Frank Books

This is a well written book that expertly envisions the story of Apple's early years. Rose provides an in-depth look at the people involved and draws out the fascinating stories that surround Apple's early existence. This is by far the most accessible and enjoyable account of Apple's founding. The only problem is that it was written in the early '90's and doesn't reach the amazingly entertaining last few years the company has gone through. If only Rose would write a sequel...

West of Eden reads like a novel which makes me wonder if it's all true. After having it gather dust on my shelves for years I finally decided to read it and it's fascinating. I had a hard time tearing myself away in order to get my final progamming assignment done. Whether it's all fact or not one thing's for sure: now that Steve Jobs has been back at Apple for a while I hope Mr. Rose writes a followup!

Incredibly fascinating book that takes you on an intense and vivid tour of how Apple was started and what went on behind the scenes. Highly readable and very tough to put down.

This is going to be a tough book to get but for anyone wanting to understand Apple Computer, this makes a perfect companion book to Jim Carlton's book, Apple The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania, and Business Blunders.

Frank Rose takes the reader from the startup of Apple to the many misadventures during the Macintosh era of Steve Jobs and John Sculley. Sadly the book ends in 1989 when mismanagement had long since become part of Apple's culture.

To understand why bringing back Steve Jobs to save the day at Apple can only cause more misfortune, the reader only needs to turn to page 160 where Rose writes, "Andy was reading a book about Atari that had just come out, and when they were on their way to Florida he passed it on to Woz. As he read it, Woz learned something he didn't like: Years earlier, before they'd started Apple, when he was working at Hewlett-Packard and Jobs had gotten him to design "Breakout" for Atari for a fifty-fifty split, the fee wasn't $700, as Jobs had said, but $5,000."

END

Due to the nature of the diseases, FSH, Cogenial, Limb-Girdle, and Mysenthia Gravis, all of the Muscular Dystrophy family, the medical profession failed to recognize the symptons of these debilitating diseases and diagnosed this condition as depression which resulted in being in several state mental hospitals for years and given powerful anti-psychotic drugs causing hallucinations which reflected to a beautiful childhood. However, with the quick response of a didicated team of drs. from California the correct diagnosis of MD was discovered and treatment was given and the book tells of a beautiful love story as its ending. Not always the easiest read because of such a trauma but it shows the reader the awful consequences resulting from a physical illness such as muscular dystrophy mistaken by outstanding doctors for a mental illness.

I have just finished reading this book and am anxious to see it go to the top of every reading list and a movie, too. It is such a captivating read and also such a revealing study of personal experience in a mysterious world of the mind out of control because of mind altering drugs even if they are being prescribed by doctors. It was so very incouraging to see there is hope and life afterward. Frank Wray, I applaud you!

I found this book to not only be uplifting but also very rewarding. For those who face obstacles in their life, this book will surely be uplifting and rewarding!

It is one thing to have the courage this author has to have survived such a truama and, another to have written this true story and, yet another and most importantly to have the courage and stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. This inspirational book is one that will touch many lives and will live forever in ones heart. It is also a most beautiful love story that will make grown women and men cry.

I ordered this book on pre-release several years ago. I have laughed my way though it. Children are fascinated by the illustrations, and they love the stories. All the great ones fom the Bible. Moses, Adam & Eve,Noah, David & Goliath, Jesus and the Little Children.

I am a pastor and loaned his book out to a 5 year old girl, to keep her interested in something as I was talking with her parents. After I stopped counseling with them I thoughtI wouldn't see the book again, so I began a search for another copy only to find out it was no longer in print. I located it through Amazon was able to buy it. The day after I received the new one, the little girl brought my copy back and I told her it was hers to keep. Tears of happiness and a big hug followed. Thank you for helping me introduce a little girl to a Christian outlook on life.

Frank Pereeti as Mr. Henry is a wonderful story teller. He makes classic bible stories and lessons fun and easy for kids to understand. Parents too will enjoy reading these stories to and with their children. Great for all ages! Wonderful Christian stories, for everyone!

Frank Peretti is a master storyteller and his talent shines through with this book. From the age appropriate text to the eye-catching, comical pictures, this book is a worthy investment. And on CD Frank Peretti is his expressive, wild and wacky self.

Although this books is truly focused for young children, I've found that teens, adults, and seniors enjoy the pictures and sometimes even the CD!

Note that the audio CD is NOT a word for word read along CD. The CD actually has a lot more details than you will find in the text. With that said it is still delightful to listen to the CD and follow along with the pictures.

