Williams Books

This book is amazing!!! My 5yr old found a book at the library about greek myths and loved them so much that I ordered this book. We have now finished it and she is still asking for more.
The nice thing about this book is it is broken up by ages so you can do what your child is ready for, our 5yr old just loved all the stories soooo much we finished the entire thing.

I bought this book when my daughter's class was teaching Greek Mythology. She was happy to see this book and finished it very soon, now she can relate most of them to me. And the best part is it has explanation and spelling hint. It makes our reading aloud very easily. I am going to buy the other two read aloud series. I think this opens the door for my kids to the classic literature.

Purchased as a gift for Christmas. We did not read this book ourselves, so can't review the quality of the composition. However, the book was well made and arrived on time from Amazon.

This book is NOT for 5-year-olds. I look forward to when my child is a couple years older but, for now, this volcabulary is beyond a kindergarten level and not at all geared to that age group. I totally agree with other reviews about it being well-written, and I'm sure that these people's seventh graders do indeed enjoy it, but I think it's ridiculous to advertise this as a book for 5 and up!

We have been planning our trip to Greece and Crete for several months and I thought it would be good to expose our boys 7 and 10 to the stories in Greek Mythology. After reading reviews on Amazon.com, I decided to buy this book. My boys absolutely love the stories in this book. We read about 20 minutes per night (it's nice that each story has an estimated reading time) and they beg for more after each story. Then we review the "A Few Words More" sections - which they also really enjoy and which give great insight such as the source of the phrase "between a rock and a hard place" which traces back to the Odyssey! For anyone planmning to expose their kids to Greek Mythology, I highly recommend this book and D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths. I'd read the latter first for "introduction" and then follow with the Russell book. There may be some repeated stories -but trust me, the kids will love every minute.

This is very touching story of the (mainly) men who conducted the recovery operations at Ground Zero. The telling is true to the tremendous respect shown to those who perished (nothing titillating) and is inspiring in its humanity and faith. Anyone who has ever worked anywhere will appreciate the turf skirmishes that were waged.

The writing, however, is a bit simple.

I have not even finished reading this book yet, but I am blown away by the extraordinary story this man has to tell, and told with such heart. This is a major contribution to the history of 9/11.

Excellent read. Heartbreaking at times, but well written of the trials and
tribulations of the Ground Zero Recovery mission
This book honors the months day after day the recovery workers devoted to trying to find bodies. Some of the rescue workers suffered emotionally and physically, yet others kept going to the end.
I recommend highly

It was an incredible and accurate account of the heroics and emotions involved in the months of recovery at ground zero. A must read.

This is the story that needed to be told of the many courageous, heroic men and women involved in this search and recovery effort. It is also the story of the courageous, heroic families who lived through this effort with their loved ones. It is a must read.

Thirty short stories by W. Somerset Maugham including "Rain" which is about a prudish missionary and a prostitute and "The Three Fat Women of Antibes" which is an ironic story about self-denial and greed.

As a writer, Maugham considered himself "on the first row of the secondraters". I think he was being modest. Maugham has written some of the finest short stories ever written. His purpose was to do no more than tell an interesting story, but the reader gets much more. Each story is perfectly told; not one word is wasted, each character is fully realized. Maugham observes and never judges his characters. His short stories can be read many times and with each reading the reader finds something new and interesting. Somerset Maugham's short stories takes the reader to a time that is now past but still very relevant.

Somerset is an amazing writer whose words flowed so freely and expressively it makes you want to cry. This book of shorts is classic Maugham and un-put-downable. You'll love it.

