News Books

This book is awesome wicked crazy and I would recommend it to anyone who was ever interested in anything on the edge of reality.

It shows a side of drugs that people without an addiction are rare to find. It is an honest account from a not so honest guy about an absolutely shameful pastime. I love this book.

Aleister Crowley is best known for his books and essays on magick (it was he who coined that spelling), but he also wrote several works of fiction. Diary of a Drug Fiend may be his best novel, even though it is in many ways more a platform for his ideas and techniques than a conventional novel.

The novel takes place in Europe, mainly England, around the 1920s. This was apparently the time when drugs such as cocaine and heroin were just becoming illegal and socially unacceptable. The story concerns a young couple, Peter and Lou, who fall in love, both with each other and with cocaine and heroin. Crowley, who had considerable experience with drugs himself, is very effective at describing the euphoria of people experiencing drugs for the first time. Their lives are utterly transformed in an almost mystical way. Of course, the body quickly develops an increasing appetite for these powerful substances, and soon more and more is needed. Soon after that comes the inevitable crash, when the addict must take huge quantities just to feel normal and goes through hellish withdrawal when drugs are not available.

In addition to the physical addiction, Diary of a Drug Fiend shows how the addict's overall judgment is clouded. Peter easily falls victim to a con man, and soon the couple are facing a shortage of money. They are only rescued by the intervention of a mysterious man called King Lamus, who is a thinly disguised version of Crowley. What makes this book interesting, and different from other books that deal with addiction, is that the real point is to show the power of the will to overcome any problem. According to this view, which adherents of modern 12 step programs will not take kindly to, there is nothing special about addiction. It's simply one way people can lose sight of their "true will," to put it in Crowley's terminology. "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law" was one of Crowley's favorite sayings, and it is repeated often in this book. The meaning, as is made clear, is not to simply do what you want or to follow your whims. That is how the couple in this novel end up addicted to cocaine and heroin. It means, rather, to follow your Will, which means living up to your highest potential, fulfilling your destiny or becoming one with your Higher Self, to put it in other terms.

Diary of a Drug Fiend is an enjoyable, if not a great novel; in some ways it's rather didactic, especially towards the end. Still, even someone who is not particularly interested in Crowley or magick could find the descriptions of the couple's descent into addiction and madness compelling. Crowley says in the introduction that the events depicted are all true. How true they are we may never know, but it is a fact that Crowley set up a kind of community in the Mediterranean called The Abbey of Thelema. The last few chapters of the novel depict a kind of idyllic life where people discover and live according to King Lamus' magical instructions. What Crowley did here, both in the novel and real life, is to try to set up a kind of laboratory of the spirit where people are led to reach their highest potential. At various times, other spiritual teachers, such as Gurdjieff and Rajneesh (both as controversial as Crowley in their own ways) established communities of their own. Whether Crowley succeeded or not is still hotly debated, but Diary of a Drug Fiend gives a compelling summary of many of his ideas. It is also an entertaining read with a style more accessible than Crowley's nonfiction books.

It's not quite as much fun to write a review when it seems everyone is basically in agreement. Crowley was not as evil as folklore suggests, and he was a lot more intellectually accomplished than his detractors would care to admit.

What struck me about this book were the resounding themes in the final chapters. (I don't think this is a suspense-driven book, so I don't see myself as "spoiling" the ending here.) "Do What Thou Wilt" may seem archaic or sinister, but it ultimately means nothing more than finding your ultimate purpose, your deepest will. Once you find that, your other problems will fall by the wayside. Put in those terms, perhaps the theme sounds too pedestrian. But the way Crowley presents it here in terms of overcoming a heroin and "snow" addiction is marvelous. In many respects this book, particularly toward the end, reminded me of Ayn Rand's writings, where man's ultimate potentials are examined and exalted. Crowley's King Lamus is not far from the John Galt and Howard Roarke idealisms. I walked away from this book refreshed and inspired. Thank you, Mr. Crowley.

Yes, if you have any interest in narcotics addiction this is a MUST-READ. Seriously, if you are a cop, or a lawyer, or a judge, this is a fundamental source of information that will really expand your comprehension of the subject of narcotics addiction. Thank goodness here in California the emphaisis is on REHABILITATION for users and simple possession. And, thank goodness, here in California if you are a dealer that clank you just heard is the prison door, scum bag.

