Brandon Books

Much is known of Gerry Adams, statesman, man of peace, friend of the stars. Less well known perhaps is Adams the artist. Adams is perhaps best known for not being a member of the IRA, and yet so vivid are his descriptions of the IRA's struggle against violence, that it is almost as if he were there in the room as they deliberated. The book comes at a crucial juncture, and reminds us that all that peace does not just happen, but must be seized. No man is better placed to truly take that peace.

Gerry Adams has set out to write an autobiography. In the process, he has accomplished also writing a history book. This book demonstrates and details the life of a man who questions the systems justices and dares to speak out against those who would oppress his people. The life he has described (being on the run, being locked up in the Kesh, etc) could be used to describe the lives of the countless dissidents who take a stand for nationalism everyday. As an Irishman who does not support Sinn Fein (Adams' Political Party) or the so called Belfast Agreement, I still have respect for the accomplishments Adams made to the movement in the important 1969-1996 years. To those who would label the likes of Adams a terrorist, I remind them that he is no more a terrorist than George Washington or Thomas Jefferson would have been during the American Revolution for Independence. It has been said, "One man's terrorist, is another man's freedom fighter." Only history will show which he will be remembered for.

It's hard to write a review of this book without taking sides. When I got back from a trip to Ireland this past August (I stayed in County Tyrone in the North with relatives of my mom's), I started to read a lot about the politics of the North. This was one of the books I read. "Before the Dawn" is a relatively quick read, but it will not provide one with the overall historical background behind the Troubles (the conflict goes back hundreds of years starting with the Potato Famine of 1845-49, and even earlier than that). However, Adams does describe in great detail the British Army raids during times of Internment, the torture that internees had to endure (how would you like it if someone blindfolded you, made you walk across glass and nails and such while beating you and then put you on a helicopter, and then pushed you off, not knowing if you were a mere 8 feet off the ground or several hundered?). For a more balanced view of the Troubles, try reading John Conroy's "Belfast Diary". Conroy is an American journalist who spent 1977-82 in West Belfast. It's also a very gritty, steet-level account. As for the IRA's kneecappings, it should be noted that most locals did approve of them, because Catholics felt they couln't go to the British RUC.

The beginning of this book is a magical tale of childhood,where his and his brothers biggest worry was how to get past mother with a scraped knee!
The book however then develops in to the true tragedy that befalls every Irish Catholic living in the facist unionists power that refuse to be labelled "dirty Irish" or second class.
Accounts of a struggle like this are almost always biased but this is a fair,real account of what HAPPENED.It's always been hard for English or unionists or anti-republicans to swallow the fact that their beloved beliefs caused the violation of almost every human right there is.England and it's people have always been classed or rather classed themselves as a civilised people even though history shows a story of a power grabbing,colonising, nation raping race.They have always stolen land so it's not just a plight of the Irish here making up stories.
(...) Well done Gerry.A truly fantastic read,whether a follower of any politics.

I find the argument set forth in this book extremely offensive. The author was himself intrinsically involved in organising and carrying out a campaign of murder during the early 1970s, and here he attempts its justification through an exaggerated description of past grievances.

Firstly, that part of Ireland, which seeks freedom, has had independence for the past 80 years. 58% of those living in N.Ireland want to remain part of the UK. For all his talk of freedom Mr. Adams (a convicted terrorist himself) refuses to recognise the most fundamental principle of democracy: majority rule.

Also, the human rights issues at the heart of the argument, have now been dealt with: all UK citizens now have equal rights and opportunities. History does not justify murder. Rather than having a keen sense of history, Adams has a keen sense of sectarian hatred, which he christens history, in order to make legitimate a terrorist organisation, of which he is now leader. If stories concerning falling out of helecopters arouse your sympathy, compare the authors injuries to those of his many victims.

The sufferings of those involved in the 1980 hunger strikes, although tragic, was entirely self-inflicted. A man commits murder. So he is sentenced to life imprisonment. Fair? Of course. Adams makes use of their plight and this semi-achedemic text to arouse sympathy from oversees, to generate funds (from the US in particular), to further his cause. Suffice to say, many of Adam's heroes would have been executed had they been tried under US law.

