A fine celebration of poets and a fine testament to their art, this anthology is successfully un-New York, un-California, un-academic, and unpretentious. These are stark, truthful poems: real voices speak about real experiences in well-wrought language. This collection should be well received.

This is a great intro to corporate globalism, and also a good refresher for the more educated folk. Ellwood wonderfully and consicesly gives a quick history of globalization (ie economic colonialism)describes the Bretton Woods Trio, explains and the problems with the rise of speculative investments, among others. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book, (clearly) written by Gacy himself (and without the benefit of an editor), is excellent for those who are already very familiar with the details of his case, and have some understanding of his personality. On it's face, the book is nothing more than "The Lies of John Wayne Gacy: Final Cut" ... but with enough back ground information, the book is an invaluable resource ... It provides the reader with the opportunity (as limited as it may be) to see why it was that Gacy told the stories that he did, what effect he hoped to have on the reader, why he thought that a particular lie might work ... If you are not very familiar with the case, the book is not for you -- if you find a copy, BUY IT ... but set it aside until after you have read another book about Gacy -- I would recommend "Killer Clown" by Terry Sullivan.

Of all of the meditation books specifically for men, and there really are a number of them, A Quiet Strength is by far my favorite! While it has an issue and meditation for each of the 366 days, I prefer to look up an issue I am dealing with in the index and, every time, I get very pertinent advice. Now and then I leaf quickly through the pages, stopping abruptly and read the section I have stopped on. It always seems to be very pertinent to what is happening in my life at the time. This is well worth the time to search for a copy and encourage (them) to reprint. Your life and those around you will be much the better for it....

Mr gacy got into depth with his book and I very much enjoyed it. I had a copy, but I missed placed it and i was also wondering how I could get another copy of it, since they are not made any longer.

BEING AN AVID JOHN WAYNE FAN I AM COMPELLED TO KEEP THIS BOOK IN SPITE OF THE HAPHAZARD PRESENTATION OF HIS CAREER. THE QUALITY OF PAPER,PICTURES,AND PRINTING WERE EXCELLENT. IN MY OPINION THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED IN THE ORDER THEY OCCURRED.

YOURS TRULY, ROBERT L. JORDAN

Enhanced with a foreword by actress Maureen O'Hara, and graced with an informative text by Jane Pattie, John Wayne: There Rode A Legend is a gorgeous, superbly illustrated coffee table book showcasing the life, career, movies, deeds, and memories of the world famous actor John Wayne, best known for his many classic American West movies. Filled with both color photographs and black-and-white television and movie stills from before the firm establishment of color TV, John Wayne: There Rode A Legend is a remarkable tour of and tribute to the actor's life and work, from the 30's to the 60's. Of special note are the highlights that reveal John Wayne's humanitarian legacy, from when he had a gravely ill Navajo girl flown to a hospital 100 miles away on his personal plane to the creation of the John Wayne Cancer Institute years after the great actor's death from stomach cancer. John Wayne: There Rode A Legend is beyond compare and enthusiastically recommended for Western film buffs and the legions of fans of a truly unique actor and his enduring work.

All I can say about this book is that it is the best book out there about our national treasure, John Wayne. He is as popular today as he has ever been and it was a pleasure to find this book through a friend. It's a huge book, with great, rare photographs about Duke's West. I had read some of the other reviews, and I was also not aware that Duke was a cattle rancher in real life. The book is brimming over with great art and photographs. If your looking for a gift for a friend or just to give yourself a treat, this is the book for you. I was impressed as much as the great 'impressiveness' of the book.

I've seen a lot of John Wayne movies, but knew little about the man until I read this book. This is a thorough, well-researched, and well-written book about his life. I don't think you can help liking the big lug, despite his many faults. He was loyal to his friends, honest, well-meaning, and a hard worker at his craft of acting.

The biggest negative about Wayne is that he didn't serve in the military during World War II. The authors go into the reasons and don't spare him criticism. Wayne was undoubtedly more important to the war effort as a maker of patriotic movies than he would have been carrying a rifle - but that doesn't excuse him. He was the original chicken-hawk - a species that is proliferating these days.

I also found the material interesting about the ideological struggle in Hollywood between right and left in the late 1940s and 1950s. We hear a lot a criticism about "black lists" and Hollywood types boycotted because they were leftists; this book points out that the leftists also had their fangs out to bring down the rightists like Wayne. That he came out on top, despite his unpopular political stances, is a tribute to his honesty and stubborn inflexibility - similar to the characters he played.

