B Books

An excellent history of the B-36 and its variants, including the YB-60 jet version. Plenty of detail, along with many pictures and drawings. A worthwhile book for students of aviation history, especially those with interest in the B-36.

To those B-36 and SAC fans, this book is well worth it and fantastic. I find it hard to believe all those so fine pictures contained in this book. I am a man of short words, but the only disappointment for anyone is if they did not buy it. So take heed to my advice: do not put off buying it. In conclusion, do not make me say, "I told you so."

"Uncle Sam's newest, biggest bomber -- the B-36 -- is a long, slim gal with a wiggle in her rear. She's a little on the skinny side, but she's beautiful", gushed the New York Daily News.

My earliest memory of her was Jimmie Stewart's arctic crash landing in the Hollywood epic, "Strategic Air Command." Later he falls in love with a younger, sexier plane -- the new B-47 Stratojet.

Looking back, we remember the B-36 as a colossal cold war relic, but the massive B-36 was originally conceived to fight another foe -- Adolph Hitler's 3rd Reich. Describing the Peacemaker, author Dennis R. Jenkins relates, "The story of the B-36 is unique in American history. The aircraft was an interesting blend of concepts proven during World War II combined with budding 1950s high tech systems."

Mr. Jenkins reveals, "The B-36, despite its seemingly conventional appearance, pushed 1950's state-of-the-art further than any other aircraft of its era. Its sheer size brought structural challenges, while its high-altitude capabilities brought engine cooling and other problems. Sophisticated gun and bombing systems presented development, maintenance, and operational headaches."

"Magnesium Overcast: The Story of the Convair B-36" is a high quality, glossy, format book with a jackpot of intriguing photographs (many in color), instructive drawings and tables. Many of the wonderful interior photographs, diagrams and engineering drawings were taken from U.S. Air Force technical manuals. The graphics alone make this one of the finest aircraft books I have ever seen. Mr. Jenkins had done a superior job of presenting all the modification programs in great detail with a clear, concise style. He has meticulously researched and presented the life cycle of the B-36 from conception through scrapping out.

To meet the extreme requirements of its mission, several outlandish design features were tried -- bunks for the off-duty crewmen and a gallery complete with oven to prepare hot meals --- a complex system of 8 retractable remote control dual 20mm gun turrets -- various parasite fighter planes that could be launched from aboard the B-36 when needed -- a nuclear reactor to power greatly modified turbojet engines.

Nuclear powered aircraft theoretically could stay airborne for years. Unfortunately, very heavy radiation shielding was imperative for crew protection.

Thankfully the B-47 Stratojet and the B-52 Buff became operational and finally put an end to the expensive Frankenstein experiments with the outmoded B-36.

A great long range bomber that served in SAC to perform as a bridge between the "prop" planes and the pure jet. This book is throughly
researched and easy to read. Many photos.

"Magnesium Overcast" is just what an "airplane book" should be: large, attractive, detailed, with a wealth of superior illustrations, many in color. I'd hazard a guess that there are more than 300 high-quality photos and drawings, including a rare chart of the Convair production line.

In any case, it's all here: something for "rivet counters" and "number crunchers" alike. The authors deserve full credit for the thoroughness of their work and the obvious care they lavished on this project. Kudos also go to Specialty Press for producing this significant volume in such lavish style at a reasonable price.

This book is an amazing story and captures the accounts, trials, and tribulations one has to go through in order to achieve their success. I have known Joni before reading her book, but after reading it, I was truly impressed of what she had to go through to get to where she is at now. The poems were inspiring and made a lot of sense to business entrepreneurs and sales professionals. In fact, I tabbed the pages of all the poems in the book for quick reference. The real secret behind the book, is found in her story of gradual success, failures, triumphs, let downs, and willingness to get back up again, take a few hits, make mistakes, and keep on going after her dreams & what she believes in. If you're an entrepreneur reading this, then I highly recommend reading this book and actually meeting Joni. She is a truly phenomenal woman and has the million dollar attitude to spread to the world & you. Buy this book, if you want a million dollar attitude & success!

