For those interested in Griffin's experiment which became the book, BLACK LIKE ME, Bonazzi's book is an insightful resource. He gives additional sources and background material that describe the influences and personal inner journey that lead him to the BLACK LIKE ME experience and beyond. If you stick with the book to the end you will receive a glimpse into the deeply spiritual orientation which motivated Griffin's life work. This book is an important contribution to the understanding of BLACK LIKE ME, which in itself is significant enough to need re-reading for the 21st century.

True to the the game was one of the best books i have read in a long time. Robert Scoop Jackson did a might fine job of writing this book. I couldn't put it down. At times I thought I was one of the characters.

When I first started reading it I found Patton's style of writing a bit abrupt. Before long though I found myself adjusting to the writing style and really enjoying the story. He moves the story along quite well, but also manages to stop and think about things Being a teen-ager in the 80's I found this book to be a good reflector of that time period and very interesting. You get a good blend of the peoples stories and the financial attitudes of that time. I found it entertaining and interesting!

Getting inside the head of such a great thinker is a wonderful opportunity. The only negative comment I could make about this book is that a few of the passages included from Hansberry's lesser-known plays were not as powerful as the passages from speeches, journals, and A Raisin in the Sun. It is tragic that the world lost a truly gifted and spirited writer at such a young age. If you enjoyed A Raisin in the Sun, you'll also find this a rewarding read.

I found this book in the library and fell in love with it instantly. The passages from Hansberry's plays and journal enteries were quite powerful- witty, yet moving. She truly had a gift for describing the human condition- AS IT IS, rather than how it "should be." However, I must admit to finding myself at a bit of a cultural disadvantage at times, as the author assumes that most readers will be familiar with African American lingo from the '50s. While some readers like myself may have difficulty understanding certain expressions, etc, the sharp overall messages and delightful writing style make this book both a learning experience and a pleasure to read. I hope others will gain as much from this book as I have.

I remember reading this book thinking that I could relate to the author perfectly well. Though I am not a playright, I do understand a lot of what she is saying. There should and will never be a borderline or a glass ceiling or anything else to hold me down. You are who you are regardless of what is . . . There is no turning back only that which is to be gained and won.

When I think of Lorraine Hansberry I think of a woman who achieved the impossible in an impossible time. She completed her plays with such intensity and flair . . . As if she lived and researched each every act.

Nevertheless, I feel that Hansberry was stating that to be "Young, gifted, and black," is clearly to be aware of who and what you are . . . and to take this knowledge of who and what you are and to run with it. Taking a chance when given a chance, or rather taking a chance and creating an opportunity with merely a bit of the gift that you had.

I will always remember what Thurgood Marshall, he basically stated that "He did the best with what he had." Is that being merely good or is that being the best. I believe that the concept of this book is not to be mistaken. I believe Hansberry is saying, "Hey sister, hold your head up high. It does not matter what this world thinks of you. It only merely matters about what you can do for yourself and your fellowman. Do you know your gifts? Hey write it down. You are worth perfecting."

Lorraine Hansberry did wonders in her lifetime she did so much for her community and her fellowman. My question to myself and others is . . . What about your gifts? Hey write them down. They are worth perfecting.

I realize that many people the world over will vehemently disagree with me, but I, personally, find Robert Reed to be an incredibly overrated author. BLACK MILK, one of his earlier novels, is no exception. Right from the beginning, with the perspective of a child in first-person, the story seems to take a turn for the worse. (I've always loathed novels from the perspective of a child.) I found his characters to be disengaging, and (fairly) lifeless. Now, the idea around which the novel is set - genetic engineering - is not new. However, the well of ideas surrounding it still hasn't been dried up, and Robert Reed has tried his hand at it. The idea, genetically tailored children, is a good one. However, the way Reed executes that idea is not. I've also read two of Reed's other books, MARROW and BEYOND THE VEIL OF STARS, neither of which impressed me; suffice to say, I won't be picking up any more books of his.

