Having lived in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, I was interested in the subject of the title. I found this book to have quite a unique view of the creature most call "BIGFOOT". So far, I've let three others read the book and everyone of them laughed as they returned it. They agreed that you can be scared and laugh at the same time. The book pulls you in with the struggles of a small town newspaper office dreaming of "The One Big Story" that will put them on the map. Little do they know just how big their story will get. You have murder, blood/guts, suspensful moments, GREAT one liners to make you laugh and the chilling twist to keep you reading untill the end. The author uses alot of modern environment to make this book believeable. You'll get goose pimples and side aches; from laughing while being scared.

Lets face it, anyone reading these Sasquatch reviews are doing so because they've read the book, loved it and want to know what other people have said. The gods smiled on me the day I found this brilliant book hiding in my local bookstore. I read the first page, marvelled at the low cost of the book and bought it. I laughed, cried and laughed when I read it. I then promptly read it again. The characters are very well thought out, and I am thinking of changing my name to 'Tuberski'. Why this book is not a best seller and hasn't been snapped up for film rights is beyond me. I like the descriptions of Northern California(?), it sounds like a good place to live. This book made me want to do silly things like write letters of praise to the author and shout how good it was (the book that is)from the top of the nearest hill(!). Do you get the feeling that John Boston knows something about the sasquatch that most of the rest of the world doesn't. Has he written any other novels or short stories? Finally 'foof' has become a permanent part of my dictionary. Thank you John and please hurry up with the next novel. Another good author I've read recently who makes good use of humour,horror and good characterization is Michael Marshall Smith.

Quirky characters, great one-liners, a bit of blood, sibling fights, and a mystery- who could ask for anything more? - Well maybe another book? C'mon please, Mr. Boston! I've been waiting for years now! I've read the book several times now, and I still laugh at and with the characters. I have even forced my wife to read it so I can talk to someone about it. We still quote lines from it. So read the book, you'll like it. K'? K'!

There is no Spoon River, IL. Check your map. Several towns argue that they stake their claim in being what Masters asserted to be this mythical town. Petersburg and Lewistown, two towns of otherwise minor repute seem closest... but it is so much better we haven't an actual town... Spoon River's residents are our next door neighbors, whether we live in Central Illinois or Central Florida, or southern Alaska.

Masters has written not fables, but the essence of American life. He hasn't captured the life and times of 1915, but has instead recorded in 1915 the life and times of our present day America.

The same reason the paintings of Norman Rockwell makes sense is why Edgar Lee Masters poetry makes sense. To read the quick messages on the gravestone of one man, learning a little bit him, and something about a neighbor or two, we can learn a little about how we live in communities today.

Our lives, like Jimmy Stewart's character in "It's a Wonderful Life" found out, interact and impact everyone we meet. Who we love, who we should love and who we reject. And when we die, others feel the loss. Masters has aptly put this in a humorous, yet insightful way into short verses.

The poems don't rhyme. The meter is not solid, and the poetics aren't intricate. They aren't poems like Poe's or Dickinson, not in the way they wrote American poems. Don't expect iambic pentameter-based sonnets or villanelles. Expect a conversation, and listen in.

The poetry here is in the subtle use of social nuance. In the nuances are his insight and wit. Two readings will bring to light what you miss in the first.

Buy this book, read it slow. It reads faster than most poetry book, but don't get caught in the temptation to zoom through each poem just because you can.

After you read it, see the play if it happens to be performed in your town.

I fully recommend it.

Anthony Trendl

Inspired by The Greek Anthology, a collection of brief poems from the Hellenistic World including epitaphs written from the perspective of the deceased, Edgar Lee Masters wrote a series of monologues spoken by dead townspeople (some more fictional than others) who inhabited Spoon River, the area in Illinois where Abe Lincoln once lived. Real people include Anne Rutledge (Abe's first girlfriend) and Fiddler Jones, who worked in Lincoln's general store as a boy.

But this book isn't about Abraham Lincoln. It's about the trait that we will all, both saints and sinners, one day have in common: death. And it is about the small triumphs of life that the dead remember. Just as William Carlos Williams was a doctor, and his poetry was informed by his contact with everyday people, so too Masters. He was a lawyer and a keen observationist. He writes directly and frankly, especially about male-female relations, which earned this book a bit of a scandalous reputation in its time. Of course, it is mild enough today that the book is assigned reading in junior highs, even in the South.

