Ball Books

E-mail below received July 26, 2000. Posted with permission. I thought that potential buyers might find it helpful. Grant Norris --------------------------------------

Hello Grant, James, Kenneth, John Dunleavy and John D. Balls,

I wanted to write this e-mail to let you know that your book titled "E-Business and ERP" is well written and the subject matter most appropriate in depicting the state of the technology and e-business at this point. I found your depiction and representations very good.

I am a faculty member at the Freeman School of Business, Tulane University in New Orleans. I teach two courses that are pertinent to the content of your book. The courses are titled "Enterprise Integration I and II". These are courses taught to the MBA students, who find the course very interesting and fascinating.

I plan to ask the students to read your book as part of additional reading material for the course.

Sincerely

Raj Sharman

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Prof. Raj Sharman, Ph.D. JF Seinsheimer Jr Research Fellow A. B. Freeman School of Business, 7 McAlister Lane, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118

He fully understands the relationship between collaborative technology as it relates to project management in a large enterprise environment.

As he so well points out... "the speed which one implements technology relating to process management in order to accomplish large tasks" will differentiate success from failure. This is a "must read" for senior management if they wish to survive in a complex "project management", collaboration /Internet environment. How to utilize technology to accomplish this is the key!!

A great resource for management.

Mr. Shield clearly gets it!!".

He fully understands the relationship between collaborative technology as it relates to project management in a large enterprise environment.

As he so well points out... "the speed which one implements technology relating to process management in order to accomplish large tasks" will differentiate success from failure. This is a "must read" for senior management if they wish to survive in a complex "project management", collaboration /Internet environment. How to utilize technology to accomplish this is the key!!

A great resource for management.

If you are coming from an APICS viewpoint on ERP, this book is consultant-speak only. It is however a prime mover on a very important issue, how will those 1996-1999 implemented ERP systems move forward now that Y2k spending has been digested in Fortune 2000 companies?

An excellent overview of a very complex and timely subject. I especially liked the ERP/E-Business Matrix and the discussion of regions, companies and assumptions underlying it. I found the discussion of "adaptive" vs. "disruptive" changes helpful and insightful. Very concise and to-the-point, a quick & easy read, but one which should be internalized over a longer period of time. Covered a lot of ground in less than 200 pages. Overall, an excellent addition to my bookshelf.

Would, however, have liked to see a bibliography & some footnotes for the statistics cited

iT WASD REALLY HELPFUL TO ME. I THINK ANN BALL IS AN EXCELENT WRITER AND IM LOOKING FOREWARD TO HER FOLLOWING BOOKS!

The saints are human beings just like us, but formerly hagiographers tended to make them unreal. Ann Ball has shown a marvelous talent to bring them within our reach. They had problems and difficulties like the rest of us, but with God's help they revealed a true heroism that inspires us toward goodness.

Ann Ball chooses an excellent selection of modern Saints, Blesseds, and Venerables in this book. Many of the accounts are very inspirational, with the lives of several martyrs, and other holy people who undertook extreme penance for their sorrow of sins. Excellent choice for those looking for inspirational stories about ways to achieve holiness and perfect union of your soul and Jesus.

Ms. Ball has written a great work detailing real life stories of people who gave their minds, bodies, and souls to a cause. This is a work that will inspire all people, Catholic and otherwise, who dedicate their lives to an ideal. I was especially pleased that she reserved a chapter for the inspirational life of Rogelio Gonzalez Corzo, code-named "Francisco," a young leader of the anti-Communist/anti-Castro underground in Cuba. This deeply religious man, an agricultural engineer only in his late twenties, a Catholic school graduate, and a leader of the Agupacion Catolica Universitaria, bravely took on the puppets of the Soviet Empire in his country. He never doubted his actions, and in his famous letter to his family just before hsi execution, he wrote, "Death is already knocking at my door, but as all my companions I have great peace of mind, because cost what it may it will show me the way to heaven and eternal happiness."
Ms. Ball is to be highly commended for her work. The others featured in the book, from a wide range of backgrounds and nations, were extrememly well selected. Not only does her choice of modern saints make the book attractive and inclusive, but truly speak to the transnational connection of Roman Cathilics around the world. A great book.

