O Books

I applaud this engaging literary accomplishment by author Rick Spier. In O'Sullivan's Odyssey, Rick has proven himself a story teller with exceptional ability.

It was thoroughly enjoyable to escape into this marvelous story of historical fiction set in Ireland and the Civil War South. The Author captured my attention and drew me in through his skillful and compassionate character development, the human element that engaged me at every twist and turn of this compelling story. The bonus for me was realized in the author's poetic and creative use of language and dialect. Reading this story was an experience that opened my mind and challenged my heart.

Rick Spier's compelling account of a young mans journey to find himself and firmly establish his rightful place in his family's history. The struggles he encounters are many and varied - both within himself and elements beyond his control. Not unlike the incredible challenges and hurdles many immigrants faced in America's early years. I found myself easily enveloped in Rick Spier's story - experiencing the angst of his hero's failures and joy in his successes. Rick Spier is obviously a talented writer and storyteller - I felt as if I were along on the journey myself...........

this book will keep you awake. The story line moves quickly and it is enthralling and educational at the same time. Historical fiction at its best. You will learn to love and to hate the main character with all of his ups and downs and imperfections. The other characters in the book, his family and friends are just as vivid and real. Descriptions of the landscapes and the surroundings are done with incredible detail. It makes me want to visit Ireland and the American South to retrace O'sullivan's Odyssey because this book took me on a trip I did not want to end.

Have now read O'Sullivan's Odyssey twice and will be back for more. The layering and intertwining of the impact of one generation to the next grabbed my attention and would not let go. All the more impressed as this was Rick Spier's inaugural novel.

Rick Spier has written an intelligent, informed, moving and very entertaining novel that will grab your attention and hold it from cover to cover. You need not be a Civil War buff, or have any particular interest in Ireland to get caught up in O'Sullivan's Odyssey. A great read, destined to become a great movie, I'm sure.

richie was a friend first and later my brother-in-law. you need to read this book to understand what the brave pathfinders endured. i was very lucky to have personally know him before and after the war. writing this book was both theraputic and heart wrecthing for him but, he knew he had to write it. the big c took his life much too early. rest in peace brother.

This is one of my favorite audio books. The narrator does a fantastic job.

Great book. Absolutely loved it. Very sad he's gone and won't be able to follow up on the next tour he did.

I was in Vietnam with the 9th Inf Div Pathfinder Det (13 Pathfinders for the entire division) and the 1st Bde 101st. I knew about half of the people that were with Rich Burns at the time, but don't remember meeting him. I can vouch for his accuracy of a lot of what happened during that period of the war.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about what we did. There is a US Army Pathfinder Association that is trying hard to gather more information from those of us that did this job. It's located at www.USPathfinders.org. For those interested, There is a history section that might be helpful.

i cant say anymore but its a must read dam good book

Patrick Demarchelier is one of the best artist of this age; his Photographs are pieces of history. Into this book you'll find his masterpieces: emotions in B&W!

A must own book for people that love b&w photography. Patrick is excellent at getting the perfect angle for the image. The way the natural light and shadows enhance the objects is great. The true persons are drawn by the way the pictures are taken.

My 12 year old saw this book on one of the display tables, picked it up... for the cover (naked lady) and glanced through it. He then later came running up to me saying... Please buy this book. The pictures are excellent. Well now, my son is interested in photography as a hobby.

This depicts some of what we know and expect of Mr. Demarchelier. His ability to capture so much in a photograph, in a look, is what makes him so incredible as an artist. If you are a fan of his work, this work should be part of your collection.

This is one of the best books of portraits that it has been my pleasure to view.

Before going further, let me observe that the book contains much female nudity that would earn an "R" rating if this were a motion picture.

Glenn O'Brien in the book's introduction captures the essence of the book well, "The beauty standard is being raised once again."

Whether the subjects are beautiful (and many are) or not, the result is the same -- a deep look into the personality and character of the model done in large, vivid detail in wonderfully contrasting duotone. One of the best tests for this book is to compare the celebrity images you see here with others you have seen of these same people. These images are more warm, more revealing, and more fun to see. Mr. Demarchelier has a light touch that gets out the happiest version of a person. You'll find yourself laughing and smiling your way through this collection, for sure.

