When I discovered Vampire: the Dark Ages, I wasn't sure what to expect. Vampire (like most White Wolf core games) is based upon our own society and a group of creatures which exist secretly beneath it.

This books is not like that. It takes the more traditional medieval time period, with a bloody twist. This is a fragile time; clan ties are stronger and clan stereotypes run rampant. History is twisted by the Lasombra and Ventrue, the Tremere are newly created and the Salubri still exist with reasonable numbers. The Cappadocians, now long forgotten (except as the oddly mysterious Harbingers of Skulls) are a powerful clan.

Why five stars? This is not a mock-up of Vampire: the Masquerade. It's something else, something different, something unique. It's a time of chaos in the world of the unliving, a struggle that predates the Camarilla. These are not the Kindred you think you know, they are Cainites to the core. They embrace their unique abilities and use them to command, to conquer, and to thrive.

I find that, when comparing Vampire: The Dark Ages (VDA) to it's modern counterpart, Vampire: The Masquerade (VM), VDA seems to always come out on top.

Unlike VM, VDA allows the players to exist in a world much more open and less ruled by the extremely irritating, corrupt web of the Camarilla and Sabbat. In fact, those two sects don't even exist: every vampire becomes an entity unto itself, under complex rule by no one. This allows for great freedom of expression in gameplay--expression that is all too stifled in VM.

Also, the book itself has MUCH more in the way of setting. The VM book, Revised Edition, seems extremely vague in the descriptions of the 13 clans. I could not help but be enraptured by the mysterious Dark Ages Assamites: in the modern day, they are static and more or less boring (at least based upon the meager descriptions found in the main core book). In the Dark Ages, they burn with life and passion. This is only one example--virtually every clan falls into this category.

The Dark Ages' own inherent mysteriousness and superstition allows for much more varied gameplay as well--the science of the modern day detracts much from the vague--but interesting--origin of vampiric power. That strange sense of wonder is present in the Dark Ages, but in the modern day VM it is simply in the way. One feels like vampires should have been scientifically explained by now, in our day.

Anyway, in short, the Dark Ages are a much better setting to be a vampire. You have more power, more mystery, more varied gameplay, and above all: freedom. Also, that whole blasted "punk" thing is done away with--when I think of vampires, I think very little of rebel hoodlums on a street corner. ;)

I wholeheartedly recommend the Whitewolf Vampire:The Dark Ages guide over every other rulebook in the Whitewolf ensemble.

It manages to encompass all of the magic of the original Vampire edition and also adding a fantastical, middle-ages flair to it. The potential for great storytelling is increased ten-fold and when complimented with the Mage:Sorcerer's Crusade it makes for an almost unbeatable tabletop roleplaying experience.

The Dark Ages guide contains a set of modified rules for playing several hundred years previous to the modern Vampire rules (rules on blood, enhanced generation, skills/talents etc) and includes the chance to play some of the vampire clans who had been phased out since the modern times (Salubri, Baali, Capadocian among others. Though they have their own clanbooks as well, enough information in the dark ages guide is included to effectively play them).

I would suggest that any fan of the Whitewolf games pick up this book. It is masterfully written and even engrossing to read despite being a set of rules.

