Beck Books

I decided to get this based on some reviews I've seen here and elsewhere and I am glad I did. The Assassin is a story that reads very quickly, which I like. I thought the ending of the book was very good, when it's revealed who hired him, it was a twist that I did not see coming. I did feel that James could have expanded on a few things in the book with character interactions that I thought maybe he cut short too quickly. For a debut novel I think he did an excellent job with his characters. You really did get to know them, which is lacking in some books. I'll be looking for his future works to see how he grows as an author, I think he'll have a long career in front of him.

This is a very compelling novel. The characters are well written. Rye James does a great job of giving us insight into these characters. Great plot and imagery. The Assassin is an easy read that is hard to put down. No matter what genre of books you normally read, I highly recommend this western driven novel. You will find yourself wanting to read another novel by Rye James as I did!

I wasn't sure if I'd like this book since I'm usually not into Westerns but I'm glad I gave it a shot. I thought it was pretty well written, although it might have lagged in a couple spots but for the most part it was very entertaining. I really had trouble putting it down at times. The storyline was good, and the characters were excellent. When you finish some books, you feel like you don't know who the main characters are. Not in this one. James does a great job in letting us get to know the characters. I'll be looking forward to Rye James' next novel. I'll be buying.

Being from a small town and now living away from it this book is like having my little aunties giving me their secert recipes... God rest their soul! I wish I had been old enough to ask them for them personally, but I found a lot of them in these two books. This is one of the two Mayberry cookbooks I own.

I purchased this cookbook out of the fondness I held for the television show and thought it would make a novel conversation piece when guests linger in my kitchen. Aunt Bee's Delightful Deserts has become an essential desert cookbook not only for my dinners but family gatherings, cookouts, and parties. Lorranie's Fudge has become a Christmas tradition! The photos from the television show with kooky captions along with the recipes make cooking from this book as delightful as Mayberry itself. A must for any cook.

This cookbook delightful to use and to peruse! It is a collection of 350 "small town" recipes from cast, friends and guest artists from the show. Trivia and snapshots are sprinkled throughout.

All the recipes I have tried in the cookbook have been very accurate. No missing ingredients. No temperatures wrong. The index is thorough: recipes by name and by major ingredient. The recipes are easy to follow and come out tasty too!

The names are unique: Remember Gomer telling Barney "Citizen's arrest!! Citizen's arrest!!" Well, "Citizen's Arrest Chocolate Cheesecake" would be worth a night in the slammer with Otis! It's that good!

Every recipe I have tried has become a favorite: "My Name Ain't Clem Applesauce Cake" "Wally's 7-Up(r) Pound cake" "Ellie's Apple Crisp"....

Delightful is right! For reading, cooking and eating!

One of the few works in English that explores this amazing spiritual tradition. Definately worth the price!

"CaoDai: Faith of Unity," by Hum Dac Bui with Ngasha Beck, is a nonfiction study of the CaoDai religion, which was founded in Vietnam in the 1920s. A minibio at the end of the book notes that author Hum Dac Bui was born in Vietnam and came to the U.S. in 1975.

I found this book absolutely fascinating. It discusses many aspects of the CaoDai faith: founding, ecclesiastic structure, cosmology, meditation practices, its suppression under the French colonial regime, the components of the altar, etc. Particularly interesting is the exploration of CaoDai's relationship to other faith traditions, like Christianity, Taoism, Unitarian Universalism, and more. Also intriguing is the discussion of French author Victor Hugo, who is considered a CaoDai saint.

The book stresses that "CaoDai is a thriving, growing, ever expanding theology." The tone throughout is respectful of religious diversity and supportive of interfaith harmony. CaoDai is discussed within the context of a broader interfaith movement.

The book also includes a useful glossary. Overall, a really intriguing look at a compelling modern religion.

This book is a nearly-proselytizing apology for the Cao Dai religion, popular in southern Vietnam. Cao Dai is a fascinating religion, and this is one evidence of it. It includes a conversation between the spirit of Victor Hugo and a Cao Dai leader in 1930, illustrations of symbolic hand gestures and other symbols, common prayers and vows, and Hum Dac Bui's presentation of Cao Dai philosophy. In short, it is an incredible primary source. But if you want an outside perspective, look elsewhere. I've heard that Victor Oliver's book "Caodai Spiritism" is good, but I haven't read it. Joyce Werner's "Peasant Politics and Religious Sectarianism" is a Yale doctoral thesis, an account of the spread and popularity of Cao Dai. Graham Greene considered converting to Cao Dai but became disillusioned; he gives his interesting, humorous perspective in "The Quiet American," which I recommend for literary reasons as well.

