Dean Books

Most LDS fiction is cheesy and disappointing. This book was a welcome exception. It was well-written, entertaining, insightful, and thought provoking. The characters came off as real people with real feelings and emotions. I feel as though I have learned something about the Depression and about my own LDS people. There is a great message in the book regarding service and accepting service. I will recommend this novel to others.

Dean Hughes seems to make the stories come to life. I always feel like I am there in the book. What a great story line. In the world today, people are going back to basics, learning that they can do things they never thought possible. Taking on responsiblities to make our families stronger. We grow from our callings, more than those that we serve.

Leah Sorensen is raising her two teenage children, running her farm, and trying to survive in the Great Depression. She is a Christian woman and tries hard to do the right thing in her life. Her church bishop shows up one day, as she's plowing behind her horses, and asks her to run the Relief Society as president. Leah, of course, thinks that the bishop has lost his mind and tells him no. He asks her to please think about it and that the Lord told him she would make a great leader. With that added pressure and guilt, Leah agrees and holds the first meeting where she offends most of the "sister's". Leah is very outspoken and says exactly what is on her mind. (She reminded me of myself, a lot.)
Dean Hughes has created very memorable characters that you will enjoy a great deal. Belva, who is everyones grandmother who is full of wisdom, Rachel, her stubborn daughter that Leah has a love hate relationship with, and Wade her adoring son. A host of colorful people that you will meet as Leah tries to bring throught the rough times during the Great Depression.

As a book reviewer for a newspaper and a wary reader of Christian Fiction, I was happily surprised by this book. The characters are heartwarming and real. The setting is a great choice since we all admire those that survived and triumphed during the depression years. Somehow as we face our own fears during economic and family difficulties we are able to learn from the characters in the novel. The target audience seems to be Mormon women but others have enjoyed it since it has some universal themes. A perfect choice for book clubs!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Read it in 3 days. It is definitely written for a Christian audience. I learned a lot about the Depression and about how sisters ban together to help each other. Very, very good book.

After searching through the Spirituality section of my local Barnes & Noble, I finally found this book shelved under Film, keeping company with the Marilyn bios and Leonard Maltin guides. That sort of makes sense. Like Certs ("It's a breath mint AND a candy mint!"), "Cinema Nirvana" is an oddball but well-informed romp through the world of classic American film, as well as a savvy guide to meditation and spiritual growth. Sluyter writes like someone who's been around both of those blocks more than once. He excels at noticing the overlooked (the shark in "Jaws" has been terrorizing the beach, but the three heroes illogically hunt it down in deep water, out of sight of land) and squeezing epiphanies out of it (the ocean represents the deep waters of the infinite, where familiar moorings are left behind). Sluyter's brand of spirituality is mostly - but not dogmatically - Buddhist, with the plain-spoken, common-sense approach of the best Buddhist writers. His writing is extremely clear and often very funny. His wit and his skillful use of personal stories (his saga of involvement with a cultlike group in the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" chapter, or his account of the psychedelic 60's in "Easy Rider") make for top-notch entertainment. But what's most entertaining is watching him make astonishing connections - his cosmic interpretation of the lyrics of "Jailhouse Rocks" will blow your socks off.

Thoroughly enjoyable capture of the nuggets of dharma illustrated in film. This was a grand gift of a book.

Reading Cinema Nirvana was an exceptionally gratifying experience. It was hard to put the book down, and every time I tried to do so, I was drawn back to it. The reading of it was a comforting experience, as well as being entertaining and making me laugh. When I poked my head out of its waters, I felt like I had been meditating for quite a while.

But it actually did more than that. Sluyter's life experience and committment to seeking consciousness infuses this book with a clear and cogent energy that passes on to the reader. Not many books have this magic. In the reading of it, I felt something in me unlock, taking me deeper within myself, a priceless experience.