-Zilean

I give this book 4 stars for its organization, simplicity, and attention to the needs of true beginners; I give it 3 stars for its yoga program.
This book's strength is that it is really intended for beginners. The layout of the book is easy to follow, and the focus is on the exercises, which are divided into two routines of different levels and which are actually doable. (No twisting legs behind heads here.) These routines take about 45 minutes from warm ups to relaxation if done at a brisk pace or about 1 hour if done with more resting in between asanas. The authors also give a basic and brief introduction to other aspects of the yogi life.
I am using this book as a complement to my introductory yoga class to improve my flexibility and strength to a point where I can begin a more intermediate level of yoga. The book works fairly well for that purpose, allowing me to focus on developing strength and improving flexibility in key areas for key poses. I would definitely recommend either taking a yoga class for a couple of weeks or working with someone who is more advanced in their yoga practice to see the poses in action, get feedback on posture, and hear other interpretations of the poses.
This leads me to what I feel are the book's weaknesses. The poses are adequately, even well, explained and photographed, but I find that the authors do not do as good of a job explaining how to come out of the asanas the safest way possible. (They do hint at this, but here a more experienced yoga person could help.) I find that my lower back is often stiff following workouts unless I switch the order of the last few poses, and I have to expand the warm ups and bring in cool down stretches from my class in order to prevent injury better.
Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to someone looking to get into yoga. I think that seniors especially may find this approach to yoga helpful, particularly with the recommended modifications. (Even less intimidating than this book is Yoga for Wimps, which modifies most, if not all, of the asanas; however, that book does not intend to prepare its followers to pursue more advanced levels of yoga. In contrast, Yoga for Beginners allows users to keep to its program or work towards a more difficult method.)

I am just beginning my yoga pratice and found this book to be all that I expected. Cleary and simply written teaching the basic poses in order in the first half of the book, the intermediate poses in the second half of the book. As an athlete and cycling coach this an instruction book par excellence. I give it the ultimate recommendation - 5 stars.

I have attempted yoga poses with other books that have snapped shut while I was in transition. The fact that this is spiral bound has helped me tremendously.

The book includes breathing techniques and relaxation poses. It details exactly how to go through all of the poses, it also includes modifications. Its a great book!

The author, Mark Ross, has lived in Kenya for over 20 years. For the last 15 years, he has been a full-time safari guide and pilot taking small groups on very up-scale and up-close looks at the famous predators of Africa and rare animals like the mountain gorillas.

I picked up this book because so many people had told me how much they had enjoyed photographic safaris to Africa. My wife is always asking me how safe I think it is. The title and subtitle of this book made me think that I might get a more objective view. Before long, my spine was tingling and my hair was standing on end. The dangers of safaris are more than you thought!

The book begins with the story of Mr. Ross escorting four people through a series of parks. Mr. Ross had arranged for special permission to take his group two days in a row to see the mountain gorillas in Uganda. The first day had gone well, and they were excited about the next day. Then on March 1, 1999, he and his safari group were among 31 people captured by Rwandan forces on an illegal incursion into Uganda looking for Tutsis to kill. Before the day was over, 16 were kidnapped and 10 died.

If scenes of violent death upset you, this book is probably not a good choice for you. Mr. Ross reports still having great trouble sleeping after this experience. The extreme part of the story is at the end of the book, so you could read up to that point and miss the worst.

The bulk of the book is taken up with recounting stories about individual safari experiences. Mr. Ross and most of his tourists are interested in seeing the African predators make and eat their kills. So you will hear about various ways that lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, and crocodiles accomplish this.

On the other hand, everyone is charmed to see babies of the predators, and the book is filled with stories where the safari groups have close encounters of this sort.

Sometimes the tourists want to get close for a photograph, and Mr. Ross will use his best judgment to see if that's a good idea. When things go wrong, Mr. Ross and the tourists sometimes find themselves being chased by rampaging animals including elephants. Suddenly, they are the potential prey!

The book contains quite a lot of information about what can be seen in the various parts of East Africa, and what the conditions are like. You also get information about what it is like to be on a very exclusive safari of the sort that you may not be able to afford yourself.

My take-away is that there is a lot of danger if you go into areas near war zones, or places where tribal violence is active, or you do a lot of walking around outside of your Land Rover. Now, I think I understand why many friends have said that they prefer to go to the game parks in South Africa. Many of those issues should be less prevalent there.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how fascinated I am with seeing predators kill . . . and I know I'm not very good with a camera. Perhaps safaris aren't the thing for me after all.

Where in your life may there be hidden danger? Are you prepared for it?

"In Africa, death in an encounter with an animal is almost always the result of human error, if not folly." I also noted that Mr. Ross was badly injured as a young man in a train derailment while touring Africa. Human error can occur in many ways.

Take a balanced view of the opportunity to learn and take risks!

