Buck Books

What was an irrepressible rebel like Theresa doing playing the perfect young lady in the most censorious circles of society? What was she doing playing cards for ruinous stakes against the most skilled sharpers in London? What was she doing as guest of dishonor at one of the notorious weekend gatherings of the Earl of Rusland? And above all, what was she doing daring to fall in love with the daunting Duke of Ashford, famed for being as heartless as he was handsome?

Actually, all things considered, Theresa was doing amazingly well.....

Fred S. Buck, Horse Race Betting (revised edition) (Arco, 1971)

First off, this book is not about horse racing, except in the general sense. There are some nifty pictures of horse races. But what this book is about is money, and specifically the history of how money has been taken at the races, as well as new (at the time) developments in the field of how cashiers take that money. Which sounds, on its face, like an incredibly boring book. Let me add to this, to stack the deck even more, that Buck's tome is thick with mathematical proofs. How could such a book be fascinating?

Yet it is. Buck's overview of the history involved and his descriptions of machinery of various sorts, along with the calculations used by the humans in the back to check the accuracy of the machines, makes for very interesting reading. How this is, I've no idea. But I certainly cannot deny that it works. The book, originally written in 1946, was updated by Buck in 1971 with various developments that had taken place between the two times; one wishes Buck (assuming he is still alive today, which is possible, but not very likely) would release a third edition covering the changes since 1971, which have been massive.

The book's one major failing is its last section, on the growth of harness racing. It is of a completely different tone than the rest of the book, focusing not on the mechanical aspects of what goes on behind the scenes, but a publicity brochure for the United States Trotting Association (if they haven't quoted it frequently and at length, they have missed out on an enormous publicity opportunity). Coming after all the wonderful mechanical stuff, it jars, and its constant tone of upbeat insistence gets very tiring after very few pages. The last section turns what would have otherwise been a four-and-a-half star review down a bit, but the rest of it is still very highly recommended. Check this one out, even if you've no interest at all in horse racing. *** ½

For Health we did a section on Growing. This book did a good job of illustration growth in several animals that all grow differently. It covered insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Surrounding the detailed text are illustrations demonstrating each stage. I would recommend it for grades 2-4th.

Great reading for the deer hunter

Alot of good info in this book. It covers every aspect of hunting the rut and is relevent to gun or bow. I have 60+ books on whitetail hunting this is one I would recomend.

the book provides entertaining stories of hunting trips by the author and his hunting buddies. while not overly emphasizing hunting strategies, the stories do touch on a few strategies required for successful hunting. overall a good, well written book.

THE IBM WAY is a book by Buck Rodgers, VP marketting of IBM. This is a must read book for all professionals, who want to enter into the field of marketting, human relations or other processes, as managers in future. It tell us the inside story about the building blocks which laid the firm foundation of the Big Blue, which is IBM, today, the world's one of the largest company. Buck Rodgers has poured all his experience with IBM in this book. The book describes the IBM's journey over so many years starting from the scratch and reaching at the top. Buck has quoted various incidences from his life in IBM, which educate a reader about the basic human relations principles. For marketting persons, it proves as a guide on crisis management.

Although the language at times was dry, and failed to fully engage me, I really enjoyed Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck.

Tzu Hsi's was a character to be reviled and pitied. Her unequaled ambition led to her eventually claiming the throne for herself (as a Regent of her son) and and ruling all of China. She was spoiled rotten with the good life - she had excellent food, amazing clothing, a home of beauty I can't even imagine - yet in spite of all the indulgences she allowed to her body she never let herself have any spiritual indulgences. She was passionately in love with Jung Lu, her kinsman and her fiance before she was called to be the Emperor's consort, but throughout her life she denied those feelings again and again. It was so sad that for all her power she was lonely and often unhappy. I can't imagine making the choices she made, not because I find them repulsive but simply because I don't think I could have the willpower to be alone. She couldn't see her family because they weren't as socially prominent as she (how could they be when she was an Empress?) or corrupted by the Court. Indeed, in Court she could trust no one because there was intrigue in every heart. I don't think I could live such a isolated life; I would feel trapped like a bird in a cage.

As ruler of China, Tzu Hsi often made choices that seem terrible by today's standards. Again and again she sought to rid the country of foreigners, and refused to have them in her Court because men would not bow to the ground before her. She resisted anything to do with the West - she wouldn't even allow toy trains in her palaces. Near the end of her reign she even authorized the murder of all white foreigners currently living in China.
Yet at the same time, who could blame her? This was the age of Imperialism, when European nations sought to expand their borders and gain control over all of Asia. She needed to fight back to preserver her realm, which was chipped away at the edges all the time by ruthless Europeans hungry for territory. Many of her edicts seem cruel and harsh, but had the situation been reversed I'm sure Queen Victoria would have reacted in a similar manner. (Tzu Hsi was quite fond of Victoria, and often referred to her as the sister-Empress to the West.)

This Empress of the East was a fascinating woman, and this novel does an excellent job of introducing her to the western world.

NO LAUGHING MATTER
As a counselor at a center for abused children, Donna Day knew what secrets could do to a person--and comedian Martin Knight was chock-full of secrets. Strong, sexy and blessed with a sense of humor that could make the saddest child smile, Marty had won over Donna's "kids"--and her, too. But behind his funny facade and carefree charm lay something tragic....
Telling jokes was easier than telling the truth, and the punchline of Marty's past was nothing to laugh at. How could he open up to delectable Donna if he couldn't even open up to himself? But how was he supposed to resist a feisty, freckled redhead who could make him forget everything with one slow, steamy kiss?

Miss Vanessa Lester was much loved by her father and was trained in management of his estate just as a male heir would have been. Vanessa inherits all of Halverton when her father passes away and his will also sets aside a generous settlement for Vanessa's mother, Lady Cecily. The settlement, however, will only come to Lady Cecily once Vanessa is married.

Lady Cecily is determined to set up her own household in London and escape the country forever and tries to convince Vanessa to go to London for the season. When Vanessa holds firm in her decision to stay at Halverton until the proper mourning period is over Lady Cecily decides to bring suitors to Vanessa and marry her off as soon as possible.

This is an enjoyable book. Vanessa is a sensible, practical girl and has little problem seeing past her mother's scheming. She runs her estate very well, is kind to her servants and tenants and enjoys local society. She is quite feminine, despite her knowledge of estate manners. She is also romantic and has decided that if she "did not discover that one very special gentleman she felt was meant for her" she was prepared to remain unmarried. I enjoyed reading about her suitors and the bit of intrigue involving smuggling and spying was a nice addition to the plot. Occasionally the story was a little slow, but overall it was a good book and I would recommend it to others.