Gregory Books

Clear, concise, and to the point.
I would still like to study some effective examples of fully developed WBSs for commercial construction.

I've just bought this book last month while implementing SAP Project system. It is very helpful for me to design suitable WBS in my company.

A total of 100 pages, which would seem a bit pricey, but in the 100 pages Haugan does a very competent job of covering the subject.

Most of the critical concepts in PM are really pretty basic, and most projects and PM texts fail on understanding and executing on those basic concepts. This book is very clear and succinct on the basics of WBS.

I very much admire Haugan's approach. I expect my copy will be around for a long time, marked-up, with yellow sticky-notes protruding out.

Of the three books that focus solely on work breakdown structures this is the most complete. The other two are "Nuts and Bolts Series 1--How to Build a Work Breakdown Structure" by Carl L. Pritchard, and "Project Management Institute Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures". The burning question is how do they compare and which is best. For a no-nonsense and pragmatic book the "Nuts and Bolts Series" book wins. It has the distinction of being the first book on the subject, and is one that I used as a reference for the past 4 years. If you are planning to certify as a PMP, your best bet is the PMI Practice Standard, because you're sure to encounter exam questions that are based on that book. However, if you want a comprehensive book that covers every facet of principles and practice, this is the book to get.

What sets this one apart from the other two (all other factors being equal) is the clearer descriptions of the principles, and the checklists. I also like the way that the author goes deeper into details about how to align the WBS to various project types (product-, service- and results-oriented projects), and the more complete life cycle view that this book provides. As an aside, a results-oriented project, previously mentioned, is a project such as organizational change management, which doesn't produce a tangible deliverable in the same manner as, for example, a software development project does.

To put into context the comparison among the three books, I favor this one because of personal preferences. Each merits, in my opinion, equal value, and any of the three will give you the knowledge necessary to develop a work breakdown structure.

Jones' book is a wonderful example of Christian thinking about forgiveness. The book opens with a criticism of two views of forgiveness Jones' wants to counter. The first is "therapeutic forgiveness" which is almost purely psychological, making it a version of cheap grace. The other problematic view is the "eclipse of forgiveness" which supposes that our world is so violent that forgiveness is largely futile and meaninless. In the second part of the book, Jones presents his own views of forgiveness. It begins with the Triune God who reveals himself in the costly forgivenss brought about in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit makes this costly gift known to humans through the church. People can then respond to God's forgiveness. For Jones, forgiveness comes first and repentance is a response to forgiveness. Christians are then to live in response to their own forgiven-ness. In the final section of the book, Jones discusses where the church meets the world and forgiveness is required. He says that Christians must respond to God's forgiveness by hoping that all will one day be forgiven. This forgiveness requires great patience, especially when it comes to enemies. This is a wonderful book. It is highly recommended to Christians who want to understand what it means to live as the forgiven people of God.

This book explores the idea of and difficulty surrounding forgiveness. Forgiveness is hard. Jones uses illustrations from works such as Simon Wiesenthal's 'The Sunflower', Flannery O'Connor's short stories, Toni Morrison's 'Beloved', and others as integral elements of the theological arguments behind the significance, embodiment and practice of forgiveness.

The cost of forgiveness is high, often too high for most to manage. A lip-service to forgiveness can be stated; a conciliatory tone can be managed in one's mind and practice, but then, often, the deeper emotion of anger, betrayal, hurt, etc., whatever is at the root of the need for forgiveness, can unexpectedly become present once more.

Starting with a discussion of Bonhoeffer, who decried the ideas of cheap grace and cookie-cutter forgiveness models of the church of his time, Jones explores the thorny theological issues which surround what happens in forgiveness.

'For Bonhoeffer, there is no real grace without judgment. Sin cannot be overlooked or forgotten; it must be confronted and judged in the context of forgiveness.'

True forgiveness must confront the hurt and evil face on; it cannot mask it, it cannot overlook it, and of course it cannot truly forget it. Forgiveness as an active process must work through the hurt, and will have a cost, primarily, the cost of letting go of the pain, which often is a sustaining force that helps carry the injured or abused through life.

While forgiveness can work in community, in many cases, such as Wiesenthal's experience with the SS officer or Bonhoeffer's work against the Nazis, forgiveness has to be a personal act, and cannot truly become the act of community. Forgiveness in such cases takes place in relative isolation from the community ('the Body of Christ', in Jones' theology). Bonhoeffer's death shows the cost of discipleship, which embodies both penance and forgiveness, that this is not merely a feeling felt or a decision made, but rather must become a way of life to be lived even in the face of evil and death.

