5 Points, Mass Market Paperback, 2009Jack is hired to find a legendary Japanese sword, a katana stolen from the Hiroshima Peace Museum and brought to New York City. To get it back, he maneuvers his rivals for possession of the sword--the members of a weird Japanese cult, a young Japanese businessman and his three Yakuza bodyguards, and Kicker Cult leader Hank Thompson--into a bloody melee from which Jack plans to waltz away with the fabled artifact.
Also in the mix is a pregnant teenager whose unborn child, loaded with abnormal DNA, will be a decisive force in the cosmic shadow war raging behind the scenes. A pawn in the game, she is hunted by both sides.
Of course, when things donât go as planned, Jack must improvise (and he hates to improvise).
10 Points, Hardcover, 2006"Writing this book is an opportunity to share my story of overcoming all the challenges of being the only girl successfully competing in a man's sport. For fourteen years, I have had to prove my skill as a driver and earn the respect of my competition through hard work, determination, dedication, and perseverance. I want to show anyone trying to succeed that anything is possible and that, though being a woman might describe me, it doesn't define who I am on or off the track."<P><P>Danica Patrick's life moves at 220 mph. She drives every race and lives every day like she has something to prove -- and she does. A 5-foot 2-inch,100-pound woman, Danica had to qualify a little quicker and race a little faster than the boys. And that was just to earn the respect she would otherwise be given if she weren't the "girl on the track, driving the princess mobile." She's had to defend herself, her skill, her ability, and her gender. But you don't get to be an IndyCar driver without talent and determination. Even the drivers who stay at the back of the pack are skilled and capable, but the back of the pack is the last place that Danica wants to be -- on the track or in life. <P><P>Danica is a small-town girl who had a big-boy dream and a family who helped her believe that anything was possible. She is living proof that if you work hard and aim high, you can do whatever you set your mind to, that you can rise to any challenge, and that what makes you different is what makes you great. Danica shares secrets and stories, tales from the track, and insights into her personal life that reveal the spirit and drive packed into this all-star athlete and woman.<P><P>From the exhilaration and freedom she felt when she stepped on the pedal of her first go-kart at age ten through her sensational rookie season that turned Indy racing on its head, Danica invites readers into her life. Danica takes us through her early racing years, competing against the boys she now beats as men, and her time in England, battling homesickness, insult, and injury. She talks about the support of the legendary Bobby Rahal, having the best crew in the league, and adjusting to the frenetic pace and attention of "Danica mania." Through all this, she's been blessed with a close-knit family and has been fortunate enough to find true love.<P><P>Danica competes on a man's level and in a man's sport like no other woman in sports ever has. This book details her extraordinary rise from a ten-year-old go-kart champion to a twenty-three-year-old Indy star, and her unique perspective on how to compete in life, how to stand out, and how to get the respect and attention we deserve.<P><P>
11 Points, Hardcover, 1993Relationship counselor John Gray focuses on the differences between men and women--men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, after all--and offers a simple solution: couples must acknowledge and accept these differences before they can develop happier relationships. In this unabridged version, Gray gives a spirited delivery of his message, especially when role-playing typical male/female interactions. Although it takes some time to adjust to his slightly nasal tone, the information is sound and gives both men and women helpful hints on improving themselves and their union. (Running time: 9.5 hours, 6 cassettes) <I>--Sharon Griggins</I>
13 Points, Hardcover, 2000John Grisham's novels have all been so systematically successful that it is easy to forget he is just one man toiling away silently with a pen, experimenting and improving with each book. While not as gifted a prose stylist as Scott Turow, Grisham is among the best plotters in the thriller business, and he infuses his books with a moral valence and creative vision that set them apart from their peers.<p> <I>The Brethren</I> is in many respects his most daring book yet. The novel grows from two separate subplots. In the first, three imprisoned ex-judges (the "brethren" in the title), frustrated by their loss of power and influence, concoct an elaborate blackmail scheme that preys on wealthy, closeted gay men. The second story traces the rise of presidential candidate Aaron Lake, a puppet essentially created by CIA director Teddy Maynard to fulfill Maynard's plans for restoring the power of his beleaguered agency. <p> Grisham's tight control of the two meandering threads leaves the reader guessing through most of the opening chapters how and when these two worlds will collide. Also impressive is Grisham's careful portraiture. Justice Hatlee Beech in particular is a fascinating, tragic anti-hero: a millionaire judge with an appointment for life who was rendered divorced, bankrupt, and friendless after his conviction for a drunk-driving homicide.