Series Books

Like most classic novels, "In Praise of Older Women" is a simple and wise book. I consider my life meaningfully enriched by having read it. (And how many books can you say that about?) I can understand why the author (to whom I give my thanks) pursued the dubious expedient of personally promoting it here. It cries to be read! But I fear that its European sanity with regards to the eternal dance between men and women will always be a foreign tongue to American readers, saddled as we are with the sexual neuroses of our Purtian founders. What Vizinczey has learned about women, and which he has graciously shared with us, is not feminist and it is not politically correct. It is simply true. People who value doctrinal conformity over thoughtful perception had better stick to Oprah-approved novels instead. Those seeking to understand our human nature a little better before it is lost to the grave are well-advised to start here.

I read with amusement the comments about how Americans haven't picked up on this book. Hate to bust some Euro-cherries, but I read this in the Fifth Edition (1969) in high school in rural Colorado in about 1970.

In its time, it was a good book. I had my son read it, and discovered my old copy while cleaning out his room (he's off to University). That in turn, sparked my interest to see if it was still in print.

I liked Vizinczey style when I first read it. It would be interesting to pick up on Andras in his later years, just to see how the character evolved. It's one thing to be unattached and picking up what you can, it's quite another to have been in a sustained relationship for more than a few years.

After +30 years I have found his descriptions of women superficial. Most of the 'older' women I know today, post birth control pill, post mass access to University education, post establishment of career, would make quick hash of Andras.

This is a classic book, in the sense that it addresses one of the many topics forever dealt upon by humankind in all form and manner, but in a refreshing light. The style is elegant, the prose superb and the story itself is extremely charming and interesting. I read the book when I was barely 11, and to this day I keep a copy on my book shelf (albeit now in sight of grown ups!).

My comment refers to the second FRENCH edition of this novel, paperback edition. I was curious to read comments of readers oversease and came to this site ...

I am a "post birth control pill, post university education, post career establishment and delusionment woman". Yet, I LOVED this novel and found these women so close to what we still are. Times have changed, life has become much easier for women - and maybe more difficult for men ? - but one thing has not changed : the relationship between men and women. When it comes to sexuality, men know exactly what they want, and from an early age, whereas women have to learn this gradually (if they are given a chance of course and are open to "learning" ...)This is why in 2006 you still find giggling silly teens like in S. Vicinzsey's book, adolescent older women (30 - 40, but also 40 - 50 ... Why should sexuality stop at ANY age ?), frigid younger women, and women of all ages who know what they want ! Nowadays most of the married women in the book Andras Vardas had a relationship with would get a divorce. However, they may first start with a lover and some will even chose to have a lover but not to divorce ... And of course this lover would look like Andras, a man who has learnt "not only to speak to women but also to listen to them." So have times changed? Hardly.

The book takes the form of a series of small adventures, one in each chapter on the background of Stalinistic and opressed but sexualy liberated Hungary in the 1950s and poltically free but puritan Canada. The anecdotes and the historical perspective enhance the interest of the stories.

This is why it is a wonderful little unpretentious book, not a milestone of the world literature (this is why I dump one star), yet a book to recommend for reading to anybody interested in men - women relationships, what erotism is all about.

