Stevens Books

This book is funny and very easy to read. My sons like the "attitude" of the cat. We have almost every one of Janet Steven's books and love them all.

This is an absolutely wonderful book!!!!

A hilarious guide for dogs facing a host of common problems: humans who want them to go on doggy diets, humans who think dog costumes are a good idea, humans who think dogs should sleep on the floor, etc.!

So funny, and so very beautifully illustrated! I really appreciate children's book illustration, and this book sets the very highest standard for art and humor.

This would be a wonderful gift for any adult or child who loves a dog.

Twenty thumbs up!!!

It all starts with a weener dog on a forced diet; she's writing to Mr. Mutt to ask if she looks fat. Mr. Mutt's answer is, "Of course not!" He also recommends the doggie food pyramid which of course has no place in it for dry dog food. Because Mr. Mutt is a nationally known authority on interspecies understanding, he launches his canine counseling business as a way to help other dogs with people problems, writing out of his home in Dogwood, Delaware. He suggests ways small dogs using teamwork can obtain a wider diet option from atop the counters, and helpfully shares tips on how to encourage the baby to yield up extra treats. This book sounds like my dogs wrote it! The Cat (aka Her Majesty) interjects a note of her own after each reply from Mr. Mutt. Another dog seeks a way to fulfill his cravings for more Frisbee, less television from his people. A basset hound writes to complain about being dressed up by the kids, and Mr. Mutt advises three options (rip-and-run, play dead, grin and bear it) including how to get the kids to dress up the cat instead. Then a letter from a barker who is chastised for noisiness. Mr. Mutt's response includes illustrations of the human and dog brain (guess which is bigger) and other sound advice. A desperate note from a stinky cowdog, a few more repartees from the cat, and next thing you know Mr. Mutt is all tied up. Queenie the Cat takes over the advice column, and 101 woofers have to storm the house, come to Mr. Mutt's rescue, and get that pesky feline out of the picture. The Stevens team (mother-daughter) has captured the funniest expressions on the doggy faces, and insured that Mr. Mutt is destined for fame. Coincidentally , in the Salem Statesman Journal there is a weekly column written--allegedly--by a Rottie and a Poodle! This book would be a great start to a unit on advice columns and newspaper features for upper graders who could write their own Dear Abby and Dear Heloise columns from the dogged-point-of-view (imagine Walter the Farting Dog doing an etiquette column?) It would be fun to use with students in all grades because the various charts and graphs developed by Mr. Mutt lead students into basic math skills lessons; use it as a basis for a unit on letter writing, or nutrition, or geography (all the letters are postmarked). For the younger kids, the back cover includes a list of "hidden pictures" to find in the book, including tennis balls, actual dog hair, pink bunny years and lots and lots of dogs. What a fun book! This gets my WOOF WOOF WOOFER AWARD for funny, and is likely to be in high demand in every school and library family lucky enough to own it

First of all, it shouldn't be Mr. Mutt; it should be DR. MUTT because what we have here is sound parenting advice for dogs stuck in a world of clueless humans and arrogant cats. Following the good Dr.'s advice, dogs of all breeds can make their lives infinitely more enjoyable. Here we learn about various means of "obtaining" people food which is much tastier than the bagged styrofoam that dogs are forced to consume. We also learn about the mulitple uses for the toilet--not only as a source of liquid refreshment but also as a dunk tank for kitties. Caution to cats: you don't want to look at this. I would suggest that you find your own book--you don't fare too well here.
This will be one of the 10 funniest books I'll see this year (and it's only March). It's an absolute joy. 5 Stars each for the authors and 5 more for the book--that's 15 stars and they've earned every one of them.

I have to agree with Justin above. I've recently introduced a D20 group I play with to Hero using this product. It's alot less Intimidating than the core rules and it's easy to use.

It's cheap and it's still out there, I saw it on the shelves of my local gaming store just this last weekend. If you've ever wondered about the Hero system ans want a cheap intro this is the way to go.

Why this book wasn't released right after Hero 5th (FReD) is beyond me, but now that it is here...it was worth the wait. If you've had trouble getting others to try Hero (as I have. Most think they need a degree in math to play), here is the solution in 128 pages. FULL of information and PERFECT for the player new to the Hero System, I've bought 5, so far.
You can take just this book and run/play a game. You really need nothing else. Lots of examples of powers, spells, characters....the book is crammed full of information. Great explainations of how things work in the system. It is just what the doctor ordered to make the Hero System "easier" to understand.

