Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5)

Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5)
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Hooked on Harry

The Vampires, the Fallen and the Shroud

Beginning to find a deeper, darker direction

One of a Kind

Death Masks

Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5)
Jim Butcher
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0451459407
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Customer Reviews:

Hooked on Harry.......2007-09-11

Jim Butcher is a great writer. His Dresden Files series is as fresh at Book 5 as it was at Book 1. The books can stand on their own, but really flow beautifully when read in order. Death Masks contains references to religious articles (in particular, the Shroud of Turin)and religious faith, but manages to treat different ideaologies and beliefs with respect. You have to respect an author who can do that!

The Vampires, the Fallen and the Shroud.......2007-09-02

Death Masks (2003) is the fifth urban fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following Summer Knight. In the previous volume, Elaine helped Harry reach the Table. The spell on Lily Unraveled. Meryl took out Talos and Toot-Toot had his pixies gang up on Aurora.

Dresden woke up in his own bed in a very clean apartment. The new Lady Summer had provided him with a Brownie cleaning crew and the new Summer Knight had fixed the Blue Beetle. Elaine kissed him on the cheek when she left.

In this novel, Harry is on the set of the Larry Fowler show, trying hard to suppress his magic. He had been trying to talk to Mortimer Lindquist and the psychic had insisted on meeting here. In a few minutes, they are going to be interviewed by Larry. Later two more mystery guests will join them.

Larry and the audience enjoy laughing at the guests's babble of seances and magic. During the break, Harry asks Mort about Susan and learns that she is definitely alive and has been in Peru. After the break, Larry introduces the other two guests. One of them is Duke Ortega of the Red Court vampires. Harry's control slips and his magical field takes down one of the TV cameras with a flash and smoke.

While the stage crew rolls off the defunct camera, Ortega tells Dresden that he has come to talk to him. Then the host conducts a little more discussion of the superstitious belief in magic. A second camera blows out and Ortega continues his conversation with Harry. He has come to face Harry in single combat. The suppression spell finally breaks down and the whole studio goes dark. Harry agrees to the challenge and then the emergency lights come on, but the fire alarms start whooping.

Outside the studio, the other mystery guest -- Father Vincent from the Vatican -- also wants to talk with Harry about a job. Father Forthill of Saint Mary of the Angels has referred him to Harry. As they walk toward the Blue Beetle, some gunman starts shooting at them with a silenced pistol.

Harry digs his shotgun out of the trunk and the gunman retreats, but still fires hid pistol in their direction. When that weapon runs out of shells, Harry hustles the priest into his car and putts out of the parking garage. On the way out, Harry notices several armed man and recognizes one as an enforcer for Johnny Marcone.

Father Vincent directs Harry to a motel near the airport and explains the case. The Shroud of Turin has been stolen and is probably in Chicago. Father Vincent wants Harry to find it.

In this story, Susan returns to Chicago with Martin, a coworker in the organization that Susan has joined. She has changed and is now strong enough to fight off a Red Court vampire. But she still has the Hunger and lusts after Harry. Of course, a really good wizard should be able to work around these difficulties.

Murphy calls and asks Harry to come to the Cook County Morgue. Murph introduces him to Waldo Butters and then they view a corpse without head or hands. The man had been found under a freeway overpass. Despite the horrible mutilations, he had apparently died of the Plague and other diseases. Harry examines the corpse more closely and finds a tattoo on the inside of the biceps.

As Harry is leaving the hospital, he encounters a bear-like thing and runs back toward down the alley. The thing chases him, but an old man steps out into its path and swings a katana at the beast. Then a young Russian joins the fray with a saber. Finally, a large man with a broadsword drops in and cuts off Ursiel's head.

Harry has been rescued by the Knights of the Cross, including his friend Michael Carpenter. The other two Knights -- Shiro Yoshimo and Sanya -- have come to Chicago to protect Harry from the Denarians, an order of Fallen Angels bound to thirty pieces of silver. The Denarians want Harry's soul and the Knights want him to drop the case to save himself.

This story takes Harry from the harbor to the downtown Marriott to Undertown to Wrigley Field to the O'Hare chapel. Then he gets to take a train ride. He finds himself fighting with vampires and the Fallen. Although the scenery is great, the creatures are really bad.

Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of Fallen Angels, preternatural creatures, and a really stubborn wizard.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Beginning to find a deeper, darker direction.......2007-06-05

Faster paced than Book 4 of "The Dresden Files", "Death Masks" seems to set Harry on a darker path. With the return of some favored characters from past books (Both Thomas and Michael appear), the plot moves along quickly as the mythology of the series as a whole develops a new facet.

