G Books

This reader blows away any of Kerouac's work, in my opinion. Huncke was the first to coin the phrase "beat," and also the first to turn on Burroughs to morphine. He's really where Beat started. The book is very interesting, especially in the fact that it is composed mostly of journal-type entries. He writes as he probably spoke: full of slang terms of the time that other authors leave out.

This is a wonderful glance into Huncke's world and the workings of his singular, unique mind.

Herbert Huncke was the true beat. As WS Burroughs wrote, in The Herbert Huncke Reader, "Huncke had adventures and misadventures that were not available to middle-class, comparatively wealthy college people like...me....Huncke had extraordinary experiences that were quite genuine." The sad true is that Huncke was the type that Burroughs wrote about, but didn't like much. He was real. Burroughs was living on trust-fund money for decades (remember that the $200 a month WSB received from family in the 1950s was equal to thousands of dollars a month now-not a bad way to live). Huncke lived the life that others wrote about, but never live. While Burroughs ate steak and drank fine booze, Huncke was still wandering around Times Square. Read the original beat. He makes the other `beat' writers seem like the middle-class dilatants that many of them were. Huncke never fought for the fame, the fortune, and the boys. He was just a "junkie on the prow." This book is truly hip.

Previously known for using the word "beat" to the fullest, thus inspiring Kerouac for an appropriation of a very hip literary movement, there was more to Huncke than just a "jive" talker. As we know, Huncke was a full time junky (what a rhyme!) who had more of an affect on Burroughs than any other beat writer. Likewise, Huncke spent most of his life helping out on the Burroughs' cannabis farm and taking care of Bill's wife Joan who harnessed a difficult benny habit. In Huncke's early years, growing up in Massachusetts and NYC, he used to entertain the boys at local cafeterias with his succinct yet street jargon-fulled stories; clearly he had a talent for story telling. This story-telling is pretty much what makes up the Herbert Huncke Reader. Starting with Huncke's journal, Herbert gets his feet wet with short-story writing, particularly focusing on introspective work-outs and clever anecdotes. Then the books moves to The Evening Sun Turned Crimson, another introspective composition altho mainly concentrating on structural pieces depicting street life, hanging with the beats, and drugs. Next to Reader introduces Guilty of Everything, a comprehensive series of interviews plus outtakes from other journals. Finally the book closes with Previously Uncollected Material, the chapter says it all. Sometimes moving other times raw and scatological, Huncke writes with a unique style that is easy to comprehend and is inspiring. Although not as transcendent as his contempoaries (Burroughs, Ginsberg, Corso), Huncke's writing should not overlooked as "writings of a drug addict," or "a subordinate Beatnik." Huncke did have talent (most notably with recitations) and has definitely worked to the fullest by publishing what he could, despite his painful heroin addiction and ostracization. In my opinion he's a second Neal Cassady (more of a inspiring icon) and definitely had a major affect on the foremost Beat's writings despite his own sparse collection; that's why I think this Reader is important.

There are few authors I feel everyone should read but no matter who you are Herbert Huncke should be read. He is one of the best storytellers/writers I have had the privilege of reading. His stories of sex, streets, drugs, life and friends bring a humanity to what may be considered by many obscure, degenerate, or just plain disgusting, but Huncke�s stories I believe are non of these. They are filled with love, beauty, pain and always truth. He takes the reader into a world they don�t always want to enter but when the story is finished we are glad we made the journey and had someone like Huncke by our side as a companion.

Kate Bloomfield, a Canadian teenage girl, records her thoughts and feelings through a series of poems and vignettes. The very first page quickly sets the tone of Kate's story - she announces her arrival to the World, but when she gets no response, her Self celebrates with somersaults. The World had its chance, but now it's Kate's turn! Simple stories, like not being able to eat parsnips or being proud to be Canadian, are mixed with longer portraits of Kate, her friends and family. Kate struggles with becoming a teenager and learning more about her parents and neighbors. The reader gets an intimate portrait of Kate and may discover a kindred spirit.

