X Books

This book made me laugh a lot.I don't know where Kevin Henkes gets his inspiration.I thought this book was very creative.

The book Two Under Par is a very good book.Two Under Par is a book about a boy named Wedge who's mom is getting married to a man that owns a golf coures(King).King wants to be friends with Wedge, but Wedge doesn't feel the same way about King.Mom desided to take King's son on a camping trip, but the problem is that Wedge can't go.As the time go's by Wedge and King finally become friends.Iliked the book because it was funny.it is a very good book you should read it sometime.

Two Under Par is my favorite book ever! I am only twelve years old, but I've read this book about fifteen times! That's how much I love it. I'm not sure why. I guess because it is funny, and realistic.

This book is about a young fellow named Wedge whose mom (Sally) just got married to a man named King who has a son named Andrew. King owns a putt-putt course. Sally announces one morning that her and Andrew were going on a camping trip and King and Wedge would stay at home. Wedge didn't really like King so he didn't like that idea. If you read this book you will find out how Wedge and King learn to love each other and be friends. This is a great book!

I've tried many times to find a book that clearly explains Unix in a friendly manner. I should have realized that the Apple ethos was the missing element in all the terse, disjointed treatments I found elsewhere. This book is a dream come true: a book about Unix that is as close to being enjoyable to read as the subject allows. It may not have everything there is to say about unix (I found a few things missing or covered too briefly for my tastes), but the book walks the reader through Unix so gently that I never once felt the blinding frustration that quickly overwhelms me during previous attempts. After this introduction other books (more comprehensive, less humane) can be read as references. Well done!

I have a working understanding of UNIX and am a Mac user. In my experience, this book is ideally targeted for someone like me that wants to improve UNIX skills and prefers to do so on a Mac. Other texts I've consulted seem to jump too fast between really elementary subjects to needs of a system admin. The depth here is still rich, but the reader has time to digest the information before getting to more complex constructs.

For those who are new to Unix, never fear, you won't find a better way to start. This book is very clearly written, easy to understand, and covers more than enough of the shell environment to give the user plenty to work with. Buy it! Get the most out of your Mac.

I loved the first edition of this book, but was thrilled when the updated version was released. (The original book was written before Mac OS X adopted the bash shell by default, so many of the examples were out of whack with later releases of the OS).
I use this as my primary Unix reference at work - where we do not use Macs! It is a comprehensive and easy reference.

I recommend this and O'Reilly's Learning Perl as the two best books (especially if you have a Mac at home) to build your professional Unix chops quickly.

Unplug
Unplugged: How to Disconnect from the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find Meaning and Fulfillment (Culture Tools)

The other day I heard of a friend who was planning to go off on a year long sabbatical at Christmas. My mum rather dryly remarked 'Why would anyone want to do that? The girl's 35 not 25!' A typical baby boomer response to a modern day dilemma? Perhaps. My first response to this might be that many of us in middle adulthood are living quietly desperate lives. In the words of Henry David Thoreau 'The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation' and this isn't a situation which appears to have moved on much since he said this in 1854.

The problem with quiet desperation is that it is not so easy to get away from. How many of us wanted to cheer when we saw Lester Burnham in 'American Beauty', get up and leave his job, get fit and 'get it back'? How many of us wanted to get up from our seat in the cinema and follow his example, leave the prisons that we have built up around ourselves within the pretence of respectability.

As Abba suggest in their hit 'The winner takes it all', is building me a home and a family, and playing by the rules really such a good idea or a kind of false reality? Do a lot of us live in a fake half-life, of the type derided by Paulo Coelho in many of his blogs and writings in which he talks about the drive of many to acquire a status of permanent Sunday afternoon-style peace in their lives, with not too many challenges and everything played by the book? The human existence craves for so much more than this, and Nancy Whitney-Reiter is one person who appears to have realized this.

Her book 'Unplugged: How to Disconnect from the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find Meaning and Fulfillment' responds to the inner and unexpressed dilemma of many which asks, how do we reconnect with ourselves, when all around us the modern, fast-paced world appears to be going slowly mad?

