This book starts off with a good hook, but then the story starts to drag. I really tried to like these characters, but they just seemed a little flat. A complex plot flies off in too many directions. If you are into police procedure and conspiracy, this one might appeal to you, but I found it to be rather tedious.

Very talented writer. Only wish Mr. Bishop could make Det. Crocker and her wolfpack both live up to what he claimed they should be. This problem continuously nagging behind my neck when I read "T.M." Bishop didn't give too much credit to make Crocker's team members look quite resourceful, capable and iniative enough, always one step behind like closing the stable after the horses run off, always one step behind. Neither making partners as lovers was quite a good arrangement. But in general, wonderful story, nicely twisted plot, fluent dialogue, and with down-to-earth people doing The Job.

A few years ago in the mining town of Grass Valley, CA, I came across a wrinkled copy of Bishop's "Citadel Run" and thought it an interesting novel with some characters that could have received more fleshing out -- but all in all an "interesting read."

Yeah. Real easy for me to put it in the "interesting read" category. Not knowing, of course, the probable years of rejections, agony, re-writing, editorial snippings, and general crap that Bishop had to endure just to get his first novel into print.

Caught my eye: his background. He'd been there. I've been there. Still am there, so to speak. Verisimilitude. I look for it, bond with it. Joseph Wambaugh broke the barrier and God bless him for it. Bishop continues. God bless him, and more cheques forthcoming for you in your future, Mr. Bishop.

This current novel? Hardback, and about time. Bishop has come into his own with this novel and I can only support his cast and background. I very much enjoy his central character, Fey Croaker (the last name: a tad hard to take, but on the other hand, tongue firmly, for a second, planted in cheek. . .) and the support characters he has designed. The plot? I can more than identify with trying to design an ingenious plot. It takes quite some time, writing, re-writing, more re-writing and then, for those who just tuned in, more re-writing. My hat is off to you, Mr. Bishop.

I am a homicide investigator with a larger California agency. I, therefore, respect those who write from a position of experience. I will not denigrate the writings of, for example, John Sandford (nee John Camp) or Michael Connelly -- both most EXCELLENT authors. I continously purchase and WILL purchase any further books these two publish -- not to mention anything by James Ellroy, simply for the black torture of his soul and the ragged tips of his fingers on a keyboard.

But for Bishop, Wambaugh, Petievich (Gerald Petievich, where the HELL are you!?), I have the utmost respect. I know the! y know the dues they have paid, the price in terms of physical and, mostly, mental writhings. When they sleep at night, I know that, sometimes, yes sometimes, whether they admit or not, a case, a time, a date, a smell, a scene like a poor photograph, will come cascading back.

More power to you, Paul Bishop. I have not, but would, like to meet you. I have designs on the writing world as well -- in my own fevered dreams. They are restless amorphic things which, quite frankly, appear to have plans of never leaving me alone. There is, for me, then, the only option of putting them down on paper.

Keep writing, Mr. Bishop. You and only you know why, ultimately, you must continue.

She's a run-away. Driven by rage and a passion to have a normal life, nothing can stop her. Who is this? Her name is Chrysta, a young 14 year old that is just trying to find a normal life or even a normal family.
This teen finds many friends along the way. Leaving some so thy can go their ways (but always communicating). As she travels about the country, she learns lessons, and the real meanings of things that weren't so important to her before. She grew up hard in the beginning, but she learns about herself along the way. This realistic fiction novel is sure to enter the lives of teenage girls.
This book was strait with the information. There were hardly any if, an's, or but's. You would think with all the description it had, it might have been real. I would defiantly recommend this book to teenage girls! It is so realistic, and makes you think, "Wow, this book could of really happened!" It's not one of those boring books that make you think, "When will this part ever end?"
Chrysta is constantly moving around to new places, more new friends, and even more life-long lessons. Page after page you knew you had to keep going. There was no stop. Many teens could of related to Chrysta during one of her situations in the book. So many events that happened, you would have to relate to one of them.
So do you happen to be a teenage girl with a thirst of realistic fiction adventures through the up's and downs? Pick up, To Take A Dare. You couldn't regret it. You're questions are sure to be, "Does she find her NORMAL life?" Maybe, maybe not. She may find other things just as important along the way.

