Francis Books

Very well written
Extrodinary life of Lois Gibson
I would recommend it to all

I sat down and read the entire book in one night, it was a Christmas gift from my husband. It ranks as one of the top 5 books I've ever read, and I am an avid reader. It was excellent, raw human emotion, but at the same time, like talking to a girlfriend. I just loved it. I felt a strange sense of inadequacy after reading it, like I wasn't doing enough in my own life. It really made me stop and think about my own life. If you get satisfaction out of watching "Forensic Files", "The New Detectives", "America's Most Wanted" and the like, then you will love this book. Lois is an author with a rare combination of sass, softness & wisdom - she knows her stuff but still makes you remember she's a mom and wife.

Truly amazing book. If you are interested in Forensic Art, Compositry or are just a crime story buff who loves to see the bad guys get caught, read this. It's an easy read and completely engrossing.

The Faces of Evil is a very compelling book about how a tenacious forensic artist can help to put murderers, kidnappers, and rapists behind bars. The story of Lois Gibson is a very interesting one, as a victim of a violent crime herself, she brings much more when she visits when a crime victim than a person who was not a crime victim.

Lois Gibson fell into becoming a forensic artist. Her early training was drawing portaits at an amusement park. In her early career she spent time specializing in portraits, not foresenics. She would go on to pester the police department until she could prove that she could draw someone from description. Once allowed to do this, she proved she could do the job. While she wasn't immediately hired on at the Houston police department she would convince them to hire her full time, and later they did so.

She has drawn pictures of many different criminals that the end result was bringing many different criminals to justice. At times these pictures were the only way to bring in criminals. She has helped to catch abusive parents, murderers of children, rapists, and so much more. This is a story of one woman's journey to aide the public is solving crimes as well as a personal story of what can happen if you set your mind to succeede.

Welcome true crime lovers to an inside treatment of a forensic artists' skill and tenacity in bringing down the bad guys. It is refreshing to see that some very special people are out there fighting crime, one stroke at a time. Together with the Houston Police department, this forensic artist is taking her brush against crime. The story is well written and insightful. Don't miss this exciting inside account of what is good about our law enforcement professionals!

You can't go wrong with Turretin. This is one of the best Systematic theologies you could ever buy. Makes much of the current stuff seem quite fluffy!

I really loved it! Wasn't by grace that Turretin was called "the best systematizer of the reformed doctrine in the world! This is a wonderful set, with a good translation, well arranged, theologically sound and deep but devotional/experimental as well. A great addition to the library of the serious students of the God's Word! If you are an overseas customer, Amazon.com has the best price (already including shipping costs)on this set on anywhere of the Internet!May God raise up more theologians as Turretin in our age!

Francis Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology

This large 3 volume work is a gold mine of precise and careful thought. Turretin has been the object of odium in some (even Reformed) theological circles, but the one who takes time to read Turretin will find such sentiment to be unwarranted. Turretin was not a rationalist, merely rational. He was a seventeenth century Reformed pastor and theologian who clearly articulated Reformed doctrine in the midst of those who were opposing such doctrine. I have found Turretin to be biblical in his doctrine, delicate and precise in his thought, clear in his articulation, and powerful in his argumentation.

Turretin organized his Institutes into 20 topics (loci) that range from "Prolegomena" (that is, very necessary introductory considerations) to "The Last Things." Each topic (locus) is organized by specific questions. For example, locus 20 is divided into 13 questions. Question 2 reads, "Are the same bodies numerically which have died to be raised again? We affirm against the Socinians." Turretin raised this particual question because he wanted to defend the biblical doctrine of the bodily resurrection from an error that was being taught in his day. Turretin's theology is indeed elenctic (that is, polemic or argumentitive), for a great portion of his Institutes is written against the Roman Catholics, Arminians, Socinians, Anabaptists, and others. Turretin's Institutes is not merely a negative work (exposing the errors of unbiblical doctrine), but is positive. He builds up and defends biblical doctrine in every locus.

As for the edition, Dr. Dennison has blessed us all in editing and indexing the whole work. He has also provided a 19 page biography of Turretin, the message given at Turretin's funeral, and a short biography of George Giger (the translator). These volumes are sturdy and will last for decades.

As for the translation, this edition is a publication of George M. Giger's translation of the Institutes. Giger died in 1865 having produced this translation at the behest of Charles Hodge. The translation strikes me as unduly bulky and difficult at times, yet clear and quite understandable at others. There are other translations of particular loci, but one cannot find the entire work in English except in this translation.

Francois Turtetin's _Institutes of Elenctic Theology_ is arguably the most systematic and nuanced works of High Calvinist Scholasticism. A copy should grace every serious historical (and systematic) theologian's bookshelf no matter what the theological tradition. (Personal disclosure: I am an "orthodox" Thomist and a Catholic priest.) Easy 5 stars.
That said, this translation needs revision and a new edition. G. M. Giger (Prof. of Classics at Princeton Univ.) whipped off this translation at the request of Charles Hodge in the 1850s. It was kept hidden behind the charge desk at Princeton Seminary so that Hodge's Latin-defective students could consult it when they tried to puzzle through the Latin original. Although some corrections and enendations have been made, this translation bears the marks of its hasty origins and is mostly a typescript of Giger's hand-written manuscript.
While the editors are to be commended for tracking down the citations to Church Fathers and a handful of famous writers, for whom they usually also include indication of modern translations, little has been done to identify Turretin's citations the the hundreds of contemporary authors (Catholic and protestant). These authors' names are left in their Latin dress: "Toletanus" "Bannes" "Sixtus Sennensis" etc. The editors needed a copy of Huerter's _Nomenclator_ and so does the user. A shame because Turretin's wide and ecumenical reading is one of the strong points of his work.
One would hope that a future edition will track down who the all the authors cited and add indication of their books and the pages in point. Knock off two stars (sorry).

