Simmons Books

I used this book with Transcender tests and felt very comfortable hitting that submit button (and yes, I passed). Simmon's writing is pleasant to read and easy to understand. The the practice CD seemed to have a few errors, but the book itself is great.

I found this book to be a very good place to start but DON'T rely on this book alone to get you through the exam! There are several areas (e.g. Active Directory & Subnetting) that were not covered in the book yet these appear on the exam and others that are not covered in anything like enough detail. Also, while the test questions on the CD are a good way of checking your knowledge of the topics covered in the book they don't really prepare you for the questions you will meet on the exam. For this, I recommend using 3rd party (e.g. selftestsoftware etc.).

I had great luck with the "Dummies" book for exam 70-210, but this was a disappointment. Coverage of DNS and DHCP was marginal and IP section ommited some important subnetting instruction, i.e. describing subnet masking. I used the Self Test Software exam simulation (which was fairly accurate) and it had ip issues in it that weren't covered in the book. The 70-210 "Dummies" book gave a good background which helped. I got 800 on the 210 test and 700 on the 215 with the same studying.

This is a good intro to Windows 2000 but is very bad as a Windows 2000 server study guide for exam 70-215. Has nothing about Active DIR. Nothing about Policies, not enough about Org policies. I would NOT advise anyone who wants to pass this test to use this book.

When I start preparing for a MS exam I always buy a Dummies book. I used the For Dummies when I did the 70-098 and 70-210 exams so I bought this title without looking at the reviews.

This book by itself would not have given me a passing score. There is nothing about Active Directory or Group policies in this book and I had quite a few questions on the exam about these subjects. The book did give me some good info and is good to start of with.

Biggest dissapointment is the cd. Almost an exact copy of the 70-210 cd with a few extra questions. It hardly had questions related on the book.

I just bought 70-216 and 70-217 from the dummies series because I think they deliver superb reading material.

I do like Suzanne Simmons and I really enjoyed the first book in this series "Sweetheart Indiana", but this one was a real disappointment. I did not feel like there was any chemistry between Eric and Sydney. It was all kind of dull to tell you the truth. Finally at almost the very end they get together and there was very little sizzle and mostly a lot of fizzle as far as i was concerned. I'll keep reading Suzanne because this is the first one of hers i didnt like and i'm sure thats going to happen from time to time, even with our most favorite authors. If you want to get this one anyway, get it at the library or buy used, but don't by new, just wasnt worth it..

This story has really wonderful and genuine people in it. I especially liked the two main characters and the woman's Aunt Minerva. I laughed out loud in a couple of places and got teary in others. The small-town setting hit the nail on the head. I know because I've lived in a lot of small towns. The book was also pretty sexy. I haven't read the first book, Sweetheart, Indiana, but I'm going to now. Oh, and this book reads really fast. I finished it in one weekend.

Can you have a second chance at first love is a popular theme, especially of late. In Goodnight, Sweetheart, Ms. Simmons returns to the fictional town of Sweetheart, Indiana to explore this motif. To look at cool, confident Sydney St. John now, you would not know that once upon a time she made an idiot of herself over a man, Eric Law. Now, both are coming home to Sweetheart; she to start her life over by going back to the beginning; he to run his brother's legal practice while the brother honeymoons. When she stops to rescue him from a car breakdown, Eric apparently fails to recognize Sydney, at first, though she is aware of who he is. When they both know that each knows the other, they agree to avoid each other, but in small towns, that's not practical or easy. Running into each other happens often. From there, it's a short step to an affair. Yet, Eric has no intention of staying in Sweetheart, while Sydney has no intention of leaving. Their second chance portends to be a more painful failure than the first unless one lover changes.

** Small town warmth and humor pervades the novel that replays a classic theme. Fans of the world Ms. Simmons has built will enjoy a return; yet events her past work do not have to be known for the reader to follow events of the present book. **

Okay, from the synopsis on the back, this book seems very promising. Sydney St. John was a dork in high school and had a crush on the town bad boy Eric Law. She made a fool of herself by throwing herself at him. Fifteen years later, they both return to their hometown for different reasons [basically they've both reached a point in their lives where they are going through serious self reflection] and run into each other.

