Johnson Books

A wonderfully exciting and educational book taking the reader to Egypt. Lots of adventure to please both boys and girls mixed in with helping children learn to cope with loss. It's an attention holding book for adults as well. Great writing! A book for every child's library shelf.
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl Books One - Three

"The Story of Bes" was a brilliant book. Not only did was it witty, but also educational. This book would not only be good for kids, but grown-ups as well. I found it to be extremely clever. Shelli Wright Johnson is a magnificent new author. I hope there are more books where this came from. Get writing on those sequels!

"The Story of Bes" was an amazing book. It was brilliant and witty. I think this book would be enjoyable to people of all ages! Shelli Wright Johnson is the hottest new author. I hope she writes sequels. Everyone should buy this book. Its not only entertaining and enjoyable, but educational. And not in a boring way. Plus it teaches kids that everyone goes through changes in their lives, but they don't all have to be bad.

As a physician specializing in Family Practice, I keep several copies of "The Story of Bes" in my patient waiting rooms. The book not only appeals to children as an entertaining and educational adventure story, it also contains a poignant message for children dealing with the loss of a loved one (especially a grandparent); and it helps ease the fears of those who are having doubts about the upcoming birth of a new sibling. I highly recommend this book for children of all ages!

It's a rare treat to encounter a combination of palatable education and whimsy for both children and adults in the same package, but Shelli Wright Johnson has done that with "The Story of Bes". Although I have been to Egypt four times, and I think I am releatively conversant with ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses, I found myself captivated by the blue dwarf god, Bes. Present day America and ancient Egypt mix in a wonderful melange sure to engage any reader, Egyptphile or not. Andy, the author's son and the inspiration for this charming and instructive tale, represents the seeker in all of us as we search for insights and explanations of the incredible ancient culture that continues to hold so many of us enthralled. I had to read the entire book in one gulp!

After reading Earl G. Graves's bitter autobiography, I fully expected John H. Johnson's manuscript for success to be riddled with distain. I was pleasantly surprised however to find that Johnson; through such works as, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, and How to Win Friends..., by Dale Carnegie, made a fortune turning social negatives into profitable and professional positives. Having met eight U. S. Presidents along the way, Johnson's autobiography is a refreshing treatise on determination. It should be noted that much of Johnson's success came about before integration, when the African American community lived by the, "it takes a village," mentality. The nurturing he was provided during the early years provided for a favorable turn of events ultimately guiding him; not without the requisite obstacles, toward a life of success. John H. Johnson's, `Succeeding Against the Odds,' is a testament to the spoils of desire, determination, delayed gratification and a strong belief in one self. Bravo Mr. Johnson, well done! I issue this glowing review however with a caveat; there are a few grammatical errors; thus, my conservative rating, nevertheless, this was a fun read.

I bought this Book way back in 1992.I always Admired Mr.John H.Johnson for all that He overcame&also for providing Ebony&Jet into my early childhood all the to the present. what He overcame&what He Accomplsihed is truly incredible. He created magazines that spoke&gave Black America a Fair shake at the Newsstand&also showed our world in a up-lifting light. John H.Johnson is a true Pioneer who trail-blazed so much for the better.RIP&this is a Must have Book.

I could definitely related to Mr.Johnson's story. It is inspiring, insightful, and truly a guide to those of us on the often obstacle laden road to success.

Never allow your personal feelings or emotions to close the doors of oppourtunities. Where the is a will there truly is a way. His story is remarkable and his book enables you to understand that yours is too.

Think and Grow Rich...

This book uplifted the self esteem of me and many other African Americans. It was the story of a black man raised in rural Arkansas who had a dream. He figured out at an early age that African Americans wanted to know about what was happening in their community. There where only so many if any stories about us in Life Magazine. And if they did publish something about us it was negative. Why couldn't African Americans have a magazine of their own? One that told stories, positive stories about our lives, our heroes, and our history. This book gave me hope to know that even a lower middle class, African American boy from the Bronx like myself could grow up and strive for greatness amongst our people and the rest of society. John H. Johnson's publications are over 50 years old now and are still giving us stories that uplift our minds, bodies and spirits. Reading this book is not only a joy and a honor but it should be required reading for all African Americans and focal point of reading for all others.