The series as a whole seems to be more confident in its footing and to have greater direction in those earlier in the series...and it's still a fun ride.

One of a Kind.......2007-05-19

It's been a long time since I've read a book this amazing. To be more specific, it was when I first read "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." That was seven years ago.

I forgot how good it feels to fall in love with a book.

Jim Butcher has managed to weave together everything I could possibly want from a story. His plot is well-paced, his hero is astoundingly witty, and his action scenes make me grip the pages of the book with sweaty fingers. There's beauty in every paragraph.

In "Death Masks," many of my favorite characters make a return, such as Michael (*finally*, a Christian character who is neither evil nor insane) and Thomas (how can anyone *not* love an ambiguous vampire?). We're also introduced to several new characters who are every bit as delightful as the protagonist himself. I even enjoyed the presense of some returning characters I did not like in previous books.

When I finally put "Death Masks" down, I sat in silence for several minutes, just thinking about what a great story I'd finished. Thank you, Jim Butcher.

Death Masks.......2007-05-12

Very good book, I read them all, the Dresden Files, with bated breath.
Linda Sheean

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

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Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Race Theory
From a teacher's perspective
Language and Colonization
Black Skin White Masks
Peau noire masques blancs (Black Skin, White Masks)

Black Skin, White Masks
Frantz Fanon
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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The Wretched of the Earth
The Location of Culture (Routledge Classics)
Orientalism
A Dying Colonialism (Fanon, Frantz)
Culture and Imperialism

ASIN: 0802150845

Book Description

A major influence on civil rights, anti-colonial, and black consciousness movements around the world, Black Skin, White Masks is the unsurpassed study of the black psyche in a white world. Hailed for its scientific analysis and poetic grace when it was first published in 1952, the book remains a vital force today. “[Fanon] demonstrates how insidiously the problem of race, of color, connects with a whole range of words and images.” — Robert Coles, The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

Race Theory.......2007-02-18

If you want to understand racial identity, you should read Fanon's approach. The most influential author on ethnicity and colonization in the twentieth century.

