1099 Books

While this book is useful, I feel it falls short in a number of areas. The evaluations of the major waters are good, but those of the various secondary streams and lakes are cryptic, maybe necessarily so, and there are virtually no directions to any of these. The reader is given the name of a secondary stream or lake and a couple of lines evaluation. No directions, not even a general location other than the large portion of the state in which they are grouped. Joe Evancho appears to know what he is talking about, but he doesn't do a good job of passing that information on to the reader. I would rate this book about 3 stars (out of 5) and could recommend it if you don't have access to Retallic and Barker's Flyfisher's Guide to Idaho.

Fishing Idaho, An Angler's Guide is one of the most useful guide books I've ever had the pleasure to read. Mr. Evancho has gone to great lengths to cover every river, stream and lake in the state of Idaho. He does so without giving away any secret fishing holes, but the information is there for the determined angler to find those special places on his or her own. The book also includes other information useful to anyone plying the backroads of Idaho -- information on camping, boat ramps and air strips. You can tell that a lot of work went into producing this fine book. It makes a great gift for the angler on your list.

I don't need 1,000 words to describe this book. Just one: TERRIFIC. I purchased the book in Michigan, traveled to Idaho and found the information to be super good--from finding fishing spots based on written directions and maps. Accomodattion informtion was right on and Idaho is definitely a beautiful place. The book shows and tells how to go about fishing in Idaho whether you fish with flies or hardware or bait.

I just completed my first extended visit to Idaho. I bought this book not expecting much, like most fishing books...This is the exception! I was able to select some out of the way spots, and I was never let down! I rented boats, found access, met lesbians (oh just kidding) The BEST fishing book I've read to date! Bob Aydelott

Brig Gen Billy Mitchell is easily the most controversial leader in the history of the United States Air Force. A military leader with a quick grasp of America's emerging strategic threats, he had an equally quick tongue to express those opinions to the American public.

To truly appreciate the book, one needs to understand the era. It was the roaring twenties. America had just won a war, there was dramatic public support to pursue a large peace dividend, and all of America loved the newest method of travel -- the Airplane. Sensing the public's love of Aviation, and sensing the looming strategic threats to America, Mitchell went to the press to make the case for an independent Air Corps.

This book begins with a very quick introduction to Mitchell, and the USS Shenandoah's crash -- an aviation catastrophe that killed 14 naval airmen. Mitchell wrote a scathing 6,000 word essay for the nation's newspapers that insinuated that America's military and civilian leaders (including the President) were inept and unable to effectively use the Air Force. This essay proved to be the impetus to Mitchell's court martial.

The biography intersperses the trial with relevant biographical segments of Mitchell's life. The book lays out the facts, absent passion. Billy Mitchell wrote an incindiary article about our America's senior leaders. Was he guilty of insubordination? Was he tried by a Kangaroo court? After reading this book, you will be able to form your own opinions.

After reading the book, I am inclined to believe that Billy Mitchell was a genius, who liked to live beyond his means. He relied on this public controversy to create a demand for his magazine articles and recently published book "Winged Defense". Many of Billy Mitchell's theories were vindicated in World War II, and some of them waited more than 60 years for Operation Desert Storm to prove him correct. The man was truly an insightful strategist, but were his methods correct? This book documents the Air Corps' opinion on that question.

The Air Force is the brashest arm of the armed forces. It is far newer than the Army or Navy, and more reliant on the latest in technology. There is an image of the flyboy as handsome, heroic, and rule-bending if not rule-breaking. The archetype of such an image is General Billy Mitchell, whose most famous act was getting a court-martial in 1925 for speaking up about how he felt air power ought to be developed. His is a story that has been told before, even (badly) in the movies, but in _A Question of Loyalty: Gen. Billy Mitchell and the Court-Martial that Gripped the Nation_ (HarperCollins), Douglas Waller has retold the story with a wealth of new information and the help of the Mitchell family. Mitchell's story was a sensation during his trial, and as part of the universal drama of the iconoclastic genius against the system, presents issues for current times, besides being a lesson in how big organizations change or resist change.

