D Books

This book was given to me by a dear physician friend and was the perfect gift to start understanding the "curse of Diabetes" in our family. I in return also had given this book to other friends that I consider could benefit of it; to learn and understand more about Diabetes, it's diagnosis, control, care to live with it, and their imminent complications when we do not follow our doctor's recommendations. This is a very thorough and easy to understand book that should be in the hand of anyone already diagnosed or when Diabetes runs in the family

This is the first book about diabetes that I read, after being diagnosed with the condition myself. It was a useful, tough-love experience. The authors discussed all of my excuses for not doing the right thing by my pancreas, and talked to me gently but firmly about monitoring my glucose levels, exercise, and nutritional therapy. A long chapter is devoted to the link between depression and diabetes, and the emotions that a patient plays through when first diagnosed. I didn't even think about the psychological effects when my various friends were diagnosed with the disease--one of them has had diabetes for over 20 years and is now giving herself insulin shots.

Sorry, Jan, CJ, Dennis, and Cathy. I had to learn the hard way about dealing with the psychological aspects of a diagnosis of diabetes. This book helped me through the various stages--I didn't stay in denial very long (evidently some diabetics pass away before admitting that they have the disease and need to treat it), but the authors did talk me out of blaming my grandmother (deceased these twenty years) for `bringing' diabetes into the family.

Incidentally, the chapter on "The Genetics of Diabetes" is fascinating. Type II diabetes (the kind you usually get when you're old and fat) is actually "much more strongly determined by genetics than is Type I." (Thanks, Grandma).

This guide was first published in 1997, before the glucose level for diagnosing diabetes was dropped from 125 mg/dl to 100 mg/dl, but the authors were already using 115 mg/dl as the criterion in their own practices. They hint that a new diagnostic specification is coming, then get on with the book. Both Type I and Type II diabetes are fully examined, along with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (which has a whole chapter to itself).

The causes of diabetes, its symptoms, and the goals of treatment are explained in very clear language--you might not like what you're reading (diabetes is for life), but you'll be able to understand it. If the book makes you too cranky, be sure to check out the part about what happened to diabetics before insulin was discovered and extracted from pancreatic beta cells. The hardest chapters for me to read were the ones on diabetic complications, e.g. "Diabetic Eye Disease," and "Hardening of the Arteries."

The information on "Living with Diabetes," "Families Who Live with Diabetes," and those dealing with health care professionals, the U.S. Health Care System (or lack of one), and "Employment and Diabetes" will probably prove to be the most useful in the long run, but I recommend reading the whole book. If nothing else, I came out of it with a whole new (and much improved) attitude about monitoring my glucose level.

An excellent basic reference and a recommended pick for both public and school libraries, the large print edition of Dr. Christopher Saudek, et.al.'s Guide To Diabetes assures that audiences who need it will be able to read it. From handling psychological problems to dealing with daily maintenance routines, this is packed with practical information. The large print edition of Dr. Cassel's will reach a wide audience and will prove a listing contribution to libraries. All eye disorders and health issues are covered here, with treatment options and symptoms thoroughly surveyed in an easy-to-understand manner. Highly recommended.

_Fear is sometimes a positive force. In moderation, it can motivate people. Realistic fear of complications can strengthen your resolve to take the best possible care of yourself...The key to making your fears work for you..is to keep reminding yourself of the positive. The power to control blood sugars...improves everyday_. (p217)

Two months ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes. Since then, THE JOHNS HOPKINS GUIDE TO DIABETES has been my handbook and I feel fortunate that Christopher D. Saudek, M.D. and his staff have developed such a valuable tool. It is extremely easy to use, yet covers completely the topics associated with successful living with diabetes.

The Preface states, _This book grew out of our experiences in caring for people with diabetes, particularly at the self-managment program of the Johns Hopkins Diabetes Center. Much that we discuss in this book is drawn from the material used in our teaching sessions -- and indeed, from the material taught by diabetes educators throughout the country_.

