V Books

I stumbled onto this book as a teenager trying to teach myself to play the guitar. I found it both easy to understand and rewarding. Eventually I went on to minor in jazz guitar in college and spent several years as a union musician. A few years ago I returned to this book (I finally replaced my old copy with a new version) when I wanted to venture into classical guitar. Almost thirty years later I found it equally as captivating and rewarding as it was in my first encounter.

Recently I decided to learn to play the English concertina, but found that there were no quality tutorials readily available, so I turned, once again, to Mr. Noad. The exercises presented in the book have been very helpful and have allowed me to feel an increasing sense of aptitude on the concertina as I step through the lessons!

Solo Guitar Playing is built on a clear, accessible methodology and a well-paced progressive learning system that stands the test of time! If you could only have one guitar instruction book, this would be the one to consider.

I've started and stopped trying to teach myself how to play guitar on 3 different occasions for over 10 years. (I did have prior music experience from playing the violin as a youth.) I bought this book some time ago, got 20 pages in and then decided I'd just try to learn tabs and chords like everyone else seemed to be doing. But then I engaged my ego and decided to learn how to read notes and properly learn the playing technique I would need to last me for a lifetime. I dusted this book off again and kept plugging away. Lo and behold, I kept getting further and further into the material. The thing that helped me, which I didn't do on prior attempts, was to exercise PATIENCE! If it takes me two or three weeks to master a chapter, then so be it - I know it will stand me in good stead in later lessons and boy, has it! I now play at least 4 times a week for at least an hour, including practicing arpeggios and scales, for the sheer joy of it.

I am loving this book and have Solo Guitar 2 standing ready for when I complete the first volume. Highly recommend for those trying to teach themselves the "right" way. :-)

This is a complete and well thought out work. But don't make the mistake I did . . . . buy the copy that includes the CD!! You'll want to know what those music pieces are supposed to sound like. And take your time going through. There is much information packed in this book.

Glad I bought it. Now, if I could only get my fingers to do what I want. . .

I ditto both previous review. Don't buy this book until after you have completed Noad's book one. It reviews some previous technique, but is much more advanced generally. I found a few mistakes in it so far, in the learning to count notation section, so it does have some notational errors. But overall, so far I think this is a good book worth the money. It would best to use this book in conjunction with a quality classical guitar teacher. Trying to learn classical guitar on your own with no professional guidance is begging to learn terrible playing habits.

First let me say that I would not recommend this book unless you are at least an intermediate classical player, if not, then begin with Noad's "Solo Guitar Playing 1", which goes from beginner to intermediate. Both of these books come with a cd containing most of the songs from the book, and neither one has tab. Solo guitar 2 has some technical instruction, such as counting dotted notes, rest stroke and free stroke, slurs, trills and other ornaments, and a number of definitions of classical music terminology. This book covers the periods known as classical, romantic, renaissance and baroque, with exercises and songs from each, by masters such as Sor, Tarrega, Guiliani (including his exercises for the right hand), Bach, Handel and others. The material goes from fairly easy examples that will improve your speed, accuracy and sight reading ability, to "Recuerdos de La Alhambra" and "Estudio Brillante de Alard", which are advanced concert quality pieces by F. Tarrega. There is also a song by Frederic Hand called "Study number 1", which isn't exactly classical, but it is quite nice anyway. This is one of my favorite classical guitar books, the material was selected to be educational and very enjoyable as well. If you put in several months (years ?) of work on this book you will not regret it, and by the end, you will be able to play these great songs, and just about anything else that you could ever imagine.

This, the second volume of an awesome collective work, catalogues in rich detail the events and achievements of ancient Greece. But more than that, it tells the story about how the events unfold and gives insight into how science and philosophy came into being for the first time in civilization. For a long time, I had only a very scattered understanding of the ancient Greek world. This work gives me a much clearer view of the whole picture. There were a few sections where I did get stuck on the details - in the enumeration of people, places, and events - but it wasn't very often and it was probably due more to a lack of imagination on my part.

