John Books

Looking for a real life sailing adventure? Then this is the book. This is such a gem of a book. It is exciting to read the real life adventures of Peter's family and their adorable little seafaring dog. There is thrilling drama and excitement in every chapter. Peter's description of marine life is lovely. My family and I had the distinct pleasure of sailing with Peter one day in the waters off St. John's in December 2007. It is a day we will never forget. Don't miss the opportunity to read his lovely book.

I picked up Peter's book during my most recent trip to St John. I found it in a quaint shop in Coral Bay, and although I did not start it until I had returned home, I feel like I had not left the West Indies until I mournfully turned the last page. Peter's honest, soulful and beautiful writing will take you from the peaceful shores of St John to the turbulent waters surrounding Africa, all the while giving you a rare and crytsal clear glimpse into the beauties his world has to offer all of us. Grab a cold beer, turn off your phone and sail with Peter and his family, at least for a day. That is as long as it will take you to finish this book.

While the stories captivated me and Muilenberg's pacing kept me turning page after page to find out what happens next, the passages that gripped me the most were his descriptions of the natural beauty of the Caribbean. His astonishment at the colors and awesomeness and the astounding beauty of the natural world resonated with my own experience, although I could not have described it as poetically as he has. I read this book in St. John and so could observe directly some of the sights he describes; reading his stories deepened my own pleasure in being in that special part of the world. A superbly enjoyable read.

I found Peter's writing wonderful, and enjoyed his sailing stories. My reason for three stars is that more than half the stories center around his dog, saving his dog, his dog's bark, etc. etc.

While enjoying a full day sailing aboard Breath as paying customers some years ago, the author/captain/owner/builder of the vessel, his wife Dorothy, and their neighbors, who had come along to enjoy a sail and act as crew, talked about a book that Peter would some day publish.

After returning to the relative safety of Northern Virginia, I visited their website from time to time in order to do nothing more than copy the URL so that I could send it to friends and recommend a sail aboard Breath if they intended to visit St. John. On one of these website visits, I noticed that the book "had been realized" and was available.

This collection of stories permits the reader to read one, put the book down, and hours, days, or weeks later pick it up again with no loss in continuity. However, I almost dare you to try not to read this from cover to cover. I found each story compelling, intriguing, and well written. In fact, certain phrases caused me to search the internet to determine just why that particular phrase was used. In such searches, it became clear to me that Peter's education--the greater portion of which I am sure is self-taught--was much more extensive than mine. And as for putting the book down, I was moved to tears aboard a crowded Metro car while reading the story about a tinsmith. I thought to myself that I should put the book away for the remainder of my commute that day. But thinking and doing are two different things. I read on into the next story and the tears welled up in my eyes all over again as Peter related the sweeping overboard of their dog Santos on the Gambia River in the midst of circumstances not many of us will ever face.

Not every story is a sailing adventure. Some are about stops that Breath had made along the way to certain destinations or the destinations themselves. But this is no travelogue. It is about people, compassion, self-reliance, a love shared between a wonderful couple, and the uncertainty of life itself. I urge you to buy it, read it, and give it as a gift to others.

March never leaves my desk. It covers everything. From functional group transformations to mechanisms to FMO theory - you name it it's there. Highly recommended for any advanced undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral researcher. It's a bookshelf staple that any organic chemist should have available.

I'm pretty sure that you _must_ have this book if you are studying advanced organic chemistry. Maybe it's not the best one to use as a study guide, but it's extremely helpful as a reference book both for undergrads and graduate students. However, one can argue that this edition is a bit out-of-date.

I bought a copy of this text (2nd Ed) after finishing my sophomore year of college, and it proved to be the best single investment I've ever made in chemistry. I used it so often, I had to duct-tape the book together.

I think the happiest moment of my career was when my name appeared in the index of a later edition. Anyway, buy it and treasure it.

This is by far the best text I have found. Although it is considered a text book, it is more handy as a reference tool. I have seen no other book that contains more information than March's. This book is actually worth the price.

