J Books

This book put a realistic extra dimension into nearly any d20 driven game, especially D&D!

Other systems have had helpful guides for filling out the average town with something other than cardboard cutouts - now finally d20 has as well. While the book is a bit flawed in many of its assumptions about a few experts, overall it provides value for the dollar. Something that you cannot say about many of the d20 books.
For those looking for a better source about townsfolk I would look at Mystic Stations Design C&S material or the various Harn products.

Moreso than anything else I have seen, this book underlines the value of the d20 licensing system, and expands in the most invaluable way upon the rudimentary description of the Expert NPC class in the current Dungeon Master's Guide. A must for serious DMs who want to incorporate interesting Craftsmen, Professionals, Academics, Entertainers, and Scholars into their games--and a good bet for players who want to try their hands at playing such characters.

If you play D&D/D20... you NEED this book. There isn't anything else to say about the matter. Its that easy. This is one of the most comprehensive and helpful books I have come across within this genre... and what's more, its entertaining with great illustrations... you will NOT be disappointed!

A great reference for filling out my campaign world. Gives you enough details that you can just grab interesting characters, and the rules and flexability to creat every inhabitant of every town.

I can tell when I am reading a book that I really enjoy, it keeps pestering me until I finish it. Read it in 2-3 days!!! Very enjoyable. I even like the binding on this hardcover, large inside margins, etc. Hey Doc, how about writing another book??????

Funny, interesting and well written by a man who has worked hard, accomplished a lot, and is funny.

This was a phenomenal book. Dr. Michael J. Collins wrote an account of his four years as a resident at the Mayo Clinic which reads like a novel. It is at times laugh-out loud funny, other times devastatingly sad. I didn't want the book to end, yet I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book. I wish I hadn't read it yet so I could read it again. I hope he writes another one.

The author did a good job keeping our interest and it was very believable.
My 89 year old mother enjoyed it, as did my husband and I.

I highly recommend it. It's nice to know that non-fiction can keep your interest.

Hot Lights, Cold Steel is an intriguing account of the life of a doctor. Written by orthopedic surgeon Michael J. Collins, it is a fast-paced reminiscence of his four years as a resident at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Michigan. Throughout the book, Collins connects the reader to many of his important cases. Told on such a relatable basis, the reader experiences the achievement, thrill, and sorrow that accompany his countless orthopedic cases.

Collins discusses his medical career, describing many orthopedic surgeries in great detail. There is sufficient detail that people with weak stomachs should be cautioned against reading it. He not only discusses each procedural aspect of his work, he also describes the emotions that accompany each victory and especially, each defeat. A major theme throughout the novel is similar to a theme in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter: humans make mistakes, but nobody is perfect and people learn to forgive. Collins struggles with this reality, recognizing that when doctors make mistakes, people die.

Collins's book isn't all about his career in the hospital, however. He also tells about his ever-growing family and what his being a doctor means for them. Although he relates many pleasurable moments with his family and fellow resident friends, Collins also discusses some of the suffering his family must face until he becomes an attending physician. He especially focuses on the many hardships his wife Patti must endure until he can build up his own practice. Addressing a common misconception that all doctors are wealthy, Collins tells of their poverty, calculating his salary at $2.50 per hour, describing countless "junker" cars, and telling of their near-empty bank account. He is forced to "moonlight" at another hospital on nearly all of his free weekends to supplement his income, which means sacrificing valuable time with his wife and children. Collins enlightens the reader by recounting episodes of his life not only as a doctor, but as husband and father, making the point that doctors are people, too.

For anyone who is considering a career as an orthopedic surgeon, or any medical profession, this book is a must-read. By providing a unique look at the life of a doctor, Collins describes in detail the personal and technical aspects of every surgery as well as his life as a doctor in general. He makes clear just what being a doctor is about, vocationally and personally. Just like an awesome episode of `House', Collins's book will keep the reader interested for hours at a time.

The book can look very promising to you. And it is. It offers a great amount of history and vividly describes the structure of the Marines. However, the book isn't very much a manual as it is a set of chronicles. I recommend it to any with an interest in the Marines or military overall.

