Bulfinch's Mythology: The Illustrated Age of Fable: The Illustrated Age of Fable - The Classic Retelling of Greek and Roman Myths Accompanied by the World's Greatest Paintings

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Thomas Bulfinch retells the classical myths for the masses

Bulfinch's Mythology: The Illustrated Age of Fable: The Illustrated Age of Fable - The Classic Retelling of Greek and Roman Myths Accompanied by the World's Greatest Paintings
Thomas Bulfinch
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1556708254

Customer Reviews:

Thomas Bulfinch retells the classical myths for the masses.......2005-10-02

"The intelligible forms of ancient poets,
The fair humanities of old religion,
The Power, the Beauty, and the Majesty
That had their haunts in dale or piny mountain,
Or forest, by slow stream, or pebbly spring,
Or chasms and watery depths; all these have vanished;
They live no longer in the faith of reason;
But still the heart doth need a language; still
Doth the old instinct bring back the old names;
Spirits or gods that used to share this earth
With man as with their friend; and at this day
'Tis Jupiter who brings whate'er is great,
And Venus who brings every thing that's fair."

At the end of his Author's Preface for "Bulfinch's Greek and Roman Mythology: The Age of Fable," Thomas Bulfinch (1796-1867) quotes from Coleridge's "The Piccolomini" to represent the connection between mythology and literature. An accountant at the Boston Merchants' Bank, Bulfinch had been educated at Harvard and was a teacher early in his career. Seeing a need for something more than a formal translation of the myths and legends of antiquity, Bulfinch decided to popularize classical literature for all of us who did not know how to read Ancient Greek and Latin. Throughout his business career he collected hundreds of myths and legends, not only of the pagan era of Greek and Roman gods, but also Oriental deities, and Norse sagas. "The Age of Fable" was first published in 1855, and created the identification of the name of Bulfinch with that of mythology for the general population. For the last half of the 19th-century and the first part of the 20th, the volume was as much an American classic as "The Last of the Mohicans," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," "Uncle Remus," "Tom Sawyer," and "Huckleberry Finn."

When Bulfinch told these ancient tales the archeological study of Greece had not really begun (Troy was still considered a mythical location) and historians had yet to formulate any acceptable explanations for how these myths originated. Bulfinch was interested in telling these stories simply and for their own sakes, without being caught up in the Dead Language issues of the poems he excerpts (except to the extent that he uses the Latin versions of the names of the gods and goddesses rather than the Greek). Nor was he interested in drawing moral lessons from these stories, because Bulfinch's goal was to make the classical references found in the educated poets of his day accessible to the common folk.

The opening chapters deal mostly with the gods and goddesses, starting with the tales of Prometheus and Pandora, and ending with the "Monsters" such as the Sphinx and Pegasus. The next section is devoted to the great heroes, from Jason and Atalanta, to Hercules and Theseus, and then the lesser heroes such as Orpheus and orion. We then get to the epic poems of antiquity with chapters on the Trojan war, the adventures of Ulysses, and the adventures of Aeneas. The final section of "The Age of Fable" covers a lot of ground, including Egyptian deities, the Oracles, Poets of Mythology, Eastern Mythology, Hindu Mythology, and Norse Mythology, including Beowulf. I was weaned on Edith Hamilton's "Mythology," but I still appreciate Bulfinch's approach in telling pretty much the same stories in a more straightforward manner. More importantly, these stories have really become literature in their own right, and can be read for that enjoyment rather than for scholarly knowledge. This edition has the additional virtue of being illustrated by some of the world's greatest paintings, which is perfect because mythology has been the subject of so many great works of art from "The Birth of Venus" on down the list.

Customer Reviews:

thoroughly covered material.......2006-01-05

I used this textbook in a college course called Survey of the Fashion Industry. The text covers all aspects of merchandising, with a strong focus on fashion design (entire chapters on textiles, etc). Good photos and lots of material!

