George Books

Pain grows a Platinum Rose made me laugh and cry. It was heartwarming and touching with a nice sense of suspense. When you read this book and think about the author who has been incarcerated for the past 22 years for a non violent crime it makes it more poignant. There is a connection with the unjustice of the character and the author. Just like the main character in the book Carmen, the author George Martorano has been made a target. He is being continuously punished for a crime that he has paid he dues for a long time ago. What is wrong with this system? Come on..OJ Simpson is walking around a free man and Martha Stewart is in jail. George Martorano has served 22 years in jail for a NON VIOLENT CRIME and he is teaching yoga and counseling inmates. I think he should be able to go home!

The author transcends the characters' personalities so well you will think about them long after you are finished reading the book. They become so real to the reader. We go through Carmen's trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows with him. This is an ageless book and I recommend it highly. I wish the author would write another one.

We Are the People Concerned for the Freedom of GEORGE MARTORANO and others like him, who have received harsh, unjust prison sentences for their NON-VIOLENT FIRST CRIMES. George holds the record of having the longest sentence for a non-violent crime in the history of the United States. He is also the most prolific writer behind bars. Twenty-two years ago George was indicted for trafficking marijuana, and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Usual offenders of the same crime neither are nor were ever sentenced more than twenty years. Sound harsh? Is this a war on drugs, or a war on people?
The truth is that Federal Agents posed as his wholesale dealers and orchestrated a sting operation to finally bust him. The life sentence was meant to scare him into informing the Feds about his father, alleged mobster Raymond "LongJohn" Martorano. Refusing to do so, George was put into solitary confinement for four and one half years and was subjected to cruel punishments. They gave him notorious murderers for cellmates. For a crime that others serve a maximum of twenty years for, George got life no parole. Even the man who shot President Regan, and Noriega, one of the most infamous drug traffickers of all time who served less than fifteen years, were granted the possibility of parole.
George has written over twenty novels and screenplays that depict life behind bars as well as how he grew up. He teaches Creative Writing and Yoga classes, and even counsels suicidal inmates. If prison is meant to rehabilitate, then George is the prime example and he clearly deserves a modification of sentence.
Besides his books, George's only tool left is our web site, and We The People. Help us bring George home by reading his stories, writing Attorney General John Ashcroft, and signing our petition. Every word of encouragement is printed out, mailed to George, and will accompany him on his quest for justice. All of his books are available through us.

Please visit our site, www.webelievegroup.com

i enjoyed reading about a lonely boy with a big heart growing up on the rough city streets. Even though he suffered a lot of pain, there was always an innocence, a trust and belief that good will always overcome bad, and love wins over evil. written by someone who's been there and done that makes for true to life reading. I recommend this heart-warming story and know you will enjoy it.

i enjoyed reading about a lonely boy with a big heart growing up on the rough city streets. Even though he suffered a lot of pain, there was always an innocence, a trust and belief that good will always overcome bad, and love wins over evil. written by someone who's been there and done that makes for true to life reading. I recommend this heart-warming story and know you will enjoy it.

I absolutely loved reading Photo Hero. It has all the elements of what I consider a great story: mystery, suspense, comedy, all sorts of weird, stange characters converging together in a yarn that runs from WWII to today. Not only did I love Photo Hero, it also got me more room on the subway - - - when I'd laugh outloud while reading on my way to work in the morning.

It is no small feat to craft a novel about the photographic arts that includes buried treasure, terminal illness and international terrorist plots --- not to mention the Lesbo-Demons biker gang and Krishna himself. Mr. Covington has managed to deliver a rollicking story with more twists and turns than a roller coaster ride, on hallucinogens, during a hurricane. Highly recommended.

With an easy to read writing style, Covington delivers surprising plot twists mixed with great insights concerning the secrets of succeeding in photography. His characters are believable and the reader wants to know their fate. Like all art fields there is much in photography that is delivered like absolute truths from on high, but Covington dissects and exposes these ill-conceived and erronous ideas about photography and art with the precision of a brain surgeon and with the humor of a stand-up comedian.