Overall, the story was okay, not great or amazing. Their romance isn't developed very well, so at the end you get the feeling that even though they like each other, it certainly doesn't seem like they love each other [suddenly they're getting engaged and the entire time I was wondering, 'when did they fall in love?'].

What really irritated me was the secondary characters. One in particular: Sydney's childhood tormentor. This character picked on Sydney as a kid and then went on to harass her as an adult and engages in some very mean behavior. So, what does Sydney do in response? She arranges for this person to have "a scholarship to beauty school, all expenses paid, including enough to live on until she gets back on her feet." Yeah, it didn't make any sense to me either.

I'm all for heroines being able to rise above the maliciousness of other characters and retain their dignity in the face of adversity. But, there's a difference between being the bigger person and just being an idiot. I think we all know what category Sydney falls in.

The other thing that annoyed me was the subplot involving Minerva, Bim and Ella. The whole situation was just unfair to Minerva and Bim. And Ella deserved to get hit by a bus for her selfish and manipulative ways. I won't mince words; I was very disappointed by the way the author settled the plot. It was too ... weird. It left me feeling inconclusive and unsatisfied and that's the worst possible way to feel after reading a three hundred-page book.

So, in conclusion, I don't recommend buying this book. If you can get it for free at the library or something, then by all means read it. Otherwise, avoid it at all costs.

As a child she was cruelly nicknamed The Freak by her classmates. He was the black sheep of his family, not a good thing when his siblings are overachievers and his father is the sheriff. She was a "Miss Goody-Two-Shoes." He was the quintessential "bad boy." Both left their hometown and vowed never to return. Now they're all grown up and back in Sweetheart, Indiana "Where everyone is your friend."

Sydney St. John has lost her job and needs a little R & R, and Eric Law has promised to be the best man at his older brother's wedding. They meet by accident and realize they really need to stay away from each other, a seemingly impossible task since they end up in the same place every time they turn around. The question is, in the end, will they, can they, have a future together.

There are some interesting secondary characters in this story. Some are comic relief. Some are poignant and will bring a tear to your eye, like Sydney's beloved aunt who passed up her chance at love and happiness many years before and who fears that Sydney may be making the same mistake. There is also a minor element of intrigue involving an old classmate, but it's really minor.

GOODNIGHT, SWEETHEART has it all in my book --humor, passion, a page-turning story, and a wonderful couple. I gobbled up this romance in one weekend!

I rarely write reviews on books I do not like but this one is just such a drab little book I felt compelled to write a short review.

The characters bicker and bicker. The two main characters are sisters who are complete opposites. It is completely unbelievable and they fight constantly. The other characters the potential murderers bicker, gossip, back stab and worry more about themselves than anything else. The characters are unbelievable. Even the main sister's boyfriend is protrayed as a dumb doofus and yet he's probably the most believable and enjoyable in the book.

And the solution was even less believable.

This is not escapeism at it's best. This is a book you can skip.

Cardboard, boring characters who do nothing but bicker constantly about nothing. Plot? Not in this book. Save your money. Buy something else, anything else. I think this is the first book in decades that I'll have given up on before finishing it!

This 'mystery' is drab, slow moving, and all-around irritating. The main characters are hardly likeable and the plotline is quite unbelievable. Once I got far enough into the book to realize it is not going to pick up or become any more entertaining, I felt trapped into skimming the rest of it just to find out 'whodunnit.' Pass on this series!

You will enjoy this from start to finish. This is a fun read. The characters really come to life in this cooking related mystery. You will enjoy the interaction between the two sisters that end up investigating the murder. The recipes are great that are included with the book. A tasty treat in more ways than one!

Harriet Klausner always gives an excellent description of the storylines so I'll simply give my reactions to this book.

I finished it last night and I'm looking forward to seeing these characters again! I have very little time for reading lately but I couldn't put this one down. Lots of action..but it's easy to follow.

I like the sisters and especially their dad, Sean. The fact that the POV switches from sister to sister to dad was intriguing. I really liked it. The reader get's to know the characters though the eyes of the other main characters.

Sean's interaction with his daughters' boyfriends was very funny. Their investigative mission to search the victim's home was probably my favorite part of the book.

The characters in the "competition" were all hilarious and described in a manner that helped you keep them straight in your mind. If one of them wasn't based on a certain very popular "30 Minute" cooking television show I'll eat my keyboard. The victim was also very obviously based on a certain Domestic Diva. It was a real romp. I wish we'd seen more of the actual competition.

