M Books

Whether you like President Bush or not, you should read this book. It paints a disturbing picture of the realities of his administration. And it educates the reader how our political process has gone astray. This is another example of the fact that the best non-fiction books rarely make the top seller's lists because mainstream publishers are politically motivated.

This book contains enough history about each candidate to make anyone feel confident with their vote. And, unlike almost any other political book I've read, it is suprisingly non-partisan. Furthermore, it really opens you eyes on the political fund raising system and what the candidates actually have to do before the become president.

After reading this book, it will become much easier to see through the candidates rhetoric, and this book or one like it should be a pre-requisite before voting.

A disturbing book.

It is a terrible thing to contemplate what money has done to prostitute the American political process. People don't support candidates to do better for the country. They're buying influence and -- if you don't pay, you can't play.

The saddest thing is to look at these obscene expenditures on campaigns and consider what some of that money could do in a good way. And then to consider what more all the money that will be stolen as a result could do on top of that.

This book is THE benchmark for investigative journalism done by the people at www.publicintegrity.org. An honest, fair and balanced presentation of the facts surrounding the Democratic candidates for President 2004 (which has since been whitled down to Kerry) and President Gearge W. Bush. You simply cannot say you are an informed voter until you read this book.

Let me start by saying I do not want George W. Bush re-elected, and I don't have any interest in John Kerry running the White House for the next four years either. I left myself open to have my opinions on American government influenced by this book, but I could never have imagined the magnitude in which this book changed my beliefs of our political process. It's no secret to anyone that money rules each and every major player in our political system. But what this book does is demonstrate just how out of control it's gotten. Author Charles Lewis uses indisputable facts and figures to show the shortcomings each of this year's presidential candidates, especially each candidate's willingness to let money and particular groups dictate the policy he feels is best suited to run the country. He hammers Bush in a bad way, but nothing he says can be considered untrue. Lewis uses the Freedom of Information Act to compile a body of evidence that implicates Bush in a dozen shady financial undertakings and also describes the way in which many of Bush's closest advisers landed high-level positions in government. You simply cannot fathom the number of Bush's advisers who were once employees or board members in companies (pharmaceutical, energy, law firms, etc.) that make up Bush's chief campaign donors. That is, at least until you read this book and Lewis starts listing them one after another. Lewis and the Center of Public Integrity maintained their own integrity by taking a completely non-partisan approach to this book, unafraid to tackle Bush and Democratic challengers alike. I cannot wait until 2008 to see what Lewis uncovers next. Hopefully, Bush and his cronies (or Kerry, for that matter) won't further gut our rights as Americans and refuse us the right to read it -- and Lewis' right to write it.

Having worked in the Printing & Publishing industry for 45 years, I can recommend Chambers. The old 'Proof Readers' of Fleet Street along with Newspaper Editors always kept the latest version close to hand.
BPW

When I tried to find a replacement for my old editions of Oxford Concise and Cassell's (both printed and edited in the UK), I unwittingly bought a version of the americanized Oxford. Shocking! Full of pictures of sports stars & actors with some definitions interspersed. It's adequate for a high school student, but I'm glad I discovered Chambers. I adore it - just lots and lots of words. So, if you love English and don't have enough dough for the big OED, buy Chambers for a fraction of the cost.

Clearly printed, with loads of useful extraneous information. At last I have the definitive dictionary to allow me to finish my crosswords!

The Chambers Dictionary (10th Ed.) is truly an outstanding dictionary especially with the updated words added.I owned an older edition and was really glad to get this edition.I also bought the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary(11th Ed.) and I can safely that it cannot compare to the Chambers.

By far the most comprehensive dictionary I have bought. Very pleased with it.

This book is not terrible. I found it to be cliche at times, and it definitely contained a number of gender stereotypes, which the author would include and apologize for, which I found to be somewhat annoying. It's a quick read, so at least I didn't feel like I was wasting a lot of time. I have read a lot of books on women in corporations, and I didn't think this one was particularly new or innovative, and at times, the writing was poor. At the end of every chapter, there were exercises, and I did think those were helpful. For example, one suggestion was to write one hand written thank you note per week - not particularly innovative, but it is a good practice, I think, and a good reminder to do that.

In all, I think Lois Frankel's books are much better written, with much better advice.

