California Books

A great success both with grown-ups of Swedish descendence and their grandchildren (hard for a Dane to admit). A Swedish "Paradise Lost".

This is an amazing book that gives so much information on the environmental features of Sweden that adults as well as children will be fascinated by the tale.

This is a wonderful book--This edition has BEAUTIFUL illustrations. Nils has one harrowing adventure after another and he also changes from a selfish boy to one who treats animals and other people with care and concern. All this while also teaching the geography of Sweden--an added bonus. It does involve him being bewitched until he learns his lesson so if you have strong feelings about this sort of fantasy you wouldn't want it, but to those who are OK with fairy tale level fanstasy you should find it enchanting.

It's a wonderful, kind-hearted tale. I readed in Russian and am delighted to find it in English. Will pull children in as well Harry Potter did. In my opinion it's an even better book. It's kinder for one, and it celebrates nature.

Nils is a typical troublemaker in a village in southern Sweden who pulls the tails of cats, throws rocks at geese etc. Then he finds a gnome and teases him as well, but the result is that he is shrunk to the size of a sparrow so all the creatures he was mean to can get their own. Too ashamed to show his new self to his family, he travels with the wild geese on their annual migration to Lapland.

What follows is a picaresque and description of the natural world of Sweden from the south to the north in terms of the environment, the animals and the life that they lead. The flock of geese is a matriarchy led by the experienced and assertive Akka. In his travels, Nils learns helplessness and helping others and has many adventures involving magic flutes, a castle with rats and an underwater city. He also learns respect and admiration for the animals and the natural world.

This is a children's story with some features rarely found in other books (such as the matriarchy and the focus on the natural without too much "magic" - although the animals do talk) which makes it memorable.

Savvy Casting Director Bonnie Gillespie scores a direct How-To hit with this latest effort, "Conversations with Working Actors." As anyone in Hollywood can tell you (especially BG), there is no greater feat in Tinseltown than to make your living by performing. And that's why this book is such a helpful tool to those artists who are on their way...as well for those who have already arrived!

Insightful interviews, commentary and anecdotes will inform and inspire even the most jaded showbiz type---whether it's from a name you recognize (eg Joy Behar) or someone whose face is so familiar but name doesn't ring a bell (Michael McManus). Learn and laugh from this well edited and always interesting actor's essential!

That book was amazing.It includes interviews with 29 working actors who they are asked about the challenges of the profession, the triumphs, the disappointments, the dreams that came or didn't came true and why.Through reading these discussions, you feel like you are talking to these people in person, that natural and realistic they are.It is a beautiful journey, that i feel will be equally worthy to everyone, whether he is in the profession or not.I am not in the profession, however i always wanted to learn how actors live their lifes and that book provided me valuable knowledge that i will always cherish.

This book reads as smoothly as a novel. Each chapter is a slice-of-life vignette that delves into the lives and minds of working actors. Actors will learn something from each of their peers. Fans will love the insights into the personalities, hopes, and some of the usually-hidden fears of these noteworthy actors. Bonnie and Blake get the real stories behind these hard-working actors of all ages.

Actors will recognize Bonnie as both a casting director, book writer, and creator of columns on the business of show business. Get a copy today. You will be enthralled.

Each and every chapter of "Acting Q's" is a personal story shared by some of the most incredible people who just happen to be creative and talented artists. Through Bonnie and Blake, these wonderful actors share information along with life lessons learned in a very touching and personal manner. There is so much that every actor can relate to within these pages and so much invaluable advice that is past on that this book is the ultimate gift.

This inspiring collection of interviews takes you on the journeys of several artists that share a passion and a common goal - to become a working professional in the entertainment industry. In response to Bonnie Gillespie's and Blake Robbin's thoughtfully posed questions, each working actor shares their heartfelt stories and life experiences that lead them on their road to success.

From aspiring and veteran actors to the fans that show their undying support, all will be able to learn from and relate to the many challenges and similarities of each actor's chosen path. From how they got started to where they are now, the reality in these actor's lives is motivating, enlightening and helps us all to appreciate just how hard working they are.

Thank you, Bonnie and Blake, for giving all of us a book that is filled with so much life and is a joy to read.

