Brandon Books

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.

I don't usually write reviews but this book was so disappointing I felt obligated to save people some money on its purchase. I really do not expect much from a how-to book but this has to be one of the worst written and edited books I've ever seen.

The author attempts to be funny at least once per paragraph and fails miserably. Humor is a good thing in technical writing to keep people awake buy if he would've cut out his lame jokes the book would be 1/3 smaller and easier to read.

To give you an example of the terrible layout and editing: He spends a couple of pages explaining how hard it is to create a good mic setup for live drums. Then he spends a couple more pages telling you how to use an alternative drum machine output to multiple stereo tracks. So far, so good. Then the next paragraph he starts saying how hard it is to mic live drums and how to use a drum machine...?? What the heck, did they even read this thing before printing it?

So, the writing is terrible and the layout makes it even worse, but there is some limited value in this book. It does explain the basic steps and equipment used in setting up a multi-track home studio with emphasis on using a digital audio workstation (personal computer/laptop) setup as opposed to a stand-alone multi-track recorder. It does explain basic microphone types and their usage along with some of the challenges you'll face when recording different types of instruments. You will only read this book once though as the info is very basic and nothing worth referencing later.

Overall, if you can survive the lame humor it's ok to skim through as a primer on home recording. I personally wouldn't recommend it as a book worth purchasing as there are plenty of others out there and the technical information you'll find you could easily get by spending an hour or two on the Internet or even reading product descriptions in a music store catalog.

This book includes a CD with samples to walk you through, but the program is not supported in Windows 2000 or XP. So unless you are using win98 or ME, you can't use this program, which makes the book mediocre at best.

This book covers little ground. The author extends comic relief constantly, which gets extremely annoying. Many books on this subject are much better.

I admit that my ignorance caused my disappointment in this book. I feel that the title is misleading. To me, "home" recording has reference to merely transferring one recording to a different medium. This book is a bit too technical for me, and deals with aspects of recording that I consider more "professional" and not so amateurish as I understand "home" recording. My rating is based on the feeling that the book is inappropriate for me, although others may find it to cover exactly what they are looking for.

This really is a great book - it filled numerous gaps in my (rather poor) understanding of microphones, different types of sounds and how to cook up a suprisingly inpressive sounding final "product". The humorous nature of the book is a bit deceptive - it takes you all the way up to some pretty complex stuff concerning mixing, buses and how to really use effects. This stuff is not obvious to the uninitiated (well not to me!). It is also pretty much up to date as far as I can tell.

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.

Great seller, great communication, very fast shipping. Will be glad to do business again!!!!

I'm a professor at a large state university. On the rare occasions when I teach this course, I always order the Edmonds book.

I believe the purpose of introductory or fundamental financial accounting is to teach students how to read and use finanacial statements. If used properly by the instructor, this is one of only two books on the market (the other is for MBA students) that can be used for this purpose.

I whole-heartedly endorse the horizontal model used by Edmonds, et. al. Most text book writers use a form of it. I even use it in my writings.

Some students want to learn debits and credits. In my opinion, this is best left to technical courses in accounting for those interested in the nuts and bolts.

However, for anyone who want to get something long-lasting from the course, this text book combined with the right professor, will be about the only option.

If this or any text book is used to teach technical aspects at the fundamental level, you won't have a good experience. Techinical aspects are best covered in Intermediate Accounting.

This text is abysmal. It is riddled with errors and omissions, gives incomplete examples, and presents information unsequentially. It relies too much and for too long on the horizontal model without practical applicatoin to journals and statements. If your college uses this text (as Medaille College and Finger Lakes Community College currently do) run away!

Fortunately, many of the gaps are filled in by the PowerPoint® presentations they make available on their support site: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072472960/student_view0/ Note that these presentations are more extensive than the ones on the Topic Tackler CD that comes with the book. You must download these presentations if you want to have a chance with this book.

This Book begins using something called horizontial statments and then in chapter 5 switches to regular T accounts thus confusing students completely, I have yet to find a student that tells me the book is easy to understand or useful. It would be helpful if there was a solutions manual. Our school will change books next semester. It's not even good enough to make dorm furniture.

I've read the reviews stating that this is a confusing book. I disagree completely. Although the author does not immediately delve into traditional T-accounts, the introduction of the "horizontal model" serves as a good foundation for building the awareness of the accounting equation that should be second nature BEFORE tackling T-accounts. The text's preface states: "A horizontal financial statements model replaces the accounting equation as the predominant teaching platform. The model enables students to VISUALIZE THE SIMULTANEOUS EFFECTS OF A SINGLE BUSINESS EVENT on the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows." I felt as though this methodology was very effective for my learning style. Recording transactions in T-accounts came almost as second nature after mastering the horizontal model.

The "Working Papers" (a separate workbook) makes doing the assigned problems easy by providing a ready-made template for each problem. If you've had to draw your own T-accounts or your own journal in a notebook before, you will definitely appreciate this.

This text serves as a good introduction to the skills necessary to master financial accounting.

I needed this book for a math class I was taking. I was so pleased to be able to find such a good used book and to get it in a short period of time. It was shipped and I received it in less than 5 days from order date. The book was in great condition,almost like new. I was very impressed and pleased with my experience on this order.

I am currently a student at a Community College which requires this book for it's Probablity & Statistics online class. It's an excellent book that works well.

I received the book fairly quickly. The book was a little rough around the edges (advertised as good) and it is. The back outside spine was ripped and for that they could have drop the price a little more, but considering the price in the university book store was $118 (new), and $85 (used) - I could live with it. I believe that this is a fair assessment of the site. I would order a book from them again.