The exciting scenes of a tiny Caribbean Island has been depicted in a one of the most exciting storise. Filed with trill and suspense, this book Destination Sunrise encourages you to read as more anticipated events would occur.

One should not hesitate to own a copy of this book because it is like watching a movie being played on a screen.

I started reading this book and could NOT put it down! It kept me up till 2:00 am just because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Its a mix of adventure and suspense with a dash of romance and all in all a GREAT read. It was one of those books that when it was done, you wanted it to have just one more page. The characters stayed in my head for weeks afterward and the details are so vivid, you feel like you've been on a journey once you're done. Definitely one of those books you 'must read'.

Hey all. From the time I set my eyes to the pages of this Masterpiece it pulled me into her like a magnet does pieces of metal, giving me it realities, thus making me feel like one of it characters.
Like a person, it showed me its many moods, going through various phases. At one point it is sad, aspiring, and laughing. On the other hand, it is a struggle, a fight for life and an epic of love. It somewhat encapsulates my life and projects the hope I've been searching for to make it out of my struggles.
Like the light that shown in the East years ago, this Being (I refused to simply call it a book) projects hope twisted and woven on its pages told in this story masterfully crafted by its author.

Pull up your chairs, stretch out on your beach towels and have your soul baptized in a move of share genius. Get ready, the destination is about to begin, the sun is rising, get in it before it set's and fall off the cliffs of the distant horizon.
I absolute Love it.......
Written By: John C. Curtis

An addictive read. I enjoyed all the stories equally and found them all to contain many twists and turns and spooky conclusions. This book should be read by horror lovers, Sci-Fi lovers, Fantasy lovers, and RL Stine lovers. I thought the author lead up to the the conclusion in a secretive way. Even the best decetives will be unable to figure out how the stories will end. I also thought that the author writes conversations between people extremely well. Pick up this book if you wanted to be scared and amazed out of your wits!

It's like nothing I've ever read before. I picked up a copy of "Echoes of the Strange" for my son after seeing it recommended by a reliable source. I was surprised to find myself enjoying the four stories as much as my son. They were, quite simply, genius. Ms. Heather Beck writes with an intriguing style to create a world of unbound possibilities, magnificent beauty, and sheer pleasure. Beck's style is truly unique. In my opinion, she has crafted to perfection what R.L. Stine has desired to do.

What a great book!!! I devoured each story and actually finished this book in one day! I loved the scary stories and how the ending is so unexpected. I would recommend this book to people who like horror and RL Stine. My favorite story was definitely "Revenge of the Mutant Fish". That story was filled with weird science, unexpected turns, and amazing characters. I love Mrs. Beck's one-liners; they are so funny! The characters in the book are very realistic and react to the horrible situations they are faced with in a way real people do. Everything is NOT fine once the scares are over, because the scares really are never over!!!

My 2 year old son loves all the Elliot Moose and friend's stories (since we started reading them to him when he was a few months old). He loves to have us read them to him over and over. Recently, he started "reading" them to us! Elliot is such a loving character, that has fun adventures with his friends. These books also have wonderful illustrations we use to teach our son, and have him point out things he knows and learn new words.

"Elliot's Christmas Surprise" is another wonderful release in the "Elliot Moose" book series.

In this one, Elliot is thrilled to receive what she believes to be a surprise gift, but disappointed that her friends haven't received any. She's inspired to make some for them.

The illustrations are soft, safe, cuddly and Christmasy. The characters look like stuffed animals and are wonderful anthropomorphic models. This is an underappreciated series from Kids Can Press that could definitely use some more love.

Charmingly written and illustrated by Andrea Beck, Elliot's Christmas Surprise is a thoroughly delightful holiday picture book about Elliott, a young moose who finds a gigantic red box near his bed on Christmas Eve morning. When Elliott learns that no one else received an early present, he sets to making special gifts for all his friends. The friendly and cheerful color pictures add a particular sparkle of Christmas spirit to this magical story of sharing and happiness.

My 2 year old son loves all the Elliot Moose and friend's stories (since we started reading them to him when he was a few months old). He loves to have us read them to him over and over. Recently, he started "reading" them to us! Elliot is such a loving character, that has fun adventures with his friends. These books also have wonderful illustrations we use to teach our son, and have him point out things he knows and learn new words.

In this "Elliot Moose" book, Elliot is scared of strange noises in the night. He hears all sorts of weird noises --- creaking, thumping and swishing. His friends don't take him seriously at first, but then they start to get scared too. Elliot goes to see another friend, Beaverton, who helps him to learn what the noises really are. He and his friends learn that there's nothing to be afraid of.

This book reminds me of "Miss Spider: A Listening Walk" and other such stories. The illustrations are soft and this would make a perfect bedtime story. Another wonderful entry in the Elliot Moose series.