This is a straightforward book about an attitude that just won't go away. Nohing succeds like persistance and Colonel Bob is persistant. Easy reading and a lot of fun. The author captures something that makes you admire the methods used by this little dog. I strongly reccomeend this book if you want to feel good. Much like the book "The Five People You Meet In Heaven." it's a feel good book.

A combination of sensitivity, ambition and an unyielding belief in success is this authors description of Colonel Bob B Beagle. In some ways it remind me of the best seller " Life of Pi. Personal beliefs and attitudes change with time and experience. Journey through life with this little dog and you will laugh until it hurts.

Colonel Bob Beagle reminds me of many people I have had the pleasure of meeting. Colonel Bobs resolve and determination is truly inspiring. The thought process this dog uses is greater than many of the professors I have had in college.

It amazing how quickly and easily my children read this book. They enjoyed Colonel Bob's Adventures so much they begged me to take them to the bookstore to find another book like this.

I have since purchased several of the paperback copies and given them to the secondary school in my neighborhood. I have received many calls from the teachers telling me how much the children enjoyed the book.

If nothig else buy it, read it and give to the school of your choice so the children can laugh at the antics of this ego enlfated dog.

Finally a book that can be read to kids of all ages. Clean, fun and appealing. The author must be a grandfather with lots of experience because it was obviously done for love and nothing else. Bravo to the author.

If you don't read this book you are cheating yourself out of great reading pleasure. Great at any price.

An absolute pleasure to laugh through an entire book. The humor displayed and the arrogance of this little dog can only be summed up as WOW.. Children of all ages will enjoy this book and, hope like me more will be forthcoming. Having served in the military for over 30 years I understand why the little guy is paranoid. My grandchildren wouldn't let me put the book down until I read the whole thing to them. They wanted me to read it again. Great book. The laughs are worth every penny spent buying this book.

This book was my introduction to anarchist principles and economics. I found it to be enlightening and inspiring. The Spanish were able to create an amazing society in Barcelona and many other villages and rural areas in the country. They created a federation of collectives which emphasized personal dignity and freedom and celebrated the community and solidarity. These values are in sharp contrast to the ones of our own rapacious state capatalism, which celebrates greed, selfishness, and the destruction of communal values. If you are looking for a better, brighter way to live that actually worked until it was destroyed by brute force, this is a book you should read.

Rocker's work is the finest marriage of classic political liberalism and economic equality. Rocker grounds the spirit and ideas of anarchism proposed by Bakunin in a concise social/political agenda. A far more lucid vision of a social order which is both economically socialist (or communist) and politically open, than any other theorist before or since.

Some may find it a bit dated. The sorts of labor organizations he refers to bear little resemblence to those found in contemporary societies. That is, not syndicalistic.

Still, I believe he is one of the most overlooked influences upon contemporary, Western, left-wing thought.

I also believe that the books first section 'Anarchism: Its Aims and Purposes' should be read by more social activists. It would help focus the often disparate voices of opposition, giving them a clearer vision of the road ahead and what needs to be done to travel upon it.

"Anarcho-Syndicalism" provides readers with an engagiong account of an egalitarian political philosophy that has its roots in Enlightenment thought. Author Rudolph Rocker presents a systematic conception of the development of anarchist thought towards anarcho-syndicalism, writing that "anarchism is not a fixed, self-enclosed social system but rather a definite trend in the historic development of mankind, which, in contrast with the intellectual guardianship of all clerical and governmental institutions, strives for the free unhindered unfolding of all the individual and social forces in life. Even freedom is only a relative, not an absolute concept, since it tends constantly to become broader and to affect wider circles in more manifold ways. For the anarchist, freedom is not an abstract philosophical concept, but the vital concrete possibility for every human being to bring to full development all the powers, capacities, and talents with which nature has endowed him, and turn them to social account. The less this natural development of man is influenced by ecclesiastical or political guardianship, the more efficient and harmonious will human personality become, the more will it become the measure of the intellectual culture of the society in which it has grown." Rocker shows that there is value in studying "trend(s) in the historic development of mankind" that do not articulate a specific and detailed social theory. Although intellectuals and social commentators alike dismiss anarchism as utopian, formless, primitive, or otherwise incompatible with the realities of a complex society, Rocker states that at every stage of history our concern must be to dismantle those forms of authority and oppression that survive from an era when they might have been justified in terms of the need for security or survival or economic development, but that now contribute to -- rather than alleviate - material and cultural deficit. "Anarcho-Syndicalism" remains an amazing intellectual and politcal statement containing a message of egalitarian hope.

