R Books

One of my favorite books for the last 30 years. A wonderful set of stories about kids who use their brains to figure out problems and have adventures. Positive stories that are well written.

The Mad Scientists solve a bank robbery, get outfoxed by Harmon Muldoon, save Mammoth Falls from a drought, invade the town with a UFO, then finally get even with Harmon and his gang in a satisfying and exciting sequel to The Mad Scientists' Club. Using classic technology and, of course, their noodles, the MSC romps through 5 short stories which are more complex than the originals, yet retain their smart and fun flavor. Henry thinks, Jeff leads, Mortimer snarks, Homer climbs, Charlie narrates, Harmon interferes, and Freddy and Dinky get kidnapped...twice! This book is great for boys AND girls 9-12 (and also for 42-year old women like me!) I'm so happy I found this book again after 30 years...it was worth the wait and then some!

If you loved Bertrand R. Brinley's first collection of stories about The Mad Scientists of Mammoth Falls The Mad Scientists' Club or the two novels: The Big Kerplop!: The Original Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club and The Big Chunk of Ice: The Last Known Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club, then you'll also love "The New Adventures of The Mad Scientists' Club". The boys return in five new stories, again mixing simple yet sound science and a gently wicked sense of fun.

In "Big Chief Rainmaker", a story originally planned for inclusion in the first book, the boys make clever use of simple scientific principles to break a killer drought by making it rain. Unfortunately, making it STOP raining, turns out to be a good deal harder.

In "The Telltale Transmitter" while investigating a series of unexplained seismic anomalies, the boys make an unexpected discovery.

In "The Cool Cavern" the boys acquire a WWII-era midget two-man Japanese submarine and stash it in a cavern behind Mammoth Falls' namesake Mammoth Falls while restoring it to functioning. Then one night the cavern roof collapses, hopelessly trapping Harmon Muldoon's gang, who had come to spy on the submarine, behind tons of fallen rocks. Or are they?

In "The Flying Sorcerer" Dinky Poore is so obsessed about wanting to see a UFO that he quits showing up for club meetings, until his fellow club members promise to build him a UFO. Hi-jinks ensue.

In "The Great Confrontation" Harmon Muldoon's gang kidnaps Dinky Poore and Harmon's cousin, Freddy Muldoon, and offers to trade them for the submarine and the right to use the Cool Cavern. Boy, are they going to be sorry!

As a boy, while I enjoyed this book very much, I never liked it as well or reread it as often as the first one, and after rereading it as a man I think I know why. It isn't the writing, which if anything has improved; it is the story topics. If the first book could be re-titled "The Mad Scientists' Club Triumphant", this book could be re-titled "The Mad Scientists' Club Get Their Comeuppance". In "Big Chief Rainmaker" the boys go from heroes to goats, and in "The Cool Cavern" the boys get made utter fools of. "The Telltale Transmitter" turns out to be a fairly conventional crime-solving, and even the wackiest story of all, "The Flying Sorcerer", is essentially "The Strange Sea Monster of Strawberry Lake" redux, except with a less triumphal ending, and it isn't until "The Final Confrontation" that the boys finally get even with Harmon Muldoon's gang for the events of "The Cool Cavern". The result is a little more downbeat than I prefer. In addition I regret the lost story possibilities of the restored midget submarine, which Brinley never made use of.

Note: the Purple House reprint of The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club is worth picking up even if you own an older edition because it includes an introduction written by Bertrand's son Sheridan and a chronological listing of the stories so you can read them in the order they were written (the order of the stories in the book was not changed). Reading them chronologically clears up some confusion over places, geographical references, and characters.

Not many books can capture your imagination like the Mad Scientists books. I read these back in the late 60s and still have my original copy. Its been reread dozens of times and by the way where is Mammoth Falls? The location was always elusive. References to Chicago, the Air Force Base nearby, and the description of Strawberry Lake was most unusual. I keep two copies of the republished books on my shelf. I rarely rate 5 stars but this one gets it because after 40 years its still one of my favorites.

When I was growing up, I really enjoyed reading the 'Mad Scientists Club' and its influence may partly explain why I ended up in engineering research. Until recently I had forgotten all about it until I was looking at books by my favorite authors as a youth, such as Stephen Meader and Jim Kjelgaard. I came across the Brinley books and I decided to re-read the original and discovered much to my delight that there was a sequel of short stories and two additional full-length books by Brinley.