Turretin has, arguably, the best systematic understanding of scripture ever. He draws on the foundations that Calvin built and makes irrefutable arguments. Baptists should take note of his arguments for baptizing infants. He makes an argument unlike any other I have seen. If you read Turretin honestly, you will see the genius of this man's mind in his 3 volumes.

His elenctic approach means that he sets out to refute his opponents in order to prove his own position. I think the modern reader may find some of his wording cumbersome, but, like Owen, he is worth plowing through.

He unifies his systematic theology by the use of theology proper. Inman (Westminster PhD) has done a good service of bringing out the rich covenantal strain in Turretin's works.

I must prepare sermons weekly, so I look for books like this to help lay a framework for this task. The insights in the book are brilliant and easily confirmed through experience. To the more orthodox Christian and evangelical preacher I would say that if you are thoughtful and discerning with Peterson's material, you need not fear preaching heresy.

Other Amazon reviewers go into more description about the contents of the book than I will. But I endorse the book highly and am glad for the profound insights provided by the author.

I am going to take Prof. Peterson's "personality and its transformation" class next semester......expecting and excited............
This is a brilliant book, thought provoking and challenging...challenging not in the sense that the language is hard to read, but the thinkings involved are profound and require an open mind to understand and appreciate. Great Work...

Despite the shortcomings that have been adressed in the other reviews and that I must agree with, they don't overshadow the many bright and brilliant insights this book has to offer. Moreover, I think the former have much more to do with the technical side and presentation of the thesis than the content side of it, which stands strong, convincing and elegant nonetheless.

To put the latter (well, some of it) in a nutshell - it deals with adaptation, change and learning as it occures in the relation of culture and individual human beings from the comparative viewpoint of mythology and modern scientific knowledge. Having a background of neuropsychology and drawing extensively on thinkers like Piaget, Jung, Eliade and Nietzsche, J. Peterson builds an overarching framework that shows each individual as an active agent at the inexhaustible and laborous construction-site of his own cognitive structures, which is equipped with the tools but not the buildings provided by culture. Each step that is made there towards constructing a viable re-presentational model (a worldview) is a temporary equilibrium and unique synthesis achieved between the dual (inseparable) archetypal principles of order (The Great Father) and chaos (The Great Mother). To the like of a ropedancer, the maintenance of balance between them requires one to constantly shift between the opposing poles - to work out fixed and ordered patterns of thought and corresponding behaviour (or vice versa) on every level of experience on the one hand, on the other - to maintain a degree of flexibility to reorganize in time the existing patterns whenever the changing demands of changing environment make it necessary. Ability to successfully answer this dual challange constitutes the essence of the Hero archetype, a mediator between the Great Mother and Fother. However,
if this balance is not sustained, the system will either plunge into chaos which individually corresponds to psychosis and socially to anarchy, or over-compensates this risk by building impenetrable walls that, while protecting from the forces of chaos, at the same time "wall in" the system and cut it off from any impulse for change and development, and thus from its own sources. In either way, a pathology has occured that necessitates the emergence of the hero, who would heal the sickness first in himself and then in the culture by spreading the self-tested knowledge of cure.

This is certainly an interactional view that doesn't seem to be much cherished nor shared by the narrow "scientificism" of mainstream psychology. As I must confess my frustration with the tehnically (biologically) very complicated but philosophically equally simplistic ways the latter tends to conceptualize mind and its "products", I was most pleased with Peterson's general approach.

It resembles closely that of Hans Peter Duerr's "Dreamtime: concerning the boundary between wilderness and civilization", which is worth checking out if you liked "Maps..".

Another author who Peterson doesn't refer to but would be relevant to the topics he discusses is Gregory Bateson, whose concepts of "deutero-learning" (learning to learn) and "double bind" would offer a parallel framework for speaking about the aquisition of basic premises for communication or fundamental patterns underlying perception of reality and the conflicts inherent in situations when these are being challenged.

I am also a former student of Professor Peterson's, taught on the manuscript of this book, and it made such an impression on me that here I am, tracking it down three years later to reread. There are many significant positives to this book, as you can guess from the other reviews here. My main complaint is that the 400-odd pages could be vastly condensed and more tightly organized without weakening the thesis. When the subject matter is this dense, there is some argument for restating important points, but I do think the author sometimes errs on the side of excessive restatement.

Another area where the book could have been improved is in the use of more anthropological data to support its various hypotheses. An interesting follow-up read to Maps of Meaning is Wandering God by Morris Berman, which spends more effort tying the factual aspects of human and societal evolution to the way modern-day society is organized and the way people relate to the world around them. He also has some very strong opinions about comparative mythology a la Jung and Campbell.

