Controls Books

I purchased my own copy of this book after the friend who lent me hers wanted her copy back. I use this book, not because I'm trying to get pregnant (or avoid getting pregnant, for that matter), but because it's important to me that I really get to know my own body, how it works and what its processes are and what it's doing from day to day.

I can't vouch for the effectiveness in achieving or preventing conception, but if you as a woman are interested in getting in touch with your body and the amazing functions it performs throughout your cycle, then I would definitely recommend this book for you.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I have been charting my cycles since the fall of 2005 with this book. We at first used it to avoid pregnancy and then used it to get pregnant. We are currently using it to avoid once again. I feel so much better about my body and am in tune with it that I don't need to chart to know when I will ovulate, get my period, or if something isn't right. You can definitely use this as birth control as long as you follow all of the rules. Or if you break them use a back up method. The book is easy to read and understand. There is also a website for charting questions/help. You can also keep your charts on your computer.

My husband and I are planning to get pregnant in the next few months. I have always thought when I wanted to get pregnant I would simply go off the pill, begin ovulating two-weeks later, have intercourse, and voila! This book made me realize I might have spent months or years trying to conceive with that plan or I may have incorrectly believed I was infertile. If your goal is to get pregnant as soon as you start trying, READ THIS BOOK!

Great book, I have never had fertility problems, but I did buy and read this before conceiving my second child and we conceived the first time we tried. I am now very aware of my cycle and when I am ovulating.

You don't need to be planning to get pregnant to read this. I wish I had read this in my 20's, but was so happy that I did a few months before I started trying. This method can be used for birth control and just to understand your body better. You will be happy to have this information for so many reasons and so happy that you starting thinking about your body (not just your fertility). I would recommend it to anyone 18+, and wish there was a version for younger women with all the meaningful information about your body and cycle.

great book regarding the history of cryptography. The only way to truly understand anything is c the history of it's introduction

For a book on cryptology from a historical perspective it's really hard to believe it would be as entertaining as Singh makes it. Using his skill as an author he weaves history, technology, and methods of encryption together to explain topics that normally would leave many of us in the blind.

The most interesting thing about the whole book is that as you begin to read up on forms of encryption and decryption you begin to absorb yourself into the whole culture. One chapter describes the Beale Ciphers, a set of ciphers that gained popularity especially in the early 1900s and still are significant today linking to a fabulous treasure and yet still remaining unbroken. I remember spending the day after reading up on it thinking of ways I'd try to break the cipher. Not many books fill your mind with such rich images and excitement as this book seems to.

Generally, the book is wonderful and has enough to keep you hooked until the very end despite its historical nature.

Simon Singh does a very clever thing. He takes comlex topics and makes them understandable without dumming down the science or math.

If you have never read a Simon Singh book, it's time to begin now! While most Singh books can seem a bit boring when you read the synopsis (can a book about codes really be interesting??), this is not the case. He has a wonderfull way of explaining complicated things in an understandable way. I will also highly recommend "Fermat's enigma" and "Big bang".

As a mathematician in the early 1970s, I saw many advertisements recruiting mathematicians for the CIA. I knew that it had to do with cryptography and number theory but it was all very mysterious and since I never got a job with them I didn't see precisely how the disciplines fit together. As Singh describes the discover of the RSA coding system it all becomes very clear.
The story he tells is particularly interesting because it starts with the ancient Romans and the decoding of the conspiracy messages of Mary Queen of Scots in Elizabethian England.

Singh also wrote an very interesting account in layman's terms of the discoveries that led to the proof of Fermat's last theorem. That skill is also demonstrated in this book where the key concepts of cryptgraphy are discussed as they were developed through history. The uses of cryptography in World War I and World War II are brought out. We learn of the men in England at Bletchley Park who were able to decypher the German Enigma Machine and play a major role in the latter success of the allies. The gain of information from the U boats enabled the Americans to transport supplies and soldiers to Europe to fight the war. The U boats were very successful at destroying American ships prior to the breaking of the code.

It is interesting that after the war the academic community in the United States solved the problem of key passing for computer networks and developed the RSA code. These discovery were developed earlier and independently in England at their secret agency the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) based on the unheralded ideas of James Ellis. Their work was kept secret until the late 1990s when their achievements were finally brought to light.

