Thomas Books

This is one of those books that takes you from one world and brings you into another, in this case southeast Asia. Usually, I have found this quality in certain novels, but not often in short story collections, so I was glad I came upon this group of stories. I particularly liked the stories 'Fingertips Pointing to the Sky' and 'The Hotel Bombay'.

This collection of stories was a very enjoyable read and affected me on many levels. The stories encompassed a wide spectrum of emotions. I read the book in one sitting and then found myself going back a few weeks later and re-reading some of the stories for a second time. While all of the stories were sensitive to the area of southeast Asia they worked as a comment on the human condition regardless of geographic area.

I came across this book quite by accident after returning from an extensive business trip in southeast Asia. I liked the author's attention to detail and wished there were more than fourteen stories included here.

In fourteen stories the author has captured the feel of the area of the South China Sea. Asia is so vast with so many beautiful countries and where better to learn about different cultures than through literature. By reading, one is rewarded with a further understanding of the world we live in. I especially enjoyed this collection of short stories and would recommend it to anyone interested in either the atmosphere of southeast Asia or simply in well written stories.

The one thing all fourteen stories have in common is a link to the South China Sea. Some of the stories are humorous, others deal with serious subjects such as trafficking in women, extreme poverty, a sweatshop owner who's also a rapist, revenge, the Khmer Rouge, and attempts to escape from Vietnam. Some of the stories are predictable and one has a tragic irony. This collection was highly enjoyable and I read it in one sitting.

It needs to be mentioned that in order to really love this collection, you should already have a true love of poetry as well. That's really what makes this work as well as it does. Yes, the poems are explicit, physically sensual celebrations (and afterglows) of sexual pleasure. But the medium is SO often misused. It's either simply diving into smut, or even worse burying sex in some transcendental fugue that not even Don Juan could wade through.
This book however, touches all the right places. Between physical pleasure, intellectual lust, and emotional connections: The most satisfying and enjoyable sex is experienced in long-term relationships based on respect, trust, and love. If you love great poetry, AND great sex, this is for you.

I am very pleased with the quality of the poetry in this anthology. It is very sensual, and sexual without being vulgar. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's something you can pick up when the mood strikes, and can even inspire you to write some love poems of your own.

"Sex within a context of real love, commitment, and safety is expansive and deeply pleasurable." ~Wendy Maltz

Until I started writing my own poetry; there was no way to realize the depth of emotion present in intimate poems. How do you even remember everything that happens when almost unaware of time itself and captured in a mystery or moment of breathless wonder?

Do poets hover above themselves in some dreamlike state observing this ecstatic union awaiting its birth in words? Does the soul watch the body's pleasure, silently? It seems it does because when poems arrive often they spill out onto the page in line after line of meaningful remembrance without much effort or thought. These types of poems seem born of longing, fantasy, dreams and the ancient desires all humans share. There is also humor in some of the rhymes or a casual elegance.

Nikki Giovanni brings an amusing style to her poetry in "That Day." The poem dances with the pleasure of the rhyme.

if you've got the key
then i've got the door
let's do what we did
when we did it before

Peeling an Orange by Virginia Hamilton Adair also shows the playfulness of love as two lovers play with oranges and the spicy scent of orange oil fills the air.

There are poems that are more direct and sensual and they explore the depths of the human experience and often express our desire to feel loved until our bodies vibrate at a higher frequency. This subtle purr or contentment after a loving experience can actually be felt in the body, but it is often difficult to describe. Some of the lovers wish to die in this blissful state after union. Wendy Lee expresses this desire in "Seamless Beauty" where she wishes to "fall into a deep sleep and never wake up."

Many of the poems contain nature images, especially water, the moon and surprisingly...many images of moths. What more could I wish for? There are swarms of luminous moths or ecstasy in a desert sea. A few of the poems have culinary themes. Jay Farbstein remembers a scene in the kitchen and how the pleasure of tastes turns into a worshipful experience.

