We here in scifi-stories.com just finished reading the last book of this TIMESHIFT trilogy 'What Price Paradise?' and it is very interesting, well thought out and well written. The one that will definitely intrigue you until the end. We can't recommended it enough. For this last book Phillip Ellis Jackson teamed up with author John William Galt, an award winning movie talent, screenwriter, and actor.

In the third book of the Timeshift trilogy we find Elias Putnam discovering a way to send a jumper (what time travelers are called) back in time. Keith Maravich is sent back to save Alicia York and her mother from being murdered, believing that this could fix the calamities mankind has caused.

Carson Gilmore, Keith Maravich's friend, is sent back on a mission to stop Maravich from changing the past. In the middle of the desperation that mankind finds itself in the future, Maravich believes he will do good by affecting the past, bringing the scenario of changing events from the past that could cause irreversible consequences and an uncertain future.

This book is never boring and all connects together very well.

When finishing this books we now wonder, with what new ideas will Phillip Jackson come up with next? We have become his fans as a 'story teller' just as we know many of those that will read these books.

Primal Fear tells the story of attorney Martin Vail's efforts to defend Aaron Stampler, who is accused of killing a very prominent influential and popular Catholic bishop. The book is solid enjoyment, well researched, and all of the main characters are well developed. There are shifts and surpises, but none so ridiculous as to be unbelievable. The courtroom scenes are well done and very interesting.

This was my first first book by Diehl and I have never seen the movie, although I remember it coming out. I enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed books by Michael Connelly and James Patterson. Diehl's better than Grisham without a dobut. After this one, I can't wait to read another book by him.

I don't want to say too much about the plot, except that you'll know early on who the killer is, and so will everyone else on Vail's defense team. Don't rest on that. Before the end that will change before your very eyes.

Enjoy.

I must say that I bought this book by seeing an ad of the movie on the TV, but while the movie hadn't come up in Brazil I read it. I've never heard about Diehl before, but as I turned the pages ( fast indeed ), I realized that he is a very good writer, able to create characters that you simply love. vail is the bad-boy counselour that must take the defense of the angel-looking Stampler, accused of the murder of a weel-known bishop in Chicago. As he goes deep in the investigation of the crime, th real truth about stampler begins to come out. And it's amazing, to the last page. Even if the end is kind of predictable, you keep reading just to confirm if it's what you're thinking. When I found out about the sequel to this novel, named " Show of Evil ", I went right to the bookstore to buy it. And I hope that it makes me stay awake in the night just as " Primal " has

Although William Diehl's "Primal Fear" is almost ten years old now, I did not have the good fortune to read it until this week. What a classic legal thriller!
The character of Martin Vail, although an obvious egotist who will do anything to win his case, is still a fascinating character, and his defense of the psychotic killer Aaron Stampler proves how cunning and brilliant he can be.
Although the obvious dark secret of the murdered archbishop is readily apparent, the way Diehl moves through the various clues is simply stunning. The other characters are likewise brilliantly executed and the courtroom scenes crackle with tension and surprises.
Of course, at the heart of this novel is the villain, Aaron Stampler. A seemingly cherubic and victimized young man, we find out a great deal about Aaron, his childhood, his teen years, and it is hard to believe that this mild-mannered young boy could brutally murder the Archbishop.
That's where the fun starts as Diehl wields a mighty sharp pen in this exceptionally good thriller.
Am anxious now to read the sequel, "Show of Evil."

I picked up this book on a whim and you should, too. These stories about the post-WWII rural South are often funny, sometimes moving and worth reading.

The stories are short and easy reads, so stick this book on your bedside table and read a story or two each night before going to sleep.

The only fault I had with "Southern Fried Plus 6" is that many of the settings and characters had a sameness to them. But this is a minor problem in what is overall a fine collection.

