California Books

... No psycho-drama authorship trying to turn historical facts into "entertaining history". This book takes the documented history of the Vietnam air war, thoughtfully analyzes the data, and presents rational conclusions that can be used as lessons for the future. This is "intelligent history" at its best. Well-done!

This book is an excellent account of the "corporate" deficiencies of the USAF in the late 60's and early 70's. The deficiencies of the air-to-air missiles in the Vietnam war are strikingly similar to the deficiencies of the torpedos in the USN in the first two years of WWII. Equally striking was the smug attitude of the service about the superiority of US aircraft ("The F-86 had a 13:1 kill ratio over the MiG-15. Who cares that they slaughtered the F-84s?") and the poor pilot training that occurred for both USAF and USN F-4 drivers. The MiG-21 was indeed a nasty surprise. With a higher thrust-to-weight ratio and a lower wing loading, it could both out-accelerate and out-turn F-105s and F-4s. The only American advantage was a higher clean top speed, and external ordinance stores and fuel tanks often abrogated this. The MiG-21 had poor visibility, and a short range, but was an excellent point defense interceptor that transitioned well from bomber defense to dog fighting. (As an aside to the book, with modern electronics, the MiG-21/Lancer and MiG-21/2000 are excellent low-cost fighters today, but each air-air missile will cost you as much as the airframe!) The book details both the combat adaptations that worked (jamming pods, IFF interrogators) and the effective efforts of the USN and criminal negligence of the USAF (and I write as an ex-USAF officer) to improve dog fighting capabilities between the end of Rolling Thunder in 1968 and Linebacker I/II in 1972. The Navy instituted the Top Gun school and made effective modifications to the AIM-9 Sidewinder - the Air Force made a couple of ineffective changes to the AIM-9 and some moderately good ones to the AIM-7, though much of the better performance of the latter during Linebacker was due to higher engagement altitudes resulting from the use of laser guided bombs for the strike packages. He does make the point in the end that the USAF attitude improved after Vietnam when the junior officers of that war increased in seniority and that the introduction of AWACS and trading top speed for maneuverability and visibility in the new generation of fighters cured many of the deficiencies seen in the Vietnam war. A minor objection is that the book does not refer to officers below general rank by name.

This is simply the best book on the air war over thenorth. Here you found both technichal datas, doctrinal debate and combat history. Michel style is dry, he ocnentrates on fact rayther than personal memoir or oral history, but reading this book you will have the best picture of the actal missions over the North Vietnam. Tha autohrs follow the history of the air war both from US and DRV perspective comparing airacraft, weapons and doctrines. The book is full of detial form the advantages and disavanteges of the various aricrafts to the dreaded flight four USAF formation. He actually dispel some myths (especially adressoing the real effectiveness of the SAM defense). If you are interested in air war this book is a must.

Clashes deals with the air war over North Vietnam, something I've had a fascination with for some time. Why, because I wanted to understand why servicemen were put into a dangerous position and what did really happen. To help answer this, Col. Michel takes on the entire air war over North Vietnam (Rolling Thunder, Linebacker I, and Linebacker II). Rather than looking at it from the cockpit view (ala Thud Ridge: F-105 Thunderchief missions over Vietnam or When Thunder Rolled), Col. Michel takes us up to the operations level and provides a good high level breakdown of many of the raids and the engagements between fighters and the North Vietnamese air defenses. The book is divided into two parts (Rolling Thunder and Linebacker) with subsections focusing on different components (both parts use equipment used, early engagements, later engagements, and summary). In each of subsection, Col. Michel does a very good job describing what is occurring and what the Americans and North Vietnamese are doing. In addition to describing engagements, Col. Michel does a great job describing the involvement of EC-121's (College Eye/Disco) and Red Crown (a naval ship controlling the fighters) and their impact on the fight. Unlike other history's, Clashes does not name the pilots involved, rather their radio call signs are used.

Parts I Loved:
Clashes gives us much information about the aircraft involved, the abilities of the men flying them (their training and tactics), and the environment they're fighting in. I loved the drawings, they do an excellent job showing the differences between a fluid four and a loose deuce. I also loved Col. Michel including the technical aspects; performance test of captured MiG's, the Command and Control aspect (often overlooked), and the power and effect of jamming.