On January 20th, 2003 a 10 ton elephant gave chase to our Range Rover in Samburu National Park. In the days that followed I photographed rhino as I lay motionless in the grass 10 feet from the endangered animals, witnessed the birth of 3 wildebeest and the death, the same day, of 7 calves who dared venture too close to a pride of Lions in the Serengeti. Mark Ross,the author of Dangerous Beauty, was our guide, and it is hard to imagine a person more knowledgeable and passionate about the flora and fauna of Eastern Africa than him. While the book documents the depths to which man can sink, it is also a testimony to a continent and a people in grave danger from AIDS, poverty, poaching and war. Marks love of the people and wildlife of East Africa is apparent on every page.

Africa commands the attention, curiosity, and primal emotions of most human beings. Mark Ross says that people who come to Africa to go on safari with him almost always report that for as long as they can remember they have had a deep yearning for Africa, to see the animals roaming the Serengeti as they have been doing for millions of years, and to FEEL the place where human life first emerged. The book is elegantly written -- Ross describes settings and events beautifully and meticulously but makes/allows the reader to fill in the emotional content. He recreates a perfect-pitch Africa for those of us who have been there (I once spent three weeks in Kenya and Tanzania) and also, I feel certain, for those who have never been. Ross is a trained biologist, and it shows. He delivers a deep experience of Africa's animals, geography, people, and politics -- that alone would make for a satisfying book. But the chilling beauty of this one is that, while we're immersed in our on-the-ground experience of the place, Ross also forces us to confront another question that lurks within us all: "What would it be like to experience a sudden emergency -- and how would I, personally, react?" Ross' account of the tragedy in the rain forest is riveting and sickening -- I would recommend reading that part of the book (the last 70-some pages) early in the day, not before bedtime. But its pages are hard to resist. By the end I felt like I had stalked lions in the bush (and like I knew their thoughts) and also felt personally violated, as though I'd stared down the barrel of a gun held by someone else, and then seen that someone else casually murder people I was very close with. Like the safaris he leads, Ross' book is first-class in every way. You put it down knowing that you've just spent twenty years and 322 pages with a remarkable individual. And you've learned quite a bit. If it cost $..., it would be more than worth it.

For over a decade, the man has delighted and haunted(in a good way)audiences around the world. What is going on in the mind of the genius who has provided us with such popular hits as "Batman", the fairy tale, "Edward Scissorhands", and the critically acclaimed Ed Wood? Well, Burton on Burton gives us one of the clearest visions yet, describing his journey from an oddball child in the suburbs of California to his job as an unfulfilled Disney animator, to his current success. For the average Burton fan, the book will entertain and provide deep insight, but not so much related to Burton as a person, but Burton as a filmmaker. The chapters hide him behind a mask, much like his film's characters, never really letting the reader past the superficial. There are times when Burton comes close to opening up, describing his joy of spending time in the cemetary as a teenager, or his feeling of seclusion growing up, but for the most part, he focuses on his movies or other actors, or his success. Is it enough? Well, for most filmmakers, I wouldn't believe so... But there is a wonderful child-like quality to Burton, a truthfulness in his writing that somehow gave me just enough information to know that I liked him as much as I thought I had. The book could have used more of his lovely, peculiar artwork, and I do hope to know more about this genius in the future... But for what it is, "Burton on Burton" is a good first look into the life of a man who dwells in the dark in order to bring light to his audiences..................................................................................................................by peter fawthrop, greenville college, greenville, IL 62246------please feel free to write me

If you've seen Tim Burton in a broadcast interview, chances are that you know that he is not the most fluid of speakers, and for this reason I approached this extended interview with trepidation. However, beneath the sombre dust-jacket is an energetic and lively human being, who infuses the most simplistic life experiences with an infectious enthusiasm which makes this book an absolute joy.