My quibbles would be the lousy editing. There were several times when "she" was used instead of "he" or vice versa. That kind of thing really stops the reader in her tracks. There were a couple of other errors but this was what really bothered me. I don't understand how such sloppy work gets through. I doubt it's the author. The problem is either with edit or set up. From reading reviews of her other books I see it's a pattern. Ms. Crawford needs to complain to the publisher loud and long.

Perhaps in an attempt to be attractive to all ages of readers, the ages of the sisters, Sean, and the contestants are not explained and that's something I like to have a handle on. There's a disconcerting conflict in the age description of one character, Pearl.

My only other complaint would be that the sisters seem to be too critcal of one another. At times they sound like my granddaughters, ages 11 and 9! If I want to be around that, all I have to do is drive my grands to ballet. While some conflict between two such diverse personalities is natural it goes a bit over the top at times.

It sounds as though I have a lot of complaints but they're all fairly minor. Except for a couple of instances of the girls quibbling I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'd read it again...and I recommend that you read it!

Jade Wilcox is a top celebrity agent Stanley and Vice, a public relations firm. The company is bankrupt and her boss forces her, under duress, to take on another assignment. He coerces her into becoming a madam to bring in cash to save the company. Jade is not happy about the assignment, but with everything else she does, she gives it her best. After establishing the side venture, things are looking good and she is bringing in large sums of money. However, with money comes problems, clients and call girls are found murdered and money is missing. Jade must stay two steps ahead to find out who is trying to do her in.

It took me a while to get into THE MADAM. The character development and plot could use some tightening. There were too many characters, which kept me confused. The element of suspense added another layer to the book, but the delivery was weak. Streamlining and attention to details (there were too many holes in the story) could really strengthen the novel.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Stripped made me a fan of Jacki Simmons. However the Madam has forced me to give up some praise. Jade Wilcox had me all caught up. I expected the best and you suddenly when I got comfortable you knocked me off my chair. I am impressed. Keep up the great work.

Jada Wilcox thinks she is at the top of her game - a great job as an agent making good money, a good man, Cameron, and best friend, Marcella. Things quickly change when she is blackmailed into a situation with her boss, Alphonse Stanley. The company is in financial distress. Her boss has found a new way to get the company out of debt. Alphonse plans to get money with the help of Jada. She confides in Marcella her intentions, but later finds out she is caught up in the game as well. Jada finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Just as she thinks she done a good thing - everything makes a turn for the worst.

"The Madam" by Jacki Simmons was filled with drama and a little suspense. The story had too much going on, which made it more complicated to read. As a result, I have to rate this book a three.

Reviewed by: Tekisha

Dig a hole and bury yourself is what entertainment agent Jadoria Wilcox allowed her boss Alphonse Stanley to do to her. Alphonse comes up with the perfect plan for Jade to dig him out of an imaginary hole he's come up with in his head. Realizing he is getting old and it maybe time to get out the business; instead of bowing out gracefuly Alphonse decides to go out with a bang and take Jade along with him.

Jade inturn involves her best friend and Model Agent Marcella in on the scheme and from that point everything was a go. Jade and Marcella come up with the perfect girls the perfect plan until all h-ll breaks lose.

I think had there been less characters involved in the story and the one's that were there have a little more to their character it would have given the story more depth. For a sophomore effort Ms. Simmons didn't do poorly, her story was there it was just too much going on.

Jadoria Wilcox was at the top of her game. She was the top agent at Stanley and Vice, she had a very sexy fiancée, Cameron, and her life just could not be any better. Until her boss, Alphonse Stanley, gave her a new assignment that could cost her her life. Jacki Simmons introduces readers to The Madam.

Jadoria, or Jade, has suddenly become one of the most sought after Madams in town, with clients ranging from senators, rappers, models and sports figures. Jade quickly realizes that juggling her career as agent, her fiancée and a group of women, with dark and dirty secrets, is more than she bargained for. Just when everything was beginning to run smoothly, a client is murdered. As she scrambles to find out what happened, one of her girls is also murdered. But she is not just one of the girls - she is the daughter of a multimillionaire. Suddenly all of Jade dominos begin to fall.

