Day of the Dead Books

This book is awesome and very readable. Being so clearly written and straight to the point, it makes for a quick read and serves as a great reference.

While geared towards a business environment, the survival guide is written from a unique perspective which gives deep insight into the psychology of managers and coworkers.

I truly wish I had "Sink or Swim" for my first job. That would have helped me to avoid so many small mistakes which I was totaly oblivious to. It's just jam packed full of useful tips which coworkers usually won't tell you.

Even after two years in my current position, I found that reading this book gave ideas to naturally improve my professional image without any major effort or changes!

Definitely recommended for any professional employee - regardless of rank.

Within the first week of starting my new job at a startup internet company, I came across this book and it made all the difference. Working at a startup can often be disjointed, especially since we didn't have an office to call our own. By incorporating some of the advice in my weekly routines, I created a structure for myself that I continue to follow. The advice was clear, concise and right on.

This is definitely a must-read for anyone starting a new job.

Pay no attention to Jeffnc, the bitter reviewer from SC! I live in SF and have no idea who the Sidells are, but this book is fascinating! Follow everything they say week by week,a nd you'll get that "This is going very well" at your 90-day review just like me! What's more, you look not only super organized with this book on your desk, but also super-conscientious....I brought this book into a one on one with the boss, and I cracked the book and said "I'd like to talk about my career goals.." she asked me what the book was...she was impressed!

"Sink or Swim" is the book that I wish I had when I started in the working world over 18 years ago! It is a simple, step-by-step tool that shows new hires how to "get it right in 12 weeks". The week-by-week approach gives individuals the opportunity to set good habits and strategies that can be applied throughout one's career. This book has been very helpful to me as an HR professional in getting my recent college graduate new hires to better engage with the company and job they accepted within it! I would highly recommend this book.

This book is perfect for new college graduates or inexperienced employees starting new jobs. Milo and Thuy Sindell provide a wealth of information about proper business conduct and etiquette, including a checklist for recommended activities during your first 12 weeks on the job. Although the material is basic and somewhat repetitive (just like a start-up job), we think the book would make a great gift for anyone who is just beginning to learn the workplace ropes.

Hart has crafted a great story here. The plot is tight, and of course the characters are believable. In this book Annie struggles to free her beloved Max as he's being framed for the murder of a beautiful young woman. She is dealing with a truly crafty and cold-blooded murderer, but she does not hesitate to put herself in harm's way if it will get her to the truth. Ms. Hart builds up the suspense throughout the book right up until the end when he is finally caught. It is easy to see why Caroline Hart has won so many awards. She is truly gifted. I really do enjoy this series.

This is Carolyn Hart's 17th mystery in the Death on Demand series alone. She can't turn them out fast enough for me. I loved it, all the way through.

I had only two problems with the book: (1)I really relate to Max Darling -- what loving husband wouldn't? -- and he is incapacitated and powerless virtually the entire book. (2)For more than a hundred pages I believed I knew the identity of the murderer; I was wrong.

What a fine read. And when is No. 18 coming out?

I feel this may be the death knell of my love for the Death on Demand series. The previous book was disappointing as well. The "Max-in-peril" plot has been used twice before. And in those cases, Annie did not react like she did in this one. She was too serious, intense, morose. Not that I can't sympathize, but I guess my point is, the whole book was too serious, dark, etc. I like the lighter, funnier books Carolyn Hart used to do. I want Laurel being zany; Emma being intimidating; Henny channeling fictional detectives. And where's Miss Dora? I love her! Hasn't been in a book in ages. Plus, there weren't enough suspects in this one. It was pretty easy to narrow down 'who-dun-it'. I still give 3 stars cause Carolyn Hart is great, but I hope she returns to form in the next books.

Dead Days of Summer
Carolyn Hart

If you like murder mysteries or the author Sue Grafton, you will love Carolyn Hart's Dead Days of Summer. The book is one is a long series called Death on Demand. I have no idea where this book fits into the whole picture, but I never once felt that I was left out of the loop because I had not read any of the others. The book does not have a strong Christian base, but it does speak of the Lord, church, belief, and faith. There is even a character who quotes scripture. As a Christian you would not feel weird, or wrong reading this book.

The story opens up on the slow side, and introduces you to a lot of characters right off the bat. This is definitely one that you have to pay attention to from page one or you could get lost in the mix of all the mayhem.