I appreciate the self-management program promoted in this text. _A central theme of this book is that [I] can live a long and healthy life with diabetes, but it is a dangerous disease to ignore_. (p4) I learned that the diagnosis of diabetes is objective and ammoral, based solely on the level of glucose in the blood. Knowing that it really does not matter how my blood glucose levels got to be the way they were helped me to accept that something needed to be done to control them. I was able to adjust to daily life with diabetes, learning that I can in fact cope with it.

Understanding Diabetes is the first part of this book and the first part of successfully controlling this disease. The bulk of this book is in the next part, Controlling Diabetes. Their approach to goal setting is representative of this book's healthy attitude:

_We are talking about redefining the quality of life. We admit to looking through rose-colored glasses, downplaying the things you can't do or eat that you used to love. There's no denying that some things ought to be avoided some of life's patterns ought to be adjusted. But none of this has to impair your quality of life. You have the choice. You define quality. You set the goals._ (p36)

If you are interested in controlling your blood glucose levels, this text can show you how.

There is a strong spiritual component that comes into play when changing behaviors. The task of accepting the realities of diabetes; turning from destructive behaviours and turning to life-affirming behaviours is at the crux of repentance. Moving from denial to acceptance requires an element of faith. Faith in the diagnosis, faith in the cure, and faith in ourselves that we are able to take up the task day after day with a fresh re-commitment. My experience with diabetes has strenghtened my own spiritual confidence. The hard won changes to my glucose levels has given me confidence that I will be able to control other parts of my life.

PEACE

If diabetes has entered your life because of your own health or the health of a loved one you need to get a lot of information in order to control the disease as best as you can. This book is a GREAT place to start.

The book provides a good overview of what diabetes really is and why it is so destructive. But MUCH MORE important is the help it gives us in understanding how the disease impacts the way one lives. If the diabetes is responded to constructively the situation can be improved. Depending on the severity of the condition it can be improved a little bit to, in a mild case, something like normality. Most are somewhere in the middle.

The danger is to ignore the condition. This book can help make clear all the good things that can come from responding positively to the condition and gives helpful information on how to do that. And you can find specific information very quickly because the book is so thoughtfully organized.

This book is a good addition to whatever partnership book that you're using. For me, most tax books are hard to understand and I try to buy books that simplify it for me, then I dive into the deep stuff. This is by no means a comprehensive book. I frequently read this book, reference the Partnership in a Nutshell book for more clarification, and then reference the Code/Regs. By the time I do that, the Code/Regs are crystal clear.

Ms. Cunningham does a terrific job of succinctly summarizing the concepts and cutting through some of the complexity of this section of the Internal Revenue Code.

This little book was passed on to me by a friend a few years ago. The 3rd eddition is even better. Anyone who is interested in Partnership taxation should start their studies with this with its clear explinations and examples.

Marty Burbank, JD, LLM

If you've been reading your partnership tax textbook scratching your head and wondering where they got this number or that number, this book will be an immense help as you go through the rules and try to understand them. The Logic of Subchapter K goes through the subject matter in a very organized and well-presented fashion that makes it much easier to tackle. I am currently an L.L.M. student in Taxation, and I've found that, in combination with a textbook and lectures, this book makes it possible to not just memorize the rules but to actually understand and be able to apply them. Great book.

Update: got an A in the class!

An absolute must for any tax professional working with partnerships. Like the title indicates, it is very logical and gives an overview of the complex details before diving into the details.

You will be pleased by this book- generous amount of good pictures on this famous WWII battle tank. I found the coverage of the variants and production very useful. To top it all off the price is excellent!

While not perfect, this is a very good history of the M4 Sherman. Better use of photos and (more important) coordination of photos would have upped this to five stars in my opinion. For example, in many cases one model of tank is being discussed while all the photos show a completely different model. Very good use of diagrams, which ARE usually located on the correct page. Well worth the money, if you want perfection you'll be spending more.

The M4 series medium tank, commonly known by its British-applied nickname of "Sherman", was one of the most important weapons of the Allied ground effort in WW2. The Sherman started as one of the best tanks in the desert when introduced in North Africa, but soon fell behind German tanks in guns and armor. This was because US doctrine didn't emphasize tanks fighting other tanks, but the German doctrine saw the tank as the primary anti-tank weapon. While not a great tank killer, the Sherman was available in large numbers, not only for US forces but for many Allied nations. It also proved itself quite an adaptable design, with room for growth and was able to serve a number of special roles that were never even envsioned when the tank was originally designed.

