Publications Books

This was a great book. A few days ago I was looking in my bookshelf to see if there was something I hadn't read. I found a book that I remembered I had gotten when I was in Kindergarten. The book was titled The Last Buru and I read it and it was awesome. I looked for the website that the address was on the back. And it was gone, I searched for anything in the series and I found out this was the last book the authors had written. I'm glad I had gotten it in Kindergarten so I could read a book out of print, but it really sucks that there isn't a book in the series aftre this. I really wish they could have made more books in this series. Anyway, this is a good book.

I haven't read this book for a long time so when I read it this time I had forgotten what it was about. After I read it I went back and looked at the things I hadn't seen before.

This was a great book to read, but I have read better. I think that it was really sad, and I wish that Rilo could still be with his family.

I think this a great book! Rilo gets reunited with his family and tries to save them. I hate Preston though, what a traitor. They lose their powers but get them back by Morgan and are stronger than ever! Though I wonder how they look like. I'm still trying to find the fifth book. Whoever is trying to buying this book you should really buy it! Its awesome!!!

This book (not to mention the whole strange forces series) is a masterpiece. There are no other books like theses. This was probably the best book so far. The thing that really gets me is that the authors quit after this book, and the plans that were made for up too book nine. All I could get out of the company is that the authors moved on. I want them to continue writing, I have been hoping all of these years! Maybe I could start a website and a petetion. If your interested,e-mail me and I'll tell you if I start one.

I love suspenseful novels that keep you guessing, and this is one! I'm usually very good about picking the killer but EVERYBODY was suspect to me in this book. When an author can hide the killer the entire time, it's a real treat. I wasn't surprised at who it turned out to be because I knew it had to be one of the several people I suspected.

In addition to the suspence, this novel has a thread of romance. You easily fall in love with the characters and invest in their relationship. I cared what happened to these characters and cared about the survival of their relationship.

If I had to complain, I would say that I wished it was even more scary. I was expecting to be scared out of my wits but it was hard to relate to a woman who lived in the middle of nowhere with no electricity in the 90s. I think if the setting had been an apartment in the city, I would have been more likely to feel frightened because I would be thinking this could happen to me. Instead, I was distanced from the situation because I could not relate to the setting.

However, I think this is a wonderful novel and worth the read. I highly recommend!

Artist Katie Summers has not had a real relationship since the death of her fiancée, Todd. No man has ever come close to stirring her feelings the way he did. She is devastated when he is killed in the Vietnam war, but knows she must continue living. She finds a job at a local coffee shop and lives in the small town of Belleville at Black Lake in a home owned by her late aunt.

After being stood up by her boyfriend, Katie drives home in a terrible storm. She is shocked to see a pair of "dead" eyes staring at her in the rearview mirror. Her car crashes and she winds up in a coma for four days. When she wakes up, nobody believes she saw anything in her rearview mirror, especially when she claims the eyes were identical to her dead fiancée's.

As a psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Shea is called in to consult on Katie's condition. He finds her story hard to swallow, but he can't put her genuine fear out of his mind. Jonathan has his own troubles, as he recently requested a one-year sabbatical from his job to clear his head after the suicide of one of his patients. Still, Jonathan finds himself intrigued with Katie's situation and promises to keep a watchful eye on her.

When Katie is released from the hospital, strange and terrifying things begin to happen to her and the people she cares about. She can't figure out who would want to hurt her like this. She tries to resist the concern of the handsome Dr. Shea, but she finds herself leaning on him more often than not. She isn't even sure he can be trusted.

LISTEN TO THE SHADOWS has shades of the old gothic stories, complete with the scary old house. Joan Hall Hovey's characters are life-like and you can actually feel the fear the heroine is experiencing. Hovey's descriptions make the story jump out at the reader in this compelling, page-turner. This story has the makings of a classic. Review by Yvonne Hering

Joan Hall Hovey's novel, Listen To The Shadows is an incredible page-turner. The suspense is so real, the characters so alive that you can practically touch them. It is a must-read for any reader of suspense. It draws you in so quickly and tenaciously, you won't be able to put it down until you're finished. You simply cannot afford to miss reading it. --

Jordan Zed, singer/songwriter

***** 5 Stars (Excellent Read)

I have to admit that I have never read any of Joan Hall Hovey's books until I read this one. Now, I'm truly sorry I didn't discover this author's worth earlier.

