Warren Books

My kids loved to have this book read to them again and again. They enjoyed pointing out all the naughty things that bear was doing. I think it also reinforced their belief that their own teddy bear ventured out and got into trouble when they were not looking! Now I am reading it to the grandkids and they are enjoying it just as much! This book is timeless!

My twin boys (22 months) continue to laugh hysterically at this book and somehow I haven't gotten tired of it yet. Wonderful illustrations with a very nice close. A bit of cartoonish violence(bears on bicycles running into mailmen) might put it in the not-for-everybody category, though.

I got this out of the library two weeks ago, and my two children, ages 4 and 2, have made me read it to them at least twice a day. They really like the story of the boy who goes for a bike ride and brings along his teddy bear. However, the teddy turns into a real bear who definately does not follow the rules of the road. We all laugh at the scenes of the boy acting sensibly (stopping when others are walking in front of him, maneuvering around garbage cans and open car doors) and of the bear plowing ahead and into all of these things. It's sweet and funny, and can also double as a safety lesson for beginner bicycle riders.

Cute.

Not too cute, but just the right amount of cute in this funny, beautifully illustrated, award-winning book about a boy who goes bike-riding with his imagination.

Our young, nattily dressed (great hat!) hero takes out his training-wheeled green and red bike, with his stuffed teddy bear. Somehow, that bear becomes a gigantic real bear, and the humongous real bear rides his own tiny little yellow bicycle along side the boy.

The wise boy explains (and the illustration show) traffic rules that he follows whenever he rides (and there are some useful ones: watching for opening doors, looking both ways, etc.). The bear does not follow the rules. He gets into accidents and mishaps, but his size and the author's good taste keep him from any trips to the hospital. Author McLeod and illustrator McPhail manage to show the danger without scaring us, and, indeed, with a bit of humor.

This is an enormously appealing little book. The symmetrical structure contrasting the boy's cautious, safe ride, versus the bear's slapstick miscues. This organization and the single sentence in each two-page example clearly explain each imp0rtant rule of the road. The illustrations by the renowned McPhail are warm and welcoming, soft and soothing, yet funny. You don't have to know how to ride a bike to enjoy this masterpiece of simplicity and imagination.

BUSINESS AS USUAL, Wendell Shannon's fascinating sequel to For the Love of Fast Money, picks up where its chilling predecessor left off. The dust settles in the brutal aftermath of a cruel plot fueled by betrayal and treachery, and stakes are high. Tavon is taken down in a hail of bullets, Juvenile is in hiding, and has sworn to exact vengeance on the low-lifes responsible for the attempt on his life, a bewildered Precious is on the prowl for a new benefactor, and Fast Money is on the skids, facing life imprisonment, but it's business as usual, or is it?

A few other familiar characters from the first novel also show up in this one, including Fruity and Flubber who have stepped up their game and are no longer small-time stick up kids. The focus is on Jameel as she pursues her hopes and dreams and attempts to re-knit the tattered fabric of her relationship with Juvenile. Dare she dream of love and hope that Juvenile will come to his senses and their torn family will become a cohesive unit? In the horrific sequencing of affairs in her world, dare she dream at all?

Wendell Shannon has shown himself to be an engaging storyteller. In BUSINESS AS USUAL he affords the reader an eye-opening look at the mind-numbing violence that permeates the ruthless streets of Baltimore City. Fans will be thrilled with the degree of realism and credibility he infuses into his writing. The emotionally-charged ending, though brutal, will leave the reader stunned, but begging for another installment.

Reviewed by Autumn
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book brought to life the hard core reality of the mean streets of West Baltimore. Unfortunately, the reality that Tavon and Juvenile lived happens to be a reality for many of the urban youth in today's society. I can see the growth in the writer from the first book to this one and it is amazing how he has been able to increase his ability to lead you through the streets of Baltimore from his eyes. I felt that I was a part of the story myself. Thanks for the amazing ride.

