Burke Books

Experience the down-to-earth magic of Qi Dao, a Tibetan energy art unifying Yoga and Tai Chi. This audiobook teaches to embody the strengths of both traditions without concerning yourself with holding poses or doing forms. Instead, this audiobook and the complimentary eBook it comes with can help you develop the Harmonious Culture of Movement unique to Qi Dao. This unique system uses kinesthetic approach, backed by intensive research, testing, and feedback from generations of Qigong masters, practitioners and students.

Qi Dao really expanded my mind, especially the last chapter and conclusion! I was not even prepared for some of the revelations that dawned on me after reading this book, despite all my studies in Shamanism and Energy Healing. Of course, I am not a martial artist like some other reviewers who got exactly what they needed to get out of Qi Dao. I guess everyone can benefit in every one's own way from reading this book and, especially, going through the complete home study course.

The hard cover copy of this book is also a part of the Basic Qi Dao Home Study Course that I ordered on eBay. I am glad it is now available on Amazon too. In addition to this fine book, the course also has many other excellent materials I may review, time permitting.

Having read through the qigong literature for some years now, I find nothing particularly "groundbreaking" in this writing. The erudition of the writing is light; without a single citation for the sources the author quotes. Go to any park in Beijing and you'll see people doing warm-up exercises for their taijiquan or gongfu practice. These have been re-packaged as "harmonious culture of movement" or "earth kicks" and the "holding patterns" are reminiscent of Lowen's Bioenergetics. Nevertheless, the explanation of the mechanics of the movements or psychological source of the holding patterns are well done and offer some useful tidbits of insight. The written explanations of the "six directional movements" and martial applications are difficult to understand, perhaps needing the DVD to better complete the explanation.

I was fortunate to participate in a teleseminar with Lama Tantrapa where he offered to buy an autographed hard cover copy of his book. I am glad I jumped into this opportunity, because this book proved to be the one I had been dreaming about for years. I wish somebody had taught me these simple principles of body, energy and kinesthetic awareness before I started learning Tai Chi and Kung fu. For decades, I suffered from misalignments of my legs, arms and most notably my neck due to misconceptions learned from various teachers who did not know the principles of Chi Tao (or Qi Dao as the author prefers to spell the name of this quintessential art). Had I learned to move the way Lama Tantrapa suggests in this book and its companion DVD, I would have avoided numerous self-inflicted injuries that resulted in years of pain... It is funny that most martial artists tend to hurt themselves more than anyone else. Carefully studying this system will prevent you from torturing yourself when practicing any other style of martial art, Chi Kung or any type of sport. And if you are a teacher, you should definitely consider Lama's coaching approach to training students, which will empower them to become more authentic and appreciative of the true essence of your art.

I highly recommend the companion DVD that is very helpful in understanding the dynamics of Harmonious Culture of Movement Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong, Part One: Harmonious Culture of Movement.

Experience the down-to-earth magic of Qi Dao, a Tibetan energy art unifying Yoga and Tai Chi. This book teaches to embody the strengths of both traditions without concerning yourself with holding poses or doing forms. Instead, this book and its companion DVD can help you develop the Harmonious Culture of Movement unique to Qi Dao. This unique system uses kinesthetic approach, backed by intensive research, testing, and feedback from generations of Qigong masters, practitioners and students.

Do you read Maxim? Then you might enjoy this book. It will be redundant, however; 480 of the 499 things (I didn't count) are "How to go to Mardi Gras and get laid." (Step one: Go to Mardi Gras. Step two: --well, you get the idea.)

The rare exceptions to the "Get drunk and meet hawt girls" entries (The Running of the Bulls, say) haven't enough practical information to fill the back of a postage stamp.

You've read the title of the book, and that's the high point of the experience. Getting out there and doing something that you can look back on fondly in your settled-down is a great goal. That goal will not be facilitated--at all--by reading this meandering dreck.

This book isn't good enough to prop up a table leg.

Being a recent college graduate who does not have a set plan for what he wants to do in life, this book was right up my alley. It appeals perfectly to a young guy who does not want to jump right into the cookie-cutter corporate world right away.
It gives the reader excellent insight, as well as many laughs, into some of the adventures that a rowdy, young, thrill seeker can experience with some motive and planning.
Besides the commonalities i've shared with the mindset this book promotes, I've had a lot of fun reading it and plan to use it as a motivator to get out there and make the world mine.

This book is definitely not for everyone, specifically if you're a woman or anyone who's grown out of partying. I say this because the two major themes of the book are heavy drinking and picking up girls. That being said, I would HIGHLY recommend this for any single guys about to graduate college or in their twenties.

The authors cover everything from huge beach parties in Thailand to Oktoberfest in Germany to hiking in South America. There's a lot on things to do in the US, too. Their travel ideas are all very interesting and are all achievable. The tips and info that they provide on the different events and travel recommendations are actually really useful. The humor is also pretty good in this book. It's a bit over the top at times, however, it made it fun to read.

I had been looking for a book like this forever. I basically wanted a young, single guy's guide to traveling and partying all over the world, and this is it. This is really the only book out there that fits what I was looking for. If you're in any way interested in exciting travel or doing something interesting with your life (and you're a single guy aged 18-35), this is what you are looking for and you should absolutely buy this book. You won't regret it.

