As the greatest - not to mention most important, in every sense of the word - songwriter of the 20th century, Bob Dylan has, unsurprisingly, inspired a legion of devoted fans. Although every major artist has their share of obsessives and fanatics, the ones who follow Dylan have far surpassed mere "groupie" or "hard-core" status: they reside in a legendary status - even mythological. Some of these, branded "Dylanologists", have achieved a level of notoriety compared in a small way with the artist himself. Many fans know of the famous (or infamous) "Garbologist", A. J. Weberman, who even went so far as searching through the dumpsters outside Bob's house for his baby's soiled diapers - allegedly looking for clues to obscure lyrics, and even conjuring up a paranoid fantasy conspiracy that the government was out to get Dylan for raising sentiment against the Vietnam War, and that Dylan knew it, and alluded to it, through subtle messages in his songs. Bob Dylan's history is filled with many other such characters and ancedotes. Perhaps it comes as no surprise, then, that Dylan is a very mysterious character, and known for his ambivalence towards fans. Securing a personal meeting with Dylan is a difficult thing to do, and those fans who do manage it are held in a kind of revered awe by the faithful. This book is a record of such encounters. There are many books available on Dylan (certainly more serious and scholarly works than on any other rock musician), but this is just about the only one where the air of pretentious intellectual refinement is removed, and you hear it straight from the mouth of the ones who really matter: the fans. These are the fans personal reminisces of meeting Dylan, or otherwise coming close in some way. These are the normal, everyday fans - people like you and me (although there are certainly a few obsessives - such as the man who keeps a "Dylan shrine" in his house), although there are a handful of semi-famous names in here as well. The accounts range from revelatory (people being personally invited backstage by Dylan, a record store employee purporting not to know who he is, a man who retrieves Dylan's stolen cap); to hilarous (a fan who meets Dylan in a cafe and asks him a strange question, a meeting between Dylan and a fan in an alley before a concert), to just plain boring and inane. You are hearing these recollections as told straight from the fans - granted, then, the prose is often crude, and some stories are better than others. This, then, is a book you'll want if you're looking for personal, often funny, sometimes touching stories from the fans themselves - rather than pseudo-intellectual exposition from so-called "rock scholars." I would not rate this as an essential Dylan book: rather I reccommend it if you are a fan and want a slightly more personal and unique book about Dylan than you normally find.

Let's face it: Bob can be a jerk to his fans. But then again, it's got to be hell being accosted by obsessive fans everywhere you go. If you've read some of the Dylan biographies out there you have an idea of Dylan's life and work. This book gives you a glimpse into what it's like to be a Dylan fan. Some of the accounts are more engaging than others and some don't even involve meeting Dylan at all. I wish they'd left those out... Anyway, this is interesting but very brief. You can read the whole thing in a day and I think there are just as many stories out there (for free) on the internet at the many Dylan sites.

Ms. Johnson has done a wonderful job in illustrating the fanatic nature of Dylan's fans combined with the reclusive nature of their hero. As the lights have burned ever brightly on Dylan in the latter stages of his career, Bob has increasingly receded into the shadows, content to let his son Jabob bask in the spotlight for the family. This book, though, shows the connection that Dylan's fans still feel towards him, whether they have met him or just been touched by him in some small way. I especially enjoyed the story of the young man who had Dylan autograph his tattoo of Bob's likeness.

Whether you are a Dylan fanatic or just a reader who enjoys touching anecdotes, this book is for you. It is refreshing to see that not every entertainment star has forgotten that it is the fans that make or break your career. Buy the book. You'll love it.

I read this book immediately after reading the Alan and Denise Fields book on building a new home. I had saved this book for last because it looked like it had a lot of good information.

What I found through reading it, though, was that a lot of the time the author (a builder) was giving the lines that the Fieldses had warned about.

The book is fine. It just seems to be more of a "Give the Builders a Break" kind of book compared to the Fields' "Trust but Verify these Things" kind of book.

I came away from the Fields' book thinking that they were looking at things from the Consumer point of view much more so than this book.

I bought this book expecting to get lots of useful advice regarding building a new home. No such luck. These is very little content that I actually found useful in a practical way.

What I would have found useful would have been chapters on each major phase, and explanations about the impact of the many decisoins that have ot be made. Instead I was addled with lots of war stories that somehow didn't seem relevant to my situation.

Though I must admit that the book title does ring true, as we are working with both an architect and a builder who prove it out.