Hello Joni...WOW...Your book "The Million Dollar Attitude" was an absolute "Bessing To Me". I was the Creator and Founder of the Positive Thinking Rallies that filled up to 20,000 seat Coliseums which Featured Speakers like Paul Harvey, Art Linkletter, David Cooper, Mary Kay, Cavett Robert, Dr. Norman Vincient Peale, Dr.Robert Schuller, Zig Ziglar, Tommy Hopkins, Earl Nightingale, W. Clement Stone etc.

Your Book Inspired Me MOST of ALL...Thank You...Sam Cooper

This book is an example of someone with a "can-do" attitude. Joni is a stunning woman who can be an inspiration to anyone that crosses her path. It was an honor for me to meet Joni and her husband in Los Angeles, during her Book promotion. If you see this book, don't forget to grab a copy for yourself and pass it on to your friends or family.

This is an inspiring story. It teaches that no matter what happens in life, having a winning attitude is everything. Many people go through life with negative attitudes, giving up on everything, and giving out all this negative energy to the universe. Find your passion and follow it!

Whether you are a professional representing a business or a business owner, Joni's Redick Yundt's "Million Dollar Attitude" book will "wow" you and is a must read.

Joni is a networking guru, walking ambassador of community service, and she has a genuine heart who is always striving to elevate others.

The botton line--the information in this book is useful. Joni's stories and actions convey how she increased confidence and tenacity, how she overcame adversity, how she attracts customers and loyal friends and how these intangible actions lead up to increased opportunites to attain a DREAM.

In this book the author blames the initial assault on David Koresh's Mount Cramel property on the ATF. He neglects to mention that David Koresh had enough guns, hand grenades and illegal automatic weapons to outfit the Kosovo Army for it's next Revolution.The BLAME lies with David Koresh and his followers. When you amass such as stockpile of ILLEGAL weaapons then you should expect a visit from the authorities which is exactly what happend . And due to Koresh's arsenal he managed to "outgun" the ATF and four good Peace Officers were murdered. All of this occurred because that madman and psychopath Koresh thought he had a "Direct Hotline" to God. Those 86 people chose not to surrender. Perhaps they thought the seige would end with flowers and free bottles of French Champagne? It seems like nearly everybody wants to blame somebody else for the Waco Incident instead of laying the blame at Koresh and his followers.I give this book 5 stars because no doubt it will apeal to the Paranoid Conspiracy Theorists out there and the Survivalist who now think their Government is "The Enemy "ever since Russians turned out to be nice people after all.

Kopel and Blackman did more than just their homework on this book. It is perhaps the most factual yet interesting critique on the way in which federal law enforcement operates today. The attack on Mt. Carmel is a very important even in the history of this nation and only from our mistakes can we change the future. This review I believe is especially credible since I read but certainly don't always like David Kopel's writings. Highest recommendation and a great source for research papers.

A very impressive accomplishment. There is a tremendous amount of detail here -- right down to how the ATF's name evolved from BATF -- but presented in a compelling and readable way.

This book is unusual in that it does not slant everything in one direction; it refuses to classify those involved as unambiguous good guys or bad guys.

The scope of the book goes beyond what's implied by the title. There is plenty of fascinating history here, many references to other law enforcement debacles. A compelling case is made that law enforcement has become too militarized and too federalized. The discussion of how "groupthink" on both sides (the government and the Davidians) leads to this kind of tragedy is especially excellent.

I've long wondered why liberals and conservatives seem inverted on Waco. Liberals are thought to be strong on civil rights, including religious freedom, and anti-military. Conservatives are thought to favor strong law-and-order. The authors explain this puzzle: the Congressional hearings quickly degenerated into an attempt to embarrass political opponents rather than a dispassionate search for the truth. The American public and the media took their orientation from Congress to a large extent. If a Republican had been president at the time of Waco, it's very possible the sides would have been reversed.