I purchased this book for my husband, for our anniversary. He had, many times, picked up this book at our local bookstore and thumbed through it. The book drew numerous smiles and comments from him. "Hey hun, look at this.." became the regular statement made, while browsing through the pages. Not only did the book offer a throrough history of the Corps, but it brought back endless memories for him. I've enjoyed this just as much as he has! The book is a beautiful presentation of history, wonderful photos, artwork and facts. We've had the book quite some time, and he's still admiring it, learning new things from it..... still smiling as he "looks" through it! In effect, what I have is a Dashing Grunt, who's so happy you'd think it was November 10th. :-) A great book for all.

As the proud mother of Two of The Few, I'm unashamedy too "moto" for Things Marine. The first time I saw this book, I had to have it. From the beautiful cover with its USMC Seal to every single bit of information inside, it is a fitting tribute to our country's BEST - United States Marines. Chesty Puller himself would give it a gruff "Good To Go!"

I cannot find a single aspect of this book I don't like. For proud parents of Devil Dogs especially, I highly recommend this book!

This book is absolutely amazing. This is a "must have" for every former and current Marine and military historians. You will be pleased with this one.

Despite an aching back, I stood for over an hour this afternoon thumbing through the pages of this book at a local bookstore. It was outstanding. I was a Marine combat correspondent in Vietnam ('67) and saw a number of photos taken by my colleagues, including David Douglas Duncan in Con Thien where I also was. What struck me about "Marines" is the extensive and well balance coverage of the history of the Corps. I found it very amusing the "political correct" comments about several of our controversal commandants. How true. How true. Great work. I came home and immediately ordered this book from Amazon.

Semper Fi!

If I had plenty of money I would buy up every copy of "Spark" on the shelves and give a copy to every Politician, Teacher and child in our nation and make them read it.

Trisha

The book documents very well the highly favorable impact of regular exercise on mental health. The fact that the author is a practicing psychiatrist lends credibility to the overall conclusion that exercise is good for you mentally as well as figuratively. Not being a scientist, I do not fully understand the author's quite technical explanations of how exercise changes the biology of the brain to make a person better mentally. Nevertheless, he is strongly convincing.

Anyone interest in the health benefits of exercise and the health risks of not exercising ought to read this book.

If you are already regularly active, the book will motivate you to be more so. If not, it should give you incentive to get off the couch.

This book has alot of technical language but is very good at stressing why excersise is so important for our bodies and mind. It's a good read and school phys ed teachers could learn a tremendous amount to help their students.

Modern America is in love with fitness. It seems that the quest for the body beautiful has reached epidemic proportions. However, most people only think about the physical benefits of exercise. It should come as no surprise that exercise is a good idea - for the body and the mind. Although marketing gurus would have us believe that everyone in America owns a Bowflex or an Ab-Roller, it seems that the result of our overly sedentary lifestyle has largely caught up with us.

Mind you, this is not a novel idea. Even Plato conceded, "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical exercise save it and preserve it." This tome came to us from one of the very people who helped lay the philosophical foundation of Western culture.

Building upon this platonic idea that humans are genetically built to move, Dr. John Ratey provides an excellent development of the "why" behind exercise's importance. His book, Spark: the Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain provides enough scientific evidence to spark an interest in all readers.

Dr. Ratey includes a landmark case where a school in Illinois actually reversed a negative educational trend by incorporating an intense athletic regimen. His delving into the realities there demonstrates the connection between exercise and increased intellectual acumen. Many school districts, who are currently opining for the next "magical bullet" to fix their systems, might find their money better spent on heart rate monitors that prove their students are exercising in the right zone. This methodology worked wonders in Naperville, Illinois.

It seems that Dr. Ratey wants to destroy stereotypes of unintelligent athletes. Nothing could be further from the truth: more movement actually increases the brain's ability to learn. This book provides sufficient scientific detail to prove it - to a physician, teacher, or layman. Dr. Ratey, himself a clinical associate professor of psychiatry, has no intention to aim this work exclusively at the scientifically minded, however. Even the intermittent athlete can benefit from decreased tendencies toward stress, depression, or anxiety.

Armchair Interviews says: Who needs this book? Anyone who wants to be smarter - and understand "why" exercise can provide a kick start for the brain.

