W Books

Dr Janda performed surgery on my should a couple of years ago. He's an incredibly talented and caring individual who's extremely passionate about helping others by preventing sports injuries. His book is easy to read, incredibly interesting and insightful into big issues in health care, and is 100% from the heart.

The story of Roger Hall (inventor of the Lego type breakaway baseball / softball base) is amazing for both his challenges and persistence. Roger lost a friend after a freak sliding injury resulted in death (due to complications). Roger spent the next eight years working to create a breakaway base that would reduce the chance of injury. When he finally had a working design, he found he could not manufacture and market the base himself. He teamed up with a manufactuer who then did not promote the product. He then broke ties with this manufacturer and tried to have the bases made overseas, but the original manufacturer blocked the tooling to create the bases. The book dives into the reasons why a major sports equipment maker would neglect to produce a safer baseball base, why the insurance industry doesn't get involved to reduce its medical expenses, and why professional and college teams do not demand safer equipment. The story is incredibly interesting!

I expected The Awakening of a Surgeon: A Family Guide to Preventing Sports Injuries and Death by Dr. David H. Janda to be technical, dry and boring. Well, was I surprised to find it engaging, very readable but also, very alarming.

While doing his residency in orthopedic surgery, Dr. Janda discovered that the majority of baseball and softball injuries came about by players sliding into bases. Most of these injuries were caused by stationary bases. He researched various breakaway bases, and found a set that he thought would prove to be much safer. He convinced the University of Michigan to replace six of their fields with stationary bases, and the other six with the new breakaway bases. He had a group of volunteers record the injuries due to sliding over a two year period. At the end, the results were amazing! Injuries were reduced by 96% and cost of treatment reduced 99% with the breakaway bases. This helped lead to his founding The Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine. It is one of the very few independent research groups that focus solely on prevention and is not funded by sporting good companies.

What I find alarming is Janda's conviction that nobody is much interested in preventing sports injuries--from sporting good companies to insurance companies to schools and communities. Surprisingly, most baseball and softball leagues (from professions to amateurs) refused to start using the breakaway bases despite Janda's research. Many times there's a conflict of interest. "The National Operating Committee for the Safety in Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), [is] an organization funded by the sporting goods manufacturers." Of course they're not going to rule against equipment manufactured by their sponsors. Janda ponders that unsafe and defective automobiles are required to be recalled, but "Why aren't sporting goods manufactures subject to the same standards?"

Janda also provides lots of autobiographical information about his childhood, his schooling, his family, and how he became interested in medicine. He also spends much time discussing his efforts in the area of prevention. There are also a number of appendices at the end that are helpful to parents by covering such topics as Preventing Soccer Injuries, Playground Safety, Dehydration, Swimming and Water Safety, Preventing Baseball and Softball Injuries, and a Prevention Checklist--just to name a few.

As a physical education teacher of 31 years and someone who coached varsity sports for 24 of those years, I can't recommend The Awakening of a Surgeon enough.

What a GREAT read! I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Janda's book. It was informative, thoughtfully written, and contained just the right amount of humor. Dr. Janda is a person of integrity who genuinely cares about his patients and has an interest in preventing people involved in sports from becoming his patients. This is a very good book for individuals who want to prevent injuries for their children.

This book is absolutely Magnificent! This book is great for anybody! I fully encourage you to read this book! All coaches everywhere should have it! So, now go out there and buy the heck out of it!!!

This is an essential book for parents and weekend sportsmen, an inspirational book for anyone who has ever believed in or fought for a cause, and a good story for just about everybody. It is also a good mystery: why haven't the recommendations of Dr. Janda and the Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine been widely implemented nationally? It seems like a no brainer: the recommendations don't seem to interfere with the enjoyment of the sports, they have been proven to dramatically reduce injuries, and they greatly reduce health care costs. The recommendations seem to make everybody happy. What's the problem? Read the book to find out. I may be prejudiced because Dr. Janda saved my arm, but I loved this book and so has everyone to whom I have given it. I even have something to tease Dr. J about next time I see him: initially entertaining the thought for even a brief second that he had a prayer of taking sliding out of softball.