The authors show very clearly that the real problems with law enforcement have been building regardless of which party controls the White House or the Congress. I hope some legislators read this book and take the excellent reform suggestions to heart.

Once again David Kopel (and Paul Blackman) gets to the bottom of things and shows what the Waco disaster was all about. If you only read one section of this book, read the part detailing the search warrant. It appears that all the death and destruction (on the part of both the Branch Davidians and the BATF agents who were killed) was brought on because of a failure to pay a several hundred dollar tax on a firearm.

This book focuses on Waco but also delves into the expansion of federal law enforcement and the effect it has on civil liberties in this country.

As per the United States Constitution, the federal government should have law enforcement jurisdiction over the following acts: piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, offences against the law of nations, and counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States.

Something has gone terribly wrong.

Read this book. Then read anything else that David Kopel has written. It will be well worth your time, and you will be well educated about the erosion of our rights as citizens.

This work is not only an outstanding explanation of the Waco and Ruby Ridge incidents, but a critical review of modern federal law enforcement. The book goes beyond sorting out -- in meticulous detail -- what really happened in these debacles. Even more valuable is the objective analysis of the abuses and excesses of federal law enforcement, along with suggested remedies.

This book is a "must read" for anyone concerned with civil liberties or law enforcement.

Good basic reference for diving around Oahu. I got this book for my husband when we moved to Hawaii. He finds it easy to use.

This is a great book. I live in Hawaii and even I found things out I didn't know. It also has a great snorkleing section which is very hard to find. Highly recommend it!

This book is the secret that I needed after I moved to Oahu to avoid expensive boat dives. Great maps both above and below the water to make finding the site just as easy as finding the best underwater attractions. The book covers dive sites all over the island (you can always find a good site even if surf is too high on one part of the island...very valuable - especially during winter months). A "must buy" for any diver planning to explore the coasts of Oahu without a paid guide. You probably won't find this book in any dive shops on the Island...it would take all of their business!

Couldn't believe once I got to Oahu and went to a couple of these dive sites how accurate this book was from directions to reef layout and compass headings. Went on a couple of dives with Oahu divers who were also very impressed with the accuracy of this book. A great resource but I recommend always verifying the sites with locals as there were hazzards that couldn't be mentioned in a book (i.e. at one dive site I found out there is a regular boat charter that doesn't pay attention to dive flags and drops anchor wherever and whenever he feels like it... never would have know that one without the local warning). Still a great book... two of the local guys I dove with from Oahu who are dive instructors are going to buy the book after seeing mine - what better recommendation could there be?

Most all the dive shops here have their own boats they want you to dive from, that's fine, but can get pricey. So being a cheap SoB I love this book and have done quite a few of the dives in it since picking it up a few months ago. Great planning tool for folks coming from off island too since he tells you what time of year it is best to do what dives. As always, leave your vauables at the hotel/house, I advise bringing only your drivers license, c-card and about $10-15 per person for postdive water/gatorade, pineapple or coconut and snacks.

After a careful reading of several weeks I am just so impressed with Forde's piece on Luther. In fact, I think this thesis is at the heart of much of the current post-modern me-centric theology that sees everything from my emerging church to my purpose driven life as more important than theologia crucis. A little latin does us good in Forde's book. If people were to take one thing from Forde's piece it is found in the tail end of the book where he says, "God is not, as in the theology of glory, one who waits to approve those who have improved themselves, made themselves acceptable, or merited approval, but one who bestows good on the bad and needy." Indeed much of the current evangelical pablum is all part of a huge "preparation for God's Grace" which surreptitiously arrests the power of the cross and makes our own righteousness more important than our sinfulness. How have we erred so in our churches! The Lutheran message of this volume rocks the theological house. I'm recommending all my theological friends read this book today.

I just got done reading "On Being a Theologian of the Cross" by Gerhard Forde, and can't stop talking about it! It's one of the best books I've ever read, and presents solid Lutheran doctrine through Scripture and Luther's Heidelberg Disputation of 1518. It solidly presents the Biblical views on works, "free" will, the cross, suffering, and God's grace! At only 115 pages of reading, it gets right to the point; and the reading flows very smoothly. This definitely isn't a "stuffy" book on doctrine - the doctrine comes alive!