Rocker writes lucidly and forcefully. He presents a clear alternative to political socialism, including Marxism. Anarcho-syndicalism seems well-grounded ethically and as if it would avoid the problems of concentrating power inherent in both capitalism and socialism.

But can it work? The biggest argument that it can seems to be CNT in Spain in the 1930's. As Rocker described it, they were highly effective and fully anarcho-syndicalist. They were defeated largely due to the involvement of powerful foreign powers. In the U.S. before World War I, the IWW (similar to the anarcho-syndicalists in Europe) grew in influence but were suppressed by the government.

Today in the U.S. the only sizable organized anarcho-syndicalist activity appears to a mucher smaller IWW. They continue to support unionization efforts and refrain from political activity.

If people can organize around trade unions, as Rocker describes and as the IWW does on a small scale, with sufficient involvement as to be able to run industries themselves, then anarcho-syndicalism as Rocker describes it seems wonderful. There would, however, many practical issues to work out. Rocker says that the CNT in Spain did that. However, if people prefer to be led, then anarcho-syndicalism won't work, as someone will undoubtedly step in to lead and, in doing so, enforce preferences for themselves.

For over 70 years, anarcho-syndicalism seems not to have been won over many people. Will conditions change so that people embrace it? Would educational efforts help revive it? Or has capitalism adapted and won? Is self-government just too much effort for most people? This work by Rocker seems about the best place to start in exploring such questions.

This book is a classic. Rocker provides a concise but thorough history of the labor movement and how it has evolved into modern anarcho-sydicalism. He also delves into methods that may be used to implement an anarcho-syndicalist society in the modern world. It was written 60 years ago, but most of the content is still relevant today. If you're interested in the labor movement, socialism, anarchism, or any related topics, you won't regret picking up this book.

I imagine this book bouncing around the traditional publishing circles for years, no doubt garnering interest, though invariably meeting with rejection. That is the only way I can fathom a work of this caliber coming to market through a POD publisher. For this is a unusual book that defies simple description and categorization. Nonetheless, Apology is an extraordinary achievement, as both literary art and philosophical meditation. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the authentic mystical experience.

Apology requires multiple readings to be fully appreciated. This is not to say that the writing itself is difficult to manage. Its beautiful composition serves a touching personal story that is by turns sad, funny, terrifying and ecstatic. The writing is elegant in an almost symphonic sense, the thematic elements layering and intertwining as the story methodically builds toward its magnificent climax. But the true complexity of the arrangement is only more deeply illuminated by subsequent readings.

The cultural landmarks, sacred and secular, noted along the story's journey are familiar to most of us. But here we find them transfigured by the blazing light of ... well, of something ultimately inexplicable. Apology is the uncompromised record of one person's life-altering encounter with Transcendence, offered up in all its gritty psychological detail.

Having recently experienced the death of my father, I found this book to me most enlightening. Its gives me hope, and helped me accept my despair. Mr. Arias simply stated is a genus.

At first I found the title Apology: A New Age Meditation a bit off-putting. But the title brought back memories of college philosophy courses, and so I did some investigating.

The Greek word apologia means "speech before". In Plato's terms, "Apology" was an account of Socrates' defense before his fellow Athenians, and an examination of the value of philosophical examination.

In the same way, Robert Arias' Apology is an account of his own examination of the meaning of life and consciousness, and the first steps in the search for "truth".

Written in the first person, and chronicling Arias' passage through psychedelic drugs, comparative religious thought, and meditation, the book is a series of richly interwoven narratives. Conversations held in the past weave threads similar to those held in the present, and at each moment the fullness of truth is but a hair's-breadth away.

I was particularly impressed with the detail and clarity with which Arias' psychedelic trips are described. Few people would attempt such a description. Fewer would do it well. Arias' trips leave the experienced reader with a "morning-after", kinesthetic remembrance, and the inexperienced reader with a small taste of the pleasure and danger of psychotropic investigation.

