Associations Books

"A Field Guide To Type 2 Diabetes provides a fine resource covering
everything from initial diagnosis to common complications." -- Midwest Book Review

"Written very clearly, though without illustrations, this is a straightforward, unemotional, comprehensive guide for both those newly diagnosed and those who have had diabetes for many years."
-- Massachusetts General Hospital, Treadwell Library, Oct. 2004

As a newly diagnosed diabetic I found this book to be the easiest to understand and most informative one I read. Everything was clearly written and I felt all pertinent topics were discussed.

Book Review for Voice of the Diabetic
Vol. 19, #4, Fall Edition
by Ruth Mencl, MN RN CDE
Diabetes Program Manager
Saint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, MO

August 2nd, 2004


American Diabetes Association. A Field Guide to Type 2 Diabetes: The Essential Resource from the Diabetes Experts

This book delivers as advertised. The format is similar to a travel guide, which makes it easy to find the destination (or topic) of choice and go directly to it. Tables and charts allow for a quick reference to facts about laboratory tests or medications. The addition of a personal touch, such as comments from actual patients on topics taken from the ADA web site, give it a unique focus as compared to other diabetes fact books.

The Field Guide pays special attention to everyday issues that people with diabetes face, such as finding medical services or dealing with a doctor who is not very interested in diabetes. These are issues that it might take several years for a patient to address, especially if they don't attend diabetes classes or support groups. This is a comprehensive resource, written by well-known diabetes experts, which serves as a good beginner's guide to the nuts and bolts of diabetes.

This was a great book to see the signs of trouble at work and whether you should fight once fired. Especially in present times, when company loyalty is gone people need this.

I read this book in 1999 (previous edition) and while I've not read the latest edition, this book provides as much information as possible - an attempt in bridging the gap between what you should know and "employment law". This book is no guarantee that in fighting back you will win - but it does tell you what you should know when getting canned. Far too few people truly understand their rights under employment law and big business knows it and the workforce populus in general is frequently taken advantage of because of it. If you live in an "at will" state - as an employee you have very few ways to fight back.

Read, know your rights, act and react appropriately, and stand your ground. But remember, losing your job may simply be a matter of economics or politics - good companies will treat you with dignity, bad companies will trash you - and they don't care! Remember these few maxims: 1. Sometimes HR is a four-letter word! 2. Company loyalty does not exist. 3. Plan for your retirement yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. 4. Anyone who is not management doesn't share in the profits but pays for the loss in profits. 5. Management and executives will "always win" - its a sad fact of business life.

The average employee will never see a golden parachute in their lifetime - - again.

I found this book by accident while browsing at Borders. At first I thought it was only for people who had been fired. In fact, it is an invaluable set of tools for figuring out if your job is at risk and for handling any termination process so that you "win" even if losing your job. This author, whoever he is, really understands the physics of the workplace and the psychology of those on both sides of the tabel. It is a book I will re-read several times.

In this day and age, anyone can be fired. The title of this book is a bit misleading in that it suggests that it is focused on getting back at your ex-employer. In fact, though it does a very good job on that subject, it is absolutely essential to read before anything bad happens. Great sections on how to handle the termination interview and how to negotiate severance

It was a delight to read/reread Leinster's material. Much of it was familiar, from years of collecting and reading pulps, but there was some that was new to me and all of it was fun to read.

These are some of the best sci-fi short stories I have read. Yes, the stories are dated, but the imagination, mystery and wonder are awesome. The Castaway is one of the finest. I recommend Forgotten Planet by Murray Leinster as well, if you can find it. Happy reading!!!

Murray Leinster was very hot in the world of science fiction -- several decades ago. As the years wore on, he was largely forgotten, except for one story of his, "First Contact." "First Contact" has appeared in numerous "Best of" collections and won a "Retro-Hugo" (a Hugo handed out for work in a year when there were no Hugos, 1946). Now you can have "First Contact" (I'm not the only one who thinks it's the best first contact story ever.) along with 23 other great (some are classic) tales from S.F.'s golden age. You'll be suprised at how well these hold up. Plus this book is a real treat. It's on acid-free paper, and it's a well-bound, solid hardcover.

