Bryant Books

This book was very interesting. The Saddle Club goes out West to the Bar None Ranch with their friend Emily who has cerebral palsy. Emily is helping make suggestions to make the ranch more handi-capped accessible. They meet a girl with one leg and get her to ride again. I was a little disappointed that all the Saddle Club did was ride. Too bad they didn't go to the horse auction, dog show, and the Wild West Show. At least they went white water rafting.

this book was good but not the best
i love all the books and when i took a vaction to canada and saw the tv show of it i was disapointed in it. the careters were nothing as i amanged, and lisa had a britch acsent!!

This was the very first saddle club I ever read and I loved it! It was just an over all great book. I suggest it to horselovers everywhere!

Saddle Soregave a true insight into what people with disabilities feel like, and how they are excluded from society. It is, as has been said not the best story from the Saddle Club series, but certainly nowhere near the bottom. I loved Saddle Sore, and urge others to buy the book!!! They have just made a series of the Saddle Club on television ( it is only on in Australia and Canada) and so this gives you an indication of the standard of the stories, they're great!!!

This is the GREATEST book in the Saddle Club series yet! The thing that makes it the best to me is that there is a new member in the Saddle Club. it is about that new members experience at the bar none ranch. She is helpong the owner make new descions to make the ranch more accesable to the disabeled. I truley think that you will enjoy this story, but only if you are horse-crazy!

It's clear by now that I have read this book and I enjoyed it.Especially the pizza part.If you are a fan of the series; and would like to know how Veronica's mind works or if you are going into world history and would like to know more about the english civil war it is also a good read.

I didn't really like this book, I thought it was weird and boring. I think Saddle Club books are too mushy and don't contain enough about horses. If you're really looking for some great horse books, then I'd recommend Thoroughbred and Ashleigh books. They're more about racing though, and don't contain too much jumping info. But Thoroughbred books are guarenteed to make you stay up all night where as Saddle Club books are guarenteed to never make you want to read again. I would not recommend this book or any other Saddle Club books, but don't let me stop you. If you buy this book in my opinion you're wasting your money.

I liked this book a lot. It is about three girls who are best friends that are going to England for a horse show. With them went their instructor and their worst enemy. In England they meet their friend Nigel and some unexpected guests. Nigel is riding a beautiful stallion for a very cruel person. They soon find out about a king whose horse would only let him ride him. The king hid a treasure underneath the horse. The treasure has never been found, but can only be found by a rider with "fire in his heart." This book was very exiting and had me wanting to keep reading
it to the end. I recommend this book to all horse lovers and adventure lovers. The only thing I didn't like is that the English thought we only ate pizza!

This book was an awesome book it was about three girls and how they were gonna go show. But one of the girls did some research and found out that there was a secret treasure buried. I liked the book because i love horses and i love horse books. I didn't like the book because i don't really like mystery books. I think that whoever likes horses shoud read it and whoever likes mysteries.

I liked this book a lot.
It is about three girls who go to England for a horse show. When they find out the history of the castle and stables. There was a stallion that would only let his owner ride him or touch him. The owner was very rich with pearls, and gold, and diamonds. He buried all his treasures under the Stallions stall. Then something tragic happens, the stables are suddenly burned down everything is gone. A year later they find the dukes body on the same spot with a single fire opal clutched in his hand. The treasure will be found by the rider with fire in his heart. The sory of the treasure and the stables burning down couldn't possibly replay itself could it?
Parts of this are from the back of the book.
It's a great book I suggest that you read it!

This book does a great job of going through the development of rider and horse from the beginning. It teaches you all of the elements you need to be able to have a real relationship with your horse that is based on trust.

Definitely a "must have" for all those interested in dressage as a sport and for other diciplines wishing to improve their horses. Gives a well-rounded approach to riding including being responsible as riders to be sympathetic and diciplined.
I especially liked the chapter about the horse's willingness and how to improve that. I give Betsy Steiner a lot of credit for making dressage theory clear and practical while speaking to those with years of experience. Great pictures and summary tables to clarify the rather detailed training maps. After many half-read dressage books that seem repetitive this one will be one I can use in real life as I train on my own at the moment.
I look forward to more of Betsy's work.

