D Books

This story of one man's life journey, is a compelling read--couldn't put the book down and finished in two reads. His comfortable writing style draws you in and is emotionally evocative--found myself moved to tears at several points. Highly recommended!

Mark Hyde uses this book as a tool in which to deliver his heart and soul. In reading it, we see the incarnation of a genuine, loving and fearless spirit.

I loved this book, couldn't put it down. It was a moving and inspiring account of one person's struggle against invalidation and judgment. I so admire the author's courage and the strength it took for him to make some hard choices in order to live his truth. This is not about being gay or straight, black or white, male or female, so much as it is about being human and living your own truth. A great read that will inspire!!!!

This is truly an inspired book. Mark has captured the essence of how to be true to your real self and live your best life. Once you start this book you won't want to put it down. And after you have read, it you will know what it will take to live the rest of your life to the fullest with spirit. Gay or Straight this book is for everyone.

It only took me two evenings to finish this book. I didn't want to put it down. What an amazing life story. He has had a fare share of what life can give us. And to have so much intelligence and poise to become such a strong, warm and kind individual is admirable.
I came away with wanting to do everything I can to be a better person, for me.
This book really touched my heart!
Thank you Mark. Can't wait for your next book!!! :)

This was a fairly easy book to follow. Nice and concise, just like the title says. A nice concise bible to have around. Could have possibly gone into deeper explanations of the muslces. Very thorough for a small book.

The Concise Book of Muscles not only illustrates with great detail but the Latin name of the muscle, along with the action involved are a great tool.
Also, The stretching exercises on the side, are a plus!

I bought this book to assist with my anatomy course, and its the best aid I've had ever. I highly recommend it.

This book was easy enough to read in one sitting with very clear pictures and text. I have a (rusty) scientific background but I think it was readable regardless of one's scientific knowledge.

This concise book is a model of simplicity and clarity. It presents an effective way to locate and identify specific muscles along with exercises to strengthen and stretch them. It highlights muscles that are heavily used and therefore subject to injury in a variety of sports and activities. A first rate resource for athletes and massage therapists.

This is one of my favorite books on Spiritual growth and maturity from a Christian perspective. It is incredibly thorough, so don't plan on this being a light read.

I really appreciate the timely manner that I received my Book. It was for an upcoming class and I would recommend this book and any book by Kenneth Boa. If you are concerned about your image and how it is personified, read this.

This book is meant to be read and studied. It can be life-changing if you let it.

Excellent overview of different aspects of the Christian life and following close after God. Looks at different techniques of a hard pursuit of God.

Kenneth Boa defines 12 facets of the Christian life and deals with each one in a thoroughly practical, yet deeply theological way. He does seem to think that Christians can be demon-possessed, a view which I do not hold. In spite of that, I recommend the book to the seasoned Christan. Written in textbook style, it makes for extended Bible studies for mid-week gatherings, home studies, etc. There are a great number of resources from which he cites quotes, and the cost of the book is worth the resource list alone. I particularly enjoyed the facet about the Christian Disciplines. In a day of hyper-faith, wealth, prosperity, and health gospel, this book is a refreshing return to sanity. I wish I had it years ago.

The book was great: I agree with the previous reviewer's comparison of Wickert's book to a Grisham political thriller.

Frankly, however, that all takes a back seat to the guy who wrote the book. Check out the photo on the back cover. I'm in love.

Justine Burke, Petoskey, Michigan

As a reader of mostly non-fiction (especially biographies), I was pleasantly surprised on how Dark Redemption kept my attention. I started reading it about 6PM on a Friday and besides a few activities (mowing a yard and going to my nephew's birthday party on Saturday) I was finished by 9AM Sunday morning. It had the intensity of an early Grisham novel and the polish of a Clancy product. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants an intense, fast-paced and well-written novel.

I cannot stand predictable plots and run-of-the-mill endings. Dark Redemption has neither. It holds your attention from start to finish, gently weaving character after character into the storyline, while building a crescendo of suspense that culimates in one of the most surprising endings I've yet to come across in mainstream political/historical fiction. I even learned a lot about the Ku Klux Klan and the CIA! A real winner!

Tis book is a very fast paced and exciting political thriller. For a first time author, Mr. Wickert has done a very good job. As one reviewer commented, it would be interesting to see Hollywood make a movie of this book.
I look forward to Mr. Wickert's next novel.

