Technology Books

... "On June 4, 1960, the Big Creek Missile Agency, fresh from its medal winning performance at the National Science Fair, is sponsoring a day of rocket launches at its Cape Coalwood range. Everyone reading these words is invited..." This quote can be found on page 356-357 of a book called Rocket Boys; this statement showed me that the success of the main characters was a result of personal hard work and teamwork.

"Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam, Jr. is a nonfiction account of a group of friends from Coalwood, West Virginia in the early 1960's who have a fetish for making rockets. Homer and his friends have a dream to shoot a rocket up into the clouds. This story gives the reader a message that dreams really can come true.

Rocket Boys is one of the strongest books I have ever read. The author accomplished his goals to tell people that team work is one of the most important things to know in your life. This book is recommended for people that like space and rockets and who want a hopeful book to read. Reading Rocket Boys really gets you thinking about team work and how far you can get with it.

I was a little disappointed by the ending and the fact that Homer Hickam gave John Kennedy the idea to go to the Moon but other than that I couldn't help but root for the band of misfits.

I bought this book and the audio tapes and my son and I listened and read this amazing book together. Our plan was to read for 30 minutes a night...however it was sooooooo good we listened and read for 5 hours!

We are now going to rent the movie that was made from the film! All systems go....we enjoyed the adventure!

Children in West Virginia mining towns became coal miners. They did not become rocket scientists. But it did not matter how well-known this was, for Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr. there was only one way out. He was the right age and had the right amount of ambition when the United States and Russia became entangled in the Space Race and as far as he was concerned, his fate was sealed.

Hickam's writing carried the comfort of conversation with an old friend. It was remarkable how easily I became nostalgic for neither a time nor a place that I had ever known. The story drips with the passion of a man who if he had to do it all over again, probably wouldn't change a thing. He understood and appreciated the importance of everything that happened to him and helped him on his way.

One thing that I found particularly fascinating was how closely this book resembled the old proverb that It takes a whole village to raise a child. And I mean no disrespect to Mr. Hickam when I point out how amazing his circumstance was in that he could not have done it alone. The stars seemingly aligned perfectly so that one boy from West Virginia could capture the hearts of so many people that he would be able to get such invaluable assistance. There was probably no way anyone else could have done what he did. And that is to his credit. (The way his path was guided by fate, or something like it, reminded me of how Ruth Reichl became a food critic in Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table.)

I loved this book for Hickam's ability to transport me from my favorite reading chair to a West Virginia high school in the late 50s. I found myself hanging on every word wondering what would happen next. There is something special about an intelligently written story about a successful man who takes no credit for himself, but rather gives it to each person who helped him make his dreams come true. Rocket Boys may now find itself among the short list of my favorite books.

Homer Hickam grew up in a rural isolated mountain town but went on to win the National Science Fair.

This book is his story and how he was successful.

I bought 24 copies of this book to inspire my advanced 6th grade Reading class. They loved the book. In our discussions they mentioned never giving up. Homer and his friends kept trying until they had success.

Thank you for sharing your life with us, Mr. Hickam.

I think that this book has an OK storyline; a boy has lived for his first five years of life with a maid of the Alacrans, a very rich family that rules a land between near the USA. One day, he ends up in the house of this family and gets locked up by the housekeeper. Later he is released and is allowed to live in the house under the permission Matteo Alacran (El Patron). Everyone except El Patron seems to hate him and later he discovers why: he is a clone. El Patron's clone. But there is more to it than that...and I won't give it away.

I didn't really like the time settings of this book- it would go really slowly in some points, then skip a few months, then go slowly again. Other than that, it was written well, even though most of the characters weren't totally developed 'till the end which confused me in some situations but also gave the story mistery.
I found it cool that I couldn't figure out in what time the book was set- I was thinking 1500s til someone said "...over a hundred years ago when Aztlan was called Mexico". Gave me the shivers.

Recommended for sci-fi readers of 11 and up.

As both an author and reader of fiction I was impressed with (The House of the Scorpion." The characters seemed real and the story line was a good one. I guess I have always enjoyed books that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. I recommend this book. But I thought it could have been more.
Tommy Taylor
Author - The Second Virgin Birth

She writes very well and I was hooked, reading without a break. In the end I felt disappointed because the plot didn't come together. The finale felt improvised - with the author trying to somehow tie all the strands together and doing a less than stellar job. So this taught me that being a good writer is not just a matter of writing darn good sentences; you must also put them together in a story that hangs together all the way.

A real page turner, I can see why its now on many schools summer reading lists.

