Clayton Books

I have now read, I believe, all of Victoria Claytons books. The latest one was Running Wild which was every bit as good if not better than the earlier ones (well, perhaps Past Mischief is still my favourite - but only just). Once again I can only say that I hope Ms. Clayton is writing another book - we (my friends, my mom and I) are all waiting!! Many thanks and congratulations on another MASTERPIECE! Such fun to read. Regards, sonja falkenberg (Toronto, Canada).

This was the first Victoria Clayton book I read, and I didn't want it to ever end. She writes intelligently, so hers aren't really 'fluff' reads but yet they are relaxing and enjoyable. If you haven't read any of her books, I highly recommend that you start. The biggest problem is finding them at a reasonable price in the U.S.!

This book was such a joy. I'm an Anglophile and I have an old house that I use as a bed and breakfast so I enjoyed the circumstances but what moved me the most was the trials that women of an age feel. They are not usually the subject of novels and this one with it's warmth and heart touched me deeply.

I can't say enough good things about this book - I sat up until 3 am today to finish it. I guess the traditional elements of a romance are here, but the book seems just so much more than that. It starts with the death of Miranda's chronically unfaithful husband - and proceeds to show how the life and death of this selfish, ugly man(soul-wise, not physically) is like a pebble in a pool - the ripples of effect go on forever. There's pain and humor, and not all of the ends are neatly tied up - just the ones that matter the most to you at the end. The subplots and supporting characters are superb - wonderful book!..

Miranda Stowe's life is turned upside down by the apparent suicide of her constantly unfaithful husband, Jack. With little in the bank, and a growing number of mouths to feed, she decides to take paying guests into her somewhat dilapidated manor house, meeting a cast of colourful, and sometimes eccentric, guests in the process. Liberated from her marriage, Miranda finds that she and her new business bloom and that, unfortunately, all the wrong types of men seem to be attracted to widows...

Past Mischief is a delicious social comedy, with an endearing selection of characters. But there is nothing overtly sugary about Clayton's blend of love, sex, friendship and the trials and tribulations of life. The novel is a pleasure to read and will have readers returning to thumb through its pages time and again, eager to reacquaint themselves with the characters and plot contained within. I really enjoyed this book, it's a great summer's read with an unusual amount of charm, dash and verve.

At first I was a little hesitate to purchase this book considering that I have over two hundred books on the subject of the Beatles, however, I'm glad that I did since this book stands out from the others. Definitely, it's informative as a reference guide, and it includes a large amount of rarely seen and unseen photos of the Beatles together and apart. Also, the appearance of it is quite attractive with its lavish hardcover; moreover, the beautiful black and white, and colorful photos that it contains. Without a doubt, if you're either a die-hard or casual fan, then you should definitely purchase this book, and place it next to the other valuable Beatles items that you may own.

I picked up this book on a whim for my 2 year old who is obsessed with the Beatles. However, I have spent several hours myself looking through it and I love being able to read about the stories behind the pictures, even if she cant enjoy them yet. The pictures are brilliant and the size of them is also good, no squinting to see whats going on. I would recommend this book to any Beatles fan, and to anyone else who wants to know more about them, not only as a band but as individuals.

I love this collection of Beatle photographs taken from early in their careers to the post-Beatle years. (I have two copies of this book - the first one has a chronology that stops in 1999-2000, when George was still alive and the second one includes George's tragic demise in 2001).

I love the way a Beatle song is used as a title for each chapter. The photos are well documented and include many people who crossed paths with the Beatles, such as Harold Wilson, Ed Sullivan (of course) and many lesser known people.

The book also provides a rich history for each year that is being covered. Events are chronicled in the chronology and is a very "Beatle friendly" gauge indeed. The Beatles' travels and events regarding same are recorded. There are two pictures of George, packing his "Beatle Bag," with the picture captioned about how BOAC provided the Fabs free flights from England to France provided they advertised with those bags. Harold & Louise Harrison, Sr. are shown, sending their son off to America proudly and lovingly. These make a good book even better.

Many of these photographs had not seen the light of day prior to the publication of this wonderful book. No Beatle fan should be without this one!