Parts I Wish Were a Little Stronger:
Iron Hand missions were a little on the weak side. I have a love and fondness for Wild Weasels and wish that more had been brought out about their support of the missions and how they operated (I'm sorry, this was weak in comparison to the attention paid to Chaff bombers). I also wish more had been brought out about rescue missions and the work they did there.

Bottom Line
Rating wise, this is a very solid 4.5 star book. I am giving it the node to 5 for Amazon purposes, but for my personal rating I can't rate it up there with Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific by Eric Bergerud (I'm sorry, Fire in the Sky is my personal favorite or telling the story of an air war. Clashes though is right behind it!). I understand why Col. Michel focused heavily on the air-to-air engagements and for the insight he provides there this a solid 5 star book. No matter, if you want to know about the Vietnam Air War (mainly in Pack's 5 and 6), then this is the book for you.

"Clashes:Air Combat over North Vietnam 1965-1972" is the best book I have ever read on aerial combat over North Vietnam and one of the best books I have read on aerial combat in general. It provides an excellent analysis of what went right and what went wrong in the skies over North Vietnam. I was truly amazed to read how often the air to air missiles, especialliy the AIM-7 Sparrow, malfunctioned. For anyone interested in aerial combat, this excellent book is a must!

This collection is great. pictures of all the dishes, full recipes, as well as good tips while cooking.

The books arrived in excellent condition, they are high quality books. The other reviewer mentioned the quality of the paper isn't high, I disagree, I think it's great. I bought this book for my wife. She is from Hong Kong and already cooks amazing chinese food (her father is head chef at an LA Chinese restaurant). She's now venturing into french food and has made several dishes (more so from Bouchon)

My wife is a former paralegal, now a stay at home mom. She's had no formal training from a cooking school. With that in mind, she can realistically make about 30% of the food from French Laundry and about 50% of Bouchon's recipes. The reason why they are so difficult is that it is tough to find fresh food that is mentioned in the book. You don't find rabbit, frog legs or veal at the local Schnucks or commissary (we're military). Some of the techniques require tools that aren't readily available to regular "non-chef" consumers.

Bouchon - Our favorite has been the flatiron steak and the trout from Bouchon. My wife said it was fairly simple to make. Very little prep time. The french fries came out delicious and they too were easy to make.

French Laundry - The salmon tartare came out nice. Again, the directions were easy to follow. The rest of the dishes in this book however are much more involved. The book itself has great pictures had great write-ups on certain techniques.

While the books were expensive (We normally get $5 cookbooks from the bargain bin), they are well worth it. I am one lucky man . ..

Beautiful coffee table book. Limited is use for an amateur, or even a serious amateur. But it's fun to read and the photography is stunning.

So much more than just cookbooks! It's very visual, makes you excited about cooking and partaking. Emphasizes simple flavors of food, don't complicate what can easily achieve perfection on its own.

The Complete Keller is completely wonderful. Beautifully written and photographed, these books are a wonderful escape to Keller-world.

Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family"by Yoshiko Uchida deals with a Japanese-American family who were sent to concentration camp during World War II as Japanese-Americans at that time were considered to be potential "spies" for the Japanese government. Uchida started off with introduction to her family, of how her parents met, and how California became their home. Even though she was raised with Japanese values and ideals, she was at the same time an American who can barely speaks Japanese. Her world was turned upside down when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Japanese-Americans were sent to concentration camp for fear that they could endanger the national security. This violates their Constitutional rights but there were no public support for their fellow citizens. It was indeed racist of the government as German-Americans were not sent to any concentration camps even though the United States was fighting Germany. The Japanese-Americans had to swallow their pride and dignity and were moved to barracks that were bare and ill-equipped. They were placed behind the fence, guarded by MPs and basically were treated as prisoners. Uchida's vivid descriptions of their living conditions were both horrifying and shocking.

"Desert Exile" was used by my professor for a History of American West class. This is truly an eye-opener as most Americans are unaware of their fellow citizens' ordeal and treatment. The Japanese-American loss was immeasurable. Not only did they lose financially (from selling their homes hastily), they lost touch with friends and relatives, lost their pride and lost confidence in their government. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the ordeal of the Japanese-Americans during World War II. It is extremely well-written, eloquent and easy to understand.

I had to read a memoir for my 8th grade English class. This book was about Yoshiko Uchida's Japanese American family, who were put in camps during World War II. I chose this book because I was very interested in the war, which put over 8,000 Japanese American people into old race tracks and deserts. Yoshiko was placed in two different camps, one in Northern California and the other Utah, both the same: over stuffed with people and nowhere to cry.