Gerhard Forde, a conservative German Lutheran theologian, has done the church and Christian academia a serious favour by writing this book on Luther's theology of the cross. It is a reflection on Luther's Heidelberg Disputation of 1518. Basically, Luther makes four points regarding the way of the cross: 1) the problem of good works as a way of righteousness, 2) the problem of human will due to sin, 3) the problem of the theology of glory in regards to assurance, and 4) that true saving righteousness only comes by believing in Jesus Christ. Forde discusses these in his own words in turn.

These are discussed in contrast to the "theology of glory" that was prevalent during Luther's time (basically, the works-righteousness theology of the Medieval Scholastics). Forde does an excellent job discussing, expositing, and summarizing Luther's discussion of these four points. You can even call this book an introduction to standard Lutheran thought. One will especially find the last chapter on faith righteousness very helpful and enlightening - this is my favourite chapter of the book. (One will also find that, contrary to popular opinion, that Luther never disparaged good works in the lives of Christians. In fact, he utterly encouraged the doing of good works that only arises out of faith and a new heart.)

Considering that there are so many different types of "theologies of glory" these days - whether the secular man-centered gospel of liberal Protestantism or the Theonomic Dominionist theology found in various Reformed circles who deny justification by faith alone (another form of crass materialistic and pleasure-loving theology) - this book (and Luther's original Heidelberg Disputation) should be read by all Christians concerned about the compromising of the true gospel that is happening in today. Pick it up and read it. One will find that the true gospel is indeed based on the theology of the cross (which is also found in Scripture).

What can I say? If I have ever read a book that has impacted my life more than this little one, I cannot remember it. As with Forde's Justification, a Matter of Death and Life, I cannot read this book without tears in my eyes. I am exposed as an inverterate theologian of glory and simultaneously overwhelmed with the limitless grace of God to cover my sin! Forde has a way of shining light into dark corners of my life that have never been exposed before and somehow in the process causing joy to flow out.

This is a book of deep theology that is extremely understandable as Forde masterfully comments on both the bold theses of Luther's Heidelberg Disputation and his commentary on those propositions. The ideas in this book, though profoundly theological, are easily accessible by anyone who is ready to look at the wickedness in his own heart, but will not be appreciated by those who are still convinced they have something good to offer to God. Reading 10 minutes a day in this book is a wonderful way to preach the gospel to yourself and renew your mind.

"The Love of God does not first discover but creates what is pleasing to it." Thesis 28.

My dog-eared copy of this book got that way through reading it during my daily commutes on the train through Heidelberg, Germany, where Luther delivered his Disputation in front of his Augustinian Order. As an Army Chaplain, and familiar with much suffering, I've found deep solace in knowing that suffering is God's "alien" work in me. He humbles me and brings me to the cross, the place of Christ's suffering, where I can do nothing but throw myself on His mercy. The Cross changes EVERYTHING, and this book has thrown that truth into sharp focus, both theologically and practically, in my living and my preaching.

Through suffering God creates us for His love. "God simply refuses to be known in any other way." The cross alone is our theology, and this book has been indispensable, to me, in coming to that conviction.

Chaplain Mark Nordstrom, US Army

These are the people who founded our great country. These are people who we have all heard about, but don't really know who they were. This book is a great introduction to our founders and what made them do what they did.

As always, Bennett tosses us a great story about our founding fathers. His writing is coordinated and he points out the best of the dramatic tales (real) that they endured--as individuals, as well as family heads. If only, when future historians look back on our current days, they would be able to say..."Those were great days." Alas, I doubt it. Although the founders were what might be called "normal mortals", to challenge each other to create our great nation makes one proud to be able to say "we belong!" They were clearly heroes.

