Sherman Books

I took this book on vacation with me, and I highly recommend it as a great airplane or beach read. There's nothing too heavy here, just an easy, breezy read that's a heck of alotta fun! I laughed out loud continually during my flight. The main character, Kevin, is a male escort, but he's a hooker with a heart of gold. As with any good mystery, there are lots of twists and turns here, but nothing too confusing. What makes "First You Fall" stand out from other gay mystery novels I've read, however, are its fully fleshed-out characters. Kevin could very easily have been a cookie-cutter protagonist or stereotype, but author Scott Sherman really makes the reader care about Kevin and his decisions. I, for one, was rooting for him throughout the novel...not only that he would solve the mystery, but that he would find happiness. The secondary characters are equally engaging, especially Kevin's hysterical mother and Mrs. Cherry, the head of Kevin's escort agency. And, of course, there are some very sexy scenes thrown in for good measure...nothing too pornographic, but definitely hot. In his dedication of the book, Sherman even warns that this isn't the type of book one dedicates to his parents, and he instructs his kids not to read the book until they're 21. Sherman has a great sense of humor and is wonderful at writing witty banter and interesting characters. "First You Fall" is a sexy, fun page-turner, and I hope to encounter cute Kevin again in many sequels to come.
-Salvatore Sapienza, author of Seventy Times Seven: A Novel

If Amazon had an auto-order service, I would sign up to have them automatically send me every book in this series the minute it is published. This is a delicious read. Funny, sexy, romantic, a good mystery - and wonderfully drawn characters. Scott - Please-oh-please-oh-please have Kevin pursue his adventures with Tony firmly in place as his life partner and Freddy as his sidekick when sleuthing. Kevin deserves to live long and prosper!

I totally agree with Scott being the a gay Janet Evanovich. I can picture mom in my head and want to strangle her and love her at the same time. All of the characters are totally believable like someone you would meet anywhere. I want to be friends with the characters. I can't wait to read more of kevin's adventures and I can't wait to meet Scott at a booksigning!

I loved this book, so often gay mysteries leave the mystery out and focus on just sex, this was definitely not the case with this one. It not only has a good murder mystery, but a hilarious sidekick to Kevin, a old romance rekindled in the middle of the investigation, and all kinds of characters easy to relate to. I read it in two days with me working third shift even. I can't wait for another book in this series.

Kevin Connor, the hustler hero of Scott Sherman's new novel "First You Fall" is a classic: he's got the proverbial heart of gold. But he's also horny as hell. Setting tricks aside, by the end of the book Connor has four solid men to choose from (and yet he can't make a choice - wait for the sequel).

But the love that grounds this novel's mystery is Platonic. In the opening pages, Connor finds that his mature, gray-haired mentor has apparently thrown himself from his Manhattan apartment's ample balcony. Connor sets out to prove that his mentor was murdered.

Was the perp a fellow steroid-amped hustler? His mentor's sons, one of whom runs a psycho-pop ex-gay ministry? Or was it just plain suicide? Between tricks, Connor must put together the pieces, all the while juggling handsome men with whom he is in love, or who are in love with him, and his mother's sudden appearance on his doorstep fleeing from Connor's apparently cheating father.

The book takes on some heavy themes - ex-gay ministries, bondage scenes gone disastrously wrong, suicide, emotional adultery - but Sherman's hero radiates a redeeming youth, inventiveness, frankness and naivete. He is immensely appealing, susceptible to being charmed both by a foot in his crotch and the brainy nerdiness of one of his regular tricks. Connor's mother, too, is a comic, blunt foil. She shows up without warning on her son's doorstep, persuades the super to let her into his apartment, quickly discovers Connor's stash of porn, makes indelicate inquiries about Connor's day job, refuses to go back to her husband until properly romanced, and is soon hanging curtains and insisting that the refrigerator contain actual food and not merely protein shakes.

Set in contemporary New York City, the book is shockingly current: texting, cell phones, caller ID, data mining, podcasts, and other heralds of the Internet era permeate its pages. For all the familiar tropes Sherman employs, however, "First You Fall" has a distinct freshness, and the mystery endures until the end. I never guessed who done it, though in retrospect the portents were heavy indeed. Best of all, we sense that Sherman hasn't even begun to wring all the fun and mystery from his cast of characters, and I, for one, am looking forward to the next Kevin Connor mystery. Sure beats the heck out of the Hardy Boys.

