Beck Books

Good product for children. The only drawback that the batteries are not included and it is not indicated.

This item was bought as a gift for my grandson on his 5th birthday. He loves anything with wheels, and its time for him to begin to understand the basic underlying principles that actually make them go. This kit looked ideal to not only provide that understanding but also yield a creative toy that could be enjoyed repeatedly. Unfortunately, the gear that meshes with the motor's worm gear was cast slightly eccentric (off center), and tended to bind at one point of its rotation enough to seriously limit the power output capability of the drive train. Shimming the motor didn't solve the problem, as it was always too near or too far from the miscast gear at some point. Modifying the gear with an Xacto knife finally achieved acceptable performance, but would probably be beyond the ability of the average parent, and certainly a 5 year old. Hopefully the manufacturer will correct this serious flaw to enable the kit to fulfill its true potential.

I first heard about this book on a TV interview and, as a fan and writer of Christian Sci-Fi myself, I felt I should pick it up to show my support. It wasn't quite what I expected, but not in a bad way. I guess I was looking for daring spaceship battles, laser fights and other such Star Wars-type stuff. What I found was actually what I think of as a "Space Prairie novel". It is very character-driven, often focusing on simple home life...just in deep space. The plot was solid and, although I lost track of the characters a couple times, it was an easy and entertaining read. The book is filled with typos but, if you can look past that, give this book a shot. It has a clear message without being "preachy", but it doesn't back down from its faith, which I can always support. Like the previous reviewer said, it's definitely geared towards older kids.

In the book "Star Twins" by Carolyn Beck, twins Jason and Kayla are kidnapped and separated at birth.They are sent to live with two very different families. When they are discovered, they find their different life experiences hold the key to fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

This book is an entertaining read. The plot is simple yet has a surprsing twist at the end. It has a strong Christian message as some of the characters have faith in Christ and others are introduced to Him. I did have a problem while reading the book with the chapter developement. Some seemed abrupt with not much story development occuring. Other than that, I would recommend this book for the tweens in your life.

CSFFC Ratings:
Teen Friendly: A (this book is geared more for the tweens and younger teens)
Christian Message: A
Drug or Alchohol content: A
Crude or Profane Language: A
Sexual Content: A
Writing: B (chapter development needs work)

JoEtta Dingman
Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Central Reviewer

After publishing two books on forgotten towns of southern New Jersey (mainly in the Pine Barrens) and one on the central part of the state, Henry Charlton Beck finally got around to writing a book dealing with the northern part. The word "Tales" enters the title of this work (rather than just "Forgotten Towns" as with the southern NJ books), and rightly so, since much more emphasis on the stories and people of the region is made here than in the earlier books. The earlier works, especially the two on southern NJ, were more specific and sharper in focus than this book, and after reading them one had a very strong feeling for place and geography, of truly "forgotten towns." That's not so much the case here. Perhaps the least interesting chapter is the first, about an eccentric character of Johnsonburg known as The Pig Drover, which gets the book off to a shaky start. Other chapters are much improved, and the ones on Waterloo before its reconstruction, Wantage, Snufftown (Stockholm), and the Shades of Death Road west of Allamuchy (an article on this road appeared in "Weird NJ" a while ago) are especially good. Fr. Beck resided on a farm near Robbinsville and had a special love for the Mullica River region, which might explain why this northern NJ book is missing the verve and enthusiasm found the his earlier southern NJ books. It's not a bad book and certainly is interesting (Beck never lost the ability to inspire readers to get out and explore for themselves), just not as interesting as what came before.

Henry Charlton Beck tells folklore and legends about the small towns in Northern New Jersey. Although not an official account of our history, Beck toured small towns, researched local resources, and had conversations with the locals. Highly recommended for someone who has an interest in local history.

As a new homeowner, I've found myself with a huge yard. The house was empty for two years. Now that I've cut, pruned, and cleared shrubs, I'm ready to plant new stuff. I saw this book in Borders and was surprised by the detailed descriptions and pictures. By no means do I have a green thumb. This book; however, encourages me to learn more.

The collaborative effort between Tim Wood & Alison Beck is a noteworthy resource for people gardening in the very cold/unreliable weather of Michigan.

Many of the comments are very insightful & the practical easy to use lay out simplifies the process of choosing suitable woody ornamentals for one's landscaping project.

As a landscape designer not originally from Mi, I've used this book as a very reliable source for recommendations in the design process. Both professionals & homeowners alike will appreciate this books wealth of information & easy reading style.

My only issue with the book was that it stuck with most of the very traditional sometimes overused plants here in Michigan. Would have been nice to have seen included a few more plants that are zone hardy to Michigan yet are highly underused and could do with some exposure to the general public. Eg: Asimina, Dianthus, Evodia, Itea, Pseudotsuga & the vast array of Explorer shrub roses that do marvellous in Michigan

Overall I think the book has plenty to offer as a crash course that lays a solid foundation to build (a garden) on.