I've read this book three times through, and often re-read individual favorites. And I have it in easy reach on my shelf because I plan to keep re-reading it. There is something about the people of Spoon River and their sentiments that keeps me coming back. As May Swenson says, in her introduction to this edition, Masters "bequeathed to us a world in microcosm." A world, in my opinion, worth exploring again and again.

I was turned on to this book after hearing the latest Richard Buckner release "The Hill", in which the musician uses the Spoon River Anthology as the basis for his conceptual music. After listening to this wonderful disc, I was compelled to read the actual work by Edgar Lee Masters. What I found was a book that was written in 1915, but that brings to life the voices of humanity louder than anything I've read in recent years. This book is more poetry than literature, but the stories of the residents of Spoon River that are collected within the pages are stories that are not soon forgotten.

This book has moved me more than anything else I've read in recent years, and I highly recommend that othes read this outstanding work of art.

When Helaine and Pixel go to earth with Score, you just know it will be funny. It was a great idea to have them visit earth because all the readers know what earth is like (I hope) and they may not know much about Helaines' medieval world of Ordin or Pixels' virtual reality world Calomir. Read this book if you want to see how earthings react to magic-users!

John Peel is one of the best authors in the world! This is my favorite book out of the diadem series, and it was really hard to pick a favorite. If you know that he's going to be writting more books, please E-mail me. And take my word for it, after you read one of the books, your hooked!

Dear Mr. John Peel,

I love your books! I think it's interesting having a new fantasy book series that incorporates some of the less widely used characters, like the centaurs, the sphinx, and the ice dragon, to the unicorns, wizards, and kids with magical power. It always interests me to view how writers portray the opposite sex in characters, and I approve of Hellaine. They are all believable, lovable, human characters, and that is perhaps your major selling point. I also like how all the book covers mold together to form one design! However, the suspense is killing us! Keep writing, Publish those books faster! We'll be waiting at the bookstore.

Kids who are reading this, if you like this, you'll probably be interested in another book series I've read. Patricia C. Wrede's "Dealing With Dragons". It's about a teanage girl who is a very improper princess, who like Hellaine, is bored with her royal duties of curtseying and needlepoint, so she voluntarily becomes a dragon's princess, and aids the dragons in their battle against the evil magic-stealing wizards.

Be Quick But Don't Hurry is a quick read, a pretty good book and a different take on John Wooden's Pyramid of Success that he utilized in coaching the most successful teams in the history of college basketball (UCLA in the 60's and 70's.)

Mr. Hill played for Wooden during his amazing stretch of championships as a backup. The book is basically a reflection of how, after 30 years, Mr. Hill recognized how much he learned from Coach Wooden without knowing he was being taught anything at all.

He discusses how the Secrets of the pyramid are transferable to teaching, business, management and even friendships.

The book is very personal and well written. If you are trying to become a leader or want to learn the keys to success you would gain quite a bit from reading this book. Most importantly, just like basketball, you have to apply these secrets until they become second nature for them to have a profound impact on your life.

Be Quick But Don't Hurry, by Andy Hill with John Wooden is not only a great and quick read, but Wooden's Pyramid of Success and Hill's description of how he utilized them as a former player of Wooden at UCLA is easily transferable to all business, teaching, and to anyone interested in discovering Wooden's secrets of success as a basketball coach. The book is also a touching story of Hill's realizing 30 years after playing for Wooden, how important he was/is in his life. For men today, their relationships with their fathers are often conflicted and tortured. But Hill's relationship with his mentor, Coach Wooden, is a model about what can happen in a teacher/pupil, employer/employee, mentor/disciple relationship. I recommend this book to teachers, clergy (of which I am one), managers of business and in the non-profit sector, for basketball fans, and for men and their wives. For women, this book will likely give you insight into who your husbands are and what they need from the men in their lives.

