I have almost every one of the author's other books; he's not the best writer in the world, but he's one of the few people out there writing about the ghost and shipwreck legends of the Jersey shore, so I'm thankful! In this book, he writes about pirates, various ghosts and shipwrecks, haunted old houses and inns and even war stories...all taking place in and around Long Beach, New Jersey. If you like this kind of thing and if you get a kick out of reading about New Jersey's history, you'll like this book and the author's other books. All the books have a bit of a home-made look about them, but they're still fun.

Considering how frequently a pedestrian can see a variation of Benjamin Franklin's name while walking around downtown Philadelphia, one almost wonders why a statue of William Penn is erected on its city hall. The U.S.'s former capital is thick with American history. When the Declaration of Independence was signed there in 1776, it was North America's largest city. Considering the jeopardy our founding fathers risked in rebelling against England, there is plenty of residual stress for ghosts. PHILADELPHIA GHOST STORIES does a captivating job of introducing readers to the city through its ghost folklore.

This 1998 book consists of ghost stories taking place in this historic city. The volume contains 23 chapters (including introduction), each one dealing with either a single haunted site or multiple shorter encounters with a common trait. Black and white photos and art supplement these stories.

In Library Hall, the solid apparition of Franklin, with an armload of books, pushes against a 19th-century cleaning woman with an impact that nearly knocks her over. Late employee Albert J. Edmunds at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania was an avid follower of the supernatural and can still be heard typing away in his former office. At Fort Mifflin, a Civil War blacksmith is still heard working and seen standing outside of his shop.

Through Philadelphia's ghostlore some of its obscure or macabre history is revealed. Dealing with massive death rates during the Revolutionary War or at times of epidemics, the bodies of the indigent had to be buried in paupers' graves and they currently remain in these "Potter's Fields." Their mass graves are located in two primary locations, known today as Washington Square and Logan's Circle. Voices are sometimes heard floating around these vicinities and Leah, a little old lady who used to patrol the aforementioned park to discourage resurrectionists, has been seen by one of the most credible witnesses an investigator could hope to run across: a policeman who just happened to be walking through one cold November morning.

In this book's preface, Author Charles J. Adams III says "I am not a scholarly folklorist. I am not a historian. I am not a paranormal investigator. I am but a storyteller." As a storyteller he does well. Adams's style is engrossing, making it hard to put down and fun to read. The stories have just enough background to make them satisfying.

Some of the different fonts took away from graphics' aesthetics. The need to fill white space seems compulsive, but the book's format was readable regardless. Those requiring magnify glasses to read might appreciate the type is larger than the average found in most trade books.

The nature of this type of ghostlore book could have a bit of serendipity for a few readers. Although some of the names have been changed, genealogists with an interest in Philadelphia might run across a story with a familiar name or homestead and maybe even find new information about their ancestors.

As for whether Franklin actually "built" the city, it is one of the few things he didn't found. Ironically, his home and print shop--located close to Independence Hall--were torn down to make way for a new thoroughfare during the 19th century. (Therefore, it's no surprise his studious soul is seen at Library Hall.) Despite this thoughtlessness, he is the most influential citizen Philadelphia ever had.

If readers take PHILADELPHIA GHOST STORIES in the spirit it is intended, it can be a really fun book. Anyone looking for something more serious in science or background should go somewhere else.

I have lived in the Poconos all my life and know many of the people interviewed in this book. Not only are the tales and legends a great read, they are highly accurate in terms of history and geography. The author(s) manage to capture the character of the interviewees without taking away from the "ghostly" content. Whether it is ghosts, or the region you are interested in, I highly recommend it.....

Six Sigma Deployment provides a clear visual of the entire six sigma process. This book is a step by step roadmap that will teach you how to better meet or exceed your Customer's Critical Criteria. Anything that fails to meet your Customer's Critical Criteria expectations is considered a defect.

Defects can occur in your products or services, in your human interaction, in advertising, in delivery, in accounts receivable, sales, marketing, R&D, etc. Everything in your organization has at least one opportunity for a defect and most have many opportunities. Six Sigma Deployment will teach you how you can effectively reduce or eliminate defects and sustain your gains.

The fundamental principles of Six Sigma Deployment are to assist the reader in solving problems ... efficiently and effectively. The book contains many graphs, charts, examples and other valuable reference materials regarding the process methodologies.

This book is designed to provide the new or seasoned six sigma practioner with a blue print of "how" to better meet or exceed your Customer's Critical Criteria needs. Six Sigma Deployment steps the reader through the entire process, start to finish! This book is an easy, fun, and valuable read. These fellows have provided a wealth of "how to" and "be able to do" type information on this most important topic of gaining your desired business results, improving your bottom line profits, and best of all delighting your customers.