The House of the Scorpion was an enrapturing story of a clone boy named Matteo Alacr'an or Matt. He grew up on the poppy fields of Opium, with the "big House's" cheif cook Ceilia. He had a happy childhood until a few kids found him in the house at the edge of the poppy fields. He desperatly wanted to become friends with the kids so he broke one of the windows that was nailed shut and jumped out. In jumping out of the window he severly cut his feet and the other kids instictivly brought him to the "big house."

When they discovered he was a clone he was thrown into a back room and treated like an animal. When El Patr'on (the person he was a clone of) found out about how he had been treated he gifted him with his own body guard. Matt was taught to read, write, play the piano , and do anything he desired. (Matt was an unusual clone, unlike any other clone Matt's brain had not been destroyed.) Though he suffered greatly throughout his childhood and was gifted with many talents and people.

Matt was the nineth clone that was to keep El Patr'on alive. He eventually realized his death sentence and fought for his "unimportant life." Though many people hated him, there were many people who loved him.

Ceilia, had been like a mother to Matt and loved him greatly. When Matt was about fourteen El Patr'on began to die, again. She steadily fed Matt poisinouse herbs, not enough to kill him but enough to kill an old feble man. Eventually El Patr'on did die and his relatives wanted to get rid of Matt. Matt's life was in danger yet again, the only way out are the glowing scorpions in the closets, that only El Patr'on and Matt can touch.

His body guard, Tam Lin who also had cared for him, had taught him survival and sent him off into Aztlan (where he might be safe). Matt had to climb a gigantic mountain, escape immigrant catchers, and hide his identity all at once. In Aztlan Matt made it safely into Aztlan and was soon shipped off with a few other orphaned boys to a shrimp camp. Because of his spoiled chilhood MAtt often said things he should've kept to himself, which pushed many people to dislike him. He withstood torchurouse situations and finally escaped the shrimp farm, with his new found friends.

Matt and his friends were on a search to find their families and old friends. But, I can't tell you if they succeed or not, you just have to read the book to find out.

This book combines adventure with friendship and science fiction. The entire book is exciting and you won't want to put it down. I think this is one of Nancy Farmer's best books not that any of them are bad their all good.

I really needed this book when I first started distribution system modeling in 1987. It should be required reading for anyone in the business. The authors did a fine job of remaining objective in content. I am requiring our younger engineers to read this book before they jump into modeling.

This is one of the best sources of information for water modelers. Chapters are well organized and the information is comprehensive and focuses on the practical aspects of water model development.

This text is absolutely amazing! It is a fabulous reference and "go-to" book for everyone involved in Water Distribution Modeling. It just doesn't get better than this text. Everyone should have a copy.

This book (and a Book it is, not just a softcover publication) provides an excellent mix of theory and practice. The theory being comprehensive but without details that would not be of relevance to the practical user, supplemented by lots of practical applications and advice.
The use of both American and metric units renders the book equally useful to readers on either side of the Atlantic. Last but not least, the complimentary copy of the academic version of WaterCad allows readers who otherwise do not have personal access to a hydraulic network computer program, to work out the various problems and questions at the end of each chapter at their own pace.

In short, a book to be recommended!

Water Distribution Modeling has been a very useful resource for us with our water distribution systems GIS integration.

DRAGS A LITTLE IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE THEY ARE SETTING UP THE BACKGROUND,
BUT WELL WORTH THE WAIT. ON A SCALE OF ONE TO FIVE, I GIVE IT 4.5 BELLY LAUGHS.

LOVED BOTH "GODS MUST BE CRAZY" FILMS - SAW THEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND WILL SEE THEM AGAIN. THIS IS A MUST SEE!!

The first of a type of movie is usually the most impressive and this film is most impressive. It is written in a narrative style; the narrator describes three intertwined themes.

A coke bottle falls from the sky. It proves to be such a useful tool from the gods. This tool causes coveting among a Kung San tribe; therefore the gift must be returned.

On the journey to return the gift, we cross other groups of people pressing their own journeys in life. We follow a keystone cop type good people chasing clumsy revolutionaries. And a tongue tied (along with everything else) scientist who is enamored of a new teacher (Sandra Prinsloo.) Keep an eye on her daisies.

And what trials and adventures lay in store on the journey of the gift bearer (N!xau)?
Will the gift return be accomplished?

In any event you will never look at a coke bottle the same way.

I really enjoyed this movie when it was first released. Recently rented it to share with my kids and we could not even make it through the first 30 minutes. There are wonderful messages conveyed, and it definitely strives to be slapstick, but oy, it's a painful journey trying to rewatch it some 25 years later!

