Bell Books

We were late on this book too. My 8 year old and I sung this book together. It is Jingle Bells with the words changed to show children in different countries enjoying Christmas. It is a fun book with great pictures. Recommended for preschool - 2nd grade.

As a storyteller at the local library, I am always looking for new and different books to read to my preschool group." Jingle Bells" was one of the best holiday selections I have read. The illustrations are large enough for a group,and the colors and detail are superb. Trapani tells a story of Christmas around the world, describing how the children in Poland, Sweden, Italy and several other countries celebrate their own special holiday. Great book!

The book is an extention of the Jingle Bells song, with new verses added to talk about how kids celebrate in other countries. It gives very minimal details really, but it's a cute intro with a flying sleigh that flies around the world. They visit Mexico, Philippines, Italy, Sweden, Kenya, & Poland. My 2-year-old enjoys it & I'm sure it will be one that we continue to read in future years as well.

This is a wonderful addition to your Christmas book collection. I just purchased two copies for my niece and nephew's young families. I was really pleased that even I who is muscially challenged could sing the new verses without much difficulty. I loved that the book introduces children to Christmas customs in other parts of the world as I am always on the lookout for books that make my youngest nieces and nephews aware of people beyond their own neighborhoods. I think this will be a must have Christmas offering.

Last Christmas I gave a dozen copies of this book away to friends and family, and without exception each recipient thanked me profusely for the gift of transcendent yet realistic hope and encouragement they received. Whatever your faith, whatever trial or triumph you're experiencing, this book's daily entries can lift you into communion with God and hold you there.

This is my second copy of this inspiring devotional. I wore out my first copy. I like this book so much that I ordered two extra copies to give to my 22 year old daughter and my twin sister for their birthdays this summer.

This book is like an angel perched on your shoulder that whispers secrets when you most need them. It comforts, encourages and supports those on a spiritual journey seeking a closer walk with God. This book is Soul Food for the spiritual traveler.

I have used this devotional for about 5 years now, since it was given to me as a gift from a dear friend and mentor. It is full of wisdom and insight and truth that relates to our daily lives today, even though most of the excerpts were written centuries ago. Some days I find I need to read the passage through a few times to fully absorb the meaning of it; other days it hits home right away. I find it amazing that the things the many authors wrote so long ago are still so relevant and applicable to my life--but I shouldn't be surprised, since God's word is dynamic and relevant. I appreciate the list of authors and their dates of birth and death listed in the back with references to the pages of their writings.

"Leave No Man Behind" is the true guidepost to the painful saga of resolving the search for POWs and MIAs in Indochina. It should be required for anyone interested in the details and history of the quest. The author, a genuine hero, spent most of 20 years, 1973-1993, interviewing refugees, battling U.S. bureaucrats (military and civilian) and wrestling with Communist officials in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. He was also this country's senior field investigator, searching remote crash and burial sites for remains of U.S. military. Along the way he was actively involved in the final evacuation from Saigon in 1975. He learned several distinct Vietnamese dialects, the better to communicate/negotiate with the adversary. Few Americans would be that conscientious. Those of us who have followed and supported the search for POWs/MIAs all these years know how venally, dishonestly and even cruelly the Vietnamese have acted. They deny storing remains and then repatriate bodies with obvious evidence of chemical storage. They allow us to "investigate" crash sites that have been clearly sanitized in advance. Bodies are dug up, moved and reinterred. After payment of search fees, permits, excavation fees and other "costs", remains are found! And so it goes, on and on, year after frustrating year. But when Vietnamese act that way, they are being themselves! How can we explain or describe American officials, civilian and military, who descend to the same level? Mr.Bell makes it perfectly clear that a POW assignment was all too often a just soft "REMF" job. These guys did not want too many POWs being repatriated all at once. How would that look? The longer the searches went on, the longer the comfortable gigs. In the words of a previous reviewer, the whole deal was nothing more than a meal ticket. This reviewer has always suspected that we were own worst enemy and the list of "usual suspects" is long and sickening. There is no doubt in this quarter that these quislings would never want any American MIA found alive. They would be too frightened to explain the reappearance! One specific suspect on the list of lowlife Americans is President Carter, who tried very hard to underfund the original search efforts and nip them in the very bud. Another is not President Clinton but John Kerry. He was so in love with normalizing relations with North Vietnam that his so-called Senate Select Committee swept whitewashed the entire POW/MIA effort. All so his family owned company received exclusive American rights to real estate deals in North Vietnam. How Mr. Bell kept his calm and perspective dealing with so man cowardly and selfish Americans is a mystery. This review could continue at great length, but I'm sure my amazon friends have the picture clearly. In a review of Bernard Fall's "Street Without Joy", this observer closed by writing that the author would be "a great guy to have a few beers with". I feel the same about Mr. Bell except that he would not have to pay for a round. The author is a true American hero. I'll conclude this review by restating that "Leave No Man Behind" is required reading for anyone concerned with the resolution of the 1,845 men still missing in Indochina.

