Don Books

I was fortunate enough to attend a recent college graduation where the author, Dr. Don Holst, gave the commencement address. His wonderful and impassioned speech led me to purchase his book that he so eloquently referred to. He used the triumphs and successes of the Olympic athletes as a backdrop to his theme that diligence and hard work are the keys to the graduating students' futures.
What a wonderful surprise! Holst recounts his discussions with the great athletes in this great book! He tells their stories in their own words while painting a brilliant picture of the worlds they lived in and how the ultimately came to affect it!
A must read for all! Great stories from both young and old to enjoy!

Don Holst, a consummate athlete, coach and professor in his own right has given us an important work on Olympic American Men of Track and Field. He has presented their Herculean accomplishments, taken us into their homes and made these icons our hosts as we sit at their feet listening and marveling and learning. Dr. Holst and Marcia Popp have offered a specialized work which has universal appeal.

Don Holst has managed to accomplish the IMPOSSIBLE --- he has made me LOVE SPORTS ! Read this book, I DARE YOU, and then TRY TO PUT IT DOWN . . . Glenn Cunningham's story will inspire you, Jackson Scholz will delight and tickle you, and Bruce Jenner will continue to amaze you, even as Craig Virgin's breaks your heart . . . it's all about the times, and the timing.

Every MOM needs to read this, to help you understand why those boys and girls want to work SO HARD, when many of their peers choose the drugs and booze . . . It's HEART, my friend, something in the soul they are born with that whispers to them to do something MORE, and in the cases of these athletes, MUCH, MUCH MORE . . .

I have an extensive, eclectic home library, but I can't remember the last time I actually dog-earred and mutilated a book by LOVING IT SO MUCH . . . , or carried it from room to room, not wanting to miss a moment. (OR re-read it as soon as I finished, just to enjoy it all over again).

Hard to put down, and harder to forget Holst's unforgettable interviews with these true American Heroes, from the start of this project in the 50's to the present, this little book has the big heart of a sports history classic. NO superlatives in Webster's will suffice for this fine expenditure of your all-too-busy time. Buy 2, and send 1 to your favorite NON-athlete !

K Morris in Saint Louis,
Home of the big stainless steel handle next to the water

I own a lot of identification and value guides. I found this one to be laid out very well and easy to use. Great photos.

Gene and Cathy Florence's AMERICAN PATTERN GLASS TABLE SETS is a fine recommendation for avid collectors of American pattern glass. Excellent, good-sized color photos of glass sets are accompanied by the latest values and by notes on makers, patterns and reproductions, making for an excellent reference.

After seeing a preview of this book at a glass show a few months ago, I anxiously awaited the publication. It exceeded my expectations when it arrived in the mail today!

The pictures are fabulous (by FAR the best photos in any reference book on EAPG). Patterns and colors are well defined in the photos where previous EAPG guides did not quite hit the mark. Pricing is up-to-date and accurate. Pattern information is concise yet informative(and I am learning more every time I flip through it).

You can tell that the author and coordinators poured their hearts (and glass collection!) into publishing this book. You get a little more "collecting fever" just by looking at this book.

While this book focuses mainly on table sets it in my mind is now the essential reference guide on EAPG.

Adam and Jeremy Krasner are brothers who share a common love for baseball. Adam, the younger brother has concerns about Jeremy. Jeremy is one year older than Adam and is partially mainstreamed in the local school the boys attend. Jeremy's social development is quite delayed and his behavior is described as having autistic overtones. He is also behind his peers academically.

Adam sometimes finds Jeremy's behavior embarrassing, such as when Jeremy pitched a fit in a restaurant after Adam did well in a baseball game. One can feel Adam's justifiable resentment and shame and also Jeremy's anguish at not being able to fit in with his peers.

One child accepts Jeremy. Tommy, a 3rd-grader in the neighborhood, looks up to Jeremy and the pair enjoy imaginative role playing (not a behavior readily found on the autism spectrum); joking and sharing a love for gardening. Jeremy is also a Beatles' fan, which I think speaks to excellent taste and cultural appreciation.

