R Books

Freddy the Detective is about a pig called Freddy who reads Sherlock Holmes and wants to become a detective. The first case starts when the boy who lives in the farmhouse loses his train of cars. Freddy is on the case right away. He goes up to the boy's room and finds clues to who has stolen the cars. He finds out it is the rats, who have come back to the barn. Soon more cases have come up for him to solve, including when Egbert, a bunny, goes missing from his mother, and when Prinny, a little dog, has her dinner go missing.
I enjoyed this book because I like funny stories, and this was very funny. I also enjoyed it because I don't usually read mysteries, and this made me more interested in detective stories. Freddy is very funny in the way he solves cases. I recommend reading this book, even if you don't usually read mysteries. It is a great detective book for anyone who enjoys reading.

Wonerful, Triumph, for all ages.
It tips my planet, shakes my world.

Caleb A. Craig

The second in the utterly charming "Freddy the Pig" series, "Freddy the Detective" chronicles the adventures of Freddy and his barnyard friends as they delve deep into the world of clues, suspects and the criminal world. In the great tradition of Sherlock Holmes, there is a disguise involved.

Cases are solved (like just what becomes of Prinny the dog's dinner), a jail is constructed to house all the freshly-caught criminals (who have more fun inside than out) , and in the ultimate test for a pig, some infamous bank-robbers are caught red-handed and carted away by the thankful police. It all culminates in the trail of Jinx the Cat, during which a hen faints dead away at the mention of roast chicken and the courthouse erupts in cheers at the end of the summation because they admire they way the attorney argued a hopelessly weak case.

The Freddy books are great fun for kids (boy or girl), and they won't put you to sleep reading them aloud, either. I would place them just below the Betsy/Tacy books and the work of Leon Garfield, and high above anything coming out nowadays. They do nicely as a comfort during stressful times, the gentle and goofy stories easing kids to sleep. Highly recommended for ages to 5 to 100.

GRADE: B

Freddy the Detective is one of a series of pig books written by Walter R Brooks. Freddy the cool detective is a master of disguise who helps Mr. Bean and the Bean Farm solve crime.

Freddy the Detective is one of my favorite books because I love pigs and the main character is a very smart pig. The book is exciting and fun to read. I recommend it for people who like pigs! You will love the book if you read it.

Lukas

I run a bookgroup for homeschoolers and have the very great pleasure of introducing this bunch of alternative education kiddies to some of the great classics in children's literature. It can be a very rewarding experience. Once in a while, however, the kids teach me about books that I've never heard of. One of the children I organize has been obsessed with the "Freddy" books for years. Occasionally he would ask me if I had read them or he'd promote them to the group. In my initial ignorance, I assumed that he was referring to the Freddy the Hamster books by Dietlof Reiche. Those books are very good but the kid was actually referring to the classic Freddy the Pig series dating back to the 1930s. Recently these books have been earning themselves an entirely new audience and children everywhere are engulfed in a kind of newfangled Freddy fever. I picked up "Freddy the Detective" (not realizing that "Freddy In Florida" is actually the first book in the series) to give the books a look-see. I did this with a kind of snide attitude that went something along the lines of, "well I'm sure these books have aged poorly over the years and that the only reason kids are reading them because their parents made them". Oh how wrong a children's librarian can be. The Freddy books are marvelous. Author Walter R. Brooks is marvelous. In fact, "Freddy the Detective" is so wry, well-written, and delightful that I am truly shocked that more people are not aware of this series. Consider me a convert of the pig. One who will be singing his praises to the masses every chance I get.

Freddy is just your average highly intelligent pig. He lives on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Bean and has a lovely little life. He has a fine library in his pen and it is from his books that he gets the idea to become a detective. After reading a couple Sherlock Holmes stories, Freddy is sure that he can pull off becoming the farm's number one crime-ridder. This decision is made not a moment too soon, for a nasty clan of rats has stolen a valuable toy train from the Bean home and is performing dastardly crimes with it. As we follow Freddy, he solves crime after crime and participates in adventure after adventure. When Jinx the cat is ultimately framed for a crime he did not commit, it's up to Freddy to sway a jury of his peers as to the feline's innocence and the true criminals in the case.

