Bryan Books

I bought this book because of my love of true crime. What I came away with was much more than a story of an ax murder in 1900 Iowa. The author's paint a vivid picture of the dismal life and the hardships of the wive's of farmers during this era, and the farmer's themselves, as they weave their story with true accounts of the actual investigation and trial.

Midnight Assassin is an easy read and real page turner. What I wasn't expecting was the portrait of desperation, fear and isolation that made this book so much more than a true crime story. "Little House on the Praire" this was not and is a must read!

This book was of extreme interest from beginning to end. I love true crime stories, so the legal and moral aspects were the reason I purchased this book, but I found a secondary reason as soon as I started reading it. I am also interested in genealogy and my ancestors came to Iowa the same time as the Hossacks and they lived less than 45 miles apart. The authors' descriptions and stories of their lives and the everyday living of the farmers of the area were amazing. I felt like I was there, experiencing their lives, and their trials. Whenever a book can make me feel as if I am actually there, while it is happening, it is well worth the read.

Excellent story told here, with a mix of history of farming life in the midwest in early 1900s, law, civil rights and the mystery of the murder. It keeps your interest with the who-done-it story line and the tease of incomplete information coming from crime scene research and from the witnesses at the trial. I recommend it.

This is a well-written book that casts the reader back into the lives of prairie farmers at the beginning of the 20th century. It shows the dark side of Little House on the Prairie.

It is especially good at introducing the reader to the plight of many farm wives in that era. Through the trial of Margaret Hossack for the ax murder of her husband, we get a feel for the isolation and desperation of these women. The man a woman married was her whole lot in life. It was strictly the luck of the draw for her. If a husband turned out to be cold and abusive, as it seems Mr. Hossack was, his wife had little recourse but to suffer through it to the end. Although Margaret may not have suffered in complete silence, since there was ample evidence of how often she had rushed to her neighbors to complain of her husband's foul, dangerous moods - there was little anyone else could or would do to help. As this book keenly points out, the code of being a good housewife and a "lady" constrained women to their places and prevented others from interceding too effectively. The book poses the question - Did Mrs. Hossack ultimately engage in self help?

The book's other purpose is to juxtapose the lives of two women situated very differently in 1900. On the one hand, there is Mrs. Hossack, confined to her meager, loveless life on the prairie. On the other hand, there is Susan Glaspell, the liberated young reporter who covered Mrs. Hossack's first trial. I would have liked to have read more details about Glaspell's early career as a crime reporter in a man's world. But perhaps that would have been spreading the content of this book too thin. The author does circle back at the end of Midnight Assassin to provide a follow-up on Glaspell's writing career. Trifles, the play Glaspell eventually wrote, based loosely on the Hawkin's trial, has a heart-wrenching conclusion. It's worthwhile reading this book for that dramatic take on the caged lives of these farm women alone.

It is a Cardinal Rule for this longtime reader and reviewer of "true crime" books (See my List - True Crime 101) that books of this genre *Must Have Pictures* - of the participants, the "scene," etc., for the reader to understand whither thou goest and wherefore. Although authors Bryan and Wolf have obviously and thoroughly researched time and place, the reader may not be as familiar, hence photos are essential and their absence gets this book docked one star. Tintypes were prevalently hawked by city street vendors and chroniclers of the battlefields by the American Civil War and the technology continued to improve. This case was an Iowa OJ of its day. So there were pictures. Yet all the reader of this fin de 19th siecle saga is provided is one paltry diagram of the house on the frontispiece. Nonetheless, the authors attempt to impart appropriate prose pictures of the not-so-bucolic life, death, and legacy of a domestically battered farm family in rural Iowa. Oh they had trouble! Right there past rivered cities! (See also *Lillian's Legacy: Marriage and Murder in Rural Iowa* by Carroll R. McKibbin, where, at least, the reader is provided a picture of Lillian on the cover.)
This sometimes engaging and engrossing true crime/sociological/historical retrospective often bogs down in extensive direct quotes of bad and archaic American English which the reader must take pains to interpret - impeding the flow. Then there is the authors' proclivity for wending off-stream to ponder Lizzie Borden and other contemporaneous women/defendants whose fates were determined by a jury of her victims' (not her own - as females were not allowed to serve as jurors at the time) peers.
All that considered, I'd rate this a 3 ½ - if we were allowed half points here. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

I bought the book with the intent to go through the exercises with a friend. I read the book before beginning a schedule and was blown away. Right away, I identified with two stereotypes. It was as if a veil had been lifted because I now understand why I handle things and why I need help. I am in the midst of the steps and I can already tell a difference. Not just in the way I handle money but my attitude towards money and life.