The trial was the climactic event in Mitchell's life, and Waller has told it in lengthy detail, interspersing facts of Mitchell's earlier life and career within it. Mitchell didn't think his trial was the most important event in his life; he would have listed his role in WWI and his successful demonstration in 1921 that aircraft could sink a ship. Mitchell loved being a populist, skillfully using the media to enlist the support of the public for his causes. In September 1925, the Navy's dirigible _Shenandoah_ crashed in a thunderstorm, killing fourteen of its crew. Mitchell wrote a 6,000 word statement and issued it at a press conference, listing the _Shenandoah_'s demise specifically and other general ailments that he said "... are the direct result of the incompetency, criminal negligence and almost treasonable administration of the national defense by the Navy and War Departments." Mitchell was ordered to stand court-martial in Washington on catch-all charges that he had violated Army order and discipline and brought discredit to the military. The trial proved to be a sensation, studied daily and argued over by people who would have otherwise had no interest in air defense. The outcome is unsurprising; even if Mitchell had had ever fact correct in detail, he still would have been insubordinate. Hap Arnold, who admired him and commanded the Army Air Forces during World War II, said simply, "In accordance with the army code, Billy had it coming."

He died in 1936, so he did not live to see his vindication in World War II. Mitchell had predicted, for instance, that the Japanese would bomb Pearl Harbor from the air. Like any prophet, he didn't get all the details right, but his predictions about blitzkrieg, strategic bombing of cities, and others proved his thinking on the issues to be far more firmly grounded than his accusers. He has been vindicated in many ways. Of course the Air Force eventually became an independent part of the military as he had wanted. The "Mitchellites", those who had been his disciples, put his theories into practice during the war he knew was coming. Congress posthumously awarded him a special medal. The Air Force Academy's dining hall is named for him, and its class of 2001 selected him as the man they most wanted to emulate. It is a curious choice for our times. Waller clearly shows in this full biography that Mitchell was a brilliant and innovative leader and a daring commander in combat, as well as being a visionary on the future of air power, but he was during his lifetime mostly a pain in the neck for those he worked with. In the current atmosphere where questioning governmental decisions quickly leads to charges of supporting liberals or terrorists, any Billy Mitchell that is rising in the ranks could expect no better treatment from the military.

This is a very good biography of one of the 20th century's controversial figures; Army General Billy Mitchell. Prior to his court-martial in 1925, Mitchell had served in combat in the Spanish-American war and rose to Brigadier General in World War I as Pershing's Air Commander. Mitchell is best remembered for his demonstration of aircraft sinking a battleship. The movie "The Court- martial of Billy Mitchell" staring Gary Cooper glamorized the sinking and the court-martial. The battle ship was stationary and it took two days and many bombs to sink it. But, Mitchell proved correct about the vulnerability of capitol ships, as demonstrated in World War II. Mitchell liked to live the good life and to supplement his income, he did a lot of writing that cut against the grain of the mind set of the military commanders. What really got him in trouble was his press release after the disastrous loss of the airship Shenandoah and the loss of a Navy seaplane attempting a nonstop flight from San Diego to Hawaii. His press release was so scathing of the military command, there was no option but a court-martial for insubordination. Mitchell had many good ideas, but he went about pushing them forward the wrong way. He had a big mouth and no patience and in the end, got what he deserved.
A couple of interesting facts. Eddie Rickenbacker, famous WWI ace, was Mitchell's driver and Mitchell put him in the air. Douglas McArther was a member of the court-martial board. When asked after he had read the screenplay for the Mitchell movie if he could accurately play Mitchell, Gary Cooper replied, "I get paid to play myself".

In another century another age we forget how far American aviation history and the American military has progressed since the World War I era. Waller creates a vivid picture of the Billy Mitchell trial during the period that gripped the nation. The book provides interesting background on the man who challenged the Washington establishment and gives a view of military policy and capability just before and after World War I. Given the amount and length of the trial material Waller does a good job of presenting the both sides evenly. Mitchell was a compelling but flawed man who argued for an aviation future while living values more akin to his time.

The First Crusaders, 1095-1131
Amazingly detailed and researched, but I would expect nothing less from Jonathan Riley-Smith. (He also wrote the book The Crusades.) This book lists every possible participant in the First Crusade, complete with documentation and, if at all possible, the location of origin of each. If you need to know about a particular ancestor who may have fought in the First Crusade, this would be your absolute best source with which to start - Mr. Riley-Smith lists in complete detail all of his original source material, along with a lengthy bibliography. You can't do better than this as a start in your search for ancestors in the First Crusade.

