John Books

Mr. Alton does a commendable job of combining Eastern and Western medicinal philosophies, with easy-to-understand chapters and diagrams. I've been fortunate to live in Charlottesville and study with Mr. Alton. This book gives everyone not located in the Charlottesville area the opportunity to take advantage of "Unified Fitness". The system is easy to follow and well laid out in the book. The ultimate result does depend on the individual. "Unified Fitness" has to be incorporated into your life to obtain the most benefit.

"Unified Fitness" combines mind and body exercises that really work. Alton also touches on diet and coping with stress in the modern world in addition to examining the micro-biology of his program's effects. Mr. Alton has an extensive background in Qigong, Martial Arts, and Eastern/Western medicine. For someone who is looking for peace of mind and body, I couldn't recommend a better book for your overall health.

Mr. Alton does a commendable job of combining Eastern and Western medicinal philosophies, with easy-to-understand chapters and diagrams. I've been fortunate to live in Charlottesville and study with Mr. Alton. This book gives everyone not located in the Charlottesville area the opportunity to take advantage of "Unified Fitness". The system is easy to follow and well laid out in the book. The ultimate result does depend on the individual. "Unified Fitness" has to be incorporated into your life to obtain the most benefit.

"Unified Fitness" combines mind and body exercises that really work. Alton also touches on diet and coping with stress in the modern world in addition to examining the micro-biology of his program's effects. Mr. Alton has an extensive background in Qigong, Martial Arts, and Eastern/Western medicine. For someone who is looking for peace of mind and body, I couldn't recommend a better book for your overall health.

I have read all the gushing glowing reviews and thought I would add my 2 cents, as a nonchalant reader of this book. If you take the "35 days" in the title seriously, you should be prepared to spend most of your waking hours with this book during those days.

I have been less dedicated, and more attached to my normal life habits, and therefore haven't persued the whole program. I'm also not sick, just slightly out of shape. I used to practice tai chi daily for several years, but have fallen out of practice.

That being said, I have benefited from the stretching routine that John recommends in the beginning of the book. I haven't ever seen any other regimented stretching program which does a good job for the shoulders and trunk of the body. There are also a lot of good ideas for stretching the legs and lower back. So I have found a lot of value from just the first ten pages of the book.

Be careful. Anybody reading this book should trust their own body before trusting John's authoritative writing style. If you follow his suggestions mindlessly, you will probably hurt yourself.

I deducted a star from the rating because of the poor quality of the binding of my copy of the book. Pages were falling out. I had to take it to a print shop and get it rebound with a spiral. Now it is much easier to lay it flat and refer to it while stretching.

Unified Fitness is awesome! As a high stress, type "A" person, I've tried every mind-body practice out there: biofeedback, mindfulness-based meditation, yoga, etc. Unified Fitness is the only practice that has provided tangible results and real, lasting benefits. By combining traditional exercise with mind-body techniques that actually work, John Alton has created a program that resonates with those of us who are not completely comfortable with many of the new age or purely spirituality-based practices that one typically finds. It takes some effort and time, but the results are nothing short of astounding! Buy it, read it, practice it and you just might change your life.

John Alton's Unified Fitness presents a powerful new practical vision of traditional Asian healing and contemplative practices. Working with an intimate knowledge of traditional Chinese practices, he has reformulated the entire system from the ground up based on its core principles to create a new process designed to suit contemporary lifestyles and realities. The book cuts through the difficulties of traditional presentations, as well as the superficiality of so many contemporary "manuals", to achieve a rare and powerful synthesis with potent results for personal physical and mental health. Despite being an associate Professor at the University of Virginia in Tibetan Buddhist Studies specializing in contemplative systems with many years of research in Tibet itself, I have seen few contemporary models so deeply based in Asian healing-contemplative traditions, and yet so precisely and powerfully reorganized for a contemporary audience. I highly recommend Unified Fitness.

Good luck in finding the original titled novel anywhere. Copies are hard to come by in any condition. Mine is "The Literary Guild of America," 1942. Hard Cover. The dust jacket has a picture of a house and a tree over looking a cliff to the see. At first I thought it was taken from the scene in the movie by the same name. However that is the description in the book. There is even an edition that was made for the troops during the war. And not any cheaper is the Bantam Books, 1947 Paperback.

Unless you collect screen plays, be careful as the play is also out in book form.

I first saw the movie (1944) that is good in its own right. Staring Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey. You know it will be different but which one is better. In this case they are quite different and both just as good in different ways.

Roderick Fitzgerald and his sister Pamela are in search of a house and find one with some beach front. After negotiation the price they move in and may have found more then the bargain. Read about there unique way of coping with the situation.

The story is refreshing. However the real worth of the book is the writing style of Dorothy Macardle. I was not prepared with my English to English conversion books. She also writes in the time of the time and uses terms local to the England of the 40's If you like this story then she also wrote "The Unforeseen" equally as good.