It doest look as if Amazon has made an error in combining reviews from Ann Ball's first volume, and this more recent second volume.

Faces of Holiness II is another of Ball's gripping books of modern saints. Like the first, it introduces the reader to many largely unknown saints through both words and numerous photographs.

A respected hagiographer, Ball has assembled a unparalleled collection of modern blesseds, venerables, and saints.

This work, like her first, is thoroughly inspiring. It introduces the reader not to saints that lived long ago, but to more modern individuals that had lives just like those of our friends, family, and neighbors. The stories are very accessible.

The book includes more than 100 biographies of the saints, a complete biography, and an index.

The biographies include those of Satoko Kitahara from Japan, Knights of Columbus founder Michael Joseph McGivney, Spanish teen Alexia Gonzalez-Barros, and the Visitandine Martyrs of Spain.

The photographs alone are worth the price of this book.

This would be a wonderful book to read to your children.

This is an excellent little resource; concise and well illustrated, I have used it several times a week in my exercise regimen since the book was purchased.

What an excellent book this is. The instructions are clear, and easy to understand. Everyone should have this book, and use it to improve their physical fitness.

For only having a medicine ball to use for exercise, this book was the greatest for helping me.

After completing the exercises in "The Great Medicine Ball Handbook," I felt I had achieved a full-body workout. The exercises are divided up into: Core, Lower Body, Upper Body, Throws and Catches and Rotator Cuff. If you are exercising by yourself then you can't do the Throws and Catches. You also need a small medicine ball to do the Rotator Cuff exercises. For most of the exercises you can use a 6-pound medicine ball.

Some of the exercises include:

Standing Twist
Crunch
Pullover Sit-up
Seated Twist
Split squat
Reverse Lunge
Tricep Exstension
Overhead Toss

The easiest way to use this book (so it stays open) is to cut it in half. Then, simply punch holes in the corner of each page and put it on a metal ring. This will allow all the pages to lay flat when you are exercising. This book also includes a brief section on stretching, muscle diagrams and information on aerobic training. You can start with as little as 8 reps per exercise and work your way up to two sets of fifteen reps.

~The Rebecca Review

Firstly this is a stretch to call it a book, its more like a pamphlet. Although it has nice color pictures it contains very little practical information, on important areas like which muscle groups are used, alignment concerns, possible stress areas, technique tips, etc. I returned the this item.

It's amazing what you can find on the internet. In contrast to what an earlier review suggests this is a very interesting, well written and scientifically accurate book. If you want to read a book about the importance and uniqueness of water then this is the one for you.

I stressed its accuracy as despite the claims nuclear fusion at room temperature is not a reality (why don't we all have palladium teacups powering our laptops) and the memory of water is far from proven (primarily because the proponents can't work out how it forgets)! The New Scientist is not a peer-reviewed journal (and nor should it be as speculation and opinion are important parts of what it does) so quoting an article is no proof at all.

The only query I have is why this book was renamed "Life's matrix" for the American audience. Has no one heard of H20 (its UK title) over there?

