This is a serious book about a very serious subject--the escalating arms race between humans and disease-causing microbes. The bad news is that we're losing, making the emergence of resistant disease causing bacteria "one of the greatest threats to the survival of the human species."

Co-written by Mark Plotkin, a leading ethnobotanist and Michael Schnayerson, a talented writer and editor, The Killers Within is a highly readable, often gripping narrative, full of stories, personalities and drama. At the same time, it presents a lot of the history, science and politics that surround the struggle of medical science to stay a step ahead of the deadly bugs that are proving remarkably adept at evolving ways to defeat our antibiotics.

The authors have no trouble identifying the culprits in this losing battle--an agricultural industry pouring millions of pounds of antibiotics into poultry and livestock as "growth promoters," doctors and patients who overuse antibiotics, and the interaction of profits and politics that determine what kinds of drugs reach the market and when. But behind these lies our naive blindness to the bacterial world's incredible capacity to defeat our most powerful weapons. Bacteria have multiple ways to evolve and swap handy genetic information, such as how to cleave penicillin molecules or pump antibiotics out of their cells. All it takes is one bacteria that survives an antibiotic by evolving a new resistance mechanism; within a few years even unrelated bacteria thousands of miles away will know the trick. It's as easy for the bacteria, the authors write, "as collecting charms on a charm bracelet."

The authors chillingly describe the costs of this war being fought out in our labs, hospitals and bodies--millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide, and the risk to all of us of returning to a world where we are no longer protected by antibiotics. Most of the major pathogens have already evolved multiple drug resistance. The very young and the very old are already dying from untreatable infections, but any one of us is now at risk that a cut, an accident, a minor surgery or a bout of flu can lead on to a raging infection by bacteria resistant to most if not all antibiotics.

The authors do hold out some hope. Perhaps phages, vaccines, or new generations of genetically engineered antimicrobial agents will once again tip the balance in our favor. But for now, expect to see more headlines about outbreaks of resistant strains of bacteria and to hear more horror stories from friends whose scratch or surgery turned into a life-threatening nightmare. This book will help you make sense of those events. Let's hope that the dedicated and farsighted researchers it depicts will eventually win the day.

Robert Adler, author of Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation (Wiley, 2002).

Excellent, excellent job done in research and writing by Shnayerson & Plotkin. If the reader is involved in science or public health, the 'news' in this book does not come as a surprise to anyone. It's been known for years among those in these communities that bacteria has been developing resistance to our antibiotics from day one. We get taught this if you work in a lab, because it becomes vitally important to keep everything absolutely sterile and clean. I know it is taught in medical school, but they don't emphasize this enough to medical students and doctors and nurses, because many doctors continue to dispense antibiotics like candy even though they have been warned and warned again by the Center for Disease Control and others.

For those who enjoy reading stuff like this to scare themselves...well, good luck. This is the stuff of nightmares, and if you spend a lot of your time worrying, I certainly wouldn't recommend you read this book. There is always hope, as the authors point out, that researchers will continue to find antibiotics that will temporarily restrain bacterial onslaught. However, be assured this hope has been relied upon in the past, and the bacteria always seem to find a way to mutate around medication, regardless of whether the antibiotics had an organic chemical basis or was a synthetic/man-made one, not seen in nature.

Most of the time, the people who pick up this type of book are already involved and concerned about this public health disaster-in-the-making. Yet these authors are trying to get this information out to the public, and write in such a way as to make this science knowledge understandable. The book starts out slowly, but picks up pace quickly. I had difficulty putting it down after the first couple of chapters. It is absolutely vital that the public be aware that responsibility for correct antibiotic use lies not just with the physicians, but with the patients and parents of patients who beg their doctors for antibiotics, when those antibiotics are not called for. As the authors bring up, most antibiotics given out by pediatricians are for ear infections (>60%). Yet often times those ear infections will go away on their own, with the antibiotics only minimalizing the length of time of the course of infection. Yet, all of us are guilty of expecting physicians to give us 'something' to make a cold or the flu 'go away'. Unfortunately, too often those illnesses are not caused by bacteria, but by viruses, and giving antibiotics in this manner just give bacteria an opportunity to switch genes around to build resistance. Same thing with not taking all of a prescription after the patient starts feeling better, or sharing medication not prescribed for others.

