This book was funny. And that is perhaps the only good thing about it. The book was easy to get into I found myself on page 60 within what seemed like minutes I had so much fun reading it. But after that the jokes seemed to fall flat. The jokes after awhile seemed aimed for a pre-teen audience. If your 13 and enjoy chicken-up-the-rear humor than this book is for you. But for the mature reader steer clear and just see the movie.

me myself and irene is a comedy wirth insanity. me my self and irene is a book with a great deal of comedy. the book is about a man who inherits two personalitys from holding his anger in and not dealing with it. he falls in love with irene, whom is a run away and gets him self invoved. his two personalitys add a new twist to this comedy although at times its is just two much to handle. i recomend this comedy to anyone with great imagination and is in it for a good laugh.

I have read the book but haven't seen the movie yet. I think the jokes in this book are very much like those appeared in Hong Kong movie star Steven Chow Sing Chi's films. Anyway, it is an interesting book and I really enjoy it.

Murasaki star system contains a duo of inhabitable planets that orbit each other: Genji - a high-gravity world with a dense, soupy atmosphere; and Chujo - an arid, wintry world of canyons and wind-swept plains. Neither is perfect for humans - on Genji they must wear pressure suits in addition to getting used to gravity levels half-again as high as on Earth; Chujo is more forgiving, though it can be intensely cold. Both planets serve home to sapient races: the Ihrdizu of Genji - low-tech amphibians that congregate in small villages; and the humanoids of Chujo - aloof, mysterious beings that ignore the humans entirely. It is here that the first manned interstellar expeditions will arrive, bearing humans of all frames of mind - Earthlings and off-worlders, atheists and philosophers, mystics and iconoclasts...

Instead of being a collaborative novel, "Murasaki" is a mixed bag of science fiction stories that share a setting, each written by a different award-winning author. Mind the fact that the only interesting part is the fairly in-depth world-creation notes (included as appendices), and that the stories are pathetically shallow and lead virtually nowhere...

...That is precisely what I though about this "science fiction novel in six parts" prior to reading the last two parts, which are so refreshingly, profoundly excellent that I almost wept with awe. A mystery of interplanetary proportions is suddenly built up and then revealed in flying colors.

It's really a pity that the rest of Murasaki doesn't follow suit.

I became interested in this book after reading Otherness by David Brin. One of the short stories in Otherness is actually a chapter in Murasaki. The book itself is has a very intruiging storyline and I enjoyed reading much of it. The only problam I had was the mental transition I had to make with each chapter of the book, as they are all written by different authors.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes the work of Brin, Bear, Anderson, Pohl, Kress etc etc etc.. They all wrote parts of it.

A good read.

I've seen this book several years ago. More powers and character types than the Hulk can shake his big green fist at. Sometimes gets bogged down with unnecassry details. I would not follow the entire character creation process--just use it as a jumping off point. Can even provide fresh ideas for those using other super hero role playing games.

This book is a fantastic resource for character inspiration. I have never seen another book that could inspire people to generate creative characters the way this one does. Ever GM a game where a newbie shows up and has no idea whats going on or what they can make? Hand them this book and in record time they will have character idea in mind. It's worth it just in the time saving alone. Plus it's a wonderful referrance for power definitions. If there is any question look at the book...

'Massacre at Waco' was one of several that came out almost immediately after the burning of Mt. Carmel on April 19, 1993. In essence this book covers the events leading up to and including the fiery end of the Davidians.

The most glaring fault with this book is its extreme bias. When reading about the Davidian "cultists" you almost feel like you are reading of Cthulhu worshippers in an H.P. Lovecraft horror novel. On the other hand the section on the history of the ATF has the feel of being plagiarized from an ATF publicity pamphlet. Perhaps because he is the author of several 'true crime' books Mr. Linedecker does not seem able to look past the simple crime scene aspect of what went on at Waco. He covers Waco as if it had been bank robbery, and seems oblivious to any greater picture.

