Fade To Blonde (Hard Case Crime)

Customer Reviews:

An Introspective Shell Scott.......2006-06-22

The book would have gotten a higher rating but I didn't like the ending. It didn't make sense to me. The author does skillfully recreates the private eye stories of the late 50's and early 60's. A little more risque than that era would have allowed, but not by much. I like the central figure and thought the secondary characters were interesting. Yes they're stereotypes but in this setting that works fine. I usually like detective stories set in the present but it was fun to read about the golden Los Angeles of the '50's. The author is able to write fluidly using the vocabulary and style of the era. The book presents a look at the fringes of the Hollywood scene which is always fun when well done. I would want the "hero" to be a little more like the Shell Scott character, a little lighter and more ironic but that wasn't the book the author was going for. I recomend the book. To my mind 3 stars means worth reading.

Solid story and writing.......2006-04-25

A nice read in the hard-boiled detective genre. One problem, which may not mean much to most readers, was with gun details. Corson tells us he carries a .44 caliber Colt Python. There is no such thing. I understand this is a fictional story, but when an author tries hard to recreate a period, by talking about locales, movie stars and automobiles in the story as if the characters were actually there, why not check that the gun described actually existed as well? Otherwise, I enjoyed it, would recommend it and would read another by Phillips.

A slow slug fest........2006-01-21

We have Ray Corson, ex-boxer, a collection of women and thugs, and reliable friends. After being hired to make someone `go away' preferably using a permanent solution, Ray plugs along learning more about the woman who hired him and the men who want to hurt him.

The built up-moving through the first 70 to 80 pages--is slow, but the writing is good. The chapters are short and clean. We learn more about Ray, but once or twice Phillips's protagonist is a `little' on the spontaneously, brutal side, not that that hurts the book, but the motivation is not fully explained. We don't see enough of his disgust, if not hate.

Ray is still likeable. I'd want him on my side. The writing is good and I'll read more by Phillips.

Phillips won't fade.......2005-05-12

Set in Hollywood in the early 1950's, the main character in Fade to Blonde is Ray Corson, a failed screenwriter doing roofing and other odd jobs to make ends meet. Enter blonde bombshell Rebecca LaFontaine, a failed actress turned hat check girl, waitress, etc.. who wants to pay Corson to protect her from a scorned boyfriend (porn film producer and minor mob character Lance Halliday). As Corson begins to dig into Halliday's background, he finds more than he bargained for, and the result is a wild ride through an LA of drugs, mobs, and violence. A twist at the end makes this Hard Case Crime offering a welcome addition to the genre.

Aiming low.......2005-02-08

This is an interesting read with lots of authentic Hollywood ambience, but ultimately the two lead characters are not credible. An ex-boxer, would-be-screenwriter who does menial labor to pay the bills? Maybe. A good-looking crazy girl who can't quite cut it in front of the cameras? There's always been a few of those. But the screenwriter with five drinks in him beating two armed thugs to a pulp? Then joining the mob and getting sent to their favorite tailor so he can intimidate two-bit coke dealers? And then going thru with the crazy girl's plot despite knowing it's a total setup, only, apparently, to teach her a lesson? Uh-uh. There must be a way to update the pulps for 2005, but Mr. Phillips hasn't found it.

He's a good writer, and lots of his secondary characters are quite good, but the main story is a knuckle sandwich.

Book Description

Young watermot Thru Gillo left behind the life of a farmer and became a student of the Assenzi, a race of scholars. Among them, he learned the history of his race and of how Man the Cruel destroyed the world before disappearing into the mists of time and legend.

Or have they disappeared..?

Praise for the work of Christopher Rowley:

"The culture of the battledragons and the dragon-boys is fascinating...will surely please his fans."-- Kliatt

"Christopher Rowley's flair for the dramatic and the comedic makes him beloved in the genre."-- BookBrowser

Customer Reviews:

One of the most impressive fantasy novels I have ever read.......2004-01-19

Christopher Rowley's The Ancient Enemy: The First Book of Arna is a work of masterful fantasy at its very best. What begins as a story of one character's personal journey from youth to manhood evolves into an epic tale of warfare, bravery, and survival. The writing is magnificent throughout, thoroughly captivating the reader and drawing him completely in to the world Rowley has created. In the land of Arna, man is a distant legend who has not been seen for thousands of years. In this world, mots and mors (monkey-like beings) live a life of peace and harmony alongside one another, enjoying the benefits of a rich, intelligent, and highly spiritual culture. Awful stories are told of Man the Cruel, who poisoned the land and died out long, long ago in the early mists of time. A mysterious race of ancient scholars called the Assenzi oversees the workings of the politics and economies of the various villages in Arna, working to maintain social and environmental balance in all things. Such things as war and slavery mean nothing to these people, but things change in a hurry when Man the Cruel suddenly returns and immediately sets out to annihilate the lowly "monkeys" they encounter in their effort to colonize this verdant new land.

