Bats Books

My dad loved this book...he used to collect the newspapers to get his students interested in reading something...anything!

This and the Holy Bible are the only two books you need.

I continue to be baffled why folks believe The New York Times but not the Weekly World News. The WWN has *never* had to print a retraction or correction. It is the journalistic standard to which the Columbia Review of Journalism should benchmark.

Modern documentation off what Old Scratch is up to.

You may want to get a copy of "Let's Pave the Stupid Rainforest and Give Teachers Stun Guns."

Heard the Weekly World News isn't going to be publishing it's funny newspaper anymore. Was so sorry to hear this. Always loved reading the headlines as I waited in the grocery store line. Maybe should have purchased the paper every time I laughed at a headline and they'd still be in business. This book brings all the top of the tops in Weekly World News back. VERY well produced and all the articles will make you laugh out loud.

From President Clinton's 3 breasted intern to blobs from space eating farmer's trucks it's all here.

HIGHLY recommended.

But I still give it five stars. I do so because I'm so happy that the creators of the Weekly World News put this book out, otherwise, I'd feel like a loser trying to colelct as many old issues as I could.

Will there ever be another periodical as great or informative as the WWN? I don't see any coming on the horizon. Even the WWN's website is down!

It all makes me depressed. But I can cheer up with one fact, that even though the Weekly World News is dead, Bat Boy still lives!

. . . then you understand why this coffee-table size book is a must have for your reference library, especially since the Weekly World News recently quit publishing. This thing would be hilarious, if it weren't so true. My only disappointment was that, while the book includes the excellent article explaining that Abe Lincoln was female (yes folks, "Babe" Lincoln), the editors neglected to include a related and one of my all time favorite WWN articles: "Woman Gives Birth to Abe Lincoln" (that is WITH beard). You'll enjoy this.

It really would have been helpful had the publisher written something on the cover letting the buyer know this book is a sequal to another book, Rats, Bats and Vats. That book really should be read first. You can follow the story without it, but it makes it an even duller read. It drags in many places. The lukewarm story line, has the characters facing the consequences, unfairly, of their actions in the first book. Very predictable and uninspiring. The writing is mediocre. I would have liked to have seen the characters fleshed out more, especially the animals. They were the highlight of the book. Had the sequal not been such a spoiler to Rats, Bats and Vats, I would have picked it up, just to read more about the critters. This book isn't bad, it just isn't great. I'm sure if you are a fan of the first book, you will no doubt like the sequal much more than I did. Just don't excpect a lot of action. There isn't any until you reach the end, which is the best part of the book.

I absolutely loved this book - just one caveat. You should really read the first book, to get a line on the characters, events that happened before, etc., that book being The Rats,Bats and Vats. Rats and bats have been "uplifted" by an alien species, to help humans on the planet Harmony fight against another alien species that have invaded. Vats are humans who are born from "vats" (not quite clear on this), and presumably raised in creches. They are treated as virtual slaves and thrown into the war as cannon fodder. However, one manages to fight and win the first victory for the humans, with the help of his uplifted troops. Now, he is being charged with desertion in combat by the idiotic army commanders. How he and his bats and rats, plus help from a couple of human officers who know what they are doing make this a truly fun book. I do like when the bad guys are bamboozled by the good guys and the evil aliens get their comeuppance. Get this book!!! But, first, read the preceding book.

Simply put: this is among the funniest books I have ever read.

This is not faint praise; the book "Pyramid Scheme" (also written by Eric Flint and Dave Freer) was my "gold standard" before this, yet "The Rats, the Bats, and the Ugly" was even funnier.

The plot has been summarized quite a bit already; let's just say that Ginny, who was rescued at the end of "Rats, Bats and Vats," is still in trouble and Chip Connolly (a low-ranking enlisted soldier) still ends up going to her rescue.

However, this time, Ginny shows herself to be extremely resourceful, and her self-esteem problems from the first book are long gone. She knows Chip, and his love, and his friends (the rats and bats, who have cyber chips in their heads; they are people, not animals) are all extremely important -- and all of these extremely important people are necessary to their planet's survival.

The war footage makes sense, but that's not what this book is about, for the most part.

No. Instead, it's about the futility of a high command who has never really had to "command" anything, being stuck with a bad war that it doesn't know how to fight; it's about a media which has been controlled by the high command (and the aristocracy; in this book, it's more or less the same thing) finally figuring out they've been hoodwinked. And the conspiracies are just getting started . . . along with the fun.

As I said before -- this is one of the funniest books I've ever read, and I appreciated reading it very much. It is on my shelf for ease of re-reading, and I'm very glad I was able to purchase this book.

Five stars, highly recommended.

Barb Caffrey

P.S. "The Rats, the Bats, and the Ugly" is a direct sequel to the also-hilarious "Rats, Bats and Vats" -- if you haven't read the first book, you will understand most of what's going on, but you'll miss several in-jokes.

Easy way around this is to get both of 'em at once; truly, hours of enjoyment await!

