RC Books

Although RC Waggoner is new to the general public, his way with words will leave a positive, lasting impression with any of his readers. His descriptions of scenes and situations provides a realisim that draws the reader in as though watching a movie. Well done!

This story is very intriguing. The little girl is quite the attention grabber, even though she tries hard to remain anonymous, she opens up a plethora of questions. How could George be entangled in all of this, I don't know, but I want to know now. Good job, I'm hooked!

The book caught my attention immediately, and held it throughout the entire excerpt. RC's word usage drew me into the story and helped me to visualize the world through the eyes and heart of the main character, George. As I read, subtle details of his past and present situations were revealed so that I while I felt I began to understood him, I still felt a compelling need to learn more. I look forward to reading the whole book to find out who the girl is and what affect she will have on his life and the lives of his family.

Ever since I read The Orchid, I've been waiting with anticipation for RC Waggoner's next book and here it is! Only, it's not but a taste! His first was a romance tinged with drama and enough mystery to attract even the most die-hard romance-hater; this one appears - right from the start - to set up a very intriguing scenario. So George is in rural Virginia - could Waggoner have found a more rural spot than Clear Fork? On Google Maps, it's just a highway with houses and a pretension that calls itself a town! - Okay, good. I see the creek that runs through Clear Fork, following the highway. If this map were any clearer, I could see Crystal herself standing at the hedge wondering if she dare try to make friends with George. It took five of the sixteen pages to whet my appetite; by page sixteen, I was mad at Amazon.com! I want this one published - and then I want RC to sign it! I like his style, his way of bringing you into the book as if you are watching it in HD instead of analogue. Oh, by the way, RC, thanks for writing The Orchid - and thanks in advance for the next few you write, including Saving Crystal! There's a bunch of us in Indianapolis waiting for it to hit the bookshelves and bounce to the NY Times Best Seller list.

What a well written short by RC Waggoner whose descriptive writing captivates you from the beginning. It's apparent that George Grant's life drastically changed when his wife Martha was killed. What happened between George and his children and who is this young girl that appeared out of nowhere? Why hasn't anyone else seen her except George.... I'm anxious to read the "rest of the story", I know it will be a fantastic read.

If "The Doors Of Perception" was the most important work on psychedelics because of its influence, this then is by far the greatest because of its impeccable research, its far-ranging implications and its clear, lucid and compelling putting together of the evidence for the remarkable therapeutic and consciousness-illuminating value of LSD and other psychedelics (principally peyote). They don't, however, proselitize, and this is much to their credit. In fact, they go to some lengths to inform the reader that an active pro-drugs "for the sake of drugs" mindset is fraught with peril, and do so in a way that is both impartial and learned.

They're at their best, however, in their extraordinary recounting of the psychedelic experiences they conducted themselves as guides. There are so many instances where the subject, usually a person with a very intense psychological or emotional problem, arrived at a life-changing breakthrough, that it lingers long in the mind.

But the book is most of all a primer for their very lucid theory of the psychedelic experience and its various stages or levels. It is, in fact, so well thought out and explained, that this reviewer wonders why it had so little impact on the great body of psychedelic research, even after all these years. To me, it is the only theory that makes any sense and it's also the only one that could be used in a therapeutic setting so that the chances of errors or mistakes in guidance be effectively minimized.

this book is an excellent primer to understanding the many incarnations of psychedelic experience.
the information is put forward in a very professional way.
benefits of LSD and other drugs in therapy are thoroughly weighed against potential detriment. This is a serious book, that confronts the question of where the real value lies in the psychedelic experience, and whether it exceeds the risks.

the concept of levels of psychedelic experience, is a good introduction to the works of Stanislav Grof and Transpersonal Psychiatry!

Very well written. Masters and Houston provide a description of what I would call their skeptically optimistic approach to psychedelic therapy.

They advance a theory on possible levels of the psychedelic expererience. Also, there is *a lot* of helpful advice to 'trip sitters'. If you are going to trip sit I reccommend reading this and looking at erowid.org.

Brand new re-issue of the classic 1966 work.