Fashion : From Concept to Consumer (8th Edition) by Gini Stephens Frings [Hardcover] .......2005-09-22

Quality book. Received in a timely manner.

The best.......2003-06-18

Plain and simple this is the best fashion book to study!

Want To Understand The Fashion Biz?!.......2001-03-23

"From Concept to Consumer" is the first book I recommend to people who are truly interested in the business of fashion. Even though the book is a textbook it is an easy and fast read. One of the best features of this book is the sequential order format. The author takes you step by step through the development of the fashion process BEFORE a single garment is made by briefly describing fashion forcasting, research, color, fabric and trend analysis. The next process explains how raw materials for fabrics are chosen, processed and produced into textiles. Learn about the marketing of these textiles on the international market and to major apparel manufacturers. All of this takes place before the designer even starts to design a collection! Take a look inside the channels of garment distribution and on to us the consumer. This book provides a realistic insiders view in to the industry which is often glamorized by high profile designers and media spokespeople. Folks the business of fashion is a solid industry just like any other and in my opinion even more interesting than all the fluff and the sizzle.

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Fashion - From Concept To Consumer
Gini Stephens, Frings
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OICKTW

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Fashion : From Concept to Consumer
Virginia S. Frings
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HMCYCI

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FASHION FROM CONCEPT TO CONSUMER
GINI STEPHENS FRINGS
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIAOW2

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FASHION From Concept to Consumer.
Gini Stephens. Frings
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIEQEY

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Fashion: From Concept to Consumer
Gini Stephens Frings
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIGRDC

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Fashion: From Concept to Consumer
Gini S. Frings
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIHBE6

Fashion: From concept to consumer (Second Edition)

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Fashion: From concept to consumer (Second Edition)
Gini Stephens Frings
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TJ7LHW

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Another Great book ...

Things Are Looking Up

Things Are Looking Up... : A For Better or for Worse Collection
Lynn Johnston
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Love Just Screws Everything Up : A For Better or for Worse Collection

ASIN: 0836218922

Customer Reviews:

Another Great book ..........2007-03-30

Another Great book to visit the Patterson's with. "For Better / For Worse" has to be one of the best comic strips of all time. It really makes you think, "They are just like my family", and if you do not have kids, read the books so you know what to prepare for.

Things Are Looking Up.......2000-07-10

This book covers the humorous growing pains of the baby April and the oh-so-true lives of the older children, Lizzy and Michael. I laughed at the thought of taking care of the new baby, felt the internal angst at Michael getting a summer job and his drivers license, and felt right at home as Elly fussed over the new car and the pictures during the holidays (just like my mom).

This book certainly pulls you through a range of emotions, from happiness and outright laughter, to the sense of sadness over the life events that the members of the family endure. Somewhere in this book is an event that all of us have experienced, and whether you are young or old, you will enjoy this book.

Overall, this book continues the fine line of humor for the family that you grow to love!

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The lost art of letter writing

A Gold Mine Of Humorous Letters

Humorous collection that was also touching

funny and touching

Charels OzGOD!!

Funny Letters from Famous People
Charles Osgood
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767911768
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Book Description

In this humorous collection of celebrity wit, acclaimed broadcaster and humorist Charles Osgood offers witticisms penned by luminaries ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Andy Rooney.

Known for his clever commentary and witty radio-show rhymes, Charles Osgood here selects and introduces a collection of hilarious correspondence from some of our best-loved politicians, authors, and stars of the stage and screen. Funny Letters from Famous People delivers rib-tickling communications from the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Flannery O’Connor, S. J. Perelman, Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, John Cheever and dozens more.
Providing an entertaining look at celebrated lives, Osgood lets us glimpse Mark Twain squabbling with the gas company, Dwight D. Eisenhower kvetching to Mamie about Patton, and radio personality Fred Allen desperately seeking logic from his insurance carrier in one of comedy’s most amusing epistles.
Sprinkled throughout with Osgood’s own humorous quips, Funny Letters from Famous People is a delightful compendium of clever letter writing at its side-splitting best.

