F Books


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Related Subjects: Fabi, Mark French, Jackie Forester, C.S. Ford, Richard Falkner, J. Meade Frost, Robert Fontane, Theodor Fulton, Alice Funkhouser, Erica Flecker, James Elroy Forché, Carolyn Fitzgerald, F. Scott Freneau, Philip Fielding, Henry Funkhouser, Christopher Ferlinghetti, Lawrence Fraser, Kathleen Fleming, Ian Faulkner, William Fulghum, Robert Fraser, George MacDonald Flaubert, Gustave Fuentes, Carlos Forster, E. M. Floyd, E. Randall Fraire, Isabel Follain, Jean Forster, Margaret Foix, J. V. Feuchtwanger, Lion Frank, Thomas Forsyth, Frederick Firbank, Ronald Ferrater, Gabriel Ford, Charles Henri Fjellman, Stephen M. Fenton, Elijah Flint, James Follett, Ken Fante, John Foxx, Nina Federman, Raymond Friedan, Betty Flynn, Jack Frank, Dorothea Benton Fowles, John Franzen, Jonathan
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F Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

F
Tomcat Alley: A Photographic Roll Call of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat (Schiffer Military History)
Published in Hardcover by Schiffer Publishing (1998-08)
Author: David F. Brown
List price: $59.95
New price: $43.80
Used price: $37.98

Average review score:

Impressive...most impressive
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-16
For those who fly, maintain, or just admire the F-14, this definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf. Filled with over 700 photos of Tomcats, including the bureau numbers of said planes, this is without a doubt the "year book" of the F-14. I only wish this book receives an update with even more photos of the remaining Tomcats in our inventory and where they stand today (book was printed in 1998).

Including information such as the planes that appeared in Hollywood films, squadron tail markings, as well as patches, you will not find a more complete reference title anywhere on the market. It is a bit pricey, but well worth the money.

Perfect book for ALL F-14's
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-06
I'm a former F-14 RIO (85-93), and was the FITWING Senior Flight Surgeon at NAS Oceana from 2000-2003 - I loved going through this book. I matched all the planes that I flew over the years with my log book. There were some discrepancies, but nothing major. I was involved with flying many of the aircraft to the desert in Arizone for their final resting place - And, finally, it was wonderful to be at the Final Flight and Retirement on the Beautiful Day at NAS Oceana in September. I met the author of the this book and bought a signed copy. Keep up the good work. MUGS

I would buy it only if ...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-26
February 26/2006. For the last 7 years the Tomcat has served and excelled in different roles and big conflicts have been present in all this time. And now the Tomcat's service in the Navy is almost over. A couple of cruises I guess and that's it. Now is the perfect time to update this book. Then it would be like a Tomcat Bible.

A wonderful concept, but dated
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-18
A very detailed and fascinating roll call of the 712 F-14's built. Unfortunately, the book is current only through 1998.

This book could become the definitive Tomcat bible if it was updated to include all Tomcats through the final retirement in September and provide some coverage of the many ceremonies that took place as the Tomcat flew into the sunset.

Excellent book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-22
There is not too much to read in the F-14 book, as it
is a "F-14 Roll Call" type book. This means it has a
photo of each and every F-14 ever made, and the final
disposition of each aircraft. If the aircraft was in
any special operations, that is mentioned also. For
photos, specific aircraft markingins, squadron
markings and F-14 history I thought the book was very
well done and excellent!

F
TV Guide The Official Collectors Guide: Celebrating An Icon
Published in Paperback by Bangzoom Publishers (2006-03-15)
Author:
List price: $29.95
New price: $20.00
Used price: $10.38

Average review score:

A very highly recommended tour of American television programming
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-03
Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.

Fabulous
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-05
I was so happy to receive the TV Guide Official Collector's Guide, it is a great publication!! It has a lot more information than I expected - comments by stars over the years and much more!! It is very colorful and I will enjoy reading it for years to come. My 45 year old son has a collection of TV Guides and I know he will be interested in seeing the publication to see if the ones he has are valuable! Thank you

Great book, but flawed
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-04
This book has several major flaws. For a start, there is no index. The only way to locate covers with your favorite stars or shows is to browse the pages year-by-year.