This soft cover book covers much of the technical developments of the Sherman tanks. Mr. Green uses many period photos, plus views from restored tanks to illustrate the many changes and variations in the Sherman's design. He looks at the tank in the context of actual useage. He also touches on the US tank crews, one of the secrets of the Shermans ultimate success in battle.

For the money this book is a good investment in the basics of the Shermans design and use. Very useful to military historians, wargamers, model builders and tank buffs.

Military specialty libraries strong on World War II history won't want to miss M4 Sherman At War, a survey of a tank which played a key role in every aspect of the battles, enabling the Allies to manufacture enough units to overwhelm the superior German tanks they faced. The design and employment of a tank which beat the odds is reviewed in chapters packed with vintage black and white photos, cut-away diagrams, and historical and design facts: a fascinating, involving read.

The M4 Sherman is THE American tank of the Second World War, seeing service in all theaters of war and being operated by a number of Allied units. That being said, the Sherman was a badly designed tank that was never the equal of its German contemporaries. That Sherman crews accomplished so much says more about their courage and steadfastness rather than the quality of the tank they manned.

The Sherman went to war an under-gunned, under-armoured and under-powered tank whose boxy, too-tall silhouette provided German tank and anti-tank gunners easy opportunities for kills. In a rare, pre-war blunder Chief of Staff George Marshall decided the M4's main mission was to be a weapon of explotation rather than a slayer of enemy tanks. The newly created tank destroyers were tasked with that duty. Yet realistically how could a Sherman crew pick and choose its opponents in a combat situation? Nevertheless Marshall, aided by General Lesley McNair, pushed through this doctrine and Sherman crews went to war in a seriously flawed design.

Green and Brown do an excellent job of documenting the Sherman's flawed beginnings, the seemingly endless - and usually unsuccessful - attempts to upgrade the basic design and its armament along with the stateside struggles between various Army bureacracies that hindered production of the best possible design.

Likewise in describing and illustrating the tank, its various components, and combat record, the authors do a bang-up job. The book is packed with photos, cutaways, profiles and digrams, many in color along with dozens of wartime photos and contemporary acccounts of the M4 in action.

All in all, a comprehensive, insightful, well-illustrated, and entertaining guide to a a combat legend. And only $19.95!

Recommended!

What a great book from a great person. the different chapters and the different adventures. I have never seen a book quite like this one. Will keep you reading from chapter to chapter. Keep up the great work and look forward to the next one. The children you are supporting from the proceeds of the book also a very noble cause.

AWESOME BOOK! You will not find a more personalized, "real life" travel book out there...Excellent photographs from around the World! Once I finished reading it, I started it all over again--couldn't put it down, it's a real page turner...

This book is not at all what you might expect. If you open it expecting the diary notes of someone who descended into insanity, you won't find that here. What you will find, instead, is a big, lush, lavish volume, rich with pictures and personal notes, splashed with artwork and experiences of the author's cross-global journey through South America, Africa, and Asia. It is as much as work of art as it is a book.

What Garner calls his "madness" is what he refers to as his previous obsession with making money and building corporate empires. He spent years of his life at this until one day, he just dropped it all and went off in search of himself. For two years he and a companion, Heather (whose last name we never learn), wandered the world living with the people of the countries they visited and looking for adventure. They found plenty of it--from a fearsome night they spent in Mexico thinking they had been kidnapped, to being attacked by the most unusual brigands in Central America, to living among the Masai in Africa. Everywhere Garner went in search of answers, he found people in every part of the world who were honest, hospitable and somehow managed to live happily even without water, food or school supplies to educate their children.

Not only is this an emotional journey of discovery, it is also a treasure hunt. The author has placed a secret code in his volume and given readers the key to deciphering it. All over the world, he has hidden objects which he invites readers to find as they unravel the code. He has dedicated sales of the book to helping poor children worldwide, and every time a new child is helped, he places his or her picture on the website.

And the website is as lavish and artful as the book. It contains more information about the secret code and Garner's personal campaign to save the world, one child at a time.