I first read this book at about the age of ten, after watching the 1944 film on late night on television (I was enthralled). There are sub-plots and characters which weren't included in the movie version, but Macardle's fluid writing style keeps one's interest until the last page. The story is about strange ghostly disturbances at "Cliff End" (in the movie, the Georgian house was re-named "Windward"). There are wonderful characters: the Fitzgeralds (Pamela and Roderick) who are siblings, Stella Merideth, the young moonstruck girl who's enchanted by the dangers which lure her into her mother's past. Commander Beech is gruff and Miss Holloway is cold and rather heartless (especially towards Stella; her supposed mother was an "intimate friend" of Holloway's). The Spanish Gypsy - Carmel Casada - whom Llewellyn used as a model for his paintings holds the key to the puzzle....Macardle uses plenty of exclaimation marks throughout the book and her writing style is a wee bit dated - but this story has an ingeniously unique twist in which readers of the ghost genre should appreciate. The Irish Ms. Macardle also wrote THE UNFORESEEN, (about a woman with "second sight") DARK ENCHANTMENT (about witchcraft in France) and a non-fiction book entitled THE IRISH REPUBLIC.

This is a solid play of a good novel, but it is unlikely that any viewer can see it without having first seen the film version with Ray Milland. The surprises and twists are all there and the dialogue works well. A solid play.

Saw the movie when I was a kid - read the book at the library, then finally bought the republished edition from Amazon. Characters are beautifully drawn, and the love story is great. A great English mystery novel.

This is a wonderful timeless story by Dorothy Macardle. I own a hard back copy of this and try to read it at least once every couple of years. There is a light and breezy feel to this book and it would be the perfect summer read if you are tired of the run-of-the-mill.

Roderick and his sister Pamela leave the hustle and bustle of modern London looking for that perfect house on the English coast. What they find is the beautiful Cliff End overlooking the sea. From their first meeting with the sweet and lovely young Stella Meredith, whose grandfather owns the house, we know there is a larger mystery here. This is a good novel that slowly unfolds as we learn of Stella's mother Mary, and the beautiful Spanish girl Carmel who was seduced by Stella's father.

Who is the appiration that appears at the top of the stairway and why does the sickening cold always precede it? Why are there moans of anguish coming from the room that used to be the nursery? What is the real mystery of Mary's death? What about that Mimosa scent that comes with the moaning? And why do things get more stirred up every time young Stella is there? Roderick has fallen for the sweet Stella just as the reader has and both must find out.

What makes this such an excellent read is that it treats this as a straightforward story of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances, slowly unfolding as Roderick and Pamela attempt to solve this maddening riddle to an otherwise wonderful house they don't want to leave.

Both the mystery and ghost story all takes place in an entertaining day-to-day life in the English countryside kind of way, with a growing romance inching its way towards the center. Go out to your garden or your patio, pour yourself a big glass of iced tea, and enjoy something truly origional. This is a great light summer read and inspired the finest film of its kind ever made in The Uninvited, starring Ray Milland the lovely Gail Russell. You don't want to miss either.

Donald Kraybill does an outstanding job of showing that what Jesus is all
abut is pretty much contrary to our normal assumptions--that is wahat he means by "the upside-down kingdom." What Jesus preached and what he lived is almost the opposite of what we consider normal or workable. For instance, Jesus said that the only solution to violence is non-violence, in any and all situations. We don't just tolerate those people we can't stand, we actively recriut their help, promote their well-being and have them understand that they are of immense importance, whether we agree we them or not. Love is what animates all of our thinking and doing, a love that goes out of the way to include everyone. A truly great book that will cause a person to rethink Jesus and what is meant as to His being the son of God--and just what is demanded of those of us who claim to be His followers.

The book, The Upside-Down Kingdom, is an excellent book. I would highly recommend it. I also would highly recommend your services. You, again, were very prompt and very accurate in your response. Thank you. Agnes Goertzen

Don Kraybill has done a wonderful job of clearing any misconceptions of the purpose of Jesus' ministry in the three years he was on this earth. Kraybill looks at opposites in our society such as rich and poor, slave and free, amongst others and tackling the realities of each being apart of the other. The book has had a real impact on my relationship with God and my relationship with others. I recommemd the book to anyone who is looking for ways to make changes in our right-side up kingdom.

"-teaching and preaching ministries ought to call people to a common faith in Jesus Christ that transcends social ties. Is our common bond of unity in Christ stronger than the social glue that holds us together? This is precisely the genius of the gospel. Diverse people from all sorts of boxes are reconciled together in Jesus Christ." (pg 226)

Kraybill, Donald B. The Upside Down Kingdom Revised Ed. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990. 275pg.