The price guide only gives values for "mint condition" issues, with no guidelines for how to adjust value for copies in less than mint condition. (Most collectors' guides give a range of prices based on condition.)

It would have been nice if they had included some lists, such as: the most valuable issues; issues with multiple covers; people who have appeared on the most covers; etc. All of these things are mentioned in the text, but there is no way to look them up except by browsing every listing.

Despite these flaws, this is still an invaluable book for collectors, because of it's comprehensive checklist.

A TV GUIDE FAN'S DREAM BOOK!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-06
The episode of Seinfeld where Frank Costanza was noted to be a collector of TV Guide pretty much cemented that publication's place in the lore of pop culture. Now, from Bangzoom publishers comes "TV Guide" the official Collector's Guide. A lot of collector's books claim to be the only book you'd ever need to own but this one truly fits the bill. With over 3700 pictures, and every national and regional TV Guide cover pictured from 4/10/1953 through 10/19/2005 this is truly the ultimate resource for not only collectors, but fans of the magazine as well.

With a foreward by senior TV Guide editor Michael Davis, the book provides info geared towards the collector on where to buy, grading, and preserving your TV Guide collection. The cover subjects are what drives the price of back issues with the very first issue featuring the baby Desi Arnaz Jr. being the most valuable. While I've never collected TV Guide I was a long-time Comic Book collector and basically TV Guides should be kept and stored the same way...in protective bags and ideally in acid free storage boxes.

The guide provides a 19 page history of the magazine as well as a look at TV shows and trends by decade from the 40's through the 2000's; everything from Milton Berle and Howdy Doody to Lost and American Idol. I was born in the 1960's and love many of the shows from that era even though I didn't watch many in their initial runs. It wasn't until syndicated re-runs in the 1970's that I came to adore shows such Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres. As noted in the book, The Brady Bunch was never a top-rated show, but you'd hardly know that since it has gone on to become one of the most syndicated shows in history and a true TV legend.

Next up is 213 pages which show each of those covers from 1953 through 2005 in full color and it's like a trip on a wonderful time machine to page through the decades to see many of the actors and shows that you remember so fondly, and many you may have forgotten such as The Governor and J.J. One TV Guide trend that seems to have ended some time in the early 80's was featuring Santa Claus on the cover of a December issue. The book concludes with a 68 page index and value guide for each issue and doubles as a handy checklist for collectors.

Whether you are storing issues away chronologically like Frank Costanza, or just have a life long love of TV, you are certain to find something to enjoy in this fabulous book.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Television Timeline
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-25
A mind-bending, if not surreal, parade of TV trivia presented week by week, year by year, era by era. Every single TV Guide cover is shown in true color, from April '53 to the first mag-size issue from autumn of last year. They're arranged as text would be on each page, left-to-right, top-to-bottom and IN ORDER on each page, dated and readily viewable. They even include full displays of all fold-out covers, as well as every version of each multiple cover, such as the one which had to be updated at Michael Landon's death, different regional sport-season previews, and the 25-cover tribute to all the Star Trek cast.

The book is in 3 main sections:
1) A 26-page section of blurb overseeing the history of TV Guide and background trivia of many of the covers
2) The section displaying the covers themselves, and
3) A listing of all covers (with dates and captions) and their collectible worth in mint condition.

It is bound in durable yet manageable paperback binding.

Anyone can invent their own TV trivia diversions just by scanning through this book (i.e. what are the earliest covers featuring people who are still alive? or Who has appeared the most times? or How did TV Guide handle documentarial times and issues [JFK's assassination, 9-11, the advent of cable & PBS etc.], or When did one televion era end, and another begin? and the like). The price list section also serves as an easier-to-count ready-reference of all the cover headings.

Mad Magazine presented a similar, also top-rate, timeline of all their covers a few years ago upon the advent of their 400th issue. The first such resource to incorporate all the TV Guide digest covers certainly doesn't disappoint.

F
Why You Can't Be Anything You Want to Be
Published in Hardcover by Zondervan (1999-04-01)
Authors: Arthur F. Miller and William Hendricks
List price: $12.99
New price: $48.12
Used price: $14.45

Average review score:

Mr. Miller is on to something important.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-14
I have spent a considerable number of years as a career consultant. Mr. Miller brings significant study and observations to the field. Miller'ss conclusions about "hard wiring" make perfect sense to me, in light of my experience. When we discover and are able to articulate our "heart cry" we are on the road to greater success and enjoyment of life. This book is worthy of your time!

