Hall Books

While working one night, John Dortmunder accidentally sets off a burglar alarm, an occupational hazard for a thief, and winds up hanging from the rafters of the local convent. Although the occupants are an order of nuns who have taken a vow of silence, they manage to let John know that in return for not turning him into the police, they would make use of his specialist skills. They want him to rescue a young nun who was taken from the convent by her father and is held on the top floor of a 76-storey building.

Dortmunder's flair for getting himself into and out of impossible situations are highlighted again as he attempts to breach the defences of a building that seems as impenetrable as any well guarded fortress can be. The ever-changing motley crew that he works with is made to seem even more motley by the inclusion of the skirt chasing (but never catching) Wilbur Howey. Tiny Bulcher is again along for the ride in all his menacing glory as are two regulars Andy Kelp and Stan Murch.

It's the humorous ways in which Dortmunder deals with setbacks that gives the book it's charm. Interest is added by limiting the field of play to one building. How to get in, save the girl and then out again is the problem he faces.

This is yet another satisfyingly entertaining entry in the Dortmunder series that proves this time that he has a caring side, or maybe it's just his guilty, greedy side rearing it's head again. Whichever it is, it's a pleasure to see it.

Good Behavior provides a reversal of fortune unlike any other that veteran burglar John Dortmunder has ever experienced.

His problems begin when his new partner, O'Hara, turns out to be incompetent at cutting off the burglar alarm. Dortmunder finds himself unexpectedly racing across rooftops while O'Hara is arrested at the bottom of the fire escape he has foolishly taken when the police arrive. After falling down one roof, he comes to a dormer and climbs in . . . only to find himself on a rafter over a roomful of nuns. Having been raised at an orphanage run by the Bleeding Heart Sisters of Eternal Misery, this depresses him . . . along with his sore ankle. The nuns rescue him with a tall ladder, and he finds himself speaking in pantomime . . . until they discover that he can read and begin writing notes. They have taken a vow of silence, and only speak for two hours on Thursdays.

Having noted his burglar's tools, they point out that perhaps the police should be called. But, they have a greater need for a burglar: to recover Sister Mary Grace who was abducted by her father to be reprogrammed into a corporate executive in the family firm.

Alone in the penthouse of a 76 story skyscraper, the sister has been fighting off the deprogramming and her father. By smuggling notes in and out with the cook, the sisters know where she is. Dortmunder agrees to spring her. Then, he becomes discouraged because no one will want to help him for no gain.

Just as he's about to tell the nuns that he cannot do it, they share the security codes for the building with him, which Sister Mary Grace has smuggled out. With that information, Dortmunder knows he can break into any part of the building, which is full of lovely jewelry and antique stores. With that kind of potential swag, his usual partners can be rounded up (Tiny Bulcher, Andy Kelp, and Stan Murch) plus a new alarm man, Wilbur Howey, who has just gotten out after 48 years (10 years for burglary and 38 years for continually escaping) who is very excited by seeing any woman. They also add an inside partner, J.C. Taylor, who sells off-color books and turns out to be critical to freeing Sister Mary Grace.

The burglary goes smoothly . . . but Dortmunder runs into unexpected (and potentially lethal) opposition as he nears the penthouse. Like all Dortmunder stories, the end is filled with fast and furious improvisation.

There's more than the usual humor in this story due to Mr. Westlake having the silent sisters as a running gag. But they communicate just fine, unlike the police whom Dortmunder is trying to outwit.

The plot develops slowly, which makes it more appealing, and the twists and turns keep my heart pumping rapidly. I don't remember a story about Dortmunder that is as engaging the positive human emotions. I think you'll like this one, if you have enjoyed any humorous stories about criminals.

After you finish this story, think about where you think that communication cannot be made. How might you overcome that limitation? Try imaging that you cannot speak, and see if that opens up any new ideas.