Other problems with this book are a result of when it was written. Coming out so soon after the fire, many of the myths had not yet been exposed. The apparently untrue myths propagated in this book include: the babies being beaten during the siege, tunnels under and around Mt. Carmel, the brave FBI agent running into the burning building to save Majorie Thomas, and the FBI agents seeing the fires being lit. Events that have come under dispute, such as who fired first in the initial raid, are reported with only the government's perspective, possibly because other viewpoints were not available when this book came out.

This book also has no footnoting, or even a solid sources section. To the extent that sources are made known they are stated in the text and it is often very difficult to figure out where Mr. Linedecker got what piece of information. When you can determine the sources, they appear to all be either mainstream media, government spokesmen, or people with a real anti Davidian axe to grind.

On the plus side, the book is well written. The writing is almost conversational, uncluttered with obscure phrases or references, and it makes for a quick and enjoyable read. Even in its coverage of events it has some good points. If you can get past the astonishingly biased account of the initial raid in chapter one, its history of the early Davidians in chapter two is as good as that given in other books, and more clearly written. The book's main strength, however, lies in its coverage of the intents and methods of government agencies. It does a pretty good job of explaining what the official motivations of the ATF's initial raid were, how the negotiation teams were set up, and it examines the motives (if uncritically) behind the various tactics employed by law enforcement throughout.

Although it has some interesting aspects, because of its deficiencies, I cannot recommend 'Massacre at Waco.' Instead I suggest 'The Ashes of Waco' by Dick Reavis.

I thought that "Massacre at Waco, Texas" was the best account of the events at Ranch Apocalypse that I've ever read. It is a simple, straightforward description of the beginning of the Branch Davidian Cult, the rise of David Koresh as their leader, and the eventual showdown with the ATF. Most importantly, Linedecker tells the story in an unbiased way, in contrast to the numerous versions that have been produced by conservatives and anti-government extremists. Now it is true that the book was rushed into publication shortly after the siege, and consequently contains a small number of factual errors. However, it is overall a well-researched and documented work. For example, consider Linedecker's approach to the issue of Koresh's alleged abuse of children. It is true that he includes the incident with the eight-month-old baby, a story that later proved to be questionable. However, Koresh did regularly beat children and have sexual relations with underaged girls, and Linedeckers backs up these assertions with an impressive array of court documents and testimony from former cult members. Since some of Koresh's defenders have attempted to downplay the reports about his abuse of children, it's obviously important to get the facts straight on this issue. The author also documents the process by which the Branch Davidians obtained and constructed illegal firearms and their plans for a major terrorist attack against the city of Waco.

With that said, I can't pretend that the book is well written. The writing is quite mediocre, with immature word choice, frequent grammar mistakes, and paragraphs that have just one sentence. Linedecker sometimes goes off on tangents that don't really contribute to the story for several pages. He provides long lists of people who were part of the cult, but doesn't really get into their heads to make us understand why they joined the cult. Also, the eight-page photo section doesn't really serve any purpose. Even so, I still recommend this book because I think that it's important for people to understand the truth about the tragic events that took place in Waco in 1993.

Ever since the Waco tragedy happend years ago, I've always wanted to know more about what happend there. This is the very first book that I picked up concerning the subject. While it never really went in depth with things, it did give me an understanding of what happend. I finished this book in one night, believe it or not, but I really enjoyed reading it. Since that time, I've picked up several other books concerning the subject (and you should too after reading this one). Even moreso, check out the documentary.."Rules of Engagement". Each one offers several different sides of the tragedy so you can understand what happend there better.
Overall, this is a good place to start to find out about it. This book is a good read. Definitely. Check it out.

If you are put off by silly grammatical errors and absurd typos, then don't buy this book. It doesn't appear that anyone edited or proofed the material before it went to print. I bought the version that was copyrighted in 1999. I'm not sure what the authors were thinking, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't about their readers. I decided I could use it in my teaching, but probably not as the authors intended.

The information contained in this book is very practical. Also, in contrast to some other task analysis books it is very readable. It does have some minor errors as another reviewer has pointed out. But I feel that the information contained is very good and I highly recommend this book.

This isn't an easy book to work through. It doesn't artificially simplify the field, doesn't give us the One True Method for task analysis, doesn't adopt One True Strategy for Instructional Design.