Andrew Hill did something that I have never seen an author do before - he wrote a loving and wonderful book about a man whom he bitterly "viewed as a teacher who had failed [him] in his class for three straight years." Hill's journey of introspection and ultimate friendship with his former UCLA basketball coach, the legendary John Wooden, is just half of this great book. The other half is John Wooden's twenty-one secrets, or teachings, for a lifetime of success. I highly recommend this unique and inspiring book to leaders and followers, teachers and scholars, coaches and players, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives.

After I read "Wooden" by John Wooden and Steve Jamison, I bought and read this book. I was initially disappointed with Hill's less-than-stellar, yet brutally honest, portrayal of a man for whom I have the deepest respect. I even thought about throwing the book away in disgust. I am glad I decided to keep it and read it all the way. I would have missed out on a truly fascinating and entertaining opportunity to learn many things that are helping me be a better person. I believe the same opportunity exists for anyone who reads this book.

John Lennon posthumously narrates his life, with input by Yoko Ono, former wife Cynthia, sons Sean and Julian, and friend Elliot Mintz (those other three guys declined to participate). Film certainly captures moments; his youth, Beatlemania, Yoko, the "Bed-in", his deportation troubles, etc. But other unsavory elements aren't mentioned; such as his brief heroin addiction, and even though May Pang offers comment, his affair with her is only touched on briefly. Am I poo-pooing this? No. I'm just describing it. There's a few moments of uneasy premonition, such as when John laughs when a fan letter predicts an assassination attempt, or when he states that fortunately he doesn't know the future. Highlights include verbal judo between John and cartoonist Al Capp, as well as the music and a peek into his treasure trove of home movies. A must-have for fans, and a rough demo of "Real Love" opens the movie, which the other three Beatles completed in 1995.

I'm a huge John Lennon fan and this film just made my day. It was the most unbiased film on him I've ever seen. Usually it's either Yoko just going on about John or the other Beatles moaning about him. This was a positive movie to watch and enjoy.

December 8, 1980 - New York City
"John Lennon, the guiding spirit of The Beatles, dead tonight at 40."

Those immortal words at the end of the movie bring tears to everyone who was a fan of John Lennon. I remember hearing and seeing that news report from a hospital bed at 6 years old. It was and always will be a tragic memory. The man who resurfaced after a 5 year absence with a powerhouse of music destined for new life had been cut short just a few hours after an interview where he said:

"My work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried. And I hope that's a long, long time."

The long time was 2-3 hours.

The movie is an intimate portrait of Lennon's life and legacy. It exposes the chaos behind the myth, as well as the genius behind the man. With all the tales from friends, associates, Paul, George, Ringo, and George Martin on "The Beatles Anthology," this one focuses on Lennon's life in his own words and home videos. Taken directly from the archives of the man himself, there has never been a better documentary on Lennon. From Liverpool beginnings to the end in New York City, watch the boy become a superstar, the superstar into a man, and the man become a legend.

Remember John Lennon 1940 - 1980

Robert Eldridge (...)

After Baum's success with the first book, he penned the sequel "The Marvelous Land of Oz". It was a decent book, but it was missing one important element. Dorothy. He corrects that oversight in this one, and the book (and the rest of the series) is all the better for it. Dorothy makes her second trip to Oz, this time with her chicken Billina (don't worry, Toto would also return in later volumes) and the action is non-stop. If you planned on reading the series and had a tough time getting through book 2, don't stop. They keep getting better and better as Baum develops into a first-rate author. Read them in order and don't stop until you've finished book 14 (and then even dip into the books by other authors, none are as inspired as Baum's, but some of them are pretty good).

And if you've read all the Oz books and are looking for other titles that are just as magical and just as inspired, try the Chronicles of Narnia, King Fortis the Brave or Abarat. All will introduce you to other magical worlds that are every bit as fun to visit as Oz.

Firstly, if you are new to the Oz series, read The Marvelous Land of Oz before reading this book. Marvelous Land of Oz is what directly follows the original, infamous Oz book.
Believe me they just keep getting better.
This is a lovely book to read aloud to children of all ages. I highly reccomend all of the Oz books for their amusing, imaginitve characters(in this book, The Wheelings and Billinia are introduced) , their fantastical situations (trees with lunch boxes full of food, talking chickens, a shipwreak, all in this one), sweet plot and storylines. These books still stand the test of time (written over 100 years ago!)for good reason.
This book really sets the tone for the rest of the books to follow and in my opinion the best. A must read for every family.