The novel moves like a Socratic cyclone, tearing down dogma and doctrine, leaving nothing but emptiness and uncertainty in its wake. And yet, in that emptiness and uncertainty lives a hope and possibility that can not be expressed in words.

...brings him to a place where the treasures are in the Here and the Now. "Every story must have a beginning." Rob asserts in both the beginning and the end of this novel. As if he is still being renewed, still being born. And the reader is exposed to his many, many revelations on the way to that final page.

His soul aches for answers to the question of why...? When he brother dies, why? When his mother does not understand or relate to him anymore, why? When his pal Jake or his girlfriend must move on, why? Why does living have to be so confusing, and so painful? And if God is such a good God, why has he allowed so much suffering in my life and others? And so he gleans from the masters of eastern and western religions, numbs and sucuumbs to maddness, wild pharmaceticals and hallucinogens and to Moebius strip like electron micrographs. To attempt to get the answers, to help himself deal with the pain. He has heady discussions like of the way of Jesus, original sin and the how to of Meditation. It all makes for a compelling read. The casual reader, however, may find his consumption of cigarettes all through out his various travels and reinventions quite paradoxical, but, like he puts it, tabacco is good for brooding intellectual types.

My opinion? It is a well-written How-To disguised as a bio. But the reader does not really have to do what he has done to come to the same answers. Rob serves as, like, the ultimate test subject in a self imposed set of clinical/spiritual trials. As a scientist--he is a neurophysiologist--he just may have come upon just what us neo-millenium searchers may require. A proxy for the spiritual realms. Not too unlike...?

This book is great, it has been extremely hard for me to boil down my thoughts about this book and about where it took me in religious thought, down familiar roads, but further down those roads than I have been before. It compares with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?

The author's description of the use of psychedelic drugs as a lens resonates with my own experiences. The drug elements of the book are interesting and important because of the paranoia that they precipitated and the centrality of the ensuing madness to the story. But the drug element is ultimately incidental to the major themes of the book. What struck me repeatedly while reading was that I learned so much from the book's perspective of the big issues? reality, family, friends, religion, love.

I've tried to come up with some brief blurbs about the book that would draw in other readers. Such as: Few books have been written with the power to enrich one's thoughts about religion, love, relationships, and the nature of reality. This is one of them.? Or: this extraordinary author is able to drop all walls of privacy and allow perfect strangers into his soul's view of the BIG questions: How do we help family and friends? What is real.? Are the central truths of all religions the same? His depth of feeling and vision will help many to arrive at new insights.But I fall far short of doing this book the justice it deserves.

If you like feeling that you've grown from reading a book, Apology by Rob Arias is a good choice.

This book is a beautiful look into the lives of 38 families that are dealing in Autism. It is inspiring and just stunning to look at. It would make a great coffee table book with it's size and photography.

...and not only in the news, putting out a fire or fighting a war. these are real people. families with TRUE strenth and love. the lesson learned from this book, goes beyond autism and applies to any human condition that requires good old fashioned HELP and HOPE. there is a brighter future for anyone reading this. if 'a hero is nothing but a sandwich', you can definetely eat this one up.

Autism Heroes provides an intimate glimpse into the world of a ever-growing sector of the human population that cuts across social, economic, and cultural boundaries in a mysterious manner. The personal anecdotes presented by caregivers living and loving in the complex world of an autistic family member are sometimes heart rending, sometimes hilarious, and always enthralling, compelling, and sobering. It is incongruous that our technologically-advanced, information-savvy society has such little understanding of people with autism. In our present atmosphere of privacy, it is yet another act of heroism for these families to share this most personal and sensitive part of their lives. Dr. Firestone's work will touch hearts and open eyes to the beautiful spirit found in people with autism and the ones who love them. Her positive but honest and balanced outlook will help parents with newly diagnosed children get a foot-hold on the future possibilities and the breadth of the autistic spectrum. For veteran families, seeing their daily efforts recognized and honored will lighten their work. For professionals, it will provide insight into the kaleidoscope of consequences the diagnosis can have depending on the family context. To understand and address the unique needs of families struggling with autism is a great challenge, and this book is a respectful, heartwarming, and sensitive step toward that goal.

