High-Speed Digital Design: A Handbook of Black Magic

Customer Reviews:

high speed circuit layout techniques.......2006-05-21

I bought this book based on a friend's recommendation seven years ago. I have used this book along with Henry Ott's book as a desk top reference for the past seven years.

Not the final word by any means, but a good introduction.......2006-05-02

Add Johnson and Graham to the list of people who can write large, highly technical books full of useful, pertinent information, and package it all in a way that's mostly very readable and which mixes just the right blend of rigorous academic structure with good old-fashioned "when all else fails, you might get away with this" hacks. This book is by no means a thorough, academic grounding in the subject matter, but it works well as an introduction for people who have some background in conventional electronics, yet little or no background in the specifics of high-speed digital design.

Considering how specialized and complex the book's subject matter is, it's surprising how well the authors manage to avoid hard math; they obviously made a conscious effort to use the most intuitive formulas possible whenever they could. There are maybe a handful of differential equations in the book, but most of the math requires no calculus, just basic algebra. The moderately math-phobic should be able to handle this book if you can understand what derivatives and integrals are.

A bit of a rant: Everybody gets so hung up on the title! Did any of the people who complain that HSDD isn't really "black magic" actually bother to even open the book? Right in the preface, the authors explain that HSDD is regarded as something of a "black magic" by engineers because it isn't taught in most college programs, but "The authors would like to dispel the popular myth that anything unusual or unexplained happens at high speeds. It's simply a matter of knowing which principles apply, and how." The title is meant to be humorous, people; lighten up! A lack of a sense of humor is a sign of an ineffective engineer.

This book really is just an introduction. You're not going to go out and design a gigahertz-level PC motherboard when you've read it through, but it'll prepare you for more advanced material like the "Advanced Black Magic" sequel, and tons of similar advanced books on the market. The book's strength is in its easy writing style and broad, concise scope. Recommended for anyone who knows basic electronics but wants to become a professional signal electronics engineer.

Mostly a very solid book.......2004-12-23

Great book. BTW, the author lists a LOT of errata on his website, enough to take over an hour to mark up my copy (5th printing). Although it's nice he documents this so well, it's a pain in the rear, so you may want to verify the edition you're buying to avoid this extra effort. On page vi, above ISBN, look for reverse sequence; example: "10 9 8 7" indicates 7th printing (cryptic, I know). Most recent printing is 15th edition (least amount of errata). The book is loaded with equations and diagrams. It would be nice to see more derivations, but at least the equations are there in the text, and in the appendix. I thought a few other reviewers were a bit harsh. The book is not perfect, but nevertheless a great resource. His second book is impressive, but more advanced; this original title is my "workhorse" book. also, check out his website (sigcon.com) for lots of articles and resources.

one of the best books around.......2004-09-02

I dont know what the other reviewers are blabbing about...being an ASIC designer myself..I felt this book was the best introduction I could get to cross-talk, signal integrity, EMC and Metastability. Been through and done that a lot of times, but still this is one of the best things around

Useful book if you need a cook book, however ...............2004-05-04

This book is useful if you want to have a long series of equations available in one place to jog your memory. But if you want to learn something useful and practical- and real-world - then perhaps you would be better off doing a web search for application notes, tutorial papers, and articles, particularly from semiconductor manufacturers, and vendors of high-performance test equipment such as Agilent, Tektronix, and others.

To take one example (page 134,) Johnson purports to describe problems associated with a wire-wrapped prototype processor board containing TTL devices operating at high edge rates ( 2 ns.) According to Johnson, the design engineers failed to realize that the circuits would ring excessively, making the board unusable. To "prove" this he posits a model consisting of a 30 ohm TTL driver, with a 2 ns rise time, a 4" length of wire with 89 nH of self inductance, and a 15pf load - a series LRC circuit. Yes, this circuit will ring wildly, but the model is totally incorrect. The TTL input is not considered, which has a relatively low input impedance in the low state since it is current operated. This circuit -effectively a parallel LRC - does not ring nearly as much, as any experienced engineer knows. As a reality check, remember that wire wrap was successfully used for years by thousand of engineers. To listen to Johnson, though, this technology is almost unusable. Wire wrap circuits do ring, but under his example, the real amount of overshoot/undershoot is well within the limits of TTL. Further, no real circuit produces textbook looking traces, so the role of experience is to learn what worst-case design means, and what is acceptable for good manufacturing yield. Lesson: real experience teaches you how to produce correct, functional models. An incorrect model will cause you grief.