I have read about half of this book. I'm having a little trouble following his group of fellow players, and how they fit into his life. Mr. Adams lack of personality reflects in his writing. That is not to say he does not know his stuff. His mathamatical knowledge is of the highest level, and does reflect on his poker play. I notice he's going deep in some of the World Series Events this year. I may add to this review once I complete the book. What I am reflecting on most from what I have read is how important poker is to me versus haing a quality healthy life.

This is definitely a worthwhile read. It really gives you a look into the lives of middle-high stakes players (particularly young, internet "degenerates"), showing the highs and inevitable lows of the lifestyle.

I tried to spread out the reading of this book over a couple weeks, only reading 5-10 pages a day, but one could definitely finish it in a couple of hours. On that note, I really wish it was longer! I could easily have read another couple hundred pages following the journeys of these characters. You become very interested in what decisions they'll make, and what fate will bring them in the next minute.

I believe I heard that the author is interested in writing another novel (if he hasn't started already). I hope this turns out to be true, and would love to see a continuation of the story with these characters (though I'm sure a story following new characters would be good, too). Go ahead, take a couple of years Brandon if you must - I will be waiting! :)

This is a very good book that goes into an often overlooked part of poker that it is very hard to make a living playing poker. However, It is a VERY VERY short book.

not really a book. its like 80 pages long. big disapointment. save your money.

This book is not really for beginners. Like most other books, it does not discuss poker strategy or probabilities and stuff like that. In every poker book you read what bankroll you need and when you can move up to higher stakes. IT IS THE GOAL OF MOST PLAYERS TO MOVE UP TO HIGHER STAKES. That of course was also my goal, make a living playing poker.

This book shows the downside of (semi-)professional poker players. Why you want to move up, why you cant sleep at night and so on. It shows how a player went broke, it shows that poker is highly addictive. I realized, I am no exception to the people he describes. I found tendencies of myself in almost every chapter.

I read the book twice. And since I did that, I adjusted my goals I want to reach by playing poker. I still love the game, I am still dreaming of the big win, but the way I want to achieve it, changed.

I just love this book.

I just felt that after reading this book, I still knew next to nothing about taoism. the search continues...

This book is poorly organized and confusing. The authors used way too many quotations from other sources, i.e. books, websites. In the end, I have to wonder what the authors' own take is on the subject. It doesn't have a backbone of its own, period.

I have been studying taoism for about 2 1/2 years now, and while I'm no expert, there was plenty I disagreed with in this book. I felt that the authors were incorrect (at least in their explanations) about some of the key points of taoist philosophy, and one of the authors gives his own translation of the first verse of the Tao Te Ching which I also found to be off-base. The back cover also promises "in-depth" information on tai chi and the I Ching, yet the book actually only gives brief information on these subjects -- in fact, INSIDE the book it says "Here's a brief overview" -- no in-depth information. To make matters worse, the section on the I Ching contrasts the methods of eastern divination versus western divination, but the example it gives of a question in eastern divination is INCOMPATIBLE with the I Ching, suggesting an infamiliarity with it.

While the back cover was probably written by the publisher and not the authors (it even mentions "ying-yang" instead of the correct "yin-yang"), the material inside the book is what counts. But because of the faults I mentioned with the material inside, I found myself taking everything else I read in the book with a grain of salt because I was unsure of its accuracy. And while it does provide some information on the history of taoism, chinese dynasties, and taoist religion, I'm concerned that this book would mislead those new to taoism.

If you are new to taoism and would like to learn more, I recommend picking up a good translation of the Tao Te Ching and starting there. "Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Translation" by Jonathan Star is my personal favorite translation because it includes a verbatim, word-for-word translation of the text. Also recommended is the translation by Brian Browne Walker.

Lots of info presented here but the authors have made it too esoteric and vague. You should not have to reach and re-read to comprehend the Tao.

You are sitting in the forest against a large, old tree. A graceful yet timid deer approaches you cautiously. If you ignore it, the deer draws nearer. If you acknowledge it's presence, it moves away from you. The deer is the Tao.

I recommend "The Tao of Pooh" by B. Hoff.

I was expecting a complete wishy-washy new-agey mosaic of pseudo-science, pseudo-history, pseudo-scholarship; but actually the scholarship and historical information in this book were pretty darn good.

It's a good introduction to ancient Chinese philosophy, the context of Zhuangzi and Laozi. The philosophy isn't watered down too much, and fortunately (thanks no doubt to Chad Hansen's contribution) it's not mixed in with unrelated stuff from the Upanishads or anything like that.