From a teacher's perspective.......2006-03-20

Frantz Fanon was a contemporary writer of the 1950's. Born in Martinique, he studied psychiatry and medicine in France as a young man after volunteering his services in World War II. He had an educational background in post colonial studies including racism and colonization. At the age of 27 he published "Black Skin, White Masks" which played a vital role in civil rights and Black consciousness movements throughout its time. Fanon's analysis of the Black psyche, "Black Skin, White Masks", was amazingly interesting and educational. It gave me a fresh perspective to what it means to live as the minority, as a person of color in a White world. This is a wonderful review of how the French of different backgrounds interacted with each other. There are also a few downfalls in understanding "Black Skin, White Masks". This book is hard to follow because it jumps around quite a bit, making various points throughout the same train of thought. There are many topics covered, one of the most thoroughly explored being romantic love between interracial couples. It also explores the use of language and the importance of knowing one's familial, racial, and cultural history.
One of the topics Fanon concentrates on is the Black man and his goals in life. To understand what Black men go through, one has to first understand the history of the particular Black man he is talking about which is born in an island off of France then moves to France and faces the culture shock of entering a country where the language and customs are different. Here the Black man goes from being comfortable and part of a larger entity to being the minority. At this stage the Black man feels he is worthless because of the history of the relationship of Blacks and Whites, where the Black man has led a forced life of servitude and abuse which has caused him to believe that he is inferior to the White man. The White man's racism has created the White man's feeling of superiority which correlates with the Black man's feeling of inferiority. Because of this inferiority complex the Black man has an overpowering need to prove himself equal to the White man. Fanon goes on to argue that the Black man's goal is to prove to Whites, Blacks and himself that he is an intelligent, good, and worthy of pursuing happiness individual. One of the most detailed examples was how the Black man attempts to get closer to being White by having any relationship, be it friendship or romantic (preferably sexual), with a White person other than a master/slave association. As an example Fanon tells a story of a young mulatto woman who marries a White man and in a split second goes from being the slave to being the master. Yet there are other cases when the Black man succeeds and he is not only rejected by Whites, he is repudiated by Blacks.
Another theme was that of language and what happens to a Black person when he arrives to France. The Black man has to learn how to speak French as it is spoken in France in order to become "whiter", for example, an educated Black man is no longer seen as Black because Blacks are savages while the intellectual is civilized. Yet there have been many cases where despite the success of the Black man, Whites refuse to accept them as equals and show it by speaking to them in pidgin or as children. There is also the struggle of remaining part of the Black community after assimilating into the White world. After learning to speak French, he returns home as white in the eyes of other Black people. The Black man must be able to code change in order to survive in both worlds.
Antillean education is looked at carefully in this book. Fanon compares the children of France with those of Martinique. As French children learn about their culture and their ancestors, Martinique children learn of the ancestors of others. Fanon proposes that the Black Martinique children should learn about Black history as a separate section in order to build self esteem and confidence. Children need to learn that there have been others in similar situations that have pulled through and made it despite discrimination and hate. If the educational system increases the Martinique children's knowledge and understanding of their own heritage and history, they will be able to make connections with their own ancestors and their amazing accomplishments. This would thus curb ideas of inferiority.
There was a contrast between Blacks and Whites that kept the world as it was. In order for there to be white, there has to be black. In order for there to be a slave there has to be a master. In order for one group of peoples to be superior another group has to be inferior, and this is the case with Whites and Blacks. As a result, whatever one group is the other is the opposite. Here arise a series of stereotypes that support how people think of these two groups. Whites are intelligent, progressive, civil people while Blacks are primitive savages in need of taming. Since Blacks are savages they cannot control their emotional and sexual needs hence in contrast Whites are not sexual and have the ability to suppress their emotions. From this Fanon argues that a subtle jealousy was born; the White man envied the Black man's sexual freedom.
As I read this book I could not help but think of my students and how they embody many of the same believes as Black men in the 1950's. The children I teach Mathematics to are people of color, either Latino or Black. I spend much of my day listening to them speak among themselves about various topics and have picked up on certain ideas that reflect that of past colonized populations. Although there is this total rejection of anything and everything that is White, there is also an underlining want to be White (perhaps mainstream is a better word). For example, I have heard my students discuss accents and the implication that those who have one are in some way less intelligent than those who speak like Americans. Students have also expressed in happiness that they do not speak their parent's native tongue, typically Spanish, which is an indication that they are closer to being white than those who's first language is not English. Another disturbing behavior I have noticed is the animosity towards Whites. It seems my students have been programmed to be hostile towards White people, especially peers. They constantly refer to Whites in derogatory terms; for example, when one of my mentors (an older White woman) spend a period in my classroom the students were flustered and after she left referred to her as "the white b*$^%" as opposed to "the lady who was just here". At the same time they insult each other by using terms that are associated with being Black such as insulting the wideness of their nose and/or thickness of their lips. I find this to be an interesting contradiction and would like to explore it further in hopes of understanding the contemporary adolescent.
As a teacher I found this book to be very helpful in understanding why our children of color behave the way they do and why they consistently fail in a system designed for children who are not exposed to the gruesome situations the students in the South Bronx (where I teach) go through on a daily basis. These children could very well have an inferiority complex which they will have to overcome before being able to succeed in this White man's world.

Language and Colonization.......2006-03-14

Fanon really draws you in with this book. One feels involved with Fanon's fight not just against racism and colonization, but also his own self evaluation and struggle within himself to accept himself for who he is.

Among other things, what struck me the most was the way Fanon showed that minorities do not feel inferior because they were thrust in the midst of a majority. Considering that South Africa has minority white population and yet the black population there took on the brunt of racism and that had nothing to do with the minority subjugation.

Another line of thought that Fanon brings about is the domination of the colonized language. In Martinique, the average middle class family would insist children to speak French like the French would and not the commonly spoken Creole. The Martinican returning from France was expected to uphold that standard and speak proper French. If he reverted to his old ways of speaking, it was looked down upon. Fanon shows that the black man of Martinique maintains locked in his own cultural impositions and unless that is shed it would make it difficult for him to rise out of it.

Fanon brings about how the psychological impact of colonization through language, culture and history plays on the black man. Fanon delves into studies done by others and compares or rejects ideas put forth by them either with by presenting his own experiences or a generalistic view of the colonized Martinique land.

Fanon digresses frequently from topics of discussion and jumps around wildly in some of the chapters. But overall the book is well written and makes you think and begs you to put your own experience and thought into it.

Black Skin White Masks.......2006-02-05

Frantz Fanon was a black man born in the French colony and island of Martinique. He trained as a doctor specialising in psychiatry. He was deeply concerned about the impact of colonialism on the people of colour, particularly how it humiliated them, destroyed their culture, values and dignity. This led him to get involved in the Algerian war of independence in the 1950s.