I went to the authors bookstore upon completion of both books and I couldnt express my utter sadness about how this book ended. I had to use spiritual thought and then I could understand why it had to be. Jameel, living right, church going, keeping her daughter from her fathers lifesyle and not allowing her to be spoiled by the money he acquired in the game. But her life in all the good things she did and accomplished, because eventhough she loved her man Juvenile and wanted him to leave the life of crime to be with her she was still tempting fate by her association with him. I went to see the author when I finished to know when the next installment was coming. HE NEEDS TO HURRY(LOL) I recommend that everybody who loves hood drama to buy it, borrow it, but just read it.

This book was truly unbelievable! This one was even better then his first! Mr. Shannon truly captures the game at it's best and worst. If you're familiar with the grim streets of Baltimore with it's high drug addiction rate as well as it's astounding murder rate, this book takes you on a walk down these cold streets. It's like one of those virtual reality rides where it puts you in the midst of the action. If you understand the streets, this book will really hit home. The biggest surprise was the ending. It was totally unexpected!

Even if you haven't read "For The Love Of Fast Money", make sure you read this book!

Imagine that you're an extremely bright 28-year-old M.B.A. graduate working for one of the world's largest medical supply firms. You're told on a Friday that you'll be running a division in another country on Monday. Most reasonable people would consider that scenario outrageous and unrealistic. But it happened all the time at Baxter International, which placed young, relatively inexperienced employees in positions of extraordinary responsibility with no warning. Twenty-five years ago, many of those individuals became major players in the then-fledgling biotechnology industry. Harvard Business School professor Monica C. Higgins takes an exhaustive look at how and why a disproportionate number of former Baxter executives became so influential in biotech start-ups. Her extensive research reveals that Baxter was the ideal training ground for innovative thinkers and risk-takers. She sees Baxter as a textbook example of how imprinting corporate culture and values upon an individual can have a career-shaping impact. The book, though more scholarly than entertaining, provides insight into career imprinting and its implications. getAbstract recommends it to anyone interested in learning how individuals and industries are molded.

I never write reviews but I feel compelled because I was so impressed with this body of knowledge.

Professor and now author Higgins offers up explanations of why and how one company is able to consistently churn out their industries future leaders. She shows and proves why Baxter has been so successful in growing their executives and shows us what an organization needs to produce winners and leaders.

A great, must read for all industries.

How can one organization transform an entire industry? This fascinating book suggests a new answer -- by spawning a generation of leaders with a distinctive approach to management, who use that approach to start up successful companies in the same industry. Professor Higgins' argument suggests some interesting questions too. For example, why would an organization want to spawn a generation of leaders whose start-ups could potentially challenge and surpass its own success? This book is extremely thought-provoking and will lead you to look with a fresh eye at the industries you are most familiar with. While the argument is grounded in the biotech industry, the implications go far beyond.

"Career Imprints" provides an insightful, interesting, well-researched look into how our earliest organizational experiences produce the tacit knowledge of "what work is" that we carry with us throughout our professional lives. Higgins' fascinating chronicle of the Baxter Boys' overwhelming influence on the development of the biotech industry shows how the right career imprint at the right time creates a strong strand of cultural DNA that flourishes and propagates to generate a new breed of industry leaders. Higgins' discerning discussion of the interplay between organizational culture and personal career trajectories makes this a book worth reading - not only to help us all better understand and map our own careers, but also to help HR professionals think systematically about designing appropriate career imprints to instill in our own workforces. This wonderful book is a ground-breaking addition to the management literature - a must read!!

Recommended in _Know_Your_Fats_ by Mary Enig, this book is making its way through the entire extended family. We never really believed cholesterol and saturated fats were bad for us, and we're thrilled to find scientific (read Enig's book!) and historical evidence for what we felt all along: The unintuitive, non-traditional, and largely unnatural nutrition recommendations we've been brainwashed with from the time we were preschoolers coloring pictures of the "Food Pyramid", are the result of shoddy science, distortion of research, and conspiracy between government and the food industry.

