Owen Books

Happily, this is an original script/shooting script, not the final filmed version so there are plenty of scenes and lines included here that did not appear in the movie. After reading I have a new appreciation for the subtle, nearly flawless directing and acting in this amazing film. Buy it!

I liked Rushmore for a few reasons. The first is that the soundtrack featured songs by The Who, Cat Stevens and Chet Baker instead of some crappy "alternative" bands. I also liked the big vision that Max Fisher had for himself and the people around him. He risked making a fool out of himself in order to accomplish goals that only he could see. Bill Murray can turn any word into a laugh. I want to read the book.

I dare use the word "quirky," because that usually means "esoteric and/or pedantic." But "Rushmore" manages to be quirky while still being entertaining and heartful. There is real emotional impact in this film, as sharp and hurtful as first love lost. Yet, it remains a brilliant comedy with enough "moments" to make repeated viewings worthwhile. The book only serves as a fond memory of the film, much as the soundtrack. See the movie first, then buy the book to cherish the experience again.

Rushmore, both the script and the movie, are instant classics. The buzz generated is still modest compared to the actual impact. Very fulfilling read. Sic transit gloria.

I identified with the characters in the movie. I know one person wrote an intelligent review saying that the movie seemed too surreal, but in my opinion, though I admit the situation had a surreal feel to it, the characters were extremely realistic. I loved Margaret Yang and the way she was so caught up in success that she lied for a project that was almost bought by NASA.

If you don't like anything else, you have to at least admit that Rushmore is one of the funniest things you have seen or read.

Whow!!! This book is truely amazing. Amanda has the ability to bring the sophisticated information about astrology to a level that anyone, old and young can understand. Her wisdom about how the heavens work and how they affect each of us throughout our entire lives is phenomenal. I love how she organizes our lifes's chart with special tips. Oh, how true they are. Reading this book is a must. Read and learn about who you really are according to your birth sign. You will recognize yourself as you read this fun and entertaining book. I have read many books about astrology, but this book makes the words come to life. You can count your "Lucky Stars" when you get your own copy of Amanda's book. Thank you Amanda for putting your gift in writing.
Lori Hunt- Traveler

Amanda Owen has a way of writing like she speaks...concise, humorous and to the point while making you learn all the while. Lucky Stars is a wonderful read with very good energy. All ages should be able to get a great deal out of this book from understanding your defeats and your wins. Looking forward to her next book!

As an astrology student I think this boook should be a "must buy" for those who are interested in Astrology and are novice at it. It is a delightful, easy read, and a well organized compilation of specific facts pertaining to each sun sign. Amanda Owen encompasses how each sign "relates" to home life, friendship, career, and relationships in an amiable manner. I particularly liked her compatibility guide on each sun sign with another sun sign. She illustrates ths part of the book with directness and humor. The knowledge offered here to the younger student is infectious! You may want to know more about yourself and everyone else, because you just may "meet" them some day.

Although Amanda's book was written for the teen audience, the info here is so universal a non-teen, like me, can enjoy it and refer to it over and over. Amanda's strength is her ability to make complex topics very clear and to communicate so everyone can understand their chart. This book found me out of the blue and I am glad it did.

Amanda Owen strikes at the heart of what Astrology is all about;
helping people find themselves. This friendly introduction gets
down beneath the surface enough for both beginners and long time
astrologers. You can feel the good energy in each page and she
makes you feel connected - not like she is talking about someone
else! We look forward to Amanda's next publication and want to'
thank her for a good well done.

Ron & Anna Winship

A friend of mine recommended that I read this novel by J. Nelson-Owens. As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, I normally do not read books that are set in the future. However, based on the style of writing by the author, that did not create an issue with me reading the book. Some of the other aspects of the book like romance, family struggles, commerce, etc. pulled me away from the future setting and drew me into the characters and the never ending twist in the plot. It is amazing how the authors style of writing can draw in so many different types of readers. The authors attention to detail was amazing. The reader can definitely envision the characters and the actions that are being described. For her first published novel, I believe that J. Nelson-Owens has written a masterpiece. I'm hoping there are many more to come.

To the reader who wants to be entertained by a world of love, hatred and a very, very controlling family member.