As a mother of two small (ish) boys, I found myself reading this book somewhat wistfully, as it was clear that a person with no dependents would find everything they needed in this book to help them unplug. I was enthused and encouraged by the first chapters and compelled to read on and discover exactly how I would be able to unplug too.

Nancy talks about the reasons why you might need to unplug and I would suggest many of them are relevant to many people, everywhere.

All of this is laced with her own experiences, which are candid. The reader is given a glimpse into the journey Nancy has been on, having been caught up in the catastrophe of 9/11. She paints the picture of her former self, a full scale achiever, top earner and successful corporate player who, on the surface of her life, had everything. Maybe someone I would never have come across in my life. Thankfully for me and for many others who will read this book, this twist of fate meant that I did (albeit in the virtual sense).

The book also goes into the necessary details you must consider if planning to unplug, be it during a sabbatical from work, or a full scale, life-changing, no going back style experience. It also looks at the different ways in which a person can unplug, as of course, not everyone considers travelling in the physical world a vehicle for life change. For some, unplugging whilst remaining at home, must also be an option, something this book recognises.

So back to me. How can I unplug after reading this book? I think that, for all my wistfulness, I realise that we make our own cages to live within. Mine is a somewhat hackneyed response about having too many responsibilities and people to look after to be able to get away, but forgetting something. The best moments of my life have been when I've made the effort to take myself out of my comfort zone, and this can be done by anyone, regardless of circumstance. At the heart of Nancy's book is the idea that we all can, and should, unplug in one way or another.

In case, like me, the book leaves you at a precipice of wanting more, in order to explore the idea of unplugging more fully, Nancy also offers ongoing support and links to helpful resources through her website ([...]). Nancy is brave and has come out of her comfort zone in a big way, but so can we, if we really want to. Reading her book will make you want to. Reading this book will help you to take that very necessary first step. As my husband's Sicilian grandfather used to be very fond of telling me, the hardest step is that of your threshold.

So, read this book! It is well worth it.

Nancy Whitney-Reiter has permanently removed any fears left I had of disconnecting from the "Matrix". In her debut non-fiction book, she clearly and efficiently demonstrates how people need to climb out of their boxes and do what Rousseau would have applauded, a real "retour à la nature". Her wit combined with her wisdom and knowledge shall surely help all people ready to step out of the American Dream phase and step into their own selves.

We Americans work more hours a week than our counterparts in other industrialized nations. Yet, while many of us have found our society's "official trappings of success" (title, income, cars, houses, stuff), many of us haven't truly found ourselves. Why not? Author Nancy Whitney-Reiter suggests that before we're even out of high school, we're being fast-tracked into careers that we then dutifully perform until we wake up one day and finally say, "Even though I appear to have it all, I'm not happy."

"Unplugged" asks us to question whether we're enjoying the "success" we have while being connected to the "consumption driven matrix." If our answer is "no," or even "maybe not," then this book is a smorgasbord of food for thought. Whitney-Reiter tells us the stories of others have temporarily gotten away from it all, including herself, and then provides practical advice and resources for unplugging and re-thinking our goals without losing our shirts or our sanity. Our planning includes attending to family, friends, career, debts, house and car, and prospective world wide volunteer opportunities and other travel options.

The author reminds us that unplugging is NOT a vacation trip: it's turning off the chaos of cell phones, WiFI, the hustle and bustle of work, and even grand-tour sight-seeing agendas and making time to ponder who we are and what we want. We must plan how we leave work, perhaps through a corporate sabbatical, and how we return to the world we know some 3-6 months later.

This well-written book provides you with the well-thought-out advice you need to begin your journey and return with a new lease on life.

Unplugged: How to Disconnect from the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find Meaning and Fulfillment (Culture Tools)

Burned out? Had enough? Even if you never leave your backyard, this book is filled with tips on how to de-stress by unplugging. If you do venture forth, you will find Ms. Whitney-Reiters' book a plethora of suggestions on how to accomplish even the most minute details you will need to take care of before you pack your suitcase, in a realistic, logical, warmly human, and humorous way.