It was a pleasure having Kathleen Archambeau host a recent Bank of America Diversity Brown Bag event in Concord, California that featured "Climbing the Corporate Ladder in High Heels". The buzz continues among male and female associates about Kathleen's book because it is not only a practical educational reference but an actionable guide for dealing with work/life balance. The book supports a core value we have taken to make our workplace a family friendly environment through inclusive meritocracy.

"Climbing the Corporate Ladder..." is a practical guide to career success. Extremely well-written. Inspires lots of "ah-ha" moments. Helps young and seasoned professionals remember to find a better work and life balance. Encourages readers to consider success from all angles. I loved it!

Not just for women. Kathleen provides important tips that all men can use to further their own careers. Provided in an easy to read and use format.

Full of insight and inspiring stories that will make any woman, regardless of her chosen field or career path, search her heart for the answers she needs to live a rewarding and fulfilling life. This book brings light and awareness to the often difficult and confusing choices we make along our journey through life. With humor and wit, Kathleen challenges us to look into the deeper parts of ourselves to identify what our true hearts desire is and then guides and empowers us with tools to achieve it.

This, no doubt, is one of the best works on prayer in the English language, if not the best. A book to be read slowly, quietly and with much concentration. Every line has good rich teaching for us all. Thanks to Baker Book House for compiling this complete printing.

This book has challenged me and helped mold my understanding and practice of prayer. It calls the believer to stretch and reach further in prayer, putting faith into practice. Bounds' emphasis is on scripture and dependence on Christ.

About 11 years ago God drew me into an greater understanding and deeper practice of prayer than ever before in my life. I inquired concerning some of the leading "Prayer Ministries" around the world and wrote several of them and asked this question: "What are the top 25 best books ever written on prayer?" Six replied. Many of the same books were recommended, but 1st Place and 2nd Place were the same on all 6 lists. Andrew Murray's book: With Christ In The School Of Prayer was either #1 or #2 on each list. E. M. Bounds writings on "prayer" was also either #1 or #2 on each list.
No book, not even Murray's, has ever been written on "prayer" that can hold a candle to The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer. In fact, if you read this book (actually 8 little books) and it doesn't revolutionize your prayer life, then you need to re-read it until it does. If you read this book and think that it is "mediocre", that will be more of a statement about you than about this book. Seldom is any book hailed as the unquestioned "Greatest Book" on a particular subject by ALL the specialists on that subject, but this one is. And the experts are right. So bless yourself or someone today and buy this book. Then get ready for the revolution! God bless. Mike

Its one of those books that you could close your eyes, flip it open to any page, run your finger down the page to any point, open your eyes and it'll be a quote that you want to put in your sermon on prayer. Get it. Read it...daily.

For almost a century Edward McKendree Bounds' (1835-1913) books on prayer have been classic works, stimulating and inspiring Christians to develop a fuller prayer life and become prayer warriors. A forceful writer and deep thinker, Bounds spent the last nineteen years of his life reading, writing, and praying. He rose at 4 a.m. daily for many years, and was indefatigable in his study of the Bible.

As breathing is a physical reality to us, so prayer was a reality for Bounds. He took the biblical command "pray without ceasing" almost as literally as animate nature takes the law of the reflex nervous system, which controls our breathing.

Because Bounds so diligently practiced what he preached, we was able to capture the essence of prayer, and his works live on to call today's Christians to higher discipleship and an energetic, God-devoted prayer life.

This book should be on every engineer's shelf.

The content is amazing the included software is extremely useful, Haestad Press has hit the mark with this text/software combination.

This book is simply amazing. Evaluation software has been extremely useful. A must have for professionals and students alike. The CEUs are a great bonus!!

This book is perfect for students and civil engineers working in the hydraulics or hydrology field. The software included is great to have a better feel of the theory.

CAIHE is a great learning tool for practicing engineers. I used it to brush up on my StormCAD skills, and learn some new tricks in CulvertMaster.
For the first time I used PondPack, by following the step by step tutorial. I can't believe how easy this software is to use. This is quite an improvement on the spreadsheets I've been using.
Nice job Haestad!

I have read this book and find that it is very helpful. It is very simple and easy to understand, whether for students or experienced engineers. The step by step exercises helped me with the trial software that came along with the book. The book has definetely helped me get a better approach towards applying computers in my work.

