There are times in our Christian walk that we may not see all that the Lord is doing - yet He is doing much on behalf of His children. The power of God - through His mercy and grace was displayed throughout the entire book - God moving through every situation and circumstance in the life of all those associated with Hadassah. The faith of one woman inspiring others to look to Jesus. There were times when she felt unsure of herself - but God always gave her a scripture to remind her of His promises. Francine shows the reader how truly frail we are, and how much we need God in our lives. To the Christian, how we need to be more compassionate to win the lost to Christ and reminding us just exactly where we were before we received Him in our lives. Hadassah's character at the beginning of "Voice in the Wind", was one of timidity and fear - but God helped her to overcome this as her relationship with Him grew she was more faithful to His voice.

Francine Rivers is arguably Christian fiction's finest writer, and THE MARK OF THE LION trilogy is her crown jewel. They are my favorite works of fiction -- ever. While other authors may sell more books at times, none can WRITE like Rivers.

The MARK trilogy is set in the Roman Empire, shortly after the fall of Jerusalem. Using a Hebrew slave girl (Hadassah) and a German gladiator (Atretes; think the film GLADIATOR) as the main characters, three books are crafted around themes of faith, redemption, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Rivers is one of the best at writing characters and those that she creates here are absolutely convincing -- flawed and heroic on multiple layers, with developmental conflicts that relate to and parallel modern times almost seamlessly. AN ECHO IN THE DARKNESS, the middle book of the series, picks up immediately after A VOICE IN THE WIND's climax. Where A VOICE focused mainly on Hadassah and her struggle to stand for her faith, AN ECHO's main conflicts surround the Valerian family (whom Hadassah served) and their responses to the sacrificial price that Hadassah paid. The resulting journeys towards redemption play out wonderfully and, as the book progresses, become more and more moving. Though A VOICE is my favorite of the series, from a literary standpoint AN ECHO is probably the best.

You can read AN ECHO on its own, but you must read A VOICE first, and you might as well order the entire series because once you read one you will have to read them all. These books will not only grab hold of you and demand to be finished but they will challenge you to take your walk with God to a much deeper level. No other novels have ever affected me so profoundly. Forget the LEFT BEHIND series and invest in a true Christian classic. FIVE STARS.

It's been a year since the end of A VOICE IN THE WIND. Marcus is feeling restless. His life of pleasure no longer holds any happiness for him. Julia is finding that her friends really don't care for her, and she is fighting an illness that no one seems to be able to cure. Their mother, Phoebe, prays constantly for their salvation. Fortunately, God has not given up on them. And the answer might come from the strange woman hidden in veils who assists the young doctor Alexander at his shop in the poor part of town.

Francine Rivers has once again captured the Roman empire of the 1st century AD. Rome, Ephesus, and Israel come alive with compelling people and small historic details. The theme of God's love and the power of forgiveness are beautifully shown through the lives of these characters. The ending was so powerful, I'm sure it will stay with me for quite some time.

This novel is definitely a sequel to the first book in the series, A VOICE IN THE WIND. Enough of the first book is explained so you won't be lost if you choose to read this one first. However, since you'll ultimately want to read the first one, I recommend starting with it so none of the surprises will be spoiled.

These novels are some of the best Christian fiction I've ever read. If you enjoy a good story with strong characters, you'll want to pick these up and read them today.

I found this book quite by accident and was impressed with the thoroughness of the questionnaires, the easy-to-read and understand explanation of metabolism and body function, the supporting medical documentation, and Dr. Perrone's own hands-on experience with thousands of clients. I tried the diet (Unlimited Protein & Vegetables was my plan) and lost 30 lbs. effortlessly in 7 weeks eating lots of veggies, lean meats, seafood and fish. First time in my LIFE I had been overweight and I am almost back to where I should be. Got my Mom on the plan and she lost 18 lbs in 1 month, normalizing her blood pressure for the first time in years. I've purchased several copies for friends and family for gifts, and can't recommend it enough.

