i really dug this book on The KIng Of Pop.Adrian Grant has done great stuff on MIchael.this book gives dates of his Writting&Production and ALbums released.also Concerts.very well in depth Profile on THE Man.getting this book helped me get songs that he did for others oe sung on.MICHAEL JACKSON is STILL THE BADDEST ARTIST ALIVE TODAY.nobody can count MJ out.

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. I have loved Michael Jackson all my life and this book helps people like me know more about what he went through. I thought the book was great and also I think MJ is the greatest.

This is the best book that was ever published about Michael Jackson. It is informative, accurate, well written and gives the world a very wonderful insight into Michael and his achievements. Adrian Grant has done it again!

This book is one of the best i've ever read on Greek/Roman myth, and i've read many in my life. This book contains entries on characters rarely found anywhere else such as Nox, the Greek personification of night. As such i often use this book as a measuring stick against other books in this area.

Grant and Hazel have provided a finely grained and authoritative dictionary-style reference that is quite handy for identification of any figure from classical mythology. The book will prove useful for keeping at one's side when reading Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Euripides and company. Very helpful appendices include genealogical trees, alphabetical list of classical authors referred to, and clear and informative maps.

Who's Who is an excellent resource, but it is not meant for those who wish to sit down and read Greek myths. The book is set up in an encyclopedic fashion. References to specific Greek mythological figures are easy to locate. However if you are looking for Greek myths in story form, this is not the text for you.

Grant gives a new perspective about the last century of the (western) Roman Empire. When the average layman thinks of the fall of the Roman Empire, he (or she) thinks of the Rome of the early Caesars: a libertarian, libertine kind of place, full of fun and debauchery. But Grant convincingly shows that late Rome suffered not from decadence but from puritanism, not from too much liberty but from crushing taxes. Late Rome was more like Soviet Russia than like America today: a place suffering from too much government in every sphere of life, from Christian intolerance ...to bureaucratic overregulation of the economy. The perfect gift for your libertarian friends!

The previous reviewer's analysis is correct. I would only add that eerily much of what caused Rome to dry rot and collapse is being mirrored in the USA- high taxation, large bureaucracies, the lack of desire to serve in the military, radical racial diversification, growing elements of societal drop-outs (ie. homeschoolers, Christians, environmentalists), complacency, the growing gulf between social classes. Will the USA fall like Rome? After all, there is no army of barbarians at our doorstep like Rome faced. We have no military coups unlike the dozens which took place in Rome. But there are several fits, enough to think that at the very least, America two centuries from now will be as recognizable to us as modern England would be recognizable to Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror or Richard the Lionhearted.

There are many books disecting and explaining the Roman Empire's rise and fall, and many of them may indeed be more detailed than "The Fall of the Roman Empire" by Michael Grant, but none capture the actions of that age and explain it in such a manner that it is comprehensible to someone without a Harvard degree. Mr. Grant writes in a methodical and clear way that keeps the reader interested and excited. He divides his book in to thirteen chapters, each one describing thirteen points that led to the empire's downfall. He addresses issues not only of military importance, but that of the internal and social struggles, such as the slaves, peasants, generals and nobles. He also includes a series of maps one what the empire looked like at various times throughout its decline. The contents of the book are reason enough to buy it, but the introduction is a general overview of the entire empire, and is very well done. That's the positive side. However, I don't think he was quite detailed enough! I realize that the entire book was intended to be a general run over, but some areas he glazed over, and others he ignored completly. For example, he explained the Weastern Empire in depth, but almost completly ignored the Eastern. He only refered to it when it affected the other. The only other nuance I disliked was that every so often he would contradict himself, like in referece to the social impact of the poor against the state being the most important of the internal struggles that brought down the fall, while he later says the credibility gap was the cause of the decline. After weighing the pros against the cons, I believe this is a very worthwhile book to read if you are just begining a study of that era.