Annie Darling is the main character. The story revolves around her and her husband Max. Annie is the owner of a mystery book store called Death on Demand. Max is a private detective, but cannot call himself one because of the laws of the island that they live on. Broward Rock is the name of the island that they live on. It is one of the islands off of South Carolina.

Annie and Max had lunch together and are walking back to their offices, Annie insists that Max go to the office today and maybe someone will come in. Annie goes to her bookstore and immediately picks up where she left off on planning Max's surprise birthday party. Her mother-in-law Laurel is helping with the planning. It is almost close of business time when Max calls and says that he has a client and will be home later and call if it is going to be real late.

The client that hires Max is a beautiful woman who says that she is looking for her brother who disappeared the previous year. She shows Max pictures of him, and a note that states that he is seen most nights at a place called Dooley's Mine, which is a sleazy bar, that not many people would be caught dead at. They plan to meet there later that evening to scope the place out and see if he is there.

Max never calls and Annie freaks out. She goes to Max's place of business and finds and intruder. She then calls the police. Nothing is making sense, and just as a precaution a missing persons is released, just on a hunch because there is not enough evidence to go on. Annie calls all of their friends and they all start looking for Max. The friends that she calls are a mystery writer, and ex-military woman, an ex-editor, an ex-reporter, an actress, a newspaper man, and others.

The next morning they find a woman who has been murdered, and Max's car just outside the cabin that she has been murdered in. They don't find Max though. Annie knows from gut instinct that this is the person who hired Max. When they don't find Max, the search is on even harder. One of the friends Emma, who is the author, hires a great attorney for them, since it now looks like Max is wanted for murder.

Later on the same day that they find the dead woman, they find Max. He wakes up, confused, sick, and covered in blood. When the police find him they take him into custody for the murder of Vanessa Taylor, who is the woman that they found dead in the cabin. Max has never heard of Vanessa Taylor, and cannot remember anything that has happened. The police chief ends up having to put Max under arrest for the murder of the woman. While he is in the cell, Annie enters the jail and they talk. She vows to find who set him up, and get to the bottom of all of this mess.

Annie, her mother-in-law and her friends do just that. The majority of the book is them sleuthing around and getting information. They follow leads and end up unraveling the whole set up. Max is freed and life goes on as usual.

The book on the whole is good. It takes a long time for the story to develop and get into the action. If you are into meat and grit from page one this one will leave you wanting. If you have patience and don't mind a long build up and climax, then this is the book for you. Ms. Hart has wonderful characters and many of them. She also finds a way to keep them all tied to the story, even if it is just a sentence in the middle of the book. That is a definite gift, and I am glad that she does not leave the reader wondering what happened to so and so even if they were a minor character. Not a bad read at all, life as usual...until the next Death on Demand book.

Max Darling, a murderer? Annie Darling knows there isn't a chance Max is a murderer, but all of the evidence is stacked against him. After all, his car is found with the murder weapon inside and Max himself was covered in blood with no memory as to what had happened. Annie is willing to do whatever it takes to clear Max's name, even if it means putting herself in harm's way. Will Annie and her friends clear Max's name or will Max forever be branded as an adulterous murderer?

DEAD DAYS OF SUMMER is Carolyn Hart's 17th book in the series, but it is my first foray into her world. Needless to say, it will not be the last Carolyn Hart book I read! Ms. Hart draws even a new reader to the series into her vastly entertaining world, populated by the most colorful characters. Annie and Max have a variety of quirky friends and Ms. Hart makes the most of each individual's unique skills in this clever mystery. In fact, the characters are the true heart of this tale as the mystery itself is fairly easy to figure out. It is the characters who keep the reader turning the pages. After all, who knows what crazy plan this group will come up with next in their quest to clear Max's name?

Carolyn Hart does a beautiful job at establishing the community on Broward's Rock, South Carolina. Not only are the inhabitants vividly portrayed, but one gets a real sense of the layout of the island. Generally, the further a series progresses, the harder it is for new readers to jump in the midst of the storyline as the characters and settings are fairly well established. Instead, Carolyn Hart easily welcomes new readers into her Death on Demand series with DEAD DAYS OF SUMMER. Count me in as a new fan!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

This was an action-packed, intense read. Tiffany is a woman on a quest to find the cure for breast cancer in memory of her mother! Who wouldn't love her? She gives Antonio a run for his money, and tries his patience at times, but this pair had so much heat it was hard to put the book down. The added supernatural twist was a plus to the already hot story. Recommended read.

