I'm not a Pilgrim's Progress expert, but this doesn't seem to be the best edition of this book. There are footnotes (including Bunyan's own notes) but they are often "late"; for example, footnotes to explain the archaic meaning of the word are often included on the second or third appearance of the word. Also, the editor has included indicators as to who is speaking in each paragraph (much like a stage script) but it is not consistent.

Shop around and see if you can find a better edition of Pilgrim's Progress.

I Corinthians 13 says the following: If I have all faith as to
remove mountains, but have not love, then I am nothing...

Bunyan's allegory about Christian's journey is
predominantly a journey about faith....He doesn't really
talk about one's day to day struggles, and the need to
bear each other's burdens....It is primarily a solo kind of
journey here, but this should not be too surprising
considering that the book is an allegory about one's
own INNER struggle to avoid temptation, as typified by
"the world". In Christ our flesh has been crucified, so we
are not to dwell on earthly things.

I think the book succeeds admirably in admonishing the
Christian to avoid temptation and stay on the path that is
narrow and straight.

With that said, this is a remarkably readable version, that
is at the same time true to the original 17th century text.
Only spelling and punctuation have been changed to aid
the modern reader. Grammar and paragraphing have not
been altered. Where a word's meaning has changed over
time, its archaic meaning is included as a footnote. Also,
where Bunyan quotes from the Bible, directly or indirectly,
the passages quoted from are cited. The editors have
done a remarkable job, although truthfully I haven't looked
at all the other versions out there....For me, this version
does the job.

It was with eager anticipation that i awaited receipt of what i thought would be a biography of a football legend. On its arrival i hurriedly opened the first page and started to read.
Landry starts with the great mans death and reads like a lengthy obituary column with eulogy after eulogy after eulogy.
There is NO balanced perspective, it is the sort of book that only a doting daughter/son or parent could write.
For all that, i suppose it is well written, just don't buy it if you are looking for an informative biography!

It has always been easy to hate the Dallas Cowboys. One can point to their arrogance spawned by an extraordinary success spanning four decades. Perhaps the gruff, bull-like intensity of Tex Schramm was never endearing. The egotistical hillbilly antics of Jerry Jones is certainly a factor. And then there's Michael Irvin, Nate Newton, Duane Thomas, Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Don Meredith, Dan Reeves and...my God.....the list never ends.

But it has never been easy to hate Tom Landry. A constant monument for 29 years as head football coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Landry in many ways became the leader of professional football and, more importantly, the community of Dallas. "Landry: The Legend and the Legacy" author Bob St. John embraces this theme with his loving tribute to a man he covered for many years as sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News. Anyone who ever stood in the presence of Mr. Landry could sense his strong character and kind nobility. Bob St. John, undoubtedly, stood in his presence many times and he was certainly blinded by that aura.

I know Tom Landry had his faults, but you will be hard-pressed to find them in "Landry: The Legend and the Legacy." And that's why Bob St. John was the wrong man to author this biography. What a story this would be if a writer from outside of Texas could pen this multi-layered tome. In many ways, a great American is still waiting to be discovered.

But let's not get too negative here. "Landry: The Legend and the Legacy" is a terrific account of the life and times of the one and only Tom Landry - high school football star in Mission, Texas; University of Texas football player and assistant coach; New York Giants defensive back and punter; New York Giants defensive coach; friend and rival (and personal opposite) of Vince Lombardi; head coach of the Dallas Cowboys; loving family man; community volunteer; strong Christian; heartbreaking victim of modern-day business/sports.

Mr. Landry's story is never boring, though one of the most defining moments of his public life - his disturbingly insensitive firing at the hands of Jerry Jones - takes up a large portion of the first quarter of the biography. This is the highlight of the book. Bob St. John (and his editors) would have been better served to tell Landry's story in chronological order.

Certainly the most memorable and harrowing passages of the book are the retelling of those traumatic days leading up to his dismissal - termed the "Saturday Night Massacre" by Dallas sportswriters. These pages (and the long, overly-detailed chapter describing his funeral) should have closed this biography.

