Barton Books

This collection of learned essays starts off rather studious, with a lot of notes on the scriptural sources of Christological doctrines. But the later essays grow into a theme of how the Gospels have changed history. And here we see a record of people moved, not by doctrines and creeds, but by what Jesus actually taught. I'd especially recommend the inspiring essays, "The gospels embodied: the lives of saints and martyrs", by David Matzko McCarthy, and "Living the gospels: morality and politics", by Scott Bader-Saye.

This is a collection of speaches from some of our lesser founding fathers. It includes speaches by John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Noah Webster, George Bancroft, and Elias Boudinot. Each is preceded by some background information about the inidividual and other historical tidbits. Provides some excellent insight into the period.

It was interesting and seems to cover all her life in an exciting way. It really shows who Clara Barton was and her example.

It was a joy to use this book for a History Day presentation because there were comments in Barton's own words from her thoughts and diaries. There were little known facts to keep the interest of the young adult reader, and these facts tied Barton to the historical background. I would highly recommend this book.

There is a lot of info in this book,but there is not enough to do a full report with just this.You could improve it by putting more info on her family and education.

What would our world be like without clowns? Let's hope we'll never have to experience such a time. The subtitle of this book describes the dual role of clowns in Hopi life and religion. Clowns are (both): "tradition keepers and delight makers". To the Hopi, clowns are more than just circus entertainers. To be sure, they function as slap-stick merry makers to the delight of the gathered crowds, but they are much more. From the Koshare (Tewa clown) to the Koyemsi (Mudhead) to the Kwikwilyaka (Mocking katsina) and the dozens of other clowns described by the author, the Hopi clowns serve as teachers who share valuable lessons about both the good and bad in mankind. Their role, as "tradition keepers" is critical to the Hopi way of life. Barton Wright does an excellent job of sharing the background and purpose of a wide variety of clowns. At one point Mr Wright describes them as the "caretakers" or "fathers" of the people and other kachinas. Such insight is critical to one's understanding of the Hopi, their customs and their dances. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Hopi legend and history or for the collector of Hopi art. The photographs and sketches contained in this 2004 publication were lacking in both quality and detail. The sketches are primative and most photos contain examples from the 1970's rather than the highly detailed carvings of 1990 and beyond. With this in mind, my rating dropped from "5" to a "4". Overall, the book is one which I would recommend for any Hopi library.

I really enjoyed this book. It applies the techniques of computational complexity to several of the prevailing models Natural Language Processing in an attempt to assess their practicality. Well done, and a neat application for a typically theoretical subject.

I can see how this was a good product in its day. Published in 1987, CTHULHU NOW allowed players of Call of Cthulhu to run games in the present. At the time of this writing, that was 18 years ago. It feels less current and more ... nostalgic (?) to me. Of course, Delta Green is 10 years old now and there's been a lot of water under THAT bridge. Still, 1987 is more like "now" than it is like 1927, so I believe it still has value as a modern gaming supplement (some things, like weapons and science, haven't changed that much. The Internet and technology has). Of course, maybe you'd just like to play an 80's game - in that case, bring on the retro!

CTHULHU NOW has some great articles on forensics, weapons, and modern skills, equipment, and money. Fortunately for players, this has largely been included in the main rulesbook; of course, that reduces the need for this sourcebook. There are also 4 adventures included - "The City in the Sea", "Dreams Dark and Deadly", "The Killer out of Space", and "The Evil Stars". There is also a section of tear-out handouts (which I think is an improvement over breaking your book's spine to photocopy pages) and a 1980's investigator's sheet (which is now in the core rulesbook and also available with the Byakhee software).

The articles:
Modern investigators: If you have the core rulesbook, you don't need this at all. If you want to run an 80's campaign, it could be handy. The problem with it is that it details costs and equipment availability. There's been a lot of inflation since then, but surprisingly new technology has seen a lot of deflation, so that it would be impossible to "project" prices into the future (for things that players don't already know the price of - say, night-vision goggles). I guess the authors could not have forseen just how available technology would become in our day. Reading anything on computers is a little amusing.

Forensics: This is the best article on forensic pathology that I have read - both techniques and their development over time. A great article - on the other hand, you could do well enough for a game by watching a season of CSI.

Weapons: Again, a great article on modern guns, their characteristics, availability, and use. Again, much of this has been reprinted (particularly in D20 CTHULHU, which has a whole chapter in exquisite detail).

The adventures::
The first one, "The City in the Sea", was a wash for me. Not particularly excited about it - it could have been set in any time period as far as I could tell (even a "Jules Verne" version of Gaslight). An investigator gets sent an idol from a deceased uncle - haven't seen that one before. The second, "Dreams Dark and Deadly", is set in a lodge turned into research station. Dreams are studied using a supercomputer recording electrical signals. Perhaps it was science-fiction at the time, but it sounds exciting in the modern day to me. Very believable, could be well adapted to the 90's or even today. "The Killer out of Space" is about an alien that causes a space-shuttle to crash, bringing its infection to Earth. Some have said this could be in bad taste after the Columbia disaster. I think it could also be very apropos, depending on your players. "The Evil Stars" is a about a rock band bringing Hastur to Earth - at first glance I thought "That's so 80's." You could change the superficials - rock band to grunge or death metal, particularly, and still have a good modern scenario. Some scenarios are a prisoner of their times, but I think this one has an enduring core idea.

In summary, I think this is a good product for its times. Much that was good has been incorporated into the core rulebook, but the weapons and forensics articles are handy if you don't have them somewhere else. Three of the four adventures looked good and accessible to any "modern" period - 80's, 90's, or post-millenium. These scenarios shoudl be particularly good in conjunction with Delta green, but then again, what isn't?

A superb blend of contemporary first-person accounts (memoirs, letters, diaries, etc.) that captures the impact of the Civil War on the home front in the Winchester, Virginia, area, as well as life as part of the armed forces of the Confederacy. The principals were present at some of the major events of the Civil War, but the strength of the book is its ability to relate the feel of the times.

From the back...
Once Deborah Vaughn had loved Ashe McLaughlin with all of her teenage heart. Then he'd disappeared, leaving Deborah with nothing...except the son they'd created. Now Ashe was back, insisting she play the part of his lover.
Ashe had never forgotten Deborah and the night of passion they'd shared, or the way her father had railroaded him out of town. But as the star witness in a murder trial, Deborah needed Ashe, and he would do anything to keep her safe...and the safest place for her was in his arms.

In my Opinion...
Ashe is called back to his hometown by Deborah's mother. Ashe is told that Deborah is in need of a bodyguard. Deborah witnesses a murder and plans to testify against the man, however, someone is threatning her life and trying to keep her from telling what she knows. Ashe never thought that he would return home after Deborah's father ran him out of town, but how could he say no when Deborah's life was on the line. Ashe moves in with Deborah, her mother, and her brother. Deborah hoped to never see Ashe again after he left her years ago. She has never told anyone that her brother is actually her son, and Ashe's--not even Ashe. Now the man is living in her house and around their son and she is scared that he will find out the truth. But what happens when Deborah discovers the truth, that her own father accused Ashe of rape and ran him out of town. I had a hard time with this book and it was only because of my strong belief that every man has a right to know that he fathered a child. Ashe was never told about his son and to me that is simply unforgivable. Deborah may have been young and scared to go against her father, but later after she had gotten older and her father died she should have found Ashe and told him about their son. The book was good and another great addition to The Protectors series. The only problem with the book came from my own beliefs.