Hall Books

This book is great if you need it for a lifeguarding class, way cheaper than bookstore prices.

The United States Lifesaving Association has done it again. This book is the premier reference on open water lifesaving. Whether, an upstart department or an established older agency, this book provides specific information about lifeguarding methods that every lifeguard must know. If a lifeguard reads this book and practices what is in it, they will be able to provide excellent service to the public. Buy the United States Lifesaving Association, Open Water Lifesaving today. Make sure your next training class uses this Manual.

Eric Bauer

Lifeguard Captain, Newport Beach, CA.

The United States Manual of Open Water Lifesaving is a required text for training all of our seasonal ocean lifeguards. As an Operations Lieutenant for the City of Newport Beach the book has been an invaluable reference with general information, concepts and specific procedural techniques. There are photographs that depict various aspects of modern lifesaving and example report forms. A lifeguard agency or public safety agency that engages in open water rescue is remiss in not having this book for their students and as a reference. Renowned lifeguard experts from around the United States contributed to this excellent book. The book could also have significant impact internationally if a beach had to start a lifguard agency where one does not exist today. If one wants to become a lifeguard, this is a must have text. I am glad that this book exists and am hoping for a new edition that will be even better. Buy it today, you can't go wrong.

Open Water Lifeguards now have a manual written by veteran lifeguards who have put a lifetime of experience into easily read text. Used in combination with local training plans and protocols the USLA manual provides the supplementary material necessary for the complete training and retraining of open water lifeguards..Chapters on professionalism, the aquatic environment, meteorological considerations, preventative lifeguarding and surveillance, emergency planning and management, lifeguard health and safety and many other related topics provide a depth of training keyed to the open water environment unavailable from any other resource. Appendices providing useful beach management forms, an extensive glossary, surf boat rowing techniques and a thorough index complete usefulness of this valuable reference.

Open water lifeguarding in the 21st century requires thorough preparatory training in techniques and procedures as well as mental and physical conditioning. This manual provides an excellent tool for establishing a training plan that will develop competent lifeguards in accordance with contemporary standards of care emergency management guidelines.

David M. Shotwell, Sr., Beachfront Supervisor, Ocean Grove NJ

The USLA Manual of Open Water Lifesaving edited by Chris Brewster is the basic textbook used in the training programs for the following agencies in the State of Hawaii: Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, City and County of Honolulu, Aquatics Division, County of Maui, Water Safety Section, County of Kauai, and the Aquatics Division, County of Hawaii. These agencies are responsible for providing ocean lifeguard services for their respective counties (each Hawaiian Island is considered a county, with Maui County including Molokai and Lanai and Kauai County including the island of Niihau.) All of the mentioned agencies are certified by the USLA under the Agency Certification Program. The USLA Manual of Open Water Lifesaving is the only manual of its kind that addresses the ocean/open water environment and the skills and knowledge essential to become an open water lifeguard. The manual is the result of the collaboration of lifeguards from across the country and provides historical as well as up to date information on open water lifeguarding. Descriptions of environmental conditions that the beach lifeguard will encounter and methods of dealing with these conditions are included in the text, as well as excellent chapters on drowning, prevention, rescues and equipment, and emergency medical treatment. An appendix which includes sample forms used by lifeguard agencies is also a valuable resource for those who administer lifeguard services. The textbook is well written, clearly organized, and serves as the fundamental resource for our agencies in the Hawaiian Islands.

I believe Venture to Midnight is an amazing book and who wouldn't like it with a caracter like Blaine? Max and Rachael are wonderfully complex couple. I look forward to the upcoming books and will be sure to read them. I am one of Bryans biggest fans! Continue to amaze us Mr. Pedas.

All I have to say is where is the next book?? This story is so awesome that I could not put it down.. I am truly caught in the story and can't wait to see where it goes from there....
Love it.....

This book is this century's next great work. I was completely impressed and caught up in the characters and plotline. This is a must-read for any fan of Pedas. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work, especially anything including Mr. Cow.

What an amazing journey. Pedas has crafted a world which hasn't been visited since the great writings of Tolkien. Bravo, Pedas. Bravo.

When I heard that the infamous author of Mr. Cow was extending his talents to the world of fiction, I just couldn't resist. Venture to Midnight is a brilliantly crafted piece of literature that I had trouble putting down. Will Pedas be publishing more in the future? Possibly anything along the lines of chick-lit.? A few ideas come to mind...

I just finished David McCullough's "1776," having read Wheeler's "Voices of 1776" immediately prior.