One of the first things that caught my attention in this book was the lack of human/animal interaction. For kids that grew up reading that other classic farm text, "Charlotte's Web", the fact that there are two kids on the Bean farm that never ever appear in the book is downright bizarre. In any other story we'd be getting everything from the children's point of view. Brooks, however, knows who the true star of his book is and he's not going to muddle the action with a couple of pesky young 'uns hogging (ho ho!) the spotlight. Another interesting choice comes with the fact that the humans and the animals on the farm cannot talk to one another. This makes quite a bit of sense, when you consider it. Animals have no vocal cords. Animals also don't usually use their hoofs like hands, but that's neither here nor there. The point is that humans and animals have their own fixed roles in Brooks' world, and for kids this is very easy to understand.

But it's the writing of Walter Brooks that has made this series as memorable as it is today. He continually peppers his books with songs and rhymes that not only pan out correctly but are rather clever in their own right. Consider the following:

"Habitually we offend
Against our country's laws.
It works out better in the end
Than being good, because -

No home has a superior
Or cheerier interior
Than this old jail
The which we hail
With constant loud applause".

Nicely done, eh? Better still are the 1930s turns of phrase and common references long since lost to the annals of time. In one section the children reading this book are urged to sing "Aunt Laurie" as fast as they possibly can. If a single child in this country knows both words and tune, I'll be amazed. In another instance a chapter title is simply, "Jinx is indicted", which I thought was great. And opposite the title page is a picture of Freddy falling down a flight of stairs backwards (as occurs later in the book) with the caption, "- but at that moment Freddy came to grief". Obviously the publisher of this book found that turn of phrase just as charming as I did. Well done there, Puffin Books. Paired with these words are German illustrator Kurt Wiese's original pen and inks. Known almost entirely for illustrating books with Asian themes (he won a Newbery for his illustrations in "Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze", for example), Wiese eschews his normal style in favor of this most American of tales. His animals are both deeply familiar and oh-so-slightly human. There is not a picture in this book that jars with the action or distracts from the words. The pairing of Wiese with Brooks can only be described as heavenly.

I was a little afraid when I picked up this book (and took a gander at its copyright date) that we'd have to deal with a fair amount of sexism and racism in this book. To my somewhat naïve shock, no such prejudice pops up. In fact, Brooks could even be credited with breaking down a few barriers here and there. Female characters do just as much good as male ones in Freddy's world. Freddy comes to realize early in the game that while there is no end to his cleverness, he's rather lacking in the common sense department. By partnering with the down-to-earth cow Mrs. Wiggins, however, the two are able to combine their equal strengths and solve any number of crimes.

I haven't even mentioned the clever things Brooks has to say about our legal system or the state of law enforcement itself. You'll just have to discover them on your own as you read through what can certainly be called a true children's classic for the ages. A marvelous and deserves-to-be-remembered tale.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Lost in the Woods is a wonderful way to share the beauty and wonders of nature with a child. The photography is amazing. I should hhave bought one for myself as well!

This is an awesome picture book. The photos give you a sense that you can touch the fur on the small fawn. It is educational and has a fun game of locating small animals within the larger picture teaching everyone how to see the tiniest creatures.

This book is an outstanding photographic treasure and accompanying story! Beautifully done and much appreciated, a GREAT gift!

This is a wonderful story about a fawn and all the woodland creatures he meets. The photography/pictures are BEAUTIFUL and the story is fun and interesting. We've owned this book for almost 2 years and it's a bedtime story my children, now ages 8 and 4, pick over and over again. This is one of those keepsake books that you never get rid of because it is so beautiful, educational and entertaining. I also highly recommend the DVD that goes with this book, as it, too, contains beautiful photography, adorable voices and a very funny ending.

I must Say I agree with the popular opinion about this series. That it was one of the best ideas put down on paper. I don't think that this is the end of the series at all. Down to the sea left of at a point that was screaming of a follow up book. As for me I am eagerly awaiting another installment into this wonderfull series. The idea itself is unique I think when it was first concieved. I remember reading about it in his first book at that time there was nothing else like it out there. I am seeing a lot more books that are starting to branch out into the same field. "1632" mainly that is looking to be another really great series that I think readers that liked this series would like that one.

Let me tell you this is one of the, if not the best series, I've ever read. It's fast paced, hard hitting, accurate account of a take no prisoners, no holds bared, battle for survial just blew me away. The advances through the stages of both technilogical and tatical warfare of 75 or more year squeezed into less than 15 years is consice and beleivable. I'm somewhat of a war buff and this series is like a dream come true. On top of that he left the door wide open to continue the series without missing a beat. The Uplift Wars, The Foundation series, or even the Armour series lacks its simplisity and strength. I may not have the greatest grammer in the world, but I know what I like and this series I loved.

