Walsh Books

This dry inventory of the Holy See is likely well researched, and accurate. Lost though is any sense of compassion. Even the low wit is obvious and, and telegraphed. I read this as the drama of JPII unfolded, and thus provided to me a unique perspective. I think I should pass. The Throne over humanity seems to be taking a backseat to the audio and video bytes that accompany tragedy. The shoes of the fisherman should not be trivialized for ratings. Walsh's tour of Catholicsim left me empty, and unenthused. 3 stars for the depth of his research.

This is a short book, which is unfortunate, given the period of time that it covers: all of the papal elections from the beginning of the Church until the present. Because of the timeline, and the books lack of length, everything is really compressed, and the reader only gets the barest sense of what happened during many of these elections, particularly in the very early days. That's not actually a bad thing, for it certainly whets the appetite of the interested reader to delve further into period histories and do some research on his own. I like that in a book, for it encourages scholarship. That being said, this book is well worth reading even for the smattering of information it gives about these "elections". As one who grew up in parochial schools in the '50s, and was taught by the good sisters that the election of the Pope was inspired by the Holy Spirit, this dosage of truth is quite eye opening! Power politics, family connections, money and assorted other things all contributed, at one time or another, to the outcome of an election. Nothing about hanging chads, however, which was a relief! Despite all of it, the Church has seemed to survive its different leaders, for better or worse, down through the last two centuries. Perhaps then, the nuns were right, and the Holy Spirit has been looking after all of us. Read the book, and decide for yourself!

Michael Walsh's summary history of papal elections moves remarkably quickly: 2,000 years in under 200 pages. Popes are chosen, only to die quickly -- sometimes in the very next sentence. So this is not in any sense a history of the papacy. The author has focused his attention quite narrowly, and for general readers looking for an introduction to this interesting and timely topic, he has succeeded admirably.

Walsh's text emphasizes the changing dynamics involved in papal elections over the centuries, including the waxing and waning of various political and popular influences. Although Church doctrine says the Holy Spirit chooses the next Bishop of Rome (and the machinations of plotters have often been defeated in surprising ways), more earthly and secular powers have had big roles to play too. Though it's not always easy to decipher the backroom politicking or strong-arming, the author has sorted facts and speculation into a very readable history. Though specialist historians will no doubt be left wanting something more in-depth, and I for one deeply regretted the absence of an index, most general readers will probably find this gives them a good comprehensive overview.

This is simply the absolute BEST fitness book I've ever read. Complete and no nonsense, this book gives anyone needing a solid base good, REAL information. This girl makes lots of SENSE. If you're REALLY ADVANCED you get what's happening in this book, and you'll get lots out of it. If you're looking for another star trip, this isn't it-- She teaches one that being a DIVA is in the basics and then layering them to create intensity AND individuality.......it's awesone!

This book is VERY basic and full of a lot of motivational passages. If you are looking for something to fill in the gaps in an advanced weight lifting routine this is NOT the book. It also has almost nothing on nutrition.

"Diva" is a wonderful inspiration to those of you who would like to feel good about yourself as you begin to lose weight and learn how to keep it off. Terri Walsh starts from the beginning and tells the reader what obstacles she had to overcome before she could begin to heal both emotionally and physically. Her program is no nonsense and encouraging as she takes you through the levels of fitness. I actually read this book AFTER I had already been on a program similar to this that I had developed myself so I can say that it works! I've finally lost 22 pounds and now I love exercise. (I never thought I'd say that!) Read Diva if you would like to change your lifestyle forever.

This is a very technical handbook for a working mechanical, or electro-mechanical engineer. It includes charts of materials, their densities, their dielectric constants, cross sections of bearings, mechanisms for translating rotary motion into linear motion, page after page of descriptions of fasteners, torque ratings for different screws, pictures of industrial lathes, analysis of mechanical damage suffered by high current machinery due to electrical fields, etc.

Fascinating, if you're the kind of person who subscribes to Home Shop Machinist, but not light reading by any means.

Excellent Handbook. Logically laid out. Has lots of data with out a lot index referencing. The handbook has material information as well as conversions and basic mathematical principles. This book takes you from the basics to detailed electro mechanical systems. a must for any Mechanical Engineer

Electro-mechanical suggests the book would have info on motors, solenoids, and other electromechanical items, but it has very little. It's mostly mechanical & general engineering stuff, with a very basic chapter on electrical components. Throughout the book, it goes into excessive detail on subjects where the author had material on hand, and glosses over other important areas. If you were going to buy this and Walsh's other book, Machining and Metalworking, buy both Machinery's Handbook and Christiansen's Electronics Engineers' Handbook instead as these cover all the samesubject matter and more.

