Woody Allen Books

This book was actually fun to read, the scenarios were challenging, and made you really think about patho-phys. The situations were not the "typical" EMS scenarios, to be honest, some of them were rather difficult and complex. As a review for the NEMT-P test (I took my re-test two weeks later), I am not so sure of its value. The NREMT-P test tended to be very detail oriented and about "what step comes next", while this book tends to be "big picture". A great education tool for any level paramedic, but should be used an an adjunct to another testing review source.

This book offered a good review of each chapter and had multiple case studies after each review. A great buy!!

This is an excellent refresher/review for Paramedics. I like it especially since it teaches/refreshes by giving about 50 patient scenarios. You get to do the assessment, then flip the page and see how well you have done. What is also cool is that the book provides a follow-up paragraph that describes the final outcome for the patient.

This is good to review for your paramedic test, even if this is your first time. It has a little review at the begining of each section and then it tells a case and asks questions with the answers on the next page. I think it is a good book.

This book is written in a case study format that helps practicing paramedics and paramedic students focus on the presenting signs and symptoms of various illnesses and injuries. In addition to that, each case is followed by a number of questions that one can use to study each illness or injury that is covered in the text. Having been a practicing paramedic for almost a decade, I have found that this book is a great way to refresh some of the "not so common" things we in EMS may be called upon to see in a refreshing, new way. I used this book to prepare for the National Registry of EMT's Advanced Level Exam Oral stations and found it to be wonderful. I'd recommend it highly as a source for teaching scenarios for EMS educators as well.

I especially relish reviewing Nudist Among Us, for it was written by a friend of mine, Allen Parker. When I was first introduced to this southern gentleman, I was told he had a way with anecdotes. This fact is confirmed by any reader of Mr. Parker's book, Nudist Among Us.

On a visit to Allen's house in Virginia, he handed me a manuscript he had put together. He told me it was a collection of his humorous anecdotes. What he didn't tell me was that it was in the hands of a publisher and destined to come out as a book just months later.

Allen is one of those people who can turn the most mundane experience (at least the way he relates it) into a thigh-slapping yarn. Whether it's a story of his substituting on a paper route as a boy, or as an adult husband and father on a camping trip, Allen invests each story with his own particular brand of comic timing. Each yarn has the unmistakable flavor of the South. You can almost hear Allen's Virginia drawl as you read. Were these stories true? Probably. Have they been recorded accurately? Probably not--at least totally. But that's not the point. The best part of the story is in the telling, and Allen performs that task admirably well.

Allen's style is straightforward and without unnecessary decoration. Often, he's the brunt of his humor, sometimes his long-suffering wife and son. But the humor is never hurtful, or unkind. When you finish reading one of his rambling mishaps, you feel as though you had just listened to him tell the tale first-hand, while sitting in his living room with a cup of coffee.

My advice? Pick up Nudist Among Us, make yourself a cup of coffee, curl up in your favorite easy chair and let this facile storyteller charm you with his wit and homespun humor. When you've read the last chapter, you'll wish the book were longer.

Want some fun? Read "Nudist Among Us" and fun is yours. Parker has penned a creative uniquely quirky laughfest that makes you think,too... Three cheers for the comedic writing gifts of Allen Parker. I want more...get writing.

If laughs are worth a nickel a piece, this book is a bargain at twice the price. There is something in this book for everyone because it captures the trials and follies in all of us. The short stories are good reads and play to one's imagination. It is a great afternoon escape. I highly recommend it.

This book is laugh out loud funny. It must be really hard being a nudist and an active member of the church! My mother is 78 years old and she doesn't understand that nudity is funny. This book is a great collection of short stories to make you feel less stupid than you feel in everyday life. Also, a nice little paperback stocking stuffer for Christmas. What a hoot!

My copy of Nudist Among Us came with a "Skinny Dipper's License," but it should have come with a 10%-off coupon for a divorce lawyer because I woke my husband so many times from laughing aloud while reading in bed that he threatened to divorce me.

Chester's adventures as a Christian nudist make for the funniest book I've read in a long time and, oddly enough, many of his self-deprecating insights about life, love and family ring completely true, even to someone who would sooner take a beating than appear in public au naturel. Chester is irresistibly endearing, and if there is any similarity between the author and his protagonist, Allen Parker's wife gets my vote for sainthood. But I'm sure she's also glad she has such a fun-loving, devoted husband who clearly loves her almost as much as he loves getting into trouble.