Do you know that feeling? You're watching a Warner Brothers cartoon, and you would really like to know who made it and when. If you do, you should buy this book. It is not about highlights, it is not a history of Warner Brothers animation, but a list of ALL Warner Brothers shorts in chronological order, each item contains information about who made it, when it was made, with which stars and with what story line. Sure, when you don't know the title of the short it involves a lot of scanning through the pages (there are very few illustrations), but you WILL be able to get this information. Not an entertaining book, but a must-have encyclopedia for all Warner Brothers cartoon fans.
However, for background information one should turn to the richly illustrated "that's all folks, the art of Warner Brothers animation".

Eight years before publishing their masterpiece "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies...", Friedwald and Beck teamed up for "The Warner Bros. Cartoons". This book lacks illustrations and the text is less informative than in the later work, but it does have concise reviews or plot synopses of every Warner's cartoon released between 1930 and 1969. It's interesting to note the changes of opinion on some of the cartoons...for example, "The Apes Of Wrath" is unfavorably reviewed in 'TWBC' (probably by Beck) and more highly regarded (by Friedwald) in 'LT&MM'. Both books should be on the reading list of every Warner Brothers cartoon fan.

Well, this play sure was unique, I'll give it that. I had to read it for the Theatre Arts International Baccalaureate Exam (2001). It was one of three choices (the other two were by Dario Fo and Lorraine Hansberry which explains their listing on the "people who bought this also bought" list) and it seemed the most interesting. Basically, Woyzeck is a soldier in 1830s Germany. He has a girlfriend whom he discovers is cheating on him with a higher-ranking official. All the while, he is humiliated by his superiors and the townspeople. One day, he buys a knife and murders his girlfriend. The author, Georg Buechner, died while writing the play, so it ends, rather ambiguously, with Woyzeck wading into a pond into which he will throw the murder weapon. This was an interesting play to analyze for IB inasmuch as it provided a good deal of material for me to work with and I had good ideas about how the play ought to be produced. Still, the plot was very strange.

(I always wanted to say that.)

Woyzeck is a designer's nightmare but an actor's dream: a tragedy of immediate imagery, almost written for the MTV generation. Scenes that last at most two pages flicker around archetypes like the overbearing Major and the menacing Doctor, while the play's more human characters find themselves caught in between. There are searingly tragic moments (as befits the genre). There are also darkly funny ones: Woyzeck's conspiracy theories, Andres's childish songs, the Scholar's politically incorrect comments.

Buchner left the world young, and if this play is any indication, that's a tragedy too. As a reader, an actor or a (shudder) designer, you'll enjoy being swept along by his work.

I found Abyss of Insanity to be a great story, locally based, but would play anywhere. It was a good story with enough twist and turns for any mystery fan and an exciting ending. I lost myself in the story and had trouble putting it down.

If you haven't read a book on the American Indians in the last 20 years or so you've missed a real revolution in thought. Scholars now believe that the pre-Columbian Indians were far more numerous than we had previously thought, their civilizations more advanced, and their societies more complex. "Before the European Invasions" focuses on recent information and theories and often debunks the old.

The book is somewhat mistitled as the scope includes mostly the story of Indians living in the United States from the time of their arrival in the Americas up until 1600. The author goes over briefly the various theories as to when and where the Indians came from and their early presence in the United States and then embarks on a description of the ecological regions and Indian cultures in the United States: Eastern woodlands, West Coast, Alaska, Interior West, and Southwest. She ends with a description of the proto-historical Indians of the woodlands up to about 1600. The author even discusses some of the current issues among Indian tribes, the U.S. government, and archaeologists such as the treatment of bones and artifacts.

"Before the European Invasions" is intended for the well-informed general reader and travels without the scholarly baggage of voluminous footnotes. It passes quickly over a vast number of theories, facts, and speculations about the Indians and some subjects get only brief treatment. Its length doesn't permit a detailed examination, but provocative statements and questions abound, especially in the "Research Puzzles" section appended to each chapter. In summary, a good, mind-stimulating and informative read. I wished the book had been longer to permit a more leisurely and thorough examination of many subjects briefly raised.

Smallchief

I think the title says it pretty well. I picked this up because I watched the anime for the third time and I got a burning desire to see what happens after the show ends.

This volume extends on the last volume. Koyuki tells Maho (rather briefly in my opinion) about what happened on their tour in the U.S. in the anime. Volume 12 of the manga starts to show how BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad got to tour in the U.S., how hard it is for them, and how they met back up with Ryusuke.

This whole manga series is recommended to fans of the anime who want something a little more out of the series they couldn't find in the anime.

OK, maybe it's just because I lived there and now explore caves. This book would be great for anyone else who has traveled to Papua New Guinea or would like to or anyone who explores caves. Tons of photos and maps and crazy true stories. This book takes you there. What a rich history!