Yes, it is one of the best Beatles photo albums I've ever seen. It covers that period from 1963 through the breakup and to George's death in 2001. Some of the pictures are familiar, others aren't. It's a wonderful journey to start at the beginning and see the Beatles' milestones and how they change. We see their early exuberance and eagerness to please by posing in showbizzy poses in matching suits, being feted and receiving endless awards. They morph into the ultimate cool icons, hair growing shaggier, clothes weirder. Their relationships are chronicled. First it was Cyn, Jane, Patti and Mo. Then it was Linda and Yoko. Eventually Patti and Maureen were replaced by Olivia and Barbara. I love the early pictures of the women - all those wonderful dolly dresses and Patti's amazing eyes. (I was sooo jealous of her!). The pictures thin out after the breakup. There are intermittent photos of the individual Beatles and their families (mostly Paul) through the 70s, 80s and 90s. The last photo in the book is the sad photo of Paul the morning George died. There are almost no photos of the Beatles taken in America so it cannot be called a comprehensive collection. After all, this was the English press (Daily Mail and AP)and a lot of these photos never made it stateside until now. One thing that historians will note is the plethora of shots from the middle '60s showing just how important they were during that time. I'm so happy to have come upon this book. It is highly recommended for Beatles fans both who remember when and who want to know what it was like.

This is a collection of rare Beatles' photos taken from pre-1964 to a period 'after the Beatles.' Each chapter of the book is titled after a Beatles' song (e.g. chapter four is titled "Hello Goodbye").

The photos have descriptions beside them giving an explanation of what is going on in the pic, where it might have been taken, who is in the pic, and other facts that might pertain tom the pic such as record stats, radio shows, TV programs, etc.

Periodically throughout this book a chronology of a certain year (i.e. 1968) will be shown. The chronology explains what happened on certain dates or days in that year. For instance, in the 1968 chronology, on 23 August it states "Ringo quits the Beatles during the recording sessions for the White Album."

The book contains 600 photographs selected from the archives of the 'Daily Mail." The book contains over 200 photographs from negatives never previously printed and are said to be printed here for the first time.

The pictures in this book are pics taken at parties, vacations that each Beatles member took alone, or together, recording studio shots, candid shots (some of these are just plain terrible, but fun to see), and many other various settings. This is a great book for Beatles' fans, and a must for hard core Beatles collectors.

Renegade was probably one of my most favorites, following Renno to England one minute and through the forests the next. I have a copy of each book of the series which I started collecting when I was 17 and have read each one at least 4 times. It really makes you feel like your part of the story.

I have read all the White Indian series. They were great. However, I would like to know if Donald Porter is going to continue the series or is it the end.

I have read only one other series that compares to this one. I feel like i am right there with these characters, the way he describes things. I love these kinds of books and would recommend them to anyone who likes history!!

One of the most exciting books/series I have read. It is like living as a brother to the White Indian. I could not put the book down. I wonder if there will be a follow up to this book.

I have read twenty seven of Porter's White Indian Series and have been enthralled with the content. I have not read Creek Thunder because it has been unavailable. Porter's methods of entwining history and Fiction is facinating. I am now re-reading the series for the third time, and like other reviewers it is very hard to put them down

I love mysteries, but find it increasingly hard to find ones that aren't rewarmed or overbaked versions of what I have already read. Mr. de Castrique has a series going that will make you wish the third and fourth ones were already out. This one stands alone, but you should read both. Having an understaker as your "detective" really works well (of course it helps that he was a policeman before). And his use of a North Carolina mountain town is a welcomed relief from big urban centers, small English towns and any place in California and Florida.

This is a very good series. Barry is a fully dimensional character with strong family ties and good friends. The sense of place is wonderfully done and dialogue is very true. He provides an interesting look into the human side of the funeral business, which I very much enjoyed. And, it's still a tight mystery with very good suspense. If you've not discovered this series, I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Author Mark de Castrique brings readers back to the small mountain town of Gainesboro, North Carolina in this enjoyable sequel to "Dangerous Undertaking." As his father's Alzheimer's worsens and a buyer is making noises about wanting the family funeral home, Clayton and Clayton, Barry Clayton has another problem.

