Congratulations to Michael-Anne Johns! He has written a fantastic fun and fact-filled book on the life of Jonathan Taylor Thomas on and off-screen. Unlike some biographies, Johns uses more words than pictures, so you learn a lot more about what they're like, rather than what they look like. He has done a lot of research and included a nice review at the back of Thomas's favorites and quick facts. Every Jonathan Taylor Thomas lover should read this great book. Hopefully Johns will come up with a new JTT book to talk about Wild America and his new roles. Congrats again Johns

It gave me lots of information on JTT.
I learned so much about him!
If only I was able to meet him!
:-)
Everyone should read it!

I am a total JTT fan, and when I read this book, it really informed me evern more! I loved how it was so complete with stats, quotes, color pics, and everything from a-z! I couldn't put it down until I was done

I just bought this book about a month ago. I have experience in C, C++, Java, and Assembly Language programming. I've been messing around with flash mx for awhile and I wanted to get into actionscript. In my opinion, if you have experience in any programming language this book will really help you get into actionscript. It has alot of tutorials that let you see the structure of how things are related. Using flash's methods(functions), creating instances, and dot notation referencing. I would say that it doesn't lead you on any long creation projects. It's alot of one or two pages and done examples. Good for beginning and bad for deep insight. The thing that I think will make this book end up being a great purchase for a first actionscript book is the complete a.s. dictionary in the back. It has a complete def. of every method and how it is used in the back of the book. That is something that will always be good as reference no matter what you are doing. If you have no experience in coding this book should still be able to help you. It's been awhile since I started coding so it's a little harder for me to judge on that note. Pretty good book though.

things needed more of:
xml tutorials, deeper web design creation

I have longed for a total resource like this, for about two years. I thought the Moock book went part of the way but it was from a Javascript perspective and it was kinda feeble as a reference. But this book takes you all the way man and then some.

I thought Actionscript grew up a good load richer with MX, but somehow and amazingly Macromedia chose not to print the Actionscript reference like they used to with Flash 5 and I really missed that. This book supplies it in a really expanded, totally comprehensive form. And not just the reference, but you also get a 400 page section on what Actionscirpt is really all about (like, it's not just Javascript for vector-dogs) covering just about every question on the detail of working with Actionscript, simple, serious, and some scary. And what's best, in language I can make sense of, because I'm a designer and I'm smart differently from back-end developers. For me coding is for real, it's about what I can see and make move.

But that's not ALL you get, oh no. You then get the CD-ROM version of the dictionary, which in itself is something to amaze. Not just explanations of every element of Actionscript, but also real, worked FLAs and SWFs to illustrate the code in action.

For $... I don't get it. I worked in technical books in Oz and I can't think how we'd have done 1200 pages at that price. How are Sham and Glen and Jen and Tim and Scott getting paid out of that? Not to mention the guy who made the ace CD, I hope they get a fair shake.

It would be awesome as just a labor o' love. A thing of beauty is a joy forever and you just made one guys.

I thought this would be a reference. Well guess what, I was wrong. This is a reference in the back half, but a How-To in the front half. I'd say, skip every other ActionScript book till you buy this one. If I'd known this would have tutorials in the first half (yes the first 400 or so pages are tutorials), I wouldn't have bought some of the other ones I have. Combined with the CD content, this book is a great first book for the intermediate animator moving into scripting. And, it will stay usefull for as long as you are using Flash MX. Between this book and the O'Reilly book "ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition" by Colin Moock, you'll have all you really need. Then you can buy the specialized stuff on games or UI or whatever.

This is an excellent book that prepares one to pass the amateur radio test and get licensed. Many times introductory books tend to include too much and overwhelm the reader with detail he niether needs or wants. This is especially true for the younger reader. This book is excellent in that it breaks down the mountain of information into easily digested cartoon-like lessons. As an amateur extra (KC6WCT) who has been teaching for many years, I believe this book is absolutely unique in preparing the student for just what he or she needs in an easily digested format. It is also very good in that it gives some inexpensive suggestions on starting to enjoy your ham privleges after you get your license.

