if you're looking for a more in-depth analysis, you might want to look elsewhere, but for straightforward facts about Lynch films, this is a great guide. it systematically goes through a series of catagories (cast/crew, production history, cut scenes, etc. ; also some weirder catagories like "deja vu," "apocrypha,"- all of these lend to a greater understanding of the material in lynch's films) this ultimately ended up being the most helpful book on lynch I read, if only because it made finding actual facts about each subject really easy

Hughes' book is an indispensable addition to the bookshelf of the recent Lynch initiate, casual fan, or long-time follower of Lynch's career and work. Even trivia magnets will find numerous new and fascinating facts and anecdotes.

This is the rare book that can be used either as a career overview, reference work, or just a worthwhile, enjoyable read. The book is divided into sections, one for each work up to and including Mulholland Drive [not only film and TV works] and each is subdivided into categories such as trivia, cut scenes, availability, Lynch Mob (reappearances of members of Lynch's stable of frequent collaborators), or Lynch's own comments on each work. The index is very thorough as well, so the book can be enjoyed non-chronologically in bite-size pieces if desired.

Hughes has gone to the horse's mouth for many of the relevant facts and observances, having interviewed Lynch himself and many who work with him. The book is well-stocked with information, opinion and analysis without coming across as dry or pedantic. I'm very glad I picked it up.

Not nebulous and overly general like some works about Lynch, or a collection of the opinions of one writer like some others, Hughes' book should be purchased and read by anyone with an interest in the work of David Lynch,or in the wide-ranging, well-rounded and fascinating man himself.

3 thumbs up. Buy and keep near TV.

Let me start off by saying that this review may be a little prejudiced. I helped David Hughes collect some of the movies and info for the book, and became buddies with him in the process. However, all that aside this is a great book. Rather than being culled from "found" interviews and information, slopped together with a little psychoanalysis and fanfare, David has based his book on three things 1) an obsessive love of all things Lynchian, 2) an obsessive **knowledge** of all things Lynchian, and 3) a personal meeting with Mr. Lynch himself, which allowed this book to have interviews, quotes, opinions, etc. from the man himself that no other source in the world has.
In addition to being the ultimate book for the ultimate Lynch fan, this book has everything you could want in a comprehensive "guide" to Lynch for those wanting to immerse themselves in the Lynch universe for the first time. Full color photos, a VERY detailed episode by episode guide to Twin Peaks, information on his newest projects (Mulholland Drive, his internet ventures), as well as those that never made it (One Saliva Bubble, Rocket Ronnie, etc.).
To sum it up, I believe anybody interested in Lynch should buy this book. It is intelligently written, thoroughly researched, and a joy to read. Lastly, I believe this book can pass the one test no other book about Lynch has been able to (to my knowledge): I defy you to find a factual mistake in this book. While I won't discuss it here, believe me that others are rife with them and this is a topic often discussed on my email discussion group. As a matter of fact, if any one is interested in learning more about David Lynch, discussing him and his works, and, as an extra bonus, getting to meet the author of this book, David Hughes (he is a frequent poster to the list) go to the yahoo groups website, sign in, and go to Lynchians! Enjoy the book!

A long overdue retrospective of James Tiptree Jr, aka Alice Sheldon. All of her award-winning stories about love, sex and death are here, along with an incisive introduction by John Clute. Powerful reading

It is really difficult to imagine how anyone could write fiction that is so tormented and passionate.

She is just unbelievable, and that's all there is to it.

Do you have a favorite book in the world? This book, quite simply, is mine. This is a posthumously-published collection of eighteen stories by James Tiptree, Jr. (pseudonym for Alice Sheldon). It contains most of her best short fiction. It also contains a compelling introduction by John Clute. Mark Richard Siegel, who wrote the Starmont Reader's Guide on James Tiptree, Jr., wrote the sentence that I think best captures the essence of what is distinctive and special about Tiptree's work. He wrote: "Her stories showed that, for the individual, the most significant thing is passionate experience, the intensity of certain moments, good and bad, when she is most truly alive." Do you crave passionate experiences? Tiptree will put you through them. But be warned that Tiptree often put her characters through mercilessly gut-wrenching passionate experiences, wrenching THIS reader's gut right along the way. Tiptree is not for readers who like their fiction safe and cozy, knowing everything will turn out all right in the end. Here are a few words on my five favorite stories in the book.