Instead, the book surveys a wide range of alternative approaches, provideas many references to different segments of the literature, and plenty of interesting insights.

I'm a Professor of Software Engineering (who also has a Ph.D. in Psychology). I focus my research on the teaching of software testing -- as a field, we are still in the early stages of curriculum development. The equivalent of a full semester in testing will soon be an ACM/IEEE requirement for a B.Sc. in Software Engineering, and so we need curriculum development in testing NOW. I find this book useful in my work and as a thought-provoker that I lend to my graduate students. It doesn't tell them what to do. It gives them enough information (and pointers) to help them think about why they should prefer one alternative over another.

One question that isn't answered is why -- if the Feds wanted David Koresh so much, and if they wanted to "protect the children" as they have claimed ad nauseum -- they didn't arrest Koresh when he was in Waco relatively alone, as he traveled there quite often (and without a lot of people with him).

Doesn't make any sense to me . . . If I was going to stop someone that was allegedly as depraved and as dangerous as he is now made out to be, then I would wait for him to leave the "compound." The Sheriff of Waco, among many others, have said that Koresh had traveled into town quite frequently (and no, he didn't surround himself with human shields). He would have been easy to arrest without fanfare.

The Feds instead chose to bring in a whole "battalion" of folks and create a big media event.

Personally, I wouldn't trust what this guy says in the book.

It took a lot of courage for Marc Breault to write this book and to tell the truth about the cult leader David Koresh. I met David Koresh on two occasions and I thought that he was a sociopath with all the charisma of Homer Simpson. Marc details in his book how no female between the ages of 11 to 68 was safe from Koresh's unwanted sexual attentions.Also how the members of the cult became so brainwashed by Koresh that they allowed him to sleep with their wives and father children from mothers as young as 14. Marc was not kicked out of the cult-he left willingly after he discovered that Koresh was a paedophile who was having sex with young girls and robbing them of their childhood and innocence. Thee was no way that Koresh was coming out of that compound alive. He knew fully well what they do to child molesters in prison and instead he set fire to the compound and thereby murdered 86 of his devoted followers including young babies. Marc details all of this in his book and he should be congratulated for having the courage to speak out against the Evil One Koresh.
John Baranyai
Email: ...

I have nothing but admiration for Mr. Breault and his courage from stepping out and telling the truth. His book is honest as well as compassionate, and, unlike Koresh, he shows true love and regard for those trapped in Koresh's dictatorship. Although it is not politically correct for anyone to accept responsibility today for their own actions but rather blame anyone else, especially the government, Mr. Breault places the blame for the mass suicide right where it belongs; David Koresh and his followers.

Knowing the history and facts behind this fictional story gives alot of perspective on this paticular review. For any individual that had or has access to any of the actual public and sealed documents concerning this case, it tends to leave a great deal of food for thought.When a mistake is made by any government agency, of course, it's an embarrassment, especially considering the last couple of decades for a reminder.Some folks in this great nation are finally realizing that our government and law enforcement agencies are not infallible and that when put in a compromising position will do just about anything to save face and funds.It's not a pleasent reality that this portrays, but unfortunately true.If given the oportunity to find fact from fiction, would you take it??

I really think this story about David Ray Parker could have made a much better book.
I always like it when a author has a lot of details about the person who committed the crime,why he/she did this + about the victims
On the end i still had no better picture of David ray parker or his daughter or his girldriend(s).
This book was more about (how can i explain) the facts. then everything around it.
Maybe some pl will say, wauw thats what i want, but i read a lot of true crime but this was was a bit dissapointing to me.
It keeps you still with a lot of questions and because of the stye..it was not very frighting, although it was ofcourse horrifying to hear of these facts.
Before i read this one i had never heard of David ray Parker or the crimes he committed.

There is another book on this crime. called Slow death by James Fielder.
The reviews of that one are better. nearly 5 stars

David Ray Parker along with his girlfriend Cindy Hendy get their "kicks" from abducting unwilling women and holding them captive for three days. During those days, the unimaginable happens. David Ray has a Toybox of Terror that is filled with sexual aids, a gynecology chair and a video camera. After he has had his way with them he drugs them and leaves them in the middle of nowhere. It is appalling to think of what these women went through. This guy is sick and demented, unfortunately he's smart too.