Two books are just not enough! It was like eating your favorite candy!! And REALLY!; one of them should have been named Kate. Ok, hint, one was a misnamed rat named Ariel. Think Willie Wagglepole. I read Ugly first, and ran amuck in my home town and Houston looking for Vats, alas, to no avail. But Wait, there is always Amazon and sure enough they came through. I got it, read it, and gave both books to a friend of my son for a Christmas present. But of course, I will buy two more from Amazon for myself.
With luck, we might get more books out of this; surely there is more to wring out of the RBV series yet. I mean really two books are not really a series are they?

RATS, BATS & VATS ended with the young vat hero rescuing an heiress and precipitating the only significant victory against the aliens who are invading the planet. Naturally, the high brass does not like this at all as it reflects poorly on them. They are also pressured by the helpful allied species "advising" the humans. Something has to be done and that something is that all of the heroes must be punished severely.

Naturally, the heroes do not care for this at all. The old gang of larcenous rats, revolutionary bats, drama queen primates, young hero and rich heiress come together again to not only save themselves but save their planet. They do so with a laugh on every page.

I don't know about this book but it's on the curriculum for my juniors in my high school. Anyway, I found it to be kind of mildly immature. I felt Christine's father was just a caricature of anti-Semite with no real purpose as to be the only obstacle between her and Adam. I felt that the author knew that this Jewish Romeo and Catholic Juliet was never going to get together anyway. Despite all the love between them, it's not enough to over cultural wars and religious differences. Not that Christine and Adam were so religious to begin with and sadly situations like this happened and hopefully we can go past them but it's hard when the author never tells us what happened to them after they separate. I felt kind of insulted when there was a Bible quiz after Thanksgiving Dinner written in the novel was ridiculous. Maybe not in Oswego but in Bible Country but in upstate New York. I felt that Adam and Christine only imagined a wonderful relationship because it was so foreign for both of them. You wonder would it have been bad if they got together even with religious differences aside. Love is love, it has no color, religion, or gender and I'll leave it that. Love has no agenda but society does.

This was a wonderful book. It is such a romantic twist! You won't be able to take your eyes off of it! I think that Christine and Adam made such a cute couple. Who in this world would want to break up such a couple that is truly meant to be? The ending of the book throws you off completely! This book I think personally should be made into a movie. It would be a great hit! My favorite character I'd say would be Christine. Christine is the cute, loving, caring, bittersweet, innocent girl that needs a little adventure in her life. The only adventure this girl very had was bad grades. So finally she meets Adam. Adam is the young, adventurous, boy who gets transported to America. Adam at first lived in Italy. Then the war struck ground and his family realized they needed to get out of the center of it. Then when they finally meet they just immediately know they are meant to be together. But, will their parents allow it? So I guess the saying is true, "war brought them together, and tore them apart."

Two Suns in the Sky by Miriam Bat-Ami is a wonderful story about first love and tolerance. The setting and events in the novel are based on factual events. The story is set during World War II. Jewish refugees come to the United States and stay at a refugee camp. Located at the site of Fort Ontario, a decommissioned army base, the Emergency Refugee Center served as a holding center for refugees until plans were finalized for their return to Europe or resettlement in the United States. This book is exciting, sad and it represents the reality of life for Jews during the War.

Miriam Bat-Ami has done an amazing job with the characters and setting. Her use of parallel voices chronicles both the problems of Jewish refugees and the responses to the refugees by Americans living near the shelter. She reinforces many of the themes and conflicts in the book by introducing each chapter with quotes from former refugees or other historical personages.

Two Suns in the Sky was written by Miriam Bat-Ami. This wonderfully written book takes you on an adventureb through first character. Often switching from the refugee Adam to the american Christien but she prefers to be called Chris. In the beginning of the stroy through Adam's view you find out that his brother,father, and grandmother have been gone for a long time. He says an ad saying that you can come to the states for safety. After a long time with his mother she finally decides to take Adam and his sister to the states for safety. When you get to Chris's view in the beginning you find that she is a girl longing to be kissed and wishes for adventure. She wants to join the WAC and actually do something for the war.
As the story continues chris and aadm finally meet. As a kind gesture Chris puts her bike over the fence for Adam's lil sister to use. The press tries to put her on the news but she hides from them knowing that if her dad found out that if she ever showed up at the camp she would be grounded. Through mutual friends she has gotten to know and love Adam. she spends many hours in the refugee camp making friends and finding out that many people have suffered more than she probably ever will. For a while she meets Adam every day in the library. But when her dad finds out that she has been seeing him he gets furious and says that she can never see that refugee again. She keeps on going to her secret visits with him. But after awhile she finally admits all of this in confession and agrees to never do it again. How will this come to end. Will she ever get to love Adam again or is their relationship doomed to end? Yo find out read this beautiful love story called Two Suns in the Sky.

