White Books

Review by Vidu Bansal,
a mid-school teacher with over 4 decades of experience. Presently nurturing minds at Bluebells School International, New Delhi, India.

I read, I listen, I understand, I do and I remember!

The book "Snowff and the Rowdy Cloudy Bunch" is an original creation for children to learn weather science thru captivating illustrations, descriptions and music. The book depicts scientific concepts on rain, snow, clouds, thunder and then frightening lightening etc. The presentation is a perfect blend of style, structure with attractive illustrations designed to capture and delight children of all age groups across the world.

The book inculcates in children the technique of logical thinking and creativity, probing and instilling their adventurousness. The book itself acts like a gravitational force which draws the attention of both little and big minds. The breathtaking incidents keep the children fully engrossed building their confidence to face any challenge. It teaches them to handle crisis as an opportunity to broaden their horizons.

Learning through this book is different from the usual conventional style. Carolyn has effortlessly been able to blend her science series with inspiring and welcoming activities. The accompanying CD helps you to travel into the world of fantasy and grandeur. This science made easy learning book is a sure shot read for one and all. It will positively sharpen the conceptual thinking along the way and inspire in children to develop a deep love for reading, understanding and remembering.

I am now looking forward to see her third book in the series entitled "SNOWFF - VISITS RAZORTEETH VILLAGE".

Snowff is back for another adventure, and Carolyn White has not let us down. Snowff learns about thunder and lightning and takes a wild ride on a tornado. Throughout the story we learn about air pressure, fronts, clouds, and even a rainbow. As with her first book in the Snowff series, the accompanying CD is a perfect complement using creative voices and music to enhance the fun and the learning experience. The scientific glossary at the end adds to the understanding of weather phenomena. Highly recommended for elementary school libraries and public libraries' children's collections. The Snowff series is timeless. I am anxiously awaiting the third book in this delightful series.

Book two in the Snowff series, Snowff & the Rowdy-Cloudy Bunch is an adventurous picturebook set in the land of Snowff. Written to educate as well as entertain, Snowff & the Rowdy-Cloudy Bunch includes wild full-color illustrations and an accompanying audio CD to enliven its story about weather phenomena including rain, snow, and thunder. A glossary of meteorological terms rounds out this playful narrative adventure designed to make learning about the weather science painless and fun.

Science is a great intellectual adventure waiting to be explored. Thanks to science, we understand concepts once thought unimaginable and enjoy the luxuries once thought of as impossible. Still yet, many scientific concepts remain a mystery to most people. Fortunately, a solution is at hand; Carolyn White's series of Snowff make scientific literacy possible for everyone! Her books are entertaining, accurate, and amazingly informative.

Carolyn's new book entitled, "Snowff and the Rowdy Cloudy Bunch" transforms the classroom into a mesmerizing learning journey. Throughout the book science concepts are revealed in a way that engages and totally captivates students reading while listening to the CD. Two years ago a tornado swept through our town leaving many families homeless and causing an array of questions in the minds of many students. Chapter 3 - "Tornado Horse" presented a tornado in a way that allowed students to grasp the concept of warm and cold fronts coming together during a thunderstorm. Many children experiencing fear and discomfort with changing weather often misunderstand weather in general. Carolyn White has found a way to present these concepts in a fun and interesting way that will leave students with a better understanding and appreciation for weather. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Snowff and the Rowdy-Cloudy Bunch will catch the attention of every child, student, and adult! As I read this book and listened to the accompanying CD, I was captivated by Carolyn White's ability and talent to weave educational science into one very fun and fascinating book. As she says on the cover of the book, "Science Made Fun," this book will prove that statement to be totally true! Every age group (including adults!) will be riveted to the continuing story of Snowff! The illustrator, Bruce Manchee, did a marvelous job with his artwork. Each page is full of artistic illustrations of the book's characters in action! Beginning with the very first page you will immediately want to know what is going to happen next to that cute little Snowflake Kid, Snowff!! Is he going to survive Big Wind? Mighty Thunder? And most of all - Frightening Lightning? You must read this book to appreciate it. The book is created on high-quality paper and with beautiful illustrations on each page. As you read along the book's pages, the accompanying CD makes the book come alive, and the CD contains all of the expressions of a good storyteller. All characters in the book verbally express themselves, and you will hear them speak in their own individual voices. Carolyn's musical ability is displayed in various ways on the CD. I particularly enjoyed Mighty Thunder's song, "Dance to the Thunder," and the raspy voice of Frightening Lightning as he sings his "frightening" song. All the music and sound effects in the CD, along with the story and the illustrations will cause this book to be one of the greatest educational science books ever created. It truly is science made fun. Every school should have this set of books in their library, in their science departments, and in their classrooms. It is a must!

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If you are a grape grower of any consequence, you know that good wine depends on good grapes, that good grapes depend on good vines and that good vines depend on roots that are DEEP and STRONG. Thus, the medium in which roots grow is of crucial importance. Viticulturists can be misled by reading that vines grow in all sorts of soils all over the world. That is certainly true but that simple dictum does not mean that any soil will do, as "any" soil will certainly not do.

