Spencer Books

The stories are wonderful. I've read a decent amount of Kipling and am always pleased to find more of them. This particular collection contains a bunch of really charming tales that range from funny through tragic. These types of short stories remind me why I love Kipling so much. As with all Kipling, it's worth noting that he was a product of his time and some of his writing could be considered offensive to the modern reader.

This particular Kindle version is quite good with proper formatting and few if any typos. My only complaint (and only reason that this lacks a full 5 stars) is the lack of hyper-links in the Table of Contents. This makes it very difficult to jump to specific short stories.

A fine collection of extremely well-crafted stories.
But these pages are crammed with racism, with remarks on the worthlessness of a native indian's life, their stupidity and their weakness.
One of the stories starts with "we are a high-caste and enlightened race", any man who shows interest in the ways of life of the natives is ridiculed over pages and the only remark on the death of a native child is: "They have no stamina, these brats."
Well written, but disgusting.

I bought this book to recall the halcyon days of my secondary schooling in the years 1957 - 61. Then the book was an assigned text for all students in English in New Zealand. The language and the concepts were then frankly beyond the comprehension of 15 year olds. As I grew older, I became aware of the position Kipling held in the Late Victorian era, and the period following the end of the First World War.

I came to understand a little of what the British Empire meant in those times, and the great debt owed by the world to the British Army which subdued Iraq, Pakistan, and the Indian Continent for almost 200 years.

Without the benefit of the bomb, with a tiny armed service, and a desire to provide fair and equitable government, the Raj governed fearlessly through the efforts of the thirds sons of many of the great English Families, while the fourth sons provided the humanity of the Church. Patterns we could well emulate again today!

This was bread and butter to Kipling. In his early years as a huge supporter of the system, as a spiritualist after the death of his son in the First World War, and in his later years as the designer of the huge Military Cemetaries established in France and Belgium after the War to the Empire's dead, he truly became in his own words a "Builder of the Silent Cities".

In 2006, the concepts of his writings are remote from many. In terms of the trials of people, and their attempts to rise over their circumstances through a sense of duty and moral propriety, Kipling's works are without peer. For those starting out to discover him, start with "Stalky and Company", and move to this book, and his other works as extended learning. I hope you come to love his simple characters as I have, and that your School System, and its weird sense of Boyhood Literature does not destroy the desire to read Kipling until your late 60's

This book has brought great joy to someone in the prime of life, and brings back some important memories of Scouts, Church and Honour in a time when these are so sadly lacking.

Rudyard Kipling writes concisely and with great insight on a wide range of issues. With each story only taking up a few pages the depth of characterisation is superb. 'The gate of one-hundred sorrows' is one of the finest short stories ever written.

I believe Kipling was wildly popular in his day. This collection of stories about English life in India may have entranced the masses and sold a lot of newspapers in the first decade of the 20th century, but in the context of almost exactly a hundred years later, they have lost most of their shine. While Kipling might have been the foremost raconteur of British India, compared to great short story writers like Chekhov, de Maupassant, or Twain, he comes across today as coy and contrived. Certain phrases make their appearance in far too many of the tales, for example: "Once there was a....but that's another story." Cute kids, the wisdom of animals, the wiles of the fair sex, the unfathomable nature of "natives", gruff officers, perfect ladies, the one-dimensional earthiness of the common soldier---these are stories filled with stereotypes. Kipling's stories may hold your interest for a short time and you can wonder at the change in taste that has occurred between 1907, when he published these, and today. In many tales, Kipling depicts the lifestyle among the higher echelons of the British Raj, but only through a veil of irony or humor. A regular topic is the struggle for social status among the British; efforts to short circuit the pecking order and reversals suffered thereby. People marrying "beneath them" or trying to marry "above them" are often found here. Though people still refer to Kipling as "a writer about India", it is still true that he wrote about his compatriots, not about India. The two or three tales with Indian characters who are anything other than servants lack any depth. Even the pathos-filled "Story of Muhammad Din", which shows understanding, ultimately deals with illness as something inevitable in India---there are no questions as to why death comes to small children so frequently. Overall, Kipling provides a certain local color to British literature of the late 19th and early 20th century, but cannot be regarded as a great British writer on the level of Maugham, Conrad, Lawrence, Forster or Greene because he lacks broader humanity, deep thought, and universal vision.

the book was expected as hardcover, received is paperback and the printing quality looks like photocopy.. sorry the price became too much.
i returned the book immediately.

This book is great. Exlains everything crystal clear. Just be careful when you order it...I ordered a hardback and they gave me two paperback sections, part A and part B.

Bottom Line: This is currently the best undergraduate textbook for a first course on electronic circuit design.

The authors give full, complete solutions to the end of chapter problems! This makes this text extremely good for self study. Sedra and Smith should consider doing this because all serious students will use a disciplined approach to learning and benefit greatly from this; you either learn how to design the circuits or you do not. The solutions are excellent. *I do not, however, give this book a great review simply because there are solutions.* This book is simply written better than the other available books.

