Hall Books

A mystery without a murder, Albert Champion's 3rd quest is to prevent a crime. LOOK TO THE LADY, by Margery Allingham is a fresh delight away from grizzly murder and mayhem. This title is my first experience with Albert and Lugg, it won't be my last.
Ms. Allingham's take on the Grail legend and the quests it entails is funny, adventurous and an outstanding puzzle. All the elements of a great mystery without a murder. The current name for this genre is cozy, but there is a movement afoot to change it to "classic" mystery.
If you've never read Allingham, pick up one today and you'll be a fan of the solution, the quest, the characters, the location and the writing. All of which are what keeps her title in-print so many years after her death.
Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

An early entry in the Mr Campion saga. He is young and rather obnoxious, irritating all and sundry with his (often hilarious) brand of humour. The opening of this book is superb - an empty envelope bearing his name leads a downandout toff to a restaurant that just happens to be open at 2 am... The rest of the book contains many superb set pieces and unexpected characters: a witch, a likeable professor, a jewelry expert whose ancestors "talked to the Almighty". The ending is a stunner and a puzzle. What is the Gyrth treasure exactly? Why is Mr. Campion intimately connected with it? Who is its Guardian? The Professor has the tantalising last word.

"The Gyrth Chalice Mystery" was the first Allingham mystery I read. By coincidence, I was then the same age Allingham was when she wrote it (despite there being several wars in between). I was immediately taken with the story with its heady mix of adventure, English snobbery, humor and the supernatural. When I was done reading I was a British mystery addict and an eternal fan of Albert Campion, Allingham's detective.

I am much older now, and this is the third or fourth time I've reread this novel. I can only report that it gets better with age. Unlike some authors whose work is best remembered rather than reexperienced, Margery Allingham's works are every bit as much fun now as they were then. Perhaps the secret of their long popularity is that they are the highest order of entertainment, full of adventure and humor.

In 'The Gyrth Chalice Mystery' Campion's assignment is the protection of the ancient Gyrth chalice from theft by a nefarious ring of art collectors. The secret of the chalice is passed from fathers to sons on their 25th birthday, and this is the time that the chalice is most vulnerable. Campion must first track down the current heir, Percival, and bring him home for the ceremony. No sooner is this accomplished when Percival's somewhat flaky aunt is frightened to death by the 'chalice monster.' With that we are off and running.

Allingham does her usual best to delight and bemuse, mixing forgers, racing people, gypsies, academics and other English country folks of every sort and form into the heady stew which is a Campion adventure. Campion has matured tremendously since the first novels and is in full possession of his role as the somewhat zany yet brilliant master of the chase. Allingham doesn't write mystery stories as such. Often she gives the villain of the piece away and the real mystery is how Campion will manage to save the day. "The Gyrth Chalice" is just such a tale. The ending comes as a complete surprise and adds a dimension to the tale, which makes it especially remarkable and memorable.

Look to the lady.
- response to Lady Macbeth's fainting fit, MACBETH, act II, scene 3

"We can't fight a ring like this forever. It's incredible; they're too strong."
"There is the point which resolves the whole question into a neat 'what should A do?' problem. We've got just one chance, old bird - otherwise the project wouldn't be worth fighting and we should not have met. The rules of this acquisitive society...are few, but they are strict. Roughly, what they amount to is this. All members' commissions - they have to be for things definitely unpurchasable, of course - are treated with equal deference. The best agent is chosen for the job; unlimited money is supplied; and there the work...ends until the treasure is obtained...However - and this is our one loophole - should...the owner of the treasure in question kill [their agent] to save it - then they leave well alone, and they look out for somebody else's family album."
"Who is the agent employed to get the Chalice?"
"That's the difficulty. I don't know...so you see what a mess we're in."
- Val Gyrth and Albert Campion

While the U.S. title - THE GYRTH CHALICE MYSTERY - is easy to associate with the events of this book, it's something of a misnomer; this is more an adventure story or a thriller than a mystery, and in a way, it's the reverse of a mystery. Campion's ultimate goal isn't to *solve* a crime, but to prevent the theft of a national relic by any means necessary, beginning with unearthing and joining forces with Val Gyrth, the estranged only son of the family devoted to protecting the Chalice on behalf of the Crown. Val - destitute to the point of being out on the street in the wake of a failed marriage - is to come of age in a few weeks time and be initiated into the Gyrths' deepest family secrets, and has become a target of the anonymous society of wealthy collectors whose current target is the Chalice. Campion and his valet Lugg together manage to locate Gyrth, establish that he hasn't been corrupted, and explain the danger to the Chalice in an extended sequence that alternates between comedy and suspense, beginning with Val escaping arrest as a vagrant on his own doorstep, identifying himself by the tailor's label in his decrepit suit, and dodging an unsuccessful kidnap attempt before fetching up at Campion's flat in response to a mysterious trail of messages.

