J Books

Trust your first instinct when you hit the green, and learn to keep those negative thoughts at bay. This mental and technical guide to putting will help you improve your form.

Very straightforward and comensensical. Seems everything we read these days is about positive thinking. And it does work along with a good basic set up. I especially like his instruction that once you are over the ball, don't wait there and let negative thoughts sneak in. Go ahead and hit the ball. He says to trust your first instinct when you read a putt and I have always found that to be true. Can't wait to put his recommendations into play.

After reading Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by the same author I got this one and found it to be just as good which I rate as 5 stars *****

Any golfer (including disc golfers) would benefit from this book. It's a very good book!

So much of golf and golf instruction is mechanical, and justly so. Technique is very important in a complex action such as the full swing, and improper form can lead to both bad shots and injury.

In contrast, we have putting. The action on the ball is so slight and simple, mechanics themselves are important only at a very rudimentary level. Technique has more to do with guaging individual variances for a particular situation than it does moving from positions A to B to C.

This is why putting is called the "game within a game". It resembles so little of the rest of golf. It also makes it one of the most difficult for the mechanics oriented golfer to master.

What Rotella has done here is to lay out his observations of what the best putters in the game think and do, not with their stroke, but with their minds. Using examples of unusual putters like Locke, he points out that it is not the stroke itself that counts, but your confidence in it. Locke believed he was hooking the ball into the hole, when this was likely not the case. Still, his stroke, which cut across the ball, made him one of the best putters ever because he believed in it.

Rotella goes further, discussing people with more "technically sound" strokes, such as Faxon and Crenshaw. Crenshaw, in particular, is an interesting case. Rotella introduces a story in which Crenshaw, in one sentence, completely turns putting instruction on its head, much to the horror of a professional golf instructor. Again, what is important is what was in his mind, not what a slow-motion camera might reveal.

People frustrated with their putting may find good, solid information here on how to improve. The biggest test will be trying to apply it, which may be harder than any swing change you could imagine.

My ten-year-old son and I loved this audio book. We couldn't wait to hear about all the "wonderfuls". Highly recommended.

So I am a sucker for all those downhome novels celebrating small-town life. Oh well. This book fits that niche of mine well as it blatantly declares to the world that even the most simple of places may be hiding something extraordinary. Granted, the discoveries made here would probably be the mock and scorn of more civilized areas, but they held a sweetly strong spirit that appealed to my sense of story-telling. The writing is bright, cheerful, and expressive. I was impressed by the assortment of well-drawn characters complete with their personal drama, humor, and mysteries. I expected a pretty caged plot, but the story was loose enough, depending on its characters with their individual stories, to let itself become entrenched in emotions. It's not at the level of Kate DiCamillo or Richard Peck, but Ms. Birney did make something pretty darn sweet.

Our town chooses a book each winter, which they call the "One Book, One Community Project". We just moved here so this is our 1st and I am very excited about the project. As soon as I heard about it, I went to the library and checked out the book. Even before my 3rd grader started it in school. The book is so engaging and really gets your imagination juices flowing. I really am enjoying the events our community is putting together that tie into the Wonders of Sassafras Springs. We have projects like finding wonders, Applehead doll making & discussion groups. We even had a woman play the saw at our kickoff party.
I went out and bought the book and the same day my 3rd grader picked it up and did not put it down until he completed reading all 200+ pages.
Today we will be making an Appledoll instead of watching tv or playing video games.

This book was easy to read and a great story. My mom and I read it together. We both enjoyed it.The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

Sometimes we get so caught up in doing things and going places, we forget about the things around us that are so important and beautiful! We forget to smell the roses. This book is so easy to read and you want to read it. I was intrigued by trying to figure out what he might find next. I loved this book!

We bought this book several months ago and have read it nearly every day since. I have 3 & 5 year old girls. They both listen intently to this book even after hearing it 100's of times at this point. This book has such a sweet message. The main character is lovable and relatable. Nothing to complain about! Great illustrations. This is a must have in your child's library. Great gift!

I received this book as a gift from my mom for one of my baby showers. It is one of the best books we have and our son loves hearing it over and over. He often grabs this book off the shelf when it's time to read a story. We've been reading it to him since he was months old and we will never be tired of it. We're glad we know the secret too!