In his book, Johnson states "There is an advantage in every disadvantage, and a gift in every problem" and "I believe that the greater the handicap the greater the triumph." By this he means to say that disadvantage creates opportunities and forces one to do more with less. He believed that disadvantages were "...challenges to be overcome and not facts to be accepted." A disadvantage provides a challenge that, with the proper motivation and mindset, forces one to try a little harder and work a little smarter.

Two distinct disadvantages that Johnson cites are early in his life: 1) Arkansas City (his birthplace) did not provide a high school education for African Americans, and 2) The economic depression stemming from the Great Depression. These two disadvantages, when taken together, provided a sort of "critical mass" that propelled Johnson on the trajectory that is his story -- his move to Chicago and subsequent business endeavors.

The fact that the disadvantages cited above were realized so early in life is worth note. There is a scientific discipline known as "Chaos Theory" that, among other precepts, states that the time evolution of a series of interrelated complex events is extremely sensitive to the system's initial condition. The analogy that may be drawn to Johnson's life is this: had he not moved to Chicago due to his ambition and his Mother's tremendous sacrifices for her son's education, it would have become increasingly difficult for Johnson to have succeeded to the extent he did, as chronicled in his autobiography.

This statement is supported by the many references he makes in the book about the seemingly random events that led to his success as a businessman; Johnson states, "I'm scared someone with pinch me and wake me up." Thus, it seems that the many disadvantages the author faced throughout life, most notably (in his words) early in life, created an advantage, which led him to great wealth and notoriety.

John Gardner wrote many good works, the Sunlight Dialogues being by far the best. In it he captures the range of hope and anxiety that made the 1960s such a thrilling and tormenting time to be alive. Using the small town of Batavia, New York, Gardner plunges the reader into the life of a prodigal son of the most prestigious family in town and that of the dedicated police chief. And do the intellectural sparks fly! The illustrations by John Napper are reminescent of those from the Yellow Book in the 1890s, by Aubrey Beardsley. There is a lot of subtle humor ("take a gun of, say, x caliber...") as well as dead-on observation of what makes people do outrageous things for perfectly logical reasons.
It's a roller coaster of a novel, so hang on and enjoy the ride. You might even want to go back for a second trip. I did.

The Sunlight Dialogues_ is truly John Gardner's magnum opus, equaling and perhaps overshadowing _Grendel_, the book for which he is best known.

Grossly over-simplified, it is about the tide of discontent and change that came about in the 1960s, exemplified in the stories of a handful of people who live in the small New York town of Batavia. All of these characters' stories occur at roughly the same moment, and to a certain degree overlap each other; they all come into contact with one another at some point during the novel, and may even influence each other, but every member of the book's huge cast has his or her own story and denouement.

The primary one of these stories is the one that concerns Police Chief Fred Clumly and a haggard, maniacal drifter known as "the Sunlight Man", and the happenings of this particular storyline are the catalysts for the rest of the stories. "The Sunlight Man", whom we later find out is Taggert Hodge, the black sheep of the wealthy and powerful family the members of whom comprise roughly half the other characters in the novel, is the one who sets all of these denouements into motion with his seminal return to his hometown as a magician, hippie, murderer, and poet. His has been a life of disillusionment, loss, betrayal and unattainable wants, and he returns to Batavia to set into motion a sort of romantically juvenile plot to take revenge on the world and to mewl out his disappointment with the way things are, the latter of which he does through Fred Clumly(thus is the origin of the title.)

Gardner is remarkably adept at character development; Taggert Hodge, Walter Benson and Fred Clumly are among the best painted characters of fiction I know of. The author has a gift for articulating neuroses and flaws of characters, from miniscule ticks in their everyday behavior to major personality faults. And with a cast of roughly eleven major characters, making each and every one entirely unique in their drives and hamartias is no task to be scoffed at. However, the ability of John Gardner's I perhaps envy the most is that of taking a very normal, even pretty environmental setting, and turning it nightmarish and haunting. In the novel, the dense forests and century-old barns of Batavia are made into artifacts and ruins of an almost Lovecraftian caliber of queerness, and yet it does not serve to displace the small New York town from the realm of believable reality, but rather forces you to evaluate your reality on the same dark and weird basis as his authorial voice.

The sheer scope of the novel (that of several stories cycloning around a unifying theme and plot catalyst) at times threatens to tear it apart, however; the reader at times is left wondering why the author has switched point of views when the scenario he was describing previously had yet to be resolved. This is a mere annoyance, however, and is not really something for which I believe the novel should be faulted, for the rewards of its pages are vast ones.

