Beck Books

Very cute and fun book. We checked it out from the library and then I knew we had to own it for nightly bedtime reading. Clever lines to amuse kids as well as adults and adorable drawings.

My first inclination when I like a new book is to share it with others, town crier style (complete with bell and dressy tri-fold hat): Hey! Everyone! I enjoyed this book! I start looking for opportunities to read said book aloud, practice my voices, tone, inflection. But often times, after giving the matter some thought, I level with myself and realize that the book that I enjoy just won't work well as a read aloud. Working in an elementary school library, I've done my fair share of storytime. I feel like I know storytime personally. And I'm here to tell you that Happy Birthday, Monster! is definitely NOT cut out for storytime. But that said, it's still an outstanding book for the youngsters.

Ben, the friendliest looking three-horned devil in recent memory, is throwing a surprise party for his friend Doris. Monster friends are invited, snacks and entertainment is provided, and hilarity ensues. Each two page spread is its own little self-contained situation that occurs during the party. An all seeing narrator guides the story along, but the fun of this book lies in the word bubbles coming from the monsters themselves. You know - jokes, man. They just keep comin'. From the robot who falls in love with a lamp to the floating ghost who infuriates everyone by never messing up at jump rope, the story is filled with comic moments that will charm readers.

Word bubbles, you say? While they provide the spark in this book, they also prove to be the wrench in this title's storytime chances. It's often difficult and seldom fruitful and to attempt speaking them aloud. I have tried in the past, and I'm bound to try in the future, but those little ovals of whiteness are best read individually.

I am of the opinion that if given two picture books, one a great read aloud and the other a great read alone, a librarian will usually side with the former. Heck, I'm as guilty as y'all (P.S. Mo, keep on writing those gems!). What can I say? There is nothing like the feeling of getting a whole big slew of kids excited about a story at the same time. However the format of this title is best digested at a table of one - but still just as satisfying.

We've purchased all of Scott's books and they've become our children's favorites. This latest one is no different. They especially enjoy the cleverness of the drawings, they find something to laugh at in every panel-- a very fun book to read--even for my older children!

Ben is throwing a surprise birthday party for his friend Doris the dragon. So he invites his other monster friends--an alien, a robot, a mummy, a vampire, ghost and skeleton.

The guests all bring presents and wait for Doris to arrive so they can surprise her. When she gets there, celebration and hilarity quickly ensue: Ben plays music; the mummy does the twist; the ghost finds jump-roping an easy task; and the robot quickly destroys the piñata. When the party is over, Doris collects all her presents in a shiny red wagon from Ben.

Happy Birthday, Monster! by Scott Beck is a quick, fun children's read. There is minimal text, but the illustrations are bright, colorful and easy for a child to enjoy with its cast of quirky characters.

This is Scott Beck's fourth children's book. It is a great book for a younger child--but enjoyable for the whole family.

Armchair Interviews says: Fun characters kids will love.

The philosophies in this book will help me get more out of life.
I have wanted to learn JUnit for several months now. The techniques in this book will help me write better code and think more clearly in many planning and development aspects in life.

I got "JUnit Pocket Guide" along with "JUnit in Action" and "JUnit Recipes". I figured I should have Beck's book since he's the father of JUnit and a major force in test-driven development. I figured I'd get a concise explanation of JUint and be able to use the book as a reference.

While the book more or less meets those goals, the writing is terse and mostly fails to provide the illuminating insights I was hoping for. I was also disappointed that the book is not well-structured to use as a reference, and is somewhat out of date with JUnit 4.x at this point. After reading this I moved on to "JUnit in Action", which I highly recommend.

Overall, I'm not disappointed that I got the book given the reasonable price and minimal investment in time reading it. It does serve as a quick introduction to and motivation for using JUnit. However, if you intend to put JUnit into practice, you can easily skip this book and go directly to one of the many excellent and more comprehensive books on JUnit--this book won't be enough and offers nothing indispensable.

This is a short and sweet end-to-end introduction to JUnit. The text is pretty terse and there are a surprising number of a screenshots for a book so small. The book starts with an introduction to testing. It then gives a high level architectural overview of JUnit, along with it's API. There is a short digression into the history of the framework. Then it's into putting a front-end on the tests both on the command line and embedded into IDEs.

