R Books

Brilliant diagrams, excellent keys, simply mapped out and laid out information for difficult and also the easiest of dressage manoevres. It's bound at the top for a vertical flip, with a hole punched down near the bottom so you can hang the book on a nail on your bulletin board or at home and keep it open while you study it. It has handy hints how to achieve positions and gives you ideas to improve certain flaws. It is by far the best book on jumping exercises I have read so far that is dedicated purely to jumping exercises.

Just about EVERY page has another full A4 riding arena on it showing the pattern where the horse is going, it shows crossbars and it shows trotting poles, verticals, gymnastics and where to place them, it shows where you should be directing your horse and what way to approach with an excellent use of diagrams and patterns which have a key right next to it so the design remains uncluttered and simple to read. It even gives you cheap alternatives to make some jumps yourselves and offers quick solutions. A best buy for anyone serious about jumping - or even dressage - to keep their horse supple and to keep their horse (and themselves!) from boredom. Brilliant.

The best how to book on ground poles and jumping that I have experienced. It's a great tool by an expert to keep your horses (young and old) interested as well as the rider thinking. Linda laid out the book very well. Good illustrations and great explanations accompany each exercise. The ground pole exercises are very helpful to use between jumping lessons. This one is a book to keep and give as a gift to a riding friend!

This book has so much info on different exercises and each exercises has little hits about when to use this exercise and what to watch out for while riding it.

This book breaks the demands or jumping down into a logical progression of skills until it takes the insecure beginning rider into a confident partner to the jumping horse. If these lessons are followed correctly, it can also take a training level horse into a skilled show jumper. This book is a must for anyone interested int he discipline of jumping.

This book creates a great foundation to train yourself and your horse to excell in jumping no matter what your intentions may be. I personally would recomend this book for all ages and engligh riders even the one's with no intention on jumping.

The Bedford Handbook
I was satisfied with my order, and was delivered as it said

i ordered it and got it in a very good condition and in time. customer service is awesome. my blessings. keep up the good work.

this book is good for when you're writing essays and you can't remember a certain format or something and you can flip through the book real quick for examples of essays, outlines and thesis statements, although I wish i had the cd version of it so i can always have it with me instead of toting around the book. they could have made the format of the book better.

for instance i remember seeing a book called "A Writers reference" both are MLA format and one came from my community college and just the way its put together is better over all than this one.

The Bedford Handbook is an excellent guide for anyone enrolled in a college English course. The book gives details on correct grammar usage, as well as descriptions of different essay styles. The book is very helpful to me with my English class.

Diana Hacker has an English comp book for any possible usage, she grinds them out every few years. My college requires me to use this book as a handbook. That is unfortunate.

Of course, this book provides a basic explanation of English composition, grammar, documentation, and document design and critical reading. However, the attempt in this case is to present something that is lighter than Rules for Writers, a full scale manual that is sufficient to use as the only text for a college composition course or as a full writers reference, and her Writers Reference, which is a good handy handbook that is inadequate as a full course book, but is great as a rule book to be used by students taking a course using another text.

Usuing this book, I have had to create supplements from web material for issues that I expect to be covered fully in a college handbook such as the requirements of formal writing.

To be sure there are interesting illustrations and graphics and like her other books, the text is intimately linked with the enormous online network that Hacker and her publishers have created. It is not an awful book to use, but I would prefer Rules for Writers, Jane E. Aaron's Litte Brown Handbook, or Writer's reference.

This is not a perfect book, but adds greatly to reincarnation literature in general. It is rather quirky, but the breadth and the issues discussed ability to allow thoughtful reflection makes up for any of its limitation.

It is also interesting to me that other blond Nordic types believe they had perished in their last life in this recent European tragedy. Though I haven't taken advantage of his services, I believe the Rabbi author provides a cost effective therapy for individuals who fall in the above category!

Well written, thoughtful, insightful, fascinating. I have read much on the holocaust, am not Jewish, and don't know enough about Jewish spirituality. I was thrilled to find much in this book that I did not know, and that helped my understanding immenseley. I don't know why I am so drawn to this particular period in history. Reading this book did help me to understand that there may very well be a good reason that I do not yet understand. I do know that I was born in Frankfurt Germany in 1953 - as an American citizen, but the energy of that time period haunts me more even as I grow older. I don't think I was Jewish - but I do think I was there, and I definitely think that I was somehow traumatized, as a child, in that time period by what was going on.

