Booker Books

More than Anything Else, by Marie Bradby is about a boy that has a family and works at a painful salt mine but more than anything else he wants to learn how to read. One night when he, his dad and his brother were walking home he saw a man reading his newspaper to every one. Then they rushed home and the boy tells is mom he wants to learn how to read. Then his mom gives him a book and she says that she thinks it's called the alphabet but she doesn't know because she can't read. So the boy reads it and doesn't understand it so he tries to look for the man reading the newspaper. He finds the man and the man teaches him how to read and the boy jumps up and down with joy. Then the man says "What's your name?" and the boy says "Booker." Then the man draws it on the ground. Booker stared at it knowing how to spell his name and knowing how to read.

Booker doesn't express himself unless it's really important to him. Booker doesn't talk very much in the beginning of the book. He just introduces himself and tells what he thinks about in his mind. He only says something out loud when he wants to read. He tells his mom and the newspaper man but he never tells his family how he feels and and when his dad and his brother don't believe in him. This book reminds me to always believe in my self and never give up.

By Arthur

" More than anything else I want to learn to read. But for now, I must work. More Than Anything Else is a true story about a boy named Booker, hiss brother John and his father. They were slaves and had to deliver salt near the Kanawha River in the mountains. They had to use a shovel to put the salt in the barrels. Booker tried to learn to write in different ways, but had trouble until the newspaper came. Booker had a problem because he wanted to learn to read and write, but couldn't because he was a slave.

I like this book because it shows you a lesson on how you can learn to read. The theme of this book is to never give up on your dreams! I recommend this book to 7-10 year old children. I told you this was a true story, so if you want to find out who Booker really is, then read this book. by David M

This is by far, one of my favorite children's books of all time. If anyone have seen the beautiful watercolour paintings in this book, you'll also wonder why this book haven't receive the attention it fully deserves. Not only are the illustrations exquisite but Bradby's text is brilliantly poetic. This book will reminds us of a time when not everyone had a chance at an education where some kids today foolishly take for granted. It takes us back to the simplicity of a time when there were no computers, cell phones, or any of today's over overindulging gluttony. This book teaches us about the human spirit and what we can do with the power of words. This is an overlooked book during the Caldecott selection process. I hope that everyone will have a chance to see the beauty in this book. If you can't wait to have Amazon.com send this to you, go to the library and check it out yourself. It is an amazing piece of work in both text and art!

My son is 4. He is like most of the kids in America who have everything. I used to tell him there were children without food and could not afford to go to school. He did not understand. When I read him this story, his eyes were wide opened. I can tell this story hit his heart really hard, and definitely touched his soul. I am not an African American, but I almost cried. We have to show our children how lucky they are today. They definitely have more than they need, and do not know how to appreciate.

Well, 53 Five Star reviews pretty much says it all.

This is a beautiful book. Not only is the artwork superb (see the cover and Amazon's "Search Inside This Book" feature) but the story is glorious. A triumph of the human spirit when everything in the immediate environment says 'give up' and 'don't dare to dream'.

In this fictionalized story of Booker T. Washington, a young boy ignores the difficult world around him -- where newly freed slaves struggle to find their place in the changing American economy, where 9 year old boys work alongside grown men doing hard labor, where families are short of food -- and dreams of something better.

He says in the book:
"I see a man reading a newspaper aloud and all doubt falls away. I have found hope, and it is as brown as me.

"I see myself the man. And as I watch his eyes move across the paper, it is as if I know what the black marks mean, as if I am reading. As if everyone is listening to *me*. And I hold that thought in my hands.

"I will work until I am the best reader in the county. Children will crowd around me, and I will teach *them* to read."

A love for books and the importance of the written word comes through in this book. A great book to include in any home library.

Five Stars. Beautiful art and story. Amazon has the age range as 4 to 8, but as a mom I think 4 is too young to fully absorb the implications of this story. Likewise, I think the message is one that children older than 8 could come to love.

