Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman

I really enjoyed this book for one reason: looking at things that would otherwise be mundane and extrapolating philosophy from them until they become relevant. It’s something me and my friends do quite often such as suggesting how different Pokemon reflect people we know in real life. Who knew that talks about MTV’s Real World, Billy Joel, Saved by the Bell, or the Sims could help us figure out ourselves. I admit for someone in my age group(college kid here) that I could relate to all of the things he talked about fairly well.

Though this book comes across as a cynical, comedic work (and trust me, it does), it has an odd way of being very profound with its assessments on life. I really liked the social commentary that talks about the world that will live in today, with people being shown on the mass media as flat and static characters to be more easily understood.

The best parts of the book were actually when he wasn’t talking about the topic on hand. Sometimes Klosterman would get off topic and start talking about esoteric revelations of how people come to label themselves; I really felt was amazing.

The essays might not flow from one chapter to the next, but every one will have you thinking and laughing.

Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions by A. Thomas Horvath

Fantastic. There’s no other way to say it. I can easily and thoughtlessly recommend this workbook to anyone. Not only does it work (if you put forth the effort, obviously), but the author even slides in a few interesting personal anecdotes and philosophical points–but simultaneously keeps it brief and doesn’t bog you down with tangent stories or distasteful polemics. Get an extra one for a friend.

Sex, Drugs and Economics: An Unconventional Introduction to Economics by Diane Coyle

Diane Coyle, the author of SEX, DRUGS & ECONOMICS, is a modern version of the attempt to add wit to economic wisdom, an effort which has been mildly successful since Veblen’s THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS, but which is up to date (”rumor has it that the movie and TV industries would be nowhere without cocaine.” (p. 12). Living in London, she is well aware of the chaos which results when a government attempts to try one approach, then another. In the case of trains, her chapter on Infrastructure starts with the trains used by “a Briton, a formerly publicly owned, then privatized national rail system appears to have brought the worst of both worlds. It seems to offer the certainty of delay and disruption together with the alarmingly high risk of death in an accident, all at high prices, and there is a vigorous debate as to whether it should be renationalized.” (p. 50). The question, “How old is it?” is not the key to the confusion about items which are “a subject of perpetual electoral dispute.” (p. 51). The whole world is old enough to break down, but economics keeps looking in the other direction.

This book is so modern, there is no doubt about who the author is or who she lives with. A ten-year-old member of the family is likely to puzzle out situations as well as more professional people in her life. The danger of earning a lot early in life, particularly in a life of crime, is described as a problem for people with short expectations: banking with too much excitement is common for “workers with careers that will probably not last very long, such as sports stars or dancers or perhaps bond salesmen, with a pay structure that gives them high earnings but for a relatively short period.” (p. 5) On a psychological level, I thought that some humor could be found in her link of men, “only half of humanity,” (p. 7) whose “spending on the sex industry is rising faster than incomes overall.” (p. 7). Economically, we expect “the big growth will come in markets where demand is growing even faster than incomes as we become more and more prosperous.” (p. 7). We tend to exhibit “behavioral economics” (p. 18). “While people as a whole are pretty bad at figuring out risks realistically, teenagers, like some middle-aged men, are more willing to take risks. Adolescents are trying to shape their independent identities as part of the transition to adulthood, and anybody in the throes of a midlife crisis is in search of a fleeting reminder of youth.” (p. 19). Did I mention that the first two words of Chapter 2 are “Bill Clinton” ? (p. 8). Thoroughly modern times have trickle down attitudes that share farce with journalistic awareness in books like SEX, DRUGS & ECONOMICS, which is not “An Unconventional Introduction to Economics” in such a society, it is more like a guide to borderline and mainstream activities that make up a large part of the variety features in daily newspapers.

Seriously though, we should all be aware that transportation problems in Afghanistan prevent farmers in certain regions from obtaining cash for any product except the paste from opium poppies, and portions of the world are understood most easily if the free world capitalist bets are considered off, and bombers at all altitudes are going to determine what remains standing in areas that were previously considered prosperous. It is my understanding that the American Pentagon has been repaired, though this book notes that “Worldwide military spending fell from 3.6 percent of global GDP in 1990 to 2.4 percent in 1999, although the decline was concentrated in the industrialized and post-communist countries. . . . The worldwide peace dividend for 1999 may have been as much as [money amount]to [money amount].” (p. 181). Comparisons in this book could be to the worldwide market for illegal drugs. “One widely accepted United Nations figure is [money maount](bigger than the global oil industry), employing around 20 million people and serving 70 to 100 million customers. Perhaps half of the customers are in the United States, the biggest single market for drugs, as indeed for everything else.” (p. 10). As everything else faces declining profits, due to a lack of excitement and “heavy debt burdens,” (p. 10), expect “a substantial increase in drug production by developing countries” (p. 11) and I am expecting more U. S. military interest in “Columbia, Burma, or Afghanistan–although whether that is a cause or a consequence of the drug trade is not clear.” (p. 11). The Taliban are coming back, too, though I did not find them in this book, which makes no attempt to appeal to people who support Taliban policies.

A unique aspect of this book is the attempt to treat tobacco settlement money due to the states as a tax in Chapter 10, Tax Incidence: Only People Pay Tax. “In a piece of deliberate obfuscation, what amounts to a new national tax increase of about [money amount]on a pack of cigarettes” is being paid to states which sued the tobacco companies, “imposing an apparently staggering [money amount]bill on the cigarette makers,” in a deal worked out with lawyers getting payments estimated to have a present value of [money amount]. (p. 78). They aren’t getting all that money already, though. Because most smokers are not likely to quit, buying the cigarettes at higher prices “would generate an estimated [money amount]in tax revenues to pay the lawyers.” (p. 79). Lawyers working for the states had contingency arrangements, so it isn’t like tax money to them, it is compensation for being legal superstars. Law has a lot of exceptions, and in this book, “the power of the American legal profession” is “the one exception to the general principle with which I began, that only people pay taxes. Because, of course, lawyers pay taxes, too.” (p. 80).

Sex, Drugs and DNA: Science’s Taboos Confronted by Michael Stebbins

Sex, Drugs and DNA is a fantastic literary find. Michael Stebbins shares a voice seldom heard in today’s news and politics, that of an independent and experienced scientist. Most of what you hear on the news about science these days seems to consist of “expert” journalists with no more information on the subject they are discussing than a brief overview of a watered-down scientific abstract. This is a man who has devoted his life to science and is not afraid to give his opinions on what is wrong with today’s society, and, more importantly, how these problems might be solved.

I was personally very impressed with his first chapter. It is something that I would highly recommend to most young and developing scientists. I feel it gives an honest and needed look at what they will be dealing with in the near future.

Michael Stebbins makes this foray into the world of a science an entertaining and informative journey. I highly recommend it.

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll by Eric Bogosian

Eric Bogosian has a knack for creating great little monologues that completely suck you in. As unpleasant, or even repelling, as so many of his characters are, their tales are nonetheless engrossing, sharp, raw and extremely funny. You’ll plow through this in no time, anxious to read each next monologue. And you’ll be quick to pick it back up for a re-read too.

Sex and Drugs and Sausage Rolls by Robert Rankin

this was the first rankin book i purchased, it was recomended to me because i read a lot of Moore’s stuff. well i have to say this book was unbelievably funny. Barely a page went by that i did not find myself chuckling outloud. I found the very lyrical form of writing to be an extremely fast read. the only problem with the book was that i finished it too fast. rest assured i will read more Rankin books in the months to come.

COLLEGE LIFE EXTREME: Lies, Sex, Drugs and Violence by Darren W. Bryce

After spending many months slaving through the revision process, I have finally completed the second edition of College Life Extreme: Lies, Sex Drugs and Violence. The improvements are significant.

1) I have added over 100 pages of new material, including two new chapters: “The End of the Beginning” and “The Clash of the Roommates.” Much of this new material has been devoted to increased character interaction and dialogue, especially the funny conversations guys have about women, sex, drugs, gym, etc. This has definitely improved the quality of the stories, some of which were suffering from a deficiency of the alpha male spirit. In response to some of my critics, I have also worked extremely hard on character development by providing more background stories and exploring the strengths and flaws of the major characters. This has given much more depth to these characters and it has given them a degree of realness that they did not formerly possess. I have no doubt that many of my readers will find themselves better able to relate to the characters because of these enhancements.