The greatness of Tom Landry was, if anything, strengthened by his own handling of his abrupt firing. This is properly detailed by Bob St. John, but once again, far too early in the book. What for many was a professional tragedy of mythic-like proportions, which to this day echoes in the minds of many long-time Dallas residents, should have been left for the closing and final chapters.

"Landry: The Legend and the Legacy" is a loving tribute to Coach Landry. If it was rushed to publication following his death in 2000 (it was), then perhaps after a few years of retrospection, a definitive account of this man's life can be written.

If you are a Dallas Cowboy fan, then you will truly enjoy what Mr. St. John did in this wonderful biography. Having received this book as a birthday present, I completed this touching tome in three days.

During this journey inside of Landry's fedora, anger raced through me as I pictured myself in the bowels of Texas Stadium at the time of Landry's dismissal. That someone who touched so many in spite of his stoicism would be uncerimoniously canned the way he was is one of the greatest travesties this sports world has ever known.

I went with Tom and Alicia Landry back in time, from his days as a a defensive with the New York Giants (can you actually Imagine Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi as assistant coaches? WOW!!! BTW- I'm currently reading my other birthday present - When Pride Still Mattered.) and marveled as his innovative genius. From the 4-3 system he implemented to the "Flex" defense he employed in Dallas, he was ahead of his time.

Reading about the Cowboys through his eyes brought back so many memories. Remember how the offensive line used to do their "Set" in unison after breaking the huddle? How about the Shotgun formation in the 70's? I was almost ten years old when watching the "Hail Mary" break the hearts of many Viking fans in Metropolitan Stadium, even younger on that Thanksgiving Day in 74 when Longley hit Drew Pearson for the winning touchdown. I won a bet with my brother over Super Bowl XII. Having watched all those Green Bay/Cleveland heartbreaks on NFL FILMS on numerous occasions, I found myself rooting for his eventual breakthrough as if I were transported back to the late 60's early seventies. That ICE BOWL loss was something. But as champions do, Landry steered his team through the mental anguish, further adding to his legacy. That he also stayed the course with his father-like image to so many of his players definitely impressed me, for he was cognizant that Professional Football is only a small portion of a man's like. (He later proved this is his last decade on earth after football.)

However the things that touched me the most about this tome is his Christianity and the love he shared with his wife Alicia. I felt his goodness burning through the pages, as his EVERYDAY Virtues inspire me to aspire for greatness when doing life's simple things.

Perhaps the best tribute of this man came in his passing. So many of his players came back; from Eddie Lebaron to Danny White, Don (MEREDITH), Craig (MORTON) and Roger (STAUBACH) mixed in between. When my day comes to shuffle off, I can only hope that I made a difference in lives as this man did. What a great man!!!! What a great Book!!!

But then again very few writters are as good as Zelazny. If that is what you are buying this book for i suggest you (re)read The Great book of Amber rather than buy this book.
That said I bought this book on the day it came out, after much thought about Zelazny's wishes of not having anyone write in his world. Not buying the book will NOT change the fact that it was written, so his wishes were already trampled on, Not reading it won't change that fact.
If you are well versed in Amber you might find a few discrepancies in Mr. Bettancourt's prequel (one example would be that Oberon is not born by Dworkin and a unicorn). And the novel mock Nine Princes in Amber's style, Bettancourt's Oberon has to figure things out as he goes along just as Zelazny's Corwin does in Nine Princes.
However, once you get over these things, and if you truely have an open mind, I think that you will enjoy the novel. There is suspence and a few good characters (may fav. is Aber)and true to Zelzny's series ends with a cliffhanger. It is fast paced and a quick read, but doesn't get really interesting until about half way through.
My final suggestion would be to wait until the paperback comes out though and to open your mind as you open the book. Keep in mind that there was only one Zelazny and Mr. Bettancourt is not Zelazny (nor do i believe he is trying to be) or else you will be disapointed.

I'll admit I read this prepared to be disappointed and maybe that is why I was so pleased with 'The Dawn of Amber.' Betancourt follows the Zelazny Amber formula for the first half of the book, but I found myself really getting into the second half of the book and the ending was perfect (considering this the first of the trilogy).