I bought this for my 9 year old son who has suddenly become an avid reader. He read this book in about 3 days. I was pleasantly suprised. My review actually comes from him. He said he enjoyed the book & can't wait for the new one to come out in January.

This book is a page turner starting from page 1. I am a 5th grade teacher and could not put the book down!! Anyone would get wrapped up in the character of Ruby. She is real, she is funny, she is smart, she is what every girl inspires to be and what every women hopes to grow up to be. A brave and smart person. This is a sure winner for any teacher to get readers to read!!!

This should be on every kids back to school list!

Ms. Stacker
5th Grade Teacher

I have been encouraging my 9 year old to start reading more books for enjoyment. I took her to Books A Million so that she could find some books that she would enjoy reading. To my surprise, she came across Ruby and the Booker Boys. She actually read the first chapter of the book in the bookstore. She enjoyed the book so much that she asked to go back and see if there were a series of Ruby and the Booker Boys books. I must say that she has really found a thrill in reading again! She is looking forward to the upcoming books that I have just pre-ordered. I am very glad that the author, Mr. Barnes, has put the joy back in reading for my daughter. We wish him much success and we look forward to more Ruby and the Booker Boys books.

L. Giles
Florida

Yay!! Derrick Barnes (I just loved 'The Making of Dr Truelove') is back with a whole new series about the awesome and sassy Ruby Booker and her popular brothers, and this one made me laugh till my belly hurt. Fabulous Ruby with her super confidence establishes her own identity at her new school, and her experience is so much fun. I so wish I had someone like Ruby at home - she is just adorable. This series will make reading fun and exciting for the kids.

I happened upon Ruby M. Booker in the weekly Scholastics order catalog and thought it amazing to find a book about a little African American girl. Little did I know, I had stumbled upon a Masterpiece! My 8 year old daughter fell in love right away and so did I. We laughed and danced the entire time. The best part, hearing my baby say "She's just like me!" As an avid reader, I found it difficult to find books with characters with whom my daughter could identify. Ruby in all her 'fabulousness' put all that to rest. She's funny, spunky and full of life. This is a must read for all little girls. Many thanks to Mr. Barnes.....you really came through with this one.

this is the beginning of a trilogy of books about anglo and his experiences. travel to new mexico to the home of the hopi and other tribes and learn the ways of a shaman.

Ran across this book several years ago at a local bookstore, lost track of it, found it again looking for something else. It's a wonderful novel about how one can begin a new life that is deeper and more connected than one's old one.

I don't particularly enjoy reading fiction novels, but I was intrigued by Winn's endurance to throw away his identity, his family, his prominent position in the community, and, most of all, his comfortable life. It's not every day that a very wealthy and educated middle aged man, sound of mind, decides to do something totally irrational, by leaving his loved ones, his bank accounts, his assets, and his successful business, and goes naked into the night, wandering around the country with the true hope to find a new identity and the true meaning of his existence. It takes a lot of guts and a `desperate' drive. This is what kept me devouring the book page after page, depicting myself in the same situation, and living his experience as he is about to start a precarious new life, just about when he had pratically achieved everything and had accumulated wealth and power. Each chapter kept me nailed to its story with trepidation and suspense. I had a spiritual contemplative experience, and I cried with Booker, when Nita died. Now I can hardly wait to buy the sequel "Lost in Las Vegas" and to read more about Booker's new life with the Pueblo Indians.

A spiritually renewing read from beginning to end. I became a willing participant in Booker's emotional quest and will not soon forget Naked's powerful message. Monty Joynes is a truly gifted writer, and I look forward to reading more from him!

"NAKED INTO THE NIGHT" ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS POSED BY THE INEVITABLE MID-LIFE EXPERIENCE SO MANY OF WE "BOOMERS" ARE ASKING.LEAVING SELF-SUFFICENCY AND MOVING TOWARD FAITH AND FOCUS ON OTHERS IS THE PATH TO INNER PEACE. IN THIS PARADIGM, IT MATTERS LESS WHAT YOU DO, WHAT YOU HAVE, ETC. THE FOCUS IN THIS BOOK IS ON HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO.IF YOU SEARCH FOR FREEDOM AND INNER PEACE, THIS BOOK HAS SOME OF THE ANSWERS.