We bought this book to introduce our son to the stories in the Bible. It is a really good book because it relates to everyday life and the book is divided up into sections : Obedience, Faith, Trust, Courage, Prayer, Jealousy, Forgiveness, Nativity, Miracles, Helping Others, and Salvation. Our son just loves these stories is alway picking up the book to read. The stories are funny and at the same time you learn a lesson from the bible.

About two years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Frank Coyle speak at an industry conference. Frank's talk at the conference was primarily on XML (Extensible Markup Language). During the talk I was very impressed with the breadth and depth of Frank's knowledge. He traced the development of XML from its origins in GML (Generalized Markup Language) from the 1970s to SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) to HTML and XHTML, touching on a variety of important issues along the way.

In parallel with the development of XML Frank outlined the development of programming languages, describing them as code- or data-centric and traced their influences and progress from procedural-oriented to their eventual support for objects and components. Frank then showed the relationship of markup languages to the world of components and how they all fit together.

Frank's talk wasn't a history lesson, but an in-depth examination of XML technology along with the how, what, where, and why it is important. It was a tour-de-force presentation that finally allowed me to see and appreciate the context and proper application of XML.

I am happy to report that most of Frank's XML presentation is included in his book, "Wireless Web - A Manager's Guide." Frank's ability to distill and explain is extended, in the book, to all things wireless and the convergence of wireless with the Web. Frank covers the majority of wireless technologies from the perspective of three evolving forms: the cell phone, the personal digital assistant (PDA), and the portable computer, within a larger context of the wireless advantages, including localization, personalization, and immediacy.

Separate chapters are devoted to wireless devices, Bluetooth, WLAN (wireless LAN), 1G, 2G, and 3G networks, WAP (wireless application protocol), XML, Java, and security issues.

Managers, programmers, and consultants who are looking to understand and implement wireless applications will find this book essential. It is the only book I have found that provides the in-depth coverage combined with the necessary touchstones to guide your journey. It is a smart book written by a sharp author who understands technology is best considered in context and converging influences. After reading this book you will not only understand the current wireless landscape, but also be in a position to make intelligent judgments on its future directions.

Wireless Web is an effective technology primer for managers. It provides a well-illustrated introduction to the applications, devices, networks, and standards that drive the wireless Web. The greatest strength of this book is Dr. Coyle's impressive use of analogies and executive summaries. For example, he uses the analogy of all the conversations that are carried on in a busy restaurant as a way to explain how multiple `conversations' can take place simultaneously over a CDMA cellular network. The analogies and side bars makes this one of the most readable technology books I have come across.

The author covers the important current wireless Web standards - WAP, Bluetooth, I-Mode, etc. with enough depth to show you where they fit into the puzzle. He also devotes chapters to XML and security. While you might question whether these topics belong in a wireless book, they are pervasive standards that are integral to other wireless standards. I would like to have seen more coverage of the Java 2 Micro Edition, but given the length of the book this would have been difficult. The chapter on wireless networks is excellent because it provides a realistic analysis of where we have been and where we are going is this highly dynamic area.

All in all, this is a well rounded book written for an international audience. I found it a great starting point for learning about the wireless Web.

Despite the continuing problems with everything from content to the protocols, there is still no question that the wireless transfer of data has a dynamic future. Incorporating wireless equipment into your operations is a significant decision and it is incumbent on all managers to learn the rudiments of what wireless technolog\y is and what it can do for you. If that is your goal then this is the place to start.
Designed for the non-technical person, the approach used in this book is right on that target. All of the general principles of what wireless is and what it is supposed to do are explained. The problem is of course that the gap between what it is supposed to do and what it can do has not been closed. These problems are mentioned, but not to as great an extent as they could have been. I subscribe to several trade magazines and it has been some time since there has been an issue that did not contain an article describing some problem with wireless.
Another concern is in the citing of statistics. While the source is cited when a data point is given, there is no mention of the range of estimates. As a new technology, the range of estimates for the monetary value of wireless is quite wide. Simply citing one of the more optimistic estimates does no justice to the extensive debate regarding the actual value of wireless in the future. As befits an overview, the authors include a large number of print and online references. While no such list can ever be complete, they are certainly the first step to a complete one.
Overall, I found the book to be satisfactorily simplistic in tone, neither too simple or too hard. As long as you read it with the knowledge that no one statistic concerning an emerging technology can be trusted, you will find it of value.

