F Books

I found this a very informative and inspiring book. I've dabbled in signs and lettering for thirty years and it inspired me to get out my brushes and lay down some lines.

This is a great book for examples of pin stripping. Not a lot on technique. Very goos sequential photos of different strippers and their projects.

This is a wonderful full of inspiration and how-to's if you are interested in doing a bit of artwork that requires concentration and patience you can envision just about anything and pay homage to the past and present on just about anything even surfboards.

Great how-to! From supplies to techniques this book covers it all for beginners. Nice photos and format, can't recommend it enough!

If you are interested in pinstripping, go get this book!!! I'm just starting in the field, but this book contains excelent information, nice step by step tutorials, and great pictures. Maybe it doesn't have too much patterns, but who cares? if you understand the technics, you have to start pushing yourself in making some designs on your own.

This book is full of wonderful information and advice for all ages. I have read many health books, but this is one of the best. Read what Barbara says about vitmains, drinking water and attitude.

I couldn't put down Barbara Morris's new book Put Old On Hold. Save her ability to grab me by the funny-bone with personal satire, her book is a self-contained anti-aging capsule in itself. As a practicing pharmacist, she gives us many (laugh-out-loud) accounts of the degeneration of human consumption - sorry Emeril - and likens common American cuisine to, well, something like turtle turds.

From a micro sense, however, Put Old On Hold, touts and challenges readers to create their own assault on the aging process. It left this reader to put the book down - after first reading cover to cover - and take an inventory of my current herbal, vitamin and mineral supplementation (among other things like revisit my yoga exercise video library).

Moreover, setting my own personal healthcare biases aside, the most exciting message of Put Old On Hold is its ability to give hope. In this writers opinion, hope is a most important commodity in a world of faster, better, more. Instead, Barbara gives it to us straight from the hip in a practical, been there done that format.

Here's just a sample of lessons learned:

-The power of positive self- talk
-Secrets for "thinking" yourself young
-The honest truth about the illusion of retirement
-Key secrets to vitality, anti-aging and better living in a second lifetime

I believe anyone, regardless of age, will be excited about a future which may once have seemed uncertain after reading Barbara's book. Put Old on Hold will be reference I'll continue to use today tomorrow and 50 years from now. Thanks to Barbara, I'm not afraid anymore - If at age 74 the goddess of goddesses tells me I can be just like her, Bam! I'm all over it.

I'm going to pester you like a two-year-old and insist that you MUST read this book! But wait... assumming two year olds act a certain way is exactly the start of what can keep us from reaching our ageless potential! "Put Old on Hold" provides practical advice for keeping yourself healthy and attractive. More importantly, "Put Old on Hold" is an attitude: one that celebrates life and our potential for greatness! It wasn't until I read this book that I really stopped to consider: how much of my life is influenced by others' perceptions of what I should be doing at "my age"? This book has been truly liberating for me and I know it will be for you, too. I encourage you to read it and consider how you'll make today and the next more fabulous for yourself and others.

Reading Put On Hold is like sitting down with your mother, doctors, nutritionist and minister all rolled into one and having a loving, spirited conversation that will spur you to action. Barbara Morris' retirement reality check is particularly sobering. I'm glad she helped me get a new attitude. I'm replacing aging with seamless living and you can too. The tone of her book is so warm and enlightening that your only regret will be that you that you didn't read it sooner. Barbara will remind you it's never too late to take control of your health, get a job that pays (or whatever you want to do that you may have thought you were too old for) and maintain an attitude that promotes wellness, wholeness and self-esteem. This is not only good for you, but for those you are around and even society at large. Plus, her book shows you how to accomplish all that. You'll have to be vigilant, but it's easier than you think. Putting old age on hold is actually a lot of fun because the physical, mental, social and spiritual rewards are so phenomenal. Barbara's work as a pharmacist makes her book the perfect gift for anyone (of any age) you want to help adopt a holistic lifestyle, but they will only listen to someone in the medical field. Her insights into over-the-counter and prescription medicine benefits and side effects are invaluable. Join her and me in banishing an entitlement outlook that many adopt as they get older. It is truly more blessed to give than receive. You'll count your blessings, put poor choices to bed and answer the question, "What's age got to do with it?" with a resounding NOTHING!!

Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (9/06)

One look at the cover and picture of author Barbara Morris tells you that she practices what she preaches and it works! From beginning to end, Morris not only gives great explanations and advice on keeping youth on your side at any age, but you will walk away feeling as if you had spent a few hours in the living room with your friend talking about how NOT to grow old. You walk away knowing that what she says makes sense and she believes what she says.