Simmons gives readers a story of love, sex, greed, high fashion, revenge and murder. There was so much going on in the story that it became difficult to keep up with who was who, who was out to get who and why. For this reviewer, some of the story seemed forced and other parts just seemed too far fetched to believe. For those who enjoy a quick read of sex and murder, this book is for you.

Reviewed by: Priscilla C. Johnson
APOOO BookClub

From the back cover:

Losing his spirit...

Christian Reade, heir to the earldom of Westhaven, is tired of ghosts. It's his own fault for debunking a haunted house in Belles Corners as the work of two silly pranksters. Now the practical "ghost-hunter"--inundated with reports of apparitions--is trying to get away from it all with a long-overdue stay with his grandfather. Unfortunately, Christian's reputation has followed him. But this time, the request for his services is irresistible...as it comes from the enigmatic Miss Parkinson of Sibel Hall.

Winning her heart...

She claims that a phantom is disrupting her plans to sell her gloomy home. But upon Christian's arrival, he's met with all-too-human antagonism from the residents, from the servents, and--especially surprising--from Miss Parkinson as well. What dire predicament is really unfolding at Sibel Hall after the sun goes down? The intriguing puzzle--and the fetching beauty who wants it solved--have sparked more than curiosity in Christian. But first he must solve the mystery of the seductive Miss Parkinson herself...

And my review:

I bought this book because the premise sounded so interesting. I like romances that may have a touch of the paranormal, and I was eager to find out if the "ghost" in this story would turn out to be another hoax (as the hero expected), or if the hero would find himself face to face with an actual spirit.

Unfortunately, this book ultimately fell flat despite the interesting premise. One big problem was that most of the story was told from the hero's point of view. Not that I don't enjoy getting inside the hero's head (in fact, too many romances never show what makes the hero tick), but 90% of the book written from his eyes is a bit too much. Especially when the encounters between the hero and heroine are so few and far between. Instead of this being a romance, it ended up being a story about a man trying to find a ghost when he doesn't believe they exist. Well, that might be interesting, but I buy romance novels because I want to read about a relationship, not about ghost hunting. Is it too much to ask for there to be ROMANCE in my romance novel?

Because so much of the book was written from the hero's point of view, I never felt like I knew who the heroine was. Sure, I knew what color her hair was and that she was a bit straitlaced, but what else? Who was she as a person? What made her tick? What were her hopes, fears, and greatest desires? The author never showed me what they were. How could I cheer for the hero to fall in love with a woman that does nothing more than take up space? Show me what is so amazing about this woman that the hero has to make her his. I found I just didn't care if these two got together.

One other complaint: the author kept harping on the fact that the heroine looked like a governess. Yet the hero is drawn to her for some inexplicable reason. I couldn't see why. I immediately pictured a sour-faced old woman, and that image was rather hard to shake (and not conducive to romance). Yet, if the heroine's character had had sparkle and wit, maybe some snappy dialogue, then her looks wouldn't have mattered to me. But she was so dull (and for much of the book, non-existent as a character) that I couldn't get past this and never finished the book. Even the unanswered question of whether the ghost was real or not wasn't enough to keep me reading.

My first try of this author, and if this is how she writes, I'm reluctant to try her again.

Christian Reade, Viscount Moreland, has had enough of ghosts, spirits and things that go bump in the night. Unfortunately, after unmasking a fake haunting, Christian has acquired a reputation as an expert on all things spectral and has been deluged with requests to communicate with the dead. Hoping to escape the pleas, he decides to visit his grandfather, only to find another missive there. Forced by his grandfather to accept the assignment, Christian heads to Sibel Hall and Miss Parkinson.

After years of being a companion to her aunt, all Abigail Parkinson wishes out of life is a comfortable little cottage in the country. To get there she has to sell her unexpected inheritance -- Sibel Hall. Unfortunately, the Hall comes with an assortment of cousins and a ghost determined to drive away would-be buyers. Feeling desperate, Abby turns to her Last Resort. She writes the Viscount Moreland and asks for help.

Expecting the owner of Sibel Hall to be a scheming miss out to bag herself a husband, Christian is surprised instead to find a hauntingly familiar young lady dressed like a governess. To make matters more intriguing, she's not happy to see him. In fact, no one is. Of course, Christian decides he will stay until he gets to the bottom of the ghost mystery or past Abigail Parkinson's defenses -- whichever comes first.