Part of the blisteringly honest modern YA genre born of Judy Blume, which exploded in the 70s and 80s, "To Take A Dare" explores the unbearable pressures which lead up to Chris/Chrysta's running away from home, finding herself on the road, and the reasons why she attempts to adopt a young runaway, Dare, in an attempt to give him a true family. Fans of Dragonwagon's witty, funny, sharp and tender writing style won't be disappointed; Chrysta's word-portraits of the stifling suburbia she grows up in, her sadly frustrated family, her life on the road and her discovery of a true home in Arskansas, are all memorable. But Dragonwagon's view of life on the road, gritty as it is, with Chrysta's trading sexual favors for a lift or place to stay, is, in the end, terribly naive. This isn't the author's fault; any book about sexual trading pre-AIDS inevitably seems like apostcard written from the deck of the Titanic. But even minus the sex, life on the road for Chrysta seems a little too idyllic; something read and written about, rather than experienced. Like the obvious symbolism of "take a Dare," it is more read-about than real. But the portrayal of a young woman running to find and then defend her own standards and her own life is not easily dismissed. Dragonwagon's literary style and love of language lift this book above the typical teen-problem novel.

Nice book but defenitly not for young readers.

I am currently in the middle of a massive remodeling project in my house. I bought this book to learn some simple techniques for installing the molding that was so easy to rip out, but is a pain to put back in. I read the book from cover to cover and I found that the book lacked on illustrations/pictures. Most of the explanations are only given in paragraph form, and was hard to follow for me. This is the only do it yourself book that I regret buying from Amazon!

Great book on trim carpentry techniques for pros or someone who wants to do a professional quality job. Written from the practical viewpoint of an experienced pro with high standards. A bit of overkill if you are in a hurry but I would recommend it before trimming several rooms yourself or even if you want to check your contractor's work.

Very good book for baseboard, crown, door and window moldings. It has tons of pictures and illustrations. On the top of the cover of the book it says: "For Pros/ By Pros". I would agree with this assesment; but it is easy enough for a handyman type with little molding experience like me to follow also. After looking through this book, I was tearing out old molding with abondon and the confidence that I could do a good job of getting nice new stuff back in.

Christmas, Easter, Sunday and Halloween were around when Jesus walked this planet. Did He or His apostles celebrate ANY of them? NO! Why are you? Because for centuries, your uneducated ancestors were misled by the Catholic Church and it's daughters. Now you too can read. You have no excuse.

Research further. Don't buy this book if you want to know the REAL truth. Christmas is NOT about Jesus in any way shape or form. No matter how hard you try. It is about the pagan worshiping of Nimrod, Noah's grandson. When Nimrod was alive, he was a great hunter and great warrior. When he died, people thought if he was so great in life, he must be equally as great in death and worshiped him on his birthday, the winter solstace. They felt if they appeased him, he would help make the winter go away faster and bring the spring in sooner for good hunting and farming. To appease him, they burned yule logs and decorated trees.

Emperor Constantine wanted to keep his favorite pagan holidays when he adopted Christianity, so he turned the Judaic worshiping of the Jewish Messiah into a perverted religion full of pagan practice such as Christmas, Easter (worshiping Ishtar the goddess of nature and fertility, hence the eggs, grass, baby animals), Sun Day (worshiping the Sun God which had to be done on the first day of the week), Halloween (a Druid festival for the dead), etc. So he threw in some stuff about Jesus to make the Christians happy and packaged it around Jewish holidays (Easter around Passover, Christmas around Chanukah) and very, very few questioned it. Those who did were silenced forever.

Have you ever wondered why there are no Christmas trees in the bible? Why the apostles never did the holidays that the church as we know it is doing. It's because they were Jewish, not pagan.

No matter what you feel about this review, remember one thing:
In all of these things, you are breaking the first commandment, and He is indeed jealous!

My recommendation: Follow the biblical feasts and holidays just like God commanded. You will find it much more fulfilling and will make Him happier.

Now you know the REAL truth in a nutshell.

Blessings in Yeshua! (Jesus's real name. He is afterall Jewish, not Greek.)

This Gold Medallion Book Award title (for excellence in Evangelical Christian literature) is easy to overlook, since it appears to be yet another illustrated account of the birth of Jesus. Instead, what we have here is a recognized historian writing a kid-friendly book explaining some of the historical context of the Nativity story by having a mother answer her inquisitive child's many questions.

