Agnew Books

At first I thought, "Oh, this is going to be annoying." But quickly it became an addiction. I HAD to keep reading this woman's shrewish sermons to her husband. His pitiful attempts to defend himself are hilarious. I can only imagine the author laughing his head off while writing it. It's a must-read for fans of satire.

It is to be expected that any book written as long ago as 1845 is, in and of its very nature, dated; that's a given. Humor, alas,dies the death of old age far faster than other forms of literature. But, except for certain words and expressions, (which might be difficult at any age, given the difference between American and British English), this book was still vastly humorous to me; it is still easy to see why the original publication of these "lectures" was the making of the British humor magazine "Punch". It is as fine an example of well-written humorous fiction as I would hope to find.

Needing to escape the shadow people that haunt her in Colorado Springs, Micky Gunn travels to the Gunn Inn that she recently inherited from her late uncle Carl. In Pine Forest, Micky enters Poppa Joe's UFO Diner expecting alien eyeballs as a delicacy. As she admires a handsome hunk, a crazed patron points a gun at her but the intercession of the stud saves Micky's life.

Denver cop Jared Thornton is in town to learn who killed his Aunt Edith Pickles though he is outside his jurisdiction. Micky is thankful that he saved her life, but resents his take-charge attitude with the local police. When he learns she will be alone at Gunn Inn, he becomes concerned because he feels the same attraction that pulls her. The shadow people still stalk Mickey and a vampiric serial killer is on the prowl. Jared and Micky team up to stay alive and learn what is going on in this small Colorado community as Halloween approaches and another creature waits.

NIGHT WATCH is a terse paranormal romantic suspense that grips the audience the moment Micky enters the diner. The action-packed story line builds up tension on two levels; the deadly weirdness percolates as danger mounts and the love between the protagonists evolves during the taut plot. Micky and Jared are a delightful pairing of two people caught in a maelstrom of paranormal creepiness. Fans will enjoy this tremendous cleverly, designed tale; enabling a reader to appreciate this book as a stand-alone or peruse the first novel (see DARK FIRE) to enhance understanding of subplots not critical to NIGHT WATCH'S prime story, but move forward the overall arching adventure.

Harriet Klausner

Ms Agnew's new story will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, looking in the shadows and it will heat up your night with love scenes so hot, you dont know if you are sweating from excitement or fear! The Characters interact wonderfully with eachother, giving off the just the right amount of sexual tension, angst and fear. Once you start reading Ms Agnew's newest book in the Vampire Series; Night Watch, you will not want to put it down, if you do, the suspense of what happens next will litterally eat you up inside until you finish reading the very last word. This was the first book of Ms Agnew's that I have had the pleasure of reading and it certainly will not be my last! I eagerly away the next book in the Deep Is The Night Series!! YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Pressured Into Crime is a great overview of general strain theory - one of the more popular contemporary criminological theories out there. If you are writing a paper on GST, or want to better understand why some people commit crime, you need to read this book. Also, disregard the earlier review by "crimbookexpert" that suggested that this is about social bonding theory or that this book is the original source of Hirschi's social bonding theory. IT IS NOT. Great book though.

This book is an excellent source (and the ORIGINAL) source of Hirschi's Social Bond(ing) Theory. The original print date was 1969, although this new edition has an excellent introduction by Hirschi himself which brings some new insight into how this theory came about.

On all too rare occasions a book appears on the scene that, without exceptions, is essential and must reading for everyone. Neil McK. Agnew's and Sandra Pyke's "The Science Game" is just such a book. It is a formidable challenge to explain why in a very brief review. I hope that the following imagined conversation between a grandfather and his grandchildren will explain why.

Grandkids:

Gramps haven't you learned anything in your life time that you want us to know so we do not have to spend a lifetime to relearn it?

Gramps:

Emphatically yes! Life is a game of chance and uncertainty into which you are born. There are rules and patterns in the game that you must discover and apply as you are playing the game. The rules and patterns are not self evident, defy common sense, and most often are in conflict with what our senses tell us.

You have to know how to arrive at "truth" in order to place your bets. You, and everyone else in the world are playing the "truth game", and you need instructions how to play it.

The best introduction that I have ever read on how the truth game works, and how to play it, is Neil McK Agnew's and Sandra Pyke's, "The Science Game".

Of necessity we are all behavioral and social scientists. We have no alternative, and most of the time we are pretty good behavioral and social scientists. Unfortunately the goal of the science game is learn how to go beyond the limits of our senses in order to discover what is not self evident and common sense that will help us in making decisions and bets in our day-to-day affairs. So it becomes incumbent upon us to keep abreast of what is discovered that defies, and is in conflict with common sense, and learn how to apply it in the game of chance and uncertainty in which we are all trapped.

Unfortunately success in the science game leads us into inescapable paradoxes with which we have to learn to live. We are faced with living with the truth of what our senses tell us, and concurrently the truth of what we have accessed that goes beyond the limits of our senses that we have accessed through the science game, both paradoxically being right and in conflict with each other at the same time.

So the most important thing that I can bring to your attention is a warning. Danger! As the science game progresses you will be confronted with discovering how to live with inescapable paradoxes. You will be "paraboxed". (A word I've invented that will permit you to talk about and identify and define a problem, which is the first step towards solving the problem.) Being "paraboxed" is very unhealthy and can lead to dire consequences.

