Star Trek Voyager: The Hologram's Handbook by Robert Picardo is written with the distinctive flair of the "Doctor" of the Star Trek Voyager series. The little tome is packed with humor, wit and down right fascinating insight into one of the series most interesting characters... the hologram program of the "Doctor".

This book is an interesting departure from all of the other books on TREK as it is a rather self expose of the "Doctor" revealed. Written by the only person who could have the knowledge and insight to do it justice the "Doctor" himself... Robert Picardo.

I found the book to be lighthearted enlightenment... something to read and get a chuckle out of. And chuckle I did. Yes, if you remember the "Doctor's" character, you'll find all of his quirks and witticisms here, or at least enough of them to make a nice reading diversion.

The book is lavishly illustrated by Jeff Yeager. You'll remember him from the Star Trek: Voyager series titled "Flesh and Blood" as Iden, the rebel leader of a band of renegade holograms.

The Hologram's Handbook is an attempt to bridge the everyday interaction between the holographic and biological life and is an essential guide.

This is a good look into the psychi of a character popular on the Voyager series. Cleverly written.

This book was wonderful. As soon as I started reading it I could not put it down. Robert's charming humor is quite evident and makes the book an easy read. If you were to pass by me when I was reading this book, you probably would have heard a few giggles. It has everything you need to know about the Doctor, and the book is a great insight into his soul. It answered many questions that I have had ever since I started watching his character on Star Trek Voyager, like his thoughts of other members of the crew, how he views himself, and exactly when he had that..um..'addition' to his programming.It also appeals to fans of different levels of obsession, and each person is bound to find a personal favorite chapter. I feel like I have a better understanding of him and love him all the more for it. The Foreward by Brannon Braga was hilarious and does indeed show the playful side of Robert us fans have all come to love. And the cartoons drawn by Yagher are a nice touch. In conclusion, if you have ever stopped and watched Star Trek Voyager and said 'What's up with the Doctor?', this book is for you. If you watch Voyager every single day no matter what time it is on and have said 'I love the Doctor. He's so hot', then the book is for you as well. :) This book is for anyone who has stopped and enjoyed the Doctor's immense character. Happy reading! And might I add: 'The Doctor and Seven of Nine Forever!' and 'Holograms are people too!' :)

A brilliant and witty piece of Star Trek writing, possibly the wittiest piece of Star Trek writing I've ever read.

Robert Picardo catches the essence of Voyager's EMH, our beloved Doctor, in a way that only he could. Witty, insightful and thought provoking are all words that perfectly describe this book.

I couldn't put it down, Picardo's writing is so smooth it's like listening to the Doctor himself talking. And not only does he provide insightful views on his character, but also some views about life in general, which are recurrent themes throughout all the centuries portrayed on Star Trek.

And, unlike the show, this book gives equal credit to pre-Scorpion and post-Scorpion time periods, and the Doctor speaks of both Kes and Seven of Nine fondly.

However, the book wasn't perfect. While Picardo covers the Doctor's views on some of the major characters nicely, I felt that he failed to provide enough insight into his relationships with the other characters on Voyager, particularly Neelix and Harry Kim.

Another low point of the book me was his continued references to Lt. Joe Carey, a recurring guest star on Voyager. In one early episode, Carey was abrasive to the Doctor, and Picardo has played that out to the extreme here, often saying he didn't like Carey. I found that to be a little rough, Carey eventually died on an away mission for Voyager, and to speak ill of a dead crewmember like that doesn't cut it in my book.

I would also have liked to have read more about the Doctor's experiences in the Delta Quadrant, and not just about personal relationships. The Doctor remained active and onboard the ship during most of the alien takeovers, and more often than not entire episodes were devoted to his adventures. Wouldn't these sorts of experiences have shaped his views on life a little? He watched as Suder struggled to contain his violence, watched as the Hirogen tortured the bodies of Voyager crewmembers, and countless other such experiences. Wouldn't these sort have things changed him? Perhaps he held a grudge against the Hirogen? Or detested the way the Vidiians used their medical science to harm others? Little to no attention was paid to these in the book, and I didn't like that. Those sort of experiences deserved a chapter at least, but Picardo paid no attention to them.

