Miller Books

this book is such a cute book, with cute pictures- and when i was a girl i read this book and identified with jane- i wish it would be re- released in softcover!

When I was a little girl, this was my absolute favorite book.My mother had to read it all the time. My mother gave it away and I kept pressing for her to get it back for me. My mother ended up buying it from a used book store and I know she paid quite a bit for it. I treasure this book and I always loved the pen and ink drawings too. I had a teddy bear that ended up in the same condition as Jane's blanket, and that's where I identified with the story. I had a hard time parting with that old bear.Now I have the book and read it to my two sons who also love it. It is a true feeling of attachment to a comfort item as a child and stays with you always in your heart. Iam so happy to have this book again.

I remember this book SO fondly growing up. It was read to me for years and by me for years afterward. I had a pink blanket, too. I grew out of mine as well(sniff). When I had two girls of my own, I searched and searched for this book. Our local out-of-print bookstore told me it was rare and could go for several hundred dollars. This prompted me to bug my mom until she dug up my slightly battered, but complete copy from childhood. I read it to my girls, but wouldn't sell it for the world. Someday I'll have grandchildren. It's THAT good!

Jane's blanket was pink, and soft, and warm, and she loved it. When she was a baby, she would not play in her playpen without having the pink blanket there too, and she went to sleep every night touching it. Even when she got bigger and had her own bed, she would not go to sleep without her "bata". But as Jane got bigger and bigger, the blanket got smaller and smaller, until finally it was only a torn piece of cloth. Jane still loved her blanket, but now it was so small and torn she didn't know what to do with it, until one fine spring morning a bluebird on her windowsill made her glad she was so big and didn't need her blanket anymore.

This story is the world-renowned playwright's only work for children. His warmth and affectionate understanding of a child's prolonged need for a beloved object is charmingly reflected by drawings in two colors, black and pink, by Emily McCully.

I remember this book SO fondly growing up. It was read to me for years and by me for years afterward. I had a pink blanket, too. I grew out of mine as well(sniff). When I had two girls of my own, I searched and searched for this book. Our local out-of-print bookstore told me it was rare and could go for several hundred dollars. This prompted me to bug my mom until she dug up my slightly battered, but complete copy from childhood. I read it to my girls, but wouldn't sell it for the world. Someday I'll have grandchildren. It's THAT good!

Mr. Arthur Miller is a personal friend of mine and for as long as I have known him he has been telling me this story of his connnection to Emmett Till and how it has affected his life. So to now see it in a book for public consumption is really a beautiful thing. His perspective is a very unique one but this book also shows the many other parts that contributed to the Civil Rights Movement that isn't being taught in school. This book should be required reading in every public high school in America. Our children need to know who came before them so they can appreciate what they have now. Thank you Arthur Miller.

This book included the ugliness and the beauty of growing up poor to middle class and black in America. It reminded me of the burden placed upon black people to carry your race.
Most black parents that I knew said the same thing to there children, Don't embrassed your people, meaning black people. Thanks Art Miller I truly enjoyed your Journey to Chatham.

This book puts a personal perspective on an event that touched many and helped spark a movement. Set in a time and place in which all the children in the neighborhood "belonged to" all the adults in the neighborhood, the story illustrates the way the sense of innocent safety Black children in Chicago enjoyed was robbed from them when Emmett "Bo" Till was murdered. Documenting a community founded on love and trust, the story indicts the community based on hatred and fear that allowed Emmett to be killed and his murderers to go free. Simple and beautiful in its language, the book speaks appropriately to children as clearly as to adults. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the way an individual, a family, a neighborhood, and a whole people were affected by that single, horrible event.

This writer, who evidently grew up at a very interesting time. Tells a story about America. An America that I was unfamiliar with. I forgot that the people, and the neighborhood were Black. This is an All-American story that all Americans should read. We can all be stronger and better if we heed the words of the author.

An important and insightful book, that take the reader to a new place of compassion and agony. It's more than a story of Emmett Till's death but a honest reflection of a part of our disonorable history. More than a good read it's a necessary read.

