Richards Books

This is really a nice textbook that you would find in a college book store for your classes. Author describes wet flies: its history, how to tie them, and how to fish with them. I DO recommend author's other publication: Trout Flies. This also describes the depth of fly-tying and how to fish with them.

One of the most useful books a flyfisherperson can have. Outstanding information and advice on tying flies that will be useful and how, when and why to fish them. Covers softhackles, flymphs, nymphs and winged wets. Simply a great read even if you do not intend to fish many wet flies. Highly recommended.

Hughes writing style will keep you reading til the wee hours, and his information is spot-on!

As alway Dave's book are loaded with info,buy it and start increasing your catch rate.I did!!

I have only recently starting flyfishing and am in process of learning with dries. Picked up this book in an effort to understand one more aspect of this wonderful sport. Dave Hughes has done an outstanding job whetting my appetite for fishing with soft-hackles, winged and wingless wets (flymphs, I love that word!) and fuzzy nymphs. The respect he has for those who opened his eyes to this area of the sport comes through in the elegant and simple manner in which he explains the material. This is clear, practical, and a whole lot of fun. Terrific!

This is a masterful book full of poignancy, humor and the kind of suspense we experience in the normal path of life. Richard Haddaway has a great ability to draw characters who live. His descriptions of places and situations are vivid and compelling.

I found it hard to put the book down. I wish there were more. And I hope a movie will be made of this book.

Read it!

Really enjoyed this book. Had a hard time putting it down.

I'm a pretty picky reader...anything I read must be well written, interesting, intriguing and meaningful. This wonderful novel is exactly that for me and well worth reading. The character development is excellent. You won't want to put this book down once you start reading. The book very much comes alive the more you read. Even if you are not a Texan or have no knowledge or exposure to the unique culture of Texas, you'll love this one! Haddaway nails it!

Generally, university press novels have a hard time getting the attention
they deserve, except, of course, for THE CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, the
posthumous novel published a dozen years ago by LSU Press. Too bad, as
sometimes one reads a novel such as WHERE THE RIVER BENDS and feels it's not
going to get the coverage it deserves because of the size of its publisher
(SMU Press).

But this book ranks with Philip Roth's DYING ANIMAL and the new novel
PRAGUE, which I have just read, as well as EMPIRE FALLS by Russo--which, by
the way, I do not regard as a "regional novel" even though it is all about
Maine. Nor do I regard WHERE THE RIVER BENDS as a regional novel, even
though it is all about Texas. Novels with hefty themes and universal
characters transcend their setting. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool New Englander,
and I loved this book. Let's hope the wider public takes notice of it. -- A
reader from Arlington, Vermont.

Set in Texas from the 1950s to the 1990s, Where The River Bends by Texas native and journalist Richard Haddaway is the compelling novel of a rich family dominated by its stern and rigid-minded patriarch. Alcoholism, despair, and the challenge to rise above one's family shadow mark this determined generational journey that captures family conflict and the essence of the human spirit. Very highly recommended reading, Where The River Bends clearly documents Richard Haddaway as a considerable literary talent.

Yoga is a perfect remedy for anxiety.The book Yoga RX gives you the tools you need to improve your bodys reaction to stress.Everything is explained in a professional but clear manner and gives you simple breathing methods that are extremely helpful.Thank you for this great resource! Lisa Marino TX

Yoga Rx is a user-friendly introduction to how Yoga Therapy adapts the practices of yoga to the needs of people with specific health problems. It is an important book for bridging the gap between yoga teachers, doctors and other health professionals. Both busy doctors and their patients will benefit tremendously from reading Yoga Rx. As a companion to this book, I recommend Yoga: the Path to Holistic Health, by B.K.S. Iyengar, which illustrates the use of props in therapeutic yoga programs.I highly recommend Yoga Rx to teachers of all traditions. 100 Sun Salutations to Larry Payne and Dr.Richard Usatine for writing this empowering book! Suza Francina, author, The New Yoga for People Over 50 and Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause.

As practicing Yoga therapist, perhaps my best recommendation is to note that I have spiral bound my own copy and some of the pages are becoming a bit dog-eared.

This is a well written, sound introductory guide to Yoga therapy, written by two of the Western leaders in this emerging discipline. The text has an elegant simplicity, reflecting years of experience. I especially appreciate the thoughtful allopathic medical advice and wise lifestyle counseling well integrated with the Yoga practices. I also appreciate the extensive resource guide and the many academic references. The book as a whole provides much insight for students, yoga teachers and other health care practitioners wanting to explore the many possibilities for Yoga for health and wellness as well as an alternative or complementary therapy.

As a teacher attempting to work with individuals as a whole, however, I remain somewhat uncomfortable with the connotations of the title of this book. Yoga therapy is not a set of mechanical prescriptions for common ailments. That sort of cookbook assumption does a disservice to the breadth of the discipline, the role of a teacher and the many dimensions to each student. The authors, of course, know this well. Larry Payne has done much pioneering work in Yoga therapy and in bridging this discipline to the allopathic medical community.