The book is effectively well written and blunt. I have read other books about how to improve my relationship to money, but this book goes where other books don't - your habits and self and their roots. We have to take responsiblity for our habits but it's helpful to understand that we inherited them (in my case) to be able to break the cycle.

Julia Cameron, the author of the Artist's Way, Walking in This World, and Vein of Gold, among others, has done it again. She and partner, Mark Bryan, have created an approach to personal money management that takes into account our emotional attitudes and training about money. Many times our patterns interfere with the way we are able to deal with money and their approach helps us to unhook those negative patterns. Clear and concise, this book is well-written and brief, but powerful.

I highly recommend it. You won't regret it.

I am what this book characterizes as a compulsive spender. Reading this book not only helped me get my spending under control but also helped me change my opinion on how I viewed money in my life. It really goes through different types of people such as the compulsive spender (me), to the cash co-dependant--someone who actually assists someone with their money issues (i.e. a woman who is continuously giving a boyfriend her money, when he continuously loses the money and does not do him nor her any good.). This book works on self esteem and an "I can do" attitude towards money. The first half of the book focuses on finding what type of "Money Drunk" you are and identifying with other scenarios with quick stories and examples. The second half is the battle plan, that lasts 90 days and is grouped into different themes; Awarness (Finding out what and how you acquired this problem), Acceptance (Learning to deal with your addiction), and Action (Do something about it and how). It even has a relapse checklist and a section towards the end on spirituality. If you are not into the religion aspect, please note the book does not "steer" you towards counting directly on religion so don't worry. Everyone can enjoy and benefit from this book which is easy to read and flows well... Even loved ones of money drunks can benefit from this book. I get distracted easily and never seem to finish a book but this book was so well written and gave me such continuous hope I couldnt help but keep on reading!

This book goes on to describe 5 different money drunks
Among them is the poverty addict, who is addicted to poverty. Usually this kind of person subconsciously feels that in order to be a good person or to be spiritual they must suffer. Then there's the Big Deal Chaser. This person goes from business start up to business start up looking for "THE ONE" to fix it all. They have the subconscious belief of "when I'll get rich I'll show'em all". Then there's the Maintenance money drunk. This person has let go of their dreams to "get a real job" or to get a job that pays the bills. They don't believe in "fairy tales".


I think we have let ourselves have a distorted view of money. Religion doesn't help. Sayings like "money is the root of all evil" or "the rich are getting richer while poor are getting poorer".

Even wealthy and rich people can be poverty addicts, feeding into the thinking that there isn't enough money to go around for everyone.

Most likely you'll find yourself being a little bit of all 5 money drunk types with maybe a concentration in one or two.

Between the poverty addiction and the big deal chasers, I think most of us are afraid to really evaluate our relationship with money and really let ourselves have a spiritual relationship with money. (Spiritual and money ...huh?? does that even exist? YES!)

This book makes you realize that no matter if you win the lottery or get more money coming in, if your inner feelings towards money are not balanced, you will most likely create situations that will suck you dry financially. (Bills, credit, debt, etc)


Cliches such as "money isn't everything" may pop into your mind, but when the topic of family comes up people don't say "family isn't everything" or when the topic of health comes up people don't say "health isn't everything". When the topic of electricity comes up , people don't say "electricity isn't everything".

I think money has gotten a bad wrap due to a variety of things we've been taught including religion teaching that wealth is bad. Money is like electricity. You can use it to warm your home and cook a good meal for your friends and loved one....or you can use it to COOK YOUR FAMILY. That doesn't make electricity good or bad. Electricity just is. Money is the same way - it just IS.

I recommend this book to anyone, especially those who are spiritually inclined. We all owe it to ourselves and to our loved ones to be wealthier! In my opinion we ALL deserve to have the finer things in life!

As a therapist and seminar leader on money issues, I love their "Are You A Money Drunk?" quizzes. They help explain and re-orient the underlying attitudes and beliefs that fuel a bad relationship with money. The book offers a foundation of healing for people who think they cannot control their spending, and are using money as a drug.