The main protagonist in the story is Thru Gillo, a mot whose dreams of taking a wife and starting a new life on his own farm are shattered when he finds his beloved consorting with another man, one who - unlike Thru - is wealthy . In an effort to get past the heartache this causes him, Thru makes the journey to Highnoth in the northern mountains to study under the wise Assenzi. Here he learns much about the Spirit, history, and life in general. He also begins developing a remarkable talent for mat weaving, a skill he chooses for his livelihood when he later settles in the village of Dronned. It is here that he meets and falls in love with a modern young mor named Nuza, a gymnast with a traveling troupe of performers. Thru faces many setbacks at this particular time in his life, most of them spearheaded by his sworn enemy (the man who stole his first love away from him), but his spiritual training in Highnoth serves him well in overcoming all obstacles. This first half of the book is a very personal story that takes us far into the mind of Thru and paints a vivid picture of the vibrant world in which he lives.

Thru's happy new life comes to an abrupt end, though, when he and Nuza are among the first mots and mors to discover a tranquil coastal village in fiery ruins. A mound of decapitated heads by the waterfront reveals the horrible truth that the villagers were not only slaughtered but were eaten by their attackers. One of the few survivors of the carnage delivers the unbelievable news that Man the Cruel still lives and has now returned to the land of Arna. The personal aspects of Thru's story soon fall by the wayside as the final section of the novel concentrates on the preparation and beginning of war between the mots and the destructive forces of man. At the same time, we are presented with the story of Simona, a young lady whose world in the human city of Shasht was suddenly ruined when her family was ordered by the emperor to accompany the colonists sailing out of the resource-drained Shasht to colonize a new land across the seas. The story as told from Simona's viewpoint makes for a very insightful read, for through her we are given personal and meaningful viewpoints of both the human culture she has come to question and grow ashamed of as well as the previously peaceful mot society she comes to respect and care for. Fighting a war for nothing short of survival, the mots quickly learn from their early losses and really take the battle to Man when his forces attempt to establish a landing site. The second half of this novel is incredibly exciting, filled with truly remarkable accounts of fierce fighting and heroism on the field of battle.

The Ancient Enemy numbers among the best fantasy books I have ever read, and Rowling's descriptions of the bloody battles between man and mot are so vivid and realistic that I felt like an actual observer of the events. Thru Gillo is a fascinating character, and the emotions and intense conflicts that populate the pages of this novel are truly gripping. Best of all, this novel is only the beginning of a series, one which promises to furnish untold riches and joys to the reader who enters the vivid world borne of Rowland's imagination.

Was this written by a child?.......2001-06-26

The language is incredibly simplistic (it starts with the equivalent of "Once upon a time"), the story is full of stock characters, and the book never held my interest for a minute.

Don't waste your time or your money.

Compensation for the loss of Bazil Broketail.......2001-03-02

I was quite unhappy when I found out that the last chapter of Bazil Broketail had been told. Indeed, I have quite the mind to re-read that series again -- I tried to before, but I went through one of those episodes where you lose the book and have forgotten about it by the time you find it again.

Though I was saddened, I swiftly forgave Christopher Rowley and grabbed his next book -- this. I feel a sort of kinship with the main characters of his books. It is quite amazing, as in some (if not most) aspects, I cannot relate to them at all; they're very distant. However, they're just so well crafted that I can't help it.

