Lawrence Books

This is a must for all persons who use telephone service and who wish to save money. This book helps one to appreciate that there is much more to telephone service than just saving money. The explanations and diagrams are great! I strongly recommend this book to all commond users of the telephone.

This book is a great introduction on internet telephone service. Before I
saw this book, I thought internet telephone service was only for technical
experts. Now that I've talked on Internet telephone service, I found it
works great. The book is right, getting and using Internet telephone
service is easy.

The bottom line: this is a good basics book on how to get and hook-up
Internet telephone service.

This book does an excellent job at explaining Internet telephony in ways that anyone can understand, helping people that would normally make phone calls with a telephone to save a lot of money by calling using technologies powered by the Internet. Diagrams are designed to be intuitive and instructional, and the various photos are helpful as well. Special hints are provided throughout the book to highlight key points and help the user avoid or troubleshoot common areas of difficulty, such as with using firewalls and setting up routers. In summary, the book is great both for the first time user looking for the best solution for their specific situation, and also for more experienced users that want to improve their performance or save even more money on their calls.

Brian Hutchins
Dialpad Communications

This book was well written.
It was given as gift and was throughly enjoyed by the reader.
Hope to see more books written by the author in the future.

Lawrence's insightful look at this little understood nation will open your eyes to events that led to America's invasion of Iraq. His first hand knowledge and in-depth research will introduce you to a cast of characters that underlay America's invasion and continue to influence events in the region. This eminently readable book will be referred to by historians for decades to come as America's misadventure is studied.
Lawrence's travels have clearly given him a great fondness for the region. In vivid language, Lawrence gives you a feel for the landscape and people of Iraqi Kurdistan. Several times while reading Invisible Nation I found myself thinking that I wanted to travel there. No other person has made me want to visit Iraq.
Buy this book!

As a producer/director for British and American TV I have made numerous films in and about Iraq over the last five years, but Invisible Nation is a revelation to me. Like most people covering the tragedy, I have been distracted by the carnage in the south and Lawrence's book fills a gaping hole. He has been a regular visitor there since shortly before the US invasion and, as well as providing a potted history of Iraqi Kurdistan, he paints a vivid picture of the country, its people and its leaders. There is a wonderful breezy energy to his prose and by the end we feel not only informed but also emotionally involved in what happens there.

Lawrence was an eye-witness to many of the key events he describes and he talks us through the strange parallel history that has unfolded. As Sunni and Shia Iraq have descended into anarchy, the Kurds, largely un-noticed, have established the prosperous, peaceful, functioning democracy (rough and ready though it may be) that was supposed to be the goal all along. The paradox is that it is only the weakness of their southern neighbours that has enabled them to do so and, should the US succeed in restoring stability in the rest of Iraq, Baghdad will almost certainly try and re-establish its traditional control. The Sunnis can look for support to Saudi Arabia, the Shias to Iran. The Kurds have no-one to shake a stick on their behalf other than us, and we have always betrayed them in the past. The truly unforgivable final act in this tragedy, as we scuttle away from the disaster we have inflicted, would be to do so again as the price of peace.

Richard Sanders

As a National Certified Counselor and someone who has tried almost every diet from Cabbage Soup to the Zone, I was doubly intrigued by the title of Roberta Wennick's book, Is Your Personality Type Making You Fat? I was already familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator but had never thought to apply it to weight loss.
Wennick divides her book into three parts. In Part One, she includes questionnaires so that readers can identify which of the 16 personality types they are. She then gives an excellent description of each of the types. For each, she outlines assets, attributes, challenges and stressors.
For example, Wennick says my strength as an INFJ is the ability to plan ahead. Where I fall down is minding the details. That sounds about right. She suggests that someone with my type should not count calories but instead follow basic guidelines that allow for some flexibility and variety. Preparing a list of rewards other than food for meeting intermediate goals will help jeep me on track.
Wennick concludes with an impressive list of resources in print and on the web.
In Part Two, Wennick outlines five different diet plans and advises which plan works best for which type. Four of the plans are familiar.
Using The Portion Control Plan means learning what actually is a normal portion, not the "supersize" to which we have become accustomed. Even simpler, Wennick says just eat half of what you would normally eat or be served at a restaurant.
The Instead Plan entails choosing better alternatives than what you have been eating. For example, choose toast with jelly instead of toast with butter or whole wheat in stead of refined pasta.
Eating only when you're hungry Wennick calls The Intuitive Eating Plan. If only it were this easy to avoid eating when bored, tired, angry, etc., etc., etc.
Either the balanced approach of the Food Pyramid or a higher protein option can be used on The Choice Plan.
Drawing the Line on Calories, Carbs, and Fat is Winnick's elaborate, patented monitoring system that graphs calories, carbs, and fat eaten.
Part Three is titled Exercise and Stress Relief for Your Type. Wennick does address these aspects but also includes a few cognitive therapy techniques, a Jungian look at the various types' shadow sides, and quite a bit of information on nutrition.
This trilogy is well-researched and very thorough Most of the information will not come as a surprise to anyone who has ever read a diet book. Looking at it through the lens of personality types, however, is new and may just be enough of a twist to lead to success in losing weight.