I have just read In Praise of Older Women for the second time. Many reviewers have drawn attention to the wisdom contained in this little book, which slyly presents itself as a breviary for young men without lovers. I am reluctant to insist on its status as "an erotic classic," for fear that to do so would confine it to a very narrow context. Indeed, the erotic scenes do not constitute the heart and soul of the story, nor do they even take up very much room. Rather, the book brings some very subtle psychological observations to bear on human relationships. Note, for example, the analysis of the "rapport des forces" between the older women and the younger hero. Zsuzsa, a "small, colourless woman," struggles to overcome her pride. Her coyness turns to compliance only when Vajda snaps at her, showing his passion (one recalls a scene in The Red and the Black: playing for somewhat higher stakes that Vajda, Julien tears a sword from the wall, imprudently displaying his passion before Mathilde, who briefly sees that he loves her). Other women aim stinging remarks at the young man only to succumb to his advances; or else they are guarded and surly the morning after, suspicious (and, in many case, rightly so) of the young Don Juan's motives. In another case, it is Vajda who is prideful. In his efforts to keep up with an energetic violinist whose relentless athletic pursuits and strange sleeping habits he takes as a challenge, the poor Casanova wears himself down to the bone. Vajda also writes of the anonymous onanists, versions of Dostoevsky's "underground man," who keep to themselves and satiate their erotic cravings in solitude. These misanthropes belong to the category of men who have not opened themselves up to women, who want to seduce and dominate the opposite sex, unlike Vajda, who looks on women as "accomplices." The book is a very strong and subtle critique of pride. When I think back on its contents, I remember not only the pleasant watercolors of Hungary and Rome, the descriptions of bodies and faces, and the maxims worthy of La Rochefoucauld ("Whatever is sanctioned by society as a principal good also becomes a moral imperative"), but also the wry humor that examines human interaction with sympathy and insight. While desire plays a large role in the recollections of the hero, the extent to which the author soars above his past is quite remarkable. To be invited to partake of his calm gaze is a pleasure worth repeating. One can read this book again without tiring of it.

The book was very well received in France. "Un bain de bonheur" was how one reviewer described it. How to account for its popularity in Europe (the book has been a best-seller in Spain and elsewhere I believe)? It is true that eroticism has been raised to the level of a value in France, which deploys its Catholic moeurs like scud missiles against a monolithic (and not wholly imaginary) American puritanism. Ideology aside, the fact remains that France knows how to appreciate good literature.

I see that the author himself has posted a review translated from the French. Good for him. America should know about the European point of view.

This book may be overkill for the CCIE R&S track, but if you want to UNDERSTAND VoX and related technologies, this book is awesome. Now I feel like jumping over to the C&S track.

I haven't read the whole book, I'm 50% done, but the first impression is that there's too much theorical information, but I think we really need that. That's absolutely a wonderful resource. After reading some parts of this book I was able to setup a successful VoIP connection. This book also helps to understand the codecs, problems you can find, etc..

Good choice!

Daniel Lafraia
CCNP,CCDP

I bought the 1st edition back in 2000 and since then it is still the most frequently visited reference when I helped my clients to build VoIP networks. It was written completely from a hands-on engineer perspective, aiming at getting the job done. So you would expect very detailed description on signaling ..., design scenario, IOS programming and trouble-shooting in debug mode. My favourite parts are the coverage on Echo, dial-peer programming and SIP. After finishing a SIP network project, I'm just amazed how a book in year 2000 can provide such a farsighted material.

Keagy brings up a lot of important issues a level deeper than most books on the subject. It is a great reference book but most sections are readable all the way through. If you are moderately technical or very technical you'll get something out of this book. The more books you buy the subject the more you'll appreciate this one for its attention to detail and clarity.

I'm a qualified Cisco CCSI/Microsoft course trainer, and needed a book to get me started in the area of Voice networks in a reasonably technical, practical and non-trivial manner. I definitely found it in this book. Keagy provided an excellent overview of the operational details of voice networks & SS7, and married this well to Voice-IP networks and WAN technologies. It was refreshing in that, although Cisco oriented, you are thankfully spared the worst of Cisco's product placement sales pitch (for which you'd need the CVoice book). In fact I can concur with other reviewers in that Keagy's obvious practical experience, mature expressive style with plenty of useful figures/illustrations (which I personally as a trainer really appreciate) and ability to impart knowledge in an enjoyable worldly manner shine throughout in the text in a style that is remniscent of Doyle Routing - I look forward to more books by Keagy (hopefully his wife will let him :o)
Although you can buy books that cover the individual chapters in more detail (Keagy provides numerous references), this single tome is a must for anyone breaking into the trendy area of Voice from a predominantly data networking background.

I came across Vol 1 as a maths student in the 1970s. Indeed, the book was suggested to me by a quantum physicist recommended for the Nobel Prize in 1965 (John Ward, now deceased)- Feynman, Schwinger and Tomonaga shared the prize.