In trying to make a overly short synopsis, the book can be viewed as divided into three parts covering three different eras in Greek civilization. The first part delves into indefinite origins that can be traced back to the culture of ancient Crete, then the Mycenaean civilization, the Achaeans and the Homeric epic of Troy - which the archeologist Schliemann found actually existed in Asia Minor - and then the Dorian invasion. The second part concerns the Persian War and the coming of age of the city-states including Athens, it's friends and foes; and also the great advances in art, literature, science, philosophy and law as well as the decline that results mainly from the Peloponnesian War. The third part concerns the decay of mainland Greece but the diffusion of it's great culture to most of the known world through especially the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Vital to the development of Greek culture was the city-state, which grew in mainland Greece after the Dorian invasion (1100-950BC), and spread across the Aegean to the many islands and far-off shores of the Mediterranean. The city-states were separated and protected by mountainous terrain, which made it difficult to assert centralized control. They were linked principally by the waterways of the Aegean, and this linkage stimulated trade and preserved a common heritage, despite the many squabbles and wars. It was the burgeoning of trade and the opportunity for people to interact with others of different cultures that helped shake some of the ingrained beliefs and traditions and stimulate the inquiring mind. The Greeks were also freed to question supernatural explanations of the universe - and therefore develop science and philosophy - because they did not have a powerful priestly class, and thus were not so readily subject to persecution for the shattering of old myths. They were really quite ingenious in an age that had a very narrow view of the world. For example, Eratrosthenes made calculations concerning the curvature of the earth and computed the circumference of the earth to be very close to what we know it today.

One of the remarkable facts of the Golden Age of Periclean Athens (but not uncommon in those days) is that of the total population of Attica, some 315,000 peope, something like 115,000 were slaves. Of that difference consider, too, the number of woman, who were not participants in the political process. With that kind of distribution - more than half were not eligible - democracy had to be tenuous and fragile at best. For much of the history of the Greek city-states, there was this back-and-forth struggle between an obligarchy, the very richest and the aristocratic, and free citizens, who managed from time to time to rise above menial labor and assert themselves. During the time of Pericles, somehow a significant number of free citizens became active participants in government, signifying the dawning of a democratic process. But it did not last for long.

This is the second of the multi-volume work by the Durant's. It is as good as the first (and not wanting to give anything away, chuckle), they only get better and better. The author's prose is almost as wonderful as the actual historical work. The author apparently spent fifty years in writing these books and it certainly was worth the effort. He, and his wife, make history come alive. Now granted, I am a history buff and simply cannot get enough of it. I realize that not all share my love for the subject, but I truely feel that the entire work should be required reading in our schools. Not only are they superior to any and all text I am familiar with, they are truely a joy to read. This particular volume gave me much more insight to the ancient Greeks, their culture, art and philosophy than any work I have read, thereby giving me a much better understanding to our own culture, etc. It's just me, I know, but an added joy to this work was prowling used book stores and finding these things one by one to add to my collection. Highly recommend these books.

My set of Durants The Story of Civilization was purchased at a garage sale. Poor fools, they did not know what they were selling. Their loss is my gain. Volume Two, however, was missing, a situation that was remedied when I wandered into a used bookstore and there, on a shelf was Volume Two- The Life of Greece calling my name. I immediately forked out eight bucks and headed down to the local coffee house and began a fascinating and enjoyable read.

Having read through Volume 5, The Age of Faith, this has to be the best volume thus far- I could hardly put it down. To be sure there are areas that one has to plow through, that is to be expected of a work of this scope; but Durant has filled my world with the genius, history and drama of ancient Greece.

What made this book so fascinating is that, over and over again, Durant brought us into the lives of these men. We are not merely dealing with historical figures, but real people who lived, made love, made war, wrote masterpieces and who could act with courage, fall to cowardice or just make stupid mistakes. By far my favorite chapter was The Suicide of Greece. It told how a great civilization could fall. The story of Alcibiades was absolutely riveting. Both a brilliant leader and a scoundrel, he pushed Athens towards destruction by his fraternity style pranks that doomed his invasion of Sicily contributing significantly to the downfall of Athens as a power.