Christopher Rowley is one of the authors daring enough to reawaken more modern ideas. In series like Dragonlance, the Gods are forged with Chaos, the very essence of the father of the gods in Greek mythology. In Rowley's books, we have not one, but rather three examples of monotheism. Few in our realm have dared to actually use one God; it's bland. Rowley doesn't fear this, but instead weaves this idea with many other new ones (cruel colonization of an empire via wiping out the continent's inhabitants; chi, aka kyo; dinosaurs living in a 'lost' continent; foreign diseases such as malaria; surgeon(s) conscious of the existence of germs... the list goes on. Rowley rips us away from our worlds where the one who made the world (Thor) favors the dwarves, drinks heavily and has a hammer and beard. He hides from us our illusions of polytheism, powerful magic and clerics. He, instead, gives us horribly weak (AND more realistic) magic, one god and clerics better known as "men wielding bandages."

I applaud Christopher Rowley.

Beyond his reawakening of truth, he expresses further greatness; he creates; he picks up where truth left off. He uses his creativity to build upon his columns of truth. He invents. His books are an alloy of reality and creativity. Rowley also has the ability to describe situations as they are, not as he wishes them to be. In his great battles, where 1000's march against 1000's, there's never a massacre! The enemy retreats, and Rowley gives a realistic number of the dead and a realistic number of the injured.

The first book of Arna is the first book that should be on your bookshelf. If you don't believe me, just ask my talking toaster.

Detailed action and descriptions of a fantasy society.......2000-11-09

The strengths of this book are mainly in the description and levels of detail of political and social interactions in a fantasy world. Surprisingly, the book is also valid on a personal level if you can relate to the hero and his yearnings that make him something of a wanderer. This not a book for everyone. If you don't relate to the hero and his restlessness, there won't be much in the way of personal stories or romances for you in this book. Because those are close to being the qualities of the Bazil series, I can honestly say if you liked the bazil series you will like this book and vice-versa. If you didn't like Bazil, make sure to stay away from this book. The storytelling is sometimes intellectual and you may get more of it when you read it a second time or compare it with other fantasy books that lack descriptions of a coherent society.

ps: You will also see that Chooks are a species of turkey-like birds, and that brilbies are a larger cousin of the mots. ....

Simply enjoyable.......2000-11-06

This particular book is centered around a land called Arna which the best I can ascertain is on a world once ruled by man that has degenerated into anarchy and extinction. On the back of the book it reads "For poison in his waters had become poison in his seed, and Man thinned with each generation until his light faded from the world. And there came a time when no sound broke the stillness of the world except the play of the wind. Man was no more." At first glance I thought this novel was your typical fairy tell legend story but I was mistaken it actually is quite detailed and almost believable. It is indeed one of the most fascinating reads I have had in ages. With a feudal setting and a detailed description of the culture and history of the characters in the book I became thoroughly intrigued. Although I found some things in the book a mystery and was confused about the interspecies relations (Mots, Brilbies, Chooks, Assenzi and Man the Cruel) and their history I soon learned more with ferverent reading. But the things I could not understand beyond the abstract I think will be revealed in the next book of the series. I simply could not put this book down! I said before that I did not take this book seriously above but after the first few pages I was hooked. It is my first Rowley novel and I am thirsting for more after three days of voracious weekend reading. I would recommend this to anyone because it is suited for any reader sci fi or anyone because the story is so well suited. It is not set in the past or some fantasy world this is some what of an alternate far future history novel. Like planet of the apes except more sophisticated and believable. I will give it five stars because I enjoyed it very thoroughly.

The Ancient Enemy: the First Book of Arna

Average customer rating:

The Ancient Enemy: the First Book of Arna

Manufacturer: A Roc Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HEO3QG

Average customer rating:

The Ancient Enemy: The First Book of Arna
Christopher Rowley
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000Q37HZM

Book Description

Picture a world intricately entwined with our own yet separate, pulsing with the raw energy and vivid color of Celtic myth come to life. Picture Albion. And enter Lewis Gillies, an Oxford student whose search for a missing friend leads him through a door to another reality- and unimagined discoveries about life, good and evil, and his own identity and destiny. In an ancient cairn in the wilds of Scotland, Oxford student Simon Rawson vanishes, seemingly into thin air. Where has he gone? Unsettling signs -- a mysterious Green Man, a Celtic circle chalked on the sidewalk -- point his roommate, Lewis Gillies, to an impossible answer . . . and an incredible destiny on the other side of a doorway between worlds. There, where Celtic champions, magic, and treachery weave the beautiful and brutal land called Albion, Lewis finds Simon. And there, schooled as a warrior, he is thrust to the front of a titanic struggle between light and darkness -- a hideous, onrushing darkness that would devour not merely a kingdom, but two worlds.

