Customer Reviews:
A must Guide to Awakened Society.......2007-05-22
This book is indispensible in understanding not only the place where Mages dwell (their sancti) but in understanding their political culture and society. It is written well and clearly and concisely to help you understand these two main topics.
Prologue is the obligatory introductory fiction that describes the book. The book is then divided into 4 chapters. One covers Awakened politics; two covers sanctums and defenses for the places that Mages call home; three discusses cults and various antagonists including the Seers of the Throne and the Banishers. Finally chapter four is for storytellers to help them understand how to introduce Mage politics and sample cabals to help players model theirs.
Overall this book is more a tool and reference book for Mage storytellers, its not ideally suited for players (look at Tome of Mysteries and Tome of the Watchtowers for that). However, it is ideal in helping to craft and fleshout a good story or chronicle that is set in awakened society. It is beautifully illustrated and the rules for helping build sancti are well done.
A LITTLE TOO DRY..........2007-04-30
As the previous reviewer noted, SIGIL AND SANCTUM can be pretty dry. It is a supplement for MAGE: THE AWAKENING and deals with the laws and practices of Awakened society. At times it reads as interesting as the corporis jure of most countries. The main sections are on the rights and duties of cabals to Mages in general, Consilia laws, courtly etiquette, sanctum security, etc. It's hard to imagine getting much use out of this unless it's important to the ST to create an illusion that his/her NPC's have an historical, detailed tradition that the PCs must follow in order to fit in. Otherwise, it seems like overly involved information that either will never come up or could be invented on the fly as need arises. It's about as banal as finding out whether Mages prefer Wheaties or Cheerios for breakfast. Of course, some people will need precisely this kind of book for a specific scenario they have in mind. More power to ya, buddy, but it seems like an awfully small niche. Plus, you could choke on the number of specialized, narrow-use merits introduced. There's a merit for sanctum security, with dots distributed between locks, doors, walls, windows, etc.
The most interesting part of the book is on the structure of Seers of the Throne pylons and Banisher cults. Now this is interesting, but it seemed unrelated to the rest of the theme. Very interesting stuff and very useful as potential antagonists. So even if you don't like the first part of the book, maybe you'll like the second.
A great book, though a little dry.......2006-09-18
This supplement for Mage the Awakening is an excellent resource for understanding the dynamics of Concilium politics, the various roles and makeups of cabals, how Banisher cults work/what they do, and how some of the Seers of the Throne are organized.
It gives quite a few suggestions for bonuses for cabal symbols and also suggests how you can decide what your sigil and name will be.
However, you do have to sort of slog through this book. It's not very easy reading- the whole tone is very intellectual and a bit on the dry side, so you do have to sort of try to pay attention. Despite that, though, I highly recommend this book for either players or storytellers.
Book Description
Eliphas Lévi (1810-1875) was the greatest innovator in the revival of Western occultism, most significantly with his great leap of imagination that linked the tarot trumps to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. He set out this tarot theory in his book Transcendental Magic, but never revealed its magical application. This was finally made public in 1896 when Dr. Westcott—creator of the Golden Dawn—translated and printed Levi's secret manuscript. It is this rare text that we are now re-issuing. This book aligns the major arcana symbolism with a detailed description of the ritual of the sanctum regnum, or Kingdom of God
Download Description
Listen to the words of Solomon which he spake to his son Rehoboam: "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but the end of wisdom is the knowledge and love of Him who is the Source of all good, and the supreme Reason, whence all things do proceed." Adonai had passed an eternity in heaven, and then created Man; so a time on earth is given to man to comprehend Adonai.
Customer Reviews:
Learn Levi's revelations on the Tarot.......2006-11-30
This short work is undoubtably one of Eliphas Levi's most profound writings. It outlines the meanings of the twenty-two tarot trumps with information found nowhere else. The information on Rosicrucian symbolism is no less than revelatory. The meanings of occult symbols, from the Chi-Rho to Solomon's hexagram, are given in text and pictures that will enlighten any devoted student of the Hermetic mysteries.