About two years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Frank Coyle speak at an industry conference. Frank's talk at the conference was primarily on XML (Extensible Markup Language). During the talk I was very impressed with the breadth and depth of Frank's knowledge. He traced the development of XML from its origins in GML (Generalized Markup Language) from the 1970s to SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) to HTML and XHTML, touching on a variety of important issues along the way.

In parallel with the development of XML Frank outlined the development of programming languages, describing them as code- or data-centric and traced their influences and progress from procedural-oriented to their eventual support for objects and components. Frank then showed the relationship of markup languages to the world of components and how they all fit together.

Frank's talk wasn't a history lesson, but an in-depth examination of XML technology along with the how, what, where, and why it is important. It was a tour-de-force presentation that finally allowed me to see and appreciate the context and proper application of XML.

I am happy to report that most of Frank's XML presentation is included in his book, "Wireless Web - A Manager's Guide." Frank's ability to distill and explain is extended, in the book, to all things wireless and the convergence of wireless with the Web. Frank covers the majority of wireless technologies from the perspective of three evolving forms: the cell phone, the personal digital assistant (PDA), and the portable computer, within a larger context of the wireless advantages, including localization, personalization, and immediacy.

Separate chapters are devoted to wireless devices, Bluetooth, WLAN (wireless LAN), 1G, 2G, and 3G networks, WAP (wireless application protocol), XML, Java, and security issues.

Managers, programmers, and consultants who are looking to understand and implement wireless applications will find this book essential. It is the only book I have found that provides the in-depth coverage combined with the necessary touchstones to guide your journey. It is a smart book written by a sharp author who understands technology is best considered in context and converging influences. After reading this book you will not only understand the current wireless landscape, but also be in a position to make intelligent judgments on its future directions.

I played the Yellow Brick Road in a version of The Wiz, and it's an awesome show. I will never forget it. "Ease on Down the Road" and "Slide Some Oil to Me" are probably the best songs. There is no show as creative and imaginative as The Wiz.

I'm in an adaption of the Wiz right now as an insane person, a slave, and part of the tornado. It RULZ!

let's hope the movie gets performed onstage

I am starring in "The Wiz" at this time and it's a great, lively musical. I am The Yellow Brick Road, an Oz Citizen and The Head Winged Monkey. It's so cool. The music is awesome and the whole thing is just jivin'.

I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this unusual book and highly recommend it.

What an unusual book! I thought it was a travel book, and since I love anything about Mexico, I picked it up. But it's MUCH MORE than the usual travel journal... so personal and intimate, also funny and insightful. If you're going to Mexico, take along this book. Or stay home and take the trip from the comfort of your own couch. (I doubt anyone else would ever have a honeymoon like they did, anyway. Pretty fun, doing it vicariously!)

This is a completely magnificent book. Get it! Give it to your loved ones! Totally brilliant, romantic, a fun and enlightening read. The art is also waaaaaay cool.

The back of the book calls this "a visionary travel journal of poetic prose." No kidding! It's all that, and more. I felt like a voyeur hiding inside the mind of author Nelson Gary -- secretly watching all the mystical, intimate details of this incredible honeymoon in Mexico. What a trip! (In every sense of the expression!) The book even FEELS good -- with a gorgeous embossed cover that introduces the "day of the dead" images cleverly carried throughout the book. In fact, the artwork and design of this book, (done by Darrin Brenner Rolat -- what else has she done? She's amazing!) is worth the price of the book! Can you tell that I LOVE THIS BOOK? It's fun to read and amazing to look at. All my friends want to borrow my copy -- so I'm buying a stack to give as holiday gifts.(I don't want to share mine!). God what I'd give to meet the author and find out if he's as cool in person as in print!

Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) is best known today as the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," a children's story written in 1900. But following the success of that book, Baum wrote thirteen other Oz stories before his death from a stroke in 1919. Moreover, Baum wrote dozens of other children's tales, plays, and general stories. He was extraordinarily prolific, churning out five books in the year 1907 alone. In addition to this immense body of work, Baum worked as a journalist, a printer, a chicken breeder, an actor, a theater manager, an oil salesman, a playwright, and many other equally esoteric occupations. Despite this litany of accomplishments, it is that one little story about a Kansas girl and her dog that people remember, and even that is due to the 1939 film adaptation with Judy Garland as Dorothy. This Penguin Classics volume compiles three of Baum's Oz stories, "The Wizard of Oz," "The Emerald City of Oz," and "Glinda of Oz." With a dandy introduction by Jack Zipes, a bibliography of pertinent literature about Baum, and explanatory endnotes, this is an excellent introduction to a marvelous trio of stories written by an enormously talented individual.