I just completed a class where this textbook was used, and found it to be a particularly poorly written text. I feel that because of this I did not do as well in the class as I had hoped. I am a Liberal Studies major and took this class to satisfy my mathematical requirement. I found the explanations and instructions to be confusing and incomplete. As this book appears to be aimed at individuals such as myself, I would think that simple and clear writing would be paramount for the authors. This proves to not be the case. Instructors, steer clear please.

I have been teaching out of Angel & Porter for the last three years. It has quite a few good examples, though I agree with the first reviewer's comment that it does need more challenging problems.

Among the topics I have covered are: inductive reasoning, set concepts, symbolic logic, truth tables, algebra, applied geometry, probability, statistics, and mathematics of finance. Though the examples are laid out fairly well for those who are mathematically inclined, the teacher who happens to have quite a few students with weak mathematical skills is often finding himself or herself in situations of having to create ways to become an effective expositor of mathematical theorems and applications. In other words, by trying to explain what the authors are providing in their examples, the instructor is frequently shouldering the added burden of making this book come to life not only from a mathematical perspective but also from a communicative standpoint.

On a positive note, however, there are several excellent applications, and the range of topics is quite broad. Oftentimes there is a gap between the level of advanced high school mathematics and that of a four-year university that is so serious that even a student who performed A's in high school will struggle in the type of college math course he or she is placed in. Fortunately, Angel and Porter have been able to fill in quite a few of the missing pieces.

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.

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.

It's well-known among Houdini buffs that much of Houdini's writing was ghostwritten for him. So what? This was part of his role as a master publicist. Nevertheless, this book is a great insight into Houdini's mind and methods, because it's certain that he had at least a hand in the production of all of the material in this book. There is no single book that gives a greater insight into the scope of Houdini's interests than this one.

I would reccomend this buy for any magic enthusiast because it's history. No, it's not gone, but it contains the writings of Erich Weiss. I wouldn't say that I got a lot of trick ideas for my own act out of this book. However, it is just fascinating to read and to imagine Houdini as he created this compilation.

I was disapointed in this book because there is only a few pages written by Harry Houdini. There was also added material that had nothing to do with Houdini.
Not Recomended

It is commonly said that you should never read a book on magic tricks unless you are willing to learn a trick and show it to your friends and not tell the secret. Disclaimers aside, this book has material useful for beginners, and for those who wish to make complex apparatus and only a few of the tricks might pose a risk to your life. The material on fraud commit by mediums is very interesting. It can further be said that Houdini was a very good writer.

This book is simply fantastic. It contains a large amount of Houdini's writings from articles, books, etc. It contains Houdini's famous "Margery the Medium" pamplet where he exposes her false methods, explains in Houdini's words how he escapes from a straitjacket, and also tells about an illusion that Houdini was thinking about performing, but never did. A wonderful book with many pictures and illustrations.

I read this book almost 20 years ago, when I rented it from my local library. "Lady Jane Grey and the House of Suffolk" is so much better than Plowden's sequel "Lady Jane Grey: Nine Days Queen" that it shows "Nine Days Queen" as the tired rehash that it is. "Lady Jane Grey and the House of Suffolk" describes Jane beautifully. It also gives plenty of information about her parents, Frances and Henry Grey, and her two younger sisters, Catherine and Mary. Jane's life with her family and her royal Tudor relatives, her subsequent marriage to Guilford Dudley, her brief nine-day reign as England's unwanted Queen, and her following trial and execution are well covered. "Lady Jane Grey and the House of Suffolk" also tells what happened to Jane's surviving family members following her death. This book I'd heartily recommend to anybody who wants a good account of Lady Jane Grey, her life, and her ultimate fate.

It is really helpful in describing and understanding the Tudor period,but it's unbalanced.1 page on Mary Grey,2 chapters on the French Queen,Mary Tudor,1 paragragh on Frances Brandon.There's this uneveness.

Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, was not only the brother-in-law of Henry VIII but also his best friend; after the king's own children, Brandon's descendants were named heirs to the crown. The duke's granddaughter, Jane Grey, died for her legacy at the age of sixteen, a Protestant intellectual challenging the accession of the Catholic Mary Tudor. Jane's sister Catherine subsequently ruined her chances to become heir-presumptive to Elizabeth I by her unauthorized marriage to the earl of Hertford -- and then by presuming to give birth to a healthy son (seven of whose close relatives lay buried headless under the chapel in the Tower where he was christened). The Suffolk drama would have been a fitting subject for a Shakespear-ean tragedy.

This book concentrates too much about Lady Jane Grey. I know it is called "LADY JANE GREY and the House of Suffolk", but the parts about Jane aren't detailed enough to be a biography, and the rest is too short and foggy to be read as an equal family saga.So close,yet so far.

Author Plowden is very well known for her books concerning the Tudor dynasty of England. This book traces the story of Henry VIII's sister, Mary who first wed the elderly King of France. Upon his swift demise, Mary pursued and won the man she wanted, Charles Brandon. For a while she was banned from court for daring to marry for love, instead of dynastic reasons. From this marriage, her offspring and their descendants would be tightly controlled by the subsequent Tudor monarchs, Edward V, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

While focusing on primarily Lady Jane Grey, the granddaughter of Mary Tudor, all other descendants (primarily female) are also discussed. The complication succession to the throne made a minefield which ruined many lives.

The book is very well written and quotes extensively from original sources. I would recommend it and any other Plowden books to anyone interested in Tudor England.