Much could have been done here, to be useful, by way of analysis and of recommendation. The wire should have been modeled as part of a transmission line, not as a lumped element, which any high speed digital design engineer would know, and the idea of terminating a transmission line should have been introduced. This is standard fare. Even with the series LRC, instead of deriving the formula for critical damping, he instead says: "This approximation (reduce Q to .5) is derived from the solution to a second order linear differential equation describing an RLC low pass filter. First find the point at which the derivative of the solution passes through zero (a maximum point) and then evaluate the solution at that point."

Got that? Take the derivative of a solution you want to find? Any book on circuits will reduce this to the solution of a quadratic equation. Obfuscating something that's really elementary does not help produce genuine insight. But this is what Johnson does throughout the book.

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.

High Speed Signal Propagation: Advanced Black Magic

Average customer rating:

the "signal integrity" bible
Great subject material, unevenly covered
A must have reference for ALL digital design engineers

High Speed Signal Propagation: Advanced Black Magic
Howard W. Johnson
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 013084408X

Customer Reviews:

the "signal integrity" bible.......2007-05-13

Dr. Johnson gives signal integrity an identity, and tells you how to conquer a truly "black art" in electronics engineering.

As the data rates of electrical signals go up, the problems this causes are detailed, and solutions are presented that resolve the problems.

If youare doing high-speed digital design, high precision analog design, and want to make it work, this violume sheds light on the "dark" places.

Great subject material, unevenly covered.......2003-07-22

I had mixed feelings reading this book. Some sections were so good I was saying, "Bravo, well done" while other sections were so bad, I felt sorry for anyone trying to learn by reading them. (E.g. Ch4 on frequency domain modeling.) The book covers extremely useful material, but in an uneven way. It will especially appeal to readers who want simplified discussions of the ideas rather than deeper more theoretical discussions. For example, crosstalk --one of the most important topics, is covered in a very light manner, recommending use of simulators to obtain accurate results. Compare this with the coverage of the same subject in the remarkable book "Electromagnetic Compatibility" by Clayton Paul. Now, that book is "advanced" and "magical". This book doesn't get into any deep discussions of the fundamentals. It says that current flows in a loop, and inductance is related to loop area. Simple enough. Yet, how do we explain the inductance of the pin of an IC package, which is definitely not a loop? How is the energy-based definition of inductance used by simulators related to this simple definition? Even more fundamental, given that voltage can't be defined in a region where the magnetic field is changing, how come we can use the concept of voltage? (Read Paul Clayton for discussing all these concepts in great detail.)

Many previous articles are included in the book. Although some of them are entertaining (e.g. the pot hole story) most are just disturbances, and even worse, outdated and contradictory to authors later approach. For example, Dr. Johnson spends 3 pages! discussing how close a termination has to be, and drives an equation for the amount of reflection when the ideal termination is slightly away from the source. Later in a witty article the author declares that there is no more any excuse for not using simulation tools. He says "If you have to ask, simulate it." Definitely anybody who is wondering if their termination is close enough can download a free demo copy of PSpice and simulate this quickly and accurately.Nobody is going to use the equation the author drived and there is no new insight or theory developed either.

The author being the editor of the IEEE Ethernet specs, it is quite surprising how many sloppy mistakes there are. (KHz, kHz, Ghz, HZ,Hertz, hertz, pS, ps, ohm, Ohm, V, v, ; with and without spaces after the value are used with no consistency, "it's" is confused for "its" in more than one place, wrong equation numbers, irregular figures, mixed fonts and fonts sizes within the same equation, etc. are common occurrence.)

Despite its problems, this book will be a very useful reference book to people working in the field. Many sections have excellent detailed discussions. For example, performance regions of the transmission line breaking it into lumped, RC, LC, skin effect, dielectric loss, and waveguide dispersion regions is the most comprehensive I have seen. A useful book to add to one's library, but not a book lover's delight.

A must have reference for ALL digital design engineers.......2003-07-05

After ploughing through this book, I found it to be a treasure trove of useful information. It's well layed out, and well explained. As with their first "black magic text", it's full of helpful hints, guides, and rule'o'thumbs that will get you up to speed quickly so you can apply them and get expected results from your design. Well done Mr Johnson and Mr Graham, another excellent reference!

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Boxed Set): The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda's Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath

Average customer rating:

reading fantasy is fun
A Family Favorite
Protesting the Price
Spiderwick Chronicles-- Not just for kids
I'm 22 and I loved this set

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Boxed Set): The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda's Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath
Holly Black , and Tony DiTerlizzi
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689040342

Book Description

It all started with a mysterious letter left at a tiny bookstore for authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Its closing lines: "We just want people to know about this. The stuff that has happened to us could happen to anyone." Little could they imagine the remarkable adventure that awaited them as they followed Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace and a strange old book into a world filled with elves, goblins, dwarves, trolls, and a fantastical menagerie of other creatures. The oddest part is in entering that world, they didn't leave this one!