Ozma of Oz is the 3rd book in The Wizard of Oz series and follows The Land of Oz. In this book, you will be reunited with many well-loved characters and be introduced to characters you will soon love.

Dorothy, who was not in the last book, again comes into this story. After being shipwrecked, she and Billina, a yellow hen, arrive on land. They wander around to see where they are and discover a new friend, Tik-Tok, a wind-up, mechanical man. They also find a castle. Inside, lives the family of Ev, who have been captured by the evil Nome king. Only a princess who can change her heads lives inside. Dorothy, Billina, and Tik-Tok decide to rescue the Ev family with the help of Ozma. --I won't mention who Ozma is because you may not have read The Land of Oz. You will find out in a later review.--

I would highly suggest this book, along with The Land of Oz because of the adventures and fun.

In this classic work, John Bunyan paints a detailed picture of the Christian life/walk, giving true-to-life insights and experiences. The despair, sorrows, trials and temptations that a believer may face are depicted in an allegorical manner, as well as the hope, joy, and salvation found in Jesus Christ. The main character Christian (once named Graceless) sets out on a lifelong journey from the City of Destruction, where his family disowned him, and encounters many persons and difficulties along the way to the Celestial City (heaven). The characters he meets are given names that reflect their mindset or what temptation they bring. At times he stumbles and at times he perseveres, but all by the grace of God. The second portion of the book tells of the conversion and subsequent sojourn of the wife (Christiana) and children of Christian. The discussions of Christian in the first part and Christiana and her companions in the second part are very interesting, as they defend their faith and explain their purpose to those they meet along the way. The book is quite different from your ordinary novel, and has many interesting words of wisdom for the Christian life. Readers should be aware that some of the language is antiquated and has unfamiliar usages, so its a little bit of an adjustment to read.

Pilgrim's Progress is without a doubt one of the true classics of time--an allegory that has remained a best seller years after its introduction.

My first introduction to Pilgrim's Progress was as a child in parochial school. I had to do a book report on it in 5th grade and ended up reading numerous times for various projects throughout grade school.

The reader follows the main character--aptly named "Christian"--on his journey to the Celestial City.

Along the way, Christian passes through the many trials of life, symbolized by intruiging characters and places along the way. An early temptation is the "City of Destruction", which Christian narrowly escapes with his life. The various characters are perhaps the most fascinating portion of the book--Pliable, Giant Despair, Talkative, Faithful, Evangelist, and numerous others provide the reader with a continual picture of the various forces at work to distract (or perhaps, encourage)Christian on his ultimate mission.

Of course, the theology (for those of the Christian faith) of Pilgrim's Progress is a constant source of debate, the book is nonetheless a classic of great English writing.

It's not a quick read--that's for sure--however, I certainly would recommend that one read it in its original form. Don't distort the beauty of the old English language with a modern translation.

A letter to Marvin Minsky about this book:

I urge you tolook at a remarkable book by the English Puritain John Bunyan(1628-1688), "The Pilgrim's Progress", which is one of the great evangelical Christian classics, though clearly that is not why it interests me and should interest you (although I AM interested in the puzzle that is the religious sense, which even the irreligious feel, and this book can give remarkable insight into that as well).

Rather its fascination lies in the pilgrimage it depicts, or in the fact that human traits, vices, virtues, &c are PERSONIFIED as particular individuals who are their living and speaking epitome, and who are encountered along the way in revealing situations.

Bunyan's hero is appropriately named Christian. Someone once wrote that "Christian's journey is timeless as he travels from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, meeting such characters as Pliable, Talkative, Giant Despair, Evangelist, Worldly-Wiseman, Faithful, Ignorance and Hopeful."

