United States Books

The book provides an inside view of Star Gate, the government's secret program of remote viewing. By the time Paul Smith wrote this book, most of the information he needed had been declassified, and the program allegedly shut down, if you believe that.

The book describes the structure of how they remote viewed a target, from the fundamental to specific gestalt, and how this could be taught to anyone, since everyone has this ability.

I'd consider this one of the better books I've read on Star Gate and remote viewing in general.

This book is a great reference and historical record of the emergence and use of remote viewing from inside the military machine. A great addition to all serious remote viewing researchers library, its well written and one of those hard to put down books. There are a few good books on remote viewing and this is so far the best in trying to create a historical overview of RV and address many of the inaccuracies of the previous historical overview book (The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies).

This is also a great reference tool for anyone trying to fathom the 89,000 pages of CIA remote viewing documents released through the Freedom of Information act.

Paul Smith has produced a wonderful book here. It captures so much detailed information that it should make a wonderful documentary source. Yet, it is written so clearly that for those who have read other books on the subject (like me) it is very easy to skim to the parts that contain new information, insights, and details (and there's a whole lot of ALL of those throughout this book!) This book is a must for anyone who wants a more complete picture of the subject matter, as well as a feeling of greater familiarity with the fascinating and enjoyable personalities of the players involved.

I'd suggest Paul Smith's book to students of self discovery and military historians alike. Reading the Enemies Mind provides a concise and engaging history of our nation's remote viewing program. Those seeking to further advance their potential will discover many advanced concepts that have yet to reach mainstream society.

What I most enjoyed about this book was the author's optomistic view of the future of remote viewing. The abilities to tap this newly discovered area of human potential have yet to be fully explored. This newly discovered science holds great promise and may someday lead to a cure for disease, advanced education and furthering our intelligence and understanding. Perhaps someday our political and military leaders will use this potential to advance our civilization rather than simply using remote viewing as a military intelligence gathering tool.

While various forms of remote viewing have existed since the dawn of civilization, Paul Smith carefully documents the proven effectiveness and scientific reality that refutes serious critics and encourages those with a limited understanding. I'd recommend this book to anyone seeking a more advanced understanding of their human potential.

Reading the Enemy's Mind is a fascinating history of the Star Gate program. I've read accounts of a couple of other former Star Gate participants and they are either sensational and fictionalized (David Morehouse) or short on history (Dale Graff). Paul Smith's account is comprehensive and doesn't make wild claims. His tome is a level-headed treatment of the program. He's very upfront that for every success there are many failures.

Some of my favorite successful remote-viewing stories from Reading the Enemy's Mind include viewing Aldrich Ames - the CIA traitor, the USS Stark attack, and the capture of rogue DEA agent Charles Frank Jordan.

In 1987 Star Gate was tasked with finding the mole in US intelligence. CIA sources in the Soviet Union were disappearing or being executed and people wanted to know who was giving them away. Star Gate came up with a composite of the traitor. Among the details was that he drove a gray European car and was involved with a Columbian woman. While many of the other details were off, Smith wonders what might have happened had the Star Gate information been used:

"The fact of the car alone might have significantly narrowed the field of possible suspects in the CIA. How many CIA employees owned grey European luxury cars in 1987? Certainly some, but percentage-wise not that many. And how many CIA employees had a significant relationship with a Latin American woman, especially a Columbian?" (p. 340)

Smith remote viewed the "accidental" Iraqi missile attack on the US destroyer Stark 50 hours before it occurred. He described the colors of the attacking military ("tan uniforms with black belts and bits of red and green."), the unprofessional nature of the attackers ("they reminded me of a militia as opposed to a professional military"), and the explosion itself ("The structure/vessel shivers, shakes, quivers. 'There were a 'clang,' a 'screech,' and a 'metallic squeal...'").

A final story I'll share is that of the rogue DEA agent, Charles Frank Jordan. This agent had turned bad and escaped custody. The DEA was convinced he was in the Caribbean. A remote viewer thought he was in Wyoming. "This information was so out of line with where Jordan was thought to be, that at first the authorities were inclined to ignore it. Finally, one agent decided that it would do no harm to alert police in that part of Wyoming.(p. 384)" Jordan was apprehended shortly after that - in Wyoming!

I highly recommend Reading the Enemy's Mind.

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright was first published in 1941, and though it was written many years ago, is as delightful now as it was then. It's a story about a family who loves each other, works hard and strives to do the right thing. How refreshing!

Mona (13), Rush (12), Miranda (10 ½), who is known as Randy, and Oliver (6) live in New Your City in a brownstone that is rather shabby, but has many floors and fits their lifestyle perfectly. The Melendy children's mother died, but their father and Cuffy, the beloved housekeeper, provide the love, attention and care the children need.

Each of the children has dreams and desires for their futures. Their interests are varied and they each are independent and inquisitive about life and their surroundings.

But while the Melendy children find life generally interesting, Saturdays can sometimes be just plain boring. The children form a club they call the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). All of the children agree to pool their allowances and each child takes a Saturday with all the money to do something by themselves that they really want to do.