I have read and tried just about every diet, supplement, diet book, plan, gadget and more. Each time I have tried something new, I felt good at first, saw some results, but eventually, the hunger/cravings kicked in and it became impossible to follow the plan. No supplement has ever given me tangible results. That is until I got with Dr. Perrone. His plans are awesome! He has had me on several different plans, each one of which has given me results. He has also introduced me to several unique supplements, all of which I was able to tell were doing something I have eliminated (and kept off)appx 33 pounds of fat. To see that he has put his thoughts into writing really makes me excited, because now I can tell my freinds to read his book - instead of waiting several months to see him.

After years of torturous dieting, exercise mania, a slew of diet pilss and alot of heartache - I was still fat. A friend of mine purchased this book for me and I read it completely, cover to cover. This is the very best book ever written about diet and FAT loss. Dr. Perrone allows the reader to asess which of ten diets will work for their unique metabolism. I tried the "Protein + 1" and lost inches, pounds and fat immediately. I feel better than ever and everyone I know has now gone out and purchased Dr. Perrone's book - and so should you. Dr. Perrone, if you read this review, let me give you a hug and say "Thank you"

I have always been a Monkees fan, especially a Micky fan. So I was delighted to read his book. It was very insightful and interesting and i couldn't put it down!! I love this book, it is written ingeniusly as only Micky can do. It also has pictures that really complete the story. I totally recommend this book to all people, and if you are not already a Monkees fan, after you read this you will be.

Of all the books I've read on or about the Monkees this is myfavorite to date. The pages just drip Micky's personality and you canalmost picture him telling you this story over a cup of coffee. It really is a must read for all Monkees and Micky Dolenz fans! Although hard to find, there are sources if you look hard enough.

I read this book twice, checking it out of the library both times. I love it (mainly cuz Micky wrote it, I just LOVE him)! I've seen all the Monkees shows, and they are SO funny! Micky is my favorite (doncha just love his 'fro), and that's why I read the book. I've also heard most of the Monkees songs.

I bought this book expecting it to be entirely filled with letters from Adam and Eve. Though this is only one-third of the book, it is great to see Twain's true blasphemous side for once. He was well known for his anger at God and disbelief in religion, and this book is a great testament to that fact in classical Twain wit. The remainder of the book is just random stories he told his children and comments on authors and such, of which some are definitely worth the read and others could be skipped. If you are interested in seeing the author in his true form, though not in a cohesive format, you should buy this book. He did not intend to submit it for publication in his lifetime, so his honesty about what he thinks of the world and religion finally comes out.

This book is probably not what you are expecting. If you are looking for a free-wheelin' adventure story along the lines of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, you will not only be disappointed, but most probably shocked. However, if you are looking for an entire book of irrevent writings - as I was - then that's not what you're getting, either. Something less than half of the book (say, roughly, 1/3) consists of deliciously irrevent writings, drained from Mark Twain's pen of bitter ink. The best among these is the title section, "Letters From The Earth", in which Satan writes back to archangels Gabriel and Michael about his visit to earth and the "human race experiment", after his banishment from heaven. In these letters, Mark Twain points out various absurtities and illogical assertions and beliefs about human religions, and unflinchingly describes the vanity and hypocrisy of many of its adherents. I was under the impression that the entire book consisted of these letters; however, I was wrong. It is merely the first section of the book, occupying some 30-50 pages. For people who are highly into this kind of writing, however - as I am - it is worth the price of admission alone. There are several other pieces in the book along this line - including the famous essays Was The World Made For Man? and The Lowest Animal - which display not only Mark Twain's essential pessimism, but his very rational mind and hilarous wit. These pieces are an absolutely essential read for the lover of satire: few better examples are to be found anywhere in literature. The rest of the book, however, is a mixed bag. It consits of various pieces from the "Mark Twain Papers" - a collection of his writings (mostly unfinished) the he decreed to have published sometime after his death. Among these are a few interesting pieces (most of them various satires, several on religious topics), while others are more broadly ranging: everything from a completely improvised tale that he used to put his two children to bed to an unfinished fantasy piece that the editor seems to attach rather a lot of importance to, but whose actual virtue is somewhat more questionable. These pieces range from vaguely interesting to mildly funny to downright boring. Several would've probably been better served by being included in other volumes, while several should probably have been left unpublished. Still, there are definitely some essential writings in this volume that any fan of Mark Twain - or satire, or irrevent writings, for that matter - will want to read.

