1990 Books

My Brother-in-law was on the Roberts when she hit the mine. The story was well written and is a fascinating example of what men can do when properly trained, motivated and well led.

I believe the author does a good job of relaying the type of atmosphere that persisted on this ship from it's construction through deployment. My only critical point would be he doesn't spend enough time with the common sailors' point of view.

I also found it interesting that he covers Operation Praying Mantis. I was unaware that this was declassified.

All in all, nicely done and an informative and gripping account of one of the forgotten chapters of our continued presence in the gulf.

The shopping experience was great with Amazon. The book that I ordered was shipped and had gotten delivered in the amount of time that I had expected and what I needed it for.

I am very impressed by No Higher Honor. It is interesting, well written, and an engaging read. No Higher Honor is an overdue tribute to a group of heroes that deserves to be remembered.

Anyone interested in naval history should read this book. I heartily recommend it.

I am a librarian at a Navy library and a patron recommended this book for purchase as a management book. It is the most exciting, well written and gripping management book you will ever read. It is a tale of heroism, competence and pride.

The first management lesson you will learn is that instilling pride in your workers will get you very far. Captain Paul Rinn worked on this from the day he learned the not yet built guided missile frigate was to be named the Samuel B. Roberts. He researched the first two ships with the same name and the sailor it was named after. He made sure the pre-commissioning crew knew all the history instilling pride in their ship as she was being built.

The second is even non-glamorous jobs are important, sometimes the most important. I suspect that not too many people go into the Navy with the idea of being the best damage control officer in the service. Rinn knew the importance of damage control and had his men trained, drilled and equipped to the best of his and his officer's abilities. He wanted them to be good at all tasks on the ship and gave them the appropriate training and encouragement.

Above being a book about leadership, it is also a gripping tale. The first lines of the book describing the initial spotting of the mines that were to damage the frigate are as gripping as any in any novel about the sea. It also brings into remembrance a dangerous time in our planet's history with Iran, Iraq and the US face to face in the Persian Gulf.

The author's style is both journalistic and literary, making the book a good read.

I was there and this book captured the entire ordeal as well as it could be captured. Bradley did a wonderful and thorough job collecting data and memories. I now know far more about the whole incident than I knew when it happened. I'm grateful that our story got told, but more grateful that it was told so well.

I have just finished "Stone City" and like all the other reviewers, it had a profound impact on me. This is where mere entertainment fiction crosses over into the realm of great literature. Mitchell Smith leaves novels like "The Green Mile", "The Shawshank Redemption", and even the story of the Birdman of Alcatraz lying in the dust. Here we have an author of uncompromizing genius, comparable to Kafka, Celine, and Jean Genet. This is true art at its very highest peak. The plot has been well mentioned by the other reviewers: A college professor is sentenced to prison for killing a young girl while driving drunk. (Attention! Do not drive drunk!). While inside, he is enlisted by the state's attorneys general office to investigate the rash of homicides inside "State". And this having been discovered by the Lifer's Association and white supremacist leader of the "joint", he is extorted into being a double agent, as the LA leader strongly suspects that a guard is behind at least one of the homicides. This is not a novel for the weak of heart. Lawyers, prisoners, and everyone else who can bear it must re-discover this almost forgotten classic. I would be very hard pressed to list on one hand the books which have made such a deep, lasting impression on me.

Like a previous reviewer, this book also broke my heart. I went out and purchased every book I could find by this author. They all were wonderful. Then he seemed to drop out of sight. An internet search revealed he hasn't written a book since 2004. Please don't give up, Mr. Smith. There are still a few of us out there who love great books.

I have been to prison and this book in its day to day descriptions of life inside are rivetting and true to form. I can almost relive my time inside with the vivid words. The interpersonal relationships are colorful and acurate. Would think this auther did some time!

Shhhhh. Be quiet.

Can you hear that? It's the sound of my heart breaking.