I read this in less than a week. My 'First Contact' with Murray Leinster floored me. The style of Leinster's writing is provacative; his diction, use of tone tone and image, are as advanced as any literary writer in any field. There isn't one weak story in this book! The stories, though dating as far back as the thirties, hold up as well as any modern work I can think of. Especially interesting is 'Plague on Kryder II,' which describes a disease that affects one's immune system and causes one to get disease after disease. It was almost as if he had heard about AIDS in 1964. I'm so impressed that I went right out and bought every book I could find by Leinster and am in the process of reading them right now. You wont't be disappointed.

I like this book because it shows you how to deal with problems

This is a great book and is helpfull for beginers and buyers

This book tells you how to buy a horse how to groom a horse, feeding a horse, bridling, saddling and much more

This is a great book and is helpfull for people who want to buy things

Great Book!
Saw Beswick at the SMU coaching clinic and he was absolute spot on in his presentation on the role of the coach and the development of the player in the modern game of soccer.

As a thirteen year veteran of coaching high school and club soccer, it is hard for me not to view any book with a bit of skepticism. So upon purchasing this book I was intrigued to see what Beswick had to say and not positive he could teach me anything new. I was dead wrong, he is fantastic and much of what he writes about can be transferred to sports other than soccer. I was especially impressed with his ideas and examples of assessment tools for coaches and for player self-reflection. I have already begun to create my own versions of them in order to use them with my side this fall. A highly recommended read for players and coaches alike.

Bill Beswick, one of the world's premier sports psychologists (currently employed by England and Manchester United) and an accomplished coach in his own right, has written a book that is destined to take a place on the priority reading list of all aspiring soccer coaches. In it, he describes the mental, emotional, psychological, and lifestyle aspects of a complete player. The book is full of tables, checklists, and charts for self and team assessment, and the book has been beautifully tailored so as to be applicable for both coaches and players. The main strength of this book, though, is its practical recommendations for every topic it addresses (visualization, self-control, team cohesion, confidence, and mental toughness to name a handful). For example, Beswick gives the example of a striker who is not scoring goals in the chapter on confidence. How does the coach, in cooperation with the player, address the situation to help him regain confidence? Beswick asserts that other components of his job description should be brought to his attention (by asking the player), and that he should be encouraged to self-evaluate his performance based on how well he completed all of the aspects of his job description, not just scoring goals. This may sound like a "feel good" tactic at first glance, but Beswick also provides case studies of specific players at the highest levels who were positively affected by this approach (In this case, Dean Sturridge of Derby County). The book encourages a holistic approach to both coaching and playing, and discusses the benefits and potential pitfalls along the way to creating that holistic balance within a team and its players. Indeed, this is the kind of coaching and type of player that must prevail in the future if soccer is to continue to grow and develop, and Bill Beswick has done the sport of soccer and those who love it a distinct service by writing this book.

Bill Beswick is the world's leading sports psychologist for soccer. He works with leading European clubs. In this book, he not only tells you what you need to know, he shows you how to put it to work! He shares real-world examples from his work with the European clubs to show you how it works. I was at the NSCAA Convention this year and last year and his sessions were standing-room-only.

Freedom's Sword is a hugely impressive and thorough undertaking. At the same time, Jonas' heart and soul clearly shine through. A must read for any student of American history, government, political science or the civil rights movement.

gilbert jonas provides a fascinating first-person look at the events and personalities that shaped an important era in our nation's history. highly recommended.

This book is an exciting account of an often overlooked and very important part of United States Twentieth Century history. It is a scholarly and at the same time passionate telling of the events in the 1920's to 1950's that culminated in the civil rights movement of the 1960's. Excellent footnotes, especially helpful for those who may wish to do further study.

Because of his many years of connections with the NAACP, only Gil Jonas could have written such a thorough history of this important period in the life of the NAACP and the country. The detail is extravagant and very readable. This is a must for anyone interested in civil rights and race relations in the USA.
Murray Frank

This year has been sad with the passing of Phil Frank, one of the 'Greats' of the comic strip meduim. "Fur and Loafing in Yosemite" is a collection of almost 200 of Phil's cartoons that are about his wonderful Yosemite-based Bears. With Bruinhilda, Alphonse, Franklin, Floyd and Olaf, the subject matter ranges from Trash-Can Dining to a crazy camping lady with a vacuum cleaner fetish.