While not as well known as David McCullough's book, "1776," "Voices of 1776" brings to life those in the thick of the Revolution, whether by choice or chance.

McCullough's does an excellent job of conveying the endless trials that Washington faced and his unflagging devotion to the cause.

Wheeler's book, however, was the more satisfying of the two.

Made up of excerpts from letters, diaries, and newspaper accounts of the day, woven together with historical context from the editor, the longer and frequently more detailed first person accounts in "Voices" give one a much better sense of the times.

And of course by letting the participants speak at length in their own voices, the accounts were more gripping.

Two other differences of note:

- "Voices" covers the entire conflict (in time and geography); McCullough's focuses on Washington and his leadership during a single year.

- McCullough's includes a some photographs and a few maps; the several detailed maps in "Voices" helped one understand the specific battles.

Those wanting to really understand life during the revolution will enjoy reading the accounts in "Voices of 1776."

This excellent volume is yet another compendium of primary source material coupled with the excellent commentary and summaries by the author. It is enlightening, accurate, lively, and just a plain good read. It is also an excellent research resource for further study of the period.

The war is covered through a continuous drum roll of accounts of the participants, ranging from a lively description of a hanging, which, failing the first time because of a faulty rope, the unfortunate party was 'launched into eternity' on the second go round, through the accurate description of the worthless militia that 'ran like a torrent' at the first clash at Camden in 1780, leaving the stalward Maryland and Delaware Continentals to slug it out alone and outnumbered under their respected commander, Baron de Kalb, who, after finally falling with his eleventh wound of the action, saw his faithful Continentals ground to destruction by overwhelming numbers of enemy infantry and cavalry. Finally, in one of the best quotes in the book, a Virginia officer saw and heard Washington relieve Lee at Monmouth, in the midst of the retreat, and that the Commander-in-Chief 'swore till the leaves shook on the trees' and that the language used on Lee was both 'charming' and 'delightful.' It is also noted that the Virginia officer himself was a master of the profane.

What this volume does provide is an authentic record of the men who fought and won the Revolution, through incredible hardship and long odds. What they won can be captioned simply by what a British officer told a Quaker in Philadelphia, 'You have got a hell of a fine country here.'

We should all take that comment to heart. Reading this book will give the reader a renewed aprreciation both for what we have and what these soldiers and statesmen wrougt by their dedication and sacrifice. This book is highly recommended.

"Voices of 1776" is a tale of the Revolutionary War from its' beginnings at Lexington, Concord and Breed's Hill (not Bunker Hill!) to the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. Mr. Wheeler tells his story in the actual words of the participants (on both sides)-hence the "voices" in the title. These are in the more formal, flowery method of speaking from that time and appear in regular typeface. Since this language can be hard to understand, the author includes his explanatory notes in "today's" style- but in italics!!It was very interesting -if challenging- to jump back and forth between the two. "1776" is written quite chronologically, so the reader should not become confused. If one is interested in the latter period of the War, it's easy to skip to that section of the narrative. The stories of the high points-the Battles of Breed's Hill,Saratoga,Trenton and John Paul Jones" naval exploits are all here with just the right amount of detail. Lesser known sides of the War such as the American invasion of Quebec and the troubles we had with Indians (even then!) are also included. Mr. Wheeler does a particularly fine job presenting the events of Benedict Arnold's treason and the dramatic execution of his contact, Major Andre. I'm always fascinated to relearn that so many bloody and decisive battles were fought in South Carolina! And anyone who doubts that France is not our friend will be set straight (no French=no surrender at Yorktown). This will make a fine read for a history buff, for those who wish to "review" for themselves their nation's history or perhaps for parents who want to "encourage" the same with the kids. Casual readers may be disappointed as may Vermont natives-The Battle of Bennington isn't covered!! A final helpful hint-the reader may wish to have a Rand McNally Atlas handy since geography is crucial to understanding the battles; the book's many maps are in the formal "style of the times".

This book is captivating even for non-"history buffs". I was so impressed by it that I ordered copies for several family members and friends and they rave about it. If the history books used in schools were even half this interesting we'd be a nation of history scholars. Having those who lived through it "tell" you what happened and how in such detail makes it a hard book to put down. It's the best 12 bucks you'll ever spend.

The Voices of 1776 by Richard Wheeler is a
great reference book. The book begins with the out
brake of the Revolutionary War on April 19th
seventeen-seventy-five. The book has a collection
of different accounts of the major battles and campaigns of the war. It is an easy book to read and
entertains the reader. The book also has maps that are useful in seeing the layout of the battles. This
book is recommended to any American history
buff, or some one who just loves good reading.

