The story told in "The Last Hero" is that of Sir Henry Morton Stanley (of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame, but that's another story) who, in 1885 organized and led a mission to rescue Emin Pasha, governor of Equatoria, the southernmost province of the Egyptian Sudan, which was surrounded by the Mahdist uprising. Amazingly, Stanley decided to approach Equatoria from the Atlantic side of Africa by going up the Congo river and overland through central African forest. The expedition crossed hundreds of miles of then-unknown Africa, encountering every obstacle and difficulty along the way. The eventual end of the mission is one of history's great ironies, but I don't want to give anything away.

"The Last Hero" is a very well-written adventure story, all the more interesting because it is true. My only complaint (a very minor one) concerns the absence of notes and bibliography which could have given some historical documentation and sources.

Another good book is "The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration and Exploitation of the World's Most Dramatic River" (nonfiction) which is also by Peter Forbath (a journalist who reported on Africa). Henry Morton Stanley was also a bestselling author, he wrote: "How I Found Livingstone" (1872); "Through the Dark Continent" (1878); and "In Darkest Africa" (1890).

Not many novels have the effect of this one. If I have to pick a 'prequel' to Robert Ruark's _Something of Value_ than it is surely this one. If you like Forbath's, then read Ruark's!

_The Last Hero_ sweeps you away to a time when honor and ego and plain old guts -- combined with the vast heart of unexplored Africa meant adventure. I read this novel in amazement, at the rich characterization, the lavish settings, the graphic narrative; only to be further amazed when I learned that this wasn't a mere work of historical fiction, but rather a fictionalized account of real events.

Read it. You won't find many novels that do this. Serious business, deep in the Congo Ituri rainforest, late 19th century...no one can hear you scream.

Kurt W. Wagner kwagner@gti.net

The best, and I mean that exactly, the best adventure book for adults ever, and I mean that exactly, ever written. My friend and I constantly recommend books to each other, and one or the other of us will say, "It's a good book but..." and the other will always respond "...it's not The Last Hero" Put this book down and you will not sleep until you pick it up again. I am on my fifth read, and I am sure that it will not be my last. There are images and moments that I will never forget. I cannot believe that anyone allowed this book to go out of stock. Find it, steal it, read it, you will not be sorry

I picked up this book whilst looking for my usual crime novel thinking I may not like the change. But to my amazement, I couldn't put this book down and read it in two days. (A record for me) This book is a very well written true and insperational story of survival. The stories along the way, about the different villages, local people, customs, plants, animals and cities gave me great insite to many regions of South America. I cried, held my breath and imagined myself in many of the beautiful places that they travelled. I would recommend this book to any one. It amazes me how one can survive such harrowing conditions. The strong friendship between Kevin & Yossi should be an example to us all. It makes me realise that my life is an easy one. Congratulations and thank you to the author, Yossi Ghinsberg for sharing this story with us.

What the players on the popular survival shows go through is nothing compared to what the author of this book went through to survive in the Amazon jungle! Yossi Ghinsberg set out with three other men to experience a real jungle, and for sure, encountered incredible plant and animal life. But it didn't stop there. When the foursome split into two groups, Yossi and his companion then became separated when Yossi was swept away down the powerful Tuichi River. At that point, Yossi was on his own, and narrates his awesome struggle for survival...to find food and shelter, and to combat such things as the fungus that was eating his feet, jaguars, fireants, termites that carpeted his body and bored into it, and steep, slippery cliffs. Whew! I am reading the book a second time, this time to my teenage children, to give them an appreciation for what true suffering is, and to help them realize that humans can, with motivation and determination, endure and overcome great obstacles. When we start complaining about our daily irritations, this is the kind of book we need to read to help us consider our blessings.

This is a truly amazing story about 4 guys whose adventure in the Amazon slowly turns into a fight for survival. Under intense pressure their faith in each other is shaken and teamwork breaks down. 2 will pay with their lives. If you liked "Into thin Air" you will love this book. My copy of this book was read by 5 freinds and they all loved it. I have never owned a book which so many people wanted to borrow.

Patricia and Stanley have created a beautiful story of life and love, offering many inspiring possible answers to humankind's many mysteries. Is this a big part of the UFO or alien mystery? Of the origins of our existence? How comforting and uplifting to read this book and feel its love and sincerity. It is such a pleasure to find it written so well, a treat to all the senses, I savored every paragraph. A few years ago I "dreamed" I was on a ship with people whom I loved and was so ecstatic at the reunion after so long apart from them. I cried out to stay, not to be made to return to earth. This dream haunted me for days and I remember it vividly to this day. For me, Ships of Song spoke directly to my heart, urging me to remember more......the oneness of All That Is.

