Miller Books

When my wife died more than three years ago, I read a lot and attended a number of gried support groups. This book spoke to me more than any other I read at the time. Since that time I have given a copy to about a dozen friends who have suffered a tragic loss -- either a spouse, child or parent. The response from the others is the same as mine. It is a powerful, meaningful, and comforting book. Miller uses his full range of talents -- minister, grief counselor, and photographer -- to bring together a wonderful book. The reader is comforted with the context for loss he provides. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

Winter Grief, Summer Grace: Returning to Life After a Loved One Dies (Miller, James E., Willowgreen Series.)
I first became familiar with this book following my husband's death 16 years ago. Like the seasons of the year, this book follows the seasons following a death, beginning with Autumn (the "fall" from peace), and progressing through Winter (a "harsh" time), Spring (with its "fragile beginnings") and into Summer (the worst having been dealt with; a time when hope for new life can develop within you). Unlike the seasons of the year which ends in 365 days, the seasons of grief take as long as is necessary for each individual person. Like the year, each of which is different, the year(s) following the death of a loved one will each be different, but with time will become easier to handle. Each "season" is to be read when you are ready to move a little further along in your grief journey and offers quotes, Scripture readings, helpful diagogue, and is followed with helpful suggestions for each stage of grief. I found comfort from reading this book and following some of the suggested means of support. This has been an excellent gift to grieving friends who have been so positive in their acceptance of the book. Of my large collection of books dealing with grief, I found this to be the most useful in offering me concrete ways to lead me in a healthy way to overcome my grief and to restore me to a life of new and enjoyable beginnings.

I have sent this book to various people who have lost a loved one and in all cases they were most appreciative. I received this book from my daughter after my husband passed away and read it many, many times as I found consolation in the message.

This little book was given to me about 2 months after my husband died 10 years ago. It is tremendously helpful in coming to grips with grief. Although there are some spiritual passages, it is not a religious book. It focuses your thinking, as well as citing some positive things things to do. Over this decade I have given away many, many copies to grieving friends. It is always most welcome and appreciated.

A friend gave this book to me shortly after I lost my 21-year-old son in a car accident. This book really helped me realize I am not alone in my grief. The emotions listed in the book were exactly what I was feeling! I couldn't believe an author could capture the essence of my pain like that. The action items were also very helpful. I have since purchased this book for others who are grieving. I would highly recommend this book!

I highly recommend this book which tells the story of Dr Hendern,American child surgery and Boston Children Hospital. It is very well written and beautifully describes one of the hardest working men in the US.Mr Miller deserves a medal for a job well done .

This book has a real sentimental value to me because Dr. Hardy Hendren is my doctor. I had a kidney condition when I was born and the hospital I was at did not know was what wrong with me but when my parents brought me to the Boston Children's Hospital where Dr. Henden works at, he knew what to do and preformed my surgery. The book is brilliant because of the man it is about.

It's not easy to find words adequate to do this book justice. It's primarily the biography of Dr. Hardy Hendren, recently retired chief of surgery at Children's Hospital in Boston. Dr. Hendren has performed operations that seem to be nothing short of miraculous. The book is a tribute to his indomitable spirit, and an inspiration to anyone looking for examples of what a man can accomplish when he puts his mind to it. I don't throw words such as "towering" or "genius" around lightly, but even those words seem inadequate when applied to Dr. Hendren. Read the book, and be inspired.

I agree with an earlier reviewer that the book seems to get side-tracked occasionally with descriptions of other surgeons at Children's Hospital. However, I found this a microscopic negative compared to the overall value of the book. Hence the five stars.

the author tries to do too much in this one book. On the one hand it is about a plastic surgeon who specializes in pediatric congenital anomalies. The biographical information with details about some of his cases is excellent. However, the author takes on too much by making it a book about Children's Hospital also, including cases that have nothing to do with the featured surgeon. I enjoyed it but it could have been better organized into two books.

"The Work of Human Hands" is an excellent story detailing the work of Doctor Hardy Hendron - a fantastic human being - This story is impossible to read without gaining a heightened sense of what is truly important. I am also a writer and I have suffered a dire family emergency that has a happy ending - I am detailing the work of the terrific surgeons at The Children's Hospital of Buffalo, New York and I can only hope to do as terrific a job as G. Wayne Miller did.

Read about two thirds of this book - 114 out of 166 pages.