A book that uncovers the dignity of the human person
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-12
At last, a book on vocation and job placement that celebrates the giftedness of the individual rather than attempting to pigeonhole people into personality types.

Debunks the myth of 'becoming'... the idea (so popular in modern culture) that people are basically 'self-made' rather than gifted by God.

A worthwhile read for anyone looking to surface their unique gifts and gain insight into how to put them at the service of the human family.

Why You Can't Be Anything You Want to Be . . . .
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-28
This book should be a must for all high school and college students. The author has practical exercises and information on finding out about ourselves,our choice of careers, and our relationships. In addition the information in this book will break down the barriers as to what makes us really happy and why.

A Fine Book About Finding Out Who You Really Are
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-13
This book has been re-issued in paperback under the title The Power of Uniqueness (ISBN 0310242886). As of today, it's still in print and is very affordable.

Great book -- sort of.
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-18
I'm 55 and too old to learn anything, but understanding the basic principle of which Miller and Hendricks write has been really helpful and I've thought about it many times in the past year or so since I read the book. I've been able to much better understand myself and those around me and to give better advice. I even bought copies for both of my sons. Unfortunately, the explanation of the principle was much more interesting than the authors' application, which for me became rather pedantic. Regardless, it's a valuable read -- just do the first half (5 stars), then rip off the last half (2 stars) and toss it! Seriously, READ THE BOOK!

F
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
Published in Kindle Edition by Public Domain Books (2004-02-01)
Author: Selma, 1858-1940 Lagerl?f
List price: $0.99
New price: $0.99

Average review score:

A Wonderful Journey
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-08
A great success both with grown-ups of Swedish descendence and their grandchildren (hard for a Dane to admit). A Swedish "Paradise Lost".

Amazing book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-07
This is an amazing book that gives so much information on the environmental features of Sweden that adults as well as children will be fascinated by the tale.

Exciting and good message
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-03
This is a wonderful book--This edition has BEAUTIFUL illustrations. Nils has one harrowing adventure after another and he also changes from a selfish boy to one who treats animals and other people with care and concern. All this while also teaching the geography of Sweden--an added bonus. It does involve him being bewitched until he learns his lesson so if you have strong feelings about this sort of fantasy you wouldn't want it, but to those who are OK with fairy tale level fanstasy you should find it enchanting.

I read it as a kid, and want to share it with my own
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-05
It's a wonderful, kind-hearted tale. I readed in Russian and am delighted to find it in English. Will pull children in as well Harry Potter did. In my opinion it's an even better book. It's kinder for one, and it celebrates nature.

A fairy tale and a description of Sweden in one
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-25
Nils is a typical troublemaker in a village in southern Sweden who pulls the tails of cats, throws rocks at geese etc. Then he finds a gnome and teases him as well, but the result is that he is shrunk to the size of a sparrow so all the creatures he was mean to can get their own. Too ashamed to show his new self to his family, he travels with the wild geese on their annual migration to Lapland.

What follows is a picaresque and description of the natural world of Sweden from the south to the north in terms of the environment, the animals and the life that they lead. The flock of geese is a matriarchy led by the experienced and assertive Akka. In his travels, Nils learns helplessness and helping others and has many adventures involving magic flutes, a castle with rats and an underwater city. He also learns respect and admiration for the animals and the natural world.

This is a children's story with some features rarely found in other books (such as the matriarchy and the focus on the natural without too much "magic" - although the animals do talk) which makes it memorable.

F
The young Carthaginian: A story of the times of Hannibal
Published in Unknown Binding by F.M. Lupton (1901)
Author: G. A Henty
List price:

Average review score:

Brings ancient history to life
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-16
Everyone, it seems, has heard of Hannibal bringing his army,including the elephants,through the Alps, right to the doorstep of Rome. However, a readable account of Carthage vs. Rome is not easy to find. I've been very happy to find this fascinating historical novel as the best way to teach my two sons, ages 11 and 14, about this time in history. There are some valuable lessons for us all in the book--valor, honor, and how corruption destroys great nations.