Compared to so many other dull-reading license manuals that one has for introducing newcomers to Amateur Radio, "Ride the Airwaves with Alfa & Zulu" is a one of kind book for becoming a ham, and it's an excellent learning tool for students of all ages. Every question in the FCC Technician License Pool is covered, and all the information is worded and portrayed in ways that make learning a lot of fun and very easy to comprehend. The best feature of this book are the hundreds of illustrations that explain what's going on. Without question, anyone who is interested in becoming a ham ought to read K6YB's excellent book-for the book is one of kind when it comes to showing one 'what ham radio is all about' - and helping them to earn their first ticket. Amateur Radio Instructor- N6MV, Dr. James R. La Frieda

Hands down winner for no nonsense preparation leading towards your entry into amateur radio! The principles presented are plain and to the point. No reading between the lines, and no guessing as to what the author is getting at. The questions presented after each chapter reinforce the material just covered (and are the actual test questions from the current pool). I read the book in a little over a week, and by week two passed my technician test!

If you didn't see the show with Alan Cumming, this is the only way to capture it. Buy the CD, get this book, relax, and go to Cabaret. Having seen the show twice, this book is akin to a photo album of a favorite vacation. A must for every theatre fan!

This is the next best thing to seeing Cabaret in studio 54! Pictures of the Roundabout theater production light up this book and tells the story of the revived new musical. This book does not tell the story of the Liza Minelli version, or any of the other Cabaret versions, but of that of the revival. I have seen the new production in person, and can only say that this is the next best thing...and the book even has the whole libretto in it!

This is an extraordinary book that captures a great element of the Roundabout Theater Company's production of "Cabaret." The book, pictures, reviews, and behind the scenes looks at the production are exquisite, and an absolute must-have for anyone who saw the musical and loved it as I did. Reading the text is a great method for reliving the experience, especially while listening to the CD.

Well, all I have to say to fellow Hanson fans is; if you haven't read this already...you better go out and buy it as soon as you can (if your local bookstore hasn't run out of copies yet!!) It has great behind-the scenes photos, cool tid-bit facts, and anything you wanna know about Hanson's drummer boy!!! (Beware of a little false info here and there)

This book gave me tons of info on Zac. There were even 16 pages of great color pictures. It was the best Hanson book I ever read! READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!

Hey there Hanson fans! This book is totally awesome! I love the pix in it! The info is also a little bit different too! There are 16, yes 16 pix inside!!!! Is that cool or what? This author is AWESOME for a unautherized writer!

~Soni

P.S. This book rocked!!!! It also had funny stories about Zac and his bros!

In general, Out Of The Shadows is well written and well-presented. However, I found the author's ideas on the topic to be rather shallow. I must say thatI found the whole issue of the 'gothic' subculture to be as irrelevant to the theology of Paganism as, say tie-die and flowers might be. Personal aesthetic choice does not, in my opinion, have much to do with spirituality, and the book spends far too much time defining and defending goth culture (to which I have no objections)for my taste. On the other hand, when it comes up against actual theological issues, such as the presence of pain and death in the world, the book seems to fall short of deep thought on these interesting matters.
All in all, an interesting first effort on a topic that deserves more thought - maybe, in the end, we can simply discard the ideas of 'light' and 'dark' as useful spiritual metaphors...