Mark Twain shows his dark side in this book of short stories that was not published until years after his death. It was thought by his family that his fans would be disturbed by the absolute departure from the usual topics and flavor of his work. It is definitely worth reading. "Letters From the Earth", the title story, (and my favorite) is witty and observant but disturbing in it's darkness. If Mark Twain was alive now he would have a field day with the current social moral standards and hypocrisy.

An interesting but uneven telling of an improbable, but possible, story. AD 79, starting in Ephesus. The heroine, a widowed Christian given a rescued baby to care for, is one of the leakiest characters I've found. She's either weeping, speaking through a throat "tight with tears," exhibiting eyes glistening with tears, or nursing the baby. (She had lost a baby and could be a wet nurse). The ex-gladiator whose baby she was given shows a twitching muscle in his jaw every few pages. Oh, editor, how could you?
The Scripture woven into the account is carefully done; the apostle John is shown with deep respect. The struggle of the early church is clear. We do move a little swiftly over the incredible journey to Germania and a little incredulously over the inexhaustible funds of Theophilus, a retired centurion. The baby develops at a peculiar rate as well.
The crown of the novel is the conversion of the gladiator, and it is accomplished by a miracle, the raising to life of the young widow, fatally shot by an arrow as the little travelling party is ambushed. For shame - even Jeffrey Dahler's conversion didn't require that. This is a good series, though.

As Sure as the Dawn is the third and final book of Francine Rivers' series of fictional Christian novels. Rizpah, a young Christian widow living in Ephesus, is given an unwanted baby shortly after the tragic death of her husband and only child. The baby, named Caleb by Rizpah, is the son of a renowned ex-gladiator name Atretes. Caleb's real mother lied to Atretes and said the baby died during childbirth. When Atretes finds out his son is alive, he demands to have him back. Because of Rizpah's love for Caleb, she is hesitant to return him. Although Rizpah gives the baby back, Atretes still needs her to feed Caleb because of the baby's refusal to nurse from anyone else. When Atretes decides to return to his home in Germany with his son Rizpah follows. Theophilus, a Christian and retired Roman centurion, guides them to Germany. The journey they take is not only physical but more importantly spiritual. In Germany the group spreads the gospel to those who will listen and overcome their own personal dilemmas.
The main characters were well developed and realistic. By writing with omniscience, the author gave the feelings and emotions of the other characters. The setting in Rome and Germany during A.D. 79 was interesting. It gave insight into the period's culture and the difficulties that they faced. I especially liked the character of Rizpah who is a good role model for Christian women today. The overall theme of the book describes the struggle for Christians to witness to an unbelieving world and overcoming difficulties.
Compared to the preceding novels, this one was a disappointment. It was not nearly as exciting or romantic as the other two. One weakness was the use of miracles for every turning point in the novel, making it slightly predictable. Overall the book was inspirational and enjoyable. I look forward to reading another Francine Rivers novel in the future.

In this third volume of the "Mark of the Lion" series, Francine Rivers chronicles the journey of the ex-gladiator Atretes back to his Germanic homeland, accompanied by the Christian widow Rizpah, nursemaid to his son. For Atretes, it proves to be much more than just a journey to his barbarian Chatti tribe, but also a romantic journey of love, and a spiritual journey of faith.

Readers familiar with the "Mark of the Lion" series will know that the central issue of the first volume in the series - "A Voice in the Wind" - was how to witness to an unbelieving world, and this is the most powerful and convincing book of the entire series. Like the second volume of the series ("An Echo in the Darkness" - an exploration of forgiveness), the third volume ("As Sure as the Dawn" - an exploration of anger) is much more introspective than the first. Since "As Sure as the Dawn" shares with "An Echo in the Darkness" a focus on inner conflict, it unfortunately also shares many of! its weaknesses. Certainly it has to be conceded that Rivers writes on a much higher level than most contemporary Christian fiction. When packed with a deep theological message, such literary fiction has the potential to pack a serious punch. But not when the theology is weak. Sadly, that is the case not only with "An Echo in the Darkness", but also with "As Sure as the Dawn".