I loved the concept and initial books of this series. It was great story telling. Couldn't wait for the next one. However, as time went on and the series was nearing the end, the character development got weaker, the story telling became abbreviated.

I feel 'ripped off' with Men of War. I just had a sense that the author just wanted to finish the series quickly. Hawthorne gets religion and you really don't know why. Keane gets banished and you don't read another word about him until the end when he comes back. Not a single new interesting character. So on, so on, so on. This doesn't hold a candle to Rally Cry or Fateful Lightening. Slam, bang and give me my check!

I gave it 3 stars only because of the earlier work, some words about characters that I liked and the concept has been interesting. Very Disappointing.

This is absolutely the best alternate history series that I have ever read- you not only end up caring about the characters, but you want become part of the action. When they say that this series "reads like a bullet" they are not exagerating. Any author that can get me to zip through five or six hundred pages in two or three days is doing something right.

There are scenes that you remember for years- compared with many books these days that you can't remember after a few months.... The idea of Union Soldiers transplanted to an alien world and taking an oath to carry on Mr. Lincoln's war until an entire enslaved planet is free still chokes me up. There are scenes like a brigade strength force forced to form a giant square on an open plain and fighting to the last man (while singing the Battle Hymm of the Republic) that you don't forget. Or a Republic airship sweeping down to rescue Hans and his Zulu and Chin comrades from worse than certain death....powerful images. As for the villians,well, the "Moon Feast" is my definition for evil.

Oh yes, it is also comforting to think that the real life 35th Maine and 44th New York didn't simply dround like rats, but went on to unite Russians, Romans, Chinese, Vikings, Zulus, etc. under the flag of the Republic....

My only real criticism is that if you have any experience in industry and engineering then the speed at which the Yankees manage to industrialise a pre-industrial society (and go into mass production) will drive you nuts!

By the way, this isn't the final book of the series. _Down to the Sea_ brings the Battle of Midway to Keane and the Republic. With any luck Forstchen will bring us even more....

I have read the entire saga for the second time from book one to book eight. For little more than a week I left Earth and went to Forstchen's world to live his characters' agonies and triumphs, to worry about the Republic, the Rus, the Roum, the Chin, even the Cartha and, yes, the Tugars, with Muzta leading them as best as he could. But, most of all, I went back to see the Yankees once more transforming a planet like stranded messengers of the best that the human race has to offer. "Men of War" is the end of this saga and I was elated and sad. the Republic wins, but it's not a smashing victory: this one, like all the other ones, will be obtained paying for it with thousands of lives, making terrible mistakes, letting friends die to win hours that may prove to be crucial. Forstchen, a master story-teller, weaves his tapestry from different angles to achieve a rational conclusion, but one that leaves several doors open, including that of more sequels.

Jurak, the troubled, almost noble leader of the Bantag, is back, bringing with him all the revulsion at a segment of his race gone barbarian, and feeling, apparently, all the guilt that a mamber of the hordes needs to feel at what has been done for thousands of years in that world. Keane is back, too. Not in top form (and one doubts he will ever be in top form again, given the ghosts he had to face in order to lead once more), but even at 80% Keane is better than most. A nice touch is the mention --almost literal-- of a poem by Keats, in page 11, that goes "I know that I shall meet my fate/ somewhere among the clouds above;/ those I fight I do not hate/ those I guard I do not love..." (The poem is "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death"), but in this case it is Jurak who remembers such a poem from his own homeworld.

A dear character will be lost at the beginning of the book, another at the end. "Men of War" has an air of closure that, although not total, seems to invite a continuation in the less immediate future. The problems with the names will continue, as well. This does not bother me very much, but I think it requires more attention. Father Casmar becomes Casmir, and Marcus Licinius Graca is mentioned now as Crassus, which does not make much sense. I have already mentioned the Jamul/Jurak problem. These are details, but they might distract readers from the better parts of the books.

"The Lost Regiment" comes to an end. Or does it? I'm not clairvoyant. I have inside information, so, cheer up: we will see more of the Republic yet. "Men of War" is the end of a story, not the end of "the" story. Happy reading.

Zane Mackenzie is everything you want to see in a Navy SEAL -
Dang! but he is hot!
Finally we get a young woman that is worthy of the hero.