I paid more for my 4th ed. new, and find it to be worth even more. It is not a cookbook per se, but it is a very comprehensive textbook that details general reactions by functional group. It outlines every way known to remove, add to, or otherwise modify every functional group. There is as much commentary as is needed, if not more, and every pathway is mentioned regardless of how exotic or primitive and low-yielding. The corresponding OS synth refs for specific cpds. are given for each type of reaction, along with a total of 15,000 other refs in footnotes. This was cutting-edge in 92, with much updating of the 3rd ed. The index will take you to the section that shows how to make the manipulations you want - if it doesn't, it probably can't be done.

I am a photographer, and as one, I(at least I think) am great at photography, but terrible on the business side. I provide arbitrary (and some times unecessarily large) discounts, or price some of my services at very low rates.

This book provides very useful information for someone like me. Reminds me that in addition to the "art" aspect, photography is also a business that must be self sustained in order to support me...

Very well written, and inspirational in its own unique way.

I am always a little suspicious of reviews of books, since so many of them are made by friends of the author, but this book is definitely a "must read" for any photographer that is serious about making it in this business, regardless of what sector you are interested in. It definitely is an eye opener on some subjects, and makes you aware of things you never thought of, on others. Regardless of whether you are a working pro now, or thinking about it, buy this book, period! This book pretty much covers it all from a business standpoint. I'm glad I choose this one over all of the others.

If you are in any way interested in striking out on your own as a freelance photographer--or any other kind of independent professional photographer--just buy this book. It's got all the information you will need to get your business up and running. Of course, if your pictures such, this will do nothing to help you, because there is not information about exposure, lighting, etc. It's strictly business, so you might not need to buy this... yet.

I read John's excellent book on business twice and then met him at the ASMP seminar in LA. This is not a how-to take good photos book rather a how-to negotiate effectively and stay in business and MAKE MONEY!
I have applied all his techniques and can promise it increased my income! I learned to price on usage and value.
Highly recommended to professional photographers and starting out photographers that would like to learn the business side of photography.
Jason
www.wallisphoto.com

If you're looking for a behind-the-scenes view at what it takes to be a truly successful commercial photographer, this book offers about the best picture you're going to get. I don't think John leaves one stone unturned in detailing all the facets of the business. Here is a sampling of some of the topics covered:

- Tactical decision making and serving the overall strategy
- Importance of proper equipment
- Being prepared for the unexpected
- Working with employees, contractors, interns, and apprentices
- Pricing and licensing your work to stay in business
- A real cost-of-doing-business approach with a photography-tailored CODB calculator
- Proper bookkeeping and accounting
- All types of insurance needed, and the importance of a COI (certificate of insurance)
- Everything about legal issues including copyright registration, infringements, and contract breaches
- All types of contracts and negotiations with real-life examples, and when to say "no"
- Why you need an accountant and an attorney, and what to ask them
- Great methods for dealing with slow and non-paying clients
- The power of email and professional writing along with the use of proper signatures
- Great advice on proper storage archiving, redundancy, security, and the importance of backing up both onsite and offsite in this new digital age

John also offers ample recommended reading at the end of each chapter, and sites excellent references from other sources throughout the book. There's no question John has been around the block multiple times in this industry. Some of the stories he tells are invaluable lessons and give real insights into the rapport of the business. The book is also up to date with discussions on the new and various methods of tapping into that extra stock revenue using the latest stock portals such as Digital Railroad and PhotoShelter. Through all of this, John does not lose sight of the importance of the human aspect, covering everything from the proper care and feeding of your clients to ongoing education, networking, charity, and giving back. And in case you are wondering, he explains how it is possible to do what you love and still have time for your loved ones.

In summary, a fantastic book, and one that will have a lasting impact on both your business and your personal life. Thanks John for paying it forward.

John peel created a work of art with this book. the other books in the seiris don't even come close to this. you have got to read this one!