This is a difficult book and was not widely used even in the 70s as a textbook. I can recall the word "idiosyncratic" being used by someone to describe the book. The problem is that the book seeks to address deep issues and that requires hard work. It is not the sort of book a struggling student will find helpful. As one matures as a mathematician one can appreciate the incredible depth of the material. As a practical example - about 30 years after I first touched this book a Head of Quant approached me in relation to a paper by Marsaglia on distributions of ratios of normal variates. The verification of Marsgalia's derivation (which is non-trivial) is to be found as a series of 3 problems in Vol 1.

With the development of stochastic calculus in the finance world Feller can look a bit outdated but if you can understand the core material you are doing well. Stochastic calculus would be a push over.

Vols 1 and 2 present a treasure trove for those who want to delve into the area. I still use Feller's coin tossing example from Vol 1 to demonstrate to those in the finance world that their understanding of the "law of averages" is imperfect.

The funny thing is that Vol 2 (which I could never afford as a student) is so hard to get. I think that was because Vol 2 was regarded as even more obscure than Vol 1. I got a copy from Amazon second hand and it is now united with its twin in my study.

Peter Haggstrom
BONDI BEACH AUSTRALIA

This is the book we called Feller Volume II in graduate school. We used it to sharpen our intuition about probability. Feller was a master at explaining difficult things in simple ways. This includes the waiting time paradox and Benford's laws. For structure and rigor we looked elsewhere, Chung and/or Neveu. But Feller's books brought a joy and love for the subject. No statistician or probabilist should be without a copy on his shelf!
In spite of the fact that Feller produced one of the most general versions of the central limit theorem, there are no asymptotic theorems or proofs in this book.

If you could only ever buy one book on probability, this would be the one!

Feller's elegant and lateral approach to the essential elements of probability theory and their application to many diverse and apparently unrelated contexts is head-noddingly inspiring.

Working your way through all the exercises in the book would be an excellent retirment diversion sure to stave off the onset of dementia.

I read some chapters during second year of college, and I found a bit difficult. Later, after college, I read Feller's books (Vol I,II) and I could appreciate Feller's books as excellent : a delicate mix of rigor and intuition that only the verfy gifted can write.

I used volume I in my class in probability at CALTECH in 1980/81. While never sacrificing rigor, Prof. Feller had the rare gift of explaining difficult things is such away, that they would become not only mathematically clear, but also intuitively obvious.

I consider this book one of the best math books available!

Inspite of age of interview, the resultant product is of the finest quality, and we have the privilege of listening to the voice of this legendary person.

Not quite what I expected. Tolkien reads a great many of the poems and verses that is in the Lord of the Rings and some excerpts from the book. One reason why not more of the book is not read as it was just being published when these recordings were being made. May be they wanted folks to read the book. This is also very good for those who like to explore the background of his imagination, the history of Middle Earth.

I am so glad these recordings were made by Tolkien, and that they were preserved and released. i had heard some of these on an old record i borrowed from a library once a few years back, and only recently was made aware that it finally came out on cd. Its really a brilliant and wonderful little collection. Tolkien's voice and his singing really incredible. A personal favorite is Sam's song of the Troll. Tolkien was a true genius.

Who better to read Tolkien than Tolkien?

What I find so delightful in this compilation is the variety of mood and tone that both J. R. R. and Christopher bring to Tolkien's work. J. R. R. has real fun with the poems and narratives (especially of Sam and Gollum). The riddle chapter from The Hobbitt is an absolute treasure. J. R. R.'s vocal characterization of Gollum is genuinely first rate; no actor could have done it better. And his reading of the charge of the Rohirrim to the aid of Gondor is fully heroic.

But J. R. R. is always rustic whereas Christopher is erudite. The contrast is remarkable and somehow effective. Christopher's reading from The Silmarillion gives a sense of the depth of history of the Elder Days. His Oxbridge accent (after all, he grew up in Oxford) is perfect for the great persons he gives voice to. And of course he knows his father's work better than any person alive.