What fun! If you have ever taken a photo course or attended a workshop, this very funny book will be full of familiar characters. Covington spared no one in his send-up of the photo world elite. I'm looking forward to the sequel, and the movie.

George Covington's parody of modern day photography really hits the mark with a fictional depiction of what could really be going on in the world of photography...

This is an excellent book for those who are trying to lead churches in the 21st century. Well laid out and easy to follow. The only issue that I had with the book is that all the references and pronouns are for male pastors and male pronouns for God. It was disconcerting and a little abrasive at the end.

If you are looking for the best book on what exactly a vision for ministry is and how to do it...YOU FOUND IT!! This was a required textbook for one of my seminary classes, and I absolutely loved reading it. No other book that I have read so far and I've read quite a few, really explains the "HOW-TO" of vision in your ministry and your life! We all need a vision and passion given to us by the Holy Spirit if we are going to be effective disciples of Christ. I highly recommend this book to all pastors, teachers and laymen.

I wouold recommend this book highly. It offers valuable insights for the 21st century church.

George Barna has put out so many well needed books over the years. He is definitely a Teacher to the Body. When it comes to Vision he definitely has set the standard with this book.

Know that the beauty of this book is that it doesn't feel like he is talking above anyone's head while setting the standard.

He uses a chapter to address 20 common myths of Vision and then gives simple rebuttals for even the novice to understand. The beauty of this book is to see Barna handles an age long question of Vision and how gently but surely continues to take the reader deeper and deeper into the subject without even realizing it.

What Vision? What to know about Vision? Read this and you will walk away satisfied

This book is an invaluable addition to any pastors library. Though brief, it gives a concise and pragmatic look at what vision is and how to implement it. Barna chips away at our misconceptions concerning vision and argues persuasively that it is the one indispensable ingredient for a growing church. Pastors who have a well-defined vision and who are able to articulate it to their congregations grow their churches, those without it do not.

The books greatest strength is Barnas lucid style. I appreciate his way of dealing with each objection that is raised to vision he destroys each with irrepressible logic. Barna disarms the reader whose preconceptions about vision would have torpedoed anything he was trying to communicate.

But the books greatest strength is also its greatest weakness; it left me hungering for more. Although I can understand why he wants us to go to extraordinary lengths to know yourself (pg. 80 ff) the series of forty-one essay questions that each pastor should ask himself is a little much. It would take an extraordinary person not to become lost in the process before discovering the end.

The book gave me hope. I have always known that the reason one church grows and another does not is because of pastoral leadership, rather than congregational indifference. What I did not know was why. Was it merely that some pastors have a natural charisma that others do not? Or was it something more fundamental, namely vision? It also helped me overcome the old enabler model of leadership I was taught in seminary. Vision comes from an inspired pastor and then trickles down from the top and not from committee consensus. It is an outstanding book.

I routinely taped his radio program "Rock and Roll Alternative" in the late 70s to early 80s. He was always introducing new songs and educating me about the new music going on. If one of the new bands happened to be in town he almost always had them in the studio for an interview. This book is a great retrospective on that period of my life.

Anyone interested in the history of Rock should get this book. It's written in chronological order, and I found myself spending hours following the intricate relationships between the various bands.

This book is riveting. I label it dangerous, because after you'ver read it, you will be compelled to go out and spend all kinds of money seeking out records from all the bands that are spoken of in the book. Nothing is missing. Concerts that I attended are there with dates, times and copies of ticket stubbs. You thought you knew who played for who...........then you read this. Fascinating.

Getting this book is like striking gold for anyone who loves punk rock. It's a treasure-trove of information, in meticulous order. This is the kind of book you can open randomly at any page and just start reading. The author really did his homework. If you want to learn more about punk, you can definitely get the information reading this book.

Unlike any other book on the market about the Punk Rock revolution. It can be read cover to cover (as I did!) or you can pick and choose the entries searching for information on your favorite bands. If you are a music enthusiast, this book is definitely for you. It has all the stories on ALL of the bands whether they were comercially successful or not. Perhaps the best thing about the book is the excellent CD that comes with it. I can't wait to read the follow up!