Wow, I just want to say this book is awesome! I remember buying it at Barnes & Nobles because I thought it looked interesting. It was so good, I just could not put it down! I read it in like two days and I have been waiting for the sequel for months. I'm going to go and pre order it now!

I know it says in the summary that this is for readers of Gossip Girl and A-List, but I swear this book is much better than those. I liked this book so much, because it showed four girls in pursuit of their dreams. I could relate to each of them in different ways, and I felt like the ending was perfect. It wasn't entirely corny and predictable. This is similar to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, except for the fact that we don't have to wait for a second book to come out before we find out what happens.

It is the time for their lives to truly take flight. Best friends Harper, Kate, Becca and Sophie have graduated high school and are going to separate colleges to pursue their separate careers. But to Harper's disappointment, her future is crushed when she received the rejection letter from NYU and rather than tell her friends the truth, she decides to spend the year writing America's next Little Women. Although her gambling journey was not to be taken alone, for Harper inspired both Kate and Sophie to chase their dreams as well. Sophie blindly stumbles into Hollywood in search of the perfect audition that will propel her into the movie business, but instead finds love with the wrong actor. Leaving home with only a passport and an open road, Kate bails out of Harvard to explore the world and its broad opportunity where she hopes her dream is hidden. The only one to stick to her plan, Becca hits the ski slopes on the Middlebury team content with the only thing she feels good at, which keeps her company when her friends are far. Love comes to each girl that year and with it decisions that could change their lives, and though apart, the four friends manage to find ways to hold each other close. Bass Ackwards and Belly Up, by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fein, is a heartfelt novel that defines the love that is intertwined in the friendship of four girls who experience their first steps into the real world.

Bass Ackwards and Belly Up is made up of the four stories of the four friends Becca, Harper, Sophie and Kate. The tales of each of their separate lives makes the book a more intriguing read, one that's difficult to put down. From each girl, the reader can sometimes relate and because there are separate stories, it is easier to compare with.

Thorough the hard times, together or apart, the authors do a great job of defining each character by their experiences. For instance, when Kate is robbed and Harper finishes the first fifty pages of her book, each girl is changed and reacts a different way to the events. The characters are very well developed and it makes the story much easier to imagine.

Bass Ackwards and Belly Up focuses on each friend's dream, whatever that dream may be. In this way, it gives teens the incentive to chase their dreams, but still to think out what this change may hold for their futures. Through this story, the authors send a great message for teens that shows you can accomplish whatever you wish if you just give it a try.

This story of four friends and their adventures as young adults is an incredible story of love, determination and the freedom to make your own choices with the burden of the consequences. I highly recommend Bass Ackwards and Belly Up to teenage girls and young adults for I highly enjoyed it myself.

E. Knipp

Best friends Harper, Sophie, Becca, and Kate have done everything together since elementary school. Now they've graduated, and are about to go off to college. True, they're all going to different schools, in different cities, but they're still all having the same experiences, just in different locations. Then, the night before Becca is supposed to leave for Middlebury, Harper drops a bomb. Instead of heading off to Manhattan, she's going to be staying at home in her parents basement and writing the next Great American Novel. In other words, following her Dream. Sophie and Kate quickly hop on board the "Dream Train," as they call it, going to L.A. and Europe, respectively. For Becca, joining the Middlebury ski team is her dream, but her friends tell her she should work on expanding her horizons by falling in love. As the girls' powerful stories alternate throughout the novel, you will be rooting for all of them to accomplish their dreams. True, there are obstacles: a bitter ski coach, skeezy guys, and writer's block, to name a few. But this Dream Train is full speed ahead, and it doesn't stop for anything or anyone.

Despite their vastly different personalities and families, Harper, Sophie, Becca, and Kate have been best friends for years. No matter what, they tell each other everything.

Well, almost everything. Harper was rejected from NYU, the only college to which she applied, and has been keeping this a secret from her friends and her parents for months. Right before her friends plan to take off for colleges all over the country, the truth comes out.