My own personal favorite Tiptree story is "The Screwfly Solution." In this story a sort of psychological plague has broken out in various parts of the world where men are murdering women wholesale. Tiptree introduces us to (and makes us care about) one particular family. In 21 pulse-pounding pages Tiptree gives us the stunning macro-story of the fate of humanity in the face of this terrifying "plague," along with the heart-wrenching micro-story of its effect on one family. It is a masterpiece of economical storytelling, and no SF story has an ending which packs a bigger wallop.

My (close) second favorite story in the book is "A Momentary Taste of Being." In his introduction to the book, John Clute writes of this story: "...word-perfect over its great length, and almost unbearably dark in the detail and momentum of the revelation of its premise...[it] may be the finest densest most driven novella yet published in the [science fiction] field." I can tell you it is my all-time favorite novella. The story concerns a space mission, a desperate attempt by humanity to find a habitable planet (for colonization) to relieve some pressure from a horrendously overpopulated and polluted Earth. The pressure in the story just builds and builds to a climax as intense as any you are likely to experience in fiction.

I think "Love is the Plan the Plan is Death," a story of alien love, is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece of style. Not everybody agrees. Gardner Dozois in his excellent and mostly laudatory essay, "The Fiction of James Tiptree, Jr.," writes of this story: "I can never read [its] galumphing, ungrammatical, childishly-rapturous narration without hearing it in the accents of the Cookie Monster...." Tiptree herself, in typical self-depreciating fashion, described it as being written in "the style of 1920 porno." I think the highly unusual style helps us understand and feel the true alien-ness of the viewpoint character, and I believed totally while I was reading. As John Clute writes, "...[it] has a juggernaut drive, a consuming melancholy of iron, a premise the author never backed away from...."

In "Houston, Houston, Do You Read?" three astronauts return from a trip around the sun only to find they have somehow been transported hundreds of years into the future. What they find in the future, and more important, how they react to what they find there, constitutes the most powerful story I've ever read dealing with the gulf between the sexes.

In "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" a horribly-deformed young woman gets a chance at a happy life. This is another story with an unusual narrative style, and frankly, when I first read this story over two decades ago, I found it a bit disconcerting. It works for me now, though. This is a heartbreaking story, fiercely told.

One caution is that I would encourage you to read the stories in the book before reading John Clute's introduction, as Clute gives away some of the story endings in his introduction. And surprise endings are not uncommon in Tiptree stories. I am not talking about gimmicky, meaningless surprises, there for the sake of having a surprise. Tiptree's surprises often ENLARGE her stories, altering the meaning of what has gone before, increasing their power to move us. The book gets my most passionate recommendation.

Optimize Your Operations provides managers a road map to improvement. Many times you only receive theories and not real improvement road maps that allow you to make real improvements to your daily operations. By following the various improvement methodologies discussed in the book a line manager can make great strides in meeting customer expectations. Many managers loose site of the customer and Mr. Abbott gives many valuable pointers on how to meet and understand customer expectations. The "Walk About" gives managers a valuable tool to monitor their daily operation and a workable method for recognizing problems and provides methods for improving their processes.

The book was a nice break from the usual technical process improvement books.I particulary liked the real world application oriented style that focused on a few simple principles and the application to complex problems. Since applications to my area, rocket science, are usually outside the norm, really appreciated the presentation, the stories and examples that made it easy to adapt the principles to my particular cases. Recommend that any engineer read this book. PC

This is an intriguing book. Optimize Your Operation is no quick "once over" on operations. It begins with the basic principles needed to understand and improve processes. Abbott's approach to the principles is not ordinary and his explanation of the details is not ordinary. He certainly is moving us up a notch in the way we think about processes and the way we manage them. It is not the same old same old. Yet his language and illustrations are easy to follow. His thoughts take us from how we get ourselves into and out of "Quality Hells" all the way to how a better understanding of strategic and tactical decision-making will change our organizations. I think it is an important read for those who are faced with changing their operations to meet today's tough markets.

AS fate would have it, i was given this book at the tender age of 12 by my best friend's mother. Growing up in a house with 2 sisters i was clueless to the minds of young men..a mystery..never understood why the neighborhood tough guys felt the need to pelt us girls with grapefruits from the safety of their fortified clubhouses and armed camps. I love this book..Robert Smith has captured the innnocent and fearful thinking process of young boys that transcends the generations..haven't we all put our fists to our eyeballs in the dark of night to see the flashing lights??