As I write this, there are three other good textbooks on the market that compete well against this one. However, this book stands out in that it actually talks to you as if you are an intelligent student; other books read like a data sheet or a dry manual.

This book emphasizes design and intuition without sacrificing rigor, but it is not a cookbook. It is for those serious about designing electronic circuits and understanding why a particular design path should be chosen over others.

It is less encyclopedic than Microelectronic Circuits by Sedra and Smith but has better explanations on how to design circuits; Sedra and Smith is good for reference, examples, and the analysis of the said circiuts. Electronic Circuit Design by Comer is more brief than this text, presents the fundamentals, but does not contain enough detail and intuitive design procedures. Microelectronic Circuit Design by Jaeger is the most systematic, has the best examples, and very good examples of analysis and design procedures. However, the book by Jaeger fails to do what this book does -- bridge the path between real-world design procedures and textbook circuit specifications for designs.

All in all, all the said books are good books. However, I believe this one is better than the popular Sedra and Smith textbook and could be supplemented by the Jaeger book as a solid way of learning.

This is definitely the clearest, most lucid book on electronic circuit design I have read to date.

I am an undergraduate electrical engineering student, and I wish I had found Spencer/Ghausi years ago; It is by far the best, best, BEST book I have ever seen on circuit design.

There are three main things that make this book so great:

#1 -- It explains things extremely well. Things are explained simply, concisely, completely, and in a way that is down-to-earth and easy to understand. There are so many other books that get lost in math proofs before even explaining basic concepts; This book first explains concepts and builds an intuitive understanding of the topic, and explains WHY the topic is important to learn about, and then goes through the math proofs in a very easy-to-follow way. But don't think that you are going to be bogged down with long chapters; even with all the enlightening explanations, the sections are shorter and quicker to read than other books.

#2 -- This book is actually FUN to read! When I entered college, I decided to study electrical engineering because I thought that this stuff was really interesting and fun. The textbook that Arizona State University uses (Sedra/Smith) quickly squashed all joy and fun out of the subject. The Sedra/Smith textbook was so boring, difficult, and frustrating, and it never once made electrical engineering seem fun at all! Every time I would open up Sedra/Smith to study, I would fall asleep because it was so boring! THIS BOOK IS NOT BORING. It is interesting and fun to read. No coffee is required to read this book! Since I have been using this book, I have rediscovered the reason why I chose this major in the first place.

#3 -- This book always answers the question "...so why should I care?" Every subject is accompanied with an explanation about why the subject is important to you, and how it fits in with the real world. It is surprising how many other books just throw a bunch of information at you, and just expect you to be able to figure out what it's all for. With this book, you always know what each piece is for, and how they all relate to each other. For example, I now know WHY I would want to choose one amplifier type over another; The Sedra/Smith book never explained that to me - it just presented me with a bunch of amplifier types...

Get this book! You won't regret it.

This book is a great book in my opinion. I have not finished all of it but find it to be a great reference. The thing I liked the most about this book so far was the explanation of the BJT!! It is the best explanation I have read on the subject so far. The author clearly tries to show why the inventor of the transistor would think to use PN junctions characteristics to make the BJT, and how important the minority carriers play in the whole process, something entirely neglected in most other descriptions. I truly feel now I understand how a transistor works, and can analyze not only the npn transistor but the pnp transistor as well, and get why pnp transistors are thought of as being hole injected versus electron injected for the npn.

this book is very opinionated and if you have a problem with that you shouldn't read it. i loved this book very much and while i dont agree with some of the view points, i think the author makes some valid ones.

Chapter one ends on page 17 with "A subtle scent of pine lingered, though there were no pine trees. And through the" I'm serious! That's how the whole first chapter ends. The proof reader doesn't know milkweed from milk week (see page 18). Sheesh! I spend hard earned money and precious time on books on which the editor spent no time at all. I am insulted.

I've never seen or read a book about being a god before. This has to be the most unique, original concept for a novel in the history of western literature! Life as a god is not what I imagined it could be -- this beyond anything I would have thought possible!

A very entertaining read about a guy who, hovering between life and death, meets the Great God Pan who intercepts his soul and helps him with the process of regaining he Godly status (which we're told we all possess.)

Though the story is very engaging, its shortcoming is the fact that everything resembling spiritual guidance in this book relies on divine intervention, with the noteworthy exception of the message that priests are never to be trusted. It seems to me that most of us are not destined to have this type of interaction with God(s.) As someone quoted above, "you don't need to pee!" well, maybe if you're Pan but i'm pretty sure those of us with bodies still do.

At one point in the book grand schemes are put into place to save the earth environmentally. There are huge obstacles that are overcome, of course, primarily by the gods who happen to be assissting. Again, without the divine intervention these grand schemes seem unable to overcome human nature.

Willows resident Lawrence R. Spencer takes up the same theme in his over-the-top satire "Pan: God of the Woods"
Spencer writes in a disclaimer that "the author and publisher assume no responsibility of any kind whatsoever for any negative influence which the material in this book may have upon the reader. ... The author accepts full responsibility for any positive effect the material in the book may have on the reader, no matter how insignificant or remote."