Five captivating books!
One thrilling adventure!
The Spiderwick Chronicles

Customer Reviews:

reading fantasy is fun.......2007-09-10

Reading a book that will be a movie in Feburary is fun for all ages. This book is full of imagination, magic and fantasy.

A Family Favorite.......2007-09-06

My kids can't get enough of these books! I have a 7 year old & a 5 year old, and we have read the books aloud to them. The 7 year old keeps trying to sneak the books away and read them himself, but we make him wait. They are an easy read--each book is about 100 pages, so it doesn't take long to read. The storyline is exciting for the kids. I'm glad we bought the boxed set, as you wouldn't want to buy just one! The five books make me think it's like one book broken into 5 parts.

Protesting the Price.......2007-09-05

These books are nice little fantasy stories, but I read the first one and couldn't bring myself to buy the others simply because you get so little book for your buck. At least the Series of Unfortunate Events, similarly packaged, were completely developed--and I thought they ran a bit short at the time! These Spiderwick books are more like 1/3 of a book each, or maybe even 1/4--and yet they're as much as 10 bucks a pop.

Anyway, the characters are pleasant and the central premise of a field guide to goblins and other fantastic creatures is a rich one. But I would want to see far more incredible story telling, and at a reasonable length, to invest in this series wholeheartedly.

Spiderwick Chronicles-- Not just for kids.......2007-08-25

I enjoyed many things about this book-- the artwork is enchanting and the storyline is inventive and as an adult reading this book - I was taken back to being a kid and loving every moment of being lost in the story and my own imagination. Great Read!

I'm 22 and I loved this set.......2007-08-24

My husband and I are into Fantasy and sci-fi books. We knew of Holly Black, and we love her other books. My husband loved the set and so did I. The pictures help give you a mental image of the people in the book, so as you read your mind has something to go off of. We plan on keeping this boxed set for when we have kids, I'm sure that they will love then just as much as we did.

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (Spiderwick Chronicles)

Average customer rating:

WOW!!! This is a classic treasure that will live on for generations!
A Rare Find
Awesome pictures
My kids LOVE IT!
A book to spark the imagination

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (Spiderwick Chronicles)
Holly Black
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689859414

Amazon.com

Spiderwick fans will adore this gorgeous guidebook to the fantastical creatures featured in Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's spectacular series. The superdeluxe, lavishly illustrated "field guide" features 142 information-packed pages, 41 full-color plates, 6 spectacular gatefolds, 6 watercolor landscapes, scores of black-and-white and color sketches, and enough information to satisfy even the most demanding faerie enthusiast. Not only will readers learn all about the 14 fantastical creatures featured in the series, but they'll be delighted and astonished by an additional 15 creatures featured in this elaborate volume--including mermaids, gargoyles, and more. And if that weren't enough, we've included dozens of snippets from Arthur Spiderwick's personal journal--information that links the Guide specifically to the Spiderwick Chronicles--as well as cameos from a few of the series' favorite characters.

Book Description

It all began with a strange, mysterious correspondence left for authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black at a small New England bookstore. Written by three siblings, the letter told of their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick and an unfinished tome filled with eyewitness accounts of creatures otherwise thought to be the stuff of legend. In the #1 New York Times bestselling serial the Spiderwick Chronicles, readers were enthralled by the account of the those siblings, Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace, as they battled dwarves, goblins, elves, and a diabolical ogre in their efforts to hold on to their uncle Spiderwick,s life work. Now, through the combined efforts of the Grace children and authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, Simon & Schuster is thrilled to present that work to you!

Beginning with a thoughtful and informative introduction, progressing through six exhaustive sections featuring thirty-one faerie species, and culminating with an addendum that includes observations supplied by Jared Grace, this long-awaited compendium to the worldwide Spiderwick phenomenon delivers enough information to satisfy even the most demanding faerie enthusiast. Not only will readers learn the habits and habitats of the fourteen fantastical creatures featured in the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling chapter books, but they will be delighted and astonished by an additional seventeen creatures. Also included are dozens of snippets from Arthur Spiderwick,s personal journal as well as cameos from a few series favorites.

With so much to offer, this book is destined to be pored over for generations to come!

www.spiderwick.com

Customer Reviews:

WOW!!! This is a classic treasure that will live on for generations!.......2007-09-22

I can now say that I am a lucky man. I got to meet one of my heroes in San Diego a few weeks back. His name is Tony DiTerlizzi, and as far as I'm concerned, he's one of the most talented illustrators alive. Not since Brian Froud's classic FAERIES book has such a magnificent collection of fairytale art been bound together. Tony's style has a very classic/retro feel, that is also somehow modern at the same time. The palette is perfect, and the takes on these classic faeries are fresh. It is simply a gorgeous book worthy of being enjoyed time and time again.