This a story of a young girl, Christine Cook who is experiencing her first love with a boy named Adam. It just so happens to be a forbidden first love. Adam has just arrived at a refugee camp in Oswego, New York for Jewish people fleeing from Yugoslavia. Christine is forbidden to go to the refugee camp by her father. She disobeys his wishes and becomes friends with Adam. She soon develops her first crush on him. She gets an indescribable feeling when she is with him and soon discovers that she is in love with him. Through the school year she continually sneaks to the refugee camp to see him, until they both finally realize that they can not continue seeing each other because of the harm it is causing Christine's family.
This is an amazing book for young girls who are experiencing their first love. The story is beautifully told with out containing any graphic material and leaving just enough to the imagination. Christine shows girls how to deal with the insecurities they are facing in their lives. Christine's true self is portrayed by being described as strong, and adventurous, which both of these apply to many teenage girls. I think all teen girls should read this book by Miriam Bat-Ami, because of the adventure it sends you on as a reader and the ending that seems very appropriate.

Abby and her twin sister Anna recently turned thirteen, and are preparing for their Baht Mitzvah. Not long before the Baht Mitzvah, Abby is wrongly accused of cheating on a math test. Her teacher suspends her, and Abby tries to keep it a secret! Read this book and find out what happens!

Abby and her twin sister, Anna, recently turned thirteen. They are preparing for their Bat Mitzvah, which is a big deal for the twins and their mother. And now, just when Abby should be acting like an adult, she is caught cheating on a math test and is suspended from school. Even though Abby didn't cheat, she refuses to tell what really happened. She even keeps it a secret from her mother. Abby is heading for big trouble on the biggest day of her life.

This book was better than I thought it would be. It dragged on in some parts, and it isn't a book that I would read over and over again, but all in all, it was pretty good.

I am preparing for my Bat Mitzvah and I found this book extremely informative and comforting. In my opinion,more books should be written about religion for children.

Abby is suspended from school because of cheating in her math test. And Abby keeps it as a secret. She doesn't want to tell her mother and anna what really happened.

my wife swears by it. Bad news is... she has discoved a whole new range of illnesses to cure me of.

I'M USING CMDT SINCE 4 YEARS AND I THINK IT IS BEST FOR USMLE STEP 2 AND 3. THIS BOOK IS REALLY A QUICK GUIDE FOR PHYSICIAN WHO ARE PRACTICING IN FAMILY MEDICINE OR INTERNAL MEDICINE. BEST INVESTMENT. I ESPECIALLY DON'T LIKE THE ONE OF THE REVIEW WRITTEN ABOVE SAYING THAT THIS BOOK IS FOR LAY-MAN. LOOK AT THE PAGE # 699 IN CMDT 2002 FOR DRUGS CAUSING PANCREATITIS.

Despite the fact that user-flexibility was not uppermost on the minds of its designers, the "CMDT on CD-ROM" is a quality companion for the medically inclined. Both medics and medical scientists may find this software irresistible. Detailed diagnostic and therapeutic descriptions, which spanned across hundreds of diseases and disorders were provided in a clear and sequential order.
The contents of this CD-ROM are updated annually, and although it would be nice to own the most recent copy, one would not be lagging too faraway with any issue that is not more than five years off the pace.

This is an excellent book--as a medical student I have found it invaluable. I have no idea what futuredoc is talking about in his review---this book has many pertinent details. Regardless, the purpose of this book is not to be encyclopedic, but instead to give the reader a brief yet detailed synopsis on specific disease entities. If you want to know everything, then obviously you should go to Harrisons. But carrying Harrison's around is impractical for most people, and it is nice to glance at a text in-between patients when you need to look something up, or brush up on something you haven't seen in a while or can't remember off the top of your head.

Additionally, an important detail to remember is that this text is updated yearly, and has a reasonable enough price to consider buying it at least every other year to keep up with all of the ever-changing aspects of General Internal Medicine.

I highly recommend this book with no hesitation to anyone interested in a basic Internal Medicine Text that is still detailed enough for clinical use.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best paperback books on current medical diagnoses and treatments that I had ever used. Certainly, the book does not go into DEEP detail like Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, but the two books have different goals. I would recommend Harrison's for extreme depth of learning and I would recommend CMDT to help you slug it out through your day at the hospital or clinic. I refer to this book more than any other because the depth of information is good for every day practice, and it is written extremely well. In fact, it is a pleasure to read over when you have time to pass.

Zanichkowsky's parents should not have had so many children. That becomes abundantly apparent within the first third of "Fourteen." However, I came to believe that his parents probably should not have been parents at all.

Zanichkowsky's talks about his lack of relationships in his adult life and his sibling's failed marriages and distance from one another are touching, but I was equally struck at how helpless his parents, particularly his mother, were with all those children. They struck back the only way they knew how, with strict discipline, instilling fear, unable to show love, lest it be seen as weakness.

This is a well-written, touching memoir, an unflinching look at growing up surrounded by people but no love. I recommend it highly and I hope Zanichkowsky can someday find the love he needs.

I come from a fairly small family--3 kids and one mother and one father, compared to the author's family. I love the genre memoir and this book is a fine example of a great memoir. The author address the whole family not only his siblings but his parents too. I was sorry when the book ended; I got to know the authors family--almost better than I know my own.

This is a marvelous book. He writes of abuse and degradation without feeling sorry for himself. He tries to understand without resorting to justification or pity. I'm sure it took him a lot of therapy to get to the point where he could create this book, but it was money very well spent.