In my view, the practices in the book are more illustrative of general principles applied to specific individuals and situations at a point in time rather than prescriptions that can be easily generalized. In that sense, this book may be more appropriate for the experienced Yoga therapist who will be familiar with various caveats, alternative approaches and broader dimensions to Yoga practice.

For example, chronic lower back pain is probably the most common complaint brought to Yoga therapists. The practice suggested in the book should be helpful to many in "typical" situations and I have used it successfully with some of my own students. Few students are typical, however. For many students that particular sequence will be too strong, or too gentle or too long, or contains a contraindicated movement, such as the twist. In real life, many students will have other important health considerations besides unspecified lower back pain, e.g., a different limiting injury, excessive stiffness or flexibility, difficulty breathing, depression, perhaps even much experience in Yoga from another tradition, etc.

Many students will have, or will soon develop, other goals for practice besides pain relief. Increased physical & psychological strength and private spiritual support are two common, but much different aspects of Yoga practice that can be woven in or stimulated from therapeutic applications.

Finally, perhaps more than a technique, students may most need a relationship with a teacher who will see them as a whole, something they might not find in the conventional health care environment.

From those perspectives, there is no substitute for working with a well-trained and experienced therapist. Finding a qualified practitioner, however, may be difficult. This is common with many emerging CAM therapies, but perhaps especially acute in Yoga. There are no standards for Yoga therapists and few in-depth training programs.

An obvious companion to this book is Yoga for Wellness by Gary Kraftsow (from the same teaching lineage). Compare, for example, the much stronger sequence for working with the lower back in that book and the emphasis on case studies. Together, these two books provide a rich, complementary perspective on Yoga therapy.

For those interested in Yoga and complementary and alternative medicine, I recommend The Yoga of Healing by T. K. V. Desikachar and Dr. Arjun Rajabopalan. Also The Best Alternative Medicine by Dr. Kenneth Pelletier. For broader and deeper perspectives on Yoga from the same lineage, see The Heart of Yoga by Desikachar and Yoga for Body Breath and Mind by A. G. Mohan. Practicing or aspiring Yoga therapists should be subscribers, or course, to the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, co-founded by Larry many years ago.

This book is a comprehensive, intelligently written, and accessible resource for all those interested in their health, yoga, or both. I enthusiastically recommend this well written, easy to read, and easy to understand book.

Any Yoga practitioner and teacher should feel privileged that this book is made available. The authors bring out their experience in dealing with ailments of the body applying Yoga in such great detail. A host of common and not so common ailments are covered - explanation of the relevant anatomy, examples of people they treated with Yoga and the routines used.

As a Yoga teacher I find this book immensely (that is just an understatement) helpful. I routinely use and refer this beautiful presentation to address my student's concern. The authors understanding and respect for the (patient's) body and a diverse audience a book can reach is evident in the routines which are mild and curative, in the precautions and helpful wholesome practices that can also be followed.

The publishers have done a terrific job in the quality of the photographs, printing and the overall book itself. Another jem of a book about application of Yoga for what is needed most today. The authors and publishers have truly done a yoeman service by making such content available.

This book is an excellent way to determine a beginning program in terms of effort and time and a logical method how to progress without burning out. It has some questionaires, but don't be put off by the arithmetic. The charts determining your VO2 are accurate (correleated with my 1 1/2 run time) and the method of determining your first weeks target number and the increase for each week, helps you from being too lazy or pushing not hard enough. However it would have been good if the chart on the VO2 had been supplemented with a percentage(%) maximum heart rate chart, but the % heart rate and the correlated VO2 can be found on the web. In short, the point system is far superior to the Aerobic Points from the Ken Coopers books.

The biggest benefit this book gave me was a reasonable, sensible goal. Without some kind of measurable goal (in this case, meeting the minimum number of exercise points per week), you have nothing to measure yourself against and I always felt I wasn't doing enough! Now, when I've done my exercise for the week and I don't feel like getting up on Saturday morning, I just crawl back into bed! And it's working! Without changing my diet I've lost 10 pounds over the last month, just by using my stationary bicycle, hiking, and exercise videos.

This is a great book. It illustrates the fundamental theories of health and excercise in a rational straight foward way. Also all the scientific proof is written in the book for the cynics. The point system may not be a favourite for everyone but once you get the gist of the program and start analysing food labels for yourself it is really easy to add in a few more exotic foods. It is very simple to keep track of what you have eaten and how much energy you have expended without having to anlalyse everything you do during the day. One point that may be relevant to note is the ratio that foods should be consumed in. Like all books, it is biased towards the authors background. Body builders like weider and bill phillips recommend far larger meat intakes than this book. This book also focusses on having a greater complex carbohydrate intake than some newer books.

This is the closest thing to an idiot-proof fitness plan out there; trust me, I should know. Before I started using this book, I was overweight and not very fit. In school I was the kid who hated gym class and faked doctor's notes to get out of it. Over the years I had tried and failed at lots of fitness regimens. Then a friend gave me this book, saying it had worked for her. A year later I have slimmed down and I feel a lot stronger and more energetic. This may sound like a cheesy testimonial, but it's true. What's great is that the author, Dr. Richard Brown, uses the same plan with the Olympic athletes he coaches -- it is entirely customized to your level of fitness and your goals.