There is a lot of good information in this book and if you are considering doing an owner/builder project I can almost guarantee that the price of this book will be negligible if you read and apply even one tip. The two lists on how to spot a good sub or a bad sub easily make this book worth buying.

There are good overviews of the complete process of building a home and point the prospective owner builder in the right direction. This book is not an end all be all of the building process, however, it is only a guide. Get more information on each subject.

I had a few problems/disagreements with some of the material such as the following:

He mentions vinyl/lino as a good kitchen/bath flooring choice. While he does mention in his section regarding final walk through that vinyl is easy to rip so make sure you check this, he never mentions what a good choice (and probably cheaper in the long run) it would be to just install tile or stone instead.

In scheduling and planning a job he gives the approximate days it takes to do each trade or process. While he mentions that this time table is based on perfect conditions and full professional crews I feel he does a disservice to the reader because nobody reading this book and considering doing an owner builder project is going to come close to having perfect conditions and full scale professional crews doing the kind of "track" or "production" work that the author has spent many years working as a super.

The person planning on using this book for its intended purpose isn't building a track or production home. They aren't in the business of building homes (presumably) and they aren't going to get the same response from sub contractors that a general with lots of business will. I think he'd have done the reader a better service by describing how long it is going to take, how many unforeseen problems are going to come up and that the person(s) thinking that they are going to move in during March might want to be very certain that they have alternative summer accommodations.

Things always go wrong in building something. Always.

He mentions using flat paint on walls and semi-gloss on doors/trims. What? I think what he meant to say was talk to a professional painter unless you really know what you're doing. Flat paint on walls will look like crap in weeks, unless of course you don't have kids, pets or anyone that ever puts their hands on walls. I only mention this because such bad advice on such a simple topic makes me wonder what other information he gives that is erroneous on subjects I don't know much about and therefore would really need to rely on the advice of others.

He mentions that scheduling subs to work concurrently is rarely done. What? Not where I live and work. While it's true that you don't want to schedule a job like a recent one I was on where we were getting our final electrical inspection yet the dry waller was still taping, the painter still painting and the carpet layer started installing carpet. It was a commercial job, yes, but it is not uncommon to be on the job with other trades during regular old residential work. Sometimes it is good. If you don't have some overlap of trades you run the risk of having to call the plumber back because he ran some pipes where a light needed to go. It is not good to have every mechanical trade show up on a Monday, but it doesn't hurt to have the electrician start before the plumber is totally done with rough. Often they'll know each other and if they are true professionals they'll help each other out and give you a better job.

While I do recommend reading this book, it is worth the money and time, I also strongly recommend either reading other books on building as well as consulting with at least one seasoned construction pro that is familiar with your region. Even if you have to hire a contractor has a consultant, perhaps a day or two a month, it will be money well spent.

Everything and anything can go wrong in construction. If you think it will take a week it'll take two. If you think it will cost a dollar it'll cost three. Beware of anything that sounds too good or too easy or too quick or too cheap.

That being said, I'll say this: work with professionals and you'll get professional work even if you don't know thing one about construction management but if you work with anyone that is less than a real pro, you'll pay twice in the long run.

This is a very good book to read before you get too involved in your building process. He gives some great ways to plan on paper what it is you are trying to achieve in a house. Following his advice will make you look better when you first start to talk to designers or architects and will probably make the job of getting plans ready a smoother process.

All in all I recommend this book, read it and then plan, plan, plan.

I truly would like to recommend "Sacrificed Sheriff" more strongly. It provides a wealth of factual information about John Behan, the Sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, when the city of Tombstone reached its pinnacle of fame as the site of the so-called Gunfight at the OK Corral and the surrounding events. Behan's reputation, as Bob Alexander vehemently protests, has long been assailed through innuendo and an unfairly selective use of evidence, painting him as a weak and corrupt opponent of Wyatt Earp and his brothers. In Alexander, Behan has at last found a very sympathetic biographer, perhaps a biographer too sympathetic to objectively view the historical questions involved. While Alexander repeatedly (and rightly) protests the negative assumptions and interpretations of evidence used in the past against Sheriff Behan by various writers, Alexander himself falls into the same trap, seemingly never missing an opportunity to paint Wyatt Earp in the darkest colors, repeating sketchy rumors and always promoting the most negative answer to any question.