I was given the book "The Van Laven OATH" to read by a co-worker. I started the book during my lunch breaks at work and found myself not wanting to put it down. It's filled with a compelling commitment to "LOVE / RELATIONSHIP" between a man, woman and father.

It took getting through a few chapters before I could remember each character since their names are very different causing me to go back to a previous chapter to refresh my memory. I found myself yearning for a love like the one between Vaush & Comron and despising the father who is out to destroy it.

Let me sum it all up by saying, it moved my emotions in many ways as I read each chapter waiting patiently to see if a love for two people can conquer all .... Oh well we'll see .................

J. Nelson-Owens ......let me know when the next book is ready for publication .... I'm anxiously waiting! I could also envision this on the big screen.

Thanks for your love of writing.

I loved it! It has everything you could want, romance, action, adventure. The book was very well written and captured my attention at once. I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the second book to see how it ends!!

I love to read, and thoroughly enjoyed this book! At first I thought, oh a book set in the future, I am not so good with those. But it was really wonderful! It was so good - I read it twice! Enjoyed it both times! It was easy to keep up with the characters, you got a good mental image of how the characters might look! The story really kept my interest throughout, not once did I find myself turning to the end pages to see how it turned out! What a twist! I loved the twist in the story - was really surprising! I can't WAIT for the next book to come out - I have to see how it turns out! Thanks for writing such a wonderful book!

Action, Adventure, Romance, absolutely everything you are looking for in excellent reading. The book was well written. I can't wait for the sequel, I couldn't stand to put it down until finished. Patiently waiting on continuation of book two.

I enjoyed the book immensely. I have now read all opf the series and would like to see how some of these relationships work ok. I was unable to stop reading unless I fell asleep or reached the end of the story. I like the way all of the main characters cross over into the other books in the series. All of the series seems to be well put together and I will be looking forward to more books from the Heart series.

As with her previous books in the Celta series, Robin Owens once again enriches her stories with a romantic match-up between characters who are unique, interesting, and fun to get to know. Straif, whose flair power has made him the premiere tracker on the planet, has been searching for a cure to the illness that wiped out his family. For years he has avoided returning home since everyone in his family died there except for him (at last, fans will learn how he managed to survive the fatal illness). But now a distant relative is laying claim to the home and all his property unless he returns, fixes the place up, and restores it to its past grandeur. He hires Mitchella Clover for the daunting task. Her flair skills at interior decorating are still developing, but her creativity will delight the reader, especially her passionate desire to help Straif even when his accounts are frozen while ownership of the property is contested. This books delves into the rigid obligations of Druida City's upper crust society, what is expected of those with great flair, and the responsibilities that heretofore Straif has been avoiding. Mystery, danger, humor, heartache, revelations, and love are all deliciously intermixed in this story, a skill Owens is a true mistress of in all her "Heart" books. New readers and fans alike will not be disappointed.

This author is fantastic - each book I read draws me further into this world and into the characters that exist in all the books. I want a heartmate too!

Straif Blackthorn is the last of the Blackthorn family. His entire family had been wiped out by the Celtan Angh virus fifteen years ago due to a defect in the family genes. He had decided to move back to the T'Blackthorn Residence, his ancestral home. The morning he made his decision to move back to the ancestral home, a wet cat informs him that she is his Familiar. "You will adore Me. Everybody adores Me." They adopted each other and became companions. The Fam's name is Drina. She's a beautiful half-Siamese cat, the daughter of the Cat Zanth, which is Familiar to T'Ash.

Mitchella is a member of the Clovers family. They are a family that pride themselves as the most fertile family on Celta. Mitchella cannot bear children of her own. She's sterile, a condition caused by a disease when she was a child. She has a ward, Antenn, who she loves as much as she would any child of her own body. Mitchella owns The Four Leaf Clover, a store specializing in interior design.

After returning to his ancestral home and activating the spells for housekeeping and general habitation, Drina informed Straif that the house was not up to a cat of her degree. They must go shopping. After all Drina is female, she likes shopping. She insists they shop at The Four Leaf Clover. Drina will not allow the gloom to remain in the residence. Besides, she needs an adequate pillow to sleep on. Mitchella had been pondering how she was going to keep her store open without getting a loan from her family. When Straif introduced himself and told her he needed his home redecorated and refurnished, she just knew this would be an expensive job. Sexually attracted to the man and a good paying job, could a woman ask for more? But, he's a noble of the highest class, and a relationship between them would never work.