If you've ever enjoyed *reading* Tolkien, you owe it to yourself to *hear* Tolkien. You will love it! (And your kids will love Gollum!)

I absolutely love this group of CDs! Hearing Tolkien himself reading exerpts from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings make reading the stories themselves even more wonderful!
And when Christopher reads from The Silmarillion, it's just amazing, especially for someone who's been reading these stories since I was a little child.
I'd recommed these CDs to anyone who wanted ot listen to a true master of words.

Basquiat is one of my favorite artists. I was first captivated by his works that were used in conjunction with Mya Angelou's poem Life Don't Frigten Me None. I was entranced by his art! I looked all over for a book that would give me a retrospective of his art. I found it. This book is wonderful. Great color great art work. Check it out. You'll Dig it too.

I am not convinced that this is the BEST Jean Michel Basquiat retrospective catalogue to date...but the work selected for this publication is certainly consistently better than most others published before or after this one. Basquiats peak of productivity was from1981-83 and much of that work is catalogued here..But the dissapointment is that many of his last works (circa 1988) will not be found here....but in the more extensive Basquiat catalogue published by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery.
There are also a few images here that will make you wonder why they were selected and some of the text seems to over emphesize  
the fact that Basquiat died of a DRUG OVERDOSE.
You can skip the text or consider it ....it's the work that counts in the end!

This is by far the best catalogue of Basquiat's work as it was shown at the Whitney. By far, this book superseed others as it relates to quality and quantity of plates. Strongly recomend.

If you are looking for a wonderful combination of Basquiat's work and biography, this is the book to own. This book is full of many beautiful color plates of his work, as well as the story of his short, successful, but tragic life as an artist who had his brief moment in the sun before succumbing to the drugs.

Such a tragedy for a talented fellow like Basquiat to succumb to the temptations of drugs at such an early age. His paintings are so raw and fresh. I feel as though he used canvasses as giant doodle pads which he displayed to the world. Many of our own doodle pads (next to our phones, on our office desks, etc.) end up in the [bin] but Basquiat's ended up in the galleries and museums of the world. Some think of his work as [bad] but I view it as a treasure. Fine art, cartoons, grafitti and doodling...the best things in life. This book is the best collection I've seen of his work. The reproductions are well done and the essays are enlightening. For the art afficianado, this book needs to join the collection.

I read this book and thought, yes this Frenchman makes many derogatory and embarassingly insensitive remarks about the Inuit. However, contrary to what one reviewer said below in "Good descriptions, bad insights, July 27, 2005", the author slowly develops a great respect for the intelligence, culture and abilities of these people so much so that he begins to emulate them. It is a subtle conversion story wrapped in a fabulous adventure; thoroughly enjoyable and well worth reading.

My good friend and I were talking a while back after I had watched the movie The Fast Runner, which he had recommended. Talk got around to my deciding to send him my old childhood copy (out of print, I believe) of Peter Freuchen's Book of the Eskimos, and his deciding to send me his old childhood copy of Kabloona. Neither of us had ever heard of the other's book. I must say, as much as I've always liked Freuchen, I got the better of the deal!

What a wonderful book. So well written, such nice storytelling, so enjoyable, refreshingly honest, and unexpectedly insightful. It is haunting. It really is in a class by itself, although I have trouble putting my finger on exactly why this is so. All I know is that I did not want it to end, as I'm sure the author did not want his time in the North to end. And, like him, I don't think it will be the same if I go back and try it again. And I know I also had a strange feeling throughout which only later I identified as a form of envy, envy for the experiences this man had and for his ability to experience them so deeply. I've seldom felt envy mixed with awe and admiration like this before.

Of all the book, I was most deeply moved by his account of the priest out in the middle of nowhere who had survived and kept warm in incredible cold merely through the power of faith and prayer. Humbling.

A man comes out of nowhere, lives these experiences, writes this incredible book, and disappears back into nowhere. Amazing. Read it.