Sluyter's ability to recognize and interpret the presence of spiritual guidance in the movies is amazing. But it is not just this skill, nor just the knowledge imparted, that makes this book shine. It is also his willingness to be real, to share his passion and to bare his heart. I highly recommend it.

Cinema Nirvana is a terrific book and a way fun read. I want to go over some of it again because it is quite thought provoking for me. I got a non-New-Age-Oh-Wow-How-Cosmic-Dude look at roots of some of my own beliefs and practices. Completely unexpected, and pleasantly surprising.

A lot of spiritual writing succumbs to the platitudes of new-asge mush. Not so with this book. Cinema Nirvana is extraordinarily well written, creative and insightful. Basically, Sluyter does an analysis of cinema in terms of Buddhist teaching. Each analysis made me think again about the movies I had taken at face value - I even ended up reading some of them twice. I have definitely reconsidered the way I approach popular culture as a result of Sluyter's critical technique. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Buddhist philosophy, wants to steer clear of the new age drivel, and enjoys well wrought, intellectually stimulating critical writing. Even those who don't have much knowledge of buddhist philosophy, but want fresh crticial insight into cinema should give this book a reading.

The authors have done an excellent job of reviewing the history of the development of the country, and added in the points in which the record indicates some thought there was divine intervention. This is a good read.

This is one of those books that you can't put down. I thought I knew something about American history but certainly not in this detail. It is a great piece of work. The episode of acquiring the Louisiana Territory would in itself make a good book or movie. The assessment of the importance of "The Great Awakening" is another story within a story. Well Done! Don L. Arnwine

This book gives a clear and well-documented explanation of the role of religion on the founding and early years of the U.S. It is beautifully written, and a great read! I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in better understanding the founding of our country and the influences on the founders and early leaders.

I don't believe I will ever again read history or see a film without questioning how religion may have played a part in making it all happen. Was it Divine Providence?

This is a wonderful book. It takes the reader through a key time in our history, and makes it more meaningful. It tells the story of our forefathers in terms of their faith and their view of the relationship between history in the making and providence.
This book is especially valuable because it has no ax to grind. It carefully avoids overstatement and understatement. In many cases, it uses our forefathers' own words.
It is a great read for an individual. I could also see it as great material for an adult education class in a religious organization.

I've bought a copy of the translation of this book to Hebrew, which covers Hebrew contents in HTML pages, and it's my favourite and recommended HTML book.

Actually, I have two copies - one is always loaned to a family member or co-worker who wants to study HTML quickly and easily, and I'm surprised this book is out of print without a newer edition (e.g. HTML 4.0) coming out.

This small book covers everything about HTML in a concise manner. For someone who knows the very basics of HTML, every chapter is stand alone - no need to read half a book to get a specific topic.

The coverage is very good. e.g. many CGI manuals assume the reader knows the HTML side of forms and continue straight to code, even though most people want to learn both subjects together (how much can you do with a form that has no script begind it ?) - this book covers the HTML side of forms clearly, complementing those manuals.

Though a few of the chapters that dont deal directly with HTML (e.g. finding a home to your pages) are a bit weak, those dont make the core of the book.

I hope a new edition of this book comes out covering HTML 4.0 and fixing the weak chapters (e.g. giving URLs to sites such as geocities and giving a short hands-on manual on uploading pages).

If you use HTML or any related technology (JavaScript, CGI, etc), I recommend you put your hands on a copy of this book and stick to it.

I hope this book is reprinted. It is the single source book of code that I keep on my desk. I have recommended it everyone who asks and I am sorry to see it is gone!!

This book is probably the best and easiest-to-use HTML books out there. It's a little out of date now, since browsers have been updated, but I still use it and recommend it for quick reference.

