The play goes along very similar lines as that of the shakespear play measure for measure as both show selfabsorbtion is a paramount factor though it does seem like a rewrite is does has its own high points especially Mosca a very funny character.

I had expected Jonson's plays to be difficult and certainly less rewarding than Shakespeare. Surprisingly, despite the passage of four centuries, the humor in "Volpone" remains natural and entertaining today. I have now read several other comedies by Ben Jonson, but "Volpone" remains my favorite.

I did have difficulty getting started with "Volpone". The rather long dedication, the argument, and the prologue all took their toll. To make matters worse, I was completely confused and lost in Act One, Scene One, by a "Pythagorean satire", entertainment provided by Volpone's eccentric servants, Mosca, Nano, Andrrogyno, and Castrone. (I later learned that Jonson may have added this literary satire for special performances at Oxford and Cambridge. Apparently Jonson knew his scholars well, as "Volpone" was well-received at both universities.)

Fortunately, Scene One is not representative of the play, and I had little difficulty thereafter with either the plot or the humor. Unlike Shakespeare, Ben Jonson's characters seldom reflect on their motivations in soliloquies or insightful dialogue. We meet characters without great complexity. Once we know them, we find that they remain in character and behave predictably. This does not mean his characters are shallow or uninteresting. I even found myself somewhat sympathetic for the unscrupulous Volpone, Mosca, Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino. They are all villains, just not particularly villainous villains.

Even though the characters behave predictably, the plot is anything but predictable. The confusion builds throughout the play and I had no idea how Jonson was going to resolve the situation in Act Five. I quite enjoyed "Volpone" and I would like to have an opportunity to see it on stage someday.

I did find one aspect of "Volpone" to be disconcerting. I was taken aback by Volpone's house servants, the dwarf Nano, the eunuch Castrone, and the hermaphrodite Androgyno. These individuals, occasional targets for humor, play rather unimportant roles and are sometimes deleted from modern productions.

Ben Jonson was a talented playwright that had the historical misfortune to be a younger contemporary of Shakespeare. He is quite familiar to literary scholars and English literature majors, but for most of us he remains in the shadow of Shakespeare.

You can find several good editions of "Volpone", either alone or in collections. I recommend "Volpone or, The Fox", edited by David Cook, and published by Routledge in London. It was published in 1962, but has been reprinted many times. I benefited greatly from Cook's introduction and footnotes. This softcover book is printed on high quality paper.

Another widely available source is the inexpensive Oxford World's Classics, "The Alchemist and Other Plays" by Ben Jonson. The introduction and footnotes by Gordon Campbell are quite good.

I am a fan of Dover Thrift Editions, but I don't recommend the Dover "Volpone" 1994 edition for a first reading of Jonson as the footnotes are sparse.

I came upon this play and Ben Jonson by the back door. I was watching a movie titled "The Honey Pot" with Rex Harrison. His character Cecil Fox after observing this play used the outline for his own purposes. So naturally I have to read the play to see what the movie is mimicking.

I have several copies of "Valpone" (the fox) to compare information on Ben. This is a review of the "New Mermaids Series" I have several of their series. They give you all the background information and any annotation needed. They make the information interesting enough that you feel that Ben Jonson is in the room with you. I am sure some people would not want to be in the same room. I was surprised to find that William Shakespeare acted in some of Ben's plays.

The play is well written and has many levels to it. If it did not have so many footnotes I would be in trouble. It reads like an English play yet has parts that would make Stephen King blush.