In Listen to the Shadows, Ms. Hovey gives us a chilling, and very believable, insight into the mind and motivations of a true sociopathic killer. Obsession, icy lack of emotion or real feeling for another human being, and more. To say this book is a spine-tingler of the first order is to do it a grave injustice. It is a brilliant novel that portrays just how wrong a human mind can go; to the limits of insanity.

I won't spoil the story by telling the audience what the book is about or how it ends. Let's just say that if you miss out on this one, you've missed one of the best thrillers written in this century.

As well as penning suspense novels like 'Listen To The Shadows' and 'Nowhere To Hide', Joan Hall Hovey's articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Reader, Atlantic Advocate, The Toronto Star, Mystery Scene, True Confessions, Home Life magazine, Seek and various other magazines and newspapers. Her short story, Dark Reunion was selected for the Anthology, Investigating Women, published by Simon & Pierre, edited by David Skene-Melvin.

Joan Hall Hovey is also a writing instructor. She lives in Gondola Point, New Brunswick, Canada, in a modest but comfortable home overlooking the banks of the Kennebecasis River, with her husband, fat cat, Sasha, and neurotic poodle, CoCo. She is currently working on her third suspense novel.

Ariana Overton, Author and Senior Editor/Clocktower Fiction.com

Written with the finesse and grace of a master, Joan Hall Hovey's first novel, LISTEN To THE SHADOWS, is an engrossing tale of fear and danger certain to keep the reader awake, turning pages long after bed time, and listening carefully to everything around them.

A man without a conscious stalks artist Katie Summers. She hasn't seen him, but she senses his presence. A tingling on the back of the neck, a flicker out of the corner of the eye, and an instinctual awareness of danger are her only warnings.

Stood up by her date late one night, Katie leaves the restaurant alone to drive through a storm to her remote country home. She doesn't notice the headlights following her. But when she does glance in the rearview mirror, the sight of a dead man's sightless blue eyes staring back at her results in a nearly fatal accident. She doesn't know, as she lies unconscious and bleeding, with her car crushed by a telephone pole, that her stalker lurks close by, watching.

After four days in a coma, Katie awakens in the hospital. There she meets Dr Johnathan Shea, a sexy, vibrant, man carrying a heavy load of guilt over the loss of a young patient. A romantic interest develops, spiced by fierce attraction, sexy intrigue and danger. But the question remains as to whether he will be enough to protect Katie from a madman.

Joan is a powerful new voice in the world of suspense and mystery. Her tight plot, well-developed characters and originality will satisfy the reader's craving for tension and danger. I certainly look forward to more novels by the promising author with great eagerness.

Full of good ideas, good list of tour groups (must go on a tour) especially locally owned. Good information on what to do, costs, etc.

I bought this guide before my first trip to Bhutan, and it helped me immensely in planning my tour. It contains detailed information about the country--history, culture, geography, and facts for travelers. And it gives accurate information about the trekking routes and cultural tours. As is typical for Lonely Planet publications, this one is interesting and well written, and I found the information to be relevant to my trip. It is not easy to travel to Bhutan (there are many government restrictions), and this book made everything easier. I had such a successful, fun trip that I've been back several times (www.jachungtravel.com), and I still refer to this edition of the guide. It's packed with good information, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go to Bhutan.

Lonely Planet is unbelieveable! They continually pump out the HIGHEST quality guidebooks, and they've done it again with this edition covering Bhutan. I have spent a good portion of my life researching, and hording information on Bhutan, and have found Lonely Planet's guidebook to contain everything and more that the traveller could ever want...with two exceptions. I think that the lack of the U'cen script in the language chapter is a serious mistake. Lonely Planet has the capacity to print in the U'cen script as they did so in their Tibet edition. My other qualm is with the sparse coverage of the smaller and admittedly FAR less visited dzongkhags (districts) (i.e., Daga, Samdrup Jongkhar, Pema Gatshel, Zhemgang, Tsirang, etc.). Lonely Planet, resolve these issues and your book will be the best it could be.

In anticipation of a trip to Bhutan in 2008 I was looking for a travel guide and opted to buy Lonely Planet's. I read it cover to cover and found to contain very good information, advice, tips, descriptions, recommendations, etc. I travel extensively worldwide and Bhutan will be a novel adventure. It brings back memories of my trip to Tibet in 2000. I highly recommend this guide.