Finding a loose skeleton on top of a closed casket, which was buried a number of years ago is bad enough. The fact that the skeleton has a small bullet hole above the eyes is indicative of the nature of death. What is unexplainable, as Barry watches at graveside, is why the dead man's wallet contains a picture of the woman he loves, Dr. Susan Miller? Why is a gun registered to her father buried with the skeleton?

As a circumstantial case against Dr. Susan Miller and her father, Walt, begins to build, Barry Clayton begins to investigate with the help of his friend, Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins. Faced with a hot shot District Attorney with serious political ambitions using the case for his own purposes instead of justice, the situation is stacked against them. Then there is the fact that Susan isn't telling all she knows, their relationship is in jeopardy on many levels, Barry's father wanders away from home lost in his own mind, and the buyer wants a fast decision. Not to mention that a killer still walks among them and is beginning to clean up the loose ends the only way possible-by killing again. Barry should have stayed on the police force up north where it was safer.

This is another enjoyable read by the author who combines interesting and realistic characters, a good mystery, and elements of real life that touch us all. With so many familiar with Alzheimer's, either directly or indirectly, it is nice to see a storyline concerning the subject handled so well in the first two novels of what promises to be a good series. The author gracefully and with tact, details the hard choices so many families have to deal with today in handling the situation and never raises the subject to preaching nor lowers it to condescension or amusement.

This sequel, which could be read as a stand alone, showcases the same deft touch in regards to the depictions of funerals and the grief of the survivors. These characters though they may only appear for brief snippets, a few pages at most, are just as real as the main characters of Sheriff Wadkins, Barry, Uncle Wayne and others. All are family and the result is a read with characters and scenes that flow at a steady pace towards a satisfying ending that culminates another good read.


Book Facts:

Grave Undertaking
By Mark de Castrique
Poisoned Pen Press
www.poisonedpenpress.com
2004
Hardback
266 Pages
$24.95 US
ISBN # 1-59058-116-4


This review previously appeared online at The Mystery Morgue.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

It's just an ordinary day for funeral director Barry Clayton--moving a casket from one location to another to meet the needs of the dead man's family. But when he comes across a skeleton that shouldn't be there--a skeleton with a bullet hole in the middle of its forehead, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. No funeral director put that body in the grave--and no suicide could cover himself so well. When Barry's girlfriend's picture is found in the skeleton's wallet, Susan, and even Barry himself, become suspects.

The sheriff seems willing enough to push forward with the obvious case and Susan's lies and her confrontation with the dead man only days before he vanished, give her motive, opportunity and means. Barry needs to dust off his ex-police skills to get to the bottom of the mystery. It doesn't help, though, that Susan is lying to him as well as to the police. Could it be that she has more to hide than Barry is willing to accept?

When he starts pulling on the case, Barry finds hints that something is rotten in the criminal justice system--that maybe the Sheriff has a good reason to point fingers anywhere but within his own department. Suspecting is one thing, though. Staying alive long enough to find out the truth becomes a major challenge.

Author Mark de Castrique creates an engaging story with enough red herrings to fill the Atlantic and a charming romance betwen Barry and Susan. I especially enjoyed the way de Castrique deepened Barry's character through his evolving relationship with his Alzheimer-suffering father and with the community he somewhat reluctantly serves as funeral director. de Castrique's strong writing kept me glued to the pages. Good stuff.

When his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer?s disease, Charlotte police officer Barry Clayton leaves the force and returns to Gainesboro, a North Carolina mountain town. He helps his parents and his uncle run the family business, the Clayton and Clayton Funeral Home. He is there when Pearly Johnson?s coffin is exhumed so it could be moved to the family plot. State Senator Richards paid a lot of money to be buried in Pearly?s plot, which is next to Caleb Turner, a Union sympathizer.

Before they reach Pearly?s coffin, they discover the skeleton of another man on top of the coffin, a bullet in his head. A wallet is found with four hundred dollars and a picture of Barry?s girlfriend Susan Miller. They identify the body of Samuel Calhoun, a private detective who was buried with the gun of Susan?s father. Both Susan and her father become suspects in the death of this sleazy blackmailer. When Barry makes inquiries, he is shot. Still he thinks the killer is someone in the justice department and Barry and his friends better find out who it is before someone else dies.