Due perhaps to its relatively young age, it has yet to receive the proper "classic" status it so rightly deserves, and, sadly, it may never, for "Grendel" seems to be John Gardner's only remembered and widely read work, and is perpetually overshadowing the rest of the author's material, most of which are just as powerful and memorable as tale of Beowulf's tragic nemesis. In fact, some may even be better, as I propose The Sunlight Dialogues is, but until the higher-ups at Norton and the like get around to looking at this master of fiction as a master should, I advise any and all of the people reading this to purchase this book from whatever obscure publisher it has currently been tossed to.

Back in the 70s, I became fascinated with John Gardner, starting with The Wreckage of Agathon and Grendel. When The Sunlight Dialogues came out, I was hooked. I picked up a paperback copy and just fell into the story. After that, each new Gardner was purchased in hardcover, which I could ill afford back then.

About 10 years ago, I tracked down a fine condition copy of TSG and re-read it. Bad move, though, donating the paperback to the library.

I welcomed the arrival of a new trade paperback edition of the novel, and of one or two others by Gardner until I actually had the opportunity to hold them. The reprints were done without the original illustrations, which are integral to the books. Unbelievable!

For old times sake, I bought a used Ballantine paperback copy and am re-reading it. I have no intention of buying this new edition.

So, five stars for Gardner and the book, with a one-star demerit for this compromised reprint. The new introduction doesn't add much to the book.

I recently met a recent graduate of the State University of New York: Binghamton, an English major. He had never heard of John Gardner, author of the one American post WWII novel that stands comparision in scope and quality, if not import, with Middlemarch.

This novel is unabashedly symbolic, it's many characters each representing the dichotomies of order/chaos, love/hatefulness, light/darkness. But don't think that the work is heavy handed or didactic because of the obviously metaphorical quality. Rather, it is like other great metafiction, the reading of which is akin to entering a complex microcosm, and best of all, having a bird's eye view into the lives and minds of all the many characters. The multiplicity of narratives, some dramatic, others hilariously banal, is nearly perfectly balanced so that when one character might get tiresome, we are transported into another new and fascinating life. Most impressively, all these narratives are eventually woven together in perfect and beautiful harmony. Once you enter this work, you will not want to stop. I don't advice reading this unless you have some free time, otherwise all your other responsibilities will suffer.

Great book on tracking. I discoverd I needed an air scenting book, not tracking for SAR k9 work but if your into tracking its a great book.

This book was interesting and easy to read. Good ideas for training a tracking dog.

For those of you looking to train a serious working dog, this is the book for you.

I have a police service K-9 and utilized the training found here to help my dog (German Shepherd).

But not all dogs can do this so, the selection tests at the begining of the book were a great help.

This book is an excellent resource and a very interesting read. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in tracking.

This book was writtten by the guru himself.All thruout the book which is easy to understand the writer is very confident and shares his knowledge and expieriences.This book is very informative and great for the beginner to the expert.

This is an excellent book for new and more experienced teachers! It is broken into small chunks, which makes for easy reading. Thank you for a wonderful book!

Johnson's book is the best book I've ever read for new high school teachers. So much of what I found out there when I was starting teaching was really only suitable for elementary teachers, like Harry Wong's _The First Days of School_. This book made me realize that the kids would respect me if I was the real me-- not the hardnose that I clearly was not-- and that it was possible to do this without getting trampled. This is an especially useful resource for English teachers in urban schools!

I am writing this review as a brand new, "fresh out of the bag" teacher in their first post. If there was ever a single book that enables you to survive through teacher training and during your first teaching post THIS HAS GOT TO BE IT!
The techniques may appear to some slightly "off the wall" but they work! The book is a source of insiration and comfort, and one that I will treasure upon my bookshelf.
To the author, words cannot express just how much help this one book has given me. Thank you - on behalf of my students and myself.
This book is not 5 STAR its 55 STARS ...

Two Parts Textbook, One Part Love is a wonderful book! I rarely the same book twice, but I fully intend to re-read this one in the future. It is very difficult for me to put it down, and I know I will be sad when it ends. I am a student who is preparing to become a teacher, and I have found that the advice in this book is very helpful. I will definitely share it with all of my friends who are already teachers as well as my friends who will become teachers. I began reading this book before I saw the movie Dangerous Minds. I also love the movie, as well. This is the first book by LouAnne Johnson that I have read, and I will definitely read all of her other books.