This book weaves a lot of my interests together nicely. More and more the things I am interested in that seem to have nothing to do with each other in reality often do. It can be such an experience to simply follow wherever the Spirit leads. You simply never know where it is going to take you.

Rabbi Gershom delves into Jewish spirituality in order to identify those things that are remembered by individuals who are NOT Jewish from past lives. This is more likely to validate their experience, because they have no knowledge of things that would make perfect sense to someone who is raised as a Jew. It is only by explaining these things that the stories could then make sense to the reader, Jew or no.

I consider this a pivotal book in my reading lexicon. Thank you, Rabbi, for writing it.

The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps

I highly recommend this book-but I warn you, it isn't an easy one to read. This is a Holocaust study-with the same gruesome imagery described by Primo Levi and others-but related by dozens of people. And all the memories originate in past lives and their sudden ends.

Rabbi Gershom is a compelling and compassionate writer. He tells an engaging story of himself becoming the unplanned recipient of these dramatic past-life recollections. He seems a worthy vessel of such privileged information-honest, humble, and caring-if you or I had similar terrible secrets to share, we might pick someone like him to tell them to.

A fascinating aspect of this report-and one that lends it validity-is that so many of the people who recalled these Holocaust deaths had no cultural basis to support them. Many are Gentiles in this life, but brought forward the beautiful Jewish rituals and customs as well as the far-less-pleasant flashbacks.

One especially valuable chapter is a meditation on Healing the Karma of the Holocaust. There are a number of interesting ideas that branch out from the central concept of this book-the possibility, for instance, that many who died during WW II are reincarnating now-and Rabbi Gershom gives them all thoughtful consideration.

Through the Holocaust, Hitler and his henchmen succeeded for a time in bringing hell on earth. And yet, as I read this book, I saw a light shining in the darkness. Here were hundreds of those murdered innocents, alive once more, telling their stories. If these reports are true, then, in the deepest sense, the Nazi "experiment" of Jewish liquidation was an utter failure. Not only did they not extinguish the light of Judaism, but they failed ultimately to extinguish the individuals they killed, too.

At any rate, if you can handle the subject matter, Beyond the Ashes offers a vision of soul-expansion and healing, and I urge you to give it a try.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

Now I read a lot and many of the books I read would not get me up and write a review. Well, this amazing book did.

I don't know much about the main topics in the book - Judaism and reincarnation - but I am open to learn new. Openness will be in some way acquired in order to fully appreciate this book and its message.

I did not get the feeling the author is trying to sell me something. Remarkable when dealing which such highly emotionally charged topics.

This book was fantastic approach both to Judaism and the idea of reincarnation. It was written in such soft, forgiving and wise way that truly moved me.

If we read to learn, this was a great lesson.

Dear Rabbi,
I read your book many years ago, and happened upon these reviews as I was looking for the book, having recommended to my students. I certainly would fall into the lose category of 'new age' as I run an intuitive training program in Austin, Texas.
I recommended this book to my students because I found it incredibly insightful about the thought processes, patterns and meaning of reincarnation. I'm saddened to hear that some supposed 'new age' thinkers made such offensive, antisemitic remarks.
I think there is a natural, but unfortunate, tendency for many people to blame the victims of hideous crimes. To conclude that the souls of those lost in the Holocaust where there due to their own misdeeds is simplistic, unkind and I believe entirely inaccurate. It reminds me of stories I have heard from Indian, where a certain population of Hindu zealots maintain that those who are poor are suffering because they have 'bad' karma.
In fact, it is my belief that allowing others to suffer cannot ever be justified, and is in itself creating negative karma for the person who judges others unworthy.
Bad things happen to good people all the time. We know that millions of Holocaust victims were good people - many of them children, like Anne Frank.
I just wanted to say that this book has had a profound influence on my own views and my work, and to apologize for misdeeds of my fellows.
The New Age is not a set movement, and certainly has no definite doctrine. I hope you realize as well that we have both positive and negative influences in our community, as exist in every spiritual movement. I will continue to recommend your work to my students, and hope your schlorship will continue.