This a a good collection of stories to introduce readers to William Price Fox. "The Pit Fight" is an exceptional read because of its insightful comment on evils in human nature and has been enjoyed by many of his students that participating in his creative writing classes at the University of South Carolina. You will not regret buying it, it has something for everyone and you'll want to go back to the stories again and again.

I read this book back when I was in college in the early sixties; it was just SOUTHERN FRIED then, a little paperback I picked up on impulse...it turned out to be one of the funniest books I had ever read, and I always regretted giving it away when I joined the army. I never forgot it - who could forget Leroy Jeffcoat with his fast nerves, or Round House with his razor, or the Buzzard's Lope, or, oh, don't get me started.

So I am delighted to see it back in print (with six new additions) and heartily recommend it. This is a particularly good book to have if you're reading in bits - coffee breaks and the like - because the stories are very short. (Some aren't even stories so much as little vignettes.) Be warned, though, your co-workers may look strangely at you when you burst into uncontrollable guffaws.

I can't think of any close comparisons - maybe Jeff Foxworthy on some sort of very dangerous drugs? Anyway buy this and read it. If it doesn't make you laugh you must have had your sense of humor shot off.

I thought this book was very helpful. What I liked most was the "rainbow meal plan" which listed the vegetables and meat combinations you could have on this diet at every meal. Because there are so many vegetables/meat combinations to choose from you shouldn't get bored. The plan also recommends steaming for all your food so it's easy to prepare - all you need is water, a pot and a steamer. The downside is you do have to chop a lot of veggies - however, it's worth it! I also had a hard time with another recipe which called for "Homemade Potassium Baking Powder" pg.83. In the recipe the book says to use potassium bicarbonate which can be ordered from a pharmacy. However, when I went to pick up my bicarbonate it had a skull and cross bone on the bottle and was rated somewhat toxic. When I talked to the pharmacist he said I needed to know what percentage of the potassium bicarbonate was called for because potassium bicarbonate is a strong base. Anyway I had no way to get that information so I skipped that recipe. So obviously the book should be more detailed about things like that. Yet even with this snaffoo I thought the book was helpful and still use most recipes.

Now in a thoroughly updated and expanded second edition, Pat Connolly's The Candida Albicans Yeast-Free Cookbook continues to offer the best and clearest explanation of the role good nutrition plays in helping to deal with yeast-related diseases and allergies. From Crowned Eggplant, Mint-Pea Salad, and Sweet Potato Souffle, to Fish in Butter-Ginger Sauce, Minestrone Soup, and A One-Pot Rainbow Meal, Connolly offers more than 150 delicious recipes for the yeast intolerant diner. Of special note are chapters devoted to "Eating Out"; "A Menu Sampler"; "Candida Folk Wisdom"; "Foods for the Yeast-Sensitive to Avoid"; and "Carbohydrates and Calories". The Candida Albicans Yeast-Free Cookbook is an essential, core title for the kitchen cookbook collection of any family with a yeast intolerant family member.

I found this book very helpful in the battle with yeast. The recipes are healthy, made from common ingredients, and quick and easy to prepare. They are also very flavorful. By avoiding the foods which promote the growth of Candida Albicans yeast, your body's natural immune defense can re-establish a healthy balance of micro-organisms for optimum health. Following the diets in this book, I noticed a difference immediatley, and was completley free of symptoms in two weeks. (I also used herbs to help fight the candida)

This is a fabulous guide, especially for the beginner. I have found it to be one of the most helpful price guides which I have purchased and I have a lot of them.

This is the best price guide i have yet to see. the detail in incredible. Definitely the best book out there.

THIS IS A MUST HAVE BOOK FOR ANY TOY COLLECTOR, FROM THE NOVICE TO THE PROFESSIONEL. IT HAS DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS AND A WELL LAID OUT INDEX SO A ITEM CAN EASILY BE FOUND. BUY AND ENJOY.