Consistent with all his volumes, Durant again shows us the cycle of civilization. He shows us again that the life of thought endangers every civilization that it adores. He writes:

As civilization develops, as customs, institutions, laws, and morals more and more restrict the operation of natural impulses, action gives way to thought, achievement to imagination, directness to subtlety, expression to concealment, cruelty to sympathy, belief to doubt the unity of character common to animal and primitive men passes away; behavior becomes fragmentary and hesitant, conscious and calculating; the willingness to fight subsides into a disposition to infinite argument. Few nations have been able to reach intellectual refinement and esthetic sensitivity without sacrificing so much in virility and unity that their wealth presents an irresitble temptation to impecunious barbarians. Around every Rome hover the Gauls; around ever Athens some Macedon.

I hope that Durant has not just written our epitaph as a great nation.

Durant paints a fascinating portrait of Greek life and culture as well as the history of a country that provided a foundation for modern thought and politics in the modern world. Highly recommend for history buffs as well as serious students.

Authors Dr. Will & Ariel Durant have compiled the history of ancient Greece in this, the second volume of The Story of Civilization.

At over >700 pages in length, the Durants launch into great detail about: The mysterious lost civilization of the island of Crete, land of the Minotaur and the labyrinth. The violent society of Homer's Iliad. The rise of classical Greece; a society of traders and navigators, explorers and colonists, soliders, sailors, and settlers. The origins of democracy and the political legacy to the Western world. The heroic battles against the Persians. The golden age of Athens. Backgrounds of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the birth of the Academy, and of course....Alexander the Great! Plus much more including plates and maps.

As with all of the volumes of The Story of Civilization, these books were written to stand alone and most likely will be read by the more serious students of history, however, they are composed and written to be understood by the layperson as well. In short, these books are for everyone! I rate it at five stars as the Durant's Magnum Opus!

When Trevanian passed away last December, I was intrigued by the descriptions of his thrillers in the obituaries, and decided to try them out. Though I haven't yet read his most famous book, Shibumi, I've now completed Incident at Twenty-Mile and The Summer of Katya.

I found both books gripping. Trevanian likes to play with pacing, point-of-view, and plot twists in such a way as to draw you relentlessly on, even as you're aware on some level that you're being had.

At the same time, neither book delivers in the end on the suspense that has been so well crafted. Instead, the plots in both novels are resolved by eruptions of violence that arise randomly, rather than organically from the story and characters. And I was surprised to find that both books relied on the hoary device of an amnesiac killer.

I came across The Summer of Katya by accident, and am happy to have discovered both the author and the novel. This is a witty, often amusing little story, with dialog that you can practically hear and a mystery that remains a tantalizing, just-out-of-reach secret until the end. Both of the male characters are vitally human - Katya, the love interest, is superficially charming but strangely wooden, the first clue that something is seriously wrong with this picture. The plot epitomizes the old adage that love is blind; although the reader is not sure what the problem is, you know there is one, a discovery that Jean-Marc stubbornly refuses to see until it is literally forced upon him. This book is a little known gem; a quick, enthralling reading experience.

I was reluctant to read this book. I got into Trevanian because of his pre-X-gen notion. "Nothing matters", no holds barred. This one became a page-turner. Damn me and Trevanian! Too many good books...He gets me every time, no matter what! I imagined, the Iternational-Espionage Master bringing me into an exciting World of the Fearless. This one goes somewhere else. Can't explain...you just gotta read.

He tested things I could never imagine. Turns out Trevanian has a heart. This book will fool you if you know the author. A good read, for sure. Romantic at least, confusing at best. You don't know the story until the end...it's tragic, sort of. Won't give away the end...a good journey. There is no side-show. Something else comes into play here...and it writes beautifully.

Trevanian is a wonderful writer, best known for spy thrillers, his artistry however, is most impeccable in this mysterious love story. As it opens, Jean-Marc Montjean, begins telling his story and it flows from there with casual, yet poetic prose, evolving like the day, bright with possibilities in the early hours, full of hope, yet soon twists to the inevitable dark of evening. The reader feels compelled back in time and into the shoes of the narrator. It is tight, organic and fluid. Goes down in history as a classic along side Rebecca and Wuthering Heights.