I doubt that any other movie star is so distinctive in walk and talk - or more deserving of a good biography. I enjoyed the book - and I look forward to reading more about John Wayne someday in a book which will probe even deeper into his life, career, and psyche. Wayne was an American original.

A book well worth your time. The film giant was apparently cursed by a harpy of a mother whom he could never please. It goes into his guilt over leaving his first wife, the complex (or not?) reasons he didn't join the service in WWII, and his health problems at the end. I liked him before, and his made him more human and 3 dimensional.

Olson and Roberts, take the myth of John Wayne and place it (him) into the proper historical context and create a vivid, complete, fascinating and ultimately revealing portrait of one of film's most famous and enduring stars.

John Wayne: American, is not only about Marion Micheal Morrison, the gangly Iowa kid who grew up to become an Icon, but also about the American myth machine. Olson and Roberts include intriguing insights into the Hollywood dream factories, politics and the craft of acting.

Wayne comes off here as a suprisingly complex man who not only proved to be a fine actor but an astute business man who willingly allowed himself to be co-opted as a profitable commodity by not only the Hollywood system but by the political arena as well as the American cult of personality. Whether for well or ill, Wayne came to rdefine not only entire generations of men but also a national identity as well.

The book does honestly deal with the fact that Wayne cocooned himself within the sanctity of the manufactured image and took great pains to maintain that carefully constructed product. But what a product it was.

Olson and Roberts are reverant to their subject while managing to lend the critical eye a terrible aspect. This book is refreshing in its honesty. Admirable for its respectful treatment. And thoroughly entertaining and enlightening in its detail. Watch Wayne's films and enjoy this book.

This book was written in 1979. The text and photographs were excellent, although the range maps were so small as to be useless, and the common names were the awkwardly academic types used in the first half of the last century. Supposedly, this book was updated in 1997. The text is still good, as are the photographs, but the common names still have not been corrected, the range maps are still too small, and over 70 new species that are now recognized from North America are missing from this book. This Audubon Guide is out-dated. Time to write a new one, with standard common names, modern taxonomy (drop the subspecies), and maybe some new photographs. Not recommended. Get the Peterson Guide. It may be a decade old, but its newer than this book.

This field guide is really interesting!!! It shows all reptiles and amphibians of North America! The photos are in full color and I've identified several herps with this guide without any difficulties!!! Although this field guide was made a while ago, it still looks it's been made in these days! It's good as national audubon society field guide to birds of western region, which is one of my favorites. I've had this book for nearly 2 years, and it still looks new as ever. The informations are very interesting if you read them. It's easy use, colorful and interesting. So if you're interested in American herps, get this guide right now.

The photos which illustrate this book are organized in such a way that one does not have to be familiar with reptiles and amphibians to make resonably accurate field identifications. For instance, the photographs of striped snakes are grouped together so that you can easily check for that matches the animal you have found.

The text and range map section gives much valuable information as to habitat and behavior as well as breeding and the size of neonates as well as adults.

This book is scary. I just luckily came upon it in a used book store and thought I would try it out. John Wayne Gacy was one sick, twisted individual. My only complaint was the fact that he wouldnt admit to any recollection of the murders. Complete BS if you ask me. How can you forget the killing of 33 people? He only can recall 5 in bits and pieces. It would have been a better book if Gracy didnt have amnesia!

I couldn't disagree more with the "Borderline Propaganda" review below. On the contrary, Cahill's writing was nothing short of masterful -- a chilling glimpse into the mind and motivations of a true sociopath.

I've never read "Killer Clown," so I can't speak to the charges of plagiarism. But I must take exception to the comment that the book doesn't tell us what Gacy is thinking. In fact, it basically tells the story from Gacy's point of view, exposing him -- using his own words -- as a liar, a manipulator and a malingerer without equal. I always imagined Cahill writing this book with a nod and a wink to the reader, as if to say "Can you believe this guy?" Far from being a Gacy dupe or apologist, Cahill simply doles out the rope, and Gacy dutifully wraps it around his neck and ties the noose.

It's a fascinating, and sometimes macabre, journey into a sick and twisted mind, and I haven't found anything since that comes close to matching the style or insight offered by this book.

This is a great wrap up of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. I absolutely was riveted to the story. I couldn't believe how sick this [man] was. Thank goodness he is gone. There was nothing redeeming about his Life.
Cahill, the author did a wonderful job making his life story seem so real feeling as I read.
I will say the first chapter was so gross, what with the describing the little red worms in the soil in the crawl space. (Shivering) highly recommended

"Farmer Giles of Ham" is a fast paced fantasy adventure by the same author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." However, don't expect an epic like the ones of the other two books here. Tolkien here gives a fantasy adventure in a long ago Britain that is inhabited by supernatural beasts such as giants and dragons. The book is very short and can be read in one sitting.