Cryptically Interesting.......2006-07-08
This book is not much different from what I understand Levi's books are: cryptic, much left unsaid, making reference to other unmentioned works (and you don't get to know which or whose exactly). The text itself is fascinating, interesting, but the mystery of what isn't there is as much of that which is. As far as Tarot books go, and I've read many, this is by no means a beginner's book. In fact, it's not primarily meant to be a Tarot interpretation book, much less a book of spreads as it concentrates exclusively on the 22 major arcana. The attributions or revelations it does make are fascinating, quite tigthly related to the qabbalah (the practical kabbalah). As someone who has studied kabbalah (and also the "q" and "c" versions) I must say that the kabbalistic principles espoused here, while solid, are by no means what a newcomer to Tarot would readily understand. In summary, this is a highly mysterious magical working book which makes reference to the 22 major Tarot arcana, references some kabbalistic mysteries, and is not a good introduction to the Tarot itself. But as with many of Levi's works, its strengths may be precisely on the things it leaves unsaid in the hope that the reader will find out on his own (and exercise his/her magical will in wanting to find out).
A profound critique of ancient Tarot traditions.......2005-09-06
A wealth of information for anyone who is a serious student of Tarot. Whether you give readings or just read for yourself, this work will mystify you (literally!).
A Great Book on the Tarot.......2005-08-26
This is a simple and easy to understand book about the Tarot. This would be a great book for beginners just starting to study the Tarot.
A classic occult and tarot manual .......2005-01-11
The Magical Ritual Of The Sanctum Regnum by Eliphas Levi (1810-1875) is a classic occult and tarot manual that combines major arcana symbolism along with an extensive description of the ritual of the sanctum regnum, or Kingdom of God. Featuring an introduction by Robert Gilbert that recounts the history of Levi's original manuscript, including its eventual prevalence as a source text for ceremonial magicians, The Magical Ritual of the Sanctum Regnum remains as insightful today for tarot practitioners and lay readers as it did an age ago. A welcome and recommended core staple for tarot magic and occult reference shelves.
Average customer rating:
- Oddly uneven, but good.
- As Bad as Everyone Says
- Frey must be kidding
- Another Good Read But Unrealistic Plot From Stephen Frey
- Dissapointing overall...
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The Inner Sanctum
Stephen W. Frey
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
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Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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The Legacy
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The Vulture Fund
-
The Takeover
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The Day Trader
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The Insider
ASIN: 0451190149 |
Amazon.com
If you need a good business thriller to keep your mind off the stock market, you can't do much better than this one from Stephen Frey, former Wall Street insider and author of two previous barn burners, The Takeover and The Vulture Fund, both available in paperback. The Inner Sanctum pits smart, ambitious, underpaid IRS agent Jesse Hayes against smart, ambitious, overpaid portfolio fund manager David Mitchell in a story about corporate greed and political corruption that reads like a cover of Time or Newsweek.
Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Stephen Freypresents a financial thriller of corruption at the highestlevels of government and the greed that drives it. An IRS agent suspects foul play when her boss dies during an investigation into the financial profile of a senatorialcandidate's campaign. Now she possesses the information that could ruin the candidate's career, expose the military's secret black budget, and damage the credibility of a major investment banking firm. With the help of the banking firm's portfolio manager, she intends to reveal her information...unless she is silenced first!
* Stephen Frey is the New York Times bestselling author of The Takeover * Both The Vulture Fund and The Takeover were optioned by ParamountPictures and Neufeld/Rehme Productions, the producers of Tom Clancy's
Hunt for Red October and Clear and Present Danger * Published to coincide with the Dutton hardcover publication of Stephen Frey's The Legacy * The Inner Sanctum includes a teaser chapter for The Legacy
Customer Reviews:
Oddly uneven, but good. .......2006-10-05
There's more realism here than most would like I think. One of the problems for many people is that they don't move in those circles where people really do talk to each other like little-lord-fauntleroy. So I think that many people are put off by what they see as unrealistic when it is completely realistic.
This is a combination of slice of life from that class, with some imaginative stuff. But this is not the potboiler that many are saying.
As Bad as Everyone Says.......2006-05-26
Avoid this one. This is not really a "financial" thriller at all -- it's a lame attempt at a political thriller, written by someone who apparently knows very little about politics. This book is not badly written, but is severly hindered by a highly unrealistic plot and cardboard characters.
I'll make an effort to read another book by Stephen Frey, to see whether this book is an aberration (I hope so).