There is a misprint on the back, "ying-yang" which must be slang for the padding surrounding one's gluteus maximus; inside the book the spelling is correct. The explanation of yin-yang is also correct and simple.

I would've wanted a lot more information on religious Taoism: information about modern movements and so on. Which deities are most commonly worshipped in Taiwan, which in Hong Kong, which in Beijing? And, how are they worshipped? I'd like information about Taoist pilgrimages, Taoist sacred places, and so on. The book doesn't touch any of that: minus one star.

Also, the bit on quantum physics could be greatly, greatly improved. Maybe they could've asked a few grad students at a physics dep't for commentary? It would have greatly helped: minus one star.

However, I just couldn't give the book 3 stars; the chapters on politics and ecology were surprisingly good, the internet links are too helpful, and as I said earlier the explanation of ancient Chinese philosophy was too good. So, maybe there's a little grade inflation here.

In sum, it's a good introduction to Taoism, and it'll prepare you to move on to deeper stuff, and help you find it.

If, like, you're already a Taoist immortal or something, this book isn't for you, and you can't really criticize it for that. I'd expect you to realize that already.

As a New Englander now reincarnated as a Texan, I have been reading up on the local authors. San Antonio is fortunate to have Jay Brandon in addition to Rick Riordan as storytellers with a local flavor. "Afterimage" is the second Brandon title to feature Chris Sinclair, a young District Attorney, and his lover, Dr. Anne Greenwald. In this book Chris hooks up, unexpectedly, with an old college girlfriend and discovers her/his involvement in a complicated crime. My only problem with the plot is the somewhat unrealistic portrayal of Jean Fitzgerald, the mother of two "lost" teenage daughters who happens to be the old college lover. Her "wildness" just doesn't ring true to this reviewer. Other than this minor quibble, I enjoyed the twisting plot, local color, and the ever unfolding relationship between Chris and Anne. Please tell us that this series will continue!

This is my first Jay Brandon novel, and after reading this well-crafted thriller, I am going to try and catch up on his other works.
Brandon's plot is as thick as thieves, and he masterfully winds the reader through the involved story. Young District Attorney Chris Sinclair finds himself drawn into his past as a young girls body found in a shallow grave turns out to be the daughter of his college sweetheart. Further problems ensue when he finds out that the girl has an older sister, Clarissa, who just might be his daughter.
Sinclair digs deep to find the child's killer and rescue his supposedly kidnapped daughter. The killer is apprehended, but it's up to Sinclair with very little evidence to bring the man to justice.
There are several unexpected twists and turns and a tight, tense denouement.
There's lots of good legal writers out there, and I add Jay Brandon to the list!

I couldn't put this one down! Stayed up late to finish it...a chiller. Not easy to read because youngsters are in danger and one has already died. Some of the characters are not as they seem, and the D.A. Chris Sinclair has to figure it out before it's too late. Not only a young girl's safety is at stake, but that of Chris and his sweetheart.

The author gets a lot of his law right, but then wants us to believe that the DA does his own investigating, even doing a little b&e on the side. Too much to buy.

It's always difficult to write a bad review when one realizes the weeks and months that must go into writing a novel. But this book is just a waste. The idea for the book is good and it begins well. A woman is been found dead and the hero recognizes the face of his old love when he sees a reconstruction of the face of the corpse. But from that point the author does not know where to go. The plot limps along with a lot of pointless conversations, little action, and badly described emotions. It is difficult to maintain interest in the characters. I wish I had not read this book and - if you buy it - you'll be sorry too.

good writer with quick plot which carries on throughout the book with lots of twists and turns.
A good read.

This is a murder story that concerns King Edward I. After destroying the Red House, King Edward is confronted by a mystery. A man called Walter de Montfort is killed. It is up to King Edward to find clues and capture the culprit. In the end, he discovers it was a man called Robert de Luce, the treasurer of the Cathedral of St. Paul's, the senoir cannon of the church. King Edward found out that Robert de Luce poisoned Walter de Montfort when a drink was passed around.

I chose to read this book because of a few reasons. First because it would help me with my projects. Second because it is a mystery book. Third because it is tied in with the Middle Ages. Fourth because it is really a good book. Finally, because it is full of excitement.

