Beginners Books

Professor Peter C. Doherty was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine with Swiss colleague, Rolf Zingerngel, in 1996 for discovering `the nature of the cellular immune defence', and was also recognised as Australian of the Year in 1997.

Brief history of Noble Prize/s and autobiography of his childhood. Technical in places on immunology. A very informative read.

It is not a How-To book to get the Super Prize, it is a journey of a Nobel Prize winner from his childhood to manage to get a nobel prize.

I really like it

In 1996 author Peter Doherty found himself receiving the Nobel Price for Physiology or Medicine from the king of Sweden - an unlikely event for a boy who grew up in an Australian working neighborhood where his schoolmates ended up working in the local slaughterhouse. His journey from Australia, his evolving interest in immunology, and his eventual award-winning work are revealed in a memoir which surveys the life of a research scientist, discussing how scientific projects are selected, funded and organized. This approach makes this more than just a memoir of a prize-winner - and important to any aspiring scientist.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is part memoir, part autobiography, part philosophy, and part several other things, and the result is a delightful read. The title needs to be taken just a bit in jest as no body can tell you how to win the big one. In science that's the Nobel, in sports its the Superbowl or World Series, in acting a Tony or Emmy.

What the book can tell you is how the big one changes your life around. When the Nobel committee called to inform him that he was a winner they said, 'I'm going to give you ten minutes to call your families and friends before I release it to the press. After that expect the phone to be continuously busy.' In the case of the Nobel, a surprising number of people can't get back to the life of research they previously did, they are too busy making speeches and the like.

Another part of the book is on the conflict between science and religion. Back in Galileo's day the Church had decreed that everything went around the Earth, the center of God's perfect universe. Looking through his home made telescope, Galileo saw that moons went around Jupiter. He was shown the instruments of torture and kept under house arrest for the remainder of his life. After this, astronomical research moved to areas not under the tight control of the church.

Now it seems to be the time for biology to be held in contempt. There exists the possibility that religion will stop biology, at least in the United States, substituting faith in the Bible to replace observable facts. This is pretty scary in view of AIDS, bird flu, and other possible pandemics.

Finally there is a section on What's Next. There are too many thoughts here that I can't even begin to do justice to them in a list. Lets just say that there are tremendous problems, tremendous opportunities.

I read "Beginner's Luck" while on vacation at the beach, and couldn't put it down to go swimming! The book's story flows smoothly for an enjoyable read and has all the things you want in murder mystery: Intrigue, Sex, Humor, and Emotion.
I chuckled, I cried, and I tried to solve the mystery (of course, the author outwitted me for a great ending)!

Cheryl Ritzel is a Middle School teacher who writes as an avocation. She has a background in Politics and Psychology.

Paul Grey's wife, Lindsey, is running a campaign for the Senate. Her uncle is Allan Puckett, who is Atlanta's fortieth-district Senator. Allan has been grooming Lindsey to step into his shoes. But Allan is found dead in his bathtub of a gunshot wound to the head and everyone assumes it's suicide. Paul Grey begins a personal investigation that also involves the art deal Ralph Meeker, who has also been found dead. What do an art dealer and a senator have in common? Stolen art:

"When I saw it I knew for certain it was hot. On the back of the canvas was a mark that said 'Property of Weider Private Collection.' I immediately asked him if it was indeed stolen. He laughed, saying what on earth did I think? Did I really think I could get an original Metcalf legitimately? I was livid. I shouted for him to get out. He just shrugged and left claiming that he'd be seeing me."

Of course the police think that Allan Puckett is behind the murder...everyone is in agreement about the stolen art. It is up to Paul to track down and interview all persons who attended a campaign party for his wife. He knows that one of them has the answer to the riddle.

Ms. Ritzel does a nice job of weaving a tangled web of deceit in this amateur sleuth thriller. She is intent upon keeping the audience in the dark right up to the end and succeeds. She also handles her male protagonist with panache, which isn't always easy to do. Paul Grey isn't too wimpy, or too macho. He's just an ordinary guy trying to help out his wife's family, and he and his wife have a wonderful give and take relationship. Paul manages to get himself into a dangerous denouement, but even that is handled with lots of finesse.

