Thomas Books

At first I was hesitant to purchace Fun with PhotoImpact 4.2 because I had just upgraded to 5.0, but there was so much I didn't know I ordered it anyway. I have never been so happy with a graphics book. Features and tools of the program that seemed so complicated were explained in plain english and Stephanie Baker-Thomas guides you each step of the way. I had no idea PhotoImpact had so many "hidden" goodies. The mini tutorials are wonderful and the lessons learned in each give you the understanding needed to apply them to any other PhotoImpact project. This book is a must have and I am eagerly awaiting the release of Fun with PhotoImpact 5.0. Stephani Baker-Thomas is a true Diva of PhotoImpact.

If I had this book when I first started using PhotoImpact, I would be miles ahead of where I am now, after many months of trial and error learning. The text is very clear, with many screenshots and great hints. My favorite parts are the 'learn by doing' exercises at the end of every chapter...they really make the techniques you learn stick. A great book, and the only one in English for us PhotoImpact lovers.

I had my doubts about purchasing this book because I have Version 5 of PI. Now that I have the book I don't know what took me so long. This book is so well written and easy to follow for novice to intermediate user. It is very applicable to version 5.

Even with the $7.35 duty that I had to pay because I am Canadian, it was the bargin of the century! I received it just 3 days after ordering on a Friday.

Great Book!

No doubt about it, digital imaging can be a fun and rewarding endeavor, but contemporary imaging software is as daunting as it is powerful, and many budding digital artists may be too intimidated by the wealth of options and features available in a top-notch program like PhotoImpact. Fun With PhotoImpact 4.2 takes the novice or intermediate digital artist by the hand and leads them through the basics of the wonderful world of PI. With the knowledge and experience of the author for guidance, the reader can approach this exciting technology with a minimum of apprehension and feel confident that a new world will be opened before them. I highly recommend this book, and I am looking forward to the author's sequel on PI 5.0.

While the book may be of some use to folks who are completely unfamiliar with PI, I was a bit disappointed. It reads almost as a restatement of the PI user's guide ("this button does this...") rather than as a guidebook to innovative use of PI ("In order to get this effect, use these buttons and filters in this sequence . . .") that the title rather led me to expect. To be sure, the author does have an excellent and thorough web site with exactly that kind of hands-on "how do I do this?" data, but it was a bit of a let-down to find the book contains virtually nothing of the sort.

I would recommend this book to anyone who does not believe dreams come true with a little hard work and a lot of faith. George Foreman came from nothing and look at him now. In spite of all of his wealth, he is committed to helping others. He is truly a rich man...in his heart and sould...not in his wallet. This book gives the reader an in-depth look at George Foreman the man...not the boxer. He has family values and morals that we don't find frequently in today's society.

Read this book!!!

George Foreman's personality, style and charisma make this perhaps my favorite book of all time. Why? Because George gives us a detailed look at his personal journey to finding spirituality and happiness in life and how he has shared that lesson with others in an attempt to improve their lives.

I liked George Foreman before reading this book but afterward, I achieved a higher sense of respect for a selfless man who gave up his boxing career to preach and follow the path to God. He even started the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in 1984 with retirement money that he had "tucked" away during his 8-year retirement from boxing. His goal was not to indoctrinate local kids but to give them a place to come and follow a productive direction.

Though George "un-retired" from boxing several times, he continued as a minister in his own local church and spreading the word of God in many ways. In fact, George illustrates that money, wealth and power do not necessarily create a sense of fulfillment; it's the spirituality that brings joy and contentment. George lays the advice out for his readers, plain and simple:

"I am convinced that God gives us all a chance to know Him. He gives us the opportunity and if we say "yes" to Him, He will choose us. But He won't force Himself on anyone".

"God is merciful and will always give us a new beginning if we are willing to change."

Clearly, this advice comes from a man who was transformed in that locker room in 1976.