Authors Purpose(s)
In part this book is meant to show the believer what the world could be if we would only live out the beatitudes in our lives. The book clearly has human relationships in mind with everything it says. It is an assessment of the sociological systems in place and the statements of Jesus. It is about the upside down kingdom that Jesus ushered us into and how he was not only countercultural in His day but also in our own. As Donald Kraybill writes, "I hope the upside down perspective will provoke stimulating discussions enabling Christian believers to more accurately discern God's will for their lives."
Survey of Covered Topics
1. In the first section of this book Donald Kraybill defines the world he sees around him as being upside down from the world God created for His people. He also looks at a number of "detour[s]" that people use to "evade the kingdom message and bypass its relevance for today." These detours include a number of lies we allow ourselves to believe, such as seeing Jesus as culturally irrelevant to our society or the over spiritualization of Christ's words that make them emotional and take away from their practicality.
2. The second section of the book deals with the political, religious, and economic situations or Jesus' day. The main thrust however is devoted to political sways. Special interest is paid to the attitudes of the Jews towards gentile culture around the time of Alexander and Herod the Great.
3. This third section deals with the complexities of Jewish code and its casts of people. Great descriptors are given of the temple and the worshipers and solid distinctions are made between casts. Most importantly however is the explanation of those Jews for whom hope was found in the coming kingdom of the Messiah.
4. In the fourth section Kraybill asks the reader to look at the divisions of wealth and poor. There is also an important underlining theme that suggests Christ' wish to return to Galilee and care for the physical needs of the poor. It is clearly a precursor to talk later about "blessed is the poor" and "blessed are the hungry" in later chapters.
5. Chapter five is closely related as is talks about slavery and Jubilee. This chapter is about God being the true owner of everything including the people of the world and how we are but lowly stewards of his creation. It is about Christ and his relationship to the people and about a new kind of celebration of the Jubilee in an unexpected way.
6. This section of the book gives an extremely interesting picture of Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler and the existence of "treasures in heaven" and gives a wonderful example of Christ' view of money. Continually Christ used stories and images to overturn the assumptions of the day and uphold the low, the poor and the oppressed. Interestingly though the poor are not let off the hook by Christ when it comes to giving. They are shown to be just as expected to give as everyone else. (127)
7. Similarly Chapter seven looks at the parable of the talents and our responsibility to what we have been given from God. The chapter also talks about the ancient version of "health and wealth gospel" and how we are to seek the Kingdom of God's Judgment and not monetary wealth. It also talk about the persistent presence of the poor, the importance of tithing, the attitude and means by which you give, and perhaps most importantly the ability to asses ourselves on the world scale of wealth and not on the lists printed in Forbes.
8. In this section Mr. Kraybill devotes much time to the discussion of piety. He writes about the divisions of Pharisees and Sadducees. He writes about the Laws of Moses and differing applications. He writes about Jesus' picking of grain on the Sabbath and about cleanliness. Christ' expectance of the "unclean" or "last" is a direct counter to the culture of the Church in his day and Kraybill presents a case by which Jesus upturned this system. (159)
9. By chapter nine, Donald Kraybill has begun to get into the more difficult assertion of Christ to love ones enemies. Here much attention is paid to the word "Agape" and how it is applied to loving our neighbors who Kraybill describes as "everyone". (188) Though not fully dealt with in terms of "Law" Kraybill also confronts Jesus' command to overturn or add to the law of "an eye for an eye". (190-195) Perhaps nowhere else does the author show Christ' upside down ideas about the kingdom then he does here.
10. The tenth chapter of this book focuses on the different kinds of social connections people make with each other. It then shows the reader a number of applications including nationalism, ethnic superiority, religious piety, and sexual discrimination. These things Mr. Kraybill calls blocks "to the commission to evangelize", and what's more he gives examples of Jesus breaking down these barriers. (226)
11. In this section Donald Kraybill talks about the authority of Jesus and how he uses it for the good of others. It is about how Jesus came to serve and "look up the ladder". (244) As Kraybill writes "The hallmark of Jesus' upside-down power was his willingness to spurn what was rightfully his. Instead of mimicking a typical king, Jesus worked from the bottom up. Rather than demanding service, he served. Rather than dominating he invited."
12. The final chapter of this book is a simple recap of the previous sections. In it Kraybill writes about Jesus as a servant and a washer of feet. He writes about Christ living what seems to us as an upside down kingdom. He writes about a Jesus who "-challenged the conventional definitions of religious behavior", and who "upset the bedrock assumptions of the pious". (259)
Critical Assessment
Positive
First and foremost I noticed Donald Kraybill's great and undeniable love for his Bible. The stories he tells are wonderfully told and right from his heart. Second, I could not help but appreciate that Christ was not shown only through the modern rose colored glasses that see him only as meek and mild. Instead He is shown as a figure of great authority and power yelling "Get thee behind me Satan!", and as the man who told the disciples to buy swords at the Last Supper. (36; 56) In addition I found chapter two to be extremely informative. Kraybill's information of the Jubilee was new to me and that is becoming somewhat rare at this point in my studies. (93)
As well I found chapter six to be particularly intriguing. It is a chapter that could launch a hundred sermons and I am sure to use it in the future. Especially I loved the analysis of Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler as it introduces a number of wonderful topics. Most interestingly though are the small tidbits of information that expound upon the details of the biblical texts all throughout this book. They are insightful, sometimes questionable but always interesting. Although these seemingly unimportant details make up the majority of my "positives" list, I also found the point of the book to be right on target. The upside down kingdom of Christ is presented with crystal clarity. The lives that we could be living are staring up at us from the words of Jesus and today's Church should be attempting to turn our systems on end in light of the cross.
Negative
Though surprising to me, I have little to complain about from this book. The "negatives" I have are miniscule and largely stylistic. One problem that I had with the book is the assertion that "Jesus [wasn't] tempted to turn stones into bread merely because he was hungry" and the subsequent remarks in the book that I believe over dramatize and go far beyond what we are told in the Bible. (74) For me the literary liberties that are taken seem to overtake common sense and in some cases distract me from the reading.
Another sore point with me (though it was only but a drop of water in the ocean of this book) is the small section devoted to war. As much as I would love to agree with complete pacifism, I find myself living in a much more difficult world where even God begins His new creation with a war in which we will play a role. In addition I was also bothered by the amount of time devoted to "Agape". In my opinion far too much attention has been misguidedly paid to the distinction of "Agape" love; so much so that I can hardly stand to hear it anymore. With recent insights into this word, I would "Agape" to see "Agape" a lot less emphasized. (200-201) Personally I find most of what is said in this section to be overanalyzed and incorrect. As to the main idea of the book I can find no real fault.
Application to Ministry
Application to Personal Ministry
As far as applicability to my personal ministry, this book is very applicable. It is not just applicable in that I will attempt to change my world (though I agree with the personal effort to do away with cast systems both here and abroad), but it is also applicable as a teaching tool. Honestly I find this book to be a great resource for sermons, illustrations, and small group bible studies. Especially useful in my opinion are the questions following each section. I have no doubt that this book will prove an important resource in my library and I am glad that I bought it.
Rating the Book
Organization
[8] The book has a lot of overlap and many of the chapters could easily have been
combined. For example: 2-4 & 8-11
Clear statement of purpose
[8] There is no one "I wrote this book to..." statement that lays out exactly the function
of the book however, it is stated none the less.
Readability
[10] This book is written at about a 6th grade level. (This is fine - it is the average reading level of people in North America.) It is smooth and each chapter moves easily into the next.
Informative content
[7] It believe it is very informative, however it is hard to distinguish what is professional
liberty and what is exegetical at times.
Usefulness for your understanding and practice of ministry
[7] I agree fully with the topic of a countercultural Christ and Church and yet I always
did; so there is little impact on me as far as persuasion. I believe my understanding
and practice of ministry has always headed in this direction. Even so it proves to be a
good resource.