At first this personification is merely amusing, even a bit annoying (as caricatures or truly stereotypical people can be); but after a while I found myself enthralled because I realized that the effect of this odd literary device was to give unmatched insight into the nature of such traits. The force of the whole thing comes from the fact that one journeys about in - literally INSIDE of - what is both a comprehensive and finite moral and psychological landscape (a "psycho-topography"), very much as though one were INSIDE the human mind and your "Society of the Mind" was embodied in the set of actors. This is more or less the opposite or an inversion of the 'real world' of real people, who merely SHARE those attributes or of whom the attributes are merely PIECES; in "Pilgrim's Progress", by contrast, the attributes are confined in their occurrence to the actors who are their entire, unique, pure, and active embodiment, and humanness, to be recognized at all, has to be rederived or mentally reconstructed from the essential types.

The effect, for me, was something like experiencing a multidimensional scaling map that depicts the space of the set of human personality types, by being injected directly - mentally and bodily - into it by means of virtual reality technology.

So Bunyan's book has something of the interest to a psychologist, neuroscientist, or philosopher that Edwin Abbot's "Flatland" has to a mathematician.

I don't mean to overpraise "Pilgrim's Progress", of course; it was written for theological rather than scientific purposes, and has conspicuous limitations for that reason. But its interest to a student of the mind who looks at it at from the right point of view can be profound.

- Patrick Gunkel

I've read a ton of biographies but this would definitely make it into my top 5. It's a real goldmine of information for those who want an objective look at Kennedy's presidency without too much muckraking. What I liked most about this book is that because it is a day by day presentation of Kennedy's 1000 days, it gives you a terrific view of what it is like to be President. Reeves' presentation of the Bay of Pigs disaster is particularly interesting, as is Reeves' revelation that it was often Robert Kennedy who was the hatchet man for Kennedy. This is particularly important when RFK tries to pass the buck for to the cabinet for floundering in the Bay of Pigs. To be honest, I am not sure I like JFK as much as I used to (Kennedy's handling of the steel companies was a disgrace), but he did handle the Cuban Missile Crisis with aplomb (although in the book Dean Acheson attributes his success in Cuba to "pure dumb luck"). In any event, this book was terrific.

Richard Reeves' book is a welcome addition to the "CamelotYears" genre. Written from the President's perspective,i.e. "a day in the life" type format, this excellent readneither fawns, nor muckrakes, but rather a balanced account of aPresidency that, until this point, has not been examined in anobjective light. Reeves first person perspective shows a president whohad more profile than courage. Inspite of his many gifts, JFK wasdiffident, at best, as President. Reeves book reveals a JFK that wasdriven, almost maniacally, to get to the White House, but once he gotthere was pretty much out of his league. The portrait of a neophytestatesman is obvious when Kennedy makes his first trip to Europe,receives a lukewarm reception from DeGaulle, and is taken to thewoodshed by Nikita Khrushev who, upon seeing the youthful presidentexclaimed "he's younger than my own son." Reeves accountbeautifully illustrates how the rich playboy-president miscalculatesKhrushev; one gets the impression that Kennedy felt that his Sovietcounterpart could be rolled like a Boston Pol. Kennedy came away fromhis first overseas trip as president much chastened. Richard Reeves'book is excellent; well written, well researched, and balanced. Ihighly recommend it. (I've read it twice!!)

Richard Reeves has crafted an exceedingly insightful, well-written, you-are-there look at the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. As someone born the year Kennedy was assasinated, and having been inculcated over the years with the Kennedy Myth, Reeves took me almost day-by-day, minute-by-minute through the events starting from Kennedy's election through the day 33 years ago when he was killed in Dallas.
Reeves' looks at the Berlin Wall and Cuban Missile Crises take advantage of recent disclosures from US, Soviet and other sources to show how close we came to World War III in both of those situations.
The book's description of the start of the US commitment in Vietnam under JFK allowed me to gain a better understanding of how Kennedy's prior failure to stand up to the Soviet Union and Krushchev in Laos and Cuba "forced" JFK to stand firmly behind the unsupportable South Vietnamese government.
Other topics addressed by the book include JFK's tepid support of civil rights and his rampant promiscuity.
I had to rate this book a 9 (I've yet to read a 10), but this book has to be one of the best out of the almost unlimited supply of JFK biographies

The story of how David Wilkerson came to found Teen Challenge should be a must read for anyone who follows Jesus Christ. The Cross and the Switchblade describes how Wilkerson put feet on his faith that took him from rural Pennsylvania to the streets of New York City. It's the story of how a pastor followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and reached out to minister to people with whom the churches would not associate.