I don't recommend this for the Ali fan looking for the Zen of Muhammad Ali

The book is divided into 3 sections.

Part One - Ali
Part Two - Zen Fisticuffs
Part Three - Personal Battles

In part one - a story titled My Dinner With Ali - is one of the greatest Ali stories I've ever read - this story is also in The Muhammad Ali Reader (by the way - THE BEST book about Muhammad Ali - if you're an Ali fan and don't have it - GET IT) - anyway - this story is such a great and heart warming story about the Champ - you feel like you're right there with them. It's truly inspired writing and a must read for any Ali fan and for anyone who has an idol or hero from any walk of life...it's just fantastic.

Part One is about Ali. Part Two is about Sugar Ray Leonard ( 2 articles) and Bruce Lee (1 article)- the Sugar Ray stories are good and the Lee story is interesting and sobering.

I didn't read Part Three as they are fictional stories.

My intent on getting this book was to read about Muhammad Ali - get more of Miller's perspective - as I've read a story of his before and wanted more of that.

The title and cover are a bit misleading in that it doesn't represent the whole book.

I really enjoyed the first 2 sections, but again - this wasn't what I was looking.

The four Ali stories are the most intimate I've read about any celebrity. They possess a seemingly timeless beauty. The ones about Davis Miller's own life are sad and lovely and we feel ourselves inside his life. A wonderful, highly recommended read.

Keen to find out a little about boxing, I bought `The Zen of Muhammad Ali' by Davis Miller on a whim and was pleasantly surprised on a number of levels.

Davis Miller's enthusiasm for his subject is contagious - He's followed/studied Muhammad Ali with an adoring, but objective eye since 11 years of age.

Also (and this can sometimes be rare in this genre) Davis Miller can really write! It's truly wonderful, even as a part-time, half-arsed martial artist, to come cross an author who can write in a beautiful, concise and honest way about this stuff we spend so much of our time (and money) doing. Using Sugar Ray Leonard as an example, the chapter `Rapture' adroitly plumbs the depths of what motivates people to study boxing (and other martial arts).

The book is subtitled `and other obsessions' - These obsessions include an informative chapter on Bruce Lee, a short story entitled `American Video', and a beautiful chapter called `Ellen's, December 1971'. Read it and weep.

This is well crafted, sensitive writing with a distinctly American flavour - Good Americana of the Jack Kerouac/Norman Mailer/Steely Dan variety as opposed to the other rubbish that is trotted out daily to us in `The Rest of The Free World'.

Worth a read.

This book is a collection of Davis Miller's best essays ranging from boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, martial arts king Bruce Lee right through to his own moving stories, some fiction and some more personal experiences of his life. An example is Ellen, which is a very moving story and is written with so much emotion.

The Ali articles are my faves - they are all excellent pieces of work. The 'Zen' word is a most appropriate title for this book as a lot is written about legendary boxers and why they do what they do and why many carry on for far too long - they live for that moment to moment excitement which they cannot seem to find no where else. To them, it's like they're living in a different space of time, a different world when they are in that ring. Zen has no real truth, it is just living moment to moment, being natural which is something which cannot be put down. This has to be experienced and Miller expresses these experiences with very well thought out words and fascinating insight.

What i like most about this book is the articles on Muhammad Ali (4) and the one on Bruce Lee. It seems that Muhammad Ali's people are doing exactly the same as what happens to other many great world idols, they are bullying and exploiting the fans for their own greed and saint like image agendas. Miller writes wonderfully about all of this in his new essay on Ali, 'The Ying & Yang of Ali'. He also writes about my first boxing idol when i was very young, Sugar Ray Leonard which for me is very interesting and enjoyeable to read. Ray was influened a lot by Bruce Lee which is revealed in Miller's excellent book. I give this book top marks. I hope it reaches a much larger audience as it certainly deserves to be.

Buy Zen of Muhammed Ali, and all of Davis Miller's other books! They are amongst the most important pieces of literature to have been published in the last 100 years! Simply mind blowing. And incredibly fun.

Wow! Anyone who is a fan of Chesley's art needs this book. Lots of great biographical info as well. Quality of lithography is top-notch. Expensive but definitely worth it.

