Duncan's Bride is sexy, sassy, a real page turner, it's all the things I've come to expect from Linda Howard.

Reese Duncan wants a wife but not for love or any of those sappy reasons. He has a strong sex drive, he wants children and a strong woman willing to help him rebuild his ranch. In the heroine's words he wants a brood mare. He's been burned by his ex-wife who wasn't willing to rough it out as a ranch wife and took half of everything he owned in the divorce settlement, leaving him nearly bankrupt. So he places an add and gets three measly responses. Madelyn Patterson is the only applicant who sets his blood boiling but she's all citified and completely wrong for the job - or so he thinks. His lack of choices, her determination and her sex appeal win her the job and they marry.

All of the above takes place right away and the remainder of the book is spent watching Maddie prove to Reese that all woman aren't like his ex-wife. He's got a lot of baggage to deal with but Maddie handles him with humor and tenderness, two things he isn't used to but over time learns he desperately can't live without. He is an extreme alpha man, one who wants his wife to give him babies, cook dinner, clean the house, and jump when he snaps his fingers, all without a complaint. He is overbearing and sometimes he annoyed me but as much as I wanted to give him a swift kick in his pretty rear, I understood why he was this way. He'd been hurt and destroyed and was only protecting himself and his future children. So, I could deal with all of his chest pounding and I liked the fact that Maddie handled him maturely and never lowered herself by giving into a fit of whimpiness or "poor me's". She didn't out and out tell him off which would not have worked with this guy anyway, but she did it in more subtle ways, getting under his skin and teaching him to love again. She was an admirable character and the only thing I couldn't figure out was why such a sweet, sensual, twenty-eight year old woman had no steady boyfriend or sexual history previous to meeting Reese. It wasn't really explained, unless I missed it. But I'm being nitpicky, I liked this book, the characters were three dimensional, the love scenes were steamy, and most importantly it made me feel.

This was the first Howard book I've read and was impressed. Take one old fashioned Montana rancher, who lost 1/2 of everything he owned to his first 'city' wife during a divorce & one 'city' girl who's determined to make him believe in love.

Reese's heart guided him in his first disastrous marriage, he was determined his head would guide him the second time. So he advertised for a no-nonsense wife to bare is children, keep his bed warm, cook,clean, etc. Madelyn, city girl and somewhat wealthy,replied to his ad -- only to be told she didn't suit after their meeting! After all she was too cute and too city bred to survive the tough life on a ranch and he was cynical enough not to trust another 'city' girl.

But there was a immediate attraction between the two. He eventually calls her in New York with his proposal and their life together on the ranch begins...through trials and triumph, this was a very good weekend read.

If you read the other reviews you already know the story. I want to add that Duncan's Bride is one of my favorites along with Loving Evangeline (Madelyn's brother Robert's story). This is another sexy, sensual story as only Linda can write. I love the strength of Linda's heroines and Madelyn is no exception. I hear myself chanting "You Go Girl" at some of her antics. This one is a definite keeper I'm sure you will enjoy.

"Duncan Delaney" is a great read. It reminds me of early Tom McGuane or Tom Robbins. The story moves right along, from Wyoming to Hollywood, and it kept me laughing all the way. The characters are always entertaining, if sometimes a bit surreal or cartoonish (but in a good way) and I always cared about what happened to them, sometimes more than the charcters seemed to care about themselves. It's both funny (laugh out loud funny) and touching, but I felt a little let down at the ending. I look forward to more from Haskett, and will definately buy his next book.

I just finished A. L. Haskett's delightful book, Duncan Delaney and the Cadillac of Doom. To be honest, I was a little put off by the title but the cover art and the book description caught my interest. I started the book one evening and didn't put it down again until I finished later that night. I don't want to give away the plot so I'm not going to go in to specifics. I can say that the lead character, Duncan Delaney is one of the most interesting and fun characters I've read in quite a while -- and as I said in the title of my review, his friends and family (especially his mother and her boyfriend) as well as all the associated characters are just too fun to read.

