Personal Pages Books

Excellent and interesting, not stuffy at all. Easy to follow with practice lessons at the end of every chapter. Good essential information for the beginner investor, not just for online traders. Covers the "how-to's" of analyzing stocks and mutual funds to add to your portfolio put in easy to understand and fun terms. By: Ellen Hochman

This is a very detailed book which covers all aspects on online investing. Most people can skip chapter 1 which shows basic Internet browsing and navigation. The rest of the book shows web pages you can look at. I like this book because the authors highlight and explain the different parts of each of the web pages. At 400 pages, this book is short enough so that you won't get bored and long enough that the author just don't explain a concept in a sentence or a paragraph. The authors give enough detail so that you can understand and profit.

"Teach Yourself Investing Online", by Thomas S. Gray and Claire Mencke, is the ideal book for online investors, both novices and old-timers. The information is easy to understand, easy to read, and very interactive. There are sites to visit, quizzes and worksheets to fill out, and pages and pages of screenshots and sidebars and intriguing reading. This book can be used for quick reference or for straight-forward research. Very up-to-date and needed in this fast-paced Internet world, with online catalogs and stock trading sites, this book is your manual to succeed in this day in age. The book covers such subjects as stock quotes to saving for your child's college fund to shopping online. I was clueless and, frankly, frightened of the stock market and Internet investments before I peeked at these pages -- now I'm hooked, making extra money, and learning how to budget my finances. This book is for young and old investors alike, and it's easy to follow, with clear language and straight-forward visuals. It was obvious to me that these authors know what they're talking about. A must! If you think you could never make it in this busy online investing economy, you need this book! If you think you know all there is to know, you need this book! Finally, I read something I needed so much!

This book was very good back in the "buy and hold years" of 1998-2001. It's still a good read and very enjoyable.

These days, in my opinion, a trader needs more practical and up to date strategies especially if he wants to start day trading online on a regular basis.

Stock trading is all about making buy and sell decisions. When you make a trade either your going to lose money or your going to make money, and some other times you will break even. When you win some body else will lose and so forth, but that's NOT what's important.

The most important aspect of day trading is the "know-how" strategies you employ to make your buy & sell decisions. There are many "surefire" systems outhere, but you need to test them in order to discover which ones help you the most. That's part of your homework as an online stock trader. Test, test and test again.

Complicated systems that rely on a truck load of technical analysis indicators can make you slow, and being slow in this game can be as dangerous as not knowing what to do in the first place.

I think the worst thing that can happen to a beginner trader is to get information OVERLOAD. It's better to go step by step, and test a simple trading system that can show you how to focus on concrete ways to profit day in and day out.

Fortunatly there are some good sites on the web today that can show you how to trade in a practical and effective way. One of those sites is Smart Day Trading (SmartDayTrading com)

In the end, day trading is all about buying and selling according to your knowledge FILTER. Once you master and follow youre proven filter parameters like a clock, you can expect to start making serious amounts of cash on a consistent basis.

This book was written by a union soldier from a Michigan unit, as the subtitle indicates. He wrote this as a "Defense of Major Henry Wirz." Unlike many of the books written about incarceration in southern POW camps, this soldier was rather positive in terms of the treatment he received by Confederate soldiers during his inprisonment at Belle Isle and Andersonville. He had several personal interviews with Major Wirz, the Commandant of Andersonville prison, petitioning for better conditions for his fellow prisoners. He claims that the Major was as gracious to his requests as the limited supplies of the Confederacy would allow, considering the Union blockade of all supplies including medical. He also includes some information in what appears to be transcripts and letters relevant to Major Wirtz's trial that led to his hanging, which are quite revealing in terms of Secretary of War Stanton's, vendetta against Jefferson Davis and other prominant leaders of the defeated South.

James Madison Page was my husband's great grandfather and we own a copy of the original edition. Mr. Page went on to be a Montana pioneer and surveyor. The book was very controversial when it was published, but to his dying day Mr. page stood by what he had written. It is quite a contrast to the generally accepted view of Andersonville Prison. Possibly, the prison conditions were not uniform at all times or in all places of the prison. The rather antiquated, but clear, prose alone is reason to read the book and get a taste of the past.

