Operation Solo tells the story of Morris Childs, a spy for the American government for almost thirty years. He was a dedicated communist in the 1930's. He even visited to the Soviet Union and was taught revolutionary tactics to be used in the violent overthrow of the United States government. By the late 1940's he began to understand the monster he was serving in Stalin and feeling extremely guilty about his activities. While still in the hospital recovering from heart problems, he was visited by two FBI agents who asked straight out if would like to be a spy. He agreed. As luck was have it, he was still a member in good standing with the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) so he was able to resume his activities in the Party with no problems. He eventually rose to second in command of the CPUSA.

Mr. Childs knew and was completely trusted by all the Post-Stalin leadership. One story shows how much he was trusted. On one trip to the Soviet Union, he was injured and had to have a finger amputated. He refused anesthetics because he was afraid he would blurt out he was a spy while under. Khrushchev thought he did this so he would not tell Soviet states secrets while under. Khrushchev made a speech in the Politburo congratulating Childs for his courage and had his finger buried Kremlin wall. From this position of trust, he was able Childs was able to obtain top-secret information for almost 30 years. This is only one of numerous improbable but true stories from the book, many of them life-threatening. An unparalleled story of courage and devotion.

I have read dozens of books about espionage and its effects on modern history. Never have I read an account of such selfless heroism, or one so brilliantly written. I have given several copies of this book as gifts, and have recommended it to many others. The reaction of my friends and family was markedly similar to my own. I was so proud of the Childs and their wives. Would any of us have had the courage and moxie to do as they did? Moreover, in this era where government agents have taken more than a fair number of hits, it is gratifying to see such a well-drawn account of the dedication and hard work of the FBI agents in the field. This is an astounding book that should be required reading for the acquisition or retention of American citizenship.

John Barron does a remarkable job of weaving 40 years of a day-to-day spy operation into an exciting page turner. Morris, Eva and Jack Childs are the spies who dedicated their lives to penetrating the Iron Curtain and defeating communism. Reagan, Nixon and Kissinger credit them with providing the tools to ultimately defeat the Soviet Empire while simultaneously engaging China.

In addition, Barron does an excellent job of reminding the reader that the FBI is made up of real men and women with real lives who dedicate themselves to the safety of America.

Operation SOLO is a beautiful tribute to American exceptionalism. It is reminds us that the Cold War was real, that communism is evil and that individuals make a difference. I am grateful that Morris, Eva and Jack Childs dedicated themselves to this dangerous and complex task. Their patriotism and self-sacrifice has made this world a much safer place and liberated millions of people from the shackles of communism.

Little is know about the history of Gutenberg's invention, and the history of the man himself. John Man does an excellent job of bringing this story to life. Placing Gutenberg in historical context, and infusing the tale with rich background color to give you a feel of 15th century Europe.

But at the end of the book there is a very protracted story of how Martin Luther used printing to further his cause. This goes on way to long, twenty plus pages. If I wanted to read so much about Luther, I would get a book about Luther!

If it was not for this last part, I would easily have given this book five stars. I am a printer by profession, and I also teach about printing at a local community college. I love printing history, and this book is now a proud member of my library on the subject.

Man spins a very good tale about the birth of this profession, that has not been covered very well before. Writing with such zeal and humor as if he is speaking directly to this reader.

Despite the great lack of sources for the modern historian to go upon about the inventor and his invention, Man still does an excellent job. He not only gives some good educated guesses about what was going on behind closed doors but, gives one a feel for just how important this development was to us all. Even if some readers found the ending not to their taste the brevity of the book means a very little investment of time.

One of the most delicate tasks when writing about history is to remain rigorous as to the facts while transporting the reader into scenes that feel like they are happening right now, just outside the door, the two-team oxcarts as real as today's FedEx trucks.

