Frank Books

For years I have struggled by living month to month beyond my means. I felt helpless and out of control. Dr. Dink explained it in the most simpliest of terms. Just a little work made the most difference. I recommend this to anyone who wants to take control of their finances and start living their dreams!

A friend of mine gave this book to me while I was in the hospital recovering from a severe case of Crone's disease. Prior to reading Dr. Dink's excellent financial advice, my idea of a sound money decision was betting it all on black at the Roulette table! He really broke it down for me in a way I could understand. Thanks, guys.

Dr. Dink's prescription for financial wellness really hit home...even for a guy with a Masters in Business Administration in Finance. His book would definitely be valuable for someone trying to gain some basic knowledge of financial management. However, what really distinguishes Dr. Dink's book from others is his ability to bring abstract financial concepts down to earth and help us to understand how often our financial situation drives our decision-making regardless of how much money we make. In challenging us to "stop chasing our bills and start chasing our dreams" he reminds us that life is too short to allow credit cards bills to stand in the way of happiness. By setting his financial program within a very practical context, Dr. Dink did a great job of keeping me interested and his witty stories and useful examples were the icing on the cake. For anybody interested in taking back their life from banks and credit cards, Dr Dink has the financial cure for you.

Finally a book for those of us that don't understand the world of finance! I highly recommend this book and let me tell you why.

This book has some very practical advice about getting out of debt and staying out of debt. The author also provides some insights into investing. What this book has that I have not seen in other finance type books, is the ability to draw in the reader ... you don't feel like you are reading a finance book but rather you feel as if you are having a discussion with a friend, an advisor .... yes, even a teacher. Dr. Dink is indeed a teacher. I felt as if I had sat down with him and he was telling me about the mistakes he's made, the mistakes that are common and then what to do to avoid them. For those of us who have made those mistakes [and there are lots of us] you feel like you're not alone and his advice is easy to follow. Of course, that doesn't mean it's easy to DO what he says ... but it's easy to understand his advice.

Dr. Dink has a conversational way of writing. The reader gets a glimpse of his personal life and how these finance 'lessons' worked for him, his friends and others.

I found that I was able to read this book quickly, and I'm sure will be going back to it for advice. As a business professional, I found the information valuable. I'd recommend it for younger people as well, especially those starting out. It's a great gift for college students in particular.

This book comes across like a cross between Will Rogers and Tony Robbins in helping you take charge of your financial life. It has a personal, in-touch feel that will make thinking about your finances more interesting and comfortable . . . even if you have some serious issues. The advice is consistent with the most advanced techniques, but presented in a way that is easy to absorb and apply. This book can be effectively used by most middle income households headed by someone with at least two years of high school education. The typical family using this approach should improve net worth by many hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next three decades. Buy it, read it, and live it!

This book would be fun to read, even if you weren't interested in household finances. The writing and the slant are very appealing.

Dr. Dink is a charming fellow. He admits all of his own weaknesses and mistakes in a totally disarming way. While many "experts" on personal finances try to elevate the subject, the effect is to make people feel embarrassed by their mistakes. Dr. Dink has a fundamental respect for others and for himself that make you feel right at home.

Dr. Dink, by comparison to the media stars you see on television every day telling you what to do financially, comes down to your level (wherever that may be) with sympathy and understanding, points out that you are okay and can succeed, and helps you to see your own way to accomplishing what you want.

Three aspects of the book are particularly commendable:

1) The decision process of Q-Q-Kachoo. The book describes the process far better than I can here in a few words. The essence is to use three perspectives simultaneously: total cost carefully quantified over time; looking at the pros and cons of a decision (a la Ben Franklin); and checking your gut (seeing how you feel about the decision). If all three point in the same direction (positively or negatively), chances are that you have made a good decision. Many very sophisticated decision-making techniques apply these same fundamental concepts, just in more complicated ways. If you are interested in learning more about that subject, see Smart Choices.

2) Creating comfortable ways to draw your attention to the main areas where you can increase your income, reduce your expenses, save and invest money better. This is not rocket science nor brain surgery, but the details can easily get lost . . . and bad decisions follow. Dr. Dink gives you a simple, quick way to spot those opportunities and find your own, pleasant solutions.