A MAN OF MANY TALENTS is an engaging tale peppered with just the right amount of humor and mystery. Christian and Abby complement each other perfectly, while the personalities of the other characters provide contrast and a bit of a red herring. At its heart, though, this is a reunion story and the poignant recounting of Abby and Christian's first "real" meeting will explain the significance of lilacs throughout the tale. Nostalgic and sweet, A MAN OF MANY TALENTS is the ideal companion for a spring afternoon.

TheSchemer

I have almost all of Deborah Simmon's books and enjoy re-reading them. So when a new book comes out I rush to get it and this one sounded like so much fun! It's not. I just couldn't get into it, the characters were so flat and boring. I kept putting it down, and then picking it back up to see if maybe it would get better, but it didn't so finally I just put it away without finishing it. Very disappointing!

Abigail Parkinson, owner of Sibel Hall, needs to sell the place, but Sir Boundefort, a ghost she has never seen, scares away prospective buyers. She writes to ghost chaser Christian Reade, whose unwanted reputation is based on debunking a spectral claim at Belles Corner. Though he prefers not to go, Christian travels to Sibel Hall as a favor to his beloved ailing grandfather.

His reception by the owner is cold as if Abigail is angry with him, but Christian finds he can't get the "Governess" out of his mind and cannot ignore her smell of lilac. On the other hand, her three live-in cousins run the gamut of welcome. Mercia hopes he finds the ghost and the reported treasure; the Colonel welcomes a fellow adventurer but believes he wastes his time; Emery the intellect treats him with disdain. However, the worst is Abigail who he badly wants to admire him considers him a miscreant though he knows not why. As he tries to uncover the mystery of the haunting and his hostess, Christian and Abby fall in love, but she has not forgiven him for forgetting that as children she was once his wench and he her pirate.

This is a fun Regency romance due to the delightful lead couple. The three "cousins" are minor irritants as readers will want to tell the trio to shut up after constantly hearing the Colonel's loud voice, Emery's sneering comments, and Mercia's inane gibberish. However, when it comes to love among the lilacs, fans will appreciate this entertaining ghost-busting romance with a pinch of suspense that comes from an unlikely source.

Harriet Klausner

Christian Reade, heir to an earldom, was famous as the ghost-buster or ghost de-bunker of a haunted house. This unfortunate bit of fame was not something he had been looking for and was something that would be `haunting' him for the rest of his life. Christian knew nothing of ghosts, but he figured out that the hauntings of a spectral claim at Belles Corners were more of a mortal nature than supernatural and now he was being `haunted' by all sorts of requests for him to perform the same services.

Abigail Parkinson inherited Sibel Hall, three new cousins she had no knowledge of, and it appeared - a ghost - Sir Boundefort. She has never seen the ghost who seems only to appear to scare away prospective buyers and she really does need to sell this house! She writes to ghost chaser Christian Reade, (her last resort) with the request to help her rid the property of the unwanted specter. Christian does not want to go but at the request of his ailing grandfather agrees to help this damsel in distress.

Now, I am a huge fan of Deborah Simmons - have read and immensely enjoyed all of her previous novels (absolutely loved the DeBurgh series) so I was really looking forward to the release of her latest book. Unfortunately, this story comes nowhere near the freshness, sensuality, and the excitement of her previous novels. The story, for me, really broke down when Christian arrives to an extremely cold reception from Abigail - remember - she requested that he come! He cannot understand (and the reason is not revealed until the last two pages of the book) why she treats him with such disdain. The three eccentric cousins are relatively flat and though key to the story did not, in my opinion, give it much life. I can generally read a 316 page book in less than a day but this one just did not garner any anticipation from me in that it was too easy to put down and I was not anxious to pick it back up other than to try and figure out why the heroine was so rude to Christian - I stretched this read out to almost three days! Emery the cousin was obnoxious as all get out and why a hostess, did not curb the disdain shown to a houseguest and a peer of the realm was not in keeping with the times. Again, I have read all of this authors earlier books and have to say that this was not up to her usual standards.

I used this book 3 years ago when I took a class in Harvard. This books allows me to understand the most important subjects in politics today, and also give me a lot of bibliography, so f I was interested in one of the subjects I could go deeper. I used for my thesis and Is a very good tool to do research I extremly recomended!