And he gives the most unique explanation of typos I have ever seen. On little cards inserted in the pages, he says things like: "Think you saw a typo? Think again." Now that's a stroke of genius that other authors could envy. It automatically excuses every error missed in proofreading.

On the book's gorgeous full-color cover, he says, "This is more than a book, it is an experience."

Armchair Interviews is inclined to agree with him.

I have to say, being an avid book reader, this book was truly a wonder. This is a book for everyone who is interested in travel, adventure and buried treasure. It has 40 amazing chapters of travel stories from around the world. The stories themselves are so well written and it amazed me they are all true. Also, inbetween each chaper you get to see full color artwork and photography that the author has taken from all over the world. In addition to all that, GD Garner has actually hidden clues inside the book that lead the reader to a buried treasure! The clues are hidden on all 7 continents as well as online and the reader can use the book and website to uncover the buried treasure! This book is really an amazing and unique experience for every reader. It is an absolute MUST READ for anyone interested in travel, photographgy, or just really amazing true stories. I highly recommend this book as a next purchase for your book collection.

It only took reading the book's prologue for me to completely commit to following the author through his journey. The perspectives on geography, culture, and humanity were vivid, enlightening, and entertaining. The artwork and photography included alone has value way beyond the asking price. I've dreamed of traveling the world. I can only hope that I would receive the experience a fraction as well as the author. Add that part of the proceeds from the book benefit children's charities makes this book a must buy!

I have been a faithful FoxTrot reader for years. Roger, Andy and their kids Peter, Paige and Jason are always good for a reality check with a large dose of laughter. I've got two girls and let me tell you, I see a lot of my kids in Paige with, I believe, even a healthy dose of Jason thrown in. And they have Peter's bottomless stomach. Of course, they're faithful FoxTrot readers too. I used to read the strip to them, explain what was going on, but now they get it just fine and we three all laugh together. Then my girls try and explain the strip to their dad, who pretends he doesn't get it.

The FoxTrot folks are a great family, one we sort of got used to checking up on every day, so we took the news that Mr. Amend was going to cease daily distribution of his wonderfully funny people and turn his strip to Sunday only, with a bit of sadness. Still, we have these terrific FoxTrot books to keep us going with our FoxTrot fix. Mr. Amend is to be commended for his great gift to our culture and his great gift to so many lives. I truly believe a laugh a day, helps keep the blues away and the FoxTrot gang are always good for a laugh. Heck there are a lot of laughs in the FoxTrot books. I know, I have them all and I am, along with my girls and my hubby dear, eagerly awaiting the next one.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, we don't have an iguana, but my girls do have a pet gecko and, you guessed it, his name is Quincy.

I've been a Foxtrot reader for a long time and personally I think there is something suspiciously wrong with people who don't find Bill Amend's characters funny as all get out. If you want a good laugh, check out Bill in your local newspaper, or better yet, get one of the Foxtrot books. They are all great, really, they are.

Like many of Mr. Amend's fans I'm a bit disappointed he's switching his strip to Sunday-only, but fortunately I can still read him daily in the Foxtrot books. Get them one and all and you can keep right on a laughing.

the only problem i had with this book is that it took me no time to read through it. very funny, wish it had lasted longer. a must read.

A kid thinks that they are immortal. And will try this. So thekid in us, is in the sled enjoyingthis.

I absolutely loved this book. It was absolutely hilarious. With Jason seeing Jurrassic Park, The Fox family going on vacation, and Jason and Marcus's 83 story Comic Book Store this book was great. 5 Stars!

This is a clear and concise overview of Marxism. It breaks down the major thoughts of the ideology and presents them in an understandable manner.

This is fantastic book for college students, particularly those who will be presenting research or essays that include Marxism as a topic or thesis. The most difficult concepts of Marxism, such as dichotomy, are easily understood by the manner in which D'Amato has presented them.

In truth, the ideas within this book, as they are presented, has made this book a citation treasure trove for presenting key arguments within several of my essays. The logic that is laid out can be used to analyze a number of historical, cultural, and socio-political topics in a relative manner.

