F Books

Un libro increible, fue mi companhero de viaje a Siberia y me ayudo a sobrevivir la depresion. Desafortunadamente me lo robaron con todo mi equipaje en Moscu y no lo pude terminar de leer. Si lo tiene en su biblioteca por favor prestemelo con el serio compromiso de devolverlo.

I read this book when it first came out.I misplaced it and have been searching for a copy ever since. Hooray for Amazon!

From start to finish, Jennings takes the reader back to an old world....experience the past more vividly than any previous saga. Journeyer is a delicuous journey of the senses. For those with a trained mind's eye, there is no experience more delectable than a well developed scenery and Jennings takes his readers to new levels.

Garry Jenning's "The Journeyer" has become one of my favorites. It has everything! True romance, adventure, perill and heroes. Not to mention it is an extremely erotic novel. I was given this book by a friend.....two years later...I still have it!! Mr Jennings has the ability to transport you back in time to experience first hand the travels of the Polo's. By the time you are done with this book you feel as if you "know" the characters. You hate to put it down. I read all 1000+ pages in less than a week.....the first time. Each time I go back to it , it feels as if I'm seeing an old friend.

The Journeyer is an incredible book. It ranks up there with The Good Earth, Shogun, and Tai Pan. If you're into old China, epoch adventure, sex, romance, and suspense, and an if you like the notion of following several story threads each embodying a clever cast of characters this is the book for you. I lost count of how many times I've read the book and how many times I have recounted the doings of the Fondler.

Excellent story from an obviously gifted author. HF lives in a tiny town in Kentucky, where they seem to be as redneck as they come. Her mom left her to live with her grandma after giving birth to her at 15. HF is now about 15 and her only friend is Bo, a classmate that is too sensitive and feminine for his own good. HF has never been with a girl but is a lesbian. In this funny, witty and touching story we follow HF as she discovers herself and those around her. This review really can't do justice to this well written story with a unique and unforgettable heroine. Highly recommended.

I was browsing through a gay bookstore in atlanta and just happend upon this book. Now I can't get enough! The characters really come alive off the page and I think many who read will relate to either Bo or H.F. I know I certainly did! The books main focus is about a young lesbian in Kentucky but as a gay male I found the entire thing to be a true work of art! I really enjoyed Ms. Watts book.

The book Finding H.F. by Julia Watts is the story of a very unique sixteen-year old named Heavenly Faith Simms. Her religious grandmother, Gemma, gave the name to her. Though Gemma insists on calling her by Heavenly Faith, everyone else knows her as H.F. Abandoned by her mother as a child, H.F. is a social outcast at school... Later, H.F. discovers that Gemma had been communicating with her mother. And so, Bo and H.F. take a road trip to Florida only to find a new world and a new relationship for themselves. Along the way they make new friends and enjoy new experiences outside of the "southern U.S. bubble". If you like the book Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Luis Block, you will love this book. However, I recommend this book only to girls that are in the eighth grade and above because the details and concept require a mature attitude towards the theme.

Although I really enjoyed all of the Julia Watts novels, this is by far the best! This is a tender, funny, intelligent novel about the friendship between a young lesbian and a young gay man living in Morgan, KY. The novel explores multiple issues including tolerance of gays and lesbians in small town America, the views of organized religion on gays and lesbians, and what it means to be "different" in our society. I highly recommend this book, and I think it should be required reading for high school students or for anyone who remembers what it was like to be one.

I found this book by accident one day while browsing in a gay bookstore in downtown Atlanta. From page one I loved it. H.F. is someone we all wish we could meet. Male or female. I totally fell in love with Beau (why can't I find a man like that?) and just her journey, not just physically, but emotionaly is enough to touch us all. A lot of people find it hard to go from the city to the country or vice versa but Ms. Watts genuinely brings our characters, stranded in a small hick town in Ketucky, to Atlanta and beyond without a hitch. By the time I'd driven from the store to my home I was halfway through the book; stoplights ARE helpful sometimes. Excellent novel. Excellent writer. Im hooked on Julia Watts.

