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Wink and Grow Rich

Read it 3 times now -- and my wife Masami has gained so much from it she is looking at translating it!

You will gain understanding upon understanding from this simple little book about a boy called Richard who takes a differnt path one day on the journey to the well of wealth and ends up learning that life is indeed rich and doesnt have to be hard and that his name has a different meaning to what he thought!

I keep readind this in snippets -- picking up and asking questions and gaining more insights ---

Its a winner and will be a winner for you --- a tip though -- wealth is hidden between the words in the book ...

Be awesome

David Anttony

david @ DavidAnttony.com

Roger's book is a wonderful journey of this young man trying to understand what wealth is. Powerful yet simple to understand and leave you intrigued and puzzled enough to read it again and get the dog ears on it :-).

Tim Hansen

Wink and Grow Rich is the only book that I have read more than twice. I have read it 5 times so far and each time it reveals to me more about myself. It has helped me think about what work I was doing and what I now will only do. To me it is about making choices in your world. Choices that we all have the ability to make though often are too scared to make. I recommend you do not lend this book to anyone, you will refer to it yourself too often!!!

Well done Roger. I understand that Roger wrote this book over a 3 - 4 day period, which is an amazing feat. Roger has managed to compact a cross of life and wealth coaching into such a small and easy to read book, with numerous levels and subtle texts.

I have read this book a number of times, one time of which I wrote a load of notes. Every time I read it I'd swear that there were sentences there which were not there the previous time, hence I got something new out of it every time.

A very Zen, smart and simple approach - particularly once the penny drops on what comes after number 29... I highly recommend this book.

Having read this book 7 times I now find I use the key 29 points all the time.I use them as a guide to my next wealth creation decisions.This book is so simple to read and yet the value is enormous.Even my children understand it.Wonderful little phrases like "think it, ink it, do it, review it"..or "to know and not to do is not yet to know".I highly recommend this well priced little book.

I rented this book from the library and it is a really good book. I like how they touched upon other fairy tales. It was a good read and hard to put down - I needed to know what will happen next...Will Lump change and be a better person - will he find love - will he forgive his mother - will he forgive himself.

This wonderful tale of the witches boy named Lump, is one of the best children's books that I have ever read. Though at times the story becomes a bit too dark and the vocabulary too difficult for the young ones. Hey, who am I kidding, at times the vocabulary was tough for me. That being said I read this book over about a month to my 8 year old daughter before bed and as we got into the second hundred pages we both began to look forward to bedtime. Like the other reviewers, I found the retelling of several fairy tales to be the books greatest strength but the characters of Lump, Ysul the bear and Falance the cat are characters that won't soon be forgotten. With the spate of fantasy movies being made these days, I hope some filmmaaker options this wonderful book as a movie, done right it could be a "classic" as well.

Great book, I think its up there with Wicked, just marketed toward a younger audience. Don't be put off by the cover, which I don't realy think fits this great book. Read it, I could not put it down!

THERE WERE PARTS IN THE STORY THAT WERE SO ENLIGHTENING I HAD TO GO BACK AND READ AGAIN ESPECIALLY THE EXPLANATION OF WHAT WITCHCRAFT REALLY IS...I WILL TREASURE THIS STORY AND CANT WAIT TO READ IT TO MY SON.........

I SHALL NEVER LOOK FOR THE FAE DANCE

This Fairy Tale not only describes its own story it also incorporates many other classic fairy tales from Little Red Riding Hood to Pinocchio, each one with an added twist. Lump is the witch's boy. Abandoned at birth and taken in by a misunderstood witch. He grows up in a world of magic. He is taught by an enslaved djin and nursed by a bear. He grows up with very wrong views about people and the world. Lump thinks he is handsome but truth be told he is not handsome at all. When he finds out and is made fun of and harassed he wishes everyone who had hurt him would burn. When Lumps actions with the humans turn horribly wrong the witch and the boy must flee the sacred woods they had once enjoyed.
Thus Lump is sent on a journey through many worlds and many places. After losing what he truly loves, he hides himself behind a mask of gold and surrounds himself with riches and blames everything on his mother. After abusing life he is cast from the world only to be given a second chance in which he finds himself and the people who truly love him.
Michael Gruber writes about very strong emotions and creates very strong characters. His book has many twists and turns and you never know what's around the next bend.
I would recommend this book. Although it is a bit slow in the beginning it begins to get more and more interesting, and slowly but surely it lures you in. My favorite part of this book is how he incorporated all the other fairy tales and gave them his own twist.