3) Providing detailed examples from a variety of perspectives. Many of these will hit home for you. Everyone, for example, will resonate to the idea of paying green cash for things as a way to save money. We all spend less when we have to dole it out, bill by bill, than when we can use a credit card or a check. You don't have to do pay in cash, but you will appreciate the power of the example . . . and perhaps sometimes you will use this approach to your advantage when it makes sense.

As you can see, Dr. Dink's strength is that he has great common sense and a wonderful common touch about human psychology and finances. He doesn't do this kind of work to build himself up ego-wise. He is truly a servant of clients. Very nice, Dr. Dink!

After you have finished applying the lessons of this book to your own finances, I suggest that you become a Dr. Dink, Junior, and share the lessons with someone else you care about. In helping someone else learn these principles, you will reinforce and extend your own learning.

Keep your eye on your financial vital signs, and a long, healthy financial life will follow!

By looking at the cover is more than clear that what is inside is the perfect artwork putted all together to created a wonderfull book full of perfection.

Another wonderful addition to my illustrator collection. Was instantly hooked on Frazetta's style as a kid reading Edgar Rice Burroughs. Legacy is a fabulous title covering Frazetta's career with commentary included on each illustration. Book was received quickly and in fabulous shape.

We have been Frank Frazetta marks for a long, long time. So of course we have not only all of his earmark books that have his cover art on them, such as Conan and Tarzan, but also the more recent art books such as this compiled works of such a legendary giant icon of sci-fi/fantasy artists.

Only Boris and Julie Bell can rival this awesome artist that can create art that woes you and can crreate an enture storyline to the eyes of people like us. This is a must for people who love art.

Frazetta was an artist with a different style, yet seemed to capture and captivate so many foreign lands of barbarians and beasts...then bring them end gently place them on the table in front of us. From Conan to Tarzan and so much more, this is a great book. I call it a coffee table book because I had a rougher copy that I kept in the living room. Whenever someone came over they would start looking at it. Many couldn't put it down. Then they start realizing they KNOW Franks work...they see Death Dealer, they see the Conan like images, and they're hooked!

The book is full of colorful images and as an artist and writer myself I ofter find myself referring to it. No artist captured a battle scene, or a scene where a person is in the middle of a motion filled movement, like Frank. Leaping hero's weilding swords to scared to death damsells and wench's cowering before a giant god of epic proportions. The book is not just pictures, there is a ton of text talking about Frank, his life, and his LEGACY. A strong recommendation for anyone who likes art, Conan or Tarzan, or illustration in general. Frazetta was the King!

i bought this thinking it was going to be an art book... you know, some sort of collection of works. turns out is more of a documentary about how frazetta got started and different jobs he had and different comics he drew. there were actually a surprising number of comic related pages. there's not really that much art... what there is was sort of a let down. if you're collecting frazetta books, add it to the collection. if you want an art gallery, this aint it.

"death dealer" not pictured. major let down, in my opinion.

My son recommended this to me, when I had complained that I wanted a book that was cheerful. The first chapter was definitely the best of all, and it is what kept me reading through the rest of the book, which was also good.

I've read this book at least two dozen times. I read it once for myself, and each year I read it to my new batch of 7th graders. Everyone loves it. (There are a few parts I don't read to my students.) Every time I pick it up, I fall in love with the characters and am so glad to be part of their lives again! It's funny and sad and is so amazingly real. One year my students wrote Mr. Davis, and he replied. Mr. Davis and I corresponded back and forth for a few letters, and he was seemed like a great guy.

These stories get played on every long car ride our family makes, and all of us (from the first grader on up) are rapt. Davis uses his gentle voice and sly humor to paint unforgettable portraits of beloved relatives, local eccentrics, and lost friends. The stories are fresh and moving each time we hear them; in fact, the repeated listenings increase our appreciation for the mastery of Davis' telling.

This is family entertainment of the highest order.

I don't think anyone can listen to Donald Davis tell his Different Drummer story and not be touched by it. Just it alone is worth the price of the set of cassettes. You also get to hear LSMFT (yes, that's the title of the story), which has a nearly perfect ending. Each is a story so good that you wish you could forget it, so that you'd have the pleasure of listening to it again for the first time.