The portraits displayed here are uniformly of very high quality, and provide nice contrasts of subjects (nose rings, boulders, children, and elephants among the beautiful people).

Here are some of my many favorites:

Nude, St. Barthelemy, 1994

Nude, St. Barthelemy, 1989

Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales, London, 1993

Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and their daughter, Los Angeles, 1994

Versailles gardens, Versailles, France, 1994

Gianni Versace, Paris, 1992

Nude, New York, 1995

Corbassiere, Paris, 1994

Helena Christensen, New York, 1992 (second image)

Cindy Crawford, Leh, India, 1989

Jasper Johns and Leo Castelli, New York, 1993

Roy Lichtenstein, New York, 1993

Naomi Campbell, New York, 1990

Isabella Rosselini, New York, 1994

Robin Williams (4), New York, 1990

Robert De Niro, New York, 1990

Sisters, St. Barthelemy, 1991

Christy Turlington, New York, 1990

Alice Dodd, New York, 1994

Natasha Kinski, New York, 1993

Warren Beatty from "Dick Tracy," Los Angeles, 1989

Elton John, Paris, 1992

Janet Jackson, Miami, Florida, 1993

Arthur Demarchelier, New York, 1991

Patrick and Mia Demarchelier and their three sons, New York, 1987

Meg Ryan, New York, 1994

Claudia Schiffer, St. Barthelemy, 1991

Paul Newman, Beacon, New York, 1994

Elle Macpherson, New York, 1990

Cindy Crawford, New York, 1990

After you look closely at these images, notice how lines and flaws provide balance and perspective in the same way that perfect figures provide proportion. How can you create more waves of enjoyable symmetry?

Drink deeply from the bubbling joy of humanity!

Jack Herrington's "Podcasting Hacks" (O'Reilly) is an excellent collection of tips, tricks, and explanations about making, publishing, and enjoying podcasts.

Although the book is primarily aimed at people who are creating podcasts, it also contains some info on the tools and techniques for finding and listening to them.

The O'Reilly "Hacks" books are structured as a series of specific projects, "hacks", that you can implement, but most every hack also includes a valuable explanation of the technology or expertise it uses.

The hacks in this book fall into both technical and non-tech categories. There's plenty on microphones, mixers and mp3 files. But also a lot on interviewing, blogging and getting publicity for your 'cast.

The book's first Chapter is the only one specifically for podcast listeners. It talks about sites and directories for finding the podcasts that are of interest to you. It also describes systems for downloading them, and the software for listening. Although the chapter contains much good info, it seems a bit out of place to me, in a book which is mostly of interest to people already looking to produce podcasts.

Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are "Starting Out", "Quality Sound", and "Formats". They dive into the gear and technology of recording and producing your podcasts.

Chapter 5 "Interviewing", and 7 "Publicity", tell about how to collect valuable and useful content, and how to get the word out to your potential audience.

Chapter 6 "Blogging" covers how to use a blog to publicize and distribute your podcast. It covers the most popular blogging systems like Movable Type, WordPress, Drupal and others. It covers using an existing blog, or setting up a new one. Also creating and managing the all-important RSS feed for your podcast. It also talks about internet hosting services which specialize in providing online storage and bandwidth for podcasts, which, because they are larger-sized files, can be a burden on traditional hosting arrangements.

Chapters 8 & 9, "Basic Editing" and "Advanced Audio", expand upon the post-production and audio tech material already covered. And Chapter 10 "On the Go" talks about recording podcasts out in the field.

"Podcasting Hacks" was first published in 2005, before the boom in video on the net, so it is short on info for video-podcasters. Though much of the discussion on interviewing, distribution, publicity, and hosting are directly applicable to video 'casts. Chapter 10 "Videoblogging" touches briefly on what was then an infant medium.

All in all, "Podcasting Hacks" a very useful and informative book, for both new and experienced podcasters.