Derek Adapa, a software developer, sustains what proves to be a fatal wound in a hunting incident on Mt. Shasta. But Pan, representing all the pagan deities down through history, teaches Derek's disembodied spirit the truth about the godlike power of human beings. Pan plays Virgil to Adapa's Dante as he shows Derek his grieving wife Jennifer and tells him the secret of the twins being born to his mistress, Paula Cadmus (herself not what she appears to be).

The language is sometimes strong and the opinions stronger in "Pan." "There is no heaven or hell as you have been taught to think of it," Pan tells Derek. "Those are lies told by priests to make people obey them."

Eventually Pan (the fertility god of the woods) and his cohorts convert the world to environmentalism, and the military-industrial complex stops making fighter jets and starts producing greenhouses. All is well.

There is yet one more message. Pan welcomes readers to "embrace the Spirit of Playfulness. Embrace the joy of your own ability to create, my eternal friend. Pretend your own illusion, your own future, your own universe. ..."

"Be here, then be there," Pan poeticizes at the end. "You're free just to Be. / You don't have to eat or to breathe or to pee! / You are who You are. It's fun being free! / The same as You've been, and always will be!"

By DAN BARNETT - Book Columnist
Dan Barnett teaches philosophy at Butte College.

Spencer's jihad against Islam is good for those who profit from a big government daddy state of military complexes and growing budgets for the CIA, DIA, FBI, DHS, NSA and other anti-democratic institutions within our midst. Feeding on the fear and bigotry of a segment of the U.S. population, Spencer is back again to tell them, 'be afraid, be very afraid.' It's a convenient diversion from what Americans should fear, and that is the institutions of empire that have oppressed the Global South Killing Hope: U.S. Military and C.I.A. Interventions Since World War II-Updated Through 2003, and that have robbed this nation of trillions of dollars The Complex: How the Military Invades Our Everyday Lives.
U.S. 'soldiers' sitting in computer rooms and directing the Reaper drones, or those wanna-be Rambos who listen to radio hosts like Michael Savage and take programs like '24' seriously will enjoy Spencer's latest attempt to justify American aggression. But thankfully, as the Obama election has shown, most Americans don't buy what Pentagon propagandists and PR firms (like the Rendon Group) are selling and are making daily contributions toward the peaceful kingdom that all the wisdom traditions guide us towards The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions.

See also:
Why We Fight
Islam for Dummies Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S., with over 100,000 converts in Texas alone.
Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land: U.S. Media & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World (American Empire Project) A revealing compilation of interviews with the most-cited author on the planet, Noam Chomsky.

Once again, Spencer delivers. Never has this topic been more important than now, when we are again becoming complacent about Islam, believing that because we have not been attacked again, we are safe.
This is and always has been the most insidious form of jihad against us, and we need to be aware of it, speak out against it, and defeat it.
Spencer lays it all out clearly, convincingly, and in his usual scholarly fashion.
DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! Read it, pass it on to your family and friends, send copies of it to your Politicians and law enforcement.

After seven years, the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 are fading in the memory of many, and with no further attacks on U.S. soil, it's easy for too many Americans to dismiss the threat of radical Islam as "the politics of fear."

But as the tireless, prolific Robert Spencer details in his latest book, the threat is no less real and isn't only about overt acts of terrorism. It's a decades-long subversive effort, on behalf of a totalitarian ideology, to tear down America and the West from within, using our own freedoms and cultural openness to erode those freedoms and literally subjugate us.

Sounds far-fetched? It's precisely such skepticism and overconfidence that keeps too many of us from acknowledging the imminent danger. Europe is already nearly a lost cause, and it's happening in America as well. It's only a question of whether we'll recognize the threat and push back, or keep giving gradual ground until our way of life is no longer. And that's the value of this book: to educate us about the implacable ideology of our enemy, to expose the various fronts on which this covert battle is being waged - legal, political, educational and cultural - and to offer suggestions as to how to take action.

The book's not long but covers a lot of ground. It's scholarly but a quick and compelling read. I can't recommend it enough, if only because its message is literally critical for America's survival. You'll be disturbed and outraged, but inspired as well.

In the coming months you will see the usual reviews here attempting to smear Mr. Spencer as a racist and "Islamophobe," and to trash the book as a pack of lies - reviews usually from customers who clearly haven't even read the book. One thing you won't see is any such reviews disproving or even addressing his arguments, because the book is thoroughly researched and seamlessly argued, as are all his books. Just remember that 1) Islam isn't a race, and 2) Islamophobia is nothing but trumped-up name-calling designed to silence the critics of radical Islam. We need such courageous critics as Mr. Spencer.

Seven years after 9/11, most Americans remain ignorant about the history, nature and intent of Islamic jihad. Even our elected leaders today profess the view of Islam as a peaceful religion. Unfortunately Islam is anything but peaceful. Islam is more of a political ideology than a personal faith, and exists in a fundamental and permanent state of war with non-Islamic civilizations, cultures and individuals. The Islamic holy texts outline a social, governmental and economic system for all mankind in Sharia law. Any cultures and individuals who do not submit to Islamic governance exist in a state of rebellion with Allah and must be forcibly brought into submission.