The story" Fall of Edward Barnard" is a confrontation between what is called'the Civilized World' and the indigenous, the savage, the primitive world. Edward, thankful to a relative already fascinated by the beauties of the islands around tahiti, had a one life opportunity to have a very introspective reflexion about the meaning of his life. Sent from Chicago for two years, he will delay his return and the promise he made to his bride Isabelle. Why ? Because facing the natural beauty, almost thunderstruck by such simplicity, he wonders what the use of all this hustle and constant striving in our cities which are all but stones with ceasless turmoil. After a unsuccessful beginning in working, he chose a simple life based on beauty, truth and goodness. His thoughts reach the universal when asking himself ( throughout the author's philosophy ) why do we come into the world for to hurry to an office and work hour after hour

I came to know Maugham through his novels, especially The Razor's Edge, Of Human Bondage, and Cakes and Ale. I purchased this collection not knowing what to expect. The stories are character focused, at times incredibly witty and amusing, at times melancholy and near heart-breaking. As in his novels, Maugham has the ability to make the reader see what is not written. Highlights include The Rain, a commentary on the work of missionaries, and The Pool, one of the saddest shorts ever written. Others, such as The Three Fat Women of Antibbes, will probably make you laugh out loud. A first rate collection.

Just ordered this and awaiting it anxiously. I have just finished two later collections The Hill Bachelors and Cheating at Canasta (the title story in the latter is heartbreaking and just a perfect piece of writing). I also immediatley ran out and bought After Rain and A Bit on the Side. I had overlooked Trevor for years. I now fully acknowledge that in doing so; I deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity! Being from Ireland and living here, I also live with the constant knowledge that Trevor is a god and part of the literary furniture. Somehow, strangely, I just took him for granted and never read him. I had also wrongly assumed that Trevor belonged to that somewhat stuffy Irish "big house novel" literary tradition (if one can call it that). By chance, I picked up The Hill Bachelors and have found literary salvation! He is utterly brilliant and consistently so. 12 collections and counting. Nearly every collection consists of 12 stories, each about 20/22 pages long, divided in to 5 or 6 scenes. His structure is so simple and within it he performs miracles, over and over again. It is also wonderful how his stories alternate between a story set in Ireland and a story set in England, the country that he has lived in since his 30s. I adore short stories and all the great North American and Irish writers in the genre: Hemingway, Carver, Wolff, Munro, Joyce and McGahern. But I think Trevor is now my literary hero - plus he's a first rate gentleman (not always so with literary geniuses). Although now 80 let's hope for a new collection from the master in about 2010 and God help him, maybe more after that.

If you enjoy consummate skill in the written word you will treasure this book. It is the most beautifully crafted collection of short stories I have ever encountered. The characters are powerful, endearing, heartbreaking, loving, loathsome, self centered, generous, and sometimes frightening - the scope of this work is breathtaking. It is unfortunate that a book perfect for "dipping into" is so large and heavy - a reissue in rice paper would halve both (The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918 has 1166 pages and fits quite comfortably in a coat pocket!) William Trevor is a genius - if you buy his book you will not be disappointed. Dr Peter J Kirby.

It took me a couple of months to make my way through these 85 stories and it was definitely worth the time I spent with them. Trevor's prose is always simple and clear, yet his range of characters and plots is astonishing because of their superbly captured detail and variety. Most of these stories deal with Irish and English characters, and many swirl around the realities or possibilities of extramarital affairs. "In Isfahan," one of Trevor's best stories, a married middle-aged man carries on an impromptu affair with a young woman he meets while in Iran; in "Lovers of Their Time," another top-notch story, a married man carries on a long-term affair with a shop girl by meeting her in a hotel's second-floor public bathroom. Trevor is also quite adept of presenting the romantic yearnings of women. In "The Ballroom of Romance," a country girl's dreams and consequences are highlighted in her trips to the local dance hall; in "Afternoon Dancing," a middle-aged married woman dallies with the idea of an affair with her dance partner after the death of her close friend. Like Chekhov, to whom Trevor is often compared, this writer also has an admirable sense of comedy. "Mulvhill's Memorial" finds an unlikely pornographic set-up within an office; "The Trinity" has a couple booking a vacation to Venice and ending up in Switzerland. Accidents spiral out of control in "The Penthouse Apartment," and in "A Complicated Nature," a man is forced to help his upstairs neighbor when her suitor unexpectedly dies. Another one of the best stories of this collection is "Broken Homes," where an elderly woman suffers the indignities of having her kitchen painted by a team of indifferent youths. Other first-rate stories include "The Smoke Trees of San Pietro," where a boy's sickness propels his mother into an affair, and "Death in Jerusalem" where a mother dies while on vacation.

