There is no living artist I envy more than Brom. His paintings are phenomenal in their detail, vision and execution. Dark, erotic and exotic, beautiful, menacing, bewitching and intense, it's gorgeous stuff. But I think the thing which particularly appeals to me about Brom's work is that he seems to share the same idea of what constitutes a beautiful person (surreal and unearthly as many of them may be) as I do. The difference being, of course, that he can put it on paper while I - sadly - cannot. I like fantasy art a lot, but one aspect that I'm often disappointed with is the faces of the people. Brom gets the faces right. In fact, he gets everything right. Just as he does a wonderful representation of beauty, he also has a nice line in creepy, twisted and macabre. I'd love to step into his worlds. 'Darkwerks' is an excellent collection of his creations from various sources, very well produced and presented on high quality paper with crisp, clear reproductions. A great book on a great artist.

Brom is the most amazing artist in the Fantasy genre. This book is a great buy if you love Fantasy art and you want to see a true master. Forget Frazetta, forget Vallejo, Brom is the one. This book portrays Brom's art to it's fullest. Beautiful, full color prints adorn every page, showing off Brom's masterful talent and attention to detail. Don't miss out on this one or it's sequal 'Offerings'.

I first saw this book some years ago, but stupidly failed to buy a copy before it went out of print. I was greatly releived to see that it`s available again and have remedied my error. The art of Gerald Brom is brilliantly executed and the print quality of this book is well up to Paper Tigers usual standards. Be warned however Darkwerks is a good title for this book and anybody looking for chocolate box art should look elsewhere. If you are willing to take a walk on the dark side however this is as good as it gets.
I have made sure I didn't repeat my mistake of years gone by, as soon as the follow up volume "Offerings" hit the shelf I grabbed a copy, not as immediate as Darkwerks, Broms style has matured and his images remain as hauntingly dark as ever. It is as you would expect excellent.

I read this book when I was in middle school and I am now 27 years old and have never forgotten this horrible story of a girl who could have been me. Ursula was close to my age and I even went to school with a girl who brought a picture of her to school since their mothers were friends. I was so saddened by this that is has made a mark in my heart forever. I feel that I have become a better parent and moreso aware of my surroundings with child abuse and how to deal with it. I believe her mother is a sorry excuse for a mother and should have fried for allowing this.....but God will deal with her in the end

I first read this book when I was in the sixth grade. I am now 27 years old and have been searching for this book ever since. I could not remember the title or author but was able to find it ... . Thank you ... . This book touched my heart so much. People often asked why would you want to read a book so horrible - it is not the content but how the book made you feel. It is an amazing book and it will surely make you weep. I am very happy I was able to find it after all this time.

My name is Lauren, and I live in Florida. I am in a class called Child Development at my high school and we were made to read this book as a class. It hit me with how lucky I am and how my parents could treat me like that, but don't. I don't think anyone will ever be able to really realize what Ursula had to go through. This book gives many great details of the torture she went through but we won't ever know how she really felt. What makes the story even worse is that the mother did nothing to prevent her boyfriend, Don, from hurting her daughter. This book has impacted my life tremendously and I hope it has yours also. For all those ones who find out a child or friend has been abused, go and report it-you may spare their lives instead of being killed from the pain and torture of being abused. This is a wonderful, powerful, touching book that should be in every home across the nation, and all the parts of the world.

I don't like reading too much, but I read this over and over. Either get this one or the Tao of Jeet Kune Do. There is much overlap, and you can probably do almost as well with one or the other. The difference is that Tao of JKD is written by Lee, and this was compiled from Lee's notes. In addition I recommend Art of Expressing the Human Body, which I think is volume 4 in this series. While this book gives you the techniques themselves, The Art of Expressing... tells you how to train your strength and power and speed, etc. in order to make the techniques more effective.