Mostly, this is beautiful creative writing with a sensual theme. There are poems reflecting on past loves, poems about intense sensual encounters (Making Love by Walt Farran) and others where the poet wishes for future fulfillment. Like in Thirst by Linda Alexander:

Like a blade of summer grass
turning towards a fragrance
of rain caught in the air's
cooling, I come back to you

Wendy Maltz has created a sensitive and sacred sanctuary of healthy sexual experience in which lovers give sexuality a unique voice filled with imagination and metaphor. This is beyond romance, but never abusive or degrading. There is still a subtle mystery present in most of the poems. I loved the images in On Entering the Sea where Nizar Qabbani speaks of his experience as a "sliding under the skin of water...like writing with jasmine water."

The poems are divided into five chapters: Anticipation & Desire, Self-Awareness & Discovery, Admiration & Appreciation, Union & Ecstasy and Afterglow & Remembrance.

The poets featured: Marge Piercy, Emily Dickinson, Patti Tana, Robert Browning, Robin Jacobson, Linda Alexander, Floyd Skloot, George Keithley, David Meuel, Debra Pennington Davis, Penny Harter, Nikki Giovanni, Rumi, Trudi Paraha, Vigrinia Hamilton Adair, Stephen Dunn, Abigail Albrecht, Sharon Olds, Octavio Paz, Nizar Qabbani, Anon, Cummings, Kenneth Rexroth, June Sylvester Saraceno and Penny Harter.

What is especially delicious about this book of poetry is the introduction to a variety of new poets. For many of the poets, this is the first time their poems were published. I fell in love with Trudi Paraha's poetry. Her descriptions of painting love poems over sheets went beyond creative. She plays with words as if they owned her heart.

The erotic human experience is often a place of immense pleasure and most of the poets in this book seem to be writing from a place of relationship, trust and honesty. There is a nurturing quality to the lust, a beautiful connection between souls and an almost spiritual element in the union of lovers in a comforting embrace and heartfelt connection.

David Meuel's poems are especially interesting. He speaks of talking in touches and listening to each other's fingertips. In just a few sentences he can create amazing situations of desire. "What Makes It Good" shows his talent and "Ten Years Together" displays a rare intimacy between souls.

While you may think of erotic poems as poetry to excite passion, I found many of these poems were dipped in pleasure, but still retained an element of comfort. This is the type of book you can read at night before you go to bed and it may even produce beautiful dreams of the person you love. Intimate Kisses is as much a kiss for the mind as for the heart.

Something like my soul slips from me
and goes to you,
without choice or question,
and wraps itself around you
all night, like the breath
of the moon
~Gina Zeitlin

Intimate Kisses is an excellent choice is you have longed to know the experience of poets who can deftly describe the devotional side of desire. If you love this book, you may want to look for Passionate Hearts: The Poetry of Sexual Love. I can highly recommend both selections because they focus on positive images of sexual love.

~The Rebecca Review

Intimate Kisses: The Poetry of Sexual Pleasure is a lovely little book edited by Wendy Maltz, M.S.W. This is her fifth book on sexuality. She's a sex therapist and marriage counselor whose work has appeared in national magazines and on video.

Maltz says that "negative messages about sexual pleasure cause a lot of unnecessary personal suffering." She believes that understanding sexual pleasure will help people incorporate it into their own lives, while recognizing that "there are many different types and intensities of sexual pleasure." People's concept of pleasure also changes as they change.

She divided the book into five sections: anticipation and desire; self-awareness and discovery; admiration and appreciation; union and ecstasy; and afterglow and remembrance. Each section includes twenty or more poems. She includes the poetry of Marge Piercy, Anne Sexton, Sharon Olds, and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, as well as dozens of lesser-known poets.

Maltz says that "my goal in creating Intimate Kisses is to provide an erotic, yet sensitive, collection of poems that describe sexual pleasure based on intimacy." Readers will enjoy discovering that she met her goal.

I went into the bookstore looking for a book to share with my current lover, and finally after spending an hour staring at the shelves found this little gem. The book is perfect, because it contains a wide variety of enriching language on the subject of love and sex... which is what I was seeking to share with my signfigant other. But it is also perfect because it makes one aware through reading that the common conceptions of sex that we see in mass media are so very dull compared to the variety present in this small volume. I think I'm going to drop a copy of this wrapped up discretely and anonomously on an over-sexed male co-worker's desk. The book is also perfect as a gift to man who hasn't grown out of his teenage (and porn industry soaked) ideas of sex. If he can spend some time reading it, it might blow his mind (and change his life). Why? Because this is a book that profoundly expresses that the best love and sex come out of the kind of intimacy that's pretty tough to find in a one-night stand.