But that being said, the book was excellent, and provided great insight into the Doctor's character.

A must read if you are a Voyager fan.

The most difficult part of golf is the mental game. Though cliched, that statement is incontrovertible. For most golfers, the tendency to view the swing as a mechanized process dominates their swing thoughts. "Keep my left arm straight," "Swing through to the target," "Don't reverse pivot," "Cock/load my wrists," "Put the ball back/up in your stance," "Shorten your backswing. . ." All of these ideas, though fundamentally sound in their physical advice, tend to prevent the golfer from optimizing his/her performance because they force the golfer to consciously force a complex physical activity that should really be driven by the subconscious and feeling.

Bob Toski and Davis Love III have written a book that truly fosters golf as an athletic expression. Rather than burdening ourselves with overly precise mechanical thoughts, we must allow our natural athleticism to shine through and carry our game. The golf swing is a beautiful, fluid motion. To mechanize it detracts from its efficiency and power and renders it less graceful and effective. "How to Feel a Real Golf Swing" provides invaluable drills and advice that will allow you to understand and develop the feeling a good swing creates. It fosters the notion of allowing the arms and club to do the work of turning the body and shifting your weight.

As a serious golf addict and student of the game, this book, more than any other I've read, allowed me to understand my swing and improve my game. We all know the sweet feeling of hitting the ball on the sweet spot, this book devotes itself to the sweet feeling of the entire swing. I give it the highest rating I can.

This book really does what it says. I have books and tapes galore about golf, and I have never seen real results in my score. This book gave me the feel of a nice, easy, smooth swing that gave me better results than my usual grip it and rip it attempts. The drills here are some of the best I've ever tried. After the first two chapters alone, I went out and shot an 85! (I'm usually in the high 90's). Get this book, do the drills, and you'll stop thinking about every detail of your swing when your standing over the ball. (This will also save your money since you'll stop buying all those tapes and junk from t.v.)

As a new student of golf, I've read over a dozen books to improve my swing and this book is by far the best! It helps the reader develop a real feel for the golf swing in the most natural, developmental way I can imagine. Starting with hands and arms and then moving through each part of the body, it describes how the swing should feel. Best of all, the authors have designed numerous drills and exercises for the reader to actually FEEL the swing in each part of the body. While this description sounds mechanical, it produces a swing that is anything but. Not only has my swing become more fluid, controlled and consistent, my golf scores have improved significantly as well. I highly recommend this book for both beginning golfers and teachers of the game.

The story told in "The Last Hero" is that of Sir Henry Morton Stanley (of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame, but that's another story) who, in 1885 organized and led a mission to rescue Emin Pasha, governor of Equatoria, the southernmost province of the Egyptian Sudan, which was surrounded by the Mahdist uprising. Amazingly, Stanley decided to approach Equatoria from the Atlantic side of Africa by going up the Congo river and overland through central African forest. The expedition crossed hundreds of miles of then-unknown Africa, encountering every obstacle and difficulty along the way. The eventual end of the mission is one of history's great ironies, but I don't want to give anything away.

"The Last Hero" is a very well-written adventure story, all the more interesting because it is true. My only complaint (a very minor one) concerns the absence of notes and bibliography which could have given some historical documentation and sources.

Another good book is "The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration and Exploitation of the World's Most Dramatic River" (nonfiction) which is also by Peter Forbath (a journalist who reported on Africa). Henry Morton Stanley was also a bestselling author, he wrote: "How I Found Livingstone" (1872); "Through the Dark Continent" (1878); and "In Darkest Africa" (1890).