I've read Riding Success Without stress, Centered Riding, & Natural Riding & really didn't find them worth the purchase price because I had done kickboxing, ballet, stretching, & yoga before I ever got on a horse, so I already knew how to use my center muscles. Not that I don't have more to learn. But what I need is in this book. It's complete.
In case you need to know- in the title- 'spirit' = 'emotions'

Glad I picked the book from the line up. Well written guide on approaches to improve one's riding. Excellent publication, highly recommended.

This is an excellent book with a approach that is easly to follow. I've read many books about the pyrimid approach, but this book really made sence of it. The outlined format is what I like. It's concise and to the point! I copied the pyrimid and posted in the tack room as a quick reference.

Stevie, Carole, and Lisa are ready and excited for the upcoming gymkhana, a three-day event full of relays and games and fun - all on horseback, of course. The girls need a fourth team member, and surprisingly, Stevie's brother, Chad, fills in. Chad is not the most experienced rider, but he's entertaining, and they soon discover that he has a crush on one of them.

Carole also meets Kate Devine, a championship rider who is introduced in this book and later becomes a main character in the series. The girls think Kate would be the perfect fourth member to the Saddle Club, but unfortunately Kate has sworn off riding ever again.

HORSE POWER is the fourth book in THE SADDLE CLUB series, and it continues to be relatable and fun for the intended age group. With each book, readers get more and more attached to Stevie, Carole, and Lisa, while also being introduced to new characters, so it's a good thing the series is so long!

Reviewed by: Andie Z.

The Saddle Club is busy preparing for the upcoming gymkhana, in which they will play horse games and compete against other teams for a prize. The girls discover that Kate, Carole's new friend, was once a championship rider, but gave it up due to no longer enjoying competition. Can they persuade her to join their team and recapture the joy of horses?

okay, actually i havent read this book, but there were no reviews so i just had to write :-)
im sure the book is great, ive read most of the saddle club series and i can tell you its the best!!! for those of you who havent read any of these books, you really should, they're fun and interesting. also, if you like reading about horses i also recomend the thoroughbred series, just as good as the saddle club...actually maybe its better :-) tee-hee
so have fun reading these books and im sorry if you were expecting info about the book, actually i was too :-( (and i'd be pretty disappointed as well)

From the Saddle Club series, Horse Power focuses on three best friends, twelve year olds Stevie Lake and Carole Hanson and Lisa Atwood, thirteen, all preparing for an upcoming gymkhana, a three day event of relay games and races where young riders compete on horseback, in this case, the local Pine Hollow Stables. The girls are eagerly anticipating the gymkhana until their instructor informs them there will be a forth member of the team, Stevie's brother Chad. Enduring her brother's antics for the sake of the team, the girls find much to entertain them in this new predicament, especially when they realize that Chad has a crush on one of them. Unfortunately, Chad is nearly hopeless in the saddle, although he does his best to keep up with the more experienced riders, his sister included.

Introducing a bit of mystery into the story, Carole meets newcomer Kate Divine at Quantico when visiting there with her father. Enthusing over the summer camp at Pine Hollow, Carole is shocked to learn later that Kate not only is a championship rider, but she doesn't say a thing while Carole rambles on about horses, her friends and the upcoming gymkhana. Planning a weekend soon at Carole's home, Kate's silence remains a mystery to the girls, but Carole, Stevie and Lisa soon learn the reason behind their new friend's reticence, along with a solution to more practical problems that confront them as they prepare to ride as a team.

As are the other titles in this early teen series, Horse Power emphasizes the value of friendship, positive thinking, problem sharing and overcoming differences with the support of good friends. With crisp dialog that encourages the development of social skills, the strange world of boys and the joy of riding, this story reinforces the best stereotypes of this age group, relatable to its audience and solution-oriented. Luan Gaines/2007.

I still can't see how Stevie's brother Chad can fall in love with Lisa! Sure, Lisa does have a great relationship with John Brightstar later in the series and she is a bit of a romantic, but John's a horse guy! she also found it funny though too. Kate Devine is cool, and I love the ranch she opens up. And it was amazing how she saved the saddle club's gymkhana team! another great saddle club book!

~Sekigahara 1600: The Final Struggle For Power~ by Japanese historian Anthony Bryant is an excellent contribution to Osprey's much heralded Campaign series. Following the death of General Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a decisive battle emerged on October 21, 1600 as Japan became embroiled in civil war. Sekigahara has significance as the decisive turning point in modern Japanese history, which set the stage for the two-hundred and sixty-five year Tokugawa Dynasty from 1603 to 1868.