Steve Martin said, "I'd do anything to look like him, except exercise and eat right." (A quote from the book.)

Over the years, I've read a lot of books about weight, eating and exercise. But I never come across one like this! Who expects to learn about your personality type in a fitness book? But what a help it is! How a person handles life, what motivates her, what keeps him going--it's all influenced by our personality type. I learned a lot about myself and how I'm put together.

Think about another quote from the book: "One of the major benefits to personality typing is becoming aware of who you are, what makes you tick, what you need to make your life run smoothly....The more you understand your actions, the easier it is to change those actions that aren`t working for you."

Of course, the type of change we're focussing on is weight loss--and the general health of our bodies. Setting goals and keeping motivated are areas the author handles well. Not all types should try to use the same methods.

I learned why people lose weight on high-protein diets--as well as on high-carbohyrate diets. But I found out better ways than both of these. I learned how to eat out safely, what to order and what not to order. I learned what types of exercise my personality type most enjoys and will stick with. I learned why coping with stress is crucial to keeping off the weight. We want to feed our bodies, not our emotions.

Most of what I read had to do with the nuts-and-bolts of food and exercise. How to be motivated and committed to make the choices I need for growth and real change--so that the weight lost becomes permanent and healthy.

This is no lightweight, fluffed-up set of books. It took me a long time to get through--because there was so much I had to highlight and underline. None of it was dry, none of it useless. They were packed with solid, tasty nutrients.

This is a breakthrough book on dieting and exercise. There are hundreds out there, but this trilogy has a new and unique take - using your personality type to diagnose the best way to lose pounds and get off the couch. For those who don't know about personality type, Wennick provides an overview and diagnostic tool to determine which of sixteen types you might be. She then proceeds to give great advice about dieting and exercise tailored for each type - what should work and what might trip you up - how your type can help and hinder your plans. The advice was spot on for my type and I'm sure will be for the others as well. For those who "yo-yo," waste money on gym memberships they never use and generally feel like a failure Wennick says: "You have not failed. The approach you have taken failed you!"

The layout is logical and useful. (I'm an INTJ - when you read through the type descriptions, you'll understand why I use those words rather than "The content is inspiring," even though both are true.) You can skip the advice for other types and hone in on your own prescriptions. But I recommend you spend some time learning about the other types, it really gives you insight into your friends and family. I use the Myers-Briggs diagnostic frequently in my job to help executives understand their decision making processes and communication styles. I loved seeing this new application.

Being a diabetic for 21 years I have fought the battles that Mr. Pray writes about. In those 21 yrs I have probably read the book 6-7 times to keep me on track. Rereading the book in 2006, I have to say that Mr. Pray certainly had it more difficult than we have it today. The methods used to control diabetes then is so outdated, using urine tests and one type of insulin required him and his family to follow such tight schedules it's amazing he didn't rebell more. This book addresses the process of accepting a chronic disease not the mechanics. But they go hand-in-hand with each other. You can't have one without the other. Thank you Mr.Pray for all your help.........hope all is well in 2006.

In "Journey of a Diabetic," Lawrence Pray begins telling his story when, as a 7-year-old child, he came down with juvenile diabetes.

His onset of symptoms began when he was going away with his grandparents for the summer to Maine, when suddenly, he kept of feeling thirsty, very tired out, and the main thing was losing weight while eating large amounts of food. Nothing would fill him up, and he also had frequent urination, and could not imagine what was happening to him. When he finally collapsed, becoming very ill, the diabetes was discovered.

His family, while supportive was devastated beyond measure. His whole new regime of needles, and dietary control changed his life forever. Yet, as time passed, and Lawrence grew, he failed to accept diabetes, and had lots of difficulty with it.