I will never forget the confused look I received from the audience when I said, "The Kingdom of God is Upside-Down." This revealed to me that many Christians probably have not given a lot of thought to the Kingdom of God. If the Body of Christ fully understood this Kingdom... I don't think she would squinch her eyes at the words "Upside Down." And I certainly don't believe we would be giving in to the temptations Christ rejected!

Kraybill focuses primarily on the temptations of Christ (Matt.4) to reveal the true character of the Kingdom of God. Jesus rejected the temptations in the bread (the economic), the temple leap(the religious), and the kingdoms of the world (the political)... thus accomplishing heaven's task in a way that is foolishness to the world(1 Cor.1:18). If you have had a hard time understanding the Kingdom of God and want to learn how this Kingdom makes no sense to human wisdom... but is the power of God to those being saved... get this book. Wonderful insights into the radical claims of the Kingdom!

I would also like to recommend "The Gospel of the Kingdom" by George E. Ladd

This book has short chapters and a lot of examples. It is a good "second" book for an Introductory SQL course.

This is a GREAT book for foundation skills in SQL.

I used this book to teach myself SQL when I was "elected" to implement an Oracle database system at a former job and have since gone on to become an Oracle developer and DBA. The concepts and techniques learned in this book have served me well along the way. I have taught Oracle development in a technical school, and insisted that they use this book in the classroom. The diagrammatic approach to learning about tables, columns, joins and SQL functions seems to "click" with everyone who encounters it.

I'm writing this review after buying my ?10th? copy of this book - don't loan it out if you need to keep your copy.

I used this book when I needed to pick up SQL fast. I worked in an organization where I had to build Teradata Data Bases and used SQL to select and move the data. The illustrations really help visualize every aspect of assembling an SQL program and how it interfaces with the data base. I still use it today when I need to be reminded of a particular syntax. Don't loan this book out if you ever want to see it again. I did and now I'm buying another book!

I am currently enrolled in a Database Management (Oracle/SQL) class at Boston College. Right off the bat, I knew I was in trouble when we were told the professor would be unavailable for help and most of students in class were computer science majors. (I was taking the class to broaden my computer skills above and beyond front-end web design.)

The textbook in class was the heinously monstrous 1200+ page Oracle 9i The Complete Reference by Kevin Loney. After struggling through many chapters and finding our professor's teaching style very unhelpful, I decided it was time for another resource.

I checked on Amazon ... and found Sam's Teach Yourself SQL in 10 minutes to be semi-helpful. Then at the Harvard Coop, I stumbled upon it - - A VISUAL INTRODUCTION TO SQL. The problem, I realized, was that I am a visual learner and need to see all the schema tables and step-by step actions to describe what happens as I develop queries. This books is key for any layman, like myself. It walks you through very basic (and more complex) problems in an easy-to-read visual approach. While using SQL on the PC, viewing the tables is difficult and this book helps you map out the problems to figure them out. I was especially impressed after emailing the author about a table question and getting a personalized response.

