This is the original volume of a series featuring the wry exploits of Decius Caecilious Metellus, a noble ancient Roman and a snoop. At the beginning of his career up the Roman political ladder he is a ward conmmissioner in a murderous sector of the city of Rome, c. 70 B.C. during the fall of the Roman Republic. Beginning from a little murder and a small arson, Decius gradually links and unravels a horrendous plot to undermine the state, against many hazards to his morality and his health. Along the way we are introduced to major historical and series characters who oppose or further Decius's inquiries and ascension, from Crassus (the Richest Man in the World) and Pompey (self-proclaimed The Great), ambivalent Julius Caesar, to lawyer Cicero and useful figures from the underworld of Rome. Decius recruits and adopts several independent assistants who promise to be of help in the future, either forensically or as smart muscle.

There is more of Roman administrative intrigue here than in most mysteries set in ancient Rome, because Decius is pursuing a political career, is himself a noble from an exalted lineage, and his father is already a high official (but frustratingly remote from his son's endeavors and progress). Decius is too old-fashionedly morally upright for his own good, but--happily for us--he is pleasantly cynical in his outlook and in his historically informed asides to us. This story is spendidly written, marvelously worldly, and rich with historical and archaeological detail that actually moves the story along. I disagree this is a fantasy; it is a fictional but plausible mystery set in a solidly realized historical context. Roberts writes this series in a rather more breezy style than the parallel Roma sub Rosa series by Stephen Saylor. Roberts depends too much on an illogical climactic confession by the villain to wrap up the many loose ends he has creatively developed in this story. (St. Martin's Press has republished the first two books in this apparently intermittant series. This as SPQR I: THE KING'S GAMBIT, q.v.)

It disturbs me that many SF/Fantasy books contain pathetic explanations like "Being a product of the (non-democratic or whatever) society I was born in, I was so stupid as to actually believe everything he (a bad guy) told me." JMR does nothing like that. His characters really act, talk and think like ancient Romans are supposed to. They don't apologise to 20th century American readers for not being politically correct. That's one thing I love about this book - it's so realistic! You'll get the feeling of actually being there, you actually start seeing things through the eyes of that Metellus guy.

The other thing that makes this book so great is the brilliance of John Maddox Roberts' writing. He has written other great novels too, but SPQR is his best book I have read. If you like historical fantasy and you're interested in ancient Rome, this book is a must-read for you.

(I'm sorry to tell you, however, that JMR wasn't able to maintain this high quality through the whole SPQR series. Don't buy them all now, just read one book before you buy the next one.)

I have read all of the SPQR-Series and can only recommend them both to the informed and the lay(wo)man. Being a student of Roman archaeoloy myself, I have seldom found such a good historical FUN novel, where you get to know all in IN men and woman of Rome at one of the most interesting times in her history.

If you appreciate the art of letter writing, you'll be delighted with this collection of letters from John Steinbeck.

Wow! can this man, write. But perhaps "write" is the wrong term - "think" is better. Wow! can this man think. And then he is able to express those thoughts in a clear, eloquent and, most of all, honest way that is a treat to read.

The book begins with a letter from the young, penniless author to a friend. At the time, Steinbeck was in isolation when he took a job as the winter caretaker of a lodge in Lake Tahoe. From there, he takes us along on a life journey through three marriages, financial success that always made him uncomfortable, fame that he often detested, Pulitzer and Nobel prizes, adventure in settings from the Sea of Cortez to Saigon.

The insights are astounding. His lack of pretension in the midst of his success amazes.

Here was a sensitive, often gruff but completely honest man who was not afraid to reveal himself in total to the friends he cherished.

An unbelievable recount of a man's life through his own eyes. I didn't think that a collection of letters would amount into a good read, but I was blown away by Steinbecks determinedly honest prose. The candor and focus that Steinbeck displays in his interaction with friends, family, and associates is outstanding. Steinbeck once again wields his magical touch and inspires thought and introspection without preaching. A truly great writer, and a truly great book. This collection takes you through Steinbecks journey from college dropout, to published author, to two time divorcee, to Pulitzer Prize winner. My only criticism is that there were too few moments of rage, anger and outburst, which is difficult to capture in letter form. However, it is a raw, honest, and unforgiving account of a man's walk through life, as it serves as inspiration for any aspiring writer out there. The ending letters are excellent, and it is definitely worth your time.

John Steinbeck wrote his own autobiography without intending to. He left us richer with his novels .... but getting to know him through his letters should be required reading. What an insight into someone who was following his passion. I could not put the book down. It's one of my most treasured and recommended.