Oberon is a soldier, nothing more, and he's fighting a losing and doomed war. At least he is until his long-lost 'uncle' appears to tell him that he is needed elsewhere. Oberon finds himself a part of a large and disputatious family--all princes of Chaos and capable of walking the shadows. Yet Oberon lacks the internal pattern that allows shadow walking--or at least, his pattern is different. Too different to allow him to use the magics available to the others. Which is too bad because the entire family is under attack and, without some major help, all will be destroyed.

THE DAWN OF AMBER is set in the late author Roger Zelazny's Amber universe in the days before the creation of Amber and the shadow reflections that surround it. Author John Gregory Bethancourt does a good job conveying the feel that Zelazny created in his Amber novels. Oberon's family is disfunctional, constantly bickering amongst themselves, and powerful, just as Corwin's family is in the first Zelazny novel in the series.

Bethancourt's writing is highly approachable, making DAWN a quick read. I would have preferred, however, for more story to occur. To too large an extent, DAWN sets the stage for future activities, introducing the actors and developing the idea of Oberon's unique pattern. Fans of the Amber series (like me) will enjoy this detail. Even we, are likely to wish that more actually happened in the novel.

I recently read a much more informative book "Albert Einstein: The Incorrigible Plagiarist" by Christopher Jon Bjerknes which tells the truth about Einstein and the 1905 papers Einstein's wife Mileva Maric wrote for him. The Bjerknes book is a scholarly book, and it presents the facts. Anyone interested in the 1905 papers should know the truth. Max Born said of the 1905 relativity paper, "It gives you the impression of quite a new venture. But that is, of course, as I have tried to explain, not true." The truth is that the theory belongs to Boscovich, Lange, Voigt, Fitzgerald, Larmor, Lorentz, Palagyi, and Poincare, among many others. The 1905 paper on special relativity did not give a single reference to these men.

If you're looking for a good book to learn a bit about Einstein's theories of relativity, you'd be better served reading his "The Meaning of Relativity." "Einstein's Miraculous Year," being a compilation of translated versions of his original 1905 papers, is more suited for the seasoned physicist who already understands the material but is curious about how Einstein really did it all. In the latter case, of course, one could turn to the professional physics literature, but it's nice to have all his 1905 papers in one place. The extra commentary is a nice addition, since it provides the necessary historical context. Too bad the book doesn't include Einstein's papers on his general theory of relativity but, of course, that would fall out of the miraculous year of 1905.

I am a nonscientist, general reader, but have read many popular accounts of special relativity. I have always felt shortchanged, though, just at the point where things get most interesting. I think that is because the real physics does lie in the equations, and verbal metaphors fall short. For me, here, for the first time, I see where the science is: just beyond the metaphors. Although I do not follow all the math by any means, so it is partly like listening to a foreign language, I recognized enough of the concepts to get a glimmer: and it is stunning. Here is Einstein himself, deriving E=mc2 in paper 4; so briefly, so lucidly (although another reader from California seems to have missed it). Paper 3 on special relativity is, even to this nonscientist, dazzling.

How does one tackle childhood illness and death? It is noteasy. Roger McGough's solution is to dilute the subject as much aspossible. This is a story of an unloved kite, facts about tall mountains and a girl's fantasy life. McGough transfers the burden of presenting her death from his shoulders to the reader's. Few children would hear this story and understand that Caitlin dies at the end. The reader must explain the ending which will inevitably lead the listener to want to hear it again. Many children have to deal with the subject. It would be a shame to Disney-fy death across the board, where people disappear forever when they have clearly kicked the bucket. END

Here's a beautiful poetic story of a young girl who moves on to Tir na n'Og, the Pure Clear Light, the Macrodimensions, Heaven or however you configure that one in your own scheme of things, on the " wings " of an oft' abandoned Kite.

The story of Cailin and her kite is magical; the illustrations are also by another "poet" using his own medium of graphic art.