Austim Heroes documents personal stories of autism and the common struggles of families from widely diverse backgrounds. Stories of hope and unconditional love are presented with informal black and white family portraits to create a beautiful tribute to the strength of families touched by autism. This is an important, honest and insightful book sure to raise awareness and understanding.

Being a good person far exceeds being a hero. I have said for many years that I would rather be deprived of the Beatles and be bombarded with painful loud noises than be a hero. To me, "hero" suggests looking for grandeur and acting on behalf of others with the thought of return. Often heroes lose their lives. To me, "hero" is far from an appealing concept. September 11, 2001 soured me on "heroism" all the more because I didn't like the way stepping up to the plate for others was viewed as the exception and not the rule and the way many appeared to expect kudos for doing so. Real benevolence seeks no return.

The families portrayed in this wonderful book are better than heroes - they are good people who have allowed their lives and those of their children with autism to be shared. Readers are treated to beautiful photographs and anecdotes and interviews from the families featured in this book.

Autism is an equal opportunity neurobiological condition that makes no distinction in who is affected. In our ever-dwindling quest for privacy in today's highly connected world, it is all the more courageous and generous for people to share their life stories of coping with autism in any form.

Dr. Firestone's book is a book for everybody regardless of placement or lack thereof on the autism/Asperger's spectrum. Experiences are validated; autism is accepted and unconditional love underscores the personal accounts each of these families have provided. John Lennon's 1971 magnum opus "Imagine" and his classic classic "Gimme Some Truth," also from Imagine would be the ideal soundtrack to this book.

This is the ideal companion book to SOULS: BENEATH & BEYOND AUTISM (paperback version) and Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes.

I love discovering new authors. He really writes mystery/suspense well, but his humor was what made me love the book. He is a 'hoot'. I do enjoy suspense, but if you can add humor - WOW! In my book, he's got it all. Oops, one more thing, he knows adoption, and that's the basis of this book, although this is fiction. What people and criminals will do for a baby! I'm waiting for his new book, Baby Crimes, which comes out in 2007.

Baby Game deserves a much higher placement among Amazon rankings! New author Hicks introduces a new kind of hero with Toby Dillon, a lawyer who's an adoption specialist. Toby brings an unusual background to his job: two years in the Peace Corps followed by law school courtesy of Uncle Charlie.

Toby's one of those tough athletic bachelor heroes with brains -- like Brady Coyne with a lot of rough edges. For a first outing, he helps his childhood friends adopt a much-loved child under bizarre but just plausible conditions.

Hicks cleverly introduces the hero and his past, although at times I had trouble keeping the dates straight. Law school - before or after Peace Corps? Must have been after. A few incidents were a little slapstick. Hicks has to remember that mystery readers tend to identify with upscale values. Robert Parker has this awareness dodwn to an art form in the Spenser series.

And I suspect we'll get gliimpses of the hero's Peace Corps life as the series goes on.

I don't usually like mysteries featuring characters who are supposed to be famous. And I find it hard to believe famous actors realy are so nice and humble and down to earth.

But I didn't feel at all tempted to stop reading or even look ahead, as I do with some authors who are far more established. I really wondered how all the pieces would come together. Hicks knows how to tell a story and I enjoyed getting an insider's view of adoption law along the way, even though I'll never adopt any creature that doesn't come equpped with fur, whiskers and paws.

Let's hope Hicks develops a following and gives us more adventures of his misguided hero.

Toby Dillon only partially grew up. Yes, he's a lawyer. But he only does that part time. The other part of the time, he is the assistant tennis pro at the country club where he lives.

Toby has stumbled into the adoption business, helping couples navigate all the legal proceedings necessary to make their new child officially their own. It's a specialty he loves because it allows him to help people.

His latest clients are really special to him. They are Hollywood power couple Brogan Barlow and Rita MacGilroy. But to Toby, they are his best friends. The three grew up together in a tiny town in northern San Diego county. So, naturally, Toby is anxious to help them.

Things go well, and the news of the adoption leads off a whirlwind press tour that Toby becomes part of.