Introduction
From the title, my impression was that this book would provide several specific technically-advanced strategies to maximize efficiency and enjoyment of podcasts. The strategies covered wouldn't necessarily be comprehensive, but rather serve as additional specialized tools one could add to the toolkit. Contrary to my impression, I was pleasantly surprised at the range of topics covered. I assumed from the term "hacks" in the title that the book's focus was going to be on adapting software and hardware for easier podcasting creation and consumption. However, there was plenty of focus on soft-skills as well, like methods of hacking your voice to sound better in a recorded format, or how to hack an experience you've had into a well-told and interesting story for a podcast.

Things I Liked

The book's foreward, believe it or not, contains the most succinct and accurate description of what podcasting is -- and isn't -- that I've read anywhere. I am mistrustful when a technology is advertised as "the hot new thing that everyone is doing!" because it usually seems to be a solution in search of a problem. That the foreward took a realistic tone made me favorably anticipate what would come in the rest of the book. The other thing that set this book apart was its range of contributors. There are hacks supplied by professional newscasters, popular podcasters, technologists of all stripes, and developers of podcasting tools and applications. These wide-ranging perspectives allowed the author to cover everything from writing Perl scripts to understanding basic copyright law to setting up a home studio to marketing your podcast - all in all, having this book is like getting to pick the brains of the top people doing podcasting, and having concise written documentation upon which to refer.

Things I Liked Not So Much

A minor point, but as someone who does not use Macs, PCs AND Linux boxes on a daily basis, I really only care about stuff available for the platform I work on. But the format of the book didn't allow me to easily locate the information relevant to me. When the book discussed software and hardware options, it wasn't clear which platform a hack was for until late into the description. A small addition to the hack title, like "Mac Only", would have remedied this.

In addition, the organization of the hacks was surprising and a little frustrating at times. For example,
Hack #2 is writing a perl script to re-assemble feeds of your choosing from other sites as a customized rebroadcast. As I was reading the hack, I thought about several questions one might be expected to have, such as "What is perl?", "What do I need to utilize this script?", and "How can I tell if this script will work with my web server"? These issues weren't covered until Hack #7. In another example, chapter 3 explores how to get quality sound; , the author uses terms like "condenser microphones" and "phantom power" early on, which he doesn't really explain until later on in the chapter when he discusses the various types of microphones.

Do you know how to listen to a podcast and produce one of your own? If you don't, this outstanding book is for you! Author Jack Herrington, has written a great book about how to find great podcasts and subscribe to them without filling your hard disk.

Herrington begins by showing you how to listen to podcasts through your browser and on a variety of different devices. Next, the author takes you through the basic hardware and software setup required to make high-quality podcasts. Then, he covers in depth how to pick the right audio hardware for your podcast; as well as, how to reduce noise to get that elusive clean sound. The author continues by covering the formats of various shows, and provides examples of formats; as well as, case studies of many popular podcasts. In addition, you'll also learn how to interview people, and how to edit the interviews. The author also concentrates on the mechanics of posting your podcasts to the Internet. Next, the author shows you how to market your podcast, make some money off it, and work with the podcasting community. Then, you will learn the basics of audio editing, what applications are available, and how to understand and use audio effects and filters. The author continues by taking things a step further and shows you how to build your own home studio, integrate audio feedback, add sound effects, and more. In addition, the author shows you how to take your show on the road with the hacks. Finally, he covers the basics of videoblogging and shows you how to create a teleprompter to give your videoblogs a professional feel.

So, if you want to get the best sound with the lowest noise, read this most excellent book. Herrington, has gone in great detail in this book, to help you produce a podcast that people will want to listen to, because of what you say and do.

As usual, Oreilly's combination of technical tips and tricks with straightforward implementation is excellent. I hadn't tried any of the Hacks series yet, and found that I'm thoroughly enjoying it. They are an excellent way to quickly get important pieces of information, while still comprehensively covering the topic.

The only downside is that it may not be a great book for those without some computer skills. But, if you know computers and don't know Podcasting, this is an excellent find.

Disclosure: my podcast is mentioned in his book. I find myself reaching for this book nearly every episode I create. I thought I was doing fine with my little show before Jack came out with this book. When it was published, I was shocked at how much he had gathered, and how much I had to learn! Jack has covered a very broad area, and yet kept a balance so that you feel like every page can be applied to your podcast. I find the guidance he gives on everything from equipment to environmental noise, to show format, to legal music use to be relevant to each episode I create. I continue to go back and find new tips to improve my show. I highly recommend it.

