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Find out for yourself why virtually everyone you know has this book, described as an "adventure in pursuit of a spiritual mystery", on their coffee table. In the tradition of Carlos Castaneda's The Teachings of Don Juan.
Book Description
Find out for yourself why virtually everyone you know has this book, described as an "adventure in pursuit of a spiritual mystery", on their coffee table.In the tradition of Carlos Castaneda'sThe Teachings of Don Juan.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect Catalytic & Summative Work for Our Time.......2007-10-07
This is a remarkable book that was given to me as a gift by a Dutch entrepreneur who has himself been exploring the potential for higher energy and good intentions among individuals and groups. Although it has no bibliography, the story that it tells is quite remarkable and quite valuable as illumination and explication of the only viable path for a sustainable future for mankind, diverse species, and the planet.
I list other books below, in several categories (limited to ten hot links by Amazon, sorry), but would hasten to add that if I had to go back in time and read only one book to clarify for myself both the misguided negative energy path I have been following, and the ease of adopting an open good intentions energy sharing path, this is that book.
The bottom line on this book is that faith, blind faith, is not empowering, it is merely a panacea. Consciousness is the real experience; achieving higher consciousness is what the scriptures mean when they say "the truth shall set you free." At the end of it all, this book encourages all well-intentioned individual to "lead the many to righteousness."
I will summarize the nine insights to help those who might be skeptical of the value of this book, and would emphasize there is no substitute for "being there" with the book in hand, digesting its message page by page (very well presented by the publisher).
#1 Critical Mass. While the title emphasizes the number of individuals who are reaching critical mass (Cf. Cultural Creatives), the insight is about one's becoming conscious of coincidences that are not really coincidences, they are good intentions becoming manifest.
#2 Longer Now. This title naturally reminds us of Stewart Brand's Clock of the Long Now but is more pointedly about thinking in time in millennium terms, and more specifically, the fall of grace when the church was abandoned for science, and science led to secularity, and neither proved capable of understanding, much less managing, complexity (See also Collapse of Complex Societies).
#3 Matter of Energy. This insight focuses on the need to learn to perceive invisible energy (quantum physics at core, universe is pure energy). See also the DVD, What the *Bleep*). I especially liked the zen-like aspect of this chapter, on the energy that is generated from perceiving beauty in all its vividness, on seeing mini-environments, and on understanding that the physical universe is responsive to our intentions and expectations (See also The Social Construction of Reality, for a more academic approach).
#4 Struggle for Power. At the intermediate stage of development, humans compete for energy rather than realizing that collaborative or collective intelligence can create infinite energy, infinite wealth. Violence results, negative energy undermines the confidence and capabilities of groups (e.g. the five billion poor). This is where most of us are now.
#5 Message of the Mystics. Here the author emphasizes the role of mystical experiences in helping individuals make the leap from the past (see next item) and into a future of high consciousness that is inherently positive, forgiving, open, and engaging. The ability to receive and to give energy in a catalytic way, rather than draining energy in competition, is emphasized, as is the reality that love gives energy, and all forms of love are to be nurtured. The chapter emphasizes that the universe can provide all the needed energy to all without scarcity or competition, provided that mankind evolves to this higher consciousness of collaboration and sharing.
#6 Clearing the Past. In an unexpected twist, this chapter focuses on the family and the eras of parental control over children with good and bad results, generally emphasizing the bad as the parents competed in shaping the child. The author emphasizes the need to clear out the past, recognize the "dramas" that one plays out, and finally, in reconciliation, discover that inner direction and good intentions in accomplishments are all that are required to "live" righteously and happily.
#7 Engaging the Flow. Consciousness allows engagement, empowerment, and interactive evolution, the need to enjoin the negative, recharge often, stay full of energy, and stay in love with all things.
#8 The Interpersonal Ethic. Following up on 7, this insight opens by stating that love keeps us healthy, and that the relationship between stress or lack of love and disease cannot be underestimated. (Side note: I have noticed with interest that the Catholic Church is now teaching that sex after children and menopause is a form of co-evolution of man and wife, and not something to be denigrated simply because children are no longer possible.) This is the most complex and lengthy chapter of the nine. My notes include the need to recognize that fear and hate are based on misunderstanding. The chapter cautioned on becoming addicted to any single source or object of love, and to avoid at all costs treating children as anything other than young adults--eschew the myths and the adult entertainment, and go straight to the truth with children on all things. The chapter concludes by focusing on the need for every person to be fully in touch with both their masculine and feminine side, and emphasizes that love is at its best when both partners are complete in and of themselves, and sharing their completeness with one another. How we approach other people determines how quickly we evolve. Excluding anyone is negative. TRUTH is the common factor for common advancement.
#9 The Emerging Culture. In this final chapter, there is a sense of hope, an emphasis on slowing down, the thrill to be had from intentional interactive evolution (what Stewart Brand long ago recognized as Co-Evolution). This chapter focuses on the critical mass that are now enjoying their first deep intense introspection, on the emergence of the gift economy of abundance, and of full employment as necessary jobs are filled by multiple individuals. Most significantly for me as a proponent of public intelligence (decision support) in the public interest, "Constant exchange of information is our new economic orientation. Stewardship of the Earth will become integral to us all, and we can and should create Heaven on Earth. This chapter concludes that when we succeed, all religions will be clarified and de-conflicted and we will all become "one."
Recommended books (see also my lists):
Hope
The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World
Imagine: What America Could Be in the 21st Century
The World Cafe: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter
The Clock of the Long Now: Time and Responsibility
Escaping the Matrix: How We the People can change the world
All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (BK Currents)
One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization
The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All
Building a Knowledge-Driven Organization
History
Landscape of History
Fog Facts
Lost History
Cheating Culture
Missing
Voltaire's Bastards
Religion
Left Hand of God
Dowd on Evolution
Faith-Based Diplomacy
Other by Johnston
Wealth
Infinite Wealth
Wealth of Networks
Wealth of Knowledge
Revolutionary Wealth
There are so many others I could list. Let me end by emphasizing that this one book brought everything together for me, and is the first light on my new path toward helping the five billion poor learn and create wealth "one cell call at a time."