Despite being a Christian myself, I am often a bit skeptical when athletes claim they have found the good Lord (as that claim is easy to say, not so easy to live). However, after reading this spiritual memoir by George Foreman, I am convinced that he truly has turned his life over to God, and that transformation is as fascinating as it gets.

Fans of classic boxing will remember Big George as one of the meanest, most ferocious heavyweight champions of all time. Yet, at nearly the height of his boxing fame, George (in the book) recounts a near-death experience sent to him by God that changed his life forever. Instead of letting his anger control him, George learned (though not without many trials) to trust in the Lord and serve the higher power. As a result, he believes, the Lord led him to make a comeback to boxing in his 40s and become the oldest heavyweight champion in the sport's long history.

Not only is Foreman's story interesting, but its principles can also be applied to the lives of every living human being. At the end of each chapter, George recaps the key points in easily-understood language, enough so that it can reach born-again Christians or those skeptical of religion altogether.

Overall, this book is very useful in serving two purposes: First, for more "advanced" Christians, it shows that, despite being difficult, the Christian battle can be won. Perhaps most importantly, though, it shows non-Christians how completely a life can be turned around for the better, as Foreman went from essentially a street thug to a servant of the Lord.

So, if you are waning in your faith and need a pick-me-up, or want to see the results of living a Godly life, George's cheerful attitude is just what you have been looking for!

Fight The Good FightForeman writes a great book about his life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone. I loved the Big Bass analogy for success. A lake was stocked with many Bass at the same time. Several months later some of them were much bigger than the others. Foreman's explanation as relates to success also. The bigger ones were more hungry. Wow! What an analogy.

What a thoroughly uplifting and inspiring book.
This book has been a pure delight to read.
George provides spiritual solutions to lifes challenges via
his real life experiences.

This is an amazing book. For golfers with even the slightest of philosophical bents, this is a must read. If your bookshelves contain books like Michael Murphy's Golf in the Kingdom, Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Golf, Fred Shoemaker's Extraordinary Golf, and Joseph Parent's Zen Golf, then Golf's Three Noble Truths: The Fine Art of Playing Awake should be on your bookshelf as well.

I'm finding so much in it that I've almost discovered before... it reads, in that sense, a little like memory. We golfers need more books like this! How can it be that with instruction book after instruction book after instruction book, we don't seem to be getting better at this game? How can it be that the average handicap stays about the same, regardless of technological improvements, countless rounds, golf pro lessons, and bookshelves full of "tips" books dissecting the swing? What is missing?

Ragonnet has an intriguing answer. Drawing on Eastern philosophy, primarily Buddhism, Ragonnet suggests that we golfers are simply not awake to what is really happening right now, right here, before our very eyes. Rather, we are trapped in the "monkey mind." Endless internal chatter about previous shots, what we might shoot today, technical swing thoughts, doubts, fears, anxiety, etc., etc., ad infinitum. No wonder we're not improving!

Ragonnet offers wise words on how we can stop the chatter and return to the moment. He encourages us to appreciate the wonder of everyday existence... the wind through the trees, the shadows on the greens, the wondrous flight of the ball, the butterfly that lands on your golf shoe. But be not deceived... this is no hokey New Agey gimmick schtick. James Ragonnet is heavy duty scholar, thinker, and engaging writer. I dare say he is a real life Shivas Irons. This is a book that can improve not only your golf game... but your life as well.

James Ragonnet's book "Golf's Three Noble Truths-The Fine Art of Playing Awake, enables me to be myself, stay in the moment and to enjoy golf and all the wonderful things that if offers. Additionally, approaching golf by calmly abiding with the The Three Noble Truths and their related benefits, your game does improve. I'm going a step further and applying this philosphy in other parts of my life. I do believe I might just get to be a better person. Both golf and my life have moved up a few pegs. My thanks to Mr Ragonnet for this wonderful book. A job well done.