There's a select few people who were around for the golden age of Impromanga... but from it a lot of artists exploded onto the scene. One who's talent was always apparent but never appreciated was Mal... who is finally hitting the big time with Scott Pilgrim.

Sure there's the upcoming Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) movie adaptation in the works, but this is one of those books that doesn't need the movie deal to carry it. Fresh, innovative, addictive like pizza to a fat kid... Scott Pilgrim is on his way to conquering the world. You might want to take the time to nab the entire run, and Mal's first manga Lost at Sea, if only to rub your friends faces in their lack of coolness for not getting them first.

It is dork-tastic and kind of stupid, but if you're a gamer, or now gamers or, you know, watch tv and movies, you'll love this comic. This art is a little unrefined, but I think that was sort of the point, and the manga style is spot on for this book.

Yep. I get every comic out these days but this was the best comic I think I have ever read. I can't wait for more.

Girlfriends are evil.


Even more so if they are exes in rock bands, or other oddities. Current girlfriends that have ex-boyfriends that want to fight you are also a bit annoying.

So are teenage girls that like to go ninja on your current squeeze.

Having something to sit on at your place is also useful.

The first volume in the Scott Pilgrim series introduced us to one of the most bizarre faux-anime concepts (and casts) ever conceived. Scott Pilgrim is the ultimate slacker: he is 23 years old, is between jobs, plays in a bad band, and was, until recently, dating a high school girl. He left the 17-year-old Knives Chau for the more age-appropriate Ramona Flowers, an Amazon.ca delivery girl. However, Scott soon learned that in order to keep dating Ramona, he would have to fight and defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. The fight against the first boyfriend was an over-the-top awesome fest of unrivaled proportions. So the question was, "Would the second volume, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World be as good?" Yes.
Scott and Ramona (who he refers to as "Rammy" sometimes) are still getting to know each other as Scott is forced to fight Lucas Lee, Ramona's second evil ex-boyfriend, who is also a pretty-boy movie star and ex-skater. But things get more complicated when Scott's ex-girlfriend Natalie "Envy" Adams threatens to come back into the picture. Best of all, Knives engages Ramona in a fight for Scott's heart that is even better than the fight against Matthew Patel in the first volume. There are plenty of other humorous moments, especially those involving Wallace, Scott's roommate, as well as a scene that plays like a cooking show.
If you are a fan of video games, anime parody, and sweet fights, you should definitely check out Scott Pilgrim. The humor is top-notch, and the story is great.

Great book about learning Word 97 annoyances. Complete coverage of these annoyances is followed by using VBA/Word as a solution to Word 97 annoyances. Very good introduction to VBA/Word. This book belongs on your bookshelf!
My only complaint is that the book should be bigger.

This is a fantastic book, and I would consider it essential to anyone who gets fustrated by Word's tendency to try to help you when you least want any help. Unfortunately the book is now about 3 years old, so some of the information in it no longer applies to Word 2000. You more or less have to determine which portions of the book are out-of-date and skip them. If Woody updates the book, I would buy it immediately.

...Why can't the decisions, rules and controls be mine? Having read this book, I now understand that defaults and standards aren't necessarily the last word. Helpful hints and shortcuts will make life easier for everyone. whether you only ever use word to dash off a letter or you regularly produce complex documants and tables. With a writing style of amiable sarcasm, Woody Leonhard has obviously learned his lessons the hard way. Don't make the same mistake - buy this book!

The chapter on Word macro viruses alone is by far the best treatment of the subject that I've seen anywhere.

This book gives a good explanation on Word 97 and how to use it. Ranging from general windows settings to visual basic for applications (VBA) users from almost any level can find useful advise in this book. Written in an enjoyable style it is an easy read for anyone with interest for word 97. Together with Bill Camarda's 'Using Microsoft Word 97' from QUE for reference/addition you should be able to create some fancy documents.

I can't say enough wonderful things about this book.. It has truely changed my life. Not only is it uplifting and encouraging, it works! I started to notice small changes in little ways and slowly started to really believe. At a time when you feel overwhelmed & scared because of a doctors diagnosis, this book gave me hope, the beginning of all i needed turn it around. I'd recommend it highly.