Then comes a phone call with a shocking revelation for Brogan and Rita. Naturally, they want to question the birth mother, but she has disappeared. What's really been going on?

Let's be clear, I loved this book. Between the humor and the twists, I couldn't put the book down.

The story starts a little slowly, with frequent pauses to give us some history on Toby. We do need to get to know him, but frequent flashbacks are a bit of a pet peeve. Still, that was the only flaw. Once the story gets going, I could not put the book down, staying up late a couple nights in a row to read just a little further. The plot twists and turns all over the place, yet I found every one of them logical and believable. And the characters were real. Toby, Brogan, and Rita felt like true friends by the end of the book. And as the book progresses, we are drawn into a darker and darker web.

Author Randall Hicks has created a new series that shows lots of promise. I can't wait to visit Toby and company again.

Hicks has written a particularly engaging character in Toby. I also appreciated his making the celebrity couple real, grounded people. There was interesting legal information which didn't bog down the story, and some good twists along the way. But it was Toby's relationship with his grandfather was particularly touching. The book is a bit mystery light, but is an entertaining first book and a series I shall definitely follow.

The Baby Game is one of those rare books where the improbable works seamlessly. The serious parts make the hairs on the back of your neck tingle and the funny parts are laugh out loud hilarious. An ex Peace Corps, assistant tennis pro, home schooled California attorney, who drives a Ford falcon convertible with a wooden cigar store Indian permanently wedged in the passenger seat sounds like the loser of a Dumb and Dumber contest, but Toby Dillon turns out to be believable, lovable, and competent, in roughly that order. The plot is deliciously twisty and at the halfway point, I still had no idea who the bad guys were. Although there is real jeopardy, there is still some question at that point as to whether a crime had even been committed. Well, actually Toby was well along the way to the five felonies he commits in the course of the book, but otherwise...All is well that ends well and the ending of The Baby Game - "And then I kissed her." The best way to describe it, The Baby Game is similar to Lawrence Sanders' McNally series, only a whole lot better.

i just had to go out and buy this book after reading the reviews on it, my son is ten months old and just gone down for a nap, and i am reading through the book and getting so excited about all the places we can now go and see. We have only been in california 1 year and i am a new mom in a new place not knowing where to go and what to see for my toddler and this book is going to be just perfect and we want to go exploring now. i have a couple of other books but the activities are for children a little older but we need to explore now. Thank you to the parents who bothered to review this wonderful book, and I hope this review helps other. like someone mentioned most of the places are either free or very inexpensive. - its going to be perfect.

Baby's Day Out in Southern California provides a wide range of age-appropriate excursions. Crammed to the bursting point with places to go, things to see and do, special events, ideas for activities and related reading, this excellent book is one of the most innovative, detailed and practical guides around.

Although the contents are arranged by type of place (i.e., museums, aquariums, farms and ponies, flying), it also offers site maps, making it easy to plan a day around a particular location or a specific interest. Listings include physical and Web addresses, phone numbers, directions, what to see and do, hours, parking, admission and membership information, related locations, nearby places and blank space for your own comments. Additional sections contain events by the month, packing lists and road games.

Its most valuable feature is its ability to look at potential places from a child's perspective. Among the 224 sites listed in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Santa Barbara/Ventura counties are fire stations, school bus yards, museums, libraries, gardens and nature centers, truck stops, farms, theaters and convention centers.

This is one of the best travel reference guides you could acquire if you have young children.

Finally there is a Southern California tour guide especially geared towards parents of babies and toddlers. Your children learn best through first hand experiences and Baby's Day Out is chock full of great places for the young (and not so young) to experience the things they love like animals, trains, parks, aquariums, tide pools, hands-on museums and more. My 10 year old and 61/2 year old twins still love to visit many of the places listed in JoBea Way's comprehensive guide. They also have a list of many new places for us to visit as well.

The book is broken down into eleven chapters covering major areas of interest for young children: Museums, Our City, Gardens and Nature, The Zoo, Aquariums, Trains and more. There are over 224 separate sites reviewed. Locations covered include the expected Los Angeles and San Diego Zoos as well as many less well known places like the Goodyear Blimp Airfield, Tierra Rejada Farm and Pasadena Unified School Bus Lot.