As his compatriots have before him, Mr. Man had relatively little hard fact to work with. For all that Gutenberg did for the profusion of the word, he left behind precious few of his own. Little is known about him until the 1440s, by which time he was somewhere in his 40s. He already was renowned for merging the techniques of the coinage trade with the casting of convex mirrorlike buttons, producing thereby countless medallions then in great demand by the trinket trade along pilgrimage routes. One of grander versions of these mirrors is depicted in Jan Van Eyck's "Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini." Think of Gutenberg as having devised the latest thing in 15th century Sai Baba buttons. Frippery perhaps this was, but it led to the development of modern type casting, the key element in the evolution of moveable type.

Neither Gutenberg nor even the Western devotion to practical technique were the first at this. At the other end of the Silk Road, as far on it one could get without walking into the sea, a genius surpassing even Gutenberg, Sejong by name, devised both moveable type *and* a written alphabet where "even the sound of the winds, the cry of the crane and the barking of the dog-all may be written." Fate-blessed Sejong was given not merely his intellect and inventiveness, but also the title "Emperor" before his name. This gave him no end of advantage over the average type founder and alphabet inventor. Nor was he the first: the 28-letter Hangul ("Great Script") that he devised was based in part on a script devised by a Tibetan monk named Phangs-pa as a way of systematizing the many tongues of the Mongol Empire. Alas, although Sejong's efforts resulted in a library of over 160 works printed with moveable type based on Hangul, it did not create an information revolution of the sort inspired by his contemporary colleague in far-off Mainz. Why? Because the Korean elite insisted on sticking with Chinese, in great part because they wanted to preserve their status. Mr. Man's brief outline of events in Korea hint of a great tale to be told by a novelist-or Mr. Man himself-with a gift for creating in the mind's eye what the actual eye of the time would have seen. To say nothing of what the nose smelled and the tongue tasted. The sensuality of history is its least-examined feature.

Korea's triumph of elitism wasn't replicated in the West. The Catholic clergy stuck to Latin, in large part to keep the masses from finding out what they knew and said among themselves. But unlike Korea, the elitism of the Church was underlain by moral and economic corruption so blatant we can scarce imagine it today. Some say that once the words of the Bible became known to anyone who cared to read them, Luther or someone like him was inevitable. Maybe. What was inevitable, though, was the Enlightenment. Nearly everyone today nourishes from the fruits of that tree. Within fifty years of Gutenberg's first Bible circa 1450, the number of books of all kinds in Europe grew from thousands to millions. Science, literature, and the the writing of history as we know it emerged. Church hegemony collapsed. Kings created nation-states. Proof, not faith, became the criterion of truth. As Mr. Man points put, the book, and no less the man behind it, was the vehicle out of the Dark Ages.

It becomes very clear on a second reading of his book, cover to cover and this time looking at the air and light in the room as well as the furnishings, that Mr. Man is no less a scholar to the teeth than the myriads of Ph.D pensters who have made the Middle Ages and Renaissance such a huge section in the Dewey Decimal catalog. The difference is that Mr. Man can write rings around most historians. Pages 60 and 61 are such a recital of the fakery of the relics and pilgrimage trade that you might take it as satire until you reflect on how many Westerners today pilgrimage to Indian ashrams to lap up equally fanciful interpretations of Hindu legends, without much bothering to put into practice in their daily lives the moral and behavioral principles those gods commend.

Maypoles and meanders around the trees of history. If you don't have a love affair going with today's forest of words before Mr. Man, you certainly will after him.

If you're a woman over 30, less than a perfect ten, and wondering whether you'll ever find a good man, look no further. This book will confirm that you're doomed to spinsterhood. All men are looking for that beautiful twenty-year old blonde with the perfect body. Seriously, the basic premise of the book is that men prize a woman's youth & physical attractiveness first and foremost (and almost to the exclusion of any other traits -- a woman's economic status, occupation, and to some extent, personality, are largely irrelevant to men). In choosing sexual partners and mates, men focus on physical attractiveness. Period. Women, on the other hand, look for economic and professional status and investment. A woman of any socioeconomic level wants to "marry up" and will often prefer to have a primary relationship with a higher status man who is married or involved with multiple women than to have a primary monogomous relationship with a lower status man. Men want to minimize their investment; women want to maximize a man's investment. Townsend explains why musicians and athletes have often had hundreds of sex partners, and typically have ten to twenty women whom they can call at any given time for commitment free, investment-free sex. Townsend creates serious doubt that men in high status positions will be faithful in relationships.