It was fascinating to read and learn from this author, who is multi-lingual and deeply immersed in Vietnamese culture and history, as
well as American military experience. While the writing was not always as interesting as the subject matter, this book really brought home the passion and commitment of the author in finding out what happened to the many missing soldiers from the Vietnam War.

Leave No Man Behind had me griting me teeth and cussing. The stonewall that Bill Bell runs into time after time, yet keeps getting up for more is remakable. I've always knew the MIA / POW issue hasn't been dealth with directly and honorably by the ones having the power to do so. Bill Bell breaks it down in an intelligent way for the rest of us, he's been there, done that. From the Vietnamese using our missing troops to ferther their agenda and look like the innocent, to our own people covering their ass with a smile, Leave No Man Behind connects the dots for me and gives hope that all the soldiers lost in Viet Nam will be found.

Whether or not a reader has the same take on the history of the POW-MIA issue as Bill Bell, most will be able to acknowledge that he took the issue to heart in a very active way. His commitment to the study of the languages of the region set him head and shoulders above the vast majority of NCOs and certainly all of the officers who were assigned to work the issue, and those linguistic skills for the most part served him very very well. Unfortunately, by the time Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia began to open up and the many years of almost hopeless interviews in refugee camps came to an end, the "issue" had devolved into a series of highly-publicized scams and silly bureaucratic turf struggles between bureaucracies with no missions, and inevitably was exploited by the odd politician or three. We ended up not serving the missing or their families as well as the naive among us would have expected. What was once a sacred cause degenerated into a comfortable meal ticket for many of those "involved," but in spite of all that, Bill often took stances which he knew would bring him his fair share of abuse. If anyone made an honest effort for an extended period of years, Bill did. Those that have hung on for decades sitting idle at the trough have much to answer for. Bill Bell was active in the pursuit of his life-defining mission, and that alone makes his writing worth our time and our respect.

I was looking for a good read on tropical medicine but also lightweight and easy to pack and carry around. There really were not much options out there that I could find. This one and the oxford handbook on tropical medicine fit what I was looking for. Both were good, but the Lecture Notes I found slightly more useful, easier to find information and a bit more clinical detail. Very wide range of topics listed both by presenting syndrome and by each etiology separately.

This small-to-medium sized text is perfect for folks who need a quick and pertinent Tropical Medicine reference. I have found that it nicely complements the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine (OHTM). OHTM is smaller, yet touches on a broader array of disease. Lecture Notes on Tropical Medicine gives more depth, with emphasis on diseases unique to the tropics. Both are excellent and highly recommended.

This book is very useful in my practice as a general practitioner and Travel Medicine Specialist. It gives brief but concise up to date information about Tropical Diseases. I still use other refernces in addition for up to date information about diagnosis and treatment, but find this book as a good quick 'first stop'. The photographs, though interesting, are few and not particularly relevant for my practice in New Zealand.It is the course textbook for the Travel Medicine paper through Otago University.Good value for money.

I have used every edition of this book since the first one came out as a single author edition by Dr Dion Bell. The book has only improved as the years went on. This book is not encyclopedic but has the information most needed when dealing with diseases of the tropics and developing world. Even if you have a larger more encyclopedic text you should have this one. This book is ideal for the physician or other practitioner going to the tropics for the first time and who may not have the time for more exhaustive study. Of all the medical texts I have used over the year this is one of the best!

