapid transit predates Jules Verne by forty years, which helps us forgive the fact that in her story ground transport, even for kings, consisted of horseback or carriage.

The Last Man was published about four years after the death of Mary's husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley drowned when his boat sank, a boat that Mary claims was not seaworthy, although a sudden squall might have caused the boat to capsize. Her husband's death in 1822 happened the same year that a miscarriage nearly took her own life and only two years after her half sister and Percy's ex-wife both committed suicide. One can see why Shelley's world-view might have been depressing, and The Last Man reflects this.

The story begins with a visit to a cave in which an unidentified narrator visits Naples in 1818, finding a manuscript in an inaccessible cave. The manuscript appears to be from the future, from the year 2079, and is written by one Lionel Verney, a close friend of the English king and Brother-in-Law to the greatest General since Napoleon. Verney will become the last man to inhabit the earth.

We follow Verney's manuscript from his early roots as a poverty-stricken orphan to his friendship with the heir-apparent to the throne of England and to a military campaign with his Brother-in-Law into plague-stricken Turkey, a campaign which touches off the worldwide plague that wipes out the human population of the Earth.

As much as I like and admire The Last Man as a visionary work, I also found a lot to dislike. I have read several books about real and fictional plagues, and have come to expect that one would at least see a description of what a plague victim experiences when in the throes of the disease. Shelley describes very little beyond a fever and a quick death. I would imagine that she was vaguely describing Pneumonic Plague, a mutation of Bubonic Plague that takes the pathogen airborne and which can kill in a matter of hours.

I also disliked Shelley's annoying habit of describing the outcome before she describes the action. I spent a lot of reading time backtracking because I was certain I missed something, since I seemed to have found out what was going to happen before I was supposed to. Our protagonist beset with grief, but I couldn't figure out why. As I read on, I discovered the reason for the grief, but since I already knew something bad was going to happen, the reading was more depressing than suspenseful.

On the up side, Mary Shelley's gifted use of the English language was perhaps better in this work than in Frankenstein. Also to her credit, Shelley, perhaps because of her many tragic experiences, quite accurately captures and expresses the angst of mourning. The Last Man was not Frankenstein, but if you have the patience to read it, you will find its mysterious makeup rather interesting.

The book chronicles a great global plague which annihilates the
world except for one man who describes the world's demise.
The work was first published in 1826. It was out-of-print from
1833 through 1965 and has been widely read thereafter. Shelley's
"Last Man" has been resurrected due to the tremendous interest
in potential plagues like bird disease, global warming, continental earth movements, super hurricanes and out-of-control comets randomly threatening the earth of the future on a periodic basis.

Even Nostradamos talked about the world's end in the year 3797.
The volume is written in the English literature of the 1800s.
The language is superior. In spots, the vocabulary is of the
highest order. Here is a sample:

" She dwelt in a cottage whose trim grass-plat sloped down to
the waters of the lake of Ulswater; a beech wood stretched up the hill behind, and a purling brook gently falling from the
acclivity ran through poplar-shaded banks into the lake. "

Another unforgetable passage reminds us of Shelley's poetic
nature interwoven into the overall story. Details follow:

"The golden splendour arose, and weary nature awoke to suffer
yet another day of heat and thirsty decay. No flowers lifted up
their dew laden cups to meet the dawn; the dry grass had
withered on the plains; the burning fields of air were vacant of
birds; the cicale alone, children of the sun, began their shrill
and deafening song among the cypresses and olives. "

Just prior to the year 2100, Shelley paves the way for the
chaos in the making. A sample paragraph describes the
apprehension in the wind:

" This was not universal. Among better natures, anguish and
dread, the fear of eternal separation, and the awful wonder
produced by unprecedented calamity, drew closer to the ties of
kindred and friendship. Philosophers opposed their principles, as
barriers to the inundation of profligacy or despair , and
the only ramparts to protect the invaded territory of human
life; the religious, hoping now for their reward, clung fast
to their creeds, as the rafts and planks which over the tempest-
vexed sea of suffering, would bear them in safety to the harbour
of the Unknown Continent. "

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley published a number of memorable
works around the time of "The Last Man". Her other works were:
- Perkin Warbeck in 1830--the author's fourth novel
- Lodore is published in 1835.
- Faulker is published in 1837

On February 1, 1851, Mary Shelley died.

This novel is a combination of a `roman à clefs' and science fiction, with gothic and autobiographic elements.
In her vision of the end of the 21st century, Mary Shelley sees the Greek occupying Istanbul and England as a republic with three political parties (royalists, democrats and aristocrats). The leader of the democrats deserts his responsibilities through fear of the plague, while the intention of the head of the aristocrats (a highly idealized portrait of P.B. Shelley) is `to diminish the power of the aristocracy to effect a greater equalization of wealth and privilege and to introduce a perfect system of republican government.'
Byron (Lord Raymond) is not in the same league: `Power was the aim of all his endeavors. The selected passion was ambition.'