I first caught wind of this book from Marcus Sakey over at the The Outfit. He had this to say about STONE CITY:

"... the book is astonishingly good. Achingly good. Painfully, how-the-hell-does-he-do-that good."

I love Sakey's debut novel (The Blade Itself: A Novel)... and his influences (namely, Dennis Lehane). So praise like this made me sit up and take notice.

He was right. STONE CITY is that good.

A college professor, Charlie Bauman, goes to prison after killing a teenage girl in a drunk driving accident. It's a short hitch, but prison is prison. He manages to make an unassuming life for himself in the can by teaching inmates to read and write. With a year left on his sentence, things look pretty good for him.

That is, until two otherwise disconnected inmates are murdered in similar fashion.

It's then that Bauman gets recruited separately by both sets of prison leadership---the State's Attorney and Warden, and the heads of the convict factions---to find out who the killer is. The State thinks it's an inmate. The inmates think it's a hack. Either way, Bauman is in way over his head... but his investigation begins nonetheless.

With the help of a punk with ties to one of the recently offed inmates, Bauman navigates the, at times, extraordinarily complex political and social prison landscape to find the killer. At every turn, things are never what they seem and the threat of death is ever present.

Keep in mind, the story takes place entirely in prison, and Smith makes sure we see it all. This book was funny, and sad, and frightening. Most of all, it was surprisingly human.

I'm not kidding... it broke my heart.

I read this quite a few years ago; the little details that have stuck in my memory illustrate the power of Mitchell Smith's storytelling. Like [presumably] most people who will read this book, I have absolutely no idea what the inside of a prison is like, but I know when I'm reading a masterfully realized plot & characters---and when I'm not. I've read books involving police procedurals, for instance, where what was supposed to pass for cop dialogue sounded like it was based on TV cop dramas from the 60s. In stunning contrast, everything in "Stone City" rings utterly true, which is why the story is so disturbing.

This is writing of rare power and feeling. I've read a few of Smith's other novels---"Due North" comes to mind---and I've found each one to be strikingly different and original, yet similar in his uncanny ability to evoke far-out places and situations. A solid read.

Jean-Marie Potiez is, of course, from France. I knew him through ABBA fan clubs some years ago. He gives a good account of the ABBA phenomenon. Agnetha was born in Jonkoping, Sweden on April 5, 1950. Her father staged amateur reviews in the town, and Agnetha began singing in them at an early age. When she was 15, she left school to take a job as a telephone operator with a car firm. She was singing with a group called Bernt Enghardts. She left them when her composition, "Jag Var Sa Kar (I Was So In Love)" became a hit on the Swedish charts. Agnetha moved to Stockholm and recorded her first album.

Agnetha composed music. She did nine solo albums between 1968 and 1988. She recorded in Swedish, German, English, French and Spanish. Her label in the early days was Cupol. She went on to form Agnetha Faltskog Productions with Staffan Linde as her manager.

Benny Andersson is the only one of the four born in Stockholm, Benny came from a family of accordion players. It was natural for him to teach himself piano. From 1964 to 1969, his Hep Stars were Sweden's biggest group. They had a rougher image than Bjorn's Hootenanny Singers. When their career ended in bankruptcy, Benny came away with the idea that there would have to be greater economy in the future. It gave him incentive to become co-owner of Polar Music with Bjorn and Stig Anderson.

Bjorn Ulvaeus came from Gothenburg, Sweden's western port and second largest city, where he was born in 1945.

Bjorn was still in school when he formed the West Bay Singers, a folk group. Stig Anderson suggested the name, Hootenanny Singers. Stig was great at naming groups.

Bjorn is known for his business sense and studied corporate law for a term at the University of Stockholm. He meant to be a civil engineer. He was drafted into the Swedish military for the mandatory 10 months, a handy experience if you are going to write songs like Fernando.

Frida Lyngstad was raised by her grandmother in Eskilstuna. Her mother had died at age 21, and it was felt that little Frida would fare better in Sweden since her father had been part of the occupying army.

