Charles Fazzino Master of 3-D Pop Art

Customer Reviews:

A treat for those who love Fazzino.......2001-03-24

Charles Fazzino is probably the best known artist for the unique style of 3-D art. His penchant for using bright colors and cartoon-like drawings have found a huge following from people who love modern, fun, and creative works. This book features virtually all of his creations, with pictures of his works on almost every page. It makes for a great conversation piece while providing a wonderful visual treat.

Book Description

The one resource a creative professional must have -- and the only national resource for the fashion, advertising and creative industry. Includes vital information for any stage of a print production or marketing campaign including: * advertising agencies * animal agencies * client brand names * companies -- with contact names * fashion houses * locations/location finders * magazines -- with contact names * modeling agencies * photographers * photo and stylists respresentatives * stock photo houses * stylists

Average customer rating:

It will make you want to go to Afghanistan

Liked it, but disappointed in the Author

THIS REVIEW IS USELESS

Not as good as I hoped.

well worth reading

Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story
Said Hyder Akbar , and Susan Burton
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
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Inexcusable

Hitler Youth (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards))

The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban

ASIN: B000MV8HUW
Release Date: 2005-10-13

Customer Reviews:

It will make you want to go to Afghanistan.......2007-06-23

Yesterday a friend asked what I was reading.

I just finished 'Come Back to Afghanistan: My Journey from California to Kabul' written by Said Hyder Akbar, a 20-year old college student in California. Like many others, Akbar's story is a migrating one - from Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, and then the USA.

When the Taliban were ousted in 2001, Akbar's father, a long time friend of President Hamid Karzai decided to go back to Afghanistan. Akbar started coming with him on his school and college breaks, and got back in touch with his country that he had left a long time ago. It's a homecoming of sorts.

The book is brilliant. Written with the assistance of journalist Susan Brunton, Akbar takes us into corners and niches that few books on Afghanistan do. It is deeply personal and highly political without the usual history, geography or other details. Born in Afghanistan and raised in the US, Akbar is able to straddle both countries and regions. He neither despairs nor scoffs at anyone or anytime. His writing is passionate, gentle and unassuming.

Akbar's goal in Afghanistan is to be with his father and get to know his country. He travels with, among other things, a tape recorder, and makes programmes for National Pubic Radio in California. He interviews the person in the highest office - President Karzai - as well as his driver, Sartor. He listens to everyone and judges none. During the two years he goes back and forth, Akbar's brother and mother visit Afghanistan. His father is appointed as the Governor of the province of Kunar, a remote and troubled area, where the family collects and lives together.

Through sickness and health Akbar goes through the journeys he charts for himself. His writing is sensitive and engaging. It never strays or lags. It is clear that he loves Afghanistan, is sensing what his relationship with his old land is, and how it will develop. He is conscious of the contradictions within himself.

When I think about why I liked the book so much, and the experience of reading the book, I feel it its so akin to my time in Afghanistan. Without being able to speak the language (Dari an Pashto), I communicated with those I could, in Urdu, Hindi and English. I reached out to the humanity in them, and they in turn, reached out to mine.

In the final analysis the book is about being reconciled to where we come from. No matter where we are, our multiple identities always call us to the land we were born, and we yearn to return. That has been my experience too.

The book also describes the Afghan situation - the challenges to the Afghan people, the leaders, the donor community and Americans stationed in Afghanistan and back home. It presents everyone's reality. Akbar's strength is his ability to see what is happening, from many perspectives, and present it in a dispassionate way.

In a growing body of literature on Afghanistan, Akbar's will enjoy a place of pride. It's young, passionate, and terribly easy to read.

Liked it, but disappointed in the Author.......2007-04-10

After reading this book, I felt I had a better understanding of the situation in Afghanistan. I really have no experience with the situation there, and this book helped me to understand on a more basic level. I was very upset to hear that the author burned the American flag recently. Until I hear his defense, as an American I no longer feel that I can support this book.

