Want to be scared? Little Evil Things 4 (one CD, 75 min, original production, Little Evil Things) is a scare a minute. These small pieces of horror on a stick are light enough for the tame of soul and frightening as an adult case of goosebumps. Note to actor Jim McDonnell: Keep scaring the hell outta me. You do it in every evil collection.

Hollywood is overflowing with talent. Nowhere is this more evident than in the incredible number of aspiring film composers working diligently day in and day out to fulfill the destiny of their talent and create music for motion pictures. Frank Macchia is one of these incredible artists. Little Evil Things 4 epitomizes that talent in one intense flurry of creative output. You would be hard pressed to find a more perfectly produced and rendered entertainment of this genre. In a media marketplace of cookie cutter product produced by a handful of mega conglomerates it is indescribably refreshing to find a work such as this--a recording of this calibre that is commercially available and is a true expression of a group of artists' intentions. And besides all of that; it is incredibly entertaining! The Moscow Symphony is wonderful, as are all of the other performances. This is a must have CD.

This fourth volume in the "Little Evil Things" audio series showcases original, spine-tingling stories enhanced with forty minutes of contemporary music played by their Moscow Symphony Orchestra and a wealth of chilling and effective sound effects. Highly recommended for fans of the bizarre and horrific, these new and harrowing tales include Lost (A man suffers the tortures of Hell in a nightmarish dream, or is it just a dream?); Hazardous To Your Health (a 1940s mobster gets hooked on a deadly habit); Infection (A man's life gets turned inside out when he discovers a spot on his arm); In Your Head (are those gray hairs really what they appear to be?); The Violin's Curse (gypsies and a haunted victim).

We reserve 5 stars for a very few books, but this book was much loved by my eight year old, who enjoyed how it contains things which relate to the other books in the series. I found it a definite pleaser as well, as books which allow children to enjoy being a child and actively use their imagination are very rare these days (as opposed to the more recent trend which aims at a precocious sophistication for a "miniature adult" audience).

If you like the tone of this and other books in the Oz series you should also check out these books:

• "Mother West Wind" book series by Thornton W. Burgess; • Selma Lagerlof's "The Wonderful Adventure of Neils"; • "7X7 Tales of a Seven Sleeper" by Hanna Johansen; • "The Seven Year Old Wonder Book" and "King Beetle Tamer" by Isabel Wyatt; • "The Uncle Wiggley Story Book" by Howard R. Garis; • "The Never Ending Story" and other books by Michael Ende; • Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series; • Astrid Lindgren's "The Brothers Lionhearted" (her best, better than Pipi by miles!); • and of course the classic fairy tales - our favorite is "The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales" Pantheon Edition with an introduction by Padraic Colum and commentary by Joseph Campbell, ISBN 0-394-49414-6 and 0-394-70930-6.

L. Frank Baum's spectacularly illustrated Little Wizard Stories Of Oz, written for a younger audience than the books in the official Oz series, are the perfect introduction to Baum's utopist fairyland. Containing characters not only from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but from the second and third titles, The Marvelous Land Of Oz and Ozma Of Oz, the 169-page volume is composed of six short pieces, each teaming two of Baum's most popular Oz inhabitants. While the stories are delightful and comic, a subtle lesson in common sense or ethics subtly underscores each. At about 24 pages a piece, these narratives make excellent bedtime stories; each moves quickly and can be reread over and over (adults can read the entire book in about an hour). Readers already familiar with the other Oz titles will find that the Little Wizard stories fit right into the fairyland's established history and continuity. John R. Neill's extraordinary talent as an illustrator has rarely been put to better use than it has been here; his drawings are brightly colored and full of atmosphere, detail, and humor.

In The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the two talking beasts, tired of passively guarding the never-threatened Ozma at her throne, decide to competitively test their animal natures. In Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse, Jack, who lives in a pumpkin patch so he can easily replace his head as needed, finds himself in the Winkie country disastrously without a spare. In The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, the later topples overboard while the two are out adventuring in a giant corncob boat. The Scarecrow, stuffed with straw, tries to reach his comrade but finds he can only float on the surface.