This really is a work of genious. A love shadowed by the burdens of a painful past. A must read!

This is a great cookbook. My girlfriend is Cambodian and we like to eat alot of that style of food and I can't wait to try EVERY recipe in here. All of the recipes have great flavor and the pictures in here are gorgeous. If you are a fan of this type of food, (as I'm sure as everybody else has already stated) then try this cookbook out. You won't be disappointed. Some of the recipes call for some unusual ingredients, but that's what makes this cookbook great. More authentic type of stuff.

The recipes in this wonderfully illustrated book will give the reader a delicious taste of Thailand. It will not, however, give a 100% authentic taste of it. That may be good news to people who don't live near an Asian grocery where hard to find items necessary for authentic Thai cooking are to be found. Some of the recipes also save the reader time at the expense of authenticity. But unless you are obsessed with making something that tastes exactly as it does in Thailand, the recipes are close enough. This is one of the few books that break all recipes down by region, and that is important. I lived in Thailand for 3 years, with my in-laws for 1 year, and during that time I picked out tell-tale signs of authenticity. I've concluded that the most authentic Thai cookbook is "Thai Food" by Thompson (can't remember his first name.)

In sum, lovely pictures, delicious recipes, authentic enough but not absolutely authentic.

I have lived in Thailand and this book is the best cookbook I have found in the US. It made me very happy to be able to see Thai foods that are not offered in Thai restaurants in the US and not seen in other Thai cookbooks. Now I can finally have my Nam Gabi and Soup No Mai. (The spelling is different in the book.) I was happy to see both the Roman lettering and the true Thai word for the dish. It helps me figure out what the dish is and jogs my memory when reading the Thai. Thai food is great and I'm happy to see the recipes and the Thai regional information included.

This isn't my favorite Thai cookbook for recipes. There are several good recipes, and many that are not terribly authentic. But, if you love a cookbook with outstanding pictures, this is a wonderful book. There are so many terrific pictures of places I visited in Thailand, I had to get the book.

This book is great. The first dish I made (Ginger Chicken - p133) was simple to prepare, and tasted wonderful, with those subtle, yet distinctive Thai flavours that I have come to adore.

The only drawback is its physical size - unless you have a Heap of kitchen bench space, the book will need to be placed a good distance away to avoid the inevitable splatters...

This book is so well written, funny, and has truly helped me to question my fear and dare again to be the person i most want to be. i yearn less for a partner to complete me and now am more curious about the ways i can draw out of myself the qualities i so often seek in others.

I enjoyed Tama's writing style and honesty. This story is inspirational to people who are stopped by 'shoulds' and judgment in their lives. She shows us how to trust our inner voice during times of change, how to remain constant and sacrifice the superfluous for what matters most. She is an example of making a difference in this world by having the courage to follow her true path.

I loved this book! I finished it feeling inspired to pursue my own dreams of creating a life that my heart is telling me I want to pursue. If you are trying to take a leap of faith into a career or path that scares you and excites you, and if you are tired of trying to figure it out with resources that ask you to endlessly list your interests, talents and abilities to no avail, I'd say buy this book! I'd also recommend Your Heart's Desire by Sonia Choquette if you are having trouble figuring out what it is exactly that you want.

Tama Kieves was a successful Harvard grad/lawyer who walked away from her office with a view and high paying job to do what she most wanted to do. When she made her choice to jump in with both feet, she lowered her expenses and took a waitress job to sustain herself while she followed her dream.

She believes that people can and should be able to make a living doing whatever they are naturally gifted at and love to do. She wrote this book and when it didn't get picked up by a publisher, she self published it and then a major company approached her and bought it.

I have read a lot of self help and "Do what you love.." type books and I have to say that this one is awesome. I couldn't put it down. There is so much good advice on just about every page, and the thing is, it's all stuff she knows because she's experienced it.

I wish I had known that the secret to life is doing what you love to do when I first started working. But then, how would we know what we love if we didn't do all those things that we didn't/don't love in the first place?