Tommy sounded like he was good for Jeremy and I was really disgusted with Jeremy's mother for threatening to punish him for playing with a younger child. Tommy was the one person who accepted Jeremy and enjoyed him, so I think it would have been beneficial to all to allow those boys to enjoy their friendship. I thought it was a good thing that Jeremy did not obey this draconian edict and continued his friendship with Tommy.

Adam is having problems with a boy on his team. Eddie, a rather rough boy takes his anger out on his peers. Unable to confront his abusive father, Eddie makes baseball a blood sport. Eddie also creates other havoc and it is up to Adam to go to bat for Jeremy when Jeremy is being charged with vandalism.

In the end, fraternal love proves strong and will leave readers cheering and rooting for the Krasner Brothers, the baseball fan and the Beatle fan.

The Krasners moved a few months ago to the town of Glen Haven, an hour drive from where they previously lived. Although it is not mentioned why this move took place, I assumed it was related to the father's employment. Adam's older brother is Jeremy, in the seventh grade and attending the junior high school. Jeremy is neurologically impaired and needs tutors in the home plus takes special classes in school. After playing baseball at the neighborhood field Adam caught the attention of a seventh grader named Eddie Gordon. Adam is flattered that someone wants to be friends with him since his brother's outbursts usually cause others to bypass him.

Mr. Gordon is the coach for the Little League team where Adam and Eddie are both pitchers. Adam's Mother encourages him to have his brother involved in the same things, so Jeremy ends up on the Little League team, even though he hates it, but his Mother wants him to be around his peers. Eddie has been picking on Jeremy since they moved into town, but Adam is not really aware of this due to being at different schools, so he ignores his brother's constant complaining of how Eddie calls him a retard on the bus and looks at him with mean eyes.

Throughout And Don't Bring Jeremy are many conversations with Adam, Jeremy and their parents at the kitchen table. It is quite funny to read how the author was able to convey just what a sixth and seventh grader feel and how they describe certain aspects of their parents in detailed observations. When Adam remarks how when his Mother makes a certain noise with her nose when she is exasperated I chuckled and tried to imagine such a noise! It is clear that his Mother has the last word all the time, but on the other hand she tends to push Jeremy off onto Adam and that seems unreasonable at times. I felt as a parent there was a lack of parental involvement on her part as she was always busy fixing and decorating the new house.

Jeremy likes to take his bike and ride around the block and this worries Adam, but as Jeremy says he is older and can do it too. But there is a third grader down the street that Jeremy stops and plays with to the discord of his Mother. She has repeatedly warned Jeremy to not go there and try to make friends with kids his own age.

Adam has described his brother as walking funny, eating gross and dressing sloppy with frequent outbursts that always caught him off guard and waiting for the next one to happen. He could feel when they were in stores and shopping that people were looking at them as the family with that boy.
And Don't Bring Jeremy is a quick and easy read for an Adult and geared to those who are between the ages of nine and twelve, especially anyone in the sixth and/or seventh grades. This would help those that have a child that is different in preparing for what is ahead once the child is at this age or grade level. The author has really captured the feelings of Adam and what he goes through on a daily basis because his brother is different.

Much of the story centers on the baseball game and how they make it to the All-Star Game as well as the friction between Eddie and Adam over pitching and the fact that Jeremy is jealous of his brother. Adam is cautious around Mr. Gordon as well because he is Eddies' Father and thinks he looks like a Sergeant.

I was very pleased to read And Don't Bring Jeremy, highly recommending this for anyone who has a child in this age range to teach about compassion and understanding of those who are challenged and different. I loved the way the boys transformed through the pages and really got a sense of being there with them in the town of Glen Haven. This would make a wonderful summer read to introduce a young reader to the trials and tribulations of living with a sibling that has a disability

I am the author of JEREMY GRABOWSKI'S CRAZY SUMMER IN STORMVILLE!, a children's book. In "And Don't Bring Jeremy," Adam Krasner has the burden of having to deal with his older brother Jeremy who is neurologically impaired. I highly recommend this book. I decided to read "And Don't Bring Jeremy," because my older brother Kevin has a brain disorder called autism. A number of the situations in the book between a "normal" kid and his handicapped brother I can relate to. The characters are well developed and are realistic. The story is not predictable and I didn't lose interest, as I wanted to find out how things turned out. Young readers, with or without handicapped siblings, would find "And Don't Bring Jeremy" a good book. Those without a handicapped brother or sister might have a better idea of what life would be like with one. Great book Marilyn!