Why the Celestine Prophecy is a wonderful novel.......2007-09-07
So I've read a lot of the reviews on this site, and I must say I'm completely shocked at how low the star ratings are. I'm not even going to go into why I love this book, I'm just want to explain why those low star rated reviews are rubbish. Just looking at the statistcs on this book you can see how loved and important this novel is. Since 1993 The Celestine Prophecy has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 34 languages..You just don't sell that many copies of a book if it's not good! Also for the people that didn't like the way this book was written, I have to agree with you that Redfield is not master novelist but that's not the point of the book. The point is for him to get a across a message, to everyone. I was 13 when I first read this book. The lanuage is designed so that everyone can understand its message.
How I lost 10 lbs. reading the Celestine Prophecy.......2007-09-04
After reading the first 75 pages of CP, which I purchased full price at the request of a friend, I had to come to Amazon and read the reviews. Why? Because I found myself raising my voice at the book -- pouring out my best negative energy onto it -- saying things like, "This is s**t." And "WTF [my friend] did this to me."
Was I the only one upset about this awful book?
*Heck* no: enter the one-star reviewers. If there is anything 'meant to be' about this book, it is its inspiration of first-rate comedy writing by folks who wish they had back their time and money. Just read on, and you may find yourself doubled over with laughter. I was in tears at times. I've got ripped abs as a result as well.
Highlights include:
1. The guy who read the book to impress a girl (it didn't work).
2. The guy who reminds us that all of us here on earth experience the same moon phase, no matter where we are located on said earth.
3. Multiple folks who get pissed about Mayans placed at Machu Picchu.
4. The guy rolling around laughing with his friend reading various passages from the book while on tour in Peru.
5. The guy who uses the 9th insight to disappear at parties.
I recommend reading some of the book -- certainly do not pay for it, tho -- prior to reading the reviews.
To all who think the critics of this book are closed-minded or "the problem," quit looking for your higher self for sec and laugh at some of these reviews.
Interesting reading.......2007-09-01
Great book to share and discuss. Makes you think about your own life and why things happen as they do....
Mistitled.......2007-08-29
Why didn't the author discard the pretense and title this "Sweet Valley High's Spiritual Retreat"?
Book Description
A hilarious new series that proves superpowers are no match for brainpower.
In the town of Superopolis, everyone has a superpower. Everyone, that is, except Ordinary Boy. He's–well, he's pretty much ordinary. But that won't stop him from taking on supervillains like the sinister Professor Brain–Drain....
This spring, welcome to Superopolis and The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy, a clever, funny new series for kids who've outgrown Captain Underpants or anyone who loves The Incredibles and The Tick. Packed with dynamic illustrations and starring a smart young hero who could hold his own with Charlie Bone, Klaus Baudelaire, and Stanley Yelnats, this is a series that kids will find undeniably super!
Ages 8 – 12
Customer Reviews:
Worth Reading Over and Over.......2007-06-20
I stood in line for a free autographed copy of this book at the annual Book Expo last year so that I'd have something to bring home to my kids. I will gladly pay full retail for the chance to read the second installment. My 5-year old son and 7-year old daughter both loved it as a read-aloud bedtime story. The humor was delightfully age appropriate for all three of us (and I'm 50). The pictures captured just the right blend of superhero and silliness. We all tried to solve the mystery along with Ordinary Boy and his friends. It was great fun.
A year later, my daughter says she re-reads this book whenever she runs out of library books, and wants to know when the next book is coming out. Though the second book is probably at the library by now, I'm going to order one from Amazon so she can re-read it while waiting for the third volume. I hope they keep them coming!
This book got my 10yr old to read a book on his own.......2007-05-13
Great book. The characters are very creative. There are pictures of the charaters too.
The storyline is about trading cards. My 10yr old son can totally relate and couldn't put the book down. Not only did he read, he understood the excitement of finding "THE" card everyone in the book was looking for.
Just a note, I could not find this book in any bookstore in my area, which really surprised me because it's a great read and it's hard to find such great & interesting stories for boys. So Kudo's to Amazon.
Good clean fun.......2007-04-23
Ordinary Boy is the only person in Superopolis with no super powers--or is he? Turns out being smart is a kind of super power of its own, as he and his friends solve a mystery, and work together to thwart the evil Professor Brain Drain. Turns out heroes aren't always what they're cracked up to be either, another good lesson. Good humor, funny enough for kids, but dry enough for grow-ups. We're currently working on the 2nd book.
A Five Star Book.......2006-07-02
The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy is an excellent book. Its dry humor will give young adults some good laughs, while the characters and setting will captivate younger audiences. The plot is easy to follow for children but contains a vocabulary that encourages expanding the mind. Ordinary Boy and his friends are smart and energetic, leading readers through an exciting adventure that will keep them turning the pages. Kids of all ages will get a kick out of this book.
Average customer rating:
- It was a'right
- The Best of Misty's work - so far!
- mellodramatic
- Only good when considered with the rest of the series
- Valdemar VS Karse
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Exile's Honor (Daw Book Collectors, No. 1235)
Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: DAW
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Exile's Valor (Valdemar Novels)
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Take a Thief: A Novel of Valdemar
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Brightly Burning
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Owlsight (Valdemar: Darian's Tale, Book 2)
ASIN: 0756401135
Release Date: 2003-10-07 |
Book Description
This stand-alone novel in the best-selling Valdemar series tells the story of Alberich...
When Alberich took a stand for what he believed in-and defected-he was chosen by one of the magical Companion horses...to serve the queen of Valdemar.
Customer Reviews:
It was a'right.......2007-07-31
Exile's honor is the tale of weapon's master Albrecht. In later books he is the scourge of young Heralds (who are sort of PC Jedi-Knight-esque Police force sanctioned by the Queen). In this novel Albrecht, (nearly burned alive in his own country), escapes with the help of his horse Silver who turns out to be a Companion. (Companions are basically re-cycled heralds in horse form).
Albrecht was a hard character to like. Lackey conveys his foreigness by having him speak like yoda (Sample) : "This rumor- I hope it false proves." Which was really destracting. Second, Albrecht seems to be a bit of a mary-sue. He can out-fight most Heralds and he manages to skip the training other heralds go through (by getting private lessons)AND doesn't even have to dress like them. The reason given- that Albrecht is older and his students would lose respect for him if he was seen taking classes with other students didn't wash with me. Are you kidding me? Albrecht is so anti-social he NEEDS to associate with others not be seperated. I seriously doubt anyone taking a class with him would pick on him afterward for very long.