I bought this book earlier in the year. I saw it hyped on TV. After two recent massive failures costing at least 1/2 billion dollars total since my purchase of High Velocity Leadership..reading this book makes a person wince painfully. I am sure this new high risk management philosophy will be put on the grill when the U.S. Congress examines these failures. Thank God there were no human beings on these flights. Space exploration is the most dangerous, most high risk business ever conceived of by man short of war. After 42 years of this type of unforgiving scientific activity that has now largely been privitized and contracted out to the lowest bidder, it is time the U.S. reevaluates whether this is a successful policy or not. JPL head in-their-hands employees looking wistfully at their monitors are no longer cute or funny or sad. They own these failures along with President Clinton for cutting corners. This book, though describing one successful mission, actually becomes an insider's account how they dodged the bullets of risk in the fastest, cheapest, but clearly not the best way. Now every single Mars project and possibly a lot of other NASA projects are in mortal jepordy because of the project management philosophy described in this book. The authors can't have it both ways now. The whole world is watching. This book will be in the dollar or less bins at your local chain book store....and very soon...maybe before Christmas.

It is refreshing to see a book about one of NASA's unmanned successes. No wonder why the public is unaware of the JPL. This books gives a glimpse into the many obstacles Pathfinder had even before it left Earth. Muirhead tells the story in a very down-to-earth style. I was a bit disappointed in the frequent references into business applications on the "cheaper, better & faster" approach. At times it disrupted the flow of the book and gave an informercial taste to this book. I would also have liked a closing chpater on some of the scientific results of the little rover that gave us a very memorable Fourth of July in 1997. Overall, I recommend this tale of scientific exploration just because it gives the public information on space exploration that it wouldn't find elsewhere.

Brian K. Muirhead spins a great web of stories relating to the development and mission of the Mars Pathfinder. Against all odds regarding schedule and budget, he managed to keep his work teams focused on a shared vision towards a common goal. From initial proposal through early development into production and the actual mission, Brian and his team overcame obstacle after obstacle to make their dream of reaching and exploring Mars a reality. A must read for any manager of knowledge workers in the new global economy. The bible of faster, better, cheaper!

I have seen the price double in candy containers and this is going to be a HOT new collectable. And so far this is the best book I have found and I have really looked.

Candy King.

I think this is a great book and do recommend it.

This book is great and a MUST HAVE for serious and casual or would be collectors of Candy Containers. I have been collecting glass Candy Containers for many years and have just begun collecting the plastic containers. This is the BEST book on the subject. It is well organized and provides just enough background on the history of candy containers. It must have taken thousands of hours to compile such an extensive list and take all those pictures... Such great detail! The price evaluations are surprisingly accurate. Even though there is a disclaimer that value is what it is worth to you and the hobby is ment for fun. What a book. I bought 6 of 'em for gifts.

This is a no nonsense book by a true professional for traders who use momentum oscillators. I've successfully used Blau's oscillators for several years; one is the best I've found--period (and I won't disclose which one!!). He ranks with the best and seems not to be recognized. TradeStation code is included.

OK where did my previous review of this book go? I wrote it months ago was it lost?

Can't be bothered writing the whole thing again, so in summary: it is an excellent book, picks a main concept of smoothing and constructs some excellent indicators, and many different ones, has great ideas, inspires great ideas, has code / formulas you name it, extremely worthwhile for anyone who is serious and capable of putting these things into use.

That means constructing them and understanding them.

Some reviewers seem disappointed ... I suspect some people think "momentum" is some magic bullet that will get them into a stock before it moves, other reviewers are arguing definitions, all I can say is that when I first got hold of this book I took a look and did not really like it, but after working my way through it found it to be truly a gem.

Very worthwhile.

And where did my previous review go? grrrr

Very concise and to the point in covering what momentum is and how to use the tool of double smoothed averaging to smooth noise without lag. Essentially, that's the one main idea and the book takes it through a number of different flavors of implementation. The one confusion I had with the organization of the book is that the chapters are not explicitly related to one another using introductory and concluding review paragraphs. It reads like a series of independent smaller articles (which maybe it was from Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities). On the plus side, it's very short and a quick study.

