United States Books

This is the Whole Story

Robert Wallace is a good friend and a former colleague.

Cold War intelligence operations and those who managed and ran them were always highly compartmentalized so that only a handful knew the whole story.

Now, with access to former Soviet intelligence files, many things have become more clear. Still, it is for writer/practitioners like Wallace to give us a fascinating and until-now-unknown view of the long U.S. - Soviet standoff.

This book is a great read, hard to set aide. It should be must reading for anyone who wants facts about how technology supported (and sometimes failed) American (and Soviet) intelligence operations during those long and expensive years. Interested college students and their teachers can rely on this text. It is painstakingly researched and noted.

The Agency understandably has a tough pre-publication review process and I am pleasantly surprised to see how much of Wallace's material has been allowed to see print. Although I often knew only a little of the many specifics he writes about, there is no doubt that this is the whole story, satisfying and often surprising even to the Old Timers who were involved.

This is the best book I have ever read! You won't believe what you'll read in this book! They got to make this book into a movie! It is better than James Bond!

The tools of the spy trade are fascinating for their role throughout history, and SPYCRAFT tops the list as the most comprehensive account of their creation and implementation. H. Keith Melton and Robert Wallace are the wolrd's leading authorities on the subject. As one of the producers of the SPIES series for A&E, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I grew up in the 60's and 70's watching "Get Smart" on TV and James Bond movies in theatres. I loved the gadgets and often wondered how many actually existed in the real "spy world." Now that I live in DC and work in biometrics, I'm still fascinated by surveillance technology, but since reading "Spycraft," I don't have to wonder anymore. This book is fascinating -- not just because it details the gadgets, but because it looks at the people, politics and tactics behind the technology used by the CIA in recent decades. Forget James Bond -- the real spy heroes are in this book. I have a new appreciation for spytechs and their role in the intelligence game, and I was surprised how quickly I got through the 500+ pages. Loved the photos! Well done to Bob Wallace and Keith Melton!

From the perspective of a person who is apathetic toward science fiction stories and avoids who-done-it spy books, I am surprised how interested I became in reading SPYCRAFT. Robert Wallace won me over! I hated the acronyms (IHTA) even though the authors graciously defined them in the Glossary. The book is well documented throughout. My only question is: Can we completely believe the authenticity of CIA history through the experiences of people who made their living by deception, obfuscation, and counterfeiting? Oh well, buy the book any way!

I was in the 173d Signal Co when we went back to Dak To II in Nov 67. I met Dave Brueggmann on a perimeter wire detail. Had all day to get aquainted. He was quiet and one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. A couple weeks later I reported for duty at the LRRP area,, and there was nobody home. I soon found out that they were pulling Dave and his team out of the woods with ropes. Welcome to the LRRPS. I didn't know the author but I went on a mission with Tadina, once, outside Tuy Hoa. He mentions a few familiar names that brought back memories like Arslanian, (wherever you are). I also had the privilege of knowing guys like Rabel, Don Waide, and Sgt ''Rock'' Tremblay. It is difficult to meet people and not use these guys for a Standard of Character. They set an example for me.
It's a very readable book and it gives a '''Non-Carrer'' soldier's version of THE HERD.

Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger & thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

This is the true story of Bill Shanahan and his two tours of duty in Vietnam. Bill and his co-author John Brackin have created a book that gives the reader a fox-hole view on a unique kind of warfare. In Vietnam at this period of time, the Army and the Marines were all engaged in large operations with big units going into battles. Meanwhile, small Ranger units began to play by another set of rules with the enemy forces. They would ambush and engage the enemy where and when they chose. Sometimes the NVA and VC had greater numbers but these silent and invisible killing forces were able to pull success after success.

The authors give the reader some rich imagery through their wording and descriptions. This story is well worth telling and it will inspire and entertain. Bill was a real hero as were the men he fought with in his Ranger unit. I believe that this book gives justice to what they did.

A highly recommended book to read; it is given our Top Rating!

I think that Bill Shanahan's is one of the very best first-hand accounts written about LRRP operations. His verbiage is not egotistical, but it does reflect the confidence with which he and his teammates and others in his unit carried out their very speciallized and unique operations. They were a fine unit and this book gives testimony to their memorable combat achievements as part of "The Herd", the 173rd Airborne Bde. This books ranks right up there with the best of Gary Linderer's series of books and other great combat narratives of the Vietnam War. He puts the reader right out there "in the bush" and explains tactics and actions in a manner even those who did not serve in a LRRP or Ranger unit can readily understand. He tells what his unit did, where they did it, how well, and "lessons learned", all in a very candid way. It is particularly good considering that this is apparently his first book. I hope more are forthcoming from him. I speak from first-hand knowlege as a former LRRP in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. I would highly recommend "Stealth Patrol" for a valued place in anyone's library.