If you are in a bind to learn SQL on your own, this book is great and won't kill you lugging it around either.

P.S. A great addition I found to this book was a Mac client software (that can access Oracle Databases) called SQL Grinder. Like the book, this program is also very visual and the GUI (MAC) clearly reigns over any PC. Sorry Windows users! Thanks for your help, David Chappell! ;-)

This book doesn't assume that you are familiar with databases or the SQL programming language. It teaches you the programming language step-by-step using a graphic approach. A great way to learn SQL.

I agree completely with the other reviewers. This book is has an amazing wealth of information about VRML and will have you making some amazing worlds by the time you are finished. Many important subjects are covered, from beginning to advanced topics. I do agree that there isn't NEARLY enough information about scripting with VRML, just a brief talk of how to do it. Some more examples with this would have been a huge help, but otherwise, I'd recommend this book to anyone who uses VRML, no matter your expertise.

This book is perfect for beginners and those that already now the basics and want to advance further. It has many examples and is written in a intelligent manor. If you are advanced in VRML you may still benefit from this book however when it comes to scripting and adding Java to your 3d worlds you will need to invest in other books.

Even nearly nine years after it was first written, this book continues to be valuable for more reasons than when it was published. If you are still involved in VRML and have some need to learn this language, this book is a complete guide that starts from the beginning with the simplest concepts and shape definitions and then builds to advanced concepts such as textures, lighting, and fog. Throughout the book there are figures of the resulting images and plenty of sample VRML files for all examples. I do agree with the other reviewers that chapter 30, the one on scripting, is really the only chapter that is no longer worthwhile since so many changes have been made to the scripting part of VRML. Other than that, this is truly one of the best written and most instructive tech books I have ever bought. If you are going to study VRML, there is no longer any other book in existence but this one that is worth owning.
The second reason to own this book has only popped up over the last two or three years. Since Xj3D began to come on the scene several years ago as the XML-based open-source replacement for VRML, this book has become invaluable for evaluating that tool's ability to build virtual worlds. In fact, the Web3D consortium's "test files" for Xj3D, which continues to be a work in progress, are VRML files from this book that have been translated into Xj3D. Since the base tags are the same in Xj3D as they are in VRML, if you are able to understand VRML you should be able to understand what's going on in an Xj3D file with just a little investigation into the basic differences. This will allow you to intelligently evaluate Xj3D and determine if you can find any weaknesses or discrepancies in that tool's implementation.

Doesn't take you through the subject in the conventional manner. After the first couple of intro chapters, you can then easily delve into any other chapter for what you need. Very useful as a reference once you understand the basics. A bit weak on using scripts to control and interact with VRML worlds. Other than this minor gripe, a great book.

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This dicitionary is a must have. It is the "bible" for theological terms. If you are serious about becoming sound in your theological studies buy this without hesitation. I am a grad student working on my M.A. in seminary and i use this dictionary exhaustively.

From "a capella" to "epistemology" from "implicit faith" to "Zwinglianism," this is an excellent resource for learning theological terms or brushing up on those which have grown foggy in the mind over time. Great for pastors, reverends, priests, seminarians and lay ministers of all sorts.

I am a seminary student and this dictionary is a helpful tool. It includes the most common thelogical terms in a appropiate size to carry.

I have a few theological dictionaries. None of them are complete. This dictionary fills in gaps the others do not cover.

This book is terse, pithy and suscint. It offers a plain english definition for complex and confusing terms. A great guide to use regularly.

Obviously, not enough people read You're Not Stupid before the 2004 election, otherwise Cox's Brief on the Bush Presidency might have helped overcome the rigged computerized voting in Ohio and minority voter intimidation in Florida to give the Supreme Court yet another chance to anoint a president over the will of the people.

The Downing Street Documents have now proven that Bush stole another election by lying to us about the origins of the Iraq War. He, and only he, is responsible for the resulting deaths and maiming of thousands of our finest young women and men. Moreover, every day we allow him to remain in office, we, all of us are responsible for the daily blood bath in Iraq and the harm Bush's War is inflicting on the Iraqi people.

Every day, American television and newspapers conclusively establish that Bush utterly failed to avoid the deaths of thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims before it struck and stupidly failed to care for its victims in its aftermath.

What more do the American voters need than the images of the president riding his new bicycle, strumming a guitar, playing golf, and, in the midst of a horrible tragedy, bragging about the good times he had in New Orleans during the days when he was "drinking and carousing and fumbling around?"

Those who have been fooled once or twice by the smirking chimp currently on display in the White House zoo should get a copy of You're Not Stupid. As a compilation of all other books in the genre at the time it was published, it will remain a valuable reference book in the future. It's a quality edition and is probably the best buy on the market.

