Let me say first that I haven't bought a Forgotten Realms novel in a few years. I'm glad I bought this one though. I agree with the otehr reviewer that Erevis Cale is the coolest (congratulations Mr. Kemp), but the rest are cool too, except only the father. Ed's story didn't do anything for me. The youngest son and daughter are probably second and third best. Most of the stories are dark, even grim, with interesting stories and fast-paced plots. The city of Selgaunt really came to life for me, and I got into each of the characters when their story came along. On the strength of this book, I've decided to give FR novels another shot.

I've been a Realms fan for about ten years. Some books are hits, some are misses, and some have been awful. The Halls of Stormweather is great. Granted, a couple things were predictable, and there was one glaring discrepancy in character relationships (reread the Patriarch and Matriarch stories and see if you can find it). The authors did an excellent job provoking interest in the main figures of each story--I'd even get the books about the characters I didn't like just because I want to know what happens to them. Shamur, Tazi, Cale, and the maid whose name I can't recall are my favorite characters. They've got the most depth. Overall it's a fun read and great if you've only got a few minutes at a time to spend on a book.

All right. Two things: 1. Erevis Cale kicks serious arse. 2. This novel kicks serious arse. This is one of the few anthologies that I've ever read that actually worked. And this one worked well. This family is the best thing in fantasy since...I don't know what! Each character is fully developed, there's no cliches, and each story, while it does stand independently, interacts nicely with the others. Sembia is finally explored for FR fans, and the explanation is grand. Noble infighting, commercial espionage, thieves guilds, curses, a ton of action, you name it!

Now back to point one: Erevis Cale, the butler/manservant in this novel, is now my favorite FR character. This guy is a walking contradiction, but it works perfectly, effortlessly. Tension spills from the pages as he tries to reconcile his past with his present. This characterization job is all the more impressive considering that the author has only thirty or forty pages to work with.

I should add that everything I just said is true of the rest of the characters too, but Cale just sticks in my brain. This guys is unbelieveable! I can't wait to read more about him in Shadow's Witness this November.

Aristotle's The Politics is without a doubt one of the most celebrated works of political science from antiquity. He begins with a description of a state, advances through the numerous types of constitutions, describes the ideal citizen, and defines good government-not to mention numerous other fascinating political insights into the running of a state.

Aristotle's outline for government and state has been influential to political scientists for over 2,400 years. His discussion on the cons of complete unity, as well as his chapter on "the natural and unnatural methods of acquiring goods," certainly must have influenced Karl Marx, and his discussions on the "good of all" certainly led to Mills and Bentham's utilitarianism.

The Penguin Classics edition gives the reader an authoritative, inexpensive copy that is ideal for scholars as well as students. The footnotes are helpful, but not excessive. An excellent purchase all around.

As a mystery novelist, I find that reading a wide variety of materials helps enormously in my work. This book is one I read regularly. I first read POLITICS OF ARISTOTLE during my college days at Claremont McKenna College. The political science department insisted on a classical background for its students, and this book was one of the canon. It impressed me then. It still impresses me today. I only wish Aristotle could collect royalties on the books sold.

Just as in most of his other books, in "The Politics", Aristotle becomes the founder of organized, ordered, and systematic thought. Of course, he was not the first philosopher to think about the organization and governance of societies, but his work is the first classification and comparison of different possible systems. As I said in a recent review of Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics", his greatest originality is the stripping off of myth, legend, metaphor and poetics from his exposition of the subject. This is his main difference with his predecessor and teacher, Plato. This makes for a drier reading, but also for a clearer and better organized rendering of his clear thought. It can be said, moreover, that Plato and Aristotle constitute the founding pillars of the two main currents in Western thought: idealism (Plato) vs. realism (Aristotle). Although any tragedies deriving from these sources is, of course, not a responsibility of these great thinkers, it can be said, in general, the following:

The idealist tradition inaugurated by Plato led to the rise of universal, all-encompassing theories. That is, those which assert that there is a single unifying principle tying up together economics, politics, ethics, and social organization, and that this principle (whichever it may be) is suitable for any society at any time and place. Hence, Rousseaunianism, Socialism, Communism.