The book "Black Skin, White Masks" was written almost fifty years ago. This was during the time when decolonisation of the African continent and elsewhere was gathering momentum.

To adequately capture and assimilate Fanon's thinking of the question of colonialism and racism and their impact on the coloured people, one also needs to read Fanon's other great works: "The Wretched of the Earth" and "Dying Colonialism". Here one can see his anger and the background to his conclusion that it was only through violence that people of colour could liberate themselves from colonialism, particularly from mental bondage and inferiority complex that accompanied colonial subjugation.

In "Black Skin, White Masks", Fanon develops his thesis about the impact of inferiority complex of subjugated peoples and the alienation of some of them from their kind resulting in their wish to identified with the colonialists or imitate the European. There are a number of celebrated and classic cases of coloured people who have tried various formulas to change the colour of their skins, the tone of their voices or their names so that they sound more civilised (European).

Fanon's ideas about how the coloured people can liberate themselves (physically and mentally) influenced many leaders of revolutionary movements that were fighting colonialism. Some organisations in the USA, such as the Nation of Islam, appear to embrace a lot of Fanon's ideas and thinking.

The book is recommended reading for those who wish to understand the impact of colonialism on the colonised around the world and their different reactions to this menace.

Peau noire masques blancs (Black Skin, White Masks).......2005-09-20

I own the original French version of this book: "Peau noire masques blancs"! Franz Fanon addressed very well the racial issues encounted by previously colonized civilizations like the French island of Martinique. But Martinique is just an example. The truth is raw, but it's the truth, and there is still a long way for the freedom of the mind.

Beneath the Mask: An Introduction to Theories of Personality

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Beneath the Mask
"All the world is a stage..."
Absorbing and insightful
an excellent and readable text
The best written psychology textbook ever, period?

Beneath the Mask: An Introduction to Theories of Personality
Christopher F. Monte , and Robert N. Sollod
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Developmental Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471263982

Book Description

This theorist-by-theorist approach to personality theories explores how the personal histories, conflicts, and intentions of each theorist contributed to his or her portraits of people. The Seventh Edition has involved a significant revision including rewriting and updating of most of the chapters, the addition of a chapter on evolutionary psychology, and the recasting or change in emphasis of a number of chapters.

Customer Reviews:

Beneath the Mask .......2005-09-25

This book is excellent. It is very well written and provides interesting and exciting information. I have really enjoyed learning how the theories that we work from today come from the theorists own life expereinces. It is fascinating. I highly reccommend this book for those who really want to understand what is behind a theory and know the person behind the theory.

"All the world is a stage...".......2003-05-14

I have likened most psychology and counseling texts as being about as exciting to read as a Chilton's car repair manual.

Human beings are such wonderfully complex and fascinating of all of creation; so much so that one would think that the study thereof would be more engrossing and absorbing than what it actually is (in the classroom, that is).

Enter "Behind The Mask," one of the most thorough, comprehensive and insightful books I have ever read on human nature. Unlike many of my other texts, this one is a "keeper."

Scholarly without pedantry, entertaining at times, thought-provoking at others, this book should be required reading in any mental health related profession.

This is the kind of book that one will refer back to repeatedly (this book is a lot like Yalom's in this regard)as there will always be something "to chew on."

Absorbing and insightful.......2003-04-09

This updated book contains some of the most absorbing and insightful summaries of personality theories I have read. The section on Erikson epitomizes his work in a way I have not seen elsewhere. The chapter on Maslow is a balanced view of the strengths and limitations of his theory. The chapter on evolutionary psychology is a clear summary and introduction to this field.

an excellent and readable text.......2003-01-20

This text is the most readable on this topic. It draws one in to a deeper understanding of the different theories. It is a real improvement on the earlier edition, which also was very good.

The best written psychology textbook ever, period?.......2000-12-06

It has been thirteen years since I had to buy the Third Edition of Beneath the Mask for a theory of personality class in psychology graduate school in 1987. The book is now apparently in the Sixth Edition. And it is the only textbook I have ever kept over the years.

Usually textbooks are so dry. We hate them. They are poorly written in most cases, since they are written usually by dry experts and academicians in the field than by individuals whose strengths were in writing. We pine as students to read original authors. Well, although this book discusses the greatest theoreticians of personality in the history of psychology and psychiatry, its author IS original and writes very well indeed.

