X Books

I stumbled upon this book at a CompUSA and have found it to be one of the the best basic but thorough overviews of OS X 10.2.x. I needed a book to give my users new to OS X. I wanted something to help them get used to the new inteface and features but I didn't want them overwhelmed by too much detail. This book fit perfectly. It uses text and illustrations very well and describes things clearly. Everyone who has used this book has gotten up to speed quickly and with little help from me. That's success!

I bought my 'new', used ibook on ebay and so have no manual. The guy was nice enough to send it with Jaguar installed though, so I popped over to amazon, and bought this little guide. I am up and running, with an updated ISP, browser (safari, free at apple), and cooking along with icons making sense and configurations configured, ALL because of this little book! Now I know I have to get one of those big heavy books for the Big Stuff, but I am good to go in the meantime.

I am a recent convert from the 'PC' world to the MAC world. I was looking for a book to get me into the MAC quickly and easily. I am very computer literate on the 'PC' but needed the translation into the Apple world. A friend of mine has praised Greg Simsic's books on Photoshop, so I knew this would probably be a good book to consider. I have been very happy with it. It is concise and clear and seems to point out all the things I need to know to become comfortable with the MAC. It is slim enough I can keep it in the bag with my G4 laptop-always ready for quick reference. There is a very thorough index and table of contents to get you to what you need to know. And the information is clear and to the point. It seems to cover all of the basic information for me to get around the OSX system and its applications. I cannot believe the reasonable price on this book. I don't think I have ever bought a computer book [this price]. What a bargain this book is ...

I've been using Mac computers for more than a decade, but I have to confess my first bootup of OSX was a jarring experience. Where'd my control panels go? What's the dock? Where are my files? For the first time ever, I decided to go out and buy a guidebook to a Macintosh product.

Which brought me to this guide to OS X Jaguar conducted by friendly natives Greg Simsic and Katy Bodenmiller. The entire Simsic/Bodenmiller series is a tonic for anyone who resents the condescension of that "For Dummies" series and its ilk; rather than treating its reader like a slow third-grader, Simsic and Bodenmiller get down to business without all the superciliousness that keeps all self-respecting Mac users far away from those little black and yellow Cliff-Note's-like books. At last, a software guide I don't have to be embarrassed to read in public.

With its learned, front-porch and down-home idiom, Start! takes the reader from startup to moviemaking with savvy tips for everything in between. The layout of the book is as clean, logical, and as easy to navigate as OSX itself. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this book is that Simsic and Bodenmiller are able to address two very different audiences-the die-hard Mac devotee just making the switch from OS9, as well as the newly PC-cured-without wasting the time of either. If Jaguar makes you pine for nine, get this book. You'll never look back.

Greg Simsic and Katy Bodenmiller have written the PERFECT beginner's guide to Mac OSX. I teach OSX classes to new Macintosh users (univ. faculty) and I've gone thru lots of OSX books and materials. This is by far the best I've seen. Simple, straightforward, immediately to-the-point. It's written with a clarity and understanding of new users that is hard to find in many of the intro-level books. Greg's books have always been among my favorites, and this ranks with the best.

I had the opportunity to attend a class with Gregory Huszsco on building teams. I have to say that the class, as well as the book, was very informative and very well thought out. Those of us who are in teams, managing teams, or thinking of using teams in our organization all should read this. It should be required reading for management and all team members.

Do you want to get more out of your team or run it more effectively - then this book is for you. As a trainer, I look for tools that can help me get more out of my employees and team members. This book is a great resource for any manager or HR person.

Great Book the author uses clear and Insightful examples to illustrate his ideas.

The author builds upon "Tools for Team Excellence," his previous work, this time focusing on leadership. He provides an advanced set of approaches and techniques for successful team leadership. This self-study book explores the central qualities of leadership in a team environment. It includes a toolbox for analyzing a team and methods to help a team help lead and build itself. The book is loaded with key points, extremely well written and organized, and offers many examples, 36 exercises, 21 highlighting tables, chapter summaries, and after-chapter reviews. A book that sparkles with substance.

This is a solidly written, clear and comprehensive guide to leading teams. Author Gregory E. Huszczo touches on almost every subject a team leader needs to know - what skills are necessary, how you develop them, how you build teams, what you do when conflict erupts and so on. This book is an excellent introduction to team building for someone newly assigned to a team. It also offers important advice for executives of companies that are considering a team approach to management. The style is clear and straightforward, but quite academic. The author cites research and evidence to back his assertions, but he does not provide much in the way of entertainment. We find that those who like to swallow their management lore straight from the bottle will savor this book; those who prefer to mix it with anecdotes may wish to imbibe elsewhere.

The stories in this collection showcase the versatility of three outstanding authors. Short stories, because of the length restriction, often seem lacking in character development. That isn't the case here. Because of the title and the cover, I had the initial impression that this was an erotica anthology. I soon found out that "undercover" refers to covert law enforcement/P.I. work, the common thread of all the stories. The other reviewers have said enough about the imaginative plots, but I think each author deserves additional recognition for giving us a story that could be considered atypical for her style.

I liked Blayne Coopers "Quicksand" the best. I've read most of her other books ("Echoes from the Mist" and "Cobb Island" being my favorites), but this one shows a character's critical self-evaluation, as well as a wry sense of humor, that doesn't appear in her other work.

KG MacGregor's "Stolen Souls" tells a story of strange happenings on the fringes of society. (Rose Beecham's "Grave Silence" is a novel-length work that deals with a similar type of weirdness.) The double-whammy of a morbidly fascinating topic and a unique treatment of it adds up to a winner.

Susan Meagher's "Narc/Narc Redux" is the most unusual of all. What is certainly a complete story at the beginning of the book gains a new dimension at the end. It's an effective approach. Again, the style is very different from her "San Francisco" series, and I loved seeing this other side to her writing.

For those not familiar with the authors, this book provides a good introduction. While the stories are a variation from their usual type of work, the reader can gain an appreciation for their skill.