This book is a page turner. The author's story is one of courage and determination. Not only is he told he is seriously ill, but he finds his HMO offers no help. As his battle with his illness and insurance company unfolds with the pages, the reader is drawn into its intensity and overwhelming obstacles. I was amazed at the bravery of this man. He accomplished a feat few people in his situation would be willing to face. In my opinion, he is a hero. Read this book! You will find it fascinating.

Scribner's "Finding Hope" is a descriptive narrative which begins as the author is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. The reader climbs aboard an emotional roller coaster ride which makes this book difficult to put down; you'll find yourself reading it at every opportunity. Throughout the narrative, Scribner shares the difficult lessons he learned in his fight with HMO Medicine, even explicitly labeling some valuable lessons as "advice". Scribner battles the disease on any and all fronts. By "getting it together" on the physical, psychological, and spiritual fronts, Eric discovers a better way to live each day. We can all benefit from his learning and the joy he discovers in this amazing journey.

This is a warm, comforting book with gently taught lessons on how to manage with a rare cancer. The importance of finding expert doctors is gently but unforgettably remarked upon. The man has a generosity of character and spirit that makes reading this book a calming as well as an educating experience. He demonstrates by example an exemplary way of dealing with cancer, its many setbacks, and its many frustrations. WELL WORTH READING. Beg, borrow or steal a copy.

This is a warm, comforting book with gently taught lessons on how to manage with a rare cancer. The importance of finding expert doctors is gently but unforgettably remarked upon. The man has a generosity of character and spirit that makes reading this book a calming as well as a learning experience. He demonstrates an exemplary way of dealing with cancer, its many setbacks, and its many frustrations. WELL WORTH READING. Beg, borrow or steal a copy.

I highly recommend this book this book to all readers, whether ill or healthy. Mr. Scribner's true story will touch you deeply. He has the ability to draw you into his life with the written word. I actually felt I was present in many of the situations. The book is excellent and extremely informative. His factual account is awe-inspiring and offers encouragement to those who are battling their health insurance carrier as well as a lifethreatening disease. His courage in the face of overwhelming odds literally does give one "hope" when it seems there is none.

author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
September 26, 2003

by Judy Bart Kancigor

Reading "A Fistful of Lentils" is like wandering through a family album. Instead of food photos you find dozens of family portraits, touching stories and the fascinating history of a rich and unique culture. In this engaging new cookbook, first-time author Jennifer Felicia Abadi tells the fascinating story of her Syrian Jewish family and reveals the secrets of their little known cuisine.

In 1924, her great-grandmother, Esther (called Steta in Arabic), left Aleppo for America on the crest of a wave of Syrian immigration as the Ottoman Empire crumbled. She brought with her cherished family recipes, passed down from mother to daughter, from the communal kitchens back home, where Arab and Jewish women gathered daily, as they had for centuries, to bake sambussaks (savory-filled pastries) and exchange gossip.

In the 1970s, Esther's grandchildren (Abadi's mother and aunt) decided to observe their Steta in the kitchen and carefully recorded her recipes for the family. Thirty years later, Abadi embarked on a project of her own -- trying to fill in the gaps by observing her own grandma, Fritzie -- and in the process learned as much about her family's history as she did about their cooking.

Numbering a mere 150,000 worldwide, Syrian Jews descend from a blending of the Spanish Jewish population that fled to Syria to escape the Inquisition and the Mizrahi (Eastern) Jews they found there who had made Syria their home for 2,000 years.

Those who think Middle Eastern cuisine is all falafel and hummus will delight in the exotic tastes and smells of the Syrian kitchen. But what distinguishes the foods of Syria from other Middle Eastern cuisine?