Kate has already appeared in two book, Kate and Look Through My Window, but Hey World, Here I Am! certainly stands on its own. Little's writing style capture the teenage voice perfectly, without any of the angst or drama found in so many other books with a teen protagonist. Kate is caught between a world where she is old enough to have experience and reflect on her opinions, but still new to the world of adults. Truesdell's illustrations, wobbly black and white drawings, are both silly and sentimental. The drawings interact with the poems, somersaulting around the words. Not only will younger readers find a companion in Kate, they will be introduced to poetry and the short story format.

This is my very favorite book. It was delivered in a very timely fashion and it is so great. The main character grew up in Canada and is Jewish and I'm Hispanic and in Southern California, but I so get her!!! The style that she writes with is so simple, understandable, and creative; it's poetic. It would be a great book to read at bedtime with your child or by yourself.

This is such a great book! It's perfect for any young girl. The book has short poems and stories told from Kate's point of view. It's fun, it's happy and it's sad. It talks about friendship,parents and life. I cannot recommend it enough! I read it when I was in middle school, probably. Rereading it reminds me of how much I enjoyed it. Really a great read for anyone at any age, but will speak to a young girl's inner voice. GET IT!

I purchased this book at a library book fair in the second grade. After one reading, I fell in love with the goofy pictures (I like Kate's hair and messy bedroom) and poetry. It combined poetry and pictures, my two favorite things in a book at that time. Over many years, I have gotten rid of the old books of my childhood, but I have never parted with this one. I take it off the shelf about once a year and read it (since I was seven I've read it ten times). I can empathize with Kate and her love of books, spats with her mother, and her dislike of interpreting poetry. Even though I am not Jewish like Kate, after reading the Diary of Anne Frank like her friend, I felt Jewish too. I also write poetry, but they are usually about my cat and nature. After reading this book many times, my love for Hey World, Here I Am! has never faded.

I was about eight years old when my mom first brought this book home for me. I was so thrilled because I shared the name of the character in the book, Kate. I absolutely devoured the book, enjoying it more for the humor Jean Little displays impeccably in her writing, and the utter appropriateness of Sue Truedell's wonderful illustrations. Later, when I was a teenager, I went back and read the poems again because they seemed to describe the utter tumult and solitude that I felt during such a trying time. Poems like "Today," "Alone," and "Yesterday" capture perfectly feelings and emotions that nobody ever thinks to capture, yet Ms. Little does it in such a fabulous way that one instantly understands just what kind of mood she is describing. Now that I am a young woman, near to having a family of my own, I treasure my battered old copy of this book, nearly worn to pieces from repeated readings. Even today I can still find wisdom in every poem and piece of prose. The writer, Jean Little, is blind; I can only say it has sharpened her other senses and her intuition of basic human emotion powerfully. Bravo!

Hitler's Prisoners offers great insights into the horrors of the Nazi regime's "other victims." Caught in Hitler's unthinkable plan to rule over Europe, seven German cell mates tell their stories of how a once ordinary life can become a twisted nightmare in an inescapable Nazi Prison. It is definately a war story of another kind. I highly recommend this book.

This is truly an amazing account of the hardships the average man and woman faced in Nazi Germany. This book is intriquing and a must read for anyone interested in a real life historical account of Germany during World War II. I strongly recommend this book.

Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. I was shocked by the plight of Erich Friedrich and his cell mates. A fascinating and intriguing real life story and account of the "Other" side of Germany that we so rarely hear about. I strongly recommend this book. For other readers please let me know of any other books similar to this one.

