Hollywood 101, The Film Industry by Frederick Levy is an informative and helpfull guide to those who are interested in pursuing a career in the industry. Not only does the book break-down and define the players involved in the film making process but it also includes a long list of contact information, tips and real-life examples of what to do and not to do.

Unlike some of the reviewers of this book, unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to meet Mr. Levy but I would like to congratulate him on a book that is truly insightful and provided me with several days of wonderful reading.

I don't want to sugarcoat this review but I have read so many books on the film industry and this book did not make me yawn one bit. This book was created for people who want to break into the industry. By no way is the author saying it's easy but the insight to certain industry professions and the professionals he had contribute to this book is remarkable.

If you know someone who wants to break into the film industry, I know there are many books out there but purchase this book as a present for that individual. It's hip, informative and definitely not boring.

Highly recommended!

As a film professional and teacher I was extremely impressed by Frederick Levy's book. Every question a student has ever asked me about the industry is answered here. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a supplemental text book for any college level class. Not only is it informative but it's fun to read!

A brilliant, highly accessible account of the history of the POWs in Southeast Asia. The text is very readable and concisely written. The photographs alone speak volumes and the maps provide a nice illustrative point of reference.

Before you read any other POW-related book, take the time to read "Honor Bound" cover to cover. Not only will you feel you are getting to know these men - heroes all - personally, you will gain a brutally clear perception of the conditions these men were forced to endure and the way they managed to maintain their honor and dignity in the face of such terrible adversity. The human element is very strong.

This is not, mind you, a book for the weak-stomached. The book is unflinching in its cataloging of the various tortures the POWs underwent, the often rancid food they were forced to subsist on, and the day to day challenges their captors and the climate inflicted upon them.

Surprisingly, however, while the reader is horrified, he or she will leave the book strangely uplifted. It reaffirms one's faith in the human spirit and humanity in general.

After reading many individual POW memoirs and similar material, it was immediately evident to me that Honor Bound is the premier and defining work on American POW's in Vietnam. For its sheer scope and immensity, this is the best reference material ever composed on this subject.

Beginning with history of French occupation in Vietnam and the follow on role of United States involvement, an intimate portrayal is drawn of every aspect of captivity faced by U.S. personnel. In minute detail, Northern and Southern Vietnamese POW camps are put under the microscope revealing the harrowing physical and psychological experiences that affected U.S. servicemen in appalling conditions which equated to a daily battle for survival. Also examined is the known information on captivity in Laos which continues to be controversial even today due to the unknown fates of many Americans still missing in that country.

Complimenting the brilliant narrative which leaves nothing to the imagination, Honor Bound contains dozens of excellent photographs, prison maps, generous footnotes, and several appendixes containing Vietnam war data and prisoner information. This book is a lasting tribute to patriots, heroes, and even legends who gave and maintained their very best in continual times of the absolute worst. I highly recommend Honor Bound to everyone interested in accounts of POW captivity. A superb, powerful, and very satisfying reading experience.

Thank you to Stuart Rochester and Frederick Kiley, for an unbelievable account of the POW's that served in Viet Nam. This is not an easy book to read, but it is a page-turner. As an American, I am overwhelmed by the sacrafice extended for the freedom I enjoy. My praise for the written words and for the service to our country so clearly evident in this riveting book. G.K. Smith Cape Cod USA

This is the standard Greek lexicon for New Testament studies. I find that it takes longer to use than Louw and Nida, but gives a more mature understanding. It gives many more examples, and also points out grammatical features of the words, which can be extremely helpful. This lexicon does not attempt to give you a full dictionary definition; instead, it tries to give you the data to allow you to develop your own. For a comparison of the standard lexicons for New Testament Greek, see "http://www.mindspring.com/~jwrobie/littleGreek.html"

The third edition of this famous Greek-English Lexicon does not disappoint. It is a significant improvement in at least three respects. First, specific Greek words have been given general definitions even where the word covers a wide semantic domain. This was not the case in previous editions where the reader was left with the meaning of a word only in its particular occurrence. Now readers can draw some conclusion about the basic meaning of any given Greek word. The approach suggests a regression in the approach to biblical words spearheaded by James Barr in his "Semantics of Biblical Language" and a return to the approach of older lexicographers to the effect that words have meanings. Second, the range of Greek authors has been expanded and now includes more noncanonical (especially apocryphal) Greek writings of special interest for the study of early Christian origins. Third, the type set and publication of this edition is dramatically improved, making it as sheer pleasure to handle and read. The second edition suffered from typeset that was too small, and lacked bold catchy print for the words themselves. Readers who own the second edition will want to upgrade for this reason alone.