Seriously ignore that poster with the one star. My friends and I all love this book. It has tons of great adventures like kayaking in Costa Rica, traveling through Russia, sporting events, shark diving, road trips, Jobs Before Your Real Job, pub crawls, golfing in Scotland, Oktoberfest, fishing trips and on and on. It makes you realize how much fun is out there to be had. If you enjoy life and having good times, Die Happy is a must.

I bought this book and it really is a "must-own" for all single guys. It's full of great ideas, from travel to sports to parties. But the best parts are the personal stories of real guys who have done hilarious things on the list. I want to meet those guys...buy it now and start checking off your own list.

Now I am going to be somewhat bias in my review simply because I know Mr. Burke and his family from my years as a cart boy at Champions during the mid-80s'.
I would, and have, recommended this book to my friends who golf and my non-golf friends.
One of my favorite parts in the book is when he talks about being an Assistant Captain on the Ryder Cup Team with Chris Riley.

Not a great book, but a good solid golf book.

Too much instruction, not enough story-telling and reminiscing.

The more you like golf, the more you will enjoy this book.

The story of a good golfer and a great man...That alone makes it worth the read.

Great book, full of the wit and wisdom of Jackie Burke. Fun to read and a combination of personal reflections, advice and a few tips along the way.

Jackie Burke is a breath of fresh air amidst the hype of modern golf writing. His clear and concise commentary on all aspects of the game leaves little to conjecture. A great read...

The title of can be a bit misleading but not in the way one might assume. The title seems to convey the diea that Burke doesn't take golf as seriously as others; the exact opposite is true. He views the game through a different viewpoint where instead of the game being involved within every aspect of your life, life is involved throughout the game of golf. He at the same time views golf not as a game to be taken lightly but instead one that falls back on the basic human instincts of competition. I've had the personal luxury of growing up and maturing as a golfer at the club he and Jimmy Demaret founded, Champions Golf Club, and because of Jack Burke I see the game differently from my peers. This book comes as close as possible to discovering who he is and the way he believes the game of golf should be played. He hasn't been caught up by who he is and what he has accomplished; he instead continues to try to teach others what golf is, what it used to be, and what it should continue to be.

I love Lonely Planet books. I use them extensively when traveling or planning to travel. They help bring a lot of fun to travel.

This is an adequate guide, but was disappointing in a few areas. Firstly, it is not geared to someone making a comprehensive West Africa trip but rather reads like a collection of individual country guides. It's OK if you are going to just fly in a hang out in a single country, but planning cross border itineraries is a chore. There could be better integration for the area.

Secondly, using the maps and references to them is a bit taxing. Place names that would likely be obsure to the reader are presented in the text without specifying country or area; the only way to figure out where or how is to scan maps randomly for some idea of specifically where they are talking about. Place names are often referred to with different spellings, or more colloquially, in the text than on the maps, making finding them once again a tiring guessing game. There is a lack of consistency. Beyond that, the maps are small and lacking in detail. In other words, you can sort it all out, but this guide makes you work harder than you should have to. You get the feeling that it needed to be proofed once more.

I agree with the accusations of ethnocentrism mentioned previously, but I've grown used to it in LP guides, and in a way appreciate seeing the author's predjudices up front.

Use this guide and you'll have a fine trip, I think, but you'll spend too many hours wrestling logistic details from the text when you could be perusing the fun stuff.

I use LP, Rough Guide, and Moon guides alternately when I travel. Actually, I usually buy all three, study them all before departure, and take the one I think is most useful. I have not found any one brand to be consistently better or worse, it varies by area and author. In this case I think the Rough Guide is much better. It very neatly addresses all my reservations above, and with a better layout.

Indeed, this book ("Lonely Planet West Africa") did a good job in outlining many of the popular tourist attractions that are located in this Sub-Saharan region of Africa. I also appreciated its details on several tourists' trails, accomodations, means of transportation, and so on. However, I was very disappointed to note that (just like the "Lonely Planet Africa on a Shoestring") this book is full of discouraging comments. Some of the phrases Lonely Planet used in this book are quite offensive.
For sure, most foreigners who travel to (West) African countries are not expecting to see a paradise, but that does not mean that there is no better way of presenting real and imaginary negative thoughts. This book is smeared by terms and phrases, which I consider derogatory to both (West) Africa and (West) Africans. As a result of this, I will never recommend it to anyone until there is a change of heart by Lonely Planet in subsequent editions.

This book is practically the bible for W. Africa travel. I lived and worked in W. Africa for 3 years (2 years as a Peace Corps volunteer) and I never went anywhere without consulting LP. The information is as accurate as anything out there. It offers you suggested itineraries and "off the beaten path" suggestions as well as the traditionally touristy destinations. Many parts are less objective than other parts and the writers tend to harp on corruption. But W. Africa is a pretty corrupt place in general. If you don't like the editorial sections, skip 'em, the info you need is still there.

I once said I would never buy a Lonely Planet guide again, so disappointed I was with their Iceland and Greenland book which was poorly researched, inaccurate and full of rabid anti-American rhetoric.

For my trip to Ghana, it was, however, a choice of only three books available: a semiprofessional Bradt's Ghana (not a guidebook really, more an amateurish newsletter), supremely boring Rough Guide or Lonely Planet. I bought them all in the name of research.