Robin D. Owens has written another winner with HEART CHOICE. This is the fourth book in her Heartmate series. I was fascinated by the magical environment. The house itself was amazing. It was like a living being. It was able to communicate and use Straif's flair in order to take care of itself. Mitchella was able to use her flair to redecorate the rooms. She could even make walls into moving scenes. I absolutely adored the Familiar, Drina's snotty attitude. Her diva attitude had me laughing out loud many times. Straif and Mitchella's hearts had both been grievously injured in the past. Straif by the deaths of his family to the virus he had survived, and Mitchella by men's rejection due to the fact that she couldn't bear heirs. Their love for each other is almost tangible. Straif's determination to find a cure for his family's genes keeps him from seeing the possibility that Mitchella could be his Heartmate. It was wonderful to revisit Celta and get to read about some of the characters we learned about in previous books. HEART CHOICE is a wonderful book to lose yourself in for a while! I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderfully imaginative series.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

Others have written good synopsis of the characters and plot. I would like to add my recommendation. This is one good book. It makes you feel horrible with Michella when Straif rejects her because of infertility. Not many authors can make you connect to characters the way Robin Owens can. I am waiting eagerly for number 6 in the series.

Oh yes, a cat like Drina can make you really glad to be a dog person.

Heart Quest if full of romantic tension, murder, and mystery. Readers will particularly enjoy how Robin Owens has woven fascinating secondary characters into Ilex and Trif's story. Right to the end, you'll wonder who lives, who dies, and who has been right all along - Trif or Ilex. A truly enjoyable read, a solid winner that will have you eagerly awaiting the next book in the Celta HeartMate series. It's always a pleasure to return to the magical inhabitants of Druida City and find out who will be next to discover their HeartMate.

Every time I get a new Robin D. Owens book I expect the best and I have yet to be disappointed. In Heart Quest, Ms. Owens brings two previous background characters to the forefront with their own story of love and heartache. When I read that Winterberry and Trif were the stars of this story I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as her other novels, simply because these two never seemed that important or remarkable, however, I am pleased to say that they really shine in this story, and of course there is all of the other characters from other books making guest appearances. As a stand alone novel, this is a good book, with a charming heroine and a serious, sexy, authority-figure hero. I love a man in uniform! As a continuation of her other Heartmate novels, Ms. Owens outdoes herself time and again and I cannot wait for her next one!

I read the first few books in the series years ago and have been reading her new series as of late. I know it has been quite some time since I read a book from this series, but I really think she surpassed herself on this one. I can remember the previous books being more mushy and romantic. This one was sweet but primarily I found it to be a mystery. A cult is killing people in horrific sacrificial manner and our main characters are not only trying to solve the case and trying to stay off the evil people's radar. Definitely worth your time. I loved it and had a hard time putting it down.

I somehow missed this book on it's release date, but was a must have as soon as I realized it was available. I loved Triff's story. Ms. Owen's continues to be one of my top 10 authors.

I have to admit, it took me a couple of Ms. Owens' books before I got the hang of the setting. It was so different from other works, but I kept coming back for more. In Heart Quest, the main characters Trif and Ilex were carefully crafted and so dear, story line was paced well, never a dull moment. I can't wait to read more on the Winterberry's in the next book!

What else is there to say? Those familiar with Mr. Parry's work will recognize the great "voices" he creates and the way the book's world wraps you up like a cozy blanket. If you're not already a Parry fan, just pick this up for a quick, delicious taste. Like sneaking some of the Christmas fixin's before the feast, and you'll want to have more.

This little book will take you back before Christmas became an event that starts in October and is a money and advertizing glitz headache. It will transport you to a time when people thought Christmas greetings and a warming drink to celebrate the day with friends was enough. No matter what time of day you read it you will find yourself lost in another era and wish it was now. A short book - just an hour or so read that will instill your faith in humanity again. Please take the time to read.

Having just finished this book, I'm left with an impression tht Owen Parry has done it again. He is a master craftsman at writing. Having other books of his, under his real name, I'm struck by his Civil War era stories like this work. They reveal a lyrical and poetic side of him that I'm surprised and impressed with.