It seems that the vast majority of the individuals interviewed & quoted are twenty-something medical students, becoming aware of their status for the first time. They will have nothing to do with the "unattractive, overweight" women in their med school class, particularly when the universe of "chirpies" (nurses, therapists, etc.) are available & interested. The other group of men interviewed are, on the whole, high status men, many of whom engage in polygyny (multiple relationships during the same time frame with a variety of women).

This book was interesting, and filled with quotations from the interviewees, although it went on & on & on --reinforcing the conclusion that draws in the first few chapters, quoting one med student who sounds very similar to the next med student. Men want youth & beauty. Women want investment & status.

My guess is that some readers would bristle at the generalizations in this book -- though they undoubtedly ring true. The text doesn't contain a significant amount of commentary & editorialization; it just presents the interview results in a readable fashion.

I like the way Townsend makes the case for anthropologic givens for the differences between men and women, and I like the way he challenges some of the past work of Margaret Mead for her unwillingness to use data that did not fit her model, but at the same time admiring her for admiting her mistake years later.

After reading this book I am supprised that the title says what women want but I in my view the studies in this book mainly concentrate on what men want. The book is well written and you can tell there is a lot of research behind it, but the book is not boring. I totally agree the points made through out the book with my own studies and observations of both sexes. I have compiled that into a list and distributed that to my friends.

I have read plenty of relationship books. This one just doesn't cut it. The author continuously repeats the same things over and over again throughout the book. He always mentions: once you have mastered good communication/relationship skills, however he never follows through. It seems as if these enhanced communication and relationship skills are a mystery to the author as well. We never really do get REAL solutions, it's all talk... so, I suppose, according to the author's view of women, this book is perfect for women. But c'mon, we want some action, give us something to do. A relationship is WORK and this book definitely does not tell you HOW to do this WORK. It's just best not to waste time bothering with this one.

Although I'd read some of John's other Mars and Venus books, this one spoke to me like no other. I listened to it on audio over a couple of weeks (while walking my dogs!) I've also listened to it with my husband and it really sunk in with him, too. It made a difference right away in how we communicated with each other.

This is going to be the book that brings our marriage back to where it should be and where it used to be....thank you John Gray! I am buying 5 copies to give my family and friends for Christmas.

Many people will percieve that this book is focused ONLY on romantic relationships. This book helped me understand my father as well as the men that i work with as well as relationships. If you understand why people do what they do, then you have a chance to resolve conflicts, and you can choose not to take it personally. This book changed my entire perception of men and brought me closer to my family. It is far better than the better known "Men are from Mars..." book because it provides detailed examples and recommendations for handling situations. It is easy reading. I just keep wondering how John Gray figured all of this out. I am glad I found this book. It is great for MEN and WOMEN.

I had just read Coming home (A must by the way) and the last shot Aunt may standing over a battered Peter had me gripped so I had to get this aswell. The drawings are vivid and great just what we have come to expect from Romita and the story is exciting, a real page turner. So why the not 5 stars? Well my big gripe with this story is the Shade who is spideys enemy at the end. It feels almost like Stracynski has just thought "well the story can't be completely between May and Peter I'll just shove this guy in" Which is a real shame. I personnally would suggest anyone buying Revelations should go for the the double and get Until The Stars Turn Cold with it. It helps to develop the story a little and has a great fight between Doc Ock and his counterpart. Revelations is very good but I'm glad I bought the double.

I do not buy into the notion that "Revelations" was published so that Marvel could exploit their 9/11 issue of "The Amazing Spider-Man." This trade papaerback collection of issues #36-39 follows up on "Coming Home," so there is continuity at work. Besides, given that the current cost of #36 is rougthly the equivalent of what you would have to pay to pick up the previous 35 issues of the comic, there is little to complain about for those who somehow neglected to pick up the issue in the first place.