The Saturdays are exciting, not just because of the activities they choose, but because of the people they meet and the stories they hear. Well, Oliver does make one Saturday particularly memorable, but you'll have to read the book to learn about his adventure.

In the day of the novels that glamorize the worst society has to offer, The Saturdays is delightfully refreshing.

Armchair Interviews says: Read the series and enjoy!

This book is different in a good way. It is about 4 children who decide to put there allowences to a good use. Every Saturday the add up there allowence and one of the children gets to do any thing that they will always remember.
By,
Girl With A Plan

I had doubts for this book because it didn't sound very interesting but my Mom wanted me to read it so I did-I loved it. It's original and imaginative and above all easy to read for hours without getting bored. It's original and fun like the story of Mrs. Olifount being kidnapped by jypsies, or Isaac the dog saving the family from suffocating. It's a wonderful book I can't wait to read the sequils.

When I was nine years old I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Enright's "The Melendy Family" on sale for 25 cents at my school Christmas fair, donated by some eighth-grader who evidently felt she had "outgrown" it. I wonder, does anybody ever outgrow the Melendys? "The Melendy Family" was a three-in-one volume comprising "The Saturdays", "The Four Story Mistake", and "Then There were Five". Alas, "The Melendy Family" is no longer in print, but fifty years later, I still have my copy, read to shreds, patched and repatched with scotch tape, a book to be treasured forever and never thrown away. Fortunately, the books making up "The Melendy Family" have been reissued as individual volumes available to enchant yet another generation of young readers.

"The Saturdays", the first volume in the series, introduces us to the four Melendy children: Mona, age 13, Rush, age 12, Randy, who is ten-and-a-half, and Oliver, age 6. Each is given a distinct personality and Enright modeled them on children she had known in her own life, her own children or childhood friends. The result is four fictional characters so totally believable that for years after the books were published, Enright continued to get letters from readers wondering if the Melendys were "real".

The Melendy children's mother is deceased, but they are raised by a devoted, caring father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, who stands in as nurse, cook, substitute mother, grandmother, and aunt, and generally rules the roost. The children are funny, refreshing and unspoiled. Mona has aspirations of being a famous actress and already at thirteen can recite "yards and yards of Shakespeare at the drop of a hat." Rush is the next to the oldest, a musical prodigy with a penchant for getting into and out of trouble. Randy at ten-and-a-half (the half is very important at that age) is an endearing mixture of grace and klutziness, a talented dancer and artist who keeps falling over her own feet when it comes to manual labor. And six-year-old Oliver is the baby of the family, placid and calm, very much his own person, as his story shows.

The story opens on a rainy Saturday which finds Randy and Rush monumentally bored with nothing to do. Randy wants to see a some French paintings. Rush wants to go to the opera. Mona wants to see a play. But in the early 1940s (the approximate time in which the story is set is revealed in the opening pages when Enright tells us that the long scars on the linoleum floor were made by Rush trying out a pair of ice skates on Christmas afternoon, 1939), fifty cents a week allowance was standard, and there wasn't a whole lot you could do with that. Randy has a brainstorm. Let's start a club, she says, and pool our allowances together each week so one of us can spend them on something we've always wanted to do. This idea is adopted enthusiastically by all the children (Oliver wants to contribute his ten cents, too), and thus the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (ISAAC) is born.

Each following chapter describes an adventure that takes place on each child's Saturday. Randy goes to see an exhibition of French paintings, runs into an old family acquaintance, Mrs. Oliphant, and is treated to tea at the Plaza while she hears a delightful story of the time Mrs. Oliphant was kidnapped by gypsies during her childhood.

Rush goes to the opera, walks home in a snowstorm, and finds a lost puppy that becomes the family's devoted friend and companion from that day on.

Mona, tired of her long braids, goes to a beauty parlor and treats herself to a haircut and a manicure. The resulting uproar by her father and Cuffy seems a trifle overdone, but as Father later admits, it's hard for parents to realize that their children are growing up.

And Oliver, keeping his own counsel, sneaks out of the house when his Saturday comes and goes to the circus all by himself. An even greater adventure occurs when he is given a ride back home by a mounted policeman on a horse, after he gets lost leaving Madison Square Garden.

After Oliver's adventure the kids decide to spend their Saturdays as a group, but that doesn't stop them from having mishaps such as Randy falling overboard from a boat in Central Park, the family almost suffocating from coal gas when Rush forgets to shut the furnace door, and the storeroom catching fire. It all comes to an exciting conclusion when Mrs. Oliphant invites the children to spend the summer in her lighthouse in Long Island.

"The Saturdays" takes us back to a simpler time and to adventures that probably couldn't happen today (no parent in his right mind would allow a ten year old to go to a museum alone in the New York City nowadays), but kids are still kids, and the Melendys seem so real they could be anyone we knew when we were children, or wish we had known. The time frame may help children understand what a dollar could purchase back then (a wash, set and manicure, or admission to a museum with change to spare). The whole series is a gem for every child and every generation. I still marvel at the priceless find I picked up off a bookshelf at random fifty years ago for only twenty-five cents. It's paid me back a zillion-fold ever since.