<p> The book's cynical view of presidential politics and criminal justice casts a somewhat gloomy shadow over the tale. CIA director Teddy Maynard is an all-powerful demon with absolute knowledge and control of the public will and public funds. Even his candidate, Congressman Lake, is a pawn in Maynard's egomaniacal game of ad campaigns, illicit contributions, and international intrigue. In the end, <I>The Brethren</I> marks a transition in Grisham's career toward a more thoughtful narrative style with less interest in the big-payoff blockbuster ending. But that's not to say that the last 50 pages won't keep your reading light turned on late. <I>--Patrick O'Kelley</I>
10 Points, Hardcover, 2005I try not to distinguish between business news and general news. To me, the two are the same . . . <P>Over the quarter century I've been doing this -- first in print, then in broadcasting, then in print and broadcasting -- I'm amazed at how many people seem to believe that if it's about Wall Street, it's not about Main Street. <P>I think it's quite the other way around. Wall Street is Main Street. <P>-- from the Introduction <P>As the host of Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto" and "Cavuto on Business", Neil Cavuto reports on today's most influential business leaders and newsmakers, from CEOs to politicians -- getting behind the story by connecting with the men and women who made it. And he ends each show with his own personal commentaries -- sometimes witty, often inspiring, and always incisive and thought-provoking. Now, Cavuto collects the best of these essays in one volume, on topics that range from business to family to civility in public life. <P>Among the essays: <P>Where Were You on September 10, 2001? . . . <P>on remembering what America was like before 9/11 <P>We Are What We Eat . . . <P>on fast food, lawsuits, and personal responsibility <P>Why I Don't Trust My Uncle Sam . . . <P>on how the surplus of the 1990s was bound to disappear <P>Tony Soprano for Fed Chairman . . . <P>on what Alan Greenspan could learn from the mob <P>Tips for Empty Nesters . . . <P>on how to cope when your kids leave you behind <P>Covering one of the most tumultuous decades in memory -- from the wild and chaotic Clinton years through the sobering challenges of the ongoing War on Terror -- Cavuto's words offer a window onto our America at its best and its worst.
11 Points, Hardcover, 2006<div><div>Pat Buchanan is sounding the alarm. Since 9/11, more than four million illegal immigrants have crossed our borders, and there are more coming every day. Our leaders in Washington lack the political will to uphold the rule of law. The Melting Pot is broken beyond repair, and the future of our nation is at stake.<br>In this important book, Pat Buchanan reveals that, slowly but surely, the great American Southwest is being reconquered by Mexico. These lands---which many Mexicans believe are their birthright---are being detached ethnically, linguistically, and culturally from the United States by a deliberate policy of the Mexican regime. This is the “Aztlan Plot” for “La Reconquista,” the recapture of the lands lost by Mexico in the Texas War of Independence and Mexican-American War. <br>Comparing the immigrant invasion of America from across the Mexican border---and of Europe from across the Mediterranean---to the barbarian invasions that ended the Roman Empire, the author writes with passion and conviction that we have begun the final chapter of the Death of the West. Unless the invasion is halted now, Buchanan argues, by midcentury America will be a country unrecognizable to our parents, the Third World dystopia that Theodore Roosevelt warned against when he said we must never let America become a “polyglot boardinghouse” for the world. <br>President Bush’s failure to halt the invasion and secure America’s border, Buchanan writes, is a dereliction of constitutional duty that, in other times, would have called forth articles of impeachment. In the final chapter, “Last Chance,” he lays out a sweeping immigration reform and border security plan, which, he contends, if not pursued, means George W. Bush’s legacy will be to have lost for America a Southwest that was the legacy of Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, and James K. Polk. With an estimated ten to fifteen million “illegals” already here and tens of millions more poised to pour across our borders, few books could be as timely---or important---as <i>State of Emergency</i>. It is essential reading for all Americans. </div></div>