I use Metastock and although the formulas are in Tradestation-speak, I did not have trouble converting them. Email me if you want them - irosenthal@yahoo.com.

Shakespeare's Unorthodox Biography by Diana Price is essential for those who wish to come to grips with the Shakespearean authorship problem, first as an exposition of the anti-Stratfordian case, and second as a reference work of the first order. An entrenched orthodoxy will not take kindly to this thorough examination of the shortcomings of Shakespearean scholarship, especially that of recent biographers. Negative reviews can be expected, but prospective readers should take that bias into account. Reading the book will be the only way to judge, because it is itself the best source of information at hand.

Perhaps the best way to express an appreciation of Price's book is to contrast it to the Amazon.com review entitled "Deconstructing the Stratford Man," by Edward Thomas Veal. One cannot expect a subject to be argued fully in opposing reviews, but I would hope by a response to direct readers to the full argument in Diana Price's book.

Veal suggests by his title and opening remarks that Price's publication has something in common with modern literary theory, as represented by the word 'deconstruction.' On the contrary, her work uses none of the vocabulary or method of the movement embraced so wholeheartedly by Shakespearean academia for the last twenty years. Now that the movement has run its course and is acknowledged as nonsense, its value has sunk to a manner of name-calling. The reviewer can only have hoped to discourage general interest by lumping Diana Price with the unreadable practitioners of literary theory.

The reviewer quite unfairly attributes opinions to Price that are not true or even suggested. For example, he says that Price believes the author of the works adopted the name 'Shakespeare' "just by coincidence." This is untrue, but such absurdities may be placed on an author only if a book remains unread. Veal implies that Price's identification of Shakespeare in unflattering contemporary literary allusions is unreasonable, though she is careful to cite the orthodox scholars who reasonably suggest the same. Most of the reviewer's remarks are similarly slanted.

Veal attributes to Price an "animus" to Shakespeare that is absent. He also accuses her of "partial scholarship," though her book is scholarly throughout, and will serve Shakespeareans as a much needed example. As a reference source, one may count on the book for accuracy. The reviewer justifies the term "partial" by suggesting that Price selectively confronts evidence and analysis. This is mere subterfuge because Price offers the most comprehensive biographical analysis to date, which Veal's examples of omission would have one think otherwise.

But these citations instead reveal the difficulty of finding lapses to criticize. For example, Veal acknowledges facts cited by Price in respect of the phrase "our ever-living poet" in the Sonnet dedication, but faults her for failing to cite a scholar's odd opinion of the phrase, as if opinion were fact. Some, it must be said, can't tell the difference.

Veal misstates Price's position on the possibilities of Shakespeare's education by likening his to Ben Jonson's, and saying that she "derides the notion" that Shakespeare could have been self-educated. What Price does is simply to contrast the evidence, which is ample for Jonson, and non-existent for Shakespeare. The orthodox method is revealed here: appropriated evidence serves for real evidence. This is the type of thinking that has monopolized Shakespearean scholarship for too long. Price's innovative chart comparing the literary biographies of contemporaries to Shakespeare should open the eyes of all but the biased, and even they can benefit from a little knowledge.

The reviewer criticizes Price for failing to list the manuscript fragment in the play "Sir Thomas More" that he says "is widely believed" to be in Shakespeare's hand. Here again Veal mistakes opinion for fact, an error so often allowed in Shakespearean scholarship that the immersed might think it is allowed elsewhere.

The citation of "Sir Thomas More" is particularly unfortunate because its history as a subject does not speak well of generations of scholars, who attempted to manufacture Shakespearean evidence in opposition to anti-Stratfordian argument. Conforming to the fate of so many orthodox theories, the "More" hypothesis is crumbling as it is most cited as evidence. See for example the revealing article by the eminent orthodox scholar Paul Werstine, "Shakespeare More or Less: A.W. Pollard and Twentieth-Century Shakespeare Editing," Florilegium 16 (1999) pp. 125-45.