I have now read three of Fr. Philippe's books, including this one (the other two are Interior Freedom and In the School of the Holy Spirit). They are all full of gentle, straightforward, perceptive, and practical Christian wisdom. The books read fast in one or two sittings. They are not burdensome and are well worth keeping close by for rereading and meditation. The trait that most stands out is the gentleness of the wisdom that is clearly borne of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. What you read here is the opposite of the inaccurate caricature of orthodox Catholicism as an angry, pharisaical exercise (unfortunately some confused Catholics have indeed given rise to that falsifying caricature). Fr. Philippe overturns the caricature and reveals the true face of orthodox Catholicism that is gentle, loving, inviting, and true.

This is a great book. I got it for a Spiritual Theology class. The class is more of a formative class than most - hence this book I highly reccomend. It's an easy read and great for adoration. It wil chanllenge you and confirm you but most importantly it will bring you closer to a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. God Bless and good reading!

I have had Father Jacques Philippe's books recommended to me on a number of occasions and by a number of different people. I have picked up the four I can find that are available in English. The title of this book, Searching for and Maintaining Peace, just grabbed my attention and had to be read first. The subtitle of this book is: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart, yet for a small book of 110 pages, it really packs a lot of punch.

This book was so good I have already put it back on my pile of books to be read. I know that I cannot glean all the great stuff from it in just one reading. For who in this hectic crazy world would not like a simple tool to help them find peace and to keep it once they have found it? This book will help you do just that. It is one I will add to my all time favorite list!

Here are some sample quotes from the book:

"The more our soul is peaceful and tranquil, the more God is reflected in it, the more His image expresses itself in us, the more His grace acts through us." P.5

"Because only this peace of heart truly liberates us from ourselves, increases our sensitivity to others, and renders us available to our fellow man." P.7

"It is that Christian life is a combat, a war without mercy." P.8

"Every Christian must be thoroughly convinced that his spiritual life can in no way be viewed as the quiet unfolding of an inconsequential life without any problems; rather it must be viewed as the scene of a constant and sometimes painful battle, which will not end until death - a struggle against evil, temptation and the sin that is in him. ... And this combat is, correctly viewed, the place of our purification, of our spiritual growth, where we learn to know ourselves in our weakness and to know God in His infinite mercy." P.9

"One of the dominant aspects of spiritual combat is the struggle on the plane of thoughts." P.13

Then the second section lists and goes over the causes of our loss of peace and how to regain it. There are some great tools for the spiritual life in this section.

The third section in this book is a series of quotes and excerpts from a number of Saints on the process of searching for peace, and on how to maintain that peace. These saints are:

* Juan de Bonilla
* Francis de Sales
* Teresa of Avila
* Marie of the Incarnation
* Francious-Marie-Jacob Libermann
* Padre Pio

These extended quotes will support and expand upon the information in the first two sections of this book.

This book is a must for anyone who really wants to grow deeper in their walk with God and in living in the peace that Jesus Christ promised to his followers.

Other Books By Fr. Jacques Philippe
Searching for and Maintaining Peace
Time For God
Interior Freedom
In the School of the Holy Spirit
Choose to be Free: the Power of Faith Hope & Charity (A different edition of Interior Freedom)

(These are all his books I have been able to find in English; if you know of any others or how to get them let me know please.)

Great book. The book is well written. It is easy to understand and read. It will make you aware of the spiritual battle that we are all subjected to and how to maintain peace-- the real peace. This book is recommended if you already have a prayer life. A MUST book to read for ascetism.

This is a great little book and I recommend it to everyone, Catholic and protestant alike.

It is a very practical guide with some nice quotes from the Bible, Saints and the authors own advice. It is about, you guessed it, searching for and maintaining peace. It is fairly short, 100 pages, in fact it is more of a glorified pamphlet than a book but still a great read.

I'm finding that I am moving through it very slowly because I stop and think and pray and re-read so many parts of this book. I think I'll make this an annual thing to read it as it has very valuable advice in it.

Nakashima, a woodworker in the classic sense. Only wanted the tree to live on longer by working with and creating with it. This book is a great example of the love one can have for both nature and woodwork.
Any woodworker should have this book not on the shelf, but closer, to the workspace at all times.

i'm an electrician, but i really like wood... george nakashima on the other hand loved wood... his views make his work even more valuable and amazing...