I enjoyed the first 150 pages of the first Scott Pilgrim book, which is why I was disappointed to see almost everything cool about it deconstructed in the last dozen pages. When I picked up volume two, it was hoping O'Malley would quickly dump the pointless regurgitation of videogame cliches and get the story back on track. I was sorely disappointed.

Scott Pilgrim can't decide if it wants to be a quirky romantic comedy or a wire-fu action romp, as a result it does neither well. Despite a strict avoidance of realism O'Malley fails to deliver a compelling fight sequence. What's worse is that while O'Malley shows actual skill in creating interesting and likable characters, his insistence on using fight sequences to resolve interpersonal conflict squanders his characters' potential.

Scott Pilgrim might have been an quirky and engaging rom-com, but it has become a messy cliche driven melodrama. Now the only value of these books serve, is as instruction for how an author can allow pandering to destroy his own work.

There's a select few people who were around for the golden age of Impromanga... but from it a lot of artists exploded onto the scene. One who's talent was always apparent but never appreciated was Mal... who is finally hitting the big time with Scott Pilgrim.

Sure there's the upcoming Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) movie adaptation in the works, but this is one of those books that doesn't need the movie deal to carry it. Fresh, innovative, addictive like pizza to a fat kid... Scott Pilgrim is on his way to conquering the world. You might want to take the time to nab the entire run, and Mal's first manga Lost at Sea, if only to rub your friends faces in their lack of coolness for not getting them first.

It is dork-tastic and kind of stupid, but if you're a gamer, or now gamers or, you know, watch tv and movies, you'll love this comic. This art is a little unrefined, but I think that was sort of the point, and the manga style is spot on for this book.

Yep. I get every comic out these days but this was the best comic I think I have ever read. I can't wait for more.

Girlfriends are evil.


Even more so if they are exes in rock bands, or other oddities. Current girlfriends that have ex-boyfriends that want to fight you are also a bit annoying.

So are teenage girls that like to go ninja on your current squeeze.

Having something to sit on at your place is also useful.

This book is just images from the show, written up as basically a comic book just like you would expect. That being said, the books are good quality, sturdy paper, and nicely colored ink. The text is a little hard to read but cool. My 6 year old is able to read them with minimal help. All in all, if you are a fan of the show, you will probably enjoy the graphic novels.

My 8 year old son read these graphic novels before he saw an episode of the show.
He simply loves them and now I get them as soon as they are released. Anything that can keep my son reading is a plus for me. I've read them as well and the stories are good and present challenging themes.

My son loves Avatar. He finished off this book in one sitting.

Its the whole first episode "The Boy In The IceBerg" Its all the action but in a book! Its a must buy and thats why I Bought it!

If you are not familiar with the world of the Avatar there are four different realms of 'bending' or mastery of the elements: air, fire, water, and earth. Aang, the principle character, is the last Airbender and the one who is destined to be the Avatar, or person who is to master all four bending traditions in order to save the world from the dominance plans of the Fire Nation.

As for the book itself, you should know that it is a graphic novel. If you are not familiar with what a graphic novel is, think of it as an upgraded comic book. The paper used in this series, for example, is glossy and sturdy and the color runs from edge to edge. And in this particular volume the adventure begins with two siblings, Katara and Soko, who rediscover the frozen Aang in the far north. It then follows the three young people and their animal friends to the point where they find the northern water bending tribe as well as an abandoned Fire Nation ship where two of them get trapped.

Now we purchased this book as part of our never ending search to find material that will be both interesting and challenging for our soon to be 7 y.o. daughter. If you are in the same boat you know there are a great many 'readers' that are not suited to children who read at, or above, age level. Either the word level is right but the plot is too babyish (even for a first grader), or else, the plot is interesting but you'd have to have a fifth grade vocabulary to deal with the text.

Well, this book almost fixes those problems. The Avatar story is extremely good. However it turns out, in our case, to be a little bit too challenging. [Note: that might not be the case for your child. But read on.]

The problem we faced was not the vocabulary per se -though it was challenging -- but rather the font. The one the publisher/artist/someone chose is small, slants and places the words close together - at least for a first grader. A more advanced reader probably wouldn't have these problems.

Five Stars. Outstanding storyline. Good Read-aloud: both my 5 and 7 y.o.'s enjoyed it. (Okay my husband and I did too.) The artwork is fun and expressive and humorous. I would say the reading level is fairly advanced with words such as: paranoid, penguin, sequence, ruptured, and revealing. In addition, for younger readers, there could be a problem with the font and word spacing.

