As a professional bartender, I frequently examine bartending books to find the latest recipes as well as alternative presentations to the classics. I, however, have never found a book to be so glaringly wrong in some of the most common drinks. (Gin is an ingredient in a screwdriver?) This book serves no purpose other than the author to spout name dropping stories about the celebrities he has encountered as a Hollywood bartender. The vast majority of the book are the author's original concoctions that he takes much wanton hubres in, but beware, all to often, the names of these drinks share names of popular drinks with absolutely no similarity in the ingredients. Any nubile bartender who wants a book to learn the most common drinks ordered should stay clear of Atomic Bodyslams...

Bought this book based upon a recommendation in a magazine. Although it can serve as a very funny counter decoration, the drinks are not very good. We got the most fun out of this book when I invited a bunch of friends over and we just read through the drinks (and some of the recipes).

From the October issue of "Gallery" Magazine... Hey fella, you look beat. Drop that briefcase and sit right down onthis stool. What'll ya have? A Jumping Humper? How about a Valley of the Dolls or a Howitzer? What, you've never heard of these drinks? You will if you pick up a copy of Atomic Bodyslams to Whiskey Zippers: Cocktails for the 21st Century (Surrey Books), the most entertaining mixmastering guide we've ever encountered. There are complete directions for making more than 1,000 libations, from the usual suspects to the latest non-alcoholic concoctions. There are even some surefire hangover remedies! Author Adam Rocke keeps everything upbeat and fun in this breezy yet invaluable handbook, a real key for anyone who wants to host only the finest social events! END

I bought this book thinking that it contain info on tips & techniques, as well as detailed plans; I was wrong.

The 127 pages are filled with color photos of interesting boxes, but not much else. There is a materials list for each piece, but no plans or instructions beyond a stylized isometric sketch.

If you are looking for a book on boxes to decorate your coffee table, this is the one. If you are looking for a practicle guide to box construction, look elsewhere.

The book presents attractive photographs of a number of boxes that will stimulate aspiring beginning and intermediate box builders.

Though offered to suggest "how to" construction guidance, especially with plans, the book has only the most meager detail of construction and nothing that can truly be called plans. The introduction warns readers that the boxes presented ought not be copied and if they are legal action is a possibility. The result is a book more bent on preventing copies of the displayed boxes than providing useful information for the box building reader.

The other reviewer is correct. Certainly the title promises plans for these boxes. The plans are just one drawing of the box with a list of materials. So if you want to make these boxes, you'll have to do some figuring out. However, if you want to be inspired, check out this book. Even non-woodworkers will page through this book and find the boxes shown to be beautiful and neat. Boxes as objets d'art... who knew?

The cover of this book compares it to the Horatio Hornblower series, but alas the book doesn't measure up. It is a potboiler adventure set the Far East in the late 1700s. The characters are flat, and because the author spends so much time shifting viewpoints between so many different characters, none except the hero achieve much actual depth. The plot isn't that interesting or exciting. This was the first of the series I'd read, and I won't be picking up any others. Not awful, but not the best--Not even average.

This is a passably good adventure novel set in the Far East in the 1760's. The Honorable East India Company has control of trade with India and much of the trade with China, at that time a frontier area for European powers, far from home and where people seemed to make their own laws. The novel continues the adventures of Adam Horne, a captain in the Bombay Marines.

A highly placed company employee has helped himself to company money and a company ship. Horne is sent in pursuit. He soon finds himself caught up in the middle of a scheme by a group in England who are attempting to break the monopoly on Far East trade. Horne finds himself contending on the one hand with the renegade trader, and on the other hand with Chinese officials who have ideas of their own. Along the way he has a gratuitous encounter with Sulu pirates.

It becomes a risky high-stakes game where winning can make a man wealthy but losing can leave him locked in a dungeon. The hero, of course, must prevail if for no other reason than the fact that the commodore's wife has a niece arriving in India who needs a husband.

In China Flyer, the third of the Bombay Marine books, the hero and his crew go to China. Lacks the in depth sailing details of O'Brien, but that was okay with me; also lacked the character depth of C. S. Forrester, and that hurt. The characters are a bit two dimensional, and historical anachronisms occur. Still, if you aren't too knowledgable about the precise details of eighteenth century sailing and are looking for a decent read, this is good. It's the sort of book you'd take to the beach.

This book has a lot of problems: the title is completely misleading; there's far too little useful information; and overall it's very short in length.

Within the first five minutes of opening the book you realize that the editors really did a good job of misleading the buyer/reader. The "Complete" Guide to Audio? Uh, No. There was nothing "complete" about it. The title should be "A Brief Introduction to Audio". Take a couple of minutes and have a look at a different book, Robert Harley's "The Complete Guide to High-End Audio". You'll learn real fast what "complete" means.