As it says at the beginning of #36, "We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you the following Special Bulletin." The reaction of Spider-Man, Captain America, and the other Marvel superheroes to the attack on the World Trade Center is out of time and space for the Marvel Universe. The event has to be acknowledged on one level, and it is the emotional response to these events that the comic is about, but on another level it cannot be dealt with. J. Michael Straczysnki and John Romita, Jr. touch upon the issue of where were these superheroes and why did they not do something about this horrible event, but there is not much they can really do about it. Spider-Man is not going to go across the ocean and beat up terrorists the way Superman took on the Axis during World War II. This is not going to happen. For one reason Marvel has no more interest in overshadowing the troops in the field than they do the NYC firefighters and police honored for their sacrifices in this issue. Beyond that such real events expose the Achilles heel of all superheroes: every time Superman is Clark Kent, there are people dying that he could have saved. Issue #36 is thoughtful, extremely so by comic book standards, but the comic book moves on.

Even without the 9/11 tribute, "Revelations" remains a great collection because of the other three issues. At the end of issue #35, Aunt May came into Peter Parker's apartment and found him bruised, beaten, and bandaged, in a deep sleep, his tattered Spider-Man costume at his meet. Issue #37, "Interlude," finds Aunt May wandering the streets, trying to absorb the shock of the revelation, while Peter Parker becomes involved in the life of one of his students, offering a telling counterpoint to the relationship he has with his Aunt. Issue #38, "The Conversation," has Aunt May confronting Peter about his big secret, and there is little time wasted denying the truth. They actually talk about the things these characters should be talking about. This is not a deat bed declaration like it was in Volume 1, much as I liked the way Aunt May finally confronted Peter with the truth atop the Empire State Building on the day she died. This is a key part of an ongoing attempt by this writer and artist to rework the elements of the Spider-Man mythos that have become overworked commonplaces. Now, instead of worrying about hiding his secret identity from Aunt May, Peter gets to worry about her knowing the truth.

Issue #39, "Meanwhile," combines Aunt May dealing with her new perspective on Spider-Man (she cancels her subscription to the "Daily Bugle") with Peter's other major interpersonal headache, being separated from Mary Jane. This is also "The Amazing Spider-Man" entry for the 'Nuff Said sweepstakes, where all of the monthly Marvel titles can up with issues using no dialogue or caption boxes to communicate information. The result is a series of cute and poignant moments that show Straczynski and Romita rose to the challenge and avoiding descending into gimmickry. "Meanwhile" fits quite nicely as an interlude in the storyline, although the bits with Aunt May are a lot better than the unnecessary reminders that Mary Jane and Peter miss each other. This just underscores how these comics are part of the continuity of "The Amazing Spider-Man," and you have to been following the story from at least the point when Straczynski took over as writer to fully appreciate what is happening in these stories. But within that context, they are four of the more memorable issues from Volume 2.

J. Michael Stracynski and John Romita, Jr.'s tribute to 9/11 alone makes this worth the purchase. The story and the art are great.

The writer is on the right track but many of his 'facts' are wrong. Yes, an asteroid did hit but not when he says. Correlation with archaeological evidence, none of which he does, demonstrates a date about 700 years earlier than that which he identifies. Again, archaeological evidence shows that North Africa remained lush and green until about 5-6,000 years ago. Usually cites his conclusions without backing them up with any evidence whatsoever. Needs to rely on ice core samples from Greenland and Antarctica to support his claims about the Ice Age, many of whose particulars are in error. Obvious lack of knowledge about the development of cultures toward civilization 7-3,000 BC.

His writing style is atrocious. Most chapters are only a few pages, and often repeat the same material from previous ones over and over and over. The book is 212 pp. Had he fleshed out his chapters with hard, supporting data and eliminated the redundancy, it would have been a much better effort.

He's openly hostile toward religion. Odd, considering the emphasis placed on religion by Cro Magnon humans, whom he cites as being more intelligent than modern humans owing to their larger brain capacity. What did they know that he doesn't?!

This should be required reading for all high school students.Cogan's book solves a great many questions of the past. An outstanding and interesting book.

