It did take me a couple tries to get through this book, but it was worth it. This commentary has everything I looked for. It explained the book in its historical context as well as its spiritual and contemporary importance. Some of the writing is a bit bombastic and difficult to wade through, but I learned a lot from it.

Hubbard's commentary is in-depth and accurate. He quotes the New King James Version but corrects mistakes such as Proverbs 30.1 where he correctly states that "Ithiel and Ucal" should be tranlated as phrases rather than names. Amazon's catalog lists the release date as January 1991 but the copyright in the book is 1989 (it came out initially as paperback which is now out of print). Biblical archaelogy and scholarship has made significant progress in the last 10 years. For a more up-to-date in-depth commentary on Proverbs read THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. It features numerous drawings and photos which give the reader a sense of the culture of the time. Six translations in parallel aid understanding of more difficult passages. Jones reveals for the first time in any commentary the secret identity of the overall editor of King Solomon's wise and witty sayings.

It gives a good grasp on the old testament period between the first deportation and the second deportation of Isreal to Babylon. It gives a good understanding of the people and culture at that time.

GURPS Y2K seems poised to be a good sourcebook for post-apocalyptic role-playing. Don't be put off by the name - this book contains much more than just the millennium bug.

Starting with a chapter on Y2K (which we know on 20-20 hindsight never became the calamity that some were predicting), there are ideas in this book for everything from a complete world-wide computer shutdown, to "Mad Max" type worlds, and even the biblical "Judgement Day", along with several others. There's also a section on a super-hero world suffering from post-apocalypse blues.

The "sidebars" (sections of the book along the sides of each page) contain even more material that can be used to put your game world in a state of chaos. Some of these sidebars beg to be put into whole worlds of their own.

But the book suffers slightly when it reads a little like a collection of articles about post-apocalypse scenarios in gaming, rather than a single world presented in RPG terms. The =nine= authors each contributed a section or two to this book, and only the excellent effort by Sean Punch to put it all together under one roof keeps this book from being merely a collection of unrelated after Armageddon articles.

I'd still recommend this book for people wanting to see what their campaign world would look like after a major catastrophe, or for people wanting to explore what happens after.

Well, overall the book was pretty well made. It touched upon many of the common topics and settings for a post holocaust envirnoment including everything from minor computer glitches to the Biblical apacalypse and "Mad Max" and "The Postman" type situations. Even alien invasion was discussed in the essays. All seven authors of the book provided well written source matterial. Y2k also gives information on realistic rioting and anarchy.

There was one point I did not like about the book though. It would make many references to other GURPS source books, some of which were out of print, for more material on a subject. I feel that some of the writing was judt put in a advertisements and "plug" for other books.

Personally, I wish they had touched more on the "Mad Max," "Postman," and "Fallout" (a post-apacalyptic computer game) scenarios, but I do realize that the book was created for post Y2K campaigns and that everyone does not like what I like.

Overall, though, the book provides good post distaster material.

