United States Books

We have used several other camping guides to Colorado and this one is the best. Information is up to date and accurate.

I've used this book so much over the past 2 years I may need to replace it soon. While the rating system took me a little while to figure out (the numbers do NOT represent the ranking, just the location on the map), the book is very user-friendly. In addition to giving accurate directions to each campground, it directs you to the correct page and area in both the Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer and Colorado Recreational Road Atlas. By rating Scenery, RVs, Tents, Shade, and Privacy, the book helps you locate the campgrounds based on what is important to you. The elevation info is great if you have young children who might not appreciate waking up in the snow and I love that the book tells you which tent sites are the most popular since we tend to reserve campsites well in advance of trips. This is a great book.

The book is a very good reference on a large number of campgrounds. It has a strength in that it provides pictures, unlike for instance the Moon guide. In my opinion, the book would be better if it covered the CGs more evenly: the authors' choices of "best" very often coincide with "most popular" (read: "most crowded") and the quieter campgrounds do not get the coverage that may be of interest to readers.
Another annoyance I found is numbering of campgrounds. They are not numbered and listed in a logical order that would allow reading about closely located ones in a sequence. Instead, you can read on one and the adjacent one on the map is fife pages down, yet the next one in the text is 50 miles away. This makes one go back and forth between the map and the text if you are trying to get impression on CGs in a certain area.
However, all this notwithstanding, I think this book is well worth having.

We have camped in Colorado for years, but this guide gave us new campgrounds to explore and try. We like the idea that the author includes ratings on both tent and RV "friendly" places, as well as including shade and sun, spacing and privacy aspects.
Love the pictures!
We find the format easy to use and the organization by regions is good, too, although the San Luis Valley should be kept separate from the Eastern slope.
This is the first summer we've used the guide, but will keep it in use for many years.

I do not own an RV, but noticed that the book is full of campsite info from all around the state, and includes whether the sites allow RV's, tents, pets, if they have hook-ups, ect.

I actually didn't know quite what to expect when I picked up this book. But I found myself laughing out loud many times. And I never laugh out loud while reading a book. Dan's PETA work is merely the background to his wild and crazy life. He's never preachy, so don't let that stop you from enjoying his crazy antics. His comic timing in his writing is impeccable, and I can't recommend this book enough.

If you'd like to understand PETA a bit better, this is a good book to read. I've always had some issues with PETA, even though I'm a member myself, this sort of educated me a bit.

And Dan is pretty funny, which always makes a book fun to read.

This book was simply fantastic! Funnier than David Sedaris, and a story that draws you in. You don't have to like PETA to love this book, by the way. My non-PETA friends are all enjoying it as much as I did. It's entertaining in its own right - a fabulous read. I honestly couldn't put it down. Highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

Major kudos to Dan for writing such an entertaining, honest (but not at all "in your face") and mind-shifting book about the suffering of the non-human animals that we share this planet with. I read Committed in one day. I loved it. This book proves that humor, compassion, optimism and love can change the world. If I was not a vegan before reading this book (I went vegan 5 years ago at age 37 and have never regretted it) I surely would have changed my ways after reading it.

From his early punk rocker days to carvorting with todays biggest celebrities, Dan Mathews spins a hilarious web of globe trotting adventures sprinkled with a dash a seriousness that brings light to an important subject matter; animal cruelty. From humble beginnings, success and notoriety certainly haven't changed his life long goals or sparkling personality. If you like Augusten Burroughs style of writing, grab this book and be prepared to laugh out loud. If I ever end up in a jail cell somewhere, I hope Dan is sitting next to me.

This book was given to me when I was nine, and is a long-standing favorite. I'm now in my late teens, but every November I read it again for old time's sake around Thanksgiving, and every year I love it. It speaks many truths about life in general, and Constance is an engaging and highly relatable character. I looked online out of interest to see if it was as widely read as I thought it should be, and thankfully it appears to be. This book would make an excellent gift for a young girl; it is gaurenteed to be a book she will read over and over again and always hold a special place in her heart.