Overall, Maps of Meaning is highly original, thought-provoking, and very well worth reading. Expect it to make a permanent mark on the way you see the world.

this is THE book to read! This puts into perspective any of the other books you might read, including religious books like the Bible! This book unlocks the symbolism used in profound writings of history. Talks about the deep symbolism of the deepest human aspirations--unlocks what has been hidden under these murky symbols. Jordan shows us the true nature of the heroic impulses for the individual and for mankind in general, and the failure and fear of the heroic that causes both individual and social atrocities. I cannot say enough about his genius for elucidating these things--gives me new hope for the world. I accidentally met the man at a conference on consciousness, and it was like I met a long lost brother--before I read his book! This is because he has tapped into a great ocean of truth underlying our most cherished symbols. If you are a truth-seeker--whether in science or about yourself and your soul--this is the book you have been looking for. These ideas are a large part of the keys to eliminating the most greivous ills of humanity. One of my top 10 books of all time, if not #1.

This book is responsible for my love of Dick Francis. The story of an up and coming jockey who finds himself in a slump, who is responsible and how he gets himself out of it is riveting.
He writes beautifully and gives such good characterizations that his books are a delight to read.

This is one of Francis' very first books. Written in the early 1960's and set in England, 'Nerve' concerns the exploits of a young and aspiring top steeple-chase jockey. If you haven't read Francis before, you are in for a very nice and enjoyable low-key thriller. Its hard to point to another author and say that Dick Francis is like him or her, because his work is so unlike other writers. Every one of Francis' books has pretty much the same plot outline, but in a strange way, this is not at all bothersome. One reads a Francis book to enjoy the characters and the inordinant amount of plot laden tension that is somehow packed into such a mild mannered little book.

Every time I pick up one of Francis' books I think of the Jean Cocteau movie from the early 50's I think called Orphius. Its based on the old greek myth where some guy goes to hade's (the ancient greek underworld) to rescue his wife who was stolen from him by a god. He gains her freedom on the condition that he not look at her on the way back until they are out of Hade's. Only at the very last step, he does turn around and she is turned into a pillar of salt or something like that... Anyways, in Cocteaus version of the myth, he has the main characters cast as poets, and they drive around the French country side being flocked by admiring fans and lovely young women. The poets there are the rock stars of that fictional society. Well, Francis creates a world very similar to that with his horse racing books, where the entire country of England revolves around the going ons of different aspects of racing.

One interesting aspect of this book, discussed by other readers in this review forum, is that of the human condition known as 'Nerve.' Rob Finn is made to look as though he has lost it over the opening chapters of the book and the mystery revolves around why this was done and exactly who is behind it.

I would highly reccomend this story to anyone... Its a short novel that has with held the test of time though it is entering its fifth decade since publication. It's not the greatest mystery ever written if only because Francis never really took a risk as an author. But this is also one of Francis' very best efforts and will entertain you in a mild mannered way.

This book starts with a bang and never lets up. Dick Francis' novels are admittedly formulaic, but it's a winning formula for sure. The ending is a bit unrealistic, but so what? In life there's a time for being serious and a time for losing yourself in an exciting story with an interesting main character.

This is the second book that I've read of Dick Francis's (currently reading "Blood Sport"). The plot seems to be shorter than Francis's other novels, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Story tells about a beginner jockey who takes advantage of a chance to race on a good horse. That chance takes him to the winners' circle. However, all this success is envied by some of those around him, that cause him to suffer loss after loss. The jockey starts an investigation that leads him to learn of his enemies. The hero's character is explained piece by piece as the story unfolds and becomes more interesting, especially with his love for his cousin.
Whether you're a horse-race fan, or not (like me), you'll still enjoy this novel. The ending is missing a bit of closure, in my opinion, but still has style and reveals more of the jockey's character.

Dick Francis has written so many bestselling mysteries, it's mindboggling. He excels in crafting enormously engaging, civilized whodunits, which go down smooth as cognac. Mr. Francis has a habit of introducing elements from the racing world into his novels (for those not in the know, Francis used to be a jockey). Yes, it's true that his heroes all come from the same mold and the stories do contain certain formulaic elements, but I think Francis's magic lies in the humanity and empathic nature with which he cloaks his protagonists. His heroes are all too human, all too flawed, and uniformly unassuming and Britishly reserved. Yet, without exception, they all have unexpected pluck, hidden strength, and the inner fortitude to do the right thing. In four decades, Mr. Francis has written some of my favorite mysteries: Forfeit, Rat Race, Reflex, Hot Money, The Edge, The Danger, Decider, and To the Hilt. And then there's Nerve.

Nerve holds a special place in my heart. I first stumbled across Dick Francis's mystery books years ago when I was a kid thumbing thru a Reader's Digest book. That book contained a condensed version of Nerve, which I went thru in a flash. As soon as I could, I went to the public library and borrowed the full-length version and tore thru that one, too. Since then, I've read everything that Dick Francis has ever written and I've enjoyed every one tremendously (even his anthology Field of Thirteen), but, thru the years, I've come back again and again to Nerve and its charismatic hero Rob Finn. It's just such a darn good story.