I wish this book had been available when I began storm chasing in 1982. It would have saved me countless hours of frustration and thousands of miles of trying to observe the wrong storms in the wrong place. Tim has expertly explained the basic details of making your own severe weather forecast which, in my own opinion, is most of what good ethical storm chasing is about. His writing is very readable yet is also technical enough to delve into more advanced facets of forecasting and, if your forecast verifies, how to manage yourself once in the field. As an added bonus, much of the book is dedicated as a "tour book" to many areas of the great plains of the USA. While this may seem odd to some, this is quite valuable since many (and I do mean MANY) hours spent on the road during a chase are in "down time", waiting for storms to form or finding hours to fill once the cap decides to dominate. Overall, I cannot highly recommend this book enough. Tim's other books are equally as valuable and are a welcome steroid injection to the intellect of anyone who is interested in the atmospheric sciences.

This is an excellent guide for those entering into the hobby of storm chasing. As anyone just starting out quickly realizes, storm chasing isn't anywhere near as simple as pointing your car towards dark skies and driving in a straight line. :) This book explains how chase safely, how to increase your chances of actually catching a good storm, and what tools work best at getting you where you need to go.

The book consists of two main sections. The first section is devoted to storm chasing, divided up into chapters about saftey, methodology, forcasting (this chapter will only make you want to purchase Tim's other book, which is devoted entirely to forcasting), and equipment. The second section is more or less a list of interesting things to do and places to see when waiting for something interesting to happen happen in the sky. This may seem like something that would be intuitive, but wait until it's you who're stuck out in the middle of rural Kansas at 10AM waiting for the cap to break. Tim even gives you GPS coordinates, so you can't loose.

Almost any chaser even half-way involved in chasing has heard of Tim Vasquez. He's had tons of experience with both chasing and writing -- many years ago, he published a regular little rag called "Storm Track", which was a perodic newsletter/magazine. Eventually, stormtrack moved to the internet ... . It was always a great source for chaser info.

I'd reccomend this book to anyone who is thinking of getting into chasing, and for a lot of people who already are. Chasing is one of those hobbies in which knowing more not only increases your success, it decreases the odds that you'll get yourself killed or, worse, kill someone else. This book gives you a lot of good information in a very understandable format.

A fairly comprehensive guide to introductory storm chasing. A little more info on the forecasting would have been good, though much of it is covered in Vasquez's Weather Forecasting Handbook. After a one-week storm tour with Silver Lining Tours in 2003, this book really helped me to make sense of the things that I saw and springboarded me on a year of research so that I will be better prepared for my 2004 storm chase with SLT. The tips that were included gave me the goal of trying to see something other than a tornado (which we did not see on the tour last year). It made me realize the beauty of other storm structures to the point where now I just take delight in sitting and watching cumulus clouds rise and fade. Thank you, Tim Vasquez, for helping to ensure that this year's chase will be even more fulfilling than last year's!

I've now bought three copies and given two to friends. Tim knows storms and he knows the ins and outs of storm chasing. I just wish he'd writtin it before I started chasing so I didn't have to learn the hard way. This is a must for anyone interested in chasing. From forecasting to food, with information on equipment, chase partners, safety, and things to do when the weather's good, this book is a great resource. It will be in my bag on my next chase.

This book was really great! It not only had good information on storm structure and forecasting, the traveling section was excellent! It made me appreciate chasing much more!

This is probably the best book that explains what "STORYBOOK STYLE ARCHITECTURE" actually is.

Before I purchased this book, I had a slight idea of what "storybook style" might be, however, after buying this book and seeing the photos, I now know better what this style is all about.

The descriptions in the "Introduction" are very worthwhile because the author attempts to describe where this style came from and how it evolved.

The photos, of course , speak a thousand words, because they actually show what "storybook style" actually is.


Living in Puget Sound, we just don't see too many "storybook style" homes out here, so it was just wonderful to find a book in which this interesting style of architecture was explained and shown (ie: mainly in California).

Although, we do see many "TUDOR STYLE" homes out here in the Northern Pacific Northwest, we do,however, not see any "storybook homes". Thus, it was actually nice to find a book that explains the difference between Tudor and Storybook Architecture.