Frey must be kidding.......2006-01-30
The prologue to this book holds promise, a darkened room, a mysterious character. That promise quickly dissipates in Chapter 1 with artificial dialog like, " You know, I'll always be grateful to you for writing that recommendation, Neil. I think it made the difference in my being accepted to Maryland Business School." Do you know anyone who talks like that? Don't you suppose Neil knows the name of the school, since he wrote the doggone letter? Of course he was happy to do it. "I had people help me, and I promised myself to do the same thing for others when I got to this level."
With tripe like that, I'm ashamed to admit I kept reading, but I did, only to learn what a remarkable character Neil really was. As he lays dying on the floor from a remarkably fast-acting poison, Neil realizes (1) that the man he met for drinks has poisoned him, (2) that the man asked for a glass for Neil's beer to make it easier to add the poison, (3) that the man chose a secluded table on purpose and (4) that the commotion at the bar was designed to distract Neil. Thank heavens that Neil can think so clearly in his last moments, because the reader certainly would not be able to figure any of that out without help.
I did quit reading at that point. I'll spend my time with authors who give me credit for having a little intelligence.
Another Good Read But Unrealistic Plot From Stephen Frey.......2005-10-08
In previous novels author Frey, thru has main characters, has taken on what might be called The Evil Empire. Perceived Racists, Government officials out for personal gain,crooked financial manipulators. This time he seems to combine it all with a plot reaching up to the U.S. Senate, Military Black Budgets and insider stock trading. Nevertheless, the book holds ones attention as the pages fly by.
Dissapointing overall..........2005-09-19
I am a fan of Stephen Frey. His book 'Take Over' was fabulous. This one though seems to stumble around quite a bit.
First the story: It deals with an investment firm, the government, a huge airplane contract and a young IRS agent. This young IRS agent, Jesse, finds out that her admired boss, who was just killed, had some damning information on some illegal activities of a government contract and a political candidate. The boss knew that this was some explosive information he was uncovering so he set up a safeguard that if he was killed, he would have this information sent to someone that could figure out the entire web and uncover all the deceit. So who did he send it to? The FBI, the Police? Nope. He sent it to a 25 year old woman. He was killed for this information and he sent it to his employee, a friend, who is 25 years old to unravel it all. Huh? Well, the plot takes us to Jesse running for her life at times, having friends she is not quite sure she can trust (David, an investment banker who is a member of a firm that Jesse is interested in but he is a man that she may not be able to trust...and Todd who is a good friend of hers who has gambling problems and issues and a man that Jesse may not be able to trust as well) all the while trying to figure out who the bad guys are and what they are trying to acoomplish. Convuluted story.
The characters--nobody comes off real likeable. Even Jesse has some issues, some of which are brought up but not really explored The guys are even worse. You never really get to know either one of them real well and even worse, you don't really like either one of them.
The book has so many characters and it has such a weak plot that you as a reader end up just plodding along. Disappointing effort from an author that I very much enjoy.
Customer Reviews:
Lancea Sanctum adds too little........2006-09-28
Lancea Sanctum presents the religious Covenant of vampires dedicated to preying on humanity and fulfilling the role God has chosen for them. A lot of detail is presented on the structure of the Lancea Sanctum, from the role a typical ancillae plays to how the Covenant relates to other World of Darkness entities. Factions, Bloodlines, Disciplines, and new Thebean Sorcery rituals are included to add mechanical support to this broad take on one of the oldest vampiric organizations.
Unfortunately, Lancea Sanctum speaks far too much in vague generalities and adds little new and interesting material to this Covenant. The rites, prayers, and roles observed by members are simplistic modifications of existing church roles that any Storyteller could easily invent. The history of the Covenant starts out interesting, but quickly degrades into a historical survey of questionable use. Finally, the new game mechanics (Bloodlines, Disciplines, etc.) are sparse and largely flavorless.
Not bad, Not great either though.......2006-09-01
I am a member of the Camarilla and that is why I only gave it three stars, for none camarilla members I would give it four.
First of all, the book is wonderful for making a character for the sanctum or running a campaign around it. I was a little disappointed with the Theban sorcery section, white wolf behind well white wolf decided against putting the Theban Sorcery rituals from nomads and coteries in it so the chapter really isn't complete. White wolf cares to damn much about money and not enough about gaming, but to be fair that greed is how the new system came about and it is far superior for player versus player style games. The reason I lowered a star is that all the good rituals past two dots are high approval for camarilla games, and that urks me.