This is a supernatural romantic thriller, filled with action, jungle excursions, jaguars, drug lords, kidnappings, shootouts and even ghosts. It has a pulse pounding storyline that makes it easy to devour the entire book in one sitting. Aleka creates very vivid imagery. One almost feels like they are actually trekking through the exotic locals she describes in the book.

Eyes of the Dead will suck you into an adventure so intense, you nearly forget that it is actually a romance novel. Well, at least until you get to the romantic scenes. Aleka can produce gripping suspense, but have no doubt her love scenes will have your temperature rising.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book.

Like Romancing the Stone in the Mayan jungle, EYES OF THE DEAD finds botanist Tiffany Jensen searching for a rare plant more valuable than an emerald. When she's abduced by white slavers, her sexy tour guide rushes to the rescue. She doesn't count on his threat to her heart posing greater danger than the terrors of the rainforest.

Government agent Antonio Fernandez curses the female who's disrupted his operation to catch a drug kingpin. Can he curb his lust enough to get her safely away?

Set in the tropics, this fast-paced story will carry you off to a romantic adventure you won't want to miss

This story captivated me from page one. Tiffany's quest to find the cure for Breast Cancer makes this book especially meaningful, not only for those who have suffered with the disease, but for women everywhere.

Can't wait to receive Aleka's next book - The Greek Rule. This author is going places.

Yvonne Kennedy - Romance Writer

I don't know what else to say about Aleka Nakis except that she is AWESOME! Not only was I lucky enough to get to read and review The Greek Rule, but after reading Eyes of the Dead, she is definitely on my list of authors to keep an eye on. Her books are filled with such beautiful imagery, you have no problem imagining the exotic locations she uses as her settings.

Tiffany Jensen is determined to continue the research her late professor started before he was murdered. Not just to honor her mentor, but because the research holds possibilities that could help eradicate breast cancer, the disease that killed her mother. Unfortunately, the key to this research is a plant only found in a certain part of the jungle- in South America. The unfortunate part is that after the professor's murder, she has been denied permission to collect the plant specimens that never made it to the United States. So Tiffany is taking a "vacation" and posing as a tourist interested in exploring the Mayan Jungle. She doesn't even know if she will be able to find the plants, or even smuggle them back into her country- but she can't give up on the cure when she is so close.

Agent Antonio Francisco Fernandez knows all about Tiffany Jensen and what she has come to South America in search of. In fact, it's his job to get her to return home before she even sets foot in the jungle. But he soon finds that she will do anything to get what she came for, including putting herself into a danger she can't even conceive of. It's up to him to either to get her to go home now, or get her in and out of the jungle- preferably alive.

Eyes of the Dead is a suspense-filled romance with a touch of the supernatural, perfect to satisfy all your romantic cravings. Aleka Nakis will stun you with her unbelievable talent of pulling you into the story and painting the setting with perfect detail. In Eyes of the Dead, venture into the jungle with exotic plant-life, mysterious and deadly creatures, and beautiful landmarks you can picture with ease. The characters are extremely well-developed, and pack a big punch in a small number of pages. Tiffany is a sweet, determined woman who will sacrifice everything, even her life, in order to help cure a terrible disease. Antonio is a gorgeous, strong hero, and from the very beginning, you will be cheering for a happily ever after between he and Tiffany. Eyes of the Dead is a romantic adventure that will have you wanting more of Aleka Nakis!

-Mandy Briggs for
RoguesandRomance.com

I found Cindi Wood's book to be fun and easy to read with plenty of humor and understanding for women and the many roles they are called upon to fulfill, along with all the stress and problems that can arise. It was encouraging with lots of sound, practical advice for many areas of our lives. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone.

In the crowded library of self-help books, this one seems to be the Swiss Army knife of the lot.

Organizing, listening, personal physical and mental care and projecting a positive image are all covered in an easy to read format.

The book allows itself to be picked up and put down while giving the reader humor that is needed in this sometimes serious area.

This tool invites desire to participate in Ms. Wood's training seminars.

Men, women and team leaders of all descriptions would all benefit from time with this book.

Congratulations, Ms. Wood. When is the next one due?

Clear, readable, humorous, and very pragmatic. These are descriptors I would use for Cindi Wood's latest book. I hope she hurries to finish the next one. We all have heard ideas about dealing with the inevitable stess of daily living, at work and at home. This book is different. It serves as a very useful reminder of how important it is and of ways we all can master our personal situations. Judging from this work, I am certain that Ms. Wood must also be an outstanding speaker and training consultant. As a manager I recommend that you buy it and distribute it to supervisors and employees. They will enjoy it and both they and your company will likely share the rewards.