The book also discusses the archaeological work on the Rosetta Stone and Linear B. This work uncovered the meaning of the hieroglyphics and showed that the Minoans language was a form of Greek. The techniques were very much akin to deciphering code.

Also of interest is the Navajo code talkers who used their language as an unbreakable code during the war in the Pacific in World War II.

Recent developments and conjectures about future breakthroughs are discussed in the last few chapters. The book provides very useful information about other books and interesting web sites including one that allows you to download Zimmerman's Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) which provides RSA level security.

I bought this book as an additional material to study for the CISA exam. However it didn't help me with the exam at all. Furthermore, in an attempt to cover many things, it did not cover anything in detail. This book is just an endless recollection of bullet points. On top of that, it misses very sensitive topics like disaster recovery planning.

Audit is not the most exciting topic in the world, but this no fluff book really sets the standard. The care the authors took is obvious from the start, the table of contents is one of the most detailed I have ever seen, it allows the book to be used as a reference.

My favorite chapter was Quality Management, best job of making quality approachable I have seen to date. My least favorite was Project Management, it seemed to lack the application and lean to theory a bit.

I am not an auditor, but as an auditee, this book really helped me understand how they think. Recommended!

Not having much experience in the IT audit field, this book was a great resource and was easy to understand.

This book has some material relevant to the CISA examination based on the 2003 content areas, although it is not organized or focused as a CISA examination guide. If you are looking for CISA review material for the test, I would strongly suggest to stick with ISACA's combination of review manual and questions CD. I also searched everywhere for study aids for this grueling test and ended up using ISACA's expensive material, but it proved to be the best choice as I passed the Dec 2006 test.

However, as owner of a copy of this book, I assure you that this is an excellent reference of IT management, planning, implementation, risk assessment and control procedures for anyone in the IT business. Most of the material is still relevant as of 2007.

This is a huge book but spends no more then 1 page on any topic. In my opinion the authors only have financial audit experience and little understanding of IT controls. This book shows the failure of the 'integrated auditor' as the authors are tyring to be IT auditors with little IT experience. They touch on some very good points in a few instances and, in general, the book is decent. The authors do not know much outside of the CISA, IIA and financial based certifications as they seem to think that the ISSA (Information Systems Security Assoc.) is sponsored by ISC2/CISSP's (it is not). Overall, I have not been impressed with this book.

This an amazing look into the reality of emotional abuse. As a therapist I have been recommending this book to my clients. Watch out for an eye opening read!

This Book is great on its own. The transaction was easy and the book came as described.

I felt this book provided an eyeopening perspective on how we are manipulated by others and in fact may manipulate others. I think it helped me to gain perspective and move forward as I have emerged from an abusive marrige.

This is the best money I ever spent! Easy to read, hits home for many and has changed my life for the better. Others that I recommended it to have also benefited. If you need to work on issues......this is the place to start.

A good quick read. Gives information on how to get your power back by using language skills. It works. You really catch the blackmailer off guard when you change your speech pattern.

I read this book last semester for a Criminal Justice class and it is amazing. It opened my eyes to exactly how wrong the war on drugs is. This book is my #1 recommended book. If more people would read it I think we'd finally be able to find our way out of this fruitless war.