If you were about 10 years old in 1950, there was very likely a moment of absolute epiphany in your young life. In my case it occurred in the Junior High library in about 1950. From the shelf I pulled a large dark blue book about 8 by 11 inches in size. Even the end-papers were stunning, color plates of the surfaces of Mercury and Jupiter. But, thumbing through, I actually began to tremble when I got to facing pages 132 and 133! It is safe to say I have never recovered from the sight. I now have two copies of this book, one at home which I purchased in about 1951 and one in my office, which I purchased a few years ago. It was THE CONQUEST OF SPACE, by Chelsey Bonestell and Willy Ley.

Who was this incredible artist, Chelsey Bonestell? Although I collected books illustrated by Bonestell throughout the 1950s and 1960s, I knew little about him personally until I found a trade paperback about him in the late 1970s or early 1980s, which gave a broad overview of his life and work.

The present book is a greatly expanded version of that earlier work, 256 pages versus 133 in the trade paperback. Since that paperback came out, both Chelsey and his wife have died, but I think it is safe to say Chelsey's work is more appreciated than ever. Here you'll learn of his childhood, his work as an architectural renderer and movie matte painter, and his entry into space art at an age when most men are thinking of retirement. Chesley lived to be nearly a hundred, and was able to compare many of his painted visions of other worlds to actual photos taken by astronauts and robots. But none of these photos have the incredible artistic validity of Chelsey's own vision. As many have commented, where Chesley's vision disagrees with reality, it is generally Chesley's vision which is the better.

For several generations, whenever anyone thought of space travel, or explorations of other worlds, it was Chesley Bonestell's vision they recreated in their mind's eye. Few artists have ever had or could ever hope to have such an impact.

Whether you are an old fan or are discovering Bonestell for the first time, this is a rich feast of his art, which ranges from architectural renderings to recreations of long-vanished Spanish missions of California.

"The Art of Chesley Bonestell" is an extremely high quality Science Fiction art collection that comes around once in a decade or two. The last Chesley Bonestell collection of this calibere, "Worlds Beyond: The Art of Chesley Bonestell", was published in 1983. Chesley Bonestell's art goes back to the golden age of Science Fiction of the late 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. His work was displayed on the covers of SF periodical magazines, SF paperback books, and Space Science books of that era. His style is realistic and his work is breathtaking! His concepts of other-worldly-visions are naturally realistic and have a Zen-like feeling of mystery to them. The color plates in this book are of awesome quality. I guarantee this book will increase in price, as the 1983 collection has. The 1983, "Worlds Beyond: The Art of Chesley Bonestell", sells for around $100 or more. Buy this 2001 book, "The Art of Chesley Bonestell" now, because it will only cost MUCH more after it goes out of print.

I bought this book for the space art but found out there are many other excellent paintings to go along with them. Bonestell's art makes you want to be at the places he's painted except for places like New York under nuclear attack and ancient Egypt being bombarded by comets. The space art is incredible. I only wish I could get large prints of some of the pictures to frame them. I'm even considering buying another book and cutting out some of the pictures that are barely large enough to frame.

I am among the hundreds of thousands -- perhaps millions -- of people who owe their lifelong interest in matters of astronomy and space science to a childhood discovery of the art of Chesley Bonestell. I remember vividly pawing through the pages of The Conquest of Space at the age of about ten, my mouth open as I saw the marvels of the universe displayed.

It was thus actually rather nerve-racking when I opened this new book for the first time. Could the reality of his art possibly match my childhood memories? Could all of that vividness and excitement have been magnified in my mind's eye over the succeeding decades? Was I in for a disappointment?

I most certainly was not. If anything, the fabulous art inspired and excited me even more than it had way back then.

And there's a lot of that art here -- a real feast of it, superbly reproduced. And I discovered as I kept turning the pages, hands quite literally trembling as I discovered treasure after treasure. Even more excitingly, I found that Bonestell had worked in areas of art I'd never suspected before: fabulous landscapes, stunning sketches ... I have perused many, many art books, but I've never before reacted quite as strongly as to this one.

And it gets better. There's a long, beautifully written and utterly fascinating illustrated biography of Bonestell written by Ron Miller. It's almost as if one's getting two books in one.

An earlier reviewer (who cannot spell "Chesley") talked of this as if it were an expanded version of The Conquest of Space. He was talking through his hat. This is a completely new book covering the entirety of Bonestell's career both visually and textually; it contains a big selection of illustrations from The Conquest of Space (all the best ones), but they form only a small part of the huge and sumptuous collection on display here.

This is a gorgeous book, and an extremely valuable piece of work -- the authors/compilers deserve the highest praise for having brought this treasure to us.