This book, about career crook John Dortmunder and his attempt to rescue a nun of the silent sisterhood is one of the best Dortmunder novels Mr. Westlake has ever written. The atmosphere is tense, since the book is about rescuing somebody as well as getting off with a lot of money, and having to put up with the nun's fascist father. This book is an enjoyable reading for all.

Westlake is one of the funniest authors I've ever read and this is one of his best novels. Beware because it will make you bust out laughing in public places if you read it there (people on my bus think I'm crazy). Absolutely worth the high price you might pay for an out-of-print.

John Dortmunder becomes St John when his latest caper drops him into a convent. The sisters see it as divine intervention so they ask him to rescue a kidnapped nun from her tyrannical father who is having the Catholicism deprogrammed out of her. Only Dortmunder could gather a group of thieves to rescue a nun and end up facing a mercenary army set for a Central American Revolution. Full of hilarious incident after hilarious incident, this is the Dormunder gang at its best.

Got it as a reference book to help me understand statistical tests. Havent used it much in my daily work, but its very comforting to know that its there. Quite readable, and extremely bulky to handle. Guess this will go on to be a classic in the field ..sad reality is that most of the methods discussed are already in programs like Minitab & S-Plus, so you can do most of the analysis without slogging through the theory.

This is an excellent, exceptionally comprehensive, and well-structured reference on a wide range of inferential tests and measures of association, which is ideal for the applied scientist. After a few useful introductory chapters that provide definitions and outline the main concepts involved in inferential statistics, the various tests are covered chapter by chapter. Each chapter contains sections describing:
1. the hypotheses evaluated and relevant background information;
2. examples of the kind of problems that can be addressed using the test
3. the null and alternative hypotheses;
4. computation (including meticulously worked out examples so the reader can follow the precise workings);
5. an extensive set of notes describing the interpretation of the results, the assumptions of the test, the robustness of the test to violations of those assumptions, and comparisons with alternative tests;
6. a set of references.
A set of decision tables are provided to assist the user in selecting the appropriate test, and there are additional extensive discussions in the various chapters to assist further if required. The book also includes an extensive list of look-up tables for significance testing. An additional valuable feature of the book is that in the chapter on the nonparametric test for a difference in medians of two populations (Mann-Whitney U-test) there is included discussions about permutation and randomization tests.

The target audience of the book is the practioner rather than the theoretician. The book aims to assist in the selection of an appropriate test and the interpretation of the test results rather than on a theoretical discussion of the test. The text is exceptionally clearly written, and is highly accessible to non-experts in statistics. There is a minimum of equations, which are supplied only where necessary. While it is not that hard to find a few editorial omissions, the book does seem to have been edited carefully, and I have as yet stumbled across only trivial errors. If I were forced to find any criticism, about the only thing I could say is that at the top of the page the chapter headings are listed purely in terms of test number without listing the test name, which sometimes makes it a little harder to find the test of interest.

I make absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who makes use of inferential statistics.

Excellent book for handling all common and uncommon stats tests. Plenty of examples for application, an overview for each. This book is good for those that have had stats and need a reference guide on them later. I would not recommend this for anyone that has not actaully formally studied higher end stats.

The overall organization is very good. You will find the test you need with the help of the #guidline and decision table for selecting the appropriate statistical procedure# on page 113. The explanations given to the tests are very understandable. That means, you should be able to reproduce the examples given in the book with out problems. Additionally, at the end of each chapter is a bibliography for the test presented in this chapter. At the begining of each chapter some historical remark for the test are given.

This book is very good, because its contents is presented in a very good way. I can strongly recommend.

For any individual engaged in data analysis, this book is a godsend. In a single resource, you have a very comprehensive set of statistical tools. Also, they are presented in an extremely clear manner without getting bogged down in theory.

The layout is extremely helpful and greatly increases the value of the book. The table of contents and decision table are particularly well done. And, of course, the tables are all here as well!

Required!

