I Books

PLUM CRAZZZY is the fictional story of Monique Kennedy. As a new creature in Christ, Monique attempts to depart from her old ways and walk down her newly found Christian path. Along the way, she stumbles over obstacles that she considers were a test of evil by the devil.

As a divorced mother of two children, Monique struggles to balance her family responsibilities and employment obligations while still searching for "Mr. Right," whom she feels will complete her. Instead of leaning on God's will and trusting that He will provide, Monique tempts fate by seeking out male companionship. As a result, she keeps on getting what she has always gotten - nothing.

When a pair of married friends introduce Monique to Frank, he seems too good to be true. Monique feels that at any moment someone could pinch her and wake her up out of her living fantasy because Frank is so distinctively different from anyone she has dated. In her blossoming relationship with Frank, will Monique learn to apply her Christian values? During the course of her Christian journey, we see Monique mature in her relationship with God, yet will she be able to ask for forgiveness for her past transgressions and then walk forward into the realm of happiness?

All in all, PLUM CRAZZZY is a very well written example of Christian literature. The reader is taken on a journey of someone who is new within the body of Christ. The book portrays the trials and tribulations that Monique must endure and ultimately tells of spiritual growth. This tale is realistic because it addresses every day issues that a Christian may face. I offer kudos to Monique Anderson for penning an interesting story and look forward to more from this author.

Reviewed by Nedine
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I read this book in 10 hrs,it was a answer to my preyers,such a inspiration

My name is Larry Howard, and my friends mom wrote this book when we were neighbors in California, back when me and her kids were in middle school, and her book is very touching and well written. Keep on written' Ms. Monique.

A family friend gave me this book for Christmas in 1998. At first I was reading it as a novel. I could relate to the early part of the book, because I had been through all that myself in previous years. However, it wasn't until the middle of the book when my life and the author's life became very similar. At the time, I was believing God for a husband. I had also decided to do courtship God's way and not have sex until marriage. At the point in the book where Monique reached the point of being sick of doing things her way and decided to do it God's way, I began to cry profusely. Her story only fed my faith that God would deliver in my life in a big way. You see, when you stand in faith - nothing wavering, not compromising - God honors your faith and delivers exceedingly abundantly more than you could ask or think. He did for the author of this book - Monique, and in 1999, He did for me. I'm now married to a wonderful man of God who fit what I asked God for to a tee! And we had a holy, God-honoring courtship with no sex until our wedding night. And guess what, God will do it for you too, once you sell out to His Will (His Word) and His Way (as described in His Word)!!! Wanna feed your faith for a Godly husband? Read this book!!!! Then, live a life that honors God, and He will not let you be put to shame but will manifest just the type of man you are dreaming about. I dare you to try it! God will come through for you, too!

Monique Anderson says her God is just a Plum Crazzzy God. That because when he tells you to do something and it does not make sense, you just think, He is just plum crazy. But, as Monique learns as she chronicles her walk with God that if you trust Him, you will reap all kind of benefits.

Monique's prayer in the beginning of the book was that she would meet a 'Christian" man and she did in the form of Mark, a deacon in the church. Monique and Mark begin a relationship, but early on it is apparent this is not a relationship condoned by God. Monique suffers spiritually and personally as a result of this relationship. Monique's friend, Linda, invites Monique and her children to her church. At this church, Monique begins to grow spiritually and as she does, her faith increases and therefore her blessings increase.

When I read this book five years ago it was a blessing because I was at the same point in my life as the author. Trying to find that Mr. Right by myself and making all the wrong choices. Now, picking up this book again, five years later, it was a blessing to me because I am at the point the author is, learning to let go and let God be my guide in a new church with a renewed determination. Full of scriptures and prayers, this is a book I will highly recommend to any single young ladies who are looking to God for a blessing.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

This volume provided an excellent translation of a chinese text that was written many years ago. It describes the social mores and conventions of an era that has long passed. The translation of the story is accompanied by very comprehensive notes to each chapter and also an extensive bibliography. While the book should be regarded as a work of scholarship the story nonetheless is captivating and entertaining and the frequent descriptions of erotic and racy interludes throughout the story creates a certain charm and allure for a lost age. I was so impressed by the translation and intrigued by the story that I have progressed to the next volumes.