Anna Steegmann's memoir made me laugh out loud: her father, that monster singing Nazi songs, and yet she still loves him; the men she picks out, one worse than the next for years; the certainty that she can manage in a new country without more than a loose handle on English: THE WRONG COUNTRY is a comedy like no other. She has a bravery unlike any other's: she is not afraid of new experiences and more, she is not afraid of laughing at herself. Her arrival in Harlem and happiness at last is oddly the funniest moment of all. I whole-heartedly recommend Anna Steegmann's dry, hilarious account of coming to America.

Anna Steegmann's memoir about growing up in a small industrial city in Germany under the shadow of her father's Nazi past is a radically honest, psychologically astute and desperately funny tale. Her unhappy, invalid father who regards his war-time adventures as the romantic high point of his life, casts a long shadow indeed - all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. It takes his rebellious daughter many dangerous adventures of her own to shake of his spell and come to terms with her love-hate relationship towards him - a feat she could only accomplish in another country. I love her down to earth, head-on, matter of fact wit.

Claudia Steinberg

An instantly absorbing tale that's both enlightening and beautifully written. Ms. Steegman has the gift of making one care with just a few chosen words. I hope I'll be able to read the rest soon.

The opening scene, in which a young boy nearly kills his baby sister, is a winner, but I found the rest of this excerpt a bit dull. The prose is pedestrian at best. Here is how a spanking is described: "I bent over and braced myself for his first strike. His gigantic farmer's hands smacked my behind with such force that it brought tears to my eyes. I bit my lips not to scream out in pain. Showing weakness and crying would double his fury and the duration of his punishment." At worst, the writing is a string of cliches. This material - a boy trying to win his Nazi father's love - is compelling, but could be better handled.

The protagonist's lot -her love for her Nazi father- is a unique predicament. The author is not afraid to go places where others have not dared to go. This book is unique. It shows a side of the German people Americans have not seen before.

The author is a great story teller. Reading, I'm enthralled. The writing is fresh, visual and compelling. A great novel of a talented writer. A winner!

After I bought this CD and the Abundance book in hardcover, I noticed the CD comes free with the book. I gave a friend one of the CDs, and we worked through the instructions together with positive results.

Some reviewers have complained about the many spiritual references to the Bible. Please do not let that deter you from doing the exercises on this CD. These exercises will help you become aware of your real beliefs about money and wealth, and help you finally shake lack in your life.

I strongly recommend getting the companion Abundance book in hardcover. It not only has this CD for free, but revised the text since the original 1987 edition.

I was not familiar with John Randolf Price before buying this CD and if I had known what I was buying I would have passed. No where on the front cover or on his book "The Abundance Book" does it tell you that it is a scripture based program. I was taken a little by surprise with all of the bible references and call me naive but I was not expecting that. I listened to the CD a couple of times and there are some good ideas but with so much bible reference it was not really for me. None of the printed material pointed to the content being scripture based and personally I think it should have been presented in a more straightforward way on the packaging.

I'm about 2 weeks into this 40 Day Prosperity Plan, using the CD version of the book. Initially, I loved to listen while I walked on the otherwise dull treadmill, or as I relaxed in the tub. That's how it all began. NOW, I am so immersed that I meditate each morning and evening, and I have fully begun to really understand the concepts. It will possibly take me the full 40 days, and that's okay, because I really am becoming addicted to the soothing sound of JRP's voice. It does, however, make good sense to buy the written version so that the meditations are easier memorized and meditated upon. The biblical references were something I needed to adjust to, considering myself non-denominational. However, that was easily rectified as I claim my own definition of God Source. I'll check back once my 40 days are up and let you know how the program is working for me. Thanks Price, for another priceless package. I thoroughly enjoyed the Super Beings years ago. And it looks as if this 40 Day Prosperity Plan is another winner! Blessings in the Mire

John Randolph Price knows things that most people do not know. The best thing about the 40 Day Prosperity Plan is that one does not have to fully understand it for it to work. I keep mine playing in my car cd player all the time and my finances just keep getting better and better. Gradually, I am understanding more and more of the high concepts that he shares. Thank you, JRP!

Very informative with high energy...The kind of exercise I have been looking for.

The Age Curve is an interesting and surprisingly easy-to-understand demographic study. Although written with a view towards sales and marketing, my wife and I found the book to be a useful tool in understanding how the changing population impacts our daily living, (insurance, manufacturing, food industry, local government, education, etc.).