Campion, with Val and Lugg in tow, is soon installed as a guest at the Tower at Sanctuary, the Gyrth family home in Suffolk, Val's quarrel with his father only having dragged on this long through his own stubbornness. Not that there isn't plenty of conflict and excitement to spice up matters when the Chalice almost immediately goes missing from its supposedly burglar-proof niche in the family chapel. That turns out to be a fairly clever move on the part of one of the family, though it almost immediately backfires (only the first of several such reverses in the story, which is full of alternating comic and dramatic episodes).

"'...it's like a Welsh rarebit nightmare with you as the hero.'
'With me as the *rabbit*,' said Mr. Campion feelingly."

As for the original U.K. title of LOOK TO THE LADY, the story has an unusual number of women in supporting roles, such as: Val's foolish aunt Diana (New Age and fancies herself as a patron of the arts, with a number of suspect hangers-on); his charming and tough sister Penny and her best friend Beth Carey (daughter of an American professor eager to study the Chalice); Mrs. Dick Shannon, an obnoxious local horse-breeder whose shadier racing associates are becoming obtrusive; and Mrs. Sara, an old friend of Campion's who with her family are part of a large group of gypsies camping out near the Tower. Blessedly, none of the players are saddled with ridiculous cooing dialogue as are some of the characters in such stories as THE CASE OF THE LATE PIG.

I highly recommend the unabridged recording narrated by Francis Matthews, who does an amazing job with Lugg and the varying Suffolk accents of the Gyrths' neighbours, though he has a tougher time with the New England accents of the Careys. In either written or audio format, the story is a romp, a comedy and a thriller by turns; just don't expect it to be a conventional mystery.

Drive-in totals:
- Two deaths.
- Three kidnappings with unlawful imprisonment.
- Two riots.
- One "secret room" with family "secret", the existence of which is actually common knowledge, though not the details.
- Two alternate identities of Campion's, complete with their own names.
- One of Allingham's "darkest England" episodes, involving some creepy bits of local superstition (with some *very* funny reactions by Lugg, who disclaims any belief in such stuff despite his obvious discomfort with it). There are also some very moving scenes involving the Gyrths' secrets and their devotion to the relic.
- Some very entertaining and enlightening exchanges between Lugg and the Gyrths' butler Branch, an old acquaintance with an only slightly more respectable background. "You'd be doin' me a service, Mr. Lugg, if you'd refrain from referrin' to me as number 705."

Allingham is without a doubt, the best mystery/suspense writer that ever lived. I don't say this lightly. There is absolutely no one that can compare to her and to her hero, Albert Campion! I had read most of the Allingham stories a very long time ago, but when I checked there were some that I missed, so I decided to make up for that oversight. The Gyrth Chalice Mystery is one that I somehow missed. I am very glad that I made up for that oversight now. If you have not read an Allingham mystery, then you do have a treat in store for you. I heartily recommend that you begin to read them all as soon as possible. How else can we have a benchmark to grade the authors that have come afterwards. As far as I'm concerned, Allingham is in a class of her own. Her books are thrillers really more than mysteries, but what wonderful stories they are! In this book Albert connects up with a young kinsman of his to help protect an ancient relic that the young man's family has been responsible for for hundreds of years. We also are treated to large doses of the wonderful Lugg - Albert's man of many talents. I'm not going to say any more about this wonderful book. You must read for yourself, and be prepared to be awed!

"I" thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! As I initially started to "pre-read" the book to assess the "age appropriateness" of the material for my daughter, I must say that I became quickly engrossed in the historical plot, and characters. I couldn't put the book down! I do hope that my daughter will enjoy and learn from it as much as I have. I can't wait to pass this recommendation around to all my homeschooling friends! I look forward to purchasing more of Ms. Hall Haislip's books! Well done!

