Mangaka America: Manga by America's Hottest Artists

Book Description

"Mangaka" is a term for someone who creates manga. The artists in MANGAKA AMERICA represent the newest dynamic talents in the field and are professionally creating it for an American audience, something that was unheard of 20 years ago.

MANGAKA AMERICA showcases a selection of these US–based mangaka, highlighting each artist's unique contibution to the genre. Manga fans are often anxious to learn new skills and techniques, and this book also provides mini–tutorials in which each artist provides instruction on character design, layouts, digital inking, and coloring.

Customer Reviews:

Average Rating due to Average format.......2007-02-23

Please keep in mind my perspective upon reviewing this book: I've been around the industry over 10 years now watching fanartists renaming themselves and branching out using the internet and other sources to realize their dream of becoming mangaka/comic book artists.

The book uses quality paper in presenting a number of artists that use the Japanese influence commonly referred to as manga in this book. I did enjoy the introduction by Adam Warren, and I did find some useful information with some of the artists. I actually went to find this book because some of the artists I've known online and one such artist mentioned being featured in this book on her Deviant Art account.

There is some dispute if the book is covering manga influenced artists, because some don't seem like their style is inspired by it, however, manga is a VERY broad term since I've seen many Japanese artists use different styles than the BESM (Big Eyes Small Mouth) formula many people attribute to manga.

What bothers me most about this book is the format. The interview questions are actually more fitting for a monthly webzine. Allow me to explain. In a book featuring artists, it's imperative to keep the interviews unique and fresh, and to make sure you ask questions relative to the artist you're interviewing. By having a stale format of the same questions you ask every artist you actually end up losing your readers. You take away a perspective that could make each artist shine and be unique. You may as well be reading a person's application. At a certain point I don't care if they like an Eva over a Gundam. You lost me. Formatted questions are best kept in monthly serials, that way the reader doesn't feel like they're being spoon fed redundancy.

The other problem with this book is that I felt it was more of a push for Tokyopop. Granted, TP is one of the few areas where artists were able to self publish with a larger distribution, however, Adam Warren mentioned there were other forms, such as web comics. A real benefit would have been adding some of those artists and asking how things changed with them.

Duc Tran/Locke should have been in this book in my opinion

Mal: Impromanga was an essential stepping stone for artists to learn how to storyboard.

Joshua Lesnick should have also been in this book. He helped change a lot of how webcomics were viewed including helping host a server for artists to use the internet to be a mangaka.

Having said this, there were still quite a few artists I found interesting to read about and some of the tutorials were interesting especially in their presentation. None of these tutorials aren't something you'll find online by the way, but as I said some of them are nicely presented.

Overall the book isn't horrible, and actually exceeded expectations in quality in printing and paper choice.

My beautiful book of knowledge........2007-01-21

I love Anime and Manga, and I have for a long time. When I found this book in a book store I thought that it was fascinating. Definitely a great source of inspiration, but not worth 25 bucks. Then I saw one of the tutorials. That book was mine before it knew what happened to it. As an aspiring Graphic Designer and someone who has be trying to teach herself how to draw Manga for years now, this book is indispensable. The artists in this book showed me how to do things I just didn't know how to do before, gave me new ideas and a sense of perspective. Make no mistake, this isn't a "how to draw manga" book, it's more of a "get to know the artists and learn all the tricks you wish was in all those how to draw manga books" kind of book. I couldn't stop reading it and I just can't stop looking at it! Highly recommended for lovers of Anime and Manga, as well as aspiring artists.

Brilliant idea, perfectly presented.......2006-12-11

The book's idea was to showcase the work of a dozen North American manga artists, including "how to" interviews, which many of these artists turned into original pieces of manga (see especially the great outrageous chapter by Felipe Smith). The book is exceptionally well printed and has sewn signatures, so it opens flat and is durable (you will go back to it often). The book is edited by two strong young graphic designers and editors, Tania del Rio, a widely published manga artist herself (one chapter is devoted to her work), and Will Staehle, who has, among other things, designed the covers for three books by Michael Crichton, including Next, the current bestseller. Mangaka America is already in the collection of a major art museum. It's museum quality. And it's fun.