Take a vacation from life's pressures and read Nudist Among Us. It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a prayer of thanks on your lips that Chester is not part of your family.

Neuro Linguistic Programming will continue to be the leading personal change technology in the world with innovations such as the The Hemispheric Eye model from Allen Sargent.

The changes are immediate, lasting, and I find myself automatically behaving as I want.

Al and Marylin have taken a Quantum Leap forward in the NLP work of Grinder and Bandler. Their hemispheric model is nothing short of brilliant. Having worked with them both personnally, I can say that the work they have done is life-altering, in a quick, easy, and painless way. It addresses the way the mind truly sees and processes information, and creates a bridge between left brain and right brain. It aids your communication skills vastly, both with yourself, and with others. I cannot recommend their work or this book enough.

My real name is posted here and anyone who believes the reviews below are false (maybe they are?) is welcome to e-mail me. Others below have given you the specifics; I'll just share my real-life experience with the book.

I first learned NLP in the late seventies, when I became a licensed hypnotherapist. NLP was new then, and very questionable. I still have some of the original material from old seminars and it really is contradictory and confusing.

I recently retired from teaching Theatre Arts and am now a Life Coach, using NLP. The Other Mind's Eye was suggested to me by a colleague. It has given me so much new information and clarified so much about appropriate use of NLP, I can't thank the author enough. I've read five other newer NLP books in the past six months, and this is simply the best.

Enough said.

Well, Mr Sargent, you are quite the teacher. I recently read your book, and it truly has changed my life. Using both hemispheres in my brain has helped me understand how I work. When I need to memorize something, I switch hemispheres and go to work. The information and knowledge that you share in your book is a wonderful addition to anyone's mind. I have become a better student and friend because of your book. Hopefully we can play golf sometime.

I'd just like to say that these reviews stink.

I believe them to be fake -

* they are all positive on a typical controversial self-help subject.
* none of them have a 'Real Name'.
* All the reviewers only have made ONE review.

That suggests someone have made all three reviews in order to make the book look good.

I advise buyers to be careful when evaluating this book - or any book by this author. The reviews on this page have a foul smell to them.

It's about time! A book that brings together the great minds of philosophical thought and their theologies in a cronologically ordered system. This is a great resource for those interested in this field. It logically brings together a history of thought from Plato to Satre and explores in a way that is not over the abilities of most college graduates. I recommend this book for those who want to put together these two disciplines in a historical context but not to the depth of reading all of the original authors. Some prior reading of the classic works in philosophy and theology is recommended in order to be able to fully utilize this resource.

Not only does Diogenes Allen deliver what he promised (i.e., an explanation of those philosophic systems pertinent to theology) but he delivers a history of philosophy (albeit restricted) from the pre-socratics to the present that is easily understood and enjoyable!

this is a good book for diving into the crux of philosophical issues in relation to christian theology through the centuries. A very good overview and in some detail. This book is not for beginners though, despite it's medium size. One needs to have some philosophical and theological familiarity in order to plow through this work. Another good one, and a bit more manageable, is: Consequences of Ideas by R.C. Sproul.

"Philosophy asks unanswerable questions; theology gives unquestionable answers." Quoted in John Caputo, Philosophy and Theology,



Prologue:
Before starting this book review, I acknowledge with Sir James Jeans, "I need hardly add that my acquaintance with philosophy is simply that of an intruder, and nothing could be further from my intentions than to pose as an authority on questions of pure philosophy." Preface, Physics and Philosophy. It is also in order to share with Rev. Sidney Griffith, ST, Catholic U. of America his declaration in a book review, "One does not mean to complain immoderately, nor to appear ungrateful for what is on its own term a good study of a timely and an important topic; nor does one want to review a book the author never intended to write."