This book is chock full of meditations for self-healing, no matter what the disease or complaint. The premise of this book is the mind-body connection, that we are ultimately responsible for our own state of health.

Shivani's writing style is easy to read, as if you were chatting comfortably with a good friend. I have tweaked my daily meditation sessions with suggestions found in this book. I wish Amazon sold Shivani Goodman's audio recordings to go along with this book, but this volume is a must-have for those interested in self-healing. You won't be disappointed.

Great book everyone shpuld read it

Very simple and outstanding way of getting the message across. Cancer can be cured without drugs or surgery.

I'd like to recommend this book to anyone seeking to take control of their own health and wellbeing. This book is easy to read, presents facts and research data and provides simple yet effective and practical steps to wholeness. I found this book to be a real joy. Best of all the information it presents will be appreciated by those who follow the "medico-scientific model" OR the "New Age" model. An anecdote: I tried the "5 minute healing technique" for the first time just from the information presented on Ms Goodman's website; my sinus pain was immediately alleviated and disappeared after I did the technique two more times- all within 6 hours !! Many thanks to the Ms Goodman!

Altered Art showcases some of the most fun altered art out there today.
This field is expanding exponentially - it seems so accessible - and offers
a relief from the generally serious world we live in.
Not that altered art can't (and doesn't) have a serious side all its own. As illustration, compare the Nori Dress by Dee Fontans on page 140 with I'll Fly Away on page 128 by Betsy Reeves. They each speak to the same theme in two entirely different languages.
Terry Taylor has assembled an incredible array of talented artists, doing what they do best, altering the bits of our wonderful, wacky, crazy and sometimes sad world into a storytelling vision of art that transcends time.

.. brilliance! You won't get through it in a day or two. I have never seen so many photographs in one book before. The projects are awesome and the author, Terry Taylor, has chosen some fantastic designers to display their work. Terry is brilliant and it is evident in his art. This is an extremely inspiring book.

This book is pretty great. There are a bit fewer "great" projects in it than I had hoped for and a few things more basic than I would have liked, but the bulk of the book is great. It's very inspirational and just plain fun to look at. The book shows a lot of pretty piles of found objects without showcasing an actual project made from said items in most cases but there are tons of other examples to look at. There are also several tips on how to do things, such as solvent transfers, which are nice. I would recommend this more to a newcomer to altered art or someone who doesn't mind spending the money to look at things they likely already know how to do. Again, the prettiness of most of it is worth it though.

I browsed through this book at the local craft store at least three times over several visits before I finally decided to buy it. I sure am glad that I did! Not only is it visually appealing, filled with so many wonderful ideas, techniques, and creative springboards for one's own ideas, but it simply, yet clearly gives directions on so many different techniques. In fact, I think that the only technique that was mentioned but not fully covered was soldering.

Everything else was carefully explained, and beautifully detailed. It does cover: altered art (obviously), altered books, cards, jewelery, dolls, techniques, copyrights, history, and much much more.

I have been creating mixed-media collages and altered art for about 2 years now, so I'd consider myself, well, not a beginner but not as advanced as others. But I believe this book would be helpful to anyone, at any level. I highly recommend it and enjoy it each time I refer back to it.

It is an absolutely beautiful book, filled with great projects and suggestions. For someone with creative aspirations but little direction, just flipping through the pages provides so much inspiration.

I REALLY liked the first book in the Bethany series. I have read it five or six times and I am still not tired of it. The book really taught me a lot about the Bible and things that go on 'behind the scenes.' I liked learning things that aren't taught much these days. I can't wait until other books in the Bethany series are out. Sarah, age 11

I am 11 years old and in the fifth grade. I love this book because it is interesting and exciting. It challenges me to learn more about the Bible and the Old Testament. It is a story about a girl named Bethany and her experience with meeting an angel. It is fun for me to read about a girl close to my age traveling around with an angel and learning all about the Old Testament like it was happening today. I would recommend this book for kids my age. I can't wait to read Mr. Kearse's next book. He is the best!
Anna Leigh (11)