I picked up "Constance" somewhere - I have no idea where, but my copy is old and yellowed and falling apart. I read it and fell in love with it. I must say - my old copy has a fantastic cover and I much prefer it to the one depicted here. But that's by the by... =)

I'm teaching my (7th grade) son the 1600-1850 time period this year and was able to pull "Constance" off the shelf and introduce him to its delights. It has been the ONLY book he has begged me to continue to read to him outside of planned school reading times. WOO HOO! It warms the cockles of this mother's heart. We've laughed at the funny bits, sobbed our hearts out at the sad bits, and marveled how these people, with their numbers decimated that very first spring, worked together to make a successful community.

We'll be finishing the book tomorrow. I drove him bananas by reading the first sentence of tomorrow's reading, telling him WHO proposed but NOT what the answer or consequence was. He says I'm an evil mother. =D I laughed with joy at his enthusiasm for the book.

This is one of the books that stays in your heart. I first read this some 30 years ago, loved it, re-read it several times, lost track of it, found it again a couple of years ago, and -- surprisingly enough, since I certainly can't say this about all the books I loved when I was in my early teens -- I still loved it. Constance, as she is written in this story, is a very real person to me. I don't know if the real Constance Hopkins was anything like the one in this book, and I don't really care, but Patricia Clapp has done an excellent job here of making two-dimensional history come to life.

I got this book on a trip to the East Coast when I was ten years old and fell in love. It was my favorite book during all of my early teen years; and though I haven't read it in years, I think it will always hold the place in my heart as my favorite book.

I read this long before I knew a key fact about Constance Hopkins, and I thought it was terrific. Of course, I still do. The tone of high spirits forced into apparent submission is perfect. I do think the cover illustration on the Beech Tree edition is awful; the cover on the Dell edition is far better.

Key fact: she is my nine-times-great-grandmother. (Patricia Clapp, the author, is also descended from Constance.) I have dug around in other books and on-line sources about Plimouth Plantation, and the historical facts are dead-on. I don't at the moment remember whether "Constance" mentions that her father was not a Puritan, Dissenter, Separatist; he came not for religious reasons but because he wanted his own farm. Constance, her husband Nicholas, and her brother Giles left Plymouth for the same reason in 1644 -- and also because they were fed up with the Puritan oligarchy in Plymouth.

So her family represents, in many ways, the American quest for independence and farmland -- the Jeffersonian ideal of the free citizen. (Constance's descendants were still farming as late as 1940, though my father left the farm in 1921, finding farming a new form of tyranny.)

The Ebony Tree has so much truth to it that it makes you feel as if you are a part of it. This novel belongs in all libraries and schools. Excellently written. Like Alex Haley's novel Roots whether fact or fiction, The Ebony Tree encourages you to look at your own background.

The Ebony Tree couldn't seem more real. It's a very wholesome story. You don't see any 'sugar coating' as you read about what the women in this novel went through for the welfare of their children, and to keep their hopes and dreams alive.

The story tugged at my heart because it made me think about my own mother and grandmothers.

It's a novel I will hold onto and enjoy reading again.

The Ebony Tree is a CLASSIC. I loved every drop of it. The author is TRULY and I mean TRULY a master at her craft. This book was wonderfully written, compelling and thought-provoking. I thoroughly enjoyed following on the journey of Jewel's life, the main character. Again, this book is WONDERFUL. Ms. Thompson put so much passion into writing this wonderful book. I cannot wait to read her other books. I'm a fan for life!

The Ebony Tree by Maxine Thompson is a journey back in time into the lives of The Shepherd family. Thompson does a wonderful job of placing you right into their lives as if you were a member of the family.

Jewel Shepherd has many secrets that she has kept from her kids. No one really knows the real Jewel, and at times she wonders if she really knows herself. She loves her children, and surprisingly, her husband, Solly - even though he has tried her patience time and time again. Jewel wonders what brought her to Delray, Michigan, and how will she get out with her children intact. Her youngest, Imani, has decided that it is time they find out how the Shepherd family came to be. Therefore, she tries to capture 53 years of marriage on tape. Unfortunately, being the youngest she does not know how to read between the lines of the web her mother has weaved. Only her older siblings know the truth.