Nerve, published in 1964, was only Francis's third novel at the time. Yet, even back then, he had what it took to tell a captivating, suspenseful story. The quick plot breakdown of Nerve: Rob Finn has started to make a name for himself as a jockey when he is kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead. Torn up and bleeding, he manages to escape and get help. He then coldly plans his revenge on the bloke what did him wrong. Sounds like a simple plot, but Francis uses his narrative skills to lure the reader into following Rob Finn as he attempts to get back at his disturbed tormentor. It's gripping stuff. Francis's detailed breakdowns of Finn's pain-filled efforts to get back to racing form so soon after he was tortured will make you cringe, as you wholeheartedly pull for the fella. Our hero is very human, vulnerable, and very relatable. Yet, Francis is talented enough as a writer that, by the end of the book, you'll feel some sympathy towards the dastardly villain. And, as an added bonus, Francis throws in one of those unrequited love subplots, as Finn, who has been eternally in love with his beautiful, talented cousin, Joanna, bittersweetly continues to carry his torch. Joanna, alas, does not reciprocate.

I don't know how Dick Francis does it. I'm not into horses or horse racing. Yet, his books never get old for me, and the horse racing elements actually become interesting stuff. I really, really believe Dick Francis's gift, when it gets boiled to its essence, is how well he's able to make the reader relate to his lead character. Every one of 'em is immensely rootable. Before I read Nerve, I mostly read fantasy and sci-fi novels. Nerve introduced me to the world of mystery novels. So, for that reason and also because it's a crackling good tale, Nerve will always be one of my favorites.

Also, glad to hear that Dick Francis has a new book (Under Orders, starring Sid Halley) coming out in a few weeks. I cannot wait.

As an oncology social worker, the social therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Fred Newman, informs my conversations with hundreds of people each month, as I help patients and families with cancer to live life fully, in the face of their fear and pain.
A riveting and radical challenge to the basic assumptions of Western philosophy and psychology, Psychological Investigations is a series of supervisory conversations, set in a clear conceptual framework that therapists-in-training and experienced clinicians have with Fred Newman.

Newman, a methodologist, psychotherapist and teacher extraordinaire, does not focus on individual problems and pathology. He provides no answers. Rather he invites those who study with him, as well as his readers, to engage in an unscientific, performatory investigation of human life. Dive in, he encourages, to a learning challenge that turns everything upside down - how we think about emotionality and truth, what a group is, how the activity of giving helps cancer patients, what it means to make demands on clients without being coercive, and much more. Get to know Fred Newman - his thinking, his values, his sensibilities, his capacity for intimacy in the service of human development. Psychological Investigations is a dialogic approach to the teaching of this radical social/cultural methodology that I think has the potential to take us out of the fly bottle of emotional pain and social crisis that pervades life in the 21st century. If you let yourself be touched, Psychological Investigations can impact profoundly on your therapeutic practice and your life. It is a must read for clinicians and healthcare professionals, students of philosophy, and anyone in despair about the social and moral crises of our times.

As a thirty year veteran social group worker specializing in positive youth development, I radically transformed my clinical practice, through training in the social therapy approach to human development and community.

Social group work, with its practice of forming homogeneous groups around a common presenting problem, its focus on stages of group development and group tasks was very helpful to me early in my career but of limited use in supporting inner city youth to develop in the context of a school-based mental health program.

Fred Newman looks at the world through a different lens. He does not see individuals, rather he sees groups. While he does not deny the existence of the individual, he sees the group as the fundamental unit of human development. This way of seeing has profound implications for practice. The group, not the individual, is the unit that learns and develops.

This passionate belief in a new way of thinking about what a group is has informed my practice as the director of an inner city high school mental health program, "Let's Talk About It."
Young people with a range of emotional and social problems are invited to become partners in creating their own mental health program. With a ten year track record of success, young people are becomming choicemakers as they graduate or tansfer to a new school to go on and take responsibility for their lives.

"Psychological Investigations" is an adventure through uncharted psychological terrain. A sure-footed guide, Newman is far more interested in helping you make the most of the journey than he is getting you where you think you need to go. Whether pursuing issues of creativity, individuality, truth, knowledge, identity, group, crisis, health or alienation, his ability to play around with language and his passion for helping people to grow (even as he recognizes how difficult that is!) is lovingly captured in these conversations. A must read for anyone interested in change.

Psychological Investigations is a book not to be missed! Don't be fooled by the subtitle "Clinician's Guide to Social Therapy" this is a book for anyone who wants to transform their life!

Psychological Investigations gave me a bird's eye view of a therapeutic approach called "social therapy." As a long-time therapy patient of various disciplines, I was curious to know what makes it different from other approaches. It satisfied my curiosity by sharing actual conversations between the founder of social therapy Fred Newman, and therapists.

Based on the premise that "building the group" is the cure, social therapy is a methodology that goes against the individualistic pull of the world. But how does it work?
In the chapter called "Mundane Creativity" Newman talks about individuals in a therapy group coming together each week from all across the city...." people are exceedingly individuated; everyone has had a different week, and yet we come together as a group. The interesting and fascinating question is, what can we create together in order to make this therapy session a valuable event? What can we build?" That's the question, and from what I can tell, the answer is the cure!

--Melissa J. Meyer

Much of the current writings in psychology and organizational development revolve around `positive psychology' and `emotional intelligence'. In this book, Fred Newman - the founder of social therapy - offers what I consider to be a more evolved, challenging and vital understanding of human/group activity. As a physician, group therapist and healthcare consultant, I firmly believe that this approach offers leaders, managers, practitioners and consultants in healthcare, education, business and politics an inspiring new approach to developing themselves and the people with whom they work.