What a delightful book! Beside including some hiliarious recipes like "Susan Silverman's Boiled Water" from Robert B. Parker, there are interesting recipes from a number of mystery writers and places associated with mysteries. I plan to try the Tea Scones from Brown's Hotel (Agatha Christie's Bertram's Hotel) first. This is a must for mystery readers.

Mysteries and menus go hand in hand. Just picking up A Taste of Murder and quickly wading through it, I knew it was a recipe book that would never leave my kitchen.

Readers and chefs can expect great recipes, informative thoughts, witty remarks, and bits and pieces from Jo Grossman and Robert Weibezahl, who created the wonderful book, and the mystery writers themselves. An impressive introduction tells readers about the relationship between mysteries and menus, and each chapter adds a little more a long with the recipes. Under the chapter headings of First Instincts, Choose Your Poison, The Pot Thickens, Dressed to Kill, Kneadless Violence, Quick and Painless, Pasta Mortem, Something's Fishy, Fowl Play, Secret Meat-ings, No Place to Meat, Faithful Sidekicks, Revenge is Sweet, and Just Desserts, you will find some delicious, tempting meals. Expect to find recipes like, Bill Crider's manly recipe of Sausage-Cheese Appetizer, Cathie John's tasty Cincinnati Chili recipe with a dash of chocolate. Peter Robinson's tempting taste of Warm Pear and Stilton Salad, Sara Hoskins Frommer's bread recipe called Fred Lundquist's Sourdough Oatmeal Bread, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich recipe, Parnell Hall's Stanley's Head Pesto pasta, Anne Perry's Fish Pie, Leslie Glass's April Woo's Crispy Hacked Duck, Penny Warner's Hangtown Fry, Kate Charles's recipe for Quick Vegetarian Cassoulet, H.R.F. Keating's side dish recipe of Carrot Haliva, L.L. Thrasher's Boiled Cookies, and Jonathan Gash's British cake recipe called Parkin.

If you own one of those rare Bed & Breakfasts that includes live mysteries in the vacation weekend package, or know anyone who does, this is one recipe book that will add to the fun. It's a wonderful grouping of talent and taste. The recipes are worthy on their own, but it's nice to have a little mystery with one's meal - don't you think? Others must agree because it been nominated in the Anthony Mystery Awards for Best Non-Fiction.

You can't go wrong spending the dough on this one.

What great fun it was to participate in this very worthwhile project and to discover that my fellow mystery writers are such fantastic cooks. The recipes are varied, well presented, and easy to follow. But even if you're not interested in stirring up something diabolically delicious, "A Taste of Murder" also serves up entertaining vignettes and bits of insider information with every recipe.

Roman Senator Decius Caecilius Metellus is back in Rome, standing for election, when the always dangerous city is convulsed by a Tribune's curse. The Tribune curses Crassus as he sets out for war against the Parthians (a war that ended with Crassus's death and one of the worst defeats that Rome had ever suffered), invoking a number of secret gods and the secret name of Rome itself. Everyone knows that knowledge of the true name constitutes power, and Rome must take extraordinary measures to purify itself. When the Priestly colleges come to Decius and insist that he bring them the name of the one who betrayed Rome's secret name, Decius is thrust into mystery, danger, and death.

Author John Maddox Roberts makes this turbulent era in Roman history come to life. From details of Decius's candidate toga (whitened with chalk to stand out), to the economics of being a Roman politician, to the scheming of the three men--Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar--who rule Rome, THE TRIBUNE'S CURSE drips with authenticity. Better yet, the history lesson is fully integrated into the story. Roberts delivers information as it is needed, involving the reader in the mystery and the history simultaneously.

Decius, with his fears of poverty, his love of wine, and his loving but greedy wife, makes a sympathetic character--important since the story is told as a first person narative. He is positioned high enough in society to have access to information and contacts, yet low enough to be fair game for anyone who thinks that the truth would be better hidden.

Fans of Roman history, historical mysteries, or fine writing won't go wrong with this compelling mystery.

The year is AUC 700, or 56 BC by our calendar. Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, back from several years in Gaul and happily married to his longtime love, the niece of Julius Caesar himself, is plunged into a whirlpool of intrigue when a tribune attempts to derail a powerful politician by invoking a curse on him, using religious elements he had no business using.

Reading this, the reader gets a sense of how alien the Romans really were---and how much they really believed in their religion.