Well, kind of. Harper acts as though she has decided not to go to NYU, preferring to stay home and write the next Great American Novel. She thinks this quasi-admission will shock her friends, but their reactions shock her even more: two of them decide to follow her example and take a year off from college to chase their own capital-D Dreams.

From there on, the story follows each girl in turn. Each storyline is given equal time and attention, switching back and forth every few pages. This format will be familiar to fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Sophie wants to be a famous actress. As luck would have it, her mom's old friend lives with her husband in Beverly Hills and allows Sophie to stay at the guesthouse rent-free. Sophie's landlords are quite busy and have good connections, giving her total freedom and helping her snag some auditions. Sophie befriends Sam, an aspiring actor who takes care of the pool and does odd jobs around the place, and Trey, a famous actor who gets her a line in a movie and steals her heart. If you like Sophie's storyline, read The 310 series by Beth Killian.

Kate's post-high-school plans were supposed to be set in stone: Go to Harvard with her long-time boyfriend, study hard and get good grades in an effort to live up to her parents' high expectations. Harper's big plan makes Kate realize she has no plan of her own. Europe calls out to her, so she books a plane ticket and packs her bags. As her boyfriend drops her off at the airport, he breaks up with her. She heads off to her big trip feeling more alone than ever. While she travels, she attempts to work her way through a list of 100 tasks ("Touch the Berlin Wall," "Take the water," "Stomp grapes") created by her friends and her younger adopted sister Habiba. If you like Kate's story, read 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson.

Becca heads off to Middlebury as planned, wanting to wow the school's coach with her skiing ability. He coached an Olympic team and she wants to impress him more than anything. She ends up getting on his bad side during the first practice and staying there for quite some time. Not only that, but small pratfalls evolve into bigger disasters, snowballing into something she never could have seen coming. Somewhere along the way, she manages to do the one thing her friends challenged her to do: fall in love. If you like Becca's story, read the Love Bukowski series by Emily Franklin.

Meanwhile, Harper finds herself staring at a blank computer screen. Now living in her parents' basement and told that she must pay rent, she takes a job at a local coffeehouse. An old classmate, Judd, becomes an unlikely friend. The twenty-three-year-old English teacher she crushed on in high school becomes a regular customer - and maybe something more. Now if she could only manage to actually write something . . . If you like Harper's story, read That Summer by Sarah Dessen.

The book covers three months in the lives of four teenage girls. As any teenager can tell you, that is both a very short and a very long period of time. During those three months, the characters are each granted a new kind of independence, but manage to come back together. If only all friendships were truly this strong, and we were all afforded the freedom (and, for the most part, incredibly good luck and easy resolutions) these girls were given.

Traffic citations, especially seatbelt citations are almost always about power and money. If it were about safety, they would put more focus on straightening out all the dangerous curves, force property owners to cut back brush, obstacles, and hinderances that causes unseen intersections. They could also install traffic control devices where necesary and work that much harder to get the most dangerous class of drivers, the aggressive ones, and those who are intoxicated - off the roads and into jails. There is no need to not know what you can do if you are a victim.

I bought this book because I received a ticket for running a stop sign. Seems simple enough, except he went so far to conceal his location that he put himself in a bad position to see the intersection. After stewing for a few days, I decided to buy this book and determine if I was going to fight it. After reading the info, I decided to plead not guilty and meet with the prosecutor.

He mentions it in the book, and there were 10+ people in the courtroom today that didn't do it, which is make sure that you are prepared. A defense of "I didn't do it" isn't going to work. I broke my defense into 5 parts:

Obstacles - the officer couldn't clearly see the intersection because of bridge pillars which blocked part of his view.

Distance - the officer was over 200 yards (2 football fields) from the intersection where the alleged violation took place. Police have a tendency to really try to hide themselves from you, but in doing so may put themselves in a poor position (which you can bring up in court).

Traffic - the officer put that there was heavy traffic on the ticket. He was on the opposite side of the traffic when he observed me (which further obstructed his view).