Everywhere Islam exists it slowly overpowers and oppresses any freedom of speech, thought or action until it is the only dominant ideology. One only has to look to Europe to see it happening there. How long before America follows?

Islam seeks to dominate the world, whether it does it by violence or by stealth. Robert Spencer's new book is a wake up call for America.

I have come to acknowledge that although Mr. Spencer does not know how to read or write Arabic nor has he went to any Islamic schools in the Middle East, he really does know a few things about Islam and especially about jihad. I am not about to "smear Mr. Spencer as a racist and Islamophobe" nor will I "trash the book as a pack of lies." I'm just here to make my observations on what Spencer believes is a threat from all Muslims in America and the West. When he started writing this book in January of this year, I thought he would wait until another terrorist attack happened in the U.S. to release it so that he could make as much money as possible, but I guess that an Obama victory is enough to boost sales.

The message that Spencer tries to push on people is that any Muslim is a threat. They all have the intentions of doing jihad and destroying America and killing Americans. He doesn't say it out front, but it is exactly what he implies. He uses the example of civil rights group CAIR and calls them a front organization for terrorism and the "political arm" of radical Islam. While it is true that they once funded Hamas and they occasionally prevent criticism of Islam by political pundits such as Michael Savage and people such as Spencer, but they are not supported by Al-Qaeda nor have they ever had any communication with Osama Bin Laden. Yet the amount of time spent on criticizing them by Spencer would make you believe that Bin Laden engineered every building they have worked in and sends his videos straight to their offices. They supported Hamas which was an organization that was once supported by Israel and now holds a majority of seats in the elected legislative council of the Palestinian National Authority. The Israelis bombed the hell out of the British and killed civilians and those same people, such as Menachem Begin, became leaders of Israel. They are looked upon as heroes. But if an Arab does what a Jewish person does, he is never a hero but always a terrorist. I'm not condoning the killing of children and women and I think it is evil to target and kill innocent people, but I think we need to look at the larger picture before we start to make accusations.

He also uses some instances of Muslims demanding that Sharia law be implemented and said that we will soon have it in Europe and eventually the U.S. He mentions the taxi drivers who refused to pick up drivers with alcohol as an example. While there may have been some were reluctant to pick up people with booze, there were other Muslim drivers who were not so serious about Islamic law being implemented. One driver, Rasheed Gardad, said "If we want to impose our rules and our beliefs, we should stay where we came from." This is probably the opinion of most of the drivers, but Spencer will have you believe that all of those drivers want the Islamic call to prayer put on loud speakers, all women put covered from head to toe, and want every other law in Somalia implemented in the U.S. It's the same tactic used by the Bush Administration to keep their ratings high.

There are terrorists in America, Europe, and all over the globe. The majority of them might even be Muslims. Alright....99.9 % of them are Muslim and that recent bus bombing in Russia was done by Muslims, even though nobody has declared it yet, but we follow the guilty by association theme. The terrorists who call themselves Muslim are about 0.1 % or 1/10th of all Muslims in the world. There are 1.3 to 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. If you make books like this one, then you convince non-educated people to think that the 99.9 percent of Muslims who abhor terrorism are as guilty as the real terrorists in some way, shape, or form. This leads to racism, hate crimes, and the abuse of innocent Muslims. I know Americans do not want innocent people to get hurt and I also know that they want to feel safe from a terrorist attack. I don't think it would be wise to alienate those Muslims who are on the side of the good guys. Robert Spencer wants to alienate them and would be satisfied if all Muslims were eliminated off the face of this Earth because he thinks that the Prophet Muhammad was a terrorist and that the Quran is a book of hate that endorses terrorism. Do you support him?

I found this book very informative and well set out, however I found it way too bias. Its funny how the writers try over and over to justify why the death squads in El Salvador had no choice but to use heavy handed techniques and at the same time blaming it on the FMLN. I think this book is very informative if one is to ignore their political agenda.
I give it 3 out of 5 because no one else seems to have any information on this subject.
So yeah I would recommend this book perhaps with a bit of caution on its political biasness.

This is a well writen book clearly because the author did hired a good editor. But how will this guy really know the FMLN strategies when he hasn't been part of FMLN. The beutiful words used in this book and the so called documetation and interviews are not reason enough to become an expert in the matter. He just want to make some money out of this. Stay away from this book, many inocent people was murdered for this guys (and I'm talking about the salvadorean army).