I loved the history, loved the family life - even if it was not so perfect, it was real. This book will make you think about the relationship you have with your own mother, and wonder what secrets may be hidden between the stories she has told you. I recommend this book to all of those who are history buffs at heart. The Ebony Tree by Maxine Thompson won't disappoint you.

Jacki

APOOO BookClub

Maxine E. Thompson's, The Ebony Tree, vividly depicts the coming of age of the Shepherd family in Delrey, Michigan during the oppressive 1950's. The Ebony Tree narrates the sometimes woeful and disconcerting tales of matriarch, Jewel Shepherd. A woman who sacrificed aspirations and individuality to rear a family during the darkest moments in her life.

It is 1993 and Imani Shepherd puts her journalistic training to use by interviewing her elderly parents regarding their lineage. Instead of a family gushing with pride, her mother, Jewel is tight-lipped and filled with indignity. Through hesitancy, Jewel relates the story of abandonment by her mother, Luralee; tutelage from Aunt Beulah that boys are superior to girls; husband Solly's infidelity and drunkenness; and the ill-treatment she bestowed upon eldest daughter, Midge, because she was a girl. A woman in that era did not have the resources nor the wherewithal that Imani has today to be an independent woman in control of her own destiny. Therefore, Imani would never understand Jewel's feelings of degradation or regrets of leaving her family in Richmond, California. These secrets, Jewel would rather keep hidden from her twenty-five year old daughter. Secrets too painful to utter, yet necessary to provide healing and answers for a young woman seeking insight into her family tree.

Protagonist Jewel Shepherd is a thought-provoking character; a woman before her time. Women will identify with her...cry with her...and rejoice with her as Jewel struggles to shed memories of the past and reach for a brighter future. Maxine E. Thompson's The Ebony Tree is a paradigm of the struggles African-American mothers have endured in raising black children.

Reviewed by Nicki Lancaster
APOOO BookClub

Listening to this CD, with Edwene's pleasant voice along with hearing her life experiences, is a pleasant alternative to music. I'm listening to it for the third time and considering looking for more CD's from this production company.

I heard it many times before - tithing will demonstrate to the universe that you trust that there will always be more.... yet I never did it. That is until I read this book. What made it easy for me where 2 things, one Edwene didn't tell you where to tithe to, other then wherever you are spiritually fed.... well that makes it easy. The second point was - try it out for 6 months - if it didn't work for you you can stop.... well I was hooked after 2 weeks. Now I receive money and I am excited about sharing it with whoever inspired me ~ fed me spiritual food... my children, my church, Edwene, a speaker, a song writer, etc. This book has touched me deeply.

This is a great book. I listened to it first on CD and loved the author's chatty wisdom. I bought the book so I could refer back to it often. A small book but full of very important spiritual laws.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I've been reading several books about attracting prosperity, but they were all lacking one thing. That one thing is how God is involved. This book finally connected the two for me. I now see how you can attract prosperity and still honor God. What I appreciated the most what the difference between "go" signs and "stop" signs. Sometimes I get confused on what God is trying to tell me. I recommend this to all those spiritual people that are still trying to find guidance.

For almost 20 years I've been struggling with my relationship to money. Part of me didn't want it (I saw poverty as more spiritual and more ethical) and part of me hated being without it. Not having choices and struggling because of my lack of money have been really hurtful and constraining. It also created great anxieties. There are quite a few things I'd been planning to get around to some day that I had not yet done.

I worked on these problems through every method anyone suggested - spiritually, psychologically, practically. Still, I had no significant shift UNTIL I READ THIS BOOK. Edwene Gaines has written a beauty of a book. It is the perfect book for me. She outlines no "program," has no endless worksheets, she simply lays out the four most basic spiritual prinicples and walks us through how to apply them to life.

Now I know why I could never experience a shift in my relationship to money - firstI had to start tithing. I love it that she starts with tithing and makes it very clear that we must do this first, not when we think can afford to. Through Edwene's book I saw clearly that I can't afford not to. This was a key for me to beginning.