Edited by Dr. Newman's colleagues, Lois Holzman and Rafael Mendez, "Psychological Investigations" is a book of dialogues between Fred Newman and his students (mostly therapists-in-training). Newman's postmodern words and vision are transformative. In keeping with this non-descriptive, non-objectifying, and non-assuming methodology for human growth and development, these dialogues are not talk about some thing as much as they are the thing itself - a performance of social therapy. One gets the sense in reading this book that Dr. Newman and his colleagues are creating social therapy right before our eyes. This, to my understanding, is the essence of this performatory methodology, which is not based on 'knowing' or an accumulation of knowledge but on creative, dialectic, group activity - building a group through the questioning and dialogic challenging of assumptions.

A Stanford-trained philosopher, Newman draws heavily from the philosophic works of Karl Marx and Ludwig Wittgenstein and from the early 20th century developmental psychologist Lev Vgotsky. Newman's understandings resonate with the postmodern writings of Ken Gergen, Harlene Anderson and Richard Rorty.

Those unfamiliar with Dr. Newman's previous books may wonder what a philosopher could teach us about `real' life - about human behavior, growth and development. In Part I, editors Lois Holzman and Raphael Mendez answer this question by providing the reader with the social, political, and intellectual history of Newman's development as the founder and leader of the social therapy movement.

In particular, I find Lois Holzman's writings to represent the most cutting edge, uncompromising and intellectually rigorous thinking in the developmental psychology literature. In my opinion, Dr. Holzman is years ahead of her modernistic, behaviorally-oriented colleagues. I would highly recommend her articles and co-authored texts with Fred Newman to anyone who has a serious interest in human behavior in any context - be it organizational, family, education, therapy, corporate business, or politics - and to anyone who has a serious interest in their own growth and development.

Geberth has insight and depth in his expansive study on sex-related homicide gleaned from his many years of working within the depths of depravity of driven murderers. His ability to objectively explain the motivations of sex-oriented killings aids those of us who need to understand and investigate crimes of passion and sexual addiction. In plain and forthright language, Geberth brings an understanding of the progession of a murderer's life cycle. A sexually-oriented killer is fearfully portrayed in their first stages of development and eventual growth into an evolving pattern of fulfilling desires to complete fantasies and realities of domination and power. Geberth's thoroughness on this subject is exemplified in his meticulous categorizing of types of sexual addictions and their potential outcomes. This book is a masterpiece of practical study and application in both preemptive prevention of sexually driven crimes and the investigation after their commission.

Vernon Geberths Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation is by far the most detailed and informative resource a homicide and sex crimes investigator could wish for. The quality of this work reflects the high professional standards set by Geberth with his Practical Homicide Investigation series. There are other textbooks available, but only Geberth has earned the level of respect and admiration of homicide investigators around the world that his works are referred to as the bible of homicide investigations.

Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation clearly demonstrates Geberths talent for translating the most horrific crimes imaginable into an accurately documented and easily understood resource for those involved in the investigation of violent crimes.

If I can't have Geberth himself standing next to me at a crime scene, at least I know that his works will never be more than an arms reach away.

"Vernon J. Geberth's new investigative text, Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation, will be a tremendous asset to investigators and prosecutors of sexual predators. His methodical approach to case analysis, augmented with vivid crime scene photographs, documents the step by step investigative procedure used in solving numerous sexually motivated murders. Detective Commander Geberth also provides the reader with his unique in-depth insight into the psychological motivation of the sexual deviant, explaining why the killer has a need to dominate, manipulate, degrade and torture victims."
"This book should be a mandatory reference work, not only for prosecutors and homicide detectives, but also for juvenile and general sex crimes investigators. The information provided describing the motivation and abnormal evolution of these sadistic killers will greatly assist in identifying and questioning homicide suspects and sexual offenders of all ages and stages of development."
Raymond M. Pierce
Detective 1st Grade (Ret.)
NYCPD Criminal Profiler

Vernon Geberth did not just write a book entitled SEX RELATED HOMICIDE AND DEATH INVESTIGATION: PRACTICAL AND CLINICAL PERSPECTIVES. He has created a portable, hand held training simulator for the response to and investigation of the sex-related homicide.
As the reader makes his way through each chapter,you are hit with the same initial shock and revulsion of a sex-related homicide scene. By providing the reader with dozens of photos, analysis, techniques and checklists, Geberth brings you as close to a real time crime scene as possible.In creating this atmosphere Vernon prepares the reader, whether cop or prosecutor, when called upon to investigate the sex related homicide, to professionally deal with the depravity and inhumanity of this evil act and to maintain your professional objective and in so doing focus your efforts toward the only goal that matters "...to see that justice is done not only for the deceased but for the surviving family as well."

Vernon Geberth has provided law enforcement with another major contribution with his book "Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation-Practical and Clinical Perspectives." The text is specific to death investigation, up to date, state of the art, accurate and easy to read. Although the material is oriented towards the serious homicide investigator it is valuable to all police personnel (uniformed and non-uniformed), because of its valuable insight into crime scene investigation and preservation by the initial responding officers as well as its contribution to in enhancing any officer who wishes to advance thru the ranks.

In addition to providing valuable insight to the initial responding officers in the preservation of the crime scene it provides knowledge to ancillary police personnel as they may be called upon to assist the chief crime scene investigator.