I recommend you pick this book, give it a good read, and begin right away applying the process to your business needs. You'll find Six Sigma Deployment a valuable reference tool that gets the reader into "be able to do" performance management.

Don't wait for expensive seminars or training on this topic. This book can provide the information you need to assist you in gaining world class performances, increasing your competitive advantages, and increasing your profits. The authors have a great web site on the topic, offer flexible training, newsletters, discussions, and other free information.

Six Sigma Deployment is a hard back "how to" reference book, one you will use for many years to come. Six Sigma Deployment is most likely the best [inexpensive]investment you can make today and one that can bring many "happy" returns long into your future.

An intellectually stimulating introduction by Professor Adams combined with three essays that show how his approach can illuminate approaches to the study of small communities. This is a must for anyone wishing to understand how housholds, communities and urban-rural societies form the building blocks of national history.

I have bought many philatelic books over the last 15 years and still rate this little paperback as the best value among all the introductions to Stamp Collecting on my bookshelf. If you are looking for a book about stamps you can stick in a purse or briefcase and read during short breaks, this is an excellent choice. Adams covers almost every topic of importance to the beginning or intermediate collector. You will find sections devoted to philatelic terms, how and where to find stamps, the technical aspects of collecting, how to safely store your collection, equipment and tools that collectors use, how to value your stamps, stamps as an investment, societies and publications, stamp production processes, etc. Because the book was published in 1992, it lacks any information related to the Internet. Nevertheless, it provides a wealth of information that is still up-to-date and relevant. Open any page and start reading. You will find the book jammed full of sections you will want to refer to again and again...

...Never Dream is one of the best vampire novels I have read in a long time. It compares VERY favorably with Anne Rice's series of books. A fresh twist is put on a very old idea, and the characters are fleshed-out, interesting and even amusing. It is rare for me to care about characters in horror fiction because they are usually no more than cardboard cut-outs. But you will come to care about Arthur, Jennings, Terry, Raymond and Iago, as I did. This book was so absorbing that I didn't want to stop reading or for the story to end.

The only thing keeping me from giving this book 5 stars was what I thought an excessive amount of repeated text in the cross-relating stories of the main characters. That, and the fact that I thought that for a 700-year old vampire, Arthur was a bit too naive and trusting about many things, especially human and vampire nature. But those are small quibbles. I highly recommend this book to any lover of vampire...or well-written, regardless of subject matter...fiction.

A fine debut from a new author, man I love discovering new writers! This modern twist on a classic tale is fabulous. ...Never Dream tells the story of 2 vampires and the mortal they get involved. It does poke fun at Anne Rice's novels in a good way such as one vampire insisting to the other that he read Interview with the Vampire to see why mortals would crave immortality and also read about the parts she got right and what she got wrong. The story opens with the Making of Arthur, a knight from France. It continues to the present where we find Arthur, Jennings, and Terry (the mortal) trying to save The Book from falling into the wrong vampire hands. This book left me wanting more...and I hope Scott continues the adventures of these vampires in America.

A modern day vampire tale told from three different points of view. The Vampire Arthur who is the oldest of the pact at 700 and the leader of the gang. The vampire Jennings, the ungifted, who is a little like a side kick to Arthur. The mortal Terry, who finds out their little secret, and not knowing what to do with it, gets herself in trouble. The story is complimented by a drop dead gorgeous bad guy, the vampire Lyle, who is a bit of a spoiled child, the lovable wolf, Iago who is not just an ordinary wolf, and the mother hen of vampires, Raymond.

"... never dream" is the most original, cleaver and captivating book that I have read in a long time. Scott Charles Adams has written a gem of a vampire story. I couldn't put it down. The characters and the events are completely believable. I can't wait for the sequel.

I read this book many years ago, when I was in Junior High, and had no clue it was the same Jack London that wrote "Call of the Wild". The book was that timeless, I thought it was a contemporary writer. I have been looking for it for years and will definitely get another copy to read again. If you're a SciFi/Fantasy Fan looking for some thought provoking, but "light" reading, this is a great book.

While I'm not much into reading fiction or Sci-Fi type books; I have to say, this is probably one of the best books, I've ever read in my life. ( and I'm an avid reader)

Jack London has a way of really pulling your mind into the picture. ( Or putting pictures/stories inside your head)

If you're looking for a book to take your mind of things, or want to live a vicarious experience, I can think of no better book than this one.

This is one of Jack Londons stellar achievements. The ending will surprise you.

An awesome book, that you'll have trouble putting down, until you're finished.

