Resources Books

Cool, contemporary stories from a truely creative mind. Well written and captivating. Several of these would make really good subjects for T.V. shows. Can't wait for this author's next effort!

Human Resources is populated with some of the most memorable and offbeat characters I've encountered in a long time, dealing with some rather unusual issues. In my personal favorite story, King of the Ferns, the author looks into the minds of a husband, wife, dog...and the household fern ...with darkly humorous result. The stories offer something for everyone, whether you're thinking about changing your career to professional pirate, or wondering who to call on to help a dear aunt with a clutter problem. Well done.

This gem of a collection of short stories is full of magical near-realism, and also some very knowing glimpses into the underbelly of people's private lives - hidden secrets, motives and thoughts that few admit but many will share. It is very amusing and entertaining while also prodding some uncomfortable truths that some might wish to keep hidden.

Many of the stories take an imaginative "what if I wrote a story about" approach, a quirky idea taken to surprising reaches and conclusions - sometimes fantastic and unbelievable, yet knowingly so in a way that the reader enjoys the twists, turns and quirks.

Highly recommended as a book to dip into story to story, or read in one enjoyable day...

I read a lot of short stories, from Raymond Carver to George Saunders, from TC Boyle to Lorrie Moore from Haruki Murakami to the Best American Short Stories anthology. This book, Human Resources, by Josh Goldfaden is simply one of the most consistently great, hilarious, and moving books I've read in years.

One of the things I don't like about many short story collections is that it seems like there are 2 or 3 great stories in the book followed by a bunch of duds. With Josh Goldfaden's book, every story in the collection was strong, unique and complex. I certainly have my favorites among this book, however every story in Human Resources had me laughing out loud, and a few of them even had me...gasp... tearing up a bit.

What I like best about these stories is the way each of them seems to totally encompass it's own unique world. Yes, it's our world, but it's a slightly skewed and more interesting version of our world. So we're introduced to a traveling writers colony in Europe, are shown the lives of modern pirates, of phone psychics, of national Geographic photographers, of litter removal specialists, and of a woman making a documentary film about childbirth. I feel like each of these stories could have been a novel, such is the richness of the worlds they inhabit.

I know I'm going on and on, but I can't recommend this book enough. Another thing I loved about Human Resources was that so many short story writers seem to choose these completely ambiguous endings, where you have no idea what actually happens at the end. I have no problem with subtly, and I don't like when stories try to wrap up every aspect of the story, but I often think that short story writers cop-out of doing the work necessary to get a great ending, and simply end the story ambiguously. Goldfaden's stories feel whole in a way you don't see often. It's not that everything is too neatly tied up, it's just that each story accrues emotional weight as it goes on and the ending serves to increase that weight, and to leave the reader fulfilled.

Anyway, if you're looking for a hilarious book of short stories which seems to perfectly straddle the line between being funny and being emotionally resonant, you can't go wrong with Human Resources.

I'm not your typical short story fan, but got a tip from a friend that one of these "Nautical Intervention", had been optioned for a movie by someone she knew so I took a read. I couldn't believe this was a first book. The stories and the construction pulled me in and I read every story and each was more delicious than the last. No formulaic first time writer stuff here. Each stands alone and left me with the satisfied feeling that I usually don't get from short stories, which is why I usually avoid them. Hate that contrived "left hanging" feeling.

Can't wait to see what else this young writer has to offer.

Hydrogen is THE solution to our pathological greed, planetary trespasse, and cruelty to other species.
This book shows how to get there: not in thirty years, but in a few years.
It comports with the most recent scientific accumulation of
data which argues that with national resolve we can make a profound difference.
This safe, virtually emissions free alternative to oil
can and must wean the feckless consumer off petroleum, each and every one of
us, whilst providing a future, after all,
for our grandchildren. We urge you to read this book
carefully and commend its stalwart authors on a well-balanced,
brilliant, gorgeously produced and
seductively accessible book. No other work on hydrogen
has so trenchantly brought together the up-to-the-minute data,
the chorus of informed voices,and the readable prose to transform
what was an engineering conundrum into an everyday addition to our lives. And at relatively
minor cost to the planet. Zero, by comparison with fossil fuels.

"The Hydrogen Age" is an exciting illustration of where we are headed in our quest for energy independence. We as a society are so caught up in an environment of scarcity and limitation that we in the general public fail to literally see the "forest for the trees." This book points out there are so many alternatives to solving our energy challenges which are well within our grasp. Petroleum is a wonderfully useful commodity, but is not the be-all or end-all for our energy source. The sources pointed out in this book are unlimited and are not somewhere in the distant future, but are available here and now. We are in need of nothing but the truth and this terrific book shows us how we may accomplish our energy independence. When enough of us are determined to make a change the market place will take care of the doing, and the change will come so quickly we will all wonder why we dallied so long.