Customer Reviews:

The lost art of letter writing.......2005-01-06

When I picked up this book, I thought the letters in it would be more ha-ha funny, or maybe unintentionally funny. Instead, I was treated to finely-constructed correspondences from politicians, authors, and entertainers. Some of my favorites: everything from Abraham Lincoln, Churchill's treatise on the unintended consequences of praying for rain, Bush The Elder's letter to the chairman of the Roach Bowl in Hawaii, Lewis Carroll's over-the-top apology for missing an appointment, everything by Mark Twain, groaners by Dorothy Parker and Carl Sandburg, and the exchange between Eddie Cantor and Florenz Ziegfeld.

Some letters are laugh-out-loud funny, but many are more subtle, understated, and dry. All display the wit and expressiveness of their authors. While I don't want to give up telephone and e-mail, I can see how these technologies have made the thoughtfully composed letter an endangered species.

So read this book and then get out some stationery and write a real letter!

A Gold Mine Of Humorous Letters.......2004-10-19

There is always something audacious about reading other people's letters. You have the feeling that you are secretly looking into the soul and mind of the letter writer without his or her knowledge.
Unfortunately, in today's age of emails, television, and every other modern day distraction, we have little time or the patience for the letter writing that was quite prevalent years ago.
Luckily for us, many letters written by famous people have been saved, providing a virtual gold mine of information pertaining to these individuals. Gleaning through these letters, you will also discover a great deal of humor as evidenced in Charles Osgood's collection Funny Letters From Famous People.

One of the difficulties of publishing this kind of a book is to decipher hundreds of letters before deciding which ones to include in a book that has as its principal objective humor.
Osgood, who is the anchorperson of CBS News Sunday Morning, succeeds admirably in his presentation of letters written by politicians, authors, artists and show business personalities.
We can't help but have a good chuckle reading the letters of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Groucho Marx, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Eugene O'Neill, Charles Dickens, and many more.
As an example, an extract taken from one of Chopin's letters to his friend Julien Fontana pertaining to Chopin's health describes how awful he feels after contacting a cold and goes onto to say that three doctors examined him. The first doctor said he was going to die, the second indicated that he was actually dying and the third told him he was dead already.
In another letter, American short story writer and novelist John Cheever and his wife Mary were asked by their friend Josephine Herbst to take care of her cat Delmore. After several years, Cheevers writes to his friend to recount his experiences with the cat. He tells of how the cat used the Kleenex box as a place to "dump a load," and unfortunately for Cheevers, who had a cold at the time, used one of the tissues to wipe his nose. Cheevers goes on to recount that he took Delmore to the kitchen door and dropkicked him into the clothes yard. I hope animal rights activists will not come knocking on Cheevers' door!

This is a wonderful collection of humorous letters to meander through, as it adheres to the often -quoted adage "laughter is the best medicine."

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

Humorous collection that was also touching.......2003-09-22

FUNNY LETTERS FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE by Charles Osgood,
the acclaimed broadcaster and humorist, is a humorous collection
of correspondence from politicians, writers and show business
figures--organized chronologically . . . there are contributions
from those you might expect, such as Groucho Marx and Bob
Hope, as well a surprising entry from George Washington . . . I
also got a kick from reading Dwight D. Eisenhower kvetch
to Mamie about Patton.

Some of the letters are actually quite touching; e.g., one
from an aging and convicted Oscar Wilde, as well as another from an
ailing but resilient Frederic Chopin . . . they appear to be written by
men trying to laugh in order to avoid crying.

Osgood's commentary also added to my enjoyment.

My only criticism: There are very few women represented in this
male-heavy collection.