Dark Redemption starts off slowely and the author builds the disparate characters into a well organized pastiche of the spy/terrorist genre. The book quickly becomes a "can't put it down" marathon. The final denouement is worthy of the best in its class. Its a good read!

I lost 20 lbs after reading Arnots books. He offers safe and effective advice for folks who want to live longer and healthier lives.

Dr. Bob's "Guide to Turning Back the Clock" is 100 percent accurate and a good motivational tool for both men and women. I had no idea that enriched flour ... is so bad for your body. He has some very good ideas on how to eat and "fuel" your body. I especially liked the sections on roller blading and cross country skiing. This is the "one" diet/fitness book to have at your side. Cousin Arnold is right: "Be the best you've ever been. Now is the time and this is the book!"

Very informative book. It contains a lot of useful information. I became bored with many parts of the book especially when Dr. Arnot went into long discussions on topics like which sports equipment to purchase. Overall the book contained very practical information. I found the diet information extremely useful, but a little hard to actually implement. For a short time after reading the book, I actually did follow Dr. Arnot's eating advice and felt better than I have in a long time.

Sensible and practical. No quick fixes, but collects a bunch of good tips into one place.

great book, very informative, talks about not only diet, but also the importance of exercise and mixing it up. Not just cardio but muscle building/strengthening as well. No BS in his book, everything makes sense. Oh yeah, Arnie recommends it.

I absolutly adored this book, and I can't come up with enough good things to say about it. It's great for absolutly any age (I'm 26) and I read the first three books in two days.

Wholeheartedly reccomended for girls, who will find a near perfect heroine and role model in Emma.

I loved this book,it was a great story.i cant wait till i get my hands on the third book.

I loved this story because there were more adventures and surprises, but the end made me sad until I read the next book, Once upon A Curse, and everything was better. I was hooked, I read one and I had to read them all!!!!!!!!!!

Wow!! I LOVED this book! After reading Frog Princess, I thought there couldn't be a better book in the world! But I was wrong! I loved this book even more than Frog Pricess! I love it so much, I finished it in a day. If you liked Frog Princess, READ THIS!!! If you didn't, you should still read this because it was GREAT!!! I read the third one too, and it was also great, I would recemend the series to anyone! Read them. You will LOVE them I promise!!!!!!:)

If you want to read "Dragon's Breath" I suggest you read "The Frog Princess" first so you can understand it better. In "Dragon's Breath" Emma and Eadric help Emma's Aunt Grassina, the current 'Green Wtich', turn her true love, Haywood, back into a person from a otter. After overhearing a wizard talking to the soul of her grandmother, who turned Haywood into an otter in the first place, Emma learns the things needed to turn him back. Hearing this she sets off to find the ingreddients with Eadric by her side. They find many weird 'things' along the way including dragons witch makes Emma's magic stronger. The neighboring kingdom chose this miment to attack. With Grassina distracted and Emma's magic out of controll it looks like Emma's father's army is going to lose untill something very strange happenes......

Addiction is an insidious disease which begins with the first pill, the first drink, the first whatever. It builds and it builds, taking over a person who soon becomes a slave to the addiction. Living for the addiction created within until death or intervention breaks the cycle. And even for those addicted that because of their training should know better, they are often just as powerless to stop their own addiction as the drug addict living beneath the bridge. They just use a better class of drugs.

For Dr. Rocky VanSlyke, resident of All Saints Hospital in Philadelphia, waking up after a seizure caused by drug use should have done the trick. But it didn't and his slide continues further into the nightmarish world of prescription drug addiction. His methods of choice being Demerol and Percocet. As he begins to lose control over both his personal life and his professional life, the reader is repeatedly taken back in time to his early childhood, teen years, and college life in a search for answers. There were numerous warning signs in every stage of his life, but like his seizure, he didn't see them coming or what they were.

As the pages pass, the reader is exposed to the joy of escape through addiction in the beginning, which soon morphs into a nightmare as the addition goes out of control. That time when addiction rules every second of every day and becomes subservient to everything else. The slow slide into madness continues throughout the work leaving the reader to wonder if this Rocky will get off the canvass one more time.

As a novel, this is an incredibly disturbing read, which will resonate in those with addiction problems. According to the cover, it is "Based on Actual Events" while in the intro the author asks " . . . to be judged, not as an autobiographer, but as a writer of fiction." One wonders where the line is because the work reads all too real from start to finish. For those who have never understood the power of addition over every fiber of a person, this dark and disturbing book is a must read. Afterwards, it might just be a little clearer for you.