The author gives some down-to-earth reasons about why some people seem to age quicker than others. After reading her ideas, theories and hints on how not to grow old, you will surely walk away feeling assured that you too can "put old on hold." Morris discusses everything from diet to medicines and takes each idea apart bit by bit explaining why it does or doesn't work. She's not only spent plenty of time researching the ideas and techniques but also using them, showing her very young-looking self on the front smiling. There's no reason why you can't have the same results as she's had and walk away from her wonderfully thought-out and presented book ready to try it.

The best part of the book is that it's not for any one target group. You can read it and benefit if you are 25 or 75. Morris literally pulls up a seat in your living room and speaks to you as a friend and long-time acquaintance. You truly will close the book after page 201 and say "I really feel like this makes sense and I think I can do this." Whether you take on a couple of techniques and advice or all of it, there's no way that you won't feel a difference in yourself and your life after making some changes. Perhaps all you've needed to keep from growing old is someone to sit down with you and talk it out -- someone to point out the facts, thoughts and ideas that you may or may not already know but need to be reminded. Barbara Morris is the person to do it. She befriends you and makes you realize the realities of life, giving you the pep talk of your life. If you don't walk away more knowledgeable and willing than ever in making some changes to "Put Old on Hold" after reading this book, you never will.

A well thought-out, informative book that I'm certain will never be endorsed by the nursing homes of America! I for one prefer not to have to utilize their system if I can help it and after reading Morris' book, I think there's a real possibility of never having to!

WOW!!! What a group of luscious photographs from a man who obviously loved photography and the Kennedys, a great combination! As a portrait photographer I was impressed by the rich quality of the prints as well as the overall stories told with these photographs and I can only imagine what a 1st generation print would have looked like. Thanks to all who helped put this book together, but especially to his daughter Thomasina.

very interesting photos that I had never seen before. too many books on this family are filled with all the same photos. Nice to see some new ones.

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 may have destroyed Jacques Lowe's negatives of the Kennedy family, but not the photographs or the brilliance evident in the camera capturing this shining light that once was Camelot. On the fortieth anniversary of the assassination, which is astutely, not for the first time, linked with September 11, 2001 as a turning point and a loss of innocence in our country's history, the magic of the Kennedys portrayed through Jacques Lowe's wise, perceptive lens makes us mourn for all we've lost.

Modern pundits and social critics might decry our fascination with the Kennedys, but their influence is felt strongly, especially now in Maria Shriver and hubby Ah-nold, a fierce Republican but a believer in the service to God and country that JFK practiced. You can't ignore Jack and Jackie keeping company with Premier Nikita Khrushchev, or Kennedy shaking hands with coal miners. Lowe's close-ups of the miners illuminate the dignity and strength of these men.

The Kennedys romp through a time of change in social, personal and political home movies. Particularly striking are the unguarded JFK moments, such as the photo of JFK thinking with a cigar (no Clinton jokes, please), or the sequence and closeup illustrating Kennedy's distress over hearing of Prime minister of Congo Patrice Lumumba's murder. We see the Kennedys, and they are us, with the added weight of John-John's salute. The intimacy lends more depth of history to this important, moving book.

What a surprise when I found this book.To think that after 40 years a refreshing new book on President Kennedy could still be published.All the photos were taken by Jacques Lowe,who was essentially the Kennedy family photographer.His photos show the personal and human side of Kennedy and the Kennedy family as well as the people who were close to the family.
Once JFK became President, things changed drastically,and we no longer saw the same kind of photos Lowe gave us.It is a shame that Lowe did not continue on as the family photographer and hence continue with the personal glimpses he gave us.This book also has many photos which were not previously published,which show the real emotions of the people involved.Also surprising is how good the text is that accompanies the photos.
Of the many Kennedy books I own or have seen,none is better or more personal and character revealing ,than this one.
One can only imagine what a treasure trove went up in smoke when all of Lowe's negatives were lost in the World Trade Towers destruction on 9/11.
This is a large,heavy,well printed and bound book using top quality paper;a little expensive,but worth every penny.

A real treasure of intimate photographs of the entire kennedy clan by the photographers who was granted access to them before jfk became president. this book is a treasure.