I actually didn't have a favorite part. This to me was good because it was a mystery story. I liked it because it ties in with the Medieval Time. I don't think that any mystery stories have a favorite part. I like the types of mystery stories that gives you clues so you could solve the mystery yourself. Some of those types of books that I like to read Encyclopedia Brown Books.

This is a murder story that concerns King Edward I. After destroying the Red House, King Edward is confronted by a mystery. A man called Walter de Montfort is killed. It is up to King Edward to find clues and capture the culprit. In the end, he discovers it was a man called Robert de Luce, the treasurer of the Cathedral of St. Paul's, the senoir cannon of the church. King Edward found out that Robert de Luce poisoned Walter de Montfort when a drink was passed around.

I chose to read this book because of a few reasons. First because it would help me with my projects. Second because it is a mystery book. Third because it is tied in with the Middle Ages. Fourth because it is really a good book. Finally, because it is full of excitement.

I actually didn't have a favorite part. This to me was good because it was a mystery story. I liked it because it ties in with the Medieval Time. I don't think that any mystery stories have a favorite part. I like the types of mystery stories that gives you clues so you could solve the mystery yourself. Some of those types of books that I like to read Encyclopedia Brown Books.

After reading Loose Among the Lambs I just had to grab another Brandon book - but was a tad disappointed. This one started out well, but tried too hard, was too cliche and just didn't have it. I think when Brandon's on, he's right-on, as in Loose Among the Lambs and Fade the Heat. But after reading this one I couldn't help but think that he's seen one too many episodes of Ally McBeal. Judges - no matter now incompetent - would not let attorneys blather on and on and on like they do in this novel, without getting interrupted. Brandon tries to make us believe early on that this judge is very incompetent, perhaps so that he can allow the attorneys to do just this, but I didn't buy it. And the ending? Too ridiculous. Too Hollywood. Brandon must have been thinking of the big screen when he wrote the ending. Too bad, because he's a great writer.

Jay Brandon mixed in his thorough understanding of how the criminal justice system works, a very original and intelligent villian, and a uncanny depiction and right on the mark description of the relationships and dynamics within the African-American community and how that community precieves the Legal Justice System to create a thrilling,page turning book that you can't put down.His protagonists Sinclair and Greenwald are a great match romantically and in helping to take down the killer Reese. Unlike other books that basically are written as screenplays/scripts or their antagonist are more interesting and way smarter than the hero i.e. James Patterson-"Pop goes the Weasel". Malachi Reese and Chris Sinclair are both very smart and cunning in their own ways, making for some great suspense and good reading.Look forward to the sequel to this book if for nothing else to read about the on going relationship of Sinclair/Greenwald and the other strong characters in the book, Asst DA Lynn Ransom and Councilman Winston Phillips. Get the book because you won't see it on the Hollywood screen because the villian is too Politicallly Incorrect for Hollywood to allow the book to be made into a movie.

First off I'd like to say that I do recommend this for fans of the Ultimate universe. Since you're here you probably know what this book is about, the Ultimate re-telling of Galactus. I'll keep it short since there's plenty of long winded reviews out there.

Everything leading up to Ultimate Extinction is great. They do a wonderful job of building the suspense and tension. Then once the climax arrives everything just kind of ends and we're left going "huh."

For me at least, the ending was a bit too abrupt and definitely leaves the window open for another visit from Galactus. It also looked like we may have not seen all that the "Un-creator" has to offer.

So let me get this straight? And I loved the book up until we got to the "Galactus is a bunch of widgets" ending.

Let me get this straight... no one can see Galactus without going insane, why even the knowledge that he exists drives a Kree almost over the edge. But when we finally see Galactus revealed around Jupiter, he turns out to be a bunch of widget robots who collectively form Galactus. Strange that the operator who says, "Hey look here near Jupiter, isn't this wierd?" shows no inclination to even develop a migraine.

In fact, none of the dozens of humans who get down to developing a way to stop him before he reaches earth bats an eye at what Galactus is. It was SUCH a huge disappointment, I was hoping when I read the initial Jupiter description that the robots were an advance wave of Galactus. Nope, no luck. What a let down.

I can say for starters that this is WORLDs better than either the original campy Lee-Kirby story or the Fantastic Four 2 movie. Of course, if something like Galactus were headed for a world like the Ultimate Marvel Earth, all the heroes would be involved.