I had a blast looking through each page, pausing to drink in each pencil sketch, and all the wonderfully painted renderings alike. There is no throwaway art in this book -- none at all!

The imagination of everyday items like needles, thimbles, and scissors becoming proud objects of the fairies that stole them is masterfully done. I am proud to say that Tony has signed my copy -- and maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to own an original piece of art from the book.

Kudos, and masterfully done! This is a treasure!

A Rare Find.......2007-09-03

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You is a truly unique find. I stumbled across the novels at a friends house and thought the ink drawings were fun and playful, but the field guide itself is quite striking. The illustraions alone would have sold me, i love the little quick sketches and diagrams, plus the old-time travel log look is really appealing. All of the "little-known-facts", author's musings/notes, and narratives make this a rare find for any fantasy lover.

Awesome pictures.......2007-06-05

I love this book! I can look through it over and over again and never get tired of the beautiful illustrations. This illustrated book ties into the Spiderwick Chronicles books. It is the actual field guide that they talk about in this series that all of the fantasy creatures are trying to get ahold of. It is not supposed to be in human hands. No telling what the humans would do if they knew their secrets!

My kids LOVE IT!.......2007-03-11

We read the Spiderwick Chronicles series and wanted more. So, when we found there was a Field Guide available we jumped at it. My kids have studied the characters in the book and have gone on faerie hunts in the yard and elsewhere. Fun! I'd recommend it for all 7-10 year-olds who are seriously interested in all things faerie.

A book to spark the imagination.......2007-03-08

My 5th grade son came home from school and insisted we buy this book. The reading teacher at his school had brought the book in to his classroom and they all went wild for it. It is very imaginative with wonderful illustrations of mythical creatures and is categorized in six different areas of fantastical creatures ("Around the house and yard" i.e. brownies, boggarts, changelings, pixies, etc. "In Fields and Forests" - cockatrices, elves leprechauns, manticores, sprites, treefolk, etc. "In Lakes and Streams" - kelpies, merfolk, nixies, sea serpents, trolls etc. "In The Hills and Mountains" - dwarves, giants, goblins, knockers, ogres, etc. "In The Sky" - dragons, griffins and phoenixes and "Outside At Night" - banshees, gargoyles, phookas, and will-o-the wisps among many many others. It is beautifully illustrated and has lots of information on the fictional (or is he?) Arthur Spiderwick's adventurous travels. My 2nd grade daughter really enjoys looking at the pictures although the text is too hard for her. This is a great book for older children, especially children like my son that are reluctant readers. Its the kind of book they pick up over and over. Because my children enjoyed this so much, we recently bought Spiderwick's The Care and Feeding of Sprites which is great but doesn't compare with the Fantastical World Around You (which covers many different species of mythical creatures with detailed descriptions and information on each). Happy reading and imagining!

Ceremonial Magic & The Power of Evocation: A System of Personal Power

Average customer rating:

Power at a Price
A must for any serious student of the art.
A book that had to be written.
Worth every page.
Only for magicians with medieval mind sets

Ceremonial Magic & The Power of Evocation: A System of Personal Power
Joseph C. Lisiewski
Manufacturer: New Falcon Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1561841978

Book Description

For centuries, the ceremonial evocation of spiritual beings has been Magic's darkest corner. Reputed to fulfill the Magician's material desires, evocation has been the topic of the most famous Grimoires---the Grammars of Magic. From the Sworn Book of Honorius the Magician, to the Greater Key of Solomon and the Goetia; from the Grand Grimoire, to the complete treatise of the Lemegeton, all give direct, yet difficult, directions to the individual desiring to have the 'good life' in the here-and-now.

But the simplest of Grimoires, the Heptameron of Peter de Abano, has escaped the attention of modern Ceremonialists. Its simplicity and power in summoning the Aerial Spirits is second to none.

Ceremonial Magic lays bare the operation of the Heptameron. Its Magical Axioms, extensive Commentaries, copious notes, and personal instructions to the reader---all gained from Dr. Lisiewski's forty-years of study and practice in Ceremonial Magic---make this a resource that no serious student of Magic can afford to be without. It is all here, as in no other Grimoire. Use its instructions and the world of evocation and personal gratification are well within your grasp!

Customer Reviews:

Power at a Price.......2007-09-18

Does the "old style" magical system advocated by Lisiewski work? Yes, I can personally attest that it does. But is it worth it? I can also attest that it does not. This style of magical evocation requires pact-making, explicitly or implicitly, which rarely ends well for the magician. I suggest a much more spiritually balanced approach to evocation, such as that found in the work of Franz Bardon.