These elegant short stories are deceptive. On the surface hardly anything seems to "happen" in each "episode" other than a sword fight or two. Actually there is a LOT going on. Koike is in touch with humanity in ways many of us never will be.

Lone Wolf & Cub artwork is anything but simple. These stories are CARRIED by the masterful drawings. I am constantly amazed.

The main storyline continues to build from volumes 1 to 3. I highly recommend ALL FOUR books, and I also suggest you read them in order.

I've been so blown away by the work Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima
that I decided to wait until the entire series was released to finish reading it. After the first three volumes, I didn't really believe they could keep up the same level of quality, and it turns out I was right.

Volume 4 blows the previous three away.

It's worth reading just for the heartbreaking Daigoro solo story, "Parting Frost", where the toddler sets out in search of his father and makes a very powerful enemy of his own. The other three stories are nothing to sneeze at either, and in addition to great entertainment, the creators also provide some important lessons about the history and culture of Japan in pain-free ways that don't even give you time to realize you've been learning; Perfect for Gaijin's like me!
I can't imagine how this series can possibly get any better. Stay tuned.....

I just love these mangas of Itto Ogami and his son. I use to collect the old comics that First Comic published, then I heard that Dark horse was republishing them So I just had to get it. These books are suggested for mature readers only because they have some sex, lots of violence, and bad language. But it perfectly shows feudal Japan in the Edo state.

This fourth volume in the manga epic "Lone Wolf & Cub" manages to transcend the previous volumes. Kazuo Koike's stories not only continues to mine the history of Edo-period Japan for fascinating narrative settings and details, but Goseki Kojima continues to try different art styles dependent on the story being told. This volume offers up the next four stories of Ogami Itto's journey along the Assassin's Road:

(20) "The Bell Warden" gives its title to the volume, but it is the third best story in the volume. The current bell warden of the capital's nine bells wants the assassin to cut off the right arm of his three successors as a test. Each of the three is an expert with a different weapon, but also weapons that are different from anything we have seen to date. (This volume's "Ronin Report" essay by Tim Ervin-Gore in the back is "Weapons Glossary: Part One," which helps to explain more about these weapons). This story becomes a series of three fights, albeit unlike what we are used to it the series.

(21) "Unfaithful Retainers" sets the tone for the other three stories in this volume in which Ogami Itto becomes something of a secondary character for most of the story. This tale involves the new class of Orisuke that arose during this period to serve samurai families without sharing the values of samurai society. The assassin has a mission regarding the Orisuke, but when he encounters two young girls about to kill themselves. Curious about what they would do so, he listens to their story and then comes up with a startling suggestion. The climax involves another one of Lone Wolf's complex strategems to put his prey where he wants him.

(22) "Parting Frost" is the most unforgettable story in this volume. Left to wait patiently for the return of his father, Daigoro has run out of food and decides to search for Lone Wolf. Going to a Buddhist temple because his father often meditates at such place, Daigoro finds a samurai who is stunned to see "Shishogan," the eyes of a swordman alive in the moment between life and death (i.e., Ogami's eyes). Seeking to solve the mystery of how such eyes could belong to a child, the samurai observe Daigoro's actions. A stunning story, totally unforgettable. But this is only Volume 4 and the thought that there are stories down the road that might be better than this one is mind-blowing. But every time I think I have read the best "Lone Wolf and Cub" story, there is one even better in the next volume. Daigoro says little, but Koike shares with us the child's thoughts and we discover what he has learned from watching his father. A fascinating character study made all the more poignant by Daigoro's ability to remain in some ways a child, despite all he has seen and endured.

(23) "Perfomer" offers an intriguing mystery regarding a woman whose body is tatooed in a most eye-catching way. The woman also happens to be an expert sword fighting and apparently the next target of Assassin Lone Wolf and Cub. But once again, there is more to meet the eye regarding this situation. These stories started off with a key element being the brilliant strategems by which the Assassin gained access to his victim. But by this point in the epic the situations are becoming equally complex as Koike and Kojima take their stories to the next level. This is the second best story in this volume, which continues the amazing progression that each is superior to its predecessor.