Able to tug at you in so many ways. A privilege to be able to buy his product.

Like the books of James Krenov, "The Soul of a Tree" is as much a book about philosophy as it is about wood. And it's a good philosophy: slow down, take your time, play with the wood, and enjoy it. The book is really about the soul of Nakashima. He outlines some of his own personal history and how he developed his ideas about craft. There's not really much on technique here - you can certainly find better books for that - but you won't find many more inspiring.

On a personal note I had a lady call me years ago to fix up `some old furniture' she and her husband had bought years ago (in the `50's I believe.) Seems when they were young college professors they found this young oriental guy down the road who made furniture in his garage. When I looked at the furniture I told her that her young oriental friend had become quite famous and showed her this book. She was flabbergasted. What she wanted me to do was to nail up some chairs that had worked loose over time. I refused, of course, and explained to her that these were valuable pieces that should be cared for properly. I also encouraged her to contact Nakashima's Conoid Studio (if it still existed) to let them catalogue the pieces. Even after years of use by a family with kids living in the sticks the pieces were obviously crafted with meticulous care and held up surprisingly well. It was a real joy to bring them back to daily use.

Alot of philosphy, mostly biographical, has a few quotes that stick:
"Man has the audacity to try to improve the tree...."

This is a MUST read for a woodworker.

It's a complete and very informative book about world coins. I used it everyday as a price reference and getting the right description of old coins.

This is the best guide to world gold coins dated
after 1600. Before 1600, look for Friedberg's
"Gold Coins of the World" which has gold ancient coins
and gold coins up to year 1600.
Clark Smith
www.coinvault.com

My collection of 18th century coins is virtually non-existent and their value is so low that this catalog cost me much more than they are all worth. But I did not buy it to see how rich I am or how wisely I invested my money. I treat this book as a very special history book. I read it every now and then, starting from a state I have never heard of to discover some new information from the past. This is the imperfect but only source to dig into the history of minute Italian, German or Indian states which often had nothing but minting rights which they excercised profusely. About sovereigns who believed themselves mighty enough to have their profiles struck on multiple thalers only to disappear from annals of History within just a few years. About political plans, expectations and pretences of which we can't remember anymore but they were all detailed on coins.
Coin-collecting is not a way of investing money (it well may be though in most cases it is rather by luck than wise planning), it is a life-time of studies. You have to invest your time, and coins will start speaking to you. Half-worn faces will become flesh and blood individuals from the past. Strange letters will mean their might and their dreams. You will probably never have too many of these coins (even if you have the money, actually) but this is the kind of book which can give you knowledge. And knowledge, in time, may turn into wisdom.

Certainly this is the book for 18th century coins, unless you are mainly interested in one country like the UK or France -- in that case you would find more information more attractively laid out, along with other centuries, elsewhere, usually more cheaply too. But for its coverage of the world, including hugely complicated countries like Gemany, Italy and India, it is unbeatable. This 3rd edition is an improvement over earlier editions, because more pictures (especially of the smaller coins) and more obscurities have been included.

For users in countries which do not speak English, the conversions such as VF = TTB = BB =MBC are very useful !
The book is not difficult for foreigners to use.

I need a guide so I just do not blindly pay big bucks for cute pictures. There are a lot of good guides and some more specific on particular eras and locations such as Westphalia. But as you do a coin search you are bound to run across something you are not familiar with and need a guide. This guide is a great place to start; it is easy to navigate and gives cursory information on particular locations and times surrounding the coin's production.

Keeping in mind that this is just a guide, there are holes and the coins are not displayed in color. On the other hand the coins shown are in actual size; size is hard to translate form internet pictures.

With all the electronic references today it is nice to have something tactile, static and transportable. This book meet al those needs.

This book review all common technique of statistical methods - from t-test to factorial design and regression. Also, it also introduces non-parametric statistics. Detailed examples in each chapter are helpful to read the book.

Snedecor first wrote this excellent elementary applied text while at Iowa State (late 1940s or early 1950s). When Bill Cochran arrived in Iowa he helped out with the revision. It was very popular and was revised by Cochran many times even after Sndecor died. Well written and often used in elementary courses this book is also a good reference source for statistical methods.