Sincerely,
Lindsey Scott-Ipsen
Director,
Center for Intuitive Studies, Austin

While hiking and taking nature photos for a school project, Lisa
stumbles across a badly abused horse in a paddock. She, Carole and Stevie call the local animal rescue league who impounds the mare. As the mare dislikes men, Lisa assumes most of the care for her. This is a very poignant tale, and I won't give away the ending.

This is the most beautiful Saddle Club book yet. It shows how important love is naturally, as ALOT of books do, but it also shows how important it is to be willing and brave to let yourself love totaly. Lisa risked alot of saddness if Eve would have died, but it wasn't until she named Eve and let herself be vulnerable to the saddness of losing her that Eve started to realize Lisa cared and look forward to life.
The part with the brush was my favorite, like one reader said before. It was the first time Eve showed any sign of wanting to live.
I know Lisa loves Prancer, but Eve and her seem like such a perfect match.

This was an excellent book!The story was very heart felt but not as much realistic and correct like most of Bonnie Bryant's Saddle Club books. But overall this was a great story to sit down and read.In my opinion,the problems that Stevie,Lisa,and Carole have are very rare but can put you in a good mood somehow. BUY THIS BOOK! IT'S WORTH IT!

Hi!!! We're the Stirrup Stars. We love this book because it shows that if you just believe and do your best, you can reach your goal. Lisa took wonderful care of Eve. Also, it was full of suspense that made you want to keep on reading and never stop! Please, read this book!!! It's a great example of a horse/rider bond.

I thought this book was really heart warming. It really showed determination and love for a horse. I think Broken Horse is one of the best books in series.

This is a helpful resource for those beginning in the field and will give new ideas to those who have been working in the field for awhile. Each exercise is introduced and explored thoroughly. These exercises can be used "as is" or as a jumping off point by using your own creativity to tweak them for each unique client. We need more books like this.

I have been working directly with children and families for over 2 years, and I have utilized many tools in an attempt to provide an effective intervention; however, none of them have been as effective as the worksheets and intervention strategies found in this book. It has helped me to get to a whole new level when working with families. The tools provided in the book WORK, and I have REPEADETLY experienced it first hand. IT IS NOT JUST ANOTHER BOOK OF USELESS ACTIVITIES!!!

The worksheets and homework assignments are not just given; however, a complete explanation of the appropriate utilization of the tool, as well as a case study with the tool is provided. As a graduate student who is in the process of learning how to be a professional and competent counselor, this book greatly assist me in learning how to apply effective counseling techniques in REAL LIFE SCENARIOS!!! Many of the activities in the book can be utilized in both a Christian and Secular setting. This book has NO BOUNDARIES for the multitudes that it can affect.

The Christian Therapist's Notebook is by far, the most helpful book I've come accross in my Master's degree program in Counseling Psychology. The exercises are ready to use and detailed enough for a beginner or more experienced counselor to implement. One of the interesting components about this book is that it takes into consideration the individual as a integrated unit, considering even the spiritual component of a person's life.

The Notebook has activities for individuals, couples, adolescents and even children. It is a great resource for projects related to group and group processes, as it gives exercises that can be used for a variety of concerns.

Finally, the best part of the book is that the authors have carefully compiled a list of resources not just for the therapist but also for the client; therefore, you have an available list of materials you can refer to the client, which is organized by topic (ex: eating disorders, anxiety, etc.).

As a student and future beginner therapist, I appreciate the wealth of information the authors have shared and systematically organized. It is a great tool box!

Christian therapists need look no further, combined this with the Bible and you will have all the tools you could ever hope for! No doubt you too will think that this book is so well thought out and masterfully written that surely the Lord Himself must have had a hand in this.

The book is very user friendly, you can just open to the section you are looking for and begin. With each and every section being strongly based in Biblical truth and wisdom that only comes from years of experience in the world of mental health counseling. The information is comprehensive and does not leave you confused or wanting further explanation. This book is easy enough for a student, but comprehensive and effective enough for a therapist to use.

Whether you are a Christian therapist, pastoral counselor, or someone who just likes buying books on the internet this is the book for you. I for one hope that Dr. Henry continues to write more books.