While it is nice to see a book that is not all nice - where shark meets human beach ape. Where else would you read that a shark would not want to eat a person because she is a Redhead and he is allergic to redheads. Will buy the next book.

I love sharks. I think they are one of the most beautiful creatures to inhabit the ocean. And when a friend told me about a cartoon about a fat, lazy shark and his wacky friends, I thought he was joking. He wasn't, but Jim Toomey was, and was it ever so funny. Sherman's Lagoon takes potshots at peoples perceptions of sharks, pop culture, and the battle of the sexes, interspliced with comments on the eviroment, and a keen sense of humor that surprised and delighted me. So check it out, as Sherman will grown on you and on occasion, that a bite out of your side.

Do yourself a favor. Get this book.

Toomey has an incredible knack for turning things around so as you burst out laughing, you think, where does this guy get his ideas?

When you read this book, you are going to root for the shark. I have spent years snorkeling in the ocean, and never imagined I would be enamored of a loveable shark, but here he is, folks, Sherman and his better half, Megan.

Read it! Jim Toomey rules! Funniest shark in print...and the crab ain't bad either.

This is the first Sherman's Lagoon collection and is it a hoot! There are several good storylines in here, including the introduction of the sun-loving polar bear Thornton, Fillmore's trip to Ascension Island for mating season, the ongoing tumultuous relationship between Sherman and Megan, the crabiness of everyone's favorite crab Hawthorne and a visit from Sherman's brother Herman. One of the nice things about this collection is that you don't have to be a fan to enjoy this book. It is an excellent introduction to the often hilarious world that Jim Toomey has created and is a testament to his skill as a writer and artist. I love this book, it makes me laugh alot and I am proud to own it. I'm sure you would be too!

This book is absolutely hilarious, written from a dog's point of view and is so accurate. This is a must read for dog owners or anyone who loves dogs. I laughed and nodded my head in agreement throughout the entire book. A pure delight and very light-hearted read.

Great gift for dog lovers. I'm waiting for them to write one on cats.

This dog is great for the canine looking to break free of the urban lifestyle and reconnect with his or her roots. Few dogs know of the rich oral traditions and ancient culture of mans best friend. Get this book if you need reassurance that you are a good dog and those feelings you have about the cat are completely natural.

The first dangerous thing about this book is that it WILL make you laugh out loud, which will cause other "humans" to think you might indeed be crazy. But what difference does that really make? Your dog already knows you're crazy. Probably the most dangerous thing about this book is that it's true. Any dog owner will adore this read as they see hints of themselves in the vivid descriptions within its pages. But don't say you haven't been warned. After reading this book you may find yourself watching your best friend just a little bit closer.

This book is an endless source of levity and promotes enough loud laughter to scare your dog out of the room! It's so great I've already gotten 3 other folks hooked on it.

My husband and I were reading one of these stories aloud the other day - the one about "How to Make Your Owner Look Like an Idiot" while Scottie slept at our feet. Or so we thought he was sleeping. The next day on his walk, Scottie executed the instructions from the book to a 'T', thus turning both of us into - well, startled and laughing - but idiots nonetheless! Read page 119 for the full story, but read it silently. They listen to this book and you might be the next victim!!!

Priceless. Don't think twice -- I recommend to buy it now!

One of the most engaging books I have read in a long time. I did not have to work my way through it. In fact I had a hard time putting it down. It is amazing to me how a story could be so engaging and educational at the same time. This book has helped me and has affected my daily life in a positve way. The story is told in such a way that one never feels lectured or talked at. But there is a definite learning going on in every chapter. I highly recomend this book to anyone wishing to connect with their daily experience in a more deep and profond way.