Listening to the story is better than reading it. His accent and voice make the vivid stories come alive. His stories, about growing up in western North Carolina are nostalgic, yet the issues will appeal to anyone of any age. My children 9 and 15 love his tapes along with my 70 year old parents. He is one of our favorite people to listen to in the car on trips.

As a first grade teacher I used this book as an intervention tool with my ELL students last year. It helped with voacbulary as well as phonics. The activities are hands on and we were able to create several games using the lessons as well. I recommend this book to anyone in the primary grades. It is great as an intervention tool, large group activity or as a center.

This book is great! There are many word activities to choose from, which I find very helpful and a time saver!

This concept keeps kids interested. They want to figure out the little words and the big words created by the letters, so it's an excellent one for phonics. If you already use Open Court, it would be a good supplement. There is some prep time involved in writing and cutting the letters, unless you're smarter than me and use die-cut letters from a bulletin board!!

This book is wonderful for primary grades as well as ESL classes. It's interactive and the kids love it. We use it every morning when we enter the "Wonderful World of Words." There is also a Making Big Words for intermediate grades! I definitely recommend it!

This is the best spelling book I have seen. I am a homeschooling mom of 2 boys (9 & 8) and this is the easiest method and they enjoy it too!

Working class Americans once had a place to shop with their families where they were made to feel important, even rich. They could dine inexpensively at the lunch counter and spend a morning or afternoon just browsing through the most fabulous Five-and-Dime store in the world. The rich had Tiffany's and Macy's. Everyone else had Woolworth's.

Some Sunday mornings I still walk through the isles of that familiar building with the Red-Font still bearing the Woolworth's name. It is no longer Woolworth's, of course, but this only adds to the nostalgia while looking for Coke items or other bits of Americana to take home. The building is a nostalgic downtown landmark here in Bakersfield and has been converted into an antique's store. It still feels like a Woolworth's inside, however, even the famous lunch counter remaining to add to our sense of stepping into the past.

This marvelous book by Karen Plunkett-Powell will bring back fond memories for those not fortunate enough to still have that connection to America's past to enjoy. It is filled with sentimental remembrances from children who shopped with their parents or grandparents, or had an ice cream soda with the girl they later married. It is a book filled with recollections from those who bought all their Christmas presents for friends and family at America's Christmas store, and even some who worked at Woolworth's, personalizing a great success story.

It is that mix of personal nostalgia and historical narrative about this most wonderful of stores which separate this book from others of its ilk. The book is augmented by color and black and white pictures of stores in America and abroad, and Woolworth's products and collectibles. Even photos of Hollywood fan magazines showing the retailer's connection to early silent films are included in a book both fun and informative. While dealing with the business transitions and social and economic changes which finally saw the last store of this greatest of companies fade into the sunset, it is the nostalgia most people will find irresistible.

Not just the story of Frank Woolworth and how he built a retail empire by offering customers quality merchandise at low prices while making them feel special, it is very much a story of America's nostalgic past. Woolworth's was everyone's store. It belongs to our past and is imbedded into our memories. Any girl who ever bought a bottle of Evening in Paris and any young man who ever enjoyed its fragrance while sitting next to her in a movie house is connected to that icon of retailers, Woolworth's. I highly recommend this fabulous trip down memory lane. And if you're ever in Bakersfield you might want to stop at the Red-Font once again and remember how America once was.

I came across the paperback edition of this book a couple of years ago and snapped it up at once. Major kudos to Ms. Plunkett-Powell for what is obviously a labor of love, painstakingly researched and exhaustively documented, full of great stories, equally great photos and reminiscences from loyal Woolworth's customers. Today's variety store chains, including Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, owe their very existence to the groundbreaking Woolworth's five-and-dime store chain and its contemporary competitors, such as Ben Franklin, McCrory's and S. S. Kresge (the precursor of Kmart). This book makes it abundantly clear why, as well as bringing back tons of wonderful memories of Woolworth's sheer variety of merchandise, its friendly and helpful sales staff and its dearly-missed lunch counters full of delicious meals, snacks and treats, all of which I enjoyed as a boy in my hometown of Lafayette, LA, with my late maternal grandmother, and later as an adult in New Orleans, which had not one but two Woolworth stores on its main shopping drag, downtown Canal Street. That its later owners allowed it to be so mismanaged and finally killed is a scandal to the jaybirds...but at least we have Karen's book to help us remember it.