This is now our all-time favorite children's book. My three-year-old son loves this book. He laughs so hard he runs out of breath, and when Sid's dad begins to fly at the end of the book, he is so relieved and absolutely elated. Not only is this an excellent book, but the looks on my son's face are absolutely priceless and one of my happiest memories.

I love everything about this book: the vivid illustrations, the engaging flow of the rhyme, the uplifting, but not preachy, message. Sometimes I long to skip lines or pages in books when reading to my kids, but never in this book.

Cutest book about Sid the Dog who can fly but none of his friends believe him. Cute, bright illustration and all rhyming!

There are SO many different posters in this book. There are so many different styles too! Abstract, paintings, puppets, photo manipulation, product ads, world-movie posters; it has everything! I love it. Oh. There's also little descriptions of each poster, however they're a little vague at times... that's the only issue I have with the book. Other than that. Great!

Ok great book with some great poster art in it. Wonderful one sheets and other images. There is very little on spotting bootlegs, however that is a saving grace because the internet has turned things upside down with claims of bootlegs that are just ridiculous! The style A hair on Luke's belt is one of those examples. Apparently alot of people seem to believe that even though there were thousands of these printed off in the late 70's, that none of them would have slight printing differences. Count me in as one of the few who believes this version to be an original one sheet and NOT a bootleg; thats right I said it!! I believe it to simply have come from a different print run during its original printing run. If any of you are confused by now about this let me explain that this one sheet has a small hair line that appears on the poster on Luke's belt. Seriously, if you werent lookin for it, you wouldnt even notice it. These posters were originally meant for advertising and to be unused after use; not as pristine collectors items. On a final note about this particular bootleg claim for this poster. This version, with the hair, was sanctioned by Lucasfilm themselves for their official reprint. I think it highly unlikely that Lucasfilm would hand out a bootleg as a template for their official reprints. Anyway, great book, but never believe all that ya hear.

At the price I got this for and the shape it was in, it was a definate steal!

The artwork in this amazing book speaks for itself! - incredible reference and resource to all the movie posters for this groundbreaking, earthshaking blockbuster that keeps on going into hyper-space year after year.... any collector or artist would LOVE to have this in their collection!

While this book has a ton of Star Wars Posters listed, it's a book for the reader who is not familiar with poster collecting, or the highest level of Star Wars poster collecting. There is no inbetween. The book is basically a giant list with illustrations. But the list includes posters that are so obscure that it's almost not worth putting them in this book (Coca Cola and Burger King advertising posters come to mind.) There is also a few places where they just went overboard; there is one page where they have pictures of about 20 different posters, all from Episode I, all the same poster, just printed in different languages. I would have liked to have seen a little more detail on the things that matter more to collectors like how to spot a bootleg from an original, what the 77/21 means on the bottom right of the Star Wars 1 sheet, details on different poster printers and their posters (Kilian Enterprises for one), etc. I would also like to have seen more information on where to get posters other than "try the internet." Overall an OK book, it just lacks in certain areas of information.

Edward De Bono had the wonderful insight of bringing together many disparate and orginally isolated ideas and repackaging them with a binding theme he called lateral thinking. The world has never looked back. De Bono's insight and salesmanship have been a wonder to behold.

So too, Eli Goldratt has taken critical thinking skills from various areas, put a graphical front end on them, and repackaged them with a binding theme he calls Thinking Processes. Not as powerful as De Bono, but certainly in the same ballpark.

Lisa Scheinkopf does quite a marvellous job in providing a didactic introduction to these Thinking Processes. At the end of the day, she unfolds a systematic way of problem solving - and this is, indeed, what the thinking tools are all about.

I understand that Scheinkopf's choice and ordering of chapters was meant to reflect her belief that the individual tools can be used independently of each other. It would have been nice if she had provided a bit more detail showing how the tools complement each other; but, her book, her prerogative. In regard to matters which require the the systematic and complementary use of each and every tool in the toolset, I think Bill Dettmer's provides better insight.