Formally trained architects may not view this "storybook style" as an architectural style per se, however, the author of this book explains how Hollywood influenced this style greatly, and how eventually it became a "style" that was different from the actual Tudor style. As stated before in my previous statements: photos speak a thousand words.

This book offered plenty of ideas in my restoration and planning process of my tudor home. Great buy for the $$$

Having grown up in Southern California in the 50 and 60's I fell in love with the storybook house and my grand aspiration was to at least live in one if not own one.
My dream almost came true because in the 60's many Orange County houses were built with storybook features; diamond pane windows, shake roofs, cat slides - they weren't as wonderful as the masonary models, but, still fun. Unfortunately, these house were updated with asbestos shingle roofs, the windows were removed for double pane. The character was diminished, but not completely lost. You can still see these houses in Anaheim in the neighborhoods surrounding Disneyland. What a perfect setting for a fairytale style.
And I recommend this book as a nostalgic look back and a real joy to read.

I received this as a Christmas gift and promptly took it to Christmas dinner that night... the entire family enjoyed flipping through the book (and were eager to buy their own copies). Beautiful pictures of unique and gorgeous homes, with some neat historical/factual information to boot. My favorite homestyle. The pictures gave me great ideas for my own cottage home.

A BEAUTIFUL LOOK AT WHIMSICAL HOMES FOR THE YOUNG AT HEART - THE BEST I'VE SEEN ON THE SUBJECT -

I must say that I really enjoy this book. It is well written and provides alot of very good information. It is a good resource book to keep in your RV. I am planning to go full time RVing in the next couple of months and this book helped me to make that important decision. Read and enjoy folks!

We found this book a very valuable resource for planning on our eventual fulltiming phase of life. It is a very easy read, but it also has the information you need. It's very well laid out! Thanks for a great book!

Support Your RV Lifestyle: An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road (Second Edition)
is a wonderful resource -- it's well-written, filled with great information, and is inspirational and encouraging, as well. Jaimie Hall is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her topic. It's obvious that she's a seasoned traveler -- and has been both working on the road and talking to many other RVers who have worked while enjoying their travels.

The book summarizes over 350 jobs (in categories like work at rv parks and resorts, christmas tree farms, state parks and national forest areas, concessions, seasonal jobs, sales of rv related products, crafts, writing and consulting). Details like how to handle resumes, long-distance job interviews, contact information and communication while traveling, and the right questions to ask about jobs are also covered. In addition to the many options it lists, it points out possible problems and challenges one may encounter on the road while trying to find a job or while working.

If you (like us) are thinking about traveling in an RV, this is the book to have in the planning stage -- and I assume it will also be helpful when on the road.
Also check out the author's website and enewsletter.

My husband was intrigued by the idea of full-timing in an RV. This book gives you ideas of working while moving around in your RV. Maybe working a seasonal job in a theme park or with a tour group, on a guest ranch or in a national park appeals to you. Some jobs offer free campsites.
Ultimately I chickened out on the idea, but if you think the open road is for you and want to make some money along the way, be sure to read this book.
It includes a ton of info in the appendix: including contact information for state tourist bureaus, state parks, state revenue offices and state motor vehicle and licensing bureaus and more, plus an additional 32 pages of resources.

Many people who contemplate living the RV lifestyle probably equate it with a leisurely retirement. But what if you combine RVing with a lucrative work life? You may discover that you can hit the road at a younger age and reap more rewards.
Support Your RV Lifestyle spells out in great detail exactly how to live this dream life. Jaimie Hall speaks from her own experience and culls information from a wealth of other sources to create a comprehensive tool for planning to live and work on the road.
Just as you wouldn't set out on a trip without a road map, you would be miles ahead by consulting this guide before embarking on this life journey. There's a lot more to consider than where to park your vehicle each night. Don't assume you'll just "find a job" when you reach your destination. There are many considerations, from tying your marketable skills to a job on the road, to balancing work and fun, to tax implications. Because Ms. Hall is so thorough with her guidance, you will be well-equipped to make decisions about how to combine work with pleasure.
It is likely that some of her 100-plus pages of worksheets and resource lists would assist travelers in general, not only those traveling and working out of an RV. You'll recoup the price of this travel guide many times if you choose to follow its course for living and working on the road

I just finished the book--WOW, What a great read! This book is MUST READ for any Fleshtones fan and a highly recommended read for anyone interested in the 1970's-80's NYC punk/new wave/garage rock music scene. The Fleshtones have always been one of my all-time favorite bands and they have always seemed very cool every time I've interacted with them at their shows. After reading their bio, I feel like I have a whole new appreciation and respect for the band. So glad the Fleshtones are still preaching their SUPERROCK to the masses!! I am very much looking forward to reading "Sweat, Pt. 2" in another 30 years :)

Joe Bonomo's book is a great journey with the most fabulous live band of the last decades.