Wilkerson describes in his book how essential it is to meet the unloved where they are, rather than waiting for them to show up in church all dressed up and ready to worship within the ranks of the clean and respectable. He also rightly emphasizes the importance of follow up, how one can't just expect to go out and distribute tracts or preach from street corners without also developing real, loving relationships with people and ministering to their needs, both spiritually and physically.

Now that Teen Challenge International has grown to over 200 centers around the world, it is interesting to note that the struggle in recovery ministry continues to be much the same: It's extremely difficult to get people to reach out in love to those who have never been loved, and it's nearly impossible to get church members to venture outside their doors to love their neighbors as they love themselves.

I praise God for Rev. Wilkerson and the way that he listened to God and ventured out in faith. I thank him for sharing the story of his work.

A powerful book that will send God-bumps down your spine! Even if you are not a fan of David Wilkerson's later writings, this book is truly a God send. Read this book if you want to learn of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others.

What a tremendous message this book has to give. Miracles happen right in the worst parts of New York, away from the glamourous bits, right in the middle of the hard, the tough, the smelly and the nasty - and it actually keeps on happening.

These days, so much has changed. A local pentecostal preacher once told me that he went to Leeds one Saturday; that he was so disgusted by the beggars, and used to see the same ones all the time, how awful that they should always be there; and once he got real close up to one, who was (from what he told me) probably very weak, maybe even dying, lying on the ground, got about six inches away from their ear, and shouted at the top of his voice, "GET A JOB!!!"

Stand this in contrast with the Wilkerson man. This guy, realizing that the zonkos and beggars know that they're sinners, possibly scarcely realizing anything else at all, goes and gives them a bed for the night - feeds them - gives them a bath and warm clothes. The tells them that God knows them and has already fixed up a plan for them - that to the God who made the sun and the outer planets, THEY matter - "whosoever will" can come and drink from the waters of life, that they can repent, and be made blameless before the king of kings.

[Life isn't cheap to this man.]

Then the guy fixes up this organisation called "teen challenge", held together by almost no money at all, but lots of prayer, who pulls loads of dropouts and folks who are very nearly dead from all over the place and stands them on the the higher ground...

Man, this book is so good. I know that these days, many of the big churches... (I used to be in Perth, Western Australia) and there was this huge church near to the Casino. The car park was full of BMWs, and all the evidence was that the church was really inwards looking, far too concerned with "signs and wonders" to remember about the plan of Salvation at all. So much for the lost, no place for them. When I went to Yorkshire, I was amazed how the church had similarly split along these lines - those who preached the gospel, the same one as David Wilkerson preached - to the lost sheep - (go and READ this, will you) and those who prayed for (and maybe got) bigger houses, fatter share options, sports cars, foreign holidays, etc. The contrast is huge.

Read this book and find out what the cost of discipleship to Christ really means - how many days and nights of prayer it really takes to move those mountains - and what faith is REALLY about. And the failures, when Sonny does not come back, and all the disappointments when it doesn't seem to go to plan and they're just about to get kicked out of the building...

I was brought up with this book, and as far as I can remember, I have worn out probably six copies. Time I got myself a new one....

Very few blackjack books can live up to their hype. This book has been heavily promoted by Frank Scoblete who is a very popular gaming writer. I bought it because I tend to buy everything about blackjack in the hope, rare, that I will learn something new from it. Most times the blackjack book doesn't really offer me anything to write home about...or even write a review about. But I must say that not only does Mr. John May's book live up to the hype, it surpasses it. I learned several new and devastating advantage-play techniques that are just wonderful. I would recommend you get this book fast before the casinos discover what Mr. May is writing about and start watching the games even more closely than they currently do. This book will have a strong appeal to experienced blackjack players and they will learn new techniques from it just as I have. I put this on a par with the two or three best blackjack books ever written!