Lottie felt a slight tug on her rope. Weza nodded to Lottie, and with trembling fingers, she cut the slender piece of rope that still attached her to the other women. Feeling the tension of her rope slacken, Ruby turned and stared, but she said nothing. Taking the knife, Weza cut the strand of rope tying her to Lottie. A moment later, they plunged into the darkness.

In Phyllis Hall Heislip's Lottie's courage, Lottie, a young girl, is separated from her mother due to slavery. Lottie and her slave friend, Weza, escaped from their slave trader. After escaping, Lottie and Weza head toward what they thought was north. Their slave trader sent dogs after them once he learned they escaped. A northern soldier saw the dogs chasing Lottie and Weza, and informed other soldiers. Lottie and Weza were saved and were taken to the soldiers' fortress. Lottie's mother had gotten lung fever twice, would she ever see her daughter again?

I think this book is mainly for girls from the ages 10-12. I think this because character, Lottie, is around that age and they will be able to relate to the story easily.

From cover to cover, Lottie's adventures are numerous and serve to make her story exciting and her character multi-dimensional. In Lottie's search for her family, her rightful position in free society, and even an understanding of herself, she remains engaging and relatable. Her struggles and triumphs set the moral and emotional tone of the story, and the setting of Civil War Virginia impeccably places it within its historical context. The reader thus not only witnesses Lottie's endeavors, but also receives a glimpse of the larger historical events influencing her world. Factual and fun, Lottie's Courage is a most entertaining read!

Lottie's Courage was an intriguing book with many exciting, as well as touching scenes about two runaway slaves and their adventures. Though fictional, it contained a lot of real information about the Civil War which I didn't know very much about. Even though it was sad in parts (it almost made me cry), that was part of what made it so good. Though the whole book was terrific, I would have to say my favorite scene was when a balloon came down and saved Lottie and Weza from the terrorizing dogs that captured slaves. It's hard to believe that someone can do such outstanding writing. Exellent Job!

Lottie's Courage is an inspiring story of a young girl's journey to find her freedom, her family and herself. A smooth blend of accurate historical details, drama and moral issues swirls about this emerging heroine. And she is such a charmer! Clear period illustrations and a glossary add another dimension and make this book useful as a classroom resource. An exciting story, but not overwhelming for the young reader...welldrawn, memorable characters...intriguing plot based on actual fact!

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Just thought it ended too abruptly, maybe because I didn't want it to end...

This was the first romance novel that I have read and it still is in my keepers shelf. This tale of passion starts with Sara, who is impersonating her actress sister Delight. To give Delight time to run away and get hitched to her paramour, Carlo,Sara needs to trick Marco (Carlo's brother) that Delight is really in town. After their meeting,Marc "kidnapps" Sara via his private plane and takes her to his mansian. Yeah, being the Duca di Cavalieri has certain advantages ;). The dialogue between Sara and Marco is amusing to say the least. And the pool scene is diabolic! No more said, you have to read it to get the rest of the story and the details. All in all, the sexual tension between them startS with A SPARK AND TURNS INTO AN ALL OUT BONFIRE!! Oh my, enjoy

Poor Sara! Golden haired and beautiful, sensitive and romantic, she is still forever overshadowed by the other women in her family. Mama Mona is the most glamorous movie star in Hollywood. Half sister Delight is the most wickedly adventurous porn star in the business. Sara is in the middle, wondering -- will any man ever find me desirable?

Enter Marco DeCavlieri, the most intense, passionate, possessive, and GORGEOUS hunk in all of Italy. Worth hundreds of millions, powerful and ruthless, Marco is still brutally protective of his family honor. When he hears that his silly younger brother Carlo has taken up with gold-digger Delight, he decides to take matters into his own hands!

What happens next is just too sexy to be described. It's sort of like mistaken identity, with a bit of kidnaping, only Sara soon finds she doesn't want to escape! Her beauty and goodness inflame the dark duke, so that soon he finds himself giving in to her instead of the other way around. And then -- oh, but I can't go on. Read it for yourself!

Magnificent, epic length, and sexy, this tale of passion between a proper English society girl and an uninhibited Italian Duke is truly the best of both worlds. It has the elegance, luxury and mystery of a great historical -- Marco is really more of a 16th century Corsair than a modern jet setter, even if he does have his own helicopter, sports car and mansion. On the other hand, golden-haired Sara is really more of an innocent, chaste, Jane Austen heroine, even if she is the daugher of a famous -- and sexually adventurous -- movie star.