Cindi Wood has a real way with words! She gives the facts concerning busy women, and offers practical guidelines to help make one's life a little easier. She uses some very humorous quotes to help deal with daily trials and troubles, and I found it very uplifting to read this book! I especially liked the chapter on "learning to listen." The quote on page 65 is one I will like to remember, as I believe it can really open more communication with co-workers and family members when they really think you are listening to what they are saying. As Cindi says, "Improving your listening skills will help you build positive relationships, as you value the spoken word enough to listen to it!" (pg.69) I plan to keep this book handy so that I can refer to it often, and I have given a copy to my two grown daughters to help with their daily walk as they deal with their busy lives.

Cindi Wood's book is very helpful for me since I have a very stressful job!!! I can open up her book any time and find one of her remedies to help cope with my everyday stress!!! A must-buy!!!

This book is a beautiful bilingual book that is ideal for young students. It serves as a nice introduction to Day of The Dead, which is celebrated in Mexico, on November 2. The author fails to mention this in the book but instead makes a note of it in the authors notes. Therefore,for clarity, the adult might want to incorporate this fact into the storyline. Use of another book, like The Day of the Dead / Dia De Los Muertos or Mexican Day of the Dead as a supplement will enrich the students learning about Day of the Dead. The story is rather flat, as noted in one of the editorial reviews here but the salvation of the book are the rich illustrations. The artist when to great lengths to create dimension in the art, resulting in exquisite drawings that will captivate the young audience. The story evolves around young Rosita's loss of her mentor and grandmother to an undisclosed sickness. After she dies Rosita longs for abuelita(grandmother) and her grandfather(abuelito) and family teach Rosita how to honor the dead. They teach her about making abuelita's favorite goodies and making an offering to her spirit at home and at the graveyard. Rosita questions whether she will "encounter" abuelita or not but is eventually touched by her spirit. This is a very cool book that explains how grief for the departed is handled in Mexican culture. As stated the illustrations are magnificent and worth the price of the book alone. Bilingual students , or those learning a language, whose first language is either English or Spanish, will benefit from the text, if read to in both languages. Recommended for community and K-8 school libraries.

This book blends beautiful illustrations of artistic collages, with a touching story told from a young girl's perspective of losing her grandmother, and trying to find the perfect way to honor her beloved 'abuelita' on the Day of the Dead.
Teaching at middle school in a community of growing numbers of hispanics this story has helped teach cultural traditions to my students in a unique way. In reading this story along with videos and personal sharing from our Mexican students and teachers, ALL our students celebrated the Day of the Dead this school year with their own artwork and special foods and breads. Having this story told in both English and Spanish was truly an added bonus for our English Language Learners to enjoy.

This book is great for readers learning spanish or english. It has beautiful illustrations, and a great story that is based on an event that most children will have to face. The celebration of the day of the dead brings people closer to those who have passed away, and is a great idea to give to children.
Este libro es muy bueno para lectores más jovenes para aprender inglés o español. Tiene dibujos bonitas, y un gran cuento que es sobre un evento que muchos niños tendrán. La celebración del Dia de los Muertos traiga los personas muy cercas a los personas que son muertos, y es una buena idea dar los niños.

I purchased this book because of the outstanding, noteworthy illustrations and fell in love with the sensitivity of the text. I live in a community where the Day of the Dead is celebrated locally. I own several fiction and non-fiction books on the topic, which I use in my primary grade classroom. While other non-fiction children's books on the Day of the Dead do a better job of explaining what happens during this celebration, this is the only book I have found that explains on an emotional level why one would want to celebrate one's dead relatives.

Although the relationship between Rosalita and her grandmother is established too quickly to cause the reader any distress when she dies on the third page of the text, Rosalita's dilemma is made clear. She works through the process of remembering and grieving her "abuelita" (grandmother). She thinks about what she can place on the family altar to symbolize her relationship with her deceased grandmother. She wonders what it will feel like when her grandmother's spirit returns on the Day of the Dead. How she resolves these questions will beautifully explain to anyone outside of the culture why those who celebrate this holiday take the time to remember.