This is a wonderful book. It compiles Bruce Lee's thoughts and ideas related to Jeet Kune Do and martial arts in general and even a few thoughts on life, too. His explanation of the tools and tactics used in fighting open up a whole new level of the martial arts, even for beginners. This is a GREAT book. While it may be a tad disjointed at times, that only seems to add to the greatness of it. Some of it is like a puzzle you must figure out, so even after you've finished reading it, you find yourself actively STUDYING it. A wonderful book.

Commentaries of Bruce Lee is one of the most comprehensive collections of quotes, diagrams, and theories on the market today. Integration of Jeet Kune Do in Movies adds an element of excitement, to the book. I found the book very well organized. The five elements of Jeet Kune Do were describe in comprehesive detail. Narrative was easy to read supported by a series of thoughts, techniques, and insights that kept my attention for hours. One of the best Martial Art Books, I've read this year.

This is the best (non-darkroom) photography book available today, even by John Shaw's standard. John Shaw is like a master craftsman, a seasoned technician, a meticulous artist and a patient mentor, he tells you from fine-tuning a meter to reciprocal failure, from tripod to home-brewed flash bracket, not to mention every lens focal range and its application in macro photography. The book is well organized, most every chapter is dedicated to a specific type of equipment (flash, tripod or a focal range), yet this is not a book about equipment, it is a book about photography, or rather about the author's vision and philosophy in photography.

It's a shame that the book's printing quality is bad, the book becomes disintegrated after a few readings. The pictures are not super sharp either. This might be the results of bad publishing, or it might be John Shaw's reluctance to user larger format (which has always been a mystery to me). Hard to imagine as meticulous as he is, he is not pursuing the ultimate quality of images.

I have attended workshops taught by John Shaw, sitting on the side of a flower covered mountain, listening to John discuss macro technique. This book caries all of the character and clarity of being there listening to him in person. John Shaw's work is undoubtedly some of the best nature closeup work around and this book gives you all his tricks. The photographs in the book are excellent technically and provide wonderfull examples for the techniques explained in the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a complete overview of different macro techniques and/or detailed instruction on any of these techniques. He gives you all the options for macro technique without spending major dollars on unneeded equipment.

If you're interested in nature photography and especially macro work, get this book before you spend a ton of money on confusing and/or expensive equipment (ie macro lenses, diopter sets, extension tubes, lens reversal rings etc.) John is easy to read and covers about everything you need to know about how to capture natures tiny subjects on film. Although the book is a bit old, basic photo techniques don't change and his love of photography is contagious. Buy this book and you'll be out in your yard within hours, camera in hand. He is a firm believer in the old saying "necessity is the mother of invention". From calibrating your light meter, using the palm of your hand to estimate midtone exposure, making homemade flash brackets or reflectors from coolwhip containers and tin foil, he covers it all. He reviews the basics of exposure, flash, different film pros and cons and explains all the basic macro equipment so you know what lenses and equipment will and won't do for you.

HAVING KNOWN OF JOHN WALSH SINCE HIS TRAGEDY AND HAVING MET HIM AT VARIOUS CHARITY FUNCTIONS I READ HIS BOOK KNOWING EVERYTHING HE WROTE WAS TRUE.I WAS VERY SAD AND CRIED A LOT AS HE DESCRIBED THE TERRIBLE ACTS THAT THE VILLIANS PERPERTRATED ON THEIR VICTIMS. HIS BOOK IS REVEALING AND MORE PERSONAL TO THE READER THAN ANY TELEVISION SHOW. I HAVE WATCHED HIS WONDERFUL SHOW EVERY WEEK BUT THE BOOK PAINTED A MORE VIVID PICTURE. I CANNOT PRAISE HIS BOOK ENOUGH. HE IS TRULY A HERO IN THIS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE. I HOPE THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL BE AWARE OF THE PREDATORS AMONG US AND PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES MORE.

I felt that John Walsh was supberb when co-writing this book. I bought this book in order to get some/more information how the criminal mind works so that I can learn to recognize the evil creatures. I am learning from this book that you cannot recognize him/her. They often hide behind a mask.