After fighting the Gauls for a year under Julius Caesar, Decius Cecilius Metellus, the black sheep of the powerful and wealthy Metellus clan, is glad to be home again in his beloved Rome. Married to Caesar's niece Julia and running for political office that could lead to bigger and more powerful positions, Decius is a very happy man. The populace is not in favor of Tribune Marcus Licinus Craessus going to war against the Parthians.

On the day he is to depart, the fanatical opposition leader, the tribune of the people Caius Ateius Capito delivers a curse on Marcus, daring to speak the secret name of Rome. Decius is ordered to find out how he learned such a sacred name but before he gets very far in his investigation, the mauled body of Ateius is found. Decius must get answers and soon otherwise the frightened populace will start rioting.

John Maddox Roberts, through the use of the first person narration of his protagonist, gives the reader a glimpse into the mindset of the citizens of the Roman Empire on the subject of slavery, magic, politics, and war. The story line is colorful allowing readers to feel as if they have gone back in time to Ancient Rome. THE TRIBUNE'S CURSE is an exciting, well-researched historical mystery.

Harriet Klausner

A Bicentennial Malthusian Essay(Conservation, population, and the Indifference to Limits) by John F.Rohe is an extremely interesting, must-reading, for all responsible people. Alarming, yet exciting, to gain a realistic understanding of conservation. Thinking non-conservationists will become conservationists. Conservationists will find the back-up information to substantiate their beliefs.

Richard M. Shuster, Retired Circuit Judge
5th Judicial Circuit Court, Barry County,
Michigan

At a time when many people downplay Malthus, or even ridiculed him, his predictions are coming true-if we just take notice. This is certainly not visible in the suburban supermarket where many of the people who affect what is happening shop. However, for growing numbers of malnourished people on our planet, this is all too apparent. This fine book looks at the underlying causes for this predicament and suggest that the only final way to resolve this problem is to face up to our population problem. Increasing food production, if that were still possible, only postpones the worst, and because the world's population would be larger, would make the suffering even more terrible. Everyone should read this book.

Rohe addresses the natural limits that we face, population, resources, environmental degradation, the earths carrying capacity whose totality is a disease of being indifferent toward these limits. He write with the precision and logic of a lawyer which he is.

A truly comprehensive book, enjoyable to both read and look through. It covers the history and scope of air travel, including airport and aircraft design, corporate identities and marketing in a thorough, extensive and compelling manner. It is distinctive in how it successfully melds a global scope and a focused perspective.

This book is an excellent overview of the history of civil aviation, terminals, and airfields. The attention to detail, both photographic and linguistic, is marvelous and provides a wonderful account of airport design. The faithfulness to the original traveling photo exhibit allows readers the opportunity to experience the cultural presentation alongside the historical reconstruction. All in all, a wonderful book for any aviation fan.

BfAT is one of the most intriguing books you'll find about airports. It covers a lot of airport design aspects- but it is not an engineering book. In other words, you won't have to face boring charts and graphs. All you get is interseting texts, divided into differnt issues, and many rare and beautiful pictures. If you really like airports- you should have this book.

This is a political mystery set around the historical Catiline conspiracy. The detail of what life was like in those days (for the elite) is wonderfully done while the reading is light and easy. This is like Colleen McCullough's historical series but much lighter in tone and slimmer. For me the pleasure was much more in the details of life in the last days of the Roman Republic thanin the mystery (although I like a good mystery too). Also, I finally made some sense of what the Catiline Conspiracy was about, after having puzzled over it in Latin and history classes in my youth.

It is wonderful to see J. M. Roberts' SPQR novels back in print. With the sixth novel 'Nobody Loves a Centurion' now published, it gives a good excuse to go back and re-read this magnificent series of historical mysteries.

In this second novel, the protagonist Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger continues his rise through the Roman political system as the yearly quaestor in charge of the treasury-a low ranking, thankless and mundane job. Caius Julius Caesar is the pontifex maximus, Pompey is wielding his imperium in the near east, and Cicero is one of the consuls-the supreme magistrates of the Republic. In this post-Sulla era, Rome is fairly quiet but marred by the unexplained murders of several equites-the upper middle class businessmen/citizens that don't have the prestige of being patricians, but but the true holders of much of Rome's financial wealth.

In his usual sideways manner, Decius Caecilius gets himself involved and appointed to investigate. What follows is a rather well told tale of intrigue and desire based upon the historical conspiracy of Lucius Sergius Catilina against the Republic. Steven Saylor covered some of the same material in his equally excellent novel 'Catilina's Riddle'-but from a slightly different perspective. This key moment in Roman history was truly a political turning point that presaged the end of the Republic and the coming of the Imperators.