I read the sequel, 'The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club'and I was both ecstatic and a little dismayed. The stories are uniquely excellent melding adventurous vignettes with some science. However, I noticed that the sequel showed some changes in personalities from the first book. I was a little surprised to see that in The Flying Sorcerer' Henry was both not fully truthful with Colonel March, but even after he was told how much personal trouble he was causing him, Henry proposed that the club continue with additional flights of the flying saucer. The readers had been told in 'The Cool Cavern' that Col. March had done them a big favor in helping them acquire the plexiglass nose from an old B-17 bomber for their midget sub. I guess it did not seem in character for them to treat their friends so shabbily. I know that the Mad Scientists are supposed to represent our rebellious American youth who do not respect authority, but I thought the stunt was taken a bit too far. Moreover, I was surprised when I read that Mortimer Dalrymple stole the rotor from Col. March's Air Force car, which is not only a dirty trick, but patently illegal. I am not sure if it was the length of time between Brinley's writing of his first story in 1960 to his last in 1968, but the characters in the sequel seem to not be as 'kind and gentle' as in the first book.

Regardless, I still really enjoyed reading the sequel and I plan on reading the two re-published full-length books.

We are big Doctor Seuss fans and are attempting to get the entire collection for our daughter. Like the book, just too similar to Fox in Socks. Nothing but tongue twisters and no real story.
Great to have if your trying to collect all Dr Seuss books. If completing the collection is not important to you, I would only chose this if you don't already have Fox in Socks

Great book for my 1st grader, he loves the rhyming words throughout.

This book captures literary genius in the form of childish tongue twisters. It proves to be an excellent practice of diction and reading rhythm while providing extreme entertainment for the little listener. The love of words is the beginning of all great literary accomplishment, and this child's book is a step in the right direction.

This book was one of my husbands favorites when he was growing up, and now that we are expecting a child he wanted our son to have the same experience. He was so excited when it arrived that he read it to me as a bedtime story. The riddles start out easy, but by the end of the book your tongue is so twisted it's hard to say anything!! It's a lot of fun and we really look forward to hearing our son try to say these riddles when he learns to speak.

This is a really fun book to read. However, you REALLY have to pay attention to the words or you will mess them up. If you love tongue twisters, this is the book for you. It also is great for young readers, but they may become frustrated with some of the words. It's fun for little ones to listen to and to see how fast you can say these phrases. When you hear "faster, faster," well, you know you're encouraging reading in your child. A very fun book - I recommend it.

I never knew the Germans had such advanced submarine weaponry during WWII. It's a good thing the Walter engine Type XXI U-boats were never produced in quantity. We might have lost the war, especially if the V-2 equipped version that Dickson's novel is about had made it into combat. The technical aspects of the book alone are well worth the price, but the story is interesting and suspenseful as well. I even liked it better than Clancy's Red October, which I found to be long-winded and dragged in places. Almost like he had to make 400 pages out of 200. At least Dickson's 200 pages are honest, good and interesting prose. This book would also make a fantastic movie someday. A smart producer should pick up an option on it.

I am a veteran of the British Navy. I served aboard destroyers during the war, and participated in several U-boat chases. I must say that though I am old now, I recall those days quite clearly. Fear has a way of doing that to you.

Yes, I agree with Mr. Dickson that the U-boat crews were top-line and very dedicated. Most of them, especially the officers, were not Nazis. They were simply the best and brightest Germany had to throw against us at the time. I know as I interviewed some of them after we sunk their U-boats, and they became our prisoners.

I did not know about the Type Twenty-One U-boats Mr. Dickson discusses in the book. We were up against Type Sevens mostly, and an occasional Type Nine later in the War. However, the fact was that the Jerries were definitely on the defensive during the U-boat campaigns from early '43 onwards. As a sailor, I still respected them, enemies though they may have been at the time.

I might add that we treated them well enough on board our vessel prior to transfer ashore. I believe they would have done the same, had they the capability to pick-up survivors as we.

At any rate, the book is very well-done. I doff my old sailor's cap to Mr. Dickson!

I really enjoyed this short war novel. The author did a fantastic job researching his material, and he came up with some real gems of history: lost secret German U-boat and rocket technology, including what were apparently the world's first ballistic missile silos in France. The German army built several blockhouses in Northern France from which to fire V-2 rockets at the massed allied armies in Southern England preparing for D-day. Fortunately, allied bombers destroyed them, before they could launch. This and other interesting historical anecdotes are found throughout this interesting work. The author's style is refreshing: fast-paced and very readable. His use of short chapters leads the reader on, much like Dan Brown's works (DaVinci Code, etc.). Some other reviewer said this should be a movie. I definitely agree. It would make a great film, too.