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I. Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.

I've been using Photoshop for years, but only recently for web graphics. This book totally opened my eyes to things I never knew it could do! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get more out of Photoshop. It's written clearly, even though it has too many typos, and gets right to the point.

This book is simply great for an amateur photoshop 5 user. I know what I'm doing, but I wouldn't consider my a pro. However, with the aid of this book, I can create graphics for my web site just like a professional. This book is invaluable as a learning tool and as a reference.

I have only scratched the surface of Photoshop. The directions in this book are very clear, and easy to follow. Even for me who jumped right into the middle of the book. It's set up in a logical learning sequence and covers EVERYTHING for someone wanting to use Photoshop for their webpages. I admit, it was an impulse buy for me, but it has been worth every cent.

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I.

Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.

I very rarely read a book a second time, but this one I will. I can't remember the last time I have been so touched by a book. It's accuracy and authenticity are incredible. Unlike some other reviewers, I don't know the author, but I sure wish I did!

The West Window has a dynamic story line that reminds us of the uneasy truth that family farms are steadily becoming extinct in New England. Set in 1948 when farms were more prolific, aging Harold, is set in his old ways of running a farm. Lonely and ailing, he hires a smart young mother, Shirley, to give him a hand with the cooking and chores. Harold soon finds out that Shirley can run the farm more efficiently than he ever did. An endearing and unforgettable character, Harold makes us laugh and cry. Yet Shirley's spunk and level-headedness to use technology for the survival of the farm, in the face of criticism and gossip, remind us to adapt and not give up on the things that matter most. Hall's skillful characterization is matched by his incredible detailing of farm life, woven throughout the story. You'll feel as though you have always known Harold, Shirley and all the other characters that fill their lives. So, if you can't get to Vermont, you can visit by reading The West Window.

My sister recommended this book to me,said it was a real page turner, and as I am currently a dairy farmer , that I would really enjoy this book, and was she ever right. Dairy farming has come a long was since the 40's, and so has Vermont. I knew the author as an extension agent for 4-H when I was a kid, and into 4-H Dairying. Thank you for a great read, and am looking forward to the next book.

I was hooked by the first chapter! This book was an excellent read and the characters were all very exciting. I know Mr. Hall personally and I hope he writes another novel. Enjoy!

ONCE I STARTED THIS BOOK I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I HOPE MR.HALL WRITES A SEQUEL OR TRIOLOGY.I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CHARATERS.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.JOHN HALL IS A TERRIFIC PERSON,MY HUSBAND USED TO SHOW REGISTER HOLSTIENS WITH HIM. SUE CAMP

Savannah Dawson worked in an advertising agency and had a rebellious fifteen, going-on-thirty, year old daughter named Emma. Savannah also told fortunes. It was a gift she had always possessed. So was her optimistic outlook on life. If an awful card turned up on a customer, like the card that predicts a loss, then Savannah would smile and tell the customer that she would probably only the ten extra pounds she had been exercising to get rid of in the first place. But when the cards showed Savannah bad news, she just knew it really was bad news. Her father was dying. So off she went to Arizona to be with him and a mother who hated her!

Emma saw the auras of people, but did not believe in magic and such like her mother did. She thought her mother was a dreamer and needed to wake up to reality. Emma could see her grandfather's dark aura, knew he did not have long, and therefore did not want to get to know him. She did not want to care for someone who was about to die, no matter how lovable he was. He was too much like Savannah.

Doug Dawson knew he was dying. He was in a hurry to finish his perfect garden before it happened though. He hired Jake Grey to build the perfect bench for it. Jake was thought of (by many) as a crazy man with even crazier dogs. Even Jake believed it! But one thing drove him even crazier, the thought of Savannah.

*** There is SO much that I am not telling. I got lost, not only in the lives of Savannah and Jake, but also in the lives of Emma and Eli, and Doug and Maggie. Then all of them must interchange to help each other pull through and learn hard lessons.

Author, Christy Yorke, had me shaking my head at Savannah's outlook on life, then at Emma's acting out for attention. I then found myself hopeful for Savannah, pulling for Jake, and weeping at the most tender of scenes. I cannot tell you what a marvel I believe this author to be! Highly recommended reading!