In this groudbreaking book, Harvard psychiatrist, John J. Ratey, MD, takes us on a fascinating exploration of the impact of exercise on the brain. Most people just think exercise is good for overall health. But what's extraordinary is that exercise is the best thing you can do for your brain, not just your body. Exercise reduces your risk for Alzheimer's by 50%. It produces the protein BDNF, which is like Miracle-Gro for your brain. Exercise can mitigate the symptoms of depression better than drugs like Zoloft. Exercise can help your productivity at work. I could go on and on. After reading the book, you will have 100 reasons why you need to do aerobic exercise (for your brain) every single day.

SPARK is a terrific compliment to John Medina's new book, BRAIN RULES (full disclosure: I'm the publisher of the book). One of the 12 Brain Rules is "exercise boosts brain power." It's impossible to read these books without wanting to get up and move. Unforunately, our workplaces and schools keep us in cubicles or desks for 8 hours a day. I hope these books can do something about this problem. Sitting goes against everything we are built to do.

I am a huge Alias fan. I found this book to be a great addition to my Alias collection. The book is very interesting with details about the characters, actors, design sets, and just about everything. I was interested in how some of the actors and actresses have kind of created their own characters behind the "script". It was a very fun and exciting read. I would reccomend this to anyone who is a fan of alias. You will not be disappointed as this book is entertaining AND informative, which is quite hard to find these days. If you enjoy Alias, you will love this book.

This book was a great read. I think that all fans should have a copy! I couldn't put it down for hours!

People have been going on to me to watch "Alias" for some time, So having purchased the 1st 2 Season from Amazon UK, I sat down to watch them.
Nearly through Season 1, a friend told me about a making book on the first season, but had never brought it, so I search Amazon UK and it wasn't listed. I then came to Amazon US, and found it and took the plunge and ordered it.
It arrived within a Week and the book included the DVD.
If you like the series and wonder whats goes on behind the scences of a TV series like Alias, then this is the book to buy.
The DVD gives gives you some small interviews and breif look behind the scence, which is an added bonus, but it is the book that has the pulling power.
When do we See a Season 2 & 3 Book?

This is a great book for anyone that is hooked on the spy show, Alias. I didn't start watching until the second season, so I got it to give me background on the episodes, characters, and stories. There's lots of great behind the scenes info, and facts about the cast. It's a fun, must have book for everyone that's been sucked into the world of Alias!

Naturally, I bought this book because I loved the show, and wanted to know more about what goes on behind the scenes of this underrated drama/action/suspense thriller. Every episode brings out an edge-of-your-seat feeling, and it makes you wish that the hour was much longer. This book was great, it even includes a cd-rom so you can watch a few extras. It also includes storyboards and costume designs (still, I wish that there were a few more examples). It also includes an episode guide on every show from season 1, including a few tidbits as well. Certainly a must for any fan of ALIAS, or even for those who appreciate great writing!

With a bit of pathos mixed in (the Missing Cat)

I would have LOVED to make those rounds with him!!

Dr Camuti was a doctor with a caring Heart and Soul and had a special bond with those animals he loved and cared for.

A wonderful book!!

I had heard about Louis J. Camuti through my membership in the Cornell Feline Health Center. This story about Dr. Camuti's experiences as a NYC vet providing house calls for his feline patients is thoroughly engaging. The stories have a timeless appeal to those of us who are 'owned' by our cats.

A vet who specializes in house calls for cats from the 1940's through the 80's writes in a witting and engaging way, telling charming stories about the cats (and people) he treated over the years. A pleasant read.

I wish my cats had such a wonderful vet.

Kind of like an "All Creatures Great and Small" about cats in the city.

This collection of wonderful true stories written by a New York City Vet specializing in cats tells of his heartwarming and entertaining experiences with his patients and their owners.

If you love cats, you will love this book.

This is one of my daughter's favorite books read when she was 10 yrs old. An adult friend also loved reading the author's humorous experiences as a vet in NYC.

I was disappointed - from the title I thought there would be advice on managing cash flow and instead it's the same advice on increasing sales. Just read the Business Coach book instead.

Great book for small business owners who want to learn a wide variety of marketing and selling techniques. Also helps clarify how to convert leads into buyers, and lots of other important details such as understanding ways to improve your profit margin.