Hello!

I'd been searching for a book on Bhutan which could provide me with a little bit of everything about the country viz. the history, geography, people and the culture. I have searched for books on Bhutan in several book stores around. It was so hard to find one in English but I think this one will do.

May be, finally......... I have found the book I'd been looking for.

We used this book before and during our volunteer trip to Kenya.
It's a great resource, helps a lot, has all the basic things you wanna know (actually much more than you're going to need for a short trip), as well as slangs and even a few surprises (what to say in very specific situations, like when you're drunk or having sex (I'm guessing if they put this on the book, it must be because people asked for it)).
There are a few phrases they recommend I found out nobody uses anymore, and a few others that are used by people in the coast, but not by people in Nairobi area or other parts of the country, for example.
But still, I recommend it.
It's very small, fits in your pocket.
But there's so much information you really need to do your homework, study it before your trip, and mark the pages that interest you.

This course to teach yourself Swahili is easy for anybody - all you need is to take time and study.

For a compact book on Swahili this is the best I've seen. The contents of this little gem were easily divided into useful and practical sections, covering a broader use of the language than I've come across in other similar type books. Each section was uniquely and clearly identifiable allowing faster access to put your fingertips on the words or phrases you need. This book also succeeds in helping the reader obtain a basic yet concrete understanding of the Swahili language where other similar books have attempted but failed.

This small hand-sized book is an excellent resource. Sections are seperated by practical categories (like food, social, and practical). Very easy to read, and really has everything you would need to get around.

I had this guide when I went to Kenya, and I highly recommend it! It was very useful when I got very ill and needed to explain to a Swahili speaking doctor what was wrong with me. I also used it when I'd go to the Masai Markets and I always got a much better deal when I'd barter in Swahili. The Kenyans can speak English, but they appreciate it when you try to speak to them in Swahili.

I loved this guide so much I am buying copies for the members of my family who will be joining me for a holiday in Kenya this coming year.

It's an absolute must for any traveler!

This book was a great and easy read. I loved the little chapters since I tend to fall asleep at night after only a few pages of a book (due to my tiredness not the quality of the book!). I really enjoyed Mike's stories and loved hearing about his family with lots of good messages and faith built in.

I read this book the night before giving birth to our third son, and have picked it up many times in the past three months while nursing the baby. The short, humor-filled chapters make it perfect middle-of-the-night reading for nursing moms... it is now my standard gift to expecting mothers. Aquilina's tales of his family's life have provided me with lots of great ideas to incorporate into our own family life -- making this book a fun read and a practical one too.

I got to know of Mike Aquilina's writing through his excellent blog "The Way of the Fathers"; if you haven't visited, go take a look! Mike has that rare talent of successfully expressing the significant or the complex in straightforward language. Here he turns that talent to "Tales of Family Life" and gives us forty miniatures in a hundred and thirty pages, none of which take more than a few minutes to read. All of them are enjoyable, some of them are profound; read and savour them!

I love a great story.

The greatest storyteller was, of course, Jesus. He showed us how to live through parables, stories. Mike Aquilina follows in Jesus' footsteps.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should let you all know the Aquilinas are friends. I've had the pleasure of personally hearing some of Mike's stories before he put them into a book for the rest of the world. Yet, there was a special pleasure in reading them. In fact, I read them aloud for my husband and children. They loved hearing Mike's stories before bedtime! They made us laugh, cry, and think seriously about how we are to live as Christians.

A good story goes beyond teaching, rather it "shows." It shows us how to live. It shows us the truth we should already know in our hearts (natural order, morality, respect, love) and brings those truths to the forefront of our minds. They show us so that we may imitate and live them out.

A good story is pleasing to the ear and to heart, just as Christ's parables are pleasing. They show us the path to eternal life in a way we never forget. They burn in our souls. Mike carries on this storytelling tradition with Love in the Little Things!

This is a "little book." You know what I mean: you take a look, think you can knock this book off by lunch time, and that'll be that.



But, Love in the Little Things is bigger than that. Yes, the reading is quick and easy, but the ideas loom larger than their appearance. Hmmm ... kind of like Jesus of Nazareth ... growing up in a non-descript way, living a quiet family life, full of hidden things beyond this earthly realm, beyond our imagining.