Her vision of mankind is pessimistic: `There was but one good and one evil in the world - life and death.'
For life, `The choice is with us; let us will it and our habitation becomes a paradise.'
But, `What is there in our nature that is for ever urging us on towards pain and misery? We are not formed for enjoyment; disappointment is the never-failing pilot of our life's bark, and ruthlessly carries us to the shoals.'
`It is a strange fact, but incontestable, that the philanthropist, who ardent in his desire to do good, who disdains other argument than truth, has less influence over men's mind than he who refuses not to adopt any means, nor diffuse any falsehood for the advancement of his cause.'

Man doesn't control his destiny and the whole of mankind is wiped out by the plague. But, even on the verge of total destruction, false prophets preach intolerance with their `pernicious doctrines of election and special grace'.

This book is brilliantly written: `He was no longer bent to the ground, like an over-nursed flower of spring that, shooting up beyond its strength, is weighed down even by its own coronal of blossoms.'

It has a few minus points: slow progression, too idealized main characters and a rather too simplistic cause of the whole destruction of mankind.
But, it remains a real discovery and a very worth-while read, with an excellent introduction by Pamela Bickley.

Many novels have the plague as subject. I recommend highly `Bassompierre' by Hugo von Hofmannsthal.

I'll keep this short and simple: this book has more than enough information to pass the Network+ exam. I agree with a prior reviewer that it was designed for mid-level IT people, but if you're already consider Network+ as a stepping stone to other network certifications, you should be comfortable with the terminology and setup of this book.

I used this as my main resource in 2006 and passed it with ease, and I expect the same for others. The practice tests were enough to test your knowledge as well.

I am about half way through this book, and it is really easy to read and learn the material you need to pass the exam.

I have gone to school for the last two and a half years. This book covers information in such a clear way that I have learned more from it than from the textbooks I have read and the IT classes I have taken.

Recently passed the Net+ exam and using this book alone , i ll have to say this is the one!

I'm a mid-40s, blue-collar type undergoing career change. I'm taking computer classes to prepare for A+, Network+, Server+, and Security+ certification testings. The writing was intended for those with a bachelor degree level of education/comprehension. I have ISBN 0782144314 by Mark Minasi, and his writing is easy to follow (and humorous to break monotony of study/memorize/regurgitate). Others in my Network class who are struggling agree with me that the writing format is for IT intermediate level (or above) students. I ordered ISBN 061921743X by Tamara Dean. Her approach/presentation is easy to follow along. I've shown the book to my instructor and he has agreed to go with this text next semester.

Great starter book into Pen Testing. Big book with lots of information. Great book to read to prepare to start your CEH or CISSP studies.

If you live and breathe IT security, this books is for you. I would like to somewhat disagree with some of the earlier reviewers. I don't think this book was intended to be "the one and only" penetration toolkit manual. However, what it does do - it introduces one to the world of penetration testing providing enough information and examples on a wide variety of tools. A lot of great subjects are covered, such as reconnaissance, enumeration, scanning, web application testing, wireless penetration and more. It's a very insightful read, even for those who are just researching in the area of security. It will open your eyes on many aspects of information security. The CD itself is a good resource, but you may need to update some applications by now. Nessus signatures do get updated regularly.

At around 700 pages in size, the 'Penetration Tester's Open Source Toolkit' by Johnny Long is a solid reference material which is a nice pickup for anyone that is concerned with this subject matter. As with all Syngress books, you aren't buying these for the highest quality paper or design, but rather the material within. This is a solid book that most users should find helpful in their jobs.

**** RECOMMENDED

If you are going to do any work in the Information Assurance world you will want to add this book to your shelf and keep it handy. The authors of this book know the topics and present information clearly.
Each chapter is a stand-alone lesson, and all chapters build on each other to create a big-picture of exploiting any network and reporting results. The CD that comes with the book gives you excellent tools to start or fill out your library. Some are getting dated as of this writing, but all are still solid tools that you can update once you've learned them.
I highly recommend this book!

Title: Penetration Tester's Open Source Toolkit
Author: Johnny Long, Aaron Bayles, James Foster, Chris Hurley, Mike Petruzzi Noam Rathaus, Mark Wolfgang
Publisher: Syngress Publishing, Inc.
800 Hingham Street
Rockland, MA 02370
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 1597490210
Pages: 678 plus appendix and index

This book not only covers what tools are available for penetration testing but also details how to use them to effectively test the system. Some of the tools, such as whois and ping, will be very familiar to the Linux user and most power users of other operating systems. Other tools are less familiar but very powerful and a real insight into what can be done to gather information on a system before attempting to penetrate it. Part of what makes this book really interesting is the way the authors approach this subject. They don't walk the reader through all the details of a handful of tools but instead they take a task-oriented approach. For example they go first through enumerating and scanning a system, then testing databases, web server testing, web application testing, wireless penetration and network devices. They then end this section with information about writing open source security tools. Chapter 8 starts a section on the Open Source vulnerability scanner Nessus. It automatically finds many problems in the system by trying to penetrate it using various scripts. The results are captured and the generated reports detail the information it was able to obtain. This is a very powerful testing product and one of the most common ones you will find in the marketplace.
The authors detail how to set up a Nessus client and server, scan the system and understand the results. Although almost three hundred pages are dedicated to Nessus it is a very powerful and highly configurable program that can consume a full book by itself to use its full potential. Penetration Tester's Open Source Toolkit is highly recommended, insightful, and very interesting to read and experiment with.