Book Facts:

Duck Blood Soup: The Shocking Story of a Real Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
By Joseph Molea, MD
Mystery and Suspense Press (iUniverse)
www.iuniverse.com
2002
Large Trade Paperback
218 Pages
$16.95 US
$27.95 Canada
ISBN # 0-595-21843-1

Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

upon reading this Book i was feeling the many shifts&twists it took. some books hit you early&then venture off after a while but not this Book page after page it becomes a Jaw Dropping expeirence.a Must read&Very intense.

DUCK BLOOD SOUP by Joseph Molea MD
8/18/04

DUCK BLOOD SOUP by Joseph Molea, MD, took me by surprise. I was expecting a story filled with violence and gore, due to the title. And since I'm not familiar with the Polish culture, I was not aware of what Duck Blood soup was in the first place. This book is the story of a young medical resident who gets himself hooked on prescription drugs. Rocky Van Slyke is a young man who is on his way to becoming a doctor, but takes a detour courtesy of a shady lawyer, Vincent Buddy, who uses Rocky to get prescriptions filled for his own use.

Rocky doesn't see Vince as anything more than a potential friend and the hospital's resident lawyer. Vince uses Rocky by enticing him with the drugs, and demonstrating that these drugs are an easy way of getting high. Being a doctor, it is easy for Rocky to get these drugs by writing up a prescription under false pretenses. Vince knows that once Rocky is hooked, he'll do anything to help Vince obtain the drugs.

The story opens with Rocky finding himself in a hospital and being told he just had a seizure. They hint to him that it is possibly the exposure to drugs. Thus our story begins. Rocky is the narrator of DUCK BLOOD SOUP. He goes back and forth in time, alternating the past with the present. He tells the story of his childhood: His father who was always away in the Army; his lonely mother who resorts to finding comfort in the arms of other men; and his life after his mother dies, in which he takes care of his dying crippled father. The story always returns to the present, with Rocky dealing with Vince and his drug habit, his fellow residents at the hospital, and his girlfriend Karla.

While at first the reader may not see where the story is headed, it becomes clear that Rocky's past has a lot to do with his present. Molea does a good job at creating this person, Rocky, and describing what makes him tick. It also becomes apparent what Vince the shady lawyer is doing to Rocky, and a few secrets come out at the end of the story about this lawyer, which will tie it all together. Vince's relationship with Rocky, at least to this reviewer, first appears to be innocent, but as the book progresses, it becomes obvious that their relationship is more akin to a parasite.

I am recommending DUCK BLOOD SOUP. It's well written all around, and I hope that Molea continues to write, as he shows he's got what it takes to write a good book. Excellent!

It's an old recipe. Cut a duck's neck and bleed it into the soup pot. The new version requires medical knowledge from a drug-addled doctor who cannot escape his ghosts or himself.

Dr. Rocky Van Slyke is head surgical resident at a Philadelphia inner city hospital where the dregs of society, medicine and the law meet and mingle. Son of a whoring mother and a military father, Rocky spins his story like a Quentin Tarantino film in short vignettes that careen dizzily at times from past to present and back again.

Long hours, grueling studies, an opportunistic hospital lawyer, and the demons of the present and the past drive Rocky from the arms of pharmaceuticals via Vince, the hospital lawyer, and his own prescription pad into a self-created hell.

Duck Blood Soup by Dr. Joseph Molea is Naked Lunch with a medical sensibility, clean pharmaceutical grade drugs, and a descent into oblivion without the psychedelic dreams. Dr. Molea writes from personal experience and tells a sordid tale that never raises its head from the sewers. Dark, sometimes endlessly whining, and blatantly unforgiving, Duck Blood Soup sheds a glaring operating room light on the lengths a broken soul will go to convince himself that he can climb from the depths of the pit of emotional hell and back into decency with a needle in his arm.

Duck Blood Soup is the rarest of novels, one that grabs you by the lapels on page one, shakes you back and forth in an increasingly frenzied manner as you frantically turn one page after another, and leaves you changed by the whole gripping experience. This is more than just a remarkably good read, however - it is a shocking warning about the dangers of addiction. Dr. Molea has devoted his life to helping medical doctors and other professionals deal with and overcome the deadly trap of addiction. Drug addiction among physicians is a subject I have never given a thought to, but it is easy to see how the insane pressures of such a job, particularly in its earliest stages, can lead to such a problem. Simply saying that drug addiction, especially among doctors, is a terrible, tragic thing makes the point but doesn't cause the true meaning of the words to resonate. What Molea does in Duck Blood Soup is lock the reader in a literary bear hug, take him on a harrowing descent into the maelstrom of addiction, and deliver a visceral lesson that is impossible to forget.