Robert White's book is VERY useful in helping understand what goes on below ground. If you just flip through it, it will strike you as too technical and thus daunting. However, if you will read each of the headings, (e.g., 5.1, 5.2) but not the sub-headings (e.g. 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.1.3) and then read his "Summary Points", you will be richly rewarded. If there points about which you want to know more or understand better, go back and delve into the sub-headings and be enlightened to your hearts content. I'm glad I own this book!

As a postgraduate student in the field of viticulture and wine i found this book covered the subject matter with great detail , clarity and scientific explanations. This book is a must have for your library collection and indeed for the aspiring viticulturist - it is a gold mine of information on the subject of soils.

In "Soils for Fine Wines" Robert White sets to provide information needed for better understanding of how soils and their properties relate to management and wine-grape production. This book is a long-needed one indeed; most other viticultural books are discussing soil as an environmental factor only in passing.

The book begins by explaining how the soil is formed and how it relates to the environment; how it changes with time and how it should be managed sustainably. Then it goes into a deeper analysis of the soil's makeup and structure, with a particular emphasis on understanding the vine root habitat. This is very important if a viticulturist is to understand effect of soil management practices on vine growth and production. Then the book details the supply of nutrients, explaining how these move into plant roots and what affects their availability. The reader is also given a brief introduction into precision viticulture and organic viticulture. The next section discusses soil, water and vine interrelationship, understanding of which is paramount for good irrigation management. The book contains information on various aspects of soil quality (physical, chemical and biological). The book then deals with soil as an important attribute for site selection and vineyard establishment. The final chapter discusses soil as it relates to the quality of the final product - wine. Here the author gives a well-balanced overview of the current state of knowledge of what is known as 'terroir' and he takes the reader on a journey around the wine-producing world by providing regional examples of how the soil and wine attributes seem to be related.

The book is well-written and easy to follow, although some might find it a bit technical at times. However, good explanation of technical terms is provided throughout and the book also has a number of illustrations and photographs that are helpful for easier understanding of the text.

I can recommend this book to students and professionals in viticulture and wine science. It is a long-awaited text dedicated specifically to vineyard soils and the way they affect grapevines and management strategies. This book will also be of great interest to anyone who wishes to better understand the link between environmental conditions and wine.

A great book on beginning growing. To get the full understanding about what Mr white is talking about the book Science in Agriculture I feel, should be read first. Great section,along with the pros and cons, of different types of irrigation. Seems to lean a little heavy on the soils of California. For the person not growing grapes but enjoys good wine it is an excellant sorce of how the wine gets its flavor. The principles presented will aid anyone growing almost anything.

A unique book, as fine as wine itself. No other book explains the detailed and vital nature and mechanisms of soils as they apply to grape production and wine-making. It tries to unravel the enigma of the `terroir'. This will surely help the viticulturist and the winemaker to make the most of their land and we consumers will be the grateful beneficiaries. I think I could strongly recommend it to the specialist and interested reader.

amazing photographs and experiences by author. I did not know the Spirit Bear existed until read this book. L'Ohanna

This is a fascinating story of rare and beautiful animals and the crew of research photographers who became intimately associated with them. It offers some startling revelations into the life and behavior of bears. The Spirit Bear, or Kermode Bear, is a white genetic variety of black bear, found only on Princess Royal Island off British Columbia. The region is also home to black bears and grizzly bears which are included in the book as well. What is most remarkable here is how the bears on the island, which had very little prior human contact, accepted the crew with an open gentleness allowing many close encounters to be documented. The book is written in an engaging first person style and beautifully photographed with close ups of bears in various activities. It will surely be a favorite addition to the library of any nature lover.

Spirit Bear is the best combination of a well-conceived book design, telling photography, and an exceptional storyline. The author's credibility is supported by a three-generation family history in grizzly bear country. His true experience, though, is reflected in his down-to-earth sincerity and simplicity of reporting. Reverence, balanced with pragmatic humor, sets a very ageeable tone for this fascinating book. With only one very moderately bloody-nosed bear photo, you could quite readily share this book with children. I grew up in bear country and now live in the heart of tree-hugging country and I found this book to be true to the core of both. And a darn fine read.

This book will give you the chills! A mystical yet true story on the nature of "wild animals" and the mystical and spiritual link between "us" and "them".Gorgeous full color photography. The book ends with the impending destruction of the Spirit Bears habitat by logging and a plea to save this unique island ecosystem.

Eyeing you from the dust jacket of Spirit Bear is a very relaxed, improbable looking white bear with a benign, even friendly, air. It is the embodiment of the main subject of the book.

The author begins by summarizing his own and his family's long history and experience with black and grizzly bears. In so doing he establishes his credibility before describing his encounters with' the Kermode bear, a rare white variant of the black bear that inhabits some of the largely undisturbed west coast islands. Russell was wise to open in this manner as the story that follows truly stretches the reader's credulity.

After recounting how he came to be on Princess Royal Island to film the white bears with Sue and Jeff Turner, we learn how they got to know the Spirit Bear, and how they developed an extraordinary relationship with him. The Spirit Bear not only "enjoyed" human company, but he fished with people, slept beside them, and allowed the author to scratch and even tickle him between his toes! Perhaps most incredible is the incident when men and bear play tug-of-war, with the bear attempting to initiate a wrestling match without harming his human friends.