Admirable hero and his hairbreadth escapes!
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-09
Who would have thought that a book written in the 1800s could be so appealing today? Doing a little internet research, I have found that G.A. Henty lived from 1832-1902, and the books he wrote were historical fiction "for boys". He was called "The Prince of Story-Tellers" and "The Boy's Own Historian", which certainly may have been true, but I'm an adult female who loved this tale! The style of writing sounds a little formal and old-fashioned, but it actually helps create a feeling of antiquity, appropriate for its ancient setting during the Punic Wars.

The fictional and lovable hero, Marchus, a relative of the famous Hannibal, accompanies him on the Carthaginian campaign against Rome. I learned so much about Hannibal through this book, yet the majority of the plot involves other adventures that Marchus gets into. He has near escapes from bears, wolves, lions, treacherous tribesmen. In two instances, he escapes with the help of an elephant, and a raft in the subterranean reservoir of Carthage. This was fun stuff, and I am so impressed that this book I found, that is so old it doesn't even have a publication date in it, could be so delightful. Someone could make a great movie out of this!

Historical Fiction from a Very Different Time
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-02
G.A. Henty was a Victorian gentleman who wrote historical fiction for young people. I learned of him in reading Arthur Schlesinger's autobiography "A Life in the Twentieth Century". Schlesinger credits Henty with awakening an interst in history that was to last a lifetime. I see why. Henty's approach is to imagine a young lad and thrust him into interesting historical periods. The young man possessed of courage, pluck, honesty and compassion finds these attributes necessary to his success in the novel. Much like the Horatio Alger novels of a somewhat later American time, Henty was also conciously teaching the manly virtues. In "The Young Cathaginian" Henty pulls off a slick trick. Our young hero Malchus is a relative of Hannibal the great Cartaginian general who dared to cross the Alps to attack Carthage's great rival, Rome. While Henty admires Hannibal and presents Malchus as virtually flawless, it is clear that Carthage was a corrupt entity and that her deserved defeat was crucial to the growth of Western civilization. This is not a dry history, merely laden with moral overlays. It is also good fun. There is a lion hunt in Africa. A wolf hunt in the Spanish mountains. Escapes through the underground reserviors of Carthage. And countless vivid battles. And a charming little romance. I am glad I stumbled across the Henty output. Sclesinger is right: Henty makes history fun!

An impressive "theater of the mind"
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-09
A simply outstanding historical novel set in the age of ancient Rome's legendary conflict with the city of Carthage, The Young Carthaginian by G.A. Henty is a totally thrilling historical action/adventure tale that will rivet the listener's attention from beginning to end. Superbly and dramatically narrated by William Sutherland, The Young Carthaginian is written with detailed attention to historical accuracy and truly brings to life a long-lost time of Hannibal, the legions of Rome, and the absolute destruction of a great maritime empire. A confidently recommended addition to any personal, school, or community library audiobook collection, The Young Carthaginian is complete and unabridged on eleven compact discs, offering 12 hours, 30 minutes of an impressive, "theater of the mind" quality entertainment experience.

very accurate historical fiction
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-30
G. A. Henty lived just over a hundred years ago and wrote dozens and dozens of books. He would research everything that had to do with the time period before he even started writing, hence, his works are very, very historically accurate. He takes a military event and tells the story from the piont of veiw of a fictional young man. In every book, Henty's main character is a good, honest, brave young man, and a perfect role model. The Young Carthaginian takes place during Hannibal's invasion of Rome. It is a very well written peice that goes into great detail about the invasion, with some exciting made-up parts involving his main character. I would reccommend this book for anyone over 10, there are a few dry parts, and the wording can get a little tough for youngsters. All-in-all this is a great book that you'll enjoy reading.

F
Acting for Singers: Creating Believable Singing Characters
Published in Hardcover by Oxford University Press, USA (2005-07-07)
Author: David F. Ostwald
List price: $25.00
New price: $17.39
Used price: $15.00

Average review score:

A Must Read for Performers
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-25
Although the title is Acting for Singers, actors and directors will benefit as well from Ostwald's excellent analysis of what makes a believable character on stage. The book is full of helpful exercises and explanations of what works on stage. Acting for Singers should be on the bookshelf of every performer.