For the uninitiated: HERO is a universal roleplaying system that allows you to build your world from scratch. No random generation is necessary; you, the player, design each aspect of your character to your specifications. It also has the distinction of being (arguably) the best system for "Super Hero" roleplaying on the market and holding that title for twenty plus years. Sidekick, written by HERO System Line Developer, Steven S. Long, is a streamlined collection of the basic rules of HERO, as well including chapters on character creation, environment, equipment lists and sample characters. It was created with the intention of providing gamers with a tool with which to integrate new players into the ever-so-slightly intimidating HERO System.

The book itself is an utilitarian, softbound affair, sporting the familiar "Hex Hero" logo on its cover and weighing in at a feather light 128 pages. Compare this to the Core Fifth Edition monster weighing in at 380 and you begin to understand the necessity of a book like Sidekick in the HERO System library.

True to its promise, Sidekick is an excellent introduction to the greater HERO world. The "streamlining" consists of the omission of optional rules and edited definitions of skills/perks/talents/powers. The mechanics of Sidekick are identical to HERO proper, allowing for an easy transition into the big book when you and your group are ready.

So if you want to have powers beyond that of mortal men and you haven't tried the HERO System, this book was written for you. Steve Long was sitting at his desk and said, "Hey, (insert your name here) needs a book to introduce him to the HERO System," and Sidekick sprung from his head fully grown and took flight. OR, if you need a book to help your D20 buddies get in the game, this book was written for them. You gotta love the tagline too, "Every HERO needs a Sidekick." Clever.

What is HERO system? Its a universal multi-genre roleplaying game. Check out www.herogames.com for more information on what it is.

This book is the resource you need to tackle the HERO roleplaying system. HERO system is one of the versatile systems on the market. The one complaint you hear is that it is complex. The complexity is necessary for its depth and accuracy as a system.

What does sidekick do? It takes all that complexity away and makes Hero simple and fast to master. This book is gold. At only 10$, its a steal. You are robbing Steve Long and friends. He should call the cops every time he sells a copy to report a theft.

If you are interested in HERO system but aren't sure, this is the book for you. This is a great way to see if the system is what you are looking for without shelling out much dough. Believe me, you'll be tossing your other RPG books out the window once you read this book.

This is also the book for you if you like HERO system but find it daunting at times. This is why I bought the book, and now I feel like i'm a master of the system.

I can't recommend this book any more highly.

Timely shipment and in great condition. I was very pleased with order.

From their beginnings in Europe to the Modern day this book gives a great overall history into what and who of the Amish people. Good read for the curious, history minded or those planning a visit to Amish country.

to a topic that would not be considered terribly exciting by most people. Here in plain English, with no bias whatsoever, is the history of one of the most unfamiliar peoples residing in the United States. You have here a detailed but fast-paced account not only of the Amish's origin in Switzerland, Saxony, and the Netherlands in the 16th century, but also of their trials and tribulations in their eventual settling in the New World. Of particular interest to me personally was the historical origins of, and divergence between the Amish and the Mennonites with regard to the question of technology. This book has clarified for me the historical and religious reasons why the Amish have come to choose the way of life they have. I came away from reading this book not only with a deeper understanding of how and why of the Amish (and the Mennonites), but also with a much deeper respect for the genuine humility and modesty the Amish practice in their everyday lives through their work, emphasis on community, and manner of dwelling in harmony with nature. Having lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio for many years, I always believed the Amish to be the only realistic model of a non-monastic community that could convincingly claim to strictly follow the Christian ethos of non-violence and neighborly love. Happily, this book has done much to substantiate much of my own observations about the Amish. But this book is not just about the Amish's past-- in allowing us to to know more about the way the Amish live, and their reasons for it, this short history may give us pause and allow us to re-examine the empty rhetoric of "community" and "empowerment" that fills the double-speak of modern politics and many a special-interest group's battle cries. Definitely recommended to anyone interested in a highly successful form of communal living -- one that is not based on a childish rebellion against the modern world, but one based on a childlike acceptance of man's fundamentally naked condition regardless of his technological progress.

I read this book prior to a long weekend trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country. The book is very clearly written (I almost finished it on a flight from Amsterdam to New York) but it presents all the key facts and concepts - in a sympathetic but unbiased way. Having read this book prior to my visit, I could have conversations with locals and feel closer to them thanks to the information and concepts picked up from this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who plans to visit the Amish part of the country and look a little deeper than horse-driven carts and beards without moustaches.