Time - I got the ticket at 8 am and the officer was facing due East. This is the time of the morning where he is looking into the sun (he had his hand up in front of his eyes to block the light).

Driving Record - I printed out my driving record (which I had to request online) which shows that I have a clean driving history. This shows that I am a responsible driver and lends credibility to my testimony.

****Side note*****
Unless the lights on the cop car are on, they probably aren't recording video. The officer made it a point to tell me that his car was equipped with video and that I should know it if I chose to fight it. The judge told me today when I requested a copy of it that in most situations they are erased after 30 days (it was 45 days from the ticket to my arraignment).

All of these factors cast doubt on his ability to accurately see me traveling through the intersection, and I am using them to raise reasonable doubt. Hand signs and noises don't convince the prosecutor that you are innocent (I saw a bunch of people doing it today). The prosecutor told every other person there fighting their ticket to take defensive driving (or that they would have to present their testimony at trial), he told me I had a good case and to take it to trial. He said that he doesn't care if I was guilty or not, he only cares about what he can prove (at this point it is very little). Once he verifies the officers vantage point, we should be able to put this to bed.

I am not off the hook yet, but I recommend this book as a good starting place. Buy it and read it, it will help you decide if it is worth fighting.

you need to get this book if you were ever a victim of the traffic codes that plague our country. attorney brown does a great job in breaking down the court procedures and even provide dialogue to use in certain circumstances.

Used this book to get a sense of how to fight my ticket. While the book did not specifically cover my citation (HOV), it did give me some direction on how to approach it and the best way to go about it. It is an excellent way to start and most beneficial for those who have minor violations dealing with stop signs, lane changes and speeding. I highly recommend it.

I took my case to court and won!

I've been to traffic court many, many times and I always feel like I'm misunderstanding something because I get shafted left and right. As it turns out, I was misunderstanding something. I flew through this book, which is odd because it's technically a law book, but it's written in a very accessible way. It's good to just have the knowledge of how to stand up for yourself, and even if you don't stand a chance in court, you at least know what to sat, when to say it, and what the heck is going on. I highly recommend this to anyone considering buying it.

This is the best book about music that I have read, and my recent (fourth in 35 years) reading solidified this opinion.
The reviews here offer many insights, so I just want to emphasize that this is unlike any other music biography you will read. It is not a linear life history, nor does it focus primarily on musical quotations. It digs deeply into Beethoven's spirit and tries to grasp what made him so special. That is a fundamental bias of the book, so if you find Beethoven less a genius than Bach or Mozart or Mahler or Wagner, then you probably won't agree with Sullivan's conclusions. But, as a mathematician, he approached his subject without the standard musicologist biases, and that shines through in a work that is accessible to anyone who wants to think deeply about the ultimate meaning of great music, and how one person could create what Beethoven poured forth in his life.

This is not going to get many postive feedbacks.. HOWEVER.. this is just a note to say THIS REALLY and truly is a BRILLIANT BOOK.... and for anyone wanting to dive straight into the deep end as to what Beethoven and ART and Classical Music par se is and the mind of a composer and the struggle of a life between Art, creativity, God and love and genius is all about this is the one book to get. Yet, surprisingly not only all made very understandable but then clarity and inspiration and feel good factor was never made so good in a book on a composer, also made so enjoyable. A true and real learning journey in this book.Priceless. I felt myself on tour with the writer and the works and mind of life of Beethoven as though the man was his art and his work. Out of MUCH self taught reading on classical music. This book truly remains my ALL TIME FAVOURITE book about any single composer. Supremely well written and written with clarity and passages I underlined endlessly. It is one of those books. Just well researched, well written and written about from angles and insights that you really DID want to know and not written anywhere else and never realised you did want to know and it is a real journey. If you feel a journey with Beethoven`s music this is the best book ever written to get into his mind , and his art and the music and his life as one.... A real cherished classic. I hate the phrase. This book is one of 20-30 that I look back really does come under the heading "life changer" and can give a truer real insight into the mind of genius and ART in capital letters and an artist`s intention and the working of a mind and spirit..and it explains the music so well in relation to his life and genius. A seriously great gem , where every page is a page turning inspiration and delight. Seriously 5+ Not a normal book. Exceedingly well done... This book is special. Class of it`s own and essential reading on Beethoven. Trust me. And write your own review. I challenge anyone not to adore this book and give it a 5 having read it. I`m serious. Think about it compared to all the others on Beethoven and dull ill written biographies and over detailed stuff. This book really hits the spot and is very very well writen in style and content and theme and insight....and is concise. : ) I.e not only readable but also exciting and a a book to learn from not just factually but with real thinking and a journey and highly enjoyable read. The world it takes one too to the mind of the composer and the music and the journey it takes one too is first class. A really enjoyable mind expanding insight. Seriously good. i.e Great.