This wonderfully researched book is truly a way-shower to the future and should be a must read for the general public and especially for those who are teaching our young people. I am very proud of the authors' dedication to telling the truth about energy and illuminating the prospects for the less developed economies of the world.

I highly recommend this book.

The authors did a fantastic job of writing a book on hydrogen that is thorough and accurate. There is so much misinformation that is spread about hydrogen that it is refreshing to finally read material that covers the issue fairly.

I happen to work for a hydrogen company and have learned a lot about this issue over the past three years. But I can tell you that the level of detail in this book is beyond what I have ever seen. It obviously took many years to write.

Furthermore, the writing style is similar to what you would find in a really good magazine article which makes the book very readable. I also liked all of the pictures the book contained.

Although "The Hydrogen Age" is not likely to get the credit it deserves right now due to a few very vocal and misguided critics, it will get more and more attention as time passes and people realize hydrogen is one of the primary solutions to our energy problems.

Greg Blencoe
CEO, Hydrogen Discoveries

Any who would understand civilization's energy history and needs should have THE HYDROGEN AGE in their collection, whether it be for an easy college-level introduction or for the general-interest public. Here is a guide to civilization's passage from a carbon to hydrogen era, considering how such an age will foster new developments and how moving to water-based energy offers new hope and alternatives for the continued progression of civilization. It's an excellent pick for any who would understand the technology and applications of hydrogen, written in a manner any lay reader can understand.

It is far too common place these days to find books without any intention of providing a well-rounded and well-researched perspective to its readers. As many of us have experienced, it is far too easy to polarize over increasingly divisive issues like energy, its implications and its solutions. There are zealots on both sides of the fence using outdated and often outrageous statistics to bolster their claim for one technology or another; however, The Hydrogen Age does a good job of avoiding this trap. It is optimistic, yet realistic, providing a good sense of what is happening today and the role hydrogen technologies can/will play in our future. Remember that the "Silver Bullet" is a myth. Although there is no single solution, The Hydrogen Age provides excellent insight into one of the tools already being utilizing to meet the developing/developed future energy challenges. - Matthew Burks - President, Hydrogen Energy Center (www.hydrogenenergycenter.org)

This book is a powerful ministry tool that has really motivated me to deal with areas in my life that my Daddy is ready to promote me into and from. It is an anointed "mirrored" guide that allows you to relate to the thorns that we have faced in our spiritual walk that we are sometimes too ashamed to reveal. I thank God that Linda Waiters followed her calling with fierce strength and determination so that God's people can be set free and delivered. This book has a rhema-filled word for everyone who touches it. I have witnessed not only my deliverance, but the deliverance of others who picked it up, read a few pages, and reported back to me that they had been dealing with what they just read in the book. It is a page turner and I DARE YOU to get set free by what God has placed for you in this memoir of love from Father to child.

After reading only a few pages from your book, "I Am Not A Victim, I'm A Ministry Gift," this came to mind and I'd like to share it with you.

Your being in the military will cause you to see more clearly that the more dangerous or "special" assignments are given to those who have received proper training for them and have excelled in that field, i.e., Green Berets, Navy Seals, etc.

God placed you from birth and has trained you to be in His elite group through rigorous training that the passive or faint-hearted person could never have "graduated" from. Because He knew you before you were born and knew that He could trust you. Remember the show Mission Impossible? They would receive an assignment and then it would be destroyed so that there was no evidence, but they knew what they had heard. I'm glad you knew what you heard God say and pray you never doubt your assignment.

God bless you and strengthen you as you follow His lead.

Thank you for telling me about your journey. I read some of your excerpts - especially page 67. I too had an abortion. This happened to me at an early age. I've never gotten over it. That's why I go out and talk to other women about my experience. I am very glad to see that you are writing about it. Please speak out about this atrocity because abortion hurts women. We can talk about it all we want to but we must find a way to help them. I believe crisis pregnancy centers that counsel with an emphasis on the Word of God is the answer. Women must be empowered to believe in themselves and have faith in our heavenly Father. I know that's what sustained and kept me. From what I've read, that is what sustained and kept you. God is really raising you up to be the woman that He called on you to be. You must continue to write, preach, and teach our sisters who are looking for love and help. Your life and my life are walking testimonies for the Lord. I am so thankful that you are not trying to hide from the truth. The truth is what sets us free. I'll pray that Jesus will continue to mold and shape you into a strong woman of God. Please do the same for me. Thank you my sister for all that you do for the Lord. Thank you for standing in the gap for our sisters.

