Scott D. Campbell has put a plethora of information in this concise book detailing feeding birds. He has included not only plans for the construction of feeders, but information on how to attract various species of birds by offering their favorite meals in an attractive format.

There are clear drawings, dimensions and materials lists for all the projects. Basic information regarding construction techniques with a variety of materials are detailed. He even includes some "squirrel proof" designs.

There are charts detailing what type of common and not-so-common feeds many different species eat and how many species are attracted by each feed. He has also depicted breed specific feeders. How to locate, mount and stock your completed projects is also detailed.

Beginner or not, if you are looking for a manual to make simple feeders and attract birds with them, this is the only book you'll need. Mr. Campbell has once again set the standard for bird lover's projects.

This book is a very good beginning for a student interested in urban and regional planning. The selections are great, one example is the classic article from Lindblom "The science of muddling through", with several arguments in favor to 'incrementalism'. Another classic is Davidoff's "Advocacy and pluralism in planning", and the text from Beauregard, Krumholz, Healy and Harvey.

The reading was comprehendable, easy to process,
easy to write an essay on, citing this book. I
read it for a class and would recommend it to
anyone who is trying to get a more thorough
understanding of urban theories.

This book presents many new essays from several ancient scholars. The papers are well-written and on diverse topics. Although the hardcover is expensive, it is well worth the price, since quality commentaries and new scholarship seems scarce. The article on the Demiurge by Jan Opsomer is top notch and well worth the price of the book. M. R. Wright's paper is excellent as well. Look out Cornford, there's some new kids on the block. Included in the back of the book is a comprehensive list of commentaries and translations of the Timaeus, which is extremely useful.

While reading Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye it helps largely if you have an easy time imagining and picturing things in your head, because the characters are animals and they do some hard to picture things.
In this mystery/fantasy story, mouse watchmaker Hermux Tantamoq gets tangled up in a mystery involving the potion of youth. The event that starts it all is the arrival of acclaimed airplane flier Linka Perflinger in his watch shop. She leaves behind a beautiful watch which Tantamoq carefully repairs, and which Miss Perflinger never comes back for. Tantamoq is worried about her and starts a search, and at Linka's house he finds the diary of Dr. Dandiffer. Dandiffer was the mouse on the expedition to find the formula for youth, and his diary hints that the evil and sinister Dr. Hiril Mennus has kidnapped Linka and is trying to steal the youth formula for marketing purposes. Tantamoq sets out on a journey to find Linka and the formula for youth, and to stop Dr. Mennus with his friend Pup the reporter. Little does he know about the strange surprises that await him on his quest for truth.
I thought that this book was very good because of all of the intricate detail and description given to help you form a mental picture of what is happening in your mind. The only main fault that I could see is that at some points in the story it gets just a little too complicated and out of this world to understand and enjoy properly. If I had to rate this book on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 7.5.

There's something innately likeable about Hermux Tantamoq, the mouse hero of this imaginative new book. Similarly, there is something innately likeable about the book itself, with the good descriptions and intriguing plot. (Cosmetics queen seeks immortality? Why didn't *I* think of that?)

I'd say the best term would be "everymouse," with unrequited love, pleasant thank-you notes to the world, a pet ladybug he calls Terfle (also the name of the publishing company), and a job repairing clocks. Not an exciting life, but neither is it an unpleasant one.

The object of his affection is Linka Perflinger, a pilot who at one point comes in to have her watch repaired. She vanishes, and soon a rather repulsive rat comes in to pick up her watch. Hermux follows him to Linka's home, and soon realizes that she may have been kidnapped. A journal from the jungle of Teulabonari gives him a clue to where Linka may be, and he soon finds himself facing down a cosmetics monarch, a plastic surgeon, and an army of lab rats...

It's hard not to like Hermux, the humble and mild-natured mouse who finds himself roped into becoming an amateur detective (for Linka's sake). His... zest isn't quite the word, "enjoyment" of life is a nice oasis in a massive number of sarcastic and/or world-weary heroes. His conversations with Terfle and thanks to the universe are really sweet.

Fans of Harry Potter may enjoy the twisty, edge-of-your-seat storylines, while fans of Redwall may enjoy the intelligently-portrayed talking mice. A particularly nice touch is the names: rather than insulting our intelligence with fake "mouse-y" names, Hoeye creates unique names like "Hermux Tantamoq" or "Teulabonari" which add just the right note of fantasy.

I am definitely anticipating the publication of the second Hermux book....