This short WWII submarine warfare fiction novel was really cool!
It seemed to have similar elements of "Das Boot", "Red October" and "K-19, The Widowmaker". And yet it was completely original and genuine. An amazing work! I enjoyed Dickson's dry wit. The anti-Nazi U-boat commander, Wulf Brunhausen, constantly recites some excellent one-liners and double-entrendres against his hated Nazi overlords. An old-time patriot, he professionally slugs it out with his pursuer, American attack sub commander, Rick Jackson. The research was excellent, highlighting the little known Type XXI U-boats with their original hydrogen peroxide turbine engines (they didn't have to surface to recharge batteries or take on air). The U-boat crews were very dedicated. There was never a mutiny aboard one of these craft, even as they were being sent out on virtual suicide missions from late '44 onwards. Amazingly, several were still on patrol off the U.S. East Coast as late as March/April '45, as Germany itself was being invaded from both East and West. In fact when the war ended there were still a couple of Type XXIs at sea, lining up allied ships in their sights. Dramatically, they went undetected through the motions of mock attacks, before returning to their North German and Norwegian naval bases. In fact many intact U-boats were surrendered at the end of the war, especially those based out of Norway, which was never invaded by the allies. Some of these U-boat commanders were so good, they were subsequently inducted into the U.S. Navy at their former ranks and then were based out of Pearl Harbor, commanding American submarines. Their honored pictures still hang on SUBPAC Headquarters walls in Pearl Harbor.

I enjoy reading naval warfare fiction, and this little book has got to be one of the most interesting submarine warfare stories I have ever read. The research alone is worth the price of the book. Dickson capitalizes on some amazing Nazi technological breakthroughs and weaves them into an exciting story with a good dose of ethics and morality. War may be immoral, but those who fight it are often the most moral and selfless members of society. Dickson captures the professional character of both the German U-boat officers and crew, as well as their American adversaries. Two thumbs up, as they say!

"Iron men, of visage grim,
Do more than meets the viewer's eye.
You've left and left and found my tomb
And now your soul will die!"

These words struck fear into the hearts of players at Origins I. With them, they knew that they had entered the most devious of all the creations to emerge from the mind of E. Gary Gygax. As player after player lost his character to Acererak's tomb, the creator of AD&D looked on, I'm sure, with an evil grin.

Tomb of Horrors was the first module ever published by TSR. It set the bar high for all that would follow. It inspired people like Grmitooth to try to invent increasingly deadly traps. It made AD&D into a game of intellect and wits, not one of hacking and slashing. It is probably the most popular adventure of all time.

So who is the upstart, Bruce R. Cordell, who thinks he can write a sequel? Does he think he can do justice to the master, the father of all adventures, the Great Gygax? Does this sequel, Return to Tomb of Horrors, do anything more than insult the greatest of all dungeon crawls? Read on, you might be surprised.

To answer the question, we must look at Gygax's original intention. Was he trying to smite players everywhere? Was he trying to make them frightened and instill a feeling of hopelessness? Was he just being mean?

No. He had fallen into a trap many of us do. He had characters, Rob Kuntz's Robilar and Ernie Gygax's Tenser, who seemed to walk through whatever challenges he put before them. He needed something that would test them to their limits. Something that would teach them humility. He needed an adventure that not even they could defeat.

Alan Lucien gave him the idea. He locked himself in his writer's room and began to invent the deadliest adventure that ever was. This time, they'd know a challenge.

So what happened? Robilar sacrifice many orc retainers to get to the last tomb. There, he dumped the treasure into a bag of holding and amscrayed. Tenser manage to defeat Acererak himself, proving to Gygax that an ingenious player can negotiate any but the most arbitrary death traps.

Then he continued to carry it in his briefcase, pulling it out whenever a player claimed to have an unbeatable character. More often than not, they remembered things they had to do and quickly left the table as the other players looked down at their dead characters in horror.

The module then debuted at Origins I. It hit the shelves in 1978. The rest is history.

So now Cordell has written a sequel. How, you might ask yourself, can this box set pretend to be a sequel deadliest 12 pages in role playing history? Does this man actually think he can pull it off?

Let me assure you, gentle reader, he not only thinks he has, but he has.

The adventure starts years after treasure hunters spent their blood and souls in Acererak's final resting place. The place is all but forgotten by most, but as of late, and evil necromantic force has been reaching out of the Vast Swamp. The party begins examining the problem and comes across a name, "The Devourer."

This name leads them to the path of a man who sought the Devourer years before, a mage named Desatysso. As the party follows the long-cold trail of this mage, they discover that there is more to the Tomb than anyone has ever suspected.

You see, Acererak wanted to build a series of tests, to lead people toward a final great reward. Unfortunately, the knowledge of the true purpose of the Tomb was lost, and only Desatysso seems to have found it.

The test consists of three parts: a Tomb, a City and a Fortress. Evidently, crawling into the tomb and smashing Acererak's skull is not enough. He must be hunted to his conclusion and stopped in his dreaded apotheosis. Otherwise, his demonic minions will just keep rebuilding his tomb and adventurers will keep spending their souls there.

This dungeon is not for the weak of heart. It suggests that players not take their beloved characters in, and I wholeheartedly agree. The PK rate is extremely high.