How to Make Hot Cold Calls changed my life. As a sales manager with a very large financial institution, I was enlightened by the concepts found within Steven Schwartz's book. Never before had I been given the "how to" of this critical component of the sales process. I was so inspired, that I coordinated a seven-week pilot with 10 front-line sales staff within my organization. Here are some of the startling results from our informal process: a 73% average increase in our ability to get through to prospects over the telephone, and an 87% average increase in our ability to get the appointment or sale. Believe me, this is a very reliable indicator of how intuitive Hot to Make Hot Cold Calls can be to a typical sales person today. Some of the behavioural changes from the team were immediate and permanent. Even more exciting was how my salespeople could overlay Steven's techniques during their face-to-face sales appointments. I strongly recommend the use of this book, the website, and the audio program.

With "How To Make Hot Calls", Steven J. Schwartz has done the near-impossible. He has taken the third most stress-provoking life event (behind public speaking and diapering an infant) and transformed it into one of the most powerful assets I have in my business life.

When I was referred to Schwartz's book, I was concerned that I'd be cluttering my bookshelf with another facile, indulgent self-help guide from a slick motivational speaker with limited business experience and a juvenile sense of humor.

This book is different. Unlike other books of this type, Schwartz uses an engaging combination of anecdotes, real-life business examples and highly effective exercises to convey his concepts. He speaks to the reader in plain language and provides many opportunities to reinforce the skills being taught.

Schwartz's ideas are simple, infectious and have resulted in my being much more effective and at ease in reaching my clients and managing my relationships with them. This book would be invaluable to anyone who is in consultative sales, marketing or professional services.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who, like me, was intimidated by the prospect of calling new business contacts. Without meaning to sound hyperbolic, this could be the best investment you'll ever make in a skill you'll use for the rest of your working life.

With "How To Make Hot Calls", Steven J. Schwartz has done the near-impossible. He has taken the third most stress-provoking life event (behind public speaking and diapering an infant) and transformed it into one of the most powerful assets I have in my business life.

When I was referred to Schwartz's book, I was concerned that I'd be cluttering my bookshelf with another facile, indulgent self-help guide from a slick motivational speaker with limited business experience and a juvenile sense of humor.

This book is different. Unlike other books of this type, Schwartz uses an engaging combination of anecdotes, real-life business examples and highly effective exercises to convey his concepts. He speaks to the reader in plain language and provides many opportunities to reinforce the skills being taught.

Schwartz's ideas are simple, infectious and have resulted in my being much more effective and at ease in reaching my clients and managing my relationships with them. This book would be invaluable to anyone who is in consultative sales, marketing or professional services.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who, like me, was intimidated by the prospect of calling new business contacts. Without meaning to sound hyperbolic, this could be the best investment you'll ever make in a skill you'll use for the rest of your working life.

How to Make Hot Cold Calls changed my life. As a sales manager with a very large financial institution, I was enlightened by the concepts found within Steven Schwartz's book. Never before had I been given the "how to" of this critical component of the sales process. I was so inspired, that I coordinated a seven-week pilot with 10 front-line sales staff within my organization. Here are some of the startling results from our informal process: a 73% average increase in our ability to get through to prospects over the telephone, and an 87% average increase in our ability to get the appointment or sale.
Believe me, this is a very reliable indicator of how intuitive Hot to Make Hot Cold Calls can be to a typical sales person today. Some of the behavioural changes from the team were immediate and permanent. Even more exciting was how my salespeople could overlay Steven's techniques during their face-to-face sales appointments. I strongly recommend the use of this book, the website, and the audio program.

AS Reviewed on HuntingLife.com

Hunting The First State - A Guide to Delaware Hunting is a great resource for those interested in hunting the state of Delaware. I think it might be a great resource for those looking to hunt any of the states in that Delmarva Peninsula as well like Eastern Shore Maryland and New Jersey. Steven puts together a great resource on everything from traditional Whitetail Deer Hunting, Turkey Hunting to Small Game and Migratory Bird hunting.

This book will give you general areas to hunt with specific names of Wildlife Management areas to focus your attention on and a full wealth of knowledge on tips and tactics to use in those specific areas. His book covers a majority of the species available to hunt and a things you need to know about hunting each species and where to hunt and locate those species. Of course Steven isn't going to point you to his best farms to hunt but gives you generic information that with your own scouting and the knowledge gained from this book you can take to the field and have reasonable hopes of taking your choice of many different game species.