I would say Lonely Planet is best of them all, although certain chapters preaching about evil ways of Western capitalism still reek of Lonely Planet's self-appointed role of bettering the world. Quite annoying, really, and in many cases hypocritical, coming from a lean-and-mean profit-making publishing house.

Most facts about travel, eating, accommodation, etc are accurate and well-researched, although as usual information to someone with a bit bigger budget is very fragmented.

They could give more information about useful websites for both ticket booking and accommodation.

Overall, if you are only buying one book for West Africa, this is the one. If you can get two - buy the Rough Guide as well: it may be boring and cultural information reads as if it was written by your local tax office, but you will get many additional addresses and phone numbers.

This is not your typical clunker with endless pages of filler material. It gets right to the point. If you want to learn about using Perl to interact with the internet, this would be a good book to help you get there. I have purchased several Perl books that supposedly teach you how to write code for use with the internet, but they are difficult to understand, and most of the examples just don't work. This book is an exception to that trend. It is the only one I have found so far that has useable, workable examples. The subject matter is still challenging, but Burke is able to explain it enough to give you a clue. If you are looking for help in handling HTTP programmatically, then here is your book.

I bought this book to get information automatically on japanese stocks(for example, charts, price, volume, PER, PBR, ROE, ROA, News, messages on Yahoo! Japan BBS for stocks) from the WEB every day.

Somehow this book has not yet translated into Japanese language.
I think this book would sell very well if translated into Japanese. Many demands.

This book is self-contained about the WEB, so you need little Perl programming rules and don't have to have knowledge on the Internet Protocols(HTTP) at all.

In most cases, all you need to do is to modify an example program on this book for your use very little.

I really don't know how the previous 5 reviews gave this book 5 stars. I was really excited about this book when I first read the reviews, and now here I am only a few chapters in and already thinking about dumping it altogether. This book has so many flaws for its size, the biggest of which was the codes. I am no Perl expert, but could find my way around in a decent size program. However, no examples I have tried so far in the book actually worked, and some of these are just 10-20 lines long. I am completely new to LWP, I guess like anyone who would buy this book, so it's hard for me to see what the author is doing. The explanation of the code didn't help much either. As oppose to explaining the steps, he just said "the code below does this". And it's pretty obvious little or no editing has gone into this book. If you do buy this book, you'll probably want to make a trip to the Errata page at the Oreilly website. The amount of typos, printing errors, warnings and grammatical mistakes found by readers and editors listed on this page rivals the usuable content of the book itself. You know what, I have spent way too much on this book already.....

If you aren't yet comfortable using object-oriented Perl modules, the multitude of examples will at least allow you see how it's done even if you're a bit fuzzy on what's happening 'underneath' when you call object methods. If you're comfortable learning how to do something without knowing exactly why it works, then the author's clear step-by-step explantions and numerous progressively more powerful examples should make this book accessible even to relatively innexperienced Perl programmers.

More experienced programmers will understand better why things work, but any Perl programmer will set this book down feeling empowered to turn the web into their own valet. No longer do you need to check multiple sites looking for interesting information. Instead, you can readily author code to do that for you and alert you when items of interest are found. You can use these tools to free up personal time, to harvest information to inform business decisions, to automate tedious web application testing, and a zillion other things.

The author's clear exploration of the relevant Perl modules leaves the reader with a good depth of understanding of what these modules do, when you might want to use which module, and how to use them for real world tasks. Before reading the book, I knew of these modules, but they were a rather intimidating pile. I'd used a few of them on occasion for rather limited projects, but was reluctant to invest the time required to read all of the documentation from the whole collection. Mountains of method-level documentation do not a tutorial make. This book takes all of that information, selects the most important parts, and ensures that those parts are covered in progressively more powerful and/or flexible examples.

If you know Perl and you're sick of 'working the web' to get information and you want the web to work for you instead, then you need this book. I had a personal project that was on the back burner for a couple of years because it just sounded too hard. The weekend after I finished this book, I wrote what I had previously thought to be the hard part of that project and it was both easy and fun. This book makes hard things not just possible, but actually easy.

-matt

If you are unfamiliar with LWP and web scraping, or HTML parsing using tokens and trees, I strongly recommend this book. It's the best *introduction* to these topics I've been able to find. Sean's style is clear and concise-just what I expect from an O'Reilly book.

To get the most out of this book, you'll want to be familiar with Object Oriented programming in Perl, because (with the exception of LWP::Simple) all the modules discussed in this book use objects.

Also, don't expect the LWP sample code in the book to work correctly. Many of the sites that the scripts try to "scrape" have changed their layout since this book was published, braking the scripts. This isn't a problem though, because the samples Sean provides are very short and clear, so it's not necessary to run them in order to figure out how they work.

Vachss delivers another slice of dark urban fiction, with Burke and his crew, as usual, poking their way down the darkest tunnels of human depravity. They've got their hands full, too, with a vicious and deadly child with multiple personalities, Satanists, and a baby-killer on the loose. As if that wasn't enough, Burke can only find his way forward on the case with the help of a Haitian voodoo cult ruled by a clairvoyant Queen, who knows more about Burke than he does himself. Stumbling around in places where even zombies won't go, Burke gathers his entire crew for an apocalyptic and blood-strewn assault of the Satanist headquarters. Violent, powerful and gripping.