Customer Reviews:

Eh, why such good reviews?.......2007-09-13

Another series created out of the idea that a run of the mill dude discovers an alternate world, where he all a sudden becomes courageous and forgets his past. Besides that, the build up of a great magical climax is greatly over hyped, as it falls flat. Dont buy this novel if you are looking for your next great fantasy read

Super Reader.......2007-08-27

A solid fantasy trilogy, with the often useful hook of placing a modern man into the setting - with the twist that he becomes one of the great Celtic heroes, but not quite how you expect. The other thing is that he is an arts grad student nerd, too, so even more surprising. Not remarkable though, certainly would not read it again. A grad student and friend go on a wild trip, and find a supposedly extinct prehistoric ox, then follow it, and end up in a Celtic mythic Albion, and have to adapt fast.

I Screamed.......2007-08-13

Getting lost in Albion is a rare treat. This is the first (and only) book I have read as an adult that made me feel as if I had managed to step into a realm far more beautiful then anything that could be known in this.
This is a book that engages on many levels with a story that can be read as simple mind candy or with a careful disection of symbols, either way the story only disappoints in that it must end.

In fact, I was so engrossed in the story I did not realize the pages were running out! The shock of such an abrupt ending literally made me scream at Mr. Lawhead for leaving me hanging until I could get the next two books (which I read within two days of recieving them).

Awesome!.......2007-06-27

I love Trilogies and when I saw all three of the Song of Albion series on sale together I decided to give them a try. I had never read SRL before, but the concept of this series really caught my attention. Needless to say I was hooked. I have since read just about everything SRL has written, since March!

As was mentioned in a previous review, the book takes a little while to get started (most Lawhead's books do), but it was all necessary backround and character development. I guess he could have just created a "time machine", but that wouldn't have been anywhere nearly as interesting a storyline Lawhead has created here. Part Fantasy, part historical fiction/speculation, I found this whole series both entertaining and educational and really created a good foundation for his other Celtic based storylines (i.e. Pendragon series, Hood, Celtic Crusades etc.) I don't know if it's just because this is first series of Lawhead's I read or what, but this is still my favorite SRL series, one which no doubt I will re-read more than once.

The First of an incredible Fantasy Trilogy!.......2007-06-10

Okay, this book starts off my absolute, all-time favorite trilogies by Stephen R. Lawhead - who is one of my favorite authors because of how stinking awesome the trilogy is. The trilogy is called the Song of Albion. And it is a must read for any and all fantasy readers, especially if you love Celtic fantasy, of which Lawhead is a supreme master.

Anyways, Paradise War starts off a little slow, at least in comparison to all that happens over the span of the trilogy. But I would suggest some patience and for you to just enjoy how Lawhead sets up and transitions into the primary story, because he really is setting the stage and establishing characters which you will see grow, mature, and change throughout the entire trilogy.

I would also warn anyone who's got a squeamish stomach about Lawhead's books in general - he doesn't flinch at violence or describing the results thereof. It's not that he's overly gory or anything, but if a character has a wound inflicted on them and they have to deal with it, he describes it in, well, almost explicit detail.

I love Lawhead, also, because he's stylistic in his writing and very character driven. You see the main character go through a very drastic transition.

Overall, though I love Paradise War, it really only gets the story rolling and introduces you to a cast of characters which you will come to love. The Song of Albion is an amazing trilogy, and I highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers. I would suggest to parents that this book (and trilogy) are more for senior high students due to mature content.

Average customer rating:

The Paradise War: Library Edition
Stephen; Lawhead, Steve Lawhead
Manufacturer: Chariot Victor Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VJEX3A

Average customer rating:

The Paradise War: Library Edition
Steve Lawhead
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K6NIPS

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Great cookbook

Another great cookbook...

Mexican Simplified (3+/4-)

Surprisingly good, but occasionally flawed

No complaints!!