This workbook is divided into three sections, one for individuals, one for couples and families and one for children and adolescents. Each one of the sections include homework assignments, handouts and suggested activities. The focus of the book is to answer the question of what do you do when the door closes and you have to deal with the practical issue of effective therapy. In the Christian Therapist paradigm you also have to deal with you can connect this person back to God. The purpose statement of the book is very clear - to provide Christian therapists a way to be passionately Christian and still remain clinically professional.

The information provided is very comprehensive. For each exercise there is a guiding scripture, objective, rational for use, instructions, vignette, suggestions for follow-up, contraindications, resources for professionals, resources for clients, and related scriptures. All of the activities are strongly Christian and Bible based. This fact alone makes it an excellent resource for any church pastor or other leader who is counseling in a church setting. It is also excellent for any therapist working with a client with a background in the Christian church. The exercises are honest and point out in the contraindications when it would not be appropriate. When an exercise makes presumptions as to the client's spiritual level or orientation the contraindications spell it out in the contraindications section.

The Christian Therapist's Notebook is an excellent resource for the Christian Therapist working with Christian clients and highly recommended for that purpose. The exercises are on target and integrate standard therapeutic principles into a Christian environment.

This is great information with very east to read instructions. Not for the lazy or faint of heart.Great ancient traditions brought back to life.

Classical Loop-in-Loop Chains & Their Derivatives is the full title which I find still does not adequately describe the book.

This book is an instruction manual rather than a reference source. The instructions presented have been tried and tested on a number of students, and incorporates feedback from the students. The black and white photographs shown are of the chain work produced by the students as well as the author.

Loop-in-loop is the description of how chains are constructed with each chain link looping within each other to form a chain. Examples of this type of chain are on the front cover of the book.

The classical chains covered in this book are described as single loop-in-loop, side-weave single, single though-bead, basic pinched loop, roman pinched loop, pinched loop with wrapped beads, pinched loop through-beads, basic double loop-in-loop, double with wrapped beads, weave-off double, two-way double loop-in-loop, three-way double loop-in-loop, four-way double loop-in-loop, multiple soldered single, multiple soldered pinched loop, pinched loop with spacers, multiple woven single mesh, multiple woven double. In all 34 chains are described, 16 derivatives of the 18 definitely attributed ancient style of chains.

The main emphasis of this instruction work is on using fine silver and fusing to form whole links incorporating annealing, and then shaping into the links, and then forming the chain. Detailed step-by-step instructions are given on forming links up front, and then each chain has instructions on how to shape the required link, and then form into the chain. This book clearly explains and demonstrates these techniques and processes.

Each chain has a list of the materials needed (in inches and gauges (thickness) - appendices contain conversions) to make it at a given length. These can be used as references for links/inch or used to adjust as necessary to form a necklace or bracelet of given length. An appendix is supplied which gives recommended dowel diameters for the wire gauges for making variations to basic chains. The authors viewpoint is that making chains is an art form, and this book is to develop the students abilities and to encourage their own subsequent development and personal refinement of explained techniques.

Although primarily based on fine silver work (sterling is unsuitable for these techniques - if you solder links that is a different technique), the book does cover how to produce fused chains in 22K gold (including 22k gold metal alloy composition that was used in antiquity and for which these techniques work best).

There is a 25 page chapter on clasps and terminations, cross referenced with what chains they are suitable for, and the chains are cross referenced with what clasps and terminations are suitable.

This book does not have colour photographs. It has diagrams (at enlarged sizes for easier viewing) showing how to form the chain links and join with the next link and or terminate. Black and white photographs show finished chains and/or portions of finished chains. There are no photographs of ancient chains, and very little information on any apart from the detailed instructions on how to make them. Occasionally there are snippets about the existence of such an ancient chain, and even where it is located.

If you do not currently possess silverworking/chainworking tools you will need to purchase them to make the chains in this book, as well as needing work bench space. There are details in the book about what tools you will need, and for the USA where to obtain them. This book does not go over any of the safety aspects of using blowtorches or kilns. Please make sure you have on instruction on these before proceeding.

With the price of silver (and gold) the making of the chains will not be inexpensive, but if you wish to learn how to make a number of chains, this book will explain how.