Harris does a really nice job of telling how Walsh's timing passing game and West Coast offense - the corrollaries and descendants of which are on display in every game every weekend in the NFL of today - "reinvented" football and created the 49ers 80's dynasty.

While I think the book offers a lot more for the 49er fan than the general NFL fan, the story of Walsh's rise, the development of his philosophy, his early NFL career as an assistant, his college work, his unlikely rise to Head Coach and GM of the 49ers without an NFL win on his resume and the circumstances that saw him bring together the talent and oversee the Montana/Craig/Lott/Rice 49ers run of Super Bowls are all interesting enough to hold interest.

There is a lot of Walsh's own voice coming through in the book, and that makes you wonder about the author's motives in book entitled "The Genius," where there was clearly a lot of reliance on subject-generated info.

Also, Harris has a habit of not identifying other sources -- even quoted sources -- by name. He'll call someone "a 49er lineman" or "one of Walsh's teammates," and it just seems a little strange.

Like "Patriot Reign," or the library of Yankee books out there, this book is probably a real winner for fans of the team. All in all, I don't think there is enough other info on Walsh or NFL/football philosophy here to merit much more than a so-so rating.

In other words, I don't think this is football's "Moneyball," a book that takes any fan of the sport behind the curtain to get a look at the industry, and which tells a personal story in a compelling enough story to hold interest.

I grew up a 49ers fan and was in hog heaven during the Walsh era. The Genius is a well-told story of how Bill Walsh came to direct the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories from 1979-1989.

The author takes readers through Walsh's early years and describes his days as a frustrated high school and college quarterback. He then moves on to show Walsh's road to coaching in the NFL. The most crucial bump in that road occurred in Cincinnati, where Walsh had worked for several years as a sort of assistant head coach under Paul Brown. When Brown retired, he chose someone else to assuming his head coaching duties, delivering a electrifying jolt to Walsh. Brown then told Walsh he was staying on as an assistant, like it or not, and that he'd never be a head coach in the NFL (Walsh's contract was up and he left quickly). The shock nearly ended Walsh's coaching career, but probably also provided some of the drive that resulted in his rise to Genius status. How fitting that two of Walsh's Super Bowl victories would come against the Bengals.

This book is very well-written and difficult to put down if you were a fan of Walsh and/or the 49ers during the 1980s. The author makes use of interviews with players and coaches and uses many secondary books, newspaper clippings, etc. Although we hear that Walsh was a diverse fellow with significant interests and connections outside football, the book never quite proves that point. My guess, only a guess, is those details were cut to keep the focus primarily on football and how Walsh truly did reinvent how teams coach and deal with players. The book truly shines in this area, although it depicts Bill Walsh as a moody and insecure genius. The man was certainly conflicted in his relationships with many players and also with then-49er owner, Eddie DeBartolo.

One interesting tidbit. The book shows that Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana were not always on the same page as coach and player. Their friendship truly bloomed after both were retired from the game, talking and playing golf regularly. Montana was one of two who spoke at Walsh's memorial service. Curious, then, that Montana does not appear to have been interviewed for the book...although many of his contemporaries, including Ronnie Lott, Dwight Clark, etc., were. I thought that was strange. Still a great book and recommended.

Bill Walsh was the brilliant, insecure coach who won immortality with the the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980's. Mr. Harris follows his career from the Bengals of Paul Brown to Stanford (and other stops in-between) to the 49ers. He perfected an air attack that became known as the West Coast Offense and drafted the players to carry it out (Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, Jerry Rice, etc). The book is heavy on football and light on his personal life which is a pity -- he was eccentric enough that his personal life merits a deeper look. Having died a year ago of leukemia, Walsh won three Super Bowls (1982, 1985, 1989) in his tenure as coach before retiring on his own terms. Mr. Harris interviewed the coach extensively before his death and got the details right.