This is a book like no other. It provides great detail into the ideas of each clinician discussed, and makes a fascinating use of psychobiography as well, trying to connect the views of the thinkers being discussed in terms of their lives and childhood issues, much as a therapist would do, which provides a wonderful layer of interpretative and clinically conceptual chocolate to the pie above the usual descriptive body.

The biography section arms anybody interested in selected theoreticians to the original sources.

Why have I kept this book over the years, besides for the reasons already given for why it is so good? Because as a clinician I find myself often rechecking which thinker believed in what, the type of historical information often forgotten years after school, years of client after client. It allows me also to recall with greater clarity the nature of the clinician's theory, such as the detailed discussion of types of psychological defenses in the discussion of Anna Freud, the Ericksonian life cycle crises, or the types of perspectives in dyadic relationships which fascinated R.D. Laing. This textbook has thus been essential when supervising practicum students into clinical theory, or just to satisfy my own curiosity.

This book is so rich it is hard to do justice to it in these few words. But it is likely that like me you will find yourself carrying it around with you from each office you occupy throughout your psychological career, long after you have completed your studies, and long after the hundreds of other books I was made to read were donated to the local thrift store. That, to me, is the most powerful measure in my estimation of what made this excellent textbook succeed.

Dr. Vogel, Psychologist, 2000

Wizard By Trade, Includes Summer Knight & Death Masks
Average customer rating:

Two good stories, but so very different

Excellent series

Wizard By Trade, Includes Summer Knight & Death Masks

Manufacturer: SFBC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Wizard at Large (2 in 1) Omnibus [Blood Rites / Dead Beat]

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Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8)

ASIN: 0739465813

Product Description

Fantasy: For Harry Dresden, the only wizard listed in the Chicago phone book, when it rains, it pours. In fact, it pours toads, always a sign something bad is about to happen, But Harry takes such omens in stride, given that his rattletrap VW Bug needs constant upkeep, and his 30 pound guard cat wants regular meals.

Customer Reviews:

Two good stories, but so very different.......2007-09-11

This volume contains two very good but oh-so-different stories that represent Butcher at his finest up to that point. His books get better with every one he publishes.

Summer Knight is the almost light-hearted story about how Dresden gets caught up in a power-struggle between the two faerie courts. The plot is original and off-beat and gives Murphy a much more active role than she's had before in the battle between good and evil. The final battle, surreal as it is, makes you feel like you're there. And, in true Butcher style, you have to break off from reading some very tense passages in order to laugh, either at something Harry has to say or at some insanely clever and amusing new twist.

Death Masks is an altogether darker work, focusing on demons rather than faeries. The end of the world is once more a very real possibility (when is it NOT if Harry Dresden has to get involved) and to make matters worse for Harry, Susan Rodrigez is back on the scene. Let the angst begin! Harry makes some new friends, fights alongside some old ones, and has his life changed forever by when he makes a split-second decision to protect a child.

Butcher keeps getting better, as he proves with every successive novel. Summer Knight and Death Masks show a decided improvement over earlier works (although Death Masks contains what I consider a needless and overly-graphic sex scene that I can't even call a "love scene"). Reading these made me impatient to see what Butcher would have for us next.

Excellent series.......2006-07-12

This is a special edition omnibus of the fourth and fifth books of the Dresden files--available only from the Science Fiction Book Club or second hand.

Mask Market: A Burke Novel (Burke Novels)

Average customer rating:

Pass on Mask Market
Weakest of the Series
Still writing winners
Back to his old stomping grounds
Maybe it's me but I was bored...

Mask Market: A Burke Novel (Burke Novels)
Andrew Vachss
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Hard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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Terminal: A Burke Novel (Burke Novels)
Down Here: A Burke Novel
Two Trains Running
Only Child
Choice of Evil: A Burke Novel

ASIN: 0375424229
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Book Description

They meet in a no–name diner. A shadowy man hands Burke a CD dossier of someone he wants found. Minutes later, as Burke watches from an alley, his client is gunned down by a professional hunter–killer team. Burke slips away, unsure if he’s been spotted. Later, when he examines the dossier, he discovers that the missing woman is Beryl Preston, a girl he’d rescued from a brutal pimp twenty years earlier—when she was only thirteen—and returned to her father. Now he has to find her again—not only because she might be in danger, but also because he has to prove to himself that his rescue mission hadn’t been financed by a predator who wanted his “property” returned. His search will force him to confront a new kind of human ugliness and, finally, to practice the survivalist triage that has marked—and cursed—his life since childhood. In Mask Market, Burke the outlaw investigator finds himself searching for the truth: not only about a girl named Beryl, but also about himself.