This book of "Poems" was very well done. It had a sense of straight from the heart warm feelings. The poems were very true to life... Living and Living for Christ. I really, really enjoyed reading "Living".

This book is a wonderful book of remembering what God is to us and how we should be to others. I'm so glad God inspired Paula Toney-Brooks and even MORE glad that she ACCEPTED the inspiration to write!

Thank you!

Very seldom does one read a book that touches the core of your soul with each word...."LIVING" did just that for me! The variety of poems makes for an all around special blend that speaks to all situations and occasions. Two of my VERY favorites are," IT'S YOUR TURN NOW",(which is still ministering to me) and "SECOND CHANCES"...( What a great reminder to us all just how good GOD is and how he keeps on giving us another chance when we mess up.) To the author, Paula Toney-Brooks, I have only one thing to say...." LET GOD CONTINUE TO USE YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT PROJECT." GOD BLESS

My sister in Georgia gave me a copy of the book Living for my birthday. Best birthday present she could have given me. I have read the book twice already and shall read it over and over again. This is the type of book that once you start reading it you can't put it down. Very inspiring. Thank you Paula Toney-Brooks for being God's secretary.

LIVING makes you want to "live"! Each poem became my "favorite". The best gift I ever received from any man except Christ!

The book was shipped in the condition described and by the time I needed it.

I Love This Entire Series! The author makes history so interesting. I have enjoyed learning U.S. History all over again (more like for the first time) with my kids. Recommend the whole set!

When I first saw this book, I expected it to be like the awful textbooks found in schools across the country (the ones you could fall asleep reading), but it was nothing like what I had anticipated it being. Joy Hakim's fabulous writing, and the fun facts and illustrations scattered throughout this book make history seem like an ongoing story. Good for kids and adults alike!

This book is really supposed to be for little kids in elementary school, but I am reading it to understand my U.S. history class in high school, because it conveys our history with such clarity, and doesn't muddle things up like big ol' textbooks. SO BUY THIS NOW!You won't regret it...I wish I could have given this book more than 5 stars.

"Reconstructing America 1865-1890," the 7th volume in Joy Hakim's A History of US series, expands the notion of reconstruction, usually applied only to the Southern states of the former Confederacy to include the entire nation. In her preface to the volume Hakim declares "Are We Equal? Are We Kidding?" Her point is to underscore the Declaration of Independence's famous proposition that all men are created equal and to point out that ending slavery does not really free people if they are denied education and jobs. However, while the issue of racial division begins and ends this book, Hakim covers the entire domestic history of the United States in between the Civil War and the rise of the nation as a world power.

This volume does not have a formal structure but you can still find four rather distinction units. The first (Chapters 1-10) talks specifically about Southern Reconstruction and the fight between President Andrew Johnson and Thaddeus Stevens, leader of the Radical Republicans in Congress. The second (Chapters 11-18) tells about the opening of the West and Indians ordered to reservations. The third (Chapters 19-25) contrasts the world of Boss Tweed and Thomas Nast, P.T. Barnum and Mark Twain, with the immigrants who came to both coasts of the country. The fourth (Chapters 26-37) starts with the beginning of the movement towards rights for women and ends with Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois taking on the Jim Crow laws, with the birth of the Industrial Revolution and its patron saint Thomas Alva Edison in between.

As you can see, this is an inelegant division of these 37 chapters at best. But in the second half of the 19th-century of American history lacks the direction of the first, where the nation was hurdling towards Civil War. The idea that America was indeed reconstructing, or remaking itself, makes sense. However, there is no finality to the story at this point because equality between the sexes and the races are still a half and full century away respectively. One sign of the changing focus of history is that George Armstrong Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn is literally a marginal topic while the story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce gets an entire chapter.

