Owen Books

For decades now books and articles have theorized on british industrial decline (or "relative decline"). Culprits have been pointed: unions, poor management, nationalization, the education system and more. Geoffrey owen names all them but with the insight of distance he presentes a more balanced view. Failure to enter the EEC with consequent focus on the commonwealth and government mismanagement of nationalized industries and constant bail out of lame ducks drove to a loss of competitiveness on the world stage with consequent market loss. The entrance to the common market in 1973 and the thatcher reforms of the eighties forced firms to adapt and become international players on a globalized economy with the success we today now. But what makes this book stand out most is its analysis of industry by industry, ilustrated with real stories of dozens of firms, wich gives a vivid picture tha lacks so much in other texts. A good book, lucid, concise, recomended.

This excellent, thorough and generally very readable study of Britain's manufacturing industry since World War II well exceeded my expectations of it on first picking up the book at the library. This book attempts to analyse the reasons for the failures and successes of a variety of industries, and puts all the case studies in a historical context which is meticulously researched. Given the subject matter, the author could easily have opted to grind the axe for one political ideology over another, but refrains from doing so, which I found refreshing. All-in-all I came away from reading this book with a much clearer understanding of why manufacturing in Britain has fared as it has since 1945. This book is impressive, and I recommend it highly.

This new edition of Frozen in Time expands on the history of early British Arctic exploration and places the tragically fated Franklin expedition in the context of other expeditions of the era, including those commanded by George Back and James Clark Ross, which also suffered unaccountable and devastating losses. The authors' research reveals an unexpected -- and ironic -- cause for the mystery illness that befell the explorers. Never-before-seen photographs from the exhumations, updated research results, additional forensic corroboration, and a new introduction by Margaret Atwood complete this fascinating account.

This book excited me, the prospect of revisiting the Franklin expedition in such a way as done by the author was the reason I picked it up. He delivers in a clear way, a brief history of the events leading up to Franklin's attempt at the Northwest Passage and subsequent demise as well as the numerous tries at rescue and later attempts to learn of the Franklin party's fate. This book puts to rest the "Franklin's Folly" view of man and puts the reader at the graves during the exhumations. I only wish there were more photos showing areas along the route they followed where artifacts were found. Occasionally the author attempts and fails to write with flare of an adventure writer, these bits come off as awkward, but don't last long and it's back to what he does well: provide clear pictures of what he did.

Volume 7 of the "Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier", Gold Rush Saints is an extensively researched history drawing heavily upon documents and primary sources to chronicle the role that Mormons played and the effect they had in California during the Gold Rush era. The text is scholarly in tone yet accessible to lay readers as it presents exciting stories of travel, cooperation, success, and destitution. Focusing especially upon influential and charismatic Mormon personalities, the hardships they endured and the legacies they contributed to, Gold Rush Saints is a welcome and seminal contribution to American and California history shelves.

From 1846-1857 Mormons shaped events in California: they were the first American settlers of San Francisco. Narrative history blends with documentary accounts on California Mormon history: first-person accounts of early pioneers provide new insights on gold rush history and experiences. Chapters survey social and political controversies of the time between Mormons and between Mormons and other groups, examine the roles they played in settling California and overcoming the state's isolation, and include insights from the pioneers themselves. An excellent addition to California history.

I got lost in this book--in a good way. There's so much there: it is sometimes hilarious (1st Chapter-"Golf is From Stan" had me laughing out loud in the coffee shop); other times touching and profound (chapters--I forget which ones--on golf guru Whatney Woods and final chapter. This book is obscene, irreverent, deeply spiritual and, as I said, very funny. I'll probably go back to it often.

I found this book very enjoyable. The author takes you on a fun yet thought provoking journey. It is an interesting mixture of deep thought, spiritual conflict and pure mullarky. I especially enjoyed the golf sonnets that introduce each chapter. T.T. Patterson offers a creative, yet twisted perspective on the game so many of us love and hate. I highly recommend this book for golfers and non-golfers alike.

One of the joys that I have is my mail box.




There are days I open my mail and receive bills, while other days I open packages from Archie, DC, Moonstone, and Graphic Classics. This month, Tom Pomplun has compiled yet another gold standard collection.




The 2nd Edition of Mark Twain includes a delightful new adaptation of "Tom Sawyer Abroad" by Pomplun and George Sellas. I loved the story and art and thought it was a great continuation of Tom Sawyer. Tom and Huck in Egypt certainly could have got into a lot more trouble, but the going home to the States for a corn cob pipe is hilarious!




As the notes in the back state about "The Mysterious Stranger", it certainly exhibits the cynical edge of Twain during his later years. Compelling, yet, it draws on the tenants of atheism and could be used by theological cynics today.




Other stories in the volume include "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", "A Dog's Tale", "Is He Living or Is He Dead?", and two clever advice shorts to girls. As a father of two daughters, I wish I had the wisdom and wit Twain had about him. However, smoking is something I don't have any problems with! Just don't book me any comet vacations in the near future either.