I was a rock critic back in the day and I bought "Marty Thau's 2X5" when it came out and was immediately struck by "Shadow Line." Sometimes when you hear a song, you can immediately envision a band on stage charging through it. It blew me away. Hmm. Who are these tones of flesh color?

When I spotted the EP "Up Front," I could hardly get it home, get the shrink wrap off and get the platter on a turntable fast enough. Only five songs, but three were absolute knockouts: "Girl from Baltimore," "Cold, Cold Shoes" and "Vindicators." In fact, whenever I would put "Shoes" on at a party, everybody would hit the dance floor, shouting "Whoa! Who's This?" To this day, I consider it one of the greatest rock and roll dance songs ever written.

Then came "Roman Gods" with more powerhouse stuff, including the title track which has one of the greatest use of horns in rock song I've ever heard.

I have only seen them once, at a small club in Philadelphia. Great show.

It not only puzzles me, it angers me that such great talent has not been met with the reward it deserves. It is absolutely infernal that it has taken the French, who adore them, to keep their fortunes afloat.

It is rare to hear a rock band whose taste in music seems to come out of your own head, like they were reading your thoughts. To me, the Fleshtones are that band. Some contenders are Jonathan Richman, Neil Young and the Feelies.

I think one problem could be their name. It's semi-comical instead of abstract and "cool." Maybe it shoulda just been Flesh.

Anyway, thanks, Joe Bonomo, for giving us the truth and the legend about these enduring, underappreciated rock and roll geniuses.

From about 1985 onward, I've been a steady fan of the mighty Fleshtones, although I confess that by about 1993 I sort of stopped keeping up with them. But if for no other reason than to understand why "Roman Gods" and "Hexbreaker" have never been reissued on CD, I bought this book. Little did I know how insane the story of the Fleshtones really is.

In a nutshell, "Sweat" reveals that despite the jolly, party-time atmosphere that is the essence of the Fleshtones, the band and its individual members have truly been through hell along the way. The well-documented drug use by this band is nothing short of legendary, and at least one member, Marek Pakulski, ultimately had to leave the group do to his uncontrollable heroin addiction. Other members, particularly Keith Streng and Bill Milhizer, are probably lucky to be alive considering the amount of alcohol they've consumed. As for Peter Zaremba, it's surprising his body didn't just blast off into orbit, with the amount of speed he was taking!

Funny personal story - I saw the Fleshtones in Boston back around 1988, and got a chance to meet them before the show. I'd brought along the cover of my "Fleshtones vs. Reality" CD and Keith, Bill and Peter all cheerfully signed it. But Peter was irked by the fact that the label, Roadrunner, had included one of those anti-drug public service messages inside it. So Peter scribbled over the message and wrote underneath, "Do what thou willst! A.C." (An Aleister Crowley quote) I had no idea at the time just how serious he was!

And then of course there's the most notorious Fleshtone of all, Gordon Spaeth (R.I.P.). Who would have thought that a member of the Fleshtones served several years in prison after killing a man in a drunken fight?!

Author Joe Bonomo does a fantastic job of tracing the band's history over more than 30 years. From the young hipsters prowling lower Manhattan at the dawn of the punk era, through the 80's where at least Europe embraced the band and they enjoyed some celebrity, and on through the 90's to the present, as the bandmates have continued to make music on their own terms, even as material success has eluded them, "Sweat" spares no detail and offers compelling proof that the Fleshtones, albeit on a small scale, are true living legends.

And by the way, why won't I.R.S. allow those classic early albums to be reissued? You guessed it - it's all about money. As much as any band in history, the Fleshtones are a prime example of why major labels suck.

This book is essential for any Fleshtones fan, and even someone who never heard of them should still find "Sweat" to be one hell of a good read.

(p.s. The Fleshtones' brand-new album "Take A Good Look" is their best album ever.)