Someone else here refers to the problems of 'star' hyperbole. He's right. The five stars Trevor deserves must be especially large and dazzling.
He goes wrong, just a little, once in a while. So did every truly great writer we know. Most of the time he opens a door on the world of two or three people, and shows us the universe in the process. He is a breathtaking artist. Witness 'Another Christmas' - in a dingy living room and armed with no one but an aging Irish couple, he brings home the Troubles in Ireland in epic, heartbreaking scope. And 'Torridge'...a girl said to me when this story first appeared in The New Yorker that it was like Beethoven's Fifth; you can't imagine it not having been around before. It's that good.
Readers! You can do no better than to get to know what this man can do with a pen.

Had never heard of the guy - got it at a bookstore because it had 1200 pages (I needed a lot to read) and because it was written by an old guy (well, he's old now, at least - well- wrinkled but kind looking). So far I'm about a third of the way through it, but like everyone else has said, this book is great. Some writers get lazy and write the same story over and over. Not this guy - every character, every situation is unique. For people who like movies, read the one about Istafan and compare it to "Lost in Translation". The story about the swingers party is indescribably great also, just in the way he describes a man kissing a woman's hair or them barely dancing at all.

Manchester's book is so well-written and well-researched that the reader is carried back in time to that fateful weekend. The details which come forth are not to be found in many of today's books about JFK, which seem to be concerned with either scandal or with solving the question of conspiracy. This book is especially interesting because it was written within a few years of the assassination. RFK was still alive when the book was published. I believe the closeness of the book to the events in question have helped Manchester stay close to the events and away from speculation. Highly recommended.

If you look at the map of the Flight Path of Air Force One from
Love Field to Andrews AFB in the appendix of the book, one of the towns underneath: Hope, Arkansas (Willliam Jefferson Clinton's birthplace). Hope is also mentioned in the book as a representatation of small town America. Now that's freaky. Future editions of the book should footnote.

As the leading civilian authority on the Secret Service, I modestly recommend this classic and controversial book for the many Secret Service/ primary witness interviews Manchester conducted between 1964-1965 (he spoke to 20+agents; I spoke to 70+). That said, several agents I spoke to, three of whom also spoke to Manchester, including Rufus Youngblood, Sam Kinney, and Jerry Behn, among others, denounced this book. Most importantly, ASAIC FLOYD BORING IS QUOTED IN THE BOOK BUT WAS NOT INTERVIEWED FOR IT (AS VERIFIED BY BORING TO MYSELF) AND HE VEHEMENTLY DENIES THE VERACITY OF THE INFO. ATTRIBUTED TO HIM!!

Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
Pittsburgh, PA

However, given the large number of positive reviews here, most of which I agree with, it's worth noting that this book was published around the time there was considerable dissatisfaction and questions being raised about the findings of the Warren Commission and that Manchester I feel, truly gives short shrift to Lyndon Johnson and the transition that took place. To suggest that this was an easy time for Johnson or that there was some desire on the part of the Vice-President to usurp power without regard to the feelings of the Kennedy family or Bobby Kennedy in particular is utter nonsense. Upon reading this material I suggest people also give Max Holland's 'The Kennedy Assassination Tapes' a read as well. Holland's compilation of the taped discussions between Johnson and others in the days and years after Nov. 22 tell a very different story than what Manchester would have us believe.

