"Annoyingly" this page is devoted to the stories of Dylan Thomas; also"annoyingly", both the Publishers Weekly review as well as that of a disgrunted reader refer stories by Leslie Norris; Norris' book may be splendid; I don't know; I have read Dylan's stories and honor and love them (they are live things wearing incandescent prose -- believe me); perhaps Amazon could reassign the aforementioned reviews and those of us who -- on this page at least -- have (happily) written about the appropriate book will be left to bask unannoyed.

Annoyingly, both of the reviews already posted on this page for the "Collected Stories" of Welsh writer Leslie Norris refer to the "Collected Stories" of Welsh writer Dylan Thomas, which Leslie Norris designed but did not (obviously) write. This review, then, is an actual review of Leslie Norris' "Collected Stories"!

Leslie Norris's collected stories are a sort of bittersweet beauty very much in the Joycean tradition (think especially of "Dubliners"). They begin with some sort of pivotal moment at which confusion either enters into or peaks in the protagonist's young life, and they end with an epiphany that seems sweetly to keep the bitter at bay, but knows that the respite is at best only temporary.

Also a poet (see his "Collected Poems" as well), like fellow Welshman Thomas, Norris's language is simple but fresh, and sumptuous when necessary, a prose tone perfectly in step with the state of his protagonists. Often (if not always), they are young boys on the brink of a knowledge that will disillusion them and send them closer to the concerns of adulthood.

In "Sliding," an accident during an afternoon of sliding across a frozen pond upsets a group of boys, their first initiation into the idea of impermanence. In "Kingfisher," a boy, who has just been with his father to visit his dying grandmother, sees in the garden the dead body of a bird that he and his father had only that morning watched together; in a moment of suddenly adult consciousness, he takes it upon himself to conceal the bad news of mortality from his father. In "Shaving," one of my faves from the collection, an athlete in the full strength of youth returns triumphant from the rugby field to shave his ailing father, who, in the full fading of disease, is too weak to shave himself.

This volume collects Norris's previous two (unfortunately long out-of-print) books, "Sliding" and "The Girl from Cardigan," putting them together with a few new stories in book form for the first time.

Norris excels at awakening emotion, but is subtle enough and careful enough not to hit you over the head with the hammer of sentimentality. If you appreciate and enjoy fiction that looks at those moments that we all know, where we begin to feel ourselves a part of the knowledge that life ends up teaching everyone sooner or later, then this book is a terrific buy.

Was Dylan thomas the consummate craftsman? Indeed, he was; and took real delight in his gifts and his exercise of them; he was a Celtic bard in the truest sense of that role -- the lonely public/private man who carried within him the lyric history of his race, the love of his language and a very vocal sense of wonder over his role in life; that he had song, yes; that he was funny, loud, boisterous, cautious, selfish, rude, unforgettable -- all of that and more; he was the poet's poet and the singer for those who longed for lost boyhood, who raged at death and who marvelled at the all the world's words rediscovered in a dewdrop; his stories, like his poems, should be read aloud; there is an incantatory quality to them -- as if something profoundly old and grandfatherly were suddenly shared with the reader; Thomas himself was a great reader; to hear him is to savor him at his best and to feel deeply and sweetly the majesty and holy compulsion of our mother tongue; the stories, while less charged than the poems, nonetheless captivate and break into a kind of lyricism that gladdens the heart and restores the ear. If he wasn't the best of our poets, he was easily the most tuneful and spoke from a very deep place that only the purest of us can truly know.

This RPG has proved brilliant and entertaining for both novice role-player and experienced, for both those familiar with Moorecock's work and those who are not. I'll be the first to admit that the release of 3rd edition D&D has distracted me from this ingenious work of dark fantasy but before 3rd edition came out this system was the only one out of the many I have played in my 12 years of gaming to hold my attention (there are plenty of new rules that cropped up in 3rd edition that look familiar to ones in this book). The system of incresing abilities and skills is much better than the much acclaimed 3rd edition D&D. This game is also a much more "realistic" RPG than anything that TSR or Palladium ever put out. The fact that characters do not gain levels but instead increase their various skill and ablities by practicing them is a BIG step towards working realism in RPGs. There are none of the class restrictions found in other RPGs in this game. You can do what you learn how to do. And for those of us tired of explaining why our worlds are not controlled by the blatantly more powerful elven and dwarven races, this games' human-only content is quite refreshing. There is of course the non-human race known as the Melniboneans but they are little more (functionally speaking) than an eldritch and sorcerous race of decadent humans. My only complaints are that the book is paperback and that more people don't realize it's brilliance. Combat is extremely well laid out with an unsurpassed balance of realism, utility, and entertainment. Even if you do not plan to run the campaign this book is FULL of great ideas applicable to any RPG from personal character quirk lists to a great and novel system of allegiance to the forces of law and chaos. Just beware of those brutal critical hit tables! oof! Feel free to e-mail for general correspondence concerning elric!.