The book is generally clear, with one or two minor slips into obscurity.
I think Scheinkopf falls into the same trap that most authors who present these type of tools. They occasionally have a rush of too much Oxygen to the brain and push their product beyond its elastic limits and start to hand-wave a little too much. In this regard, I find the "So What Test" which forms part of her discussion of Current Reality Trees one of those hand-waving areas. Apart from being something to do with simplifying a current reality tree by means of a review of "entities" from a systems perspective (whatever that really means), I find the actual application of the test as described quite obscure. (As an aside, Bill Dettmer also hand-waves at this point too. I think that both authors attempt to transform craft into some sort of science in a manner which needs a rethink).

Anyway, overall, I think Scheinkopf's work is very good. I think it deserves to be read in support of an understanding of the TOC Thinking Processes, but, it simply isn't enough to read as the only source of understanding. I recommend reading some of Dettmer's work too. Between the two (and Goldratt himself of course), the whole system of TOC and Thinking Processes adds a useful set of tools to problem solving.

You may have heard of "Theory of Constraints" or "TOC" as a project management method that focuses on placing buffers on GANNT charts. But that's just one application of this general analysis and decision-making method called Theory of Constraints.

If you've ever wanted to "brainstorm" or "think outside the box," or just want to plan your next big task in a more complete way, but didn't know where to start, this book is for you. It actually offers a lot more than a start: methods, a simple notation, and when to do what in great detail.

A lot of what you read may seem like "just common sense," but perhaps that's what makes it fun: a powerful, verifiable thinking tool that's also simple and makes sense.

You don't have to read the whole book at once. Try reading some, and then applying it. See how it goes.

I read various books regarding the Theory of Constraints. Except for the chapter on prerequisite trees, this book explains how to use the theory very well to solve your daily problems. It also gives you a wealth of exercises that you can use to improve your practice of the theory.

This book puts it all together and can lead anyone down the path of logical thinking, be it solving a problem or creating a plan. Combine the teachings of this book with the other TOC principles and you've got a recipe for success. I highly reccommend this book to all my consulting clients and friends for use in both business and personal life.

I really hesitated to pay [$] for a book that is not directly related to my profession, somewhat short, and had an unkown beneficial value. Being casually familiar with the thinking processes from It's Not Luck, I went ahead and bought the book. I'm not disappointed. In about a month it has paid for itself several times over. It's not an easy read, but if your curious enough to be reading this, you can understand it. If your a professional with a wife and kid(s), it is a must for both work and home.

This book is well written and easy to understand. The explanation of how the various parts of the brain and how to get your brain working for you was very good. An easy read that doesn't require a psychology degree to understand the material and how to use it. I have used some of the described exercises to help my clients envision their future the way they desire it to be.
I recommend this book highly!!!!

I'm someone who spent years stuck in a rut. I spent a lot of time wondering why I never got anything done but never did anything beyond wondering. I've spent the last few years turning my entire life around. I quit drinking, quit smoking, started working out, started taking my job seriously (which has garnered me two promotions in three years), and generally started taking charge of my life and I've found that I love getting up and getting to it every day. Something I never could have claimed before in my 30+ years. A lot of these changes have been hard work. I've read a LOT of self help material and found hidden gems here and there. I only wish I had found THIS book years earlier. Everything I've learned. Everything I've known. It's help me put all of that into action. Have you ever run across a situation where you KNOW you could teach the world how to do something but you just CAN'T do it yourself? Well, this is the book for you. I'm on my second time reading it and I just bought three more copies, bringing my total purchased to eight. I've given them away to a lot of the people I kind of left behind when I started changing my old life. Even the ones who don't read are reading it. I've seen weight loss, better jobs, less stress, less anger, reduced drinking, happier relationships... all as a result of things myself and these people have learned through the steps in this book.

If you find yourself in a rut and just can't seem to move forward. Or even if you're doing fine and think you might just need a little push. This book is a priceless work.

Thanks to the author and good luck to everyone else who reads it!

This is really one of those you can change your life books that actually work. I loved the way it was written and I really felt like she cared about me. I would highly recommend for anyone who wants to make some changes in their life but is have a hard time doing so.

I am a high achiever and always looking for an edge. This book was excellent, simple and easy to follow. The exercises were relevant and contributed to the learning and integration process. It had a profound affect on multiple areas of my life!