This book was a TREMENDOUS blessing to me! As I navigated through the pages, it was as though I was journeying through my own life. Many of Evangelist Waiters' experiences spoke to and ministered to me in a personal way. On occasion I had to stop, weep, confess, and repent. Thank you for being obedient by writing the book and then having the COURAGE to release it!

I was impressed most by the transparency of this author who shares in detail what one really goes through as a Christian. The author's transparency gave me hope that I too could rise from the ashes. I could tell she lived through what she wrote about and that her testimony comes from a place of experience. Her testimony about living holy, tithing, serving, praying and still going through hell really touched home for me. This book is a powerful testimony to the power of God making one an overcomer in Christ Jesus in spite of any circumstance. I highly recommend this book to others.

My 8 year old son LOVED this book!! He wants the rest of this series. So do I!

This book is very good because, I mean kids turning into dinosaurs is just cool. If you like dinosaurs this is a book that you must buy.

WOW! Can you imagine yourself trapped in the body of a gigantic T-Rex? Or even a Triceratops? Wouldn't that be awsome if that could really happen to us? Well, in this steller new book, written by Scott Ciencin, he in fact, dose makes four kids go back in time, only trapped in dinosaur bodies. Another thing that I have just realized that this book series is somewhat in realation to Animorphs; only with dinosaurs, and without the alien invasion thing. But still, Ciencin is a new and remarkable author, that I think will have many great things happen to him in the future. Is work of fiction really makes you feel as though you have somehow went to the world of dinosaurs, along with the characters in his stories. I have just recently checked out these new series at my local Barnes & Noble Booksellers store, and wow, I was impressed! I've read halfway through the first already, and can't wait 'till the new books come in! Keep up the excellent job, Scott Ciencin! If you love Animorphs, you will most certainly love Scott Ciencin's Dinoverse, full of non-stop suspense and thrills. Each chapter leaves you hanging with a cliffhanger, making you wanna read some more. That's what I love about reading. The suspense. And Dinoverse has it all. Action, Thrills, and Spills. Who couldn't resist reading these magical tales of wonder? Anyone who is in love with dinosaurs, this is the book series for you! These books are filled with powerful imagination. If the kids in "I Was a Teenage T-Rex" thought it was tough now, they better hold their breath, because they're about to face danger in a whole new way--or should I say, in a whole new BODY! OK, I think I should stop writing here, so if you haven't checked out the Dinoverse series, written by Scott Ciencin, then what are you waiting for? Go out, and buy or check them out in your local librairy, if they have any copies of the Dinoverse book series. Who knows? Maybe one of these days we might really actually go back to the age of the dinosaurs and experince real adventure. Anything's possible. Right?

I have recently checked out the new sci-fi-adventure books, Dinoverse, written by Scott Ciencin. And wow--he really knows how to write from the heart and get into his characters! Each book also gives you an idea of what it might like to be a dinosaur. You learn a lot also. We learn different varieties of dinosaurs and what they eat how they live. Storng characterization and wonderfully written, non-stop action and fun. Each chapter leaves off with a cliffhanger, making you wanna read through the whole thing. Anyway, the story of the Dinoverse series, starts out with 13-year-old, Beatram. His project goes wrong and before they know--they are stuck in the bodies of vicous dinosaurs and brought back to South Dakota 67 million years ago. I loved this book so much--I can't wait 'till Scott Ciencin's next Dinoverse book comes out! Wonderfully written--page-turning suspense. I would recommend this book to anybody that is in love with dinos or simply just read it for fun and excitment. So what are you waiting for? Stop reading these reviews and go buy the Dinoverse series now...before they become extinct!(If this were made into a movie, it would be a perfect sci-fi, adventure movie that ever one could enjoy!)