Hermux Tamoque is a quiet old mouse/watchmaker. Some of his neighbors annoy him, like Tucka Mertson, but he loves his life any way. One day, an adventuress named Linka Perflinger asks Hermux to fix her watch and have it done by the next day. He fell in love with her when he saw her. Hermux fixed the watch perfectly, but Linka never came to pick it up. Soon a rat came and demanded Linka's watch. Hermux didn't give it two him, instead he followed him. He eventually came to Linka's house. He saw Linka taken out of her house and forsed into a car. After that Hermux started to become a detective. He found out that some people are not what they seem. The book has a surprising ending. Time stops for no mouse is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It was terrific!

First of all, I like Daniel Silva's writing and I thoroughly enjoyed his first two novels. "The Unlikely Spy" was one of the best World War II espionage novels that I had read in a long time. "Mark of the Assassin", the prequel to this book, was also quite good. But, I guess I just missed the boat on this one.

The success of the Good Friday Agreement is being threatened by a new terrorist group and the current British Prime Minister requests that the U.S. President appoint a heavyweight to the Court of St. James to show U.S. support for this agreement. Senator Douglas Cannon, a political rival of the current administration, gets the appointment and since he is Michael Osbourne's father in law, we know that the former hero of "Mark of the Assassin" will be lured back into the web of dirty deeds and operatives. Even the "Assassin" from "Mark of the Assassin" returns. What more could one ask for.

Unlike many, I thought that the first half of the book was extremely well done. Especially where Silva lays the seeds for the problems in Northern Ireland and introduces his new paramilitary "bad guys" (and "bad gals"). But, with the introduction of a super-secret cabal known only as "The Society", whose directors are interested in world domination and control from an economic as well as a political/military level, I think he starts to lose it. First of all, the identity of the U.S. delegate to this group is a piece of cake to figure out. Then, "October", the assassin from the second book, performs a hit for the Mossad and Osbourne can recognize him from his hand (?). The Society itself - that world domination thing, again - is vintage Robert Ludlum. Even the three word title is downright Ludlumesque. And having Osbourne and Jean Paul Delarouche ("October") join forces to save the world.......well, let's say I double checked a couple of times just to make sure whose name was on the cover.

A number of authors of this genre have had their first couple of books be their best work and later novels become the literary equivalent of popcorn. I think that Silva is too good a writer to allow that to happen. But, I look forward to his next novel, just to make sure.

Another page turner from Daniel Silva!!! Michael Osbourne, hero from The Mark of the Assassin, returns as the chief protagonist in the Marching Season. Against the backdrop of the long-standing conflict in Northern Ireland, the secret order called the Society is again attempting to create global unrest to further their own agendas. The Marching Season is a fast-paced, exciting read. Many of the characters from the Mark of the Assassin, both good and evil, are back, allowing for further character development for the readers who also read Silva's previous work. The story has action, excitement, intrigue, and frequent plot twists - leading up to an unexpected ending. This is another solid effort by Silva. You won't be disappointed if you give this a go.

This is the third of Daniel Silva's books that I have read and all I can say is that THE MARCHING SEASON is perhaps the best sequel I have read in any of the genres I read in. At the very beginning of this book I did not think I would end up saying this, but here I am, saying it in spite of my initial reservations.

To be sure, this book starts off more slowly than I would have expected or liked. However, that is where the skill that Daniel Silva possesses reveals itself. Without a doubt, here is a relatively new author who is already a master of pacing, tension, plot, scene, character development and everything that is needed to craft a finely wrought spy novel.

Michael Osbourne is reprised from THE MARK OF THE ASSASSIN as are his wife, his liberal father-in-law, retired U.S. Senator Douglas Cannon and other members of the government and the CIA. Also returning for a not so welcome guest appearance is Jean-Paul Delaroche, aka October, the Assassin who unsuccessfully attempted to kill Michael Osbourne in the previous installment.

The internal machinations of the U.S. and British governments, as well as the possible goings-on inside both the IRA and the various Irish Protestant paramilitaries are also revealed here and in fine detail. Another master stroke that Silva employs throughout this story is that he doesn't ever really get preachy. With some authors, their natural biases come out in their writing. Not so with Daniel Silva. He simply tells the story and writes about the people he populates the book with.

Is there moral outrage on Silva's part? I would have to guess yes. No normal person could ever condone the terroristic acts that are carried out in the name of one misguided cause after another around the globe. If he shows that outrage, it is when he talks about how various splinter factions have risen out of the ashes of the fires of terrorism to scuttle the Irish peace process. He also writes damningly of THE SOCIETY, a super secret extra-national intelligence organization that continues to stir the pot around the globe for its own greedy interests. These are the folks you can tell Silva despises; the globalists with no loyalties to any nation or flag. They are only loyal to their own financial interests.