I read this book in the summer of 2006 with every intention to post my thoughts here. Alas, now almost 2008.
At the risk of diminutizing this book's breadth and beauty, I would call this an excellent beach book; it's an amazingly fast read. Everyone in my household and most guests of longer than a couple days have read it. And loved it.
When reading I usually get into my zone by the 2nd or 3rd chapter of a given book; the kind of zone where one becomes irritable if interrupted. With this story, it was almost immediate.
The characters all have endearing qualities and no matter how fantastic something appears, it is believable- which to me is a sign of excellent writing whether in film, television or books.
The characters, the scenes, the mood of a conversation, the weather, the timelines- all composed with wonderful imagery.
When I finished reading it I wanted more but knew a sequel would only sully the package. But who knows, I'm not a writer by trade nor a qualified critic of things non-existent.
I heartily recommend this book to people of all walks of reading preferences.
Rating books is hard for me because all books I've read, even if about the same topic, appeal to different emotions or to different levels of objectivity.
Why only four stars? Like most things subjective, I don't subscribe to various creativities being able to attain a 100% grade. To me, it's PASS or FAIL; plus or minus.
My grade should be obvious.

I absolutly LOVE this book! I couldn't put it down. I read it in one day from start to finish! Miller has a way of drawing you into his work that you begin to feel the emotions of the characters! At times I squirmed in my seat at the emotions reading this book evoked! This is a must read for everyone. You truly will NOT be disappointed!

This is one of my all time favorite books. It is an amazing story of love and hate. Forgiveness and Revenge. You will not be able to put it down. It is a story you will never forget, or want to. A complete original.

You will not want to say goodbye to these characters. Bayou Jesus is a story of faith, love, redemption and in some ways revenge. Frank Potter and his life will cause you to think about your own dreams and ideals. M.G. Miller writes with a honest, lyrical style that leaves the reader spellbound.

I was spellbound with Bayou Jesus from beginning to end. M.G. Miller writes with such flowing detail, once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. You will come to love the main character, Frank Potter, a young black man who feels he has been blessed by Jesus, and loathe Samson Boudreax, a political white man who has no compassion for Frank. The other characters (mostly women) in the book are just as compelling. M.G. Miller's writing is gripping and persuasive. I look forward to years of writing from this new author!

This is a great collection featuring the key early issues that developed Wolverine's character for decades to come. These are the issues - first appearance, original mini-series, and Weapon X - that set up Logan's hardcore persona and mysterious past. A GREAT read for a seasoned Wolverine fan, and a PERFECT starting point for someone unfamiliar but intrigued by the character.

The ONLY downside is the Captain America issue included - it seems a bit out of place. Cap and Wolverine fight a giant robot? It might have been better to include an issue where Wolverine works with the X-Men or something.

Now this is an excellent collection. Hulk, the great Claremont/Miller mini-series, and Weapon X. Top marks for putting this one together. A fun cover, and this work is from back in the day when they weren't using Wolverine to sell lunchboxes, undies, and every second series or mini-series that Marvel felt like putting out, so it was a bit more special for that, and for X-Men fans at the time.

The inclusion of the first Miller/Claremont Wolverine TPB and the Barry Windsor-Smith Weapon X series make this worthy of the price. The Miller/Claremont collaboration is seminal and lays the ground work for pretty much all of Wolverine's subsequent adventures in Japan. It's 5 star work.

The Weapon X storyline is good and reveals the epic adamantium bonding process that Logan went through that is mentioned throughout so much of his history and, in particular, the 80s "memory plugs" story line in his regular series. The only bad things I can say about this is I don't think Smith had quite hit his stride as an artist and my expectations for Weapon X were so huge that I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. Regardless, this is an excellent read.

Also included is Wolverine's first appearance in the Incredible Hulk 181 and a Wolverine solo X-Men adventure excellently drawn by Windsor-Smith, which features Lady Death Strike; I will say this is not the best story featuring Yuriko and it also features a Power Pack member, which is unfortunate, I think they were just trying to segue into the Weapon X story. There's also a Captain America annual which features Wolverine, which is ok, but feels like filler, which is why it loses a star.

This is it, the birth of the most awesome character in the marvel universe. It is amazing storytelling, great art inside and out, and a very excellent comic. Chris Claremont needs to go and slap the fools that are writing the works for the Wolverine comics today. This is the basis for which all others most follow and some are following it pretty poorly and with out dialog to explain their reasons.