This is a well organised, well presented instructional book. I would suggest to re-read the two pages covering "Weaving" and "Achieving best results" with "common problems and how to avoid them" before commencing each chain.

This is the best chain making book available. Chain making is an art form that was in danger of becoming lost. The authors have packed a wealth of knowledge about chain making... methods, materials and techniques and then lead you on an inspiring journey of loop in loop chains. Starting out simply and working up to a some very complicated chains. The instructions are clear and precise, the illustrations are very helpful and the pictures of the chains themselves make you want to continue on your chain making journey.

If you are comfortable soldering or fusing metal, this is a great book to begin making chains. If you aren't comfortable with soldering or fusing then this isn't a book for you. Although the chains included will inspire you to learn fusing/soldering, none of these chains can be made without those skills. Irene From Peterson's books will give you a great introduction to chain making via butted chainmaille with open jump rings.

Otherwise, get out the torch, or kiln (they explain how to fuse the rings with a kiln), the fine silver or 22kt gold rings and get ready for a wonderous journey into chain making.

Thank you to the authors for sharing their vast knowledge of loop in loop chain making. This is one of those classic texts that perserves the knowledge of the Masters and passes it down to those yet to come.

i find this book to be a great help when i am desiging necklaces, bracelets and even drop earrings. this is something every jeweler needs in their library.

If you're a jeweler or metalworking hobbyist with an interest in chain making, you can't do better than to start here. This is a well laid-out, succinctly written guide to many different types of ancient chains, and modern variations on those techniques. While the black-and-white photos and straightforward layout might make this book seem a bit spartan compared to the lavish production of other jewelry books, in this case, less is certainly more. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the illustrations show just what you need to see and no more (unlike some jewelry books that baffle the reader with images unrelated to the text). Also, the tables provide a quick and easy way to customize the projects - don't want to use 22 ga. wire? Here's the size of rings you'll have to make for 24! On a less content-oriented note, I tend to dislike spiral bindings, but this one is self-covered, so it lies flat, but doesn't entangle itself with odds and ends on your workbench.

It says a lot for this book that I was able, on a whim, to make a single two-way (bi-directional) chain that turned out very beautifully, even though I made it (against the author's advice) out of soldered sterling links. It was an engrossing enough undertaking that I just ordered an ounce of 24 ga. fine silver wire (in spite of mounting silver prices :P ) and I can't wait to start on the next chain. I think I'll go for the two-way double this time!

This book is a amazing book of Heroic Truth. It tells the truth about many of the literal hells of the 20th century, the countless deaths of millions. It is also the first book i have seen that actually deals with all murders by people/goverments.
In the Kellog-Briand act, if they wanted to outlaw WAR, they should have first outlawed Geonicide and Mass Murder. This may sound strange to many who think of war as the most evil thing of mankind, but in fact, it isnt. War has some loose honor, and loose rules, but they are still there. Geonicide has no rules. Geonicide, and Deomicide are just killing, pursuing, and exterminating.
This book offers a great perspective, and should be read by every living being capable of reading, and if they cant read, then it should be read aloud to them by someone else. This should be taught in all courses, all curiculums,and all course in colleges.
This book is a difficult read, but a must read. But remember though, many of these numbers for many of the atrocities are low, and he figures out the numbers by averaging high numbers and low numbers, which in the case of some, like the USSR, and the 32 million low, were placed by the USSR itself to just make propogande and make the thought into peoples minds. The Low for the USSR is at least 50 million, no less. It could very likely go up to 100 million, if you think about it too, and thus the number of Stalin's murders would go up to, as the other USSR Leaders werent as brutal as him.
China's Murder is also a extreme low. The number Mao Zedong killed is at estimates of a incomprehendable 6 million all-time low record, like saying Fat albert is a light-weight, and the number for mao is at about 35 - 56+ million murdered. This causes some strange statistics.
Overall this book is a classic and book that should be honored as much as the Bible.