One of the best books I've read in a long time. From the back cover, I was expecting one of those cruel evil scientist tries to control the oh so wonderfully gifted team of saintly youngsters. What I found instead was a poignant and honest portrayal of childhood. The characters stay young (about ten years old) throughout the book, except a short epilogue. Their perspective of the genetic crisis does not diminish the fright of the situation, but makes it hit very close to home. This is not a story of great daring space commanders, but of civilians, of people like you and me. That is what makes it scary. Scary's not exactly the word, though. The novel is nothing like horror. It leaves you with a sick, hollow kind of dread of the inevitable. The characters are excellently drawn. Cody is a hoot (and the female athlete - yea!) but the author manages to make the reader feel sympathy for even the whiny Marshall. The world is mostly like our own, but little details about how genetics have changed it make it very believable. My only complaint is that the end came too quickly and conveniently. Overall, a fantastic book.

Black Milk is an outstanding book. It takes a long, hard child's-eye look at the idea of genetic engineering. Reed plays a classy trick on the reader by making his narrative first-person--in the person of a child with a slightly faulty gene set who remembers everything he witnesses exactly as it happened. Black Milk is suitable for young readers, but it is also a good read for adult SF fans.

It is a crying shame this book is so hard to find: I would love to teach it in a college literature class (I've tried and failed because it is out of print).

First published in 1797, this was the culmination of Ann Radcliffe's writing career. She was seen as the darling of the Gothic mode, which we would probably put into the genre of "thrillers" or "horror". All the appropriate dungeons are here, the hint of demonic influence, the seperation of star-struck lovers, revenge, the searching of dark ruins, and the diabolical and angelic facets of the Church. Radcliffe does go deeper than that though through her paced plotting and and the limited use of sentimentality that destroyed so much of writing back then. The gothic novel would run out its course eventually, but had a great effect on the talent of its day. Keats, Byron, and Shelley all owe at least some of their subject matter and modes of expression to Radcliffe.

Well, back to the novel itself. The story opens in the year 1764 in Naples, Italy as a group of English tourists are visiting a church. They notice a diabolical looking man who they are informed can never leave the safety of the church walls because he is an assasin. The place is his last sanctuary from those who wish to kill him. Of course the group asks to hear the tale of the assasin and The Italian begins.

The story opens as a young nobleman named Vincentio di Vivaldi spots the beautiful but common Ellena Rosalba during church service and falls in love with her. From this Dantesque beginning we are led into a Romeo and Juliet scenario in which Vivaldi begins to woo her without the approval of his parents. Then we have the apperance of a cowled priest who appears to warn Vivaldi of future events before they happen. Vivaldi chases him a couple of times but all he ever finds is thin air. As the book continues, Vivaldi's mother will stop at nothing to keep her son from marrying his one true love.

I didn't have too much hope that I would like this book when I picked it up, having given up on reading a similar work called Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin. I was very impressed with Radcliffe though. She stayed away from sentimentality and none of the characters was a caricature. They all seemed like deeply drawn personalities. The book had a real modern feel to it, probably because she modeled her stuff on Shakespeare, the most advanced writer of any age. The "thriller" aspects were quite good too. I found myself desperately wanting to turn the page before I had even read it to know what would happen next. Ann is a writer I will go back to and read again.

I read this book in Japanese translation years ago, and recently read it again in the original language in order to write a paper. And I can say, both times the book gave me a good, healthy amount of thrill and joy.

Published in 1796, "The Italian" became an instant success, cementing the fame of Ann Radcliffe among the liteary circle. Her name has been already well-known with her previous work "The Mysteries of Udolpho" two years before, but in my book this follow-up is better than the other. Of course, it depends on your view which is superior, but it is commonly agreed that Ann Radcliffe's position in the history of English literature is secured by those two Gothic classics, which clearly gave inspiration to Jane Austen, who wrote the joyful "Northanger Abbey."

The story is rather simple in the beginning. It tells of a romantic love of young dashing nobleman Vivaldi in Naples, who falls in love with a girl Ellena. But his plan of marriage is soon interrupted by the vicious monk Schedoni. Then ensue abduction, murder (attempted or not), and the Inquisition. There are lot of suspense, terror, and thrill that come from the fluent narrative of Radcliffe, who knows how to engage the readers' attention. (And thankfully, "The Italian" is free from any lengthy poems that are found aplenty among "Udolpho.")