Q: What is the difference between the Prohibition and America's war on drugs? Mike Gray's overall answer is "very little," but the one glaring difference is that when Prohibition failed, the country repealed the Constitutional Amendment which had created it. Alcohol use remained at about the same level before, during and after the Prohibition years, but the murder, official corruption and gang battles that accompanied official proscription came and went. DRUG CRAZY analyzes the upshot of that distinction and its enormous worldwide effects. The U.S. led anti-drug effort has cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in enforcement efforts alone, not to mention the cost of prisons, imprisonment and court proceedings and has succeeded in creating an international drug consortium with an annual income higher than the U.S. defense budget. Thousands of innocent bystanders have died in sprays of automatic fire and bomb blasts. It has made pot easier to get than alcohol for most American teens and brought Colombian, Bolivian and Mexican democracy to the brink of collapse. Damningly, Gray reports that every refereed study since the 1890s has suggested that marijuana is harmless and that the opiates and cocaine are no more dangerous than alcohol (perhaps less). Even the infamous "crack babies" we heard about for a few years turned out to be an unsubstantiated myth. In every country where legalization and controlled prescriptive availability of harder drugs has been tried, addiction rates remained stable or fell, crime decreased and most addicts proceeded to live normal workaday lives. The U.S. has forced other countries to quit such programs through fiscal pressure and outright lies, insisting that all adopt our abolitionist stance. We have managed to export violence, crack cocaine, corruption and other benefits to numerous other nations along with our failed policy. At the same time, and to make matters worse, the nature of enforcement has become a defacto racist effort. Cocaine in Wall Street boardrooms is harder to see than crack runners on Main Street and while whites are the disproportionate users of illegal drugs, blacks are the disproportionate arrestees. In this country, one in four black males is either in prison, under probation or on parole, mostly as a result of drug or drug related crimes. Small wonder, as the author points out, that blacks think O.J. Simpson was framed: it is their daily experience. Police routinely lie in court to make drug charges stick. (Since private deals between consenting parties are very hard to actually witness, when police claim that a perpetrator dropped a bag or in some other way made evidence visible it is understood by judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and defendants that it is "acceptable" false testimony to cover an illegal search. So perjury is permitted in the name of enforcement.) Amazingly, the whole morass of current drug problems and policies could be eliminated with the stroke of a pen. Minus prohibition the drug cartels would be defunded. If prices fell, many farmers would find other crops more appealing. If currently illegal substances were distributed by prescription or through state-licensed stores, kids would be infrequently exposed. (How many pushers are selling beer in front of your local elementary school these days?) Mike Gray has brought his story telling skill (The China Syndrome and other screenplays) and his investigative/documentary bent (American Revolution and The Murder of Fred Hampton) to bear on an urgent national and international problem. His recommendations and observations are difficult to refute and his is a well considered voice in a growing debate which affects us all. Even now, the genie released when California and Arizona approved medical marijuana use is being clumsily stuffed back in the bottle by Federal mandate, disenfranchising voters and creating a rising uproar. As former U.S. Attorney General Elliott Richardson observes: "Anyone who thinks the war on drugs is succeeding should read this book. It shifts the burden of proof from the critics of existing policy to its defenders."

This is one of the best books I've read on the drug war to date (and I've read a bunch). The book carefully went through the origins, history, and effects of the drug war in a captivating and easy to follow manner. When finished, the reader will be left with an iron-clad indictment of the drug war which has covered all angles. This really is one of the most comprehensive and well written books on the drug war, and I highly recommend it.

When it became clear that the medicines called opiates were highly addictive and caused health problems, they were dealt with as nicotine and alcohol are dealt with today. There were honest and realistic public service messages warning of the dangers of opiates, and there was medical help that greatly limited the damage they did to the individual and which had a chance of eliminating his or her addiction. These methods worked, and where they are applied they work today. Then in the second decade of the twentieth century the country took a nose-dive into authoritarian attitudes and corruption, and people got the strange idea that you could eliminate a practice you didn't like simply by passing a law against it. Alcohol, and the opiates were completely banned, as was marijuana which was now designated a "drug" because of its association with minority groups. Alcohol use, which had always hovered between widespread and universal, had been declining but now became more common than ever before. Worse, the alcoholic drinks that were taken became much harder and not being regulated they might contain enough alcohol to be dangerous. Worse still, an untold number of criminals were created, crime of all kinds increased radically, organized crime came to control whole districts and corruption reached heights never seen before. "Public service messages" regarding what were now illegal "drugs" became simple expressions of hatred having very little to do with the "drugs" they were about, and everyone actually familiar with those "drugs" knew it. Medical treatment by doctors who were actually trying to help their paitents was declared illegal, and a number of doctors went to prison. The lives of opiate addicts had usually been no worse than the lives of nicotine addicts, but now those lives became impossible. Addicts could no longer hold jobs raise children or do anything else but concentrate on their addiction. Current "rehabilitation" for opiate addicts is an expression of hatred for those addicts and makes no attempt to help them. It mostly consists of telling them they are evil it they don't break their habits, and for those addicted to opiates or nicotine, breaking the habit altogether is usually not possible. Opiate use had always been an insignificant phenomenon nationwide, and in the early part of the century when it was being dealt with intelligently, it was declining. But then the hate laws were passed, and now a measurable percentage of the population is addicted and condemed to ruined, useless lives, organized crime is more powerful now than at any time in history, and whole countries like Columbia are completely dominated by corruption-- as are large sections of others like the United States and Mexico. None of this needed to happen. The things we call "drugs" were handled intelligently at the beginning of the twentieth century or were never a problem in the first place. If realistic laws were passed, the worst of the damage would be fixed very quickly since it is directly caused by bad laws. The rest of the damage would take a decade to undo, but if we begin treating the opiates as we treat nicotine and alcohol we will gradually undo it.
I think that is a pretty good thumbnail of what Mike Grey had to say, and he is completely right. Everyone in the country should read this book. Our real addiction is to hatred.