Thanks

Persons interested in the rise of Nazism and World War II, who have read the general histories of the era will appreciate these personal stories by citizens who lived in Germany at the time. "Hitler's Prisoners," told by Erich Friedrich (edited by his daughter Renate)about his imprisonment for criticizing Hermann Goering and aspects of the war, also is the story of six others who defied or offended the regime in various ways. None were Jews or committed Nazis: Franz's "crime" was that as a Jehovah's Witness he opposed war; Fritz was a socialist, Gerhard an aristocrat, Alex a dilettante. Willi deserted from the Wehrmacht, so there may be some justification for his fate, but
Richard's chapter is titled The "Good German." All the men experienced the pre-World War I years and the political, social and economic unrest that spawned Hitler's rise and Germany's militaristic conquest of Europe and Russia. These true accounts, from notes kept by the author, are written in the form of a novel: each man in turn tells the story of his life as he awaits trial and sentencing - usually execution. The author is last to tell of his upbringing in Thuringia, campaign service and wounding on the Russian front, and harrowing return to Germany, where he was subsequently arrested and imprisoned until July 1944. After the war's end, Friedrich was employed as a detective and civil servant, before moving to Virginia with his wife to live with their daughter's family. A must read for understanding the gradual eroding of law, justice and civility in the Germany of 1933-45.

Having grown up in Germany during the Third Reich - I was nine when World War II ended- I have read obsessively about this subject. The question, " How did it happen"? has perhaps no answer. But this book offers a salutary counterbalance to Goldhagen's one-sided "Hitler's Willing Executioners." How many of us would follow our conscience into such a prison as Franzl, the Jehova's Witness and Conscientious Objector, Fritz Römer, the Socialist, or Erich Friedrich, the author, endured for their convictions? Friedrich was arrested for not giving the Nazi salute, and for making disparaging remarks about Hermann Goering. The government acted legally, because what these prisoners did was against German law at that time. This book shows the American reader, who has no personal experience of a totalitarian regime, what it means to resist such a government.

Great Book. Anyone who's followed history and current events for any length of time must be aware of the FBI's arrogance, public failings, and history of horrible decision making (overall, in general terms..certainly not everyone in the oranization). Much (or most) of it through horrible management. It's documented nearly every day. I.C. Smith details just a few of these instances in his book (along with, of course, the ubiquitus political, white house, and DOJ interferrences). It's no wonder he left the FBI soured.

Interestingly, he even mentions the FBI's trend towards a paramilitary dress code and mentality. Apparently many individuals in the FBI feel cool wearing paramilitary clothing and brandishing automatic weapons. He says the FBI has changed a lot since he began...much of it not being for the better. As an aside, I'd like to hear his opinion on these "national security letters" and their publicized
abuses.

Great book for those who want a better understanding of the FBI and why they do the things they do.

This is an interesting book with serviceable writing that will leave you uneasy about the state of our intelligence gathering and security. The 3 stars are more for writing style but there is a lot of merit in the content.

The author relays, at first, many good stories from what sounds like an honorable career with the FBI. Even as he wades more deeply into the swamp of corruption in the state of Arkansas these episodes have an almost folksy travelogue-esque style with a report-writing quality that is still readable enough to do the job. I had to remind myself that his manuscript was scrubbed through a sanitizing process by at least FBI and CIA agency reviews before publication.

Still we see interagency rivalries, incompetent bureaucrats, inappropriate political interventions, the ever-dysfunctional state department along with internal agency problems. He closes with some sobering observations on crisis of leadership and the FBI's drift away from its mission and missteps that made it a less than stellar player in the road to 9/11 and after. I found the last chapters most worth the read for this.

Taken in conjunction with the excellent (and highly recommended works) Terrorist Hunter, and the Third Terrorist, this book completes a picture of an agency in trouble.

I recommend these latter 2 books first for more info on the war with terrorists, but if you have time, Mr. Smith's memoirs are a nice read. And his book does, indeed, have a treasure trove of insights into the headlines of the 90's and bureaucratic bungling that will drive you crazy.

Smith's autobiography of his career with the FBI provides an outstanding view of many faces of the FBI. Smith captures the good, the bad and the ugly. Reading the book helps the reader to understand some of the Bureau's great achievements and failures.

The book provides a useful look into the culture of the FBI, a culture that has both great achievements and failures. Like so many other governmental and private organizations as more information is passed to headquarters through the information highways, micromanagement increases and leadership decreases. Clearly this was the case at the FBI.