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Mexican (Williams-Sonoma Collection)
Marilyn Tausend
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Mexican | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Williams-Sonoma Collection: Asian (Williams-Sonoma Collection)

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Italian (Williams Sonoma Collection)

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Breakfast (Williams Sonoma Collection)

Williams-Sonoma Collection: French (Williams Sonoma Collection)

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Chicken

ASIN: 0743253345

Book Description

Mexico's rich and diverse culinary traditions include countless complex and vibrant dishes. In these pages, you will find recipes that capture the best of the cuisine, from mole poblano, a long-simmered blend of chiles, seeds, and spices, to bright-flavored ceviche dressed with fresh citrus juice. A chapter on desserts also tempts, whether you crave chocolate cake with chile-infused whipped cream or coffee and KahlÚa flan.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Mexican offers more than 40 recipes, including well-loved classics and many other timeless dishes. For a casual dinner, fill warm corn tortillas with tender morsels of carnitas or chunks of fresh fish lightly fried to a crisp golden brown. Or, plan a summer supper of watercress salad tossed with orange, jicama, and avocado; creamy corn and poblano chile soup; and delicate sea bass topped with salsa verde. Versatile and delicious, Mexican food is always irresistible.

Full-color photographs of each dish help you decide which one to prepare, and each recipe is accompanied by a photographic side note that highlights a key ingredient or technique, making Mexican more than just a superb collection of recipes. Including all the basics and an extensive glossary, this essential volume will help you create and enjoy many delicious Mexican meals.

Customer Reviews:

Great cookbook.......2007-04-10

I actually bought this for my husband and it's been a smash hit. The book is beautiful, intelligent and has little bits of extra culinary info that help when creating a recipe.

Another great cookbook..........2006-07-20

I am a huge fan of Williams Sonoma's cookbooks. They have delicous recipes that are fail proof. Your dishes always come out tasting delcious!

I have eyeballed this cookbook for some time. I was so excited to try this, and boy I was not disappointed. My first try I used the mexican red rice and carnitas for a superbowl party. YUMM! The red rice has become a staple at my house...

A great cookbook for those of us who love Mexican food, but weren't blessed to be born with a Latina mother. ;)

Mexican Simplified (3+/4-).......2006-07-07

I have lived many years in southern California where my tastes were influenced by everything from quick-stop hole in the wall cuisine, to first rate gourmet; from cricket tacos to walk-up taco stands near the Tijuana airport slums. I have traveled all over Mexico and the American southwest as well. If there is one thing I learned it is the wide variety of food labeled Mexican in the US. Having a step-mother of Mexican descent, I also leaned the time and effort put into authentic home-made cooking.

This book does an excellent job of simplifying many of my favorites including carnitas, enchiladas, and tortilla soup. They have some nice shortcuts that bring authentic flavors to the front in their recipes for fish tacos, and carne asada. My biggest gripe is too much emphasis on meats and not enough on vegetables.

The photos are excellent, jst as they are with the other books in this series. The cooking tips are useful for newbies, and most of the recipes stick to readily available ingredients and list suitable substitutes when needed. There is a nice geographic representation of dishes, but they do seem to concentrate on pacific/Baja Mexican cuisine. Nonetheless, there are a few dishes from elsewhere like mole poblano, port tatemado, and duck in green pipian.

I like cookbooks for ideas. Aside from preparing the dishes I use this book as a starting point for other creative dishes and this is where I love the shortcuts and substitutions suggested. I would have given marks higher than 3+/4- if there were more vegetarian dishes and some good basics (e.g. rice, refried beans) presented with the same flair and creativity of the existing recipes.

Surprisingly good, but occasionally flawed.......2006-03-23

It's beautiful and oddly comprehensive for such a small volume -- definitely not a must-have for anyone who knows even the basics of Mexican cooking, and I don't know if a beginner would ultimately be well served by such a slim offering.

The guacamole was good (although not drastically different than many others I have made, or even my basic "throw it all together" method), the chocolate-almond cake with ancho cream is excellent and not as odd as it sounds, but the posole verde recipe seems to have a serious flaw in the ingredients list: the author calls for 3 *pounds* of posole for a single batch, which would have been an amazingly awful mistake. (Luckily, this seemed odd to me, so I checked with other sources. Yep, more like 1/2 pound was the right amount.)

It's not a bad book, especially considering the source. But I'm finding it hard to know why anyone would buy this book, unless they were collecting all of the W-S series. Maybe for a vacation house or some other kitchen with limited space?

No complaints!!.......2006-03-19

I've made several of the recipes in this book and have yet to receive a complaint from anyone. I've tried at least 6 of the recipes and have not been disappointed. The empanadas and the carnitas are my favorite things to serve, and everyone loves them! Coming from an americanized mexican household, my knowledge on cooking mexican foods has been very limited. Needless to say, many people have been impressed with my cooking lately!