I hope this book is widely read. Maybe if enough consumers become concerned, we can put a stop to certain practices such as the use of antibiotics in animal feed as growth factors, regardless if they are known to be used for human consumption. The public needs to get more involved in their own medical care, and that means participating in governmental processes to fight against massive lobbying by pharmaceutical companies and livestock/meat companies and their lackeys, who often don't know and don't care about the possible consequences of their indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

This book was extremely interesting for me, but I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. I would recommend it however to those interested in the Health/Science industry. The read isn't so hard but does require a basic understanding of some medical terminologies and you have to be able to pick things up and follow ideas easily. The book reads almost like a horror story, except its true. I wouldn't recommend reading this book if you get paranoid easy. I know I usually don't, but even I find myself thinking twice about alot of things now. This book gets a high rating from me because, as a studying pre-medical student, it has helped me to find my area of interest in the field.

First of all, this is Twain! Based on his wit and his crafty writing, there's no way I could give this less than three stars. However, I believe his argument and conclusion are dependant upon premises which may or may not be true.

The lynchpin for his argument is this statement --

"If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it."

Is this true? If God does not have unlimited power then this is certainly true. Or, if God is not wise enough to solve that 'dilemma' then this is true. Or, if God is not good enough to care then Twain's argument still holds together.

Twain takes the statement above and applies it to war. He claims, if you pray for the safety of our troops you are inherently asking that death and destruction be poured out onto the other troops -- causing their families to grieve and mourn and suffer. It is therefore a ruthless and evil prayer.

The question Twain is attempting to answer is -- Can God protect the troops of our soldiers and at the same time protect the enemy troops? Can God cause them to shake in fear and surrender? The answer to Twain's question seems to be dependant on how big, good, and wise God is.

Twain's objections certainly hold true for a demigod - a junior god. However, if God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omni-benevolent, then Twain's argument must crumble - and in turn the act of praying for the safety of our troops is upheld.

The "protest" writings of Mark Twain gained renewed interest during the anti-Viet Nam War Movement and the most prominant of these writings is "The War Prayer." From 1962 to 1973, it appeared in no fewer that 4 separate collections of his stories, including "A Pen Warmed Up in Hell'" and "The Damned Human Race." In 1970, Harper&Row published "The War Prayer" on its own , in hard cover, with haunting illustrations by John Groth. The story clocks in at slightly more than 1,200 words. It is Twain at his most economic. And most vehement. The story begins as an unnamed country prepares for war, its citizens awash with patriotic rapture. Parades, mass meetings and rousing speeches have almost everybody pumped and primed for a bloody good time. On the eve of battle, a service is held and the pastor invokes God's blessings on their cause and their armies. A stranger arrives "bearing a message from Almighty God." The Lord has heard their prayer, the messenger informs them, and is willing to grant it. But only after they have heard the unspoken portions of their prayer. The secret prayer, hidden in their hearts. Twain then unleashes a blunt tutorial on the ravages of war. "(H)elp us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreads with our shells,...Lay waste their humble homes,..wring the hearts of their offending widows...their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land." Not exactly win-one-for-the-Gipper stuff. Just a handy reminder in the age of surgical strikes. In the Post Cold War Era, and 84 years after its initial publication, "The War Prayer" remains a devastating attack on any call to arms and the concept of just and winnable warfare.

This isn't your typical Twain piece. It's still well crafted, like your typical Twain, and it makes its social commentary, like your typical Twain, but it does so without the biting satire that you find in most of Twain's work. It's a phenomenal piece of literature. It is his protest, his anti-war piece (written around 1905 in response to the Philippine-American War), and it is relevant still today--perhaps more so in today's world. The line drawings by John Groth add a sense of movement and urgency that works in counterpoint to Twain's words. This is an important piece of literature. And I'll leave with Twain's words on "The War Prayer":

'I have told the whole truth...and only dead men can tell the truth in this world. It can be published after I am dead.'

This book is packed with good readable information on all aspects of buying a car. I knew car salesmen and dealerships were sleazy and this book confirms it. I didn't rate it 5 stars because I felt it lacked detailed information on what dealers really pay for cars. Of course this will vary depending on how much and what kind of units they buy, but surely there are some standards that weren't revealed here. But all the other content scores big and you will learn things you never knew about the business.