Forgiveness means different things to different people. It is so easy to talk ambiguously about 'sin' and to ask (and grant in others) forgiveness of this 'sin'. But when focussing upon a particular wrong, it becomes enormously difficult. How does one forgive the abusive parent when the parent won't acknowledge the abuse? How does one forgive the church who ignores or abuses you, and carries on with or without you as if nothing had ever happened? Is it meaningful for the church to apologise for 'sins' from inquisitions to suppressions to complicity in genocide in the past, while no one who actually enacted these crimes is still alive, and no real thought is given to modifying current practice to ensure the same is not happening today?

How does one love one's enemies? Who has a right to forgive?

Whether or not one believes in 'sin' (some do not), there is a brokenness in our relationships with each other, and this causes hurtful dynamics, but modern therapeutic practices have tended to relativise and downplay this brokenness (by downplaying the element of judgement, which is required in forgiveness) to the point of making the ideas of restoration in a theological and philosophical sense irrelevant.

Forgiveness is costly, but ultimately, the cost repays dividends. Forgiveness is not easy, and sometimes practically impossible. Some hurts cannot be healed; some pains cannot be eased; no events in the past can be redone. So, it is important to separate the wheat from the chaff, which can require a lifetime--forgiveness in human terms is always a process, a way of life, which requires constant tending to stay the course.

This is an important work into the theology of forgiveness that presents serious pastoral and ethical concerns for the discerning reader. The method employed by the author, L. Gregory Jones, a United Methodist and associate professor of theology at Loyola Maryland, Baltimore, takes under consideration the grounding theology of Karl Barth and the thomistic emphasis on the learned craft of a living practice of forgiveness.

As a Catholic (trained in a United Methodist seminary at St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Missouri), the subjects treatment raises issues for me of the sacramental rite of penance and its mediation of reconciliation. Although not specifically addressed in this context, Jones questions the efficacy of forgiveness by others without the approbation of victims. Again, the discerning reader may want to consider the pastoral implication this raises.

A well researched and stylized presentation, "Embodying Forgiveness" offers its readers an excellent resource for preaching in a culture which avoids the costly reality of authentic forgiveness. For those who appreciate the model discipleship of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jones develops a compatible theological approach of reconciliation by virtue of the costliness and hard word required of a life which `embodies forgiveness.'

And lastly, forgiveness is presented in the framework of the triune God whose self giving love is established in communion with us who have been created for that unique purpose. Truly, we have here a worthy pursuit of the reader's time for those willing to grapple with its unsettling message.

L. Gregory Jones gives us a serious, meaningful, and deep study and dialogue with the Christian call and struggle to forgive. This is no simple forgive and forget just because you know you should type of writing. Instead, Jones wrestles with the idea that pain and evil are realities that cannot be simply glossed over with a cliche' of Christian words and piety. Anyone who is interested in the battle against evil and the answers that the cross of Jesus offers over against this struggle against evil, need to read this book.
Jones engages many dialogue partners in his writings and in so doing tells the stories, biographically, of people who have had profound stuggles with forgiveness in the face of extreme brutallity, violence and pain. For example Jones shares with us the life and struggles of Bonhoeffer against the evil's of Hitler and the Nazi's. This and many other stories are taken up and examined.
Jones maintains that forgiveness is not easy, but what we as Christians are called to embody in practice. One story which he quotes that illustrates this is the story of the Turks who oppressed the Armenian's. This powerful story illustrates the position that Jones essentially takes.
"A Turkish officer raided and looted the Armenian home. He
killed the aged parents and gave the daughters to the
soldiers, keeping the eldest daughter for himself. Some
time later she escaped and trained as a nurse. As time
passed, she found herself nursing in a ward of Turkish
officers. One night, by the light of a lantern, she saw
the face of this officer. He was so gravely ill that
without exceptional nursing he would die. The days passed,
and he recovered. One day, the doctor stood by the bed
with her and said to him, 'But for her devotion to you, you
would be dead.' He looked at her and said, 'We have met
before haven't we?' 'Yes,' she said, 'we have met before.'
'Why didn't you kill me?' he asked. She replied, 'I am a
follower of him who said "Love you enemies." (265-66).