Among the many passages that caught my attention were the
following:

* Truman was, of course, famous for his "plain speaking." He did not
suffer fools lightly, and he found a good deal of his job as president
to be a tremendous waste of time. In a letter to his sister in 1947,
Truman wrote: "All the President is, is a glorified public relations man
who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get
them to do what they are supposed to do anyway."

* As Elizabeth Dole's fame and power grew over the years, even to
the point of being-with her husband-a front-runner for George
Bush's choice of a vice president, Bob Dole was utterly undisturbed.
When she was appointed Secretary of Transportation, Dole
remembered, "There were a lot of stories and a lot of pictures taken.
I was always in the picture, but I was never identified. They said,
'The man on the left is the husband.' PEOPLE magazine took an
interest in Elizabeth, so a photographer followed us around and took
about three hundred pictures. They wound up using three, and one
showed us making the bed.

"Some guy out in California whose wife had read the story wrote
that he was now helping make the bed. He said, "Senator, I don't
mind your wife getting the job. She's well qualified. She's doing
good work. But you've got to stop doing the work around the house.
You're causing problems for men all across the country."

Dole wrote back:
"Buster, you don't know the half of it. The only reason she was
helping was because they were taking the pictures."

* From time to time throughout her illustrious career, Julia Child was
attacked by people she began to refer to as "food police"--those who
thought her recipes and culinary edicts were too high-fat and unhealthy.
One such attacker wrote asking why Child couldn't advocate healthy
foods in her books and television programs-after all, she'd been
seen in public eating a salad.

Julia sent her the following recipe for a healthy life:

Small helpings,
no seconds,
eat a little bit of everything,
no snacking,
have a good time,
and pick your grandparents!

funny and touching.......2003-07-09

very funny book that gives a glimpse into the lives of famous folks. a great read for a trip or to share with friends and family.

Charels OzGOD!!.......2003-04-14

Wow. Charles Osgood you, my friend, have done it again. This book is absolute dynamite, KA-POW! I am twenty two years old and many of my friends don't consider "Ozzie" to be "cool" or "hip". Well this book is physical evidence of the overwhelming sweetness that is "The Oz". The following is a quote from a letter written by Abe Lincoln (Yes, the President!) to his wife Mary Todd:
"Mary, I have recieved word that you have made a cuckold of me with the young man who trims our hedges. I am dismayed. I spoke to a large group of soldiers today but all through the speach thought of nothing but you lying in MY bed, orally gratifying the young lad, and then laughing about my mole over a snifter of brandy."
Need I go on?! This is just a sample of the hijinks "Ozwald P. Funny Man" packs into this small book. Do yourself a favor, read it today.

Charles Osgood: Funny Letters From Famous People

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Charles Osgood: Funny Letters From Famous People

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000COCGYW

Product Description

LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold! Personally signed by Charles Osgood.

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Funny Letters From Famous People
Bill Adler
Manufacturer: Four Winds Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JCKQ2Q

FUNNY LETTERS FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE (Numbered, Signed First Edition)

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FUNNY LETTERS FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE (Numbered, Signed First Edition)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000BU66M0

Product Description

Limited to 1300 signed copies. Includes funny letters from POLITICIANS (19), AUTHORS (40) and DENIZENS OF THE FINE ARTS AND SHOW BUSINESS (13)

Funny Letters from Famous People Charles Osgood.(Book Review): An article from: Reviewer's Bookwatch

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Funny Letters from Famous People Charles Osgood.(Book Review): An article from: Reviewer's Bookwatch
Norman Goldman
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Reviewer's Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 457 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Funny Letters from Famous People Charles Osgood.(Book Review)
Author: Norman Goldman
Publication: Reviewer's Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Funny Letters from Famous People.(Book Review): An article from: Reviewer's Bookwatch

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Funny Letters from Famous People.(Book Review): An article from: Reviewer's Bookwatch
Norman Goldman
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Online Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Reviewer's Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 465 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Funny Letters from Famous People.(Book Review)
Author: Norman Goldman
Publication: Reviewer's Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Funny Letters From Famous People
Bill Adler
Manufacturer: Four Winds Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWP5CS