2) For the convenience of my readers, I have added a character key to the back of the book so that they are not overwhelmed with trying to remember who is who. Instead of searching through previous chapters for character introductions, the reader can now quickly flip to an alphabetical list of characters in the back of the book and be provided with a short summary of this individual’s physical description, identity and associations.

3) Finally, I have removed a lot of unnecessary material. It was my original intention to coalesce my stories about Tallahassee with the political science knowledge I ascertained in graduate school, but I realized that in doing so, I detracted from the quality of both. I have thus removed all of the writings that have nothing to do with college and made this a book strictly about the intense social lives of FSU students.

The final result of all this hard work is a 398 page memoir that reads much smoother and is even more entertaining. I encourage you to purchase the book and offer me whatever criticism you find. I think you will enjoy what I have written and will look forward to the impending summer release of book two of the College Life Extreme series: Lies, Sex, Drugs and Violence II. Please visit www.collegelifeXtreme.com for more information.

Sex, Drugs & Magick by Robert A. Wilson

The title: Sex, Drugs & Magick, sure is eye-catching. Not only that, but the book is written by none other than Robert Anton Wilson, known for writing interesting things about controversial topics. And on top of that, the publisher is New Falcon Publications, known for its desire to publish books that really has something to say.

The original title of the book (and its first edition name) was Sex, Drugs, and the Occult, and these are the topics dealt with. Now “occult”, however, has been changed into “magick”, since Wilson is of the opinion that the word “occult” never really fit the rest of the book.

But, the title is still somewhat misleading, if you ask me. Wilson himself says he focuses on the combination sex and drugs; different drugs, taken during different circumstances, and how these can affect - for better or worse - any sexual stimulation.

And sure, in the beginning this is indeed what the book is all about. But, when looked at from a larger perspective one get the feeling that it’s really a story about different drugs and how they affect the way the user relates to world around him or her. Most of the time the sex is there, in one way or another, but the book is not only about sex and drugs.

But I don’t think that matters very much. Wilson has, as always, created something great, and I sure had a good time reading it. And it’s arranged in quite an interesting way: every other chapter is called an interlude, where Wilson offers very interesting portraits of people he’s met during his long and fascinating life, the different drugs these people used, and how the drugs came to affect their lives. In between these interludes you’ll find purely non-fictional essays, and the combination of the non-fiction with something subjective descriptive works perfectly.

It’s important to point out, however, that it’s not a book arguing for the legalization of all drugs known to man. It’s written for responsible adults, and Wilson, while never hesitating in admitting how he’s tested most drugs out there, is still keen to make sure to the reader that drugs are drugs; dangerous substances that easily can be abused, overdosed, and result in both physical and psychical suffering and death. He’s not saying you should try them, but he’s also not saying you shouldn’t: the use of a drug does not equal abuse of a drug. He’s simply trying to be neutral, and chooses to focus on descriptions, instead debating whether or not they should made legal.

All in all the book is just as good as I thought it would be. Just as the title says, if you read it you’ll learn a lot about sex, drugs, and magick, and I have no choice but to recommend it to you.

And, it can be quite interesting having it around when your fiends are coming over. The title will definitely get a lot of attention.

Sex Drugs and Rock’n'Roll Never Goes Out of Style by McCutcheon

When I first saw this short story collection, I wasn’t sure whether I as a 32-year-old female was the audience for McCutcheon’s writing. As soon as I read the first page, I knew I was wrong. McCutcheon’s stories are written with such heart that I found I could relate to his character’s ideas and emotions even when I couldn’t relate to their situations. I love these stories and often read my favorites over again. McCutcheon’s first novel, Burnt Roof of Mouth, also came out recently–it does not disappoint!

The Exile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia by Mark Ames, Matt Taibbi, and Edward Limonov

You’ll be disapopinted and wishing for more when this book ends. You will want to read more of the exploits of the eXile and its two fearless leaders, Ames and Taibbi, and fortunately you can at www.exile.ru. I learned about the eXile while reading Taibbi’s book Spanking the Donkey about the 2004 election. Since discovering it, the eXile has been a tremendous way to pass the time at work. Despite finding much of what they describe of Russian life terrifying and disturbing it has not tempered my desire to visit the country as soon as possible.

Also, if you enjoy the writing of Hunter S. Thompson you will definitely enjoy reading the exploits of Ames and Taibbi. They seem to be carrying the torch, albeit a dim one, into the twenty-first century. It is a sad commentary on our consolidated, witless, boring media that some of the most interesting reporting by young writers has to be found in an independent newspaper in Mosocow of all places! The eXile would probably not get published in our “land of the free.”

Sex, Drugs & Power Tools by Edward Lee

Sex, Drugs & Power Tools is a collection of three lurid, hardcore, sex and violence turbocharged horror novellas by Edward Lee in the tradition of the most infamous pulp fiction. The novellas include: Header; The Pig; and The Horn-Cranker. Not for the faint of heart, these sensationally written, mesmerically compelling, extensively vicious thrill rides of the mind fully and completely capture the reader’s total attention with hideous intensity. Highly recommended — but not for the squeamish.

Eureka by William Diehl

Eureka is the generation tale of a frontier town that is tamed with the barrel of a gun. We meets Thomas Brodie Culhane (everyone calls him Brodie or Captain). Brodie grew up in Eureka, joined the Marine Corps, fought in the Great War and came home to become the town’s sheriff.

His mentor was Buck Tallman, a man right out of the old west, and we are told he was deputy for Wyatt Earp. While Buckman is a bit 2 dimensional, his presence lingers throughout the novel.

Then there are Eli, Isabel and Del. Without spoiling anything, it is the stuff good sagas and generation novels are made of. By the time Mr. Diehl finished introducing Brodie, I really liked the character.

The novel shifts to Zeke Bannon - a hardboiled detective working for the LAPD. He begins investigating an apparent accidental death that turns out to be a homicide and the trail leads him to San Pietro (Eureka’s new name) and to Brodie. You see there is something dark and sinister in Brodie’s past and while you really don’t want something to be wrong. Mister Diehl continues to lay a body of evidence that points to Brodie.

This is a very satisfying read, and it lives up to what I’ve come expect from this author.

When my son asked me: “What was the best thing he has written?”

I answered without missing a beat, “Everything.”

Eureka!: Great Inventions and How They Happened (Eureka) by Richard Platt

Have you ever wondered how we got items that we use to today such as cereal, tv, radio, and video games. This is the book for you. This is all about great invetions and how they happened. Each 2 page spread features an item that way invented, who invented and all about their `eureka” moments! Lots to learn in this book!

The book is filled with full color photos. Also included in the book is an index and glossary which makes it easy to find the information you are looking for.

Yes I would recommed this book. The book will appeal to all ages. If young kids are too little to read all the text parents will enjoy reading this to them to learn how lots of thing we use daily came to be.

Eureka: A Novel by Jim Lehrer

Jim Lehrer’s Otis Halstead suffers the midlife crisis many of us are expecting. The difference is, he acts out all the impulses most of us suppress, which makes this fun for those who live vicariously through their reading. Full disclosure: I bought my bb gun when I turned 50.

The quiet, prosperous life of a Kansas insurance executive isn’t particularly scintillating. Otis breaks away from the humdrum sometime before his 60th birthday when he dons his KC Chiefs football helmet and putters off into the sunset on his motor scooter with his trusty bb gun strapped to the seat.

His adventures and mis-adventures make for a good rainy Sunday afternoon read.

Eureka Street: A Novel of Ireland Like No Other by Robert Mclaim Wilson

Mostly enjoyable love story(s) set amid a group of friends in contemporary Belfast. The novel alternates between a third-person account of Chuckie (a Protestant who is somewhat reminiscent of George from Seinfeld) and the first person musings of Jake (Catholic). This dual narrative technique is a highly successful one. In novels with two protagonists writers often fall into the trap of writing both from the first-person, which usually ends up sounding forced in one, if not both, cases. Here, the two approaches offer a nice contrast, and complement each other perfectly. With satirical wit which mocks among other things activists and paramilitary groups, Wilson shows with great skill how the Troubles are constantly present, yet never directly affect most people. The book also does a nice job of depicting the mindless hatred between various factions, and the horrors which they inflict on each other and the innocents they supposedly represent. Against this backdrop, Chuckie, Jake and other characters search for love, each finding it to varying degrees of success. There are some fine bits of humor, especially a scam Chuckie runs, which is a priceless classic.