This book is an excellent application of formal methodologies for e-business cases. The examples are useful according to the explanations. I was expecting more emphasis on cost of IT resources or methods in order to calculate. But, the authors guide the book in the resource and performance chapters showing an approach on how to measure from regular sites not from new e-business projects which begin from nothing, without any data from logs or similar metrics. However, the estrict compliance with the methodology presented and the explanation about security provided me with a good reason to have it.

I think it is the only book that deals with the e-business implementation methodocally and lays down a formal procedure. It is very well written and contains appropriate examples. It is recommendable not only for designers but also for managers.

There's not much else I can add to the string of reviews before mine, which ALL give full marks. The words in this review's title are the only that might add value.

This is one of those rare works which does not care to have one eye for the wannabe market. Suitable for both technicians & those folk needing to see the "big picture" (e.g. Managers)

This is one of a series of books about performance and capacity metrics by the authors. Each of their books covers a specific environment (client/server, mainframes, web services), and each explains the theory, quantitative methods and practical approaches using common tools like Microsoft Excel.

This book's focus is on performance and capacity of applications in the e-commerce infrastructure, and like the other books by the authors, it covers every facet while explaining the what's and why's. More importantly, this book will not overwhelm readers who are rusty in math because the authors weave in refresher material as they go along.

What makes this book valuable is the blend of business and technical topics, particularly in Part I where business models are thoroughly discussed. I personally believe that this material is as important as the more technically focused material in subsequent chapters because it wakes up the technical reader as to why their job of developing scalable solutions is important by linking the technical aspects to business imperatives.

Parts II (Evaluating E-Business Infrastructure and Services) and III (Capacity Planning for E-Business) are the heart of the technical matter, and the chapters systematically dissect each aspect of an e-commerce infrastructure from the application layer point of view. This is where quantitative methods are introduced and where the value of the spreadsheets on the CD ROM increase. Note that there are more up-to-date versions of these spreadsheets on the book's associated website, as well as errata for the book.

Practical considerations that blend the business and technical perspectives are presented in Part IV (Models of Specific E-Business Segments). This chapter consists of case studies that tie together all of the preceding material using real world examples.

Because this book is more focused on performance and capacity at the application and business model layer, you should read the authors' newest book, "Capacity Planning for Web Services: Metrics, Models, and Methods". That book covers the lower level details of the infrastructure
to round out the picture of an end-to-end view of performance and capacity management.

A Excellent Book witht a lot of examples and mathematical models that will help to found the correct way to implant a dot com business, Every IT must read it

"The Selling Bible: For People in the Business of Selling" is one of the finest sales books that has ever been written! As a salesperson I have read hundreds of books on this topic in an attempt to understand what constitutes what could be called the "Factor X" of what makes the great salespeople of the world tick. More than most books on this topic the author goes into that Factor X, a suttle psychology which is so small almost to the point of not being noticed which can seperate poor-average-great salepeople. I first read the book several years ago when I was new to selling, and the book sits prominently on my shelf for future reference, since I am so keenly aware that sales skills are forever being sharpened and improved!

"The Selling Bible: For People in the Business of Selling" is one of the finest sales books that has ever been written! As a salesperson I have read hundreds of books on this topic in an attempt to understand what constitutes what could be called the "X Factor" of what makes the great salespeople of the world tick. More than most books on this topic the author goes into that X Factor: a suttle psychology which is so small almost to the point of not being noticed, which can seperate poor-average-great salespeople. I first read the book several years ago when I was new to selling, and this book sits prominently on my shelf for future reference, since I am so keenly aware that sales skills are forever being sharpened and improved! If you are serious about selling, then buy this book!

Hi, This is the best book I ever red on selling. In this book writer gives what you need to make more sales.

I bought this book for a training class with an employer. I was able to outsell the old hands following the guidelines given in the book. Very simple to follow and practice. Now I run my own business and am reccommending it to my salespeople.

This was a required text for a college level class on Professional Personal Selling I took. I'm glad I did take that course because it and this book forever changed my attitude about how to sell and what professional sales reps are like.

Make no mistake, there are Sales Reps and there are Lounge Lizards and this is the biggest distinction that Lawhon really drilled into my head. It's wastefully stupid to sit with the Lounge Lizards who know everything and not to go out, do your job and sell.

One other thing Lawhon said that hit home with me: "That which can be measured, can be improved" and thus the reason for the cloth tape measure bookmark with the book. I took his advice and began to log my calls, closes and referrals and the results have been astounding!