Quick disclosure - I'm a big fan of JUnit already. :) Anything that will convince java developers to use JUnit is a good thing. JUnit is as powerful as it is simple. To prove it, everything you need to know about JUnit is in this 80 page pocket guide. If you are a Java programmer, this pocket guide will easily convince you to add JUnit to your daily development processes. It covers the entire JUnit API, using JUnit with Ant, Extending JUnit, and plenty of suggestions on how to test various situations with JUnit.

I liked the descriptions on how to run JUnit standalone or within various IDEs (Eclipse, JBuilder and IntelliJ IDEA). I have been working with JUnit in Eclipse for quite some time and recently started a project using IntelliJ IDEA - so it helped me get JUnit going quickly. I also found the short history on JUnit interesting as well.

Whether you're new to Java development or just haven't used JUnit yet, this is the perfect pocket guide to help you get started.

Tom is the youngest of 7 brothers. His family is involved with the story Bureau. Tom's older brother always set out to live out adventures for the Story Bureau to write about. Tom stays home with his mother. That all changes one day when his brother turn up missing and Tom is chosen to find them! Join him and find out how the adventures turn out!

Good clean adventure story!

In the Land of Stories, the Trueheart men are famous for their heroic, exciting and sometimes romantic antics. They carry on a family tradition started by their brave and well-known father, Jack. Trueheart senior is heralded throughout the land as a great adventurer. But since his mysterious disappearance, his boys have taken over the tasks assigned by the Story Bureau and the Guild of Stories to finish the tales devised by Guild members. The Trueheart sons, appropriately named some form of Jack after their beloved father, each receive letters from the Bureau with directions and clues to an adventure they are to undertake.

When none of Tom's big brothers come home from their assignments in time to celebrate his 12th birthday, the Bureau sends Tom his first letter telling him to go and search for the missing men. But young Tom doesn't know if he's ready for such an important and scary mission. According to his brothers, the Land of Stories is filled with many wondrous, strange and dangerous characters. But family tradition says that a Trueheart always answers the call of the adventure "With a true heart."

The Story Bureau is responsible for creating the beginnings of all the stories in the Land of Stories. Guild of Stories members invent the initial ideas, set up the scenes and charge the Truehearts with finishing the stories and reporting back to the Bureau when they are complete. Six stories are incomplete because the six Trueheart brothers cannot be found, and one Guild member and story devisor, Brother Julius Ormestone, is suspiciously absent from the Bureau as well. When the Bureau directs Tom to find his brothers so they can finish their stories, they hope that the boy won't have to deal with the sinister Ormestone.

Just in case, a sprite called Jollity is assigned to watch over Tom during his adventure. Jollity is transformed into a crow that follows him closely. It is completely up to the adventurer to experience the ending and bring the conclusion back to the Guild to finish writing. The rules are that the Bureau cannot interfere with the endings of the adventurers no matter how scary and frightening they become. That makes for a good story! So Tom is on his own to invent a way to find and rescue his brothers and to help them finish their adventures.

In THE SECRET HISTORY OF TOM TRUEHEART, Ian Beck has devised an imaginative and fast-paced escapade full of entertaining notions. The book will captivate readers with its unique blend of traditional fairy tales and Tom's exploits as he uncovers the whereabouts of his siblings. Tom's brilliance and bravery show the family and the Bureau that he's old enough --- and courageous enough --- for any adventure.

--- Reviewed by Joy Held

I read this book because it was reviewed in the Washington Post this spring and I wanted to see if it would be good & appropriate for my children. There was nothing inappropriate, but I don't know that they will find it terribly interesting. I also wasn't crazy about the ending. It is obviously written to have a sequel. I prefer books that stand alone as written, even if a sequel is sometime written.

.... your students and children are going to LOVE this story, as will you!

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart, written by Ian Beck, is a wonderful mythical adventure about a boy named Tom, overshadowed by his "courageous" older brothers, trying to find his place in his family as well as his world. Tom lives in the darkness, most haunted by his internal fear that he doesn't have the requisite courage that all of his older brother's profess. When it comes time for him to test that fear, Tom's true colors shine through, and the adventure that ensues is a wonderful romp through the world of familiar fairy tales.

Beck has managed to meld an entirely original story with the world of well-established tales, and that is the delightful discovery of this story. As you read this with your kids, much discussion can easily ensue, both about the plot and what my happen next, as well as the deeper issues of believing in one-self, making the right choices, and ultimiately, what path you might take in life.