From the title, you may think that this is a book with a "happily ever after" ending. Nothing could be further from the truth and there is no happiness in the middle either. Robbie Fitzgerald is a young man from the English working class who cannot even read but is gifted with enormous musical talent. So much so that he could have been mentioned alongside the stars that composed the British invasion of the early sixties in America. However, he gives up that opportunity to marry Sheila, a woman he loves with an intense passion.
Sheila is an Asian woman who left her home forever in order to go to nurse's training school in England. She is an intelligent woman who manages to assimilate fairly well into British life. Vincent is their son and the oldest child, a boy that fails to meet with Robbie's ideals of what a young lad should be. When pushed around, Vinnie refuses to fight back and he prefers to read and think rather than engage with his classmates. In the tough neighborhood that they are in, this leads to constant abuse by his male and female classmates. Ellie is their daughter, a girl full of energy and grit, she is often the leader in her school groups, and even the tough boys take orders from her.
Robbie works hard and long in a chemical factory and provides for his family. When Sheila is raped by a "Paki bashing" group of British males, she turns cold to Robbie. The combination of this lack of passion coupled with Robbie's growing nostalgia for what he could have been leads him back to singing and away from his family.
Vinnie and Ellie grow up and enter the darker side of the lives of British youth, engaging in drugs and crime. Sheila remains nearly oblivious to their decline, she seems unable to truly see what is going on around her. In this combination, there is no joy in any of their lives, Robbie's career declines until he is a niche parody performer, what joy there is in the lives of the children is artificial and unsustainable. The joy in Sheila's life is based on ignoring the reality of their dreary existence.
Given this scenario, the story ends as it should, not happily, but with the consequences of their reality hammering them all in the face. There is brutal racism, even more brutal homophobia, drug use among the youth, alcohol abuse among the old, hopelessness, joyless, animalistic sexuality, economic decline and denial that it is all happening. This book will not uplift your spirits, but it is an accurate reflection of many aspects of British society in the time period these events cover.

I didn't read Helen Walsh's controversial debut (Brass), but this sophmore novel was interesting-looking enough to spark my interest. It grabbed me from the start, and despite its deficiencies, carried me through to the bitter end. As such, I find my self grappling with the question of whether I "liked" it or not. Basically, this is a classic British kitchen sink drama that is extremely well executed. That is to say, very early on bad things happen, and one gets the impression that bad things will keep on happening -- and that's pretty much how it plays out. The good news is that Walsh knows her setting and characters so well, that it feels quite real.

This may, in large part, be down to the semi-autobiographical nature of the story. Its protagonists are Robbie (an Irish factory worker who moonlights as a knockout Van Morrison-style pub soul signer), Suheela (Robbie's pretty Malaysian wife), and then as the book progresses, Vincent (their shy, bully-magnet son), and Ellie (their tomboy younger daughter). Walsh has said in interviews that Suheela's character was greatly inspired by her own Malaysian mother, who married an Irish truck driver, and Ellie is clearly the stand-in for Walsh. The setting is the same mid-1970s to late-'80s Warrington and Manchester Walsh herself grew up.

The book follows the struggles of this mixed-race family over the course of 15 years or so, as they move from the rough estates of Orford to the new developments in Thelwall. In the first section, Robbie holds center stage (literally), as his signing career appears destined for glory. Unfortunately, the night of his triumph is coincidentally the night a gang of skinheads break into his house and attack Suheela. It's this kind of timing that gives the story both an air of epic tragedy and a whiff of contrivance. Race figures prominently in the book, as much of the family's woes can be traced back to discrimination and the struggle of raising mixed race children in a hostile environment.

The middle section of the book gives more or less equal voice to all the family members, as we see Robbie struggling not to choke on the bitterness of shattered dreams, Suheela struggling vainly to integrate herself in the circle of white suburban housewives (all the while mourning the loss of her own culture), Vincent struggling to survive at school, and Ellie blithely running around enjoying life. Although Walsh weaves in enough bright spots to tempt the reader into hoping for a positive outcome, she wisely doesn't give in to sentiment and allows the repercussions of her character's bad choices to play out.

However, it's these same characters that keep the book from being completely engaging. Their flaws continually veer into cliched territory, such as Robbie's inability to connect with his shy, artistic son. Or Ellie's Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde act of sweet little girl by day and club face at the height of the Madchester era, or Vincent's sexually confused depressive poet persona. They are all well-rendered, but also familiar enough types that they fail to fully engage. Ultimately, worth reading if you're interested in the era and issues, or in well-executed domestic dramas.

A tale that begins with hope and promise is shattered by a heinous event, a talented young father's future overwhelmed by circumstances: "Robbie Fitzgerald was a poet ruffian, a soul man who looked hard." With his bright shock of red hair and alabaster skin, Robbie Fitzgerald is filled with energy, on the cusp of stardom, discovery by a famous agent in the down-trodden, crime-riddled neighborhood in which he is performing. His voice soaring above an appreciative audience, Robbie is ecstatic, ready to embrace the future. But he returns home to find the police questioning his distraught wife, victim of a hate crime, her advanced pregnancy and concern for their little son sending Susheela, a Malaysian, into paroxysms of fear. Robbie cannot leave this terrified woman to her own resources, already intimidated by the stares of her neighbors and the shabbiness of the area, Susheela can barely take care of her growing family.