2 Points, DVD, 1999Anyone who's watched just about any teenage film knows that the greatest evil in this world isn't chemical warfare, ethnic cleansing, or even the nuclear bomb. The worst crime known to man? Why, virginity, of course. As we've learned from countless films--from <I>Summer of '42</I> to <I>Risky Business</I>--virginity is a criminal burden that one must shed oneself of as quickly as possible. And while many of these films have given the topic a bad name, <I>American Pie</I> quietly sweeps in and gives sex some of its dignity back. Dignity, you may say? How can a film that highlights intercourse with fruit pies, premature ejaculation broadcasted across the Internet, and the gratuitous "gross-out" shots restore the dignity of a genre that's been encumbered with such heavyweights as <I>Porky's</I> and <I>Losin' It</I>? The plot may be typical, with four high school friends swearing to "score" by prom, yet the film rises above the muck with its superior cast, successful and sweet humor, and some actually rather retro values about the meaning and importance of sex. Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Eddie Kaye Thomas make up the odd quartet of pals determined to woo, lie, and beg their way to manhood. The young women they pursue are wary girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid), choir girl Heather (Mena Suvari), band geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and just about any other female who is willing and able. Natasha Lyonne as Jessica, playing a similar role as in <I>Slums of Beverly Hills</I>, is the general adviser to the crowd (when Vicky tells her "I want it to be the right time, the right place," Jessica responds, "It's not a space shuttle launch, it's <I>sex</I>"). The comedic timing hits the mark--especially in the deliberately awkward scenes between Jim (Biggs) and his father (Eugene Levy). And, of course, lessons are learned in this genuinely funny film, which will probably please the adult crowd even more than it will the teenage one. <I>--Jenny Brown</I>
3 Points, DVD, 2004Bounty hunters from the future raid the present to provide new bodies for the super rich in the all-out pedal-to-the-medal sci-fi thriller Freejack directed by Geoff Murphy (Young Guns) and sparked by the imagination of Alien and Total Recall veteran Ronald Shusett. Emilio Estevez Mick Jagger Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo star keeping pace with the scenic supersonic excitement. Prior to a crash race car driver Alex Furlong (Estevez) is snatched from his cockpit and hurled into the futureworld of 2009. He's dead. And running for his life. He's a "freejack" a stranger in the strangest of lands. And a relentless "bonejacker" (Jagger) can collect millions bringing him in.Running Time: 110 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY UPC: 085391637325
2 Points, DVD, 0Pathfinder Unrated.
7 Points, Paperback, 2007(a short explanation of the essence of Orthodoxy and of the differences between the Churches)
3 Points, DVD, 2004MGM Walking Tall - DVD<br>After eight years, decoratedArmy veteran Chris Vaughn (The Rock) returns to his hometown and finds it ravaged by poverty, drugsand corruption. Its once-thriving lumber mill is closed, and a glitzy, crime-ridden casino is now the chief source of income. Pushed to the brink, Chris pushes back and soon becomes a target for murder. Now it's up to this Special Forces hero to clean up his town...or die trying!<br>Starring: TheRock [WWF], Johnny Knoxville, Neal McDonough, Kristen Wilson, Ashley Scott<br>Director: Kevin Bray
46 Points, DVD, 1998Weirdly marketed as a right-wing screed upon its initial release in 1973, <I>Walking Tall</I> is really a tragic, shockingly violent post-noir film based on various legends surrounding real-life Southern sheriff Buford Pusser. Joe Don Baker (<i>The Natural</i>) gives a powerful performance as Pusser, who took on determined forces of crime and corruption in his town at great personal expense. Directed with an intentionally crude force by Phil Karlson (<i>Kansas City Confidential</i>), one of the toughest filmmakers of the 1950s, the film's grimness does not let up, but in the end it is more likely to break hearts than turn stomachs. <i>--Tom Keogh</i>
2 Points, DVD, 0Disc 1 - Movie & Commentary by Martin Scorsese Disc 2 - Special Features - Additional Scene.
11 Points, Hardcover, 2005<p>Dr. Savage, sage prophet of the airwaves, has been diagnosing liberal mental illness for more than a decade. Now, in his third and most insightful book, he strikes at the root of today's most desperate issues, providing a hefty dose of his unique conservative medicine, including: <p><li>Homeland security: "We need more Patton and less patent leather. . .Real homeland security begins when we arrest, interrogate, jail, or deport known operatives within our own borders. . .One dirty bomb can ruin your whole day."</li> <li>The ACLU, National Lawyers Guild, and MoveOn.org: "I believe it's time for the heads of . . . left-wing agitation groups who are using the courts to impose their will on the sheeple to be prosecuted under the federal RICO statutes."</li> <li>Illegal immigration: "I envision an Oil for Illegals program. . .The president should demand one barrel of oil from Mexico for every illegal alien that sneaks into our country."</li> <p>The Doctor is in and the diagnosis is clear. Read <i>Liberalism is a Mental Disorder</i> and find out what you can do to treat it.