WOW! Could you imagine yourself trapped in the body of a gigantic T-Rex? Or even a Triceratops? Wouldn't that be awsome if that could really happen to us? Well, in this stellar new book series, written by Scott Ciencin, he in fact, does make four kids go back in time, only trapped in the bodies of dinosaurs. There is also something about this series that I have just realized about: it is somewhat in realation to the Animorphs series, by A.K. Applegate; only with dinosaurs, and without the alien invasion thing. But still, Ciencin is a new and remarkable author, that I think will have many great things happen to him in the future. His work of fiction really makes you feel as though you have somehow went to the world of dinosaurs, along with the characters in his stories. I have just recently checked out these new series at my local Barnes & Noble Booksellers store, and wow, was I impressed! I've read half-way through the first book, and can't wait 'till the new books come in! Keep up the excellent work, Scott Ciencin! If you love Animorphs, you will most certainly love Scott Ciencin's Dinoverse, full of non-stop suspense and thrills, keeping you wondering what will happen next. That's what I love about reading. The suspense that keeps you hanging and wanna read the whole thing. And Dinoverse has it all: action, trills, chills, and spills. Wou would resist reading these magical tales of wonder and adventure? Anyone who is in love with dinosuars, this is the book series for you! These books are filled with powerful imagination. If the kids in "I Was a Teenage T-Rex" thought it was tough now days, they better hold their breath, because they're about to face reality in a whole new way--or should I say, in a whole new BODY! OK, I think I should stop writing here, so that I won't give out any more secrets to this face-paced thriller-adventure of a novel. So if you haven't checked out the Dinoverse series, then what are you waiting for? Go ou and buy or check them out in your local library, if they have any copies of the Dinoverse book series. Who knows? Maybe one of these days we might really actually go back to the age of the dinosaurs and experience real adventure. Anything's possible. Right?

One side-effect of the common lectionary used by Catholics, Episcopaleans, Lutheran, and various mainstream Protestant churches is the development of some excellent lectionary based resources. (A lectionary contains the Biblical readings for a given Sunday).

This series of three volumes for the three year lectionary cycle (each year concentrates on a synoptic Gospel - Matthew, Mark or Luke) contains music, poetry, art, etc. that in some way reflect on the Scripture for a given Sunday. The volumes are carefully multicultural.

An example: for the first Sunday in Advent, there are poems by Philipp Nicolai with Carl P. Daw Jr, and Alberto Taule; a photo of a cross of the community by the artisans of La Palma, El Salvador; a responsory reading by Miriam Therese Winter; and a painting by Glen Strock.

Each Sunday is equally diverse. You should always be able to find something that meets your needs and/or challenges you to reconsider your needs. Highly recommended.

One side-effect of the common lectionary used by Catholics, Episcopaleans, Lutheran, and various mainstream Protestant churches is the development of some excellent lectionary based resources. (A lectionary contains the Biblical readings for a given Sunday).

This series of three volumes for the three year lectionary cycle (each year concentrates on a synoptic Gospel - Matthew, Mark or Luke) contains music, poetry, art, etc. that in some way reflect on the Scripture for a given Sunday. The volumes are carefully multicultural.

An example: for the first Sunday in Advent, there are photos by Paul Chesley, David Austen and Dennis Oda;excerpts from Robert A. Raines and Jospeh Wood Krutch; poetry by Dom Helder Camara and Thomas John Carlisle; and a detail from art by Naul Ojeda.

Each Sunday is equally diverse. You should always be able to find something that meets your needs and/or challenges you to reconsider your needs. Highly recommended.

This is a thick soft cover art book that accompanies Biblical passages with art objects - paintings, sculptures from all cultures, Italian Renaissance to Modern Chinese water-colour that attempts to IMAGE the WORD - the gospel, and puts the love of Jesus in Christianity into a non-preachy, very emotionally and aesthetically moving document that appeals to the modern, intellectual, sophisticated, sensitive, cultured but atheist reader. It makes the Bible come alive in a fantasy of visual ecstasy. A marvellous gift for those who are hurting from a lack of understanding God's love. A spiritually soothing gift in a coffee-table book format.

One side-effect of the common lectionary used by Catholics, Episcopaleans, Lutheran, and various mainstream Protestant churches is the development of some excellent lectionary based resources. (A lectionary contains the Biblical readings for a given Sunday).

This series of three volumes for the three year lectionary cycle (each year concentrates on a synoptic Gospel - Matthew, Mark or Luke) contains music, poetry, art, etc. that in some way reflect on the Scripture for a given Sunday. The volumes are carefully multicultural.

An example: for the first Sunday in Advent, there are poems by Czeslaw Milosz, Sandra Cisneros and Janet Morley; a photo of a festive cross by Claudio Jimenez; quotations from Lamar Williamson Jr. and the Gelasian Sacramentary; a song by Arthur G. Clyde (contemporary); paintings by Rodolfo Abularach and Salvador Dali.