I set up a party of fourteen characters, giving each player at least two. They then started the adventure. However, I couldn't see how they could have any guarantee of surviving the original Tomb (which is included in the boxed set), much less get far enough for me to produce an adequate review. I therefore began sending them dreams. Dreams of people who were not them, but they recognized as each other. They were going through this strange tomb, and they knew that all this had taken place years ago. Finally, at the end, they threw themselves against the demi-lich. The Paladin, who had died and failed his resurrection survival (a convenient accident, not a plot element), appeared and got them to vow to kill this force of evil, no matter what it took, no matter how many lives.

It was then that the players realized they were dreaming of a past life. They threw their might against Acererak and were soundly destroyed.

This plot device worked well. They had already played the Tomb by the time they got to it in present day, and were therefore able to get a full compliment of characters through it. It also gave them a sense of purpose that unified them with these characters they didn't know. It was a right proper epiphany, and feel free to use it when you buy this product yourself.

Anyway, this allowed them to progress beyond this most classic of Tombs, into a place where Orcus himself once walked, the city of Moil. This place has claimed four or five characters (though their pact is keeping Acererak from devouring their souls, so they can come back again in another 50 years, should the party fail).

I'll not give away any more of the plot. Buy this product, and you'll see.

I was not convinced I should give it this good of a review, however. You see, I have always loved the Tomb, and I was afraid I was biased. I therefore gave it to a friend who has never (in my memory) liked a TSR module. He gave this his grudging approval, unable to blow any holes in its plot.

A good product. The traps are as deadly as ever, but this adventure is surrounded by intricate plots and histories. There is so much going on here that the players will never even guess it all.

This is one of the things I love about this module. It is filled with information that the players will never know. They will never fully understand the history of the necromantic academy that has sprung up around the tomb. My players have figured out that the City of Moil worshiped Orcus, but they will never figure out that it was put to sleep because it turned to the worship of a God of Morning.

Most writers try to invent complicated and awkward ways of making sure that the players discover the core of all their intricate plans. Not Bruce R. Cordell. If he had James Bond in his clutches, when Bond asked what this was all about, he'd shrug and put a bullet in his head. It's enough that the GM knows, so that he can flush out details as needed. The players will never guess most of what's happened here.

My players have made me promise to tell all when it's done.

Anyway, this adventure tests players to their furthest. Not only have my players latched onto their characters, four of them have married now (the characters, that is), so that they can snatch some joy in the midst of all this horror. It takes a powerful setting to force people to start searching for affirmations of life.

So there it is. I'm rarely impressed with adventures anymore. I'm not forgiving enough. This module needs no forgiveness. Other than an abuse of absolutes ("nothing can save the character if happens"), I can find no criticism for this product. My players have been going through it for months now, and I have rarely had so much success.

So did they survive? I can hear the question in your minds.

The question should be "Will they survive?" The party has begun spending more time on roleplaying than problem solving. They lick their wounds and clutch each other in the night, whispering reassurances. The adventure continues at a slow, methodical pace, and has become a campaign unto itself. If they survive this, I don't think that can convince them to play other characters. I mean, when you've taken someone into the darkest of all pits, you develop a bond.

Too bad they'll all be dead by the time you read this.

Return to the Tomb of Horrors is a new boxed adventure module based on the old S1: Tomb of Horrors module from tournaments and 1st edition AD&D. The scenario is intended for four to eight characters from 13th to 16th level. Like the original Tomb by Gary Gygax, Cordell's Return is an intense deathtrap challenge even for experienced veterans of the game.

Set in Greyhawk but usable in any campaign, this adventure begins with mysterious villager disappearances and swarms of undead. Your party comes to investigate and becomes entangled in a web of deadly schemes. But what does this have to do with the original Tomb of Horrors? The one that's been dared by many, plundered by few, over the years? Well, it's still in business, and still merrily eating heroes. But if the original deathtrap dungeon was a satisfying meal, this new adventure, wrapped around the original module and set 20 years later, is a murderous banquet. This is the first dungeon adventure I've ever read where I actually felt sorry for the players, and I'm including the original Tomb in that. The new story enfolds the original dungeon crawl in a deadly blanket of new traps and additional story, creating a hideous multi-stage gauntlet for anyone seeking the final mystery at the end. Yes, you get to visit the Tomb itself again, but its significance has changed and deepened.

I have to agree with the author on the use of characters for this adventure: either the group ought to be specifically rolled up for this adventure, or, if the players' regular favorites are to be run through the scenario, tone the thing down, WAAAYYY down. There are sections in this beastly tome that can kill one character per page, and, as the party penetrates the deeper mysteries, the killer trap rate escalates to one or more per room. This makes a party of four-to-eight high-level PCs seem rather puny, and suggests a horde of henchmen, hirelings, and cannon fodder, preferably walking out in front.

Can someone familiar with the original Tomb play or enjoy this? Absolutely. In fact, I'd like to see a group of players, all either DMs who have run Tomb or players who went through it successfully, go through the Return to the Tomb of Horrors. Maybe they'd live long enough to get to the second half of the adventure. Maybe.

