I know virtually nothing about Lord Byron, except that he was a 19th-century English poet, so I can't say how accurate "Lord of the Dead" is in regard to certain parts of his life shown in here. But Byron fans should like this one since he's cast as the main character--as a vampire, of all things--narrating his past to his single captive audience, Rebecca Carville. His existence in "Lord of the Dead" basically consists of him traveling all over Europe, which does become monotonous after awhile. Yet it's in Greece, where he's traveling with his companion Hobhouse, that he is unwillingly turned into a vampire by Vakhel Pasha. Byron also happens to be in love with the Pasha's young runaway slave, Haidee, which is part of the reason why he kills the Pasha and then escapes the rabid village with her--only to face tragedy a short time later.

The book started out ok, so I was a little confused by all of the low reviews; however, as I continued reading, I understood why. After the first couple chapters, the book seems to fizzle out, especially after Byron kills the Pasha for the first time (yes, he has to attempt this more than once; I guess some people don't understand the meaning of "immortality.") Then comes Byron's internal struggle with his new existence--as well as his acquaintance with other fellow vampires--which doesn't really add anything new to the vampire myth. I wondered exactly how Rebecca could sit there and listen for all 341 pages and not become bored herself. About 100 pages could have been removed from "Lord of the Dead" and it wouldn't have harmed the story a bit; in fact, it would have probably improved it.

And like a few reviewers before me, I did notice some similarities between Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" (because of how the book's told in story form) and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" (when Byron is brought to Vakhel Pasha's dark, mountainous castle). And like in most vampire novels, there's blood-drinking and casual sex (as expected with the notorious Byron) in this one as well, though it's relatively reserved for the most part, except for a few scenes that involve things like meat hooks, homosexuality, and incest--but none of them were very erotic or exciting, in my opinion. In summary: This isn't a book I'd necessarily recommend, unless you're a really big fan of Lord Byron and vampires.

The premise of Byron scholar Tom Holland's first novel is that the Romantic poet became a vampire during a trip to Greece with his friend J.C. Hobhouse in 1810, after meeting the mysterious and evil Turkish lord Vakhel Pasha. Byron's story is related by the poet himself, framed within the modern-day search of one of his descendants, Rebecca Ruthven, for his lost memoirs. The author demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the life and works of his subject, using documented facts and quotes from the writings of Byron and his associates to give weight to the story's theme. The story is somewhat weakened by the use of the frame format and the first-person narration, as the character of Rebecca is never fully developed and, although she appears early in the book as a protagonist, her ultimate role is merely that of listener. Fans of Byron and the other Romantics should find this approach intriguing, but might also want to read "The Stress of Her Regard" by Tim Powers, which is considerably more bizarre

Lord of the Dead is an interesting, fictional view of vampires and temptation which focuses on the imaginary life of the famous poet, Lord Byron. As soon as you delve into the book, you are taken into fairly present-day London with a girl named Rebecca. She speaks to a man, interested in the keys that he holds to a tomb. Mainly after some manuscripts that might be found in the tomb, which may hold information about her mother, Rebecca finally is given the keys by the man, and off she goes to the tomb. What she finds in the tomb is more than she expected, though: Lord Byron himself. After asking if perhaps he knows something as to what happened to her mother, Rebecca is then told the story of his life. He retells his life from top to bottom, speaking of how he and his cohort, Hobhouse, roam the lands of Europe, running into unusual people and trying to find the answers to Byron's many questions. What he doesn't realize is that what he has become destroys those that he is closest to.
Wonderfully written, Lord of the Dead makes for a good read, chock-full of unexpected twists and turns in the plot line as well as highly-detailed scenes which makes the story come to life. Truly an interesting page-turner with unusual scenarios and characters, the book is mainly recommended for those who enjoy adventure and action, as well as tales of vampires and fans of Lord Byron himself.

I'd give this book four stars for Kaspian who is a terrific character: confused, hyper-sensitive, intelligent, and good at heart. His adolescent male troubles and outlook are hilarious.

I'd give this book two stars for the rambling plot that adds up to nothing.

Also, some minor characters spout pages of monolog: Malcolm Rugg on the inter-connectedness of all life, various authority figures on the politics of education, Geoff on Episcopalian theology. Some readers may be amused; I started skimming.

So I'll compromise at three stars. Those readers who loved Kaspian in the haunting and believable In The Land Of Winter may feel he deserved better than this wacky tale of UFO abductions and conspiracy theories. But others may very well enjoy the book.

I missed the child Kaspian From "In the Land of Winter" with the chocolate mint eyes in Richard Grant's latest book "Kaspian Lost". Maybe I'm missing the point and the characters that resurface in various Richard Grant works are not supposed to carry a clear growth progression. It was hard to see the little boy Kaspian, who had such a clear idea of right and wrong and religious zealotry (in "In the Land of Winter") turn into such a misguided adolescent. The book stalled in parts, which all of Richard Grants books do, but "Kaspian Lost" lost the magic that Tex and Molly were existing in and that we were led to believe in the previous book that Kaspian embodied. I enjoyed the book but I missed the magic.