Eureka Seven, Volume 3 by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou

Renton is pretty much nonfunctional after learning about his father’s connection to Holland and even begins to reject Eureka, claiming that she cares more about the Nirvash than him! When Holland calls on the two to confront the psychotic Anemone and her mecha aptly titled “The End”, Renton refuses to go, leaving Eureka to fight alone. He feels a little different as he watches the Nirvash being literally torn to pieces and then the sight of Eureka being brought back to the ship in critical condition!

Volume 3 of Eureka Seven is high powered stuff and very emotional. You can see that Eureka is making her first faint realizations of what love means and how important Renton is to HER, not just the Nirvash. The scenes of the battle between Eureka and Anemone are very intense, even if the actual action is a little hard to make out, due to the artist’s low aptitude for drawing combat. But to me, that’s always a problem with mecha manga, because the robots all look pretty much the same in black and white. I also like the fact that Renton is growing, even though it takes pretty horrible situations to make him grow. I almost feel sorry for him because after all, he’s just a kid. All these people shouldn’t be burdening him with all these responsibilities. Great writing. Great art.
Eureka! Poems About Inventors by Joyce Sidman

No one should overlook the possibilities of poetry to inform and to invoke curiosity about factual things. This collection does both with a light and often humorous tone. Whether the kid lucky enough to find or receive this book has a short attention span or a love of beautiful language or a quirky curiosity (or all three) that kid will find satisfaction in these pages. The reader finds speculation about the discovery of clay, the inspiration behind the invention of the dishwasher, and, my personal favorite, the evolution of chocolate into the yummy treat it is today.
The 16 beautifully crafted and often funny poems focus on topics ranging from the invention of paper to velcro to the bra to the World Wide Web. The poem about the Web, written in first person, begins, “It began with a brain: mine,” and concludes, “Anyone can help:/ask the questions, find the answers,/add a link./You, perhaps?”
The rich, color-saturated illustrations by K. Bennett Chavez add to the pleasure of Sidman’s words. A special book, one nicely paired as a gift with a longer book on a topic featured in one of the poems–perhaps a biography of Marie Curie or a book about hot-air ballooning.

Eurekas and Euphorias: The Oxford Book of Scientific Anecdotes by Walter Gratzer

I was going to call this book an encyclopedia of pedantic lectures, but it doesn’t qualify: encyclopedias are organized.

For the 181 anecdotes in the book, there is no organization at all, that I can tell. If you prefer the stories about physicists, or from the 1900s, or about Newton, you’re out of luck. The brief indexes are inadequate, and the shuffled nature of the stories makes searching for the type that you are looking for impossible.

Maybe I was under the wrong impression, but I thought that anecdotes were supposed to be funny and revealing stories. Tragically, Mr. Gratzer instead uses the Oxford English Dictionary definition as: “Secret, private, or hitherto unpublished narratives or details of history.” His anecdotes, instead of being funny, well-timed, and enjoyable, end up as thorough, thick, and plodding details of scientific history.

Some sections of the book are actually funny, but they tend to be the blockquotes that the author has lifted from other sources. Mr. Gratzer even stoops so low as to include, verbatim, the common [...] Neils Bohr barometer spam that a brief trip to the urban legends site snopes.com can debunk. I was hoping for little-known, insightful and inside stories, and was disappointed to find things like this annoying forwarded spam included in the book.

Finally, the author’s understanding of the underlying science that he is writing about is shoddy. The author tries to relate an understanding of some complex topics in physics, chemistry, and biology, but I don’t trust any of it because he doesn’t understand Archimedes’ principle. From page 44: “Archimedes’s Principle, as it is still called, states, of course, that the upthrust of an immersed object is equal to the weight of water displaced.” Despite the use of the phrase ‘of course’, this definition is wrong. Gratzer digs his hole deeper: “So when the crown was lowered into a vessel full of water the amount of water displaced, or the apparent weight of the immersed crown, would give a measure of the volume of the metal; this, with the weight of the crown in air, would deliver the density of the metal and thus its composition.” This is the most opaque, convoluted, and confusing wrong explanation I have ever heard. The whole point of Archimedes’ Principle is that although measuring the weight of the crown is easy, directly measuring its volume is difficult. Since both are needed to determine the object’s density, from which you can infer composition, the genius in Archimedes’ idea is that you can *indirectly* measure the crown’s precise volume by lowering it into water, and then measuring the volume of water that it displaces instead of trying to measure the dimensions of the crown itself. What this has to do with Gratzer’s “amount of water displaced, or the apparent weight of the immersed crown” I have no idea.

Although the idea behind this book is great, I was greatly disappointed by its execution. Perhaps had the author tried to tell a few stories well, rather than every story he could find and in as concise a manner as possible, I would have been able to read past story #88 without growing so bored as to be unwilling to finish the rest.

The Eureka Stockade by Raffaello Carboni

I have two copies of this book in paperback.
It is an outstanding story by one of the participants.
I call this event, Australia’s Alamo.
The outcome was different but the results were the same.
Basically the small guy fighting for his rights against the big guy.
The fight for Freedom!
This is a must for all such libraries.

Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 5: Eureka by Edgar Allan Poe and Christopher Aruffo

Having obtained both this and its preceding collection, Poe on Poetry, the second builds upon the first. Aruffo here collects a number of Edgar Allan Poe’s harder to categorize essays, ranging from debunking supposed automatons (”Maelzel’s Chess-Player”) to providing us with a few rather amusing words on manners (”A Few Words on Etiquette”).

In the latter, we learn such pieces of advice as: “Never ask a lady any question about anything whatever, unless it be the all-important one of `popping the question,’ which is the star of the mind and heart from seventeen to thirty-two.” Whether Poe meant this ironically or we laugh at it in cultural hindsight is irrelevant. The reader is having great fun with its delivery, as we should in its receipt.

To listen to the narrator, Christopher Aruffo, in his rendering of Poe’s “The Philosophy of Furniture,’ the piece’s humorous absurdity becomes crystal clear. Here he lampoons one nation after another for their bad taste and worse decor. Having read this previously for literature classes, I had been unaware of its full comic potential until listening to Aruffo’s spirited rendering.

Of course, the prime piece of real estate in this collection is Poe’s stunning cosmological essay, “Eureka.” A late in life attempt to pull all his theoretical beliefs together into a cohesive whole, Poe’s essay is notable for presaging both the Big Bang and Big Crunch Theories, the former by nearly one hundred years. In this view, Poe suggests universal matter to derive from one single “particle absolutely unique, individual, undivided, and not indivisible” and to which, after explosion and division into all other universal matter, all substance eventually contracts.

The piece is fascinating in its own right and is kept so by Aruffo’s steady hand on the narrative tiller. An essay on such a weightless topic is easy to narrate badly, to lose the listener in Poe’s morass of philosophical speculation and literary digression. Through judicious emphasis and delivery, Aruffo pushes the ideas, managing to get through Poe’s rather less than clear arrangement.

Other pieces in the collection benefit from Aruffo’s assured performance. “Instinct vs. Reason” will be sure to delight pet lovers who, like me, are convinced that there is a reasoning capacity in their feline companions, while anyone who’s ever griped at the weatherman will be sure to appreciate “A Charlatan!” for its timeless observations on faulty prognostication.

I said something similar in my earlier review of the preceding volume. Listeners who want more Poe than is currently on offer through most outlets would do well to pick up Aruffo’s renditions. They fill such amazing holes in the general audio collected works that no one else has managed to provide. Having listened and delighted to these more obscure works, I am sure to be entranced by his more traditional pieces.

Hot Tubs, Saunas & Steam Baths: A Guide to Planning and Designing your Home Health Spa by Alan Sanderfoot

Relax in a home spa - but choose one wisely: there are many models and possibilities on the market with a sometimes-bewildering array of features. Sanderfoot’s Hot Tubs, Saunas & Steam Baths: A Guide To Planning And Designing Your Home Health Spa covers all these options, from colored waters which change hues according to mood desired to electric heater and cleaning problems, basic maintenance, to building an actual spa with wood and a steam generator. All the options are covered in a guide packed with charts, color photos, and more.

“… Saunas were built away from other … bath is taken in the nude - with men and women, children and adults, all enjoying …”

Maggie’s Sauna by Paul E. Furdon

Even though I am not unbiasied, (I do, in fact, love Lefty O’Kane), I would have to comment on the deep-down good feelings that the author has for these men, and also for their women. Happily, they all hold him in the same high esteem. They/we, see him as a ‘Good Guy’, and therefore read his words with love and warm humor. Even though each of us recognized our spouse, (and ourselves), we knew that we would all be treated with respect, along with great affection.