R.J. Rummel has spent his career assembling data on genocide, politicide and other government mass murder (studying more than 8,200 reports with estimates). He introduced a concept he calls "democide" which includes genocide, politicide, mass murder, and indiscriminate killing of civilians. It does not include battle deaths or collateral damage. He is using a scientific methodology that he applies consistently to come up with consistent mid-range estimates for democide. His findings are horrifying. 170 million people were murdered in the 20th century alone. Later he revised this number to 262 million. For comparison, it is estimated that 70 million people died from famine in the 20th century, 25 million has died from AIDS, 250 million died from Malaria in the 20th century, and 300 million from small pox. In conclusion democide killed considerably more people than war, famine, and AIDS and as much people as the two worst 20th century diseases. It should also be noted that previous centuries were just as democidal.

Rummels book "Statistics of Democide" presents his findings in great detail (very long lists of statistics), and additional information can be found on his web site. This book "Death by Government" gives some statistics on the topic, but the focus of the book is not on the statistics but descriptions of the democides and the regimes that perpetrated them. Therefore this book is easier to read and perhaps a bit more interesting (but just as gruesome) compared to "Statistics of Democide". However, "Statistics of Democide" is a better factoid resource.

In this book he describes the following murder regimes and their democides in more detail: Soviet Gulag State (62M), Chinese Communist Anthill (35M later revised to 78M), The Nazi Genocide State (21M mostly genocide), The Depraved Nationalist Regime, KMT (10M), Japans Savage Military (6M), The Hell State Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge (2M), Turkeys Genocidal Purges (1.9M), The Vietnamese War State (Vietcong) (1.7M), Poland's Ethnic Cleansing after the war (1.6M), The Pakistani Cutthroat state (1.5M), Titos Slaughter House (1.1M), Orwellian North Korea (1.7M), Barbarous Mexico (1.4M), Feudal Russia (1.1M). M=million killed.

The descriptions of the democides are horrific and very sad. The big questions are how can these things happen? People can be very cruel and brutal towards each other that is for sure, but regimes that hold a lot of power over their citizens are the regimes that will commit these crimes. To quote from Rummels web site: "Why do dictators kill and make war? Is it for glory; for things, for beliefs, for hatred, for power? Yes, but more, because they can". Regimes that can't do it won't. Democratic regimes, especially liberal democracies commit very little democide.

It is bewildering to reflect on how many people were murdered in the 20th century by the hand of brutish governments. According to this book's estimates, the figure is around 169,000,000. This one-of-a-kind book is an indispensible compendium that informs the reader about why these mass murders were carried out, but more importantly, how. Hopefully, we will one day learn the lessons of history and stop these kinds of atrocities before they are allowed to reach the magnitude of those chronicled here.

Rummel delves into the historical tensions that brought about most of the conflicts that lead to mass exterminations. Many of us may know nothing beyond the basics about Stalin's Great Terror or Hitler's Holocaust. What's frightening to realize as you read this book is how the demagoguery that lead to these mass murder incidents is not all that far removed from what we hear from some of our own politicians today.

The author also goes into quite a bit of detail about some of the lesser known campaigns of genocide (or democide, as he insists on calling it) of the 20th century, such as that of Turkey against the Armenians, and incidents by the Polish, Japanese, and Pakistanis.

This is an important book. I believe it is one of the most important books I've ever read. No one who considers himself a serious scholar of 20th century history can omit this book from his collection.

And with reason. There is none of the sacrifice, drama or nobility reported in battles. It's not about Thermopylae or Gettysburg.

This is an account of what humanity has done to itself--and continues to this day. It's a book on comparitive demonology. One almost gets the impression that a soldier ripping a baby from his mother's arms, tossing it in the air and catching it on the point of his bayonet is the rule, not the exception. Ditto for POW's captured by front line troops.

The author is a professor of Political Science who finds it amazing that his colleagues write texts on the purposes of government, yet fail to mention that (with the possible exception of the Jewish victims of Nazi genocide) instead of protecting citizens from "the savagery of the jungle" by rule of law, governments have and continue to be, THE greatest killers of all.

"Democide" is the word he coins to combine genocide (murdering because of membership in a hated race, ethnicity,or religion,) plus politicide ( murdering for political purposes, e.g; dissidents ) and mass murder (indiscriminate killing).

Democide is always committed by governments. It is as organized as taxation or road building. Discounting civilians accidentally killed in cross-fires, or even in the aerial bombardments of cities, this still leaves horrifying numbers.