If "The Doors Of Perception" was the most important work on psychedelics because of its influence, this then is by far the greatest because of its impeccable research, its far-ranging implications and its clear, lucid and compelling putting together of the evidence for the remarkable therapeutic and consciousness-illuminating value of LSD and other psychedelics (principally peyote). They don't, however, proselitize, and this is much to their credit. In fact, they go to some lengths to inform the reader that an active pro-drugs "for the sake of drugs" mindset is fraught with peril, and do so in a way that is both impartial and learned.

They're at their best, however, in their extraordinary recounting of the psychedelic experiences they conducted themselves as guides. There are so many instances where the subject, usually a person with a very intense psychological or emotional problem, arrived at a life-changing breakthrough, that it lingers long in the mind.

But the book is most of all a primer for their very lucid theory of the psychedelic experience and its various stages or levels. It is, in fact, so well thought out and explained, that this reviewer wonders why it had so little impact on the great body of psychedelic research, even after all these years. To me, it is the only theory that makes any sense and it's also the only one that could be used in a therapeutic setting so that the chances of errors or mistakes in guidance be effectively minimized.

Huston and Masters give a well detailed and extremely fair minded account of the psychedelic experience, primarily via LSD sessions that were recorded by observers who were trained in psychology. The book covers the myriad aspects of "the trip" from perceptions of the human body to the deep religious experience.

The book is somewhat more scholarly than the works of someone like Timothy Leary but this is what is needed if this movement is to ever regain its legitimacy in the eyes of the general public. While it does not condone the illegal use of the drugs, it decries their suppression and the utter halt of legitimate research into these fascinating and important substances. Read it with an open mind, but remember that the drugs are illegal and therefore also potentially dangerous. That aside, the book will almost certainly spark your curiousity.

Warplanes of the Third Reich is simply the best book on the subject, hands down. The amount of research done on each aircraft is daunting, to say the least. I can't recommend this book enough.

-Ski

Books on this topic do not get any better!

This book has everything! I wish all aviation history books covered the topic so completely. you'll never need another book on the topic.

Originally published by New Impression in 1972, William Green has produced the ultimate guide for researchers who study the facts and details behind the ultimate failure of the Luftwaffe to win World War Two!
With all due respects to the History and Discovery Channels, Bill Green puts the lie to the History Channel's program asserting that the Messerchmitt ME 264 was going to be used to drop a radiological WMD on New York in late 1944. In fact it was 5 Heinkel He 177A-7's that were going to drop NERVE GAS on New York in a suicidal attack. This was later cancelled when General Patton's 3rd Army was about to over run the German air base at Bordeaux-Me'rignac!
As for the frequently mentioned theory that Hitler's insistance that Me 262 jet fighters be used as bombers was the reason that the Germans quickly lost the airwar over Europe, Green dumps that allegation into the toliet on Page 7 of this book in the Preface. The jet engines the Germans were using had a life of ten hours before they had to be completely overhauled! A fact that escapes most of the cable channel TV shows!
One facinating story from the book is the fact that a six engined Junkers Ju 390 V3 bomber in January 1944 flew from Mont de Marsan France to within 12 miles of the New York coast and returned to France in a non-stop flight of 31 hours! This aircraft weighed in at 166,450 lbs, fully loaded.
If you love technical details combined with a amusing view of the characters involved in the German Aircraft industry in WW-II, you will love this book.

This book offers very detailed information related to the design and development of the many warplanes of Hitler's Germany. Green presents a good selection of photos of the aircraft with quite a few cutaway drawings and 3-views for almost all. This is a great resource for modelers.

Clifford A. Pickover is a Renaissance man. He may not like the label but for me it is one of the highest accolades of intellectual accomplishment. A quick scan through this book is enough to confirm his standing: mathematics, computer programming, art, medicine, music, speech, biochemistry, electronics, education, biology, aesthetics etc. etc. It's all there.