As Christopher's mom reads from gospel of St. Luke, chapter 2, she responds to her eight-year old son's questions about Caesar Augustus, registering for the census, why Joseph was not the father of Jesus Christ, why God chose Mary to be Jesus' mother, how old she might have been, where she lived, the lineage of King David, why Christmas is celebrated on December 25, what the stable was like, why there wasn't any room at the inn, why the shepherds were terrified at the sight of the angel, and how St. Luke knew "all this stuff."

This book is highly recommended to Christians of all traditions, as well as to non-Christian families who may be curious about what's really behind the Christmas story. As the author states in his brief introduction, many "children's Christmas books are often long on fancy and short on fact." I would agree when he says, "these pages...return the Christmas focus to where it belongs." The gospel story is no fairy tale, and here Paul L. Maier places it within the context of history, so children like Chris in this story can learn "about real people and real things that really happened."

Young Christopher is tired of fairytales, and wants his mother to begin reading real stories to him. With Christmas approaching, his mother comes to him with the Bible, to read him the story of the very first Christmas, as found in the Book of Luke. Together, they read the passage, and discuss many things.

This is a great book. The text of the story was simple enough for my 7-year-old son to understand, and I believe that his reading the story will have more impact than my reading it to him. The illustrations by Francisco Ordaz are absolute masterpieces, and add greatly to the impact of the story. I recommend this book 100%!

The fact that this book includes advertising for the publisher's other, completely unrelated products should be a clue that the information is heavily biased. I bought this book, along with a few others on the same subject, because it was highly rated by other reviewers. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed, which compelled me to write a review of my own.

One of the main tenets of this book is that beneficial minerals, like calcium, should be ingested from organic sources like vegetables, not from inorganic sources like non-distilled water. The Braggs suggest that inorganic minerals in our drinking water contribute to hardening of the arteries and a host of other ailments.

This theory, which is stated as a scientific fact, is hardly established within the medical or scientific community. This, and much of the other material presented in the book, is quite controversial, and the Braggs never acknowledge any opposing views, presenting their opinions as gospel.

While I actually agree that distilled water is healthy, there are a few issues that the Braggs never even discuss. One: the possibility of distilled water leaching essential minerals from your body. This is easily addressed, since the amount of mineral loss you can expect is easily compensated for by a healthy diet. Two: the importance of storing distilled water in an "inert" (e.g. glass) container, since distilled water is "aggressive," meaning it tends to leach possible toxins from plastic containers.

These are just two examples of glaring omissions that the uninformed reader might never realize. This book makes a lot of amazing claims. Just remember, if it seems too good to be true, you should be suspicious. If you want to read a good book on water contaminants and water purification, buy "The Drinking Water Book" by Colin Ingram.

This book is a real eye opener. I thought I was being pretty healthy. Little did I know the very water I was drinking from the tap was so bad for me! This book offers a no nonsense view of the water we drink and bathe in. Distilled water is the way to go! The section on shower filters was also very inspiring. I got some for my home and have noticed an immediate difference and improvement! Please take the time to read this book. Think seriously about what it says and you will make some healthy changes for the short and long term. Chlorine and fluoride are killers. Thanks so much to the Braggs.

In my search for "what" water to drink I've been plagued with advice from several people while investigating what water is best for the human body! I have heard it all from distilled, reverse osmosis, mineral, micro and BEV! I was so confused until I read Patricia Braggs book "Water-The Shocking Truth." The challenge I had with the previous advice is nobody would tell me "why" I should drink the water they recommend! Patricia finally puts that question to rest once and for all with a finite explanation of the difference of non-organic and organic minerals! Simply put, the body will NOT assimilate non-organic minerals thus the human body craves pure H2O water...distilled water...nothing but Hydrogen and Oxygen! This book really drives the point home and gives you a feeling of security while making the choice to change what water to drink! Thanks again for a wonderful book packed with information!!!

this book helps me understand everything about internet marketing

     Today there are millions of people from around the world who have jumped aboard the information superhighway. The numbers are growing every day. They represent a potential marketing goldmine for anyone willing and ready to capitalize on the opportunity to reach them. Dowling, Kuegler, Taylor, and Testerman (not a law firm), have written Web Advertising and Marketing to offer readers the information they need to get online and to increase their bottom line!