A relatively quick, easy read, this story will lend itself easily to read-alouds, with its delightful use of language, quick prose, and engaging content. Beck seems to have set himself up for a sequel towards the end (no spoilers here!), but suffice it to say, this does lend itself to one.

Ever wish you could take your class or your children to a new world of make-believe? Look no further. I highly recommend "The Secret History of Tom Trueheart". Once you pick it up, you won't put it down until you turn that last page!

The first half of this work can be difficult, as we slip with Joseph in and out of his visions. However, Hawke's writing is deft and his discriptions vivid. The only complaint I can offer is the resolution is perhaps a bit too trite compared to the bulk of the book.

I was about to give up hope on finding really great fiction, written, I love to believe "Just for me." I happen on this beauty and Mr. Hawkes is suddenly thrust into my must read list. Keep writing G. W. I'll read it all.

An intriguing novel. Hawkes does an excellent job of revealing the personal disturbances and disorientation experienced by the main character, a non-talking boy who sees the future. The text describes the life of Joseph, a boy who does not talk although doctors cannot determine why. Joseph is plagued by visions of his future and the future of his family. The story weaves the future episodes and the present masterfully as the future events occur for Joseph. The descriptive text is excellent and an relates a very memorable story.

The writing style of Hawkes reminds me of a more lucent Graham Swift (Waterland)type of writing.

This is an amazing book in a number of ways. Joseph Taft is mute for no apparent physical reason. He inability to talk seems linked to his ability to forsee the future. Not every bit of future, just agonizing bits and pieces pertinent to his own family and situation. These kind of weird tableaus would normally appear on X-files and its imitators, yet Mr. Hawkes has been able develop this into real fiction and make it plausible all at the same time. And boy does this book work!! Joseph suffers for his talent. He is totally isolated from the outside world, partly due to being mute and partly by refusing to make the connection. He isn't always able to interpret his visions, they being incomplete, chaotic, and emotionally charged. And even those he seems to understand he is helpless to change. The death of his sister, which he madly trys to prevent, is ultimately inevitable. Joseph is able to make himself understood by those he really cares about. His father, his friend/eventual employer, and later his wife. Hawkes has the command of the language to make the story move and express. We can't help but feel for the young Joseph as we begin to understand what he is trying to say. Hawkes never allows us to fortell what is going to happen next, even as we share in Josesph's visions. Joseph shows us the whole gamut of human relationship and emotion without ever speaking a word. A very rewarding novel!

I guess I will never get over the fact that DC Comics now has the rights to Captain Marvel and the whole Marvel family. It's the boldest irony since it was DC that was responsible for putting Fawcett Comics out of business with their lawsuit alleging that the character was a copyright infringement of Superman. I would hazard to guess that the fact that Captain Marvel was actually outselling Superman in the 1940's played a big part in their decision to sue Fawcett, who ceased publication of their superhero comics in 1953. Still, if not for DC we probably would not be seeing these wonderful Golden Age reprints, the latest being the Shazam Family Vol. 1.

This edition features the early adventures of Captain Marvel Junior. The book reprints Junior's adventures from Master Comics #23 - 32, Captain Marvel Jr. #1, and also includes the first appearance of Mary Marvel from Captain Marvel Adventures #18. Most of the stories in the book feature art by Mac Raboy who is perhaps best known for his 20 year run as artist on the Flash Gordon Sunday newspaper strip, taking over for the great Alex Raymond. Raboy's art is quite a touch darker and grimmer than most superhero titles of the day, certainly far darker than Captain Marvel's artist C.C.Beck. Raboy also produced some of the most outstanding covers of the Golden Age while working on Master Comics, which are thankfully reprinted in the book.

Throughout out most of the ten issues reprinted in this debut volume, Captain Marvel Jr. finds himself battling two main foes, the German villain Captain Nazi, and Mr. Macabre, sort of an amalgam of The Shadow & the Joker. Captain Marvel Jr. is Freddy Freeman, a crippled boy who sells newspapers and lives in a rundown shack. We will see in the origin story from Captain Marvel Jr. #1 that he was orphaned when Captain Nazi killed his grandfather and left Freddy for dead until Captain Marvel pulled him from the sea. Freddy is saved when the wizard Shazam tells Marvel that he can give the boy a portion of his magic powers. Now when Freddy says the name "Captain Marvel" he becomes Captain Marvel Jr. Oddly, he still remains a young, teenaged boy whereas Billy Batson becomes an adult during his transformation.