This book provides a balanced and very well researched account of the men and women who participated in the First Crusade. From the amount of information that Riley-Smith includes in this work, it is clear that he really knows his stuff. Sometimes the detailed accounts of the crusader's lives is a little hard to slog through, but it definitely helps support his argument. I would have liked a more general overview of the First Crusade towards the beginning of the work. I don't know much about the history of the Crusades, and I had to piece together the sequence of events as Riley-Smith mentioned them throughout his work. But besides this complaint, the book was a good read.

This book is very informative. It not bias and shares both points of view on many issues. The way the book is organized is appropiate for the books content. The dates are clear and very accurate. I enjoyed reading and using this book for reasearch because the text was interesting to read. I feel this is an easy bok to read in that the catogories are very clear. This book could be enjoyed by people of all ages and levels. Wether this is your first time studying the crusades or your 100th I feel this is a great book.

This is the perfect first book for babies. Both my daugher and son loved this book the most as infants (starting at around 3 months). It's basic and bright and held their interest when other books were just too much.

The book feactures catonn like pictures of ladybugs, spiders, butterflies,
and other bugs. One picture per page and the name of the bug is listed at the bottom. We read this to my 10 month old daughter and this keep her attention well.

The colors are bright, which catches a baby's attention. The print is big. Only one word per page which is great for keeping babies and toddlers attention!

I would recommed this book to others. The book is made of sturdy board type pages making it easy for little hands to turn the pages and enjoy the book with ease.

I just finished reading this book and I thought it was magnificent. If you love country music and romance this is the book for you. You can imagine everything that happens in this book from the frustration of Derrick concerning his son and Kara to the confusion that Kara has to work through. It has several different view points to make you truly understand all the main characters of the book. This is such an inspirational and moving book that can make you laugh out load and cry from a simple sentence. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves reading about cowboys and the country because you won't be able to put this book down, I couldn't.

MAN FROM MONTANA by Brenda Mott
October 8, 2006

Amazon rating 4/5


"The story starts twelve years before the main action. Nineteen-year-old Derrick is racing his car against his better judgment, while his two-year-old son is in the back seat. And the worst thing that could happen does - Derrick loses control of the car.

Fast forward twelve years and Derrick is working at a honky tonk, playing with his band and tending bar. His son Connor lives with him on a part time basis, Derrick having lost full custody after the near-tragic accident. Connor is in a wheelchair for life, and while he doesn't remember the accident, he knows the story. Connor has issues, and while it's not exactly about being in a wheelchair, it has to do with how Derrick treats Connor, reminding both of them every day that Derrick made a terrible mistake all those years before.

Kara is a widow of twenty-nine, and has not moved on. She believes she will be faithful to Evan's memory forever. But when she meets Derrick - who happens to be her new neighbor - she learns about his past and tries to help him move beyond his mistake and to accept Connor for who he is. However, she has a difficult time forgetting her own past, and unlike Derrick, is afraid to move forward." - Complete review found at BookLoons - M. Lofton


I enjoyed this contemporary romance a lot. The characters were written honestly and true to life, with dialogue that rang true as well. The author did a good job with the story lines and made this a highly enjoyable book.

Think about life as we know it.
Now think about a book that can convincingly explain it as an algorithm and... well, nothing more!
Now imagine the same book capable to thrill, amuse and inspire the reader about science, human values, ethics, consciousness, artificial intelligence and more; This is 'Darwin's dangeorus idea' : quite simply a fundamental book about the sheer beauty, simplicity, reach and mind-blowing implications of the theory of evolution by Darwin. It is firmly in my all time top ten book list.

While Dennett comes off, at times, sounding pompous and headstrong, that may simply be because he is, in my opinion, correct about certain aspects of the human mind's ability to cope with conflicting beliefs. My personal religious beliefs aside, I do feel that, at a point, religion and evolutionary science do come into direct conflict. Some of Dennett's thoughts and ideas, in conjunction with Dawkins's ideas, can run a little wayward of what I would call science, but simply because the ideas are blended with speculation and opinion. For further reading on the evolutionary perspective of religious thought, I would recommend Scott Atran and Pascal Boyer. Again, I really enjoyed the book, my personal disagreements notwithstanding.

To fully grasp Dennett's arguments in "Darwin's Dangerous Idea", lots of preparatory reading is required on various authors and topics including, but not limited to: Stephen Jay Gould whom the author targets his most scathing criticisms of, Gould's colleague, Richard Lewontin, American linguist and philosopher, Noam Chomsky, mathematical physicist, Roger Penrose, cognitive scientist, Jerry Fodor, adaptationism and gradualism, reductionism, saltationism, memetics etc. Dennett spends little time in introducing the reader to the works of these authors and their ideas, and instead, debunks anything and everything that attempts to weaken Darwin's natural selection theory.

