I was given "A Snowman Named Just Bob" as a present last Thanksgiving and was so touched by the beautiful message of how simple friendship is to start that I bought 15 more for Christmas presents for family and friends! The story is heartwarming and the illustrations are beautiful. I have since purchased 4 more of author Moulton's titles and each is as delightful as the other. I intend to buy every book Mark Kimball Moulton writes!

A Snowman Named Just Bob is a wonderful story of lasting friendship. True friendship is forever in your heart, and is such a great gift. The artwork is beautiful and the story filled with meaning. I know people of all ages will enjoy this book. A treasure for all.

I was recently given one of these books in memory of my boyfriend BOB. I have since purchased 8 of these books to give to our close friends and neighbors as Christmas gifts in his memory. It is a very touching book and brought tears to my eyes. Bob was also a special person in my life just as the snowman Bob was to his friends in the book. It will be a book that can be read for many years during the holiday season in memory of our friend BOB.

I was pulled into the characters, events, locations and was kept on edge. The story line had movie rights written all over it. I could visualize everything I read and I am a first time reader. With the current events that is going on in the Whtie House and the Washington Metropolitan Area, the author captured the political climate in the African American community as it exist across the country, the essence of the drug culture and street life. Although "The Nomination" is a fiction, it is quite believable. This is a must read. Looking forward to the author's next novel.

In The Nomination, author Frederick Williams pens a gripping tale that weaves drama, intrigue, love, and politics into a wonderfully entertaining mystery.

Mr. Williams' vivid character portrayals and descriptions of our Nation's capitol demonstrate his mastery of the artform as well as his extensive knowledge of Capitol Hill and the Washington, D.C. area.

Readers will find this book thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend it!

I was thoroughly entertained when I read this book. It was an easy read and it flowed smoothly. The characters in the book were very interesting and kept you guessing. The story line was great. I am anxiously awaiting his next book. John Grisom don't have anything on Fredrick Williams. This is a must have book.

There are some books, maybe very few, that make orthopaedics practice easier, this is one of them, you may read it every day or night when resting, while fishing or camping. One may take a subject: giant cell tumor, and in few moments remember the main points; or know new things in few minutes as when see the Chevron' s procedure for some hallux valgus. This is a current procedure in USA, but was not used in latinamerican countries since 25 years ago, and now it returns...and so on... if you have Campbell's or Chapman's then you need this book.

This is a very true and clear way to keep up-date in the wide field of the orthopaedics. Iam a Orthopaedist and these kind of books help me a lot, and make my textbooks alive (I mean Campbell's, Watson-Jones, Apley's , Mercer's and others). Is not a book for junior surgeons its more easier for senior orthopaedist.

After so many years spent studying orthopaedics and leafing thru books of all sorts,it's the first time I come across a book I eventually feel I can tell my young trainees they MUST have a copy of. I am looking forward to see the latest edition. Since I am a translator, I would like to have this book translated into my language so as everyone in Italy interested can have it.

Grant Morrison, who? Now Mark Waid is a man who knows how to write comics! After over 40 issues under the helm of Grant Morrison, this book collects the first issues written by Mark Waid. With the talents of Mark Waid, the stories are more personal and smaller in scope. Gone are the masses of JLA members. (No Zauriel, no Steel, no Huntress, etc.) Mark Waid uses the main members, and we get to know them a bit better. (Wonder Woman is finally put to good use again!) The stories are not wild nonsense. They don't ramble on just to sell more issues. Each incident is there for a purpose. This tightly told story tells of Batman's fall from grace from the JLA. It also includes a few one-off issues, the best of which features only Aquaman and Wonder Woman. My favorite line is by Aquaman to Wonder Woman while he's holding her lasso, "Actually, I think you're a little vapid and boring -- and often more than a little Pollyanna-ish. I hate it that people keep assuming we have anything in common simply because we're both royalty. And for the life of me, I can't find any rational reason why I want you so badly."

