The text is very clear and the samples are excellent. Chapter 6 (Methods of Public Relations) and chapter 9 (Public Relations Research) are very interesting.

I can recommend this book to everyone.

- Marco de Moulin

Shelton Cole

Both books were invaluable in helping me understand the true causes of the turmoil in Central Asia and the thinking that led to the events of September 11, 2001.

I can't give the book 5 stars for a couple of reasons. First, at times, Otis is not easy to read. Better editing would have helped. Secondly, Otis mentions the dangers of materialism in American society, but fails to elaborate much on this topic. Since materialism seems to be one of the reasons Muslims are so offended by the West, more information on the spiritual implications of materialism and consumerism would have added to the value of this book.

The Last of the Giants combines two rare qualities for books considering biblical prophecies and middle east events: use of a reasoned scholarship and use of a subjunctive mood.

Otis brings plausibility to the spiritual mapping movement by painting spiritual dynamics with broad strokes that cover the entire 10/40 window. One may or may not agree with his assessments, but they cannot be ignored or easily dismissed.

Must reading for the 1990's.

But don't overlook the esays that make up the rest of the work. "Dinner with Mr. Charlie" is pricless. If you are black and want to eat in NYC you must read this one. Graham went to several well known New York restaraunts and reports on how he and his guests were treated. The next time I'm in New York I won't be eating in any of these places! "The Harlem on My Mind" essay is heartbreaking as is the "Black Man with a Nose Job" piece. Graham keeps beating his head against an inmovable barrier. Despite his education, nose job and fine career he isn't and can't ever be a "member of the club" and that's the one fault of the book. I kept hoping that at some point he'd conclude that being a member isn't worth the pain and humiliation but he never does. It was a satisfying read. At turns it's funny, pitiful and maddening. I rushed out to buy Graham's next book, Our Kind of People as soon as it hit the bookstores.

That said, the "book" is not without its faults. The "book" is rather a collection of essays, which vary considerably in depth of analysis, amount of insight offered, and suprisingly relevance and importance. Nonetheless, Graham succeeds in his ultimate purpose: provoking thought about a type of race relations that is not often dramatized on the evening news.

Buy the book. Read it with an open mind. Reflect on Graham's arguments and anecdotes. And you will likely come away with a new perspective - one that is neither intuitive nor given much attention.

Why two stars instead of just one? That's a darned good question.

Fuller repeats the flawed arguments of KJV Onlyists and demonstrates that he is more interested in defending his ideas than his is in accurately discussing textual issues. Why do books like this ever get published?

It isn't hard to sniff out the difference between real scholarship (whether one agrees with it or not) and junk scholarship (again whether one agrees or not). Fuller's first obligation, if he had wanted anybody to be open to the case he made, was to have been open about his sources.

For this and other reasons that will become obvious to all who make the habit of reading every side of a controversy, this book belongs on the shelf with tracts that deny the holocaust or claim Apollo 11 didn't land on the moon.

First, the book falls seriously short of addressing the accomplishments of this group of people. The only accomplishment that the author seems to relish is ivy-league degrees (hey, Graham, you should know by now that degrees are only the beginning of the journey, it's what you DO with them that counts!).

Second, it is very repetitive (the entire contents may be summarized as follows: Upper class black men belong to a club called Boule, the women to Links, the kids to Jack & Jill, they all vacation in Sag Harbor, they strive for light skin and straight hair, and they all get into Ivy League or major black colleges. Oh, and they try to mimick upper-class whites with their debutante balls). That's it. There is no rigor or analysis to this book.

Third reason: The pictures in the book contradict its central theme that members pass a light skinned-straight hair test. Most of the people in the pictures (Madame Walker, Ebony CEO & sons, etc) had African features and medium to dark skin. And I don't think there was a woman in those pictures with naturally straight hair. (My theory: author wants to portray accomplished people in his photos and most accomplished blacks, like most blacks, do not fall into his lighter skinned definition of this group).

Fourth, the author makes a real mockery out of the people he's trying to represent. They come off as being shallow fools, trying hard to make themelves into an elite group through brown paper bags and rulers. Truly intelligent people are beyond that garbage.

All in all, a missed opportunity to shine some light on the reality of successful Blacks outside the realm of entertainment and sports.

My only criticism of this book is that I feel that he has stereotyped people that belong to these black organizations as being only rich, snobby, "lightskin-ded", etc. This is unfair! I am an AKA, I have AKA's, Deltas, Alphas, Omegas, and Links all throughout my family. I was presented at a black cotillion as a teenager. My family isn't able to go down the checklist of any of the so-called requirements to be in the elite, yet we HAVE PARTICIPATED in these organizations. I think these organizations perform a vital service to the community, and from what I have experienced, all you need to get in is a college education, community activism, and somebody willing to sponsor you.