My favorite thing about this book is the way that Johnson uses her sense of humor to illustrate her points. I have often found myself bursting out in laughter in the middle of the night because I have thought about some of her stories. Whether you are a teacher or even if you are just thinking about becoming a teacher, I urge you to purchase this book.

I'm a first year teacher who was assigned this book for an Ed. course in college, and ended up buying her own copy! I love it, and have just started re-reading it in preparation for next school year. Why do I love it? Johnson is honest, her approach is no-frills and realistic, and yet she inspires and shows true commitment to her students. This book points out things you would never think of considering before stepping into the classroom, yet should. Johnson practically covers everything you need to know, and instead of telling you exactly how to be a cookie-cutter version of herself, she offers ways to take the way she does things and make them your own. This book is a real eye-opener, and should be taught to every new teacher before stepping into the classroom. Thank you for this book, Mrs. J! :) Laura (lilpace@aol.com)

I discovered Xan's book about a year ago as I was looking for books to review for the Men's newsletter I write. I wanted something that would really challenge men, especially young men as they grow in their journey of godly manhood.

I wasn't disappointed. Xan is very open and real with his struggles about learning what it is to be a godly man.He writes about things young men need from older men as we journey together down the road of godly manhood and I was deeply encouraged by his book to the point I actually contacted Xan and learned about the ministry for young men that he's started. I am excited and encouraged when I hear from Xan and I highly recommend his book for all men, no matter what your age is!

I have been going through this book with a small group of teenager boys. It's great, has topics that are very real to life. Guys are really enjoying this read.

I first met Xan in March of 2003 at a men's retreat in Colorado, we were both just recently out of college and I remember him sharing his early chapters and work on this book with me. It is rare for a author to get his first book published so young (he isn't even 30 yet) and to do such a great job in really sharing the message of this book of what it is to be a real man for God at our age. What readers I think will find as one of the book's greatest features is that Xan doesn't hide or sugar coat his journey to where he is now as a young man.

In working with Desired Life Ministries in Overland Park, KS and having a heart a lot like Xan's for young men's ministry I am proud to say that the man behind the book really is a real man of God who has what it takes. It is rare to find other young men with a heart and passion like Xan to help take real masculinity to other young men in our world and this book does such a great job of taking the reader along the journey of young men today. My journey wasn't like Xan's in the same ways, but the questions he had and the issues of the heart he had all young men to some degree go through and face. This book is not a book with all the answers and a how to guide, its a book that has a message that young men can learn from hidden in the story of his journey. The things that Xan learns and goes through are the very kind of things that have shaped me in their unique ways into the man I have become at 26 as well. I believe that this book will be a great guide and help to young men with questions on the journey to becoming real men as well as help women under stand the heart of young men as well. Older men I think will also find many of the things they went through as young men in this book and help to remind them of what their sons are going through at this age.

Xan is a new author and working hard to take what God has given him to impact others, after you read the book if it impacts your life be sure to tell other young men about this book too. I believe we can see a change in the young men today in and out of the church - entering into initiation by God in becoming men of God through the work and ministry of men like Xan.

This is EXACTLY the book that all teenage and college aged students need to read! Xan has wonderful story-telling ability that allows him to be a great encouragement for all going through high school and college. He has a unique gift of making his own experiences and trials resonate with his readers, thus offering keen spiritual insight to all who engage in his journey. A must read!

Adventurous journey + Reality = UNTAMED. Men need other men to guide them on their journey, and the journey to true and deep manhood is a wild journey. It is untamed, even though today's American culture would make us think that true manhood is about easy money, easy friends, easy women, and the type of sports you're involved in.

Those are all surface issues that Xan embraced...only to come up empty. And through a search that most men don't allow themselves to dive into, Xan not only finds out what makes a man, but allows the reader to take a journey of their own and ask the similar questions. And answers to the questions will begin to take shape by reading Untamed.

Untamed is a gift to men, whether young or old. You might see some references to Wild at Heart in it, but this is actually a good thing. To me, it validates the whole message of Wild at Heart, and the good news Jesus Christ brings, because that message is lived out, wrangled with and full of a healthy dose of hope.

Untamed will help young men decipher the mystery of their life, and it will help the mature men understand the men just starting their adventurous journey to becoming fully masculine.