I live in the southwest and the author's descriptions of the desert are right on target. I can't exactly call this a southwestern tale (although in part it is) and I can't really call it a love story either (although in part it is). What I guess it most reminds me of is a tale of adventure and love and friendship in a southwestern world with almost a Kurt Vonnegut type feel to it. I hope that makes some kind of sense, the book truly transcends most genres. It is a really good read.

Check this one out. Mr. Haskett is a great writer that, if this book is any indication, we'll all be reading more of in the future. Go for it -- you'll be glad you tried something new in the literary field.

Enormous fun. The characters are fresh, the dialogue sparkles. The book is extremely funny, sometimes laugh out loud funny yet still manages to be also tender, and touching. It creates then sustains a wonderful rhythm; the plotting is clever with plenty of twists and surprises. Above all there's a freshness and exuberance to the writing that made me very sorry to see the book end.

My Story as Told by Water covers a varied terrain ranging from environmental activism to the virtues of fly-fishing without a hired guide. The book is really a collection of essays (many published in other books and periodicals) about rivers in the Northwestern United States. Duncan shares much of his early life growing up in neighborhoods just beyond the growing tentacles of Portland, Oregon. He writes openly about this family, including his bitter confrontation over the war in Vietnam with his dad, and the loss of his brother. Given such a backdrop, it's easy to understand how Duncan turned to the solitude of fishing local streams to deal with the pain of his youth.

Later in the book, Duncan finds his stride writing about the not-so-bright outlook facing wild salmon along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. You can almost feel the tears welling up in his eyes as he describes their near exit from his world. He sums up the disaster of the salmon run on the Snake River this way: "The babble of 'salmon management' rhetoric has taken a river of prayful human yearning, diverted it into a thousand word-filled ditches, and run it over alkali. When migratory creatures are prevented from migrating, they are no longer migratory creatures: they're kidnap victims. The name of the living vessel in which wild salmon evolved and still thrive is not 'fish bypass system,' 'smolt-deflecting diversionary strobe light,' or 'barge.' It is River."

Duncan opens his heart to the connections he has to rivers and wild fish. But more importantly, he gives us inspiration for making our own connections to those wild places.

David James Duncan is one of those rare writers that leaves you forever changed after encountering their work. I know I will gratefully never be the same after reading this book. I walked into it one person, and upon completing it, was another. His perceptions of the world are so rare that the fact he can write them down with such fathomless talent, passion and care, verges on unbelievable. I only come across writing this powerful once every five to ten years and count it a true blessing when it happens.
The portion titled "A Prayer for the Salmon's Second Coming" should be read by every single American period. In another chapter called "When Birdwatching Is a Blood Sport" he writes, "When wild elk, to remain alive, are forced to wipe out wild salmon, it is time, in my book, to get sad".
This book woke me up to many things I'd slept through. If you are more fortunate than I, and already awake, the words in this book will make your own words even more powerful. Buy it, read it, treasure it, share it. You'll never regret it.

Once again, David James Duncan captures most eloquently the inherent spirituality of nature. This collection of essays, speeches, and 1 song has moved me just as much as "The River Why", perhaps even more so, as this book is set in beautiful, raw, besieged reality. I dare you to read this book and not be inspired to make your corner of the world a little better, and a little more hospitable to every living thing. Duncan writes that he "became a nonfiction writer--after no apprenticeship whatever--at the age of 40. I did so not out of a sense of calling, but out of a sense of betrayal, out of rage over natural systems violated, out of grief for a loved world raped, and out of a craving for justice." This is the passion that forms this book, a book created in love for the rivers his writing sings for, and anger for the desecration of those same rivers. BUY THIS BOOK!

Yes, despite the use of the southern vernacular throughout this first novel, MOON WOMEN is eloquent. In the beginning I wasn't sure if I would like this book. Was I going to read another book about southern women who were outspoken and cranky in public, drank too much bourbon in the moonlight, and were pious towards God, country, and men? Nope. Not this time. The Moon women (their last name) are much more than some stereotype of the south. As you read and come to know them, you see what has troubled them, what has made them happy, what has made them the women they are.