If the cover of "Undercover Tales" doesn't have you scurrying to your nearest bookstore or on-line distributor to purchase a copy then what's between the sheets surely will. Blayne Cooper, KG MacGregor, and SX Meagher have compiled four detective stories that compliment each other. The well-written anthology is the result of three talented authors melding minds without mingling words. The clever format makes "Undercover Tales" stand out among other books of this type. I found it an exciting and sexy adventure that held my interest every step of the way.

Well written, good stories, fast reads, everything for the busy woman. Blayne Cooper's short stories delight, surprise, and often twist your emotions. Her POV is exceptional and every story is actually plausible at some level.

Three diverse novellas linked by one theme 'all is not as it appears'.

I enjoyed all three excellent tales.

'Narc' is edge of your seat suspenseful and tremendously erotic.

'Quicksand' while it's premise is based on deceit is also rather sweet, has a wonderful finish and contains tremendous depth for being 100 plus pages.

'Stolen Souls' had a eerie feeling from the start and I had an apprehensive feeling the entire time I was reading - it is suspenseful and creepy and not to be missed.

Excellent writing all around and I look forward to more books from these authors. The only remaining question - which of the authors was the model for the book cover?

Narc by SX Meagher

Sargeant Randolph is intelligent, beautiful and a woman on the Chicago police force. And she's just been handed the biggest case of her career. One that could bring her Lieutenant bars - if - and it's a big if -if she brings in one of the most notorious drug lords in the city. The big question is - will she do whatever it takes to get the job done? Unbenownst to her, the drug lord has devised a test - a test that if she passes, they make the deal for drugs; if not, she feeds the fishes.

Narc Redux by SX Meagher

Detective Grady, narcotics officer and married to a police lieutenant working in the Commissioner's office, is undercover and, unbenownst to Sgt. Randolph working on the same case. Unexpectedly she is asked to perform a duty she has never in her life thought she'd have to do. Anxious to prove she is willing to "go the extra mile" she performs the task and waits for the repercussions. Will there be any? Only time will tell.

Quicksand by Blayne Cooper

Private detective Belinda Blaisdell has a case referred to her by a friend. Another PI who figures Belinda is exactly what the client is looking for - someone who can pass for younger than they are and is female. The assignment seems simple enough. Befriend and report back on their daugher Keilana, who is currently attending college. Even as she accepts the assignment Belinda can't help but question what has happened with their daughter to raise the parent's concern? And why hire a private investigator instead of confronting their daughter? Belinda arrives at the college where she soon discovers all is not as it seems. The question is - what will she do with what she learns?

Stolen Souls by KG MacGregor

Vonne Maglio is off on what appears to be a trip to a working ranch in the Midwest. Only when she arrives, she finds that no such place existed. Seemingly rescued from her dilema by a representative from a rival ranch, Vonne is "allowed" to fill a spot not taken by another client. However, not long after Vonne arrives, questions begin to arise. Things seem to be going on that no one but a selected few are allowed to know about. Why all the secrecy? What or who are they hiding? Can Vonne gain answers to her questions without raising suspicions and placing herself in danger? More importantly, can she solve the mystery before others begin to question what Vonne really came for?

Undercover Tales is a dynamic book of four tales by three extremely talented writers. SX Meagher, Blayne Cooper and KG MacGregor are all well known for their dynamic books. Blayne Cooper's previous pennings include the intriguing and suspense-filled solo works of Unbreakable, Castaway, The Last Train Home, Cobb Island, The Road to Glory, and Echoes from the Mist as well as co-authorship of the dynamic books Madam President and First Lady. KG MacGregor's talents are displayed in fun-filled, romantic and oftentimes-dramatic books, which include Mulligan, Shaken, Malicious Pursuit, and The House on Sandstone. SX Meagher's authoring of the intriguing book, I Found My Heart in San Francisco makes it a book that simply MUST be read! All three authors have stories in the sizzling book, Telltale Kisses with SX Meagher also scripting stories in the terrific books Infinite Pleasures and The Milk of Human Kindness.

Although a self-described "techie", I really enjoyed Reiter's book. She isn't anti technology as I expected she would be. Rather she seems to recommend taking a regular sabbatical from the Rat Race to "smell the flowers." As you question why you are taking that next business trip, take this book along and you'll question it even more.

It is incredible how much we are unaware of our total dependence on technology these days. Nancy Whitney-Reiter reminds us with soulful advice how important it is to remember our roots; much like Rousseau, a real return to nature is advocated throughout this well-researched book.

If you feel stressed-out by the outside world, want to get away but don't know how, this book is your bible. Without failure, it shall help you to sort through your many dependences on the plugged world and will loosen those dependences through easy-to-follow steps and exercises. "Unplugged" is going to hit the world big, and it should because our era demands a drastic transformation back to the essentials and back to our real selves.

We Americans work more hours a week than our counterparts in other industrialized nations. Yet, while many of us have found our society's "official trappings of success" (title, income, cars, houses, stuff), many of us haven't truly found ourselves. Why not? Author Nancy Whitney-Reiter suggests that before we're even out of high school, we're being fast-tracked into careers that we then dutifully perform until we wake up one day and finally say, "Even though I appear to have it all, I'm not happy."

"Unplugged" asks us to question whether we're enjoying the "success" we have while being connected to the "consumption driven matrix." If our answer is "no," or even "maybe not," then this book is a smorgasbord of food for thought. Whitney-Reiter tells us the stories of others have temporarily gotten away from it all, including herself, and then provides practical advice and resources for unplugging and re-thinking our goals without losing our shirts or our sanity. Our planning includes attending to family, friends, career, debts, house and car, and prospective world wide volunteer opportunities and other travel options.

The author reminds us that unplugging is NOT a vacation trip: it's turning off the chaos of cell phones, WiFI, the hustle and bustle of work, and even grand-tour sight-seeing agendas and making time to ponder who we are and what we want. We must plan how we leave work, perhaps through a corporate sabbatical, and how we return to the world we know some 3-6 months later.