Frida started singing professionally when she was 13. She sang with a big band, and that is how she met her first husband, Ragnar Fredriksson. He played trombone. Frida had two children by him: a son, Hans, and a daughter, Lotta.

If you are an ABBA fan, then you will love this book. The book takes you into the lives for 4 very special musicans.

Abba remain hugely popular in Britain and many other countries more than twenty years after they disbanded. This book is not an in-depth study of the different personalities and their difficulties, but it gives plenty of information about the members of Abba and their manager, including their lives before and after Abba. And (at least in my hardcover edition) there are pictures - plenty of them.

Regarding the four members of Abba, three of them (Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha) were born and raised in Sweden, all apparently having fairly normal childhoods, only their musical talent setting them apart from others. All three became hugely successful in the Swedish pop charts, Agnetha as a solo singer, Benny and Bjorn as members of separate groups.

The odd one out was Anni-Frid, better known as Frida. She was born in Norway as the illegitimate child of a German father and Norwegian mother. Frida was mainly raised by her grandmother, who took her to Sweden, where her mother joined them but died of illness a few months later, aged just 21. Frida also found it much harder than the others to achieve success in music, but she did eventually have some big Swedish hits of her own.

The author presents the main years (1969 to 1982) on a year-by-year basis, explaining the different events that occurred in each year - records, tours, TV, their personal lives - in a semi-diary format.

As far as the music is concerned, the story is quite complicated and not always easy to follow, but that is no fault of the author. Before they became Abba, they were four separate acts, each with their own careers and signed to different record companies. Once they came together as Abba, different things were happening in Japan, Australia, Germany, Sweden and elsewhere with different records - even before 1974. That was the year that Abba won Eurovision and charted for the first time in Britain and America.

There have been many books on Abba and will surely be many more. Despite being a huge Abba fan, this is the first I've read. If you're only going to have one book on Abba, it might as well be this one.

Did you ever come across a favourite song and say, "I wonder whatever happened to....? Abba took the world by storm back in the 60's when a quarter bought you an afternoon matinee at the movies, and minimum wage in my home town was $1.00 per hour. If you earned $1.25 or more, you had it made!

Abba possessed a unique blend of charisma, talent, and originality. Who can forget the sentimental lyrics of ,"I Had A Dream", the gentle flow of "The Rivers of Babylon", the melancholy strains of "Fernando" or the upbeat dance-hit, "Dancing Queen"? The list of hits went on and on.

What I particularly liked about this book was the numerous photographs all depicting Abba at their finest. Many photographs are ones not often, if ever, published before, at least not on this continent. In addition, the book reveals a lot of factual, personal information about the individuals themselves. The road to fame and fortune is not an easy one as readers will discover through the pages of this book. Some facts have been printed before, but other aspects of their career are presented here in a more complete, in-depth light. Fans of Abba, will no longer need to wonder, "what ever happened to..." because the epilogue tells you just that. Of all the books on the group, this is one of the best in print.

Probably the best book you can get, if you want an ABBA photo book. In this case even better than "From ABBA To Mammma Mia", since there is pictures from a broader period . It is written in cronologic date-by-date, where each year, as well as "The Movie" and the concert tours got its own chapter. You don't have to be an ABBA fan to enjoy this book, everyone can enjoy this trip in text and pictures through the fantastic story of ABBA.

I bought and read the book when it first came out, and I bought a second so I can loan it to others to read and not worry about my first book getting lost. Besides the Donnellys, some of the people and events in the book were apart of our life as well. Very well written!

I just found out about Michael's death through the Gulflink website. My sympathy goes out to his family. His story, with the help of his sister Denise, will be with us all always. He could have chose to sit back and just kept his disease and facts to himself, but he chose to share it with all in the hopes it might make a difference to someone. What a legacy to leave. And thanks Michael, for helping my family live through our anger we had at my brother's death, and dealing with Gulf War illness. My prayers are with your family....
Kelly Seibert
Hillsborough, NC

In this story there is a message for millions of Americans. In this story the reader will learn about the "wheels of justice."