Barrie Lovejoy takes the only out to driving away the emotional and physical trauma she was subjected to in her kidnapping.

Zane Mackenzie, in the tradition of his father and brothers is man enough and sensitive enough to deal with Barrie.

When Zane is wounded in portecting Barrie, she becomes distaught at being forced to leave Zane behind without knowing if he would live.

I loved finding about Wolf and his family, especially Michael and Josh [why don't they have stories of their own?] Poor Joe, 5 sons and no daughter. It took Barrie and Zane to pull a fast one.

There is just something about these Mackenzie men that puts your hormones on red alert. We need more of these guys and more women like Barrie.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- definitely all are keepers - what a collection of men.

Linda Howard loves to minimize her female characters into nothing more then sex objects. All of her female main characters are virgins. Quite frankly I am sick of reading about how super important that really is. All of her female characters make love for the first time like insatiable beasts ignoring their physical response to having been made love to for the first time. These characters are so fake and I am really getting sick of them. This novel really hit the bottom because her virgin girls theme I have just described to you, that has been a consistent theme in all of her other books in the Mackenzie line repeated the same ridiculous line. Why can't someone write about a beautiful woman who isn't a virgin and who really does enjoy sex for sex...without having to write an erotica?

Another satisfying story about a MacKenzie brother. I enjoyed every word. And Barrie was a good match for Zane. Linda Howard is a master story teller.

I also like Beverly Barton but didn't care as much for Defending His Own as I have some of her other books. Secret baby stories bore me so that's probably the reason. Also, I don't much care for stories where something happens to a character as a teen and he/she holds it against the world forever. Good grief! We all grow and mature. Some of these people never do. Along with the secret baby, this is an over-used and unnecessary plot device. It creaks.

Another MacKenzie that I fell in love with! I read the story in one sitting. I just could not put the book down. Zane is so intense and sweet and sexy! Wow! The anecdotes about Nick are so wonderful. Makes me want to have a Nick of my own. I'd love to read her story when she's all grown up.

Having read SARAH'S CHILD, I was not too impressed. Having read DUNCAN'S BRIDE worked much better, but while it was a good read, it was not an outstanding read. Several review sites recommended MACKENZIE'S MOUNTAIN, but I never bothered to find a copy. In December 2005, I stumbled across this book (MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE), which is the story of Zane Mackenzie, the youngest son of Wolf Mackenzie and his wife Mary Elizabeth (hero and heroine of Mackenzie's Mountain). I have mixed feelings about SEAL-themed books - while I have loved Brockmann's series, I somehow prefer reading about firemen to reading about SEALS. Give this book a chance, if you share my hesitations.

Zane Mackenzie is called upon to execute a mission to rescue an ambassador's kidnapped daughter Barrie Lovejoy out of Libya. The first third of the book is about how the rescue takes place and with what consequences. In the second third, Zane and Barrie are separated by circumstances until they manage to find each other. Since there is a mystery and a bit of romantic suspense to the plot, I will not go further with the plot summary. It is probably sufficient to say that Barrie's kidnapping and rescue is somewhat more complicated than either Zane or Barrie realized.

The book begins with Wolf Mackenzie worrying about his children, from Joe down to his adopted son Chance and his youngest son Zane. Thus, Linda Howard provides the new reader with sufficient background to Zane, to understand what kind of family he comes from and what kind of person he is likely to be. The book then moves to a botched Naval exercise which leaves Zane short of two men. It is at this point that he is asked to rescue the Ambassador's daughter. Barrie Lovejoy is no spoiled socialite, although she has been protected by her father all her life (for understandable reasons). Her courage and endurance, as well as her unusual (but understandable) decisions, appeal to Zane. Barrie is poised, emotionally mature, and able to make decisions quickly. Zane has been dedicated to his job, but frustrated by the promotions that take him away from active duty. When Zane and Barrie end up spending an intense night and day together while hiding out, they form a bond even though they know virtually nothing about each other.

The book moves from the US to the Mediterranean back to the US. Despite these changes of locale (sketched in deftly for the most part), we remain focused tightly on the hero and heroine. MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE is one of the few stories where I genuinely liked the hero and heroine from the outset, and where I also felt that they were right for each other. That this contributed to my liking the book is not in question. Linda Howard's writing style also helped, as did her characterizations. Zane is an alpha male but not an overbearing alpha, but a protector and leader. The other SEALS came alive as did the heroine and her Ambassador father. What didn't work so well for me was the villain and his motivation (especially as explained to Barrie at the end).