My advice would be to buy it, try it as a reader, and if it's too much for your youngster(s) read it to them.

This book shows that punk rock lived (lives?) more on a local level than history would show. It's about being in bands, going to local shows at clubs that might last 6 months, making your own fliers - essentially the DIY concept.

My only gripe with the book is that it gives an unnatural significance to *very* marginal bands, whom I'm won't name. Let's just say that some folks wanted to rewrite history and overstate their significance in the local scene.

Overall, though, this is the kind of book I never thought would see print. Old PR fliers; who would want to see those? At least a few people, I guess...

I'm not quite sure how the publisher afforded to print massive hardcover editions of what is essentially a collection of flyers, but i am thankful he did. I love flyers-- they are little pieces of history and art. The layout was unnecessarily jumbled and weird for no reasons many times. Plus the quotes from some punk/hardcore luminaries was uninspiring a best. But who cares ... the book is cool.

I'm pleased that Bryan Ray Turcotte and his cohorts managed to preserve and resurrect the sometimes annoying, sometimes stunning epehemal art of the 70s-80s punk scene. This is a nicely-packaged collection of the era's most exciting do-it-youself graphics.

Essential for the lovers of the 80's punk & hardcore movement...a must have also for art designers to understand their roots of gig art

An absolutely gorgeous book. Even if you don't [care] about punk rock, it would still be fascinating.

This is also an exceptional historical document. The history of the margins is lost so easily -- a book like this does a tremendous service to posterity.

As to the guy from SF who says that this book distorts history and gives "unnatural significance to marginal bands..." Well, it probably does, and so what??!! [....]

Packer wants to help out his village whose economy is declining. He stows away on the pirate ship The Trophy Chase in hopes of bringing them to hunt the Firefish. What he doesn't expect is nearly drowning, being brought back to life by a notorious swords woman or having his faith seriously tested. Meanwhile, the girl he loves and left back at home, refuses to stay behind. Panna leaves her home to find Packer and gets caught up in adventures of her own. Sword fighting, carnivorous fish and angry pirates all await you inside this whale of a tale story.

Are you a Pirates of the Caribbean fan? Do you dream of swashbuckling on the high seas, fighting sea monsters and seek the thrill of adventure? Well then this is the perfect book for you. Wow this book was just action packed from the get go. I loved Packer's character right from the beginning. He's an excellent swordsman who could probably kill just about anyone he meets but his strong faith in God keeps him from turning to the dark side. I loved how he was the character that just couldn't die, even to the point where the other characters complain about how he keeps coming back to them. Panna is a great character as well because she refuses to stay behind and wait for her man. She goes out and tries to find Packer and gets into adventures of her own. When she meets Talon, it is interesting because the two are polar opposites. Talon is actually quite a complex character. We never get to learn her full story but from how she is described she is one of those characters you can't get enough of. I liked that how even though she is female, she is an excellent swords woman and feared by many. The parts where the crew is battling the firefish brought to mind scenes from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader where the ship battles the sea serpent. Reading from the fish's point of view was a unique concept. Although it sort of makes me queasy to think that the fish like eating each other (what's to stop it from eating itself?) I'm not a regular fantasy reader but I enjoyed the mention of God. He's treated the same as in this world, so it's possible to see how this story could have really happen long ago on the high seas. This book will be a surprise hit for many readers. I really think guys will like this book, there's plenty of action and sword fighting for them. I thought this was an excellent book, I did not want it to end. Thank goodness there are two more books in the series. HIGHLY recommended. Read it or be prepared to walk the plank!

The Legend of the Firefish, by George Bryan Polivka, is the first book of an exciting new series - the Trophy Chase Trilogy.

Packer is a fisherman from a poor village that he gladly calls home; a master swordsman; a disgraced seminary student (but for the right reasons); and a man deeply in love with a woman who gladly returns his ardor. He seeks to answer the question common to man: what is his purpose in life? And he decides that the hunt for the magical Firefish will answer his question and show him how all the pieces of his life fit together.

He quickly discovers, however, that he has embarked on the wrong quest. The true question is - what is God's purpose for his life.

He grows from the initial confusion about who he is despite his natural talents, to a gloomy certainty that he isn't worth the tarnish on a rusty sword, until finally, he discovers that what he thinks of himself doesn't matter. If God approves of him, everything else will fall into place.