True White Tantra is founded in perfect concordance with the teachings of Krishna, Buddha Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava and Jesus of Nazareth, all of whom expressly declared that desire leads souls to suffering, and only purified souls can enter the superior worlds and positively awakened consciousness. Although it contradicts the Western concept of sexuality, true White Tantra demands the absolute renunciation of the animal desire. True White Tantra leads the repentant soul along the path of absolute purification from all that is based in desire, craving, aversion, fear, anger, pride, envy, lust, etc. Obviously, the most potent and most advanced teachings of Pure White Tantrism are the teachings of Sexual Yoga, in which the practicioner must completely conquer their lust and rejuvenate the soul; this is accomplished by transmuting energy, by converting the base energies into refined energies, and this is possibly only by saving every atom of sexual energy, thus the practicioner of White Tantra must renounce the orgasm. The various teachings that recommend occasional orgasms are what is called "Grey Tantra," as they are diversionary teachings designed to seduce naive seekers into believing they can pursue spiritual work while still fulfilling their animal lust. True White Tantra always requires the complete removal of animal lust, and any practice that sustains lust or ignores it is a door to Black Tantra. Black Tantrism attracts innocent souls through their desires and leads them to profound suffering. For more information, read "The Perfect Matrimony," "The Mysteries of the Fire," and "The Mystery of the Golden Blossom" by Samael Aun Weor.

This book loses major points by suggesting that it is okay for a man of 30 to ejaculate once every two days, and a man of 40 once every three days. As a comparison, Daniel Reid in his book The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity recommends a general regimen of 24 ejaculations per year, or about once every two weeks, varying the frequency depending on age and the time of year.

Anyone who does qigong, taiji or similar work with their qi would understand that the ejaculatory frequencies suggested by this book are far too high. Three days is simply not enough for a man of 40 to replenish his energy levels and fully experience Eastern sexual techniques.

The book simply does not want to tell men that they should reduce their frequency of ejaculation in order to build up qi levels - my guess is that they would not sell as many copies if they told Western men to reduce their ejaculation frequency. Besides, most men are already ejaculating as often as this book mentions, as according to Esquire a few years ago the average number of ejaculations by men was 2.7 per week (about once every 3 days). In my opinion this ruins an otherwise good book.

I truly enjoyed this book. It describes everything you need to know to succesfully begin into the Arts of the East and West, with plenty of practical applications. Anyone interested in improving their level of activity will be surprised by the usefulness of this book. Great Choice !

This book is really more about the organs and tissues then the brain. Because the brain regulates the entire body, the author spends an inordinate (and misleading, from the title) amount of time on topics other than the brain; for example, the different types of teeth, and the layers of the skin. For this reason, a lot of fascinating brain-related information is omitted.

The author is also a bit too glib, and this gives a very mixed tone of the serious and the off cuff: "the two are brought together by sexual intercourse (a term often shortened to 'sex' when people are in a hurry"). Moreover, admonishments to care for your body (brush your teeth, exercise more, etc.) seemed out of place. On the positive side, the book has some fun illustrations (although a too cluttered at times), and the large color pictures of the organs and brain are fairly easy to understand. 62 pages, with a short glossary and an index.

This book guides you through the Human body like none other with very detailed pictures and captions. It tells you about how surgeons can replace organs and how doctors look inside you body. It also gives a picture of each vital (and non-vital) organ and tells you how it works.

I found this book lucid and without pretension. These authors have clearly done their 'homework'. A 'How To' book on the subject of Ascension clearly begs the question of the authors. I find their style engaging and in many ways reminiscent of Patton's ground-breaking work on "THE Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years" (I think that's the title) in which the author explains the 'How' of Jesus' own ascension. Both writers present highly controversial material that 'authorities' would decry and yet, the process of reading, leads one along a path that feels 'right'. If you allow the heart to judge (put head into neutral) this book will speak volumes that resonate as truth.

from chennile to the modern day corporate titans of tufting. Especially good if you are from the South and have felt the impact of the carpet industries. With a detailed look at many of the industries leading personalities, this book is a must for those who are involved in carpet manufacturing and interested in its history.

This is a good book because it studys life on the seashore and things that live on it, like sea stars and crabs.