Okay. Finally, how old is he supposed to be? The author never says but the man on the cover certainly looks in his 30's. My inability to pinpoint his age bugged me. I was never clear if I was dealing with a young adult or a...Middle-aged guy.
Overall, this novel started okay and was gripping enough until the inclusion of the character Myste. Then I really found my eyes rolling. Myste is Lackey's avatar, down to the glasses and the build was irritating.
Overall the novel was great at the beginning but weakened towards the final third.
3 Stars. Average.
The Best of Misty's work - so far!.......2005-07-28
I have read and re-read Exile's Honor and still am enthralled.
I agree that it is a bit different than some of her other work, but I really like it! There is a trend in some of her Valdemar books (Brightly Burning, Take a Thief, Exile's Honor, and Exile's Valor) that I really like. Instead of the huge, sweeping epic, these are people centered; and I like them!
Thanx, Misty! Well done!
mellodramatic.......2005-04-07
"Exile's Honor" is enjoyable and entertaining. The word that best describes "Exile's Honor" is mellodramatic. The main character spends a lot of time feeling sorry for himself, exagerating his problems, basking in the sympathy of friends, and boasting. This is quite fun if you are in the mood.
The plot and setting and personalities are similar to all of Mercedes' other books: her main characters are powerful & highly skilled, have problems with teasing & not fitting in, receive unquestioning affection from a mystic friend, and have casual sex. The setting is a magical / fantasy variant of the middle ages.
Only good when considered with the rest of the series.......2005-02-17
Alberich of Karse was a hard man made harder by the ever-present threat of a knife in the back from jealous military subordinates, and by the deadly and ever-present need to keep secret his sporadically appearing power of foresight. All powers in Karse that did not come from the temples of Vakandis Sun-god were witch powers and the only fate that the sun priests allowed for witches was death in flames. Little did he know that his destiny, with a little help from a suspiciously intelligent stallion, would take him from his land and people, whom he had vowed to protect, and into the land of the feared witch-riders and demon-horses of Valdemar. Fate had decreed that there was another life that Alberich was to shield on his path to becoming the man known as Herald Alberich.
Valdemar is brought to life once again through this tale of Alberich and his exile from Karse. For the first time, a grown man from Karse is brought to the ranks of the Heralds of Valdemar, to battle fears and mistrust for and from those that he must join, to do battle with an entire nation of mercenaries that Karse has hired to put an end to their greatest enemy.
The main problem with the book, that I think even some true fans of Valdemar will find themselves annoyed with, is the way Mercedes writes for Alberich's Karshian accent. While people have compared his speech with various other annoying speakers of entertainment history, I found the inconsistency in Mercedes writing of his speech the most annoying thing about it. Within a few compound sentences, she makes the mistake of putting the verb at the end of one part of the sentence and in the middle of the other part. Maybe I'm a bit overly critical, but these did distract me from the story since they just sounded a bit wrong when I read them.
Alberich is the focus of this third book of the Valdemar. With no other seeming purpose, this book dedicates itself to being a prequel for the characters and immediate history of the three books of Valdemar that preceded it. I love the minimalism of Alberich, and his frustration at the extravagant opinions many people carry around. I equally enjoy the irony of that frustration that results from his, sometimes less than open-minded, refusal of some concepts and ideas as a because of a, for the most part, HIGHLY admirable but sometimes obsessive view of personal honor. However, if you have not read the preceding books, or didn't like them, for some reason that I cannot imagine, you will only find this book a passable piece of pulp fantasy. If you have already read this book and are wondering why it isn't what you expected from Lackey, go ahead and finish its sequel EXILES VALOR, then read the Heralds of Valdemar Trilogy. As recommended by shel99, this book is not at its best if you read it as a stand-alone. If you do read it as a stand-alone, and judge it wanting, you could very well end in doing yourself a disservice by missing out on the rest of the story.
EXILES HONOR, if you have read and enjoyed the Valdemar Trilogy, should be read. The background you receive concerning certain characters will make their lives shine all the brighter in your memory.
Valdemar VS Karse.......2004-11-25
The story fills in some gaps of information about Valdemar's past. It is a well written book. There is quite a bit of war in the book. It is different than some earlier books from this series in the way it is written. There is less romance in it than others. This is not a bad thing but it does need pointing out. It is a good book. It is just not Lackey's best work.
Average customer rating:
- Perez-Reverte, In Spanish or English, a great author.
- Anticlimactic
- Too much information
- Interesting, but oddly disappointing
- Great Reading, Intriguing
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The Club Dumas
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Harcourt
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0151001820 |
Amazon.com
Fallen angels, satanic manuals, and a passion for the works of Raphael Sabatini and Alexandre Dumas among others--this is the stuff of Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte's engrossing novel The Club Dumas. Set in a world of antiquarian booksellers where dealers would gladly betray their own mothers to get their hands on a rare volume, The Club Dumas is a thinking person's thriller: in addition to a riveting plot, the book is full of intriguing details that range from the working habits of Alexandre Dumas to how one might go about forging a 17th-century text. Woven through these meditations is enough murder, sex, and the occult to keep both the hero, Lucas Corso, and the reader hopping.
As in his previous novel, The Flanders Panel, set in the world of art restoration, Mr. Pérez-Reverte has written a literary thriller to tease both the intellect and adrenaline gland. Lucas Corso makes a complex, ultimately sympathetic hero, and there's plenty to delight in the intricate twists and turns the story takes before the mystery of The Club Dumas is finally solved.
Book Description
"A cross between Umberto Eco and Anne Rice. . . .Think of The Club Dumas as a beach book for intellectuals." --New York Daily News
Lucas Corso, middle-aged, tired, and cynical, is a book detective, a mercenary hired to hunt down rare editions for wealthy and unscrupulous clients. When a well-known bibliophile is found hanged, leaving behind part of the original manuscript of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers, Corso is brought in to authenticate the fragment.
The task seems straightforward, but the unsuspecting Corso is soon drawn into a swirling plot involving devil worship, occult practices, and swashbuckling derring-do among a cast of characters bearing a suspicious resemblance to those of Dumas's masterpiece. Aided by a mysterious beauty named for a Conan Doyle heroine, Corso travels from Madrid to Toledo to Paris in pursuit of a sinister and seemingly omniscient killer. Part mystery, part puzzle, part witty intertextual game, The Club Dumas is a wholly original intellectual thriller by the internationally bestselling author of The Flanders Panel and The Seville Communion.