I thought the sense of doom was well-set up in the first two parts...HOWEVER the ending AKA "Ultimate Extinction", was a bit of a let down, for several reasons.

For one thing, we get a big storyline focusing on...Moondragon and Misty Knight??!?!!? Seriously, we have a world-wide threat, and no glimpse of Thor, The Black Widow, The Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, the Wasp or Quicksilver among the Ultimates - and they all could have and should have been lending a hand. How great would a fight between Thor and one of the Surfers have been? Certainly much better than a fight between Marvel D-listers Misty Knight and Moondragon.

Second, we barely see the X-Men, nor do we see half of the fantastic four. And there were plenty of villains for all of these missing heroes (and probably Spider-man too) to fight. One additional issue could have crammed that in and given us more action, both in NYC and in the desert.

Third - while Reed's idea for stopping Galactus was great, the writing of it was horrible. Seriously - a pre-big bang universe is NOT a ball of swirling gas, its a singularity, and Reed would certainly know that. Also, it seems a bit beyond conceited to have the vision say that no civilization among the thousands who have ever faced Galactus have ever defeated him - including races far more advanced than our own - yet Reed, by himself, without help from Tony Stark or Hank Pym or even Doom or Forge - comes up with a weapon to stop him in a matter of days? Really?

I could buy this IF we found out that other races HAD survived...say as with the classic Galactus tale, the surfer and or the Vision's people had struck a deal with Galactus to survive, or like the Skulls for thousands of years in mainstream Marvel, had managed to hide. But I have not gotten to th worst part:

That is the fact that after all of this, we are expected to believe that super-secretive Nick Fury simply GAVE the secret to this super-weapon, one that could theoretically destroy entire solar systems, to the Vision, so that the vision could deliver the specs to any and every civilization that might ever encounter Galactus. Really? You mean none of those civilizations will use such a weapon to conquer and kill others, including perhaps Earth? No Skrull or Kree would not want to use it as revenge? Galactus himself might not send his Surfers to take the information from the Vision? It boggles the imagination to think that SHIELD would just give something like this away and let an alien android leave the planet with it.

Finally, not enough action in the conclusion - which again, could have been solved by involving more Ultimates, X-men, etc in fights against more Surfers and Moondragon clones.

This series is a great new look at the fantastic four and the dealings of galactus. It is not like the regular giant coming with the machine storyline thats been done multiple times. It is more like a revamp of the usual characters and tries to put the setting into a semi modern, with a little futuristic vibe. It is an entertaining read.

It took Marvel a long time to complete this trilogy when it was in comic form, and just as long to finally collect it into one large hardcover edition. I had waited to read any of the series until I got the hardcover. Was it worth the wait? That's difficult to answer. Is any comic worth two years wait to read? I don't know. What I do know is that Mr. Warren Ellis is a great Sci-Fi writer, and I enjoyed this as much as I've enjoyed much of his other Sci-Fi-tinged work. The Ultimate Marvel Universe became my preferred universe of the two Marvel playgrounds long ago. While it features many characters with the same moniker who have similar adventures to the the characters in the "616" universe, the characters and stories in this universe seem more real, less dorky, and more unpredictable. Death is common, continuity is much more cohesive, and the new looks of the characters are usually much better than the originals they are based on.

This storyline introduces many new characters to the Ultimate universe, including the ultimate versions of Vision, Captain Mahr-Vell, the Kree, Silver Surfer, and, of course, Galactus. The new look of Galactus is, in particular, far removed from the origianl, but I liked it and I think new readers will like this version, too. Though the first part of the trilogy has little impact of the overall story and serves as little more than an opportunity for a small battle between a few of the Ultimates and the X-Men, the other parts of the story are very fresh and interesting and a compelling read. The artwork by Steve McNiven is the best of the artwork supplied by the pencillers for this book, though it is really above average throughout.

Overall, a worthwhile purchase for any fan of the Ultimate universe or of Sci-Fi in general.