Packer sighed. Those (recent victories he had achieved) were all externals, and none of that addressed the darkness in his heart. But Delaney wasn't through.
"Now, some way it happens that person can't see God is plainly working through him. And why? Cause he's got too much Woe is me, I'm not good, I should be dead, which is because of sins everyone who's ever lived has done, and which sins are all forgiven anyway, him being a Christian! So seems to me, beggin' your pardon for being blunt, that person, who is you, should quit thinking about the bad in himself so much and start trustin' God who done those miracles I just mentioned, and quit thinkin' God will just flat stop, and therefore let everyone die a horrible death. If God is good, which He is, He won't let those horrible things happen. And if He does let them happen, what are you going to do about it anyway? He's got His own plan and you can't stop it."
It was not the assessment Packer had expected. But it was cold water to a dry soul. "Thank you," was all he could say.


Mr. Polivka marvelously weaves the stories of several characters together and creates a brilliant tapestry of growing faith in the face of doubt and active opposition that threatens death at every turn. He combines swordsmanship (and swordswomanship!), and sailing into an adventure that is fun and causes the reader to pause for personal reflection at the end.

Though the frequent shifts of the narrative character are jarring at times, the non-traditional use of the omniscient viewpoint allows Mr. Polivka to create story tension with an economy of narration that otherwise would have been impossible to achieve.

I can't help but wonder if Packer Throm's struggles find their roots in the author's life. I am grateful to Mr. Polivka for sharing them in such a wonderful way.

The citizens of Hangman's Cliffs are stunned when Packer Throme suddenly wanders back into town. Packer left home for seminary training and has instead returned as a swordmaster looking for adventure. Packer believes he holds the secret to catching the ever-deadly and elusive Firefish, a feat that would surely bring prosperity back to Hangman's Cliffs. In order to fulfill his plans Packer must stowaway on the Trophy Chase, the pride and joy of the infamous former pirate Scat Wilkins. The only thing holding him back is the love of his life, Panna Seline, who has been patiently waiting for Packer's return.

Scat and crew have become obsessed with the Firefish and will do anything to ensure the capture of the valuable beasts. Packer must now find a way to befriend the dangerous pirate, even if it means leaving behind the woman he loves and diving headfirst into danger. Along the way his faith will be tested and tried as he struggles to determine God's plan.

George Bryan Polivka has crafted an extraordinary tale of high sea adventure and peril that grabs on tightly and never lets go. Packer Throme's breathtaking journey is full of action, suspense, and inspiration, and his character is engaging and captivating. Polivka effortlessly transports readers into a new world of pirates and swordsmen, where evil is frighteningly real and faith, honor, and love are worth fighting for. Fabulous heroes, creepy villains, scary sea monsters, epic sea battles...this one has it all. This is a fantastic beginning to what is sure to be an unforgettable trilogy.

Let's be honest here, when I found out we were going to feature The Legend of the Firefish during the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Tour I wasn't too impressed or excited. I've never heard of him and I'm not too into pirates. I've discussed my author loyalty before - once I've read you and I liked you I'll buy pretty much everything you write. Even if it's not my typical genre (which is why I'll buy Wayne Thomas Batson's new pirate book!). For me it takes some pretty high praise from someone I already know and trust before I spend my hard earned money on an author that is new to me. Especially in a genre I don't normally read. Pirates. High seas. I loved Pirates of the Caribbean but not so much love for pirate books.

And um, yeah, I was pretty sure it was going to be lame because well, the whole Firefish thing threw me. And the character and location names kind of threw me as well. But then I read the opening scene and man! WOW! I couldn't put it down and much to my husband's chagrin I totally ignored both the need to clean our house and do our laundry. I fell in love with Packer from the moment he drew is beautiful sword.

Each character is richly developed. The world is a living and breathing creation. Dialog moves smoothly and the action is very well paced. While there were times that I was frustrated by Packer's frequent self-flagellation I was able to stay within the story and continue to feel sympathy for him. Even continue to love and root for him. There is a change in Panna's personality that also threw me, took me a bit out of the story because it seemed so very unlikely and if there was any foreshadowing I totally missed it. But again, I was able to care for her, feel sympathy for her and cheer her on during her trials.

One of the things that really struck me about The Legend of the Firefish is that its one of the most Christian Christian novels I've read in awhile. God is God in this book. And it took me aback and at times I did feel a bit preached at. But for most Christian audiences it's going to be okay! Most of us like outright Christian themes and story lines. I just happen to be one of those who like things a bit more subtle.