I was tasked to find an appropriate book to give to outstanding high schoolers for our local Rotary Club. I felt this book well represented the ideal of the club. This book should serve as a valuable resource in future years as these young men and women matriculate to higher learning, and careers.

Bennett chose his material well. Historians may argue with some of the details in his commentary (e.g., that Burr shot to kill Hamilton, aiming directly at his chest). Others may take issue with some of the "nuclear family" biases inherent in his commentary. That isn't the meat of the book. The importance of the book rests in the quotes of the founding generation, and Bennett went beyond some of the most famous quotes and speeches, although these are represented as well, to give us a true feeling of a generation that approached life with a genuine goal of self-improvement. Most interesting were some passages from Abigail Adams, from her "tough love" to John Quincy through her disdain for french dancers. Anything regarding Bennett's personal life is irrelevant for assessing the value of this work.

The United States of America was blessed with a generation of founding fathers who were at the same time people of action, and people of thought. They were an incredibly brilliant group of political and moral thinkers. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison had a profound understanding of both human nature and the unique circumstances bound up with the founding of the United States. Their dream was of creating a nation like no other before, one based on principles of freedom, and dignity of the individual The ideal formulation is of course in one of the documents central to this collection, ' The Declaration of Independence' , life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In this anthology of the founding fathers' writings in story, letter song, speech and hymn we feel the spirit of a new and great nation and vision for mankind.
God Bless America.

Unbelievably inspiring. I challenge you to compare his reading with any one else's or your own in your head. He makes it alive. Not perfect, mind you. You'll find yourself suggesting to him in certain spots that he missed the meaning by putting some emphasis or other on the wrong words. Nevertheless, you know you couldn't do better overall. A real treasure.

Great for a long drive or while driving cross town in Manhattan. You can debate the issues of suffering with Milton in your head.

Sure do wish it were the whole work.

Contains extensive information in the introduction that is lends an understanding to anyone reading any of Milton's work. This particular version is very inexpensive, and contains everything one would need to understand PL. Excellent!

My review is of the library binding edition released by Buccaneer Books. It is a very plain and small volume which is wonderfully bound. It contains nothing but the poem itself (including the prose arguments) with the original spelling and punctuation. That means no notes, commentary, or introduction, so if you're looking for lots of in-text help, this isn't what you want. The Fowler, Hughes, or Norton editions are all laden with helpful material like that. But if you just want to experience Milton's masterpiece alone, this is a lovely edition. I found that the book could be purchased much more cheaply if I ordered directly from the publisher's website.

Milton in Paradise Lost unfurls a morning star banner heralding the cosmic story of the fall of angels and men in language eminently civil. I am sure that Homer and Dante were Milton's schoolmasters yet Milton almost exceeds them in the slendid language and poetry of this epic creation. Philip Pullman said "No one, not even Shakespeare, surpasses Milton in his command of the sound, the music, the weight and taste and texture of English words". This is a poem of majesty and sublime lyricism as in Milton's description of Mulciber falling:
"from Morn
To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve,
A Summer's day; and with the setting Sun
Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star".
Each book of Paradise Lost is introduced with an argument, or summary. These arguments were written by Milton and added because early readers had requested a guide to the poem. Milton's purpose in this masterpiece is to tell about the fall of man and justify God's ways to man. When the angels battle in heaven at one point they pull up mountains and hills and throw them at each other: "So Hills amid the Air encounterd Hills Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire, That under ground, they fought in dismal shade." After their coup attempt in heaven Satan and the other rebel angels are lying stunned on a lake of fire. Satan rises from the lake and makes his way to the shore. He calls the other angels to do the same, and they assemble by and above the lake. Satan tells them that all is not lost and tries to cheer his followers. Led by Mammon and Mulciber, the fallen angels build their capital and palace Pandemonium. They decide to get at God through his new creation and Satan sets off on this mission. In reading Paradise Lost the poem reads the reader while being read. What I mean is that Milton lets his readers go awry in their affections and he corrects and instructs those misreadings as well as anticipates them. In this way the poem becomes a live text with meaning apprehended through the interplay between the peruser of the poem and the text itself. Milton allows the reader to subjectively question the justice of the current religious paradigm and then leads them back to the perspicacity of deity. Ultimately Paradise Lost is Milton's paean to a vast pattern in the universe, the disruption of that pattern by rebels, and the weaving of those rebellion threads back into an ever more beautiful tapestry.