I learned about the existence of this book just as I was desparing that there were no good intermediate or advanced pagan books out there. "Out of the Shadows" was everything I was looking for and more. As someone who has long been attracted to dieties with darker, less nurturing aspects like Sekhmet, Kali, and Coyote, I agree that this book was much needed in presenting paganism without the "good vs. bad" dualism. The left hand path is often misunderstood, and I think this book is a wonderful introduction to it. It is a very psychological, thought provoking view. One will find no pre-made spells or rituals here; Coughlin explores the philosophy and mechanics of magic to help you understand why they work. -Quite a liberating thing!
It is also a joy to read; I really enjoyed the conversational style of writing that Coughlin used. He defines and clarifies several aspects of dark spirituality/goth subculture that I would not normally have read about, such as Vampirism and Satanism. He also goes into depth about subjects that would never see the light of day in other books: blood, pain, insanity, sex magic, curses, and drugs. Always there, though, is a reminder of the need for balance and responsibility. The final chapter on haunting was superb; it made sense of the hauntings that I have experienced and caused me to see them in a new way. This book tops my list of favorite pagan books; I reccomend it to everyone who can handle the subject matter and wants a full course meal in magic.

Dark paganism and spirituality aside, this book is a fantastic modern adaptation of Jungian theory (esp. "the shadow"), which can be very therapeutic for those who find themselves stuck between the "goodie-goodies" and the gung-ho Satanists. While this book definitely appeals to those who veer towards the "darker" path, it is in no way extreme to that end. I found it to be much more about the theories behind darkness and paganism (or whichever alternative lifestyles), rather than about the nuts and bolts of practical paganism. It is very refreshing to see someone else who is paying attention to the concept of achieving **balance** for personal growth, rather than adopting a brand of spirituality as some crutch or political statement. I was on Mr. Coughlin's mailing list for a long time awaiting this book's release, upon which it greatly exceeded all my expectations. If you like dark spirituality and/or paganism, but can't stand the "fluffies" and don't agree with the Satanists, this is your book.

Bill Belleville takes to Florida's St. Johns River in "River of Lakes" to tell the story of its history, culture and nature with eloquence and ease. He is truly smitten with the waterway, and it shows. His descriptions of the river's flora and fauna are sure to captivate readers, taking them along for a vividly colorful ride as he explores the river and its tributaries and springs via airboat, houseboat and kayak. Belleville's provocative thoughts also prompt deep ponderings of the river and its fate as Florida steps into the next millennium and struggles with the issue of balancing growth with its fragile environment. This is a Florida rarely seen by tourists, and, thankfully, Belleville delivers a stunning and remarkable guided tour.

Every river should have a writer-in-residence as fine as Bill Belleville. He gives the St. Johns its due, and commands a reader's respect with the quality of his prose and depth of his research. "River of Lakes" is personal without being confessional. Belleville is river-absorbed, not self-absorbed, and the result is a rigorous and companionable book. I'm just sorry Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (another important witness to the St. Johns) isn't around to read it.

Bill Belleville travels the length of the St. Johns River from south to north, a rarity for rivers in North America, by houseboat, kayak or whatever means necessary to travel the river and many lakes through which it traverses. The book is an excellent balance between the natural and human history of the river and the river valley. The human history focuses on the early settlers, the growth of agriculture and lumbering as well as the later growth of tourism. It disusses some current problems with pollution and sprawl. The unique nature of the St. Johns truly comes across in the descriptions of the natural history. It has narrow passages through subtropical vegetation and then goes through a number of lakes, large and small, all of which have their own personality and unique characteristics. To me, the most interesting part of the book were the dives into the cave from which the many spring come to the earth and are the point where manatees often gather. Well-written, lyrical with just enough ironic humor to make you enjoy the trip.

John Wolf was supposed to be Lucas Frank's final case as a psychiatric profiler, but the cunning sociopath had other plans. Lucas, accompanied by his daughter Lane, tracks Wolf to his Vermont lair. Lucas uses the killer's bomb against Wolf to enact justice.

Almost a year has passed since that explosive summer day in Vermont. Frank is enjoying his retirement. However, unbeknownst to Frank, John Wolf turns out to be a cat as he survived the bomb. Wolf has been working on vengeance against those who tried to stop him with Lucas and Lane heading up the list. By the time law enforcement officials realize that Wolf is back, it is too late as the killings have begun anew. The stage for a final confrontation between profiler and serial killer is set with only one person expected to walk away alive.