CHRISTY YORKE'S BOOKS TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY, SO REAL AND MAGICAL. HER CHARACTERS COME ALIVE AND YOU FEEL INVITED INTO THE REALM OF HER STORY. I HATE WHEN A BOOK OF HERS ENDS, AS IN WISHING GARDEN, THE STORY IS REAL OF LIFE, HOPE, AND WONDERMENT. IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO BELEIVE IN MAGIC AND THE REALM OF LIFE WE CAN FEEL AND NOT HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR LOGIC. IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE AN AUTHOR ACTUALLY CAPTURED ME, WITH HER CAPTIVATING AND GREAT CHARACTERS ALL SO REAL, I FELT I KNEW THEM. I AM A FAN OF HERS FOREVER NOW! A MUST READ AND BE SWEPT AWAY WITH HER MAGICAL, LYRICAL WRITING AS I HAVE BEEN. HOPE THIS WRITER, KEEPS WRITING FOR YEARS AND YEARS!!

Savannah Dawson worked in an advertising agency and had a rebellious fifteen, going-on-thirty, year old daughter named Emma. Savannah also told fortunes. It was a gift she had always possessed. So was her optimistic outlook on life. If an awful card turned up on a customer, like the card that predicts a loss, then Savannah would smile and tell the customer that she would probably only the ten extra pounds she had been exercising to get rid of in the first place. But when the cards showed Savannah bad news, she just knew it really was bad news. Her father was dying. So off she went to Arizona to be with him and a mother who hated her!

Emma saw the auras of people, but did not believe in magic and such like her mother did. She thought her mother was a dreamer and needed to wake up to reality. Emma could see her grandfather's dark aura, knew he did not have long, and therefore did not want to get to know him. She did not want to care for someone who was about to die, no matter how lovable he was. He was too much like Savannah.

Doug Dawson knew he was dying. He was in a hurry to finish his perfect garden before it happened though. He hired Jake Grey to build the perfect bench for it. Jake was thought of (by many) as a crazy man with even crazier dogs. Even Jake believed it! But one thing drove him even crazier, the thought of Savannah.

*** There is SO much that I am not telling. I got lost, not only in the lives of Savannah and Jake, but also in the lives of Emma and Eli, and Doug and Maggie. Then all of them must interchange to help each other pull through and learn hard lessons.

Author, Christy Yorke, had me shaking my head at Savannah's outlook on life, then at Emma's acting out for attention. I then found myself hopeful for Savannah, pulling for Jake, and weeping at the most tender of scenes. I cannot tell you what a marvel I believe this author to be! Highly recommended reading!

The Wishing Garden by Christy York is one of the most immediately emotionally engaging novels that I have ever read. It is filled with a large cast of well written characters and while it revolves around the life of Savannah Dawson it also introduces us to a host of unforgettable characters who after reading this book I have come to care for.

Savannah Dawson, a divorced mother of a fifteen-year-old girl, ad agent, and part time tarot card reader is called home to say goodbye to her dying father. She is also one of the most unrelentingly cheerful people ever created. This causes problems between her and her reality based angry mother, her angst-ridden daughter and was partially the cause of her divorce.

This is a quick moving character driven novel that is a perfect summer beach read.

I stumbled upon Ms. Yorke's first book, "Magic Spells", in the library and picked it up merely because a blurb on the cover compared her writing to Alice Hoffman's. Well, Ms. Yorke has got Hoffman beat by a country mile! Her writing is fresh, passionate, sensitive and poignant. I enjoyed every page of this story, which is ultimately about mothers and daughters, and read it again when I got to the end, that's how good the story was. I'm looking forward to her next book with great anticipation.

Among Titanic buffs, a "rivet counter" is a person whose primary interests in the Titanic lie in the direction of the physical details of the great ship rather than with her passengers or the drama of her last voyage.

"Titanic: The Ship Magnificent" is an unmatched resource about the physical ship. Printed on glossy stock with hundreds of diagrams and photographs (some from Titanic herself, others from her sister ship, Olympic, and other vessels of the era) the two massive volumes (Volume One deals with design and construction, Volume Two with interior decoration) cover virtually every imaginable aspect, from fabrication techniques used in constructing the hull to the various designs of First Class water closets (and china patterns).

I have a goodly number of "Titanic" books and have never seen anything that could remotely rival this set for portraying the physical reality of the ship. Obviously, this is not a work for the general or casual reader, or even a good overall account of the ship's fatal voyage, but any rivetcounter (or anyone with just a touch of that disease) would find these books endlessly fascinating.

Oh, and how many rivets? About three million were used to construct the Titanic's hull and superstructure.

When you first lift, or attempt to lift this book, you know right off you got your money's worth!