Even the minor characters are fascinating, like Carlo, the Brooklyn born stepbrother Marco protects, and Delight, the party girl with a heart of gold, and even Serafina, the stern old housekeeper who functions as a mother figure for Sara. Great story, great romance, great settings and characters!

For such a twisted "love" triangle I throughly enjoyed Mrs. Rogers work, and I really didn't want this novel to end. It is a love story on a major detour, and is something I certainly wouldn't have thought of, but I am glad Mrs. Rogers did. As surprising as the plot was, I was even more surprised by the ending, and would really love to hear more about how all turned out in the end. I truly wish that more of the story was still left to read.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't help but be a little critical but I wish Rosemary would put a little more sex in her scenes. If you've read "The Insiders" now that was sexy and erotic, it really turned you on at times, but then again there were some scenes that were uncalled for. "The Insiders" was the beginning of my book collection. I also loved "Crowd Pleasers." Anyway, "Love Play" was fun to read. There was a lot of spitting drama between the two main characters which I enjoy. I thought Rosemary could have done a better job with the ending....it was just too easy to figure out that the characters would have been happily in love with each other. I mean she just went into "boy, I think I love you" and it was over. I thought if the two characters were going to keep bickering, their should have been a lot more passionate sex between the two and not in the last quarter of the book. I was getting tired of waiting till something sexual would happen. I've read a lot of Rosemary's novels and think this book will be my last. I've been reading a lot of Kat Martin books lately and I now have a new collection of her books. She has a lot of steamy loving, clean of course, sexy scenes that really turn you on and make you feel good and a very well written stories. You should check her out. Sorry fan readers. I guess I'm just a little more disappointed with Rosemary's books. Anyway, I really think this book is still worth reading. I just felt I had to speak my peace.

This book is exactly what I needed. I bought through Amazon because the shipping was free and it ended up being cheaper than my University bookstore. Recommend for any hospitality students that have to have this book.

Great book. The classic for anyone entering the industry. Complete and comprehensive. Great textbook for students and novices. Good for non marketing people. Good examples and highlights. I also recommend a new release: Heads In Beds. More practical than this one. With both you'd really know your stuff and make your boss happy.

The layout and format of this book was very easy to follow!

Kotler's Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism helps marketing beginners and people that are getting into the hospitality business. It demonstrates basic knowledge that can be applied to the business, great tool for working!

This is the texbook I had in college. It was and still is great, but for one...being a textbook ...it is more theoretical and two, it lacks certain areas. Nevertheless, it is very usefull. I would complement it with a book that I have recently read: Heads In Beds - hospitality and tourism Marketig by Ivo Raza. This is very practical and covers the areas that are missing from Kotler's textbook like Loyalty marketing, COOP with Touroperators, targeting travel agents, creating promotional materials, development, etc. Combined, both books truly give a complete overview of the complex travel indutry and should be the foundation for people studying or working in travel and tourism.

The book was such a great help to me during OB rotation. It is written by the same people that wrote my textbook.It highlighted every thing needed from each chapter and it was like my Professors lecture was the outlines in the book it is a good tool to have

Good study aid! Outlines and practice questions and rationales for the NCLEX are helpful and easy to understand.

I like the book and i use it. What more it there to say.

I began my 6 week summer o/b class 10 days after giving birth to my baby girl. Of course a newborn takes up a lot of time, and fortunately someone recomended me this book. This book is so excellent that I hardly read my lecture book. Everything you need to know is clearly explained and straight to the point. If it wasn't for this book I might not have passed my course. I was nursing my baby with one arm, and the other holding this book and reading. I read and read... and I passed my class. A++ book

Great review book. I think it's a must for any student in mataernity nursing. This book gives you the 'meat and potatoes' of what you need to know. Very thorough. Good in depth descriptions on rationales.

The study guide is excellent. The text book has a huge amount of information, and trying to do all the reading for class is almost impossible. The study guide breaks it down into easy-to-follow segments that are short and have the most important information readily available. The study questions are great. It wasn't required to purchase for my class, but it was the best investment I've made for the course.