This is one of my favourite books and is getting quite dog-eared by the constant use it gets. It is a book to enjoy as well as to refer-to, a book to cheer you up and to fill you with wonder. Not that it is perfect mind you. Far from it. It is now quite dated and the illustrations could do with a decent makeover. The treatment is often abrupt and episodic and the writing is sometimes hurried and muggy. But who cares! The overall effect is of frenzied genius and lively enquiry.

My main interest was in Chapter 14. Dynamic Systems. It is not an in-depth treatment by any means but it yields some beautiful ideas. I implemented and experimented with most of the algorithms in the chapter. They work and provide some essential insight into the evolutionary nature of most complex systems.

Get the book. The reference list by itself is worth the price.

Perhaps for the new century the technology is a bit out of date, but this book is a well written introduction to both basic and complex computer graphical ways of describing mathematics and natural phenomena.
An excellent feature of the book is its pseudocoding used to explain concepts and to be used by the reader as stepping off points for the amateur computer programmer to play.

In Computers, Pattern, Chaos And Beauty, Clifford Pickover focuses on how theories of fractals and chaos lead to computer-generated graphics - and how graphics in computers have connections to the unseen world. From how data is processed and displayed to patterns present in complicated data, this provides both artists and scientists with an intriguing set of concepts.

This book inspires and entrances with something for everyone, from the adventurer with an artistic eye, to the most esoteric mathematics devotee. At practically any level of understanding, it provokes the desire for learning, and an aesthetic appreciation for math that is usually reserved for those who make higher math their lives' work. Best of all, this book can be "grazed", i.e., read out of order and sporadically, gaining benefit where one may. A must-browse for anyone who has ever wondered how mathematics could ever be interesting or powerful.

The algorithms presented in the book are simply too fascinating to be true. Each illustration of fractals or the strange attractors are accompanied by an algorithm which I tried with "C" language. They work excellently and it is a visual treat to watch the fractals unfold, strange attractors trace out intricate patterns and the Pascal Triangle rise like a phoenix before your own eyes. Each algorithm you translate into a program gives you immense joy at having discovered a new hidden hand that leads nature and beauty through the illuminating principles of mathematics and reaveals the deepest mysteries of nature in close collusion with the arcane folds of mathematics.

For anyone who wants an introduction to English / British history, and who enjoys a witty book that is both well-researched AND readable, this is your book. I first read this as a teenager and it launched my lifelong love for English history. It's really written for Americans who are going to visit England and want to understand the history of what they will see. I am an academic and I will be the first to say that this is not meant to be a scholarly book, but for what it sets out to do, it does as well as any book I've read. Murray had a brilliant understanding that history is, above all, a story.

This is an entertaining, quick introduction to the kings and queens of England beginning with Elizabeth II and going back to Edward the Confessor. It's a great reference for someone like me who is always trying to keep all those Henry's straight. The tone is chatty and a little wry, and Murray offers a guide to further reading which is helpful although dated (this was published in 1974). My previous quick reference to British royalty was the Oxford Book of English History -- this is less academic but far more amusing.

This turned out to be exactly what I was looking for when searching used book stores for a reference guide on the kings & queens of England. I've read it backwards & forwards and find that backwards is the best direction, as it is written in reverse chronological order. It's harder to keep track of your pages, but easier to keep track of the subjects of the book. I wish the book were longer.

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to learn more about the royal history of England. I uncovered Jane Murray's book on a dusty lower shelf of a bookcase, opened it, and, for the next few hours, thought of nothing but reading this wonderful book. The book is different from the beginning; rather than starting her narrative with the little-known history of Edward the Confessor, she begins with the reigning monarch and works back through history, going from the present day to the year 1005, rather than vice versa. The book is never dull; on the contrary, Murray's style is light and enjoyable, and I occasionally felt that I was reading a novel rather than a historical text. The novel is sometimes gossipy, which is, of course, quite interesting, in spite of the fact that most of the subjects have been dead for many centuries. Murray's ability to create a text that focuses on intresting bits of information while not neglecting important facts or major events makes her book fascinating. The only problem occurs when the reader, when trying to recall a particular order of events (such as who came first, Edward VI or Henry VI), may find that the reverse cronology of the text has made it difficult to remember.