Frank Miller did the Marvel Presents series who for you newbies did the graphic novel for the movie '300', so nuff said.

ALL in ALL:
I LOVE LOVE this series none better to my knowledge. A ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE to enjoy especially if you are new to the Marvel Universe and Wolverine in general. These are the stories that keep players like me in the game. OUTSTANDING!

You've heard it over the years how Wolverine is the coolest character in the world. You've seen the Hugh Jackman movies and now you're interested in the original comics that made Wolverine a legend. Well, then look no further than this hardcover volume. All the tales that made him the hottest darling of the comic-reading crowd in the 1980-90s are here.

The book starts off with Wolverine's first appearance in Incredible Hulk #181 (by creator Len Wein). Then we get the justly classic mini-series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. After that we get a classic Wolverine-Captain America tale (that foreshadows a lot of what constitutes the duo's relationship now in "New Avengers" and "Wolverine: Origins") and a Wolverine-Lady Deathstrike tale. Finally, we have the entire "Weapon X" storyline by Barry Windsor-Smith. The book comes with a foreword by Chris Claremont explaining the creation and evolution of Wolverine over the years (with special emphasis on the now legendary car-ride he had with Frank Miller discussing how to revamp the character into a failed-samurai). Also included are all the covers and pin-ups related to the stories.

Today, it's everyone's role to market and sell. The book will help you with everything from implementing a marketing plan and building strategic alliances to selling virtual construction and design-build methodologies. What an effective and powerful tool for the construction industry and about time!

The pace of change we see today is similar to a constant kick in the pants for anyone marketing construction services. This book will help make that change a little less painful. A must read for anyone who wants a road map for success in the twenty-first century.

"Building Profits in the Construction Industry" is an up-to-date, comprehensive source of information invaluable to all segments of the building business, from contractors, construction managers, and design firms to owners' representatives, and developers.

Though contractors don't always realize it, marketing always has--and will continue to be-- the best way for them to distinguish themselves from their competition. Now, for the first time, everything a building professional needs to know about marketing construction services has been pulled together in one easy-to-follow book. A "must read" for success in the twenty-first century!

The reviewer is the Past-President of the Construction Writers Association, and Publisher of the award-winning construction newsletter "Words from Woody."

Authors Kubal, Miller and SMPS' own Ron Worth have put togetherone of the strongest marketing books to come along in a long, longtime. This is a virtual encyclopedia of how-to marketing, weighting in at 420 pages plus a CD-ROM.

Finally we have a marketing book that recognizes we are in the electronic and digital age and that the internet has changes marketing forever. The summary of Chapter Two on "Virtual Construction" starts out, "Undoubtedly the virtual age is encroaching upon the construction industry. Its effects on how construction is completed will become obvious, and changes to how construction is sold and marketed in the twenty-first century will also occur." while that is an understatement, many firms have not yet realized that the twenty-first century is here and these things are happening all around us.

The CD-Rom, with its listing of internet hyperlinks, is worth the price of the book alone. Using this CD, you can access most of the information about our industry that is available today. The book's chapter on market research will show you just how valuable the internet and the CD can be.

While some of the chapters in the book are targeted to the construction field, most of the book is directly applicable to our entire industry. The chapters on "Creating a Marketing Plan" and "Marketing and Sales Technology and Marketing Materials," while illustrated with examples from the construction industry, are as good a general guide on "how to do it right" as you will find anywhere.

Some of the best of the book can be found in "Marketing Communication Plan" and "Getting Publicity for Your Business." Any firm can gain from reading and implementing the material in these chapters. The list of questions on how to quantify your prospects on page 99 needs to be copied and given to every marketer and principal in every firm in the land. It is a list of the basic questions, the ones not asked or, if they are, the answers are ignored.

I have a couple of bones to pick about the book. One is the title. Why not just call it Marketing Techniques for the Construction Industry? I guess they thought that mentioning 'profits' would get more attention. My problem with the title is that some will buy the book looking for the wrong thing and, more importantly, some will not buy the book when they go looking for good marketing advice.

The other problem I have with the book (and I am being really picky here) is that the authors, from time to time, get too caught up in the widgets and wizardry of technology. The danger here is that the widgets and wizardry change every day. When you mention Palm Pilot III, you are already yesterday's news. The concepts are right, but listing today's technology tools is a mistake.

used this book with the CWSP book and passed the CWSP with flying colors. This book is very detailed and must be read slow to retain and more important implement the solutions.