Bob Schwartz book is a delight. A joy to read and lots to laugh about. For more short easy-to-read family-related humor check out ParentLaughs: Quips, Quotes, and Anecdotes about Raising Kids. (also available on Amazon.)

Truly brilliant humor!! It doesn't matter whether you have children or not, this book will have you laughing from the beginning to the end. It's truly a must read book.

I have found that a quick fix to relieveing stress or if I just need to laugh out loud is to pick up Bob Schwartz' book and start reading --what a difference it makes... really, just ask my kids (or co-workers)!!

Very funny - been there, done that and it's ok. Get this for all of your friends!

For me the funniest thing I have ever read about becoming a parent was Dave Barry's infamous column on the birth of a child and that special moment when the doctor asks the new father if he would like to view the placenta (Barry suggests that particular experience is something that should be tacked on to criminal penalties). I bring that up that particular comedic reference point because the humor you will find in Bob Schwartz's "Would Somebody Please Send Me to My Room! A Hilarious Look at Family Life" is not like that. This is a kindly, gentler look at the "joys" of parenthood and of adults attempting to co-exist in a household with adolescents, at which point the notion of parenthood no longer seems to be an accurate description of what is going on.

In other words, ultimately the humor here comes more from Schwartz's observations than his jokes. These pieces have been collected from various magazines and newspapers. They are devoted to subjects from eternal concerns such as babies crying ("In the Shrill of the Night") to 21st century concerns such as the Harry Potter books ("The Sorcerer's Stone and My Cover Is Blown"). The pieces are arranged thematically with half of an eye towards the chronological experiences of raising children, so we begin with "'That's the Crib Post Up Ahead, Your Next Stop--The "Newborn Zone!"'" (I think I got the quote marks right on that one) and end in the vicinity of "Tag Teaming Family Life," which involves things like music clubs, food warehouses, and changing the diaper on the newest family arrival. So you can see that this one rally is all about the kids, no matter how much parents want to try and move the agenda to other subjects.

You want to go through these pieces one or two at a time. "Would Somebody Please Send Me to My Room!" is one of those books that probably works best sitting on your nightstand so that you can read a chapter or two each night as a reminder that you really did plan on having children taking over your entire life. You are not the only one who does not remember how to do Algebra, has to clear a driveway of snow over and over again during winter, and who is seriously being dated by their music (and not in a good way). This book reminds you that you are not alone and that most of the time laughing is the superior option to crying. If you know a beleaguered parent or two (they tend to come in pairs when found in nature), then this could be an appropriate Christmas present.

I ended up rounding up on this one because of the illustrations by B.K. Taylor. All too often the illustrations in such books end up being rather inconsequential to the proceedings, but that is not the case her. My favorite (82) shows a smiling father comforting his crying daughter over the horrifically mislaid eye thingamajig of her favorite doll, but I also like the father and son confronting the wall of blue jeans (152), the Halloween candy thief (250), and, of course, Freud at the marshmallow roast (258). I also appreciate the fact that Taylor does a drawing for every single one of these 49 pieces, because on some of these there is no obvious visual joke to draw up.

"Don't put marbles down the garbage disposal" and "the shower curtain goes INSIDE the tub" are just two pieces of advice author Bob Schwartz has to teach his kids. If this resonates with you (you, there, fishing the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich out of the VCR) then this book is for you. The book is a combination humor and parental guidance, mainly reminding parents that children are, well, children. They aren't perfect, they don't reason well and well, *$%@ happens.

Bob's writing is like listening to a friend talk. His family has the same wacky traditions you find in any family-such as "Trombone Standard Time" (an incredibly accelerated time warp characterized by a half an hour of trombone practice that actually takes up only seconds in Standard Time.)

