United States Books

I loved loved this book....I checked it out at our local library and read it cover to cover in two days...Thats a record for me...I love that this woman took a sensible approach to her weight loss and over a course of 4 years, took the weight off. I find it frustrating when all the books tell of 100+ weight loss in a matter of 10-12 months...It made me feel lazy and inadequate to have lost 60 in a year...but not anymore having read this book. So many of the things she went thru I can relate to and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel gives me so much added motivation to keep doing what I am doing and it will pay off...It has already...Definately a book to read over and over again:)

This is a wonderful book showing some ups and more downs of the scale. This woman shows by example in her experience that if we don't follow a food regiment 100% you can still attain your goal of loosing weight. It is really refreshing to read that you can make a goal even when you slip away from it now and then, but you have to not give up. A good read hard to put down.

I bought this book on Saturday and finished it on Tuesday. I could hardly put it down. I also weigh what Sandra did and then some. This book was really motivating and I saw so much of myself in it so I could relate to it. It really gives me hope and shows me I am normal. I have been going to T.O.P.S. since April 2001 and have lost over 30 pounds and began backsliding. Now I see that may happen from time to time and I just need to stay motivated. Thank you for this book.I am a 37 yr. old widow with 2 children and really need to stay on track to be here for them and I think this book will help me.

I enjoyed the spirit with which this book was written. By the time I finished I felt as though I knew Sandra and her wonderful supportive family. I was cheering her on throughout the book. Not only did she lose weight for herself but she chose this time to help others and start up aerobic classes for women who feel left out at most health clubs. Her relationship with Richard Simmons made me smile. They had such mutual respect. It is wonderful that she accomplished what she did, helped others and at the same time wrote an enjoyable uplifting book.

In particular I liked the way she did not hold back her feelings or her problems. She tells it "like it is". I recommend this book even if weight loss is not the goal. She puts a positive spin on other things as well.

Not only is this book the bargain of the year, but it is literally the best diet book ever written. This lady tells her story from the beginning to what is going on today. It is like reading her diary. There are no gaps to the story-which I really appreciated. She tells you every step she took to lose the weight including what exercise she did along the way. She also tells you how your family and friends will react to your weight loss. For anyone who wants a "Step by Step" account of how a friend lost her weight, this is a "must" read. After reading Sandra's book, you feel like you are her friend. Very inspiring with an honest approach to weight loss. I can't say enough about this book!!

"Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System. The First 100 Missions." Long title. Big book. Loads of detail. A treasure for shuttle geeks like me.
This book is packed with mission details and hundreds of rare photographs. One shows a close up of one of the struts that holds the shuttle onto it's 747 carrier. On it are stenciled the words: "PLACE ORBITER HERE. BLACK SIDE DOWN. LEFTY LOOSEY, RIGHTY TIGHTY." Where else are you going to find things like that? It's all here. Pictures, histories, charts, and diagrams. Like the missions chronicled inside, this reasonably-priced book will take some time to analyze and review again and again so you can catch all the details.

I bought this book as a keepsake, but have found it very informative. Shuttle workers and space enthusiasts alike will enjoy this book.

If you want to know more about the developmental history of the Shuttle program, Jenkins' book is for you. Within the books pages there can be found a wealth of information going back to the early 1940s and stopping in the year 2000 with the launch of the 100th shuttle mission. With the conclusion of the program in 2010, I am looking forward to the 4th edition (if one is on the horizon).

gave this book as a gift, there appears to be a lot of information with a lot of pictures.

This is the 3rd Edition, by Dennis Jenkins, which covers the first 100 missions.

This is one of the most, if not the most, comprehensive work on the background, concepts, and evolution that led to our Space Shuttle, for the non-technical reader. I purchased it because whenever I looked up winged spacecraft on the Encyclopedia Astronautica website (itself a marvel of space history; even National Geographic was referred to that site by NASA!), this book was cited as a reference. It has provided me with weeks of enjoyable reading since Christmas, and I'm still not finished with it! Highly illustrated. It will be one of the primary references in my space library for years to come. Hopefully Mr. Jenkins will produce a 4th edition after 2010, after the Shuttle retires, which will cover the Columbia disaster, and the final history of the Space Shuttle. My highest recommendation!

This is a good example of a start up and how much work is involved. By highlighting the ups and downs, it paints the real picture of a start-up, not just the glam.

