Ames Books

_This little rare gem of a book is one of the first examples of apocalyptic science fiction to originate in the U.S. (originally published in 1889.)

_Briefly, it is the account of a Persian expedition of exploration in search of the fabled city of Nhu-Yok, as told by the leader of the expedition. They find an endless expanse of ruins- complete with Statue of Liberty (completed just three years before the book was written.) Indeed the entire continent is now a wilderness once again. It all stands as an object lesson of the fate of the "Mehrikans"- "their rapid growth, their vast numbers, their marvellous mechanical ingenuity and their sudden and almost unaccountable disappearance." There is something uncomfortably and eerily prophetic about this unique excercise in speculative fiction- given the recent events concerning New York and the Islamic world. Also, the fact that the author places blame of the depopulation to "Climatic changes, the like of which no other land ever experienced" is uncomfortably close to our current situation.

TO THOSE THOUGHTFUL PERSIANS
WHO CAN READ A WARNING IN THE SUDDEN RISE
AND SWIFT EXTINCTION OF A FOOLISH PEOPLE
THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED

By the way, it is the 1902 edition that contains F.W. Read's haunting color illustrations.

Philippe Claudel's book takes the reader back in time to World War 1 in the Lorraine region of France. Already crushed by the war, the little community of V. is even more shaken by a series of suicides that culminate with the murder of a little girl. Although set in France between 1914 and 1937 (time when the narrator relates his memories), the book is strangely universal: war happens anywhere at any time and is no more than legalized crime; crime also happens anywhere at any time and when it is a small child that is involved, it remains all the more horrific. The reader quickly forgets that it is World War I and can easily apply the events to contemporary times, contemporary facts of war. The author also manages to convey intensity through the rich use of the lexical fields of blood: war, murder, suicide, delivery hemorraghy, death, and the permanence of the gray that is part of the French title. Are those "Ames grises" ghosts, are they grey because real life is never black and white, are they "grises" because they are drunk (in French, someone is "gris" when he or she ha had too much to drink, and in the book, it is the civilians and the soldiers' main occupation apart from dealing with the war)? There is no doubt that the author also played on Gogol's famous book "Dead Souls".
Until the very end, the author manages to capture the reader's intrerest and there is indeed no clues as to who has committed the crime. I will certainly not waste the reader's surprise.

Annie Morgan is recovering from giving birth six weeks ago when she learns that new neighbors are moving into the expensive house across the street. When she notices that the couple have a toddler with them, she is elated because her suburban Boston neighborhood has no children except hers. She quickly becomes friends with the woman who just moved onto the block.

Both set of parents have baby monitors and Anne discovers that when she moves her monitor to Channel B, she can hear everything that goes on in the Shield's house. Anne cannot stop herself from listening in, but soon learns something about the husband, David that frightens her. Not only is he cheating, he appears to be involved in an illegal medical practice in Mexico. He is apparently involved with miscarriages in order to obtain fetal brain cells to be used in a dubious treatment for Parkinson's disease. Annie risks her life to end David's nefarious practice even as she also knows most people will find it hard to believe that someone of his sterling reputation could do anything as dastardly as she claims he is doing.

Sorrell Ames is a wonderful new talent on the medical thriller scene. The action is non-stop, but it is the characters that make the book. Readers will feel as if they know and care for all of them, even the bad guys, who deserve a torturous punishment. Several questions on medical testing and fetal tissue research leave the audience with much to ponder. LISTENING IN rivals the best of Palmer and Crichton because the novel allows the layman to understand medical terminology and technology while careening through a fast-paced story line.

Harriet Klausner

I was quite taken back by this work. I suppose it is because I love the idea of helping street children and this is part of what the storyline is all about.
Maggie Madison and her friend Delta run a shelter for runaway and troubled children in the heart of Atlanta.
Maggie has devoted her life to this work and is constantly badgering local business people for support money. Most are generous but one Adam "The Orge" Fuentes never seems to want to help without her constant nudging. Needless to say their relationship is nothing more then strained.

The true story begins when Adam's niece runs away and Adam finds he must seek out Maggie for help. His greatest fear has indeed come upon him, but little did he realize that a spark would ignite between them and despite all the past harsh words and misunderstanding, they were destined to not only bring a child home, but bring their own hearts home as well.