This was the core text for both semesters of my graduate level statistics classes back in the '70s. The text was very understandable and the examples were most helpful. I am now an MD doing clinical research at a medical school and this is STILL the best statistics reference I've ever come across. ...

I found the writing clear and easy to follow. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an excellent introducory text in statistics.

Snedecor first wrote this excellent elementary applied text while at Iowa State (late 1940s or early 1950s). When Bill Cochran arrived in Iowa he helped out with the revision. It was very popular and was revised by Cochran many times even after Snedecor died.

Well written and often used in elementary courses this book is also a good reference source for statistical methods. Empahsis in applied statistics in those days was in agricultural experiments and that is the reason statistics was prominent at Iowa State University in those days.

This book is the definitive history of the riding families -- the Border Reviers. It is a long scholarly look into the nature of these complex and determined families that does not pass judgment or apply modern values in the assessment of their history and deeds. This is not for the casusal reader. It uses a fair amount of old English spellings and can be an effort to decifer at times. However Fraser MacDonald combines this along with his natural story telling ability to make you feel as if you are on a foray across the border and it keeps you coming back for more. If you are a student of Border history or are lucky enough to have one of the riding names, make the effort to read this book. It has no equal in its treatment of the subject.

Until England and Scotland were united under a single king in March 1603, the border between them was, unsurprisingly, a natural place for strife and disorder. The two countries had been at war intermittently for centuries, and many armies had passed back and forth across the border counties. Fraser's history covers the last hundred years of the border, from 1503 to 1603, a period during which the decayed (and astonishingly corrupt) administration could never cope with the local gangs -- known as "reivers" -- who terrorized the district with cattle theft, murder, and arson.

The book is very well-organized. Fraser starts with a few pages on the long historical background, then takes about half the book to cover the reivers by topic: chapters on arms and armour; on reiving technique; on the key families and their alliances; on cross-border relations; on the administrative structure. Fraser gives a lot of details, and plenty of quotes from the original sources (with the original spellings!).

This painstaking coverage sets up the second half of the book perfectly: one hundred and forty pages that cover the history of the border chronologically through the sixteenth century. With the details in hand, the second half is easy to follow and put in context; the writing is also clear and entertaining.

The last section of the book details the uncompromising way in which King James I destroyed the reivers in a few short years after 1603. It is a startlingly bloodthirsty story: Fraser includes quotes from blanket pardons that King James issued to some of his enforcers, which essentially say "whatever murders you did, I'm sure it was in a good cause, and you're absolved".

There are separate chapters on some of the most famous events, notably the raid on Carlisle Castle that freed Kinmont Willie. Fraser is at some pains to dispel the romantic ideas that cling to stories of the borderers -- as he points out, they were essentially a Mafia, with little of Robin Hood about them. It's clear, though, that he finds their adventurousness and style endearing and fascinating; and he writes about them so well that you are likely to feel the same way.

MacDonald Fraser brings to the history of the Anglo-Scots border reivers all the exuberance and attention to detail that made his name in the Flashman novels. Readers looking for more gloriously politically-incorrect adventures from the Victorian age won't find them here, but this book does repay the extra effort needed from the reader. The Steel Bonnets is the most entertaining yet informative serious works of history I have read.
The story of the Anglo-Scots border is a complex and a bloody one. MacDonald Fraser manages to understand, without condoning, the hard men who fought and died, rode and raided across the border between the kingdoms of England and Scotland. He untangles the knotted threads of their family ties and feuds and reveals their part in the wider relations between England and Scotland prior to the union of the Crowns in 1603. He dives into the dusty depths of the written records and brings them back to us red in tooth and claw.
At a time when the border between England and Scotland looks as though it may become an international, rather than a domestic border once more, this book should be of relevence to all with an interest in and love of these two nations.