The novel draws from the author's personal experience as well as the experiences of others he has worked with, yet it is unequivocally a work of fiction. It tells the story of young Dr. Rocky VanSlyke, a resident surgeon with a terrible childhood behind him and a rosy future ahead of him - or so it would appear. It isn't an easy life by any means. Rocky has to deal with the incredibly long hours of a resident doctor, the pressure of holding people's lives in his hands every single day, and the stress that comes from dealing with other doctors, nurses, and younger med students; then there's his somewhat dysfunctional relationship with his girlfriend Karla. Still, he might have made it through this period of his life okay, despite a natural proclivity toward addictive behavior - had he not met Vince. Vince Buddy holds some kind of vague legal consulting job with the hospital, and he and Rocky soon become pals. Vince has a problem, and he soon makes it Rocky's problem. It starts with a few Percocets here and there, something to take the edge off and keep him alert; before long, Rocky is injecting Demerol into his veins and becoming completely addicted, both physically and emotionally. Vince shows Rocky how easy it is to get the stuff; all it takes is a prescription from young Dr. VanSlyke himself, a judicious choice of pharmacies, and the syringes and paraphernalia Rocky has at his fingertips every day.

Things go downhill fast for Rocky, and you are right there with him for the deadly ride. Molea understands the mindset of the addict, and this is the source of this novel's incredible power. We see Rocky get deeper and deeper into trouble, watch his self-pledges to give it all up fall away into more and more drug use, shake our head as he continues to rationalize his drug use in the most irrational of manners, even when the cops are ready to pounce on him for his illicit activities and - most disturbingly of all - the very lives of his patients are threatened by his growing incapacity to perform his job. Even the life-threatening trauma of a Grand Mal seizure does nothing to help Rocky see the light. Vince is one slick fellow, engineering many an escape for himself and his friendly drug supplier, but the criminal trail of fake prescriptions and drug abuse these two leave behind them is glaringly obvious to all those who look their way with a critical eye.

Duck Blood Soup is not an uplifting or comforting read. Reading about someone, much less a doctor, injecting himself with a narcotic in different parts of his body, adding Percocet, cough syrup, and other drug concoctions to the deadly mix, working with gravely ill and completely vulnerable patients during times of artificial highs and even more frightening withdrawal-borne lows, and proving himself unable to save himself from the brink of absolute ruin makes for a harrowing, sometimes shocking, always disturbing reading experience. Blood Duck Soup takes you right inside the mind of an addict, and it makes for a read you won't soon forget. I would say that this novel is addictive in and of itself, but that does not seem apropos given the subject matter.

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the author, Dr. Judy Underwood, at an event in Denver, CO. Her authenticity, sincerity and humbleness compelled me to purchase her book, even though I am not currently challenged with end-of-life issues with anyone in my circle of family and friends. Her deep caring for humanity comes through the pages of this book so clearly. Her guidance for anyone involved in dealing with someone dying is invaluable. Dr. Underwood tells it "like it is" in a refreshing, frank and compassionate manner. This book can enrich everyone's quality of life today and provides much needed resources and assistance for future death and dying experiences we will all face.

Dr. Underwood has managed to share one of her client's personal journey towards death in a way that provides practical benefits to the readers. Dr. Underwood has broken down the steps of one woman's personal and very moving journey. With this book, she has taken a step back and looked at the process of dying and what is important to the dying person every step of the way. What makes the book really valuable is its readability. It's simplicity makes it accessible and useful to people dealing with one of life's most painful challenges.

It was very poignant for me to read Dr. Underwood's book at this particular time. Our 11-year-old cat had been diagnosed with kidney disease a couple of months ago and we have been expecting his slow demise. I have been reading more of late because I want to spend more time with him and he enjoys sitting on my lap when I read -- otherwise he hides out. So for three consecutive nights I read Dying with Atticus on my lap. I would interrupt my reading occasionally to talk to him, to pet him, to kind of process what I was reading in the book as well as witness his own end-of-life. The book gave me support -- it was and will be very helpful.
Judy Gordon, co-author of The Heroics of Falling Apart: One Couple's Breast Cancer Journey, www.theheroicsoffallingapart.com

This book is well written and easy to read. The book reads as if the reader were having a conversation with the book. As soon as I thought of a question Dr. Underwood was answering it. I highly recommend this book to any one who is concerned with death or dieing. The poem in the back was especially helpful to me after a close friend passed away.