Walter Kelley

Dr. James Ragonnet's book, Golf's Three Noble Truths: The Fine Art of Playing Awake, is a requirement for every golfer, every level and--in all fairness--for non-golfers as well. The concepts and exercises described within can be applied to any sport or life experience. The principles of "the fine art of playing awake" demonstrate the spiritual/physical link between golf technique and Eastern inspired practices of awareness, balance, and unity (i.e. a connection with and respect for the world surrounding and interacitng with one's golf game). James Ragonnet illustrates numerous examples of how to develop awareness and become more centered--everything from standing meditations to visualizing with the ready made environment, such as trees on the golf course. This book is broken up into concise, clear cut chapters that are chock full of tips on improving one's golf experience and overall life! The sketch of a typical foursome, each representing differing degrees of consciousness and competence are absolutely hilarious. The minute you figure out which character most closely resembles yourself, you will want to implement every suggestion in this book. One of the over-riding themes in Golf's Three Noble Truths, is the importance of dropping one's ego and, instead, embrace the knowledge of one's shortcomings. Ragonnet describes this formula as "Doubt + Self-Awareness = Growth". Ragonnet speaks as a golf buddy who happens to be enlightened and interested in sharing his discoveries. Listen to him and apply some of the prescribed exercises and practices. You will grow and expand in your golf skills, increase your golf enjoyment, and markedly improve your overall life. ~Kellie Young

Jim Ragonnet has penned a primer on living - and being - a meaningful life. Its origin was the author's sense that his life was missing important things - bliss, contentment, inner satisfaction, peace of mind. The grace and beauty of a single butterfly laid bare for him (and through him for all of us) the universal truths that can awaken us all - whether on the golf course or in the board room.

This book enabled me to understand that I've learned some of these truths the hard way over my 32-year business career. ("When you're willing to face the truth, you'll find out who you really are.") Only when I got laid off from my job did it force me to find a far better one. Only when the wheels came off did I find my true perspective and inner strength. I no longer view the "missed" and "made" deals of my vocational life as separate episodes; I realize they form the continuous thread of my collective experience. My good days have taught me things; but my bad days have taught me far more. I now know that an "acceptable score" may be the ultimate illusion in a person's business life. Our ultimate reconciliation with ourselves and with each other doesn't involve scorecards. It consists of truth, gratitude, and forgiveness, in that order.

Ragonnet inspires us to decide for ourselves what golf means - what life means. He enables us to realize that we don't really need a great drive down the fairway. What we really need is the mindfulness and composure to hit a great drive - and to realize that it's not about what we get - it's about who we become.

This book is not just for golfers. Even though I am an avid golfer, I found myself relating pieces of the book to my own personal life and career. As a former athletic director and coach, I found the chapter on The Need to Win to be quite interesting and true. The entire book from cover to cover will keep you wanting to read more each time. Jim has a great ability to relate Eastern thinking to golf and life. To me, a must read.

This is, I believe, the first in the Good Knight series. We borrowed it from a friend while we were in California, because we simply Did Not Have Enough Books! (In our household, 400 books isn't nearly enough by far, so how we thought we'd live a week with only 7, I don't know.)

As you can guess, some of the humor in this book comes from the fact that Good Knight and Good Night sound alike - my five year old niece pointed that out to me several times, and then asked why "Knight" has a K in it. (I didn't point out that it also has a g and an h. Why confuse the matter?)

The knight makes four trips to help put some baby dragons to sleep. Every aspect of the story is explained with simple, repetitive adjectives. His tower is, twice in every trip, "crumbly tumbly". His horse goes "clipety clop" and he shouts "Away!". He stands on watch for ten minutes, five minutes, one minute before heading towards the roar again.

And the dragons are repetitive too. First one dragon wants a drink of water. Then one wants a story, and the first wants ANOTHER drink of water. Then one wants a song, one wants another story, and the first wants YET ANOTHER drink of water. And then... they want... a kiss. (This is going too far!)

But he's a good knight, the Good Knight, so he helps tuck them in every time to get them ready for bed, before finally snuggling into his own bed at the end.