This coming together of a writer's story & the visions of an illustrator is perfect. A simple tale of sorrow, change, love & healing. There are skills & ideas tucked away inside this gift: of a child's grief over the death of her grandmother & of the everyday things they did together & how her people celebrate their loved ones memories with gifts & prayers.

A Gift for Abuelita/Un regalo para Abuelita is a treasure to be read again & again not just for the story. It is rich in detailed illustrations & the marriage of two languages telling the same story is a fine addition. For my full review do check out: [my website]

Bunn nails the hard-boiled noir dialogue and narration without ever once resorting to cliche. At the same time he delivers a unique horror story with simple (i.e. non-convoluted) original concepts. Just plain great.

Take mobsters and tommy guns. Add demons, monsters, and a small-time fixer with a very interesting curse. Shake well, season with a femme fatale, and voila, you have The Damned: Three Days Dead. It's hard-boiled with spiky bits, and a great deal of fun. If you like noir with a little bit of a twist, you're enjoy the hell out of this.

Crime, greed, murder, the living dead. What's not to love about this new comic by Cullen Bunn? When the late mobster, Eddie, is dug out of his grave to find a missing bookkeeper, he is forced to continue his work as a gangster against his will in order to release the curse keeping him alive. This is a fast-paced, action-packed read you're sure to enjoy.

Imagine the idea of a Road to Perdition, except literally. A world of Prohibition era mobsters squabbling over territory, playing chess game over merchandise, and vying for power - a criminal underworld run, apropos enough, by demons. That is the world created by horror writer, Cullen Bunn, with The Damned. Brian Hurtt (Queen and Country, another fave book) delivers art reminiscent of Matt Wagner - a perfect blend of clean lines and moodiness - infusing each character with personality.

The Damned is a moody romp. Bunn has an ear for tough guy dialogue, and a feel for action pacing, while Hurtt's art alone is worth the price of admission. A blend of two of my favorite genres, gangland epic and horror, I hope this title gets extended well beyond its initial six issue run.

The best book I've seen on the subject!

As an anthropologist who teaches classes on Mexico, I use this book often. The "day of the dead" in Mexico exemplifies, for me, the difference between the U.S. culture and that of Mexico. Just as other cultures might find our U.S. Halloween celebrations strangely at odds with normally conservative Judeo-Christian religious observance, this book illustrates clearly the almost unfathomable blending of pre-Columbian cults of death and sacrifice with Spanish-Catholic traditions. Starting with its origins in Mexico's ancient civilizations, the book discusses and illustrates this observance through modern times, and takes the reader vicariously to the areas of Mexico in which it is most enthusiastically observed. Sit down with a cup of chocolate' and some "pan de los muertos" (bread of the dead), and enjoy a book whose topic you might have thought too morbid for your taste, but which you will probably end up finding much more compelling than repulsive. Unfortunately for me (but better for the publishing company!), I am about to order my 3rd copy of "Skeleton at the Feast"--apparently the students to whom I loan it find it too interesting to return!

I bought this book several years ago at the Museum of Mankind, in London. It was the book for the exhibition, which featured incredible paper sculptures of skeletons and demons.
I read every word of the book, and enjoyed the culture, history, and personal stories of these Mexican artists.
Buy it!

As an anthropologist who teaches classes on Mexico, I use this book often. The "day of the dead" in Mexico exemplifies, for me, the difference between the U.S. culture and that of Mexico. Just as other cultures might find our U.S. Halloween celebrations strangely at odds with normally conservative Judeo-Christian religious observance, this book illustrates clearly the almost unfathomable blending of pre-Columbian cults of death and sacrifice with Spanish-Catholic traditions. Starting with its origins in Mexico's ancient civilizations, the book discusses and illustrates this observance through modern times, and takes the reader vicariously to the areas of Mexico in which it is most enthusiastically observed. Sit down with a cup of chocolate' and some "pan de los muertos" (bread of the dead), and enjoy a book whose topic you might have thought too morbid for your taste, but which you will probably end up finding much more compelling than repulsive. Unfortunately for me (but better for the publishing company!), I am about to order my 3rd copy of "Skeleton at the Feast"--apparently the students to whom I loan it find it too interesting to return!

I already own this book and its so cool I bought a copy for my sister. The projects in this book range from the traditional (typical skeleton calavera) to the unique (Day of the Dead Jewelry). The book is colorful, and interesting with easy to follow step-by-step photos of the projects. As an artist I find this book a terrific resource and very inspiring...love it!