If you ever wondered why, how, and with what data the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the American Heart Association came up with their bizarre recommendations to first increase polyunsaturated fat consumption, then limit polyunsaturated fat consumption, but above all limit your ingestion of whole traditional meat and dairy products and healthful non-oxidizing saturated fat, you are in for a treat. Specifically, the data and the published conclusions don't match! Follow the money and learn about the billions of dollars current and projected in the statin and cholesterol-testing industries. Review the study data yourself. Learn why and how study results were deliberately misrepresented--to regular MD's and the people--and not to the "insiders". Learn how the mysterious "risk" statistic is calculated--hint: it is neither "probability" nor "likelihood". Learn about the obvious industry conflicts-of-interest held by oft-quoted "scientists". Start enjoying butter, steak, eggs (yolk and all), and whole milk again and throw out margarine, liquid vegetable oil, other non-foods, and high-carb (starch) diets. Cholesterol is just a number. The all cause death rate is higher for people with low cholesterol. Don't take statins.

A detailed review of the available evidence on the link between dietary cholesterol and health quoting more than 2000 references. The position of the book is that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat is only very weakly associated with coronary artery disease and that lowering cholesterol has no consistently observed effect on life expectancy. This may be because certain other illnesses including some cancers appear more commonly in persons with low cholesterol and polyunsaturated fats. This position is cogently and convincingly argued. I would strongly recommend "Cholesterol Conspiracy" to anyone interested in the subject. The book is aimed at a non medical audience and is a summary of the authors longer and even more heavily referenced two volume "critical review" of the subject which is aimed at professionals working in the field.

If you are willing to question the conventional information presented in the mainstream press concerning diet, fat and cholesterol this is your book. If you've wondered how the currently recommended diet, high in carbohydrates, many of which are basically the least nutritionally dense foods out there, could possibly be right. If you have wondered how cholesterol, a necessary precursor to most of our bodies' hormones and a sustance that our own liver manufacters in amounts of upwards of 2000 mg. a day could possibly be bad, read this book. But be patient, it is quiet ponderous. Extensively footnoted, it takes all of the so called studies of the last 40 years and carefully analyzes the data, presenting a case which the American people have not heard, that is, that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat are not the cause of coronary heart disease and that basically the American Heart Association and others have literally misled the public. Please,if you are open minded read this book. The truth deserves to be heard.

"Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann, ISBN: 1587050706, is an excellent Metro Optical book. This book covers all of the pertinent information on the topic of Metro Optical Networks. I felt this book was well organized to help the reader understand foundational concepts of Metro Area Optical Networking as well as grasping the application of the different technologies. Each section has a solid foundation, followed by detailed implementation examples.

The first three chapters offer excellent information on the core information regarding the applications that a Metro Area Network supports. Chapters 8-12 cover the various technologies used in the Metro space. The review questions after each chapter really help to re-enforce the content of the chapter.

The chapter on SONET is an outstanding overview of the topic, with just enough detail to be a good desktop reference. The authors did a good job of keeping subjects like framing overhead informational, without becoming boring. It does a good job explaining the section, line, and path layers without putting you to sleep. The differences between 1+1 and 1:1 protection are explained quite clearly, and this carries over to helping the reader in understanding UPSR and BLSR. Every major SONET topic is arranged to build the topics from the line up in a clear and concise way. This chapter is an invaluable resource.

This book covers basic setup and configuration on the Cisco ONS 15454 and 15327 devices, as well as hardware installation for the equipment. There are screenshots of the Cisco Transport Controller application used to manage these devices. However, the pictures are somewhat grainy and hard to understand. As the content may change with each new release, these may become outdated quickly. As with all devices, you will want to get the updated manuals off of Cisco's website. Chapter 5 does have an excellent section on SONET timing. This area is often misunderstood, and the authors do a good job of explaining the subject.

