Billie's Ghost

Book Description

It's been a year since Casey's wife died, leaving him the youngest widower in Naples, Florida, and in the throes of a seemingly bottomless depression. Now Casey lives only at night, stuck in his once cozy home, drinking himself blind and listening to the sounds of Ellington, Coltrane, and Davis. Casey's friends and family have just about given up on him, and he's certainly given up on himself. That is, until Billie Holiday—or someone who looks just like her—finds her way into his life.

Maybe he's been listening to too much jazz, and he's definitely been hitting the bottle, but there's no mistaking that beautiful, had-some-tough-times voice. She calls herself Eleanora, and what everyone else sees as an imaginary friend, Casey sees as the only thing that can bring him solace. And by the grace of this strange and wonderful woman, he receives something he's yearned for every waking moment: a chance to spend one last night with his wife, and to overcome the crushing guilt he's felt since the day she left him.

Customer Reviews:

Very Interesting.......2005-08-24

I enjoyed this novel very much. It was sad, or more accurately, melancholy like a John Coltrane song. But don't let that statement mislead you. It was well written and enjoyable. Mr. Haughton delivers a tale that is as unique as it is engaging. I will anxiously await his next novel.

A subtle, powerful book.......2005-07-28

After reading this book, and then reading the above Publisher's Weekly review, I can only wonder: What hungover grad student is doing that magazine's book reviews? This novel mixes humor and pathos in a way that mirrors real life. As Dickens, Twain, and now John Irving understand, tragedy and comedy walk hand-in-hand with us through each day. Hautmann realizes and conveys the same thing. This is a book that will linger in your soul for a long time. I've bought it for my friends who have everything, and I've heard no complaints.

simplistic yet deep tale .......2004-10-27

In Naples, Florida, one year has passed since young Casey Cooper lost his beloved wife Ginny. Stunned and feeling guilt for living and culpability in his mind for causing her death, he remains in mourning as an urban hermit with only alcohol and jazz as his companions. His friends have written Casey off and his family is on the verge of excommunicating him as his depression overwhelms anyone who dares to enter his personal space. Only Ginny's cat Mashed Potatoes remains a companion though he often forgets to feed the feline.

Suddenly out of nowhere Eleanora enters Casey's life singing with a voice and a look that make her an identical twin of Billie Holiday. No one else sees this enigmatic Eleanora with even Casey wondering if it is the bottle, his mental state, BILLIE'S GHOST or a real person? Still Casey does not care as Eleanora with the jazzy voice moves in with him. She provides him with a reason to rejoin the living as she boosts his self esteem.

This is a very simplistic yet deep tale that provides several messages to the audience to include accentuating the positive in relationships because though mankind imposes but God disposes without warning and grieving is exclusively a lone act. The three key players, Casey, his deceased wife, and Eleanora are cleverly designed to provide insight into how far someone can fall when a loved one is lost early and abruptly in life and that grieving and recover are customized within a powerful character study.

Harriet Klausner

Become Haunted by Eleanora!.......2003-02-14

"Billie's Ghost" is a whopper of a love story, ghost tale, and mystery all wrapped up in a deceptively small package. Enter the tropical paradise of Naples, Florida, a Gulf of Mexico resort blending old, historic bungalows and fabulous high-rises. A young widower is struggling with his grief, virtually sinking into oblivion, when Eleanora appears, a sultry, salty, hard-drinking, beautiful black woman. Discover how she changes the life of this man forever and decide for yourself if she is real or not! You will be fascinated by her humor, allure, and compassion. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of ravishing southwest Florida, a region engaged in its own struggle to balance the conservation of wildlife habitats and the preservation of its history, against a burgeoning population. At the conclusion, you will rejoice and chuckle, and always wonder!

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Dark Matter
Billie Sue Mosiman
Manufacturer: Betancourt & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1592246168

Book Description

Dark Matter is that mysterious matter in the universe that confounds the best minds of the century. Dark Matter in this volume is also mysterious and confounding. From a dying inmate in a federal prison to a future world where a young girl is taught to be a healer, Dark Matter rises and floats through these stories to their final conclusions. What the best minds don't know about Dark Matter is that monsters lurk there disguised as old men in porch rockers, jewelers who happen to be vampires, or zombies made by a natural plague.