Could we use a lot more of this positive stuff?

“… place that isn’t, from what Eddie tells me, is the sauna. The men sit around completely nude!” “How can they do that? …”

Spa Living by Sunamita Lim

“Beauty is not simply skin deep. Beauty encompasses all aspects of a person-mind, body, and soul-with each aspect key to achieving ultimate beauty. It’s quite amazing! When a person is of sound mind, body, and spirit, they have a very distinct glow.” ~ Hippo Lipkin

Sunamita Lim’s newest work is a book of rare beauty. Page after page invites you into tranquil spaces where you can nourish body and soul. The main chapters include:

The Quest for Radiant Beauty and Well-Being
An Introduction to Spas and Services
Incorporating Proper Skin Care
Balancing Body-Mind-Spirit with Meditation
Attaining Physical and Emotional Fitness
Enjoying Spa Cuisine
Choosing to Go Green

In order to write this book, Sunamita Lim traveled to the world’s best spas to uncover their inherent beauty. This is a book filled with gorgeous pictures of hot tubs, glistening tiled steam rooms, indoor pools, warm baths, fireplaces and dreamy candlelit rooms.

“The Inn at Loretto’s SpaTerre in Santa Fe mixes warm yogurt with the traditional lulur paste of turmeric, ground rice, sandalwood and jasmine. Gentle massage works in the paste together with warm honey. Afterwards a steam shower stimulates yogurt cells to restore the skin’s pH balance, while the honey nourishes and moisturizes the skin.” ~ pg. 56

While this book focuses on outward beauty there is also a sense of inner beauty. There are also pages of advice and a glossary of spa treatments for anyone new to the spa experience. If you are looking for spa recipes, there are a few easy-to-make skin scrubs and masks. Some of the spa cuisine recipes include:

Frozen Raspberry Mousse
Spanikopita
Candied Ginger Sorbet
Energy Soup
Carrot Cake
Chai
Mixed Vegetable Subji

Through reading this book you may feel inspired to visit a spa or create your own spa experience at home. There is also advice on how to begin a meditation practice. I can also highly recommend: Japanese Style and Chinese Style: Living in Beauty and Prosperity.

“… as everyone would be ravenous after the sauna sessions. “We were always nude in the sauna. It was as natural as riding in …”

Healing Waters: Missouri’s Historic Mineral Springs And Spas by Loring Bullard

Healing Waters: Missouri’s Historic Mineral Springs And Spas is a straight forward history of the use and development of mineral springs in Missouri from 1800 to the 1930s. From the earliest spa traditions in America and Missouri’s frontier spas to the businesses that flourished bottling mineral waters, the nature of mineralized groundwater resources, the repercussions of establishing saltworks at the state’s saline springs, and more, Healing Waters offers a thoroughly researched, in-depth historical tour. Healing Waters concludes with a survey of why mineral springs fell into disuse, with a particular eye on how discoveries in microbiology and biochemistry led to a general repudiation of mineral water health benefits in favor of drug-related treatments. An excellent sourcebook, as approachable to the lay reader as to the historian.

“… And physicians noted a correlation of nude bathing with the spread of disease, especially syphilis. The unsanitary conditions alone discouraged some spa goers. …”

Locker Room Diaries: The Naked Truth about Women, Body Image, and Re-imagining the “Perfect” Body by Leslie Goldman

Leslie Goldman’s honest yet humorous approach to the female body issue dilemma is so well constructed and enjoyable to read that I have recommended it to all my friends, female family members, and Spinning students. From the instant I started reading I felt that this author and I were engaged in a personal, one-on-one conversation regarding all of the insecurities I’ve felt about my body throughout my entire lifetime. I have always been athletic and active, and at the age of 44 I teach 4-5 Spinning classes per week. However, childbirth and the fact that I’m no longer in my twenties has changed my body in ways that I used to find discouraging. Locker Room Diaries literally changed the way I perceive my “imperfections”, allowing me to cherish and nurture my body for all of the amazing things it’s done and continues to do for me. The book left me with a yearning to meet Ms. Goldman in person, as I related to her wholeheartedly.

“… a host of Scandinavian countries, and now she uses the sauna about six times per week. She’s worked her way up to about twenty-five minutes per session and loves every naked, …”

Global Sex by Dennis Altman

This unparalleled discussion of the globalization of human sexuality provides the first major work to examine the issue, from how sex has been shaped and marketed in the new global economy to how access to Western pornography has changed sexual behavior in China. Global Sex offers a fascinating and informative set of connections between economics, human sexuality, and marketing behaviors results.

“… ten years I have noticed a marked growth in commercial sex in gay saunas, with …”

Victoria’s Secret Backstage Pass by Linda Posnick Russell James

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Poster 2005 Calendar: Ana Beatriz Barros

Brasyl by Ian McDonald

Brasyl was one of this year’s most anticipated reads for me.

With River of Gods, Ian McDonald raised the bar rather high, and I was wondering if the author could come up with something as good. It never occurred to me that McDonald could write a better novel. And yet, somehow, he did!

Brasyl is a mesmerizing ensemble of three different tales. On takes place in Rio de Janeiro in 2006, as an ambitious reality tv producer finds herself in the middle of a conflict that could unravel reality itself. The second story takes place in Sao Paulo in 2032, as a man is thrust into the dangerous universe of quantum computing and he’ll never be the same again. The third storyline occurs in Brazil in 1732, as a Jesuit Father is sent to bring back a rogue priest to face the justice of the religious order.

I was astonished to see the tale unfold, to see how McDonald yet again captures the essence of a country and its people and weaves it in a myriad of ways throughout the novel. The author paints a vivid picture of South America’s largest country, depicting the past, the present, and the possible future of Brazil in a manner that makes everything come alive as you read on. Every plotline is tied to the others. Indeed, everything is linked together across time and the fabric of reality, thanks to quantum physics and the multiverse that surrounds our existence.

The worldbuilding is “top notch.” Ian McDonald deserves kudos for his brilliant depiction of Brazil during three different epochs. As always, the author’s eye for exquisite details adds another dimension to a book that’s already head and shoulder above the competition.

Of the three main characters (one for each era), Father Luis Quinn steals the show. Funny how a Jesuit priest from the 18th century should become the star of a thought-provoking scifi masterpiece! The supporting cast consists of a few interesting characters, chief among those Dr. Robert Falcon.

You’ll be amazed to see how the various plotlines come together to form a dazzling whole. This book blew my mind even more than River of Gods. Seriously, I didn’t want it to end!

Brasyl deserves the highest possible recommendation. It will surely be one of the best — if not the best — science fiction novels of 2007.

Without the shadow of a doubt, Brasyl is one of the books to read this year!

“… the car. Getaway stars and their cars.” “I like that Ana Beatriz Barros,” America said. “Hear that? Gisele Bundchen! …”

THE WORLD’S LISTS OF BEST AND WORST by Maximillien De Lafayette

This book has it all; all the imaginable and possible lists! Thousands of names and hundreds of lists. From the world’s top 100 people, most influential persons in the United States, the most beautiful women in America, to the best and worst books, politicians, celebrities, music, novels, leaders, fashion and those who are screwing up America today.
What caught my eyes are two sections; A survey on what Americans and people from around the world love and hate most. The author, Maximillien de Lafayette who wrote over 100 books, and visited so many countries gathered a fleet of researchers to conduct a survey worldwide on the most important, funniest and silliest things in our life. Almost one million people were interviewed. It is so interesting to learn about the similarities and differences that exist between people around the globe. The survey is magnetizing. It covers so many territories ranging from “talking during intercourse” to “the greatest minds and inventions of our time.”
Other section on people who have shaped our world is astonishing, because it appears -always according to book’s survey - that stars and famous singers managed to alter our way of life and how we function in our environment. The author gives many examples. The book contains at least 300 extensive lists in almost all the important fields. It is a huge book in 2 volumes. Each is around 740 pages. So much to learn about the world we live in, from this book. It is like a huge encyclopedia but fun and hilarious. Don’t think for a moment it is gossipy. Not at all, it has lots of substance, in-depth articles and so much information. The author has a great sense of humour. He is hilarious, yet so deep and analytical. You will love this book. It is so wonderfoooooooooooooooooool. Perfect!
I am sure this is the best book ever written about lists.