It seems when you watch New York City movies nowadays, it's a town of glitz and wealth, the nice land of posh Manhattan skylines. Not so in the grimmer days of the 1970s when the Big Apple was cinematically a cesspool: look at movies like The French Connection and you'll see what I mean. Though Andrew Vachss's Burke books are written in the 1990s and later, they keep alive a sleazy New York image that hearkens back to a darker but more interesting era.

Certainly, the city remains a pit in Sacrifice, the sixth Burke book. For those unfamiliar with the character, he is a hard-bitten semi-private eye who has no problem operating outside the law. Though he is always up for a good scam, he has nothing for contempt for the freaks, the child molesters and kiddie porn dealers who occupy his metropolis. In Sacrifice, Burke comes to the aid of Luke, a young child who's been so abused that he's actually developed split personalities, one of which is a baby killer.

Burke knows better than to fault Luke for the murders; the actual killers are the ones who damaged Luke, a little coven of molesters who impersonate Satanists but merely use that religion as a cover. While Burke hunts them down, he also has to keep Luke away from the aggressive DA who is even willing to prosecute an eight year old. He also has to contend with a voodoo cult and a separate case of abuser-turned-killer.

As is typical with a Burke novel, the strength is Burke himself, a tough guy who has his own demons to battle with. In addition, Vachss is good at creating a dark world where hope and redemption are rarely found and are even more rarely long-lasting. On the flip side, I continue to be troubled by the supporting cast of Burke's family who are often so off-beat as to be absurd; they are so unreal at times that it hurts the grim reality that Vachss is otherwise trying to portray. Overall, however, this is another good Vachss novel, not perfect but easily meriting four stars.

This is definitely my favorite in the Burke series, for many reasons. Even aesthetically - if you were or are lucky enough to see the jacket of the original hardcover, you'll see that the artwork is beautiful and very distinct from Vachss' earlier jackets (which usually featured a photo representing the female title character). In fact, this book title is the first in the series that does not reference a female character.

Another element that distinguishes this book is how directly its drawn from real-life events. All of Vachss' novels are about the truth, but some specifics of the plot, the involvement of Wolfe, Chief of the Citywide Special Victims Bureau, and even the book's dedication page point to a very specific - and gruesome - real-life crime in New York prior to the book's publication.

But the most significant accomplishment of Sacrifice is that it's the perfect answer to all the hysterical - and inaccurate - cries of vigilantism. For years, the character, and Vachss himself, suffered through the assumptions and the labels (the "Rambo of Child Abuse" being one of them). But its all very clear with this book. Consider the carefully calculated schemes of the previous novels; the predators were dispatched bloodlessly, almost efficiently.

Now compare those things to the conclusion of Sacrifice. Without giving up too many details, Burke's reaction is off the cuff, completely unplanned - "Inside, they weren't the ones, but they'd do" is how he describes the targets of his fury. And he does wreak violence upon them. But someone else also pays the price for his rage, and he hadn't planned on that either. His vengeful rampage isn't satisfying and empowering; it's damaging and it changes him for good.

And that is the ultimate beauty of Sacrifice, both a depiction and an indictment of vigilantism. Its the perfect answer and its an excellent book.

Andrew Vachss, social worker, lawyer, author is a leader in the child protective movement. He calls it "a war," and considers his writing as powerful a weapon as his litigation. Vachss openly admits that he writes about the abuse of children because he wants to raise people's awareness of what's going on, and he'll reach a wider audience with fiction. His novels are powerful. He hits hard. His street tough dialogue and staccato-like prose lend authenticity to this raw, darker than noir world - a world where unspeakable horrors are perpetrated upon innocent children. "Sacrifice" and other books in the Burke series are not for the faint of heart. As heinous, almost far-fetched, as the narratives seem, (who could treat children like this?), the stories are, unfortunately, as real as case studies and the perpetrators prey on their young victims all over the world.

The author tackles a particularly difficult subject here. Luke is a wonderful little boy with a genius I.Q.. He is inquisitive, playful, friendly to the people he trusts - which are few. He has other personalities, however - and one is of a monstrous baby-killer filled with uncontrollable rage. Luke was repeatedly tortured, sexually abused and cruelly filmed in his agony by his parents and their friends, members of a Satanic cult. He is "Satan's child." One of the questions that arises from Luke's case is, after psychiatric treatment to merge his multiple identities, should he be charged with committing murder - or should those people who turned him into a fiend be held responsible - if they can be found...and if Burke doesn't get to them first?

Vigilantism and revenge are other issues that continually pop up in this series. Burke was an abused child raised in numerous foster homes and is a veteran of reform school and prison. "I live under the darkness, where it's safe. Safe from things so secret that they have no name. Under the darkness - it's not a territory you occupy - you take it with you - it goes where I go." And, "There's other's like me. Children of the Secret." Consequently, he himself is unable to control his anger when he deals with pedophiles. His violent acts of vengeance often save the courts the trouble of trying the suspects. But revenge, especially by murder, is against the law.

"Sacrifice" is far from my favorite Burke book. The subject matter really creeped-me-out...and that's hard to do. I know that crimes like these happen - I just don't know if I want to read about them in my leisure time. Also, the author really proselytizes here. And that is so unnecessary. He makes his points over and over again and each time more fervently. The reader gets it - how could one not "get it?" Here Mr. Vachss is too much the man on a mission. But his readers are with him from the get-go. Too much preaching to the choir.