Judy Lind

I wanted to respond to the reviews below that thought it was either implausible or dated for children aged 10-13 to wander around New York by themselves. I grew up in New York (in Manhattan, across the park from the Melendys) in the late 1980s. I turned 13, just Mona's age, in 1990. I started walking home from school alone in fourth grade (when I was nine, a year younger than Randy). Like Mr. Melendy and Cuffy, my parents' major worry was that I was careful crossing the street. (Reasonably enough, they feared that drivers would not be able to see a small child.) Many of my friends from elementary school walked or took the bus to school alone at the same age. By twelve (Rush's age), I was allowed to take the subway to visit friends from junior high school, and they took the subway to visit me. By fourteen our teachers assumed that we were competent to find the Metropolitan Museum of Art on our own for projects. None of these people were neglectful, and none of them were "horrified" at the idea of pre-adolescents wandering around the city alone. This was in the supposed "bad old days" when crime was theoretically much higher than it is now, and none of us ever suffered any accident. (Although a group of friends and I got lost coming back from the theater in eighth grade, and were pretty embarrassed that we looked like tourists.)

Anyone familiar with the geography of New York City knows that the Melendy children stay within a fairly small geographic area in THE SATURDAYS, and that the areas where most of their adventures take place are some of the richest and safest in the city. Most sensible New York parents would allow their children to wander there on Saturday afternoons with no more concern than the appropriate ones that Mr. Melendy shows. (Be careful of traffic, don't talk to strangers, and don't get lost.)

Ironically, this ties in with the review that says that Enright did not take enough "risks" with the book, by having her characters get kidnapped by gypsies or run away from home. The fact is, she wrote a fairly realistic description of the childhood of the middle and upper-middle classes of New York City....kids who come into CONTACT with a relatively diverse group of people who have had a variety of experiences, but who actually live in a fairly safe, and sheltered world.

As a New York City kid, I was thrilled to read a book that reflected MY real life experience, as opposed to yet another story about kids who lived in houses with back yards and rode a school bus, and generally had no relationship to my real life. I still love THE SATURDAYS for its loving description of a New York that has in some ways remained startingly the same, even though parts of it have disappeared (no more two way traffic on Fifth Avenue, and no double decker buses!). As other reviews have said, The Saturdays is a charming, well-written book for kids, that can also be enjoyed by adults. It's also one of the few accurate and positive stories about growing up in a great city. I would recommend it for all ages.

A decade ago, what we ate wasn't on the radar of most people. The musings of a few hermits, a handful of anti-government critics and your garden variety assortment of conspiracy theorists and crazy people was all that one had when it came a debate on whats being done to our nation's food supply.

Thats why Seeds of Deception is such a welcome addition to my bookshelf. For the first time there is well-researched publication with sources cited and ducks in a row that provides the reader with a through, in-depth look into how today's scientific community is damaging our food supply with their manipulative practices designed to milk farmers - and the American public - for every last red cent possible.

Other countries do not have the problems with obesity, diabetes and other similar diseases that Americans do. While the media takes the approach that its just the way we are, some are not willing to accept that explanation as fact. Seeds of Deception goes a long way towards exploring the possibility that this is not just another evolutionary fact of life on our green and blue planet, but something a bit more down to earth, man made and much more sinister.

Quite simply a great book with life altering data.. The things you will learn in this book will be of great value for your entire life. I honestly believe this book should be a required reading for every citizen and taught in or classrooms.. While this will never happen due to the truthfulness of its content you should take this book and make it a part of your life.. I believe this book can save many lives with its simple message.. Buy it, read it, and be a better person for it..

I have known about GMO foods for a while, but I did not realize how far it has gone. This is a must read for every single American. Get in touch with your legislatures now and act on this. Every single school and library across the US must have this book. If you value your health and which I am sure most people do, we have to come together as a nation and WE have to stop GMO foods. The big pharma is taking control over all of us and it's all being done under our noses. GMO foods, mandating vaccines, how far are we as a nation going to let our freedom keep slipping. Read this book, save yourself, children, friends, and neighbors. I give it to people to barrow and everyone that has read it, the jaws are dropping.

Jeffrey Smith has done an excellent job in exposing the truth about genetically modified foods. Seeds of Deception is easily understandable, compelling and well documented. It's disheartening that the people in control of the food supply are so focused on their bottom line and don't seem to care about the long-term health and safety effects of introducing foreign genes into the food supply. Genetically engineered ingredients are already in foods on the grocery store shelves right now. If you care about your health, you need to read this book, avoid processed foods and buy organic.

The subtitle, "Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically
Engineered Foods You're Eating", is covered pretty well in this attack book. Some corporations
are greedy and unethical. It is easy to believe bad things about FDA. The CYA attitude
that bureaucracy fosters in bureaucrats, and the common pattern of industries coopting the
regulators, make the accusations against the FDA easy to believe, and even easy to expect.