I especially enjoyed the section on Turkey hunting and I gained some valuable insight into the areas that are available to hunt Turkey on public land in Delaware and I am thinking about applying for a permit for the 2009 season.

I enjoyed the book tremendously and at a price of $19.95 I think you are gaining a real value and a great work that will surely be welcome in your home library.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this 'How-To" book on the Delaware hunting scene to be not only quite informative but - and this is the surprising part - extremely well written and quite engaging. Steven Kendus has written a book that includes interesting personal experiences and insights while, all the while, providing quite detailed information on the hunting of all species of Delaware big and small game. My personal favorite is the author's treatment of whitetail deer hunting. The material on this subject, and other chapters as well, is valuable to new AND old hunters alike. My only criticism is that Mr. Kendus didn't offer this contribution to Delaware area hunters years ago - It would have made my relocation from the midwest a whole lot easier!

Hunting The First State is written by a hunter for hunters or soon to be hunters. Nothing can take the place of true field experience and there is something to learn for everyone, beginner or novice. This author covers every type of game species available to hunt in Delaware. Tactics, places, and tried technics, along with some personal experience shared by the author himself. If you plan on hunting in Delaware, this book is a must.

Anyone hunting anything in the Northeast (not just Delaware) will thoroughly enjoy this book. Unlike so many other books on the subject that take a 'know-it-all' approach, this is written like advice you are receiving from someone headed out of the woods while you are on your way in. The book is full of pithy, anecdotal, 'This is what has worked for me' advice and suggestion, written in a very readable, engaging style.

In a brief, accessible, and inexpensive book, Bob Blaisdell and Dover Thrift have created a fine selection of poems from the "Imagist" movement which changed the direction of American and English poetry in the early 20th Century. The precise nature of "Imagism" has been much discussed. Some of the more famous, succinct forumlations of its creed were "Not ideas of the thing but the thing itself." and, simply, "make it new". Imagism wanted to turn away from late 19th Century poetry with what the new writers perceived as its sometimes stilted diction, involuted syntax, forced rhymes, and forced sentiment and return to the object, to a way of seeing things freshly through precise speech. In Bob Blaisdell's brief introduction to this book, he discusses the principles of Imagism as Richard Aldington, the first poet to appear in the collection, formulated them: 1.Direct treatment of the subject; 2.As few adjectives as possible; 3. A hardness as of cut stone; 4. Individuality of rhythm; 5. A whole lot of dont's; 6. The exact word.

W.C. Williams's poem "To a Solitary Disciple" (page 137 of the collection) offers a good poetic summation of imagist practice. It begins:

"Rather notice, mon cher,
that the moon is
tilted above
the point of the steeple
than that its color
is shell-pink.

Rather observe
that it is early morning
than that the sky
is smooth
as a turquoise"

The collection includes 180 poems by 17 poets. The selections were culled from the pages of the "little magazines" of poetry that presented works of the new movement between 1913 and 1922. The poets receiving the most space are, understandably enough, D.H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, and W.C. Williams.
It will be a joy to a reader coming to these poets for the first time. The book also includes many lesser known but important writers such as Richard Aldington, H.D. Amy Lowell, and others. Thus the book, short and accessible as it is, does not constitute simply a collection of favorites. It is a fine introduction to imagism and to the spirit of our modern age including both well-known and lesser-known figures.

This book can be enjoyed and savored simply for what it is -- an inexpensive collection of many of the poems illustrating the modernist temprament. As such, the book will offer many hours of reading and rereading. Equally important, the book could also serve as an introduction for those who want to learn more, to explore further the development of American or English poetry in the Twentieth Century.

Of all the movements in 20th century literature, Imagism is my favorite. If you're as sick as I am of angry, modern, "confessional" poets (yes, I'm sure your childhood was awful, now see a therapist and get on Prozac), then take a look at this collection. While some of the poems here are widely anthologized (including Wallace Steven's, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" and William Carlos Williams's, "To Waken an Old Lady"), most haven't been seen except by literati. It's truly a shame, because one of the "rules" of the Imagist movement was clarity of prose and vision. Take this gem from Richard Aldington, for example: "The chimneys, rank on rank,/ Cut the clear sky;/ The moon/ With a rag of gauze about her loins/ Poses among them, an awkward Venus---/ And here I am looking wantonly at her/ Over the kitchen sink." Wow! The Imagist movement was about nature, and unexpected beauty; things we haven't seen much of in late 20th/early 21st century art. In my opinion, this affordable little book is worth ten times the cover price. "Confessional" poetry? If I want to read about child molestation or how awful the world is, I'll read the newspaper, thank you.

