John Wayne Books

I am in awe of the labor of love here, a compilation from all kinds of Alaskans and of all kinds of Alaska. The author is open-hearted and open-minded. I am sorry I had not read this one sooner, but better late than never (so many great books by smaller presses go unnoticed due to lack of marketing budget).
I hope to see more by Wayne Mergler, maybe for 2008.
Lesley Thomas, author of Flight of the Goose

Having been there to see Alaska only whets the appetite. Do you have imagination? Then, whether you've never been, only cruised thru, or passed thru via Anchorage, don't wait to purchase this the finest collection of stories of the true Alaska you will find. Feel what it's like to freeze to death, hunt the Great Whale, live the ways of the original Alaskans...without having to. Immerse yourself in poetry only a great land and great people could create. In short, enjoy this collection. Savor it. Send it to friends as I have. And, pick it up again and again and again.

Although many great literary minds have been inspired to write about Alaska, it is impossible to find a single work that can completely describe the "Alaskan Experience". This great land is simply too vast in size, and rich in history and cultures to be described by any one author at any one time. In his anthology, Wayne Mergler selected excerpts from classical stories of Alaska, along with modern works and Native lore. He transports the reader through time and culture to give a fuller view of what it is to be "Alaskan".

This book is a delight. Well chosen and skillfully edited material covers all aspects of the Alaska experience -- from native myths to the burly Alaska of the wild. This is a perfect book to read before your first trip to Alaska. If you have visited Alaska, reading this book will help you savor the Alaska experience. There are also several short pieces which make great bedtime reading for young children. One of my best purchases in years.

I have lived in Alaska all of my life and I have never found anything that described this land to its fullest. Wayne Mergler's anthology is one of the few works that takes both Alaskan and non-Alaskan authors to describe not only the adventures and dreams found here, but also the riches. Included in this Anthology, are authors like Jack London, John Haines, Nick Jans, Margaret Murie and many others. From poems and legends to excerpts of novels, this anthology has something for everyone. This work is not only a good book for Alaskans to read, but also any people in the lower-48 who ahve never been here, or still think that Alaska has nothing to offer except snow and ice

I am a Chef Instructor and this book is been very helpfull. It is very complete from the measurements to the cost control and is easy to understand.

I'm a culinary student and found this book very helpful for converting units into metric units. It helped me with my baking class because it showed how to convert measurements properly and with great accuracy. I also used the following to study for the National Servsafe Test which is also on amazon.com:
Study Guide for the National Servsafe Exam: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (ISBN: 0971999678). It showed me the type of questions asked on the exam. In addition, was quite helpful for my sanitation class. Get both books if you're in culinary school.

This book clears up the math questions for all levels of preparing foods. From the diference in dry measure to liquid measure to getting the quantities right for the number of guests you are feeding. Bravo!!

This is what I've been waiting for. For those of us who aren't too good with numbers and measurements (foodservice math), this is a god-send. It's got great information and it makes the whole subject of "culinary math" reasonable and understandable.

As a former Calvinist (Conservative Methodist for fourteen years now), I love that this version of the NIV Study Bible replaces the Calvinist bias of the original with Wesleyan-arminian theology which falls between Reformed theology and straight up Arminianism.

I've had this version for a couple of years, though I had to buy it used since it's out of print. I so wish Zondervan would bring it back into print, because I recommend it to friends and tell them to keep searching online for used copies.

This is a must for all Christians who are wanting to reflect the Holiness of God. This Wesleyan study bible has excellent study helps and has been compiled by Nazarenes, Wesleyans, Salvation Army USA, and the Christian Holiness Partnership. If you love God - You'll love this study bible and the message of Holiness proclaimed within!

The "NIV Study Bible" is by far my favorite study Bible because the notes and references are detailed, but not too "pushy". The "Reflecting God Study" Bible is better. It is almost a duplicate of the "NIV Study Bible", but the notes are from a "holiness" or Wesleyan perspective and the inserts are good reading.(Although they are like ads in a magazine which mess with the pages turning)

An example of the note differences between the two Bibles:

REFLECTING--2 Thes. 2:13 "Salvation is available by God's grace but must be freely embraced. "through belief in the truth" One must respond to the calling of God.

Regular NIV STUDY BIBLE: 2 Thes. 2:13 "loved by the Lord...God chose" For the connection between God's love and election see Col. 3:12; I Thes 1:4 "from the beginning" Election is from eternity. "Sanctifying work" A necessary aspect of salvation, not something reserved for special Christians.