My favorite section is about how the two families (his and his wife's) celebrate Thanksgiving differently. Bob's family serves traditional foods, nothing more exciting than green peas on a plate. When, relates Schwartz, diced carrots were added one holiday to the peas, a family meeting had to be hurriedly arranged to vote on this new and strange addition. By contrast, his wife's family celebrates the holiday with ear-splitting karaoke, wild jello salads, jalapeno quiche and an uncle's rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (one can only imagine this scene in one's head. Schwartz gives the barest of descriptions, I feel, because words fail him here!)

The book is something that most families will enjoy, and will give examples of child behavior and how to handle it with grace and humor that probably will serve to destress the harried parent. Fun book.

I got this book on the personal recommendation of the author and what can I say that hasn't already been said by other reviewers! David Levy has written an exemplary guide to the world of animation. Not only does he offer his own experiences, he also draws on veterans from all over the industry for their advice. The result is a very refined and concise guide to not only the industry, but also animating in general. Every sentence has been written with a purpose, so the book is best enjoyed over several days or weeks.

There is no need for me to analyse this book further. If you have even a slight interest in animation either as a career or out of curiosity, go and buy a copy for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

I buy this book without having a clear idea of what to expect from it.
After reading the first chapter I realize that this book was one of my best choices and help me a lot in my business life even when at that time I'm was not an animator.

If you had the doubt about if get into this art-industry field fits on you. This book let you know if becoming an animation artist is your choice for life.

Easy and fun to read, David share generously his experience and knowledge about industry, networking, career path and all those animation wise advices.

You'll love this book, Is for me a kind of Animation Artist gospel in the animation Bible.

A fantastic book that gives you concrete areas on which to take action. Both practical and inspirational, this book will help you combat creative inertia. Just buy it...it's way more helpful than a few lattes or a movie ticket plus popcorn...

This is a definite keeper. The insights and insider tips, the personal stories and motivational powers of this little book are not to be underestimated. I'm about halfway through and just finished the chapter on "independent animation projects". It's like being reborn, knowing that others have gone through the dark tunnel and sweated their way through personal projects using every spare second they have.

I would recommend this book to anyone needing a motivational boost or info on how to succeed in the animation industry. It's insightful and personal, the latter point being where most of its educational value perspires; especially when giving interview tips, how to play it safe in the workplace, not burning bridges, personalities, choosing which battles to fight and which to lose..

I haven't read anything about samurai jack yet... which im kind of hoping is in the book. still... half of the book to go, so who knows.

thumbs up

This is a wonderful book for the starting artist as it will show some incite on the life of an full/freelance employed artist. I state artist as the term animator seems to narrow the field of what and who this book really points at. Read the book make your own option.

Donald W. Engels book is chock full of logistical details that any serious student of Alexander The Great would need, to undertake an in-depth study of the logistical needs of this great general. Personally, I believe Alexander The Great was the greatest commander on the battlefield and his success is due in no small part to his exceptional understanding of the logistics necessary for his army to conquer the ancient world. He learned his craft under the able tutelage of his father, Philip of Macedon. Philip saw in his son the genius he had for organization and entrusted his logistical planning to his son while he was in his late teens. I guess a classical education provided by Aristotle didn't hurt him!

Engels book solves Alexander's logistical challenges by using the relationship of time, distance, geography, climate and the nutritional needs of his army. He uses ancient historical sources as well as recent archaeological work to fill in the many blanks that had been plaguing students of Alexander's conquests for years. One of the great facts that Engels points out is that Alexander used very few pack animals since they needed too much food and water. He used men instead to move his army, which made it lighter and faster. The statistical tables, maps and appendices alone make this a most worthwhile book. Had Field Marshall Rommell had access to Engels work he might have not allowed his lack of logistics defeat his strategy, thank G-d the book wasn't available to him!