Are you legally stupid? Not if you are planning to read this book. Lucky YOU! Read Legally Stupid and see why your children are not learning what they need to be productive members of society! The writing style is like chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. Legally Stupid is filled with connect the dots portrayals (with charts) of WHY your precious child is not working to their potential. Legally Stupid is a real eye opener, and needs to be read and shared! My copy is on loan to my daughter's teacher! In case you are wondering, I am no relation to the author, just a happy coincidence!

It has been said that knowledge is power. Those who control the supply of knowledge have absolute power over the rest of us.

We know why the public school system is a failure--at least we think we do. But unless you have been on the inside, you cannot understand how destructive the system is. Legally STUPiD gives you that rare inside glimpse--all through the eyes of a former public school teacher.

In Legally STUPiD R. C. Murray discusses the mind-damaging practices which have made America a nation of willingly ignorant proles. Mr. Murray delivers the horrific details that whole language reading, No Child Left Behind, inflated grades, group learning, different but equal approaches, multicultural strategies, holistic grading, and other dangerous "educational" philosophies and practices are having upon our nation.

Mr. Murray does his homework in Legally STUPiD, as it is well researched and uncovers how elitists have hijacked the nation's educational system in order to create an ignorant population who will do and believe whatever their betters tell them.

However, Legally STUPiD doesn't stop with pointing out the problems and exposing those who have created and maintained the current situation. R. C. Murray offers legitimate solutions and alternatives to the mass ignorance brought upon us by the public school system.

Every parent, pastor and teacher--whether public, Christian or private--in America should read this book. Unless we begin to make changes now, then we will truly become a nation of slaves to an ungodly system. And we must work fast, as many of the dangerous philosophies mentioned in Legally STUPiD are beginning to creep into the private and Christians schools that were established to be alternatives to the public school system.

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles....ANYONE who has a child they love in public schools should read this book. It is not about YOUR child being "stupid"; it is about how the SYSTEM is skewed to the population that either demands special attention or, in fact, has core knowledge weaknesses (as opposed to learning disabilities) and the effect of that system on the child you love. You know the saying: "knowledge is power." This book gives YOU the power to make a difference by the well-documented facts it reports in easy to understand language. Teachers should read it (although any I have mentioned it to condemn it without even reading it) to help them understand what they are doing. In many cases, they are being manipulated by the SYSTEM and forced to not use their skills and knowledge for good.

Legally Stupid will open your eyes as to what actually goes on in the public school system. Growing up, I was fortunate to receive my education through private, Christian schools; I am now reassured that my parents made the right decision about my education, a decision that I will also make for my children. Every parent should read Legally Stupid so they are able to make an informed decision on their children's education.

This is a powerful novel. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a strong, decent female role model. Lindsey Schnetler is good, kind, smart, funny - and before you know it, she's changed your life. The source of her strength is a tragic past and the certainty of a young death if something doesn't happen to save her. Jimmy - well, he's moody, a poor student, downright mean and has given up on life. At 15, his life is over, thanks to an accident on the way home from football practice. He's been written off by his friends and is close to alienating his family when Lindsey moves in next door. What makes this a wonderful story, though, is the range of emotions Waggoner pulls out of the innocent reader! I'm laughing and crying in the same chapter. I've rarely read a recent novel that presents a young (she's 12 when we meet her)female role model I'd want my daughter to be like. I not only recommend this book, I think every girl from 12 to 99 should read it! (It's a powerful romance, but the romance is uplifting and honest. Plus, there's enough mystery in here to classify it in that genre too. So tie your heart down and put your brain in gear when you read this book. I'll bet you can't put it down!)

Since I read "Saving Crystal" by this same author, I thought I would read this story too. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed reading the dialogue between Jimmy and Lindsey. It was fun and intelligent and real. This book is a great example of how life's hardships don't have to keep us from finding love or meaningful work. I heartily recommend it.

What a great story of love and hope. All of us have barriers that can get in the way of living meaningful lives and focusing on what is really important. This book reminds us that living emotionally free instead of in fear is what we were all destined for.