R&R is not defined by its stars. Although undoubtedly R&R in their hey days Elvis, the Stones or Springsteen do not define the genre. The may make up for its aspirations, but they are not at the core of what R&R is. At its heart R&R is literally thousands of bands busting their chops in the garages and sordid basements all over the world, dreaming to make it in the big league one day. The Fleshtones have been at this game for about 30 years now, never escaping the basement. In a sense they are the text book example of R&R. Joe Bonomo's book "Sweat" captures their ongoing search for ever elusive fame perfectly. Anybody familiar with the band couldn't have thought of a better tittle to this autobiography. The Fleshtones have been guaranteed to give the best R&R show around for as long as they've been together. Yet the subtitle to sweat, "30 Years, 2.000 Shows, 1.000 Blue Whales, No Hits, No Sleep" gives the perfect summary of what to expect when reading "Sweat".

The Fleshtones story starts in a basement in Queens. Much to the dismay of the neighbors, some of the key members of what later would become the Fleshtones, throw legendary Blue Whale parties while churning out raggedy R&R, barely being able to master their instruments. A Blue Whale apparently is quite the toxic mix of various kinds of alcohol, preferably served in big barrels. That loud and lethal mix of three chord R&R would be a constant in the band's bumpy career. It would get them kicked out of their apartments, make them lose record companies, would find them in bloody brawls, turn them in the gutter but would also make living legends out of them. Although there are way to little people to recognize them. For the lucky few who fell under their spell, they are R&R best hidden deities. For the lucky few who stumbled onto their albums the Fleshtones have come to symbolize sweat drenched good times at their shows, roaring saxophones, screeching farfisa organs, rambling guitar riffs, raggedy soul crooning and pure and simple R&R.

The Fleshtones came smashed between the burgeoning Punk scene of NY city in the late seventies and back to basic superstars such as Bruce Springsteen. Like the latter the Fleshtones went back to the core of R&R. They found their inspiration in a time when 45 was king. The core of the Fleshtones, Peter Zaremba and Keith Streng found themselves in their love for the format. Swapping obscure 7" records filled with R&R, ranging from Hank Ballard and the Midnighters to the Strangeloves. At the time when Punk and Springsteen were about to burst wide open, R&R had strayed from its true path. The scene was marred by various horrific super groups, making guitar based intellectual drivel that had very little to do with R&R. Both Punk and Springsteen were a counter reaction to that drivel. The Ramones brought R&R back to its (barely) three minute essence in a loud cartoon like mess. Blondie did much the same, giving R&R a new sense of ice cold cool. Building on the foundations Punk's god fathers, the MC5 and the Stooges, had built, NY busted R&R wide open again.

"Sweat" unravels the mystery why the Fleshtones, despite a killer live reputation and rave reviews, never managed to reap the benefits of that movement. In a sense R&R was the Fleshtones final destination. Though you couldn't accuse the Fleshtones of being a retro act, the strand of R&R they tapped into just didn't gel with the all too self conscious Punk movement, especially in NY where Punk was as much high fashion as it was a new form of musical rebellion. The Fleshtones simply didn't thunder down the same tracks the Punk movement lays down. In Bonomo's excellent write up of that scene it soon becomes clear that the Fleshtones' brand of good times and party hard R&R "danced" to a different beat than the Punk movement where shaking it up was branded out of style. Punk rebelled against the drivel of the day, but wasn't about to put the fun back in R&R. The very fuel that kept the Fleshtones running.

At the same time the Fleshtones never made R&R any grander than it was. Unlike Springsteen who infused his brand of R&R with big dreams and a lingering sense of melancholy. Where R&R was the door to ultra coolness for the Punks, to Springsteen it was the door to something bigger, an escape for his small town background. R&R as a means, R&R as a promise, not an end. To the Fleshtones R&R was the final stop. They live to recreate the exitement on the records of Larry Williams, The Kingsmen, Lee Dorsey and Link Wray. The Fleshtones never aspired to anything bigger, be it a fleeting sense of cool or the realization of bigger dreams. The Fleshtones simply wanted to be R&R and indulge themselves in the accompanying lifestyle of sweaty parties deep into the night, raving live shows, sex & drugs.

It's not that the Fleshtones never dreamed of making it bigger. Bonomo's book is drenched with frustration. The Fleshtones were chasing that same all to elusive dream of R&R stardom. Save for in Paris, where they were treated like R&R royalty throughout the years, they would find that dream always more than an arm's length out of reach. Although their career seemed to be off on a promising start when they got signed at Punk legend's Marty Thau's Red Star label in 1978, the band soon hit that brick wall they would ram in to on various occasions throughout their career. Red Star folded after the recording sessions, the Fleshtones' "American Beat" single fell of radar and their debut album never properly saw light of day.