This boxed set is stuffed with goodies. There are nine maps and seven new monsters in a full-color maps and monsters book. The maps are very clear, with one exception: Map 3 is so darkly printed that the color-coding is very difficult to make out, but I believe that because of the restricted movement in those areas there should be little impact on play. An illustrated "module" of 160 pages, with appendices of new spells and magic items, includes many "old" spells relying on several other AD&D books (some out of print) but the author urges the DM to make appropriate substitutions when necessary. There is a facsimile of the original S1: Tomb of Horrors module, which is actually used in play. DMs will want to go through this and make detailed adjustments beforehand, since it is not written to 2nd edition AD&D standards. No problem for collectors worried about the value of your original copy: this is not an exact facsimile, as the illustration booklet is bound into the middle. A new illustration book holds scenes to be shown to the players at various points in the adventure, and because since there are two scenes on each page you might want keep a sheet of plain paper folded length-wise handy for covering the second illustration. Lastly, there are handouts for the players, consisting of an eight-page "journal" (in a very difficult font) and a double-sided color card, with special instructions for photocopying and preparation.

In playing this adventure DMs may want to keep in mind their particular players' temperament and game style: are they looking for a real, undiluted challenge, or are they going to be murderously upset by the DM making their PCs into elf flambe, dwarf kabobs, and Halfling hash in one evening? If there is serious risk of you becoming a DM pretzel, you might want to edit this severely and just integrate it into your regular campaign.

Return to the Tomb of Horrors is an excellent adventure in the old module style.

--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

I've purchased dozens of probucts from this website, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review.

Return To The Tomb of Horrors is a quality product from top to bottom. The boxed set includes many maps, illustrations, the original Tomb of Horrors, an expansion to the Tomb of Horrors story (the equivalent of 3 more adventures), and more.

I have not yet run this module, but have read all the contents, and plan to implement it as soon as possible. The story is well written, EXTREMELY original, and the many traps are truly inspiring. Despite the fact this boxed set is the equivalent of 4 normal length adventures, all of the encounters are unique and often ingenious. As I read the module, I found myself often wondering what the writers would think of next.

Note to GM's: This module is possibly the most deadly I've ever read. I would only recommend it for experienced players. Even then, expect casualties.

Although it is out of print and written for 2nd edition, i can't express enough what a high quality product this is. Even if you are running a 3rd edition campaign, this boxed set is definitely worth your picking up if you can find it. The conversion to the new rules might take a little effort on the DM's behalf, but the payoff is the most exciting, deadly, and awe-inspiring campaign ever put to paper. It wraps seamlessly around Gary Gygax's original Tomb of Horrors, and you even get the chance to go back and explore it again if you did so for the first time twenty years ago. My players have no clue what the Tomb really is, and i'm still keeping them in the dark until later. Like other reviewers have said though, be warned. The module is deadly, and about halfway through and all the way to the end, it can eat up PC's like candy. But far as quality, it has some of the best writing, the best traps, the best plot, and over sixty illustrations to mesmerize your players. Definitely try to check this one out, as its going into the history books.

Come on, people. Where do you get the crazy notion that a "killer" module is good? Are you so lame that you cannot create your own killer modules? It is pretty [dang] easy. And that is what TSR does here, it creates a killer module that makes little to no sense.

Everything starts good as a plot is well formed and progresses well for a little while. It gets even better when the party arrives at the environs of the old tomb. All right, ervything pretty [dang] cool thus far. Realistic, fun, and the players better think before they act rashly.

So you are thinking why 3 stars only? Well, the problem is it all goes downhill from there. Once the players leave the old Tomb the new area is just silly. It makes no sense that something this powerful would have ANY trouble with the PC's. Plus the traps are illogical and almost impossible to detect. By this time, roleplaying is long forgotten as players just push their characters from point to point and hope to make their saving rolls.

Still, it gets 3 stars for a good effort from TSR. But there certainly are better choices out there.

Finally, I am amazed so many D&D'ers are impressed with killer modules. Big ... deal. Give me something to excite the players' imagination. That is what role playing is supposed to be about.

This commentary on the book of Romans by T. R. Schreiner is one of the best commentaries I have ever read. Better than N. T. Wright and Everett F. Harrison. The author is faithful to the text and respects the text as the Word of God.
It is a big blessing to have this commentary in post-soviet countries (I am from Lithuania) where theology is not popular and people are lacking commentaries, books about the Bible even in the libraries.
It is worthy to get this book because the author opens the deep meanings of the text.

The two best aspecst of Dr. Schreiner's books are his conversational style of writing, and the fact that he always acknowledges other views and explains why he differs. The many references and foot notes make for slow reading, but in depth and clear understanding of the material and his interpretation. It is a learning expericence that is like a great expedition of exploration and discovery. And because it is the Word of God being explored, the discoveries are life changing. This is truly a great book.