Thus is the drama set to unfold over the next few years (1975-1989), Robbie's singing career no longer an option, Susheela, now Sheila, a victim of recurring nightmares and a terror that nearly cripples her. There is some relief when the family moves to a better neighborhood, but the core issues remain ignored, Robbie trudging through hard-working days in a funk of disappointment and despair; Sheila hoping material goods will fill the emptiness that often overwhelms her, doting on her children, a fearful victim of that painful incident; young Vincent suffers the daily torments of fellow student who mock him for his skin color and social ineptitude; only the exuberant Ellie remains oblivious to the unhappiness of her family, bouncing joyfully into every new day, basking in the affection her father lavishes on his sprightly daughter. Meanwhile, Vincent watches, unsure why Robbie displays so little interest his son, always doubting himself save for the secret delight of his writing.

Perhaps the flame-haired Robbie is never meant to savor the heady success of his thrilling voice, his choice of spouse delivering the family into the maelstrom of race and class that plagues their part of the country in the 1980s. Perhaps Sheila is unable to compensate for the loss of her culture, the sights, smells and comforts of her exotic childhood. Driven apart by that one fateful night, the Fitzgerald's might have found redemption in the triumphs of their children, had they been able to break free from their own disappointments. Instead, Vincent and Ellie are left to create lives from the fragments of a broken family, both turning to the streets and the excitement of the unknown. Walsh has written a poignant drama of hope trampled by reality, of communication lost to fear and of children without the skills to navigate a treacherous world, all exploring the geography of heartbreak. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

An excellent interpretation of another battle between the Scots and the English,which occured during the reign of Richard II and during the Hundred Years wars.Although this battle is never mentioned in studies of the Hundred Years war, it is indeed inseparable from it,because of the Scottish alliance with the French kingdom.About 2500 soldiers on each side and once again the English longbow tactics triumph over the Scottish spear phalange.As always with Osprey publications,excellent maps,pictures,details of armaments,tactics,and strategies. The Scots strategy seems to be to keep English troops tied down to the Isles so that they can't be used against the French on the continent.In addition the Scots hope to give the English a "black eye" by keeping up tension along the border with raids with the hopes that Richard the Second's fragile government will collapse.The Scots succeed at Otterburn,Richard is overthrown,unfortunately,Henry the fourth(who succeeds Richard)proves even a greater scourge to the Scots.King Henry IV corrects some of the mistakes made by the English army at Otterburn.He reorganizes the military districts and sends a few of his more questionable aliies to the block. The Scottish victory at Otterburn is a minor scratch to the English government in the long term.Lots of dramatic artwork also in this book,including a funeral scene of the Scottish Earl of Douglas.You can't help but reaching the conclusion that by 1388 the English had already figured out how to defeat the Scots(even with one English hand behind their back).The Scots in the meantime were still living their glory days of Bannockburn and weren't coming up with anything new to stop the English.Cries of "FREEDOM" ala William Wallace can only take one so far!

Once again, Ospery Campaign series bring us some detail and interesting account of a battle that 99% of American public probably never heard of. Peter Armstrong's book proves to bring some insight into this battle that remains a basic unknown for most readers. Thanks to lack of primary sources, the author had to make some educational conjectural accounts. But I found the details of the battle and the campaign to be pretty well put together and the summarized account of the entire English-Scottish border warfare that goes back to Walliam Wallace to be pretty well put together.

The major elements I thought the book was weak in was in the map area. I didn't see much use for the maps which appears to be bit confusing and not all that well put together.

But overall, I thought this was a pretty good effort by Ospery to bring to light one of the more interesting but truly forgotten battles of the Middle Ages.

_Otterburn 1388_ offers a solid general reference on this border battle between Scottish and English forces during the middle of the Hundred Years War. The section on the battle itself is hampered by a lack of information in the historical record. However, the introductory sections give a thorough background on the border conflict, going all the way back to Stirling Bridge and Falkirk ninety years before. The concluding sections are equally thorough, including a chapter and a map on the battle of Humbleton Hill a decade later involving many of the same combatants. Peter Armstrong does not have the academic credentials of some of the other medieval Osprey authors, such as David Nicolle, yet he covers the material with the detail of a professional in addition to the enthusiasm of a learned amateur.

Book came ahead of scheduale, I believe 2 or 3 days after I ordered it, which was great!

Not the best book on the market, but has a comprehensive review of the essential theories and interventions.

Everything was satisfactory. I recieved the book on time and it hsa been very helpful.