Wow, what a great imagination this writer has. The stories are unique and the character development is terrific. I couldn't put the book down. If you enjoy getting lost in a book this is a must buy!

This hard to please reader would call this book a SCINTILLATING read. Each story is riveting and a provides food for thought into the human psyche. Although each story is unique, the human experience is something we can all relate to. The character's are vibrant and realistic. It's a quick read, so you can enjoy reading it over and over again. Recommend it to a friend - or better yet, buy one for him or her NOW! She or he will thank you for it!

Wow! This book was terrific. The five stories each have a life of their own. I became completely enthralled in the stories and the well developed characters. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I would unqualifiedly recommend this book to anyone who likes to get lost in a story.

This is a great book and the author worte it with lots of passion and it is very well for our children to teach them, that every animal is worth to save and not hurting it. Children will love it very much ! Well done.

Kids need to read more books like this. Animals are more a part of our lives than we realize sometimes. I'd like to see more titles from this author.

I read it to my students (grades 1-3) and they loved it. There was a nice message for us to discuss, about how we treat animals. As an extension activity, my students decided to create illustrations for the pages in the book that didn't have them and they were even motivated to write the author to tell him about their favorite parts of the book (which turned out to be when Neomi wakes up and the animals are talking to her). Read it and enjoy!

Don has a terrific ability to teach. I had the good fortune of having him show me the essentials of 3d, while he was working on this book. He was working at News in Motion at the time, which had such a tight schedule that he not only was able to knock out the daily animation, but was also able to explain to me the basics of 3d modelling and animation in the few minutes between processing. He is a true expert in the field, and from his thorough understanding of the subject, is able to simplify some very complicated and confusing concepts. Thanks again, Don, you've been a big help.

This is a great book to get you familiar with the concepts behind 3D modeling and animation for the Macintosh. 3D modeling and animation is growing on the Macintosh because the machines are getting faster and the OS is getting more robust. Now is a great time to start learning the art of creating 3D worlds and animations.

For the complete dummy to concepts in 3D, the full-color illustrations and explanations are top notch. If you're looking to get your feet wet on how 3D is handled by computers this IS the book for you. PC owners can benefit from it also (just disregard the Mac specific concepts located near the end of the book). It covers most of the big concepts found in virtually all 3D applications such as modeling, textures, shadows, lighting, and animation. Seasoned animators will want to look elsewhere unless unless you're in need of filling "holes" in your knowledge of the basics.

picture two characters who inhabit the newsroom of a daily newspaper only in the night hours in the 1920s and 30s. a cat who believes and acts as if she s the reincarnation of cleopatra and a cockroach who writes his boss - that s in quotes - who s a reporter on the paper. but writing comes so hard that it is, well n-o-t what is written in the - booklist - review in amazon s internet review. i quote from the review - the cockroach, archy, couldn t hold down shift and hit another key. - wronggggg.,.,., i quote from don marquis s description - he did not see us, and we watched him. he would climb painfully upon the framework of the machine and cast himself with all his force upon a key, head downward, and his weight and the impact of the blow were just sufficient to operate the machine, one slow letter after another. he could not operate the capital letters... - can t you just cry with pain as you picture archy, or rathe! ! r, don marquis, writing his material, any and all material , for us. and suggesting that many writers must suffer as did archy to give us their thoughts, their beliefs, their observations, their opinions, their joys, their sufferings.... b-u-y- t-h-e b-o-o-k .,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,., - imagine caps, or parentheses - i can't do it, you see....