If anyone wants to read more about the neighborhood he grew up in, I recommend "Spider Stumbled" by Frank Paul Venis.

This story may involve the uniqueness of growing up among fourteen sibs, but it sure isn't a "Cheaper by the Dozen" story. This is an adult's survivor story about his unrequited quest to be loved by his own parents.

Poor Stephen Zanichkowsky never had a chance. As the eighth child out of fourteen, he had a childhood of missing out on most of the things kids need. Money was mostly tight until family fortunes changed later on. As you would expect, the kids were sick of doing endless chores, of living in cramped living quarters, of eating canned goods, and of being surrounded by dirty diapers. Such complaints soon seem trivial, as you read Stephen describe a childhood devoid of any emotional nurturing. Stephen's only memories of communications with the folks involve them belittling and bullying him, if they communicated at all. The young, fragile, defenseless kids grew up in fear of their evil father. Father was mostly absent, when he wasn't brutally beating his kids with a stick for corporal punishment. Mother was equally evil, although Stephen describes her in terms of being overwhelmed. This is a much kinder description than Mother deserves, as you find out when you hear how one night, helped by the family priest, she drops off her most bullied and victimized child at a mental institution. She offers no explanation to the other thirteen sibs about his long term diappearance. The brood soon learns to do anything to avoid the brutality of their parents. They have no hesitation to deflect blame on another sibling. Since Stephen's horrible parents are religious zealots, it is also only a matter of time before Stephen is zapped of his faith in God.

Stephen vents, "therapy style", and at times it gets long winded, but you forgive him because you become surprised. As he vents, it is obvious that he knows very little about child abuse. Clearly his therapists have failed him. As is very typical of victims of child abuse, Stephen offers excuses. Basically he says: " Mother was worn out from all the kids. She was just overwhelmed. When she beat us, sometimes for no good reason, she meant well. We were bad..." It is astonishing that he is completely unaware that he has what many institutionalized orphans experience. He has attachment issues. He has no memories of warm physical contact with his Mom, something vital for emotional stability. No wonder he is groundless, and so alone, despite having so many sibs.

Again, you are surprised as he describes how some of his sibs deny his descriptions of what happened and how he repeatedly insists that it did happen. Of course it happened. Of course the sibs were in denial. You suspect even worse things happened to the daughters, one of whom had special needs. There is no doubt in your mind that all were abused and neglected emotionally. You want to send the author an E-mail, urging him to read more about abandonment, neglect, and abuse of children. You write a review at 2 am for Amazon.com, the moment you finish the book. You hope he'll see your review soon. You hope your words will give him the feeling of a tight hug. Stephen deserves that hug.

Without pity or too much drama, Stephen Zanichowsky write the story for every one of us who grew up in a large family. The book works as a form of his own therapy, but inspires me to face what happened to me, even just for my own benefit of trying to understand or make sense of what happens in a family in which the parents are overwhelmed by too many children, too little resources, and too many human failings. Reading Zanichowsky's story reminded me of my own experiences, many memories that have been buried. I wonder about Zanichowsky's siblings--how they felt about this book. It would take amazing courage to write this book, and a great deal of forgiveness from all of the siblings to publish the real story of their growing up.

In his autobiography, legendary Ted Williams details his illustrious career in baseball with a wide spectrum of human emotions. From passion to disparity, Williams tells it like it is.
He blasts sports writers for their one sidedness's and fabrications, talks highly and respectful of many managers, players and close friends, and above all he talks baseball...especially hitting.
Losing nearly six years to military service and injuries, there is a strong possibility that Williams would have set even more incredible records.
A strong-willed reflection of his life in his own words. It's as if you have Ted right there in your own home and listening directly to the greatest hitter of all time.

My turn at bat!!!!
by:TED WILLIAMS....

This book refers to a kid whose dreams were to become a ballplayer.As any kid he always kept the hope that one day he would have made his dreams come true. One of his opportunities came while he was playing ball with his friends in a field near to his house. He used to play baseball almost every single day.
He was told by his friend that he had a lot of abilities at bat. From that day he thought that becoming a famous player could be easier than he thought. He spoke to his father that he wanted to be a ballplayer. That's how he started getting into this sport.

He played for his school team by couples of times and then he joined one of the major national baseball leagues. After becoming a famous ballplayer it was not easier than he thought. He went through a lot of difficulties ,but he never gave up on his dreams. He could count on his father who helped him as much as he could to realize his son's dreams.

This story is very similar to story of Roberto Clemente,who was a legendary figure as a player.Both of them played the game with passion.
I would like to recommend this book to someone who thinks that dreams do not come true. Because i do belive if you put effort on something that you do love, and are interested in, it would make you change your mind, because it would help you to believe in yourself and keep your hopes and never and ever stpo thinking that you are not able to do it, Also ages between 15 and 20 could read this book,it contains a good vocabulary for those who are taking English as a second languaje...