This is a great book that I highly recommend and would give as gifts.

Tama J. Kieves is more than an author. At heart, she is a poet. And it really shows in "This Time I Dance!" This book is not only informative, but it is also a pure pleasure to read. From start to finish, it is packed with lush descriptions and magical metaphors that elevate this work of non-fiction to a work of art. "This Time I Dance" will not only inspire you to discover your passion in life and give you some practical suggestions for living your dream, but the pure artistry of its words will start your heart dancing before you even put the book down! This is a book you are going to treasure!

Steven Lane Taylor, Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat: A Guide For Living Life In The Divine Flow

Rabbi Harold Kushner is best known for his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, but this work is in my judgment his greatest contribution to the philosophy of the spiritual life, Kushner's pièce de résistance. Using my favorite Hebrew Bible text, Ecclesiastes, as a springboard, Rabbi Kushner writes about the "ultimate thirst of our souls": the need for "meaning," for "the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter." Rabbi Kushner offers readers his wisdom -- born out of years of study, struggle and life experience -- about how to live a life that matters.

READ this BOOK! Rabbi Kushner hits on so many relevant and pertinent topics that you will be amazed how you see yourself in the anedotes and examples used to illustrate Kushner's point. Rabbi Kushner uses the Old Testament story of Ecclesiastes to illustrate how man's search for happiness is eternal and not unique. I could not believe how similar Ecclesiaste's view on life and search for happiness are so similar to my own. I found myself stopping on many occasions and telling my wife "READ THIS!"
I have been on a self-help book crusade for the past several months. Reading a bunch of these books have helped in finding some understanding to the search for happiness I have been after. After each book, I can say one or two of the points explained in the book have made sense and have some good practical applications to dealing with everyday situations that arise in my life. Kushner's book is by the far the best. He gives you straightforward and understandable examples of the negative behavior that conflict in man's search for happiness.
From the opening pages Kushner had me! He hits the nail on the head when he says the lines "If you ask anybody what is more imporant - work or family? - without a doubt they answer family. But then ask them how much time they spend away from family by putting work ahead of family and making work more important than family obligations." (paraphrased) He has many of these observations that help the reader get some insight into how destructive these behaviors are towards our supposed goal of happiness. I highly, highly recommend this book - READ this BOOK!

A great book and one the everyone should read at some time in their lives!

Thanks again for getting me the book so fast and in such good condition!

Gary

A thoughtful, spiritual examination of why fame and fortune do not produce happiness, and why "average" and "successful" people often feel emptiness in their lives. Many brief anecdotes are used to illustrate the author's observations, which are linked to the book of Ecclesiastes.
Read by the author. You will read (or listen to) this more than once!

Kushner is a sage and this book is a classic. As always Kushner's knits together wonderful stories, quotes, and historical observations that are always on the mark and move his thoughts forward. The disease that plagues our age is overconsumption and Kushner invites the reader to step away from the table of materialism and instead search out the things that really matter.

If you have children... This is the book for you. This is a LAUGH REALLY OUT LOUD book. I have passed this book around to about a half a dozen people. And they say the same. Husbands and wives alike. I wish KEN would write another book or find a book just as funny. It's a MUST read if you have children.

Ken is a master at capturing the parent's view of children. Our collective joy, frustration, and humor is encapsulated in this highly recommended book.

Any generation and believe it or not single people too can relate to the family life potrayed in Ken Swarners antics of his family life.

I received the book for Mothers Day, and jokingly accused my grown-up-sons of contributing ideas to it. It was that easy to share warm hearted memories and stories with family members after I had read it.

A Great Gift to read and save to pass down to the next generation of parents. (God Be Their Mercy)

This was a very funny book. The incidents were a reminder of what we faced raising our children. I hope Mr Swarner will do another book with the updates.

Got our copy about two weeks ago and have been smiling ever since (people generally refer to me as the "Grouch" so the book has helped).

Truly though, Ken has a unique style of reality and humor. He mixes them well in each episode of the book. It is definitely a "keeper" and I am recommending to all my e-mail friends.