The "realist" tradition springing from Aristotle simply says that human problems can not be resolved by magical formulas or recipes. Social situations can not be severed from their immediate environment. Aristotle, then, classifies possible types of systems and defines their advantages and disadvantages for different types of societies. His approach, then, is that there can be no universal and general solutions or organizing principles. Aristotle is absolutely practical in his approach, as opposed to the theoretical systems imagined (as opposed to observed) by Plato. Hence: liberalism, Realpolitik, capitalism, democracy (or I should say "capitalisms" and "democracies", since there are very different varieties of these systems). Aristotle examines then distinct kinds of Constitutions, what they require to be effective, and what effects they might bring upon.

Read it, then, for a clear and well-ordered exposition of themes, subthemes, and advice. Here you will find the origin of half of Western political thought. And precisely the half that seems to be winning the race.

This book is unquestionably a fine collection of the author's work, which is beautiful, and a fantastic book for giving you a start on the process of inlay. Robinson's writing is excellent, as clear as you could get. And his sequence of coverage makes a lot of sense, too. This is a very good introduction to the possibilities and the process of inlay and if that's what you are looking for then it is worth buying.
But I gave it 4 stars because the book focuses only on his own work and because the promise of "design and technique" is not fully actualized. It's just that one would appreciate somewhat more depth of coverage, adding information on "pitfalls" in addition to "process", as well as a more comprehensive look at other people's possibilities in design. And, I would have really loved to have had some very close up photographs of inlay details, and even photographs of "bad" work and mistakes for reference. In that case, this would be a classic on the topic. It's probably more work than his intention of writing this book, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a new edition if that were the case, and as a fellow artisan I would truly appreciate it. How about it, Robinson?

Robinson's book on the Art of Inlay is terrific and instructive in two aspects. First, the examples of his inlays are beautiful and bound to give the beginning and even advanced students many ideas. Second, the instructive content and presentation are first rate. It is easy to see in Larry's lucid explanations, that he is an excellent teacher who has organized and presented his material in a way to make it easily accessible to students at all levels. While I bought the book to learn how to inlay a guitar fingerboard and peghead, Larry has given me many ideas on other forms of the art of inlay. I strongly recommend this book.

This book is packed with innovative ideas for simple paint makeovers. I normally do not involve myself with painting tasks and even my own projects turned out nicely.
The only thing that might have helped is more of an explaination on what kind of and where to purchase some of the paints and quality brushes.
This is a BUY book. It would make a wonderful gift for people who like to work with there hands around the home.

This is a wonderful book with a lot of different projects, techniques and styles. It is great for anyone wanting to add special touches and effects to their home.

The book starts out overview of materials including color photos of all the tools you will need. There is also guide to mixing paints and a great chart on various materials for painting. There are many wonderful effects that can be achieved by adding your own pigments or otherwise modifying standard off the shelf paints. Numerous techniques follow including colorwashing, dry brushing, rubbing off, sponging, graining, aging, stippling, combing, stucco, embossing, stenciling, stamping and creating a few stone finishes. There are also instructions for painting on glass and using masks or resists such as wax.

Over 25 projects are included for walls, floors, windows, furniture and accessories as well. Some projects include striped Greek vases, checkerboard wall, slot-machine counter front, and colorwashed flowers, daisy-strewn floorboards, cork-tile games floor, and a mosaic border. My favorite projects were the whimsical window frame, fossil tabletop and a beautiful Japanese style fabric screen. There are also some great design motifs such as shells, artichokes, and boats. Conveniently, small templates, which you can enlarge, are included for all the projects.

Most of the projects use latex or acrylic paint, only a few use oils. Step-by-step directions are given for each of these techniques or projects. Close-up photos show each technique in a few different colors and recipes are given for each one. Some of the effects and projects have pictures of finished rooms or objects done with them.

Almost all of the techniques here, and more, are also covered in Chronicle's companion book, Paint Recipes. What sets this book apart is that it is project oriented, focusing on the application of the recipes to the many decorative projects I've described. This is a great source of technical know how and artistic inspiration.

I give this book a 4 star rating. It deserves 4 stars for a couple reasons: One, it gave a great description of his life... And two, because it had a few confusing parts so I knocked off a star. Overall it was a pretty good biography. I would mostly recomend this book to baseball fans and African Americans. I would recomend it to Baseball fans because he was a great baseball player and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I would also recomend it to African Americans because he was the first black baseball player in the history of the game.

I think this book has all the features of a story it goes very in depth on who Jackie robinson is that is why i gave it 5 stars.