Madison's Miracles is a story of love, family commitment and devotion to the well being of children. It is laced with deep seated emotions of past traumas that the characters must face up to in order to find their true happiness. A well crafted read that brings out the plight and cry for help of children, sprinkled with a tender love story of two hurting souls becoming one. Highly recommended.
Shirley Johnson

This is a great book for children and begginers to coloring. If you complete each step you will learn a few things about the use of color and working with simple shapes and lines.

Translated in 1940 and reprinted in 1961, Stanley B. Griffiths work is timeless, relevant, and is a must read for those seriously exploring the Western use of joint, interagency, and multinational force to counter guerrilla activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, Colombia, etc.. Griffith's 1961 introduction alone is worth the price of the book. His recommendation to study guerrilla warfare in 1940 and again in 1961 was on the mark. He cites examples of successful guerrilla operations (Frances Marion; the Spanish against Napoleon; the Russians against Napoleon; the Russians against Hitler; the Vietnamese against the French, Castro in Cuba) and the value of these historical examples to further study. He cites ten key factors worth comparing to determine which side has the advantage in a guerrilla war. His discussion of the three phases of guerrilla war, and the warning to stop them before they they advance beyond phase one is sage advice. His recommendation to locate, isolate, and eradicate is a simple pattern for developing an effective counterguerrilla strategy. He does warn that countering guerrilla operations is not solely a military activity--the political arm is the key. Perhaps it is his conclusion that historically, there has not been a counter to revolutionary guerrilla warfare which gives one pause when addressing world events in 2003. Griffith comes to these conclusions by laying out Mao's thought in simple, clear writing. Essentially, Mao recognized the fundamental disparity between agrarian and urban societies, he advocated unorthodox strategies that converted deficits into advantages: using intelligence provided by the sympathetic peasant population; substituting deception, mobility, and surprise for superior firepower; using retreat as an offensive move; and educating the inhabitants as an offensive move; and educating the inhabitants on the ideological basis of the struggle. This radical approach to warfare, waged in the mountains by mobile guerrilla bands closely supported by local inhabitants, has been adopted by other revolutionary leaders throughout the world. The challenge for those studying guerrilla warfare is still on the table: what do you do about it? A start, is reading Mao's writings which provide the first documented, systematic study of the subject.

The poetry in this collection will be appreciated by anyone who has been involved in an intense love relationship and who has endured the ups and downs of a partnership with many highs and lows. With sections on the pre-marriage hopes and expectations, the reality of a less than great marriage, and the escape methods of infidelity and sexual replacement with work and hobbies, this book has a personal reminder of everyone's own relationship history. For those who want to repair their current relationships, this book will open the lines of communication fast.

"A Masdevallia Cultural Guide" is a wonderful book, both as an introduction to this fascinating genus for the beginning orchidist and as a reference for more experienced growers. Rhodehamel has put together a comprehensive list of species with their habitats in the wild and their cultural requirements in the home or greenhouse, and presented it all in an easy-to-use format. The information provides a clearer understanding of the special requirements of these plants, hopefully leading to improved cultural practices (or selection of species more suited to the conditions you can provide) and a more rewarding growing experience. I think this book is a must for every species nut out there.

An immensely enjoyable detective romp, first published in 1919. The writing is sometimes a bit stiff and pompous, but the plot is satisfyingly dense, the mystery is intriguing, and the atmosphere and characterization (which are the point of the whole thing) are top-notch. My favourite was the old stamp dealer who exclaims, "You think and argue on modern lines -- which are, of course, highly superior."

This book is as facinating as it is informative. The hundreds of pictures are absolutly stunning and the captions are informative and well written. The book is a great look at not only aircraft preservation, but also the scrapping and recycling of those once proud aircraft that served with distinction. It begins with the history of the aircraft reclamation industry in it's infancy, after World War I, thru World War II, on to the conflicts in Asia, The Cold War, and then to today (Year 2000). The visualizations are stunning, the most memorable being a B-17 bomber with the "chopper" hovering only a few feet above the center of the fuesalage. The authors take you on a tour of the great scrap yards of yesterday and today, drawing you in, and making you wish you could walk the rows of B-24s, B-17s, P-51s, F-84s, F-4s, C-147s, and countless others and learn about the historic and heroic past of each of them. I highly recommend this book to ANY avaition fan or anyone even remotly interesed in military aircraft of the past 100 years.