This is a very well-written, fast-paced, factually-based book. Chapter twenty-four, starting on page 155, about four-year-old Tidbit being used as gator bait by Clay Derby and his friends was especially enlightening (or sickening).

Title: Copper Sun
Author: Sharon Draper
Publisher and Date: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006
Flesh Kincaid Reading Level: 6.6
Pages: 302
Genre: Historical Fiction

Copper Sun is the story of a 15-year old girl named Amari who lives in an African village named Ziavi. She enjoys spending time with her eight-year-old brother Kwasi and her boyfriend Besa. She is very happy with her life until her village is invaded by pale-skinned men accompanied by warriors from another African tribe, the Ashanti. Her village is burned down and many of the villagers are slaughtered, including her whole family. All the while, Amari is astonished that people from her own land could be helping the pale strangers destroy her village. She sees the shame in her boyfriend's eyes as he is shackled and taken aboard a slave ship. She experiences a feeling of intense loss as she realizes her family has been taken from her and now she is being sold into slavery. She deals with abuse and cruelty in numerous ways, and at times feels as if all hope is lost. However, Amari is a fighter and she endures all of the cruelties of slavery without giving up.

The story follows Amari as she is captured, taken on a ship across the Middle Passage, and brought to America as a slave. When she arrives in South Carolina she is auctioned off and sold to a plantation owner as a birthday present for his son. While at the auction, the plantation owner also buys a young, white indentured servant named Polly. Polly imagines her life as a servant in the main house of the master and is disappointed to find out she will be working with Amari in the fields and living in the slave quarters. Polly initially is prejudiced toward Africans, but over time she and Amari become friends. They also build close relationships with the plantation cook, Teenie, and her son Tidbit. Teenie helps Amari through the difficult times on the plantation, including being abused by Clay, the plantation owner's son.

Clay's stepmother is the only white person on the plantation who shows any sympathy for the slaves. Soon Amari finds out that she has a relationship with one of the slaves. This begins a plot twist with so many surprises that I do not want to spoil it for you! Soon Amari, Polly and Tidbit get a chance to escape from the plantation. The last third of the book follows them on their journey to find Fort Mose, where there is a community for runaway slaves.

Chapter's alternate between Amari's perspective and Polly's perspective which gives the book an interesting twist. Although the book may seem long for some young adult readers it has so many plot twists and surprises that it will keep you reading. Draper's story provides a detailed and realistic description of life during slavery with fictional characters that draw you in and a fast-pace that makes the story readable for any young adult, whether studying slavery or not.

Hello Everyone...I am an 8th grade English teacher and I just finished reading Sharon Draper's "Copper Sun." I almost don't have words to describe how amazing it was. If you are a teacher, you will accrue many cool points from your students if you read this book with them. It is action packed, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Please read this whether you have children/students or not! It has completely enriched my life, and made me even more proud of the African American race's diligence, determination, and strength.

This is a story about a slave girl named Amari who was torn from her family and her homeland and forced to become a slave in america. there she meets a girl named polly who is an indentured servant, they eventually break free and make a run for the spanish colony hoping for freedom but constantly being hunted.
I have to admit I was bored during the 1st chapter, but as I kept reading I got more and more intruiged untill I just couldn't put the book down. Copper sun is an amazing book, and very insightful into the horrors of slavery and the ignorance, arrogance, and cruelety of white slave owners. I highly recommend this book

There has never been a better book about slavery than Copper Sun, though you go through some disgusting times with Amari you find the most painful thing is that actual people were treated like that! Draper is so wonderful in her writing, telling us exactly what it was like for Amari and I really felt like I was standing right next to her through the whole experience. Speaking of whole experience that's exactly what it is...the book starts in her home in Africa and we travel with here through the capturing of her and family members, the trip over seas, the slave action and her new home and ***spoilers (sort of)*** her final desicion! Great book HIGHLY recommend it to anyone.

Country Girl is an awe-inspiring tale told powerfully with little words, and only nine pages. The impact of the story however, will last a lifetime. Molly P holds on to her family values, her courage and her beliefs and still manages to dream the dream, and go for it. Lana Ho-Shing
is a powerful wordsmith whose tale is almost sung as it plays out before your mind's eye. The contrast between the two worlds is something most of us can relate to, whether we are city people, or country folk. Impressive, encompassing the very soul of human nature.