The best, and I mean that exactly, the best adventure book for adults ever, and I mean that exactly, ever written. My friend and I constantly recommend books to each other, and one or the other of us will say, "It's a good book but..." and the other will always respond "...it's not The Last Hero" Put this book down and you will not sleep until you pick it up again. I am on my fifth read, and I am sure that it will not be my last. There are images and moments that I will never forget. I cannot believe that anyone allowed this book to go out of stock. Find it, steal it, read it, you will not be sorry

Not many novels have the effect of this one. If I have to pick a 'prequel' to Robert Ruark's _Something of Value_ than it is surely this one. If you like Forbath's, then read Ruark's!

_The Last Hero_ sweeps you away to a time when honor and ego and plain old guts -- combined with the vast heart of unexplored Africa meant adventure. I read this novel in amazement, at the rich characterization, the lavish settings, the graphic narrative; only to be further amazed when I learned that this wasn't a mere work of historical fiction, but rather a fictionalized account of real events.

Read it. You won't find many novels that do this. Serious business, deep in the Congo Ituri rainforest, late 19th century...no one can hear you scream.

Kurt W. Wagner kwagner@gti.net

In today's world with women fleeing corporations to start their own businesses coupled with mature executives forced out of corporations due to mergers or downsizing, Bob Reiss' book is a life raft. Frankly, I think risk management is the least important lesson Reiss offers. His real gifts are how to get started, how to build the company, and how to create, build, and sell products not only to the buyer but to the consumer. For those with a great idea who may be financially challenged, he also offers info on how to create a cash flow, a product cost analysis, a break-even analysis, and a business plan that will help get money. If ever a book were written for the fledgling entrepreneur or entrepreneur wanna-be, this is it.

Reiss' book gives ideas you can use obviously gleaned from his personal experiences "where the rubber meets the road."My sons are buying my business and I've given them the book as assigned reading; particularly the chapter"Numeracy".I personally used his ideas from the chapter "Building the Company" about how to get free publicity instead of paying for advertising. I'm building a condo project and received 8 newspaper articles, with photos- some front page- in three different newspapers! The articles generated 16 inquiries and 1 sale so far.Bob's 16 common attributes of entrepreneurs in Chapter 1 are fascinating. I teach literacy to a foreigner who is keenly interested in business and I used this chapter with him.If you own a business, want to or deal with entrepreneurs, get this book and study it!

I first learned about Bob Reiss through a very famous Harvard Business School case study about one of his companies. The book expands upon the key lessons of the case, and addresses many of the issues that could not be addressed in the short case study format. This book is a "must read" for first-time entrepreneurs.

"The rain has stopped./Night is coming./The pond awakes with/quiet humming. // Maestro frog hops to the mound/As night begins to fill with sound./Peepers peep pe-ep, peep, peep./They have had a good day's sleep..." Lit by fireflies and stars "...twinkling to the tune/As they dance around the moon..." the concert begins. Frogs of all shapes and sizes join together to make music in the marsh. These are the beautiful, wondrous sounds that begin quietly and slowly at dusk, and build, louder and faster, as the night stretches on towards dawn..... Marianne Berkes' inspiring, lyrical text is rich in imagery and magic and is filled with energy, rhythm, rhyme, and marvelous sound effects. Robert Noreika's evocative watercolor illustrations dazzle, and together word and art bring the marsh and its inhabitants to life. Part nature book, part music book, Marsh Music includes a glossary of musical terms and informative descriptions of the eleven types of frogs we meet in the "orchestra". This is a lovely and engaging picture book, perfect for bedtime reading, that youngsters 4-8 definitely shouldn't miss. "But now it's dawn./The stars are gone./Maestro puts down his baton. // That's all my friends./It's time to go./Tonight there'll be/another show."

As the author of this book, I'm proud to share the reviews from December "School Library Journal" and "Booklist."