Author Mike Gray tackles the failed drug war in this book and effectively shows how the present war has many similarities to alcohol prohibition in early part of the twentieth century. Gray begins his discussion of the subject of drugs by taking the reader back to 1925, in the city of Chicago, during the height of the nightmare of prohibition. Gangs ruled the streets. The air was filled with the smell of cheap booze and the sound of gunfire. Police were defenseless to the total chaos going on all around them. They simply could not stop the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. There was too much money to be made by selling this "forbidden fruit". There was no possible way that this "war" on alcohol could ever be won.

Does this sound familiar? It should, because the same thing is going on right now. The government's failed attempt to eliminate alcohol is now being attempted a second time with the war on drugs. These laws are discussed in the book with a history lesson on the various court rulings and congressional decisions that led to the present prohibitions on drugs. These laws have some of their roots in the U.S. Congress. According to the book, marijuana itself became illegal as the result of a lie told to congress by Fred Vinson, a man who would later become the U.S. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Vinson was sitting in a congressional hearing one day, just before congress was about to vote on whether or not marijuana should be made illegal. The American Medical Association knew of the benefits of marijuana in medical treatments, and was strongly against such a law. But when Vinson was questioned by congress, he lied and said that the AMA backed the proposed law 100 percent to make marijuana illegal. This was enough to help push the law through congress. Vinson's lie, coupled with the onslaught of government propaganda against marijuana, marked the beginning of America's second nightmare with prohibition.

The lying and deception by government cooled off a bit during the 1940 to 1960 period. But then, the lying and deception continued when President Nixon decided to revive the anti- drug crusade, in part to cover- up his own problems with Vietnam and Watergate. George Bush then escalated the damage even more by scaring the public into backing his anti- drug package and his "get tough" policies against drug dealers and drug users. Gray talks about these and other political maneuvers; why they happened and the true motives behind these so- called "moral" crusaders.

The present- day situation looks pretty bleak. Gray points out that the United States is now the largest jailer in the world with roughly half of all prisoners being non- violent drug offenders. We have also corrupted our police officers, with many of them actively taking part in the drug trade; cutting special deals, accepting bribes, etc, because of the allure of easy money. Respect for law enforcement is low, and violent criminals have been allowed early release to make way for non- violent drug offenders, thanks to mandatory minimum sentences.

This book is an easily manageable length: about 198 pages and fairly easy to read. There are a total of eleven chapters and two appendices. Appendix "A" details the changes in the U.S. murder rate, showing how it peaked during alcohol prohibition and during the present- day drug prohibition. It also shows graphs depicting the U.S. prison population and the Federal Drug budget. And to give the book some balance, Appendix "B" contains a listing of activist organizations, both pro- drug war and anti- drug war, along with a brief description of each and their respective websites.

As Mike Gray points out, the War on Drugs is one of America's greatest failures. Gray never specifically condemns the war. He wrote this book as a means to educate the reader on the motives behind drug prohibition and the reasons that politicians continue to fight a losing battle when they know that the war is not winnable. Gray never resorts to name calling or any form of moral persuasion. He really doesn't need to. He lets the facts speak for themselves, illustrating the endless problems created by a war of prohibition and why it is so important to stop this insanity once and for all.

This book presents a great overall picture of what you need to do in sales. Told in anecdotal format, with references to popular movies, it clearly points out the attitude and steps you need to take to succeed in sales.