This well-written book provides you with the well-thought-out advice you need to begin your journey and return with a new lease on life.

Unplugged: How to Disconnect from the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find Meaning and Fulfillment (Culture Tools)

Burned out? Had enough? Even if you never leave your backyard, this book is filled with tips on how to de-stress by unplugging. If you do venture forth, you will find Ms. Whitney-Reiters' book a plethora of suggestions on how to accomplish even the most minute details you will need to take care of before you pack your suitcase, in a realistic, logical, warmly human, and humorous way.

First of all, this is way more than a travelogue. As you read, you may find yourself questioning your own motives for wanting to disconnect. When I got to the end, I said to myself, "Time to put this plan in motion." I read through rather quickly because I found that I wanted to keep learning. Now I want to re-read it so that I can actually study it and do the writing exercises with which Ms. Whitney-Reiter has concluded each chapter.

Secondly, the source guide at the end is chock full of useful resources. I've been plugged in exploring websites and researching suggested reading.

If you've decided you are in need of a break from the life you're tied to, I suggest you give this a read. As I wrote in the beginning of this review, even if you never leave your backyard, I bet you'll look at your life with fresh eyes.

Unplug
Unplugged: How to Disconnect from the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find Meaning and Fulfillment (Culture Tools)

The other day I heard of a friend who was planning to go off on a year long sabbatical at Christmas. My mum rather dryly remarked 'Why would anyone want to do that? The girl's 35 not 25!' A typical baby boomer response to a modern day dilemma? Perhaps. My first response to this might be that many of us in middle adulthood are living quietly desperate lives. In the words of Henry David Thoreau 'The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation' and this isn't a situation which appears to have moved on much since he said this in 1854.

The problem with quiet desperation is that it is not so easy to get away from. How many of us wanted to cheer when we saw Lester Burnham in 'American Beauty', get up and leave his job, get fit and 'get it back'? How many of us wanted to get up from our seat in the cinema and follow his example, leave the prisons that we have built up around ourselves within the pretence of respectability.

As Abba suggest in their hit 'The winner takes it all', is building me a home and a family, and playing by the rules really such a good idea or a kind of false reality? Do a lot of us live in a fake half-life, of the type derided by Paulo Coelho in many of his blogs and writings in which he talks about the drive of many to acquire a status of permanent Sunday afternoon-style peace in their lives, with not too many challenges and everything played by the book? The human existence craves for so much more than this, and Nancy Whitney-Reiter is one person who appears to have realized this.

Her book 'Unplugged: How to Disconnect from the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find Meaning and Fulfillment' responds to the inner and unexpressed dilemma of many which asks, how do we reconnect with ourselves, when all around us the modern, fast-paced world appears to be going slowly mad?

As a mother of two small (ish) boys, I found myself reading this book somewhat wistfully, as it was clear that a person with no dependents would find everything they needed in this book to help them unplug. I was enthused and encouraged by the first chapters and compelled to read on and discover exactly how I would be able to unplug too.

Nancy talks about the reasons why you might need to unplug and I would suggest many of them are relevant to many people, everywhere.

All of this is laced with her own experiences, which are candid. The reader is given a glimpse into the journey Nancy has been on, having been caught up in the catastrophe of 9/11. She paints the picture of her former self, a full scale achiever, top earner and successful corporate player who, on the surface of her life, had everything. Maybe someone I would never have come across in my life. Thankfully for me and for many others who will read this book, this twist of fate meant that I did (albeit in the virtual sense).

The book also goes into the necessary details you must consider if planning to unplug, be it during a sabbatical from work, or a full scale, life-changing, no going back style experience. It also looks at the different ways in which a person can unplug, as of course, not everyone considers travelling in the physical world a vehicle for life change. For some, unplugging whilst remaining at home, must also be an option, something this book recognises.

So back to me. How can I unplug after reading this book? I think that, for all my wistfulness, I realise that we make our own cages to live within. Mine is a somewhat hackneyed response about having too many responsibilities and people to look after to be able to get away, but forgetting something. The best moments of my life have been when I've made the effort to take myself out of my comfort zone, and this can be done by anyone, regardless of circumstance. At the heart of Nancy's book is the idea that we all can, and should, unplug in one way or another.

In case, like me, the book leaves you at a precipice of wanting more, in order to explore the idea of unplugging more fully, Nancy also offers ongoing support and links to helpful resources through her website ([...]). Nancy is brave and has come out of her comfort zone in a big way, but so can we, if we really want to. Reading her book will make you want to. Reading this book will help you to take that very necessary first step. As my husband's Sicilian grandfather used to be very fond of telling me, the hardest step is that of your threshold.

So, read this book! It is well worth it.

Gill Scott-Heron once said "the revolution will not be televised" - so Peniel E. Joseph wrote about it instead. In his provocative book, "Waiting `Til The Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America," the young Brandeis University professor/social activist chronicles the highlights and lowlights of the people and the ideas that made up organized black radicalism in the United States over the last century. While the seeds of black power bore their roots in Marcus Garvey's United Negro Improvement Association, the book really takes off during the burgeoning civil rights movement in the 1960s, when black militants like Stokley Carmichael and Malcolm X began to question Dr. Martin Luther King's peaceful resistance tactics to address racism. Joseph does a good job of giving comprehensive biographies of not only the well-known key players like Amiri Baraka, James Baldwin and Angela Davis, the author also pays homage to long-forgotten names, such as renegade journalist William Worthy who befriended Communist leaders in Viet Nam and Cuba during the height of Sen. Joe McCarthy's witch trials. Joseph also points out the failures of some black power groups, most notably the Black Panthers, the militant, Oakland-based cadre that fell from national prominence due to internal conflicts and the vices of the Party's leadership (Huey Newton's drug addiction and Eldridge Cleaver's misogyny and conversion to conservatism). The black power movement left an indelible mark in American history, as can be seen in today's social movements and particularly the rise of hip hop in the 1980s. The black power movement also provided an opportunity for African Americans to see themselves on the international level and unite with other blacks worldwide in the name of Pan-Africanism. With the high amount of support for Sen. Barack Obama's Presidential aspirations from the African Diaspora, its seems like black power may have come full circle. It only begs the question - what would Marcus Garvey have thought of Obama if he lived today?

Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour has something for everybody. For the casual reader who has a layman's interest in American history it's a very accessible view into an often overlooked yet thrilling part of our national chronicle. For the more serious minded it skillfully presents Black Power as a deliberate, complex and multifaceted movement worthy of considered treatment. Like a good drama the cast of characters includes not only spectacular icons like Malcom X and the Black Panthers but also lesser stars like Kwame Toure (Stokely Carmichael) and a host of obscure yet significant figures in supporting roles. To top it all off, the scenery shifts from Harlem to Havana to Oakland with even more exotic stops in between.

This book is outstanding! I don't know what I was expecting. I thought, perhaps, that it was going to be an apologia regarding the Panthers. Or, if not that, it would be a polemic detailing how the Panthers "messed everything up". You see, there is a generally accepted narrative regarding the struggle for African-American equality in this country. The narrative goes like this: for a number of complicated reasons, Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation. Eventually, this was followed by Jim Crow segregation and "separate but equal". Various African-Americans engaged in a heroic civil-rights struggle, and they were aided in this struggle by whites (Communist and otherwise) and other sympathetic ethnic groups. The Civil-Rights Era coincided with and/or encompassed an age of general period of civil disobedience which included Vietnam War protests, Labor Union unrest and a continuing feminism movement. A number of solid victories came from the Civil Rights Era, namely, Brown v. Board of Education and the Voting Rights Act. Also, a number of iconic figures, and moments, emerged from this era, namely, Rosa Parks (and the Montgomery Bus Boycott), and Martin Luther King Jr. (and the March on Washington). Then these craaaaaaaazy kids came along, toting guns in San Francisco and following around cops in Oakland. Stokely Carmichael shouted "Black Power!!" at a March Against Fear in Mississippi in 1966. Olympic Medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave Black Power salutes on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics. In the 60 Minutes special, "The Hate That Hate Produced", Mike Wallace told America that a huge group of angry, angry, angry Muslims were proliferating in New York, and Malcolm X was the head nut. All of a sudden, crazy radicals replaced the politics of integration, non-violent protest and collaboration with that of aggressive "black self-esteem" and incendiary revolutionary rhetoric. As a result, these excesses dragged everything down, precipitating a Civil Rights decline. This, coupled with a conservative backlash, continues negatively to affect the lives of African-Americans today. That's the general narrative.

What Dr. Joseph's book does is blow up this narrative by examining the Black Power Movement as a legitimate movement separate and distinct from the Civil Rights Movement. His book illuminates the import and continuing influence of Black Power, while remaining cognizant of the flaws of its leaders. The book places Black Power within a global context, showing that Black Power was about more than the Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam. (He writes about 1955 Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung and Catros's trip to New York in 1960, when he made a point of meeting with Malcolm X.) Of course, the book DOES scrutinize the Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam as well. Dr. Joseph highlights the stars of this period: Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton and Stokely Carmichael. In fact, this book makes clear that Stokely Carmichael is such a seminal figure that he's worthy of having a separate book devoted entirely to him. But Dr. Joseph also tells the stories of lesser known figures such as William Worthy, Robert Williams, Albert Cleage, Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. He argues persuasively that Lorraine Hansberry's, "A Raisin In the Sun" is actually a radical play. He identifies the radical roots of King and he eloquently disseminates what Baraka meant in his essay, "Black Is A Country".

When you look in the back of this book, you see that it has a 22-page bibliography. Sources include interviews and oral histories, as well as extensive archival material. It's clear Dr. Joseph has done his homework. Yet, when you read it, the book does not come off as an inaccessible ivory tower product full of incomprehensible jargon. He presents the story of Black Power as a gripping narrative. He shows the reader that, in a nutshell, the Black Power Movement provides lessons for today's generation of activists. When I read this book, I couldn't believe that no one thought to write such a book before now- a book that treats Black Power as seriously as "Bearing The Cross", "Parting The Waters", "Pillar Of Fire" and "At Canaan's Edge" treat the Civil Rights Era. If you want insight into the humanity of iconic Black Power figures and a clearer picture of the struggle that continues today, this book is the place to start.

'Waiting' is an ode to the Civil Rights era and it's easily one of the best ever written about this period. It feels like a play, characters come in and out of scenes and each one gets his or her due. Joseph is an excellent writer and reveals a number of things that are generally unknown. Everyone should have this one on their shelves for generations to come. Ignorance is killing Black people.

This book is about more than politics. It's about people, people who are indeed political creatures, but are red-blooded people, with loves, and creativity, and petty rivalries, and regional differences.

Peniel Joseph has really served the public here. I hope this book is picked up by people (like myself) born after this narrative's conclusion. By moving beyond the waters of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver, and looking into the arts, and cultural developments like Kwanzaa, and religion, he was actually able to bring focus to the narrative.

It was very refreshing to see Martin Luther King as more than a teddy-bear on the one hand, and more than a broken record on the other. He was in the first instance a minister--meaning a person of faith who worked with people, in all their humanity. King changed his mind about realities, and grew, and related to people with a flexibility not shared by, say, philosophers.

Joseph leaves us with the stories of men and women, not always heroes, and not too unlike ourselves in their daily lives.

My only regret is the book's ending in 1974. It would have been nice to understand black power's interface with early hip hop, and such.

This book combines some of the great SF/Fantasy themes in a way that works and flows. It is the Norton that I would most frequently check out of the library to re-read as a young adult. Some of the mental images I developed in reading this story, can still bubble up in my memory today. The sense of alienation - of not belonging - felt by the main character echoes the feelings of all unpopular-due-to-nerdiness kids - many of whom were SF fans in the making. That alone should explain part of its appeal.