Since my son is taking a course at Cornell Summer College from Professor Brumberg, I thought I would read one of her books to get an idea of how she thinks and writes (a gross generalization that often works for me). I expected a scholarly but dry account of 15-year-old murderer, Charley Miller. I did not expect a dramatic and compelling historical novel that rivals today's best books. "Kansas Charlie," is extremely well researched and written in a simple, direct and contemporary style. Although she attempts to be fair and objective, it's obvious that Professor Brumberg wrote this novel to advance her own unarguably poignant point-of-view regarding juvenile justice and how little progress has been made since the Victorian Age. But, who can blame her when political maneuvering rather than an interest in solving an important social issue often blunts real progress? I'm certain my 16-year-old son is in extremely good hands.

Well Researched book for a murder case by a juvenile back in the 1890's that can be easilly related to cases that happen today. This story of Kansas Charley is well written and a sad situation where a child that could not find a place in society had slipped through the cracks of the government that should of protected him.

Kansas Charlie's life is a great reality check for someone who's read too many Horatio Alger books. I read this book very quickly. Dr. Brumberg tells the story well - the prose is lean and engaging, the historical details are perfect. (I can imagine a movie or documentary of this book). The book stayed with me long after I read it. What's remarkable is how little has changed in the last 110 years. Troubled, impulsive boys with access to guns still kill. Prosecutors' and politicians' desire for the death penalty for juvenile murderers is still politically motivated.

Kansas Charley is a fascinating book which ably combines American social and cultural history, developmental psychology, and legal studies. The book traces the story of an orphaned yboy who descends into impoverished and desperate circumstances. He ends up killing two other youths and is ultimately put to death. Kansas Charley recounts this history, but does more. The book paints a fascinating picture of 19th century social life and places Charley in context. It also does an excellent job of connecting modern day attitudes towards juvenile crime and punishment with their historical roots. This book is very timely given current debates over the fate of Lee Boyd Malvo and other children who kill. I'm a professor of U.S. cultural history and think this is a wonderful addition to the scholarship on the history of childhood and the history of American social life.

The simple title, "Kansas Charlie", belies what's between the cover of this scholarly, but extremely emotional saga. It is a sad tale that has vast implications for what we see a century later. Dr. Brumberg doggedly followed the trail of Charles Miller, accurately depicting the many stages of his personal tragedy. As a pediatrician and an advocate for children, there were times during my reading when I wanted to jump into the story and offer my help to this unfortunate youth. The author descriptively takes us back to a setting where the reader could easily say, "That was then...". Her arguement is persuasive enough where we could say, "Things haven't changed so much..."
The dockets in our juvenile courts are still full.
Despite this being a truly heinous crime, the conflict between political force and progressive social movements determined Charlie's fate. True to her profession as a historian, Dr. Brumberg succeeds very well in time transport for her readers, permitting them to gauge whether or not we've come very far in how we regard children. This is very readable history and very few readers will walk away from it without a strong opinion about juvenile justice.

This is a short book on Management By Objectives (MBO). It covers goal setting, incentives, and follow up in a lot of detail but is still an easy read. If you need help coming up with well defined goals, this book provides a great set of questions that you can use to refine employee and department goals so that they are practical. The questions will speed your creation of goals.
The book doesn't cover any other management topics.

If you're about to become a manager for the first time and don't have a clue about how to get your direct reports to do what you want them to do, use this book as a step-by-step primer. It explains what to say, when to say it and how to follow up. It teaches you why meeting and connecting with employees individually is so important if you want to keep them accountable and get results. Author Brian Cole Miller's advice will help you develop your coaching skills. It will also save you a lot of headaches if you're struggling with problem employees. Miller shows you how to work with difficult employees in a way that is supportive, yet puts the ownership of results squarely on the employee's shoulders - where it belongs. If you've just promoted someone to manager, or if you are a new manager, we suggest that you make this book a part of your on-the-job training and development curriculum.

This is fantastic. Miller (great name!!) uses the same style from his first book (also good-Quick Team-building Activities for Busy Manager) and applies it to something much more important: holding your employees accountable. The book is organized so well for the busy manager, that it's almost more like an outline than a traditional book...it's easy to breeze through it, gleaming the points you need, glossing over stuff you already know (and not fear that you're missing anything). BUT, you can also dive deep into detail whenever you want it, or learn from the many examples provided. The steps here are concrete and logical. The flow makes sense...you learn quickly that this is not rocket science...or is it just that Miller knows how to make things seem simple, so the average manager "gets" it and can do it?