Paul D'amato takes the classical works of Marx and Engels (Capital, Communist Manifesto, The German Ideology, and others) and selectively quotes the trenchant passages and then parses and elaborates their meaning with simple (but not simplistic) explanations. For an example early in the book:

"Greed and selfishness are not the result of bad individual choice, but are engendered by the competitive and profit driven nature of capitalism. A capitalist who is not greedy for profit is a capitalist who will lose out to his more greedy competitors. The problem with the notion that it is only necessary to change people's ideas in order to change society is that this leaves the social structure of society intact. `This demand to change consciousness amounts to a demand to interpret the existing world in a different way, i.e., to recognize it by means of a different interpretation,' Marx wrote of some German idealists of his day. In doing this `they are in no way combating the real existing world,' but are `combating solely the phrases of this world.' The materialist view is exactly the opposite. Morals are derived from particular forms of human social organization. Capitalism breeds greed, not vice versa. In societies that foraged for food and shared it as a collective, greed was frowned upon because it disrupted the functioning of the group." [Page 26]

That short paragraph explained Marx's views arguably better than did Marx himself! Marx's explanation of the same phenomenon takes up thirteen pages in the original text. I truly wish that the political science professors and graduate assistants who taught me Marxist political economy in college had had D'amato's book on their reading list or even used it as the principal text; it's that good.

This book is written by a dedicated Marxist-Leninist. I am most definitely not one (though I have sympathy for the Marxist critique of capitalism). However, not being one to judge a person by her or his political convictions, I gave this book a look when I saw it in a university library bookstore. It was actually quite well-written, and I ended up buying it. I'm about 100 pages in, and I have to say, it's not a bad book at all for introducing the thought of Marx and Engels (plus some Lenin, but not TOO much). The author also quotes several non-Marxist anthropologists, sociologists and economists to make his points, so he's definitely a well-read guy. Although I'm not done with the book, I'd recommend it. There isn't a whole lot of emotional rhetoric, as you might fear; there's only a clear, straightforward, sophisticated (yet easy-to-understand) presentation of Marxist ideas. So if you are interested in understanding the ideas of classic social thinkers like Marx, but don't have the time or inclination to suffer through their dense original works, then for Marx I'd say this book is not a bad choice for an intro.

If you want some original Marx, a very good place to start is Karl Marx on Society and Social Change: With Selections by Friedrich Engels (Heritage of Sociology Series), edited by Neil Smelser.

This book truly blew my mind. What did I know about Marxism before reading this? Not a lot. Now I feel ready to take on the world

There are plenty of philosophical and political guides to the ideals of Marx, but few which draw the connections between ideals, politics and social issues as does The Meaning of Marxism. It's a blend of explanation of philosophy and politics with links to contemporary issues, and provides a survey of just how Marxism was to transform the world. Chapters provide the perfect introduction for students from high school to college levels who are new to Marxist thinking and who wish to relate Marxism with contemporary social and political perspectives.

I teach courses on software metrics and do some research on software-related measurement. As Austin points out in his book, many of the well-known advocates of metrics in the software community are blind to the issues that he raises, or they dismiss the issues as social science hooey that won't affect serious engineering. They are so, so wrong. This is a useful, readable book, that teaches hard lessons.

This is an excellent book on performance measurement. Very short, simple and easy to follow. The concept of critical dimensions and its effect on dysfunctional measurement it's well worth the read. By the way, one may also want to check the famous paper "On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B" by Steven Kerr.

Managing engineers is very challenging; measuring their performance is even harder. This book offers a fantastic review of leading research on the subject and establishes a strong case for delegatory techniques. It's a quick read but much more academically rigorous than similar management guides.

This book is filled with both humorous and chilling examples of measurement dysfunction that make the sometimes academic approach quite palatable. Dr. Austin identifies three different types of performance measurement based on the intent of the measurement - measurement for motivation, process improvement, or process coordination. It is measurement for motivation that causes the dysfunction that this book so convincingly describes.

For example, if we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A and we are comparing this against the 10 widget benchmark for bonuses, it is very likely that other perspectives like quality will suffer in the drive to make the 10 widget goal. Austin makes the point that the discovery that every time our overall performance is excellent we have produced 10 widgets does not imply that producing 10 widgets will guarantee excellent overall performance.