I also use this book as a text, even though it is a bit dated compared to Castro's Visual Quickstart Guide (which I also use). The layout of the book is the reason it remains of value, and will so for years. For someone learning the basics of HTML, each two-page spread covers an HTML tag. The lefthand page describes the tag and dissects it, describing all attributes and values they can take. The right side shows an example of the code and how it looks in a browser. There is no clearer way to explain HTML for beginners than this. One caveat, though ... the appendix with the numeric codes for special and reserved characters is seriously flawed. If there is an edition for HTML4.x, the editor of that book had best make sure the errors in that table are corrected.

I've really enjoyed this book very much. This book provides a disection of each tag and a picture of the source code and the outcome. As a reference it's helpful, because it provides a clear and consise format. Plus, it'a a great size to carry around. Can't wait for the next edition!

The Internal Economy is a direct application of market economics within organizations in order to better manage resources and directly fight against insufficient innovation, accusations of high costs and unresponsive service, and customer dissatisfaction and resentment. A careful walkthrough of economic theory and its direct application to improve flagging businesses and their management, The Internal Economy is a "must-read" for businessmen, supervisors, and anyone whose bottom line involves improving the flow and quality of internal operations.

The Internal Economy: How to Apply Market Principles within Organizations to Make Sense of Budgeting, Rate-Setting, Project-Approval, and Accounting Processes
By N. Dean Meyer
reviewed by www.CorporateWriters.com

Dean Meyer attacks the very fabric of corporate existence by questioning the structure and ivory towers that exist within corporations.

He takes us back to the basics of activity based budgeting that makes it practical for an organisation to price its entire product line.

The notion of an organisation within an organisation is introduced in an easily approachable manner. Every resource in the organisation is there to service a client. A majority of resources within an organisation serve internal clients. There are very few that serve external clients directly, like Sales and Customer services.

He argues that the internal clients need to receive value from their internal supplier. Corporations must apply market economics within the company to design their resource management processes.

This approach breaks down the historical "always been done that way" to a zero based budgeting approach.

This sounds like a drastic and frightful approach but with the external economy at its most competitive, organisations must ensure that their internal organisation are in harmony with each other and delivering a value for money service.

He provides a toolkit to identify and implement the Internal Economy model.

There are four components within the Internal Economy:

Budgeting.

This is the yardstick by which the corporation will decide how much the corporation will spend on each function

Pricing

Determining unit costs by identifying the right units, assigning direct costs and amortising indirect costs.

Purchase Decisions

Project approval that assign budget to projects and services, adjusting priorities dynamically throughout the year.

Tracking

Accounting processes that provide information for decision-making and evaluation.

He argues that the above process allows strategic alignment by allowing the internal buyers (client pursers) to make decisions about to what to buy from internal suppliers and not those products and services which aren't relevant to their success.

The book concludes with sections on the impact of this approach on Shareholder value, Corporate governance and leadership style.

This is a thought provoking book which will probably raise many questions about an organisation and covers some of the issues that have tackled before in various guises including corporate re-engineering and Sigma six, but here the focus is firmly on controllable (internal) factors and not on uncontrollable (external) factors.

A recommended read for those executives responsible for the management of change within an organisation and those who oppose it or fear it.

Reviewed by Bob K

Chairman

Thought-it

As a main board director Bob gained experience both at operational and strategic levels in the service industry. His main involvement has been in the management of change via corporate re-engineering, CRM, systems oriented management information systems and training of staff.

He ran the internal audit department of a 1billion turnover Tour operator

As Group Finance Director prepared an outdoor advertising company for a float on the Stock Exchange

Has raised Venture Capital for the BIMBO of a sales promotional agency with one partner and worked within the target as MD to deliver the agreed business plan and exit goals very successfully.

Copyright:
www.CorporateWriters.com
www.InternetPressOffice.com

In today's volatile business world, firms can no longer allocate their precious resources based on yesterday's budgets. To compete, companies need their capabilities well orchestrated and aligned with business strategies. "The Internal Economy" sweeps away old thinking about managing resources. Bringing the tonic of the marketplace to bear, it provides a breakthrough approach for planning and budgeting.