Under this plan, any exercise counts -- from scrubbing floors to Tae-Bo to sailing -- because you rate the effort yourself according to an easy-to-use scale (no heart-rate monitoring). The main point is to choose something you enjoy, the reasoning being that you'll be more likely to stick with it that way. I get my points mostly from walking, stationary cycling, and a strength-training video workout, but I can just as easily figure out my effort for the occasional day of hiking or swimming in the ocean. Even if you don't keep track of your points, you can still use the general principles to pace yourself. The result for me was that I didn't burn out the way I had on other plans, because I was doing exactly the right amount of exercise, and I started noticing the benefits right away. I'd like to thank the author: L.E.A.P. is quite an achievement.

The hardest part of exercise is getting started. This program really helps because it makes every little bit count. You can start by doing lite exercise and move up to more strenuous workouts. If you are already in shape and exercising regularly, you can also benefit. I found the point system fun -- kind of like taking a quiz in a magazine.

This book is a 7 course meal for the eyes and mind! You will love the photographs of the rare Oz treasures, which are organized by decade.

This book is one of my favorite Oz reference books! John Fricke is truly the leading Oz expert!!

With Willard Carroll's Oz collection as a backdrop, John Fricke has cataloged the fabric of Frank Baum's stories of Oz. I am certain that Frank Baum could not have been aware this fabric would become a great tapestry upon which the world could identify what it meant to be human. Oz has permeated our society with its influence. It is found in our languages, our politics, human behavior, and is probably used more often as a simile than any other imagery in our language.

From the opening pages of this book to the last, the book is a compelling journey through Oz. The collection of Mr. Carroll's Oz memorabilia is so large that it is like trying to comprehend the distance between stars or that a few people actually have a billion dollars. This colligation of Oz collectibles somehow unites every civilization, geographic location, and human condition. It is one of the few things that have true universality.

After reading John Fricke's take on Oz, of course, based on Willard Carroll's collection, I am left wondering how history would be different were it not for Frank Baum's Oz?

The pictures are glorious, the layout intelligent and thoughtful-I will never see Oz in quite the same way again. John Fricke's writing is stellar. Willard Carroll's collection ---what can I say, WOW! 100 years of Oz is entertaining, educative and provides a new look at Frank Baum's Oz through the other end of the spyglass. This is a visit to a museum with a very knowledgeable guide through an unforgettable exhibit. Thanks for the tour. I'll be back again.

This book is a must for all collectors.

"100 Years of Oz" is a delight for everyone who has ever fallen in love with "The Wizard of Oz" (which includes just about everyone.) The success of the book lays in John Fricke's capabilities as a writer. His words are consise, thoughtful, and honest. The photographs, likewise, catch the eye like flashes of brilliant light. It is not easy to take one of America's most chershed series of books, its favorite film, and 100 years of mechandising and condense it all into one volume. Thankfully, Mr. Fricke has done that- impeccably. Buy this book today. I highly recommend it to everyone as an example of first class research. Above all, it is a time capsule of memories. Fricke will long be heralded as "Oz"'s best friend. Congratulations to all who made this book such a beautiful addition to my library.

Lions and tigers an bears? Oh my! Add Munchkins and Winged Monkeys and a Horse of a Different Color to the list. This is Oz Country, and things simply don't get better than this. To celebrate the centennial of the publication of L. Frank Baum's novel (and the 60th anniversary of the classic MGM flick), preeminent Oz historian John Fricke has written a glorious homage of all things fun and fantastical. Not only does the book offer a fascinating chronicle of the Ozian phenomenon, but the illustrations, culled from Willard Carroll's priceless collection of more than 10,000 museum-quality pieces, are breathtaking. Oh Auntie Em, there's no place like home . . . provided you're snuggled up in front a fire with this gem.

When I first saw this book years ago on "the Inernational Wizard of Oz Club", I wasn't really keen to get it (I guess the front cover looked a little too dull for me), but after seeing it in a bookstore and actually looking through it, I then knew I had to get this book, because (unlike the small "All Things Oz" collection), this book includes things OTHER than Baum's Book and MGM's Wizard, such as an unknown song from the 1904 Musical (not mentioned in "Oz: Before the Rainbow"), the Silent Films, 'Journey Back to Oz', 'The Wiz', both the Rankin Bass & Disney versions of 'Return to Oz', the 4 1987 CANADIAN-Animated Cinar Films (YES!! The mystery of their animation origin is written here!!), "the Wizard of Oz - Animated Series", "Oz Kids", the Asian "Space Adventures of Oz" TV series, "On Ice" Productions . . . it not only has all of this but also INCLUDES the most important and best of all, "The Dreamer of Oz"!! other language editions of the Oz books, and we also get a few 'Baum's Non-Oz' stuff, like his "Last Egyptian" Film and "Queen Zixi of Ix" book (plus a "Denslow's Picture Books for Children",) games/items/figurines, a few design sketches for MGM's Oz props/Emerald City and lots of other things that have to do with 'Oz' too - even though we don't get like 1-full page on info on every particular item, we still get some good information and lots of pictures too. Just like "All Things Oz", this book has lots of written information, pictures in the background/inserts and quotes from "the Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (and I'm glad to say that it doesn't have so many mistakes as "All Things Oz" does). But we also get a glimpse at some not-so pleasant Oz stuff, like the "Oz Comics for Adults" and a horrific Winged Monkey Creature Features model.
The Chapters of this book go by 10 Years (e.g. 1900's, 1910's, 1930's, 1940's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, etc.).
This was a pleasant surprise to find on a bookshelf (along with many other Oz books) and it was an absolute pleasure for me to buy it.
Also, what you see is a slip-on cover. The actual front cover is (an Italian poster of MGM's) Dorothy looking at the Crystal Ball and seeing the Wicked Witch of the West flying on her broomstick.
Trust me, get this book, and you'll love it - maybe even more than "All Things Oz"!