This is classic Burke: dark, dangerous, and galvanizing, from the opening scene to the explosive climax.

Customer Reviews:

Pass on Mask Market.......2007-10-03

First, let me say that I Love Andrew Vachss's early books, I agree with most of his social and political viewpoints and admire him as a man, but his writing has reached the point where it just plain stinks. Every new book is just a series of boring conversations between his by now very familiar main characters, conversations which go nowhere and signify nothing. You can always count on a slew of new anecdotes about life in jail and life on the streets. You can count on a plump female character talking about how she needs to lose weight and Burke saying how she doesn't because he digs fat chicks. (okay, Andrew, after all this time we know you like a lady with a little meat on her bones. Stop rubbing that point in our faces) You can also count on a paper-thin "plot" being tossed in as an afterthought, with the plot never being fully realized or explained. I told myself 5 or 6 books ago that I would never read another Vachhs book because at this point, all they do is waste my time. However, I inevitably find myself picking up each new novel and reading it, hoping it will be as good as his earlier works, only to be disappointed every time. Mr. Vachss, here's an idea; instead of trying to crank out a book every year, why not take some time off and come up with a really good plot before you begin writing again? With apologies, from a former---and hopefully future---fan.

Weakest of the Series.......2007-09-17

I am a huge Vachss fan. I really enjoy the Burke series. Mr. Vachss has also had a terrific effect on child abuse and child pornography in this country.

That being said, this is the weakest of all of the Burke novels. It gets extremely preachy. He also spends a lot of time reliving events from past Burke books. This may be due to the fact that he changed publishers, but I don't know. All-in-all, I felt this was an OK story but it bogged down in several places and we got lectures instead of action.

Oh well, they can't all be great--only most of them.

Let's hope "Terminal" is back up to his usual stratospheric heights of excellence.

Still writing winners.......2007-09-07

I discovered the Burke books 16 years ago in a small run down Alaska bookstore. The man behind the counter told me to put down the trash I was reading and take "Flood" on the house. What a gift that book was to me. Vachss doesn't flinch from the reality of the "Children of the Secret." Nor does he waver in his ongoing war against those that hurt children. If you're looking for a hard eged hero who pulls no punches and takes no prisoners, the Burke books deliver. More importantly, the characters evolve and grow over time. This is the case with Mask Market. Burke hasn't lost his edge, though it has softened a bit. Like many of us the character looks back on some decisions and wonders if he would have taken the same action under the same circumstances now. It's this evolution of the Burke character that glues his universe together. Rather than a collection of short stories, the novels read more like excerpts from a complex life peopled by engaging and very real folks. I highly recommend reading the entire series from start to finish. It's an intense ride with a real message. Vachss is more than an author though, he's putting his money and his time where his pen is so to speak. His organization makes a difference in the lives of countless children. Read a Burke novel and if you aren't outraged, you're not listening....

Back to his old stomping grounds.......2007-08-21

After the disappointing Two Trains Running, Vachss returns to Burke and writes the kind of story that beats virtually all other writers out there.

The thing with Vachss is that he tells a story apart from the "mystery". The story is usually about child abuse and he does this extremely well, allows the reader to feel the issues and to help understand where Vachss is coming from - he is without a doubt an extremely important writer.

As for the mystery, well Vachss is not really here to tell a mystery story, it is more of an instructional tale that he weaves. The mystery is secondary and for me, I don't mind if it is a bit messy and unclear, Vachss has already grabbed me with his writings in the first two-thirds of the book.

Recommended.

Maybe it's me but I was bored..........2007-07-24

For the record, I LOVE Burke. I have been reading this series from the begining, and I have really enjoyed most of them. But this last one felt like the odd one out of the bunch, and didn't seem to fit in with his normal "saving a child" books. I hope in the next one coming out in Septemeber, that he goes back to Burke's roots.

Average customer rating:

Living Hard
Nice Read
Off the Chain
G-Unit Book strikes Gold with K. Elliott collab
HEAVEN FOR SEVEN

The Ski Mask Way
K Elliott , and 50 Cent
Manufacturer: G-Unit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Supreme Clientele

ASIN: 1416531017

Book Description

HARD LIFE. HARD LUCK. HARD DRUGS.

HARD DEALS. HARD TIME.

