I have had a copy of this book since the early 90's and I come back to it often to read and re-read the comments given by the various authors on their favorite horror books. It is an interesting experience to be able to see, within these covers, the growth and evolution of horror, inspiring itself over and over to become the phenomenon of today. From The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (the first work chronologically) to Dark Feasts (the last, the book was printed in 1988), we get to see a veritable timeline of horror.

Lists of this sort are invariably subjective. The authors commissioned for this were asked to write about their favorite book, not to describe the best books so some great works are going to be left out. But it is an excellent starting point and this list (along with the Suggested Reading in the back) should keep any horror afficionado trembling for years to come.

This updated version of the 1988 Bram Stoker Award winner is appealing for several reasons. First, it's a modern classic in horror scholarship, a survey of horror literature spanning fifteen centuries, several genres, and a plethora of authors. Second, there's the thrill of reading great writers' thoughts about their favorite authors--Stephen King on Robert Marasco, Peter Straub on King, and Ed Bryant on Dan Simmons among others. Third, it's basically a big list of good books. The 100 entries combined with an extensive list of recommended titles (now updated through 1997) have enriched my reading for years. Plus, I'm always gratified when knowledgable people reel off their recommendations--their picks send me scurrying to used bookstores in search of new treasures.

In their introduction, Messrs. Jones and Newman express their hope that the book is "...informative and fun," also stating that it "should offer a guide for the relative newcomer to the subject, but also some meat for the veteran afficionado. We hope we've succeeded in giving a working overview of an often maligned field of literature." I, for one, think they've achieved their goal--Horror: 100 Best Books is a worthwhuile addition to library of any horror maven, a useful, entertaining work that belongs on the shelf next to books like King's Danse Macabre, Winter's Faces of Fear, Skal's The Horror Show and Wiater's Dark Thoughts on Writing.

If you buy this book you'll just have to buy another one down the line. My current copy is falling apart from the constant use. The one I had before that still hasn't been returned. So with the next one I buy I'll be on my third copy in just under a year since my initial purchase. For the horror fan who doesn't have the time or volition to check out the horror websites or sift through all the rotten horror novels and anthologies, this book is perfect for you. In this volume of articles by distinguished writers and anthologists you get a taste of everything from splatterpunk to Gothic. Writers as diverse as Harlan Ellison and Richard Laymon (even going back as far as Poe) get to put their two cents in. You find established classics like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and underappreciated gems like Carroll's The Land of Laughs. You get writers who you never associated with horror like Shakespeare(article for Will writen by writer/director Clive Barker) and Melville. Of course Stephen King and Peter Straub, the modern heavyweights, are included, it wouldn't be a party without them. Once you see the Hundred choices made and read the articles, you will understand why they are there(even if you disagree with the choice). Reading this book sent me out to my used book store in an attempt to locate the out of print volumes, but somebody else must have beat me to it. And I still have yet to go through the dozens and dozens of books listed in the recommended reading list at the back of the book. So do yourself a favor, don't buy this book, you'll just have to buy another copy and you'll find yourself hunting for books like Sarban's The Sound of His Horn or Laymon's The Cellar. It is an addiction worse than smoking. It is a fear addiction, and there's no patch for it.

For anyone interested in understanding the cultural phenomenom that is Bob Jones University, this book is a must. There is no substitute for this detailed, documented history of the school.

As a former student, I can better appreciate Bob Jones University after reading this excellent history book. I was not aware of all the struggles that this institution went through. BJU is still a working miracle.

This book is an answer to the questions and rumors that circulate in today's world! It is an accurate history of Bob Jones University founded by Dr. Bob Jones in 1927. It explains its beginnings, struggles and unwavering Biblical stands that has made it what it is today.

Thank goodness I came across this book! It's a lucid guide that manages to demystify the subject of marketing and bring it right up to date, making it accessible for even the non-specialist. Refreshingly free of annoying jargon and patronising truisms, it is useful for anyone who needs to get their 'product', be it commercial or otherwise, out to a wide audience or clientele. And what's more, it is written by someone who not only obviously knows the subject well, but also knows how to communicate, making it an enjoyable read.

This is one of the best books you can find about doing social research on the Internet. There are thirteen contributors of the edited book and each offers some original responses to the fast growing Internet and the social processes related to it. One of the major themes that concern all the contributors is: How do we study the Internet? While the Internet has changed many aspects of our lives from the way we work, to the way we shop, to the way we socialize, the Internet is still a fairly new subject for social scientists to grapple with. The book offers some explorative strategies for the readers to get some general ideas about how to examining the social aspects of Internet.

Both quantitative and qualitative researchers will get some insights from this edited book. The editor, Steve Jones, chose the articles from a wide range of social research approaches. Most contributors are from communication studies, but there are also people from computer science, sociology, and English departments. I think one of the most intriguing chapters is chapter 12 where Barbara Sharf talks about the ethics problems of doing naturalistic discourse research on the Internet. Chapter 13 is also an inspiring piece because it bridges the field of cultural studies with that of Internet communications.