If you wanted to read a definitive true story about pre dotcom, bubble and post bubble trials and tribulations, this is the one, sinc eat the end they built a solid profitable company. I chuckled at all the characters that McVickers met with the language that was used when reason left the industry to be totally replaced/driven by greed. . For those of us lucky enough to enjoy that whole wild ride, this book brings it all back. The start-up struggles and financing on debt. Placing bets on directions with your own well being/family. The people are all there, reluctant angels, greedy guys, lazy guys, arrogant amd humble types, disaster hires, reluctant hires wanting a big piece of the action, VCs, investment bankers, handlers, hold-up artists, PR pros, Barney deal makers, aggressive Competitive cos and their VCs, Take no prisoners sales guys/CEOs. This is all played out from the point of view of a fairly humble technical guy who just wanted to do something good. And the money stories, they all were happening. This is well written, easy to follow and a good pleasurable read. If you are in start-up and looking for something big, read this one!

This book covers many aspects of the entrepreneurial process. Written in a journal-style, the book takes on more the form of a dramatic novel, covering the growth of McVicker's company, Neoforma, from their beginnings as a poor internet start-up, all the way to their IPO. McVicker navigates through the convoluted process of starting this business, and provides a tremendous amount of insight into his experiences. The names in the book take on life as McVicker describes them interacting in the start-up process. Well written and packed with information, this is a good read for anyone interested in starting their own business.

Starting Something captures the rocket ride to IPO in a truly remarkable way that makes the reader feel he's riding co-pilot. I found the discussion about their venture investor, Venrock Associates, to be of particular interest because it appears that "Bret," the Venrock Partner, was given additional equity in Neoforma after Venrock's investment (pp. 308-310). The problem with this kind of thing is that Bret works for the limited and general partners of the firm, not himself, and he took equity right out of their pockets.

Is there any way to justify Bret's actions here? Please, tell me that I'm missing something here.

I fully admire the guts it took for Wayne to start a business, I fully admire the hard work he and his employees put in, and I fully admire his candor, since there was a lot in his book that deserved to be told, especially on the company-investor relationship side. But I couldn't help noticing that whenever he spoke glowingly of the company's progress and achievements, he measured them in terms of employee growth and fundraising stats, rather than REVENUE or PROFIT.

Here's why:

1999 - $1 million revenue, operating loss of $51 million
2000 - $10 million revenue, operating loss of $219 million
2001 - $3 million revenue, operating loss of $273 million
2002 - $4 million revenue, operating loss of $81 million
2003 - $11 million revenue, operating loss of $65 million
2004 - $13 million revenue, operating loss of $62 million
2005 - revenues finally started growing for real, because they bought some with their own stock, and then were acquired by another company end of 2005/beginning of 2006

Total for the six full years:

Revenue = $42 million
Losses = $751 million

That basically means the company spent $793 million in order to get $42 million of revenue. Think about those numbers for a second. If you're providing a service, and people are paying you 5 cents for every dollar you spend, well, maybe that's not such a great business to be in.

This book's an engaging and well-written chronicle of one of the shining examples of bubble era craziness. I'm not at all downplaying the truth or value in the general lessons, in the growing pains & emotional reversals of fortune Wayne goes through, and I'm not trying to pin the blame on him for all the missteps. I just hope that aspiring entrepreneurs who read this book balance it out with one on a business that worked, because there are a lot of those that make for interesting reading too, and luck isn't the only thing that distinguishes their trajectory from this one.

Great read for people who love to travel (and eat) off the beaten path. Probably should add that it's often from a female point of view. Loved the recipes.

Linda Ellerbee is a little older than me but I can still relate to her view on the world. In her book, her experiences take us to far away places where she meets fascinating people. She tells of her time in Greece where while she lives as a local for a month, British tourists experience Santorini from the seat of a tour bus. I will never travel as a tourist again. Yet, she remembers to bring these experiences home - linking them with her past and present. Her "take the bull by the horns" approach to life and travel may not be for everyone, but it sure has inspired me to look at life a little differently - make things happen, don't wait for it to happen.