This book was assigned in a graduate level international relations class. While the aim of the book is laudable - to give practical solutions to foreign policy problems - the execution leaves much to be desired. The editors make each contributing author shoehorn their essays into a rather clumsy outline. There are countless "no **** Sherlock" moments when reading this book. Overall, it is not insightful and an utter waste of time.

This is by far, without a doubt, the single-handedly most God-awfully, hideously sterile, boring piece of literature ever produced by mankind. I have heard a rumor that hospitals are going to start making patients read this book in lieu of anaesthesia before conducting surgery.

Did anyone who gave this book 5 stars actually read it? Or are they good friends of the editors? The comment attributed to Professor Gaddis located above these reviews was especially disappointing. His books about the Cold War are wonderful but this book would bore even incoming freshmen at his university. Someone must have called in big favor for that quote.

There is nothing new in this book unless you are surprised by statements like "the internet has changed the way we communicate." On the other hand, this book may be for you if you didn't realize the U.N. Security Council has five permanent members and they all have a veto. My point is this: the book is marketed to people with backgrounds in security issues but insults the intelligence of anyone who knows anything about the field (and I don't mean academic background either; reading USA Today would surpass the insight provided in this book).

If you are a professor putting together a class syllabus, please save your students' sanity and do not make them read this book. If you are just looking to buy it for fun, you need to reassess your life. Save your money and time and choose another book. Take it from someone who actually read it...one star is generous.

This book is an absolute must-read for a wide range of readers from foreign relations expert to absolute neophyte. As a lay person, I found it extremely readable and accessible. The book offers thought-provoking insights through thoughtfully organized essays and introduced by the authors in such a way that gives the reader a useful context for analysis. A definite 5 star publication!

Precolombian Mexicas did not see the Universe as engaged in a monumental struggle between good and evil; most gods had both positive and negative aspects (for example, there were four forms of Tezcatlipoca, some good, some bad). This book shows that men and women that Spaniards called 'witches' were respectable members of the pre-Columbian society, with an ability to shape-shift, heal and send diseases. Following the arrival of Spaniards, the perceived universe suddenly assumed the reflection of a monumental fight between good and evil: A Judeao-Xian God and a devil with his demons (often representing ancient Meso-American deities).

The Indians quickly got the basic idea. Old style 'medicine work' became 'witchcraft' (brujeria) associated with the devil and its practitioners became devil's associates. This belief is still very much alive in Southwest as well as in Mexico proper.

Simmons, the historian laureate of New Mexico provides examples from old Spanish archives compiled by inquisitors and civil/military authorities on the topic of witchcraft trials in the 18-19th century Southwest pueblos and Navajo lands. Luckily for the accused natives, the Domini Canes of the Spanish Inquisition were different from their murderous counterparts in German- and French speaking countries and often overturned the accusations of witchcraft lodged by Spanish settlers and Pueblo Indians against their neighbors.

There are a few sketchy accounts of Navajo 'skinwalkers. Most stories involve disputes between early Spanish settlers and natives (usually women, usually poor) accused of witchcraft. The book is at its strongest when dealing with the examples of Pueblo witchcraft, where the excesses of witchhunting were most egregious and in some cases led to demise of entire villages and Pueblos. The Zuni, Isletas, Yumas and Mojaves all draw the witches up by their hands until they confessed...and were executed in order to nullify their evil power. Everyoine who was even little bit unusual quickly became a suspect during a drought, or an influenza epidemic. Likewise, anyone who excels in any endeavour, or becomes rich comes under suspicion as their energies appear to be devoted to personal aggrandizement rather than the common good. This attitude has survived in a milder fashion to this day.

Needless to say, these are stories unlikely to be heard by the casual visitor to the Southwest. The Indians are notoriously reticent and in the case of witchcraft, they do not talk at all. Clyde Kluckhohn himself had to develop a number of ingenious strategies to make Navajos spill their beans (often by picking up hitchikers who were less concerned about being seen...). The book provides a welcome introduction into this fascinating area...definitely recommended for pueblo visitors.