Not a bad book at all. The author has done a superb job in approaching the bad habit problems we humans have developed over our lifetime into another way of thinking about it. I think if you are like most people and have tried everything out there including reading various books on goal setting this one might be worth trying. It has helped me, I'm not completely there yet but I feel I am at least on the right path.

Perhaps more than any other theater of war, the Alaska/Aleutians campaign may be the least known and most misunderstood series of battles in WWII among both the general public and many history aficionados. Japanese troops on American territorial soil in and of itself is a shocker for many readers. Brian Garfield created a classic with this book first published in 1969 and periodically republished. Well written and researched, Garfield manages to keep the reader avidly engaged through all 400 plus pages. He is particularly effective at conveying the horrible weather conditions across a continent sized battlefield faced by ill-prepared troops with inadequate supplies and protective gear, grinding away on a daily basis. Brutal weather was accompanied by brutal combat both at sea and on land. Fierce fighting was the norm and both sides took heavy casualties. Still the best book of this part of WWII.
Steven Bustin, Author: How The USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII.
Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII

For many military history buffs, it is the pieces of history that remain laregely untold (or at least unheard) that hold the most appeal. Brian Garfield's dramatic--yet detailed--account of the American/Japanese chess match in the Aleutians is one of the best-written accounts of an overshadowed campaign I have yet to come across. Garfield's attention to detail, honesty, and even-handedness results in the type of read rarely found in modern military history volumes. From the mundane life of a soldier on the uninhabitable Alaskan islands to the overwhelmingly costly combat that occured on, around, and above U.S. soil, the story of the Aleutian campaign is anything but forgettable. A must-read!

Very good book! Having spent three years living in the Alutians (Adak)in the early 90's, I can't imagine the living conditions there 40 years earlier. One summer day in 1991 stands out in my memory. We were blessed with both a clear day, which are very few, and far, far between, and a Reeves Aleutian Airline's pilot that took us on a sight-seeing tour on our way out to Shemya, before heading towards Anchorage. He flew low over several islands allowing us to see the reamins of an old airstrip, a ship that had been sunk near another island, whales in the Bering sea, and gave me some memories of things not a lot of people will never see. Having read the book before this flight, it gave me an odd feeling knowing of some of the events that had taken place there years before. I think you'll enjoy reading this book,

Having served in the Aleutians durning the Cold War and part of the Vietnam War, my interest was heightened. Also, having a dear friend who was actually there from 1940 through 1945 and hearing him tell of the characters in the book was enlightening. The book was well written, well researched and gripping in its "real life" portrayal. I recommend this book to all who like to read about actual events and see their realationship to the bigger picture.

Brian Garfield's "The Thousand-Mile War", first published in 1969 and periodically reissued since, may be the definitive popular history of a largely forgotten theater of the Second World War. In a highly readable narrative account, Garfield describes the savage struggle between the United States and the Empire of Japan for control of the Aleutian Islands and the territory of Alaska.

Alaska was still a sparsely-populated territory when the Second World War broke out. General Siomon Buckner, commander of U.S. Army and Air Forces in Alaska, immediately grasped the importance of Alaska's proximity to Japan, Russia, and the U.S. West Coast. Buckner began a single-minded campaign to build military bases, airfields, and railroads in preparation for a Japanese invasion. That invasion arrived in June 1942, simultaneously with the Battle of Midway. The Japanese Navy bombed the U.S. Base at Dutch Harbor and landed troops at Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. It would take fifteen months for U.S. forces to dig them out of their strongholds.

The campaign in the Aleutians was unique in the annals of the Second World War. The United States and Japan were fighting at the extreme limit of their respective supply lines, in an area where extreme weather conditions were a third combant in the struggle. Garfield vividly describes the appalling weather conditions under which the U.S. Army Air Corps conducted thousand mile bombing raids, first against the Japanese garrisons on Attu and Kiska, then against the Japanese home islands. U.S. and Japanese ground forces suffered more casualties to the windy, cold, wet conditions than to their respective opponents. U.S. and Japanese naval forces groped for their opponents in fog-bound Aleutian waters; decisive results were rare.