After these amazing adventures, the last chapter is somewhat disappointing. We read about how the author and the Turners, after several months' absence from Princess Royal Island during the winter, returned and spent their last summer finishing their film. However, only one brief paragraph is devoted to their meeting with the Spirit Bear and the renewal of their extraordinary friendship.

Despite this disappointment, the book is well worth the price. Although not always technically perfect, the amazing photographs are generally very good and document some of the incredible events described in the narrative. The text not only provides fascinating insights into bear behaviour, but give? plenty of reasons to change preconceived notions about bear aggression. Underlying the story is a message about the importance of keeping an open mind when dealing ! with animals. But don't expect the next bear you meet to treat you as a long lost friend. THERESA ANISKOWICZ

This is another great book from Steve White and David Weber. Well worth your money.

Just remember that both sections in this big volume have been published previously, and if you like Weber and White - like I do - you will probably have them on your shelf.
Obviously, if you haven't read the "Shiva Option" or "Insurrection" this is a "must get" book, since both stories handle interstellar war with detail and finesse.

"Shiva Option". The enemy's first and only directive is that all other species, sentient or not, is food. Humanity and its three ally races that form the Grand Alliance are under siege, losing the war to the Bugs. Efforts to communicate and forge a truce leading to peace have failed as the Bugs refuse to communicate or perhaps are unable to communicate with beings they consider beneath them on their food chain. Death apparently awaits humanity.

"Insurrection". Several generations have passed since the Fourth Interstellar War against the Bugs (see The Shiva Option). The central Corporate Worlds of the Terran Federation refuse to relinquish their war powers though the hostilities are over. They control everything while the Fringe Worlds pay the price. However that is not enough for the avaricious leaders of the Corporate Worlds as they want more power. To expedite matters by causing chaos in the Fringe Worlds, a Corporate World agent assassinates Fringe Worlds leader Fionna MacTaggart. Rebellion explodes on Fionna's home planet. The Terran Federation Navy arrives to put down the revolt by force but instead the crews mutiny refusing to kill fellow citizens; soon rebellion spreads across the Federation leaving the Federation reeling near death.

These are two reprints of early 1990s space operas combined into one book. "The Shiva Option" remains one of the most exciting thought provoking thrillers of the past two decades. "Insurrection" is also a well written action thriller as a domino effect leads the Terran Federation on the brink of a supernova, but does not contain the cerebral punch of "The Shiva Option" because much of the cast are throwaways.

Harriet Klausner

Like THE STARS AT WAR, this is not really a new book. It is a collection of two previously published works although there are reputedly about 20,000 new words included. If you already own either of the books, there is little reason to buy this volume. Otherwise, it is a good buy.

The two included books are THE SHIVA OPTION and INSURECTION. Reviews of each appear below.

THE SHIVA OPTION
THE SHIVA OPTION conludes the story begun in IN DEATH GROUND. The story and the options are just as horrific and the consequences are just as bad.

Humanity and its allies face a war to the end with a race that will either eat every race it comes across or die trying. They cannot be negotiated with. They can either be killed or allowed to win. Killing them is not easy because they don't care about their own casualties. They have only a hunger and nothing can assuage it.

The space battles are well though out as is the strategy presented. They should appeal to fans of space battle. Like the predecessor, however, the real story concerns the hard choices of the leaders.

This is not a fun book to read but it is interesting and worthwhile. It also leaves open the possibility that more bugs will appear in later volumes.

INSURECTION
Insurrection takes place in the same universe as IN DEATH GROUND and THE SHIVA OPTION about a generation after the events of the latter. Humanity has been at peace but that doesn't stop nasty politicians from trying to do nasty things to people. Finally, a time comes when the people will take it no more and the result is civil war.

This book makes clear that there are honorable people on both sides of the conflict but the horrors of war are such that innocents are bound to suffer. Like the other books of this series, the action sequences are well though out and well written but the main lessons come from choices faced by the protagonists. Weber and White are good at writing about space battle. They are even better at writing about political issues and human choices.

The Stars at War II (2005) is an omnibus edition of the Starfire series, including The Shiva Option and Insurrection. The Shiva Option is the third novel in internal chronological sequence within the series and Insurrection is the fourth novel in internal sequence following The Shiva Option. This is the first hardback publication of Insurrection.

The Shiva Option (2002) is a continuation of the events described within In Death Ground. This duology describes a war similar in many ways to the Pacific theater of World War II. The enemy has the worst aspects of the Japanese military, but exaggerated to the ultimate degree. IDG has the desperate battles prior to Midway and the Coral Sea and TSO has the grinding battles after that, successively retaking island after island until finally Okinawa falls.

The Divine Wind is prominent in this book, but the amphibious assaults and ground combat of that war are mostly eliminated by the Shiva Option. Considering that the defensive phase of war in the Pacific took only a few months, yet the offensive phase took four and half years, it is obvious why this book is so long. If the enemy can be stopped, it most often must be done quickly or not at all; defeating the enemy, however, is long and hard.