First of all, this is way more than a travelogue. As you read, you may find yourself questioning your own motives for wanting to disconnect. When I got to the end, I said to myself, "Time to put this plan in motion." I read through rather quickly because I found that I wanted to keep learning. Now I want to re-read it so that I can actually study it and do the writing exercises with which Ms. Whitney-Reiter has concluded each chapter.

Secondly, the source guide at the end is chock full of useful resources. I've been plugged in exploring websites and researching suggested reading.

If you've decided you are in need of a break from the life you're tied to, I suggest you give this a read. As I wrote in the beginning of this review, even if you never leave your backyard, I bet you'll look at your life with fresh eyes.

I loved this book. Drawing on examples of athletes, artists, scientists, and many others who have excelled in a range of fields, the book is both instructive and inspiring. Visionary behavior is living a full and well-rounded life, and the book discusses how developing various capacities in ourselves will help us achieve that. I found the book to be a nice balance of idealism and realism, looking optimistically to the future, but solidly grounded in the present. The real-life examples provide great models and nicely illustrate each point. No quick fix solutions or band-aids here. I think the book hits on some profound truths in a refreshing way that will resonate with people of any age and background. Reading the book made me want to be better and provided instructions on how to do so. I highly recommend it to others.

This is a book well worth reading. It is a step by step journey into the power of the mind. The author uses mental imagining to create a vision of those behaviors needed to find the path that leads to success.

He uses a variety of examples of successful people who have already found those secrets inside of themselves. This book provides the creativity,spiritual awareness,insightfulness,and guidance to help you become a self full-filled person.

This book is an intriguing expedition into the soul of man. It exposes one to a world of possibilities by utilizing the exemplars of our time and the science behind our innermost workings. If you're looking to enrich your everyday life and find increased meaning within the things you do and say, this book is for you.

Author Mike Weber unfolds a keen grasp of history, and spirituality in Visionary Behavior. He seems to have his finger on the beating pulse of our generation, as well as many past, present and future. He brings to light so many possibilities for mankind. His message of hope is written in a lovely, flowing way. He tells us how we got here, and where we might go in the manner of a strong, kind mentor. His ideas for building character, talent and wisdom are complemented by his ideas on leadership, and a better world. I loved it.

The book x-files "voltage" by Easton Royce was very well written and had many issues and events to deal with including suspence. The story starts off in a small Oklahoma town when a 17 year old boy is struck by lightning and is able to tame electricity...
A must read book for all ages that will get you hooked!

This book is written extremely well throughout. It is the kind of short book that you feel you want to and should just read all through, from front to back. I almost did (if it wasn't for starting it late at night!) It is almost exactly as the episode on TV portrayed it, which is also a good point. Well worth a read even if you're not an x-phile, if you are, then it's a must-read book.

This book is rally good because it has a good climax. The story they give is expression because Darin loved Mrs.Kiveat and he wanted to show her how he feels.Darin has power to make ligthing strike any time he wants.The book is good I recamended.

How is lightning so accurate to kill residents in a small Oklahoma town every time it strikes? Lightning can't do that...can it? Ask Darrin Oswald, a big video game wiz, but a big geek who has a crush on Sharon Kiveat, married to Frank Kiveat. His crush won't go too far...will it? Does he have any paranormal powers? Naw...that's Mulder talk, a boy can't make lightning. Right?

knowledge scales and political sophistication are key variables in social science studies that often are used without really thinking about what they mean or measure. This book provides insight into this problem and real solutions to solve it, in addition to the primary context of how informed americans are about politics. Great work and a must have for any collection.