First, the author identifies the generations (GI, Silent, Boomer, Gen X & Y). Then, compares and contrasts them - not strictly by numbers and percentages but more importantly, by attitudes and behaviors. His personal, often humorous examples make the facts, figures and preferences of each market group easy to remember.

The Age Curve is fun reading and has something to offer everyone. We've purchased several copies for family and friends - a great gift for thinking people!

This is a book that everyone should, no must read. It explains why the study or a simple grasp of demographics is so important in our daily or business lives. Written in a witty informative style, with lots of case studies illustrating why demand for products rises and falls over time.

My only criticism, is it is only 268 pages long! My solution was to re-read it and go to Ken's very informative web site! This book is worth its weight in gold, as it will wean you off those Aging Boomers onto a bigger coming wave: Generation Y. And finally this book is a must for Christmas lists!

I'm not sure if there is a higher superlative that I can give a written work than to say it is the most resistant to being put down of anything I've read in a decade. I was entertained and completely engrossed within seconds.

The most important business book I've encountered in at least the past five years, The Age Curve's every page contains useful information about the who, what, when, where, why and HOW of our current marketplace and provides an eye-opening vision of the near and not so near future of our fragile global economy.

Generational shifts are about to change business... all business... and those who are most familiar with Kenneth Gronbach's work are going to be the ones best prepared to handle the struggles and profit from the opportunities of those shifts. If you enjoyed Blink or Freakonomics here is your chance to read a book that shares a similarly interesting style and tone, but with the invaluable bonus of having the information within be applicable to everyday business - which is something I found sorely lacking in the case of these other best sellers.

The bottom line? Get this book. Today. You'll be finished and better prepared for a profitable future tomorrow.

Reviewed By: Mark Snow, VP HRD Press

This is an excellent book, a must read for businessmen, executives, politicians and the people who vote for them. I found it wise to share the premise of this book with members of several boards of directors on which I serve, hoping to prepare them for what Gronbach predicts will be our experience in the near future. Heeding this voice could well save us an enormous amount of money and effort.
I was surprised that AMA's proofreaders failed to spot the considerable number of typographical errors. But this problem does not diminish the value of the content. HJH

Ken Gronbach's book, Age Curve, is a clear and concise explanation of some of the factors facing our changing world in the very near future. Once you read it, you'll feel like you can predict the future. I recommend it highly.

Pete Hunt captured the sights and sounds of carrier aviation and combat operations on every page. This is a must read for those who want a glimpse of the 24/7 world of life on the USS Ranger during Operation Desert Storm.

Pete Hunt captured the sights and sounds of carrier aviation and combat operations on every page. This is a must read for those who want a glimpse of the 24/7 world of life on the USS Ranger during Operation Desert Storm.

Title of this review says it all. The only reason I wanted to post another review of this book is to just add another 5 stars-it's that good.

This book should become a classic-alas, I fear it will be overlooked by most, and that will definately be their loss.

I kid you not-I've read most of the first person accounts of aerial combat, from all periods, and this one is right at the top of the list.

There aren't a lot of books by former naval avaitors about flying and fighting during Desert Storm. This book is also rarer since the platform he flew, the A-6 Intruder, has been retired despite several advantages over its replacement, the F/A-18. The book describes the working up period prior to deploying to the Arabian Gulf, shipboard life, as well as the buildup and actual fighting done during Desert Storm from his carrier. The wrting isn't as gripping as a professional writer would do, but nonetheless is an authentic account from a unique source. Overall, I was gald to have had the opportunity to learn more about what makes combat and naval aviation so much more different than what land-based forces go through. As a book to throw in your bag for a weekend reading source, this will be fine.