The prologue occurs shortly after the failure of Operation Pesthouse. Fleeing the Bugs, Survey Fleet 19 encounters a new set of sentient beings, the Star Union of Crucis, who have already had violent contact with the Bugs. This new group joins with SF19 to destroy the pursuing Bug fleet and then both withdraw to the Star Union.

Meanwhile, back at Alpha Centauri, the Joint Chiefs of the Grand Fleet, and their staffs, meet to discuss strategy now that the Bugs have ended their current offensives. Naval Intelligence reports that a new class of warships, designated Monitors and even larger than superdreadnoughts, has been deployed by the Bugs. They also state that analysis of the Bug artifacts has shown five distinctly different construction techniques, probably indicating five separate manufacturing centers, designated as Home Hives. Moreover, the initial Bug contact was probably with Home Hive Five.

The remainder of the novel is a series of strategic offensives against the Home Hives. Like its prequel, this volume is full of spatial warfare. It also includes several nuclear bombardments of enemy planets -- the Shiva Option -- and one planetary assault with subsequent ground combat.

The Arachnid civilization in Starfire owes a lot to the Bugs in Heinlein's Starship Troopers, but the approach in this series is entirely different and much wider in scope. These novels concentrate primarily on naval combat and equipment; the only use of armored combat suits is by the Telikans in the above mentioned planetary assault.

Insurrection (1990) begins several generations after the Fourth Interstellar War against the Bugs. The Legislative Assembly of the Terran Federation has long been dominated by the Corporate Worlds at the expense of the Fringe Worlds. Now the Corporate Worlds have devised a plan to reapportion the Assembly by merging with the Orion Khanate, thereby reducing the Fringe World power base.

They are frustrated at the last moment by bad publicity generated when Oskar Dieter, a Corporate World leader, personally insults Fionna MacTaggart, leader of the Fringe Worlders. However, the leader of the Corporate World delegation, Simon Taliaferro, plots to assassinate Fionna in order to throw the Fringe Worlders into a fury so that they will resign from the Assembly. His plot works as planned, but the consequences are more that he reckoned with.

Terran Federation Navy Task Force 17 moves against Beaufort, Fionna's home planet, as a show of force, but it moves too slowly and the insurrection has started before it arrives. Admiral Forsythe is advised to go slowly and negotiate with the rebels, but refuses and plans to fire on opposed ships if necessary. This triggers a mutiny, with the Fringe Worlders taking or destroying all TF17 ships.

As the word is spread, other ships mutiny and flee to the Fringe Worlds. Tenth Cruiser Squadron is too far within the Federation to flee, so takes the desperate gamble of raiding Galloway's World to destroy the largest Federation shipyards. Overall, the Federation loses approximately half of Battle Fleet, about 80 percent of the Frontier Fleet, and most of their shipbuilding capability for at least 6 months. This bad news forces the fall of the current government and brings Oskar Dieter to power as prime minister.

This story is based on the political and economic situation between the British Empire and its American colonies prior to the Revolution. As with that situation, the Fringe Worlds are being economically exploited by the Federation mercantile class with the assistance of the Legislative Assembly. While Simon Taliaferro is not a king, he is just as mad as King George and just as dangerous to his own long-term interests. The ensuing military actions in this story are naval rather than military, but otherwise the results are much the same. Since the Khanate basically remains neutral, this story is greatly simplified compared to the Revolution by the lack of other major powers.

Von Clausewitz's On War is quoted several times in this book. The story reminds me of another axiom: "War is an extension of politics by other means". Politicians should be careful what they ask for; they may get it . . . and choke on it.

This book is recommended for all Weber & White fans and anyone who enjoys tales of realpolitik, naval combat, and politician bashing -- i.e., Heinlein fans -- and inside jokes (think Operation Bughouse).

-Arthur W. Jordin

As I read this book I felt Joe White wrote it just for me. HOW DID HE KNOW I AM FEELING ALL THE THINGS HE MENTIONS? I have read many many books, too many to even count, and not one has touched me like this one has. It is not just about finding solutions but about understanding the process of forgiving and healing old wounds in order to TRULY move forward. You would find ne in many occasions nodding my head in agreement over a word, a sentence or a phrase I read. Tears of every emotion possible rolled down my face. It is definitely a MUST read for EVERY parent with a TEEN!

This book is fabulous. Joe White obviously knows teens. He talks about what things are "normal" and what things parents should be more concerned about. He offers practical things to think about and advice that's doable and makes sense. I'm thankful for a book that offers help to parents who's teens are in trouble.

This book is an excellent guide to parenting. Often this monumental task is confusing and Joe really helps untangle the complicated knots of parenting. I highly recommend this book.

Author of such books as FUEL, DARE 2B WISE and PURE EXCITEMENT, Joe White has made it a career of investing in the lives of youth via his written texts and acting as president of Kanakuk Kamps. White now teams up with another prolific young adult author, Lissa Halls Johnson, to offer parents tried-and-true practical ideas for sticking with teens during the most emotional (good or bad) spaces of time.

White and Johnson open the book with some personal thoughts and a few cheerleading-type challenges to hang in there with teens, despite the seemingly endless parade of emotional roller-coaster rides, unexpected detours and personal disappointments. Readers get a sense that both authors truly love kids and have experienced the ups and downs of rearing these ever-changing, always transforming individuals.