Theology's Philosophic Languages:
Since the Council of Chalcedon in 451, there has been a division within the Orthodox Church due to differing Christological beliefs (in theological confessions of the nature of the Christ). In recent decades, members of the Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches have met, coming together to a clear conviction that both branches have always maintained loyalty to the same Orthodox Christological faith, with an unbroken continuity of the apostolic tradition, though they may have used differing terminologies in different ways (of differing philosophical traditions). The 'Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue' between the Eastern and the Oriental Orthodox Churches' has stated after fifteen centuries that, "On the essence of the Christological dogma, we found ourselves in full agreement. Through the different terminologies used by each side, we saw the same truth expressed!"
This could have been a very good reason for Professor Diogene Allen to write his book in order to explain "How Philosophy Shapes Theology,'" as written by Frederick Sontag fifteen years earlier. But did the eminent Princeton philosophy professor provide what he promised, in the title, to clarify Christian dogma with the tools of them prevailing philosophic systems?

Faith & Understanding:
Faith in search of understanding, therefore, writes Jaroslav Pelikan, had the duty of clarifying these various senses in which words were used. he quotes Maximos Confessor, "To say something without first distinguishing the meanings of what is said is nothing less than to confuse everything" and to obscure instead of clarifying. ... but one had to be careful to note the distinctive meaning acquired by such philosophical terms when they were employed for Christian doctrine." The Christian Tradition II
"Philosophy and theology enjoy a peculiarly intimate relationship because they have been traditionally concerned with many common issues: the existence and nature of God, the postmortem survival, free will and human responsibility, and a host of questions about ethics of life and ways of living. Such familiarity breeds territorial disputes and theologians have sometimes been annoyed with us for messing with their stuff." Harriet Baber, Professor of Philosophy, U. of San Diego

The Foundation of Theology:
Many contemporary theologians regard North African Tertullian as the first Western Christian to write theology, defending Christians against the hostility of the Roman Empire, while he argued against Marcion, Praxeas and theosophical fantasy. But the first great systematic theologian, is reckoned by most as Origen of Alexandria, (ca. 185-214), who invented the word theologia, he constructs on the foundations laid by Clement, in late second century Alexandria, who wrote a substantial trilogy of which Paedagogus an ethical guide, and Stromateis which he wrote to provide biblical themes in the language of Greek philosophers. Origen, no doubt, is the father of Systematic Theology, the church's scientific language; he is par excellence the founder of both speculative and Patristic theology brought to perfection three centuries later, while retaining the seal of his genius. Most distinguished and influential of all the theologians of the early church, were his pupils, including Athanasius, Basil, the Gregories, Dedymus the blind, Cyril of Alexandria, Augustine, and Pseudo Denis Areopagite. Origen was the first to establish church doctrines laying the foundations of the science of Biblical criticism, of the Old and New Testaments. He built on earlier generations of Alexandrine philosophers, Philo, Athenagoras, Pantaenus, and Clement, who struggled with the problem of defining a philosophic basis for an intellectual expression of Christianity. Together with Amon Saccha, his pupils Plotinus, Longinus and Origen contributed to develop Neo Platonism, the vehicle of Alexandrine theological expression, and Orthodoxy until Thomas Aquinas retrograded to Aristotelian philosophy. Eusebius of Caesarea, Church historian and Origen's admiring biographer, who lived a generation after, devotes nearly all of Book VI of his Ecclesiastical History to the life of Origen.

Issues for Clarification:
The book failed to underline that Christianity is a Hebrew Messianic hope expressed in Greek ideas by the Oriental Church fathers, who were well versed in the Hebrew Scripture translated in BC Alexandria (the Septuagint). Christian Theology was established by the great Alexandrine Origen, whom the author ignored, adopted by his disciples allover the Mid Orient. They debated the basic Christian Doctrines led by the Antiochine school in Aristotelian language, against the formidable theologians of Alexandria who utilized its own Neoplatonic terms to establish and defend Christian Orthodoxy. Neoplatonism(Middle Platonism) was in fact an Egyptian reformation of the archaic Greek philosophy by Amon Saccha and his school in the early Christian Alexandria.
Augustine is a good example. He was converted from Manichaenism to NeoPlatonism on reading Victorinus, Origen's student, before becoming a Christian, and his views on Free Will and Predestination were never considered Orthodox by the Eastern Churches. As for Thomas Aquinas, Allen may have raised him from a dumb Ox to the holy ranks of the Ibis of Theology and Philosophy. He tried to defend him as the rescuer of Aristotle from Averroes, and failed to mention what is common knowledge, that Aquinas used John Philoponus commentaries on Aristotle. These are few examples of his reluctance to provide the full story, when Walter Kaufmann warned three decades earlier, "It is easy to underestimate the originality of St. Thomas because he seems to synthesize Scripture and Aristotle, making ample use of all the labors of his predecessors. Butas Gilson says..., St. Thomas made "Aristotle say so many things he never said." Critique of Religion & Philosophy, pp.144