The usual cast of extraordinary characters are all present, including: Max the Silent, a warrior and now a father; Pansy is a warrior of another species - she's a Neapolitan mastiff, just like the kind that came over the Alps with Hannibal; the Mole, a pasty-faced genius who lives in a bunker beneath a high-tech junkyard; the Prophet, a scam artist who speaks in rhyme; Mama Wong, group doyenne - a Chinese Jewish mother and restaurateur, "keeps her prices high and the ambiance foul to discourage yuppies." She cares for the gang, takes Burke's messages and holds his stash; Michelle, a gorgeous transvestite is absent here, busy dealing with the complications which have arisen around her life-changing operation; Terry, the "lost boy" adopted by Michelle and Mole is around to befriend Luke. Ms. Wolfe, a sex crimes prosecutor who Burke has the hots for, plays a bigger than usual role in this novel - which is a plus. And Queen Thana, voodoo royalty, is introduced here too.

This is not a bad book. I don't think Andrew Vachss has it in him to write poor fiction. But, be warned - read at your own risk of some sleepless nights.
JANA

I've now read 3 Vachss novels, all early works, and at the end of each one I wrestled with the question of whether or not to read another one. I picked this one after reading the favorable reviews here and I did find it to be better than Blue Belle and Strega. All of these books have had some appeal to me. They present some hard boiled guys like the main character Burke who have been to prison and are still criminals, but who now mainly just take advantage of [child stalkers] and other creeps in various scams. This frees them to do what they really like to do which is bring certain of these creeps to rough justice. I find that to be an entertaining and appealing story theme. This book goes into an unusual direction in that there is an abused multiple personality child who is a killer. This leaves room for lots of interesting and edgy action.

My problem with these books is that while I admire the author as someone who works to help abused children and writes stories that can educate others about what kind of evil people operate in these areas, I just don't find his writing ability to be at the level of top crime authors. The word pictures just aren't as clear, the character development is so-so and there are usually a few over the top features that detract from the overall realism of the story. So, my 4 star rating is given mainly for the good features I listed, while my conclusion is that I'm not now leaning toward reading any more Vachss books.

This book needs more exposure. These guys here pretty much explained the reason(at least of them) for the megalithic structures/mounds all over the world. They were used to tap into the earths magnetic field to increase agricultural productivity. Somehow that also caused the shamans to have hallucinogenic visions and modern day visitors to have similar experiences and see lights, etc.... They prove it.

Some of the information the authors refer to is mentioned in this book which I read first. It's a bit less scientific, focuses on the origins of new england megaliths and is a great introduction to the mystery:

Celtic Mysteries Windows to Another Dimension in America's Northeast

http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Windows-Dimension-Americas-Northeast/dp/1596052252/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214313875&sr=8-2

Awsome, interesting theory presented by true scientists. The authors really give respect to our ancestors all over the world. This is not a twinkle-bunny book, it is about quantifiable observations with scientific equipment and methods at the sites where our ancestors put thousands of man hours to construct a place of importance and how they prospered from it.

Archaeologists find amazing, ancient artifacts but are unable to explain the why of their creation. This research proves that, not only were our ancestors intelligent, innovative and technologically savvy, they were immensely practical in their pursuit of technologies - just as we are. This is such an interesting read.

FERTILITY MAGIC of STONES & SEEDS

"SEED of KNOWLEDGE - STONE of PLENTY -
Understanding the lost technology of the ancient megalith-builders"
by John Burke & Kaj Halberg, new book `07, Council Oak.
Review - Micheal Sunanda Oness press

1000s of tourists & spiritual seekers visit the most famous & huge megaliths/year. Why did the ancient cultures build those giant structures requiring 1000s & millions of work hours to erect? I've visited many vortexes in US, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Bali, Australia, Hawaii, etc. with wildly varied energetics I could often feel meditating. I didn't think of their fertility functions, that are obviously real.
Those old mysteries attract dozens science history experts, science buffs & spiritual seekers to study & learn their purposes, uses & how they were built. The most popular are the Pyramids of Giza, walls of Inca - Peru & temples of Mesoamerica - Aztecs, Mayans & Olmec; & the 1000s of earthen mounds on all continents. Why were many megaliths abandoned by natives ? builders leaving or loosing their need or functions? Less famous are the 1000s of earthen mounds on all continents visited by seekers yearly.
So John & Kaj explain their unique approach to megaliths reporting on their details of field & lab research taking extrem-ely accurate EMF measurements at dozens of sites. They found very hi energy readings & learning how the ancient megaliths `stones' still effects the fertility of seeds with the builders & now. They connect that with deep history of the cultures rise & falls relative to their agriculture, hunger, needs & designs & inhabiting lands around their stones.
They took EMF meters & discovered how the electromagnetic fields in & around the stones attracts & amplifies ambient & earth energy to the seed. They took & treated seeds there became 2-3x more fertile than none-treated seeds grown later elsewhere. They offer many colored photos of megaliths & their amazing seed sprouts from the 'stone' zones.
From the dramatic growing results & related history they conclude & weave dramatic tales of those cultures growing rich form abundant harvests & many others bringing seeds there for energizing. This they assert began with extreme famine motivating builders in desperate need for erecting the structures with complex research, designs & 1000s of people helping & beenfiting from energizing seeds to grow in poor soils.
This is more grounded in their human needs & local energetics than in newage spiritual rituals many believe the megaliths were built for, like graves & ceremonies. Few bones were found in & around megaliths & many seeds in some places are even now used to energize fertility. Many were built on known fertility zones, then expanding & concentrating their powers there & seeds often grown far away in poor soils. Because John & Kaj now have a business of energizing seeds industrially based on their research & lab work. They have deep appreciation for natural local fertility of seeds & soil, without indust-rial chemicals, & the destructive `slash & burn' farming that ruined millions of acres of ancient farmland & even in the Amazon now.
How can we use earth energy fields to empower our seeds facing the growing climate crisis stressing many farmlands now with drout, fire, floods & toxic chemical farming.