I'm excited about making the projects in this book! Because they are true
folk art, I'll be able to display them in my house all year round,not just in the fall. I'm working on my first calavera (skeleton guy) and
plan to make as many of the jewelry projects as I can and give them to
friends as gifts. I'm no great crafter. Why hasn't anybody published a book on Day of the Dead crafts before this? I can't imagine!

I was very pleased with this book, these are easy crafts that will be fun to do and fun for my granddaughter.

The drama that plays out in this book gives the reader a rare opportunity to witness a myriad of historical events that led up to one of the most crucial turning points in aviation history. With the backdrop of the beautiful Hawaiian islands, a sensitive love story is woven around actual events to create an absorbing docudrama. The author's vivid depictions along with numerous period photos provide facinating insight into life in Hawaii, many facets of aviation, recreational sailing, military life, and survival at sea. Thoroughly entertaining and enlightening.

This is a truly outstanding book. Very rarely do I encounter text that is so captivating and compelling that I feel it can't be put down until the end is reached. Your attention to research and detail are exceptional and enhanced by the wealth of period photographs. You have taken history weaving in a background story to create in the process a beautiful tapestry that can be appreciated by any type of reader.
This is one book that will remain in my library permanently as I fully intend to reread it again down the line.

This is an amazing book full of beautiful period piece photographs of Hawaii in the 1920s as well as an exciting, nearly forgotten story that you could never dream up on your own. To find out that the historical part is all true with actual quotes and newspaper headlines is a jaw dropper. For anyone who is, or knows of, someone interested in historical fiction, flying, sailing, Hawaii and/or a poignant love story, this is a must have for the collection.

The edition is extraordinary. The images reproducing the original documents are so accurate and of such a fine quality that the book is worth buying just for the illustrations, and because of the way it presents itself it truly makes a special gift, always appreciated and impressive. In regards to the historical, scientific and spiritual value of the document itself, I need to study more to be able to tell. I have no doubt this study will be enriching and valuable beyond my expectations, and the effort necessary to penetrate its message, will pay off enormously in seeing more about myself.

This is an excellant book .I am very pleased with it.And recommend this book .Elbert

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

The Papyrus of Ani was painted in Egypt about 1250 BC. It represents the best preserved, longest, most ornate, and beautifully executed example of the form of Mortuary Text known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Ani was a well-to-do scribe (or accountant) within the Temple hierarchy who, as he approached middle age, decided it was time to order his personalized selection of the prayers and invocations designed as a guide to the Egyptian afterlife. Compiled from the oldest religious culture on earth, these spells (known as the Pyramid Texts) had originally been engraved on the walls of the tombs of kings or pharaohs). As time went on, they began to be more widely available, carved and painted on the wooden sarcophagi of great nobles (where they are known as Coffin texts). Finally, they became even more widely available, painted on scrolls and available to the upper middle class. Ani's papyrus measured 78 feet long by 15 inches high.

The prayers are connected to certain archetypal images. Thus an invocation to Osiris, the Lord of the Underworld, will be written within a painting (or vignette) of that deity. The meaning of the passage is a marriage of word and image, reaching well beyond the merely verbal level of the brain. One of the best known examples of these breathtaking unions of text and image is the Weighing of the Heart scene. Here, the heart (the moral integrity of the deceased, the conscience) is weighed against the feather of Truth and Justice. If the cumulative effects of the person's past have allowed his soul to be as light as the feather of Truth, he or she is judged pure and admitted to the presence of the Lord of the Dead in preparation for the journey through the Afterlife. However, if the person's heart is weighted down with the burden of sin, his soul is flung to the great monster who awaits the recording of the verdict and is no more.

As a magical, polytheistic religion, the Egyptian spiritual path was alive with creativity and energy. The spiritual dignity afforded the observant Egyptian was an invigorating state. One who had led an upright moral life, who had shown respect to the Gods, and, who had been strong enough to persevere through the awesome dangers of the path of the afterlife, was then invited to feast with his Gods, playing board games in beautiful fields, drinking beer and enjoying related pleasures, The successful adherent would reach a stellar glory of his own, at last a member of that hierarchy his life had been spent in honoring.

The impact of Ancient Egypt on modern western culture is of course ubiquitous. Egypt is known as the Mother of Western Civilization. The 42 part Negative Confession is a source of our own Ten Commandments. (The additional ancient statute against the bringing of law suits might be worth revisiting!) Egyptian religion is the source of the Judaeo-Christian belief in the after death resurrection promised to mankind as a reward for righteous living.