I had the privilege of being taught by Karen Burke, one of the authors of this text book. It is an outstanding text book, giving all the information you will need. I highly recommend it!

I used the updated version of this book, and my goodness, it was worth the time. I could not put it down...it is rare that anyone can be excited about reading a textbook, but that is my feeling!

I can't imagine a more helpful study guide. Full of NCLEX test questions, their answers, and an explanation of WHY it is the correct answer (in the back of the book) plus succinct yet complete outlines of the chapters and more; this is a book for students who want to learn the nursing material as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Truly a gem of a book. Great for study/review the night before the test. I found this especially helpful with my study of Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Balance which is one of the more difficult concepts for me and many others to grasp. Use it along with the textbook, CD-ROM and companion websites for greater learning. Any time you spend in this book is time well-spent. A well-kept secret aid are the study guides to nursing textbooks which, at many schools, are "optional" to purchase, but trust me, they are mandatory for your learning! Good luck future nurses!
Soar!

Although this book can seem a bit daunting at first (I mean, it's over 1600 pages!) it is a wonderful book to have. It was required for my first semester in nursing school and I found myself using it even then to write care plans and find rationales and now that I'm in the med-surg semester I use it even more to refer to pathophysiology of patients conditions, look for tips on what to watch for in every patient that could indicate possible complications, etc. It includes a brief overview of the anatomy & physiology of the following body system and also gives an detailed, indepth step-by-step "how to" for assessments of a patient, including abnormal findings. It's a great tool to have at your fingertips to make you more aware of what to look for in your patients.

I am very carefull about the books I buy simply because most books just teach you the alphabet again. This one is a rare exception. Very exhaustive coverage and an important reference book in my collection.

If you are experienced in IT governance and processes, this book is a great reference. This is a great tool when combined with other frameworks such as CMM, ITIL, and COBIT.

This book is really good.It gives clear picture of software developement methdologies. I really enjoyed reading this book.This will be my one of the favorite books.

Excelente para el desarrollo de grandes proyectos tanto en Web como de todo tipo de sistemas.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Roger Fournier's book. I am a voracious reader with many books on Client-Server, Web technology, systems development, etc.; however, Mr. Fournier's methodology is a welcome addition to my library. This may be the most practical book that I have seen for systematically approaching the development of complex systems. I plan on incorporating much of his methodology and ideas in my future projects. I would recommend it for anyone interested in learning about client-server or web technology and it is a great reference for professionals involved in project development (both large and small).

I am encouraged by the books honesty in stressing that building large systems is hard work. Too often the literature touts "sure-fire" success if you follow a particular "cook book" sequence or employ specific technology. As anyone in the business knows, good preparation, realistic goals, teamwork and attention to detail are more important than choosing the latest "hot" technology. The book walks through the stages of a projects life cycle and provides much "food for thought" in how to get each stage right. But it never deceives one into thinking the process is easy and it never implies that the proposed methods are the only logical approach to take.

Although the title focuses on C/S and Web Application development, the methodology presented has a much broader application. It provides an excellent framework for development of any complex system. The book is well written. It provides broad coverage from requirements discovery through project deployment. The book contains so much information that the reader may want to focus on specific areas of high personal interest at first- such as Web architecture or systems analysis. Fortunately, Mr. Fournier's style is such that you can concentrate on the chapters that are most relevant to your needs first and later read the other sections without a significant loss of continuity.

As an Enterprise Architect, I have found the book very helpful. It contains useful information for project managers, enterprise and system architects, analysts, developers and test engineers. Without going into details I'll say that the tables, checklists and web-references presented throughout the book have been very useful.

I believe the survey, analysis and joint facilitated session chapters are well presented and offer a lot of information on project definition and scoping. They certainly make clear the importance of up-front planning to a projects success. For my purposes, the C/S and Web Architecture chapter was of high interest and was well presented. I was glad to see a chapter devoted to software re-use. However, I would like to see this chapter expanded to include more information on infrastructure, middleware and components. I would recommend anyone interested in the book to quickly scan the table of contents to see the wide range of information that can be found.

Mr. Fournier mentions that there might be a follow-up book focusing on the project management aspects of building complex systems. I sincerely hope he writes this.