For so long history oriented disciplines have painted a primitive picture of ancient civilizations. All structures, we are told, were built for religious, political, or egotistical reasons.

The notion that ancient civilizations had a scientific understanding of nature not so different than our own modern civilization's understanding has often been referred to as fantasy and fiction by mainstream thinkers. Now, Burke and Halberg show that whoever built these ancient megalithic structures knew what they were doing, and were doing it for a very good reason: to increase the productivity of the land by increasing the hardiness of seeds. And they do so with science and experimentation.

In their conclusion they write that "It is our hope that this book may constitute one small step toward shedding some light on where we came from and where we are headed." As an author deeply interested in ancient civilizations I think Burke and Halberg might have underestimated the significance of their work. This book, with its scientific approach, requires that we re-evaluate our approach to understanding ancient civilizations, particularly that of ancient Egypt. Their chapter entitled "Pulse of the Pyramid" is alone worth the price of the book!

For anyone interested in ancient history "Seed of Knowledge Stone of Plenty" is a must read.

I used this book as a way to refresh my perspective on a mystery novel after finishing a second draft. I highlighted perhaps a dozen relevant/useful passages in the entire 300-page book. There are a handful of interesting ideas, but the biggest challenge I encountered is that the quality of the advice is entirely dependent on the author of each chapter - so, if what you want to learn about happens to have been written about by an average advice-giver, you're out of luck. For a better treatment - more concise and productive, and of better quality throughout - consider Hallie Ephron's "Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel."

I have other books concerning this subject. What I like about this book is that it contains chapters by different authors. There is nothing like hearing advice from the very authors that you enjoy reading so much.

I found the book to a helpful review of everything from the unwritten rules of writing a mystery through the submission process. Personally, I enjoyed having different people present their views. I can see that it might be annoying if you want just one point of view. My advise is to read whatever section you are interested in and skip sections that you do not care about. Good job!

Mystery Writing is an art in itself. It requires a lot of planning and preparation in order for the mystery story to work. Planting 'red herrings' and false clues in a story is an art that novice writers will have trouble in achieving with their first attempt. That is the reason why this book is so good -- it brings together the creative geniuses in the field of Mystery writing -- and these writers tell you their secrets to producing mystery. Definitely worth the money.

While I agree with the previous poster that one has to do a certain amount of mining with this, and other Writer's Digest anthologies, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I actually had an opportunity to talk about the book recently with Sue Grafton, who edited it, and she said her goal was to take readers from idea through publication, employing the voices of experts in each area. For example, the chapter on series characters is written by Sara Paretsky, whose V.I. Warshawski is a classic demonstration of what she's talking about. In all, I enjoyed and appreciated the disparate voices perhaps more than I might have appreciated the same advice in a monolithic voice.

True JLB fiction. Of course I would love the label on a bar of soap if he wrote it. The man can take you inside a story...you smell the dust, you feel the wind and this one ended on a very satisfying note. I wondered how he would tie it up and he did it just right as he always does. The man paints pictures with words and can make you feel a time you never lived and be in a place or situation you never knew.

This is a good story but the Amazon claim that it is not available anywhere else is wrong now that it has been reprinted in Burke's collection of stories, "Jesus Out to Sea."

I admit it. I needed a Burke fix and when this story was available at Amazon I grabbed it. The writing is James Lee Burke all the way. Now, if he would just write a few more and post them at Amazon.com.

I paid less than fifty cents for ten or fifteen minutes of reading pleasure.
Well worth it.

Excellent mood setting in the opening paragraphs proved a no-effort in to the story, >>... houses were wood frame and peeling, the yards bare, the early sun like a dust-veiled egg yolk. <<

THE MOLESTER is very obviously a story authored by a veteran wordsmith, a long-written, seasoned novelist who's also a master storyteller at any length of exposition. The setting descriptions, character drawings, and plot maneuvering were accomplished through polished, professional prose, yet they exposed the author's (and narrator's) underlying spirit of compassion and redemption, which were necessary to allow me to assimilate some of the bitter-edged, dark realities of the story, blended into what at first appeared to be an enhancement of prejudice.

As the story enfolded the reader, then ended, James Lee Burke's vision of the root of evil became clear. He dredged deeply, beneath surfaces of skin, times, and traditions, to get at the heart-of-perversion of harmful intent. Visceral awareness in characters and plot carried the reader quickly through a labyrinth of deep responses and early evaluations, to a chilling conclusion of extraction of evil, yet questions remained for continued consideration.