“… 220 Ana Beatriz Barros Celebrity-People 1 1 226 Ana Fidelia Quirot I F- lolo …”

Ana Beatriz Barros nude

Ana Beatriz Barros naked:

Ana Beatriz Barros 2008:

The Man Book by Otto DeFay

Thanks so much Mr. DeFay for writing this life-changing book! I saw 3 copies of this book in the “humor” section of a bookstore and immediately picked it up, hoping to get a laugh or two or three. What I got was so much more. I got a book that states the cold, hard facts about what makes a man a “Man.”

Just 3 short days ago, I was but a 28 year-old boy who had his manliness suppressed by years and years of formal education. I had read Maddox’s “Alphabet of Manliness” (a funny book but nothing more), Tucker Max’s “I hope they serve beer in hell” (not that great), and “The Game” (a book for picking up chicks) along with few other books but none of them explained what it takes to be a man until this book.

Now I realized that what society teaches in school (that education is the most important thing) is nothing but a big lie and is useless in such a competitive economy.

Teachers all across the world I say this: Give this book to every male student and teach them how to be men! Then, and only then, should they learn the junk forced upon them everyday.

“… THE MAN BOOK 115 2002 Yamila Diaz-Rahi 2003 Petra Nemcova 2004 Veronica Varekova 2005 Carolyn …”

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being a Model, 2nd Edition by Roshumba Williams and Anne Marie O’Connor

This is a great book for folks who are looking for basic information about the modeling industry and tips for getting a foot in the door. Having gone through some of the areas discussed in the book, it’s right on the money about expectations and industry structure… Very helpful!

“… Hanes, and New York and Company. Other Exotic models include Yamila Diaz, Salma Hayek, and Lucy Liu. You know you’re an Exotic …”

Images that Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media Second Edition by Paul Martin Lester and Susan Dente Ross

I used this text for a lecture in a class I taught on Theology and Film. The authors provide a great summary of how we stereotype, and thus do violence to one another. And yet, stereotypes are part of our shared culture. I think we surprised ourselves as we could all too easily name the stereotypes that the authors draw out.

We participate in these views even though we reject them. It is this reality upon which the writers of sitcoms rely. We may laugh at these stereotypes because they are shared, and we are in on the joke. We may see these things in our own life experiences and yet reject them because we ourselves would not want to be reduced to this wooden image. Writing in books and films are dependent upon stereotypes.

The authors remind us that stereotypes become harmful when they are combined with prejudice, ignorance, and discrimination. “History has shown that stereotyping can lead to scapegoating, which can lead to discrimination, which can lead to segregation, which can led to physical abuse, which can lead to state-sponsored genocide.” “Media stereotypes reinforce and magnify our personal stereotypes. As a consequence, media stereotypes play a significant role in the social disintegration that produces hatred, violence, and misunderstanding. Images are especially powerful because visual messages are products of our sense of sight, not our cognition. Pictures are highly emotional objects that have long-lasting staying power within the deepest regions of the brain. Bur both textual and visual media messages that stereotype individuals by their concentrations, frequency, and omissions become a part of our long term individual and cultural memory. And when certain individuals or ethnicities appear only as criminals, entertainers, and sports heroes, we forget that the vast majority of people–regardless of their particular cultural heritage–have the same hopes and fears as the rest of us.”

“… photo for the 2002 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue features model Yamila Diaz-Rahi in a red bikini that reveals nearly as much of …”

Battle of the Sexes: How Much Do You Really Know About the Opposite Sex? by Erin Conley

My cousin Michael and I played this book at a recent family get-together and soon everyone was paying attention and helping us keep score. We actually tied but have planned a Thanksgiving rematch with the whole family. This book is easy to play because there’s no big board or pieces to set up; you just pass the book around. Great fun!!

“… landed the coveted Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover in 2002: Yamila Diaz-Rahi, …”

Arte en el cuerpo by Joanne Gair

“… trajes de baño y Artist ManagenirriAs>o~iates. ” A la modelo, Yamila Díaz- Rahi,le encantó la pintura corporal y la elección del …”

Women and Power in Argentine Literature: Stories, Interviews, and Critical Essays by Gwendolyn Díaz

Sustaining Human Rights: Women and Argentine Human Rights Organizations by Michelle D. Bonner

“… the exception of one man, and is led by a woman. In 1993, the Argentine government made it obligatory for teachers to discuss the March …”

That Inferno: Conversations of Five Women Survivors of an Argentine Torture Camp by Munu Actis, Cristina Aldini, Liliana Gardella, and Miriam Lewin

I read this book a few years ago in Spanish after finding out about it through the Argentine periodical LUCHA ARMADA. I scoured the bookshops in Buenos Aires, only to find the book was completely unavailable in the country where the atrocities took place. Months later, my university found a copy in Spanish after much searching and many delays, but at least our campus has it now. Unfortunately, only those who can read Spanish have had access to the information held in this book. Until now….
I am delighted the memoir of these women who suffered at the ESMA will begin to reach a larger audience (through the English edition), but, until the paperback comes out, the price of the hardback will make the text only available through libraries.
I encourage everyone who is able to place an order through your library for this book to do so. It is important that we do not let these voices be buried by any more types of censorship. (Any form of limiting access to information–especially about political prisoners–is a type of censorship.)
For those of you who want to know more about these women, check the press coverage of one of the authors who recently had speaking engagements in New York and DC.

Contentious Lives: Two Argentine Women, Two Protests, and the Quest for Recognition by Javier Auyero

Read this book, Auyero did it again. A wonderful and inspiring exercise of political ethnography, this book combines attention to biographical details, protest dynamics, and structural transformations in a stunningly well-written account. Hard to put it down.

Eva Peron: The Myths of a Woman by Julie Taylor

Siamese Cats by Marjorie Collier

The author is a lifelong owner of Siamese cats and her personal anectdotes really put my mind at ease. It gives a priceless and sensitive insight to the intelligence and mannerisms of a Siamese cat that also explains the reasons and breeding history behind their perceived “quirks” that makes it all make sense, and opens you up to the joy of being owned by a Siamese…

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

My 4-year old daughter, husband & I absolutely love this book! It’s one I never get tired of reading! It is so funny, and the illustrations are terrific. One of the cutest books ever!!! Wonderful for the imagination. I highly recommend this book! My daughter gets so excited she can hardly wait for her bedtime story.

Guide to Owning a Siamese Cat by Brenda Yule

While I find this book enjoyable because it is about my favorite breed, I feel that a lot more photos of the different point colors could have been included. Also, a little more information on the different “types” of Siamese, such as applehead, classic, or wedge would have been interesting. The author implies that exhibitors are breeding problems within the breed by breeding for a “wedge” type, but neglects to say what type of problems and I came away with the impression that she does not approve of the show standard for Siamese. Several good photos of show type Siamese are included however. Overall it is a good book which perhaps just needs to be updated.

Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat by Amy Tan and Gretchen Schields

Amy Tan is best known as the author of several wonderful books for adults on the experiences of Chinese and Chinese-American women, but she proves here that she is equally talented as a writer for children. I suspect that this charming book will receive a lot of interest now that it has spawned an equally delightful PBS series. As a cat lover with an interest in Chinese culture and a desire to eventually write for children, I found it irresistible.

Ming Miao, a modern day feline, instructs her kittens about their heritage - they are CHINESE cats, not Siamese cats, and they take after their most illustrious ancestor Sagwa. Sagwa is a pearl-white kitten who lives in the court of a Foolish Magistrate who makes life miserable for his subjects by decreeing all sorts of oppressive rules. ‘Sagwa’ means ‘melon head’ and she is just as silly and mischevious as the her name implies, getting into all sorts of trouble by accident. Her parents, Baba and Mama Miao, are calligraphers forced by the Foolish Magistrate to write down his rules, using their tails as brushes. The Foolish Magistrate’s latest rule is ‘People must not sing until sundown’. Even though Sagwa’s parents know how cruel this declaration is, they feel they can do nothing about it because they are only cats. After everyone else leaves the room, Sagwa jumps down from her hiding place on a high shelf onto the Foolish Magistrate’s desk …and lands in a pot of ink. Rubbing the ink off her face onto the nearest scroll, she discovers that she has blotted out the character for ‘not’ in the rule, turning it into ‘People MUST sing until sundown’. Sagwa is so delighted by this change that she puts an exclamation point at the end of the rule (so people will sing really loud and happily), and then proceeds to blot out the list of people who must be fined for breaking it with the ink on her paws. She is then horrified to discover that the ink from the pot has permanently dyed her face, paws, and tail black - surely the Magistrate will now know it is she who changed the rule and throw her and her family out onto the street. However, the Magistrate’s subjects are so delighted by this new rule that they sing their hearts out about how wonderful and kind he is. The Foolish Magistrate, in turn, is so touched by his people’s love and gratitude that he becomes the Wise Magistrate. Not only does he take back all his oppressive decrees (and make several cat-friendly ones!), but he honors Sagwa by decreeing that in the future ALL Chinese cats will have dark markings on their face, paws and tail like ‘the greatest of felines’. So that is why Chinese cats today look just like Sagwa, and, as one of Ming Miao’s mud-covered kittens proves, are just as adept into getting into mischief as she is.