Mr. Macabre is introduced in Master Comics #24 and is a rather creepy villain who is killing his former business partners after announcing they will die over the radio. The mystery of how he kills the men is rather ingenious for the time. The Captain Marvel Jr. stories are more subdued than those of Captain Marvel who had many slapstick villains. The one weakness these early stories suffer from is the repetition of Captain Nazi and Mr. Macabre as his foes, neither of which really provides much of a challenge.

Mary Marvel would complete the trio and her origin is told in Captain Marvel Adventures #1. We learn that Mary is actually Billy Batson's twin sister and they were separated as babies when their parents died with Mary going to live with a wealthy family.

I really enjoyed the stories in this volume more than I thought I would because my expectations were for the same style of stories of Captain Marvel. But the main selling point is the gorgeous art and covers of Mac Raboy.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I have to admit, ive been waiting for an archive take on Captain Marvel Jr. for a long time. This volume is well worth the wait, the stories here are vastly different from the Captain Marvel Sr. stories of previous archive editions in both tone and artwork. Cap Jr's tales are somewhat darker and more serious. The artwork is breathtaking, with a sense of realism and artistic grace not usually seen in comic books at the time. Mac Raboy's art on the Cap Jr comics will put you in mind of Alex Raymond's "Flash Gordon" and Hal Foster's "Prince Valiant" comics. These tales were written when America was just shaking the dust off of Pearl Harbor and the mood of the country was prepping towards impending war. Captain Marvel Jr.'s battles with Captain Nazi is sprinked throught these pages. The fight sequences are always a thrill, through they tend to be a bit redundant. You will also notice the same artwork is used periodically in several stories, this was due to Raboy inability to meet deadlines due to his meticulousness of his artwork. Yet it is the artwork and earnest plotting that makes the Captain Marvel Jr. stories far superior to most of the superhero comics of the day.

Great Mac Raboy art...BUT, all the stories, except the last one...are Captain Marvel, Jr. ones. In the last story...the "origin" of Mary Marvel, all 3 appear. Other than that story, no Mary Marvel, No Big Red Cheese and no Marvel Family stories. So, if you like Captain Marvel, Jr., this book is for you. If you want the Marvel Family, or Cap, or Mary Marvel...look elsewhere

Young Freddy Freeman was crippled in a chance encounter with super-villain Captain Nazi. His idol, super-hero Captain Marvel gave Freddy part of his power. Whenever Freddy said the name of his hero, he became Captain Marvel, Jr., the World's Mightiest Teenager.

It's fascinating the read the "Shazam! Family Archives" so soon after reading the "Robin Archives", as well as the "Shazam! Archives". In one sense, Captain Marvel, Jr. was the first teenage sidekick to receive his own series, although, since Captain Marvel was himself really a kid, that's a debatable presumption. Even so, Cap, Jr.'s stories were unusual given the nature of the character. Junior was a kid, but his adventures were not the lighthearted affair Robin's were. Indeed, they were quite serious, almost bleak, especially compared with Captain Marvel's. Junior did battle with the vicious Captain Nazi in the U.S. and in Europe. He also ran up against Mr. Macabre, a sinister criminal with green skin. Even with his powers, Freddy was hardly a happy go-lucky kid. He lived in a cave on the outskirts of town, and made his living hawking papers. He was permanently lame in his civilian identity.

And yet, Junior's solo adventures are still quite delightful, as he slaps around Axis spies and gangsters. He had the same problem many of contemporaries had: he was powerful hero with some less-than-powerful enemies. But watching Junior smack around Captain Nazi and Mr. Macabre is quite satisfying, and the plots that these villains hatched were very clever.

Of course, the real attraction of this volume it the fine pencils of Mac Raboy. Raboy was one of those rare artists of the golden age who strove more for realism and eschewed the cartoony tendency of his contemporaries. Each panel contrasted the dark tone of the stories and the prevailing hope symbolized in its star. Under Raboy, Junior was a beacon of power and justice and the villains were skulking, sinister menaces. The great flaw of Raboy was his perfectionism. It's easy to see repeated pieces of art (poses and facial expressions in particular) from issue to issue just to make his deadlines. Still, that's a small price to pay for such fine work. Raboy did the art for "Master Comics" nos. 23-32. He didn't do the art for "Captain Marvel, Jr." #1; the change is noticeable.