"Syrian cuisine has a strong flavor," Abadi explained, "but as compared to, say, Indian, we don't use a lot of different spices. We use mainly cinnamon and allspice in tandem together and lots of cumin. And whereas Moroccans, Algerians and Tunisians use couscous, we use bulgur wheat. We love rice, too, but bulgur wheat is our favorite grain."

Although rice was plentiful in Persia, Abadi noted, it was brought into Syria later through the trade routes. Originally reserved for the upper classes, the traditional riz (basic Syrian rice) is now considered a staple on the Syrian table. "Basic it is; plain it is not," Abadi writes.

Onions are first sautéed in oil and then combined with soaked and drained long-grain white rice, the mixture boiled and topped with toasted pine nuts. The favorite part of the rice is the prized a'hata, the brown crust scraped from the bottom of the pot, achieved by slowly cooking (and watching) the rice for 50-60 minutes over low heat.

Whereas Moroccans use dates, Syrians prefer mish mosh (dried apricots) in a variety of dishes, from Meh'shi Sfeehah b'Dja'jeh (Stuffed Baby Eggplant with Roasted Chicken) to the colorful and refreshing Mish Mosh m'Fis'dok (Cold Rose Water Syrup With Apricots and Pistachios).

"Many recipes call for rose water or orange water, and that separates us from other Mediterraneans, like the Greeks, who use honey," Abadi continued. "But I think probably our use of tamarind most distinguishes Syrian cuisine from others in the Middle East."

The rich tamarind sauce called ooh, a staple in the Syrian kitchen, is made from the pods of the tamarind tree. It is dark in color and lends a unique tart-sweet flavor to such dishes as Dja'jeh Mish Mosh (Sweet-and-Tart Chicken With Apricots) and Meh'shi Kusa (Stuffed Squash With Sweet-and-Sour Tomato Sauce). Presentation is key to the Syrian table.

"We're definitely concerned with how the table looks and that all the food is presented colorfully," she said. "What's nice is to have many little tastings, not just have one thing, and we like to have plenty. There will usually be several main dishes, on the average at least three or four, with a rice and a vegetable stuffed dish and maybe a noodle dish. The maazeh [appetizers] are colorful and done on little plates with lots of different shapes and sizes."

Most Syrian dishes, Abadi said, are easy to prepare.

"It's peasant food, a home-cooking thing. The dishes are long cooking, but, except perhaps for the pastries, which require more time and skill, they are not that difficult to do."

Case in point, Dja'jeh b'Ah'sal (Chicken With Prunes and Honey), a perfect choice for Rosh Hashanah.

"We use prunes, as well as apricots and dates, not only for their sweetness," Abadi notes, "but because they are round, they represent the cycle of life."

Tired of the same old honey cake? Try the more exotic Ka'ikeh b'Ah'sal (Honey Cake With Sesame Glaze), rich with tahini and sesame seeds, which, Abadi tells us, are used on Rosh Hashanah along with poppy seeds to represent an abundance of good deeds.

Dja'jeh b'Ah'sal (Chicken With Prunes and Honey Sauce)

2 cups pitted prunes, soaked in 1 cup cold water for 15 minutes

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chicken

5 to 5 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (white and dark meat), skinned

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onions

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Three 3-inch cinnamon sticks

2 cups cold water

To Serve

1 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden

Prepare the sauce. Place the prunes and soaking water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the honey and cinnamon. Mix well and simmer until the prunes absorb some water and soften (they should be soft yet retain most of their shape), about five more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Prepare the chicken. Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a plate.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onions, stirring, until golden and soft, three to four minutes. Add the chicken pieces and brown, cooking for two to three minutes on each side. Add the salt, pepper, cinnamon sticks and water, stir well, and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for one hour.

Uncover the skillet and cook until some of the excess liquid cooks off and the sauce has thickened to a gravy-like texture, an additional 20-30 minutes.

Serve on large platter, garnished with toasted almonds.