If we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A while only eight widgets are produced in the same time using competing technology on machine B, this is measurement for process improvement and can be very useful - provided it is limited in scope and used purely for the stated purpose.

If we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A and convey this information to the widget packaging department to ensure that enough widget cases are ready, this is measurement for process coordination, and is also potentially useful on its own.

The idea that the intent or goal of the measurement is of paramount importance is one important lesson from this book.

Austin does make some recommendations about developing effective performance measurement systems.

Understanding the costs involved with "perfect" measurements is part of the solution. Substituting a cheaper approximation for a key measurement is bound to cause problems - witness the measurement of nitrogen instead of protein in wheat gluten used in pet food. The incorrect justification for cheaper approaches is a thread surfaces in other areas - reusing financial figures as a proxy for management accounting leads to flawed descision-making emphasizing short term financial gain - reuse of software components leads to products that are hard to use.

One effective technique is using the end customer as the ultimate judge of quality and performance - the kind of approach described 10 years later in Fred Reichheld's The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth

A principal of a company once told me that the primary job of a manager is to get the employee to do what the manager wants him to do. From there to effective management in real life comes a lot of confusion.

Robert Austin sorts it all out with a suprisingly simple model, and a strong does of honesty. Managers and workers -- participants in the serious game of work in organzations -- put aside illusions and read this book. And anyone who thought they were helping by designing a measurement program, pay attention too.

Measurement and management can work, but only if you know what you're doing.

This is a great positing book. All the postions are demonstrated with visuals along with a radiographic picture to demonstrate what is should look like. It also contains the criteria and evaluation for every position. the book is well organized and easy to follow. i would recommend this book as part of a class book. I learned a lot from it.

This is a perfect book for upcoming radiography students. Covers not only standard position techniques but also the more obscure. The is the perfect book for anyone student or radiographer to expand their knowledge in the field. Stop reading this and buy it already!

AS A FRENCH RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST, I WANT YOU TO FORGIVE MY ENGLISH, BUT BOTH THE ATLAS AND GUIDES ARE NECESSARY FOR ANY RADIOLOGIC SERVICE. IT'S A REFERENCE, AND EVEN IF YOU CAN'T READ ENGLISH PERFECTLY YOU CAN REFER TO THEM (ANATOMIC DESCRIPTION, PHOTOGRAPHY OF RADIOLOGIC POSITION AND RESULTS WITH COMMENTARY). MY GUIDE IS IN THE ROOM WHERE I'M WORKINK EVERY MINUTE, BECAUSE IT CONTENTS NOW ALL INFORMATIONS NEEDED AND ADAPTED FOR EACH POSITION AND EACH X-RAY TUBE. THEY HAVE TO BE IN EVERY SCHOOL. WAITING FOR THE FRENCH VERSION AND AN INTERACTIVE CDROM.

We began using this text this fall and have been very impressed with the quality of the anataomy sections and the radiographs are all excellent. The color makes it much easier to learn radiography. It is also very comprehensive. Students can learn many projections and not just the basics. We especially like the Mobile chapter which is very practical and accurate in its approach. The Workbook by Hayes which accompanies the Atlas is also excellent. We can use the 3-volumes for 7 different courses in our school and that makes this text a bargain overall. Our students also began using the accompanying Pocket Guide which they much prefer over the one they were using previously because of the AEC write-in ability. This whole package is excellent for radiography students.

It is easy to see why this textbook has made it to its 50th anniversary edition. The authors have introduced all the latest techniques, including computed radiography. The color throughout is wonderful. This is not only a great student textbook, but a great book for reference purposes. We continue to use this book for 5 different courses in our program and we continue to love it. Thanks for the color !

"The Minefield Of Memories" by Karina Wetherbee.
Subtitled: "A Memoir Told By Alf Tieze".
AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2004.