One area this book is light on is its coverage of Metro Ethernet and DWDM. Both topics were treated to very little substance. Most information was Cisco specific and not applicable to other platforms. It would be nice to see more vendor neutral information on the use of these technologies. "Metro Ethernet" by Sam Halabi, ISBN: 158705096X will serve the reader better in understanding Metro Ethernet.

The book covered Packet over SONET (POS) and Dynamic Packet Transport (DPT) in enough detail. Both sections have a good informational basis built before exploring the configuration details. Again, these examples are Cisco specific, but contain plenty enough information to get the reader started in working with these technologies. Anyone looking to implement them will find these chapters a good place to start in the book.

Overall, this book is well organized and is easy to read. If you need to get up to speed quickly in the Metro Optical arena, this is the book for you.

The book "Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann is worth every penny of the price tag. A recent job change requires me to grasp an in-depth understanding of optical networking fast. I was looking for a book with a good overview of SONET and practical knowledge on the Cisco ONS boxes. In reading this book, I got much more than what I bargained for.

The chapter on SONET alone was worth the bucks. It does a good job explaining the section, line, and path layers without giving you a headache. The breakdown on framing overheads gives you a good start when you need to troubleshoot an issue. The difference between 1+1 and 1:1 protection were often misunderstood, after reading the section the difference should be really clear. Which also helps in understanding UPSR and BLSR. The different types of alarms and the line of alarm indication signal (AIS) is now my desktop reference whenever there is a problem. In fact, I used it the other day to quickly identify an issue and took action accordingly.

The overview and configuration of the ONS 15454 and 15327 product chapters provide a good start when you need to work with those products. I do find the need to read the manuals on Cisco's web site when I was actually trying to implement them on the field. Every network is different and the optical product line is pretty extensive, no one book can cover it all. The screen shots were based on an older version of CTC, but the general layout is the same and you can still get a good feeling of the configuration steps.

I do wish the book covers more ground on Metro Ethernet and DWDM. The chapters briefly explain the concepts behind the two technologies and basic configurations. I think both parts can be dug into a little further without making the head spin. The same can be said about Packet over SONET. Depending on your own experience, the section on configuring PoS interfaces can be a complete waste or very useful. If you have a solid background in Cisco gears and a good understanding on SONET after reading chapter 3 of this book, you can probably configure PoS interfaces using the question mark in Cisco IOS. But there is nothing wrong with reinforce those commands by reading them again. Especially if you are an enterprise network support and only deals with configuring WAN interfaces once in a while.

The book does a good job explaining dynamic packet transport. Even after working with SRP for over 2 years, I still learned a few new things from the chapters on DPT. I wish this book was available a few years ago when I was first introduced to SRP, it could have saved me a lot of headache and a few trips to a remote hub site. If your company is thinking about implementing DPT or SRP, I would jump right to the chapter on DPT after reading their SONET chapter. DPT is a cool technology that addresses some of the deficiencies of a SONET ring topology and the book does a good job explaining the inner workings of DPT.

The book is really an excellent investment if you want to learn more about optical networking. As with any Ciscopress books, you get a Cisco-view on the technology. If you are thinking about pursuing the Cisco certification in optical networking, this book is a must have. As with any book that try to cover a wide-range of topics, it leaves out a thing or a two. But you can always start with the book and choose the topic you want to explore more on the Cisco web site. It is both a good learning tool and a desktop reference. In my opinion, it is the best sixty bucks I have spent on learning optical networking.

I recently read the book titled "Cisco Self-Study: Building Cisco Metro Optical Networks (METRO)" by Dave Warren and Dennis Hartmann. ISBN: 1587050706. This book has some pretty good information on the topic of Metro Optical Networks. The key word in this title is 'optical'. I think this book is very well organized to help the reader understand foundational concepts of Metro Area Optical Networking as well as grasping the application of the different technologies. The book accomplishes this by first laying down the foundation of a given topic then presenting a practical application of the technology. The application of the technology is geared more for Cisco Equipment, but nonetheless gives the reader a whole view on the topic.