Along with Moo, get this commentary! Schreiner is so solid and scholarly. I also have his work on 1,2Peter and Jude in the NAC. This NT scholar is so good.

His approach to scholarship reminds me of Dr. Moo. Both are really good. Schreiner does his own translation, and for me that is what makes this commentary so outstanding. If you appreciate adeptness in NT Greek, you'll appreciate this volume. But at the same time, Schreiner makes this simple enough for the person who doesn't understand NT Greek to get by.

This should be in every pastor's and anyone who's looking for the best work on Romans collection. Get this one!

This is a very good commentary on Romans. It is very well written and is clear and easy to understand. Great Reference material that can be used for years to come.

As someone who has done extensive work in Romans and is NOT a Calvinist, I have found Schreiner's volume to be the best all around commentary on Romans (not the best commentary on any book, however, as that would go to Schnackenberg's 3 volumes on John). He covers what you need to teach and to preach through the book.

While knowing Greek will certainly help one follow the author's arguments, he makes it easy enough to move past difficult material and get to the heart of the matter. Moo has a tendency to list multiple options and then pick one when it is unnecessary to list all the options due to a choice being obvious or else he does not list options at all when the choice is difficult. Schreiner avoids that problem by correctly majoring on the majors and minoring on the minors (with the exception of some issues at the end of Romans 8).

For Schreiner, this is certainly a step above his previous work and is much more readable than his book on Paul. The only Romans commentary I would rank ahead of this one is the incredible two volumes in the ICC by Cranfield, which is certainly not a series for those who do not know their languages.

~ I first read "Summons of the Trumpet" when it was published in 1978. Interestingly, in his preface, LTG Palmer states "There will be those who claim that history, true history, can't be written so soon after an event...they are correct. The definitive version of the Vietnam War will be published decades hence..." Well, a full thirty years later, it turns out this statement is the only thing he got wrong!

~ For me, this volume was and remains the definitive work on the Vietnam conflict. It is interesting, concise, understandable, and insightful. I continue to re-read it about every five years and just cracked it open again.

~ When I retired from my Army career (as an Infantry officer), I became a high school social studies teacher and I have used "Summons" as one of my main references when teaching my students about the Vietnam War, this time period, our society, and American government.

~ Russell Weigley, a noted historian who I also value, correctly called this book "by far the best synthesis of...the Vietnam War." Thank you, General Palmer, for letting the "Trumpet" sound!

As a Vietnam veteran, I am often surprised at the mythology that surrounds the Vietnam war to this day. This is "must reading" for anyone seeking fresh insight into that struggle. I found this book consistent with my own experiences and observations from my tour of duty in Vietnam (1968 to 1969). For this reason, I highly recommend it to any serious student of history.

This is one of the best books (if not the best) I have ever read on the Vietnam War. The author develops his arguments with such clarity and eloquence that the book is a real joy to read. Palmer does not describe many battles but only those which were characterized as turning points of the conflict, like Ap Bac (1963), Ia Drang (1965) and Tet (1968) but the depth of the political and military analysis is fantastic. I especially enjoyed the chapter on the military logistics of the US forces in Vietnam as well as the role of the air power in the conflict. It is astonishing to realize that the US actually defeated the insurgency in Vietnam and lost the war only because of the persistent commitment of numerous regular North Vietnamese divisions, which were also mauled badly in battle in many cases! The `Ahilles heel` of the US was the Vietnamization program which the communists didn't allow to mature. Very highly recommended!

Palmer's book was one on the first I have ever read on Vietnam, and remains one of the best. It is mostly concerned with overall strategy and campaigns; less with individual battles and operations. The book severely criticizes the Johnson Administration (with a particular venom for Robert McNamara) but is much more positive about Nixon. The author's attitude towards the South Vietnamese government and Army is critical but quite fair, and he gives the North Vietnamese their due. This is not really a book about American military performance, and does not really mention problems within the military, such as drug abuse, racial incidents, massacres, etc., but he does believe that any problems were a result of having a bankrupt political/military strategy. A few OK maps, no photographs or footnotes, but a nice bibliographical essay. All in all, a very good short introduction but certainly not a complete history of the war.

I was looking for a good overview book of the Vietnam War and this really fit the bill. The author put together a well thought out, easy to read and well-written book that does a good job of giving the reader the high points. The author was a solder in the combat and spent a number of years in the military so he has an authoritative position to speak from. He does a great job of keeping the book away from being overly laden with military jargon or the Rambo style of combat writing. The book is focused on the American effort and thus skims the pre U.S. troop entry into the war. If you are looking for a deeper history on the start of the war with the French or the overall American involvement in Asia then this book will disappoint.