What is not so easy to believe is the overall message of the book. All genetically modified
foods are bad for you. They are less nutritious than the natural alternative, and will harm
you in one or many ways such as allergies, cancer, nervous disorders, ulcers, reduced intelligence.
sexual problems, misformed children, or many more, and any evidence to the contrary is faked
by our corrupt government and the evil corporations in this vast biotech conspiracy.

There are interesting parallels between the beliefs in this book and the beliefs of creationism
or intelligent design, and also with the catastrophic anthropomorphic global warming alarmists.

There are extensive notes of sources and an index, so you can use this book to help you argue
against engineered foods, or to search for arguments against the claims in the book. The phrase
"precautionary principle" does not appear in the index, and I do not recall seeing it in the
text, but the idea is stated repeatedly: genetic engineering should not be done until it has
been proven safe for many generations. Essentially, nothing should ever be done for the first
time.

While most of attack is against genetically engineered foods in general, with the usual weasel
words such as "might", "could", "linked", and "Believed", there are also specific claims against
certain foods. There might be more such specific claims than recalls of organic foods after the
death of consumers, but I'm not sure of it.

The last chapter is a commercial for the book. You should buy lots of copies and give them to
everyone that is not aware of the evil plot. There is also information about how to avoid the
evil food. Unless you are already in the know, you are probably eating it now. That makes me
wonder where all the bodies are hid, and why life expectancy keeps going up.

Smith has another book out, same topic. I have not seen it yet. In response to it, there is a
claim that Smith claims he can fly (yoga, not airplane), and other hard to believe powers.
The attack on Smith seems like the attacks he accuses Montsano of, so I checked it. The Daily
Illini says the article describing his "powers" was published by them on page 4, Oct 28, 1996.
Smith's strange beliefs do not make his book wrong, but they might lead some to find him less
reliable than some others. I was almost at the 90% mark of the book when I encountered the slam.

The book reduced my confidence in bioengineering, reduced even further my confidence in government,
and left me still skeptical of attacks on bioengineering.

Lorraine Rhodes was a single teenage mother who shared parenting duties of little Ashley with her twin sister. They lived in a trailer and worked different shifts. Their home became the cool teen party hangout since there were no real adults around. Lorraine's maternal instincts were casual (when Ashley was a toddler, Lorraine strapped her into a car seat but not into the seatbelt; Ashley once fell out during a drive). Lorraine hooked up with an abusive boyfriend named Dusty, and was soon expecting. That baby died, but Lorraine became pregnant once more, delivering Ashley's brother, Luke.

The family moved to Florida when Ashley was three. There, Dusty ran into trouble with the law, and the two children were taken. Ashley was too young to understand that she would never live with her mother again, as she and Luke entered a foster home --- the first of 14 she would live in over the next nine years. No one explained to the three-year-old why she couldn't be with her mother. When she did finally see her mother, Lorraine said they would live together after she found a nice home and a good job. Ashley yearned for her mother constantly as she was moved from foster home to foster home, sometimes with Luke and other times alone. Lorraine visited occasionally, always promising that Ashley would live with her "someday."

Ashley and Luke were able to stay at their grandfather's house in South Carolina where they were relatively happy, thanks to their grandfather's live-in lady friend, Adele, who enjoyed mothering them. Yet they lived in fear that they would be removed from that home because Adele and their grandfather weren't married, and because Grandpa was frequently in jail and had a history as a wife abuser. Despite the instability of the situation, Ashley was so happy she felt like she was in a dream.

But when Grandpa got shot during an argument in front of the children, they were removed and sent back to Florida, where they entered Ashley's seventh home in two years. Their new "home" was packed full of foster kids, reeked of filthy diapers and was reigned over by screaming parents (as grim as this sounds, it was not their worst foster home, not by a long shot). Needless to say, Ashley and Luke were thrilled when they were sent back to Adele in South Carolina, where they were content until once again they were returned to Florida. During Ashley's nine-year stint in 14 foster homes, she encountered 44 caseworkers. None of these people, paid to help foster children, saved Ashley from living through sickening abuse at the hands of foster parents.

Finally, one woman, a volunteer named Mary Miller, took a special interest in Ashley. Eventually, Ashley was adopted by a loving family, although she agreed to it with major reservations (the three little words from the title were her "I guess so" when the judge asked if she agreed to the adoption). Ashley believed that the adoption could never last; she is frank about her problems adjusting to her new life after years of hopelessness.

Ashley Rhodes-Courter, who sued her most abusive foster parents, works tirelessly to help children in the foster system. She has spoken to the Senate, and many other groups, about the need for foster care reform. And in this excellent page turner, she gives vibrant voice to those voiceless, helpless children caught in this nightmare, giving us insight into a national tragedy. I highly recommend her heartbreaking and inspiring memoir.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

Excellent book that describes what is both wrong and right with the foster care system. Reading this book should be a requirement for all social work students. This book is one of those "hard-to-put-down" books that is both informative and enjoyable.

Three Little Words is one girl's disturbing true journey through forgottenness, abuse and multiple foster homes. Hope IS found finally, but the process before that is heartbreaking, infuriating and senseless.
I was inspired by this girl's candor and courage, as well as by the power of CASAs and GALs to redeem lost kids.