I am a child advocate and can only admire Mr. Walsh for taking his rage and having the courage to use his unfortunate and traumatic experience to catch scum-bags. His book is easy to read (I can't put the book down once I pick it up). He makes me understand from the beginning to the end how much hard work goes in to finding these rotten-evil-dirt bags.

Thank you John Walsh for your endurance in helping us find our children and putting many of these animals where they belong (out of society). My emotions, tears, and heart goes out to these people who have suffered.

Buy this book you will not regret it!!!!!!!!

John Walsh is truly a hero for our time. I read his book about the abduction of his son Adam and besides crying from start to finish, I could not put it down. In "No Mercy" he comes out fighting and for all of our sakes he continues to do so. This book will haunt you especially the first story. I was so shaken by it that I could not get it out of my mind for days. One cannot believe the kind of sick people that are walking around but lucky for us, John Walsh is right there behind them putting them where they belong -Jail!

Filled with wonderful photographs and remembrances, as well as wonderful recipes. It would be difficult to pidgeionhole this into one single category, memoirs or cookbook. The recipes are simple and delicious - a bit out of the ordinary, but certainly not as pretentious as one might expect. It is also an extraordinary personal glimpse into the over-exposed lives of Mrs. Onassis and her family, but this doesn't feel intrusive. I would say this would be a welcome addition for anyone who loves to experiment in the kitchen, as well as those who hold the memory of Mrs. Onassis dear.

This book is a delight for the loyal Jackie-ite, as well as for those that don't follow her. Marta Sgubin, long-time housekeeper at 1040 (Mrs. Onassis' Fifth Avenue address) writes a warm book full of antecdotes, recipes and great snapshots. Pictures of Jackie on Christmas morning or of John Jr strumming his guitar or Caroline blowing out candles on her birthday cake, make you feel like you were there. What is especially intriguing is that this book was sanctioned by Mrs. Onassis' two children, with John even writing the foreward. Obviously they want this more personal side of their very private mother to be known by the general public. Now, if only Nancy Tuckerman would write her memoirs (are you listening Tucky?), the ordinary side of an ordinary woman who happened to have lived an extraordinary life will be almost complete.

I loved this book! In addition to providing delicious recipes, the author recounts family stories which pay tribute to the Jackie branch of the Kennedy family. Marta's recollections read like an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," yet throughout, the family always seems warm and down to earth. Also included are many family photos of John, Jr.

Most MAX users quickly discover that they must continuously participate in a learning process, in order to master and remain current with the program and its various upgrades, and one soon realizes that tutorials are an invaluable learning aid. However, one also quickly learns that, for every well-written tutorial you find (e.g. Jon Bell's wonderful books), you must wade through many others that are lacking in detail or content. Well, if you're looking for some really terrific lessons, which exemplify the art of tutorial writing, have I got a book for you! A few weeks ago, just before MAX 3 arrived, I found a collection of tutorials that I can honestly say are some of the best I've seen. They're contained in a book called "3D Studio MAX 3 Media Animation", written by John P. Chismar, and published by New Riders (ISBN 0-7357-0050-8) (Retail $49.99, but $39.99 at Amazon). This book will be of particular interest to those who are interested in learning the best ways to create and use animated logos and splash screens. However, even if you're not, there's still much more in the book that is of value to all users who want to utilize and master the new features of MAX 3 as well as those carried forward from previous versions. For example, for those who think that all there is to importing and using Adobe Illustrator files is to learn where the Import 'button' is located, you will quickly discover there's a lot more to learn. How many of us employ Motion capture in our animations or even know how useful a tool it is, even if we only have a mouse and a keyboard? Want to learn more about correctly lighting that new creation, or applying complex materials? The techniques covered are extensive, and are really too numerous to mention here. But I certainly must pass on some comments concerning the overall quality of these tutorials. In my opinion, the writing is exemplary, the tutorials are extremely well devised and laid out, instructions are clear, concise and detailed, and illustrations are plentiful. The author also offers additional information on why you should probably use one particular technique over another, or he suggests alternative approaches that will also work. All necessary files are supplied, including examples of alternative techniques, and all that I've used so far have worked flawlessly. In the past, the quality of the tutorials in some of the New Riders books has been questioned, but they've produced a winner with this one. And I know this testimonial may suggest that I have a stake in the profits or know the author personally, but I assure you that I do not. I just wanted to share my discovery with you, and say "well done, John". You've set the standard for others to follow. Buy this book; you'll enjoy it....................................Frank E. Lancaster