I liked this book. For me it falls somewhere between a 3-star and a 4-star book on Amazon's rating list. It has some good content, it is grammatically correct, and it gives the reader some things to think about. It talks about Intellectual Property from a legal standpoint. But it talks mostly about how to strategically use and protect Intellectual Property in business in the US and globally.

The Intellectual Property world consists of four basic types of risk:

1. Institutional risks
2. Infringement risks
3. Management risks
4. Technology risks

This book tries to explain strategies and tactics that can help company executives protect the ideas their companies depend on for staying competitive and earning profits. Unfortunately the road to success at protecting lucrative ideas is not one well traveled. And it is equally hard to write a book about how to travel that road. The authors have tried to write such a book. But, not surprisingly, I think they fell a little short on achieving their goal of writing a masterpiece. This does not mean this book is not worthy of being read. It is a good book. And any company executive that has a portfolio of Intellectual Property should probably give it a read.

This book approaches strategy on a company basis, an industry basis, a country basis, and a global basis. There is a need for this book. And most senior executives have either struggled with the material in this book, or they should have before their companies took a turn for the worst. This book is written by a patent attorney and a serial entrepreneur - two people who should (and do) know a great deal about the material covered here. Since innovative ideas are more important in business today than ever before, and this book can help you strategize how you are going to maximize your benefit from taking your innovative ideas to market, you probably should consider getting a copy of this book. 3.8 stars

PS. The authors have provided Amazon with "Search Inside" material for this book. Consider examining the Table of Contents (TOC) that can be found there. It will help you better understand what is in this book. The TOC for this book is quite informative.

This book captures the IP strategy every CTO needs to build the company IP portfolio. Your investors will love you!

Practical advice on how to build a killer IP portfolio is hard to find - this book is it! The authors understand the legal, business, and creative aspects well and provide a thorough and balanced program for attacking this most important of value creation challenges. Own this book, own your future.

A detailed, concise guide that will help you navigate through the process of protecting your innovations.

iProperty is a very important book for any business executive who wants to learn how to best maximize his/her intellectual property portfolio. However, what makes this book stand out over all the others is the ability of the authors to make the subject fun, and the book as a whole incredibly easy to read and comprehend. By providing a comprehensive, yet easy to read background and a detailed blueprint on how to move forward, this book can benefit many other people critical to the success of any intellectual property management program, including intellectual property attorneys and corporate R&D personnel, no matter what level of Intellectual Property management experience. iProperty definitely earns a 5-star rating and is a must-read for anyone who wishes to get the maximum return on their intellectual property investment.

I must make a disclaimer up front. One of the authors of this book was my business partner before I retired in 1999; maybe I am a little prejudiced. On the other hand, besides a spouse, who knows someone better than a partner in business. Let me get the syrupy stuff out of the way--Ron is a great guy, an honest-as-the-day-is-long person in all aspects of his life, AND a master negotiator. The skills he and Tom teach in this book are about winning the right way. They will help any organization improve its chances of winning in today's highly competitive marketplace. But then, good negotiating skills, are important in every relationship, especially those in which we can't afford to get it wrong--with our spouses and children. I have seen the results--and have experienced some personally--that have been obtained following the principles of MY POCKET. So whether you will be trying to help determine how much to pay for a turbine for your power plant or where the family goes on vacation, this book is well worth your time.

Ron Lambert taught a one-day negotiating class that I attended earlier this year, and I purchased this book for a reference. I've used the techniques in this book several times during the last six months for both personal and professional issues and believe they helped me negotiate a better deal each time. (I think my wife is getting tired of me explaining negotiation strategy when we walk into a store or hotel.)

As with any self-help book, you must pick and choose some techniques, practice them, and actually try them. The book is easy to read and review (I read the book in about 5 hours), so you can start applying the techniques rather quickly. The most informative section of the book is arguably the fifth chapter where countertactics are presented to handle sophisticated buyers. The entire book is informative, though, and should be taken as a whole as you will find value in every chapter.