In its original printing, "My Turn at Bat" was a real eye opener for those seeking the real story of Ted Williams. Continuously battered by negative media attention throughout his playing days, myth and scandal seemed to terrorize Williams. While Williams may not have always made the best public relations decisions through his career, he may in fact be the greatest hitter in baseball history. This is his story in his own words.

Though some biographies go into greater detail about Williams' life, this is a very personal version. At times, one must realize that he is creating a positive image of himself. I suspect more often than not, he is being completely accurate. The matter of fact story telling seems as though it is coming right from the mouth of Ted Williams. This creates the one major problem with the book. The chronology of the story seems to jump all over the place. It really takes away from the story.

The book is also advertised to be an explanation of Ted Williams' theory and practice for hitting. Yet in reality, there are only a few pages. But the brief thoughts are still valid today. Today's hitters would be well served to follow his theory.

Fans of Ted Williams will enjoy this book, particularly if you can find an older copy like I did. It is a treasure.

The story is an entertaining look at Williams' career as a ballplayer, fisherman and ex ball player. It talks about his strange career with the Red Sox fans that would boo him in spite of his brilliant hitting. His study of the game, especially batting and dedication to being a near perfect hitter is a pretty good insight into why the booing bothered him so much and led to some bad displays of resentment by him to the fans. The spitting incidents and the time he accidentally threw a bat into the stands and hit a lady spectator on the head are well covered. His resentment toward most sportswriters is a continuation of his reaction to the reception he received in Boston. It's a large contrast to the welcome given to Joe DiMaggio in New York and the rivalry between Williams and DiMaggio is covered too. In later years, Williams mellowed and so did the fans so that their relationship was a good one. One wonders what kind of statistics Williams would have had if he had not missed five years in the military service, being a pilot in World War II and in Korea. One of his statistics that I don't often see mentioned is the fact that he is one of only two players to win the Triple Crown twice.

Besides being a "Hall of Fame" ball player, Ted Williams was also a hall of fame fisherman and there is a lot of fishing talked about in the book.

Ted Williams was definitely one of Baseball's greatest hitters and an individualist, plus being quite a character. This book gives a good insight into these things in his "own words". It should be a must for any baseball fan.

"My Turn at Bat" is a biography of the late Ted Williams, slugging left fielder for the Boston Red Sox from 1939-1960. MYB is very pleasant and easy reading. The tone is conversational, as if there were no ghostwriter. The reader might almost believe Ted is present in the room. There are few surprises. The tale unfolds in linear fashion from TWs childhood through his career-ending homer against young Jack Fisher of the Orioles. The reader of "a certain age" will be reintroduced to some old friends both on the Bosox and other teams: Del Baker, Joe Cronin, Lou Boudreau, Dom Di Maggio, Bobby Doerr, Billy Goodman, Pinky Higgins, Jim Tabor and TWs favorite manager, Marse Joe McCarthy are all here. TW makes his love for fishing quite clear. Those salmon in New Brunswick's Miramichi River must be wonderful! There are some negatives: The spacing of the paragraphs makes reading a challenge and the chapters are oddly sequenced. MTB has a patched together undertone. These flaws are not fatal; they are listed here for the record. There is also a sense of melancholy to MTB. This reviewer always thought TW gave that vibe in his final years. It seemed TW would leave a game early for no apparent reason. In fact TW lost the 1954 and 1955 batting titles due to insufficient times at bat and he never did achieve 3,000 hits. Something was going on there. Perhaps it was the 5 (!) seasons lost to military service. If TW had those seasons back, he would own the record book. The final word on MTB remains positive. The only major warning label might be that the potential audience is limited. Fans with little curiosity concerning the TW era may be disappointed. Hardcore Bosox fans or those who remember Ted from the good old days should pounce.

I was looking for a book about some basic self-defense using improvised weapons. Long ago I saw a book about bo staff fighting that talked about using umbrellas, canes and the like for self-defense, and was hoping this would be of the same order.

It is amusing and a great read. "Animal" talks like a Marvel Comics character like The Thing or Wolverine, and you can practically hear the Bronx voice as you read. But this material is intended for muscle men who work out regularly in a martial arts gym, who want fighting skills more real-world-based than formal martial arts. For someone who doesn't intend to fight for a living, or who would never enter a biker bar full of violent crackheads, the book has little practical use. Sorry, Animal, I ain't Batman. I'm more like Flounder from "Animal House," and this book won't help me.

You have to hand it to Marc "Animal" MacYoung, he has some of the most creative titles in the self-defense genre. "Pool Cues, Beer Bottles, & Baseball Bats: Animal's Guide to Improvised Weapons for Self-Defense and Survival" is definitely a creative title.

Once the creative title catches your attention, MacYoung hits you with his first sentences, "You know, I don't write these books so people can go out and kick somebody's... In fact, I write them so people don't go out and get their ... kicked." This was one of the earlier books MacYoung wrote, and you can see that he is not far from the street in his writing. There is a considerable difference between some of his more recent works and his earlier ones. Some of his language is much rougher in his earlier works, so if you are offended by this, you may want to stick to his later books. However, one thing that you find in all of his books is practical advice on keeping yourself safe and various aspects regarding fighting and self-defense. He has put out a lot of good information. You might not agree with everything he says, but I guarantee you if you read his works he will give you things to think about and will assist you with the topics he writes about.