The action, the plot...
John Peel has a way with words!
What really is surprising is how the relationships are curving between characters!(You'll have to read to know, Sorry!)
I sure hope a movie is coming!(According to my scrying pool)

Diadem is one of my favorite series along with Mindwarp and Animorphs. It is a great mix of suspense and fantasy. Once you start reading you can't put the book down. You just have to keep reading. The books actually make you feel like you're there with Helaine, Score and Pixel. The only thing that angers me is that John Peel stopped at book #6 and left the series hanging! Mr. Peel, please write more!!!! :(

When Helaine and Pixel go to earth with Score, you just know it will be funny. It was a great idea to have them visit earth because all the readers know what earth is like (I hope) and they may not know much about Helaines' medieval world of Ordin or Pixels' virtual reality world Calomir. Read this book if you want to see how earthings react to magic-users!

John Peel is one of the best authors in the world! This is my favorite book out of the diadem series, and it was really hard to pick a favorite. If you know that he's going to be writting more books, please E-mail me. And take my word for it, after you read one of the books, your hooked!

This book has some very good and interesting info about how the brain works and how we think and react to different things. The only complaint I have is that the included DVD that came with the book did not have any audio, whether I played it on my PC or through my home DVD player. There wasn't a way for me to check with any type of tech support either. None the less the book is a joy to read.

This book has some excellent research and thought provoking information for anyone involved with learning. As a working professional in the field of Human Resource Development I will be incorporating some of Dr. Medina's research and vision into our corporate learning strategy.

This book is partly an academic-style introduction to brain research and partly a jauntily written practical "how-to" about getting the most from your brain. John Medina has a warm, upbeat persona, and skillfully incorporates stories from his experiences to illustrate points he makes in the book. From time to time he forgets to connect the dots for readers who are new to the material, and so doesn't always articulate the full point or parallel he is making. However, he gives a broad overview of brain research and makes a conscious effort to practice the rules he preaches. He repeats information, as research says he should, and uses lively, varied examples to engage the reader. To reinforce the book's lessons with visual and aural sensory input, the publisher provides a supplemental DVD. Medina summarizes his key points, and touches briefly on the real-world implications and applications of the findings he covers. getAbstract recommends this book to parents, educators, human-resources professionals, executives and all those who want to help themselves, their children or their employees reach their full intellectual potential.

This is a great book and DVD combo especially for educators, parents, and students. The research is written in light layman's terms with a fun, light style. All of the information is useful and can be put into practice immediately to help the reader learn, teach, and possibly prevent depression, dementia and other brain disorders.

I have read Dr. Braverman's books( Younger You and Younger You), and his material conflicts with this author's material. I do agree with using something like the system given in Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You! to go over information lots of times. Just take data and see what works best for you! This book will give you some ideas to try

When I was diagnosed in 2005, I was absolutely overwhelmed with fear, information, and decisions. This book is the only one I found that made sense to me. It is clear, concise, and very encouraging. Dr. Link's approach is from a place of genuine respect and regard, and he knows exactly what survivors need to know right away. Reading this book really helped me make the best treatment decisions for myself, with the best information available. The book teaches survivors (who for the most part are not medical professionals, but will unfortunately have to get to that level pretty quickly) how to read pathology reports, and helps you formulate the questions you need to have answered to make your choices. I recommend it to everyone I know who is newly diagnosed.

Very good basic guide for one suffering from breast cancer, one problem was that it was 8 years outdated. Would have been better had it been updated, new treatments are always being discovered. It was a good overview, though.

A book for those who are newly diagnosed with cancer. The book describes in detail the different stages of breast cancer. It also discusses how individuals should see doctors for a second opinion. Another great part about the book is the differences in opinion about how to manage breast cancer, and the different paths to take.

I bought this book when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The first advice it gives was a breath of fresh air in the middle of a maelstrom. It simply said "you have time." It also gives great advice on second opinions. Besides this first advice the book is filled with general information written in easy to understand english. Some of the info applies some of it doesn't, everyones cancer is different. I greatly recomend this book to all those of us faced with this challenge. It provides you with the information doctors usually don't take the time to give you. A must read before your next doctors visit. One caveat: if you are looking for a feel good read this is not it... this is a serious book of medical information.