Gretchen Shields’ illustrations are delightful, not only true to place and period and full of explosive color, but also really capturing Sagwa’s constant motion and mischief. The border paintings are particularly detailed in depictions of Sagwa, her family, and the various villagers and customs.

This is a new paperback edition obviously intended to tie in with the aforementioned PBS series - the original hardback edition does not have the word ‘Sagwa’ in the title. Since it is exactly the same book otherwise, I would recommend this edition instead simply because it is half the price of the hardback.

Children who like this book might want to read another story set in China, ‘Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat’ by Jennifer Armstrong, where a nasty old widow is transformed into a good person through her friendship with a cat. For older children and adults (who might read this book to the youngsters), I would of course recommend one of Tan’s adult novels such as ‘The Joy Luck Club’. They might even be interested in the adventures of a REAL ‘Wise Magistrate’, Judge Dee (the Chinese Sherlock Holmes!) in a series of excellent mystery novels by Robert Van Gulik.

By the way, Amy Tan actually had a cat named Sagwa who was very ill while she was writing this book. When Tan finished the book and read it to her, Sagwa recovered and lived another 4 years!

All About Siamese Cats by Barbara S. Burns

I was heartbroken when my original copy of “All About Siamese Cats” was water damaged years ago. The book had pages that appear laminated (not your ordinary paper) and while the water didn’t affect the photos and text, it did cause the pages to wrinkle. This last summer I came across a copy of this book online at Amazon.com. When it arrived, I was pleased to find it was exactly the same copy as the one that was damaged. This is a pretty basic book but I’d recommend it to anyone that loves Siamese!

Step by Step Book About Siamese Cats by Marge Naples

On the positive side, I found that the author’s love of the breed was apparent in her warm comments, and I think potential or new owners of Siamese cats would find some helpful information here. However, since this book was published in 1989, some of the information is dated, such as the statement that none of the commercial cat foods should be fed exclusively because none are complete diets. I was alarmed by the technique used for getting a cat to swallow a pill - by holding the cat upside down! Don’t buy this book. There are a number of current books available on owning or, more accurately, being owned by a Siamese cat! I recommend “Guide to Owning a Siamese Cat” by Brenda Yule (1997); “The Complete Siamese” by Sally Franklin (1995); and “Siamese Cats, Everything about Acquisition, Care, Nutrition, Behavior, Health Care, and Breeding” by Marjorie McCann Collier

Sagwa The Chinese Siamese Cat: Bow Wow Meow by George Daugherty and Mel Grant

As my family is made up of both biological and adopted children I found this book very helpful. We adopted acrossed race lines so our sons do not look like our biological family. This book gave us a warm and loving way to talk about how the world might see them and whether that matters in making us a family. Books about looking different because of adoption for this age group are hard to find. I would recommend this book to any family with young children involved in transracial adoption.

Kittens for Dummies by Dusty Rainbolt

Kittens for Dummies is quite simply one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m glad I didn’t get a copy from the library because the overdue fines would have bankrupted me!!!

Growing up, my mom was a breeder and I’ve had cats ever since. About 1.5 yrs ago,my son decided that he wanted a dog or cat that would be ‘his’ and sleep upstairs with him. We were at Petsmart and there was an adoption event. He saw a 7 mos old black kiten named Scamp. He wanted to take him home immediately, but had to talk to Daddy, who at 43 and never having an indoor pet had graciously allowed the adoption of a cat and a rather large dog. He agreed and during the week that we waited to adopt Scamp, I went looking for a book that would explain to my son all about kittens and what kinds of things they needed. I found very few children’s books that covered the kinds of info I wanted. On the shelf next to it was Kittens For Dummies. It had all kinds of information in it, and happened to have a sticker on the front that said “Autographed Copy”. I thought that was neat and that it had been so long since I’d had kittens that it wouldn’t hurt for me to brush up on my own kitten care knowledge. I read the book cover to cover, like a novel. I couldn’t put it down. For the interesting, pertinent and especially funny parts, I read it aloud to my husband and son while we drove from place to place that week. I suspect they had most of the book read to them. When I got to the part about orphan kittens, I was very interested. I had only one child, and we could not have any more. The thought came that maybe I could use some of the ‘baby crazies’ to take care of baby cats that didn’t have mothers and more. I talked to my husband and to the people at the rescue group when we picked up Scamp, and while they said they didn’t get a lot of bottle babies, they didn’t have many people that could care for them and they would definitely call me. They called a week later. I got a box with a couple of towels, a bottle, a brush, an can of formula and I was a new mom! THANK GOD for Dusty’s book. That kitten had a number of problems, but I was prepared for almost every single one, thanks to the book. I learned the signs to watch for when he would get sick, times he needed medicine or special care, how to determine what age he was, and what milestones he would or should have reached. Since then, I’ve been a foster mom to many more kittens. I catapulted from ‘newbie foster parent’ to ‘expert kitten foster’. When the group had a kitten that a lot of supervision or that was very medically fragile they brought them to me. I had a lot of help from the more experienced rescuers in our group and from friends online, but more often than not, they reminded me of something I’d read in Kittens for Dummies. I had the privilege of meeting Dusty and Weems, and found out something really neat about the book — All of the pictures except the show kitties and the one on the cover are ALL orphan kittens raised in their home. That’s a LOT of happy and healthy kittens!! The book has something for everyone that has or will have a kitten or cat in their life. A lot of the information I’ve used for full-grown cats as well as kittens - because the information is so thoroughly presented. I have places that the book will fall open to on it’s own because it’s been in that place so many times — I use the age chart often to try to figure out what age a kitten that has been brought to me might be. A normal, healthy, indoor kitten can be estimated by weight, but in rescue, very rarely are the kittens we get normal, healthy indoor kittens until we help them become that. Rescue can be hard work - especially when you lose one of the kittens. Dusty even covers that possibility in her book. That’s not something we all want to think about, but it’s an important thing to consider, since everyone experiences the death of a pet differerntly. Having lost my own cat of 10 years recently, I ever found myself popping my book open, once again, to check out the web address for petloss.com. I hope if you have or are going to get a kitten (or a cat) that you will get this book. I don’t know what I would have done without it!

Tabula Rasa by Shelly Reuben

Arson investigator Billy Nightingale, on a ride-a-long with his brother-in-law Sebastian Bly, a state trooper, is called to the “ugly” house in Sojourn. Two young children are dead as a result of a house fire.

It is soon apparent that another child had been in the house, but the two men are unable to locate that child. The dead children’s mother, Edith Tuttle, while upset over her children’s death, fails to mention the missing child. But the reader knows that Edith didn’t even bother naming the one-year-old missing girl following her birth. She is known only as “Baby Tuttle” and is an unusual child-one who never smiles or cries; only stares with her dark, penetrating eyes.

Nightingale is not only concerned about the missing child; he believes the fire is suspicious. He begins searching for answers and soon discovers a quiet but terrified child under the ugly house where she crawled to save herself. What Nightingale and Bly discover means Baby Tuttle will need a permanent home as her mother will have her own semi-permanent home for many years to come.

Billy’s sister, Annie and husband Sebastian adopt the child (Merry) and the years pass without incident. When Merry, at age eleven, becomes interested in her history, Billy and the Bly’s concoct a fantasy history to protect Merry from her horrific past. But a letter Merry mails inadvertently sets into motion a series of events that will threaten her and her family years later when Merry is a fledgling ballerina.

Armchair Interviews says: Tabula Rasa, by Shelly Reuben is simply terrific! The characters are well drawn, complex and unique. The plot is both horrifying and scrumptious with fascinating information about arson, adoption, dancing and the consequences of an obsessive quest and the lies told to protect a loved one. It is scintillating and an absolute must read!

Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Official Strategy Guide) by BradyGames

The first half of the guide is good when explaining the MMO basics (stats, how to move, interface commands, but my grip comes when they try to do a complete walk though.
The 1st walk though: levels 1-10 is great good details and guidance as expected. The rest: levels 11-50 just show a proceeding lack of interest to the point you just get a map and a very brief description. The author tries to justify this laziness by saying something to the point of `well you made it this far, you can figure how to do the rest…here are the location you have to go to’. I don’t like this because typically there are side interesting points in each level tiers and maps that you may not know if you just miss a spawn. Another point is that other guides have a listing of the main and side quests for each area; this guide fails to do so.
Compare to other guides the publisher made (wow and eqII) they fail to do the standards of other guides do, guide people into making educated choices. The maps are details but failed to have the legend that has the name of NPCs and monsters for the quests in that area. The map details are found in other guides- what happened here? We expect a list with specs for all the different weapons and their rarity. Formulas for crafting are NOT present at all in this guide. Finally, the compendium of monsters and NPCs and zones bosses with specifics of damage potential and where can they be found is not found at all. All they give you is a picture with a brief description with sparce verbal points of strengths and weaknesses.
This all shows that they got lazy in publishing this guide.
In the decision to buy it or not you should consider if you want to have a physical guide or go the route of going to fan sites and getting a better picture. If you do not mind ALT + TAB to get info as you play, go the web site route.
Disappointing attempt, if the game keeps getting popular, maybe they make a second edition that matches up with other guides.

Tabula Rasa by Tory Temple

Teagan Rafferty’s ranch is in trouble, but he’s determined to do everything in his power to hang on to the property that his daddy left him when he died. He’s pretty sure he can earn enough to get by on the rodeo circuit, but his rodeo partner has been injured in practice and now he’s stuck without a heeler.

The search is frustrating and fruitless and things are looking grim until, mostly out of desperation, Teagan finally hunts down a cowboy called Cash and gets him to agree to be his partner for the season. Thankfully, they seem to work pretty well together, and things start to look up.

Cash has a reputation and he doesn’t seem particularly talkative or friendly, but he gets the job done so Teagan can’t really complain. When Teagan finds himself continually distracted by Cash’s striking eyes and his lean, fit body, he does his level best to put aside his attraction to the stoic cowboy to concentrate on work, but he just can’t seem to manage it. Eventually a little alcohol and adrenaline prove to be very liberating, and it isn’t long before Teagan finds himself having more sex than he can handle.

What happens after that is both exhilarating and heartbreaking. Teagan and Cash prove to be an incredible match both in the rodeo ring and in the bedroom, but is it love or only lust? Their season is terrific and Teagan finds himself sending home enough money to keep the ranch afloat and begin to build it back up to what was in his father’s day, but when their good fortune takes a sudden turn for the worse, everything is up in the air - not just the future of Teagan’s ranch, but whatever it is he and Cash have managed to build together, too.

I don’t need to tell you that Tory Temple’s men are hot. You’ve read her firemen, you know, and these cowboys certainly don’t disappoint. But this story is so much more than wrangler jeans, leather saddles and the undeniable attraction between two men. It’s about trust and friendship and responsibility. It’s about learning tough lessons from your mistakes. It’s about the lengths to which a son will go to protect his family, his heritage and his future. And it’s about love, and the many, varied and often subtle ways in which it can be expressed.

Ms. Temple’s setting is rich, colorful and authentic, and her story, revolving around characters you truly care about, is every bit as beautiful. I cannot recommend Tabula Rasa highly enough.

Philogos Tabula Rasa: On the Manifest Need for Fundamental Philosophical Redirection by Somos

The book introduces to Philosophy a new, fundamental perspective on physical, temporal life and existence.

Steering Religion on its true course through Philosophy.

Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity was Henry David Thoreau’s motto.
Fundamental, Fundamental, Fundamental is the axiom in this book.

Tabula Rasa by Kathy Lee Curry

I had the opportunity to attend a Tabula Rasa workshop with Kathy Curry in February. The technique is amazing and easy to use. I had been working for some time on getting to the bottom of various emotional issues, and had tried a multitude of techniques, both through traditional medicine and more holistic approaches. After the workshop, I had a breakthrough when I recovered memories that previously I only had bits and pieces of to puzzle over. I used the technique on myself by first grounding myself, and then visualizing my “inner child” and grounding her…by using the communication balance, I was able to finally get her to tell me what was going on. The effect on my emotional state, AS WELL AS my physical health, was astounding. I have since used the technique both on myself and on others with positive results. I am now a certified Tabula Rasa practioner and look forward to sharing this technique with others!

I raise my hand and she stops chattering. ‘Just tell me who you are and where I am.’

She freezes and blinks twice. ‘Tell you where you are? Cap, you’re home. This is the Cleveland Pyramid. I’m Sarah Shadow. You don’t recognize me?’

‘That doesn’t mean anything to me!’ I stand up. Frustration washes over me like heat from a blast furnace, and worse, my stomach is rumbling. ‘I woke up today. The first person I saw was you, but I’ve never seen you before in my life. I figured as long as I was in the hospital, or wherever, I’d start to remember, but it’s a blank. Where am I, what is this place, what are you people?’ I point at her costume. ‘And that, what’s that, are you part of a circus act or something?’

Free audiobook download Union Dues - Tabula Rasa By Jeffrey R. DeRego

Every now and then we strike it rich. Usually we make a profit. Once in a while we just break even. There’s only been one world where we actually lost money; I still remember it - Greenwillow. Except that it wasn’t green, and there wasn’t a willow on the whole damned planet.

There was a robot, though. We found him, me and the Baroni, in a barn, half-hidden under a pile of ancient computer parts and self-feeders for mutated cattle. We were picking through the stuff, wondering if there was any market for it, tossing most of it aside, when the sun peeked in through the doorway and glinted off a prismatic eye.

‘Hey, take a look at what we’ve got here,’ I said. ‘Give me a hand digging it out.’

Free audiobook Robots Don’t Cry By Mike Resnick

Hailed by Bruce Sterling as ‘a political activist, gizmo freak, junk collector, programmer, entrepreneur, and all-around Renaissance geek,’ the Internet’s favorite high-tech culture maven is celebrated with the first collection of his infamous articles, essays, and polemics. Irreverently championing free speech and universal access to information-even if it’s just a free download of the newest Britney Spears MP3-he leads off with a mutinous talk given at Microsoft on digital rights management, insisting that they stop treating their customers as criminals. Readers will discover how America chose Happy Meal toys over copyright, why Facebook is taking a faceplant, how the Internet is basically just a giant Xerox machine, why Wikipedia is a poor cousin of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and how to enjoy free e-books. Practicing what he preaches, all of the author’s books, including this one, are simultaneously released in print and on the Internet under Creative Commons licenses that encourage their reuse and sharing. He argues persuasively that this practice has considerably increased his sales by enlisting readers to promote his work. Accessible to geeks and nontechies alike, this is a timely collection from an author who effortlessly surfs the zeitgeist while always generating his own wave.

A quick fyi: BoingBoing blogger Cory Doctorow has released a new collection of essays called Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future. As he summarizes it, the book features ‘28 essays about everything from copyright and DRM to the layout of phone-keypads, the fallacy of the semantic web, the nature of futurism, the necessity of privacy in a digital world, the reason to love Wikipedia, the miracle of fanfic, and many other subjects.’ You can download a free PDF version here

As an environmental consultant, I found the first edition of The Everglades Handbook to be very useful, and the second edition even better! There are new chapters and very important new information, such as the new chapters on the Big Cypress Swamp, Lake Okeechobee, and “Synthesis” with its diagrams of succession and food chains, and the updated final chapter with details of human history in South Florida. I especially looked forward to the updated information on the Everglades restoration - it was excellent. The new edition is well worth the price (I heard that CRC Press reduced the price by 10%!). I can’t recommend this book more highly for those people wanting to become familiar with how the Everglades works as an ecosystem.

Zip file of the entire book (6.4MB)

This is the best DH book in a long while. I got it yesterday and sat up late to finish it. It is over 700 pages so you know it held my attention. All the questions we have had about Ash are answered and although it is hard to read about the things done to him you realize that they made him the God he is today. He is a God of Destruction, but Ash is filled with compassion, because he has been abused, tortured, and maimed himself. I hated Artemis for a long time and I have to say the whole situation is handled in a wonderful way. So many ends are tied up and there is still room for more DH novels. This is an awesome read.

Ash faces hatred and exile in the first 400 pages. Along with torture it is very hard to read without feeling his pain. I really think only someone very strong could come out of it with his mind intact.