Back in the mid nineties, we visited Jamaica on vacation and I found the whole island beautiful and the people a joy. We visited small villages and met people selling their wares as we traveled around the Island on day trips. This was an experience I shall never forget. Reading this wonderful story of love and hope with the dream of a better life has it all. Ms Lana M. Ho-Shing is a definite story teller. I would really love to see more stories from this author.

Reviewed by Vickie, ( Tory Lynn author of "My Charming Protector")

Who'd a thought a cow in ribbons could be such a pivotal character in a wonderful read such as Country Girl?

Lana M Ho-Shing brings her readers into the country and down to market so easily that you can just hear the Jamaican accents as you read this heart-warming, edifying tale from the country.

Thoroughly enjoyable, down to the very last word.

This story celebrates the courage [and imagination!] of a young woman of African and mixed cultural descent enduring the loneliness and heartache as she emigrates from her beloved Jamaica to what she no doubt hopes will be a life of better economic opportunity in the United States.

The story flows from scene to scene as she draws upon the rich family heritage of her people to get over those dark and lonely nights inevitably following days of struggle to get a foothold in this strange, fast and often unfriendly place that represents not only a better future economically for herself but also her people back home.

Ms. Ho-shing not only tells a free-standing tale of inspiration and guts, she effortlessly in the process educates us in the cultural strength possessed by the family of this Jamaican "country girl", with priceless glimpses into their religious and philosophical outlook, an outlook that gives her what she needs to take on New York City and win!

I also commend Ms. Ho-shing for introducing us in crisp, well-paced dialogue to the sonorous island patois of her people, making "Country Girl" a literary feast for the "ear" as well as the heart, soul and mind. I wish "Country Girl" a wide distribution and Ms. Ho-shing a long and successful career as a creative writer. In organization, content and style I would describe her talent as beyond promising. She is there!
Belladonna and How I Became A Godman come well recommended. ATH

Asa Hensley is a tenured Associate Professor of English in the Michigan University System.

What a fantastic piece penned by Lana M. Ho-Shing. I loved the dialect, though I have to confess it did slow my reading down as I tried to get into the Jamaican rhythms and patterns of speech. It often takes a while when I read Huckleberry Finn for the first time in a long time as well, so Ms. Lana shouldn't take this as criticism - it is not.

A simple story, yet one based on very basic humanities, Country Girl is heart-warming, faith-building, and I am absolutely taken by the line from the story I used as title for this review. Everyone should read this!

It is VERY nice book. Especially for medical students and residents.
You can understand from detail to basic of diseases. With this book, you know how to approach and make your list of differential diagnosis.
I worked for infectious disease patients for a while, and this book was very useful because you can get the general knowledge not only about infectious diseases but also general internal medicine, skin lesions, bone diseases, and so on. I especially recommend the chart of antibiotics(Chart 37). I like this book because we can also get the update etiology of diseases. So nice.

This book packs in all the important aspects of client treatment into each section. The headings are a little hard to see when skimming, but the information is excellent. A must have for Nurse Practitioner school!

Very concise, covering a large number of conditions with information about clinical features, diagnosis and treatment... just the best medical book for students, residents and general prationers.

Everyone has a few books they constantly refer to in their library. This is one of mine. The whole CURRENT series is excellent & I update every new issue as soon as it is available. Ideal reference with clear concise text & pictures throughout the book

It is a very good and useful book. It has everything you'd want in it plus more. It includes the signs and syptoms, what you can do to treat the problem, etc. I just wish that it had pictures in it so you could have more to go off of.

I have been collecting all of Poppy Z. Brite's work for a few years now. She is a great artist, and this book was wonderful.

This collection of short stories is an excellent introduction to this author's many talents. There's no sameness here. The stories are well crafted and tight. She has an uncanny ability to shift gears seamlessly keeping your interest and absorbtion factor high. She knows how to tell a story with style. Buy it. You won't regret it at all.

well short stories that is. This is a truly fine little book. The writing is lean and precise and fits well with her new series of books. This was my first encounter with her alter ego Doc Brite and I found him to be a wonderful character. It was also good to see Rickey and G-man and the additional Stubbs family story was excellant.