I just had this mailed to a friend who was recently diagnosed with very aggressive Breast Cancer. She is only 41. When I was 41 in 2000, I was also diagnosed. This book helped me so much! It is informative and easy to understand. It is not a dry read, like other books on this subject. Most importantly, it is not a downer. While this book is realistic it is also upbeat. I tried reading Dr. Susan Love's book and it was so depressing I could only read one chapter.

A mystery, a love story, a classic work of literature.

After many years, Peter and Harriet marry. Those who have loved them are overjoyed (a feeling readers of earlier Sayers novels share). But murder follows the detective and his author bride-- a body is found on their honeymoon.

I love this book because of what Dorothy Sayers has to say about love between friends and equals. You will care about every character in this wonderful book and appreciate her portrait of life in pre-World War II England.

Others have covered the ground of the story itself pretty well so I'll try to add something new.
I liked "The Unpleasantness at the Belonna Club" and "Whose Body?" somewhat better than this title.... BUT this one is really still just a SUPER classic English murder mystery. The inclusion of Harriet Vane (mystery-writing wife of Lord Peter Wimsey), into the Wimsey series was, in my opinion, a big plus. She really gives Wimsey someone to play off of, in addition to the ever-present and loyal Bunter, Wimsey's astute right-hand man.
This work precedes "Thrones, Dominations," which was an incomplete manuscript by Sayers at the time of her death and was finished by Jill Paton Walsh, who did a superb job of tying up this worthwhile project. (I recommend that you read the two works sequentially!)
So, I highly recommend this fine mystery to all fans of the genre -- it's at least equivalent in pleasure value to Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd."

This entry in the Lord Peter Whimsey/Harriet Vane series is a little unusual because it has more humor than usual. You get to see a more light hearted Lord Peter, at least until the murder. Agatha Christi concentrates a little more on the relations between Lord Peter and Harriet, starting just after thier engagement and continuing through the honeymoon. You will have to sit through a lot of letter and journal reading in the beginning, but it is worth wading through for the background. A delightful story.

Busman's Honeymoon is a classic which deserves to be read and reread for a long time to come. It's beautifully written--funny, sad and suspenseful. Peter Wimsey is an extremely sympathetic character.

Lord Peter and Harriet Vane are married. In a series of letters we learn the details of the wedding and honeymoon. Due to the malicious meddling of Lord Peter's sister-in-law and the hounding of the press, the bride and groom decide at the last minute to be married in a small chapel in Oxford. Harriet has asked Lord Peter to buy her a beautiful and ancient farmhouse in the country where they decide to go for their honeymoon.

The adjustment to marring someone with money is a hurdle for Harriet. She buys him an expensive wedding gift that is just right, and with the last of her money she buys a gold designer wedding dress from Worth which suits her dark beauty perfectly. Lord Peter has made her independently wealthy but she has difficulty understanding the details. All that matters is that she has completely given her heart to Peter.

However, the honeymoon is not the quiet country idyll the Wimseys were longing for. The discovery of a body in the basement of their new home causes Lord Peter and Harriet to be swept up in a murder investigation and the press are once again at their door. While distracting, the investigation does not keep them from sharing many deep passionate moments. It does, however, cause them to confront difficulties in their personalities and temperaments.

Sayers writes with her usual wonderful characterizations and evocative style. The reader is transported to 1930's England, a simpler more elegant time. The intricacies of a grisly murder investigation throw into relief the charm of the simple life. Yet somehow this story has a more somber tone than the other Lord Peter mysteries, perhaps because it is the last book of the series. At any rate, once again Sayers delivers prime entertainment and an enchanting detective mystery, only this time Lord Peter is finally in a settled relationship with his beloved.

I read "Cache Lake Country" in 1968. I was delighted to find it in print again...like meeting an old friend.
Thank you.