Even though she suffered a lot while in the camps, Yoshiko learned that all the things in life, are worth living. She was a student, about to graduate from UC Berkeley, when they were taken off and disconnected from the "American's". They were stuck in the camps for a whole year, with no where to cry without someone seeing you.

This book gave too much background before the war, but when the war hit, the book got much more interesting and exciting.

Lori Sue
Northern California

"Desert Exile" is a wonderful book that is easy to read, yet totally enjoyable. A perfect book for a family to share together and talk about.

I was very interested in finding a book that wasn't just dry history. I wasn't born in this time period of World War II, so I was really eager to find a book relating to this topic. Possibly learning about someone who lived through this time period, something a little like Ann Frank's Diary.

My initial thoughts were, this book would be interesting learning about history without any government interference with the conditions of the camps. In fifth grade I made friends with my best friend who had just moved from Japan and her family was getting aquainted with the United States. I interviewed her mom on how she was liking America and the one resp9onse that really stuck out was, I have so much Freedom.

In the Book I realized that many Japanese Families experienced Racism from many nationalities. Children were taken out of school and from colleges. For a few years the students that were attending Universities were no longer able to graduate with their friends.

Having a friend from Japan gave me an extra push to read the book. To my surprise, I couldn't believe that families were living in horse stalls and that people did not have proper barials if they did die while in the camp.

The beginning of the book started off with how this Japanses-American Family pushed their way through life in America and tells us about their family success. At the end of the book I found that some of these Japanese American Families were actually more patriotic than many American families.

Ms. Uchida chronicles a personal account of a dark day in American history during WWII, when thousands of American citizens were herded into unspeakable conditions, purely on the basis of their race and ancestry.

The book is well written, portraying the bi-cultural life she led and the incarceration she, her family and thousands like her were forced into under the guise of well-sounding euphemisms. Her story must be read by all who need to know that part of American history and the desire to see that no such evil ever gets repeated.

Richard Sparks' "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" is a wonderful read. It reaches out to the reader on so many levels.

It's the quest of a dedicated amateur poker player to win his way in to the World Series of Poker through a combination of online satellite tournaments and satellites held in brick and mortar casinos. Richard Sparks is an extremely witty man and a great teller of tales, and along the way he interviews everyone from legends of the game such as Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker, and Sammy Farha, to unknown players who are hoping for glory after winning their way into the World Series of Poker through an online satellite.

I'm not sure there's another writer out there who could combine his quest for winning a seat in poker's richest event with the make and model number banjo played by Earl Scruggs, classic Monte Python sketches, and a few quotes that William Shakespeare might have authored, had the bard been born a few centuries later, instead of in his own, unfortunate time, before poker was invented. Not only does he combine all this irreverence, but somehow it works in masterstrokes of wit and wordsmithing.

Sparks also tells the story of how online poker came to prominence and how it led to the incredible growth in tournament poker in general and the World Series of Poker in particular. After all, at the turn of the century, the World Series of Poker was happy to have slightly more than 300 entrants pony up $10,000 each to play in its main event. In 2006, nearly 8,000 played, a number no one would have dared to imagine just a few short years ago.

He delves deeply into the legal status of online poker, as well as its safety. So just while you're having fun with Sparks' madcap romp through poker's highly textured landscape, you find yourself on a knowledgeable ride through the underpinnings of contemporary poker.

There's even some good poker advice tucked into its pages. Though it's not an instructional book by any means, the advice that bubbles up to the surface is sound and solid.

There's actually nothing about "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" not to like. It's authoritative, informative, insightful, wildly funny, incredibly witty, and a book you can go back to time and again. If Richard Sparks represents everyman in his quest to play at the WSOP, this is everyman at his best, and funniest. I highly recommend it.

"Diary" is terrific for learning the inside game of poker and laughing. There are very entertaining characters behind those reflector glasses and grain feed caps. I discovered important plays and strategies while enjoying the author's Monty Python-esque humor. Finally, my knowledge of "tells" has exceeded waiting for a gasp, heave or howl. I don't think amateurs or experts will be disappointed.

This is a sad poker book. (I have not read the Stu Ungar bio which must be even more poignant.) He gives a lot of the gritty details of his poker play. Don't get me wrong: the tone isn't sad, but the game play is.