For a beginner, there was some useful audio information: the author does a decent job of explaining the basics of sound, speakers, etc. However, there was just too little of this and he really just scratches the surface without going any deeper. I'd say, for every ten pages, there was one page of meaningful information. Way too much fluff.

Even with all the fluff, the book is still way too short. (162 pages, which could have fit in half that space.) As I said, just have a look and compare it to Robert Harley's book, "The Complete Guide to High-End Audio".

The basics of hifi equipment is clearly explained and the progression of sound systems from stereo to surround sound is clearly compiled, however these basics don't go beyond the very basics like what is a sub woofer and what components are needed for dolby digital sound.

In the preface the author does state that this book was written for the consumer and for people that want to know more about sound.Firstly, this is an understatement unless this definition of consumer is one of someone who has never seen a hifi of any kind - let alone has switched one on. Secoundly if one wanted to know more about sound, enough so that you'd buy a book on the subject, then frustration would be what one would be left with.

Initially sound systems may seem daunting, but save your money and set aside a few hours to compile all the basic questions you have on sound systems and then search the net. You'll get far more than this surface treatment. "A basic intoduction to sound and a basic overview of sound systems"

About 4-5 months ago, I decided to take the plunge and invest in some new audio components. Though a few of the components I owned had been considered bottom level high end, I wanted to go the separate amplifier/tuner route with a new cd player and a new pair of modern day speakers. In other words, kick it up a notch. Partial to European components, I discovered the British publications HI FI Choice and What Hi Fi? Great glossy photos,with Excel/Powerpoint graphic charts rating different components by category.Very instrumental in assisting me purchase my tuner,amp,headphones and cables.But now I thirsted for more. I was hooked, a true audiophile was blossoming. There had to be a book somewhere. Much to my surprise one of the largest book chains here in the Northwest, who usually retails more shelf titles than anybody out there had not even a section devoted to high end audio. Fortunately I tracked this book down with Amazon. Mostly written in a definitional format with well emphasized headers,it explains the sound process in an understandable manner without overly technical descriptions which can befuddle and intimidate novices. Excellent diagrams and photos of various components are an additional welcome.Home theater and two channel audio are carefully distinguished and the Brands and Choices section,which is always a subject of controversy given it's subjective nature, was discussed in an unbiased manner. All this without the snobbery often accompanied by discussions regarding high end audio.My only gripe would be the segments on plugging in and set up. The author seems to imply the process of interconnecting cables between components is difficult.Perhaps in home theater,(which I don't partake in) but for two channel audio, it's not a difficult process and the manuals I have seen are quite good with their illustrated instructions. Connecting is but a a manner of minutes.The book is a solid audio primer. However as one possibly becomes more serious minded he or she might wish to look into Harley's Guide to High End Audio, a huge manual which get's into philosophic matters regarding the creation of sound with more emphasis on technical details.But for those getting their feet wet or wanting to build the confidence needed to walk into a high end shop and hold their own (and let's face it, this experience can rank second only to walking into a car dealership), then you can be assured this book will provide you with the necessary vocabulary. Reassuring to know that amidst the negative prognosis of some with regards to the future of two channel audio,(let's keep in mind that the turntable is making a bit of a comeback too),people like Adams and Harley are committed to seeing that those with the interest and belief get the necessary knowledge to put together a home system leading to many hours of rewarding listening surpassing previous listening experiences. Not a bad thing at that. And without in many instances, completely breaking the till.And as I'm still doing research to purchase new speakers(probably will buy within a couple of months of this review going on-line) and speakers probably the toughest purchase with over 400 brands out there and possibly committing to an arduous testing process,you can bet I will consult this book on quite a few occasions before committing my cash.

This is the saddest book I have ever read. It's about a not very talented person, who has a giant ego, who wants to be famous, but not put in the work required, who likes to [apparently] sidle up to celebrities and have a snapshot taken with them for future mileage. There are so many situations in this tome where the author, who must be the thinnest skinned person alive, takes continual umbrage at the slightest opportunity, that I became very bored, very quickly. Everybody else is always to blame, and as most grown ups know, sometimes it's our own fault. Mr Darius clearly prefers an loud argument to a long friendship. The result is the story of a nobody who remained, absolutely entirely through his own efforts, a nobody - and who doesn't have much good to say about the famous people he has collided with either, many willing to offer a helping hand up the ladder to. It reminded me of a dog who bays at the moon.

After reading this sad book, which looked so promising from the cover, I quietly binned it, which is something I've never done with any other book in my life.