This book is for anyone who has ever feared the "end of the world" scenario which many prescribe to. The authors present a provocative view of the history of mankind, and offer us an equally provocative description of "the ascension" of mankind. It's a pleasure to read, and the characters have remained with me since I was first introduced to them. This book will leave you with a sense of peace, awe and excitement about all that's to come!

Purchasing this book was a true gift to myself of time and space, aptly provided by these talented authors. An oasis of peace, love, and true value! An adventure into remembering who I really am, and my spiritual values, even while living this busy, confining earth journey! KUDOS to the authors! A true GIFT!

The Tarantula Keeper's Guide by Stan and Marguerite Schultz is by far the most informative book on tarantulas to date. Whether for the amateur fancier or professional arachnologist, this book will pay for itself in no time at all. Aimed primarily towards those interested in captive husbandry of arachnids, this book gives extensive information on care, housing, and feeding for spiderlings, juveniles, sub-adults and adults. In chapter 1, the anatomy and physiology of tarantulas are covered in great detail. Chapter 2 deals with taxonomy and scientific names; chapter 3 covers the life histories and ecology of these arachnids. Chapter 4 involves the uses of tarantulas throughout history while chapters 5,6, and 7 cover the "pet" aspect of tarantulas; this covers such subjects as housing, feeding, handling, breeding, medical emergencies, and much, much more. The final three chapters cover conservation issues. This well-designed book is packed with tons of colo! r photographs, greatly illustrated drawings, and accurate (up-to-date) names of many species commonly kept as pets. Unlike other tarantula books I've read--and I've read plenty--this book gives the first detailed description of how to catch your own tarantula. Other books have attempted this same task, but have not got the point across like this book. In all, this 288 page piece of art is the best book on tarantulas ever put together. Anybody with the slightest interest should purchase this book because it will spur one with mere curiosity into an out-of-control collector/hobbyist (such as me) and take you to the realm of the tarantula.

This book is excellent from cover to cover. Detailed information on care, breeding, food, species, and biology are all in "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide". I was given a Chilean Rose tarantula as a gift 9 months ago and considered myself ignorant of their required care. "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" was the most informative book out of 6 purchased. I now have over 35 tarantulas consisting of 28 species and consider myself much more knowledgable about their care and biology. I have even started breeding some of my tarantulas. You won't find a better book in print if you're a beginner or expert.

If you have even one tarantula, the invaluable nature of this book cannot be stressed enough. It addresses almost every issue you could think of and some you possibly wouldn't. Filled with detailed information, beautiful color photographs, excellent illustrations this book is truly a bargained that should not be passed up, even by the passing fancier. All tarantula enthusiasts agree, if you own one book on them, it should be this one.

I read this book when it first came out. At the time I was suffering from depression and alcoholism. I wept as I read the pages because I knew that I too could end up like Terry. I felt for Terry and her family all through out the book. I also realized how my family must have felt and how they might feel if I too fell victim to myself and alcohol. You have to give credit to the courageouls George McGovern to share his families sacred secrets and tradgedy. This is a must have book for anyone who is an alcoholic, heavy drinker or depressed or anyone who knows or lives with an alcoholic or heavy drinker.

Seldom have I read a book about a real person that held me inmy chair for such a long time. I had heard about Terry Mcgovern butnever knew the real story. This first hand account of Terry Mcgovern's life is tough to read. George Mcgovern's account of his daughters life had the right mixture of pathos and humor and made me think about alcoholism in a totally different light. GREAT!

I heard George McGovern talking about this book on NPR when it first came out, but it wasn't till recently that i had a chance to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, because it gave me some insight on addiction that i did not have before. Sen. McGovern's intentions in writing this book are laudable, and i have a lot of respect for him. I can only imagine how painful it must have been to research the material (Terry's journals, social workers' reports, etc), and to actually write the book and go through those memories. He is sincere and acknowledges his responsibility as a father, and does not try to place blame on alcohol, society, or many of the other targets of anti-abuse groups. Terry might as well have been born with CF, because she suffered from (in her case) an incurable disease. If you want to understand the incredible power of addiction, this book is a great place to start.