Although this book is applicable to any internal service in an enterprise, I'm addressing the value of this book from an IT perspective. In a nutshell, this book provides in 110 pages more information about how to go about getting control over IT spending and governance than a pile of other books I've read.

What I especially like is the business within a business approach, and the clearly defined steps to implementing and managing it. What 'sells' this approach is the hypothetical case study that starts in Chapter 2 and shows the fallacies of a typical budget cycle, and the associated pitfalls. I cringed when I read through this case study because I've seen it repeated time and again in companies large and small. The way the author follows up with this scenario by framing the problem, and then proceeding to provide a straightforward solution using a set of subsystems that cover budgeting, rate setting, prioritization and accounting is remarkable. What makes it so is the fact that the solution can be implemented in any organization, and is almost guaranteed to pay big dividends in efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction in a relatively short period.

Another aspect of this book that I like is the discussion about chargebacks. This is a topic that arises in IT shops, and is typically implemented with little thought - or erroneous assumptions. This short discussion alone will make this book worthwhile to CIOs.

The internal economy approach is based, in part, on activity based budgeting, which is a subject that merits its own book -is one of the most succinct and illuminating I've read. The author takes this topic from theory to practicality by providing a clear roadmap about how to effectively use it in an enterprise of any size. Interestingly, the approach also aligns nicely to earned value project management, which makes this book especially valuable to project-based organizations.

Speaking as an IT consultant who specializes in IT operations process improvement and service level management, I think this is one of the most important books for any consultant or IT manager concerned with effective service delivery. It truly does contain a solution to the thorny problems of IT/business alignment and providing value to internal customers.

In this small, plainly and succinctly written book, Dean Meyer persuasively makes the case for a "deliverable-based" approach to the management of the resources of an organization's service function. He contrasts this with the "cost factor" (salaries, travel, etc.) approach on which too many budgeting processes are based.

Meyer believes that service organizations, and more appropriately all functional organizations, should be viewed as a "business within a business." Each function gathers resources and "sells" them to client organizations. To do this effectively, four processes are involved. First, client organizations must determine the budget for each project, or "deliverable" in Meyer's language, they wish to undertake and provide senior management with the full cost of each. Costs are provided by each service organization and includes indirect as well as direct costs. Also required is effective pricing of each service by the provider organization based on all expected costs and expected volumes. This, then, allows informed project prioritization and approval by the appropriate level of senior management. Finally, tracking and reporting of costs allows effective monitoring of each project and analysis of results.

The combination of these four factors enables business-oriented decisions as to what each client will and will not buy from a service unit. Executives can debate the value of each proposed deliverable with all costs and proposed results available to them. Meyer also notes that all proposed deliverables that affect a service organization's budget do not come from client organizations. "Subsidies" for resource expenditures that fuel the corporation as a whole and "ventures" for internally-needed new expenditures, such as infrastructure, must be proposed by the service organization and also approved by senior management.

In approximately 100 well written pages, Meyer presents his logical, and thoughtful, approach in a way that is understandable by senior executives - even those with no accounting or financial background. The book is certainly worth reading.

I have always been a fan of autobiographies and this book certainly delivers. I was thinking it might not be as good as all that. I mean come on, yes I was a fan of the spice girls, but so was every pre teen girl.

But I was surprised to find out actually quite a lot. Geri is very open about her battles with anorexia and her trials with the paparazzi.

She is also an amazing person having done work for the UN, speaking about birth control and also performing for the troops.

It was a smart move for her to write this book and also a very honest one as well. She has been through a lot and you see her struggle through it all. It is very inspiring to know what she has been through and it makes you realize that celebrity is not always as perfect as it seems.