Farmer Giles is a farmer of Ham, just as the title of the book suggests. When a huge giant comes into the village that he inhabits one night he fights it off and is recognized by the King. Farmer Giles is given a sword, named Tailbiter, and was used by a long ago hero that was a dragonslayer. When the giant spreads rumors of there being nothing in the lands that he came from to dragons, a curious dragon wanders down toward Ham. It is Farmer Giles' job to take care of the dragon. Read this fun filled fantasy adventure to find out the fate of the dragon and Farmer Giles.

This book is basically one very long chapter as it is not broken down into parts and can be thought of as a little part to a much bigger story. This is what differentiates this book from the classics "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." At the end of the book there is an original text of how the original story was told. There is also a section of notes that were put together for people that are extra curious. The book also has many cute pictures that will get you along through Farmer Giles' adventures.

This is a super short read that can be enjoyed by adults as well as children, who I'd say this book would be liked by most. This simple tale was originally written for J.R.R. Tolkien's children and is like a fun fairy tale. This is a wonderful read that would be enjoyed by fans of Tolkien's other works. Just don't expect another "Lord of the Rings."

Happy Reading!

"Farmer Giles of Ham" (in the vulgar tongue) is an entertaining little tale, maybe the first real comic fantasy novel (actually, more like novella). It's certainly not on par with his tales of hobbits and elves, but it's still cute, funny and very well-written.

Aegidius de Hammo (or in the "vulgar tongue," as Tolkien archly tells us, Farmer Giles of Ham) is a pleasant, not-too-bright farmer (a bit like Barliman Butterbur) who leads a fairly happy life. Until the day his excitable dog Garm warns him that a giant (deaf and very near-sighted) is stomping through and causing mayhem. Giles takes out his blunderbuss and takes a shot at the giant, and inadverantly drive him off.

Naturally, Giles is hailed as a hero. Even the King is impressed, and sends him the sword Caudimordax (vulgar name: Tailbiter), which belonged to a dragonslaying hero. By chance, the not-so-fierce dragon Chrysophylax Dives has started pillaging, destroying and attacking the nearby areas. Can a not-so-heroic farmer drive off a not-so-frightening dragon?

It's a fast, fun little adventure story with blundering giants, greedy dragons and unlikely heroes (the last one is what Tolkien always does best). It's not epic and it's not deep, but it is entertaining, especially for people who enjoy comic fantasies. You'll like this if you enjoyed the cuter moments of "The Hobbit" and stories like "Roverandum."

Tolkien's writing always seems to be winking at the reader. There are a lot of in-jokes for people who know Latin (the "vulgar tongue" comments) and a lot of cute moments, like the young dragons exclaiming that they always knew "knights were mythical!" And the illustrations resemble old tapestries and paintings, but they usually have a funny sort of twist to them.

"Farmer Giles" is not the deepest or most riveting of Tolkien's works, but it's a straightforward, cute little adventure that kids, adults, fans and non-fans of Tolkien will enjoy.

This is a great little book. I can just see that grand old man Mr. Tolkien throwing bottles at his hound & Edith telling him forthrightly to drown the poor thing on the morrow. I'm going to go off-path a bit:Lots of folks say not to read this, that it makes you some kind of mindless Tolkien junkie if you appreciate his non-Middle-Earth material; I simply read on. I haven't spent a fortune on Tolkien: I bought the Hobbit & the Rings Trilogy when I was in sixth grade for $7. Everything else of his, including this, I've gotten at the local library. Smith of Wooton Major, Leaf by Niggle & Roverandom are just neat books worth reading in and of themselves. I read the Silmarillion & enjoyed it. I won't wade through Unfinished or Lost Tales because I'm not a junkie, just an enthusiast. The movies haven't been the most faithful adaptions, but I think Tolkien would have gotten a kick out of them. I'm not a mindless automoton addicted to capitalistic Tolkienia. I just like him because he was a man of faith, a lover of good beer & old yarns, a friend of C.S. Lewis, a fan of Robert E. Howard, & a great writer; he wasn't the smartest, the quickest, or the most academically prolific man, but was expectionally kind, thoughtful and enjoyably creative. Just give his non-Hobbit works a chance; they're good stuff.