Pre-Twentieth Century? An estimate of 169,198,000 human beings massacred. Since this includes the victims of Genghis Khan, Incas, Conquistadors, etc., There's an obscene tendency to see them as not quite human, not quite real due to the distance in time. So Tarmelane, the Turkish conqueror slaughtered 100,000 people outside of Delhi and he liked to make pyramids of human heads?--Who cares?--Just stuff in history books. . .

Is WW2 is close enough? We all know about the 6 million Jews, but did you know that constituted only aprox 13% of the victims of The Nazi Genocide State?

Overall, by genocide, euthanasia, killing of hostages, reprisal raids, starvation, forced labor camps and so forth the figure is anywhere from 15 to 31 million, most likely 21 million. Rummel admits he may be off somewhat in numbers, but certainly not as to the State's intentions. The Nazis still head the list when it comes to killing people in occupied territories, with the Imperial Japanese Military being second.

As to murdering one's own people, it's estimated some 35,236,000 for the Communist Chinese Anthill. The author notes that those who were shocked by the 1989 Beijing massacre of students, really shouldn't have been--it's the norm. But even that figure is topped by 54,800,000 victims of The Soviet Gulag State.

(Not counting an additional 5-7 million comprised of German POW's plus non-combatants deliberately murdered by The Red Army).

For sheer numbers, Stalin is our grand prize winner in brutality. In terms of percentage, however, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot beats his insanity--they wiped out nearly one third of all Cambodians.

The chapter on The Vietnamese War State is most instructive, not just for the total toll of 1,670,000 victims but for the inferences Rummel draws: Before the U.S. entered the war, the Viet Minh were already as hardened a bunch of mass killers as the most disciplined SS units under Himmler. America had no idea what it was getting itself get into.

The Balkans are something else. Off the scale.

Required reading.

Professor Rummel's work, Death By Government, is a product of eight years of research into the roots and causes of Democide - defined as the intentional killing by governments through genocide, politicide, and arbitrary mass murder of its people. The cornerstones of current U.S foreign policy - centered around fostering democratic freedom - are based upon Professor Rummel's correct observation, that liberal democracies promote the greater peace and they are essential to eliminating Democide and ending wars between nations. Through empirical research the evident truths become exposed and the reader is left with the overall understanding that absolute power corrupts and leads to the murder of a governments' people and that only through restricting and checking power can these horrors be restrained. Democracies virtually never make war on each other and the more democratic two governments, the less the likelihood of violence between them. So not only is democracy a solution to domestic democide, but globalizing democracy is also a solution to war. The existence and spread of liberal democracies (not just electoral democracies, but liberal democracies in terms of civil and political rights and liberties) provides the long run hope for the elimination of democide and war. Professor Rummel astutely notes that power's relationship to democide is on a continuum - the more absolute the power, the more democide. The problem is Power. The solution is democracy. The course of action is to foster freedom.

This book made my son's Eagle ceremony. Dryse became and Eagle Scout with two of his friends /troop scouts. They each had several different ideas of what to do at their combined ceremony. With the help of this book the program they put together was perfect. The program was reverent, imformative, funny and touching. This book helped them to outline what they wanted in the program and a timeline to be able to complete the tack at hand. Each boy took on parts of the ceremony to orginize and their leadership skills they learned on their road toward Eagle shined through.

Very well laid out...a quick read that contains great ideas and sample formats for the big night.

I will be planning an Eagle Court of Honor in the near future. This book has all the information I need to be ready soon. I am no longer worried, just busy.

For anyone planning an Eagle Court of Honor - this is a must have!!!

For thoses to strived past hardships and challenges, put aside the confusion and ease the anxiety when preparing for this important event. No matter what kind of Eagle you are, you'll find this book helpful in making the best ceremony possible for you that commerating the achievement few and many met. Say you are non-religious, thats ok, though reverent is one of the twelve points, there is a ceremony pertaining to your interest and devotions of causes. If God fearing is what defines you, look no further than to prayers and poems that are appendixed. Any Eagle with the eye for the creative can think up and use almost any ceremony easily and gain publicity effortlessly. Other items, For your Information, though, can be purchased from Mark Ray. Both this book and other items are a great helpful in making the best Eagle Court of Honor.

This book is what it is: an unambiguous & insightful summary of why & how we struggle so much. I'm still reading it (trying to savor every sentence), but I doubt I've ever been happier about any other purchase.