Raymond Roussel was an eccentric French writer who was born in 1877 and apparently committed suicide in 1933. His best known works of those translated into English are his novels Locus Solus and Impressions of Africa. Roussel wrote novels, tried to adapt them to the stage, and then tried to write a play for the stage. The audience responded to the play by throwing things and yelling at each other. Roussel, who never experienced anything like widespread acclaim, has nonetheless influenced French literature. Eventually, he was to gain the support of the surrealists. Decades after his death, he is remembered fondly by the OuLiPo - a group of Paris-based writers devoted to exploring new experimental literary forms. Two American poets - John Ashbery and Harry Mathews (also a member of the OuLiPo) - hold him in high esteem and here the two of them offer new translations of some of Roussel's works. How I Wrote Certain of my Books is the title of this collection and also the title of an essay by Roussel to explain how he wrote the two novels I mentioned. The rest of the collection includes an excellent introduction and biography of Roussel by John Ashbery, the first chapter of each of the two novels, the fifth act of one of Roussel's plays, the third canto of his poem "New Impressions of Africa," and the notes to serve as an outline for another novel Roussel apparently never wrote. Roussel's novels are among what I consider the great untranslatable works of the twentieth century. Much of the imagery and plot detail are bizarre flowerings of imaginative detail rooted in French puns. When this is translated, one gets only the strange details, but none of the phonetic basis underlying them. Like a joke that isn't funny, or a sonnet which has been paraphrased so that it no longer rhymes. The canto of the poem "New Impressions of Africa" was my favorite part of the collection. I've never read a poem with nested parentheses and lengthy footnotes before. The translation preserves aspects of the rhyme and meter, even throughout the footnotes. Although this volume doesn't contain the entire poem, it does contain all of the 59 drawings that originally accompanied it. But these drawings are not only not by Roussel, they aren't even interesting. In an introduction, which explains how Roussel had sent 59 captions to a hack artist to make mundane sketches to compliment his bizarre poem, Salvador Dali is quoted as saying that, seen in the context of the poem, the drawings "shed their banality and become metaphysical." Fine, but here the drawings are not only not shown in the context of the poem, the entire poem isn't even presented. I can save you some time by telling you right now that the drawings numbered 40-48 accompany the poem on pages 97-103. Read How I Wrote Certain of my Books as an introduction to one of France's literary madmen, and for an exceedingly clear description of how Raymond Roussel wrote certain of his books. To anyone who is curious for a taste, but not a full course, of Roussel's writing, this volume will serve well. Should you be utterly taken by the writing, however, you may be dismayed that few of the works are represented in their entirety. You will never get to find out how the novels end or how the play begins. At its best, How I Wrote Certain of My Books will send to your library looking for more.

It's a tragedy of Rousselian proportions that this is the only easily-acquired text of the Master in print... Roussel was, after all, the subject of Michel Foucault's very first (& to me his only readable!) book DEATH & THE LABYRINTH (a perfect companion to this collection/introduction). The present volume is essential to complete one's appreciation of the 'novels' LOCUS SOLUS & IMPRESSIONS OF AFRICA, should they drop into your lucky lap...you see, I too find myself thoroughly intrigued/mesmerized/in awe of the strange achievement of this genius-nut, inspirer as well of Breton, Cocteau, Dali, Leiris, Duchamp especially, Robbe-Grillet coitainly, Perec indubitably; but these dudes don't hold a candle to the lucid lunacy, fertile-beyond-belief imagination, and quaint language perfectly suited to express the convoluted twisted-mythic enigmatic obsessions of RR... who felt the Star on his forehead while but a teen, which Star had begun to glow on high when he was found...

I understand other works on Von Dutch/Kenneth Howard are on the horizon, but you have to give credit to St John Morton who has put together a photo essay of the "legendary" craftsman, machinist, artist, and renown pin striper (as of this writing) for doing it now!

This is the first book devoted exclusively to hot rod artist Von Dutch (although there is currently another one in the works by (I believe) Last Gasp in connection with a retrospective of his work currently showing in California). This book is a private publication (i.e. self-publication) put out with obvious care by St. John Morton. Apparently, it's available in 3 forms (the least expensive being the hard cover edition, another edition with a leather spine and slip cover and the third, most expensive edition which has a full leather cover). I bought the leather spined, slip covered edition which is hand signed and numbered by the author.

The downside to this book is that most of the photos of Von Dutch's pinstriping, paintings and custom car work have already appeared in the Last Gasp publication "Kustom Kulture." There are, however, a few new pieces in this book. The other downside is that some of the images look like very high quality photocopies of images published elsewhere. As long as you understand that this is a private pressing book, I think you'll be very happy with it. Again, it's obvious that the author devoted loving attention to the creation of this book. And, to date, it's the most comprehensive review of Von Dutch's work available.

Definitely worth owning.

Although the book is certainly helpful, they offer a student solutions manual, a CD-ROM, and a website with answers to selected problems. But, they do not tell you where to find the website with the answers to the selected problems, nor do they give you a price on the other items available to help you use this textbook.

I hurled every time i turned a pag

Shoppers should know that this book actually contains only 19 small pages of Galbraith's words. While his speech is a good one, it is surprisingly short. The rest of the 54 pages is filled with introductions, thanks, afterwords and platitudes that were given during this inauguration of the Senator Keith Davey Lecture Series.