Customer Reviews:
Perez-Reverte, In Spanish or English, a great author........2007-07-16
Much better than the movie. Great info on forgeries, book making,engraving and of course the history of books dealing with the "devil."
I read this in English first and was so impressed I had to read the original. I found the original as easy to read as any English novel.
Anticlimactic.......2007-03-16
An interesting framework that combines elements of Dumas, Sherlock Holmes, Phillip Marlowe, and The Da Vinci Code that, at least for me, didn't quite work.
I actually thought The Club Dumas started out quite well - I flew through the first 100 pages thoroughly engrossed in the story as the mystery was established, but unfortunately it fell flat as it unfolded, in my opinion. Quite simply, I found the resolution of the various questions/mysteries raised anticlimactic.
I will admit I did appreciate finding as many references to Dumas, Conan Doyle, and other works as I could (I'm sure there are a lot I missed, I'm not all that well-read), but for me that didn't make up for a relatively flat story. I did not, on the other hand, appreciate the frequently awkward attempts at Chandlerian similes.
At the risk of stating the obvious, if you're thinking of reading this I would, at the very least, be sure to read The Three Musketeers first.
Too much information.......2006-08-17
After reading all of the above reviews, you may not need to read THE CLUB DUMAS after all since so much of the book's plot has been revealed by those who still feel that a book review is just an assignment to be turned in to teacher in English IV just to prove that you read the book. It's as if someone tells you what the movie was all about before you've seen it. Just you don't hate it when that happens?
That said, I would like to say that if you enjoyed reading John Durnning's BOOKED TO DIE or THE BOOKMAN'S WAKE (the Cliff Janeaway novels) I would highly recommend The Club Dumas. A bizarre labyrinth of mystery, murder and the book arts. Mr. Perez-Reverte must be praised for his research and if you are not well versed in Alexandere Dumas' literary career (the author of 257 novels, histories and memoirs), take heart, you will become very enlightened.
If you are interested in a limited history of the book and its role in the mystery genre... and the occult, this book will keep your fingers flipping pages. It's just an added layer in the creative complexity of a novel with many layers.... Although, to be honest, I did think the ending was a bit over the top.
Hope you will enjoy it as well. I've just finished the FLANDERS PANEL and have started THE FENCING MASTER. I had to place a hold on THE SEVILLE COMMUNION. I think you get the idea.
Interesting, but oddly disappointing.......2006-07-26
This book came to my attention only after I saw the movie The Ninth Gate, and I was immediately interested. The movie seemed to leave several questions unanswered, and I believed that a book would be a better medium for a mystery about books than film. Well, it was, but I was still left with unanswered questions.
The book follows the expolits of Lucas Corso, an alcoholic anti-hero, as he tracks down the source of exceedingly rare occult literature as a mercenary book trader. The best parts of the book center around his relationship with a strange girl with green eyes, who joins him for unexplained reasons on his quest. However, loosely connected to this intriguing investigation is a manuscript chapter from The Three Musketeers, which takes on strange dimensions as character parallels from the Musketeers oppose him on his journey. The background is peopled with unique characters, and various asides are devoted to describing the murky world of the rare book black market, the biography of Alexandre Dumas, or the nature of the devil and medieval occult practices.
These excerpts answered many of the questions posed by the film, fleshing out my understanding of plenty of side-issues. Several illustrations in the book also made these chapters more enjoyable. It was only at the end that I despaired of an explanation that united the two detective stories of Dumas and the devil. Instead of everything "coming together" as in a Sherlock Holmes story, the motivation for the entire quest comes unravelled into two distinct threads which are only coincidentally united. I admit that the movie had spoiled the final twist for me, which is perhaps the reason I found it unsatisfying. However, the author seems to have made some effort to assert the unity of the two strands of plot via Corso himself, who reflects to himself that he is caught in a literary twilight zone and refuses to be surprised by events which refer to literature. During the pursuit, I was pleased by all of this, but only on the condition of an eventual rationale. The rationale, once revealed, left me unimpressed.
Not that the book is without its charm; in fact, much in the style of Umberto Eco, the answer to the mystery is not the fanciful one the main character supposes- or rather, not the whole answer. The Club Dumas reminded me of Eco's book Foucault's Pendulum in particular, although this one is much more digestable to a leisurely fan. I will continue to suspect that the movie for The Ninth Gate spoiled the book for me; therefore, I would recommend anyone interested in this subject to read the book prior to the movie. The aftertaste may be more palatable.
Great Reading, Intriguing.......2006-07-07
The Club Dumas is a what many call a high-brow mystery book, where the pages turn fast but the subject matter is a few steps above the standard smoking gun "whodunit?". The book cover claims it as a "beach book for intellectuals." While this might be a bit overwrought, it's also fairly accurate, as The Club Dumas doesn't pander to a low-brow audience. Instead, it maintains a high level of sophistication while remaining a standard thrilling mystery. In the end, it may try to mix 2 moods that don't necessarily blend well together. But it does such a good job that you can't help but be entertained.
Having prefaced with that, there's more to the story than a vapid tale such as The DaVinci Code. The story has layers which make it more intricate than any run of the mill American thriller, translating into a mystery almost impossible to figure out. I don't read books trying to figure out what might happen, so take that for what it's worth. I suppose seasoned mystery might not be so stumped. Or maybe they will. I digress.
The Club Dumas is about one chapter from Dumas' original manuscript of The Three Musketeers, and the search to find out if the chapter is authentic or not. On top of this, the main character Luca Corso is saddled with the burden of finding out if another, apparently unrelated, book is also authentic. This second book is an ancient text purported to be able to instruct the reader how to summon the devil. Much of the narrative centers around the hobby - passion perhaps is a better word - of collecting original manuscripts of books through the centuries. The working knowledge Perez-Reverte exhibits about book collecting is what really sets this apart from your standard thriller. Corso finds himself taken through the ringer as he tries to figure out how these 2 mysteries are interwoven. Through several near misses he finds himself playing a role in a real life version of Dumas' grand work.