These volumes are wonderfully illustrated, with historic photographs, paintings, and in this particular volume political cartoons that help bring the period alive. Throughout the book you will find detailed features on subjects such as the first conservationist, John Wesley Powell, and the Route of the Nez Perce in 1877. As always the margins are crammed with notes, definitions, mini-biographies, and choice quotations. For children raised on computers and the Internet it is clear that Hakim is speaking their language, and for parents home schooling their children they will find Hakim to be an active teacher who anticipates questions and concerns from students even when she is writing and book and they are reading it. This is an excellent series of American history textbooks.

We will be buying the next books in the series. It was excellent and my 3rd grader read it in a couple of days.

She's the trivia queen,the 3rd grade supreme.So she enters a trivia contest.and wins it.
I was exited when the princapal told her that she could be in the contest. She deserved it because she really is the trivia queen.
I can't wait until the next Ruby book!

The author makes "Ruby" stay alive in book #2! The writer makes this character as if she is a real little girl. I can actually see Ruby in my head.

The book had me reading it aloud and acting as if I were "Ruby" A children's novel hasn't move me like this in years! I felt as if I were an 8 years old again. Excited to read!

Ruby rocks & I'm waiting to order the next book. This book should be on the top seller list for children.

Teachers please order this book for your students. It's a must!

Ms. Stacker
Chicago-5th Grade Teacher

I am so glad that to find an interesting book with such a colorful character such as Ruby Booker. My daughter loves to read and is excited to add all of the Ruby books to her collection. The writing of Mr. Barnes will keep the reader turning the pages in full anticipation of the next interesting thing Ruby does. It is written at a level where elementary age students can read, understand, and enjoy. I am excited about the success of Ruby books.
Thank you Derrick Barnes!

I am always so pleased when the second in a series is a good as the first. I can definately say this about the second of the Ruby and the Booker Boys series by Derrick Barnes. Ruby is as still doing her own thing and shining in her own way in this great follow up. Ruby faces challenges and solves her problems with the help of her great family. These books are always funny and full of situations that all kids can relate to. Keep up the great work! I can't wait for book 3!

Sometimes I have to chuckle at the titles contained in the For Dummies series. Nanotechnology is not something that I would normally think of as being of interest to Dummies. I guess I'd best not give examples of subjects I'd think of as being suitable For Dummies.

However, that misses the point. The For Dummies series has pioneered a writing style that enables the non-informed reader to get a much better understanding of complex subjects.

Nanotechnology is a science that is only about twenty years old. I say 'about' twenty years because it really depends on just what you consider to be the start of the science.

Nanotechnology deals with things that are nano in size, say around 1/5000 the size of a red blood cell, about 1/75,000 the diameter of a human hair. At that size, all kinds of strange and wonderful things begin to happen. The technology promises to offer significant improvements in all kinds of areas from energy, health, to computers.

I can't really talk about the subject in this short review, it's too big, that's why it takes a whole book to cover.

Conclusion: Written in the For Dummies style, this is a book on Nanotechnology that makes it understandable to the average person. I'd consider it mandatory reading for anyone thinking of going into chemistry or physics for a career. My prediction (and the authors) is that this is going to be the hot science subject of the next generation. If I knew a high school student interested in science....

It's *amazing* what you can find in the "For Dummies" series... :)

I've always enjoyed the Dummies series, especially when it comes to a complex subject where "I don't know what I don't know". A book that can explain the subject in simple terms gives me the mental framework on which to build my learning. This book is a perfect example... Nanotechnology For Dummies by Richard Booker and Earl Boysen.