I was born in Carlisle, England. The second big town of the border area other than Berwick. My father is from Longtown, Cumbria which is right next to the debateable land and I have the last name of Crozier. This book was like reading about my own history and explained a whole lot of things about my home town and the people I grew up with. Just in my neighborhood, there were Armstrongs, Taylors, Littles, Nixons, Grahams and many other Reiver names.
This is a very scholarly book and exceptionally well written. The author must have done an incredible amount of research to put this together. I read it twice, the second time noting how many references to Croziers(Crosers) there were. My father's family name is in there 26 times. Along with the Armstrongs, Nixons and Eliots, we were considered the worst of the worst of the reivers. Maybe not something to be proud of, but interesting. According to my mother(God rest her soul)her paternal grandfather was the illegitmate son of the Duke of Buccleugh(you'll hear a lot about the Scotts of Buccleugh, many of whom had the same name of Walter, including the famous one), so I have Reiver blood from there too. Fascinating book especially if you have a surname that might go back to that part of the world and those times.
What I have written here is just a taste of the whole book. A little heavy going at times, but so good that I have read it twice already and now use it as a research tool.

As a newcomer to Scottish Border history I found the many forces and families influencing events very confusing. George MacDonald Fraser has written a remarkable book in which he creates order and logic from a very complicated period and at the same time has written a book which is etremely readble.

It essential reading for anybody interested in border history and will no doubt be quoted extensively by writers who follow.

Not earth-shattering or impressive, still this collection of stories written by President Ronald Reagan is a worthwhile glimpse into the thinking of our former president. Each story is brief, a format that lends itself well to a person whose habit is to read a book little bits at a time due to a busy schedule. I found the stories insightful and well done, further demonstrating to me the depth and integrity of someone I've admired for many years.

For the most part, this little book consists of brief, non-political, stories written by Ronald Reagan for delivery on his five minute radio program in the 1970's. Some are his own. Others are based on stories which he had read or heard and which apparently touched him in some way and which he felt were worthy of repeating to a broader audience. My expectations weren't very high when I began reading the book; probably because there have just been too many such books compiled in recent years. If I'd noticed that the book was produced by the same people who earlier produced "Reagan, In His Own Hand..." they wouldn't have been quite so low.

In any case, this small book exceeded my expectations. Taken separately, its stories are quite topical and quite interesting. Taken together, they tell us a little bit more about our 40th president and it becomes clearer than ever that he was not only a great president and a great human being but also a master story teller. In my view, this book should be of interest to anyone who is interested in Ronald Reagan as well as those who simply appreciate a good story well told.

On Sept. 20, 1983 during my freshman year at the University of South Carolina, RR came to speak. When some students of the far left heckled him, he replied "Is there an echo out there?" and disarmed them. He also entertained the crowd with folksy anecdotes of his days at Eureka College that we as students could identify with. Most of the students (myself included) who disagreed with many of his policies and would never vote for him in susequent elections agreed that RR had a gift with a story and with an audience.

This is the RR that appears in this book. These are the folksy anecdotes that he shared mostly with radio audiences and a few are from his presidential days and some go as far back as his newspaper columns in the 1930s. Much of this makes for good light reading, such as his impressions of hollywood in the 30s and his joy of his parents coming out for a visit, the tale of his hosting a black fellow athlete at his home when a hotel refused to house him, and of the girl who braved a crowd of student demonstrators to shake his hand, as ell as his observations on death.

Unlike some other compliations of RR's writings, tales such as these transcend political opinion. This would make good bedside reading or on a short flight.

If you appreciate Ronald Reagan, you will LOVE this book! If you ever felt you'd like to know him better -- read this book! His stories and examples are right to the point. His title, The Great Communicator, is well deserved!

This is a compilation of transcripts of Ronald Reagan's radio talk-show from the late 1970's. Reagan always loved to use stories to communicate ideas and give advice, and this collection is replete with perfect examples of that. I believe that the four components of leadership are:

1) A clear vision of a better future; 2) The ability to communicate that vision; 3) The ability to get others to want to listen to your ideas and to believe you; 4) The ability to translate your vision into action

Whatever you might think of Reagan's vision for America or of the actions he took, this book shows us how he excelled at communicating his vision and pulling people into it. He was not called "The Great Communicator" without reason, and this book shows you that reason clearly. This is a treasure for Reagan fans, and for anyone who wants ideas on how to be more charismatic.