Kearse has developed a great adventure story that bridges the secular with the spiritual in a powerful fashion. Young Bethany Clarke has a burning desire for a cute puppy dog, but can't get one because of a family secret that causes a lot of tension before she launches into her time-travel journey where her dream of owning a dog comes true. Back in time she experiences a host of characters who stretch her mind and strengthen her beliefs. Whether it's her angel friend, Gabriel, her doggy buddy, Oba, or the mysterious character, the "Old Woman I Know", the reader is sure to connect with this book that explores the power of faith and relationships. An outstanding book for the whole family to read and enjoy!No Time To Kill

Bethany is a great book for children who can read up to about age 15. It is also excellent for teachers who plan to teach sunday school to children of all ages. Bethany is even interesting for adults. Its a very clever and interesting story that takes a young girl and her dog on a journey through the Old Testament. I would highly recommend it for all faiths and particularly Jews and Christians.

I never knew learning about the bible could be so much fun. While reading the book I did'nt even realize that I was learning. I would recomend this book to people who love to read a good adventure. I first read the book when I was in fifth and sixth grade and now that I am in going into seventh grade I realize how much it helped me understand more about the bible. Mr. Kearse was my sunday school teacher and I absolutely loved what he taught us. This book is great because it is the kind of thing Mr. Kearse taught and a great adventure.

Pellicer's book was an excellent book for anyone in the education field. Through short essays, he gives a clear, sometimes humorous, always honest view of what it takes to be a successful leader. While reading this book, I was able to personalize many of the experiences he speaks of and apply the lessons that he has learned through the years to my own life and career goals. Because of the way it is written, the reader has the ability to "skip around" and read the chapters that seem the most pertinent at the time. As a classroom teacher, I found this book to be a source of inspiration to me--inspiration that I desperately need at this mid-year point! After reading his thought-provoking, encouraging essays, I think I might just be able to make it until the end of the school year after all!

Caring Enough to Lead was an easy to read, interesting, thought-provoking book. By sharing personal experiences and perspectives in his book, Dr. Pellicer helped me begin to understand what it means to be a leader and to focus on some of the attributes and attitudes of an effective leader. The questions at the end of the chapters caused me to stop and reflect on my role as a leader in my school and in my classroom. The short chapters in the book enabled me to read one or more chapters at a time depending on how much time I had available.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr. Pellicer's book, Caring Enough to Lead. It was easy to read and very entertaining while at the same time very applicable for teachers in any situation. It gently reminds us of why we choose teaching in the first place, to touch lives. Dr. Pellicer also reflects on several ways to lead as well as the responsibilities that come with leadership. It was easy to reflect on myself as a leader as I was reading this book. I was able to relate my own experiences to most of his chapters. His writing style of vignettes and questions was fun and unique to read. The short chapters made it convenient to read a chapter or two at a sitting and come back to it later.

This book, written by an education professor, should be required reading for everyone in the field of education. It is a very readable challenge to educators to reflect on their beliefs, practices, and reasons for becoming an educator. While reading the book, I highlighted many passages in order to come back to them and to share them with colleagues in the future. In reflecting on a career in education, the book helped reaffirm my belief that it is important to care about others and pointed out the fact that it is important to care about yourself also. This is a book that educators and leaders can read without feeling burdened with a lot of theory or extra rhetoric. The entire book can be read at one time or it can be read in small segments. It is a book that causes soul-searching and one that should be in every professional library.

Can a series of essays on leadership be described as pleasurable, thoughtful reading material? It can if it is Caring Enough to Lead by Pellicer. Pellicer presents twenty essays that are thought provoking as well as entertaining. Personal stories lead the reader into more in-depth philosophical questions about leadership. The essays contain countless statements that lead the reader to stop and think.
"Life affords us too few opportunities to show others how much we care, we can't afford to waste these opportunities."
"I wish I could find a way to encourage all the teachers in our school to run around and flap their arms on a more regular basis."
"Leadership is never about ruling others, it is about serving others."
"A good teacher can give a child power over his or her own life."
Pellicer feels that becoming a leader requires some who cares, excepts the responsibility of leading, and nourishes and supports others who care. All this is required in order to successfully educate our children.