The first three chapters offer superb information on the foundational information regarding the applications that Metro Area Network supports. Being an enterprise type person I was able to grasp the concepts of Metro Optical rather easily. There are review questions at the end of each chapter that really helps to re-enforce the content of the chapter. It also helps to identify whether a particular concept was understood correctly and in the right context.

This book is best suited for Service Provider design and implementation Engineers, but enterprise engineers will find this book equally intriguing, because of how it unlocks the mysteries of Metro Area Optical Networking. Consultant in the Metro Area Networking space will find this book to be worth its weight in gold. Not many folks take the time to understand the often-complex world of MAN and what Service Providers are offering, beyond the marketing pitch.

One thing that would have been useful in this book would have been a glossary of terms. Although the author has done a good job of explaining terms throughout the book, a glossary of terms would have been a handy place to reference in the future. One can still utilize the index and locate a term or topic rather quickly.

Because the title is written to educate the reader on Optical networks, it has an outstanding section covering SONET. Yes, there are other books on the market that cover SONET with more detail and a little fluff, however I'm not one to dedicate my life to the pursuit of learning every detail about SONET, that I will probably never need. After all I'm not in R & D. This title documents SONET really well. Giving good illustrations and is not so lengthy that you have to block out a Saturday just to get through a concept. The authors did a good job of consolidating the information. So the topic in not overwhelming, but gives the reader a solid understanding of the technology.

The title covers basic information about the Cisco ONS 15454 and the Cisco ONS 15327 as well as initial configuration of the equipment. There are figures in the book that are snapshots of the application used to configure the equipment. While this could be very useful, in my opinion, it's a little risky because if the interface should ever change, then the book is now dated. On second thought, what isn't dated these days?

A section I found rather valuable is a section on configuring SONET timing. Network timing in general is often misunderstood at many levels. The authors did a good job of documenting the challenges of network timing.

This title has a fairly short chapter on Metro Ethernet. If you're interested in Metro Ethernet I would recommend the title "Metro Ethernet" by Sam Halabi, ISBN: 158705096X
This book seems like a good place to start when setting out to understand Metro Area Optical Networks, but with the combination of adding implementation detail, it's just enough information to help grasp the concept of the technology. It doesn't seem to be a book that one would go to for actual implementation/configuration details, but rather a place to understand the technology and to get a basic understanding of how a given technology is implemented.

Like Lazarus, two weeks ago, I had no undertsanding of Cisco System 5.5.5. It seemed over-complex to me, and I knew my job was riding on finding the gem of a nugget at the center of Cisco. With mounting debt and money problems, and a looming presentation that would decide my career future, my marriage future, and my procreation future, I had two options: A) prostitution, or B) Dave Warren. I chose Dave. I just hope you'll be as smart as I was... It was the best sixty bucks I ever spent. And now my wife will give it to me any place, any time!

I bought this for a project in college and it turned out to be a lot better use. Have given it reads a few times just to remind myself of different aspects of the game. Helps in building a program and controlling your life as coaches sometimes get lost in coaching. Worth a read.

This is the one book I have constantly pushed around my high school to fellow coaches- in any sport- to read. The leadership and guidance is both thorough, entertaining and most of all, right on the money. Any new (or not so new) varsity coach would be very wise to read this and keep this book in their library to refer to it at least annually. However, you will find it difficult to reacquisition the book after loaning it to somebody. Perhaps the Athletic Director could buy one for each coach. It would saved me the ordeal buying now another one .

In Coaching and Control Bill Warren examines many key components that are often overlooked in books for coaches. From relationships between individual players, whole teams, school staff and communities to practice and game preparation, Warren gives coaches of every sport and level an excellent framework from which to develop your own philosophy on coaching. Additionally, this is one of the few coaching books that I have encountered where the writer isn't afraid to address situations in a non-politically correct way. It was nice to finally read someone who has coached and isn't afraid to tell it like it is. I highly recommend this book for the "new" and "old" coach. There is something for everyone here.