The prose simply sparkles with intelligence, and probably just scratches the surface of his brilliance. Burton impresses with his underlying sense of artistic integrity, but amazes with his heartfelt discussions about art and character. He wants you to share the sense of fun that these experiences have given him, and speaks passionately on many aspects of life. Here is someone not afraid to relate the most pedantic details if he considers them to have impacted his vision, and this is where the book excels most. In many ways, the talk about his actual films is comparatively mundane when compared to recollections of the experiences that shaped them.

Topped off with a selection of Burton's distinctive artwork, this is a fine addition to the library of any movie fan, and it will leave you in awe of one of a cinematic talent that defies categorisation. In the foreword, Johnny Depp calls Burton a genius, and having read the man's take on the world, I think that it's a label I wouldn't argue with. This book is an exemplary example of the interview form, and proof that the best medium for preserving discussion will always be the written page.

Basically an autobiography, we hear about the demons that drive his art from "spotty" narratives to ethreal abstractions from the master himself. We're told of life in Burbank, triple monster features, employment under a big fuzzy smiley rodent, the befriending of an idol, and then taken through a journey of his features.

Pee Wee to Sleepy if you get the revised edition. Also the lowdown on his earliest creations: a family dog, a do-it yourself dog, and the hardly seen classic short Vincent. Got a bit weepy in the Scissorhand section when he mentions working with his mentor in last days. Reminiscent of the relationship between Ed Wood and Bela.

This book is the definitive book so far on Tim's life and career in that he takes you by his clamy hand and leads you through his gallery of mutated yet mistaken hall of horrors. A bit incoherent in spots makes you cherrish the man and his wizardry even more.

It really is a must for his fans or for anyone with the slightest inclination that they might want to try their hands at directing. So grab a pair of scissors, strap on your bat mask, and wind up the B-film projector; cause "Tim Burton ..this is your life!!"

Keen and McDonald do a great job in addressing issues that companies face in the "Internet Era." The text is well organized and emphasizes the fact that companies do need to focus on their customers and their processes. Their chapters on "out-tasking" and "in-sourcing" are helpful for those not familiar with these concepts. Additionally, the book helps "executive" types really understand the concept of "embedding" rules within a software interface. The chapters that focus on web "touch and texture" and value networks are also insightful. I believe that they did a great job in addressing "process."

However, like many of these types of books, it's written in "consultant" speak aka "Accenture" or "Andersen" speak. It lacks details and quite frankly that is where the devil can be found. The book provides limited examples of successful eCommerce implementations. Believe it or not, Amazon and National Semiconductor are not the only companies that have successfully performed eCommerce implementations. If your looking for technical details this is NOT the book for you. Additionally, the writing is a bit wordy. There are more than one sentence where authors use "thus, that" and other odd gramatical constructs. With better editing, I am sure that the book could have been made a little easier to read.

This a great read to learn more about strategy and process, but be prepared to "wade" through the jargon.

eCommerce has both blinded and charmed many business people into focusing on the wrong issues and actions for their companies, customers, and investors. Fewer than 20 eBusinesses have achieved consistent eCommerce profitability, and created real customer value.

There are very few worthy how-to books about eCommerce. Customers.com is one such book. However, many other books adopt a "white ivory tower" mentality that fails to explain the nuts and bolts of the eCommerce explosion, and fewer even give clear guidelines on becoming successful in eCommerce

What book should you read to understand the what's and how's of eCommerce?

The eProcess Edge is a must-read for managers (technical and non-technical), C-level officers, consultants, academics, and industry analysts. It is useful to both professionals, and anyone who wants to be a well-informed online customer and potential investor of eBusinesses.

The eProcess framework offers logical and compelling analyses of eCommerce success and failures for the past 5 years, and is based on the lessons learned from a large sample size (80+) of companies across different industries to support its reasonings.

Keen and McDonald provide strong inferential arguments for the importance in eCommerce of: - commerce fundamentals - relationships building - business process excellence - collaborative value networks - electronic interfaces - capabilities sourcing - customer experience.

Technology does not provide all the answers. The integration of people, process and technology is necessary to achieve the eProcess edge for high customer value, and high company profitability.