Ryssa is his sister and the only one who seems to care for him. She is chosen to be offered to Apollo. But even serving the God she takes time for Ash.

Styxx is his brother, and the hatred and jealousy that he pours on Ash is horrible.

Tory is in our time, she is hunting for Atlantis. Ash meets her when he goes to a seminar that she is leading, and makes her look like an idiot. Shortly their paths cross again and he finds himself protecting her from a group led by Artemis. They are told to kill her, when she finds something that should never have been written down.

Satara is determined to find what was lost and use it to destroy those she hates.

Everyone in the Dark Hunter universe somehow is involved in the mystery and all the secrets are revealed. Do not miss this book. It is outstanding.

This picture book about seven siblings learning big words is a quirky delight. By the time I was done I felt I knew the specific personalities of each family member inside out.

Here is a family that everyone will recognize. A preteen daughter who needs her privacy, loves pink, and dances through life. The next in line, a son obsessed with magic tricks, who loves to play with his baby sister’s curls. An effervescent Asian girl, in love with “The Sound of Music.” Twin toddlers who are picky eaters. An adopted African-American preschooler who can spell CAT. A brand-new baby girl. Add in an orange cat that steals the car keys, a miniature dog named Leo and a fat white duck, and you have a full house.

The subtle theme of the book is that everyone is different and has a unique personality, which makes life interesting. All kids will be able to relate.

If you keep looking, you’ll notice dozens and dozens of humorous little details. I love the “Cut `n’ Tape Lederhosen” that keep turning up throughout the book. My favorite part of the whole book is the inside back cover, which shows a collection of the family’s photos hanging on a wall. The photos show the kids at various ages, growing up. Apparently the little Asian girl was adopted overseas; there is a picture of the oldest girl and boy on a plane with her, gently putting headphones on her baby ears. A funny photo shows the oldest girl holding one of the twins, and next to her the preschool Asian girl holds the other twin around the neck — the baby’s face is blue! Photos of the cat as a kitten and the dog as a teeny puppy (smaller than a leaf!) are next to a photo I puzzled over. Then I realized… it’s an egg, on a hot water bottle! The pet duck, about to hatch, of course.

The writing is terrific, and the watercolor-over-pen-and-ink illustrations are expressive and amazingly detailed. Both kids and parents will love this one.

Similar in tone and detail are the Fancy Nancy books: Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany (Fancy Nancy), Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly (Fancy Nancy), Fancy Nancy Loves! Loves!! Loves!!! (Fancy Nancy) and many more

A deeply burdened insomniac in nineteenth-century Great Britain falls into a great trance for where he does not awaken for 203 years. When he awakens, Graham, as he is known, finds himself in a twisted alternate reality in where laborers (one-third of the population) are treated as scum, where the entire numerical system is now in dozens, and with a hierarchical government, power rests only in the hands of a small dictatorship known as the Grand Council. Also, money has piled up and has been secured to make Graham the most powerful man on the earth and in all of human history. When Graham wakes up, he is shocked to find that the suppressed people have been praying for the “Sleeper” to wake, but also that the Grand Council has been planning his murder. However, he is saved by a group of resistance, lead by a man named Ostrog, whose objective is to expel the Grand Council out of power. Eventually, the Council is brought down to its knees. When Graham notices that the people are still oppressed, he tries to make the world turn back to democracy, but Ostrog strongly disagrees. The tension builds up, until Ostrog makes the order that the Black Police (from South Africa) are to maintain the order in England and throughout Europe, coming in aeroplanes. Graham cannot believe that he has been betrayed, as Ostrog had escaped earlier. Graham, who has had some flight experience, decides to pilot the only plane left, and goes down fighting, with the rest of the world and all of humankind with an unforeseeable future. The Sleeper Awakes, by H.G. Wells, is an excellent science-fiction novel because of three main qualities: its revolutionary science-fiction, its suspense, and its action.

When Graham awakens in the twenty-second century, he is immediately overwhelmed by the changes in this time then from the old Victorian period. Horse-drawn carriages are obsolete, and sidewalks are moving platforms in which everyone travels on. Also, books no longer exist, and there are holograms that show dramas and interpretations of life instead. The numerical system as we know has now been replaced by a twelve-number single-digit system. H.G. Wells is a fantastic science-fiction writer, in the fact that he wrote of airplanes eleven years before one ever flew, and fifteen years before any fought in battle.

Suspense has a prominent role in the Sleeper Awakes. When Graham was introduced to a room inside the Grand Council building, he was stranded for several days without any news from the outside. However, he hears a noise from the roof spaces above, and thinks that he sees a shadow. Then, blood drops from above, and splatters onto the carpet. The reader is on the edge of his seat, with the urge to find more answers. Several men come through the roof space, and the resistance begins.

The Sleeper Awakes takes place in a twisted, alternate future, in which the lower class is now beginning to rise against the affluent members of the higher classes. When Graham is taken by a resistance group to a local hall, members of the red police (security forces of the Grand Council), a large battle occurs. Laborers everywhere are fighting in the name of the “Sleeper”, and the Red Police are trying to recapture him. The fighting gets so out-of-control that an entire skyscraper falls over onto its side, creating a massive explosion. Another intense sequence of action occurs when Graham is fighting in his monoplane, where he fights against the whole Black Police, where he comes to his demise, instead of living out the rest of his life unaccustomed this new world.

In the course of four days, Graham discovers a brand new world completely alien to him and his time in the 1890’s. Even the “Sleeper” was not enough to hold off his enemies, as his monoplane crashes into the cold ground of the earth. This story does, however, renew the word science-fiction. The greatest reason that this novel should be read is that H.G. Wells had basically started the science-fiction genre, and we continue to read his classics today. The Sleeper Awakes should be read due to this and because of its futuristic setting, its thrills, and its many skirmishes throughout. I rate this novel five stars out of five.

Zip file of the entire book (237 MB)

In Breakthrough: 8 Steps to Wellness, by Suzanne Somers, she outlines how we can live healthy lives past the age 100. The basics include eating healthy (organic when possible) food, avoiding pharmaceuticals (except for pain, infection, mental illness or if absolutely necessary,) and avoiding toxins in the home and environment.

She also advises the use of what she calls “breakthrough medicine”–Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy: “to remain youthful, healthy and energetic.”

Somers herself had breast cancer and she takes her own health seriously. Her message is that we must take charge of our own health and be proactive.

The book is presented with alternative doctor’s interviews between the 8 chapters on the steps to wellness.

The 8 Steps:

* Get BHRT
* Avoid chemicals and detoxify your body
* Take nutrition seriously
* Care for your GI tract
* Avoid pharmaceuticals unless absolutely necessary
* Supplement your diet
* Exercise regularly
* Get proper sleep

Somers includes a chapter on her regime, which includes self-administrating vitamin shots, in-home yoga teacher, liver rubs and more. A little intimidating, but hey–she’s had cancer and is a celebrity!

I really enjoyed this book and felt it has plenty to offer, especially for middle-aged people and older who need hormone replacement therapy.

I agree about what she writes about eating natural and organic food, but more could be said on the subject. I recommend Michael Pollan’s IN DEFENSE OF FOOD to supplement Breathrough.

I also agree with Somers that a toxic-free environment is imperative to good health. She writes about using non-toxic household cleaners, air quality and filtering water. There is much more great advice on detoxifying your home in the award winning book, HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET.

For some, the advice from the doctors might seem far out or strange, but alternative medicine has been practiced in Europe for over 50 years with great success. Read this book and decide for yourself–but at least, educate yourself.

The String of Pearls was a rare find indeed. This original Tale of Sweeney Todd was written during the time of the Penny Dreadfuls, but don’t let that association put you off from reading this morbidly delicious classic of British horror. There is suspense, drama, and several subtle and not so subtle hints as to the contents of Mrs. Lovett’s delicious pies! And Tobias Ragg’s pluck and determination are just wonderful in one so young–he was my favorite character.

There is some speculation as to how many authors wrote the story, and the writing style somewhat justifies this claim in the middle of the book, especially the section with Sweeney Todd and the thieves. But keep reading and you will be rewarded. This book has one kicker of an ending. I’m pretty good at spotting the twist in mysteries, but trust me when I say you won’t see this one coming at all.

So light the fire, settle down into a big comfy chair (hopefully not a barber shop one!), and attend the tale of Sweeny Todd.

Happy Reading!!!

Zip file of the entire book - 337 MB