JLA: Tower of Babel reveals the deadly genius of Batman and one of his greatest foes, Ra's Al Ghul. His paranoa leads him to develop a secret weapon against each of the Justice League members, in case they became dangerous for any reason. The effectiveness of these "fail-safes" becomes all too real when the files fall into the wrong hands. The League will never be the same again.

If I wanted to be chintzy and point out all the logical flaws, etc that plague this series, it would only be three stars. But I believe that given the fact that I've reread this story 20 or 30 times,means the overall story overcomes those inadequacies.
So much spoiler information has been given away already, I won't contribute further. Let's just say that this is one of the most important Batman stories anyone's EVER done. We receive more insight into his mind's inner workings, and get a hint that he's not that far removed from a guy named Frank Castle. Except for the "no killing" thing.
This story is also important because it both sets up and is influenced by Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The reverberations continued through to JLA Divided We Fall and in other DC books in months to follow. This is an indispensible book.

Medicine Quest Review

Medicine Quest was an awesome book that taught me a lot, but was also very interesting. It was the kind of book you pick up dreading to read but then love it. It started out with a story about a medicine man who found a way to help diabetes. Then it went on it talked about different medicines such as penicillin which was produced from fungi, different pain killer from frogs and snakes and antibiotics from plants and even bugs. Overall I thought that it was an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone who is interesting in learning about medicine or even to someone who just wants to sit down with a good book.

Mark J Plotkin
Medicine Quest
In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets
New York: Penguin Group
$22.95 pp208

Main Points

· Some Poison for Your Pain- Poisonous reptiles and amphibians are knows to have venom that help kill pain for people. Some Scientist studied frogs and snakes and found a new treatment for pain, but a lot of what they found was to toxic for humans so their next task was to try to change the treatment to work. Venom have taught scientist a lot about the body and how medicines function in them.

· The Eternal Quest- Scientist used to think that humans were the only ones who used to use medicine but they were proved wrong after finding a Neanderthal with seven medical species of plants in a ring around his body. Scientist are now looking for answer from other animal to see what kinds of medicines and adaptations they can give us. Also past things are giving scientist clues, such as the discovery of the ice man, and finding myrrh which was an antibiotic used in the ancient world.

· The Fungus Among Us- Fungi is sometimes know to scientist as a "lower organism" but actually it is responsible for 5 of the top 30 medicines. Penicillin is the most well known medicine. It has saved millions of lives though out the world today. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 when it grew in his petri dish. Then he couldn't figure out how it had grown and couldn't grow it again, but finally someone did. Fungi are known as one of the most ancient lives on earth.

· Drugs from Bugs- Many discoveries have been made from bugs that help with sicknesses. In native tribes they use ants to help with their arthritis pain, bedbugs are used for treating external wounds, beetles are used for the steroids in their glands and spiders not only contribute venom to this world but also other things like their ability to capture their prey. Bees wax from honeybees has been used for medical ointments, plasters and even suppositories.

· Hideous Healers- Scientist estimate that there are over 650 species of leeches all around the world. They have been used in ancient medicines for Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians and Chinese. They are used for therapeutic purposes, its saliva is used as a blood thinner that helped with clotting. Maggots are used for the treatment of bone infections and other deep wounds.
· The Snakes in the Caduceus- Snakes have served as fascination to some and fear to other human cultures. Snakes poison has been used as an agent for capital punishment, murder, suicide, torture and even welfare. Snakes medicine also dates back to the ancient times. Snake oil is the most antique term of snake medicine. Some of these oils were ineffective, some were poisonous, and some were addictive. Snakes best quality is its venom used for many medicines. Even though the venom varies form species to species they all serve a great purpose.

· Under the Sea- Scientist believe that over 80% of species will be found under sea due to the fact that 70% of this earth is covered in water and ocean. That give a great chance that the sea is a great place to look for medical advantages. Coral has been know to have a compound that helps with the cure/ treatment of cancer. Its compound is called eleutherobin and scientist have been having a hard time working with it because it is so hard to obtain. The lowly sponge provides us with great things, such as a cleaner to keep patients clean and so no bacteria is around, also it has shown to be a great treatment for leukemia.