The rest of the book flows beautifully from there. Following these simple prinicples in my life is easy. I'm no longer conflicted about money. I'm no longer anxious. And I have an openness that I did not know was possible. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better relationship with money.

According to perpetual social and political critic James Bovard, the power inherent in government is alive and well; unfortunately, as he reminds us, they are not always necessarily accomplishing the people's will. Thus we find ourselves in circumstances in which governments are both larger and more powerful than ever before, while the individual citizen's ability to control and influence the course of his or her own life and liberty is becoming more and more problematic. In this stirring expose, the author explores how the federal government increasingly poses a threat to destroy individual rights and liberties in an attempt to preserve the fiction of government as superceding the citizen. Bovard wonders along with us how this state of affairs has managed to occur, and takes a thoughtful and impressive tour of the history of government control over individual liberties in an attempt to better understand it, and the future it presents for our cogitation.

Long before it was either fashionable or popular, conservative author Bovard was railing against the accumulating power and privilege of the crony-based capitalists who now seem to control the country. Here he draws blood from a dissection of the notion of state sovereignty, which he contends amounts to nothing so much as a glossy justification for the power elite's lust for ever-increasing power and privilege. Especially egregious in the author's view is the way the doctrine is being used to justify the behavior of others, to limit their rights to protect themselves, or to keep the fruit of their own labor. Indeed, all of this is food for thought. Moreover, Bovard is an interesting and quite eclectic scholar, someone who accomplishes both meticulous research and establishes the substantiation for his claims as he proceeds, and does so quite convincingly. He also seems to be profoundly well read, based on his wide use of quotations from such luminaries as Marx, Hegel, Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes.

Thus, he manages to raise some thought provoking issues regarding our seeming need to regulate many aspects of private behavior (such as the use of pot) that we can neither effective enforce nor usefully demonstrate to be evil for the individual. Bovard argues quite convincingly regarding the potential dangers of allowing others to regulate our Constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties according to their own moral prerogatives. Bovard reserves special scorn for the so-called "Peter Pan" theory of government as the benevolent and paternalistic defender of the commonweal, and actively guides the reader through a critical review of the two hundred year history on the subject, a history he finds rife with examples through which government has repeatedly used its power to thwart rather than support the will and civil liberties of the majority. This is a splendidly researched book that reads well and which has some disturbing thoughts regarding the state of our polity. It is also one I highly recommend. Enjoy!

James Bovard is a bestselling libertarian author and lecturer, whose political commentary targets examples of governmental waste, failures, and abuses of power.
His Books:
The Fair Trade Fraud (1992)
Lost Rights (1995)
Shakedown (1996)
FREEDOM IN CHAINS: THE RISE OF THE STATE AND THE DEMISE OF THE CITIZEN (2000) Just finished this book and it is filled with examples of the "Statist" (politicians and bureaucrats) extorting money to facilitate their appetite for power and thus controlling as many aspects of life in these "United States"(separation into red and blue states does not make much difference). The research is excellent and the sources of "wisdom" are unrivaled. The EEOC and EPA appear to be the most outrageous of bureaus but closely followed by HUD and others; however, the Supreme Court clearly wins the "stuck on stupid" award between the three branches and the Senate is a clear choice in the Congress. Much of what Mr. Bovard relates is probably well known by the average political savvy reader, but his ability to back up his message with research, i.e. facts and sagacious quotes makes for an excellent read. Still, as one other reader stated, "What exactly can be done with the current apathy and addiction to the Welfare State by so many voters?".
Feeling Your Pain (2001)
Terrorism and Tyranny (2003)
The Bush Betrayal (2004)
Quotes:
"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." (1994). This is my favorite and another version could be a jackass (Dems) and an elephant (Republicans) fighting over "hay" (tax receipts) that does not belong to them. They then give some back to the "original owners" (taxpayers) after eating their "fill" (outrageous retirements, perks, etc.) and providing some to their "herd" (special interests). THIS ITEM WAS EDITED--From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia--LOG ON http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy

"Your government knows your mind, and you know your government's mind." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -George W. Bush (sometimes it is more honest to deviate from the script and speak from the gut!)