We also get -
*a cold wintry planet with a Forerunner-like mystery
*one of the friendliest and most interesting of Norton's Zacathan characters [a wise, peaceful lizard-evolved race (in sharp contrast to most authors' intelligent-lizards-are-savage depictions (although see Norton's *Eye of the Monster*)]
*a hidden, "furry" race
*Norton's trademarked handling of telepathy, with her concept since copied by many other authors
*and a plot that , while a classic hero's journey, has many particular 'vignettes' that have also been copied since - including by Norton herself - but rarely as well done.

All in all, my sentimental favorite of early Nortons, and still fondly remembered.

-Brooks A Rowlett

When I was forty I wrote Andre Norton a letter in which I thanked her for everything that her books at taught me when I was growing up. Her stories about outsiders who succeed by finding the right path for the right person, something that out of step adolescents need to hear. Ms. Norton graciously responded with a letter I cherish nearly a decade later-- actually it's professionally framed and hanging in my office.

This was one of the books I was thinking about when I wrote her. The hero has great physical strength, but feels as though he lacks the mental swiftness and physical grace to fit into the world of his father. He flees using a stolen travel tape and ends up on Mimir where he must find the courage and wits to survive and foil a villainous plot.

On one level a simple adventure story, on another a story that most adolescents, who can't seem to fit in their changing bodies, can identify with. This Norton's juvenile stories at their best.

I read this back in high school for the first time, then came across it in a used book store a few years back after searching in vain for several years to find another copy, (I'm 31 now, so it had been awhile since I had read it) and read it again, and loved it even more the second time around. I feel it's time to read it again, because the way Norton paints the plot it flows like a movie inside your head. It's one of the best books I've ever read that lets you visualize exactly what's taking place. If you come across a dog-eared copy in a used bookstore somewhere, by all means pick it up, hold it close, and give it a good home, you won't regret it! And for those of you that have read it, please feel free to e-mail me your thoughts and comments about it

The X-Factor (1965) is a standalone SF novel, probably in the Council/Confederation universe. The Survey Service allowed their space personnel leave to marry and to produce children. After several years, the marriage was break-bonded and the couple went their own ways. Any children from the marriage were raised in a Service creche.

In this novel, Diskan Fentress was raised in the Service creche on Nyborg. Unlike his fellows, Diskan was oversized and clumsy. Under direct or hostile supervision, he was even more clumsy. His superiors deemed him suitable only for the most degrading forms of manual labor.

Then Renfry Fentress returns from presumed death to find his son. His ship had been holed by a meteor and left drifting. Another scout from an unknown spacefaring species had rescued Renfry and took him back to Vaanchard. There he had married a Vaan woman and became stepfather of her two children, Rika and Drustans.

Since they could not have children of their own, Renfry searched for his children from previous service marriages and found Diskan. Before his long absence, Renfry had earned an impressive reputation as a First-In Scout. Obviously Diskan was not going to follow in his father's footsteps, so Renfry took him to a new home on Vaanchard.

The Vaans are a refined and sensitive culture. They do not issue rude remarks as had some of his crechemates. But they do consider him crude and inept. Diskan just doesn't fit in here anymore than he did at the creche.

One day Diskan finds himself in his father's study and decides to flee the planet. He takes a trip tape from a rack and heads for the spaceport. There he steals a smaller ship, inserts the tape, and goes into stasis for the remainder of the trip. However, the ship awakens him for an emergency landing.

During the landing on Mimir, a drive tube blows and the ship rolls across the terrain, finally coming to rest in a muddy bog. While the ship sinks into the mud, Diskan is ejected and reaches safety. Yet all emergency equipment and supplies go down with the ship.

In this story, Diskan barely survives the first night. Still, the natives detect his presence and converge on his position. One makes initial contact, leaving the carcass of a small, big-eared animal with him for food. Then the native saves him from a menacing predator.

Later, Diskan has strange dreams of walking through sweet scented water while accompanied by frolicking animals. He is surrounded by shadows that seem friendly. He senses a feeling of great expectation around him.

Diskan finds signs of other offworlders on the planet, including a survival shelter with labels in several languages other than Basic. Later, he discovers a Zacathan and human from a stranded archaeological expedition. Then a Jack ship lands to search for treasure. Some of the crew start looking for the archaeologists.

This story deals with the mindset of outsiders. Diskan differs from his fellows in body and mind. He doesn't seem to fit in any of the conventional roles. On Mimir, however, he finds acceptance and even some delight in his mental skills.

This tale is similar in several respects to Dread Companion. In both stories, the protagonists are raised in a service creche and are unsuited to their expected vocations. However, Diskan is even less suitable than Kilda in his initial environment. This outsider theme runs through many of the author's works.

Highly recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of alien civilizations, telepathic animals, and a persevering youngster.

-Arthur W. Jordin

At this point in Norton's Council / Confederation universe, the job of discovering and exploring new planets - that of the First-In Scouts - is pretty much a closed occupation. Scouts make contract marriages with suitable women, which end after the birth of a child or upon the Scout's departure for his next assignment, and any children of the union - nearly always sons - go to the nearest Scout creche to become the next generation.

But what happens when the child of such a union isn't suited to the life of a Scout?

Diskan Fentress was rejected as mentally unsuitable for Scout training; his size and great strength mark him as a throwback. Since his mother's death in childbirth and his father's disappearance in space left him in state custody, he wound up assigned to manual labor - until the day Renfry Fentress reappeared. Renfry had found a new civilization, and even a wife among his adopted people - but knowing that they could not have children, he sought out his son.

But Diskan, despite - or because of - the endless patience, charm, and tact of his father's adopted people, is utterly alone among strangers, marked by clumsiness, his great size and strength, and inability to express himself. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will appreciate how his isolation is drawn here - and will understand why he gives in to temptation.