The introduction outlines the highpoints of Baum's life as well as academic analyses on his Oz stories. According to Zipes, these stories reflect personal aspects of the author's life as well as social aspects of American society. Zipes's own analysis is that Oz represents a matriarchal utopia based on socialist principles. In Oz, women rule as witches and princesses while magic and good deeds serve the denizens without relying on capitalistic tendencies of competition and money. The introduction also refers to academics that saw "The Wizard of Oz" as a thinly veiled allegory concerning the Populist movement of the late 19th century, which was the reason I decided to read the stories. Regardless of academic analysis or cultural insights, these stories turned out to be a fascinating and entertaining read, full of puns, irony, and wacky creatures. I had fun reading these stories.

The first story in the collection, "The Wizard of Oz," should be instantly recognizable to most people. It differs considerably from the film version, however. Dorothy and Toto do meet the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion just as they do in the movie, but there are more adventures in the book version. There are differences too: in the story, the winged monkeys only obey the wicked witch because she can summon them with a magic cap. The witch also holds Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion in bondage for a period of time. I understand why the movie made several changes in the tale, but reading the story is as much if not more fun than seeing the film.

"The Emerald City of Oz," published in 1910, recounts several more adventures of Dorothy in the Land of Oz. Baum used this story to expand this mysterious realm by having Dorothy bring Uncle Henry and Aunt Em to live in Oz permanently after the bank forecloses on the Kansas farm. Young Dorothy then acts as a tour guide for her family, setting out on an exploration of unknown regions of Oz. The author throws in some great puns in this installment, little jokes that surprisingly made me laugh out loud. For example, Dorothy's adventure in Utensia (where she stands trial in a dwelling full of animated cutlery, pots and pans, and utensils), her trip to Bunbury (a town inhabited by living pastries, buns, breads, and rolls), and her meeting with the Fuddles (people who literally fall to pieces when surprised by outsiders; Dorothy and her companions have to put them back together like a puzzle) are amusing to read. The best scene in the story has to be the Flutterbudgets, a town full of people who worry incessantly about nonexistent dangers. All of these explorations take place against the backdrop of an invasion of Oz by the evil Nome King and his evil allies the Growleywogs, the Whimsies, and the Phanfasms. This Oz story is quite amusing and tremendously clever.

"Glinda of Oz," released to the public in 1920 a year after Baum's death reunites nearly every character from the other Oz stories. Dorothy, now a princess of Oz, sets out with her friend and monarch Ozma to stop a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. When Dorothy and Ozma get trapped in the fighting, Glinda the Sorceress leads a ragtag group of characters to rescue the two. Along for the trip are the Wizard of Oz, who returned to Oz after the first book and is learning magic, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the funniest character, Button Bright, a boy whose sole attribute is his ability to constantly get lost. Glinda and company step into the situation and bring it to a resolution. Arguably the most interesting theme in "Glinda of Oz" is the limitations Baum places on the uses of magic in Oz. There are different types of magic and no one character (The Wizard, Glinda, Ozma) has a grasp on infinite stores of magic. Moreover, magic can only be used to assist people, not to harm them. Ozma and Glinda punish anyone who uses magic as a weapon.

These are great stories whether you pay attention to the social and cultural subtexts or not. Fans of the MGM extravaganza will find much here to expand on their knowledge of Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, and Glinda. Moreover, the addition of scads of other characters adds a richness and depth to the fantasy world of Oz beyond the scope of the film. I enjoyed these three stories so much I am considering reading a few of the other Oz stories, and hopefully you will too.

Anything by L. Frank Baum is going to be a good book for a person of any age to read. Oz is a fairy land that is full of imagination for any girl or boy. This is one of the best Oz books I've seen.

Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics presents a nice selection of L. Frank Baum's Oz books with The Wizard of Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, and Glinda of Oz. It is a nice way to visit Oz beginning with the excellent essay, notes and bibliography by Jack Zipes to set the reader on the right foot along the Yellow Brick Road. After that the stories themselves will delight the reader in their own way with the versatile imagination of the author and will hopefully lead the unintiated to read more about Oz and to the more seasoned explorers it will bring back the joy felt when first going to this wonderful, wonderful land. A nice package.