OK, the title does indeed tell a great deal about this particular book: However, the "Cisco" tag may be misleading. Cisco WLAN Equipment and even some terminology is used throughout this text. With a Vendor's badge on the cover and name in the title it prepared me for an extremely biased volume of configurations and presentations on Cisco specific technology. This text greatly exceeded a book with that good but narrower approach. A great plus of this particular text is the detail it provides on technology and design criteria which is applicable to WLAN security regardless of technology vendor. It has taken the place of my best vendor agnostic text as the first reference I grab.

Kirshna, Sri, Andrew, and Darrin have delivered the subtitle "Expert guidance for securing your 802.11 networks" in 13 chapters. Vast majority of their 395 pages of text and diagrams are not only applicable but extremely valuable to anyone charged with designing, implementing, and administrating WLANs in today's security conscious environment.

Guidance on secure WLAN design is far more than delivery of some cookie cutter equipment configs. The authors obviously recognized this and exceeded this reader's expectation. Their guidance was achieved by delivering sufficient detail on all the technologies and interdependencies that are required to deliver WLAN Security. They did not pave a single configuration which would have had too narrow an audience. They provided the foundation which enables, even seasoned WLAN engineers, to deliver for a wide variety of business requirements.

My copy has loads of dog-eared pages. Those pages mark specific paragraphs which have been very valuable in customer and support organization presentations.

If you're interested in designing secure WLAN which fits your customer's needs and performs well.
Then, you should pick up a copy of this text.

I'm looking for an update from these guys which includes some of the additional features and functions available in the latest "Cisco" WLAN technologies from both Aironet and Airespace teams.

Great book for a WLAN designer, implementor, operator, or manager of any of those resources.

The title is definitely in alignment with the content. A basic-to-intermediate discussion of security, as it applies to wireless LANs, is presented in this book. When I completed the book, I certainly had a much better understanding of wireless LAN security fundamentals - both generically and with a Cisco slant. The book has contributions from 4 persons, which may explain the healthy perspective given to the subject of wireless LAN security.

I know the number of chapters of a book can't always tell much of the story, but in the case of the 13 chapters contained in this book - spread out over almost 400 pages - I immediately felt that no single chapter would contain an amount of information that may be overwhelming as far as being able to retain my focus. The 2 final chapters comprised the greatest number of pages for any single chapter, and rightfully so. It would have been a compromise of the completion of the overall material to have limited the number of pages involving configuration examples and deployment scenarios.

I really appreciated chapter 2. This chapter was titled "Basic Security Mechanics and Mechanisms", and the content was just as the title suggested. The subject matter discussed security without any connection to wireless LANs. With "Security" being a complete topic all by itself, it was beneficial to have a little introduction to some generic security fundamentals before blending this topic with wireless networking. If the subject of computer/network security is not your forte, then you'll be served well with this brief exposure.

Chapters 3 and 4 were a welcomed addition because they provided a "warm-up" to wireless networking. The authors, in my opinion, did a very good job in not assuming that the reader would be a seasoned veteran of wireless networking. With chapters 2, 3 and 4 leading the way, the groundwork was set for a solid comprehension for the remainder of the book.

So, it is in chapter 5 -- "WLAN Basic Authentication and Privacy Methods" -- where the discussion of security for wireless LANs really begins. Once again, the title of the chapter is in sync with the content. What's provided is some light exposure to security methods. The information in the previous chapters really help to digest this chapter's material. This chapter is one of the "key" chapters in the book's presentation of wireless LAN security; the foundation to the discussion of wireless LAN security begins here.

The remaining chapters up to chapter 11 contained more in-depth discussion of security in the wireless LAN. I was pleased to see a discussion on the Wireless Domain Services (WDS), Wireless LAN Solution Engine, and Cisco Structured Wireless Aware Network (SWAN). While there's plenty of information at Cisco's website regarding these mechanisms, including the information in the context of the book content enhanced my understanding.

I don't believe this is a book that is intended to prepare for any Cisco-related certification; not that that was suggested anywhere to begin with. However, the reason for my comment is because there are none of the traditional questions at the end of each chapter to test chapter comprehension. So, if you want to test your understanding or memory, you'll have to create your own questions as your read through each chapter.