The time and money you will save buying your next car (how to do it is outlined in the last chapter) easiler justifies the purchase of this book, but you will likely obtain significantly more value beyond that.

This book will give you insights that will move you from "sales" to "sales excellence". I purchased the book today and have already read 9 chapters nonstop! Thanks for providing real life scenarios with real life solutions.

I was fortunate enough to have read an advance copy of "Is That Your Hand in My Pocket?". At first, I was apprehensive about reading yet another business book. It seems like they all follow the same mold these days. This book, however, is different. Mr. Lambert and Mr. Parker convey the message in a friendly, conversational tone.

I particularly enjoyed the section dealing with how to read a buyer's body language. Too often we forget to watch for these subtle clues into how the buyer is feeling. The book not only provides pictures of common cues, but also details how to adjust your tactics accordingly.

I have recommended that my company provide this book as a tool to all new hires and as a refresher to our seasoned sales professionals. I have also shared the book with my family who is bound to benefit from it as I have.

Kudos to Mr. Lambert and Mr. Parker for a great book all around.

It is rare that I find a book that teaches me something new and consistently executable. This book will help you move your agenda forward with every contact and build win-win solutions. The author claims he doesn't teach theory - it's real world. He is right and he delivers. I've used two of the techniques in the book over the past two days with staggering success. This books covers everything from non-verbals to planning, tactics, turning confrontation into collaboration, and appropriate taking. My copy is already highlighted and I'll be going back through it prior to big conversations.

This is a rich & informative antique jewelry book. The contents are categorized under materials, styles vs periods and the details of manufacturings. Great for jewelry designer and those who interested in jewelry history. One of my favorite jewelry collectibles!

This is amazing- a really comprehensive history of western jewelry from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection. The photography is just primo, and any jeweler or gem mad type needs this book. The text is clear and super informative. As a part time jewelry maker I find this an amazingly inspirational reference work, the pictures are so good you can see tool marks and technique. Period portraits illustrate fashion and the use of jewelry in different forms at different times.
Highly reccomended- and just plain pretty to boot. Even you all who just like to look at beautiful things will thoroughly enjoy this book.

"Jewels and Jewelry," by Clare Phillips, is loaded with full-color photographs of a rich assortment of jewelry. The introduction notes that most of the pieces pictured are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The book is divided into 3 main sections: "Materials," "Chronology of Style," and "Manufacturing and Distribution."

The book includes many informative and well-illustrated spreads on a number of topics: the pendants of the Renaissance, pieces celebrating Queen Elizabeth I, 18th century paste jewelry, the Art Nouveau style, etc. The book covers jewelry made from a rich variety of materials--gold, pearls, emeralds, cast glass, brass, coral, platinum, steel, etc. There are even pieces made from such startling material as a real fish head or recycled bus stop signs!

The book portrays the work of an international gallery of artists, together with interesting biographical facts about these creators. Among the many designers included are Gijs Bakker of Holland, Wendy Ramshaw of England, Fritz Maierhofer of Austria, Yasuki Hiramatsu of Japan, and more. Some really unforgettable creations are pictured, ranging from elegant pieces with a traditional flavor to futuristic or quirky pieces. Overall, a superb book that truly celebrates the tremendous imagination and skill of the world's jewelry makers.

This book goes into alloys. Mixing copper with gold turns it red, silver turns it green, arsenic turns it blue or grey. White gold the author says, is barely gold at all, it is simply silver with gold _added_ to keep it from looking too much like silver. Very helpful for jewelry buying as well as jewelry making, as I could use this to know how to extract silver or copper, assuming I manage to separate the two.

I must have a dozen books on jewelery and the history of jewelery. This is the best yet. First off the book very clearly organized. On any page that you might flip to there is a short chapter with a title, photos and supporting text. For instance, the section called "Jewelled Bouquets" shows five full color photos of flower themed broaches, descriptions of each an a well written history of the beautiful little things. Much of the jewelery is supported with photos of period portraits, to further illustrate how the pieces were worn. It's a wonderful, wonderful book and I'm not surprized to find it's from the fabulous Victoria and Albert Museum.