Yes, for those with interests in the arcane, the esoteric, the occult or the erotic, your time will be well rewarded by the book. There is bizarre imagery and mystical references throughout. You'll have a blast with this one. Please note that these Crowley books become astronomical in price when they go out of print, even the paperbacks, so you may want to snag one of these even if you can't read it right now.

One sign of a good book for me is that when I'm done with it, the book is all marked up with pencil marks indicating points which I want to read again some day. Just about every page of this book is marked. Yes, it truly is classic.

Awesome. Great writer. First few pages took a little while to get through due to all the British lingo, but after that, it flew.

I always loved reading this... still do ...enough to have 2 copies on my shelf...and I'm 51. It's one of those few books that stick with you thru the years, one you don't forget and makes you think. I always thought it would make a great Disney movie.

Other reveiwers have noted that this book is pretty short and leaves you wanting more, but that is not such a bad thing. I read this a few times when I was seven or eight years old and the story stuck in my head. I couldn't remember the title, but 20 years later I remembered enough details to find this book with a few internet keyword searches. I was not dissapointed when I read it again as an adult. It is an excellent story with a good moral. I agree with past reveiwers that it is good when it could have been great, but I reccomend just taking it for what it is and enjoying it. Also, for anyone under 12 it is a great read and not too taxing. It's a great book for instilling a love of reading, so share it with any youngsters you know.

The book I read is called "The Forgotten Door". It was written by Alexander Key, a fabulous author,in 1965. It is the story of Little Jon, a young child from another planet, who accedintly falls through an abondoned portal to Earth. Bumping his head landing on Earth, he looses most of his memory, but not his amazing powers. He i adopted by the Bean family who understand his situation.They want to try to get him home, but will his amazing powers and mysterious background cause trouble, read the book to find out!
The plot of the book goes like this...
Little Jon is on his home planet, running with his friends and watching shooting stars. Suddenly, the once firm ground gives away, and he plumits away frome everything he once knew. When he awoke, he remeber very little. He was in a cave, and very frightened. he exits the cave and begins walking, trying to find a person. He stumbles upon a doe, and reaches out... to its mind! He talks to it gently with his thoughts, then follows it to a field. all of a sudden, a shot rang out, scaring little Jon. The deer runs off, leaving Jon to face his first human alone. A man comes across the field. He is mean to Little Jon, who cannot understand his language, but uses his mind powers to sence the anger in his thoughts. Again useing these powers that come so naturally to him, he lightens his feet and runs as fast as a deer, leaping over the fence with ease. Eventually he meets the Bean family, consisting of Thomas, the fater, Mary, the mother, Sally, the daugter, and Brooks, the son. They take him in an shelter him, but the rumors of this so-called "wild-boy" spread fast. The Beans help him try to get his memory back, so they can find out where he is from. When they learn he has never heard of "war" before, they reach the conclousion he is otherworldly. They taken him to the cave where he was found,to help him recover his memory. Befor much progress is made, a disaster strikes. A theft has occured in a home not far from the beans, and Little jon is accused. He is taken to court, where he reveals his amazing powers so that the Beans will not get in trouble. Now his publicity skyrockets. His powers disturb many of the towns crimals and ne'er do-wells. Theats start arriving at the beans home to get rid of Jon. One night Jon detects the evil thoughts of groups of the people surrounding the house. Confused and terrified the Beans are running out of options. Suddenly, Jon recieves confermation,through telepathy, from his people that the portal is open and he can come home. But the woods lurks with enemies and if he leaves, the Beans may well be killed. Finally the decide to...
Read the book to see how it ends!