While I liked his other works, Salinger's Catcher in the Rye always left me cold. Holden is such a jerk! Kaspian, however, in Kaspian Lost, is a thoughtful individual caught between conflicting (if unhelpfully sincere) versions of reality posed by the other characters, while searching out his own understanding of The Meaning of Life. Kaspian's Attitude Problem, his defense in the face of life's betrayal, is familiar to anyone who lost one or both parents at an early age. His encounters with alternative education in various guises are wonderfully, darkly comic. Grant holds the sacred cows of religion, new age philosphy, education, psycology, government committees, you name it, up to the harsh glare of both Kaspian's extreme need for honest explanations and healthy common sense and distrust of any rhetoric. What I especially love about Grant's books is that his characters are always three dimensional. Even Kaspian's stepmother, who few of us could tolerate, is trying to help him, betraying her own beliefs in sending him to AYA. The people Kaspian encounters, while representing different points of view, are lovingly drawn and interesting in their own right. The book is beautifully structured, giving equal weight to different points of view about reality. Kaspian is a child of the eighties and nineties (cell phones, computers etc), but this book and its characters could have been set in the late sixties. Certainly I recognized many of the characters! (Innana's momware hits a little too close to home!) Keeping Kaspian in the present avoids the issue of LSD and Altered States, which caused so much additional confusion for questing teens in the sixties and seventies. In Kaspian's world, drugs are firmly in the hands of The Establishment, to be avoided at all costs. I believe that Grant's ending is the only possible one, to keep the book honest, as it were. None of us have perfect fairy tale endings, but tragedy is also a luxury most of us can avoid. Kaspian's angst is understandable and not excessive, and he works away at resolving issues as best he can (which is better than a lot of us can do). All any of us can do is put one foot ahead of the other, moving forward into the unknown gift of time we possess. "Ready for whatever comes."

Richard Schickel seems to love Cary Grant. And good on him. What he fails to do is translate that love to a book that should convey to the reader the life of Cary Grant.

He spends most of the book waxing lyrical about the different roles he has played and how his own personal feelings are represented in the roles he undertakes.

In a book that claims "to be more than a review of his movies" Richard Schickel completely bypasses his non-film achievements and notoriety. Maybe he is trying to shield the reader from his more questionable side.

The only refreshing deviance from the morbidity is the suggestion of his homosexuality, which is quickly refuted by another few pages of dripping prose.

I am now searching for another book to provide me an insight into this man. This one did not do it for me.

Often, to sell copies, authors of celebrity biographies stoop to including gossip, rumors, and throughly unsubstantiated claims to ruin the reputation of the celebrity. Among other things, the nice thing about Cary Grant A Celebration is that it does not need to resort to these tactics, which are very tasteless, not to mention disrespectful for the celebrity involved.

In addition to having its lack of gossip as a recommendation, A Celebration is really a clear, interesting analysis of Cary Grant's career. It goes through each movie he made, reviews it, and presents a comprehensive theory on Grant's work and the times and man that led to its creation. The reviews, which are blended in to the narrative, are very useful for fans who want to know which movies are worth watching besides the obvious choices.

So, anyhow, this book has a simple but truthful biography of a real Hollywood legend, whose talent and originality on screen was only matched by his reticence and desire for privacy off of it. It is also a useful reference. For all of Cary Grant's fans and anyone interested in classic cinema in general, this is highly recommended. If you aren't interested in any of the above things, why are you looking here anyhow?

Lavish pictorial biography illuminates this enchanting and enigmatic actor who has given countless hours of entertainment. This tribute interweaves a critical analysis of Grant's films--including such classics as She Done Him Wrong, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, Notorious, and To Catch A Thief--with biographical insights that provide a unique understanding of his art and his contribution to the history of film. A wealth of photos enliven fond memories while Mr. Schickel's text, ina style that approaches the elegance of the actor himself, masterfully maps the intersection where a great legend's personal history and screen personality meet. Illustrated throughout with black and white photography.

I was disappointed in this book especially since the title contained the word "Refresher". Instead of the book focusing on IFR flying and new techniques, the book turned out to be a collection of short stories and dialog about IFR flying as told by the author.

For a better "refresher" on IFR flying, I would recommend "Instrument Flying" (4th edition) by Richard L. Taylor, which is better orgainized, and does give tips on the art of instrument flying.

I bought this book to use as an IFR refresher without really looking into the content. When I actually got around to reading the book, I was at first disappointed because I had expected a technical review of the hands on techniques for IFR flight.