Jones wrestles through various stories, but the one above depicts his own position and that is that Christins are following the one that said for us to love our enemies. We are called to this and Jones suggestion is that we embody forgiveness in life and in practice. This is not a light read, but worth every bit of the struggle. In a day when the so-called Church in America has voices that are crying for war and preemptive strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, we need to not only hear the words of Jesus, but build our houses once and for all on the rock, and put his words into practice.

Many 'engineering' matlab books don't live up their titles. They are simply written as general introductions to matlab with a few useless thoughts about engineering thrown in.

In my opinion, a good matlab engineering book focuses less on general tips that you could get anywhere, and more on practical problem solving techniques and methodologies that provide insight into a paticular engineering problem and its solution.

This books succeeds in that respect. Though it gives space to the more general issues of using matlab, it gives ample room to specific engineering problems. I found its information and examples very useful. The topics are focused on mechanical engineering fields, such as vibration and control; however, the math used for such topics are used across engineering and science disciplines. Thus, any scientist or engineer will find this book useful.

The book is written so that engineers at many levels can benefit from it. For example, as a former graduate student, I found the treatments of vibration response analysis insightful. However, an undergraduate or otherwise inexperienced user would benefit from this book as well, because there is alot of general discussion of how to effectively and efficiently use matlab and write m-files.

All in all, I found this book excellent for both its treatment of high level engineering analysis issues and its more general matlab tips and discussion.

This is one of the best books out there. I not only used it in my vibrations class back as an undergraduate (and I had vibrations with Magrab too!), I have continued to find new ways to use it in the work world today. Dr. Magrab and the others have written a very useful book that definitely relates engineering to this program.

Excellent! ... Applied Engineering using computers, it doesn't get any better than this. Examples, programs, applications .. this is where this book beats the competition. Matlab is a powerful program, and this book shows why. It has been written for beginners and experienced users alike. Introduction to matrices, then goes into functions, and 2D/3D plotting ... then the fun begins with Engineering Applications in fields such as Machine Design, Vibrations, Control Systems, Dynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer and even Statistics and Optimization! Numerous programs and examples serve as practice for the reader. I am currently using the text to write programs for calculating the vibration of thin beams in my Grad Vibrations class. I only wish I could have gotten my hands on a book such as this when I took many of my undergrad courses. By the way, this book refers to MATLAB 5.3 (Release 11). Congratulations to the authors on such a thorough guide.

This one is really for engineers, it goes over the basics first, subsequently it goes into more details. It has handy examples of mechanics, dynamics...etc. if you are a mechanical or an electrical engineer, and you are a matlab user, this book would mean a lot to you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this very interesting history of the early days of Fidel Castro's revolution in Cuba. The photos of Osvaldo Salas and his son Roberto, personal photographers and confidants of "el jeffe", have never been seen in the US. The personal anecdotes relating to Fidel Castro and Che Guevara are fascinating and give new insight into these historic characters. It is fascinating to read that the long hair and beards of the 60's anti-establishment hippie movement had its roots with the "barbudos" the soldiers of Fidel's revolution. The chapter on the bay of pigs invasion gives new insight to this historic event. The beautiful photos in the chapter, Cuba the land and the people are stuning. Overall a good read, great photography of an interesting topic.

Soon Castro may be judged by history, as he once claimed he wanted to be, and the facts point in the direction of a dark, blood-stained judgement. Nonetheless, the photography in this book is a brilliant work of photojournalist art.

They take us from the tender beginnings of a Revolution of bearded young men against a bloody tyrant. They are young gods in olive-green uniforms. The photo of Camilo Cienfuegos and another unidentified bearded guerrilla in front of the Lincoln statue in the Lincoln Memorial in DC is magnificent. What did America think of these young white men, in their dark, long hair and their huge beards? It stunned and seduced the nation and the seeds of the hippie movement were planted.

The book delivers with visual insight and power. The photographs are vivid and full of history. My highest possible rating!

Apart from the amazing photography, which captures an epoch so freqently only seen through CIA-filtered eyes, the book is a simple overview of the Cuban revolution and the real people of Cuba - not just the materialistic bourgouisie - who supported Castro and still do. Most enigmatic of all are the photos of Castro and Che, and then just Che, his magnetism shining through regardless of his beliefs.

