Bryan Books

This book is the best self help book I've seen. The theme of the book is thirty excrises that are mental ways of changing the way a person looks at life. A great book if you can find it

Brian Browne Walker takes a whimsical but very real look at sprituality through a series of life exercises, without being preachy or referring to any religious or cultural beliefs, other than an incidental comparison to Native American philosophy. It is designed, in a very playful way, to focus one's attention on the joy and happiness available to you. Get out of your rut...be a crazy dog!

There is something droll about seeing Pierre Franey, the former executive chef of La Pavillion, classically trained French native doing books of quick cooking. It suddenly started making sense to me when I read that Franey was employed as the head of the Howard Johnson's research and development kitchen in the 60's before going to his gig as a culinary columnist for the New York Times. The credentials of this chef, along with my interest in preparing good food quickly lead me to buy this book shortly after it was published in 1989.

Franey is especially qualified to write recipes with this slant due to his long service at the New York Times column devoted to quick cooking.

Like some modern writers on fast cooking such as Rachael Ray, I believe Franey does alter classic recipes such as pot a feu to get them done faster, but mostly selects those recipes which can be done in less time. There are some exceptions to this such as Pierre's recipe for Chile con carne, typically a long cooking dish. I have prepared this chile many times over the last 12 years and at one time I thought it was very good. Now, after being exposed to some of the more authentic, classic southwestern recipes, I find Pierre's recipe merely a good expedient. Pierre also does not limit himself to the cuisines of western Europe

On the other side of the coin, I find that this book contains many bonus features on techniques which one would not expect to find in a book with this slant. For example, it covers the always challanging method for dealing with an artichoke and a method for charring the skin of a sweet pepper.

This is a very good book for the novice, occasional cook, as it was for me when I first purchased it. The only warning I have is that being short does not always mean easy. A novice cook may find himself challanged by some of the preparations and find yourself taking much longer than an experienced chef.

If you are a serious foodie who dotes on Paula Wolfert and Diana Kennedy, you can skip this volume.

I love this book, and I'm about to order one for my daughter. I've used the book for over five years and have tried about half the recipes. All are consistently good and are quick and fairly simple.

I enjoyed the collection of stories and varying viewpoints this book offers to my chronicle. I've already begun intergrating some of the Crafts and events into my game.

This book offers a wide selection of culture-specific rotes which i find very useful. I find that some of my players have a difficult time making their rotes unique to their characters. More specificly I find the sections on India and Europe most useful for my game.

The downsides to this book are the lack of MET conversions and that the chapters are so short. I would love to have more information on the different crafts. But as with all game supplements: if you don't know it, make it up. ;)

Alright, the first Dead Magic was great, so I had high expectations for this one. I wasn't disappointed. This time though, the focus on living cultures was just as strong as "dead" cultures. As such, we begin with a look at the shamanistic magics of Polynesia told IC by an anciet Kapuna to a Dreamspeaker refugee. The belief system of Huna was found throughout the entire region in some form or another, and this book gives an island to island survey of it, covering New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Hawaii, the Marquesas, Easter Island and elsewhere. Aside from mention of head hunting and cannibalism (which were parts of RL Polynesian religions), we also get a look at tattoo magic, fireballs, tikis, sea-faring magic and such. Theres also plenty of plot hooks, and even information on the "lost" Kopa Loei craft, now a part of the Dreamspeaker Tradition. It goes on to get to the Dreamtime of the Australian Aborigines, giving a great overview of tying the Dreamtime into the World of Darkness. A whole new set of rules for the Dreamtime, initiation rites and Dreamtime Ancestors is given, along with a vast array of Aboriginal rotes, wonders and plot hooks. Again, lots of Dreamspeaker stuff, but also a focus on Aboriginal society itself rather than "Tradition" or "Technocracy".
Afterwards, we are treated to a relatively short chapter on Indian Shakti. After a strange fiction story about an Ecstasy Cultist's brush with a Kali cult, we get a nice overview of Tantra and the worship of Shiva and Kali. A few Hindu flavored rotes are given, rounding out this short chapter. Then we are treated to a section on European Shamanism. Lots of fiction stories here, each tying to a specific culture. I was expecting to see stuff about the Saami (Lapps) and such, but was completely shocked when I saw that it covered the shaman of the Irish, Scots, Picts, Britons, Anglo-Saxons, Russians, Poles, Finns and Germans. Lots of cool rotes, wonders and plot hooks, interestingly enough designed to fit in with Mage: the Dark Ages (for the Spirit-Talkers, proto-Dreamspeakers). Again, this is good for Dreamspeakers, but also the Aided, Verbena and so forth. Following this is a chapter on Norse magic. It really ties up Norse myths in the World of Darkness. Even explaining Hunters as Odin's warriors, and Ravana as Loki. Lots of cool rotes, and not just Runic stuff either. Theres spae-wives, seither (Norse shamanism), smithing, berserkers and so forth. Again, Dark Ages Valdaermen (and Spirit-Talkers for the Seither section) systems are given. Great for Verbena, Dreamspeakers, Ecstatics, Euthies or even Choristors and Hermetics. Finally, it closes out with some meta-plot story about an ancient Italian liche and some overviews of Etruscan magic, divinations and necromancy. Theres not alot to go on concerning ancient Italy (before the Romans anyway), so theres a list of gods, words and a reading list. The Euthanatoi and Hermetics still preserve some aspects of Etruscan magic in the WoD, so this was a really nice chapter.
Overall, I strongly recommend this book. Since the Dreamspeakers are my favorite Tradition, I appreciated the fact that most of the chapters (Polynesian, Australian Aboriginal, European Shamanism and Norse) tie in to that Tradition, but any Tradition could benefit from this book. The Euthanatos draw upon Hindu beliefs, Norse rune-casting and Etruscan necromancy; the Verbena would love to learn about the ancient beliefs of the Norse, Anglo-Saxons and Irish. I haven't incorporated any of this stuff in my games yet, though I'm planning on making heavy use of the Polynesian chapter soon. Regardless, my only disappointment was the lack of Filipino magic (presumably native shamanism), but then again, perhaps we shall see a Dead Magic 3!

