D Books

If you are interested in World War II, medicine, practicing law, magic, family dynamitic this is a great read.

Peter Baird's novel is great. It mixes life with all kinds of emotion, War with families, careers, friends, parents and children.
The magic starts right way, getting to know the characters and ending when they get to know their selves.
From a boy growing up, to relationships, career, war, and friends even our own lives could get intertwined with the characters..
It gives us a glimpse on what the war was like, how it affected people and how they dealt with their decisions, how people managed and supported the ones they loved.

Beyond Peleliu by Peter Baird gives the reader a closer look at families left behind by husbands and fathers who went off to fight in World War II. Many of these men returned, as the father in this story did, as distant and sometimes unrecognizable from the men who went to war. The chronicles a son's life-long quest to understand the father who went to war.

A work of great literature, this book is not. An entertaining diversion while on vacation, it definitely is. I especially enjoyed some of the characters (e.g., doctor's wife who is a Christian Scientist and also magician), and the plot had some ingenious elements. But much of the story seemed hurried. The characters were not as fully developed as they should have been, which, at times, made it difficult to understand their motives. To expand upon this point and to highlight a few technical flaws, I must disclose some elements of the plot. So, read no further if you don't want to know how the story ends.

For example, we never learn what drove Dr. McQuade to inflict himself with a wound on Peleliu, beyond the general trauma of the war. It would have been nice if, when he confessed this to his son, if he had explained in greater detail what drove him to do this. And, with respect to the story's credibility, it is almost impossible to believe that a surgeon, seeking to inflict himself with a wound, would choose to shoot himself in the hand.

You also have to suspend disbelief when reading the account of David's big trial at the end of the story. He and one of his associates freely exchange e-mails that contain open admissions of unethical and criminal behavior, as does the Governor of California. No politician or litigator with a half a brain would ever commit such things to writing.

But, like I said at the beginning, apart from these flaws, this is an entertaining book. But, in my opinion, it is not much more.

Beyond Peleliu by Peter Baird (Ravenhawk Books-June 2006) is a powerful book that follows the McQuade family through the years since World War II to the present. Though Tom, who served as the prime story teller through the eyes of his son, faced a lot of adversity from early in his life, he demonstrated that not only could he overcome the adversity but that it helped shape him. Helped him to be the person he wanted to become. We saw his daily challenges--from questioning the safety of vaccines to dealing with loss. And right from the title you see the effects of the War on the family--it's not just Peleliu, it goes beyond that. It's their life.


However this story was not just Tom's tale. It showed how the experiences of one person can filter through and have ramifications for their family and friends for generations to come. At the same time we were able to see David's curiosity as he learnt more about his father's life--what made his father the man he was. This was key in light of his father's current struggles--the dementia might have made it hard for David to see his father as this man who went through and saw so much. It may have helped David to see that he wasn't as different from his father as he might seem. When he got the call from Dr. Roberts, he knew something was up but he accepted it in a realistic way--he needed to do things on his own time. He couldn't rush but at the same time, he knew he didn't have forever.


The writing was tight and that served this story well--it allowed us to `hear' each story as a separate section of the elder McQuade's life, which was what I believe the author intended. Each chapter could have stood alone as a short story of what Tom had gone through, however, this didn't keep the stories from being viewed as parts of one long life story. It was easy to see how these stories built upon one another and taught the family in a way no school book ever could.

By the time I finished the book, just a short time after I'd started it, I felt as if I knew the McQuade family.

Wow! I am at a near loss for words. I received Beyond Peleliu 2 days ago from Amazon and finished it last night. I must say that I had a hard time sleeping after finishing the book. Obviously, the book touched me in a very meaningful way, as I'm sure it has other readers, based on the reviews.

Reading this book is a life-affirming event. The pain endured by the McQuades is so genuine it drew tears from the eyes of this (usually) unsentimental reader. And if you happen to be a lawyer (or fan of quality legal story-telling) the chapters dealing with David McQuade's trial and aftermath overwhelm with authenticity and genuine drama.

In less capable hands this multi-generational saga could have ballooned into a 500-700 page "epic." But Baird's writing is so concise and powerful, one feels that each word was chosen with care.

In short, this is a masterful novel. That it is a "first" is all the more astounding. One can only hope that Peter Baird will put his massive talent to use on another novel. If you don't buy another book this year, buy Beyond Peleliu.