Linda writes just the way she speaks and when you read this you feel like she's talking directly to you. This is a book that you never want to end. It's a memoir about travel and food and friends and lovers and misadventures - and she has done it all.
Most of the time she travels alone - she prefers that so she's forced to talk to the people where she's visiting. Occasionally she goes with a family member or friend to revisit a place from their past. She's been to some places that you've never heard of but want to go to after she describes it. Linda says that `our travels are not always the voyages of discovery we say we seek, but rituals of reassurance.' What fun!
When Linda gets together with her girlfriends, she reminds us that to women girlfriends are not a luxury they are a healthy necessity. They sit around and talk-talk-talk and even though they are now women, they feel like a girls again. And her holidays will remind you of your own and others when she describes how despite tradition, love, hope, passing time and sweet memories the holidays will always be messy.
She tells us about becoming a grandmother and says she will be available, understanding, and weird - because as a mother she was mostly weird. She plans to take her grandchildren places and show them things and give them wings. We all wish we had a mother/grandmother like that. I especially related when she talked about giving her children cookie dough to eat. My girls still keep a roll of cookie dough in the refrigerator for emergency sugar fixes.
And the food - she makes it part of every story and it all sounds so good. She even provides you with recipes.
One delightful thing she tells us (and she tells us quite a lot) is that `sometimes in life, if you're lucky, you are where you most want to be at that moment'. And wouldn't we all like to do that at least once.

[...].

Ellerbee creates in words the literary equivalent of the best dinner, the best trip, and the best dessert you ever had. Whether heartwarming or heartbreaking, her adventures around the world making strangers into friends (and meeting herself in the process) are truly memorable. She makes you long to break out of the tedium of your own life and discover the world as she has. A delight.

Ellerbee writes just the way she speaks, and when you read Take Big Bites, you feel like she's talking directly to you. This is a book that you never want to end. It's a memoir about travel and food and friends and lovers and misadventures. She has done it all. Most of the time, she travels alone. She prefers that so she's forced to talk to the people where she's visiting. Occasionally, she goes with a family member or friend to revisit a place from their past. She's been to some places that you've never heard of but want to go to after she describes them.

"Our travels are not always the voyages of discovery we say we seek, but rituals of reassurance," she writes. What fun!

When Ellerbee gets together with her friends, she reminds us that, to women, girlfriends are not a luxury, they are a healthy necessity. They sit around and talk-talk-talk, and even though they are now women, they feel like girls again.

Her holidays will remind you of your own and others when she describes how despite tradition, love, hope, passing time and sweet memories, the holidays will always be messy.

She tells us about becoming a grandmother and says she will be available, understanding, and weird because as a mother she was mostly weird. She plans to take her grandchildren places and show them things and give them wings. We all wish we had a mother/grandmother like that. I especially related when she talked about giving her children cookie dough to eat. My girls still keep a roll of cookie dough in the refrigerator for emergency sugar fixes. And the food... She makes it part of every story, and it all sounds so good. She even provides recipes.

One delightful thing the author tells us (and she tells us quite a lot) is that, "Sometimes in life, if you're lucky, you are where you most want to be at that moment." And wouldn't we all like to do that at least once.

by Doris Anne Roop-Benner
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

This book is a must read for all parents of teenagers. John Rosemond's logical approach to parenting is refreshing and incredibly helpful. His practical approach gave me much insight into the parenting of my 13 year old. I've recommended the book to all my friends with similar aged children.

This book is also one of the best books I've ever read. I've read most or all of Rosemonds books and I've seen him speak at two seminars in my area. I have a 14 year old and this book was full of great information. I wish, however, that I had read this book a couple of years ago. I'm now backtracking some with him but still trying to implement the ways Rosemond says to dicipline. It has lots of relatable stories from people he talks to. I mostly thought he was talking about our family in all the different stories. A very easy read and full of wise information.

I have mastered baby proofing, now I don't need it. Teen proofing? Please, I need help with that!! I only wish I had picked this up about a year ago, my younger children will benefit. There were a few principals here that really changed my way of looking at things. Number one: the difference between self esteem and self respect. That is profound, really. I had not looked at it in that way and it is really a powerful difference with the potential to impact children's lives. Second: not making a scene and trying to force the teen to do as I say, but staying calm and applying suitable consequences (that impact them and not ME) which are not necessarily immediate. The checkmate move, which I've already used is good. Finally, letting the teen have the last word, allowing them to express their anger without joining in, is effective. I have already used the phrase, "I know you hate me right now, I don't blame you at all, I'd be angry if I were you too", without feeling like I have to give in to keep my child from hating me for ever. I had already bought into the idea that too many parents spend their time "serving" their children and not making the transition in toddlerhood from servitude to a helpless infant, to "now I'm in charge and you will listen to me". He has been criticized for being a bit harsh but I think that these principals can be applied with love, and in fact, when I look back on my teen years, that's the way my parents did it.