This is a MAJOR difference if a person is of the "holiness" persuasion. Personally, I would not have purchased the "NIV Study Bible" if I had seen the "Reflecting God Study Bible" first. It's great to have this Bible available!

I really can begain to pick up this bible and have a hard time putting it down, it puts a clear prosective of the word of God into text that I understand!! Recomended for every new Christian.

Unlike most alternate history anthologies, ReVisions consists of all new and original stories, a great change from the constantly re-hashed collections. All of the stories in ReVisions deal with some sort of technological, social, or anthropological change. There's everything from Nikola Tesla inventing the laser to the Sumerians creating the printing press, to what might have happened if dogs had never been domesticated or if Da Vinci's inventions had actually been put into effect.

The stories themselves, while creative and original, do not seem to have been edited as well as they might have been, keeping me from giving ReVisions a full five stars. It's a new release, and so you probably won't find it in used bookstores. That being said, I have no regrets about spending the full price to buy from Amazon.

The topics featured for diversion are best-suited for scientific and engineering types, but there are a few to satisfy those preferring socially-based or even anthropological stories.

I have an uneasy relationship with short story anthologies. On the plus side, they give me a cross section of stories about a topic or premise in which I'm interested. And I can read one or two of stories before I conk out at night, which is good for time management.

But by definition, anthologies are a mixed bag. I have come to expect that I'll find a few great stories, several that are decent, and a few time-wasters. I also expect that I'll have read at least a few of the stories before because the premise of any given anthology will usually bring one "classic" to mind. That's not bad, but it does mean that I'm paying for a story I already own.

I'm happy to report that ReVisions breaks the rules -- in the best way. The premise is excellent, the stories are all new to the anthology, and I didn't find a single clunker.

ReVisions is an alternate history anthology with a tiny twist: in which scientific breakthroughs were made in a different time or place. How would history have played out differently if the printing press were created by the Sumerians or if the laser was developed 50 years earlier? (I stole those examples off the back of the book, so they aren't quite spoilers, or anyway no more so than it would be for you when you picked it up yourself. It's hard to be specific here because I don't want to spoil your pleasure in figuring out the scientific difference in each tale.) It's a great idea, and it works well.

The 15 short story authors are excellent, too, and I found this book when I was searching for more from some of my favorites. I'm sure they're familiar to you, too: Julie Czerneda, Isaac Szpindel, Geoffrey Landis, Laura Anne Gilman, Kage Baker, Doranna Durgin, James Alan Gardner, Robin Wayne Bailey, Kay Kenyon, Mike Resnick, Susan R. Matthews, Cory Doctorow, Charles Stross, Jay Caselberg, Peter Watts, John G. McDaid. None of them are in the universe(s) for which the authors are most famous (i.e. this isn't a "Company" story from Kage Baker) so you get to see the writers doing something different.

And they do it well. Several of the stories are truly great, and most of the rest are a solid "good." I confess that I was ho-hum about "Unwirer," by Doctorow and Stross, and about Caselberg's "Herd Mentality," but you might disagree. Besides, if the worst in this collection is "okay," that's far better than most anthologies.

I'm really glad I took the time to read ReVisions. I heartily recommend it to any fan of alternate history, or anyone who likes these authors.

These are not your typical, predictable "what if someone went back in time and gave General Lee machine guns?" type of historical revision tales. Instead, they are based in real science, and speculate about how real, historical (or scientific) events could have changed the world if they happened in a just slightly (and realistically) different way. Brilliantly written, and very fun to read.

This fifteen short story collection contains what if alternate history tales that will delight genre fans. Each tale takes a key scientific or technological element and changes when it occurred so that it either intersects at an earlier pivotal moment in history such as the Sumerians inventing the printing press in BC or never materialized such as Galileo fails to release his findings. The tales are all well written and the explanation of the REVISION point is fun to follow to ascertain whether the reader agrees with the author's logic. Intriguing are those with a modern aspect to include Tesla inventing a laser in the nineteenth century, Livingstone bringing AIDS out of Africa in the nineteenth century and the government pushing aquanauts over astronauts and banning the Internet. Mindful of the Marvel Comics What If series, this terrific collection will have the audience thinking of new ones such as what if an underpaid over paid book reviewer was given a guitar instead of Narnia?