     This World Wide Web business guide offers a broad range of essential Web marketing strategies, business principles, Website design concepts, and loads of other helpful information. For instance, readers will have to consider what is actually involved in operating an online business. There is much more involved than simply setting up an account and having someone design a Website. A lot of detailed planning and work goes into establishing a productive online presence. The authors provide plenty of online examples and resources to help their readers get the ball rolling. Their sound advice will help readers avoid the mistakes others have made!

     The authors include information concerning a variety of topics, including Internet censorship, privacy, jurisdictional matters, copyright infringement, online security, netiquette, and more. Readers may interested to read up on the plight of Philip Zimmerman who landed himself in hot water with the US government by releasing his PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption software program online. An excellent treatment is provided to demonstrate the degree to which the government is willing to get involved in the lives of people.

     This is an extremely detailed Web business resource. It is ideally suited for those Website designers and online business persons who are comfortably prepared to go online and who will commit themselves to reading through this 540-page, information-packed book. This is one of the most thorough Web business books available today. From cover to cover readers will be kept busy digesting a wealth of information. If you're looking for a lot of reading material on operating an online business, this is the right book for you! Highly recommended!

I came into this book thinking I new a lot about building a Web Page for my company. What I learned from this book showed me that didn't know anything. This book is written in a way that gives you real life direction with real life examples, yet was fun to read. I highly recommend it.

I purchased this book on the ... reviews before mine and let's just say contrary to what 'Mister Movie Maker" says this book is much ado about nothing. I should've purchased a DVD of "Indiana Jones!" The reason I gave this book (2) stars was because Amazon doesn't use the alphabet system. You know like in "E" for effort.

I really enjoyed the writing, the storyline and I was particularly impressed with the surprise twist at the end surrounding the death of Dominic's father. I'm not sure I would compare it directly with Indiana Jones ..., but that didn't make it any less entertaining to read. This is an intelligent work of fiction that wouldn't let me go to bed until I finished. A good read.

I was asked by Ms. Brandenburg to review her book, "The Treasure Of St. Paul." I'm glad she asked. I enjoyed her story that much. The plot was intriguing, the characters fun and lively, and the dialogue moves right along. A very appealing combination. If you enjoyed "The Indiana Jones Saga" then "The Treasure Of St. Paul," is definately the book for you!

John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures Inc.

This book might look good on a coffee table, but that's about all. It gives little information on how to build treehouses and lacks the genearal knowledge of other treehouse authors. If you want the best book on treehouses, check-out the original, The Treehouse Book, by David Stiles. His book gives detailed designs on how to build many different treehouses and helps you decide which one is best for you. Mr Stiles has written on the subject for over thirty years and has published several other books on treehouses, including, Tree Houses You Can Actually Build. These books enlighten and inform, rather than just visually stimulate. Anyone interested in learning about or building a treehouse would do well to pass on this book and go straight to the source--Mr Stiles--the treehouse guru.

What a delightful book filled with mystical wonder and beautiful photography. We generally associate treehouses with children and the exuberance of youth, but....I want one! My own space, a private place to recapture lost youth, a place to dream, recollect thoughts, be at one with the stars and the universe - how magical life could be. There is no question my talented husband could build one; though not a professional, he truly is talented at that sort of thing as a hobby. But, there is a chance I would appear in the backyard on a bright summer's morn, only to hear him exclaim, "Treehouse? You wanted a treehouse? I thought you said "birdhouse," and then I do have a problem because how would I ever fit through that that tiny little round hole in the centre? Even if he did get the plans right, there is also the off-chance my family would insist on building a safety net around the treehouse, just in case dear old granny fell OUT of her tree! Possibly, they would insist the resident counsellor also have her own "branches checked out," just in case she was missing a few twigs off the upper branch.

Well, whether you are simply dreaming or actually making a treehouse a reality, this is a wonderful book filled with beautiful photography and treehouses galore of every description. The authors have put extensive research into this intriguing and attractive book, so if you are fascinated by treehouses, this is a book you are sure to enjoy.