This is the best business growth book I have ever read. If you are sitting at your desk wondering how to increase your cashflow...buy this book NOW. Oh yea, and you have to follow the advice too!

As anyone in business knows, cash is KING! This book is a "must-read" because it provides a thorough overview of the most important aspect of business--how to keep the cash flowing in. There are literally hundreds of usable ideas and strategies that can be put to work in any business right away, many involving no out-of-pocket cost. Brad challenges the reader with "common-sense" approaches to building your business while providing practical solutions. Keep a note pad handy while you're reading so you can remember the ideas you will want to implement.

Why on earth would someone who writes cozy cat mysteries want a book that deals with managing a business? [I'm reluctant to use the term "duh!" but it seems to fit here.]

My work as a writer, editor, and speaker, generates income. Ergo, I have a business. Sure, I don't have employees, but so what? The general principles are still the same, despite the common belief that writers must be starving artists until they hit the big time.

Because I've never owned a traditional business, I'm not one to judge whether or not INSTANT CASHFLOW gives valid advice about deductions and such. Yes, there is MUCH in this book that I cannot use. But the story of the mechanic, the encouragement that I can shift my thinking (and my actions) to profitable means, the concept of buying customers -- all these are ideas I can use.

Check back with me in two years and see how well it's worked.

I have to give this book 5 stars. Mary O'Hara wrote an incredibly beautiful story about a struggling family. Many of the details of the story are so true to life. As an adult reading this story, I found the details about the parents to be more interesting than the story of the horse and the boy. O'Hara really understands the concerns of a parent for a struggling child and it's very true to life in the book. Many important issues are touched upon in this book too; responsibility for our domestic animals, love for people and animals, doing our duty in our every day life are all there with out being mushy and sentimental. O'hara also paints a vivid picture of Wyoming and old-time ranch life. It makes me wish it was still like that, so I could visit it. This is another great book for a read aloud family time.

Although he made his audio book debut just two readings ago, stage, screen and television actor Michael Louis Wells is in full command of the metier with his narration of the classic My Friend Flicka. Many will remember the story as a film with Roddy McDowall, as a TV series or as a current film. Wells is on a par with all of the actors who have undertaken bringing this touching tale to life. The reason for the story's many incarnations is obvious - it is one of our best-loved books and well deserves its place among others that are enjoyed from generation to generation, such as Treasure Island and Mutiny on the Bounty.

Pivotal to O'Hara's story is Ken and his seeming laissez faire attitude. Where his mind is his father, Rob, certainly doesn't know. He's a young boy who would much rather just look out a window than study his arithmetic. He should have studied because his report card is so poor that he's doomed to repeat a grade. Rob undoubtedly wonders whether he'll even catch on the second time around.

Their home is Wyoming's Goose Bar Ranch and Rob is working hard to make a go of it. He doesn't need a son who seems given to daydreams. Then, along comes Flicka, a beautiful chestnut filly, with a wild streak inherited from her sire. Ken is certain he can tame Flicka, and so begins the unforgettable relationship between a boy and his horse.

O'Hara wrote a follow-up to her story, Thunderhead, but it never achieved the popularity of My Friend Flicka, a timeless story to be enjoyed over and over again.

- Gail Cooke

On the Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming, between the World Wars, former Army captain Rob McLaughlin and his Eastern blue-blood wife, Nell, are raising two sons and an ever-growing herd of thoroughbred horses. Rob, a stern but loving father, doesn't know what to do with younger son Ken. The boy daydreams constantly, and for that reason just failed to be promoted at his boarding school. Why should Rob give small Ken a colt of his own, as he already has older son Howard, when Ken can't do anything that demonstrates he's responsible enough to be trusted? Yet a colt is what Ken wants more than anything else in the world. Until he finds out what happens to male horses when they're two years old - after which he decides he'd rather have a filly.

Not just any filly, though. Flicka, born to the half-wild mare called Rocket. Flicka is faster already than her sire, the ranch's stud horse Banner, and Ken believes he'll be able to train Rocket's "bad blood" out of the yearling. Rob thinks his son is (to use his word for it) dumb, for a lot of reasons that now include choosing this filly that Rob is sure will turn out to be just as "loco" as her dam. Untrainable, and downright dangerous to those who try to handle her.