The audio CD is outstanding...indeed the best I have ever listened to. For one thing, the narrator is marvelous in recreating both the 1930's world of France and Frozen Canada. I can't think of any other book or audio that so successfully transported me into an alien culture. Considering that there are quite a few films and books about Eskimos, why buy this one written 70 years ago? Answer: the literary quality of this work surpasses the prose of the last quarter century. When you listen to the narrator weave his tale, it mirrors the experience of hearing a tobacco chewing explorer slowly recounting his adventures in the wild. The story dives deep into the interior life of the author as much as it details an ethnographic examination of (primitive) Inuit life. The myths and values of the Eskimos contrast sharply with the borgeouis morals of a gentleman of Paris. For example, in Eskimo culture, there is little concept of private property...that's why an Eskimo man will let you borrow his wife or a snow knife. Language in the arctic is far more concrete. A polar bear is HE WHO HAS NO SHADOW. Far away, in the cold Arctic, author Grontran De Poncins learns what it means to be human, a man preeminently. This is a romance, a classic reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe. If you buy the audio CD, you will not be disappointed.

This is a magical book which I first read when I was young. It inspired in me dreams of adventure which I did not follow, but which became a part of my inner life. Now that I am old, I am reading Kabloona again so that I can remember that I once was young.

I looked up at the bookshelf over my computer and spotted the battered 1941 edition of Kabloona that has been in my family for 40 years since I first read it in the village of Coppermine (now Kugluktuk) when I was a 12 year old boy in 1961. I decided to do an AMAZON.com search to see if anyone else knew of this marvel that had so enchanted me as a child, and found the site you are now visiting.

We were much more civilized in the Coppermine of 1961 than the same village the author had visited 20 years earlier. We had electricity, and communication with the outside world by a Morse code key at the Department of Transport office, plus we had a scheduled visit by a single-engine Otter every two weeks. It was a magical time for me (adults found it a difficult time, but they simply did not understand things)

The book Kabloona gave me insight into the minds of the people around me. We were a community of 200 Inuit (Eskimos) and 35 whites. The whites had as many of the amenities of civilization as they could garner, but the Inuit lived much as described in De Poncin's book.

I was enthralled by the awesome hunters with their dog sleds and their magnificent huskies, not show dogs or racing dogs, but working dogs that made the difference between life and death. The men would bring back the carcasses of seal and caribou, and the furs they had trapped. The women sewed the furs into beautiful garments that kept man, woman and child warm in intolerably hard winters. It was also the women's job to butcher the carcasses, which they did with incredible speed and skill using only the ulu, or woman's knife. I regularly witnessed the activities of this way of life. De Poncin described all this in his book, but he also gave me insight into the underlying culture I was immersed in.

You can't live the life I led 40 years ago as a boy in the high Canadian arctic, but you can vicariously journey there to an even more primitive time, and enter into the incredible peace and stillness of an arctic winter night in an igloo, or the warmth and safety of a house made of snow as an unbelievable storm rages outside around you.

I recently spoke by satellite telephone to a man in Coppermine from my home in Missouri where I now live, and found that the village I once knew is now a very different place. But you can go back to an earlier era with De Poncin. I assure you, you won't regret your wonderful voyage with him.

I don't know if I'm permitted to speak of it here, but I have described my life in those years in the Arctic in a book, The Boy Who Fell To Earth. It is available at Amazon.com for those would like to buy a hard copy, or can be read for free on my warmbooks.com web site.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I've read a few of Whitson's books before I got to this one and I'd have to say that this one is her best, so far... It's not just your average "love" story. And it's not full of tragic sorrow like a lot of other similar books. It was wonderfully written and is a must read for anyone who loves romance...

This is a fasinating story about a young German woman named Karyn. She comes to America, after her lover died in a recent war, to get married to Mikal Ritter. It is an excellant movel - one of the best that I have ever read.

This book focuses on Karyn and Mikal Ritter, who lived in Nebraska in the 1800s. Karyn is a "mail-order bride" from Germany, rather disappointed to arrive in her little soddy on the plains, but like most romantic heroines, determined to adapt. It's a sweet little tale, with enough historical references to arouse my curiousity.