There will be a number of terms that may be unfamiliar to some readers, so I'll encourage you to note those as you read each chapter. The book contains no glossary for you to reference terms -- all nice and neat, in alphabetical order.

The book is for someone with at least a Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCCNA)-level of knowledge. Certainly if the reader has a fair understanding of wireless networking, the focus can be exclusively placed on wireless LAN security. I would not recommend this book as a first-read to someone who doesn't have an understanding of wireless networking -- unless they're going to read only chapters 3 and 4. Again, chapters 3 and 4 are very good for a first exposure to wireless LAN theory.

Using a rating scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best) I'd give the book a rating of 5. Even with the fast evolution of wireless networking technology, and wireless standards being in almost a constant state of flux, I can see how I'd still be able to refer to this book for many months to come.

The title explicitly says Cisco, and indeed there is a lot of material enclosed that is specific to how Cisco implements its wireless routers. But you could plausibly also use this book as a good guideline to general purpose wireless security.

The authors have gone to some length to explain the general principles of 802.11*. In and of itself, this will be useful to some readers, for 802.11 is now a huge set of complex standards. With the official documentation being quite turgid prose, though necessary of course. For clarity, this book is a good and far more understandable alternative.

The text also goes into associated topics, like the encryption protocols associated with 802.11. Plus, and this is important, it describes third party, often open source, tools that can be used to sniff for insecure networks. Tools like Kismet or Wellenreiter, where the latter is meant for wardriving. One of the first things you should do is download and use one of these tools [or even several of them] against your wireless net, if it is already running. Better that you discover any weaknesses in it, than others do so.

The four authors of Cisco Wireless LAN Security do an excellent job of striking a balance between writing concise enough that the book is not overwhelming, but detailed enough for the reader to truly understand the subject matter. Not an easy task.

The book is titled Cisco Wireless LAN Security, which might actually make some people shy away from it, but the Cisco part is a bit of a misnomer. Some of the information and examples are Cisco-centric, but the majority of the information in the book is vendor-neutral and should be understood and applied on just about any wireless network.

The beginning chapters provide an excellent framework for those new to wireless LAN technology, but it quickly moves beyond that to much deeper and more complex subjects within wireless LAN security.

The discussion of wireless vulnerabilities and on wireless security techniques helps you gain an understanding that you can take away from the book and apply to your unique situation. The configuration samples and examples throughout the book are excellent.

I don't recommend that someone new to wireless networks pick this up, but anyone tasked with protecting or securing a wireless LAN should definitely use this book as a resource.

What a wonderfully clear and helpful book on the subject of coaching from a Christian perspective. Something seems to be missing from the process of taking new believers on the journey of spiritual maturity. Perhaps what has been missing is the element of coaching. Miller has, from her vast experience, written a very helpful book for the Christian seeking to understand the wonderful help coaching can bring to that process. This book is helpful, engaging and well written.Christ -centered Coaching: 7 Benefits for Ministry Leaders (TCP Leadership Series)

Linda Miller and Chad Hall have taken lessons from their Corporate and Church leadership experience and created an easy read with much practical advice for those who wish to provide meaningful leadership to their organiations/ministries. Anyone who is wrestling with how best to apply coaching to the leadership role should read this for process and practice coaching.

Well, it is a good read, but not quite the 'practical guide' to coaching I had expected. As a coach, the title, etc. caught my eye as just what it said it was - a practical guide to coaching. I expected a book geared for coaches (or potential coaches). Instead, the book seems like it can't quite make up its mind whether it's written for them or for those simply searching for a coach or wondering what good a coach might be.

Linda Miller and Chad Hall have produced a helpful introduction to Christian coaching. The strength of the book lies in its balance of explaining coaching skills, benefits, and uses of coaching in Christian ministry.

The "how to" section is roughly half the book (70 pages). These chapters introduce 8 basic coaching skills, with Listening and Asking Precise Questions getting the most coverage. The teaching is correct, helpful, and up to professional standards (Miller is an ICF Master Certified Coach working for The Ken Blanchard Companies). However, the book suffers the same fate as so many introductions: There's not enough "how to" for someone to pick up the book and significantly improved their ability to coach. (The best Christian "how to" coaching book is Leadership Coaching: The Disciplines, Skills, and Heart of a Christian Coach.)