The Williams - Sonoma Collection: French, Mexican, Asian, Italian (4 Book Set in Slipcover)

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The Williams - Sonoma Collection: French, Mexican, Asian, Italian (4 Book Set in Slipcover)
Williams Sonoma
Manufacturer: Williams Sonoma
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VW2OIS

Book Description

When you choose a new puppy, you need to meet six developmental deadlines before your puppy is just five months old. "BEFORE You Get Your Puppy" covers the first three developmental deadlines covering the period of puppy selection until your puppy's first week at home.

1st Developmental Deadline: Your Education About Puppy Education - Before you search for a puppy you need to complete your education about puppy education. You need to know how to select a good puppy and how puppies work. Selecting a puppy is similar to selecting a car: Do lots of research beforehand and "test drive" a wide variety. But first, you need to learn how to drive.

2nd Developmental Deadline: Evaluating Your Prospective Puppy's Progress - Before you choose your puppy, you need to know how to assess your prospective puppy's current socialization and educational status. Regardless of breed or breeding, if socialization, housetraining, and basic manners are not well underway by eight weeks of age, the puppy is already developmentally retarded.

3rd Developmental Deadline: Errorless Housetraining & Chewtoy-Training Make certain that an errorless housetraining and chewtoy-training program is instituted from the very first day your puppy comes home.

Customer Reviews:

Dog ownership for the Control Freak.......2006-12-10

I bought this book before getting our puppy. It seemed okay, but after getting our little dog, I realized that I could easily turn our darling, smart little dog into a neurotic mess if I followed the advice in this book. Why would you want to confine your brand new friend to a crate almost non-stop except for small intervals of extremely controlled interaction with you? And the point that he repeats incessantly about one housetraining mistake being a catastrophe is ridiculous. Our dog did have accidents when I wasn't as vigilant as I should have been, but now she is completely housetrained. It just takes time for the dog to physically mature and learn how to signal that she needs to go out. I would not reccomend this book at all. If you want to connect with your pup, go for clicker training.

Good content and arrived quickly.......2005-09-30

I bought this book because my puppy obedience class uses the sequel "After You Get Your Puppy." I wanted more details on how to "crate train" and this book has that. I wish I had actually gotten this book before we bought our puppy because it describes good things to look for in the puppy you choose, which would habe been helpful.

A Lifesaver for You and Your Dog.......2003-06-26

What a difference this book makes! When we got our first dog, we suffered through accidents on the floor, chewed shoes, coats, cushions -- you name it -- because we didn't know what to do. I read this book before we got our second dog (a companion to our first), and it was amazing! With the Errorless Training system Dr. Dunbar recommends, the new dog didn't chew a single bad item (he loves his chewtoys and chews only them) and didn't have a single accident in the house. And the errorless system was incredibly simple to set up. I recommend this easy, owner-and-dog-friendly book to everyone I know. Although it says "Before you get your puppy," this book is completely relevant for adopters of adult dogs.

This book is a goldmine for a new puppy owner........2003-02-24

If you are even thinking of ever getting a puppy or adopting a dog, please buy this book first. It covers everything you will need to know to raise a happy, well manered dog. If more people read this book , there is no doubt in my mind we would have fewer dogs in shelters. This book is part of the solution to animal over population. All breeders should send this book home with their puppies. On top of all of the great information this book provides, it is also easy to read with lots of entertaining pictures. A joy to read!

good book for the working couple/family.......2001-11-06

Will all the "fanfare" about Ian Dunbar I was expecting great things from this book but instead was disappointed. It is a good book for the "working outside of the home couple/family" but not for someone looking to devote their days to raising an intelligent, loving companion.

This book to me, did not read easily and I didn't not agree with many suggestions in it. If you are looking for an easy-to-read, wonderful, funny, well-written, detailed puppy training book, get Mother Knows Best by Carol Lea Benjamin.

Book Description

Personalized shaving mugs of barber supply catalog quality are what collectors want and what drives this exciting, interesting hobby. This new book concentrates on this beautiful pieces of folk art, in a way that collectors will love and historians will cherish. Filled with beautiful color photographs from some of the most wonderful collections in the world, this book captures and pleases the eye. Besides the mugs, there are examples of the barber bottles and cabinetry that made the historical barbershop one the centers of late nineteenth and early twentieth century America. Important tips for collectors are included, as well as a guide to values. These will help the collector avoid costly mistakes and build a collection of which he or she can be proud.