I have read a lot of outdoor books over the last 40 years, and this is one of the best. I am going to research the author, John J. Rowlands, because he was obviously a fascinating man who lead a very interesting life. This book tells about 12 months living in a cabin on a lake in Northern Onatario. At the time Rowlands was working as a timber cruiser, evaluating forests for use as lumber. He happened upon his ideal lake and was lucky enough to get stationed there by his company. He was also very lucky to have two great friends living within miles (within signaling distance via the various drums, horns etc. they engineered), on other little lakes. Together the three lived every outdoor boy's dream life of independence and adventure. This book has stuff about canoes, wild animals, sled dogs, snowshoes, knives, axes, the history of the lumber camps, and many boy-scout like craft projects. I just wish it was a lot longer.

A good book but I didn't think it was as easy to read as friends lead me to believe. A tremendous amount of reference material, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found the book enlightening and informative. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy and learn from this book.

I'm going to be a little less enthusiastic, but only a little, than some of the other reviewers here. I really did like this book, but for some reason it just didn't quite pull me into the time, place, space the way it did some others- although it didn't miss by much.

This is a very unique book-probably reminding me of my old Boy Scout Fieldbook (a little more detailed and survival-oriented than the handbook) more than a typical non-fiction work. The illustrations are great as well as occasionally light-hearted, and if you are at all handy or have an engineering or for that matter, culinary bent, you will find plenty of recipes and blueprints for food, tools, gadgets- even crystal radio sets or birch bark canoes. While some of these you'd probably have to find some supplemental information to make, most come so well described and diagrammed that you could probably build them or bake them directly from the book.

For me the best part is the author's midwest and at times almost cowboy way of describing life. His time around rough loggers in the days when horses and two man saws were still the order of the day especially captured my imagination. Like many readers, I'm a lot hermit, and the thought of life in a cabin in the north woods with nothing but snow, bear, moose, and wind has a certain charm, and I'm grateful to Rowlands for giving enough of a story to enjoy a bit of that charm vicariously. An excellent and unique book, and for some it will probably become a treasured possession.

One of the very special merits of Dr. Newton's "Complete Conduct Principles for the 21st Century" is strict logic, being revealed throughout the whole book. This merit makes the sentences of the book reasonable and precise.

I especially like the Principle of "Lasting" (# 103): "A real friendship should not fade as time passes, and should not weaken because of space separation." What a beautiful and respectable mind! Few friendships have ever attained that. I hope our human beings will be improved by this great book.

Reading the book increases my hope of a better world in this century, which sadly begins with a dark side. May more people read it!

How nice it is! If one wishes to make his or her
life smoother and happier and do whatever he or
she likes without making others unpleasant, this
is a book he or she needs to read.

I agree:
How to make the world peaceful and better --
The solution can be found in Dr. John Newton's "Complete Conduct Principles for the 21st Century". This is what people in the whole world need, especially now.

I purchased this book intending to get an unbiased view of the Spanish exploration of the New World. That is a difficult task given the nature of 20th & 21st Century academia.

This text, an eye witness account of what happened on real explorations, more than satisfies my objective. What's more, it's as exciting as can be... kind of like Star Wars... exploring new worlds, defeating the bad guys and establishing new alliances.

Excellent work.

If I could rate this work greater than five stars, I would. Not that it's the most erudite of tales but simply because it is the truth as Bernal Diaz experienced it. Almost certainly, it isn't one hundred percent accurate for Diaz' experiences are necessarily modified by the years separating his experiences from his writing of it. Nor was he, or any other member of the Cortez' expedition, an anthropologist, ethnographesr, scientist or even a particularly accurate observer. They were simple men--brave men, brutal men, trapped men--bent on plunder.

Still the Bernal Diaz memoirs are as good as it gets regarding the Conquest of Mexico and, as such, is an invaluable account. I find his account so important that I used it as my primary source in researching my novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico. I loved it when Diaz remarks towards the end of his account that, even in his old age, he wasn't able to sleep the night through. He "had to get up and look around." It's fascinating to note that basic human nature doesn't really change. Bernal Diaz del Castillo was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder induced by the fearful events of his two year battle in Mexico. Also, I loved it when he commented--also toward the end of his tale--that "although we robbed the Indiains, Cortez robbed his soldiers even more."

Cortez, for all his brillianace, luck and perseveranace, was, at the end, nothing more than a common thief.