A must for any serious student of the art........2007-09-16

This book is absolutely phenomenal. I will most certainly never view the occult, and most definitely modern occultism, in the same light.
While I don't plan on practicing the rites of the book anytime soon, they have offered me great insights into the physical reality of the occult.
Having long been a student of Crowley and others, I feel it safe to say that I will never return to their systems of magic.

A book that had to be written........2007-08-01

Usually I do not read books regarding magic that is written by or after Crowley since I consider most books either written by him or that has been written after him to have deviated from the original path of magic.

So I was very suprised to find that there were others that suspected and belived the same thing as I did about all theese modern magicians out there. I think this is the most important message this book has. Take pretty much any modern magician today and read their source material and you will find that most of them have no idea what they are talking about and that they are skipping parts that are crucial for the magic to work. The New Age has had a devastating effect on all of the occult practices and today there are only a small community left doing magic that gives result.

Lisiewski presents a working system with the laws you need to apply the system you learn here for the hepatameron so you can apply that to other grimoires as well. You could just as well develop your own personal style from the rules set up in his book. This magic will give you results but it takes time to get ready and you have to work for it. Something the New Agers have forgetten how to do.

Worth every page........2007-05-13

Well, for anyone who studies "symbolic language" of the mind, old ways of understanding of life in new modern world, this is very great sum of information,and a practical guide through, nicely reproduced heptameron of Peter de Abano. I was happy to see that the Heptameron was reproduced by an authority on its subject by Dr.Lisiewski.I do recomend book for those who look for honest study and understanding of the content.Dr.Lisiewski left lots of room to make up your own mind about its content,yet he sticks to his own ways-beliefs rightfully, like in physics, there is only one truth, one law,rest is a speculation.

Only for magicians with medieval mind sets.......2007-04-09

It is always interesting to read a book whose author has a world view completely different to your own. However, this said although the book was very informative and sometime hilarious to read, it is ultimately for me completely useless in practical terms. So unless you have a medieval mind set, with a staunch Catholic upbringing and delight in Opus Dei type privation and fasting stay well clear of this book.

My main criticisms are:

1) Some of the items used in rituals require to be blessed by a Catholic priest. E.g. the 100% white linen robe requires to be WORN by a priest during a particular type of mass. The `holy water' isn't just normal holy water but has to me the type from a baptismal font. The author steals his holy water from churches after baptisms. The `holy chalk' has to be blessed by a priest. The list does go on from this.

2) The whole arrogant "I am right and everyone else if wrong" attitude which drips off every page of the book is very off putting and strikes me the author is too caught up in his own dogma to see what is actually important.

3) The author works form the premise that "old Grimoires" are correct and true in every respect. He spends pages and pages telling us how wrong/bad/terrible "New Age Practices" are - interesting is lumps the Golden Dawn/OTO in with the "New Age" lot. However he fails to demonstrate WHY "old Grimoires" are correct - his reasons seem to be: they are complete, they are old and because I've used them for 40 years. Sorry, but this is not good enough - you can't criticise modern magical practice and then place your own system on a pedestal without justification.

All this said it was a very interesting read.

Average customer rating:

A satisfying merging of two great story lines
Just as good as Tithe, only a little different feel to it
Excellent book!
Really great
Good .. but somthing was missing for me.

Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale
Holly Black
Manufacturer: Margaret K. McElderry
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689868200

Book Description

In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben's coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing -- her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can't see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows doesn't exist: a faerie who can tell a lie.

Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth -- that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother's shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye finds herself a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben's throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it. In this game of wits and weapons, can a pixie outplay a queen?

Holly Black spins a seductive tale at once achingly real and chillingly enchanted, set in a dangerous world where pleasure mingles with pain and nothing is exactly as it appears.

Customer Reviews:

A satisfying merging of two great story lines.......2007-09-15

Wow! Holly Black strikes again! This was a really good book - perhaps not as great as Tithe or Valiant, but satisfying nonetheless. With Tithe, you're introduced to Black's faery world - rich, dark, and creepy as all hell (which, I suppose, is her point). I loved it, and Kay is a wonderful charater in and of herself. When I bought Valiant, I was expecting more of the same, but the book delivered an alternate view of the same world, contributing to the exceedingly multi-dimensional aspects of the gritty, urban existence Black so exactingly creates. So, having read about Kay and then about Val, I wasn't sure what I would be gettin with Ironside: one or the other? Getting both was very fun. The world of Ironside is, as a result of the first two books, extremely detailed and complex - as are the characters - and, once again, a wonderful place to read about. Black's faeries aren't gossamer or wispy, but that's what makes them so fabulous. Those who have read Tithe may feel a little let down by Roiben's distance: he is both cold and inaccessible in Ironside, especially when one yearns for his love like Kay does. While Ironside can get convoluted at times - the blending of the two storylines can result in some confusion, and no one should read Ironside without having at least read Tithe first, and preferably both Tithe and Valiant - the result is, overall, an extremely pleasing, dark, and tangible faery tale that I highly recommend.