I met the author of this book in Finland recently. I thought, when I was given the book, that I was going to experience something extraordinary. What a disappointing book this is.

I always imagine performing artists to have big generous natures. This was blown to bits by reading about the mean spirited activities of this author. Does he realise that he comes across as a most unpleasant person? He mows down everyone in the path of his fearful egoism.

Helsinki is a small town, and now I cross the road to avoid the author when I see him coming.

Miss Mitford, who makes me howl with laughter, has got it about right. But unlike her I'm keeping my copy because it's full of marginalia penned by someone who worked with Darius and clearly loathed him. I bought this book off a borrow on 14th Street for two bucks the other day, and read it over three days. It was gushingly [not to say patronisingly] signed by the author in 1975 to one Colin. It's one of the most depressing books I've ever read. And, thanks to Colin's illuminating marginalia, one of the funniest, though I'm sure the author didn't mean it to be. [1 star for the book, but 4 for the marginalia.]

It took me a day or so to work out who Mr Darius reminded me of, and it's Dustin Hoffman at the beginning of Tootsie, i.e. desperately serious about himself, with everybody 'against' him, not taking him as seriously as he takes himself, and how could they? Darius inhabits a hostile artistic world of his own making, and remains stubbornly and resolutely on guard against his artistic enemies. He is right in his world, and everyone else in the wrong. Mr Darius comes across as a sort of Benny Hinn of mime. Everyone is grist to his mill, from Ginger Rogers to Otto Frank [Anne Frank's father]. Darius did a mime version of The Diary. [And now I've heard everything].

If only the man had a spark of humour his life and certainly his writing would have been a lot easier. There's no sense of irony here - and a mime artist without a sense of irony? Hel-lo? Some of the things he writes about are easy to see from a different perspective, and it's as if he's telling a story that he is not fully party to, and because Darius seems to have tunnel vision about himself he does come across, sadly, as patently absurd.

In fifty years time I could see this book becoming a cult item. Especially if a low budget film, like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, was made of it, with Dustin Hoffman playing Darius.

Thanks to the marginalia I discover that Mr Darius was to mime what Florence Foster Jenkins [whoever she was] was to opera. Likewise that when Mr Darius 'returned' to the American stage one reviewer wrote [and the review is pasted in my copy of the book], "Mr Darius has been absent from these shores for 17 years. In that time he has not picked up even the rudiments of his craft." Poor Soul! A fascinating book. I've started reading bits out to friends over the phone, and we fall about. It was the best two bucks worth in New York last week, and now I'm going straight back to down to 14th Street to see if there's anything else by him on the barrow.

Many of the newly-released Osprey titles are delightful to read or expand our knowledge of less well-known subjects. This entry is neither. Its text is undistinguished, its color illustrations poor, and its technical content execrable! The latter is particularly annoying in light of claims that the author is a "curator at the Royal Armories at Fort Nelson." Obvious errors abound. Some are typographical -- "7.62mm" mortars, "60-pounder" cannon, 1910 transmuted to 1901 in the same paragraph, and the "Write" airplane engine (invented by the Right brothers)-- but this begs the question, doesn't Osprey have any editors? Weapons/equipment data are awful: one photo shows a Model 93 Mauser rifle "in 7.65 mm, the standard" (caliber). In point of fact, all 93's were made in 7x57mm which was the standard; another shows a (1937) "Lanchester submachine-gun copy." This would be a remarkable feat, since the Lanchester was invented in 1941! (The gun is a copy of a German Bergmann). Some weapons are pure fantasy: the "Czech 7.62mm Mannlicher," for example. Likewise, aircraft and tank data differ from that found in easily accessible references. Since the numbers/types of aircraft used are at variance with other sources, this makes his Order of Battle (strengths and organization) information highly suspect. If the author has a real understanding of the strategic significance of this battle, he does not make it clear to the reader. His battle analysis is awkward, and its accuracy is highly suspect. Overall, the book has no credibility and should owe several stars!

The book is well writen and documented. The Ebro is possibly the most famous battle of the Spanish Civil War, and some of its images are classical icons of that period of history as the Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" or the Robert Cappa's picture of the fallen militia men. Its very clear in its explanations of the strategies and the development of the actions from both parts. At the same time, it had a lot of pictures from the places were the fight took place, so the reader can grasp a very good idea of the battles.