Angles of Attack: An A-6 Intruder Pilot�s War; Peter Hunt; Ballantine Books, New York, N.Y., 2002; softcover, 368 pages, illustrated. ....
This newest Gulf War memoir is excellent; it really does put the reader in the cockpit. Like the A-7 Corsair, its stablemate in the Navy�s attack community, the A-6 Intruder flew its final combat sorties in the six-week action that ousted the invading Iraqis from Kuwait. Intruder squadrons flew from all six carriers deployed during Desert Storm (as well as two Marine Corps shore-based squadrons), and one A-6 aviator tells a story that covers the buildup of Desert Shield and the nightly launches that devastated Iraqi naval and land assets.
Peter Hunt�s enthusiastic account is one of the best of the type this reviewer has read in recent years. The focal point of the book is, of course, his experience flying 45 combat missions with VA-145 and the close bond with his bombardier-navigator (BN). The descriptions of the prewar activities as the squadron, air wing and carrier prepare to deploy give a fine insider�s view of carrier aviation. The work ups are described in detail that might at times slow the story, but Hunt carries the story well with the result that these portions are well worth the reader�s time. Hunt tells what it was like flying combat from one of the Navy�s oldest carriers, USS Ranger (CV-61).
Peripheral areas like a port call in the Philippines, the loneliness of Christmas Eve at sea � he decides to sort out his personal survival items � and thoughts of family so far away are some of the most appealing aspects of Hunt�s work..
The author and his BN participated in the Battle of Bubiyan, which saw the destruction of several Iraqi navy PT boats that eliminated that threat. They also flew during the last major attack on Iraqi units along the so-called �highway of death� as the invaders torched the Kuwaiti capital and tried to flee.
Though a rather large paperback, the writing flows well and the author has a nice, personal style. Unfortunately, the book concludes on a sour note because of his dissatisfaction with the post-war Navy, the impact of the Tailhook scandal and the resulting �rot from within.� Family separation also plays a hand in his decision to leave, as does the demise of the A-6 community, with no replacement after the A-12 debacle. Nonetheless, Angles of Attack is a fine effort that tells the story of one of the Navy�s stalwart aviation communities during its last combat deployment.
Peter Mersky

Given that this is a debut novel, the prose is remarkable, the voice unique, the insights into human behaviour and relationship profound. Mother-daughter relationships are always complicated, oft times ridden with confusing expectations, dreams of the future/reminiscences of the past, and always always the burden of aging - whether it be of youth blossoming or the prospect of death. This writer captures the emotional complexity of the relationship with great dexterity and compassion. We only hope that she continues to write yet again and again and again, many novels, many works, of which I'm sure she is entirely capable.

Any woman who has ever had a love-hate relationship with their mother will love this book. It's a beautiful and touching story about how different we see a mother's "good" intentions from when we are children to when we become adults. No matter how painful the journey, in the end we see that we all do the best that we can whether we're the mother or the daughter. It brought tears to my eyes.

Mimi never tires of telling her daughter, Silvie that she is named for the king, Elvis. She once dated the king. Mimi has big ideas and intentions, but finds herself stuck in the role of mother and housewife. This is not where she wanted to be. She loves the spotlight, dressing up in her high heels and swirling around in dresses.

Silvie is dowdy by Mimi's comparison, comfortable hiding from the spotlight. Mimi is disappointed that Silvie is not more 'out there', not more like her.

Silvie moves town to get out from under Mimi's shoes, but is driven back to her mother's side when she discovers that she has cancer. It is truly heartbreaking for Silvie to see her mother who was larger than life, slowly disintegrating before her eyes.

This is a good book about mother-daughter relationships, but it was really nothing new. It's all about people finding each other before they are separated forever.

Her mother's blue suede shoes always caused a problem for young Silvie. She wants a traditional, conservative mother, but ended up with Mimi - a headstrong, independant woman whose claim to fame is her dates with Elvis. Silvie believes that she has finally gotten away from her mother's indominable clutches when she moves to New York, but when Mimi is diagnosed with terminal cancer she goes home to help her die.

Through this time together, Silvie embraces her mother. She comes to learn the important elements of her family history. Through this time, Silvie gives and recieves the important elements of her mother's life, and finally comes to accept both her childhood and her future. She learns how to move beyond her mother, yet how to more fully embrace her special qualities.

The book is an excellent read for women. It gives a remarkable portrayal of the mother-daughter bond, with all of its pain and promise. Overall, highly recommended.

With compassion, insight and elegance, Kathryn Stern's wonderful debut novel, "Another Song about the King," traces the tensions and fissures between a repressed but talented mother and her daughter, whose own life's experiences sadly reflect the disappointments, resentments and fears felt by her mother. Stern paints a vivid picture of Simone, whose mothering skills mirror the venomous pressures and arid emotional wasteland of her own childhood. Simone is so repressive and begruding of her daughter's right to a life that, at times, it appears that she could not be more deliberate in her emotional abuse. Silvie, in turn, at a very early age, deliberately withdraws from her mother and builds such an anguished anger and sense of disappointment with her circumstances that she refuses to call her mother any other name than Mimi.

The central conceit of the novel turns around Simone's teen-age "relationship" with Elvis Presley, a "date" whose scope is never completely determined but whose impact on the dissatisfied Simone grows and distorts her own ability to live as a functional adult. Simone's discontent is the central fact of her life. "For a long time, I liked being married, the routine, the security. But then it was the late sixties...and there I was in the suburbs, just planning a week of dinner and making them." The adult daughter, Silvie (whose own name, incidentally, is a semi-anagram of Elvis), understood "her discontent, the discontent of all women caught between the work of staying home and raising children and the larger work of the world."