In non-writer/story stuff the cover is a real attention grabber. It's beautifully done and the pages of the book itself are nicely detailed. A small ship's wheel on the lower outside corners, next to the page number. And then on the upper outside corners some nice scroll work.

The second in the series, The Hand that Bears the Sword, is already sitting on my desk just waiting for me to dive in. But I wanted to get this post finished first so I kept everything straight in my mind. I'm expecting to enjoy the second book as much as I enjoyed the first.

I've often felt that the British have the wrong temperament to really appreciate Christian fiction and certainly the examples that I have read have never seemed as good or satisfying as their secular counterparts. Perhaps it's because most Christian fiction comes from America and the American way of expressing faith seems over-pushy or embarrassingly earnest to us. Consequently I approached "The Legend of the Firefish" not expecting too much.

In most ways I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a fantasy book and its writing is on a level with the better secular fantasy novels out there. The pace is excellent, the worldbuilding works (and is internally congruent and consistent which isn't always the case) and the underlying plot concept, a young man's search for a semi-mythical sea-snake which involves joining a pirate ship and facing dozens of dangers and the side-plot of his young woman breaking out of the constraints of her upbringing and finding new inner strength as well as dangers, are excellent. Both Packer Throme, the young man, and Panna Seline are appealing characters, particularly in the way that we watch them growing and discovering new things about themselves and about the world around them and moulding their understanding of their faiths accordingly.

The setting is a kingdom rather akin to life in the 1800s where people fish, ride horses, are involved in swordplay but also have pistols and where life is rough, tough and often short. Most of the action takes place either in local villages or on the pirate ship and some of the descriptions of sailing in a fast vessel are fascinating and seem well-researched and accurate to our own history.

This was an excellent book, the only minor downside being the Christian element. Firstly because in this different world (the world of Nearing Vast) where people have different names, are living in a different era and seek for semi-magical sea creatures, their religion was our Christianity. Jesus and God are transferred to this world unchanged and it just didn't sit quite right, especially as various characters talked in rather 21st century terms about their faith. The challenges to the faiths of Packer and Panna were well written and it was fascinating watching them work their theology round events that happened to them but it just felt too strange to have 'normal' Christianity in this abnormal world. CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien gave an allegorical version of Christianity in their fantasies and I felt that that would have worked much better in this story too because every time something overtly Christian was said/thought I found myself dropping briefly out of the world of the story and back to reality.

This is the first of a trilogy of books but this novel reached a satisfactory conclusion and wasn't one of those books that doesn't finish but requires you to buy the next in the series. It was always a great read and the story was fascinating despite my reservations about the Christian aspect and I look forward to the next two books in the trilogy.

The installation of the CD, provided with the book, can cause untold problems. Murach does not give any warning that these problems can occur. When I contacted them by email a few times they had still refused to respond. It is quite literally a case of "take the money and run".

Even accessing online technical sites proves a challenge to solving it!

Do not buy books from this company unless you are willing to take the risk that you won't actually be able to use it.

This is an excellent book. I've had it for some time and I don't know how I could have done it without it.

I checked this book out from the library in order to get up to speed at work. I have a good grasp on programming (mostly scripting languages) so as long as you're not a total novice and can understand logic routines then I highly recommend this book for a those new to SQL.

It covers everything in a no fuss, here it is, this is what it means and here's an example (that actually works)! This book is a must for those who just want to get straight to the meat of it.

My IT manager saw it and asked me to purchase a copy for the office even though it's a bit old - it's that good!

This is the first Murach book i've read, and it's probably not going to be the last.

The quality of this book is well above the quality of most techie books that i've read, and second only to the Head First series. I like the two-page format that this book provides. You open the book and on the left page is all the details of what you are learning and on the right you get a broken down summary of what you just read on the left. This may seem like redundant info... and it is, but really, the info gets drilled deep into your brain. You might think that this format would bore one to tears, but it doesn't... well not too bad anyways.

Brian does a good job of explaining how things work. You get a decent overview of Microsoft SQL Server (such as using Enterprise Manager, Query Analyzer and such), but most of this book is about the SQL language. You will learn all about your basic SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT and DELETE statements and how to use them to your full potential. You also learn about stored procedures, subqueries, triggers...etc. In other words you get a pretty darn good overview of SQL for SQL Server.