To be sure, the third part of the book is damaged by its too complicated relations between characters, and too rapid pen of the author to wrap up the events with rational explanations about the mysterious things in the first part of the book, but the whole book manages to sustain our interest to the end. Radcliffe's effusive descriptions of landscapes (with a little sentimental touch) found in "Udolpho" are gone (but not completely), and the plot is tightly knit so that we can enjoy the fast-paced adventure of the hero and the heroine. The best part of the book is, probably, the middle section where the hero, with his comic relief side-kick, tries to escape from the sinister convent where the heroine is confined to be forced to take a veil. It's a real page-turner which would put many of today's bestselling author to deserved shame.

One of the best Gothic novels ever written, "The Italian" is still a gripping tale. Most regrettabe thing is that the author Radcliffe stopped writing totally after this book for the rest of her life (she died in 1823). Considering the fact that she had never been to Italy (she travelled abroad only once, in Netherland and Germany), and that her sublime landscapes are proof of her amazingly imaginative power, her early retirement should be lamented by all of us. But we must be content with what is left. Enjoy this one.

THE PENGUIN EDITION published in 2000 has 10 pages of excerpts from comtemporary reviews, which would help readers with academic purpose.

The Italian was Radcliffe's last novel. It is about a nobleman who falls in love with a woman whose identity is unknown to herself and the reader throughout her sufferings. She is oppressed by many people in whose hands she falls as she is snatched away from the nobleman Vivaldi to prevent their marriage. Like all of Radcliffe's heroines, her character is marked by an amazing fortitude despite the horrifying things to which she is frequently subjected. Vivaldi faces the powers of the Inquisition and Radcliffe gives the reader some idea of their dealings with offenders and their ways of making prisoners "confess." There are many turns of events which are delightful until another perilous event disappoints and grieves the reader. This is certainly what most reviewers call a page-turner. The sentiments are by no means modern. For a reader who is looking for modern unrestrained "romance," none of Radcliffe's novels is a good choice. Her stories are for true romantics.

I read this book, and I am not impressed. The story was horrible and the main character seemed like a coward. Yes, when I read this book, I could tell the writer was obsessed with sex. He probably sexually harasses his students in his 3rd,4th and 5th period math classes. Overall, I give it 1.8 stars.

The first 20, or so, pages are boring. I almost put the book aside. My wife said that it got better, if I could bear with it, so I did. It did improve after that.

I was given my copy of Black Sun about 9 years ago by a friend who went to college with the author's sister and knew Mr. Leininger personally. I absolutely LOVE this book, and not for the reason stated above. I have read it dozens of times and never tire of it!

I find the characters to be rich and three dimentional, the story well thought out and well ordered, and the premise frighteningly plausible! I don't get that the author is obsessed with sex as stated in one previous review. I find his characters to be completely human! It has enough scientific detail and theory to make the story clear and understandable without being boring, and it was obviously well-researched.

I did not know this book was out of print and am thankful my copy is still in pretty good shape. I'll be taking better care of it from now on!! I checked Amazon.com to see if he had written anything else and was dismayed to find that he has but it is out of print, too!

I urge anyone who loves a GOOD science fiction story to read this book if possible. I have to agree with a previous review in one respect: this book is screaming for a sequel!!! How about it Mr. Lieninger?

Uncle Albert won't stay in his coffin. What a way to start a book. There are flashes of a really good tale, but as a fan of this kind of story and this publishing company I was expecting better.

The characters are good and have potential, but it just lacks a little something.

I'd read another one by the author if it goes into more detail. It's Missouri and vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and the walking dead are supposedly commonplace. I'd like an explanation of that since I don't think that's so commonplace in Missouri.

It's billed as "tongue in cheek horror" and I guess I was expecting more suspense and enjoyment.

Also, I've come to enjoy a brief biography of the author. That would have been nice to see here.

Here is a hard one for me to describe. First off, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I kept thinking through the book that the author is sick, warped, funny, delightful, and I wish I could say I knew him.