Set your politics aside. Look at this wonderful book and ponder how close Fidel and Che came to actually getting it right.

For the millions of Americans who have only ( until recently ie since the Pope's visit to Cuba ) seen Fidel as a military man this book adds a bit of humanity to that image. The imae of him as a threat to my safety is a view I could only suspect was being presented me as my government's own bit of propaganda (thinking of how recent publication's on how the Soviets used photography as a tool to control the masses) I was genuinely pleased to have my suspicions confirmed.

Nonetheless, upon opening this book, one finds that it is more than meets the eye. It is not the political treatise one might expect. I am grateful for the honesty the son (Roberto) gave in the acknowledging the irony in being both a suporter of the cause as well as a photographer/reporter of history.

Of particular interest, which I think self taught photographers may find of interest, is the many anecdotes on how Roberto and his father "made do" with what little equipment they had (both before going to Cuba and after) and how they shared equipment. Such disclosures dispell the popular belief that an aspiring photographers needs all the latest gadgetry that manufacturers pump out. The kind of "socialism they [Cubana] fought for is the kind struggling artist could practice.

From a political perspective. The book (story) of how the U.S. Government ousts individuals be they journalist or subversives is touched on. This is a book that may touch the heart and the soul of a anyone who suspects Cuba and Castro have stories to tell. Finally, it is a photographic feast of photojournalism from the inside of not only the revolution but the photographers who documented it.

Before I read Greg Rogers book, I thought accountants were mere number crunchers and that the lion's share of the crunching would eventually be performed by a sophisticated software package-- or at least people in India. The happy truth (for accountants, anyway,) is that accounting is an inherently SUBJECTIVE (and, therefore, not highly-outsourcable discipline.) A less happy (and somewhat scary) truth is that I actually found Rogers' treatment of accounting fascinating. Yes, it may be that I need to get a life, but this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to excel in the environmental industry.

As a testament to the readability of the book, I will share a short anecdote. In preparation for a presentation that I was to give at a large accounting firm in New Jersey on behalf of my environmental consulting company(Hydrotechnology Consultants, Inc.), I asked my assistant to order Rogers' book on Amazon. She unwittingly requested shipping via media mail (a.k.a. snail mail.) As the date for the seminar approached, she assured me that the book was scheduled to arrive "any day." It was two days before the seminar and the book had apparently taken a detour to media mail hell. I told her that she needed to secure the book for me by the next day or invest in a warm hat and a pair of gloves-- because it tends to get rather cold in the unemployment line. In desperation, she called Greg Rogers and begged him to ship the book overnight. Greg took pity on her plight and shipped the book for morning delivery-- leaving me exactly one day to read the book, digest its contents and regurgitate it to an audience of accountants. To make a long story short, the presentation went off without a hitch. The accountants were highly impressed with my knowledge of environmental accounting, but seemed somewhat uncomfortable with my level of enthusiasm. Therefore, I offer this advice to Greg Rogers: place a label on the book cover which reads, "Caution: Contents May Shock and Awe!"

I have been an environmental lawyer for over 20 years and say without hestitation that this is the best single volume book on SEC and Environmental Disclosure that I have ever read. Other books explain how accounting principles operate but Greg Rogers not only easily dissects these complex concepts in a way that is easily understandable to lawyers without any financial or accounting background but also illustrates their application to environmental issues. You will feel like an expert after reading this book.

This books pulls together brilliantly the complexities of the multi-disciplinary challenges of reporting environmental liabilities after Sarbanes-Oxley and FIN 47.

All other books and papers I read are focused on one angle of the topic, looking at environmental liabilities in just one dimension. This book saves hours of study and research, all work is done for the reader. Quick read, logically structured.

Finally, someone got it right. This might be the most important book written about environmental management in years.

New accounting standards will feed environmental management into the teeth of Sarbanes-Oxley. Readers get all the information they need in a format that is accessible to a wide variety of professional disciplines.

Fear is the Goliath of our times. But unlike the biblical giant, fear is not flesh and bone. Rather the monster of fear is born of our reactions to terrorism, layoffs, and spiritual starvation.

How can we of a materialistic, technological age overcome the invisible giant who threatens us? Marci Alborghetti supplies us a weapon and instructions for its use in her book. Faith in action is the slingshot. Its stones are the stories of how Marci and her friends from all walks of life triumphed through faith over the anxiety that gripped them when they confronted such fearful situations as the threat of loss of love and debilitating disease.