Among all the spiritual books I've read over the years, Silence and the Soul stands out as the most open and accessible sharing of a spiritual journey I've come across. It is this openness -Ellen and Gary's willingness to reveal the intimate details of their experiences with their inner selves - that makes this book so powerful. One is no longer left wondering about the nature of their transformative experiences, which is so often the case. Rather, one is allowed to fully see what has occurred for them and how they have responded to those experiences and thus to begin to understand the possibilities for oneself. For anyone truly seeking to know more of their own innerself, this book is a rare gift

Silence and the Soul is a deeply inspiring book that takes you on the authors' personal journey into self-awareness. It is a beautiful account of a time in their lives when they chose to retreat into the Silence in order to listen to and develop a strong, life long relationship with inner wisdom. This book reminds me that the path toward spirit is a process with many steps, missteps, and seeming detours along the way. To read this book is to journey along with the authors into self-discovery and awareness.

Collaboratively written by Ellen Miller and Gary Sherman (creators of the Perceptual Integration Process), Silence And The Soul: Awakening Inner Wisdom is a deeply spiritual book about traversing a journey of consciousness. Miller and Sherman cogently describe the soul-searching effects of listening to the wisdom of one's Inner Teacher, and drawing upon connections between emotional cleansing and a higher level of outreach to the world around us. Highly recommended reading for students of spirituality, Silence And The Soul is a profound metaphysical and personal testimony to the evolution of perception, both within and beyond the five senses.

This book is a great "relationship autobiography" of two very conscious beings who share their journey of deepening with each other, and through the book, with us. I think we are living in a time when a lot of what has traditionally been called "spiritual work' is being done with a partner--someone who both nurtures us and who chafes us into looking more honestly and deeply at ourselves. Silence and the Soul was a great inspiration to live my life larger and more meaningfully and to understand the power of intention and conscious choice.

This is a great story written in 1933. So it has views of that time. As you know Liberalism and poilitical corectness is paramount today. I think most people can accept that a term like "half-breed" was ok back then. However as this is a childrens story and the way lawsuits are filed left and right...i think thats why a great book like this all of a sudden finds itself off the shelves in schools. wouldn't Obama be a "half breed" for right or wrong? Too bad...I just love the book.

I read this book several times when I was young. I loved it then and my son has read this a couple times in recent years. I have all four books in the series. The description of his life on the trail, taking care of the sled dogs, and even the food he ate while on the trail were all exciting to me. The book starts out about Silver Chief's mother, before the Chief was born. I had forgotten about that part. This is a great book. Another book I liked regarding the outdoors, which also had great detail, was My Side of the Mountain.

I read this book as a young girl and now at the age of 60 I enjoyed it just as much. I read it to my four kids when they were in the 5th grade and they loved it as well. Now my daughter who is a high school teacher is using a copy of the book in her classroom for her students to read.

My dad read this book as a boy in the 1950s. He introduced the Silver Chief books to me and I read and reread them as a young preteen. I have since read them to several children who also couldn't get enough of them. Silver Chief is a beautiful silver animal part dog and part wolf. A Royal Candian Mounted Policeman named Sar. Thornton heads north to track a murderer. While waiting to track down the murderer, Thornton captures and tames Silver Chief training him into a loving companion and loyal friend. When the Murderer wounds Thornton in the leg, it is up to Silver Chief to see that they arrive safely back to civilization.

I read this book in elementary school, after stumbling across it while browsing through the school library. It's such a great story and even though it's for youngsters, I wouldn't mind re-reading it now as an adult, just for the memories of the brave wild dog's adventures.

I found this an exellent book. The original design patterns book drew its examples from C++ applications. I could see a use for the patterns in C++, but I thought most of them would not have been necessary if the code had been written in Smalltalk.

This book did an excellent job of showing how and where the patterns could be used in Smalltalk applications. The authors also extended and clarified many of the pattern so that they were simplier to understand. The book is more than a companion to the GOF book; it is an enhancement of it.

This book gives you a better understanding of the patterns than in its original version (the GoF one). I am not a SmallTalk programmer but a 9 years C++ one. At work I had to use the GoF book and never liked reading it. In contrast to this, the SmallTalk companion is easy to read and you can understand the patterns within the first few lines of their description. Take the Bridge pattern and compare their discussions in the two books. If you really like the Gof one then buy it. But according to me, it would be a big mistake buying the GoF in favour of the SmallTalk companion. Trust a C++ programmer :-)

This isn't a Smalltalk translation of "Design Patterns." Instead, it's a companion to that book. You'll need to read the first one to get the most out of this one. If you have read the first one, you'll find this one is better written and really casts essential light on some of the GOF material. The Smalltalk aspects of this book are really a non-issue (except perhaps showing static-typers how many hoops you don't have to use in Smalltalk). This is required patterns reading.