There are two drawbacks. The first is price. This is an expensive volume, but perhaps that is to be expected. The second is that I noticed several examples of errata. No doubt these will be removed with each new printing.

If it were not for this lexicon the serious, but "linguistically challenged" scholar, would have a hard time understanding the correct usage of just about any Koine Greek word. By comparring the usage in the NT and the writings of Josephus and early Christian writers, we can discern how the early church used a certain Greek word, in fact, what the Apostle's intended to convey in their writings. No other lexicon in existance does this. If there is such a thing a "truth" this lexicon shows what the early church taught that it was. Throw out all of your other lexicons and buy this one.

Many other amazon reviewers have described the book as "poetic" and I must agree. Buechner has shaped this story with an economy of words, and it often reads like a superb narrative poem. I read it in one sitting and was captivated by its grace.

A recurring theme in the book is the disparity between what is commonly perceived as "sainthood" or "saintliness" and what the saint, in fact, knows himself to be. Like Paul in the New Testament (see Romans chapter 7 for instance), Godric is continually brought to an awareness of his inner wretchedness as compared with other's perception of him. At one point his scribe Reginald reminds him that the name Godric means "God reigns" but Godric himself feels more affinity with the term "God's wreck." He says, "...Godric's sins have made a wreck of God."

Elsewhere he concludes that "life's a list. Good tilts with ill." Sounds negative? Well, if the sky is blue on your planet, pull up a chair and introduce yourself to LIFE! With those words, Godric is referring to the reality that in many instances evil men prosper while the good suffer privation. Even in the church, the Lord is oftentimes mocked by those who ought to have exalted Him the most. And sincere folks are often given to attributing holiness to those most undeserving. In this book we learn that holiness must, of necessity, be something other than good behavior... it turns out to be nothing other than the unmerited presence of God.

A beautiful book. Well worth reading, and as some have suggested, re-reading many times. I plan to. We see ourselves here.

Buechner once again shows he is a master, not only of prose, but of understanding what being human is. In spellbinding, rythmic language, he unveils the longings of the heart, as well as the deeds of the flesh, of an ancient hermit. Godric the man is a surprise of contradictions. His overwhelming passion for oneness with God is equalled only by his ability to be profane, and then to punish himself in penitence. He is a surprise, until we read the story of our own lives and find we are much like Buechner's sinner/saint. We want redemption, the touch of mysterious grace, but are too often confronted with evidence of our own humanness. I found myself both pitying Godric, and wanting to be him. Godric the book is beautifully crafted both in style and structure. Buechner's language has a beautiful visual quality. It creates, and leaves, pictures in the mind. The structure of the book is more episodic than chronological, placing stories of Godric's life into a well made mosaic of a saint and sinner.

A beautiful, touching story. Seemingly the tale of a crusty, hardened man, but that crust is merely the thin veil of a truly broken and human heart. One forgets that the story is primarily fiction. Though based on the life of an obscure cleric, it is the story of everyman -- I think most readers will find themselves in the person of Godric.

Buechner is not one of those authors who, when one reads his books says "Oh, this is Buechner." Each of his books is wholly unique and original. I would recommend anything he has written. (NOTE: I see that the long out-of-print Book of Bebb is being re-released in October. Highly recommended! Unlike anything else you've read!)

A completely first-rate novel, sublime in richly historical hysterical characterizations. In his first novel, Noble Smith fashions a completely original story-within-a-story. The subject, a smart and thumping love story which leaves you both wildly entertained, expanded in your vocabulary, and just a little more informed about the wild turns of history which by only the smallest chance may have turned out quite different for all of us.
Smith's 'Gypsy' character breathes hope into our sometimes gray hearts that we all have, deep inside of us, an erudite, bold gypsy inner-being longing to break free from the humps which define us to sing our passions to the world. The story is told smartly through a decrepit writer-in-exile's re-telling of this fantastic story to his servant. With joy we watch the transformation both he and his main character makes throughout the book, tying up spectacularly in the end.
Stolen By Gypsies is a read which will keep you on the edge of your seat, as empassioned as the Gypsy character who is striving to become his complete self. Highly recommended reading. Waiting anxiously for his next novel.