Fleeing from an embarrassing scene of (accidentally) shattered artwork, Diskan hides in Renfry's study - and steals a voyage tape for Mimir, a world marked as only partially explored and having some mystery about it. His journey in a stolen spaceship brings him into contact with a Zacathan archeologist, the Guild, and the ruins of an alien civilization. Or are they really ruins - could Mimir still be inhabited?

The saurian Zacathans, historians of the galaxy, are mentioned throughout the books set in this universe, but this is one of their (to date) few appearances as actual characters. The Guild - the criminal underworld - appears in many books, as do many Forerunner civilizations. If you're interested in books wherein the Guild plays a major role, try _The Zero Stone_ or _Forerunner Foray_. For another story of someone rejected from Scout training, try _Dread Companion_ (the daughter of a Scout, rejected for reasons different from Diskan's).

X-Factor has been many things, from a team reprising the original X-Men line-up to a cast of B-characters led by Cyclops's brother Havok. With "The Longest Night," however, Peter David uses the team name for Madrox's new mutant detective agency. While many of the team members have been on previous X-Factor incarnations, the title isn't bogged down with the past like the main X-books often seem. Instead, this is a fresh start for X-Factor that even non-superhero fans will find appealing with its neo-noir artwork and pacing.

I thought that this book was the X-book that got dropped on its head a few too many times and walked away better for it. Madrox is one of the most fun and interesting characters I have ever had the pleasure to read. When I saw how Peter David fully brought out the fears and other emotions of rictor and what happened to him when he lost his powers. This really is the Jamie Madrox and friends stories but thats ok because Peter David has made the early 1990's kinda boring multiple man to the character that he is now. Personally I think that Jamie Madrox aka the Multiple Man is the new spider man if not more intriguing. You really feel like you are finding out things about him at the same time he does.

This is good but I would recommend just getting the Paperback instead of the Hardcover.

Hard thing to remember is that this new series is not about Jamie but about the whole group. Strong Guy comes off as a jerk, Siryn is annoyingly angry at the world, Wolfsbane is once again a religious nut who goes psycho, Rictor is dull but I expect that to change.

I liked the Madrox Mini better but this was pretty good.

Peter David transformed mutant Jamie Madrox in his earlier miniseries, 'Madrox'. Jamie Madrox had been something of a joke before then, and the fact that he was essentially forgotten was something that didn't bother many people. Until 'Madrox'.

Now, Madrox catches a second wind in X-Factor. This is the first volume, detailing Peter David's attempt to turn a group of unimportant, forgotten, or flat-out hated characters into a group of the most interesting people currently inhabitting the Marvel Universe.

The book is difficult to compare to anything else in the Marvel Universe. It's clearly more of a traditional superhero book than 'Madrox' was. It's clearly more noir than New Avengers, or other traditional superhero books. It's somewhere right in the middle.

This first book deals with two entwined plots. The first is their confrontation with the sinister Singularity Investigations, a group of people who cater to the rich and famous, covering up their crimes and stomping all over anyone who gets in the way. X-Factor Investigations investigate a suspected mind-control plot, and the murder that follows.

At the same time, they have to deal with a newcomer to the team - Layla Miller, the walking MacGuffin from 'House of M', who invited herself onto the team and proceeded to make herself indispensible...and creepy as hell. Why did she show up? How do she know what she knows? All questions that the people at X-Factor Investigations are curious about, but they have bigger things on their plate for now.

The book deals with both of these plots and more, resolving issues that Marvel left hanging in a number of different poorly planned crossovers. You don't have to have read them to follow what's going on, but the sense of approaching closure will be appreciated by those who were deeply unsatisfied with the endings to those crossovers.

As always, Peter David is NOT one to pull the punches, emotionally or physically, and some of the imagery and plots are pretty dark. While the book doesn't fall prey to the 'extreme grim 'n' gritty' plague that's sweeping comics, it doesn't sugar-coat anything for you either, so be prepared to deal with some fairly realistic, depressing violence. For me, it was a welcome change from the consequence-free cartoon violence that is pervasive in our media, but it still may initially surprise some. My advice: push through. When you come out the other end, you'll realize that it really does contribute positively to the story.

Peter David's new X-FACTOR series rivals Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's ASTONISHING X-MEN in excellence. Thanks largely to the success of the 5-issued MADROX: MULTIPLE CHOICE limited series, Peter David was able to resuscitate the X-Factor title. In the aftermath of the sweeping HOUSE OF M and DECIMATION story arcs and as a direct continuation of the aforementioned Madrox limited series, Jamie Madrox is still heavily invested in his work in the private investigator field. However, his detective firm undergoes a name change, from XXX Investigations to X-Factor Investigations (because its members thought it sounded too much like they were investigating pornography). In addition to Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man), Guido (Strong Guy), and Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane), new members now include Theresa Cassidy (Siryn), Monet St. Croix (M), and the depowered Rictor. A mysterious and manipulative young girl named Layla Miller (Butterfly), who professes to "know stuff," rather abruptly makes herself welcome to the group.

Because X-Factor's purview is New York's Mutant Town, the team is constantly reminded of M-Day, the inexplicable event in which 90% of the world's mutants lost their powers (again, see HOUSE OF M and DECIMATION). So, besides their everyday cases, the team is also trying to unearth what really happened on M-Day. X-FACTOR VOL. 1: THE LONGEST NIGHT presents the first six episodes. And writer Peter David reliably does not disappoint.

Now X-Factor is still a "mutant" title; thus, the angst tends to flow heavy and often, as well as a certain sense of bleakness. Peter David does keep the dark tone from being too oppresive by, as always, wisely injecting his trademark humor into the proceedings. The narrative is told from Jamie Madrox's point of view, so the storytelling is somewhat irreverent, in spite of the somber issues raised in the story arcs. Fans of X-Factor and the Madrox limited series, of course, realize that Jamie's flippant side serves to hide a minefield of devastating psychological proportions.