At first glance I thought this was a business book. It's not at all a business book, or I should say, it's so much more than that. Richard discusses ideas that apply to all areas of your life, including situations and relationships at work. This book is about being better, a "better" employee, a "better" friend or spouse, taking "better" care of yourself...whatever is important to you. He writes about remembering what you can control (your reactions), not being a victim, and taking care of what is important in your life. I recently completed reading this book for the 3rd time since I first received it. Each time I've read it, I've been reminded of what is important in my life. I'm reminded of my priorities, but also of how I do not always give them the appropriate energy and attention. It's a quick and easy read. He uses specific, real-life examples to illustrate his points. There are no gimmicks here. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to take him- or herself on.

At first, I thought Cassidy was simply going to provide an overview of great books on leadership. However, his style of writing quickly became very passionate and personal. He dates himself to be 36 years old at the time of publication but has wisdom beyond his years. Cassidy incorporated sports and personal events to depict the ideas in his book that were both entertaining and memorable. Many times, he over-explained the point he was presenting so that 3 pages could have been effectively stated in 5 sentences, and the lack grammar was slightly distracting. Overlooking these trivial flaws will allow you to learn powerful lessons. When drawn into self-pity or just reacting to daily circumstances, I am reminded of Cassidy's easy-to-understand concepts. Thank you Ann for providing this book and thank you Cassidy for sharing pieces of your life in order to advance the lives of those around you. I highly recommend this book.

This book presents an excellent set of concepts and really turns a light bulb on for the reader. Cassidy does a great job pulling in real life experiences to drive his points home. Everything in this book can be applied to both our personal and professional lives.

I loved this book for a number of reasons. It is not a "heavy" book with a lot of research and statistics and can quickly be read by most readers. It is a real world view of life through the eyes of a man who has some important messages that we all need to pay attention to when it comes to accountability. But, what I like most is that even young adults should find this interesting. I have personally sent two copies of this book to young adults down to the age of 14. If you are influencing the young, I would recommend this book as part of your strategy. Let them know about how important accountability will be to their success in work, relationships, marriage, and parenting. Richard Cassidy's book touches on all of these area's and is a great read for adults and youth.

Cassidy has a bias for action and his first book demonstrates this bias through both form and content. The basic message is that if we understand and act like we are in control rather than victims of some unseen hand of fate our lives will be fuller, richer and more complete. I have the opportunity of teaching a college senior seminar and one goal is getting undergrads more ready to face the "real world." As I read this book I saw illustrations that I thought students would both identify and understand as the author begins early with the admonition to not be the victim. In practical terms he explains how to make accountability a driving force in your own life - thereby morphing the noun to a verb. Cassidy gets personal with this message and that is a technique that many of my students found authentic and useful as they captured the message of this relatively short but focused life lesson. The author discusses his quest for the best in his job, the actions involved in building a strong spousal relationship and the care, time and attention devoted to his son. He also relates important, relevant and timely examples of others who have made accountability the verb in their lives. This combination of the personal and the personalization make this book easy to understand while providing opportunities for lively discussion on ways to engage in life rather than just letting what might happen, happen. This was interesting to an old guy and many of my seniors found it valuable to their thinking as they begin the transition from college to the work place.

This is a very fine architectural book and would be a great addition to anyones collection. The only down side is that I bought this book hoping that one of Trumbauers lesser known houses would be in it. It's the Benjamin C Allen House, in my hown town of Colorado Springs CO. It actually has a funny story to why it was demolished too. Mr allen built the house for his wife, but twenty years later, ran away with her chamber maid. She couldn't bear to live in the house he had had built for her, so she had it demollished and a local architect had a near replica built in its place. Other than not having any information on the Allen House, this is a fine book.