This book is the ONLY book that can help all coaches in every sport. Bill Warren has been through it all and presents tons of valuable information to help any coach navigate the "shark infested waters" of coaching. I wish I had this book 20 years ago. Coach Warren, thanks for all the help you have given me. This book is your best! Thanks!

This is an interesting and well written guidebook. It was mentioned on NPR I think once and it was well deserved. Finally a guidebook for active but not agile among us. A must have for any trip to Scotland.

The Creaky Traveler In The North West Highlands Of Scotland by experienced world traveler Warren Rovetch is a personal memoir and engaging travelogue of Britain's coastal wilderness. Penned with insight, charm, and vibrant impressions of culture, natural beauty, and the unique feel of the land itself, The Creaky Traveler is a very highly recommended, expressive, and readable Scottish Highlands guide for vacationers and armchair travelers alike.

Yes this is a travel book with advice on how to get there and what to see, but really it is a book about our nature in seeking the unusual by seeing the common in a new way. It also happens to be just plain good writing-- a joy to read and to savor, like the travels in the wilds of Scotland that the book describes.

THE CREAKY TRAVELER provides an amazing amount of detail (including maps) about a small part of the northwest highlands of Scotland. Mr Rovetch has a friendly and somewhat avuncular writing style which verges on the pedantic at times. He obviously kept a diary of his travels from which this text has been extracted (the minutia could only be recorded not remembered). I found some of the detail annoying for "armchair travel" but useful for objectively planning road travel in remote Scotland. After using it to plan a trip,THE CREAKY TRAVELER is the sort of book one reads a chapter a night on the road to scope out the next day's adventures.

Rovetch and his wife Gerda who prefers the sobriquet "G" are in their late sixties-early seventies and still mobile, though as he says "not agile." Although Rovetch provides helpful hints for "older" folks, younger adventurers may find many of the suggestions useful. I bought the book because I have been seriously contemplating visiting the highlands when I travel to the UK this summer. Rovetch has convinced me road travel is the only way to go, and road travel in northwest Scotland cannot be knocked out in a few days. Also, if you truly hope to "see" anything, high summer is probably not the very best time to go.

Rovetch suggests limiting the miles covered to under 20 per day given the condition of the roads (the path is narrow and the way is hard) and the joy of slowly savoring one of the world's most beautiful rural areas. Rovetch and G made their several week journey in May when the countryside was filled with new lambs and few tourists. The places they stayed were picturesque and relatively pricey. This is a good guide for the practical traveler.

This book deserves its reputation as a classic. Redman's story-telling skills are wonderful, he writes well, and clearly explains everything going on in the sometimes arcane world of legislative procedure. He makes the dullest-seeming motions and committee hearings come alive.

Scholars of the Congress should read this, if for no other reason than to get a basic handle on how the Congress actually works, rather than how they think it works in fancy regression analyses. But more than that, it's the starting point for a whole genre of work such as Showdown at Gucci Culch, Conflict and Compromise, and The Bill (all of which are must-reads as well). Even a casual observer of politics can get excited and interested.

This book is the most informative and best written book I have ever read on politics. It's filled with humor and candid comments about the United States Congress.

This book makes me nostalgic for the days when Members of Congress cooperated & got things accomplished. Great vignettes of Maggie! Very accurate rendition.

The year was 1970, President Nixon was still in office, however, an intern by the name of Eric Redman was on hand in the halls of Congress to witness the fascinating dance of legislation as The National Health Service Corps was attempting to be born. This book provides a personal account of the birth and struggles of the attempt to pass a piece of legislation from within the private confines of who was then the second most powerful United States Senator, Warren Magnuson from the State of Washington. While the names have changed, the struggle for a balance between power, influence, and social consciousness and survival remains the same. This book is as fantastic look behind the scenes of the most influential body of power on earth contains the essential ingredients today as a quarter of a century ago. It is a must read for anyone with an interest in political legislation and stands alone in its own right as a factual story that is as fascinating and compelling as any! fictional novel you will ever read.