This book is shorter than some of his others, but within the 136 pages are some very practical guidelines for using improvised weapons for self-defense. He starts out with a chapter on the seriousness of weapons. He then briefly explains keys to look for and patterns.

He then explains some different types of improvised weapons and things they share in common. The next chapters cover specific types of weapons, the first being a chapter on long weapons such as quarter-staff, polearm, and spear. MacYoung describes grips, stances and how to use long weapons, including shovels.

MacYoung then covers swords and bludgeons in the next chapter, covering a brief history, grips, blocking, swinging, physics and effects of the weapon. Basic blocks, guards and stances are also shown.

The focus of the next chapter is on strike enhancers. He covers a variety of enhancers such as brass knuckles and saps to keys and other improvised implements that enhance one's striking power. He finishes with short chapters on flexible weapons and diversions.

As I stated earlier, this book is only 136 pages long. So it was not meant to be a complete treatise on improvised weapons. Rather, it is an introductory text and a quick and dirty guide on using improvised weapons to protect yourself and survive violent encounters.

I read the first several books MacYoung wrote before meeting him. I remember reading and going, yep, I've seen that. I also applied some of the things I read in his book and they helped me during various fights and physical encounters. Later MacYoung and I met and became friends. I've learned a lot from his books, and even more from him in person. I recommend his works to anyone who wants to further their knowledge in self-defense and survival. You don't have to agree with him on everything, heck he will tell you he doesn't know everything and you shouldn't blindly agree with him or anyone. But I do guarantee he will open your eyes regarding various topics and give you something to think about. And I also guarantee that he will provide you with information to help you stay safe and survive.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author, speaker
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School of Hard Knocks, Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, and The Lock On Joint Locking series, and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer

This is a good book on using improvised weapons for self defense. On the positive side, MacYoung appears to have a wide range of experience and speaks with an air of authenticity. Buried deep in his stories and use of slang, you will find a person who has combined some formal training with street smarts and the school of hard knocks to create a very realistic view of the world and how to survive in difficult situations. For most people, those situations will never have the opportunity to present themselves because they will avoid the venue. For those who choose to frequent biker bars, rowdy night clubs and pool halls, this book will have more value.

Realistic and practical advice that can have applications in any environment. Exploring the self defense potential of common items is a great exercise and can keep you from getting locked into the mindset that if you are not "armed" then you are defenseless. It's a message that needs a wider audience, unfortunately due to the tone of his writing; this book will not appeal to that larger group.

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Marc "Animal" MacYoung's, "Pool Cues, Beer Bottles, and Baseball Bats."

As you may well know from my previous reviews of Marc's books, one of the things that I absolutely love about his style of writing, is his no-holds barred direct approach to getting his point across. There is never any sugarcoating or politically correct terminology is his books. He simply tells it like it is, whether you like it or not. Marc's method of writing reminds me of the comical rants of George Carlin. You may be offended by what he says, but by golly it's the truth. And yes, sometimes the truth hurts.

Once again, Marc gives you a no-holds barred look at the reality of fighting and surviving on the street. This book focuses on the most common types of weapons you are likely to encounter during an altercation on the street. For the most part, Marc leaves out the two most common ones, guns and knives. The reason for this is because these two are deserving of book all of their own. One of which I know Marc has addressed, as that particular book is on my "To Do" list.

In the preface, Marc discusses the intent of his book, which is for you the reader to use the knowledge contained within to keep yourself safe and out of trouble. It is not intended nor implied for you to go out and start causing it. As I was making notes to do this review, it occurred to me that what Marc and others like him are trying to teach you is similar to what the late Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin was trying to teach all of us that watched him work with animals.

First, that these are wild animals (violent and unpredictable individuals) and need to be treated with respect. Secondly, if you know the "ins and outs" (what to look for when dealing with this type of person) of the animal, then you will be able to identify and avoid a possible dangerous confrontation.

This last part is strictly Marc's and others like him, and is not Irwin's by any stretch of the imagination.

And finally, when unable to avoid a confrontation, what options you have to inflict as much damage upon your opponent as you can while sustaining minimal damage to yourself.

In the first chapter, Marc talks about the vital importance of awareness not only of your surroundings, but also of yourself. He teaches you some of the subtle and not-so-subtle cues that people tend to give off when preparing to attack. He also goes into patterns of trouble, which are a series of events that seem to always follow one after another on a one way course to trouble. With you usually right in the middle of it. One of the ways to avoid these things is to be aware of it. Hence, the lesson to be learned in this section, taking the time to work on your awareness.

The next chapter deals with long range weapons you are likely to encounter. Things such as pool cues, staffs or poles, shovels, etc. The remaining chapters in this book are broken down into various sections that focus on a wide variety of weapons, such as swords, sticks. Marc also goes into quite a bit of detail on impact weapons such as; wrist pins, brass knuckles, rings, saps, etc. Marc even has a chapter dealing with flexible weapons such as chains and ropes. As with all of his books, and this one is no exception, Marc gives you a real good understanding of the principles behind the techniques that he discusses and demonstrates in his books.