As someone who loves books like this, I can honestly say this is perfection. Anyone who thinks Delano and Aldrich, or dare I say McKim, Mead, and White designed the most lavish Guilded age mansions need, no must, buy this book. Horace Traumbaur would give Richard Morris Hunt a run for his money, as a Beaux Art master. I had no idea he designed so many beautiful mansions, I knew he was a great architect and I knew about his masterpiece Whitemarsh and it's disgusting demise, but I didn't grasp the depth of his range nor the breath of his work. I thank the authors for honoring him with this great book and as an admirer of his work I am thrilled to get the chance to own such a great book. The quality of this book is superb and the photos are outstanding. I can only hope that this book saves the rest of his buildings in particular the Widener mansion, let's not allow it to meet the same fate as Whitemarsh, who needs another bland housing tract, what we need are reminders of special talent and amazing buildings, mansions like this will never be built again. The Guilded Age is long over and the talented masons and the great architects who honored the past are all gone, replaced by the likes of Frank Gehry and Rem Koolhaus.

It would take a much larger book to do justice to all the works of Trumbauer. Wish there is one on public buildings by him. However, it is the best one out so far.

This is a superior book, and for three reasons.

First, the obvious: Well researched, beautifully presented, excellent high quality images, lots-o-plans, and an engaging text.

Many readers may not consciously notice the second reason, but it makes all the difference in the world. Most architectural monographs (and many books in general) scatter images throughout a book, and it is difficult if not impossible to develop a clear understanding about individual projects. Various rooms will be many pages (and many projects) apart, and with plans grouped together (or not even included). Also, captions will be brief to the extreme, forcing one on a hunt through the text to access more information. Is there anything more irritating? Not so with American Splendor. Author Michael Kathrens and his graphic designer (and editor?) should be applauded for the clarity offered the reader - like an unexpected gift. Each house is presented on concurrent pages, with beautiful (often full page) images, and concluding (mostly) with clear plans. Ahh! Plans! While the captions are short, the relevant text is always nearby. No hunting!

The third reason is another highly useful (even thoughtful) gift to readers, yet also rarely offered. When one concludes reading about each Trumbauer creation, its current status is articulated! One is never left hanging with those two terrible, dreaded, lingering questions: Was this beautiful creation destroyed? (If yes, one wants to weep.) Or is it well loved and maintained? (If yes, a grin spontaneously ensues.) I cannot count the books that don't answer these important questions, or, again, sadistically force the reader to search and search for an answer.

So, American Splendor should be applauded for the usual reasons. But it should also be applauded for reasons that too few authors (and designers and editors) pay attention to.

Michael, thank you for these many gifts.

I love this book. Found it by accident in my local library. Was suprised to discover many of Trumbauer's buildings still standing and in my area in PA. All except Whitemarsh Hall, which
is pictured on the cover. I still get sick to my stomach when I think of this masterpiece being demolished. One of his other grand estates, Lynnewood Hall, is also in ruins. Please everyone, support restoration of historic buildings. We spend millions of dollars to travel to Europe to see 800 year old castles, but tear down our own grand estates. I also bought a book called "Great American Mansions" which tells you state by state what places are open to the public. I love old homes and
"American Splendor" is a must read for anyone who appreciates great architecture and preserving it's past. I bought my own copy and plan on visiting as many sites as I can.

It's a sad spectacle when men whose careers depend on their belief in an ever-discredited, if popular, fairy tale set out to convince us that they are right.
What, I wonder, would become of Hahn and company if they were to conclude that Richard Dawkins was correct? Do you think they would be kept on as resident talespinners at their present colleges? Or perhaps they have signed a statement swearing to uphold the magisterium of the Catholic Church..in which case whatever intellectual honesty they may have had has been subordinated to a few old men who dress up in skirts.
The great error of this book lies in reducing Dawkin's arguments to what this duo of writers call his "faith" (at least they implicitly concede that this is a bad thing by their very usage) in "chance." As anyone familiar with Dawkin's book will attest, that is for the most part the very opposite of what he is writing about.
The exception of course lies in the category of "miracles," in which we are asked by our intrepid authors to believe.
There is, of course, one huge problem that they have to address, and do not to any degree of satisfaction:
WHY DOESN'T GOD HEAL AMPUTEES? If a miracle is a miracle, and as such can land even such a paternalistic fascist as Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer y Albas (the founder of the Opus Dei cult, who loved to flaunt his million-peso name) on the altar of sainthood (albeit with the help of the deeply-lined pockets of the groupies he once led), one must assume that healing an amputee would be nothing at all. And if the alledged miracle is to demonstrate a supernatural truth, one would expect that the more unambiguous the miracle the better.
But religion and unambiguity in the area of reason do not mix well; and so we have an army of devout idiots lining up to reassure the rest that they can reassuredly continue supporting a church that hid child rapists, indirectly murdered thousands (at minimum) through its obscurantist tactics against the anti-AIDS distribution of condoms in Africa, ruined countless marriages through its ridiculous rules against family planning, kept untold numbers of women and men in a state of emotional immaturity through something perversly called "vocations," sponsored dictator after dictator in the name of faith, and made perhaps the greatest fraud of the twentieth century, one Teresa of Calcutta, into its poster girl for poverty and suffering.
It is almost as if they deserve one another.