Apart from its lackluster art, this greatly original dark fantasy rpg will blow you away. The rules and the setting are easily some of the best in the business. If you play RPGs and are tired of the cliche Tolkienesque fare, this is a must buy!

Possibly excessive exuberance aside, I still stand by my last review and am curious about the experience others have had with this game. Email me at my new address, Kaecyy@MochaMail.com, if you like. Blood and souls, baby!

Great book with information for the beginner and expert because we all forget the basics from time to time. Helpful information for easy-to-find substitutes you have around the house/yard to use as jumps, ramps, etc., before you buy and/or make your own regulation equipment. Covers all the basic commands and how-to's on all agility equipment.

This is full of great background, start and training aids for agility.

We found that there is no substitute for class training with pro instruction. But this is useful for those who want to just do it in their backyard, or as prelude to class work.

Good advice on rigging own obstacles, progression of learning, etc.

Worthy resource for agility interested or those already into this growing activity.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is training their dog in agility! It doesn't matter if you're just starting or are advanced, this book will give you some great tips on forming good agility habits, and getting rid of the bad habits. It also gives you good ideas on training stratigies, and how to make your own safe equipment from stuff around the house. Nice pictures too!

"He" wrote the greatest self-help book of all time and Daniel Rutley has written the second. This book is your back-up bible! It is captivating...it is humorous...it is a melody for your mind and emotional development as a sweet song is to your heart...it is an attainable truth that is buried within our cluttered, busy psyche... and "Emotional Entrapments" provides the tools in clear step-by-step "now what do I do" scenarios, to arrive at clear, emotionally healthy solutions.

For me, what separates this "Escape.." from the rest, is it's direct and human approach. The learned Daniel Rutley has succeeded in combining humor AND valuable teachings in a most 'non-clinical' delivery that is hard not to embrace. You will want to re-visit many portions of this book over and over and you will find it to be your constant emotional reference guide to self- development and improvement.

Read it, embrace it, absorb it and learn from it...You won't be disappointed.

Thank you Mr. Rutley for a most enjoyable, honest and refreshing read.

K

If your tangled thinking and your befuddled emotions have your life in lock-up, Daniel Rutley's experienced counsel in "Entrapment" will help banish self-doubt, rejuvenate your energy level, unshackle your enthusiasm and guide you to achievable, long lasting results and a joy that is unconfined.

Dear readers, ESCAPING EMOTIONAL ENTRAPMENT by Daniel Rutley is a book that readily lends itself to both men and women from all walks of life. I actually consider it to be a basic tool. One that is fundamental to building a strong foundation towards the teaching of a positive sense of self which is crucial for a wholesome relationship with the individual in question, hence, a path towards cultivating strong and sound relationships with others.

Written in an easy step by step comprehensive manner, it delivers useful and practical lessons regarding everyday situations in a language that is strait forward and devoid of any complicated vocabulary or jargon that may be found in other self-help books. It is refreshing in its approach because it is written in such a way that the reader will without a doubt stumble across a situation that is, or has been familiar to him or her at any given time of their lives.

Mr. Rutley uses several case scenarios that are credible and which demonstrate examples of how people react to situations emotionally. He teaches the reader to be in control of his/her feelings in a manner that offers him/her the power to deal with a problem that will become a solution instead. Furthermore, Mr. Rutley includes humor to his teachings so his 'page turner book' is a relaxed and pleasant read.

I strongly recommend Mr. Rutley's ESCAPING EMOTIONAL ENTRAPMENT book to everyone because we are all inclined to behave in an 'action/re-action'mode. This book will help you to 'RECOGNIZE'your emotional patterns, 'REALIZE'where you have made mistakes, 'REASSESS' the way you deal with things in life and finally, it will give you the chance and the ability to 'RE-CREATE' yourself so that you can be the person you always knew you truly were. As Mr. Rutley points out,"enjoy the escape". It's well worth it! Here's looking at you and your new beginning.

Thank you for letting me share my ideas with you. Sincerely, Bo.