This is not a funny novel. Ruth Ann's 20 year old daughter Ashley comes home from drug rehab on the same day her 82 year old mother Marvella decides she's going to move in with Ruth Ann. No one is more surprised than I am when the lives of these women and their men become more interesting than watching a baseball game.

Marvella's memories are woven into the present-day story in a subtle manner which makes the reader become more and more curious about the ramblings and outbursts towards her family.

Give this novel a chance. It has nothing to do with the Moon or astronauts. It has to do with love and independence and time, the great healer.

I heartily applaud Pamela Duncan for her first novel, "Moon Women". The book tells the story of 4 women trying to come to grips with the reality of their lives. Ruth Ann is the mother, just getting used to her freedom being divorced from her husband A.J. But in one day her life suddenly does a complete turn around and she finds herself trying to once again relate with her daughter Ashley 19, who has just gotten out of rehab and come home to stay and who is pregnant. Then there is Marvelle, Ruth Ann's mother who at 84 is slowly sliding into senility. Her mother has been living with Ruth's sister Cassandra but, Marvelle decides she would rather stay with Ruth Ann and Ashley.
Thus starts the story of nine months out of these women lives as they learn from and about each other. Ashley who has spent 19 years running away from home now finds herself on a journey to find herself, Cassandra who has always hid behind her obesity and lonliness trys to come to terms with the life she has been dealt. Marvelle living between today and the past and has stories she wants her daughters and granddaughter to know before she passes. Ruth Ann is just trying to hang on to each of them and somehow find herself too. This is a heartwarming story that will leave the reader glad they took the time to listen.

This is the debut book of Pamela Duncan. She shows great promise as a future noteworthy author,already at work on her second book. This story deals with Ruth Ann Moon,divorced,in her fifties,seeking some satisfaction from her middle-aged life. She is faced with the return home from rehab of her pregnant, rebellious daughter, Ashley. Her ex-husband,A.J., her eighty three year old, semi senile, mother, Marvella,and her sister Cassandra all enter into the life she seems to be losing control over. Ashely and Marvella move in with her,complementing each other,easing Ruth Ann's life in an unexpected way. Pamela Duncan develops each character so well that you almost feel like a part of the family. She is able to give each age group personalities characteristic of their age. This story is all about families; their relationships,both good and bad, the bonding,arguing and loyalties we all are familar with in our own families. You will love all of the people and their interactions. Having lived in both North and South Carolina the vernacular of the characters is so typical of Ruth Ann and her family's class and so well portrayed. This is a great feel-good book with a wonderfully tender ending.

Being a software dev myself , it came as a shock to read all the issues higlighted in the book. Shocking because this is so prevalent in corporate America - doesnt matter if its a big conglomerate or a small start-up. There is something for everyone in this.

My advice - buy it , read it and follow it . You won't regret it .

This book is not only about Corporate America, but also about Corporate Europe.
The book gives a good explanation why sales and marketings give us such a hard time, and how we can solve all the problems we encounter in these situations. You will recognize a lot of situations he mentions, and will regret that you didn't read this book before you started your life as a programmer in the Corporate world and spent whole weekends programming because the deadlines are approaching.
The Career Programmer is a must read for every programmer, junior or senior. I even think that this book is very good literature for sales & marketing people and for managers.
I'm sure that I will read this book more than once. It was written in a "cut the..." way, very humorous and still very interesting. (I really like the way chris goes to job interviews :)
I'm looking forward to other books from Chris !

Having only worked in small companies, I found myself nodding a lot to what Chris has written and it's not just limited to Corporate America!
Even down here in Australia, we experience the same strange behaviours from those who are supposed to "know" yet don't.
Chris's book has great advice for anyone who develops software for a living and anyone thinking about developing software for a living.
A book every software developer should read and have on their shelf.