Ka'ikeh b'Ah'sal (Honey Cake With Sesame Glaze)

Cake

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)

2/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze

2/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare the cake. Combine the beaten eggs, tahini, honey and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add to the wet mixture and mix well.

Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan or 9-inch Springform pan and bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-35 minutes.

When the cake is ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 45 minutes. With a knife, loosen the edges of the cake. Place a large plate on top of the cake pan and flip the pan upside down.

Prepare the glaze. Combine the honey and tahini in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until blended to a smooth consistency, four to five minutes. Add the sesame seeds and mix well.

Remove from the heat and immediately pour the hot glaze over the top of the cake, allowing the glaze to soak in. Let cool for 30 minutes.

Cut into diamond shapes about two inches long and 1-inch wide and serve at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

This my favorite housewarming gift. No Jewish home (Ashkinazi or Sephardic) should be without it. Before I cooked one dish I sat down and read all of the lovely stories first and then went on to make many of these wonderful dishes.

My personal favorite is the pistachio cookies for Passover.

I enjoyed reading Ms. Abadi's book. Since I am Syrian-Jewish, I compared many of her stories to my own family. in addition, she quotes some people that I know. Unfortunately, however, the recipes are not reliable. Since the author's grandmother spent many years in Oklahoma, where Middle Eastern ingredients were not available, she relied on substitutes such as Worcestershire sauce which we do not use.
Every family cooks their own way. However some of the recipes will fail completely. For example, the Kibbe Nabilseeyah. The dough calls for 5 Tbs. water which is way too little. I would advise anyone who is a serious cook to wait for the second edition. This will give Miss Abadi a chance to correct the errors.

I haven't made a bad meal yet and my fiance is happy.

This outstanding book deserves at least 10 stars! It rates as one of the best cookbooks I own. The recipes are carefully and beautifully written, as well as delicious. I feel as though Ms. Abadi is standing in my kitchen, by my side, as I prepare each recipe, making sure that it tastes just right. Buy this book, you will be very glad you did.

Of the many books I have borrowed from my dad, this was one that I have read repeatedly. Unlike some humor, I still chuckle every time I read "A hunker is not a squat" or the one about the grasshopper trap. This is one of three of Pat's books that I regularly give as gifts to those young men of impressionable age in their pre-teen and teen age years. Hopefully reading this book will enlighten both their minds and hearts.

I picked this book up at a liquidation sale at a used book store mainly because I liked the title and not knowing anything about the author. This was my first reading of Patrick McManus and now I just have to read more of his works. My better half was trying to watch TV while I was reading this and I kept interrupting by reading sections of the book. His comment was "I can relate to that." I got to the point where I couldn't read any more until I wiped my eyes. This is a must-read for anyone who needs a good laugh.

The title of these comments is from one of the tales in this third collection of short stories I have read by Mr. Patrick F. McManus. The author has been writing the yarns and his versions of his childhood "true" stories for decades, and has now produced 12 collections of these essays in book form. Many of the stories are about being outdoors and failing miserably as a hunter and fisherman, but one gets the impression that to the extent he fails, he does with seeming intent. It's the outdoors he loves, not harming it or its inhabitants. When he does speak of a successful outing with his friends he complains so much about the "success" that again you can tell coming home empty handed is his real goal. A collection of stories is what he is after.

The best stories here range from his childhood when speaking of why an 8 year old is perfectly competent to own his first knife, while even one day short of the 8th anniversary would be nothing less than a felony were a knife to be given to such an infant. He goes on at length as to how men delude themselves in to their thinking they have convinced their wives how their gun collections multiply without a single purchase. And in a story entitled, "A Hunker Is Not A Squat", he explains how with the correct posture, a stick and a dirt floor, The United Nations would be unnecessary, and world conflicts would end.