Thank you for an introduction to the diverse work of Mark Twain. This is one of your strongest volumes to date.




Check out www.graphicclassics.com for more information on this great line of books.




Tim Lasiuta

Mark Twain is undoubtedly America's "Great Man of Letters." A complicated author, he flowed easily through humor, satire, psychological horror, politics, religion, and pretty much any other subject imaginable. He was able to hold up a dark mirror to society, and stare unflinchingly at the organizations, traditions, and political and moral decay that always threaten to drown a civilization. And he spun a great yarn.

He is a great candidate for the Graphics Classics series, offering a wealth of short stories and witticisms to inspire illustrators to create, adapt and partner with the great author to produce some original works. Even his shortest story packs a solid wallop, and the one page gems are as good as the more lengthy pieces.

This updated edition brings back some of the great yarns from the first edition, with several of the smaller pieces cleared away to make way for a grand adventure staring the irrepressible Tom Sawyer and friends.

Included in this collection are:

Tom Sawyer Abroad - By far Twain's most famous and enduring character, most of us only know him from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Huck Finn", but he actually made quite a few appearances. This is a Jules Verne inspired tale of Tom, Huck and Jim commandeering a flying machine and heading off for Africa. Illustrated by George Sellas, this adaptation captures the raucous spirit and deeper wisdom inherent in the character.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County - Possibly the most famous tale in the collection, it is given a straight-forward comic book style adaptation. I vaguely remembered reading this story in Elementary school, and it was a nice way to be re-introduced to it.

A Dog's Tale - Without a doubt the stand-out piece in the book, and possibly the best achievement in the entire Graphic Classics series. A stunning adaptation by Lance Tooks adds an additional element to this sad story of a devoted dog and the family with which it lives. The true power of words and pictures is put on display in this adaptation.

Advice to Little Girls - An anthology of witticisms each with a different illustrator, revealing the dual-nature of little girls. Sugar and Spice, Naughty and Nice.

The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut - Twain battles to defeat his own conscience, an intolerable bother since the day he was born. His conscience thinks it is up for the battle...

A Curious Pleasure Excursion - Another powerful adaptation, William L. Brown provides woodblock illustrations to illustrate Twain's advertisement for a luxury trip aboard the Comet Coggia!

Is He Living or is He Dead? - Simon Gane lends his old-fashioned style to a tale of artistic fame and true talent, as four painters conspire to gain wealth from poverty. The only condition is that one of their number must die in order to become famous.

The Mysterious Stranger - Adapted by Richard Geary, a regular of the Graphics Classics series, this story features three young boys who meet a mysterious stranger. The happy visitor announces himself as Satan, and proceeds to show the three boys the true nature of a happy life. Only the dead and insane are free from the world's troubles.

From start to finish this book hits the target. As cheesy as that sounds, this Green Arrow Adventure shows you the extent to which a man is willing to go in order to fight for a cause.
The once Green Arrow was a Robin Hood-like hero who used an array of trick arrows and a right hook to fight off a world of criminals. Yet conviction and a boxing-glove arrow can not stop all of them. GA decides that if he, Speedy and his son Connor are to continue to fight the good fight, they need more. This book explains to you how easily it was for GA to defeat his opponent (without ruining it for those that haven't read)in Crawling From The Wreckage, and why his uniform and attitude have drastically changed.
If your a fan of the GA or just a first time reader, from beginning to end Road to Jericho is a refreshing and new start to the Oliver Queen/Green Arrow legend.

ROAD TO JERICHO contains issues 66 to 75 of the current ongoing series. Judd Winick, Andy Owens and Scott McDaniel have delivered another masterful story arc about the opinionated, but loveable Oliver Queen, a.k.a. Green Arrow, who has become my all time favorite DC character.

This time around, another opinionated hero, the Dark Knight, Batman, shows up in Star City , supposedly to lend his philanthropic support as Bruce Wayne to help Oliver Queen out. But of course, there's other reasons as we soon find out that a former protege of his - turned psychotic villian, has also arrived, with the intent of taking out Green Arrow's new adopted sidekick, the young female Speedy. But all this fun is preceded by a flashback as the Green Arrow contingent, supposedly blown up at the end of the preceding graphic novel, go through rigorous and tortuous survival and fighting training on a secluded island.

All in all, a great book, filled with all the passion, action, humor and thrills that have become associated with this wonderful character! Any book that throws together the Green Arrow and the Batman characters, so alike and yet so opposite at times, is always worth your time and your hard-earned sheckels!

Favorite scene: Green Arrow & Speedy are discussing their dislikes of Hawaiin Pizza (ham & pineapple on top), which they've retrieved from some thugs...and some panels later we see them chowing down on some slices while they're watching Batman in action from a nearby rooftop. Hilarious!

It is a very usefull book for pharmaceutical specialists. It is a good which
help us very much.