The information in this book should not be taken lightly. It may change the way you feel about the metaphysical realm. And you will sleep with the lights on for a long time!

I've been studying this phenomena for years, and the descriptions of Ed and Lorraine's good work are, if anything, a user-friendly version of what demonology can really be like. They self-censored, I think, to the benefit of the lay folk. This is hands-down the scariest book I've ever read, and the more you read and investigate the topic, the more you realize how true it is. I am not a chruch going man, but I walked away with a healthy respect and gratitude for their work and a now-strong desire to not dabble in anything resembling seances, Ouji boards, or summoning spells. The other reviews of this book completely concur with my thoughts. I regret having misplaced the book within the last year, though, to be honest, it was so scary, I'm not entirely sad to be rid of it. One final thing-- its been my experience that different people are scared by different parts of the book, for different reasons. Those of you still lucky enough to have a copy should share it with friends and take a poll. I suspect the subject matter taps into some hidden parts of our subconcious fears...

After reading this book I was compelled to try and punch a hole in the "facts" it presented. When my research was compleated I realized that this book is one of the most accurate and terrifying acounts of Demonic activity available. Ed and Lorraine Warren are to be commended and respected for their dangerous work as excorsist and medium. They have endured more than any human should be expected to, and still they continue. Anyone that thinks their house is haunted should read this book. It provides important information about human and inhuman spirits that will startle and amaze. If you have thought of toying with black magic or sorcery, it would behoove you to look into the contents of these pages and reconsider your decisions. This book was my first glimpse at the supernatural. If what it holds between its covers is true, I hope it will be my last!

This book was well done, although the writer did take some liberties an adulterize the dialogue--in other words, he corrected grammar and used non-daily vocabulary that leads me to believe that he wrote his own dialogue for those parts. However, the book does bring up some interesting points about demons that need to be said in our modern times:

1) The Ouija board is not a harmless game. By inviting spirits to communicate, a door is thrown open to infestation, oppression, and eventual possession by demonic spirits.

2) Black magic is not a tool easily wielded by humans. Black magic asks demons to carry out your bidding; the price of labor usually amounts to the tune of your soul.

3) Demons have, do, and will continue to exist in the world. Because of the public interest, books of real rituals are being printed up and "sold like candy," and so demonic phenomena has begun to be on the rise.

4) Exorcism is a secret ritual that is still performed today. In one year, an average of about six hundered exorcisms is approved and carried out by Church Officials (exorcism is normally carried out by Catholic clergy).

5) Just some trivia: Demons are the slave force of hell. Devils are their managers. To name a demon or devil specifically is to acknowledge it and give it power over you and the physical realm (ghosts and demons inhabit the metaphysical realm).

6) Ghosts are human spirits that are the remnant of the dead--someone you don't know. Apparitions are ghosts of someone you know. Demons--and angels, for what are demons but fallen angels--have never been alive and never will be. They have been walking the Earth since before the end of time.

7) Never confront a demon in any form for any reason.

Stuff I can corroborate with other books on the subject. Be careful with yourselves.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (6/08)

"Desire: Women Write About Wanting" is an outstanding collection of essays by modern-day female writers. Edited by Lisa Solod Warren, this lineup of fantastic stories opens our eyes to the great range of emotions and desires each of us possibly carries within.

Brave and smart, challenging our perceptions of what a woman could and would desire at a particular stage in life, these stories make the reader pause and think repeatedly. While it would be unlikely -- or better yet, quite impossible for a reader to find herself in each of the twenty-three stories within "Desire," I am willing to bet that each of us will be able to connect on a very intimate level with at least a handful of them, since they encompass a great range of emotions and desires. Some of them are more intimate than others, some are downright daring and others yet make your eyes mist with the deep emotions they invoke. All of them are worthwhile reading and all of them try to answer the very challenging question about that it is that we really, truly, deeply and madly want and/or desire.