If I could do half stars here on Amazon then this book would be more like a 4.5/5, only because of the redundancy (the whole two-page style I mentioned above). Like I said before, it is good because it gets drilled into your brain, but without that there could have been a lot more meat on these bones. But then again, learning was easier this way...

This is a good book. However, if you are just beginning to learn SQL, then you should really slug through "SQL Queries for Mere Mortals" first. Having done that, I found Murach's 2 page presentation style on each topic a very good way to reinforce what I had learned in "SQL Queries for Mere Mortals". The Murach text also teaches you the SQL extensions specific to Microsoft SQL Server 2000, and covers the UPDATE, DELETE & INSERT keywords, plus Data Definition Language and the other advanced features of SQL Server.

Great for Boards Part II. Easy to read and asks very pertinent questions.

THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN IN SIMPLE AND CONCISE LANGUAGE IS A FAVORITE OF ALL MY FELLOW OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PUT DOWN AND HAS BECOME A WELL WORN REFERENCE IN MY LIBRARY. --ANNE

This book was a marvelous resource that helped me pass my boards. Fact filled and complete with references, it has been valuable for the PT's and OT's in the practice too.

Such a nice book. And so refreshing and pleasing to read. As a primary care hospitalist doc, it help shepard me through the subacute rehab unit.

Will there be a second edition?

Awesome! You can't ask for more

As previously mentioned, the "Pitch by Pitch" in the subtitle of this book is no lie. Hernandez dissects entire at-bats (not every at-bat, thankfully) and other parts of two regular season games from 1993 involving the Phillies and Braves and the Tigers and Yankees. His preference for National League baseball is evident. Still, he doesn't let this deter him from enjoying the AL game.

The good part about this book: It's very descriptive. The bad part about this book: It's very descriptive. Keith's insights are great and I did learn a fair amount from reading this book. That said, he spends too much time breaking down certain plays. Seven pages on the hit-and-run? Four pages on the pickoff? Way too long. Even I don't love baseball that much. Also, he goes way overboard with his use of exclamation points. It seemed like there was five or six in every paragraph.

Overall, I mildly recommend this book. I wouldn't pay full price for it, but it's worth a read.

I'm a huge baseball fanatic and I *love* reading detailed analysis of baseball strategy and tactics. But even this book was too tedious for me. And I've almost never read a baseball book that I found too tedious. Hernandez, although very knowledgeable, dwells too much on each pitch. The reader might think the title is a metaphor for detailed analysis (pitch by pitch). No, it means *exactly* what it says. Hernandez discusses EACH pitch. At first the analysis is interesting. Then you realize you're a third of the way through the book and he's *still* talking about whether the next pitch will be a curve or a slider, or whether this particular left-handed hitter should be thrown a change-up, or whether the pitcher should challenge the batter with his superior fastball, or whether the pitch should be low, or high, or out of the strikezone. Enough already! As far as baseball strategy goes, this book is 90% about pitch selection and batter analysis. There is not too much discussion of the other elements of baseball. Tim McCarver's book, "Baseball For Brain Surgeons" is much better. So, if you're looking for a wider variety of baseball discussion, I'd recommend you look elsewhere. But if you're mostly interested in the cat-and-mouse game between the pitcher and batter, this is the book for you - because that's what 90% if this book is about.

It takes time and patience to read this book. The title says "Pitch by Pitch for the Advanced Fan," and it means it literally. Hernandez talks about what goes through a player's mind during a game. His descriptions of how a batter thinks about an at-bat are priceless. It takes a while to plow through all this stuff - there's a *lot* of detail - but if you do you'll have a deeper knowledge of the little in-game strategies and decisions that make baseball so special.

If ever there was a necessary baseball book, this is it!! I reread it every season (as does at least one other reviewer) and always learn something more from doing so.

I have taken Mr. Hernandez' advice and always turn off the sound when watching a game on TV. I find it to be a major improvement and I'm no longer distracted by the content-free, pointless remarks made by most announcers.

Frankly, judging from the mental errors common to the game today, it should be required reading for each and every player from the rookie leagues to the bigs.

If you're not a serious student of the game, then maybe you should pass on this one!!

Easily the best baseball education in print that I've ever seen. It's like taking a master's course in baseball. You have an opportunity to almost sit down with a major leaguer and say "Teach Me" and he does. Keith has a bit of a weakness as far as pitch sequencing and understanding missed spots, but they are not particularly glaring. His understanding of counts, and situations outside of the count (inning, score, particular players involved etc..) are exemplary. Any serious ballplayer's dream.