These Christmas tales are not intended for children, just like the bookflap said. In the flashbacks, there are enough hints of violence to leave the reader the knowledge that Christmas isn't the day to read this aloud to children. When they getter older and wiser, they'll appreciate what these stories mean.

The four stories contained in this book are full of what Christmas is all about: forgiveness, love, charity, and faith. Family is all important and no matter what emotional baggage and hurts, slights, and grievances there are, for one day at least, all of that is put aside.

I look forward to his next collection of Civil Christmas stories.

This little book has a wealth of imagery and stories of amazing death. Owen Parry is a modern O. Henry with these stories reminding me of his Christmas tales. Some of the writing also reminds me of Dylan Thomas, but not overwhelmingly so. All those people who think that only talking about religion and faith and not acting it (like the current occupant of the White House) should read this and hopefully learn something from it.

In his other persona, Owen Parry is a prominent retired army officer who writes brilliantly on national defense and strategy. It comes as a surprise, therefore, to find these gentle stories written by the same hand. This is fine historical fiction. Not only do the characters stay within their historical period - no distracting anachronisms here - but so does the writing. The stories are upbeat and completely ingenuous. They might not be cynical enough for modern tastes, so here is a test: if you enjoy A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, you will love this book. If your tastes run more toward Tim Burton's Christmas tale, you probably won't enjoy it, although you should read it anyway: it would be good for your head. No matter what your tastes, however, no one should miss the last story in the collection. It is not only the finest in the book, but a classic work which illustrates the human condition better than any other story written in the last 100 years. The protagonist is a newly freed slave who had been unspeakably abused by his "masters." Now the tide has turned, the men are dead in the war and the mistress of the house is on the verge of losing everything to the bank and about to be cast out with her retarded daughter. The simple act of Christian kindness which the slave shows toward the women brilliantly illustrates the evil of slavery and the importance of religion. This isn't Dickens; it's much much better than that.

Absolutely beautifully photographed book. Schatz captures the God given beauty of the models under water with perfect taste. This is his best book by far. Yes far better than his most recent book Nude Body Nude.The dancers and models in this book appear to be much more natural and have a graceful beauty that almost makes you forget their nude; as opposed to the cliche "sexy" look that is typical of other models.

A magic delight to any person with or even without sensibility.
A must see for photographers and artists. It is a source of inspiration for my paintings and sculptures.
The beauty of the human body as if we were still in Eden.
After this book I was hooked on all Schatz books.
Do not miss it.

With production values like a Hollywood movie, this book still manages to be intimate, and at the same time, otherworldly and unattainable. More technically accomplished and more luxurious compared to "Water Dance" (although the latter is also a must-have), I can pour over this book time and again, and find another detail or expression to seduce me.

I have now bought three copies of this book, one for my house in London, one for my house in the country, and one which I cut up - so I could frame and hang my favourites. It IS that good: this is a truly-wonderful collection. Howard Schatz is a great photographer and in Pool Light he sets the benchmark.

Whereas "Water Dance" took off from an experiment, "Pool Light" appears to be the result of a complete mastery of this unique form of photography which combines beautiful bodies with dazzling fluid effects. Every image in this book is a sight to behold, combining the beauty and grace of the human body with the imagination and emotion brought forth by an underwater stage.

Photographer Howard Schatz has advanced beyond "Water Dance" to perfect his art of underwater photography through a more effective use of the pool's characteristics to portray motion, suspend animation, and produce some of the most fantastic images of the human body. Every one of the 120+ photos is worth a long look. The bodies of the dancers, models and swimmers are not all there is to admire, but take a look at how Mr. Schatz uses the surface of the pool as a mirror or as a screen to either reflect or shield portions of the physique. Every aspect of each image seems to be perfectly in place, even air bubbles and ripples of the pool's surface, which add an interesting quality of depth and lighting.

As a nice complement to the images, there are several pages of commentary which describe the artists' (photographer, collaborators and models) inspiration and efforts, as well as some of what goes into making a book like this. For example, it's noted how Mr. Schatz prepares his "liquid studio" to be more tolerable to the subjects, such as using ozonated (not chlorinated) water, and matching the pool's pH balance to that of human tears so that models can keep their eyes open longer. Interesting reading indeed.