In a heated and publicized exchange resulting largely from Dennett's attack on Gould with an entire chapter of "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" devoted to discrediting him, Gould, who is considered the foremost authority on espousing the views on evolution called Dennett a "Darwinian Fundamentalist" who has reduced biological and cultural evolution to a largely mindless algorithmic process.

Dennett introduces two new metaphors of cranes and skyhooks which he uses repeatedly in his arguments. Cranes are the lifting mechanisms facilitating the design of organisms. They are grounded and explainable. Skyhooks are imaginary, unsupported and supposedly capable of advancing organisms in leaps and bounds in unexplainable ways. Dennett morphs some of the ideas of his detractors into skyhooks, and because skyhooks cannot exist, they have to be either falsehoods or reduced to cranes.

The subtitle of "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" is "Evolution and the Meanings of Life", but throughout the 500 plus pages, Dennett dabbles in hostile territory, unapologetically attacking critics of natural selection as the primary engine of evolution. Perhaps this book should have been divided into two parts; one titled "Evolution and the Meanings of Life", and the other, "Duel of the Titans."

This is not an easy read. It's rocky, at times pedantic, somewhat oblique, and about as picky as a book on logic. Dennett has difficulty keeping the reader engaged in his point, as his examples tend to be somewhat obscure at times, and his verbosity often masks the clarity of his vision. I sometimes had to turn back to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself what he was trying to say. Luckily, he seems to understand this, and provides summary statements after each chapter -- good thing, because without these navigational aids, he can be difficult to follow.

However, what Dennett has achieved here will stand the test of time because it is USEFUL. He is able to look at all the objections to the theory of evolution by natural selection and take them apart logically, scientifically, and heuristically. These objections are not limited to the religious variety, but also include scientific backlashes to Darwin like those of Gould, Chomsky, and Kaufmann. In other words, if you want to understand the breadth and depth of Darwin's theory, this is a masterwork.

What it lacks is, unfortunately, what the back cover promises: a look at Darwinism in the light of ethics, morality, and culture. Sure, Dennett devotes a (delicious) chapter to the topic, invoking Nietzsche and Hobbes, and there are scattered sections in the book that are like mind candy for the intellectually thirsty reader. It's a good thing those brilliant sections are scattered randomly throughout the book, because they may be the only thing that keeps the general reader interested.

Unless you're a biologist or anthropologist, you may want to read something shorter and more to the point. This book is for scholars who want exactitude. And to those scholars, I say read this book as quickly as possible, because it's VERY hard to come back to after putting down for a week or so.

This book is a philosophical work rather than straight science, the author does an excellent job of looking at all the various species of darwinian theories and their mutations, from scientific,to pop culture to philosophical,and subjecting them to a harsh environment of critical thought and logic, so selecting out the fittest for survival at the end of the book.I may be a bit biased as I have come to the same conclusions as the author,that there is only one true version of natural selection that works with no god or intelligent design, nor any adaption via senses, or experience of any organism, it is pure random mutation followed by the environment killing off what is not the best,strongest or most efficient. It is certainly not the sort of touchy-feely stuff some people seem to seek to explain things, its cold and harsh,cruel and unforgiving, although the author keeps it less harsh that my own view of it, and rightly states in a way,that just because it is harsh,doesnt change the reality of how we feel it and percieve it, love is still love no matter its mechanical, survival,or other basis. If you feel that describing something like life or love in a cold hard scientific way will change your view of it ,ruin it for you, if you are that open to suggestion, dont read this book. If you want a great philosophical arguement to open your mind and cut through the B.S. and sugar coating,if you think in a scientific way, and yes it can be quite a harsh and cold look at things, then this book is an excellent read. The author has done an enormous amount of research and distilled it into one volume, and some of the arguements or view points will be unknown to most people,and quite useless in a way, but seeing so many view points is always good for anyone who likes to think deeply and be challenged. I didnt learn alot from this book that I hadnt already figured out for myself using common sense,yet really enjoyed it for its excellent arguements and insights, its enjoyable for the philosophical side even if you have no interest in the subject matter. Also highly recommended is the authors book on consciousness, although its fairly hard going as the concepts are alot harder to grasp than evolutions mechanisms.