This is now my prize Titanic book, the only one close to it is "Anatomy of the Titanic" by Tom McCluskie. But this book blows that one out of the water, and the sheer amount of construction pictures and diagrams are outright insanity. My favorite aspect of Titanic and her sisters is the construction of the ships, and this book caters to people like me in a grand way!

The most interesting Titanic book I've gotten in a LONG time. Lit up my facsination all over again. Get it. NOW!

as a titanic manic this book let's you really see the ship's of dreams was really look like inside.everything in this ship was the best.

I have previously raved about Volume II in this series (which came out before Volume 1) and I will do so again here. This is meticulously researched and photo/illustration rich. This volume covers the building and hardware fitting out of the TItanic. Most of the illustrations come from her sister ship Olympic, but there are also many rare photos and illustrations here directly from the Titanic as well. From bulkheads to Marconi machinery, it is all here. Note that this does NOT include any of the "Titanic Story" -- this is pure, factual, blue-print type material about the ship itself, not it's sinking, its passengers, nor its crossing. I have been pouring over both of these volumes now for weeks, and just love them.

If, like me, you like to know every thing about the Titanic. If you are fascinated about this great ship, you have to own these two really magnificiant books. Many pictures, I hadn`t seen before.. Although I already have many books about that great ship, I have learned many new things about her. I do not regret that I add these two wonderful books to my Titanic books`collection and I recommand that you buy them if you are a truly fan of the Titanc ; More than ordinary books, these books are pieces of collection.

I was pleased with the purchase I made. The book I ordered came in the time specified and in the condition promised.

This Book should be on-hand for every literacy teacher. It provides scaffolded instruction for the teacher, who would like to be proficient in his and/or her classroom with their students.

A must have!

V.

This is an excellent go-to book for literacy strategies. I love how you can flip the page to the strategy you need, and it outlines, step-by-step exactly how to teach it. One of the top books I use regularly in my classroom!

This book has great literacy ideas to use in the classroom. The ideas are clearly explained and some examples are even shown. Great for ideas for strategies.

This book is a great resource for learning strategies. It includes how to successfully complete each strategy. This is a great resource to have.

So far so good. Realy well laid out. Just starting to explore it

I purchased this book to learn the basics of autocad map... a very similar program. The book is very easy to follow and detailed. Sykes does a great job of explaining all the autocad jargon and the step-by-step projects are perfect for becoming familiar with autocad tools. I haven't made it through the entire book yet, but I selectively read the chapters I needed to get me going within about 8hrs. Not too bad. Be sure to get the CD with the book as well as the reference card. I wished there would have been more info on how to layout the drawing for print and how to insert legends, scale, etc. but I suppose that is what the advanced book is for.
Overall, a very user friendly book if you want to become familiar with a not-so user friendly program. I look forward to purchasing the advanced book.

Pura vida.

For a student this book is the best. The step by step approach is excellent. I like the graphics and the pictures of what the screen looks like when I do the commands. Easy to follow and Sykes takes a difficult lesson and make it easy to understand.

This book is excellent! The step by step procedure, clear detailed graphics and the multimedia CD are all linked to each other which allow reader of any level to understand AutoCAD without any difficulty.

This is truly a step by step approach. It starts with the fundamentals. The progression from basics to advanced is very orderly. I have used this book to learn AutoCAD 2000 and now I highly recommend it as a text or a reference. I reach for this book when I need information or help with a command or sequence of commands that I have forgotten. The examples and exercises develop real understanding.

I just got this book for my new baby. He doesn't understand a word yet, but I read it to him almost every night because it's so touching and sweet. I'm really reading it for me right now.

I received "Because You Are My Baby" as a gift and my three-year-old son LOVES it! He picks it for me to read to him almost every night. He loves the beautiful illustrations and the whimsical, sweet scenes of just what a mom will do for her child when the sky's the limit.

I can't wait for the next book from Sherry North!

This book really describes the feeling of doing anything in the world to please your baby. Beautiful sparkling pictures and delightful rhymes and scenes of fun and adventure. Every new parent should have one.

"Because You Are My Baby" is the perfect book for any child. My son adores this book! The writing is fresh, intelligent and fun. The illustrations are fabulous! It is sure to become a classic. We are looking forward to the next Sherry North book!!!

Sherry North's book is a delight! It expresses a parent's love for a baby using interesting and contemporary ideas--and succeeds in being warm and real without seeming at all saccharine! Both the prose and the accompanying illustrations are very appealing, both to adults and to their children!
Dr. Lynn Wolf