This is an excellent source for the field of Dental Radiology. Excellent visual aids. Great for learning landmarks.

Very helpful for someone preparing for the Radiology Exam in the field of Dental Assisting.

This book is a very slim volume, and deceptively easy reading on very profound subjects. Clarice Bryan relates her experiences in driving to virtues such as teamwork, patience, tolerance, and becoming one with the world.

The book is peppered with quotes from everyone from Pema Chodron to the Dalai Lama, and has Chinese calligraphic writing marking the end of each chapter. It basically has all the makings of a book that could be prominently displayed in the inspirational or self-help section. While I finished it really quickly, and would consider parts of it worth re-reading, this book does have some disconnects for me.

The problems start with the subtitle: "A Woman's Path for Drivers without Cellular Phones". Most people I know can't live without their cell phones. I would count it as part of the driving experience, and why would it matter, exactly? The book doesn't really cover phones or the lack of them at all, and I think it would have been less confusing without the phrase "Without Cellular Phones".

And although Clarice Bryan clearly states that she'd like to address woman drivers in her book because they get less help than men, I didn't get very much of that out of "Driving to Nirvana". In the book she talks about her driving and her mother's driving, but says little about how her driving is best related to women's driving in general; how women's driving differs from men's driving, or what women should really know about driving - which I'm sure all women (me included!) would be fairly interested to know.

She does talk about being a speed demon but surely that doesn't gel with the stereotype of the inept woman driver?

And while I enjoyed reading about Bryan's experiences in driving - giving way for lane changes, and not going so; driving on automatic to the airport while engaged in intense conversation; even going through an accident - the trouble with driving is that most people do it so often and so unconsciously that it's hard to think concretely of how it can be related to the bigger picture of enhancing oneself and thinking positive thoughts.

Bryan tries to make the connection, but driving is probably so automatic for most readers that I don't think they are going to "get it", except perhaps with the last chapter (more later).

The other point of contention I have with the book are the pages on Chinese calligraphy, which do loosely translate into English as in the captions. The problem is that I could more or less read what was written, and thought it was a cultural misuse of calligraphy.

Calligraphy is normally done in traditional Chinese rather than simplified Chinese, and it is usually about something positive or uplifting - a lot of what was written should never have appeared in Chinese mainly because it's so negative and/or reprehensible.

Sometimes it was funny. Sometimes it just seemed irrelevant.

"Black and white mean the police" (for example is much too mundane, even if the caption reads "Get the binoculars out, honey. There's one way back there that looks like a police car." This ended the chapter on Courtesy (!).

"Stupidly waiting" () on the other hand seemed to make more sense against the caption "I don't know what 'right of way' means, so I'll just stay here until everyone else has gone through the intersection. Why is everyone always honking nowadays?" (I can really identify with this). It was, however, in the chapter titled My Body the Car.

There are bright spots like the last chapter, which was my favourite chapter. Bryan writes about how, when driving alone, she sometimes feels completely "one" with the world. For the record, I don't (yet) have a driver's licence though I am taking lessons. I can't drive alone yet, but if and when I do, I want to have that kind of nirvana. I hope it doesn't take me too long :)

"Driving to Nirvana" is a refreshing and well written alternative to having to struggle through life's highways on our own. Dr. Bryan provides us with a reader friendly, humorous and practical guide to help us navigate the inevitable inward and outward paths most of us face in our daily lives. Get two copies, one for the home and a second one to keep in your car to entertain and help you maintain your sanity during those long traffic-logged "mini-vacations!" This book should be required reading by the DMV!