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion. Lawhead makes his home in Austria with his wife. Stephen Lawhead is one of my all time favourite authors and I am only sorry that he does not write more often.

Through visions of the past, a 19th century lawyer is able to see glimpses of the harrowing journey of a long dead ancestor, Murdo Ranulfsen. It is 1095, Pope Urban II has declared war on the infidel and men from all walks of life, from lords to peasants rush to join the crusade. Much to his disappointment Murdo stays to guard his family and what possessions they own while his father goes to join the Crusade.

When through no fault of Murdo's the family possessions are confiscated, Murdo decides to set out on the long journey to follow the Crusade and find his father.

The author spins a magical adventure for the reader. He writes a moving and fearsome story as only he can. Once again, all I can say is that I wish he would write more books.

Are you interested in the crusades? Do you enjoy stories that have to do with scotland, norway, ireland? Do you appreciate solid writing? If so, then this book may be of interest. After all, the crusades are the backdrop, the main character is from scotland, and the writing is solid.

That being said, there is nothing particularly special about this book. As I said, the writing is solid, not spectacular. The characters are passable, but in a week you will not remember anything about them. In my opinion, the spirituality / theology aspects are weak and distract instead of enliven.

However, if you are looking for something to read, then why not? The book is worth the money and you will not feel as if you have wasted your time.

This is a story full of adventure that will keep you going all the way. It's entertaining, it's instructive and most of all, it's orginal. Nice to see the involvement of the men from Orkney in the Crusades. Same goes for the Norsemen. There are some endearing characters in this book as well as some interesting twists. In all, a different look at a very documented time in history, the Crusades, which atmosphere and horror are well detailed in this book.

Stephen Lawhead is a fantastic author, period. I already thought so before I read this book, but after reading this book I'm just that much more sure of the fact.

The Iron Lance follows the adventures of Murdo Ranulfsson as he journeys to the Holy Land in search of his father and brothers, who have become Crusaders. His effort to find his father is motivated by the suffering being caused by corrupt clergymen in the Crusaders' abscence. He is soon caught up in other affairs, however, ending with the recovery of a sacred relic.

After a bit of a slow start, this book really takes off. It's a page-turner for sure, but it is also an excellently written book. No cheap pulp fiction here.

Most impressively, Lawhead manages to add a compelling Christian message to the book. What's especially impressive is that he accomplishes this without sounding corny.

Those who have an appreciation for historical fiction will love this book, especially if they are Christians. The only complaint from a Christian standpoint is Lawhead's inclusion of a brief sex scene. Fortunately it isn't terribly descriptive, but it is worth noting before you get the book.

All in all, I'm sure you'll love this book.

Stephen Lawhead, long known for his tales of middle earth and refrence to actual history sheds refreshing light on the way the ACTUAL crussades probably were. The portrayal of a corrupt Roman orthodox is, in this day and age, sadly accurate and revealing. He does not glorify the brutality of war but instead shows that these things of our human history did happen...and to everyday people of the age. He shows how a person can surmout the impossible and grow as a creature created for a purpose.

The author has the gift of story telling and in this case "the story" actually occurred. Thomas Asbridge is not biased, does not take sides, just presents some startling facts about the Crusaders and their beginning. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a wonderful introduction to that time period. Highly recommend this book - and once again, real life is better than fiction.

Although I have yet to finish the book, I have been satisfied with what I have read and find it enjoyable enough to write my review. The book is an easy read, considering the subject matter. The only critisism that I have is that the footnotes could be fleshed out a little more. I'd be more comfortable accepting some of the assertions regarding motive and intent of the Crusaders if they were better sourced. However, on balance, I find the book to be informative and entertaining. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in investigating the subject matter.

Pedestrian general history of the First Crusade, from 1095-1098. Ashbridge is a better researcher than a writer, as the account appears factual but flat.

The First Crusade written by medieval historian Thomas Asbridge is simply the finest general history of the campaign yet written. His use of contemporary sources, battlefield prose, and political and religious intrigues are fantastic. There is little if anything left out of this volume. He truly brings the first crusade to life. My fervent wish is that Asbridge with his emphasis on the military and human stories involved here becomes the next individual tasked with writing a full crusade history as a whole. This work is absolutely marvelous. Kudos to Mr Asbridge for this wonderful and hopefully introductory volume!