Just as good as Tithe, only a little different feel to it.......2007-08-04

I loved this book as much as I loved the first ( Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale ), even though this book was written quite a bit before Tithe (October 1, 2002) it was just as good a read. Although, it does seem a little less "dark" than Tithe had, even less so than Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie for that matter. For those of you who care, Ironside also has less swearing than Tithe ( it's still there, just not on every page ). I'm not going to say anything about the storyline because I'm actually really bad at doing that, but I will say that a few characters from Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie make an appearance here (including Luis, who moves up to be a main character for Ironside). Well i hope you enjoy this book as much as i did.
oh also i want to put in (I only like buying books if the author is a nice person ) that i met Holly Black, and she IS a nice lady.

Excellent book!.......2007-08-03

Holly Black is an awesome writer. Couldn't put the book down -- easy read and loved the story. Anxiously awaiting her next book!

Really great.......2007-07-25

I really love this book.

I'm 18- I read everything, mostly adult fantasy and science fiction, but once in a while I simply can't resist the urge to sneak back into the teen section and find something great. Holly Black is just one of those great things. It doesn't take long to read, because it is a teen book and pretty easy reading at that, but you're going to want to read it all in one sitting anyway. Holly Black will remind you of Emma Bull, and in fact it seems like she may have read a lot of her stuff, but she definitely has ideas and a voice of her own. Ironside is interesting, exciting, and captivating. It picks up where she left off with Tithe, and also includes some of the great characters from Valiant.

Ironside continues the story of the changeling pixie Kaye and her love interest Roiben. Their story and quests are, of course, the main plot line- very thrilling, filled with riddles and dangerous intrigue. However, what I really adored about this book was that it took some time to focus on Corny, a character who I was a little afraid of in Tithe, but who I came to absolutely love as I read this. I really appreciate the way Holly Black makes all of her characters come to life, and how she's sure to give all of them a really decent storyline.

I couldn't put this book down while I was reading it, and I was really pleased with the way it ended, too, tying up all the loose ends. I'd really recommend this to anyone who's interested in a beautiful urban fantasy story.

Good .. but somthing was missing for me........2007-06-11

I liked this book, I did but honestly I thought I would like it more. not that I didn't enjoy it, hard not to like Holly's work really. It's just that I felt it didn' carry quite the same weight as the other two. It's possible that because I liked Valiant so much that going back to Kaye's story interesting as it was, was like backsliding a little. Another reviewer pointed out that perhaps the reason Ironside is a slight let down is because we don't find out why Kaye was switched in the first place. I thought of that while I was reading, but I came to the conclusion some where along the way that there was no real reason that Kaye was switched, at least in the Kaye is secretly someone uber special, who's destiny will alter Faerie forever kind of way. I think it had more to do with the fact that Chibi-Kaye (I love that) was exotic looking and as such would have atracted the notice of the Fey, like an unusual piece of art, they wanted to collect her. Of course that doesn't reall account for why The Brite Queen wanted her looked after, but the books don't say that that is an unusual thing, or maybe I missed it. After all such a big thing is made of Pixies being low born it just doesn't make sense the the Seelie Gentry would single Kaye out. another thing is, I would have liked to know Kaye's true name, though I can see why Kaye herself woudn't want to know it.

But mostly the thing I found odd was that Ironside seems to be an ending. If this is the end why write Valiant at all, yes there are cameos on all sides through the three books but it's still off. Unless Valiant's purpose was to introduce Luis and Dave, but if it was why have Val as the center of the story instead of Luis and Dave themselves. I don't know, Guess I'm hoping there will be more books. it would suck to have all these questions go unanswered. And because these are some seriously good reading.

Average customer rating:

Rough writing, good anyway: not for 12-year-olds
Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale
YUCK! I hate the foul language!
Fantastical
dull and occasionally incoherent

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale
Holly Black
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689867042

Amazon.com

Sixteen-year-old Kaye Fierch is not human, but she doesn't know it. Sure, she knows she's interacted with faeries since she was little--but she never imagined she was one of them, her blond Asian human appearance only a magically crafted cover-up for her true, green-skinned pixie self. First-time author Holly Black explores Kaye's self-discovery and dual worlds in her riveting, suspenseful novel Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale. The book has its faults: it slips into shock-value mode; the descriptions are often overwritten (sunset on the water looks like the sun slit his wrists in a bathtub); the language is overly, unnecessarily explicit; and the writing often unpolished. Still, the story's pull is undeniable, and readers under its spell will be hard-pressed to put the book down.