My nieces loved it, and still talk about it a few weeks after coming home. We'll have to get our own copy. I found the style very easy, and the story just long enough for older children, but just fast enough for those days when you really need everybody asleep NOW. A bit much in parts (especially the umpteenth time through), but after you've read it that much you can demand that *they* read (or "read") it to you!

Maybe not a must-have, but very, very close.

Product arrived in good condition, as stated, promptly. Great communication and service by seller. Would definitely use this seller again.
Pam Pate

I love to read this to my son. It's a sweet little story and the illustrations of the dragons make you want to reach out and hug them. This book has a repetitive scene, which I really like. Similar to a song, each part of the story is a different stanza bound together by a repeating chorus. It allows my son to anticipate what the Knight is going to do. I throw in some sound effects and it makes the "chorus" a favorite part.

We love most books about dragons and knights. This one is very sweet and my 4 year old loves it. I can't wait til he's the one that begins to read it. The dragons need help going to sleep at night and the knight in shining armor is the one for the job even though its not what he expected. Its silly and fun and is great bedtime reading.

This is the kind of book that even parents will want to read again and again. Moms and dads will be able to relate to the bedtime struggles, and kids will see themselves in the whiny little dragons (and so will their parents). This book makes me smile every time, even if I am reading it for the hundredth time!

This book is a treasure trove of information about the battles and the influence of the topography had on the outcome. A must read for any Civil War buff OR anyone who loves to look at old maps.

This book is beautiful and interesting - it's a definitely a great book to have!

My dad is a CIvil War buff and a former surveyor. He loved this book. It had a ton of maps he could take out and look at to go along with what he was reading.

We recently moved to North Carolina and our grandson, who has studied the civil war in school, was so excited to see this book. We are planning on taking him to the many sites this summer and this has given him the opportunity to read up before the trip. For his age this book was awesome.

Thomas Nelson's Rutledge Hill Press publishing division has created a lovely book that tells a simple narrative of the Civil War focusing on the importance of maps in the war and the men who made them.

The cover of the book is designed to look like a leather bound canvas portfolio, much like a mapmaker's sketchbook of the era. The text of the book is beautifully printed on high quality paper. I appreciated the fact that the publishers included lots of pictures of everday soldiers - not just the same old posed shots of the generals and politicians.

There are 32 removable maps included as well. The removable maps are stored in between the pages. The publisher has printed on only one side of the thick paper pages and then glued the blank sides together on the edges to make an envelope of sorts between the pages. The maps are securely stored so there is no chance of accidentally losing a map.

I would not recommend this book as an introduction to the topic of the Civil War since it does precious little to introduce the issues that caused the war or Reconstruction. However, it is an attractive volume that would be welcome in the collection of any Civil War buff.

I purhcased this book for my mother and she absolutely loves it. Then one day she showned to my Aunt (a retired nurse) and she wanted to buy it too. It's a very informative medical book using terms/phrases people can easily understand. I highly recommended adding this book to your library.

I recently purchased the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide and have found it to be informative and easy to use. The book fulfills our need for a quick reference book on ailments and treatments. This book is priced less expensively than some of the other medical books available. It provides good value for the cost. I recommend it to individuals looking for a comprehensive, informative, easy to read, home health guide.

I think that everyone need to read this book to find out the best way for family healthy life.

Chock full of great information - a suggested book to keep on your bookshelf.

This is an excellent, affordable resource to have in your home. It is very easy to use and self-explanatory. We love it!!

You may not necessarily appreciate Mr. Arterburn's advice unless you are broken and humbled. Some reviewers take offense at the advice offered by one whose own marriage failed. However, my point of view is, "Who better to listen to than someone who has walked in my shoes?". I've spent the last year of my life trying to survive. I'm ready to heal and start living again. Seems to me that the author has "been there, done that" and he speaks the truth. If you aren't ready to hear that truth, perhaps you should set it aside until you are ready.