· Plants of the Apes- When studying the apes scientist found that some of them have a specific diet with allows them to fight off the bacteria that causes diarrhea. Also from studying animals scientist have discovered that animals themselves give off a poison to their body which helps them fight off snake bites or get rid of diseases. The apes themselves are very picky eaters which helps with the medical research. They found that the reason the apes were being picky is because they plant they were eating actually acts as an antibiotic which mean that to much could be potentially deadly.

...Medicine Quest was an awesome book that taught me a lot, but was also very interesting. It was the kind of book you pick up dreading to read but then love it. It started out with a story about a medicine man who found a way to help diabetes. Then it went on it talked about different medicines such as penicillin which was produced from fungi, different pain killer from frogs and snakes and antibiotics from plants and even bugs. Overall I thought that it was an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone who is interesting in learning about medicine or even to someone who just wants to sit down with a good book. In this review I will map out the main points and provide an evaluation so you can see whether you want to read this book or not.

Main Points

· Some Poison for Your Pain- Poisonous reptiles and amphibians are knows to have venom that help kill pain for people. Some Scientist studied frogs and snakes and found a new treatment for pain, but a lot of what they found was to toxic for humans so their next task was to try to change the treatment to work. Venom have taught scientist a lot about the body and how medicines function in them.

· The Eternal Quest- Scientist used to think that humans were the only ones who used to use medicine but they were proved wrong after finding a Neanderthal with seven medical species of plants in a ring around his body. Scientist are now looking for answer from other animal to see what kinds of medicines and adaptations they can give us. Also past things are giving scientist clues, such as the discovery of the ice man, and finding myrrh which was an antibiotic used in the ancient world.

· The Fungus Among Us- Fungi is sometimes know to scientist as a "lower organism" but actually it is responsible for 5 of the top 30 medicines. Penicillin is the most well known medicine. It has saved millions of lives though out the world today. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 when it grew in his petri dish. Then he couldn't figure out how it had grown and couldn't grow it again, but finally someone did. Fungi are known as one of the most ancient lives on earth.

· Drugs from Bugs- Many discoveries have been made from bugs that help with sicknesses. In native tribes they use ants to help with their arthritis pain, bedbugs are used for treating external wounds, beetles are used for the steroids in their glands and spiders not only contribute venom to this world but also other things like their ability to capture their prey. Bees wax from honeybees has been used for medical ointments, plasters and even suppositories.

· Hideous Healers- Scientist estimate that there are over 650 species of leeches all around the world. They have been used in ancient medicines for Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians and Chinese. They are used for therapeutic purposes, its saliva is used as a blood thinner that helped with clotting. Maggots are used for the treatment of bone infections and other deep wounds.
· The Snakes in the Caduceus- Snakes have served as fascination to some and fear to other human cultures. Snakes poison has been used as an agent for capital punishment, murder, suicide, torture and even welfare. Snakes medicine also dates back to the ancient times. Snake oil is the most antique term of snake medicine. Some of these oils were ineffective, some were poisonous, and some were addictive. Snakes best quality is its venom used for many medicines. Even though the venom varies form species to species they all serve a great purpose.

· Under the Sea- Scientist believe that over 80% of species will be found under sea due to the fact that 70% of this earth is covered in water and ocean. That give a great chance that the sea is a great place to look for medical advantages. Coral has been know to have a compound that helps with the cure/ treatment of cancer. Its compound is called eleutherobin and scientist have been having a hard time working with it because it is so hard to obtain. The lowly sponge provides us with great things, such as a cleaner to keep patients clean and so no bacteria is around, also it has shown to be a great treatment for leukemia.

· Plants of the Apes- When studying the apes scientist found that some of them have a specific diet with allows them to fight off the bacteria that causes diarrhea. Also from studying animals scientist have discovered that animals themselves give off a poison to their body which helps them fight off snake bites or get rid of diseases. The apes themselves are very picky eaters which helps with the medical research. They found that the reason the apes were being picky is because they plant they were eating actually acts as an antibiotic which mean that to much could be potentially deadly.

