Owen Books

Set in modern day Santa Cruz, Owens has constructed a fictional thriller based on events in and around the infamous mission's domain. Troubled spirits mingle with malignant minds as Native American professor Cole McCurtain finds himself and his Choctaw family drawn into a story he has dreamed for many nights. Find yourself drawn to Cole's wise young daughter Abby and his wise-cracking cross-dressing Navajo friend Alex Yazzie. This literary novel is a great thriller which provides lots of laughs and some sexy characters along the way.

Bone Game is the sequel to The Sharpest Sight, a mystery set many years earlier with protagonist Cole McCurtain coming of age along the Salinas River. Another excellent and very funny literary text that doubles as a sensational mystery

The whole history of the opression of Native Californians is not widely known or spoken of, even in California (I still hear that misbelief that the missions were good for the Indians occaisonally -- don't get me started0. And unfortunately, many times people aren't even aware that native peoples such as the Ohlone that figure into Owens' book still exist (they were, after all, declared extinct by anthropologists like Alfred Kroeber, which is extremely untrue). So I commend Owens for drawing upon the rich history of California in a way I have not seen many other authors do. Plenty of books rely on the premise of the wronged native -- most deal with horse-back riding Plains Indians with names like "Big Wolf" or "Two Eagles."

As for plot, and story, Owens scores here as well. I notice that many other reviewers found the plot line confusing, which in turn confuses me as I found it easy to follow. I even figured out that there were two...well, I don't want to spoil it for you. Owens also has good descriptions of the local scenery -- the redwoods forests of the Santa Cruz mountains as well as the juniper-pinyon forests of New Mexico - that come through as authentic to any who has ever walked in those places.
It's too bad Owens isn't still around producing works like these.

I ran across this book in my search for mysteries written by Native Americans. The jacket blurb and book reviews made it sound intriguing and worth picking up to read.

The story line weaves back and forth between murders set in present day California and Spanish Colonial times.

Owens prose is haunting; his images catch just at the edge of the reader's mind. Ok, one asks, is this happening today? Or 300 years ago? Is it real? (whatever that means.) Or just one of the protagonist's screwy dreams?

Frankly, I got exhausted trying to figure out where and when I was supposed to be. I fought my way through several hundred pages, searching for a plot I could hang on to. We finally got there, but by that time I had become bored with Cole - the angst-ridden, usually drunk, central character.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned - I like my mysteries to unfold in a more or less straight line. Too much poetry, imagery, and symbolism for my taste.

I just happened to stumble upon this novel through a book club. I enjoyed every sentence of it! Owens blends Native American history, lore and custom with his characters' modern-day American concerns and fears. Cole McCurtain, teaching Indian Studies at Santa Cruz, finds that he is lonely, drinking far too much, and missing his family. His daughter, Abby, comes to stay with him at the same time that body parts start floating ashore. Cole is haunted by nightmares that seem to be telling him a story. He is also surrounded by a fascinating array of characters who fill the novel with humor, sarcasm and wisdom.
Owens' writing is first-rate. This is a chilling novel that, at the same time, is quite touching. I cared about what happened to the characters and had to keep reading to find out the next twist.

After reading the novel Bone Game, a common reaction of many readers must be confusion. There are so many visions and dreams in this novel. These visions seem to occur independent of time and space, leading a reader used to highly structured "Western" novels to throw up their hands in futility. On reflection, however, several themes can be discerned from this confusing novel. One overarching theme seems to be the pervasive force of evil that manifests itself throughout the book. Louis Owens definitely has a grasp of criminal history. He has borrowed from real life events to construct his novel. Most of the events in Bone Game occur at the University of California, Santa Cruz where Cole McCurtain works as a professor. During the early 1970's Santa Cruz suffered through a crime wave when three serial killers committed crimes there.

Herbert William Mullin was, by anybody's account, a strange bean. A heavy user of LSD and a frequent pot smoker, Mullin eventually suffered a serious psychological collapse. He began hearing voices that commanded him to kill people in order to prevent earthquakes from destroying Southern California.

Edmund Kemper embarked on a sadistic rampage of murder and mayhem that culminated with his arrest in Pueblo, Colorado in April 1973. Kemper was a giant of a man, 6'9" tall and 280 pounds. Inside lurked a monster. Kemper despised women, especially his mother. When Kemper began to hunt women, his mother, a UCSC employee, inadvertently aided her son's murderous desires by providing him with a parking sticker for his car. This sticker allowed Kemper to lure young college co-eds to their deaths. After killing his victims, Kemper dismembered their bodies and decapitated them. Kemper buried one particular head in the yard outside his room, with the head facing towards the house so he could "talk" to his victim.

