Benjamin Stone

I believe that Christopher Alexander is dead on in saying that the system he created is a better way to build homes, indeed a far superior way to do so. However, I can't say the official reaction to this project is encouraging. After the first five homes were built, the bureaucrats came in, stopped the project and sent our intrepid hero packing. You can tell from the ending of the book that this reaction spooked Alexander, and I can't blame him. A revolutionary system of construction, he says, antagonizes pretty much everyone. But it will triumph, he proclaims!

It looks like it didn't, but I see increasing awareness of his ideas in more recent architectural books, so hopefully all is not lost. Despite the ultimate outcome, this is a brilliant book from an inspired thinker. You probably want to start with The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language before tackling this one, but if you liked his earlier works, this is an excellent, real-world counterpoint.

Overall I found Book of Lost Houses an excellent read, it more than made up for the disappointment of War In Concordia (a book that I personally loathed). It is to the same high standards of the other Houses books, in fact more so since there wasn't any single house that I would not wish to play.

The gist of the book is the remaining Arcadian Sidhe Houses have returned to the Autumn realm, their motives for doing so and details on each house is included within the pages. Five houses in total, Beaumayn, (French) Aesin, (Scandanavian) Daireann, (Celtic) Varich (Russian) and Scathach (Celtic). There's new merits and flaws, details on the house birthrights and various oaths among the pages as well as a complete new fighting ability for the Scathach.

House Beaumayn are French in origin, and the one remaining seelie house (the other houses listed here save for the Scathach are unseelie) all members have gifts of prophecy, imprisoned in Arcadia for crimes by some of their house, finally they have been released. Dreadfully seelie at times (by no means assume seelie means 'good') some of the members have very interesting views on the use of cold iron. They were in the words of another changeling player, written the way House Liam should have been. They're undoubtedly the best house in the book.

Aesin are Scandinavian and being written by someone from that area of the world we can hope that the information has a few grains of truth to it. They're certainly not the looting Vikings I imagined we'd be getting (thankfully). Descended from the Nordic gods, with strong ties to nature, both genders have their own separate roles to play.

The Daireann are yet another group of celtic warriors (as if we needed anymore), they struck me as the most bland of the houses, save for small section that turn to poisoning instead of blades.

The Varich are Russian, have ties with the inanimae and seem rather upright and proper, with an interest in patterns of one sort or another, given enough time they can use this to their benefit, be it in combat or otherwise.

Scathach (as you might remember from Nobles: The Shining Host) have finally been made playable, further details given into their house flaw and boon, as well as (thankfully) a more detailed description between how the Scathach differ from other sidhe. Now they're the second best house in the book. For those unaware the Scathach are yet more Celtic warriors, the one Sidhe House to have remained behind and undergone the changeling way, no longer truly sidhe they share souls with mortals like the commoners do. Though, as the book reveals, not all of the Scathach remained behind after all. They were powered down a lot from their original incarnation I think and portrayed in such a way that I might actually play one, which is saying a lot because before they were my second least favourite house.

My one main criticism of the book is the art, which I personally did not like and I did not think did the sidhe any justice at all. A lot of it seemed like doodles in the margins and made me long for the days of coloured pages and where the true fantasy feel came through in the pictures. However we buy the book for the content not the pretty pictures I hope.

I also believe that the houses could have been given more space, and some of the text has been truncated from the Scathach section ...

If you've read the other house books and liked them then this one is definitely a must, ditto for if you're keeping up on the metaplot. If you plan to run a chronicle with Sidhe in it, I'd definitely recommend this book too. With houses from diverse cultures it's an enjoyable read and would make a great addition to any Changeling Collection.

Four stars; despite the bad art and the missing content I still feel there's a lot of good information in here. The merits and flaws, oaths, and house boons/frailties and the scathach combat techniques and treasures, are worth it alone and throw in all the background information and you've got a book that's one of the best Changeling releases ever.

In addition to common style questions like the ones above, the stylebook contains a wealth of common information. What is a mach number? How does one calculate heat indexes and wind chill factors? And other pieces of commonly needed information are interspersed throughout the text.