After the First World War, parts of the territory of Bohemia and Moravia were assigned to the nascent Czechoslovakia, by the Treaty of Saint-Germain, 1919. This part of Czechoslovakia, pointing threateningly at the center of Germany, was called the Sudetenland. Alf Tieze was six years old in 1938 when the Third Reich annexed the Sudetenland, with its three million German speakers. He recounts the arrival of the Führer at Jägnerdorf, little Alf's hometown. This is also his first encounter, the first of many, with irrational adults who treat him terribly just because he is a little boy at the wrong place at the wrong time. A German solider orders Alf to keep his tired arm upright in the Nazi salute while the Führer speaks at Jägnerdorf. The soldier's shout is not understandable and his spittle sprayed the little boy. From there on, it is all downhill.

In May 1939, his younger sister, Gerti, is born, and his mother favors the young baby over little Alf. The mother favors the sister through much of the first part of the book. This book is similar to a fictional novel, where you discover the "WHY?" at the very end. I will not spoil the suspense. Alf's father works for the railroad, so he is at home for limited periods, at holidays and other times, so Alf depends heavily on his Grandfather and Grandmother for affection and guidance.

The war goes on and troops are sent East to Russia. The war goes on and troops retreat from the East. Russian soldiers follow them. When his family (at least the Grandparents) are preparing for evacuation, Alf and his friend, Gerle, ride a bike towards the fighting, in order to get some food from the aunt's abandoned home. The two young boys are promptly trapped in No-Man's Land, between the retreating Germans and the advancing Russians. The young boys are separated from their supporting family and must make their way, West, away from the fighting. Their adventures fill up the center of the book, and some of Alf's tales are horrifying. Women are being raped, and being murdered when the Russian solider is finished. Alf's mother is raped and thrown to her death from a balcony. Alf collects his sister and they both watch as the mother is carried away in what is basically a garbage truck.

The people return to Jägnerdorf and begin to repair the damage when everyone is ordered into concentration camps. They are then scattered throughout Czechoslovakia and forced into slave labor. The Nazis had no monopoly on cruelty. Alf is finally shown some kindness when his overseer frees him and an old Jew, and gives them train tickets to get towards the West. The young boy and the old Jew escape (by real happenstance) into the American Zone. Alf goes through a series of adventures, until he ends up in the German version of Boys Town (remember Father Flanagan?) and begins to prepare for a new life in the United States.

He becomes an American citizen, finds his lost sister, Gerti, travels to the old town of Jägnerdorf and then ...well, read the book.
Karina Wetherbee has written an easy to read book. Sometimes, the story is related in the first person, by Alf, and then, at times, the story is recounted in the third person (see, for example, pages 188 and 189). While you are on page 189, look at the word, "viridescent"! But, at all times, the story flows, and you are always interested in what comes next. Will Alf stop the flow of the beer in to the bottle at the brewery? Sixty years later you can still sense the suspense as the young apprentice runs around, attempting to control the flow in a machine he does not understand. There is both suspense and a bit of hilarity.

The publishing company is AuthorHouse, who help people publish their own works. AuthorHouse could have helped more. Better maps might have been provided. On page 25, they permitted "who's day" when it should have been "whose day". Then, why weren't umlauts used when required? For example, with Führer and with Jägnerdorf?

For those of us who think that "no stone has been left unturned" in WWII literature, think again! This well written and poignant memoir provides a unique glimpse of WWII from the "losing side." Without giving away his story, young Alfie suffered more than most as a young boy growing up in German occupied Austria. Throughout his numerous ordeals and struggles for survival, Alfie had the uncanny knack of turning adversity into good fortune.

This book was a pleasure to read! I gained firsthand insight into the struggles during, and particularly, after the war. Of particular interest was Alfie's personal experience of survival behind the Russian lines and learning firsthand about the "Iron Curtain" in its infancy. Alfie's story of resilience is testament to the strength of the human spirit, and it exemplifies the fact that war oppresses us all. Of all the books I've read this year, this one is treasured!

Minefield of Memories is a moving account of perseverance over misfortune and triumph over adversity. It is written in a lovely lyrical style, with a poignancy that touches the heart. I would strongly reccommend this book for book groups as it combines great readability with a good learning experience. I would also reccommend this book for high school history supplemental reading lists.

I found this an excellent read. The author is a new voice who writes sensitively and well about a topic of great interest to many. This book will please all readers, but especially those who have undergone the horrors of war first hand. Those who have not experienced war will gain understanding from this vividly portrayed account. Congratulations to the author!