hard to rview..read the book 50 yrs. ago and am looking to replace it. orig. was lost in moving. question i have is why vol.1 ..am looking for the entire book...as i recall it was well over a thous. pages .. would like more info. fm. author re; future volumes..when can they be expected? th orig. book was a extremely interesting view into the way things were way back when in feudal china..as i recall it covered not only the rich but also the very poor and how each existed in their world

David Tod Roy's translation of the classic 16th century Chin P'ing Mei is awesome and right on the money. The story leaps off the pages - this is how this famous vernacular Chinese novel was meant to be read! Every element of the story is clear and concise in Roy's translation, allowing the reader to enjoy the plot and the fascinating characters.

To briefly discuss the storyline, Chin P'ing Mei is a "spin off" from the classic Chinese novel Outlaws of the Marsh, and focuses on the trials and tribulations of the conniving seductress Pan Chin-lien and the new life she leads after murdering her husband. Some scholars of Chinese traditional literature will not like this allusion, but the story reads like a modern-day soap opera. The characters are lusty and scheming, and the general climate is electric. The general plot follows the intricate daily triumphs and frustrations of Hsi-Men Ching and his `harem" of six wives and concubines (among them Pan Chin-lien). The story is rife with inter-household competition, infidelity, corruption, domestic abuse and eroticism. Characters are well developed, and the scenery is vivid. It provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the merchant class in 16th century China. It is easy to see how this novel has captured audiences for 400 years - and David Tod Roy's excellent translation will no doubt help it to endure for many more years to come.

This is the book to read if you want to taste medieval Chinese culture: Salty love poetry, sweet wickedness, sour decadence, bitter philosophy, oily sex, all rolled up in a ginger and garlic spiced, fleshy bun. Roy lets you savor all the ingredients and, with a healthy sprinkling of notes, let's you peruse the cornucopia that inspired the recipes. Bon apetit for this first course of five.

David Tod Roy has done Chinese literature proud by producing a scrupulously exact translation of this classic in Chinese erotica. Like what a previous reviewer says, it is "clear and precise", bringing out the naturalistic details of the novel fully to the reader; yet, for all its accuracy, it reads exceptionally well. For introduction, Roy has written a well-argued essay on why Jin-Ping Mei should be read as didactic literature, not as mere erotica, as it has for centuries. Jin-Ping-Mei's checkered history in Chinese literature doesn't disguise the fact that it is a very well written (and detailed) account of the rise and fall of an extended household, made obvious by corruption and its list of licentious dealings (both in Ximen Qing and his harem).

During the past ten years I have worked with a nunber of methodologies in the area of Root cause analysis. During this time I have seen none as effective and cost efficient as the PROACT methodologies showcased in this book.

Bob has written a classic RCA manual for all people in all industries. I personally have used both the methodology and software to great effect and would recommend them to anyone.

If you are serious about a reliability growth program in your site, then you need this book!

This book gives you the tools to develop a strong reliability program. In my 35 years as a mechanical engineer (P.E.) in the chemical industry, I have seen several "programs" come and go. Reliability, when proactive as taught by RCI, is the one program that consistently documents very large savings to cost ratios. In order to survive in the 21st century, industry must have a strong reliability program. RCI is a pioneer (since the 1950's) in reliability and in particular teaching and training industry in using this valuable tool.

Closing the gap between the goals companies set and their actual situations is the overall focus of this book. Written by two experienced executives from the Reliability Center, Inc., the book helps readers identify, resolve, and eliminate the chronic plant floor issues, such as repeated equipment or system failures, that hinder the attainment of organizational goals.

Specialists in root cause analysis methodology, the authors discuss the roles of management and a root cause analysis team in prioritizing the problems to analyze, automationg the process, and helping to uncover the physical, human, and latent causes of undesirable workplace events. They point out that the gap between goals and reality that exists in virtually every industry leads to undesirable outcomes, failures, and incidents that siphon profits from the corporate coffers. To close the gap, they explain, companies must reinvent the way they work, understanding why errors occur and how to prevent them.

The book explains root cause analysis, which is a structured process designed to uncover the cause of any undesirable workplace event. The PROACT steps outlined in the book teach companies how to preserve event data, order the analysis team, analyze the data using logic trees, communicate findings and recommendations, and track for bottom-line results.