Stern's masterful talent of characterization reveals itself fully through Silvie, a sensitive and inquisitive child who bears the brunt of her mother's smoldering fury. How should a child respond to a parent who insists the child develop her talents, but once expressed, elicits a competitive anger from the very adult she yearns to please? Silvie decides to withdraw, to finish in second place, to acquiesce to her mother. This tremendously affecting character pushes her sadness "down into that tight little bead no one could see, filling the space with emptiness, nothingness...I feared I lacked a self."

"Another Song" is not just about the evolving relationship between a mother and her daughter. This deeply reflective novel also treats the issues of insanity, suicide, depression, divorce, existential anguish and terminal illness. Never forgotten is the humanity of the central characters, and that compassion animates Stern's ability to make even a Simone a character about whom we care. This author, with a sure and sensitive hand, understands the quest all children, regardless of age, have to understand and forgive their parents.

BLOOD EVIDENCE is the second book in Mel Odom's NCIS Series. Once again, we follow the investigative team under the leadership of Commander Will Coburn. When their current case is linked to the death of a Marine captain's daughter who was murdered 17-years-ago, they follow their leads all the way to Washington D.C.

BLOOD EVIDENCE allows us a closer look at some of the members that make of Will's team, seeing both the personal and professional struggles that these strategic players deal with.

A great thriller with twist and turns that keep you turning page after page. Again, not a romance book by far, but a great read for those of you who like suspense.

I checked out Paid in Blood, the first NCIS book by Mel Odom, and really enjoyed it. So I stuck it out for part 2.

Plot:
Will Coburn and team intervene on a girl's kidnapping. This leads to the discovery of a whole lot of drugs and a 17 year-old corpse of a Marine with the charm of a teenaged girl who was kidnapped and murdered about the same time. As the team digs deeper, they learn that the two mysteries (the girl's murder had never been completely closed) may in fact be intertwined.
Also, Nita is feeling overwhelmed with being a mother and a wife. She longs for the simplicity of life before marriage and tugs away from her husband, Joe, and her daughter, Celia.

Good:
Again, excellent mystery! I am impressed with how Mel Odom is able to take a particular incident (a teenaged girl's kidnapping) and have it lead to the real mystery (the 17 year-old corpse of a Marine). You certainly won't be board, trekking through North Carolina in pursuit of Bryce Ketchem or digging through the archives on Haskins or seeing through the eyes of Congressman Ben Swanson.
Also, the characters are diverse and real. You can feel Will's pain at his divorce and Nita's longing to get out of her trapped marriage (more in a bit). Shel, Remy, Maggie, Estrella...they are all people, not just names thrown in just because. They all serve a purpose--and if they aren't needed at a particular time, Mel Odom doesn't feel like he has to bring them up constantly (something many authors should take a hint from).
When I first started writing this just a little past the half-way point, I had some serious issues with Nita's marital problems. First, in this time, Joe was far too perfect. He really doesn't come off as a character, merely as a litmus test to show how bad Nita was being. Nita is full of rage; Joe is perfect, understanding, continually loving, always forgiving and wanting to work things out. However, I had to highly amend this review after I finally finished the book. He starts getting peeved at how Nita is being so selfish and even says so when she asks him not to let Celia, her daughter, call her. He is not afraid to be blunt and tells her to leave them alone. This change from perfect being to human being was great.
Lastly, Nita's reuniting with her mother was absolutely awesome. I won't spill the details, but the whole exchange was an ultimate climax for Nita and a turning point as well.