THIS REVIEW IS USELESS.......2007-04-05

That's right, don't bother rating it, because I'm here to say I'll never read a book by some over-privileged little delinquent who crawls out of Taliban-infested Afghanistan, gets citizenship in this country, gets into Yale, publishes a book, and then . . . gets together with his two teenaged foreigner buddies and burns the American flag. Oh, how very chic. What a statement.

Not as good as I hoped. .......2007-04-05

Unfortunately, not as good as I hoped and not what it promised to be.

Plus, he was arrested for burning an American flag at a college campus - after all that he's done and what has been done for him.

Very unfortunate.

well worth reading .......2007-01-11

I was intrigued after hearing the author as a special correspondent on NPR's Morning Edition. His insightful recorded journal was riveting. To encourage my 79 year-old mother to keep mentally active, I often buy a second copy of a book for her to read simultaneously and then we discuss the book as we read it. She and I were both very impressed by the maturity and skill of this young author. We had both just finished reading the novel The Kite Runner which is set in Afghanistan. Said does a masterful job of viewing Afghanistan from both the perspective of an American and of a native son which makes the read both enjoyable and enlightening. My mother, who has very limited experience with other cultures and is very conservative, was quite moved by the dilemma of the people of Afghanistan. I think this is a must-read for anyone who wants to have a better global perspective than they are given by the evening news.

To Afghanistan and Back: A Graphic Travelogue

Average customer rating:

Required reading
An angry alternative view of the Afghanistan campaign
W's first dirty war
To Hell and Back
This Book Is Poor

To Afghanistan and Back: A Graphic Travelogue
Ted Rall
Manufacturer: Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1561633593

Book Description

When U.S. bombs started raining on the Taliban, Rall jumped on a plane straight to the war zone to get the real story for himself. He provides a decidedly different take on this gritty war. Featuring, as its centerpiece, a 50-page graphic novel travelogue of his experience as a war correspondent, it also includes Rall's articles, cartoons and photos as filed from the front for the Village Voice and syndicated throughout America.

Customer Reviews:

Required reading.......2007-01-11

The average U.S. citizen's knowledge of the world is woefully inadequate. For citizens of a supposed representative democracy that has so many irons in so many global fires, this is inexcusable. Our knowledge of Afghanistan (and the Central Asian region) falls deeply into this dynamic. Ted Rall goes a long way toward ameliorating this problem with this book. His first-hand analysis of the complex and bloody politics of Afghanistan put the 2001 U.S. invasion of this horribly beleaguered nation into a valuable perspective.

An angry alternative view of the Afghanistan campaign.......2006-03-11

"To Afghanistan and Back: A Graphic Travelogue," by Ted Rall, is one of the most fascinating texts to emerge from the post-9/11 era of war. The book's dustcover notes that it is an updated edition with new material at the end. Although this book has a copyright date of 2002, its epilogue (pages 111-126) is dated May 3, 2003. The book also contains a brief introduction by political humorist Bill Maher. In the epilogue Rall notes that he went to Afghanistan in November and December 2001 in order to cover the U.S.-led war there for "The Village Voice" and KFI radio. The book is a striking blend of elements: Rall's reports from the war zone, photographs from the war zone, a three-chapter "graphic novella" about Rall's experience as war correspondent, and a generous helping of stand-alone cartoons about the war and post-9/11 America.

A core theme of the book is Rall's claim that the mainstream media fed the public a load of "mindless jingoism" instead of truthful reportage; he describes his Afghan mission as an attempt "to separate propaganda from reality." In the course of the book Rall satirizes mainstream media, the U.S. military, U.S. foreign policy, and the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. His view of the U.S. military is particularly scathing. In the graphic novella U.S. military personnel are invisible, distant, but dangerous agents of indiscriminate violence; in the stand-alone cartoons, they are grotesque and destructive parodies. Rall creates a pungent, nightmarish portrait of wartime Afghanistan, and describes in great detail the dangers, discomforts, and frustrations endured by himself and other journalists. War itself is depicted as an ambiguous, messy, and even absurd enterprise.