I have seen a few bears in my day, {and I have drawn a couple as well} but Phil Frank drew the Greatest and Funniest Bears of all. These are about the finest Bruins in the Business, and they are very, very funny.
I cannot recommend this book enough...Yosemite, Bears, Phil Frank.
It doesn't get better than this, some of the Greatest cartoons of our time are right here in this wonderful collection of: "Fur and Loafing."
FIVE STARS !!!

Thank you, Mr. Frank! This book helped keep me going thorough a very busy and complicated week. And it will help me again. Very funny -- and like the best humor, based on fact.

As a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Chronicle in general and "Farley" in particular (as well as a total Yosemite freak!), each summer I look forward to the inevitable installments involving Phil Frank's bear trio (proprietors of "The Fog City Dumpster" restaurant in SF) and neatnik camper Mrs. Melmac (who immediately sets off bug bombs in the area around her massive RV when she arrives for the summer) in Yosemite Valley. So you can imagine my delight when I found that all those terrific strips were put in one magnificent collection!

Every summer the bears and Mrs. Melmac take off for Yosemite - Mrs. Melmac in her RV, the bears whichever way they can (one year they hijacked a SF Muni bus) and the fun begins! It's great to be able to relive these moments over and over. Two thumbs up!

I've travelled cross country six times in the last ten years to visit Yosemite. I laughed till my sides hurt reading this book. I really enjoyed the Bear Clan poking fun at the park Vistors "Your Space? I was born here, you smarmy little yuppie!"

I was looking for more specific information on plants, this is truly a "gardening" book, helping with layout, soil, etc. Good value, though

checked this out from the library, but had to purchase it! first of all, i knew NOTHING about gardening, so this gave me a starting point and help with the basics. i am slowly learning ... and have started my first vegetable garden! while there are very FEW pictures, the info itself was valuable to me. i have a book that is chock-full of pics, but the text is designed for a more advanced gardener. i love to look at that (other) book, but i needed something very basic to begin with- and this is it! good price for all the info you get. a must for those just starting out from scratch! good luck & have fun with your hands in the dirt!

Great book. Wonderful service and fast delivery. Thank you.

A must read to all those new to gardening. It is a simple, easy to read and will give you a general understand of all aspects of gardening.

This book is written in the typical style and format of all the Dummy books and is great!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is nice to finally see that the truth about General Longstreet is being published. He was an amazing man! My only complaint is that the book was too short. I wish they could make this book into a movie!

This is a great book. It really looks at Longstreets ability to look at a battlefield differently than his peers. Many of the ideas that he employeed were used in WW 1 and WW 2 and are in some respects valid today. Longstreet; from a histroians view point must be looked as a visionary that could have changed the course of the Civil War. Great book!

In a letter to a friend in the 1890s James Longstreet wrote that he was prepared to leave this world but felt that he'd like to have some errors about his record corrected first. He passed away in 1904 without achieving his goal. Sadly, in 2007, Longstreet's reputation must still endure the slander of writers who mistakenly claim to be historians. Lt. Col. Knudsen's book General James Longstreet: The Confederacy's Most Modern Soldier, is a clear step in the right direction. Lt. Col. Knudsen, is an army artillery officer with 20 years experience that includes several schools such as the Command General Staff College. His area of expertise is in integrating fire support into the maneuver plan and fire control/artillery computation in cannon units. He has also been an evaluator and instructor of artillery operations, fire support, and maneuver planning and execution responsible for National Guard units in the Western half of the United States. Additionally he has taught ROTC at Claremont McKenna College, CA, and saw combat during Desert Storm performing extensive artillery fire planning and execution in support of U.S. forces for the length of the war. He has a Masters degree in Liberal Arts from Georgetown University.