And that's what Mike Aquilina shows us: that family life is a very real reflection of the Trinity. It's the path to holiness for those of us who are called to this vocation.



But, these little vignettes aren't heavy-handed lectures. They are charming tales about Mike (often self-deprecating), his wife, Terri (adoring), and their delightful children (abundant fatherly love abounds.)



In "It's Verse than I Imagined" (and yes, many of the titles are punny, as are Mike's blog post titles), Mike takes a look at his daughter Mary Agnes's growing awareness of the unrelenting ways in which life will break our hearts. He inserts a line from one of my favorite Gerard Manley Hopkins poems at the perfect moment -- and every parent will face a version of this moment -- and in doing so, elevates this essay from sweet and charming to profound.



And, he keeps doing that. In short pieces about his wife, his children and his parents, he shows us, time and again, that family life is bursting with opportunities to grow in holiness. Bishop Thomas Tobin, of Providence, called this book "a domestic catechism for the domestic church," and it is that, indeed.



I'm starting to sound like a broken record -- every time I read a writer I love, I say I want that writer to live next door to me, and come over for copious amounts of coffee (I think Mike would approve the beverage choice ... one of the essays is entitled, "For the Love of Coffee" ....)



I'm afraid it's true again. It's no secret that I love Mike Aquilina, and I would love for Mike and Terri to move in next door. I'd love to meet their poetic Mary Agnes and their blunt Isabella (who, in "The Truth About Butterfly Princess" told her father, "That's OK, though. I'll bet you were really handsome back when Mommy married you.") I'd love to talk to Rosemary, the "great and cute saint," to meet sneaker-wearing Michael, who pays as much attention to what's on his feet as does my Anne-with-an-e, and to hug their little Gracie, whose encounter with beloved Papa John Paul II was as sweet as it was enviable.



In other words, I'd love to meet the whole crew. You will, too, after reading Love in the Little Things. And, while you're being charmed by these tales of family life, you just might pick up some tips and inspiration for that long and winding road to heaven along the way.

This book divides the LamRim into 21 analytical meditations, which the reader is to progress through one at a time, in a series, and then start again at the beginning. It provides an adequate introduction to its subject.

If your looking for a book to start a meditation regimine with this is it. This book gives you 21 meditations to follow, with brief discussions on what the meditation is about. This book is very good at getting the reader modivated to meditate. Details on how to perform breathing meditation, which is what the reader is asked to start with before going into the main meditation, is not included. However, these can be easily found on the internet. This book helped me become a more diciplined, effective and powerful meditator. It also lead me to the profound life changing realization of the power of compassion. Well worth the money.

I have used this book for 12 years. Everytime I read it I glean something else from it. This book contains the essence in a very condensed but powerful form of all Buddha's 84,000 teachings. This presentation is the 'Lam Rim' or 'Stages of the Path To Enlightenment' presentation of all Buddha's teachings that the great Buddhist teacher Atisha arranged for the Tibetans. This arrangement has been central to the Kadampa lineage, as well as the Kagyu tradition for a thousand years. This was the central teaching of Lama Tsongkapa.

This arrangement is really good for busy and distracted people like me! So beautiful.

This is the practical daily sitting meditation advice, including how to set up a shrine and the meaning of the prayers, which compliment Geshe Kelsang's Introduction to Buddhism: An Explanation of the Buddhist Way of Lifeand Transform Your Life: A Blissful Journey.'

I use the New Meditation Handbook everyday. Its structure is so helpful in establishing a daily practice and each meditation is presented so clearly and beautifully. I recommend this book to anyone who sincerely wishes to bring about a deep change in their mind.

I am so pleased to have found this book! As a beginner to meditation, I really connect with the idea of meditation being about familiarizing my mind with a virtuous object, as opposed to trying to "clear" my mind. The instructions here are very clear and have yielded good result in terms of my own ability to deal with the stresses of every day life. I would recommend this to anyone interested in meditation who doesn't quite know where to start. (Probably also good for seasoned meditators).

For me this book is a little too heavy- too scientific - I'm teaching children most of the time - This book will enrich our knowledge beyond instructions - I like this book but I think I need to read and read again to catch the idea and use it in my class.

I recently had the opportunity to read one of Lawrence A. Kane's books entitled, "Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo" and found it to be a fantastic book for anyone involved in the teaching of students and not just those involved in the martial arts. This book is a fantastic source for reference material concerning the art of teaching, and yes, I do feel that teaching is an art form.