The Fleshtones would be forever stuck in the basement their story is defined by bad business decisions, botched album preparations, odd production decisions and sometimes disastrous tours drenched in and caused by a haze of alcohol and drugs. Although "Sweat" is superbly written, Joe's subject is what makes the book hard to stomach at times. I don't think that there are a lot of R&R biographies out there that are as honest and confrontational as "Sweat". Even though Joe is clearly a fan, he doesn't spare the band. Peter's and Keith's erratic moods are thrown right in their faces, they come off as troopers of R&R yet seldom as heroes. Through out the book you keep waiting for that release of success and career highs that are trade mark to most R&R biographies. That release never comes. Instead there's this uneasy sense of "what if.......". You can't help but escape the notion that with a little more luck and discipline the Fleshtones would have been inducted in the R&R Hall of fame by now, doing high priced reunion tours. In stead the Flsehtones stumble their way through their career, seemingly forever one step behind or beyond the zeit geist. Never really fitting into the Punk movement, too raggedy to go up against the super stars of the eighties, too upbeat for the chronically depressed Grunge movement and finally too old for the recent Garage revival.

Yet despite all the hard knocks and set backs the Fleshtones have managed to keep that train rolling down the track. They are still living it up on the road, albeit with moderate amounts of drugs and alcohol these days, garanteed to give you one of the best R&R shows you'll ever witness. They seem to have found a stable record deal at Yep-Records, issuing some of the best albums in their career. A new Fleshtones album is slated for early next year. I don't think it will make any dents in the charts. Meaning that quite a few people will deny themselves some of the finest R&R there is to find.

My daughter (9) loves this book! She says that it is very creative!

What a find! This is a beautifully illustrated book. The story is so magical that the entire family was eager to hear every word.

There is not much not to like about this work. The author has given us a great folk tale, well written, wonderful illustrations, a work full of lessons and just a pure simple fun story to read. Like all good fables this one not only entertains, but teaches some very valuable lessons in life and living (something most of we adults could use a dose of now and again). This is a great book for a child to read on her or his own, a wonderful book to read with a child and a great book to read to an entire class. It is absolutely amazing the amount of discussion this book can create in a class room. I certainly am not going to go into the story line here, other reviewers here have done a grand job of that, but I do say the book is well worth owning and well worth using with children and/or young adults. I do wish more of our folk tales and lore could be so well presented. This particular edition is well constructed, sturdy and can last through many little hands. Highly recommend this one.

This is a charming little folktale about two sisters Ð one mean and greedy, the other generous and kind Ð and their encounter with a strange, magical old woman. In the end, the good sister is rewarded and the bad one punished. A nice story with a good message.

But this isnÕt just a nice book, it is an extraordinary one. One thing that makes it special is the way the author uses language. Robert San Souci draws on an African American storytelling tradition and a southern rural dialect that just makes the language sing! The book is full of wonderful, poetic lines and great rhythmic language. ItÕs a joy to read aloud. The words feel good in your mouth. And any parent or teacher who reads aloud a lot knows what a rare quality that is. Even when IÕm tired, I feel like I canÕt read this book badly. The words just flow.

And the illustrations are gorgeous. Jerry Pinkney is one of the best illustrators around and this is one of my favorites of all his work. The composition, the subtle colors, the intricate detail Ð you rarely come across art this fine in childrenÕs books.

I bought this book for my daughter a couple of years ago, and weÕre still reading it over and over again. ItÕs so good, I hope in a generation sheÕll still be reading it to my grandchildren.

This book received a Caldecott Honor as one of the best illustrated children's books in 1990. The rich, subtle watercolors expand the reader's appreciation of the story, and help keep some of its stronger elements in balance for younger children. The story itself is a cross between several favorite fairy tales, most significantly Cinderella, and represents a retelling of a Creole story from the American South.

A widow has two daughters, and lives with them on a poor farm that "looked like the tail end of bad luck." Rose, who was like her mother, was "cross and mean and didn't know beans from birds' eggs." Her sister, Blanche, was "sweet and kind and sharp as forty crickets."

Unfortunately, their mother liked Rose best because they were so similar, being "bad-tempered, sharp-tongued, and always putting on airs." While the two of them chatted, Blanche did the work.