Simply put, this slim volume packs a wallop through the use of head-on logic and critique. Hahn doesn't dash around Dawkins arguments and create strawmen to attack. He goes toe-to-toe, giving Dawkins his "props" and due when his own arguments are strong...and recognizing when his other points are weak and hackneyed. I was impressed how Hahn finds the logical fallacies in Dawkins' own arguments--the same fallacies Dawkins criticizes in various theistic arguments for the existence of God. In the end, there is little "new" in the "new atheism" of thinkers such Dawkins, Hitchens, or Harris, except for the passion of their critiques and the world stage they are given for their viewpoints. Their perspectives are understandable to some degree in the light of religious extremism and violence, but the evil behavior of people around the world--religiously or secularly motivated--is only an emotional argument against the existence of God, not a rational one. Hahn keeps it at the rational level.

I know we should never judge a book by its cover, but in this case the cover is particularly good. It depicts a caricature of Dawkins, cast as Adam in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam. But in contrast with the original painting, in which Adam submissively holds his finger out to receive life from the finger of God, Dawkins arrogantly holds his finger up, refusing to acknowledge God's existence. A painting represents a moment of time frozen in eternity, and thus, the finger of God continues to point, offering life to Dawkins, but he continues to refuse it. Also unlike the original, in which Adam in his innocence is completely naked, Dawkins at least has a copy of The God Delusion to cover him - but the book is rather small and serves to emphasize his nakedness as much as to cover it. And that is the message: this excellent book leaves him looking very naked indeed.

I have seen several attempts, both long and short, to unravel the errors of The God Delusion (and I have even made one myself), but as far as I can see, this book far surpasses all of them. Its great strength is that the authors do not attempt to knock down Dawkins' assertions point by point but tease out the illogicalities and inconsistencies underpinning his whole argument.

The first four chapters deal with the question of God's existence. Here the authors demonstrate admirably how Dawkins fudges the concepts of probability and the anthropic principle to manufacture arguments which have the illusion of substance but in reality are utterly invalid. They then explain how his failure to grasp the basic principles of philosophy and theology lead him to misinterpret completely the demonstrations of the existence of God, most significantly Thomas Aquinas' five proofs. Since these arguments are central to Dawkins' thesis, discrediting them destroys his whole case.

Along the way, they make some other interesting points: for example, that the human intellect and the development of science cannot be explained on evolutionary principles, since the intellect goes far beyond what is necessary for survival and reproduction, and science, at least in its early stages, was a purely intellectual pursuit with no relevance to survival or reproduction. They also demolish the "prayer experiment" quoted by Dawkins. Most importantly, perhaps, they show how his refusal to understand the nature of God makes most of his arguments irrelevant.

Chapters 5 and 6 deal with moral principles and show that both Darwin and Dawkins are inconsistent in their application of morality. Darwin stated that morality should be based on evolutionary principles, but then contradicted this by exalting the value of sympathy over everything else. Dawkins, claiming that our moral values have all been derived from natural selection and that there is no such thing as absolute good or evil, goes on to propose that we should support good and oppose evil by upholding moral norms which are directly opposed to natural selection. Tellingly, neither of them could give any good reason why this does not invalidate their principles.

Chapter 5 is very well argued but probably a bit long-winded and heavy for the average reader, but chapter 6 is the climax of the book, a brilliant tour de force, which does not so much demolish Dawkins' arguments on morality as allow him to demolish them himself by showing that his ideas are completely self-contradictory. Essentially, Dawkins believes that our understanding of the universe should be based on evolutionary principles, yet all his complaints against the morality of the Bible are really directed against the application of these principles. The Jews of the Old Testament were the perfect exemplars of a world ruled by natural selection, and thus should be most worthy of an evolutionist's praise.

However, it is chapters 7 & 8 which are the most important. They show that Dawkins' atheist rhetoric is not merely an academic exercise but a manifesto designed to be put into practice, like The Communist Manifesto or Mein Kampf. Their glimpse of a world based on Dawkinsist principles is truly frightening, and perhaps closer than we think.

Everyone who has read Dawkins, and even those who have not, should read this book. The tragedy is that relatively few will.

P.S. I must admit, however, that there is one respect in which The God Delusion is far superior to Answering the New Atheism: Dawkins provides an excellent index, while Hahn and Wiker have none.

I have read a lot of Dr. Scott Hahn's books and materials with much enjoyment and, unfortunately, this book does not read like he wrote much of it. (Perhaps they used his name to sell the book although he probably contributed some to the last chapters which mention Christianity.) The writing is very dense, and I found I had to reread many sentences three or four times in order to understand what was being conveyed. This is very unlike Hahn's writing style. There was no wit and little humor. It probably should have been published by a University press not a general-public publisher. I assume that Wiker wrote most of the text (Is he British? Perhaps that explains his style.), and I had difficulty grasping what he was trying to get across. I did not like his writing style, his sentence structure, his syntax. It was not an easy read. Content was excellent and I agree with the authors' thesis. I just found it difficult to read and grasp.

I have never written a review before, but I felt so strongly about this book not because it is a defense of religion (it does not directly advocate any form of theism), but because it is a fully rational response to Dawkins and set out according to the very terms he has laid forth in his arguments against God.