The Gods Must Be Crazy DVD

The Gods Must Be Crazy is a delightfully funny movie. It is about an African bushman who discovers an empty Coca Cola bottle that has been thrown from an airplane and the Bushman believes that anything that comes from the sky must be from the Gods. He has no idea what it is or what its purpose is. He eventually starts calling it "the evil thing" when his family wants to use it for themselves and squabbles develop. There are several side stories, as well. This makes you wonder how much "civilization "has improved our lives.

All in all a funny movie. Recommended for the entire Family.

Gunner March, 2008


P.S. Must have been sponsored by Pepsi

This is the story that captivated by interest in this author's storytelling. My students love the books! Plus, the book came in excellent condition.

If you give a mouse a cookie is a fabulous book from the mouth watering food pictures, to the non-stop hilerious literature. I love the cute little mouse shown in every fantastic image. I would recommend this for ages 1 to 100. It starts out as a tiny mouse wanting a cookie, then wants more and more. A fun picture book, estatic is a great way to describe this grand piece of art.

If you give a mouse a cookie is a fabulous book from the mouth watering food pictures, to the non-stop hilerious literature. I love the cute little mouse shown in every fantastic image. I would recommend this for ages 1 to 100. It starts out as a tiny mouse wanting a cookie, then wants more and more. A fun picture book, estatic is a great way to describe this grand piece of art.

This book "If you give a mouse a cookie" is a great childrens book! It"s one of Laura Numeroff's great books. Its appropriate for age groups k-5 and maybe younger. Its a book that has a little boy that offers a mouse a cookie then the mouse will keep asking for more and more stuff. It's a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat to see what the mouse will ask for next.

BOTTOM LINE:

Numeroff does it again!
Anyone who gives this less than 4 stars is a soulless android. There is NOTHING to not like about this book in a series of 'If you give a ...'! It is laugh out loud funny, great to read, and the pictures are cute and hilarious! The story has a nice touch of irony without forcing a MESSAGE.

I think its wonderful to have a children's book that is so clever and whimsical - hard to find one nowadays. Not only does my 6-yr old love it, but I love it myself. :-)

I bought this book after seeing ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' and found it to be a very interesting and informative overview of the American manned space program through Apollo. I would highly recommend it to anyone who may have been too young or not born yet to understand the accomplishments of the astronauts and all the men and women of NASA and contractors who were the real heart behind the Apollo space program.A Man on the Moon

The Apollo astronauts accomplished a feat which few thought possible. In a captivating fashion, author Andrew Chaikin offers a version of the Moon flights which most astronauts could not communicate.

The vivid details of the lunar features and the astronauts' private thoughts are brought to life in a way that makes you feel as if you are really there. The astronauts often stumble into "thrust-to-weight ratios" and "angles of trajectory" when they talk about their experiences. This is not what the public wants to hear. This book is the definitive book for mankind's greatest adventure.

Tahir Rahman, author of We Came in Peace for all Mankind
www.silicondisc.com

This is the most well written story about all of NASA's Apollo missions from Apollo 7 to Apollo 17. If you like space travel and can't get enough of the moon landings than this is the book you must have. I thought I knew a lot about the Apollo missions, since I was a Navy SEAL during Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo and had teammates working in these programs, but was not prepared for the detailed documentary and laymen language approach to this book. It is, also, a great reference book with lots of other suggested reading. I couldn't put it down!

Chaikin scores with this book. He successfully captures the underappreciated story of humankind's climb to the Moon.

I have read many books about the Apollo missions and this is the first one I recommend to anyone interested in the subject.

--Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God (Prometheus)

If you want to know the history of the Apollo moon landings, this is one of the 2 book you MUST read (Mike Collins "Carrying the fire" being the other) A history of the Apollo program, with flashbacks to Gemini and Mercury for perspective. Chaikin has EVERYTHING that happened here, and he worked to get it. Anyone that had anything to do with the missions, Chaikin talked to him or her. Want to know who flew what, and when, here it is. Why did it happen the way it did? Here ya go.
Even the warts, although, I think Deke was romanticized a bit.

Advanced Water Distribution Modeling and Management is not only a complete and current reference for professionals involved in water distribution systems but also an essential textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses. In fact, what makes this book different is that it contains from basic hydraulic concepts up to the most recent researches and experiences in a comprehensive language.

Thank-You Haestad Mdthods for developing such a wonderful program. I use this book as a guide almost everyday.

This texttbook, that I recently reviewed, was for me a great experience. This is a must have book for any Civil consultant involved in hydraulics. It is both a guide to water modeling and a practical reference to water distribution operation and management. Thanks Haestad Methods.

This reference has given us an edge in satisfying client needs from the simplest capacity study to the most complex model. It has helped make our competent modelers more efficient and the up-and coming modeler function like a pro. Many common questions and problems are anticipated and clearly answered. Because the book so thoroughly covers system management issues, I believe many parts should be required reading for water resources engineers.