You're Not Stupid chillingly predicts the future if the voters fail to Get the Truth: "Some day, when our children's grandchildren look back at this moment, they will see the world we live in as it is, not the imaginary perceptions our president and his gang of zealots have attempted to pass off as the truth. History will judge us, not by what we believe, but by what we do. Awareness will be presumed, and ignorance will be no defense. If we continue to allow the commission of horrible crimes against others on hour behalf, without protest, our names shall be joined in the indictment engraved upon the monument of our civilization. Will it be with pride that our descendants read the chronicle of our lives or will they be filled with shame?"

You're Not Stupid! Get The Truth: A Brief on the Bush Presidency is an unabashed wake up call to what President Bush and his "neocons" are doing to the country. From a hyper-focus on testing children that ignores real problems with public education - Bush's own home state of Texas has an abysmal graduation and college attendance rate, partly in due to pressures to have substandard achievers drop out rather than bring down test scores - to the lies surrounding the war in Iraq, to how much warning the Bush administration had before the 9/11 attacks, to the overwhelming array of tax favoritism for the wealthy in Bush fiscal policy and more, You're Not Stupid! Get The Truth blunty exposes lies as lies. A brutally honest, well-researched book that debunks common myths and sharply warns readers to be vigilant against being manipulated, and strongly recommended reading for all eligible voters.

...And Its People. That's W's latest (and greatest)"Bushism" stammered as he sighned a 400 billion plus military appropriation to further the neocon cause. Freudian slip? Could be. Just an idiot? That's a given. Not enough functioning synapses after years of alcohol and cocain abuse? All of the above? Thought the folks who acquited OJ Simpson were stupid? They ain't got nothin in terms of putting emotion ahead of reason over your average Bush supporter. Decent book. More ink must be spilled on the neocons, how they've come to power, and the damage they've caused to this country. I thinks this is the last one I'll buy that exposes this imbecile. One must conserve monetary resources in the Bush economy. One never knows when one will find themselves between jobs these days. Remember when we were a prosperous nation at peace back in 2000? Ahhh the good old days. Yeah, think that's it. No more pol books. I'm passed the point of being pissed off. Just go to the polls in November, and hope the independents see the light. Oh, yes, and cross your fingers that the electronic voting machine tallies your vote.

After reading Hare's review I do not have anything to add other than to say that this book is a wonderful compelemnt to "The Unauthorized Biography of George Bush" by Webster Tarpley, whose book on 9/11 I also recommend very highly.

As documented by this book, this attorney and author, George Bush is one of the most crooked, inept, and deceitful people ever to serve in the Presidency. By no means alone, he never-the-less takes mendacity to a new level, and this author is to be congratulated for his painstaking effort to document the facts--I only regret that we could not reach enough Americans in 2004 to prevent a second four years.

William Cox is a lawyer who specializes in criminal investigation. He currently serves as Senior Trial Deputy for the State Bar of California. Cox previously worked as a prosecutor, a public interest lawyer, and a law enforcement policy analyst.

Cox tackles the Bush Administration in the manner of a skilled prosecutor. His style is reminiscent of that of Vincent Bugliosi, also a former California prosecutor, in "The Betrayal of America" when he examined the egregious theft of the 2000 presidential election, taking particular aim at the United State Supreme Court majority that stopped an ongoing recount in Florida.

While Bugliosi presented an excellent brief in terms of that groundbreaking election, Cox covers it as well as what led up to Bush's selection, extending forward to a period in 2004 nearing the end of the first term of the Cheney-Bush Administration.

Cox recognizes, as does John Nichols, who wrote about the person really in charge, that Dick Cheney and the neoconservatives are the driving force in the Bush Administration. He examines the sordid route that brought the neocons to power. Cox explores the systematic character demolition of John McCain in South Carolina and the ensuing general election campaign when Al Gore was hideously misrepresented as untruthful while the smears and deception pattern actually came from the Bush campaign.

It is noted how Gore was misquoted on stating that he had invented the Internet and criticized unfairly over stating the name of the wrong person at FEMA during a debate with Bush, a common error under the circumstances, and how elements of the media falsely accused the Democratic candidate of claiming to be the subject of Erich Segal's "Love Story" when all he did was react to a story that appeared in a Nashville newspaper.

Meanwhile the Bush campaign, aided by a helpful mainstream media, took the aforementioned and made a case for Gore being less than truthful. Character was made an issue when Bush had on his resume a failed Texas oil venture in which he appears to have violated federal law and could have gone to prison if tried and convicted. He was spared further investigation by the Justice Department when his father, then President George H. W. Bush, terminated the effort.

There was also the matter of going AWOL from the Texas Air National Guard, which went uninvestigated by the mainstream media, and his reckless lifestyle that saw him drink heavily until the age of 40 and reputedly take drugs as well. When an independent investigator learned about Bush's drunk driving arrest conviction and broke the story, this was denounced in many circles as a somehow unethical act by some of the same sources that looked the other way during the slimy South Carolina Republican Primary.

The title of Cox's book of "You're Not Stupid" is a theme he uses to denote how campaign operatives with huge advertising war chests financed by lobbyists have combined with commentators and journalists beholden to those same corporate interests to create false impressions, using 30-second television advertising to distort reality. By using such tactics millions of Americans voted for George W. Bush in 2000 on the basis of character.