Although Silva continues to be spare with his information on Jean Paul Delaroche, he provides just enough material to keep the reader plunging along in headlong pursuit of the final denouement. This is what makes October so interesting and ultimatley almost sympathetic. For throughout the international chases, October is a man who maintains his own sense of values and morality. Michael Osbourne may not agree with October's view of the world or himself, but ultimately, the respect, while grudging begins to grow. How Silva brings this all about is what makes this an exceptional spy novel.

If you have not discovered Daniel Silva, you are in for a real treat. Start with THE UNLIKELY SPY and then read THE MARK OF THE ASSASSIN, followed by THE MARCHING SEASON. Only the last two are directly related but, if you read them in the order I have listed, you will get to follow Silva's rapid development as a writer and see his promotion into the ranks of spy-thriller masters.

I recommend these books unreservedly to all fans of well-crafted spy fiction. Read them and you too, will be telling your friends about Daniel Silva.

Thank you, Mr. Silva for many hours of reading enjoyment. I hope you'll keep Michael Osbourne as a central figure in your future novels. I think he still has more to say.

Paul Connors

I just happened to pick this book up because I loved the cover. It also happened to have a blurb by my favorite author, Stephen King, across the front and I quote, "She is better than Palmer, better than Cook...yes, even better than Crichton." That's a pretty high recommendation, so those 2 factors encouraged me to read this book and boy, does it live up to the potential! Emma Watson, a brilliant research physician, has been training for the mission of a lifetime: studying life in outer space. Emma's ex-husband, Jack McCallum, has also shared her dream of space travel, but a unforeseen medical condition leaves him grounded and very bitter. He must watch Emma take the chance of a lifetime and watch her go into space without him. Once Emma reaches the space station, however, things begin to go wrong. An experiment runs deadly, stranding Emma aboard the station with no way to get home without threatening the Earth's population. The rescue attempts have all but failed, and one by one the astronants are dying...what happens next will amaze you! This is a fabulous read, nice and easy, but yet, keeps you on the edge of your seat. After reading Gravity, I went back and read Tess Gerritsen's other books. You will too, and you won't be disappointed

After seeing Tess Gerritsen's name continue to pop up on the "best medical thriller" lists of just about everybody, including traditional Robin Cook and Michael Palmer fans, we decided to give her a spin. In turn, we got taken on quite a spin ourselves, from Houston Mission Control, alternately solving problems on the shuttle and the Int'l Space Station, to a little firm trying to make good on an untried launch device. When the astronauts start getting sick, with strange blood-red eyes and convulsions, then dying, some difficult decisions on the ground do little to help save the remaining crew. Detecting the source of the disease, watching its progress, and agonizing through attempts {or not} to rescue the survivors, created suspense from the early going straight to the end.

We can see why Gerritsen is building quite a little reputation. Her medical-thriller book list now stands at six, with all enjoying fine reader reviews. But Tess is no "Jill-come-lately" - not as well known is that she previously authored some nine romance novels as well as a screenplay for a CBS movie. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford, then later med school, she started writing while doctoring in Honolulu. Her ability to create a compelling story, make the science (including a premise or two that stretches belief) interesting and digestible, and giving us characters we care about, is what first class novels are all about. Were it not for the special setting of this fun read, earth orbit aboard spacecraft, not the most appealing to us, we would probably go the full five stars on "Gravity", providing ample incentive to try her other five thrillers soon!

Despite the fact I love Tess Gerrittsen's medical thrillers, I postponed buying this because the Astronaut/Space Mission theme did not appeal to me. I thought the NASA stuff would either bore me or get so technical I'd have trouble following the story.
I'm thankful I bought it -- I loved it even more than Gerrittsen's books "Harvest" and "Bloodstream"! (Which is saying a lot because those books are both 5* in my opinion). She does such a commendable job explaining the tech. aspects (without going into too much detail) that you get a good feel for the shuttle layout & the tasks astronauts perform. Even if you are easily bored by tech. stuff or not mechanically inclined, you'll find "Gravity" captivating AND easy to follow!
Gerrittsen paints such a vivid picture you feel you're there with the astronauts. Setting a medical thriller in deep space rachets up the suspense, increasing the tension several notches! Since the main character is a million miles from earth and surrounded by astronauts dying from an especially virulent and mysterious plague -- she has only herself to rely on.
Once again, Gerritsen has created well-developed characters you care about. When the ending reveals the cause of the plague, you will marvel at Gerrittsen's ingenious plot and how easily everything falls into place! This is one of those books that once it's finished, you wish you could turn back time in order to relive the thrill of reading it the first time.
A side note: The vast majority of Gerrittsen's books are romance novels (which I've never read) -- DO NOT let that dissuade you from reading her medical thrillers. If you're of the opinion most romance writers are lightweights who crank out formulaic feel-good fluff, don't be mistaken. Gerrittsen (who is an M.D.) possesses remarkable skill in the med. suspense genre. For years I've been a fan of Robin Cook's med. thrillers and I'd rank Gerrittsen above Cook. Her characters have greater depth than Cook's. You get to know the characters so well, you'll feel as those you live in the same house.