Written by bookjunkiereviews 22 January 2006

This is a book that I reccomend to all of my franchise stores that I support. This is a glossary or handbook of great service and marketing. There is no reinventing the wheel in this little book but a refernce of the tried and true. Each example is supported with results and successes. The multiple companies referred to are known companies who lead their markets in service.

I encourage my stores to take a highlighter to this book of concepts and write notes in the margins. They will refer to this book often. This is 165 pages of good information.

I read this book in one day while I was on vacation. I was so inspired, I couldn't wait to get back to work to begin a new customer service policy in our salon. We already do some of the rituals for our guests, but this book gave me so many more ideas. John Dijullius is so right about creating systems and sticking with them, day in and day out. Can't wait for the second book!!!!

By far the best book I've ever read on customer service. Nice work!

Even though I am in the same industry as the author, this book is full of great ideas any business could use to implement systems to improve their customer service. We have used many of the ideas with great results. Mr. DiJulius gives you these wonderful ideas and how to implement them. If you read his book you'll see why his company is so successful. I require my staff to read this book when they are hired. This is one of my favorite business books!

I like this book, it has great ideas and real life examples of customer service excellence. It is inspiring and well worth the read. It is an active read in my library of customer service reference books.

This is a must read for people interested in either history, the environment, or people. It is well written and provides an excellent view about the history of the twentieth century that most people do not usually know about. Everyone should read it.

Boom. This is a biggie. Yowzah! If you want a clear view of our specie's impact on our world there is no better place to start than here. J.R. McNeill offers a balanced and comprehensive look at the century which changed everything, and his title, contradicting Ecclesiastes' assertion that nothing is new, says it all. The core idea here is that in the last century humanity moved beyond affect of local systems to dominance of the biosphere. We are everywhere. McNeill covers our impact on all of the life on our planet, from his prologue discussion of economy, population and energy, to his deeper analysis of soil, air, water and the whole of living systems. He offers clear views of the demographic and technologic forces which have shaped our modern world. Most illuminating of all are the complicated ways in which each change we have wrought has brought both destruction and remediation. Oil, the number one eco-villain in recent history, particularly when pumped through internal combustion engines, has also cleaned up city air enormously when it replaced coal and wood for heating and power generation. It also eliminated the need to remove 10-15,000 horse carcasses from average large cities each year and saved the great whales from extinction. Nuclear energy, an utter failure economically and with wastes which will be our generation's longest lasting heirloom, at least doesn't pollute the air. Population growth has had enormous impact on environmental damage, but less than I would have estimated as a percentage, and in some places it has even permitted improvements impossible without many hands. We are, in his words, the "rogue primate" which became smart enough to threaten every other life form on the planet, from smallpox virus to blue whales. Our success has paradoxically been very good for the viruses that cause the common cold and for rabbits. From the general to the specific, whole systems to individual tools (automobile, chain saw) McNeill has achieved a grasp of how and what we did, and tells the story masterfully. For readers who took up my recommendation of A GREEN HISTORY OF THE WORLD (Clive Ponting, St. Martin's Press, 1991), this one is better (and Ponting's work is one of McNeill's sources). Bingo.

I wrote my economics undergraduate thesis on development and environmental management back in 1976-77, and surely I would have enjoyed and valued to have Professor McNeill's book in my hands in those years.

His book is remarkable in many ways. It is a well written book, extraordinarly documented and well supported with eye opening statistical tables and illustrations. His material is useful for graduate and undergraduate students alike, and also for wider audiences interested on reviewing a different approach on history's complexities.

As the book front page indicates, the author centers his work on the 20th century's humankind events, termed by himself as the most influential on the process of ecology's evolution.

The book is very well organized so the reader keeps information organized in a properly way. At the end, Professor McNeill leaves many questions open that will be ample material enough to study in the years to come. Among those questions is the one concerned with society's will to deal seriously with environmental crises that have accumulated on the latest decades. We can have a readily answer to that subject if political leaders continue to privilege the narrow view of economic growth, instead of considering to seriously discuss the implementation of more integral strategies that would deliver environmental friendly sustainable economic development at the end.

Without question I recommend this book.