Japan enjoyed a brief period of unification under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a ranking general of peasant stock. Hideyoshi even preceded with an invasion of Korea, which was aborted following his death. Thereafter, a struggle for power ensued between the daimyo, (i.e., landed aristocrats.) Prior to his death in 1798, Hideyoshi made preparations to secure the succession of his young child son as ruler. Hideyoshi had summoned his wealthy, most powerful vassals, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the aged Maeda Toshiee, Uesgi Kagekatsu, and Ukita Hideie. The two prominent men Toshiie and Ieyasu were entrusted with the care of his son. The seeds of discord were planted as one-man rule was replaced by a committee of regents who ruled in the name of Hideyoshi.

Ieyushi installed himself at Fushmi Castle, the personal fortress of Hideyoshi. He was viewed with suspicion and as a potential usurper. An aging Toshiie kept Hideyoshi's son at Osaka castle and grew concerned. Mitsunari was scheming to quell the influence of Ieyushi and he sought the elder Toshiie's aid, but counsel convinced him that Ieyushi was a necessary pillar to counter rival ambitions. Other regents called for Ieyushi's resignation.

Mitsunari schemed to eliminate Ieyushi, but as his plot was foiled, he soon saw himself a target, and ironically fled to Ieyushi for forgiveness and shelter. Ieyushi sent Mitsunari back to his home in 1599. When Ieyushi was preoccupied in quelling a northern rebellion, a committee sympathetic to Mitsunari's ambition to defrock Ieyushi convened. It levied charges against Ieyushi, casting him as an usurper, who breached established protocols regarding ban on political marriages, among other things. Ieyushi took this condemnation as an act of war. Ieyushi took this condemnation as an act of war. Thus, the seeds of civil war emerged.

Political camps formed and virtually all of the daimyo aligned in one way or the other, behind either: the Western Army led by Toyotomi loyalists under Mitsunari and the Eastern Army under Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu's success was bolstered by the turncoats during the battle. Ieyasu promised land holdings and rank to those daimyo that would turn against Mitsunari. To his surprise, they acquiesced.

This book packs a punch. It has lucid prose, a clear recollection of historical fact, and a sound battle analysis.

History is like a mirror. We read real stories of great successes and failures in history, we want to learn from the past so that we can repeat successes and avoid the mistakes. We too want to learn about the culture and achievements of people in the past. When we take closer look of the lifestyles our forefathers lived in an environment very different from ours today, we will better understand and appreciate them especially the things they have left behind.

This book offers a simplified explanation of the political motivations and battlefield tactics that led to the defeat of Ishida Mitsunari by the armies of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This is a fascinating account of one of the defining battles in Japanese history. If someone sees A.J.Bryant before I do, ask him about my armor... ;)

In the battle between the inheritors of Toyotomi Yoshimitsu and the new usurper Tokugawa Ieyasu, there were few of the nicities associated with former times of the Momoyama Jidai. This was a very intense, large, and fanatical battle, worthy in terms of slaughter with those being undertaken in Europe at the same time.

For anyone with little understanding of the intricacies of the battle and the times, this slender volume manages to give you a good background to the events, a political primer of the major figures involved in the eventual politics and battle, details the battle organisation, tactics and weapons of the soldiers and also details in superior graphics the events on the battlefield. For a volume of this size, that is a lot to ask for, but Byant delivers.

It is a good volume and one that I would recommend.

Battle of Sekigahara was one of the most important moments in Japanese military history since it established the reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate which ruled Japan in peace for the next 250 years or so. The book clearly and basically tell, without bogging down the readers, the politics, reasons and why of this campaign and the battle. The maps provided in this book proves to be highly useful, epecially the one that showed how Japan was divided between Ishida and Tokugawa sides. I think the only issue where the author failed was in part, he didn't explained how the Toyotomi family felt at this period since they were at the moment, the ruling family of Japan. (They thought this was a war between their two major retainers - only to realized later on that only one of the retainers were really loyal to them - the loser!) In a campaign and battle where loyalty, betrayal and backstabbing seem to be the order of day, the author does an admirable job in putting it all together under 100 pages. Considering that there isn't too many books written in English about this battle in the first place, it probably a must read for anyone who have any interest of the Sen-joku Jidai.