I have read every one of Peter Nelson's books, and he is not only a beautiful writer, but also a gifted craftsman. If you want to dream about living in the trees or even make it a reality...each of these books will give you a wonder-filled ride through the pages as well as technical information and all the motivation you might need to build your own. The stories and photographs are breath taking and alive. I have been lucky enough to witness Peter Nelson's craftsmanship in person, but it also comes alive through the pages of all three of his books. Go buy each one of the books right away and see for yourself the wonder of "living out on a limb". Fantastic!

What I liked about this book was that it was well written and educational. I learned things about horses and insight on some people. The theme of the story was expressed well and very clearly. What I disliked about this book was that it was written from a female point of view and being a male it isn't as intresting. I personally did not like the bool but I think that was because it was written with the intention of being read by females. I would look into other stories by this writter because I liked the writing. I would reffer this book to females between the ages of 9-13. I would not recommed this book to males unless you want some insight on females.

Wild horse summer is a great book.
Alison goes to her Aunt & Uncles ranch for the summer.At first she thinks she will be stuck helping her blind cousin all summer but she soon finds out it is her cousin who is helping her.

When Alison's cousins special horse gets kiddnapped it's up to Alison to get her back. She has to overcome her fears or risk disapointing her cousin.

This was not the greatest book I have ever read, but I was not completely disappointed.

Alison is upset when she has to leave her friends and family in Chicago to go to a ranch in Wyoming. She is deathly afraid of heights and afraid of most animals, especially horses, and is not happy that she has to spend the summer with her uncle, aunt, and her blind cousin. She believes that her cousin, Kelly, will be completely dependent on her. Boy was she wrong! Alison learned a lot over one summer.

The writing was informative and made for a quick read. It was interesting to see things from the point of view of a city girl, and interesting to see how Kelly managed to get by on a ranch being blind. Cute book, recommended for people 10-13.

The title says: "walking meditation" and you think that you are going to find a lot of information of theory around the art of BaGua... but I got really disappointed. There is some information about the philosophy of BaGua but non that you cant get from a simple introduction to Daoism, and the physical aspect well "in this position your back is open as Yang and your chest is closed as Yin..." even a beginner can see that.

If you read between the lines you can see that Paul Crompton is a very experienced martial artist but the book does not really explain the real questions (at least not mine =) of BaGua

The title says it all... this book is primarily about the meditative aspects of BaGuaZhang and touches only briefly on the martial aspects. I found his explanations of the history of BaGua very interesting, but his attempted explanations of the health benefits of BaGua to be somewhat suspect. For example, many other sources have somehow tried to tie in the effects of cerebrospinal fluid to sexual and physical health, mostly with unsuccessful results... I think his viewpoints on craniosacral therapy is no different. Certainly craniosacral therapy has not reached mainstream approval in the medical community. BaGuaZhang was initially created to be a very effective martial art, and has been likened to a "graduate school course" for people who have already reached proficiency in another external or internal martial art. None of this really comes through in Paul Crompton's book. His tone reminds me of many T'ai Chi books that concentrate on chakras, relaxation, and "being one with the universe", but completely gloss over the fact that T'ai Chi was initially created as a method of self-defense (and a very effective one, at that!) I much preferred Park Bok Nam's series over this one, which gave basic training tips, good diagrams for moves, and had excellent tips for power generation and stance stability. Keep it in mind if you are interested in broadening your horizons on the esoterics of BaGua, but think twice about buying it if you are looking for books that aid with significant real-life principles and applications of this martial art...

This may be one of Paul Crompton's best books. He writes about the meditative and health aspects from a perspective of many years of experience in martial arts. The book is well researched and contains some diagrams which appear to have come from his friends book published in the late eighties. Unfortunately the nuances of the physical conditioning and cerebral pulse work will only be grasped by those who really spend a lot of time circle walking.

This book is rare because it only addresses the transformational and health aspects of Pakua. But this is a very important and overlooked subject. It is also an effective way to introduce Pakua to a broader audience of normal people seeking the yoga of walking. Pakua is an art that could easily surpass Tai Chi Chuan as an effective alternative exercise and health tool. Serious practioners of the art should take a closer look at this book as a means of expanding the popularity of this incrediable art.

The book provides some great history and information that will be beneficial to all people interested in internal arts.