Published after 9-11 the author offers some very insightful comments on what could have been done and what should be done in the future. Smith also traces the debacles at Waco and Ruby Ridge to leadership failures at the FBI headquarters and the appointment of a HRT leader with no experience in the area of hostage rescues or swat operations.

Sadly these same institutional deficiencies would later prove to be part of the fabric of failure which allowed 9-11 to happen. The Marines stress a culture where the opinions and experience of the senior NCO's are respected and nourished. Sadly the FBI evolved to an organization that failed to maintain high ethical standards and leadership in its headquarters and in doing so betrayed the Nation and the great people in the field.

Smith wanders in and out of international intrigue and then returns to handling high profile domestic cases.

It is not a true history of the bureau, but, rather one agent's journey through a distinguished career at the FBI at a time when its leadership was not up to the quality of the men and women in the field and the challenges it faced.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspects of the book are the allegations that top management of the FBI lied to Congress and others on the issue of critical matters relating the 9-11. Perhaps this is part of the culture that grew after the Bureau promoted senior leadership that had lied under oath about Ruby Ridge and had destroyed documents relating the the issue. Smith points out that the FBI was warned years well in advance about the number of Muslim fundamentalist students taking flight training in the US and after the fact claimed not to have had the resources to have conducted an investigation. With warning from multiple offices, Smith believes that an average analyst would have concluded that there was a real threat. Hence the claim by Freh that there were no signals was simply false. Smith also asserts that the FBI never concluded a complete review of the many documents captured in Manila years earlier. Not only did these documents related to Al Qaeda plots to bomb American aircraft but they also had the potential to relate to the Murad office building bombing.

Highly recommended.

UPDATE
The recent release of a book by the agent in charge of the Oklahoma bombing incident in which he seeks to put to rest any claim of a broader conspiracy has the look and feel of that which IC Smith fought against. Arriving just as Hillary would be vulnerable to any disclosure that the investigation was flawed, the book has the look and feel of another favor to the Clinton administration of which there were far too many.

Not often does a career FBI manager write his uninhibited expose of the FBI. Street agents will stand up and applaud loudly. FBI deskjockeys will cringe behind their desks preferring to believe FBIHQ press releases. I so enjoyed the book I attempted to get my copy autographed but the author's email address is no longer in use. Nota bene: SAC Smith's comments on the Squiggly Box (aka polygraph) is alone worth the price of the book-----and is a chilling caveat to those who might even consider having their lies detected by wires, waves and wiggly lines. Suggest a followup: the 9/11 books by Peter Lance.

If there's one thing that can be said about the FBI it is that they try to keep a spotless image with the public. What exactly goes on inside the FBI? I. C. Smith comes forward with this account of his personal experiences as a Special Agent in Charge. Mr. Smith takes the reader on an autobiographical tour around the world including diplomatic experiences, terrorism, and the many times the FBI ignored mounting internal evidence that could have prevented tragedies. This is the inside story told from his point of view. It not only exposes bungling within the FBI but also examines some of the corrupt systems in which the FBI must work. As Special Agent in Charge of the Arkansas office he had unique insight into and a lot of problems dealing with the corrupt political system through which Bill Clinton rose to become governor and then president. Mr. Smith pulls no punches and includes lots of names in the book including Janet Reno, Rafael del Pino, the Clintons, and Kenneth Starr. Inside: A Top G-Man Exposes Spies, Lies, and Bureaucratic Bungling Inside the FBI is highly recommended, entertaining, and enlightening.

I happen to know C++ and this book is quite useful for learning Java, or at least understanding any given Java program. For each Java construct, the book tells what the equivalent C++ construct is or whether it exists at all. In some cases, it also goes the other way -- for each C++ construct, the Java equivalent.

It also covers some Java libraries and briefly outlays applets. There does not seem to be any coverage of servlets or server-side programming.