The most serious theological weakness is that Rivers places the events of her story *after* the apostolic era, and yet incorporates signs and wonders that were unique to the apostolic era. These include direct revelation (to Rizpah p.26 and Theophilus p.354), the gift of tongues (when the main characters suddenly speak German, p.314), and miracles (resurrection, p.278-80 and miraculous deliverance by walking on water, p.467). The presence of miracles outside of the apostolic era is particularly unfortunate, because Rivers makes them decisive turning points of the plot - in both instances resulting! in conversions. That the miracle of resurrection causes a conversion appears to be in direct contradiction with the words of Jesus in Luke 16:31 "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Not only do these miracles and wonders result in an overly optimistic story-line that fails to reflect the harshness of real life for Christians today, they are dependent on a tenuous theological position. If one agrees with the assertion that apostolic wonders and miracles ceased with the apostolic era, one must also concede the plot of "As Sure as the Dawn" is not credible.

There are other minor theological weaknesses that are not as crucial to the plot. The portrayal of first century worship (p.126) is questionable, and certainly the idea of "coming forward" (p.5) is anachronistic and without basis in the New Testament, and is more indicative of contemporary rather than ancient worship. The exegesis of several !Bible passages is highly disputable, such the use of Matt. 7:1 "do not judge" (p.53) which fails to take into consideration the immediate context dealing with hypocrisy; the use of 1 John 4 "love one another" to include unbelievers (p.83,373), despite the clear application of this text in Scripture to fellow believers; the suggestion that each piece of the armor of God in Eph. 6 is another name for Christ (p.87); the understanding of Rom. 6 as requiring baptism by immersion (p.283); and the explanation of Gen. 6:5 as meaning that after the fall there was just a "seed of sin" which progressed into increasing corruption (p.291). Also questionable are the assertions that Satan was God's most beautiful creation (p.291), that the Israelites are still God's children today (p.301), and that forgiveness is required independent of repentance (p.423 - note that Christ did not forgive his murderers, rather He *prayed* for their forgiveness). As usual, the theology of universal atonement !(p.60,112,314), partial depravity (p.248-9, 290) and the emphasis on Christ as an example rather than as an atoning substitute (p.306) is typically Arminian.

Like the first volume of the series, the graphic allusions to Atretes' sexual relations outside of marriage and frank discussion of sexual thoughts makes "As Sure as the Dawn" unsuitable for children. In fact the emphasis that Rivers lays on physical attraction is somewhat disturbing (p.187,189). Romantic love appears to play just as much a role as religion in determining the course of events, as evidenced in the fact that one of the religious climaxes of the novel (baptism) is promptly overshadowed by a romantic climax (marriage). The fact that this baptism was rather premature (one of the characters later observes that the baptized person does not even really understand what it means to be a Christian! p.309) appears to confirm this.

The above criticisms may seem harsh but they are honest. At the same time!, there are many positive theological insights that Rivers successfully and effectively shares. The fact that the apostle John quotes numerous Scripture passages verbatim is a real strength. The portrayal of spiritual conflict as the gospel is proclaimed in pagan territory is particularly convincing. Rivers' description of demonic powers at work among the pagans under the guise of their gods is powerful and accurate. Thankfully the third volume of the series is not ALL internal conflict like the second volume, and thus overcomes some of its weaknesses. There are also some exciting action scenes reminiscent of the first volume. A reasonable effort, but unfortunately not enough to equal the first gem produced in this series. Like Atretes, Rivers is back, but not with the same glory as when we first met.

This is a hard book for me to review with only one or two paragraphs, so I apologize in advance for being long-winded.

Simply put, this is a biblical end-of-the-world story, about the rapture, Judgment, and ordinary people being tempted between heaven and hell. There are believers and non-believers alike, trying to come to terms with the apocalypse around them, which consists of an untrammeled onslaught of the living dead. If you genetically engineered a chimeric clone from C.S. Lewis and George Romero, and hopped it up on amphetamines, it would probably try to write a book like this.