DC has wisely decided combine the adventures of both Captain Marvel, Jr. and Mary Marvel in one archive series. The origin of Mary Marvel is presented here in "Captain Marvel Adventures" no. 18, as Billy Batson (a.k.a. Captain Marvel) discovers he has a long-lost sister. When Cap and Junior get into trouble, Mary utters the famous word "Shazam", and becomes the first female sidekick/spin-off of a popular super-hero. The origin story, written by Otto Binder, is a more conventional Captain Marvel story in tone and in execution. Thus, it's somewhat jarring to read it after roughly 200 pages of the darker Junior stories. Nonetheless, it's a fun story, and Mary Marvel has become somewhat overlooked in the pantheon of female super-heroes.

I'm glad DC has begun exploring other aspects of the Fawcett properties they own. I look forward to more volumes in this series. I also hope that DC gives some thought to collecting other Fawcett characters, like Bulletman and Spy Smasher.

I received Soul Provider: Spiritual Steps to Limitless Love by Fr. Edward Beck and here was another book I was not to enthused to review. When you have a book cover with positive reviews by the Dalai Lama and reviews for his previous books by Anne Lamott, Andrew Greeley, Diane Sawyer, L.A. Times etc. you would certainly have a tendency to judge a book by it's cover reviews. Add to that that the book also quotes from Hindu, Islam, and other sources and throws in global warming a couple of times it would certainly seem that I might rather have my fingernails torn out then to read it.

Maybe since it was Lent I read it anyway and I do try to review books sent to me even though it gives me no pleasure to write a negative review when I have to. To my surprise thought I pretty much did enjoy this book. The book is a chapter by chapter following of The Ladder of Divine Ascent by Saint John Climacus. In the original work there are thirty steps along the spiritual path and the book follows this steps with thirty chapters.

Fr. Beck builds on the steps of St. John Climacus by trying these explain these steps in more modern terms. For the most part he succeeds. He tells a wealth of stories from his own life and dealings with others to help the audience see these steps and why following them are important to the spiritual life. My positive reaction to this book is mainly because I judge that this book was written for a larger audience and not specifically for Catholics. If the book was specifically written for Catholics then it is not very good since it almost totally lacks the framework of the sacraments so necessary to advance in the spiritual life. As I suspect that this is a more generic book on the topic of spirituality mostly rooted in a Christian context I have less problems with it.

As I mentioned there are example used from other religious traditions, but the large majority of references are to scripture. I did not get the feeling of syncretism in the use of these other sources and that what was quoted was applicable to the topic at hand. Fr. Beck is a capable writer and he keeps you interested in the topics at hand and has some good insights along the road. I certainly got the idea that he was firmly in the progressive camp when it comes to the Church, but it was not overt and for the most part did not distract from the steps from The Ladder of Divine Ascent. But mostly I had to remember what the audience was for the book for it not to annoy me at times. For people with very modernist ideas who are starting to take God and the spiritual life seriously there is a lot of good in this books. Fr. Beck has had a wealth of dealings I suspect with this audience and thus he examples will be quite useful for them.

One chapter I found that fell short of the rest of the book was the one on lust. This though was not exactly surprising since it is the telltale sign of the progressive side that when it comes to sexual morality that they just don't fully understand why it is sinful. He wants to take a "fresh look" and asks "would any of us be around without lust?" This question perfectly shows his error of understanding and even thought he quotes the Catechism on lust as a "disordered desire" he doesn't seem to understand that sexual desire within marriage does not have to be disordered. I think it is a rather sad worldview to believe that there has to be lust within the covenant of marriage. As if lust is a necessary evil. There are also a couple of mentions of homosexuality that while not condoning it certainly contain no caveats and in another chapter the "Course of Miracles" is mentioned without providing any caveats of this new age nonsense. I found it rather interesting that in the chapter on lust he was totally able to sink his teeth into denouncing avarice and was able to wax long on this subject.

So while I would not necessarily recommend this for most Catholics since there are much better books available on the spiritual life, I still find it quite useful for a wider audience.

I had the pleasure of hearing Fr. Beck several times when he was a guest priest at St. Thomas More church in Sarasota, Fl. I have also read his earlier books. What I come away with is how genuine and real he is. His stories and his humor bring life to wonderful spiritual wisdom.