I've always wanted a book that wasn't just a rehash of the manuals with tips and tricks here and there interspersed -- and I found it!

This is a wonderful book that assumes you know the basics, and takes you step by step through real-world examples. Not, hey, load this file that we made, and then go from there, but you start the projects with File->Reset! I love that!

I wish more books were in as in depth and useful as this one, and I'll definitely be looking forward to any other books you write!

The book I am currently using is 3D Studio MAX 3 Media Animation and it is fabulous!! I believe John P. Chismar did a wonderful job with this work and I hope to see more of his writings in the future. This book is so thorough in explaining each step as well as gaining a greater overall understanding of the concepts surrounding 3D Studio MAX. Many books and tutorials give step by step instructions as to how to perform a function within 3D Studio MAX, but end there. Mr. Chismar does a great job in presenting the basic steps but also goes beyond that and gives the overall concepts behind those steps. Hats off to Mr. Chismar for a job well done!!

John Jakes is one of my favorite authors and the "North and South" books rank in my favorite top 10, too. I know these books are very long, but once you start reading, you don't even think about it. The characters are described so well, you feel like you are a part of their lives and you are actually living in another century. My favorite characters are Orry and Madeline, George and Constance, and Brett and Billy. John Jakes keeps you on the edge of seat during the part when Orry and George are fighting in the Mexican war. You grow to despise characters like Bent, Justin LaMotte, and Virgilia Hazard. I'd just like to punch that Justin LaMotte right in the nose! He is the biggest jerk! So start reading this book - then you have to read the sequels - they are equally as good!

North and South may be over 700 pages in lenght, but it is a book that simply cannot be put down. The way that the characters flow in and out of major events before the civil war is a true work of art. The characters themselves seem so real that you fall in love with each of them as you follow the individual trails of their lives. I was sad to see the book come to an end, but with parts 2 and 3 of the trilogy remaining to be read, I didn't have time to feel much sadness! The TV series "North and South" is based fairly close to the book. The only exception is Orry's injury in the movie is his leg, whereas in the book, well...I guess you'll have to read it for yourselves!

I just finished North and South and can't wait to move on to Love and War. When I first picked up the book, I didnt realize the book was almost entirely taking place in the years that led up to the outbreak of war. I absolutely loved the prologue, the story of Orry and George at West Point, life in the south at Mont Royal, and Charles and Billy becoming so similar to their brothers. This book was great in that not only did you learn about what the times were like but you also get a fantastic fictional story out of it. The characters and storylines are so strong you can almost feel what it was like to live in both the north and the south and you can commiserate with the characters. I liked the way Jakes writes: it flows and is an easy read. This was the first book I read by Jakes and I look forward to finishing the North and South series and also beginning the Kent Family series. I recommend this one highly.

Machado de Assis was, undoubtly, one of the best writers in brazilian literature. He mastered, as few others did, the portuguese language and, trhough his books, he depicted the brazilian society on the 19th century. Dom Casmurro is one of his finest romances, and shows, with an extreme sensitivity the insights of human relationships, the fears we all have, the suspicions all are most likely to have, and the unconditional love of the character for Capitu, whose eyes, one who reads the book won't ever forget