On my seventh birthday, November 22, 1963, I returned home from school and was told that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated earlier in the day in Dallas, Texas. Even for a seven-year-old schoolboy the gravity of event was striking.

For the next forty years, because of my own curiosity and because the event was continually thrust upon me by the media, I studied the sad event from every possible angle. I considered the views of those propounding the prospect of the lone shooter, the single bullet. I listened to the views of those sure that a conspiracy of monumental proportions had taken the President. In short, I have heard every possible explanation and still the evidence--in my view--leads backs to the beginning.

In "The Death of a President," William Manchester, one of the greatest authors of our time and one renowned for his concise, almost obsessive, research was called upon by Jacqueline Kennedy to attempt to set the record straight. The work was published in 1967, four years after the assassination. His research was characteristically pointed, considering every detail, every venue, every person involved. The result: the only book needed to understand the "crime of the century."

In 1988 the book was reprinted and Manchester wrote a new forward to his masterpiece. He mentions how individuals came to him wondering whether he would update and modify his original work due to "new developments" in chronicling the story. He observed at the time that, in his view, "the cruel fact" was that there were no new developments.

Having studied, as I said, the event in considerable detail, I echo Manchester's profound sentiment. There simply is nothing that holds up under severe scrutiny.

Conspiracy theorists claim that it is just impossible that someone like Oswald, a crazy loner, could kill someone like Kennedy as the result of the shallowest of motives. They want to believe that something weightier, darker and more sinister than simple hatred and ego had to be at the root of things. Why?

I would ask them to step back just a few years to when Reagan was President. Consider a lone gunman, John Hinckley, who squeezes off at least three shots before being subdued, wounding Reagan, Brady and a secret service agent in the process. His motive? He wanted to get the attention of a girl, of the actress, Jodie Foster. The shallowest of motives, nothing more. So why is it that we can accept Hinckley's dementia without crying conspiracy but have such difficulty when it comes to Oswald? Quite simply Reagan survived. I believe that, had Reagan died, the nation would have erupted into the same conspiracy craze that has gripped our minds since 1963.

"The Death of a President," so well researched, so well written, is and should be the first and last word. It's been nearly forty years since Manchester completed his study and, despite all of the other books, all of the other theories, this is really the only work that any serious student of that sad day in Dallas need consider.

Douglas McAllister

I bought this book to help with my transition to a director's position at a nonprofit organization. It contains very useful and concrete ideas, in addition to case studies from different organizational types (i.e., an example of succession in public agency, a non-profit organization, etc.). I would definitely suggest this book for anyone thinking of systematizing succession.

Rothwell's book is one of the more comprehensive and well researched books covering this growing topic. It includes a wealth of information following all of the major steps of the Succession Planning process. The book contains useful worksheets and task process flows that allow a reader to rapidly introduce the core concepts into their organisation. A great resource.

easy to understand and absorb great intro reference

The need for succession planning is reaching crisis proportions, yet few organizations are willing to face the crisis and do something about it.

There's nothing magic here---just a realistic, comprehensvie, flexible approach to get the job done. The strenghts in this book:
- Finding the right devleopmental activity for the right level of management
- Design, gain support, and implement, and maintain your succession process.
- Lots of extras, including assessments and a plan to devleop a mentoring program.

A great value.

Rothwell provides not only an excellent review of the current literature but countless worksheets for practice. If you are interested in succession planning issues this book is a must. I would also recommend "The Leadership Pipeline" by Charan, Drotter, & Noel. And buy a copy of "Strategic Organizational Learning" by Beitler. Beitler has several free articles on his website "[...]" that are also helpful.

Laura Taylor
Baltimore, MD

This is written in a more story-telling way. THe graphics weren't as professional as I had hoped, but overall it was/is still a decent book for Shelling information.

I have purchased many shell books over the years. After finding this book at the public library, I had to have a copy for myself. It is by far the most informative book on Florida and Gulf Coast shells I have run across. If you just like shells, love finding your own, or are just curious about the sea creatures of the region, this is the book for you!