Full of quotations of classics and poetry, written as literature with wonderful similes and metaphors, this "Biography of Water" roams from ancient civilizations to outer planets. The middle third was the most satisfactory, with details of the various forms of ice, how organisms cope with freezing, and what makes water so unusual. Explanations of its hydrogen bonding patterns and how they might change to make ice less dense than liquid water, and the funny shrinkage of water above its melting point and are all interesting. The many functions of water in biological systems, right down to the molecular level are given, and there are a number of cleverly done diagrams.
Ball's major blunder in this middle part was his complete failure to explain what holds normal liquids together, that is, what are the van der Waals forces (p165)? This leads to an absurd reason for the cohesion cell membranes, where the hydrocarbon tails of lipid bilayers are said to be held together merely by their repulsion of water (p253). Most college chemistry texts do better on both counts (including Linus Pauling, "General Chemistry", 3rd ed., 1965). The UV light from the sun is presented as detrimental only (p235). Ball seems unaware that vitamin D is formed from the action of UVB on cholesterol in the skin, and that there is less cancer the closer humans live to the equator. In recounting all the effects on the development of life (atmospheric composition, heat, cold, nutrients), Ball ignores the contribution of 10 times the radioactivity the Earth now has in promoting chemical reactions and mutations long ago (see T. D. Luckey, "Radiation Hormesis", 1991).
More minor problems are speaking of a vacuum "sucking" (p240), the pH of stomach acid as 1 rather than 1-3 (p247), missing the true function of the Glomar Challenger as a submarine salvage vessel (p47), a confusion of the effect of pressure on a melting point by comparing with the effect of pressure on the the boiling point of water (p51), implying that the reaction of sulfur dioxide with water gives sulfuric acid (p101) rather than sulfurous acid, and that paraffin wax has a viscosity anywhere near as low as 15 centipoises (p282).
It is when Ball enters the realm of politicized science that serious misinformation flows. Water vapor is by far the most important greenhouse gas and human activities add plenty of it to the atmosphere by irrigation, burning methane which puts 2 molecules of water into the air with just 1 of carbon dioxide, of burning gasoline, jet and diesel fuel, unlike p66. See "Hot Talk, Cold Science" by S. Fred Singer. Cold fusion has been replicated in half a dozen laboratories; the reality of the effect cannot be dismissed by ignoring the publications and merely listing ones that do not show the effect) (p307). See "Excess Heat" by Charles G. Beaudette, 2001. Memory effects in water at really high dilutions are real (see Lionel Milgrom, New Scientist, 11 Jun 03). Homeopathy effects were demonstrated against placebo in trials (BMJ 1991;302:316-323), all contrary to p334.
Read this "chocolate and cherry syrup coated" book at your own risk.

--Joel M. Kauffman 20 May 04

We live on the planet called Earth. That just shows our chauvinism and inability to see the larger picture. The planet ought to be called Water. As Philip Ball points out in _Life's Matrix: A Biography of Water_ (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), water covers two thirds of the globe, and seen from space, water in its three different states is what determines what Earth looks like. It also determines that every other heavenly body we have been able to see looks to us like a lifeless orb. It is water that defines life for us, and when we go poking our noses into other planets, one of the first things we try to find is water. So no wonder that Ball has called this a biography.

And like a good biography, the book covers all the aspects of his subject. He goes into the origins of water back to the big bang. He shows how we found it on the moon and Mars, and of all places, our Sun. Since he is a doctor of physics, it is not really surprising that he looks at the chemistry and physics of his subject, detailing why ice expands, and why you can ski on solid water but not on asphalt. He tells how its currents run the oceans, and how we don't completely understand the molecular happenings in water flow, or in the formation of snowflakes. He tells us about the dire problems we could have if we don't start handling this most precious and most taken-for-granted resource with more wisdom. He reports at length on the foolishness of cold fusion of heavy water, or of polywater.

In short, this book wonderfully covers every aspect of water you could think of. Ball writes with humor and excellent analogies, and even when the science gets complicated, he is an excellent guide.

We live on the planet called Earth. That just shows our chauvinism and inability to see the larger picture. The planet ought to be called Water. As Philip Ball points out in _Life's Matrix: A Biography of Water_ (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), water covers two thirds of the globe, and seen from space, water in its three different states is what determines what Earth looks like. It also determines that every other heavenly body we have been able to see looks to us like a lifeless orb. It is water that defines life for us, and when we go poking our noses into other planets, one of the first things we try to find is water. So no wonder that Ball has called this a biography.

And like a good biography, the book covers all the aspects of his subject. He goes into the origins of water back to the big bang. He shows how we found it on the moon and Mars, and of all places, our Sun. Since he is a doctor of physics, it is not really surprising that he looks at the chemistry and physics of his subject, detailing why ice expands, and why you can ski on solid water but not on asphalt. He tells how its currents run the oceans, and how we don't completely understand the molecular happenings in water flow, or in the formation of snowflakes. He tells us about the dire problems we could have if we don't start handling this most precious and most taken-for-granted resource with more wisdom. He reports at length on the foolishness of cold fusion of heavy water, or of polywater.