Visual Candy & Valuable Tips.......2006-11-26

I have been anticipating this book since the start of the year - and pre-ordered it months ago. It was everything I expected/wanted, and more.
I expected a few tutorials, much like how I see online, for colouring bit by bit. The techniques, etc.

This book, much like those, takes you into the artist's perspective. And then some. They give you so many hints along the way, and explain things simply, so someone who knows only the very basics of painting programs [like me], could understand. And then comes the fun part:
Not all the tutorials were the expected 'Then you do this, and that...' screen-shot steps. Christy Lijewski takes an interesting approach to character design. Then you get Felipe Smith's hilarious 'comic-tut' on facial expression. Most artists got a tutorial in, which I was very pleased with.

There's interesting quiz-style biographies, with questions/points varying between artists, and it was very interesting reading responses.
I particularly liked two tutorials. Not because I already admired the artists, but because of the insights they gave me.

I doubt I saw two artists who had the same approach/style to art, whether it was more anime-like, or manga, and it was great seeing their works in print.

I recommend this book to both those who want to look at some beautiful artwork, and those who want an insight into how these achieve their means.

Average customer rating:

How much talent can one man have?
This could be a movie
Decent start out of the gate
If you liked this book, you will also love...
The Bitter End

The Hottest State(MTI): A Novel
Ethan Hawke
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0679781358
Release Date: 1997-09-30

Amazon.com

Yes, it's "that" Ethan Hawke. Ethan Hawke the actor. In this slim debut novel, he tells a coming-of-age tale of a fairly unpleasant young actor from Texas named William who lives in Manhattan and is working his way through an ugly little relationship with a singer/songwriter named Sarah. William's parents married young and split up early and he's not too happy with the world at large. Sarah can't quite make heads or tails of her mother. The pair has sex in the bathroom and talks quite a bit about their relationship. It all has a certain ring of truth, but at this point it's probably safe to say that Hawke's movie agent will probably make a better living off the young actor/writer than Hawke's literary agent.

Book Description

When William meets Sarah at a bar appropriately called the Bitter End, he is a few months short of his twenty-first birthday and about to act in his first movie. He is so used to getting what he wants that he has never been able to care too deeply for anyone. But all of that is about to change. And it is Sarah--bold and shy, seductive and skittish--who will become William's undoing and his salvation.

William's affair with Sarah will take him from a tenement on the Lower East Side to a hotel room in Paris, from a flip proposal of marriage to the extremities of outraged need and the wisdom that comes only to true survivors. Anyone who reads The Hottest State will encounter a writer who can charm, dazzle, and break the heart in a single paragraph.

Customer Reviews:

How much talent can one man have?.......2007-03-23

Hawke is a excellent storyteller. He has a long career in writing if he chooses to and for our sake I hope he does continue to write. If you like this book you will love his "Ash Wednesday".

This could be a movie.......2007-01-29

When I bought this book, I was really excited to read something by Ethan Hawke because I knew he was very intelligent and very opinionated. He's also very perceptive about life and emotions. This book left me with a lot of good impressions. Several times throughout the book, he had these one-liners that seemed to be like secrets to life. I used to share those with my friends because I thought they were sensational. I think Ethan's been writing for a long time because all of his thoughts they just flow onto the page so honestly and he gives enough of an idea of each character so the reader can picture exactly who these people are.

Generally, Ethan likes to write about love and figuring out the meaning of life (which he generally points back to love). It's fun to read no matter what your age, although he does use cuss words a bit.

Decent start out of the gate.......2006-11-17

I'm the type that likes those poignant art flicks that Hawke ends up in. His choice in movies, and often the dialog his characters are given lead me to think he's one of the intellectual crowd. Thus, I expected the novel to be a bit heavy handed, almost classic in nature and a bit pretentious. For better or for worse, I found it wasn't.

His style is striaghtforward and down to earth. At times the sections end like the powerful last line of a poem, as if he wants the last word in an arguement before walking out the door (a common thing in stage and film, so it's not surprising it occurs in his prose). But most of the time, it's just honest writing.

In a way it owes itself to the pulp writers like Hammet, not that it's full of the vernacular of the noir, but in that he doesn't waste much time defining the settings, the clothing, the articles in the rooms, but more focuses on character development. And gladly he does a fine job of defining his characters not by telling, but by action.