Journey into Madness is one of THE ABSOLUTE BEST books I have ever read in my entire life. If I was the principal of a High School, Journey Into Madness would be a required reading for all of the students. The young people need to learn that they have the right to living a pain-free life. And they need to understand that they will NOT get into trouble for reporting distressful or torturous experiences to authorities like they're librarians, nurses, and teachers. Thank you, Gordon Thomas, for being so kind as to offer the peace and mercy needed in the hearts of so many children and adults around the world. The American children are forever in debt to you for your merciful kindness.

Love,
Joematters.com

I was truly captivated, by the facts, Mr. Gordon was able to unearth, during his research into the CIA's, dark, and mysterious research and developement of mind control techniques. We the people, know so little about any branch, of the intelligence community. The closest most citizens, ever get to the intelligence community, would be the news reports, or movies, of which is difficult at best to grasp the un-thinkable acts that was obviously standard operating proc- edures, for the men and women of the central intelligence agency.

Mr. Gordons no holds barred, and tenacity in following his leads, unearthed some the most outrageous, and cold blooded acts, possibly ever committed by intelligent human beings, at which Mr. Gordon documented . From the moment I opened the cover of the book, I was spell bound. As I recall I read the book long after the Colonel Oliver North scandel, and prior to the hearings, I couldn't recall ever hearing of Col. Oliver North, but as I read the book I learned that he was a prominent figure in the intelligence community.

To this day I am still amazed, at Mr. Gordens ability to spend what had to seem like an eternity, uncovering and then to actually corraborate the the wild and unbelievable stories. It's a miracle Mr. Gordon, didn't fall prey to bouts of paranoia, considering the agency he was researching.

It's difficult to comprehend, how an entity of the Federal government, can conceive, direct, and implement not only an obduction of a russian intelligence officer, but a politician of our own government, then administer a powerful hallucinogenic drug like LSD, and increase the dosages to achieve thier desired result of pushing the subject(s) to the point of committing suicde. Mr. Gordons diligence, and courage, at the very least, held the CIA accountable in the civil courts. Journey into madness is a n extrordinary piece of work.

Mr. Gordon's research and objectivity is laudable, his book an eye-opener. It lends credance to movies such as Blind Sight. Mr. Gordon's description of Dr. al-Abub, his training and mission and that his current endeavors continue makes one wonder what humans can be about that they could do to others what they do. Can there still be Dr. Camerons/al Abubs working the torture circuit in the name of nationalism and belief?

This 1989 book was written to tell the world about the use of physicians in medical torture of political prisoners. It didn't start in Nazi Germany, and didn't end in Abu Ghraib (drugs, electroshock, gags, garrotes, blindfolds, branding irons, sexual abuse, mock executions). Physicians provide fake medical certificates for persons tortured to death ('Perspectives'). The author had access to written testimony, and off-the-record interviews (which were confirmed from other independent sources).

'Book One' deals with Beirut, the Near East, and the kidnapping of William Buckley, American Political Officer, in 1984. It mentions the survival technique of looking at every approaching face to determine if it is an enemy by the tension displayed on the face (p.59). The Hizballah justified terror as needed to create a new and ideal society (p.61). Brain-washing rarely involved physical cruelty bet depended on the use of repetition, harassment, and humiliation (p.69). [Just like your schooling?] Changing opinions was older that recorded history. America developed the most powerful advertising industry in the world and adapted it to psychological warfare and opinion making. They studied the techniques used by modern American evangelists in conversion, and the Catholic rite of confession (p.73). Pharmaceutical laboratories discovered how drugs can be used in mind control (p.74). How amoral and ignorant was Gov. Reagan (p.81)?