Without question, the best written book on the nostalgic craze I have read. The book is superb with photos of all kinds.My favorite is the lunch counter chapter. Thumbs up to the author who cuts Woolworth's no slack in the poor wages paid to the counter girls and the refusal to serve blacks food in the white only lunch counter sections, which caused the well known sit-ins in 1960. This book would also make a nice gift to anyone. Hope author comes out with another nostalgic book.

Beautifully written. Well researched. Excellent sequence. Marvelous layout. Well presented. Not at all like the history books of yore, or the dull stuff by corporate hacks. "Remembering Woolworth's" brought back memories of the Bayonne, NJ, store where I got caught shoplifting. Only books, of course, because I was a literate young hoodlum. I think they called them "Big Little Books." Very bulky under a 10 yr. old's jacket.That's why I got caught, and learned my lesson. No police; just shocked and disappointed immigrant parents. Still, I went on to a brilliant career in crime.

This book brought back so many memories - and I'm only 41! It's
fun to read, with a layout that mixes photos, anecdotes, drawings, and personal reminscences - almost like a magazine. Reading this book makes you realize that Woolworth's was everything Kmart and Wal-Mart are not - charming, inviting, and much more than a place to get a bargain. Author Karen Plunkett-Powell captures the Americana, the nostalgia, and the details that make us all smile when we remember Woolworth's. For me, it was about recalling the malted milks my aunt used to buy me at the counter when I was small, and the quick gifts I used to pick up for friends and my children from the Woolworth's that used to be located downstairs from an office building where I worked for many years. So many of our everyday experiences nowadays are empty -- do yourself a favor and travel back to a simpler yet more meaningful time by reading this book or buying it for a friend. It's not a typical boring history book -- and it makes a GREAT gift for the senior citizen in your life who you never know what to get for a present -grandma, a relative in a nursing home, a neighbor who signs for your packages or whatever - even if that person is not the type to sit down and read a book, they'll have so much fun leafing through it.

THis story is classic. I use this book so much that I have to retire my old copy and replace it with a new one every couple of years. It is a fabulous vehicle for storywriting in the primary classroom.

I have been reading Pat Hutchins books to children for many years. They are wonderful!! Rosie's Walk is a great book for sound effects! As Rosie goes obliviously on her walk,the fox encounters all sorts of sound effect producing trials. Great fun!

We have the board book edition, and I have to admit, I didn't think my 2-year old was going to like it when I first flipped through it. There didn't seem to be much to it --- no eye-catching illustrations and not much text. Shows how much I know... My daughter loves it. The story is less about Rosie the hen and more about the fox --- what happens to it from page to page. It is truly a sequential story and shows cause-and-effect: on one page you see the fox leaping towards Rosie, who is walking past the pond. On the next page, you see the fox in the pond. Your toddler will make the connection on her own: "Uh-oh. Fox fall in water."

My absolute FAVORITE book as a child! Simple, clever, and humorous all at the same time. GREAT for children starting to read! A+

We fell for this after watching the scholastic dvd series. It's on the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom video and we're hooked - love the detailed pictures and watching where thefox is headed.

Wonderful! Very insightful and informative. A great addition to anyone's bookshelf. I highly recommend it.

This is an excellent book to aid in the understanding of Shawshank Redemption, whether studying english or mass media.
I found the book to contain additional details on story boards and amended scenes, which indicate the way the script writer, Frank Darabont, adapted the story to film.
Thoroughly enjoyed the script, especially as I can read it in places I can't view the film, i.e. work.

As a rule, don't buy shooting scripts if you want to write a screenplay. Shooting scripts are finished products.

That said, screenwriters can learn from this exploration of the classic movie (yes, folks, it is a classic, it's been shown a billion times on TNT), by reading the deleted scenes (my personal favorite is one about the publicity of Warden Norton's prison-to-work scheme, in which Heywood, played in the movie by William Sadler, gets his best and sharpest lines for someone who's supposed to be the dunce of the movie), the storyboards, the explanations of which scenes were kept, etc.