This is a role-playing game but the depth of the background material is such that it could nearly be a history book on ancient and medieval Japan. The material is well organized and I have found myself reading this book simply for the enjoyment of learning the background. As a role-playing game I think Sengoku has few equals. I own dozens of RPGs and this volume is among the best in my collection.

Somewhere in this great history book there's a game. The authors have definitely done their homework in studying the culture of late 16th century Japan. They've also got a great filmography and bibliography at the back. As far as content is concerned, Sengoku sets the bar quite high for historical RPGs. The actual conversion of this historical information into a playable game is, however, a bit awkward. The book is also seriously hampered by the amateurish artwork and layout reminiscent of RPGs of 30 years ago. Still, I've worn the cover off my copy of the book so its obviously a worthwhile read.

Yes, the type in this book is really, too small for most people, sad to say. It's a great game and a great read. Some very fin background material on the Sengoku peroid of Japan. Well written and interesting. The artwork gives the book a good feel and is eye catching as well.
Still, I would only buy this version of Sengoku to 1) Support Gold Rush Games or 2) I had great eyesite.
The game gives the player alot of information and really this book is all you need to play/ GM Sengoku. It's nice to see a RPG that is well researched. I have read the book a couple times and have written up a few characters as well and still, I find it interesting to go thru and read.
Get this book while it is still available!

I've been running and playing in RPGs since 1981 and have my fair share of gaming books and I must say that this is one of the best source material books I have purchased. Aside from the very small print of the hardcover the souce material inside is thoroughly researched and very well organized. If I could purchase it again I would rather the full size softcover than the smaller hardcover, the print is just terribly small and the charts a bit hard to read. The RPG side of this book is pretty boring. Nothing revolutionary or even "new and exciting". A standard roll 3d6 add to your skill and add the controlling attribute and try to exceed a difficulty number. Ho hum. A chanbara style game should have some pizzazz. The authors make no bones about this book having started out as the Bushido 3rd ed. but do not revise anything or even capitalize in the greatness of the Bushido system, raiding it for all the good stuff and cleaning up the bad. They try to squeeze the subject matter into the Fuzion system which handles this genre terribly. There are too many skills that are too specific (There are skills for Conversation, Flattery, Diplomacy, High Society, Oratory, Intimidation, and Persuasion that all do the same thing. One would think that Diplomacy and Intimidation would be enough for what you would want to accomplish...just as an example!). The Magic system is abysimal with only 32 spells for all magical and mystical types of characters. There are 16 pages of character classes (suggestive character archtypes)that are great for NPCs but many do not translate to PCs well. There is even a section that suggests that to have a playable NPC you should put two of the classes together(ie the Daimyo)just to make it correct, why even include an incomplete character class writeup? Worst of all the combat system is confusing and boring. Martial Arts styles and Okuden (stolen straight from the Bushido game) add a bit of flavor but are generally handled poorly.
The editor fell asleep at his desk as well as the typesetter. The misspellings run amok throughout and most are typos that could be fixed with an Apple II wp program. The typsetter makes an annoying mistake in the character type 16 pages which forgets a line break making the headings for the next character type appear on the column of the previous character type which is just annoying and could have been caught in the final production phase. The author did the layout and I think he fell too much in love with his work. This is supposed to be the revised edition and should have been fixed. Ok. So I have bashed the RPG side and the editor now on to what makes the book worth way more than the purchase price. THE SOURCE MATERIAL IS UNLIKE ANYTHING ON THE SUBJECT MATTER EVER WRITTEN IN A RPG. I capitalize this for emphasis;the background is soooo good it is worth overlooking everything else to the point that I give this 4 stars. Character backgrounds, history of the period, layout and explanation of the game world, customs, weapons, armor, religions, structures, name formation, daily life, court life, money and commerce, monsters, retainers, caste systems, a bibliography untouched by any RPG of this type EVER!, a filmography that is worthy of a doctorial thesis, are all but a light touch on the greatness that this book devotes to the period. The weapons, armor, equipment, services, and money charts are nearly worth the price of the book in and of itself!! If a character wants to buy 1 apricot you know how much it costs..yes it is that good. This is such a complete sourcebook on the Sengoku period it is no wonder it was nominated and won Best Historical Game of 1999. The final icing on the "source" cake is the conversion rules for nearly every system imaginable (9 in all! Including d20, Hero, GURPS and the original Bushido game!!!)some of which are OFFICIAL conversion rules ok'ed by their respective game companies!! Throw out the Fuzion system and use all the great source material for whatever game system you prefer. If you want to RPG in Historic/Fantasy Japan this is THE sourcebook to buy. Forget GURPS, HERO, D20, or the L5R sourcebooks. Take your favorite game system add the Sengoku RPG and get ready to spin a tale that even Kurosawa would be jealous of.