The approach Lawrence takes in this book is simple, yet loaded with an abundance of information that shows you various methods that you can easily incorporate into your own particular style of teaching regardless of what the particular subject is. I can almost guarantee you that if you purchase this book and study it for a few weeks, and then start applying the information that you have learned, that you will see a notable improvement in your own teaching ability, while at the same time see a marked improvement in your students.

When I first read this book, I identified with a lot of the mistakes that Lawrence mentioned concerning my own teaching style especially when I first started teaching students a little over 20 years ago. Although it is imperative that we as individuals make our own mistakes, it is not that easy or desirable to make mistakes when you are responsible for the development of another individual. Although Lawrence's focus is on teaching the martial arts, a lot of what he tells you could also be used when teaching your own children. However, you would have to modify your teaching method a bit.

The following is a brief review of each of the six chapters in this book and what there main focus is on.

Chapter One: Understanding Learning Style Differences

In this chapter, Lawrence delves into the different types of personalities that an instructor will undoubtedly find in his students, as well as, how to tailor your teaching style to best suit each individual personality type. He also delves into the use of the five senses in order to enhance your teaching ability so that your students not only retain more information, but also enjoy the lessons being taught.

The five senses are; seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, and smelling. Although it isn't practical to employ the use of all five in every lesson plan, you should try and devise a few that you could use once every month or so. I used a similar approach once teaching a group of law enforcement officers and the response I received was very encouraging. It works so use it.

Chapter Two: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Tool to Understand Student Predilections

This particular chapter is quite complex, yet Lawrence makes is all seem rather simple with his easy to understand explanation of the various personality types and how they are best suited to learn and retain information. In this section, Lawrence supplies you with some very good resource material to have your own personality tested in order to determine what type of personality you have and what method of teaching is more conducive to your ability to learn.

Chapter 3: Applications of the Six Teaching Styles to Martial Arts

The six teaching styles discussed in this section are; modeling, lecturing, cooperative performance, independent performance, knowledge capture, and role reversal.

Lawrence describes in detail each one of these teaching styles and provides good examples of when to teach that particular method and how to apply it to the teaching of the martial arts.

Chapter 4: Fostering a Positive Learning Environment

In my humble opinion there is one section in this chapter that perhaps says it all when it comes to the ability to teach another person, and that is the attitude of the teacher.

This was the single most important thing that jumped out at me when I read this book. Although there is tons of useful information provided within the pages of this book, none of it is going to be worth the proverbial hill of beans without the proper attitude being displayed by the teacher.

Etiquette or respect for oneself and others is so vitally important not only to the learning environment, but also the living environment where we have to co-exist with so many different people from a vast array of backgrounds and cultures.

Another great subject that Lawrence brings up in this section is the importance of a solid emotional and physical environment in which to teach your students. The one undeniable single factor that is prevalent in everything that Lawrence discusses is the teacher. He or she is the one who will make or break a class and/or the students in it. You can have the most exciting subject and something that you are hugely passionate about become the most boring and painful experience if the teacher is horrible. Or you can take the most boring subject and make it interesting if the teacher is passionate and knowledgeable about how to get his/her information across to the students.

Along with a lot more information on the role of the teacher, Lawrence also spends some time going over some very solid information on how to find the martial art and martial arts school that is best suited for you.

Chapter 5: Developing and Implementing Lesson Plans for the Dojo

This section covers not only how to devise, refine and implement a lesson plan, but also how to adapt when the plan you have is not working. It also covers a lot of really solid information on the martial arts itself and the various nuances that are prevalent within it.
Lawrence also has a lot of really solid useful information concerning the martial arts and their use in a self-defense situation. He gives a couple of really good examples from his own personal experience that shows what may be a preferable way to handle a situation rather than resorting to physical means. Although one must always keep in mind that no two situations are going to be identical and what may work well in one situation may not work well in another.

Chapter 6: Conclusion/Stages of Teaching

This section is rather brief as I am sure the author intended and merely goes over that which he has discussed in the previous chapters. However, there are some very good tidbits of information included here and in the next 40+ pages.

This book, like all of Lawrence's books, is filled with solid useful information concerning whatever subject he has written about. There is much that can be learned from them and I highly recommend that you purchase them and study the information contained in each one of his books.