TUNNEL OF NIGHT is hair raising psychological suspense that evokes terror in the bravest of humans because readers will believe that Wolf is modeled after a real human monster. Lucas is an anti-hero who does his job well because he values his principles instead of a simple law book. John Philpin and Patricia Sierra address social issues with dignity inside a well designed novel that will have the audience demanding the return of the father and daughter team.

Harriet Klausner

The serial killer in this novel, originally introduced in "The Prettiest Feather" is named John Wolf, and boy is he one sick but intelligent individual. His cold, calculating approach to murder goes beyond what most of us have experienced in other serial killer novels.

Philpin and Sierra have given us a credible coda to the first book, bringing the notorious Wolf back in a highly believable manner. Matching the evil Wolf is the less than perfect hero, Lucas Frank. His understanding of the dark side of evil is enhanced by his own dark thoughts and obsession with solving murderous crimes.

The authors use effective narratives in the first person by Lucas, his daughter Lane, and Wolf. Much suspense and mystery are piled on throughout and the resolution, although a little quick, is satisfying.

A great entry in the serial killer genre.

I read the entire book on a plane between Philadelphia and San Francisco, and only then found out that Prettiest Feathers precedes the action in Tunnel of Night. Take the two books as one. They are an incredible story, well-told, with the kind of insights about criminal behavior that are usually held in reserve for the experts. There isn't enough space to say what I want to say. John Wolf frightens me more than Hannibal Lecter, but so does Lucas Frank, the retired forensic psychiatrist who tracks Wolf down. As a prosecuting attorney, I often feel that no one will ever understand what goes on in the mind of a murderer. Philpin and Sierra do.

Flannery O'Connor, John Updike, James Joyce, and now: Chenoweth! Each story does the work of a novel, and the novel does the work of twelve stories. They intertwine in a threnody of hope and longing. Congrats, I say. Highbrow style covers these poor cousins to the rich in a multi-hued texture of language and wit. The view from the outside, like a poor boy staring at the candy store window, or F. Scott looking longingly as the belles of the ball circulated in their pastel dresses inside the country club of his imagination, is the predominant flavor of the book, and a haunting one too. Wilde wrote that all of us are in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars, and Chenoweth renders this aphorism into fiction that both dazzles and despairs. Next time, though, he should go for the money with a novel that reaches the folks in the trailer park as well as those in the halls of literary academe.

These stories connect on many levels; I found them very entertaining. My favorite was Going Back-- a universal story of college days done as a complex of witty and constantly shifting dialog. This one ought to be a movie!

It will be a long while before the reader forgets the Goodpasture family members. This superbly written first collection of interrelated short stories depicts a seemingly dysfunctional American family that, on reflection, are not all that unusual in their struggles with life and with each other. The collection includes two of the funniest scenes I've had the pleasure to encounter in a long time. The one in "If I Were You," the final story in the collection, had me giggling hysterically, albeit a bit nervously, since the devastating truth that the sharp humor cloaks is revealed only at the end. I look forward to this writer's next effort, whatever it may be.

John Waugh's book is a great insight into Lincoln's re-election bid in 1864. The book is replete with examples of Lincoln's astuteness as a politician. Although, Lincoln was a self-made commander in chief with no real military experience, he was very able. Lincoln envisioned, before his generals, that the war would be protracted. He came to mistrust many of his top generals; they were not aggressive enough for him. The conduct of the war is starting to wear on the morale at home. This causes a split in the fledgling Republican Party. The Abolitionist thought that Lincoln was too soft on eradicating slavery, but they couldn't get a candidate of their liking chosen at convention. The anti-war wing of the party believed that Lincoln was bleeding the country dry; they abhorred the human and economic suffering. Lincoln was able to out maneuver both factions and win re-nomination.