Why has Beethoven reached this special place in the music world?
First at all his music is fundamentally human . The organic feature of his works shows the timeless conflict between the will and the fate ; the horizontality of the destiny and the verticality of the irrevocable and untamed human character .
Ernest Newman has said : " The peculiarity of Beethoven imagination is that it raises over and over to heights since we can do a new appraisement , not only of all the music but the life , the emotions and the ideas".
Think in the Final of the last variation of his Third Symphony and will understand the message ; you have to fight always without expecting anything in change ; because the hero attitude is to make not to think . And you know this wisdom statement of Goethe: "We are what we do".
This book is admirably compelling and reveals unknown facets , interesting letters and even I do not agree with the value of the last stage of his life in which the transfiguration and the evasion would seem derivate making a simple analysis of the endings of his last three Piano Sonatas , the text is a must for any reader really interested in the life and work of this icon beacon of the mankind : Ludwig van Beethoven.

This book profoundly deepened my experience of music. It opened doors of appreciation for both listening to music and expressing myself musically. It inspires one to put the whole of themselves with ever increasing passion into their creative endeavors and by extension their lives. As Beethoven said, "There is no loftier mission than to approach the Godhead nearer than other people, and to disseminate the divine rays among humanity." Read this book. You will not regret it.

Sullivan's book has remained in print for over 70 years, despite not being a definitive source book for facts about Beethoven's life and work. Sullivan's achievement is different. Sullivan wrote one of the very few biographies, about Beethoven or anybody else, that captures and understands the level of "depth of life" that results from identifying one's life with the search for the meaning of life and of the universe, if there is any such meaning. Beethoven lived on this level and the particular path Beethoveen pursued and expressed in his music is uniquely understood by Sullivan. This biography is a masterpiece in its own right.

I've read tons of books, and this one is the most helpful I've come across in relation to practical Christianity. Anyone trying to figure out how to go "deeper" with God will find encouragement, humor, empathy, and passion. Catherine Marshall tells her stories in the most colorful way - uniquely true stories that will touch your heart.

What a legacy this woman of God left before she went home to heaven. Her life was a life of the right priorities. This anointed book will draw many people closer to God as they read the insight she shares. Reading about the testimonies of others who have overcome encourages you in your walk with the Lord Jesus.

Another theme from Holy Scripture that she emphasizes throughout the book is love, i.e., love for God and for other people. In fact, love for God will cause these other matters to fall into place appropriately. The motivation, desire, and focus will naturally flow out of a heart that loves God.

This is an awesome book. Answers some basic question of how God can allow the horrible things to happen here on Earth. How to forgive those who have hurt you. A must read.

This book propelled me to go deeper in my personal walk with God. It was instrumental in my understanding on faith, surrender, forgivenss and love. Since then I have given this book out to many folks struggling in their faith and it has been such a blessing. Though written in 1961 it is as fresh as the day it was written.

It is amazing how God reveals divine healing power through Ms. Catherine's "Beyond Our Selves". Every time I feel down, God has used the book words to lift me - no - to let me soar up in the spirit. This treasure embraces divine healing power to emotional hurts, discouragement, confusion, depression, self-worthlessness, grieve. Truely, God's word never returns empty.