This edition also includes specific guides for business and sports terminology, as well as an Internet guide.

While less useful to those not members of the media, this text also includes a briefing on media law. Some sections, such as the right to individual privacy, might appeal to the general public.

The AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is an essential addition to any reference collection.

While the media run rampant with flimsy leads and stories based solely on hearsay, it's good to know that at least their grammar stays in check, thanks to the hard and fast rules set forth in the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

Providing direct distinctions between similar words, the correct spelling of commonly-misspelled words, and the politically-correct use of dangerous words, the AP stylebook delineates specific style rules for virtually every journalistic possibility. Set up in a dictionary-style format, the manual's general stylebook lists everything from the perils of "a" versus "an" to the preferred usage of ZIP codes.

Following the stylebook are the more specific sections dealing with sports and business style, both also set up with A to Z listings, including usage and spelling. Although sports writing info may be confined to the needs of the sportswriter, the business section is helpful for those who take interest in corporate designations and definitions of stock market terms.

Finally, just before the manual switches from the absoluteness of style to the murky legal waters of the libel section, comes, in my opinion, the pièce de résistance-A Guide To Punctuation-music to the ears of syntax-psychos and grammar-Nazis, alike.

Starting with words of wisdom from what the AP refers to as "a bible of writers," "The Elements of Style," this portion is eleven pages of invaluable knowledge for any writer, regardless of profession, and is arranged so succintly that even children can access its information for their own use.

Although I have thus far had little use for the information about libel in this book, it is primarily what its introduction claims-not a libel text, but merely a useful guide which "explains the fundamental principles in libel for working writers and editors." It also contains some key parts of the Freedom of Information Act which should be read by everyone to fully know our rights regarding the access to federal information, during what has now become the Age of the X-file.

All-in-all, the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual should be a welcome edition to any writer's reference library.

But a good starting point for beginners!

This book can help, BUT, most of the time, it reads more like a Nicaraguan chamber of commerce advertisement; using lines like: "land of opportunity", "ripe for investment", etc.

Reality check: Nicaragua is not a San Miguel del Allende (Rated by "Money Magazine" as one of the top ten retirement locations) nor will it be the next Costa Rica. I don't want to bash the country, but those considering Nicaragua need to know that it has very poor superstructure, and it is one of the poorest nations in Latin America, and this year it was eliminated from receiving US aid because of massive corruption. Finally, if that isn't enough, Nicaragua is constantly ravaged by earthquakes and hurricanes.

Yes, Nicaragua is a cheap destination. And yes, there are opportunities to be found. But, before you pack your bags, take time to investigate and do your homework.

Christopher Howard does not seriously address the downside of this country and he also uses statements, from unknown sources, failing to qualify their competence as authorities. Thus, comments from sources which state: "Nicaragua has a thriving economy" are not only ludicrous, but this type of statements compromises the integrity of the author.

Howard makes statements like "The country is ripe for foreign investments because it is so underdeveloped." Wow, Howard! What a great reason for investing in Nicaragua. It, and 60% of the world, are "ripe for foreign investments", eh?.

Finally, in the book you will find pages of advertisements for real estate companies, relocation consultants, and even a plug for tours that are lead by??? you guessed it, the author himself.

On the upside, there is a section called "minor obstacles to doing business". Actually, these obstacles can be major. This section is informative and needs to be heeded. Also, Howard's "Red Tape" section is a must read for those who have made up their mind to come, live and invest in Nicaragua. And, his 'Health Care' Section, his 'Cost of Living' Section, and his 'Hired Help' Sections are all provide you with valuable, useful information.

His most informative, and provocative section is titled "Love and Permanent Companionship". This is a must read for all American men that think that they will find a sweet, young Nica. Howard points out that "young, attractive, unscrupulous Nicas target Americans/Canadians". Howard states candidly, "marriage means you support her and her whole family" and that "quality Latin women are difficult to meet." Howard's realistic picture here is applaudable.

Is the book self-serving and lacking the critical comparision to other Central America countries? YES. Can this book help you if you are thinking of living in Nicaragua? YES. Overall, there is useful information packed in these 200 pages that warrants a purchase. Recommended.