Case studies are used to illustrate the potential of root cause analysis, showing its effectiveness in particular in steelmaking, customer service, and manufacturing. Software for automating root cause analysis is also discussed. Informative, well-illustrated and well-organized text is worthwhile reading for any plant engineer seeking to understand why errors occur and to eliminate them, and have a direct positive impact on his company's bottom line.

I have now been involved with RCA for several years and it's the way to go in the future. This book is a good example of what Root Cause Analysis is all about. The book focuses on the use of the PROACT system and I imagine would they would work very well together. I am looking at trying PROACT as well, not just yet! Good book easy to read and gives good definitions to those foggy terms. I enjoyed the book and I use it for my job which speaks for it's self, it doesn't hide in a cupboard or on a shelf. I get the feeling this book is one of the better ones in the bunch, not just someone who has jumped on the RCA bandwagon because it's a flavour of the month.

I co-ordinate a root cause troubleshooting clinic at a major engine manufacturer. We have had moderate success with our investigations and have developed several powerful methodologies. This book has taken our procedures one large step further with a coherent, effective method to analyse and document a problem to root cause. The combination of system diagram, logic tree and verification log described in the book is exactly the kind of methodology we needed and is proving very useful. The book is well written and is filled with useful guidelines for such required activities as information gathering and selection of the most productive analyses to perform. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in root cause analysis.

The author made it sound so real.It made me beleive again.Its a great book for the whole family(especially those that are young and young at heart!)

Oh man, My daddy got me this book two years ago and for the longest time I was like "Yeah, right Santa Claus, pffft . . ." and I threw the book in my closet. Then this christmas I was sick with the flu and I found it again. Having nothing else to do I began to read it and was sucked into the vast imagery and delicate artwork found within it's pages. It's many fanciful scenes involving the growth of Santa and his escapades in the mushroom forest and various other psychotropic locales dovetailed nicely with the effects of my cold medecine. An awesome tale of the jolly fat man if there ever was one . . . .

I am adult who still longs to believe in the myth of Santa Claus: that a jolly old man is still roaming the earth in his airborne carriage delivering happiness to all of the good Christian boys and girls out there. But as a buddhist, I have always stood outside this tradition and wondered if his life was relevant to my own Chinese background. But with this book the universality of santa's benevolence is brought home to all. May all the faiths buy this book for the Holiday season and the Chinese New Year!

I have been following the stunning art of Sienkwiecz since I was a 13 year old, when he was illustrating for Marvel Comics. Imagine my surprise when I saw this, with such detailed artwork. I have a feeling that years for now, this will be considered one of his major pieces of art. Not to mention that it has the origin of Santa Claus as well!

I read "Santa, My Life and Times" with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, over the week prior to Christmas. We took advantage of its longer format to spread it out over several nights, one or two chapters at a time. While I was at first worried that the youngsters' short attention spans would wane, the story, writing and illustrations are so rich that their interest only grew with each night's installment, dovetailing perfectly with their mounting anticipation of the holiday. I wish there were more longer-form children's books out there that offered such depth of experience for my whole family. We'll be reading it again next year, for sure!

I think that this a really nice introduction to a career in graphic design field. Mostly it seems to be directed at someone who is in the middle of the road, so to speak, but I think that newbies will also find some nice tips on how to avoid headaches and pitfalls of this specific business.

This is a good guide for those designers who are thinking about going freelance. The book summarizes basics of the business, financial topics and absolutely necessary ethics. ALL freelance web designers without a formal business education should read and learn these fundamentals for being a professional.

I've never bothered to give a review before, but this book is so helpful I had to put it down for a moment and give my two cents. I've been in the industry for four years and am in the process of going freelance. This book gives excellent advice for drumming up business. Not vague at all.

It would also be extremely helpful for people looking for their first job after design school.

Well, here I was, too distracted to write a proper raving review because I was busy absorbing in all of the wonderful, easy to follow and sometimes downright humorous advice from a long awaited book that is refreshingly geared towards design professionals of any level. Novices will definitely appreciate the start-up tips from the perspectives of a virtual plethora of experienced design communicators from all over. More experienced designers will find helpful suggestions on effectively managing and growing their career. And of course, what good resource is complete without detailing some very useful advice about avoiding pitfalls and other related issues along the way.