And for people who just love the movie, it's a must-own.

This is a truly fantastic piece of work!!! If you really enjoyed the movie, and is fascinated by the art of filmaking, this book is for you. More than just the script of the film, the analysis by Frank Darabont takes to a totally different level and perspective. It actually makes you think like a Director. Other than this, just being in the production yourself... This is a true making-of The Shawshank Redemption, that is totally worth the price.

As Frank Darabont says in the introduction of the book, who else would buy the screenplay unless they really want to know more about the film? Sticking to that idea, Darabont has given the film student/buff, and those who simply love the movie, a real treat with this book. Not only does it contain the screenplay, it's the screenplay (I emphasize) AS IT WAS WRITTEN BEFORE FILMING. He's published it exactly as he wrote it when he adapted it from King's novella. I point this out because, as Darabont himself points out in the intro, so many screenplays that are thrown out by merchandise wizards are nothing but the finished movie transcribed. And really, what good is that to someone who wants a deeper knowledge of the film?
Not only does he give us the original screenplay, he gives us a scene-by-scene comparison of the screenplay vs. the finished film, and why things got changed/added/left out. This, in particular, says a lot about Darabont to me. This is a man who wants to use his work not only to be what it is (a GREAT film), but to educate as well. This book inspires. He includes storyboards, as well (including a storyboard for a deleted scene- oh, goody, goody!) and introductions by both himself and Stephen King, and a summarizing bit of advice to budding filmmakers and screenwriters. I devoured this book in short time (one night), lol, and found myself going back to the film to compare and analyze- if you don't do the same after reading it, I'll eat my foot.. okay, maybe not. But something drastic, I warrant you. If you are at all inclined to learn about filmmaking, writing, or even if you just love "The Shawshank Redemption" (which is what lead me to the book in the first place), this is a real must-have. It's worth the price alone just to read what he had to say about filming Freeman's scene walking through the field after discovering Andy's message. Trust me. By the way, fellow "Shawshank..." lovers are welcome to ...discuss it. Enjoy this book, everyone. It's a real find. And I'm SO glad I chose to buy it. The ONLY reason I give it four stars as opposed to five is because, personally, I would have liked to have seen more storyboards.

My only previous experience with Gasoline Alley was a Mad Magazine parody called Gasoline Valley that focused on the interesting fact that the characters actually grew older as the series progressed. The Mad Magazine parody showed Skeezix aging from a baby into an old man just as the comic does however this volume features only a couple of years so at the end Skeezix is just a toddler. Gasoline Alley isn't a hilarious comic; instead it's a sweet, light hearted view of small town life in the early 1920's. The comic revolves around Walt, a big hearted confirmed bachelor who finds a baby deposited on his doorstep. This being the "good ol' days" Walt just keeps the baby becoming Uncle Walt (later in the book he does actually go to the effort to make it a legal adoption).

A lot of the jokes are repeated, for instance Walt, the only bachelor among his circle of friends, constantly uses the line `I know when I have it good' after seeing his hen pecked buddies. We also get to experience Walt's continual struggle with his weight. There are a few extended storylines including a shady land developer who takes the Gasoline Alley gang for a bit of money. The longest story is about the arrival of an attractive young lady named Blossom and her developing relationship with Walt.

Three things stood out for me in this collection. First was the always meticulous job done by editor Chris Ware who goes above and beyond the call of duty. There is a ton of fascinating background information on cartoonist Frank King. My tip is that any publisher who wants to release a comic collection like this one should call on Chris Ware. He is a man with serious passion for comics. The second thing that caught my attention is how clean and pleasant Frank King's drawings are. But what I enjoyed most about Walt and Skeezik's was the glimpse at life in the United States prior to the Great Depression.

What you need to do when reading through these comic strips is to try and put yourself into the era. These comics were created over 85 years ago and it's like peering into a time capsule. There is not a single mention of television or pop culture. Most of the residents of Gasoline Alley are chiefly concerned with the mileage they get on their tires or the cost of a new hat. Volume one pretty much satisfied my curiosity and I probably won't buy further volumes but that takes nothing away from this excellent collection. You definitely get your money's worth and it literally took me months to get through the entire book.