This book is a verry well and verry informative book. I am just starting to go in the direction of Wicca even though i have been away from Christianity for so long, and this book is verry good for the young beginer like myself. It gives you a-lot of insite into the matter of alternate regigions. I am verry certain that Wicca is the way i will go.

also this was the first book in my library of "odd books" as my friends say, that i have on the subject, i have gotten a bunch more since then[about 10-20 books]

I am not Wiccan, though I am sympathetic and exceedingly interested in this fast-growing religion. As such, I wanted a book that would be informative, easy to absorb and broad. This book was actually recommended to me by a high priest in my area, and it did not disappoint. I learned everything I needed to know, which is not to say that I've learned it all...but I think I have the broad strokes. Were I ever to aspire to be a solo-practitioner, this book would no doubt guide me quite adeptly.

Highly recommended. I have been told that the late Paul Tuitean and his wife were (and are) extremely well-loved and highly respected in the Wiccan/pagan community. From what I've gleaned and what I've learned, this book is accurate, fair, and a reference you can trust.

Peace.

I am not Wiccan. I am a Shaman; but Wicca was one of the many faiths I explored.

I have several positive, negative, and neutral things to say about this book, so I will seperate them into three lists.

Here are some of the things I like about this book. I am limited to 1000 words. ;-)

1. The altar layout illustration on page 64 is nice and complete. (You should not allow this to cause you undue concern. Start where you are; even if you have nothing more than a birthday candle, matches, and use your finger to cast a circle. You can always add tools as you find them, or feel the need to add them.)

2. This is one of the very few books to correctly identify the invoking, and banishing pentagrams. (I can count the number of books that got something this simple correct on one hand. Banishing prntagrams are always drawn widdershins (counter clockwise).)

3. I HIGHLY praise this book for teaching the shielding exercize on page 77. (I wish more authors would teach simple shielding techniques to assist against psychic attacks.)

4. I praise the authors for discussing the belief factor on page 82. (It is impossible to have faith in something you do not believe.)

5. I HIGHLY praise the authors for discussing the perils in some forms of divination as in Ouija boards, spirit tapping, etc. (If you are interested in divination; I would HIGHLY recommend that you set up a shield (as described on page 77) before practicing divination to protect you from evil and negativity in the area.)

Here are the problems I have with the book.

1. The book is heavy and cumbersome. (I would have preferred for the book to be in a smaller format with more pages. The wide pages put a lot of stress on the wrist when trying to hold the book.)

2. On page 108; the authors claim that Wicca is a nature worshiping religion. (Uh... ahem... er... ;-) I don't think so. I have never heard of or saw a Wiccan worshiping a tree or a stream. They always cast a circle and invoke Deity.)

3. On page 74; the authors discuss white and black magick. (In my opinion; magick is simply magick. the white or black connotation only comes in depending on the magickians intent.)

Here are some of the things I am neutral about, and I hope you will consider.

1. On Page 75; the authors discuss a visualization of roots growing from the base of the spine into the ground. (I would recommend you switch the visualization of roots from the feet growing into the earth (because your feet are already on the ground).)

2. On page 80; the authors talk of cleansing the athame with salt water. (Salt is corrosive and could lead to the blade of the athame rusting. I would suggest that you channel your energy into the athame to bless it and raise it's level of vibration, or smudge it by passing it through the smoke of a purifying incense as in Copal, Frankinsence, or Sage.)

3. On page 116; and others; the authors refer to the energy used as chi. (Ch'i is only one of the dozens of names this universal lifeforce energy has been called over the past 5,000+ years. Here are some of the more common names (Akasha, ch'i, Itaki, Ki, Mana, Manitou, Nuwati, Orenda, Orgone, Prana, Qi Ruach, and many others.))

E-Mail me if you have questions or comments; Two Bears.

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)

In the feild of O.T. Eschatology, it is almost impossible not to reference Dr. Walvoord. This book is indepth. I love the fact that he does justice to the various views that he dealt with concerning the book of Daniel. He is a scholar and a gentleman. The material in this book would be considered seminary level. Anyone interested in learning more about the book of Daniel should get this book. I would just about equal this book to Leon Wood's commentary on Daniel.

Fine scholarship, excellent detail written by a true scholar of eschatology. Few finer than this piece of work as well as many of his other masterpieces.

For the serious student of God's word, Dr Walvoord adeptly writes a scriptural, dispensational look at Daniel.
Haven't read anything on Daniel as thorough or scholarly as this gem.

This book opened my eyes to sci-fi classics. If you like Asimov, you'll like this.

This book, along with Childhoods End, A Canticle for Leibowitz and a few others, were the seminal books that continue to influence me to this day. I read it over 35 years ago but the images and adaptations of the people underground, the treatment of fantasy, telepathy and adaptation became part of my major life metaphors.