One would hope that a political tome written 7 years ago would become outdated; that politics might have changed since then. Sadly, James Bovard's "Freedom in Chains," is more relevant now than it was then. Despite a republican president (and congress) which, at one point, professed a "small government" platform, the size of the government has grown to unprecedented heights.

Bovard's "Freedom in Chains" not only documents the incursion of government into the people's liberty, but tries to dissect how this began. Not suprisingly, his first chapter points largely (but not exclusively) to FDR. With a careful eye, Bovard analyzes FDR's shifty rhetoric, which was able to effectively redefine the word "freedom": a word that used to mean "absence of coercion by the state," was now morphed to mean "safety provided by the state." Where we used to talk of freedom to buy and sell as one pleased, now we heard talk of freedom to buy and sell at "fair" prices as dictated by government. FDR (and others) were soon able to tell the citizenry with a straight face that freedom meant the ability of the government to take care of them via legislation.

From there, Bovard spends chapter after chapter highlighting examples of this paternalism run amok. "Cagekeepers and Caretakers" highlights how politicians use the idea that they were democratically elected to justify incursions into liberty under the guise that "that's what the people wanted." (And witness in 2004 the argument from the GW Bush camp that the president has a "mandate" from the people!)

In what might be the best chapter, "The Moral Glorification of Leviathan," Bovard documents how government has claimed for itself such things as: the right to tell farmers how much of what they can sell and at what price, the right to tell landlords that they may not discriminate by refusing to rent to drug addicts addicts (or any other group the government happens to like), and the right to tell companies what numbers of which "groups" they can hire. (A particularly great example was the government's failed attempt to mandate that Hooters employ as many male waiters as female waitresses!)

From here, we read documented accounts of government officials exempting themselves from laws the public is expected to obey (e.g. while it is illegal to lie to the police, the police may lie to obtain a confession!), etc. I confess that at this point, the book does become a bit monotanous. While an advantage to Bovard's "laundrey list" approach is its thoroughness in documenting claims, a disadvantage is that after so many examples, each one begins to lose its bite. (I must admit that after a while, I began to skim rather than read, as so many paragraphs began looking like ones I'd read before.)

Another small criticism is that I do not think that supporters of government's growth will be convinced by this book. In other words, this is not a book that argues forcefully that government growth is a bad thing in itself; rather, it documents the growth of government and assumes that the readers' symapthies will be against such trends. (For books actually arguing against statism, read Freidrich Hayek, Richard Epstein, or anything coming out of the CATO institute).

For all this, I must still give this book four stars. Bovard does an admirable job documenting abuses of government power and attempting to alarm an appallingly unalarmed public that a government unchallenged translates to a people unfree.

If you still labor under the delusion that the United States Government is here for your benefit, read this book. Mr. Bovard puts paid to that myth. Americans are now subject to such an unrealistic array of laws and statutes that every one of us is ripe for picking by some bureucrat looking to "get his numbers up". America has truly gone from a government "for the people" to one "against the people". Our constitutional protections are not worth the paper they are written on. If you manage to go through life without running afoul of some government functionary, you are indeed a luck individual. Read this book

I read this book when it was first published and as I was reading was half the time wanting to throw the book across the room. It was the frustration making me do that.

I re-read this book again and after 3 1/2 years of Bush I found Bovard to be very prophetic. What he said is even more true today than when he wrote it.

If you are concerned for that state of this country, don't just read this book, but think about and act on it.

Bovard is the anti- Micheal Moore.

Read this for a view of whats really happening.

Oh yes, DON'T throw the book.

I have purchased several of Mr. Garner's books and this one, like all the others, is a masterpiece. Mr. Garner's command and understanding of the English language, combined with his concise, crisp descriptions, make this work an essential addition to anyone's library. I applaud Mr. Garner for his extraordinary efforts and I thank him for sharing his genius with the rest of us.

Garner's Usage is likely the single most useful and entertaining book on the topic. Little else needs to be said about it.