Each of the six stories contains an element of threat to which the primary or secondary characters react with fear or dismay. 'Little Dorothy' and Toto, carelessly straying too far from home, are kidnapped by the size-shifting giant Crinklink; Tik-Tok the Clockwork Man finds his metal body broken to pieces by a blow from the angry Nome King's mace; and Ozma and the 'Little Wizard' find themselves beset by three mischievous, seemingly undefeatable goblins. In typically clever fashion, Baum quickly disarms those elements which might frighten younger children or be a cause of concern for adults. The Hungry Tiger decides he wants to eat a 'fat baby' to prove his bestial nature, and the Cowardly Lion, not to be outdone, says he's going to 'rip a person to shreds,' but no baby-devouring is ever accomplished. At their first sight of a little lost girl, the Tiger and Lion compete over who can come to her aid first and best, their original boasting intentions entirely forgotten.

The book's humor is dry and the outright jokes well-paced to about one a story. The Tin Woodman, for instance, lying helpless on the bottom of a lake and waiting to be rescued, says to the frustrated Scarecrow and their bird helpers, 'Hurry up, please. You've no idea how damp it is down here.'

Little Wizard Stories Of Oz is so pleasant and charming that adults will enjoy reading it for their own pleasure, and enjoy reading it again to children. Full of other-worldly imagination and pep, the book can be used for teaching and group discussion, or strictly for entertainment.

All the Books of Wonder Oz books are fantastic recreations of the originals with all their color plates and cover art. Even the typeface and page counts are the same. If you're a collector and can't afford to drop $300 on a beat-up copy of the original, this series is a must! Little Wizard Stories also is a rare find... I've never seen an original and was delighted when Books of Wonder produced this collection.

I've long marveled at Lloyd Wright's Southern California residences and wondered when a book like this might appear. His buildings are so sensual, complex and full of surprises that any large-format photo collection couldn't help but be magnificently beautiful. And this one certainly is. My only diappointments with the book came in regard to the paucity of floorplans and the many extant buildings which receive only a token mention and a tiny photo in the appendix.

Lloyd Wright's work is brilliant, agitated and theatrical. Many people mistake his buildings for those of his father, but FLW could never have created the marvelous and fanciful designs that came from the hand of his son. FLW was a domineering genius, and I suppose Lloyd went a little overboard in trying to make his own mark; perhaps without his father's vision, but with a sure sense of drama and glamour -- Lloyd's buildings always impress. The post-FLW architects of Taliesin have never been able to come close to the brilliance of their founder, but Lloyd Wright was able to use his father's ideals and still make his own statement. This book surveys his most important creations and contains many beautiful, contemporary photographs. If something is missing, it's more photos of the original interiors -- but perhaps these pictures no longer exist. An excellent and worthy tribute to a long-neglected master.

The photos of the Wayfarer's chapel in Palos Verdes, CA is worth half the price of the book. I know it had a profound influence on an architect friend, Lee A. Ward A.I.A. in Napa, on his way to Taliasen West.

I would love to see George Lucas make movies based on Oz Books. ILM would do wonders these books made into movies! Natalie Portman would make an excellent Dorothy Gale or Ozma of Oz. Nicole Kidman as Glinda. Whoopie Goldberg as the Patchwork Girl of Oz. Computer animated creatures like in Jurrasic Park would be something to see! A CGI Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger would be great to see! This book was very good and could easily be made into a movie!

As the Beatles sang: "It's getting very near the end." This is the second-to-last of Books of Wonder's marvelous reissues of L. Frank Baum's Oz books (yes, folks, there's much *more* to Oz than the movie!) and the book itself is one of the gems of the entire series. One of the darker (yet most delightful) of Baum's original books features Kiki Aru, would-be sorcerer, wreaking havoc throughout the Land of Oz with his powerful word of transformation: "Pyrxqzgl." Like editor Peter Glassgold says in his afterword, I too spent hours as a kid trying to figure out how that should be pronounced! Baum never lived to see this or his final Oz book ("Glinda of Oz") published, but the maturity, mystic adventure and sheer fun of this book makes it one of the best in the series. I wonder what gems he would have given us had he lived longer! All of Baum's Oz books are excellent suggestions for parents searching for Christmas gifts for their kids who have read the three Harry Potter books to shreds. I'm sorry to see this excellent repackaging of the series nearly at an end, but as I discovered as a kid, the books themselves never end--they're there for us to re-read and re-discover for all time.

