X Books

This is the story of Frank Shields, a great tennis star who was ranked as the best tennis player in the whole world in 1933. It was witten by his son.

Shield was a real high liver in the early 20th century running with Barrymores, Clark Gable and other. He was a free liver and a free lover. A passionate Irish fellow, he was wild and irresponsible, and yet irresistable in his own way.

William Shields writes of his father with a warm love, even though he does give notice to all his imperfections.

This is quite possibly the best-written technical book that I have ever read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in "sustainability" issues or use of renewable materials. This book describes the growing use of plant-based chemical feed-stocks and materials although there is also a chapter on the use of feather (chicken, turkey etc) reinforcement. The authors selected the material very nicely so that the subjects covered have a nice flow. Topics move from industrial-type separations processes to chemical modifications of oils, to blending materials to get desired properties, through to manufacturing and current products. There is also discussion and data comparing materials properties based on source and processing. Throughout the book never loses its "readability" or interest. I started the book with a lot of interest in the subject and finished it with even more interest in the subject, and that does not always happen. I have read other books in subjects that are of interest to me and yet lost interest in the book itself and thereafter used the book merely as a reference source. This book is one I quickly decided I would read from cover to cover. It does assume basic familiarity with chemical terminology and some technical background but I think anyone with a bachelor level background in chemistry or chemical engineering or some materials-related field will have no difficulty with the treatment of the subject matter. Modern industry is highly dependent on non-renewable resources, and the polymer industry specifically is largely dependent on petroleum-based feedstocks. I think every materials educator, researcher, formulator or manufacturer should start learning about bio-based materials since they are certain to become increasingly important to our economy, and I think this book is not only the first to deal with the subject, but even as other books become available, I believe this will remain the best for quite some time.

This is an excellent work which deserves much greater recognition. Inspired by "The Art of War" and the video game of the same name, this book takes a documentary-style look at the life of a man who many see as a hero, a mentor, and a friend. In sum, when the Bionic Commando, otherwise known by his civilian name, Jack Markson, loses his arm during a ninja-attack in his hotel room there is some serious trouble. For one thing, his friend Super Joe is gone, kidnapped as leverage in what appears to be a bizarre blackmailing/extortion scheme. This is disastrous for Mr. Markson as Super Joe is a friend and colleague with whom he has worked for decades. Predictably, our blonde hero vows revenge on this faceless, heartless enemy. He appeals to his government, The Federation; in recognition of his years of dedicated service this organization grants him a bionic arm that has, among other tools, a grappling hook, truth serum, and a flame thrower (NOTE: the latter two are not apparent in the NES game for some reason, so this is one of the major surprises of the book!!!). During the course of the novel Markson must find Super Joe and battle a hoard of enemies in various locations. The ending is a surprise twist that will shock, amaze, and ultimately befuddle any reader, young or old, happy or sad. This work should be required reading for anyone who is interested in bionic limbs, ghosts, soldiers, and video games.

Despite what modern readers might be tempted to infer from the title of this book, the notion of 'Theoria' at work here does not involve 'theory' in its modern, privative sense - i.e. as a prelude to practice, or purely abstract, auxilliary notions about some particular thing or state, but refers to a type of contemplative action that Aristotle held to be an end in itself - for the philosopher.

Needless to say then, Erikson's study of N.E. X will be an eye opener and prove somewhat shocking, for those weaned on the notion of Aristotle the 'empiricist' and antithesis of Plato's 'contemplative' style. Rightly or wrongly, Book VI
is often taken to be the definitive chapter of N.E. Heidegger, for instance, made much of Book VI as a 'phenomenological' exploration of the springs of social action. There, we find no appeal to abstract states - and, in Book VI, human and moral excellence (arete)and the blessed life (eudaemonia)itself - is stated to lie within the scope of the 'kalei praxeis' or noble practices incumbent upon man in his social being. In the life of the Polis, it is the logical corollary of Aristotle's 'ergon' argument - that a thing is defined by its function (ergon)- and, insofar as human beings live in a world of shared meaning, their 'ergon' requires a social framework. Ostensibly then, Aristotle had no time for a consciousness, priviliged to operate beyond or outside the social realm.