Soul Provider is practical and helpful in putting this wisdom to use. I will read this book often and I have given it as gifts because it "says it all".

If you've been searching for a way to deepen your connection with God, and are uncertain about how to begin. Read this book.
In Soul Provider Father Beck takes you step by step in your spiritual journey by exploring the virtues and vices that we can all relate to as human beings. He bases his book on a traditional 30 step work by St. John Climacus which he updates into modern terms that people of all faiths and backgrounds can appreciate.
By sharing his own personal experiences, and the real life stories of the people he's met, Father Beck helps us to see how our relationships with other people, and how we treat them is essentially the path to God's limitless love.
How refreshing in this "me first" society that we live in to read a book that puts God and neighbor first.
I found this book to be quite cathartic, and growth inspiring to find joy in paths that are good for the soul.
I highly recommend Soul Provider to anyone brave enough to challenge themselves to seek true happiness.

I purchased "Soul Provider" solely (no pun intended) on the basis of reading Father Beck's two earlier books, God Underneath and Unlikely Ways Home, both which I heartily recommend.

The real life examples he uses to illustrate the 30 steps are sometimes poignant, sometimes downright hilarious, but are always relevant.

Thanks, Father Beck, for yet another wonderful, inspirational book.

This series of CDs offers a great introduction and summary of the description of human's levels of existence and adaptation, as represented by values and beliefs, which are also called "memes", and expressed in particular behaviors. This work was initiated by Dr. Clare Graves, based on Abraham Maslow's work, and expanded by Drs. Beck and Cowan. This program describes the application of the model to the understanding of socio-cultural groups, and the resolution of conflicts, which is described in the book Spyral Dynamics.

The Spiral Dynamic theory is genius. However, I only gave this audio book three stars for the following reasons:

1. Don Beck should have had someone else do the reading. Seven hours of his voice "reading without any inspiration", is difficult. I almost fell asleep in the first 5 minutes (listen to the sample clip from amazon..you'll hear what I mean)


2. Repetitive: Don Beck is unorganized in his thoughts and repeats himself. This 7 hour audio could have been done in 2.5 hours. There is something to be said about being concise.

Again, the theory is worth learning...Just not through Don Becks audio book (try his written book).

The speed of personal and societal change can seem bewildering, and there have been many attempts to try and make sense of what is going on in the world.

Spiral Dynamics is one very interesting model that was originally developed by the psychologist Clare W. Graves. He was a friend and colleague of Abraham Maslow, who had developed the well-known Hierarchy of Needs, ascending from basic biological needs to the more complex psychological motivations - belongingness, esteem, cognitive, esthetic and self-actualizing - once the basic needs have been satisfied. In Maslow's scheme, the needs at each level need to be at least partially satisfied before the needs of the next level start to determine action. But Graves' research lead him to believe that there were levels beyond self-actualization, and that different people achieved different kinds of development at different times in their lives. Over the last 30 years, Spiral Dynamics has been developing in a number of new directions. Ken Wilber has been working with Don Beck and has incorporated many of the ideas into his Integral Psychology, and I have recently shown how some of the ideas are immensely helpful in the field of health and wellness.

One of the important concepts of Spiral Dynamics is the meme. The word meme was first introduced by the Oxford University biologist Richard Dawkins, who used the word to mean things that are transmitted or broadcast through culture. Good examples would be songs, ideas or fashions in clothes, which are quickly disseminated through a culture, rather like a virus spreads around a population. These are now called "little memes." Spiral Dynamics takes a broader view. Each level of development is represented on a spiral and is called a "Value Meme" (vMeme), which expresses itself through the "little memes." You will normally see "vMeme" abbreviated to Meme, with a capital "M" to distinguish it from the "little memes." Each Meme is a code, or a system of information. We are each composites of memetic levels.

I was very interested to hear what Don Beck - one of the most important figures in the development of Spiral Dynamics, and heir apparent to Clare Graves - had to say about the current state of the model. There is one thing that marks out Spiral Dynamics from many other models: it has been successfully applied in some very difficult situations around the world, most famously in the post-Apartheid era in South Africa.

On the first CD, which Don has entitled The Dance of the Double Helix: How Humans Emerge, he begins with a broad overview, which includes a recoding of Clare Graves himself. For people not familiar with Spiral Dynamics, it might be necessary to go back and listen to the first CD again later: he uses a small number of terms without defining them.