Here are a few samples of the excellence of this professional pen, which need no adornment:

>> That summer was marked by both drought and sudden electrical storms over the Gulf, an unexpected infusion of cold air into the park during a ball game, a burst of rain-flecked wind gusting plumes of dust high in the air. It was also the summer that we heard the Russians had developed the atom bomb. While the night sky pulsed with lightning that made no sound, World War Two vets, wearing Hawaiian shirts, drank iced-down bottles of Jax and Pearl beer in the stands, and talked about nuclear war. They talked about cities that would be melted into green glass. I wanted to stop my ears. <<

>> The sun was white in the sky, the air like a moist cotton glove on the skin, the street blown with dust. The grass in our yard was yellow and there wasn't a teaspoon of shade in it. <<

>> The room stunk of cigars, shower mold, hair oil, and sweaty workout clothes. A blackboard on one wall gave odds on the fighters, and a bone-white man in a fedora, strap undershirt, and tightly belted zoot slacks was taking bets at a plank bar. His arms and shoulders were streaked with body hair, his mouth formed meditatively into a cone when he wrote a wager on a note pad and tore a slip off for the bettor. <<

This is a pinnacle example of word-smithing art, and of a seasoned author's ability to crisply capture a surface reality, then root into its vision and meaning, without tying a neat bow around the finished package, a bow of his personal, life-machination-prejudices (which are owned by each human being at some level).

Sharp-edged words draw photographic scenes of the other side of Norman Rockwell.

For a yummy contrast to Burke's exquisite syntax and style, here's a new release Amazon Short which works on the bright side of Rockwell:

Coal & Coca-cola

Linda Shelnutt

Another Burke novel. Burke is an ex-con, gambler, thief and private investigator who knows the world of predatory criminals. When Burke is approached by a former prison buddy, he is obligated to help out his adopted brother, Virgil. Virgil's nephew is a suspect in a lover's lane killing. Burke has a full plate of tasks at hand: find out if the nephew is lying or is a sex-predator. If the boy is innocent, Burke must re-build the boy's confidence and protect the him from the inmates at the youth detention center. Next, Burke has to find the sex predator. As an ex-con, he can access information not readily available to police. As Burke, he can go places most people will not go. He meets Blossum, the sister of one of the murder victims. Together, they track down the sick-mind of killer. Aside from good crime fiction, writer, Andrew Vachss talks about how sex predators are made and not born. Always entertaining are Burke's friends, the Prof, (street hustler), Michelle (transvestite), Max the Silent(mute martial artist) and Mama (dragon lady/restaurant owner/crime boss).

By his own admission, Andrew Vachss isn't a particularly good "writer": his characters are caricatures who we know only by an unusual style of speech or odd clothing; the dialogue often devolves into rambling lectures directed at the reader; the plots are formulaic; and many of his novels (particular the more recent ones) seem focused far more on social commentary than Story . . . why, then, do I feel compelled to read everything he publishes? Because Burke is COOL. I could care less about any of his "crew" of regulars (a little Black man who carries a sawed-off and speaks only in rhymes, a huge Asian man who is the best martial artist alive but speaks only in a made up sign language, a bespectacled Jewish man who provides all sorts of high-tech weaponry free of charge and continually mutters about nazis, a "beautiful" transvestite who is a skilled con artist and talks unendingly about high fashion, and a Jamaican teenager who is a crackshot with a 9mm and makes an occasional comment in his distinctive dialect . . . you get the idea). The other characters are mere background (as well as a lesson to the reader in multicultural tolerance). Burke, however, is the driving force behind this series. An unlicensed private investigator who is a wanted fugitive with nothing to lose. A man with a single mission: make the freaks PAY (if he can save a kid, that's a bonus).

I do not necessarilly think that Blossom is Vachss' best work (that'd be either Shella or Two Trains Running), but it is probably the most accessable and mainstream of all the books in his Burke series. Although it might be advisable to read the earlier volumes first, Blossom stands alone and could be read as your introduction to the series. Since Burke is out of the city and away from his crew, they are less of a distraction.

In short, this is more of a "coming of age" story than the usual Burke theme (VENGEANCE). A teenage boy is accused of being a sex sniper because he lives in the area, is a loner, owns a rifle, and was found to have a stash of pornographic magazines. Burke interrogates him, and decides that he's not the type -- so, being the righteous outlaw that he is -- instead of handing him over to the law (to get beaten and raped by fellow inmates), he conspires to hide him out while Burke tracks the real killer. In the meanwhile, he teaches the immature and inept boy what it means to be a Man (honor, duty, dignity, etc). As it oft seems as if Burke is really Vachss' alter-ego, it's like getting "fatherly advice" from one of the baddest men alive.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is unfamiliar with the series.

In the world of hard-boiled crime fiction, few are as hard-boiled as Andrew Vachss. In his Burke series of novels, the reader is plunged into a hellish world where even the good guys are crooked. In this world, Darwin means everything: only the fittest (which is to say, the slyest, most violent or most evil) survive and the weakest soon perish. Parallel to this dark land is the world of "citizens": the more-or-less law-abiding people who pay taxes and go to school and church. When a citizen is forced to go into this hell - like when a child is kidnapped by a pedophile - it is Burke who tries to set things right, as long as his price is met.