In short, this book wonderfully covers every aspect of water you could think of. Ball writes with humor and excellent analogies, and even when the science gets complicated, he is an excellent guide.

Wow. At first having noted the author's vita on the cover, I wasn't certain that an individual trained "only" in chemistry and physics could adequately write a book that was "obviously" about geology. As I read on, however, I realized that Phillip Ball's intention really was to write a "biography of water" as the subtitle suggested. The book in fact contains information about water from almost every perspective: from the origins of its constituent elements oxygen and hydrogen in cosmological processes to it's social and political effects in the modern world. The book covers it all. Because I have almost a complete degree in geology, I enjoyed most particularly the geological effects of water including its effects on geomorphology, its impact on glacial formation, its effect on climate and ocean physics, etc. The author lost me a little in his discussion of the chemistry and physics of the substance, but I still found what I understood of it very instructive. Water's function in the evolution of life and in the biochemistry of cellular metabolism was also interesting to me since I enjoy studying evolution-paleontolgoy and earth history were my major focus in studying geology--and I also am a nurse caring for patients whose fluid and electrolyte status arises from the cellular effects of water.

Probably the most important messages in the book, however, are those regarding conservation and utilization of water resources. Certainly the information about the disparity of water availability and quality between the western and 3rd world countries, between urban and rural use, and between countries and states that have competing interests in a particular watershed were very enlightening. It was surprising to learn that part of the problems of the Middle East revolve around water availability and use. These issues certainly provide previews to future problems that will almost certainly arise globally in the not too distant future!

A very thorough, interesting and multifaceted book.

Although materials science is a fast-evolving discipline, and even though this book was written 10 years ago, it is still an important and useful contribution. Philip Ball has taken a diverse and interdisciplinary science and created a book that is both readable, interesting, and informative, no matter what your level of scientific literacy.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a materials scientist, so I may not be the best person to comment on the book's readability to the layman. There is some technical vocabulary. It is always explained, but someone without a clear idea of the basic building blocks of matter (atoms, molecules, electrons, etc.) a reader will find this book a heavy slog. However, there is nothing in the book above the scientific literacy level of high-school chemistry and physics. Anything more advanced is explained in a conversational and coherent manner, without ever resorting to distorting approximations that riddle newspaper accounts of science.

What makes this book especially valuable is that the breadth of topics is so large that even a practicing materials scientist will learn a lot from reading the book. There are discussions of inorganic and biological polymers, mineral films, magnetism, imaging, etc. Even better, especially for the average reader, is the constant referal to actual devices (both current technology and speculation about future technology). This is not an esoteric book - Ball includes issues such as solar power and its feasibility (it's still more expensive to generate solar lectricity than oil-fired or hydro). There is also extensive discussions on such diverse issues as wear in machines, the operation of computer magnetic hard drives, and medical prosthetic devices such as artificial hearts.

This is not a quick read - there is some technical jargon and the text is quite dense. However, there are many diagrams and the writing is quite accessible, so I would not hesitate to recommend this book as a wide-reaching and honest overview of the broadly amorphous field called materials science.

A unique book that presents a comprehensive and modern overview of new materials in both scientific and popular ways at the same time. It is so nicely written that you can read it as a novel. Philip Ball managed to put a truly encyclopedic knowledge in a single book. A "must have" book for every person who is dealing with new materials.

This is a well done book.
Its not a technical book (but good pointers) yet not non-technical popular-mechanics type work. This book describes what science is pretty much all about! Its easy to get bogged down in your own world of work so a book such as this helps get your eyes open to the possibilities of the opportunites that come from hard, hard work. :)

This book talks about whats going on at the molecular level of things (my version is 1997). For the non-specialist this book is just great though I suppose if you work in micro-optics or semi/super conductors you might find that research is moving on a bit.

things discussed:
Optics (photonic material), superconductors, medicine & applications: biomaerials (chapt 4 - my fav), biomedical materials (cool), polymers, smart materials. energy, and more.

there is also a rather extensive bibliography so you can look for more info with Google.com(r) or other site.