This book is about a girl who wants to adopt a orphan in a not so fortunate country. Her mother doesn't make much money and says they can't adopt an orphan because its too expensive. This is a good book for people who need easy books to read and are interested in people who aren't as fortunate as us who are living in other countries.

this book is easy to read and is not a dr.sues book. a thought ful book that picks up right where the other ends.best entertainer comes from you can read it not to be entertained but to entertain yourself.

In this book the main characters were Sam, Davy, and Jackie. It was basically about that Jackie bacame a Brooklyn Dodger and became one of the world's greatest baseball player. Then this boy really became a fan of his. Jackie became really ill and sick ,and hit a home run for his best friend Sam. Jackie said "baseball will never be over". I will never ever recommend this book to a adult. If I ever did I would recommend this book to a child or a sportman. I think this book was the most boriest book I ever read. This book was held at Brooklyn Stadium and other places around Brooklyn.

I read Thank You, Jackie Robinson for a book report.This book was a really good book for a baseball fan, or just a sports fan.
This book not only talked about baseball but, it also had a great meaning. This book made me feel really great and happy when I read it. At one point in the book it was a bit sad but, I counld't stop reading it. The author, Barbara Cohen, wrote this book very well.She must haved loved writing this book because I really enjoyed reading it.Even if you don't like baseball or sports I still recomend this book.

This book, Thank You, Jackie Robinson is mostly about friendship. Well first of all I should tell you the character names, The main character is Sam and Davy and you can't forget Jackie Robison. Mrs. Cohen has expressed great description about the setting and everything she has to say. Sam and Davy love the Brooklyn Dodgers and they talk about the Dodgers all the time. Sam is especially attached to Davy because Sam doesn't have a father and Davy is like a father to him. Davy, first of all was the chef for thier Inn and Davy had a Daughter named Henrietta. Then Davy gets ill and sick and Sam wants to make him happy, so he goes to a Ball game and gets a ball that Jackie Robinson hit and got it adographed by all the players and in the middle Jackie says " Get better Davy." And then Davy dies. And I think mrs. Cohen made the reader want to read more because thier had a death. Now Sam has lost 2 great men in his life and has nobody to talk with about the games. But Sam thinks Davy is right next him in heaven and turns the game on after being in a misery and says " Hit the ball, Jackie, Hit the ball" And Jackie Robinson responses in a huge way when getting a hit and Sam rememberes Jackie rounding he bases, Oh does he remember!!!

This was the four-part Eleseworlds tale that put James Robinson on the map and set the stage for his history-spanning Starman series. It furthermore is regarded as the best thing anyone ever did with the original DC heroes since the actual Golden Age.

It's also a lot of fun. Great character play, sharp historic details - with a couple of odd exceptions - and top-notch art by Smith make this a must-read for super-hero comics readers. In addition, it's fairly accessible for newer readers since most of the stars of this comic are not that well-known and thus made accessible for once.

Much has been said about "Marvels" and "Kingdom Come" as being the best comics of the 1990s. But I'd gladly pit this against those, and with its grounding in the real world, it holds its own very nicely.

The Golden Age is another "Elseworlds" examination of comics history. By using such rarely seen characters as Captain Triumph and Mr.America along with the "big guns" of the era (Green Lantern, The Atom,etc.)James Robinson visits a Post WWII America where superheroes are considered suspect, and only those who conform are to be trusted. Using superheroes to comment on McCarthyism may seem to be a stretch, but Robinson makes the story challenging with many twists. The "alternate history" concept gives the author the freedom to take chances, but also eliminates the element of "this can't be happening" suspense. Too many sub plots (Hourman's addiction, Starman's breakdown) get in the way of the more compelling central tale.

Paul Smith's art is a wonder throughout. Shifting from the well-lit scenes of Dyna-man to Paul Kirk's despair, Smith constantly creates visuals that hold your attention and never let you forget the true wonder of this medium; the ability for two dimensional, brightly colored figures to fascinate and entertain.

I'm a huge mark for Golden Age heroes. The major problem with the comic books of yesteryear is that the heroes were two dimensional, completely lacking in personality. They were all upstanding, usually rich, and basically boring, when not in costume. If it wasn't for the creative gimmicks and colorful costumes, the men and women behind the masks were interchangeable. James Robinson's updating of these classic Golden Agers is insightful and refreshing. He takes these legends and creates distinctive, and relatively believable, personal backgrounds for each of them. Yet he does this without diminishing the fun and nostalgia of those earlier tales. While congratulating Robinson, I feel inclined to point out the influence of Alan Moore's Watchmen. While Watchmen may have set the standard for alternate takes on the traditional DC/Marvel universes, Robinson and Smith's work here easily lives up to that lofty standard.