How it all plays out is left as an exercise to the reader. Despite claims that Perez-Reverte tied up the book brilliantly, I can't agree with that. There are parts of the wrap-up that go outside the believable bounds of the narrative. Because of this I can't say the book does well in bringing the story to a proper close. To elucidate that thought, imagine having read a story only to find a talking dog at the end of a book where dogs never talked. It would be problematic, to suggest such an ending.
Perhaps Perez-Reverte uses the talking dog widget, perhaps he doesn't. I have to admit parts of the ending are left extremely vague. In my online searches I have not found anyone who has taken a stab at summarizing what exactly happens to all involved. Instead, we are left with an amorphous ooze of uncertainty. Perhaps this is the literary hangover the beach intellectual feels when they've drank more intellectual words than they can handle?
Regardless, the bulk of the book is nearly brilliant. I have already bought 2 more works by the same author, as I found this book nearly impossible to put down for the 3-4 days it took me to read. Even if the end wasn't as well done as the rest of the book, it still stands as an excellent work and I fully understand how this ranks as an international best seller. This isn't 5 star material for the reasons cited above. But this is a solid 4 star book that will keep you riveted, at least until the end, where you might find yourself blown away, or a little confused. Either way it's worth the trip getting there.
Average customer rating:
- A fight to finish
- 1982 Hugo Award Winner
- don't expect battles
- The Starting Point for the Merchanter Universe of C.J. Cherryh
- A Good Story
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Downbelow Station (20th Anniversary) (Daw Book Collectors)
C. J. Cherryh
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Cherryh, C.J.
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Cyteen
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The Deep Beyond: Cuckoo's Egg / Serpent's Reach
ASIN: 0756400597
Release Date: 2001-12-04 |
Book Description
A legend among sci-fi readers, C.J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance novels, while separate and complete in themselves, are part of a much larger tapestry-a future history spanning 5,000 years of human civilization.
Downbelow Station is the book that won Cherryh a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1982. A blockbuster space opera of the rebellion between Earth and its far-flung colonies, it is a classic science fiction masterwork.
Download Description
A legend among sci-fi readers, C. J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance novels, while separate and complete in themselves, are part of a much larger tapestry-a future history spanning 5,000 years of human civilization.
This book won Cherryh a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1982. A blockbuster space opera of the rebellion between Earth and its far-flung colonies, it is a classic science fiction masterwork.
Customer Reviews:
A fight to finish .......2007-06-05
After hearing nothing but rave reviews for this book, I picked up a copy and want to say that I liked the cover illustration and that's about it. It felt like this book went on forever and nothing happened. The universe it's set in is fairly interesting, but the characters and their plight just did noting for me. The main characters came off as whiny and entirely unlikable no matter if they were set up as the good or bad guys. It jumped around too much and was tough to keep straight. I kept waiting for something Hugo-worthy to happen in either the story or the writing itself. I wish Pell had exploded and put the people on it and the reader out of misery.
1982 Hugo Award Winner.......2006-08-23
When I had first read this book I thought it was one of the five best science fiction books I read. Having reread it recently has taken off some of that enthusiastic edge. It brings up a philosophical point in reviewing a book, do you rate it based on when you read it or even when it was published, or at the time you write the review which could be years later. Personally I have to believe in the latter and for that reason I downrate this novel to 4 stars, which of course is still quite respectable.
Earth has expanded to the stars, set up space stations along the way, and eventually found planets to colonize and build space stations in orbit around. The far flung planets and space stations eventually disagree with Earth's policies, break away, and form a totalitarian government called the Union and fight a war with Earth. `Downbelow Station' follows events on the later part of this war and on the space station Pell, which ends up being on the border between the Union and Earth. Earth doesn't have the resources to replenish the Fleet, as Earth's fleet of space warships are called, and the Fleet of carriers are eventually whittled away by battle while the Union is continuously replenishing their side. Earth eventually realizes this and presses for peace, eventually going around the Fleet, which has operated somewhat autonomously due to the distance and length of time in communications between it and Earth. The space station in orbit around the planet Pell, called Downbelow in slang, thus the name Downbelow Station, tries to maintain a neutrality in the war, but finds this difficult as soldiers and agents from both sides are both simultaneously trying to obtain control of the station, and if cannot obtain control then destroy it.
All of the above sets the stage not just for space war battles but for political intrigue. Following the events and the sides can be confusing during a first reading so I'll attempt to clarify. There's six basic groups: the 1) Union and 2) Earth fighting a war, there's the 3) Fleet and even though they are supposed to be the warships representing Earth, have become an autonomous force and even fight contrary to Earth's wishes, there's the 4) space station Pell wishing to maintain neutrality which also has a base on the planet, there's the 5) Hisa, the mostly sentient indigenous population on the planet Pell, and lastly there's the 6) Merchanters, a group of mostly family-run, non-war-spaceships that trade between mining facilities, space stations, and planets on both the Union and Earth's side. Of course there's a lot division within these groups and several characters that switch sides, particularly at the end.
The thing that many female science fiction authors do, as well as Cherryh here, is pour themselves into one or more, in this case four or so, female characters that can do no wrong. This is particularly the case with Signy Mallory, third in command of the Fleet. She eventually comes in conflict with Mazian, the leader of the Fleet. These interactions eventually become predictable, one can figure out what's going to happen at the end, and sure enough it does. For a 439 page novel, some of the dialogue is amazingly terse, with many one word conversations. The scenes with the Hisa, particularly in the last 100 pages, seem to drag on to infinity's end. The Hisa are made to be this idealistic race that can nauseating to read at times. And it seems that the shows from the 70's: Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest etc, influenced this novel. Instead of a large family running oil companies or wineries, they instead run a space station. Then there's `The Man', trying to bring everyone down. The thing that's great about this novel, is that whatever motivational forces were in place to drive Cherryh in developing the character Mallory as a star-cruiser captain, she succeeds beautifully. Here is the ultimate space cowgirl, somewhat ruthless, an efficient captain with a strong sense of integrity and incredibly sharp and astute. The names of warships are great with Fleet names like United States, Europe, Africa and so on. The few scenes of space battle are terrific. And Cherryh has a sense of irony, such as when the Union warships Victory and Endurance are destroyed in battle.