Here's hoping that Ms. Brite will give us many more of these shorts to enjoy.

I bought this collection because I am a Rickey and G-Man completist, and I was anxious to read "Bayou De La Mere" and "A Season In Heck." Of course both stories turned out to be excellent little windows into other aspects of the ever-growing Liquor milieu (particularly "A Season In Heck," which is a little more tangental as it deals with the travails of a young inexperienced Liquor cook), but fortunately this book also introduced me to Doc Brite, Brite's maverick foodie medical examiner alter-ego. With all these stories, Brite (the author) manages both to write great food porn and give lively insight into the intricate workings of New Orleans society and culture. Brite is, simply, a terrific writer.

In her first new collection in a couple of years, Poppy Z. Brites "The Devil you Know" focuses many of its stories in and around her beloved New Orleans and often travels in the restaurant world (her husband is a chef). Less gothic than her previous works, one might even consider "The Devil You Know" somewhat whimsical in certain spots. She certainly is prone to using humor and irony more so than in the past. But don't think that Brite has lost her edge. While she continues to explore new avenues she can still hit you right between the head although she does so with a skillful, subtle hand in this collection of 13 stories.

Several of the tales feature Poppy's alter ego, Coroner Dr. Brite such as the black humor tale "Marisol" about a restaurant critic who writes an unflattering review of a restaurant and then promptly disappears as the chef introduces his newest dish. The "Ocean" brazenly shows the high cost of fame in a story about a dysfunctional, drug addicted rock band, being fed upon by their fans.

"System Freeze" seems a bit out of place with the other stories in the book, being as much a Sci-fi story as anything else. After a fatal fall from a mountain during a climb, a woman finds she's been given a second chance at life by the mysterious Agent Fine, as long as she completes the new AI program that she is working on. The story is supposed to be a Matrix-esque type tale and is short but effective

"Burn Baby Burn" will have people thinking of Stephen King's "Firestarter" with its tragic tale of pyrokinetic Liz Sherman (of Hellboy fame) and the destruction she causes to friends and family...not to mention her entire neighborhood when her powers go out of control. Liz finds her only place of comfort and safety is at the governments Bureau of Paranormal Research---with the other freaks.

My favorite story was "Lantern Marsh" as it evoked the feelings of youth when our own little worlds and suburbs were filled with mystery and enchantment. We firmly believed that the big old house down on the corner was home to a mad scientist. Set again in the Deep South, three young friends frequent a local swamp where odd lights are seen to float and dance about. Noel especially us drawn to the area over and over, even after he's warned to stay out by the man who owns part of the land it rests on. Years later, Noel returns home from college to find that Mr. Prudhomme now owns all of the land and plans to fill in the swamp for development. Noel knows he'll have to do something drastic to save the swamp, and whatever it is that lives there.

This diverse collection of short tales shows Poppy's development and comfort with various forms and settings as well as her enormous skill as a storyteller. A must have for her fans and a great place to start for new Brite readers!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This was the next selection for my military history book club. It's a little on the old side, originally copyrighted in `73, but it's a well written book and obviously a labor of love. The author was not a professional historian, that is to say he was not a professor of history, but in many ways this is probably a plus. What he was as a professional was a journalist, publisher, and editor. Hence the readability and quality of the book.

The notes to the chapters are somewhat modest but written in a very conversational style adding useful information about the resources used. Although many of these are actually secondary sources or collections with comments on primary sources, the author uses them judiciously and critically.

Divided into chapters simply given as Roman numerals, I found it sometimes confusing as what the topic was to be until I'd read the sections under the heading. For instance Chapter I is actually a brief characterization of central participants, mostly those on the American side of the issue, while Chapter II presents the British point of view, especially that of the King and his primary counselors. I can certainly see why the vague headings were applied, however. The story requires many back tracks to explain events as they occurred, particularly in the prodromal phase of the war. Letting go of my need to attack a book in a cut and dried fashion, I found it much easier to read and to enjoy.

The very readable narrative style of the book literally carries one from chapter to chapter like a mystery or adventure story. Without the need to categorize his material or to drive the reader from point A to point B in a pedagogical manner, the book takes on the personality of a first hand account, which makes it much more personal and intense for the reader. The people aren't just static figures performing on the stage of history, they lived on the brink of disaster for years, some of them died miserably, others lost everything they owned, others were discouraged and defected, etc. Remember, they didn't know what the outcome would be as we do.