Contents:
Part 1 - Getting Small with Nanotechnology: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Nanotechnology; Nano in Your Life; Gathering the Tools of the Trade
Part 2 - Building a Better World with Nanomaterials: Nanomaterials Galore; Adding Strength with Composites
Part 3 - "Smarter" Computers! Faster Internet! Cheaper Energy!: Building a Better Digital Brain; Routing Information at the Speed of Light; Nano-fying Electronics; Getting Energy and a Cleaner Environment with Nanotech
Part 4 - Living Healthier Lives: Diagnosing Personal Health Quickly, Easily, and Pain-Free; The Fantastic Voyage into Medical Applications
Part 5 - Investing in Nanotech: Industries Going Small; Countries Investing In a Nano Future; Nanotechnology Goes to School
Part 6 - The Parts of Tens: Ten (or so) Nanotech Movers and Shakers; Further Reading on the Web and in Your Library
Glossary; Index

My prior knowledge of nanotech was pretty much restricted to the sci-fi realm, where machines build themselves and nanotech runs amok. But if asked how it all works, I'd be at a complete loss. In this Dummies title, Booker and Boysen do an excellent job in making the very, very tiny... very understandable. You won't be ready to launch your own nanotech firm or get a degree in nano-medicine, but you'll at least walk away with a better understanding of the subject. While the authors do tend to be wonderfully enthusiastic about the nanotech future, I think that their optimism is somewhat warranted. They show you the edge of the future that we are about to enter, and even after dismissing the hype, there's some intriguing stuff out there.

I think I was most fascinated about where the medical field is going with nanotech. Customized delivery systems for medicines that can put the dosage right where it's needed. Nanocells that can attach themselves to cancer cells and then respond to laser stimulation and fry away the cancer. Obviously not next week's cure, but the authors show you it's closer than you might think.

If this subject is something you've thought interesting but still don't understand very well, it's well worth getting a copy of Nanotechnology For Dummies. It's an enjoyable read, and you'll come away with many "small" pieces of insight (sorry, bad nano-joke there...)

Before reading this book, I didn't know, nor did I care about nanotechnology. But now, I see all the applications of it in every day life!

Made Nanotechnology clear and easy to understand. Provides a pointed introduction to the fascinating subject of nano-techlogy with emphasis on the applications.

Juan Carlos M. Escobar-remolina

Nanomaterials: nanoparticles, nanotubes, quantum dots, fullerense, dendrimers, nanoprorous materials.

Nanointermediates: coatins, fabrices, memory and logic chips, optical components

Nano-enabling products: finished goods for cars, clothing, airplaines, computers, video, pharmaceuticals, appliances.

I found the Lux Research Index reference interesting (LUXI). I read about companies building products like: Zyvex , Mems and Nanotechnology , Nanosys, Altair, NVE (spin state storage MRAM) , FEI (visualization systems), Veeco (data storage and semiconductor), and Accelrys.

Hurdles: 1. Cost. The smaller the product being worked on, the more sophisticated and expensive the equipment needed to monitor quality control. 2. Availability. The equipment needed to producing nanomaterials may not be readily available or could be expensive. 3. Regulatory barriers. Evaluations and government approvals are needed to bring products such as a new drug to market, this takes time and time to market means sunk costs.

Growth: "Nanotechnology is likely to become a trillion-dollar industry in less than ten years." If this is true the Nanotech indexes reflect the exponential growth explosion. The time required for manufacturing process transform suggests companies are making purchases now and generating capital nanotechnology projects. For example, Toyota should be in the process of covering major sections of their car production lines to use nanomaterials. It may be true that no process modification is required and that raw materials can be substituted for nanomaterials. This is the best scenerio. If nanotechnology is too emerge it could start with a series of new companies that will create radical and disruptive technology.

Nanotubes: Researchers found that by adding a few percentage points of vaporized nichkel nanoparticels to the vaporized carbon, they could make as nanotubes as buckyballs. There are three methods for producing nanotubes: 1. High-pressure carbon monoxide deposition, HiPCO. This method involves a heated chamber which carbon monoxide molecules gas and small clusters of iron atoms flow. When the carbon monoxide molecules lands on the iron clusters and the iron acts as a catalyst breaking the molecule into carbon and oxygen. The result is a carbon nanotube and Carbon dioxide. The second method is called chemical-vapor deposition, CVD. In this method a hydrocarbon, such as, methane flows into a heated chamber coated with an iron catalyst. The high temperature causes the carbon and hydrogen break apart. The carbon atoms attach to the catalyst particles forming a nanotube. The third methods uses plasma torch to break apart hydrocarbon producing nanotubes.