Although Burke is basically a loner who exists outside the system, he does have a family of sorts, people who he's bonded with over the years. In Blossom, we are introduced to another such family member, Burke's "brother" and former prison-mate, Virgil. Virgil is a rare success story, an ex-con who has become a citizen. Unfortunately, his nephew, a troubled teenager named Lloyd, is accused of killing some people; when it looks like he will be put in jail pending trial, Virgil helps Lloyd flee.

Through Virgil's wife, Burke is recruited to determine if Lloyd is actually guilty. And although Burke does determine that Lloyd is innocent, he decides to also find the killer. The disadvantage for Burke is that he's out of his element: instead of being in the comfortable - if dangerous - confines of New York, he is in a small town in Indiana. Adding to the complications is the title character, Blossom, who is also after the killer. It is no surprise that eventually she and Burke will get together, but readers of previous novels know this is not necessarily a good thing for him.

Although superficially, Burke may resemble other tough-guy heroes such as Richard Stark's Parker, he is actually a much deeper character. Burke has undergone a number of traumas in his life, to the point where he doesn't so much try to be happy as he tries to avoid being unhappy. As always, I find the supporting characters in these stories to be a little too offbeat at times to be taken seriously in these rather grim novels, but in Blossom, they are pushed off to the side for the most part. Vachss once again has succeeded in presenting a tale that is well-written and suspenseful. If you have enjoyed the other Burke novels, this one will also be a pleasure.

"Blossom" is Andrew Vachss' fifth Burke novel, and while it is an excellent book, I would not suggest that those folks new to Burke's world make his acquaintance here. "Blossom" definitely stands on its own, but for a richer more comprehensive read you should have more background information. I do not have an addictive personality, but the Burke series is one of the most powerful in the crime suspense/thriller genre. I am totally caught-up in Vachss' complex characters and their mind-boggling escapades. Actually, forget the genre "bit," these novels belong in a class of their own. I began with book one - "Flood" - and never looked back. However, "Strega and/or "Blue Belle" are also good places to meet Burke and crew. And meet them you should if you are looking for well crafted fiction and you don't flinch at the gritty, seamy, darker side of life.

Burke, is still in a funk after losing his woman, Belle. Then Virgil, and old cellmate, asks for his help. Rebecca, Virgil's wife, travels to New York hoping to bring her husband's "brother" back to the Indiana mill town where they live - and where the trouble is. Burke and Virgil are tighter than blood makes most brothers. There's no way our man can refuse - nor would he want to.

Rebecca's teenage cousin Lloyd has been accused of a heinous crime he didn't commit...so he says. When the police don't have enough evidence to hold the boy, they remand him into Virgil's and Rebecca's custody on bail. Then the heat gets turned up. The press, out in full force, are looking for blood. A reporter hears some of Lloyd's classmates comment about his "peeping" habits and all hell breaks loose. Bail is revoked and Lloyd runs. Virgil goes after him and both are now in hiding. Virgil wants Burke to find out the truth about his cousin and about the "Son of Sam" type murders that have been going down in Merrillville, Indiana.

The perp is a sex sniper...sometimes call a "piquerist." "It wasn't in the DSM-III, not even in the latest revised edition. It is a pathological condition: it means the realization of sexual satisfaction from penetrating a victim by sniper activity. Or stab wounds, or even bites." Is Lloyd the one killing the young couples who park in Lover's Lane? And if not, who is?

Enter Blossom. A waitress and much more. She has her own reasons for wanting to catch the killer.

Vachss continues to reveal more of Burke's character, his grim inner world and his past in "Blossom." He is one of the most complex protagonists I have encountered in popular fiction - edgy, dark, an outcast, as hard-boiled as they come, a scam artist who is a standup guy, a righteous man, and above all, a survivor. Burke, the man, and the strange folks who people his world and call him" friend," are what make me a faithful fan and keep me hooked on the series.

The usual suspects are all present, including: Max the Silent, a Mongolian warrior who also calls Burke brother; Pansy is a warrior of another species - she's a Neapolitan mastiff and Burke's roommate; the Mole, a pasty-faced genius who lives in a bunker beneath a high-tech junkyard; the Prophet, a scam artist who speaks in rhyme; Mama Wong, group doyenne - a Chinese Jewish mother and restaurateur. She cares for the gang, takes Burke's messages, holds his stash and feeds him hot and sour soup; Michelle, the gorgeous transvestite who is absent here - dealing with her "change." She is present in spirit." And Terry, the lost boy who was adopted by Michelle and Mole is around also. I think this novel is all the more interesting for getting Burke out of the Big Apple and having him hang-out with the Hoosiers. The new cast of characters that comes with the new surroundings only adds richness to the narrative.

As always Vachss narrative hits hard. His street tough dialogue and staccato-like prose lend authenticity to this raw, darker than noir world - a world where unspeakable horrors are perpetrated upon innocent children. The author, a leader in the child protective movement, calls it "a war," and considers his writing as powerful a weapon as his litigation. He openly admits that he writes about the abuse of children because he wants to raise people's awareness of what's going on, and he'll reach a wider audience with fiction.

This is a powerful novel - part of a superb series. Kudos to Andrew Vachss!
JANA

Burkes travels to Indiana to help out the nephew of a prison buddy. While uncovering the truth about whether or not the boy is actually the serial killer prosecutors say he is Burke also meets and romances the beautiful Blossom and tracks down a white supremacist sniper (quite obviously modeled after an actual criminal). I found the change of scene and characters refreshing. Recommended.