While this book is exceptionally well researched it lacks the mystery and complexity that would make it more entertaining. That is not to say that it should have been or could have been more "exciting," only that it reads more like a history book than something you might pick up for a quick weekend read (which it was for me). Rigg provides excellent linearity and reviews the different individuals so the reader stays connected. The excellent historical account of Chabad and the Lubivitchers really stand out. In addition, Rigg devotes the longest chapter to the moral decisions of the Rebbe to "rescue" secular and non-orthodox Jews in the U.S. rather than those facing death in Europe. Though an important point, it was made in a few paragraphs and then became quite redundant over the next 30 pages or so. I got the feeling that the editors simply wanted more words to make a longer book, regardless of their substance. Though a remarkable account filled with amazing events, this is a book to check out of the library and read quickly.

this will hold your attention and is an unusual story of how both germans and jews conspired to save a holy man. it makes one realize that such rescues were possible if only people were willing to make the effort and take the risk. it also highlights how some individual high in the nazi regime were against the persecution and destruction of the jewish people.

I was quite excited to receive my copy of "Rescued from the Reich". From his first book, "Hitler's Jewish Soldiers..." I knew I could expect a well-researched and documented book on an obscure but important topic concerning the Third Reich, one of my own major interests.

Dr. Rigg has outdone himself. While his first book was occasionally slow-moving (growing out of a doctoral dissertation), "Rescued from the Reich" is both well-documented and shows evolution of Dr. Rigg's historical narrative style, making it more of a page-turner or page-burner, which adds a great deal to a book of this type. Also, now fully-fledged a professional historian, I think I see Dr. Rigg willing to make more speculations, which increase the readability of this work.

Who could believe it? An Abwehr officer, half-Jewish, sent to Warsaw in the middle of the bombing of Poland to rescue the Rebbe of the Lubavitch sect from the German advance and the eventual Final Solution? It is not only believeable, but of course true--and in that sense, a political thriller. In "Der Untergang", a film growing out of the novel of the same name, we see Heinrich Himmler encouraging his Fuehrer even in the last dark days of the Reich, while Berlin is being shelled, to consider "making politics" (Politik machen) with the Western Allies.

I think Admiral Canaris and Major Ernst Bloch, responding to a request from Washington, were doing the same--making politics, with an eye toward the disastrous future for Germany. Only in such a way could such a mission be justified by the Abwehr--the German CIA, which trumped even the Gestapo (inner Germany secret police, analagous to the FBI).

I cannot recommend this historial work more highly--to anyone interested in the evolution of the Third Reich, WW2, the Holocaust, and intelligence matters. Great effort, Dr. Rigg!

Dr. Rigg's first book, Hitler's Jewish Soldiers, gave a careful and balanced scholarly account of those 150,000 part-Jewish soliders in the Germany military of WWII. ONe of the most amazing things I have ever encountered. He outdid himself with this follow up. Who could believe that in 1939 the U.S. State Dept. could partner with a Nazi intellignece agency to secretly rescue the rebbe from occupied, war torn Poland? The complications were staggering -- if the Nazi intelligence agents were discovered by the other Nazi agencies they would have been executed. The rebbe was mystical and eccentric and was a VERY difficult man to hide and smuggle.

Riggs can be a little long-winded at times, but overall he relaly knows how to tell a story well. This really should be made into a film soon.

Rescued From The Reich, by Bryan Mark Rigg, is the very well researched, well written story of how the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Lubavitcher Jews, Rebbe Joseph Schneersohn, members of his family, and some close associates were rescued from war torn Warsaw, with the help of some American officials, dedicated American Jews, and, believe it or not, a small group of German soldiers ably led by half Jew Ernst Bloch, a dedicated, professional soldier. Bloch, whose application for Aryanization had been approved by Hitler himself, was a decorated soldier, who was working under the direction of Admiral Canaris, the head of the Abwehr. He and a small group of other half Jewish soldiers were able to take the Rebbe and his group from Warsaw, through Berlin, to the Latvian border where they awaited the next leg of an amazing journey that would eventually lead them to America. While all of this was taking place two very dedicated lawyers in the United States were trying to work through the anti-semitism of the State Department in order to arrange the necessary visas. Along the way, the assistance of some very powerful members of the government is enlisted. A very interesting and remarkable, yet probably mostly unknown story of WWII that is definitely worth reading.