This is a story about young love, and immature naive young love at that. About a Holden Caufield in his mid 20's, falling for damaged goods and not having the experience and wisdom yet to see her for what she is.

Mostly I appreciated the novel because of the realistic characters (at least realistic from my own life experiences, yours may differ), and the easy flow of the writing. At times, also like Hammet, I'd find passages that read like good poetry - bits of wisdom coming from a perspective unique to me, told in a style that is both rough and also graceful.

Much fame has come to writers like Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum, because their plots are strong and intriguing. However, those airline novelists fail miserably when it comes to voice. Reading them is like listening to Beethoven performed by a high school band.

This novel reads in the reverse. The plot is simple, there's not a great amount of complexity or surprises. However, it's well done, well paced, well performed, like a Bob Dylan tune being performed by a Norah Jones.

The joy is in the style, honesty and the integrity to the writing, even if the subject matter has been covered before, and the chords are familiar triads.

If you liked this book, you will also love..........2006-04-29

By the same author...

1. Watch Me In This Lonely Corner
2. Oh My Love, Oh My Dearest Darling--I Pine For You--PINE!
3. How To Trick Yourself Into Thinking You're Still 15
5. How To Feel Sorry For Ethan Hawke
6. The Secret Garden
7. Self-Indulgence: a Primer
8. Tori Amos: EarthQueenGoddessMother
9. Prozac Nation
10. Oh Life! Oh Love! Oh Eternity!

The Bitter End.......2005-12-13

The foreshadowing is heavy-handed... the narrator meets the woman with whom he will fall in love, at a bar called The Bitter End. It's a reason to not like the book, but I have other reasons.

I can always tell if a book has an impact on me, good or bad, if, years later, I remember where I was when I read it.

This was a slim novel. I bought it in a small bookshop in Union Station in D.C. and read it on the plane to San Juan, Puerto Rico one November in 1999. I can't remember many details of the trip except it was to visit a friend named Brian who ran a hotel on St. Thomas.

Why does that matter? Well it shouldn't, really, except it was somewhat of an exciting trip because no one knew I was going there and it felt very grown up to have business meetings in D.C. all week and then sneak down to the Carribbean for a couple of days.

My point, and I'm finally here, is that the only thing I really remember about the 4-5 day trip is reading The Hottest State.

It's not a book that scholars will laud and it certainly won't win any literary awards, but it spoke to me. I'd like a man to see me like Sarah. I'd like a man to realize he's damaged and immature but still aspire to the love of a genuine woman. I like reading about angst and I like eavesdropping on people's conversations about their relationships.

I'm not going to get into the row about good writing or bad writing or ghost writing. Whatever it was, I enjoyed the book and I remembered it.

p.s. According to ancient Hollywood rumor, the narrator was Ethan Hawke himself and Sarah, Lisa Loeb.

Average customer rating:

The Hottest State: A Novel
Ethan Hawke
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUA8V8

Average customer rating:

the big surprise

A struggle to finish...

True Highland Magic!

Not bad, but does not match description very well

Stealing Sophie is a Sparkling Romantic Debut!
Stealing Sophie
Sarah Gabriel
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060736097
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Customer Reviews:

the big surprise.......2006-06-22

I was reading along feeling that this might be an allright book and then whamo! the big surprise. We find out (and I'm not sure Connor ever did) that Sophie isn't a virgin. Had sex with a "friend" when she was younger. No big deal. Yes it was. She wouldn't have just done that in this time period. I felt like the author just couldn't have a virgin heroine, so she plunked down the friend story. It was so unbelieveable. It ruined the book for me right then. I just felt this book had no validity. I don't recall if she ever told Connor about this incident. This book just entered TSTL territory for me. Don't waste your time or money on this one.