I don't really know why this is called a cookbook, it isn't set up like that at all. While it does have some interesting features, I think it's a little outdated and really should be revised to discuss some of the newer technologies available to trainers. This, and because it covers a lot of the very basics, might be why it seems to be filled with too much common sense and not enough truly innovative ideas. I've seen Brandon Hall speak at training shows, and he's obviously a leader in the industry. I just didn't think this book was worth (the money). I'd say only about a quarter of the book is useful. To top it off, the CD-ROM is a waste. I wouldn't recommend this book to trainers or instructional designers with any amount of real-world experience.

Excellent book. It was an easy read because it was well-organized. Apparently the author knows a thing or two about good instruction.

I got a good overview and some new insights into WBT development. The book is probably most valuable to training executives and managers than to courseware designers and developers.

There were lots of valuable project walkthroughs, which conveyed a good feel for all aspects of the process of creating web-based training programs. It includes good discussions of project management and how to create proposals to motivate the projects in the first place. I can see where Hall's focus on return on investment and how each affected worker in the project may react positively or negatively to aspects of WBT.

The book has the best and most concrete explanation of storyboarding that I have seen.

The technical stuff was pretty good, despite the fact that the book is old (mid-1997) and tools, plug-ins, and development environments have changed a lot since those ancient times. For instance, by "browser" he really means Netscape, which in the spring of 1997 had an 87% market share and represented hot technology. Now, we have the advantage of not only of a more advanced browser, but also more advanced international standards in browser authoring, such as Dynamic HTML and Cascading Style Sheets.

If you have much experience developing CBTs or multimedia projects, this isn't the resource for you. It's better for aspiring managers or managers of training depts. It's a good book to read if you want to know a whole lot ABOUT the field of WBT. The CD-ROM is not a model of good design. It provides a list of URLs but does not categorize the list. Unless you're very familiar with the training world, you don't know which are links to resources (most aren't) and which aren't. The NASA link takes you to a login page for NASA employees and contractors (I assume most of us are not either of these). All in all, I regret buying the book. It does have useful information and interesting asides, but I did not use it in developing my department or WBT strategy.

The book was great for an introductory and great on ideas. It was in no way a cookbook though.

It wasn't what I thought it would be. I took a class last summer and this was the book we used. If you are a technical type of person, you might understand it, or even a business person. The first half of the book talks about how you need a proposal and how to write one, why web training is ideal for business, etc. The last half is about how to set up a training website.

The book uses a lot of case studies, which seems like a good idea, but the book uses too many, and not enough concrete examples.

This is more of an action story than anything. The original books also had action but the characterizations and relationships were a lot more "fleshed out". There are some exceptions, compared to previous human characters, the human "villian" (Gromhul Djun) is fairly well developed amd the interplay between him and Winnowill is quite interesting. Winnowill actually has a grudging respect for his viciousness and ruthlessness as a leader. Despite his human limitations, the Djun, is a match for her and is not fooled by her at all. The story also has a much darker tone, Winnowill seems to take an almost sexual delight in the pain and suffering of others.

The only thing that dissapointed me is the use of artists other than Wendy Pini, this was a dissapointment and might have contributed to the story's weaknesses.

Its not the Elfquest I remember but it moves fast and will keep your interst.

Since I read this book in it's original form (comic books) I don't know what the black and white version is like, but I loved this story. It's the most intense Elfquest story yet (and there is some gore - probably not suitable for children)! But if you get this book, you should also read it's sequel to find out what happens. The ending is great!

I had almost decided not to read any more Elfquests, but these artists draw the characters almost like Wendi Pini does (YAY!) and the story really grabbed me. Yes, it is black and white, but that's why it's so affordable, and it's a lot longer than the color Elfquests that cost twice as much. The lack of color didn't bother me at all. My biggest complaints: Aroree doesn't look or act like she did in previous books, the story contains nudity and a lot of people in trashy clothing, and (surprisingly) there's an element of dog abuse in this volume. But I still recommend it for Elfquest fans.

I can't believe that Wendi and Richard sell their story like it was some cheap....@#$!*&^!!! They receive my ultimate praise for the first four compilations (the original #1-#20)which are the best fantasy epic that I have ever read but anything after that I do not bother reading. The quality of the artwork has gone way down and it is as if some giant tornado has come along and swept up all the characters I knew and replaced them with the X-men! Please Richard and Wendi save the characters we all know and love and bring them back to us!

The present book, "Ascent", covers the first part of the story of the Wolfriders' attempt to win the Palace of the High Ones back from their old enemy Winnowill - and a new one, the dictator Grohmul Djun.