This book was just as inspiring and precious as 'Sarah's Patchwork." I still read both over and over. When you close the book, you feel as if you have observed something very intimate and rare, and want to close it as gently and as unobtrusively as possible. These books are an absolute treasure.

Karyn Ensinger travels to America from Brandenbourg, Germany to meet and marry Mikal Ritter -- a stranger. After making an agreement that they will be married "in name only", Karyn determines that she and Mikal will be great partners, building a bright future together.

Just when she convinces herself that a good marriage can be built on things other than romance and love, she finds herself falling in love with Mikal Ritter. But how can she tell him? He seems happy with their "marriage in name only" agreement, and she doesn't want to ruin things. Maybe one day she'll build up the nerve...

But when Karyn's attractive younger sister Sophie surprises Karyn by traveling all the way from Brandenbourg unannouced, Karyn's hopes of spending time alone with Mikal fade. Dashed hopes quickly turn into anger and despair when she realizes that Sophie is plotting to steal Mikal away. Since she and Mikal agreed to be married in name only, what can Karyn do? How can she tell Mikal how much she loves him when he's falling in love with Sophie?

And if she prays for Mikal's heart to change, will God answer by making Mikal love her? Doesn't God ever give us what we want?

land of the lost mammoths is a brilliant read for kids and adults 12 years and up. I am [...] and it is my favourite book.

What a terrific book! Mike Davis sweeps the reader along with his teenage adventurers Jack, Julia, Conor, and Qav into the icy haunted reaches of Greenland with a flair and a verve that took me back to boyhood days spent under the spell of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" (the inspiration for "Jurassic Park"), Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth, and all the stories by Robert Louis Stevenson and H. G. Wells I could lay my hands on. Jack and his friends are brainy and brave, one or another of them knows all about carbon dating, kayaking, mountaineering, plate tectonics, and "refugia," and needless to say, all of this knowledge turns out to be handy, even life-saving, as they penetrate a weird and enthralling Arctic lost world. Through all their adventures, their loyalty and example of mutual aid are as impressive as their derring-do. For anyone who has ever wondered, as I did, why no one writes like Conan Doyle, Verne, Wells, or Stevenson any more -- Davis, a MacArthur fellow, does just that. This is a book to share with your friends of all ages. Perceval Press has done a beautiful job producing it, and the illustrations by William Simpson are as magical as the prose. He and Davis are a combination to compare with R. L. Stevenson and N. C. Wyeth.

As a mom who enjoys reading to her son at bedtime, I found Mike Davis' Land of the Lost Mammoths: A Science Adventure to be a real treat. The story moves quickly and is compelling, but most of all, it's refreshingly intelligent. So many books for kids today are "dummied-down" as though the authors are afraid to use language that might force a child to use a dictionary! Here, Davis informs and educates as well as entertains his readers. My son was thoroughly engaged and it raised some interesting discussions as we tried to figure out what would happen next. Also, my son loves science and the characters in this book reinforce the notion that science is a "cool" thing. A great message for a parent to share with their child.

Although deservedly touted as a "Science Adventure," Mike Davis's novel is much more than this. Certainly one of the most unique features of Davis's novel is its ability to stimulate further reading and interest in the geography and history of Greenland and the science and technology of Arctic exploration. However, "Land of the Lost Mammoths" also imagines a land of magic and mystery, of places that cannot be named and of persons that give name to dreams.

As the first in an anticipated series of adventures, Davis's novel is engrossing, imaginative, and magical. His trio of male and female protagonists (Julia, Conor, Jack and Qav) are inspiring not only for their accomplishments, but for their response to the discovery of a lost world. Moreover, Julia and Davis's rejection of traditional "damsel in distress" adventure scenarios in the course of the novel is inspired. Davis has clearly offered a novel that will appeal to the imaginations of readers of all ages.

"Science adventure" sounds like an oxymoron. But Mike Davis strays from urban theory here: a young adult science adventure with a few hints of sci-fi. "Land of the Lost Mammoths" is that rarest kind of kid book -- educational and fun, not to mention as intriguing to adults as to their honor student kid.