The case material is reflective of Geberth's remarkable insight into aberrant human behavior and the significance of such concepts as linkage and "linkage blindness" in investigative protocol. The concepts of "signature" and profiling are expanded and built on sound psychological principals. The assessment of psychopathy and sociopathic personality represents the latest understanding of both psychological and law enforcement perspectives.

The section on child related homicide is especially timely and one of the most comprehensive presentations I have seen anywhere. In each section the author has integrated behavioral aspects with a contemporary analysis of state of the art criminal forensic techniques. He has consulted the major contributors to each subject allowing the reader a comprehensive view of the work of leaders in the fields of both law enforcement and psychology.

There are so many seemingly subtle and direct admonitions and directives that one has to read this book thoroughly to realize how thoroughly researched the material is. Properly studied, this volume will not only keep the homicide investigator out of trouble but will enhance his investigative ability enormously contributing to outcomes.

The specific suggestions for interrogation have proven their value over time in countless cases. For example, setting personal feelings aside and allowing the suspect to develop his subterfuge and perception of being "smarter" than the police has proven enormously effective in case after case.

The chapter on crime scene investigation is the best I have seen in the forensic literature, being clearly written, concise, contemporary and comprehensive. This chapter alone is worth the purchase of the book.

As a former biochemist I found the chapter on DNA well researched and very practical. The newest techniques for utilizing DNA are expanded and discussed along with the historical development of this remarkable forensic technique. The author demonstrates how DNA is the most important advance in law enforcement since fingerprinting and the text comes alive with his enthusiasm and practical sense of application. The reader is transported to the crime scene where the complex mysteries become commonplace.

The "hard science," techniques of preserving and analyzing evidence and administrative procedures are interwoven with the behavioral aspects of a large assortment of crimes. This allows the reader to gain an understanding for a solid foundation to prosecute especially with regard to crime scene linkage and signature.

The thought processes of a serial rapist or killer are just one example of how the author
integrates material from various sources including the updated concepts of criminal behavioral profiling and its associated psychodynamics, signature and "MO," with the issues of control, dominance and sadism.

Throughout the book there are references to recent Supreme Court decisions regarding issues associated with search warrants and the involuntary confinement of sexually violent predators, as well as legal defense tactics in use, all of which compliment the investigating officer's repertoire of knowledge.

This book took courage to write and the author does not mince words or principles! This volume is a must for every homicide detective and should be studied daily. "Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation" is the most comprehensive and up to date text regarding sexual death investigation that I have come across in the forensic and psychiatric literature. This book is a gift to the law enforcement community and a contribution of historical importance.

Ronald Turco, M.D.
Past President-The American Academy of Psychoanalysis (New York, NY)
Past president-The Society of Psychoanalytic Physicians (Washington D.C.)
Reserve Police Officer-Beaverton, Oregon Police Department (25 years)

Take a college with under 200 students, a young coach who has as much skill in self-promotion as basketball knowledge and a star player who is a scoring machine, but doesn't have a high-school diploma.

Add in the monolith that is the NCAA and top programs who are getting pushed to the brink of defeat - or are taking big "L's" - to the upstart college, and you have an absolutely wonderful book on a lost history by Kyle Keiderling.

The story centers around Bevo Francis, who scored 116 points in a game, and Rio Grande College & the journey the basketball team took from its band-box of a gym to some of the biggest arenas in the country. It also shows how the NCAA stood in judgment of the small school and ultimately did a masterful job in erasing the records set by Francis and the team from the collegiate books.

As much a history on how an underdog won under the bright lights, it also is a tale how the special interests of the major programs were served by the NCAA.

It is a must read for fans of college basketball or for those who enjoy stories on how - within an even playing field - dreams can come true.

I loved the book and found it very flattering of Bevo! I think that anyone interested in college basketball would find this book highly entertaining and informative! Unfortunately, when I asked Bevo to sign my copy, he refused and said it was unauthorized? Is this another case of someone taking advantage of Bevo?

For fans of traditional basketball -- where the tradition means tiny uniforms, lousy floors, crowded gyms, transport by station wagon, and honing skills in a barn -- this is literally one for the record books. The college with 100 students took on the establishment and won the hearts of America's basketball fans and the general public through the person of one of the sports' most tragic figures. From scoring 116 points in fron of fewer than 200 people to playing to packed arenas from Boston to Kansas City, the ride was short, not always sweet, but memorable.

'Bevo' Francis earned his nickname from his father's taste for a regional soft drink -- Bevo -- and the name passed on to his son, once Little Bevo and, in time, just Bevo. Raised in the Appalachian hills of southern Ohio, Francis was so frail as a child he missed a lot of school time. By the time he arrived at this tiny college (although most people tghink Rio Grande College is along the river in Texas, it is in southeaster Ohio), Bevo would be a married, 21-year old freshman who still hadn't finished high school. A crafty, P.T. Barnum-like coach saw fame and fortune in building a team and a makeshift schedule around a true phenom, and Bevo rewarded his faith with a 116-point performance that season that earned national attention but also caused the NCAA to disown his performances against teams not from four-year colleges.

There is some clear element of the country rube in Francis, but he comes across in this kind treatment as a bright but uneducated, malleable youth. The promotional coach turns out to be interested in showcasing Bevo's talent, at whatever the cost, running a barnstorming-like schedule against all comers. The good news is that the team generated a quarter of the school's operating budget from their appearences; the bad news is that the school turned on the team when it was clear that basketball brought a harsh media spotlight on a woefully underfunded school.