Mr. Cogan pierced through the great fog of human history. One can only hope that the world of academia will be open minded enough to give careful and unbiased consideration to every page in his book.

I have just received this book in the mail and I am sending it back on Monday. For one thing, the materials this book is constructed out of are very cheap. The cover picture is made with an off-the-shelf 3D graphics program and done in a very amateurish manner. The title "The Hashish Man" was chosen purely to attract what the publishers thought of as a "hip" target audience and smacks at Lord Dunsany's sober genius. Lord Dunsany never took drugs and one would know where he got his inspiration if they read any books about him. Of course, because our times produce writers of infertile minds we automatically assume he had to have been on a drug to write these beautiful and imaginative stories. The publishers are associating Lord Dunsany with "the Hashish Man", the title of this anthology, when in fact in his (fictional) short story Lord Dunsany is approached by the "Hashish Man" who relates to Lord Dunsany how HE travels to dream worlds (via hashish) which is in contrast with Lord Dunsany.

Besides trashing Lord Dunsany's character the introduction is a bad two-page college essay written by a person who is totally unknown. Who is Jon Longhi of San Francisco? Here are a few pathetic quotes by Mr. Longhi: Describing Lord Dunsany's writing, "At times these details veer toward the noisome realm of elves and hobbits". The "realm of elves and hobbits" is only "noisome" because the publishers think that readers of H.P. Lovecraft don't like fantasy writing and that Tolkien is not popular right now. However when Ballantine Books published "The King Of Elfland's Daughter" in 1977, when Tolkien was the flavor of the month with publishers, they boasted "A fantasy novel in a class with the Tolkien books!," which ever way the wind blows I guess. Another quote: "psychedelic rave-up of language and imagery...it's great fun riding on the hallucinations." More drug association. "Captain Shard pilots a boat which sails across the desert on huge wheels, just like the main vehicle in the movie Time Bandits." Doesn't this sound childish? What main vehicle in Time Bandits? The only thing with sails in that movie was the ship on the giant's head, but it did not have wheels. Mr. Longhi might be thinking of the building with sails traversing barren wastelands manned by the intrepid crew of the Crimson Assurance Co. in the mini-movie before Monty Python's Meaning of Life.

Either this guy is an absolute idiot or he is just failing miserably to convince me that he is really anything like the people he is trying to reach. Mr. Longhi, like some desperate college sophomore, has padded out his introduction with a variety of multi-syllabic words in the hopes of impressing the average (ignorant) reader. This introduction should be in an anthology of drugstore-swords & sorcery-escapist-self-indulgent-trash.

I know that anthologies of Lord Dunsany's writings are rare but I would rather have them rare and cherishable instead of common and degraded. Most libraries have some of Lord Dunsany's works and through interlibrary loan you should be able to get just about anything written by this laudable fantasist. Do not pollute your personal library with this trash. Let us not reduce Lord Dunsany to the level of pulp. Let us not patronize publishers that drag remarkable writers down to their seedy level so they can make an easy buck. We need to have more respect.

Lord Dunsany's works are gradually coming back into print, a great relief to someone who has liked his works for a long time. The pre-Tolkien fantasy authors are too often neglected because of their different style, but any person who appreciates beautiful language will appreciate Dunsany's unique fantasies.

This includes such stories as "Charon," a brief story about the ferryman of the dead; the rather odd "Three Infernal Jokes"; "The Guest," about a young man who launches into a strange monologue; "Thirteen at Table," about a strange house and a fox-hunt; "Three Sailors' Gambit" is somewhat more prosaic, the tale of three sailors in a pub; "The Exiles' Club" is the story of a sumptuous but somehow strange and sinister house in London; "Where the Tides Ebb and Flow" is a dream -- and a darn disturbing one at that, where a young man dreams that "I had done a horrible thing, so that burial was to be denied me either in soil or sea, neither could there be any hell for me"; "The Field" is at first mysterious and then saddening, where someone visits a beautiful field where he senses something terrible; "A Tale of London," where a sultan asks his hashish-eater to tell him about the far-off city of London; "Narrow Escape" tells what occurs when an evil magician decides to obliterate London; "Bethmoora" is the reminiscences of an exotic city that no longer exists; "Hashish Man" is something of a sequel to "Bethmoora," in which a man tells the narrator about how he uses hashish to travel to the city of Bethmoora. "How An Enemy Came to Thlunrana" is how a mighty wizards' citadel was overcome by an unexpected means; "In Zaccarath" is the story of a mighty, beautiful, and seemingly everlasting city and its king; "Idle City" is a very odd one, about a polytheistic/monotheistic city, now very lonely-looking; "The Madness of Andelsprutz" is another story about a "dead" city, in which the narrator is told how a certain city became "soulless".