Like he warns in the intro, there's not a whole lot of theory here-just the how-to steps with examples and checklists of how to apply them, and then just enough theory to support them without ever bogging you down. So if you accept that up front, you wont miss the theory (which weighs down most other books on this subject, anyway). You'll just appreciate the simple process (which is cool, since he was able to make his 6 step process fit an acronym SIMPLE). If you need some help on holding your employees accountable, and you just need the quick and dirty "just tell me how to do it!" version, this is the book for you! A quick read, to the point, well organized. Miller packs a lot of punch into very few pages. A great resource for the harried manager who wants some help, but quick.

As managers, we work at top speed all the time and often we simply assume (and hope!) our employees are getting the job done. This book offers an easy to implement way to ENSURE employees are getting the job done. What a relief to have found this book. THANKS!

Accountability is essential to individual and organizational success, but few leaders know how to make it happen. Consequently, accountability remains at too high a level-far away from the people who really should be accountable for their work. Managers spend far too much of their valuable time chasing after details, progress reports, and hope-it-got-done worries. If there were a way to calculate the value of managerial time wasted because of our accountability deficiency, the cost would be astronomical. If you could calculate the cost to you, personally, it would far exceed the price of this book.

Miller presents his advice in a design that's easy to grasp-complete with anagram. He offers a SIMPLE system: Set expectations, Invite commitment, Measure results, Provide feedback, Link to consequences, and Evaluate effectiveness. Each of these components is explained in its own chapter, following the same format. The principle is presented, followed by an explanation of why it is important, then the how-to. Examples and checklists (good ones at the end of each chapter) strengthen the book's value.

You will gain a considerable amount of worthwhile knowledge, technique, and advice reading this book from cover to cover. However, the strongest benefit will come over time as you use this volume as a reference book, a handbook to return to for refreshers and reinforcement.

Idea: copy relevant items from the end-of-chapter checklists and use them as daily reminders that you're doing what must be done to build and maintain accountability. This is a book you'll want to keep close to your desk as an important companion.

PS-the principles will work in non-business situations, as well.

This is a wonderful book. So is "God's Dawn For Every Darkness" by the same author. Ed Miller has an incredible way of sharing his knowledge of the scriptures, but more importantly, his knowledge of the person and nature of Jesus Christ through a very personal perspective...a convenant relationship that shines through every line. I love this work. It points the way to the love of my life!

This is a wonderful book. So is "God's Dawn For Every Darkness" by the same author. Ed Miller has an incredible way of sharing his knowledge of the scriptures, but more importantly, his knowledge of the person and nature of Jesus Christ through a very personal perspective...a convenant relationship that shines through every line. I love this work. It points the way to the love of my life!

This is a wonderful book. So is "God's Dawn For Every Darkness" by the same author. Ed Miller has an incredible way of sharing his knowledge of the scriptures, but more importantly, his knowledge of the person and nature of Jesus Christ through a very personal perspective...a convenant relationship that shines through every line. I love this work. It points the way to the love of my life!

You will discover God personally and be refreshed as you are ushered into a deeper understanding and knowledge of your Creator and Sustainer. Author Ed Miller, writes with a warm, and deeply personal style that will cause you to thirst for a more intimate relationship with our Lord. He will become your friend and mentor through his 70 individual "letters" for vision, life, and rest. Ed's writings have blessed me and have given me an insatiable desire for God's word - they will do the same for you! Get ready to be blessed, refreshed, and discover the abundant life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This book is so wonderful!! It contains condensed easy to read answers to the most prevalent questions believers may ponder. One can feel the presense of God as Ed shares his counsel on the whole word of God. He apty shares Gods heart and love for his children as he encourages us to Rest, Abide and Love our Creator. The Best!!

I'd like to add my two cents to this discussion. No one has mentioned the grad school stuff that brought back such memories for me. I agree with Amy about the merits of Wallace Stevens and was surprised that she came to embrace his poetry at the end. I also agree that English scholars leech off of the creative work of great writers. Amy is right to prefer creating art of her own. I'd like to think that's what she does as she goes on with her photography. But I grudgingly admire Matthew's willingness to play the academic game for career purposes. Grad school was such a disillusionment for this old student who went there to relish the joys of literature and ended up fleeing. Miller accurately captures the realities of grad school studies. I put his novel right up there with "Love Story" and "The Paper Chase."