Philoponus' Scientific Revolution:
"To treat the nominalism of the fourteenth century in a chapter ... may seem strange," is what the crafty author wrote, pp.151, and he is right. He quotes the eminent historian H. Butterfield for an assessment of the scientific revolution. Butterfield who though started logically with the historical importance of Philoponus' Impetus Theory, as the breakthrough point in the obsolescence of the body of Aristotelian physics, he failed to identify Philoponus, who effectively deconstructed it into rubble in sixth century Alexandria. In 'The Copernican Revolution', Kuhn wrote on page 119 that, "John Philoponus, the Christian commentator who records the earliest extant rejection of Aristotle's theory, ..."
It was known when this book was written, that John Philoponus (490-570), was not only a millennia ahead in his scientific genius, but was equally so in articulating Orthodox doctrines, of 'Creation ex Nihilo,' and the 'Resurrection.' His 'Diaetetes', was adopted later, by John of Damascus in his 'Doctrina Patrum.' In the 'Tmemata,' his polemic against Chalcedon, written at the time of the second Council of Constantinople (553), he implied a condemnation to the Chalcedonian pseudo-Nestorian expression, by citing Cyril's twelve anathema. He condemned the Chaledonian canons and criticized Leo's Tome exposing its philosophical inconsistency, and theological weaknesses.

Theology & Postmodern Philosophy:
Recent strides in physics and developments in philosophy have superseded some of the scientific and philosophical concepts that were foundational for the modern world view. So, Whitehead, in a most explicit statement on the end of the modern era, in a critical evaluation of William James' essay on 'Existence of Consciousness, 1904' where Whitehead infers as the denial of any difference in its essence from the core and milieu of the physical, suggesting that, with his formulation of a dualism between matter and mind, can be considered the thinker who pioneered the modern epoch, with his challenge to Cartesian dualism, starting a new chapter in philosophy. Having categorized the thought of that period as distinctively modern, scientific philosophy, Whitehead own philosophy, that united the philosophical implications of relativity and quantum physics wrapped into James' rejection of dualism, implied as distinctively postmodern, without using the term.
We are suspicious of religious authority since the 'Age of Reason', but we despair of the rescue of reason. Kant foretold us, the present legacy of postmodern skepticism, that theology must be confined within the limits of reason alone. Yet, Nietzsche has demonstrated that a boundary guard reason has failed to deliver on its promises, for its claims are but disguised power plays. Accordingly, it would seem that neither philosophy nor theology can avail, and we are left merely with a heap of unanswerable questions striving to shout out unquestionable answers.
This above paragraph summarizes the second part of his book, which is well written, but too condensed to be of help to the seminarian who looks for modern philosophy to understand the Postmodern theological currents of the day.

Epilogue to a review:
This good introduction to philosophy falls short, according to the book scope intended for explaining any of the basic Christian Doctrines. While the first part took many pages in explaining irrelevant concepts, the second part of the book, though well crafted, is too concise, and not as thorough as Colin Brown's 'Philosophy & The Christian Faith,' or could hardly be recommended to serve as introduction to Malcolm Diamond's Contemporary Philosophy and Religious Thought. A pitfall of the suggested reading list, of which a majority is overlapping, was to ignore Walter Kaufmann's Critique of Religion and Philosophy, and the indispensable reference work of Yale's Jarslav Pelican, 'The Christian Tradition', in 5 volumes.

Allen, of Princeton Theological Seminary, writes here of the interrelatedness of philosophy and theology within the history of Christian thought and ideas. He covers the important influence of philosophical thinking on theology from the early years with Plato and Aristotle up to today. A must read for all serious about maturing in their theology. A very helpful book for those wanting to begin the process of being theologians themselves. We are in Allen's debt for writing such an informative and readable book.