During the most difficult time of my life, this book became a best friend. Linda described the multitude of emotions I feel in a way I could not, and showed me that she has been where I am now. Her insight and her faith gave me renewed hope, and I found comfort reading her book. When I am down, I open it and read. When I am confused, I open it and read. When I am ready to throw in the towel, I open it and read. It has never failed to help me. When everyone around me pressured for divorce, (the world's way), she showed me God's way. I am so very thankful to Linda Rook for sharing her experience and her insight with others who are hurting. If you are faced with a broken marriage and living with a broken heart, you need this book!

Andie Koss

I found this book to be such a help when my husband left. Linda put into words what I was feeling and when the emotions surround and there is no one to talk to, reading the book helps to know you are not alone. She identifies so many of the different feelings going on and empathizes with the reader, but then gives positive direction as to where to place one's hope and trust during the turbulent time to find peace. I've already given a copy to a friend going through a separation and will do so again for anyone I know who is going through a similar situation.

Linda - thank you so much for writing this book. I'm reading another Christian book on separation; and it does have good insight. But there is something so precious and valuable from hearing from a Christian woman who has GONE THROUGH what she is writing about. I identify with so much of what she says and, while I've only just started reading the book, and I'm only a few weeks into a separation from my husband, I have a feeling that what she says is real wisdom. Thank you so much. I would definitely recommend this book.

A good friend went through a separation. My marriage was strong, so I kept silent. After all, what did I have to say? But this book is written by someone who has walked in my friend's shoes. She understands how my friend feels because she has experienced the heartache, the anger, the loss, the confusion, and the hope that things might get better. It is a perfect resource to place in my friend's hands. It's written in devotion style, which makes perfect sense since my friend says that she's living one day at a time. Thanks, Linda W. Rooks, for writing this book for women who don't need pithy statements, but to know that someone else has walked in their shoes with hope and faith.

Often I refer to major relationship problems as a 'cancer' that requires rapid response to prevent further damage from the disease. A failing marriage often takes on the same traits as a major illness... the marriage is dying and without attention it will come to an end through divorce. Thankfully Linda's excellent book on the value of separation will be like chemotherapy for dying marriages and will likely save many of them from ending in a divorce because of the practical insights and systematic approach to come to a place of peaceful resolution on the road to restoration. It's invaluable from a counseling perspective and may be exactly what you need to save your marriage. This would be a great tool to give to friends or family members who don't want a divorce, but know that something's got to change. Structured separations may be the answer they are looking for and this book will show them how.

I bought this book because I started thinking of building a cluster in my basement just to experiment with parallel programming. Over the past few weeks reading and rereading sections of the book I've developed the confidence to get started. This won't be the only book I'll need. The author is very clear and unapologetic about that. I still need a good book on Linux and programming with MPI. I don't know everything I'll need to know, but I know far more about what I DON'T know and what other work I need to do.

All in all an excellent and very readable overview.

This book provides an exhaustive step-by-step examination of all of the elements that need to be considered for architecting a Linux cluster. The coverage is application neutral: High Performance Computing (HPC), Web load-balancing clusters, Enterprise computing centers; no matter. The details common to all clusters are thoroughly discussed.
As a Linux cluster developer of 7 years, I was able to expand and improve my own design processes to better cover all of the issues necessary to architect my designs. I heartily recommended this book to anyone designing a cluster of any size.

* a little bit too chatty (e.g. on page 162 he starts lecturing you about the meaning of 'freedom' after using the book's and your minds real estate telling you on page 36 about disposing of packaging hardware, ... @@, ;-))
* still using RH for 'serious' Linux work?
* pg 172, statement about Debian not supporting AMD "as of this writing" (?!) Could have just included the sentence. "check as of your reading of the book"
* no mention of transmeta's technological hardware advances (company itself may very soon go south) but their 'ideas' are really promising (for servers with very low power comsumption)
* pg 209, problems with RAID and root filesystem and things. You could just run Debian from a Live CD and leave all writable RAID disks along

The book describes in simple reproducable steps how to build a medium to medium big sized cluster. It also devides the clusters into the three main types,

HPC *High performance computing,
High Throughput and
High Availability cluster

and describes their usages. The book is describing cluster projects more from a bird view and gives a whole sight overview including budget calculations, comparing several architectures also by their technology and environmental conditions (Power usage, Cooling requirements etc.).