Rall's passion is evident and admirable, but the book is at times hurt by his arrogant tone. He sometimes sounds a little too convinced about the absolute truth of his own opinions, such as when he declares the Afghan war to be "merely an escalation of genocide," or when he claims that the war "will accomplish exactly nothing." With statements like those Rall strikes me as being as narrow of vision as some of the folks that he mocks elsewhere. Still, this is a bracing and thought-provoking book; Rall skillfully and effectively blends text, photography, and comic art into a compelling whole. I highly recommend "To Afghanistan" for all those with a serious interest in the Afghanistan campaign; as a military veteran of that campaign, I greatly appreciate Rall's work.

W's first dirty war.......2006-03-09

If you think that Iraq was a diversion from the just war against the evil ones in Afghanistan, think again. Ted went there and reported things in 2003 that are just now (2006) making it into the media in this country.

If you can't figure out why the guys in the white hats can't seem to beat the guys in the black hats, this will help. Otherwise, keep watching General Pace tell you that by every objective measure the War On Terror is going very, very well.

This is a fascinating book full of truth you won't find anywhere else.

To Hell and Back.......2005-05-28

In this book, Rall chronicles his trip to Afghanistan that starts shortly after the U.S. begins bombing it. Rall has pretty in-depth knowledge of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other neighboring countries, their customs, languages and other things.

Afghanistan is basically like any other country - rapists in the middle of the street, 15 year olds standing on roof tops with guns, bombs dropping from the sky, horribly hot or cold weather, panhandlers, kill anyone you feel like there is no law, Middle Ages lifestyle.. you know the normal :) (as you can tell i'm being sarcastic about Afghanistan being normal)

Actually I was really surprised about how Afghanistan was described. Our media, which I followed non-stop from October 2001 and on, described everything very differently. "Everything is wonderful" or "Great progress is being made" they said. I don't understand how some journalists can actually go to Afghanistan, see what is going on and still not do critical reporting.

Rall's experiences ranged from: possibly being killed, to not knowing who to trust. In Afghanistan - Taliban fighters getting a shave and turn into Northern Alliance members. Pornography, alcohol and opium are rampant. It is chaos and a mess. People are walking around and they step on a land mine and they are blown to smithereens. If you want to get anywhere you have to pay starving and dirt poor Afghans a ton of money for help and transportation. A British BBC reporter's skin gets ripped!! From some maniac Taliban members.

After all this death and despair, you may be wondering what solution Rall comes up with. Well it is neither the left or right solution - it is basically to leave Afghanistan and let them take care of themselves. After the Soviet invasion, Northern Alliance feuds, Taliban and U.S. bombings, maybe Rall has a good point.

Even after his near death experiences, horrible rashes and other problems, Rall says in the beginning of his book: my friends said don't go to Afghanistan and I answered by saying "there are millions of people who live there everyday, i'm only going to be there for a couple of weeks. Please think about them when you read this book."

This Book Is Poor.......2004-07-27

This book is poor. It is claimed that the intent of this book is to bring us the truth about the war in Afghanistan, but instead it is just sensationalistic and self-aggrandizing.

How many times does Ted repeat, self-importantly, that only he knows that the best way into Afghanistan is through the North, not Pakistan in the South? Only a few weeks into the war Ted was ready to declare it a total failure of US foreign policy. And, while Ted was more than happy to point out the flaws in the our strategy for dealing with Bin Laden and his terrorist friends, he never offers any viable alternatives. Criticizing is easy. Solving real problems is hard.

The final insult comes toward the end of the book when Ted pines away about the racial and cultural harmony they have in Afganistan. He wonders why things can't be more like that here in the United States. So, now Afghanistan is a model the US should try to emulate? No thanks, Ted. I'll take our race relation problems over 30 years of nonstop war (much of it civil war).

After reading this book I felt embarassed for the author.