Four young students win special U.N. scholarships, thanks to their brilliance in biology, engineering, linguistics and ecosystems. They're going to Greenland, to study under celebrated scientist Professor Dansgaard. Jack, his half-brother Conor, Qavigarssuag ("Qav") and Julia soon find that Dansgaard is indeed brilliant, though rather eccentric.

But how eccentric? They find mammoth bones in Dansgaard's office, and learn that he believes that mammoths still exist somewhere nearby. He also believes that the descendents of an ancient Viking colony still live in hiding. The group travels to a legendary valley in a glacier, but things start to go wrong, pitting them against the forces of nature -- and a Viking sorcerer.

Perceval Press is best known for publishing spellbinding poetry, photography, music and other art. Here they take a small detour -- it's sort of a modern Jules Verne book for kids. Davis doesn't let the plot lag for a moment, and he's not afraid to sprinkle in stuff to give you thrills and chills. Is all this science and history boring? Heck no.

The plot is sprinkled with examinations of ecological and political ramifications. For example, Qav brings up the U.S.'s controversial presence in Greenland at one point. Another would be the conflict between the expedition members -- should they bring a gun into a Viking camp? The question of whether they should risk themselves to avoid contaminating an unspoiled culture is a hard one, and not one that Davis chickens out on.

The characters are well-drawn and likable, and Davis successfully makes them seem intelligent and innovative without being annoying. And William Simpson provides delicate, detailed black-and-white illustrations, complete with animal skulls and Celtic knots. It adds to the feeling that the present and past are twined together in this book.

"Land of the Lost Mammoths" is a surprising but very welcome "bedtime story" from Mike Davis, with enough fun and thrills to send readers scrambling for more research books.

This book is a must for any dragonlance fan. Have you ever read one of the dragonlance books and wondered how does Otik make his potatoes so that they are known all over.....well this book has the recipe in it but also the music from the songs that are in the books.This book also has some short stories that were never told in any of the novels. I love this book, no dragonlance collection is complete without it.

This is a wonderful addition to any avid fan's collection of DragonLance. I, found myself actually making the recipes, trying out the music and just having a great read over all. I found it gave additional insight into the characters and the world of Krynn. This is my second second time buying this book, lost the first one a while ago and I had to get it again.

Along with the Dragonlance Atlas, Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home sourcebook is a must have for those who are in love with the novels...yes the novels! I believe this is a book to supplement the AD&D RPG game for a DM to enrich the game with but its not your typical Sourcebook with rules etc. It is like a supplement to the novels choke full of stories and straight facts about the world of Krynn...this is a treasure! I guess another way to describe it would be: this source book could very well be what a shared author references when writing in the world of Krynn and you can own it!
Some info you can look forward to:

-Learn about some of the Ages
-Details on how the Companions met
-Read about some of the various artifacts including: Dragon orbs, Hammar of Kharas, Wyrmslayer,etc.
-Maps
-Songs
-Various legends and tales
-And various essays and much more!

If you are eating up the world of Dragonlance and want more of the details and you want them quick you got to grab this out-of-print gem and pick up the Atlas as well.

After a long search (and learning once the Ms. Weis herself hadn't manged to get a copy), I finally got my hands on a copy of this. It provides a great additional source for the history and world of Krynn, as well as some excellent songs, and my personal favorite, recipes (I particularly love the Kender Travelling Kiffles...difficult to make, but addictive). I hope they bring this one back into print as it's a great addition for the collection of anyone with ANY interest in the Dragonlance series.

Being a fan of Dragonlance for many years, but also being unlucky to not get this book the first time it was published, I was very happy to see that the publishers decided to put this book up for sale again. "Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home", is great if you want to know more history on the Dragonlance. It has a lot of info on the Gods of Krynn. There is deeply detailed information about the past of Krynn. Including wars, gods, dragons, and anything else you could possibly want to know.