I bought this book because of the unresolved questions I had after spending so many hours exploring the GoF original book. I am an experience C, C++, and Objective C programmer, not a Smalltalk guru at all. And I found the GoF very confusing and intimidating. My current projects these days are written in Java (I miss Objective C). I looked for a book that would cover the pattern catalog in Java because I was really questioning the purpose of some of them in that language. Creating some mechanism to overcome the C++ language is somewhat understandable, but why bother with Java. Take the prototype pattern for example: "...It's (the prototype pattern) less important (to use it) in languages like Smalltalk or Objective C that provides what amounts to a prototype..." (page 121) Sure, ok, but what about Java? Can you give me an example on how it would benefit a language that doesn't really require it like Obj C, or even Smalltalk? Then the sample code refers to the maze example but not much material is given here. I bought several books with Java and Design Patterns in the title but was very disappointed with the beginner level these books approach this problem. The titles are seductive but the content is not that great. I don't need another ADOO (I've read Larman's book already. Get it if you are new to OO BTW.) So I ended up getting that book as a last resort. And you know what? It's great. I program in Java all day (and sometimes all night, sigh...) and this book spends more time on my desk than the GoF original one. So, if this comments remind you some of your experience, you should give this book a try. And this book lighted up another bulb in my brain: I ended up downloading Squeak and prototyping in Smalltalk some of my projects just for the fun of it, but that's a side effect I guess ;-)

I found this an exellent book. The original design patterns book drew its examples from C++ applications. I could see a use for the patterns in C++, but I thought most of them would not have been necessary if the code had been written in Smalltalk.

This book did an excellent job of showing how and where the patterns could be used in Smalltalk applications. The authors also extended and clarified many of the pattern so that they were simplier to understand. The book is more than a companion to the GOF book; it is an enhancement of it.

we need to learn how to work with them and how to make them work, this is in part what Colleen tells us here. Very nice book indeed and not the usual one. She doen't promise to become wealty by getting published, yet between the lines I think there is a hope for everyone of us becoming richer in the spirit. And this is why many of us write: to live a fuller life by reflecting on it. This book helps us in both ways - to write for the entertinment of others and for the deepening of one's thoughts - and I'm eagerly waiting for a second and third book with more entertaining tips and insight! Thak you Colleen.

This book is great, will really rev up your writing, and I'm not the only one who says so. The February 2001 issue of Wisconsin Bookwatch has the review : With "Movies In The Mind: How To Build A Short Story", Colleen Rae provides the aspiring writer with compendium of sound advice, techniques, and strategies for writing plausible, believable, resonating fiction. Each informative chapter is a gem of sound, practical, illustrative, and occasionally inspiring instruction and includes: Entering The Storymaker's Realm; Fiction's Building Blocks; Participatory Art; Digging The Clay; Whose Story Is It Anyway?; Unlocking Your Story; How To Birth A Story; and There's Always A Critic. Very highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve the quality of their fiction," Movies In The Mind" is further enhanced with a section of Exercise Pages, a Reading List; and a user-friendly index.

Colleen Mariah Rae's book is a unique approach to learning the art of writing fiction. It's strictly an inside job, and Rae helps you find answers to your fiction writing problems within yourself. Her emphasis on imagery and detail is presented in a straight forward manner that sheds new light on the subject. But her advice on developing a trait continuum for your characters is help of the most valuable kind. I look forward to seeing more books from her in this series.

John M. Whalen, Journalist/Freelance Writer

Before I finished the first chapter of this book, I saw a dramatic difference in my writing. If you want to learn how to connect with the mysterious well where all of our stories come from, if you want to understand what really grabs your reader and connects him/her with your story, read this book! It's not just for short story writers. It's for writers. Period. Look through Colleen Mariah Rae's eyes as you devour this book, and you'll see your creative world in a whole new light!