Nevertheless it has some flaws. The most important in my opinion is the low detail of the campaing main map in page 30. Some villages, mountain ridges and roads that are later named in the text, are missing in this map. Even for a spaniard is difficult to locate those places without the help of a map. The explanation of the objetifs of the Republican side is confussed due to this lack of detail. Another is the few pictures of the leaders from both sides. In other Osprey books the leader section usually depicts a lot of pictures of the leaders, but here you can see only three and in one of them only the back of a nationalist leader instead of his face. Finally, if has the typical english mistakes with the spanish names (Is so hard to check an spanish atlas?). The most funny is the name of the source from some pictures. You can read "Partido Comunista Española" instead of "Partido Comunista Español". Well, in spanish language as opposed to english language, some things and its adjetifs have gender. For example "a red table" is in spanish a "female" thing (una mesa roja). A political party is a "male" thing. So it was delightful to check that a posible translation for the PCE is the Comunist Party of Spanish Woman.

Despite those things I recomend its lecture even for those not interested in pure military history but only in the spanish modern history.

I thought this book dealt pretty well with an unknown battle from the Spanish Civil War. Up to now there are few books on the military campaigns and this one plugs the gap.
There are a few errors in the text but judging by the bibliography the author has attempted to look at a wide range of sources.

I felt that The Ice Pick Artist by Harold Adams was a major dissapointment. I felt their was a lack of characterization in the main character Carl Wilcox, we don't know what drives him to want to solve the murder of a young hotel visitor. I felt their were to many twists and turns in the story that it confused me as a reader. Adams also could have gone into more descriptive language concerning the setting of these small towns in the Midwest, as well as the characters in the book.

I'm not sure exacty what the author was trying to portray in this book. I didn't pick up on any particular train of thought where the protagonist, Carol Wilcox, was concerned. At one point, I almost lost track of the cast of characters, there were so many; and there didn't seem to be any real connection between this girl and Carl that would make him go traipsing all over the place trying to solve her murder. As for the murder storyline itself, it was somewhat adequate in keeping in line with the rest of the book. Nothing to write home about, that's for sure.

During the Depression, painter Carl Wilcox works at his family's Corden, South Dakota hotel because his father is ill. Three individuals, traveling separately, book rooms in the Wilcox Hotel. Lillybelle Fox is in Corden conducting research into the town's founders with an emphasis on Colonel Cutter. The next day, Lillybelle is found murdered and the other two guests (Murdoff and Olson) are gone.

Carl decides to investigate the killing by continuing Lillybelle's research in a hope that it will reveal a motive for murder. He quickly finds several people with an incentive for killing his guest and most of them start acting ugly towards the amateur sleuth. It seems that everyone has a secret, but especially wanting to keep quiet their clandestine past is a very powerful family with strong state-wide ties.

THE ICE PICK ARTIST is a superb historical regional mystery that brings to life the Depression in South Dakota. The who-done-it is fun and Carl is an intriguing character. Readers will taste the dust while driving all over the state in Carl's Model T. Harold Adams demonstrates why he is a Shamus Award winner with this tale that will have readers running to the used book stores for previous novels in the series.

Harriet Klausner

There is NO new strips in this book.And I had read them all before!I payed to get a few strips I had before in color!At least I am not daltonic. If you want to spend your cash on dilbert books,get the black&white fat ones. I should have payed more atention to the book before buying it.

This is in regard to a coment from reader from Spain. There is NO such word as DALTONIC in english.

You wieners that gave it 1 star, should learn to read

I paid attention to the other review and got this from my library first. It is really mind blowing how mich space the author takes up to say nothing of practical value. If there is a description of attaining this "trance zero", I missed it. I'm glad I didn't waste the money.

This book is nothing but hundreds of pages of self-serving tripe. There were hundreds of in-depth descriptions of "trances", but nothing the average person doesn't already understand. Further, though the book proposes the "trance zero" state, it's only hypothetical, offering no means to obtain or experiment with this state of consciousness.
I admit the author's complete lack of moral character did not help this book any- as when he rather casually describes a woman being victimized by another psychologist over a period of YEARS while she is seeing the author professionally for help. By his own words, he never helped her at all or stoppped this monster from destroying a woman's life. So much for the effectiveness of his methods.
I learned nothing of practical value. Period. If you must read it, try the library first.

I bought this book wanting to find out how to do hypnosis, and figuring it would give me the right theoretical+practical basis. The information was so good I felt no need to go on to practice "hypnosis". For the first time I saw someone dissect and analyze "group minds", how we human beings act together as cells of separate "organisms", and what the properties of these organisms are and how they evolve and act, as well as how we influence each other. It changed my whole perspective on how I deal with others. You don't need hypnosis when, by understanding humans, you can just act normally and get the same benefits.

This book is a must read. I think it should be required reading for everyone before they leave high school. Did you know that some "group mind" organisms have "lived" for more than a thousand years? And many of these group minds live out their lifespans undetected, unrecognized as such by their component "cells" (us humans)?