The Bloodlines in this book are horrible. The Ventrue bloodline is decent but its extra discipline is no fun. The Meket get a blood line that should be a flaw in and of itself and the other three clans get to piggy back on the Davea line that although the Davea are the parent clan anyone can join.
Skimping on the cheese aside, this books does have an extremely good insight into the inter workings and view points of the Lancea sanctum, and if you would enjoy a view into those working this is a good book for you. If you are the type that wants new bloodlines and extra cheese you may be disappointed by this book.
Also the artwork in this book is awesome in my mind.
Oh and before I forget I would like to send a message to white wolf because I am sure someone from the group looks at these review; PUT A FREAKING INDEX IN YOUR SUPPLEMENT BOOKS, YOU CHARGE ENOUGH FOR THEM YOU CAN AFFORD THE EXTRY THREE OR FOUR SHEETS OF PAPER YOU CHEAP CHILDREN OF UNWED PARENTS!!!!!
First covenant book released, but an incredibly strong book.......2006-02-24
This book details the covenant Lancea Sanctum- its history, the reasons why Kindred join it, the roles of the clans in the covenant, how one joins, its relation to other factions in the World of Darkness, and various in-covenant factions, bloodlines, and heresies.
I actually delayed buying this book because of the heavily Christian flavor to the book, so I was very surprised when I actually went to my local game store and thumbed through the book. It presents a truly diverse and changing (as much as anything Kindred-related can be "changing") covenant with as many iterations as their are Bishophrics (essentially parishes, each city or area with a different one.)
Get this book even if you are turned off by the apparent Christian flavor of the book. You won't be disappointed- there is something in this book for every player or storyteller.
Book Description
From 1941 to 1952 INNER SANCTUM MYSTERY scared radio audiences with chilling tales of mystery and horror, using the top talent of Broadway and Hollywood. Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., Peter Lorre, Agnes Moorehead, Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles was among the many who played lead roles as a suspected murder, mad scientist and even vampires. INNER SANCTUM MYSTERY spawned a series of low-budget movies, a television series, a mystery magazine, saved a woman's life in Baton Rogue, was the inspiration of many other radio horrors, and is presently among the best-remembered radio series today.
Customer Reviews:
A Fascinating Overview of a Mystery/Horror Classic.......2003-12-16
Inner Sanctum was one of the true classics of old time radio, and scholar Martin Grams has done a terrific job in unearthing a wealth of data on its production, history and legacy. For those who remember mystery/horror radio with a pleasurable shudder, Inner Sanctum Mysteries is for you!
Grams is ably assited by Greg Mank, author of many books on the classic horror films of Univeral. His insights into the world of Inner Sanctum are valuable and sound. A great effort all round, and a must for anyone who remembers that creaking door...!
Another excellent work by Mr Grams.......2003-04-14
Martin Grams has taken one of the best known but least researched old time radio series and come up with the definitive word on Inner Sanctum.
Covering both the radio and the television series, Martin includes bios of both Raymond Edward Johnson and Paul McGrath *the hosts* as well as Himan Brown, the programs creator. He discusses behind the scenes stories of the programs creation and run.
The meat of the book is the detailed episode listings for the series. Inner Sanctum is a series that has erroneous shows credited to it...shows with altered names, etc. Martin has tracked these down...winnowed the false from the actual. Very few of the actual shows broadcast still exist. This is a shame, for the plots of some lost shows make one hunger to hear the story. For a lover of the show, or a lover of old time radio...this is a godsend.
Martin has a very readable style and the book is a very valuable reference tool as well as an interesting read. It is definitely a good buy.