Whether you buy this book new or used...or borrow it from the library, just read it. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much more pleasant the prospect and actual raising of your teen/s can be.

Just realizing no matter what you do or don't do, they still have minds of their own...is priceless.

Any of his books has the same basic information and applies to all ages...yes, even grown children, spouses, friends, relatives, coworkers, and yourself.

This one simply has more age specific examples of behavior/consequences. The book more than pays for itself.

This is a fantastic book with great idea's. My wife and I are going to implement many if not all of the idea's that are suggested. They all seem like they will be highly effective and will handle many of the problems we are or will be facing.

Through My Eyes is one of the best books I have ever read to my children. As an African American, it is extremely important to me that my children know their history. The story about Ruby Bridges helps children (and adults) to understand that no matter what obstacles are placed before them in life, failure only happens when you give up and accept defeat. In other words, what someone else thinks of you is not necessarily how you should define yourself! I encourage everyone to read this book to their children.

This book is fantastic and I bought it for my students. The problem is she uses the N word so much. I had to comb through the book and ink out the word. I do not want children using that word to each other, and yes my students ARE BLACK, and especially don't want my white student learning he can say the word too. Then again it seems very immature that 1 can use the N word and the other cannot. It's a word that nobody should be using. Bridges could've just said "the whites shouted angry slurs" kids, of all colors, will pick up on what those words are through inappropriate means. Otherwise, I would still recommend to buy this book at is a wonderful book and has plenty of history and information.

I really loved this book, it has a lot of pics and information about the time everything happened. This girl is such an example for everyone...

I chose this book from my summer reading list because I have a special interest in the Civil Rights Movement. I learned about Ruby Bridges during African American Month at school and got really interested in her story. I liked this book a lot because it taught me about integration and segration in a way that was easy to understand. The photographs brought the story to life, and I liked the way the story was told from Ruby's point of view. I would really recommend this book to kids my age (third grade) and older who are interested in this kind of book. My parents really liked the book too!

Sophie K.

This inspirational story, told by Ruby Bridges herself, can help children understand some of the struggles of African-Americans during the 1960's. Ruby's courageousness and determination is the message young readers are presented with. The real-life photos give readers a visual account of the hard times that Ruby and other African-Americans endured. Also included in this autobiography are quotes from many of the people that Ruby encountered in her life including her mother, her first grade teacher, Barbara Henry, and her childhood psychologist, Robert Cole. A quote from a 1963 speech by Martin Luther King is included which further supports the civil rights theme in this book. Excerpts from text such as The New York Times and Good Housekeeping gives readers even more factual information about the time period. The book includes photo credits as well as text credits with copyrights to ensure the reliability. This text can be used with children in grades five through eight studying the civil rights movement or school integration in the 1960's.

A most comprehensive source of information on this tragedy. Well written and well organized. Nicely stocked with period photographs.

A must have for any library on this subject.

This is the most outstanding book I have ever read. The pictures, the information, it could not have been written better. Anyone would love this book. Those who are in search of unique pictures would find this book invaluable, likewise those who are in search of information, facts, nowhere else seen loss of property claims would too find this book invaluable. Upon seeing this book in the book shop (I did not buy it here) I gave it absolutely no second thought and regardless of price bought it. I am a Titanic historian and I'm picky about the books I buy, and this book is just about the best book in my collection. Don't hesitate, buy it, you will not regret it.

I found this book in my local library and took it out to read. However as soon as I got it home and looked through it I was enthralled by the pictures. The text was fairly standard fare although some of the earlier chapters had interesting info concerning the planning and construction of Titanic. The pictures steal the show and they made up my mind to buy this book for myself as such pictures need to be looked at and digested over months and years rather than the few weeks one has with a library book. If you have any interest in Titanic - BUY IT.

John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas already known for their very involved Titanic research and dives in Nautile (IFREMER's Titanic submersible} have done a beautiful Titanic book describing stateroom's the voyage building and sinking in a beautiful 352 pages have put together a book which in itself is as good as Titanic: An Illustrated History. Gives insurance claims Philadelphia first class passenger mrs. Cardeza filed for 18 suitcaces , 3 trunks and a medicine kit . A book which many experts (Myself included ) Love . Excellent for any Titanic Buff!

I must say this is the most comprehensive book on the Titanic I have yet seen. Every facet of the liner's history from its origins to the wreck exploration is covered. Each chapter includes pictures of everything connected to the ship. Anyone with any interest in Titanic at all should have a copy.