With an abundance of references and resources that include contracts, networking, self promotion and more importantly, a guide on how to realistically rate your services, The Savvy Designer's Guide To Success delivers on an even more important level; raising one's awareness on the often underrated value of the Creative Communications Designer.

I was browsing the graphic design section of Barnes & Noble the other day looking for a different book on the same topic. I couldn't find the title that I was looking for, so I picked this one up, grabbed a cup of coffee, and started leafing through it. I read a few bits of the beginning chapter, where Fisher details the advantages and disadvantages of different traditional and not-so-traditional educational paths for would-be designers. As a freshman at a liberal arts college majoring in graphic design, I was immediately intrigued. I temporarily forgot about the book I had been looking for and bought this one instead. As a testament to how great this book is- I finished it in just 2 days. In fact this is one of the few books where I can honestly say I "couldn't put it down." Fisher writes in an informal, easy to read style. His approach to giving advice is very open-minded but very no-nonsense and practical at the same time. Most importantly, this book covers it all: everything from the initial education of the designer, to starting out in the industry, to self-promotion, legal issues, and dealing with one's mistakes and screw ups. Throughout the book Fisher draws on the experience of nearly 100 designers and deign firm owners and the pages of this book are dripping with references to other books, magazines, and great online resources for designers and other creative professionals. This book gave me some great insights on getting started as a graphic designer and has me even more excited about my career. Five stars, without question!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Seasons of the EmmaLee by Mike Lindley. His creative approach to weaving the story together from the perspective of two different generations is creative and captivating. I would highly recommend this book. If you have traveled to Northern Michigan, it will bring back wonderful memories. If not, you will be very tempted to add this destination to your list of things to do.

This book really was captivating. The story comes to life quickly and keeps your attention until the last page. The actual writing of the author is very impressive; fliping back and forth from today to 50 years ago. I am awaiting the sequel!

I thoroughly enjoyed every page of The Seasons of the EmmaLee. The two stories, one past and one present, were weaved together brilliantly and kept me equally engaged. This book has it all - romance, murder, suspense, history and travel. I applaud Mr. Lindley on his first novel and hope that he follows this with a second.

The Seasons of the EmmaLee by Michael Lindley will keep the reader engrossed from the first page thru the last. The reader will find themselves captured in a well written novel of mystery, murder and suspense. Two stories told concurrently intrigues the reader with clues concerning those involved in the EmmaLee's past and present. Strong and weak charactors evolve as the pages turn. The reader may find themselves relating to those charactors as real people by books end.

This book is a good read and never formulated. There are never any loose ends. Readers who enjoy boating will also enjoy the read. Tip of the hat to author Michael Lindley and here is hoping that there are more books coming from this author soon.

I enjoyed reading Michael Lindley's first effort in the publishing arena. He spun together a story that was both fast-paced and captivating. At points where the next turn seems obvious, he quickly re-immerses the reader in another twist that keeps the pages rolling by.

Ultimately, he brought the story to a conclusion that left me fulfilled and looking forward to his next effort.

A great Spring Break read!

I bought this book a long time ago and it still is my favorite one pertaining to its subject. It's filled with information and gorgeous photography. Various species of sharks are clearly identified, described, and portrayed, and facts are given about diving locales around the world as well. I've always loved rays and no other book has told me as much about them as this one. The chapters on rays are wonderful and very beautifully illustrated. This book is highly interesting and impressive. I recommend it.

I just bought this book and I love it. It has a lot of very interesting imformation. It gives a great over view of sharks and rays, it tells you the basics of everything you would ever want to know about these magnificent animals. It also gives you tips on how to encounter them and how to act around them in their habitats. The photographs in this book are fantastic. It has hundreds of great color pictures. This book is very well written and very interesting. I am really enjoying this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of sharks and rays.