The New Dress: An Afghan American's journey back to Afghanistan

Average customer rating:

Hauntingly beautiful, highly recommended

The New Dress: An Afghan American's journey back to Afghanistan
Elias Rahimi
Manufacturer: Aventine Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1593304331

Book Description

"The New Dress" is a contemporary novel that tells the story of Jahan, a young Afghan-born American who visits Afghanistan during the Taliban regime. While Jahan's original mission is a personal quest, he soon finds himself exposed to both the horrifying realities that the Afghan people face and their will to live in freedom. Jolted out of his heretofore complacent existence, Jahan responds quickly and sometimes recklessly to come to the aid of his former countrymen. While maintaining a fast-paced storyline, the novel explores the thoughts and reflections of a young man as he attempts to reconcile past and present experience with his own future.

Customer Reviews:

Hauntingly beautiful, highly recommended.......2007-04-22

I could write many pages about this novel, but I cannot, it's late night in my corner of the world, and I am more than tired. Briefly, this is a wonderful, magical, lyrical, coming-of-age novel of a young man on a dangerous, life-and-soul altering quest to prove his love to his beloved, from his good life in America, to the most dangerous corners in the world. Rahimi writes about what he knows, but also what he has experienced in the physical realm as well as in his heart.
I wish him good luck, good health, and much strength to keep on writing!

Average customer rating:

Caravans a Novel Signed by Author
SIGNED by author on Title Page, color decorated endpapers Map of Afghanistan, DJ design by Barry Martin, Bookplate on Title Page, photo author on back DJ by Baldanza, Kabul, Afghanistan James A. Michener
Manufacturer: Random House, NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JD5RS8

Average customer rating:

Come Back to Afghanistan
Said Hyder Akbar
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PU6V58

Average customer rating:

Coming Back
Edoardo Albinati
Manufacturer: Hesperus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1843919044

Book Description

A leading Italian writer’s warm, insightful account of four months spent in Afghanistan during the massive 2002 Afghan repatriation.

There and Back: Cheap Travel Overland Through Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan

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There and Back: Cheap Travel Overland Through Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan
Chris Nicholson
Manufacturer: Swiftnick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1843630001

AFGHANISTAN - June 25 - Al-Qaeda Tells Muslims To Back Hamas.: An article from: APS Diplomat Recorder

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AFGHANISTAN - June 25 - Al-Qaeda Tells Muslims To Back Hamas.: An article from: APS Diplomat Recorder
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from APS Diplomat Recorder, published by Thomson Gale on June 30, 2007. The length of the article is 406 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: AFGHANISTAN - June 25 - Al-Qaeda Tells Muslims To Back Hamas.
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: APS Diplomat Recorder (Newsletter)
Date: June 30, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 67 Issue: 1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

AFGHANISTAN - May 3 - Taliban Power Creeps Back In Afghan South. : An article from: APS Diplomat Recorder

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AFGHANISTAN - May 3 - Taliban Power Creeps Back In Afghan South. : An article from: APS Diplomat Recorder

Manufacturer: Arab Press Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from APS Diplomat Recorder, published by Arab Press Services on May 6, 2006. The length of the article is 1415 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: AFGHANISTAN - May 3 - Taliban Power Creeps Back In Afghan South.
Publication: APS Diplomat Recorder (Newsletter)
Date: May 6, 2006
Publisher: Arab Press Services
Volume: 64 Issue: 18

Distributed by Thomson Gale

AFGHANISTAN - Oct. 7 - European Leaders Back Military Strikes.(Brief Article): An article from: APS Diplomat Recorder

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AFGHANISTAN - Oct. 7 - European Leaders Back Military Strikes.(Brief Article): An article from: APS Diplomat Recorder

Manufacturer: Pam Stein/Input Solutions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from APS Diplomat Recorder, published by Pam Stein/Input Solutions on October 13, 2001. The length of the article is 1481 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: AFGHANISTAN - Oct. 7 - European Leaders Back Military Strikes.(Brief Article)
Publication: APS Diplomat Recorder (Newsletter)
Date: October 13, 2001
Publisher: Pam Stein/Input Solutions
Volume: 55 Issue: 13 Page: NA

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Michael Curtiz (1888-1962) was one of the most important and prolific directors in the history of cinema, yet he has never been granted the recognition he deserves. The Casablanca Man is the first full length work on Curtiz, surveying his unequalled mastery over diverse genres: biography, comedy, horror, melodrama, musical, swashbuckler, and western. The book also examines Curtiz' relationship with the Hollywood studio moguls, based on documentary evidence culled from archive research at Warner Brothers, rather than the hearsay which has caused his underrating. The access to production and financial details of the Warner Brothers films from 1926 to 1953 makes Robertson's work unique, most of the material never having been available to the general public.