It is incumbent upon you, as early in your life as possible, that you become aware of being "paraboxed" and give much thought on what you can do about it. The place to start is with "The Science Game", particularly Chapter 2, "Big Puzzles, Small Brains", and Chapter 16, "The Truth Spinners".

Grandkids:
Thanks a lot Gramps! We thought that you would tell us something very important but happy.


Gramps:

Sorry kids! When I set out on a search for truth as a social scientist I certainly did not think that I would arrive at this conclusion. However the conclusion is the most important advice I can give you. It will be your generation that will have to address the problem of being "paraboxed" and solve it. All I can do is point you in what I believe is the right direction.

The best advice I can give you is to identify and define the problem as a first step towards solving a problem. To do so start by reading Neil Agnew's and Sandra Pyke's The Science Game!

See also,

Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People
Creativity and Madness: New Findings and Old Stereotypes
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (Dover Thrift Editions)
Flatland the Film
[FLATLAND: THE MOVIE (The official version)
A Guided Tour of Five Works by Plato: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo (Death Scene), Allegory of the Cave

The Science Game is back in a 7th edition. Hallelujah! I can now retire my much thumbed copy of the 6th edition that appeared in 1994. I wondered what had happened to the authors and feared the worst. I fear no more.

The new Science Game is every bit as good as previous editions and better. The authors approach the topic very much as the name implies, carefully pointing out the trials and tribulations of researchers and the often tortured path they must tread to reach a goal of valid results.

The text covers all the essentials of social science research methodology and does so in such an entertaining way that you almost forget you are reading a text book. And if I may dare say it has applications beyond research to decision making in general.

I heartily recommend the text for anyone teaching in the area or even to the general reader who wants to comprehend the research process.

I find myself using this cookbook everytime a special occasion comes up, not just the holidays. All of the recipies I have tried have been big crowd pleasers. I have an entire bookshelf of cookbooks and this is in my top 2 favorites. The recipies are old-fashioned and delicious. If you are unfamiliar with traditional southern cooking, this book covers all the best a southern kitchen can offer.

Agnew's cookbook is as functional as it is beautiful. Divided according to season (which means seasonal fruits and vegetables are often used), the cookbook is filled with wonderful photographs. The commentary is a bit long, but the recipes are worth it. The potato salad, Marinated Beef Tenderloin, Best Barbecued Ribs, and Cream of Asparagus Soup were all terrific. Most of the recipes require a fair amount of time, but the results are well worth it. We've used these recipes for special occasions like Easter or Christmas.

ALL ABOUT THE VETS by Sheila L. Agnew is an enlightening book for women of all ages, but particularly those who are moving into their forties. Our society begins to tell us we're old and useless and we shouldn't wear this or that, or it's too late to do something. Agnew lets us know that it is never too late. If a fashion strikes your fancy and it looks good on you, then wear it. If you're older and you've always wanted to start your own business or write a book, do it!

The book is broken into several chapters and each covers an important part of a woman's life. One chapter specifically deals with black women and their hair, and all the agony they go through, such as being told on the job what kind of hair style they can and cannot have. She never says wear it straight or natural - she encourages women to do what is best for them. In another chapter, Devine Beauty, Agnew speaks of the beauty within us that can shine out and bless those around us. The chapter How to Have a Great Date discusses getting to know a man before having any expectations about him and a future relationship. It also goes into dating younger men. She encourages women to ignore the negative media about the scarcity of men and get out and meet people.

The book is short and to the point yet it gives such hope and encouragement to women to get up and try whatever it is you want to do. Agnew definitely comes from a Christian point of view and writes in a very uplifting way. ALL ABOUT THE VETS is very inspiring.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

This is a fantastic book. It's very informative and has great photos of harness horses from our past. Recommended reading.

The Old west brothel shares as much of a historical image as does the cowboy or undertaker. "Brides of the Multitude: Prostitution in the Old West" is a look at where the income of many of the old western cowboy dollars went - the houses of ill repute. Looking at the women themselves, why they came to the oldest profession in history, and how they dealt with the daily hazards of the profession such as contraception and venereal diseases. The information found within is intriguing and of interest to any history fan who wants a look at what is never taught in school. "Brides of the Multitude" is enthusiastically recommended to history collections everywhere.

This book is a delightful history of England. It is a book for all ages. As an adult I have enjoyed reading the book for pure pleasure. My two teenage daughters have used this book numerous times for school projects, especially for their history and compostion classes.

After severely injuring her knee while on the job, smoke jumper Autumn MacAllister returns to her Montana hometown to heal though the place has one monstrous nightmare memory for her that she can't shake of her parents dying in an inferno. Autumn obtains a reporter's position on the local newspaper.

As a child, Autumn tutored Jack Dillon, who had a big crush on her that still remains inside his soul as he realizes when his heart pounds upon seeing her back in town. To her own shock, Autumn not only feels the heat between them, she cannot dampen her out of control scorching fervor. A firefighter, Jack's father also died in the blaze that killed her parents. However, though both have battled fires, neither has felt the heat that the magnetism between them emits. Before they can explore their feelings they must first deal with an arsonist threatening to raze the town

The threat of the see all arsonist adds torrid suspense, but that seems cool compared to the ardor between the lead protagonists who make a wonderful couple. In fact the story line is at its best when Jack and Autumn share romantic and professional interludes. The arsonist seems to aware of everything , but the audience will not care though Denise A. Agnew should include asbestos gloves to keep fingers from burning from all the heat generated by this fine romantic suspense.

Harriet Klausner