Nightmares plague the narrator's childhood. In these dreams he relives the pre-stoneage life of one of his proto-human ancestors. Each night is a different episode from his ancestor's life, and the episodes are lived and relived in a jumbled, non-chronological order. The narrator places the episodes in chronological order and tells his ancestor's biography. What emerges is an action-packed, engaging saga of adventure and romance at the dawn of humanity.

London got the science of genetics wrong as he tried to explain how the narrator could have such memories, but he seems to have gotten one thing right. Modern paleo-anthropology posits that for most of prehistory, the earth contained several coexisting species of hominids. London peoples his world with three hominid species. His description of the interaction between these species probably gives an accurate depiction of ancient man's inter-species interaction.

This book is a "must read" for anyone who is serious about understanding the history of economics and taxation, regardless of point of view. If you are a libertarian you will enjoy it - and learn a lot. If you are a tax and spend liberal, you will probably just learn a lot.

Many of the reviews posted are so obviously biased for and against taxes or big governement as to make their review worthless.

The book has 38 chapters, nearly every one discusses taxation in a different society starting in ancient Egypt and disucsses taxation by the Greeks, Roman, Russians, French, English, and finally Americans among others. The point is not that taxation is bad, but that corrupt systems of taxation are bad and that taxation above a certain level is bound to fail since people will find ways to avoid it. This is not made up history, there are 23 pages of endnotes and a twelve page bibliography.

There are a number of illustrations, as well as, well written stories from the Rosetta Stone (it was actually a grant of tax immunity); to how Muslims taxed infidels more in order to get them to convert; to Lady Godiva (she made her ride get the King, her husband, to remit the heavy taxes he imposed on the Coventry);, to taxation as one cause of the Civil War that few are aware of (there are 16 endnotes on this chapter alone, many from articles written during the Civil War).

This is a facinating book that should be required reading for every member of Congress.

Every single person who has ever paid taxes should read this book. No ifs, ands, or buts.

This ranks as one of P.D. James' finer achievements. One of her longest novels both in scope and number of pages, A TASTE FOR DEATH once more proves James' talent for devising an intricate detective story and filling it with well-crafted characters and some of the most beautiful prose ever written. The story revolves around Commander Adam Dalgliesh's investigations into the murders of two men who have been found, their throats slit, in the vestry of a church. The plot is complex and, in addition to the intrigue of the mystery, explores questions of politics, society, and morality. This is a wonderful novel with an explosive climax, certain to be a treat for both Dalgliesh fans and lovers of contemporary literature.

-6 Stars! Superb, intricately plotted and riveting story.

...If you havent read P.D. James....it might be better to start with "Death of an Expert Witness". However, for a taste of P.D. James- this is an excellent choice!
Newcomers would still enjoy it, but may miss a little of the depth of character of the key players: Adam Dagliesh, a Scotland yard Detective with his own tragic past, who is also a published poet; and Sgt Kate Miskin, newly assigned to replace Dalgliesh's previous longtime assistant, wanting to make an impression, but plagued with problems in her personal life.

As a dedicated P.D. James fan, I would say this is even a step above her usual fascinating, exquisitely crafted stories!
Beautifully written and carefully plotted as usual.
This book is notable for the wonderful glimpses into the life of Dalgliesh's Sgt.: Kate Miskin. These personal moments dont distract, but further the story, and converge with the mystery plot to create a moving and exciting climax.

James always creates characters who are complex and beautifully described, but in this book she outdoes herself. She has created a rainbow of personalities ranging from the most endearing to the most odious characters.
In brief, a well-crafted, imaginative, wonderfully absorbing mystery. Only caveat would be a fairly bloody crime scene encountered by the detectives. Hopefully this wont put you off, as James never throws in gratuitous gore or violence. This was my absolute favorite P.D. James novel. If youve heard the authors name, and want to see if you like her without starting "at the beginning": This is a great choice.
In short: If you love mysteries, and dont own this book- RUN, dont walk to the "add to shopping cart" link!

3/5/02 edited 3/19/02

If you havent read P.D. James....it might be better to start with "Death of an Expert Witness". However, as a P.D. James fan, I give it ***6 stars***! Beautifully written and carefully plotted as usual. This book is notable for the wonderful glimpses into the life of Dalgliesh's Sgt, Kate Miskin. These personal moments don't distract the reader, but add to and advance the story's plot. James always creates characters who are complex and beautifully described, but in this book she outdoes herself. We encounter the full range of personalities from the most endearing to the most odious characters she has ever created. This was (nearly) my absolute favorite P.D. James novel. If you love mysteries, and dont own this book.. *Run, Don't walk: to the "add to shopping cart" link!