Crassus, Pompey, Caesar and Catilina are brought to life in a way that history books can't do, and J.M. Roberts has created a most likable character in his Decius Caecilius. The extensive use of Roman titles and terminology is offset by the short glossary explaining key Latin terms as they were used in this era. A smart and fascinating novel with not so much mystery as history. Highly Recommended.

At long last, SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy is back in print--in a nice trade paperback edition. (The original release, from about a decade ago was a pocket-sized mass-market edition, with a rather tacky cover).

The basic plot of the story is that Decius Caecilius Metellus, young scion of a patrician line, in the course of his duties as quaestor (a temporary public office), discovers a number of signs that lead him to believe that some serious trouble is afoot-- caches of weapons hidden away in unused rooms at the temple of Saturn being only the first of them.

Eventually, he discovers the existence of an organized plot, led by the young noble Cataline, to overthrow the government of Rome. The only way to stop this plot, however, is to learn more of it-- which means pretending to join the conspiracy. But the price of admission is that he must kill one of his most trusted friends!

All in all, this is a rollicking good, high-action historical mystery. Like the mysteries of Steven Saylor, it's strongly rooted in actual history-- there was, after all, a real Cataline, who did indeed lead a plot to overthrow the Republic. He, his co-conspirators-- and many of the other characters with whom Decius interacts-- are real. In terms of its 'historicity', it's worth noting that Roberts' take on Cataline is very traditional in that he basically presents him as a spoiled, rotten, corrupt, brattish nobleman. This is, of course, how Cataline was portrayed by his enemies (e.g. Cicero), who-- due to the fact that history is written by the winners-- have tended to be well-represented in surviving documents. This is quite a different presentation of Catalina than Steven Saylor gives in his own mystery novel on the same subject, _Catalina's Riddle_, which presents Catalina more as a well-meaning, attractive, if somewhat naive populist. It's quite interesting to see the contrast, and those who enjoyed one book should also read the other-- just to see a different take on things.

In terms of the writing itself-- Maddox is quite fluid and engaging... and occasionally quite witty. His style is very different from Steven Saylor's, as is his detective (Decius is an up-and-coming young patrician actively involved in politics, as opposed to a philosophically-oriented plebian)-- but I'd say Saylor fans would still enjoy this book a lot, as would anyone who enjoys really good historical fiction-- particularly intrigues and mysteries-- set in or about ancient Rome.

The book tells us about what happened to John F Kennedy during World War two, how the Japanese sank his boat, so how he became a hero. There is a short biography( 1917-1940) too, with cute photos. There was a nice chapter on the Solomon Islands, the local people, the influence of Western culture, and the culture today. I suggest it to all Jack Kennedy fans or not.

Dr. Ballard lives in Lyme Connecticut, 10 miles from where I live. I saw this book in a local bookstore window this weekend, and realized that he was coming to town in 4 days to speak on the subject. Being a history buff, and certainly a Kennedy history buff, I bought the book (locally, so that he would sign it for free!), and read it last night. It's a short read, with only one or two chapters covering the actual exploration for the PT-109. The rest of the book contains Kennedy family history dating back to the Kennedy's in Boston from 1850. There was a nice chapter on the Solomon Islands, the local people, the influence of Western culture, and the culture today. There was also nice information on the crash that proves that the Hollywood movie on PT-109 took some liberties concerning his rescue of marines on a beach ... go figure ... Hollywood taking liberties...

The bottom line ... I believe Ballard has found the PT boat ... even though he couldn't quite prove it ... The fact a future president's boat was lost in this region has left a closeness with the locals towards the United States ... and the two local's that discovered Kennedy and his crew are still alive and still very much influenced by their part in history. This will be Ballard's last modern historical ship find ... after this he will move on to work on the Black Sea project ... I'm glad he found John Kennedy's boat before he moved on. Read the book

Dr. Ballard lives in Lyme Connecticut, 10 miles from where I live. I saw this book in a local bookstore window this weekend, and realized that he was coming to town in 4 days to speak on the subject. Being a history buff, and certainly a Kennedy history buff, I bought the book (locally, so that he would sign it for free!), and read it last night. It's a short read, with only one or two chapters covering the actual exploration for the PT-109. The rest of the book contains Kennedy family history dating back to the Kennedy's in Boston from 1850. There was a nice chapter on the Solomon Islands, the local people, the influence of Western culture, and the culture today. There was also nice information on the crash that proves that the Hollywood movie on PT-109 took some liberties concerning his rescue of marines on a beach ... go figure ... Hollywood taking liberties...