This book is written in a calm, collective, and fully rational way. It does so not by citing the Bible, but by playing on the same field as Dawkins and according to his own terms of evolutionary biology. This book demonstrates very effectively how Dawkins's unsound (but apparently sound for him) argumentation for the non-existence of a supernatural Being amounts to little more than soaring and highly influential rhetoric and oftentimes just plain bad science. It does all of this in a respectful and relaxed way, unlike the hostility, sneering tone, and sharp ridicule found in "The God Delusion".

If you have read parts or all of "The God Delusion", or if you have heard about the book and are somewhat unsure exactly what Dawkins is all about, I very highly recommend this book. This book is NOT another "religious" book frantically written to help readers save their respective religion out of fear of atheism. It is a book of cool reason, the very reason that Dawkins himself, I imagine, would advocate but evidently doesn't practice.

After reading some of the reviews on "The God Delusion" on this website, I noticed that there is a short video clip of Dawkins speaking about his book. In it he says, "I give in the book the argument, I think it is a rather strong argument, that there is no supernatural, supreme Being." And further, "The existence of God is a scientific question." If you have not seen this clip, I would highly recommend viewing it after reading "Answering the New Atheism".

I very kindly urge reading "Answering the New Atheism" in order not to instantly become a devout believer, but in order to think and to reason logically. Please do not let Dawkins's rhetorical masterpiece undermine your intelligence.

I rate this book just a slight notch above the KQED AYBS book, simply because the creators of AYBS had input in this project. It also highlights the bit players who appeared on AYBS, otherwise the two books do a fine of episode, character, and actor bio's. But the before mentioned book does a slightly better job at reviewing 'Grace and Favour' and the Australian AYBS version..., so you have to buy both :-)

For those of you who have the Are You Being Served? book by Adrian Rigelsford--are you free? For those of you who don't, are you also free? Well, gather around everybody, and that also includes special Grace Brothers board members.

This 25th anniversary book by Richard Webber with the two co-creators of the show, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, is basically an update of the previous book, but in a slightly different format. The story-by-story synopses are there, but instead of the * to **** ratings, there are memorable dialogue bits, that are always good for a laugh or two.

New material: familiar BBC performers who made guest appearances (mostly as hapless customers) on the show, with a short bio on each one. However, why was Gorden Kaye, who later starred in Lloyd and Croft's French Resistance comedy, 'Allo 'Allo, excluded from this section? Also, an episode-by-episode list of guest appearances.

What really perks me are younger photographs of the stars. They are recognizable but it's interesting to see how they looked before they joined Grace Brothers. And Lloyd and Croft's personal observations on the stars are filled with the fondest and highest respect.

There are bios on some of the minor but regular performers, such as Vivienne Johnson (Mr. Grace's nurse), Milo Sperber (Mr. Grossman) and Benny Lee (Mr. Klein), as well as those in Grace And Favour.

There are some updates. Inbetween books, Arthur English, who played Mr. Harman the packing department head, died in 1995, as did Billy Burden (Mr. Moulterd), in 1994.
However, the icing on the cake is the list of hot dolly bird secretaries who appeared throughout the season. My favorites: Penny Irving, the luscious redhead who appeared during the show's peak era, Louise Burton, and the Barbie Doll Candy Davis, who now got a Master's degree and is teaching. Wow, brain and beauty! How rare! Another hottie, Debbie Linden, sadly died in 1997.

My recommendation: get this AFTER the Adrian Rigelsford book to get the optimal enjoying effect. You'll be right as rain then.

This lovely and indeed comprehensive tribute book commences with an introduction by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft (co-writers of the series) and a foreword by Lloyd's ex-wife (and two-time guest), Joanna Lumley, and it is sure to be treasured by fans of this entertaining British comedy.

What makes this book so enjoyable is the amount of participation author Richard Webber has received from everyone involved in the production (from writers, directors, costume designers, etc., to the actors themselves), and the book is filled with their many anecdotes. In the case of deceased actors Harold Bennett (Young Mr. Grace) and Arthur Brough (Mr. Grainger), assistance has been provided by their son and daughter, respectively.

The book includes a detailed history of the series--how it came about, how the actors were chosen, why certain actors left the show, how certain effects were achieved, and so on. Also included are chapters on the stage show, the movie, the 90's sequel (Grace and Favour also known as Are You Being Served? Again!) and a look at the success of the show (and its US and Aussie spinoffs) abroad.

My favourite parts are the four-page bios of the original cast, which includes b/w and sepia photos of the actors at various ages and stages in their careers. (A priceless inclusion are the childhood photos of most of these actors). This is followed by one-half- to one-page bios of "other memorable characters"--the maintenance men, the replacements for Mr. Grainger and Mr. Lucas, Old Mr. Grace, the nurse, and the canteen manageress. There are separate chapters for the secretaries and the lift girls with brief quarter-page bios and tiny b/w photos of each. Finally, there is a chapter devoted to "familiar faces" which contains brief quarter-page bios & tiny b/w photos of every actor to have appeared as a guest on the show.

The book also includes a complete episode guide, often with a particularly memorable snippet of dialogue from the episode being summarized or a "memory" from one of the cast of crew. An episode guide and brief quarter-page bios are also provided for Grace and Favour. Finally, there is a detailed index.