11 Points, Hardcover, 2005Hillary Rodham Clinton is the most polarizing figure in American politics. Love her or hate her, everyone has a strong opinion about the former first lady turned senator who is almost certainly going to run for president in 2008. <P> Despite more than a dozen years in the national spotlight and more than a dozen unauthorized books about her, she has managed to keep many secrets from the publicÃâespecially about her turbulent marriage and its impact on her career. There have been plenty of rumors about what Hillary and Bill Clinton did behind closed doors, but never a definitive book that exposes the truth. <P> Bestselling author Edward Klein draws on rare access to inside sources to reveal what Hillary knew and when she knew it during her years as first lady, especially during her husbandÃâs impeachment. KleinÃâs book, embargoed until publication, will break news about the choices and calculations she has made over the years. It will also prove that she lied to America in her bestselling autobiography <I>Living History</I>. <P> When she was just a little girl, Hillary Rodham dreamed of becoming the first female president, and her lifelong dream is almost within reach. But just as the swift boat veterans convinced millions of voters that John Kerry lacked the character to be president, KleinÃâs book will influence everyone who is sizing up the character of Hillary Clinton.
5 Points, Hardcover, 1982
9 Points, Hardcover, 1998
4 Points, Paperback, 1986<p>Among important books in the defense of Christianity, this one has few equals. Evidence That Demands a Verdict is an easy-to-read, front-line defense for Christians facing the tough questions of critics and skeptics. Using secular evidences and other historical sources, Josh McDowell's faith-building book is a "must read" for every Christian.</p>
5 Points, Mass Market Paperback, 2007<div><div>A prophecy is fulfilled when Peter Attis is rescued from the Cylons in order to save humanity with “the plague of the tongue.” Or so it seems…<br> <br>While harvesting algae for conversion into food, the beleaguered human/refugee fleet is discovered by a small group of Cylon raiders. A brief battle ends with the destruction of a Cylon heavy raider. A colonial issue escape pod found floating among the debris reveals two survivors inside: Singer Peter Attis . . . and his captor, a Cylon Number Eight.<br> <br>Soon after Peter’s liberation, people begin babbling incoherently and dropping into comas. Unwittingly, Peter has been spreading a highly contagious, nerve-deteriorating Cylon biological weapon -- and he just performed for half the fleet. As Dr. Gaius Baltar begins work on a cure, word starts to spread that a fanatical sect believes that Peter is the religious leader who will save humanity and that this virus is their path to salvation. They are willing to do anything to keep Baltar’s vaccine from being distributed. <br> <br>While the fleet is in chaos, a larger Cylon force appears. A weakened humankind, now threatened on two fronts, may be unable to defend itself…</div></div>
6 Points, Paperback, 2006<div><div>President Laura Roslin bears a heavy burden. Since becoming the president of the twelve human colonies when the Cylons brutally attacked and destroyed all but a small remnant of humanity's billions, she has been the voice of civil authority, counterbalancing the military leadership of Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galactica. President Roslin has been a source of inspiration to the tens of thousands who survive on Galactica and the other colonial ships. They look to her for honesty, integrity, and courage. For fairness and an evenhanded rule. And most importantly, for the prophecy she has shared with them. Earth, the fabled home of the lost colony, can be found. She has seen this in a vision which has the power of truth.<br><br>Recently, though, her dreams have been darker, of a galaxy overrun by Cylons. . . . Is she having visions of an inevitable future? Or are these terrible dreams caused by powerful medication she's been taking ?<br><br>More dangerously, the Midguardians, radicals who believe that the end of humanity is coming soon, have learned of Roslin's dreams and taken them as a sign. Now, the Midguardians prepare to act.<br><br>President Roslin faces the most important decision of her life, should she tell Commander Adama about the Midguardians, and risk being imprisoned again as a traitor, or dare she keep her secret, and possibly endanger the future of the entire fleet . . .</div></div>
5 Points, Hardcover, 1993Rush Limbaugh, America's #1 radio talk-show host, bounded to the top of the bestseller lists with <i>The Way Things Ought to Be,</i> the #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestseller and the fastest-selling audio in history. Now, this consummate entertainer and provocative political commentator, whom conservatives love and liberals love to hate---this "harmless little fuzzball" who delights in being called "The Most Dangerous Man in America"---is ready to make audio publishing history again with <i>See, I Told You So</i>. The Democrats may be in the White House---but even President Clinton can't ruin this country in only four years, proclaims Rush. Conservatism's most outspoken champion, Rush leads the charge to embrace and defend the fundamental values that have shaped the American character---the same values that cause liberals to have conniptions. Ever the optimist, Rush sees the "pernicious liberal movement" as a philosophy whose inevitable demise will lead us back to the values that made America great. A must for the politically incorrect, and sure to be anther blockbuster audio bestseller, <i>See, I Told You So</i> is Rush at his best---revealing once again why his syndicated radio show reaches over 20 million listeners each week.