The biggest problem with John May's "Get the Edge at Blackjack," is the introduction by Frank Scoblete. "The book you are holding is a blackjack nuclear bomb," is how it starts, and the hype increases from there. One is left with the impression that by merely applying a few of the techniques in the book, the casinos will become veritable ATM machines. Naturally this is not the case, and the reader is left feeling vaguely let down. Which is a shame, because there is much to like here. There are indeed techniques that have heretofore received little or no publicity, and much that is of use to the serious blackjack player.

Another nitpick: Scoblete's intro further states, "There is information in [the book] that has never appeared in print in a mainstream book and there is some information that has never appeared anywhere except in the secret world inhabited by a handful of elite professional blackjack players." Well, I'm flattered. While none of the material may have ever appeared in a paper and ink book before, blackjack aficionados who have visited the Green Baize Vampire (May's alter ego) website and/or May's Card Counter Cafe may find that much of it has a familiar ring. This is not inherently a bad thing - after all, much of Don Schlesinger's "Blackjack Attack" was previously published in issues of Arnold Snyder's "Blackjack Forum" magazine. Still, I certainly have never considered myself an "elite professional blackjack player."

Oddly, (considering that this is supposed to be a collection of advanced techniques) the book starts with a brief summary of the rules of blackjack, followed by a recap of basic strategy. Next is an introduction to card counting, including a brief description of the Hi-Lo count.

Then we have a system comparison chart that is sure to spark some controversy. It shows both the Knockout count and Arnold Snyder's Red 7 count as being marginally superior to the time-honored Hi-Lo in all three areas: betting correlation, playing efficiency, and insurance correlation. To further complicate things, May provides no information as to how he arrived at these figures (what game, rules, etc.).

The first section of the book is concluded with a brief discussion of multi-parameter counts, and May's thoughts on cover and camouflage. I like this quote: "While the expert card counter plays blackjack against the dealer, he plays poker against the pit; that is, his play is geared toward the intelligence of the pit personnel." Indeed.

By this point the veteran player is likely chomping at the bit: "When do we get to the good stuff?" Part II carries the enticing title: "Advantage-Play Techniques - How to Become a Casino's Worst Nightmare!"

What follows is indeed "good stuff." Card Steering, Card Sequencing, and Shadow Play are described in detail. How much to bet when your first card is known (as a result of these techniques) is discussed. This has already caused some controversy on blackjack websites, as May recommends betting 40% of one's entire bankroll if it is known that one's first card will be an ace.

Oddly, we get get a couple of anecdotes regarding blackjack legend Lawrence Revere, author of "Playing Blackjack as a Business." While Revere was a colorful character, and these are most interesting, they seem a bit out of place.

Other advanced techniques covered include Hole Card Play, Glim Play, and Stacker Play.

The much-hyped section on beating continuous shuffle machines is more a series of suggestions than a tried and proven method. The problem is that more needs to be known about the inner workings of these infernal contraptions. However, it is reassuring to know that someone is working on ways to beat these things.

There is a description of a betting progression, of sorts, that sims indicate is effective. It's not what you think.

Many of these techniques may be of little use to the casual player. Some require extensive practice, and several require team play in order to really be effective. Others require situations (sloppy dealer, etc) that rarely occur.

However, any military expert will agree that merely because a particular weapon is not used very often does not mean that it should not be carried. The blackjack pro or serious part-timer needs to have a variety of "weapons" at his/her disposal. You may not know that you're going to be dealt an ace very often, but when it happens, you'd better be ready.

The book concludes with a chapter on Internet casinos. At first I questioned the inclusion of this, but found it to be an interesting summary. I have no interest in exploiting this form of blackjack, but if I ever change my mind, the basics are here.

Bottom line: Definitely not for the beginner, and of limited usefulness to the recreational player, Get the Edge at Blackjack is nonetheless a worthy addition to my blackjack library. I would recommend it to anyone serious about making money at blackjack.

John May's Get the edge at Blackjack lives up to the hype on its cover, unlike most gambling books. This book is not a beginner's book although it does have some "review" sections before getting into the heavy material. I found that many of the techniques were new to me and I have been playing blackjack for many years. The book is very well written and it flows. I would recommend this to anyone who already plays blackjack and is looking to learn unique methods of getting the edge that very few people have heard of. This is a really good book.