Veal also criticizes Price for accepting contemporary evidence of an aristocratic "stigma of print" as vital to her case. Though the stigma is not vital to the case, which depends on evidence of all sorts, it should be taken into account at least as much as the appeal to authority on which the reviewer relies. Veal suggests that Price "conceivably overlooked" a journal article contrary to her opinion. This is a common tactic used by reviewers to imply that they've never overlooked anything. But when Veal states that "aristocrats of the era had no qualms about seeing their literary works, including their plays, in print under their own names," he shows he has no qualms about misstating the evidence. As it happens, Price ably defends her position in respect of this matter and others on her web site, http://www.shakespeare-authorship.com, which should not be overlooked.

Veal suggests that readers who are "impressed by Miss Price's facade of scholarship should bear omissions like these in mind." Yes they should, and they will realize that the scholarship is not a facade. The grudging admission of scholarship is in itself telling, but one can hardly expect an orthodox reviewer to admit that much of his expertise derives from the book he cannot recommend.

Veal also suggests an absence of promised "new evidence." First, there is a fair amount of strictly new evidence. Second, much of the evidence compiled will be new to readers of orthodox biographies, where it is either missing or distorted. Third, reexamination of "old" evidence reveals overlooked matter. Fourth, the treatment of the subject by prior scholarship is itself revealing evidence. Very few persons will come away from a reading of Price's book without having learned much of its subject. The author is deserving of respect, and I believe she demonstrates the need to respect the anti-Stratfordian position, not merely for the sake of fair play, but for a greater chance to determine the truth of historical events that have been clouded for too long by faulty scholarship.

This book is a learned and readable exposition of the Shakespeare Authorship Controversy. For those who didn't even know there was a "question", this well-researched and easy-to-read book lays out the reasons why the traditional attributions of "The Canon" to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon stands on shaky ground. Diana Price takes each bit of "evidence" for the Stratford man and shows why it is fallacious or based on faulty logic. Even the novice will find this book easy to follow! The author does not propose a solution to the mystery of who wrote the poems, plays and sonnets, but she leaves the door open to others who think they may have the answer. By the end of this book, the reader will be looking for another candidate for the title of "The Bard".

I have been a Shakespeare fan for some time, but am relatively new to the question of who actually wrote the plays. I found this book an ideal beginning place for those also interested, for in providing uncomfortable documentary evidence that traditional scholarship typically ignores, it pushed me farther along in my suspicion that, whoever wrote the works of Shakespeare, it was not the man from Stratford.

In very readable terms Price shows that there is indeed enormous room to doubt the traditional attribution of the plays. Rather than try to influence potential readers with only my opinions, I will let the book speak for itself by mentioning a few items which most impressed me, in the hope that this will convey the tone of the book as a whole:

Traditional scholars express disbelief at the suggestion that the Stratfordian was a "front man" for a high-born anonymous author: "Why use an actual person? Why not just a false name?" However, Price renders this objection moot by quoting the Elizabethan Robert Greene, who wrote of poets who "for their calling and gravity, being loath to have any profane pamphlets pass under their hand, get some other Battillus to set his name to their verses." (Battillus was an ancient who put his name to the works of Virgil.) Thus, Price provides proof that in Elizabethan England front men WERE employed by anonymous authors to protect their reputations. Whether scholars want to believe it or not, it was done.

Traditional scholars also protest that no one doubted Shakespeare's authorship during his lifetime. Price again quotes contemporary records to prove this another falsehood. Apparently the mystery surrounding the Shakespeare authorship dates back to the 1590's, for even as the works were printed some readers took the name "Shakespeare" to be a pseudonym for (variously) Francis Bacon, Samuel Daniel, and Edward Dyer.