The Casablanca Man surveys Curtiz' unequalled mastery over a variety of genres which included biography, comedy, horror, melodrama, musicals, swashbucklers and westerns, and looks at his relationship with the Hollywood studio moguls on the basis of unprecedented archive research at Warner Brothers. Concentrating on Curtiz' best-known films - Casablanca, Angels With Dirty Faces, Mildred Pearce and Captain Blood among them - Robertson explores Curtiz' practical creative struggles and his friendships and rivalries with other film celebrities including Errol Flynn, Bette Davis and James Cagney, and his discovery of future stars.

Casablanca Man: The Cinema of Michael Curtiz

Average customer rating:

Casablanca Man: The Cinema of Michael Curtiz
James C. Robertson
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GRZSUE

Customer Reviews:

All I can say is thank you...........2003-10-28

I haven't the language to tell you what this book has done for me. All I can say is in these words I have found the quiet resolve to continue putting pen to paper in a world where everything screams stop. Her words rise off pages, sit next to you, and ask "Why won't you use me for beauty like she does?" I can tell you that when I first read this book sitting alone on the EL, I turned to the woman next to me and told her " Look, I know you don't know me and I don't know you but HEY you need to read this RIGHT NOW cause this woman know us both..."

I am blessed to have found this book!.......2002-11-03

I could go on and on about how this book has changed the way that Ithink about writing or how I am blown away by the way this woman uses language but it won't matter until you've read it yourself. I am so thankful that God has given this woman these words to write because she has now given me the inspiration to take the words that God has given me and write. I think that if you are looking for a book of poetry that is dripping with real emotion and real stories you need to get this book and all of her books. Poetry Widow is a standout piece that still gives me chills everytime I read it. THANK GOD FOR PATRICIA SMITH!

Average customer rating:

WOW!!! What a neat idea...

Steampunk Fantasy at its finest

An excellant book, with more on the way.

Dragonmech
Joseph Goodman , Sean Glenn , and Niklas Janssen
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Iron Kingdoms Character Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 1 (Iron Kingdoms)

ASIN: 1588469883

Customer Reviews:

WOW!!! What a neat idea..........2007-05-31

I love collecting RPG`s, they are pure imagination and brain candy. Most of the fantasy genre follow familiar patterns and they all start looking the same after a while. Dragonmech managed to take a familiar concept and really turn it on its head.

I just recently got it, and I was very impressed. I was not a big collector of the D&D line of books, but this campaign setting was really new and original, certainly an imprssive feat considering most fantasy games from Warhammer to WOW follow a pretty similar pattern to what Tolkeen wrote about.

The idea of Mechs being the center of the story really shakes up the power structure. Each one is a power in their own right and can dramatically change the landscape. You could own one or try to fight one. You can conquer a kingdom with one or use one to offer sanctuary to fleeing refugees. The whole story has a very nomadic feel to is as there are very few fixed settlements, everyone must make due with mechs.

Mind you, the basic D&D structure is there so you can still be a warrior or mage or whatever, but how powerful is your magic compared to a guy who has a walking battleship (with the equivalent firepower installed), and how much can your warrior do to the hull of a mech besides scrach some paint job. The wimpy gnome pilot becomes a champion (or tyrant) with his ability to destroy a city.

Anyways, top marks for originality and creativity. If you want a traditional fantasy setting, maybe you might like some other setting, but for something really `out there`, give this a try.