The very size of this book on such a specialized topic may seem daunting. However, the writing is so lively and the organization by question and answer is so easy to use that you will find this a very useful and comprehensive handbook.

It is NOT a theory laden textbook. Rather, it is a very useful and practical guide to the field and will help the careful reader avoid many pitfalls. There are many ways to make mistakes in buying companies and this book can open your eyes to quite of few of them. In fact, if you are the target of a buyout, this book can be of special importance and interest.

I admit to being fascinated by this topic so take that into consideration when evaluating what I say about this book. But even so, mergers and acquistions are so much in the news (for good and ill) that it can only help to get more background on what is really going on and how these deals are (or at least should be) put together.

The book reads MUCH shorter than its size and is fairly comprehensive on the subject - from the methods in selecting candidates for acquisition to what to do when you are a target of an acquisition to some very specialized topics. It also deals with M&A issues with both public, private, and even family firms.

Honestly, I am surprised at how glad I am that I bought this book. It is terrific.

I have been an M&A practitioner for twenty years and rarely have I found a book that is as readable and useable as this one. The author is able to synthesize difficult concepts and communicate them in a highly user friendly way.

Very detailed source for information on mergers, acquisitions and buyouts. The question and answer format is a great way to identify the information that you need. This book really is a handbook; I wouldn't encourage reading it cover to cover, but to use it as more of a reference book. The footnotes at the end of each chapter are useful to finding more in depth information, and the book gives a generous number of websites which you can consult.

Stanley's book is based on important reminders that ultimately our successes should be characterized by goals set with God in mind and that it is too legalistic to apply a cookie cutter mold and say every Christian will become a pauper or must be poor in order to be humble. Clearly being a servant doesn't always mean that we must be struggling financially as well. The important thing to remember is that success in the eyes of the world however is measured differently than in the eyes of God and Stanley does a good job of reminding Christians that if you approach your faith in a way that you are determined to define your successes in a way apart from considering what God wants for you life than we still hold ourselves to be the centre of the universe and not God. I give it four stars only because i try to reserve five starts for my favorite books, but this is definetly a worthwhile read.

This book bring the prosperty message into balance. It has made a life changing difference in my life. This is a must reading for all Christians. It makes so-o-o much sense! Dr. Stanley gives the Scriptures to back up what he is saying. Read it without religious traditions and preconcieved ideas.

I really enjoyed this book! It was more of a devotional book than anything else, touching on the principles of reaching true happiness, success, and evils such as greed and being negative. Success God's Way reminded me that in order to have true success one has to put God first and everything else will fall into place. I have now adapted one of the techniques that Dr. Stanley stated in the ladder part of his book, which is prioritize the initiatives and goals that you want to accomplish for the next day on a flash card before you go to bed and then put it in your pocket throughout the whole day. It is amazing how much more one can stay on task. The true examination I believe that this book illustrates is are one's goals Godly purposed goals striving to go along with God's plan, or are they individualized goals that do not fit in God's initiative, which makes their purpose lost and unmeaningful? Definately read Success God's Way!!!!!

This book is particularly interesting in light of Gene Brewer's novel (and now film) "K-PAX", based on "The Jet-Propelled Couch" episode in this book. In this episode, we meet the original model for prot -- not a homeless person, but a respected scientist. Conjecture has it that he may have been science fiction writer Cordwainer Smith. In any event the story is fascinating, and Lindner writes in a clear, mature and intelligent style. Well worth it!

I have been doing psychotherapy for years and always find it fascinating to see how childhood experiences lead to the development of problems. There are lots of books about the theories, but the actual cases always seem much more striking to me. This book is fun to read if you are interested in looking at these kind of connections. I wish there were more books about this, but the subject seems to be out of vogue these days although people still have as many psychogenic problems as ever. I don't particularly like the books that make case material like this too artistic and flowery; this book describes the characters to the point. The examples part of "The Road Less Traveled" was also good in the same way.

I read the "The Fifty Minute Hour" in the 1960's and was particularly impressed by the chapter "The Jet Propelled Couch." In the mid 1990's I was telling my teenage daughter about the chapter and we went out and bought the book to see if dad remembered correctly. I did and she enjoyed the book as much as I did. It is a classic. I believe the scientist in "The Jet Propelled Couch" was at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The "Fifty Minute" comes from Freud. He advised therapists to reserve ten minutes to cool down after a session with a patient and to prepare for the next patient. In this post-Freudian era patients are seen back-to-back and the hour is fifty minutes to increase revenue, not to cool down. In fact the hour is now down to 40 minutes and even 30 with some doctors!