Webster's New World Thesaurus is the consummate source for those who pine to augment their subjacent grasp of the English lexicon. The author of this tome has mustered a grand assemblage of words -- all of which will prove utile when attempting to woo the opposite sex.

With a plethora of words to cull through, Webster's New World Thesaurus will provide you with the minutia you to need to help you imply intelligence, even if you're a mere plebeian.

Maybe I'm just a word freak, but in the interest of keeping your writing interesting, it's great to find new words, especially the perfect word! This version is well organized, and a great value! Highly recommended!

This book is a great resource for all students from high school to college and has the organization to easily find the word you're looking for so you can get back to writing. A good desk tool that you will use forever. I love it, FIVE stars!

In this book, the astute historical mind of Michael Grant focuses on 37 of the most pivotal and influential Greeks of the classical age. The book starts with the heroes of the Persian War (Miltiades, Themosticles, Pausanias, etc) and ends at the very border of the rise of Macedon and the beginning of the Hellenic age (Aristotle, Demosthenes).

In between, Grant offers us a comprehensive look at personages who filled in all of the occupations that were of the utmost importance to the ancient Greeks. These include military leaders (Miltiades, Themostocles, Cimon, Epaminondas, Pausanias, Lysander, etc), orators / politicians (Pericles, Pindar, Dionysius I, Archytas, Demosthenes, etc), philosophers (Parmenides, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle), playwrights (AEschylus, Sophocles, Euripedes, Aristophanes), historians (Herodotus, Thucydides) and architects / artisians (Polygnotus, Polyclitus, Ictinus, Phidias, etc).

In all of these mini-biographies, Grant maintains his usual standard of excellence in pointing out the most salient aspects of their historical importance and sundry accomplishments. Grant is spectacular in demonstrating his immense erudition and knowledge of the ancient world.

One of the nice features of this books is its format: it is composed of 37 seperate essays, + a number of appendices on various topics. Therefore, you can read an essay & then let the book sit for weeks or months w/out sacrificing anything. So, that makes it a great book to have "at the ready" in places where you may need to kill some time by having a book in-hand.

I would highly recommend this book for people who have an interest in ancient Greece, but do not @ present know too much about it. This book is an excellent introduction to that epoch. For the classical scholar / student, this book is an absolutely indispensable reference.

Through focusing on 37 historical personages who have largely defined classical Greek civilization, Michael Grant has created an ideal introduction on the subject for the uninitiated. The book is informative, easy to absorb and extremely readable. If you harbor any interest regarding Ancient Greece and don't know where to begin, this is an ideal spot.

Though synonomous with the victory of Zama, there is a wealth of information about Scipio Africanus, military, political and social, that has been tragically lost among the annals of history. Better than any other book of which I am aware, Hart's title does a great service in bringing much of this information back into the limelight in a manner that was easily readable and enjoyable, a clear cut and direct approach to an immense topic. Saying that book opened up my eyes to the exploits of one of history's greatest captains would be an understatement, as in fact it thrust my attention upon what is certainly antiquity's and possibly history's finest captain. Scipio's military campaign in Spain, an endeavor clearly captured in this book and described in detail, may be the greatest forgotten campaign in history. Displaying a strategic and tactical sense that seems unrivalled until the days of Napoleon, Scipio won victories with a decisiveness under overwhelming odds and the oppression of a jealous senate that set him high above the military mastery levels of Caesar without a doubt and probably even Hannibal and Alexander as well. However, it is these lesser captains that have been immortalized in history and Scipio that has been forgotten, and Hart's discussion of this reality is one of the most spectacular portions of the book. That chapter alone would be well worth your purchase of this fine selection. The claim of this book holding relevance for even modern military students is also highly justified, as the intellectual ability of Scipio on both a military and, often more importantly, diplomatic level, serves as an example for all future leaders of men. Without a shred of doubt, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history, military, government or humanities in general, as the relevance of it cannot be understated, as it unfortunately has been for so many centuries.