A struggle to finish..........2005-09-29

I Love Highland Romances! Julie Garwood, Sue Ellen Welfonder, Karen Marie Moning, ect. And I can appreciate all of the different tones or writing styles authors have without giving the book a bad review. I hate to say it, because I always get "flogged" on the voting button when I give a negative review, but this book was difficult to finish. It starts out interesting enough with Sophie's abduction, we really start to care about the characters, and then they get back to his "Castle in Ruin." (Because his home has been taken by an enemy). This is where it starts to fizzle. I liked this hero well enough, but fierce Highlander he's not, which is okay, just a little boring. Our hero basically acts as a patrol, thwarting the efforts of the English building roads through Scotland. Running and hiding when these soldiers spot him, he comes off more as a prankster, than a force to be reckoned with. And the scale of the "Drama" is minimal. The climax reads as a minor "scuffle." As for our heroine, I really liked her, but her character fell flat for me after we're told of her special "fairy" blood that gives her special powers, which she's not even sure of. Apparently, these "powers" differ between each person in her family, and all our heroine can do is encourage growth in plants and vegetables, even where land is virtually barren and without hope... Yes, that's it. It's not even like one day there are just rocks and the next we have a bloom filled garden, no, they're all amazed by a little bit of sprouting. Why bother, I kept waiting for something more, and it never comes. Till the end even the hero's not sure if he's a believer of her "Gift." (Possible spoiler?) At one point the hero talks to her about it (yes, they only talk of her abilities once) and he tells her that maybe her gift prevails itself where she directs her love, that maybe because of her love of gardening, her powers are shown to her. So, then you think, "Okay, when he needs her she'll be able to heal him, or whatever, because she loves him..." Yea, well, that never happens either. Like I said, this was boring and difficult to finish. I really hate to give negative reviews, but I also hope that by reading my review your able to say a.) These things wouldn't bother me; I'll give it a go. Or b.) Thank goodness, I can save my $6, and my time.

True Highland Magic!.......2005-03-10

This is a wonderful, wonderful book! A genuine Highland adventure, filled with magic and love. I see that Sarah Gabriel is a new author -- I can't wait for her next book, this was a real find. Take a chance like I did, you won't regret it!

Not bad, but does not match description very well.......2005-03-03

I don't usually like Highland novels, but the description of this one sounded interesting. But there was very little of "using her sweet disposition, and making a heavenly home" involved. At least not consciously on Sophie's part to protect herself. It had some magic, which redeemed it, but the descriptions should match the books closer, I think.

Stealing Sophie is a Sparkling Romantic Debut!.......2005-02-23

I don't usually find myself reading much in the way of romance these days, but a friend recommended that I read "Stealing Sophie" and I am so glad that I did! The description doesn't do the book justice.

It is gleefully suspenseful and written with great detail and texture. You can practically see Connor's linen shirt draped over his muscular physique and feel the beat of his passionate heart. I really admire the strong female lead, Sophie, in the book- her witty nature makes her a fascinating character to follow. I also really enjoy the amusing descriptions of some of the other characters. Somehow Sarah is able to imbue even the most insignificant characters with personality and it makes the story so much more real.

What I love the best about the book are the mystical twists that are woven into the story. Romance can sweep us away but it is the kiss of the supernatural that gives it permanence.

If you would enjoy a fun, romantic and suspenseful romp in the Scottish highlands, definitely read Stealing Sophie by Sarah Gabriel. We all need a little magic in our lives and thank you Sarah for bringing it to life in your writing!

Average customer rating:

Stealing Sophie

Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739449451

Product Description

Quickly wedded and passionately bedded, Sophie is now a captive in a Highland haven of rebels and cattle thieves. Nothing in her convent upbringing prepared her for the dashing rogue who is now her husband. Held against her will, Sophie uses the only weapon at her disposal -- her saintly reputation. Soon she tries to make Connor's life a living hell by creating heaven around him, gambling that the brigand will let her go just to escape her constant sweetness and womanly influence in his Highland lair. Yet he does not give in -- and when his kisses and his scorching touch make her yearn for more, Sophie suspects that her own heart has already surrendered

Average customer rating:

Stealing the state: An oral history
Sophie Saroff
Manufacturer: Community Documentation Workshop, St. Mark's-in-the Bowery
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006YMYGI

Average customer rating:

Stealing Sophie
Sarah Gabriel
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF9HFK

Book Description

Branded an outlaw and hunted by agents of the Empire, Lewis Deathstalker must stop the encroaching Terror that threatens all of humanity. But he can succeed only with the help of Owen Deathstalker, who supposedly died more than 200 years ago.