As good a reference as it is, it seems to be missing some things, most notably initializations. There are pieces of Java code I've seen something like:

subr1(new Foobar {blah(){foo;} blah1(){bar;}});

i.e., a class (Foobar) is being initialized dynamically before calling a function subr1(). The exact circumstances of initialization of variables and dynamic classes are not covered at all in this book.

Other than that, this book is great.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

I picked up this book on a whim, thinking it wouldn't be as good as Java in a Nutshell or Core Java, both of which are excellent books in and of themselves. Surprisingly, this contains a condensed version of most of the information of the above mentioned books. It lacks the extended examples of Core Java, but to a good student and intelligent reader, missing out on a few examples won't break your education.

And like JIAN, there is a good amount of reference material in this book, not with the extended detail of JIAN, but enough to get by most of the stumbling stones one encounters while programming.

As a student, I can only carry so many books in my backpack; when I'm programming in the university labs, I want concise and useful as my qualities. At home, I have my Java reference library (CJ, JIAN, etc.), which I consult when I'm at a quandary; for portability and my lab work, this book is the Swiss Army knife of references, one that I carry regularly, and one that can solve about 75-80% of Java problems I encounter.

Yes, yet another five-star review of what is quickly becoming a Christian classic. In addition to this being a collection of sermons, it also contains personal letters written by Dr. Lake as well as testimonies of those healed. It is the most complete book of its kind, giving insight into real Holy Ghost life via historical documentation and story-telling. Understanding the truths in this book will help you distinguish between traditional, lifeless religion and the true power of Jesus Christ - the power that is to be demonstrated so that our faith will not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

I borrowed this book from a friend and realized I wanted my own copy. This is not a quick read of Lake's sermons, but a book one has to really think about and absorb the truth he expounds on from the Word of God. Excellent resource for a ministry student, minister, or devout Christian.

As a homeschool mother I am intensely selective of the materials chosen to be curriculum. This book is required reading for all my children.

It is annointed. What else is there to say?

I highly reccommend it to all who love CHRIST JESUS as it was written by one of the most sincere, committed, and successful Christians who ever lived...a man who followed Christ and fulfilled JESUS's OWN WORD
"They that believe in ME, the works that I do, shall they do also..."

This book is nothing short of amazing. Why? Because John G. Lake was such an amazing man of faith and action. I can't recommend this book enough. It has it all. Amazing powerful testimonies of faith for healing, boldness to stand up against unbelief, honesty to admit when wrong, a desire to walk in integrity, and sermons that encourage the reader to take bigger and bigger steps of faith. I could feel faith rising up within me. Page after page of the miraculous. It will challenge the reader to approach his faith in an entirely new way. This book has helped me redefine my approach to christianity. I'll truly never be the same. Never again will I allow my unbelief to limit what God can do. Personally, this book is an answer to prayer. I am reading the Bible with an entirely new outlook and level of faith. What happened in the New Testament can happen today!!! I truly believe this book is annointed. Read it!! You'll never be the same.

First, let me say a big God bless you to Kenneth Copeland Ministries. They're the publishers of this book.

Basically there are three main collections of Lake's sermons out there, all three classics in their own right. First and foremost, there's Robers Liardons 1000+ page collection entitled "John G. Lake: The Complete Collection of His Life Teachings" (ISBN:1577780752). I strongly recommend that everyone get this collection! It's chock full of the most wonderfull messages you could ever want to read.

Then there's "John G. Lake Sermons on Dominion over Demons, Disease & Death" by Gordon Lindsay (ISBN:0899850286), a brief but well-done collection at under 100 pages.

And in the middle we have the Copelands' collection at about 250 pages. Again, very well done, but what I'm getting at is, if you're anything like me, you'll fall head over heals reading Lake's sermons. The Copelands' or Lindsay's books will only serve as appetizers for Liardon's collection.

Save money and time. Go straight for Liardon's. You'll be glad you did.

As a language arts teacher, I read 2 or 3 books a week. I am constantly searching for well written, relevant, and riveting novels. This book delivers. I highly recommend this book for 9-13 year olds.

