Hello,
My name is Scott Neely and I liked the spot illustrations that I drew for this book. It has an X-Files feel to it and is a great supplement to the role-playing game. Enjoy!
Scott

The Conspiracy X rpg is one of the coolest around, and the Aegis organisation definitely needed a source book of its own. And here it is. It has loads more stuff on Aegis, including some cool new skils 'n professions. The stuff on Aegis rocks, and the advice on operations and tactics has helped my players get further into character. All in all, an invaluable addition to any Con X player's/GM's library.

This winter break I went on a Shakespeare buying spree, and this book is one of the fine gems I found. A large, but fascinating book, this work of great scholarship and excitement takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of Shakespeare, even into rather obscure corners of his works (Trollius and Cressida, Timon of Athens). This book is a must read for any would be deep thinker about Shakespeare.

Shakespeare as Political Thinker is a must for everyone interested in the political thought of William Shakespeare. This reprint will finally allow new comers to become familair with a commonsensical approach to Shakespeare's plays. The introductory chapter by John Alvis is worth the price. Perhaps the best Shakespearean critic alive, Alvis has an uncanny ability to show Shakespeare's moral seriousness without making the bard an unquestioning adherent to any political school or theological creed. Many of the essays that follow are also well done: Jaffa's chapter on Shakespeare's entire corpus, Laurence Berns' meditation on Lear etc.

The second printing of Shakespeare as Political Thinker gives hope to those interested in relearning ancient wisdom and pays tribute to its inspiration, Shakespeare's Politics (Allan Bloom).

One of the areas of greatest growth and expansion in recent times is that of biotechnology. New developments are taking place almost weekly, and there is enormous potential for profitability. In many ways biotech has outstripped computer and other technologies as a major growth area. But while the science and technology of human life has mushroomed in the last few years, the ethics of biotech have been much less forthcoming.

That is, bioethics have not kept pace with biotechnology. And given how most of us are or will be affected by the new biological and reproductive technologies, it is imperative that some serious ethical thinking about biotech be promoted. But as is often the case, science is well and truly leading in this particular race.

Fortunately, however, there are a number of groups and individuals who are taking up the challenge by engaging in moral reflection on where the new technologies are taking us.

One such group that is at the cutting-edge of bioethics is the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity located just outside of Chicago. In a few short years the CBHD has become a leading center of research and study in the burgeoning field of bioethics. Its annual bioethics conference held each July draws experts from around the globe to discuss the latest trends in biotechnology, and offer incisive ethical comment on the advances being made.

In this, the latest volume to be released from the Center, a team of 15 experts address a wide array of issues concerning the new technologies, and the various trends in biotech. Stem cell research, cloning, the Human Genome Project, genetic manipulation, xenotransplantation, transgenics, nanotechnology and cybernetics are among the many fascinating topics covered.

If some of the terms just mentioned seem exotic and even unpronounceable, this is a reflection of the rapid change and development taking place with the new biotechnologies. It is a full time job just to keep up with all the new developments, let alone offer social and moral critiques of them. But this volume manages to do just that. Experts in genetics, reproductive technologies, health care and public policy not only discuss the new technologies in a clear and accessible fashion, but they also provide ethical appraisal of the developments from a Christian perspective.

For example, Dr Francis Collins, who contributed an article on genetic engineering, is well placed for the task. Not only is he a committed Christian, thus able to bring moral and biblical concerns to bear on the issue, but he is also the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute in Washington D.C. Thus he brings top-notch scientific expertise to the debate, coloured by a carefully nuanced ethical perspective.

As such, he presents the many possible benefits from the HGP, but also discusses the very real dangers inherent in our new knowledge of genetics. And he is aware of the limits to science and technology. Science will not "shed any light on what it means to love someone, what it means to have a spiritual dimension to our experience, nor will it tell us much about the character of God. We must look to other sources to provide light for our spiritual journeys. Science is an incredibly powerful tool for understanding the natural world, but it is poorly designed for understanding these other aspects of who we are."

A very interesting article on the future trends of biotechnology comes from Richard Swenson, the Director of the Future Health Study Center. He offers an intriguing glimpse into various future scenarios. He reminds us that above all, the economic factor will determine future trends. With health care costs consuming ever larger hunks of the national budget, expect medicine to continue to change, often for the worse.

And in the area of the new reproductive technologies, he reminds us that the separation of sex from reproduction is now almost complete. In fact, there are now over 25 different ways to create a baby, with no end in sight. The ramifications for the institutions of marriage and family are enormous.

Indeed, many of the authors in this book remind us that the staggering new advances in science and technology are radically shifting our understanding of what it is to be a human. Humanity and personhood are under serious threat, with one author going so far as to suggest that "mortal human beings are rapidly becoming an endangered species". He continues, "This is not a question about personal ethics, but about eugenics. The completion of the map of the human genome only brings closer the possibility of using this potentially wonderful technology as a weapon against the genetically undesirable and as a greenhouse for the genetically desirable."

Whether the new technologies usher in a new paradise or the extinction of humankind is an open question. But clearly the new technologies are taking us in places we have never been before. And before we proceed much further, we need to do some serious thinking about the ethics of these new developments. And a very good place to begin with such reflection is this very important book.