This is one of the few books that helped pull me through. Others were very religious or didn't reach the part that I needed to start healing. This book was compassionate and did everything I needed to start my healing process. It supports your grief and allows you to grieve and then helps you start your healing process. It's absolutely amazing. The journals, the memorial cards, and the book are all sensational.

I recently lost my little dog, Toby, through an animal attack. I have been devastated. Toby was my heart. In the local bookstore I asked if she had anything on pet loss and she showed me this book. I read it through and found so much comfort. No where else had I come across such inspirational material with regards to our beloved animal friends. I wrote his name an the cards, and reread the book. The journal was enormously helpful and I wrote the things about him I didn't want to forget . From there I made a small scrap book, using the paragraphs I'd written in the journal.

I wouldn't find the need to do this with all my animal companions, but Toby was a special friend, and this kit helped me a great deal towards the beginnings of healing.

I am thrilled to have this beautifully presented resource in my home office now. For decades I've been working with people and their pets as a minister, teacher, healing arts practitioner and writer, and I have never seen anything like this loving work. Allen and Linda Anderson have compiled an exquisite collection, a warm and graceful toolbox that's destined to become a classic for helping us honor our animal kin. An invaluable treasure map at your fingertips! Rainbows And Bridges An Animal Companion Memorial Kit has jumped to the top of my holiday shopping list for gifting family, friends, neighbors, students, clients and congregants. Thanks Angel Animals Network!

The kit is wonderful and I know it will help a lot of people through the grief that comes from losing a beloved pet. Just knowing they are not alone in that grief will be healing. Hearing the stories of other people who have experienced what they are experiencing will give them the courage to go on.

Rainbows & Bridges is the first set to address the need for mourning the death of an animal in the family, offering the clergy member authors' insights on healing. It's more than a book - it's a kit of materials which walks adults, kids and even other household pets through the grieving process, identifying 'rainbows' and 'bridges' which allow the user to move from grieving to recovery. From what things should never be said to someone whose pet has died to how to support a person suffering from pet loss and how kids and adults adjust, Rainbows & Bridges covers the entire process from initial loss to phrases of grieving and considering a new pet.

Read Anything Good Lately by Susan Allen and Jane Lindaman is a cheerful concept book for young readers (or pre-readers). As it walks children through the alphabet, it works to stir up their interest in reading. Each letter of the alphabet is connected with words representing materials children can read and interesting places they can read. This list includes everything from "an atlas at the airport" to "the zodiac at the zoo".

Each page provides bright, colorful illustrations which stimulate discussions about the variety of situations where people can read. The fun use of alliteration (whoever would have thought of reading "joke books in a jacuzzi"?) make it a creative way to teach children the true enjoyment of reading--wherever and whenever they choose.

I connected with this book because I like to carry books with me wherever I go: the doctor's office, when I have to stand in a long line at the grocery store, or waiting in the car. It's important to show children that reading is not always a chore and I think this fun, colorful book does a fantastic job of that!

I really enjoyed reading this book to my kids. The pictures were terrific and really captured my son's imagination. There's so much to talk about from the text and pictures. Frankly, it's one of those books I don't mind reading over and over and over.

Great book for children starting to read and those learning the alphabet! Illustrations are fantastic!

Just finished reading this book and found it entertaining and my niece loved it. It gave her lots of ideas for other places to enjoy reading and other ideas of things to read. They did a tremendous job on this book and I think it will motivate kids to read more. And also help parents to get their kids to read more as well. Should be mandatory reading for every kindergarden and first grade student. What a great way for them to learn the alphabet and learn sounds at the same time. Super job!!! I hope to see more books by these talented authors and teachers. Don

The busy bookworm in "Read Anything Good Lately?" reminds us of all the various ways and locations that reading is a part of our life. Allen and Lindaman work their way creatively through the alphabet, accompanied by Enright's entertaining illustrations. Guaranteed to get you thinking of how much, and where, you read every day. A lovely, fun book all around.