These are some of the most wonderful humorous writings ever. I first encountered them back in the '40s (1940 that is). Even copied them on an old manual typewriter (like Archy used). Have had the copies for over fifty years. It's great to get them in a book (my pages had become yellowed and crinkley). I hope to get the other books to go with these. For fun and entertainment and a good chuckle, you can't go wrong with "archy and mehitalbe"

Of course there's a value in teaching Emily Dickinson to our children. And no one would debate that every college student should immerse themselves in the likes of T.S., Joyce and Williams. But why are teachers missing out on such a classic collection of incredible poesy? wotthehell? Give it a read and see if you don't immediately take a copy to your next PTA meeting.

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (11/06)

I have to admit that prior to reading this book on regifting, I have never practiced the art. The "Art of Regifting" literally covers the subject from A-Z in 55 very well-written and hilarious pages. After reading it, I now feel up to the task of regifting.

There are basically two rules to follow when regifting: 1.) The gift has to be unused (unless of course they are authentic antiques and collectables), and 2.) Tthe gift must be passworthy. The author, Barbara Bitela describes passworthy as "that which is worthy of being passed and the item should make a favorable impression."

"The Art of Regifting" is also filled with valuable advice and stories from Bitela's friends and relatives. It opens with "As Kellymarie tells me: "Before you regift, `Note to self,' be sure the gift you are to regift isn't going to the very same person who gave it to you!" Imagine... a mistake on this rule and what a horror show that would make for the holidays with the in-laws. Another great piece of advice "I - Intact: Peter (Bitela's regifting father-in-law) recommends: Be sure if it reads assembly required," you don't leave pieces of it outside the box. Very inconvenient if you've already wrapped it."

Bitela thoroughly touches on all subjects from A-Z in a very humorous way. I really liked her references to other topics in her definitions such as "Labels: Labels, price tags, etc., are to be removed prior to the rewrap, which is prior to the regifting. (See Untraceable). U - Untraceable: (See Secrecy.)" This goes on throughout the book. Even the most serious person will not be able to get through this without a smile on their face.

This easy-to-read book is great to buy for yourself or to give as a gift (or regift), especially to those friends and relatives who are guilty of not following the "regifting" protocols. "The Art of Regifting" would also make a valuable engagement present. Used correctly, a bride and groom could save money on presents for years.

We've all regifted at one time or another - this book is a great source for regifting do's and don'ts. Easy to read - great fun! Christmas is right around the corner - make sure you get this book before you attempt another regift!

You've done it, we all have, so why not make an art of your regifting? A fun and fast read, there's some great tips, told in an ABC's style layout. The cover art alone is worth price of admission (the lion is so cute) and the horror stories are a hoot. I know this book will do well as a stocking stuffer of the highest order. After you buy it, I explain, "you have my permission to regift it, but you may not want to." A DEFINITE YES, ANY TIME OF YEAR--and it so funny, even I own one, and I won't be regifting it.

This is an outstanding intellectual study of REH. Be sure to read as many of REH's stories as you can prior because this book takes excerpts of them to analyze. First read The Dark Barbarian 1984 by Don Herron. I couldn't put these books down! Both highly recommended!!

This book covers REH's thoughts on Darwin, Freud-The Id-Ego-Super Ego, and more. It really gets you thinking. When two young children fight they scratch and claw which is innate behavior and not learned such as boxing.

Visit your local Barnes & Noble bookstore - friendly customer service - and you can place your order for this book. Takes only a few days and it's free shipping.

Must Reads: Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of REH by Mark Finn, The Last of the Trunk by Paul Herman, One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Price - REH's girlfriend, Selected Letters of REH, The Beast From The Abyss about CATS, The Black Stranger & Other American Tales which has the scariest story called Pigeons From Hell, Dark Horse comics Pigeons From Hell & Conan, Two-Gun Bob; A Centenial Study of REH, Solomon Kane, Kull, Cormac Mac Art, Lord of Samarcand, All Weird Tales, Savage Sword of Conan 1970's B&W magazine by Roy Thomas & John Buscema, etc.