In fact, he admits he never does very well at the tables, and I can't tell if that's due to bad beats or his own bad play.

Instead, try the Moneymaker book which at least has an upbeat poker ending or Aces and Kings, about several well-known players.

Or read Positively Fifth Street by James McManus about his adventures in the WSOP Main Event. It's not just upbeat; you can tell he understands the game.

P.S. Sparks has a new book out, Getting Lucky: the Education of a Mad Poker Player. In it, the author admits his game needed help when wrote this book. (As he was coached by Tom McEvoy before he wrote his new book, I'm sure his game has become much better!) For those who think I was too harsh with Mr. Sparks, I did buy his new book.

Great book! Sparks uses each chapter to capture different aspects of poker today. The book is very fast moving and hard to put down. I would definately recc it to anyone interested in either big time or online poker today.

This is an extremely novel book as it is a first hand account of a journalist's obsession with poker and of his online attempts to procure a seat for the 2004 World Series. The narrator, Richard Sparks, spends the first half of the diary talking about the game in general and providing us with accounts of his own efforts to gain a seat. Sparks is a good writer and possesses a creative mind. One would never describe him as boring. Overall, it's an average+ book, although it could have been a better. Sparks pastes in too many conversations from online poker chat boxes, and does not devote enough pages to the 2004 WSOP event itself. There is, however, one section in which Diary transcends, and that is where we are made privy to the transcript of the interview he had with Sammy Farha. It's absolutely excellent. We learn more about the man in those few short pages than we do over the course of all his ESPN human interest moments. There are other titles to buy ahead of this one, but it's still enjoyable.

but very minimal. Not adequate for a serious student of the scriptures. I have tried to look up many Jewish words, both in English transliteration, and in Hebrew, and have been very disappointed.

I would like to find a good Hebrew-English, English-Hebrew dictionary with transliteration. This dictionary is a good start, but that's all it is, a start.

Orthodoxy and rabbinical scholars almost assuredly will be familiar with most of these terms. The authors freely admit that they compiled the terms from their own upbringings - "modern, American, liberal, matriarchal, and from Conservative and Reform backgrounds." Thus, many of the rituals discussed are from that perspective.

For instance, a minyan is a gathering of ten men, the minimum required for a religious service. In this text in this book, the word "people" is substituted for men, but the bottom of the entry explains that traditionally that number only referred to men.

For those who grew up without a Jewish background or for those whose knowledge of general Jewish vocabulary is lax, this is a wonderfully written book. The words are arranged alphabetically. A dictionary of Jewish words could include potentially hundreds, if not thousands of pages, so the authors narrowed down the scope to include words that one might hear in daily life in the USA. The words are drawn from Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, and Ladino. It would be ideal for non-Jews who simply want to figure out some of the words in conversations that their Jewish friends use!

Since all words have to be transliterated, different spellings with Latin letters are cross-referenced to the entry which tells where the definition will be given. This is invaluable since many words in the USA are spelled a variety of ways, such as Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukkah, and Hanukkah.

The definitions are clear and concise. Words used in definitions which are bold-faced are also entries in the dictionary.

What many may find especially helpful is the category lists in the back of the book. For instance, there are lists for objects found in a synagogue, for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, the Jewish calendar, food, Pesach, and many more.

"The Jewish Word Book," by Sidney J. Jacobs, published in 1982, contains more entries. However, I prefer this book by the JPS because the words are explained more in-depth with many examples of words given. Unless one is extremely well-versed in Judaism, this book is very helpful without seeming overwhelming.

This book is not a comprehensive introduction to Judaism, and it won't be of much use to non-Jews. It is essentially a glossary, lists of words in alphabetical order, with short translations, definitions, and explanations. It is an excellent resource for those of us who have forgotten the exact meaning of common ritual terms and prayers, or for those who are just starting to learn and are having trouble remembering which holiday or prayer is which. The index has some handy categories of words: for example, Rosh Hashanah will refer you to the book listings that are associated with that holiday. The book does not have an Orthodox orientation, but will be useful for some Conservative, all Reform, and for
new, Jews.

Updated and revised to add new words, terms and expressions is the handy DICTIONARY OF JEWISH WORDS, an easy A-Z reference defining words from Hebrew and Yiddish and offering a paragraph of definition and examples for each. Any collection strong in Jewish history, culture and language should have this easy reference: its coverage is quite extensive.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

What a delight to have a book that picks up where so many of my deceased relatives left off in my Jewish education. A straight-forward, easy-to-read book that is a valuable resource to every Jewish home, every partially Jewish home or any wanna-be Jewish home!