I found the words to be spelled correctly and the pictures to be pretty. I would highly recomend this book to anyone seeking these qualities from a book.

This book is great, full of great vision. I especially liked the yellow business cards from Art Director "Tedd Asbill". It was better than CATS! I would read it again and again.

I love this book. The art is presented in a beutiful fashion. Clean, crisp printing on wonderful paper. I only wish that they included statements from each designer. But over all a great book.

Gold was found in Alaska, the rush to obtain it required a strong constitution and many dogs to do the work that horses usually did in the states. The environment bread harsh attitudes. Also in the testing of ones mettle one finds their true potential.

Buck (a dog that is half St Bernard and half Shepherd) goes through many lives, trials, and tribulations finally realizing his potential. On the way he learns many concepts from surprise, to deceit, and cunning; he also learns loyalty, devotion, and love. As he is growing he feels the call of the wild.

This book is well written. There is not a wasted word or thought and the story while building on its self has purpose and direction. The descriptions may be a tad graphic for the squeamish and a tad sentimental for the romantic. You see the world through Buck's eyes and understand it through his perspective until you also feel the call of the wild.

The Call of the Wild
By: Jack London
A book review

If you like stories about sled dogs driving people to Alaska, then you would probably want to read this book. The people were going to Alaska because they wanted to find gold. Along the way there were challenges and adventures.
First Buck, a St. Bernard-Scotch Shepard, was kidnapped from his cozy home in California and taken to the frozen north in Alaska. When he was in Alaska he became a sled dog. Next, Buck had many battles with different dogs. Buck made himself a lead dog.
I like this book The Call of the Wild because it had many action scenes. The reason why I like the action scenes there were fights and adventures. Another reason I like this book because I learned about many types of dogs. I learned that dogs can pull sleds. I also learned that dogs can have fights. The last thing I liked about the book was that the author wrote captions under the illustrations. I liked that because it tells you what is happening.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book because it is a great action/adventure book about a St. Bernard-Scotch Shepard named Buck. This book is also great because I like dogs and they are my favorite pets. If you enjoy reading about dogs then you will love this book as well.

I was looking for this one....
Cousin Brucie the legendary man of radio did it again.
Nobody knows about Rock and Doo Wop better than Cousin Brucie.
I am a fan of his and I love his radio show. What a guy!
This book is a treasure.
Get your copy, Maria, Suzie, Yvonne and all of you.

As a New Yorker, I grew up with Cousin Brucie on the airwaves. I would flip back & forth from WABC to WMCA's Good Guys. WABC had Dan Ingram & the Cousin. The Good Guys had Harry Harrison, Dandy Dan Daniels, Gary Stevens, Billy Mitchell Reed (BMR) and eventually Frankie Crocker. Over at the other end of the dial, 1010 WINS, there was Murray the K and Mad Daddy. Decades before Rap & Hip Hop, Mad Daddy would do his entire show in rhyming heroic couplets. It was a world of submarine-race watchers, sure shots, long shots, and hits. These are the people who broke the Beatles back in 1963 (Christmas week) and had minute-by-minute news of Beatlemania as the Fab Four hit New York. Over at WINS, Murray the K was playing songs by an unknown band he predicted a great future for - "they have hair that make the Beatles look like crew cuts." That band was the Rolling Stones. Cousin Brucie's book brings it all back to me - the radio and personalities that made me fall in love with rock & roll. Even a couple of years ago, I would still tune in to hear Cousin Brucie on WCBS-FM, the official "oldies" station. Then, one day, all the Dee Jays were fired. The call letters were changed. And something named JACK took over. No Dee Jays. No need for people. Just a playlist & commercials. Sad, isn't it? Read this book & remember how it used to be. Or fantasize about radio & what it could be. Despite the Top 40 format and the 3-minute 45 RPM limit, these early pioneers broke barriers, launched legendary groups, took chances. Could you imagine how exciting it was when the Good Guys played 5 minute long "Like A Rolling Stone"? Probably not.