Book Description

It's no secret that patterns and combinations of patterns in an interior design can produce a broad variety of physical, emotional, and psychological responses in those who view them-from cheerfulness and a desire to get things done to agitation or lethargy. Few interior designers, however, have a strong grasp of how and why these responses are produced and which types of patterns are most likely to evoke a specific reaction. Even less is known about pattern preferences among different demographic groups. Most studies available on these subjects are purely academic, largely theoretical, or devoid of any reference to practical application.

Patterns in Interior Environments is the first book to present significant original research on pattern preferences and responses with a view toward practical application by working design professionals. It offers a wealth of clear and accessible information in an easy-to-use format that will help designers better understand and respond to their clients' needs. Supplemented with hundreds of illustrations of pattern designs and patterns within room settings, this revolutionary new resource:
* Interprets and explains technical information about the psycho-physical and psychological effects of different types of patterns and public perceptions of them
* Includes recent research findings identifying pattern preferences of different demographic groups
* Specifies appropriate pattern types for various activities, including selling, learning, healing, relaxing, eating, negotiating, performing complex tasks, and more.

For residential and commercial interior designers, Patterns in Interior Environments is a powerful tool for reducing the time and frustration involved in finding patterns to meet client requirements.

The most important design tool since the swatch-a revolutionary guide to understanding pattern use and effects.

If, like most interior designers, you have spent countless hours helping clients sift through hundreds of samples in search of patterns that are just right for them, you probably wish that there were some way to know in advance which types of patterns will most appeal to a particular type of person or provide a specific benefit. There is. Wouldn't it also be helpful to understand which patterns help people enjoy a meal, recover from an illness, concentrate on a difficult task, or relax after a hard day's work?

Patterns in Interior Environments is a powerful new resource that translates cutting-edge research on the impact and perception of patterns into practical information that can be applied directly to design practice. Patricia Rodemann presents and explains the latest research findings that identify pattern preferences for a variety of demographic groups. She details the emotional, physical, and psychological effects of different types of patterns, and identifies appropriate patterns for various activities. You'll learn everything you need to know about:
* Who selects which types of patterns
* How the eyes and brain process patterns
* Pattern rules, principles, and techniques
* Color combination, preferences, and pattern
* Working with pattern for specific effect.

Patterns in Interior Environments lets you zero in on your clients' needs and preferences by asking just a few simple questions-saving time and reducing frustration while enhancing customer satisfaction.

Book Description

What happened to me affected all of us—my mother, my father, my sisters, and me: we all fell apart under the horror of it, and we all tried to pretend that there was no horror.

Before the Knife is an unforgettable story—a transcendent memoir—of the beauty and brutality in a young girl’s African childhood and of the ways she found to survive it.

When Carolyn Slaughter was nearly four, she and her family moved from England to a remote outpost in the Kalahari Desert. There she was surrounded by a landscape of incomparable splendor and violence. Majestic rivers formed overnight; flocks of flamingos and herds of game gathered with equal speed to partake of the sudden waters. Termite mounds grew to the height of trees. A crocodile could drag a child from the riverbank in a second. And the author herself became the victim of an unspeakable crime.

Slaughter takes us deep into her experience of Africa and of herself at a time of anguish, but also of recovery. As she has said, “I couldn’t take my eyes off Africa. And what I saw was so beautiful that it enabled me not merely to survive, but also to find a way to save my soul.” Before the Knife is the deeply moving story of a girl who endured and transcended her family’s violence to emerge an impassioned observer and explicator of her world.

Customer Reviews:

Don't miss this memoir; it's finest kind!.......2004-07-27

This gorgeously, generously written memoir by the novelist, Carolyn Slaughter, is certain to be on my list of Best Books at year's end. These are Slaughter's young years from birth in India to age 14. She moved with her parents from India to England to Africa where she spent most of her childhood, or what should have been her childhood. A brilliant, affecting, important book. Slaughter has been one of my favorite writers since I read her Africa novels (highly recommended!) years ago: Dreams of the Kalahari and The Innocents.