There is something for everyone in this book. By the end of it, the reader feels the power of the partnership of God and the individual over the invisible specter of fear. The reader is also reminded by the author that fear has a good purpose. We can't kill it as David killed flesh and blood Goliath. But the stones of faith in action can deflate fear so that it no longer blocks our view of the light at the end of the tunnel.

Whether you experience fear on a daily basis or just the occasional pang, this book is a must read. Especially helpful are the "freedom exercises" that are designed to help isolate, control and conquer individual fears. This is not just another self-help book, but a bible to be kept nearby at all times.

The book, Freedom from Fear: Overcoming Anxiety Through Faith by Marci Alborghetti is a gem. The most powerful books that have the ability to touch people rise through the author's experience and this book is no exception. Diagnosed with Melanoma five years ago when she was thirty-six, Alborghetti knows what she's talking about when she poignantly writes about letting go of outcomes, "We think we can stave off the thing we fear by trying to block all the roads that lead to it. Yet anyone who lives with unresolved fear knows this doesn't work. Admitting we are powerless won't feel good. This will be like stepping into an abyss. It will be dizzying. It may be terrifying. Another way to describe it? A leap of faith." Flowing smoothly from beginning to end, Freedom From Fear is intimate, realistic, extremely positive, poignant and inspirational. As Alborghetti writes, "Whether you are troubled by occasional worry or constant fear, there are ways to cope. Faith is the ultimate antidote, but you may need to reimage God and reexamine or even redefine your faith." Through her life's journey and the appealing stories in her shining book, Alborghetti offers herself as guide, an authentic voice of wisdom and a companion who's been there, waiting to offer words of comfort and strength."

In Marci Alborghetti's new book entitled: Freedom from Fear, the author writes poignant excerpts about deep-seeded anxieties that exist and dominant our daily lives. Marci seamlessly weaves into her story passages inspirational prayers of faith that provide the reader with an anchor of spirituality and strength. This uplifting book is a powerful and reflective read for your soul with healing exercises to diminish your fears.

More than poetry, this book teaches Chinese history, language and culture. Each poem appears in 4 forms, English with syntax adjusted, Raw English word-for-word translation, pinyin (pronunciation guide), and Chinese charaters. The commentary on each poem ranges from an explanation of the symbolism to anecdotes about the poets themselves.

One of the best books of translated Chinese poetry. The Chinese characters and word by word translation lets one get a real feel for the original. How could this have gone out of print?

Very pleasing collection of classical Chinese Poetry! The Chinese is provided with the translation so it is also an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Characters as well. This was a joy to read and it connects the reader to the notion that poetry has always been with us and is as inherent to humans as breathing!

THE HEART OF CHINESE POETRY. By Greg Whincup. 178 pp. (Anchor Books). New York : Doubleday, 1987. ISBN 0-385-23967-X (pbk.)

Greg Whincup has here had the useful idea of making Chinese poetry come alive for the Western reader by bringing readers face-to-face with the original texts. Although it has been done before, for example by David Hawkes in his 'A Little Primer of Tu Fu' (Renditions Press, 1988), Whincup seems certainly to have done as well, and considering the incredible importance of the Chinese language, and the wealth of its literature, there really ought to be many more books like this.

Whereas Hawkes' book focused exclusively on the work of Tu Fu, Whincup has chosen instead to give us fifty-seven of China's greatest poems from a wide range of writers - Li Bai, Du Fu, Du Mu, Su Shr, etc. If these names look strange it's because Whincup, rather than employing the Wade-Giles system of transcription which everyone is familiar with, has chosen instead to use the far less well-known Yale system of romanization. For those who don't know it, which probably includes almost everyone, he has provided a brief guide on pages 173-74. The book also contains an extensive 5-page English-language Bibliography

The poems have been topically arranged under the following headings : The Heart of Chinese Poetry; The History of Chinese Poetry; Three Poets of the Golden Age; Poems of War; Poems by and about Women; Landscape/Enlightenment.

For each poem we are given : 1. Whincup's final translation; 2. the Yale word-by-word romanization; 3. the printed full-form Chinese character (ideogram; sinograph); 4. a literal translation of each character; 5. explanatory notes. A nice touch is that the texts have been arranged vertically.