Compared to ¡§CyberSociety 2.0¡¨ and ¡§Virtual Culture: Identity and Communication in Cyberspace¡¨ both of which are edited by Steve Jones, this book is more focused on the doing aspect, which is Internet research methodology. I think it is a very practical and thought-provoking book for those who are consider doing or are now doing research on the Internet.

Please excuse my spelling, it's terrible This book is terrific. I started reading this book and couldn't put it down. It is a fine collection of stories ranging from the great soilbank days when Kansas alone had 4 million birds to the Royal hunts in Europe where an average daily bag mesaures in the thousands, It has stories more like mine where the average hunt ends with tired dogs and few birds. The book through it's many differant authors also explores the ethics associated with hunting. This book is for the bird hunter who's cleaning his gun for the third time this week when hunting season isn;t for 6 months. It's for the guy who can't stop dreaming of how his new pup will do his first time out. It's for the guy who spends more time with his dogs than with his wife. All hunters will enjoy this book, but the true bird hunter won;t be able to put it down.

Did you ever have a problem of communicating "do the right thing- for the right reason" to a child? What do you think would happen if your child would sit down and read a book
and share the ideas with you that are discussed in the book?
Russel and Lin Jones' have the uncanny ability to "connect."
Their simple approach should not be considered "simplistic."They obviously have a knack of telling real life stories that are appealling to the young reader. And, probably more importantly their stories have a point that strikes right to the struggles of most young people.
Then if that is not enough the authors challenge the youthful reader. If they have been touched by the words in this book and they want to apply some of what they have learned the authors ask the reader to "pledge" their commitment to be themselves -- to grow and enjoy life. What a neat message.What a neat book! This is probably the only book my two children have read and reread!Now that's saying something about the book!

This book is essential to understand the concept of persona in cybersociety. It is based on many articles that take examples of exchanges among people on one chat or in one forum, and how these exchanges can be effective as for changing the points of view of the cybernauts, to elaborate a common interest among the participants of the site who may have come together haphazardly or out of mere chance. It also shows how arguments can be effective on others and even push some negative topics into some straits, such as racist points of view that are confronted to arguments the standard racist paticipants have little chance to get across in real society, due to the ghettoisation of ideological groups. This book also shows how one gets onto the Internet, into these forums and chats by deciding on what personae they want to have, persona that may have little to do with the real selves of the persons behind : a male becomes a female, etc. This leads to a serious discussion of crime in such an environment. A crime is the result of the non-respect of a rule set by the webmasters of the site. But it cannot be dealt with as if it were the same « crime » in society. Hence a sexual crime in such an environment has little to do with the same sexual crime in society because it is a virtual crime, a crime that has no reality, no real direct consequences. Anyone can anyway protect themselves against such « agressions » by the personae they choose (some kind of shield that keeps the anonymity of the individuals), and by always being able to log-off, get out of the site. So what is a proper punishment for such « virtual crimes » ? The question is at least extremely complex and such crimes cannot be dealt with by normal courts. So what procedures and what « courts » can exist on the Internet. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

The study of genes, and in particular the human DNA, is progressing at phenomenal speed. "The Language of Genes" gives the reader an excellent understanding of the importance of this scientific branch. The book avoids the scientific particularities and concentrates on implications and conclusions drawn from its insights. Steve Jones gives us a good understanding of how present days genes make for documentation of evolutionary history - and how evolution triggers genetic responses that can be seen in the genetic mix of the world we live in.

Jones touches some of the moral questions connected with genetic science. I personally appreciate the anecdotal style with lots of stories about mistakes from earlier days. But Jones also points to dubious conceptions in today's society as well as future dilemmas we will face when our ability to screen and manipulate individual DNA is improved even more.

"The Language of Genes" is enlightening layman reading for many years still. Since the matter at hand is subject to intense research and progress it is however inevitable that sooner or later the need for an update becomes apparent. The book is now ten years old, and since it was written we have seen the human genome being mapped in total and there are claims being made for the first cloned human babies. My advice is: Get a grip on what genes are, what they tell us and how genetic science will influence our future. "The Language of Genes" by Steve Jones is a good place to start.

Book based on a series of BBC programmes.
The main themes are evolution through mutation and natural selection, and heredity.
The treatment is popular.
The text could have been better edited because certain topics are repeatedly discussed, although always with other examples.
This book is only recommendable as a first introduction.
Congratulations to the BBC.

Having but a limited background in Anthropology, there is much in this book that I appreciated. I found it to be a great way to start understanding a subject more shrouded in rumor than actual, factual, representation. And that is too bad. How typical it is though, for so few to understand the ramifications, and importance of this subject. And I laugh every time I see a horror movie that is based on a monster who was genetically engineered. It's important when someone from within the community of science comes out to report on what has been discovered, what direction(s) we're going in, and what it all really means to our place in this world, and our comprehension of that place. Steve Jones does a wonderful job, and it is important to note that he does stray from the subject of genetics, into the other strange facets that such entails. Like Anthropology, Statistics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and of course Biology. Not to mention a few laughs at the expense of those lunatic Creationists. But the book does not lack humility at the same time. There are just as many pokes at the scientific community as well. This book will make you feel smarter, and make you wonder about things like, why are there males? and, Are we just carriers for our DNA, who have their own agenda? It's a very compelling read. Therefore I must recomend it.