The Egyptian religion was a magical religion that involved a continuous interaction between the individual and the various deities who constituted its elaborate and exalted pantheon. Initiates were required to memorize magical formulas and spells, and to demonstrate their proficiency therein; tests of courage and honor were administered by the officers of the Temple. Possession of secret knowledge, along with a highly developed moral character, were necessary to penetrate the deeper levels of Egyptian spirituality.

Egypt's moral teaching presented in its Wisdom literature and Mortuary texts attain to the highest levels of sacred awareness. Egypt's temples, statues, frescoes, carvings, jewelry, painted scrolls and sarcophagi stand as mute witnesses to a brilliant and lofty spiritual culture that has never been equaled on earth. The silent and stationary images of The Egyptian Book of the Dead continue to speak and move today, some four millennia after their creation.

* * * * *
The story of the securing of the Papyrus of Ani combines elements of fate and tragedy, even slapstick, and marks the very end of European colonialism in North Africa. Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, assistant Keeper of the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum, and author and editor of many books on ancient Near Eastern civilizations, arrived in Egypt in 1887 with funds for the purchase of antiquities for the Museum. There had recently been a series of extraordinary finds in Upper Egypt. The Egyptian government, seeking to preserve the finds, had appointed police/military units to seek out native Egyptians in possession of these antiquities and to prevent Europeans from buying them. Budge was personally threatened with arrest should he attempt to purchase anything.

At Luxor, Budge found a papyrus he described as the largest such roll he had ever seen. "... I was amazed at the beauty and freshness of the colours of the human figures and animals, which in the dim light of the candles and heated air of the tomb, seemed to be alive." In fact Budge was obsessed with the papyrus. He arranged for a tin smith to make a cylindrical box to protect the roll. He evaded the chief of police of Luxor, who was carrying out orders from the Director of the Service of Antiquities. The Ani papyrus was stored in a small building nearby the old Luxor Hotel, where it had been placed under government guard. Budge and the antiquities dealers first attempted to get the guards drunk, then to bribe them to leave their posts for an hour. Finally they arranged for a crew to quietly dig under the wall. A substantial supper was arranged for the guards and while they feasted, the conspirators removed the papyrus of Ani along with numerous other finds through the two foot square hole they had dug for the purpose earlier in the evening. Secreting the papyrus aboard a steamer at midnight, Budge arrived in Cairo, and with the help of members of the British army, managed to get the papyrus off to London.

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Here's where the real trouble began. Budge cut the papyrus into 37 nearly equal lengths for ease of handling. The sheets were glued onto wooden boards to keep then rigid. Fortunately Budge immediately commissioned a facsimile to be prepared. An exquisite limited edition was produced by color lithography in 1890 preserving forever the awesome beauty of the ancient original. Meanwhile the translation began which took five years and a companion volume of translation was released in 1895. Meanwhile, the extraordinary nature of the find encouraged the British Museum to display the sheets under a large skylight in a central hall. The glue and direct sunlight damaged the papyrus beyond repair. The translation had also revealed that many of the cuts were made in the wrong places, thus chapters were interrupted, vignettes were split, and text was left far from its accompanying image.

Book designer James Wasserman arranged to photograph his extremely rare copy of the British Museum facsimile of the papyrus. Utilizing the modern magic of computers and state-of-the-art production techniques, the images were scanned, reassembled, and electronically recut to best display the 78 foot papyrus as a book. A team of Egyptologists was led by Dr. Ogden Goelet of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at New York University, who wrote an overall commentary on the work along with a plate by plate The bulk of the translation used is that of the late Dr. Raymond O. Faulkner, whose work is universally acknowledged as the most authoritative. It was updated by Dr. Goelet to reflect advances in Egyptian philology. Carol Andrews of the Department of Antiquities of the British Museum wrote the Preface and facilitated access to the original papyrus. Eva van Dassow acted as overall project editor. The work of these scholars made this publication as intellectually accurate as it is visually beautiful.

The translation of the text of each image is placed on the page directly below the image, allowing the reader, for the first time in 3500 years, to gaze on the images while reading the words of the papyrus. Uncluttered with footnotes or other extraneous matter, the papyrus is displayed with the intent of allowing the modern reader to experience the full depth of the original. The restoration of the unity of word and image in this publication of the Papyrus of Ani has brought to life one of the most important early spiritual treasures of mankind.