These stories are sheer genuis and a blessed light in our sometimes dark world. I read them to my children, ages 4 and 6, and we all are transported to a place over the rainbow, where things somehow turn out wonderfully happy. In the Emerald City and Glinda, we enjoyed hearing more adventures of Dorothy's friends. Ozma is indeed a great heroine for her people and for my two bright-eyed children. I could just picture where each land was that Dorothy visited with her aunt and uncle in the Emerald City book. And the eccentric rules each place had were enchanting.

Excellent- sets a new standard for the scholarship on saints and mystics. Provocative, clearly reasoned, and beautifully written.

This remarkable book is the result of impeccable research combined with a strong command of interpretive theories. The chapters on the psychology of mysticism are incredible. Highly recommended for anyone interested in female mysticism, the psychology of religion, and colonial Latin America.

In this innovative study, St. Rose of Lima provides a focus for the broader exploration of themes in medieval and early-modern mysticism. The politics of canonization, the textual construction of saints, and mystical marriage are all treated with insight and precision. The discussion is profoundly interdisciplinary, combining the methods of history, cultural studies, and psychology to elucidate how saints are formed by their cultures. This book is a major and extraordinary accomplishment.

Individuals who injure themselves have existed throughout history. This fascinating case study shows the historical context of this perplexing behavior. Saint Rose of Lima explained her self-inflicted suffering with the values of 16th-century South America the way an anorexic today draws on current values. Why do self-injurers win social approval and subtle encouragement? Rose's huge popularity during her lifetime and ever since is brilliantly explained here based on extensive original research. This tale brings true insight into the human psyche in any time period.

Wrestling With Doubt: Theological Reflections On The Journey Of Faith by Frank D. Rees (Dean of Theology and Professor of Systematic Theology, Whitley College of the Melbourne College of Divinity, University of Melbourne, Australia, and President, Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Schools) is an impressive and scholarly analysis of three theological frameworks that postulate on the issue and phenomena of doubt. The reasonings of Newman, Barth, and Tillich are all discussed, compared, and set forth in this meticulous, well reasoned, informed and informative examination of faith, doubt, and belief in Jesus Christ.

Wrestling With Doubt: Theological Reflections On The Journey Of Faith by Frank D. Rees (Dean of Theology and Professor of Systematic Theology, Whitley College of the Melbourne College of Divinity, University of Melbourne, Australia, and President, Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Schools) is an impressive and scholarly analysis of three theological frameworks that postulate on the issue and phenomena of doubt. The reasonings of Newman, Barth, and Tillich are all discussed, compared, and set forth in this meticulous, well reasoned, informed and informative examination of faith, doubt, and belief in Jesus Christ.

People of faith have always experienced doubt, but many have been taught that doubt signifies a loss or absence of faith. Frank Rees PhD shows that doubt can be a constructive element within a life-journey of faith.

Wrestling with Doubt explores three major thinkers who have tried to explin the relationship between faith and doubt: Cardinal Newman, Karl Barth and Paul Tillich. The discussion of these leads to the conclusion that the relation of doubt and faith is essentially a theological question-understood only by considering the nature of God. Evidence for this approach is found in the life story theologies of Harry Williams and Val Webb. Then Frank Rees offers his own account of the God of the Bible as "God the Conversationalist." This God is seen to ask real life questions about personal responsibility, social ethics, as well as religious questions.

The book suggests that the life of faith is a 'journey' of believing and doubting, protesting and exploring, and many other elements-not an intra-individual state but a shared adventure of the self, others and God.

The book is written in a way which provides scholars with many resources of interest, yet is clearly accessible to 'ordinary' souls who continue to wrestle with doubt. It doesn't give us an 'answer'but a possible way to live with our questions.

People of faith have always experienced doubt, but many have been taught that doubt signifies a loss or absence of faith. Frank Rees PhD shows that doubt can be a constructive element within a life-journey of faith.

Wrestling with Doubt explores three major thinkers who have tried to explin the relationship between faith and doubt: Cardinal Newman, Karl Barth and Paul Tillich. The discussion of these leads to the conclusion that the relation of doubt and faith is essentially a theological question-understood only by considering the nature of God. Evidence for this approach is found in the life story theologies of Harry Williams and Val Webb. Then Frank Rees offers his own account of the God of the Bible as "God the Conversationalist." This God is seen to ask real life questions about personal responsibility, social ethics, as well as religious questions.

The book suggests that the life of faith is a 'journey' of believing and doubting, protesting and exploring, and many other elements-not an intra-individual state but a shared adventure of the self, others and God.

The book is written in a way which provides scholars with many resources of interest, yet is clearly accessible to 'ordinary' souls who continue to wrestle with doubt. It doesn't give us an 'answer'but a possible way to live with our questions.