Anyone interested in the knowledge levels of the American public, especially in terms of political opinions and where that type of knowledge comes from, will find this book very informative and rewarding. Delli Carpini and Keeter have accumulated a very well researched and documented mass of data concerning what the American people know about many different categories of politics. In an enlightening fashion they break down political knowledge not just into different categories of information, but also by demographic categories in the general population. We find that socio-economic status is as important to political knowledge levels as personal interest or media exposure, leading to occasionally worrisome conclusions about how average people can truly make a difference.

This book does sometimes lapse into unnecessarily complex statistical models rife with under-explained regression analyses and coefficients (which should have been relegated to the Appendix section), while the writing style tends to be repetitive and is generally very verbose. Meanwhile, the conclusive analysis of "why it matters" is a bit rushed at the end of the book. But regardless of those issues, this book shows convincingly that the American public's knowledge of their own nation's politics is both more complex than may be expected, but that their knowledge is not always put to the most effective uses. Happily, the authors show that citizens typically do not consign political perceptions into simplistic liberal vs. conservative and black-and-white ideologies, as you may guess from the behavior of politicians and the media. However, we can also see here that the knowledge of the American masses is not frequently put to the best of uses, either by themselves or their leaders. [~doomsdayer520~]

*What Americans Know About Politics and Why It Matters* is an important book in that it reveals how informed voters have more stable, consistent opinions and are much more resistant to irrelevant information (such as commentary in the media and campaign rhetoric, sound bites, and photo ops). It also reveals that informed voters hold opinions that more closely match those of the Founders of the United States -- including personal responsibility and limited federal powers -- than do those who are ignorant of the issues.

I thought it showed the ignorance of the American voter, and the dire need for voter education. In my opinion, the average American urgently needs voter education. I believe that voter education will produce a Democratic majority, and this book gave me data to back up my beliefs.

Hello everybody.I think this book is very good because it's pretty cool and the author did a good job writing this book.This book is about Nat and her bike.Nat and the gang were riding a trail and a tree fell over and Nat got hurt.It was pretty cool in the middle.You got to read the book to find out the whole story!

this was one of the best books in the 8 book seires i really liked it because it had a very hard mystery to try to solve and when they would describe when they where riding the trails was reall tight (i think that is one of the things that laban does best) but i think there are two better books in this series those are the first book deep powder deep trouble and the last book in the series total whiteout but this was one of my favorites.

Hello everybody.I think this book is very good because it's pretty cool and the author did a good job writing this book.This book is about Nat and her bike.Nat and the gang were riding a trail and a tree fell over and Nat got hurt.It was pretty cool in the middle.You got to read the book to find out the whole story!

this book was a action and adventure that was fun to read

In Scrapbook, what struck me are the human interest photos. Hypersonic! was superb in detailing the X-15; Scrapbook presents photos of engineers and technicians performing their mundane but vital tasks, as well as the heroic pilots in lighter moments.

What I took away from this experience was an admiration for the professionalism and dedication of a handful of Americans who were opening new frontiers.

Scrapbook featured all that was good about 1950's America. Long may that spirit live. This book was a time machine for me. Get this book while you can.

Collaboratively compiled and written by aerospace experts Tony R. Landis and Dennis R. Jenkins, X-15 Photo Scrapbook is a collection of over 350 black-and-white photographs and 50 color photos showcasing the last in a line of manned rocket-powered research airplanes to be built during the 1950s. Brief commentary with an eye for technical details is fully enhanced by the pictures, in this visual distinguishment which is very highly recommended for aviation buffs. Also highly recommended is the Landis and Jenkins aerospace history: Hypersonic: The Story Of The North American X-15 , which offers a detailed 276-page history of this remarkable aircraft. The X-15 Photo Scrapbook collects photographs that could not be included in Hypersonic due to space limitations.

If you are looking for a lot of text, then get Hypersonic by the same authors (the best history book ever written on the X-15 program). If you already own Hypersonic, or just want a book filled with seldom-seen (or often, never-seen) photos of the X-15 and its support environment, then this is the book for you. There is essentially no text other than captions. It is only 108 pages long, but contains several hundred photos, all very well reproduced. Twelve of the pages are full-color and contain some wonderful images taken for National Geographic as well as a variety of other photos of the airplanes during their flight test program. I highly recommend this publication.