Nanotube have three topology arrangements: armchair, zigzag, and Chiral. Nanotubes are elastic and strong. Nanotubes conduct heat and cold very well. A nanotube can be either metallic or semiconducting. A nanotube is metallic I the energy level that allows delocalized electrons t flow between atoms throughout the nanotube is right above the energy level used by electrons attached. A nanotube is semiconducting if the energy level of the conduction band is high enough sou that there is an energy gap between it and the valence band. Nanotubes will provide more efficient energy transmission and faster and more power computers. Nanotube tensile strength (GPa)=200, Young's modulus(GPa)=1000, and density=2.

Nanowire: Researchers have demonstrated using nanowires to create memory devices and transistors. A nanowire crosslatched arrangement will be able to store 40 gigabits per square centimeter.

Polymer composites: "Scientist at University of Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated a unique self-healing composite. It involves dispersing microcapsules and catalyst within the composite. When the catalyst comes in contact with the healing agent inside the microcapsule, the healing agent polymerizes and hardens." Heals microcracks resulting from temperature changes or pressures of mechnical loading.

NanoTransistor: A transistor is the switch that says whether a bit is 0 or 1. Think of a water dam. In the off position no water is flowing through and on the water is flowing, electrons are flowing freely. The smaller the transistor, the smaller your electron gate-which means faster switching between on and off, resulting in a faster overall processor.

Photoelectrochemical hydrogen extraction: A photoelectrochemical device is a 30 nm layer of nanoparticles placed on a conductive glass. The nanoparticles are composed of semi-conducting oxides. The conducting glass is connected to an electrode. The space between electrode and nanoparticle film and conductive glass is filled with water. Light strikes the layer of nanoparticles knocking the electron's loose. Those electrons move through the conducting glass layer to the metal electrode putting a negative charge in it. You have a layer of nanoparticles that electrons are rushing out and a nearby metal electrode that electrons are rushing in. Hydrogen is emitted. (Hydrogen Solar Ltd)

Nanotech Movers and Shakers: Richard Smalley , Charles Lieber , Jongjie Dai , James Heath , James Von Her , George Whitesides , Paul Alivisatos , Angela Belcher , and Richard Feyman and Eric Drexler .

A must read for Today's Church. See that God truley is the same ... yesterday, today and forever; and that His Word is as valid today as it was when it was inspired, and that like God, the Word hasn't changed either.

Dr. Booker, in a very clear and concise manner,
sounds the alarm to the people of G-d
...Messiah is returning for His people, a
holy people, a spotless bride, unencumbered
by the traditions of man, faithful
only to Him. I encourage all believers
to prayerfully read and be challenged
by this 'now' word for the Body of
Messiah.

This book is not a new premise in doctrine, supported by scripture, but instead teaches scriptural precepts that give us doctrine to live by.

Cloaked in the Christian Churches is "Liberty in Christ", defined as we are "free from the law" of sin and death, that the Sabbath has been done away with, that the dietary laws have been rescinded, etc, etc. This book scripturally defines true christian liberty - that we have the power through the Ruach Hakodesh, Holy Spirit, to live holy live's as G-d has commanded us to do - to keep the Sabbath day, to eat kosher, to be holy as G-d has called us to be holy.

G-d has given us commandments, and he has not left us powerless to fulfill them. If your are serious about living a holy life as directed by G-d, then I encourage you to immerse yourself in this book along with the scriptures, and true "Christian Liberty" will begin to awaken your soul to be like the Messiah, and not a cookie cutter Christian.