Lt. James Madison Page was captured by Confederate forces in 1863 and eventually was shipped to Andersonville Prison. There he observed Major Henry Wirz firsthand as well as life in this famous Confederate prison for Union prisoners of war. After the war, Major Wirz was tried by military tribunal, found guilty of "war crimes" and hanged. Forty years later, in 1908, Page wrote his memoir to tell "the true story of Andersonville," which was quite different from the popular view, namely, that Wirz and those in his command were deliberately cruel to their captives. Page explains how the prison was designed to hold, at most, 10,000 prisoners at any one time, and then only temporarily while awaiting prisoner exchange. When the exchange was stopped, the prison population quickly swelled to 30,000 prisoners, overwhelming the South's ability to feed, clothe and house the Andersonville prisoners. Although the North advanced many self-serving reasons for stopping the exchange, the real truth was later admitted by Ulysses S Grant in his memoirs, i.e., that the Union POWs were expendable, and that exchanging them for Rebel soldiers would prolong the war by reinforcing the Confederate army. This was a legitimate and understandable strategy of war, one that undoubtedly brought the war to a faster close. In 1865, however, it would have been political suicide to tell the truth to grieving families, that their sons and husbands and fathers were not exchanged because they were considered expendable. The story as Page saw it, was that Wirz was made a scapegoat to appease the wrath of the Northern people over the Andersonville dead (13,000 POWs died out of 45,000 prisoners due to disease and diet).

Page tells how many Northern myths about Andersonville simply aren't true, e.g., that the Confederate guards would get a 30 day furlough as a reward for shooting a prisoner, or that the reason the prisoner exchange between North and South was stopped was because of the North's protest against the South's refusal to exchange black Union POWs -- the truth was that blacks were a miniscule number of Union POWs and the exchange was stopped before there were any black POWs.

Page describes the trial and the accusations against Wirz, and refutes them convincingly. The trial, as described by Page who was there, was a sham. The prosecution could call any witnesses it wanted, but the defense could only call witnesses approved in advance by the prosecution! The prosecution's key witness was a perjurer who claimed to be former Union POW "Felix de la Baume," but was actually a deserter from the 7th NY infantry named Felix Oeser who was paid off for his false testimony with a job in the Dept of the Interior. Oeser had never even been to Andersonville.

James Madison Page's book closely jives with Confederate sources, like the memoir of Confederate guards and officers, who say the same things. Page ends his narrative with "I am just as committed to the preservation of the Union today as I was in 1861, but after forty years we can at least afford to tell the truth." This book wasn't popular in 1908 nor will it be popular in 2001 with those who don't want to hear it.

I gave this book a 5-star rating only because I have to take into account the writer's opinion at the time. I agree that the trial of Henry Wirz was deplorable, however, the writer's account of his stay at Andersonville is questionable. Perhaps he was one of the "chosen few" that did receive special treatment. This I am assured of based on his writings alone. I liked this book because it gave a different perspective of life as a POW in the Civil War. I would highly recommend you read the book but would also recommend you read "Sarah Morgan: The Civil War Diary of a Southern Woman", along with "Mary Chestnutt". There are quite a few discrepancies as to how the Northern prisoners were treated. After reading this book and those mentioned, it leaves us to draw our own conclusions as to fact or fiction.

The Essential J.R.R. Tolkien Sourcebook by George Beahm is a superbly presented, fan-centered guide to the fantasy world of Middle Earth, a magical land originally envisioned by celebrated author J.R.R. Tolkien in his famous trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" and his other thematically related writings. Featuring information about Lord of the Rings merchandise and collectibles, books about Tolkien, computer software, Tolkien-themed websites, and other online Tolkien related resources, The Essential J.R.R. Tolkien Sourcebook is highly recommended (indeed, an essential reference) for anyone seriously interested in learning more about the fan-culture surrounding this epic and enduringly popular literary saga.

George Beahm's love for Tolkien's work shines through every page of The Essential J.R.R. Tolkien Sourcebook.

Beahm starts with the Lord of the Rings books themselves and their various editions, from "the most elegant edition" to "the cleverest packaging." From there he branches out to chronicle related works by Tolkien and about Tolkien and LotR, and of course he examines the visual adaptations. He is both reverent and critical. He has harsh words, for instance, for the "full-screen" version of The Fellowship of the Ring, which is "severely cropped to fit the conventional television screen," and warns that the binding of one lavish edition "will not hold up after repeated readings." Audio adaptations, printed products, book- and movie-related collectibles, ring replicas, games and miniatures, websites...these and more fall under Beahm's Sauron-like all-seeing eye.