Each Sunday is equally diverse. You should always be able to find something that meets your needs and/or challenges you to reconsider your needs. Highly recommended.

Gorgeous book of art tied to the Christian lectionary. Poetry, paintings, photographs, sculpture, scripture quotes. A real treat!

Set in the Colorado territory in the 1870's, Robert Cooperman's collection, IN THE COLORADO GOLD FEVER MOUNTAINS, provides a real sense of the life, the values and the ambitions of the people who joined the gold rush, the fever they burned with, their actions and behavior. In doing this, the book is valuable as an historical document as well as a literary one as it provides an authentic imaginative glimpse at the people of that time and place. And as a literary work, IN THE COLORADO GOLD FEVER MOUNTAINS brims with the pathos, lust, and tragedy of humanity and sings in the lyric voice of its dramatic monologues.

IN THE COLORADO GOLD FEVER MOUNTAINS consists of three separate sequences of poems, all involving the ficitonal town of Gold Creek. The first, IN THE GOLD FEVER MOUNTAINS, provides a picture of the small gold mining town in the voices of its inhabitants. It could be a refugee camp; its existence is so tenuous and ephemeral, based on the neediness of haphazard human beings. Perhaps the most dramatic of the three sequences is the second, A COFFIN AND A CARVED STONE, in which the trial and hanging of a woman for the murder of her abusive husband are witnessed and described in the unique voices of several dozen characters. THE BADMAN AND THE LADY, the final of the three sequences, describes, in the voices of yet other western characters, the brief romantic encounter between a proper English woman, Sophia Starling, and an untamed wild west outlaw, John Sprockett, and the lifelong effects the encounter has on both.

All in all, IN THE COLORADO GOLD FEVER MOUNTAINS relates the drama of civilized people in the primitive conditions to which their fate has driven them, whether by choice or by circumstance, in the rich, vivid language of a gifted and skilled poet.

Cooperman once again leaves us in awe. He is a great poet, and a wonderful storyteller. He captures the spirit of the times, and lets you be part of the Gold rush. Only this time you are sure to come out a winner. Excellent work.

Robert Cooperman's In the Colorado Gold Fever Mountains captures in its own mountain of vivid, readable poetic monologues the Gold Rush experience from top to bottom. In the three books of poetry that comprise this handsome volume, Cooperman introduces us to characters of all kinds, many of whom we get to know well. At times, the book seems uncanny in how it reveals character. In one poem, a character speaks of another--a woman's anger and bitterness toward a faithless man. In the next, that same ne'er-do-well is seen in a wholly different light by a gold-panner, or the town's doctor, or a saloon-keeper. A living picture of sin and life's small salvations emerges from this choir of well-differentiated voices. Of course, some poems in this measurable collection are stronger than others, but the beauty here is the immense power of the whole package. I felt grateful to be in Cooperman's presence for the nights in which I read the book. I enjoyed my continuous sense of amazement that such a good poet could imagine that garish and golden and gritty world with such intensity--and such generosity of spirit. Hardly anyone's writing like this now. So reading Cooperman's latest work is truly a special delight. His other full-length book, In the Household of Percy Bysshe Shelley, is still available from the University of Central Florida Press. I recommend that highly, too. Cooperman's fearlessness, which keeps him writing the kind of books virtually nobody else in American is writing now, makes him a treasure for all readers.

Welcome to Gold Creek, the fictional Colorado boom town in the 1860s that is the central character in Robert Cooperman's collection of extraordinary dramatic monologues, In the Colorado Gold Fever Mountains. These poems tell of the most lowdown of high times, for Gold Creek is a town that, in Mr. Cooperman's words, "is emblematic of that most American of activities: working like a dog to strike it rich quick." In this book, the inner lives of the townspeople rise from the dead and, like ghosts compelled to confess, at last speak true. From Mayor Cavendish to Mary Benedict, the Golden Slipper's charwoman, dozens of characters reconstruct the loves and lusts of a town that rose from, only to return to, dust, even though some of that dust was gold. And yet, despite its portrayal of the ultimate squalor of Gold Creek's riches, Mr. Cooperman's collection is great fun to read. One can't help being captivated by the Shakespeare-loving badman John Sprockett, his face hideously mauled by a bear. Sprockett is guide to one Sophia Starling, a daring English beauty, on her one-woman tour of the Rockies. This Victorian vestal virgin for high adventure sports a truncheon, no less, obtained from a New York City policeman. The sexual frisson between Sprockett and Starling is exquisitely funny and touching, as the snowed-in pair learn that two people could not be more perfectly mated--or ill-suited for one another. Equally fascinating is the tale of Etta Lockhart, the prostitute hanged (or "jerked to Jesus," in the talk of Gold Creek) for killing her abusive pimp. Her hanging is the book's central event, reacting to which the townspeople show their true colors (which are more than a little muddy). Mr. Cooperman's poetry perfectly adopts the vernacular of the Colorado mines. The characters speak in that plain American that even cats and dogs can read. Their confessions are often punctuated by the surprise of a simile as they reach for words to make clear their most turbid feelings. "She slapped my face/her palm a hive of hornets," Linnett Sparks says--a poor miner's widow, recalling how, in her girlhood, her mother had reacted to Linnett's mentioning her lost sister's name. Later, on catching a glimpse of outlaw John Sprockett all sorghum-sweet in the presence of Miss Starling, Linnett--now a cook at the Blue Lady Mine--admits, " If he looked at me that way/my skillet might've melted." In the Colorado Gold Fever Mountains proves Mr. Cooperman to be a great storyteller, an accomplished poet and a robust lover of life.