Ambrogio Smith is a hypochondriacal British noble living in his bed as a seeming invalid, and attended by his story-loving Italian servant Antonio, whose main duty seems to be to provide his master with warm beet enemas under the direction of a randy Hungarian quack-physician. A husky but voluptuous serving girl makes an occasional appearance in this original and ribald comedic adventure set in the early 19th century. Stolen From Gypsies is a literate novel richly textured with word play, puns, malapropisms, and unusual references. Noble Smith's skill as a literate writer and engaging storyteller is simply first rate. His frequent use of ancient vocabulary and historical name dropping are a pure delight, but keep your dictionary and glossary close to hand! Enthusiastically recommended reading, Stolen From Gypsies is further enhanced for the reader's pleasure with brilliant pen and ink illustrations providing context and illumination for the outstanding narrative text.

This is easily the most satisfying tale I've read in a very long time. Rambunctious and witty, vastly imaginative, racingly-paced, and always downright funny, Stolen from Gypsies is a book for anyone who loves a great yarn spun with great skill. The author is drunk like a lord on the rich, mad joy of the English language itself, but not only can he hold his liquor, he turns the wildness of our words, old and new, into pure, narrative gold. This book is no spare, dry, modern comment on our brief, contemporary moment; it's a hot-blooded, hip-wading, sly-winking romp through the rich, roiling tradition of hundreds of years of broadly comic tale-telling. Full of exaggerated characters with outrageous names who do, say, and think extraordinary things, and written with appreciable literary and historical wisdom and wit, this story is firmly rooted in what everyone will recognize and appreciate as the ancient tradition of classically good storytelling.

Have you been yearning for an irrepresibly laugh-out-loud tale which steeps you in history and adventure, cozies you near and dear to absurd characters, bashes you good-naturedly about the head with old English slang, and goads you into turning the pages in equal measure of curiosity, surprise, and happy contentment of perhaps the most familiar, well-loved experience language can give us--the pleasure of a great story wondrously unfolding? Then you'll love this book; it's a true pleasure.

Post-note for all you hybridization fans: think Anthony Burgess's "Nothing Like the Sun" (a brilliant masterpiece) crossed with something more outright comic--the Monty Python movie epics will have to do for now. Maybe another reader will come up with the perfect title here...

After faithfully listening to Dr. Price for 77 weeks, actually teaching the topic Race, Religion and Racism, his book by the same name is awesome. It's easy to read and very poignant. It was one thing hearing his words, but to see them and read them in print carries a much greter impact. This book is destined to become a bestseller, not only in the Christian market, but the secular as well. It provides an historic explaination as to where racism originated, in the church. Unfortunately, this book is only volume 1. I can't wait to receive volume 2.

Race, Religion & Racism illustrates and documents how White Christians have failed to address wrongs done to Blacks in American society. Author Frederick Price advocates the governmental and societal changes needed to enable individuals of color to live and work productively together. Price points out that Adam, Eve and Jesus Christ were all individuals of color; slavery in America was enabled by the corruption of Scripture; that millions of Americans of diverse racial background feel the Christian Church has failed them; that despite differences in color and culture resulting from historical, cultural and geographical isolations, all men and women share the same blood as demonstrated through the fact that any racial roup can share blood through transfusion; that Christians who do not say anything condemning racism are as guilty as those who contribute to the racial dilapidation of society. Race, Religion & Racism is an important, well researched, admirably reasoned, and reader friendly contribution to the on-going national dialogue within the churches on the subject of racism, the brotherhood of man, and the role of the Christian to address the evils present in the secular world -- and within some professedly Christian congregations and movements.

I found this book to be well written and documented. I understand the anger that Dr. Price feels as I am an African American who has seen some of this subtle racism. It is a shame when men who for years were examples of godliness, yet also secretly harbor feelings of white superiority. Dr. Price shows us that no man is better than another based on the color of that person's skin.