9 Points, Hardcover, 1992Rush Limbaugh is a way of life for over twelve million avid and devoted listeners. For three hours every day this comic conservative of the airwaves with "talent on loan from God" entertains, provokes and persuades friend sand enemies alike in a no-holds-barred show that is one of the biggest draws in radio history. Using personal anecdotes, Limbaugh now reveals the major influences on his life and views, and blasts off on all the leading issues of our day. Nothing escapes his acerbic wit and huggable charm as he proves why he is on the cutting edge of societal evolution and the epitome of morality and virtue. Here he holds forth on such subjects as: Anita Hill, The Homeless Fraud, The Media, and many others. Tackling the hottest topics of the times from Feminazis to Environmentalist Wackos, Rush Limbaugh is at his satirical best---the provocative conservative and the showman who is "documented to be almost always right 97.9% of the time" about <i>The Way Things Ought To Be.</i>
5 Points, Paperback, 1990
14 Points, Hardcover, 2000
7 Points, Hardcover, 2004An apocalyptic battle between good and evil is vigorously, violently fought in British author G.P. Taylor's suspenseful, action-packed fantasy. The story, set in the 1700s on the Yorkshire coastline, revolves around Vicar Obadiah Demurral, a corrupt-but-inept, dead-conjuring "shadowmancer" who desires to control the universe by overthrowing God, or Riathamus. When two hard-luck near-orphans, (13-year-old Thomas Barrick, a bitter enemy of Demurral, and his troubled friend Kate Coglund) band together with a young African stranger named Raphah, they spend the rest of the book trying to stop the wicked Vicar as if their very souls are at stake...they are. Along the way, the three youths meet an enormous cast of friends and foes, some agents of Riathamus, others of Satan (Pyratheon), and some godless (but not for long) smugglers like Jacob Crane.<p> Readers who love fanciful storybook characters will find mermaidlike Seloth, smelly hobs, leg-dragging servants, goodhearted whores, and benevolent boggles. Age-old superstitions abound, though old magic and witchcraft are clearly denounced here as the work of the devil. Indeed, the author, an English vicar himself, tells a very Christian story and his often deliciously dramatic adventure lapses into stiffly presented glowing-halo <I>Touched by an Angel</I> moments(readers will be lured into the Enchanted Forest, but tricked into Sunday school). Nonetheless, <I>Shadowmancer</I>, the first of a series, is a pageturner bursting with magic and myth, and will appeal to fantasy lovers who don't mind the Bible mixed in with their boggles. (Ages 11 and older) <I>--Karin Snelson</I>
4 Points, Paperback, 2001Assures carriers and drivers of up-to-date information, thus enabling compliance and reducing potential for fines.