The novel begins in a bar in Philly, where Kaye's alcoholic rock-singer mother's boyfriend tries to kill her. For their own safety, mother and daughter quickly move back to grandma's on the New Jersey shore where Kaye grew up. This ugly turn of events was all rigged by the Faerie world, as it turns out, a world Black describes in deliciously vivid, if rather overblown, detail. Kaye, a drinking, smoking, foul-mouthed high school dropout in the land of mortals, soon finds herself embroiled--as a human sacrifice, no less--in a battle between Faerieland's Seelie and more malevolent Unseelie courts. The beautiful, mysterious knight Roiben, torn between worlds himself, falls in love with Kaye--the brave, clever changeling--against his better judgment. Throughout the electrifying journey to the horrific underworld of this modern faerie fantasy, teen readers will relate to a hard-luck tough girl who feels alienated, discovers her best qualities in the worst of circumstances, and finally finds a place between worlds where she can feel at home. (Ages 13 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries!

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms -- a struggle that could very well mean her death.

Customer Reviews:

Rough writing, good anyway: not for 12-year-olds.......2007-09-27

"Young Adult" is an ambiguous category, and this book is not really for 12-year-olds, as stated in one of the press reviews, but truly for the young adult; the protagonist is 15, and the reader should be about that age due to mild sexual content and the glorification of shoplifting and smoking. (Kaye's shoplifting experience helps her save the day: not a nice message.)

The writing is amateurish; some passages have misused words and awkward grammar, and I agree with the reviewer who said that some bits are overwritten. Nonetheless, the characters are well drawn, and the descriptions of fairies very evocative, reminding the reader of Rosetti's Goblin Market or Bosch's paintings.

As a first novel, it's pretty good. I'm interested in reading some of Black's more recent work. I hope she's gotten herself some more brutal help with editing, as the rough writing is really the only thing standing between "pretty good" and "wow".

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale.......2007-09-21

This book could have been better. It has a good plot, but I just didn't like how it was written. It seemed like it went by too fast. Certain important things weren't described enough, and when something dramatic happened I didn't feel like anything special was happening, because it was all written the same way.

Still, the story was good. I might read the sequels, but I think that depends on whether or not I get to them.

YUCK! I hate the foul language! .......2007-09-20

I honestly didn't get very far into the book due to foul language. Just though other potential readers might want to be aware.

Fantastical.......2007-09-07

I will start by saying I don't usually read 'young adult' books, but more and more have been finding them fun to read. I began with Stephenie Meyer's series Twilight, New Moon etc and really loved it(honestly hate the publishers for only releasing them once a year), so I figured I'd delve into another young adult series.

I thought this book started off slowly, but definitely picked up. I also found Holly Black's writing to be a bit confusing in a couple different ways. She uses very specific faerie words and sometimes I wasn't sure what she was talking about, though I think of myself as pretty well versed in faerie things(I went thru a phase). So sometimes it was hard to come up with a visual because I had no clue what on earth she was talking about. (heck, it could use a faerie dictionary in the back!)
I also thought she could use some more description of the creatures and places. Some were good, others were lacking, she needs to be more consistent. I rarely say 'I want more description!' as I hate descriptions droning on and on, but for this it would have been helpful to get a real solid idea of the author's vision of Faerie land and all its inhabitants.

Once I got over these little things, I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun and new story. I was especially intrigued by the parts with the kelpie and would have liked to learn more about it. I'm excited to move on to valiant and ironside.

dull and occasionally incoherent.......2007-08-18

The book has no spark of life, and limited originality. Characters act without reason - stumbling from one mess to the next, creating little blobs of action rather than a narrative arc that spans the whole book.

A lot of the reviews say this book is very "dark" and the world of the fey is terrifying as well as beautiful. I was disappointed to find that while there is a fair amount of vividly dark description, Holly's fairies essentially think and act like humans. They aren't convincingly different or other. This pretty much negated any impact that all of the dark and dangerous trappings might have had.

The character of Roiben disappointed me as well. He's a lynchpin of the book - it's his sexual energy that is meant to charge the book, and he is also Kaye's primary liaison with the world of faerie. He's a make-or-break character, so when he became just as dull and human as the other fey in the book, I really lost interest.