Sub-titled "An Environmental History of the 20th Century", this is a sober and objective survey of environmental changes over the past 100 years. I was concerned this would be an emotional appeal or judgmental polemic from the left - but not the case, it is academic and professional history from an environmental perspective (the environment, not "environmental movement"). It's encyclopedic in scope and style.

I would not call this an "entertaining" read (although some of the facts really fire the synapses), but it is deeply rewarding as a broad survey of a very large and complex problem. The chapters and sub-sections are arranged in a logical outline making it possible to read the chapters in any order.

The main idea of the title "something new under the sun" is that humans have so fundamentally changed the environment that things really are very different now than they have ever been historically. To regard our current conditions of energy availability, access to water, unending economic growth - as enduring and normal appears to be an interesting gamble given the facts.

Some interesting trivia: humans did not become the dominate primate until about 8,000 BC with the rise of agriculture (baboons outnumbered humans before then). About one-fifth of all humans that ever lived did so in the 20th century. In sheer energy terms, if all modern technology and energy sources were not available, the average American would need about 70 human slaves to maintain the current standard of living (each American "directs" 70 energy-slave equivalents). Each year, humans move more earth and soil than glaciers, wind erosion, mountain building (plate tectonic uplift), and volcanoes combined. Probably the single most damaging biological organism in earths history was the human primate Thomas Midgley Jr from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania born in 1889. He invented Freon (which destroys the Ozone layer), and also leaded gasoline, which has polluted most of the worlds soil lasting thousands of years (all of us carry elevated lead levels because of it and will continue to do so for centuries to come, leading to birth defects, lowered IQs, etc..). Midgley contracted Polio at age 51 and invented a system or ropes and pulleys to move his crippled body off the bed - he became tangled and was strangled to death in 1944 by his own invention, before learning how damaging his inventions were.

This book may be the best historical survey I've ever read. (And with an M.A. in history, I've read a few!) I got this book to complement my hard science slogging on global warming, and found so much more than I hoped for or ever imagined! McNeil's book provides the historical background and the human context for all the graphs and numbers in the science texts. If you're looking for one book to give you a focused overview of just how much human civilization has accomplished, good and bad, in the last 100 years, this is it.

The organization of the book is excellent. McNeil sources everything, ends each chapter with an excellent summary, and wraps it all up with his own thoughtful commentary on climate change. He uses an inspired mix of the small detail (birds dying mid-flight) and the enormous concept (the Aswan dam affected the entire Mediterranean ecosystem). He describes chains of cause and effect and makes connections other historians and scientists seem to miss. The chapters dealing with agriculture are, I think, particularly relevant to our everyday lives; but students in nearly every subject will find this book useful. My husband is a family physician, and has read the sections on public health; my neighbor is a biologist with the USGS, and is reading the chapter on dams and irrigation.

I've read and shared many ideas in this book with my colleagues. Worth the money.

This book helped me get referrals when I was operating my own business. As the author of Don't Wait Get in S.H.A.P.E. - Drop Fat Fast and Get Fit Quick this book allowed me to attract people to purchase my services and help me sell my book. This book is awesome.

I decided to review the library's copy before I bought it and I could not get enough info out of it! I found myself taking notes and almost writing in the library's copy! I rushed and bought the book. Now it's covered in pink and yellow highlighter. I feel like I'm back in college preparing for an exam -- except this time, my studying is going to directly contribute to my bank account! Truly valuable!

This is a wonderful book. It is very well written and an easy read. Furthermore, it is full of great content. I highly recommend you take a look at the online listing of this book's Table of Contents and see for yourself what specifically is covered.

This book reminds us to not look too far astray for customers or clients. It's easier to cultivate an existing customer for a new sale than to convince a non-customer to buy from you. And it's easier to have a satisfied customer convince a non-customer to buy from you than you doing it yourself.

Focusing on getting referrals is probably the least expensive way to build a customer-base and sales. Keep in mind that there are at least two methodologies to getting referrals. One is the do-good-work for your customers and clients and to get them to refer you to their family and friends. The other is B2B where you get other businesses that compliment yours to refer work to you. You can pay a referral fee or send them an equal amount of referrals.

Some people are not comfortable with using referrals to build their customer-base. But then some people are not comfortable being self-employed either. If you are one of those people who want to be successful at being self-employed, then take advantage of referrals as much as possible. And a good way to start is probably by getting this book and reading it cover to cover. 5 stars!