I truly enjoyed reading this book! It has GREAT information concerning the weapons and tactics in this terrible war without being too political. Rare is a book about the War in El Salvador that doesn't have some kind of political spin, Left or Right. The author keeps it real by explaining in great detail tactics, weapons, and order of battle, of the Communist insurgents. It also has information about who TRULY armed the FMLN. It's intersting to know that the FMLN had American M-16 rifles BEFORE the Salvadoran military did!! I also enjoyed Mr. Bracamonte's attention to detail concerning the small,everyday events in the FMLN battlefield, particularly about the unforseen role of most FMLN female radio operators... I believe it is a great book to get if you are intrested in the actual battelfield events during the civil war in El Salvador. In my opinion, it proves that the FMLN was better off as a political organization, without resorting to violence and how a PR defeciant Salvadoran Army managed to grab victory from the jaws of defeat.The Salvadoran people have Democracy today because they refused to be intimidated by the FMLN and voted. Freedom was kept by the ballot AND the bullet. In conclusion, GREAT book!!!!!!

This book is a very good at describing the strategies and tatics of the Salvadoran FMLN freedom fighters, but it ignores the real reasons why Salvadorans had no choice but to fight the government. They blame it on 'communist aggression', but this was a civil revolution; these were people who had been denied their right of self-determination as peoples through democratic elections. If Salvadorans wanted communism, so be it: it's their right and duty as peoples to determine their own political, social, and economic future. The authors weakly defend the small elite class that violated non-deregable human rights through state terrorism for centuries. If you choose to read this book, read it along with: Revolution in El Salvador by Tommie Sue Montgomery.

This is the best study of the strategy and tactics of one of the most effective, albeit unsuccessful, modern guerrilla movements. The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) was a tough fighting force with a brilliant political warfare component.

I spent a lot of time in El Salvador during the war to help the Salvadoran army and saw the FMLN firsthand, and can verify many of the book's findings from my own experiences in the field. The FMLN was a worthy opponent, and well deserving of respect and serious academic study. Jose Angel Moroni Bracamonte and David Spencer have faithfully and incisively dissected how the FMLN operated, and they draw lessons to apply to future conflicts.

This book is to the FMLN what Douglas Pike's landmark book "Vietcong" (MIT Press, 1966) was to the North Vietnamese-run insurgency in South Vietnam. Spencer's companion volume, "From Vietnam to El Salvador: The Saga of FMLN Sappers and Other Guerrilla Special Forces in Latin America" (1996) rounds out the most complete picture yet, in English, of the once-formidable guerrilla group.

I purchased this book shortly after it was released. For a while, it sat on my shelf untouched due to the fact that I had too many text books to read through. When I finally picked it up, and dusted it off, I found an enjoyable tale. It is full of great word play and descriptions of places and people. Readers can identify with the four main characters, who call themselves "The Commiseration of Misfits". This was a great story and I hope Mr. Spencer will write a sequel or maybe write other stories. He has a good imagination. Hopefully "The Welkening" will not be the last thing we see from him.

I read this book years ago when it first came out and it held my interest.
But, when i read it again a few weeks ago, I realized how lame it really was.
The 'three-dimensional tale' aspect of this book is just boring. By the time you get into one side of the story, the author has switched over to a children's story book! It's totally pointless, unless your objective is to add pages to the book.
Character development was almost nil as well. You know who they are, but not WHO they are. I didn't ever develop a connection with the characters, which is what a good author knows how to do!
The writing was my main turn-off with this book. It's just not good. Mr. Spencer can't seem to decide what type of book he is writing. Sometimes the teenagers in the story(ages 15-18) speak as if they are 40 years old, then other times you would think it's kids from 1985 you are reading about. The dialogue is just silly. But not in a fun way, more of a 'are-you-kidding-me-he-can't-be-serious' way.
Then, when you add some of the mixed metaphors and the odd descriptions, you just lose interest.

If you are not an avid reader and have not read very many talented authors, you might enjoy this. Otherwise, look up Stephen Lawhead or Frank Peretti for some first class story-telling.

This has to be one of the hardest books to review. Much of the acclaim in the friends' reviews is true. The Welkening is a complex tale, three dimensional, clever, unique, fresh, innovative. The glich is, there are so many problems in the writing, the story is hard to follow. Would that Gregory Spencer, such an imaginative mind, had spent more time learning the craft of fiction. Or that his editors had helped him with things like repetition, poor transitions, weak set up and absent foreshadowing, baffling character motivation, and muddled point of view. This story had the potential to be great. Instead it may well languish on shelves because no one cares enough about the characters to persevere. Too bad. The Welkening contains, in small doses, some of the most inventive language. If only Spencer had Tolkienized his story, even a little ...

Gregory Spencer has captured the essence of a three-dimensional tale in his new book, The Welkening. He has developed the four main characters into believable heroes who find action and mystery around every corner as they come up against forces of evil in a strange land.
Spencer writes with visual richness that carries the reader into unknown worlds that are paradoxes of shadows and blinding lights. He creates the extraordinary out of the ordinary with sensitive symbolism of animals, numbers and nature and allows the characters to grow through great paradigms of self-awaness.
The Welkening gives us clues in the very first chapter of the path on which we are being led, but I missed them because I was carried away with the intrigue and fast pace that each page gave. I did go back and read the novel a second time and found clever clues on each character that would prove to be important as the story grew.
Readers of all ages will enjoy this novel and they will hope that Spencer has a Welkening Two on the drawing board. He certainly left the door open for us to want to know more about the life and times of our heroes. One book just whets our appetite for the adventures to continue.
Gregory Spencer's The Welkening is delightful fantasy...or is it?