Commentary and editorial aside, the heart of this book is the wonderful Gasoline Alley strips. For those who honestly can't imagine what daily life was like before automatic shift, television, modern medicine, sexual liberation--this book is like being pulled through a time warp into the 1920s and 30s.

It has a lot of the same flavor as For Better or Worse. It's infested with genuine American characters. (Fair warning: the portrayals of African Americans are deeply stereotyped--but also remarkably sympathetic in terms of human feeling.)

DO NOT read it all in one sitting. Try to limit yourself to ten strips a night. Like movie serials, comic strips that appeared in daily newspapers took months or years to fully develop a story arc. You can't rush through that--and why the heck would you want to?

This collection was a little before my time, but it is great to read about the earlier days of Gasoline Alley.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The photographs really provide insite into the authours life and basis for the comic strips. I really enjoyed the dated chronology of the strips. It also provided me with a humorous way of conveying the social, political and economic happenings of that period in American History. Absolutely Fantastic, I can not wait to read the second book in the series.

I had never really understood the appeal of Gasoline Alley. I sensed that it was a pleasant enough "slice of life" comic strip, well drawn and harmless. I had given it a glance now and then over the years, not even beginning to sense the iceberg that was always there, just beneath the 3 or 4 daily comic panels. This was all before I was exposed to the collected early stuff and the absolute genius of creator Frank King. Now, after having just finished the first volume of "Walt and Skeezix" which covers years 1921 and 1922 of this wonderful strip, I am simply very grateful to the Montreal publishing house, Drawn and Quarterly, for undertaking the multi-year project of collecting all the dailies from the King years.

The effect of this strip is somewhat cumulative, and Jeet Heer puts it best in his introduction when he writes "Gasoline Alley needs to be read in bulk to be appreciated." As I read along, it became increasingly clear to me what an astonishingly bright gem I was looking at. After I had read about six months into the dailies from 1921, I knew I was onto something very, very unique. The story of Walt and Skeezix unfolded exactly at the pace of real life, with all the well drawn characters growing older in real time. This infuses the strip with an immediately gripping "realism" that in turn makes the reader identify in a powerful way with the characters. The moments of subtle insight into human nature are many and so brilliantly done I found myself re-reading a single daily strip two or three times to truly savor it, finding ever-deepening levels to appreciate (if this sounds like hyperbole for a review of a comic strip, all I can say is buy this volume and I bet you will agree).

I don't want to gush and ruin your enjoyment of this work. You should come to it yourself, on your own terms. I will just say that you can truly sense the earth turning as you read these pages, and that this strip contains some of the truest, purest moments of understanding that I have experienced in any book.

One can look at this collected work as an incredible record of American life, or simply appreciate Frank King's wonderful art, and be well rewarded for all effort. Just beneath the surface, though, lies a much larger and impressive piece of art. Chris Ware, editor of the series, writes in his preface "I am convinced that after all these books are published, Gasoline Alley will stand as one of the most individual, human, and genuinely great works in the history of comics." Amen to that, brother. I will go further even than Mr. Ware: I believe that Frank King's Gasoline Alley, taken as a whole, is one of the greatest works of literature by an American.

Drawn and Quarterly Books deserves a medal of recognition for this multi-volume publishing project, and I personally regret every mean thought I have ever had about our neighbors to the north.

This work is highly recommended. -Mykal Banta

This is a wonderful, hilarious, moving account of how Dr. Vertosick progressed(or regressed?) from a mere mortal of a junior medical student to a god of Neurosurgery. It is filled with comedy and tragedy--both of which are chronicled by the author with uncompromising honesty and compassion. A great book for the non-medically-inclined reader!

The book starts out a little slow, but it does pick some speed. This is a narration of the life of a young (and naïve) neurosurgeon in residency. Frank Vertosick shares some profound experiences in this unsparing book, which will be particularly useful to those who want to know what residency entails - it's challenging and interesting points.