Average customer rating:

Now I gotta build another "upper"....
For the long range AR shooter
Very Informative
Excelent book
Keep this one in your range bag

Black Magic: The Ultra Accurate AR-15
John Feamster
Manufacturer: Precision Shooting, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1931220018

Book Description

This book was the original AR-15 accuracy book and its popularity today is undiminished. In the early days of attempting to improve the AR-15 in accuracy, most authorities were on record with the opinion that it would nver accomplish much beyond 200 yards. Today it rules the highpower shooting world out to and including 600 yards (and occasionally beyond). Extensive information on loading the .223 with heavier bullets, barrel twists and accurizing accessories.

Customer Reviews:

Now I gotta build another "upper"...........2007-02-20

John Feamster's book illustrates how Eugene Stoner's ugly little black gun has really matured.

The chapters on barrel-twist, chamber tolerances and bedding (yes, an AR has places that can be bedded) were very interesting, and I might try some of the recommendations with my present rifle, along with other upper receivers that I might build in the future.

The "war stories" were funny as hell, too.

For the long range AR shooter.......2006-03-24

Some of the information was very useful (especially with regard to ammo and some equipment), but not real current. Also, author's writing style was a bit distracting. Too many !!!!!!s and capitalized words (for example "WHEW!!!!!", "EGADS!!!!", "GRIN!!!!!, "AH HA!!!!!". A little bit of this goes a long way.

Very Informative.......2005-09-30

Great book, has a lot of useful info on getting started and familiarizing yourself with the intricacies of the AR15 in competition.

Excelent book.......2005-02-15

I am in the process of putting together my own rifle, and have enjoyed this book quite a bit. It has a lot of technical information, though it is presented in a manner that is easy to read. I think this is a must have book, though, I do wish that the author would come back, and update it, since it is getting a bit dated.

Keep this one in your range bag.......2003-03-18

Aside from being a very entertaining read (excellent for those endless waits at the benchrest range), "Black Magic" is a comprehensive review and analysis of the use of the AR-15 in high precision (mostly competitive) shooting.

I found Feamster's "history of the mousegun" to be informative not only from a curiousity standpoint, but also as a nice primer on the modifications and changes that made the AR-15 competitive.

The advice offered for accurizing the AR-15 is indispensable, and well organized by function. Not only are the functional characteristics of the rifle addressed, but advice is offered on targets, powder & ammunition, and application-specific tips on varmint hunting & law enforcement uses.

Book Description

Can't get enough of the faerie world? Well, Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, the brave souls that helped Mallory, Simon, and Jared Grace bring their amazing adventures to a worldwide audience, are here to help you find yours!

Presenting The Spiderwick Chronicles Notebook for Fantastical Observations. This handy interactive storybook features seventeen mini-adventures collected from faerie watchers around the globe as well as plenty of pages for readers to add their own stories, maps, charts, notes, lists, diagrams, and drawings. So get ready to embark on your own faerie adventure -- all you need is an observant eye and an open mind. Just keep your wits about you. After all... their world is closer than you think....

Customer Reviews:

Now I can keep track.......2006-08-25

Now I can keep track of all those funny things that happen during the day and never new what it was. I knew there was always someone (or something) behind all the shadows, objects moving around, hiding things on me, thinking I was nuts...... A perfect journal for everyone to keep track of happenings and thoughts.

Fantastical Observations.......2006-07-14

Fantastical Observations is for the littlest Spiderwick fans and maybe for those who like to keep a journal. The Notebook is 200 pages about 50 pages of which are short anecdotes/stories about fairies and about 150 of which are lined pages for adding notes. Don't get this if you haven't already read and loved the Spiderwick books.

A book which comes in handy........2006-04-27

This book is an outstandibly good book.This book has lots of secrets that you wouldn't have found out in all of the five spiderwick books.This book had lots of tips about "how to recognise a faery".I think the best things about this book was it included maps that you need to find places,diagrams which you need to help you discover and so on.I rated this book five because it was very useable.I could even use it for jabbing in a nail!LOL like i would i'll stuff my precious book.I want to give a credit to the author that you have surely come a long way from those good spiderwick books.You have made this book..BRILLIANT.B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T.I recomend this book for children who would like to know most of the better secrets before reading all the five spiderwick books.

Perfect for boys and girls!.......2006-01-10

A lot of "diary" type books you see on the market are for girls only--don't boys need encouragement to write as well? This is the best I've seen for any gender. With good vocabulary, excellent writing prompts, and varied activities, this is a sure-fire winner for any child. My 11 y/o doesn't really like to draw, but there are many other creative activities for him in this book, such as mapping his neighborhood and naming his own fantastic beasts--complete with space for his own adjectives to describe them. Highly recommended!

repeat read.......2005-07-08

My son (8) LOVES this book. He has read all the books in this series, however, he keeps coming back to this book.

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