Charles Williams Books

I purchased this book hoping to obtain recent information on the FDLE exam. I bought the book and then took it to my instructor and also the Regional Director of a Police Academy in the state of florida. Though the book is a little helpful I was advised not to depend it's ability to teach today's classes. Basically this book is outdated and FDLE has changed there tests dramatically since this book was published. I don't have any second thoughts about the advice i recieved because The Regional Director happens to be a relative.

Wishing the best for all.

An essential reference for anyone seeking to become a corrections officer - sample questions were right on target.

While I agree with the previous reviewer that this collection is uneven and even a 'hodge-podge,' I didn't find that to be such a bad thing. True, it's not a collection of classic sci-fi stories, as the dust jacket may make it seem--but the wide variety of stories makes the collection enjoyably unpredictable, avoiding the repetitiveness that plagues some collections of science fiction. I first read this anthology in elementary school, and found a couple of its stories so entrancing that I have continued to check it out from time to time just to reread those stories.

In my opinion, it's worth tracking down a copy of this book just for the story "The Web Dancer," which is incredibly beautiful and sad and has had an enormous influence on me. The fact that it also contains "And Who Would Pity A Swan?," "The Hob," the title story, and the story about glaciers whose title I don't remember makes it even more worthwhile. Certainly there are a few poorly constructed or just plain bad stories, as pointed out by the other reviewer, but their presence doesn't destroy or dominate the anthology to such an extent as to make it not worth reading.

Besides, someone connected with my high school gave this book a good review. How can I disagree?

The cover and title of this anthology would lead readers to believe it will contain some off-the-wall SF stories in similar idiosyncratic style. The opening foreword by Isaac Asimov states that the stories chosen for this anthology mostly take place on Earth and feature young protagonists. All I can say is, the foreword and cover seem to have been created for a different anthology. The Introduction by Charles Ardai is more helpful in warning readers that this collection of stories ranges over a variety of fantastic worlds of all sorts. This anthology contains a veritable hodge-podge of stories from Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.

Despite my complaints, there are some worthwhile stories included in this anthology. The illustrious Isaac Asimov's Profession-the story that sparked this anthology-is one such inclusion. I also enjoyed And Who Would Pity a Swan? by Connie Willis, even though I was not expecting to find a fairy-tale retelling in this particular anthology and Still Time by James Patrick Kelly was a decent look at one man facing a nuclear war. But the less than inspiring stories are numerous. The Homesick Chicken by Edward D. Hoch is entirely set up for a bad joke. The White Babe by Jane Yolen feels like an incomplete piece. Fans of her Great Alta Saga will recognize the origins of White Jenna here, but the story itself doesn't feel satisfying. Contrary to Asimov's opening foreword, the stories here are from all different worlds-some SF, some fantasy, some a mixture. While I don't necessarily mind this, the overall effect of the packaging is misleading.

If you don't mind a sort of Pot Luck approach to an anthology, you might want to see if your local library has a copy of this to borrow. But I'm not certain it's worth buying. Most of the contributors to this anthology have published far better work in their years at writing. If you're looking for some excellent, quirky SF anthologies, I suggest skipping this one and checking out MICROCOSMIC TALES for a range of short-short classic SF stories, or some volumes of THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

I found this book at a used book store for 50 cents and decided to give it a try. The book is about Chuck Yeager's exploits with the Bell X-1 and nothing more. The book is divided into three parts: Chuck's initial introduction to the X-1 and his feelings and thoughts about flying it; followed by how he got to that stage with a look at his exploits in Europe during WWII; concluding with his initial flights in the X-1 and the X-1A.

However, the author's writing style is a bit strange. For the first and third parts of the book, Lundgren writes the story as if YOU are Chuck Yeager. For example, he will write, "As you walk into the major's office, you realize...." Initially, I asked myself, is Lundgren trying to make me understand what Chuck feels? Yes, but his constant use of "you" throws one off at first until you realize that YOU are CHUCK!

Then, Lundgren switches to the past tense when he writes about Chuck's exploits in Europe. Lundgren switches to "he" when he writes about Yeager's flying adventures over occupied Europe. Then, Yeager is re-patriated back to the States and the story segues back into the future as Lundgren's picks up the story of getting ready to fly the X-1.

The book is easy to read and seems to play out like a weekly TV series. Lundgren's writing style takes getting used to, but all in all, it's an easy book to read and can be quickly read.

Falconry is one of the oldest field sports in the world, going back to at least 1200BC. Shooting supplanted hawking as a means of providing game birds for the table. Farming plantations reduced the area available for this sport: fewer game birds. Hawking requires open country with few hedges or trees, refuges for birds. Falconry was the chief sport of the aristocracy until the 17th century (p.11).

Hawks are divided into two variants: true falcons (long-winged hawks), and true hawks (short-winged hawks). Falcons are at home in the open country, hawks at woody areas. Hoods are used to control a hawk that would otherwise be so nervous and excitable as to become exhausted. Hooded, it can be carried for miles through streets and railways. There are technical terms used in hawkings (pp.25-27).