The treatment he gave to the major battles was good. He presented an easy to follow account of the battle, what lead up to it and the outcome. He also touched on some of what was happening back home with the politics, but only briefly. I think the most interesting parts of the book for me was the details of the air war, more specifically how the bombing kept escalating and then the final bombing push by Nixon. My only complaint with the book is that it was an overview that was a bit too light on the facts for me. The book was only 270 pages long, and book size do not necessary determine quality, this book could have been a little bit more in-depth. It seemed to me that to get a better understanding a few more pages could have been added without the overview turning into a in depth study.

The book was sent to a friend. I am not able to review it since I will not be receiving it.
Bryan Boatwright

We recently experienced the crushing feelings of extreme grief in the death of our 22year old son. Someone lent me this book because they had found solace and comfort in reading this book. They had also dealt with the death of a child. I found a lot of answers to help me deal with the grief and hopefully heal someday. The last two chapters helped me the most. They helped me find one of the elements that has been missing from my life in the past few months and that is "hope".

Mr Claypool used his own experiences of coming through the darkest night into the sunshine of a new day. Very easy to read and understand. I recommend it to anyone wanting to work through grief in a positive way.

Dr. Claypool's book has rescued more people from the depths of grief than any I can recommend. He lost his daughter and this book is four sermons he gave during her illness and then after her death from leukemia. Dr. Claypool himself died in 2005, so his teachings become that much more important to share. He leads the reader to understand that we are sad when we lose someone, but we are enriched by ever having known the person. His words truly are the light at the end of the tunnel -- for anyone who is lost in darkness. For yourself or for someone you care about -- read this book.

I lost my husband in November 2005,even as I write this it doesn't seem
possible. I was given all the books on being a widow and all the platitudes about being in a better place,he's whole, he's happy....I didn't care, he wasn't here. Then I read this little book...John Claypool didn't need 200 pages to tell me what I needed to know...it was alright to
question God, I didn't need to accept that this was "Gods Will"...I could question, I could yell at God but ultimately everything is a gift...Using Job as his example he led me from despair to a measure of peace...I still hurt, a lot, but I try to remember that my husband was a gift, and I'm better for having him in my life. Mr Claypool has a gift for saying a lot in a little space...he lost his daughter and speaks from experience...he showed up in my life at the right time....this book is for the care of your soul.....Mr Claypool is a gifted,interesting writer and I look forward to reading more....

This is an insightful book about a subject that is much in vogue today.The authors gave me a level of insight which I had not gotten reading other books on the same subject. In fact, the book changed my way of seeing the world - not a minor feat.
The authors have written a very elegant book. It starts from the description of a simple molecule and ends with language and human consciousness in about 250 pages. One can feel that the authors were trying to be as didactic, complete and comprehensible as possible without over simplifying. Nevertheless, for a non-scientist, I found that I had to pay attention to the text and to re-read it a couple of times to understand the arguments and remember the concepts.

This book, if read carefully, will change the way that you look at the world. It is powerful and insightful.

Excellent and superb are words that come to mind while reviewing this work. The authors, Drs. Humberto R. Maturana (biologist, University of Chile) and Francisco J. Varela (Foundation de France Professor of Cognitive Sciences and Epistemology, Paris) attempted and succeeded in providing a clear and concise work in a difficult field. Their goal was to "propose a way of seeing cognition not as a representation of the world 'out there,' but rather as an ongoing bringing forth of a world through the process of living itself."

Knowing how we know, or how we perceive is the subject of this intriguing work. In writing on this subject, the authors present a refreshing and new approach to cognition-one which has dramatic cultural, social and ethical ramifications.

The work, originally published in 1987 and re-released in 1992 as a revised edition, is attractive, colorful and well-illustrated. Unlike many books, whose pictures, graphs and figures merely fill space, each illustration performs a beneficial and needed service. In ten chapters, the reader is led slowly through the concepts and disciplines of perception, classification, heredity, biology, psychology, sociology and philosophy.

Since its initial publication, The Tree of Knowledge has received favorable attention from the public, has been out of stock in most bookstores and has been used as an undergraduate text at the University of California. While stimulating the imagination of readers it has, however, not received the scholarly acclaim it richly deserves.

Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren, DEd
Former Member of the Royal Institution of Great Britain

Amazing piece of work. Very slow reading... meaty. Well written. This should be the primer for every field of study in every country. We are first and foremost biological organisms. We live in language like fish in a fish bowl. Fish can't distinguish water. It defines them. Same with language with human beings... we are defined by our listening and speaking and don't have a clue.

The illustrations are the best... I think it is one of the most important books of our time.

I came to this book years ago through, of all things, a two-year course in business and sales, for which it was required reading along with "Computers and Cognition", another eye-opener; the latter anticipated the current transactional nature of the Internet. You might ask how a work as theoretical and speculative as "Tree of Knowledge" could be part of a pragmatic and hardnosed business course, and that is one key to its attraction for me: as intellectually intriguing as the ideas and assertions in this book are, even more engaging is how they might actually change the way we act in the world.