I read this book after reading her 1st auto-biography If Only and it is great! If only takes you up to when she left the band and Just for the Record takes you on her solo career.
This book really shows you who she is as a person. You see all sides of her and it made me like her all the more b/c you see how human she is. She shows you that all celebrities have their good an bad days like the rest of us. She gives you an insiders peak into a fun and sometimes not so fun world of celebrity.
Loved it!

I have to admit I only bought this book because the Spice Girls were getting back together and thought it would be cool. I'm not much of a reader but, this book kept me entertained, I read the whole book in one day, "If Only" should be read first but really it doesn't need to be, this book portrays even more in depth how and why Geri left the group when she did and she writes about her struggles with what she wanted to do after that decision, she also explaines her troubles with eating disorders and her passion for yoga, a great read, even if you aren't a fan!

This book pics up right where If Only left off. This book is an excellent read, which holds your interest and it has amazing full page pictures of Geri. I would recommend reading If Only first because "just for the record" is a continuation of it. These books are great reads even if you aren't a fan of Geri's music because she has gone through so much in her life, and it is a very inspirational book with a positive message. This book is also a ,must have for any Geri fan. Even if you don't like to read, the pictures are amazing and there are many of them.

Ok, I got this book, and I am in love with it. First of all,I loved "If Only", which was her first book. But, it was story that never got finished. She leaves the first one with you wondering if her solo career is gonna make it, and this one picks up where she left off, and shows her spunky greatness. This book, along with the great pictures is very good. Anything and everything is shown about her life. This is a book that really makes you wanna change and be a better person. Going from 1998 to 2002 shows all of her triumphs and struggles. Anorexia, singles not getting number one, and break ups take up a major part of the book. But also, it shows her awards, loves , and performances, that make you feel like you are right there. READ THIS BOOK. The reading itself is good, but also, there are hundreds of pictures of her in the book that show her from then to now. If you have any intrest in this woman,you'd better buy this book.

great collection of Roger Dean's artwork... if yer a Roger Dean art fan this book is a must have if you can still find one for sale.

I met artist Roger Dean after being invited to an exhibition of his art in San Francisco, 1991. I had long admired, no, worshipped his art in the release of "VIEWS", the 1st collected work devoted solely to the Dean brothers, Roger and Martyn. The color schemes combined with the visions of alternate landscapes of exploded planets and truly wondrous terrains have become iconic landmarks in the art world. It is a vision so deep, it is often hard to fathom, and evokes the seldom used Japanese phrase, Yugen! The work is unmatched anywhere else. The artist is as warm and human as anyone I've ever met, and one hopes for their continued success. He is currently designing communities in his vision in the UK named "Willowwater", and has done much art for the Prog scene in Penn; "Nearfest", if you are looking for other printed examples of his work.

Magnetic Strom continues the record started in "Views," documenting the ongoing work of Roger and Martyn Dean. There's lots of Roger's famous artwork, album covers for Yes, Asia, and others. This also features the stage sets for Yes tours - amazing fantasy constructions, even more amazing for the rigorous demands imposed by the need for easy transportation and setup. It even shows some of the Deans' experiments in biomorphic architecture. There are also some covers from books that the Deans' Paper Tiger published, including some that I still enjoy.

This collection appeals to anyone who remembers those times, who enjoys fantasy art, or who likes to see the breadth that creative minds can span. Enjoy!

//wiredweird

The Dean brothers are 2 of the most innovative artists of the 20th century. Roger has designed many of Yes and Asia's album covers (Drama, Yesshows, Asia, and Alpha are all featured in this book!), designed tour posters and booklets for other major rock bands and contributed on the Album Cover Album books. His brother Martyn has designed many of Yes' stage sets (Topographic Oceans, Drama, and Relayer) and has acted as Yes' photographer both for album shots and on tour. Together and seperately, Roger and Martyn have also worked on animation, video games, architecture, and an invention of Martyn's which is called a retreat pod (sort of like a futuristic sleeping bag with the options of an entertainment center!). I'd like to see this gem back in print and see a 3rd volume where Roger and Martyn have left off since this was published.