'Book Two' gives the history of the abuse of medical knowledge since WW II. Chapter 5 tells of Allen Dulles and his ruthless and unscrupulous character hidden beneath his cheerful and witty personality. The Korean War provided a new shock from former POWs (pp.94-95). The "twilight zone" is described (p.97). They could not understand the changed views of POWs! Chapter 7 notes how conscientious objectors were put into mental hospitals and used as test animals (pp.140-141)! Chapter 8 tells about electroshock treatments at the Allan Memorial Institute which went beyond the norm (p.149). Were there studies reminiscent of Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz (p.150)? Allen Dulles continued with his drug experiments and poisonous mushrooms (pp.156-157). It tells of the poisoning death of Dr. Frank Olson (pp.160-162). [To shut him up?] Chapter 10 has a 'Top Secret' recording of Korean War POWs (pp.184-186); did you understand it? Was it caused by learning a new view of society? Chapter 11 tellis of the use of sensory deprivation experiments to cause irreversible damage to a patient's mind. Chapter 12 gives an example of post-event predictions (p.216). Chapter 13 tells how Dr. Mary Morrow was able to escape from the tortures of Dr. Ewen Cameron (pp.230-231). Chapter 14 gives the results of hypnotism to create a sleeper killer (p.253). Chapter 15 explains why the Vietcong succeeded (p.257). Truthful reports had bad consequences (p.258).Who controlled Oswald (p.260)? Could the CIA handle the truth (p.261)? NO (p.263)! Could psychics read minds from a distance (p.273)? Or devil worship (p.275)?

'Book Three' covers the events after Watergate. Chapter 17 tells about briefing President-elect Reagan. Claire Sterling's "The Terror Network" is evaluated (p.321). Could Agca have been brainwashed to make him an assassin (p.326)? Chapter 19 tells how the CIA created the cruelest police in the Arab world (p.328). All the bugs planted in Sadat's presidential palace did not warn of the assassination. Examples of medical torture are on pages 334-335. Torture by physicians goes back to the Roman Empire (p.346), to the English in Kenya (p.348); it wasn't just the Nazis. Science is always at the service of the rulers. "Hooding prisoners" was used in 1865 for the Lincoln assassination conspirators (p.356). The 'Notes' provides background information on this book.

The second review merely seeks to lessen the impact of the book "Journey into Madness" by Gordon Thomas by pointing out that other governments do similar things. No. Not on the scale and with the hypocrisy that the CIA does.

For those interested, who would like to know more about such practices and how the CIA and the medical community continue their terror and human rights abuses here and in other countries, there is some mention of this in "The Serpent and the Rainbow" by Wade Davis. He writes of the work of the American psychiatrist Nathan Kline (sp?) with the CIA in Haiti. This details their search for a drug they (doctors & the CIA) could use to control people - turn them into zombies. It mentions, coincidentially, the secret and not-so-secret primate and human experiments occurring at the New York State Psychiatric Institute by a Dr. Leo Rozen (sp). These practices still occur. The NIMH, in fact, are admittedly are giving people with mental illness Angel Dust (aka ketamine) to induce psychosis. This causes more irreversible damage than LSD.

Recently there were series of articles in the Harford Courant (1998) and the Boston Globe on drug abuses and torture used in private and publicly funded psychiatric hospitals.

Carl Panzram was a serial killer in the 1910s-20s and wrote this book while in prison. He was subject
to incredibly cruel treatment in jail until a prison guard who felt sorry for him gave him $1. I guess
Panzram was touched so he offered to write his bio for the guard, if he could smuggle him pen and
paper. He did and what results is the most penetrating study on the mind of a criminal I think that
is available. The recounting of the disgusting crimes is one part of the book but his analysis can only
be made by one who has experienced what he has. One of the most important things I remember from
this book is that he says if a child is not taught the right way by age SEVEN, he is LOST FOREVER and
cannot be rehabilitated.

KILLER has been out of print for years, yet it is one of the finest studies ever done of a serial killer. Panzram was one of the handful of such killers who possess any real intelligence, and the book includes long excerpts from the diary he wrote in prison while cheerfully awaiting execution for his murder and rape of so many young men. I had heard a rumour in Poland last week that the book had been reprinted. Is it so? No library on the subject is complete without it.

As the writer in 1997 said, a movie has been made, written and directed by Tim Metcalfe, can be rented in most video stores. Its a powerful drama and the only reason i can think of that it didn't get the attention "Monster" is getting today is that the public wasn't ready for it since the quality of the writing, directing and certainly James Woods acting should have been nominated for an Oscar.