This book taught me a lot about our world. It taught me that every creature and plant has a purpose for being here and a lot of their purpose is to help human life. I give this book 4 stars because anyone who reads this book will be amazed at all the different discoveries. Not only did the author do an excellent job at writing it but he made it interesting by adding little details that will astonish you.

I believe the author wrote this book for many reasons, one being to inform people about the uses, discoveries, and new about different medicines, also i believe he wanted to give credit to all the animals and other organisms out there who help us so much. I believe this book is intended more for the older readers or people who are really into the medical field. The point of this book is to help people better understand our world and so people can really appreciate what nature has done for us. This book is a pretty easy read, the chapters are sectioned off as stated above with different organisms being presented. This book is different in a way that is states the truth about things rather than really making a great story out of the whole book. It was a great book and I hope that everyone wants to read it.

Students in a Psychology of Healing class have this to say about Medicine Quest:

"I really liked Medicine Quest, which wasn't surprising because I liked the first book Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice. Medicine Quest was another well-done, highly informative book about the secrets of the jungle. We could learn a lot from the people of these forests, if only we had the mind to listen to them. What I especially liked was the feeling of being a tourist on adventures following along on all of Mark Plotkin's journeys. He really brings you to the heart of these native peoples' cultures and beliefs."

"I appreciated the hope I felt as I read the entire book. Dr. Plotkin indicated there is so much unexplored wilderness yet to be examined. I liked knowing that there are people like Mark Plotkin who will not stop until answers are found. What courage he has! I liked how he enmeshed his personal life with his 'quest' to find natural healing remedies. I felt some personal emotions as he discussed hope for finding a remedy for brain tumors."

"The book, Medicine Quest by Mark Plotkin, had many features to recommend it. I particularly liked his story-telling style, the way the book exposed new possibilities, the sense of adventure that was portrayed and the way he brought hope in relation to killer diseases such as diabetes. It was a great book that I wouldn't have read if not for this class. I'm glad I did!"

"I felt that the book was simply piled with information. It seems so weird to think that we, the Western 'modern civilization,' really have not even come close to tapping into the natural medicines, resources, techniques, and solutions that are out there in the world as a whole. I thought it was cool (I know I really shouldn't have because of the pain he was in), but I was truly moved and touched how that tribe had him drink the liquid and he was in so much pain he felt he had died and the shaman was able to resolve his pain, viz., the symbolism of the whole event of being reborn and your spirit leaving and running free and returning."

"I enjoyed Medicine Quest very much. I found it was easy to read, much like an entertaining novel--yet it was full of information like a text on science, biology, and sociology. I found that Dr. Plotkin has a great respect for life. It is evident in his work with other cultures and his appreciation of living things. I especially enjoyed the historical information regarding the development of medicines. Dr. Plotkin has a wonderful talent and insight for explanation and making connections between the scientific world and mainstream society. I think Dr. Plotkin is a good voice for the conservation of the rain forest--for helping everyone realize that we are all connected throughout the world and yet we all can learn from each other. I found the information regarding animals and their uses of plants as medicine interesting and truly an indication that we have much to learn."

This book is actually a fairly exhaustive Thesaurus. It is 663 pages of common, specialized, and even slang words that have been defined, cross referenced, and alphabetized. The entries also consist of the type of word (i.e. verb, noun, etc.), notable quotations of uses, and what this book calls "reverse dictionary," which lists the words by their definition first, incase you know what it is and not what it is called (as the back cover totes). The entries gives the reader both synonyms and antonyms. There is also an introduction that helps the reader to understand how the book is organized and how to most effectively use this reference work. This book has been a big help in my school research. I highly recommend it.

My favorite feature of this thesaurus is it's thoroughness. It not only gives you the synonyms, but also antonyms, quotations relating to many of the words and a word-find reverse dictionary! This is a must-have for any writer. It's pushed most of my other reference books to the back of my bookshelf. I pick this one up each and every time I write.