Referrals now is an excellent book that explains how to obtain more business by asking for referrals. Most friends and existing clients are more than willing to recommend your product or sevices if you just ask for it. Sales people sometimes view asking for referrals as a sign of weakness or problems in the business. This is not true.

If you want to build up a business very quickly without a lot of overhead, this is the best method. It would be adviseable to first read the book "Masters of Networking" by Ivan R. Misner. Referral business has a lot to do with networking, so you must be ready to do favors for other people who help you out. Forgetting to help somebody else who has helped you will be very detrimental to your business.

Just asking somebody for a referral is not really good enough but asking the person for a personal introduction increases your chances dramatically for closing the deal.

Don't read the book all in one go. Read a chapter, think about how you can apply it, write down what you think is best for you and experiment with it.

The book is AWESOME.It's a must have 4 all BtVS fans.It is from Xander's point of view and has his thoughts and feelings about what's going on. It's divided into chapters/sections-here is how it goes starting after the Acknowledgments: Tonight,Part1;Teacher's Pet(6 chapters); Tonight,Part2;Inca Mummy Girl(7 chapters); Tonight,Part3;Bewitched,Bothered,And Bewildered (7 chapters);Tonight,Part4.There are also great pictures in the center of the book.I hope I haved helped you out!

Just like on the TV show Xander delivers scarcasm and humor that only he can do. He tells 3 tales of his strange supernatural romance (Teachers Pet, Inca Mummy Girl, and Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered)and proves that Buffy isn't the only one with a twisted life. I liked reading about Xander becasue he's pretty much the typical male, except a whole lot wittier, and the occasional vampire slaying. I reccomend this to any Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or Xander fan!

Only recently have I become a buffy fan (but boy, when I fall I fall hard) This was the first buffy book I read, but it was definately worth it! Especially the last story Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered made me laugh so much I have the stiches to prove it. This book made me stop thinking Xander was boring. Definately a must to read for any buffy fan!

In order to understand the entire buffy novels,one needs to understand Xander.This book details probably the most intimate things anyone will be able to get with the character.From his feelings for his best friend Willow to chrush unfulfilled Buffy,dating and romance in Sunnydale is truly humerous.....for Xander it's the most harzardous thing to do. Full of laughs and deep thought,to understand buffy,you need to understand why she does'nt just crumple from the pressure of slaying. Because Xander will always be there...laughing at the world.

This book is a novelization of three episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The first Teacher's Pet is a homage to the big bug movies of the late fifties. Inca Mummy Girl revives the curse of the mummy and Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered explores the magic of love. In each story Xander falls in love with dire consequences. His heart is pure and his intentions good but the results are both frightening and humorous. I recommend this to all Xander fans. It could be a dating manual for the new century.

Having read a number of books on parenting, this book was found to be the most inspiring in terms of causing us to reach to God. As Christians we are called to walk by faith in every area of our lives. This book shows us how to be loving and strategic in our parenting whilst reaching to God in faith believing for our children also to walk with Him.

Reading parenting books takes time of which parents have little. This book has been encouraging and convicting- well worth the time. I highly recommend Age of Opportunity to any parent!

GREAT BOOK.
If you enjoyed "Shepherding a Child's Heart" and desire to train your children to be thoughtful and caring of others in their heart - not just training behavior - you will love this book. It looks at the great opportunity we have in the teenage years to help them see their self-centeredness and trust in Christ to be transformed.

As a young pastor who does not have any teenagers of my own, this book has been a great resource to hand out to parents. Tripp's book has really helped open many of our parents' eyes to the wonderful opportunity for discipleship through the teenage years.

This is the best book I've read on parenting teens from a Biblical perspective. Tripp helps parents think about what the heart issues are, not just control the external behaviors. If you're interested in taking the time to use the trials of life to point your child to the gospel of Christ, this book is for you.

This was a required text while in school, but it is literally the bible and a must have in clinical practice!

I had a hard time finding this text. I had purchased it from many different carriers to find out that they were backordered.

I received this book with in 1 week of purchasing it. It was great. Nice new copy, shrink wrapped and all!

this is my bible. it does not have the up to date guidelines that are obviously constantly changing, but overall, it is great in clinic. when not sure, i pull it out and voila! i know how to test, when to have the pt return etc.

The book came in a timely fashion and was in excellent condition.

This has been an excellent reference book. It gives up to date/detailed information from gathering the health history to formulating a plan of care. It has been a great help in the clinical setting and in the classroom.