This is the ultimate book on Disneyland. It's more than a postcard book, it traces the history of the park & combines descriptive text with some of the best pictures you'll ever see of the park as well as the attractions, past & present. I have most every coffee table photograph book on Disneyland that has been released over the years, & this one is definitely the E-Ticket of the bunch. If you have the excellent 'Disneyland: Then, Now & Forever' (also Bruce Gordon), you have a taste of what you will find here.
The 2nd Edition is also the better of the 2 editions, with added material (1st Edition was 1995, 2nd Edition updates to 2000). I would take the 2nd Edition over the 1st Edition if they were both offered at the same price for this reason. This book is out of print... permanently since the unfortunate passing of Bruce Gordon in November 2007, there will not be any future updated editions.
Speaking of price, this book retailed for $75.00 when it was released. With some patience, this book CAN be found for around $150.00-$200.00 despite what you see here. These copies have been sitting for at least a few years at an inflated value. The book itself is spectacular, the fact that anyone would try to sell the book at $300 & up is shameful.

What memories this brings back! Not only are the postcards wonderful, but the narrative is very entertaining - much more than I had hoped for - and the postcards are supplemented with some wonderful photos to fill in some of the gaps. A great way for us (we?) older Disney fans to share our memories of Disneyland with our children (and later grandchildren), too. I know I will get many hours of enjoyment from this book over the years to come. I am so glad I decided it might be worth the price - it's worth many times over! 2007 update - Wow, the price I was referring to was $52.50, not the $189 I see it going for now.

Let me start this review with the following statement: This is the most prized book in my collection. I'll try not to be too biased. It is also the most expensive and one of the hardest to come by. In the Afterwords section of Walt's Time, Bruce explains how The Nickel Tour came to be:

"We talked to every publisher we could find, and heard the same story, word for word. No Commercial Potential. No audience. No Market. No Deal."

They put the book together themselves: Scanned all of the cards, did the layout of every page and had it printed in Italy. They lugged the books to every convention and sold them through mail-order.

"And guess what: we sold every book we printed". --p. 241, Bruce Gordon, Walt's Time - From Before to Beyond

Disneyland, the Nickel Tour is a look at the first 45 years of Disneyland's history seen through the postcards of the park. In addition to Randy Bright's wonderful Disneyland the Inside Story, The Nickel Tour stands as one of the two most comprehensive books about Disneyland's history. Where it edges out Mr. Bright' work is that The Nickel Tour does cover the past 20 years. Unfortunately, Mr. Bright passed away in 1990 and a second edition is not forthcoming. Bruce Gordon, the primary writer of The Nickel Tour, was an Imagineer and started with the Company in 1980. Mr. Gordon co-authored many books about Disney and there are several that will be published posthumously later this year. Mr. Gordon passed away in November 2007. As it stands, the second edition of The Nickel Tour will probably be the last.

The Nickel Tour is an amazing work on so many different levels: the postcard images, the photographs of attractions that weren't released in postcard form, the historical information and the writing. They begin by sharing pre-opening cards and work their way through the history of Disneyland. One of Gordon and Mumford's strengths is that they write well and can take something as simple as post cards and turn it into an epic look at a theme park. The writing never gets technical and is always filled with reverence, love and a little remorse. Occasionally, they slip in some humor. It is always fitting and they obvious love word-play. The following paragraph could have been presented as just a litany of facts, but they went a different way with it.

"On the left hand side of Main Street, we encounter the Sunkist Citrus House. Long before this view was taken, the Citrus House had actually been two separate stores, one housing "Sunny View Jams and Jellies" and the other housing the "Puffin Bake Shop." By October of 1958, Disneyland had canned the jam and jelly shop and opened a candy store in its place. It was a sweet deal until June of 1960, when the Puffin Bake Shop went stale. (It seems they just weren't making enough dough to stay in business.) And even worse, it wasn't long before everyone was beginning to sour on the candy shop next door. So the two shops were joined together, and in a dedication ceremony held with Walt on July 31, they finally became the home of the Sunkist Citrus Shop. Things were calm until 1990, when the time was ripe to spin around in a circle once more - only to find the Sunkist moving out and the Bakery moving back in! Well, that story certainly had a peel. Orange you glad we wasted all this time? Meanwhile, here's the scoop on the Carnation Ice Cream parlor: in 1997 they split from their original parlor and (having lost their Carnation along the way) floated into the home of the bakery. Then, with perfect Disneyland logic, the bakery moved into - the ice cream parlor! If that doesn't get a rise out of you, nothing will!" p. 121