Machado de Assis is probably one of the most underrated authors literature departments around the US-and other countries-have (not) encountered. He is an absolute requirement for anyone who wishes to consider him/herself well-read. Called "Othello of the Southern Cross" by Helen Caldwell (who wrote the excellent The Brazilian Othello of Machado de Assis-A Study of Dom Casmurro, Berkeley:University of California Press, 1960) this narrative is, among other things, about a man's weakness and fear before the possibility of living life fully (see chapter called 'Are you Scared?). There is a fascinating element of vicariousness- the way Bento Santiago (Saint and Iago, as Caldwell cleverly points out) projects his guilt, sexuality, desires and ambition upon Capitu, and Escobar... For those who missed the point (reader from NY- give it another try) I recommend a different approach, a different translation, or perhaps a course in Portuguese...(why not? Discover a rich and abundant culture!) This is true art.

I can say without a shadow of doubt that this is my favourite book. It was the first book of Machado de Assis that I read and which made me follow in love with his work.
It is a story about an old man who "try to attached both extremes of his life" on the own words of this character, Bentinho who explains his nickname, Dom Casmurro, on the first pages of the book. He tells the reader about his youth, his studies and mainly about his first and only love: Capitu.
However, if you are expecting another novel talking about love, reading the book will surprise you. It is not only about love, it is about insecurity and doubts. Better, this novel is about the human soul, its worst and best sides.
I would say that the talent Machado de Assis takes the reader into an investigation. But it is not an usual one. It is necessary to enter into Bentinho's mind looking for clues that could absolve him or his beloved, Capitu. The reader is overwhelmed by the doubts that disturbs Bentinho and which made him took drastic actions.
The most fantastic element in this book is that reading it over and over never guarantees the certainty about what it is right and what is wrong. If we suppose that there is some truth to be found. It is a game between the character and the reader!

This was my first introduction to the world of Georgette Heyer and what an introduction it was. I still laugh to this day at Sophy's delightful unconventionality and at the way her poor bewildered cousins learn to deal with her. A wonderful, wonderful book with great period detail and a light-hearted touch that makes it refreshing and non-sentimental at the same time. Read it. I'll not spoil the enchantment for you but beware...Sophy (and in consequence Heyer herself) is very addictive. You might just find yourself craving more.

I grew up on Georgette Heyer romances and I am so sorry to find that so many of them are out of print. My mother, sister and I have literally read two copies of "The Grand Sophy" to pieces!

She's a positive role model that transcends 19th century England and contradicts the waifish pseudo-sex goddesses of the 90's. I wish more young women would read this marvelous book and not feel so ashamed of who they are or what they look like!

This book was voted one of the 400 best novels ever to come out of the 20th century; chosen out of Heyer's entire oeuvre to represent the best of her work. They made the best choice. Heyer invented a genre, that of the Regency Romance, which became cheapened by countless imitators and emulators as well as many very good authors who got lost among the dross and the sweeping statements which consigned the Regency Romance to an undeservedly low-rated place. The Grand Sophy shows Heyer at her very best - it is a outrageously funny book that still has me laughing out loud (I had to stop reading it on the train because other passengers began to complain), it presents a cast of strongly drawn and complex characters, premier among whom is the titular Sophy - Sophia Stanton-Lacy, the irrepressible, indefagitable young woman with a personality the size of all England. From her extravagant arrival at her aunt and uncle's house accompanied by a monkey, a parrot, an Italian greyhound, and a very fine horse - to say nothing of her strong managing nature and charisma, she takes her rather hare-brained cousins in hand, sorting out their entanglements, scandals and romantic peccadilloes in a helter-skelter way. A book for those who always know the best for everyone else, unless you don't want to encourage them. It is a fast-moving, extravagantly amusing, richly detailed and satisfyingly convoluted novel in which Heyer skilfully draws myriad loose ends together with an incredible lightness and sureness of hand - her great talent. Many imitators tend to do so with too heavy and ponderous a style. Buy, borrow or beg this novel - but don't read it in public unless you're good at suppressing laughter. And even better - unlike several of Heyer's best novels, where the language can be somewhat offputting, this book is among one of the most immediately accessible for the novice to Heyer.