Dr. Price writes this with tough love. He displays his love for his white brothers and sisters but shows his strong committment and lack of compromise in support of his own race. Jesus is truly in the heart of Dr. Price.

It is time for those in the church who have even the smallest of "white supremacy" in their hearts to ripp that thing out through the blood of Jesus and repent for it. It is also time for African Americans to realize who they are as a people and most of all, who they are in Christ. We are not inferior but we are created in the image of God.

Pneuma Life Publishing also publishes many good books along these lines. Do a search for them here at Amazon.com

This was definitely a good read, no doubt about it. I'm sort of surprised that other people say it gives insight into the daily lives of the indians though, because I didn't get that at all. More what I got was insights into the way indians generally treated their captives (the ones who ran away and told their stories) and the way things were seen and the life of the settlers maybe (only by how they told the story). The book is all firsthand accounts from escaped captives and is sometimes gruesome but always very interesting. People back then knew how to tell stories.

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An amazing amount of material on the wildlife of North America and, the "wild" lives of American Indians and captured settlers.

The book includes firsthand accounts of Indian life, gruesome conflicts, brutal torture, spectacular escapes, and spirited pursuits. The Indians killed, tortured, and sometimes adopted white settlers. Some were made into slaves, some fully adopted as family members, and other slated for, and escaped sure death.

I was particularly facinated by descriptions of the wildlife. The size and age of trees. The abundance of wild animals--particularly the bears.

I've read this book twice and found every story interesting.

Not often do we get glimses of the past through ordinary people, placed in extra-ordinary situations. Many of these people could not read or write but told their stories which were dutifully recorded. The feeling of authenticity of the stories is strong.

Everyone should read this book to fully understand the capabilites of humans, both in brutality and in kindness and understanding.

An unforgettable book.

This is a short collection of some of the most famous Indian captivity narratives written during the late 18th and 19th centuries when warfare raged between white settlers and the native Indian inhabitants of North America. These narratives are not only interesting and entertaining as drama, but are invaluable to historians and ethnographers as they provide some of the best first-hand accounts of life among the native tribes of the United States at a time when they were being wiped out by white expansion.

These narratives show what life was like as an Indian, including all the blood and horror as well as the genuine kindness and devotion inherent in any human society. You will note that many captivity accounts were in many ways positive experiences for the captives who were adopted into a tribe and treated with the love and respect they would accord any of their own people. Such is the case with men like James Smith who spent five years living with the Ohio Indians along Lake Erie. These tales were popular in their own time for providing an entertaining escape for people who were both fearful yet fascinated by the Indians and their "savage" ways. From these accounts we learn much about Indian lifeways, food, culture, and religion. We also learn of the cruel barbarities that the Indians could inflict on their enemies, as we see in the tale of Dr. John Knight who witnessed the horrific torture and death of Col. William Crawford in 1782, or the daring escape of John Slover, who had spent many years among the Shawnee and Wyandot as a captive and who later escaped and returned to wage war against his former captors, only to be retaken after the Battle of Sandusky. A slow and terrible death awaited any escaped captive who fell back into Indian hands. But what is really interesting is the number of captives who spent many years living, happily in many cases, with the Indians, showing that they were not the totally savage heathens protrayed in many boosk and movies, but a society of human beings who could love and hate as equally as any other.

This is a valuble introduction to a fascinating genere of litereature and is an important part of history that should not be overlooked. To anyone interested in delving deeper into this subject I would also recommend checking out Archibald Loudon's "Indian Narratives" as well as "A History of Jonathan Alder".

The Byron & Fuller provides a serious introduction in mathematics of classical and quantum physics. This book is designed to complement graduate-level physics texts and one of its goal is to introduce the physicist to the language and style of mathematics. Consequently, this book may be really useful to people with strong skills in physics and maths. No doubt that they will have fun reading the theory of vector spaces.
For the others, just like me, not really specialized in physics and maths, but maybe just curious, this book can bring you a lot of fun too. It reminds you of what you may have studied a few years ago... And more than that, you cover with this book other fields of mathematics that are not taught to non specialized students like Hilbert space, quantum physics, theory of analytic functions, Green's functions and integral equations.