Strangely, however - with N.E. Book X, Aristotle does privilege consciousness in an almost Platonic sense - and the life of the philosopher along with it. This upsets the Aristotleians who wish to make Aristotle into a modern empiricist and phenomenonologist too, if they can. Surely, they think, Aristotle could not have been serious when advocating the contemplative life as man's highest vocation? They go back to Aristotle's N.E. BK VI - citing the 'ergon' argument, failing to see that so far as Aristotle and N.E. Book X are
concerned, the 'bios theoretikos' represents the most complete activity. There is reason to feel that he had in mind something like Dogen's notion of samadhi as the self fulfilling activity of Za-zen. Those with little or no wit like to see the absurd in this, a life dedicated to "thinking about thought " etc. But actually, Aristotle's argument is that the bios theoretikos - as he articulated it - mirrors the activity of the gods or THE divine energeia itself. The Latin equivalent for the act of theoria - in this sense, means something like pure
speculation, as in the pure reflective power of a speculum or mirror. In Christian terms, it is contemplating the divine in terms of a pure act (actus purus). Like other commentators, Erikson underscores the tension between N.E.@Bk. 6 and Bk. X, but unlike most commentators, beside the odd Thomist scholar, Erikson has endeavoured to understand the separate argument presented in N.E. Bk. X. I like to think that the jury is still out on this. It is intriguing to think that we might read N.E.
Book X afresh, after 2, 500 years.

I thought that this one was a slow starter but all in all a great mystery.

I remember this book as a childhood favorite. Excellent fantasy story for children ages 7-10.

I am writing this review to let other browsers know that the wrong Table of Contents is shown on this web site for the book Blood In Our Boots. This book is the story of Ed Haider who trained as a ParaTrooper in WWII and participated in the first jump into Sicily and ended up in the Stalag 2B. You will enjoy his story. I have listened to Ed tell these stories for the past few years,and his book has the same great "storytelling" qualities.

Having left the CIA to return to Harlem after his father's death and take over his bar, Devil Barnett is soon called upon to help the police investigate a massacre. Disliking the sleazy politician doing the asking, Barnett refuses. But the six bodies were found over his uncle's strip club, and one of them was a Japanese diplomat, so when his uncle, aka the Sultan, asks, Barnett agrees.

The Sultan is "king of the shadow politicians in Harlem," people who "pull the strings" of elected politicians, and with Republicans in power all over the city, he can't afford a scandal involving a diplomat. The dead, who were dusted in cocaine, also include two assassins who had targetted the diplomat, so Barnett begins looking into the man's Harlem business. He also begins hunting for the one who got away - a young prostitute now in hiding. Is it drugs, politics, business, all three, or something else altogether?

The novel's pace is procedural as Barnett tracks down the various connections and digressions, trying to make time for the bodyrest essential to sickle-cell anemia sufferers like himself. He broods over the changes Harlem has seen since its heyday and even since his own youth as he passes through neighborhoods, renews old connections and makes new ones.

Barnett's voice is hard-boiled. He's a bit bitter over his CIA stint, feeling he'd run into the "glass ceiling" when he tired of "wet work" and looked for a promotion. But he can croon too, waxing warm over family and enduring Harlem traditions. Steeped in jazz rythmns, blues riffs and hard-edged rap, Hayes' debut explores many facets of Harlem, including drugs, prostitution, gangs and Korean inroads, withough speading itself too thin. Hayes' decidedly noir debut, despite a few off notes (the white police captain is a cartoon) offers a complex protagonist, a fast-paced plot and rich atmosphere. A promising series opener.

This book has all the pearls of body CT.
A lot of tables, images and key points can be found in the book which make it a great review tool before the tests.
Highly recommended.

Well, I may seem a bit biased, but I am a good friend of Richard and Nancy's, and over the past 6 months or so, I have heard little pieces of this book read by Richard inbetween sets at his NYC gigs, which were amusing to say the least!! I couldn't wait till I had my very own copy of Richard's debut tome, and it was worth the wait.

Basically, it's about Richard growing up, his own childhood, discovering rock + roll and all it's many pleasures in the 60s, continuing up through the present day. From getting to know Richard and Nancy very well, seeing many of his gigs, collecting all his CDs + video collection, as well as witnessing the Doughboys reunion gigs, many of these pages rung familiar and true to life, as they are true stories of his life basically. It's just Richard has a way with telling a tale, a narrative piece, that it's funny and meaningful and vivid!! His childhood days come off like a written version of that show "Oliver Beene", evoking the coming of age in the 60s, nostalgic, funny and entertaining. AND he drops many names, of well-known people he has collided with in his rock + roll travels, which should keep the uninitiated interested.

This is one book that is worth reading again and again, it's just fun to page through!! And if you're not familiar with his recordings, it might just inspire you to pick up such masterpieces as "Basic Glee" + "Cornerstone". I just feel fortunate that I am friends with Richard and Nancy. If I wasn't, I sure would want to be!! Oh and the pictures are almost worth the price of admission!! :-)

Richard is a master of popcraft, maybe this book will gather a new bunch of appreciators. I can see this book "Boom Harangue" (say it fast, haha) being turned into a movie, that's how vivid the stories are, and how talented a writer Richard is (he had no help, no co-writers, no biographers or editors, it's all Richard!!) Can't wait for the next volume!! If BH does become a movie, I want to star in it, as V perhaps, dammitt!! Hahaha!!

Kudos to you Richard!!!