.....with a phenomenal price tag. If you are just curious about different types of poetry (as I am) or wish to learn specifically about Imagism, don't pass this one up!

This anthology contains more than 180 poems by the best known Imagists: James Joyce, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, D.H. Lawrence, Richard Aldington, among about a dozen others. The reader experiences the full range of Imagist poetry.

Imagism, which had it's emergence in the 1910s, is distinct in that each poet is permitted to find his/her own rhythm without constraint, subjects are treated directly, the language is precise, adjectives are used sparingly, and there is little rhyming. In effect, Imagism, which was considered radical at the time, ultimately widened the definition of poetry written in English.

I found in reading this collection, that there were rhythms that I distinctly did and did not respond to. Thus, I found poets that I discovered I liked and responded to and others that clearly did not do the same for me. I always found the topics of each poem worthy, however. Few seemed frivilous, but rather centered on topics of love, religious worship, nature, death, among others that emphasized meaning that far transcended mere words. Particularly, if you enjoy original, detailed descriptions of our natural world, I think you'll respond to many of the poems contained in this anthology.

The one item I felt was lacking was that there was no bio for each poet. I would have liked a brief (paragraph or two) intro to each poet, particularly because several of the names were new to me. Otherwise, I'd have given the collection five stars.

I bought this book because of the low price and enjoy because of the vast amount of work. Yeah.

This is the first book in the Von Carstein trilogy. The author is new to Black Library but not to the art of the written word, and with this novel Steven Savile makes a bold entrance onto the stage of Warhammer Fiction, demanding a place among the best of the Warhammer novelists.

This book begins with the rise of Von Carstein as the lord of all Sylvania and then launches on a intricate plot of war, sacrifice, and tragedy in the Old World. The tale of the vampire lords is not a happy one and Mr. Savile pulls no punches in this tale of a world on the verge of collapse and an empire that can barely stop infighting long enough to be conquered.

After the opening scene, we meet two witch hunters in a quest across the Sylvanian lands. Here Mr. Savile shows the most powerful tool in the writer's arsenal, one sorely lacking in game tie-in fiction these days: the ability to create yearning. We connect to these characters, share their pain and their loss. We see them heading farther and farther into the lands of the Arisen and follow them with a sense of dread. "This thing," we think to ourselves, "cannot end well."

Inheritance is an ambitious novel, jumping from character to character as the Old World falls to the might of Vlad Von Carstein. Mr. Savile does not quite create the uniqueness and richness of characters we find in the works of George RR Martin, but he doesn't need to. This is an ambitious work, but not that ambitious.

What he does draw is a vivid tapestry of pain and loss, of despair in the face of the hopelessness. Vlad is the unstoppable force and in this novel the Empire spends its time searching in vein (pun intended) of an unmovable object.

The only thing I can really say bad about this novel is a certain sluggishness throughout the beginning of act two. After those first brilliant chapters, his new characters don't quite connect to the reader with the same aching passion and while they are well executed, the lack stands out just when a novel needs a fresh shot of interest to carry the reader firmly into the middle. In fairness though, if the beginning was a little weaker I might not have had this problem. The introduction of the witch hunters, for me at least, created and internal hype the middle had a hard time satisfying.

But this novel comes through at the end, filling me with the desire to immediately pick up the sequel (which, alas, I wasn't able to do). In the end, the book brings the reader back to that initial connection of feeling, book-ending the entire plot very nicely.

It's not surprising, a quick search on Amazon brings up two pages of titles by Mr. Savile and his story in Writers of the Future XIX (later expanded and published as the novella Houdini's Last Illusion) was possibly my favorite story in the anthology. This isn't a first or second novel, with all their problems.

One piece of advice. I've read the history of this war at least five or six times, but I've never paid it enough attention to memorize the details. I didn't reread these events before devouring this book. I appreciated the sense of discovery, the anticipation of not knowing whether a historical character lived or died.

I recommend you do the same.