"Pool Light" is one of my favorite photography books of all time, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The book is an excellent resource for new puppy owners. We have had good success with our new puppy just by following the clear, concise suggestions offered in this book. A wealth of creative solutions are contained in every chapter along with some real practical, functional suggestions that we have been following every day with our new family member. Highly recommend this book.

Great Book. Very easy reading. Many little hints that guide you to having a happy puppy. This book would be good for first time puppy owners,such as myself. Suggest getting and reading Before getting the puppy.

Very useful book. Wish I would have had it before I got our puppy.

I recently got a new puppy after not having one for many years. I thought I'd brush up on new training techniques and "non-violent" sounded good. I read the book before I brought her home and everything has worked beautifully! All the advice, techniques and training have been fantastik and I would highly recommend this book. I've had my pup now for a little over 2 weeks and there has been 1 accident in the house - really! It has made puppy ownership a joy instead of a pain. Thanks Paul!

I used Paul's book to train my puppy and it has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done! His methods are completely reward based and compassion driven so there's no using pinch or choke collars, something I am very opposed to. I have have had great success overcoming all the normal puppy issues such as potty training, nipping, separation anxiety, and digging by using Paul's methods.

All in all I can't say enough good things about this book!

"The Sea and the Poison" is a low-key but very powerful novel set in Japan in World War II. In fewer than 200 pages of lean prose, the book explores the moral dynamics of group of doctors and nurses who perform lethal experiments on POWs at the behest of the Japanese Army. One doctor is corrupted by ambition; another lives only for social approval; one nurse is worn down by a hard life and a bad marriage; almost everyone is numbed by the mass death caused by air raids and diminished by the tendency of medical practitioners to see patients as things rather than people. The upshot: a group of morally lobotomized persons who conform to a perverted work environment at the cost of their humanity and professional duties. It's a disturbing story. The setting is believable, the psychology acute, and the message topical: in fact, it's hard to read "The Sea and the Poison" and not think of CIA agents and private contractors torturing prisoners at Bagram, Guantanamo, and secret sites in Europe. Most of all, the book makes you think. Can there be higher praise for a work of art? Highly recommended.

Teachers: "The Sea and the Poison" would be a perfect book for older high school students looking for "serious" yet accessible world literature.

Without once making specific or explicit reference to Catholicism, Shusaku Endo's membership in the Mystical Body of Christ is as clear as mountain water. With superb craftsmanship and artistry, Endo depicts the nightmarish results of living one's life without seeking and obtaining that membership, without obedience to the commandments of the Lord and the teachings of His Church.

No, it's not a question of being holier than thou -- after all, we're all sinners. Rather, it's a question of knowing the difference between right and wrong, between good and evil, and not pretending that there is no difference, or that the inverse might be true, or that there is no truth at all.

According to Endo, the character Suguro can go no further. But we can. If we don't shake off this diabolical disorientation, we can sink deeper and deeper into the sea of poison; wander further and further through the sinister halls of our own Fukuoka University Medical School.

I liked this book much more than what is generally considered Endo's masterpiece, "Silence", so poorly translated by the Christophobic William Johnston. Michael Gallagher, translator of "The Sea and Poison", also pays some homage to oh-so trendy Christophobia. His is not as egregious as Johnston's, however, and he's a much more careful translator.

SEA AND POISON by Shusaku Endo

Reading Shusaku Endo's Sea and Poison was such a delightful experience I was reluctant to close the book. Granted, it is sad to read about cruel and heartless experiments on living human beings but that is not what the book is about. From the vantage point of Japanese/Christian culture Endo courageously shines his compassionate light into the dark crevices of our souls and makes us confront our own demons nesting there. In doing so he helps us become better persons. Robert Wright in his often quoted The Moral Animal points out that "Human beings are a species splendid in their array of moral equipment, tragic in their propensity to misuse it, and pathetic in their constitutional ignorance of the misuse." Endo does us a service by diminishing our "constitutional ignorance of the misuse" [of our moral equipment]"

Endo traces the inner development of his characters with such a deep understanding of the human condition that I was astounded and moved to tears and joy. He placed two aspiring medical doctors, Toda and Sugura in a University hospital in southern Japan now seemingly under the control of the military establishment. The end of the Japanese/American war was quickly approaching. Daily bombing of the nearby city flattened the city and killed thousands of civilians and gave rise to implacable hatred directed towards two enemy airmen the military captured and brought to the hospital for experiments to determine how much could be surgically removed from a person before the person died. Toda and Sugura are assigned to assist the chief medical doctor who controls the future of the two aspiring doctors. Endo explores how Toda and Sugura deal with the conflicting demands of society, the medical establishment the nation and their conscious. Endo gently opens a window into their souls and allows us to witness the mighty clash between the demands of self preservation and the importuning of their conscious.