School Library Journal Review: "PreS-Gr3 - As night falls on the pond, an unusual orchestra assembles. As fireflies light up the stage, Maestro bullfrog leads the chorus frogs, spring peepers, American toads, and others in an outdoor symphony. Berkes incorporates sounds such as "woink-woink" and "twang" into the rhythmic text that recreates the atmosphere of a lazy summer evening. Noreika's watercolor illustrations bring to life the amphibious musicians as well as the other animals in the audience. Shades of green, brown and blue capture the watery setting. A glossary of musical terms Berkes uses in her concert decription provides helpful definitions. She also offers a brief paragraph about each kind of frog and toad appearing in "the cast." MARSH MUSIC has the visual and verbal pizzazz to make it a read-it-again treat."

From Booklist:

"Ages 5-8. Berkes turns the night songs of all kinds of frogs into a concert, with a bullfrog, Maestro, assuming the role of conductor. As the illustrations move from twilight to dawn, Maestro supervises a symphony of frogs plunking spiders webs, playing pond instruments, and making sounds ("woink-woink-woink," "gronk-gronk-gronk") that illustrate tempo, from moderato to animato. Noreika's watercolor paintings of marsh life--plants, animals, insects, and even mist--are stunningly detailed and luminous. They perfectly complement this book about nature and music, brought together by the singing talents of frogs. An entertaining way to teach children about both nature and music. A glossary of musical terms, and descriptions of the frog musicians are appended."

I purchased this book for my grandchildren and they just love it! We read it over and over again. The story is fun, whimsical as well as educational. All children seem to love frogs, ponds and music and this book takes you into the night and makes you feel like part of a wonderful musical extravaganza. We especially enjoy the rhyming text and the illustrations are fantastic!

Mary Pickford Rediscovered is a wonderful book, for it allows the reader to follow Pickford's career in films both through the text and through the large number of pictures which bring this writing to life. The main body of the book comprises Kevin Brownlow's film-by-film analysis. His description of these films is fair and even-handed. He is obviously a fan of Pickford, but does not allow this to cloud his judgement. His commentary includes criticisms when these are just, but this means that when he does praise a particular film there is a sense that the film has real merit.

Brownlow's balanced opinions contrast rather with those of Robert Cushman, who provides a long introduction to the book. In his justified desire to raise Mary Pickford to the position she deserves in film history, Cushman, at times, goes rather over-the-top in his admiration. But this is a minor criticism for the introduction is, on the whole, thought provoking and informative.

It is to be hoped that more of Pickford's films might soon be available for viewers to see at home. This book makes the reader long to see the films which are described, so that the magnificent still photographs might move. In this way Mary Pickford could be really rediscovered.

England's Kevin Brownlow brings to life America's Sweetheart, Mary Pickford, in this richly textured and insightful book featuring a myriad of lush and rare photographs chosen by Pickford expert Robert Cushman. Mary Pickford's contribution to cinema is seen in a new light here. Brownlow subtly makes the case that she not only was the most influential woman in the history of cinema, but a visionary force for the film industry itself.

It is difficult in today's climate of instant access to information to understand just how popular Mary Pickford was in her day. She was embraced by the entire world, and reportedly, every twenty four hours, 12 1/2 million people saw her on screen. She perfected her craft in an era of film when very few people actually saw her natural acting style for the hard work and genius it was. George Cukor called her the first method actor.

Mary Pickford's career as an actress spanned decades. She did much for women with her strong business savvy and the roles she not only portrayed, but created. A very practical woman by all accounts, her films themselves reflected our better side as human beings and were often sentimental in tone. She didn't play weak characters as many of her contemporaries did. When people walked out of the theatre after seeing a Pickford film, they were often uplifted, feeling generous towards their fellowman.

Brownlow has done a wonderful job bringing Mary Pickford to life as a three dimensional human being. With all the rare and beautiful photographs here to distract you it would have been easy to have an uninspiring text. But the introduction by Cushman, and the lengthy and insightful comments by Brownlow, which includes comments on each Pickford film, make this a mesmerizing journey into a life, both on film, and off.