Book Description

Every Academy Award-winning actor and every nominee, from 1927 through 1998, are featured in more than 700 detailed A-Z entries. Updated and now in paperback, featuring 80 film stills. The Oscar Stars from A-Z uniquely features every actor and actress ever to have won or been nominated for an Academy Award. Each performer in the four categories--best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress--is profiled, incorporating quotes from the stars themselves as well as amusing anecdotes and snippets of outstanding movie dialogue. As informative as it is entertaining, it covers more than 70 years of Awards; and, for the first time, the losers as well as the winners get their due. Roy Pickard's lively entries are full of details that will surprise even the most devoted film buffs, and a generous selection of classic film stills adds to the enjoyment. Roy Pickard has written many books on the cinema, including his best-selling The Oscar Movies. 448 pp 6 x 9 8 pp b/w photos

Customer Reviews:

Useful.......2002-04-03

This is a great reference work for movie buffs. Every winner and nominee in the four major acting categories is listed in alphabetical order with a thumbnail bio of his or her career and an occasional pithy quote. An index in the back lists winners chronologically and includes movies and directors as well as stars.

A Perfect Read for the Movie Fan.......1999-09-05

As a long time movie fan, I, like most, am aware of those actors who have been the "winners" of the major categories given at the Academy Awards. However, I did not realize the superb list of "losers" who did not collect the coveted statues. This fine reference work by Roy Pickard provides an excellent assessment of the distinguished recipients and the "also-rans." It is chocked full of amusing profiles and anecdotes about actors and film. The true movie fan who remembers such film stalwarts as Thelma Ritter, Broderick Crawford, Eve Arden, and Beah Richards will enjoy reading this book for they-and many others receive their just due.

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The Oscar Stars from A-Z
Roy Pickard
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Actors & Actresses | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 074721638X

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on September 1, 1996. The length of the article is 2085 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music.
Author: Henry Kingsbury
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 1996
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: v53 Issue: n1 Page: p32(4)

Article Type: Book Review

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Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music

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Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music
Bruno Nettl
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQ4KS8

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Rare but worth the search

Disorganization a major obstacle

Too small of a book to cover too large of a series- 3½ stars

A must-have for any NJO campaign.

Recycled Novels without the talent of the original authors..

The New Jedi Order Sourcebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game)
J.D. Wiker , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786927771
Release Date: 2002-02-01

Book Description

There's a time to run and a time to stand....

The Yuuzhan Vong have shattered the New Republic's promise of peace throughout the galaxy. System by system, they bring death and enslavement to all they encounter. Even the Jedi have failed to slow the merciless advance of this dark tide. As this terrible threat from beyond the galaxy's edge pushes closer to Coruscant, the need for great heroes grows ever more dire.

This sourcebook features:
• New prestige classes, feats, species, ships, and starship combat tactics
• New archetypes with statistics for play at low, medium, and high levels
• Rules for the Yuuzhan Vong, including their soldiers and priests, ships, weapons, and equipment
• Action-packed adventure seeds designed for mid- to high-level characters
• Game statistics for characters from The New Jedi Order novels, including Vector Prime, Onslaught, Ruin, Hero's Trial, Jedi Eclipse, Balance Point, Conquest, Rebirth, and Star by Star

To use this sourcebook, you also need the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Revised Core Rulebook.

Customer Reviews:

Rare but worth the search.......2006-05-22

Not only is the art to the same standard of the rest of the series, the extras are a must. The Yuuzhan Vong are described in detail including their unique weapons. Multiple prestige classes and detailed rpg stats of the books are included. Their is no substitute; too bad it is out of print.