Among Vertosick's stories is one about a young man taken into the hospital with the then-unknown disease of AIDS. He became the first person reported to that particular health department with the strange new illness. We are also told heart-wrenching stories of human struggle, like the story of Shirley, who dies after numerous hours of fighting a damaged aorta and brain. There is also a touching story of Andy, who happens to have "trisomy 21" (Down syndrome), and is also deaf, blind, mute, and has a brain hemorrhage.

The book is quite shocking in some parts, and educational too. Where you imagine a triumphant ending, the unexpected (and sad) happens. It's a book of triumphant stories, and disappointing ones. The stories all move at a decent, likable pace. The book leaves you with the feeling that physicians are in fact very human as Vertosick tells the story of Charles, who has an uneventful aneurismal tear while in his hands. Not all is victory as a neurosurgeon. A surgeon often has to deal with death and mistakes.

Some parts were fictionalized to enhance the story, but still a good book nonetheless. Enlightening.

The author has an edgy, sleep-deprived, wisecrack-a-minute style that makes me glad some states, at least, have reduced the number of hours per week a medical resident must work, from one hundred to eighty. Neurosurgery is a very unforgiving craft, and not all of the stories in this book have a happy ending. Neurosurgeons must tackle some pretty hopeless cases, and the human brain is a very unforgiving operating theatre.

Nevertheless, "When the Air Hits Your Brain" is an unputdownable read. I've been through it twice now---once during a night where I couldn't sleep anyway. If you do intend to sleep, don't read it right before going to bed.

Here are the author's five rules for neurosurgery interns:

1. "You ain't never the same when the air hits your brain."
2. "The only minor operation is one that someone else is doing."
3. "If the patient isn't dead, you can always make him worse if you try hard enough."
4. "One look at the patient is better than a thousand phone calls from the nurse."
5. "Operating on the wrong patient or doing the wrong side of the body makes for a very bad day--always ask the patient what side their pain is on, which leg hurts, which hand is numb."

Emotionally, Dr. Vertosick's worst rotation was to the local Children's Hospital. A child who was born with an inoperable brain tumor is the focus of the chapter entitled "Rebecca."

A baby's brain is very hard to operate on: "At six weeks of age, the unmyelinated brain is thick soup which can be inadvertently vacuumed away by operative suctions. Moreover, nerves the thickness of pencil lead in adults are little more than a spider's web in a baby."

Dr. Vertosick doesn't spend the whole book wisecracking. He ends the chapter on Rebecca: "I am not particularly religious. In fact, the birth of children bearing cancers I find difficult to reconcile with a merciful God. Nevertheless, there must be someplace where Rebecca now laughs in the bright sunshine, finally free of her ventilator and gastrostomy."

Read how the author strays into the 'inferno of overconfidence' as a chief resident, and comes "perilously close to emotional incineration." Follow him into the operating room as a patient's brain oozes through his fingers, where he is squirted in the eye by an AIDS patient's spinal fluid, and where he cures a woman who was misdiagnosed as an Alzheimer's patient when what she really had was a brain tumor.

I'm in the process of donating all of my books to the library that I know I won't read again. "When the Air Hits Your Brain" is not one of the donations.

Neurosurgeon Frank Vertsoick Jr.'s memoir opens with the five rules enumerated on his first day of a six year residency and never forgotten:
"Rule number one. You ain't never the same when the air hits your brain....It was built for performance, not for easy servicing.
"Rule number two: The only minor operation is one that someone else is doing.
"Rule number three. If the patient isn't dead, you can always make him worse if you try hard enough.
"Rule four: One look at the patient is better than a thousand phone calls from a nurse.
"Rule five: Operating on the wrong patient or doing the wrong side of the body makes for a very bad day."

These pretty much sum up the tone and gravity of Vertosick's rivetting, harrowing and touching book. The son of a steel worker, Vertosick came to neurosurgery almost by accident. His memoir focuses primarily on the years of training from medical student through chief resident.

Vertosick's first anecdote, from his first operating room observation, will have readers grabbing their throats - literally - in shock. His mentor, Gary (who becomes a familiar chain smoking, fast-talking irreverent character) picks up a drill. Vertosick asks how it knows when to stop before plunging through the skull into the brain and is told it has an automatic clutch mechanism. Only the mechanism fails. Those who continue reading once their heart rates return to normal will be hooked.