I highly recommend this book which was written for the retail sales industry but can be easily modified for ALL sellng situations. Enjoy!

The Serpent Handlers: Three Families and Their Faith tells the stories of three families of the Signs Followers faith - a branch of Christianity originating in 1910, whose members take Mark 16: 17-18 as a central tenet of their belief. Known for the sensational aspects of their belief - picking up poisonous snakes, drinking strychnine, and speaking in tongues - Signs Followers have often been negatively portrayed by the media, and . Journalist Fred Brown earned their trust through longstanding respect, and offers The Serpent Handlers as a counterbalance. Great pains have been taking to present the stories of the serpent handlers in their own words, without extraneous or editorializing, though each individual's memoir is prefaced by with a summary of who he or she is and his or her role in the movement. A "must-read" primary source highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about Signs Followers and their faith.

Serpent handling is a controversial practice that is often sensationalised by the media. However, the adherents of the Signs Following churches generally avoid publicity. That is what makes this book so special: The handlers are allowed to speak for themselves in telling their own true stories in their own words. What emerges are real people and an impressive testament to an enduring faith provided in moving personal accounts of people who are prepared to risk their lives for wat they believe is obedience to the Bible.

Believers who take Mark 16: 17 - 18 as a literal part of their faith call themselves Signs Followers and are found mainly in the southern Appalachians. Serpent handling is not the only sign; others are handling fire, healing the sick, drinking strychnine and casting out demons. It is important to know that the taking up of snakes and performing the other signs are not attempts to prove anything but is done to confirm the Word of God. This is emphasized by many of the interviewees.

These independent churches are in various ways connected to three great strands of American protestantism: Holiness, Pentecostalism and Fundamentalism. Generally considering themselves as Holiness, they share with fundamentalism a total acceptance of the Bible as the Word of God. Pentecostalism is their link with mainstream protestantism where the signs or Gifts of the Spirit, like speaking in tongues, are practiced.

The first part deals with the Brown Family of Tennessee and the House Of Prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ, situated in Marshall, North Carolina. The people include John Wayne Punkin Brown, Melinda Duvall Brown, Peggy Moore Brown, Rachelle Martinez Brown and Richard Cameron Short. Part Two looks at the Coots Family of Kentucky and the Full Gospel Tabernacle In Jesus Name in Middlesboro, Kentucky. Speakers include Louvernia Coots, Tommy Coots, Gregory Coots and Linda Turner Coots. The last part features the Elkins Family and the Church Of The Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia. The people include Barbara Robinson Elkins, Joe Robert Elkins, Barbara Church Coleman, Lydia Elkins Hollins, Lucille Chafin Church and Charles Church.

In every case, the sections start with a family tree graph followed by a description of the areas or towns like Cocke County, Tennessee, Middlesboro, Kentucky and Jolo, West Virginia. For every individual, there is a short introduction by the authors before the person talks about his or her involvement in the church, their family and their community, what it means to be annointed and how they feel when they are practicing the signs.

Black and white photographs of individuals and families enhance the text and there are accounts of services in each of the aforementiond churches. The book concludes with an index. In addition to this most inspiring and illuminating work, I recommend Serpent Handling Believers by Thomas Burton and Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington.

Serpent handling is a controversial practice that is often sensationalised by the media. However, the adherents of the Signs Following churches generally avoid publicity. That is what makes this book so special: The handlers are allowed to speak for themselves in telling their own true stories in their own words. What emerges are real people and an impressive testament to an enduring faith provided in moving personal accounts of people who are prepared to risk their lives for wat they believe is obedience to the Bible.

Believers who take Mark 16: 17 - 18 as a literal part of their faith call themselves Signs Followers and are found mainly in the southern Appalachians. Serpent handling is not the only sign; others are handling fire, healing the sick, drinking strychnine and casting out demons. It is important to know that the taking up of snakes and performing the other signs are not attempts to prove anything but is done to confirm the Word of God. This is emphasized by many of the interviewees.

These independent churches are in various ways connected to three great strands of American protestantism: Holiness, Pentecostalism and Fundamentalism. Generally considering themselves as Holiness, they share with fundamentalism a total acceptance of the Bible as the Word of God. Pentecostalism is their link with mainstream protestantism where the signs or Gifts of the Spirit, like speaking in tongues, are practiced.