I'm a little mixed in giving a 5 star rating. The game is great but I feel a little cheated by this hard bound edition. I ordered the hard bound edition because I wanted my main book to be able to take the wear and tear of being a GM's book. I've had many other systems books completely fall apart on me and had to punch holes in them and put them in binders. But I didn't take the time to look at the demensions of this book. It's the size of a normal hard bound book! Not the size of a roleplaying book and it has a soft jacket cover, which I'm sure will be torn within a week. And the print is really small, like the size of the fine print in most roleplaying books! So buyer beware here.

This book should be good even if you are doing your thesis on the Sengoku period. It is an amazingly well researched and compiled source of information about the era. If you have your prefered system to play this genre or are looking to immerse yourself in it for the first time and use the one provided, this book just out of it's sheer erudition on feudal Japan should be a necessary addition.
The system itself is derived form the solid and maleable "Fuzion" game system (developed by "fuzing" together the Talsorian and Hero systems). It is, at it's base, very logical and transformable. Skills are used to resolve almost all situations and they work, loosely, when counterposed to a scale of difficulties that go from about 10 to 30 (a bit less but basicaly this is it). However, all this said, for the absolute begginer this will be a daunting experience. The set of rules (or "guide-lines") is vast and complex and at times even a bit complicated, but since the Fuzion system thrives in flexibility, the rules can be relaxed and re-modeled to the Game master's needs. Absolutely recommended to any gamer looking to play a chambara, anime or realistic campaign based in the Japan of the Daimyos and the Samurais.
I'll finalize this review noting that the cover art is amazing, the interior art is less beautiful but still nice but that the quality of the ink used on the printing (first edition) was less than apropriate since it smudges with the slightest of frictions. The rest is pure pleasure. Kurosawa and Mifune (as the book is dedicated to them) would've been very proud of this work of love and knowledge.

Extra note: Two newer editons have been released. One is a revamping of this edition (changes in cover, fonts and hopefuly ink quality) and another one is a diceless version of the game.

I've played the old Bushido RPG, used the AD&D Oriental Adventuressupplement, and have much of the L5R source materials (about $300worth). By far, Sengoku has been my best purchase. The only other of my recent buys that could possibly compare in value is GURPS: Japan, and that only touches on what Sengoku covers in detail. The quality of the work is simply amazing.

I of course have beefs, mainly about the lack of economic information in regards the specifics of rice crop yields, or dealing with a somewhat over-complex and unbalanced game system (one can actually start the game with a Shogun character - the rules cover this). Whatever complaints I have about the game are negated, however, by the great gaming materials offered for free from the designers. There's even the first six chapters of the book wandering around the web... somewhere...

Altogether, I'm very impressed. END

The writers who worked on this game are experts in the field of Japanology. I don't play role playing games these days (the last time was in college over a decade ago) however I own a copy because the reference material included is astounding. Now if this isn't a recomendation I don't know what is! I can't comment on the game because I have not played it. From what I can tell it seems to be very indepth and immersive. Buy this book if you want a decent reference to all things fudal Japan or if you are looking for a game based on fudal Japan that covers the historical as well as the fantastic.

Sengoku is an excellent book, providing a wealth of information for anyone wishing to play in a japanese setting. It also utilizes the Fuzion system, which is, in my opinion, among the best out there. Even if you don't play with the Fuzion system, the book is well worth the cost just as a sourcebook. Keeping all this in mind, Sengoku also has its problems. First, for a game that includes Aesthetics as an Attribute, it's darn ugly. That is, it's poorly laid out and the line art seems to lose alot of depth in simple black. (Try grey scale, people) Also, its rules for "Master" and "Legendary" Items (the equivalent of Magic items in other settings) are overly simple and somewhat lacking in a structured format or in adequate examples. Master level items all tend to be the same, except for their requisite background (a nice touch, i must add) material. Finally, It is laced with several ambiguous and sometimes contradictory rules and charts. Luckily, however, the folks at GRG were nice enough to put out a FAQ on their web page that addresses these minor problems. Again, all things considered, these are only minor problems. SENGOKU is a wonderful game, with a rich and detailed historical setting couched in a system that is far superior to most of the alternatives out there. If you want to come as close as you can to authenticity (Sengoku comes closer than any other RPG out there) and a genuine historical feel to your gaming experience, then buy this game. Do it. Right now...