To conclude, if you're curious about mathematics and physics, you should buy this book. If you're good at maths and physics, you should already own this book.
And now, with this special price, do the maths!

This book is not, and I repeat, IS NOT for the inexperienced. This book is a GRADUATE LEVEL TEXT on mathematical physics. If you are an undergraduate student taking a physics class, this book will be of no use to you. I recommend that anyone interested in purchasing this book have a somewhat decent amount of mathematical background. I personally recommend Calculus I-IV, Advanced Calculus and Linear Algebra.
If, though, you have this background, then this book is may just be for you. It is concise, to the point and presents a clear and well written discussion of mathematical physics.
I just felt that before you dive, head first, into the world of mathematical physics, somebody needed to warn you about what you were getting yourself into.

This book introduces the reader to the basic mathematical structures of theoretical physics: mainly Quantum Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, And Classical Mechanics. I used this at UC San Diego for a year long graduate course on Mathematical methods in physics and engineering. If one has the time, there is really a lot to be gained by carefully studying this book. A big part of the book is geared toward developing in detail the mathematics of the Quantum Theory. This is a good thing because in my experience most QM books are too eager to "get to the physics". It is true that you can get by with a superficial understanding of functional analysis and still do QM, but this book will give you an immensely deeper understanding of the underlying structure of the theory. In particular, the treatment of Green's functions and integral equations is good. There is chapter on Group Theory and it's uses in QM. Also is a chapter on Complex analysis, although it is a wise idea to read a book entirely devoted to this subject. Overall, I like this book very much.

Bruce is one of the most important new testament scholars. His book contains valuable information, but it is a little dated. For example, Bruce doesn't think it reasonable to date Mark any further back than 65 a.d., but some scholars now have argued that perhaps it could go back as far as 50 a.d. based on internal evidence in the gospels and Acts. (Has anyone else noticed the similarity between the mini-apocrypha in Mark 13 and Daniel 9:24-26? Perhaps even atheist scholars could accept this early date) I was hoping for a more thorough treatment of the Pauline epistles and the rest of the new testament, but the focus is clearly on the gospels. Bruce does, however, include a chapter on the Pauline epistles. It's a good book, especially if you're not acquainted at all with new testament scholarship. A more thorough and up-to-date approach to some of the problems Bruce discusses can be found in "The Historical Reliability of the Gospels" by Craig Blomberg, who also discusses the rest of the new testament briefly.

This book is a fantastic guide for any person, Christian or otherwise, who would like to understand the level of historical accuracy that can be found in the New Testament documents. In that Christianity is a religion whose truth claims are allegedly rooted in historical fact, it is key that the works through which we read of those "facts" be considered reliable. Bruce does a great job of doing just that. No historical account, regardless of reliability, can prove miraculous events. However, Bruce argues, if a work can be proven to be historically and culturally accurate with respect to most of its content, that document then becomes-on the whole-more compelling. Any historian would then need to take more seriously the author's questionable claims such as the miracles, and Christ as God and savior of humanity. For if an author can be shown to be reliable in all other aspects of his work, why should he lie with respect to the documentation of miracles? This line of reasoning, and many other arguments, make Bruce's short book a compelling read for anybody interested in this topic.

Several sections of this book stand out. Bruce provides an introductory discussion regarding how historians have arrived at different dates for the original writing of the NT books. That particular chapter thus demonstrates how soon after the actual events of the NT that those events were actually captured in written form. Also, he briefly explains how the different NT books came to be "canonized" during the first three centuries the Christian Church. Throughout the rest of this book, Bruce provides internal and external evidence that point to the historical reliability of the NT. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Bruce does not try to convince his readers that Christianity is true; that is not his goal. It is only his aim to demonstrate that the NT documents, which themselves assert Christianity's truth claims, are as historically reliable as any documents of antiquity. In fact, based on the guidelines that historians use to determine historicity, the NT books can be considered much more reliable than ALL other documents of antiquity. That being the case, it then is up to the reader of the NT to determine if they will choose to believe or disbelieve the truth claims that the authors of the NT assert.