I continue to read these stories, one a night before going to sleep. These stories live up to their well deserved reputation as one of the great efforts in the history of comics.

The book pictured is Lucia in London, but the one reveiwed is Lucia's Progress, which was previously published under another name entirely, but that other name is not Lucia in London... really,have mercy on us!

A delightful a book, with wonderful characters that one can almost instantly regognize. One can definetly relate with some of the aspects of this book.

The photo may show "Lucia in London" (the second book in the Lucia series), but this does appear to link the fifth book in the series, with Lucia firmly ensconsed into Tilling and ready to make a foray into local politics. All of Benson's Lucia novels are a delight, a sharp and biting look at life of the well-to-do country upper middle class between the wars. If you haven't met either Lucia or Mapp, I heartly recommend picking these stories up. The concerns of the characters are simple, shallow, their quarrels petty and sometimes observed with resignation by those outside their circle, but the prose still sparkles some seventy years after it was written.

This was the fourth book I read in Benson's Lucia series--by the time I sped through the first three, I simply could not wait to pick this one up. I was not disappointed! The back stabbing only gets better. I laughed out loud so many times while reading in bed--my husband began to wonder just what in the world I was up to. Highly reccommended (I never can spell that right)--anyway, buy them all, and put your name in them in permanent and prominent places if you choose to loan them out--otherwise, you'll never get them back!

When I first read the book I thought it was all abpout the roman gods but then I found out what it was about, it was an exiting and comical book and I look foward to readindg more.

First published in French in 1971, as Le domaine des Dieux
This album was first published in English in 1973.

Julius Caesar comes up with a new plan to try and bring the little village, on the Armorican coast, that we know so well, to heel.
He decides that the forest surrounding the village will be destroyed and replaced with blocks of flats, inhabited by well to do Romans.

He commissions Rome's most talented young architect, Squareontheyhypotenus, for this task.
A battle of wills ensues between the Gauls and Romans until wise old Druid Getafix comes up with a plan, which will teach the Romans a lesson, after making it, seem like they have got what they wanted.

Asterix and Obelix get up to some really fun tricks again, and as in `Asterix and The Normans'; Cacofonix the Bard is instrumental in saving the day.

Once more we are treated to an amusing satire on both Ancient Gaul and Europe at the time the book was written.
As the Romans bring in a multi-national force of slaves to cut down the forest and build the flats, we get to meet Iberians (Spaniards), Lusitanians (Portuguese), Numidians (North Africans) , Belgians and Goths (Germans).
An essential part of your Asterix collection!

One of the best Asterix adventures, with a very inventive plot, hilarious one-liners. Cacofonix steals the show at the end of the book, with the reactions from the residents of the Mansion of the Gods funny beyond words.

This is one of my favourate ASTERIX books with many laughs along the way, ideal for childrean and a perfect christmas present! Kids are bound to love it! We find out that Ceasar and his young architect (squarontheypotenus) are planning to build a new city surrounding asterixs' peaceful village. So asterix and his trusty freind obelix decide that something has to be done, so with a bit of magic along the way the story unveals, giving the romans a headache, the gauls some fun and us well a good laugh!

Bell is a remarkable artist whose pictures transport you into the story in a way words never could. An amazing first effort...I am looking forward to more tales from this promising young author and illustrator.

What an amazing world of make-believe! A story worth reading aloud to all your young ones..

What a wonderful story. Shows how important it is for us to care about all those around us, even when someone is different. Also, there's a great part about staying true to your values. The drawings are beautiful and interesting. I found myself looking at each picture and all the details for a long time. It's fun for children of all ages to read together and the wonderful message stays with you for a long, long time. What a delight!

I believe that the world has been looking for a book like this to reinvent the Tooth Fairy. The author is a genious and an amazing illustrator. I can't wait for his next book!

As with the MechWarrior 2 Guide; this one helps you thru the rough spots AND helps you figure out which weapons make the best combo for you. Don't want to give away the whole book but...a couple of "dogs" in MW 2 are my favorites now.