This book is well written and keeps you interested through the end. Very good read.

This book is great. author really took out time to have great knowledge of the information written about.

If you like scary books, buy this one. You will not regret it. Great read.

Was pleasantly surprised by this little book. It is essentially a fantasy/horror novel that sets itself apart from the typical Stephen King summer read by being NOT tediously overlong and overwritten. "Year of the Dogman" actually gets up and MOVES. It is a fast and absorbing read and, while it didn't really scare the "bejeebies" out of this reviewer, it did provide for some good atmospheric creeps and chills. In style, this work is far closer to Peter Benchley's "Jaws" than to anything from, say, King, Koontz, or James Herbert.

So what are we dealing with here? Is this a werewolf type story or what? Actually, coming to the book "cold", so to speak, it might (or might not) be a bit confusing to the "uninitiated". Before you read it, you might want to visit the library and/or a local bookstore to get copies of Linda Godfrey's books "The Beast of Bray Road" and "Hunting the American Werewolf", or B.M. (Bart) Nunnelly's new "Strange Kentucky" (Whitechapel Press) and give them a read. A trip to You Tube to check out Steve Cook's
video "The Legend" will also be quite helpful in "setting the stage"...AND the mood for this little literary adventure.

The "dogman" is a term used in the paranormal-cryptozoological world (along with "manwolf', "mandog", and "wolfman") to describe creatures seen by many people over many generations here, yes, here in the modern-day world. These seem to be appearances (apparitions?) of things that resemble gigantic dogs or wolves and which have a disturbing habit of standing up and walking around on two legs. Some of them appear to people as bipedal quadrupeds...4-leggers walking on two...while others show up as creatures with humanlike torsos (shoulders included), human-like arms (and even legs), and even with human-like hands and feet.

Nobody knows what these things are, but they range around Kentucky and Ohio, and Texas, and are thick as bees around a honey tree in Michigan and Wisconsin. American Indian legends view them as spirit beings("walkers between worlds"), or as "guardians" of hallowed places. The notion of their being "werewolves" in the classical sense of that word is little regarded and nobody around the country has been pursued by any lynch mobs convinced they were evil "changers". The phenomenon is just a nice, delicious mystery.

Several years ago, in Michigan, a musician named Steve Cook decided to have some Halloween fun and decided to use the local "dogman" legend as the basis for a spooky song for the season. He recorded a ditty that was weird sounding, and with a narrative story-telling quality that made it seem everything in the song was true. It was expected this would have short-run local popularity, but the song took hold and has become a VERY enduring folk song in the Great Lakes area. Right up there with Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

Now enter Frank Holes, Jr. This lit teacher (a great fan of "The Legend")
decided to write a horror novel based both on the north country dogman/manwolf stories, as well as (somewhat) on Steve Cook's song itself.
The result of that labor is "Year of the Dogman" , a self-published success with a "wowser' of a cover.

Internally, the book is, as I stated earlier, something somewhat in the mode of "Jaws"...and that's good. Holes has to walk a constrictive walk here...he can't play too fast and loose with either the legend, or "The Legend"...and he pulls this feat off rather well. The book is not character driven, at least in the conventional sense. It really has no main character or central protagonist...unless it is THE BEAST ITSELF. There are humans IN the story, a county sheriff and a local schoolteacher with a strange metaphysical linkage to the dog-thing, yet neither of these truly rise to the stature of main characters. Supporting characters, to be sure, and purveyors of information to the reader, but not really main characters. Again, that spot is basically held down by the creature itself.

The book is basically a series of violent vignettes ; fictionalized encounters (sometimes with bad outcomes) between the beast and the locals, all thematically linked to a "reason" the dogman has for rampaging his way through the area hinterland (and even suburban) society.
It is also worth noting that all of these encounters ring true in the telling and sound like things reported by "regular folks" when they experience highly IRREGULAR occurrences. Holes is quite good at making the fabricated events seem real.

One final reason I so enjoyed this book was that it makes for a WONDERFUL change from the endless indunations of romantic supernatural drivel that has store shelves groaning out there with stories of studly-stud werewolf hero hunks fighting to save big-bosomed lasses from demons from beyond, or brooding, misunderstood, bad-boy good vampires trying to "do the right thing" by the mortal women they love...and on and on (yecch).

This book eschews all that maudlin malarkey and gets down and dirty. Likely would make a pretty fair t.v. movie if push came to shove.

I'd watch it.