Good book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-24
I came upon this book while preparing for the North American debut of a 1640's Baroque opera in Washington D.C. The information in it is invaluable and succinct. Great for anyone trying to extract meaning from music and convey it to an audience. Well-written and containing excellent advice and exercises, I recommend it.

Acting for Singers: Creating Believable Singing Characters
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-30
I have been a professional opera singer and voice professor for many decades. This book REALLY gets to the heart of the acting delima which singers' face. The index is very thorough, allowing the singer to find exactly the topic they are looking for easily. The book should be read cover to cover many times if the singer is new to the field of acting. (I find it helpful for each singer to ponder this question: Am I a singer who acts or, an actor who sings, or both.) An opera singer MUST learn to create operatic characters with which the audience can identify. Each Mannerism and gesture will change with each new operatic role one intends to interpret. This book should be a great help for the preparation of singers who aspire to act realistically and who wish to conquor this extremely demanding and rewarding field called OPERA.

How to breathe life and artistry into your characters
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-05
David Ostwald's new book, "Acting for Singers," is an important and helpful guide for singers-in-training, for professionals learning new roles, and for seasoned performers who wish to infuse new dramatic life into their repertory. As a former arts administrator for San Francisco Opera and Affiliate Artists, Inc., I feel that Ostwald's book is equally useful for stage directors, conductors, teachers, and coach/accompanists who strive to make their highly collaborative art form appear as seamless as possible. Ostwald covers a number of pertinent topics including the foundations of believable acting, ways to improve concentration, and how to motivate a character's actions. Having judged many auditions over the years, I found the chapter on "Getting the Part" to be especially helpful to young singers who may not know how to dress for the occasion, speak to the judges, or introduce their selections from the stage. The author's "Ten Maxim's of Believable Singing" provide a concise checklist of wisdom gleaned from his years of teaching and directing. Ostwald's analysis of how directors and teachers can help their singers grow and flourish, including the sage advice of "Always be supportive" and "Never humiliate anyone," presents a pithy list that bosses in any business should read and take to heart. The text is lively, clear and well designed, with headings, bulleted points and enough white space to make the book's insights both accessible and memorable. Each chapter contains helpful exercises, summaries or trouble shooting techniques which will enable singers and their colleagues to create superior performances. "Acting for Singers" will likely become an indispensable, dog-eared companion for any singers who wish to breathe live and artistry into their characters.

Perry-Lynn Moffitt

The Real Power of "Acting for Singers"
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-19
"Acting for Singers" speaks to the problems that most all of us share in creative situations when we are speaking to a group or preparing an article or script for publication. We do not have to be singers to use the wisdom of Ostwald's mind and experience. These challenges are inevitably concentration, trust, projection, communication, and the self-doubt that most of us sometimes experience.

If you could see David Ostwald in action, you would recognize how his life is a demonstration of his work. When the groups at my seminars would get excited and several voices were talking at once in an exercise, David (upon my request) would clearly enunciate one or two words to the whole group in a tone that instantly shifted everyone's attention to the work at hand. The whole group loved David's wit and wisdom, his power to achieve the intended focus and hold it, plus his demonstration of an open mind, the will to learn and to share knowledge gained through years of a focused mind and experience.

David's whole life is filled with the qualities of concentration, trust, projection, and communication. This is the real power of his written words. I think this book will prove so useful that it will become an essential textbook for teaching acting to singers.

F
Advancing Through Adversity: The In Touch Study Series
Published in Paperback by Thomas Nelson (1996-09-11)
Author: Charles F. Stanley
List price: $9.99
New price: $2.49
Used price: $0.40

Average review score:

Great Study Tool!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-07
Charles Stanley is a true man of God in which he is gifted in teaching. This is highly recommended. In this study tool you will discover true relationship with Jesus. The study guide helps you coast along with the Word.