Creating a sucessor to VIEWS is a hard enough concept, but Roger Dean has produced another master document of his work. Following along the same path as his first book, again we get the album size/shape presentation and tons of full color reproductins of Dean's sketches and renderings. This book was the first whereby I truly grasped Dean's illustrations as architechtural renderings, as lots of the projects covered in this volume are 3D projects worked on with his brother Martyn: built YES stages, modelling retreat pods and designing home and buildings. Imagine a YES album cover as a dwelling, and grab this book to show you how and why it is possible. Stunning follow-up, fantastic production values not seen often in modern paperbacks.

This personal biography is really a biography of biology in the 20th century. any one interested in how scientific and cultural/political ideas interact, and in how scientists have attempted to understand large issues like human culture and history with the help of small evidences, like genes and molecules, will have a ball reading this lovely, well written book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging and fascinating tale of one of the most controversial and thought provoking scientists of the twentieth century. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in science, biography, and history.

I am not a scientist, but very much enjoy biographies. I read this book on a friend's recommendation, and literally could not stop turning the pages. Darlington, the man and the scientist, is truly brought to life on these pages.

I found the story behind Harman's `unlikely scientific hero' consistently engaging. The author does a superb job of seamlessly weaving together the many colorful strands of the social and scientific fabric that served as backdrop to Darlington's life. With Harman as a guide, the reader gains a unique first-hand appreciation for Darlington's days, reliving them as heady times for genetics in particular and for society as a whole.

A must-read for all those in the know. Amongst the best biographies I have come across.

Harman has produced one of the deepest books about biology and evolution I have encountered in over 30 years of more-than- amateur interest in the field. He has been able to pinpoint the true paradoxes of life: foresight versus randomness, the individual versus the group, the past as against the future. And he has done so with a wonderful pen: understated, deeply intelligent, deeply modest. I believe that while lesser intellects may not comprend its true value, really smart people will recognize it as nothing short of a brilliant book.

This biography of Cyril Darlington is of a renowned scientist who enjoyed a long career, first as a microscopist exploring the workings of the chromosome, then as a leader in the fight against Lamarckism, Lysenkoism, Marxism, and suppositions on the equality of men. His early career was built primarily on a book, "Recent Advances in Cytology" which brought together a coherent picture of the chromosomes and their role in evolution. Perhaps a key insight, new with him, was that though the chromosomes contained the hereditary information, they could be understood better by seeing how evolution affected them as well.

Darlington was a confirmed materialist, hard headed scientist, but was positively attracted by controversy, and a rather intolerant, arrogant character to boot. He had many enemies, but was a forceful and prominent public voice, who relished his role. This combination makes for a lively biography, and deserves serious consideration by anyone interested in the history of the development of the "modern synthesis" of evolutionary thought. He was a driving force for much of it.

Darlington was during the 1940's to the 1980's a sort of early version of Richard Dawkins, and was opposed for many years by JBS Haldane, who was a sort of early version of Stephen Jay Gould. Many of the controversies, being rooted in deep-seated views of human nature, have hardly changed. There is the Marxist version of a faith in the malleability of man by wishful thinking, opposed by hard lessons drawn from science, evolutionary theory and the observation that man is a creature acting in accordance with hereditary behaviors which have developed differently in different races. Not for Darlington the notion that race is a "social construct" or that IQ is a "reified" useless hypotheis, the same for all races. He was a sociobiologist well before the term was invented.

The first part of the book that deals with Darlingtons cytogenetics is not the easiest read, dealing as it does with a pretty arcane subject in perhaps a little too much detail, even for the informed reader. The old controversies about such things as parsynapsis vs telosynapsis, are enfolded in a vocabulary that will be intimidating to many readers. I wish, though, that he had covered in a little more detail the methods of cytogenetics, the stains used, the sample preparation methods, and so on. Just how hard was it to prepare an informative experiment? A little more about the influence of Darlington's cytological insights on the conventional modern practice of the art would have been welcome too.