Customer Reviews:

A Disappointing Read.......2006-03-19

I have read many of Simon R. Green's novels, including Blue Moon Rising, The Hawk and Fisher Novels, the first four or five Deathstalker books, and the Nightside Novels, so as you can see, I love Green's writing as much as the next guy. Usually his characters are awesome and his style is fast-paced and funny. Unfortunately, I was disappointed for the first time with Deathstalker Return- not because of the characters or the style, but because of the boring plot. Yes, I said it, the plot was boring. Now for many of you who have read Green's other books, you might be skeptical about this review, especially considering the other rave reviews on this site. How can Green, who has written so many interesting and fast-paced novels, have written one that's boring? Well, for one, the story never progresses. All of the characters are strong and interesting, but they never DO anything interesting. Most of the novel consists of the five main characters searching planet after planet for information about Owen. They get into a few fights, but nothing extraordinary. And the characters do evolve a bit, but not enough to change the ending. The book is frusterating to say the least. So, all in all, I won't tell you not to read the book. Maybe I'm wrong and everyone (other than me) will like it, but if you get half-way through and are bored of the slow plot and lack of action, don't waste your time by finishing it, because the second half is just as bad as the first.

The much-anticipated return of Owen Deathstalker.......2005-03-05

Two hundred years have passed since Owen Deathstalker and his companions overthrew a corrupt Empire and saved humanity from the seemingly insurmountable threat of the Recreated. Owen Deathstalker, Hazel D'Ark, Jack Random, Ruby Journey - they are just legends now, the details of their exploits removed from the historical record because the new king and queen thought that the people would be more inspired by legend than a history that revealed their human weaknesses. Thanks to Owen, the Empire did indeed enter into a Golden Age, the enemies of Humanity either defeated or incorporated as newly established allies. Now that great era of peace and interspecies cooperation is falling apart, eaten away from within by a power-hungry former enforcer of justice and threatened from without by the prophesied arrival of the Terror. Owen Deathstalker warned of the coming danger in his final message, and now everyone in the Empire looks to him to return and save the day once again, for legend decrees that he alone can defeat the apocalyptic menace of the Terror.

Owen Deathstalker's story was told over the course of five incredibly exciting novels. Deathstalker Legacy took up the story two hundred years later, introducing us to a new Deathstalker in Lewis, a noble Paragon who was named King Douglas' Champion and then branded a traitor when he ran off with the king's intended bride Jesamine Flowers. Outlawed just like his famous predecessor, Lewis eventually teamed up with a most unusual team of individuals and set off to find - he hoped - the blessed Owen Deathstalker. The new gang of heroes does not even begin to compare with the legendary heroes of the past. Lewis is yet to prove himself a true Deathstalker in my eyes; his great love Jesamine Flowers is a spoiled and shallow diva who goes on and on about the comforts she has given up for her love of Lewis; Brett Random, who claims to be descended from both Jack Random and Ruby Journey (although no one believes it but him) is an insult to the very name of Random, a sniveling con man and complainer who deals with every danger by running away from it; Rose Constantine is a bloodthirsty killer from the Arenas who keeps trying to be human - usually failing miserably at it; and Saturday is a giant reptiloid alien who comes along just to kill as many people as possible.

Then there's the traitorous, power-hungry villain, Finn Durandal. Empress Lionstone was a worthy opponent, the kind of evil dictator you could at least respect for her calculating inhumanity. Durandal is just a closet sociopath who betrayed everything he used to be as a noble Paragon in order to scheme his way to power, triggered mainly by the jealousy he felt when Lewis Deathstalker was chosen over him as King Douglas' Champion. Durandal is a great schemer, a far-thinking man who manages to exploit both friends and enemies for his own purposes, but he's really just an extremely petty man whose path to power is just ridiculously easy given all of the infamous deeds he goes about doing.