Then there's Chapter 11, my favorite, that delves into Tolkien-inspired art. Illustrations by Colleen Doran, Tim Kirk, David Wenzel, Steve Hickman, and Donato Giancola enhance an informative chapter on Tolkien artists from the Hildebrandts to Michael Whelan. Doran contributes a number of lovely and delicate full-page illustrations to the book and also provides spot art and illustrated chapter headings, elegant touches that give evidence to Beahm's genuine love for the subject matter.

For fans of Middle Earth, George Beahm's The Essential J.R.R. Tolkien Sourcebook is just that...essential.

George Beahm's new book takes a long overdue look at the world of JRR Tolkien: not the world of Middle Earth itself, but rather the extraordinary industry which has grown up around the writer's creation. Upon perusing this book the Tolkien fan, both expert and novice, will find a wealth of information regarding just how much is available to them. Beahm provides clear and concise reviews of all manner of Tolkien books, art, games, DVDs, collectibles and merchandise; and provides details of various rare editions which the true fan may want to track down.

All this is backed up with in-depth interviews with the best of the Tolkien artists, including Michael Whelan, Tim Kirk and Colleen Doran. Indeed, Doran provides a host of new drawings especially for this book - and magnificent they are too!

For the Tolkien fan wondering where to go next, this book is a must.

The recipient looks forward to receiving the calendar every year for Christmas for the daily inspirations throughout the new year.

It's the second year I ordered this wonderful calender, because the messages,spiritual and practical insights every day another one are absolutly amazing,funny, helpful and deeply inspiring ! I can absolutly recommend this day-to-day calender to every woman who is looking for a little mood-lifting message whenever needed..Enjoy it !
Eva from Belgium

I try to live by the comments on the pages. They help me in my daily life!

This is an excellent book. There is so much stress and chaos in the world now and this book helps you understand why. It also offers helpful suggestions to get you through this major time of change in our world's development.

Hannah Beaconsfield

This is a book that can help people who are lost in the storm of life, confused by the illusions that trick us into believing that the difficulties of the world are insurmountable.

Two members of my household have found this book an irreplaceable boon of wisdom and common sense, a transfusion of optimisim that safeguards life when all else fails.

One does not need to worry about anything when the bigger picture is realized - and this book helps open the reader up to this inner realization.

I give it six stars.

Walter

Psychologist, attorney, and philosopher Faith Lynella presents How to Survive a Spiritual Hangover: A Practical Guide to Holding Steady in a Wobbly World, a guide to enriching one's own wisdom, creativity, and spiritual growth. Chapters address how to become aware of and disengage from mindless habits; the power of "high-vibration energy"; how to kindle energy within oneself; reexamining one's connections to people and daily obligations; the importance of contributing to community building; and much more. "Enjoyment and a good attitude are opposites. Who could be sincere about a counterfeit reward? The more things you have a good attitude about, the more things you really don't get to enjoy. So, don't be so proud of having a good attitude - it's not the right answer. It is partly right (bad attitude is also not the right answer), but it's simply not enough." Highly recommended for emotional and spiritual self-help shelves.

A heartfelt memoir. Thank you to the Author. The book provides an honest and hopeful journey through the highs and lows of being diagnosed with cancer.

I couldn't put this book down until I was finished. I found myself laughing and crying and identifying with so many of the same feelings the author had. This book is sure to be a great source of encouragement and inspiration to patients as well as to their family and friends. It was also interesting to read about treatment at a major research facility (Michigan) and to "meet" some of the people who develop new treatments.

If this were fiction, it would be an excellent story. The fact that it's true makes it all the more compelling. If your life has ever been touched by cancer in any way, you will laugh and cry through this book and find a great deal of support and encouragement. This is one of the best memoirs I have read.

Even after countless movies and documentaries, nothing has personally ever made me direct as much attention to the tragedy of the holocaust than these young writers' words written in ghettos and in hiding places. Their optimism is heartbreaking when you learn of their fates, you see their struggles with hunger, fear of an uncertain future, their grief over losing loved ones and identity. But you also recognize their strength in troubled times and end up appreciating their courage to write, because you know it is essential that they should be known.