This is an interesting book I'd found at the library, and ordered it on Amazon as soon as I could. It tells four different stories per page, and you have to figure out which story goes where, and when each one starts and ends, and how they're all connected somehow. I really like this one more than the children do. It's too illogical for most of them.

I find that I can follow the connection between the stories better with each reading. It is one of my 10 favorite children's books of all time.

Black and White is a children's picture book, but I have shared it not only with little ones but also with groups of high school juniors and a group of adults who also enjoyed the fun in this book. The "warning" on the title page tells you thatthis could be one story or four stories. Each page offers four quadrants with a story in each, and it is up to the readers to put the pieces together. It is a great book to read with others and have a ball as you play with the author through a lot of fun!

Simply geniusly told, it's amazing how someone can come up with such a story-riddle. Is it four stories or is it one story? Certain to spark discussions as one hint after the other reveals a little more. A book unlike any other. Smart and fun entertainment. Beautifully illustrated. David Macaulay at his best.

I bought this book because of the author's reputation and was not disappointed. Several story lines appear to occur simultaneously and enjoyably. I plan to use this book with small groups of students and ask each student to narrate a different story line. This is a fairly complex picture book that I'm sure all will enjoy.

David Macaulay is known for his architectural books: Pyramid, Castle, and City: a Story of Roman Planning and Construction and their accompanying videos. However, this Caldecott winner is a demonstration of that soaring Macaulay imagination!

Macaulay posts this warning right on the title page: "This book appears to contain a number of stories that do not necessarily occur at the same time. Then again, it may contain only one story. In any event, careful inspection of both words and pictures is recommended."

I'll say this at the beginning: As a children's librarian, I would never read or show this to a class. There is no way to explain this complicated, interconnected book of four stories that run into and out of each other.

Here is how they look. There are four stories on the two adjoining pages with two stories per page. Each story has predominant colors of blue, green, brown, and black and white. Colors and patterns spill and slip from one story to the next, but the thrust of the story is done in black and white. It must be noted that Macaulay is NOT saying that everything is black and white. Oh no! If anything he is saying that everything is NOT black and white, but he uses black and white, both words and pictures, to say it.

What I just wrote in that last sentence gives a sense of the story. It is brilliantly creative! I had a special story time with some gifted students last year, second graders. They had so much fun with this book. I had to get them started on "reading" the pictures (this is a picture book with narrative on each story block), but once they caught on, they rip-roared with the story!!

Remember the admonition to stay in the lines and not think outside the box. David Macaulay failed that class because he both colors outside the lines--literally--and his characters get outside their cartoon boxes and into each other's boxes. The story is one big paean to imagination, creativity, whimsy, flight of fancy, freedom to explore, and freedom to see the Big Picture.

Wow, this is one great book. Every child should own it! I certainly do!

This book has excellent information for anyone who is just diagnosed with asthma. If you have been living with asthma for awhile and have been active in the management of your asthma, you may find that there is very little "new" information contained in the book. You will find that the book contains a good description of the various treatments that may be prescribed by your doctor. Be that as it may, the book continues to be a good resource for anyone with asthma.

After a diagnosis of COPD and/or asthma, I did what I always do. I set out to learn as much as possible. This is a wonderful, comprehensive and hopeful book. I have checked much of the info with my pulmonary MD and he too was most impressed and is suggesting it to patients. It is written in understandable terms, with a fine resources section. I learned a lot, and felt a bit more in control of this disease. Because if you give in, it will "git ya". Well done!

Couldn't breathe. Bought this book. Showed my doctor who changed all my medications. That was six months ago. TODAY? I BREATHE so well that I'm training for the NY marathon. It's hard for me to believe that getting the RIGHT medication can be crucial for allergy and asthma. But I'm a believer.

I have had allergies since birth--and never have felt good until I did the things written in this book. An excellent book on why allergies happen and what you can do--today--to stop them. I took the book to my doctor and she changed my medication to include steroid nasal inhalers. This helped me go through two pollen seasons without missing any work. SUPERB!!

I have sinusitis and asthma, and my children have the same. We have suffered for too many years according to this book. It enlightened me to learn that my sinus drainage actually triggers asthma--thus, I have learned to stay on top of sinus infections and post nasal drip--to END ASTHMA. It works. Dr. Smolley is brilliant. The book is a must read for any parent or person with allergies, asthma, sinusitis or other lung disease. Read it--and do what he says--it will change your life the way it has ours.