As usual, the beginning began at the end. It was late in the winter of 1797, within Drakenhof Castle, during the last few minutes of Otto van Drak's life. The old Count of Sylvania refused to die because his brother, Leopold, would inherit the title. So the old man held onto life, each breath filled with agony, in hope that something would change. His wish was granted by the arrival of a nobleman, Vlad von Carstein. By marrying Otto's daughter, Isabella, Vlad cheated Leopold of his title, only seconds before he cheated Leopold of his life. Vlad became Count of Sylvania. The ending had begun.

In the year 2009, Vlad finds one page from the nine Books of Nagash. The single sheet holds powerful necromantic magic. Thus Vlad begins raising the dead to create his own army. His legion of the dead soon begins its quest to overthrow the Empire. His vampiric wife, Isabella, stands at his side. His vampiric sword, keens in his hand, demanding blood.

Zombies, ghouls, and vampires kill the living. Then the newly dead raise and turn on the very people they had fought with only moments before. As each living person dies, Vlad's undead horde swells. Even though some of the vampires are slain for good by decapitation, Vlad remains standing. That is not to say that Vlad did not ever get decapitated. Yet somehow, Vlad always raises again, a scar on his throat being the only sign that his head had ever been cut off. There seems to be no way to stop him. Humans have become cattle.

***** This is the first in a trilogy. From the first page to the last, author Steven Savile brings you the stuff of nightmares. This book's tale goes until the late winter of the year 2051. (Book two will begin from there.) Readers are given the first chapter of the second book at the end. It promises more nightmares. There are so many chilling scenes that I am amazed the pages do not freeze into chunks of ice. All gothic, Vlad, and vampire fans simply MUST read this novel. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I've just readed this book. It was great. I know, this book only arrives at stores in USA at 31 march, but I've pre-order it from the Black Library and so I've received in middle february.

Well this is a great book that will enrich not only the fans of warhammer but also the fans of vampires. If you play with the Vampire Count I think you will liked it. It won't tell you anything you don't know (About the army) but It will give some depht and history to your army. I think you will like it.

Good Things : The characters and the plot itself.
Things to improve in the next books: I think Mr. Savile would do better to take some depht to the vampires and take more time developing it's history. (well this will be fruitless even if he reads it since the second book it's already written lol)


||Minor Spoillers Ahead.. Jump ahead||

Don't take me wrong. The characters are great... We've got, of course, Vlad von Carstein. We read about it's rise and grow of his empire. How he come to be the ruler of Sylvania and finally the strike on the empire.
Something on the story I didn't like. When the thief Felix Mann stole the ring that gave immortality to the Count. It was too damn easy. Then Vlad outburst and strike recklessly the empire fortress and died. It was too quick. Bah..
It was the only thing I didn't like.


||Minor Spoillers Ended||

Well we've got a lot of characters beside the Vlad and Isabella von Carstein. Inbetween the chapters of Vlad we've the history of this minor characters.
We've got Jon Skellan and Stefan Fischer the witch-hunters, Ganz the human chancellor of Vlad. Then we've got Krueger a knight of White Wolf and the thief Felix Mann. And of course other minor characters that appear in some chapters.

In the end it is a great book but it does not finish here. More two books to be released. The next in September. It will be great 'cause some of this characters histories didn't end. I will be awaiting.

About the writing: As you know Black Library has a majority of the writters from UK. This author is American. Some words were unknown to me (I am portuguese) but apart from that the book brings forth the characteristic mayhem of the Warhammer World.

This is my first Steven Savile novel to read. And it won't be my last!

After devouring this awesome vampire dark fantasy epic, I have already purchased Book II: Dominion. Yes, it was that good.

In this novel, Book I:Inheritance, the evil dark vampire lord, Von Carstein, builds and creates his own massive army of the various types of the dead,from werewolves to wights, all marching to annihilate human civilization in a purely dark fantasy world.

There are numerous characters in this book, both monster and human, and all extremely interesting to read about. With loads of twists and turns, with various character's storylines, Steven Savile still manages to carry it all off with bloody panache.

With loads of blood and guts action, utilizing everything from magical swords that sing and hum for blood, to daggers and crossbows, (No guns, despite the futuristic years shown on each chapter), this is a purely dark fantasy sure to please bloodsuckers everywhere.

This dark and diabolical book is waiting for you to devour.

Go ahead. Take a walk on the wild side...

Good guide for MHP and OCAP standards. It helps understand basic things of these standards

The authors give a well-written introduction as well as many insights into the design of interactive tv systems. This is a must-have for anyone new in this field. The book presents much more information than those on the interactive-mhp.org website.