He then had to prepare to run against General McClellan, the Democratic Party's nominee, who he had fired for not aggressively prosecuting the war. The Democrats had selected McClellan on an anti war platform. Much to their chagrin McClellan ignores the party platform and runs as a pro-war candidate. This reversal is the first time in presidential political history that a candidate runs counter to the party platform. Despite McClellan's reversal the election is looking dire for Lincoln in August. Although Grant, the new general, is at least pursuing Lee's army, the war isn't moving fast enough. Many people in the North are looking to a decisive field victory to show that the war is at least coming to an end. All the doom and gloom in the White House comes to an end in September when General Sherman burns Atlanta. Lincoln can show the nation that the end is finally in sight. Lincoln very adroitly allows military units, especially from New York to travel home to vote. This shrewd political tactic garners Lincoln 7 out of 10 military votes. He winds up winning the election with 55% of the vote and a large portion of the Electoral College.

Waugh who is a journalist by trade writes in a style reminiscent of the great newspaper editors of Lincoln's day. He uses many of the articles as background information for the book. This was a very interesting book, which illuminates Lincoln's adroitness as a politician. Highly recommended.

The election of 1864 was probably the most important Presidential election in our History.It is no understatement to say that if Abraham Lincoln had not been re-elected Our History would have been very different.In fact had Lincoln not won the United States might not even exsist today. In Re-electing Lincoln John Waugh gives us a superb account of this crucial campaign.Mr. Waugh is a former Political Reporter. And it shows.As I read this Book I often had the sensation that I was reading this in the newspaper or watching it on CNN. Mr. Waugh also has the gifts of a Novelist. He gives us a powerful and a suspenseful story with a cast of simply unforgetable Characters. As a History Teacher the thing that I gained most from Re-electing Lincoln was the realization that Political campaigns really have''nt changed much in 134 years.Those who think Campaign finance practices are sleazy today will find this Book a real eye opener.This Book is a wonderful read,even if your not a Civil War Buff. Don't pass it up.

John Waugh's book is a great insight into Lincoln's re-election bid in 1864. The book is replete with examples of Lincoln's astuteness as a politician. Although, Lincoln was a self-made commander in chief with no real military experience, he was very able. Lincoln envisioned, before his generals, that the war would be protracted. He came to mistrust many of his top generals; they were not aggressive enough for him. The conduct of the war is starting to wear on the morale at home. This causes a split in the fledgling Republican Party. The Abolitionist thought that Lincoln was too soft on eradicating slavery, but they couldn't get a candidate of their liking chosen at convention. The anti-war wing of the party believed that Lincoln was bleeding the country dry; they abhorred the human and economic suffering. Lincoln was able to out maneuver both factions and win re-nomination.

He then had to prepare to run against General McClellan, the Democratic Party's nominee, who he had fired for not aggressively prosecuting the war. The Democrats had selected McClellan on an anti war platform. Much to their chagrin McClellan ignores the party platform and runs as a pro-war candidate. This reversal is the first time in presidential political history that a candidate runs counter to the party platform. Despite McClellan's reversal the election is looking dire for Lincoln in August. Although Grant, the new general, is at least pursuing Lee's army, the war isn't moving fast enough. Many people in the North are looking to a decisive field victory to show that the war is at least coming to an end. All the doom and gloom in the White House comes to an end in September when General Sherman burns Atlanta. Lincoln can show the nation that the end is finally in sight. Lincoln very adroitly allows military units, especially from New York to travel home to vote. This shrewd political tactic garners Lincoln 7 out of 10 military votes. He winds up winning the election with 55% of the vote and a large portion of the Electoral College.

Waugh who is a journalist by trade writes in a style reminiscent of the great newspaper editors of Lincoln's day. He uses many of the articles as background information for the book. This was a very interesting book, which illuminates Lincoln's adroitness as a politician. As a retired Army officer and student of political philosophy, I found this to be a great book on leadership. Highly recommended.