The first part deals with the Brown Family of Tennessee and the House Of Prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ, situated in Marshall, North Carolina. The people include John Wayne Punkin Brown, Melinda Duvall Brown, Peggy Moore Brown, Rachelle Martinez Brown and Richard Cameron Short. Part Two looks at the Coots Family of Kentucky and the Full Gospel Tabernacle In Jesus Name in Middlesboro, Kentucky. Speakers include Louvernia Coots, Tommy Coots, Gregory Coots and Linda Turner Coots. The last part features the Elkins Family and the Church Of The Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia. The people include Barbara Robinson Elkins, Joe Robert Elkins, Barbara Church Coleman, Lydia Elkins Hollins, Lucille Chafin Church and Charles Church.

In every case, the sections start with a family tree graph followed by a description of the areas or towns like Cocke County, Tennessee, Middlesboro, Kentucky and Jolo, West Virginia. For every individual, there is a short introduction by the authors before the person talks about his or her involvement in the church, their family and their community, what it means to be annointed and how they feel when they are practicing the signs.

Black and white photographs of individuals and families enhance the text and there are accounts of services in each of the aforementiond churches. The book concludes with an index. In addition to this most inspiring and illuminating work, I recommend Serpent-Handling Believers by Thomas Burton.

Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia

Mountain Holiness: A Photographic Narrative

If you only read one book on signs followers(serpent handlers),this should be the one.An accurate account of the beliefs of these unique people is provided in their own words, from the viewpoint of three of the most prominent families in the world of the serpent handlers. Stripped of the sensationalism prevalent in most accounts of believers of this faith, this book will present an honest look into the lives of some of the most honest, likeable people you would be proud to call your friends and neighbors.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FACINATED WITH SERPENT HANDLING.
I THINK THIS HAS TO BE THE BEST BOOK,IF YOU WANT AN HONEST
LOOK INTO THE LIVES OF SOME SINSERE JESUS LOVING PEOPLE AND THERE
LIVES.I LIKED THIS BOOK BECAUSE ALOT OF IT WAS WERITTEN IN THE WORDS OF SAINTS THEMSELFS.BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.AND A GREAT BOOK,I HIGHLY RECCCOMEND THIS BOOK OVER OTHER BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ ON THE SUBJECT.PEACE BE.STEVE SPARKS

This is a very unique approach to a book about uniforms. Instead of just several still pictures with brief captions, this book gives stories that make the uniforms really come to life. As an avid reader of Napoleonic books and collector of miniatures, I give this two thumbs up for the vast number of uniforms it covers, the nationalities (there's more than the French) represented, and the stories/information that you learn from the author. A great read and great reference overall.

A "must have" for all military historicans, military miniature collectors and Napoleonic miniature wargamers!

A very worthwhile book for the wargamer and modeller. Pictures were highly detailed and provided a good reference source. Outstanding book well worth the money.

This is a wonderful book with over 100 color plates. I counted and this does not include the blow-ups of many parts of these that are presented separately. The quality of the plates varies as three different artists were involved in the project, but even the worst are quite good. There is a definite bias to the uniforms of the French and its allied nations (see the list below). Accompanying nearly every plate is a page describing the scene and its circumstances or perhaps general information about a battle, campaign and uniforms. The one thing I would have liked when I was thinking of buying this book was a better idea of what was in it. So below I have summarized the sections and plates. The plates are of French troops unless otherwise stated and where there is more than on plate it is recorded (#). Some Plates have no accompanying information (eg chapter title pages) and so I have not described these.

Before the Empire: Lasalle at Vicenza; Lasalle and 22nd Chasseur and 15th Dragoon vs Osman Bey's Mamelukes; 10th Hussars.

1805: 19th Dragoon at Elchingen; 18th Dragoon at Elchingen; General Pajol and 6th Hussar at Ulm; The Great Charge at Austerlitz.

1806: 7th Hussars and 5th Hussars vs the Queen's Dragoons (Prussia); General Colbert, 10th Chasseurs and 3rd Hussars at Jena; Marechal Davout and line infantry at Auerstaedt; Lassale, 5th and 7th Hussars.

1807: Gendarmes d'ordonnance; Murat and D'Hautpool's Cuirassiers at Eylau; Murat and the 13th Chasseurs at Eylau; Baron Lepic and the Grenadiers a Cheval at Eylau; Murat, aide de camps and Espagne's Cuirassiers at Heilsberg; Napoleon and staff reviewing Lasalle's cavalry at Elbing.

1808: Isemburg Regiment; The Emperor's household; The Emperor's Berlin.