"Secret of the Sea" is about a very sad sailor; "Idle Days on the Yann" is exactly what it sounds like, a pleasantly plotless but beautifully written story about sailing on the mythical Yann River; "A Tale of the Equator" is about the foreseeing of a magnificent city; "Spring in Town" is about the arrival of a season; "In the Twilight" is the beautifully-written vision of a man whose boat had capsized; "Wind and Fog" is a slightly odd little story about the North Wind and some fog; "A Story of Land and Sea" is the sequel to a story in Book of Wonder, more about Captain Shard; "After the Fire" is what happens when a dark star collides with the world, and what other creatures see in man's temples; "Assignation," the last story in the collection, is about what a poet and Fame have to say to one another.

As for this edition: I must agree with the previous reviewer who commented on the lame cover and unfortunate title, as well as the fact that the binding could be better. That's why it rates four out of a potential five stars. I will also warn buyers that several of these stories appear in other anthologies, so don't be surprised if you bump into things you already have. Many are from the "Last Book of Wonder" or "Dreamer's Tales" and overall they tend to the less fantastical stories.

Dunsany's prose tends to be dreamy, lush, and unabashed in its Eastern tone. There's no starkness here. Despite the title of the collection, there is minimal drug use and it is definitely not recommended by Dunsany's works. His story vary widely in range, but this is an excellent collection and well worth finding.

While I'm not a die-hard fan of fantasy and science fiction, I really liked this collection of short stories, which transcend the usual definitions of the genre. Unlike some readers who believe that obscure literary gems like these tales should be hallowed in the dusty stacks of libraries, I salute the publisher who has made these amazing works available again - I certainly would have never stumbled upon this book otherwise! Edgy like Lovecraft (whom I adore), these stories reflect a sense of wonder and imagination that is often missing from the fiction of today - a great read, highly recommended!

What is interested to the educated reader (Christian) is the author's use of the formed Earth in describing how the modern science and the book of Genesis do not condridict one another. That and the idea of the pink elephant . . .

Another good prophecy book by Pastor Hagee. In this one, he covers 30 Revelations of Truth that we can find in the book of Genesis. From the Garden of Eden, to Joseph, and how it relates to prohecies fulfilled and those yet to be fulfilled. Hagee demonstrates a deep study and knowledge of the Hebrew culture. He also describes the 7 ages of Dispensation. From the Age of Creation to the Age to Come, the Kingdom of God. Worth picking up this book, if you are interested in Bible Prophecy and the book of Genesis.

I was waiting for a friend to finish his grocery shopping when I spotted a tent sale. Every woman loves tent sales. Well I went in and found it was all books. So I browsed and came across your book, "The Revelation of Truth". I purchased it, took it home and read it. It is one of the most heart compelling books I have ever read.

I have a friend at work that is constantly at odds with her spouse. Her father is a Minister here in Virginia and she was familiar with your Church. Well, I went the following weekend to the same tent sale, thank God it was still there, and purchased two more copies. I gave one to my friend for her and her spouse to read. I thought this might bring them closer. She says they sit and discuss the book together. I'm praying this book will open their eyes to the reality of life with God.