"Dream Country" contains 4 unrelated stories about Dream and Death. The first story, "Dream of a Thousand Cats" is an amusing tale, but it does not deserve an entire issue to tell. It could have easily been one of the stories told to Rose by the old women in "Kindly Ones" and taken up only a few pages.

The second tale "Calliope" is much better, but is still missing that Gaiman magic. It does however, introduce us to one of Sandman's great loves and mother of his only child. It's a good story, but it's unoriginal.

The third tale is the real treat. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" takes off from a chapter in "Doll's House" where Dream tells William Shakespeare to write 2 plays for him. Shakespeare and his troop of actors perform Midsummer Night's Dream on a grassy hill in the English Countryside for the actual fairies that are represented in the play. It's a wonderful story and the art is just breathtaking.

The last one, "Facade", doesn't include Dream. Instead it focuses on an obscure super-heroine of the 60's and how she longs for a normal life which is granted by Death. It's a moving story, the kind of super-hero tale that only Neil could write. Super powers may be great, but being a normal person would be much more appealing sometimes.

All in all, Dream Country is not the best collection of Sandman stories, but "Midsummer Night's Dream" is the single best Sandman issue and actually won a slew of awards. It's worth checking out for that tale alone.

This collection contains two of Gaiman's best short stories. "Dream of a Thousand Cats," with its gorgeous artwork by Kelley Jones and Malcolm Jones III, is one of the great ironic cat stories. And "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which actually won a World Fantasy Award. The Award committee was so chagrined by the notion of a comic book winning the prize that they changed the rules to prevent such an abomination from ever happening again. Ah, what fools these mortals be. The collection also includes, as a bonus, a copy of Gaiman's script for another story, "Calliope," in which the magician shows us how the illusion is created. In one of his panel descriptions we see the key to his method: "NOW I WANT TO GET ACROSS THE RAPE, AND THE HORROR AND THE DOMINANCE, FAIRLY SUBTLY, DOING ALL THE WORK IN THE READER'S HEAD." Yes, indeed. That's where Gaiman always does his best work. In the reader's head

Yeah, I know it's not the first volume in the series. But I don't think Neil Gaiman really hit his stride until Dream Country. As this collection is a bunch of stand alone short stories, I think it makes an excellent book get people hooked on the Sandman.

There's Calliope, a one-hit novelist's muse really is one of the muses. He rapes and abuses his muse -- bad news when her ex comes to the rescue. Creepy, creepy story. Best of all, the collection includes the script to this story.

A Dream of A Thousand Cats... A charming tale that shows what cats dream of, and why those dreams will never be reality.

A Midsummer Night's Dream .. The real Oberon, Titania and Puck (and other fairies) attend the first performance of Shakespeare's classic play. Simply magical with superb art by Charles Vess.

Facades ... The life of a has-been superheroine. It takes a silly and forgotten character and makes her painfully human.

All of these stories are must-reads -- each told with different styles. What a wonderful way to sample what comics can be.

A good read, it skips along pretty quickly and you can't help but like the characters.

Okay, I'm going to just say it. This book needed a better editor. First off, the author's name is misspelled. This never bodes well. There are things that needed red lines drawn through them. That's an opinion. There are spelling errors. That's a fact. I'm a document editor, I know these things. But let's face it, scroll around, look at Elliott's review on his own book. He misspelled intelligence. I think he makes my point for me. In fact, his little review there sort of makes my point. It's funny, gritty, a little self-deprecating and a little self-aggrandizing, the trick is you can't tell which is which. That's Elliott (two t's) for ya.

It's been a few months since I read Jones' Inn. I read it in two days. Now, I know you're thinking, big damned deal, but let me tell you with my schedule, reading a newspaper article in two days is a big accomplishment. I don't have time for things. Elliott's the kind of thing you make time for.

You can read the excerpt so I won't bore you with a plot recap. If you like edgy novels that are never apologetic, read some Elliott. So it's not a masterful editing job, big deal. His writing is decisive and poetic. If you haven't read his novel A Life Without Consequences yet, read Jones Inn first. I read them in reverse, which was not the best way to do things.

It's easy to make sad things poignant and pitiful. It's hard to make them realistic yet beautiful. Elliott's got a way of taking your breath away; and while you're gasping for it, you don't know whether he's hit you in the stomach or sucked it straight out of your mouth with a kiss. That's some kind of magic, no matter how you spell it.

I am a freshman, fourteen years old. I have grown up without drugs or gangs or violence around me. Steve is very talented, in that he showed me an accurate view of the real world. The people are real; what they do is real. Check out Steve's new books. They are "Don't Make Me Hate You," and the others I can't remember the titles to. Steve teaches creative writing at Stanford University in California, so he knows how to write. He has also won very many prestigious awards for being a writer. I just wish I could know him.