First, it must be said that this is the darkest EQ tale yet. Given that the story deals with two would-be Stalins (take a guess, fans), this is inevitable - but fair warning, the opening scene (the first three pages) is NOT for children! That said, this is a dramatic, well-paced story, much more unified than that in the companion volume "Legacy". Too, the artwork is far more consistent, it having been entrusted to only one team of artists. (The use of several teams for "Legacy" is that book's weakness; art and story are very diffuse in that volume.)

It is a measure of the quality and "4-D-ness" of the story that grim, even frightening events share the stage with moments of lightheartedness, each appropriate to the story. Try, for instance, "Wood" (issue 2 of the series),the sequence depicting the Wolfriders and the trolls.

In short, despite the often-depressing story line (which will become even more so in "Reunion", the upcoming sequel), this book is a story well told with artwork well drawn - and a very affecting ending.

This book depicts one of the starting points for feminism. Married women were at the mercy of their husbands (for example, all of a woman's property transferred to her husband at marriage); unmarried women, who really had no place, had few options.

One of the very few options was work as a governess. This position reflected the social and cultural realities in England at the time. Very few accounts of the governess' experience survive, as they were not considered of interest, and, indeed, few governesses had the time and education necessary to document their lives.

Ruth Brandon does an excellent job portraying the lives and times of these governesses, including Mary Wollstonecraft and her sisters and Anna Leonowens, whose life was the basis for "The King and I." The story of Claire Clairmont, who bore a child with Lord Byron out of wedlock, is especially a page turner.

I highly recommend this book!

Far and away, the best thing about this book is the artwork on the cover. The entire book was based on very few records left by an extraordinary set of women; hardly typical. The author made a great show of the hardship of loneliness and loss of prestige supposedly suffered by woman working as governesses. These burdens seem pathetic compared to true hardships borne by working class people in England and elsewhere. This is a book that will find its way into the next church tag sale; not even worthy of sharing with my friends.

So, you think being a Governess is great? Read this book. Not only will you get a good insight on how it was to be a governess but you also see how the women's rights movement slowly got its start by trying to address the struggles of women and how men did everything in their power to suppress them.

The book lacks cohesian and isn't written clearly. It jumps from story to story and keeps refering back to others. It's very scholarly and I found it to be not very informative, over all.

The modern-day reader is most familiar with the 19th century profession of governess through the novels of the Bronte sisters. Governess: The Lives and Times of the Real Jane Eyres is a chronicle of governessing in the late 18th and 19th century. Ruth Brandon follows the lives of seven highly unusual women who were either forced by circumstance or chose the solitary life of being a governess.

Brandon's subjects are Agnes Porter, a governess who held an unusual rapport with her employers; Mary Wollstonecraft, who tried her hand at governessing before finally finding her calling in writing; Anna Leonowens, whose life inspired The King And I; and the women who made strides towards making governessing a liveable job. Eventually, their efforts would lead to the founding of Girton College at Cambridge, which had a profound effect on the profession as a whole.

The governess was an unusual figure in the Victorian period. She belonged neither "upstairs" nor "downstairs," leading those that she lived with to treat her as an outcast. Governesses were underpaid and overworked, and those that were forced into the profession usually came from poor but genteel backgrounds (usually they were the daughters of clergymen). Brandon's source material is mostly not new--ie, its mostly diaries and novels--and her tone is a little pedantic, but her subject matter is extraordinarily fascinating.

It is important that we hear, for hearing measures our response to all who speak to us. It is more important what we hear, for we are greatly influenced by the truths and falsehoods; also by the significant and trivial things to which we open our minds and hearts. Mainly, it is most important what we do with what we hear, and we should be mindful of the Biblical injunction to be doers and not merely hearers of God's word.

The most significant thing about hearing the word of God is what we do with ourselves in the light of what we have heard. Take heed to what and how you hear about human live, the church, the gospel and God. Jesus used parables in his messages as they are the ageless conveyers of truth. This is the Biblical version of Aesop's Fables. An old definition of a parable is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning." Jesus preached to the multitudes about lives of ordinary people like a farmer sowing grain, a fisherman hauling in his catch, a shepherd searching for a lost sheep, a joyous marriage supper, and a loving father welcoming home his wayward son.