The sense of history that you get from The Nickel Tour, through the postcards and photographs, has not been presented in any other form. Besides being a reference work for postcards, it is almost a wish book--one you can flip open to any page and see a favorite or long-gone attraction and dream about visiting or re-experiencing. The images are stellar and your appreciation of postcards as art and history will grow.

Bottom Line: This work was obviously a labor of love for Gordon and Mumford. It is hard to stress how important this work is in the Disney Literature. Beside being one of two major historical works about Disneyland, you get a feel for how Disneyland evolved, how Walt plussed the park and how the Disney Company moved forward after Walt. It is the most cherished book in my entire collection. If you are lucky enough to find a copy, get it. I know that many people will dismiss this book because it is about Disneyland, but without Disneyland, there would be no Walt Disney World. The history of Disneyland offers a lot of insight into the growth of Walt Disney World as well.

This book is simply amazing!

www.imaginerding.com

I cannot say enough about this handsome, evocative, skilfullywritten book. Just as Disneyland is more than an amusement park, thisis more than a trip through Disneyland's places and times...

I wouldhasten to add that this book does more than to simply transport you tothe park as it is today; it is the best simulation of a time machine,transporting you back to previous incarnations of the park, the waythat they were experienced and enjoyed in the vanished culturallandscape of the 1950s and the 1960s. A lot of those joys are gone --the Rainbow Caverns of the Mine Train, the subatomic journey of InnerSpace -- and this is the best way to see them again.

What Iparticularly enjoy about this book is that the authors clearly sharemy childhood fascination with wondering "how it all worked."You get aerial shots of the park under construction, pictures ofaborted attraction developments, and the stories behind detailsranging from the marching band kiosk to the eucalyptus trees inAdventureland.

Walt would have approved of this magnificentlyconceived and executed journey through Disneyland's past and present.

I've read "The Art of Walt Disney", "Walt Disney Imagineering", "Disneyland:The Inside Story", and several other books about the Magic Kingdom, and this book is by far the most detailed and enjoyable of them all. Every store that's ever had an address on Main Street...every sponsor that's ever had an exhibit in Tommorowland...IT'S ALL HERE. My only complaint is that I wish some of the illustrations were larger so you could take in more detail...but considering that every postcard ever issued by Disneyland is included, in addition to behind-the-scenes photos and concept art, this is an understandable compromise. Absolutely the best book ever printed on Disneyland.

If you are interested in becoming a Druid Revivalist or a member of the AODA this book is a must-read. If you are not sure which path you want to trod, this book will be very helpful in explaining just what exactly it means to be a Druid Revivalist. Remember, if Druid Reconstruction is your cup of tea, then forget about this book. The only reason I give it a 4 instead of a 5 is because the book can be a bit dry at times.

This book was quite useful into explaining, what it means to be a modern 'Druid'.Ross Nichols wrote the book,'The Book of Druidry',some thirty plus years ago.Eventhough Nichols' Druid book was interesting reading,Greer's book is one of the best modern intrepretations of Druidry around today.Greer's book is the best facilitative druid handbook for daily ritual and spiritual practices.In this age of fatalistic attitudes,this book is empowering and enriching for one's soul.When one accepts one's connection to Mother-Nature,then one can live a positive life rather than a self-destructive morose one.This is not a persiflage prattle on Druidism.It's a fresh serious introduction on what a real modern Druid believes,observes,connects and practices during the turning of the Earth's seasons.An excellent start for everyone earnest about being a modern Druid,honoring and sharing the surrounding all-powerful Mother-Nature.

This book is based on the Revival Druidry of the 18th & 19th centuries, including many of Iolo Morganwg's fraudulent inventions & the Albans as holidays (there's not much evidence that any but the Summer solstice were celebrated by the Celts.) Of course, the foreward by Philip Carr-Gomm is written in a way to romanticize Revival Druidry, but he has a clear agenda in doing so (to help sell books.) The author states that "ogham served as a magical alphabet," but this is nonsense. Most frequently, archaeological evidence of ogham writings tend toward mundania; boundary markers, gravestone inscriptions. Although there are some good things in the book, the title should have been "The Revival Druidry Handbook," in which case I wouldn't have purchased it.