The third killer was John Linley Frazier. Frazier's spree was limited to a single event in 1970, when he torched the house of a local doctor. Frazier left a note at the crime scene expressing his outrage at the exploitation of the ecosystem and the rampant materialism prevalent in American society. When arrested, it was discovered that Frazier was a rabid ecologist and a practitioner of Tarot cards. Police believed that the murders Frazier committed might have been linked to the hippie culture movement that existed in the surrounding areas of Santa Cruz.

This lengthy description of madness is not an attempt to skirt discussion of Bone Game. Rather, Owens uses these real events to create fictional characters that adopt, and ultimately subvert, Indian culture. Can any reader look at the hulking figure of Paul Kantner and not see Ed Kemper? The murderer in Bone Game uses a car with a UCSC parking sticker to pick up one of his female victims. Kantner even murders his mother in the same way Kemper killed his mother. Paul also admits to burying the head of one of his victims so that it faces his room, allowing him to talk to the head. Again, this is the same thing that Kemper did.

Herbert Mullin and John Frazier are also represented in the story. Robert Malin, Cole's graduate assistant, seems to possess some of Mullin's attributes. Both Mullin and Malin (the names again share a similarity) engage in hallucinogenic experiences. Mullin takes acid and Malin takes part in the peyote ceremony. Mullin's experience with hallucinogens does not have the spiritual and healthy connotations of an Indian peyote ritual. Instead of receiving visions helpful and cleansing visions, Mullin's visions are nightmares of depravity that lead to murder. Even Robert does not share in the healthy experience of the ritual because he runs out before the ritual is finished. Robert talks about his "dreams" to kill, closely resembling Mullin's own sadistic visions. It is also important to point out that Malin seems to have adopted Mullin's fascination with earthquakes, as can be seen when he talks to Abby after he has abducted her.

Frazier's fascination with ecology and the prevention of materialistic consumption are both ideas that are closely associated with Indian values. In the hands of Frazier, they become twisted beyond recognition and turned into a reason for murder and destruction. The hippie culture that Frazier was immersed in also presents a problem. The hippie culture attempted to co-opt many Indian ideas, especially the concept of community. While this may seem to be a noble goal, in the hands of Whites it had a propensity to occasionally produce a John Frazier or a Charles Manson. The hippie culture that Frazier was a part of actually does makes an appearance in Bone Game, when Paul takes Abby to a place called Elfland. Elfland is a place where white students go to take part in wacky "New Age" rituals. These rituals are actually pathetic attempts by Whites to copy Indian ritual.

Another important event in Bone Game that illustrates the idea of subversion deals with the Indians themselves, as people. Luther and Hoey run into a gang of criminals who deal in a sort of Indian slavery. The evil committed against the Indians here is twofold: not only is an Indian abducted and denied dignity as a human being by Whites, the Whites have also turned Indian against Indian. One of the gang is an Indian who has nothing but contempt for his own people.

A weird book but worth reading if you like Indian literature.

This book on the history of cycling is a must read for cycling afficionados. Mr. Mulholland's passion for the sport and his knowledge are well diplayed by his writing. a very enjoyable read!

great book, especially for fans of the tour de france. i bought it for my husband for christmas and he has commented about how cool the book is.

I bought this book for my husband who is an avid cyclist. He absolutely loved it! It has a great collection of memorabilia and stories about the great cyclists of the WWII era. The pictures are amazing!

I found this book a trip back to vintage and historical era of heroism in cycling! You get to realize how much difficult was racing those days without today's technology of bike gear and support. The pictures are really good and I found myself ''lost'' back in those days. A valuable book for the cycling enthusiast. A return to our roots...

This is exclusive book which all cycling-lovers must have. The best thing in it are fantastic pictures of past-time memorabilia, but author also in very fluid way tells interesting stories about past-time champions.

Ok so I usually don't write reviews on the books I love, more into writing reviews on the books I hate trying to save someone else from wasting their money on a horrible book, but this book is worth raving about. Loved the characters, who are so well developed, loved the sex scenes, loved the plot line, really just loved everything about this book except coming to the end of it. If you like erotic fiction, then you can't miss with this one.

As a side note havn't found a Chris Owens book yet that I didn't like!

Gosh I loved this series! It's one of those series you'd like to go on forever. All the characters in this book stayed with me long after the last page was read, and I know I will go back and re-read all 4 books many times in the future. I would recommend all 4 books, this is a series no one should miss!