Within a 13-chapter format, White offers quotes from anonymous parents and kids alike that punctuate and highlight each section's topic at hand. Readers will find these brief statements alternately funny and sad, but all ring true to family life. The authors then jump in with the "experiment" of parenting. Citing one family's wake-up call, both literal and figurative, White shares one couple's dilemma when being awoken in the middle of the night to find that their son had not only stolen from a friend's truck, he'd been drinking, taking drugs and was at that moment running from the police. During the conversation, the same son announces his plan to move to Mexico once his friend gets his inheritance at age 18. Talk about a "wake-up" call.

White then offers a few other examples of home violence and discusses how times have changed; what parents lived out as "rebellion" during their teen years no longer exists in today's violent, up-charged climate. He asks parents to think hard about the following statements. If parents can respond with a "yes" to any of these, then White says, "Wake up, your relationship is already stretched, strained, or snapped." Further, White tells parents in half-jest, "Welcome to the club."

* My teen doesn't like me.
* I'm embarrassed for anyone to know what my family life is really like.
* I don't want anyone to know what my kid is doing.
* I don't like my teen's choices.
* I want to fix my teen.

Following this self-check, White and Johnson get into the nuts and bolts of the text and discuss practical ways for moms and dads to gauge if behavior is normal, and if not, then to anticipate their teen's triggers, which may have provoked the unhealthy or rebellious behavior. White encourages parents that it is never too late to begin listening, caring and investing in one's family. Offering his own parenting missteps as "don't do as I did" case scenarios, parents will have hope and find direction. Much of the text is interactive in scope, meaning that parents will be posed questions that require honesty and humility coupled with the stamina to start over and over and over.

Within this concise handbook, parents can expect to endure parenting boot camp on issues such as forgiveness (offering it and asking for it), dismantling the verbal walls and reconstructing healthy ones, making time and spending it with the family, and committing to a never-give-up mentally. One of the most reader-friendly aspects of STICKING WITH YOUR TEEN is that every chapter is short enough to read in a single setting, but provides enough "homework" to practice on before tackling the next subject.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

I really got a lot of information on how communication w/ your teen is so vital. I am not a BIG reader of self help books, but this author has been there and admits to his faults as a parent. I really have enjoyed the challenge this book has to offer me as a mother. I am really enjoying my teen as I try to understand her more.

Trying to learn useful things about XML can be hard. XML is so flexible and can be used for so many things, descriptions of it have a bad tendency to be vague, never touching the real world. Or they are too detailed and technical to easily understand. This book has a really nice balance of these factors. For example, if you want to know what a web service is, and want to see an actual example of one without an overwhelming amount of technical detail, this book is a good place to look. You can see the code and what's actually needed to implement it.

As a strategic decision maker in the software development industry, transitioning into XML based technologies is at the top of my priority list. Strategic XML provides a very good introductory through advanced study of the topic. The author not only educates the reader from an academic perspective, but goes in depth with real world examples. He actually goes one step further and points the reader toward suitable tools and development platforms. For anybody moving into (or already in the midst of) joining the XML world, I would highly recommend giving Strategic XML a read.

I love this book, it's not your average learn to build a CD or Book database in XML. If you want to learn the XML, buy a generic fat red book with the lots of faces on it, if you want to learn how to apply the XML to practical situations, get this one. It's not going to take you years to read and the selection of applicable quotes at the start of each make it quite amusing and exciting. Add a bit of method to your madness, buy this book and apply a Software Engineer's approach to your data modelling.

I really liked this book. It gave me some very good insight into how to use the XML I have been learning for the past 2 years. It is not filled with a lot of useless rehash of XML primer material, it has a real nice review/overview of the technology and then focuses on the real issue of how to use it to solve business problems. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't need a 600 page regurgitation of XML basics, but instead is focused on solving problems with an exciting technology!

I initially read this book because I know the author and I promised him I would. I'm not a programmer but I am responsible for the technical direction of my company. Suprisingly, the book was written in plain enough English to give me a good general understanding of how to use XML, SOAP, Web Services etc. I'm passing it on to my programming department as a primer to start getting us up speed on these technologies.

I am thinking to walk the Camino. I was wondering if to adventure in Winter time or Summer time. To do it alone or in a group... I believe this book helped me to make decisions more than any other. As well as it inspired me in to stop wondering and to start packing. - Thanks