This collection provides 14 generous excerpts from journals of young people during the Shoah; the earliest diaries are from adolescents who got out before or just as things were getting bad, but as we go further on, the diaries get more intense in scope, moving from adolescents who weren't quite sure what was to come, to people who had some inkling but weren't quite sure the rumors were true, to finally young people in ghettos, young people who therefore knew how bad things were, although they didn't yet know what their final grisly fate was to be. Before each excerpt we also get a generous introduction to the author, his or her surroundings, what generally happened to the Jews of that particular city or town, and the diarist's final fate. Some of these young people survived, others perished, and still others' fates are unknown, though they are presumed to have perished. There's also an appendix detailing a number of other young diarists from the Shoah, some information on them, their fates, whether the diary is in a private collection, a museum, if it's been translated into English, or was published for the general public whatever language it's in. A lot of these young diarists were very literate and intelligent astute young people; it's incredibly sad how some of them died so young and therefore didn't get a chance to possibly become great writers. My only small complaint is that Poland is a little overrepresented; while it's true that at least half of the murdered came from Poland and that Poland was the nation that lost the greatest percentage of its prewar Jewish population by far, it would have been nice to have some variety in the locations, like maybe include more diaries from Germany, France, and Belgium, or ones from Holland, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, and Greece, for example.

i highly recommend this book. it is not only for those with historical interests. the diaries are so moving that this book will appeal to all. the writing is very vivid and the diarist's voice will stay with you for some time. zapruder has done an impecable job of introducing each entry. she sets the scene with such biographical and cultural detail that you feel at one with diarist before delving in. i was really moved by this book and encourage all to read it.

I've been using TurboTax to file my taxes for years. I input my numbers, answers the questions, and blindly submit my taxes, not really understanding what I was doing.

The "Taxes Made Simple" book has help me understand the basics of income taxes quickly and easily. I found the sections on common deductions and IRAs very helpful. It's perfect for someone who would like to know more about taxes are and how to better prepare for the years ahead.

This book is a great read for anyone interested in how taxes actually work. Just enough detail for it all to make sense, but not overwhelming at all. Highly recommended!

I found this book to be great. It is very easy to read and is a perfect introduction for learning how to do your own taxes. Mike Piper does an excellent job of demystifying complex tax sections and he presents them in an enjoyable and easy to understand way. Highly recommended!

This is a must read to understand how the different cultures in the middle east think. It is a human drama of survival against all odds in a hostile environment. After reading it you have more insight into what is happening now in the middle east than by reading any newpaper or watching TV news.

This is an incredible story of the Armenian genocide. It is an eyewitness account of the horrors of the Armenian genocide of the 20th Century. But, beyond the horrors of the atrocities, what is most amazing about this story is the strength of the human spirit and of a family trying desperately to stay alive.

The Armenian holocost was the first of the horrendous genocides of the 20th century. The author then aged 15 writes a personal memoir of his families deportation in 1915 from Turkey to Jaresh, Jordan where they lived until the allied victory in 1918.

The book is the story of an upper middle class Armenian family living in eastern Turkey whose life is turned upside down when the government of Turkey embarks upon a diabolical plan to rid Turkey of all Armenians. It traces them going through the shock and travail of leaving their old life behind to become penniless refugees in a foreign land.

It is unfortunately a not too uncommon story for the 20th century but because it is written from the vantage of a 15 year old living through these events, it is unique and very compeling.

The book was originally published in Armenian in 1945 and this is the english translation which is being offered to the readers since the renewal of interest in genocide studies in the last few years of the 20th century.

I would be a complete mess without this. It is as though the author read my mind. Thank you! Thank you!

As a 10-year breast cancer survivor, I vividly recall my days between diagnosis and treatment. I bought and read almost every book on breast cancer. . . some written by physicians; others written by survivors. They all contained sound information and advice, but not one of them answered all my questions. More importantly, they didn't help me feel confident enough to make the tough decisions the doctors were placing in my hands. I wish there had been a book such as this one ten years ago.....it would have saved me so much anguish. Anyone facing breast cancer today can find all the information they need in this book. What a wonderful gift for the women of the world.