The book is not only hard to beat but also the perfect companion to the Linux Enterprise Cluster from Karl Kopper. While Karls book is a bit more practical it concentrates only on the technical configuration of "small" clusters.

Here is where Lubke comes in and extends that knowledge by the many environmental factors *Budget, technical considerations, Calculations, Estimates, Planning what to expect from your hardware *Performance, Weight, Heat, Flooring considerations etc.

After you read the book, you will have learned all necessary steps to build your own clusters. The "only" thing left to you is to put the ship to water ;-)

An incredible book and a real eye opener !!

This book is a very straightforward, clearly written and valuable introduction to Linux clustering. Geared toward system folks, it also provides numerous `on-ramps' into the basics of clustering to accommodate quick, relevant review of supporting technology for the reader. It is essentially a map for getting from start to finish in any Linux cluster project. Specific situations, conditions, and expectations differ across projects, of course, and such points are identified well in the text with pointers to additional information provided.

Scientific computing (HPC) is addressed well, and is more of the topic than any other cluster flavor, though the others are discussed as well (after all, who wouldn't want a side order of high availability with their HPC?). My cluster background personally was mostly high availability (Microsoft Wolfpack), so I appreciated the HPC overview, especially since I was already building a Linux cluster for my bio-algorithms that depended on HPC. This book helped me get every gflop out of my admittedly 2ndhand student hardware.

If you are getting involved with a cluster project or have one potentially on the horizon, and need a clear overview of what may lay ahead, pick up this book. For its measly sticker price, you get two solid discussion weeks with an expert. Go calculate that one:)
5 stars

I'm a former Chief of Police from the Seattle area, and started my career in So Cal, so I've had my own share of law enforcement experiences, many of which I related with while reading this book. The culture, crimes and personalities detailed in "Burnt Offerings" are woven together as only a master storyteller could. Strong language and situations, though not excessively overdone, reflect the underbelly of society that most never see, or want to know about. This book is a page turner that you will not want to put down! I can only hope the author, Chuck Newsome, plans another book.

Awesome!!!! I loved this book. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It leaves you wanting more. Based on factual experiences, it has every element in it to keep it exciting. It sends your heart pounding in suspense from the first pages. I can't wait to hear more from this author!

Mr. Newsome has taken the reader into the real world of law enforcement, in perhaps the most violent city in the U.S. Nothing gussied up here. He portrays police officers as few writers do, men and women asked to do a thankless, damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't job by a society which cares little for the toll it takes on these extraordinary individuals. I literally could not put this book down. Besides a tremendous storyline and character developement, there are many surprises along the way. The ending? Well, I guess one needs to read the book.

I REALLY ENJOY THIS MR. NEWSOME MADE ME FEEL AS IF I WAS THERE,WITH THEM IN THE STORY. I GREW UP IN THIS AREA SOMES THINGS SEAM TO BE REAL. HOPE THERE IS ANOTHER BOOK COMING.

Mr. Newsome's first published novel had me assigning actors to the key players in this nail biter... I was drawn into this story and the imagery was as clear as on the big screen. This story has the making of a "block buster". I can't wait for the screen version and, better yet, can't wait for the next novel from Charles Newsome. Keep them coming!

The literary world is indebted to Galeano for his
poetical honesty in articulately conveying the voice of suffering in the masses, in the few. In Century of the Wind, he speaks with fascinating brevity as he dances and intertwines the triumphs and failures of a resilient, albeit it haunted, century. Galeano's words become newspaper articles that come Alive, his charachters become colorful fragments of peace and war and love and politics, refusing to be silenced. He urges the reader to pay attention to the paradox of romancing a people whom have had chaos and horror thrust upon them. Cetury of the Wind is a pathway in which we can collectively examine the troublesome past of America and ask the next great question with some degree of vigor -- And where are we heading?