I had eagerly anticipated the publication of this book, but ultimately found it disappointing. Most disappointing is the sheer obscurity of what purports to be a collection of essays "elucidating" Heidegger's thought on crucial issues like politics, ethics, society, and technology. What this book does show is that Heidegger does have important things to say about these issues; what it fails to accomplish is to provide anything like a meaningful explanation of his ideas. The only exceptions to this trend in this collection are the essays by Kisiel and Sheehan, both of whom are justly praised scholars of Heidegger who have labored long and hard to make his thought understandable and engaging. The other essays simply pile on neo-logisms, needless hyphenations, half-baked arguments by analogy and explanations that wind up leaving a reader more confused than Heidegger himself ever could.

The sad fact is that this book is typical of the majority of Anglophone Heidegger scholarship, which, on the whole, does little to elucidate the work of one of the twentieth century's most controversial and exciting thinkers. My advise to scholars of Heidegger: "Fiat lux!"

Almost 15 years after the so-called Heidegger affair, Raffoul and Pettigrew's book shows that Heidegger studies is alive and well within the states, even in the once dreaded area of Heidegger's politics. To save some words here, let's quickly review some of the best and worst essays in the book. John Sallis, as always, does a professional job of elucidating Heidegger, but, as usual, there are no surprises in his reading. Other essays better at providing new insights into Heidegger and Practical philosophy are written by Nancy, Birmingham, Jacerme, Raffoul, Wood, and Richardson. Brogan's essay would have been much better had he bothered to cite Jean-Luc Nancy's work on Being-with and finitude, whose work he is obviously repeating from such works as The Inoperative Community and his book on Freedom. Otherwise, Brogran does an admirable job of rehearsing the themes of community and being-with and extending them to the Beitrage of the late 30's. However, it did make me uncomfortable that Brogan so religiously follows Heidegger's political thought at that time, given that he was likely writing those notebooks with a Nazi lapel on his suit jacket. One can always read an author otherwise and certainly not every text needs to read Heidegger as a Nazi, which is just a means of not having to confront his thought, but it would have helped Brogan's essay to at least mark out, say, the distinction between Heidegger's ontological views at the time, which might be helpful, and his less than glorious ontic views on the German Volk. Dastur's essay takes up perhaps the most difficult part of Being and Time, the sections relating to the so-called conscience. Just having an essay that could lay out what is at stake in these chapters would have been helpful. Dastur does this and pulls us farther into showing how Heidegger, contra Levinas, has a 'workable' notion of alterity already in BT. The worst essays are by Kisiel, Schmidt and Scott, probably the best known scholars in the book. While the latter are just pompous attempts at good writing - one imagines they thought they were rather clever writing with a glass of wine in one hand - Kisiel shows that he has long since given up thought - as Heidegger himself viewed it - on the alter of some Heideggerian theology. He rehearses a number of Heidegger's public communiques on the notions of the political up to an including the Nazi period, but leaves little room to think, say, the relation between these writings and what Heidegger included in his so-called philophical work. My only gripe with the text is that one can easily target the book as evidence of the hermetic seal surrounding Heidegger scholars from the outside world. Excempting Birmingham and Nancy's texts, you would never get the indication that anyone was writing from a modern standpoint. As evidence of this would be the overuse of references to Heideggerian Greek, but no discussion of latter-day practical problems. If indeed this is a work on 'practical philosophy' - even given the way in which we must reread, after Heidegger, the link between theoria and praxis - it would have been helpful to see what Heidegger gives us beyond more theory. For Nancy, Dastur, Birmingham, and a few others, we see how re-reading Heidegger, perhaps in new ways, gives us very interesting accounts of ethics, politics etc. For the others, it seems, there is less concern over the praxis of our own historical epoch than that of the Greeks.