6 Points, Hardcover, 1996We have witnessed a reemergence of cigar culture--everyone is doing it, in popular movies, TV, and in the many cigar-friendly clubs which have sprung up. <i>The International Connoisseur's Guide to Cigars</i> is an authoritative guide to fine cigars from around the world. If you don't know a Cuban from a Swisher Sweet, this book will end that confusion! Over 100 full color photographs, fascinating cigar facts, and amusing anecdotes make this a "smoking" book! <i>--Naomi Gesinger</i>
7 Points, Hardcover, 2001Published to predictable international controversy, this sensational trove of documents, chronicling events leading up to, and following, the violent quashing of student protests in Tiananmen Square in June 1989, vividly details for the first time what previously had only been surmised. Zhang Liang, the pseudonym for the high-ranking Chinese official who leaked the documents, has revived the memory less to tell the truth than in a bid to advance political reform in China, which stalled as a result of Tiananmen Square. In that sense, the book is as much about hidden struggles now as it is about those in 1989. The Chinese government, unsurprisingly, has condemned it as "fabrication," and while a post-<I>Hitler Diaries</I> world is cautious, with experts admitting they cannot guarantee authenticity "with absolute authority," the feeling is that the records are largely credible.<p> What they reveal is the paranoia that gripped the Chinese rulers when the death of Hu Yaobang sparked public demonstrations that showed no signs of abating. The biggest villain appears to be former Premier Li Peng, the so-called "Butcher of Beijing," who conspires to bring about an aggressive end to the "turmoil." Yet it's Deng Xiaoping, who, although officially long retired, still wields the most power, as he and his fellow Elders intervene to enforce martial law. The moderate Zhao Ziyang favors negotiation and dialogue, but as a consequence is crushed and replaced by Jiang Zemin, the present leader, plucked from obscurity and appointed in defiance of procedure. The gripping scenario that unfolds, in compulsive detail, is akin to parents bickering over the best way to control unruly children, with carrot or stick.<p> Preceding a much longer Chinese edition, the American editors, Andrew J. Nathan and Perry Link, have performed their duties with acuity and flair, providing a lucid commentary to link the whistle-blowing government papers, minutes of meetings, speeches, eyewitness accounts, poster text, and foreign observations. <I>The Tiananmen Papers</I> affords a wide audience the opportunity to watch the drama unfold, blow by blow. It proves as brilliantly enthralling and explosive as a fictional thriller, allowing a rare snapshot of Chinese Communist Party factionalism in action. <I>--David Vincent, Amazon.co.uk</I>
6 Points, Hardcover, 1995
11 Points, Hardcover, 2005Something's out there...
Reed Shelton organized this survival weekend. Hired the best guide in the region. Meticulously trained, studied, and packed while enouraging his wife, Beck, to do the same. But little did they know that surviving the elements would become the least of their worries. During thier first night of camping, an unearthly wail pierces the calm of the forest. Then someone--no, something--emerges from the dense woods and begins pursuing them. Everything that follows is a blur to Reed--except for the unforgettable image of a huge creature carrying his wife into the darkness. Dependant on the efforts of a small town and a band of friends, Reed knows they have little time to find Beck. Even more important, he soon realizes that they aren't the only ones doing the hunting. Something much faster, more relentless--and definately not human--has begun to hunt them.
Frank Peretti is at the top of his game in this New York Times best-selling novel of survival of the fittest. Nothing is as it first appears in this thriller where things that go bump in the night are only a heartbeat away.
6 Points, Paperback, 2006After the Cylon War, the Cylons retreated to parts unknown in deep space, and the twelve human colonies rebuilt that which was destroyed in the devastating war. The two sides honor their armistice agreement, and for twenty years nothing is heard from the Cylons. But sometimes no news is bad news. For the humans, the aftermath of the war has created a new, albeit illegal, profession: scavenger. Tom Zarek is one of these scavengers, scouring the outer settlements for valuable Cylon technologies and artifacts, usually returning empty-handed. But now, he and the crew of the cruiser Lightning have found the Omega Station, a scientific facility shrouded in secrecy beyond the edge of charted space. This is it, the big scoreexcept something is wrongthe base is still occupied, and not by humans, but by Cylons! The Battlestar Galactica receives the Lightnings distress call, getting the coordinates and a cryptic one-word message: Cylons. A younger William Adama, just promoted to second in command, is worried. His crew is not prepared to deal with more than the most routine of missions. And this mission is anything but routine, as they discover the base is full of Cylons, but also something much more disturbingand deadly.