Garner's Modern American Usage My daughter attends law school at SMU in Dallas where Garner is adjuct professor. She says he is a great teacher. We ordered two copies. Yes, it's indispensible as a reference, but it also makes great bedside reading for us wordsmiths.

Being a layman, and not a wordsmith as some of the review-writers here, this will not be an eloquently written review, however the results are the same. I often hear people use words in a way that I believe to be incorrect, for example 'irregardless', but I'm never quite sure. A regular dictionary doesn't usually provide the explanations I'm looking for, and my curiosity goes unanswered. This book is exactly what I need when I question the usage of almost any word. It gives definitions, explanations as to why words are often used incorrectly, as well as pronunciations that are correct or incorrect, and often in a humorous manner! This book would be a must for any writer, but is also sure to satisfy the simply curious!

I ordered this reference based on an essay I read by David Foster Wallace titled "Authority and American Usage." In it, Wallace dissects the ongoing debate between the Prescriptivists (those claiming to defend the King's English) and the Descriptivists (those who claim language rules should reflect current practice rather than old rules), and he does so in the context of, essentially, a long-winded review of Garner's Modern American Usage.
The big problem with Prescriptivism is one of authority, or "why" their rules are what they are. The problem with Descriptivism is one of, well, spinelessness in the sense that rules cannot be based simply on "what everybody else is doing."
Garner, however, deftly walks the line between these two perspectives. He acknowledges common, accepted usage, but still has the guts to make "rules" where necessary. And when he does so, he resolves the "authority" question by logically and fairly arguing his case, rather than simply "that's how it is done."
In my limited reading of Garner's reference so far, I've found it to be amazingly thorough in its examination of everything from common errors to idioms to punctuation, and surprisingly down to earth for a linguistic reference.
Personally, I think everybody should have books like this. But if you write for a living or simply have an interest in language and grammar, this book is essential to your collection.

I love it. It's funny but yet serious. I was able to enjoy myself reading the book. NOthing boring. Everything is in detail.

I have become a football fanatic and this book is part of the reason! It's funny and informative and a good read all around.

This book really inspires me to try to get to know the game of football a little better. Every football season I feel like I should care more about the game to connect with my significant other. After reading this, I have the basic knowledge to start my own passion for football.

This is a fun look at football! Holly Robinson Peete uses such a converstational tone, it seems like she's talking directly to you. It is helpful to a novice football fan, but also enjoyable to someone who has logged in several hours on the couch on Saturday or Sunday.

I have watched football for years. I understand the basics but wanted to know more about intricacies of the game, such as play calling. This book does a pretty good job covering both the basics and the intricacies. It is a little sophomoric at times and definitely for women only. As in, "So and so has the nicest butt in a uniform." "The quarterback is the player who starts the play; you'll know the defense is on the field when the quarterback isn't." So Holly starts the lesson from the beginning--the VERY beginning.

I highly doubt there is an American male over the age of 10 who doesn't know who the quarterback is, but I imagine there are some women out there who have never watched a football game or never heard about a football game. These women I speak of are clearly NOT from Texas. Because, man or woman, you have to be in a coma to live in Texas and not know everything there is to know about football.

I could have done without the chapter on NFL wives (yawn, who cares), but this is a book marketed to women so fluff is to be expected. Be it out of jealousy (at least I am being honest) or disinterest, I have no desire to read about the trials and tribulations of being a rich NFL wife. I saw that chapter title and skipped straight to next chapter.

A few more graphics would have been nice to aid in understanding what she was explaining, but good job overall in covering the ins-and-outs of what is happening on the field from start to finish. Now when the announcers mention a "slant" or "play action" I know what they are talking about or can look it up. Great reference book to have on the coffee table during football season. I wish I had this book years ago.

This is an awsome book i hope whoever is reading this review decides to get the book. I havent actually read the book but i can tell it will be a good one just by looking at the cover.