We all owe huge gratitude to Don Herron, Glen Lord, Mark Finn, Paul Herman, Rob Roehm, Novalyne Price, Roy Thomas, Dark Horse comics, John Buscema, and everyone that has kept REH's legacy alive. Thank you very much.

An excellent follow-up to Don Herron's "The Dark Barbarian". If you want to find a guide to understanding the power and depth of Robert E. Howard's writings, look no further. All of the essays are so good, I won't waste my time trying to narrow down stand-outs. Each essayist achieves his individual goal of casting light on a certain aspect of REH's literary output. Enjoy.

The Barbaric Triumph examines important aspects of the life and work of Robert E. Howard -- the originator of the Sword-&-Sorcery fantasy genre and the creator of Conan the Barbarian. Featured are essays by Leo Grin, Edward A. Waterman, Charles Hoffman, Paul Spencer, Mark Finn, Steven R. Trout, Lauric Guillaud, Scott Connors, George Knight, Don Herron, and more. From the phantoms of Hate simmering beneath Howard's blood-drenched prose to Howard's lifelong interest in philosophy, from Howard's visionary use of the American Frontier Myth to his tales of boxing, The Barbaric Triumph builds on the pioneering research of Herron's previous book on Howard, The Dark Barbarian, and takes it to new levels.

The book features 11 essays including the prophetic 1943 fan article "A Voice from the Past" by Paul Spencer; a reprint of one of the first essays that unveiled the profound thought that is found in Howard's work, "Conan the Existential" by Charles Hoffman; an excellent article on Howard's love of boxing and its manifestation within his work in "Fists of Robert E. Howard" by Mark Finn; "The Shadow of a Soul on Fire" is a wide ranging examination of Howard's philosophy and trend of thought stemming from the Romantic Age by Edward A. Waterman; "Heritage of Steel" by Steven R. Trout on Howard's use of the frontier myth; the insightful "Barbarism and Decadence" by renowned French scholar Lauric Guillaud; "Twilight of the Gods" by Scott Connors on Howard and fascism; a cosmic exploration of "Gigantic Gulfs of Time" in Howard's Conan and Kull stories by Steven Tompkins; "Lands of Darkness and Nightmares" by George Knight; "The Reign of Blood" by Leo Grin on Howard's use of hate in his work; and culminating with a survey of the current state of affairs in the Howard literary field, "The Barbaric Triumph" by Don Herron.

"THE BARBARIC TRIUMPH" is an achievement, arguably the most significant contribution to Howard studies to date." -- Charles Hoffman

This book is just great, it tells you everything you would ever want to know about the USMC, in just 1 book. This book tells you how the Marines fought, why they fought, how the fought, and where they fought. Its just a great book period.

This book is great. It doesn't have much technical info, but it more than makes up for that in the depth of the combat history of the Corps. Notice this book describes combat history, so you won't find a description of recruit training or anything, but you will find information on every Marine Corps combat action from when the first Marines fought(unnoticed by most)in the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War and beyond. Don't think this is just a general history book, because there are plenty of specific battles and actions described in good detail in this book. World War II is described more than any other conflicts, but otherwise all conflicts are described relatively equally.

Colonel Joseph H. Alexander has brought forth an outstanding book on "The Battle History of the United States Marine Corps". His skill in writing is further enhanced by his selection of photos, maps, and sketches, and the inclusion of sidebar stories gives the reader more "meat and potatoes" in regards to the men and machines of war.

Col. Alexander's manner of writing and attention to detail brings you up close and personal without over-glorifying battle. The narratives as well as true-life events are quite captivating, and will hold your interest from beginning to end. It's refreshing to note that the book does not bog down in trivial detail, but keeps moving right along taking the reader from one account to the next.

Upon finishing I would recommend getting a copy of "A Fellowship of Valor" on VHS tape, to accompany the book. Both are extremely well done and give you the very essence of the USMC.

This one book says it all when it comes the United States Marine Corps!