I purchased this book thru my book club i am a child who grew up in foster care and Ashely's story mirrored my own. I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting.

From a person who has experienced it all, Ashley Rhodes-Courter has shown America the dirty, underlying truth. Everything from speeches to her book, Three Little Words, Ashley has made a difference in the minds and souls of Americans.

This deathly true book has the reader on their toes with every page. Ashley explains her past and all the families she has had to put up with. Yes, even those that treated her terribly. Ashley tells about the first time her and her brother where separated from their mother and other family members. As she grows older in the foster care system, the reader follows Ashley through her highs and lows, good families and bad, and everything in between. Until one day, Ashley finds a family that wants her. These new parents help her through every problem. With two other boys in the family, Ashley's new parents find room in their hearts for one more. But sooner than Ashley thought, the day comes that she has to make that dreadful choice... three little words that will change her life forever. Those three little words you will have to read to find out, along with all the other mysteries in her life.

I would recommend this book to any one who loves to read about something that is holding back so many children. It has a mind changing plot and a heart warming ending that will catch any reader's attention. It will also change the mind of the reader and help those who want to speak out against the traitors.

I recommend this book to all the people who are constantly firefighting everyday to make their mass production businesses better, faster, stronger and quicker. How many more words that end in "er" do you need to rally the troops in growing your businesses? Tom Wentz shares his real world management experience through his book and demonstrates with great logic how to change your mass production status quo and "CREATE" the structural changes you need to CREATE a mass customization powerhouse.
If you have an open mind and are ready to end the corporate frustration you experience today, I recommend that you read Tom's book and learn how to lead the necessary transformational change you need to become successful in today's business environment. Your employees and customer's will love you for it!!!

Written by the Thomas K. Wentz (President of Corporate Performance Systems Inc.), Transformational Change: How To Transform Mass Production Thinking To Meet The Challenge Of Mass Customization is a solid and deftly presented guide for adapting to the new and evolving demands and realities of a globalized marketplace where merely churning out vast quantities of a product is simply not enough to be profitable. Now, more and more, customers want goods and services uniquely tailored to their tastes, and they are willing to pay for it - so much so as to change the shape of international businesses worldwide. Learning how to incorporate customization for maximum consumer satisfaction and profit is a rocky road, but individual chapters of Transformational Change address a range of relevant problems including corporate restructuring, gathering appropriate intelligence, competitive advantages and disadvantages, and a great deal more. Transformational Change is a truly excellent resource and a highly motivational reading for business managers at all corporate levels of responsibility.

Tom Wentz is the quinessential change agent! His book, "Transformational Change" describes clearly the process of change from mass production to mass customization. While the book is an easy read, you'll want to revisit it many times because of the great depth it possesses.

Mr. Wentz shows that insanity truly is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. He likens it to those "hackers" out on the driving range who continually use the improper swing and expect a drive 275 yards straight down the middle.

In light of the events since September 11, 2001, Mr. Wentz expertly shows the need "not to defer the the experience of living today" and to become truly fulfilled at work, at home or in your communities.

This is must reading for anyone who wants to transform their existence.

Transformational change addresses the problem of how to deal with change when moving from a mass production oriented business to a customer centered customized production business. One of the truly unique perspectives of this book is that it discusses and details the process of such a change. Many similar books effectively argue the need for change but then provide no direction on how to make the change. Thomas Wentz' book provides detailed discussion and processes for creating that complete transformation of your business

In the past most businesses were based on a mass production focus. Success and management were evaluated on a numbers basis. How much has sales increased? How many items were produced during this period last year? This numbers orientation tends to cause people to work hard to meet the numbers as their primary focus. In this scenario employees typically don't go beyond what is expected of them. There is no motivation to create a unique world-class organization. Add to that the fact that times have changed and customers now require a solution or product that is customized to their specific needs. If you can't provide a customized solution or product then they will simply go to a competitor that can. Is this just another business direction change? Thomas Wentz argues that it is more than just a directional change, it requires a complete transformation of the business from one form to another completely different form.

A nice extra to the book are the numerous "Key points" scattered throughout the text. By summarizing the prior information in just one or two sentences and making it stand out from the text it is easy to quickly read over the key points of the book and refresh your memory on an ongoing basis. An excellent book on business and change that also has some applicability to personal change, it is a recommended read.

I have read Tom's book twice. The second time very carefully because I wanted to be sure that I was not being seduced by the obvious. I was not. This is an addition to the literature on leading change. Many of the terms are familiar but Tom has brought them together in a way that creates a new picture of the forces that change -- and don't change -- business.

I have become somewhat sceptical of all of the warnings of the dramatic shifts in paradigms that business must face to survive but Tom has succeeded in explaining the shift from mass production thinking to something new in a way that can be understood. I get a clear picture of what it means when there is a new context requiring new thinking. Not every business will face the same changes in context but every business needs to understand if and when its context changes.