No matter--skip on to the major part of the book where Harman covers the course of the debate over the nature of man and the insights brought by an evolutionary perspective. The meat of the book is here.

In his later years, as for all scientists who live a long time, the main developments in his science began to become too much for him--molecular biology, psychometrics, and a bevy of new techniques were to add much that he could appreciate, but could contribute very little. Exploring the big picture, speculating, theorizing and publicizing became his game, and we are better off for it.

Harman has done a splendid job in this biography--he writes clearly, and has a very good understanding of his subject. It is based on exhaustive research and interviews and will be the definitive work for a long time. The many pictures bring the story to life, and make for a lively read. I enjoyed the book a lot and even re-read much of it for a second time!

I just finished the book last night and was very pleased with it. It's about certain kids that are gifted in having nightmares! Yes, that's right... nightmares! There imagination is so great that they can actually create a portal and bring the nightmares here to earth! Charlie is one of these kids. He's been an outcast since he can remember because all the kids think he's a freak. His parents have been overly protective of him because of this and don't want him to leave the house. Then pops in the Nightmare Academy. A place where Charlie just might fit in. At the academy, Charlie's gift (and the other children's gift) is used to help protect Earth from all of the creatures of the Netherworld. Is this a place where Charlie can fit in? Will he be able to use his powers to help? How much trouble can he get into? You'll have to read it to find out.
I found this book a very easy read. It kept it's pace and was never boring. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one to come out!

Nightmare Acadmy is a very fun read out loud book. My sons, ages 8 and 9 were very entertained with the over the top antics of some of the characters; they were quite taken by the orginality of the book. The very menacing figure of Barrakas and the tense confrontation scenes added some real spice to the narrative. They both were asking about the sequel as soon as we were done, as high a recommendation as they can give, and they would stay up after lights were out making up their own Nether creatures. I would caution for children much younger than the recommended ages as the scene where the hags steal memories is very creepy.

My problem is the language. This book is recommended for 9-12 year olds. There is frequent use of saltier language than I like for this age range. Hell and God are used as epithets, which would make me testy enough, but Mr. Lorey also used the word p***. Was it really necessary in a children's book? Does everyone have to push the envelope of the lowest common denominator? Some one should take the high road, for pity's sake! Parents do a read ahead. I was able to edit most of it as I read but I may never have known if I didn't read it aloud.

Nightmare Academy, Book One: Into the Nether by Dean Lorey is a good read. The flowing style kept me reading for many hours trying to find out what happens next in the story. It has a very interesting and creative story imaginable. Mr. Lorey created a frightening world where you can find many unique and hideous creatures. This book is for young adults but I as an adult found it to be enjoyable to read. If you like Harry Potter, then you would probably like this book too. Read it and find out how good it is. I recommend this book to everyone. Cant wait for book 2 to come out.

I got this book for my sons ages 9 and 12 as they had just finished "Skullduggery Pleasant" and couldn't find anything else they really liked. One after the other (oldest first)they sat down and finished "Nightmare Academy" in one sitting. Video games were left to the side as they were too interested to see what happened at the end of the book. What more could you want?

A very absorbing tale and the start of a thrilling new series. Great characters and even cooler creatures. Plus a page-turning plot that I found tremendously satisfying. It really transported me to an exciting place -- which is what all good fiction is supposed to do. Can't wait for the NEXT book in the series. Lorey is a YA author to watch!

A lot of detailed information, including actual photos of surgery techniques. Personal statements from FTM's were very helpful and good reading + information.

This book helped me to make the most important decision of my life. It was imformative and explained some things in detail that I was never told..even by my Dr.