While it seems a bit strange to be writing a review for something like a thesaurus, I have to say that this is truly an excellent book, the finest thesaurus in my office (and as a writer, I have many). I kept this by my side during my latest project and used it constantly. A particularly interesting feature is the Word Find that appears for some entries...in addition to synonyms, the book provides a lengthy list of words that relate to the entry. (For example, when you look up "Desert," you'll learn, among many, many other things, that in the desert you might see "Phantom Rain," which is rain that evaporates before it hits the ground.) A neat little feature you won't find in your usual thesaurus. Overall, an excellent reference tool, and highly recommended for everyone, not just writers.

Mark Coggins is a writer to look forward to. He evokes a San Francisco reminiscent of Raymond Chandler. Despite being set in a modern day, Silicon Valley-contemporary environment, Coggins manages to cast a fustiness over the sunny San Francisco cityscape he depicts in word and photograph. His frequently sexually contorted characters stand up well. In the case of his main character, private detective August Riordan, and his part time sidekick (also part time transvestite), Chris Duckworth, you hope to see them again in a future novel. The technology theft of a chess game and the subsequent trail of murders in interesting circumstances and locations is challenging enough to keep us guessing and reading.

Mark Coggins has done his own photography for the book. Each chapter starts with a photo related to the action or locale of the chapter's action, adding greatly to the sense of place, and to the texture of the story.

The Immortal Game is a gritty story. It is one of those books can't put down, hate to finish, and are left wondering what the main charaters are doing today.

This book, while reminiscent of Chandler and other great mysteries, is packed with wit and intelligence, not to mention light descriptions of S&M and one very sexy character. The photographs are beautifully matched to Coggins' pen and the story is anything but boring with great twists and a push to hurry to the finish. Highly recommended and looking forward to the next one!

The Immortal Game is a great detective/mystery novel in the vein of Chandler and Hammett. I really enjoyed the characters and all their "quirks" and am looking forward to the continuing escapades of August Riordan. I'm a reader of ALL mystery novels, from P.D. James (who I imagine is NOT one of Mr. Coggins favorite authors!) to Dashiell Hammet and this one is a definite winner. I would highly recommend this book to my best friends!

The title of the book is misleading and misinforming to say the least, unless he (the author) wants by resuscitating the past to justify the present and capitalize for the future within the European Union. In fact the Axis powers divided Greece into three zones of occupation. The Germans controlled Athens-Piraeus, Thessaloniki and the area between Aliakmon and Strymon rivers as well the Aegean Islands and Crete; the area from the Strymon river to the Greek Turkish frontier was annexed by the Bulgarians; the rest of the country went to the Italians until the Italian armistice of 8th September 1943. All the occupiers were as brutal as their Germans allies were. The Germans were not either more or less brutal than the Anglo-Americans, Russians and French in Germany after the war (Perry Biddiscombe, 'Werewolf!), British in Cyprus (The Black Book of the British crimes in Cyprus, unpublished in the archives of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.), French in Algeria (General Paul Aussaresses, "the Battle of the Casbah) as it is the case of the occupiers around the world and the entire history of mankind. The real beast during this tragic period was the communist barbaric ELAS who fell upon the unarmed Greek people and murdered, murdered, murdered. It should have been interesting "professor" Mazower to have included in his book a couple of numbers: i.e. how many Germans were killed by ELAS activities, how many Greeks were executed by the German and how many Greeks were murdered by the ELAS and its cohorts of thugs. The real heroes of this tragic period, the Greek Governments in occupied Greece are vilified and called "collaborationists". The real collaborationists were the politicians who escaped in Middle East and on the payroll of the British spent the days conspiring against each others and the night in the cabarets of Alexandria (Egypt) a behavior that forced the Nobel prize George Seferis to write: "the ineptitude and stupidity of the Greek ruling class makes you vomit" (G. Seferis. "War Diaries")
The famine of 1941-42, the most tragic event of the period which had reached genocidal proportion, an estimated 7% of the prewar 7.5 millions of the Greek population died because of the famine, is dealt in such a way to put the entire blame on the Germans, and whitewash the British. In reality the British blockade of the Mediterranean was the major cause of starving the Greek people to death. (Pau Maun, "Per Arma Caritas" In Greek). Blockade that was enforced selectively to target the Greek people, while the Vichy France had all the Mediterranean supply routes open. It has been commented that the "only direct blockade advantage that the Allies could have hoped to draw from the starvation of Greece was the embarrassment of German transport arrangements, rather than any appreciable diminution of Axis supplies". This was obviously hardly worth the tens of thousand of deaths by famine in Greece.
As far as the annihilation of the Greek Jewry "professor" Mazower offers the paradigmatic truth. The fate of the Jews in Greece was sealed by the impious alliance between Nazism and Zionism. The Germans would not be able to round up the Jews in Thessaloniki, or Salonika, if he wishes, without help from the Zionist groups. Along the Germans the so-called Albala Command operated in an efficient and effective way to deliver the Jews to their exterminators. (Matarasso, "Not all of them died", in Greek and very rare book,)
Concluding the book is the best example of "when the myth becomes fact, write the myth".