Mark de Castrique has written an exciting regional mystery that gives readers feeling of what it is like living in a small southern mountain town. The protagonist is a hero in the truest sense of the word as he gives up his job to take over the family business that means everything to his mother and uncle. He?s patient with his father, tries to protect his girlfriend, and find a murderer. GRAVE UNDERTAKING shows the importance of the funeral home in the community as neighbor helps neighbor in time of need.

Harriet Klausner

Finally a book that reveals the truth behind all those myths. As someone who loves to push the limits, this book has helped me find ways to moderate my habits in a realistic and healthy way. It is honest and dispels some of those hypochondriac moments. We should all have a copy of this book - it's a "must have"

This book is great. It answered a lot of questions for me like, "can you really take Tylenol if you drank the night before ?", "how many ibuprofin can I take a day ?", "are cigars as bad as cigarettes", "how do I really lose weight", etc. It really explains the effects of smoking, drinking, etc. without all the political correctness that you sometimes get (because the drug companies are so afraid of being sued, and our government has become politically correct with its information, especially with respect to alcohol, they often provide extremely conservative information on their drugs, which in effect is not very helpful, because it is so inexact and thus is not good informtion). But this book provides just the straight facts, based on the personal experiences and knowledge of a medical doctor. I highly recommend it to almost anyone (unless you are living on an Amish farm with no access to all the "evils" of modern living).

Being trained in Internal Medicine, I've had many of the same conversations with my patients that are described here. However, I envy Dr. Clayton in his ability to approach the same topics with a witty sense of humor. Bravo to Clayton for keeping to the facts and not talking down to readers in this book. I'm buying multiple copies of this book for my friends, all young thirty-somethings in NYC burning both ends of the candle!

As a young adult who frequently indulges in weekend drinking and other bad habits, I have constantly suffered many of the issues/worries that Dr. Clayton mentions.
He dispels myths and gives many different alternatives to treat a problem. With the internet, it is very difficult to find unbiased information on supplements/cures for, say, hangovers, stress or weight loss. Most of the time they are trying to sell something based on unfounded evidence. The number of scams out there is astronomical. It was about time to get the facts straight from a real doctor.

Geared primarily to twenty-somethings, Clayton explains what you should do - don't smoke, one drink a day, get enough sleep - then tells how to mitigate the effects of what you're actually going to do. This 30-something New Yorker is hip and non-judgmental but he doesn't sugarcoat a thing.

His description of what happens to various body parts - heart, brain, lungs - from smoking cigarettes is so graphic, it should spawn quitters throughout the club scene. But most young readers will skip the informative lecture and go right to the part where he says most people can smoke risk-free if they quit by age 30. Well, heck, 30 is a LONG ways off.

Clayton is equally graphic in explaining the physiology and psychology of sexual arousal. This chapter, "Improving Sexual Performance: His and Hers" would be enough all on its own to make this book a dorm favorite. And then it moves seamlessly on to avoiding pregnancy and STDs, answering all the questions that most young people are afraid to ask their doctors. Clayton investigates the myths and rumors, describes symptoms, diagnoses and treatments, calms fears and promotes practicality, creating confidence through knowledge.

And then it's on to drugs where Clayton is equally matter-of-fact, advising on the safest way to ingest, if you absolutely will, various substances from marijuana to E, prescription drugs, and cocaine, but also describing what each to the body, on the spot and over time.

Clayton, and his co-writer, Vanderkam, employ a sense of humor and an understanding of human nature throughout. Whether it's the stress generated by burning the candle at both ends, or navigating that overdue visit to the doctor, Clayton offers advice busy, in-the-moment people are most likely to take.

From hangover cures to beating the drug test at work, from dieting to avoiding impotence, Clayton dispels rumors and cuts to core of the problem. This is a book I wish had been around when I was twenty.

--Portsmouth Herald

Who would have thought that a book about hogs could be both as funny and informative as "The Hog Book" by William Hedgepeth. I laughed, I cried, I had swine visions.