What is most interesting about this book -- which centers on the poetry of the Bedouin tribe of Awlad Ali -- is not the poetry per se, but that it gives an insider's view of the craft of Ethnography. It shows, through the eyes of a skilled ethnographer, and almost by indirection and in reverse order, how meaning is attached to cultures by the people who live in them.

By peeling back the skin of the Awlad Ali culture - one of the nomadic tribes that once hovered around the edge of the Western Egyptian Desert -- we learn, not just "the ways" of this and similar Nomadic tribes, but more generally, the steps needed to attach meaning to the onion called culture. This analysis reveals, layer-by-layer, the structure and texture of the Awlad Ali worldview. It also reveals the various ideologies that supported its construction.

The Awlad Ali tribe is a society based on blood kinship, on honor, and on a kind of fierce tribal autonomy and independence. And however abstract these categories may seem, and however much they may seem settled at birth, they are in fact constantly being re-negotiated in the tribe's everyday efforts to survive: "lived deeds" in the Awlad Ali culture always trump ascribed status and words. The culture has especially derogatory names and references to those who talk, but fail to act.

Moreover, cultural meaning and societal rules remain close to the ground: that is, closely attached to survival needs. Ascribed status - that is patrilineal genealogy, maleness, etc. definitely have a pride of place in the culture, but these do not settle the matter of status once and for all: What one does with these is the final arbiter of ones position and status within the tribe.

As an American peeping into another culture, what I learned in a somewhat painfully indirect way is that most of rest of the world - even primitive tribes -- still speak and relate to each other in the language of humanity: poetry, songs, prayer, proverbs, folklore, tales, myths, etc. To them, these are not mere cultural trinkets, ornamentations and affectations, to be tossed about during holidays, or to be commercialized and then tossed aside, or just the colorful tools used to promote a particular kind of politics or political organization, but they are the real meat of human discourse. They serve as the actual conduits through which deep human feelings are conveyed and transmitted.

As a backdrop to our own culture, there are at least two lessons to be learned (indirectly and in relief) from this book:

(1) That it is possible to construct a cultural worldview (a complete cosmology of meaning) entirely without the need for a category called "race" or without reference to the idea of a "religion." The author, who was Christian and a partly-white female, lived in the home of the tribe she was studying for two years, which was nominally Muslim, but with all of the many intersecting categories of meaning: race and religion, were never mentioned to her or ever played a role in tribal discourse.

(2) That we Americans live in a social world that is bereft of normal meaningful human attachments and discourse. In comparison to the Awlad Ali tribe, we live in a world of greatly diminished humanity in which racism, acquisition of things, commodification and consumerization of those things, rationalizations and political spin, false piety, rationing of intangibles qualities, knee-jerk bipartisanism, sublimated hatred, and artistic shallowness, are substitutes for real meaning.

Is this all just an inevitable part of modernity? It is difficult to know, but we must be grateful to this author for showing us with great skill that there are other images of, and paths to meaningfulness.

Ten Stars

the book is written by an american woman with mideastern roots -- she provides great insight into the traditionals of the bedouin and arab worlds. I read this before I went to Egypt and it provided great foundation for understanding the culture of the town and village. I like her writing style -- she makes anthopological analysis interesting by explaining in the context of her interactions with the bedouins.

I agree with the other reviewers. It was the best ethnography I can remember reading. What struck a chord with me was her description and explanation of the women's submission to the men, that the submissiveness was valuable only when it was voluntarily given. The idea of women being submissive to men is not only Islamic, but exists also in Christianity.

Lila Abu Lughod, an Arab American woman, lived among the Awlad Ali tribes of the North West of Egypt for two years. Veiled Sentiments is the book she wrote on the lives and poetry of Awlad Ali. Abu Lughod field work was clearly not carried out from a "superior" stance; she sympathized with her subjects and dealt with them as equal human beings rather than inferior specimen or cultures. Abu Lughod attitude, intelligence, training and tremendous analystical ability helped her in developing great insight and understanding of this fascinating culture.

Abu Lughod analysis of concepts such as "hishma" was truly incisive and shed a great deal of light on the nature of modesty between women and men and amongst men and women. The analysis seems to explain behaviors and norms witnessed elsewhere in Egypt and indeed other parts of the Middle East.