Sue Kenney's store in Washago, Ontario, in south Muskoka, called The Whistle Stop, felt as though it was about as far from Holywood North as Toronto is from California. Sue Kenney is making that journey the way she made her way along the Camino -- the hiking trail in Spain where apostles were buried and many people have deep spiritual experiences. She had faith she would complete that hourney. She also had chutzpah.
That word seems wrong for a Catholic Canadian woman whose story is spiritualy, but there is something about Sue Kenney's drive that is so remarkable it needs a word like chutzpah.
When Sue was downsized by surprise from a high powered corporate job, escorted out the door by Human Resources personnel, like many people she decided to go for a walk, to try to figure out what to do with her life. Unlike most people, she decided to go for a long walk: the two week hike in Spain known as The Camino.
That takes a combination of nerve and confidence -- or, in a word, chutzpah.
when she returned from her walk and discovered people liked her stories, she got herself booked by the corporations she used to do business with in her old life. Marketing story-telling to corporate C.E.O.s takes more than skill and experience. It takes moxie -- or chutzpah.
There is much more to Sue Kenney than chutuzpah, of course. Her stories from the Camiono are simple but profound and she believes deeply they are not just her stories but should be shared.
"Everybody working in the big corporations said they longed for a more spiritual life," she says. "They surprised me by showing they had a lot of respect for the simple life, even though their own lives are so complex."
First she made a c.d. to share her stories with other people and then she turned the c.d. into a book, and now now she is turning the book and c.d. into a movie. First, she's making a documentary.
Her c.d. sold a thousand copies in its first year. "Independent record producers say they do well to sell two hundred in a year and a thousand is fantastic, I've learned," she said.
She took the c.d. to Word On The Street, in Toronto, and found a publisher in White Knight Publications of Toronto. "Everybody said it would take two years to find a publisher," she said. "I walked up one side of Queen Street West in the morning and down the other side in the afternoon, at Word In The Street, and I had three publishers interested by the end of the day. I talked to everybody who would listen to me and gave them my c.d."
She told her publisher she wanted to have the book out in a year. He told her he would need the manuscript in two months. She said, "What's a manuscript?"
Then she did the math and decided all she would have to do was write a thousand words a day for two months and that would still give her a couple of days to relax. The publisher was amazed when she met her deadline.
The editing process did not appeal to her but by serendipity she met a writing partner she could work with at a New Year's party. Sue Kenney and Bruce Pirrie worked so well together, they entered the Muskoka Novel Marathon as partners, to create a book length work of fiction in just three days.
Pirrie is a screenwriter and was the lead writer for The Red Green Show on CBC TV.
"I was living in Washago and running workshops at The Fern Resort, with my daughter, Tara, looking after the store, so running up to Huntsville for the novel marathon was the perfect sort of weekend for me," she says.
He accompanied Sue on her second walk on the Camino. He also gathered a group of friends from the acting community for a reading of her screenplay at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Kathryn Greenwood, best known for her work on Whose Line Is It, Anyway, played the part of Sue. Peter Oldring, who was in The Widowmaker, with Harrison Ford, played the love interest. Alvar D'Antonio, who was in Bonnano: A Godfather's Story, played the romantically aggressive Dino.
The screenplay focuses on the relationships between the characters described in the book, including some romance.
"I've got a lock on the role of the hostel owner. That's a deal-breaker," he said at the reading. "I think this project is a natural for an international co-production as it has characters from different countries, especially in Europe, where the Camino is enormously popular."
A reading from the screenplay with Toronto actors from Second City, some with movie credits to their names, was a feature of the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005. At the event, held at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto, she announced she would like the film to premiere at the T.I.F.F. in 2006.
That action was captured on video by Pasha Patriki, the cameraman she is taking on her third trip to the Camino, this fall. She is leading four woemn on the trek, including one diagnosed with terminal cancer, who has her doctor's approval to make this spiritual journey.
When she returns, she will go to Brazil, where she has been invited to give a talk about her book.
"In Brazil, they're Camino crazy," she says. "Ten percent of Camino walkers are Brazillians. A book about the Camino by a Brazillian, called The Pilgrimmage, sold 50 million copies. I'm getting My Camino translated into Spanish and Portugese."
She has come a long way quickly, since being downsized from the corporate world. Sue Kenney has already made the journey from Muskoka to Hollywood North. The next stop could be Hollywood, California, but she will go the long way, via Brazil and another trek across the Camino.

Sue is a woman with brains, brawn, beauty, and soul. Herein lies the tale of a remarkable woman, reinventing herself at 45 years of age. Sue lovingly recounts her odyssey on the Road I savor, the Camino Frances. Let her lead you though the echoes of her mind, and the grit of the Road as she rediscovers her inner fire. The Camino itself has been dormant for years, and is finally awakening from it's slumber. Those who walk it return to walk a different Path. Sue brings us the before and after snapshots of her soul. A deeply personal and revealing look into one Peregrina's life.

Well done, Sue!

Buen Camino.

[...]

I had just recently come back (Sept/04)from my own journey on the Camino and a friend of mine said I should read Sue Kenney's book "My Camino". Since I could not get the Camino our of my head I knew I had to read this book and went right out to buy it. I loved every word of this book! Sue was able to bring me right back on the trail with her. I knew exactly where she was at all times and wished I was there too. She not only gave good descriptions of the trail, the scenery, the comradship but covered the spiritualty of the journey. The Camino does allow you to go deep into your soul and find out who you really are and where you should be heading to complete your journey in this life time.
I read many books before going on the Camino and some were too much like travel logs and some were less about the Camino and more about the authors trip through her past lives. Sue's book was excellent and gave a person a true vision of what it is like to travel the Camino physically and what it is like to see into your soul. A remarkable book!

I was immediately struck by the book design, even before getting into the text. Simple, uncluttered, but different - a good complement to the storyline.