I felt disappointed in this fourth instalment. These were my feelings regarding Tobias,Noah,Phantom. All three had lost their uniqueness and sexiness. Tobias was not portrayed as the strong DOM that really pushed Noah to his limits.There was one brief scene with sensory deprivation, which wasn't a complete success for Noah, but it was not pursued in the book. It felt like Tobias was 60 years old instead of 40.
Also, why reference the trip to Paris and 'scenes' over there, and not give the reader a glimpse? Why put it in the book at all?
I could not see or feel Noah's sexiness or edginess in wanting Sir to continually 'push' him. That was gone. I did not feel that he dressed sexy for a 'scene' anymore.
And finally Phantom.The very toubled sexy,horny,beautiful boy who needed a strong hand and was looking for more than Bradford could give him.We had a taste of his needs and I hoped that these would have been explored in a more intense way.
I did not think the 'scenes' were as intense as in the previous 3 books. There didn't seem to be the careful attention to detail in setting up a scene for the reader;consequently, for me, no eroticsm coming through in the scenes. It all had the feel of 'a sameness' in the scenes since it was mostly spanking,whipping. Nothing new, nothing interesting, nothing surprising.
Suddenly Noah & Phantom became sweet pizza eating kids, with kisses & hugs for everyone, always a bathtime, soapsuds and cuddles. I 'lost'their ages and uniqueness.
I am not saying this is wrong in a story..but not in relation to the previous Deviation books. I was very disappointed. Of course, relationships,problems had to be resolved in this book - it just left me feeling flat, lost,empty. It lost it's impact.
No trips to the barn,no pushing Noah
The story seemed empty. And when it seemed Owen and Payne had nothing to write about they had Noah and Phantom ordering pizzas!

Back from their Parisian vacation, things couldn't be better for Tobias and his submissive, Noah. With a new open-ended contract, plans to move in together, and an intense emotional connection that transcends their D/s relationship, the pair is more stable and centered than ever.

For Phantom, Tobias' former submissive and now Noah's close friend, things are spinning out of control. While making real progress in therapy for childhood issues that caused his split with Tobias, Phan is now forced to make some difficult decisions that could profoundly affect Tobias and Noah. Will Tobias and Noah have the strength, yet again, to take their relationship beyond its limits and come out stronger for it?

Knowing Deviations: Bondage was the final installment of a four book series with which I am completely and utterly in love, I had very high expectations. With Deviations: Bondage Chris Owen and Jodi Payne most unexpectedly gave me everything I secretly wished for. All I can say is just, Yay!!

Ms. Owen and Ms. Payne never fail to astound me. Their stories are filled with rich, authentic characters and real emotional depth. The blistering hot sex only adds to the intensity of the story.

One of my favorite things about the Deviations books is the different levels of Tobias and Noah's relationship and their exploration of roles. Theirs is not simply a straight Dominant/submissive bond. They have evolved into much more. Tobias' yielding to Noah is further explored with sizzling hot scenes, while at the same time their innate connection flourishes and grows.

The captivating Phan shines ever brighter here. I have been fascinated with him since he first licked Tobias' boots in book one. It's his emotional struggle and his seemingly limitless cheek that makes me want to snuggle him up and keep him safe.

For me though, Noah is the true star of Deviations: Bondage. His growth over the four books is amazing. Noah's inner strength and belief in Tobias' love leaves me breathless. He has truly blossomed under Tobias' hand to an astonishing depth.

Emotionally charged and intensely erotic, Deviations: Bondage is a satisfying journey of love. I can't recommend this book, and the Deviations series, enough!! They are an absolute must read!

Cheryl
reviewed for Joyfully Reveiwed

I truly enjoyed the first three books in the Deviations series, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. And, it was well worth the wait. The first two novels concentrated heavily on Tobias and Noah's budding romance while exploring the BDSM world they have chosen. Though the BDSM element is represented just as strongly as in the first three installments, there is more plot development here to build the romance to a crescendo. In particular, Tobias and Noah's jobs start to wear on them and affect their relationship. Noah questions why he became a cop after getting involved in a dangerous situation; Tobias begins to see that he can't be a full-time vet, a full-time Dom and manage his farm. One part that was especially good - readers get to see how complex Tobias' relationship with Bradford is, which subsequently fleshes that character out to be more three-dimensional. And then there is Phantom.