Steampunk Fantasy at its finest.......2006-11-09

Steampunk is a subject rather near and dear to my heart, especially when combined with fantasy. Mecha is also something I find my interest drawn to from time to time. I was excited when this book initially came out about 2 years ago. While I don't have every book that has ever been produced for the setting I do have most of the precious little that has been produced.

Something about apocalyptic type setting always seems to draw it own crowd. In Dragonmech you are playing in the beginning stages of an armageddon type story. You and your fellow players have an oppurtunity to save your world from devestation, if not outright anihilation. Chicken little eventually got ridiculed for his proclimations that the sky was falling but in Dragonmech, that is a fairly good assessment of what is happening as a rogue moon is crashing into the setting's primary world. Inhabitants of said moon are jumping from their dying world onto the world of the PCs and are basically going t try and take it over. Sounds like the plot for a new video game doesn't it?

What would a new setting be without new core classes, alterations to existing classes and new prestige classes? Not much according to the current climate of setting makers. But fortunately the new and altered classes at least on the surface make sense. You need people to pilot the mechs and people to make them. They made variants of rangers and rogue that are rather interesting. With rangers they kept the changes to a minimum and refrained from the all too tempting maxim of stripping that class of what precious few spells they get already. But they also give their variant rangers some new spells! Yay! The new rogue is more a saboteur than an assassin which, if you consider the setting, is a little more sensible.

Everything revolves the mechs themselves. But considering the title of the campaign setting, not doing so would be rather disappointing. Practially 2 whole chapters are devoted to mechs: making them, fighting with them as well as categories of mechs for various races. They range from the bizarre to the almost normal. They even managed to shoe horn in a little critter selection which goes along nicely with the rest of the book as more than a few of the monsters cover the invaders.

Dragonmech is a great title to pick up. Whether it's run the actual setting or steal bits and pieces for another setting it is versatile enough to work as a toolbox. Much of the setting reminds me of various anime I have watched and on one level I suppose that's intentional. For all those mecha fans out there, this setting could be a dream come true. Pick up a copy and give it a test drive.

An excellant book, with more on the way........2004-08-31

DragonMech was an impulse buy from a bookstore shelf for me. I picked it up for $35, but since then I have reconsidered that to be a very cheap price. After all, it's a book about mechs!

I found that, in addition to impressive core and prestige classes and mech rules, this book also boasts a complicated, exciting world setting. The history of Highpoint and the locations inside it were very well explained, but there were enough places where the DM could simply wing it and use their own imagination. I found the world setting well-integrated into other areas of the book, but many of the concepts could be taken seperately and used to enhance an existing campaign.

There were many rules and variants that I liked. There were several new skills, but quite a few were simply new categories for old types of skills. I'm glad that they were designed that way, because it made importing them into other campaigns much easier. There were only a few new feats, but the small number helped to cut down a disadvantage that many sourcebooks have: an overproliferation of worthless abilities. The new spells definitely seemed interesting, though unlike many things in this book they are extremely setting-specific. Less than six were easily integratable into other settings.

Equipment was very much a part of this book. There were rules for modifying current weapons, a plethora of new devices to be used, and even modifications to the new equipment to keep it interesting. The mech rules seemed unnecessarily complicated in places, but I suspect that was partly because of the sheer volume of information they had to get across. Considering how the rules could have turned out, I'm pleased that they were this simple.

All in all, an excellant book. There are more supplements for this setting coming out soon, and I, personally, will have to buy every one.

Average customer rating:

Dragonmech Mech Manual (Dragonmech)
F. Wesley Schneider , and Matt Sprengeler
Manufacturer: Sword & Sorcery Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1588469891

Dragonmech Almanac of the Endless Trader (Dragonmech)

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Dragonmech Almanac of the Endless Trader (Dragonmech)
Neal Gamache , Lee Hammock , Adrian Pommier , Martin Ralya , and Wes Schneider
Manufacturer: Goodman Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0977641848

Book Description

This all-new DragonMech sourcebook revisits the world of medieval fantasy mechs powered by magic, steam, or the labor of a thousand slaves! Alamanac of the Endless Traders is a gazetteer of the unexplored regions of Highpoint, tracing across the continent in the areas not frequented by the major mechdoms. This fascinating setting supplement follows the travels of the mysterious Endless Traders and uncovers new wonders in DragonMech.