Back in New York City, Seven was the seventh child. But here in Charlotte he's number one on every ladies' list. Even behind bars, he managed to sex a female corrections officer, who lost her job and found herself pregnant. Now Seven is out of the pen and back on the streets. A small-time dealer with big-time dreams, he's ready to take care of business -- for his baby, his baby's mother, his slammin' girlfriend, and his empty wallet. But first, he's got to play the game with the biggest pushers in town. He'll be a soldier for The Man. Then he'll rob the suckers blind before they figure out what's going down. Sure, it could get him killed. But Seven knows there are things in life worth living for -- and things worth dying for. And sometimes you can't tell the difference.

Customer Reviews:

Living Hard.......2007-07-05

Mr. Elliott done a good job with this book, I like his style of writing and he keeps you wanting more. Taking a walk with Elliott in to the world of Seven I got to see just how he got down for his, showing you his highs and lows all while tring to make away for his son. I enjoyed it, it was on point and stayed there. 50 did it again!

Nice Read.......2007-05-31

I think it's really cool that 50 is getting into writing (or co-writing) street fiction. The story line was written well & was a smooth & easy read. I read this book in one sitting! I look forward to more G-Unit books. Right before reading this one, I picked up and finished the Death Before Dishonor. I was not disappointed by either. Although Death before Dishonor was a better read,I enjoyed the Ski Mask way as well. I think there should be a sequel! After reading this book, I may start reading books by K. Elliott from here on out.

Off the Chain .......2007-05-27

I LOVE THIS BOOK 50 & K.ELLIOT KNOW HOW TO GET YOUR ATTENTION WITH THIS BOOK.......A PAGE TURNER IT IS...YOU MUST READ THIS YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.............ONE PAGE AND B4 YOU KNOW IT YOU FINISH I JUST HAD TO FINISH IT AND IT'S ALL THAT. SEVEN DOES THE DAYUM THING.......WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING BOUT COP THE BOOK~

G-Unit Book strikes Gold with K. Elliott collab.......2007-04-01

There are not alot of authors who are able to both inform and entertain. K. Elliott has been able to do both and do it better than most authors who have been on the literary scene long than he. They just keep getting better and better.

HEAVEN FOR SEVEN.......2007-03-22

I am a 44 year old white woman from Detroit and I have read a lot of books but I never read one as good as this. I never set the book down. I've got everybody reading it now. It was the most thrilling book, it had me on the edge of my seat. You won't be disappointed. I went out the next day and bought the other (2) 50 cent books they were all excellent especially The Ski Mask. Thanks, Mr. Elliot

The False Faces of the Iroquois (Civilization of the American Indian Series)

Average customer rating:

Not Quite Meant To Be Shared, Too Revealing
Lifting the mask: a glimpse into the false face society
Scholarly Documentation from a Lifetime of Study

The False Faces of the Iroquois (Civilization of the American Indian Series)
William N. Fenton
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0806120398

Customer Reviews:

Not Quite Meant To Be Shared, Too Revealing.......2007-09-05

This book explains much of the Iroquois' traditions in dealing with Masks and their powers of healing and protection of the Native Peoples. Though it tells too much, for the False Face Society is meant to be a Secret Society. The book has many pictures from when the Iroquois seemed to fear the end of all they believed in, causing the need to share with record keepers and historians. These 'Faces' are still very sacred to the Iroquois people, and still have their uses as protectors. The book also confuses the differences between the 6 Nations. The lines are very thn and not recognized. There are songs and speeches recorded and the languages very different from each other. All in all, a great book for Native Historians as well as Iroquois people who want to know more about their people and their history.

Lifting the mask: a glimpse into the false face society.......2003-04-05

Fenton's work is the basis for your sojourn into the False Face Society. His classification of masks based on prominent features such as the nose, mouth, presence of forehead ridges is the foundation for anyone wishing to understand these magnificant cultural pieces. It is not bedside reading; rather, it requires a quick perusal to familiarize yourself with masks. As you study, hold, or look at another mask you will dive deeper and deeper into Fenton's tome.

Scholarly Documentation from a Lifetime of Study.......2000-07-17

This is an exhaustive, classic ethnological study. The author is a Ph.D. from Yale, who at the time of publication (1987) served as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at SUNY/Albany. The book is a 522 page tome that covers all aspects of false face masks, from carving through use. In addition to providing 24 color and more than 200 B&W photos of wooden and cornhusk masks, the author classifies the types of masks he has observed, describes the personages who the masks represent, and documents rituals in which he has seen the masks used. Ritual songs and positions of maskers during ceremonies are cataloged in the book.