We started our OCAP project prior to the arrival of this book and had to rely on digging through all of the different, confusingly referenced, standards. Every chapter of this book caused a light bulb to click on with a big "ah ha!" Don't get started without reading a copy of this book. It's a 10 to 1 reduction in pain.

This an excellent book! A must have! I strongly recommend it to anyone willing to have a broad and at the same time in-depth view into the numerous concepts and APIs necessary for designing IDTV applications. Several code snippets are provided to illustrate how each API can be used: this can help save a lot of time as the DVB MHP and OCAP specs are a little bit large.

Mr. Harvey brings to light a side of history that goes unnoticed for the most part, with well-researched detail the story starts with the first canals and steamboats and how with courage and determination ambitious inventors, steamboat men, and capitalists helped to influenced other men and women in our great history to reshape our society and changed America forever.

He takes us through the first century of mechanical transportation with his focal point on the scenic waters of New York State and its Finger Lakes and shows us how it become a major link in the transportation system that moved America westward and also how each step forward in transportation technology they moved onward to bring about the modern age of travel.

He includes detailed drawings of the steamboats, constructions techniques, and how they traversed the Finger Lakes in the mid to late 19th century which I feel makes this book a delight to read and I would recommend this great book to students, history hounds looking for a wonderful addition to their library and the everyday reader who just wants a good book to read.

This amazing story of how we Americans went from having only our feet to trod dirt roads to possessing the worlds finest transportation system is remarkable! Mr. Harvey takes us through the first century of mechanical transportation and shows us how it reshaped our society and changed your nation forever. New York State and its Finger Lakes is the focal point of this story that starts with the first canals and steamboats and ends with Glenn Curtiss and his airplanes. This is a great book for students, history hounds and the everyday reader who just wants a good book to read.

Steve Harvey appropriately sub-titled this book "An American Saga." After horseback and buggies in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State came the steamboat making "It Started With A Steamboat" a most adept title. As I started reading I found myself engrossed with the words written and, almost, unable to put the book down. The discussions about the particular steamboats, including constructions techniques, then traversing the Finger Lakes in the mid to late 19th century are wonderful examples of Mr. Harvey's writing. His drawings of the steamboats are among the finest I have ever seen. In addition, it was a delight to read yet another discussion about Mr. Glenn H. Curtiss, far advanced beyond the Wright Brothers, as the leader in the development of aviation in this country and throughout the world. "It Started With A Steamboat" is written with the Finger Lakes Region as a focus but written as such so that any history buff would find it an interesting read and wonderful addition to their library.

A major chapter of the American story unfolded on the scenic waters of the Finger Lakes of New York. That area, now known for its wines and resorts, was once a major link in the transportation system that moved America westward and the place where the technology that made it all possible was invented or improved.

Mr. Harvey brings that story to life with rich and well-researched detail that tells the story of ambitious inventors, steamboat men, and capitalists and how they changed this country and and brought about the modern age.

Society is shaped, made possible even, by the technologies it uses. Mr. Harvey shows how transportation technology shaped America--how and where we lived and how we did business. His focus is on the steamboat age but he places that story in a continuum that moves onward to the airplane and the space ship, each evolution growing out of the previous stage.

A large cast of larger-than-life characters gives this book the immediacy of drama but Mr. Harvey also puts the strivings of these energetic men and women into the bigger picture to show us the world that they created and the legacy that they left.

I wish this book existed during the turbulent 80's and early 90's. Outmoded accounting system's, corporate reorganizations, high employee turnover, pressure to do more, faster with fewer resources. As a Controller, most of my biggest headaches involved the amount of time required to close the books. The original closing schedule was 10 days into the new period. Then it was 8 days. Then 5, then 4 days.

I can't even guess at the time I could have saved had I known the techniques the author demonstrates in Just-In-Time Accounting.

This is not your usual accounting tome, based on statistics and theory. This is real stuff. Built out of scar tissue, experience and real world solutions. They are not necessarily easy solutions but lasting solutions worth the effort to implement.

The content deals with streamlining some basic areas:

Cash - How to speed up the process but still keep control. Some very interesting ideas about corporate credit cards, using your bank and lock boxes to save time and money.

Sales & Accounts Receivable - Some good ideas about redundant approvals, and minimizing paper.