The Horn Book Review misses the point - I use this book with my students who enjoy it quite a bit. I think part of its appeal IS the quietness of the story & illustrations - you might as well make fun of Mr.Rogers for being so quiet & calm - Hey! that's the appeal to kids sometimes in a noisy fast-paced Sesame Street/MTV/Internet world. I recommend all of David's books - for kids and his adult work also.

I wouldn't recommend this as a first Spenser book. In fact I'd suggest going to "The Godwulf Manuscript" at the very beginning of the series.

Be that as it may, it is a rewarding read for those familiar with the characters. Especially rewarding is the re-introduction of Cholla who we met briefly in "Stardust".

Parker varies his narrative style this time out. The perspective switches back and forth between the victim Lisa, who's police detective Belson's young wife, and Spenser, so we can see when Spenser gets on the wrong track and when he gets back on the right one.

This isn't quite the best Parker, but it's good and worth your while if you're a Spenser fan.

When "Thin Air" begins with the italicized description of a woman bound in the back of a van, abducted by someone who knows her and is videotaping everything, it is reminiscent of Robert B. Parker's "Crimson Joy," the first Spenser novel to get away from the first person narrative style of the series. When Detective Frank Belson shows up and tells our hero that his wife is gone, we know the identity of the woman in the van. As far as her husband is concerned, Lisa St. Claire has disappeared into "Thin Air" (Parker has been much more mundane with his titles in his recent efforts and it has been years since he started off with any grandiose literary quotations). Each Spenser novel is unique in its own way and for this one the main trick is that we know what has happened to the damsel in distress and we get to watch as our hero gets closer and closer. Belson does not know anything about his wife before the fateful night they met, and, of course, Spenser uncovers a whole lot of information. But what looks like the old story of the beautiful young wife who leaves her older husband is shattered when Belson is ambushed and almost killed.

Whereas the previous Spenser novel dealt with Chinatown, "Thin Air" focuses on the Hispanic elements in the greater Boston area, which forces Spenser to use the assistance of Chollo, the enforcer for the L.A. mobster we met in "Stardust" (Hawk is in Burma--the mind boggles). But while most of the usual supporting cast is not around for this one, Spenser certainly meets a couple of interesting women in the course of his investigation (although I find it strange that Quirk is not a lot more involved in this one). Once again Spenser tries to put all the pieces together and then find a way of making everybody happy, but as usual, things never do work out perfectly. While certainly an atypical Spenser novel, "Thin Air" probably grades out as an average effort for Parker

More plot to this novel ~ more detecting too ~ than some other Spenser stories. Still, plot is not everything, and still not the real reason one reads Parker. The interplay between Spenser and Susan is as strong as ever; Hawk is in Burma ~ don't ask ~ so we miss seeing him and Spenser. There is a Hawk replacement in the person of Chollo, a Latino hit-man from one of Spenser's West Coast connexions and, while not as detailed or intricate as the Hawk conversations, his with Spenser are still pleasurable. The pretext for the action this time is the disappearance of Lisa St. Claire, wife of Spenser's Boston PD friend Frank Belson. When Belson is hit with three shots from behind Spenser activates himself and goes hunting. The trail leads to a Hispanic community in northern Massachusetts ~ hence the introduction of the Latino side-kick. A welcome innovation (from Parker, not for fiction as a whole) is the use of third person sections interspersed, in a different type-face, telling of Lisa's experience. We thus are given both the hunter and hunted points of view.

Parker has succeeded in writing crime thrillers that are entertaining and fast reads and yet give you issues to think about. "Double Deuce" is no exception, and this time, the issues are racial relations and gang psychology.

This novel has a more intense than usual opening for Spenser, because we get to sorta know the young girl and her baby daughter just before they're killed, and to have a feeling of the life they were leading.

From there, as other reviews have pointed out, Hawk is the principal character this time, though Spenser does provide him with valuable information just before the climax. And hey, Hawk is involved in a relationship too, as if trying to clear a housing project in the ghetto of a gang isn't enough.