Bad:
If the first one gave you the heebie-jeebies at the forensics, don't expect this one to be better. In fact, it may be worse. Several people die rather violent deaths. One man receives a glancing blow to the head. A dead man is found in the lake. A woman's injuries from a hit-and-run accident are brought up. Mention is made to what happens when someone is shot point blank in the base of the head (and this is rather disgusting, in my opinion). These rather graphic descriptions made me cringe and almost gag as I was reading.
Other things that bugged me:
1. Will's children bug me. First, Wren, Will's seven-year-old daughter, knows way too much about baseball. I don't care if she watches it on television. There is no way that someone that young knows maneuvers and call outs as well as she does in the book. It's cute, but unrealistic. Second, Steven falls into the stereotypical teen category. I wish for once that people could write teens not as moody, rude beings but as actual humans with feelings and concerns (especially in favor of parents). I mean, Will was constantly surprised that Steven seemed to care about him. Duh! What teen doesn't!
2. Mel Odom's editor should be fired. He missed or glossed over several huge mistakes. "Maggie" is referred to when it should have been "Nita" (page 80). It is unclear whether the "husband" Laura is talking about is her ex-husband, Ben, or someone else (i.e. Chloe's dad or whichever husband she is currently married to) (page 160). He has Nita telling a cowboy "Merry Christmas" then mention something about Spring (May or June, I believe) while I think there is another reference to March (or at least snow)! What time of the year is it? Just decide and keep to it! My last beef is a major one: Will is talking with Haskins' widow and says, "You mentioned Mason" (Page 415). First off, I poured over the entire previous exchange. "Mason" wasn't mentioned once between Will and Cindy (widow). Mel Odom probably made a change and his dumb editor never saw the gap. It was very confusing and ruined the whole effect that the scene was trying to play on.
3. The whole David Horton almost-affair thing went from understandable to weird. I was okay with it until his wife approaches Nita. First off, this guy is an absolute jerk. Mrs. Horton should have left him in the dust years ago--kids and all. Second, this husband is fooling around--and he doesn't even bother to hide the fact he's fooling around by telling Mrs. Horton about Nita? "Honey, I was trying to cheat on you and this lady decided not to and hurt me. Wah!" Please. And then to make matters even weirder, Mrs. Horton goes to the same church Joe does. Please cue "It's a Small World". Lastly, this whole thing explodes into NCIS--but how? Does David run to his superior officers and say, "You got to punish Nita because she wouldn't sleep with me and I tried to make her and she hit me?" Does Mrs. Horton call Nita's boss, Larkin, and say, "You got to watch out for that ME of yours--she steals husbands"? I wish Mel Odom had left the whole stupid thing to be only between Joe and Nita. The incident (and her wanting to leave) could still have impacted NCIS without the whole "It's a Small World" thing playing in the background.
4. Practically everyone in the book is described as being fit for their age with the exception of the creepy politician, Ben Swanson. What's up with that? Not like I don't expect Will, Shel, Remy, and Maggie to be fit, but why must the lawyer, Wardell, Estrella, Nita, Joe, and practically every other character be described in this way? Take a look on the street, and you will notice far more people that are not fit than are.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Alluded to or non-existent. A woman is almost raped. Other times, sexual situations are alluded to (Congressman Ben Swanson has had extramarital affairs, Chloe's dad is not mentioned to have ever been married to Laura Ivers, etc.). Violence is pretty extreme (as mentioned in the beginning of "Bad") and ranges from shoot-outs (typical fare) to attempted rapes to hand or gun fights or hit-and-runs. If you are even the slightest bit squeamish, do not read this.

Overall:
When I first started writing this, the bad was outweighing the good. The editing was bad and Nita's home situation got in the way. After finishing the entire thing, I was very impressed. I loved the mystery and was moved to almost-tears during the Nita and her mother scenes (and I am not a crying person!). The plot was a little confusing (but is mostly explained in the end), the editor should have been fired, Nita's home life was a little overdramatic in the beginning, and the descriptions of autopsies and injuries was disgusting, but this was a fun way to spend the time. What makes this better than many other action stories is that this has character--real people doing real things. A good follow up.

This is the second book in Mel Odom's series on the Naval Criminal Investigative Services. The head of the team, Will Coburn, is separated from his wife, and he is trying to spend more time with his children. But he is called away to rescue a teenage girl who has been kidnapped. In the course of the rescue, they stumble on the corpse of a Marine who has been missing for 17 years. Inside the pants cuff of this Marine, they find a charm from a girl who had been murdered 17 years ago, supposedly by a serial killer. How did the charm get there? Is there a connection to the serial killer? The investigation leads the team into twists and turns in the plot that made this story a page turner that I could not put down.

The medical examiner on the team, Nita Tomlinson, has become an expert in forensics, but she finds the roles of wife and mom to be stifling. She grew up without a father and with a promiscuous mother who drank too much and often abandoned her, and Nita has no feel for how to act as a wife and mom. She feels compelled to visit her mother, with whom she has not talked in fourteen years. Though hurt feelings remain and the relationship is strained, Nita and her mother move one step closer to understanding one another.

The pacing of this novel is excellent, and the characters are so real they come to life. I also enjoyed the many details about how the criminal investigation and forensics jobs are conducted. This is the work of a master story-teller who seems to get better with each novel.