Garfield's account highlights the strong personalities of leaders on both sides of the fighting, who were forced by the harsh weather and austere supply situation to be innovative in providing the means of war and in motivating their soldiers, sailors, and airmen. That military planning was often as confused as in any other conflict should come as no surprise; that U.S. forces overcame so many obstacles to be successful should be a source of inspiration, thanks to Garfield's account.

This book is highly recommended to students of the Second World War seeking an account of the fighting in Alaska, and to students of the history of Alaska seeking to understand how the Second World War changed Alaska.

This third book in the tale of Urza the Planeswalker is much better than the second, Planeswalker, and possibly even better than the excellent The Brothers' War. Picking up where PLANESWALKER ended, TIMESTREAMS tells of the continuing war between Urza and the minions of Phyrexia. Similar to the previous two books, this one spans around 50 years of time, skipping multi-year periods in which armies are built and characters grow older, resulting in a action-packed and exciting read. J. Robert King is a very talented writer, bringing the world of Dominaria to life like few (if any) other MTG authors have.

Most of this book is taken up by battle sequence after battle sequence, with Urza's armies of students and artifacts fighting off a never-ending stream of attacking Phyrexian mutants. While there is action galore, this book also introduces some great and intriguing characters. Jhoira, Teferi, and Barrin are Urza's disciples and proteges and are each developed into believable and highly individual characters that you'll really get to know as the story progresses. Karn, a silver golem that appears in a number of other MTG books (Rath and Storm, Mercadian Masques, and others), is created by Urza in the first chapter, and much of the book is devoted to developing his personality and purpose. The idea of Urza's Legacy, including Karn and the Weatherlight, is also developed here.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this book is the exploration of time rifts, where the flow of time is either faster or slower than normal. King does an excellent job of making this concept seem somewhat believable and uses the rifts masterfully to make this story one you're not likely to forget. I'd feel comfortable saying that this is the best MTG book I've ever read.

Highly recommended.

This is where so many of the characters are developed that lead to the other series. Seeing the obsession of Urza as he seeks a way to destroy Phyrexia and his interaction (or lack thereof) with those around him made the story compelling.Great addition to the cycle; I just wish Jeff Grubb or J.Robert King had done the second book in the Cycle.

This book was pretty good,... I felt that this novel was very choppy. Years would pass all of a sudden, leaving you to wonder what happened during that period of time. I'd lose interest sometimes, leaving the book to sit for weeks before picking it back up again. Despite these faults, I really liked the concept of the "Alliance" of races, and I thought the battles were well written. I'm glad Yavamaya finally got some attention as well. Hopefully Bloodlines will keep my attention better.

This book is so refreshing. Some of the recent MTG books I've read have been rather dissappointing (Mirrodin cycle and Kamigawa cycle) compared to the beginning of the entire series (Brother's War, the Thran, the Ice Age cycle). This book is one of the best of the series... I think I enjoyed it more than the Brother's War.

It gives the a good glimpse into Urza's mind and world post-"insanity." His research is interesting, his artifacts are very cool, and his "relationships" with his students is ever awkward (but then again, how in the world can Urza Planeswalker carry on with mere humans). The metal golem, Karn, also plays a very powerfuly role in the book, exploring his purpose in the world and his role in Urza's plans. He is trying to discover, dare I say, his "humanity."

The whole time manipulation plays a very interesting role in the book, and as always the phyrexians are punks to the very core. I thought it was so facinating how the phyrexians were in a different time speed than Urza's school and the problems that resulted because of this.

I recommend this book to everyone, MTG fan or not. It is fun and interesting. J.Robert King writes a very compelling story with relatable characters on the verge of destruction.

I read this book during my lunch breaks while I was teaching SUmmer School. I found it extremely enjoyable and I particularly liked the way he used time paradoxes when he described the Time Bubbles.

Very Good. My students liked it too.

I am still digesting "Ulysses." I read it while walking around Dublin a few years ago. It was marvelous to trace the steps of Leopold and Molly, and to see what they "saw," but the novel remains a distant pleasure to the reader. I must admit it is not the most accessible book ever written, but it gets four stars for its intent ... and that it is better than "Finnegan's Wake." Be warned: This book is not for the casual reader. But this annotated edition makes it all worthwhile. You'll get genuine, comprehensible guidance. If you must read "Ulysses," this edition might be most helpful.