Simmons relates the power of Native American witchcraft through a series of short stories and tales that have been told for centuries. While these stories are interesting to read and very intriguing, it is not a very comprehensible way of detailing the history of Native American witchcraft. This book needed more organization and fact. To improve the book, Simmons could have gone into medical practices a bit more to describe spells, herbs, cures, etc. He also could have described how the Spanish and Native American religious priests regarded the practice then and now.

Other reviewers have mentioned that this text is getting to be out of date (it was written in 1976), and that it is not perfectly academic--both of which are true. However, when researching folklore, it would be unwise to discount the importance of rumor, or the ubiquitous "traveller's tale." Simmons evaluates all his material seriously in this book, and I've found that helpful, even in an academic context. He explains sources meticulously, which is crucial. And this isn't a subject that could be properly handled in a series of encyclopedic point-by-point chapters. There's no definite consensus on most of the stories Simmons recounts, and he doesn't try to establish absolute historical fact where it doesn't really exist. (For a more unfiltered source, try _Brujas, Bultos, Y Brasas: Tales of Witchcraft and the Supernatural in the Pecos Valley_, edited by Nasario García--which is hardly more academic but recounts stories word-for-word in the original Spanish alongside English translations, making it a valuable resource for anyone trying to write about the oral history of the supernatural in New Mexico.)

That having been said, the book is more an introduction to the topic than anything else. Footnotes would have helped, as would--probably most of all--a complete and practical index. But as an introduction (and a readable text at that), this book works well.

Those hoping for a factual, cross-referenced, or systematic look at the topic of witchcraft in the Rio Grande Valley will be disappointed by "Witchcraft in the Southwest." It is basically a compilation of anecdotes and travelers' tales, without any real attempt at organization or analysis. Marc Simmons is also more than a little credulous, recounting hand-me-down fifth-generation tales as if they were real reports of sorcery. He does make a decent stab at explaining the synthesis of native witchcraft with that brought by some Spanish settlers to New Mexico.

Alas, this book is nearly a quarter-century out of date and has no information about the resurgence of pagan practices and 'new age' movements in the region. Those looking for a book titled "Travelers' Yarns About Witchcraft in Old New Mexico" might find this book of value. Serious researchers or readers with organized minds will be disappointed.

To give this slim volume credit, there is some good history of Pueblo witchcraft trials and some of the anecdotes come with neat bits of trivia (know where the color 'Santa Fe blue' comes from, for instance?

But speaking as a resident of the focus area, and the next-door-neighbor to a coven of witches, I have to say that the book was disappointing in several ways.

The subject of witchraft usually creates images associated with evil, a potent brew conjured in a cauldron, pins in a effigy and various other images dating way back in time. The author, Marc Simmons, known for his scholarly investigation into the culture surrounding New Mexcio and the southwest wrote this book in 1980 and continues to stand as one of the most concise books on the subject. Simmons begins his investigative narrative with a brief history of witchcraft prior to and including the Middle Ages and brings the subject into the Inqusition. The book centers on case histories, stories related down through generations, often no doubt embellished with color through time and in general one supernatural story after another. Some of the stories are extremely hard to believe for most of us who are conditioned by western thought. The book explores the role of the curranderos, shamen and medicine men, their means to achieve their goals and the power of prayer, invocations of saints names and the cross. There are plenty of stories of murder and mayhem," flying" witches, people changing into animals and more tales from the dark side.What is most interesting about his book is how the Indians themselves dealt with witches in their midsts and the resulting conflict with anglo culture that was based on perceptions steeped in (Catholic) Christianity. The case studies are all documented, as incredible as they are and the anthropological data is nothing short of amazing revelations into the conflicts of two worlds. The native inhabitants of the New World had beliefs of their own, much of which was destroyed but the surviving ethnohistorical documents reveal a pagan culture that was at complete odds with the Europeans who arrived from Spain. This is a fascinating look at a subject not often thought of in terms of witchcraft along the Rio Grande. If you like history, Indian belief systems and the role of religion for good and bad than this book is for you. Recommended for history buffs interested in the area of the southwest, specifically New Mexico and Arizona and the collision of two worlds.

I found this book very readable and helpful, as it covers virtually all the headings and functions of xp, detailing even the different tab headings. I would criticise the fact that it doesn't mention detail such as the fact you need software to play dvd and the limitations to cd burning. However it helped me out of a scrape as it gives helpful info on how to recover from potential pc problems - such as how to use system restore. Useful advanced detail for those interested. I'd buy it!