Product Description
For years now, Emma Lathen has been writing her crisp & entertaining mysteries centering around John Putnam Thatcher, the formidable vice-president of Sloan Guaranty Trust. Miss Lathen is something of a financial wizard herself, & her talent for making the world of high finance believable & exciting is always an added dividend to her intricate ticker-tape plots. In 'Come to Dust', Thatcher is torn, grudgingly, from his Wall Street eyrie to search for a stolen $50,000 bearer bond & to track down the puzzling Elliot Patterson, model suburban husband, father & thief. The bond was slated for the coffers of Brunswick College, Patterson's alma mater, & it is to Brunswick that Thatcher goes, where he is sure both bond & Patterson will emerge. Instead, he is confronted by a callous cover-up murder & the alarming knowledge that Patterson is still on the loose. As Thatcher becomes deeply enmeshed in a grand larceny & murder among the well-heeled alumni of an Ivy League school, Miss Lathen takes wonderfully biting potshots of some of our most sacred well-heeled traditions & the & the perpetuators thereof. No one, including Thatcher, escapes unscathed as she alternately sympathizes with and mocks the very people she has created. But, in a triumph of solid suspense writing, she never lets Thatcher forget that murder is the most unforgivable of human follies. And Thatcher, for all his wry, detached view of the madness inherent in the groves of academe, is after a murderer. The killer's identity, of course, comes as a surprise, even to our august Wall Street samurai. But Thatcher has the last word-a final conclusion that is stunning for its irony: there are, it seems, some actions that are worse than murder.
Average customer rating:
- Wasn't what I was hoping for...
- A great find
- Worth a Try
- Good Stuff
- MIxing up salsa
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The Great Salsa Book
Mark Charles Miller , and
Mark Kiffin
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
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Herbs, Spices & Condiments
| Cooking by Ingredient
| Cooking, Food & Wine
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General
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| Cooking, Food & Wine
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| Cooking, Food & Wine
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The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia: Everything You'll Ever Need To Know About Hot Peppers, With More Than 100 Recipes
ASIN: 0898155177 |
Book Description
This sparkling full-color cookbook features 100 widely varied recipes - tomato and tomatillo, chile, tropical, fruit, corn, bean, garden, ocean, exotic, and nut, seed, and herb. Includes hints on handling volatile peppers, suggested accompaniments, and, of course, a heat scale.
Customer Reviews:
Wasn't what I was hoping for..........2007-09-05
I was looking for a book that would show some really good red salsa recipes. This one has I think 2 total. The rest are not what I would call 'salsa'. But maybe that's because I'm just a hick from Missouri. If you call just about anything mixed up in a bowl 'salsa' then you might like this book, personally I didn't think it was worth the shipping cost.
A great find.......2006-10-01
If you like homemade salsa, this book may be just what you're looking for. THE GREAT SALSA BOOK by Mark Miller is all about salsa. The book includes over one hundred pages of salsa recipes. Everything from tomato salsas to chile salsas to tropical mango salsa and other fruit salsas is coverd. Corn and bean salsas, nut, seed and herb salsas, and plenty of other salsas are covered too. Miller includes color photos of all his prepared dishes as well, making this is truly a great salsa book.
Worth a Try.......2005-08-14
I have only tried 3-4 recipes to date, as I wait for my pepper crop to come in. Each recipe so far was very good, particularly the avacadoe and serrano pepper dip. I will be tweaking to my own taste, but this is a great headstart.
Good Stuff.......2005-07-28
I bought this book as a gift and they love it. It has lots of fruit, veg, and smoked salsas. They use it a lot.
MIxing up salsa.......2004-07-05
Salsa anyone? THE GREAT SALSA BOOK by Mark Miller is all about salsa. If he wanted to be cute, he could have titled his book, "Everything you wanted to know..." and not have been far off the mark. Miller's book includes over one hundred pages of salsa recipes: Tomato and Tomatillo salsas; Chile salsas; Topical salsas (Tropical mango salsa and Mango mash); Fruit salsas (Apple Pasado Salsa, Moroccan Date Salsaa0; Corn and Bean salsas; Nut, seed and herb salsas; and plenty of other exotic salsas. So you see, salsa isn't just that stuff you get at the Taco bar.
As I am trying to eat more vegetables, I find the `Grilled Vegetable Salsa' with chiles, eggplants, shiake mushrooms, zucchini squash, and asparagus, most appealing. Or, if you want something sweet as well as colorful, try is the sweet potato and pecan salsa with maple syrup and cranberries. Miller includes color photos of all his prepared dishes. This is truly a great salsa book.
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- The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition)
- The Bible for Dummies
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- The Coconut Oil Miracle (Previously published as The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil)
Books Index
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Legacies: The Sublime (Mage the Awakening)
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Guardians of the Veil (Mage the Awakening)
Boston Unveiled (Mage the Awakening)
Secrets of The Ruined Temple (Mage the Awakening)