I keep this book under my coffee table along with my copy of Psychotronic and Maltin, and find myself picking it up virtually every week for reasons that range from trivia to enlightenment to even "toilet seat treat" and my only wish is that there was an updated edition or sequel covering TV since 1989! This book is a must for any 'scholar' of television and as cheap as it appears to be in the Amazon Marketplace, there's no excuse not to have one! Harry....Wally....please come back and make us a new one! We need it for the 21st century!!!!

An absolutely great reference book. Its sequel was long overdue. They do underrate 'Car 54' a little, though... (!)

This is one of the best reference guides ever written for all those classic tv enthusiests! It not only has information on shows that had successful runs but those shows that didn't last more than one season or possibly not past the pilot show. It is light easy fun reading and a great book to have in my collection when I ask myself "what was that show..you know with the guy and the girl and that whachamacallit", and you can usually find your answer. If you can find this book used,(since it is out of print and hard to find), grab it and enjoy! Thanks Harry & Wally!

Why is it that that "Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows" is now in an 8th edition, while "Harry and Wally" has been out of print for years? The "Complete Directory" is nothing but a dry, boring recitation of shows' premises, whereas "Harry and Wally" is like a roundup of well-written short essays on whether some obscure show would be worth your time. (I refered to it recently when Trio did a special run of "East Side/West Side.") The more classic the show, the better and longer the write-up, too. They also score extra credit with me, as an original series "Star Trek" die-hard, for a great write-up on my favorite series.

I've hoped for years for an updated edition of Harry and Wally. C'mon guys, where did you go? What gives?

It's a shame this book isn't in print anymore. It's an even BIGGER shame that there was never an updated edition. The book came out in the late 1980s, and so much has happened in television since then. Harry and Wally, if you're out there, how about writing a sequel?

Even though it's more than a decade out of date, "Harry and Wally's Favorite TV Shows" is still a valuable reference work for students of pop culture or just fans of classic TV. It covers a great many series that other TV books skip over, including series on PBS and shows imported from the UK. The idea of giving each series a rating from zero stars to four stars also sets "Favorite TV Shows" apart from other similar books. Better yet, the reviews are usually right on the money.

The book arrived early and in great shape - US edition, hardcover, and no surprises.

An Introduction to acconting, Assets, The time value of money, Liabilities and equities, financial Investment, Analysis, Role of accounting and Debits and credits

I'm CEO of a medium size business and wanted a resource to teach me accounting. This is a great book, with plenty of assignments which fully reinforce the lessons. The only disappointment is that there are no solutions and the publisher only gives them to you if you are a registered teacher.

NYU's Stern School Of Business uses this book and its a well-crafted introduction to financial accounting. While taking accounting at the other New York business school, I deep sixed my assigned accounting book and instead borrowed my wife's. It coverage of topics and pedagogical flow are quite approachable and manageable. Struggling friends begain to purchase it for themselves. An excellent book. An interesting book as well. Case examples and references keep things interesting. Not just dry rules.

An Introduction to acconting, Assets, The time value of money, Liabilities and equities, financial Investment, Analysis, Role of accounting and Debits and credits

I have six or seven "analysis of algorithms" type texts and this is a favorite. From time to time when coworkers notice the title on my bookshelf, they give me some grief for it, but I vigorously defend it. It is a very practical text (as opposed to just theory). I have a bookmark in the section on random number generators and like to point out the a reference about one of the methods: X(n+1) = [a * X(n) + b] mod c. He refers to about 150 pages of Knuth's The Art of Computer Programming for an excellent theoretical description as to how a, b, and c should be chosen, but then summarizes in less than a page a "good" way of choosing them that yields results good enough for most uses.

I stumbled upon this great book in algorithms called "How to
Solve it by Computer" by Dromey. I came across it when I was
finding material on the classic work by Polya "How to
Solve it" (1957) which is not directly related to Computer Science.