I purchased "Yoga Kids: Education for the whole child through yoga" by Marsha Wenig for about $30 on Amazon.A few minutes after placing my order I visited the Yoga Kids website and found the SAME book for $18.I feel very ripped off by Amazon and Marsha Wenig.

Adults who are new to yoga can learn a lot from this book, regarding the principles and philosophies of yogs. This is a very well-rounded resource. My daughter is only three so she cannot do everything yet, but there is still plenty. I'm glad that she will be able to grow into this book and continue to find new things within it. I particularly like the charts in the back of the text that suggest music and picture books or poems that complement the poses. This is simply THE BEST yoga book for adults and kids to use together.

I love this book. It is so colorful and the kids are so cute. The book provides tons of examples of how to adapt yoga poses for kids in a way that is fun and creative. Also, the colorful design and photography are fantastic! this book should be in every parent's library. Kids today definitely need to move and stretch more, and this book is a book way to start. I edited a book that combines yoga-like poses with brain development activities. Please take a look at it, too! Power Brain Kids

This book is an excellent resource for teaching yoga to young children in a controlled, fun and exciting way. I am a preschool teacher and mom and have had just wonderful results! It's a must-have!

I use this in my classroom and the kids love it! We have a great time exploring, relaxing, and playing the games.

This book is just one man's opinions and theories. Although I tend to read more into the Soto school, this book helped me realize that there is much more to Rinzai Zen than just Koans. And that there is a great amount of Zen philosophy out there other than Dogen's.
I have been following the idea that the highest attainment is when the man of the world and the man of spirit become one. So I've been trying to find out more about inner alchemy of Taoism and actualization of enlightenment in Zen. The last chapter puts it nicely. I loved his comments on the ox herder and the development of Holy Buddhahood. It goes to show that unlike other spiritualities, the highest attainment in Zen is not a deep Enlightenment. That is just the beginning. It is true actualization of realization.

Concrete methods on how to use your body to influence your mind. Zen is purposely confusing at times to shock you out of your habitual way of consciousness... confusion with purpose. This book sets the stage for any beginner to start studying zen.

You won't find these in any other book: explanation of how to create the necessary tension in the tanden to initiate samadhi (a definite prerequisite for that state); and an explanation of awareness based on the "three nen actions" involving reflections on immediate prior conciousness resulting in a continuity of awareness thus creating the illusion of a substantial unchanging self. However, I do agree with a previous reviewer who recommends the practice of Qigong as an important support for meditation. Qigong will most efficiently and powerfully supply the energy the tanden requires to produce samadhi. You may not find these two disciplines (Zen and Qigong) melded anywhere, which is a pity since they compliment each other perfectly and accelerate progress on the path. Therefore, Sekida's book together with "Energy Medicine..." (Hiew/Yap) and "Opening the Energy Gates..." (Frantzis) will provide the foundation for Samadhi.

I learned to do zazen from this book a long time ago. While I now have had a couple of teachers, the approach to zazen that I learned from Sekida has served me well on this path. I'll probably wind up teaching zen myself someday, and this is the book that I will be giving to my students. All of the other philosophical and historical books about zen are certainly useful, so we all know where the tradition came from, but this is the only really clear book about how to do zen meditation that I have ever read. Everything that Sekida explains about the long-term results of meditation, from off-sensation (which Sekida describes wonderfully) on to positive and absolute samadhi, I can verify that all of it is correct. There's no mumbo-jumbo here. For anybody who really wants to try zen meditation but cannot find a teacher (or doesn't want a teacher, which is also fine) then this is the book you should be reading and re-reading.

You won't get this kind of instruction even if you are lucky enough to have a teacher. Zen teaching tends to glance off the practical and let you stumble around looking for your own way. This book -- and only this book, of all the books I have read or considered reading -- imparts practical, step by step instruction on exactly how to practice zazen.

The three jewels are buddha, dharma, and sangha. Sekida cannot hand these jewels to you on a silver platter, but he can spare you many frustrating hours on the cushion if you're beginning -- or continuing -- your practice.

If you're serious about zazen, shove those guided meditation and newage [sic] music CDs to the bottom of your wish list, and buy this book.