I have recommended this book to read to all my friends, I
read it in one full day, just could not put it down.
It's written with honesty, to the point, words written
directly from Marco Martinez's heart and mind.
My husband (a retired Marine) read it and was flooded
with memories of Camp Pendleton.

this book is not only for military personnel and their
families, everyone from all walks of life should read this
book. All teens should read this, it will give them an
insight of what it takes to keep America Free.

To all those who says, "Support our Troops", read this
and you will truly appreciate our military serving this
free country, USA. Freedom is not free.


Marine Sgt. Marco Martinez is truly a great American,
may success follow you always, God bless you.

This book is a smooth read taking you from the author's life as a gangster to becoming a marine to fighting in Iraq. I wish it was longer I really enjoyed it. I'd also recommend the book Lone Survivor for anyone who enjoyed this book.

I am proud to say that Marco Martinez was a student of mine. It was an honor being the teacher of such an outstanding American hero. His book is an extraordinary account of personal responsibility, devotion to duty and love of country.

He is also an excellent scholar with unlimited academic potential.

I wish Marco the best of everything. He represents the best America has to offer.

Michael Fremont Redfield

I've read several books on the war in Iraq, and this was one of the better ones. Cpl. Martinez shows his love for the Corps that all of us who have been there can understand. As others have mentioned, there's foul language involved. This is a book on war, not a night at Chucky Cheese.

I would have liked a few more details on the patrols and combat, but this is still a very worthwhile book. It's a first person account from the eyes of a trigger puller grunt on the ground. Not an imbed or officer. You're getting his story, not each and every person that was there.

Martinez doesn't want to think of himself as a hero, but his actions saved the lives of his fellow Marines. It's a shame that he didn't decide to reenlist. He shows us all why "Uncommon valor is a common virtue" among Marines. Semper Fi.

Out of print book came quickly and condition was very good, service was quick. I will be back.

I loved this book! The entire time I listed to this book on cassette I felt I was hearing privileged information...yet Jess Oppenheimer shared his intellectual jewels freely as if they were common everyday thoughts. Well, for him, they were. What a genius. And what a witty, creative, generous, and responsible man! If he were alive I'd write him a fan letter.

This is an excellent informative book about the "I Love Lucy" show and a must have for any Lucy fan! The cd that is included is worth the price of the whole set alone. In the cd it includes hours of hilarious episodes from I Love Lucy and My Favorite Husband starring Lucille Ball, you will also receive lost scenes from the shows on the cd. I am not much of a reader but this book you just can't put down because it is so good and of course I love Lucy! The book doesn't look thick on the picture shown on Amazon but it is a nice thick paperback book and includes lots of wonderful pictures of the cast of I Love Lucy and fun information that you may have not of known about I love Lucy and how it became to be produced.

I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMTIVE! IT WAS HILARIOUS AND I JUST COULDNT PUT IT DOWN. IT ONLY TOOK ME THREE DAYS TO READ IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING HOW IT TOLD ABOUT THE LIFE OF JESS OPPENHEIMER AS WELL AS THE LIFE OF LUCILLE BALL AND OTHER CAST MEMBERS FROM THE SHOW I LOVE LUCY. I REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK AND I THINK EVERY I LOVE LUCY FAN SHOULD READ IT!!!

I'd like to start with a clarification: this book is not a biography of Lucy, it is the creator's (Jess Oppenheimer) memoir. As such, there are many parts of the book that have nothing to do with Lucy, including episodes from Oppenheimer's childhood and young adult life.

However, this is still a GREAT book! It is well-written and full of entertaining annecdotes. "Laughs, Luck, and Lucy" follows Oppenheimer's slow rise to the top in the Hollywood radio industry. He describes Lucille Ball's program, "My Favorite Husband," which became the basis for "I Love Lucy." The book also includes some behind the scenes information about the making of "I Love Lucy."

The included audio cd is fun because it has clips from both "I Love Lucy" and "My Favorite Husband."

If you are only interested in information specifically about Lucille Ball, this might not be the book for you (try her autobiography, "Love, Lucy"). However, if you (like me) are fascinated with everything surrounding "I Love Lucy" and the Hollywood entertainment industry of the 1940s and 1950s, this is a great read!