The book I read is called The Forgotten Door. It was written by Alexander Key,a fabulous author, in 1965. It is the story of Little Jon, a young child from another planet who accidentally falls through a forgotten portal, or "door", to Earth. After bumping his head and then landing on Earth, he lost most of his memory, but not his amazing powers. He was adopted by the Bean family, who understands his situation. They want to try to get him home, but will his amazing powers and mysterious background cause trouble? Read the book to find out!
The plot goes like this...
Little Jon is on his home planet, running around with his friends and watching shooting stars. Suddenly, the once firm ground gives way, and he plummits away from everything he once knew. When he awoke, he remembered very little. He was in a cave, and very frightened. He exited the cave, trying to find a person. He stumbled upon a doe, and reached out to it... with his mind! This was one of the astounding things he can do with his mind. He talked to it gently with his thoughts, then followed it to a field. All of a sudden, a shot rang out, scaring away the doe and frightening Jon. The deer ran off, leaving Little Jon to face his first human alone. A man came across the field. He was mean to Jon,and even though Jon can't yet understand the language, he used his mind powers to sense the anger in the man's thoughts. Again, using the powers that come so naturally to him, Little Jon telepathically lightened his feet and ran away, running as fast as a deer.
Eventually he met the Bean family, with whom he learned English. The Beans lived in a small country town outside of Atlanta, Georgia in the mid-1900s. They took him in and sheltered him, but rumors of this so-called "wild boy" spread quickly. The Beans tried to help him get his memory back, but little progress was ever made, even though he constantly returned to the cave he landed in to look for clues. When the Beans learned that he had never heard of "war" or "money" before, they reached the conclusion he was otherworldly. But with rumors spreading like wildfire, it was not long before he was accused of a crime he did not commit.
He was taken to court, where he revealed his amazing powers in order to stop the trouble now surrounding himself and the Beans. His powers were of interest even to the military. This revelation frightened and dismayed the criminals and ne'er do-wells in the town, and threats to get rid of Jon came to the Bean's household. One dark and dreary night, Jon was with the Beans inside, when he heard the evil thoughts of many crooks surrounding the home, lurking in the woods. Confused and terrified, the Beans had run out of options. Suddenly, Jon received confirmation, through telepathy, that his people had reopened the portal and want him to return home. But the woods between him and the cave was crawling with enemies, and should he leave, the Beans may well be killed. Finally Jon...(if you do not want the ending spoiled, DO NOT continue reading!)... had an idea. He quickly explained the situation to his people, and they agreed to the idea of Jon bringing the Beans to live on his planet. Jon made a run for it, distracting the bad people while the Beans left their home and met him at the portal. Then they were gone, whisked off to a perfect world without war, laws, or money, to live where all kind families like the Beans deserve to.
The End :)
By: Eric Stevens

Like so many others, I read this lovely book when I was much younger, and it has remained with me to this day. It's a deceptively simple story, told directly & clearly, which poses quite a few difficult ethical & moral questions about the world we take for granted. Yet it's never preachy or heavy-handed. Through the eyes of Little Jon, we not only see the flaws of our own society, with its emphasis on greed, power, and selfishness, but we also get a glimpse of another, better world. Certainly any child who is puzzled by the needless cruelties we so easily inflict on one another will welcome this book. Why *does* it have to be that way? Why *can't* we rise above our worst instincts? Well, maybe we can ... and a book like this is a reminder of that possibility. It's inspirational in the best sense of the word, and most highly recommended!

I haven't been turned on so fast and for such a long period of time as I was when I first began reading Eve Locke's The Hooker and the Nun, it IS fantasticly raunchy and its descriptive areas are real, I've never felt so close to a sexual situation as when I read and study, believe it or not I really dote on every word, I just can't say enough about this writer and her talented style of giving us what we have been waiting for for such a long time, I love her.

This is one of a kind and this is so well described that I feel as though I'm one of her sensual characters,its exciting and raunchy and I can't put the book down,I get mesmerized everytime I open the book. I always wanted to have something written so good in terms of down to earth langauge, its my kind of story and Eve Locke is my kind of author, I'd like to meet her and lay some compliments on her but im lieu of the meeting this review is probably as close as i'll ever get and this is my way of letting the public in on some fantastic reading entertainment.

Eve Locke has to the the queen of ..., her story telling talents are second to none, we here at the hospital in Atlanta are being swept away by the raunchy way this novel is written, we love the four letter words, there not just four letter words, not in this story in this book they are classy desriptions of lewdness,just the way many of us would love to be involved in, this is a turn on the minute you open the novel, its mesmerizing and i'm turned on with every turning of the page. Its almost like being there and a few times I've become one of her charaters and thoroughly enjoyed my own climax's, and many of my friends have too. This book has made the rounds many times and its as though i'm taking a new lover with each reading, HOORAY for Eve Locke, give us more, I understand she has more as good or better, we're searching for them and when we find our rainbow's end we'll write another review, her story telling is spectaular.

This is the most exciting sensual book I've ever read. It's a turn on with every turn of the page.