Deathstalker Return is in some ways a return trip down memory lane. Lewis Deathstalker and his ill-sorted allies retrace much of the path followed by the legendary Owen himself, stopping off on Lachrymose Christi and Shandrakor before proceeding to Haden, the home of the Madness Maze which gave Owen Deathstalker and his companions the superhuman powers that helped them become the venerated saviors of humanity. The trip to Haden isn't always that enjoyable; the constant bickering back and forth between our new heroes falls far short of recapturing the sort of give and take that made earlier Deathstalker novels so entertaining. Everything that worked so well for Simon R. Green in the past really rings hollow now. Green seemingly needs Owen Deathstalker to return just as badly as the crumbling Empire does - in Owen mode, Green's story immediately transforms itself into the captivating space opera that made me such a huge Deathstalker fan to begin with.

One thing Green never fails to deliver is a litany of shocking surprises. You have to wait a little longer than usual this time around, but Deathstalker Return has a host of monkey wrenches to throw into the inner workings of the ongoing Deathstalker saga, including a final revelation that will have fans waiting with baited breath for the next installment in this incredible series.

You don't necessarily need to read the first five volumes of the life and times of Owen Deathstalker (Deathstalker, Deathstalker Rebellion, Deathstalker War, Deathstalker Honor, and Deathstalker Destiny) in order to enjoy this novel (although you will miss out on a lot without the background those novels provide), but you will certainly want to read Deathstalker Legacy before immersing yourself in the complex plot of Deathstalker Return. There is just too much going on here for you to jump in unprepared.

Amazing.......2004-02-20

Simon Green's Deathtalker series gets better with every book. It is never predictable, never boring, and always action packed. It is a fun series and there is no other one like it. I only wish more people would pick this up and read it so Simon never stops writing Deathstalker novels. The universe they take place in is like no other universe in any other books.

It might seem as though I am overhyping this book and this series, and I might be, but I feel like I can't say enough how much I have enjoyed this series.

This latest installment explains things from earlier books that weren't answered (things I had forgotten I once asked because so much is going on) and opens new questions as well (including a major one at the end). The twist at the end I never saw coming. Anyways, if you liked and have read the rest of the series, BUY THIS, it only gets better.

excellence.......2004-01-12

this book was definitely one of the best books that Simon R. Green has written - you really begin to sympathize with all the good characters and hate the bad ones. it's really a great read - it took about 3 hours for me to finish it, i was so engrossed. the ending especially, it was the most brilliant ending i have ever read, i can't wait until the next one comes out!

Simon R Green, still the best.......2004-01-09

I've read every single Simon R Green book that he has published here in the States... twice. And I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them. He has yet to disappoint me in any of his books.
In Return, Simon throws us a couple of days into the mix after the ending of Legacy with Lewis (he throws you 2 months ahead with Finn). The story is essentially split into two parts: What Lewis is doing, and what Finn and Douglas are doing. Or, more of what Finn is doing to Douglas.

This book will keep Simon R Green fans happy. It has tons of inventive ways of killing someone, like always. It also has some wonderful politics. Although, it comes off like there isn't anything Finn can't pull off. He really makes you hate Finn in this book, and he really makes you pity Douglas.

And, the ending to this book was (for me) unexpected, and brilliant. I loved it. I cannot wait until Deathstalker Coda comes out next January... the next 12 months will seem like an eternity.

Average customer rating:
Deathstalker Return

Manufacturer: ROC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000DCO2EU

Average customer rating:
Deathstalker Return
Simon R. Green
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000UU13H4

Average customer rating:

Excellent research and presentation. Thorough and yet non-offensive.

Pretty good history, but biased conclusions

An informative book on a subject that is rarely discussed

Excellent Historical Perspective

My eyes are wide open.

The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship
David John Buerger
Manufacturer: Signature Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mormonism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1560851767

Book Description

A veil of secrecy surrounds Mormon temple worship. While officially intended to preserve the sacredness of the experience, this silence often leaves Latter-day Saints mystified.

Until now there has been no scholarly examination of the derivation and development of the temple—something David John Buerger suggests all Mormons should know. By grounding the ceremony's meaning in symbolism and context, Latter-day Saints should find the ritual more enriching. Non-Mormons, too, may better appreciate the syncretic interweaving of old and new traditions in this highest form of Mormon devotion.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent research and presentation. Thorough and yet non-offensive........2006-09-06

This is one of the best reads I've had for awhile. Buerger has done an excellent job of researching and presenting the history behind the origins and developing changes to the Mormon temple ceremonies. Every quote cited is referenced and the author's goal "to achieve a balance of scholarly objectivity, reverence for the sacred, regard for the sensitivities of others, and adequate documentation and development of the points to be discussed" is very much achieved admirably in this book. The result is an excellent resource for members and non members alike.