Beginner's Luck is an entertaining whodunit written with a large audience in mind...it's not too risque, yet the usual tension is there. A good effort by a writer with lots of skill and verve.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Paul Grey has the misfortune of meeting Ralph Meeker on a flight to Dallas/Fort Worth on his trip to Atlanta. But even more annoying was to have the same little overweight, heavily-gold-decorated art and antiquities dealer on Paul's return trip home. Ralph was a real pain in Paul's neck, and everyone else's on board, for that matter.
On his return home from a late night shift at work Paul learns of the apparent suicide of Senator Allan Puckett, and the murder of antique dealer Ralph Meeker. The news hinted that the Senator had killed Meeker then two days later killed himself. Paul found it too hard to accept.

Paul's wife Lindsey is into politics. Senator Allan Puckett was like a father to Lindsey, and became her mentor. She became hooked on politics when Allan got her a part time job in the Capitol. She worked as a lawyer's aide until such time as she would feel she could become an elected official. She finally felt the right time had arrived. To further progress, Lindsey and Allan had hosted a dinner to kick-off her election campaign.

During the party Paul witnessed Allan and Ralph Meeker having a very heated argument. Paul is interrupted by Lindsey before he has a chance to approach the arguing couple. By the time his attention gets back to the couple they have disappeared.

Ballistics shows that an antique Colt Army revolver from Meeker's shop is the same gun used in both killings.

These deaths have a very negative effect on Lindsey's campaign efforts. Paul starts an amateur investigation into his friend's death, and an effort to clear the Senator's name in the killing of Ralph Meeker. Paul and Lindsey cannot believe that Allan murdered anyone, nor did he kill himself.

Paul runs into problems that place his and Lindsey's life in danger. As an amateur playing detective in this very convoluted case does Paul uncover the truth with his skill, or does he count on - BEGINNER'S LUCK?

Cheryl Ritzel has written a good twisty, turny, convoluted tale of murder, love scandals, and forgeries. In this her debut novel she has shown a great talent for plot and terrific talent for dialog. The dialog is so real it's like eaves dropping on someone's conversation.

Looking forward to Paul Grey's next case.

-Shirley Truax, All About Murder

A shady antique dealer named Ralph Meeker had a sweet deal going. He would sell stolen art to wealthy clients and then blackmail them with threats of exposing their "crimes." When both he and one of his victims, Senator Allan Puckett, turn up dead on the same night, police conclude that it was a murder suicide and quickly clear the case. However, Lindsey Grey, who was mentored by the Senator and her husband, amateur sleuth, Paul Grey, cannot believe that Allan Puckett would kill himself or anyone else for that matter. So Paul sets out to find evidence that will clear the Senator, remove the cloud that may hurt his wife's chances of getting elected to her mentor's seat, and release insurance funds to the man's wife.
For a guy whose regular job is some sort of contract data entry, Paul Grey is a pretty methodical detective. He does get tripped up, as beginners often do, by starting with a premise and then trying to develop evidence to prove it rather than allowing the evidence to develop the premise. However, he's evidently read enough mysteries and watched enough Law and Order to doggedly track down leads and continues to investigate every angle until he comes up with a pretty plausible theory.
Then, taking a page from Charlie Chan, he gathers all the suspects together at Denny's telling them that he knows who the culprit is. Unfortunately, it turns out that Grand Slams are not only on the menu when several of the gentlemen take exception to Paul's probing and accusations. With everyone furious at him it's no wonder that his car is blown up. But now at least the police are willing to listen and begin to be more open to the idea that the case was not quite so open and shut.
In her breakout novel, Beginner's Luck, Cheryl Ritzel has created a strong foundation for her proposed series staring Paul Grey. With a twist on the usual detective mysteries Paul Grey is just a regular guy who has a knack for winnowing out facts where others would have given up. And, despite some beginner's boo-boos he manages to solve the case with lots of hard work and determination...and, well maybe a bit of beginner's luck.

This book is so cute and so much fun! We borrowed this book from our local library and then I just had to own it. My kids didn't want to return it to the library. The story line is so cute and it rhymes too which gives it a fun rhythmic sound as you read it aloud. Great book!

Although Amazon advertises this book for ages 4-8, my wife and I started reading this and other Stan and Jan Berenstain books to our children from 18 months and up. Always a delight, our kids would laugh at the silliness while learning a lesson about life. We started a great habit of reading two or three books before bed, and the kids loved them. Soon, they would memorize many of the phrases, beginning a lifelong passion for reading.

Every kid should experience reading books by the Berenstains while growing up. The characters are well developed, the rhyming phrases help kids become enthusiastic about reading, and the messages about life make them think. Bears On The Moon got my son and daughter asking questions about space and interested in the great beyond. Combine this with other fun Berenstain Bear books and your kids will sit enthralled as you turn the pages. Highly recommended.

