Powell Books

Many of the other books talk about theories or are a regurgitation of the Oracle documentation. This book is different. This is a no-nonsense guide to Oracle performance tuning. The organization of the book makes it excellent to read but is packed with enough information that makes it an excellent reference. Both of Gavin's books are Golden. This book deals with the traditional OLTP type system. His DW tuning book is also excellent and deals with DW type systems. I would recommend getting both as they cover the correct application of Oracle technologies to solve specific problems that you might face as an application developer, architect, or DBA.

Quite good and well summarised information with included scripts and comments for them.

OK! I am prejudiced. As husband of the author, I have watched for 5 years as this book took shape. It was worth the wait. A well-written story that grabs attention from the introduction to the end. More than a compendium of stories from 65 years of missionary activity in Zimbabwe--it focuses on how God has used ordinary people in bringing the Gospel message to the Shona people. It also chronicles all the ways God intervened in the lives of all these ordinary people. Every believer can be challenged to believe God in their own life. We are already encouraged by reports of missionaries and others having their hearts and faith renewed and an 11 yr old who couldn't put the book down.
A must read!

I am a TEAM Zimbabwe MK and I knew most of the heroes in this book as Uncles and Aunties (except for the ones who were Mom and Dad). I only lived in Zimbabwe for 15 years, but for me it was my whole childhood. Nevertheless, many of the stories were new to me and I found myself unable to put the book down as I suddenly saw the bigger picture of what God had been doing around me, in and through the people who were simply Uncle and Auntie to me. I didn't really understand as a child, that these were people that God had chosen to be a part of His wonderful plan for the country and people of Zimbabwe. As a child, I simply enjoyed them all and loved every moment of my childhood. After reading the book, I feel like I've had a chance to look into a deeper part of the Uncle's and Auntie's lives and understand and appreciate them in a way I never have before and I've come to appreciate the big picture - what God was doing!

Even a reader who does not know the TEAM Zimbabwe missionaries personally, would have to come away impressed by the determination, and commitment this group of people had to obeying and serving God in the roughest of situations. One can only conclude that God gave them strength and proved His faithfulness to them over and over again. That causes me to rejoice and continue to be even more convinced that His faithfulness extends to me and my life and set of circumstances as well.

Haiku: 5-7-5.

In the spirit of this volume, a few examples (poorly rendered) of this poetic form:

# 1:

Oh, I love houseplants,
Which bring nature to our homes,
And, with it, comfort.

# 2:

Dracaenas are friends,
Arms stretching toward the sky,
Janet Craig, so fine. . . .
[Note: Janet Craig is one variety of Dracaena plant]

# 3:

Colorful Croton,
Often hard to keep alive,
But--if so--beauty.

# 4:

Spider plants are friends,
Making oxygen for us,
Soaking up poisons.

Well, it's not Shelley or Keats or Shakespeare. . . .

This book is very helpful for those of us with plants. It covers the basics: care for plants in general, how to propagate plants, and so on. But, for me, the key to this book is a plant by plant survey. I have tried Crotons, dracaenas, philodendrons, yuccas, Christmas cactus, and so on. For each plant, you get basic information about how to care for them and increase the odds of successful nurturance.

So, whatever the virtue of my effort at poetry, this is a fine volume for those with houseplants.

This is a comprehensive book on house plant care. This answers almost every question you may have on how to care for your plant. There is a great section on pests and diseases and the photos are helpful in letting you spot what the problem is with your plant. The gallery of houseplants also tells you how much light, water, humidity and temperature each plant needs as well as grooming, fertilization, propagation info and problems you may encounter with each plant. There's a table listing the lighting requirement for various houseplants so you can plan where to put your next purchase and there is also a small section on decorating with your plants. This guide is very easy to use and I highly recommend it as a great resource for anyone interested in having beautiful houseplants.

Really happy with transaction. Received quickly and exactly as described. Thumbs up all the way.

There was once a time when Walter Foster's art titles were about the only instructional art books available. Now there are so many to choose from, and so many which are much simpler and step-by-step than Foster's books. If you're a beginner, don't sit down and expect to reproduce the images in this book just like that. On the other hand, don't miss the opportunity to look at the beautiful artwork that Foster produced so effortlessly.

I really enjoyed this book. Although written 50 yrs ago, it is still timely and interesting. An original Philadelphian myself, I enjoyed the local references. I would highly recommended it.

AS SOMEONE BORN AND RAISED IN THE AREA, I CAN RELATE TO THIS STORY IN MORE WAYS THAN THOSE FROM OUTSIDE OF MAINLINE PHILADELPHIA BUT THE STORY IN AND OF ITSELF IT GREAT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

My one-year-old loved this book to death...literally...we have to get a new one now. Well worth every penny I paid for it! Would highly recommend!