Last weekend I was on my way to see my daughter in the hospital in San Antonio, Texas. While on the plane, a lady asked to see the book I was reading. She enjoyed the first few pages so much and said she was going to go purchase it. Having read the chapter on "Age of Conscience" I knew if I didn't give her the extra copy I was carrying in my bag to give to my sister, I was not going to feel at ease the rest of the trip. So, I gave her the extra copy I had. It made me feel better knowing how thankful she was. However, when I got home and my sister happened to see my book on the table, she began to read it and asked to borrow it. Again I was reminded of that chapter...I told her my plans were to bring her a copy but I gave it to a lady I met on the plane. I felt so bad because I wanted to surprise my sister with a copy. I still felt guilty because I didn't want to part with my copy and only because I highlighted several sections of the book. I did promise I would send her one as soon as I got back.

Well I carry this book with me because I like to refer back to it periodically. I went to go see my doctor and he too noticed the book. He said he would like to read it. I mentioned to him what had happened with my sister's book. I didn't tell him, but when I go get a copy for my sister I plan to pick up one for him as well. After our visit he said the kindest thing that anyone has ever said to me. He said "Diane, you're planting the seed". I never looked at it that way. I was just so taken by the context of the book that I wanted to share it with friends and family.

I do not claim to be a saint...the Lord knows I am not. Like many I have suffered and sinned and I wish I could say I will sin no more. But I do know the Lord has something good in store for me...I feel He has already revealed it to me. But like many, I cover my ears at times and don't want to listen because I know what it is I have to do. I don't fear death because my faith is strong. I thank Him everyday for my faith and pray that I will be among the chosen ones to spend eternity in His devine presence. I look forward to the day that John the Revelator wrote of: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Rev. 21:4 NKJV).

I sincerely thank you for sharing this wonderful gift of knowledge with me and the world. It has brought to me a whole new outlook on my life. Mil Gracias...

Why is forgiveness so important? Why do some Christians seem so unhappy? Why do some people see God as an angry, harsh dictator? Why is it that some people act just like what they resented as children? Why can't some people open up to others? How biblical is counseling and inner healing? All these questions and more are addressed in great length and depth in Transformation of the Inner Man.

Using biblical truths and examples John and Paula Saandford use their life experiences and knowledge to author this book. Their knowledge comes from years of prayer ministry and counseling experience. Some of the most controversial and tough questions are answered. 22 of the most basic issues are written about in detailed form to give the reader a thorough understanding of some reasons why people can't function as God created them to. Biblical truths as emphasized and all theories have scripture to back them up.

All pastors and leaders need to at least have this book in their library. This book does take time to read and comprehend so it may not be ideal for everyone. Even if you are a seasoned counselor or been in prayer ministry for a long time you would still benefit from this book.

This book, along with Healing the Wounded Spirit, are great additions to any Christian's library and essential for church leaders to have.

This book is incredible. It should be read slowly and carefully, taking the time to pray and digest all the material within. I think I will read and re-read it many times. I have already bought 4 copies for other people. It is for the Christian who wants the true answers to why we continually do the stupid things we do - even though we 'know better'. It deals with relationships - all of our relationships and focuses on the most important relationship - that of a believer to his Lord. Jesus Christ's death is the answer through which all our hurts can be healed, and this book is deliberate and thorough on why that is the case. If you want to hear what God says better, find out why you eat too much or drink or have been too promiscuous, this is the book for you. If your problems are workaholism or just not getting along with your spouse, this is the book for you. If you're not quite sure why you feel that uncomfortable sensation when things are not going well and you can't explain why - this is the book for you. Too much to describe here. This is no magic formula or cult book - it is all about the laws of the world and how God set us up to work- and how to align ourselves with that.