Phantom Shaw, Tobias' former submissive, was a minor character in the first two books. In volume three, his character was expanded upon and impacted the story more. So much so, that I expected him to have his own novel after Tobias and Noah's story was wrapped up. Instead, the authors created an unexpected plot twist for him in this final book. Though I never imagined the story going in the direction it went, it made for a very satisfying conclusion. His issues of self-esteem and addiction to pain take a major role in the story. Noah must examine his own feelings about Phan as well - can he accept that Tobias needs to help Phan? What role can or should Phan have in their relationship? And, does he love Phan too?

Though I am sad to see the series conclude, it was a very good ending. The sex was inventive, steamy and playful. Oh, and did I mention plentiful?! The characters were fully realized and the plot well done. These books have always been more than just "kinky" stories. These could be real people; they have real problems; and, they have real love. Overall, I highly recommend the entire Deviations series.

Saving the Appearances is a book I have meant to read for about thirty years. It is a very useful discussion of "modern" thinking, though some of the issues addressed have been "solved", at least partially by "post-modern" approaches. Nevertheless, the book is an excellent marker of the road western thought has traveled in the last fifty years.

I first read this book in college, having already read the author's "Poetic Diction" (and having had an experience reading it like the author's experience of awakening from a spell on first reading Romantic poetry). "Saving the Appearances" was stranger and even more thrilling, but I think I wasn't really able or willing to take it in at that time. Later, after reading Norman O. Brown's astonishing "Love's Body," and finding references to it, I went back to "Saving the Appearances" with more peace of heart and sat with it for longer periods.

Nothing could have seemed weirder or more exotic at that time than the suggestion that Catholic Christianity--Anglican, Roman, Eastern Orthodox or otherwise--had something profound and urgent to teach our generation, something quite different from what Buddhism had to teach, something about a dimension of reality about which Buddhism had not chosen to speak. It seemed to me then, as it still does now, many years later, one of the handful of truly important books published in the last century on the topic of "Christology," the heart of Christian existence.

Did he owe these insights to Rudolf Steiner? To the circle of Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien? To his own spiritual experiences? I never followed up on these questions, though the book still seems to me a great treasure.

It taught me a perspective which I think we've scarcely yet begun to understand, although Norman O. Brown (and UC Santa Cruz) & others before him and after him have tried to bring it before our spaced out attention and to map its landscapes--a perspective through time, through history, a history of "geist" or "consciousness."

Is that mysterious time two millennia past merely a late entry in the unfolding of the axial age? Or was it the earliest sign of another age, a first light too long hid beneath a "sacred" bushel that we still have not entirely lifted and set aside? Did Jesus set in motion the gradual arrival of something like a second axial age? an age of incarnational mysticism? a trinitarian age?

I feel grateful to Owen Barfield for this small book that helped to light a path for me through dark times to some recovery of a hope in love & love's body. And to some recovery of trust in the world-shattering, world-disclosing emancipatory power of words.

One of the most unduly under-appreciated books of the second half of the 20th century.

I finish this book thinking that it might have changed my life; if it has, I might not know it, since I don't understand lots of it, but I find my mind going back to play with the concepts, like an emerging tooth, probing just where my ignorance hurts, trying to tug the sure worthwhile thing out of the sting.

Barfield writes a history of consciousness from undifferentiation to differentiation. At first, humanity perceived themselves at one with all things (he names it, eventually, pantheism). Then, humans began to separate items out of that indiscriminate morass and think about them. Next, humans began to compile these various meditations into patterns. This necessarily separates the humans themselves from the things they analyze. We feel alienated from the world, individual. This is about where we are presently on the history of consciousness.

Barfield proposes, as best I understand it (and I write this review for myself as well, to nail these things to my memory), that only by the imaginative capacity, the creation of meaning (from within the human by the Spirit of God), can we achieve full participation in and unity with what we perceive around us, a mature participation of true knowledge, not the blind instinctive participation of the older time. We are evolving toward this final, spiritual participation--the sanctified imagination. At the same time, we fight off the tendency to create dead perceptions of reality and call them idols.

Those who object to this prescription as an element foreign to Barfield's more religiously innocuous historical commentary would do well to consider why Barfield believes humans originally participated with the world--we and nature are both perceptions of the Divine, and therefore related.

The terms are rather hazy in the book; this isn't my discipline, and I was still trying to decipher some bedrock vocabulary by page 127 (which is a very good page and clarified some things for me, although I spent a disproportionate amount of time on it). It's a mercilessly difficult read. Barfield does crack a joke in the second chapter; see if you can find it. Otherwise, matters are a bit murky, chiefly because of his terminology, which for definition relies on an equally opaque context.