"The Berenstain Bears on the Moon," by Stan and Jan Berenstain, is one of the best in the authors' excellent series of children's books. In this installment, Brother and Sister Bear, accompanied by their excitable pet dog, take a rocket trip to the moon and back.

Although the book's primary purpose is entertainment and literacy education, the Berenstains do get some of the science right. The portray the gravity-free environment of the space ship's interior during the voyage, and they also show that the gravity on the lunar surface is much less than that on Earth.

The book is illustrated in the typically appealing Berenstain Bears style. Particularly fun is the orange, green, and purple-colored rocket ship used by the intrepid space travelers. And the rhymes are equally fun. Example: "Two little bears / and one little pup. / They are off to the moon, / going up, up, up!" This irresistible adventure tale is definitely a high point in a beloved book series.

My two year old son wants me to read this book to him several times a day. He never tires of hearing about the bear's adventure, and I think that he enjoys the rhythm of the words.

My "newbie" Tee Ball player laughed hard at one character's silly interpretation of "going home". When teaching children to play a new sport, it's important for all -- including these young players -- to keep a sense of humor.

My twin 5 year olds played t-ball for the first time this spring. We bought this book recently and it made them laugh out loud. The story reminded them of the many funny things that happened when they were first learning the rules of the game. Wish we had read it before the season began. It's a fun read.

This is such a cute book. Brother and Sister bear are trying to coach a T-ball team but neglect to teach the cubs how to play. So, when they're told to "run home" after making a hit, the little cub literally runs home to her house. This book is full of such little quips and makes learning about a sport very entertaining. It's also great for that little one just starting T-ball and learning about the game. Even sportsmanship is discussed as Brother bear learns that nothing is ever accomplished by stomping up and down on your hat! This book helped explain a lot in our house. Recommend!

I loved this book because of its humor. Great for teaching a young one about T-Ball and there is also the valuable lesson about teaching kids about teaching/coaching a sport. Also, fun stickers included!

We checked this book out from the library and my three year old daughter fell in love. :) We have had to check it out so frequently and my daughter asked so sweetly not to check it back in that we decided to buy it. It recently kept her occupied for over an hour on a long trip. She likes to help me cook so she really enjoys the cooking theme of the book. It has a nice message about sharing and is fairly pleasant to read over and over. My daughter now has it memorized and will "read" it to her younger brother.

My 5 year old daughter Loves this book, because she can read it by herself. Its a very good book for children just learning how to read. It is also very cute.

My 3 year old daughter loves this little book!

Strawberry Shortcake and her friends are planning a little picnic when each of them discovers that they are missing an ingredient to make their favorite treat. It teaches the value of sharing and has lovely, colorful graphics to make it a must have for little Strawberry Shortcake fans.

This little book is very cute with bright, colorful graphics; it teaches the value of sharing! My three-year-old daughter loves it!

Bilgere hits a nerve in the field of gender issues. Beyond The Glame is much more impactful than anything I've ready by Robert Bly, John Lee, Robert Moore, or other pop psychologist. This book opens up new worlds of understanding between men and women. After reading the book, I began relating to my girlfriend differently. That is to say, we began getting a long in a new way, with increased vitality, communication, and understanding between us. I never knew what triggered my negative emotions, or outbursts of anger in conflicts. This book has shed light on how I blame women, and others for my problems and don't take responsibility. I recommend men and women read this book as a means to create love and acceptance between the sexes.

I didn't realize how much trouble _I_ caused in my relationships with men! Like most women, I wanted to improve my relationship, and the author is so gentle and non-shaming, yet at the same time really was able to get to the bottom of what was holding my relationship down. I didn't realize how easy it could be have my relationships with men get better--I feel a lot closer to men now. I haven't seen anything else like this book.

While both men and women now better understand women's experiences (thanks to a clear and consistent voicing of the feminine perspective by women), that understanding has not cooled the war between the sexes. Dimitri Bilgere contends that the escalating battle indicates that understanding only one perspective simply intensifies the fighting.

He argues that the sexes will give up "the blame game" only when both women's and men's perspectives are voiced, heard, and dealt with.

In his book Bilgere shows:
how to understand and heal stereotypes that shame men and harm women;
how to stop unconsciously stimulating behaviors you hate most in the opposite sex;
how to stop blaming others--and yourself--for the problems in your life.