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The Dome Of Evil
Billie Stephens
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Prey for Death
Billie Lash
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

I bid you welcome to a world of darkness. You are walking into an eternal nightmare where your guide is the Mistress of Death and torment is your only friend. Dark desire dwells around every corner. Blood is the preferred drink and souls are not safe from her. You will fear the hour of twilight, for that is when Death's Mistress awakens. She is famished, her prey is near. The hunt begins.

Billie Dipper Braves the Ghosts (Flippers)

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Billie Dipper Braves the Ghosts (Flippers)
Cara Lockhart Smith
Manufacturer: Pan Childrens
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

Cadderly must leave his home to combat the evil unleashed by the Chaos Curse. To counter Castle Trinity's plans for conquest, the cleric and his friends enter the beautiful forest of Shilmista. But among the trees and glades of the forest, Cadderly must battle a monstrous evil.

Customer Reviews:

Volume 2..........2006-02-26

While a some elements of In Sylvan Shadows seem to be, ahem, borrowed from Tolkien, there are also concepts that the fantasy genre at large could do well to to emulate. Take Rufo - he's not "OMG pure evil!!!", he's just a coward. Cadderly struggles with his humanity more in this volume, whether his mercy is a strength or a weakness. And, if nothing else, it's very nice to read a novel where the climax is not a dramatic duel (although there are plenty of those) but a healing spell.

Oo oi!.......2004-07-21

Well this was quite an interesting departure from the first book of the series. I don't know why people are giving it bad reviews, but I thought it was great. Cadderly's life changes and all of a sudden he's in a forest, watching elves battle goblins and giants. The events in the first book still haunt him and affect how he considers his enemies. Cadderly is worth reading about.

All of the new characters are enjoyable to read about as well, and I found myself saddened by some of the elven struggles, thinking they would be annihilated. It is very interesting to read how the main character esteems himself, considering everyone around him seems to have a better use than he does. And once again, I cannot resist the Bouldershoulder brothers. I want a painting of Pikel with his pot helmet covering his face right over my fireplace!

I really got into the book later on, though, when Cadderly and his group are on the verge of truly being killed. Maybe I'm vulnerable and can't predict books like other people, but I had no idea what was going to happen.

A great read and justifies reading the whole series, in my opinion.

Salvatore does it again.......2003-08-11

This was a wonderful book, I'm not sure what else can be said.
Cadderly, first of all, is one of the most unlikely of heros. He hates violence and while he was force to kill the evil priest Barjin in Canticle (the first book in the series) that moment haunts him constantly. He isn't the usual hero who knows that killing can be justified. Cadderly is the opposite, no matter how evil the opponents he is reluctant to attack... unless that being is thretening his Danica of course.
And that brings me to my second point, Danica and Cadderly. I have read all of Salvatore's books and never in any other series does he create such a mature relationship as there is between Cadderly and Danica. It adds a nice sense of need for action thoughout the book.
Thirdly there are the villans and semi-villans. Aballister stays in the backround while Druzil, Dorigen and Ragnor and his hordes try to overrun the forest of Shilmistra. Druzil and Dorigen use poor Kierkan Rufo (the same person Barjin used as his catalyst) Rufo is the semi-villan. I haven't read a review yet that say's he is a villan but he should be considered one. While his evil acts aren't always done of his own free will his never has the mind that maybe sacrificing himself could save dozens of others. His selfishness is what makes him a villan and his jealousy makes him a perfect scapegaot for the real bad guys. Everyone has read about a reluctant hero but the reluctant villan role isn't often played. It is a nice touch.
Now you might wonder why I only gave this only four stars and that is because though this is a great book and worthwhile read is does get tedious. For most of the book Cadderly, Danica, Elbereth (an elven prince) and the Bouldershoulder Brothers (who I just can't get enough of) are traipsing about the forest of Shilmistra, battling goblins and the like. At times there seems to be no destination but this problem is always quickly resolved. I'm probably just being picky, to tell you the truth.
Pick this one up, it is a good continuation of a great series.