Dromey has applied Polya's work to CS and has even dedicated
his text to him. Although the book is fairly fundamental,
the style is excellent. He starts with the most obvious (not
so good solution) and *incrementally* builds on that
solution till he refines it to the most optimal solution.

The book also discusses relatively advanced materials like dynamic programming and Longest Monotone Subsequence.

The book was written in 1982 when Pascal was prevalent, so
the solutions are in Pascal, but nonetheless its a true
classic !

This book "How to solve it by computer" is a must read book for those who want to be programmer. Dromey he teaches each and every problem in the easy and understanble way.He does't use any particular language to solve all those problems, he just uses psudo code engish like language. Any persona who wants to be programmer should first read this book and then only start learning Porgramming languages.

This book should be treated as Bible. It starts with very simple examples as swaping two numbers and goes in depth taking you along with it. I have not found anything as good as this in many years. It gives a beginner programmer much needed confidence very soon. It does not use much programming language (It uses pascal syntax...but pascal is almost English). If you are entering into programming field..start with this book. You will never forget "How to Solve it by computers" in your entire life. This book has no shelf life. You will never need this again....but you cannot do it without first time. Computer Algorithm teaching at its VERY BEST!

I bought this book in 1990. I still read it from time to time. I could not have been a successful programmer without this. I would strongly recommend this to anybody who wants to be a programmer. The first ever book you should read. I will save this book for my children, grand children and so on.

This textbook is fantastic, very well thought out, great use of examples and background information. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins University and an Engineer at NASA and have worked with this textbook for creating a new edition with Dr. Ram Gupta (the author of the text) and can say for certain that this text is a great resource for hydrology inside and outside of class.

This is a great deal for a textbook. It covers the basics of hydrology and hydraulics very thoroughly, and better than most other water-resources textbooks. The figures in the third edition are better than in previous ones, though some additional photos or figures would be helpful to augment the many schematics. The only real problem is that you have to jump around a lot to cover any topic in a coherent way, as different techniques for, say rainfall-runoff analysis, may appear in 2 or 3 different chapters. But it's all in there.

Bought this book to brush up on hydrology and hydraulics for the PE exam. I wish my college courses had used this book. It presents somewhat complex material in a format that is easier to understand than most books. There are example problems for every type of calculation. I highly recommend this text to college professors to use in their classes.

This book is the absolute very best to study Hydrology and Hydraullics for classroon study. After graduation this book was used for my exam review and I reference the manual in everyday actual applications. You will find there are many books to study hydrology and hydraullics but none that is more fundamentally rich with extensive examples of real life situations. This book is the most used reference book I have used.

I have recently graduated and am currently working as a Civil/Transportation Engineer for a consulting company. I have used the book in my Water Resources course and worked on it in my Advanced Hydrology class. The strength of the book is all the examples. Many of these are conveniently set up in Table form with a key provided at the bottom of each table. It is an excellent resource that I am using as a reference material now.

I can rarely find Backyardigans merchandise for my son who just loves these guys! This book is really colorful and he just adores it! I highly recommend it for all Backyardigan fans!

I read a lot of books to my son, but he's not always too interested in actually looking at them. For some reason, he just loves this book. I think the bright colors capture his attention - very well done. Also, I like the padded cover and rounded corners, as my son loves to hold and chew on the books!!

My grandson loves anything backyardigans so I had to buy this book. It's small enough to fit in a diaper bag very colorful and there are enough details in the pictures that you can sit and point things out. Great for when you are stuck waiting someplace.

"Jungle Colors" is a simple but fun board-book featuring your backyard friends, The Backyardigans. In this book, the Backyardigans are on a jungle adventure, much like some of the ones seen on TV. But this jungle adventure is especially colorful. They encounter various colors as they make their journey, from brown to fabulous red rubies.

The colors are bright and cheerful. The illustrations go well with the fairly simply text. A nice book for basic learning about colors or for Backyardigans fans.This is a "Super Chubby" board-book by Simon Spotlight. That means that the front and back covers have a sort of squishy feel to them and the book won't easily slip out of little kids' hands.