Ron Braithwaite

When I first read the 1800 English translation, I could not put it down. Here are the first lines--a real grabbers! "In the year 1514, I left Castile (Spain) in company with Pedro Arias de Avila, who was then appointed governor of Tierra Firma (east Panama)...but afterwards suspicious that his son-in-law had an intention of revolting, he caused him to be beheaded."

Bernal's description of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan is amazing: "To many of us it appeared doubtful whether we were asleep of awake; nor is the manner in which I express myself to be wondered at, for it must be considered, that never yet did man see, hear or dream of anything equal to the spectacle which appeared to our eyes on this day."

And how about this magnificent line: "And now, let who can, tell me, where are men in this world to be found, except ourselves, who would have hazarded such an attempt."

And here is the horrific vision the Spaniards beheld when they climbed to the top of the great Aztec temple-pyramid. Remember that nearby, and looming up like a nightmare, was the stupendous "tzompantli," or skull rack. By careful Spanish count, it contained the grinning remains of 136,000 human beings.

"In this place they had a drum of most enormous size, the head of which was made of the skins of large serpents: this instrument when struck resounded with a noise that could be heard to the distance of two leagues, and so doleful that it deserved to be named the music of the infernal regions; and with their horrible sounding horns and trumpets, their great knives for sacrifice, their human victims, and their blood besprinkled altars, I devoted them, and all their wickedness to God's vengeance, and thought that the time would never arrive, that I should escape from this scene of human butchery, horrible smells, and more detestable sights."

The Conquest takes on a different color when seen through the eyes of the Spanish. Yes, they were greedy and cruel, but the scale of human sacrifice practiced by the Aztecs was beyond imagination. It is said that some twenty thousand people were sacrificed for the dedication of the Temple of the Sun. The Aztec priests worked for hours on end cutting out human hearts. They worked until they collapsed from exhaustion.

Bernal's history is also interesting for another entirely different reason. Joseph Smith (born 1805), the Mormon prophet, came of age during the period of English translations of Spanish histories (Bernal's in 1800 in London, and 1803 in the US, and Clevigero's "History of Mexico" in 1806 in Virginia and 1817 in Philadelphia).

Therefore, the golden splendor of the Spanish conquests of Mexico and Peru was fresh on everyone's mind, especially because the Spanish colony of Florida had become an American state (1821).

Thus, any notion that Americans were unaware of the great civilizations of ancient America is without foundation in real history. Ancient civilizations in America were so on the mind of people that in 1816, Solomon Spaulding wrote a history about a white and dark race in ancient America. His novel, "Manuscript Found," had the white race of mound builders destroyed by a darker-skin race.

Read my review of Robert Silverberg's magnificent book, "The Mound Builders of Ancient America: The Archaeology of a Myth." A must-read for anyone interested in the archaeology and myths about ancient America. Click here: Mound Builders

First person historical accounts are generally the best way to read history and have it come alive in the mind of the reader. This book by Bernal Diaz is certainly no exception to that rule. Although Diaz wrote this much later in life, and doubtless his memory was not perfect, it is obvious that the experience of marching with Cortez in the conquest of the Aztec empire left innumerable vivid memories in his mind.

I am very sensitive to the fact that the conquest of the Aztec empire and other native empires in the Americas left a horrific legacy which is still felt dramatically throughout the hemisphere. Despite the fact that in many ways, the conquistadors should not be considered "heroes," I think we still can admire and be awed by their courage and fortitude in the face of unbelievable odds in facing the Aztecs and not only escaping with their lives, but eventually conquering the entire civilization. Diaz brings these events to life better than any history book I ever read, and I highly commend this book to anyone interested in the history of this period, of Mexico, or Latin America in general.

Diaz was one of the soldiers who accompanied Cortez to invade the Aztec Empire. His account is one of the best we have of the whole affair. It is not written with much bias and was written to discount historical myths after the invasion had taken place. It is very analytical at times and his analysis of what happened is given added authority since he was present at the events. If you want to understand what happened this is a great book to read.