I enjoy the NCIS Novels by Mel Odom. His characters are human...forgiven but not perfect...at least as long as they're on this earth.

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) Commander Will Coburn lost his marriage due to the demands of his job. Now, he hopes he won't become estranged from his teenage children as well, but his job puts a huge responsibility on him. He must first lead his team to track down an apparent kidnap victim--a teenage girl with problems of her own. While investigating the kidnapping, though, Will and his NCIS team finds evidence of another crime--a long-ago murder of a marine. Since the marine was still in the service when he was killed, this is definitely NCIS business.

The more Will pushes the investigation, the more layers he peels back. But there's political pressure for him to back off, especially when the Will turns up evidence that a long-solved crime might not have been solved after all. The victim's step-father is now a congressman who's very much in a position to make life miserable for Will and the entire NCIS. Meanwhile, one of Will's most important team members, pathologist Nita Tomlinson, is desperately trying to protect herself from pain--in the worst way possible.

Will has his faith to turn to, but Nita long before rejected faith. In fact, it's her inability to live up to the trust her husband puts in her that frustrates Nita most.

Author Mel Odom delivers a high-quality thriller. Although we can guess the identity of the criminal at the heart of Will's troubles fairly quickly, Odom delivers plenty of twists and turns as Will searches for the evidence that will let him go after even the most powerful. Odom's experience in criminal investigations shows through clearly, allowing him to involve us as readers in the case--without ever sounding like he's giving us lectures.

BLOOD EVIDENCE is published by Tyndale, a religious publisher, and faith is an important element in the story. Odom walks the balance carefully, however, making the story enjoyable as a pure thriller for those who may not be as firmly rooted in faith as Tyndale's normal audience. Resolution of the Nita subplot does, however, sometimes get a bit heavy on the faith side. I appreciated, however, that Odom was careful to let us know that the powerful congressman was a member of the conservative party--evil lies in men, not in particular institutions.

Haven't read it yet, but looking forward to reading both of the books within the text as it is. Thanks

The Book of Five Rings is similar to Sun Tzu Art of War in that is discusses strategy, fighting, and competition from a combat perspective. The book is small in size and easy for reading while traveling. While references can found that comment this is as a book for management, it is still very much a book about combat and the samurai warrior. Interesting nontheless.

The book written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645 is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work.

The term "Ichi School", which is referred to in the book, Go Rin No Sho, when referring to such books, refers to "Niten No Ichi Ryu", or "Ni Ten Ichi Ryu", which literally translated, means "Two Swords, one heaven".

Throughout the book it is clear: what is primary for Musashi is The Goal, while the means of achieving the goal are secondary. He wrote "According to this Ichi school, you can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and whatever its size."

The same is in business: the leaders who are attracted by the goal rather than by embellishments are the true leaders. For example, the dot-com bubble of 2000 was caused by the managers who forgot about the primary goal of the business: net income. Those who were obsessed by their stock prices regarding of massive losses and the lack of revenue became bankrupt. They put attention to the fancy office buildings and furniture rather than to the assets that generate earning. Musashi wrote about it: "Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. Spears and halberds must stand up to heavy use: bows and guns must be sturdy. Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative".

Musashi also encourages to maintain a balance of your skills throughout your life. This balance could be thought of as Yin and Yang. The balance is to be neither over-familiar with something nor under-familiar. The over-familiarity or over-use of one weapon is not recommended by Musashi, as it would be seen to reveal your spirituality to your enemy, and thus your boisterousness, or over-calm. The over-familiarity makes you stick to a conviction. This is a very important for the business. Take, for example, mr. Warren Buffet.

A quality standing out about Mr. Buffett is his ability to morph. If you read his materials from the 1960s, he said very different things than in the 1970s and early-1980s. Early on he was buying dirt-cheap stocks by simple statistical standards and typically smaller stocks (smallcap), later he bought "franchises", then he entered a period of buying great managements of big companies and being a long-term holder, then, amazingly, he was buying smaller things dirt cheap again just as value came back into play as the twenty-first century began. He tactically morphed steadily over the decades. Trying to freeze his tactics from any decade and replicate them in the next few would never have led you to his actual actions. Musashi wrote about that this way: "You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly. It is bad for commanders and troops to have likes and dislikes."

Musashi, like every great warrior, knew that strategy was as important as tactics and techniques in combat. This book will teach you things that were learned in combat and will enhance your survival potential on the battlefield, street and life.