Naturally, Multiple Man isn't the only one with problems. In fact, the intrigue of this series doesn't lie in their adversaries or in the action scenes, but, rather, in the interpersonal conflict amongst the team members themselves. This is such a mismatched band of characters: The insufferably condescending, self-absorbed Monet; the brooding, now "ordinary" Rictor; Siryn, who is a recovering alcoholic; Rahne, who persists in opting for violence and who teeters on the verge of losing control, even as she fervently follows her religion; and the very cryptic young Layla Miller. The most complex is Jamie Madrox, whose "Multiple Man" powers are enough to mess up anyone. It's gotten to the point where, at times, Jamie now even questions whether it was he or his duplicate who had slept with someone. Of all of them, Guido seems to be the most "normal" of the lot.

Writer Peter David continues to be a boon for comic book fans. X-FACTOR VOL. 1: THE LONGEST NIGHT is written with a noirish flair. David eschews the epic storylines, preferring to scale down the stories to a more human, more gritty level. There aren't grandiose superhero melees in this six-issue arc, although a main adversarial element is introduced in the form of X-Factor's investigative rival, the shadowy Singularity Investigations, led by its enigmatic CEO Damian Tryp. It's noted that Tryp seems to have an ulterior motive with regards to the X-Factor team. Even as early as these first six issues, it's evident that things aren't as they seem as Peter David nicely works in layer after layer of character complexity and plot reverses. Don't blink.

Ryan Sook and Dennis Calero's excellent artwork brings David's storytelling to life. Except for issue #6, the stories take place at night and in shadows; Sook and Calero ably translate the appropriate visual moods onto the pages. The great covers, as provided by Ryan Sook, Gabrielle Dell'otto, and Jose Villarrubia, leap off the comic book shelves. I thought the cover to issue #1 (which is also used as a cover for this TPB) to be particularly effective.

I wouldn't normally give a fig about this bunch of castoffs. As written by someone else, chances are these characters would very quickly be relegated to what they'd been for the longest time: second and third-rate mutant superheroes the fans choose to ignore. The difference, of course, is Peter David. He makes Jamie Madrox relevant to me, someone who's simultaneously humorous and tragic. Layla is my second favorite character, while Monet and Siryn have become interesting and Rictor shows signs of promise as he copes with his loss of power. However, I still don't like Wolfsbane and Guido needs to be fleshed out more.

But, having been a collector of this new X-Factor title from the get-go, I can already tell you that this series only gets better. Prepare for further skullduggery and for more shocks ahead. Trust me, I know stuff.

This book was the most helpful guide I have ever had. I couldn't put it down. I just wanted to keep on going. It got me through the whole game in just over an hour, not even. If you are just dying to get through your game, you better buy this book. I garantee you'll get your moneys worth.

I thought that this help book was very well written. Ithelped me a great deal getting through the game. I would recommend itto anyone.

This is a great book for The X-Files: The Game. It has everything you'll need to know about the game plus funny messages, a section that explains the little things you don't understand, a picture gallery, an interview with the director of the game, and a quick walkthrough for agents on the run.The only thing I didn't like about it was the small nit I found that made me have to hesitate to go on with the game. I would greatly recommend this book.

I'm generally not a big fan of "hint books" butPrima's Official Strategy Guide to The X-Files Game offers more thanan easy way out of those tight spots during game play. It also includes some valuable insights into the game's characters, plots, and a photo gallery.

This is an excellent guide. I would not have finished the game without it. It gives detailed instructions on what to do. It made the game alot less frustrating and alot more fun!

This book is very well done and jiu-jitsu is of interest to you, then you should have no problem at all learning the techniques demonstrated in this book.

The format and layout are superb and the photographs are all in color and printed on glossy paper. Very nice touch! The angle of the photographs give you pretty much an uninterrupted view of each stage of the technique being demonstrated and the accompanying text should leave you with little to no questions at all on how to execute the technique.

it is obvious that the author knows what he is talking about and it shows in the quality of the material provided in this book. Definitely worth the money!

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

Have only read the first half and flipped through the second, but Marcelo does a great job showing his X-guard. If you liked the Eddie Bravo books you will really like this.

This is a must have for anyone willing to think outside the box when it comes to BJJ. The introduction itself is worth its purchase. Marcelo defines what it means to sacrifice for any goal or passion we all have inside. The detailed pictures and explaination leave no room for error. Get this ASAP.

It's no secret that I really enjoy Victory Belt's books. I think they've nailed the format for describing individuals' games and their specialities. They are definitely the market leader in the arena of working with a fighter to extract the information they need and put it into print.

It shouldn't surprise any readers, then, that I really liked the X-Guard by Marcelo Garcia.

The book has all the hallmarks of Victory Belt's previous works. The large format and detailed colour photography don't disappoint and actually go one better with this edition.

Not resting on their laurels, the guys at VB have introduced detailed inset photos where warranted. This is not a completely original concept by any means, but it is done as well here as with any other publisher.

One of the problems I thought I might have with the book is that I wouldn't be able to identify with Marcelo and the X-Guard. This was an issue with Eddie Bravo's books on the Rubber Guard. I don't really use the Rubber Guard and am not built well for it. I pretty much have had the same problem with the X-Guard.

That was until I read through this book. You see, my butterfly guard is a little...... agricultural. And that, it seems , is my problem with the X-Guard. Not my long legs and extraordinary height - my previous excuses.

The book is split into two sections. The first is on the butterfly guard and the second on the X-Guard, itself. Both are split into three subsections each. The butterfly guard section is the most detailed treatment I've seen of the topic in a book. The three subsections are titled "Basic Positioning & Grip Defense", "Sweeps & Transitions" and "Submissions".

Now, Marcelo Garcia can work his butterfly guard in a way I find amazing. It's something I'd never been able to do terribly well. I could work it well enough against white belts, but always had to let it go against people nearer my own skill level. This book, though, gives solutions to most of the problems I'd encountered in the past.