Gregory Spencer has woven a three-dimensional tale rich in adventure, symbolism, and humor. Four friends, who call themselves misfits, are desperate to escape their tormenters and somehow enter an alternate dimension, where a soul-sucking evil has been let loose in the land. How they learn to become in Welken and of Welken, whether in this dimension or their own, is the central story. The heroes are not perfect, but they strive for goodness and mastery over their own insecurities and limitations. Spencer weaves his symbolic lessons through a balanced blend of both action and reflection, infusing the dialogue with delightful word play and a deep appreciation for the power and possibilities of redemption. There is more than enough mystery and imagination to satisfy even the most ravenous readers of young adult fantasy. When all is said and done, this is an excellent tale, a grand adventure, and a good time.

45 RPM: A Visual History of the Seven-Inch Record celebrates a often overlooked, yet vital form of art, that of the seven inch sleeve. Not only are there more than 200 pictures display in this book, but an excellent history detailing the rise and fall of this format.

There are basically five main chapters starting with the 50's all the way to the 90's. Each chapter is preceded by a written piece authored by different individuals, ranging from a record collector, renown sleeve artists, a music journalist and a music critic. Each provides thoughful, authorative, and interesting insights into the period of time they are introducing.

The real meat is the pictures, and there are a lot of them. Some have complained that some of the pictures are of poor quality, with wear and age showing, but I felt that was part of the appeal of the book. To me, the use of sometimes worn sleeves created a natural representation of what someone's record collection might look like...I sort of felt like I was looking through a friend's record collection, or browsing through a vintage record store, rather than a book of reproduced sleeves. The artwork contained within is beautiful, thought provoking, outrageous, even shocking, but always entertaining.

There have been quite a few "album cover" collections assembled and published, but to my knowledge this is the first volume dedicated exclusively to the art of the 7" record jacket. If you are already scoffing at the use of the term "art", be advised that this collection includes original works by Pablo Picasso (no slouch, you know), Salvadore Dali and Keith Haring! As you browse through the decades, you realize that apart from establishing the 45 sleeve as a valid form of modern art, the sequentially arranged portfolio serves as a fascinating visual montage of the development of pop music, from pre-Elvis to post-punk. Informative, engaging guest essays by artists and music sleeve designers rounds off this very worthwhile package. Music geeks will want this on thier coffee table (if there's room!)

45 RPM offers a stunningly visual survey of 7-inch 45 album sleeves. The chronological arrangement features over 200 albums from all genres of music, chosen for the innovative and appealing designs. Students of design will find 45 RPM draws some important links between the art and music worlds and those with a special nostaligia for the heyday of the 45 will delight in this visually impressive compendium.

This is a engaging and attractive book. The story of how the 45 developed is what made it so interesting to me. As the introduction points out:-

"The decades-long success of the 45-rpm single belies a turbulent history. In its infancy, the small disc was at the center of a fierce battle, a fight brimming with jealousy, greed and caustic recriminations. The culmination saw two rival record companies emerge victorious, with the fallout of their erstwhile battle etched deeply into the vinyl landscape of twentieth-century pop music culture."

The introduction places the battle between Columbia (who had perfected the LP in 1948 and RCA (who introduced the 45 in 1949) in historical context. There was much here that was news to me. The initial 45s were issued using a colour coded system: red for classical, midnight blue for light classics, green for country-western, yellow for children's music, sky blue for international, and cerise (orange) for R&B. Traditional black wax was kept for money-spinning pop. By 1952 all RCA records were black, apart from special promotional pressings.

Alongside the fascinating facts what makes the book attractive is the reproduction of covers. Chosen for their inventive design these are organised chronologically. A specialist introduces each decade in that period. There are over 200 designs - a treasure and source of ideas for anyone interested in design. For those who remember buying their first singles it also acts as a trigger to memory. It also makes it clear that single and album covers were one of the most important features of a genuine mass art.

Unfortunately, the first book to concentrate on 45 rpm Picture Sleeve art is a real disaster. It offers a random assortment of capriciously selected picture sleeves arranged by decade but with little other thought applied. It appears that the records included happened to be in the editor's collection the day they were photographed. This is a just a quickie nostalgia marketing device. It doesn't present a cohesive, coherent portrait of graphic design. It doesn't do record collectors any service, either. PLUS, many of the images are of poor quality sleeves, with bad ring wear, bent corners, writing, rips, etc. There's no excuse for not finding better condition copies of most of the very common items in this book. Obviously no one knowledgeable about records was consulted for this book. Expect it on the discount shelves and remaindered quite soon.