This book was terrible! Masturbating with a state of the virgin Mary?? The constant references to the "honey pot" and what's with the old lady in the hospital??

I am so annoyed I wasted money buying both of these books. Also, was this printed in a garage? Many type-o's throughout the book.

Raymond Brown sure knows how to write an introduction. Though I am not exactly sure how long the New Testament is, surely it is dwarfed by the 800+ pages of Brown's commentary. He does an excellent job covering the books as well as discussing various approached to studying the New Testament. I used this for background while studying Mark. Thus, this work is approporate for specific research or a general understanding of the New Testament. Though it is not quick reading, if you have your bible handy it the learning process is better. Unlike many theologians, he does a good job of sticking to mostly understandable vocabulary. I would say this could be of use for all beginning and intermediate-level bible students as well as those extremely familiar with the doctrines surrounding the New Testament. High praise for Brown in attempting such a collasal task!

This is a great book. Ray Brown is a scholar who has the ability to write so clearly that he is able to pull together years of study and scholarship and bring beginners, students and Scripture readers up to speed on the latest in Biblical understand. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible and how to read it and understand it.

I apologize for this late review. The book is in mint conditions, and shipping was as fast as it could be. Thank you.

As others have stated, this if you only buy one book for a study on the nuts and bolts of the New Testament, this is it. It is extraordinary in its scope, magnificently researched, and best of all, it's written so well that it does not become tiring or try to impress you with huge complicated words or phrases. This is an outstanding volume for the common man and the advanced student as well. Thank you Raymond Brown for leaving us with this marvelous tool to understanding the times and structure of the New Testament - this book will serve as a legacy and the benchmark by which all others will be compared for ages to come.

I am a somewhat new Christian and have really felt a connection with God since becoming faithful. However, I became wary of Church dogma and completely literal, simplified views of info in the Bible. I knew it had to be deeper than that. I had a hunger to learn more about the history of the New Testament and it's books, letters, etc. to help me better understand it. This book was extremely helpful and easy to understand; but I can see how it would be good for people who already know about Biblical critisism. It has deepened my faith more reading this book which actually has a centrist point of view for the most part. Highly recommend to all. I had read Raymond E. Brown was the way to go for this information and I'd have to agree.

This is a good book for my 4th grade son. It is hard to find books on his reading level that hold his interest. The narator of the story is Hank the cowdog (also self proclaimed head of ranch security). The chapters are only 3 or 4 pages and give my son a sense of accomplishment for being able to read a couple of chapters each night.
Hank also has a few pronuciation problems, allowing the young reader to identify correct pronunciation and grammer. The stories are interesting and funny and have really improved my son's interest in reading as well as his grades in reading and language skills. We now own them all as well as many audio books as well. It was fun to hear Hank's voice and read along.

Some background for this review: I originally purchased Hank in book and cassette form for my nieces and nephews in the early 80's. What first caught my eye was actually The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog. Further adventures? I plucked the Original Adventures book from the shelf and was hooked after the first two pages. These stories are entertaining and funny, the characters, too; and they aren't just for kids, either. Everyone I have given Hank to over the years has enjoyed hearing and/or reading the stories. I also like that it is the author giving voice to his creations.

I loved hanks first adventures in this book.this book is great.

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog (Hank the Cowdog 1)

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

This book takes place on a ranch in Texas. The characters are Hank, Drover, Loper, the coyotes, and Bruno. Hank is the boss for guarding the ranch at night. He watches out for the chickens. But Hank got sick of the ranch. He tries to find the kill of the chickens, but eats one of the dead ones instead. Then he went to live with the coyotes and still tries to find the chicken killers. Does Hank go back to the ranch? You will have to read the book for yourself to find out. I really like this book because I got to see the author give a talk and read out of one of his books.

Essential resource if you're buying a piano or just want to know more about this wonderful instrument

I bought this prior to buying my piano and it was a lifesaver. I'd read about it and had to try it myself. I highlighted many passages and re-read many sections while making my selection. I have not only told many others to buy it, but have also "loaned" out my copy many times. A great investment, whether looking to purchase a used or new piano. Good tips for maintaining piano as well.

When beginning to look for a piano, we read Larry Fine's The Piano Book at the recommendation of our local piano technician. It is superbly written and highly informative. It covers everything from the mechanics of pianos in general to the relative features and qualities of various makes of pianos. In the end, it was well worth the effort and helped us make a well informed decision on the type and make of piano we purchased.