I Should Really Finish the Book First..........2004-03-11

So I confess to having not done so (finishing the book.) I am a mere 25 pages from the ending, and I am left feeling not more than a little perplexed. There is the niggling sense that the author is not playing fair. She describes a childhood rife with neglect and pain, but increasingly she is starring in her memories in a sort of grandiose, romantic way. I find myself not trusting the narrator's voice. It has become besot with victimization, so that her memories begin to all sound the same: poor, poor me. Horrid parents. Boarding schools and hand-me-downs, cruel nuns, lost love, nothing going right! Which is sad, don't get me wrong. But other authors can write about such heartache without seeming to "star" themselves in such a superlative way.
I read on, because the author is a gifted writer, and she can describe the African bush with much eloquence. She refuses to tell the American reader the difference between "African", "Afrikan" and "Afrikaan," along with what the various native foods and phrases might translate for us in the United States. For some reason, this lack of explanation begins to feel like condenscension, and coupled with the author's ascending view of herself and her suffering, so does the whole book. Interesting read. I would like to finish it, if for no other reason than to see if the author revisits the bomb she dropped in the introduction. Will she? Won't she? I don't think she's been entirely fair by dragging it out this long.

I NEED TO KNOW MORE!!.......2003-06-27

This is a fabulous book, and one can't help but compare it to Alexandra Fuller's "Don't Let's Go to The Dogs Tonight".

The difference is that although Fuller's parents were hard-drinking and unconventional, they loved their children enormously. Carolyn Slaughter had such toxic parents that it is amazing she has become an accomplished, funtioning person. Horribly abused by her father, physically as well as the sexual abuse, she was totally abandoned emotionally by her mother. I almost hated her mother more than the father, as she seemed to have no maternal feelings whatsoever.

My only complaint is that she ended the book when she left Africa as a teenager. She tells us in the epilogue that her parents and one of her sisters have all died, but doesen't say anything about their years back in England and whether she continued to have any relationship with her parents and what finally resulted in her having any self-esteem at all. I hope she is busy writing a follow-up. I highly recommend this book as well as Fuller's book.

a harrowing, beautiful book about survival.......2003-02-12

If you've read that this is a book about a child raped by her father, you may well want to give it a miss. But you shouldn't, because although the horror of this event (which Slaughter, unlike most, finds corroboration for)frames her narrative it is also a remarkable story of an African childhood.
Her father, having bullied his way through the dying days of British colonial rule in India, found he couldn't settle in England, so set off with wife and two daughters for Africa. This is far from being the 'White Mischief' kind of existence, especially as the family wound up in the Kalahari desert. The bleakness and hash beauty of the landscape are what saves Carolyn - alongside discovering one true friend at school.
Slaughter is an excellent novelist who mysteriously fell silent many years ago. This is the reason why, and every pages rings with a sort of piercing truthfulness and pain. It's a story of great courage which must have taken greater courage to write.

Freud knew all about it, and decided it was, "too hot to han.......2002-10-25

When Freud's female patients complained of forced sex with their fathers at the ages of three, four, five, etc., at first he was incredulous. How could this be? These were not people from the gutter. He treated refined Vienesse burgers, not slum vermin. He knew some were pure fantasy. That many good girls wanted to marry daddy, and as neurotic adults have sex with daddy. But they couldn't ALL be fantasies. However, even trailblazers like Freud have their limits, and he relegated his"Seduction Theory" to fantasy, and dropped it like a hot potato. With him being Jewish in pre Holocaust Vienna, and his enemies castigating him as the Jew doctor who thinks everything has a sexual meaning, can you blame him? In her disturbing book, "Before the Knife", Carolyn Slaughter states on page four,"....the night that my father first raped me. I was six years old." That's the last we hear of this horror untill the final pages of the book. Many of us, as troubled children are convinced we are crazy, born to suffer, and are "total losers", but can't pinpoint a trauma to explain the feeling. Recent reasons such as "chemical imbalance" have helped to explain some mental illness. It seems that Carolyn Slaughter had proof of what turned her into a crazy person, and the one person who could have given her comfort and a safe haven was another crazy person, her mother, who refused to believe such "nonsense". In between the first statement of her rape, and it's final statemet at the end of the book is of a child growing up in that land of incredible human suffering, and incredible beauties of nature, Africa. It's another one of the Creator's jokes. The scenery is lovely, but you'll probably die of famine, plague, tribal war, or the master's whip. Dying of old age is granted to very few. This is not a beach book, and it's pages must have been stained with a lot of tears during it's creation.

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