I did think the authors could have done better with their chapter on the sinking itself though. As it is they wrote little text and tell the story through picture captions! It is as if a book on the Kennedy assassination covered details of the flight to Dallas and then said little about the shooting itself. I also feel the authors were a bit too soft on Lord of the Californian.

Harriet Backus chronicles her everyday life with a riveting narrative of her experiences in the early 20th century mining camps of the west. One cannot help but marvel at how our ancestors dealt with the harshness of life without the creature comforts we now all enjoy. But of course they knew no other way, so therefore accepted the hardships as they lived their lives. The author's marvelous way with words enables her history to come alive, making the reader feel like a companion sharing her joys, griefs and wonders of the world she encountered.

I rarely read a book more than once but this one is worth the time to do that. What a life the bride lived.

Since so many have commented on the story, I'll skip repeating all the wonderful things others have already said. Here's what I have to say:

I bought this book in 2001 when my wife and I got married at Alred's in Telluride (we were the FIRST couple to be married there). It wasn't until last month that I "found" this book on my shelf and decided to read it...I couldn't put it down!

This book should be mandatory reading for all high school kids for several reasons: they can learn what life was like back then, and to show that life doesn't own you a thing! You have to earn what you want and take the good with the bad.

Mrs. Backus was an incredible woman that lived through some incredibly difficult times, all the while never giving up or having a bad thing to say.

I would rank this book right up there with "Narrative of the Slave"; it's easy to read, extremely fascinating and leaves you with lump in your throat when it's over.

This book would make an incredible movie (just don't let them "Hollywood-ize" it. Keep it true to the story.

My son gave me this book as a gift and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It is a wonderful story of a young girl who marries and moves to a mining town in Colorado with her mining engineer husband in the early 1900s. As you turn the pages, you live day by day with Harriet and can actually experience the hardships of living in such remote areas.

It is one of the best written books I have ever read and I recommend it to everyone.
Brenda Ritter

Fantastic book. Well written with humor and sorrow. I picked this book up on a whim at a $1 book sale. Best dollar I have ever spent. I couldn't put this book down. Really a great read for anyone interested in mining life esp. what it was like from a womans point of view.

Get this. It's thorough. I read it many times over. It keeps things in perspective of where we should be as a nation.
Sigh!
Tom

A very conveniently sized book that can be easily put into your pocket and places two of our country's most important documents within easy reach. I teach ESOL and I buy multiple copies so I can make sure that all my students can have a copy as they will hopefully begin studying for their US citizenship. Not only are the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in this book but also little known facts of our founding fathers, notes on famous Supreme Court decisions, Articles of Confederation, etc.

A very interesting little book to understand the foundation of the first and greatest democracy in the world

You can't really write a review about the Constitution! But I can tell you that this little book is not too difficult on the eyes, easy to use and simple for carrying to class. It doesn't weigh much in a pocket or a backpack, and this is the version I've used throughout my grad-school days. And after several years of thumbing through it, the book still hasn't fallen apart!

This is a great book. It covers the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution as well as an abundance of interesting facts about the Framers of the Constitution.

The book is compact and students can easily carry it with them everywhere they go. This book is also very affordable.

There is a problem with this book's binding though. The book tends to come apart. The book's good for students, but since the Constitution is so important, I would give students a hardback when they graduate which they can have in their personal library for the rest of their lives.

This is quite a good book that really allows the reader to get behind the author and penetrate the subject matter in a slow, moving way. There are quite a few elements of humor in it, one of which lead to a friend of mine who was walking the streets of NY fall into a manhole while I was reading it on the phone to him (he was o.k.). The book ends with quite an explosive passage that might make many gag, but, for this reader, I swallowed it up.

I highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed reading the book. It was very enlightening and I learned a lot.

"What Color Is Your Scarf?" is by a man who came out late in life, has recognized his frailties and is attempting to make himself better. In the book, Brown tells you how he is attempting to overcome his imperfections. He has a plan and he makes the telling of it interesting.

I see no reason why the wisdom Brown inculcates wouldn't be useful to anyone as a coming-out guidebook. I would recommend it, especially to people just going through the coming-out process, regardless of their age.

I related to a lot of things that you mentioned. Thanks for the words.

Your book and web page are a delight. I'm a 60 year old man, came out 15 years ago and am as happy as can be.