Customer Reviews:

Sound but slightly dated.......2005-07-14

I purchased this book as a text for a maskmaking class for my theater degree. I'll repeat the instructor's gist, if not her words: This is a great book on the basic technical aspects of maskmaking. However, there are a lot of other materials that are now available if you have the budget that aren't covered in this book. The photos are good but not always clear, and I agree with some other reviewers that there is a definite lack of practical information such as where to buy maskmaking supplies.
Worth a read, particularly if you're into Commedia masks or working in community theater on a small budget.

a good idea.......2003-01-27

I am confused...I look at the star ratings and read the reviews...but they don't even come close to my thoughts. This book was an interesting read. They do show a huge variety of techniques that are used for the stage... but they only give you a small taste of the process...Vacuum forming for example, a wonderful process, but zippo info on whereto/howto/whoto contact to buy or to make one. Read this book to get an overview of some ideas...but know that the technology shown is old and past its prime. I know stagework is seen at a distance..but you will not be impressed with the craftsmanship of the projects. Heads up on some safety issues..they skip right over that. oh my.

Comprehensive and user friendly!.......2000-04-02

This is a great book about making masks. It covers the making of molds, including using alginate for a life-casting. He talks about making masks of different materials -- from hex-a-cel to paper mache to neoprene to leather! There's a really *nice* section on leather masks, and he also talks a little bit about the history of the leather masks and how they were used in Renaissance Italy by the Commedia. This book is filled with plenty of black and white photos illustrating the various steps in each mask-making or mold-making process, and the instructions are very clear. Highly recommended for those with an interest in making their own masks.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader
An engrossing occult mystery
Don't waste your time.............
2 Hunchbacks, Followed by 7 Soldiers, Followed by 20 Hunchbacks!
had me in a cold sweat

Masks of the Illuminati
Robert A. Wilson
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Prometheus Rising

ASIN: 044050306X
Release Date: 1990-05-05

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

For Robert Anton Wilson, this book is a little more straightforward. A
distant relative of Habard Celine encounters yet another conspiracy. I
know, that is a real shocker in an Illuminati book, not. One of those
'chance meetings in a tavern, now we have a fantasy adventure' type
scenarios occur.

The interesting thing is that our conspiratorial protagonist
encounters Albert Einstein and James Joyce, and they attempt to put
their intellects to the task of working out what is going on.

An engrossing occult mystery.......2007-01-12

Having read both Illiminatus! and Schrödinger's Cat, I had to get my hands on Masks Of The Illuminati. I will mention that I do consider Robert Anton Wilson to be my favorite writer, so I may have just a twinge of bias for his work, but anyone who reads his work will understand that he's definitely not your average writer, and you have to be prepared to follow "Mad Bob" wherever he leads you, even into "chappel perilous" itself! He has a way of bringing the reader into his stories, like a fly on the wall, weaving you in and out of waking "reality" and dreamscapes - the reader is never sure what is really going on most of the time...

If you know your Crowley, you may be slightly disappointed, because you will have already uncovered part of the mystery. I will say no more, because I don't want to spoil anything.

Score one for the master, R.A.W.

Don't waste your time....................2006-08-22

......because I did! I do like R.A.W., and I feel that he is right on the mark with many things he says. But, my God, if I could only get the time I spent reading this book back. There was one truly engrossing and suspenseful moment of the book when a guy (nope, can't remember his name) was on the phone with another guy (nope, can't remember his name either) pleading with him to get to his home, because creatures from Hell were trying to get in his house. The twist at the end was disappointing, and the process by which the author was trying to build to the climax was irritating.

2 Hunchbacks, Followed by 7 Soldiers, Followed by 20 Hunchbacks! .......2006-02-13

You'll have to read the book to understand the title for this review.

This book started off in a rather puzzling way. I had a tough time getting into the book, until it got to the heart of the story. Overall, Einstein and Joyce untangle a rather perplexing mystery, with rather terrestial reasoning. It was a mystery that was unraveled in a rather clever, and interesting way.

The final 30 pages, however, have to be read to believed.

Honestly, I don't really know how I feel about this book. I liked most of it, but the ending left a rather bad taste in my mouth. Really it just comes off as useless jibberish, and its inclusion in this novel went way over this reader's head.

had me in a cold sweat.......2003-12-15

this is the only wilson book i have read thus far. let me say first of all that it TERRIFIED the living daylight out of me until the solution to the mystery was revealed. i was scared to be in a fully lit room by myself.

the esotericism of this book made it a very fun read; i found it hard to stop (except when it got too frightening)! reading masks of the illuminati was definitely worth my time, paranoia, and sleepless nights!

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