Cox warns Americans not to be fooled and study the issues themselves, hence the twin declarations of "you're not stupid" and "get the truth." The warning that Cox delivered can be analyzed alongside what millions of American voters did in the 2004 election.

Many voters revealed in exit polls that they voted for Bush because he made them feel safer and that they believed that Saddam Hussein actually possessed weapons of mass destruction. There was also a strong belief on the part of so many that there was a link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda.

The author hones in on Bush early, delivering a zinging analysis in the first paragraph of the first chapter, which is entitled "Who's Bush?" Cox writes:

"How is it that a lying and denying alcoholic, with arrests for theft and disturbing the peace and a conviction for drunk driving; one born with a silver spoon in his mouth, with no empathy for the plight of ordinary people; an inarticulate spoiled brat who just didn't get the lessons of a good education; a chronically failed businessman who's never earned anything on his own; and a high school cheerleader who avoided military service in Viet Nam by joining the National Guard and then going AWOL-gets himself elected as President of the United States? Well, you can be darn sure he didn't exactly tell us the truth about his background."

We are taken through Bush's first term as the disastrous tax cuts skewed toward the rich are examined. Cox also skewers Bush on his education proposals and his bizarre behavior during 9/11, along with that of Cheney, culminating with refusal to testify under oath at an official 9/11 commission convened only after pressures built to the point where the Cheney-Bush duo could no longer prolong such action.

Cox concurs with authors who believe that the official account released by the officially sanctioned commission does not answer vital questions pertaining to 9/11. He also believes strongly that an independent commission needs to be convened.

Cox's lawyer's analytical tools are never sharper when he approaches the subject of Bush and Cheney as violators of international law, as well as their repeated violations of the Bill of Rights alongside the efforts of willing Attorney General John Ashcroft.

This former prosecutor concludes that Bush, Cheney and other members of the Administration violated international law as well as engaging in unconstitutional acts in leading the country to war in Iraq.

The pattern of deception spearheaded by the full court press to conflict launched by neoconservatives within the Administration such as Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle is examined with microscopic clarity by a veteran attorney who can spot and document illegality when he sees it.

Detail in drawings opened up a whole new understanding of the ship's rigging. Many thanks

It is an excellent book. Very informative. Gives you added information needed to Build your model. The plans are easily read and can be reduced or Enlarged to other scales without too much problem. As I am new to model Scratch shipbuilding it is a great start for the information needed to carry out the task. Also the Historical interestThe 100-Gun Ship Victory (Anatomy of the Ship Series)

I bought this book for a 76 year old friend interested in learning about the workings of the gun-ship Victory. He couldn't be happier and has spent hours poring over the information provided in this very well written and illustrated book.

This book contains all the information you would need to "scratch-build"
HMS Victory in any scale or to improve any kit on the market. The detail is amazing and leaves no guesswork whatsoever. A "top-of-the-line" book,
just like the ship itself. Lord Nelson would approve.

Admiral Lord Nelson, the most successful naval commander of all time, died on board his flagship HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Arguably the world's most famous ship, HMS Victory was never decommissioned by the Royal Navy and is now the world's longest serving warship.

Writing this review as someone who, primarily, conducts research into ships but also as one who builds model ships, this book is ideally suited for either purpose. Beginning with an explanation of "First Rate" ships and a list of all those which held that rating, author John McKay takes the reader briefly through a career summary of HMS Victory before moving on to her design and construction. From here on he leaves no stone unturned as he describes each and every facet of the ship - right down to how many tons of salt meat or biscuits she would carry.

Everything from her various repairs and refurbishments to the more specific aspects of her steering gear, ground tackle, pumps, boats, sheathing, accommodation, masts, rigging, yards, sails - and so the list goes on, is fully explained in excellent detail.

The equally excellent photography is only eclipsed by the ultra-high standard of technical drawings which cover every aspect of the ship.

One final point; This excellent series of books include a scale drawing of the vessel to which the book refers on the reverse side of the dust jacket. These are sometimes overlooked.

Altogether a "First Rate" book.

NM

Best of Dr. Reed's books I have read. One can't put it down. If you love the South or hate it you must read this masterpiece.

Slowing down along all those back roads of the world that is the South is the only way to appreciate the unique outlook of the southern spirit where life and events are often taken with a grain of salt due to the fact that the important things were the same yesterday, and the day before, and all the days before that. Emotional health is probably the most valued commodity, and perhaps the most scrutinized quality of southern communities. In many cases, it is the most important development to watch and gauge since much of the south is far from the pyramids of power that are often created in locations like New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago or Los Angeles. It is eons away from foreign influences of Paris, London, Asia or Japan. The living is easy and the sun is hot requiring local dynamics to be the most valuable in terms of acceptance. It gives a new meaning to the idea of majority and minority but not necessarily confined to color. To know the south, time spent there is a must. Southerners appreciate the meaning of home grown and honor their own perspective on life, which sometimes isn't the same as it is in other parts of the country. Rebel yells have a different meaning than up north and don't always reflect the civil war years. It helps to understand Hank Williams, Jr. and some of the other country singers who have it in their blood. 1,0001 facts about the south can only help people appreciate this unique part of the country where life is meant to be savored, not swift. It is greatly aided by a partner of commensurable sentiments.