One day, Blanche was getting water and ran into an older woman who asked for a drink. Blanche helped her. As a result, Blanche was late returning and received much ill-treatment from her mother and sister. Running off, Blanche saw the old woman again, who asked Blanche to join her. She warned Blanche not to laugh and to do as she was told. Soon, they are in a magical place where all kinds of strange things happen. But there is plenty to eat and drink. At the end, Blanche is told to bring back certain talking eggs and throw them over her shoulder. When she does, a nice set of surprises occurs.

Immediately jealous, her mother sends Rose to the old woman to get similar help. But Rose cannot follow directions, and the magic either doesn't work for her or causes her problems.

In each case, justice is done.

The story is told in an imaginative way that makes the reader want to know what will happen next. Unlike many fairy tales where you can pretty much outline the rest of the plot near the beginning, this one has some interesting, unexpected twists.

The writing is witty, and makes good use of the story's inherent charm in praising goodness of character.

If you have a sensitive child, this may not be the right book for you to acquire. The treatment of Blanche can upset some children. The magic involves creatures having two heads, and the old woman being able to take her head on and off again. In one scene, Rose takes the woman's head as a ploy to get some talking eggs, too. You can see how this might be a bit much for a sensitive four year old. Children who are able to suspend their sense of reality will probably have no problems with the story.

I enjoyed the watercolors very much. They provided a richness in their exquisite detail that made me feel good just holding the book. Also, it made the book seem more sophisticated than the typical treatment of fairy and folk tales.

The book deals with many realistic problems that occur in families, like having only one parent, not having enough money, having one child be favored over another, having one child be treated poorly, and children looking for sympathy from nonfamily members. This will provide many opportunities to discuss these issues, and find out what your child thinks.

I also suggest that you talk about whether or not Blanche should have gone off with the old woman. The book seems to suggest that looking for help from strangers is a good idea. That's not an idea that I wanted my children to have, so you will probably want to clarify your feelings on this subject as you read the book.

May all be loved, and treated fairly!

Have you read "Good to Great" by Jim Collins? If the answer is "Yes", you don't have to spend a lot of time in reading this book. At least, 50% of the book conveys what is already told in Good to Great. Of course, with different stories as example.

I liked two concepts from this book - "Have everyone think and act like an owner" & "Choose your competitors". It is hard to institutionalize the first concept, though.

Choosing your competition is something that many companies forget to do (or) they don't do it right. Many of them aim to reach the sky and at the end, do not even take off from the land.

If you are wondering how to keep the startup spirits alive in your giant corporation, this is a good book to read.

I loved this book. It's an easy, enjoyable read, and very rich in information on how companies we know and love have made it through difficult times and the habits and beliefs they live on a day-to-day basis. Very interesting and insightful. I plan to re-read it in case I missed anything the first go-round.

This book reminds us to set aside our own egos when managing a business or a department. It is a quick read with a clear message. I would recommend that all senior managers and those who aspire to be a senior manager read this book.

The book covers the study of 10 companies that have had an increase in revenue and profit of 10%, or more, for 10 consecutive years. There are many similarities with "Good to Great", however, this book deals with smaller companies and the leader at the helm is written about in more detail than "Good to Great". Like any great book on leadership and business you will find that the key to greatness is, you guessed it, FUNDAMENTALS. I particularly enjoyed the study of Koch Industries. Mr. Charles Koch guiding principles are outlined well in this book and I believe they are worth studying and implementing. They certainly have produced incredible results for his business conglomerate. Overall this book was well written and I was able to get some great nuggets of practical information from all 10 of the companies studied. I really enjoyed it, and got enough out of it to give it the 5 stars.

This is a great business practice/philosophy book. It doesn't throw numbers at you or tell you how to hit your quarterly target. Instead, the stories of nine culturally healthy and monetarily profitable companies are told. The format is interviews with the company leaders and other key players. Jennings expounds on the interviews and builds similarities among the companies. For instance, these companies don't acquire customers or clientèle, they build communities and fans.

The stories are inspiring because they truly start from the beginning. For example, Dick Cabela purchased fishing flies in Chicago for only pennies apiece. When he returned home to the Midwest, he put an ad in a sportsmen magazine and the orders started to roll in. He and his wife filled orders on the kitchen table and their first warehouse was the shed in the backyard. Today, Cabela's is one of the largest outdoors specialty merchandisers/retailers in the US, grosses more than $1.5B, and their stores are considered tourist attractions.