With this expertise, Lt. Col. Knudsen sheds significant light on the achievements of Longstreet during the Civil War. Knudsen objectively analyzes Longstreet's performances in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga and the siege in Petersburg, and uses them to demonstrate the tactical and strategic abilities Longstreet developed during the course of the war. The first two chapters explain how Longstreet's reputation was slanderously depicted and how professional officers from both armies viewed tactics and strategy as the war commenced. Chapter two concludes that "The next battle [Fredericksburg] would not only bring the South a major victory, but Longstreet would give the world a glimpse of twentieth century warfare." A thorough review of these battles identifies the tactics used and how Longstreet and several of his peers reacted to them. Knudsen compares the strategy of both Longstreet and Lee and presents a compelling case for the former.

Considering the level of expertise of the author, this book is very readable and interesting, even for those with little military experience. It should be mandatory reading for all students of the war and military evolution, and especially important for those with aspirations of writing Civil War military history. Perhaps now Lt. Gen. Longstreet may rest in greater peace as his proper reputation as a military leader is being restored.

This is the first book produced which attempts to objectively analyze James Longstreet's ability and skill as a professional soldier and his strategic vision in the Civil War. Although in need of some editorial trimming and grammatical tweaking, this paperback volume is still a very good read. The author devotes the introduction to an analysis of the "Lost Cause" mentality which has dominated the South's historical writings until recent times and how it effected the disappearance of Longstreet's innovative lessons in modern warfare from the tomes of later military strategists and student reading lists. The rest of the book is a rather astute discussion of why Longstreet was actually the best combat soldier of the Civil War. Simple said, Longstreet's use of staff, his use of "blitzrieg movements" and "in depth" attack, his innovations in trench warfare and centralized indirect fire, his "Western theatre" strategy and use of interior lines, his use of large strategic movements of troops and materials, as well as a host of other innovations helped make obsolete the use of Napoleonic and Jominian Theory in Civil War combat and facilitated the movement towards the twentieth century trench warfare of WWI and the Blitzkrieg of WWII. Of secondary note, it is interesting and satisfying to see the inexorable approaching destruction of the "anti-Longstreet" cabal which has for so many years been able to hide the greater talents of this Civil War general in a blanket of "Lost Cause" hate. Do you ever wonder why Lee wanted Longstreet as second in command and had his commission as a Lt. Gen. dated one day before that of Stonewall Jackson's. There should be no doubt about why Longstreet represented the "crème de la crème" of Civil War generals after reading this book.

Most school-age children grow up learning about George Washington Carver, and about all his wonderful inventions with peanuts. In fact, because of these inventions, he became known as "The Peanut Man," an identity that George Washington Carver wanted to shed.

George was born to a slave woman in southern Missouri, but when he was young his mother was kidnapped and he never saw her again. George and his brother Jim were raised by the farm owners, and treated as their own kids. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Carver encouraged George to further his education when they realized how talented he was with plants.

George went on to go to school and colleges, eventually earning his master's degree in Iowa before being called to Alabama to work. When he first arrived there, he was shocked by the poverty and devastation. He quickly developed the motto "Make grass grow"-and he promptly did just that, made grass grow on the campus, and then in the agriculture department that he directed.

There are some facts that are misrepresented about George in public education--for instance, I always heard that George Washington Carver invented peanut butter. According to this book, he didn't, but did come up with several other imaginative uses for it.

I read the book in one sitting out loud to my 12- and 6-year-old daughters. I appreciated how educational it was, but it was a bit hard to read all at once. It didn't hold my six-year-olds attention long either. My older daughter, on the other hand, was fascinated by the story as this was more information than she'd ever seen on this interesting historical character.

George Washington Carver is highly recommended for public school teachers, and home school students alike. Stock full of information, your child (and you!) are sure to go away with little known tidbits about this wonderful inventor.

Armchair Interviews says: Most interesting and educational.

Books about George Washington Carver are typically written for an older age range, so it's refreshing to find a picturebook biography on the subject complete with color illustration and vintage black and white photos throughout. Kids in grades 3-5 will find it most accessible, following his early life as a slave and orphan, his college achievement as the first Afro-American to attend Iowa State, and to his work in conservation. An outstanding coverage, not to be missed!

Bolden, Tonya. George Washington Carver. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2008.