I obtained a tape of this book from the library of the blind , on tape.
I was fascinated with the whole process of his student days as well as the way they worked in the present time illness.
My heart goes out to him and his family and ALL other Soldiers who became ill with no apparent cause after the war.
I would like to know what his present status is, and would like to help in any way that is possible.
In thinking that our present war situation probably is as tentative, to hold this VITAL information back from those who serve makes a mockery of the Ideals our Country was founded on.
I used to participate in Living History, and the good thing about that is that we seem to LEARN from the past.
War does NOT change minds or hearts.
I would hope and pray that this present generation does not have to pay the price of this brave Soldier, Officer, and Gentleman.

I first came across the book in the fall of '99. It was at a critical time in my air force career. Soon, the mandate to submit to the anthrax vaccine would require a decision that would obviously affect the rest of my life. Take a vaccine that has been proven to cause terrible reactions and has been whispered to be a root cause of Gulf War Illness or refuse and be subject to military justice and the end of my career.

In my squadron, the most asked question to management was "If we become ill following the vaccine, will the Air Force take care of us?" As I saw in this book, the answer to the question is NO.

As pilots, our most treasured asset is our health. Without it, we can no longer perform the mission that we love. The manner in which Michael and Denise describe the physical and mental anguish he endured was truly overwhelming. I could imagine myself in his position and the way I would react; how I would feel.

In my months of research, this book proved to be one of the many determining factors in my decsion. When I talked to former commanders who reminded me of their experiences with Agent Orange or when I spoke with members at my own base that had testified to Congress about their illnesses following the anthrax vaccine, in the back of my mind was Michael Donnelly.

I ultimately made my decision to resign in lieu of taking the vaccine which has led to the end of my aviation career. The only salvation I have is the knowledge that I will never need to worry about unexplained illness in the future.

My most heartfelt sympathy and gratitude go out to Michael and Denise's families. Michael's story is one that I will never forget. Thank you for helping me make my decision.

Our book study just completed Miracles Do Happen. It was incredible to see God open hearts and minds to Jesus' healing power. It's written in a simple style but it packs a punch in terms of presenting the Gospel. The son of a friend of our group was diagnosed with a recurrence of a brain tumor, and just like in the book, Sister Briege showed up in our town and was able to pray with him and his family. His prognosis is now quite favorable, praise God. If you want to hear the story of how Jesus still cares about His people, how Jesus is still in the healing business and you need a reason to have hope in Christ, this book is the best choice I've ever seen.

This is a great inspiration to me, though I am not catholic.
Her words are uplifting and healing.

"Miracles Do Happen" is an excellent testimony to the power of faith. Briege Mckenna developed sever arthritis as a young adult, which confined her to a wheel chair. When attending a Catholic Charismatic prayer services, she was miraculously healed. Allegedly, she received a private revelation, in which God asked her to be a healer to others. She debated whether the message was really from God, as she was a member of a contemplative community, but after a period of discernment and a series of signs, she lost all doubt.

"Miracles do Happen" is an autobiography of Sr. Briege's healing ministry. She prays for people and many have been healed of spiritual and physical pains and diseases. The book is full of stories and photos of people, whom she has encountered during her journey and many of whom were healed by prayers. It is easy to be skeptical of spiritual healers today, but unlike many charlatans in the field, Sr. Briege does not accept money or promote products or methodology for financial gains. The book is great for renewing faith in prayer, and offers much guidance and learning to discern God's voice in your life through prayer. Sr.Briege herself spends an estimated two-three hours in prayer each day, and write about the types of Christian spiritual practices which have been spiritually edifying for her.

This is a simple book about the role that prayer and faith has played in her life, and in the lives of others whom she has had the fortune to know, during her religious life and is not bogged down in theological explanations or issues related to debatable doctrines. It is written simply as an intimate conversation, as often is the case of works from saints, and when one reads it one has to wonder if they are living in a very special life time of a woman who might be recognized as a saint in the future.