One more story: Charles O'Reilly and his son Chub worked at an automotive parts store for years. Charles was let go at the age of 72 and Chub was transferred out of state by some higher-ups, as I like to call them. So Charles decided to open a competing store. Chub was a cofounder and they also hired 10 employees from their competitors under one condition, "anyone joining the new company had to make an investment and become and owner."

These companies don't make big 5-10 year plans, instead they focus on today through next year and sometimes two years ahead. They claim making big plans never work because trends, business, technology, etc. change too often and you lose site of the fundamentals and current goals and neglect suppliers (partners) and customers (the community). Additionally, resources are wasted trying to achieve something that might never be. However, they do focus on being extremely adaptable; ready to refocus the entire company or invent new businesses in short notice.

Bottom line, all the stories and lessons are inspiring and invaluable. Considerable focus is placed on the cultures of these companies. Basically, they don't worry about making money and acquiring customers. They concentrate on building a healthy culture, make sure employees are happy, and provide solutions to problems; gaining wealth and customers is only an axiomatic consequence.

The nine companies interviewed are PETCO, Koch Industries, Sonic, Cabela's, Medline Industries, O'Reilly Automotive, Dot Foods, SAS Institute, Strayer Education. The companies presented have grown revenues by at least 10% for 10 consecutive years.

for those who like graphic design this is an icon. A rich illustraded biography and radical ideas

I waited 5 years before I bought this book. Just buy it, you'll love it.

i have been trying to write alot abt this great designer/man, but couldnt write a word because he is so true and real, that you start loosing words for him. He lives with designer who consider their resposibity and moves on. TIBOR tells the story of Tibor's life and his achivement phase to phase. I dont want to complete this book or Close this book, because it is full of Wit, Humor and Lots of Sense. A book that showcases the thumbnails, sketches, art-work, approvals and disapproved work.
You can find lots of lessions, essay and speeches about Tibor and From Tibor that are helpful esp. for Design Students/Teacher and Graphic Designers in the end. It a worth buying book for every student-teacher and designer!
WELLDONE!

Kalman was a fascinating artist, but above all, he was down to earth. He told it like it is. That's why people found his work disturbing and cutting edge at the same time. His images and ideas have the power to change how people think. As an artist, he was vastly underrated, but his art made important comments about popular culture. He fits right in with Warhol, Rauschenberg, et. al. This is a book worth many times its price.

I first heard of Tibor Kalman while browsing a copy of "Interview", just to learn that it was a tribute. Sometime later, I found a smiling bookcover looking at me. I bought it. I was waiting for the bus and started to read it... I could not put it down again. I read textes, subtitles, infos, even the small characters of the work reproduced. It was not enough. It made me regain the somehow lost faith in design, showing me how humour, money and a cause could be combined together with surprising results.
Do not be fooled: this book goes beyond the cult of the author's personality; it shows brief, concept and ways of thinking which are useful to everyone, not only designers and students.
Although I knew it from the beginning, in the end I had tears in my eyes, because this man was gone and could no longer make our world a better place.

Dear animation lover. This book will restore your faith in the power of passion. With a never failing belief in the craftmanship of delivering a great story Pixar showed the possibilities of a good marriage between art and technique. Off course, some luck of being in the right place at the right time counts as well.

The book starts with the original background of the pixar machine as a calculating machine to the point where Disney takes over.

I also have almost every Pixar art-of book there is, but the movies described in the book (including all the shorts) are mostly viewed from a Pixar company point of view. This way you get a great overall view.

As it is my dream to come close to the Pixar company, this is probably the closest you can get the heart of Pixar when you are living far away...

Great book,
have to read a lot but very very interesting.
Great image quality and edition.
I'm loving it!


Martina,
Buenos Aires
Argentina

If you're at all a Pixar fan, or even an animation fan, this book deserves a place on your shelf!

very insightful look at the fascinating studio that pioneered the animation industry into the 21st century.

The content of the book is as high quality and colorfull as the company it describes. Also the author did a good job at documenting the history of the company.

However, in the making of this book someone made a couple of mistakes. There are tens of images which have unacceptable 'pixelation' (i.e. blockiness due to overstretching of digital images). Especially the full page spread on p. 220 jumps out with pixels blown up to almost milimeter size!

This is quite dissappointing to me, especially as it is the artwork of a company which spearheads the way in digital imaging! I can imagine this is a slap in the face of some of the artitst and it would definitely not pass through their quality system if the book was produced by Pixar.

Overall the majority of the images in the book are very well reproduced, so I take the couple of handfull of bad apples for granted.