Through it all he maintains a dry wit and subtle humor than endears the reader. I re-read it once a year just to get perspective on the youth in America...a treasure not to be missed..his narrative on losing at marbles to the town bully is a classic.....fears and joys..isn't that what childhood is all about?With a wry perspective and total honesty, Robert Smith manages to ring a bell of truth in this slice of life.

This timeless collection of childhood memories is a classic. It can be read at any age, because everyone, boy or girl, man or woman, can relate to its tellings of childhood memories, dreams, and shenanigans. This is the best book ever written, aside from the Bible.

As a young man, I found this book among some of my Father's collection. It seems it has been twenty years since I read it, but the images of life portrayed by the Author are still imprinted on my mind. I can remember the wholesome, innocent feeling that came over me, even as a rebellious youth, as I read each chapter. Even the detail of each story has escaped me now, but the impression it has left is inescapable. And now after all these years, Through Amazon.com, I am able to rekindle this friendship, between that old book and I. It is a "must read" and should be considered a classic for young people in school.

I bought this book before my Medicine rotation (on a deperate, misguided "what if I don't have enough information for this 'oh so important rotation'" impulse) and regretted it. I barely used it, and I much preferred Current. I found that the information was not particularly easy to find. It read more like a storybook. I felt it was time-intensive but not detailed (not like Harrison's). However, it is really a matter of personal preference. Some may like the many diagrams, flow charts, and tables that are given. It also gives a quick review of the relevant basics (pathophysiology, anatomy, etc.). My advice: by the time you get to your Medicine rotation, you should already know your study style and should choose the most appropriate book in accordance. Go to the bookstore and compare the books and see which appeals the most to you.

Dedicated to health since 1927, Cecil Textbook of Medicine is like wine: the longer you indulge in it, the more captivating it becomes. This 21st edition on CD-ROM exhibits Cecil's wealth of experience in a manner that will make its contemporaries to sulk with envy. It is not just the best in terms of providing succinct information, but also in terms of contents organisation. This CD-ROM remains the 'numero uno' multimedia Textbook of Medicine if flexibility of use is your priority.
The only minus this book has is that it is not as thorough (in scope) as Kelley's text is.

I first bought this book in Medical School and I still use it almost every week after 14 years. It is thorough and consise-- provides a bit of theory and a lot of practical information in a scholarly style. If youre a reader, get this book-- you may find yourself reading a reference book in your spare time. I would like to go to a physician who used Cecil Medicine as a reference. If youre not a natural reader, forget it and just buy the latest copy of the Washington Manual.

I would be depressed too if i knew i put an innocent man in prison.

Jim Blackburn is a wonderful person who has chosen to open his heart to the world. The lessons to be learned by his journey from respected lawyer to convicted felon and then to waiter are invaluable. Without having a preaching or condecending tone, Jim relates to the reader his experiences and what he learned from them. It would add another wonderful chapter to his story if this books becomes a best seller.

I have a great deal of respect for the author. Writing this book must
have been a daunting task; one that required an immense amount of
courage. Mr. Blackburn's candor and honesty are unique and refreshing,
and the story of his fall and relatively rapid return to grace
sensational. Overcoming depression is a daunting task, one that many
individuals are unable to conquer. The first step in the journey may
be to recognize that you need help. Admitting that you have a problem
can be difficult and painful. Once you admit the problem and find
help, you must work extremely hard to conquer your demons! Overcoming
depression is a great deal of work. This book inspires readers to
climb their personal mountain to achieve and overcome obstacles. I am
both inspired and refreshed, and I sincerely admire the author for
coming back despite odds that appeared insurmountable. Although local
readers are likely to know the story of Mr. Blackburn's conviction,
writing the book has turned the story into a national one. I
appreciate and admire the author for his honesty, strenth and courage,
and wish Mr. Blackburn future success. I hope he continues writing!

The New Treasury is an improvement over the classic, original Treasury. The notes in the New Treasury are more informative. However, there is so much material in either Treasury that one can get sidetracked or overwhelmed looking up each cross reference. Also ,one will be turning many,many Bible pages to see the actual cross references. The best solution is to get the CDRom of the New Treasury in a program like Libronix and pass the mouse over the reference for a popup or click to see the reference. That way the place in the New Treasury isn't lost in all the cross-referencing. An excellent Bible tool, but easier to use in electronic form {cdrom}. paulbatscha

I have been using the old edition of "The Treasury of Scriptue Knowledge" until this new edition came out. And I instantly love it! Here are the reasons:
1. Modernized typeset. The older edition was not good for reading, you had to strain your eyes to read, BUT this NEW edition has easy-to-read type, a big plus.
2. Revised and Expanded. The book revised some of the mistakes of the old edition and expanded more from it by adding addtional materials, such as: (a) 100,000 new cross references. (b) Indexes to specific Bible topics, names, prayers, etc. This is useful for topical studies. (c) Inclusion of "System Markings" that uses symbols to highlight what "information can be found at specific references -- whether fulfilled prophecy, similar word meanings, contrasting ideas, biblical types...etc." This system I really love! It saves me time and helps me organize the study effectively each verse.
3. Very sturdy binding. Hard cover and stitched binding (It was stitched binding when it first came out (1992,1993), but recently they changed it to glued binding). The paper's quality is excellent.