This book is all about facing risks as individuals- which is fine, but it also makes sweeping political judgments based on the assesments. On the section about banning the use of Alar on apples and the politics behind it, he writes- "instead of NRC's estimated cancer risk of 1,462 deaths per million from pesticides on apples, the researchers found only 0.07 per million." Well, that may sound like decent odds for me when deciding to eat an apple, but is it really acceptable to for the unlucky person who does get cancer? The author points out several times that alar is not a pesticide, even while presenting numbers on the cancer risks of pesticides. Alar is a growth regulator,"so they are more colorful and crisp at harvest." I can understand the usefulness of some pesticides, but why should we accept ANY risks from a growth regulator? This isn't family values, or traditional values conservatism, but Dickensian, bean-counting, pure economic right-wing bias. I don't want bias from the left or right, or political interpretations, I just wanted straight facts. This book doesn't leave the findings to stand on their own. Are most popular books about risk assessment thinly disguised pro-corporate propaganda? I hope not.

Aims to discuss risks in everyday life at a level "between dense technical volumes
and daffy oversimplifications". Structured around 16 particular topics, from
concrete concerns of individuals (violent crime; cell phones and brain cancer; secondhand smoke) to more general topics (moral hazard of insurance; lotteries are a tax on the stupid). A main focus is on the interaction between scientific data, media reporting, legislation promoted by interest groups, and regulation by government agencies. By presenting these case studies from recent history (1975-1995), the author provides an insightful overview of the real-world interplay of the scientific, psychological and political aspects of dealing with risk. This book is implicitly a well-justified polemic in favor of rational quantatitive risk assessment and against the media scares, extremist environmental lawyers and inflexible "command and control" bureaucracy that waste billions of dollars whose diversion from more rational use causes unnecessary death and suffering.

Though serious, well researched and an engaging read, I do have some quibbles. The
lack of explicit citations makes it unhelpful as scholarship. By mixing several
styles (historical case studies, discussion of scientific methodology, polemic) the
book appears somewhat unfocused. And the unusual typography (a typical page has
seven two-sentence paragraphs separated by white space) reinforces the impression
that the author was assiduous in collecting information but put less effort into
organizing a coherent narrative. Finally, the subtitle is misleading: a reader
seeking a straightforward, detailed and explicit analysis of risks in everyday life
would be better served by Risk: A Practical Guide for Deciding What's Really Safe and What's Really Dangerous in the World Around You.

Enhanced with an extended bibliography and an exhaustive index, True Odds: How Risk Affects Your Everyday Life by James Walsh is a very straightforward and practical look of the real odds that threaten people's lives or health. Rejecting anecdotal evidence and media scare tactics for solid, statistical, reliable information on what really are the greatest threats facing life in the modern world, True Odds comes very highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader as being a realistic source of information concerning everything from crime and accident rates to having sufficient money saved upon retirement.

This book was an ok book, it took three evenings to finish. I thought the book was more about joy rather then JOY. By that I mean it was more about earthly things & relationships, ect. in life producing joy ~ I had hoped it would have been more about the JOY of the Lord. It is a good book for a brand new Christian or someone searching.

Sheila Walsh has done it again! I thought "Life is Tough but God is Faithful" was too wonderful to top, but "Bring Back the Joy" has possibly surpassed it and has truly shown me how to do JUST THAT! Her honest and real style allows the reader to relate to her in a way that she becomes like a dear friend. With this level of comfortability established, the reader is able to see clearly and learn how to dispel religeous myths, take inventory of personal and spiritual baggage, and apply God's truth, healing and love to their lives. By breaking the mold of the model Christian, Shiela has reinforced to me that: 1. God loves me for who I am, not what I do for Him. 2. It is okay to be "me". 3. Only through God's loving encouragement and my own acceptance of myself, can I be changed and strengthened to be the Christian woman that God desires me to be.

This book has miraculously enhanced my life A must read for all who have lost their zest for their faith and desire to "rekindle the joy in their relationship with God."

The poems are, as expected, very nice and clever,
but the description of the book promises "songs",
and I had hoped for some musical notation. Instead,
it's just straight text. You could sing it if you
wanted to, I guess, and if you already knew a song
with these lyrics, the book would be worthwhile, but
none of the songs I remember from my childhood were
included. I returned the book.

Maria Elena Walsh is one of the most talented writter, song-writter around. I grew up with her songs and stories in Argentina and wanted to pass this on to my children. Although her music is difficult to find in the US, this book contains pretty much all the lyrics, so to those of you who remember a tune or a verse, here are the actual words! Wonderful.