Asbridge pretty much ignores the history of Islamic aggression in the eastern Mediterranean that led up to the 1st Crusade. The prophet himself led forays into Syria in the 6th century. And Islamists overran a lot of previously Christian land before any crusading in response. How can you present "The Roots of Conflict Between Christianity and Islam" while ignoring hundreds of years of Islamic aggression prior to the first major counter measure?

My other major objection is turgid prose, for example from P.22

The sheer malleability of history - stretched and distorted by the imprecisions of memory and twisted through wilful manipulation and forgery - meant that the 'past' that informed and enabled Urban's sanctification of violence was actually a shifting, tangle web of reality and imagination.

I would prefer some evidence for this view rather than a wordy and overwrought assertion like this.

As always, Tony Hillerman is at the top of his form. The resolution was a surprise, just like a good mystery should be. Recommended.

I have read several of Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series. I am now starting over and reading from the beginning. I just read Dance Hall of the Dead and I was very impressed. A great story line that kept me reading long past my bedtime and also kept me thinking after I had finished it. I personally consider this one of his best in the series. Still have more to go and I am looking forward to every one of them.

This is a reissue of the book from 1973. Reading this reminds you of why Tony Hillerman is such a successful author. The topic of this book is really an introduction to Zuni Indian religion but it is wrapped around a wrapper of a murder mystery and is told through the eyes of Navajo Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn.

To those who have never read Hillermand before, you are in for a treat. The mix of elements here is fantastic and it makes for a fun read. There are also enough clues strewn about that if you pay attention, you will figure out the main outlines of what is going on.

The book starts with the disappearance of a twelve year old Zuni boy. At the spot where he disappears, a large quantity of blood is found. This launches a search that ultimately discovers the boy's body. The large quantity of blood is because he was almost decapitated. His best friend is a Navajo and that best friend is missing. Did the Navajo kill the Zuni and then run away? Or, did he see something? Lt. Leaphorn is one the case because of the Navajo connection and he tries to figure out where did George Bowlegs go?

One of the most fun parts of reading this book is that it gives you a glimpse into the Zuni religion and compares it to the Navajo religion. If you are not intimate with the two Indian tribes and their differences, this book will give you a taste of the differences between them. There are explanations of some of the religious practices of both religions. In the context of this story, it is good background to what is going on and the ultimate resolution of the plot.

However, Indian religions are not the only thing going on. There are other plots and storylines. For instance, an archaeologist has set up shop in a spot there and is involved in a dig that might have something to do with what goes on. There is also a minor hippie commune there and the people in the commune are just on the outskirts of the law. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have their own agendas and the whole mix makes for a very satisfying soup.

It is a fun read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand why Hillerman is so popular.

My first book by this author, and if I get a hand on another I will gladly read it. The mystery plot is quite decent and the cultural background mixed into it makes the reading also a learning experience. It is not a bad thing to pickup bits and pieces of information about topics that one would never make inquiries into. Even though that some experts in the field might argue that the author does not portray the native Indian groups involved in the novel correctly, I think that it is still quite sufficient for a general knowledge, after all if you really want to know about native Indians you would not get it out of mystery novels.

Typical Tony Hillerman mystery:
Good action
Excellent characters
Intriguing plot
Insight into native American culture

The only down side was one of the CD's had a defect, and the player in my car could not read after the first third. I was able to read the disk on one of my computers only. One drive out of five on three computers could read it, none of my CD players could.

I could find no link for customer service on the publisher's (Harper Audio) web site.

Imagine a situation where you and twelve other people are hiding in a cave from terrorists. However, there is a child crying and revealing the location of the group. If you choose to kill the baby by suffocating him, the group will be saved, but if you choose to not kill him, the group will be discovered and everyone will be killed. What do you do?

This kind of morality question comes to play within the Mark Twain's "Mysterious Stranger". Moral sense, an overall issue within the tale, is debated throughout the novel, with Twain criticizing it as a major human flaw.

Set in the small Austrian village of Eseldorf, the story begins with Theodore, the protagonist of the story and Twain's depiction of mankind, and his friends encountering an angel named Satan. Satan, the representation of Mark Twain's cynical views, performs an array of miracles to entice the kids, while shocks them with his sadistic murder of unruly clay figures that he had brought to life. Later, to display the widespread and universal problem of humanity, Satan takes young Theodore over a course of three trips ranging from France to China to India. As a result, the naïve Theodore begins to doubt himself at the controversial conclusion of the story.