As an enthusiast of period adventure stories by the likes of Dumas, Stevenson, Sabatini, etc., etc., I found myself immensely entertained by this well-paced swashbuckler of the Middle Ages. I had never heard of Allen French, but he is the real deal. How refreshing to read a book designed for young readers that does not in any way talk down to its intended audience. Better written than most current adventure stories for adults, "The Red Keep" does an expert job of making palpable the hard realities of the distant past, and does so in a manner which does not soften the sometimes explosive violence. In fact, the body count in this book is rather breathtaking. The first time young Conan leaped, without hesitation, upon an assailant with dagger drawn, it actually startled me, and the multiple skull-shatterings and throat-slashings do not lose their impact through repetition.

If from my description "The Red Keep" sounds like an excruciatingly gruesome book, I assure you it is not. In fact, for all the backstabbing (both literal and metaphorical), it remains a satisfyingly romantic tale. It is rather old-fashioned in its sensibility, and I mean that in the most positive sense. I sincerely doubt any book for young readers, written today, would -- or could -- explore the questions of violence, religion, political intrigue, gender and race in remotely the same way. And certainly, the whole thing wouldn't be handled quite so literately. This is an adventure story for all ages, which recalled for me Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Black Arrow," right down to the odiously deformed villain.

"The Red Keep" originally appeared back in the late 1930s. I first learned of French's books when I saw them displayed, about a year ago, in an art museum gift shop, in conjunction with an exhibit of Andrew Wyeth's paintings. (Wyeth provides the illustrations, and his father, the great N.C., offers the totemic cover art.) Intrigued, I went home and added them to my Amazon wishlist. A year or so later, "The Red Keep" turned up under the Christmas tree. And as you can probably tell, it turned out to be a marvelous acquisition. I will be ordering "The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow" in the very near future.

The cover art for this book always intrigued me, so at last I decided to pick it up and read it. I was not disappointed. This is the story of the petty nobility of 12th century Burgundy. With the political system of the province in a state of flux thanks to the minority of the Duke, one family, the Sauval, amasses power and wealth by robbing travelers and raiding neighboring baronies. The Red Keep is the stronghold of one such barony. It is raided by the Sauval and the Baron is put to the sword--only his daughter, Anne, is rescued by the noble Baron Roger and his men, among them a young page named Conan. In the aftermath of the attack, the damaged keep is left abandoned--the bone of contention around which the story revolves.

The main character, Conan, is immediately sympathetic. He is strong, brave, and chivalrous to a fault, but young man that he is, he makes occasional bone-headed decisions that nearly cost him his life. As the story progresses, Conan's youthful naivete transforms into savvy adulthood as he carefully plans a strategy to thwart the Sauval.

The character of Anne is also appealing. Though she is presented in fighting trim throughout the book, she is not given unrealistic strength or the ability to strike down fighting men twice her size--a common but ludicrous feature of much modern literature. Anne's true strength lies in her courage, her determination to regain her father's fief and her willingness to step outside of the expected female role, even in the face of difficult odds, for the sake of justice. In this, I thought she resembled St. Joan of Arc.

Overall, I loved this book. The main characters were good and solid, and the antagonists were suitably detestable. The story itself and the writing are also first rate. Add to this the great black & white illustrations by Andrew Wyeth throughout, and you've got a real winner of a book, perfectly suited for kids 10 and up, but easily read and enjoyed by adults as well.

Set in Burgundy in 1167, this novel combines excitement with a very real and deep knowledge of life in medieval France, especially in backwater areas. The rescue of the Red Keep involves learning about class differences, guilds, the treatment of Jews, and more, but the background is never forced, and neither are the moral lessons. It's all of a piece with the story. From another writer, it would've gotten 5 stars, but I wound up comparing this book to the same writers THE STORY OF ROLF AND THE VIKING BOW.

I read this book after purchasing it for my children to help them learn of life in the middle ages. I found myself so involved in the story I did not realize how much I was learning! It is a wonderful story with excellent moral lessons. It has interesting battle information that would keep a boys interest yet a little romance to keep a girls. I found it a wonderful resource.

The Red Keep has strong positive role models for both boys and girls. It has good historical accuracy. Allen French was a Harvard historian who was interested in the roots of modern government. He wrote a series of children's books each focusing on a different time period and a different form of government. The story is exciting, with real villians, intrigue, suspense and last minute rescues. The hero shows some ethnic and class sensitivity within the context of the historical times. It is never forced or overly moralistic. All the lessons fit well within the framework of a well crafted plot.