BTW, D/L the vers 1.1 patch for the game itself from microprose

The MW3 strategy guide has a lot of info, but there are a number of obvious flaws. The vehicle descriptions are all messed up when it comes to vehicle weapons (donar choppers don't have ER medium lasers!), and guide's suggested 'mech configurations don't have a lot of ammo and heat management is nearly non-existent. However, the battle-maps and run-throughs are exceptional, as are the combat and 'mech customization tips. Besides the minor glitches, this Prima is one worth using.

Simply put, this book is a must have. It gives you guidelines to go by, to suite your individual piloting and fighting styles. You get detailed info on mech stats, equipment and weapons, along with specifics on how to equip and use them. Even with what is all availible in this book... it is up to YOU to decide the final outcome in each battle. For once there is a book you can use without worrying if it's linear and will it give away the game. I recommend this book to everyone who purchased the game.

Wow pretty much sums this guide up. You think it's got a lot of info in it? It's 279 pages! You bet it does! They crammed so much info in this book it's easy to see why it has a listing price of 20 bucks. This book lists every 'Mech along with their cruising and top speeds, normal and max tonnage, primary weapon configurations, as well as a full page description of each of the 'Mechs pros and cons along with suggested weapons and equipment grouping. It lists every weapon, the heat it generates, their damage potential, and range. The walkthrough is very well done with suggested routes to take and what 'Mech to pilot as well as what 'Mechs to have your lancemates control. Before every mission, there is a page which states everything you'll find there, as in missle placements as well as the number and identities of every enemy 'Mech out there. It explains excellent customizing of 'Mechs, giving you awesome firepower for any range, the heat sinks to allow repeated fire, and the armor and speed to live through any battle. The book also explains all the controls and gives you ideas on how to get adjusted to any combat situation. I really haven't even begun to scratch the surface of this book, but this should be enough to help you with your decision to buy it. So....what are you waiting for? buy it!

Richard Reti - one of the leaders of the hypermodern school of chess which rose to prominence in the 1920's - was a formidable over the board grandmaster as shown by his victories at the splendid tournaments of Kaschau 1918, Gothenburg 1920 and Teplitz Schonau 1922. His victims included Capablanca, Alekhine and Nimzowitsch, while his elegant destruction of Bogolyubov deservedly won the beauty prize at New York 1924. Reti was an adept at blindfold chess in which he rivalled Alekhine in the number and strength of his opposition,a lucidly brilliant composer of endgame studies but above all an artist fascinated by the creative forces and energies lying beneath the surface of the chessboard battle. Golombek wrote " Reti became a great and vital writer on the game --for the first time in the history of books on chess a writer capable of a genuine historical survey of the evolution of chess ideas and also of a colourful and poetic picture of the state of contemporary chess had made his appearance." As Reti himself wrote "in the idea of chess and the development of the chess mind we have a picture of the intellectual struggle of mankind."

This small book is essential reading for any chess player. Reti's understanding of the game and his ability to explain the concepts of it are unsurpassed. There's nothing else I can say. Get it.

reti explains the evolution of concepts in paying chess( from 19th century to early 21st century).a player of cnsiderable repute,he is as excellent in explaining chess concepts.some of these are:combinations,open positions,positional play,close positions etc.,

"Modern ideas in Chess" is a very short book - too short, I think, but I include it in my "Best Chess books" list. Far from being just a technical or tactical book (you have hundreds like these), it demonstrates the changing concepts of chess. As I see it, it's one of the most important books for advanced players (only!!) who want to understand the development of the game from the mid. 19th century to the early 20th. century. Why did Capablanca ignored Morphy's move in a certain position? How did Dr. Lasker (probably the best chess player ever) succeed to hold the world champion title for more than 20 years? What ideas came with the "Hyper modern" masters, like Nimzovich, Alekhine, Breyer and Reti himself? What was the typical American style, that Reti observed? These questions and much more are answered in the book. I repeat myself and warn that the book is only for advanced, who's libraries are full of theory and technical books of the game, and want to learn more about the history of the chess thought.