Shawn Kovacich, martial artist/author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

Excellent, Excellent Book. Great insights for using proven teaching methods and applying it to Martial Arts.
Also other cool stuff!!

A good teacher should also be a good student, if they hope to convey and assist the development of correct principles in others. I believe that pertains not only Martial Arts, but to any aspect of life. The challenge, is understanding that not all students learn, process, or retain information the same way (regardless of age).

Lawrence Kane has created a tool for those serious about imparting knowledge to their students in ways they can understand...and excel. The valuable information in this book is essential to those of us who truly care about what (and who) we teach.

A highly recommended book.

Their are many martial arts books outlining the basics of about any martial art you could wish to learn, but Lawrence A. Kane's Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory And Communication Techniques In The Dojo is different from the rest. Lawrence A. Kane is a man who has taught and created martial arts classes and business seminars, and who focuses on the teacher of martial arts as much as the technique. Readers will lern just how to motivate and retain students, optimize time, and adjust to individual learning styles and talents using Martial Arts Instruction: is an informatively instructive and very strongly recomended manual.

This book is the origin of information theory (then called "communication theory"). Explaining measurement of information in both discrete and continuous variables, this historic work defined one of the most important watershed moments in science, and serves as an excellent introduction to the subject.

This book doesn't need any presentation: it is well known by all the scientific community as the "start point" of Information Theory. Roughly speaking, today we would not have cell phones or internet without Shannon's work.
With his fundamental theorem, in 1948, Shannon prooved that it was possible, under some conditions, to have reliable communication. Since that moment, the research on Information Theory has become more and more important and has continued to develop in many different ways.
So, this book is historically fundamental for all those people interested in Communications.

Typically, a paper which defines a new field of science is not the best introduction to new researchers in the field. This is not the case with The Mathematical Theory of Communication. If you are interested in information theory, this is the one and only place to start.

This book is the best technical book i've ever read. It's clear, concise and logic. It explains all the fundamentals of communication theory, a basic for telecom and electronic engineers. All technical universities of everywhere must explain their communication theory subject following exactly this text. Above any other technical book. A gem.

The origin of this book lies in the Bell Telephone Laboratories initiative in researching how wireless and telecommunications can be improved. The problem it deals with is a classic one for electronics, telecommunications and computing - noise vs. fidelity of data transmitted. The solution it propounds is simple and yet so revolutionary that it charted the course of these fields since it was published.

The basic premise of the book is that 'redundancy' or elimination of noise occurs at infinite time. 'Entropy' or shuffledness allows for some noise and produces more information because it requires reconstruction at the receiving end.

The authors support their arguments with simple statistical formulae which explain how entropy and redundancy are inverse of each other.

This book has been highly debated by both the people involved in the fields concerned and the people outside the field.

Most of the debate surrounds the controversial aspect of Shannon and Weaver's definition of information in engineering terms, which excludes issues like relevance, meaning etc.

A great deal of debate also got carried into social sciences and humanities where a new celebration of 'entropy' occured.

"I interviewed Mike DiCerto on the AuthorsFirst radio show about his book
"Milky Way Marmalade." This book is awesome! The story just flows; it's
funny. The readers really get to know the characters, who are interesting;
each one different. If you like Douglass Adams' work, this is just as good
(in my humble opinion). Anyone who loves a riotous space adventure should
give this book a try."

Reviewed by Susan Pettrone for Reader Views (9/06)

This fantastic tale of Caffrey Quark and his journey across time and space is one of those books that will leave you spellbound until you finally turn the last page and find out as Quark found out, what the one thing that brought meaning to his life really was about! Quark has endless musical connections throughout this book and they only serve to further develop his character through their use. It is amazing how the mere mention of a song within this book can conjure up so many images for the reader that mere words would fall short of doing. Music is after all the universal language and we see throughout "Milky Way Marmalade" language put to fantastic use by the author!