Reading this brilliant collection of essays should make everybody question where they are in their lives at the moment and whether they have done all that was possible to attain their dreams and desires, whatever they might be. "Desire: Women Write About Wanting" should be required reading for all women of legal age -- since there are a few rather graphic pages in the book, which would not be suitable for very young readers. This book is to inspire, a book to make us dream, a book to make us question the world and our place in it and on top of all of that, just plain good reading. Grab a copy for yourself and a couple for other women in your life!

This collection of essays on desire is a beautiful and challenging ride through the multi-form manifestations that desire takes in the lives of women. From love and sex to success and acclaim to religion and the desire to help others (and even a desire for a kind of Zen "desirelessness"), I am impressed at the high quality of writing and the courage and candor these writers muster on the page. These are not merely sentimental, pornographic, angry, dreamy, or weepy essays (all of which are fragmented emotions). They seem to spring from a place of emotional maturity where the fragments have been merged by trials of living into that one elemental "emotion-which-contains-all-emotions" that is the "Desire" of the book's focus. Reading them as a man, I'm taken with how the range of essays spans what poet Gary Snyder calls the three manifestations of the goddess: daughters, lovers/wives/friends, and mothers, and how the exigencies of each stage impact, imprint, or alter one's desire in specific and moving ways or moments in time. It's so hard to write well about sex, yet Fair, Bussel, and Baechler, for instance, create witty, graphic, and unapologetic characterizations of physical love. Baechler's essay wonderfully reveals our desire to push the limits of taboos during sex in viable and non-violent ways. It skillfully portrays the roles of fantasy and experimentation in our desire for physical expression and release. Daniell's essay reminds me of Lawrence's image of marriage as a binary star where the stars must remain in delicate balance or one will be subsumed into the other or one may fly off into space forever. The essays about motherhood by Oxnard and Leiter reveal the desire for creation of life itself and how age and circumstance affect it. Finally, Bucholt's essay about the death of a dear friend shows the awe-inspiring and awful heights of emotion we go through in our desire to understand the soul and the injustice of losing someone we love. This is a moving collection.

Having the distinct honor of knowing two of the writers featured in the first section, "Of the Body," I had to rush at the chance to write a review. My expectations were met far beyond what I could have ever imagined. The entire collection covers essays "Of the Body," "Of the Soul," and "For the Real."

One essay in particular covers sexual taboos without being overtly X-rated, all within the mind of the sexy protagonist, who goes back and forth between her "Regular Guy" and her fantasies. Reading the essay is like diving headfirst into a Disney film for adults, with enchanting colorful images and irresistible aromas. Connie Baechler unleashes the taboos many women are still too embarrassed to mention without the "yes, buts" going through their heads. Another piece I thoroughly enjoyed was Rachel Kramer Bussel's deconstruction of female desire in "Where Sluts Fear to Tread." This hit immediately in the vein of what is slutty versus what is sexy, and Bussel does an amazing job trying to figure out her place in the melee. Lastly, not to be missed is Jane Juska's piece,"Younger than Winter," on trying to retain sexiness as you get older. Very honest and very funny, I gobbled it right up.

I truly cannot wait to finish the entire collection. Warren has done an excellent job in choosing essays that are erotic, funny and intelligent, making for a truly thought-provoking collection. After thumbing through the second and third section, I know I'll be more than satisfied.

-A. Barton
www.ashleygraceless.com

Lisa Solod Warren has produced a vividly lush collection of writings with many talented contributors. At turns funny, poignant and philosophical, these biographical essays--Psyche's crystalline shards--make an extraordinary book. Desire reads as a beautiful mix of elegy and ode to the institutions of marriage and intimacy, among others, redolent with wisdom gleaned the hard way, and the beauty that brings. Warren has done a great service to the term Desire and has filled in the portrait of feminism with more richness. I will be revisiting these essays, in search of the exquisitely turned phrases and the wealth of contrasts, and the rare, forceful honesty, the complexity of mixed feelings in high contrast. I will be gifting this volume to many of the women in my life.