My qualifications: Four years of daily practice, one year of practice with a sangha. That parses out to three years of stubbornly stumbling around on my own. I recommend a little less stumbling and a lot more practice.

This book, like Stephen Flynn's "Edge of Disaster" succinctly dissects the problems we face in warding off terrorism at home and exposes our vulnerabilities. They are large - ports, shipping, energy infrastructure, chemical plants, food processing facilities, for openers.
Flynn describes the problem only too well,

At the root of the problem is the Department of Homeland Security's secrecy, lack of internal coordination, turf battles, and incompatabile data base systems. Equally problematic is the complacency of the AMerican people, who are being shielded from the realities by a patronizing government.

Flynn ascribes the current situation to be comparable to the "phony war" between the time of the nazi attack in Poland in 1939, and the invasion and capitulation of France in the SPring of 1940 because of failure to consider, plan and consider new battlefield tactics. In short, the French (and also the British, were using WOrld War I tactics to fight new German panzer tactics. The parallels of today's attitudes and the last days of the Roman EMpire also are, indeed, chilling.

The government is not the only culprit that lulls our citizens into complacency. In my personal opinion, the news media does not help with its focus on the trivial, a hiding of coverage of the war on terror, and seldom reviewing the vulnerabilities Flynn covers so well and rallying our citizenry to the realities of what's at stake.

The solutions?: Active involvement of citizens; Active involvement of government with relevant private industry; open communicatioan with all relevant players in state and local government; making infrastructure sufficiently resilient that terrorists no longer find a potential target attractive.

WHat is needed, and implied, is a revival of an approach pioneered by NASA in the early 1960's when they had to establish operational paradigms and procedures for which there was no precedent. It's called 'conceptual blockbusting'. FLynn's book will help us get there, if everyone reads it.

Flynn quotes Abraham Lincoln concerning new paradigms:

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate for the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with uncertainty, and we must rise to the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country."

It's as relevant now in the war on terro as it was in 1962.

BUY this book, and buy extra copies for your loved ones and closest friends.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the short comings of our Homeland Security Department. I initially bought the book after thumbing through it and finding a section on the lack of security with our cargo containers, a specific worry of mine.

This book not only breaks down where we are vulnerable, it explains why and offers workable solutions as to how to reduce this vulnerability. The book is a bit frightening in a way, when you read and realize how vulnerable we really are, even after 6 years of security measures. Why isn't more being done? What are the government officials covering up?

What makes this book hit like a sledgehammer is the credentials of the author. He was a Coast Guard Commander for 20 years, an expert in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He has been on Congressional Task forces studying the problems in homeland security as well as serving in the White House Military Office during President George H. Bush administration and director for Global Issues on the National Security Council during the Administration of President Bill Clinton. Stephen Flynn is obviously an expert on this issue and his words should be given their due weight.

Bottom line, insightful, a bit frightening, definitely a book to read if you like current events or really want to know how safe we actually are.

This book focuses practically entirely on the vulnerabilities of the American homeland, and offers some suggestions that could begin to lay the foundation for protecting those vulnerabilities. The book does not talk about the war on terror in the terms of the offensive operations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, intelligence matters, and targeted killings of Al-Qaeda at all.

The author's cogent argument rests on the concept of defense in depth. In addition to offensive operations to route out the terrorists, we also need to make our homeland less susceptible to successful attack and more resilient to the aftermath of the inevitable one that slips through the net.

The homeland is defined not just as American territory, but extends to include the global commercial, transportation, trading, and financial networks that are central to our way of life and our economy. This represents a rich field of targets for terrorists, with successful attacks being able to ripple through the networks and cause continuing and ongoing damage. Flynn opens his book with a scenario of an attack on shipping containers, and transportation links with radiological devices. The hypothetical comes off as very plausible and sobering.

The remainder of the book talks about what the major vulnerabilities of America are, such as chemical plants, food distribution, overextended medical systems via biological or chemical attacks, etc. He shows that we currently lack the capabilities, organizational structure, and practices to adequately secure these vulnerabilities.