You can't help but like and feel sorry for Bevo; it is almost easier to despise or at least think little of coach Newt Oliver. After a second successful but stormy season, Oliver urges Bevo to sign a terrible contract to play the oafish role to the Harlem Globetrotters, and a life of basketball and career are finsihed before Bevo would have normally finished college.

Bevo Francis caught the nation's attention at a time when college basketball and Madison Square Garden were reeling from the point-shaving and betting scandals of the late 40's and early 50's. Like a shooting star, Francis shone brightly, but only for a very short time. He may have saved the sport and earned some kudos (and built Oliver's ego), but the NCAA, the Globetrotters, Newt Oliver, and Rio Grande treated Bevo poorly.

Times may change, but some things stay the same -- sports have strong grip on the public.

I had never heard of Bevo Francis before, and reading this story makes me wonder why. Truely a remarkable tale of a "superstar" who, along with talented teamates, took the country by storm. His story was covered nationwide, and record crowds gathered to see him.

Bevo Francis was an extremely talented, unassuming, and honest person. His coach, New Oliver, was a promoting promoter who "sold" Francis. Although the team Oliver had assembled was good, they played for a tiny, unknown school - Rio Grande College. Oliver felt that fame would come to the team if ONE player scored a lot of points.

Bevo had his "breakthru" game in Jan 1953. The national scoring mark was 87 points. Bevo had 61 points after 3 periods, when Oliver had the team pass up shots and feed Bevo, as well as foul the opponent as soon as they touched the ball to stop the clock. By the end of the game, Bevo had scored 116 points, and Rio Grande won the game 150-85. Suddenly, all Oliver's efforts to promote the team went from no response to nation-wide acclaim. In a similiar game a year later, he scored 113 points.

Despite these two "contrived" scores, Bevo was a legitimate scorer and all-around skilled player. He averaged almost 50 points a game over two seasons. The second season was entirely road games against top flight competition that Oliver arranged to maximize the exposure of his team and to generate the most income.

Bevo Francis, playing for tiny Rio Grande College in Southern Ohio, was indeed a shooting star. He averaged just under 50 points a game for two seasons and still holds the NCAA record for the most points scored in a college game (116).

As would be expected, the team was built around Francis, and he made all the headlines, as well as the covers of the major sports magazines of the day. Unfortuately, his team did not receive the credit they deserved. In 1954, Rio Grande, with an enrollment of less than 200 students, played some of the nation's best teams: Villanova, Providence, Miami (Fla.), Arizona State, Wake Forest, and North Carolina State. In January of that year, I watched the Redmen beat Butler University in Indianapolis. Bevo, coming off several weeks of appendicitis attacks, scored 48 points. At the end of the game, the Indiana fans, who know their basketball, gave the entire Rio Grande team a standing ovation; something rarely seen in college play.

Two years later, While in the Army, I had the privilge of playing on the same team as Roy Moses, a former Redmen. After listening to some of Roy's stories about touring the country with Bevo and the Redmen, I was hoping that someday somebody would write the definitive history of Rio Grande's two legendary seasons. Kyle Keiderling has done it, and it is an excellent book.

This series of stories about about Francis Tucket is chocked full of encounters with Pawnee Indians, thieves, ruthless Comancheroes, sadistic murderers, and rattlesnakes. But the stories are also populated by such wonderful characters like Lottie and Billy, Jason Grimes, the one-armed mountain man, Garcia, and Iktah. Paulsen who has the deserved reputation as a great storyteller has created a series that will entertain as well as educate. You are given a glimpse of just how harsh conditions were for early settlers in the West but the stories also re-affirms our hope that there are truly good people out there as well.

I LOVE ALL THE GARY PAULSEN BOOKS. THE francis tuckets are some of my favorites because i've always wanted to go back in time to the western days and these books took me there.

travis l. blue.

I have already read both of the Misadventures of Maude March books. My grandmother bought me thiese books because I kept looking for more westerns. These Tucket books are very good but something is missing. Partly girls. Partly a lot of other people. Still I can't cut off any stars.

It's a good thing they are all five together. This book was so good even I (mom) didn't want to stop reading it! I even cried at the end. My son (9 yrs) and I read this together. It is a very good book to read aloud because you can explain things if you need, and you (as an adult) can really add some drama with your voice. One night my son had a friend stay overnight (8 yrs) and he wasn't excited about having me read to them (especially in the middle of the book and all) but he was hooked after one chapter. I think this would be a good book for those who "hate" reading because the story just pulls you in and keeps you wanting to know what happens next. There is even a little bit of historical information and things to learn (but don't tell the kids!) I would recommend it to grades 3 and up. My 6 yr old had trouble sitting still for it.

This was a great story!!! I loved it! If you are looking for a book, this would be the book to read!!!

I'm recommending this book to all my clients. It provides a 'scientific' confirmation of parents' inner wisdom, and many people need that.
Trusting and knowing how to access our own best instincts (and sometimes that instinct is to seek help from a professional or other outside source) are solid and effecive parenting tools. I'm glad to have more confirmation that learning to express love and affection in all its many forms to our offspring is the essence of good parenting.
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I've found this book a great insight to many areas of human brain development and all its "issues".
This book should be read in conjunction with many other books which also look at psychology. I do not feel this book will answer questions standing on its own as you will get a one sided view - as in the author talks about her situations within her life. But in saying that MANY people will relate to what she is talking about and many people will find her scientific information very interesting.
I enjoyed this book and found that I was able to explain to many others who "poo poo" our parenting methods the reasons why...but you will always need more information so don't stop at just this wonderful book.