Having enjoyed a number of seminars presented by the Sanfords, and seen the fruit of their labors in lives healed and sanctified, it was refreshing to read The Transformation Of The Inner Man. This transformation begins with accepting Christ's sacrificial atonement and is worked out in the process of maturation in the Christian walk. Accountability, maturity and responsibility are all appropriately emphasized in the context of grace and compassion for the hurting and the lost. As a mature student in a Counseling Psychology M.A. program, who has also taken courses at Vancouver, British Columbia's Regent College, I have studied the biblical application of their philosophical/psychologial reasoning and found it to be sound in every respect. The lasting change of which they speak, in contrast to humanistic approaches, is demonstrated to be truly effected only through the agency of the Holy Spirit, as God unites His will with that of the individual who is seeking true scriptural transformation. It seems tragic that, being wary of demonic imitations of The Real Thing (one example might be a 'theosophistic' approach to healing), there are those who shun the Truth of what God has given us and 'Slewfoot' has so poorly imitated. How ironic that the enemy can leave us attacking other Christians, especially those who have been so efficacious is the realm of 'cleansing and purifying one's innermost being' (I specifically mean the Sanfords in this case), when what we are called to do in this hour is build up the body of Christ. 'By their fruits you shall know them'. The fruit of the Sanford's work is holiness, purity, repentance and love as is described in the 13th chapter of the book of Corinithians. I would caution any reader to weigh each deposit by overzealous reviewers who have not personally witnessed the ministry of the Sanfords, and the fruits of their labors, close at hand. What can we do to facilitate the divine work that the Lord has been doing through the Sanfords? Refraining from quenching the Spirit is a start.

For those interested in the history of Batman you probably find this story an entertaining, though not great, story about the Pre-Crisis Batman. This is a consolidation of all the history, origin, and first meetings of the character before Crisis and Year One. I liked the story but I have say to that I'm glad they don't write Batman this way anymore (the dialogue's pretty bad even for an exposition story) and I very much prefer the scaled back origin that they character has now. On the art Jim Aparo is in top form in this black and white story, being inked by John Byrne. I found this to be the perfect companion piece to Batman: Strange Apparitions.

For those interested in the post-Crisis retelling of these stories: Year Two retells Batman's confrontation w/ Joe Chill (Chill's role was thrown into doubt after the Zero Hour tie-in of DETECTIVE; a LOTDK story from 2000 called "Siege" retells the story of the 1st Bat-costume and the penthouse; and Lew Moxon was retold last year (2001) as part of the Brubaker/Mcdaniel run in BATMAN, with Thomas Wayne dressed as Zorro instead.

Also the shipping cost for this will be more than the actual price of the book.

This nice little story of early-modern age Batman is not so much a story in its own right but more something of a clip show. The actual scripts and drawings are all original, of course, but very little of the plot is. The plot itself is mostly an excuse for a thorough retelling of the story of the Batman, his allies and his foes. It doesn't make any shocking new discoveries about the Batman's past, as do the Killing Joke or Year One; the stories told are taken directly and fully from classic silver and golden age volumes such as 'The Origin of the Batman'(Batman#47, 1948), or 'The First Batman'(Detective Comics#235, 1956).

The plot itself is lacking and simply not very interesting. The ending is quite well done, but there's simply no building up to it. Whatever plot there is is constantly interrupted by flashbacks from practicaly every character. However, what 'the Untold Legend of the Batman' attempts to do, and does quite well, is put some order into the Batman world, settle some old contradictions and set one formal history of Batman. Indeed, the early 80s were a time when super-heroes were recreated, especially Superman and Wonder-Woman, and Batman had to be fitted into the new DC universe.

So, while 'the Untold Legend of the Batman' is hardly a decent story itself, and does very little to develop the characters or the plot in any way, it's still an interesting read for all Batman fans and anybody who wants to know a thing or two about the Dark Knight, and is a fine addition to any comics collection.

Over a decade ago all 3 issues from this series came with some cassettes. I'd kept the comics, but I'd lent all 3 of the half hourly tapes to a boy named Jeff. Unfortunately, he'd quickly lost all of the tapes! I should have copied those tapes before lending them to him! This action had affected my relationship with him. Now, he's a much more responsible adult, but I somehow doubt that I'll ever forget about this. I should probably put this behind me because this happened 11 years ago, and I still have the comics. However, some things are easier said than done. If anyone still has the tapes and would copy them for me, I'll gladly either trade something else for it, or pay for the shipping. Either way, please post a follow-up review if you can help me, and I'll gladly email you. Thanks in advance for your help.