This is the consummate work for understanding the logistics of ancient warfare. No serious student of Alexander The Great can be without this book. Being that I am a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

Engel's little book is one the best investigations into the effects of logistical factors on warfare that I've ever read. Reducing the energy needs of any body of men and animals to a formula,applying logical constraints to deductions about the movement and function of these groups, and by rigorous historical investigation into the geography, history and climate of the relevant places involved, Engels picked out the motivations and concerns of Alexander (and his enemies) as he marched across the shuddering corpse of the Persian Empire.

Don't be put off by the implied technical details above. This is a very readable book, a story, even. It's one of my favourite reads. Engel's conjectures are thought provoking, but always backed up by hard evidence. Anyone studying warfare in any time prior to the modern period (where trains and the internal combustion engine changed everything) needs to read this book to understand how things worked.

i would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in military strategy or ancient history. i read it in a day because i simply could not put it down. engels provides a case for alexander's movements based on what is logistically possible through the movement of troops and supplies. well researched (he pulls from sources as diverse as ancient greek text and us. army records), the book opened my eyes to what warfare in those days must truely entail.

this is not an introductory book on alexander's campaigns, however. the author assumes you have good knowledge of what the pervailing theories are of the routes that he took, and doesn't waste time explaining details that might not be known to someone who hasn't already read and studied this time period.

This is a very illuminating book on the supply and logistical challenges that Alexander the Great had to overcome in his numerous brilliant and successful campaigns. Donald Engels's book is unique in that it focuses on an area that many authors either takes for granted or pay scant attention to, yet it is an integral and critical part of any successful military campaign.

The book contains some important lessons for all commanders today on the critical importance of logistics to sustain an army and ensure that it is well supplied and that troops remain motivated. The book shows how Alexander's intimate knowledge and understanding of terrain, geography, weather, seasons, sources of provisions and accessibility of routes enabled him to expertly solve the various logistical challenges thus ensuring his decisive victories. The immensity of the calculations that he had to make, the numerous permutations that had to be taken into account with respect to factors such as speed of troop movement, water and food requirements for people and animals as well as the weapons and ammunition shows really how capable Alexander and his staff were.

The book thus authoritatively highlights the fact that Alexander's genius for effective logistical system played an essential part in complementing his brilliant tactical skills and leadership acumen. After reading this book, you can make sense of why Alexander made certain decisions as supply and logistics severely restricts where an army can go, its speed, rest periods, how long it can stay at any given place, the number of soldiers that can be accommodated as well as methods of transport and supply, among other things.

Having read this book, one can really appreciate with awe just how great Alexander was to wage brilliantly successful campaigns in distant and remote lands, such as Persia and India, when the ancient means of transport and supply were poor and inefficient. It took methodical, detailed and thoughtful planning and Alexander's sharp intellect to put it all well together.

Alexander's logistics management during his unprecedented (and unmatched) military campaign is something that's easily overlooked considering the reams of books about virtually everything else about Alexander. But this seemingly mundane subject matter turns out to be one of the most fascinating aspects of Alexander's truly multi-faceted genius. This book provides a great insight in layman's terms of what it was like to manage a campaigning army of approximately 50,000 plus followers (engineers, doctors, cooks, entertainers, scientists, craftsmen, servants, etc.) of around another 15,000 people and at least 10,000 horses and mules. It's easy to just throw down the numbers and do the calculations, but it's another thing to imagine the logistics involved in procuring the food, water, and other resources to keep the army moving at a swift pace of 35~40 miles per day.

Engels does a great job of helping the reader visualize the enormity of the logistics problems involved and how they were tackled by Alexander as he and his army marched through Asia. Alexander was a very hands-on kind of a leader who was involved in the minute details of logistics operations when necessary but did so without getting into micro-managing those underneath him. Alexander knew every aspect of his army inside and out and lived like a common solider, which is what truly endeared his soldiers to him with fervent loyalty. This book provides great insight into an aspect of Alexander that some will ponder about but never bother to delve into. How did Alexander lead such a huge army and a supporting contingent over 22,000 miles of extremely difficult terrain and environments? This book goes a long way in answering that question.