This is a wonderful book. We often need to remind ourselves about the present of our Lord Jesus Christ in our daily lives, and Sr. McKenna has done a wonderful job of doing so. Buy, read and believe...

This is the story of how Sister Breige McKenna became a healer of human bodies and human souls. She herself had a instantaneous healing from Rhematoid Arthritis. Because of this book I sought out her phone number and upon hearing a healing prayer over the phone, I was healed spiritually. I have never been the same and I thank God for it! Buy this, you won't regret it!!!

The Iran-Contra era. From start to finish, it was as though it was yesterday. James "Scotty" Scott timelessly elevates the era to a new level of intrigue, weaving politics and secret conspiracies across continents, bringing them through decades to a thrilling conclusion. One of the better suspense novels and authors I've read, actually exceeding the writings of more popular writers of intrigue and mystery today. You never know where truth leaves off and fiction enters in, which makes it a great and relevant read today - even as the era it exposes. Put this book and author at the top of your list! Scotty, I understand you have another in the wings. Bring it on!

Don Carmichael, Author, Warriors of Peace

Well, I have just added another person to my list of must read auhtors. This is definitel my kind of book to read! Loaded with intrigue, thrills and action galore! Mr. Scott has written a real winner here and I highly recommend that others take it up as well!

This book should come with a seatbelt. You will be holding on as the action races ahead, hoping you can last longer than some of the characters. Scott, a retired Army officer, served during the period this action takes place. While a work of fiction, his knowledge of places and events makes it all seem plausible and exciting. It is very fast paced,and just when readers think they might have it all figured out, bang, there's a new twist. If your bookshelf is filled with international intrigue and adventure, then you will want to add this one.

I have never read a book twice - until I got my hands on this masterfully written book. Not only could I not put it down the first time, but the second time was the same. I was so amazed at the multi-dimensional plots presented by James Scott during the first read that I did not fully absorb the vivid description of characters and locations. It was obvious that Scott "had been there" in all of the locations provided as backdrops to the story line. Also evident was his deep understanding of the human mind and its motivators. Greed, lust, and the role of power propel the reader in a breathless page-turning experience. I don't know which I look forward to the most - the movie version or the next Scott novel.

I purchased the book when I met the author, Mr. Scott (who promised me I'd like the story) as we talked at the Ft McPherson Mini-Mall. I must admit I was not disappointed. As a civil servant who works with military and civilians, I've seen some of the same types of characters reflected in the story. Mr. Scott captures their ambition mixed with greed which leads to this wonderful web of spiders and flies. Having been a Northern Virginia resident for many years, I found myself running through the streets of Crystal City and Alexandria along with lead character Ed Holloway who tries desparately to keep his weakneses in check while setting record straight. The Iran-Contradictions is certainly on par with products by Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum. I liked it so much I chose it a my selection for my book club members to read. A great debut Mr. Scott.

This book is incredible. The photography is outstanding and the insight into the private world of Jacques Villeneuve was interesting. He's an extremely private individual and still hasn't given everything away - but for now, this book is well worth the effort.

There is no doubt that the photography in this book is spectacular. Any JV fan will appreciate getting a priviledged glimpse into his life - on and off the track, but was the picture of him at the urinal really necessary!

The pictures in this book give an impression on his personal life rather than just his career.It is good to be able to get the chance to see into their personal life without mobbing them on the streets.

I bought this book last year...Good pics (Italian photographer, you know...!), good lines. The impression you get about Jacques is that he's too pure to be true..I think that Gianni Giansanti cought the very essence of this young racing driver. I expecially like the pic at the end of the book, showing Jacques sitting in front of a window open over a big city (San Paolo in Brazil, if I remember well), in the shade, so that you can only get the shape of his body. Wonderful Jacques!

As soon as you open the book, the photos jump out at you. If you read F1 Racing magazine and enjoy the pictures they have in there, you will love the pictures in this incredible collection of JV shots.