Jungle Colors, feauring the Backyardigans, is a fun adventure. The Backyardigans explore the jungle, and the colors brown, purple, blue, white, yellow, green, black, orange, pink, red and gray. The book is well made and sturdy, a fun read for both adult and child.

I sent this to several widow friends of mine and they felt that it not only helped them with their sorrow but gave them great insight into the problems of widow-hood. It is so well written, you want to hug Ms. Field Brooks. A fast read as well.

I read this book shortly after my husband passed away and it was a source of understanding and support. It was like a friend helping me through that difficult first year. I was grateful for Ms. Brooks' help and guidance.

Great reading for anyone who has lost a loved one to death. Fern has an uncanny ability to project the emotions of a lifetime of love through the written word, as well as the pain of grief. This book will help anyone, in particular those who are widowed, to walk through the anguish of grief. Absolutely a "must read" for the widowed.

Hello Fern, Thanks for giving me an autographed copy of this book. I lost my dear sister who was like a twin to me about 2 years ago and you have helped me to come to grips such lost and emptiness in my life. Granted, I have a husband and 3 children (one is her son that we adopted after her death) but there is still a undescribed lonliness that I feel.

I read a couple of chapters a night and savor in depth of this book. I've also learned that it's okay to write a letter to my sister or keep a journal instead of keeping everything inside. And, most importantly, you do not say that I will get over it or "just go on with life." Thank you so much for understanding and for letting me know that the way I feel about the death of my loved one is quite ok afterall. And it's ok to cry or get angry or to write to her. Fern, you're a gem. And that Normy must've have been such a wonderful man. I like him and have never even met him before. Can you explain this? (smile)

I am a single man and did not read this book because I lost a spouse (though I have given it to others who have). I read it because it is simply magnificent. It touches on the human condition of loss and tells us a story of love and laughter, shares a life, a relationship,and leaves us with the distinct feeling that we are better off for having read it. It's simplicity is it's beauty, and Field, who is courageous and so appealing in her story, must be a wonderful woman. Just a beautiful little book to help us deal with our difficult life journeys. Bravo!

"Life Changes" is a dynamic tool that empowers individuals to reach for their goals. It teaches you how to cope and turn dreams into reality. Any obstacle one faces in life is addressed in this powerful book with a mechanism for change. Be amazed each turn of the page as "Life Changes" transforms your way of thinking and living.-Journee, LLC

Reading Life Changes really helped me to put change and the challenges it brings in perspective. In one year I suffered several losses, changed jobs and almost gave up on my dreams. Using Jennifer's tips and methods to maneuver through those obstacles has helped me to embrace change and take advantage of the positives. This book is a must-have.

Jennifer Lewis-Hall has done it again, splendidly, with her sophomore book, "Life Changes". Reading this easily-relatable book is like having a chat with a good friend about everyday life occurrences and challenges, and how to effectively deal with them. The information is shared in a personal, conversational, and comfortable tone as it addresses universal experiences and milestones that confront all of us at some point in life. Ms. Lewis-Hall's book is insightful, compassionate, and absolutely genuine.

Many times I have looked for concrete methods of getting through change. Jennifer Lewis Hall provides meaningful and thoughtful observations and experieinces to help you through the process. Life changes provides you with hands on methods to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to go, no matter how long it may take. In addition, the journal in the back provides the opportunity for reflection, contemplation and goal setting. This really helps to get you to your center, keep you on point, chart your change and see your growth over a year. We all recognize that change is by no means easy, yet this book provides you with a tool kit to help you navigate through it all.