439 pages (hardcopy), published 1981, 4 full stars.
don't expect battles.......2006-02-21
cause there aren't any. I went in expecting space battles and found very little of it. But even with that, it was still rather intriguing. The characters are well developed and I wished Cherryh would've done more to further this universe... I'm reading Heavy Time and Hellburner right now to see how much she does... Heavy time doesn't have any space combats either. But the mere mention some of the things about space operations she gives are enough for inspiration :D
The Starting Point for the Merchanter Universe of C.J. Cherryh.......2006-01-08
This Hugo Award winning novel Together with Cyteen, also a Hugo winner, is the center of all space faring adventures with C.J. Cherryh.
These two books are absolutely essential for understanding the politics of all of the Science Fiction of C.J. Cherryh (with the exception of the Morgaine Stories which are independent due to the time paradox which is the core of those stories), an amazingly coherent future that spans millennia and is currently like 50 plus novels.
Down Below Station has everything you could want in a science fiction book. Aliens, space stations, space ships, politics, war, and most of all, does all of this in a completely plausible and believable way. Begin your journey. You'll be glad you did!
A Good Story.......2004-11-20
A good story that holds your attention. That is the point as to why we read fiction isn't it? Cherryh gives a bleak interpretation on the future migration of spacefaring humankind, however it is a perfectly plausible one and that makes this read all the more interesting. There were irritating typographical errors and omissions in this paperback edition. Granted, not the fault of the author, nor a reason not to enjoy her work...but in this day and age, what is the excuse for typos except as laziness on the part of the publisher? A personal pet peeve.
Book Description
A Candlewick Press exclusive! A book and film DVD gift set
As Leon fishes out on the bayou one night, the moon goes dark and he is drawn into a mysterious and wonderful adventure, one that takes him all the way to the moon — and inside it. A jar of lightning bugs, a glorious carousel, a two-headed monster, and the intriguing Moongirl herself all play a part in this stunning picture book, based on the award-winning animated short film by celebrated animation director Henry Selick and packaged with a DVD of the complete film. Luminous artwork created for the storybook by Peter Chan (storyboard artist for the Harry Potter films) and Courtney Booker (digital storyboard artist for FINDING NEMO) transports readers to a mythical moonscape full of breathtaking possibilities.
Customer Reviews:
Moongirl.......2007-10-04
The book is good, and the dvd is GREAT! It has music that really brings the story to life.
Excellent book & dvd for storytime and for children of all ages........2007-02-01
WHAT A STORY!!!!!!!!!!! The animation in the dvd is beyond spectacular!!! Preschoolers and children of any age will enjoy this book and dvd. My 17 year old has watched it many times. What a wonderful idea to include a movie version with the picture book. I work in a library and read to children weekly and this is one of the most memorable books that I have shared with them. The children loved it!!!!!!!!!!!! The 8 minute dvd is perfect for storytime. A must have for any library and a great book for all!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lovely.......2007-01-16
I bought this in October for our daughter's second birthday. It is now January, and this is still one of her favorite shows. She requests to watch it more nights than not as part of the 'ok it's time to start settling down for bed' ritual. Not only does our daughter enjoy the show, but after I don't know how many viewings neither my wife nor I are sick of it. Toddlers love repetition; finding something you can repeat without cringing every time it is requested is awesome.
The Collector's Edition comes with both a book and a DVD. Most of my comments are directed at the DVD. The book is very nicely put together and does add a little to the story, but the illustrations somehow do not capture the energy that the DVD has. I suspect it is the soundtrack by They Might Be Giants on the DVD that helps to keep things moving. My daughter enjoys books in general, but this one is almost never requested despite loving the video version of the story. By contrast she loves having Thomas the Tank Engine books read to her - and I know that's a result of having watched a couple of Thomas videos.
For the price, I believe that the Collector's Edition is a great value. The story is sweet and imaginative, the production values are excellent and overall it's fun. I didn't give it 5 stars because (a) I wouldn't say that this is a classic and (b) if you don't have children, you should be warned you're buying a children's book and an 8 min video; not a 'must have' under all circumstances.
Moongirl.......2007-01-12
Beautifully packaged. I bought it for my 2 grandsons assuming it would be a very high quality gift. The hard back book is very nice indeed and beautifully illustrated. The DVD was much shorter than I expected.
wonderful work for our time.......2006-12-31
I was able to review this in my job as a librarian. What a rare delight! It restores my faith that there may be truly beautiful and worthwhile works of art and literature for kids out there. I just bought two more copies to give as gifts to little friends turning four this week, and I will buy many more.
This book/movie set has the best of everything in an artistic and literary work-- the illustrations are luminous as is the visual and sound impact of the dvd movie. It's slightly edgy, dark, and melancholy-- just like I like it!
It's a wonderful example of everything that is good about the arts-- wonderful for kids, so beautiful and well done artistically that it's a delight for adults as well. The soundtrack, featuring They Might Be Giants (a favorite from my teens who continue to delight me with their originality and versatility), is so perfect for the story, wistfully beautiful, complex, and quirky and fun at the same time.
This is the kind of work I want to have in my home to help my kids craft their own aesthetic, emotional compass, and inner landscape. Plus it's so gorgeous I have to have it for myself. Isn't it wonderful the opportunities we get to enjoy ourselves in ways we couldn't justify or had no idea about until we had kids?
The only small thing I didn't like was that, in my opinion and I'm no linguist, little Leon's accent could have been better. The voice acting of Leon was as great and heartfelt as the rest of this work, don't get me wrong, but I wish he'd been more truly and obviously Cajun. [Wasn't he supposed to be Cajun?] It is always delightful when someone who really comes from a particular heritage or cultural group is tapped to play a particular part, and disappointing when a sort of generic talent is tapped to play someone from a distinctive regional, ethnic or culture.
Overall, a great work, and a must have. And with all the books and media out there aimed at parents' pocketbooks, I don't say that at all lightly.
Book Description
Not too far away from the flea markets, dusty attics, cluttered used record stores, and Ebay is the world of the vinyl junkies. Brett Milano dives deep into the piles of old vinyl to uncover the subculture of record collecting. A vinyl junkie is not the person who has a few old 45s shoved in the cuboard from their high school days. Vinyl Junkies are the people who will travel over 3,000 miles to hear a rare B-side by a German band that has only recorded two songs since 1962. Vinyl junkies are the people who own every copy of every record produced by the favorite artist from every pressing and printing in existance. Vinyl junkies are the people who may just love that black plastic more than anything else in their lives. Brett Milano traveled the U.S. seeking out the most die-hard and fanatical collectors to capture all that it means to be a vinyl junkie. The book includes inter-views with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Peter Buck from R.E.M, and Robert Crumb, creator of Fritz the cat and many more under-ground comics.