Just a few words: This guy loves pianos as much as I do. Buy this book. You won't regret it. I use it with my customers and my piano store, I use it for my own piano. It covers so many details that it will be a big mistake not to buy it. I has very well documented info, so you are very well prepared to buy, sell, rent, move, determine value of a piano. And the author keeps you updated each year.

Congratulations to the author...

The previous positive reviews are true; this is an indepensable book for anyone in the market for a piano.

Richard MacKenzie's approach to Self-Hypnosis is most interesting and inspiring...

It took just a few hours to read, and the aspect that I liked the most is that you can use it instantly. The change that the techniques produce is as well instant!

In short - this book tells you what you need to know and shows you what you need to do!

Knowing nothing about self-hypnosis I bought this book assuming that, like meditation, I could do it on my own without equipment. This book would be a helpful tool after working with other self-hypnosis recordings. Then one would be experienced and motivated enough to create a custom tape.

This book covers many specific areas of self-change and personal development. And as it covers all of the basics, it means that this title is beneficial for anyone.

"Things should be as simple as they need to be, and not simpler." This book took me only a few minutes to read, but the knowledge in it will last a lifetime. Mr. MacKenzie talks about self-change in the most quick, simple, succinct and ingenious way I ever read. (And I've read a lot...) And I have no complaints about his delivery of the subject matter, either. The way he uses language and metaphors shows that he isn't just a hypnosis/NLP expert on paper, he really is. And that's a beautiful thing. So, obligatorily, yet totallly encouragingly. Buy and read this book.

Captain Josh.

I've read many self hypnosis books and this is the first to explain it so clearly with such practicle directions as to actually get me to make a self hypnosis tape and get something accomplished!

My son and I really enjoyed this story, and we have the paperback at home. His first grade teacher had been looking in bookstores for this book and couldn't find it, so we ordered it for her. We ordered the library binding, which is sturdier for all the little hands it will be held by! This book has good historical value, and the basic content is accurate, without scaring the children. It's the best "Jack and Annie" book!

I purchased this book in order to replace a damaged one. The transaction was smooth and the price was great!

Magic Tree House has done it again!! Jack and Annie are in for the adventure of their lives when they climb aboard the Titanic!! An unsinkable ship that hits an iceberg. What will Jack and Annie do when they dicover that the Titanic needed twice as many life boats as it had on deck?Jack and Annie find themselves just as sad as so many passengers when they realize that people could have survived if the people who planned the voyage had thought ahead. This is an amazing story that I couldn't stop reading! Women and children were put into the lifeboats first becuase men were brave and cared about their lives. More than 1,500 people lost their lives. Everything was explained clearly so that you don't get confused. After this tragedy, laws were made so that all ships would have enough life boats for all of its passengers and an INternational Ice Patrol was formed so that ships could be warned about severe ice conditions. In 1985 a scienctist named Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the ship under water. I reccommend this book to everyone that I know!!

Here is a summery of this book. There is two kids and they were playing in the woods when they found a tree house. So the kids decided to see in side. So read this book to find out what happens to the kids. The way I found out about this book is because my mom told me to read a book when I was in 5th grade. So I heard about this wonderful series of books. I would love to recommend you to read this book. Who can read this book you ask! Anybody can read this book. If they like to explore then you should read this book.

What did I like this book you ask! The thing I liked was the characters because they are young and they don't know what was going on. They are always getting in trouble and they don't know why they are in trouble. I also like the action in this book. There are so many parts. I don't know how to explain. There are some parts I don't like is the length of the book. It is to short.

I loved this book a lot because it is nice and cool. I really think you should read this book. So read this book.

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

I was introduced to Angel Fire as part of my university's Western literature course last fall. It is one of the most moving books I have ever read as part of my classroom work which is usually pretty boring and hard to manage. But this book was totally different and is an awesome example of symbolism, totally real characters and had a beautiful message all wrapped up in a story I couldn't put down! The Vietnam parts were really graphic and made it hard for me to sleep for a few nights, but it wasn't there for a thrill because it ended up being an important part of the total story. My mother died one year ago and when Cassidy MacLeod loses his mother i literaly started crying because it was a perfect expression of a child's grief. In the end, Ange Fire helped me comprehend life and death in a way I might never have seen on my own. This is a book I will read over and over again as I grow older because there is a lot of good lessons for living a good life where "pain is the price we pay for memory." Thank you, Mr. Franscell, for this book. I hope more people read it again and again.