Beautiful book! It's such an easy and clear explanation that you want to know more and more about the ancient and authentic wisdom. I'd recommend to read it to all! You'll discover something not ordinary! Good luck in your journey to spirituality!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah is fantastic! In it is so beautifully organized basic information about a wide range of Kabbalah topics. It is absolutely user-friendly, comprehensible and visually appealing.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah is a fabulous practical guide, highly organized, indexed and cross-referenced for easy, clear accessibility. It readily answers many beginner's questions about Kabbalah, yet offers a great reference tool for all readers of Kabbalah.

This easy to read and follow book is a great resource, a clear and concise guide, for those curious and those that are more serious about Kabbalah.

The Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah by Dr. Michael Laitman was a very good beginner's guide to Kabbalah. I have been interested in this subject but I never found a book that I could really understand. This one is laid out and presented in a way that I understood what the author was saying. The writing was clear and concise and I found myself not able to put this book down. I researched this author and I found he has written many books on this subject and I look forward to reading more of his books.

This is the real deal on what Kabbalah is all about. This is an essential book for someone who starts the study of Kabbalah and takes the free online courses with the ARI institute. The Rav Michael Laitman is connected to authentic Kabbalah though the direct linage of Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (Baal Hasulam), so this is not just some type of "POP" Kabbalah. The book is broken down into various topics as most of the "Idiot's guides" are, and this is especially helpful with the teaching of Kabbalah.
If you are ready to study authentic Kabbalah then one could find no better place to begin.

Rav Laitman and BB are the only real source for Kabbalah. If you want to know the truth about Kabbalah and why we exist, this is the choice for you. I have read many of Rav Laitman's books and they are all great. Good luck on your journey, but if you choose this book, you are light years ahead of everyone else.

It's been a good reference so far and will definitely help with real cases when I'm finally out of school.

I'm a veterinary medicine student & I found this book very useful! it's worth buying it!

If you are a veterinarian and don't have this book, get it! Great client education handouts on cd included.

This book is awesome! Does not go indepth, but has ALL the pertinent information related to specific diseases/clinical signs (definitions, Physiology, symptoms, lab work, treatment, follow up care)all on one page! A VERY useful book so far, especially from a tech's point of view!

Just replaced my 3rd edition, the 4th addition is a bit better has some new information, doseages for new drugs and a CD with Client education handouts.

The book shows you step by step how to draw cars.

This is a helpful book whether you are drawing for the first time or have been doing it for years!

It goes from simple shapes and line structure all the way through shading and adding detail.

Definitely a must for anyone who wants to add cars to their visual story telling or even an automotive design student.

Just remember to be patient with this book.

It takes a while to get the hang of it.

Once you do, you'll be fine!

This was a 9th Birthday present for my nephew. It kept him entertained for hours! He loved the book and still uses it almost daily after 8 months.

This book has many examples of step-by-step drawings. The only drawback might be that there is very little explanation. You learn mainly by copying the examples. It has a great selection of different cool cars and vehicles to draw. Equally good for young teens or adults.

I have the 1993 publication of this book, and it's amazing. It teaches you how to draw cars in general, not just the ones shown in the book.

Hi!!The book is wonderful for beginers.It helps you get the basic right.Almost all aspect are covered so that you can start sketching cars on your own like side view,3d view.Gives detail information for drawing tyres.This book has helped me a lot and I would recommend this book to everyone without any hesitation.

Any sports fan who picks up "Eagle Blue" will not be disappointed, although you should like this one even if you could care less about hoops....Basketball is the stage for the story, but not the story itself. This isn't your typical book depicting some world-weary NBA star or jaded coach. D'Orso makes you care about the players and coaches at a tiny school literally in the middle of nowhere, thus their wins (and losses) somehow become your own. If that were as far as this book took you, it would be satisfying just on that basis. But it doesn't end there.

By the time you're done reading "Eagle Blue", you'll likely become sympathetic with the people populating its pages. Theirs is a culture that has been decimated, and you can see very real defeat among many tribal members. Note: D'Orso interjects his own politics when he talks about ANWR, but it's not as much a distraction as it could've been. The real story is how a group of teenagers galvanizes a town with nothing else to cheer about despite the efforts of some people, mostly outsiders, to kill what they have, and he thankfully keeps the focus on that.

If you're at all like me (and God help you if you are), you'll fight to stay awake until 3AM because you literally do not want to put this book down and fall aleep.

Boldly honest, "insiders" perspective from an outsider. Interesting insight into modern Native life in Arctic Alaska.