Hart's book makes a strong case for the consideration of Scipio Africanus Major as one of the truly great military commanders of history. I have spent a great deal of time reading ancient and military history and have always been annoyed at the lack of information about this historical figure. Plutarch, argueably the greatest biographer ever, when writing his 'Lives' (a comparison of noble greeks and romans) intentionally omitted a description of Scipio and his greek counterpart Epaminondas because he felt they were the supreme examples of their respective societies. When I was fortunate enough to find this title on Amazon, I bought it no questions asked. This book would be a bargain at twice the price. Hart does an excellent job of presenting Scipio's military career and specific engagements in detailed and entertaining fashion. The material will appeal to both the beginning and hardcore military history buff alike. His descriptions of specific tactics as well as examples of Scipio's personal integrity are thoroughlly entertaining. Machiavelli in his classic 'The Prince' described how Scipio attempted to emulate and imitate Cyrus ("the great" - ancient Persian commander). I believe, that Hart has made the case to consider Scipio as greater than not only Napoleon, but Cyrus, Alexander or Ceasar.

The title tells you what Liddell Hart thinks of him: in his estimation, Publius Cornelius Scipio was the greatest general of all time. At first blush this may seem a pet theory: Scipio's name is unfamiliar to most all except classics scholars and opera buffs. But in a detailed, illuminating account of Scipio's career, Liddell Hart prosecutes his theory with vigor. As he explains, "greatness" is not properly measured in terms of body count or territorial gain; to find a "great captain" one first looks for someone who knows precisely what needs to be done in order to achieve a strategic objective, and finds the tactical means to do this. Scipio's trumphs in New Carthage (Spain) and later his annihilation of Hannibal's army at Zama and later exploits in Asia are proof of this ability. Above this, a great general must have a sense of proportion, of measuring the success of a particular strategy in terms of its long-term impact. In this respect, he argues, Scipio wins out over Napoleon, because he never went to excess in the pursuit of his military goals. He was never greedy, bloodthirsty or unrealistic: witness his refusal to pursue endless and futile conquests in Asia, or the relatively generous terms that he offered Carthage in the Punic Wars. Liddell Hart's concept of "greatness by restraint" also reveals his own perspective on military affairs: writing as he did in the 1920s, he was very subtly expressing his profound disgust with many of the WW1 leaders. Tis book can thus be read on two levels: Liddell Hart's derision of Cato (the genocidal Roman senator who, following Scipio's retirement, eventually persuaded Rome to raze Carthage to the ground) can be interpreted as a latter day commentary on the politicians who deluded themselves that Versaille had won them an everlasting peace.

The Dark Tower series is amazing. There is no better way to put it. King uses colorful descriptions to hold the reader captivated as he does in all his books. This wonderful combination of fantasy, science fiction, and modern times creates an ongoing story that the reader will never be able to put down. In short, I Love this series, and it will stand as my all time favorite. Although it would be difficult to choose, I would pick "Wizard and Glass," as the best book so far. Roland's love story is the main reason I felt obliged to read the entire series a second time. I wait in anticipation of the fifth book.

Nothing King has written is more gripping than Roland's quest for the Dark Tower. Each time I read these books, now including Wizard and Glass,I am more and more drawn in. Most exciting among the things I liked is the way time is no longer constant in the world, and is actually unravelling it. I LOVE that. It is Roland's sole purpose to right the world and restore the Tower. Will he reach the Tower? Even King himself is unsure. The books are filled with wery interesting references to our world, and obscure "otherworlds". Also expect to find cool concepts of physics, great action scenes, and a few things that will make you sit there and wonder: Now why in the hell did he(King) do that!? The whole series is wery different from King's writing norm, but they are still wery classic King. It is also exciting to understand that he believes the Dark Tower world spawned his other books, that the Dark Tower was there first. That's my own interpretation of the afterword in Wizard and Glass, I may be wrong. Read these books, and they will take you away. Sounds cheesy, but that's the facts , jack! These books are absolutely GREAT!!