An excellent source of information for everyone. Would be extremely helpful for mothers-to-be. Helps you understanding your developmental psychology. Gives you more information on you and why you turned out the way you did. Should be required reading for high school students who will be parents of the future. It would give them a better overview on how to interact with their children in a more positive way.

This book really opened my eyes to the fundamentals of brain development in infancy. I had no idea how much the actual physiology of the brain is affected by infant experience, not just the psychological. Sources are well cited, ideas are well backed up in scientific research, and the information is presented in a way which benefits lay readers as well as researchers (with an introduction about brain structure and development).

I suggest every parent-to-be get a hold of this book. One reviewer was dissapointed by the lack of specific exercises to play with. However, I don't think they are necessary because this book gives specifics about why certain strategies affect infants. I think understanding why certain types of parenting work better than others makes parents more likely to come up with the kind of adaptive spontaneous strategies which come out of such a way of thinking. You could also check out Brazelton for more specific info about exercises to do with your baby.

As a side note, once you read this book and make decisions about parenting based on the exhaustive research cited within, you will not only feel more confident about your parenting, but you will be able to defend against attacks from helpful but persistent grandparents, in-laws, and friends - should you want to engage in such discussions.

Why Love Matters offers an eloquent overview of the latest scientific research on attachment. The author has accomplished the formidable task of linking the concrete language of neurochemistry to the more abstract area of attachment theory. In so doing, she has greatly clarified the nature-nurture argument. Her book beautifully establishes the critical importance of close emotional attachment for optimum brain development in childhood, and one's subsequent capacity for love and trust in adulthood. Why Love Matters is an essential new work in the field of attachment.

Jan Hunt, author of The Natural Child: Parenting From the Heart

This is a great walk down memory lane. When I was a kid in the fifties and sixties, Wildwood was my favorite place on earth. I remember the Toonerville Trolley, Mack's Pizza, Laura's Fudge, the Jack Rabbit and Mr. D's. I remember checking out the waitresses at Pierre's on the boardwalk after working my own shift at Kelly's Cafe. This book is rich in memories and a good historical piece. I have lived in Hawaii for almost two decades and I love to tell folks here about the Wildwood palm trees that you unscrew in September and put away for the winter. Great reading!

This is a wonderful book detailing the history of this seaside resort. A MUST for anyone interested in this New Jersey area. Reading this book will bring back great memories for anyone who has ever vacationed here.

This is a nice addition to your collection if you have any interest at all in the history of 5 Mile Beach. Nicely written, though a bit redundant at times, "Wildwood by the Sea" begins in the late 1800's, before paved roads were common, to the late 1990's, where huge roller coasters and monstrous resort hotels dot the skyline. The book doesn't delve very deeply into the local political scene, giving a view from the eyes of the business owner instead. Some of these men were entertainment visionaries (such as Gilbert Blaker and William Hunt), and had to deal with competiton from other cities, bad weather, and frequent fires. The roller-coasters that sprang up along the boardwalk closely mirrored the up-and-downs of the local economy.
There are plenty of excellent and fascinating photographs from the island's early years, and it's fun to contrast those photos with the modern ones from the early 1990's.

Wildwood holds a special place in the hearts of many people (like myself) who spent a good portion of their childhood there. If you have fond memories of the place, grab this book if you can, it's really hard to find these days...but you can if you look hard enough!

For anyone who can remember things like the "Hell Hole", the Pirate ship on Hunt's Peir,the "Oliver Fox Men's clothing store,the cam car screaming all night"Watch the car please", Oliver Fox playing his clarinet with the other Swing Band members on the Boardwalk Bandstand,the Boardwalk Majic & Trick shop, the "Ocean Court Motel across from the tennis courts(and their super cheap rates) and of course Mack's Pizza Shops this book is a must! I bought this great volume at the Boardwalk Bookstore several years ago just to have the memories. Back in the early 60s my family would never dream of going anywhere else once we went to Wildwood.Even living in Baltimore,Md our Ocean City didn't have a chance against all that the Wildwoods had to offer and for anyone who grew up walking those long sandy beaches like I did know exactly what I'm talking about. This book is a must for folks like me who enjoyed it when we were kids and now take our children and grandchildren as so they also can start their own memories!
"Enjoy" Joe Kopeck

I have been going to Wildwood every summer since I was a young kid, and it is one of my favorite places in the world (since I was born in Jersey). Recently, I realized that I knew very little about the history of the resort I love so much, and so I decided to buy this book and find out the details. This book is expensive, but I highly recommend it. It thoroughly details Wildwood's history, from its 1890's beginnings through the present day. Now, some people might think 'Oh, it's a historical book, so it must be boring,' but this book holds your attention. It was written in an incredibly good way, and has plently of picutes and illustrations in it, so that you know exactly what the author is talking about. None of it is boring, it has great details about everything you could ever want to know about the Wildwoods, and it covers everything from the beach to the Boardwalk. So, if you love Wildwood and want to know a little more about its history, read this book. It is expensive, but is worth every penny!