I have to admit, my feelings about this book were mixed at first. While reading, I thought some of the characters seemed like simplistic archetypes, and some of the theological discussions appeared to be unfair brow-beatings between the primary characters and their feeble-minded antagonists. But as I read on, and especially when I reached the book's conclusion, I realized that much of what I took issue with was far from simple. In fact, it was necessary, clever, and even daring. So for me, this book was at its most-rewarding when I was finished and I could look back on everything that transpired.

Fortunately, getting there wasn't a challenge because the story was very engrossing. It wasn't a typical horror story at all, and regardless of any problems I had, I just had to keep on reading, only to find out how it was going to end. (I guess, in book-review parlance, this means it's a "page-turner".) All of my predictions of where the book was going turned out to be false, and it moved with a such a grisly momentum that I was compelled to keep reading, regardless of the fact that it was 2:30 a.m.

At the same time, Rogers keeps the story accessible. He doesn't turn it into another by-the-numbers eschatological allegory, with the typical Book of Revelations checklist, and he doesn't burden the reader with gee-whiz "scholarly" topics like premillennialism and the tribulation, just to show off his big brain (much like I did just now, I suppose ... sorry). He sticks to the story and the characters and lets it work itself out.

Admittedly, I didn't think this book was very scary, but I can go through most horror fiction unfazed. (Well, the last horror novel I can remember having any sort of effect on me was actually made fun of in this book.) So I have to admit that "The Dead" didn't turn my hair white or leave me jumping at every strange sound. But ... the concept behind the story was so effective, it haunted me and begged me to ponder my own personal fate under the same circumstances. That is: if I was a character in the book, how would I react? What would be my fate? What could I do -- what would I be able to do -- to get out of it? So, in that sense "The Dead" lingered in my head and weirded me out.

"The Dead" isn't as solid as Rogers's fantasy works, and I think I'm getting spoiled by his illustrations, which this book doesn't have, alas. Even though I'm not a Christian myself, I still thought "The Dead" was a good read. Great imagery, relentless action, and Rogers's rampant, twisted creativity. I'll be candid: if you're a stubborn atheist, then you'll probably find this book to be a waste of time. However, if you're a Mark E. Rogers fan (and you want to see what he does when he takes a vacation from "Samurai Cat"), or if you're looking for a unique and smart mix of horror and theology (honestly, you haven't read anything like this before), then it's definitely worth checking out.

This is not your typical Christian fiction book. I tried to read it in one sitting but had to finally go to bed in the wee hours this morning.I grabbed it as soon as I got up and started reading it with my first cup of coffee. This book has everything: zombies, demons, the rapture, believers, atheists, horror, and gore; lots and lots of gore. It definitely isn't for the squeamish. It's been a long time since a book grabbed me like this.

After the rapture, demons possess the bodies of the dead and earth is transformed into hell. The living try to escape but are usually brought down by the dead. Nobody gets an easy death. They are usually tortured, bit, and finally strangled to death. After a certain length of time, they rise up to join the dead in chasing down other survivors. The group of people we follow are a mixed bunch. One is a priest, another a
self proclaimed savedChristian, and the rest are atheists and those unsure as to what they believe. As they run from thousands of demons we get to see the changes they go through. Their lives are changed and they see a side of themselves that they never acknowledged before now.

I was glued to the book until I finished it. Unlike another reader, I thought the ending was very good and worth the read. If typos and mistakes bother you, all I can say is get over it. I admit there are way too many mistakes but it has nothing to do with the story. This book is too good to miss.

The Dead, by Mark E. Rogers

Another tired "the dead come back to life" story?
Only if Star Wars was just another tired space movie.

The Dead by Mark E. Rogers breathes new life (okay it's a pun, get over it) into the venerable walking dead genre. What HAD become an anemic, self-indulgent genre that has gradually decayed into little more than a never-ending series of pathetic vampire recyclings has suddenly sat up on the morgue gurney and is once again staring you straight in the eyes.