SHUT THE HELL UP!
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-18

No, I assure you, I'm not cursing with that review title; I mean it in the literal sense: One cannot be LISTENING TO GOD and simultaneously hearing the hellish voice of "this world." [John 14:30]

Several years ago, a friend in Alabama sent me a number of VHS tapes on which she had recorded Sunday sermons by CHARLES STANLEY that were broadcasted on TV. I was unfamiliar with him at the time, but he was her favorite man of God. Now, I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of TV evangelists - I'd sooner take my chances with a used car salesman or a politician. (OK, not the politician; I just tossed that in for effect.) And though I'm not what one would call a "proper" Christian, I was impressed with Dr. Stanley - theological disagreements notwithstanding. No, he isn't funny like Jesse Duplantis, he doesn't have the powerful oratory talent of John Hagee, he doesn't possess the charismatic presence of the legendary priest from the Russian Orthodox Church, Yoey O'Dogherty. But what Charles Stanley DOES have going for him is a thorough understanding of the deepest spiritual principles; he is grounded in The Word Of God (a.k.a., The Holy Bible).

I recently purchased LISTENING TO GOD by Charles Stanley because 2006 has been - spiritually speaking - my worst year since accepting the Atonement of Jesus Christ a dozen years ago. (Every year ending in the number six for the last three decades has been bad for me. My personal 666? Just joking.) I even stopped meditating after more than eleven years of daily practice. Yeah, it's been a rotten year! I thought that this book might reignite my passion for meditation (or "sitting before the Lord" as Dr. Stanley likes to call it). And it did. I'm now "shutting the hell up" for a period each day and listening for my Creator's "still small Voice" again. [See 1 Kings 19:11-13]

It surprised me to find that Stanley had written many things that I have so often said in counseling others over the years. For instance:

"If you are going to develop a relationship with another person, you have to converse with that person in some manner. That means both talking and listening." [pg. iv] (*When a person has learned to hear God, I call it having a "REaLATIONSHIP" with Him!)

"I believe God dearly loves to see Bibles that are marked with oil from our fingers...and noted with dates and insights." [pg. 1] (*My Bible is loaded with margin notes. If you want God to clarify some Biblical passage for you, write a "?" next to it in the margin and then wait, watch, and listen.)

"We may be trying to understand the Bible solely with our minds, which is always futile. The Bible is a spiritual book. It speaks to and is applied to the spirit." [pg. 10]

"It is not enough that we comprehend the truth. We must be conformed to the truth." [pg. 13]

"God works from the inside out." [pg. 109] (*C.S. is correct, but do you know why? Because "the Kingdom of God is within you." See Luke 17:21.)

A Catholic friend of mine at work does not believe God actually speaks to us. He is wrong! My own transformation began on January 14, 1992, when I clearly heard God speak in my mind. He gently but effectively admonished me by merely asking me two questions, and my own answers were the rod of correction. Only an unfathomable, creative God could have pulled that off! Years later, He urged me to sobriety by saying with crystal clarity in my head, regarding alcohol, "It's a false God. It's a false God."

And that brings up another point. Stanley mentions the fact that often, God will send us a message and then confirm it. [See Genesis 41:32] Note that God repeated Himself in calling alcohol my false god. Although God usually communicates with us in subtle but unmistakable ways, (the "still small Voice"), C.S. is right: "We must never limit God in the methods that He uses to speak to us." Because occasionally He can even use the sledgehammer approach...

Once, I woke up to find that in the night, my truck had been moved nearly horizontally in its parking spot. I had to track down a fellow and ask him to move his vehicle so I could back mine out. My faith had weakened and I had been depressed recently and the message seemed to be, "You're out of alignment." I pondered the bizarre event all day - it was unexplainable - and pulling back into my parking space that night after work, I thought, Well, if that's REALLY a message from God, He will send a confirmation soon. In this case, soon meant 45 seconds later when I found myself locked out of my apartment by the internal chain on the door. When I finally managed to wake my Brother, who let me in, he insisted that he had not chained the door (we lived alone), and I believe him because he'd never done it before, and it never occurred again. It seemed my depression and lack of faith was "locking me out of my REaLATIONSHIP with The Lord." I got the message.

I also believe that on three occasions, God has sent angels to me with words of encouragement (an old woman, a young woman, and a little girl). But this sort of REaLATIONSHIP with The Creator is really built in silence, LISTENING TO GOD. There is nothing like Bible study - not reading, but studying - and meditation to make us conscious of God's Love and Presence in our lives. (A great Bible companion is the book, LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS by Chuck Missler.)