So, you say you like reading about the history of Colorado's early gold mining camps but usually don't like poetry? Well, you are in luck. Robert Cooperman, one of Colorado's premier poets, has written a book of narrative poems that is unlike anything you have read in a long time. In The Colorado Gold Fever Mountains is a trilogy of poems that are a pure delight to read. These poems paint pictures of the people and events in 19th century mountain towns that are so vivid you will take a place among the participants. Cooperman does this by giving realistic, believable voices to the people living in the Mountain West we know as Colorado. Book One takes the reader into the thoughts, activities and every day life of residents and visitors alike to a fictional Colorado gold camp. Don't miss "Francis DeLacey, Publisher of the Gold Creek Optimist" or the thoughts of "I.O. Emerson, Freighter, Salida, CO." This is definitely not your every day poetry. Book Two is my favorite. It is titled A Coffin and a Carved Stone and relates the towns feelings prior to, during, and after the death of a prostitute who was hanged. The thoughts attributed to "Simon Black, Hangman" and "Thomas Burden, Preacher" will stay with you long after you lay the book aside. Book Three describes the journey of a proper English lady and her hired outlaw escort on a tour of Colorado in the 1870s. It is a touching, gentle, harsh narrative with a surprising ending. Cooperman has a talent to write nattative poetry in a manner that draws the reader in, sits them down, and virtually involves them in the discussion or event. He is that good. If you are looking for a book that portrays the entire spectrum of humanity as it may have been during the gold fever period of 19th century Colorado, get this book. You will never view poetry in the same way again.

Hockey fans will love this book. If you are not a hockey fan, you may want to read this book. It could change your opinion!

The best part about this book is that it's in the players' own words. For anyone who enjoys stories about old time hockey this is a must read.

Inside stories, inside thoughts, the hows, whys, and wherefores of hockey goaltending. Not just the stars and legends, but the back-ups, the crazies, the philosopher-goalies speak on the art, zen, and fun that is goaltending.

If you are a goalie in any sport, whether hockey, lacrosse, soccer, water polo - you will gain useful insight into your game by hearing how these athletes describe their vocation.

Irvin knows how to preamble and then just let the goalies speak their piece. An excellent read.

This is an excellent look at goalies from the present and recent past. You'll learn more about your favorites and get a welcome introduction to others (many of whom are still playing) you haven't heard as much about. You can open the book, start reading at the beginning, middle, or end, and you'll have a good time!

As a parent of a goaltender, who of course wants to make it to the NHL, I found this book to be very encouraging. Every goaltender can and does have bad games. If you have the heart, you have a chance to make it.

Learn how to save time and money through a guide which shows how to use the Internet to locate the best travel bargains and save money. Internet Travel Planner goes beyond pinpointing the latest sites: it tells how to join online discussion forums, how to gain access to newspapers and reviews, and how to use online resources to create your very own custom made traveler's guidebook.

For all of you web travel fans, the Second Edition of Internet
Travel Planner has been updated with the best and newest web travel sites. As a former travel industry employee, I find this is the most complete and easy-to-read internet book now that all the large travel suppliers and surviving internet travel businesses have improved their online booking sites.

Using Michael Shapiro's book as a guide, a newcomer to researching travel can click through a website with ease. An interesting new appendix was added on digital photography. Do any of us world travelers leave home without a camera! Of course we love finding a good discount and each chapter lists sites known for the best deals. Travel sales are still down and businesses are reducing prices or adding incentives to get customers. I would highly recommend buying the book for yourself or giving it as a gift for the holidays.