On the second CD - The Codes by Which We Live -Don Beck provides a lucid description of the first six developmental levels. This is the clearest description that I've ever heard or read.

The third CD - The Leap into Second Tier - discusses a quantum jump in consciousness and the emergence of new moral codes and ways of thinking and behaving that promise t revolutionize the world around us.

On CD Four - The Dynamics of Leadership - Don gets very practical, in applying the model to leadership, natural organizations and the importance of understanding that people and organizations often have multiple bottom lines.

The Fifth CD - The Many Dimensions of Change - is the most dense of all of them in terms of concepts: Don discusses the phenomena of human emergence, the eight change variations, and the three components of change. His discussion of alpha fit, beta condition, gamma trap and delta surge is terrific for anyone who has ever tried to negotiate changes in relationships or in organizations.

Finally, CD Six - Stitching Together Our Wounded World - is a series of very practical lessons in how Spiral Dynamics can and has been used, and some pointers for the future.

These CDs are well produced and come with a small booklet and color chart. All the materials are of the same high quality that we have come to associate with Sounds True who produced and published the CDs.

If you are a complete beginner in the field of Spiral Dynamics, these CDs are sure to get you oriented very quickly, and you should be able to see how the theory applies in your life. The booklet contains some precise questions for helping you map your vMemes. It can be immensely helpful to do this exercise with people with whom you are in relationship. If you are already familiar with some of the concepts of Spiral Dynamics, you will likely still find some interesting material and a stimulating discussion. You may want to use the CDs to flesh out you understanding, before going on to the book Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan.

Whichever group you are in - beginner or more advanced student, you may well need to listen to some parts of the CDs more than once.

Highly recommended.

This is the most accessible exploration of this profoundly important developmental theory. If you've always wondered what Spiral Dynamics is or how to use it, get this 6 CD set.

There are a lot of similarites between Denise Redlick and Laci Peterson. They were both in love with men who turned out to be murderers. Denise was young, pretty, charming, and smart but she fell hard for Craig Anderson. They were engaged until she broke it off. This relationship had all the signs of abusive, obsessiveness, and jealousy by Craig himself. Never mind that it was him who rented a van and plotted her murder. He couldn't stand losing her because it would hurt his ego. Never mind that once she became his fiance, his true side emerged. Slowly, he became a monster for all the world to see. Maybe if Scott Peterson had read this book, he would have considered a different fate for Laci and Connor because Craig was convicted of murder without a body, little evidence or witnesses. He was clever but not clever enough. There were traces of blood everywhere left in the rented van and the lady at the car rental place never forgot his face. Craig was truly a stupid individual and remains locked up in California's prisons. Maybe if Laci read this book, she would have realized that Scott was just too good to be true. When they are too good to be true, then there must be something with him. Nobody's perfect, that's what makes us human. Craig never learned to control his anger, jealousy, and obvious obsession with Denise even after their split. Denise was so close to freedom that she was tasting life after Craig only to be stopped by a madman.
The book is written by a teacher and it is well written but there are no pictures of the victim, Craig, the family, and the law enforcement who were determined to make this case. That is why I am only giving it 4 stars.

Craig Anderson was probably what every girl hopes for. He was good looking, successful, respectable and came from a good family. He was kind, considerate and charming. But not really. I'm sure Denise Redlick thought she was pretty lucky to land him, as I'm sure any girl would. Until she really got to know him and realized that he was incredibly jealous, possessive, obsessive and abusive. And when she tried to free herself of him, he killed her. What really got to me in this book is that he never admitted his guilt, his remorse and I hope he remains in prison to this day. However, I might have been skeptical of his guilt had it not been for the scratch marks he had seemingly all over him in the days after her murder. That and the strange encounter the woman had with him at her house. He was cunning and clever. And as I read, I was almost afraid he was going to get away with it. Thank God he didn't because I'm sure Denise wouldn't have been the only one he hurt.

I enjoyed the book very much. I would however like an update on the case. I don't want to say to much in case you haven't read it, but I would appreciate if someone can tell me if anything has changed since the book.

This book sends a real message to women who struggle with relationships and opens their eyes to potential signs of pending domestic abuse.

It is also fascintaing in terms of Police works and the tenacity of those involved in solving this crime. It show true compassion for the victim and her family by the Police.