The Nature Company's Guide to sharks and rays is a well written introduction to this group of truly wonderful creatures. It is not the best book, but if you have an interest it should be in your library. It will be especially useful to the teen reader or marine naturalist/hobbyist. The photography and illustrations are beautiful and informative. The write ups on individual species, while not all inclusive to any particular group or geographic area are great. They cover some little known but fascinating animals. My only complaint is that it's a little TO visual, it tends to rely on the graphic to make points over the text and is a little short on newer science. But this may be a plus for the new student of marine biology. If you or an friend has an interest in fishes in general or elasmobranchs in particular you want this book.

We bought this book as a Christmas gift for our 12 year old daughter who is fascinated with sharks. What a gem!!! We keep it on the coffee table now as a reference book. Every time an undersea show comes on, someone grabs the book to look up whatever they discuss. This book is full of great information and incredible photographs. Anyone interested in the ocean MUST get this book. We are all certified scuba divers and it is especially valuable to us for identifications, habitats and habits of sharks and rays, and general information which we need to know when siting one of these marvelous creatures!!

What an excellent, well organized reference source for anyone interested in sharks, and especially for scuba divers looking for a good identification book.

Of all the shark books I've reviewed, this one tops my list and is recommended to readers of my web site.

fun to read easy to read
easy to remember
very good

This book offers an engaging way for students as well as proficient, but non-native speakers of English to grasp the subtle meaning of new words by putting them into context. It is a big plus for the non-native speaker or 8-12 year old if they can read along with an adult or native-speaker so they do not always have to refer to the dictionary. A very good teaching resource for parents and teachers alike.

My son is a high school senior and needed to raise his SAT verbal score by 20 points to get into the college of his choice. After buying countless expensive SAT study guides I came across Simon's Saga and thought it was a unique, interesting way of writing a study guide. I purchased it, and it was the first SAT book that my son actually read and used. After using this book my son raised his verbal SAT's by 60 points and has been accepted to his first choice college. Thank you, Phillip Geer, for finally writing a worthwhile, affordable study guide!

Obviously written by a talented educator who knows how to maximize students' potential, this book truly deserves five stars - it's original, educational, and very effective as an SAT vocabulary-building tool. The approach is unusual, to say the least. On one level it's a fun story, but on another level it's a hilarious spoof on some interesting topics such as boy-girl relationships, the arts, creative writing, and education. Simon, the narrator, draws students in with his easy and open tone and students enjoy the witty repartee between the characters. Before they know it, they're thinking about political and other issues from new perspectives. A book that does this and boosts word power? Yes, indeed.

Simon's Saga engenders lively class discussions on important topics that today's intelligent students are thinking about -America's role in the world, the effects of globalization, the role of the media, stereotyping of people, changing values, and cultural identity. This is the type of thinking students need to do to get a good score on the critical reading section of the new SAT.

The book is packed with first-rate exercises that educate as they reinforce the SAT words. Cleverly, the author has made the exercises part of the story. My students look forward to answering the questions for Simply Simon and Axel Speaks that come at the end of each funny episode. I strongly recommend this book for all high school students preparing for the SAT and for classroom use by high school English teachers. Thank you, Philip Geer, for this creative learning tool!

I used to fear the long list of words which are given in any other books for Standardized Test. Then I came around this Simon's Saga and I was amazed to see the way it presented the long list of words by some enjoying episodes. With this book its really fun to study the long list of words and memorizing it is not a difficulty. Moreover it contains only those words which appear more frequently in the Standardized Tests. I recommend everybody preparing for Standardized test to buy this book and enjoy memorizing the most frequent words for Standardized Tests with some really funny episodes. The excersises in this book are also really helpfull for practise

I Just got through reading the book for the second time,and it
was just as good to me the second time as the first.
I will never understand the disparagey in the verdicts.To me the one that was most guilty got off scott free, while the least
guilyy got the worst punishment.That militarry justicefor you though.

The reviews of Gary Solis's SON THANG are entirely accurate: the book is a masterpiece of historical research and sharp, incisive, nuanced writing. A gripping and depressing read, the book examines not only the singular horror of the Son Thang massacre (and in that it is a refreshing alternative to the incident as presented in Oliver North's white-washed memoirs, and Randy Herrod's self-serving BLUE'S BASTARDS), but also the decline in morale and professional standards during the waning days of the Vietnam War. That this decay almost overwhelmed the draftee-filled U.S. Army is an accepted fact. That an institution as proud as the Marine Corps (an institution which had upheld its highest traditions at places like Con Thien, Hue, Khe Sanh, and Dai Do from 1965-68) was also dry-rotting during the 1969-70 period is not as well known. Though a proud Marine veteran himself, the author is willing to look such ugly truths square in the eye, and SONG THANG is all the better for it. The Foreword by BrigGen E.H. Simmons, USMC (Ret), is also fascinating.