I must say that I was impressed. Sengoku does for samurai what White Wolf's World of Darkness did for vampires and werewolves. It is the most comprehensively detailed role-playing game based on feudal Japan that has ever been released, to my knowledge. I only have two criticisms. First, I have been kind of spoiled by the White Wolf system: the Fuzion system just doesn't make as much sense to me, particular when it comes to attributes and inflicting damage. Second, and not to sound petty, but for thirty bucks I want a hard cover book. However, the pros way outweigh the cons. I would pick Sengoku over yet another edition of D&D any day of the week.

I loved this book. I mean I LOVED this book! It probably took me longer to read it than it took the author to write it, because I kept underlining it and pausing to consider the concepts!

My only two concerns were this: The book should be marketed to ALL followers of Jesus, not just those people who work in full time humanitarian aid! Every follower of Christ is called to make disciples--and we need to recognize that this means holistic discipleship--promoting the advancement of health in every area of life: spiritually, physically, mentally, etc. That is primarily what this book is about, and every follower of Christ can benefit from it.

The other issue I'd like to bring up is that the book refers to having to work with the local institutional church, and how even though that is often difficult, it has to be done. My concern here is that there are other ways to integrate "church" into community development--like discipling the people to start their own simple fellowships. Too often institutional churches provide perpetual spiritual "relief" rather than "development". By that I mean that the pastor or leaders just "tell people how it is" rather than helping new Believers dig into the Bible on their own. It's like a spiritual "welfare program". Is it reasonable to suggest that since holistic community development means helping people to help themselves spiritually as well as in other ways, then we should promote/facilitate the kind of churches that model this? The house/simple church movement that encourages "every member ministry", church as a lifestyle, shared responsibilities, dialogue over monologue, etc., should at least be a strong consideration. I pray for the day when Christian humanitarian aid workers and church planters recognize that their work is identical if truly done holistically! IE discipling people in life-giving lessons that can be easily transferred to others (II Timothy 2:2), while alternating topics from day to day or week to week. One day the lesson may be about oral rehydration solution, and the next day it's on forgiveness, etc. Both are vital lessons for the health of the community, and both can be easily passed on by the local people, while working in a field or sitting under a tree, etc.! Holistic teaching IS promoted in this book, but it's not seen as empowering the local people to lead their own simple, reproducing churches.

"Church Planting Movements" by David Garrison, "Houses that Change the World" by Wolfgang Simson, and "Going to Church in the First Century" by Dr. Robert Banks are helpful books on this topic.

Myers gives a balanced and holistic view of a Christian approach to transformational development, which focuses on the local community not the agencies "helping", and acknowledges and addresses the whole person within the community (and within aid agencies). Though obviously not a literary classic, this is well-written and readable. Theologically it is orthodox and reformed (though not overtly so, and very accessible to other traditions). If you want to know more about how Christian agencies like World Vision (for whom Myers worked when he wrote the book) can be effective in poor and struggling communities around the world, this is a great starting point.

While this book is not an easy read, it is extremely thought provoking and enlightening. Everyone involved in any kind of mission work will benefit from the wisdom and guidance in this book. I've already bought 30 copies for key folks from our church involved in or planning transformational development work locally and internationally.

This is an excellent, practical presentation of what biblical transformation can look like. An excellent presentation of the biblical story & world view, with a helpful and practical description of the kingdom of God and Shalom. It presents poverty not simply as an economic issue, but a relational issue with a spiritual root.

I have already given away several copies of this book and plan to give more away. Should be required reading for all churches and church planters.

Bryant's book is a very comphensive introduction to holistic Christian development. It tackles the difficult issue of how development can be distincitively Christian and tackles it well. I was disappointed however in the lack of treatment of the place of the Christian community. This is a good foundational book nevertheless.

This is a great trivia book for R and B and Hip-hop fans alike. I liked it so much, I bought one for my brother.

Poulson-Bryant is a founding editor of VIBE and Fontaine used to be music editor at the SOURCE and the book only covers from the 1970s-1990s as a result. Forget Motown, Stax/Volt, Cab Calloway, The Moonglows...they ain't here.