On vacation our family read this book out loud for our library's book club. My husband and I (40+ years old) and my two boys- 10 & 6 both adored this book. In the span of 160 pages we all had the opportunity to learn life lessons, grow to be more brave, laugh and most importantly learn about how love will always conquer hate. We do not live in a very diverse area of the country and this book was a wonderful way to introduce to our children the stuggles that African Americans have had to deal with and why civil rights are so important in this country. I had a lump in my throat when the book discussed how the Bicentennial was being celebrated and not all Americans were still being treated as Free. It isn't a book I would have ever had known about without our wonderful librarian and it will be one that none of us will soon forget. Don't be deterred by some of the serious subjects dealt with in this book, there were far more laughs than most books have. It was entertaining and a joy to read. It is a great book for parents and children.

(one last thought...I would not have liked my son to read this book without us because he would have never fully understood why there was such hate for a 10 year old black girl and why grown men dress in sheets. As disgusting as it is that people practice such hateful acts it is a reality that exists and children who are old enough to understand should not be sheltered from truth. The sooner we can educate our children about equality the better this world will be. )

I am a middle school language arts teacher and I read just about every new title that gets any hype. This book did not disappoint! The plot is well developed and the characters are endearing...Frita is so spunky while Gabe is a quirky scardy-cat afraid of his own shadow. Both Frita and Gabe learn a great about life, love, fear, racism and the nature of hate the summer before they enter fifth grade. In the end they realize that fear is a part of life - bravery is feeling the fear and forging ahead despite it. Great read HIGHLY recommended!!!

I bought this book for Christmas for my 10 year old (4th grade). He will read a chapter and then come find me and read it to me all over again because he thinks it is so funny. He has to read 1/2 hour everyday for school requirements and he will continue to read this book for over an hour. Gets him away from the computer and GameCube games. Hurray.

I bought this book because I loved the front cover and the blurb on back. The cover depicts a jar of something yellowish-green, reminding me of "The Secret Life of Bees." Perhaps I should not tell this about myself, but I will--I did not "see" that spider until after I completed the book and looked at the cover again to decide how the picture fit into the story. Then I saw the spider and the green color (grass through the jar). Wow. I decided then that the story really is about fear. Fear of spiders was near the top of Gabriel's list of fears. Frita convinces him to adopt this spider as his pet.

The blurb on back summarizes the story as a friendship between two fourth-graders moving up to fifth grade, two unusual fourth-graders, one white boy and one black girl. Then I thought about the book again. Not fear. The book seems to be about fear, and it is, but the real intangible character is integrity. The book is about integrity.

Frita Wilson is the only African-American in their small school in Hollowell, GA, not far from Plains, where Jimmy Carter hails. The story takes place during the summer of the campaign for president in 1976, a time when integrating is taking place all over the South and racial strife is evident.

Gabriel King misses his Moving Up graduation to fifth grade because some racist bullies physically prevent him. As a result, Gabriel decides he will not go to fifth grade housed in a separate wing, fearing the bullies. He will just stay in fourth. Frita makes it her summer's goal to liberate them of their fears. Even in victory over various levels of fear, Gabriel "knows" all along that his fear of bullies will not be liberated and he is not going to fifth grade.

They defeat some fears on the list and some fears win. The saddest loss occurs near the end and becomes the impetus for winning the big one. Not willing to be a spoiler, I ask you to read this most enjoyable book. Friendship is a big winner. Family love and unity are big winners. But the biggest winner is integrity. So are Gabriel and Frita because they have this integrity all along.

Having written all this, I feel I must voice my one misgiving about the book. Although it really is a cool story with racism and specific racists taking hits (in a law-abiding way, not through violence), I cannot help but question this friendship between Gabriel and Frita. No matter how I look at it, I just cannot see it happening. Not because of skin colors, but because of age and sex of the children. Boys and girls in the fourth grade just aren't best friends. They certainly don't spend the night with each other in the same room. Parents just would not allow this closed door thing with a boy and a girl of this age. Having stated these things, I still endorse this book--with four stars, not five.