Questions which remain for me: what exactly are idols? I'll have to read the book again sometime to find out. I understand (better) how the human race has evolved in consciousness as we relate to the world around us---how does this theory apply to our social relationships with other humans (and God)?

At any rate, this metanarrative carves a tremendous amount of sense from ancient, medieval, church, Romantic, scientific, and modern worldviews, and in some ways anticipates the postmodern, although I do not think Barfield would have predicted it or considered it an evolutionary advance. Consciousness is perhaps the fundamental issue of human existence. This book, despite its difficulty, explains consciousness better than anything else I've seen (which, I admit, may not say much for my outside reading).

I first ran across this book in a seminary course back in the mid -70's. I realized then that it gave me an intellectual handle on the basic religious thought process. It became foundational for me in my understanding of how we religious folk see our world and function in it. I think it is a terrific book for introducing people to one of the most basic principles of "religious thinking," if not to one of the most basic principles of cultural and social thought. It does have its drawbacks. I mean the author was English and has a fairly definite "Western" world-view, but once you get past that his basic approach is very useful as an introduction to what makes religious people "tick!" I highly recommend it!

I used this years ago in college and just got it off the shelf as I prepare to take up Homeric Greek again for fun.

This was a great help when I first needed it for both 'Odyssey' and 'Iliad' readings. I can certainly agree with those who want principal parts and more definitions, but that's why you also need Liddell and Scott's or Cunliffe's 'Lexicon...' My sticking point is that nouns could've been given a definite article and a genitive ending, even so supplying them yourself (as I did) is a great exercise.

What is so nice about this book is the great number of words listed for you and especially its portability. Take it every where; use it any time!
What Owen and Goodspeed wanted to do is provide vocabulary as simply as possible. And they succeeded.

If you wish to read any language, vocabulary is necessary. The listing of words by frequency and parts of speech helps one to focus study time where it will bear the most fruit.

This wordlist is of inestimable value to all those few yet thrice-blessed who still learn to read Homer in Greek. By the time you finish it, you will have at least a nodding acquaintance with every word that appears ten times or more in the Iliad and Odyssey. That may indeed leave a trireme of unknown words, but trust me, knowing the most frequent ones makes it much easier to get the gist of a passage before running to the lexicon. If you are learning Homer from Pharr--as nearly everyone does--this is a good reference to consult to see which words in his chapter vocabularies are worth committing to your active memory. (I wish that Pharr had marked the words of infrequent occurrence. Wright should have done this in his "revision" but he didn't really revise Pharr much at all.)

There is only one shortcoming, though I do consider it a serious one: the list of verbs does not include principal parts, and the noun list does not give genders or stems. You could easily write in the article and genitive forms for the nouns, but good luck trying to fit the five remaining principal parts of a verb on the same line as its entry. So no matter how you solve this problem, you will still need to look up nearly every word. That's an onerous task to inflict on a beginner. With a class of students, though, I suppose the teacher could divide up the drudge-work.

The greatest obstacle to reading Homer in Greek is the sheer density of the vocabulary. That is to say, Homer's vocabulary is
enormous. As an attempt to help the student of Homeric Greek acquire a good grasp on Homer's vocabulary, this little book is useful yet not as useful as it could have been.

The book contains word lists covering words that occur up to ten times in the Iliad and Odyssey. Unfortunately, there are serious faults with the word lists. As one reviewer has already mentioned, the verbs give only the present indicative active; with a verb such as audao (to speak, say, utter (something)(to someone)), this is no problem, since the verb only appears in a few tenses in which context and form always guarantee one's recognition of it. However, there are countless verbs which undergo such dramatic changes in form from one tense to the next
that knowing the present indicative active alone is well-nigh useless. Thus, principal parts should have been provided for such words.

Also, there are many words whose meaning changes from one context to the next. The definitions provided for such words in the word lists are almost useless, since they only equip the reader with an understanding of them in certain contexts.

One last criticism: There are a number of words which really do not need to be included in these word lists. Words like kai, de, and alla are so common and so basic that only the most intellectually challenged of Greek students would need to practice them.

So the book is useful for the absolute beginner in Homeric Greek, but its defects become more and more obvious the more
one progresses in one's learning. It's a shame that no one has come up with a better alternative to these word lists. Personally, I would love to see a full vocabulary guide to Homeric Greek such as one can find for the vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, in which principal parts and variant meanings are included, and in which all of Homer's vocabulary is covered down to those pesky hapax legomena (words used only once).