I had the same problem with the X-Guard. There was just no way known I was ever going to get my giant legs in position. It shouldn't surprise you to find I was doing it wrong, though. The details shown for the X-Guard helped me a great deal, but I believe it's my better understanding of the butterfly guard that has ealed the deal for me.

The X-Guard section is is split up in a similar way to the butterfly guard section with subsections called "Establishing the X-Guard", "Sweeps" and "Submissions".

All-in-all, I'd say this is one of those rare $24 books that have made a heck of a lot more than $24 worth of effect on my game.

It just keeps getting better, too. Erich Krauss and Glen Cordoza have been getting steadily better at writing, too. In the past, I've criticised their spelling and grammar in the introduction sections. Is it better in this book? The truth is, I don't know. I got so engrossed in Marcelo's story, I never bothered to check.

That's got to be a big tick in the box.

After a review like this, I like to put a little disclaimer to it......

I am no Marcelo Garcia fanboy. I've not watched his DVDs all the way through and I've seen maybe three of his matches. I have also been known to give Victory Belt some very pedestrian reviews, but they do impress me with their ability to improve with each publication. This book is the second of their catalogue to go in the Best of the Best category, but probably not the last if the quality continues this way.

I was excited to get this book and it completely lived up to my expectations. Like the other Krauss-Cordoza collaborations from Victory Belt publishing this is a very well put together book printed on high grade glossy paper, with detailed high quality multiple-angle shots of the techniques and very good explanation including the physical mechanics of the movement and advice on strategy of when to use it, how to get there, mistakes to avoid, and what your opponent is likely to do. Marcelo Garcia is probably the best grappler in the world and his system is unique and effective and works for all body types, and unlike Eddie Bravo's very good system doesn't require crazy flexibility. The book provides info on gi and no gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's comparable to Eddie Bravo's Rubber guard book in terms of quality and production value. It has a color coded easy to use system that makes it very easy to quickly find sections and whether the technique is appropriate for gi and no gi competition.
The introduction includes a short biography that shows you the determination and dedication that has made him the champion he is. From 3 hour commutes to training, to cleaning the mats so he could afford to train 4 times a day. The first section on technique is 78 pages dedicated to the butterfly guard including basic stance and grip work, sweeps and transitions, and submissions all with detailed advice on how to establish and properly adjust the technique so you can make it work in high level competition ( e.g. 7 pages just on the guillotine choke, most books give it only 2). He constantly emphasizes drilling the technique to really get it down and learning the fundamentals of the butterfly guard before moving to the X guard. This sort of guard requires very good timing and sense of balance that can only be developed through many hours on the mat. The X guard is detailed in the final 149 pages of the book (264 pages all together). 63 pages on establishing the X guard from standing, sitting, elbow control, underhooks, full guard, half guard, omoplata, mount and headlocks. Then a section with 18 sweeps from X guard from different kids of control (e.g. from hands, sleeve, or collar). Then 15 pages detailing 7 submissions for X guard including omoplata, triangle, gi and no gi inverted arm bar, knee bar, foot lock, and heel hook. Again filled with tips on when to use it, positions to transitions from, your opponents likely reactions, and common mistakes. If you perfect even just a few of the techniques in this book your game will improve dramatically. This book is more for intermediate to advanced students of BJJ, though the section on butterfly guard is fairly accessible and very useful to beginners. Those starting out (and intermediates too) should check out Kid Peligro's book "the Essential Guard" or the Joe Moreira /Ed Beneville 3 part series on the Guard, these focus are more on the fundamentals. If you're looking to improve your guard and your overall game, I highly recommend this book, it's a steal at this price, I would have paid more for it. I look forward to his next book on arm drags and mastering the back.

I find these book really exciting i already have book 1 and 3 of the trilogy. i hope more of these will be written. I am a fan of x men

x-geeks, this is for you. nice job of putting lee/byrne cast into chaos.

I thought that the third installment of the chaos series was probibly the best that Roman wrote. His back and fourth sequence of events made you feel like you were right there in the story. Please read the first two before reading the third, or at least the second one first (that's actually what I did) because after reading the 2nd, you'll HAVE to buy the last installment to find out what happened. It was beautifully written and I loved every moment of it

I enjoyed this book much more than the first one. I didn't like the first novel (Doctor Doom), because the villain was written just like a madman. (Dr. Doom's behavior was very illogical and abrupt. It bothered me a lot.)
In this book, Magneto's personality was portrayed very carefully and thoroughly. In his new world, Magneto was written as a person with a noble soul and ideal and I could understand him better than in any other novelization. I was touched by his conversation with Professor X.

This book is above the average and definitely worth to read. But as a person who read both Legacy Quest and Chaos Engine trilogies, I will recommend the Legacy Quest trilogy over this one. Legacy Quest has more interesting plots and character development.

Ok, before I start, read the first two before you read this one, as they were excellent books as well, and you really have to read the other two just to get the story in this one.

This book was amazing. Roman finds a way to perfectly balance out all the different characters in the book and it is well written...simply put.

This part of the trilogy takes you to the version of earth where the Red Skull comes upon the cosmic cube, bringing about the Fourth Reich where the nazis had defeated the allied forces in World War 2. Mutants are considered the scum of the earth and the Skull goes by means of special task forces, and sentinels to apprehend these genetic impurities. Cyclops (who's secret as a mutant isn't discovered until mid-story) and his wife (Frau Sommers) are the poster-couple of the empire, Storm presides in Africa where all colored humans and mutants were sent to- her powers deactivated genosha-style, Magneto is in a concentration camp, Nightcrawler is on the Lightning Force strike team of the empire (though he is still considered scum, he only gets to be on the team because he is a true german), rogue is a tool of the empire, gambit is a collared worker, professor x is a traitor to the mutant race, leaving Psylocke and Warren the only 2 X-Men left unaffected by the cube. The story has 2 plots really that are going on. Betsy and Warren are up in the citadel where Doom is ascending to god-hood (won't tel you how), and of course you have the cube/Red Skull storyline. Definitely a 2 thumbs up!!!