A very interesting book.The author was not afraid to put the blame where it belonged. I wonder how many more such incidents happened in the time we were in Nam.As a Nam vet I know to well what it was like to be in a situation where you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Hind sight is always 20 - 20,but sometimes our boys were put in a situation like that and were killed if they didn't take the nescesary steps. I am not condoning any senseless killing, but when it is kill or be killed you do what you have to do.

Professor Gary Solis' "Son Thang: An American War Crime" is an excellent account of the courts-martial of four Marines for the murder of 16 Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War. Drawing from the transcripts from the courts-martial, the appellate record, the historical record, and interviews with many of the participants, Solis - a Vietnam veteran who served as both a military prosecutor and military judge in the Marines and who now teaches military law at West Point - gives a complete picture of the story as only a true insider can.

Although this book is history, it reads like a novel. Solis brings the tension of the battlefield and the drama of the courtroom alive in this book. And he also brings alive the legal maneuvering before each court-martial as the prosecutors, defense counsel, and - in some cases - civilian defense counsel, all "prepared the battlefield" before each court-martial.

As a former practitioner of military justice, Solis understands the nuances and intricacies of military justice, staff work on a division staff, and the actual role of commanders in the process. He methodically explains how military justice works in a deployed environment (the rules are the same, but there are many "real-world" problems such as witness production and transportation that can threaten an otherwise sound case).

Finally, Solis also gives glimpses of the bigger picture of the Vietnam War in 1970: the USMC manpower problems with Project 100,000, law of war training issues, the moral problems dealt with by Marines facing women and children fighters, etc. And, after telling the full post-trial stories of the convicted Marines (that went on for over 10 years), Solis wraps up with some conclusions about what went wrong, what went right, and suggestions for improving the military justice system (which are especially relevant now that we are again trying important courts-martial in deployed environments).

"Son Thang" is an outstanding book and a very easy read. Anyone interested in the Vietnam War, military justice, or in trial work in general should read it.

"Son Thang" is both an important work of legal scholarship and a compelling, well-written story. Col. Solis documents, step by step, exactly how the Marine Corps treated its own suspected of war crimes in Vietnam-they were quickly tried, and if convicted, imprisoned. There were no coverups and no excuses. Marines accused of killing non-combatants were swiftly brought to book and the chips allowed to fall where they may. Here, it appears that several of the Marine Corps prosecutors were out-lawyered by civilian attorneys. That doesn't matter; a trial is, after all, a contest. What matters is that the Marine Corps had-and has always had and will always have-the will to try those accused of atrocities.

I loved this book. I actually thought it was better than the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul books. This book is quite uplifting. It is trully a great read!

This book is wonderful! Filled with inspirational stories - some of them tear jerkers - and a correlating Bible verse after almost every story. These are real life stories from real life people, and they really make you think!

I was headed for some or most of these things. Being a teen my self i could relate to all of these things and the feelings in the stories. These stories made me veiw things from a different side. Like my parents i was having fights with them. I thought that they were against me fully. Well after readin these stories i learned the hard way that my parents weren't against me they were with me and only trying to protect me. If you are a teen and in trouble, have questions, or anything else i FULLY recomend this book for you.

This is an awesome book to read anytime and anywhere! Full of a variety of types of stories such as ; uplifting , inspiring , teaching and so much more! This is the type of book most kids , teens and even adults would love to read! Stories that we can relate to in life and that we can enjoy. These stories are garunteed to make any one with a heart (which is everyone) laugh , cry and smile. After reading a few of these stories you will have a whole new positive veiw on life.
I highly recommend you buy this book and I hope you enjoy it! ^_^

Great stories in this book! The stories deal with EVERYTHING a teenager goes thru and then some.

For teens that aren't usually big time readers, this book is great. Short stories that hold their interest....and keep their interest. Maybe they will go on to read more often? :)