Mr. Greer, once again, provides the reader with an in-depth look at Druidry as a way of life and a religion. His information comes from a long history within the path that he writes about. Excellent information, well thought out and well laid out.

The Druidry Handbook is a beginner's text for those interested in finding out more about Druidry (past and present) as well as those individuals who think they might want to become a Druid, either as a solitary or part of an organized study group. This book is divided into three parts.

Part one looks at the history of Druidry. I was quite impressed with this section as the author was not intimidated to discuss the lack of substantial resources about the Druids of ancient times nor did the author shy away from discussing the complexities associated with the Revival Druidry period. I was also pleased that the author looked to the Celtic myths for answers as many scholars tend to ignore these important resources completely.

Part two and three of this book look at specific aspects of Druidry. Part two introduces the reader to basic concepts such as the importance of triads in this belief system. Part three goes into more detail on general Druidic beliefs including a very good explanation of proposed calendar cycles and their associated ceremonies. The author also includes a very well thought out initiate program for those wanting to try on the Druid lifestyle.

My children love these books I didn't know if they would like them because they don't have alot of pictures. They just can't get enough

waited for a month to receive the book.

This book is fabulous.
One of the reasons I like it is because it talked about fires, earthquake and natural disaster. Another reason is because it was near our city! The last reason I liked it is because they lost their city but still had hope. I learned some exellent facts. I learned the fire burned 28,000 buildings! They had half a millon people there. The earthquake was called "The Great Shake". It was one of the biggest earthquakes ever! I would recommend this book for three reasons. The characters are fun. Jack likes the realistic and Annie likes the magic. The second reason is the excitement and learning wonderful facts.
Earthquake in the Early Morning is a excellent book.

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

I like this book because it is interesting.
It keeps you wondering whats going to happen next.
It is also very funny.
So you might want to read this book.

Sharon Souza's debut novel captured me from the first chapter. One thing I loved about this story is that it told of a beautiful, loving relationship between two women modeled on the love between David and Jonathan in the Old Testament. Sometimes even loving the most lovable person in the world isn't easy, and Souza illustrated the blessing of doing just that.

Scenes of self-doubt and frustration that revealed the character of Gabby as a flesh-and-blood woman who wrestles with doing the right thing were beautifully written. The story drove toward an issue that would disturb the seemingly perfect lives of her characters to create the ultimate conflict. I was curious about what that would be and how it would play out, and I was satisfied with the turn the story took.

This story ended up being a love story between friends and illustrated the ultimate love story between God and his people. Well done!

Every Good & Perfect Gift "adeptly portrays the strengths of friendship, and the wonderful but often difficult relationships between mothers and daughters," as the Publisher's Weekly review says.

What the review doesn't mention is how realistic the characters are and how significant the story is. Written in the first person, but as much about another character as the "I," the novel gives unique voices to both women. And makes the reader care for both.

This book is not light weight. It "adeptly" deals with serious issues (not just friendship, though in saying "just" I'm not implying that friendship isn't a worthy topic to explore. Rather, this novel goes beyond that scope and treats something bigger) and "Souza laudably refuses to succumb to a pat ending that neatly ties up all the loose ends." Rather than frustrating, this ending seemed to me like the only one possible.

At one point, the PW review called Every Good & Perfect Gift "poignant." That's a good word to describe the story. "Sad" is inaccurate because the story has more to say than "what happened in the end." Besides, in places, the journey to the end is itself poignant.

At times I was laughing, at other times I wanted to shake one or both characters, but in the end I cried. And cried. If one sign of a successful novel is that it evokes emotion in the reader, then Sharon Souza has written one very successful novel.

Mind you, it is most definitely women's fiction. It is contemporary, and it may touch on some raw edges for some people. But in so doing, it also might help those readers process what is almost an untouchable subject (or subjects) among Christians.

Yes, this book is also overtly Christian, but without any platitudes or pretension. It is simply a moving story, one that touched me even though I am far from the target audience. Good books have a way of doing just that.

I loved Sharon's book. Her prose was fresh and original. She wrote it in first-person point of view, which is my favorite approach. It's challenging to do, and she made it look easy. She wrote with such depth and heart, I have to applaud her! I highly recommend "Every Good and Perfect Gift."