I bought this book before attempting to purchase my first new vehicle. The Mr. Eskeldson sheds much light on the inner workings of the auto industry and on the sometimes shady tactics utilized by those who would charge you thousands more than your more-educated peers.

Although this book is not as all-around useful as James Bragg's "Car Buyer's and Leaser's Negotiating Bible" it certainly complements it, and I would recommend reading both before your next car purchase.

This book is easy to read and informative. It prepares a shopper well for the experience and provides practical advice. Topics not covered, but should be, are how to order a car when what you want is not found on the lot and advice on Internet auto shopping. It seems the book is becoming outdated already but is valuable in learning how to deal with the "hard sell" and the so called "no haggle" vehicle dealers. For what it costs, it's still worth it.

The arguments presented in this title are very clear and concise, although tilting towards the abolishment of capital punishment. It is a great book for pros and anti-death penalty believers. Too many time I have read studies on the death penalty which are inconsistent. I have yet to see evidence that shows a rise in the murder rate when capital punishment is in effect consistently. The only reason why I did not give it a 5 star rating is because after researching boths sides of the argument and there refutations, I became a supporter of the death penalty. But it's still a good read though since it contained numerous facts and views that I did not know before. I encourage all to not come to a conclusion on a specific topic without hearing and researching both sides. And not commenting on hoping that people will come to their senses and abolish the death penalty based on your views. One main reason why I support it is because I believe the bible supports it.

- Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed." - In Exodus 21:12 "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death." - In Numbers 35:31 "Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death." - Paul said, "If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die."

This is a very brief argument and I just want you all to know that their are good and logical reasons for keeping the death penalty. Carpe Diem! Now go, seize the day and learn what you can about this very important subject.

I think the book is fine and it helped me in my debate. Lotsa details and good information and refutations against the death penalty. I read one review about the person who stood six hours and read it. Even though I'm on his side and am a believer in nothing, his argument is wrong about how Christians are commanded not to kill. Didn't God command the Israelites to kill many people when they went into the "promised land"? The commandment reads Thou shall not murder, not kill as my grandpa explained to me. I think he needs to do more research. But i agree that killing is wrong, be it by state or whatever. I recommend this book to all who are researching about this topic, but remember to use other books as well.

This well-written book examines virtually all arguments regarding the death penalty. In addition to exposing current practices, Just Revenge also puts the death penalty in an historical context. Its inevitable conclusion, as it demolishes every well-cherished but incorrect justification for the death penalty (with the exception of a clause in the 5th Amendment) , is that the only thing proponents have left on their side is indeed just revenge. Mark Costanzo's own opinion is clear virtually from the start, but he backs it up with fact after devastating fact. If you want to learn more about the death penalty, this is an excellent place to begin. It is also a useful reference book as it is chock-full of statistics and anecdotes.

MUSICHOUND FOLK: THE ESSENTIAL ALBUM GUIDE is one of the best and most complete compilations of reviews and descriptions of folk artists' works that I have yet seen. Bravo for an excellent start!!

However, I would like to recommend that the inclusion of the following artists would improve the coverage and render the book even more comprehensive!!

1. Tom Rapp (Pearls Before Swine) 2. Bob Carpenter ( Canadian songwriter) 3. Lee Clayton (Folk/Country artist) 4. John Martyn (British Folk/Rock artist) 5. Willie P. Bennett (Canadian songwriter) 6. Murray McLauchlan (Canadian songwriter) 7. Decameron (British Folk/Rock band) 8. Lindisfarne (British Folk/Rock band) 9. Michael Chapman (British folk/Rocker) 10. Terry and Gay Woods (Terry was in the Pogues and both were in Steeleye Span) This is a short list but it is evident that more research into British and Canadian folk music would improve this book. Nevertheless, I applaud this great begining!!

All you Folkies out there better get this book. Finest music book I've seen in a long time. Will definitely help you decide what CDs you should buy the next time you get "brain lock" at your local Sam Goody. More than 1,000 pages of pure delight.:-)

I've been a folk music fan for years, but only recently have I become fully aware of the incredible range of artists and music that's out there. I have found this guide incredibly helpful in choosing new albums to purchase, or in deciding which new artists to try (I have it to thank for my love of the music of Nanci Griffith and Tish Hinojosa).