Traditional scholarship's claim that the actor Shakspere was also a writer is founded on an ambiguous passage about a "Shake-scene" from the 1592 pamphlet "Greene's Groatsworth of Wit." (Aside from this passage, they have *nothing* dating from Shakspere's life which clearly states that he was "Shakespeare.") However -- and for the first time that I've ever seen -- Price places the "Shake-scene" passage *within the context of the pamphlet as a whole*. I was shocked to learn that the whole first section of "Groatsworth" -- never mentioned by orthodox scholars -- deals with a seemingly autobiographical account of how Greene was misused and cheated by a greedy, moneylending actor who brokered plays and took credit for others' writings. Why have we never been told this in traditional biographies?! The description of the actor tallies exactly with the picture we get of the Stratfordian's character from his later business activities.

(Price also shows that, despite scholars' claim that the "Shake-scene" passage represents Greene's envy that a mere actor should show success at playwrighting, that is apparently not how Elizabethans interpreted it. She quotes the one Elizabethan allusion we have to the passage -- and its author took the "Shake-scene" passage as representing an unethical moneylending actor who takes credit for others' writings.)

Similarly, Price shows how traditional scholarship -- for no good reason -- rejects some records related to Shakspere, but accepts others on far weaker grounds. For example, Shakspere's first recorded activity in London is a 1592 document which shows him lending 7 pounds (a large sum of money then). Most biographers, if they mention it at all, reject this record as referring to "another Shakspere" -- even though it is perfectly congruent with Shakspere's later known moneylending activities. Apparently the only reason this record is rejected is that this *fact* about Shakspere's early London activity does not match scholars' *beliefs* about his supposed early writing career.

Similarly, Price brings to light contradictions in the historical record which orthodox scholars gloss over. For example, biographers claim that during the Christmas season of 1597 Shakspere was fulfilling professional commitments by performing at Court with his theater company. (As it is documented that the company indeed did. It was their most important engagement.) They also acknowledge that the records show that Shakspere was regularly in Stratford, engaged in business. However, what they fail to mention is that the documents indicate Shakspere was doing mundane business in Stratford *at exactly the same time* that he was supposedly performing at Court as a key member of "his company." Price shows how traditional biographies typically deal with these incompatible records: by placing them in different chapters, apparently in the hope that no one will notice the obvious conflict in timing.

And much more ...

From what I have seen, this book has been a great embarrassment to traditional scholarship, for it clearly demonstrates how weak much of that scholarship has been, based on assumptions taken as fact, unquestioned received wisdom, and circular logic. And since Price quotes only orthodox sources, she shows how orthodoxy has painted *itself* into a number of mutually incompatible corners. Orthodox scholars seem to be becoming increasingly defensive and hysterical as popular interest in the authorship question, and doubts about the Stratfordian, continue to grow. A typical response appears on Price's website and comes from the authors of the Shakespeare Authorship Web Site: "[We] have both been far too busy with more important matters to write up a comprehensive response to Price (doing exciting real scholarship is somehow much more fulfilling than refuting pseudo-scholarship)."

Apparently it is easier for orthodox scholars to resort to name-calling and bluster than to squarely address these tough questions for which they have no answers. This is an essential book for any open-minded Shakespeare fan.

Unlike the other reviews, I thought the book was not that technical at all. The book at first seemed to dedicate too many pages to the same topics you find in every beginner astro book, telescope types, eyepiece types, etc... The information on the planets were not as detailed as I had hoped (sans Saturn). Most of this information and much more can be found on the Web. I did think the chapter on the minor planets was worth the read.

I must admit, my opinion of this book may have been heavily skewed because I "accidentally" read the introduction. In there, Fred Price compares planetary astronomers to real "observers" and anyone who observes deep-sky objects to "sightseers".

Hmmm... the AAVSO might differ with that opinion, as would a number of organizations who do deep sky research. Maybe I was just too sensitive, but the introduction did rub me the wrong way. It is true, I do often "sight see" deep sky objects for the challenge of seeing something I had not seen and to improve my "observing eye" (ability to see detail with your eyes). I do not care what Dr. Price thinks of me in doing so. However, I know many people who think the opposite way, that observing the planets is a dull and boring task that already much is known about. I think both sides are wrong to be so damned elitist about it.