Practical examples throughout the book demonstrate the benefits of coaching in a wide variety of settings and from a variety of helping roles. In fact, the unique contribution that Coaching For Christian Leaders makes is the summary of how to use a coaching approach in different leadership roles (leading, visioning, managing, and shepherding), and in church ministry.

Many authors and readers have trouble translating the formal coach-coachee relationship to a more spontaneous, informal relationship of using coaching skills in everyday interactions. Here Miller and Hall excel. They take the longest chapter (26 pages) to outline coaching in the church. They give a page or two to a coaching approach to:
+ Preaching
+ Sacraments
+ Prayer
+ Building Community with One Another
+ Spiritual Growth
+ Spiritual Friendships
+ Ministry Teams
+ Service to Those in Need
+ Evangelism
The cumulative effect is a beautiful picture of how coaching skills can be used in everyday interactions in the church to empower and draw out the potential of people.

Currently, Coaching For Christian Leaders the best introduction to coaching from a Christian perspective, although the subtitle, "A Practical Guide," is a bit of a stretch.

If you're looking for a well-rounded book to introduce Christian coaching, this is it.

This practical guide is just that! Linda and Chad provide great background for Christian coaching as well as practical examples to help bring the concepts to life.

I love everything about this book! The layout is great - the information provided is done in an 'easy to understand' format - It gives historical background information which makes the Bible just 'pop' with new information. It covers each book from Gen-Rev. Has very cool photos, maps, illustrations. Up-to-date - easy to understand - BUY ONE!

This is yet another book from Stephen M. Miller to find a permanent place in my Bible resource library. It is sophisticated, yet simple all at the same time. Often, books on the Bible are, frankly, boring and seem to drag on to the point I often abandon reading them despite honorable intentions.

This one includes beautiful, colored illustrations that spark your imagination and transport you back thousands of years ago.

The word "complete" aptly describes this book as it covers Genesis through Revelation. Every book includes a summarization of Main Point, Writer, Date and Location.

I love, love, love the generous number of short, colorful vignettes all along the way that catch your interest and provide all sorts of Bible "cool to knows".

While easy to read, this book gives you the "nitty gritty" details, but always comes back to the big picture and important take-a-ways. The author asks us intriguing questions to ponder while sharing the differing, common day answers according to today's theologians.

This book tops my list to give as a gift for friends and family no matter what point they are in their Christian journey.

Stephen Miller's book was written to be "an easy-reading Bible reference book." Anyone who loves to read and study the Bible will find this reference source a treasure. Written in clear, understandable language, each book of the Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) is presented with a description of the books' context (main point, writer, date, location), important characters, and exposition of selected scriptures and topics. Ancillary features include helpful charts, colorful pictures and artwork, and sidebars explicating terms, events, concepts, etc. found in each book. I give it "two-thumbs up" and recommend it for personal Bible study libraries, and for academic libraries whose institutions support curriculum in Biblical Studies, as an introduction for beginning students.

I have been studying the Bible for nearly 40 years and have all of the best guides to the Bible I know of on my bookshelf. I would NOT be without this one! This book is like having a knowledgeable friend, "talk you through" the scriptures: simply explaining what otherwise may be complex, thoughtfully challenging common assumptions, convincingly answering difficult questions and, most importantly, boldly asserting divine authorship. Like sunshine, Miller's Complete Guide to the Bible helps to, "clear the fog." I will recommend it to everyone who attends my BibleLEARN seminars. I only wish it would have been available four decades ago! - Dr. Al Gossan Jr., D. Lit., Religious Education

Stephen M. Miller keeps a streak alive of writing some of the most innovative, colorful, and basic guides available for Bible study. The Complete Guide to the Bible presents book by book synopses introduced by Main Point, Writer, Date, Location from Genesis through Revelation.

The concept and the writing are guided by the author's imperative: "I didn't write this for folks who understand Christian jargon. I wrote it for curious people who have more questions about the Bible than answers." Thus we find manna and quail that sustained the Jews in the wilderness described as "fast food from heaven," the tabernacle as a "mobile worship center," the Psalms as "singing the blues for God," among many other descriptions and concepts using modern language from daily life.

Throughout one finds fascinating details about Bible times, an abundance of beautiful artwork, numerous cross references and a magnificent index. While aimed at the Bible study novice, I predict that the more experienced purchasing this volume for beginner friends and loved ones will become so taken when browsing before gift wrapping that they will add a copy to their own libraries. There is plenty of substance here for Bible students at all levels.