Fans of the prior Diamond In The Window and other stories will find a new adventure revolving around Eleanor, Eddie and Georgie and their new friend Andy. And Uncle Krishna is back, too, adding his magic to the appearance of a mysterious circus with strange people and events. Langton is at her best in exploring the peculiar forms of magic Eleanor and her sibling are particularly vulnerable to, and The Mysterious Circus doesn't disappoint.

Fans of the prior Diamond In The Window and other stories will find a new adventure revolving around Eleanor, Eddie and Georgie and their new friend Andy. And Uncle Krishna is back, too, adding his magic to the appearance of a mysterious circus with strange people and events. Langton is at her best in exploring the peculiar forms of magic Eleanor and her sibling are particularly vulnerable to, and The Mysterious Circus doesn't disappoint.

Fans of the prior Diamond In The Window and other stories will find a new adventure revolving around Eleanor, Eddie and Georgie and their new friend Andy. And Uncle Krishna is back, too, adding his magic to the appearance of a mysterious circus with strange people and events. Langton is at her best in exploring the peculiar forms of magic Eleanor and her sibling are particularly vulnerable to, and The Mysterious Circus doesn't disappoint.

The Mysterious Circus (Hall Family Chronicles)
This is a great book for all ages. If you begin with 'The Diamond in the Window" as I did as a teen, you will have a great introduction to the Hall Family. If you haven't read it, you will have no problems in getting to know them in this book as new developments in their personalities come forward.
Jane Langton has a great talent for interweaving Transcendental logic through her books while spinning magic into the small lives of the Hall children while keeping notice of their normal childhood faults. In this, the reader is introduced to a simple and accepting attitude toward themselves as well as others.
I especially recommend this book for children from age 10 and up. It would be nice for such an influence to be introduced to them through their own personal revelation while reading it. The 'Diamond in the Window' influenced me as a young teen and now that I'm a grandmother and reading the rest of the Hall Family Chronicles that I missed before, I've realized that I still adhere to the humanitarian viewpoints introduced to me earlier in my life from reading books such as these.

This book is yet another in Jane Langton's wonderful, imaginative and quirkily funny series about the Hall family. The children (the main focus of the book) are realistic & believable. Same with the adults. The plot centers around the creation of a circus using a combination of magic and the skills of a group of ordinary children who become extra - ordinary through their own efforts and self-realization. All this happens during an attempt to 'Disney-fy' a local park by a peculiar and sinister-but amusing villainess. Very enjoyable read.

THIS BOOK IS DABOMB!!!! NO wonder it's hard to find.Muster ALL your feelings up if you wanted something to happen and CHA-CHING!!! INSTANT MULA!!!!! BUY IT??? My home boy Frater Malak would be please!!!

If you have faith in God, these things are not needed. It is for this reason I removed my review of this item.

A Grimoire is the hand book and record book of a worker of magic.
In this book, the Mystic Grimoire of Mighty Spells and Rituals,
the author, Frater Malak and his magical order of
Campo Santo, a noted Mystery School, researched thousands of rituals
and wrote about over twenty seven rituals and many spells
that were the most effective in getting results.
Malak covers every eventuality that you could want:
Good luck, health, money and great wealth, love and sex,
invisibility, relaxation, success, and overcoming enemies.
Every angelic name appearing in this book has been throughly researched.
As an example, in the Arcane Invisibility Ritual, you call upon Yeshayah,
this is another form of the angel Metatron.
In the Overwhelming Good Luck Ritual you summon Bodiel,
this is an angel serving under the Goetic spirit Barbatos.
In the Titanic Enemies Vanquished Ritual, you work with Narudi,
the Akkadian Lord of the Great Gods.
Over the last thirty years, I have personally tested all of
rituals and many of the spells in this book. Without exception,
all have worked to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon
my application of the knowledge and secrets given in the book,
and properly executing what has been taught there.
This Grimoire was published in the seventies,
but remains a definitive work about magical evocation,
the art and science of calling down spirits,
and most importantly getting results,
for men and women of today.

I found this book after my mother died. She was very lucky. I came into luck the very same day that I read just a couple of pages. At the airport, someone said, "How did you get a ticket?" "We're overbooked!"

To the uninitiated eye, the stories in this book may seem a little cheesy. However, to those who are familiar with the work and techniques of such giants of covert hypnosis as Estabrooks and Milton Erickson, it rapidly becomes very obvious that most of this book was not written for the normal state of consciousness. It was written for the "third ear" much in the same way that Sufi teaching stories are intended to be read (or listened to) while in a state of trance.