Joe Connelly opens the ambulance door and takes the reader on a harrying ride. This book shows the reader a side of the EMS that can only be told by someone who has been there. Not only does the reader travel through the dark canyons of Manhattan with its dead and dying but also the dark canyons of Frank Pierce's mind. Frank struggles with remorse and guilt for those he could not save. Their ghosts haunt him. He waits for that one call that will change his luck and give meaning to his life and job. Throughout the book Frank teeters on the edge of sanity and keeps the reader wondering if he is going to make it.

While most EMS related books are basicly war stories rehashed by medics looking to spread thier glory stories, Bringing Out The Dead is somthing different.

Joe Connelly, obviously writing from experience, brings the reader into the mind of an inner-city medic. Being a paramedic which worked within the city of Detroit for eight years, I know the familiar feelings of burnout, not knowing if you can do the job another day - but hanging in there waiting for the next big 'save'. Joe Connelly brings the average layperson into the ambulance, into the mind of the paramedic struggling to deal with taking credit for saving lives, and inwardly taking credit for not saving some lives.

This book is a must read for any EMS professional, and anyone who wants to know what real EMS is like in the inner-city.

Every once in a while, a book comes along that will live in your head forever. This is one of them.

Joe Connelly, like a deranged circus ringmaster, trots out one insanity after another and makes them dance. There's Noel, the suicidal/obsessive-compulsive who is delighted at the prospect of being killed in the hospital. There's the unidentified woman who calls 911 for her husband's cardiac arrest, when in reality, the man just needed an extended amount of time on the john. And there's Mr. Oh, one of Our Lady of Mercy's "regulars", who's simply drunk and hungry more often then not.

But make no mistake, the medics are insane too. That's the point, EVERYONE is insane. There's Tom, who would just as soon beat someone up as take them to the hospital. There's Marcus, the born-again Christian who will only do three jobs a night. There's Larry, who's grossly overweight and takes pictures of particularly gruesome scenes for his "DOA scrapbook." And there's Our Hero, Frank Pierce, who may or may not be hallucinating, sometimes comes to work drunk, and gets into arguments with his boss because his boss won't fire him.

Frank is a man who has given up everything for his job because he genuinely loves it. More than once he calls saving lives the greatest thing he will ever do, and we believe him. It is only recently, when the job stops giving him what he needs and he finds that he has little more to give back, that the rush has started to fade. And fade it does, right out of existence.

Frank talks about his job much as frequent targets of domestic abuse talk about their spouses; lovingly, but with more than a touch of fear, anger, and weariness. In fact, at it's core, "Bringing Out the Dead" is more about weariness than anything else. What happens when people completely forget themselves to help others, and how long, in reality, that can last.

In the end, we realize that there is a vast difference between happiness and simple peace, and we hope that, despite the scars, Frank can find his own version of peace.

First let me say that this book has one of the best opening chapters I have ever read! And for die-hard Silva fans, that should not surprise you. This author is tremendous with his "hook" and continues to leave you breathless throughout your entire reading.

In The English Assassin, we meet up again with Gabriel Allon, the art restorer/secret Israeli assassin from The Kill Artist. Through unexpected events, Gabriel comes to the aid of Anna Rolfe, a world-class violinist whose father, Swedish banker Augustus Rolfe, has been found dead in his Swiss chalet. He soon finds that the Rolfe family secrets lead to a tangled web of deception that dates back to the Nazi plundering of World War II. As Gabriel digs deeper into the Rolfe family affairs, an unexpected course of events leads him on a frantic mission to save Anna Rolfe's life from an English assassin who is hired to keep the Rolfe family secrets...secret.