Rumble in the Forest.......2003-03-13

The second book of the Cleric Quintet begins with the elves of the nearby forest of Shilmista seeking the aid of the keepers of the Edificant Library. Not long afterwards the group of unlikely heroes sets out to save the forest. The rest of the book chronicles the exploits of the small group that ultimately serves as the deciding factor in the war in the woods.

This book reminded me a lot of Siege of Darkness in the Drizzt series. The novel was a lot faster paced than the first novel in the series, Canticle. I would definitely say I enjoyed this book more than the previous one. However, I would not consider this a great novel.

What I did like was the struggle for power in Castle Trinity. One thing Salvatore has a knack for is writing interesting villains. The intrigue between the evil forces truly is what drives the story. I would have said the same about the elves, but I have seen the same story in the Lord of the Rings. As for the rest of the forces of good, well its not all bad. Danica continues to be interesting and her fighting abilities are wonderfully portrayed. Ivan also continues to impress and his sarcastic attitude always makes me smile. However, Pickel is still the annoying dolt sidekick and dumb as ever. And Cadderly is what really pulls the story down. His constant whining is taken to an art form and it had me yearning for his demise through half the book. But fortunately, by the end of the book he changes his tune a little. He continues to oppose the taking of life, but he grows up and does what he can to help his friends.

To me this novel, like the first, was a mixed bag. The battles scenes were much better in this book. But while the character interactions generally improved by the end of the book, parts of the book are just annoying to read. There is one thing that really bothered me. The fleecing of ideas from Tolkien does bother me and it is something I also noticed in Streams of Silver, written by Salvatore as well. I like most of Salvatore's books, but he needs to write his own story.

A battle in book form; some character development.......2002-07-31

In comparing this novel with the previous one in the series, "Canticle," this strikes me as a book-length battle with little else. Though I recognize that this was necessary for the story that Salvatore is trying to tell, it was not my preference.

The interesting parts of the novel are Cadderly's (the main character) struggle with violence; he struggles with every battle compared to his more worldly friends (Cadderly has lived his whole life in the monastery-like Edificant Library). In addition, the relationship among the villains (the operate as a triumvirate; priests, wizards and fighters) is more thoroughly fleshed out. The novel takes place in an Elven forest that has been invaded by goblins, ogres, giants etc.. The elves of the forest had many parallels to Tolkien's elves. For example, Tolkien's and Salvatore's elves are in the decline and they have few warriors to combat the increasing threats of the world. There is also the antagonism between dwarves and elves, which seems lifted from Tolkien's work. Also, readers of Tolkien will recognize the concept of the ents in this novel.

Salvatore's writing of battle is quite appropriate to a fantasy setting; there is some use of magic, but most of the battles are won on the basis of cunning and technique rather than wizardry. Some of the other characters developed in this novel caught my interest. There is a developing love interest between Cadderly and Danica (a monk whose discipline has allowed hear to become a formidable warrior), which is something different from the traditional prince and princess concept. There are also the two Dwarves (Ivan and Pikel) who provide a measure of comic relief. The brothers were the cooks of the Edificant Library but once summoned back to adventuring, they prove a considerable asset.

This novel was something of a mild disappointment after the interesting, fresh story that the first novel began with. The third novel in the series "Night Masks" appears more promising but I wonder how the series will play out.

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4 Book Set; Forgotten Realms; "Canticle" & "In Sylvan Shadows" & "Night Masks" & "The Fallen Fortress" (The Cleric Quintet - Fantasy, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4)
R. A. Salvatore
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
Salvatore, R.A. | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OR2RAA

Product Description

The First 4 Books in the Cleric Quintet Saga/ in paper back.