With Movies In The Mind: How To Build A Short Story, Colleen Rae provides the aspiring writer with compendium of sound advice, techniques, and strategies for writing plausible, believable, resonating fiction. Each informative chapter is a gem of sound, practical, illustrative, and occasionally inspiring instruction and includes: Entering The Storymaker's Realm; Fiction's Building Blocks; Participatory Art; Digging The Clay; Whose Story Is It Anyway?; Unlocking Your Story; How To Birth A Story; and There's Always A Critic. Very highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve the quality of their fiction, Movies In The Mind is further enhanced with a section of Exercise Pages, a Reading List; and a user-friendly index.

You will be pleased by this book- generous amount of good pictures on this famous WWII battle tank. I found the coverage of the variants and production very useful. To top it all off the price is excellent!

While not perfect, this is a very good history of the M4 Sherman. Better use of photos and (more important) coordination of photos would have upped this to five stars in my opinion. For example, in many cases one model of tank is being discussed while all the photos show a completely different model. Very good use of diagrams, which ARE usually located on the correct page. Well worth the money, if you want perfection you'll be spending more.

The M4 series medium tank, commonly known by its British-applied nickname of "Sherman", was one of the most important weapons of the Allied ground effort in WW2. The Sherman started as one of the best tanks in the desert when introduced in North Africa, but soon fell behind German tanks in guns and armor. This was because US doctrine didn't emphasize tanks fighting other tanks, but the German doctrine saw the tank as the primary anti-tank weapon. While not a great tank killer, the Sherman was available in large numbers, not only for US forces but for many Allied nations. It also proved itself quite an adaptable design, with room for growth and was able to serve a number of special roles that were never even envsioned when the tank was originally designed.

This soft cover book covers much of the technical developments of the Sherman tanks. Mr. Green uses many period photos, plus views from restored tanks to illustrate the many changes and variations in the Sherman's design. He looks at the tank in the context of actual useage. He also touches on the US tank crews, one of the secrets of the Shermans ultimate success in battle.

For the money this book is a good investment in the basics of the Shermans design and use. Very useful to military historians, wargamers, model builders and tank buffs.

Military specialty libraries strong on World War II history won't want to miss M4 Sherman At War, a survey of a tank which played a key role in every aspect of the battles, enabling the Allies to manufacture enough units to overwhelm the superior German tanks they faced. The design and employment of a tank which beat the odds is reviewed in chapters packed with vintage black and white photos, cut-away diagrams, and historical and design facts: a fascinating, involving read.

The M4 Sherman is THE American tank of the Second World War, seeing service in all theaters of war and being operated by a number of Allied units. That being said, the Sherman was a badly designed tank that was never the equal of its German contemporaries. That Sherman crews accomplished so much says more about their courage and steadfastness rather than the quality of the tank they manned.

The Sherman went to war an under-gunned, under-armoured and under-powered tank whose boxy, too-tall silhouette provided German tank and anti-tank gunners easy opportunities for kills. In a rare, pre-war blunder Chief of Staff George Marshall decided the M4's main mission was to be a weapon of explotation rather than a slayer of enemy tanks. The newly created tank destroyers were tasked with that duty. Yet realistically how could a Sherman crew pick and choose its opponents in a combat situation? Nevertheless Marshall, aided by General Lesley McNair, pushed through this doctrine and Sherman crews went to war in a seriously flawed design.

Green and Brown do an excellent job of documenting the Sherman's flawed beginnings, the seemingly endless - and usually unsuccessful - attempts to upgrade the basic design and its armament along with the stateside struggles between various Army bureacracies that hindered production of the best possible design.

Likewise in describing and illustrating the tank, its various components, and combat record, the authors do a bang-up job. The book is packed with photos, cutaways, profiles and digrams, many in color along with dozens of wartime photos and contemporary acccounts of the M4 in action.

All in all, a comprehensive, insightful, well-illustrated, and entertaining guide to a a combat legend. And only $19.95!

Recommended!