4 Points, Paperback, 2004
11 Points, Hardcover, 0
4 Points, Mass Market Paperback, 2001It takes guts to write a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss <I>Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire</I>, a papal conclave, mysterious ambigrams, a plot against the Vatican, a mad scientist in a wheelchair, particles of antimatter, jets that can travel 15,000 miles per hour, crafty assassins, a beautiful Italian physicist, and a Harvard professor of religious iconology. It takes talent to make that novel anything but ridiculous. Kudos to Dan Brown (<I>Digital Fortress</I>) for achieving the nearly impossible. <I>Angels & Demons</I> is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller--think Katherine Neville's <I>The Eight</I> (but cleverer) or Umberto Eco's <I>Foucault's Pendulum</I> (but more accessible).<p> Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches, and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization.<p> Brown seems as much juggler as author--there are lots and <I>lots</I> of balls in the air in this novel, yet Brown manages to hurl the reader headlong into an almost surreal suspension of disbelief. While the reader might wish for a little more sardonic humor from Langdon, and a little less bombastic philosophizing on the eternal conflict between religion and science, these are less fatal flaws than niggling annoyances--readers should have no trouble skimming past them and immersing themselves in a heck of a good read. "Brain candy" it may be, but my! It's tasty. <I>--Kelly Flynn</I>
4 Points, Hardcover, 2000Even well-versed Biblical scholars might be perplexed if asked about Jabez, a little-known man listed in 1 Chronicles, chapter 4. Yet his simple petition is the cornerstone of <I>The Prayer of Jabez</I> and has become a call to live a more "blessed life" for countless readers. <p> The prayer is a simple one: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.' So God granted him what he requested."<p> In an era where many Christians shy away from anything that smacks of "name it and claim it," author Bruce Wilkinson alleviates misgivings by putting the prayer into perspective. Wilkinson, founder and president of Walk thru the Bible Ministries and a popular speaker for Promise Keepers, writes in a persuasive, conversational style that will woo even the most cynical reader. He has used the Jabez prayer for more than 30 years, and testifies enthusiastically to the changes it has wrought in his own life. Wilkinson challenges readers to recite the Jabez prayer every morning and keep a record of the changes that occur. The power, he emphasizes, is not in the prayer itself, but "rather, the power is in what you believe will happen as a result of the prayer, and the action you take." Wilkinson makes a convincing case. --<I>Cindy Crosby</I>
4 Points, Paperback, 1995The fascinating story of one of the most influential Christians of our time.</P><P>From a top-ranking government career to public disgrace...from prison cell to Buckingham Palace-few individuals have experienced the dramatic highs and lows that have characterized Charles Colson's life.</P><P>His spiraling success as a close adviser to President Nixon was about to be blown apart by the emerging Watergate scandal. Yet as certain downfall loomed, God was at work and the scandal that brought down a president was also the turning point in Colson's personal life. Jailed for his part in Watergate, it was from his prison cell that Colon began the work that would bring good news to prisoners everywhere, and to Colson himself, one of the highest accolades of the Christian world the 1993 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.</P><P>From a prison cell to bringing the Good News to prisoners all over the world.</P>
4 Points, Paperback, 2004Michael Savage is the host of <i>The Savage Nation</i>, a radio program that airs on over 300 stations nationwide. A self-described victim of "truth-in-mouth syndrome," he claims to be "the only man in the country saying it the way it really is." His stated purpose for writing the book is to save a "homosexualized, feminized America" from a liberal assault that is "unraveling the very fabric of this great nation." Declaring that "a minority of feminist zealots rule the culture," he blames Democrats and liberals for everything from a general decline in morals in the United States to bringing the Taliban to power in Afghanistan. Although one chapter is entitled "Crimes of the Democrats" (with special attention paid to Al Gore), Savage is no Republican stooge--this "bipartisan basher" reserves plenty of venom for the GOP as well, particularly regarding immigration, one of his favorite subjects. Savage calls for a severe tightening of U.S. borders and vigilant racial profiling in order to combat terrorism and the spread of infectious diseases. He also rails against liberal media bias, big government, the lack of prayer in schools, rampant pornography, the UN, the ACLU, and a host of social ills that he believes were caused almost exclusively by hippies in the 1960s and the Clinton administration in the 1990s.<p> Like many talk-show personalities, Savage is confrontational, angry, entertaining, and prone to exaggeration, sometimes all at once. He can also be funny and sarcastic. But while he does offer some interesting observations and enough food for thought to make this slim volume worth a read, his book is essentially one long rant with precious little useful information to back up his often bombastic claims. His angry-man shtick may make for stimulating drive-time listening (and high ratings), but it doesn't make for a particularly convincing book. <I>--Shawn Carkonen</I>