Mastering sales is tremendously hard work-equal or greater than in any profession. The prestige may or may not be there (unless you are counting money), but it is a trade off type of thing- lots of rejection but limited politics on the job, variations in income but no income ceiling. The author refreshes a sale person's memories of all that's good in the profession, while giving specific tips on organization and taking steps to reach your goals.

- A must for every beginner in sales~

I read books, participate in webinars and am constantly looking for "gems" that will provide new insights and/or remind me of the right things to do in the sales process.

This book cut through all the BS (pardon my French), and provided concrete steps in the sales process to enhance and expedite the sale of profitable business.

I would highly recommend this to anyone in sales ... no matter what your level of expertise or tenure.

This book gave me some insights into a few ways to think differently about sales. As a recent "Accidental Salesperson," I found this book to be truly insightful and very relevant for people willing to think a bit about how these ideas may or may not apply to their line of work.

It's an easy read, filled with pop culture references for easy application, and several interesting gimmicks and tactics about how to improve your sales process, but more importantly it's about truth in sales making it easier to sell a worthwhile product. It's about being a consultant, rather than a salesperson. The charts and scripts are certianly helpful and articulate, but you have to go beyond that in order to really make it work. It has started a continuing conversation with my colleagues and friends who found themselves in sales "accidentally," and that's all I can ask for in a book.

Anyone who claims there is a one-stop shop (or book) to the secret of success in sales, is also likely to think that there's a magic diet pill to solve our problems of obesity in America. For the rest of us, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Bernie.

I read this book and can attest that this book is NOT what it seems to be. The reviews claim this to be the best sales book of all time, but these reviews lack capacity in what is acutally contianed in this book.

The book shows you gimmicks and silly methods used for prospecting. The real world deals with professionals. I am a stock broker and would not want to be associated with these type of methods or have them by any means reflect my line of business.

I would recommend two books: 1. "How to Master the Art of Selling" by Tom Hopkins 2. "Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere" by Brian Tracy. These are real books with so much information to be absorbed under one read.

I won't lie to you and tell you that one single book outhere is the best. But these two books combined is the best sales modus you will develop.

This work is intented for those who, as the author (or as me), have been launched towards a profession that could earn your own money but could stress your nervous system. This guide helps you to focus on the right directive without being distracted by jaws-men or uneducated-chieves.
Really dealed just to understand how to move in this sea of difficulties

Great book...good quality...arrived in record time. I will highly recommend ordering this book for a Christmas present for any age.

This story will rank among my all time favorite Christmas stories! It is heartwarming and humorous, and conveys the true spirit of Christmas!

This book is a GREAT human interest story that uses a man's skill-carving, with a family need for a nativity. In the process of carving the characters and the friendliness of a woman and her son, Jonathan changes from a bitter, lonely man to a believer.

Each year I buy myself a new Christmas book, looking for something unique..Just ran up on this book at a company book sale and stood in awe as I read the story. I knew this was "the one" for this year. Not only is the story heartwarming but the illustrations are perfect. My children are grown as well as my granddaughters and I plan to buy copies for all of them.

A friend and I are often comparing notes on wonderful new and old books and stories for children (and adults), especially at Christmastime. When I saw this book, I knew it would fill the bill as a perfect gift to her to add to her wonderful collection of children's books. I was right--she loved it. I'd never heard of this story before, but, in my opinion, it should be much better known and read. It's so sweet. I'm certainly sharing it. It's perfect for reading aloud. Again, a real good experience with you folks.

I ordered both of the George Stella cookbooks and am pleased with the selection of recipes and narrative of his story with the low carb lifestyle. I would recommend the purchase.

I am new to low-carb diets and Have lost 100 lbs in 5 months. I am approaching my goal and need recipes so I can maintain my weight loss. These recipes are easy.

I am not a cook. I don't know how to throw a meal together for a family, since I am single. But this is a great book for people who are tired of eating the same old thing with the Atkins diet. The recipes are easy and with practice can add flair to your cooking. I particularly like the sections that teach you how to make sauces and spice mixtures

I have been eating low carb for seven years. As a fibromyalgic with diabetes, I was a very sick woman seven years ago. A low carb diet and the treatment I'm using for fibromyalgia (Dr. Paul St. Amand's guaifenesin protocol as outlined in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia)have together saved the quality of my life. It's hard to find good low carb cookbooks with recipes that are easy to prepare and easy to find ingredients. Both George Stella's cookbooks are right on the mark. I highly recommend them. Many of his recipes have become favorites for both me and my guests. I love to feed people, and no one leaves my table feeling deprived.