It takes him many years before he learns acceptance. In fact, he grows up, gets married, and even has a child before he can even begin to not see diabetes as a stigma, but as a learning tool for others.

This is a very interesting and informative book. More than that,it is the kind of book that makes you grow up with the auther in his struggle against a disease that had been a part of his life since childhood.Every diabetic can understand the growth processes one with diabetes must go through to be able to finally accept and control this disease.Mr.Pray writes from the heart and mind of one who has learned alot and is passing on his knowledge to those who have yet to experience it.This book,a review of Mr.Pray's life from childhood to adult,is also a reflection of the lives and feelings of all diabetics.I would highly recommend it for anyone who has relationships with a diabetic.

Although I got this book at the beginning of this month, I benefit from this book very well.

From simple point of networking to complex topologies, each point is clearly explained. That is, it is designed to welcome most of the needs of an ISP.

I thing each network engineer holds this book under his/her hand.

This i believe is one of the best Juniper reference books i have come across. I have read and used within my job the complete reference by Matt Kolon and Jeff Doyle, aswell as other books. However this reference guide seems to cover the essential aspects of the more upto date Junos versions.
This is an excellent book that is well presented and easy to read, which has to be the killing point, i found the book written as if i where actually speaking to some of the people i know at Juniper through my company.
I passed my JNCIS by this book, I am recommending this book to all my friends who are scattered across various ISP's in the european region that have also implemented Juniper at the amsterdam internet exchange, london internet exchange etc across europe..

This i believe is one of the best Juniper reference books i have come across. I have read and used within my job the complete reference by Matt Kolon and Jeff Doyle, aswell as other books. However this reference guide seems to cover the essential aspects of the more upto date Junos versions.
This is an excellent book that is well presented and easy to read, which has to be the killing point, i found the book written as if i where actually speaking to some of the people i know at Juniper through my company.
I passed my JNCIS by this book, I am recommending this book to all my friends who are scattered across various ISP's in the european region that have also implemented Juniper at the amsterdam internet exchange, london internet exchange etc across europe..

Lawrence Santoro has written a series of oooky spoooky stories you'll love on a boiling summer day or dark and stormy night. Read his stories and I promise you'll laugh out loud. Better yet, read it out loud with a friend, and you'll both be laughing. Go on--treat yourself!

Before I begin, I shouild tell you that I happen to know - and work near -Larry Santoro, so this is not a totally unbiased review, but If I didn't care for the book, I'd find a way to let the man down easily and I'd find an excuse NOT to review it here!

A few of the stories - in slightly different form - have appeared in other publications and Larry has read a few of them at various book-reading venues throughout Chicago, so I have been waiting for some time to finally read ALL of the stories in this anthology, which are set in a mythical small town hear the Midwest. For me, it's been worth the wait!

A book like this may SEEM easy to do for someone with writing talent, but it's another thing - and a difficult thing - to craft a whole collection of stories with several different writing styles ala Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, etc. and to keep them set in the same small town with various characters interacting with each other in a believable and satisfying way, but Mr. Santoro has done so in this wonderful collection.

Santoro has evoked a bit of the STYLE of some of his writing heroes like Lovecraft and Bradbury, rather than slavishly imitate thme. Santoro's own style is intact here: sardonic, sentimental and downright creepy, but he's flavored his work with perhaps the spirit of these other writers, and that is another thing that only a writer of talent and imagination can pull off successfully. Think of stories with the small town values of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE by way of Rod Serling's THE TWOLIGHT ZONE and perhaps THE OUTER LIMITS, and you might begin to get an idea of what you're in for as you open the book! Highly reccomended!

Larry Santoro has suggested that you try to read it out loud, or perhaps have someone read it out loud to you. It's perhaps the best way to enjoy these tales - as if they were told to you by a favorite storyteller. For anyone who enjoys fantastic fiction, you'll find something to savor, again and again!

I HIGHLY recommend "Just North of Nowhere," by Lawrence Santoro. In this sequential novel about Bluffton, a small town in the Driftless -- a back-of-the-hills, dusty, forgotten slice of the midwest -- you may find witches, monsters, aliens, sentient cars... and often do! Fans of Bradbury, King, Faulkner -- rejoice! This book is fun to read for its chapter/story titles alone: "Best Not To Go Where Strange Things Wander," "God Screamed and Screamed, Then I Ate Him," and "'What Do You Know of Death?' Clown Said One Night to the Haunted Boy." Read further and you will find that the secrets of Stregas are not so cut and dry as you might think, that the vigor of lost youth may be renewed by drinking lightning from mason jars, and to look old photographs just a little more closely. Read this and weep... I mean, read this and laugh out loud with delight!