Marc's final chapter in this book deals with diversions and distractions that you are likely to encounter during a street altercation. Some of them are obvious, while others are not so obvious. As Marc is fond of saying (and completely right) awareness is the key to survival. Buy Marc's books, read them, study them, learn from them, and then use that knowledge to stay safe and live longer.

A comprehensive look at improvised weapons you might encounter on the street such as beer bottles, pool cues, baseball bats, brass knuckles, fighting rings, saps, chains, shovels, bricks, and the like. Even hairbrushes and orange juice, two of the more unusual things the author has actually been assaulted with, are covered along with solid principles of how to spot, utilize, and defend yourself from these potentially deadly objects. Importantly, the book also delves into awareness, covering in depth some of the subtle and not-so-subtle cues that people tend to give when preparing to attack as well as patterns of trouble, diversions, distractions, and other things to look out for.

The author is the real deal. Growing up on gang-infested streets not only gave MacYoung his street name "Animal," but also extensive firsthand experience about what does and does not work for self-defense. Over the years, he has held a number of dangerous occupations including director of a correctional institute, bodyguard, and bouncer. He was first shot at when he was 15 years old and has since survived multiple attempts on his life, including professional contracts. He has studied a variety of martial arts since childhood, teaching experience-based self-defense to police, military, civilians, and martial artists around the world. Clearly a guy worth listening to.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults and Martial Arts Instruction; co-author of The Way of Kata and The Way to Black Belt

This book shows how a marriage can and is a legal arrangement as well as an emotional one. From inside the story, the author describes how his parents built a life and marriage together that protected the whole family legally, while allowing both partners to express themselves sexually in outside relationship, mostly of the same sex variety. This was so much more necessary in an earlier time than it is now. About the only thing we can liken it to in contemporary society is the marital arrangement between parties that allows one of the parties to immigrate to another country.


Higher Love (Lavender Line) (Lavender Line)

The centre of the book and its raison d'etre is Vita Sackville-West's own extraordinary memoire about her life so far including her catalytic 3 year affair with Violet Trefusis. The affair came very close to wrecking her life with her husband, Harold Nicolson, who she loved deeply but no longer felt sexual passion for. Harold threatened to leave Vita and it was only under such pressure - on both sides of the affair - that it was ended. The memoire, written in 1920-21, and discovered by Nigel in 1962 begged a narrative and an afterword; Nigel provided this and presented an eloquent, classic book which has never been out of print since it was published in 1973.

Whether this marriage is to be admired as much as Vita, Harold and Nigel felt it should be admired is for the reader to judge. What makes it most extraordinary is the homosexuality of Vita and Harold and the fact that their once discreet open marriage is now in the public domain. They would each be getting on for 120 years old today but they still seem so fresh that readers, whatever their sexual preferences are, might learn lessons (positive and negative) from them even today.

Towards the end of her life in 1961, Vita wrote (in a letter to Harold not included in 'Portrait') that she had been 'madly in love' with Violet but the affair was now 'passion completely spent'; she wrote 'the true love that has survived is mine for you, and yours for me.' She also gently rebuked Harold for not explaining his own homosexuality in the first place. 'It would have saved us a lot of trouble and misunderstanding. But I simply didn't know.' Harold's reply, if there was one, is not published.

The intimacy of Vita and Harold's relationship is contained in their voluminous correspondence. Harold's diary, Violet's letters and Vita's mother's diary are also key sources for this book. All these were at Sissinghurst in the early 1970's. Nigel separates Vita's memoire into two chapters, draws from the other sources and adds his own voice and, to a lesser extent, that of his brother Benedict. Vita's relationship with Virginia Woolf is affectionately documented. The book created the legend of Vita and Harold who led compartmentalised lives, had multiple relationships, multiple careers and remained devoted to one another. It is a well written and well crafted tribute.

`Portrait' is, as it would be, slanted in favour of Vita and Harold. This book could not be the whole truth or a detailed portrait of the marriage but it is a portrait of two fascinating and productive people. Because of the scandal it caused, Nigel was excoriated by some for publishing this book and in essays written afterwards he would defend his decision and fill in some of the gaps. But the gaps are justified in this labour of love because it is written from such a personal stand-point. This is a wonderful read and is well recommended.

Both those unfamiliar with the extraordinary life of British aristocrat Victoria (Vita) Sackville - West and those who have read Victoria Glendinning's compelling Vita (1983), Virginia Woolf's Orlando (1928), or Sackville -West's own multiple published works of fiction, poetry, or nature and travel writing will thoroughly enjoy Portrait Of A Marriage (1973). Composed around a posthumously discovered confessional manuscript Sackville - West wrote and hid away in 1920, the book's chapters alternate between portions of Vita's nuanced, forthright manuscript and son Nigel Nicholson's more objective recounting of the facts in the lives of his parents, Sackville - West and her spouse, author and diplomat Harold Nicholson.