I was completely surprised when this book arrived at the size of it. For the price, I expected a small book, but it's quite large and full of beautiful pictures. My kids are crazy about the beach and we have amassed a large collection of shells over the years, so it was a lot of fun identifying the ones that we already had. We also took it on our last trip to the beach, which made shell collecting a lot of fun! This is also a very beautiful book even if you aren't going to the beach. If you are a beach goer or a beach lover (or both) you should pick this book up!

This great book is packed with trivia, great photos, humor and education. The kids in our family love looking at the pictures and I love the color photos identifying not only many of Florida's seashells but also other mysterious matter that you may happen to find on the beach. I've read it over and over and still find something new each time I read it. There's a section on cleaning shells, how shells reproduce (this is mind-blowing!). What is so interesting is many shells are shown with their inhabitants inside so you now know exactly what kind of animal made that beautiful shell you now have in your hand. The book covers areas in Florida such as the famous Sanibel, as well as other beaches on the West Coast, the Keys and South Florida. You'll discover which shell is worth thousands of dollars, which lump of stuff found on the beach is more valuable than gold and so much more. I've ordered extra books for my nieces and nephews because it is so rich in knowledge.

This book has beautiful full color photos of seashells which can be
found in the state of Florida. The descriptions of the shells are
excellent and if you are a collector, you will gain a lot of knowledge
from reading this book. Whether you are a native of Florida or a snowbird,
you will start to recognize the pictured shells as you explore the sandy
beaches on your own. A very enjoyable book for anyone interested in sea-
shells.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fantastic and simple recipes cooked in a healthy way. The ingredients used are easy to find and I had absolutely no problems to follow the recipes. I would recommend it to everyone who's trying keep or learn a healthy style of cooking.

I was in a bookstore few days ago, checking cookbooks when I see this handsome youngman asking a store worker about some book. I couldn`t help to hide noticing his reaction when he found out the book he was looking for in the bottom shelf of the cookbook section. He got very excited and even screamed some words I didn`t understand. I than asked him what was all about? He apologized and replyed that the book in question was written by him and that he was so proud and happy he couldn`t contain himself. I tougth that was very sweet. He was so charming and sincere about the book that I was convinced to buy it. It turned out to be a great decision. I loved the simplicity of the recipes and the way he uses vegetables, herbs, and all the other healthy ingredients. I was happyly surprised to find out that no red meat, flours or canned products are used in any of the recipes. I was also surprised the youngman is not that young, he is in his forties!!! Must be the food. Bravo!!! It is a wonderful book!!!

I was in a bookstore few days ago, checking cookbooks when I see this handsome youngman asking a store worker about some book. I couldn`t help to hide noticing his reaction when he found out the book he was looking for in the bottom shelf of the cookbook section. He got very excited and even screamed some words I didn`t understand. I than asked him what was all about? He apologized and replyed that the book in question was written by him and that he was so proud and happy he couldn`t contain himself. I tougth that was very sweet. He was so charming and sincere about the book that I was convinced to buy it. It turned out to be a great decision. I loved the simplicity of the recipes and the way he uses vegetables, herbs, and all the other healthy ingredients. I was happyly surprised to find out that no red meat, flours or canned products are used in any of the recipes. I was also surprised the youngman is not that young, he is in his forties!!! Must be the food. Bravo!!! It is a wonderful book!!!