Disorganization a major obstacle.......2005-11-28

All content aside, the organization of the book is its biggest flaw. Characters, vehicles and locations are scattered throughout the book, alomst hidden, unless one takes excessive time to scan he index, all of which becomes a hindrance to the flow of any game. Later books have the improved indexes (lesson learned?) that this book sorely needs.

Too small of a book to cover too large of a series- 3½ stars.......2003-08-12

The New Jedi Order has had, like it or hate it, a staggering effect on Star Wars and the Expanded Universe as a whole. Much loved characters have died while the galaxy far, far away has been turned upside down by the extra-galactic invaders known as the Yuuzhan Vong. Much as the Star Wars novel line has been passed from Bantam to Del Rey, so has the role playing game transferred from the now-deceased West End Games to Wizards of the Coast, (No surprise, really. Hasbro Toys owns Wizards and Lucas owns a big chunk of Hasbro). I never liked WEG's D6 take on Star Wars- I always found the 'Bucket-O-Dice' game system pretty unheroic and inflexible. On the other hand, I much prefer D20- it works quite well in the Star Wars milieu largely because it was developed for Dungeons & Dragons, which is super heroic adventuring and that suits Star Wars to a T.

However, regardless of what I thought of the WEG game mechanics, their source material was always first rate (kinda like Shadowrun- lousy game system, great source books), especially the source books released for the various novels and comics, such as the Thrawn Trilogy, Dark Empire, or the Tales of the Jedi Companion. Conversely, Wizards of the Coast seems to have a different philosophy regarding their Star Wars source books. On the one hand, Truce at Bakura was a single book that got its own hard cover from WEG, meanwhile Wizard's gives us one hard cover that encompasses nine books of the New Jedi Order. While it may not have been feasible to do nine books, it does seem a lot of information to distill down into one 160 page book. Plus the West End Games material the had the benefit of being written, in many cases, by authors who wrote the initial novels, often adding more detail and background. A huge bonus considering that many of these books were also bought by people who didn't play the game at all.

Basically, the New Jedi Order Source Book breaks down the nine books, (Vector Prime, Onslaught, Ruin, Hero's Trial, Jedi Eclipse, Balance Point, Conquest, Rebirth and Star by Star) in chapters that includes new characters, planets, vehicles and equipment. The first part of the book details the Yuuzhan Vong, their religion, and the vast majority of their personal gear. Each chapter also includes a small star map to show the current progress of the Vong's invasion route. Also included are some adventure hooks to get a player group into the action. Plus a few minor (and very poor quality) maps- something I have already had a talk with Dan Wallace about. The book does give an excellent overview of the series, but lacks any real meat and could have benefitted from input from the authors to flesh out places, events, and characters.

I also want to spend some time talking about the art that appears through out the book. It goes beyond just being bad or even terrible- it's putrid. It certainly doesn't feel like it belongs in a Star Wars book- of any kind. It seems better suited to a Vampire: the Masquerade or just about anything else by White Wolf. The only good images are by RK Post (Essential Guide to Alien Species), and even his picture of the voxyn Jedi Hunter is messed up, because when he first drew it, he thought it only had four legs instead of six so he had to go back and touch up the image. For the most part, though, the graphics and picture are on the lousy-side of awful.

On the whole, though, I like the source book- the stats for the Yuuzhan Vong are great and I suppose if I had worked at it I could have done it all myself, but with this it means I don't have to. It appears though that Wizards will continue the trend of publishing one book that covers large amounts of information like the Rebellion Era source book, Coruscant and the Core Worlds- Coruscant deserves it's own book, not 16 or so pages in a book with other worlds. I'll be interested to see if WotC will release a second NJO book that covers the last half of the series or simply double the size of the existing book and simply add new information.