After reading the first chapter I got the point. Apart from the pretty good read and interesting actual examples, I realized that one of the most important aspects to IFR flight is good pilot judgement.

Poor judgement is what kills most pilots (and passengers) and IFR flight is a most risky activity. Not that technical skill is not important, it is. But pilot judgement skills are often neglected and under appreciated.

The book is well written and the accounts of both personal flights (from two different perspectives) and industry accidents are very instructive and interesting.

Highly recommended for those wanting to go beyond the basic skills. This book is not for new IFR students. I am recommending this book to my experienced students.

Richard Grant, the son of the more famous Grant, proves in his own words that a less than intelligent person can succeed, if they are lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family. Grant rambles on and on in this book about how he didn't really know what to do with his life. But it didn't matter, he had a rich daddy. He knew that he would succeed on his name alone, and he did.

There is not really much of anything worthwhile in this poorly written, sorry excuse for a work of literature. This book further proves the old saying: it's not what you know, it's who you know.

As an employee of Reynolds & Reynolds, I was anxious to read this book. It was given to myself and all of the other employees and I enthusiastically opened the cover, hoping to be filled with inspiration and admiration. I got neither.

Freewheeling tells the story of Richard Grant Jr., a man who was born into a wealthy family, was uncertain about his future, but succeeded anyway because of his last name. What I thought would be an inspiring "rags to riches" success story turns out instead to be a biography of a guy with little direction who had a love for cars and boats. Richard's father, Grant Sr., appears to be the real inspiration in the family. It would be interesting to read a book about his life and his ascension to success and fame.

Grant readily admits that his last name helped him. Working for a nepotism- crazed company like I do, I know exactly what he means.

"Handbook of Reliability Engineering and Management", Second Edition, Edited by W. Grant Ireson, Clyde F. Coombs, Jr. and Richard Y. Moss, McGraw Hill, 1996.

This is the second edition of the Handbook, which first appeared in 1988. There are individual contributing authors for each of the 27 chapters; the resultant is already out of date. The current "Limbo" status of military documents, such as Military Standard 105 and Military Handbook 217F, makes this present edition of the Handbook out of date in 2000. Will Military Handbook 217F ever be revised to provide up-to-date models for the failure rates of modern electronic components?

This Handbook would benefit from better editing. For example, as a Handbook, it is expected that the index in the back of the physical book would contain page references to pertinent reliability terms and techniques. Today's technology emphasizes Environmental Stress Screening, ESS. The term, ESS, has been around for at least 15 years (or so: I recall doing an IEEE paper on ESS in 1988). It is expected that ESS and related terms such as HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Testing) and HASS, would be readily found in the Handbook's index. They are not.

Same thing holds true for Software Reliability, where the chapter's author uses the cute term, "SMERFS Model" (p. 22.15), but this term will not be found in the index. (SMERFS = Statistical Modeling and estimation of reliability functions for software.) By the way, from a technical point of view, this chapter's half page on the various models for software reliability is very skimpy. For example, Dr. Michael Elbert has written an entire IEEE paper on the selection of the proper model for software reliability. It would be expected that a Handbook would be more complete than just a small portion of a page. In Chapter 22, on Software Reliability, the author references a paper on the Rayleigh curve by "Gaffney" (p. 22.13). The reference at the back of Chapter 22 gives the reference's name as "John Gafney". This is a discrepancy that should have been caught by the editors. I suspect that the correct spelling is "Gaffney", but both can not be correct.

There are other editorial lapses: on page 16.24, Bellcore failure rates are compared to MIL-HDBK-217, and it is state that Bellcore "... provides generally better failure rates than does MIL-HDBK-217F, which is supposedly based on field experience in communications equipment." The way this sentence is presented implies that MIL-HDBK-217F is based upon experience in communications equipment, when, as most reliability practitioners know, MIL-HDBK-217F failure rates are based on environments from Ground, Fixed, to Ground, Benign, to Naval Sheltered and Airborne, etc, and on equipment from radios to radars to sonars, air data computers and fire control units. This inconsistency in the use of the language ought to have been caught by the editors.

On page 16.6, there is a nice comparison of FITs to failures per million hours to %failure per 1000 hours. The Editors should make the reader aware that a billion in American usage (1 with nine zeroes after it) is not the same as European usage. Chapter 6, on FMEAs is totally into the Risk Priority Number method where "gray beards" sit around and use the "Delphi" approach to ascertain the probability of an event, the severity of that failure and whether or not the failure can be detected. This is a very subjective method, and, in my humble opinion, RPN is being superceded by more objective, quantitative methods (see IEC 61508).

In summary, prudent purchasers should await the next edition of this Handbook, if that edition considers all the changes taking place in the availability of military standards and the new leadership role of international standards in the reliability arena. For example, IEC 300, on "Dependability" is not even mentioned.

John Peter Rooney, ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer #2425.