I shop for books online very oftenly and use the customer and editorial reviews to help me to get decided about a book I'm interested on. Some of these reviews are too critical, while others are too favorable, so I analyze each review as only half truth. The Editorial Review of THE HEALTHY TABLE fails its purpose which should be to tell us what is good or bad about this book. The problem here is that it suggests that the book is too simple and straigth forward like it is a bad thing - or yet -that the book doesn't offer any culinary innovation for the health conscious,like to show another revolucionary diet is or would be the best news in the world since the invention of the wheel. After reading the book I found out that its greatest quality is exactly to be so simple and straigth forward. There are some problems however, the price is too high for a two colors book, the photos also are poor, I believe they try to show an "atmosphere" but the idea doesn't convince and the people photographed don't show they want to be there, perhaps if the food was showed more, the results were better. Finnaly, I found out that the book is very helpful, the recipes are healthy, creative, uncomplicated and above all, "simple".

Luiz Ratto has created a culinary adventure for people who are conscious of their health. Evocative of the cuisine in five-star restaurants, these recipes are culled from years of experience and cooking wisdom. The flavors are exotic, the aromas pungent, and the photography enchanting.

This 175-page book is photographed in black and white, and is dedicated to "cooks everywhere." The book features an Introduction, Cooking Tips (including Techniques, Ingredients, and Equipment), and a listing of Basic Recipes. The Recipes themselves are grouped by course: Appetizers, Soups, Salads and Grains, Vegetables, Fish Shellfish and Poulty, Weekend Recipes, and Desserts.

Each recipe features a short paragraph of introduction (for example, where the recipe came from and presentation tips). There is a list of ingredients, followed by paragraph-form instructions on how to prepare the dish. All of the instructions are simple and easy to follow.

However, I was surprised to discover that nutritional information is completely absent. Also, pictures are only provided for some of the recipes. If you are unfamiliar with some of the ingredients, or with the expected textures, you may struggle.

The recipes are unique and inventive. Examples include: Green Grape Salsa, Chicken Roll-Ups (prepared with spinach and plum tomatoes), Doce De Coco (Coconut Cookies). The ingredients used vary by recipe - some are readily on-hand and others are exotic (for example, wonton skins or portobello mushrooms).

Very good review book for Step 1 neuroanatomy section - since this is very high yield. Cover all you need to know to tackle this field on exam. Covers more than FA but is not as exhausting as Kaplan notes.

First Aid is money for most subjects, but it's weak on neuro. This book is a very good balance between too little and too much for this overwhelming subject. The High Yield series keeps improving in quality, and in the newest edition is even better at showing clinical scenarios and integrating other subjects like pathology or physiology (I used an older version and it's still pretty good, though).

I would like to say this is great for course work, but at least at my school they tended to test on obscure minituae hard to find anywhere.

This is all you should need for Step, which does feature a decent dose of neuro (about 10, more like 20 questions). It's also very good at developing as essential foundation of knowledge applicable for future use, which sometimes gets lost when scrambling to cram for course exams.

My big qualm is the pricing. It's a thin book, not a main text. Use the library, borrow it from a friend, split the cost, etc. High Yield makes a nice line of books but they need to trim prices for medical students.

Getting confused with studying anatomy of the brain? This is a book for you! It is far better than dozen of other neuroanatomy books! It gives you a lot of details and it's easy to read, too! I'm studying for the USMLE step 1 exam and I will keep it handy all the time!

The USMLE has become increasingly focused on neuro over the past few years, and First Aid has become more and more inadequate with respect to neuro. This book is a great way to prepare for the neuro questions on Step 1. It's a slender book and is thus a very quick read --- heck, I'm a slow reader and finished it in 2.5 days. At the beginning of the book are several images of brain sections, with arrows pointing to the most important structures. The book also has radiologic images (MRA, MRI, CT) which were very helpful for me when I took Step 1 --- actually, I remember having 3 distinct questions with an accompanying MRA image. The book does a good job of explaining the basic function/organization of the different parts of the brain in a concise manner. There were a few sections that I thought were a little too detailed for Step 1 --- especially the cerebellum section. Overall, though, it's a wonderful book and it will help you to nail the neuro questions on the USMLE.

This is an excellent book and it's really all you need to prepare for your step 1. I used this book and answered every single question on neuro correctly.