THE CLERIC QUINTET - Book (1) One: Canticle; Book (2) Two: In Sylvan Shadows; Book (3) Three: Night Masks; Book (4) Four: The Fallen Fortress; Book (5) Five: The Chaos Curse

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THE CLERIC QUINTET - Book (1) One: Canticle; Book (2) Two: In Sylvan Shadows; Book (3) Three: Night Masks; Book (4) Four: The Fallen Fortress; Book (5) Five: The Chaos Curse
R. A. Salvatore
Manufacturer: TSR Forgotten Realms
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NRX84A

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In Sylvan Shadows
R. A. Salvatore
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000SNVX1E

In Sylvan Shadows - Hugh Bryson - Piano Sheet Music

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In Sylvan Shadows - Hugh Bryson - Piano Sheet Music
Hugh F. Bryson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JLKAA0

In Sylvan Shadows (Forgotten Realms The Cleric Quintet Book 2)

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In Sylvan Shadows (Forgotten Realms The Cleric Quintet Book 2)
R. A. Salvatore
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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In the sylvan shadows
Abdus Sattar
Manufacturer: Saquib Bros
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Lights and shadows of the soul: collected sketches and stories

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Lights and shadows of the soul: collected sketches and stories
Sylvan Drey
Manufacturer: Cushing & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008BS8IM

Customer Reviews:

Unnecessary characters, disjointed story make it weak........2004-07-24

While traveling through space, the Enterprise encounters a Federation shuttlecraft from the USS Rickover, lost more than 20 years earlier. Contact is made, and the single occupant identifies himself as Jesus Christ. His real name is Thomas Clayton, a Star Fleet Academy classmate of Captain Kirk's. Clayton was expelled for cheating, having been turned in by Kirk.
An exterior force then takes over the Enterprise, drawing it to a Dyson sphere constructed around a central star. The Enterprise enters the sphere and discovers that a Klingon warship has also been captured. All weapons have been disabled, so conflict is avoided. Despite the enormous size of the sphere and the large amount of vegetation, there is only a very small colony of intelligent humanoids. Contact is made when one of the humanoids is attacked by a large bear-like creature and Kirk beats it off with a stick.
The rescued creature is female and immediately wants Kirk to become her husband. Of course that is not possible and the Enterprise crew immediately attempts to learn about the forces that took control of the Enterprise. That force was the star itself, which somehow has reached the status of a god. Like the gods in Earth mythology, it is a demanding god, feeding on the soul energy of humanoids. It has survived by occasionally capturing ships passing nearby, one of which was the Rickover. Once the god has consumed a certain amount of soul energy from a humanoid, they enter a living dead state not unlike that of the vampire. Extremely powerful, they only come out at night and can barely communicate. Eventually, Kirk and company communicate with the god and it frees them before the sphere plunges into a black hole.
This is not a good story, I found it disjointed and the premises are weakly delivered. There is no explanation as to why the god must feed on the soul energy of humanoids and the presence of the Klingon ship and crew is largely unnecessary. The character of Thomas Clayton is also generally forgotten after the first part of the book, and there is no explanation regarding the builders of the sphere. I have read over a hundred of the Star Trek novels and I consider this one of the worst.

Good, solid sci-fi, just not a good Star Trek story.......2004-05-07

While exploring in the direction of the Galactic Core, Captain Kirk and the starship Enterprise are surprised to find themselves hailed by a shuttlecraft from a long-lost starship. However, when the pilot turns out to be a long-lost friend of Kirks, one now suffering from some sort of extreme religious mania, it simply raises more questions. The Enterprise is soon seized by an unknown power, and dragged to a Dyson Sphere world (a habitable globe surrounding a dwarf star). There's a deep mystery here, and with this world headed for a deadly collision with a black hole, there's little time to solve it!

OK, first of all, let me say that this is an enjoyable story, not great, but well written. The fatal flaw here is that the author does a very poor job of capturing the Star Trek characters that fill his story. Quite often while reading, I would be shocked at the way a character would react or talk - it was as if the author had read a description of the Star Trek characters, but had never actually watched the show. Overall, it gave the story a rather disjointed (dare I say "out of phase"?) feeling.

So, am I saying that you should skip this book? No, in fact, I did enjoy reading this book. It's a good, solid sci-fi story, just not a good Star Trek story. If you take the book on those terms, I think that you will enjoy it. I give this book a rather guarded recommendation.