I have read BOTH Angel Fire and Don DeLillo's "Cosmopolis" and I think there's not much question that one (Angel Fire) is good, under-read literature and one (Cosmopolis) is simply sitting on shelves today because the author is "known." I take nothing away from DeLillo, and I agree with Ron Franscell's review of his book as being brave but not praiseworthy. The New York Times and Washington Post were even tougher on "Cosmopolis." But I want to praise Angel Fire as being one of those books that should be read for its insights into the human spirit. I've followed Ron Franscell's book reviews in the Chicago Sun-Times and read his novels, and I would highly recommend his work to anyone. I think Angel Fire, which is a story about two brothers in a very close relationship under heartbreaking circumstances, should be read by mnany more people. It's a book that proves if you only buy best-sellers, you'll miss a lot of the best writing.

I discovered Angel Fire and Ron Franscell quite by accident recently and soon realized that I had struck gold! Ron's descriptions of small town life and brotherly love were so real and touching I had to keep reminding myself that I was reading fiction. This is a beautifully written book that I will keep and treasure and read again.

A story of such poignancy that it quite nearly made me weep. An amazing depth of understanding of the human condition from a man who is entirely amusing and can find humor in almost any aspect of life. There's more to Ron Franscell than first meets the eye. Angel Fire finds the gaps in the walls and attempts to fill and mend them. This story demonstrates so well that life is not tidy - it is merely all we have.

A story about a man (Cassidy McLeod) who lost his brother (Dan McLeod) who died in Viet Nam. Cassidy gets a phone call and goes to his hometown. He thought about his brother and had a harrowing reunion. He had pains with his mind. As I a Viet Nam Veteran it reminded me of PTSD. Grief can and is felt by everyone. I read the book and it wass very good. Ron Franscell is on of the great writers of today. This book deserves to be read by everyone. It is on of my all time top ten books in my home and will be passed on to all my great, great, great grandchildren.

This is the second Nigel Calder book I own, and I am even more impressed. I am an ASA-certified instructor qualified to teach through bareboat chartering and coastal navigation. I have sailed on all sorts of boats, have owned a cruising style boat for six years, have heard boat owners and students complain about various problems, have read dozens of books, and through all of this have experienced so many mysteries related to corrosion, electrical problems, equipment problems, and issues with various boat systems. For the first time, I feel I have a single reference manual specific to boat systems that not only provides clear troubleshooting steps but goes beyond troubleshooting to clearly explain the mechanical and physical principles that demystify why things go wrong and how the troubelshooting steps systematically work through problems. The explanations are understandable, the instructions and safety tips are effective, and the diagrams and photos are valuable. It has already helped me deal with a grounding problem that was causing our main cirvruit breaker to trip!

I'm redesigning the electrical system for my boat and portions of this book has given me the knowledge to make informed decisions, with an understanding of the trade offs, about what features and capabilities I would like my new system to have. It has also provided information to allow me to make intelligent decisions about selecting new components to achieve my electrical system goals efficiently (save money by not buying things I don't need). I would recommend this book for the person with a basic knowledge of electricity who wants to understand either how their current electrical system works or how they might change it to make it better.

I am a student at a well-known school of boat building in Maine. This is one of the texts we use in our Marine Systems Technology course. It is very thorough, detailed and one can understand what the author is trying to say. I just gave a copy to my father-in-law who keeps his boat on Buzzards Bay. I think the owner of every recreational yacht should have one, if only to understand what the guys at the yard are talking about when discussing the systems on the boat.

The ideal book for understanding what goes on inside a sailing boat... beyond sailing.
Necessary and sufficient for a complete self maintenance of one's yacht, and when planning for upgrades.
As clear as a technical book can be.

This is a great book. I love the extensive coverage of electrical systems, as it seems so many boaters have problems with electrical. I was a little surprised that the engine section only covers diesel engines. No big deal, as most of the other stuff applies to gas too (impellers, transmission, etc), but I wanted to know a little about a head overhaul and there's not much there for the gas engine owner.
Still, I'd highly recommend this book to any boat owner who also has the gumption to do the work themselves.