There are also songs, poems, and recipes. Many of the songs and poems were published in the original Chronicles or Legends. But it is nice to have them in one place in easy reach. The recipes range from Gully Dwarf Stew to Otik's spicy potatoes. This book is definatley an entertaining companion to the Dragonlance world. People looked for it everywhere when it out out-of-print. So what better time to get it than now when they are publishing it again.

This is probably one of the best lesbian characters ever written. The problem is we haven't had a Micky Knight fix in years. Where oh where are you JM??....Please give us more Micky Knight and Cordelia!!!

I have all of the Mickey Knight series and i am hungry for more. As an avid reader of true crime, authors like Ann Rule, Roy Hazelwood etc, i was surprised at how well written these books were. I couldnt put them down.
Come on Ms Redman when is the next one coming out ???
Mickey Knight is brilliant. The storyline typical of the deep south and its age old mystery and the book seems to drag you willingly into the depths of its darkened corridors. The women appear real, not wishy washy like most lesbian heroines. The plot seems to easily weave its way through the book yet it keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see just what is about to happen next. I have spent many a sleepless night reading these books. I just couldnt put them down once i started reading them. Oh for the tardis to take me to New orleans.

I only recently discovered Micky and have devoured all 4 novels over a span of 3 weeks. I adore hard-nosed Micky with all her foibles and weaknesses. Add to that an amazing cast of characters and you can't go wrong with this book or any of the previously published in the series. I recommend them all! I only pray that Ms Redmann keeps churning out more Micky Knight adventures. I, for one, am hooked! Bravo!

Finally this book is back in print. I read a friend's hardback copy, thinking the paperback would be out in a year or two. That was over five years ago. I was introduced to Micky Knight when
I picked up a mass market copy of THE INTERSECTION OF LAW AND DESIRE about ten years ago and looked for more books. Since the first two books were out of print, I waited for the next book in the series.
This excellent book about mothers and daughters kept me reading until my eyes wouldn't stay open. I finished it the following morning. Micky Knight has been described as "hard-boiled" by some reviewers, but I think that tough-veneered is a better description. In fact, she is extremely vulnerable. what I like most about Micky is that she doesn't just tackle ordinary crimes and shoot people and kick butt. Yes she does shoot a time or two, but it is usually not an easy thing for her and is almost always in self-defense and when she kicks butt, she doesn't bother to take names. Without giving away the plot, let me say this book is about daughters looking for their mothers -- including Micky.
Redmann writes complex plots and well-developed characters. There is a cast of friends beginning with Micky's lover Cordelia, and her ex-lover assistant DA Danielle Clayton (and her life-partner, Elly) Police Sargent Joanne Ranson and her life-partner Alex, Micky's cousin drag-queen Torbin and his life-mate Andy. We were introduced to them in the first of four mysteries and we learn a little more about them as the series progresses. There are some less likeable recurring characters, especially Micky's Aunt Greta and her despised cousin Bayard.
Micky Knight is a complex, usually likeable woman who cares deeply about others. If you haven't already read this book,do so. And read the three other Micky Knight books.

and it's a crying shame that they are not kept affordably in print--for one thing, it deprives Redmann of some very well earned revenue. In many ways, this 4th installment of Micky's adventures reads like the natural conclusion to the cycle of investigations opened by the first volume in the series, when we were introduced to a tough and beautiful lesbian babe-magnet with a smart mouth and endless compassion for those in trouble. She's physical (and even promiscuous--but the series is about how she gets tamed), she's achingly vulnerable, she's noble, she's got demons. Only in Lost Daughters do we meet her settled into a proper relationship, so the angst quotient is considerably lower than in the other books. Still, the conclusion to her search for her mother is unbelievably touching, and handled with just the right measure of reserve. Much as I'd love to see more of her, I wonder whether Redmann (whose website, ominously, appears to have vanished from cyberspace) is finished with her adventures. If she is, I just pray that she has another heroine in reserve for us to cheer on. Like the Meg Darcy books, with their lovingly depicted St. Louis locales, the Mickey Knight stories set us in a believable New Orleans, with its social strata, its weather, its flavors and smells.