Check out the review in Journal of Real Estate Literature - very positive. This is a really comprehensive text, international in scope. For here, could do with more US examples, but as an overview of the economics of real estate this is hard to beat. It is much broader than most of the texts you see, not a how-to-do-it manual, but great for understanding WHY the market works.

Doug K, Chicago

At last, a real estate economics text that links together the finance, economics and planning aspects of the production of space. Most texts are so narrow and stuck in their own subject area. The authors cover demand for commercial space (offices, industrial real estate, shops), investment in real estate and the links to the wider economy. Unlike many US texts, it has a global perspective with a fine chapter on international investment. Well written, well researched, comprehensive references - this is an invaluable resource for professionals and for academics.

This text covers virtually every type of infectious disease in which outpatient management would be appropriate, as well as those patients needing admission. It does so in an easy to read, quick access format. Also has useful appendices on drug interactions, risks in pregnancy and others. The information is up to date, complete and reliable. I use it several times a day.

This is an invaluable source for the emergency department physicians, residents and medical students who will be doing emergency department rotations. A quick guide to antibiotic selection based on disease process with alternative antibiotic regimens provided. "Guide to Antibiotic Use in the Emergency Department" is a quick and handy pocket reference which I use every day as an Emergency Department Attending Physician.

Not a bad little page-turner. I liked the story line; it has been done before, but not this well. The book sneaks up on you and really [stinks] you in. You find your self almost hurrying to the next page because the suspense builds through to the end of the book. Very good characters with competent development and well thought out roles within the story. I would have liked a bit more detail on the locations. Overall a good book from the period.

The Endless Game is the first of a two-book series (the second is: A Spy at Twilight) in the vein of the Le Carre "Karla" quartet. Mr. Forbes also played his part in that "game" and writes with considerable authority. The book is well-crafted and grips you as you work through the developing enigma and misleading clues with the protagonist. The characters are complex and believable, the plot consistent and the outcome unguessable until the last pages. Altogether, a most satisfying read for lovers of spy fiction.

As the book's title amusingly says it's time to forget all your worries about your sexual stamina and read this book for an insight into what's going on. Curious men will find if they have sexual disorders and suffering ones will find cures and treatments, this is a book for all. A much better book in my opinion is "The Advanced Man! The quick and easy way to turn your small, or average sized penis into a large super human love tool without wasting your money on B.S. ... Book on CD-Rom for PC & Mac Computers" by Platinum Millennium, a title that deals with all sexual disorders in a detailed way

As the book's title amusingly says it's time to forget all your worries about your sexual stamina and read this book for an insight into what's going on. Curious men will find if they have sexual disorders and suffering ones will find cures and treatments, this is a book for all. [...].

For half a century and more there has been a great divide between the churches that call themselves "evangelical" and the churches that flee in terror from that word. Stone is employed by one of the last bastions of peace-and-social-justice Christianity, Boston University. There's a statue honoring an alum, Martin Luther King, Jr., outside of the chapel. He was recruited to be their first and only professor of evangelism because the church he started, "Liberation Community" in Dallas/Fort Worth, was evangelical, interracial, and in solidarity with the poor (he built membership by first getting grants to do effective social service work in a run-down neighborhood).

This book is the fruit of over a decade standing at the divide between those churches that hear God's call for peace and justice, and those that hear God's call to proclaim the Good News, baptize, and make disciples in God's name. Stone is one of the very few that understands it's one and the same God calling two essential and interrelated things. Read the book.

Bryan Stone is good at what he does. He has the intellectual capacity to pursue the biblical instruction of the Great Commission. His theology is mission-centric which typifies the structures incorporated and identifiable with missions.

The introduction is short of staggering - it is breathtaking. It convinces and succeeds in its emotional plea for a return to making evangelism a priority again. Stone accurately and scholarly brings the 'North American' mega-churches to their knees, but also knows that it is their hearts that are at fault.

One point that I differ on, would be why Stone chose to use a secular reference in MacIntyre, to lay the biblical foundation of our faithfulness to the Great Commission. It serves no paradigm in the ecclesiology of the church - past, present or future. A preference toward sound biblical greats that support his thesis would have much more informed our theology. Was Wesley such a poor example?

As with most Reformed Evangelicals, I struggle to find the balance when focusing on the lost, and our obedience to the biblical text. The question of Election is one I completely hold, yet the practice of Christian witness is surely intended for the lost primarily, though not exclusively?

So I heartily enjoyed this book, even though it fell beyond the praxis of my own doctrinal beliefs. It was informative to the point that it made me realize that at no time does one person have exclusive rights to the whole truth of God and His plan of Redemption.

The author knows how to challenge these views, and he succeeds only to the degree that we allow him to inter-act with our own, because he never dogmatically lays it on the line. Instead, he prefers to be instructive and informative towards the Ecclesia. The challenge of our mercy toward the lost being divine or human, is superseded by how he brings the topic to be a matter of the heart's response to and guidance by the Holy Spirit. Such is his penetrative ability!