The Peninsula, 1808-14: Lasalle and the Polish Chevau-Legers; Lasalle, Gendarme d'Elite and Dragoons at Medina de Rio Seco; Garde de Paris(2); 10th Chasseurs vs the Infante Regiment (Spanish); 10th Chasseurs; 2nd Hussars(2); 13th Cuirassiers; Gendarmerie de Espagne(2); Neuchatel Battalion; Foot Artillery; Young Guard; Isemberg Regiment; Vistula Legion(2); Chasseurs de Montagne.

1809: The Bavarian Troops; General Coehorn, Corsican Tirailleurs and the 14th Chasseurs at Ebersberg; Jordi's Regiment (Austrian line, 'German') vs French light (24th?) at Aspern; General Espagne and the 4th Cuirassiers; Pontooners; The Baden Infantry 1809, 3rd Baden Regiment vs Austrian Line 'Hungarian' (2); 1st Chasseurs a Cheval(2); Fusiliers of the Guard(2); Artillerie a Pied of the Guard.

In Garrison 1810-13: Berg Chevau Legers(2); Nansouty's Cuirassiers(2); 11th Hussars; King Murat and Neapolitan line regiment and Neapolitan Grenadiers of the Guard(3); 30th Chasseurs.

1812: General Chouard's Carabiniers, 4th Lancers and Chevau-Legers; General Montbrun and the 9th Hussars; King Jerome, Grenadier Guard and Kings Lifeguard (Westphalian); Westphalian Hussars; 7th Regiment (Westphalian); 2nd, 5th and 6th Regiments (Westphalian); General Pajol, 2nd Chasseurs and 9th Polish Lancers; Saxon Chevau-Legers(2); General Gudin and sappers at Valutina; Russian Guard vs 12th Line; Portuguese Legion(2); 1st Voltigeurs of the Guard(2) and Novgorod Cuirassiers (Russian, 1); Saxon Brigade (Lifeguards, Von Zastrow Cuirassiers(2)); Dragoons of the Imperial Guard; 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers; Croats in the Grand Armee(2); Hessian Chevau-Legers; Baden Hussars(2); Lithuanian Tartars.

1813: Naval Artillery; Jerome Napoleon Hussars; 13th Hussars; Field Hospitals and Medical Care; The Krakus (Polish).

1814: Guards of Honour(2).

1815: Allied Forces 16 June 1815 (Brunswickers, British 92nd(2)); Wellington's staff at Waterloo; English Horse Artillery; Red Lancers(2); Young Guard.

very good book and excellent color plates, but a bit scewed towards french uniforms and some important nations missing. no austrians for example.

you were very easy for a computer novice (me) to order, pay, confirm, and deliver. thank you so much. look forward to more business with you. rosie

This book offers easily understood explanations of addiction and the relapse process. The book was offered to me through an out-patient rehabilitation program and has been an invaluable tool on countless occasions since. The book offers examples that you can apply to your own experiences. By fully understanding the cycle of addiction can the addict most successfully break the cycle. I strongly recommend this book to anyone suffering from the disease of addiction, the sober family coping with a drug addicted member, or those offering education on the subject.

This is an excellent foundation to understanding the complex causes of relapse and their early indentification. It gives good information on indentification of relapse warning signs and constructive ways to abort another sprial into relapse. This book is written to supplament your 12 step program and is most useful when coupled with a relapse prevention support group that is not AA. If you can find or found a relapse group this book will be invaluable and rated 5 stars. Only relapse prone alcholic's need read this.

While I was in Inpatient Rehab I was given this book to read. It is like a bible to me now. Everything you need to know about staying clean and sober is in this book. Along with AA, sponsors, numbers, support groups, this book gives you some soild tools to stay sober. I highly suggest it!

This book is a great resource for understanding and working on relapse prevention. I personnally used it within my recovery as well as with clients I worked with in treatment. It includes a great overview of addiction as a disease, relapse prevention skills, post acute withdrawal syndrome, stages of recovery and much more useful and necessary information. Recommended for those in recovery from addiction and those working with the recovering population.

Reading this book, I got to share a fascinating life with people who lived adventures I never dreamed of. I wouldn't have considered going to Moscow State in my early 20s! I have followed international news over the past 40 years, sometimes more closely than other times as "life" allowed. And I was aware of Russia, but my images were formed by tne nightly broadcasts from Moscow....only to learn, duh, what a huge and diverse country Russia is and was.