John W. McCoy (1910-1989) belonged to the realist school of American art. Enhanced with an informative commentary by Andrew Wyeth accompanying 75 reproductions in full color, John W. Mccoy: American Painter showcases a man's passion for painting as revealed in the words of his daughter by one who knew him best, his daughter, Anna B. McCoy. John W. Mccoy: American Painter will prove to be a popular and much appreciated addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library American artists and art history collection.

Mr. Milton is without a doubt, a liteary genius! I got intrested in the book from a quote, which I read in John London's The Sea Wolf. Even though, I am only 17, the views presented in Paradise Lost, as well as Paradise Regained could still be used today. I highly reccomend this book to ones who want to know where it all started.

I must admit that this has been probably one of the hardest texts that I have ever read ( well in league with Thomas Paine's Common sense). However, it, i.e., Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton, Christopher B. Ricks(Editor) also is one of the most beautifully written and well written pieces of literature ever produced. Milton, has a sense for language that can only be compared with the great writers of the literary tradition, e.g., Dante, Shakespeare, and Thoreau. Writers of today lack these skills and cannot write with the same complexity as the great authors of the past. A good example of this when one reads Dante's Inferno or Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.; these stories are both good examples of a lost art that Milton was a master at. The art of writing a story in the form of a poem without the story in question sounding phony or having lines that do not make sense. The story itself, i.e., Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton, Christopher B. Ricks(Editor) is very hard to follow if one is not a biblical scholar and most of the angels are new to me ( which does not disturb me a bit, since most people nowadays, do not study the Bible as they did during the life time of Milton and his contemporaries). Overall, I would have to say that this story, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton, Christopher B. Ricks (Editor) is easily one of the most thought provoking stories that I have ever read and I will definitely recommend it to anyone remotely interested in well written literature.

John Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise regained are enticing, interesting, enjoyable, and thought provoking. Milton creats Satan, he whom we were all raised to hate, as a being not purely evil, but with aspirations just like the rest. More disturbing so, was the way Milton managed to portray God as not only good. This book causes one to think and reexamine everything they have believed to be true since they began studying and learning about their own religion. That isn't always a bad thing.

This is a really excellent book! I love it for the first reading, and I love it more at the second! Everyone who wants to think about the mankind, the history, the politics or the arts must read it.

The borders of the past and the present do not count any more. Fiction and reality take place in same time. To read this poetic and beautiful but dark lines, to imagine how Ovids exile at the Black Sea passed by, to get to know the old and strange stories of roman and greek mythologie, ... It is not at all amazing that Ransmayr got the highest european literature price for the Last World in 1992. How actual his story is shows the example of Romania of 1989 where the publication of the Last World was forbidden.

This novel has a very Eastern European flavor, with attitudes about power and empire that recall another Austrian, Robert Musil. Ransmayr's writing is beautiful and he has an excellent voice. I found it to be difficult, but very rewarding in the end.

For anyone studying European History, this book is a must-have. I used it last year in my college-level history course, and it quickly became my best friend. It contains all the necessary information, and tons more besides. But because the book contains so much useful information, it is quite heavy reading. Its vocabulary and content is intended for the serious historical inquiry, not for people with a casual interest in the subject matter. Still, being a history major, I love this book, and can appreciate its breadth, its depth, its accuracy, and its recounting of history. By far, this is the best and most comprehensive look at European history I've ever seen.

I'm amazed that this skimpy and superficial work didn't go out of print years ago, on merit. Oh well, I can say "The snake is poisonous." I wish I could say "The book is worthless." Then I would have learned something I could use.

I read this book because my boyfriend wanted to learn my language. I have to say that the book will really be helpful for beginners because the grammar sections (around chapter 4 to 10) is very clear and easy to understand. However, as an Indonesian, I must say that many of the words in the dictionary/vocabulary section are quite outdated - modern Indonesian hardly recognize some of the words anymore ;-) and some grammar explanations can be a little bit too simplified.

This is a traditional style language learning manual. If you like an academic approach to learning then you will like this but I am not sure that it is well suited to those who wish to gain a useful knowledge in a short time for a trip. I do think that it is good for presenting grammar and structure to students who are serious about learning the language properly, maybe to read books and newspapers rather than to say just "Hello" and "Do you sell disposable razors". That this is an older text is apparant from reading the first couple of chapters which present words such as "hunter", "poisonous" and "tiger", which, although not immediately useful, are in keeping with the type of language learning approach of 20-30 years ago (ie with the focus being on grammar rather than vocabulary). A modern approach begins with useful expressions and high frequency words in keeping with current language trends. I personally like this book and the way it presents structure in a no nonsense academic way, but I am a linguist. For the non-linguist it may seem a little dull or hard-going. There is a high degree of straight learning (ie with no games or "fun" activities) that needs to go on to progress through each chapter which means that the responsibility to learn is entirely with the student. Explanations are full and clear but not unnecessarily overblown. The pronunciation section in chapter one is also very clear. I think that this would be great used in conjunction with a phrase book with tapes to get grammar as well as vocabulary. But if you want an immediate knowledge for use on your trip, you may be disappointed with this book.

I used this text in my Western Civ course. While it is solid in historical content, it averages at least one typo per page. Obviously it was never even spellchecked. I tried to ignore the first hundred or so but they just keep on coming. Inexcusable.