This book was a tragic, candid look at the lives of everyday soldiers caught up in a hellish conflict. This reality is so unimaginable for my generation today, yet these men confronted it with honor and dignity. The author's affection and admiration for his companions makes his memoir both powerful and moving.

Robert Peterson takes you with him as he recounts his experiences as a GI in Vietnam. Peterson paints a vivid picture of what life was really like in the Nam. The hell of marching day after day, fighting the elements while searching for the elusive VC. Never knowing where you'll be heading to next. Forming bonds stronger than blood and then watching those men die, and then getting up to do it all over again the next day. It was a real eye opener for me, fighting in Vietnam was nothing like I expected, not like the movies at all. It all seemed so pointless. The more you read the darker it gets.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I took it everywhere I went and I had trouble putting it down. Robert Peterson was an amazing writer and Rites of Passage was an amazing book.

one of the best memoirs i have read on the vietnam war.
maybe even one of the best books i have ever read.
peterson's daily account of his vietnam experience is meticulously described,providing a view of his metamorphosis from an average midwestern farm boy to combat-weary grunt that is brilliant. reads more like a novel in the sense that the character in the first few chapters could not even fathom the feelings,thoughts, and experiences of the character at the end.
also provides compelling illustrations of the frustrations and inner conflicts felt by an average american required to follow orders which he is morally opposed to and intuitively wary of.
the book grows darker by the page and the reader is drawn into his sense of impending doom and constant fear.
i highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the vietnam war.

An incredibly detailed, truthful, moving, and painful personal account of war as experienced by a front line soldier in the Vietnam War.
This book was obviously written from extensive notes taken by the author when he had the time in the field to write down his feelings and experiences. For reasons of his own, the book was not published until after his death in April 1994.
This book will have immense meaning to anyone who has experienced the hell of war, as well as, anyone who wishes to understand the sacrifices our fighting men and women in battle must endure. President Bush and his top advisors should read this book before they send our treasured youth to fight another war. If those in positions of highest political authority, after reading Sgt. Peterson's war memoir, still decide we must go to war then they will understand we must fight the war to the finish with the best military tactics and strategies available not hindered and defined by vague political considerations.
I recommend this book to all. I sincerely thank Mr. and Mrs. Peterson for their service to our country.

SSgt. Robert Peterson returned from Vietnam a paraplegic, having had his spinal cord severed by friendly fire from Spooky, a gunship "spewing out thousands of rounds per minute" from mini-Gatling guns. The detail of description and dialogue here is amazing, and it would have been helpful if, in the prologue or forward, mention had been made of how Peterson could have recalled it all so vividly. The author mentions a diary he kept, but it is uncertain whether he wrote in it every day.

This reader experienced a sort of approach/avoidance conflict whenever time permitted his picking the book up again and continuing it. A foreboding doom threads in and out of the narrative, although it does not dominate it. The overall mood is rather dark, and you know that the more you read, the deeper you head into a tunnel with no light at the end. Peterson seems to have lacked a solid hold on a personal philosophy that might have lessened the depression and pessimism that weighed so heavily upon him as he trudged through the jungle and on the trails with the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 14th Regiment. He believes in God but is unsure about God's nature, purpose, or design in this world turned-upside-down by war. Such a tentative hold on a world view, I believe, makes Peterson extra-vulnerable to the demons that can haunt an infantryman from witnessing the horrific tragedies that are bound to occur in wartime. Although I did not serve in a line company like Peterson, it was faith in God and a solid understanding of my Christian beliefs that got me through my tour in Vietnam. Such a foundation, whether it be religion or ideology, can radically alter the way you interpret events and how they impact you.

Nevertheless, Peterson does find a kind of tragic salvation in booze and in erecting a protective shield around his psyche that detaches him from the carnage and apparent meaningless of the war. He rightly criticizes the Army's tactics in executing a conventional war against an elusive and wily guerilla army, whose sanctuaries across the border remain insanely off-limits. Peterson repeatedly longs to fight the enemy on his own terms, and believes that America was just spinning its wheels in Nam by not taking the war to the sanctuaries and to North Vietnamese soil. He is, therefore, understandably demoralized by an appalling lack of vision among the military and civilian leadership.