This is an excellant book on the life of Juliette Magil Kinzie Gordon Low. It contains historical information as well as antidotes of this amazing lady, who at the age of 54 founded the worlds largest organization for girls - Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. It begins with her birth and how she got her nickname, Daisy, and continues through her marriage to a titled Englishman, and her death in Savannah, GA, in 1927. She was almost totally deaf, and yet she was far ahead of her time. She was an amazing lady and we can only wonder what she sould have achieved if she were alive today. I can't recommend this book enough.

Comming from a girl scout, this book has any information you could ever want to know on this amazing lady. After reading thsi book Juliette Gordon Low is now my new role model.

As a former Girl Scout, and current Assistant Leader, I can really appreciate the work that went in to founding our beloved organization. This book not only provides a historical account of the founder of the Girl Scouts of America, but also tells us about her parents and grandparents and how they too helped in building our country.

What is also intriguing, is this was not the typical philanthropist who knows nothing about the realities of life. Her life was a series of personal struggles as a child and a woman, it was the story of a survivor, a person anyone can look up to. True she was also an eccentric, but this was overlooked by her charm and the love she had for anyone who came into her life.

When I first saw a film clip at Girl Scout camp in the mid-70's, I became enchanted by this lady. Years later, I was led to this group of young ladies once again and found out there was a book about Juliette Low. I was intrigued from beginning to end, because I could identify with her pain and personal struggles. I soon realized that my life with the Girl Scouts would probably never end, as it had been a part of my journey and had helped me overcome my own struggles as a young woman.

I would recommend this book to all Girl Scouts young and old. I do feel however that it is written more for a mature audience, over 16. Not because of graphic scenes or language, but because the writing is very sophisticated and requires an experienced reader.

If you're a fan of the movie (and you should be) you'll find this book essential. It includes great insights on the production of the film, its restoration, and the man behind the story.

The authors deserve praise not just for their thoroughness and enthusiasm, but for resisting the temptation to title the book "Lawrence and Lawrence on Lawrence."

A great book on a great film! Everyone who loves this film should buy this book.

This is an extreemly well thought out book, with great insight that allows the reader to better undestand what it takes to figure out the workings of a man's mind and to place it into a film. A barage of well layed out photos accent this book nicely. Also a great history of the movie is written: beginning with the life of T.E.L, following the arduois making of the film, the lives of nearly all who had a hand in it, the wide range of response to the film, and the recent restoration. This book is priceless and definitely a must for anyone.

of our time. The Lawyer's Tale and Sunset Bomber were both written by the famed Los Angeles lawyer, Bert Fields. His clients are some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg are just some of his high profle clients. He has never lost a case and he is considered the most feared and powerful man in the Industry.
He writes about what he knows best and does it really well. You just have to ask the question, how much is really fiction?

I thought this to be an excellent book. I read it in 5 hours. The book just kept you going from one thing to another. I was wondering if there were any others books written by this author. Does anyone know?

I believe that this book was written by a pure genious. It was an excellent book and it has the potential to keep you reading. Many books can not do this to a person, but this one is a true goodie.

This a well organized and concise small book to keep handy for discovering new places for you and your dog. The book emphasizes the parks of San Diego County. After reading this you might feel like, so many trails so little time but this book will help you pick and choose. The descriptions and directions to the numerous parks are very helpful. I take my dogs to many of the locations and compared my thoughts on the areas described and found them to be accurate. There are also suggestions for urban walks with you pet, including the numerous dog parks and beaches found throughout San Diego. Another helpful feature is the hours when dogs are allowed since there are restrictions at many locations. This is a dog gone good book to get you and your pet on some new terrain.

I just received Leave Only Paw Prints and was amazed at all the information that it contains. Also, it is so well organized that it was easy to find the trails that were good for me and my dog! I really think that if someone has a dog in San Diego County, this should be required reading!

I just picked up this book at Barnes & Noble the other day, and I'll already taken my dog to two new--to us--dog parks pretty close by that I never knew about before!
I like that the author tells you a little about each park--is it shady or sunny, busy or empty, fenced off or open...That is a big thing for me, since I don't want to drive somewhere expecting one thing and find another.
We look forward to exploring more of the parks in the mountains and the dog beaches in the book, too, as the summer goes on...
This will definitely be my dog's favorite book ever!