Harriet Klausner

About a year ago a teacher/performer friend asked me who my first guitar teacher was. Larry McCabe, quite a few years ago. My friend looked surprised, and told me he uses Larry's books in his own teaching, and that Larry had written something like 80 books to date. I had no idea, as Larry was in the process of writing his first book when I had lessons with him. So when it came time to brush up on some basic blues licks for a band I'm in I ended up obtaining some of Larry's books.

This book of blues turnarounds is where I started. What a great book - full of excellent turnaround licks. At this point I've only played through about half of them note for note, but have used those as a basis for coming up with my own licks. And to me, that is the mark of a great book - lots of useful information if read note-for-note, but can also be used as a springboard for creating new ideas.

The licks I've learned from the book thus far are all in the key of C, but can be easily used in other keys if one has a basic knowledge of the notes on the fretboard. I'd highly recommend this book for a beginner wanting to learn stock blues licks, or intermediate players who need to expand their blues vocabulary.

An Excellent Choice for the Early Intermediate Blues Guitarist

A turnaround is a lick played at the end of a section of music. A blues turnaround would be played in measures 11-12 of a 12-bar blues, or measures 7-8 of an eight-bar blues.

Electric urban blues turnarounds are fairly easy to play, and the difference from one to another is subtle. Having the ability to play a variety of turnarounds is an important skill in blues guitar playing. This is the best book I know of that addresses exclusively the subject of electric blues guitar turnarounds.

This a book for a VERY ambitious beginner, or an early intermediate guitarist who has an interest in Chicago blues in the classic style of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, etc.

The licks are all arranged in the key of C. This is for ease of analysis and comparison. The user is encouraged to transpose the licks to other keys - a worthwhile project for exploring and learning the fingerboard. Very, very good practice for learning the art of blues phrasing.

Great book from one of our leading authors. My students (and myself) have consistently benefited from the interesting instruction contained here.

My students and I work from several of Larry McCabe's guitar books and find that the books produce consistently high results.

This book, like the others, is exceptionally well crafted, specific in intent, and the guitar lines are accurately written exactly as they are heard on the CD. Larry McCabe books are the work of a dedicated teacher who has achieved a high level of respect nationally in the field of music education.

Larry asked me to write a review for this book, and I am happy to do so. The object of this book is to teach the art of playing blues guitar turnarounds to a guitarist who has some prior experience but is just beginning to explore electric blues.

If a student knows how to bend the strings and perhaps play slurs, slides, and hammers, blues turnarounds are not difficult to play. What is important is to play them authentically and with conviction. This book does a very good job in advancing those objectives.

A component of this book that is quite effective is that every phrase is written in the Key of C. The student should then transpose each lick to other keys, a desirable skill that encourages individual incentive and ability to solve arranging problems.

The turnarounds sound exactly like the ones played on classic blues recordings by the great artists from Chicago and other urban areas.

I know other teachers who swear by Larry's books, and I am one of them. Great book- effective in its aims, ambitious content, fun to work through, and a great value.

This book is the perfect compliment to Jay Adams' "Christian Counselor's Manual". While the Counselor's Manual is primarily a conversational "how-to" guide this book is more "scholarly" and more profoundly addresses the Scriptural and logical reasons to adopt and apply the Biblical Counseling model. If you have questions about whether the Biblical Counseling model is appropriate or whether Scripture is sufficient for addressing the counseling needs of individuals in today's complex society, this is the book to purchase.

I purchased the book for my son in college and I am sure he is enjoying the book. I appreciate the fast shipment...I was hoping that the book will make it to the school prior to the start of class and it DID....thanks

This book is a great complement to the three other foundational works in biblical counseling: Curing the Heart by Bill Hines and Howard Eyrich, Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer by Paul Tripp and Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams. MacArthur provides good practical application to the multidimensional process framework provided by Hines and Eyrich.

Every pastor and every lay person who desires to practice biblical counseling should have this work as well as the others mentioned in his/her personal library. They provide the foundational framework and will often be referenced for wisdom on a variety of problems.

No one knows the New York Rangers like John Halligan, who for many years served as their Director of Public Relations.

In this spectacular volume, Halligan has brought together the best memories from the Rangers' history to provide a comprehensive and nostalgic journey for Ranger fans - and hockey fans - all over the world.

Gorgeous photos, in-depth detail, and hilites of all Rangers' special moments are captured within. This is a collectors' item for past, present and future hockey fans.

Quite simply, this is the type of book you pick up for a quick glance, and when you look up at the clock, you find you've been immersed in it for what turns out to be over two hours of pure pleasure.