It all started at the funeral of Uncle Albert. He was laid out in his solid copper coffin, totally dead, when Bernie McKay walked up to pay his respects. (Yeah, right. No love lost between those two!) Uncle Albert sat up in his coffin and started accusing Bernie, loudly, about stealing his gold! Bernie had no idea WHAT gold Albert was talking about. Well, Bernie got Albert dead again and stuffed him back into the coffin. Once buried six feet under that should have been the end of it. However, Hat Stetson and a few buddies, decided to dig Albert up. They wanted to sell the copper the coffin was made of. Once loose, Uncle Albert goes after Bernie again. This time Bernie had Albert cremated. That should have done it, right? Nope. Now Albert is no longer confined to a rotting corpse. He is now a ghost. The only good thing about this is that only Bernie can see or hear him.

That, readers, is only a taste! There is a whole town of crazies in this book and so much going on! I laughed myself silly through the whole thing!

It all started at the funeral of Uncle Albert. He was laid out in his solid copper coffin, totally dead, when Bernie McKay walked up to pay his respects. (Yeah, right. No love lost between those two!) Uncle Albert sat up in his coffin and started accusing Bernie, loudly, about stealing his gold! Bernie had no idea WHAT gold Albert was talking about. Well, Bernie got Albert dead again and stuffed him back into the coffin. Once buried six feet under that should have been the end of it. However, Hat Stetson and a few buddies, decided to dig Albert up. They wanted to sell the copper the coffin was made of. Once loose, Uncle Albert goes after Bernie again. This time Bernie had Albert cremated. That should have done it, right? Nope. Now Albert is no longer confined to a rotting corpse. He is now a ghost. The only good thing about this is that only Bernie can see or hear him.

That, readers, is only a taste! There is a whole town of crazies in this book and so much going on! I laughed myself silly through the whole thing!

I purchased this book in the hopes that it would, in fact, be a book. NOPE. It's a bound collection of pictures with a small, gloss-the-surface "story" about the history of the originators--Black Sabbath. I'm still waiting for a "book" book. One without pictures and quotes from more than one band member (like the "Oral History" thing), much like one of the many Led Zeppelin books. ("Hammer of the Gods" was pretty good). Anyway, I guess I'll keep waiting.

Man, I've been an OZZY fan since TRIBUTE but I had no idea how much Sabbath affected metal music until I read this book! I took the author's advice and bought ALL of the Sabbath albums. Now I can't get them out of my head! BLACK SABBATH AND OZZY RULES!!

Another cool thing is that the guy who wrote the liner notes for the KISS remasters wrote this book. He also wrote the copy on OZZY's bubble-gum cards that I bought at Spencers. DO me a favor, Mr. Conte--write about JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN next, OK?

Peace!

There was any info really. There was a lot but the same stuff you can get on the internet. The whole thing was practically pictures but they had some really good pictures so thats why i gave it a higer rating. If you want info don't get this book but if you just want to look at some sick pictures i would get it for an ozzy memorance thing when he dies.

The author of this atrocity obviously has issues. That is not to say that blacks have not been put down, beat down, and downtrodden. The plight of blacks in America is an incredible story full of treachery and the lowest of human conditions. It is also the story of triumph and all that humans can be despite their past and their circumstances. This book misses all of that. The author focuses on debunking Christianity, but only uses his own fictional illusions. I feel sorry for the author of this book. It must be a sad life to feel victimized the way he does. There are much better alternatives out there. Avoid this one like the plague.

this book really states a very antagnotistical perspective of black people and is no different from the writings of Hitler or any other books dealing with a strong racial outlook. there is nothing in this book that can be said as informative, only failing, outlandish insights on what certain blacks like the author theorizes was the black person's history and their view of black people's interactions with others is terriblely jaded and misguided. the author rambles on and on about topics he meant to open the reader's mind to the "truth of black people" but he forgets that the truth he is writing about is totally his own bizzare imagination. for those who want a respectable book on black history, this is not for you. also, any african american reading this book is surely to be offended and his/her pride diminished by a black history that serves only to satiate those who enjoy angry and unnecessarily antagonistical slander.

this has to be the greatest book i've ever ever read. this book isn't for everyone though especially for those who can't mentally comprehend and accept the real history of blacks in amerikkka. RIP Robert H. deCoy