Michael Shapiro's Internet Travel Planner isn't just another listing of Internet sites to be obsolete in a few months time: it provides some important tips linking travel to the Internet, from creating a custom guidebook to using the internet to see pictures of hotel rooms and connect with other travelers through travel chats and forums. And for those worrying about the book's longevity: free updates are offered online!

I found this book to be both informative and useful even though I had already used the internet for travel purposes. My husband found out about free email accounts and signed up for one within a few minutes (Chapter 14). After reading Shapiro's Internet Travel Planner, I realized that by booking airline tickets on line, I had only begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities for travel planning on line. What I found most useful for both `arm chair travel' and trip planning was Shapiro's chapter on discussion forums and bulletin boards. Search engines are great but I find the results to be catch as catch can. In Chapter 13 I got a clear sense of which sites were worth my time. Shapiro covers everything from frequent flyer miles to vacation package sites, from weather to medicine abroad. The book is easy to use-it offers an index and appendices that allow you to find websites quickly. Read this book even if you wouldn't book a flight or make a reservation on line. The web is too great and too vast a resource to skip and you'll be glad you have this guide as you surf.

My favorite thing about this book is this. You've got a specific question on your mind about doing something travel-related on the Net. And then you just look in the table of contents, and I swear, Shapiro has covered it to some extent. Like, a dependable site for car rentals, or where to find opinions and reviews from other travelers, or getting train passes, dealing with frequent flier miles...and lots of other stuff.

This book isn't a list, or directory, of travel Web sites. Shapiro picked Web sites he considers to be the strongest ones for each topic. And he goes into the details of what to expect for each one. This helps you decide which site is best for your particular needs, for instance, whether you're seeking a last minute hotel bargain, a night in a B&B or a homestay.

This also means that he's willing to be critical. For example, right now Priceline is quite the rage. In the budget travel section he describes how to get the most out of it while also going over the unsexy fine print... that you can't pick an exact flight time, tickets are non-refundable and you don't earn frequent flier mileage. I don't know about you, but that's the info that nobody ever tells me.

A bonus is the First Person section of various chapters. Basically, Shapiro includes interviews, emails and other stories from folks who've used specific sites. You get to see what worked, what didn't and why -- all with opinions.

Hey all you AOL users: Shapiro's got you covered. In many sections he includes a blip, customized to you, that goes over how you use certain sites specifically on AOL.

I'd say that Internet Travel Planner is especially friendly for someone new to the Net. However, it's also helpful for folks who already know Web travel. I know a decent amount about various travel Web sites, yet I find that Shapiro highlights certain features I didn't realize existed in sites I thought I knew well. And on top of it all, you get some non-Net travel advice, like seven tips for finding cheap airline flights. The stuff you'd otherwise have to find out the hard way.

On top of it all, if you have questions or comments, he leaves his email in the introduction for you to contact him. Now that's service.

If you are as new to the computer world and online investing as I am, then reading this little "Blue Book" is just the tool for you. It will take you through the entire process from useful internet terms to buying and selling securities on the internet. It's amazing how much information is compressed in that little "Blue Book". A must-have book for beginners.

I loved this book. Not only is its information concise and pertinent, but its illustrations make it a feast for the eyes. Its numerous lists of Web-sights are practical and resourceful, its information is up-to-date, and even for the computer-savvvy Investor, its helpful tips and hints are a time-saver. Plus, since its format is that of a 'guidebook' , its very handy to carry around or to pass to a friend. And I liked the fact that the book is durable and artistic; two features that make the book a keeper and/or a great gift. I'd recommend this book for anyone who is interested in looking into the opportunities of investing on-line seriously.

People seem to fall into two computer and internet categories: those who have an ever-deeper understanding and appreciation of that world, and those of us who feel intimidated the instant we hit "enter". What a gift INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET FOR INVESTORS is, making the complex simple, the ambiguous clear. Its cleverly and attractively done - amazingly easy to read - and something I can work through step-by-step. Thank you, KSI, for giving us a tool us neophytes can use with enthusiasm.

Well, it is about time that "normal" folks like myself have access to something that can really help them. "INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET FOR INVESTORS" goes a long way toward helping me get a grasp on what all my friends have been talking about for so long. Finally I feel like I can join in because I was able to learn so much from this book. It is easy to read and so well illustrated that its like having an instructor in the room with me. The pictures of the windows screens were very easy to understand. It dares you to not follow along!