Two people link up to escape, sex turns to love, love turns to freedom. The author presents the process brilliantly, using sex as a metaphor for relationship and how it changes, binds and liberates. Yeah, the scenes are great in the book, but they stand for so much more. That's the way it was back then. However you were doing it, it projected who you were. "Life Boiling Over" not only shows it like it was; it tells us what it meant.

"Life Boiling Over" is a fine book. It took me back. I especially like the Woodstock chapter. Either the author was there, or he did his research. It's true the Grateful Dead was having trouble with the sound system and that acid called "Orange Sunshine" was being passed around. But what got me the most was how people just slipped into the counter-culture like it was a fad and had their lives permanently changed. I know those years changed my life but I don't know if it was for the better or not. A mixture of good and bad probably. That seems to be one of the points Jon Michael Miller makes brilliantly in this book.

I just read these other reviews, and what they all miss is that this novel is a love story, first and foremost. Certainly Miller writes about sex, hippies, and Viet Nam, but what is best about the book is how carefully the author traces each small change in the progress of Amy and Matt's relationship. It shows incredible perception about the psychology of love. It reminds me of Tolstoy's delineation of the affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky. Sure, this author is no Tolstoy, but his insight into the subtleties of love's many changes is as good as it gets.

Lots of Viet Nam books have been written but this one presents a type of war veteran that rarely appears-the most common one, the one who came home messed up, yes, but who tried to carry on with his life the best he could. He didn't protest. He didn't go crazy. He didn't become a drug addict or a permanent resident of a VA hospital. I like the way Matthew Boyer, Miller's male protagonist, redeems what he sees to be his sins in Viet Nam and how he grows from an embittered man into one who finds and embraces true love by following what is deepest in his heart. This is the best Viet Nam novel I have read, and I've read a few.

32 years ago I designed my first underwater habitat - I wish this book had been around. It is somewhat technical, but easily read and understood by anyone who knows the underwater environment. It gives insight as to what can be done if we decide to become aquanauts. It provides a wealth of data to those who desire to continue to design these types of structures. It should a must ready for any designer or engineer who desires this line of inquiry.

I have just earnt my Aquanaut fins by building an underwater habitat and spending 12 days underwater. I read this book cover to cover several times on the advice of fellow explorer and Aquanaut Dennis Chamberland. That was some good advice! Dennis's new book, Undersea Colonies, and Living and Working in the Sea are two must reads for anyone considering becomming an Aquanaut. There are a lot of things to consider, so if you value your safety and the safety of those around you get yourself a copy!

If you have ever dreamed of inhabiting the sea like I have, then the book, 'Living and Working in the Sea' is for you. The authors have provided a concise and comprehensive account of man's attempt to penetrate the ocean, their attempt to remain there indefinitely through the use of saturation diving techniques and provide the reader with the highlights of the many saturation programs, which have utilized seafloor habitats throughout the world. This book is recommended for all those individuals who have participated as aquanauts in a saturation diving program or who are intending to become an aquanaut in the near future. I still use this book today as a reference tool for the day-to-day aspects of supporting an undersea research laboratory and it is required reading for all our saturation diving staff technicians.

Authored by two of the most experienced and learned contributors to the science of underwater habitation, this book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in saturation diving and undersea living. It chronicles the history and the construction of all the sea floor habitats ever used. If you want to build one, read it.

Although divers first viewed the undersea world over 5000 years ago, it is less than 40 years since man first lived on the seafloor. Since 1962, over 65 seafloor habitats have been developed in 17 nations around the world. An amazing variety of enclosures were used including inflated baloons, cement mixers and elaborate homes.

The successes and failures of these ingenious attempts to colonize the seafloor and the technology that made it all possible is the subject of this fascinating book. Both authors are experienced aquanauts having lived on the seafloor for over a month. The book reflects their first-hand experience as well as their personal knowledge of many colonization efforts throughout the world.

This book is the only source available that tells the story of seafloor habitation from the very first spartan steel chamber, to the world's first underwater lodge, an underwater classroom that has served thousands of young students, and gives you a look at the possibility of future undersea resorts, theme parks, villages and cities.

This book is perhaps the most elaborate statement of general living systems theory yet to be written. Not recommended for those not well versed in both systems terminology and biological concepts. However, if you are adept in these areas, you will be rewarded with incredible insights.