The Starless World.......2002-12-24

A short novel (more of a novella, at 152 pages) by a young writer, which revolves around a Dyson sphere. A Dyson sphere is a construct of planetary material, such as the entire material of a solar system, in a single sphere around a sun. It has been proposed as a last-ditch method of survival around a dying sun when it becomes a white dwarf. The engineering involved in such a terraforming scheme would be tremendous, and any race that could actually accomplish it could probably migrate to another star system with more ease. However, it presents some interesting theoretical possibilities. In effect, the world would completely surround the star, and be in perpetual daytime. The people would then live on the "inside" of the planetary material, always facing the star, and away from the galaxy "outside." Such a world would be almost immeasurably vast, with room for many continents and many oceans, and so large that you would not be able to see the other side of this "world"---more like a solar system, really.

The Enterprise is on patrol, on heightened alert because of reports of increased Klingon activity. A shuttlecraft is spotted, from a ship that had disappeared some 20 years before. The man inside is not of that starship, but was Captain Kirk's former roommate at the Academy (a sure sign of trouble) who had been expelled for cheating when Kirk turned him in for stealing an exam. The man, Thomas Clayton, insists that he serves the god Ay-Nab, and sounds much like a religious zealot. The Enterprise then finds itself drawn toward an object in space, which as they are drawn closer turns out to be a Dyson sphere, which Clayton represents as the home of Ay-Nab.

The ship is drawn through a gap in the sphere, to the inside of the fantastic world. There are few signs of life, but a Klingon ship is also detected in orbit. The Klingons are represented by a very young officer, who is belligerent but holds no real threat. When life is found down on the planet, Kirk, Sulu, and a total landing party of 6 beam down to the surface, to find some odd natives who also worship the god Ay-Nab, who apparently holds the Enterprise in its present condition. To make things worse, Chekov computes that the course of the sphere will take it into a black hole in four days.

In order to escape, Kirk must find a way to communicate with Ay-Nab, either directly or through his worshippers. When Spock and McCoy are kidnapped and brought to the surface by Clayton, the mystery only deepens. Kirk must race against time to find out who or what is Ay-Nab, and how to free the Enterprise.

It's an interesting story, and although Spock and McCoy are in good character, Kirk is a bit out of character from time to time. Not badly, but as he is the focus of much of the action, the author seems to project certain attitudes onto Kirk that are not normally present. Uhura is given some time here, as her father turns out to be marooned on the sphere as well. However, he is portrayed as a "starman," an early solo explorer, which he would certainly have been too young to have managed. Also, the author depicts an eclipse on the area of the surface the crew occupy as making things completely dark, which given the construction of the sphere is highly unlikely. The "moons" would have to be much larger in diameter than the sun in order to block so much light so effectively. After all, an eclipse on earth makes for dimmer light, but certainly not complete darkness. There is still diffraction of the sun around the moon. So again, we have some bad science.

The story is nonetheless enjoyable, especially if you can find it for a low price, or even better for free in the library.

Kirk and the Klingons go to meet a god........1999-01-02

This is one of the original Star Trek Novels first put out by Bantam in 1979. It does not follow the same formula length that the Pocket books maintain.

The original Bantam series is a bit rarer than the Pocket novels of today. They are a reasonable next generation avenue of reading for the Star Trek fan.

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STAR TREK: THE STARLESS WORLD
Gordon Eklund
Manufacturer: Corgi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000SUGHZ4

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The Starless World
Gordon Eklund
Manufacturer: NY Bantam 1984.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MSTLOQ

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The Starless World
Gordon Eklund
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000H00GPM

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The Starless World
Gordon Erklund
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K3EWAQ

Amazon.com

The idea behind this magnificent book is to pair stunning images from outer space alongside meaningful spiritual quotes from here on earth. Ultimately, the two work well together, suggesting the presence of a divine hand, or at least a divine order in the universe. Editor Michael Reagan deserves much praise for his keen visual eye, as well as his selection of quotes from the likes of Albert Einstein, Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking, Dr. Seuss, Theodore Roethke, Carl Sagan, Mark Twain, and Annie Dillard.

Many of the photos were taken from the Hubble Space Telescope, offering fascinating glimpses into distant black holes and galaxies. Some images are vivid and romantic like a Renaissance painting. Some (such as the Voyager I photo of Jupiter) seem to suggest that Vincent van Gogh had a hand in painting the universe. Each photo has a concrete caption and clearly explains what is happening and where the image comes from.