Philip Ball argues for the increasing importance of materials in the future and does so eloquently and clearly. He invites the layman into the complexities of material science and sparks great interest in this field without burdening the audience with superfluous technical detail. This is a must-read for those curious about the future of engineering as a whole!

Just as the 20th century has been often described as the information age, it might also be described as the age of materials. At the beginning of the 20th century, our technology was based mostly on materials harvested and refined from nature. Milled lumber, iron, copper, and alloys of common metals. Fabrics were all derived from plans and animals with very little processing.

Early in the past century a revoution started to develop in materials technology, as scientists and engineers began to experiment with creating molecules and structures not found in naturally occuring materials. At the molecular lever, chemists created long-chain polymers that had some of the characteristics of natural materials, but greatly improved resistence to wear and temperature. At the macroscopic level, materials were combined into composites like plywood and epoxy reinforced fiberglass. New structures unseen in nature, like matrixes of carbon and boron fibers embedded in metals, became possible. By the end of the century, it was possible to start moving around individual atoms to create entirely new materials with designer properties.

Ball's narrative covers both the history of materials science, and the future and its possibilities. He's particularly good at the historical story, and at drawing parallels betwene natural and artifial structures. As in Ball's other popular works on science, "Made to Measure" is approachable without being trivial, and rigorous in its attention to detail without becoming numbingly pedantic. This is a book that would serve admiribly as either an introduction for the educated reader or a supplimentary text in an introductory materials engineer course.

Thuis was my first book over the subject. It is good, direct and clear for anyone. I will recommend it to everyone who wants to learn much more over the alternate state os conciousness with the mushrooms.

I bought this book because I was looking for a guide on using mushrooms ceremonially. Although, he does touch on this towards the end of the book, he basically just talks about spiritual enlightenment (not that thats a bad thing). He is not the best writer, lots of errors with the grammar and confusing sentence structures. I will continue my search!

I remember a Terrance McKenna comment that went something like-- "If you want to work with psychedelics, the first place you should go is a library." Unfortunately, back in the 60's there was nothing to speak of in any library. So psychedelics exploded into the spiritual vacuum of social club Christianity, creating a backlash of fear and loathing. Bit by bit, this situation is being rectified with books like Mushroom Wisdom. This book is a must for anyone considering following the arduous spiritual path of working with Plant Allies.

reccommended for anybody intrested in modern shamanism, consciousness, awareness, spirituality, positive world change. very good book, very well written

Finally, we have post baby-boom author with the authority and integrity of McKenna to talk about psychedelic experiences. This material is more of a general orientation into modes of thought, consciousness, and perspectives used by mystics, shamans, knowers, etc. There is scant material here on mushroom specifics but enough to make it an almost required resource for anyone researching psychedelic experiences. If you are new to the spiritual path or psychedelic studies then there is much more than a pinch of good information here. Much of the authors music is also good expecially Shaman's Path.

Technical to a fault, but exacting. Provides interesting, sometimes counter-intuitive information, e.g., on how the tennis ball bounces, and how racquets really perform.

This book really wont change your game or provide any revelations. It even has some inconsistences.

For the serious tennis player or anyone trying to learn more about tennis it's great.

Despite the title, there are no equations and the technical details are all descriptive, but there's lots of useful information. A great first book to read on technical aspects of tennis. If the title suggests you will find hard numbers and research-level information here, you might be disappointed. Otherwise it's really a great book with lots of practical physics- and engineering-based
good advice on everything from racquets and balls to shots and serves, delivered at an almost non-technical level: think physics for poets!

A few years back I did read "The Physics and Technology of Tennis." Even though this was a sensational book that gave me the physics knowledge to moonlight as a racquet development consultant, "Technical Tennis" is a great update. "The Physics and ..." consists of a collection of papers that were published in TennisPro magazine between 1993 and 2000. Meanwhile, "Technical Tennis" was published in 2005. Tennis technique and technology have changed since the mid nineties. The authors thoroughly study these changes. They do a great analysis of Sampras second serve that remained a standard even for today's pros. They also analyze Federer's forehand that is a marvel of versatility, speed, and accuracy. Nobody hits a forehand using Federer's technique. But, maybe thanks to this book more tennis players and especially pros will emulate it.