This is a very practical book. It offfers many lessons-learned, and recommends specific actions. It addresses the challenges and issues for both pure-online only, and traditional "bricks and mortar" companies. It leverages the expertise and insights of two veteran eCommerce experts - backed by the research, analyses, real-world experiences, and talents of their respective companies (Keen Innovations, Andersen Consulting).

Some books about business explain the emerging critical concepts of the day. Other books about business teach the details of implementation for a new technology. It is very rare to find one book that does both. E-Process Edge does both. It covers the new world of E-commerce at the conceptual level. It also provides a wealth of practical how-to material on how to apply the new concepts in a particular situation. This is one book that should be read by both executive management and the e-commerce project team.

Carl Longnecker Visiting Executive Loyola Graduate School of Business

Seamless tracing out of these people out of the hills of Virginia who till the end, didn't see themselves as any different from the rest, other than they liked to play and sing music, and people liked to listen.

For one such as I who never knew much about those behind the likes of June and Johnny, this was revealing. Strong characters of A.P. and Sarah and Eck and Maybelle, et al, form the nucleus of this formidiable foundational country/folk.

The ties with the likes of Atkins and Hank Williams and Elvis and Nitty Gritty, etc. are documented in such a unasuming and relaxed way that it seems as though you're there in their warm hospitality which they showed to all who came to Clinch Mountain.

The reader will surely take away fond stories, such as: Maybelle's panic to find instrument for June to play as approach Texas radio gig, writing chord changes on autoharp, June recalling Mom's admonition "You will learn to play the autoharp this week;" or Cowboy Slim borrowing Maybelle's guitar, only to lose it in a poker game; to dreaded Al Gore Sr.'s singing.

Appreciated spiritualness of the Carter's. Interesting point Zwonitzer makes on page 311: "Sam Phillip's boys--Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash--were raised on gospel and country music. .... But their hit songs were the yearnings of the flesh. In fact, by the mid-fifties, everybody seemed to be sings about the scratching the big itch, and Maybelle's more indirect and innocent songs of woodland cottages and myrtle, dewy roses and heavenly light, were starting to feel a little dusty."

Author is real wordsmith. Reading this book is like putting on that ole pair of bluejeans that feels so good and comfortable. Fine example of written documentary of seminal musical group to this country's rich musical lore.

Mark Zwonitzer traces the history and musical evolution of one of the World's most productive and loved Country Music families.

While the all 'original' members of the Original Carter family are no longer with us, this book will make you miss them as if they were your lifelong friends. This book is a must read for anyone with even a passing interest in American music and its roots.

Thanks Mark!

"Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone" is not only an exceptional history of the Carter family but also a fine history of rural America in the 20's, 30's and 40's. From the mountains of Virginia, the powerful radio stations in Mexico across the river from Texas, the great depression, and life in the 60's and 70's. If you have the slightest interest in country music this book should be on your must read list. You will not only read a great history of the Carter family but find stories of Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Tom T.Hall, Hank Williams and others. I have read this book three times thus far and each time I find it hard to lay the book down.

I read this book in a low period of my life, when my feath in humanity was at it worst. Every stories of this book stired up my emotions, and even brought up some tears, (sometime at the wrong place: since sometimes I read at work between customers. When a customer walked in and wondered why I was crying, I simply replied that I was reading the nicest story book, and I gived them a small resume of the story. Most of the time the person is interested to read the book. So I give them the title and the author.) Or at home, when I want to relax after a busy day, I read some stories. The problem is that I can not put the book down until I read it all. When I go to the library, I look for new books from the same serie. It' s a real addiction!... But a good addition, because it lifts up the spirit

This book is very good for making you think about the little things in life that make a big difference. It is especially good for people who have a hard time finding the time to read books cover-to-cover without loosing their context. It's basically a collection of short stories where you can read any one in a couple of minutes and get something out of it. Great for reading in doctors' waiting rooms etc. This is also a great gift, I've given away about ten copies and each of those people have given their friends copies. It seems to be universally very well received