A 5 ***** children's faerie book, no question about it.

These were a series of stories that not only saw the return of Jean Grey but also the birth of the Goverment backed-mutant team X-FACTOR. The manner which Jea is brought back is about as far fetched as anything the X-Men comics have ever attempted and the formation of X-Factor was just a marketig attempt to get a new mutant title going, as if we need anymore.

You know, Jean Grey was never MEANT to die. The X-Men's editor at the time insisted Phoenix die for her actions as Dark Phoenix. This story, in a way, sets things right by bringing her back in a way much less contrived than many superhero resurrections. Far-fetched, yes, for the real world; but let's face it, these are comic book superheroes we're dealing with.

This collection features the (almost too) dramatic reunion of the original X-Men from X-Factor #1, as well as guest appearances by the Fantastic Four and Avengers. It sets up many more great moments later down the road (in X-Men: Inferno for instance), not to mention all the year of stories featuring Jean Grey since then. That alone makes me excited about it. A great follow-up to the Dark Phoenix Saga and From the Ashes.

I read a review of the book in a industry magazine and it described it as useful for a professional financial advisor, as the title also implies. It turned out to be a pretty basic educational book with general but basic financial information. A good book for a beginner or someone who is just beginning to break into the financial services industry, but not necessarily for a seasoned professional.

This book includes a brief biography, a brief summary of Tolkien's possible influences, an explanation of the creation of Tolkien's mythology and created languages and critical readings of most of his stories, including such small pieces as "Leaf by Niggle" and "The Father Christmas Letters." Overall, I'd have to say that more value can be gotten from reading the actual works of Tolkien, his letters, and the excellant biography written by Humphry Carpenter to get the best overall picture. It is, however, a valuable resource if all one needs is an adequate basic summary of the author and his stories. The style is informal and therefore quite readable, but sometimes dry and packed full of the usual(and by now, tiresome) anecdotes about Tolkien's dislike of allegory, his dissaproval of people who like to psycho-analyze his stories, and his disapproval of French food. This book would be a good source if a person under the college level wanted to do a nice report on Tolkien.

This new title by Roger Day, 'The Life of Sir John Moore' provides the reader with an interesting view of a man who the author categorizes as "the classic tragic British hero". This is the first biography I have read of Sir John Moore although I have come across him in many previous books. The author's view of Sir John Moore differs from many other accounts, the most recent being in 'The Peninsular War' by Charles Esdaile.

Regardless of these differences I found that the author's biography of Sir John Moore was well presented and a delight to read. His campaigns were covered in enough detail to allow the reader to form an opinion on the man and his achievements. The narrative runs to only 220 pages so it could not be considered an exhaustive study but more of a general overview of the man and his times. According to the publishers much of the primary research material has previously not been utilized.

Upon finishing the book I felt that Sir John Moore was a brave man who actually felt some responsibility towards his troops welfare and did all in his power as a leader to ensure that they were well looked after and used in an intelligent manner. At times it appeared that these concerns and his forward thinking, taking in the 'bigger picture', did not sit well with both his superiors and politicians in London nor with some of his subordinates.

Once again I was amazed and disgusted to read of the political backstabbing and cover-ups conducted by some of the politicians at the time. This appears to be a constant thread throughout history, the soldiers doing the dirty work while the politicians find some way of appearing to be squeaky clean when things go wrong. Overall this is an enjoyable book and should find acceptance with those who have read little on the subject, a good primer for further reading.

The book contains some good discussions on overpopulation, food supplies, water pollution and other environmental issues. However, more detailed introductions are required on plate tectonics and soils so that novice readers may better understand earthquakes and food production, respectively. Each chapter contains a number of useful math problems and thought questions. There are also numerous tables of data, which are interesting, but may overwhelm some students. Some of these data may be more understandable if they were graphed. All of the photographs are in black and white, but are usually satisfactory. However, many of the illustrations are only rough sketches and do not adequately illustrate important concepts for beginning undergraduates (as examples: plate margins [Figure 3.3, p. 75] and active and passive coastlines [Figure 3.21, p. 109]).