I have read Emotional Clearing over the past year and have been extremely inspired by it. It is definitely the best new age book I've read, and I've read quite a lot. The concept of acceptance has been essential for me because for 21 years I've suffered terribly with anxiety, stress, and panic attacks. I've always fought it and suppressed it with alcohol and became as a result alcohol dependent. The book has given me relief from the attacks and I've been sober for 10 out of the past 12 months.

I have read Emotional Clearing over the past year and have been extremely inspired by it. It is definitely the best new age book I've read, and I've read quite a lot. The concept of acceptance has been essential for me because for 21 years I've suffered terribly with anxiety, stress, and panic attacks. I've always fought it and suppressed it with alcohol and became as a result alcohol dependent. The book has given me relief from the attacks and I've been sober for 10 out of the past 12 months.

John Ruskan has put together a very well thought out system of understanding feelings, karma and life. He has been working at this for quite some time, but the material has a timeless quality. I've read the book twice and took a great deal more from it the second time. There is something the rings true about karma and how our suppressed feelings and conditioned patterns attract that which is needed for them to come to the surface and give us the opportunity to grow through them. Of course, sometimes we do not chose or are not able to grow through difficult feelings. Emotional Clearing offers a deep, thorough treatment of the concepts that underly the challenage of this universal truth. Thus, this book helped me grasp the very spiritual nature of self work. I'm indebted to Ruskan for this, simply put. This book is not, gratefully, scientific or academic. Yet it is precisely assembled and thorough, affected by Ruskan's well-organized logic, but also by his practiced access to feelings, instinct and intuition. The modality he has developed takes the theory further by offering therapeutic techniques that are based on long standing practices. Like yoga, like breathwork. So it is more than theory. If you want a book or process or modality that also guides you directly to effective action, this book does that. But don't get me wrong, the theory can occupy a thoughtful person for quite some time too. I would know, having found the book two years ago and finding myself still involved with it and even now using my experience with it as a jumping off point for writing and working. There has been a decided improvement in the flow of my life since first discovering Ruskan's website and then buying the book. For spirtual seekers and people wanting to improve thier life in a deep, authentic, sustainable manner, this book is effective.

I have read Emotional Clearing over the past year and have been extremely inspired by it. It is definitely the best new age book I've read, and I've read quite a lot. The concept of acceptance has been essential for me because for 21 years I've suffered terribly with anxiety, stress, and panic attacks. I've always fought it and suppressed it with alcohol and became as a result alcohol dependent. The book has given me relief from the attacks and I've been sober for 10 out of the past 12 months.

It covers majority of the database topics and is a very useful reference.

I am a MS SQL DBA learning Oracle and this was the first book I read after going through the Oracle's official curriculum. Here are my thoughts.

1)This book is definitely not for the beginners. I highly recommend you start with a more basic book that gives you an overview of Oracle. Oracle tools are highly unintuitive and using them can be a frustrating experience especially for MS SQL DBAs *smirk*. Learning to just to connect to an Oracle database is a learning experience that will take knowledge on how Oracle's network and security function.

2)If you already have a working knowledge on how to operate an Oracle database, this book will no doubt provide a more solid foundation for your knowledge (except RAC). I particularly found its chapters on RMAN and IMPORT/EXPORT utilties particularly helpful.

3)Perhaps the best part of this book is that it encompasses what the author believes is the most essential knowledge to becoming a highly competent Oracle DBA. The book does not try to be a reference for every Oracle topic. Instead, the author has smartly picked the most important information needed and presented them in a readable format.

4)My only issue with this book is that it is wordy. The book is 1200 pages long and it could easily have been 1000 pages or fewer.

An excellent book covering all essential DBA topics for Oracle 9i Administration. Explained very well covering In-depth details, Illustrations and examples makes this book invaluable. I use it as a true source of reference and I will strongly recommend this book.

This is a great book. All Oracle people must have this.

I just got this book from the library and I decided to read through it before I buy. I think I will buy a copy of it. The book touched pretty much all the areas of Oracle 9i. It is a book to have on your desk as key reference. I will recommend this book to new DBA. The author did a pretty good job. The book seems too big but very useful. I give 4 stars.