Customer Reviews:
For people who are [...] about their music.......2007-04-27
If you read and/or watched High Fidelity and thought, "That's me!", then this book is for you. Keep a pad of paper with you as you read, because you'll learn about some interesting collectibles you never knew existed. The segments where rock stars talk about their personal history/obsession with record collecting are particularly fun. Milano has an easy-going style that makes it feel like you're having a private conversation about a topic close to both your hearts. The best place to buy this book would be a used record store, but do get it.
Don't Bother.......2006-08-03
Reads like a magazine article padded out to book length. Completely disposable. For record collectors like me, it says nothing new. For the rest it won't mean much. Don't bother, unless you see it in a bargain bin for $2 (which you probably will.)
what more?.......2005-09-30
The velvet underground & nico _ joe harvard
Vinyl junkie _ brett milano
If you consider yourself addicted to vinyl & those around you see your passion as something strange. This book is a treat, in it you will read stories about people who would need 2 or 3 life times to just hear the records they have accumulated or others that would fork out $4.000 for an odd 7 inch, not to mention one unbelievable story about a Hendrix collector who has in his prized record collection one that could contain Hendrix's dna.
Yes, vinyl record collector you are not alone.
vacuous.......2005-05-28
Vacuous, mediocre, trite, cliched, dull. Attempts and fails to be breezily hip and humorous. Skims the surface, never goes in-depth. A book for TV watchers, not readers.
Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in mediocrity.......2005-03-22
Brent Milano's book should have been entitled, "Adventures in OBSCURE vinyl records." It's not that I don't believe that collectible vinyl is rare and obscure, rather the vinyl choices that Mr. Milano chooses to highlight in his book come from artists that the mainstream collector has rarely heard of. Milano's book would have better served a wider range of collectors if he had incorporated more information on collectible vinyl from the classic rock,(50s, 60s & 70s)jazz and R&B eras. Instead, we get an in-depth interview with a collector whose passion is collecting vinyl from Olivia Newton-John. I understand that one man's garbage is another's prize, but I can't believe that most collectors benefit or desire to read about Olivia while so many other artists (Pink Floyd, The Who, Buddy Holly, etc.) are given little or no coverage. It seems as though Mr. Milano wrote the book for himself and his close circle of friends without any regard for the average vinyl collector who could care less about some of the vinyl titles (ie. Punk-Rock) that he mentions.
Mr. Milano does manage to catch the "fever" of the vinyl collector within his pages as he talks with collectors whose houses are about to collapse inward due to the sheer amount of records pushed inside. But more needed to be communicated as to how and what the AVERAGE collector seeks to add to his or her collection. Are there no records from the Rolling Stones, for example, that his interviewed collectors could have discussed? What of Pink Floyd? He introduces a character known as "Mono-man" for his love of mono pressings, but he fails to talk about many of the desirable mono records that collectors seek. What about mono pressings from the Doors? Hendrix? What about the mono White lp from the Beatles? None mentioned. He does mention the mono pressing of Sgt. Pepper, but then goes off to some other obscure title that most collectors I'm sure have never heard of. For example, I really don't need to read about someone who is collecting vinyl from a punk-rock group who used to drink ex-lax before a show so that they could pepper their audience with feces. What a band! Yeah, I really want their record! No wonder it's obscure.
Product Description
Magnificently illustrated and meticulously bound in BROWN genuine premium leather, features a hubbed spine accented with 22kt gold, lustrous moiré fabric (brown) endsheets, acid-neutral paper, gilded page ends, and a permanently bound-in satin ribbon page marker (golden yellow). (Dimensions: 6.5x9.5x1.5 inches)
Book Description
Little, Brown is celebrating 100 years of Hergé with a new hardcover boxed set. Join traveling reporter Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy, along with well-known friends such as Captain Haddock, as they embark on extraordinary adventures spanning historical and political events, fantasy and science-fiction adventures and thrilling mysteries. These full-color graphic novels broke new ground when they were first released and became the inspiration for countless modern-day comic artists. This fantastic collection, containing the complete Tintin series, is lavishly designed and a great gift for Tintin lovers and first-time fans everywhere.
Book Description
mongo n. 1 [1970s +] an idiot. 2 [1980s +] (US, New York) any discarded object that is retrieved. 3. [1980s +] (US, New York) a scrap-metal scavenger. (The Cassell Dictionary of Slang)
When journalist Ted Botha moved to New York from South Africa, where people constructed homes out of what others considered trash, he decorated his apartment with furniture he found on Manhattan streets. Soon he realized he wasn't the only person finding things of value in the garbage, and he began roaming the streets meeting all kinds of collectors, united by their obsession with mongo-any discarded item that is rescued from the trash.
Here is Botha's remarkable record of his travels among collectors, who are as varied as the kind of mongo they seek. They range from housewife to homeless man, from accountant to computer consultant, from retrenched bank worker to full-time collector. One man finds jewelry in the sludge of New York's sewers; another has built one of the most extensive rare book collections in the city. The myriad reasons for collecting open a window into the range of human desires: some people collect for fun, others to make a living; some to find friends, others to snoop; some to make a political statement, others because it is an addiction. Collecting mongo is a longtime, universal phenomenon, at last receiving a worthy-and appropriately addictive-literary appreciation.
Customer Reviews:
uncovering treasure.......2006-09-19
I loved this book. As a life-long dumpster diver I know the
thrill of finding something really great that's been thrown out.
Ted Botha does a wonderful job of conveying the excitement as well as the downside of collecting. He portrays real people on the hunt and their resourcefulness is truly amazing.
slightly biased but interesting read.......2005-08-04
Ted Botha is not completely unbiased in his report on the garbage collecting phenomenon; he tends to show an affinity for the activity and the collectors he describes, but this is forgivable because many people reading the book will feel the same way he does about trash. That said, the overview of the craft and its followers is quite organized and flows naturally from one topic to the next.
I have to say that this book is going to mislead readers and wannabe collectors who do not live in New York City. It is overly idealistic to read of the great finds this book and think you can find some of these things in the garbage on your street or anywhere else in America - I'm not sure it's that easy. But it's interesting to read this book as a sociological study.