This book is alive, and it wants you.

I first read this book a few years ago and was stupid enough to loan my only copy to someone who never returned it. I went for years wanting to reread it, but couldn't until its recent republishing. I quickly scooped up a new copy and sat down just to get started. That was a mistake. Hours later I finally was able to put it down, surprised that it had managed to do that to me on a SECOND reading for God's sake.

Let's say you wake up one morning and a lot of people are missing. Simply gone. Some of them were people you knew very well. Perhaps your own mother, or your wife. Just vanished. You've heard of that old Revelation thing, but no one ever really took that seriously, did they? That's not worth believing, is it? Then the dead show up, and maybe some of THEM are people you knew very well. Except these aren't your old, slow, stupid movie dead. These dead people are fast, intelligent, articulate, and [angry]. Even the military is having trouble with them. Can it get worse than that? Maybe. What if suddenly they had a LEADER?

Some stories are able to get by solely on their plot premise, some on their characters, some on their action, some on their dialogue, some purely on the emotional or intellectual demand they manage to make on you. This is one of those rare stories that has all of that. It is one of the few stories I've read recently that I would honestly like to see show up on the screen. Most aren't worth that effort. This one is more than worth it.

This book NEEDS to be a movie.

If you pick up a copy of this book, take these two pieces of advice:

1 - Don't start reading it until you have a lot of time to kill (yeah, I know, I did it again); you'll be amazed at what happens to you.

2 - Don't loan it to anyone. Make them buy their own ... copy.

--Dave in Maryland, USA

It misses him so much, I knocked it down three stars. Chiang did such a good job on the Episode I art, and in this one he appeared sloppy and rushed. I love the art of the star wars universe. And the best works are those "90% there, it's almost what the movie will look like" paintings by Ralph McQuarrie. And this collection had not one painting like that.

I think the other reason I was underimpressed with this art was that the Original trilogy art really projected a pure creative pulling stuff out of thin air type art. THis art is less inspired and more forced. Almost a rationale "fill in the gaps" of how things would look between episode 1 and 4.

However, the one bright part of the book is the conceptual art regarding what the Sith Lord of Episode II would look like. I am so sorry they didn't go with any of the concepts (with the exception of the curved lightsaber). These were AWESOME designs,

That and the script gain back a star. 5 - 3 + 1= 3 stars.

This book should be absolutely a must for art students, directors (especially art directors), illustrators, designers, fantasy and science fiction readers, writers (current and future) and visualists of all genres and mediums.While the movie looks pretty good these ideas in sketches and designs and character studies-as well as full production scenes-are more inspired and potentially more appealing than the film ('potentially' because most artists and art students will get this more than most people who just watch the movies).Some of the technical work while well designed is a bit flat. Even that is a small nitpick. This book is a well researched view into the behind the scenes ideas that make the visual essence of the film. I don't think a person even needs to like the Star Wars stories to enjoy this book on a visual level.This hardback edition is a beautiful addition to unique coffee table books. It's a blast to browse through all these artists' heads as the ideas of forms, lines and color spill out onto the paper, boards, canvas and digital screens.The compositions contained within these pages are wonderfully inspired, strange and mythic.

One of the best of the AOTC companion books, The Art of Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones (written by Mark Cotta Vaz) is a fascinating book, including many different faecets of production design and artwork. These boks give an interesting insight to the huge effort that goes into Star Wars films, with many visualisations that never made it to the screen, and poster art by Star Wars veteran Drew Struzan. The best part is, you get the entire screenplay, including all the deleted scenes and dialouge. The provided info on the entire evolution of production artwork, to models to visual design and then to film is endlessly fascinating, with a wealth of amazing sketches and design artwork.