This is an excellent book that contains every phamaceutical excipient that I have ever had the need to know about. I work for a dietary supplement manufacturer and we quite often get calls from customers that want to know all about all those "other ingredients" that are listed on product cartons. The book has a section for each excipient and each excipient has the following sections: Nonproprietary Names, Synonyms, Chemical Name and CAS Registry Number, Empirical Formula and Molecular Weight, Structural Formula, Functional Category, Applications in Pharmaceutical Formulation or Technology, Description, Pharmacopeial Specifications, Typical Properties, stability and Storage Conditions, Incompatibilities, Method of Manufacture, Safety, Handling Precautions, Regulatory Status, Pharmacopeias, Related Substances, Comments, Specific References, General References, and Authors. While I have a background in Biology, I found several of the sections to be easy to understand by several of our employees that do not have a science background. While, still, there was highly technical/scientific information as well. Each excipient's information is contained in 2-4 pages. The book is arranged alphabetically which makes finding information easy. In addition, it contains an index that is very well constructed. For example: If you are looking for an Emulsifying Agent, the index lists all the excipients that can be used for that purpose. I can't say enough how easy this book is to use. Its information is pared down to the essential text, and is chocked full of graphs, charts and microscopic photos of the excipients.

A powerful story about one family's struggle with domestic abuse. How a single event, or words spoken can have a great impact for better or worse on one person, or the entire family. It also emphasizes the strength of the human spirit while living, and a possible glimpse of what may occur to the spirit after death. For those who are questioning whether they can change their lives for the better, this is the book for them. The story allows the readers to evaluate their own lives and face up to the negative energy that may surround them. Because, at the core of the story is magic and hope, and the potential to be all the great things that make us human.

The Haunting of the Owens Family depicts one year in the life of a typical
suburban family. In the mid-1970s, Meggie and Dan and their four children
enjoy all the comforts of middle-class life. They have the house, the yard,
the neighborhood full of children.

Grace plays the theme song of M*A*S*H on her flute. Annabelle has an
Etch-A-Sketch, Colorforms, and a Poster of Leif Garrett in her bedroom.
Danny in his bright red windbreaker does wheelies as he races his bike
through the neighborhood with his new pal Vinnie. Elizabeth dreams of
college. On the surface all is well.

But a secret under the surface is tearing the fabric of this family. Is it
just a "domestic," as the police contend, or is it something else?

In prose that is full of poetry and wisdom, the author tells the whole truth
of a family's struggle to be "normal." With courage, the author shares the
trials and repercussions of an "expected" marriage. She shows how the jagged
edges of words can hurt when dealing with anger, depression, and death. She
also reveals the true worth of friendship and the strength of family ties.

This is a beautifully written first novel, and I look forward to more from
this author.

--Laura Ronge

This book relates what is truly a hidden history. Owen exposes the truth of how historians have, through neglect, ignorance, or perhaps personal vendetta, failed to display the true history of the Fundamentalists. This book blows the lid off of this wide scale misrepresentation, and helps the reader to understanding the truly amazing contributions of this group of Christians. A MUST READ for anyone who is interested in history or the church.

The Hidden History is primarily a historical reference work, and thus it might seem slightly dry and stilted to the average reader. However, to the intended audience - historians and apologists - it is a scholarly, academic breath of fresh air in the midst of the inane tripe that is so often shoveled through Christian bookstores nowadays. It offers genuine groundbreaking work on a crucial subject - the role of the Christian in history - and its arguments should serve to silence the anti-Christian scoffers. It is unfortunate that this book has not seen much wider distribution, but that is probably because it succeeds in roasting many of the "sacred cows" of the "secular" study of history. The Hidden History of the Christian Fundamentalists is a recommended book for any serious student of history who wishes to seek out the truth, and our prayer at Faith Defenders is that there will be many others like it in the near future.

This was one of the first books that I read about Hinduism and feel that after reading it I understand more about the religion. It's organized, simple to understand, and key ideas are mentioned over and over again. There's sections devoted to Hindu rituals in the temple and at home, the religious texts, India's history, etc. The only problem I have with it is that in some chapters Indian culture seems to be confused with Hinduism itself. For example in one chapter it says that Hindus accept abortion, yet later on it says that traditionally abortion was one of the biggest sins in Hinduism. I understand that in many religions culture gets confused with what's actually in the religious texts. I think that the author could have done a better job clarifying that. Overall I found this book to be a very good introduction.

This book is simple and descriptive. I am a Hindu and I live in the United States. Several Americans have questioned me about my religion and sometimes I used to have a hard time explaining my answers. This book helped me to explain myself in a comprehensive way.

The book provides everday examples of rituals, traditions and ceremonies which are a day-to-day routine in an Hindu household.

In addition, the book describes the basic principles of Hinduism and the origin of these principles.

An added bonus is the role of society and the way relationships play an important role in a Hindu family.

An excellent read for Hindus and non-Hindus.