There is plenty of action here, and when there isn't, the narrative still holds your interest as you get to know and love soldiers like Nuckols, Alabama, Vickers, Underhill, and many others. You care for these men and find yourself pulling for them. Thus, you learn about the camaraderie that bonds the men and motivates them to fight.

Peterson rose quickly through the ranks to become a staff sergeant. He was a good soldier, and his platoon sergeant and company CO's recognized him as such. More than anything, Peterson was a patriot who, when his country called (he was drafted), did his duty with honor, fortitude, and valor. It is a valuable book for those interested in delving into the life of the lowly grunt in Vietnam. Perhaps more fascinating to me is the psychological study of men at war that Peterson's raw narrative provides.

After practicing the easy to follow methods in the book I noticed a great improvement in my singing. The book comes with Exercise CD's for different voice registers. Good luck finding a copy but it's worth the look.

Its a book for profesionals and amateurs alike its easy to read easy to understand from the first page to the last page. Its an absolute must for all singers

Mr Allen has an undeniable gift to present vocal concepts in a simple, uncomplicated, clear and concise manner. The methods described, though seemingly simple, bring remarkable results if one is diligent to practise them. Also, they are specially tailored for the male voice. The techniques make singing high notes so much easier, improves one's diction, and enables one to feel a general relaxation of tone and body, thus allowing the performer to express himself more fully.Also, if I may be so bold, his techniques can be utilised for English pop, Musical, Italian arias, German Lieders and even Chinese pop and folk songs. Although I am far from perfect as a vocal student, yet I have been taking vocal exams and do perform whenever there is an opportunity. Mr Allen's methods have helped me tremendously in this respect. I only wish he was my teacher back where I live.

Comprehensive and complete, secrets of singing just has it all. Being a vocal trainer myself, I appreciate the power of this book. Jeffrey Allen succeeds where most vocal teachers fail: explaining how singing is done correctly, how it should feel, and more, how the mysterious processes of making a good sound really work. No abracadabra, just plain english, even my (Dutch) students understand what he's talking about. If you're serious about singing, be serious about buying this book!

Jeffrey Allen's secrets of singing is really the best book describing how you have to sing. It covers all aspects of singing and Jeffrey Allen is the first one I know who is able to explain the even most difficult aspects of singing. Jeffrey Allen explains how you must hold your mouth, what you will feel in your throat, how you must breathe,... His is able to describe the most difficult feelings of singing. In the beginning Jeffrey Allen promises that the book reveals all the secrets of singing, that you will be able to sing after you have read the book ... and his has right. Also the accompagnying CD makes it the reader very easy to understand the secrets of singing. A MUST READ for every singer. After I had read half of the book, and practised the examples on the CD, my voice became full of tone, pure and brilliant, without cracks. My range has extented with almost 5 tones. Don't hesitate, BUY !! Niko Deleu

My son has sat and turned the pages of this book since he was 9 months old. He loves the contrasting scale of the faces. It is by far his favorite book. He smiles and laughs every single time we read it. I must admit, I adore it as well. There's lots of opportunity to be really dramatic in the reading. Which makes it fun for the reader too!

A spirited little girl leads a pack of boys at the playground and encourages a timid newcomer boy to go down the slide. Expressive, fun pictures with minimal text. We love all of Kit Allen's books including Galoshes and Sweater... nice subtle humor.

We have trouble keeping our eight-month-old's attention with most of her books. But she loves this one. Partly it's the bright colors and the quick reading, but I think mostly it's the sound effects called for on the parent's part. Daddy reading "AAAAAAAH!" and "WOOOOO-HOOOOO!" is endlessly entertaining.

This story begins with a little boy at the playground. He discovers the slide. He thinks that it's just a really neat chair. Some other kids at the playground have to show him what it is. He wants to try but he's really scared of the slide. The kids at the playground encourage him and he really enjoys his ride on the slide. He wants to go again and again!

With one phrase and drawing a page it's sure to keep the little ones attention. Perfect book for toddlers and babies.

Perfect book for toddlers and babies. The book is make of sturdy paper pages making it easy for little hands to turn!

My 2 year old daughter loved the first four books by Kit Allen and even memorized them! This book is fun too. The pictures and small number of words on each page help keep her attention throughout the entire book. If she could type, she would highly recommend these books, and as her parents we do too.