Alan Moore is one of the greatest writers of our time. With Comic book titles, graphic novels, book titles and movies under his belt, it can easily be said that he will go down in history as one of the greats. Now, inside this volume, Alan Moore's friends, co-workers, associates and confidants give their side of what they feel Alan Moore represents to them. How many people have been inspired to create their life's work because of him? How has he influenced other outstanding authors? What kind of person is he and does he realy practice magick? All of these questions and more are addressed in this excellently penned and highly Visual edition of "Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman" by Spencer Millidge. This one is definately a keeper!!!

This was a delightful and strange experience for me. The editor, Gary Spencer Millidge, has a deserved cult following for his charmingly weird STRANGEHAVEN comic. I believe we exchanged email once, he in Britain, I in New York. My main contact was with THE SMOKY MAN!

Smoky is a fantastic soul who lives in Sardinia. Smoky is his nickname due to some pun on Turkish tabacco and his name, I believe.

In poetic English, which sadly, has been improving over the years, Smoky had originally asked me to contribute to his website ULTRAZINE. If you haven't seen this bilingual site, you must. I believe I wrote two or three. And each was translated into Italian. I have to admit that being translated was an exciting experience for me. Even more exciting was Smoky apologetic payment for my work: 10 lbs. of Italian comics! Yes, he mailed me a big beautiful STACK of comics. And they were GREAT. Oh, just wonderful. That was the first time I ever saw DYLAN DOG. Wow and double-wow.

Then Smoky began a special Alan Moore tribute issue of Ultrazine. The list of contributors grew rapidly. Soon major players were jumping on board. AND AN IDEA FLICKERED.

...or at least that is how I understood the genesis of the project, in my interpretation of Smoky enthusiastic poetic English.

I think I had been the only English-language writer on the project at first, but THAT soon changed! MAN, did it change!
But Smoky was a gentleman and included me in the project even tho my one-book authorship dimmed in the shadow of these giants.
Bless Smoky. And bless Gary, who by then had graciously taken on the Herculean task of editing the project. Without him etc.

And the result is a polished lovely book that I am truly proud to be part of.

It was a fantastic experience that I shall treasure to the very end of my journey.

...but not for others. I do feel that the book was a little too long--a few too many single page tributes that just seemed the same ("I first read Alan Moore when I...;" "Alan Moore changed the way I...;" etc., etc.). I feel like this book would have been a better service if the articles had been kept down to people with some legitimate statement on Moore's work or their personal involvement. An excellent example of this is Steve Bissette's essay in which he outlines his dealings with Moore from the Swamp Thing run, on through Taboo, into their falling out over a hornets' nest of problems in the early nineties. The article is not entirely "in tribute," but it does good service to the fans by being informative on a subject frought with rumor and speculation. I'm sure Moore was probably surprised, if not chagrined, to read it.

The Dave Sim article is excellent (I'm working on reading that right now as a matter of fact). It's daunting but highly rewarding: Sim is easily the most undervalued comics interviewer, for a multiplicity of reasons that aren't worth going into here. The more scholastic articles by Jose Alaniz, in my book you can take them or leave them. There doesn't seem to be much appreciable about what he's written about that a cursory reading of the same texts (especially the "Best of all Tailors" chapter of From Hell) couldn't provide. I'm sure they're of some value to someone, but that doesn't really include me.

Also, the book is co-produced by Italian, English and American people/companies, hence the inclusion of a lot of nameless Italian artists (and a couple of writers). I'm sure that's of massive significance to the Italian comics community, but it's pretty far removed from everywhere else. Still, it doesn't muddle up the book too much...and the pictures are nice...

Altogether, I would neither characterize the book as entirely without merit, save the interviews, nor would I characterize it as a 100% tour de force production. It's a good book for hardcore Moore fans (or wanna-be hardcore fans, with a decent but incomplete bibliography in the back). My advice, if you don't have a copy of Watchmen (which you SHOULD), From Hell, V for Vendetta, and a good Swamp Thing or two, buy those first and then enjoy this book.

This is a strange book. On the one hand, it's packed with art from a long list of talented illustrators. On the other, I don't know who these illustrators are; they all seem to be European. So, although I like their artwork, the fact that they are doing two-page tributes to Alan Moore means nothing to me.

And then there's the text. If the text isn't an interview with Alan Moore, it's not worth reading. 99% of it is just forgettable. There are three essays by one person (who shall remain nameless) that are memorable because they are so horrible. These essays are 'post modern' --- which means that they are full of silly jargon and obscure references to Derrida and that sort of thing. If you don't know what post-modern writing is, consider yourself blessed.

The one really worthwile part of the book is at the end, in an exchange of letters between the cranky Canadian cartoonist, Dave Sim, and Alan Moore. Moore takes the time to describe why he's interested in occultism and how his research in the last ten years has enriched his life. It's a unique story from a brilliant man. He seems to be spelunking his own psyche and then writing about his discoveries.

I can't recommend this book. It looks nice and the end is good, but it's not really worth the time.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the funniest and most beautiful tribute ever made to an author! I have never seen anything like this in centuries! I think that the basic idea of the whole project is strongly related with being an Alan Moore fan, which is a thing that a lot of the autohrs involved in the book share. But there's more to it: that means that even though every contribution is not perfect, neat and amazing, love, respect and passion are always granted in every inch of this work. Every artist/writer that has participated has done its best, even in a simple way, to say: Happy birthday Mr. Moore.