Silva is known for his deep research and vivid description of global locales. I also love his characters; they are rich in personality and very well rounded. The good guys have a dark side that makes them tick and the bad guys have many redeeming qualities. In this book we come to know Gabriel, Ari and Julian on a much deeper level, a welcome surprise for those of us who have read the Kill Artist. As usual, I raced through the first two-thirds of this book in record time (Silva does that to you -- especially if you are a die hard international thriller fan like me), but I thought the last third of the book lacked the strength of his previous works, and the ending left me with more questions than answers. His other books were "beefy" from start to finish -- very thick plot with strong action...unrelenting in its presentation. This one seemed a bit...well, "timid" to say the least. It's as if the bottom fell out just as the time was approaching for a major showdown. I'm sure there's a reason for this...Silva is an extremely talented and thorough writer known for his exhaustive research and narration. I just wish he had given us a that strong last "lap" he is so well known for!

4 and 1/2 stars. "Where's the beef?"

My only problem with Daniel Silva is that he doesn't write books fast enough. The wait for The English Assassin, though, was more than worth it. Silva's a first-rate writer who has taken the well-worn concept of the international thriller and turned it into something compellingly new. The English Assassin is a perfect example of his skill: he throws together the reluctant, tormented spy Gabriel Allon with a tempermental violin virtuoso grappling with her own dark secrets and sends them off to investigate the Swiss collaboration with the Nazis in the theft of priceless art. It is an utterly fascinating story, brought to life with the help of a cast of superbly crafted supporting characters, including a vicious English assassin who is a bit more complex than your usual villain. Along the way Silva masterfully draws us into the worlds of art and music and gives us a tempting tour of some out-of-the-way European locales. I started The English Assassin the other night and finished it in one sitting. My only disappointment? It'll be another year before the new Silva pops up on the shelves.

The English Assassin is another fine novel. Daniel Silva provides the reader with his usual blend of action, excitement, intrigue, and plot twists -- all set within the historical context of the secret world of the Swiss banking system from WWII to the present. In a reprise of Gabriel Allon, the art restorer and sometimes Israeli spy from the Kill Artist, Silva spins a tale of a secret Swiss society, long-ago collaboration with Nazi Germany, and a quest to recover art treasures plundered by the Nazi's in WWII. Gabriel is drawn into the plot when he is sent to restore a painting belonging to an elderly Swiss banker. Finding the banker dead, Gabriel is quickly forced to match wits with the mysterious English Assassin and members of the clandestine Swiss organization that seeks to keep the past of Switzerland buried. This book is thoroughly entertaining. A must read for fans of Silva's previous works.

Pete Dexter is one of the most overlooked writers around. His style is beautifully lyrical, insightful with great characterization. Granted, his stories are dark examples of the human condition but well worth the journey. If you want a fast-moving plot, a pretty story or happy endings, you won't find them here. What you will find is some of the best writing you will ever read. I must admit to a bias here because Pete and I worked together in the '70s at a couple of newspapers so I consider him a friend. But I'm also a book editor and reviewer and read a lot, and I've read all Pete's books and consider this one of the best. Now, if he'll quit writing movie scripts ("Rush" and "Michael" to name a couple)long enough to write another fine novel, we'd all be happy!

I read "Paris Trout" (which I picked up wondering what the City of Light and fish have to do with one another) and was hooked. Pete Dexter writes books about people you don't really want to know -- racists, violent men, drunks, people who are depressed to the point of dragging you down with them -- but he gets his hooks in you on page one and never lets go. "Paperboy" is basically about failure and how close we are to it even when it seems that life is going OK -- something can come into our lives that takes it all apart. The story is magnificently told in prose so tight that you can almost hear typewriter keys clicking away (Pete Dexter's books don't read like they were produced on a word processor). Best of all, there are the many places in the book where the words "as if" or "like" appear. Nobody does descriptive comparisons better. This is a great book, just like the other Pete Dexter books -- you just can't go wrong with him.

PERHAPS you could accuse Dexter of imitating James Lee Burke's southern tone; but NEVER have I read Crime novel where the "in-the-end-who-cares-who-really-did-it" motif has been structured so wonderfully within the moral lessons learned by the three main characters (Jack, Ward, and Yardley). Part of this beauty is that it is NOT a pretty picture, fine-woven tapestry, or many-colored quilt -- any of those would have been too easy for Dexter to pull off. No, Dexter reminds us that the search for truth is an ugly lot, and there's no real assurance that those who persevere will truly prosper. From the very beginning, where we're told that the delivery boy - not the "gifted" writers - is our narrator, to the very end, where Ward is still searching for clues to "finish" his Pulitzer-winning story, I was enthralled with the subtle-yet-effective techniques of Dexter's writing style.