With the assistance of a friend who is more familiar with computer hardware than I am, I installed Linux on my PC several months ago. After that I downloaded a whole bunch of How-Tos and started exploring the Linux System. While the How-To's were extremely useful, they were a little obscure at times. Also they didn't always answer my questions. A month later I purchased 2 Books on Linux - Running Linux by Welsh & Kaufman and A Practical Guide to Linux by Mark Sobell. Welsh & Kaufman's book deals more with Systems Programming and Hardware Issues. In fact, the two books complement each other quite well. Running Linux is also somewhat "chattier" than Sobell's book which basically just "tells it like it is". Sobell's book, although it covers Systems Administration, mainly deals with issues like shell programming, editors, utility programs and programming tools. There are chapters on the Linux utilities, the filesystem, the Shell, X-Windows, the vi and Emacs Editors. Most importantly for me, there are 2 chapters on the Bourne Shell and Bourne shell scripts. Although there is an O'Reilly book on Bash which I have not seen and which presumably deals with Bash programming even more comprehensively, Sobell's book was the most useful and useable source of information on Shell programming that I have found so far. The Command summary at the back is also well presented and useful. Sobell does make extensive use of internal references, presumably because he did not want to restate the same material. While this does lead to a bit of page turning to get an answer sometimes, it leaves more room for other material, so I can readily accept it. Given the enormous amount of possible material that could be covered in any book attempting to deal with Linux comprehensively this is probably the wisest course. If you want a book on Linux and Hardware, then buy Running Linux by Welsh & Kaufman or download the appropriate How-To's (or both). Sobell's book is for use after you have your hardware problems largely solved and want to get on with customizing your system, using X-Windows, utilizing the various compilers, learning about the the Linux/Unix filesystem and basically getting the system to do useful things. There are several small quibbles I have with the book though. Firstly, there is the overlarge Typeface on the Table of Contents starting on Page xvii and running through to xlvii (that's 30 pages for the Roman Numeral illiterate) which is FAR too many. It appears to me that the Table of Contents is also meant to be used as a sort of Reference Guide. This is fair enough but the typeface is way too big. Secondly, as I said above, any comprehensive book on Linux/Unix will have to make decisions on what to put in and what to leave out and this is fair enough. However, it would be nice if the book included an appendix saying where one can obtain information on the topics not dealt with in the book. In fact, I would go further than that. A comprehensive Bibliography of Linux/Unix in general would be a worthwhile addition. One notable Linux utility program not mentioned is Perl. A brief discussion of it in the Linux Utility Programs section would have been nice or alternatively an appendix like that for regular expressions. Admittedly Perl is a vast topic, and doing justice to it in 6 pages is possibly a bit much but some sort of reference would have been nice. The book is an adaptation of the author's two other books on using Unix. Given the nature of the Linux community, Linux users tend to be fairly knowledgeable about Mice and Keyboards already, so pictures of them are probably not necessary. Given the overall quality of the book, these are relatively minor criticisms. All in all, in my opinion, Sobell's Practical Guide to Linux is the best book available on the market, bar none, for quickly and effectively getting to use the Linux editors, X-Windows, shells and Linux Utility Programs If you have a copy of A Practical Guide to Linux and Running Linux you should be able to solve most Linux problems.

This book is great! I don't care what anyone else says, this is the perfect book for Linux users. I own over 25 books on or related to UNIX/LINUX, and this one is the only one I really go back to (well, this one and Linux the Complete Reference, but that is more a collection of HOWTOs). It is the only book I refer to for an explanation of why something works such-a-such way in Linux. The book is serious enough to talk about shell programming, but also goes over access permissions, networking, and things like vi. It also has some pretty cool man-type pages in the back with examples.

If you are looking for a book that specifically tells you how to set up you ISP connection or ethernet card, look for Linux, The Complete Reference. (A Walnut Creek CDROM book)