I am the devoted owner of a gorgeous white sheepdog with blue blue eyes (with eyelashes no less..) and I just had to have this book. I adore Carolyne Roehm and the chapter on her homes and dogs were an added reason for me to own this one. I highly recommend this one for a gift.

I loved this book. The beautiful photos were a delight and the stories heart-warming. Every dog lover would love to have this book on their cocktail table!

I am an avid collector of dog memorabilia and motif items and this book was an inspiration! My husband just thought I was obsessive about dog objects! Your book gave me new ideas for old dog items that I never would have thought of. The photography is beautiful and the subjects are warm and true. I know that I am not alone in my endeavor to collect and display what I love!

I have read several other books with the same theme, however this book surpasses them all. Our copy is well loved and our guests tend to migrate toward it at our home. The book contains the stories of several people and how dogs have touched their lives. It is a glimpse into personal collections of avid dog lovers and collectors.

I've always had an affinity for dogs and the people who love them, which is probably why this book now occupies the premier spot on my coffee table. After reading the introduction by Larry Sheehan, in which he shares hilarious and endearing tales about his dog, Buster, I knew I'd found someone who truly understood what it means to live with and love dogs. Even bad ones. The book is a celebration of hardcore dog enthusiasm. It's fun to learn about other people's passion for various breeds. What's more, the pages are filled with pictures of beautiful dogs, beautiful homes, and beautiful places. I got tons of inspiration for decorating my home and incorporating my love of dogs into my life. This book would make a wonderful gift.

What a great book from a great person. the different chapters and the different adventures. I have never seen a book quite like this one. Will keep you reading from chapter to chapter. Keep up the great work and look forward to the next one. The children you are supporting from the proceeds of the book also a very noble cause.

AWESOME BOOK! You will not find a more personalized, "real life" travel book out there...Excellent photographs from around the World! Once I finished reading it, I started it all over again--couldn't put it down, it's a real page turner...

This book is not at all what you might expect. If you open it expecting the diary notes of someone who descended into insanity, you won't find that here. What you will find, instead, is a big, lush, lavish volume, rich with pictures and personal notes, splashed with artwork and experiences of the author's cross-global journey through South America, Africa, and Asia. It is as much as work of art as it is a book.

What Garner calls his "madness" is what he refers to as his previous obsession with making money and building corporate empires. He spent years of his life at this until one day, he just dropped it all and went off in search of himself. For two years he and a companion, Heather (whose last name we never learn), wandered the world living with the people of the countries they visited and looking for adventure. They found plenty of it--from a fearsome night they spent in Mexico thinking they had been kidnapped, to being attacked by the most unusual brigands in Central America, to living among the Masai in Africa. Everywhere Garner went in search of answers, he found people in every part of the world who were honest, hospitable and somehow managed to live happily even without water, food or school supplies to educate their children.

Not only is this an emotional journey of discovery, it is also a treasure hunt. The author has placed a secret code in his volume and given readers the key to deciphering it. All over the world, he has hidden objects which he invites readers to find as they unravel the code. He has dedicated sales of the book to helping poor children worldwide, and every time a new child is helped, he places his or her picture on the website.

And the website is as lavish and artful as the book. It contains more information about the secret code and Garner's personal campaign to save the world, one child at a time.

And he gives the most unique explanation of typos I have ever seen. On little cards inserted in the pages, he says things like: "Think you saw a typo? Think again." Now that's a stroke of genius that other authors could envy. It automatically excuses every error missed in proofreading.

On the book's gorgeous full-color cover, he says, "This is more than a book, it is an experience."

Armchair Interviews is inclined to agree with him.

I have to say, being an avid book reader, this book was truly a wonder. This is a book for everyone who is interested in travel, adventure and buried treasure. It has 40 amazing chapters of travel stories from around the world. The stories themselves are so well written and it amazed me they are all true. Also, inbetween each chaper you get to see full color artwork and photography that the author has taken from all over the world. In addition to all that, GD Garner has actually hidden clues inside the book that lead the reader to a buried treasure! The clues are hidden on all 7 continents as well as online and the reader can use the book and website to uncover the buried treasure! This book is really an amazing and unique experience for every reader. It is an absolute MUST READ for anyone interested in travel, photographgy, or just really amazing true stories. I highly recommend this book as a next purchase for your book collection.