Included in the impressive research taken, this book contains names, dates and frequency of what ceremonies took place when and who was involved, taking the guesswork out of other vague historical accounts on the same topic. It covers the history of what has taken place in the temple from the Kirtland days through to modern day.

Buerger avoids delving into the actual oaths, signs and tokens, which should remove any discomfort from current LDS members reading this - although he does dedicate an Appendix at the back of the book to over a hundred references (only) of published descriptions.

I've been a member now since a child and have been taught at every level (and taught others) much on Church doctrine and history, and I was definitely enlightened from reading this book - I highly recommend it to anyone who desires to learn more on the history of Mormon temple worship, including what has been added, changed or discarded since the first endowment was given, and why.

***** 5 stars

Pretty good history, but biased conclusions.......2004-02-14

I enjoyed reading this book, and it's history help me a lot to understand the evolution of temple ordinances. I'm LDS and don't understand why someone said LDS would feel embarassed by the book. If it wasn't for the uncalled opinion on how it should evolve (like sugesting a short version of the endowment) I would have given it an extra star. By uncalled opinion I mean that the temple ordinances evolution is not a matter of public opinion (the LDS church is not a democracy, but a theocracy) but rather a matter of either revelation or leadership decision (decision of those in authority to make such changes.

An informative book on a subject that is rarely discussed.......2003-03-10

Buerger gives an apparently evenhanded historical overview of the sacred temple worship of the Mormon Church. Non-members will find this book revealing, former members will find it reliable, and current members will probably be a bit uncomfortable with the subject discussed. This is not a book about the spiritual aspects of temple worship. It is about the history of temple events and practices, the development of the ceremonies (including the influences of Masonic rituals), as well as ceremonies that are rarely or no longer practiced.

Unlike contemporary texts released by the LDS church, this book does not seem to sugar-coat or sterilize the history of temple worship, and provides a great deal of explicit information that is not easily available, due to the closing the church archives and the sacred nature of temple activities. (Respectfully, the exact ceremony that is used in the temples today is NOT included in this book, however many historical aspects are discussed.) Many diary entries from prominent church members are included, and Buerger makes it clear when he includes entries that may not be entirely reliable.

I found this book to be absolutely fascinating, however, I recommend it to church members only with great caution, as it will surely present some serious and challenging issues to consider.

Excellent Historical Perspective.......2003-03-01

This is a great historical look at the evolution of temple worship in the Mormon church, beginning with the charismatic, possibly wine-induced spiritual free-for-all of the Kirtland ceremony to the very carefully scripted, sanctimonious modern temple experience. Throughout the book, the reader watches as the men in charge change and evolve the temple ceremony, including some of it's most sacred ordinations.

There are some areas that I think beg for more illumination. While considerable time is dedicated to the second anointing or second endowment, still I felt Buerger could have gone further in discussing WHY Heber J. Grant so sharply curtailed those ordinances. I also felt he could have explored in greater detail the parallels between the temple ceremony and Free Masonry. And lastly, I would like to have seen some indepth discussion of the loss of the temple adoption ordinance.

That aside, the view you get of the temple ceremony is that of an evolving work in progress, that bends and shapes either to the divine will or the whims of the men in power...you decide which.

My eyes are wide open........2002-10-06

When you see truth, it has an affect on you, and this book certainly does. YOu are given a chance to peek into the mormon temples, and lookt at the weird secrets within the temple. The center of any cult is first, the secrets, or mysteries it has, and two, the way in which they treat an respect other people.

The only thing more foul than a mystery is disrespect for the allmighty. They profane things with thier temple. The temple ceremonies are like comparing OGd to an unjust judge, or Christ to a thief in the night.

BErget hists all the points and his ducks are all in a row. I wonder where he found some of his sources, sicne they are so juicy. I did find some errors. On page 39, ther is a comma out of order. And page 210, the word "Endowment" is missspelled.

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