Meticulously researched and thoughtfully written, Mazower's Book is a valuable contribution to our understanding of European history in the first half of the twentieth century, especially during the decade of the 1940s. As the title suggests, this is a work about the German occupation of Greece. The unique character of Greece's political, social and economic structures make the story especially complicated. The suffering of the Greeks during the occupation was particularly intense. The famine that caused many thousands of deaths is a part of the suffering. So were the occupiers' reprisals at resistance activity. The author offers insightful analyses of the work and organization of the resistance, including various Communist groups, to show how and why the communists were able to carry on a civil war against the Athens government once the war was over. In an excellent chapter on the suffering of Jewish Greeks, he details how about fifty thousand Jews -- mostly from Salonika -- were deported to death camps in Poland and elsewhere. Personally, I take some comfort in Mazower's statement on page 159 that, in general, most Orthodox Christian Greeks made a determined effort to save their Jewish compatriots from the invaders by hiding them and providing them with food.

Mazower has recently edited a book of fourteen essays titiled After the War Was Over, exploring the question of how collaborators were dealt with in the years following the occupation. ...

This tome begins with the chaotic political and social landscape of Greece preceeding World War II before delving into a nation ripped asunder by competing forces. Mazower's research is exhaustive and his art of story-telling is the perfect medium for relating the epic proportions of this relatively unknown chapter in the history of that war. For one who knew little of Greece's nightmarish occupation, Mazower held my attention from beginning to end. With so much to tell, the book is understandably dense. But as with anything of value, the effort is rewarded with unforgettable stories of treachery and bravery, quisling intrigues and patriotism, cruelty and the undying nature of the human spirit. Read it and weep!

this is a comedy only in the sense that the play ends well - ie, noone dies, most everyone is happy. else, there's little humor in this comedy, save for the knave, lucio. like others here have pointed out, this is actually a pretty serious play that takes a pretty hard look at human weakness, particularly lust. there are some fine, impassioned speeches by claudio and his sister, who pleads for his life. worth a read. but don't expect any laughs.

One of Shakespeare's lesser read and lesser performed plays, Measure for Measure profoundly explores the themes of justice and mercy. This exploration compensates for the defects of the play: the unbelievable resolution, the Duke's refusal to interfere early on (which causes pain to the characters), the inconsistency in the application of morality (Isabella considers it wrong for the betrothed Claudio and Juliet to have sex but justifies--and even helps to arrange--it between Angelo and Mariana), and the unexpected suddenness of the Duke's proposal to Isabella. The play seriously weighs the concerns of justice and mercy, and although it ultimately favors mercy, it recognizes the complexity of the issue. How can one practice mercy and yet restrain vice? How can one "hate the sin" yet "love the sinner?" Mercy seems to be the necessary choice over justice because man is too fallen to bear the brunt of justice. "Judge not lest ye be judged. For with what measure you mete," said Christ, "it shall be measured unto you." If you hold a high standard for others (as does Angelo for Claudio) and yet fall short of it yourself, you will be judged by the same standard. Since we seem destined to fall short of righteousness, it is best to practice forgiveness, so that we too may be judged lightly. And yet there is a concern that such practice of forgiveness will lead to a laxity that permits vice to flourish (which is the reason the Duke leaves Angelo in charge in the first place). Though mercy and forgiveness are favored, the arguments in favor of justice are not simply dismissed.