There were many things about Mary the public knew, such as the famous Pickfair and her celebrated marriage to Douglas Fairbanks and their friendship with Charlie Chaplin. They knew little of a young girl who virtually had no childhood. Before her career finally took off she was poor in the extreme, sleeping in a chair so long it would take quite some time after owning a bed before she could sleep in any other position.

Some knew of her first marriage to actor Owen Moore, but few knew he was an abusive alcoholic who would drive Mary to seek comfort with actor and director James Kirkwood. They certainly didn't know that in 1917, at the height of her fame, Mary almost committed suicide. Though these aspects of Mary's life are only touched upon and not dealt with in depth, it is admirable they are here at all, separating this from other coffee table books.

The photographs are so stunningly beautiful (some never before seen) you may have trouble concentrating on the text. Of particular note are photographs on pages 110, 65, 17, 12, 27, 154, 121, and 66. They are not to be missed.

This lush and informative book, filled with affection for it's subject and augmented by rare and breathtaking photographs, is a must own for anyone who loves film. It's overall perspective of America's Sweetheart, and ultimately the world's sweetheart, Mary Pickford, is unmatched. Pick this one up today!

If you've browsed around to find this title, you probably know something about silent films, films in general, or Mary Pickford-and, make no mistake, you are going to love this book. If none of the above applies to you-yet-you are still going to love it! Mary Pickford was an actress of amazing charm and subtlety, very different from the image most of us have of her today, and even without a copy of one of her films nearby(you're going to want to seek them out), the photographs show it, and the wonderful text by Kevin Brownlow supports it. Put this one on your coffee table, and see how many of your friends are suddenly converted to an interest in silent films!

This book has something lacking in most Wilson books, namely a linear plotline and fairly believable characters who aren't merely stand-ins for the author's philosophy. Granted three of the characters are real people but that's besides the point.

An amateur Kabalist who is related to the Hagbard Celine of the original Illuminatus trilogy (and the other Celine of the Historical Illuminatus trilogy) finds himself driven mad by the machinations of Aleister Crowley. On a train he runs into Albert Einstein - the scientist who approached science as if it were art - and James Joyce - the artist who approached art as if it were a science. As he retells his story, Einstein and Joyce slowly unravel the trail of deceit and mindgames sponsored by Crowley.

It's fairly obvious by the second chapter that not only is this not much of a thriller, but Robert Anton Wilson is a major Aleister Crowley fan. Much of this book is a homage to Wilson's favorite historical figures with "Uncle Al" as the star of the show. That may take away from the whole mystery aspect of the book, but you find yourself cheering on Crowley soon as well.

This is not only a great book but a nice controlled storyline. The only complaint is that it doesn't have much to do with the world of the Illuminatus! Trilogy, and the word Illuminatus seems to be tacked on in order to sell this book to fans of that series. However, in many ways this later work surpasses the original trilogy.

Well, this one isn't quite as twisty as some of RAW's other work (ie Illuminatus), in fact, its remarkably linear, a single major plotline. I would definitely recommend reading RAW's "Coincidence", a book of essays, I read Coincidence before reading this book, and it gave me a lot of insight into the symbolism and the way that we could analyze parts of the dream sequences and things (I was so proud when I noticed the ROYGBIVs...). Even if you haven't read Coincidence, this book is enjoyable.. you can skip right over the gnomic and complex dreams and philosophical symbolism and get right into the overt and fun plot.

Masks of The Illuminati is a fast-paced Adventure and Detective Story, with Albert Einstein & James Joyce playing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, in the historical setting of The Real World. However, the characters also spend a great deal of time in the Metaphysical world, as well. The average reader will not comprehend half of this book--but, that is the excitement of the adventure! Only the Illuminated truly "get it." ;)

Seriously, Students of "The Mysteries" will have a field day (or an Astral Field Trip) with this thrilling "fictional" novel.