Inventory - With hundreds of physical inventories under my belt I can vouch for the absolutely necessity of doing what the author recommends. This area was one of my great bugaboo's. Nothing affects the balance sheet like an inventory error. This involves bills of material, suppliers, production records, and computer system's. This is a whole world in itself but the problem(s) and solutions are concisely described here. Get your inventory under control and the rest is cake.

Accounts Payable - Good stuff that took me a long time to discover on my own.

Cost Accounting - Mostly about why you need it and how it allows you to spot P&L problems before the month ends. This is one of the critical areas to review since it is necessary for faster closes. Get the major variances identified early in the month instead of wasting time digging it up 4 or 5 weeks after the events occurred. One comment I have is the need for weekly staff meetings to review what happened last week, how will it affect this week and what is being done about it. These meeting will point out problem areas for the controller to preempt delusional variance explanations after monthend.

Payroll - Many good ideas that work. I have used the barcode system's.

The Budget - You probably know about these already but there are some time-saving techniques to minimize constant re-casting and interations.

EDI - I'm not too familiar with this.

The Quick Close - It can be done. This tells you how and I can vouch for the soundness of the concept. I actually set a corporate-wide benchmark of 1-1/2 days using these techniques. In my view that is the real payoff since it is the realization and payoff of all the other hard work. Gives you more time to do yet another iteration of the budget.

Some of the examples apply to huge corporations but most of the principles are universal. I really can't find fault in this book. It tells the controller, in the real world, how to get your system(s) sorted out. I have seen many "instant pudding" or fad of the month cause real damage if it didn't really work. There is no downside to these techniques. This is motherhood and apple pie. You can't go wrong trying.

A great reference on aspects of operational accounting -- easy to read and use format.

This book is the best in the market so far for accounting process improvements. The author did a great job in outlining the traditional and revised accounting procedures. Lots of opportunities available to streamline the work process and enhance the information flow. There are lots of useful flowcharts and tables that you can apply to your company right away.

I wish this book existed during the turbulent 80's and early 90's. Outmoded accounting system's, corporate reorganizations, high employee turnover, pressure to do more, faster with fewer resources. As a Controller, most of my biggest headaches involved the amount of time required to close the books. The original closing schedule was 10 days into the new period. Then it was 8 days. Then 5, then 4 days.

I can't even guess at the time I could have saved had I known the techniques the author demonstrates in Just-In-Time Accounting.

This is not your usual accounting tome, based on statistics and theory. This is real stuff. Built out of scar tissue, experience and real world solutions. They are not necessarily easy solutions but lasting solutions worth the effort to implement.

The content deals with streamlining some basic areas:

Cash - How to speed up the process but still keep control. Some very interesting ideas about corporate credit cards, using your bank and lock boxes to save time and money.

Sales & Accounts Receivable - Some good ideas about redundant approvals, and minimizing paper.

Inventory - With hundreds of physical inventories under my belt I can vouch for the absolutely necessity of doing what the author recommends. This area was one of my great bugaboo's. Nothing affects the balance sheet like an inventory error. This involves bills of material, suppliers, production records, and computer system's. This is a whole world in itself but the problem(s) and solutions are concisely described here. Get your inventory under control and the rest is cake.

Accounts Payable - Good stuff that took me a long time to discover on my own.

Cost Accounting - Mostly about why you need it and how it allows you to spot P&L problems before the month ends. This is one of the critical areas to review since it is necessary for faster closes. Get the major variances identified early in the month instead of wasting time digging it up 4 or 5 weeks after the events occurred. One comment I have is the need for weekly staff meetings to review what happened last week, how will it affect this week and what is being done about it. These meeting will point out problem areas for the controller to preempt delusional variance explanations after monthend.

Payroll - Many good ideas that work. I have used the barcode system's.

The Budget - You probably know about these already but there are some time-saving techniques to minimize constant re-casting and interations.

EDI - I'm not too familiar with this.

The Quick Close - It can be done. This tells you how and I can vouch for the soundness of the concept. I actually set a corporate-wide benchmark of 1-1/2 days using these techniques. In my view that is the real payoff since it is the realization and payoff of all the other hard work. Gives you more time to do yet another iteration of the budget.

Some of the examples apply to huge corporations but most of the principles are universal. I really can't find fault in this book. It tells the controller, in the real world, how to get your system(s) sorted out. I have seen many "instant pudding" or fad of the month cause real damage if it didn't really work. There is no downside to these techniques. This is motherhood and apple pie. You can't go wrong trying