In this touching and true story, the author tells about her daughter, Kaitlyn Arquette, thought to be an intelligent, bright, and clever person, got herself in trouble by trusting all the wrong people. Both mystery and non-fiction, Who Killed My Daughter? is suspenseful and touching. Lois Duncan explains her quest to solve the mystery of her daughter's murder. It is truely amazing how Duncan combines all the information on her daughter's case in this book. She also tells about her frusteration with the police, and how she must work on the case without their help. Duncan describes the characters so well that I felt like I personally knew them. Her casual and sincere writing style made the easy to read and hard to put to down. Duncan also tells about how her family struggles coping with Kaitlyn's death. The image of Kaitlyn, a beautiful, smart and loved teenager, was shattered when I discovered the shocking information she was hiding. To me, that was the scariest part. The book was mysterious, and left me shocked at the fact that it is a true story. The theme of being careful who you trust was very educational, and taught me to more careful about certain things. I highly recommend this book, especially to mystery-lovers. I, myself, am not a mystery fan, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Who Killed My Daughter? is a great, and very true book that everyone can enjoy.

Lois Duncan was my favorite author as a young reader. She always kept you going with twists and turns, great plots, believable characters. This book about her daughter Kaitlyn's "random" shooting astounded me. When I first saw the book I "had" to have it because to write a true crime book about your own child, especially an unsolved murder, and an author of such talent, I knew it would be a wonderful -- and terrible -- book. Poor Ms. Duncan never gave up after the Albuquerque, N.M., police told her it was a random shooting. The mother did her own digging and learned Kaitlyn might have been involved in some Vietnamese gangs. She turns the case to private investigators and finally to psychics, who help her uncover what she suspected all along. This was no random shooting. Anyone interested in how police often have tunnel vision and won't follow up leads after they come up with their own beliefs should read this book. Lois Duncan tells reader in her thriller style how this very real terror could happen to you.

I've always been a fan of true crime, but this book included such a personal view that it left a chill in the thrill of reading true crime novels. Never has an autobiographical novel been so honest and forthcoming, so human in its account of a family's tragedy. When you read this Lois Duncan book, you feel like you come to know the writer behind those printed words. You'll find yourself gasping from surprise and twitching in suspense simultaneously with Ms. Duncan. It was a book I couldn't put down until it was read, and then I wanted to pick it up again to reread this unsolved mystery. Underneath the mystery and intrigue, there is a beautiful story of a mother and daughter relationship that truly transcends this earth.

This book is one of a number of Professor Challenger adventures of Sir A. C. Doyle. A noted zoologist (Challenger) has come across evidence that there is a plateau in South America that can be reached from deep in the Amazon rain forest in which prehistoric animals still exist. An expedition of four (Challenger, a sceptical zoologist named Summerlee, a noted hunter (Lord John Roxton), and Edward Malone, a journalist) sets out to verify this report. The arguing and interactions between the academics is interesting in that little seems to have changed in the last 87 years! It should be noted that Doyle isolates the plateau so that there is minimal interaction with the rest of the rain forest (thus, the dinosaurs can't escape). But, why couldn't the ptereodactyls spread out? This story was one of the earliest "Lost World" tales and has been made into a film a number of times. Other stories in this sub-genre owe much to Doyle and Challenger.

Professor Challenger, a protagonist as unique and eccentric as Sherlock Holmes, "challenges" the London Zoological Society to send a team of impartial judges to verify his claims that dinosaurs live on a plateau in the Brazilian rain forest. Professor Summerlee, a staunch foe of Challenger, accepts the challenge. Lord John Roxton, a soldier and big game hunter, agrees to go along, and Edward Malone, a star rugby player and journalist, goes as their scribe.

The world they find is every bit as captivating as Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, and the danger is every bit as exhilarating. The characters are more engaging, and the story contains a good deal of humor as the four strong personalities clash a number of times on a number of levels.

There are no velociraptors to menace the adventurers, who have become hopelessly marooned, but a tribe of ape men serves quite well to provide the danger. It is a pleasure to have the English language used so well in describing the adventures of the four.

"The Lost World" is obviously the inspiration for Crichton's "Jurassic Park." Crichton may have modernized the story, but he certainly didn't improve it. Unfortunately, "The Lost World" reflects the ethnic insensitivity and "classism" of the Victorian Era, but if you can overlook that flaw, you will thoroughly enjoy the story.