If you are interested in developing new skills in how to do the relationship dance, this is the book for you. Fearless Loving is a must read. It doesn't matter whether you're currently in relationship, whether you would like to be in a relationship, married, single, recently split up, or divorced. Rhonda has a talent for bringing together concepts and distilling them into bit size, chewable skills for taking action, which most any one of us can implement, given our commitment.

This book is a valuable tool for me, personally and for my sixteen year marriage/partnership. I'm finding new ways to really listen, communicate, to set boundaries, to clarify perceptions, to honor my feelings and to play.

Fearless Loving also offers an insightful and helpful protocol for people who are interested in a new way to date. I highly recommend this book to my friends and anyone interested in Love.

Rhonda Britten just gets it. This book is so wonderful. She can guide you along your path to loving in a way you never thought you could, but always wanted to. The most poignant truth for me is that everyone is innocent. That's so hard to think and act on, but she's so right about it. I would have everyone believe me innocent until proven guily, so it only seems fair for me to believe that about everyone else. This book will help you with understanding any type of love and how to do it best! She never coaches you to be someone you're not, and even highly discourages behaving as if you were playing a game. She teaches you how to test your prospective partner, or current partner so you can hear what they're not saying (which is more insightful than what they are saying). Rhonda will fill you full of courage and you will feel that you can love confidently without ever sacrificing who you are, or ever compromising what you need from a loving relationship.

Fearless Loving is well-written and packed full of useful tools that if followed will send you on your way to building new love relationships, enhancing the one's you already have and uncovering and discovering the ways in which we block or deny ourselves love. The author jumps into the trenches with you as she reveals her own personal experiences. This approach made it feel real and tangible. The best self-help book I've read in a long time!!

If you've ever been through divorce -- if you've ever had a failed relationship and aren't quite sure why things couldn't have worked out better -- if you're tired of playing relationship roulette -- READ THIS BOOK!! It's the guidebook for finding and keeping love that you've been looking for. And don't forget to read Fearless Living, too! It's your ticket to freedom and to the real YOU!

ok, i only first heard of Rhonda by watching the TV reality show "starting over" + then got hooked onto watching the amazing clarity with which she brought women from all walks of life to.
so my roomate bought this book to assist her from dating another jerk, and boy, is this book stellar! its not thick, not complicated, but really packs an emotional + mental punch. i have even more respect for this woman, who has been through so much + has found a way to positively help others. i've been telling all open-minded pals of mine who really do want to change any "failures" they have to read this. its really good stuff!

I passed on this book when it first appeared figuring a mere concert list wouldn't be very interesting, what a blunder! This book is far more than a concert chronology, it's an enthralling history of the band, bursting with photos and short essays on the people, places and events that make up Who history. This was clearly a labor of love for the authors, and if Who fanatics have been able to find a few errors scattered around, big deal, I'm just glad the book was reissued as a sub-compact paperback updated to the shows following the death of John Entwistle. As the surviving members of The Who have chosen to "Defiantly spit into the abyss" and continue to tour to critical and public acclaim, further editions of this fine book are entirely justifed. And boy was I thrilled to recently find I still have a ticket stub from a Who show thirty years ago documented in this book. There are maybe half a dozen essential books about The Who and this is one of them, if it's the only one you buy then you've made a good choice, it's outstanding whether you're a new Who fan or a grizzled Wholigan.

Seem to be reading and listening a lot to the Who, and this book was an impulse buy.

For the fan, this is a way to walk through history with the band, from the earliest beginnings as the Detours, and even before with Daltrey's founding of the group, and Townshend and Entwistle's affiliation with others.

A lot of stories, memorabilia, set lists, and very interesting stuff.

I really enjoyed this book. Especially the great photos included.
I bought my copy in London, so it was nice to travel parts of London and see a few places where they actually played! But it's really only for die hard fans of the band (like myself, I guess). Also interesting are the set lists to the shows they played.
I'm no good at writing reviews, but I'll highly recommend this one. It's worth the price. A thanks to Irish Jack and Joe McMichael for making it.