Why this has not been made into a movie or mini-series eludes me!Anyone who reads this book will see how far our prison system has come but how far it yet needs to go. It is the true story of a life wasted. Carl Panzram was not created evil...he was a created evil by mans inhumanity to man. I believe he possessed a great intellect as one can tell from his writings but this same intellect was disgarded to fester and rot from a very early age. Imagine...this man was deprived of any real kindness until it was already too late to make a difference in his life. Unbelievable, you say? Read this book and you will believe!

An excellent read that penitrates the mind of a serial killer. What's more shocking is that it actually happened! Panzram details his life from childhood through the hardships of adulthood which made him the hardcore savage animal that he ultimately became. I loved every minute of this book! It's a shame that it's so hard to find though or I'd buy my own copy and read it every night before I go to bed. I suggest that anyone who wants something new and exciting to read should pick up this work and start reading. The public library should have it. Get moving!

Kudos to photographer Thomas Carroll Marshall for this first-cabin photographic masterpiece. He combines obvious technical expertise with an artistic eye for the beautiful and sensual display of the female body. Photographed in some world class outdoor settings, he has captured the exotic beauty of model Karen Zavack with expert posing, flawless lighting and high-end lenses. The book is printed on high grade paper with very natural color reproduction and an overall level of quality consistent with the fantastic photography.

If you have ever sat on a beach and watched (or dreamed of) a beautiful woman and now live too far away (in space or time) to recreate the experience, Tom Marshall and Karen Zavack have given you a chance to get as close as you are ever going to get.

This is an extraordinary use of amazing scenery and great poses by Karen Zavack. The photographer Tom Marshall and Karen Zavack together make a great team and have done a wonderful job on putting this book together. This would be a great addition for anyone who has a taste for photography or art in their home!

I'm an art lover and I've read this book. Now I must say that the photos are unbelievable, perfect setting and light, very inspired "kissing the sun" idea.

Beauty, Femininity, Outstanding photographic composition.
Karen Zavack's statuesque beauty, the sensational scenery, and Karen Zavack's tasteful sensual poses are masterfully captured by Thomas Carroll Marshall giving a treat to the Eye, Heart and Soul. A perfect gift for anyone who appreciates beauty, and a lovely display item in your home.

With more than enough exotic locales, plot twists, and blazing bullets to satisfy my Bond/Bourne spy junkie cravings, LOM was a welcome addition to my bookshelf! More from Mosher! More from Francavilla! Just plain more, please!

I disagree with the Publisher's Weekly review. I found LEFT ON MISSION to be unforgettable, containing a haunting quality and an emotional wallop that sticks with you weeks after reading it. What was behind the emotions and motivations of both Emma and Eric? These aren't cookie-cutter characters, but rather complex figures that don't easily fit into pre-determined boxes.

But don't get me wrong--this book still contains plenty of action, thrills, and suspense. Mosher has done an amazing job of creating a sense of time and place. You really feel as if you're in Cuba or Morocco alongside the characters. The artwork is stunning and the coloring is particularly striking and impressionistic.

I'd recommend LEFT ON MISSION not just to comic fans, but to anyone who enjoys James Bond, the Bourne series, or just a good ol' thriller that will keep you guessing.

The term 'graphic novel' is one bandied about by the media, but for this reader this book LEFT ON MISSION is an alert that perhaps too many serious readers are missing an important concept. After spending an evening thoroughly entertained not only by a well written spy story complete with the dichotomy of the main character in pursuit of an ex-lover as the nefarious rogue agent, but also by some superb artwork beautifully rendered in style and rich color, the opinion of the significance of 'Graphic Novel' gains in stature as an art form deserving of wide attention.

Writer/Creator Chip Mosher has a keen manner of conveying a page-turning story using a tightly controlled amount of written script woven into the many drawings that propel the story visually and emotionally. In tandem with artist Francesco Francavilla and further enhanced by the important and exciting colorist Martin Thomas, Mosher offers a well designed book that manages to hold the eye as well as the mind, making a tense story feel like walking past stills of a film, animated by not only the skills of the artists but also by the participating reader's turning of the pages. It is a unique experience for the novice: for those who know the medium this book doubtless will be a pinnacle of the genre.