Very highly recommended!!!

The "New York Rangers-Seventy-Five Years", is a superb historical look back at 75 years of Ranger hockey. Author John Halligan, who is a former public relations director for the Rangers, gives the fan, a fantastic look back at the birth of this great franchise, and takes you on a journey from 1926 to the year 2000. All the legends of Ranger hockey are presented in all their glory. Names like the Bill and Bun Cook, Lester Patrick, Ching Johnson, Murray Murdoch, Chuck Rayner, Gump Worsley, Andy Bathgate, Harry Howell, Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield, Eddie Giacomin, Brad Park, Adam Graves, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter are just a few of the Ranger legends that are brought to life with rare photo's and text that help make this book the best book ever published on the New York Rangers. The all-time Ranger team fold out section by John Davidson is a very nice touch to this oversized coffee table book. Seeing the full page photo of Eddie Giacomin overcome by emotion playing for the Red Wings, as the crowd chanted his name for 2 hours surely brought back memories of an event that will live forever in Ranger history. All four stanley cup teams are covered here, 1927, 1933,1940 and of course 1994. The book has lots of statistical data at end section of the book to help settle any arguments over who had more goals and shutouts etc. I can't think of a better gift to give to a young Ranger fan who would like to explore the history and players who wore the uniform of the New York Rangers.

I own this when it was first realesed 2 years ago! NUFF said!

needed so bad. as my handbook in this second college years learning industrial engineering. last year, i failed passing the subject.

Great introductory text for a non-IE. Very broad, covers most of the range of the IE topic. I used it as a study aid when studying for the PE exam; I passed, and I credit much of that to this book.

Good: Covers lots of stuff that was on the exam, including:
-Industrial processes (metal cutting, Taylor tool life eqn)
-Facility layout
-Facility location (traveling salesman, milk run algorithms)
-Operations planning (forecasting demand, EOQ, exponential forecasting)
-Project management (PERT, crashing, forward/backward pass)
-Good introduction to stats and probs in the appendix

Not-so-good:
-Lots of wasted space on management theory (get a business text instead)
-Computer stuff is out-of-date

It does not go into substantial detail, so it is (as titled) an introductory text. Still, I highly recommend it to the non-IE.

In 1981 I used this book for a graduate seminar that I taught on time series analysis at UC Santa Barbara. The course was successful because I followed the text closely. It presents the material in a rigorous and cogent manner. At the time there were a few competing books but some emphasized time domain methods and others were strictly frequnecy domain approaches. Fuller balances the two very well and his book is better written and organized than most of the competitors at that time (1981).

Today there are a lot more books to choose from. You can check my listmania list on time series books to get an idea. I particularly like Brockwell and Davis' book as a competitor to Fuller for a graduate level time series seminar.

In 1981 I used this book for a graduate seminar that I taught on time series analysis at UC Santa Barbara. The course was successful because I followed the text closely. It presents the material in a rigorous and cogent manner. At the time there were a few competing books but some emphasized time domain methods and others were strictly frequency domain approaches. Fuller balances the two very well and his book is better written and organized than most of the competitors at that time (1981).
Today there are a lot more books to choose from. You can check my listmania list on time series books to get an idea. I particularly like Brockwell and Davis' book as a competitor to Fuller for a graduate level time series seminar.

This is a well researched compendium of events in Tolkien's life. For anyone who wishes to know more about Tolkien the man and scholar as well as author needs to consult this book.

If you are looking or a biography, you will not find it here. This volume is not like the wonderful biography by Carpenter. It is not coherent book with beginning, middle and summary.
It is a list, tremendous, important and very useful list. Especially for Tolkien scholars or very highly educated enthusiastic.

It is one of a kind chronology; I really think that Tolkien is the only writer that such comprehensive chronology was published about him. This impressive chronology will be extremely useful for the Legendarium researchers. Once and for all you can know the exact point where some story began and when it was ended. It is even more useful for scholars that study Tolkien life or LOTR's Tolkien biographical influences.

Scull and Hammond should be proud of this achievement. All of Tolkien's enthusiastic and scholars should be grateful for their effort.

If you are the average enthusiastic, you should reconsider if you thought about this book. The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide, Vol. 2 will be more interesting and useful. If you are having interest in Tolkien's life and character or you have interest in the vast Legendarium, you will be able to value it properly - as the ultimate bibliographical text about Tolkien.