While the title indicates a focus on folk music, the guide's definition of "folk" turns out to be quite broad--it includes folk-rock, country, bluegrass, some blues, and Celtic music. For each artists profiled, the authors identify the best albums ("what to buy" and "what to buy next"). They also include a fairly complete discography for each artist--the albums included seem to be those that were in print at the time of publication. Instead of Amazon's stars, the authors rate albums at one to five "bones."

In a work of this nature there are always possible quibbles one can have, either about the critical judgements of the authors (not one Joan Baez album rates five bones?) or their selection of who to include or exclude (Willie Nelson makes it in, but Waylon Jennings doesn't?). The one inexcusable omission, especially since Pete Seeger's picture is on the cover, is that of the Weavers. But even that error, grievous though it is, does not detract from this book's value.

Mastering Team Leadership is a very straightforward guide to mastering communications skills in a group environment. Technology has served to accentuate the need for these skills. Mark Kelly provides and framework for pulling the team together and getting everybody pulling in the same direction. This book is a good read for all team members wishing to develop their team skills.

The book is easy to read with practical and memorable examples, tips, personal development suggestions, and even cartoons! I will immediately implement many of the suggestions to improve my team leadership abilities, and I expect both my company and myself to greatly benefit from the wisdom in this how to manual. It's one of the best leadership/coaching books I've read.

If one is involved in gaining success in a group or team setting, this book brings practical wisdom to the effort. Its logical and straight forward presentation walks a leader through necessary steps to achieve. The activities work with newcomers, experts and all levels of intellect. The coaching skills are direct and extensive in practice. "Mastering..." is an excellent value and my copy already has thumb tears.

After meeting the author and finding him interesting, I decided to read his book. Although Name the Baby does seem to be a bit of a 90s Catcher in the Rye, its poignancy and freshness set it apart and ensure that it's not just a Salinger re-hash. Sam's style of thinking (or, more aptly, Cirino's style of writing) moves to a real-thought tempo. We are not just inside Sam's mind for the sound bites, but for his whole journey. Name the Baby is filled with asides, which give the novel its flavor. Sam's ruminations are often funny, usually insightful and perceptive, and almost always jaded. Cirino's language is crisp, direct, fluid, alive. His style of writing is the real gem of the novel.

I gotta say, this was a damn good book. Cirino has an extremely unusual style, one I haven't seen before. It's kind of like one long, continuous thought that takes you up and down hills, through highs and lows, but always leaves you with a smile on your face.

I'd definitely recommend it...if you're one of those who likes intellectual stimulation, Name the Baby kind of walks you through the journey, making the stimulus effortless on the reader's part.

Name the Baby is one of the best books I can admit I've read in a really long time. Praise to Mark Cirino for pulling off something this good; I didn't want the book to end!

This book is probably the most quoted book I've seen on the topic of government experimentation on mind control. However, John Marks only follows the trail of the CIA. Many other branches/units of the government and military were involved in MK-Ultra. The Army, Navy, Air Force, NSA, DOD, DOE. Would be nice to see all resources pooled together to have one complete story of these experiments instead of just one small segment of it. In spite of the single focus, it is the best information out there for documentation...especially since many of the other agencies involved destroyed all or most of their MK-Ultra documents (which is another conspiracy in itself). Thank heavens for the persistence of John Marks to find these documents!

This book could habe been an important contribution to the study of mind control, but for two reasons fails to achieve this task. First of all, the narration is simply tedious, monotonous and boring. John Marks an ex-CIA agent may have been in the right position to tell about his experiences within the agency when it conducted its infamous mind control experiments, but he is certainly no eloquent writer. He often rambles on about certain events that just makes it difficult to want to keep on reading. He also has the unfortunate tendency to mix up very mundane information with important facts. The second reason why this book could have been better is the authors limited use of sources. It is of course fabulous to have a certain access to CIA documents, but one should therefore, not ignore other relavent sources. His thesis is nonetheless, important and can be regarded as true. Nevertheless, I find that this is not one of the best books on the subject, if anyone wants to have a broader perspective on the genre read Jim Keiths excellently researched book "World Control - Mind Control", which cites not only more (and far more diverse sources), but also shows that not only the CIA and other intelligence agencies were performing mind control experiments; many so called humanitarian organisation were also involved usually by contributing money or organisational expertise.