Elliot Moose is worried when he hears strange noises in his house at night. Elliot's friend Beaverton explains that those noises are simply a loose shutter, floorboard creaks, or the furnace working. Elliot begins to feel much better -- but later that night awakens to a new and scary sound of shuffle, thump, and swish. Beaverton didn't explain these new and frightening noises! Wonderfully written and charmingly illustrated by Andrea Beck, Elliot's Noisy Night is a very highly recommended picture book story about discovering that the scary things that go bump in the night are simply ordinary things when seen in the light.

My 2 year old son loves all the Elliot Moose and friend's stories (since we started reading them to him when he was a few months old). He loves to have us read them to him over and over. Recently, he started "reading" them to us! Elliot is such a loving character, that has fun adventures with his friends. These books also have wonderful illustrations we use to teach our son, and have him point out things he knows and learn new words.

In "Elliot's Shipwreck," Elliot and his best friend Socks decide to build their own ship. Their friend Amy wants to come too, but there just isn't room. They promise a ride later, though.

The two head out to sea and have a good time. But then they find themselves facing a soggy situation.

Yet another charming "Elliot" story by Andrea Beck. If your kids like water adventures or the adventures of this moose in general, then they'll enjoy this.

Elliot's Shipwreck is wonderful. The book is great for children of all ages. Andrea Beck has a knack for capturing emotion with these adorable stuffed animals. We cannot wait for Elliot's next adventure.

Now fully updated and expanded, this New Millennium edition of Excursions Into Mathematics takes the reader on short "excursions" into several specific disciplines in the field of mathematics and explains mathematical concepts in such an easy, "user friendly" manner as to make them interesting and accessible to the non-specialist general reader. Anatole Beck, Michael N. Bleicher, and Donald W. Crowe have collaborated in this exciting revision to include new research and solutions to outstanding problems that have been solved since the previous edition published in 1969. Excursions Into Mathematics is a highly recommended introduction for any reader with an interest in mathematics, and has a great deal to recommend it to anyone wanting a refresher on mathematics and the progress made over the past three decades.

This book is ageless, because the topics it deals with
are timeless. Re-issued and annotated in year 2000
from its original 1969 edition, it gives the same
fascinating and elementary introduction to many
important topics in mathematics. My favorite chapter
is one written by co-author Michael N. Bleicher, in
which very readable discussions are made of (1) natural
numbers and the base in the place notation; (2) Farey
numbers; (3) Egyptian fractions; and (4) the Euclidean
algorithm. Wow, what a fine taste in selections! The
other chapters contributed by co-authors Anatole Beck
and Donald W. Crowe on elementary aspects of geometry,
topology, number theory, etc., are no less fascinating,
riveting, and compelling. I wonder what Martin Gardner
may think of this volume. I think he would welcome
having it placed on our book shelves alongside the many
splendid volumes he himself has penned -- and just as
avidly read. Stanley Liu November 2003

Now fully updated and expanded, this New Millennium edition of Excursions Into Mathematics takes the reader on short "excursions" into several specific disciplines in the field of mathematics and explains mathematical concepts in such an easy, "user friendly" manner as to make them interesting and accessible to the non-specialist general reader. Anatole Beck, Michael N. Bleicher, and Donald W. Crowe have collaborated in this exciting revision to include new research and solutions to outstanding problems that have been solved since the previous edition published in 1969. Excursions Into Mathematics is a highly recommended introduction for any reader with an interest in mathematics, and has a great deal to recommend it to anyone wanting a refresher on mathematics and the progress made over the past three decades.

people should be reading this stuff, not the same old boring Plato/Homer stuff. This is the interesting stuff, the trickster who gets tricked and then tricks others. It's so valuable. And beautiful. And underrated.

Just like Beck's "Shamans & Kushtakas" this book is a great reference on Tlingit & Haida mythology. She does an excellent job in both books passing on the legends of old into the 21st century. I am a Haida indian and I think she did a wonderful job

Having grown up in Alaska, I've had much exposure to Native Alaskan culture and have always loved reading or hearing their folklore. This particular book is a great collection of Tlingit-Haida legends, each of which is a sort of "how things came to be this way" story. They explain why a certain clan took a particular crest, or how a legendary hero came to fame, etc. What I found especially interesting is the comparison with folklore from other cultures. Each story is accompanied by a short introduction in which the author shows us the parallels between these tales and similar ones in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. The stories are set down in clear, simple language, but are still vivid and engrossing. My one criticism of the book would be that it's too short. There are only nine legends included, and this makes for only a small sampling of Tlingit-Haida lore. I would have loved to see more. However, I will not knock any point off my rating for this. The fact that I wish it had gone on longer only attests to its overall quality. This is a terrific book, easy to read, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in native folklore.