As anyone who has read the poems like this can vouch, it really is the only way for the non-specialist to get an idea of how glorious Chinese poems are when understood in their original language. My only complaint is that, although the Chinese font that has been used in the book is a beautiful cursive form and without the stiffness of the usual printed form, it's also incredibly tiny, and the beginner is going to need very good eyes and very good lighting to be able to discern the structure of the more complex characters.

Here is an example of Whincup's final translation of a famous poem, 'Deer Fence,' by Wang Wei (with my obliques added to indicate line breaks) :

"In the empty mountains / I see no one, / But hear the sound / Of someone's voice. // Slanting sunlight / Enters deep forest, / And shines again / On green moss" (p.169).

This is a respectable effort, and readers might care to compare it with Wai-lim Yip's treatment of Wang Wei in his excellent bilingual anthology, details of which follow below.

Whincup's is a wonderful book that, by enabling the reader to come to grips with the Chinese, will help anyone to arrive at a deeper and richer appreciation of Chinese poetry, and to see how far short of the originals any English translation must inevitably fall. You simply can't do in English what can be done in Chinese, and there really ought to be more books like 'The Heart of Chinese Poetry.'

For those who may be interested, here are details of the Yip:

CHINESE POETRY : An Anthology of Major Modes and Genres. Edited and translated by Wai-lim Yip. 358 pp. Durham NC and London : Duke University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8223-1951-9 (pbk.)

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (6/08)

Gregory K. Popcak's "Holy Sex!" is the ultimate guide to a fulfilling, happy, yet virtuous sexual life. While written with the Catholic couples in mind, the author's insight should prove helpful to just about anybody desiring a stronger, more fulfilling sexual experience within their marriage.

Debunking the myths and exposing the lies about the role of sex in Christianity, this book shows you the path to Infallible Loving, a very freeing experience that will bring the partners closer together as well as closer to their God. The author explains how eroticism differs from Holy Sex and why the latter is so much more fulfilling. Through a series of questionnaires the reader is guided to better understanding of what the Infallible Lovers are made of and with the help of well-thought-out exercises given a powerful tool to become one of them.

The second part of the book deals with the five great powers of Holy Sex, namely:

1. Holy Sex has the power to make the common holy.
2. Holy Sex has sacramental and redemptive power.
3. Holy Sex has the power to be a physical sign of God's passion for us.
4. Holy Sex has the power to unite.
5. Holy Sex has the power to create.

Supported by a number of personal stories as well as quotes from a vast array of notable writers, this is an intensely thought-provoking section. I challenge any reader to read it and not feel changed in some way.

The third and fourth parts mostly deal with practical matters, from Natural Family Planning to technicalities of intercourse and solving of common sexual problems, infidelity and more. Always down-to-earth and written in an easy-to-follow and easy-to-understand style, these two parts should probably be the ones most people will refer to more than once.

While this book should be particularly helpful to engaged couples and newlyweds, I do believe that the lessons taught inside could provide positive changes for couples regardless of how long they've been married. With advice that is both practical and well researched, witty and wise, Gregory K. Popcak's "Holy Sex!" should find a permanent place on the bookshelves of people wishing for stronger foundations of their marriage, showing everybody why good sex is not only compatible with the Catholic teachings, but highly desirable as well.

There are many areas of discepency regarding what we think, or what we are told the Catholic church teaches and what the Catholic church actually teaches. One of the most well hidden and least talked about areas has to be the place and role of sexuality and sexual relations in the Catholic faith. This book couragously and unashamedly explores the true source, meaning, and purpose of our sexuality. It explodes the myth that the Church and sex are nearly mutually exclusive, and reveals the dignity and reverence that the Church places upon sex and sexuality not only for procreation but just as importantly for its absolute integral importance for creating and nurturing a deep, true, spiritual marital relationship. This book shows us that physical pleasure is indeed very good and highly encouraged by the Church in the marital relationship. Not in the same way that physical pleasure is presented to us in the thin veneer of eroticism that society inundates us with, but as a beautiful part of something much deeper and more meaningful.
Holy Sex!, despite the profound and wieghty subject matter, is a very readable and accessible book presented with ample doses of wit and humor. This book is well researched and built on solid religious, and psychological foundations.
To classify Holy Sex! as just a great marital/relationship self help guide, which it is, would however, in my opinion, miss the core of the message. The information in this book is meant not only to be helpful, but to be transformational. The heart of this book is a challenge to all of us. A challenge to understand that real love is not about us, it's about others. The real love from which everything else, including amazing sex, flows. If individuals are transformed by this real love, then couples are transformed. When couples are transformed, families are transformed. When families are transformed, communities are transformed. This is big stuff people !!