The bottom line ... I believe Ballard has found the PT boat ... even though he couldn't quite prove it ... The fact a future president's boat was lost in this region has left a closeness with the locals towards the United States ... and the two local's that discovered Kennedy and his crew are still alive and still very much influenced by their part in history. This will be Ballard's last modern historical ship find ... after this he will move on to work on the Black Sea project ... I'm glad he found John Kennedy's boat before he moved on. Read the book.

Wow. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Karl Malone and John Stockton, then I picked up Mr. Schnakenberg's book. All I can say is, he's painted a vivid portrait of two TRUE hardwood superstars. Their antics on and off the court are entertaining and inspiring. The writing is crisp,and the grammar is impeccable.

This is the first time I have ever read this book. I thought it was great. This book proves you can be of different color,different religion, and of different build and still be best friends. Even though I don't like the Utah Jazz, I thought this book described the Utah Jazz,Stockton, and Malone very well.This book proves that even if you were once poor, you never forget where you came from.I would read this book or another book by this author if I could.

I admit, when my daughter brought this book home for a book report, my expectations were high. We both loved Mr. Schnakenberg's Scottie Pippen book, and didn't think he could top it. We were both pleasantly surprised. Once again, he has put together an informative and entertaining book. I know it is officially a "Young Adult's" offering, but I was not ashamed to borrow it from my daughter and bring it to work to read over lunch. When a co-worker noticed it he picked it up out of curiosity. Now my daughter has to borrow it from the library again so HE can finish it. I hope Mr. Schnakenberg continues to provide his own personal brand of wit to both young and old alike. He is rapidly distinguishing himself as one of our premiere "Young Adult" authors.

Our lab used this book for a study group on effective scientific writing. We are located in Korea, so with the exception of the instructor and I, all participants were not native speakers of English. As a result, this review is from the viewpoint of foreign students. It is based on chapter reviews written by the members of our lab after finishing the book.

The book is just what it claims to be, a step-by-step approach to writing a scientific manuscript intended for publication. The first chapter helpfully furnishes a checklist (Table 1.3) for preparing a research paper. The chapter is actually a summary of the rest of the book so a reader already in the process of writing can easily find which chapter they wish to skip to via Table 1.3.

In the subsequent chapters, the authors provide good advice accompanied by helpful tables, examples and exercises, although the figure chapter could have used more tips on actually preparing the figures. Examples of poorly prepared and corrected figures would be a useful study aid. One student suggested that the second chapter on computer use was not particularly informative for graduate-level students. Regarding the chapter on grammar (chapter 6), another student pointed out that in some scientific articles, ungrammatical sentences are not corrected in order to effectively deliver the point.

The overall use of informal expressions and phrases seemed intended to make the text livelier for English-speaking students, but was confusing for several participants with English as a second language. We would like to suggest that the authors take their own advice and refrain from using slang and jargon. Several of us liked Appendix 2 and thought it was a good read for those unfamiliar with the practice of journal editors.

Apparently the authors had intended to attract those who had not already submitted a manuscript to read their book, but Successful Scientific Writing contains many helpful pointers for published scientists and journal editors, as well.

it is unfortunate the authors did not review the most recent scientific style and format conventions of the council of biology editors(accepted internationally) that were published in 1994. had they done so, they would not have made a number of the errors that show up scattered about in the text. i use parts of this text , especially the exercises, in a course i teach on scientific writing and have to make the corrections as we go along

Words can hardly express the beauty and cleverness of "Successful Scientific Writing" by Matthews, Bowen and Matthews as a step-by-step guide on how to write scientific reports for publication in English. I am using this book for a course that I teach on scientific writing at the Postgraduate School of Health Sciences at Aarhus University in Denmark, and I find it to be perfect! Before this book was published, there was none that dealt so well and so entertainingly with so many aspects of what it actually takes to prepare a manuscript for publication in a scientific journal. Many young (and old) scientists are good thinkers, but they are often poor writers! Thus, although they may have been able to design and carry out an experiment, they often lack the ability to express what they have done clearly and concisely. This book is for them! The first few chapters provide mainly words of encouragement for getting the writing process underway. There are also remarkable bits of advice, such as the notion of avoiding certan snacks that could derail ones momentum. In my view, the crux of the book appears in chapters 5, 6 and 7 in which extraordinarily lucid and practical instructions and exercises are presented for improving one's ability to write scientifically. There are also tips on how to optimize word-processing so that the manuscript submitted to the editor of a journal is most likely to be accepted for publication. Perhaps some old-timers in Science can do without this book, but they should nevertheless have a copy of it on hand for their students.