Professor George E. Challenger, noted scientist, says dinosaurs are still alive, and he knows where to find them. The scientific community says he's a madman or a fraud, or both. Challenger's only evidence is a bunch of blurry photographs. Fellow scientists say the photos are obviously doctored and the newspapers call it a fantasy. Boiling with rage, Challenger goes into seclusion. Anyone foolish enough to bring up the tender subject around him is liable to end up in the gutter outside his house, with a few extra lumps for the gutter press.

The only reporter brave, or stupid, enough to face the professor's wrath and get the story is Edward Malone, young, intrepid journalist for the Daily Gazette. At a boisterous scientific meeting, Professor Summerlee, a rival scientist, calls Challenger's bluff. Summerlee will return to South America and prove Challenger wrong. The young journalist volunteers to go along. Lord John Roxton, the famous hunter, can't miss an opportunity to return to the jungle and adds his name to expedition. Professor Challenger is happy they are taking him seriously, even if they don't all believe him. But what will they find in South America? A strange, living time capsule from the Jurassic period filled with pterodactyls and stegosaurs? Or will they only find vast tracks of endless jungles and Challenger's daydreams? Either way there will be danger and adventure for all.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote "The Lost World" in 1912 for the Strand magazine, the same magazine that published his Sherlock Holmes stories. It's a great Edwardian science-fiction adventure, although some may not like the British Imperialism and Darwinian racism. Still, in "The Lost World" Conan Doyle lets his hair down a little. Changing narrators from the earnest Doctor John Watson to the rash reporter Edward Malone makes for a big change. There is a good deal more humor. The students in the scientific meetings are forever yelling out jokes at the expense of nutty Professor Challenger. Affairs of the heart play a big role in Malone's life. He matures from a young swain out to impress his girlfriend to more of a wistful man-of-the-world by the end. It is a very different Conan Doyle than some are used to reading. Different, but just as good, maybe, dare I say it, even better.

High Trust Selling emphasizes the foundation of a solid sales career. Not everyone is prepared to develop High Trust relationships, but those who do become people of great influence. Todd understands tecniques essential for succesful selling, but more important, he knows the underlying qualities of life essential for genuine and long term success in a selling career.

Don Cartmell, Pres.
Toward Effective Management Inc.

Most people in sales go from one deal to the next, always wondering if the well is going to run dry. This is a long, hard way to make a living. It's so much better to become a person of such high integrity and trust that customers come to rely on you--not so much your product or service, but you personally. This does not happen overnight. But readers of High Trust Selling will get a head-start on changing their lives from salesmen to those who seek to serve and help. Highly recommended to all who sell anything.

Let the bestseller lists speak for themselves. With "High Trust Selling" Mr. Duncan has written a book that seems to be meeting salespeople right where they need to be met. As a writer I keep up-to-date with numerous book bestseller lists, and I have seen the book on many lists including Business Week, the L.A. Times, and the Wall Street Journal (last week) to name a few. It has also received several positive reviews in reputable publications.

In my profession, I've found that it's not difficult to size up the worth of a book. Great marketing can give a book success right away -- but it takes great content to keep a book buzzing; and "High Trust Selling" is still buzzing quite well after nearly six months on the bookstore shelves.

This book really gives a lot of insight into how the Phantom Menace was made. From idea to completed movie, you get to read about the entire process. I'd recommend it to any Star Wars fan.

This book provides a snap-shot of film-making at the end of the century. The story of Star Wars episode I's crafting in 150 pages. Packed with detail. Short quotes from people involved, from cast to crew, pepper the text adding colour and information. Well illustrated, clearly told and attention grabbing. Thorough in its scope and ecomomic in language, good reading and eminently collectible. A suitable companion to Thomas Smith's, Industrial Light and Magic: The Art of Special Effects (1986), which covered much on the special effects of episodes IV-VI. A contribution to the myth of Star Wars.

I'm a super Star Wars fan, so this book was great! There were great pictures and some things I really didn't know about Episode 1. If your a Star Wars fan, (as I am) read this book, it is a great book.