Additionally, all sorts of symbols are scattered throughout the novel. The clay figurines that Satan creates symbolize a microcosmic view of mankind. Time and money both are presented as superficial since neither serves any useful purpose. Furthermore, the stones that the town pellets at an innocent lady represent the natural tendency of humans to conform to the mob mentality. Listed only are a few of the many symbols that Twain assimilates into his story.

The story was incomplete at the point of Mark Twain's untimely death, ultimately leaving a gaping hole to the story. But many scholars have contributed their endings to the novel, trying to seal the tear to the story.

In all, the story is truly an epic, integrating dark romantic and anti-transcendental elements with experiences from his life into the novella. It also presents a completely different fundamental approach to the world, regarding everything as nothing but a mere illusion and criticizing all of humankind for their innate moral flaws.

The Mysterious Stranger published soon after Twain's death was an attempt at making a quick profit by rewriting some incomplete manuscript pages. On the other hand, THIS version -- No. 44 -- was painstakingly pieced together over the course of many years by Twain scholars. The result is a manuscript that is closer in tone and theme to Twain's other later work. I also believe No. 44 to be more fully coherent than the previous version.

I would only recommend this book, if you're willing to a long, short story, but other than that it's not too bad. After all, it does have some really intriguing themes. A few boys are living happy sheltered lives in a remote Austrian village named Eseldorf, and one day, a handsome young man named Satan appears, and does several magical feats. Satan begins to share his ability to foresee the future to inform the group of unfortunate events that will soon befall those they care about. Satan proceeds to inform them of each new tragedy that will befall their friends. The boys beg Satan to intercede, which he does but always from a cynical, technical definition of mercy.
The point of view might be slightly skewed, because it is narrated by one of the boys in a first-person narrative. The story isn't too bad but, its extremely long.

Aside from Twain's primary personae of affability and good-humored nature, a deeper and darker layer of him is exhibited in The Mysterious Stranger, a tale of Satan, masquerading as the angelic young man, Philip Traum (German for 'Dream'), who visits three young, impressionable German boys and instructs them on the meaning of Life and what it is to be Human.

While not really telling a story, rather, Twain is posing age-old questions by giving examples through behaviors, reactions and responses to scenarios that Satan or others propose and brings it about. The story focuses on one boy, Theodor, who is taken especially by Satan and given special attention. Through their verbal discussions, and direct interaction/influence of the townspeople in the small German town in which the boy lives, Satan begins to show, what he believes, is the tale of human frailty and woe. It is nothing but grim horror, cruelty and abject deprivation of happiness, as Theodor begins to realize, though, according to Satan, it is all meaningless and pointless. That it is not he, Satan, that brings destruction upon the people, but man's own ignorance, haughty Moral Sense and the capricious whims, selfishness and the inner fear within human nature itself. That in the end, Life is but a Dream, and there is nothing but the vast emptiness of existence.

Indeed, many will cringe at the outright questioning of Christian moral values, it is brilliantly written and not tongue in cheek, but said boldly and vividly. Twain does not hold back. Before I read the short bio, I didn't know the lifetime of toil and suffering that Twain had experienced and that, as a result, he lost faith in the meaning of life. Though not raised Christian, but obviously well versed in the tradition, his views in the book directly antagonize Christian pillars of belief. The last chapter will blow you away in its cogency and power, the whole point of the book.

Whatever you believe, this is a necessary book that everyone should read. Instead of hiding behind platitudes, Twain openly questions--and struggles with the answers. It is heartening, depressing, chilling and eye-opening with an ending that says it all. Go on, I dare you to read!

Provocative and subversive, if you've ever had issues with Christian theology, you will certainly be drawn to this novella. At the end of the story, the character Satan manages to sum up, in one paragraph, with biting eloquence, some of the most serious theological problems with Christianity. It is the sort of passage that you read and then immediately bang your head against the wall because it's exactly what you always wanted to say and you wish YOU had been the one to write it down:

"Strange, indeed, that you should not have suspected that your universe and its contents were only dreams, visions, fiction! Strange, because they are so frankly and hysterically insane -- like all dreams: a God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body; who mouths justice and invented hell -- mouths mercy and invented hell -- mouths Golden Rules, and forgiveness multiplied by seventy times seven, and invented hell; who mouths morals to other people and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man's acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites this poor, abused slave to worship him!..."