The best kept secret in this book though might be the chapter that lists search engines and worthwhile sites. I have no doubt that reading this book has made me money. What better endorsement is there than that!

A wonderful resource to help anyone get started investing on the Internet! Very concise, step-by-step instructions as well as helpful hints and directions to resourceful web-sites, bring confidence to the investor using the Internet for the first time. Even "seasoned" Internet investors with find this book a valuable resource and reference. "introduction to the internet for investors" is a must for every Internet investor!

As a senior myself I found Invent Your Retirement to be an excellent resource guide providing me not only with information in areas where I have an interest like prescription drugs, memory loss and continuing education, but also web sites and books where I can find more detailed information on these and a host of other senior related topics. Great find!

Very highly recommended and informative reading, Invent Your Retirement: Resources For The Good Life by Art Koff is a quality reference for soon-to-be retirees searching for a "user-friendly" guide in preparing for retirement. Educating readers on all aspects and foresight into retirement, Invent Your Retirement covers a decision process consisting of tips and tactics to determine an ideal residential location, longevity via exercise, working, volunteering, further schooling, dietary adjustments, adopting a pet, understanding memory loss, beginning a business or home office, becoming computer literate, protecting credit, funding retirement, estate planning, investment strategies, insightful health matters, prescription drugs, assisted living, long-term care insurance, nursing homes, and understanding how Social Security and Medicare. Invent Your Retirement is a superb collection of useful and instructive material for successful retired living.

As an RN I found Invent Your Retirement to be a very informative book. It is an excellent resource for those thinking about retirement as well as seniors who have already retired. The book is clearly written and provides concise information. We don't just stop when we retire. Art Koff understands this and explores ways seniors can stay intellectually active, keep health care coverage and medical costs down and, suggests places where seniors who want to work can apply to get part time or temporary employment. This book is filled with web sites that yield valuable information. It sensitively but thoroughly explores emotional issues such as assisted living, memory loss and, estate planning. It is very easy to read and is written is an uncomplicated and straightforward manner. I found it insightful and educational. I highly recommend it if you either are a senior, have a loved one who is a senior, or are approaching your retirement. I give it 5 stars.

Reviewed by Robert Watson for Reader Views (4/06)

Retirement! Some can't wait, some hold off as long as possible and some have no clue what retirement really means to them.

Art Koff has designed a concise and positive manual for the senior who is facing the challenges of the next phase of their life. A guide to nurture that new business, develop new social ties, make a difference with all that new available time, or just become computer literate, it's all there. Any aspect of life that could possibly effect or influence the retiree is detailed in this hand book, allowing the reader to develop a renewed attitude towards retirement.

Approaching the retirement zone myself at sixty-five years, I had many questions needing answers and Koff provided the necessary tools to find the positive direction I needed to continue. He also inspired me to stretch and look outside the box for the real answers. This encouraged me to remain in the working world for an additional, maybe five, possibly ten, more fulfilling years.

Koff's style and simplicity in creating this book make it a joy to have on your shelf for a future reference as well as being an informative read.

If you are retired, close to retirement, or have family members or friends close to retirement, this book is for you. Author Art Koff (a senior who surely knows how to keep busy) has compiled a wealth of readable and informative material that covers almost every conceivable subject and question a senior or retiree can have.

Retirement, says Koff, doesn't mean sitting back in the rocking chair and watching the world pass you by. Seniors today have more choices and more opportunity than ever before. But a multitude of choices also means a multitude of questions. Are you puzzled about social security and health costs and insurance questions? Are you thinking of going back to work or volunteering? Do you want to learn how to use e-mail? Are you concerned about memory loss?

This book provides you with the answers to these and other questions. Koff has brought together information from numerous sources, including federal agencies such as the Social Security Administration and Medicare and the Departments of Agriculture, Labor, State, and the Food and Drug Administration, plus private individuals and organizations like the AARP and the Alzheimer's Association.

If you want to become computer literate and a proficient Internet user (and Koff strongly thinks seniors should do this), the book supplies an understandable computer primer. This gives specific commands to do everything from forwarding e-mail to playing music CDs to renaming Word documents.

You may not have thought about many of the topics Koff discusses, including protecting your credit, setting up your home office, the best employers for part-time workers, and choosing a pet. (Learn why Koff thinks long-haired cats are good choices for retirees.)

Throughout the book are numerous references, websites, addresses, and phone numbers to help you get more information. Presumably this material will be updated in future editions.

Invent Your Retirement is an invaluable and readable resource for seniors. Don't retire without it.