Etherscope books are published under the Open Game License and are compatible with d20 Modern rules.

Average customer rating:

Lots of Nice Details

The Last City (Sword & Sorcery, Dragonmech)
Lee Hammock , Matt Sprengeler , Christina Stiles , and Patrick Younts
Manufacturer: d20 System
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1588467716

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Nice Details.......2006-03-10

Heck, I don't own any of the core Dragonmech books, so I can't be entirely certain what's going on, but this is still a good RPG resource.

I gather that in this particular d20 fantasy setting, there's a reasonably high level of steampunk technology: which is to say, there's a weird melding of your typical sword-wielding fighters and robed spellslingers with the fantasy equivalents of cyborgs and battlemechs. There are all sorts of new classes such as mech jockey, steam warrior, clockwork ranger, coglayer, and so on.

The history seems to be that Once Upon A Time, everything was pretty cool, until the gods decided to start duking it out, and then the lunar rain started. A years-long meteor shower brought down death from above, pulverizing a lot of the surface. The only major settlement to survive was Edge, built atop, down the face, at the base, and inside of a two thousand foot tall cliff with a mighty river spewing out of it. This river leads back into the depths of the earth, so it's a highway for dwarves and drow to come to the outer world and engage in lucrative trade with humans, elves, and halflings.

This book presents the history of Edge, its current status, biographies and statistics for notable inhabitants, descriptions of numerous inns, taverns, warehouses, mech hangars, auction houses, docks, and specialty shops, details about the two local guardian mega-mechs, and plenty of information about what living in a cliff city would be like. There's tons of stuff on the various bridges, elevators, catapults, stairs, and walkways, and on the distinct neighborhoods (the topside, the river cave and its underdark connections, the stratifications of the cliff face, and the hobbit-dominated base) as well, plus material on how the assorted races get along and what the various agendas of certain NPCs might be.

There's also a fun section of "Twenty Things...", which is a series of tables about twenty things a PC might find on the stairs, or twenty NPCs who are just passing through town, or mechs that are currently at Edge for repair or for hire, or popular local foods, and so forth. This gives a GM a bit of material for either plot seeds or just to drop in for flavoring.

I've read plenty of game supplements for systems and settings I don't own. This is one of the better ones. There's a lot of information packed in here, but not so nerdily and obsessively detailed as to be offputting, nor so utterly high level as to be uselessly vaporous. There are a few maps and a number of illustrations of pretty fair quality, and unlike many other RPG offerings, the spelling and grammar is of a high level of accuracy.

Overall, it's good enough that I'll probably buy the player's handbook for Dragonmech just to learn more.

Average customer rating:

Second Age Of Walkers (Dragonmech)

Manufacturer: Sword & Sorcery Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1588467821

Amazon.com

John C. Maxwell's The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day is actually 21 weeks' worth of bite-sized daily lessons on leadership, based on biblical principles and the figures who embody them. Maxwell, the popular author of more than two dozen books on personal and leadership development, has always based his teachings on scriptural tenets. This time, he turns more explicitly to the Bible to illustrate principles such as effectiveness, influence, empowerment, sacrifice, and timing, which he introduced in a well-received earlier book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Readings for the first four days of each week incorporate: a theme ("People teach what they know, but they reproduce what they are"); a tale that brings a relevant individual (such as Jesus, Moses, Esther, and Solomon) into the discourse on it; interpretations that shape the pertinent factors into a practical contemporary lesson; and a question to ponder that both personalizes and extends the message ("If you reproduced yourself in another leader, would you be pleased with the result?"). Each fifth day, Maxwell presents suggestions, including a specific prayer, to use in putting the ideas into practice. Maxwell's exclusively biblical approach will not be for everyone, but his points are universal in nature and generally on target. Any reader should be able to draw ideas and inspiration from them, and those who have made the Bible a part of their lives will likely find his vision particularly substantial and satisfying. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

In the spirit of his best-selling The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, John Maxwell offers thoughts on proven leadership qualities and crucial issues that affect leadership success. These basic principles of success can be applied to business and private life, helping anyone reach their full potential. Twenty-one powerful statements help leaders maximize their assets and overcome their weaknesses, encouraging them to lead with their hearts as well as their minds. Daily readings include sections which help readers integrate and apply each day's material.