I will disagree with the reviewers that fault Owen & Goodspeed for the lack of principle parts and alternate definitions; for me, the strength of this little volume was the ability to carry it tucked in a pocket and quickly drill vocabulary when I had a few minutes. Anyone reading Homer should have a good lexicon and use that for examining meanings and forms; if you memorize the contents of Owen & Goodspeed, you'll be able to quickly identify words and, if necessary, look them up for other meanings or unusual forms.

when ever i have to draw, i always take this book out. its so helpful its amazing

We purchased this for our daughter who is taking an art class. She liked having a variety of figures and body parts to study.

From a parents' perspective, most of the drawings were done in a manner that wasn't too explicit. There are a few that we would have preferred not having in the book, but generally most of depictions were appropriate for a high school art student.

Clear drawings, well-written, relatively simple text, easy to follow.
Especially good for beginners in anatomy to augment Hale/Richer's Artistic
Anatomy (the text of which is more complex and harder to follow) and,
for ecorche, Goldfinger's Human Anatomy for Artists.

A great book, lots of example and views about adult human.
i used it for 3d work.

I teach figure drawing and this guide has been most helpful. Great visual learning guide to the human body and excellent illustrations including baby, and old guy. I use this book more than any other.

Bunyan's rich description of Christian's journey to the Celestial City is replete with powerful spiritual lessons at every turn. The book paints a thorough picture of Bunyan's view of Christ and what it means to follow Him completely. Whether it is the characters Christian meets along the way, the dangers that befall him or the reflections of the dreamer, Bunyan uses every facet of this book to challenge his readers to deeper, more authentic discipleship. While admittedly somewhat clumsy to read stylistically, this book deserves a prestigious place among the spiritual classics. Highly recommended.

This is one of the most over rated books in history, with the Holy Bible really under rated. It's about a man named Christian wh o starts out alone by himself and builds it into a ministry. Anologizing that for starting out in like the 1640s, the pilgrims are a way ahead because these other modes of thinking are like a thousand years out of date. The ;pilgrim's philosophy- take over the drugg riddled and weak and leave them for dead. These simple methods of living made a lot of technology obsolete. PC's? Word of mouth.

i am excited about reading this christian classic. The shipment arrived as sscheduled and in great condition... will order again soon

"No other work in English, except the Bible, has been so widely read over such a long period." When I read something like that about this other work, "Pilgrim's Progress", I was curious. I got a copy and paged through it. At first I was disappointed, because I suspected that even if I forced myself to plow through the whole book slowly I probably would not understand the reasons for its popularity. But then I read the excellent 57 page introduction. And that gave me the education about "Pilgrim's Progress" that I was looking for. W.R. Owens's analysis and explanation of John Bunyan's classic satisfied my curiosity completely.

An allegory of a Christian's life as a pilgrimage towards our heavenly destination. The characters are personified weaknesses and strengths, which make the story quite entertaining and fun, specially to see how they react to the misfortunes and fortunes along the way, and also to each other as they meet.

The book is divided in 2 parts. In the first Christian sets out from the City of Destruction by himself: his wife and kids didn't want to go with him (plain and simple). It's the most interesting part because of the novelty of the road, the suspense of the unexpected hangs over the way. In the second part it's the wife and kids who depart to Mt. Zion, following trailblazer Christian.

The tone is didactic but not lecturely, quite colloquial, I'd say. Sometimes discussions get a little too entangled, too elaborate. Young people and kids might enjoy this read if they hang on to it and read it at a small pace and with meditations. It serves as a mirror into our own souls more than about the way per se.

A classic of Christian literature of its own right, that stands the test of time. Written for entertainment as well as for our learning and warning. Ideal for parents-children discussions and bible studies.

P&K is a classic as far as hornbooks go, and very useful as a study aid for a 1L torts class in my opinion. Though significantly longer and written in more cryptic language than a typical study aid (like "Emmanuel's" or "Explanations & Examples") P&K contains far more information. There is a reason why even the casebooks cite P&K when trying to illustrate difficult to comprehend points. As many have pointed out it still in the 5th edition and hasn't been updated since 1984, and as a result has fallen a little bit behind the times (esp. on products liability) but overall it is still very relevant. I haven't taken the time to read Dobbs' newer treatise on torts so I'll withhold judgment over which is better. It is kind of pricey and long but if you have the time and money to devote to this book, it will teach you tons! I also highly recommend "A Concise Restatement of Torts" by the A.L.I. to help out with all the restatements

I used P&K to supplement my casebook and class notes, and it guided me to an A- in torts. It's a great tool and a great read. However, it does have certain limitations: the final edition was published in the late 80s, so it does not provide much guidance on product liability, infliction of emotional distress and other emerging areas of tort law.