Besides that, it is a good book :-)

I was surprised by the technical flavor of this book, as I expected (wrongly, it turned out) a beginner to mid-level observation handbook which I could take out with me on my observation trips.

The book is over 400 pages long, all written in 10 point Times font. There are very little illustrations and photo, and they are all in black and white. So it looks like a college science textbook and is very challenging visually.

Each of the sections on each planet have the same subsections such as "History of Observation" (mostly useless to me), "Observing [Jupiter, etc.]" and "Space craft Obsevation of [Jupiter, etc.]"

It also seems that to see most of the stuff described in this book, you need to have a telescope that is at least 8 inches, so that is out of my league.

However, in fairness, I know that this is a very compresensive book on the subject, and answers all possible questions that one may have on observing the planets.

But as I said, this book is more suitable for the advanced amateur Astronomer.

This terrific book is an illustrated and textual exposition of the Solar System - a guided tour of the planets and their characteristics - from the transients of Mercury to eclipses and occultations of Pluto and Charon. Except for a few singular and minor omissions, The Planet Observer's Handbook qualifies as one of the best works on the Solar System to date. In fact we've included it on the Belmont Society's "Required Reading List" for the amateur astronomer.

Advanced amateurs may want to skim through the first chapters - dealing with telescope types, accessories, components of the celestial sphere, and introductory terminology. There are however, some eye-catching moments for jaded readers, like the apodizing (antidifraction) screen, a simple homemade device to limit diffraction and the effects of atmospheric turbulence while not adversely affecting image contrast or quality (it's actually an old trick, but not that well known).

This book was not intended to be a "post card catalog" of pretty pictures. Thus there are no contemporary photographs such as pictures of Venus from the HST, or a Cassinni fly-by image of Io against the festooned background of Jupiter. There are however, many pertinent photos and illustrations to serve historic interest and to offer educational impact. We find this arrangement to be perfectly suitable and appropriate.

Some may be surprised and/or a little disappointed that our moon is not included here. But keep in mind that the moon is a subject unto itself, and thus deserves a work of a separate magnitude - and there are several available.

There are some disappointments: Aside from some basic illustrations for the purpose of scale, this work is notably lacking in accurate renditions of the orbital planes of major satellites. Also, in light of various discussions about several other oddities, there is virtually none (or even any speculation) about the drastic tilt of Uranus. We find this to be curiously conspicuous, as it's one of the most striking anomalies in the Solar System.

There is skillful discussion of little-known and much-neglected Solar System components, like the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, and some insightful speculation of such things as their respective associations with short and long term comets. There is also some discussion of an almost ubiquitous "Planet-X", the existence of which is argued to this day as being the cause for Neptunian perturbations. This parallels some speculation (or at least the opinion) that Pluto and Charon are in fact not the ninth planet and its moon, but simply major lost-in-space chunks of accreted or captured "debris".

We found the brief presentation and subsequent explanation of Bode's Law to be the best we have seen offered in a non-college level text. This intriguing mathematical statement is so staggeringly significant, (yet surprisingly simple) that it boggles the mind.

Finally, there is considerable discussion of the data and knowledge that can be contributed by amateur astronomers. This discussion is a clever form of interactive "provocation" and is to be applauded. Author Price emphatically encourages dedicated amateurs to take up the gauntlet, and involve themselves in observational contributions to the sciences, and he makes a fair attempt at describing how to accomplish it, including addresses of where to send your observations and data. However, you shouldn't feel bad if you don't have the time or the inclination to engage in such ambitious activities.

The average amateur astronomer who is even mildly interested in the Solar System will benefit greatly from this work, and will likely gain a great deal of knowledge and insight about the countless and innumerable objects that circle the Sun.

Highly recommended.