This easy to read short work on the experience of a middle age woman dying prematurely of cancer and those closest to her, is done with such sincerity that it allows the reader to feel all of the emotions of those invloved in the dying process. Author, Judy Underwood (PhD), provides guidance to the reader through her experiences assisting one of her clients through the often times bewildering responsibilities involved as one approaces the end of life. While I had already made some preparations for my own eventual death (will, living will, services, remains), this informative book reinforced many of my beliefs involving dying, but it also elicited the need for me to re-evaluate how some things should be better handled. I urge all to take the one or two evenings it takes to read this well organized book on a most important subject that all too many of us try to ignore.

Higly recommend. Great to have around so when you have questions this book will answer them, as we often have questions when a doctor is not around to answer them. Sometimes we may may not want to ask a question well this book lets you find your answers in the privacy of you home. I had 2 previos versions and I preordered this one as the others were very useful and this one has been also.

While working in a very large private hospital in Omaha, I worked in Radiation Oncology. Finding myself alone, without a nurse to teach me how to teach my patients, a friend suggested this book. I purchased it, devoured it and put the information to use, teaching my patients about treatment protocols, systems involved in their treatment process, in terms that they could understand. I recommended this book to many of them, they always returned to thank me for suggesting the book. CC

It is a wealth of information - that every person diagnosed with any type of cancer can benefit from. Having had 2 bouts with breast cancer, I have bought many books. This one is the best resource book I have found. I have loaned it out many times and everyone is thankful for the information.

It is written in an easy style, such that an average person can understand the language. It presents many questions for the patient & family to ask doctors, along with the many options available.

I highly recommend this for anyone who needs any type of information about cancer and it's treatments.

Half way through my chemo treatments, my doctor's office recieved three copies of this book. I borrowed one. I was very impressed with the layout, the data covered, questions answered. This is a very thought out book. I figured I would have it returned to the office by Christmas (three months away) but I was halfway through the first weekend. I highly recommend this book. It is interesting and EASY reading. I like knowing the information that can save my life, now and down the road.

This book is a one stop guide to so many things involving therapies that it is hard to know where to start. Cancer nurses feel this is the best consumer book out there. Information is in plain English, simple terms, with lots of illustrations. Tons of referrals to agencies that may be helpful.

I always been a fan of Kashif both as a singer and producer. I highly recommend this book to gain greater insights in the Music business or any business. It was a great buy along with a couple of manuals I purchased from Musicbrains.net entitled the Indie label Kit on amazon. You can also check kashif out at Brooklynboy.com

Included in this package are over 100 music contract templates that will aid you in filling out every king of music contract imaginable, from the deals you set with music producers, to the deals with promoters, to the deals you have to make with agents. The contracts all have explanatory notes and underlining information explaining each the purpose of every line in the contract. As good as this set is, it doesn't compare to "101 Music Business Contracts - Updated Edition - Preprinted Binder / CD-ROM set containing over 100 contracts and agreements for recording artist, musicians, ... industry. Entertainment law at it's best!" By Ty Cohen, a more complete set with easier explanation and a more intelligent structure

A real life look at the music industry. This is a must have for all involved in writing and publishing.

From Mark John Sternal
Author of "GUITAR: Total Scales Techniques and Applications"
"GUITAR: Probable Chords"
"Complete Guitar By Ear"
and, "The Twelve Notes Of Music"

I'm blessed I purchased this book earlier this month and tells me right here how I need to know and learn all about the music and record industry. This is a Extradordinary, more good-reading, more instructional Must for all Music lovers, listeners, musicians, singers, singer-songwriters, composers, producers, artists, and/or any1 that's real interested of trying out in the music biz. I recommend Donald Passman's book "All You Need to Know About the Music Business" 2 include along and recommendarily Quincy Jones' memoir along w/ others.

I 'preciate the help of what R&B and Music legend, artist, and producer Kashif tryin' 2 say. 'Preciate everything u talked 'bout this book. Enjoy it. It's very interesting stuff and u can't turn your back from it.

This is a great book. I first purchased Donald Passmans book "Everything You Need To Know About The Music Buiness' - a must have book for any interestd, but as a complete newbie also a bit overwhelming. This book is easier to read, gives a good introduction and overview of the topic and helps to simplify some of the things Passman talks about. I highly recommend them both if you're serious about this subject.