This very handsomely designed book chronicles the life of an extraordinary man. His story unfolds in clear informative text and fascinating archival photographs and other visuals including Carver's own scientific drawings and artistic paintings. It documents his heroic persistence to obtain a college education in a country laced with racism and then describes his impressive career as a researcher and educator. Carver taught and modeled a "waste not, want no" philosophy, believed that "every human need could be met by things that grow" and when he could no longer teach funded the creation of a foundation that would benefit students in the future. We need a teacher like him even more in the early twenty-first century. This absorbing, respectful and inspiring biography belongs on every library shelf.

In New York City, the early months of the year are known for two things: Cheek chilling winds of a bitter nature, and assigned biographies of famous people. All around the city children and their parents scramble to find something ANYTHING on their assigned subjects. And in February's Black History Month some familiar names start to crop up. "Harriet Tubman. Do you have ANY Harriet Tubman books?" "Jackie Robinson. I'll take whatever you have." "I'm sorry, but do you have any books on," glances down at paper, "George Washington Carver?" It's funny, but a librarian can start to get a little picky about the biographies they're handing out after a while. We have a couple George Washington Carver books on our shelves. There's Aliki's A Weed Is a Flower and of course David Adler's A Picture Book of George Washington Carver. You'll find some books for older kids as well, but these are usually either too complex for the fourth graders who need them, or too dull. So imagine my delight when I heard that Tonya Bolden not only had a new biography coming out, but that it was also going to be on George Washington Carver! My personal philosophy when it comes to biographies is that you can never have too many on one subject or another, and to my mind no children's author has ever done this man justice. Now, with eye-popping visuals and a great deal of research, Bolden presents a man who accomplished much more than merely finding a use or two for the peanut.

Born during the Civil War, George was raised by a couple that had owned his mother before him. Quick to learn, if a bit sickly, George had an affinity for the natural world around him and was as interested in art as he was in working with plants. He got his schooling at the Neosho school and after a variety of jobs he attended college and became the first black professor at what is now Iowa State University. Booker T. Washington was quick to pick up on George's skills and convinced him to come to the Tuskegee Institute. There, Washington did everything he could to teach others about revering and respecting nature. He helped farmers learn how to yield better crops and make the most from their land. He found infinite uses for the peanut and the soybean. In 1943 he died, but his legacy of caring for the earth and its products lives on and is more important now than ever.

As I read through this book, it became pretty clear that I knew next to nothing about Carver aside from his peanut-related accomplishments. Right from the start Bolden sucks you into his strange and interesting story. Born during the Civil War, George and his mother were kidnapped by raiders when he was a baby. George was rescued. His mother was not and he never saw her again. I also didn't know that his notoriety as "the Peanut Man" was around even during his lifetime and that he had to fight against it, to some extent. I was particularly grateful for Bolden's Afterword too, which is not afraid to bring up criticisms of Washington that he was a "non-threatening Negro" because he did not openly protest segregation. I respect any children's book which isn't afraid to show a little of its subject matter's complexity. To me, this Afterword fits the bill.

If Tonya Bolden is known for anything, it may be for her remarkable ability to write visually stimulating, interesting biographies without a lot of photographic elements on hand. Her Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl was an excellent example of this. With Carver she has had a slightly easier time of it. Somehow she was able to find great photos of many of the important people in Carver's life as well as images of him as young as thirteen or so. The book is designed to resemble a photo album both in its paper and in the lovely little corners that look as if they are holding each photograph in place. I also found it interesting that Bolden would sometimes, perhaps with space in mind, put interesting tidbits in her photo captions and not the proper text. For example, George was raised by Susan and Moses Carver who were opposed to slavery. Says the caption next to their photographs, "Some suggest that George's mother was a mercy purchase, but it is unclear why she was not therefore immediately freed."

Sometimes it's a lot easier to write a biography about a firecracker. Writing one about a quiet man who enjoyed painting flowers is heads and tails more difficult, but no less important. In one section Bolden says, "If he had had the temperament of a Frederick Douglass or an Ida B. Wells, he might have packed away that microscope and raised rallies for equality of opportunity and against night riders and lynch mobs. Carver was no magician, no Douglass, no Wells. He was his own unique self with much to offer flowing from his innate and studied insights into nature's ways and gifts." As such, I've read few biographies of quiet scientific people that quite compare to Bolden's beautiful 41-page title. She shows how our contributions to the world hinge upon the gifts we choose to use.