Publishers ought to realize that people buy computer books because they want topics explained to them in plain terms that they can understand. This book is very poorly written. I can't count the number of times I scratched my head and had to read instructions over again to try to interpret what the author was saying.

Save this one for nerds.

Great book, learned the in's & out's of XP in no time. I found the book to be well organized and easy to understand. Each chapter gives step by step instructions to do just about everything imaginable with Windows XP. It appears the author has taken extra effort in providing a well referenced index, so finding applications and definitions can quickly be found. Great as a reference tool. I highly reccomend this book.

Truth is short. You can learn more from a retarded two year old. This book is the worst of the worst. If you just want to read a few XP buzz words then this is for you. If you want to learn something - start by saving your money. The "one star
rating" comes from my using the pages to start the barbeque.

This book is entirely useless as a means of starting your own child care business. Any useful information was so bogged down with "true stories", grammatical errors, and religious advice that it was impossible to find. The "girlfriend" tone Dr. Simmons used becomes tiresome after the first two pages.

I was also highly insulted by the section entitled "The Main Reason Why We Do This Every Day," which depicted a large pile of money. Some of us are not in the CHILD care business just for the bucks! I would have liked more tips on daily activities for the children, and less advice on collection agencies.

I was very disappointed in this book as a whole. Ms.Simmons obvious trial and error method might inspire some made me wonder just how long did it really take her to figure it all out? The business is the care of children,and of course making it profitable. But, I found her main focus was the money. I was put off by some of her "true stories". It's very obvious she was dealing with less than the cream of society, especially the account of the 13 year old mother and her 2 1/2 month infant, a product of incest! I found these true stories not at all appealing or helpful, I don't want experiences of persons that have come and gone, especially when they were her experiences, at that time and place. Give helpful advice, not story telling! I also found this book was a "blow your own horn" of Ms. Simmons' care and concern for others, unfortunately it came out as a busy body trying to round up business! Just too much "girlfriend talk" and not enough of getting to the real reason for me buying your book!I instantly found I doubted her and equally did not trust her judgement on a subject she obviously learned along the way!

I am writing to let you know how pleased I was with Mrs. Terri Simmons's Day Care book. Her book was very informative and helpful. Mrs. Simmons is very knowledgable about the business and is very open to sharing her vast experiences. Since reading her book, my partner and I are now open for business.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mrs. Simmons book. She place pertinent information that will really help me. I found it easy to understand and I enjoyed the humor she used. I could feel that her heart is truly with children. She gave expert advice that will help those who are even afraid of starting their own daycare because they don't even know where to start. Any question that you may have Terri will answer for you. Questions that you should ask but didn't know to ask she will answer. She opened my eyes to aspects of Home Daycare that hadn't even crossed my mind. This book was fantastic and worth every penny.

After reading this biography, I've no more insight than I would from reading cd liners. Very little insight into the characters in his life; nothing more than say CS&N's large egos. No interviews from on the scene characters, old band mates for ex. This book does not do justice to its subject.

I just don't get what some of these complaints are about this book. Yeah it's short but how I understand it is it was meant to be short - an introduction to Neil Young. And that was exactly what I was looking for. I've only just started getting into the man (yeah, I know!) and I didn't want to plough through 600 pages, but this really gave me a lot of insights into his character and his life and made me want to read further. Now I'm going to buy Jimmy macDonoughs book. But if you want something to the point and well written I would recommend this

I'll lay my cards on the table, I am what is commonly called a Neil Young obsessive so I wouldve been driven to buy the book whatever it was like. So no surprise I have a library full of, how shall I put this politely, mouse food. When I bought Sylvie Simmons' book on Neil Young I was a bit disappointed on first viewing to see that it wasn't very long - I've always loved her writing in MOJO magazine, especially of course when she's written about Neil Young, so I would have loved something the length of the Jimmy McDounough book (which I also bought). But do you know what? She packed more information and real insight into that short space than McDounough did into his huge tome (and actually I liked that too). So I'd say to any Neil Young fan, check Miss Simmons' book out, you won't be disappointed

I was very excited to get started on this book but about 15 pages into it, it states that Neil was at Woodstock and mentions CSN as "sidekicks". It was very wrong. I was truly dissapointed.