I wish I knew of this book's existence years ago. For too many years, I have been using several other reference books to "answer" my never ending questions and doubts on modeling and related subjects.

It even has reference on non-concontinuous flow condition. A great book with lots of "weight." The price was right, too, I received this gem free as a bonus for signing up to attend a wwebcast sponsored by Haestad.

I bought this book as an additional material to study for the CISA exam. However it didn't help me with the exam at all. Furthermore, in an attempt to cover many things, it did not cover anything in detail. This book is just an endless recollection of bullet points. On top of that, it misses very sensitive topics like disaster recovery planning.

Audit is not the most exciting topic in the world, but this no fluff book really sets the standard. The care the authors took is obvious from the start, the table of contents is one of the most detailed I have ever seen, it allows the book to be used as a reference.

My favorite chapter was Quality Management, best job of making quality approachable I have seen to date. My least favorite was Project Management, it seemed to lack the application and lean to theory a bit.

I am not an auditor, but as an auditee, this book really helped me understand how they think. Recommended!

Not having much experience in the IT audit field, this book was a great resource and was easy to understand.

This book has some material relevant to the CISA examination based on the 2003 content areas, although it is not organized or focused as a CISA examination guide. If you are looking for CISA review material for the test, I would strongly suggest to stick with ISACA's combination of review manual and questions CD. I also searched everywhere for study aids for this grueling test and ended up using ISACA's expensive material, but it proved to be the best choice as I passed the Dec 2006 test.

However, as owner of a copy of this book, I assure you that this is an excellent reference of IT management, planning, implementation, risk assessment and control procedures for anyone in the IT business. Most of the material is still relevant as of 2007.

This is a huge book but spends no more then 1 page on any topic. In my opinion the authors only have financial audit experience and little understanding of IT controls. This book shows the failure of the 'integrated auditor' as the authors are tyring to be IT auditors with little IT experience. They touch on some very good points in a few instances and, in general, the book is decent. The authors do not know much outside of the CISA, IIA and financial based certifications as they seem to think that the ISSA (Information Systems Security Assoc.) is sponsored by ISC2/CISSP's (it is not). Overall, I have not been impressed with this book.

A great reference for everyday encounters plus some bizzar data you would never have known about. I have checked many of the Calculations and have found them to be right on. Don't tell the publishers this is worth 4 times the price.

The information contained in this book is extensive. I've never seen so much diverse information contained in one place. And the size makes it very handy
as well. A great resource.

This was a gift and they loved it! It has so much information in one place! Great reference!

The "Pocket Ref." is a must have for anyone that lives and breaths. The information in this book is invaluable. I highly recommend this book to anyone & everyone that has a desire to be prepared for any situation. This book has it all, from first aid, automotive, geology, carpentry& construction and even world zip codas. Anything you will ever want to know. This book would make a great gift for students from grade school to collage or any professional. It is a must buy, well worth the small price tag for what you get. Order one and see for your self. You wont be disappointed!

My husband has this book and uses it frequently. It is all kinds of useful information and conversion charts. My 14 year old thought this would be a good thing to keep in her backpack, it is like carrying an encyclopedia of math and science information packed away in a small book.

Very handy cookbook reference for my office bookshelf. I've used it a number of times, and it's more than paid for itself in expediting regularly-scheduled inquiries of our AD structure here at GEICO HQ.

Excellent reference if you work with AD on a regular basis either as an admin or a developer. Each "how to" offers methods for manually performing a specific task as well as (where possible) how to automate the task using code. Should be on every Windows admin/developer's desk.

Overall, this is a great book for reference.

There are a number of areas where I think the book falls short - all of the scripts are very hard coded scripts that don't tell you how to do some functions that would make their scripts actually useful (like "pull the list of users with attributes from a tab-delimited file and create them" or something similar, this would make mass creation of users actually useful, instead of "create user1, user2, user3, etc..."). I think that the writers expect you to be a VB expert (or at least close to it) if you're going to actually make the vb scripts useful.

Most of the scripts are "How to use a script to do the same functions that you can already do in AD with ADUC or another MMC", but I think that the most important thing for me about the book is what it inspires me to think of doing. Things that MS doesn't necessarily expect you to do. I'm still not seeing a way to add sidHistory to an object (MS does it with another applet - there is a way...), but there are so many things in the book that just have me thinking about how you can implement changes to an environment that MS says you can't do. What they really mean is "You can't do that with the GUI tools that we provide you".

I am so glad that this book was recommended to me by a guy I took a class on scripting from. I use this book everyday (almost). I even took it on vacation with me for light reading.

Hard to say in words to adequately describe how much I like this book. I highly recommend to anyone who works with AD.