Unfortunately Lindner's next book "Prescription for Rebellion" as I remember was a dud. Really disappointing let down after the FMH.

I used this book recently in my travels to the South Pacific. Although alot of the prices are outdated(which is difficult to keep up with as travel books are concerned , 4 stars insted of 5)it still makes an excellent REFERENCE. I recommend this travel book over the Lonely Planet version.

This is by far the best South Pacific guide. Stanley has an engaging writing voice and it is clear that he feels very passionate about this special part of the world. You get the feeling that this book was actually written by a person, instead of by a committee (Lonely Planet). This book succeeds in being appropriate for a wide audience--from backpackers to honeymooners to yachties to scuba divers. Although the prices and some of the businesses are out-of-date (the book was published in 2000), it is still a great read, even if only for arm chair travellers.

This book is your bible to the South Pacific. If you have special (return)feelings about the South Pacific like we have, you must read this book. If you buy this book after your trip you will find out that every spot you have travelled to is described the way YOU would do it. Buy it before you travel and the South Pacific Handbook will guide you for the best holiday you have ever made. Thank you David Stanley!

Arthur Zeeuw and Jane Toredjo

It becomes quite clear after reading Go Down Moses why many critics call this William Falkner's most mature book dealing with race. In Go Down Moses, the black characters are not only as well represented as may be possible from a white author, they are believable and easy to relate to. The main character "Uncle Ike", the grandson of an influential plantation owner, comes to represent everyone who struggles with identity in the miserable face of racism. The style of the book itself was confusing for readers and critics when first published, as it makes use of a series of chapters, each with its own title and numbered sections. Faulkner resisted having the book called a collection of short stories and most modern readers should have little problem with its nonsequential chapters and its sometimes, seemingly, unrelated characters. If you have read some Faulkner, especially A Light in August or Absalom, Absalom or if you enjoy authors such as Toni Morrison and Richard Wright you must read this book to get an idea of just how far Faulkner came toward wrestling with race in his time.

I read Go Down Moses in 1996 before taking a trip to Mississippi. I had never read Faulkner before and had only one criterion for picking a book of his: it had to take place in the mythical Yoknapatawpha County. I picked this one off the library shelf.

For any non-southern American whose sole exposure to what happened there was from history books, this should forever shatter the pat preconceptions and simplistic black and white (no pun intended!) formulas they were taught.

The book plunges you into a vast panorama of ambiguities and contradictions. It was clear to me from the first paragraph that Faulkner was a genius. In the whole history of literature, he surely stands among a select few at the very pinnacle of greatness.

Go Down Moses is a tremendous struggle to get through. Some parts are straightforward and easy, but there are others that you can't hope to make literal sense of. You're bombarded by its twisted grammar. Its frantic confusion. Its endlessly unresolved sentences. But through these, Faulkner ultimately conveys the pain of history -- past and present. The emotion of that pain seems more real to him than the specific incidents it sprang from. Why else would a book begun in pre-Civil War Mississippi -- entirely skip it -- picking up again a generation later?

This book is about the South. Having read it, Faulkner walked beside me every step of the way I took through his state. But this book also has a sub-theme that should not be overlooked. Faulkner was a profound environmentalist, although sharply contrasted with how we usually think of that term. Hunters don't much fit the mold of environmentalism -- and Faulkner was an avid one of that lot. So, in that sense, along with all the sociological, he can shake you up pretty good! Go Down Moses contains some of the most wrenching descriptions you could hope to find on the loss of wilderness. There is nothing ambiguous in his portrayal of that loss. Faulkner may confound everything you thought you believed of Southern sociology, but in an environmental sense, he leaves no room for confusion. Leave those trees standing!

This book will grip you; I can't imagine it having a lesser effect. Like all truly great art, it should change you forever.

Please, please do not pass over the other fine stories in GO DOWN, MOSES and go straight to "The Bear." This gem means much more when illuminated by the other parts of the text, and only by reading the entire book can you fully understand the meaning of Ike's repudiation of the McCaslin land. I recently completed a Faulkner course, and of all of his "genius" novels--"As I Lay Dying," "Light in August," "Go Down, Moses," "The Sound and the Fury," and "Absalom! Absalom!"--I believe that this one has the strongest emotional core. Read the whole thing; your experience will be much richer.