LISTENING TO GOD by Charles Stanley is 5-Star material in a 4-Star presentation. His writing, while brimming with profound insights, is a tad bland - similar to some of his sermons. And while he does illustrate some points using personal experiences, it is always in the vaguest of terms - not detailed enough to make them truly compelling. Still, this book is too important to downgrade from five stars.

I have found it best to begin every meditation session with a prayer for someone else, especially an "enemy" [see Matthew 5:23,24], and also a slow, thoughtful recitation of The Lord's Prayer [Matthew 6:9-13] And once you've initiated a daily meditation program, never stop (unlike that maroon, Stephen T. McCarthy). Well look, I'm gonna shut the hell up now and go listen for The Voice of Heaven, so...SHHHhhhh........

Want to turn your life around for God? Read this book!
Helpful Votes: 16 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-18
Are you struggling in your faith? Are you having trouble listening to God's voice? Did you know that there are several ways for God to communicate with you? Did you know that most of the time we hear two voices (Satan and God)? Want to know how to tell them apart and how to ultimately listen to God? Then you should check out Charles Stanley's book Listening to God. Two years ago I received this book as a gift and I just put it on the shelf. When I finally read the book I realized that if I would have read it the first time I would not have been faced with the issues that I am struggling with today.

In this book Charles Stanley not only teaches the reader how to listen to God, but he also tells the reader how to take that new knowledge and apply it in real life situations. He uses examples and stories from his own life, which helps the reader relate to the new concepts and issues. Each point is backed with scripture and is followed by questions that will make the reader take a closer look at his or her walk with God.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is stumbling in their walk with God or anyone who is trying to strengthen their relationship with the Lord. This book, although it is apart of a Bible Study series, does not necessarily have to be read in the correct order. Just pick it up, read it and don't give up because the Lord will use it to show you the way!

LOVED THIS BOOK!
Helpful Votes: 18 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-25
I really enjoyed reading this book and thought it was excellent. Not only did it focus on the "why do I feel this way" aspects of emotions, but it also offered great suggestions on how to deal with our emotions. The book focuses on emotions in general, but then gradually confronts specific emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety in later chapters. It gives great examples on what to do when you feel a certain emotion and how to deal with it. What I liked even more is that the text was backed up with great biblical verses and it also made you think. I've already started putting the book to use and I can already see a change in the way I think and react to my emotions! The only problem with this book is I wish it were longer! :) Highly recommended!

"More a study guide, but you won't be disappointed!"
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-23
As with all Dr. Stanley's works, this one is excellent! It is more of a study guide than a self-help book. Nevertheless, the book is grounded in scripture and replete with examples! Right up there with 'Mizraim Principles' on what we can all learn through God's discipline!

Also recommended: 'The Mizraim Principles', 'With Joseph in the University of Adversity'

F
American Still Life: The Jim Beam Story and the Making of the World's #1 Bourbon
Published in Hardcover by Wiley (2003-08-15)
Author: F. Paul Pacult
List price: $24.95
New price: $5.94
Used price: $4.16
Collectible price: $24.95

Average review score:

Great Book on Bourbon and Beam's Influence on It
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-01
This is a great reference book on both early origins on distilling in America and the Beam family - who comprise a large branch of the founding families of Bourbon distilling and still have many members working at various distilleries throughout Kentucky. A entertaining read and great reference for anyone who is interested in bourbon.

An American product by an American Family
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-19
What a great book! I loved it and couldn't put it down. I feel like I was right there with Pacult as he traveled around with Booker Noe. I am not a bourbon drinker, but this book made me wish I had a little bit to sip as I was reading it. Alas I finished reading the book before I could purchase some bourbon.

Fascinating history, wonderfully written
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-18
This book captures a truly unique American product, and a family that was integral to the creation of the industry. As I write this review, Booker Noe's death was just recently announced. The personalities of the larger than life characters like Booker are wonderfully captured within the narrative. Even if you're not a fan of bourbon (philistine!), you'll come away with a great appreciation for the definitive American spirit (both the drink and the people).

Reads like a novel
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-22
I read American Still Life this Summer. It reads like a Michener novel. I prefer reading non-fiction but most non-fiction is boring and tedious. So I was pleased when I had a chance to read this book. It's a strong testament to our American founders and to the Beams, American icons, who 'took the pain' out of the daily struggles. Great Read!