Mr. Hedgepeth has managed to relate to the reader what, I believe every farm boy has secretly know for years, that hogs are magical, mystical beings worthy of our deepest respect and admiration. If you don't believe me just read the section on hog poetry or gather around the old piano and launch into a chorus of the Hog Song.

Mr. Hedgepeth has a gift for weaving fact and fantasy into a fabric that is as hilarious as it is enlightening. The book is beautifully illustrated by John Findley (is this the same John Findley who wrote and illustrated "Tex-Arcana" for Heavy Metal Magazine?) with photos by world famous photographer Al Clayton. I highly recommend it and it would make a good gift for all the farm boys or girls for that matter on you Christmas list.

I just couldn't put it down except when I was laughing to hard.

Many years ago, I was alone, floating on the sea of human companionship like a wretched speck of oil atop a great sea of cold, emotionless water. I drifted listlessly through the wasted years of my youth, never knowing the joy of friendship. Finally, I became a counselor at a summer camp in Vermont, where I came across Hedgepeth's great tome. I spent hours gazing at the image on the cover, of a beutiful, nude blonde woman riding bareback on a great specimen of swine. I taught the Hog Song to all of my campers and recited hog poetry in the forests under the moon. And not to go into specifics, but I learned quite a bit from the section about hog breeding. Quite a bit. I would just like to thank you, William Hegdepeth, for writing this remarkable book, and, if you are out there somewhere, please contact me so we can breed hogs--together.

Sincerely,

J--- W--- (Floating Feather)

William Hedgepeth's The Hog Book keeps you alert. Reading along, you pause and ask yourself, "Wait, was that list of animals written in verse?" It was. You read more and wonder, "Did he really interview that farmer or did he make it up?" It doesn't matter. Hedgepeth's talent is to compel the reader then punctuate his yarn with a delightfully palatable, "Gotcha!" Just when you've fallen under the Hedgepeth spell of silliness, he tugs at your heart with an in-your-face look at the slaughter of these animals he's just caused you to fall in love with. Why should you read a book about hogs? Because Hedgepeth is a gifted writer, and it's a pleasure to read his words. Because Hedgepeth's instruction about hogs goes down as if with sugar. Because Hedgepeth borrowed from Cinderella and Pygmalion to reveal beauty in creatures frequently ridiculed and dismissed. Perhaps each of us sees a little of our insecure selves in Hedgepeth's recognition of the value and beauty of the oft-maligned hog.

William Hedgepeth has written one of the most unique books imaginable on the life of hogs. This dry and witty look at porcines is no quick compendium on the subject. It is a thorough and informative account of everything you could want to know about these creatures. And it's funny.

An early Ally McBeal Show featured a case where Michael, a pig, gave up his life in order to donate his liver (or some organ) to the crass & orca fat Mrs. Goldstein. Instead of thanking the Doctor for life, she sued because she felt it beneath her to share an organ with a pig. Had Goldstein read The Hog Book, she might have requested Michael's heart as well. This animal's existential ability to accept itself and experience joy in living is a tall order that most humans cannot fill.

I see a sequel to this book - The Tao of Being a Hog, Living in the Now. In any case, I wish this author would turn his journalist's eye and writer's wit onto another subject quick. He's a pleasure to read.

In college days, a friend gave me a copy of this book for my birthday. In it was a picture of a hog, its face painted like a clown, a ruffled clown collar and a conical clown hat. I stared at that picture off and on for quite awhile vowing, I want to train "circus pigs" for a career. Eventually I went on to train hogs for movies, television and live performances. Keep this book away from your children and young impressionable college students unless you want to condemn them to a life of loving hogs ... and people too, because after reading this holy scripture, you will realize, we too are hog.

This book is excellent. The author has the unique ability to cover the subject in great detail including all the theory, but yet make the reading very easy and enjoyable. I was amazed that I could read 750 pages of advanced and new material in a few weeks.

The 130 page! chapter on crosstalk is a Masterpiece. It is the crowning chapter of the book. There is nothing like it anywhere else. Almost everything the author covers is done better than in any other place. For example, signal spectra is covered in hundreds of books, yet the author has an original way of calculating spectra based on Dirac delta functions which I have never seen before; he covers the tricky subject of partial inductance beautifully, etc.