Missionary - is that truly the start and end to the sexuality of catholic bed rooms? "Holy Sex!: A Catholic Guide to Toe-Curling, Mind-Blowing, Infallible Loving" claims not, discussing what many Catholics never discuss - the acts in the bedroom. Showing that having fun in the bedroom does not mean that one must be a sinful deviant, its lessons are sure to brighten the lives of any catholic couple, be they newlywed or decades old. "Holy Sex!: A Catholic Guide to Toe-Curling, Mind-Blowing, Infallible Loving" deserves a place in both human sexuality and Catholic studies collection as it offers something for any follower of either - highly recommended.

Whether or not you are Catholic, this book is the best I've ever seen on how to have a TRULY satisfying sexual relationship. It is completely faithful to the Catholic Church's teachings on sexuality and even if you think you know what that is, I think you'll be surprised to find out how much more there is to know!

This book is really engaging and treats its subject with both the respect it deserves and the humor which will encourage you to keep reading. It is practical as well. I think it would be a fabulous engagement or wedding gift. Everyone who is married or wants to be could benefit from this book.

Read it and find out what you've been missing all these years!!!

How better to understand our common humanity than to peek at the inner world of another -- and find it so like our own? Soft, coloured pencil illustrations and sparse, personal narrative relate a poignant story of love and loss, freedom and frustration, heartbreak and, in the end, happiness.

When I first read this book I cried. It is a great tale about a girl with down's syndrome named Cindy. She finds a puppy that she befriends and is forced later in the book to give up the puppy. It is a heart warming tale that children can identify with. We've all lost something we loved, whether it be a family member, a pet, or even a favorite blanket. In educational terms, it is filled with sight words and many new vocabulary words. It also introduces young readers to diversity and is a great way to teach children about disabilities.

Coming from a mother of two boys with Down syndrome, I was justtouched at the story. Gregory has a captivating way of literallyentering the mind of Cindy and the way she processes her day to dayactivities. This wonderful lesson in empathy helps us realize thatso-called "special-needs" people are a lot more like therest of us than they are different.

I am in awe of what Nan Gregory has been able to accomplish by page 2, the respect she has for her young audience's intelligence, and for all the seeds of other stories she plants along the way but chooses not to tell. Ron Lightburn's gorgeous, moody, illustrations help draw the reader (or listener) into Cindy's world, far away from sentimentality and cuteness. A great book; one day hope to read it (and Charlotte's Web) aloud without sobbing. Please give us more of Cindy.

The book is great is perfectly goes with the Ross Probability Models book, but unlike the Ross book it has nice readable examples and it's not the hard on the proofs, which I like and it has very doable nice simple problems and a lot of examples that only bad side is that there are no solution. So it's a great supplementary book to use in any grad class that requires stochastic processes queuing theory or Brownian motion to be explained nicely.

This is one of the best books I've ever read in Stochastic Processes. Prof. Lawler presents Markov Chains (Finite, Countable and Continuous), Optimal Stopping, Martingales and Brownian motion concisely and straight to the gist of the subject. The exercises set at the end of each chapter fall into 2 categories: for people who read the book well and actually understand what has been stated, and to people who have a thorough understanding of solid probability theory (harder exercises).

Furthermore, it is such a small book that makes me wonder how so many information could fit in there.

The only small drawback is the few typos which can be picked up easily by the diligent reader.

In total is an extremelly good book, especially for people that haven't had an extensive contact w/ the subject before (or even measure theory), without losing any point of precision whatsoever.

In a very concise and clear way, this book gives readers all need to know in stochastic processes. It is very successful in approaching all problems and theorems without any measure theory. Great for students with all kinds of math background.

When I was a grad student in the early 90's, the only available texts for this subject were Hoel, Port and Stone's third volume and Phillip Protter's book. The problem was that Hoel, Port and Stone was too intuitive, and Prottor was too formal.

This book is just right. The examples are well thought out, and the presentation of the subject matter is effecient without being sparse. The segue from the intuitive concept to the formal definitions / proofs is almost seemless.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about stochastic processes. Glad I found it!