Customer Reviews:

Studying the 21 irrefutable laws, one per week, using bible stories as illustrations.......2007-09-21

Whether of not you have heard of John C. Maxwell or his "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership", you can get a great deal from this very interesting book.

This book is a 21-week course that involves you for 21 minutes each day in reading, thinking, and deciding how to act on these principles. Each principle is given five days. The first day of each week starts with a series of scripture readings that present a story that will be used to illustrate the principle and introduces both the story and the take on the principle for the week. Days 2-4 examine various aspects of the story and ask you a question to ponder. Day 5 is more about action. After summing things up, you get the opportunity to go to the book's website and take a brief assessment to make sure you are clear about the points you have been studying that week. Maxwell provides points for prayer, a section that asks you questions that provoke you to consider how you are going to live this principle, and finally it asks you to choose two people so you can teach them what you have spent a week learning.

The book is much more about you thinking, pondering, and deciding than it is about laying out a path for you to follow. I very much appreciate its overtly religious lessons and scripture readings. A very good and useful book for everyone (unless being around scripture and prayer drives you crazy).

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day.......2007-03-22

This book is awesome! I have implemented training for my staff using this book with tramendous results. My only issue is I wish there was a workbook to this book like there is to the 21 Laws of Leadership. We have used both of these in our training. I recommend buying both for your staff or just yourself.

It is a lot to cover and a very long training, 21 weeks! However, I highly recommend!

Defining Leadership in the Home, Ministry, and Marketplace.......2007-01-09

Maxwell does a wonderful job of taking subject matter which was first written for business professionals and taking to the next level. I have been challenged to grow and to excell all the more in my home, church, and business.

As believers we are called to be leaders for Christ in all areas of our lives. Maxwell teaches how one can "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Ephesians 4:1).

a 21-week biblical study of Maxwell's leadership laws.......2004-07-13

Here John Maxwell has expanded his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership into a 21-week study, using different biblical characters to illustrate each one of the 21 laws. Each week is broken down into five days, making it an excellent workplace study.

Lessons from Days 1 through 4 start with a thought for the day and a biblical passage, then close with a question for you to reflect on. Day 5 summarizes the week in brief sections that help you to absorb the week's material, sort it out, pray through it, apply it to your own life, and pass it on to another leader.

Obviously, this book is not aimed at the secular crowd, and is much more beneficial to those who have read the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. If you enjoyed the 21 laws and are comfortable with scripture, this study will dramatically enhance your ability to prayerfully apply the laws to your life and the lives of those around you. A great resource for Christian leaders.

Larry Hehn, author of Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of Victory

another book similar to his other books.......2003-10-13

|-POSITIVE-|
I think this is a great book if you never read a book on leadership, or if you never read any of his other books. Actually, having read at least 4 other books on leadership written by this same author, this one is one of his better books. I think this book will go well with his other book, "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership."

Some of my favorite quotes from this book,
* If you reproduced yourself in another leader, would you be pleased with the results?
* Don't wait until you hold a leadership position to begin building your inner circle
* People teach what they know, but they reproduce what they are.
* Do no limit your people, lift them.
* Your inner circle should make you more complete

|-NEGATIVE-|
Oh how I hate it, I read 5 of his books on leadership, and they all share very similar information. If you read his other books, you probably will not find many new ideas here.

Average customer rating:
21 Most Powerful Minutes In A Leader's Day - Revitalize Your Spirit And Empower Your Leadership
John C. Maxwell
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Hardcover | Maxwell, John C. | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Maxwell, John C. | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000RIV2SO

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