D'Orso's honest, unembellished presentation of everyday life for the characters - team members and townspeople of Fort Yukon - allows the reader to gain an open true look at what everyday life entails in this part of Alaska. It brings out the difficulties of living in the outposts of Arctic Alaska, Native vs. modern culture, politics vs. the land/natural resources/hunting/etc., and of course the tale of a group of young men and women representing their town as members of high school basketball teams. The pressures faced by these young men as individuals, family members, and town members and how each deals with it and grows shows a great view of life as it unfolds for them. Their daily lives are woven around the story of the basketball team and the course of a season sharing the success and adversity over the course of the year. A wonderful mix of human interest and basketball.

Highly enjoyable read.

This review of a basketball team's season is about an entire culture and about life. You'll be rooting on the Eagle Blue as you read this true story.

I've read many books about a sports season that, in a boring way, review game highlights. D'Orso reviews the entire culture, what basketball means in bush country, Alaska, in prose that is wonderful and intelligent.

Excellent book on life and sports. I'd recommend this to everyone, especially players and coaches at all levels.

This book has laid out examples in detail and when needed given both sides (positive and negative) examples to emphasize balance required on some soft skills.

I would highly recommend this book to any.

I liked the way topics were broken down into bullet statements and examples. It took longer to read than I expected because there's no filler material. Now my co-workers are all reading it in an effort to relate better to other departments.

This book is spot on about being the "hard truth" about soft skills. We can often get caught up in what we think is "fair", what companies "should" do and how people "should" behave and all of those things are honestly irrelevant. It is not until people are ready to face the hard truths that they are able to make decisions about their willingness to make changes to their work styles that will impact their career track.

This book explained in detail, how to survive in the workplace. It has many examples on how to follow the unwritten rules (usually gained from many years in the work environment). I plan to purchase books for my employees and other young adults entering the workforce

More or less a book about being nice at work. More of general guidelines as opposed to structured advice on learning to deal with people. Perhaps a good launch pad, but a little thin in content.

The work points to many of the negations in the current health
care delivery systems in the USA. It spends too much money and
the paperwork is burdensome, generally uninformative and
inefficient. The system needs a separation between the doctor
and the pharmaceutical industry because the needs of the general
public demand an independent attitude on the part of physicians.
Emergency rooms are utilized instead of patient clinics.
This contributes to bloated costs. The HMO co-pay can be burdensome for patients. In addition, there is a slow migration
toward the universal health care coverage in order to correct
some of these inefficiencies and distribute the resource to
persons uncovered or undercovered by the present protocols
and medical delivery systems.

In more than 20 years teaching a course focusing on analysis of American health care history and policy, I have yet to discover a more persuasive diagnosis of our health care delivery system's ills or a more convincing case for how to cure them. Dr. Lebow brings to this examination direct experience as a practicing physician from which he draws numerous stirring personal accounts. To his clinical perspective, he adds an extraordinary command of the broader economic and political issues essential for understanding the context and causes of America's current health care crisis epitomized by the alarming number of our country's uninsured--now about 44 million and growing. The book is honest, engaging, and sure to stimulate discussion with its clear prescription for change. With lively prose and strategically placed humor, he makes complex matters understandable. His humanity and passion are the earmarks of a brilliant teacher. Regardless of how deeply you presently understand America's health care system, you can learn from this book. And regardless of your political inclinations in respect to his advocacy of a single-payer solution, you can't ignore his meticulous presentation of the facts or the relentless logic of his conclusions from them.

Health Care Meltdown: Confronting The Myths And Fixing Our Failing System by Robert H. LeBow (former Medical Director of an Idaho community health center for more than 25 years and who was paralyzed in a cycling accident shortly after completing this book) is a clarion wake up call focused upon the medical care system's rampant excesses, over billings, neglects, and quagmires that floods the American health care system to near incapacitation. Over 40,000,000 Americans have no health insurance. This places an unsupportable burden on Emergency Room Care (one the most expensive health care provider resources), and while money is in unnecessary and wasteful bureaucratic and law-suit avoidance oriented testing, far to many people simply go without the medical service they desperately need. A sharply worded criticism that also offers models for reform and improvement, Health Care Meltdown should be mandatory reading for health care providers, citizen health care activists, anyone charged with the responsibility of developing policies and guidelines for managing health care services.

I'd like to give this book 4 stars, but there are just too many holes for me to do so. Dr. Lebow presents many important points, but the book simply is not the answer to our prayers regarding the current healthcare mess.