I had to buy this for a class I'm taking on "The Southern Identity." It was very entertaining and informative. I would recommend it.

It's about time someone compiled this valuable data concerning one of the country's most interesting areas. This book is great for Yankees AND Southerners alike. The most wonderful thing about this book is that you'll find out what some of those expressions, terms, and shibboleths mean--the ones you always heard but were afraid to ask about for fear of being labeled ignorant of your own culture! A must-have for anyone interested in the culture of America and especially the South. Highly recommend this book along with McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD--a fascinating read about Southern culture and what it means to be from the South.

This boook includes, well, a thousand interesting facts about the South. Being Southern myself, I never knew what was in a mint julep (along with 90% of the rest of the South). This is a book that you can pick up, flip to any page and just read. Everything is interesting, and you might learn something, too. Recommended!

I enjoyed reading this book. It gave me valuable insight to the mindsets and principles required to being an outstanding leader. I agree. Leaders are sometimes born, but more often than not, you too can be a better leader if you develop and follow these sound principles.

I have been attending some leadership training sessions at church where the author's video has been used. He's been so captivating on video that I decided to buy the book so I wouldn't miss or forget anything. My doctorate is in educational administration and policy analysis and this book has certainly enriched what I already know. John Maxwell's life in the ministry has added greatly to his book.

In this revision of his 10 year-old best-seller about how leadership works, John C. Maxwell demonstrates that leadership learning never ends. The proof of this learning is in the deletions and additions to his irrefutable laws! Although I still find some overlap (i.e. the Law of Solid Ground, the Law of Respect, and the Law of Buy-in are all about a leader's character and the all important trust factor), these updated irrefutable laws provide plenty of insight into how leadership works, as well as offer a great deal of useful advice on how to make them work for you.

In this revised Maxwellian version of a leadership framework, servant leadership (the Law of Addition) with its relational aspects of heart (the Law of Connection), head (the Law of Intuition), and hands (the Law of the Picture) still serves as the leadership foundation. The external influence is addressed in the Law of Timing, but Maxwell's most powerful observation may be the Law of Explosive Growth, where he observes that leaders who concentrate on leading leaders are those most capable of growing their business.

I enjoyed the lessons from history that he uses to explain each law, and find that his personal examples add a touch of practicality to his sometimes too cleverly named laws. This revised edition is recommended for any student of leadership.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

I am a Corporate Trainer and Product Developer. This book is an essential new manager read. What a great congratulatory gift for someone receiving a promotion to their first management position. Great for an office book club.

This book review will cover The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, 10th Anniversary Revised and Updated Edition, by John C. Maxwell. Maxwell has written numerous bestselling books on leadership. Maxwell's other works include, but are not limited to; Developing the Leader Within You, The 21 Indisputable Qualities of a Leader, Leadership 101, and The 360 Degree Leader. Maxwell has a gift for relating his points to personal and historical examples that emphasize his suggested rules of leadership. These 21 Irrefutable Laws include: The Law of the... Lid, Influence, Process, Navigation, Addition, etc.

With each Law, the author describes the theory behind the Law. For example, with the Law of Sacrifice, the theory is that a leader must be willing to sacrifice in order to achieve. He expounds upon his point by explaining that a leader gives up rights - in exchange for responsibilities - the higher the leader rises. The example that he gives in this chapter is the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The author shows how the more sacrifice King made in terms of sacrificing his personal rights and freedoms, the more the Civil Rights movement gained. This is indicative of the way a leader must sacrifice for the good of the organization.

Maxwell suggests that all of the Irrefutable Laws are important for a leader, but admits that it is rare for everyone to do each perfectly. This is where the Law of Inner Circle comes in. The author opines that a leader's potential is determined by those closest to him/her. Thus, if you are weak in certain areas, you can strive to get better. But if you know that you have a weakness in a specific area, you should ensure that your inner circle comprises leaders that have the skills you lack. A real life example that Maxwell gives is Lance Armstrong. Although Armstrong was a wonderful bike rider, he always credited his team for helping him reach the great achievements he enjoyed in the Tour de France. The author quotes another great leader in Mother Teresa - whose life embodied many of the Laws; especially Sacrifice and Legacy - who stated, "You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things." This is one of the examples that Maxwell uses to drive points home.

Every chapter in this book covers a Law, and every Law is like a quick course on Leadership. Leadership can be learned, but the effort must be put forth to recognize your strengths and to work on your weaknesses. There are several self-quizzes and exercises in this book to help you achieve your potential in these 21 Laws. Maxwell writes, "To become an excellent leader, you need to work on it everyday." Leaders must strive for excellence and they must strive to prepare others to take over for them when they move on. This is an excellent book on leadership. Maxwell has a way of speaking directly to the reader.

Reading this book was a rewarding experience that had me wearing out the yellow highlighter as there were valuable insights on page after page.

I highly recommend this 5 star book