I'm so happy for you! I have also always wanted to be a writer...and now that someone I'm actually related to is becoming famous, it just makes it seem so much more possible. I know I'm only 13 years old, but its better to get an early start on things, right? I'm still wondering if you are ever going to send me an autographed copy of your book, or if I should just buy one and send it to you in the mail and have you send it back. None of the people at school believe that you are a published author. So, if you do send me a copy, please put something on it like "to my favorite neice in the whole world" or something like that. :) I know I haven't met you very many times, but its kind of hard to not love me...j/k...mom, Kim, says hey and congrats on your book. Please respond to this as soon as possible. sugah@cheerful.com is my e-mail addy...its a new one...

love always, your neice, who also wants to be a writer,

_,.-'``*``'-.,_Steph_,.-'``*``'-.,_

You will love reading this book, you want put it down until you have finished reading the book. That's how good the book is, so don't be left out buy the Book Deadly Presence now and start reading it... Give it a try, your'll love it too and you want be sorry you did.

Keep up the good work "J. MICHEAL JAMES. THE BOOK WAS GREAT. LOVE THE SUPENCE AND ALL THE ACTION IN THE BOOK GET DEADLY PRESENCE NOW. iT'S A GOOD BUY!

Includes over 800 entries, illustrations, synopses of books and chapters, biographies of Joyce and his contemporaries, bibliography, a very useful index, as well as the text of Jude Woolsey's ruling to lift the ban on "Ulysses." The writing is clear, wide-ranging, and complete without bogging the reader down in minutiae. Not as thorough as the encyclopedic "Ulysses Annotated," but very useful in disentangling Joyce and his works without great effort! Written by a Professor of Theology and English at Molloy College (and vice president of the James Joyce Society), and a professor of English at Marquette University.

Elvis, the Beatles and Marilyn Monroe have received the A to Z treatment in which every aspect of their lives and works have been reordered alphabetically, so it was only a matter of time that the mania would spread to lesser figures in our popular culture, in this case Mark Twain, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.

This series of three books, originally published by Facts On File and now updated and reprinted by Oxford University Press, combines facts culled from the writers' lives and works, shakes them up thoroughly, and recasts them into easily locatable entries. The result is an addictive pleasure, a page-turning odyessy for anyone interested in learning more about their favorite writer.

At 304 pages, the Joyce volume is the smallest of the trio, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up by offering extensive commentaries on "Ulysses" and "Finnegans Wake." Those who have tried to read these modernist (or post-modernist, the argument still rages) classics have quickly recognized the need for assistance. For "Ulysses," the Joyce volume reprints Joyce's chart that lists each chapter's time frame, location, symbols, technics, organs, art and correspondences to the original. Each chapter is given its own entry, which describes the action, Joyce's intentions, and clairifies points of Dublin's history. As one who attempted "Ulysses" solo, and suffered for his sin, I can speak with authority that this volume would have saved me a great deal of agony. I only wish they had abandoned their schema and combined the chapter descriptions into a single, lengthy appendix.

No detail is too small to escape the editors. There are also entries on Gustave Flaubert, an influence on Joyce's writing style; Throwaway, the race horse whose victory in the Ascot Gold Cup figures in "Ulysses," and the Volta Cinema, Dublin's first movie theater, which Joyce helped to open.

In short, this guide can help the Joyce reader move through the complexities of his work without feeling like you've earned a Ph.D in comparative literature while you're doing so.

Here you will find week-by-week, sometimes day-by-day, news, analysis, and proposals for action. Cannon writes as a participant and leader of a workers party involved in organizing coal miners, textile strikes, the big 1933 New York hotel strike, the historic Minneapolis Teamsters strikes of 1934. He takes up key international questions: the evolution of the Stalinist leadership in the Soviet Union, the rise of fascism in Germany, and the difficult, persistent efforts led by Leon Trotsky to rebuild a new revolutionary international movement. Many of his writings detail questions of party leadership, lessons of faction and tendency struggles, or answer key practical questions: "what to do next?"

I'd strongly suggest reading this along with Cannon's "History of American Trotskyism" that covers the same historic period, "Teamster Rebellion" by Farrell Dobbs, and current writings that pick up the struggle today, including "Their Trotsky and Ours" and "Capitalism's World Disorder" by Jack Barnes.

Long story short: I really like reading about an area by topic of interest, rather than by location. It makes travel planning much easier. Of course, your need may be different (you may be in a certain town and want to figure out what to do for instance...). In that case, this book still is useful (it DOES have short sections on individual locations), but there are other books I use for that type of research.

Overall, I can highly recommend this book. In fact, I will order some of the other books from this series for different states.

He writes with wit and style. He's not afraid to share his opinion, but never takes for granted that his is the only viewpoint. He also adds a human element that few other guides offer. Frequently you'll find sidebar articles that introduce you to a person whose story particularly illustrates the idea or place in question.

I lived in Arizona for 4 1/2 years. This is the guide that I used to learn the state. I would recommend it to anyone. When my wife and I married in Sedona, Arizona we sent copies of this book to our relatives to acquaint them with the wonderful place they'd be visiting. All who read it were delighted. You'll be, too.

Most players will probably be most interested in the selection of new Jedi Prestige Classes, Light Side Force skills, feats, and equipment that the book offers. But there are also sections discussing Jedi history, Jedi traditions, new equipment, and new force-sensitive creatures. There are entries on important characters, important locations, and even advice on how to run a Jedi campaign. And of course, no book on the Jedi would be complete without a discussion of Force Spirits. This is also a section discussing new races, but most of these are also in the newer Ultimate Alien Anthology.

This book has been one of the important resources in my Star Wars campaign. I've really enjoyed using the Prestige Classes. From the Jedi Healer to the powerful Jedi Weapon Master, players now have a much wider range of advancement options open to their characters. In addition many of the force-sensitive characters, creatures, and locations have already popped up in my storyline. I also found the notes on running a Jedi campaign to be very useful, for not only can they guide a GM but they can also aid players on how a Jedi should conduct himself.

However, I do have a few minor complaints. A few of the Light Side force skills, particularly Force Light and Sever Force, seem to be quite powerful. Perhaps this is because they were based on the abilities of comic-book characters, but in any case, it was a wise move that such skills may only be acquired with GM approval. I would have also preferred to see a much more in-depth history section, particularly as it pertains to the Tales of the Jedi storyline. Finally, I felt that the maps for some of the important locations were fairly inadequate.

However, as I noted earlier, these were minor complaints.

Overall, I found this to be an outstanding addition to my Star Wars campaign. I use it often, and it is likely that I will continue to do so for some time to come. Whether you're the GM of a campaign with Jedi in it, or whether you're a player wanting to explore the possibilities of a Jedi character, I'd recommend this book as a solid investment.