An important thesis of Abu Lughod is that the Awlad Ali people often communicated in very conservative and modest way directly through words; they only said what was proper and fitted the norms. Yet a second mode of communication far more true and expressive was found in their little songs or poems.

Abu Lughod discussed gender relation amongst Awlad Ali at length and the relationship between women and the families of their husbands and the society at large. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. For an excellent work on veiling and gender issues, I would recommend Leila Ahmed's Women & Gender in Islam.

"Veiled Sentiments" is academic. It is the outcome of the author's living in a Bedouin community in northern Egypt (the Western Desert) for two years, a feat of no mean proportions.

Lila Abu-Lughod came to a deep understanding of such aspects of the culture as blood ties, veiling and poetry not only because of her talent and training but also because she has ties to that culture. She calls academics like herself "halfies" because they belong both "inside and outside the communities they write about." She realizes that such a situation benefits them in terms of gathering knowledge within close cultures.

The veiling of women (or rather women's veiling of themselves) is an important topic because of recent events including world politics and of the ongoing research in feminism. It is also important because it is so often misunderstood and so difficult to understand even when it is explained.

After reading Abu-Lughod's renowned (in the world of academics) book, "Veiled Sentiments," I think I have a better handle on veiling than I ever would have had otherwise. It was not easy to absorb the concepts that surround it. That it took ¼ of a 315 page book to do it (a conservative estimate) is a testament to the intricacies of and the psychological motivations behind this cultural /religious practice.

Learning more about veiling alone made this study one well worth reading. But the surprise for both the reader, and-as explained by Ms. Abu-Lughod-the author herself is the discovery of this culture's use of poetry. To take it one step further, the insight into how societies in general (at least ours and that of the Bedouins) similarly use their poetry and relate to it.

Abu-Lughod finds that poetry is used somewhat differently among women in the Awlad ` Ali tribes than it is used by men. Because I am writing my own book of poetry called "Skyscapes: A Woman's View," I was especially interested in this aspect of "Sentiments;" it also was, by the author's own admission, an amazing and important cultural discovery. A group of women in China have their own secret language apart from the men; now this anthropologist brings to our attention how the poetry and veiling customs of these women reveal their emotions and are rooted in the traditions of a society in which they live quite separately from men.

Though this book is not meant for mainstream readers, I hope that many who have no ties to anthropology will make an effort to read it. I believe that women will find it especially interesting but men will also find pertinent information for today's political climate within its pages. No amount of travel could impart the depth of understanding of this culture, and-by extension-similar cultures that this book does.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of "This is the Place..." )

Great book and I am waiting for the next one.
The author is very talented to keep the reader on the go.

The author gives us a connection to Lexielle and her role in Von's life. It's wonderfully written book, well worth the time to read. I guarantee that you'll have fun reading it.

I found Wireless In The Fabric Of Time a very good read and would recommend it to my friends (35-55 yr. age bracket), as well as my chidrens' generation (16-25 yr age bracket) . I was pleasently suprised at the depth of interests that this book touched upon. It was described to me as SI-Fi, but I found it more akin to historical-fiction. This book is an engaging and fresh approach to weaving a plot through the past, the present,and the future. It touches on life styles and technology in both present day America and early 1900's England. With a plot that moves at the speed of light, the book is laced with lots of spicy diologue, which developes its characters and their personal connections through generational family ties, similiar interests, and historical occurances. It is a curious study of 'what if?' and 'reality' as we know it.

Great reading, kept turning the pages to see what could possibly happen next. Author knows how to entertain and keep the audience's attention. Great book for all readers, but most specifically, young adults. Highly recommended. Great use of technology. Good job on dialect of early twentieth century England also! Great use of historical and futuristic ideas. Great book cover. All in all, supreme. Can't wait for more books from E.I. Johnson.

This book was a great blend of past (Oxford, England circa 1900s), present (University setting, 2008), and future (2048). Well-written for the young-adult reader. Captivating knowledge and wordplay with reference to technology, history, the contemporary college-student, both male and female. I recommend highly. Watch out for more from E.I. Johnson!!

This was a fantastic resource. I have never really played video games until my wife bought me this Xbox 360. I didn't know all the ins and outs so I bought this book. It has been truly helpful in finding the many things i can do, plus it has some valuable web links for some extra stuff that really works.

I love this book -- everything is well explained. It also explains the concepts in an easy to understand style for parents who are not too game savvy.