Mr. McManus writes for everyone who enjoys a good laugh, uncontrived humor, and just simple observations about human nature. He does not preach about the solutions to world problems, claim a cure for the common cold, or how to get rich. He just gives the reader the gift of laughter, an invaluable gift.

This is just one of those books that's great when, well, anytime

A book filled with humorous stories, this compilation of experiences was a treat to read! The Grasshopper Trap is only the second book I've read by Patrick McManus but now I want to track down all of his stories. McManus writes humor without the obscene, offensive language that seems so common everywhere these days. It's a refreshing, fun read with stories that entertain as well as remind us of a simpler, less frantic way of life.

In F.D. Davis's dark novel, In the Beginning, Adam Omega propels this thrilling tale of creatures-of-the night. You have never met a man, excuse me, a vampire like Adam Omega. Reading this, Adam would say, `Yeah, lady, get it right. I am a vampire!' Adam is different from Anne Rice's Lastat and L.A. Banks's Rivera.

The story opens in 1005 A.D. Adam is a priest and gives up his priesthood to marry the love of his life, Eyanna. The local townspeople believe her be a witch because of her ability to heal. Already alienated from his God yet not entirely from his faith, Adam volunteers to be turned into an immortal to save his wife from being burned at the stake. To his horror, events turn against him. What happens next sets the stage for the rest of Adam's eternal life.

Davis brings the story into today and Adam is still grieving over the lost of Eyanna. He believes that the mortal lady Eve that he meets in church (yes, in church), is Eyanna reincarnated.

Eve is also frighten of Adam, believes him to be evil. Her emotions swing between love and hate for the vampire. (Is hate a ramification of love? I wonder.) But that does not deter Adam from his quest to reclaim his wife through Eve. His confusion about Eyanna and Eve turns into a nightmare for Adam and Eve. She may well be Eyanna's reincarnation. Eve's quest to save Adam and strengthen her wavering belief in God aligns her with Eyanna. But will she lose her soul in this quadrilateral perplexity? It becomes a battle of wills and faith, Adam's being the strongest and Eve coming very close behind. I could go on but will stop here. You decide.

I was totally involved with In the Beginning. The issues are clear: true love is forever, faith is shaken and best of all, even immortals have a soul and a sense of right and wrong.

If you are willing to suspend your logic, you will enjoy this interesting tale of love. Looks like F.D. Davis has a vampire series on her hands. I look forward to more from Adam Omega.

Minnie E Miller
Author

In the Beginning was great. No sweet and light vampire. This guy is in control and cuts no slack. He's long since lost his conscience. I can hardly wait to find out what happens when he goes back for the girl.

F.D.Davis (Dyanne Davis) continues to astound this reader! I would never have thought she would write such a great paranormal book! And not because she doesn't have the talent because she does! The character of Adam I grew to hate and to love....is he a reflection of us as a people? Have we become "vampires" in that "feed' and take without regard of each other, are oblivious to the human condition? Eve's character reflects something in us all....our need for forgiveness...for redemption. She fights the good fight as we all try to do. This book definitely gives food for thought, much like LA Banks Vampire Huntress series also does. But vampires is the only thing these two authors have in common. This book is definitely something that nightmares are generated from! I cannot wait for the next in the series. Let's see where Adam and Eve take us this time!

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. All I knew was that the summary on the back caught my interest. But I am glad I gave it a shot because this book is absolutely great. I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what happened next. My emotions were raw. In one instance would hate Adam and the next I would be on his side. Eve's character was well developed. She was introduced as this average and meek woman but as the story progressed she transformed into fighter who stopped feeling sorry for herself and just rolled with the punches. I can't wait until the sequal is released.

IN THE BEGINNING takes everything you've ever been told about vampires and puts them all to the test. Adam Omega had gained a sense of heightened power over the time that he had spent exploring the world trying to find a love that would replace his first. But, what happens when Adam tests all of the rules he made for everyone to follow?