I too, read this series when I was younger and although 15+ years have passed, they remain my favorite series of books. I have been eagerly awaiting the re-release of these books and will purchase them again, as an adult, for a quick, fun read.

I definitely recommend them for someone who's introducing their teenager to reading. I hope they get sucked into the story as much as I did.

I first read these books as a 7-year-old second grader. I still have the entire series lying around somewhere. Reading them as a child, I was absolutely enchanted. I re-read them as an adult, and they are still captivating.
These stories are absolutely excellent for young readers, particularly young girls, who want a great role model. Sheila is courageous, strong, and innovative; I love her creative mind. (Wait until you see how she fends off the first perceived enemies in the "other world"!)
Whether you're a parent looking for something to read to/with a child, or an adult fantasy lover, you will enjoy these tales. You can probably find the original six novels for sale used, too. (I was always hoping they would come out with more :)

I absolutely love these books. I only found the firt two at a clearence book store in the mall, and I truly fell in love with the books. Granted, they are more for young preteens than teenagers, but those of you who love a great fantasy story, this is a series for you. They should really put these books back into print, it would really be worth it if they would. So many people would love them, and I really hope publishers make them available again soon. I only have the first three, but have been going through pains to get the rest, seeing as how they are all so expensive these days. Keep looking though, it would really be worth your while if you could bye the books.

It's about time that they got around to print Secret of the Unicorn queen again. I love these books. They are the perfect adventure fantasy books for young adults. A little romance, some fighting and good triumphs over evil like any good tale. While they were printed over 10 years ago, they have never gone out of fad. Now all we have to do is wait till the other books come out in print too.

I read the 'Secret of the Unicorn Queen' many years ago when they were first released, I adored them then and I'm glad to see that things that I loved then are still present now.

The series follows a young teenage girl name Sheila who has a pretty normal life, the only thing out of the ordinary is her relationship with Dr. Rite an eccentric scientist.

When a accident happens involving his affectionate cat and a untested invention Sheila finds herself in the world of Arren, where unicorns are real, magic exists. She meets a group of women determined to free the land from a tyrant. Sheila joins them and can't help but get caught up in the fight.

While the book doesn't break any barriers and doesn't bring anything new to the genre it's still a solidly written story with likable characters, and engaging plot and even a few laughs.

Though intended for younger readers I think this series has appeal for older ones as well and not just as nostalgia.

This book was very helpful with my daughter's transition into school dept recently. She turns 3 in July and I had been told in my transition meeting that she would not qualify for ESY because they would not know if she would regress.
I sat in her IEP and explained that it was my understanding of the law that we did not have to prove regression just loss of emerging skills. A statement that I would never have used before the book. My daughter got ESY without a fuss from the Special Education Director who had been the one to tell me that she would not :)
I would like to see more than about the IEP from a little ones experience though. I feel that the book will become even more help as she grows.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an autistic child. Some of the information has been so valuable and has helped me become aware of rights that I didn't even know existed. Don't believe that the school knows your child's needs better than you do. Arm yourself with the information this book provides. You are the strongest advocate for your child.

This is a very well written, informative book on being an advocate for your child within the school system. I recommend it highly!

Be sure to definitely read this before your child's next IEP.

I've been dealing with IEPS and special education programs for my son for several years and this book still taught me a lot! It is well written, very easy to read, and covers almost everything you have to contend with.

Sadly, the quality of a child's special education program relies mostly on the parent's ability to advocate. This book will empower you to be a much better advocate for your child.

This book is a valuable tool for navigating the complex world of special education law and programs.

I'd also like to thank the author and editor for all their work putting this book together -- it is going to help so many parents and children!

This book is a must have, especially for those who have a newly diagnosed child with autism. If memory serves me correctly, US Rep. Dan Burton had a grandson with autism and he went to a school meeting because his daughter was having such a hard time getting an appropriate education... my point in sharing this is that you need to be prepared from the very beginning (being nice and/or influential is not going to do it for you, you need to be knowledgeable regarding your child's rights) and this book will do that for you. It is an easy read with many excellent templates for letters (some with the applicable law referenced), and it is a breeze to find just what you need. I also like that it is written especially for parents of children with autism. I have a 19 yr old now and wish I'd had this book a long time ago!