Throughout this book we meet colorful characters both in action, appearance and language such as Yin, the wonderful little "dog" he befriends, only to find he is actually another being equal in intelligence and cunning as Quark himself, Violet, a woman of spectacular beauty with, of course, fantastically "violet" eyes and a magical personality to match, POE 33, an android with a missing piece of his memory and the key to that is most important in Quark's life and to the music itself, and of course, Angie, Quark's computer-generated friend who spouts sugary "terms of endearment" in her quest to gain Quark's love. The phrases Angie uses often leave the reader laughing aloud with their obscurity and oddness, but for some readers create Angie's character as no other device could. These characters transcend all notions of "normalcy" and it is fact their oddities that endear them to the reader and cause them to have such depth of character and definition as integral parts of Quark's life. By the end of the book, the reader feels as though a part of Quark's life as well, a trait that I found to be especially endearing to myself as a reader!

"Milky Way Marmalade" is a book that spans so many ages, from young teens interested in fantasy and science fiction to adults wanting to escape from the realities of 9-5 and the high price of fuel. The adventures are many, the action dynamic and the storylines within so wonderfully woven that the transitions from one to another are seamless and wonderfully easy to follow for even the most casual reader! I would highly recommend this book to all readers from ages 12 through adult. It is a great book to "get away" from the world today and visit Quark in his world so different yet so very much like our own!

Milky Way Marmalade by Mike DiCerto is an unusual and whimsical science fiction adventure that brings together a collector of exotic meats, a blue android, a purple-eyed woman, a dog with a secret, a bizarre quest to save the Wisest Substance in the Universe (known as the mythical L'Orange), and perhaps also all life as well. A loopy, riotous, and high-spirited, original space romp, Milky Way Marmalade is a lot of fun and documents author Mike DiCerto as someone to keep track of!

"Milky way Marmalade" is a rather strange science fiction book. I liked it, and I enjoyed the style in which it was written. All in all, I can honestly said that I have never read something like it :)

Do you want some clues about why on earth I say that?. Well, I suppose I could start by telling you something about the plot. The main character is Caffrey Quark, a young man who sells exotic meat, and looks for unusual specimens all throughout the galaxy. Truth to be told, that business isn't an easy one: "The exotic meat collecting business relied on place and time. It relied on punctuality, and an encyclopedic knowledge of galactic fauna and their individual mating, scavenging, migrating, hibernating, hunting and dying habits. But perhaps more importantly, success in the business relied upon the planet containing the exotic edible to have the decency to be there when one arrived". That kind of job can be tiring after a while, specially for a sensitive man like Caffrey, who eventually decides he cannot go on killing "miracles of diversity", and decides to retire.

Caffrey doesn't know exactly what he is going to do, but destiny has something prepared for him... As he is travelling in his spaceship, "The Moby Dick", he finds an old box with Earth music, including "The Rollings Stones"'s "Satisfaction" and "Stairway to heaven" by Led Zeppelin. When Caffrey listens to those songs he receives a great shock, due to the fact that the music he knew was pretty boring, and nowhere nearly as good as that. Caffrey becomes obsessed with finding more of the music that has "kick-started his soul", and as a result ends up selling his spaceship and buying a transport with a "temporal twist engine" that takes him to the "original" Earth, in the past, "in a time where its future still held potential". There he goes to many live shows of Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Yes and Genesis, among others, but also forms a rock band named "Marmalade skies".

Things were going too well to last, though, and soon enough people from his previous life will meddle in his new one, kidnapping his four bandmates, and forcing him in a quest for "L'Orange", the most important substance in the universe. Caffrey, a more or less normal man in bizarre circumstances, will be accompanied in his quest by Poe 33 (a robot who was supposed to take care of "L'Orange", but that seemingly lost it), his recovered spaceship,Angie (a very disgruntled main computer), a dog that is not a dog and Violet.

Why is Caffrey's quest important?. Simply because "L'Orange" can shape the universe, and there are people who want to shape one without music. As our unlikely hero understand that he goes from someone who says "I wish I understood my role in this little soap opera" to a person willing to do almost everything to save a world that has a place for the music he loves so much.

On the whole, I think that if you like science fiction and rock music, you will really appreciate "Milky way Marmalade", an unusual combination of both.

Belen Alcat

An orange cube of gelatin contains the ultimate knowledge in of the universe. Called L'Orange, or the Akashic Records, or the Philosopher's Stone, or the Universal Hologram, and so on, it contains the past, present and future of all things. In the year 3265, Trinesmart Quark, II, a "procurer" of exotic foods, travels the universe in pursuit of his trade, until he tires of killing exotics merely for the satisfaction of the extremely wealthy and indulged. Soon he finds himself in pursuit of L'Orange and engaged in a surreal adventure.