As Dr. Lebow points out, in the health insurance industry, competition among health insurers has led to less efficiency rather than more efficiency. 10 different credentialing applications, 12 different contract types, no standardization whatsoever and an administrative mess for any doctor who doesn't have the luxury of a seasoned healthcare administrator in his office. Add to that the eligibility trouble. Multiple phone calls for every patient to check eligibility for every appointment. Worst of all, the current health insurance system provides no incentive to managed care to pay for preventive care.

These are the issues that single-payer would fix for the insured population, saving billions of dollars. Dr. Lebow is right on, though I wish he spent as much time on eligibility and insurance company hassles as he did on preventive care. He also does great work in presenting the myths of healthcare today. Many of them can't be repeated enough (like the corporate welfare given to prescription drug companies).

But I have several issues as well.

My biggest complaint is that his solution only delays the inevitable a little longer. He deals only with the healthcare funding system and has little to say about the healthcare delivery system. "Market Driven Healthcare" by Regina Herzlinger and "From Chaos to Care" by David Lawrence offer real long-term solutions to the healthcare delivery problems we face in our current environment. Unless those market principles are imposed on healthcare, single payor will only delay the final implosion of medical care. Once the financial gains from single-payor healthcare are realized and exhausted, the costs will continue to spiral out of control.

Another issue is that he gives few details in the "how" of his solutions. Focusing on prevention and public health is a good and obvious point. Everybody agrees on it, but I don't think simply saying "it will happen once a grassroots movement demands it" is sufficiently descriptive of how he sees prevention and public health becoming the standard. Who will implement it? How?

Because of these problems, Dr. Lebow does not make a convincing case to those in power that change is good for them. He persuades the persuaded brilliantly, but I can't imagine why someone who opposes single-payer would change his mind after reading this book. And those in power are whose minds must be changed if change is to come.

The way I see it, healthcare as we know it is a very young industry. Only 16 years ago, managed care was almost an unkown in the healthcare world. Now, it dominates. Unfortunately, that insurance model grew so quickly there was no way anyone could have planned it properly. Imagine how the computer industry would have destroyed itself if it weren't entirely made up of systems thinkers known for their planning ability. ISO-9000 was brilliant, as is settling on the PC as the standard. Healthcare needs, and is getting, more of that now. HIPAA and state-mandated credentialing applications perfectly demonstrate the government's role in fixing healthcare. It should be a regulator, an agent for the lowly to make sure the big guys play fair, and a standard-setter to make commercial insurance more efficient. But it's entirely too early to declare the market dead and single payer as the only way out of this mess.

As an Adjunct instructor in the Concordia University system, I have had the opportunity to encourage my MBA students to read this book for my Special Topics in Health care class. After reviewing other possible textbooks during the last 6 months, I have decided to now use this text as the basis for my 8-week adult education class. Offering ample examples and 'myths' that portray our fractured health care system of today, this author has summarily provided a springboard for ongoing conversations and possible answers for this country. Granted all, the HC system will not be corrected for some time, but an accounting will be made when the public becomes a focused participant at the table.
As health care professionals, it is our responsibility to study, learn, participate and educate others, as well as ourselves.
This will begin that process and it will be well worth your effort and consideration.
Thank you
ESchwarz, RN, MBA, CCM

Dr. Davis's book is an excellent tool for personal and professional use. With managed care limits on sessions, I am utilizing this book in both my private and State EAP (employee assistance program) practices as a means to "cut to the chase" for clients. The book provides a framework for self improvement based on cognitive psychology theory, and fits beautifully in my coaching model of services. I highly recommend this book to individuals seeking positive changes in their lives, as well as to professionals as an enhancement tool for coaching and/or therapy. Terri Gorman, LCSW

I 100% reccomend this book. It is extremely helpful for a healthy mind and life in competitive sports, as well as every day life. It is very well written and is excellent for teens and adults!

Just what you need to start with this way of thinking.

All of the points are not new, but the experience and the cleariness
make the book a great and enjoyable starting point.

Another plus: it is short enough that you'll be sure to... finish it

Wow! What a terrific book! As a Figure Skater, I gained tremendous strength from Dr. Davis' words and I was amazed at how simple it was to understand her "filing system". After reading this book, I cannot wait to compete in my next championship.

High Performance Thinking is an excellent source for anyone who wants to start using their thoughts to create success in any area of their life. It is was so easy to read, I felt as if Dr. Davis was speaking to me in a casual conversation. If you want to think your way to success, this is the book for you!