A must-have for any NJO campaign........2002-05-07

If you are planning on running a SWRPG campaign set in the New Jedi Order era, this sourcebook is the one accessory you must have. Chapter One starts off with a broad overview of the galactic situation just prior to the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, and then goes right into a detailed description of the YV and their culture, along with a new-and-improved list of YV equipment. Chapters Two through Seven each detail a specific novel, starting with Vector Prime and ending with Star By Star. Chapter Eight contains an epilogue and hints at some possible future events. At appropriate points throughout the books there are character profiles, new ships, new vehicles and animals, and even a handful of new weapons. I found the character profiles to be especially useful, particularly those of famous people like Corran Horn and Kyp Durron. In addition, the characters from the core rulebook have "leveled up" to show their increased experience. Very helpful. And no, the majority of the NPCs *do not* die.

Like all of Wizard's Star Wars products, the book itself is full color throughout. The artwork is high-quality and has a dark and stylistic touch. Some people won't like that, claiming that it isn't "Star Wars," but I say that it is appropriate for the NJO universe.

I stopped reading the Star Wars novels a long time ago because there are too darn many to keep track of. As a GM myself, and as a NJO newbie, the main thing I liked about the NJO sourcebook is that it neatly compressed all the major events from these six novels into one book. The writing is clear, concise, and most importantly I found it fun to read. I immediately felt that I had enough information to begin building a NJO campaign. The book has a lot of adventure ideas and even a few rough adventure outlines which any GM worth his salt can integrate into his campaign.

Is the book perfect? Certainly not. My biggest gripe is the lack of an alphabetical index. This would nearly cripple the book if its other qualities hadn't been so good. Fortunately, there is a chapter summary at the beginning of the book, which partially alleviates the lack of an index. Chances are you're still going to have to go searching for those obscure entries though. The other issue is that since this book was released just prior to the release of the Revised Core Rulebook, you may need to do some tinkering to integrate the two. However, that is ultimately a minor issue in my opinion.

Overall, I give this book a very strong 4 out of 5 because of the lack of an index.

As a side note, the prior claim that a GM would be better served by spending 10 minutes reading the backs of the novels seems to be quite ill-advised, if not impossible. If you are a GM wanting to run a NJO campaign, GET THIS BOOK. And may it help you as much as it helped me.

EDIT: My gaming group, which meets twice a month, is now 8 sessions into our NJO campaign. As GM, I can honestly say that in that time, the NJO sourcebook has continued to be an invaluable resource. After much consideration, I have decided to raise the book's rating to a 5. This is both for the book's continuing usefulness and because I feel that the previous poster's rating of 1 flies in the face of reason.

Recycled Novels without the talent of the original authors.........2002-03-28

This book represents the worst thing I have seen WoTC ever put out, and JD Wiker should be ashamed of himself.

This "sheep in wolf's clothing" sourcebook is a 159 pg. dustcover summary of 9 novels by excellent authors, punctuated by anemic and careless adventurettes and RPG stats for NPCs, 80% of which are introduced shortly before their death.

Other Wizards products have shown brilliance in the rich tapestry of their provided surroundings, providing GMs with a host of wonderful information from which to enchant their players, entertain readers and delight the curious.

In this unfortunate case, all of the wealth of possible information in this book is lost behind the stilted attention to the storyline of the novels, which ends up, in this abbreviated format, coming across like a poorly intellectualized soap opera script. An interested party would be better served by taking 10 minutes in a bookstore and reading the backs of the novels ostensibly plagiarized in this poor offering.

I hope that the abhorrent failings of this book can be directly tied to some legal requirement of Lucasfilm restricting creative freedoms surrounding its intellectual property, if not, WoTC should take a serious look at what disservice they are doing to long-time players and GMs with this sort of tripe.

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Customer Reviews:

The Manual you should have been given!.......2007-10-05

This is definitely the Manual you SHOULD have been given at birth. Boy, it would have saved me a lot of trouble! LOL! It is easy to read, is organised into handy areas by topic, and is great to browse on the fly--there is always some good advice. Yeah, some of it is stuff you've known forever, but then there's all the things you *didn't* think of! Another good book by Dr. Joe.

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