It is not the easiest book to interpret and understand, but that hardly matters, as for the information in this book is worth your time and effort. One good book is worth a hundred crummy ones, and this book is one outstanding book. This book is divided into various distinct sections, and the serious and professional warrior should extract as much information as possible from each section. Every time I pick this book up I learn something new. This is the warrior's bible.

I highly recommend this book to all readers.

This really is a great book. It contains a philosophical outlook on dealing with people and sword fighting/combat from hundreds of years ago, but it really translates very well into today's modern business world. Everyone could learn something from this old samurai who lived in 18th century. I highly recommend this book and the book Understanding: Train of Thought to everyone.

Fellow play readers say that this is one of the best plays they ever read. It made them weep, it changed their lives, it is the only the play they've ever loved. You can't argue with that. I have read this play several times myself, but for me it is a play that works but it does not work wonders. I am a great admirer of the Mel Brooks, Wood Allen, Neil Simon school of comedy. There should be a plaque on the Cross Bronx Highway alerting people that they are approaching the stomping grounds of America's greatest comedic generation. Of course, we know that it was the depression that incubated this batch of comedic geniuses. Simon, more so than the others, has mined this era, tapping his memories of love without any trace of irony or insight. His is one big sloppy family kiss on the forehead. Still his memories clearly are those of millions, and what seems corny and undramatic to one reader clearly has the power to bring others to tears. All the power to you, Mr. Simon.

I remember watching the movie version of Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" years back and thought it was fantastic. Now, years later, I decided to pick up the play and read it.

As usual with the written version, there is quite a bit more detail in the play. Eugene is the story's main character, and while his family struggles with all sorts of family issues. His brother Stanley comes to him with his dilemma about possibly being fired from his job. His cousin Nora, her sister and her aunt Blanche all live with the Jerome family in their Brooklyn home. Eugene's main concern is dealing with the rigors of growing up--and winning the World Series for the Yankees. His character really comes out in the play; there is the sense of witty spirit that he has in dealing with his family and his own problems. Another great aspect of the play is the sense of family spirit it evokes, especially in troubled times, and you see that in the final act when Eugene's dad is able to talk some sense into his wife and her sister, but Stanley as well.

Neil Simon's ability to create funny and memorable characters and a story that is both insightful and humorous makes this a fantastic read. It is easy to see how this play got adapted into a full length film. This play is the first in a series of three plays covering the life of Eugene Jerome.

If you enjoyed this book, another great movie or book to check out is Biloxi Blues, which is the second installment of this series. If you watch the film, it stars Matthew Broderick as Eugene, and narrates his exploits as he goes into the military.

Easy reading, but also very meaningful for the family.

"Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon is just superb! I saw the movie before reading this play, and I love it, so I knew I would at least like the play. I *love* the play; it's become one of my favorites. I fell in love with all of the characters and just adore the feeling of family that comes through while reading it. With witty dialogue (that can truly be appreciated my by people of the Jewish faith), I couldn't stop laughing, smiling, and just enjoying myself. I recommend.

The first of his three semi-autobiographical plays about the "Jerome" family, Neil Simon's BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS takes place in Brooklyn, New York toward the end of the Great Depression. Fourteen-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome (Simon's alter ego) is the protagonist and narrator of the play. Struggling to find his niche among his large, extended family, Eugene writes his own witty observations about them in his journal, sharing them with us as he does so. Yet the focus of the conflict is on the older family members (including Eugene's parents, Kate and Jack; his brother, Stanley; his cousin Nora; and his widowed Aunt Blanche), all of whom struggle daily to make ends meet. Though a comedy, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS asks a serious question, one posed in earlier eras by playwrights like Clifford Odets and Arthur Miller: that is, how can one preserve one's morals and integrity in difficult economic times, when it is all one can do just to put food on the table? BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS is an affectionate though often painful family comedy; in it, Simon establishes characters for his two later "Jerome" plays, BILOXI BLUES and BROADWAY BOUND, while anticipating the impending WWII era, the setting for the former title.

Brighton Beach Memoirs is a play about a fourteen-year-old boy growing up in 1937. The boy's name is Eugene Jerome. The play is divided into two acts. The first act is one night in Eugene's house. The second act is a week later in his house. Eugene is growing up in a hectic and eventful household of seven family members. He writes memoirs in his journal about his family and different events occurring in his life. During the play, Eugene share's his own personal thoughts with the audience. This really gives the audience an inside look on Eugene's life. I reall liked having this inside view. It really kept me into the book. Brighton Beach Memoirs was a real page turner. I highly recommend it!