A great book, one of the best in the series! This book is now available in a reprint of the original version....it's a beauty. This edition is reccomended.

Damazio has been able to take the word of God and much wisdom of experience and bring it together in this book. He presents the model of the Christian leader as one who has love, a servant's heart, who is committed to Christ and the Body of Christ. As one who has been in secondary leadership roles for most of my life, I have been able to see places where Christian leaders have failed, and how the wisdom in this book could have helped them avoid it. The attributes of leaders, good and bad are poigant, I have seen them played out many times. There is one area I question, his quick restoration of a fallen leader to LEADERSHIP as I have seen this cause a subsequent fall. This is not consistent with the other areas of the book and I wonder if he may have never had to deal with this first hand.

I bought this book for a Bible Study class a friend is teaching. It opened my eyes to things I overlooked in the Bible. It is a great teaching tool for congregations. The explainations and examples give greater understanding to the meaning of the scriptures and it enables/empowers you.

The book systematically takes you through every possible situation faced by a christian leader. A must for a 2nd year Theology student and every christian leader. Use it as training resource for leaders in small group sessions. The book is very meaty and should be carefully studied piece by piece. Be prepared to be challenged and prepared to change! You will use this book over and over again. Only for serious students!

A great system for Live Action Role Play, although it is not as great a system as the actual Role Playing books, it is a good system and can run upwards of 5 to 100 people. Great work White Wolf, Keep at it.

I have yet to read this Edition, however all other editions have been wonderful. This game has been great from the get-go. The book is easy to understand and a lot easier than the dice form of the game. Thumbs-up for a job well done

This book provides you with all the background information and rules you need to start or play a live-action role-playing game in White Wolf's World of Darkness. White Wolf has produced the best RPG to date, with hundreds of expansion books and tons of stories, art and resources. This game is the BEST!!!

If you are already familiar with Rome, with her institutions, with her laws, with her senate and emperors, and you're looking for more, or if you're just interested in how ordinary, everyday Romans lived, this book is for you.

With superb organization and enjoyable, erudite illustrations throughout, F.R. Cowell introduces the reader to what it was like to grow up in ancient Rome, what education was like, what religion was like, what people ate, how people dressed, how people earned a living, and what they did in their free time. In doing so, he also addresses darker issues like slavery, the Colosseum's blood baths, and mob rule. The reader comes away from this book with a better sense of what it was like to be Roman, but the book is not perfect either.

Sometimes F.R. Cowell's writing style is a bit dry (except when he discusses the legal and medical professions in Rome, and the opening days of the Colosseum, which are superb!), his use of quotes from Roman writers is decent but could have been more plentiful, as could have been his discussion of archaeology.

Overall, however, this is a worthwhile, enjoyable book that will certainly fill in gaps in one's knowledge of the Romans.

"Life in Ancient Rome" is a book aimed at a young-adult readership, yet older adults and high-school students alike will also enjoy it as an introductory reference. F. R. Cowell succeeds in colorfully portraying the basic aspects of ancient Roman life from clothesmaking to religious observances. Complemented with photographs and illustrations, the text is clear yet rich in detail, and a chronological summary provides a good outline of the principal events of Roman history from 753 B.C. to A.D. 476. Mr. Cowell also includes excellent references in the book's bibliography (which he simply titles "A Note About Books"). For those interested in studying Roman social history, "Life in Ancient Rome" is a recommended starting point

Life in Ancient Rome was a fascinating book not only for its account of the past, but also its glimpse at the origin of many things in the present. The reader is easily able to link matters of law, culture and language from the distant past to present times. As a reader, one really gets the sense of daily life as well as the Roman value system. The author's style is very readable and enjoyable for young and old readers alike. This book is an excellent read!