This is a favorite in our household. It has provided my baby with hours of amusement and I would recommend it highly. The fun illustrations and dialogue capture a little one's attention. For those babies and toddlers who are lovers of pop-ups, this book is a must-have.

This is THE BEST children's book on animals I have ever read - and I've seen a lot of them! Very informative, written in a fun-to-read, interesting style, and the photos are magnificent! (I used to breed and raise rats, and I still learned a few things from this book.) My highest compliments to the author and the photographer.

This is the best book that I've found about pet rats written specifically for children. The photos are clear and sharp, and probably alone are worth the price of this book. There is a glossary so that kids can look up confusing words, and there's even a page for parents with tips on sharing the book with their child! Although this book probably does not include enough information about caring for pet rats to enable a family to set up housekeeping for these wonderful pets, it is a great introduction for kids and a worthwhile supplement to an adult's guide to pet rat care

These books are a pleasure to read and to look at !

This series of books are the favourite with my 9 month old daughter and me ! We have been enjoying these books for about four months now. I even recite them to my little girl when we are out walking to squeals of delight.

I have borrowed a lot of books from the library, so you could say I have done a lot of "road testing". I find the Daisy series to be in a different league to everything else. The illustrations in the Daisy series are delightful and the words are like poetry.

This is one of my son's favorite books. It is usually the first book he pulls off the shelf. The oversized pages allow more room for the wonderful watercolor illustrations. The text is very simple, but the pictures allow you to embellish the story as desired. I wouldn't have predicted how much he enjoys this book--but I've bought all the Daisy books now and he clearly prefers them to many other books. He also loves seeing "Daisy" on the pond by our house.

My 2 favs are the first two -- Garden Party of Death & Savanarola -- and next is Serjanian's Escape. Also remarkable are: Remembering Paul, Abyss, Death by Drowning, My Kid Sister Took Her Life, Eleven Years Ago, The Demon, and the Terror of the West. The Lie & In Another Room are interesting and intense -- they seem to have been writting in troubled and turbulent times.

Overall it's a superb book. Many of the poems are really good... evocative, concrete, eerie, gripping. They don't sound like Dylan, but they have that same poetic edge, with lines that trigger a strange but familiar consciousness. Dreams play a part in many of them, and the mood of them is often dreamlike, with mysterious tableaux that seem filled with meaning.

It is a noteworthy event when an acclaimed Homeric scholar publishes a book of verse. More noteworthy that the poems are direct and personal, freighted with emotional imagery. It is not too much to say they remind one of Odysseus singing the travails and occasional ecstasies of his epic journey homeward.

I take the rooms of the title as existing in the house of memory, the falcons kin to Blake's Tyger-a form of elemental energy, most certainly as physical as intellectual. The whole of this amazing book pulses with physical activity.

I think we better move along,
past the village graveyard
where bodies burlapped were mounded
around a central fire.
For God's sake, why doesn't someoneclean up this mess?
They stroll around like it was Sunday.
("Vengeance Abandoned")


Several poems are enhanced by use of prepared photos, which provide a misterioso quality as much as they explicate, e.g. in "Soul and Mask," where "...mask is sincere or false,/flippant, obscene;/or gentle, raw/not understood, hateful, brave..."

"Remembering" is a duet in words, like jazz chase choruses. It is also an enigma-the poet uses simple language but we're never sure when he's putting us on or just dropping it right on the plate. And in "Odysseus at the Mast," the Hoemeric hero of heroes persuades one of his crew to cut him loose from the mast-and, "'Free at last,'" immediately dives into "the dark cold sea."

It's impossible to delineate and set forth all Powell's literary ancestors. In his acceptance of the prevalence of pain and misery, Powell sounds a lot like Bukowski, a poet he has always appreciated despite (or because of) his disrepute in academe. This is above all a book of surprises and mysteries, a tour of the vital and violent that gains force in oddly formal language and syntax. It reminds one of Alistair Cooke's phrase "heroic materialism."

This book tells you every detail of the wonderful history of Colin Powell. This book is a must. YOU must book this book!!!! I read it, and you should. This book tells about the responsibility, courage, and bravery one single American had.. This is a great book to read during this time of tragedy, because it tells you the whole life of one of our American heroes that are working their behinds off, and helping President Bush a bunches! If you want to buy a book, then buy this book.

I don't usually read biographies, however, I have always been interested in this man and his rise through the ranks of our military.

David Roth did a fine job, but then his subject was worthy of his efforts. I am most impressed with Colin Powell, and was glad to have had the opportunity to read about him from his childhood through his White House years. I am even more impressed after having read his life story, though we all know, he has so much more to give and so many more roads yet to travel. He is a most impressive man, a man who must be counted with other great leaders, a benchmark of success, and a man that all American's can be very proud of. From his humble beginnings to a distiguished military career, he has left his mark on world history with firm guidance and much forethought. How very lucky we are to have had him in this time and place shaping world policies.

A most enjoyable book to read!