I really enjoyed reading this book as it captivated my attention to see through the eyes of a child! Karina Wetherbee writes a fascinating true story sharing her fathers life, Alf Tieze, in a world where a boy becomes a man overnight and still possesses the heart and soul of a child. In separation from his family, Alf truly becomes his own mentor conquering the challenges in life.

It is an adventure during World War II, which most people do not have the courage or the desire to share. As I read this story, I could not even put it down eager to see what would happen next. Many of us try to let go of the past and just move on. However, "The Minefield of Memories" does encompass a fascinating life experience that you just do not want to miss.

The author has the great benefit of having put the issues of death and survival
on a more holistic level, paralleling the individual destiny with the one of
planet earth and humanity at large.... The Miracle of Death is about liberation,
love and creativity and will transform all those who have the courage to accept
"inner experiences which have no validation in the outer world."

Evelyn Elsaesser-Valarino
Author of "Talking with Angel about illness, death and survival"
"On the Other Side of Life"
Co-author with Kenneth Ring of "Lessons from the Light"

When grief was ready to swallow me alive, this book showed up and turned everything around. It brought me comfort, hope, and validation that was nowhere else to be found. Thank you for writing this book. Thank you for being a miracle in my life.

I found this book helpful in dealing with my 15 year old son's death. Perhaps our life and death is all in the whole of how life is suppose to be. It gave me much to think about concerning life being eternal. I like it. Thanks to Betty Kovacs for telling her story.

Ruth C. Baker

I have never met Betty Kovacs, and I haven't read her book yet either, but I did attend a couple of lectures that were sponsored by the "Claremont Jung Society" in Claremont, California, I placed myself on their mailing list and received a regular mailing of their upcoming lectures and events.

In 1991 I received a mailing from the Claremont Jung Society which at first I thought would be a another list of their upcoming lectures. The brochure was titled "To The Friends Of The Claremont Jung Society." The brochure turned out to be a heartfelt personal dedication to the life and death of her son. This may seem to be a bit depressing, but it turned out to be a very touching celebration of a life, a mothers deep love, and the effect one persons life can have on us all.
I still have this brochure in case I ever forget how short a lifetime can be, and that a love felt, should always be a love expressed.

I'm a man, and I'm not ashamed to say that I cried after reading
her personal revelation of her love for her son. If we could all love each other this deep, I know this world would be much better for it. I know that her story changed me, and this change in me will have an effect on people that I interact with in the future. I may not ever see exactly what exactly my change is, or it's effect on others, but I can feel it in a deep emotional empathy towards people I love, and total strangers I meet.

Death is a very uncomfortable subject for most of us, and we really don't want to think about it much, or deal with it.
But doesn't the same thought hold true for the way we live our lives as well?

Something to think about!

Despite the popularity of shows such as "Crossing Over with John Edwards (no, not Kerry's running mate, who shows no signs of crossing over)," Western society seems to have forgotten Rainer Maria Rilke's belief that the afterlife and the living life interact, and as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote in THE LITTLE PRINCE, "What is essential is invisible to the naked eye."

It took the death of 20-year-old Pisti (Hungarian for Istvan or Steven) Kovács in a car accident for his academic mother Dr. Betty "Kicsi" Kovács and father Istvan to put into perspective Western civilization's rejection of death and the institutions, including organized religion, that cause us to fear "a consummation devoutly to be wished," in Shakespeare's words. Interestingly, Dr. Kovacs argues against a dichotomy of thought that cut off the instinctive and dream knowledge as ruthlessly as Puritans arrested women for being witches. She condemns our society's dismissal of dreams and visions such as the prophetic symbolic dreams Dr. Kovács, Istvan and Pisti's beloved girlfriend Jenny experience before and after his death. The dream imagery guided Dr. Kovács toward stunning insights about the meaning of death. Simply put, Dr. Kovacs argues that there is nothing but life, and that Western civilization's ignorance of that truth has caused a breakdown in our society.

As we begin to search for understanding of the death and horror of September 11, Dr. Kovács loving insights, which offer an alternative to our worldview although not a prescription for transformation, deserve to be heard, so that a new creativity of thought and being can emerge.