With a hint of irony, Reagan placed the following quote beside the explosive, womb web photo of "Star Birth Region NGC 604": "Stars are like animals in the wild. We may see the young but never the actual birth, which is a veiled and secret event." - Heinz Pagels, Perfect Symmetry

It is quotes such as these that make readers feel especially blessed. If not yet true voyagers, we can at least become voyeurs into space and spirituality--the far reaches of our final frontiers. --Gail Hudson

Customer Reviews:

Brings a glimpse of wonder of our amazing universe to the coffee table.......2007-08-11

This work brings home the grandeur of our universe (and the creator behind it) as best as any book, video or special I have ever seen. The quotes from theologians, astronomers and prophets that accompany the images do not all point to a singular philosophy or faith, so do not be too hasty to write this tome off as a religious work or creationist propaganda. The photo prints are of superb quality and the quotations are well matched. My personal favorite quote is found on page 128, next to an image of a cluster of Massive Infant Stars: "I find it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science. And there is certainly no scientific reason why God cannot retain the same relevance on our modern world that he held before we began probing His creation with telescope, cyclotron and space vehicles." -Wernher Braun
This text is also a fresh reminder that while popular, secular science writers often demonstrate a lack of wonder and exaggerate the claims of their theories, the real scientists, the Einsteins, Newtons and Keplers, regarded themselves as full of wonder and mere children who had stumbled upon a few pretty pebbles upon the ocean's beach (a paraphrase from Abraham Heschel's "A Philosophy of Judaism"). Regardless of your personal faith proclivities, if you understand that no human has all the answers (and perhaps not even very many) you will enjoy this book, guaranteed.

The Hand of God - The Hubble View.......2007-02-11

This excellent collection of pictures from space presents an awesome and inspiring view of space through many of the Hubble photos accompanied by pertinent and profound quotes from thinking peple.

It is a marvelous and thought-provoking encounter with the heavens regardless of your religious views.

I have given it to my children and friends and received 5-star responses from all who see it.

Could be written by the Hand of God..........2007-02-07

I am not one to give praise easily. In fact, I can't remember when I last reviewed a book. But this book is truly a work of art. It is very well written and will prick the conscience of any agnostic or non-believer. It's as if there is this giant puzzle which nobody has been able to put together, till Michael Reagan came along and assembled the pieces.
Well done, that man. I also believe this book should be in every Primary school library.

from atheist to Christian.......2007-02-04

As a young atheist, I was numb to the Creator. And now, after God's mercy has brought me to Him through His Son Jesus Christ, I know the joy of worshipping Him. This is a book that, for me, leads the heart to humility and worship of the great Creator of all.

Inspire Your Vision, Beautifully........2005-12-17

If you are looking for a book to provide snippets of inspiration for others who are dear to you, or, perhaps one that will spark your own prayer and devotional time, this may be the book you are seeking.

"The Hand of God" is a collection of photographs taken in space, many by the Hubble Telescope, showing the vast and awe-inspiring wonder of the universe. These photos, a new "eye on the heavens" show every manner of nebula, comet and star formation for the wondering earthbound traveler. Presented in deep and vivid colors, the photos are thoughtfully paired with inspirational quotations, both familiar and obscure.

Of the many gorgeous images, surprises abound. A view of Jupiter's Great Red Spot and its surroundings looks every bit like a segment of Van Gogh's "Starry Night". A shimmering white cross-like photograph of Galaxy NGC 4640A is coupled with these lines from an ancient Jewish proverb: "God said to Abraham, 'But for me, you would not be here.' 'I know that, Lord,' Abraham answered, 'but were I not here, there would be no one to think about you.'"

Here are page after page of vast and panoramic views--both in word and in photograph, ranging from the tender greens and blues of our own earth, to a halo-like image of a filament eruption on our sun.

One would not classify this as a coffee table book per se, since its 8" x 8 1/2" dimensions are much smaller. It is perhaps best called an end table or nightstand book, suitable for an occasional glance or prolonged study. Either way, the unfamiliar images are profoundly inspiring, and invite the reader to move beyond Arthur Schopenhauer's observation, "Everyone takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world." This book is sure to expand your limits and inspire your vision, beautifully.

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