Whether It's History or Business You're After, Great Read
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-29
This book kept me enthralled for an entire weekend. A great look at a family that created an entire industry with a distinctly American product, Bourbon.

As the story of a facinating family, the author gently takes you through the many generations of the Beams without getting you lost in a morass of detail. You remain excited waiting for the next turn in their fortunes, and you get a wonderful look at the many personalities involved in building the Bourbon industry over time in the process.

When I think about the book from a business standpoint, Paul Pacult succeeded in conveying the patience and the passion these people have for their product, and how they manage to maintain that passion, literally over generations. In a world of managing quarter to quarter, the Beams are a refreshing change.

A very-well written, facinating look at a piece of Americana. I heartily recommend it.

F
Anesthesiology Review (Anesthesiology Review)(3rd Edition)
Published in Paperback by Churchill Livingstone (2001-09-21)
Author:
List price: $73.00
New price: $63.53
Used price: $51.99

Average review score:

One for the coffee table
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-05
I don't normally put my medical textbooks out for display, but I like to use this one as a conversation piece. Each chapter is well reasoned, concise, and suprisingly entertaining. The chapter entitled "Pharmacology of Hetastarch and Pentastarch" had me weeping. Med students - this book will help you fly through boards. Lay people - this book is a suprisingly good read. You know, I don't know this "Ron Faust," but I'm sure we would be instant friends if we ever met. I'd love to share a bottle of courvasier in front of a warm fire and discuss the finer points of anesthesiology with this man. My wife is sick of me talking about him.

Great text
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-17
If you want a good review of all topics related to anesthesia, then this is it. The chapters being short, sweet but in depth, make for a quick but knowledge gaining read. Good book for the library of Anesthesia Assistants.

Anesthesiology Review (Anesthesiology Review)
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-07
excellent book. read it when I was bored one day. wish i'd used it earlier when on the ICU rotations. probably would've become an anesthesiologist if I'd had it in med school. one dreams of writing a chapter in that book someday...

A Medical School Must-Have
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-03
The Anesthesiology Review is the most comprehensive and informative text for medical students and anesthesiology residents. I am finishing up my third year at Duke Universtiy Medical School. I wish that all my text books were as easy to read and made subjects such as 'automatic internal cardiac defibrillator procedures' interesting.

Fantastic for all specialties
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-08
This is one of those books that can be appreciated by almost every clinician. Dr. Faust has done a fantastic job of applying basic science principals to practice. After being away from the classrooms of medical school for awhile, one tends to become myopic and reliant upon specialty-specific pricipals. This book book helps dust off those cryptic vaults within the cerebrum and can really get the acetylcholine flowing.

Get this book!

F
Antbirds and Ovenbirds: Their Lives and Homes (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)
Published in Hardcover by University of Texas Press (1996)
Author: Alexander F. Skutch
List price: $40.00
Used price: $17.50

Average review score:

The Unique Insight of Alexander Skutch
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-10
Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

The Unique Insight of Alexander Skutch
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-10
Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

The Unique Insight of Alexander Skutch
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-10
Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

The Unique Insight of Alexander Skutch
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-10
Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

The Unique Insight of Alexander Skutch
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-10
Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Literature-->Authors-->F-->34
Related Subjects: Fabi, Mark French, Jackie Forester, C.S. Ford, Richard Falkner, J. Meade Frost, Robert Fontane, Theodor Fulton, Alice Funkhouser, Erica Flecker, James Elroy Forché, Carolyn Fitzgerald, F. Scott Freneau, Philip Fielding, Henry Funkhouser, Christopher Ferlinghetti, Lawrence Fraser, Kathleen Fleming, Ian Faulkner, William Fulghum, Robert Fraser, George MacDonald Flaubert, Gustave Fuentes, Carlos Forster, E. M. Floyd, E. Randall Fraire, Isabel Follain, Jean Forster, Margaret Foix, J. V. Feuchtwanger, Lion Frank, Thomas Forsyth, Frederick Firbank, Ronald Ferrater, Gabriel Ford, Charles Henri Fjellman, Stephen M. Fenton, Elijah Flint, James Follett, Ken Fante, John Foxx, Nina Federman, Raymond Friedan, Betty Flynn, Jack Frank, Dorothea Benton Fowles, John Franzen, Jonathan
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