"Each day of life is an unrepeatable chord of a music that laughs at death." So Eduardo Galeano tells us in this, the final book of his "Memory of Fire" trilogy. The culmination of his experiment in history writing, this volume tells the history of the Western Hemisphere's 20th century in a series of vignettes that range from beautifully poetic to brain-burningly horrifying, from the torture chambers of Latin America's right-wing dictators (too often brought to you courtesy of the USA) to a little town in Central America called Yoro where, from time to time, it rains fish. You will end this book weeping with rage and joy. (And I mean that literally. This book is quite a ride.)

Eduardo Galeano's "Century of the Wind" (1988) stands on its own merits as one of the finest cultural histories ever written. From Pinochet to Presley, the author chronicles the dark undercurrents of South and North America in a compelling, cross-cutting narrative. An indispensible book that belongs in every library.

Eduardo Galeano is a thrilling writer! (And very quickly one must add that his translator Cedric Belfrage is also gifted!) CENTURY OF THE WIND is a kaleidoscopic history, very much appropriately influenced by the sociopolitical beliefs of the author, of the Americas - South and North, and in that order - from the turn of the century 1900 to the last entry in this book in 1986. Reading it is an experience in history, in the fantastical events that have sprouted everywhere in every venue in a century more filled with inventions and collisions and bright lights and devastations than any preceding it.

Galeano's style is journalistic (he began his rigorous and controversial career as a journalist and editor before turning to books), and in a most readable fashion he takes us through specific events in each of the years of the 1900s and reports and comments on such divers topics as Thomas Edison, Fidel Castro, the Panama Canal, vaccinations in Brazil, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, agrarian reform, wars, revolutions, Frida Kahlo, religion, Evita, Ernest Hemingway, dictators, the Beatles, fellow authors of South America - the list is endless.

Galeano can say more in a paragraph or two than most commentators or historians can in an entire book. This is tasty writing unearthing many concepts that have passed unknown to many of us. Reading this fascinating book raises more questions than a multitude of reading groups or college courses and it is a must for the libraries of those who love to be challenged while being entertained! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

This book was completely mesmerizing and beautiful in its portrait of human nature and the history of two continents. Galeano unfolds the story of the Americas in the 20th century with his magnificent story telling which makes the book difficult to put down or to forget. Each snipet tells of the experiences of various Americans from poor Indigeneous folk to the heads of state. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to people in the U.S. who should develop a better understanding of their sister countries to the south. Galeano is neither pessimist, nor optimist but rather chooses to reveal the naked reality of human experience and conduct from the most avaricious calousness to the most magnanimous heroism.

So far I am pleased, am trying to get my 2 older grandaugthters (8 and 6) into reviewing recipes for their nutritional value, visual appeal, and enjoyment. Am just getting into doing so, it looks good so far, may send another review at a later date. Thanks again, Dianne

I purhcased this book two years ago for my then 13 year old daughter (an extremely "picky" eater) in the hope that she would expand her food horizons. In my wildest dreams I wouldn't have expected this to work so well. She has made several of these tasty dishes for the family and we all love them. We're vegetarians and we have discovered many delicious recipies in this wonderful cookbook. One of our favorites is the "Carrot Ginger Soup" recipe. If you enjoy cooking healthful, tasty meals from simple, unprocessed foods you will be pleased with this book. Thank you, Chef Bobo!

This one has great food for the little people. Well received by mothers concerned about what their kids consume.

I just love this book! As a mother of 2 boys and a Holistic Health Counselor to many families as well as individuals, this book has been a great resource. The recipes are easy to make and delicious. People of all ages enjoy the food and the children are having fun helping to prepare meals. Thank you Chef Bobo for what you are doing in the school and now sharing it with the world at large. I am buying copies for many people and I hope that more people will become aware of your work and that of your assistants.

I can't say enough good things about this book. The recipes are quick and easy to make, no hard to find ingredients, and everything I have tried has been good. The whole family enjoys this book. Get this book and you won't be sorry.