I am distributing this book to the sixty CEOs in my CEO peer groups for them to read and discuss. I am also going to schedule an opportunity for them to participate in a simulation to experience first hand the limits that mass production thinking imposes on our search for solutions.

i LOVED jAMIES BOOK WANNABE I COULDNT PUT IT DOWN. I HOPE HE WRITES ANOTHER BOOK TO CONTINUE WHERE HE LEFT OFF. I TOLD ALL MY FRIENDS THEY HAVE TO READ IT THATS HAVE MUCH I ENJOYED THE BOOK.

I watched his show JKX for a few seasons and my wife and I found the show to be VERY funny. The best bits are the folks who apply for the paper delivery job and the skit with the driving instructor. In my opinion the all time best was when he had the mexican day laborers over for his birthday party.
Anyway, this book shows the struggles and nonsense that he went through before getting on TV. It is well written and doesn't really gloss over the nonsense he had to put up with.And there is a message in here but you'll have to read the book

I really enjoyed reading about Jamie Kennedy trying to make it in Hollywood, it was years of humiliating jobs, and lots of money down the drain on get famous quick scams, but he clawed his way to the middle, and planted his flag.

I have to admit, I wonder how truthful some of his stories really are, but I'm sure he told it as he really remembered it. I really admire him for having a dream, and making it happen.

He also spins some funny stories about his encounters with celebrities, my favorite was when he was working at Red Lobster, and Arsenio Hall came in, at first he didn't recognize him, and told him there were no tables available, and then recognized him, and got really excited, and then Arsenio asked if he had a table for him now, and Jamie said, "no". Funny stuff, definately worth a read.

Outstanding! What a life he has had so far. This book is not only hilarious, but it makes you believe that nothing is impossible no matter how many times you get knocked down.

Jamie Kennedy's show is what I know him best by. I'm so glad he wrote this book and gave us a little inside of his life. He's such an honest, and open book. What a fascinating character he is, in everything he does. I actually tend to look up to him and base my actions on him and others like him, never being afraid to show my inner self (read my profile here at Amazon if you don't believe me). Life is too short, and if you don't reach out and take Life, it won't be taken. That seems to be his "take on life."

I highly recommend this book and this lifestyle. It will truly rock your world!

MC White said: Check it out!!!

Excellent information for people of all ages. Very easy to read and understand with helpful examples in a variety of credit situations. I would especially recommend this book to high school students and new college freshmen where bad credit starts all too often.

This book encourages generation x to take stock of their personal finances without references to their being a dummy or an idiot. The approach here is very cordial. The authors encourage shopping for the best fees as well as the lowest interest rates and offer tips toward ,finding affordable health, automobile and homeowners insurance. Gives you an edge so you can limit financial hardships now as you prepare for the future.

Instead it is about getting the most out of what you have by managing your expenditures. Taking the time to understand your financial potential. Every penny counts. If you start paying attention to the pennies and to the interest you are paying on credit cards for the extras in life like movies and pizza. One of the best tips in the book is on a big item don't charge the sales tax, pay cash. Paying interest on sales tax, tips and entertainment costs are the reasons we never get out from under the interest burden.

Especially for anyone trying to navigate the tricky waters of both insurance and employment benefits. including pensions and 401 k's. Knowing what you have now is the key to being able to manage in an emergency. None of us want to think about losing the job we have had for years, but stuff happens. The health insurance that you have may not seem like the best deal but if you lose it completely it could become a major financial burden. Hernan and Schliep are big on having a safety cushion in the event of job loss.

Because they were from people that recognized good writing and people a lot more like you and me than the wall street gurus that constantly advise us and encourage us to cross over from main street to wall street when our interests may not be as well served as the big spenders who make money when we the consumer buys their wares and especially when the employers can cut expenses by cutting jobs and benefits.

I was one of those hard-core "we must have gun control" types for a long time. In my late 30s, I mellowed out a bit and grew into more of a "live and let live" mentality. And then when I was in my early 40s, it DAWNED on me, America's gun control laws were all about controlling the rights of private, law-abiding citizens. The bad guys are NOT being constrained or restrained by gun control laws - that's why they're the bad guys.

And then there were the Virginia Tech shootings. Amidst the tragedy and the horror, I noticed that the media was quoting "experts" who were demanding more stringent gun-control laws. Commenting on this whilst talking to my beloved hubby, he replied, "you know about the Appalachian School of Law, right?"

Never heard of it, I told him. Nor has anyone else I've since encountered. The short version is this: An armed student (42-year-old Nigerian student) went to the campus of this small law school in Grundy, Virginia and opened fire, killing three and wounding three. Upon hearing the distinctive sound of shots being fired, two students ran to their car and got their weapons. Now armed, they returned to the classroom where the shooter was and demanded that he drop his gun. He did. The end.

According to John Lott (author of "The Bias Against Guns"), only four of the 208 news reports mentioned that the students WERE ARMED. That was shocking and upsetting.

Then there was a woman friend of mine. When I visited her in the hills of West Virginia, she and I would go out "house hunting" (no shooting involved) and we'd often wander into not-so-great areas of town. (We're both architectural historians and do research on old houses.) One afternoon, I asked, "What if someone comes up to us and tries to take our wallets?" She responded, "I'll reach into my purse and show them my gun up close and personal and tell them, 'no sir, but how about you give me *YOUR* wallet.'"