There is a saying that everyone walks their own Camino. That is true, but Sue Kenney's My Camino brings out the common threads we all share: the past experiences that influence our walk; the separation of friends and family, the physical demands of this five hundred mile journey and finally; the changes it brings to our inner selves.

The book begins interestingly with a competitive rowing scene: eight women rowing across Lake Ontario: "the set cadence acts like a mantra to free the mind to focus on the body." This phrase made me instantly think of walking across the meseta. "in a moment of transformation the boat and crew's 1500 pounds propel forward with force and grace." The rowing results in a gold medal in the World Masters Rowing Championship in Montreal and provides mental resources to draw on for the challenge of the Camino.

Then comes Kenney's background: the despair of having a younger sister with terminal cancer, the typical downsizing job loss - being called to a meeting and handed a box to pack your office belongings, age over forty, teenaged daughters, divorce. The rowing allowed her to put her anger at cancer into the water.

The demands of job and family result in a lifetime of giving and little time for herself. Sue Kenney looks at the Camino as an opportunity to face her fears and love herself.

She started her trip in early November, so had a very different experience than those walking in the popular months of May through September. Many refugios were closed. Winter weather was setting in and pilgrim numbers had dwindled to the very few. Those who have walked or are contemplating walking off season will find much to relate to in the thread of the physical journey that makes up most of this book. They can appreciate the themes of pain, friendship, rain, mud, distance and darkness, closed refugios. During a highpoint of the day, a hot shower, Kenney talks about "the simple pleasures of being a pilgrim."

During this off season time the refugio experience was quite different than it would have been a few weeks earlier. Sometimes a refugio would be staffed by caring hospitaleros, but frequently refugios were not staffed and just a basic room with the companionship of a few other pilgrims. The pilgrim experience during this season is usually a more intimate one with the fewer numbers of travelers. Frequently they would share meals in the refugio kitchens.

One of her chapters, "The Honor of Being a Pilgrim", talks about the freely given support one gets from the local people who honor the effort of those on pilgrimage. She talks about an old women caught her attention from across a square, made the sign of the cross and bowed her head with respect.

One thing that is very clear in this book is Sue Kenney's openness with others on the Camino and with her readers.. She connects with people even though her Spanish is very limited. Her search for self love is not my search and though she finds herself on the pilgrimage, those parts of the story don't hold my interest as much as the tale of the walk itself. Contacts with home happen infrequently on the Camino, and I do relate to the rejuvenation drawn as she gets a phone call through to her daughters.

I think Sue Kenney looks at this as an inspirational self help story, but it is also a fine adventure tale and a worthy addition to the modern pilgrim accounts of the Camino.

I found this at the local library. It has a good variety of recipes, some historic recipes, as well as related background. Shirley Corriher has a couple of pages discussing types of flour. BTW, Amazon's Canadian site is taking orders for a reprint scheduled for June 2009, for less than ten bucks.

From Tennessee's premier milling company, this book combines the best of yesterday and today. Belinda Ellis Gibson has shown that in her first venture as a food stylist and author she has what it takes to allow the conumer to visualize and almost smell the biscuits baking.

This book is a must for any proud Southerner!

This is the first cookbook that I have read that has retraced the history of Southern Baking. It contains dozens of historic recipes like Wacky Cake, Appalachain Apple Stack Cake, as well as the original White Lily biscuit recipe from 1883. I especially enjoyed reading about the history of one of the South's oldest and most venerable flour mills.

This is a collection of recipes from the famous Southern flour, White Lily. The tips and recipes are the most requested from generations of Southern bakers. These favorites have been updated so they are quick and easy to prepare.

The biscuit recipe is so much like my Grandmother's it takes me back to her kitchen, and fills me with memories of "home".

The black walnut cake is the easist I have ever baked, and has a wonderful flavor. Rich without being too sweet.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I have.

The chicken and dumplings recipe alone is worth the price of this book!!! This is true Southern comfort food at its very best!!! If you happen to come across this book at its given price....DON'T THINK TWICE!!! BUY IT!!! It really is too bad that it is not out of print because it really is a wonderful book. You couldn't do anything but benefit from it's pages.

I was in the same class as his son Jerry in elementary school. He came in and told us about what happened to him. I have a copy of this book, its a good account of survival and a good read, recommended!!

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE HIT BY A GREAT WHITE AND SURVIVE THEN GET THIS BOOK.YOU WILL NOT PUT THIS DOWN UNTIL THE LAST PAGE IS TURNED.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE HIT BY A GREAT WHITE AND SURVIVE THEN GET THIS BOOK.YOU WILL NOT PUT THIS DOWN UNTIL THE LAST PAGE IS TURNED.

The book "surfing with the great white Shark" by Kenny Doubt is a must reading for all surfers on the Pacific Coast. Kenny Doubt writes a vivid and compelling story of his encounter with the most feared preditor of oceans. He is fortunate to be alive to tell his story.

His love of surfing lead him to be in the right place at the wrong time: Cannon Beach, Oregon on a cold winter day in 1972. The shark, in excess of 15 feet, was also in wrong place at the same time and the two met.

The result was of this meeting near Haystack Rock was a tearing of the flesh, exposed organs, incliding the heart and lungs, and rescue bu surfing friends that ultimately save his life.