The only gripe I have is that it uses KJV of the Bible for entries (it is not available for other versions of the Bible). Well, you can have 'em all. In all, I found this new edition incredible and indispensible on my desk. For all those who love the Bible will love this tool for years to come.

Don't believe the nay-sayers! This is an incredibly useful reference book for anyone who wants to study the Word, even more so than the original Treasury. Its system of cross-referencing is comprehensive and easy to use. I've found Smith's reference symbols to be useful, but if you don't like or agree with them, you can just ignore them! This book is a tremendously valuable cross referencing tool, and I recommend it to anyone who seeks to better understand the cohesiveness and scope of Biblical teaching.

This explosive beginning of this series is a fun and enjoyable read. James V. Smith was a great find for me personally because he can write action/adventure very well with interesting characters - especially Night Runner!
That American Indian is the best part of the series thus far.
Being raised in Texas and knowing many American Indians, this is a great tribute to the old warrior's ways!
If you are looking for exciting adventure - look no further!!

I hated reading. But, since I have become interested in joining the Marine Force Recon, this book was the first that I could not put down. OOHRAH!

This is a book you will not be able to put down. It puts any action movie or book you have seen or read to shame. I found myself sweating at parts and becoming impatient at what would happen next. A great read!

This book is cute and funny...
but lacks a few things:
A. commentary (or any words for that matter.) the visuals are funny, but with hilarious commentary would be better.
B. modern hairstyles are missing.
C. names & dates & locations - to place the styles

It could have been so much more... but is cute nonetheless.

I recived this book as a gift from a humorous friend. At first, i thought it was a bit dumb, but then i realized that the pictures were priceless. Some friends of mine and I spent the better part of an hour just looking and laughing at the ridiculous pictures. Definetly worth the price for the hours of laughs.

I picked this up at the store wondering what kind of book is this? And I stood there and kept turning the pages until I went through the entire book. The next day, I went back and bought it. I can't say what is funnier, the styles or the expressions on those faces. These models were meant to look GOOD, that's what is so funny. Oh, my gosh, those shags.....
This isn't a book I'll keep sitting idle on my shelf, I'm sending it to my sister and she'll pass it on, too. The laughs are worth the price!! It's a perfect little book.

This tape is well done. The sound effects create an atmosphere that draws in the listener. The actors are dramatic, but not overly so. The short stories themselves are well written, delivering edge-of-the-chair suspense (or knee-slapping comedy, as the case may be).

As most net surfers are aware the Sci-Fi Channel's web site has included a section devoted to science fiction radio drama...Seeing Ear Theatre. One aspect of which includes originally produced productions cerated especially for the site and which has featured performances by many well-known SF actors as Micheal O'Hare,Mark Hamill,Marina Sirtis,and others. With a few exceptions, a lot of the dramas are based on recent short stories by SF writers such as Terry Bisson, Allen Steele, John Kessel and Gergory Benford. With the release of this audiobook editon(which includes introductions by SF's resident angry young{sic}man Harlan Ellison)now one can listen to these stories anytime you want. The best stories(IMO)are the Three Odd Comedies and The Death of Captain Future (which despite the pulpish-sounding title is a darkly humorous tale set in the future history of Steele's previous works such as Orbital Decay and Clarke County,Space). If you like audio drama-- especially newly produced audio drama...you'll love this collection and you may also want to check out Vol. 2 which should be on sale soon(I know I can't wait).

WOW what a story! Brian Smith could sell this as a short story by itself it is so good IMO. I just wish they sold a hard copy of these writings--not just audio! I have been reading Sci Fi for a long time. This guy is great! Reminds me of 2001, a space odyssey a bit. Worth the price just for this one folks! I noticed there are no other books by Brian Smith for sale on Amazon. What's up with that? He needs to write books, and Amazon needs to sell them--geez, do I make myself clear?