If this debut novel is any indication, readers are in for a treat with this new voice. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even laughed out loud a few times.

When Gabby's friend, DeeDee announces she wants to have a baby, the reader is taken on a journey with the first person story teller as we glimpse the life of a seemingly very real character. We become one with her as she struggles to conceive and then faces even more challenges beyond the birth. We are treated to a story of enduring friendship.

Hysterically funny at times and hammer-on-the-nail true to life, the writer explores a topic that has long been avoided in Christian Fiction. The ordeal and pain of childlessness. Without preaching or without judging, the author takes us inside the heart of very special people.

I highly recommend this book. I can't wait to see what Sharon will produce next!

In her debut novel, Sharon Souza introduces herself as an author of depth, compassion, and faith. Her first book, Every Good and Perfect Gift is a beautiful look at friendship and sacrifice.

Gabby Whitaker and DeeDee McAllister have been best friends since sixth grade. Theirs is a rare and beautiful friendship born of time and shared faith. Gabby always considered DeeDee the strong one and herself the follower.

Not only are they best friends, but they married best friends. As they near their fortieth birthdays, DeeDee announces her decision that she does want to have a baby, despite her adamancy for the past twenty years she didn't. The four embark on a journey of infertility, tests, trials, failures, and the birth of a beautiful baby. Through it all, Gabby and DeeDee's friendship grows ever stronger. After the birth, Gabby becomes increasingly concerned over disturbing changes in DeeDee's behavior. The diagnosis changes everyone's life forever and challenges their faith. Gabby finds the greatest joy is in sacrificing for your friend.

Sharon Souza has written a modern day story similar to the friendship of Jonathon and David in the Old Testament. This heartwarming story will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to call your best friend and say 'thank you.' The characters are as real as your next door neighbors. I highly recommend this book. Maybe give it to your best friend and read it at the same time. Sharon's debut novel leaves the reader eagerly anticipating her next one.

I couldn't put this book down. I was exhausted from a week long business trip and started reading this to unwind and relax. I spent the next two days reading every spare minute. I loved it, loved it, loved it. I am amazed by the plot, the characters and the setting. Dr. Lange nailed it and I can't wait to read his next book.

It was kind of slow in spots:
I am still reading it but I thought that it lacked in certain areas for a first novel of telling how the MEG actually worked but I did think that there were areas that were truly scary and could be put to reality if attempted but I also digress on and in that area. I notice that in the real notes that the Author is a media whiz of sorts and I'd like to know how to get ahold of him.

This is the first time I've ever written a review for a book, but I felt that this one deserved it. I love all of the genres mentioned in my title, and usually read them separately, but this book combined them all. The science was accurate and not so "egghead" as to turn off some readers. Traveling to Russia and experiencing a bit of that culture and a bit of history thrown in was fascinating. And, there was just enough thrill to add spice, but not so much as to be gory. The characters were engaging and interesting and I read the book cover to cover over a weekend. I loved the story and am looking forward to Vladimir's next novel.

Vladimir Lange's first novel, Fatal Memories was a fast read full of fascinating characters, science, intrigue, romance, politics and history! I found it difficult to put down as each new past life experience intruded upon the present. The medical technologies of the MEG (a machine that locates and carves out debilitating memories), the biological experimentation with the DNA/cell memory of mice, as well as the psychological background of each character were spellbinding. I think Carl Jung and Edgar Cayce would have been 100 percent behind the MEG as a tool to heal past psychological wounds in order to live the best present life possible.

After reading Fatal Memories I felt I had been on a `Mystery/History/Romantic/Food and Flavor Tour of Russia' with all of its color and beauty. For anyone interested in biology, medical science, Russian History, mystery and romance, Fatal Memories is a great read.

If you like Michael Crichton's earlier work you will enjoy this fast paced thriller. Mr. Lange does a superb job of weaving a scientific theme into a fictional adventure. Anne is an extremely accomplished scientist on the verge of completing her dream of developing a machine that can quickly and systematically erase points in the brain that cause psychotic episodes. Through her exposure to the operation of the machine she unleashes something unplanned...a past that she did not know she had. As the story unfolds you are drawn into two worlds, Russian in the 1430s and a parallel life set in the modern day. The suspense level and intrigue are thoroughly enjoyable. I look forward to more of Mr. Lange's work.