Floating in the vastness of space, Caffrey discovers an ancient jukebox and recovers the sound of 20th century music. Living in a time when music no longer exists, Caffey finds that rock and roll speaks to his soul. His new passion lends new purpose to his life and he retire from procurement to spend his life on 20th century earth. But soon the android Poe 33, Portsmith to L'Orange finds him and ask for help. Suspiciously separated from L'Orange, Poe 33 needs Quark to help him before another entity can capture L'Orange and gain ultimate domination of the universe.

Author Michael DiCerto pens a novel that combines the outrageous fun of HITCHHIKER THROUGH THE GALLAXY and Monty Python with the search for cosmic meaning. Exotic imaginings and bizarre adventure lend MILKY WAY MARMALADE an irresistible appeal with its whimsical and outrageous style. Science fiction fans will discover DiCerto's gift of fabulous characterizations and wicked plotting lends a dynamic freshness to the genre. With rich nuances that become at once spiritual and satirical, MILKY WAY MARMALADE belongs on the keeper shelf. Very highly recommended.

"If you plan to live in a society that uses money as a means of exchange, then it is intelligent to master money," says Phil Laut author of Money is My Friend. Of course I agree, while noting that I have trouble recalling ever reading that sentiment put quite so bluntly.

Mastering money is, indeed, crucial to succeeding in our society and fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, that task runs right through the task of mastering yourself, according to Laut. He effectively emphasizes the importance of throwing off negative programming and learning to write the script for your life and your financial success. He's 100% on target, but he makes it sounds simple, when, in practice, it may not be so easy.

Aside from the philosophical/psychological approach, Laut appeal's to the reader's analytical side by introducing and expounding on his four laws of wealth -- I. THE EARNING LAW, II. THE SPENDING LAW, III. THE SAVING LAW, and IV. THE INVESTING LAW -- throughout the book. But, where the book really excels is by offering ways we may have acquired "stinkin' thinkin'" regarding money and how to counteract it.

Money is My Friend is actually very similar to Moneylove by Jerry Gillies. These books offer slightly different takes on very consistent core themes. Since both authors site Leonard Orr as an influence, so it should be no surprise. Orr was an earlier proponent of the idea that the state of one's mind and one's beliefs about themself are key factors in manifesting more money. I actually like to think of these books in tandem. I recommend reading both of them in succession, as their slightly different takes form a more comprehensive whole.

In the final analysis, Money is My Friend makes a clear case that money, in and of itself, can not cure financial woes. But, the reader may rest assured in the knowledge that applying the ideas in Money is My Friend, as well as Moneylove, can pay massive, life long, dividends.

A friend recommned this book to me, and since I trusted this friend, I ordered the book. First of all, I am very sceptical of these money and beliefs books... but after reading through the book and doing the exercises, I realized the definite power this book has. It is extremely practical and provides the indepth work that one needs to do to overcome barriers to wealth.

This book really made me think. Its not a fluffy get rich quick scheme - its about owning up to negative values and habits and how to change them. I gladly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced poverty/and or debt and wants to rise well above it! It has really helped me challenge my beliefs...

BTW, after reading this book and applying these prinicples I ended up with a nice new apartment (and saved $200 in rent), a wonderful girlfriend (now fiance and soon to be wife) and I got rid of my 20 year old car and got a nice reliable vehicle... So there! The principles in this book are great! It WORKS!

Money making process is a very wide area. Author tried to mention all the ingredients that make a successfull money making formula. In doing so the book is more a list of things, then practical ideas how to accomplish them. Also I do not like how he goes very deep into psychology. Rich Dad's series are much better if you need to change your way of thinking about money.

Money is my friend is a wonderful "how to" guide on how to achieve financial freedom. It is built on sound principles that show you how to eliminate you financial fears and reprogram your conscious and sub conscious mind with affirmations of riches and success. One of the prerequisites that are required in order for you to achieve mega riches is to believe you are worthy of mega riches. This book shows you how to reprogram your mind to believe that you have what it takes. Highly recommend!

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works and Founder of www.EmpoweringMessages.com

This book does a great job of explaining the reasons for commonplace hang-ups about money and offers a very workable solution. I actually struggled with being an "over saver" - and there aren't many books written for us. Laut outlines a great way to live for today (spending what you have) while also saving for the future. It's easy to read and easy to implement.