For decades,during the 20th Century,intelligence & military agencies were investigating the science behind mind/behaviour control & complementing their work with unbelievably insane experiments upon human beings. John Marks lifts the lid on these once top secret operations that in some ways,more or less,altered a generation.

The book is an engrossing inquiry into the "Manchurian Candidate" assassin-patsy theory...i.e; that the project was initiated & designed,by the CIA,for the sole purpose of breeding "re-programmed"/brainwashed trigger-gripping people who would kill & have no memory whatsoever of what they had done....like almost as if they just HAD to kill to stop the voices in their heads.

The most famous mind control research came out of the CIA's "MK-ULTRA" program which highlighted the use of LSD among other techniques of experimentation(such as hypnosis,electronic chips in the brain,microwave transmissions,shock therapy,etc) One scientist who worked for the CIA & helped with some of the experiments described it as being like "Dante's inferno".

John Marks,though,takes the OFFICIAL ending that the whole operation was a complete bust,which isn't my OWN opinion,but I'm glad the info has risen above board & I'm happy that it's been documented for the future generations.

Intriguing stuff,Give it a whirl!

The Simple Guide to Self-Publishing is clear, accurate and up-to-date. Mark Ortman has condensed years of experience into concise and valuable checklists (complete with check-off boxes). Now the book has been revised again to include electronic and on-demand printing. You will refer to this book again and again. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com

In A Simple Guide to Self-Publishing, Mark Ortman lays out simple, concise, step-by-step "how to" guides for preparing, printing, distributing, and promoting a book that is published by its author. Now in a thoroughly updated third edition, A Simple Guide to Self-Publishing also includes the phenomena of on-line publishing and the electronic book (ebook). All of the references and resources for successful self-publishing are presented, including the easiest way to get started; where to apply for a copyright and ISBN number; ways to publishing a manuscript on the Internet; where to have a book printed economically; how to promote and distribute books on the Internet. A Simple Guide to Self-Publishing is a practical, "user friendly" instruction guide and reference that will prove invaluable for the novice self- publisher.

I met Mark at one of his classes on publishing in late 1995. I knew absolutely nothing about publishing when I attended the class; all I had was an idea for a book. Now I have my own small press. I published "A Cowboy Never Lies" exactly one year from meeting Mark. I read The Simple Guide to Self-Publishing and although I referenced some other books on self publishing, The Simple Guide is my publishing bible

It's funny how a book about why homos don't need to be 'gay' is attacked for not being gay enough and for failing to offer us the New Mince Forwards. It's as if gays are too delicate and fragile to be exposed to self-criticism and dissent without being immediately soothed and reassured by a vision of The Emerald City. It's precisely because this book doesn't have anything to sell us that it is so refreshing. Odd how a book with 'Anti-' in the title turns out to be CRITICAL, isn't it? The various books which have appeared in the US since 'Anti-Gay' (a UK book, please note) appeared have pretended to be critical but have all been way too gay. All of them have been written by pink snake-oil salesmen who want to convince us that they have patented the 'right' way to be homo - e.g. Signorile and Sullivan squabbling over who should have the keys to the Gay Community pulpit. Their 'critical' dimension has turned out to be mere moralism. Funnily enough, the most 'political' statement in regard to contemporary homosexuality turns out to be an attempt, however unlikely, to free homo-ness from political imperatives (which anyway have just become a branch of consumer politics). 'Anti-Gay' does this with humour and wit, and also with real balls - an organ that sheep-like contemporary gays wouldn't know what to do with, besides shaving and hanging weights from.

faeryboy@yahoo.com (see review below) has obviously not read this book or he would not have written what he did. Not only didn't he read the book but he didn't even bother to read the reviews listed here or he would have gathered that this book was not homophobic but a self-critique of the gay suburban culture by gay men and women. It is quite a feat to attack the supposed ignorance of others while flamboyantly parading your own but faeryboy manages to do it.

This is just the best book about homosexuality I've ever read. Why? Because it tells the truth.

And because it offends everyone. Especially stupid people. It's also very funny. Refreshingly, it doesn't pretend to offer any answers, or new identities. It just asks lots of difficult questions.

If you want to get over being gay and get on with being human, this is the book for you.