Very well written materials to facilitate personal thought processes toward healing. I found the biblical basis and references to be very helpful. Definately geard for those searching for solid suggestions for emotional and spritual healing. POWERFUL!

I have read several self-help books and "Healing is a Choice" is the best. This book has given me a fresh perspective on old issues. Steve Arterburn is a great author. Go for it...you won't be sorry.

If we want to be real we need to be healed from the inside out. Being born into this world means we are born into dysfunctional familes. It is up to make the decision to get real and stop the pattern from being repeated. This book will help get you on the road to recovery.

Healing is a Choice is the book and workbook my Bible Study Small Group chose this fall. It is a great study for everyone.... A real work on myself what a diffence my outlook on life is now.

I have been a fan of Steve Arterburn's non-fiction books for several years, so I bought this book as a gift for a Christian therapist friend. However, I just had to read it before I gave it to her, and for those few days, I could not put it down. Healing Stones has a great, realistic story line and characters, plots under the main plots as we learn the "stories" of various characters. There is a well-balanced combination of human sinfulness, compassion, the mercy and grace of God and healing. Toward the end of the book, some exciting twists and turns lead to the climax, and there is justice and forgiveness displayed.
I highly recommend it as a thought-provoking, yet entertaining read.

I haven't even finished this book yet and already is, in my opinion, one of the best Christian fiction books I have read. It seems that the ones I manage to find are all flowers and butterflies with the Christians always making the right decisions and living the happy side of salvation.

This book is so much more realistic as it throws you into the world of sin leading to the wrong choices made by openly Christians from the get go. And the sudden downward spiral of their lives. I would recommend this book to all my friends, beleivers and non-beleivers alike. I would love to see more books by these two authors working together.

It makes me feel like there are Christians out there, besides myself, that make mistakes and have to go on with life.

This is a great book on recovery from a broken marriage. The authors take you on a healing journey in a realistic fashion. It is not the atypical Christian answer of praying harder and just "give it to God." The book is of course a work of fiction, but the recovery themes are real to life and the book doesn't whitewash the difficulty of rebuilding a broken relationship. It is a must read for anyone who is struggling in their marriage and for those in denial who think they have it all together!

This is the first Christian fiction book that I have read. The story is realistic as well as the characters. I recommend it highly.

Healing Stones is one of the most riveting, realistic, and intelligent books I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it, and I can't wait for more books in the series.

Maggie is feeling old. Her kids are out of the house, she's getting hot flashes, and her husband seems to be looking at younger women. Her best friend also seems to be more concern with dating than hanging around Maggie. Maggie is all ready to accept the fate of a mid life crisis when she meets a young woman at a coffee house who seems to need a "motherly" type figure in her life. With true to life descriptions and humor that will make the reader giggle and groan, this grown up chick lit novel is perfect for those who can't wait to get older and those who wish they could stop.

So I'm not a baby boomer. In fact I'm pretty much the same age as the kids of the main characters in this book. You'd think I wouldn't enjoy it because of the generation gap. WRONG. I totally enjoyed this fun and humorous book that women of all ages will enjoy. What I found most interesting about the book was how insecure most women, even Christian women, really are. It seems that everyone is afraid about losing their husband to someone who is younger or who they think looks better than them. Women are always comparing themselves and therefore creating low self esteem. Of course men don't help out with this, as Gordon doesn't really reassure Maggie that he doesn't go for the blond type. The writing is top notch, I felt like I was a part of the story. I also really enjoyed seeing Maggie's relationship grow with Lily. And it was cool to read a mom drinking frappachinos and ending up working behind the counter in a coffee shop. I also love the Chihuahua who pees when nervous! I think it'd be cool to have her as a mom. There are some times where I would get frustrated with her actions, like her getting ticked at her daughter for being friends with her mother in law or when she stalks her best friend while she's dating. But then I realize that Maggie is having empty nest syndrome and is therefore frustrated with her life. It makes me want to learn to make sure to take time to enjoy my own life, and not just focus it on others so that way I know that I am meaningful. Excellent mom/lady lit book that everyone will enjoy.