The book is a 10" x 7 3/4" 176-page hardcover printed on thick, good-quality paper with a matte finish, and it contains many b/w and colour photos throughout.

In conclusion, this is an attractive, well-researched, well-written, comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyable look back at one of Britain's most popular comedies and at the cast and crew who made it so memorable. Very highly recommended!

For those of you who have the Are You Being Served? book by Adrian Rigelsford--are you free? For those of you who don't, are you also free? Well, gather around everybody, and that also includes special Grace Brothers board members.

This 25th anniversary book by Richard Webber with the two co-creators of the show, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, is basically an update of the previous book, but in a slightly different format. The story-by-story synopses are there, but instead of the * to **** ratings, there are memorable dialogue bits, that are always good for a laugh or two.

New material: familiar BBC performers who made guest appearances (mostly as hapless customers) on the show, with a short bio on each one. However, why was Gorden Kaye, who later starred in Lloyd and Croft's French Resistance comedy, 'Allo 'Allo, excluded from this section? Also, an episode-by-episode list of guest appearances.

What really perks me are younger photographs of the stars. They are recognizable but it's interesting to see how they looked before they joined Grace Brothers. And Lloyd and Croft's personal observations on the stars are filled with the fondest and highest respect.

There are bios on some of the minor but regular performers, such as Vivienne Johnson (Mr. Grace's nurse), Milo Sperber (Mr. Grossman) and Benny Lee (Mr. Klein), as well as those in Grace And Favour.

There are some updates. Inbetween books, Arthur English, who played Mr. Harman the packing department head, died in 1995, as did Billy Burden (Mr. Moulterd), in 1994.
However, the icing on the cake is the list of hot dolly bird secretaries who appeared throughout the season. My favorites: Penny Irving, the luscious redhead who appeared during the show's peak era, Louise Burton, and the Barbie Doll Candy Davis, who now got a Master's degree and is teaching. Wow, brain and beauty! How rare! Another hottie, Debbie Linden, sadly died in 1997.

My recommendation: get this AFTER the Adrian Rigelsford book to get the optimal enjoying effect. You'll be right as rain then.

I have watched this show for years and this is such a great book. There are episode details and bios, and even customer bios. Joanna Lumley from AbFab was in the show a couple of times.

If you like AYBS, get this!

This book had everything I love in a book. Great characterization, wonderful plot, the perfect combination of romance, mystery, I can't say enought marvelous things. First of all the premise of the book was realistic and believable. I never had to suspense belief. because of the natural progresssion of the story. The characters were wonderully drawn. especially the heroine and hero. Likeable people who overcame their fears, and learned to communicate effectively. After reading this book, I definitely have put Ms. Richards on authors that I MUST buy list.

When Liana Robertson's teenage son disappears, she is forced to work with her ex-husband Cullen Llelleyn to find him.

Liana and her ex-husband Cullen hate eachother, 100 years of family history has taken care of that. A beautiful pearl called The Pearl of Great Price has disappeared also, along with their son, a pearl that has ripped the families apart by greed and jealous and even murder.

One hundred years ago Liana's grandfather Tom found The Pearl of Great Price only to be murdered by Cullen's great-grandfather Archer in order to own it. One hundred years of unhappiness follows the two families, passing the pearl from family to family until Liana and Cullen finally unite the two families by marriage.

Now the pearl is missing and so is their son. Liana and Cullen must face their problems to find their son and the pearl.

I found this story to be boring in places, but very good in others. It went back in time too often leaving out the main characters, Liana and Cullen. Not enough romance and I left feeling like there should have been more.

This book is a saga, a journey two familes share. Tom Robeson finds a pearl in Australia's waters and his best friend, Archer Llewellyn murders him for it. And with this The Pearl of Great Price throws the two families into generations of turmoil. The Pearl is the catalyst. The people are the story.

Liana Robeson, Tom Robeson's granddaughter, is the current owner of the pearl. Once upon a time she met and married Cullen Llewellyn, Archer's great-grandson. They thought their love was enough to mend the generations of trouble between their families. In the end, the marriage ended and the only two things they shared was a son, Matthew, and the family legacy, the history of the pearl. Now Matthew is gone, and in order to find him Cullen and Liana have to delve into their family past and their personal past. They have face their personal demons, and face each other.

Beautiful Lies is a story of discovery. From San Francisco to Australia, the book weaves a tale of hope and love. Liana and Cullen discover their family past, they discover their son, and more importantly the discover just what they both lost when their marriage ended. BL is a beautiful tapestry that showcases Richards talent in a story of betrayal and hope, of beauty and darkness . . . of a love that is destined to be.

While this book may be a good read, I'll never know because the pages have fallen out of the book like leaves, from the first moment I opened it. I've spent much time trying to retrieve and organize the wayward pages, to allow me to read what might be an interesting story. I have personally never experienced such a shoddy product.

When her teenaged son and an heirloom pearl turn up missing Liana Robeson, V-P of a west coast real estate development company, becomes caught up in events that lead her back to her ex-husband. Both crisp and taut, this riveting emotional story delivers everything I want in a romance.