Sorcery and trance are inseparable.

The book presents both spells and rituals of deep reaching potency. If you are familiar with the underwriting patterns that govern the occult arts, it is salient that each spell and each ritual is a powerful, if sometimes generic, example of the "techniquespeak" of sorcery. The words and gestures will quickly affect the desired effects both within your personal subconscious, as well as very effectively reach deeply into your exterior local reality field and thereby precipitate action/change as per your intention.

Additionally, the knowledge contained in this book works exceedingly well with other powerhouses of arcane techniques such as "Practical Sigil Magic" by Frater UD, "Tarot Spells" by Janina Renee, and "The Tarot" by Mouni Sadhu.

Once the practical underlying principles of sorcery (call it magick, witchcraft, shamanism, or whatever) are grasped, and few fairly simple techniques are mastered,.. Knowledge becomes power in the truest sense, and the world becomes your oyster.

All in all, however, it is best to read widely so as to have as great and deep an understanding as is possible. With that appreciated, check out the works of Joseph Campbell, Carlos Castaneda, Idres Shah & Terence McKenna, and read them with the understanding granted to you by Erickson and NLP and memetics - and visa versa. Look for patterns and corroborations. With such knowledge, you will be able to screen out the irrelevancies of cultural/historical nuance and personal idiosyncratics and get straight to the core, where the real power resides.

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This book was very informative and had my sailor saying he wanted to read it after I finished. This touches on everything a woman needs to know about her role as a Navy spouse. I will recomend it to every newly engaged gal I know.

I am reading this book as a Navy Fiancee preparing for my new title of Navy Wife. We read this book together and found it full of information and helpful tips we never thought of. The reason I only gave it Four stars instead of Five is because we found that this book is a bit out of date and could stand to be revised. I would recommend this book for anyone new to the United States Navy.

I'm a huge Laura Stavridis fan! I am a Navy Spouse and have been for quite some time. This is a great book to give to all newly married military wives. Lots of useful information with some snips of her own life.

Being newly engaged to a salior has been very exciting. But, not growing up familiar to the military I found my self lacking knowledge about so much. This book really put my concerns at ease. It was very honest. It offered the positives and negatives of being a navy spouse. It also gave lots of helpful information about getting set up with Tricare and helpful spouse programs at various bases! After reading the book, I definately feel like I have a better understanding of being married to the military.

I'm not a Navy spouse, but I watched one close up during 18 years as a "Navy junior." I'm sure that a guide like this would have been very useful to her ... especially during those early years when Dad was overseas (the section beginning on page 147, "A Special Challenge: Dad at Sea When the Baby is Born" ... well, that baby was me).

On a lark, I compared this title to two somewhat similar earlier volumes, "The Navy Wife" by Anne Briscoe Pye and Nancy Shea (1942), and "Welcome Aboard: A Service Manual for the Naval Officer's Wife" by Florence Ridgely Johnson (1956). The differences between those two books and this one highlight not only the many changes in the Navy itself over five or six decades, but also reinforce why Laura Hall Stavridis' book is so valuable. Whereas the earlier books had a big focus on the social aspects of Navy life (both books were explicitly intended for the officer's wife) and "practical" tips like how to drive cross-country to visit your husband when he's visiting another port, this book is more thoroughly practical, with an emphasis on the many support systems now in place to help the spouse (male or female) of any Navy person (officer, NCO, or enlisted) deal with the many demands of this challenging position.

As with those other books, "Navy Spouse's Guide" includes a capsule description of the Navy and how it's organized, a glossary of important, and potentially confusing, terms, and other things the reader will be expected to know. At the same time, though, Stavridis knows that the "Navy spouse" is no longer wedded to the Service in the way she used to be, and that she (or he) most likely has a career and other time-demands of her own. That's why this book is so useful when confronting situations like preparing for a move overseas ... it's practically a checklist of things to do and people to contact that will help the Navy spouse, who's often left making many of these arrangements, navigate the situation as smoothly and easily as possible.

An awful lot has changed between 1942 or 1956 and today, and this book is a powerful reminder of that. But the historical interest is far less important than the day-to-day reality of the modern Navy spouse. Whether you're about to marry into the Navy, or have been following the Fleet for years, I think this is a book you'll find yourself returning to frequently.