This novel is a perfect example of the type of children's classic that, when read by adults, proves to have depths and layers its target audience never perceives. I know I read it as a young girl, and enjoyed it as both a good "horse story" and coming of age tale. But in reading it again now, I was amazed by the detailed and multi-faceted characters of Rob and Nell. Their love story is one of the most interesting I've read, because the author not only captures the tensions between these two very different people - she also captures the way that raising their children, who are (for better or worse!) a blending of those differences, affects their relationship. No wonder this book is still in print more than 60 years after it was first published. Simply wonderful!

This is a very good book. My granddaughter really enjoyed it.

I am in the middle of lstening to this book. Its detailed descriptions of ranch life and horses are quite compelling. But what surprised me was the absolutely accurate description of a boy with ADD. This book was written some two decades before attention deficit disorder gained anyone's attention, but O'Hara's descriptions of Ken's behavior are absolutely consistent.

And then O'Hara answers the question of what to do about the condition: give the kid something he really wants to do and stand back. Of course, it helps that Ken has two wise and good-hearted parents; but then, maybe that is the start to solving most problems that children have.

A fine book on many levels, and a fine companion on the road for adult and child.

I visited my local Christian bookstore (the biggest chain in Australia) and asked for something on "Stewardship" - blank stare and a few stutters... I then asked for something on "Christians and the environment" - oh yes, they could help me, and took me to the back of the store, to the top of the shelf, and there it was, one of three books on Christians and the environment. What I actually wanted was something on Christians and Sustainable Development, and this book more than met my needs.
It is fantastically written, easily digestible, a comfortable read, but it does not skirt any of the issues. It clearly ties together the notions of environmental degradation and human suffering, including the suffering of the poor in other countries who live miserable lives working to feed the consumption machine of the West.
We Christians have a biblical mandate to care for the poor and the oppressed and to care for the creation, and Dr Sleeth provides insightful and practical ways that we can do just that in our every day lives.

My fifteen year old daughter attends an online Christian highschool and she regularly is the "odd student out" on their online forum, disagreeing with the majority of her fellow high schoolers on everything from politics to capital punishment. We are proud that she is so passionate about her beliefs and we regularly have deep conversations with her about the world and our place in it as Christians.

One topic that comes up regularly is environmentalism. We are pretty passionate about being "green" and have always taught her that caring for the environment was a Biblical mandate and should be an integral part of every Christian's life. So, she started a forum topic about stopping global warming and got pounced upon by other Christian high schoolers stating things like, "global warming is a myth", "God wants us to take dominion of the earth", "Jesus is coming back again soon, so what is the difference - the earth will be destroyed." She was in shock that they held these beliefs and after talking through it and the reasons they said these things, as misguided and wrong as they were, I decided to go looking for some books for her that spoke about environmentalism from a Christian perspective. I ended up buying a few from Amazon and "Serve God Save the Planet" was the first one we read.

It is not what I was expecting. I was expected an indepth review of "saving the planet" and why it is critical for Christians. Instead, it gives an introductury, high level view of a number of subjects. The author's passion comes through and it is a window into his journey of faith and this includes saving the planet. The book is subtitled, "A Christian Call to Action" and that is exactly what the book is and what it did for me. While he does include a great chapter making a case for Christian's to care for the earth, most of the book is his sharing his own story and calling us to action.

It is easy to read and very impactful. Each chapter resonated with me and I felt myself nodding and getting pumped up, as it is exactly what I have always felt, but in many areas have lost touch. Besides caring for the earth, he writes about taking action and doing things, he writes about having too much stuff, taking a true day of rest each week, getting rid of television and replacing it with books, serving the poor and making a difference in the lives of others around the word and raising our kids to be help the poor and care for the world.

Since reading this, I've purchased a copy for my sister and my parents and my wife is now reading it and my daughter is almost finished. I'd recommend it to everyone. It is light reading and he doesn't go into depth on each subject, instead, he shares his story and get's you pumped up to take action.

I highly recommend it!

I met Dr. Sleeth a few months ago when he came to South Florida. I just finished this book and I cannot fully communicate the appreciation I have for the truths he communicates. Everyone (especially Christians who aren't sure about the whole green/environmental thing) should read this. In the back of the book I have marked the things that I will be implementing into my life and have even made my own list of other ideas. I am encouraged and inspired; not in an in-the-moment emotional kind of way, but in Biblical, theologically sound way that is rooted in the heart of God and His heart for the earth. A great read for small groups, families, singles. Phenomenal book!!!