Robert Anton Wilson must be a genius to have incorporated so much historical and metaphysical Truth, into this "story" of a young, wealthy, well-educated Englishman being Initiated into a branch of The Golden Dawn, while trying to investigate a series of strange "occult" attacks in Scotland, against a Presbyterian minister....fighting both the forces of Darkness and his own repressed sexual tendencies, simultaneously !

This is a fascinating journey into the world of occult organizations and Initiation, climaxing in a most unusual and exciting manner....leading the reader to strongly desire clapping Aleister Crowley on the back while saying, "Well-done, 'ol chap!"

I strongly doubt that non-occultists will understand this great novel--but, the Story holds it's own and being a student of The Mysteries is not a Prerequisite. For those in the dark, a quick online search can fill in the gaps, as you read.

This book is more fast-paced than Focault's Pendulumn and the scenes with Einstein & Joyce as Sleuths are very well-constructed. You will feel that you are in the room with them...listening attentively and anxiously awaiting the Conclusion !

This contains a whole bunch of case studies -- some of pros you've heard of and some of amateurs -- who have consistenly played a higher level of golf because of self-confidence. Okay, great. But once I'm convinced of that (after the first chapter) this book is pretty short on things to do to improve your self-confidence. Save your money and spend it on his audio tape, "Putting Out of Your Mind". At least it has some advice on how to improve your game, rather than point out the obvious: success breeds success, and self-doubt is a real killer of your golf swing.

Rotella has over twenty years working with champion athletes, many of them the best golfers in the world.

What he's discovered and passed on to his clients his that golf begins and ends with confidence.

Rotella uses his advisees such as Brad Faxon to an amateur like Bill Shean to help them with this vital part of the game.

You'll learn about many of the terms you hear the expert commentaters speak of on the TV telecasts, "stay in the present," breakthrough moments, staying within yourself, trust, etc.

I disagree with some of the reviewers who say is all rehash, or else why would the best players seek this guy out? Maybe those who think it's simple stuff rehashed should be able to perform as those that feel the opposite, that they have to work on their mental game as well.

For us who do work on the mental game, consistent routine, etc., this book is a great help. Buy it, you'll like it, your golf will benefit.

Golf is a Game of Confidence is another great success from Bob Rotella. He has again written a book to help people play better golf by changing their mental game./This is a book of insights that he has told to PGA tour professionals such as Brad Faxon. It is a wonderful book with many great tips for average, great, and even beggining golfers./ I would suggest this book to anyone who plays golf or wants to learn how to. Rotella has put another book of helpful information into the hands of the public. I recommend that if you want to improve your golf game you go out and buy this book.

I received Goodbye, Geraldine in the mail yesterday. I must confess I was skeptical of it because it had come so highly recommended. But as I finished reading it this morning I realized just what a wonderful book this is. Mr Morgan writes from the heart, sharing his life and family with all of us. You feel as if you've known a lot of these people for most of your life. It gives you a good feeling, and hope that there are truly happy endings if you just look for them. MORE!! Mr Morgan, Give us MORE!!!

"Goodbye, Geraldine" is an human interest story showing the growth of a young boy into manhood in spite of obstacles during the post-depression/World War II era. Because I am well familiar with the area and most of the people of which the author writes, I can only verify that Robert J. Morgan has written about the times, the places, and the people exactly as they were. The story will bring tears to your eyes as well as chuckles and smiles to your face. It's a story of growth, honor, humility, faith, hope, and love. Above all it is the author's verification that all things are indeed possible in this great country of America. May I encourage all to read "Goodbye, Geraldine". You too will hope that Mr. Morgan plans to treat us to a second book.

I just finished reading the newly released "Goodbye, Geraldine" by Robert J. Morgan and found myself wanting more. This book will surely be on the NY Best Sellers List, and am confident that it will go into your favorites collection as well. It's an American success story, which will be magical on your heart and your mind. Taking nothing away from "Angela's Ashes", "Goodbye, Geraldine" delivers courage, strength and hope out of hardship and despair in a way that "Angela's Ashes" could not.