This book helps women understand men and men understand women. It can help-- instantly and permanently--improve your relationships with the opposite sex.

is what this book should be called. I really feel closer to women having read this, I realize now how much more alike we really are, even though we sometimes see the world differently. The author is clear, has depth, and really makes a lot of sense about bringing men and women together in a world of books that make men and women seem like strangers from different worlds.

SpongeBob finds a perfect way to celebrate Halloween. As usual, SpongeBob finds a way to amaze everyone, including the reader, and offer a funny, scary Halloween tale for us all to enjoy. My 6 yr old is a big SpongeBob fan, as is my 10 year old. They both have enjoyed this book over and over, even past the holiday.

My son LOVES this book. He had me read it to him several times in a row the first day then just about every night for weeks now. My son is at a level 2 reading & this is a good fit for him to read alone. Of course he still loves for me to read it to him.

Any kid will love this book. This book is so funny that you should not even think twice about buying it- it is a guaranteed hit! There is no doubt that you would not like this book.

I'm sharing this with my students. They will think it is great fun and will probably remember the cartoon.

Got this for my 7 year old daughter before we went on a trip to Yellowstone. She loved the pictures and turned out to be pretty darned good a spotting and identifying many of the tracks from it. Great little book...was her favorite of several that I got for us.

Big Tracks, Little Tracks is a beautifully illustrated book for young "nature detectives." All animals leave different tracks and if you know just how to study them, you will find out how they walked, what or how they ate and sometimes even what way the wind was blowing as they walked!

A fun activity page explains how to do an experiment with leaving tracks of your own and making plaster casts of tracks that you find. Fun read!

The book is a great way to get children involved in their reading. The questions in the book encourage reflection and help children make predictions about what they are reading. The concepts can be applied to anywhere in nature, and are appropriate for all children no matter where they live. The book gives important facts and information, but also allows children to become "detectives" and take an active role in the book. It is great for science discovery with young children!

This book is written in a style that promotes problem solving and develops inquiry skills. It is a wonderful introduction to animal tracks. After a child reads this book they will be able to differentiate between several common tracks and have an understanding of how to interpret tracks to understand the behavior of the animal that made them. I highly recommend this book to teachers, families...

it's the first blackjack book i ever read and i really enoyed it!

I picked up this book in anticipation of heading off to Nevada for vacation, and wow it really does lay it all out and explains everything in simple to understand jargon. I'm glad I started with it. I've been practicing playing over and over, and I'm pleased to report that (on paper) I am thousands of dollars ahead. The dealer I'm playing with (my hubby) is threatening to bar me from the casino (the breakfast room)!

I'm a novice blackjack player and have read 2 other books about the game, but found this book to be much easier to understand and much more fun to read. The author seems to really know his stuff!

I've been a blackjack player for many years and have read quite a few books on the subject...this is one of the most helpful books I've read! The author not only knows a lot about the game, he is also a very entertaining writer. I've tried the betting system he recommends, and so far it's working great! I now win a lot more than I lose!!! Every blackjack player will enjoy reading this fine book.

My 5 year old twin boys have just begun to enjoy this series of books after reading two of the Billy and Blaze books saved from my own childhood. I decided to complete the collection for them and have bought all the other books. These classic boy-and-faithful-horse-adventure stories have a timeless appeal that have been a joy to revisit for me and to discover for the first time for them.

We purchased all of C.W. Anderson's Billy and Blaze series books for our homeschool. The story and the illustrations make this book a real "page turner". Each left-hand page has large text for easy reading, while each right-hand page has a full-page illustration to complement the story.

The sentence structure and vocabulary is fairly good. This particular story is about a horse riding pre-teen boy who is on the lookout for a mountain lion who is attacking livestock. The setting is in rural America (probably midwest), and in the 1930's or early 1940's.

I love this book on Blaze and the Mountain Lion part of the Billy & Blaze series.

This is when Billy and Blaze are on the ranch and his parents had come west and taken a ranch house for the summer and the had Blaze along too.

Billy & Blaze to the Rescue! So they are able to chase the wild cat into its den and save a frightened calf from near death. So Billy has an old rope he used as a lasso and he roped the calfs belly and he pulled him up.

Jim their new cowboy friend kills the mountain lion and Billy got a new lasso.

I love the Billy & Blaze books by author C. W. Anderson.

This time Billy and Blaze set out west (for a family holiday) and encounter great boy adventures and make a new cowboy friend.

Billy and Blaze books teach courage and responsibility and consideration for others. These things do seem to be lacking in a lot of children's literature these days.

If you want a classic story with good values and a great storyline, this is for you and your boys.