The authors' opinions have become more complex and nuanced over time. In "The Physics ..." they stated unequivocally that heavier racquets gave you more power, control, and felt better all around than lighter ones. Now, they indicate it depends somewhat on your playing style. And, they come up with an all around "ideal" weight of 342 grams or 12 ounces. That is heavier than most recreational racquets sold in store. But, it is not heavy vs what the pros use. On page 55, they also indicate that to reduce the force on your arm there are five things you can do:

1) Use a heavier racquet;
2) Use a head heavy racquet;
3) Use a more flexible racquet (not a widebody one);
4) Lower the string tension;
5) Use a softer thicker grip.

These are different recommendations than in "The Physics ..." book. Back then they recommended a stiff racquet.

The authors also study in greater details the relationship between racquet weight and ball speed. And, how the relationship is different for serves vs groundstrokes.

If you read "The Physics ..." book, you have to read this one to update your knowledge. If you have not, you don't need to read it, and can jump in straight into this one. It will provide you with all the physics you care about. This book is really not dummed down much. Be ready for that. At times the physics discourse gets pretty dry and challenging. But if you digest it, it's pretty interesting stuff.

Chip Carlson has established himself as the most prolific and knowledgeable Tom Horn buff since Dean Krakel, and his work is extraordinarily readable. To understand a true American (choose your own term) outlaw, rogue, bounty hunter, lawman, Westerner ... whatever ... pick up Carlson's work, which is full of the grittiness that haunts the legend of Horn.

Introduced to the epic of Tom Horn by the excellent western movie starring Steve McQueen, I wanted to find a book and read more about the history of a man who, on the one hand, seemed a ruthless killer and on the other seemed the unfortunate dupe of the big business of the day--the cattle barons.

Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon: The Dark History of the Murderous Cattle Detective fit the bill marvelously. I came away with what I believe is an accurate history of the hapless Tom Horn and, more interestingly, names of several interesting characters who contributed to the demise of arguably a great American hero.

Key among these characters was Joe LeFors, the very same detective and lawman who made life miserable for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Named Joe Bell in the movie, LeFors methods were, shall we say, "creative."

We are tempted to believe that political scandals, scapegoats and other applicable cloak and dagger are primarily of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Read Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon... and find out the rest of the story.

Although this book seems to contain a well documented, and at times, interesting account of Tom Horn and the Nickell murder, its about as much fun to read as a treatise on the history of linear-regression analysis. Mr. Carlson's poorly constructed syntax and meandering story lines makes this book a "plodding" experience.

An exceptional documentary dealing with one of Wyoming's most notorious citizens, one that reads like a novel. Although much has been written about Tom Horn, Chip Carlson has done an excellent job of presenting new facts and information furthing adding to the controversey over Horn's guilt in the murder of young Willie Nickell.

The best word I can think of to describe this book is FANTASTIC.Chip Carlson has written another masterpiece on the subject.
To me just about every chapter leaves you craving more information, and thats what a good book should do.His indepth research is amazing on how he has put it into a format for persons interested in this period of western history.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants more insight into the times trials and tribulations of 1890's Wyoming.

The exercises in this book are great--I noticed a difference just from doing the beginner exercises. You'll need more than the large ball to take full advantage of the book; you'll also need 1 or 2 smaller "gymnic overballs."

When I heard pilates on a ball, I was ecstatic! I was just impressed by the creativity used in coming up with such wonderful exercises.I attempted many of the exercises, and I just saw how valuable they would be to athletes, who have been using traditional exercises for a long time.This new system, is so dynamic, and I just love the fact that even seasoned exercisers would be challenged positively.
The author does an excellent job in introducing the audience to the material.I am not a die hard pilates instructor, so I appreciated it.

After only a few reps, I can feel the work! I like how it builds on moves I am familiar with and has some new ones in there.