This author takes you from Scripture to Scripture, backing up everything he says with the Word of God. The question is not do you believe what the author is saying; the question is do you believe what the Scriptures are saying?

I met the author of this book Saturday at a book signing and let me tell you, this guy is amazing. He is very nice and took the time to talk to me personally. I am trying to become a writer and he talked to me for a good 15-20 minutes and gave me some advice on writing. Even if i haven't read his book yet i still say he is a very nice man who cares about helping people make their dreams come true. He even gave me his card and told me to contact him if i ever needed anymore advice. SO as you can see this man is a great author and is going to be just like someone else said...a household name or maybe even a leadgend. I gave the book 5 stars because it has to be good coming from a good writer.

Remember the name Booker T. It will soon be a household name. Gotta Be Down is one of the best books I've read all year. The book centers around a young boy, T, and his metamorphosis into a hardcore drug dealer.Not for the easily offended crowd. I don't want to give any spoilers here but pay close attention to the character named Money, who also drives a long, black '65 Fleetwood. Things "heat up" when he's around. This Booker T guy is probably the best writer of this genre since Donald Goines. Kind of like a cross between Chester Himes and Stephen King.

Gotta Be Down! is a blunt yet powerful novel of growing up in the inner city in a single-parent home, under conditions of desperate ghetto poverty and the constant, threatening influence of gangs and conflict. Young T is the fifth child of a struggling Momma whose husband left her for another woman. Adapting to the inner city without the role model of a father, T becomes drawn into new friends with less than kindly interests; though in his young life he has not begun to comprehend the deadly nature of violence, a terrible awakening lies in store for him. A story of coming of age, learning the hard way and seeking a better future, Gotta Be Down! is an utterly compelling read.

Life is a series of choices but what path will we choose? This is one of the important themes of this book. Alphonso struggles day after day to find a legitimate job with no success. As a result, he is faced with feelings of guilt and inadequacy, especially when he has to tell the live-in girlfriend who is supporting them; he still has no job prospects. By fate he is offered the chance to start selling drugs. Initially, he continues looking for a legitimate job but after a few more failures he and his best friend Tony enter "the life" and start selling drugs.

Terrance, better known as "T", has lived in poverty for most of his life. After his father left, his mother took on two sometimes three jobs trying to support the family. But with other brothers and sisters in the house there was never enough money, food, or time to go around. "T" learned early on that in order to survive in his family and on the streets he had to be tough and hustle to get what he wanted. It is no surprise that although he is young he too gets involved in dealing drugs, first as a "runner".

Although this story is a fictional account, it deals with a number of important social issues such as education, domestic and community violence, child abuse, teen pregnancy and most obviously alcohol and drug abuse. Booker T. creates multidimensional characters that you cannot help but feel for even when you don't agree with the choices they make. The author really illustrates how difficult circumstances can help lead us down the wrong path without overlooking the personal responsibility we all must take for the choices we make.

The only disappointing thing about this book is that it seems to jump around. One minute you are reading about one storyline and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of another. Although you may find yourself flipping back to make sure you didn't skip a page be patient because the author will eventually tie everything together into a coherent whole. This is a wonderful story that really illustrates some of the challenges faced by many young African American males and their families.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay

"A tremendously exciting read" Judge Sanford M. Brook

Patricia Williams, Acting Justice of N.Y. Supreme Court says about Gun Crazy: "I truly enjoyed Mr. Booker's writing. He knows the secret of making you want to actually visit the scenes he describes so well. . . Mr. Booker's book is different than others, because it deals with the many different aspects of a real trial. Hence, the characters are drawn with detail and care."

Warren Burnett said: "Superbly, writer Booker honors his craft in this story of a courtroom trimph made possible by the grit and grace of Kerrville's Scott Stehling, a true examply of the decent and talented lawyer."

Racehorse Haynes said: "A brutal senseless crime, a skilled trial lawyer's fight for Justice for a young man in the wrong place at the wrong time. A must read for all interested in trial by jury."