Naomi's rich descriptions of sparse student lives, charming (who knew?) villages, life as an expat, and the bravery of the U.S. diplomats is captivating. Regardless of one's interest in Russia, this is a fascinating story told by a keen observer and skilled writer.

Her book and story is too important (now I know that) to call an "airplane" or "beach book" but it is that engrossing of a read.

The book makes the whole experience come alive. The best part was the parallels between the changes in Russia and the changes in the author. And I liked the way Ambassador Collins' chapters provide a context for the work at the beginning and end.

This review was just sent to me in a letter by another American in Moscow who does not use Internet.
"I have just finished the book and am in awe of the writing. The book masterfully conveys the multi-textured Soviet experience over changing decades as well as evoking the challenges "wife of" has to surmount. Once I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading. It transported me to living in the days of the Soviet Union."

Naomi Collins helps the reader walk the tightrope between the private and personal life of the individual and the massive presence of the Soviet/Russian state. It is both a personal diary and a political essay that takes the reader through the recent past as perceived by a talented and sensitive observer of her world. The personal narrative creates the focus through which to take hold and grasp major events of our time. The author's willingness to share with us thoughts and emotions originally intended for personal journals and close friends and family is a gift to her wider audience. It is beautifully written. Her poetry, written during periods in Russia, is truly evocative of time and place.

Invite Naomi Collins to your home. Ask her to relate her experiences as the wife of a Foreign Service employee who eventually becomes the Ambassador to Russia. The night before her arrival prepare some bifstek and kvas so that she will feel at home. Be sure to listen intently to her every word as she shares the last 40 years of her life in and out of Russia. If she is either too busy to visit or you cannot make or purchase kvas, do the next best thing and pick up a copy of her book "Through Dark Days and White Nights". I assure you that her story will captivate and fascinate you as if she were sitting in your living room. Her style of writing is as natural as her speech. Her observational skills and her careful documentation of events help to paint her story with passion and realism that could only be matched by someone traveling along with Naomi. I shivered as she described the winters in Russia and cringed at the description of the putrefying matter found in the unkempt bathrooms. You need not be interested in Russian history or politics to enjoy this book. The 4-decade memoir transitions from life as a student at Moscow State University, to wife of the American Ambassador to Russia at the Spaso House. It is a quick read and disappointing that it ends so soon. I await the writing of another book by Naomi Collins.

Andrews is a man who died with his ship and should be called the best man in the world he is a saint even if i am not cathlioc

This book was such a lovely find; I had been fascinated with Mr. Andrews from the first moment I saw a picture of him. His intelligence, intensity, and presence jumps out of the picture. After hearing from so many sources of just how wonderful he was, I was so happy to receive this book. Even though it is written in yesterday's English - it is a delight to get insight into such a wonderful soul as this. My only hope that in some place in the world, this man has reincarnated so that others will have a chance to be around someone of this caliber. A wonderful book, a wonderful man.

I took a tour of a local titanic display not too long ago. And as i saw the picture of Mr.Thomas Andrews and remembered the recent movie by James Cameron, mainly the brilliant performance by Victor Garbor as Mr. Andrews. I was inspired to find out more about who this man is and what sort of person he was. Searching Amazon.com, I found this book and bought it right away. Information about Mr. Andrews is not very abundant and hard to find. This is a very short book and the language is a little different, due to the differences between the last turn of the century and this one. The content is right on the mark, concentrating on the subject at every turn. Pulling back the curtains of history past to see the story, behind the story of the man and the power behind his success.

Shan F.Bullock truely captures the essence of Thomas Andrews, and what he meant to those who loved as well as worked with him. His passion for his work and his love for life are clearly an inspiration to all who read this book.Though he had already accomplished so much in his brief lifetime, the reader is left wondering how much more he could have contributed had he lived. There is one line in particular, written by Sir Horace Plunkett in the introduction that has touched me deeply. It read, "There is not," ran this fine epitaph, "a better boy in heaven."

Anyone who has ever looked at Thomas Andrews' photograph and wondered what sort of man he was will be fascinated by this book. A Managing Director of Harland & Wolff, he regarded the shipyard workers as his 'pals' and was equally loved and respected by them. The story of the men weeping when all hope of his being saved is heartbreaking. Shan Bullock shows why he inspired such love and respect, and why Thomas Andrews should not be forgotten. To quote a line from the book: "Surely of all men worth saving he should have been saved."