He provides what are really "glimpses" of possible solutions to these problems, including RFID tracking of cargo containers and food shipments with embedded WMD sensors, government security standards for critical and hazardous infrastructure (nuke plants, water treatment facility chlorine gad tanks, etc.) continuing reorganization at the federal, state and local level to focus on security, insurance measures, and a particularly innovative concept to enlist private company participation patterned after the Federal Reserve system.

However at the length of this short and easily readable (if not pleasently readable) book Flynn cannot go into detail. The cost and time of implementing such systems are not gone into in a satisfactory manner, but that's not the point of the book.

The point of the book is that the government needs to do more to protect our homefront. Flynn convincingly makes his case, and provides reasonable guidelines about how to improve upon the situation.

A good read for American citizens who want to ensure that we are doing the best we can to protect our civilization.

That is how one of the chapters starts. It's a matter of when the next terrorist attack will happen, not if it will happen, according to the author, Stephen Flynn.

With absolute simplicity, common sense logic, and an irrefutable argument, he demonstrates how and why our government is failing to protect us from the terrorist threat. Industry and government are not willing to take the time and the money required to provide greater security for a war on terrorism that will never end.

Our water and food supplies, our chemical plants, and our ports are alrmingly unsecure from terrorist attack. Flynn creates a terrorist scenario demonstrating how the terrorist threat can become reality. He asserts our enemies are willing to spend the time to create the act of terror, while we are not willing to spend the time defending ourselves to foil it.

He blames industries which see no benefit in spending the money on security which will be passed on to their consumers, while non-security minded companies will maintain lower prices and take business away from the security-conscious ones.

This means that congress must act. It must set security standards that will be implemented across each industry thus spreading the cost to everyone. So far, congress, not wanting to offend their million dollar contributors have done nothing. Flynn also suggests that Americans must be willing to make the sacrifices necessary for this security.

We are operating on a World War II mentality i.e. the best defense is a good offense by taking the fight to their countries. That is not what Flynn recommends. Terrorists will always be able to get into this country. We must strengthen our security at home which will take years of dedicated preparation and action.

The author's book is a siren song. The beginning of his fourth chapter bears repeating as a end to this review. "When it comes to dealing with the new security agenda, Americans need to grow up....Terrorism is simply too cheap, too available, and too tempting ever to be totally eradicated. We must have the maturity both to live with the risk of future attacks and to invest in reasonable measures to rein in that risk."

For those who use the argument that we haven't been attacked since 9/11, remember, it took five years of planning. 9/11 is now more than five years ago. Truly, American apathy and complacency are the terrorists' greatest allies.

This is a clearly written, well reasoned book on how to provide real security for the U.S. homeland. To his credit, its author Stephan Flynn wastes no time either in partisan bashing of the current administration or in dissecting the many faults of the Department of Homeland Security. Rather he immediately shares his analysis of why domestic security in the U.S .is such an elusive goal. In the course of a number of chapters he builds a pretty strong case that in spite of all the talk, the U.S. is just as vulnerable to terrorist attacks as it was in 2000 before the 9/11 catastrophe. Flynn provides some specific examples what these vulnerabilities are and is especially effective in his analysis of shipping port vulnerabilities as a result of the exponential growth of containerized shipping. He also provides what appears to be a sensible and more importantly doable plan to actually reduce our vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks. He is an advocate of applying that long held business concept of `risk management' to the practice of homeland security. Like Richard Posner (Preventing Surprise Attacks - amazon.com) he points out the impossibility of making the U.S. completely immune to any terrorist threat and argues that it makes far better sense to rationally and logically identify which potential targets in the U.S. would cause the most loss of life and economic or social disruption if attacked and build a dynamic and multilayered defensive system to protect those targets.

Of course, Flynn is a former Coast Guard officer so his prescriptions for protecting America are practical not theoretical. Having spent twenty years protecting U.S. interests in our coastal waters, his thought on how to protect this country is based on a realistic understanding of the threats we face and a knowledge of what actually can be done to mitigate those threats. It is a shame that the Department of Homeland Security has not seen fit to follow his example.