I purchased that little book about fifty pages, curious I was of recent thoughts by Professor Galbraith. I had read, in Portuguese, his last book "The Good Society" and, to me, all those thoughts on the basic roles of the STATE (Government) did make a lot of sense. He is so clear when he stresses as threshold functions of government in a time when most people are defending the excessive reduction of the size of the state. The basic state roles of: guaranteeing the resilience of the environment, for present and future generations, the ordering of the employment system, the keeping of the social order and being preventive about possible processes of self destruction, are brought about in his coherent work. This book "The Socially Concerned Today" is a very useful set of advises to all of us who live in this turbulent time. It makes us feel that each one of us should act, that our small action is necessary and may combine to promote the basic improving changes. There are speeches about the author made by Professor Prichard, of the University of Toronto, Canadian Senator Davey and Queen's University Professor Meisel. It amazes me that with age certain scholars like Galbraith and Juran, to name two, become younger and daring in their ways of expressing their thoughts. Internationalism, as compared to unrestrained nationalism, is brought to us as something to be pre-conditioned, not to harm the welfare systems of some participating states. The present crisis in our world, typical of what he calls mindless internationalism, show decision-makers should have read Galbraith's book. His sentence - " concern for human well-being does not stop at national frontiers" - if respected, would have spared us all of losing lives, environmental and economical assets. His warn that the malignant fear towards inflation should not "arrest all economic progress" - is fundamental. The cultivation of WANTS-SUPPLIES cyclic chain of present capitalism is brought to our attention. We are living such a dangerous vicious cycle, and the consequences, are difficult to appraise. If we barely assess them with respect to impacts in the environment and social systems, we will find that efficiency, effectiveness and equity are not present in the life cycle of policies, and hence such a value chain is a fake. My respects to such a good work of a serious world thinker - Dr. J. K. Galbraith.

This book came out after Grace, Faith & Holiness. It is an easier read- Grider writes a little better. But his theology comes out on the side of the turn of the 20th century Revivalist theology in the Holiness movement. While Dunning understands and expounds the relational foundation of Christ's work, Grider is more apt to label and categorize things according to experience and his categories. Dr. Gride is a great churchman, good teacher and good writer, and this would be a great book except it sets itself up as the Holiness theology at the end of the 20th century, when some of its thought comes from the end of the 19th.

As a layperson interested in learning more about Wesleyan-Holiness Theology, this book far exceeded my expectations. It is written in plain english, well-organized and filled with deep insights. For me, this was one of those "you'll never be the same after you read it" books. A wonderful book that I return to time and again for spiritual growth and inspiration. Great bibliography too - this book introduced me to other significant resources (like Wiley).

This is an abridged version of the Expositor's Bible Commentary, which to start with is already too brief and too unsubstantiating in its comments on the Biblical texts. After abridgement, it is worse!

It works great for the layperson or Bible student who just wants to know what the scholars say, without all the detailing and discussion. It offers (usually, I think) multiple opinions, when they exist, about what something may mean, etc. It compares/contrasts well, gives overviews of background info and is very concise. If one reads the preface, it says that it is for the layperson. It claims to have retained the "important imperitive material...without the text of the NIV and the detailed scholarly notes and discussions." It serves the purpose set forth in the Preface and makes an excellent reference as well as excellent springboard into Biblical research for college/university students and people preparing Bible studies/lessons. For this reason, this layperson/student gives it 5 stars!

Here's a book that deserves to be back in print. Galbaith might not be much of an economist but he's a wonderful writer, and his perspective on people and events of the early Sixties should retain its historical interest as that era falls further astern

Mr. Riches writes an essay on the Bible that I think presumes you have at least a basic familiarity with the bible. Those that do not will struggle at various points particularly if their history of the Middle East or the world is limited. Mr. Riches discusses the development of both the old and New Testaments, who wrote them, when and for what purpose. He notes that the bible was virtually a written guide for the sharing of community values. He notes that while the new testament concentrates on Christ and his meanings the old concentrates on Abraham while discussing the effects both had on their cultures. The former looks to the defeat of their oppressors while the latter looks to a return to Israel. The book also covers the effect the bible has had on modern culture, the bad such as exploitation of the Indians of South America because of their alleged inferiority and the good where Desmond Tutu utilizes the teachings of the bible to communicate to the Afrikaners that black Africans deserve to be treated as men, equals. Not a simple book, its challenging and a little too brief about the origins of the bible which I think is the most fascinating part of the book. But the again, it's a brief introduction.