This book had raving reviews so I bought it as a gift for my sister who is pregnant and has gestational diabetes. To avoid taking insulin she's had to go low-carb but it's getting monotinous. Hence, the loving sister ordered her a cookbook because she loves to cook. After I received it and looked through it I was surprised at the number of recipes that called for "Sugar substitute - recommended: Splenda." Yikes! THE SUGAR SUBSTITUTE/SPLENDA RECIPES ARE MOSTLY IN THE DESSERT SECTION. Splenda is an artificial chemical sweetner which contains chlorine (a carcinogen) and a host of other chemicals. Although it has been approved by the FDA as safe (in short term studies only.) After reading George's response to my comments I think there are less recipes than I though calling for a sugar substitute (about 20%) and if he's right (which he should be) they are mostly in the dessert section. So this low-carb cookbook is mostly good for prego's if you ignore the dessert section. Just know in advance what you're getting!

All Americans,especially Congressmen ,must read this book and we will understand the wisdom of the drafters of our U.S. Constitution and why WE MUST MAINTAIN IT TO DEFEND OUR NATION, ESPECIALY IN THIS AGE OF TERRORISM!!!!

BEFORE WE KNOW IT, IT COULD BE TOO LATE.
MR CHARLES SMITH
NEW BRAUNFELS,TX 78130

Excellent book. We are given true stories of individuals that escaped being seriously hurt or killed by criminals because they were armed. This book gives us information which the liberal press refuses to give. If the majority of people had this information, we would probably see more folks buying a firearm and learning to use it.

America Fights Back is just a collection of news stories and newspaper articles organized into various chapters. I was not impressed.

Most reports in the book are from 2000 to the middle of 2007. Some are a little older as the one where Kip was subdued by 4 unarmed students.One of the reports was from my area, I remember when it happened. The message is you do not have to sit and wait to be killed when you are in a gun free zone.

This is an amazing book about those who have survived and won the worst of fights. Also, It informs us of the need for media to report the truth. If you have ever had reservations about firearms or believed they are something evil this book should open your eyes about the redeeming qualities of firearm use by law abiding people. When a threat so great as that by the media and anti-gun groups is at a constant, this book alone should convince anyone why they should be armed and armed at all times. This is an amazing piece of work that has been long overdue. This should be a must read for all people who are concerned with there personal safety and what they need to do to secure it! If any one book slams gun control into it's place, this book is it!

I have been riding and training horses for over 40 years. I have read books by all the top modern trainers and many from the past. Clinton Anderson is the best of all the trainers and the best teacher of trainers. Anderson's explanations of training and horsemanship are clear and without the pyscho-babble or mystical feel non-sense that so many trainers pass off as horsemanship. If you're looking to study horsemanship at it's best you cannot do better than Clinton Anderson.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it very helpful. I especially liked reading what the two women thought of the exercises and how it worked for them and their horses. My horse has been "experimented" on with some of these exercises and I found it has improved her. She also seemed to enjoy the change of training direction.

i have two horses, and they both have their moments. but after reading this book, and applying what clinton talks about, i have seen a noticable improvement in both of my horses. and the two ladies used in this book were very helpful with the input they had at the end of every excercise. it seems that each of thier horses have some of the same issues that i have with mine. i would definatley reccomend this book to anyone who has horses whether you are experienced or not, i believe everyone could bebefit from clinton's expertise.

This is an excellent step by step training aid for people in any horse related discipline. If you take the time and commit to the exercises, you will see the pay off increase each week.

I found that I could not put this book down and read it cover to cover ..twice so far! And then I lent it to a friend and she read it in one nite. We both like Clintons approach and look foreward to spring to use on our horses. Very informative and useful book and I really liked the comparison of the two riders and their specific problems. I only wish the book was in a smaller format with a ring binder to bring out in the barn with me when I ride.