It took me great perseverence to get through this book. At times I found it utterly uninteresting - this self-obsessed whining about relationships that are going the wrong way, the details about boring parties, all the repeats when describing the characters. I suppose it's a good thing Leavitt didn't make his own life and character look better- but maybe he should have. I don't really like Martin Baumann, nor his friends, nor anyone. Which should not be a problem if you feel that the person is experiencing mental growth. Here, none of that happens. Leavitt used to be good for his pointed, measured sentences. Now he's blabbing along for much too long. The earlier books may have been as he admits here - untrue and gloating - at least they were a better read.

This was a very interesting read. I bought this book when it was available through the U.K., plus I am a fan of Mr. Leavitt's work. (LOST LANGUAGE OF CRANES and WHILE ENGLAND SLEEPS are a must!!!) I must say this book kept me up late. It is an easy read, and it kept my interest going. This is a story of a writer trying to make it big in the literary world. But not only is he trying to get a bestseller, he is longing for a relationship. As the book progresses, he becomes a 'known' writer, and falls in love. Martin Bauman, the character, could be a likeable and un-likeable character. He is a man trying to reach the "American Dream" in writing. However, he is at times stubborn and selfish. My only problem with the book is I wish Mr. Leavitt would have a better "resolution." Mr. Leavitt should have put in an "epilogue" to the story, say what has been happening 10 years later. I felt there was an anti-climatic ending. Mr. Leavitt also likes to use BIG vocabulary words...such words I would expect in the SAT's. At times I thought I had to get the dictionary out. MARTIN BAUMAN is a "life imitates art" story that is well written and enjoyable.

Regardless of whether there are actual autobiographical elements incorporated into this story, the point is that it reads as if there are, and that's just darned good writing. If a book sounds true, then that means it's written well! For me, this was Mr. Leavitt's most satisfying book since The Lost Language of the Cranes. Unlike that book, this one is supremely mature and introspective. Oh ...and it's funny and just a great read. I had a hard time putting it down. I don't know whether Mr. Leavitt and his friends are like the characters here (and I don't much care as I doubt I will ever meet any of them!); what's more surprising and entertaining is the biting critique of the world of book publishing. Trust me...it's so achingly dead-on that I am surprised any book publisher would actually publish it. If you still live in the bubble that thinks that most of the book publishing industry is still a craft performed with devotion and love, read and behold. Big corporations make it tougher and tougher for good writing like this to make it to bookstore shelves. Bravo to Mr Leavitt and may his writing continue to be as wise and well-crafted and wonderful to read.

One of the worst horror anthologies I've read. Not only are there no worthwhile stories within, but there are more significantly BAD stories in this collection than in any other I've read. Avoid this book and strike a blow against mediocrity in horror fiction.

I really didnt care for this horror anthology. There were no stories that reached out and grabbed me by the back of the neck. Usually I read through these kind of anthologies in about a month or so but I've owned this book for a couple years and still havent managed to work my way through all the stories in it so maybe there are some gems hidden away somewhere?

The best stories in NIGHT SCREAMS are:

"Trolls" by Christopher Fahy

"Good Vibrations" by Richard Laymon

"The Wringer" by F. Paul Wilson

At least half of the stories are good.

Some other good stories:
The dripping by David Morrell
The Tulsa Experience by Lawrence Block
Small deaths by Charles de Lint
White lightning by Al Sarrantonio
Hitman by Rick Hautala
And eight rabid pigs by David Gerrold.
Corpse carnival by Ray Bradbury

I was a little disappointed by:
"A season of change" by Richard T. Chizmar
"Redemption" by Jack Ketchum
"Beasts in Buildings, Turning 'Round" by J.N. Williamson
"The book of blood" by Clive Barker

The only bad thing about Cliver Barker's story is that it is so short. It's too short to warrant having Barker's name on the cover.

Lawrence Block's story "The Tulsa Experience" starts out slow but the payoff is worth it.

F. Paul Wilson's story "The Wringer" features Repairman Jack.

The stories by Christopher Fahy and Richard Laymon are my favorites. Check out some of their novels too.
I suggest:
NIGHTFLYER and THE LYSSA SYNDROME by Christopher Fahy
AMONG THE MISSING by Richard Laymon