I know that most DVDs are for most of the exercises that are done on any exercise endeavor, including those on the ball, I just wish there was a DVD to accompany this book. I believe that DVDs help to keep people motivated to exercise.
That having been stated, this a great book to "wear you out" and get you into shape. I have always thought that doing Pilates was a good thing for the average person, but the ball makes it twice as fun.
If you enjoy ball exercising and feel that it does the job you reshaping you in the way you want, this book will be a lovely addition to your exercise routine.

There is something about the ball that relaxes you - maybe the shape takes you back to the womb....

Anyway, this workout is a great complement to the advanced Pilates workout I do with a teacher every week. The exercises feel different, deeper and harder with the ball.

Most of the explanations are pretty clear, but it would help to see the workout on video.

I only regret the layout of the exercise flow at the end of the book... It is kind of hard to flip around the book if you need more explanations while you are doing the workout flow. It would be better if they added a kind of pull-out chart with the exercises, and references to the pages of the exercises on it.

I finished After the Ball several weeks ago, but it is complex and haunting enough to remain in my thoughts. One can't help but wonder how much of chubby, young Percy is actually fashioned after author David Penhallow! Could anyone really have so many domineering and opinionated aunties and such a mix of macho, milk-toast and/or missing uncles? Percy is a youngster with a lot of unguided and unappreciated imagination. To make matters worse, he is stuck in a huge, arrogant and highly dysfunctional family, many of whom see themselves as top drawer players in an island paradise that they rule through their commerce, influence, roots and holdings.

I truly enjoyed this book which was written with many layers of complexity. There are lots of things going on throughout. In addition to the characters, the misunderstandings and resulting, often wayward, behaviors of a precocious, neglected little boy, the reader finds historically accurate descriptions of both time and place, as well as realistic presentation of the political concerns in America in 1940-41. The narrative is first rate, placing the reader right in the middle of all the action, with a side of Best Foods Mayonnaise and the glamour of Tinsel Town cinema, to boot.

I give it 4 stars because it could have used tighter editing and proof-reading. And, perhaps, a little less repetition in some areas. However, it was a wonderful read that leaves me awaiting the sequel. I highly recommend it.

I picked this up from the used book shelf at my local library (Thelma Parker in Waimea) and almost put it back, being turned off by the cover and big size for a first novel. Boy, am I glad I gave it a try. It was great. Oddball characters, wonderful settings, and historical nuggets from 1941 Hawai`i. I recommend it.

For those who enjoyed "Youth in Revolt", here's a pre-computer version that offers an unique blend of coming-of-age and historical relevance. Percy, the protagonist, serves as an excellent conduit for the author's remembrances of pre-WWII Oahu, with side trips to Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii. For those familiar with these islands, this book offers a chance to see Hawaii when it was a relatively unspoiled paradise. For those of us raised in "unconventional" families, Percy's search for answers will strike poignant chords.

This is the story of Percy, a fat and sassy movie-crazed kid, who loves mayonnaise sandwiches, his mother and his wonderful housekeeper/companion, who is Japanese. Percy is a cross dresser because he loves to re-enact the movies they see...His life is set against the late 30's, to mid-forties, up to and including the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It depicts a rich mix of people and customs in The Hawaiian islands and the shock of that bombing seemed very real. There is also a family curse which is tragically ongoing.
Percy is so very alive, that when I finished the book, I felt compelled to learn more about what had happened to him since, and was inspired to meet the author. Happily, I found him working on the sequel. I am eagerly awaiting it's publication!

A very special first-person childs-eye view of life in Hawaii in pre-Pearl Harbor Hawaii. It's a wonderful and unique story, sometimes very funny, rich in descriptions of places and people leading up to and during a highly dramatic historical event. I gave it only 4 stars because I prefer stories that are more tightly woven, and I felt that there were a few inconsistencies in the narrative. Still, 4 stars for a first novel is definitely well above average and a worth-while read for anyone who loves children and their views on life in a dysfunctional family. Add the settings of Hawaii in 1940-41, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and a child's loss of innocence to the mix, and, well, read it for yourself!