Many of his stories were simple, like the parable of the mustard seed while others were more involved like the marriage feast, the wedding garment, the good Samaritan, and the rich fool. Parables point out one central truth and goes from there to the extenuating circumstances. illustrating the love of God for a sinner. The Parable of the Sower is sometimes called the Parable of the Soils in the book of Mark. The one we all need to remember is the Parable of the Talents we are all born with and how we should use them to fulfill our destiny, the reason we are in the earth.

In Matthew, the disciples asked Christ why he speaks to them in parables. An old Indian fable tells of a man who had gone to Heaven where he encountered a huge pile of ears of those who had heard God's message but did not respond. The ears were saved, but the hearers who failed to respond accordingly were lost. Jesus asked, "What has a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul." The world is too much with us. The parables still sow the seeds of truth. Isaiiah prophesized "they will indeed see and hear but not understand, because they had refused to turn in repentance from their sins to experience God's forgiveness. Today's world is more sinful than that of Jesus' time. We are destined to suffer the consequences one way or the other. Children listen and observe all that is going on around them and will speak the truths we wouldn't necessarily divulge even to our friends. Last words are lasting words.

I just read this book and thought it was great. The author's insights into the parables of Jesus made them much more credible to me. Better grounding in history makes my faith stronger.

Yikes! Scott's aproach to the parables of Jesus is part commentary on IF there are His parables, and part deconstruction of said parables. How many people are comfortable with the idea of Jesus telling bawdy stories?
Scott, like so many of his colleagues in the Society of Biblical Literature, are so interested in seeming "objective" in approaching Scripture, they treat it with less respect than they would any other peice of ancient literature. When was the last time you heard of a Q source for Homer? Or of multiple authors for The Republic? Or a discussion of which lines of The Frogs are original to the play's author? These guys want to look intellectual, but end up looking petty.

I strongly disagree with the previous reviewer. Brandon Scott provides a challenging reading of the parables by proposing ways of hearing them that are set apart from the later Christian interpretations of the parables that were edited into the Gospels of the New Testament. Scott's theory, which he successfully defends, is that Jesus' parables were much more revolutionary, much more critical of the social/political/religious culture of Jesus' lifetime than those versions that were more spiritualized, made more palatable for the widespread proclimation of the Christian faith in the late 1st Century. Do I agree with every theory of every parable in Scott's book? No. However, his reading is one of the most insightful and historically valid interpretations of the parables that I have read. Along with John D. Crossan's book, "In Parables," Scott's book brings Jesus' message to new light. As a United Methodist pastor, who preaches Jesus' parables with passion, Scott's challenging interpretation helps me broaden my understanding of Jesus' message.

Jesus' parables are perhaps his most endearing words, but they are also challenging. Over the centuries there have been vast and varied interpretations of these seemingly simple stories. All a reader needs to do is examine what the great writers of Christianity, beginning with the Patristics, had to say about the parables to see how these stories have been viewed and used over the centuries. It's easy to understand why the parables can have so many different interpretations. Most of the stories are drawn from daily life and since we all have different daily experiences, it is only natural things could be viewed differently. It's also a good thing. It demonstrates that Jesus' words are still both living and challenging.

Bernard Brandon Scott's HEAR THEN THE PARABLE has become a standard commentary on the parables and is used frequently in scripture study classes on the college and graduate level. The work is copious. He gives a thorough background to the literary form known as the parable. He also discusses a number of the parables in depth, examining how they are sued by the different evangelists, looking at them from a literary point of view, and trying to place them in the context of Jesus' ministry. Some of his interpretations can be somewhat far fetched and some readers may even consider them irreverent (as a few of the other Amazon reviewers have noted). Even if a reader does not agree with all of his conclusions, or may consider him somewhat flip, he can't be faulted for his research. He presents in a succinct manner all that is available which is itself a service.

As far as parables are concerned, Scott's book is not the first one I look to for ideas for homilies or Bible study lessons. Pheme Perkins' now out of print HEARING THE PARABLES OF JESUS is my first choice. I suppose it's ironic that I first read Scott's book when I took a course with Dr. Perkins at Boston College. Still, I do refer to it somewhat often when I need an idea clarified. While it may not be the most helpful pastoral commentary, it is great for study. He presents a variety of scholarship in each of his entries and has a large bibliography which can lead a reader to a variety of sources.