P&K gives you something that year 1 of law school sorely lacks: a context for the fragments in your case book. Its treatment of Palsgraf is particularly beautiful.

And since Prosser so strongly influenced tort law, you can be confident that you are getting good information. Some of my classmates used commercial outlines and they often worried about whether they could trust the material. No such problems with P&K; it was on the money all the time. And when there was a contradiction between P&K and my textbook, I was able to go to my professor and ask her about it. Try doing that with a commercial outline.

P&K is not merely fine reference tool; it is a genuine work of literature. I love it, and I highly recommend it.

I used this book in law school, and continue to use it 7 years into my practice. However the pocket part is the same one I've always had -- 1988 -- I cannot find an update.

"Hornbooks" are summaries of a body of law used by angst-ridden law students to amplify and clarify the often arcane materials contained in Casebooks. The law of torts is one of the primary building blocks of a first year legal education, along with Property and Contracts. Almost every 1L has a small library of these dark green encyclopedic volumes that weigh in by the kilogram.

PROSSER AND KEETON ON TORTS is one of the few Hornbooks (along with CALAMARI AND PERILLO ON CONTRACTS) that is considered an acceptable, though not authoritative, treatise for purposes of legal citation. Of course, cases themselves trump any other source material.

Having practiced law for fifteen years I was surprised to note that PROSSER AND KEETON ON TORTS is still in its Fifth Edition (updated with Pocket Parts, no doubt) just as it was when I first cracked the spine of my copy.

So many years after the intellectual concentration camp that is First Year Law School, I find that perusing Hornbooks for interesting minutae can be a rather enjoyable way spend a rainy, quiet afternoon. It's too bad that most law schools make reading the "Palsgraf" case feel like root canal without novocaine. Law has a beauty that is often ruined by legal education.

If you plan to carry your Hornbooks around, get yourself a litigation case on wheels; it'll spare you a future of back problems.

This is THE classic hornbook for torts, and is an indispensable part of any law student's library. I still find myself referring to this one from time to time. When I was in law school the lucid and clear explanations of law, combined with copious footnoted citations, made this book a joy to own and read.

There are a lot of general torts texts, but after eight years of practice, this one still ranks near the top.

this is a very basic book, not sure what its purpose is, just get an informed guide

Extremely informative and to the point.Covers the basics+++...A MUST READ for every Medic...imho

This is an Excellant Must Have Book. It presents the most common types of emergencies that medics get called to in a easy to understand way.

New medics in particular should grab up this book. I eagerly await a second edition but I have found no other book that cuts to the chase and explains differential diagnosis of about 40 common EMS conditions as well. I strongly encourage new EMS folks to buy this book as the wealth of information that is in here is amazing. While some of the information is old -- I don't think it has been updated since the ACLS changes of 2000, it still has a great deal of good information throughout and should be added to required text lists of NREMT-P and NREMT-I programs.

Well, I have to say...I'm duly impressed. It's not often that I find a medical reference book that is as clear, concise, and step-by-step as this one. Even though it's geared towards the EMT-P, it could be a very helpful guide to anyone in health-related fields...from trauma nurse to home health aide to first responder. Although the book does assume you have the basic knowledge of the advance EMT, it can contain valuable insight for all. It's also well organized; it's easy to look something up and find your information in a short time.

I generally enjoy mysteries set in distinctive locations. For example, I love the Dana Stabenow Kate Shugak novels and the Marcia Muller Sharon McCone books.

There was something missing for me with Tahoe Deathfall. Maybe the action was too easy or implausible. I like my detectives competent, but he seems too good to be true. He is a master of unarmed combat. He appreciates and has a solid understanding of art. He has an attractive woman repeatedly throwing herself at him (even though he's in a committed relationship). He can commit major crimes (admittedly with justification) without consequences . . . Also, does every former SF police officer have multiple platinum credit cards that allow him to charter private jets at the last minute? In some ways, this seemed like a fantasy of the perfect detective life (without the sex).

Also, maybe because this was a first for the publisher as well, but there were some horrendous errors that should have been caught by the editor: he needed to keep her in "site," and one man was the "soul heir." The tune "Soul Man" started running through my head at that point. Distracting! And there were several instances when the writing had serious grammatical problems: To paraphrase: "we said we loved each other we hung up." Huh? These types of errors get in the way of a clean, crisp narrative.