She was not serious, but it got me to thinking: A woman owning a gun LEVELS the playing field and equalizes power. I felt less afraid when I was with my friend, knowing she had a gun. And when we were walking through a dark parking lot late one night, she walked behind me and when I turned around to make sure she was okay, I saw her walking with her hand buried in her purse, clutching the small gun and paying very close attention to a man who was sitting at the fringes of the lot.

This and many other events lead me to "The Best Defense." The book is full of powerful stories, but I warn other readers, some of the descriptions are quite graphic and very disturbing. It's written simply and it's a fast-read and there are no annotations (which is a little disappointing) but it packs a powerful punch. I had trouble putting it down and read it all within about four hours.

It also makes a very persuasive argument that we are on the WRONG TRACK with gun control. Communities where guns are in most homes have the lowest incidence of home invasions and burgularies. That's another fact that the media won't go near.

Rose Thornton
author, The Houses That Sears Built

As the last reviewer stated, there is not much else that can be said about this book. It is excellent and very good information to know. As a woman, I was especially impressed with some of these stories, especially the 74 year old woman who protects her disabled husband from an attacker / burglar AFTER being maced in the face...... GOOD FOR HER and GOOD FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS BOOK THAT FOUGHT BACK AND WON. I'm sick and tired SICK AND TIRED of hearing all the arguments for "gun control". Gimme a break. Read this, read Roger A. Waters other book, read a few others w/the same concept.....the police are great and I admire and respect them - I have four relatives in various forms of law enforcement, including a SWAT sharp shooter and a patrol cop that works in a gang infested area of L.A. - so like I said, I admire and respect the police, HOWEVER, they can not protect you very often, most often they are there AFTER the crime to get the report. Responsible gun ownership is a right for every eligible citizen that I believe in strongly, especially after reading these books.

With 25 reviews prior to this one, this book doesn't need more promotion, but I can't resist giving it another 5-star vote.

Most things about this book have been stated by previous reviewers. I can add one comment: If you think that citizens should not be allowed to own guns, read the first chapter of this book and tell me what besides a personal gun might have saved Doug and Judy Stanton and their four children.

Jerry Hessler, the murderer who came after them, wrote these words:
"Brian dead, Tracey dead, Amanda dead, Thane dead.
Reid orphaned, Sue widowed, Mark crippled, Ruth unstable.
Countless friends and family stricken with grief.
Not a bad day's work.

The score is 4 to 0.
Even if they execute me it will still be 4-1."

How does a citizen deal with someone who thinks like Jerry Hessler? With a gun.

This books shows how and why.

I feel this is the final word in the gun control debate. This is what we the legitimate gun owners have needed. Some proof that packing heat is the best way to deter crime and to keep yourself and your loved ones alive.

I finished reading this book very quickly. Every story was intense and captivating. The book was enjoyable for entertainment value alone, but it also contains critical information about personal defense.

Ever wondered what it was really like to be attacked by someone trying to kill you? These are stories of people who lived to tell the tail. Many potential murder victims only survived because they had a loaded gun handy.

On a personal note, my brother wasn't as fortunate as many of the people in this book. He was returning a tape at a well lit video store on a Sunday night when he was kidnapped by four thugs. They had his car, his cash, and all his possessions, but they murdered him anyway. Apparently just robbing people had become boring to them. They are now in jail, but I often wonder if my brother would be alive today if he had a gun with him.

My ex-wife is of Chippewa descent and I have attended many pow-wows with her family. To see Native peoples drum, sing traditional songs and "fancy dance" is humbling and wonderful. A people united to reclaim a heritage stolen from them. Stolen by the pursuers of the Nez Perce, as told so purely in Kent Nerburn's book. Some of the examples of the elderly, pregnant and very young Nez Perce being terrified by the U.S. Cavalry's cannons are harrowing and hard to read. The idea of these people leaving their old, blind and mortally wounded alone on the trail to die by themselves with dignity, signing their death songs, is unimaginable. Joseph was never the "Chief" of the Nez Perce, as Nerburn clearly illustrates. That was a role fostered on him by the white press and politicians to create a cunning and evil adversary. Man, how things have not changed. Weapons of Mass Destruction anyone? And to my ex-wife, who inspired me to learn the real history of the Native American people, "I will fight no more forever."

Though I have read a significant amount about the Nez Perce, this was my firt introduction to kent Nerburn. The moment I held the book in my hands I felt the heart it was written with reach out to me and draw me into it. Kent, through his intense dedication and depth of soul brought the story alive. Most writings on the subject are accountings-here I felt the people involved and became part of the story. That depth of unity IS Native American.

This book so reached me I immediately ordered several other books by the same author, as well as more copies of this book to give to friends.

Kent Nerburn's story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce is that of one of histories great, proudest and yet truly humble men. Nerburn writes smoothly and convincingly as he traces the our government reversals and flight of the Nez Perce through bitter winter in an effort to reach and cross the Canadian border.