Adam gave up a lot to be with his young wife, from walking away from the church to becoming what he was to save his young wife, but when she took her love away from him he was beside himself. So when he meets Eve Moses and discovers who she really is, he has no choice, but to revisit his past. Eve grew up being told she was evil and to overcome that evil she had to make amends with God and live a life of goodness. However, what is meant to be will prevail because of karma. When Eve becomes Adam's weakness, those around him find themselves in a battle against those who have chosen to go against Adam. With good intentions in his heart, Adam realizes that sometimes being good isn't enough.

F.D. Davis takes you on an adventurous ride as you read about Adam's love and his determination to have his lover for eternity. While the book has a slow start, by the sixth chapter you're hooked until the end. Davis definitely has won me over on Adam Omega and I can't wait to see what's next.

Reviewed by Missy Brown
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I have been investing using Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) for over 20 years and have read many books on this subject. This book has reemphasized some of those not so obvious concepts that I have learned through the years. For some one with very basic investment knowledge, specially in MPT, this may not be the first book that I would recommend. However, at some point in the investor's life, this book is a must!
In addition to the above comments, it would say that to effectively implement the book's recommendations, Financial Engines (a paid Monte Carlo software) is most likely needed.

These are the unconventional investment ideas that I found this book very unique:

1. Portfolio rebalancing means unintended bet against the market.

2. Presented the portfolio risk not as standard deviation of return, but versus that of market portfolio.

3. Hierarchical approach of investment (asset allocation first then investment selection) is not a good idea. Reason being: 1. Asset allocation likely assuming zero cost index fund as a guide. 2. Assuming each fund can fit into single asset class. 3. Asset allocation is paramount to investment selection regardless of the quality of investment selection. 4. Approach frequently ends up with actively managed and high fee fund.

4. Alternative investment not necessarily a good diversification due to risk and cost.

5. Financial Engines does not put funds into rigid asset class categories but rather use techniques to create a weighted peer group of funds based on how close the investment style (risk relative to market portfolio) is to the fund in question, and then rank funds on various measures (expenses, fund-specific risk, performance, turnover).

Overall, the book is very enlightening to both novice and professional investors without digging into complicated mathematics!

Chris Jones covers all the bases related to investment choices based upon what's best for the personal investor rather than the financial advisor. Great examples, clear concise terminology, a perfect book for anyone interested in well grounded wealth accummulation over glitz!

This book does a number of things well.

1) it offers a great overview of the basics of personal investing (historical and future market performance factors, the roles of risk attitudes and time horizon when determining one's asset allocation, the value of diversification, tax issues, etc.)

2) it shows, mathematically, the perils of individual stock picking, and the negative impact this will likely have on your portfolio

3) most importantly, in my view, is the detailed examination of how and why a passive indexed approach will likely beat an active managed approach, unless the managers get lucky. No wonder John Bogle likes this book!

The book is heavy on concepts and examples, light on tough math. Not a super-light read, but far from a technical manual. Good for most readers, I would think.

In conclusion, if you implement what this author suggests, you can't go wrong.

This book was well written and easy to read.

The author makes the case that we would need about 1500 years of stock market return data to be able to predict stock market returns within +/- 1% with high confidence. Since we only have about 100 years of reliable data, we can predict within +/- 4% of the long term historical average. Over long 25 year time periods, stock market returns can vary by a factor of 6X or 6 times.

The author discusses the current world asset allocation of about 63:37 stocks:bonds. Interestingly enough, this is not far from the age old pension plan asset allocation of 60:40. The ratio of U.S. to foreign stocks is also about 60:40.

This author has a different opinion about periodically rebalancing a portfolio. He says rebalancing is really a market timing bet.........because you are betting against the consensus of market participants when the market asset allocation changes. He recommends rebalancing to changes in the over-all market allocation versus to a fixed stock:bond asset allocation ratio.

While conducting research for Financial Engines, they found that investors preferred having risk expressed in dollars versus percentages or sigma.