If you're expecting me to cite my favourite contributions you are wrong: too many and too beautiful, and right now I can only remeber one of those that Moore will appreciate more: Will Eisner's one!

In a few words: a must-read for all Moore's fan over the globe, buy it and you won't be disappointed.

P.S.: I was almost forgetting to say that in the end of the volume there is a complete bibliography, which can be considered a stand-alone motivation to buy it.

The book is difficult to read. Never having been truly "edited", these pages came from a 17 year old boy who was engaged in what presumably was "autowriting". Phylos the Tibetan, was the source of the material, Frederick Spencer Oliver wrote these pages around the year of 1884. Many of his writings include early advanced civilizations, and their technology. Items such as Television were mentioned, though not by that name. The lad was truly prescient about many things. The writing style is at times what could best be described as a "shuffling gait". However, if you can get past the first hundred pages, it really does get better. The book really has 2 parts to it. It is the second part that REALLY stands out. Mysticism and the metaphysical are handled deftly. How a 17 year old boy living in the rough and rugged regions of Norther California came to such knowledge is striking in itself. Another reviewer, Linda Fournier gives this book very poor ratings, she is my cousin, and like her Frederick Spencer Oliver is my Great-Grandfather. He died at the age of 33 in 1899. Sure would have liked to have met him.

Any book written by an 18 year old that talks about cathode ray tubes, lasers, and atomic energy with a release date of 1884 is a must read for all! Pretty smart kid. Hardley! All changes will start with Mt Shasta...watch out for reincarnation, Lemurians,Flying vehicles and a soap opera for all time! Read and learn.

My great-great grandfather wrote this book before he become a Christian. At the time he was involved with a cult that frequently used transendentalist meditation. Everything he wrote, he clamied to have seen on other planets. After he became a Christian he rennonced the cult, the book and everything involved with it. I cannot recommend this book to anyone especially after the author clamied he made it all up and did everything in his power to get the book out of print.

How can I begin to describe this book? This book is without peers! Having an interest in ancient history, and being fascinated by the repetitive nature of the dreadful folly of our "race" ( human ), I began to read this book as if it were fiction. This book will cause anyone with an open mind to quake at the very core of their being. This is the "story" of a man and of his illustrious life on the lost continent of Atlantis. His advanced spiritual development and the stressors he went through had allowed him to impart the information of his existance to a young man, Frederick S, Oliver , through psychic means. This book is a "must read" for any person with even a hint of curiosity about the existance of Atlantis, reincarnation, communications with the dead, and the reality and power of the Christ. ** not for the close-minded **

How can I begin to describe this book? This book is without peers! Having an interest in ancient history, and being fascinated by the repetitive nature of the dreadful folly of our "race" ( human ), I began to read this book as if it were fiction. This book will cause anyone with an open mind to quake at the very core of their being. This is the "story" of a man and of his illustrious life on the lost continent of Atlantis. His advanced spiritual development and the stressors he went through had allowed him to impart the information of his existance to a young man, Frederick S, Oliver , through psychic means. This book is a "must read" for any person with even a hint of curiosity about the existance of Atlantis, reincarnation, communications with the dead, and the reality and power of the Christ. ** not for the close-minded **

bad marriage,being kept from young sons would wreck a lesser woman,but bess land on her feet with duke duchess devershire.having strong friendship with duchess didn't stop her from boring two childern by duke,keeping her friendship with the duchess.this is a positive view of lady elizabeth foster who later got her duke,very comfortable life.

Excellent book on the lives of two amazing women sharing the same man. Highly recommend it if you like reading about 'ton' society in late 18th-early 19th century England.

While I had read about the triangular relationship between Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and Lady Elizabeth Foster, nick-named Bess, I never realized that Bess had such colorful life. The authors use letters and other historical documents to present Bess in a more positive way, than previously recorded. It is a fascinating biography.

I suppose few people really care now that Lady Elizabeth Foster finally got her man. This book is nonetheless a caution to historians dependent upon family archives for primary source material. Laudatory bias is bound to creep in somewhere. As the previous reviewer noted, Bess does not come across so attractively in other biographies, even those written about Georgiana's niece, Lady Caroline Lamb. The book's positives have already been noted: good descriptions of aristocratic society and travel in the 18th century. The book is not, however, good history or even good biography.

If you haven't read "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire," you're likely to come away from "Elizabeth and Georgiana" with a very positive view of Lady Elizabeth Foster. I had read "Georgiana," and I didn't find Bess all that likable, even after reading Chapman's glowing chapters about her life. I did, however, love this book and found it very interesting and well done. There are unanswered questions, though, about Bess and the Duke's children and what the Duchess knew; but, Chapman does a good job of filling us in on what happened to the main characters after Bess's death. Easy to read, filled with information about the Georgian period (for instance, a good explanation of how people traveled in the time), and not so mired in politics of the day as "Georgiana . . ." is.