If you are looking for a detailed history of the X-15 program, you need to purchase Hypersonic, by the same authors. If you want a large number of unusual photographs of the program, then this is th ebook you need to buy. Better yet, buy both. This book says it contains the photos that would not fit into Hypersonic, and there are some real gems here. Many of these have never been seen before, and essentially none of them duplicate the already excellent coverage in Hypersonic.

This is a great book!

Very good book.
I had to pinch myself many times to make sure was it I enjoying this book.
One can finish reading it in less than six hours.
Packed with useful information.
I find it extremely useful to impress my boss and fellow-colleagues.
This book is the output of author's 15 years' research on the topic.
I bought 10 copies so far, to send them to my managers and friends.
Long live Ross.

What a breath of fresh air! The X-Factor is loaded with new knowledge about managing and motivatiing. The book's subtitle says it all, "Getting Extraordinary Results From Ordinary People." Instead of providing armchair advice on how to succeed as a manager, The X-Factor delivers a proven forumla on the ultimate management issue: how to get people to perform at peak levels indefinitely.

The X-Factor is the most complete and practical management/leadership/motivation book ever written. It picks up where "In Search of Excellence" left off and is the perfect compliment for "Good to Great". This book is incredibly well researched and thought through -- the author leaves few, if any, stones unturned. At the same time, The X-Factor is a wonderfully compelling story and an easy read. Once you start this book, you literally can't put it down...IT'S THAT GOOD!

With so many books available, it is nice to find a book that actually talks about things you can do for longer than 3 months. This is an easy process to get things done in all aspects of your life. By following the basic points of the book, you can get started today. The book is organized well, and tells a story while teaching you in the process. By implementing the concepts spelled out in The X-Factor, you can get extraordinary results from ordinary people. The nice thing about this is that your people won't roll their eyes, because it is not a gimmick that will go away over time, it is a natural way to get things done and give people more satisfaction in their jobs. Ross Reck has proven that the key to solving the management puzzle is not very complicated. Take a few hours with this book and you will be well on your way to getting ordinary people x-cited about going the x-tra mile to help you, the manager, achieve x-traordinary results. It is the best Leadership book I have read this year.

Have only read the first half and flipped through the second, but Marcelo does a great job showing his X-guard. If you liked the Eddie Bravo books you will really like this.

This is a must have for anyone willing to think outside the box when it comes to BJJ. The introduction itself is worth its purchase. Marcelo defines what it means to sacrifice for any goal or passion we all have inside. The detailed pictures and explaination leave no room for error. Get this ASAP.

It's no secret that I really enjoy Victory Belt's books. I think they've nailed the format for describing individuals' games and their specialities. They are definitely the market leader in the arena of working with a fighter to extract the information they need and put it into print.

It shouldn't surprise any readers, then, that I really liked the X-Guard by Marcelo Garcia.

The book has all the hallmarks of Victory Belt's previous works. The large format and detailed colour photography don't disappoint and actually go one better with this edition.

Not resting on their laurels, the guys at VB have introduced detailed inset photos where warranted. This is not a completely original concept by any means, but it is done as well here as with any other publisher.

One of the problems I thought I might have with the book is that I wouldn't be able to identify with Marcelo and the X-Guard. This was an issue with Eddie Bravo's books on the Rubber Guard. I don't really use the Rubber Guard and am not built well for it. I pretty much have had the same problem with the X-Guard.

That was until I read through this book. You see, my butterfly guard is a little...... agricultural. And that, it seems , is my problem with the X-Guard. Not my long legs and extraordinary height - my previous excuses.

The book is split into two sections. The first is on the butterfly guard and the second on the X-Guard, itself. Both are split into three subsections each. The butterfly guard section is the most detailed treatment I've seen of the topic in a book. The three subsections are titled "Basic Positioning & Grip Defense", "Sweeps & Transitions" and "Submissions".