The romantic side plot this time takes up the question as to whether Spenser & Susan should be living together or not.

Especially good here is the portrayal of the attitude of the project residents and the activist preacher helping them towards Spencer. Also good is the portrayal of the grudging mutual respect between Hawk and the gang leader. On top of that, we're given an idea of how Hawk, in his own way, rose above his childhood beginnings.

A fourteen-year old girl, named Devona, and her three-month old daughter, Crystal, were shot and murdered in a drive-by shooting outside of a project housing called "Double Deuce". Police Detective Hawk asked Police Detective Spenser to help him investigate. While it is obvious that the murders were gang-related, it is the jobs of Hawk and Spenser to drive out the gang, The Hobarts, out of Double Deuce. Throughout their steakout, they are sometimes accompanied by a news reporter named Jackie, whose relationship with Hawk is a bit unclear. As for Spenser's love life, he struggles with his now live-in girlfriend, Susan. Through it all, Hawk and Spenser learn more about themselves than expected.

I enjoyed this book because there was so much real dialogue. The things that were said by Hawk,Spenser, and the gang members is much like the slang that is used in the real world. I also enjoyed it because the author showed a great contrast between the lives of those living in Double Deuce, and the life of Spenser. Robert Parker showed how Spenser went from staying in the ghetto during the day, to living a very comfortable life at home with his girlfriend, Susan, and their dog, Pearl. The chapters were short and to the point. It made me interested in what was going to happen in the chapters ahead. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery novel. Though it does not keep you guessing, it does keep you wanting to learn more.

Parker likes to change up the Spenser series. He gets stuck in a formula just chugging along in Boston, and likes to mix it up every few novels. He writes a basic Spenser novel, and they complain hes just going through the motions. If he writes something different they complain he should stick to what he writes best. Give me a break!
Here's why you should read Double Deuce. The classic stand off. Yes, we get to learn alot more about Hawk, but not too much as to deflate the mystery about the caracter. But the boasting that goes on between Hawk and the Gangs is interesting.
There isnt alot of mystery in this one, some of the Spenser novels arent so much a who-done-it but more of a how-will-you-resolve-it kind of book. I've read this book many times, there are better in the series, but if your reading them in order, don't skip this one!

Knowing the history and facts behind this fictional story gives alot of perspective on this paticular review. For any individual that had or has access to any of the actual public and sealed documents concerning this case, it tends to leave a great deal of food for thought.When a mistake is made by any government agency, of course, it's an embarrassment, especially considering the last couple of decades for a reminder.Some folks in this great nation are finally realizing that our government and law enforcement agencies are not infallible and that when put in a compromising position will do just about anything to save face and funds.It's not a pleasent reality that this portrays, but unfortunately true.If given the oportunity to find fact from fiction, would you take it??

I really think this story about David Ray Parker could have made a much better book.
I always like it when a author has a lot of details about the person who committed the crime,why he/she did this + about the victims
On the end i still had no better picture of David ray parker or his daughter or his girldriend(s).
This book was more about (how can i explain) the facts. then everything around it.
Maybe some pl will say, wauw thats what i want, but i read a lot of true crime but this was was a bit dissapointing to me.
It keeps you still with a lot of questions and because of the stye..it was not very frighting, although it was ofcourse horrifying to hear of these facts.
Before i read this one i had never heard of David ray Parker or the crimes he committed.

There is another book on this crime. called Slow death by James Fielder.
The reviews of that one are better. nearly 5 stars

David Ray Parker along with his girlfriend Cindy Hendy get their "kicks" from abducting unwilling women and holding them captive for three days. During those days, the unimaginable happens. David Ray has a Toybox of Terror that is filled with sexual aids, a gynecology chair and a video camera. After he has had his way with them he drugs them and leaves them in the middle of nowhere. It is appalling to think of what these women went through. This guy is sick and demented, unfortunately he's smart too.