Only problem though is that the book is too US centric -- the Xbox 360 is sold all over the world with slightly different specifications, and this book just ignores everything except the US Xbox 360.

If you want to know your Xbox 360 really well then this books for you, it covers everything about the system and the hardware that can be added later on. The book even covers Xbox Live and also some games. you will not be sorry if you purchase this book, it is a perfect addition to anyones home library.

Hi... I'm not a gamer, but I have one in my household. I can't tell you how many game consoles we've purchased over the last 20 years, but I don't think we've missed very many. I'm a bit surprised I haven't gotten the hard-sell from "da kid" on getting an Xbox 360 yet. But after reading Xbox 360 for Dummies by Brian Johnson and Duncan Mackenzie, I'm somewhat tempted to get one anyway for myself... :)

Contents:
Part 1 - Xbox 360 Out of the Box: Meet the Xbox 360; Setting Up Your Xbox 360
Part 2 - The Xbox 360 Blades: Dealing with the Dashboard; The Live Blade; The Media Blade; The System Blade; The Games Blade
Part 3 - Xbox 360 in Your Entertainment System: HDTV, EDTV, Plain Old TV; Getting the Best Audio Experience; Customizing Your Console
Part 4 - Pushing the Outer Limits: Parental Control; LAN Parties; Windows Media Center Extender
Part 5 - The Part of Tens: Ten Great Web Sites; More Than Ten Great Games; Ten Tips for Parents; Ten Ways to Make Friends; Ten Great Accessories; Original Xbox Games; Index

Xbox has definitely crossed the line from being a gaming console with extra features to being a multimedia computer that happens to play games really well. Johnson and Mackenzie do a very good job of covering and demonstrating all the features of the Xbox 360, how it all meshes together, and how to get the most out of the platform. This includes everything from, of course, playing games, to making the device the central point of a multimedia setup for your home. The Xbox 360 integrates with Windows Media Center, so you can use it to watch TV, record shows, play music, etc. In fact, it's very possible to buy an Xbox 360 and never even play a game on it. :) Add in network connectivity, and now you can reach out to others as part of Xbox Live. The capabilities are truly impressive, and this book is an excellent way to delve into those areas that you may not have yet uncovered.

Granted, most 12 year olds will probably have most of this figured out an hour after opening the box, all without reading the directions. Yes, and my DVD player still flashes 12:00. At least it's not a VCR any more. But a book like this will appeal to those of us who are interested in the latest and greatest, but want a little structure and guidance added to our exploration.

Now to keep this book out of my kid's hands...

Not a bad book, although it is more written for someone with little to know computer/gaming experience.

I am usually very good at figuring out whodunit. Not when it came to Wanda L Dyson's book ABDUCTION. I was at the very end, even after the main character knew who the bad guy was, screaming, "Who IS he???" I highly recommend this book! Bravo!!!

This book had everything. Suspence, Romance, Serial Killer, Psychics, Abductions, Several Secrets, and a also a Christian element.
I could not put it down for a moment. It kept you on the edge of your seat, yet at the sametime was also enlightening. It took a rather unique perspective on the psychic angle, but did it well. It stirred about every emotion possible and the banter between characters was hilarious. I won't spoil anything for those who haven't read it, but to those who have, You've got to love Donnie's creativity. How could anyone say no to that?

An excellent book by far, and I hope the rest of the series are just as good. Wanda Dyson has the potential to take this somewhere great.

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. I READ IT FASTER THAN ANY PREVIOUS BOOK BECAUSE I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK & WILL BE ORDERING MORE BY THIS AUTHOR!

This book was fantastic. The author did a fantastic job with keeping this story alive through the entire book. I could not put this book down. The story kept taking on new life all the way to the final chapter. My only regret is that now I have to wait til Nov. to read the next book. I am going to learn one day to not pick up a series until the author has written the entire story line.

Abduction will keep you up nights with its expertly woven twists and cliffhangers! This thriller is unusual in that it has controversial issues to present. Nearly every character learns to view issues from others' perspectives and grows from this new awareness.
If there is a weakness in Abduction, it is that Ms. Dyson presents too many issues which necessitates a few too many sub-plots. Sometimes the constant switching between story lines made for an anxious read.
Regardless, I enjoyed Abduction tremendously and would recommend it to anyone who would enjoy a wholesome thriller!