The format of the book is a series of multiple-choice answers for a possible 1000 perfect "hi-fi Q" score. The book is HEAVILY weighted towards the rap era since the questions break down into 266 possible points for 70s questions, 328 for the 80s and 406 points for the 1990s. If you don't know your hip-hop, you may not do very well. However, the questions are at times a bit TOO easy. They're already multiple choice so you can always "pick C" if you don't know. And some of the questions give it away if you have HALF the information.

Case in point:
A question asking about female R&B groups. I had the answer narrowed down to either TLC or En Vogue and I was leaning toward TLC. The question said "what female R&B QUARTET"...so I could rule out TLC. This book would find the REAL black music geniuses more accurately if they tried to have at least 2 of the answers be very likely correct. i.e. two of the answers are female R&B quartets.

My Hi-Fi Q was 599 overall (74% of the 1970s questions, 60% on 80s and 50% on 90s). As to those saying it's a good way to learn more about R&B, I'd say that's iffy. Since the answers are placed all the way at the end of each section, instead of say at the bottom of each page with explanations and more detail, most people probably won't bother to flip back and forth.

BOTTOM LINE:
Might be a fun diversion for a day or two at a family reunion. But I don't see a whole lot of "re-read" value and I don't think it's a good candidate for boning up on rap/R&B music. You'd probably do better with a NON-trivia book in that case.

I always enjoy Books as these they are fun for cook-Outs&things where you can ask questions&things on different Musical Artists.it covers a Wide Range.it truly has a Family Affari Vibe at how it covers so many different time periods but yet combines&brings them as one.

This book is an awesome example of fun and education working in tangient. I would highly recommend What's Your Hi-Fi Q ? for summer outings as well as a tool for black music education. Scott and Smokey has done a phenomenal job in using their expertise of black music to create an outstanding product. It's definitely a book I would want to have if I were even remotely interested in black music history.

I heard these guys on the radio and saw them on TV talking about this book and they seemed real interesting and knowledgeable about music. The book proves it. It's full of tons of trivia questions about hiphop and r&b, but the best part is the funny and informative lists they have, like Top 5 Posse Records and Top 5 Blue-Eyed Soul records. I don't agree with their choice for the best Duet ("The Closer I Get To You" by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack). I would have picked Donny and Roberta's "I Who Have Nothing". But anyway they got some good choices all over the book. You'll enjoy this book if you love music and you love trivia. It's like a hiphop version of "Jeopardy."

Bryant does a very good job of balancing Powell's work in films with the story of his life. I'm a big fan of William Powell but have never read a biography of him. This one will open your eyes to Powell's complete career without getting too detailed...and make you love the man even more. Husbands: buy your wife a copy of this book for her birthday. (Mine did.) She'll love YOU for it.

what i have read the book is well written and informative. so far i like it.

William Powell: The Life and Films by Roger Bryant is an elegantly written, intensely researched volume. Bryant painstakingly recounts the production of each and every Powell film (including the "lost" silents), providing a plot summary of each. His engaging text is intelligent, and includes pertinent and informative comments regarding Powell's co-workers, family, and friends without interrupting the flow of narrative.

Bryant is quick to point out that this volume is not a biography, but more a study of Powell's career with some biographical data included to put things into context. It is kind of a cross between Charles Francisco's 1985 Powell biography and Lawrence Quirk's Citadel "Films Of..." effort; less a biography than the former and with fewer photos than the latter.

All told, this well-written, intensely researched volume is right up there with the very best of the genre and definitely worth it's rather hefty cover price.

At long last, a really insightful, nuanced book about one of my favorite actors. Bryant has an istinctive feel for his subject, one of the great film actors from Hollywood's golden age. Powell so deserves a book like this--one that does justice to his real impact on the screen. Bryant has it exactly right: Powell is "captivating good company."

Thank goodness, we are finally getting a new book on the life and career of one of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s greatest stars. There are too few books out about William Powell who made acting look effortless. I loved him in The Thin Man series, My Man Godfrey, Life with Father, The Great Ziefield, Mr. Roberts, and in anything with Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, & Clark Gable. They just don't make them like they used to!!! This is a great book to learn not only about his films, but also about his personal life. If you are interested in the Golden Age of film, don't miss this book!