Even Elminster is respectful of the legends of ruined Dragonspear Castle; the only thing that has kept it from becoming the "Mordor" of the realms is the fact that its mythic evil "portal" to the outer planes is merely that, a myth. But now, endless legions of fiends are rising from the ruins, and the dreaded truth is known at last... an epic adventure (and war!) for levels 10-12.

This is an overview of investigative reporting and what it means in American society that will help students of journalism and media better understand why it's so essential to dig deeper than the surface of events. People do bad things. Things don't always work right, be they the machinery of government, public and private agencies, schools, hospitals - you name it. And unfortunately, some of the only times those in positions of power look up from their desks (or their play) is when a journalist lays the problem on the table - with all the raw data clearly visible. But outrage can get out of control. And this book comes at the question of pointed journalistic investigation with the unspoken assumption that digging is okay and should be tolerated in the interest of the public good. Many agree with this, but the numbers are rapidly decreasing as journalists of the late Twentieth Century have abused their privilege. This book is excellent reading and study material, but should be taken with a side helping of media law, some snippets of journalism ethics studies (which are increasing, thankfully) and some common sense.

Anyone who loves the movies is familiar with the island of Kauai. You've seen it in dozens of films including South Pacific, Blue Hawaii, Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Honeymoon in Vegas, Outbreak and Pagan Love Song, just to rattle a few titles off the top of my head.

This is a lovely coffee table type resource which gives an overview of the movies and their love affair with Kauai. The only complaints I have with it involve organization and indexing. I'd like it to be organized in a manner that makes it easier to find the films! It's set up in a geographical format. If you don't know where the location is where a film was shot (i.e., Lumahai Beach for South Pacific), it's harder to find the information for a particular film. It does give you a good opportunity to leaf through the entire book and dream about another vacation in paradise!

This book provides a wealth of information and shows the way to develop the best possible relationship with the dog in your life through a better understanding of its nature. A natural winner!

David Cook's "Second Best" pulls no punches in its description of a boy, Jamie, who's simply the victim of "choosing" bad parents. His mom slashes her wrists in front of her 3-year-old son. A few years later, his dad gives the boy a superb crash course in survival -- before going off to prison and leaving the youngster to the tender mercies of the English orphan services. Enters now the other major character in the drama: Graham, an unmarried man of 43 who decides to try to adopt a boy. Naturally, Jamie, now 10 and branded with the "disturbed" label, is the lad in question. Graham, himself the victim of an unhappy childhood, undergoes training. Then the two meet. All is far from smooth between them and the thorn among the roses is Jamie's dad. Papa may be in prison but before going, he managed to inspire a great love in his son. "Always, Jimmy. Promise. Always," the father said. And Jamie did promise. Now, years later, Jamie tells Graham that nobody could ever take his dad's place. In fact, before considering adoption, the boy has to be promised a chance to visit his dad. Graham and Jamie go through both good and bad times before the semi-surprising ending. The book rings painfully true to life. If it's to be faulted, it would be that some comic relief was needed. Otherwise, I'd recommend it strongly. A cautionary note: A boy may be a key character but this probably is a poor choice for preteens

This is a pretty good resource for DMs. It has two new classes, the death knight and the necromancer, both of which have some neat abilities. However, you can't really use this for players because it seems (to me, at least, from playing a bit with it) the Necromancer is a bit more powerful than an equivalently levelled wizard or cleric. This probably holds true until somewhere around 9th level, at which time it is quite a bit more even (the reduction in spells become significant at that point). The Death Knight is a great nasty to throw against players, I haven't used it as much but the flavor is much appreciated and I think these folks have done a good job overall.

I read and enjoyed this book, though at times I felt I was having my hand held as I wandered blind through the world of writing. Seeing as this is a book for those interested in writing and learning how to write better, I would have chosen a style that is directed slightly higher than the lowest common denominator. I must admit at time I felt overwhelmed and appreciated the tone, but for the most part I found myself skimming over the "See Jane Dance, Dance Jane Dance" sections to get a broader look at the material. Overall, a good book.

This is probably one of the funniest Role-Playing-Games I've ever played. The character history part of making a character is probably the funniest part. Also, this game has boozing as an abilitiy.

War across the Flanaess! This epic boxed set is the ideal means to embroil your veteran heroes in the darkest intrigues of the World of Greyhawk. The armies of Iuz swarm over all, and the last bastions of righteousness and purity are shattered into desperate islands in a sea of chaos. This set includes: two gorgeous, humongous poster maps, over 300 counters with details on the greatest armies and legions of Greyhawk, over 150 cards (perfect for campaign scenarios and epic events), a complete wargame, and more. One of the best sets for Greyhawk!

This book covers theories of finite element better than most other books in this subject, but it does not have many worked out examples. The problems have no answers!

This book gives a very good explanation in finite element especially for engineer. Its mathematics is simple and to the point. A very good book for the starter in finite element. But the solution is separate from this book, it is in CD and it is difficult to get the CD. If this book can contain both in one book, it will be great.

I think this is one of the best books on FE. It is written from the point of view of an engineer and avoids unnecessary mathematics. The concepts are explained very clearly and there is a fair number of solved examples in each chapter.