In an arrogant profession, Vertosick is an appealing narrator. He can also write. His descriptions of hospital routine and crisis, pecking orders and interdisciplinary rivalries are frenetic and often hilarious.

But his portraits of individual patients bring them to poignant life and often death. There are happy endings - the young, virile accident victim whose progressive paralysis indicated spinal damage, but who was saved by a risky diagnosis and fast surgery. But there are many others - the retarded man whose aneurysm became something worse through a slip of the knife,or the pregnant woman with a brain tumor who refused to abort her baby and therefore refused treatment in medicine's litigous atmosphere.

But Vertosick's memoir is not just a string of anecdotes. It's a portrait of his profession and its effect on a doctor's psyche. He first tasted "the intoxicant of power" after botching a routine procedure on a veteran and being thanked for it. "On the street, this would not be called a medical procedure but assault and battery - with witnesses, no less!"

There's the exhiliration of saving life. One of those was a man pronounced brain dead and delivered as an organ donor. Thanks to Vertosick and an observant junior, the man walked out of the hospital a week later and lived another two years.

While Vertosick's subject is inherently fascinating, it's the author's ability to convey his exuberance, fear, anguish and joy that leave the reader hoping he'll trade scalpel for word processor again.

This stands out in the field of medical literature. By definition, there are a very select number of people who could have written this book. Firstly, the number of brain surgeons is strictly limited (duh) for reasons that become apparent as the book progresses. Secondly, and most importantly, I think only a small minority of them can be as bloody good writers as Vertosick.

The book conveys pathos, humour and a dramatic shift in mindset experienced by our author as he is initiated into neurosurgery...from intern to surgical psychopath. This journey takes him several years and a number of lifetimes to complete. The lifetimes are those of the patients and their relatives that he (and we) are priviledged to be invited to share. Naturally, not all the stories have a happy ending and whilst it is clear that Vertosick cares, so, you will find, do you.

Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares
Author: Frank Murphy

Reviewed by: Brianna - a Stockbrideg Central School 3rd Grader
***


This book is about Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin was a very successful inventor. Ben invented: flippers in 1717, the Franklin stove in 1742, and found out that lightning was made of electricity. He all so started: America's first library, America's first fire station, and first hospital too he even helped Thomas Jefferson write and rewrite the declaration of Independence in 1776.
There is narration through out the book and on every page there is information. There is very little text so it is easy to read. The book is told as a story it starts when he is a boy and goes through his life. I like this book because it gives a lot of information. I recommend this book to children who would like to learn about Benjamin Franklin. So read the book or you will be missing out!!!

I love this book! It introduced me to magic squares. Sometimes they're hard but not always. I read the book in 3rd grade. We were doing math groups and Mrs. Wrigely said" Today we are doing Magic squares."
What is a magic square?" I asked.
"It is 9 cubes that all have to equal the same number." Mrs. Wrigely
And that's how I was introduced to magic squares. I recommend this book for kids 6 and above. I think that because some words may be a little challenging for kids that are 5 or 4.


Mitchell S. 4th grade

what other book can make math interesting? and funny? Mr. Murphy has done it once again with his fabulous work! A++++++++++++!
-Stephanie
Connecticut

I thought that ths book was really good! I thoght it was so interesting!! Mr.Murphy is my math teacher... and he is amazing at teaching!!! He did very well with all of the writers craft in it. In class for Language arts he encourages us to use writers crafts and he actually uses them in this book!! This book is very interesting for adults who are interested in math and Ben Franklin. It is also a great book for children who are interested in math and Ben Franklin!! I love math because it is so interesting and because I have a great math teacher!!
[...]

I THINK BEN FRANKLIN AND THE MAIGIC SQUARES IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK FOR KIDS. AND MAYBE PARENTS TOO. I READ MOST OF HIS BOOKS. HE WAS MY TEACHER IN 4TH GRADE. HE IS A VERY GOOD WRITER I THINK. HE WRITES AMAZINGLY AMAZING BOOKS. HE IS A REALLY GOOD TEACHER.


RYAN .B
HOLLAND