Dr. Sleeth's ideas changed my life. I now line-dry my clothes from April to November (jeans just don't air-dry during Pennsylvania winters), hand-wash dishes, and use compact fluorescent bulbs. I also switched to cloth diapers.

I always thought my grandma was crazy for hanging her clothes to dry and hand-washing her dishes. But doing these things relax my mind. I sing to myself, let my kids help out, and rest in the idea that we're all doing something to respect God's creation. Plus, we save money on our electric bill, and save forty dollars a month on diapers.

Get this book, read it, and apply it. It will change your life for the better. And the best part? It's fun. Trust me. :)

What I loved best about Serve God, Save the Planet, is that the author, Matthew Sleeth is obviously down-to-earth, and his writing is approachable, practical, and not holier-than-thou. It is a hopeful call to action for Christians who want to honor God in the way that they interact with this world and with our environment. I have recommended it to everyone I know. It will definitely be the gift of the year.

STAR WARS VAULT BY STEPHEN J. SANSWEET AND PETER VILMUR: Celebrating it's thirtieth anniversary this year, the Star Wars franchise is in a similar predicament to the time after the release of Return of the Jedi: no plans for future movies, apart from a continuing animated series of the Clone Wars. By the same token, fans are in the same state with little to nothing to look forward to. Thankfully, to commemorate the third decade of the blockbuster, internationally bestselling movie series, there's the Star Wars Vault: "thirty years of treasures from the Lucasfilm archives with removable memorabilia and two audio CDs.

This is not just a nicely decorated picture book in a sturdy slipcase; it's an experience, a journey that one is immediately taken one when they open up the cover. Star Wars Vault is part of the new style of picture being published, like that of 1776: The Illustrated Edition, where the book goes beyond glossy, colorful pictures and photos, but incorporates all types of media, and with the rich heritage of the Star Wars franchise which literally revolutionized the world with merchandising, Star Wars Vault is a gift that would make any fan of the series, no matter how old or how much of a fan, respect you greatly in your choice of gift.

Sansweet keeps his story short, taking up little room on the page, and leaving the evidence reproduced here in various forms to speak for itself. He begins with the fascinating tale of how the first movie, Star Wars Episode IV, barely made it to release, and with little support, until the enormous numbers of audience members proved that the studio executives were very wrong. While Sansweet spends less time on the development and release of the rest of the movies, the experience as one turns the pages and relives the history of the Star Wars empire is unlike that of any other. With unique photos, movie posters, and a plethora of pictures from around the world, there are innumerable insets and handouts of unique items like patches, stickers, collectible postcards, film cells, and even two audio CDs with a variety of different pieces ranging from the mid-eighties radio ads, to special interviews, to a recording of the song sung by Carrie Fisher for the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.

While the price for Star Wars Vault is considerable, no one will regret it when they turn the page and discover the world within. It is a book that will immediately be quickly read, the stickers and patches possibly used, and added to the shelf to be rediscovered over and over.

[...]

I bought this book for my husband. He really loves it. Its like a scrapbook collection of 30 years of Star Wars. Very neat! I was disappointed because the shipping caused the book to be dented in the corners. I know its a heavy item, but Amazon should make sure to accomodate.

My 8-year-old, who is a huge Star Wars fan, loves this book. Unfortunately, because it's so cheaply made, it fell apart shortly after he got it. The pages have completely separated from the hard cover, probably because the materials/methods used in the binding are too flimsy. For a more-than-$50 "collector's edition," the publisher should have made the book to last more than two weeks. It will cost me $85 to have it repaired.

This book is a must for every star wars fan, the presentation, the wealth of the material, and the incredible Memorabilia, plus 2 audio cd's. make this a must Own.

I highly recommend this book. It's a collector's must have. It comes with several pull out items and pictures of some things you might not see too many other places. I'm just a little concerned with how well the pockets that hold some of the pull out items will hold up over time. I feel that I have to be extra careful pulling the items out. If it wasn't for that, then I'd be giving it the full 5 stars.