Author Diann Hunt pens the words of Hot Flashes and Cold Cream with both humor and honesty, as she describes a fifty-something woman in the grip of menopause. Maggie Haydn's world turns upside down into a despairing heap of cellulite, as her search continues to find something that will spare her the pain of life change. Her pursuit accelerates into a full blown rat race.

Sipping her favorite beverage at the new coffee house makes a dent in her meaningless days of waiting for her overworked husband to return home. While the superficial makeovers never touch the deepest longing of her heart, she hardly expects her out-of-style elderly, widowed neighbor to strike a cord within her. Tired of running, Maggie pauses long enough to notice that Elvira, after all, is fashionably dressed in expressing God's love to others. Maggie is ready for a real change!

Maggie's husband Gordon and her best friend Lily nearly go out of their minds trying to help Maggie keep her balance in her topsy-turvy world. Her college age son and newly married daughter love their mom, too, but hope she doesn't go completely over the edge.

I nearly ran out of breath trying to keep up with Maggie's agonizing pace of going everywhere, never really getting anywhere. Finally, she comes to terms with her age, her appearance, and her attitude toward life. At times, I wanted to say, "We've heard this before!" It seems that was the author's creative technique -- to wear out the reader as much as it exhausted her main character, so that, in the end, we could all breathe a huge sigh of relief.

I commend this book to the Maggie Haydens who are struggling with an empty stage of life. Hunt's character Elvira will point the reader to Jesus Christ, at center stage in her own life. - Cheryl Cecil, Christian Book Previews.com

This book was funny and relaxing and I enjoyed reading it. The author kept me laughing while at the same time wondering what was coming next for Maggie. I can't wait to read another book by D. Hunt.

Great book, if you are close to menopause it's a must read.

Diann Hunt uses humor and zany situations to make us laugh at aging. Maggie Hayden gets herself into one scrape after another with her misguided caring. Hunt drew me into this story so well, Maggie became real. I cared about her. So much that there were times I wanted to slap her. She drove me nuts with her inability to get a grip, yet I laughed all the way.

Besides having a wonderfully intriguing title, Hot Flashes and Cold Cream is a page-turner of a book. You can't wait to see what Maggie gets herself into next. Thanks you, Diann, for this hilarious romp through aging.

In his book, "Information Security Intelligence", Professor Thomas Calabrese grants his audience two things of note. First, he discusses the topic of Information Security with great passion and loads each chapter, topic, and subtopic with key facts, historical insight, and real world application. Second, he writes with a clarity and expertise that I could only posit as unrivaled; this man's education, life, and professional experiences have obviously lent him a great deal of information on Information Security which he gladly presents to us simply and directly, and without beating any topic into the ground.

'Information Security Intelligence' articulately and clearly discusses the major issues of Information Security. The book keeps the reader engaged with challenging and interesting labs. The author's background as a professor comes through in his ability to cleary express the complex issues surrounding Information Security. A very informative and useful book.

Mr. Calabrese has written a wonderful book. Complete with examples and in an easy to understand format. The mathematical principles behind cryptography were a lot easier to understand than other books I have read on the subject. The CD is very helpful and the personal touch where you can see and hear Mr. Calabrese answers questions was very helpful. If you are interested in information security or cryptography this book is a must have.

'Information Security Intelligence' by Thomas Calabrese is a very informative and interesting book. The author has done a superb job of explaining principles and illustrating his points through easily understood examples. This book does a great job of presenting the issues that organizations face and the importance of securing their information. I would highly recommend this book.

"Information Security Intelligence" by Thomas Calabrese is a very easy read for the non-infomation security professional reader. Although, very detailed and analytical when working through the cryptography algorythms, the first and third sections are very readable and provide a thorough understanding of how organizations can protect their most important asset!! I would highly recommend this "how-to-book" to any IT professional tasked with protecting their business' information.