Excellent Police work by the Detective.

I found this book listed on NPR's summer reading list. I was not familiar with the author or the title, but I took a chance. The cast of characters will amaze you with their actions - always having you laughing out loud. There is a mystery, but you don't really care 'who did it' because you are asking yourself, 'why did they do that?' If you want to be entertained, amused, and read a well-written book I would recomend this one.

This book doesn't have the same character development of Beck's Jane da Silva series, but.....I did find myself laughing out loud several times while I was reading it. The main characters are rather sketchy, but the action is fast paced, if somewhat farcical. If you want to spend a few hours reading a light and amusing book, I can recommend We Interrupt This Broadcast. I hope that Beck sees fit to write another in the da Silva series.

I was pretty much disappointed in this book. The other reviews I read were the sole reason for my purchase of the book, however, upon reading it, it did not live up to my expectations. The book isn't horrible, but I didn't find it to be as funny and charming as I would have liked. The characters are pretty cut and dried and after the first couple of chapters you already know what you can expect from them for the rest of the book.

I think the author has promise but still needs some work on how to give depth to the characters keep the reader interested.

KLEG classical radio station in Seattle is close to being shut down due to a lack of listeners. However, this does not stop recently divorced Alice Jordan from successfully pleading her way into becoming the AM station's new account executive. The owners, siblings Caroline and Franklin Payne, are divided as to the fate of the station. Caroline wants the station to continue as the station's owner while Franklin wants to sell off the white elephant.

Franklin orders his sales executive, Ed Costello, to find a buyer. Before Ed can complete any deals, he is found murdered. Alice, who enjoys true crime as a hobby, begins to investigate what happened to Ed. She soon uncovers the sleazy side of the deceased who had connections to a right wing militia group. Still, if the amateur sleuth is not careful, she could become the next victim of the killer.

WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST is a humorous amateur sleuth mystery that is fun to read due to the myriad of eccentric, but interesting characters, especially Caroline and a mysterious DJ. The story line is just okay, but K. K. Beck overcomes that with irony that leaves readers laughing while seeking more.

Harriet Klausner

This is as a nice reference for the blues guitarist. It's nice to have so many new ideas in one place. The only downside (more so for the beginner), is most of the turnarounds are in the key of C which means you'll need to transcribe them to different keys. This is not a bad thing as it is helps develop a better knowledge of how the blues scales are put together. It is a good investment as it is a reference and a learning tool.

(101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Fill-In Licks)


Leading Book of Its Type

This is undoubtedly the leading book of its type on the market today. 101 authentic urban blues guitar fill-ins in the Chicago blues style, each accurately transcribed in notation and tablature. Each lick is recorded note-for-note on the companion CD and accompanied by a professional blues band (complete with singer Charles Atkins), and wonderfully engineered by Fred Chester, a well-known engineer in the Southeast who has recorded albums for jazz piano great Marcus Roberts and persons of similar caliber.

As a professional music teacher of many years, I have found Larry McCabe's music instruction books to be of consistently high quality, popular with students, focused and effective in accomplishing the particular objective.

Small wonder. Larry has one of the most reputable names in the music publishing industry. His resume lists over eighty published books for Mel Bay, Centerstream, and other big names in the industry. Two of his books were written for none other than Roy Clark. And he was the guitar writer for Living Blues Magazine for three years, and a member of the W.C. Nominating Committee for many years. This is a teacher who knows how to play and teach the blues.

The author, Larry McCabe, is a well-known and respected author of many instruction books and he has a strong background in the blues. I recall that in the 1990s Larry authored a popular blues guitar column for Living Blues Magazine.

Against the backdrop of a live band complete with singer Charles Atkins, each fill-in lick is played exactly as you would play it on stage or in a jam session. The licks are tasteful and performed in the authentic Chicago style-the licks are the real thing, played by a guitarist who knows how to play the blues and write blues instruction.

I would recommend this book to an early intermediate guitarist whose ambition is to play in the urban blues style. The incredible thing about this set is that the user is actually sitting in with a live blues band that includes a singer.

In the rush to play solos, fill-in are sometimes overlooked. This book is unique and unlike any other book on electric blues guitar. And in fact, Red Dog Music Books entire series of 101 Razor-Sharp Blues Books are enthusiastically recommended to all electric guitar teachers who have students who want to learn to play the blues.