Cover artist Steph Stamb enhances the appearance of this book with his high quality art pieces that not only engage the eye to begin with, but also provide visual interludes at pertinent junctures in the book. Some critics may quibble about awarding this book a rating of 5 stars: the great American novel it is not. But as a sample of a book now granted respectability with the designation of a 'graphic novel', LEFT ON MISSION sets a very high standard. Grady Harp, March 08

Left on Mission does everything a great spy film/novel/comic should do an more. Action? LOM pushes the limits of what you can do in a static medium with tense chase scenes and shocking but believable violence (a pursuit in a strobe filled club is stand out). Exotic Locales (Cuba, Ibiza, Morocco) - refreshing to read a book that feels like the author has done serious homework, not relied on wikipedia for his research. And of course, it's a page turner.

All this would be enough for your average thriller fan. But it's also politically relevant without being preachy. And that emotional wallop the previous reviewer mention? The romance feels real...maybe it has something to do with the fact the author's wife wrote "Before Sunrise", one of the best romances of the best two decades.

Left on Mission is often compared to Casino Royale, which is true. But I think it's edginess break-your-heart characters make it closer to Fleming's novel than the good but slightly over the top film adaptation.

You won't find a better spy thriller in comics this side of Queen and Country. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

I loved the comics. I bought them as they came out. I can't wait to read the story as a graphic novel. Loved the characters and the story.

This book may be one of the most practical examples of how to integrate one's faith with one's life - Ashcroft writes about how his own father took every opportunity, from the bizarre to the mundane, to teach John about God and the truths of Scripture. The stories are sometimes humorous, but always profound and moving - it really is an outstanding read, especially for dads with sons.

Ashcroft also gives several very personal examples of how he learned the life lessons that his father had taught him years before, but until that moment he hadn't caught. One such lesson came after Ashcroft lost his bid for Congress early in his political career. His father taught him that the Bible teaches that every crucifixion has a resurrection. Ashcroft learned this following this loss when the Governor's office called him and asked him to serve in the newly elected Missouri administration. From there, Ashcroft obviously entered ran for and won elected office, serving as a U.S. Senator from the state for years. It was interesting to note, that when I was reading the book, it was at the very same time that Ashcroft lost a bid to be the governor of Missouri to the widow of the governor who ran in her deceased husband's stead. Again, Ashcroft would learn the lesson that every crucifixion has a resurrection - newly elected President Bush would pick up the phone and ask Ashcroft to serve our nation as the Attorney General!

The book is so open and honest, very personal and really a very entertaining and challenging read. It places the importance of family and the Psalms 78 principle of passing the baton of truth from one generation to the next exactly where it belongs on the priority list of life - at the very top!

Ashcroft paints a Proverbs-like portrait of his dad's wisdom. You get the feeling that he wasn't around very much, but had a profound insight in instilling the most important life lessons in his children. It's a wonderful book for fathers who know the importance of the position God has entrusted them with, and I highly recommend it.

Sen. John Ashcroft reveals to us the basic, moral role of a father in a child's life. While the separation of church and state has been taken to an extreme, there exists no moral roadmap for many of todays children. Schools can no longer even reference a moral authority or guide. This must happen in the home and this is made clear in the book. Each chapter/lesson is practical and applicable to every home. Thank you for giving us your personal thoughts!

In light of his role in the government at this time, it was enlightening and refreshing to read that John Ashcroft had such a great Christian upbringing. The lessons he learned from his father have served him well in public life. This book seems to strive not so much to give an autobiography of John D. Ashcroft, but to show how much his father influenced his life. It is an example to all Christian fathers. Even if the reader might not be a fundamentalist Christian, he or she will learn what an influence one person can be in the life of another. Excellent book!

I feel that the mark of a true book isn't to inform us about something, but to make us ponder farther on the subject. I can't say that this book told me how to be a father, but it did show me what a gift it is going to be when I become a one. It was a great tribute to his father. Even though I don't believe in ALL of his values, I do have some things to consider in my onw life. After reading this book, I have a different view of some of the same issues. I recommend it to anyone that feels that they still have something to learn in life.