It only took reading the book's prologue for me to completely commit to following the author through his journey. The perspectives on geography, culture, and humanity were vivid, enlightening, and entertaining. The artwork and photography included alone has value way beyond the asking price. I've dreamed of traveling the world. I can only hope that I would receive the experience a fraction as well as the author. Add that part of the proceeds from the book benefit children's charities makes this book a must buy!

This is a great book with lots of important information on what it's like to be in academia. I recommend it highly for all graduate students as well as for their advisors.

I graduated a couple years ago with BS in Mathematics and was trying to decide if I should return for my PhD. This book was extremely helpful. It presents a very thorough overview of the PhD process with helpful information regarding thesis advisors (both selecting and working with) and thesis preparation. Material is easy to read (conversational tone) and very specific. Definitely recommend this to anyone considering a graduate program in mathematics.

Also gives extensive information regarding the application of a PhD in academia- such as types of jobs (tenure track, post-doc fellow, etc.), types of colleges and the workload (and pay) to be expected at those colleges.

End of text is an overview of mathematics topics important to the post-bachelors, pre-grad student.

It does not spend time explaining all the different areas of mathematics, so that part you'll need to figure out for yourself. Reading this book will get you excited to talk to your professors about a doctorate program. Good luck!

Dr. Krantz's lucid "Survival" guide is rich in advice for the aspiring mathematician who sees a plum job in academia as the ultimate career goal. With section names such as "How do I work my thesis problem?", and "Why does everyone else appear to be succeeding?" Dr. Krantz's chronological account of Math graduate school and the first few years in the work force does an excellent job of providing step-by-step guidance for us future mathematicians. This advice, and the author himself are at their best when talking about prevalent insecurity issues with which all of us mathematicians deal and showing us how such issues are indeed very commonplace and how the solutions are also commonplace and readily available to you.
Now, that being said, it is also important to remember that this is just a rough guide and that not every section in the book should be followed to the letter. More to the point: Dr. Krantz's advice should be used in addition to, not instead of, grad advisors, faculty in your department, and even more senior grad students. Dr. Krantz's advice can be detrimental in some instances and in others, it's just plain wrong. For instance, his advice that a student should NOT study for general and subject GRE's is particularly questionable; in fact I do believe the opposite to be true. GRE tests follow a well-defined set of rules and question formatting; thus, the question themselves have a finite amount of variation to them, and therefore it is precisely in this type of standardized exam MOST students will benefit from reviewing old material and going through numerous practice tests before taking the real thing.

Overall, this is a very good book, full of wisdom and it is, alas, even entertaining at times. If you're considering a career as a mathematician, you would be doing yourself a favor by buying this book and reading it with an epsilon amount of caution.

I gave this to my son who is a high school junior planning to major in mathematics in college. He thought it was great because it looks beyond just getting into college and taking a bunch of math classes. What does a math major do next? Do you have to teach? What do professors and TA's really do? What does it take to get into grad school and is it worth it? I would recommend this book to anyone contemplating any type of career involving higher level mathematics.

I'm a graduate student in computer science, working on my PhD. If you're looking for a sort of rulebook that contains all the meta-knowledge one needs to know to survive in the scientific game, this is it.
The book includes helpful information to questions you probably wouldn't dare to ask anyone:
"How do i choose a thesis advisor?",
"What if I can't solve my thesis problem?",
"Am I in competition with the other graduate students?",
"What kind of money can I make as a professor?"
There's also lots of information about life after graduation, especially relevant for those of us who want to pursue an academic career.

The book is written in an easy to follow style, and gets straight to the point. You really feel that the author knows what he's talking about.
I highly recommend it to anyone planning a career in a science related to maths.