The book includes pictures and medical detail that indicated the severity of his injuries including the more than 500 stiches the doctors counted.

The writing is straight forward and comprehensive. It is a complelling short story that can't be put down until completed.

Kenny Doudt tells you what it feels like to be snacked on by a Great White shark. It is incredible to read what he saw, what he heard, how he felt, and what he did during his encounter.

His rescue and ultimate survival of his horrific wounds make for reading you cannot put down. I read this in one sitting. The black-and-white pictures of the wounds inflicted will take your breath away. That Kenny survived is a testament to his level of physical fitness at the time he was attacked. Lesser people, myself included, would not have lived to tell the tale.

Great reading! Just don't read it before you go swimming in the ocean on your summer vacation.

I have been an information assurance professional for over 40-years. This is the only book that ties it all together and provides so many additonal bonuses that you cannot go wrong for the price.

What I found best about the book:
1. Great price for all the pertinent and up-to-date information, including references and URL's,
2. Complete, concise, focused; no wandering down memory lane,
3. A great study reference guide in preparation for the CISSP examination (I used it, I took the exam, I am now certified as an Information System Security Professional),
4. The book will be a solid reference for years to come,
5. The author knows her subject and presents it in such a logical manner that it is impossible not to grasp the concepts presented.
6. Can use the author's web site for this book so that you maintain your currency (who else offers this?),
7. If your on the security profession career path this book is mandatory, and
8. Where in the hell (heck) was this book 10-15 years ago.

I am the network manager at a mid-size Chicago company and have been tasked with the job of developing a formal security infrastructure for our organization. I have read many of Mandy's InfoWorld articles and eagerly awaited the release of this book. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Surviving Security is a great resource for understanding the components of a security infrastructure, how they fit together, and how to analyze and select the best approach for your environment. She covers all the basics (security policies, firewalls, IDS, remote access, OS hardening, network architecture, etc.)

In addition, there's a great chapter on authentication techniques. She also discusses the issues most people forget or do not really think about until it is too late: keeping up-to-date with patches, monitoring systems and logs, creating incident response teams, developing secure applications, etc. Most sections have "For More Information" boxes that give resources (books, websites, etc.) where you can go for more detailed information. I thought these were a great feature. She provides insightful information and commentary based on her experiences and then refers you to places where you can find more information. This book does not try to be all things for all people.

The companion website is a great way to keep the content up-to-date. As long as the author keeps the information and links current, this will be a good resource for security information. The product reviews give an independent, third-party opinion that is sometimes hard to find.

For those looking to develop a complete security infrastructure, this is the book to read. Surviving Security gives you an excellent "big picture" look at security that I have found lacking in other security books I have looked at.

Thousands of years ago, a geometry teacher informed his royal subject and student that there was no royal road or shortcut to the understanding of geometry. That statement also holds true for computer system security. Like the steps in a geometric proof, any shortcut taken in security has the potential for invalidating the entire structure. Furthermore, developing a sound security policy requires that many of our deeply held social and legal attitudes be set aside.
In the American legal structure, any person is entitled to the presumption of innocence until their guilt is proven. However, to create and maintain an adequate computer security policy, everyone must be assumed untrustworthy until it has been proven otherwise. This creates an enormous potential for hard feelings, leading some to bypass the controls as a form of protest. Sound security policies also erects barriers that often reduce the efficiency of everyone accessing the system, creating an ongoing dent in the company bottom line. With all of this social, technical and economic baggage, it would appear that constructing an effective security system would be impossible. While constructing an impenetrable system is impossible, one can always reach a best possible level, and you see how to do it in this book.
All of the problems in computer security, from the initial meeting to regular audits are covered in this book. As the title implies, the emphasis is on the integration of the many parts that interact to build a secure system. Knowledge of human psychology is important, as the users must be treated with an iron fist wrapped inside a fuzzy velvet glove. The coverage is thorough in the broad sense, but shallow in the depth sense. This is not a criticism, just a statement of fact. Each section has links to resources that provide the depth of explanation that may be needed.
Security puts another level of complexity on top of the very difficult task of writing software that works. In the past, getting software to work took priority over getting it to work in a secure manner. Those days are gone and it is very difficult to conceive of any scenario where that will change. No one knows when it occurred, but several years ago, the cost of paying for security fell below the cost of repairing the damage caused by lax security practices. To get on the right side of this critical curve, read this book and follow the advice.

One of the few technology books that is actually under-priced based on the value you'll get from it. Content is very good and it's an easy read. You don't have to already be a security wiz to understand. There is also some unique treatment to process issues that I haven't seen elsewhere... Highly recommended.

Surviving Security is a really good book for someone needing a thorough introduction to information security.

The book covers all of the most important security technologies and processes. After completing the book, the reader will come out with a good understanding the components of an information systems security infrastructure.

All of the chapters contain loads of valuable information. Two extremely valuable sections are (Page 358) �Sample Audit Checklist� and (Page 399) �Assessing Your Needs�.

The Sample Audit Checklist contains over 30 pages of technology items that require security. Assessing Your Needs details all of the items required for an effective incident response team....

For those people needing an effective and easily readable reference about computer security, Surviving Security is an excellent resource.