I really enjoyed this 2nd helping of chicken soup. Every story reaches out to you and you can relate closely to so many. In fact, one story in particular was very, very touching. It made both my husband and me cry. It was a story about a dog that meant alot to a woman and her experiences with that dog and then the sad end to the dog's life. Well, it just so happened that I read that story to my husband on the eve of our one year anniversary of losing our family dog of thirteen years. It was so like our experience that it sent a shiver down your spine and finally we both cried. It was as if our dog was saying hi to us in his own way, that we hadn't forgotten him. Anyways, I love all the stories in your books. I've read Chicken Soup and now a 2nd helping. So, now I am reading Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul. I can't wait to read them all!! Thank you soooooo much for these wonderful books to read.

This is the best overview of the economics behind firm strategy you can find. The coverage of the book is impressive. All economic principles are discussed in an accessible way, although you should have some understanding of basic microeconomics. Compared to a standard textbook in industrial organization the advantage of this text is a focus on real world issues and a vast amount of case studies. If you're in strategy and you like the views of Porter, Ghemawat and Nalebuff, this is the book for you.

This book has it all: a hardcore economics-based view of the activities of the firm, a thorough discussion of the major schools of strategic thought, solid case analyses and even review of organizational behavior and culture. Those Chicago students should be learning a lot from Kellogg...

Well beyond the touchy-feely strategy approach, this book explores the details behind the economic reasoning of strategic decisions of the firm. Many examples, and theory that really forms the backbone of strategy. Excelent chapters on dinamics of pricing rivalry, isolating mechanisms of competitive advantage, vertical and horizontal integration, strategic positioning and more. Cover the basics and the advaced strategy knowledge in a well written manner. Very good MBA textbook.

If you need help with calculus or just want more practice for the AP test, this is the book for you! Mr. Kelley is the reason I got a 5 on the AP Calculus test, so his book is very highly recommended. This book is entertaining as well as helpful. Mr. Kelley's sense of humor as well as incredible knowledge of calculus is a winning combination that makes it so much easier to learn, because it helps relieve the tedious and painful aspects of calculus that so many people feel. It will be a book you like even if you don't like math, and especially if you do!

My AP Calculus teacher has used Mr. Kelley's book extensively in our class to clarify topics that are not covered well in our textbook. This book has been the PERFECT aid in helping me to understand calculus! You only need to purchase ONE AP prep book---THIS ONE! This book covers topics much more clearly than Barron's or Princeton Review. I know because I've tried both. Another huge plus to this book is the fabulously entertaining writing style that Mr. Kelley uses. He definitely knows how to write to appeal to high school students! My advice----YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK!!!! It's great!!

If it had not been for this book, I would not have survived my first year of Calculus. And the TWO AP practice tests (for Calc AB; there are also two for BC) in this book were at the same difficulty level of the real test unlike other highly recommended sources (like Princeton's review) that were also used in my classroom!

This tape was my first experience of the Chicken Soup series. I had heard of Mark Victor Hansen from the One Minute Millionaire book.
The first thing that struck me was how awfully - there's only one way to put this - American the tape is. Beneath the slightly patronising (perhaps only to non-American ears) delivery the stories are indeed worthwhile even though some suffer from being over-sentimental.
Recommended.

I love this book very much. I guess you could call it my favorite one. I am 14 years old and deal with a lot of hard things and your books really help me. I have heard stories from it at camps, at school, and at church. Sometimes when something is bothering me I look in there to see if anyone else has this problem and i can see how they handled it. Your book has really helped me through my teens eventhough I am just becoming one. I would recomend that yall get more publicity for your books so that other people can find them and get help like I did. Thank you so much for writting it, It is great. sincerely Blakeley (Mobile, Alabama)

The Chicken Soup series is always a pleaser, but seriously, I've gotten so many of them as gifts etc. Do I really need to read 303 wonderful stories? I'm almost getting numb to them. One book is plenty. Every one seems to offer quality soups and plenty of recognizable people to add credit to the story. I recommend any of the books, but don't recommend going crazy and buying anymore than one or two. The material/message just gets a little repetitive after a while.