The author correctly focuses on using funds with low expenses, and he says most mutual funds have total expenses over 2% per year. He recommends adjusting your asset allocation around low expense funds...........if you are in a 401K with very limited choices. His work suggests that not investing in an asset class only costs you about 0.5% in return. If it costs you more than 1% in additional fees to get into a new asset class, then skip this asset class.

The author suggests having a maximum of 10% invested in REITs. He argues that if you own your home, you probably have no need for REITs as a separate investment.

The author also argues that commodities have a 0% expected return, so skip this asset class.

Over-all, this book is easy to read with very sound advice for investors.


Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Financial Life and Beat the Pro's
The Richest Man in Babylon
Bogle on Mutual Funds: New Perspectives for the Intelligent Investor
The Millionaire Next Door
The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio
A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition
The Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get On With Your Life
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing

This is a book for those who would like to know what Kodokan Judo differs from sport competition. As a sport Judo practicioner I could never expect so wide range of techniques and deep tradition. Now I can see the wisdom of Mr. Kano who preserved one of the best Japanese export products ever created -complete and powerful martial art! The photos, drawings and description are very clear and high quality. Absolute for every Judoka, regardless of rank and experience.

Running well over 400 pages, this book is a feast as well as a valuable resource for anyone interested in judo. The authors are both well know and highly respected martial artists and, in my estimation, this belongs on the shelf right along with "Kodokan Judo", "The Canon of Judo" and any other volumns you may consider indispensible to your judo library. Published in the early 80's it's not the easiest thing to come by, but is well worth the pursuit.

If you want a detailed study of nage no kata and katame no kata then this is the book for you. It is not for beginners, or anyone interested in just the basics. It is very comprehensive and authoritative. If you want to really understand the meaning of the kata, and every move in them, you will need this book. It does include general information about kata, but it does not give detailed information on any other kata besides nage and katame (known together as the randori no kata).

If Draeger's grocery list was published, I'd buy it just because I have yet to read anything by him that wasn't great. Draeger Sensei lived and breathed budo/bugei and it shows in his writing. This is the most detailed and best laid out manual for the Kodokan kata available and is essential to any serious judoka's library.

i just bought this book from kinokuniya bookstore. it is a very good book, i think. it presents the detailed explanation of techniques involved in judo. however, i think you will benefit most if you could combine this book with the reading of another one - "The Secrets of Judo" - a masterpiece in illustrating the mechanical principles that underlies Judo.

Sferazza-Anthony has put together a book on the Kennedy White House that is like none of the other million Kennedy books out there. It includes many never-before-seen photographs such as the Wexford interiors (surprisingly ugly and unstylish!) an interior shot at Glen Ora, etc. The details of day-to-day life in the Kennedy White House can only be matched by JB West's "Upstairs at the White House" (out of print). A must-have for Kennedy buffs and admirers.

This book was a wonder to read and the pictures in it were amazing. Defentitly recomment it!

This book is primarily worth it for the mnay great photos of JFK and Jackie, especially of the White House rooms themselves. That said, the text is pretty good, as well. Two items of interest--that isn't J. Edgar Hoover behind Jackie on the front cover but lookalike Secret Service agent Stewart G. "Stu" Stout, Jr. Also, I like the picture of Marilyn Monroe with Secret Service agent Floyd M. Boring (wearing glasses) in front of her on the steps!
[...]

While the pictures are, for the most part, fantastic, the author does tend to make outlandish claims about some of them...The ONLY picture of JFK holding one of his kids, or the ONLY picture of him with Dr. Max Jacobson. Simply not the case! A little more care with details like that would have been nice!

And PS RED Fay did not serve aboard PT 100, as is claimed in the book.

What a classy book that one is! The White House as it was at the time of the Kennedys... and looking at some of those never seen before pictures, we can relive the elegance, charm and grace of that unique period. Two thumbs up Mr. Sferrazza!!