Endo writes so evocatively, with such elegance and grace and without a trace of judgment or preaching it was like reading a book length haiku. I recommend that the readers read Bushido the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe, (it's in the public domain and several sources allow a free download). Reading Inazo gave me a deeper and broader understanding of Endo's perspective and I intend to return to reading his books.

This short, dark, psychologically gripping novel is an indictment of militarism and its corrupting effect on the individual and society. The old, the young, the innocent, the pure of heart, caregivers, families, traditions, institutions - all will be degraded if not destroyed by it. It is, for me, Endo's most important and accessible work; it is also that rare thing, a Japanese artist's unsparing summation of the worthlessness and hideousness of The Fifteen Year War.

Edmund Burke would have agreed with Endo's novel "The Sea and Poison". Although a short novel, it is one that delves into some very deep issues about morality and the ethics of passively accepting evil in one's presence.

Contrary to another review, "The Sea and Poison" is not based on the activities of Unit 731 in Manchuria at all. The novel is based on the vivisection of 8 B29 crewmen at Fukuoka Imperial University. These experiments involved removal of lung tissue, puncturing hearts and other experiments, while the airmen were alive. None survived the experiments.

Returning to the novel, Endo focuses on a medical intern, Suguro, and his friend Toda. Both characters represent very different responses to the proposal to vivisect the airmen. Toda feels no guilt or remorse, and has no issue with taking part. It is not even matter of justifying it to hinmself: he just has little response in his conscience. Suguro, on the other hand, is flooded with doubt, ethical problems, and his own conscience. Shown to be a basically kind man, the novel reinforces Burke's suggestion that all evil needs is for good men to do nothing.

A burning look into the morality of the passive, "The Sea and Poison" will challenge and provoke. Despite its brevity, it packs a punch, and will leave you thinking for long after you have turned the last page. As usual, Endo has written a fantastic novel with real weight.

Do you want to learn really how powerful CSS can be? This book takes you from the ground up and helps you to understand not only the how to use css for layout but also why you use css. Starting off with the basics you get a good feel for how to write css in both the page itself as well as in an external stylesheet. The authors also explain the advantages and disadvantages of each way to include the styles. Then the book takes you through typography, which unless you are already an expert, you will gain a great understanding of exactly how the type settings really work with the text on a web page. Next, it dives into how to use the css to control your page layout with many different known techniques. You also will understand how these designs work so you can review them and walk away with the knowledge of how to leverage existing patterns and modify them to your needs. If you want to know how to design a page using css definitely get this book.

I have seen this book as very good reference for css. I just would like to have CD also with samples. It is must buy.

I had hoped to use this book as an introduction to using CSS and to help me update my online portfolio. While I did learn a good deal about CSS, this book was not nearly as easy to use as I had hoped.
First, a significant portion of the book is dedicated to a lengthy and repetitive sermon on why CSS is superior and should be used for all your presentation needs. It seems to avoid discussing the shortcomings of the system, or point out where you might need to resort to other solutions, such as JavaScript.
I am a person who learns by analyzing examples and learning to expand on the ideas in them. This, I think is where this book fails. The code samples in the book are incomplete and presented as fragments interspersed with explanation. The more advanced examples are so full of hacks to make presentation identical on all browsers, that they become unreadable. And the final straw was when I downloaded the dynamic-looking photo browser pictured in Chapter 12 and found that the dynamic functions simply don't work! (samples available at http://www.friendsofed.com/download.html?isbn=159059231X).
This is probably a good source for a designer already familiar with CSS. For a beginner, I recommend looking elsewhere.

This book does an excellent job of explaining CSS. My main focus is seperating content from presentation being my sites are search engine friendly.

Great for CSS beginers, I found everything here I needed to know to get started.