The authors drill down to molecular biology and then carefully build upward their premise that we construct the worlds we live in out of language. Each of us exists inside a story we tell ourselves about the way the world is, and we are completely contained within that story. In that sense, we interact with other people through the way our stories talk to their stories. And the success of our relationships and the effectiveness with which we act in our world is dependent on how well we can recognize the stories of others and understand the nature of our own story.

This is good news, once we recognize it, because we are a narrative species. On my way to work in the morning, I am telling myself a story about the way I want my day to go: what I expect, what I want to accomplish, how I will confront the challenges along the way. The story I tell myself about my life has heroes and villains, goals and challenges, grand themes and petty foibles. The more we understand the grand, rich, complex stories those around us are telling themselves, the more we can overcome misunderstandings, conflicts and cultural dissonance - the more, in a sense, we can constuct a meta-story that serves us all as human beings.

This is not a quick and simple read, but it is so logically and carefully laid out that I never felt lost along the journey. It is a wonderful book to read in tandem with a friend, or as part of a book club. The discussion and the "aha!" experiences it prompts make for a lively exploration of its ideas. Part of the joy of "Tree of Knowledge" is its potential for promoting tolerance of those different from us, through recognition of what drives their story rather than through compromising our own values.

"ladylucero", in her review, noted that "Tree of Knowledge" is required reading in some American universities. I read that in the authors' native Chile it is even taught in high schools. This, I believe, is good news: the earlier in life we recognize how our individual stories drive our hopes and expectations, our fears and disappointments, the more capable we will be of living well with our fellow human beings.

Unforgettable story. I first read this when I was 21, when it first came out. I still have the copy... worn, stained, well read. It's "lessons" are more powerful now that I've aged 30 years! Regardless of your religion or lack thereof this book is a keeper!!

This book is just a fabulous read. I have always loved the premise of this book. I just like the idea of God actually answering questions. The book is both funny and thoughtful-I'd recommend this book to anyone.

This is a book that I have read at least 5 times, and I have purchased many times for friends and family. I feel like I want everyone I know to own a copy of this book. Its a fantastic, heart warming, and touching story, that has some wonderful messages about life. Everyone I have passed it onto feel the same way I do about it. I just love the letters from "God" - our beloved gas station attendant who really knows life and how to live it. I wish there were more books out there like this one.

It's about time that this novel has been reprinted. I bought this book about 25 years ago. In that time, I've read it about 15 times. I cry every time I get to the last chapter. Do yourself a favor. When you buy this book, and you will, buy all of the others in the series. You can't go wrong.

I read this book when it first came out, and I've re-read it several times since. It never fails to touch me with its innocence, humanity, and humor. If John Powers were my neighbor, I'd bring him a homemade pie!

I loved reading "Walking on Ice." It's an easy-to-read fun book full of important insights into the Russian (and at times, American) culture.
For every Rusophile out there, I highly recommend it!

Andresen, an American doing business in Russia, has written a lovely book in a most UNbusinesslike style. It's quite literary, filled with surprising and poignant and insightful phrases. I'm not a business person, but am a "Russia" person, and love the warmth rising from this book about slippery, icy negotiations in a rather fluid environment. I'm also not a Russia expert by any means, but have been there many times and found myself nodding and smiling in appreciation while underlining passage after passage in this book. His comparison of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod is wonderful, and makes it clear why we must become well acquainted with all three great cities. His use of music and literature to explain cultural (and business) practices is most enlightening, and the essay collection is simply outstanding. This book will be of great help to all who wish to understand Russia and her people better.

This is an excellent read which provides a detailed and insightful guide to the nuances of perhaps the most misunderstood, enigmatic and complex country to grace the earth. It's a survival guide to contemporary Russian culture.

Having lived, worked, and personally invested with the Russian people, Mr. Andresen clearly has a first-hand vision on building lasting relationships with people we often don't appreciate or understand. Clearly, he has invested a good part of his life in learning and expressing to us what it takes to succeed in this part of the world.

Walking on Ice is a "must read" for American politicians, businessmen, students, or anyone who wants to dive beneath the illusive surface to gain some insight into the Russian mind set. Sadly, all too often we enter the arena of foreign affairs naively thinking we can interact in the same manner as we would with Americans. Granted, Mr. Andresen had a preliminary advantage of being familiar with Russian art, music, and culture; but I believe his success was also due to his gift of being a humbly receptive observer which enabled him to uncover the subconscious intent of those he was negotiating with. This enabled him, when he found himself on "slippery ground," to take the next step in the right direction. This discernment is what he shares with his readers, giving a "nutshell" feeling of how to stay on your feet in the Russian culture. Packed within 142 pages is an insightful guide sprinkled with humor.