Chiefly remembered today for her garden at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent and for being the romantic ("Better to gloriously fail than dingily succeed"), daring, and bisexual inspiration for Woolf's historical, gender-addressing novel Orlando, Sackville - West was a temperamental, multifaceted, and deeply emotional woman who followed the dictates of her heart and defied the conventions of her era to what many would think an alarming degree. As her manuscript clearly reveals, Sackville - West was a very human, self - honest individual who was conscious of her moral and ethical weaknesses and who continually struggled with her wayward nature and its debilitating affects on her husband, children, and extended family. Today a hero to some and a somewhat ridiculous figure to others, readers of Portrait Of A Marriage are likely to come away with more than a modicum of sympathy for the not - entirely enigmatic Vita; throughout her life she managed to straddle a great number of seeming paradoxes and today remains potent proof that many Western conventions concerning love, marriage, parenthood, sexuality, and friendship are as not as tightly mapped out as most would generally like to believe. Unlike fellow writers and contemporaries Hilda Doolittle, Djuna Barnes, or Jean Rhys, her excesses, dependencies, and emotional vacillations did not ultimately undo Vita, either psychically, artistically, or socially. Admittedly, Sackville - West was a child of privilege and remained financially comfortable most of her life. However, her managerial skill, expert monetary planning, and her own hard work as an author, radio broadcaster, lecturer, and internationally acclaimed gardener went a long way towards securing that position.

Portrait Of A Marriage and the story of Sackville - West's life may be the ultimate romantic tale of the twentieth century, though one in which the glamour of wealth, palatial family estates (365 - room Knole), creative talent, international fame, and steadfast love were offset by dark episodes of betrayal, spousal abuse, transvestitism, emotional violence, and apparent child abandonment. Remarkably, Vita's story was ultimately a happy one, and the end of her life, relatively serene. Increasingly a loner with age, Sackville - West sequestered herself in her private tower at Sissinghurst, where she continued to write novels and other literature. But men and women continued to fall in love with her and she with them; as Victoria Glendinning wrote, "For Vita the great adventure was never over."

I recently re-read this book for research on the novel I was working on (having not looked at it in many years). Unlike many things read in youth, it was even more searing and electrifying this time than the first go-round. Perhaps that's because the subject matter has become routine (there are even web sites devoted to polyamory, lesbianism, bisexuality, open marriage, etc.), while the emotions that Vita Sackville-West's affair with Violet Trefusis have not been dealt with by this explosion of sexual variety.

This book is not for the faint-hearted. It's not great writing, as it was meant to be a personal diary of Vita's passage through fire, and is not literary in that sense. But given the weakness of Vita's professional writing (most of which has been forgotten), it's perhaps a good thing she couldn't re-write and mar the freshness and raw emotion of this tale.

The book has been a Bible for some, including the protagonist of my novel. It has that kind of "read me if you dare" emotional dynamite.

Despite the fact that Vita Sackville-West was the subject of Virginia Woolf's Orlando as well as her lover, the author of numerous books, and a world famous gardener, she still manages to be a somewhat enigmatic character. This unusual and engrossing portrait, written by her son, contributes a great deal to bring substantial light on Vita's very interesting life and loves. Nicolson is generous in quoting her verbatim from her diaries, the most compelling of which recounts her wild affair with Violet Trefusis, during which the two women fled to Paris pursued by their husbands, where Vita passed as a man by dressing as a wounded soldier. This is one of the most passionate accounts of any love affair I have read.

Nicolson's act of documenting his parents' intimate passions is a great contribution to literary history. He did us a great service by writing this book and in quoting liberally from their own writings, in many ways lets his parents speak for themselves. Any one interested in Bloomsbury, women of the left bank, passing women, feminism, gay/lesbian/bisexual history should make this part of their library.

I was given a quote of $350 to have my son's candle lighting ceremony written for us. We were blown away!! Such a lot of money. So we heard about this book and took a chance hoping it would help us. WE LOVED IT!. It was perfect for us. Together we sat down with our son and in one evening created the perfect ceremony. Thank you Author. We will recommend it to our friends that are also doing the Bar Mitzvah circut now.

This book helped make our candle lighting ceremony memorable. I wanted to write my own personalized poems for each special person who we wanted to light a candle and this book was the answer. Using the guidance provided by the book, I was able to write very special poems. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to write their own candlelighting poems!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was a little shocked by the price, especially given that the book is more of a bound "booklet". However, for the poetically challenged and stressed out mom of a Bar Mitzvah to be, I was able to easily create the poems with some help and input from my son. So, my conclusion ... it was money well spent.

This book really helped make it easier for us to write our son's candle lighting ceremony. The poems were wonderfully funny and sentimental. Everyone loved them! Being our first Bar Mitzvah, the author's directions made it very easy for us to understand the whole procedure.
We would recommend this book to anyone having a Bar/Bat Mitzvah and concerned over creating the candle lighting cereomy.
WE LOVED IT and gave it to our friends who are having an affair soon.

This is a great book that helped my daughter and wife to prepare for the candle lighting ceremony at my daughter's Bat Mitzvah. We receive the book in just 2 days and overnight they wrote the whole ceremony. We were very impressed.