Paul Smith does a great job on the art, subtly employing updated pencilling techniques along with a very distinctive golden age era style. The colors in this book are also great, obviously far superior to the comic books of decades past. My only problem with the art lies with the lack of differentiation between some of the alter egos of these costumes heroes. Since most of these guys basically had the same blonde hair, chiseled features, erect postures, and well tailored suits back in the day, sometimes it's difficult to tell them apart, at least in the early chapters. As you read on, Robinson adds humanistic touches of doubts, addictions, regrets and redemption to enrich the characters well beyond their original incarnations.

This collection covers a complete story arc, which is great, but I must admit that I would love to read more tales of the Golden Age from James Robinson and Paul Smith. James Robinson is easily one of the top 5 to 10 comic book writers out there. Check out his popular, and critically acclaimed, Starman (another update of a Golden Ager) series if you don't believe me.

Obviously the person who wrote the book, never sought to speak to "informed" or "taken advantage of" Amway distributors. The fact that Amway merely serves as a front for the Diamonds tools and motivational businesses and where the real money and lifestyles come from in Amway. Why not read the truth about Amway in the book "The Cult Of Free Enterprise" by Steven Butterfield

Business is all about people and relationships and the Amway business is no different except the fact that the people you associate with are there to help you become successful as this book demonstrates. This fact has been proven thousands of times over all around the world. If you are considering this business as a vehicle to acheive financial freedom, take the time to seriously investigate, do your homework, and just do it! You won't regret it.

anyone who does not understand this book does not understand network marketing. this book really goes into the depths of amway and brings out the truth about it and anyone who knocks this book does or has not read it at all. the author really researched his subject and has given knowledge to the reader.

This book seems to be a commissioned marketing book for network marketing. It reads like a sales brochure and contained very little information that was of value to me. It seems likely that it was funded by a bunch of MLM companies, including Prepaid legal, Excel and Herbalife, among others.

Don't believe the other customer reviews, and don't waste your money on this book. There must be better books out there than this one.

I am also shocked at the number of people who endorse this book on the back cover. I wonder how many of them actually read it.

One of the worst books I have ever read.

The New Professional makes clear the evolution of multilevel and direct marketing. Like many folks, I had a pretty dim view of the overly aggressive sales tactics and misleading meeting agendas that I ran into with many of the earlier direct marketing efforts. Now I see that things have changed for the better - much better! Inventory is not in your home, it's not in someone else's garage, it is at the distributor and easily obtained through the internet. Supply chain management is superb in these new companies.

For example, King and Robinson provide statistics to show why direct marketing is a robust and very efficient model for introducing some products into the market place. And, they show why the type of person involved in network marketing today is truly a professional: "Of key interest, the research found 'successful (direct and network marketing) sales people have a communication style or social style that encourages the building of relationships with their customers . . . The most successful sales leaders have a combination of relationship and task orientation' (in their communication styles)."

Network Marketing and multilevel marketing are synonymous terms. They are defined by a business model which pays commissions on multiple levels of the sales organization. Network Marketing/Selling differs from Direct Selling in that Network Marketing:

1. Focuses on relationships rather than on closing the sale or booking an order
2. Focuses on information sharing
3. Independent business owner (IBO)
4. Commissions on multiple levels of sales (not just retail of the IBO)

The role of the network marketing channel is to accelerate the movement of products using the most efficient distribution technique: word-of-mouth communication.

This is an excellent book to bring you up to date on the network marketing phenominon and to understand the new business models (yes, there are many).

If your considering Network Marketing as a career move then this should be your first text book for learning what you need to know first about the business. I have also attended Dr. Charles King's Networking Marketing Certification course at the University of Illinois @ Chicago with equal enthusiasm. If you take anything from this review, understand that this book was written by a Harvard Grad and tenured Professor at UIC who spent much time researching the business. It is a great book that is required reading especially if you're new to the business of Network Marketing.
Last of all, don't listen to fools who scoff at this book or the Industry, unless of course you wish to remain a slave to your employer and retire a slave to the Governments program.