I confess a particular personal aversion to some stylistic choices made by Alexander, most notably the lavish use of italicized words and exclamation points throughout his text. Reading this, I could not help but feel that the author is displaying an unseemly indignant petulance not at all appropriate for anyone attempting an objective history. In the end, I think that Mr. Alexander has eroded the effectiveness of his own book by such devices and through a blatant display of partisanship in his unceasing attacks upon Wyatt Earp at every opportunity (extending to creating such opportunities even where the narrative text about Behan, supposedly the focus of the book, does not logically involve Earp at all). At times, Alexander seems to confuse the opinions of earlier authors of an "anti-Earp" bent with actual evidence, citing with relish almost anything unflattering ever written about the man whom popular history has chosen, instead of Sheriff Behan, to be at the center of Tombstone's story. I believe that "Sacrificed Sheriff" would have benefited greatly from a strong editor who would have toned down Mr. Alexander's all too evident antipathy towards Wyatt Earp and kept the book's focus more clearly on its supposed central subject.

Do I encourage persons interested in the controversies surrounding Tombstone in its glory days to read Alexander's book? Yes, I do. But I caution them to read it for the facts given about John Behan's life rather than for the interpretations the author makes about Behan's opponents.

The "Sacrificed Sheriff" is an excellent and well documented read. It provides a wealth of factual information about John Behan, the Sheriff of Cochise County, AZ. Behan's reputation, has too long been outright lies and innuendos. The footnotes in this text indicate it is well researched and make for easy confirmation of Alexander's story, unlike the so called auto-biographies of Wyatt, Virgil and Josephine Earp. Behan is nothing less than a partiot who served his country well while the Earps were seeking personal wealth and self-agrandized fame. You should read all the Earp texts before delving into this factual account of Arizona history.-Bill McLennan, San Antonio, TX

When being able to place a face and look to an artist, the enjoyment of music is enhanced. I've only just begun my lifelong pursuit of jazz appreciation and this book really is a great tool for this. It creates a mental visualization of the artist for us. This is the only way to actually see most of the great artists that have left us, the only way to actually see into the world they lived and played in. So much of the music that they've left us was inspired by their surroundings and their daily interactions. Lowe has done an excellent job in creating this visual walk through the history of such a great artform. This is highly recommended to all those who appreciate jazz for the great artform it is.

This book is perfect if you don't know where to go on Mt Tam's 200 miles of trails but have always wanted to explore the mountain. The trail summaries, "getting there" instructions and maps, as well as the actual trail maps are easy and informative. The trail ratings (for running and hiking) are useful as well. This book makes a great gift.

Two spirits are put into earthly forms on the Planet of Tears and become a high priestess and nobleman who must find their way to each other. Lots of new age clap-trap, flying pyramids, etc. No drama or plot to speak of. Emphatically skip this one.

The Planet of Tears changed my life more than any other book.

I had never heard of this book before I got it from the library. I was looking through the fantasy section for an interesting book and I found this. This book is wonderful. The characters, Mey and Treaia are developed well. They are both highly evolved beings from the land Everfor. They are sent to the Planet of Tears in physical form to bring enlightment to the people of the planet and to further their own wisdom. They are sent to the Planet of Tears as babies with no memory of Everfor, but yet they both go on they're quests individually and then find each other later. This book has many ties to Astrology and Eastern philosophy. I urge you to read this book!

this seamonkey crap sucked i cant belive i bought this nonsense even my daughter hated it it didnt even work

This is probably the most fun I ever had between the ages of 6 and 10!! I love animals, and this is the best, most colorfull way to study and own them. I'd recomend this book as a birthday present for all those "little biologists" out there. (Just don't spill the water as I did!)

This would be a great summer holiday project for kids. Comes with a step by step guide to raising Sea-Monkeys and includes all the equipment (except a tank) to produce them. As well as some fun accessories.

Written by R.K. Johnson, personal friend of Bob Jones, Sr. and in the employ of Bob Jones University at the time this book was first published, this hack job is anything but objective. Bob Sr. walks on water on every page.

Still, page 138 is a hoot, because the good reverend's own cheerleader confesses that Bob had a soft spot in his heart for the Ku Klux Klan!

This book is truly a great biography of Bob Jones, Sr. The fact is the Ku Klux Klan happened to be a religious organization, not a racist organization when it first started. If you have your facts straight things can be looked at in such a better light.

Bob Jones wasn't a perfect man, but he surely was a man of God.