This book is extremely well written, which is to be expected, I suppose, since Fonzi is, by trade, a journalist. This book does not focus on the JFK assassination per se, but rather on the mid-1970s congressional investigations of it. To that extent, his story is a fascinating one, and one that is a first-hand account. In addition, the main focus here is US intelligence agencies' involvement in the JFK assassination- one touchy (and important) subject. And while it certainly seems clear that David Phillips lied to Fonzi regarding the identity of Maurice Bishop (an alias that Phillips used), just because Bishop/Phillips was seen in a Dallas lobby talking with Oswald a month before the assassination, it doesn't necessarily mean that Phillips had a hand in the assassination. In fact, in Ultimate Sacrifice, we are led to believe that Phillips was setting Oswald up to be a patsy for an assassination of Castro. (The same could be said of Morales' quote, "We got those little...(expletive)"...referring to JFK and then RFK. The use of 'we' does not establish direct involvement in an assassination. In short, while I sympathize with those working on uncovering a JFK (or RFK) conspiracy, the fact remains that there's very little here that demonstrates direct involvement in the planning and/or carrying out (or covering up) of the JFK assassination (at the end of the book, Fonzi writes that Oswald and Phillips had to be up to something connected with the planning of the JFK assassination because if they weren't, then why would Phillips later lie to him about it? Well...? I can think of a few good reasons...). Garrison's "On the Trail of the Assassins" is far more eye-popping in this important respect. The Last Investigation is, I agree, an important contribution. But, in the end, it's too far removed from the events surrounding November 22nd, 1963 to be considered the smoking gun that conspiracy theorist minded folks like myself yearn for.

What most attracted me about this book was the fact that its author, Gaeton Fonzi, is an investigator who can write not based on other researchers' data and conclusions, but on the evidence he himself gathered during the House Committee on Assassinations lifetime.
In this book you will learn about how the CIA planted a fake "communist" Lee Harvey Oswald in Mexico City in order to put the blame on Communists, specifically Fidel Castro. Fonzi greatly reinforced my conviction that the CIA was behind this coup d'etat.

America owes a debt of gratitude to Gaeton Fonzi, former House Select Commitee on Assassinations investigator.
The HSCA was formed to give we the people the truth about the Asassination Conspiracy of President John F Kennedy, but instead, tons of HSCA documents are sealed away for decades to come!
What the HSCA didnt want to make too public, and what the media has totally hidden, is that the HSCA investigation proves once and for all that Lee Oswald was being framed for the assassination MONTHS before it happened!
Gaeton Fonzi is one of the few investigators for the HSCA who has gone against the grain, and who has come out to tell the American People the truth. He did so by writing this book.
One of the main points of Fonzi's book, is that CIA man "Maurice Bishop", was an alias used by David Atlee Phillips, former head of the CIA's Western Hemisphere division!
The identity of "Bishop" has long kept JFK assassination researchers interested because "Bishop" was seen with Lee Oswald in Dallas not long before the assassination, proving that the CIA had a link with Oswald, even though they said they didnt.
Couple this with the fact that Philips ("Bishop") did work for the CIA in Mexico City WHERE AN OSWALD IMPERSONATOR FRAMED HIM (Oswald) BEFORE THE ASSASSINATION, and the JFK murder mystery becomes much clearer.

Another good companion volume to Ultimate Sacrifice
Former Senate investigator Gaeton Fonzi, of whom I have corresponded with, is to be commended for writing an excellent book about the HSCA, Cuba, and the JFK assassination. It is scholarly works like this that give the research community a good name. Get this!
Vince Palamara
Secret Service expert, author of 2 books, in over 32 other author's books, History Channel,etc.

I highly recommend former HSCA investigator Gaeton Fonzi's book, as it is a great companion volume to Ultimate Sacrifice. Fonzi's book is very well written and put together. You can't go wrong with this one. Get it!
vince palamara