Jennifer Lewis-Hall's second book has really been helpful to me and I'm sure there are so many people who could benefit from reading this book too. She is a life-coach and she's very articulate in this book and drives across her message very well. I'm not good with change at all; be it work changes, relationship changes etc, I just don't like change much at all, so I knew I had to read this. It's about the benefit of embracing change and I knew this is what I needed to learn.
She talks about how inevitable change is in our lives whether it's volunteery or not. She acknowledges that change is the hardest thing to get around. We feel so comfortable doing things the same way, but if you embrace it well it helps you grow as a person and it expands your horizons. She emphasizes that you must be open to it or else you are going to be fighting against the tide. So embrace it, face your fears, be proactive not reactive etc. Where there is change there is fear and that's what you have to dilute to get you to the next step in life etc.
She talks in an easy way to comprehend and to motivate you. It's an easy style to read and therefore I found this information has really sunk in, and now I know I can put this to use and learn to not necessarily love change, but try to embrace it. I recommend this book to all people adverse to change like me.

This book is such an awe-inspiring piece of work. Mark Hall is an annointed man with a great gift. Wonderful for a Bible study also!

Reading Mark's stories behind each of the songs is not only very initeresting, but it also offers a great opportunity for Youth Group discussions and devotions. Mark's ability to translate true life experiences into song and Faith Strengthening stories is truly amazing and useful. Once you start readinig you won't be able to stop. This will be another life long reference book. Hopefully he adds chapters for the new Alter & The Door album

This is an incredible book. After reading each chapter about a particular song, you have to stop and listen to the song before reading further. When I did this, I found that each song now has faces (that I imagined from the story) to go along with it. Mark Hall has impressed me greatly with his passion for youth ministry....he just happens to play a little music to go along with it.

I thought Casting Crowns' music was profound in the way that it asks Christians some hard questions. The music serves as a mirror into which Christians can look to see whether or not they are living their lives for Christ. Lifestories, Mark Hall's book, takes the music to an entirely new level. Mark, Casting Crowns' lead singer and main songwriter, tells the stories behind each song and gives the scriptures that correspond with each one. Mark provides questions at the end of each selection that can be used for personal growth or discussion purposes.

Mark is humble, authentic, and transparent in this book. He shares his own struggles, challenges, frustrations, and triumphs. I use this book with my Youth Group at church, and I also use it for a small group Bible study with about sixteen adults. Both groups absolutely LOVE the book. Lifestories has inspired all of us to allow the Holy Spirit to move more freely in us. It has encouraged us to show Christ to the world by the way we love His people.

Finally, I used to serve as one of my church's worship leaders, and I wish we had this book when I served in that capacity. If so, I might have been a much better worship leader and helped to usher our congregation into more authentic worship of the Almighty. Every Christian, worship leader or not, should read this book. It is written for believers of all ages, and it WILL change the way you interact with your Father, Savior, and all of His people!

You are invited into someone's bedroom, and the door is shut behind you. That person takes out his journal and says, "Here. Read this. I want it to encourage you." This is the feeling given by the book Lifestories, written by Mark Hall, lead singer and songwriter for Casting Crowns.

Each chapter is the story of how a particular Casting Crown's song was written. At the end are questions to encourage the reader to dig more deeply into the truth Hall is sharing, and to apply it to his or her own life.

Hall's frankness and vulnerability with the struggles in his life make the book very relevant. Reading Lifestories feels like having coffee with an accountability partner who is encouraging you and spurring you on in your walk with Christ. It is also a very intimate experience.

The main theme of this book is passionate worship of God, not just on Sundays, but on every day of the week, throughout every moment. It challenges readers to pursue God in worship and love as a part of everyday life. Hall speaks of when he comes to church after a week of not pursuing God. He says he feels dried up and needy, like he is sapping life out from the sermon and worship. He then points out that Sunday mornings are a time to come to God with a heart full of worship after walking with God consistently the previous week.

Lifestories challenges its reader truly to pursue God -- to pursue loving Him and knowing Him. With its touching stories and open honesty, it points out the hand of God moving in and about everyday life. - Jenni Ritschard, Christian Book [...]