This book was a shock to me. It's not just a book of annotations, it's also a history of Ireland, literature, language, and nearly everything else Joyce decided to allude to in his masterpiece. I never would have guessed that just reading the annotations (without the source text) would make good reading, but that is certainly the case here. You do not by any means need this book to enjoy Ulysses, but it does give remarkable insight into the mind behind it

Gifford's book offers fascinating glosses and contextual annotations for Ulysses, but was not quite what I was looking for to help me with my first attempt at the book. The annotations are mostly disjoint explanations of specific allusions and references.

There are other guides to Ulysses that are better suited for the novice Joyce reader, helping the reader to keep track of the plot, the progress of the Odyssey and Hamlet corelations and explaining the shifts in style through the book. This kind of hand-holding may be unnecessary for more sophisticated readers, but for my first read, it was essential!

Just a heads up that this is NOT an annotated edition of Ulysses (as I mistakenly thought in purchasing)(duh). It is 600-some pages of notes only and does not include the text of the novel.

When I first tucked James Joyce's ULYSSES under my arm, Don Gifford's ULYSSES ANNOTATED was tucked under the other. (My biceps became very well developed because of this.) It took me an entire summer to read the books side by side but how worthwhile it was. Gifford's essential line by line, almost word by word, guidance made ULYSSES less overwhelming than if I had tried to tackle it alone. Once I got through ULYSSES the second time (the following spring) I was able to go to the more overarching analyses of Joyce's masterpiece. Stuart Gilbert's ULYSSES and Richard Ellmann's ULYSSES ON THE LIFFEY were particularly helpful.

The book is very inspiring and useful especially to those who are at the crossroads of their lives. It's a life-giving book and brings you closer to God. In fact, a friend who's in her challenging stage in her life is using this book.

This book presented itself to me when I was deep into a project and just needed some factual answers. It's only 94 pages. I thought I could read it very quickly.

Ha.

It did give me answers, but it wasn't a quick read. It was the kind of book that had me reading a page, then pacing the floor, waiting for the million thoughts it excited to settle down so I could read the next. This went on for a week. And then I read it again, and read it out loud to friends. The cheap copy I bought is already wearing out.

What's it about? Simply, it's about the ancient practices of the Desert Fathers, of solitude, silence and prayer, how and why they came about, why they are needed now, and how they can be made to work in our crowded, noisy, distinctly non-contemplative lives.

The thing that first got my attention, was Nouwen's description of the problem of worldliness in the church, our tendency to think the way everybody else thinks. Worldliness, not simply in the way we've all come to see it, drinking and carousing, that sort of thing. He talks about the sneakier form, the kind that creeps in without our noticing, that has us convinced that what makes us valuable, what makes us worthwhile, is what we own, what we have accomplished, and what people think of us. Take those away and we have no reason to exist.

Think what that does to us. Think how it drives our choices, how it colors our view of others.

That's what began to get my attention - but I knew the book would be precious to me when I read the story of St. Anthony, who after some twenty years of practicing the disciplines of solitude, silence and prayer was finally able to pray genuinely - talking to God as himself, not the person he thought or wished or hoped to be. When he rejoined humanity, his very presence was healing to people because at last he could look at them with clean eyes, he could really see them as they were, not as accessories to his own self esteem.

Can you imagine how that way of being would change everything?

Buy this book. If you can, get a good strong copy. It's going to have to hold up to much reading.

This book is about how people who are engaged in active work to help others also need to spend time in prayer with God so that they can be more peaceful and more in touch with who they are and who they need to be.

This is a book that should be required reading in highschool or maybe earlier.

Had I previously investigated the author and the content, I wouldn't have purchased WOTH. Nouwen draws heavily from the "Desert Fathers," a group of hermits who lived in a Middle Eastern wilderness during the Middle Ages. They based their philsophy and practice of spirituality not only on the Bible (which is why I awarded two stars instead of one) but from eastern mysticism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. If you want to learn more about the beliefs of these mystics, it's an excellent sourcebook. As a reformational Christian, there wasn't much in this book I can recommend to those seeking to know the God of the Bible.