If you have installed Linux, and need a coherent, step by step method to show you how to use it, this is a great book. This book is not designed to walk you through the Linux installation process. For that, any number of other books are available. It is not a disassociated compilation of how-tos. It is part tutorial and part reference guide. I am a new Linux user, and am currently taking a class in Unix. I wish the instructor had chosen this book. I am using it rather than the assigned textbook and I find that I am not only keeping up with the class, but my understanding of the material is considerably enhanced. At the end of each chapter, there are questions relating to the material presented in that chapter. If you can answer the questions, you can be sure that you understand the material. The explanations of the utilities are excellent; they provide enough theoretical information to give you an understanding of how they are integrated with the OS, and clear examples, which allow you to use them instantly. The book is designed for the intermediate to advanced user who may have little or no experience with Linux and wants a thorough introduction. The format is well thought out and, if you choose to move through the book chapter by chapter, you will find it well designed and challenging. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Doty took us to Heavens coast to expore life and death as his partner Wally dying of AIDS. The story evolves the impact/reaction on the author and Wally by Wally's diagnosis and his worsen illness. It also covers other friends struggling with(but not only limited to) AIDS epedemics. It's a memoir of love, companionship, and of course agony.

One doesn't have to be gay or have experienced the loss of loved ones to appreciate this book. Every human being would be touched by the emotions flowing through out the book. The story line is not a typical one, rather, the book is a collection of beautifuly essays or in deed a philosophy book. Doty, a poet, has no doubt mastered the English languish (many times I'd just read out and listen.)

I found, however, the book is somewhat hard to read in the begining. Also some details were repeated as if not neatly organized partialy because they were taken from diffent essays. There is not much "being in love" story (I had hoped more) as the auther emphasized on "living in love"(which is equally great).

There is no doubt that the book is totaly worth reading and I strongly recommend it to everybody!

Mark Doty, the award winning poet and teacher, has captured the agony and beauty of life and death in his novel Heaven's Coast. A memoir comprised of journal entries, poems and new text written over the year following the death of his partner of 12 years, Wally, from AIDS, Heaven's Coast is a tribute to love and the human spirit. This is not another "Aids Book," this is not Paul Monette (in all due respect) lamenting on lost love and bathhouses, this is an original feeling portrait of Doty at grips with the universal questions of life we all face-- Doty answers them with grace. His command of the language is truly humbling

Mark Doty's memoir is utterly moving. The aching need to resolve the many issues created by surviving the death of a loved one bond any reader to Doty. His beautiful language is enough to justify reading, but it is his themes and insight which make this tribute to a lover into an even deeper search for why we live and love at all. His sorrow is heavy like fog, but his stirring examination of self, of relationships and of purpose illuminate. The level of awareness which Doty creates and sustains is both frightening and intoxicating. Reading his book was like becoming one of the seals he watches- diving below the surface, discovering a part of the soul that is universal yet often unfathomable. His ability to take a tangle of fears and questions and put them into such precise prose is astounding. An example: "The virus in its predatory destruction seems to underline the responsibilty of the living; life's an unlikely miracle, an occasion of strangeness and surprize, and isn't it appalling to dismiss it, to discard the gift?" The book is like sledding down a hill- a wild, wind-burnt, painfully exhilarating ride to the core of the spirit.

I enjoyed the book but found it a little lacking to the others of his I have read. Possibly it is me and I suffer to many thrillers and serial killers, hard to say. Still all in all a very good story well ploted out with Colorado as a good background and two nice people that deserved more than they had received in life. I would recommend the book actually on its fine readability.

Amy Parkens is a single mom struggling to raise her young daughter. One day a mysterious package containing $200,000.00 appears on her doorstep.

Ryan Duffy is a divorced doctor, his dying father has revealed to him there is 2 million dollars hidden in their attic.

Amy begins searching to find out who sent the money and why.

Ryan begins to search his father's past to find out who his father was blackmailing and why.

The search brings Amy and Ryan together...What is the connection between the two, and is there a connection to Amy's mother's suicide many years earlier?

You will turn the pages FAST to uncover the answers to these questions

James Grippando is an author whose talent for coming up with clever, page-turning plots is endless.

"Found Money" moves at the speed of a runaway train, and the climax is a shocker.

This book is a MUST read!

I am a major fan of Grippando. I read his The Informant and good hooked royally.
Well this book is a fast paced,cracker of a thriller.
You will never know what will happen next.
Grippando has the readers hooked till the end.
Suspense builds up and you will be surprised at the twist at the end of the book.
A real page turner i have recommended this book to all my friends.
Please dont miss this thriller which has everything packed in it.