Now, Marcelo Garcia can work his butterfly guard in a way I find amazing. It's something I'd never been able to do terribly well. I could work it well enough against white belts, but always had to let it go against people nearer my own skill level. This book, though, gives solutions to most of the problems I'd encountered in the past.

I had the same problem with the X-Guard. There was just no way known I was ever going to get my giant legs in position. It shouldn't surprise you to find I was doing it wrong, though. The details shown for the X-Guard helped me a great deal, but I believe it's my better understanding of the butterfly guard that has ealed the deal for me.

The X-Guard section is is split up in a similar way to the butterfly guard section with subsections called "Establishing the X-Guard", "Sweeps" and "Submissions".

All-in-all, I'd say this is one of those rare $24 books that have made a heck of a lot more than $24 worth of effect on my game.

It just keeps getting better, too. Erich Krauss and Glen Cordoza have been getting steadily better at writing, too. In the past, I've criticised their spelling and grammar in the introduction sections. Is it better in this book? The truth is, I don't know. I got so engrossed in Marcelo's story, I never bothered to check.

That's got to be a big tick in the box.

After a review like this, I like to put a little disclaimer to it......

I am no Marcelo Garcia fanboy. I've not watched his DVDs all the way through and I've seen maybe three of his matches. I have also been known to give Victory Belt some very pedestrian reviews, but they do impress me with their ability to improve with each publication. This book is the second of their catalogue to go in the Best of the Best category, but probably not the last if the quality continues this way.

I was excited to get this book and it completely lived up to my expectations. Like the other Krauss-Cordoza collaborations from Victory Belt publishing this is a very well put together book printed on high grade glossy paper, with detailed high quality multiple-angle shots of the techniques and very good explanation including the physical mechanics of the movement and advice on strategy of when to use it, how to get there, mistakes to avoid, and what your opponent is likely to do. Marcelo Garcia is probably the best grappler in the world and his system is unique and effective and works for all body types, and unlike Eddie Bravo's very good system doesn't require crazy flexibility. The book provides info on gi and no gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's comparable to Eddie Bravo's Rubber guard book in terms of quality and production value. It has a color coded easy to use system that makes it very easy to quickly find sections and whether the technique is appropriate for gi and no gi competition.
The introduction includes a short biography that shows you the determination and dedication that has made him the champion he is. From 3 hour commutes to training, to cleaning the mats so he could afford to train 4 times a day. The first section on technique is 78 pages dedicated to the butterfly guard including basic stance and grip work, sweeps and transitions, and submissions all with detailed advice on how to establish and properly adjust the technique so you can make it work in high level competition ( e.g. 7 pages just on the guillotine choke, most books give it only 2). He constantly emphasizes drilling the technique to really get it down and learning the fundamentals of the butterfly guard before moving to the X guard. This sort of guard requires very good timing and sense of balance that can only be developed through many hours on the mat. The X guard is detailed in the final 149 pages of the book (264 pages all together). 63 pages on establishing the X guard from standing, sitting, elbow control, underhooks, full guard, half guard, omoplata, mount and headlocks. Then a section with 18 sweeps from X guard from different kids of control (e.g. from hands, sleeve, or collar). Then 15 pages detailing 7 submissions for X guard including omoplata, triangle, gi and no gi inverted arm bar, knee bar, foot lock, and heel hook. Again filled with tips on when to use it, positions to transitions from, your opponents likely reactions, and common mistakes. If you perfect even just a few of the techniques in this book your game will improve dramatically. This book is more for intermediate to advanced students of BJJ, though the section on butterfly guard is fairly accessible and very useful to beginners. Those starting out (and intermediates too) should check out Kid Peligro's book "the Essential Guard" or the Joe Moreira /Ed Beneville 3 part series on the Guard, these focus are more on the fundamentals. If you're looking to improve your guard and your overall game, I highly recommend this book, it's a steal at this price, I would have paid more for it. I look forward to his next book on arm drags and mastering the back.