It took me a long time to finish. This basically the political side leading up to the civil. It is interesting. There was a fews that got too much and I had to skip but it is a very excellent book.

All Northerners,such as myself, should read this book which takes the luster off many of the myths which we were taught in high school and college. Because it was his armies that won that War his subsequent assassination and virtually immediate deification, has led to not taking a critical look at his many flaws, mistakes and faults. Lincoln, a country lawyer, unschooled in Constitutional law repeatedly ignored that document in his stubborn quest to restore the Union. Read how Lincoln never did have a Constitution basis for invading a soverign country. Read about Lincoln's 13,000 political prisoners. A must-read book for all of us schooled in "Lincoln-Lore."

This book lays out in great detail (with plenty of references to the basic documents) the events leading up to the US Civil War.

For all practical purposes the original US Republic ended in the Spring 1861 and was recreated after the War with a new character. States Rights including the right to secede were lost in the process.

This book explains how it all happened and why you may feel you live in a high-tax Empire instead of a Republic.

This was the story of an old lady that had a cat. She feed her cat all kinds of different things that she cooked for him. The cat eventually got so hungry that he ate everything in sight. Once the things that the old lady cooked for him were gone he went out and searched for other things to eat. He ate everything for a pig and a man that had one leg and he even eat a whole wedding reception. The cat just kept getting fatter and fatter and hungrier and hungrier. One day he even ate the old woman that had fed him all along. The old woman was smarter then the cat though. She had a knitting needle with her when she was eaten. She cut herself out of the cat and the cat had to be sewed up.
This book was a fun story. The book had a rhythm to it with repeating words after each new part. That is something that is great for little children especially those who are trying to really gain reading skills. Repetition helps them learn words form seeing them helps children recognize the words more. There were also great pictures that went along with the story. This also helps children to read more because when they see a picture they can recognize that as being part of the story. I think the author wanted to get across the point not to be greedy and this is something that it is good for children to learn early on. I think she did a good job of presented this moral in a way that children can really pick up on it.

This lovable folktale is about a little old woman who was a great cook. She always fed her cat all sorts of treats. Well soon the cat became greedy and ate everything is sight. The hungry cat ate and ate and ate. He even ate a one legged man, a pig and a wedding reception. Finally the day came when he even ate the old lady who had been so kind to him. However, the little old lady outsmarted her cat. It just so happened that she had a sewing needle with her, so she used the needle to cut herself out of the cats' stomach. The cat then was left with the need for stitches.
The author also did a great job teaching a moral. The pictures and the word use made the moral so easily noticeable. The moral of this famous folktale is not to be greedy. If you are greedy it will always come back to get you in the end.
I liked this book manly because I was looking at the book as a future teacher. I noticed the pictures were wonderful and they immediately caught my eye. I also loved the word use. There was a fun phrase repeated whenever the cat ate anything. The phrase was "Slip, Slop, Slurp!" This is great for kids to learn repetition and the 'sl' sound as well. Books like this one are great to assist children in learning how to read. I really enjoyed reading this book for the fact that it is not only fun but also very beneficial to the reader. This book in particular is perfect if that reader is and emergent reader.

My children and I enjoy this book time and time again. The word patterns help the kids read along. Highly recommended!

The loopy style wore thin toward the end, but Ted's mix of dark-minded cynicism and only-a-young-guy innocence was so realistic I had to find out what happened to him. The story seemed to get away from Ted, making for a slightly disappointing ending, but the first half of the book was very sharp. A good read simply for Ted's funny and consistent narration.

How refreshing to read a book that is completely out of the ordinary.The characters are painted in living color and sound so absolutely true. Not only is this a very funny book, but also a lesson in living together with other races. It should be read more than once. My only regret: the preachy ending is not needed - the author had made his point clearly over and over again. I hope it becomes a classic.

This is a fascinating novel. It is different, but impossible to put down. I am amazed that this novel is not more widely known. This is clearly a cult novel before anybody realised it. Read this book and you will be moved, entertained and you will laugh.