The training of hawks on dead and then live birds is an example of Pavlovian conditioning. A dog is used to flush game birds from cover. When one bird in a flock is killed, the rest find a refuge. They will soon be out again, for there is nothing unnatural in being frightened by a hawk; they readily learn to avoid them. Birds learn to take to any ditch to avoid a hawk. Setters are more suited to hawking than pointers. More game birds are taken by shooting. A passage hawk is preferable to a nestling, being stronger and gentler. But eyesses are easier to train. Falcons and other raptors follow the flocks of migrating birds. Pages 55-58 describe the capture of passage hawks; pages 60-64 describe their training.

The book implicitly describes the labor-intensive training of falcons and hawks. Shooting is less labor-intensive and more cost-effective in gathering game birds for the table. It also requires less open country. There are also the increased demands upon time since the 19th century. Falconry has become almost as obsolete as a scythe for cutting grasses. Providing habitats for wild hawks and falcons in suburban areas is one way to lessen the vermin in these areas.

Chapter VI tells of those who renewed interest in this "sport of kings" during the 19th century. Sportsmen who take up hawking rarely abandon it, although the land area needed prevents its general popularity. Chapter VII describes the housing for falcons, their care and treatment, and general hints. The intensive hand labor and care is remarkable. The book tells how to repair broken feathers by 'imping' and 'sewing in'. 'Coping' is the shortening of beak and claws. Hawks appear to suffer from as many and complex diseases as humans.

This 1971 edition is a reprint of the British 1892 edition.

I would be the first to admit that I am not a fan of the teachings of Charles G. Finney. While in college I was first introduced to Finney's LECTURES ON REVIVAL. I found them boring but also had many problems with Finney's disdain for revival being a sovereign work of the Spirit of God. Finney was very man-focused in his book and believed that all aspects of "religion" were merely accomplished through pragmatic means. I tried reading more of Finney's books on prayer and then on sanctification. It was here that I first saw Finney's teaching on the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

This book is from the writings and teachings of Oberlin College professor Asa Mahan. Mahan was a collegue of Charles Finney and contributed much to Finney's thinking and vise versa. Mahan never had the popularity of Finney but his writing on the baptism with the Holy Spirit led to a holiness revival of sorts in the late 19th century following the American Civil War. Mahan's work would become a standard text in many holiness Bible colleges and would effect the early Pentecostal movement.

Mahan teaches in this book the baptism with the Holy Spirit after salvation. Mahan teaches that a believer is indwelt with the Spirit (Romans 8:9) but not filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). Mahan differs himself with Finney in that he teaches that the purpose of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is for power to evangelize or preach the gospel (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).

Overall this work adds nothing new to the Spirit-Baptism debate and there are better works on the subject from holiness, Pentecostal, and Evangelical positions. Mahan's style is dated as are his arguments. Mahan's theology is further tainted by the influence of the pragmatist Charles Finney.

Overall this proves to be a useful volume. It's the type that is nice to check out of the library, but it isn't necessarily one essential to your collection. A note about its title, it means what it says. This volume neither discusses the Arab state nor the Islamist opposition. Rather, it examines the in-between of the two, usually meaning secular liberals. For this reason, it is a much appreciated volume with the books on Islamic fundamentalism and the non-democratic regimes approaching infinity. If you're interested in exploring this aspect of society in the Middle East, this book comes highly recommended. Overall, its essays are written with solid scholarship.

The briefs in the book were informative but a little short (often well less than a page). The brief statements of law were excellent but I thought that the more detailed explanations (especially the rationale) sometimes omitted information. It was hard to get a feeling for the nuances of each case just by reading the briefs. I would strongly recommend this as a supplement to use while reviewing and studying for finals but definitely would not rely on it for class preparation in lieu of reading the entire case.

I have a used copy from a 1978 reprint. Hardcover, 8.5" by 11", 230 pages, 105 b&w photos, 76 illustrations.

The author was a professor at Oxford University and the text & pictures are from a 1924-1925 trip thru southern England.

Thorough historical coverage. The book is more of a study of the history of the castles. The pictures are rather dull and small or old-looking.

This is not so much a biography as a tribute to that unusual man, General Charles Gordon. In typical Victorian style, he is praised lavishly as a fine, upstanding hero -- but his eccentricity and fanaticism come through as well. A very useful book for Gordon enthusiasts and those interested in the past and ongoing issues in the Sudan.

While the book was writed in the 1960s, many of the facts remain true. Computer Organization deals primarily with the nuts and bolts of the hardware and how circuitry works. Difficulties arose when the author talks about long since past data storage punch cards and the old IBM machines. FORTRAN is used as the 'familiar' language for many examples, which becomes slightly confusing to new generation OOP programmers. There's more than likely a better book about Computer Organization utilizing newer concepts, terminology and programming, but this makes for a good read into the history of computers.