And of course The Who. The greatest band in the world.

First thing you should know is that while this is a thick book, it is also small; around 6" x 5", which is quaint, and not a flaw in anyway, just a surprise. There are lots of great pictures, reviews, accounts, and set lists provided.

The flaw, to my mind though, is that there are no references about circulating RECORDINGS of these shows. Most of the hardcore fans who would buy this book probably collect tapes, bootlegs, and cdrs. Most of the time a setlist or stage comments are provided for a show it's because a recording exists. I would have loved it if the authors could have aknowledged this with brief comments like, "A clear, but distant audience recording exists for the first 80 minutes of the concert" or "A mixed soundboard recording of this show has been bootlegged and rereleased many times." There are websites with this kind of information and other highly collected bands, such as Led Zeppelin, have entire books devoted to the collection of unreleased material.

If you're a fan you're guaranteed to enjoy this book regardless, so get it!

If you get an opportunity to see The Who (now on tour - summer/fall 2000) please do so. Other than Bruce Springsteen, they are without peer on stage.This book does a fine job of detailing Who gigs from the early 1960's (as the Detours)to the 1996-1997 Quadrophenia tour. The authors recap the songs, the stage "happenings" (smashed guitars, onstage feuds, etc.)and other "Odds & Sods". It's kind of like a baseball box score for Who fans! If you're already a Who fan (or are an aspiring one) this is THE book for you!

Let's be honest. In a field saturated by talented writers, there is no substitute for having some help from inside the industry. However, for any persistent writer or illustrator who has the talent, but no "in," there is no substitute for this listing, which gives one hope for publication without candy coating the difficult task of breaking into this field.

The listings are easy to use, and writer/illustrator-oriented, really bending over backwards to provide enough details about each potential publication company to prevent wasted effort. If you have an agent, or the means to get your manuscript or portfolio looked at by someone who matters, use that. But if not, use this book to maximize your effort and chances.

This is a necessary, indespensible resource for anyone desiring to become published. It is completely detailed with every iota of info you could possibly need for submission. It also provides helpful anecdotes & facts about the whole process of getting published.

If you want to find out where to submit your novel or story, there's no doubt that Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market is about the best place to look. Unfortunately, despite the 2000 edition's claim of containing 250+ book publishers, the number I found suitable for a fantasy novel was pathetically small. A publisher for children that doesn't have a fantasy list has always seemed to me like a butcher shop without sausages, a hot bread shop without French loaves, a sweet shop without toffees ...
However, this is a publishing fault rather than a criticism of the book. My only criticism of the book itself is that you have to shelve out somewhere in the region of US$22 every year. Using last year's edition could land you up addressing your package to the wrong editor.

And, no, that's NOT a typo.

While every Writer's Digest Books "Market" title is a valuable source of information about who to contact and what to send, the reputation is slightly tainted with this year's edition of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. The very same guide that admonishes the hopeful author and illustrator to dot every "i" and cross every "t" is riddled with the kinds of typographical and grammatical errors that send one's dreams to the dreaded slush pile.

Examples:

"Paula Danzier collaborated with friend Ann M. Martin for 'P.S. Longer Letter Later' and it's (sic) sequel 'Snail Mail No More.'"

"Her book is a first-person account of three days in the life of Memphis Riley, a thirteen-year-old girl who has lived with her grandmother Naomi four (sic) five years. . ."

". . .and also deals with sibling rivalry from the point of view of an 'only dog' dealing with the edition (sic) of a new baby."

Throughout the book, the reader is constantly exhorted to put together a professional, error-free presentation but that advice can be a little disheartening when one's own Bible doesn't practice what it preaches.

What's to say about Children's Writer's and Illustrator's market? If you write or illustrate children's books you have to have this book. A library edition won't do because this book has to have yellow highlighting and colored tabs applied! and then too, it needs to be constantly updated as new information arrives about which editor is working where and which publisher is still in business. No, every writer and illustrator needs their very own copy!