That said, I read the second book (Tahoe Blowout) in the series, and it was a significant improvement.

The first page made me cry, the last page made me laugh. The middle pages held my attention like deer on the interstate.

The main character, Owen McKenna (and his dog Spot) zip around Lake Tahoe in a beatup old Jeep solving mysteries. While reading this, felt a little like a kid again reading "The Hardy Boys Solve the Mystery of something-scary".

The characters had depth, particularly Spot. This is the second Owen McKenna Mystery that I have read. I liked Blowup better, but certainly enjoyed Tahoe Deathfall.

Todd Borg has a nice way with words. I find myself stopped every twenty or so pages wondering at how Todd was able to paint such a remarkable picture with words.

His command of time is second only to his ability to communicate beauty. The story progresses at a nice pace - never hurried, never dull. Much like a good plane ride, I always felt the author was in control of the story.

Go ahead, drop a couple of bucks on Tahoe DeathFall - Todd Borg won't let you down!

FANTASTIC mystery, I'm so glad I discovered the Owen Mckenna series set in Lake Tahoe. This P.I. and his sidekick "Spot", a Harlequin Great Dane, make for an interesting team. The guy is funny, erudite, and has interesting observations on art and life along the way. You also get to take your mind for a ride to Lake Tahoe, which makes the mystery even more exciting. Borg makes good use of the rugged landscape for rousing adventure, and brings plenty of high-ticket toys to the action (boats, planes, cars, etc.) not to mention stunning homes overlooking one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the world. Mckenna often kicks back on his high deck with a beer and surveys the breathtaking scenery dropping a thousand feet below his heels, while doing his detective "thinking", commenting on how hard his job is. The dog Spot is adorable, a giant dog so real he'll stretch off the page and lap your face. Borg's descriptions of his every day dogginess are funny and entertaining, especially to us dog lovers. Borg makes Street, Owen's forensic entomologist girlfriend , as real as the person next to you. The mystery is gripping, and yes it is a page turner--hard to put down. Also have to add that it's very refreshing to read a tough P.I. thriller that is gloriously absent of profanity and graphic sex. It's all about the mystery! His writing sizzles, and I can't wait to read TAHOE BLOWUP, and all the rest of the series.

Todd Borg is a Minnesota native who followed the lure of lakes in the mountains to live in Lake Tahoe. He has created the art-loving detective, Owen McKenna, in his action-packed series beginning with Tahoe Death FALL, which was published in 2001. He quickly followed his maiden book with Tahoe Blowup. Thriller Press launched its business with Todd's Tahoe Death Fall, which was an astute decision.

Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Salazar, a wealthy young heiress, shows up at Owen McKenna's office to hire him as a private investigator because she feels the death of her twin sister nine years before is no accident. She has the I.Q. of a genius, is set to inherit almost four hundred million dollars, and is rightly convinced someone is out to kill her. McKenna, his Harlequin Dane named Spot, and his girlfriend, an exotic beauty who is an entomologist named Street, believe Jennifer. Her claim is verified everywhere they turn as dead bodies from the past and present speak of a family full of evil secrets and unsuspecting victims:

"'That's what they say,' Immanuel said.
'What do you mean?'
'Just what I said. That's what they say.'
'You don't believe it?'
'Put it this way,' the old man said wearily. He leaned his head back and rested it
against the pillow. 'There is something wrong with the woman. She is disturbed.
No doubt about it. But a paranoid schizophrenic needing to be locked up? I doubt it.'"

Todd Borg writes a rip-roaring, suspense-driven mystery that keeps the reader glued to his book until the final breathtaking denouement. His characters are superbly crafted, especially his dog Spot, who looms over the action like a benevolent giant, finally risking his life when necessary. Borg knows how to spin a yarn, and he is adept at utilizing every nook and cranny of the Lake Tahoe area as his backdrop. Tahoe Death Fall is an outstanding effort from a true up-and-comer in the mystery business. Borg is able to send shivers up our spine and make us think twice about checking all the doors and windows before we go to bed at night, as well as looking for skeletons in our ancestry. A tremendous read from a great writer.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

I picked up this book at a local (to Lake Tahoe) independent bookstore. It is a treat of a book and as a local to Lake Tahoe, I appreciated that all the references were accurate. Owen and Spot, along with girlfriend Street, were dynamite in this book. The book is well written and I was hard pressed not to stay up all night finishing it. I have the second book which I am anxious to start. Well written, well research, and a great story! I urge others to pick it up and give it a read!