I feel like the other reviewer who wants to shake the author's hand if he meets him.

This review is a partial repeat of an old review under the name "reader". It was for the first edition. I assume the typos are corrected.

I consider that this book is a very good start point to introduce oneself into the EMC topic. Clear and pedagogic with a lot of numerical examples and well chosen exercises.

This book makes learning EMC as easy as counting one to three. Very logical, easy to understand, and makes you to think how EMC can be fun and challenging. A very good reference book, easpcially if you love to see things simplified mathimatically.

Starting first with the negatives, of which they are four. First, do not be fooled by the title word "introduction." This is NOT a book for beginners, but rather senior engineers. If you are new to EMC this is not the book for you. Second, information relative to FCC/CE requirements is dated. Also, some tests relative to CE compliance are not covered. Third, though there are many diagrams, there are almost no pictures. In many cases I found a picture, as opposed to a diagram would have been far more explanatory. Lastly (though it does not bother me in the least, but I thought you would like to know), the book has numerous typos through out its 752 pages.

Ahhhhhh, but what the book is, IS ABSOLUTLY WONDERFUL! As an experienced design consultant, I found information in this book that I have not, and could not find anywhere else. The author has A COMMAND of the subject and it shows. Compared to my peers, I consider myself fairly well versed in the subject of EMC as it pertains to design and debug, but I took a back seat when reading. It was useful even re-reading the things I already knew. The author always offered a new insight. Funny, but after I finished (and it took a while to read) my first thought was "I would really like to meet this guy - to personally request a sequel." For what it is, THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT, well worth the asking price.

This book is excellent. The author has the unique ability to cover the subject in great detail including all the theory, but yet make the reading very easy and enjoyable. I was amazed that I could read 750 pages of advanced and new material in a few weeks. The book unfortunately has many errors and typos which prevents me from giving it 5 stars.

I just purchased this book because it was full of pictures I had not seen before, probably since they were shot by the Daily Mail british press. I like collecting picture books of the Beatles together and solo because they make good coffee table books and great books to just peruse through while you're chatting with someone about them. I collect the biographies as well; both go great together. If you like picture books, check out May Pang's new book "Instamatic Karma"; it's full of pictures taken during John's "lost weekend". The picture of John signing the document that would officially end the Beatles is worth the price of the book alone. Anyway, "Unseen Archives" is a great book to add to your Beatles/John Lennon collection. I do think Cynthia should have chosen another shot of John to use as the front cover of her book, "John", instead of the same one used for "Archives". But that's just my opinion....

I'm a great fan of John Lennon's work and this, almost behind the scenes, book shows me how his life really was like. It wasn't always perfect like people think it could be. The photographs tell a story in themselves with the short captions helping you along the way. The easy to read context makes it that more interesting.

I just recieved this book a few days ago. Its filled with hundreds of black & white photos and descriptions. I highly recommend this book to anyone... you cant go wrong with the price...Stock it up for gifts!

Hey I just got this book for my birthday and it's really good, I am a huge Beatles fan and a pretty good sized lennon fan and this has TONS of good pictures in it, it's a great book and a lot of the pics are with the Beatles lol a lot without the Beatles too, It's a great book!

So many Beatles-related books trot out the same photos, again and again. You all know the ones I'm talking about. But this book is decidedly and refreshingly different. I have many Lennon biographies in my library and this book contains many previously unpublished photos of John, especially ones from his childhood and in the period 1975-1980. The paper quality in the book is exceptional and is thick, glossy material which results in a stunning display of black and white vibrancy. The text is incidental but adds flavor and gives you the year each photo was taken.

The photos of the Beatles are a little weaker, and contain many previously known shots. But the individual pictures of John are outstanding. Consider the beautiful profile view on the cover of the book, taken in 1967. This is just a sampling of what this treasure trove has to offer. There are many other such nuggets within the covers. Any serious fan of John Lennon will adore this book and get many hours of pleasure perusing these photos of a great cultural and musical icon. John himself would scoff at such a description, but it's oh so true.