Despite this is a book with an enormous and difficult text, since the very first chapter it enlightens the most basic message: that sciences, and knowledge, can be integrated, in a sort of unified theory, the "general theory of living systems", as the author puts it. And it does; since I began to understand the hole thing, it really makes me easier to think, and to view the world, like somekind of natural phylosophy, or organic phylosophy. It's really helpfull. (My email is galfroid@hotmail.com)

Although reading such a long book in its entirety seems at first measure a daunting task (and one that few people's academic credentials hold up to....), readers daring enough to try are pretty well rewarded across the whole of this book. This book is an introduction to systems theory (i.e. that the result of a conglomeration of small scale processes can be seen to accumulate into larger, predictable processes at macro levels, similar to how a person who makes individual knots can end up with a rug...) that straddles the mark from physics to political economy (which is running far indeed!!!)

This is a really big book besides having a lot of pages, and I have a hunch that not too many people are going to buy it outside of researchers or university librarians. But, I suppose, if you're either of these (though if one were going to research they'd probably look to a sucession of smaller books, no?) I'd buy this book.... your collection would be enriched through having it....

This is the Bible on the living systems we see around us in today's world. Years ago, a reviewer described Miller's theory as "fundamental yet capable of elaboration in great detail." No one has explained it better.

Here Miller lays out 19 processes which every living system needs to perform in order to compete and survive; eight processes for information, nine processes for matter and energy, and two processes for both. Miller also sees that there are billions and billions of different kinds of living systems in the world from microscopic cells to international organizations. So, he has categorized them into seven levels from the simplest and tiniest to the most complex and largest. And, he frequently makes interesting comparisons across these different levels.

Miller weaves volumes of information about the life sciences into his theory, particularly the biology of evolution. The concept of "emergence" appears to be its bedrock. New characteristics emerge as living systems become more complex, miraculously it would seem. In that sense, the book appears to be a detailed proof of Aristotle's famous conclusion that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts."

Many readers of this book have described it as a reference book, which it is. But, that description sells the book too short. Miller's prose is graceful and readable. I would say this book is enjoyable and well worth reading even if you have only enough time to read one chapter.

Two interesting companions to Living Systems would be Kevin Kelly's Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and Economic Order and also Ruppert Sheldrake's Morphic Resonance: The Habits of Nature. It might be said that Living Systems is a sequel to Alfred North Whitehead's famous book Process and Reality.

Don't let the size of this book stop you from exploring it. The author has designed the book so it (slowly) reveals itself, working from basic concepts of how dynamic systems work through levels of biological and social complexity. It is a brilliant work, a must for anyone involved in any sort of analytical work. It is one of the most important books of the 20th century and, if attention is paid, will be an important guidebook to the 21st.

To see more of Miller's work and its implications, see the web site Principia Cybernetica.

We need to build more than just a mere 100-200 fighters.

Jay Miller tends to do good work, but the books are seldom balanced - always coming off a bit like a cheerleader for whatever subject he is writing about. A case in point is the F/A-22 book. The airplane is undoubtedly pushing the state of the art, but it has had a constant string of troubles that are not addressed in this book. Then the entire policy issue of why the USAF needs this airplane, or how 100 F-22s are going to replace 1,000 F-15s and F-16s. Still, if you are interested in the F-22, this is a good place to start.

By any standards the F/A-22 Raptor is the world's most advanced fighter. At at least $200 million each, it is certainly the most expensive. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, is it needed?

The plane that eventually became the F/A-22 began as a planned replacement for the F-15 and F-16 as they were reaching the end of their useful lives. The thinking about the plane began as early as 1969. Now in 2005 they are being delivered to the Air Force.

This is a beautiful book that starts with the early thinking, goes through the competition, initial testing, early production troubles, engine development, everything and in great detail. There's a bit about the competing F-23 fighter, which also looks like it would have been a pretty good bird.

There are some artist's concepts of a proposed F/B-22 bomber version and a comment that Northrop was dusting off their F-23 design to make it a bomber. A bomber like this might finally enable the Air Force to have a self-defending bomber like they thought they had with the B-17.