The book is much better balanced than the traditional story one got in high school about the American Revolution. The British, while definitely myopic in the policies directed at the colonies, definitely had legitimate reason for their irritation with them. Certainly it's obvious that much might have been gained, or at least great loss of life and fortune might have been prevented, had some finesse been applied to the situation rather than the stubborn and prejudicial approaches that were. That this was impossible given the time, the culture and the history of the people on both sides is pretty obvious from the book, and the "what if they had..." approach to the history of the period is mostly 20-20 hindsight and totally impossible given the reality of the period. If nothing else, the book definitely reveals that, although the outcome was not predestined, in fact anything but, the event itself, the Revolution itself, was. Replayed, the specific events probably would not have been the same, perhaps not even with the same individual personalities or even the same outcome, but the War itself, given the critical factors of the time, probably would have.

A superb and readable volume

While I tend to read books on military history, I have not read much about the American Revolution. Thus I picked up this book to fill in gaps in my research. I found this book to be a wonderful work describing the American Revolution from its origins through Washington's brilliant winter campaign at Trenton and Princeton.

Before covering the battles named in the title, Ketcham provides a solid summary of the origins of the war, discusses some of the politics and difficulties both sides faced. His discription of the conflict between not just the armies, but the citizenry was very interesting. The book describes the sad cycle of violence and revenge between Tory and Patriot as armies moved back and forth. For me it put the revolution in a new light.

The discussion of military operations begins with the campaign in NewYork. It is covered quickly, but in sufficient detail to understand the action. This is important because it sets the scene to understand the reasons for the titled battles, Trenton and Princeton. The book really shines in this coverage. I was entralled with the text and speed through it. It was a wonder to me that after the disasterous New York campaign Washington was able to keep his army together and perform a series of brilliant maneuvers that just completely stymied the British forces. After reading this book I have a new found respect for Washington as a military leader. He is frequently dismissed as a general, but I now think that his leadership in this campaign should rank with the greatest.

I found this book to be very memorable, and probably worth rereading at a later date. I recommend it for any one interested in learning about this period of the American Revolution, especially if you do not have a great deal of background in the subject.

Richard Ketchum does a masterful job of capturing the details and personalities that drove the American Revolution to its sometimes inexplicable conclusion. He spends time exploring the minds and temperments of key English characters such as King George III, Lord Frederick North, Edmund Blake and takes the time to explain the rationale for the war beyond the tired adages of "No taxation withourt representation" or "The intolerable acts" etc.

His discussion of the multiple missed opportunities for reconciliation by the British authorities is revealing. His examination of Washington's continual losses during 1776 and how the Americans were pushed all the way from New York to Pennsylvania sets up the the desparate plight faced by Washington in December 1776.

Ketchum examines the personality and character strengths and flaws of Johann Rall, the Hessian commander at Trenton to help explain how the Continentals pulled off their first victory of the war. He also describes decisions by the generals and their subordinate commanders on both sides that caused the fortunes or misfortunes we are familiar with all the way from Boston to N.Y. to New Jersey during that momentous year.

Ketchum's writing style is very contemporary, entertaining, magnetic and credible. As you read you can just imagine the Hollywood movie that should be made from his version of the decisions, personalities and events of 1776. His maps add immeasurably to the understaning of events and are integral to the enjoyment of this book.

Mr. Ketchum as an historian writing about the American Revolutionary War ranks among the best. His base of knowledge is broad and deep and his books read easily. If you want to learn about the major battles in New Jersy in 1776/1777, this book is a must.

David McCullough's 1776 was excellent, but Ketchum's Winter Soldiers is even better. This is the finest kind of narrative history. The mounting tally of disappointments after New York and the near despair of the Continentals as they retreated into Pennsylvannia is expertly captured in painful detail. The later descriptions of the long, cold night marches and harrowing battles at Trenton and Princeton made me feel the extreme fatigue, but elation, those men must have felt.
This is mythic ground, but told in a straight forward manner which allows the men and their actions to show us what great accomplishments these were and helps us to understand why these stories have been treasured by generations of Americans.