I'd give this series 10 stars if I could. The Dark Tower story line is incredibly complex. The characters, Roland, Eddie, Jake, etc. are so complex and brilliantly described that they feel like people you know. Stephen King is the ultimate master at creating and molding characters. The Dark Tower books change the way that I look at the universe. The Dark Tower and what it holds is incredibly complex and simple at the same time. Life. Imagine this, that we took a trip out into space, passing the planets of our solar system and eventually emerging out of the Milky way. eventually we come to a boundary where our universe ends. We break throught this boundary and realize that our universe is nothing but an atom in a single blade of grass, which belongs to another universe entirely. And when things start going wrong, it is simply because the blade of grass is drying up.

This explains what the universe is like in "The Dark Tower." Read these books. You will be amazed.

"Go then, There are other worlds than these."

I consider myself a connosieur of the classics, so when I heard of an ancient novel concerned with sex, illicit sex, and illicit donkey sex, I decided to take a closer look.

And I'm glad that I did. At the back end of the classical Western literary tradition of silliness, which includes such hallowed humorists as Chaucer, Bocaccio, Rabelais, Cervantes, and, in its divine form, Shakespeare, we find the one tale that may have excited them all--Lucius Apuleius's Golden Ass.

The Golden Ass is filled with adventure, suspense, humor, and nonsense. I had a grin on my face most of the way through, and I got the feeling that the author did too. Tip o' the hat to Robert Graves for delivering an authentic translation that brings us Apuleius in his bawdy best.

The only thing I found occasionally irritating was that, like Cervantes, Apuleius has a tendency to digress. Big time. He inserts the entire myth of Cupid and Psyche right into the middle of the narrative, for example. Does this add to the mythological message of the whole? Probably, but it subtracts from the fantastic flow of the story. My urgent plea to Apuleius, were he alive today, would be, "Stick to the ass!"

There are a number of reasons that traditionally bring people to this book: to study Classical Rome, classic literature, mythology, psychology... maybe you're curious about the intimate lives of donkeys. Whatever has brought you to this novel, now that you're going to read it, perhaps the best thing to do is to take the advice of the author himself, who says, "Read on and enjoy yourself!"

I thought only cats were supposed to have nine lives, but this donkey has at least that many. This book is great fun, I couldn't put it down for too long, and it is incredible that something written so long ago (18 centuries?) can be so accessible, captivating, and hilarious to a modern reader. The events in The Golden Ass resemble the ribald, bawdy exuberance of the Decameron, and no doubt Boccaccio was somewhat inspired by the writings of Apuleius. According to the introduction, the adjective "golden" in the title implies "the ass par excellence" or "the best of all stories about an ass." The story follows the misadventures of Lucius, an enterprising young man who gets far too close to the world of magic, is transformed into a donkey and is constantly thwarted in his attempt to procure the antidote to his assness. It's human mind trapped in donkey bawdy! Totally imaginative, classically written, hilarious fun. As a writer, Apuleius was MILLENNIUMS ahead of his time! (Note: my review is based on the Robert Graves translation, rather than the William Adlington).

I read The Golden Ass for a Classic art course I took while at university I loved it! It is fun, entertaining and comical- not your typical dry Roman read. It is a great story and a great look into history.I highly recommend this tale to anyone who not wants to laugh but is interested in an important text from antiquity.

Humourous & funny, interesting mystery, light entertaiment, perfect for vacations.

What a fun read! I really enjoyed this book. Fast paced and funny, Grant Michaels has created a great character. I could not put this book down, as I wanted to get onto the others in the series.

Just think Jessica Fletcher and turn her into a gay male hairdresser. Stan unwillingly becomes involved to help a detective solve a murder. Over the series, he develops a unrequited attraction to the detective providing for the intensity of an otherwise light-hearted series of books. Whatever happens next, we will be entertained.