When Arcady Mystikos comes to town, everyone is bowled over by his psychic powers -- except for 6th grader Alexander Fox.

Fox asks legitimate questions and looks for a more practical explanation of Arcady's feats.

This book is an outstanding introduction to using one's brain.

I am buying additional copies to send to my friends who follow and believe in the popular "psychics" of our day. Mr. Mystikos's name could very easily be replaced with any of those psychic's names.

Alexander Fox is a curious fifth grader who stands apart from his friends because he believes in thinking for himself rather than accepting claims without first exploring the evidence. Like a super sleuth investigator, Alexander sifts for clues, searches for answers, and asks plenty of questions when met with something mysterious or unbelievable, especially when a schoolmate claims to have witnessed the supernatural feats of one Arcady Mystikos.

But when he meets the great Mystikos, a man whose powers have astounded the wealthy residents of the town, Alexander realizes that he may have met his match, a case that is too tough to crack. Admiration for Mystikos among the town folk causes the youngster to examine his own beliefs: Is Alexander a close-minded person, unwilling to accept the mysteries of the unknown? Or can he show his friends that claims of the paranormal aren't always so mysterious?

Young readers ages eight and up will delight in this fascinating tale and cheer Alexander on as he tries to uncover the truth about the powers of Mr. Mystikos. Alexander Fox and the Amazing Mind Reader will start young minds on their journey toward independent thinking, open-mindedness, skeptical inquiry, and critical awareness.

This book is an excellent story for encouraging youngsters not to blindly accept everything at face value. Very importantly, it never crosses the line into cynicism as the young hero investigates a mind-reader who seems too good to be true. My 8-year-old daughter liked this book very much and highly recommends it.

This short novel introduces Alexander Fox, a sixth grader with obvious natural skepticism and a desire to reach the truth through logic and critical thinking. Although others accuse Alexander of being "the boy who doesn't believe anything," Alexander points out that he always has an open mind but that "unusually strong claims require unusually strong proof."

When Arkady Mystikos comes to town and professes to have psychic abilities, Alexander is determined to figure out the truth. Alexander is an engaging young hero and one with whom young readers will easily identify. Although the didactic nature of this slim volume is apparent, the story is interesting enough to keep young readers involved, and the attractive illustrations complement the text.

This book would make a good choice for young skeptics age 8 and up, as well as all children who enjoy mystery and detective stories. Fans of Encyclopedia Brown will be sure to find this book interesting. Further adventures involving the skeptical Alexander would be most welcome as well!

Islam prohibits tattooing, but there's been an increase in the types and number of people obtaining Arabic tattoos, and ARABIC TATTOOS uses color photos and essays to document this trend. Both art libraries and general-interest collections appealing to younger patrons will find it a popular survey of the cultural and artistic meaning of these tattoos. It's a fine exploration with interviews of tattoo owners spicing a colorful presentation - also recommended for any Middle East collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I received my review copy in this mornings mail and I must say that I am very pleased with the results. Jon Udelson had contacted me some time ago about one of my tattoos and I had been anxiously awaiting its arrival ever since. My tattoo is featured on page 114-115.

This is one amazingly put together book. I was contacted to have one of my photos in the book and received a review copy today. VERY impressed. My photo is page 110.

Although the Islamic faith prohibits tattoos, Arabic script and its various forms of ornamental calligraphy lend themselves to tattoo designs that can have a hidden meaning (or not so hidden, if you read Arabic.) This book has examples of tattoos on women and men done in various forms of Arabic script, from simple to very complex designs. Some of the complex designs are reminiscent of tribal tattoos, but always represent a word or a name.

One problem the artists point out in this book is that, most of them not knowing Arabic will not know if the design you bring them is written accurately or not.

The most beautiful designs in my opinion were the rondelles, where Arabic words are written out from a central spoke. I am not a tattoo fan myself, but if you are and you are looking for some new designs that are different from the Japanese kanji, Hebrew letters or just every day things, this book may spark your imagination. Lots of photos, well done to show the designs on all kinds of body parts and skin, from bare to hairy. (Nothing obscene.)