Chief Joseph's efforts to avoid conflict unless cornered, and how he still tried to lead his people to safety is a story of courage, betrayal and near extinction, written by an author who picks up on the soul and pain of this man--and his people--who must never be forgotten as a truly memorable part of indian courage and dignity. This is a book worth reading--and reading again.

author of THE SWAN: Tales of the Sacramento Valley

This book is divided into 3 parts: 1) background, 2) the war of 1877, 3) the post-war years. Nerburn doesn't get bogged down in details of troop movements and other minutiae, but does a pretty good job of recounting the war. If this is your introduction to the Nez Perce war of 1877, perhaps this will whet your appetite for more in-depth scholarly studies. The real strength of this book is found in part 3 where Nerburn recounts the sad post-war years which generally receive only passing mention in most books that deal with the Nez Perce war. One fact becomes crystal clear in the reading of this part: this was very much a war pitting native religious beliefs against Christianity. Of course the Christians win, but the reader should keep in mind that cultural might does not make right. As Nerburn illustrates, the Nez Perce were cruelly starved, terribly mistreated and lied to -- all in an effort to break their will, weaken them spiritually, with the ultimate goal being conversion to Christianity. I guess some people just need a little extra help "seeing the light." [Please note my sarcasm.] It is very interesting to note that not one of the 23 reviews before mine mentions this Christian aspect of the book. As for Nerburn, he never lets the reader know where he stands on this topic, though I suspect he was against it. In any event, their treatment was truly disgusting.

Continuing, I would like to point out three other details about this book: There is an error/typo on p. 358 (May 1878 should read May 1879) and on pp. 121-122 Nerburn claims a brotherly relationship between two Indians that was new information to me and I am unsure of its accuracy. The last thing I want to point out is that there are no footnotes in this book though he does include a "Notes on the Sources" section which is pretty good. But due to the lack of footnotes, I'm left wondering where he received some of his details. And he frequently states things like "there were numerous deaths on the reservation" but never gives numbers (this is too vague and left me with an empty feeling). All in all, this book is a very good read and satisfactory introduction to the Nez Perces and their tragic war of 1877.

This book is a great choice for those who never read anything about the Nez Perce, as well as for those who thought they already read everything there is to read. The book is written in an easy-to-read, unique narrative style. The last third of the book covers Chief Joseph and the exile of the Nez Perce after the famous surrender, much more thoroughly than any book I encountered previously. As the title indicates, the story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce has not been told as completely or in the manner told in this book, to my knowledge.

When reading this book you will find yourself reticent to put it down and looking forward to your next chance to read it when you do. You will learn a great deal about this proud people and their undoing by Christian missionaries, white settlers and the government. You will probably also learn quite alot about yourself and your own beliefs. I highly recommend it.

Good book till halfway through, then the author loses her vehicle, as it were--"Driving With the Dead" jettisons its macabre hook and becomes one more descriptive self-help tome, and that's a shame; the author should have been able to thread her metaphor all the way through--her talent suggests that this book could have used an aggressive editor. Also, I'm forever wary of books with a "Note to Reader" which announces some individuals--and thus some occurrences--are composites. For example, Holloway's pregnancy at the hands of the guy who claims sterility: not saying this isn't exactly how it was, but it's such a cliche as to be transparent, leaving the reader wondering if this is one of those composite characters/occurrences. Memoirs thrive on versimilitude; one false note and much can collapse. It does here. And what profits an author to note that "All incidents are portrayed to the best of my recollection"? Why does Holloway have to say that? Because, in doing so, she loses the reader's confidence in the whole sordid tale before he or she even starts the read.

It IS commendable, IF she's remembering correctly, and IF the characters are true--and not just objective correlatives, that the siblings represented here did not form a pact and murder the most horrid-sounding parents in recent non-fiction (?) memory.

that the support system you expected from your family is simply not there:

"Knowing there is no cavalry is much better than hoping for a cavalry that never comes. I am strong because I have to be. I am the cavalry."

This memoir of family dysfunction admirably traverses the path that brings the author to write those words.

I loved this book. It is such an incredible story written so incredibly well. It completely blew me away. Amazing. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I just finished this book, less than 24 hours after its arrival in my mailbox. The author has a refreshing sense of humor relating to topics such as death, embalming, and driving a hearse as a sixteen-year-old girl. I laughed out loud many times, and had to pick up the book again after my children left for school. As a mother, the lack of parenting in this book is apalling, but also a lesson in how much of a responsibility we as parents have to protect our children from harm not only outside of our nhome, but within it. I applaud the courage of the author to search her soul for unthinkable ugliness and gain strength from the family she made her own, those that truly cared for her. I highly recommend this book, in spite of its less-than-rosy reality.

I like some others, purchased this book thinking it would be a lighthearted read and it is; just about a heavy subject. I absolutely loved the book. It was expertly written, sad, funny, and moving. Everything you would want a book to be. Above all odds, Monica rose above the chaos. I just wish her dad and mom could get what they deserve; a long stay in a nasty jail cell. Bravo Monica.