One last thing of note. I found the sentence structure Botha uses to be a little trying. The sentences in the book aren't very easy to follow. For instance, after describing some large mongo items in one collector's apartment, he writes: "Small by comparison, but a special favorite of Iver's nevertheless, is a strangely colored door that serves as an entryway to the firewood storage area" (Page 210). Reading the book, I kept thinking to myself, 'Isn't there an easier way to say that?' and mentally rewriting sentences. The writing style required me to be a more attentive reader than usual. Other than that, it's a fascinating book that will make you think differently about garbage.
Is there a collector's edition, I wonder?.......2005-07-10
This book contains lots (and lots) of details, some of them interesting, but the narrative is so poorly tied together, and so packed with inane and pointless analysis, "Mongo" is mostly discardable. Why do people collect things? This question is posed every other paragraph, apparently to fill space. At one point, a psychologist and psychiatrist are enlisted to answer it, whereupon ye olde theme of addiction is recycled: people collect things because of the temporary "gratifying physical sensation" it gives them. "It's like a fetish, or sexual arousal," clarifies the psychiatrist. Equally clueless theories are introduced elsewhere: a fear of death, a desire to snoop, a desire to preserve the past, and/or a need to feel immortal. Never entertained is the possibility that people collect things because they find them interesting.
And the book, while ostensibly about items found in the trash (or on the street, or under the ground), is very much about collecting in general. In fact, many of the items discussed are antiques or collectibles, not ketchup-soaked hot dog wrappers or used, ant-covered yogurt containers, or even soda cans worth a nickel ("Adventures in items retrieved from the trash" does lack the proper ring, though). And so the entire, cliched range of collecting is covered--from the first few pages, we know it's only a matter of time before the crazy-lady-with-400-cats motif shows up, for example. When it does, it's almost a relief. In fact, we get two cliches in one bag: the crazy-lady-with-cats theme combined with the house-piled-high-with-garbage motif. Something else we've never heard before: some street people are mentally ill. (No! Can that possibly be true?) As proof for this radical and controversial thesis, an interview with a psychotic bag lady is included. Her assertions and theories are carefully considered and, ultimately, discarded as too down-to-earth for a volume such as this.
An adventure it is.......2005-02-03
I truly enjoyed Ted Botha's story of the characters he encountered in search of Mongo,As any dumpster diver knows there are treasures to be found in dumpsters everywhere. Ted Botha does an excellent job of giving us insight into the world of the amazing and gifted people involved in dumpster diving in the streets of New York. The only thing I would have liked to have seen in this book is pictures of some of the incredible things rescued others considered trash. The individual & group efforts that were undertaken on the streets to perserve the wonderful history & culture of New York are incredible. Thank you Ted for showing the world that Dumpster Divers can be intelligent,resourceful,caring, creative & artistic human beings.
Garbage Lives.......2004-10-30
Many people collect things, from books to stamps to shoes; it's usually a harmless diversion, perhaps even a social or educational outlet. Collecting garbage, that's something street people do. But that's not nearly the whole story. In _Mongo: Adventures in Trash_ (Bloomsbury), Ted Botha has reported on New York street collectors. "Mongo" is slang that originated in New York in the 1980s for "any discarded object that is retrieved." This decidedly does not mean mere garbage, the worthless rotting ephemera which no one wants. There are plenty of discarded things, however, from books to wood scraps to blocks of buildings, which the person who did the discarding thought were worth zero and which the eventual collector thought had value. And many times, that value is in the thousands. Frequently this is a surprising story of rags literally going to riches. Botha reminds us, "The street collector you see today could well be a bum or a lunatic, that's true enough, but just as easily a millionaire, a schoolteacher, an accountant, a doctor, a housewife." He has contacted all these levels to report on them.
This is a New York story, for a good reason. All mongo collectors of all levels "... agree on one thing: New York can't be beat." The reason is simple: "Great wealth makes great garbage." There is great wealth, true, but also people live very close together, meaning that collectors have to range minimally, and there is frequent turnover of renters. Remarkably, mongo collectors all are breaking the law. In New York City, garbage placed for pickup is no longer anyone's property but the city's. Even official sanitation workers are forbidden to take anything for themselves. Botha never once heard of anyone picked up for picking up garbage, so the regulations about it seem to be universally ignored.
The lowest of the low are the black bag people, those who hunt inside black plastic garbage bags. They have to look through genuine garbage, of course, but can find watches, rings, and even wallets, which they can sell on the street. Somewhat above the black baggers are those who are eating garbage. The best garbage to eat is thrown out by restaurants, and the best time to hunt for such stuff is at closing time. "Sometimes they put the food at the top of the bag so it is easier to find," explains once such collector. Some are dedicated anarchists, loosely organized to share found food so that eating this way is a political option and a rebellion against consumerism. Higher in the hierarchy are the canners, those who survive on what they can make by selling recyclable cans. Mongo is sometimes about making a living, and sometimes about making a life. A Chelsea woman found a computer in the trash several years ago, and from that taught herself to repair found computers, which she now resells. There is a former bank employee here who specializes in books and printed ephemera. He has found a first edition of _Finnegans Wake_ as well as signatures of Benjamin Disraeli and Aaron Burr. There are a couple who dig down in the grounds that used to house outhouses; they can get bottles worth thousands of dollars. Another excavates sludge for what has gone down modern sewers. There are artists who make an entire domestic statement with a folk-art installation of _objets trouvés_. There is the conservator who picks up valuable exotic wood for reinstallation into other houses. There are many collectors here with a passion for what they do, and very few outright loonies. With wide-eyed curiosity, and an agreeable friendliness he shared with his subjects as he does with his readers, Botha has dug up a strange and valuable portion of the national economy.
Books:
- The Essential Guide to RF and Wireless (2nd Edition)
- The Giants Encyclopedia
- The New Eighteenth-Century Style: Rediscovering a French Décor
- The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #37 (Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide)
- The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #37 (Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide)
- The Official Price Guide to Collector Plates: Seventh Edition (Official Price Guide to Collector Plates)
- The Pinball Compendium: 1970-1981
- The Price Guide to Antique Silver
- The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
- The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
Books Index
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The Celestine Prophecy