The book includes many helpful tips for making outings more enjoyable and each review contains a concise description, directions with Thomas Guide page references, and cross references to both similar sites and nearby attractions. Easy to spot icons let parents know if the locations can accommodate single and or double wide strollers (most do), and whether gift shops, snack shops or picnic areas are available so parents can plan accordingly. I love the lists of children's books on topic related to each entry and the special pages with simple graphics of animals or things that go, etc. These pages are designed for young children's use before, during or after their visits. For example, the first picture pages are of cars and trucks children might see on the way to their visit.

The final chapter includes a month-by-month "Things to Look For" section featuring holiday, special events and seasonal changes to watch for geared to Southern California. There are comprehensive listings of Fourth of July displays, Holiday lights, Farmer's Markets and more. These lists alone are a great resource whether you have young children or not.

The number and variety of places listed is truly impressive. Our family has been enjoying working our way through the book and finding many new favorites. I plan to give this book as a shower gift to all my pregnant friends and think the book is a great resource for parents of school age children and teachers also.

This book is filled with fun things to do at any age and for anyone who has some time to spend in the L.A. area. We visit there often and sometimes we are looking for more to do than just the big theme parks. There are so many things that I wouldn't have known about, much less how and where to find them. A treasure for anyone, local or tourist.

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and never knew about 90% of the places suggested in this book! In addition to the usual spots (Disneyland, parks, etc), the book suggests creative places like the schoolbus depot and construction sites (from a safe distance, of course!). "Baby's Day Out" really made me look at the world through my babies' eyes, where everything is a new and fascinating experience. For example, when I drive on the highway now, I point out the trucks passing by to my kids and they love watching the different sizes and colors. Before this book, I never would have thought about trucks on the highway as a field trip experience. This book is also very practical, providing all the necessary information, including Thomas Guide map pages, hours, prices, parking, everything! As an added bonus for me, Holt even tells me when they're enough room for my double stroller (with twin 18-month old boys, that is a big plus for me). I live in New Jersey now and bought this book while on vacation in Los Angeles. I wish they would write a book like this for us folks in the east coast.

I was familiar with Dan Heisman's articles on a popular website, but this is the first book of his that I've come across. Like his articles, it is intended for chess players from beginner to average club level. Also like his articles, it is characterized by clear and logical writing, with well chosen content reflecting his vast experience as a chess teacher. One of the things that separate this book from other tactical books is that it covers what Heisman calls the Counting tactic. This refers to positions where a piece is attacked and defended a number of times, and the player must count whether a sequence of captures leads to a net material gain. It also covers the possibility that the defense is inadequate due to defending pieces being more valuable than the capturing pieces. For a lot of the kids I coach, this is one of the main tactical issues they face in every game.

My rating is just above 1000 and this book has perfectly organized presentation on the common tactical techniques that I need to improve my mid-game. It may be too basic for 1500-rated players, but for me it is the best chess book I have ever read.

I am relatively new to chess study, and found most puzzle books just a little too hard to really deal with. I bought the Reinfeld books and just felt lost.

Then I saw a review of this book and decided to give it a go. MAN, has it helped me. Heisman gives a wonderful primer on each type of tactic complete with a section of puzzles just on that tactic. Then he goes into a section of checkmates, and a wonderful (and difficult) section on defensive tactics.

Finally he wraps it up with a long section of puzzles that cover all the various subjects in the book. This is a wonderful book for those who are new to chess tactics and feel a little overwhelmed by the various puzzle books. I know the book is working because while going through this book I would get one of my Reinfeld books and open to a random puzzle and more times than not be able to solve it! Before, I was just staring cluelessly at the Reinfeld puzzles.

This a great book written by someone who takes education very seriously! Highly recommended for those who need work on basic tactical understanding.