Do we need the F/A-22? -- I think that yes, we probably do. The United States professes to be a peaceful nation, but we go to war a lot. And if we do, I'd want our warfighters to have the best possible equipment. For at least the next twenty years, that's the F/A-22.

The story so far of the F-22A. The develloping story from the early days till present times is remarkable and really made me read page after page. The cherry on top of the cake are the photos - they are almost all full color. Previous titles were mostly black and white with a small center color section, this one is totally color except some archive pics of develloping mock ups that are b&w. But these are a minority. Jay Miller made an excellent job tracing the story of this awesome aircraft. Modern jet fans will love for sure. Highly recommended

I am a hugh Raptor supporter. Personally, I feel we need this fighter. This book is a detailed analysis of this great fighter.

When I received my copy, I read it all the way through. The book is written in great detail by Miller. There is a lot of color and b&w photos taken by Miller himself and through Lockheed Martin archives, many never before released. The pics are crystal clear and many of later Raptors based at Nellis and Tyndall AFB. Text is full of details that can be released and each photo have captions for it.

In addition to sections about the YF-23 the proposed naval F-22, adn the FB-22, the book also includes part of the original Aerofax YF-22 text that Miller wrote with Richard Abrams back in the early 1990's to refreash the history of the Raptor back in the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) competition days. I also have the older YF-22 Aerofax book and the good news here is there is new photos and captions of the YF-22 prototype included in this new book.

My only wish is that this edition included the DIOT&E (Dedicated Initial Operational Test & Evaluation) results and photos of the Raptors based at Langley AFB, VA that were starting to be delivered in June 2005 Both events started after this book was printed . It would have been great to include some of the results and pilot and maintainer perspectives from the results of these tests (it is reported that the F/A-22 Raptor kicked everyone's A$$ that dared go up against it). Perhaps Miller or another great aviation author Bill Sweetman will include this section and photos in their next Raptor book. Regardless, a great book and highly recommended to add to your aviation library.

You will surely enjoy this book. It's an entertaining story that makes the history of the period covered (1850's) and the geography of the Oregon Territories come alive. I have always found Indian culture fascinating and this treatment of the Shoshone and Blackfoot is well researched and sympathetic. The author leaves you intimately acquainted with the conflicts between tribes and individuals and the land they cherish. Meanwhile, you are following this young cowboy from adventure to adventure and meeting a fine cast of interesting characters (romantic interest included). It held my attention from cover to cover.

I give this one an A+ as a quality western fiction novel. I love to read, but I don't always finish every book I start. This book was one of those rare finds I didn't want to put down. The Lone War Cry kept my attention from the beginning. Even with the start of the first chapter, I quickly found myself trotting right along beside young blue-eyed Corby as a turn of events partners this outlaw with his former foe, the rugged ex-marshal Donovan. Their intriguing contrast of youth vs. experience enhanced the adventure as the two build their friendship while traveling on a sometimes inhospitable journey west. The story captures the true character of the 1850's westward expansion and accurately depicts the historical struggles of both the white man and the Native American tribes. The author did his homework and it shows. The challenges of rapid change forced onto the Shoshone, Blackfoot, Crow, and others tribes caused by the invasion of pioneers is depicted with refreshing realism. Although this book has a fiction label, the author's accurate portrayal of this period in history grips you emotionally and reels you in. I found myself rooting for the victors, and sometimes even for the villains! Along with a host of interesting characters, this genuine cowboy adventure has a touch of humor, a hint of romance, a sense of wisdom, and a saddle bag of adventure! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good reading.

A Great Western Yarn. I have read every Zane Grey novel and most of McMurtry and Lamour and found this author's knowledge of Indian ways and life to be as good or better. Clearly the author has an affinity here and has done a lot of research. Highly recommend, a very entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book. I especially liked the descriptions of Indian life. It is an epic novel spanning the country. The author 's
research into Indian life , New Orleans, San Francisco and the West in general rang true. Good characters, good scenic images.

A great read. Very entertaining characters that grow as the story continues. I was particularly impressed with the Indian tactics in warfare, and the compelling personal stories wrapped around their conflicts. The bad guys are very good; Ishka, the assasin, and Targon the crime boss/pirate. I found myself rooting for a number of antagonists, which is unusual.
The author clearly knows his geography and is able to paint a good picture of the wild country backdrop. This is a deeper read than your typical western novel. I hope there is a sequel.