Quote: "Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it?
Why, every fault's condemned ere it be done.
Mine were the very cipher of a function,
To fine the faults whose fine stands in record,
And let go by the actor." (II.ii.38-42)

Measure for Measure is seldom read, and not often performed in the United States. Why? Although many of Shakespeare's plays deal bluntly with sexual issues, Measure for Measure does so in an unusually ugly and disgusting way for Shakespeare. This play is probably best suited for adults, as a result.

I see Measure for Measure as closest to The Merchant of Venice in its themes. Of the two plays, I prefer Measure for Measure for its unremitting look at the arbitrariness of laws, public hypocrisy and private venality, support for virtue, and encouragement of tempering public justice with common sense and mercy.

The play opens with Duke Vincentio turning over his authority to his deputy, Angelo. But while the duke says he is leaving for Poland, he in fact remains in Vienna posing as a friar. Angelo begins meting out justice according to the letter of the law. His first act is to condemn Claudio to death for impregnating Juliet. The two are willing to marry, but Angelo is not interested in finding a solution. In despair, Claudio gets word to his sister, the beautiful Isabella, that he is to be executed and prays that she will beg for mercy. Despite knowing that Isabella is a virgin novice who is about to take her vows, Angelo cruelly offers to release Claudio of Isabella will make herself sexually available to Angelo. The Duke works his influence behind the scenes to help create justice.

Although this play is a "comedy" in Shakespearean terms, the tension throughout is much more like a tragedy. In fact, there are powerful scenes where Shakespeare draws on foolish servants of the law to make his points clear. These serve a similar role of lessening the darkness to that of the gravediggers in Hamlet.

One of the things I like best about Measure for Measure is that the resolution is kept hidden better than in most of the comedies. As a result, the heavy and rising tension is only relieved right at the end. The relief you will feel at the end of act five will be very great, if you are like me.

After you read this play, I suggest that you compare Isabella and Portia. Why did Shakespeare choose two such strong women to be placed at the center of establishing justice? Could it have anything to do with wanting to establish the rightness of the heart? If you think so, reflect that both Isabella and Portia are tough in demanding that what is right be done. After you finish thinking about those two characters, you may also enjoy comparing King Lear and Claudio. What was their fault? What was their salvation? Why? What point is Shakespeare making? Finally, think about Angelo. Is he the norm or the exception in society? What makes someone act like Angelo does here? What is a person naturally going to do in his situation?

Look for fairness in all that you say and do!

If you play priest, druids or shamans on a regular basis, you need this set of books. These volumes contain all of the speels from the Player's Handbook, Tome of Magic and Spells and Powers, as well as all of the differant campaign world books(Dark Sun, Planescape, Ravenloft, Birthright, etc) and from all of the Dragon magazines. 100s of spells that spanned many, many books all compiled into a nice managable collection.

This book is amazing. It has so many new spells for the Priest class. It adds alot more depth to the class. It also makes the priest alot stronger as a magic user. The mage will no longer be the strongest class in the game. This is an excellent list of spells and I recommend it!

If you play Priest characters this is a definitely something you should buy. Also if you DM, there are some really great rare spells that PCs can find in a forgotten tomb somewhere. My only complaint with it is that it includes too many specalty spells that are unusable by other priests. Aside from that, this really is an indispensable book that has helped my priest get out of some hairy situations, I recommend it!