This book is one of many written by my grandfather, Daniel F. Galouye. My grandfather passed away when I was a little girl and my memories of him are few and precious. I have read most of his works and have enjoyed them all. One of his books, Simulacron-3, has been made into a movie entitled The Thirteenth Floor. It will be release this May. I hope you enjoy his books as much as I do! I love and miss you Papere

First, let me say that this is a very good book, and that my comments are only meant as a cautionary note. Second, Botkin does know his "stuff" when it come to understanding ecological applications, theories, and the use of metaphors. This book was a useful, popular, corrective to the vast number of misunderstood ecological concepts at the time of its publication. That said, however, Botkin is also like a rooster: he crows too loudly, every morning. By page 38, I was already tired of his "this requires a new view and understanding of nature" which had been stated at least a dozen times before said page. Perhaps some readers will need this prose "boot to the head" reminder. Many readers will find this irritating. He is very much preaching to the choir as well. Changes in Ecology and parallel fields (Conservation Biology, Physical Geography, etc...) had already understood the past mistakes of such concepts as "equilibrium" (static) and "climax community." Botkin was about ten to fifteen years too late in writing Discordant Ecologies. Keep that in mind as you read it. If you start saying "Aha!" a lot just remember that others have already said this for decades, and that the corrective suggestions that Botkin produces have already been incorporated in the vast variety of ecological fields he discusses. This is a great book to use in a history of science, history of ecology, or biogeography class. It will also be useful to a lay audience, unfamiliar with the last 50 years or so of ecological literature. It is also rather easy to read in one sitting.

I liked this book. It was a bit difficult to get through at first. I started the book and put it down for a few months, in chapter 3. But I picked it up again and read it all the way through. Botkin (the author) writes repeatedly about a new way of thinking that incorporates both environmental awareness and the need not to go too far in our concern about the environment. He discusses how the movement of environmentalism is basically operating on false principles, just as our mainstream industrial ways of thinking are perpretrating untold destruction of the natural world.
Botkin talks about the need for compromise, and specifically the need to think of nature in a new way. This new way that he iterates is the recognition of nature as a chaotic system. It is not constant, it is not irreversible (in some ways), and populations fluctuate under certain circumstances.
He describes how we need a new kind of ecologist. How we need people to study the animals and the ecosystems they inhabit with the idea of chaos in mind. But not complete chaos, there is structure to nature, but it is not formalized, nor is it constant. It is changing patterns that never repeat themselves, I guess Botkin might say, more eloquently than I no doubt.
He has a lengthy discussion about the role of religion in this book, which I found interesting. He even talks about the GAIA theory. Botkin re-iterates his points on numerous occasions, to the point that you almost get sick to hear them again. But he drives the point home, and his points are valid, and his view of nature, based on his own experiments is enlightening, scientific, and refreshing.

In the space of two hundred pages, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Daniel Botkin offers us this concise and absorbing assessment of man's role in shaping the landscape with which we are now confronted, and suggests this perspective of the future: "Nature in the twenty-first century will be a nature that we make... We no longer have the luxury to believe that we can live in harmony with the environment without knowledge and understanding of natural systems." This is not a simple suggestion. Botkin reminds us of the intricacies that comprise every earth-nestled rock, every butterfly's wing, every molecule of water that falls from above. Science and knowledge, he suggests, are the keys to our future, our Promethean fire. How we use them will determine how long we will hold sway here. With a reverence for the observations of past and contemporary philosophers, scientists and nature writers, he leads us from the timbered foundation of Venice's church of Santa Maria della Salute to Eat Africa's Tsavo National Park to the remnant ancient forest woodlands of New Jersey's Hutcheson Forest to the remote and mysterious Isle Royale in Lake Superior to the lonely emptiness of te Moon and back again to Venice, on an expedition as valuable in its authenticity of observation as it is poetic in its rhythms.

this book was recommended to me by the owner of a bookstore, who said simply, you have to read this book. since i've read it, i've said the same thing to many many people: you've got to read this book. it is zany, maniacal, magical, and marvelous---both pure fun and heartbreaking at the same time. i think daniel glover is a new voice in southern literature and we'll be hearing a lot from him in the future.

This is fantastic work. Only a handful of writers I know of have achieved what Glover has with this hilarious yet harrowing novel--Capote, Barry Hannah, Sherwood Anderson, James Purdy. I put Glover up there with those guys. Buy this book and read it!

". . .people have been really kind. So far the reviews have all been excellent. But most folks seem to pick up on the comedy and the real stuff, the pieces of me too painful to give away in conversation, too hard to hold onto any longer slip through the cracks. If there's a message in this book it might be something like, "If I survived, you can too."