I'm around a 1200-1400 player trying to improve. Most chess books are unfortunately excruciating to read. With the exception of Logical Chess : Move by Move, most books are a chore to sit through. I've had a few other books on tactics, but just working through problem after problem with no explanation gets old fast. "Why is the move that I thought about a bad one?" "Doesn't this move win as well?" "What are the basic patterns of a certain mate or tactic?" These are all questions that most of the books don't answer, but Heisman's book does! There's text and even essays on certain themes and tactics, to make sure that you understand what they are and how to use them. This book includes Double threats vs double attacks, opening traps, checkmates, defensive tactics, how to avoid tactical self destruction, as well as the usual removal of the guard, forks, skewers, pins, discovered checks, and trapped pieces. It's all there with more than adequate explanations ,as well as helpful tips and mini articles scattered throughout. This is definitely easy to read and that makes a huge difference. It doesn't matter if a book has 10 million problems if it bores you to tears going through it because you'll never pick it up. I'll be lloking for some more Heisman books later on. Great work !

As a USCF 1790-rated player, i bought this book for a quick tactics refresher. I read the book, solving all the puzzles in a few days (while noting major errors on examples 2-70 [1...Kh3] and 2-120 [1.Ne4#]) The #1 greatest tactics primer is still the immensely enjoyable book, Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead. This book by Heisman not as enjoyable, but a bit easier and therefore perhaps an even better starting point than "Winning Chess". Also worthy is Chess Tactics (Batsford Chess Book).

Especially valuable for the improving player are Heisman's early sections on "counting" and piece safety, because proper evaluation of a tactic is impossible without accurately tallying the "body count" of a series of exchanges. (while being mindful of any "zwischenzug", of course!) The only other book that competently covers "counting" ideas is the VASTLY underrated Lasker's Manual of Chess, though Lasker labels the idea something else that escapes me at the moment.

Make no mistake, B2B:T is about how to win material. There were times when i would think twice about snagging a certain pawn because i imagined it would grant the opponent some sort of extra piece activity (counterplay), but on checking the answer i saw that Heisman's comment was only, "wins a pawn." That is probably well enough, as the book's intended audience is usually afraid of phantom threats when they ought to simply win the material, and usually in a game i'd probably end up taking the pawn anyway. There is a short section on checkmates, but it is insufficient in itself. You will NEED The Art of the Checkmate and (secondarily) How to Beat Your Dad at Chess (Gambit Chess) to complete your basic study of checkmates.

This book is full of practical pointers and wisdom, many of which go a long way toward instilling objectivity in a player rather than emotions like hope, fear, greed, overconfidence which invariably spell poor results at *any* level.

This is a solid & worthy 4-star book for its stated audience (under 1500). Higher-rated players can read it with very little time investment (while unfortunately paying the same purchase price), so the book can benefit a wide range of players.

This book is hilarious! I have been out of the dating scene for years but each and every page brings back a memory that leaves me laughing out loud. My husband and I bring it out every time we have friends over and pass it around. Everyone has his/her own Barcode story.

This book had me laughing out loud. I plan to give a copy to friends because everybody needs to reminiscence and laugh about the dating and single days. So cleverly written.

If you ask me, Bar Code has come 20 years too late. If I'd only known back in my single days to watch out for my Tammy tendencies, I surely would have done better at Red Rover. Instead, I spent too much time running Memory Laps, Pair-a-Scoping, and naively falling for those guys with Altered Egos, who were only interested in the Pammys anyway. Fortunately, I was completely on-target about my husband's Premarital Specs, so now I'm sleeping in Fuddy Duds, no longer worried about Down Thighzing. Still, this hilarious little guide has helped me bring closure to all those haunting memories of my dating past, and I bet it will do the same for all those 40-and 50-somethings who still CAN'T BELIEVE we wore that, said that, or did that way back when. This year I'll be putting Bar Code in the Christmas stockings of all my still- or newly-single friends. It's my duty to save them from all those Federlines out there ... and from themselves.

PENS ENVY [penz en-vee]. n. The green-eyed fury that you haven't either the wit or the perception of the authors of this hilarious definitions book.

I've been out of the scene for a while and trust me, this book is still great fun! Everyone can relate to these hilarious terms if they've ever dated in college and beyond. And amazingly, it's already catching on! I heard the term "updating" used in the Barcode context just a few weeks ago and the ultra-trendy user admitted to sneaking lingo from the book. I'm giving a copy to all my friends for Christmas to help them remember half the things they wish they could forget!