The objectivity with which Bruce approaches this book makes it a must read for Christians who want to better understand the historical roots of their faith, and non-Christians who believe that the Bible is mere religious myth. Both groups of readers stand to have their minds opened by Bruce's careful scholarship.

This is an elightening read. It has allowed me to have more confidence when I read the Christian Bible. I now feel confident that I can explain to interested others the basis for believing that the text we now have is the same message as preached by the first century Christians. Regardless of whether you believe what these people preached, there can be no doubt that we know what they preached after reading this book. Bruce (1910-1990) was for many years prior to his death the Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester in England. Based on the claim that Chrisitanity is an historical revelation, he felt justified to look at the foundation documents from a standpoint of historical criticism. Perhaps it is impossible to prove beyond any doubt the authenticity of these documents. Bruce does show that "the grounds for accepting the New Testament as trustworthy compared favourably with the grounds on which classical students accepted the authenticity and credibility of many ancient documents" If you are interested in fortifying your spiritual relationship by understanding the historical trustworthiness of the Gospel Tradition, this book will be interesting to you.

There are very few books that I consider mandatory
reading for humanity; Conscious Conception is one
those books.

This is not a "new-age" book at all. It is a
guidebook for living life to its fullest. What
Jeannine and Rico have written sits in the home of my
soul. It is like some kind of cosmic memory had been
brought back. I can just hold the book and feel that
warm fuzzy feeling of being loved in the womb of Terra
Madre.

I learned a great deal about my impact on the planet
earth and how, with a few simple steps, we can all
make a positive change in how the future looks.

With Conscious Conception, you learn how to welcome a
new person into the world. You realize that
everything you do, up to the biological act of
conception, has an impact on our children. Also, you
will realize that free birth, the chance to birth a
whole child without trauma, will be the key that opens
the door of peace.

This is also a great book to better understand your

body's natural fertility dance, and how we don't need
human-made devices (abortions, c-sections, etc.) to
control birth.

A wonderful book! There are not enough stars to rate
this masterpiece.

You will not find this perspective anywhere else. These two remarkable authors have graciously shared their unique life experience of fertility awarness, spirituality and how the two interact. This voluminous book is packed full of fascinating journeys into the mind and hearts of parents-to-be. They give the unborn baby spirits a voice - whether you wish for children or not, you can still speak to them softly with intent. Although it is not a scientific guide to fertility charting (there are many other fine books that do that), it does delve into the uncharted waters of consciously creating a family with honesty, courage, love and spirituality.

Conscious Conception Elemental Journey through the Labyrinth ofSexuality By: Jeannine Parvati Baker and Frederick Baker

In 1987while pregnant with my forth child, I read Conscious Conception. This book confirmed for me the sanctity I felt growing richly in my belly. As my body became a mobile-home for my son, my heart stormed about so many questions. This book fed my mind, and soothed my heart.

Later when I lived in Bali, Indonesia, as a midwife... I used Conscious Conception as tool when working with couples who were trying to achieve pregnancy. The words and concepts of communication with pre-babies, I would translate. The many pictures and images needed no translation.

Now in the year 2000, I endeavored to re-read Conscious Conception. this time as a mother, as a midwife and as a grandmother. Inside these pages I have unearthed even more treasures, than in my first two readings of the book.

As a master teacher of the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning, I highly recommend Conscious Conception. I am grateful to find in Jeannine and Frederick's writing kindred souls, willing to acknowledge the potent "response-ability" of sexuality.

Be you man or woman, ask yourself; "Do I consider my fertility a blessing or a curse?" And then ask; "What cultural and societal influences have determined how I feel about having babies?" As you delve into this dialog with yourself and those you love... Conscious Conception will serve as an enlightened textbook. You'll find it is divided into chapters by the elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Within each element the word-meals are served up in delectable portions, which will at once leave one hungering for the next course, while fully satisfying.

Those interested in Natural Family Planning will wish to visit the Family of the Americas web site, for practical instruction and guidance.

We all arrived on Earth as the result of two people making love. Perhaps that is why sex is unquestionably the red hot tile in the mosaic of life. I urge folks on this Earthly journey to pack Conscious Conception. May your medicine bag to be full of what you really need.

Robin Lim Certified Professional Midwife END