I am so impressed with the accessibility to the reader who may have no knowledge or may have a faulty perception of this special group of people which has never been presented to the public in this wholistic way...beginning with the excellent personal writing and fine-art museum quality photographs by the author, to the courageous "before" pictures and poignant, varied statements of many other FTM's. And this is what seems so ground-breaking: there also are writings by physicians, therapists, historians, politicians, family members and "straight" friends, all of whom congregate to comprise a phenomenal, diverse community of expertise and information not only for the initiated, but for the uninformed socially inquisitive as well.
All other books I have seen on similar subjects seem to be "vanity" publications, with a much narrower audience possibility, in which I don't feel welcome!
This one is so rich and complete, it could be 3 or 4 books: for the members of the extended FTM community, for the documentary fine-art photography connoisseur and collector, as a text for clinicians and physicians, and for the autobiographical writer. I recommended it to the University
librarian, my minister, a gallery owner and my Mother!

I have a friend who is documented in the book. I am a totally boring hetrosexual male without a hint of mystery to my sexuality and was blown away by the feelings and photos and personal stories portrayed in this book.

Dean Kotula, in his book, Phallus Palace, argues that "what is common to all transsexuals and what distinguishes them from other sexual minorities is an aversion toward or awkwardness with one's genitals and a desire for sex-assignment surgery" (xx). More specifically, a differentiating aspect of Phallus Palace is its foregrounding of transition (surgical reassignment surgery from one sex to the other) as the central characteristic of transsexuals. Kotula supports his argument in part by: 1) speaking from his own experiences as a female to male transsexual; 2) gathering support from contributing authors, including Katherine Rachlin, Ph.D. and interviewed subject, Milton Diamond, Ph.D.; and 3) presenting the stories of several other FTMs. Kotula's purpose is to make clear the difference between transsexuals and transgender people in order to reaffirm that while they have been born in female bodies, transsexual men are indeed male, and to reaffirm their desires and need for surgery. In addition, Kotula's text is also concerned with educating and encouraging transsexual men, but also their allies to advocate for more, better scientific research, as well as improved surgical outcomes.

Katherine Rachlin's essay, "FTM 101: Dispelling Myths About the Invisible and the Impossible" nicely presents the misinformation in scientific literature that has skewed the knowledge base on FTMs. Specifically, Rachlin points to the way in which particular framings of research and particular research questions lead to findings that are shaped in specific, biased/limited ways (reminiscent of Kath Weston's introductory chapter in her 1998 book Long Slow Burn: Sexuality and Social Sciences).

Particularly interesting is Rachlin's assertion that "most [FTMs] do not become actively interested in changing their body and living in their chosen role until they learn that it is possible. Most report that the wish was always there, but without the belief that it was possible, they did not attempt to actualize their potential" (10). Phallus Palace is certainly a book that could not only introduce the possibility of (surgical) transition to FTMs, but also fortify the conviction of those considering undergoing surgery. In fact, Kotula's "Conversation with Milton Diamond" and its demystification of surgery and of some of the issues surrounding and processes leading up to surgery further acts as a resource and reaffirmation for those seeking surgery; as does "Part Four: The Surgeries" which provides interviews with doctors who perform sex-assignment surgeries, as well as detailed photos of such surgeries.

Personally, I'm skeptical of any assertion touting homogeneity of a group of people, as Kotula seems to do in regards to FTMs and their relationship to sex-assignment surgery. Also, I wish that other dimensions of difference (e.g., race, class, nationality) took an integral part within Phallus Palace's discussion of sex-assignment surgery. (I do have to give props, though, to Diane Ellaborn's essay, "Seeking Manhood: An Introductory Guide to Assessment of the Female-to-Male Adolescent" for its attention to age and the issue of transsexual youth.) Still, whether for trans scholars who may or may not agree with Kotula's narrow definition of FTMs, FTMs exploring their surgical options, or those with a general interest in LGBT Studies, Phallus Palace is a text worth glancing. (Besides, it isn't overly dense, and for some could be a relatively quick read.)