United States Books

This book has some interesting things for the diy type of person that I never considered doable on a small scale before.

This particular book is as it's title implies Back To Basics. It is an excellent book which will give you a historic view of how things were done in the past and give you a foundation to build your skills on.

In the event of a disaster, it will give you guide lines on how to do tasks and build skills to help you come out on top of many situations that can result from a natural disaster, a financial disaster and hone your survival skills. I recommend it for this reason.

While the book is out of print, it is still available at a reasonable cost through the connections that Amazon.com offers.

We have found this resource wonderful. There's more in this book than I could have asked for gardening, preserving, how to chop would, how to make tools... Our 10 year old son enjoys reading it too and learning about how to really make items that he would use. We were looking for a resource to help us "survive" if need be on our own, also we were looking for items that were more cost effective in this hard economy. Great resource!

One of my top ten books. I am an avid outdoorsman and believe in being prepared(Boy Scout Motto) to take care of one's self "off the grid". This book might as well be my bible. It does skim a little on some subjects but on the whole it gives a thorough enough explanation of all the skills one would need to scout out, build, propagate, and flourish on a frontier farm. Excellent illustrations to accompany all the subjects.

My only thing to change about it would be a slightly larger thickness of stock for the pages. I know this would make this rather large book even heavier but the pages have a tendency to bunch and fall midway through the book. A slight qualm about an otherwise flawless book. Read it flat to avoid this problem.

If you want to learn about how to be completely self sufficient I highly recommend this book.

This illustrated book has been published chiefly for those who are new to country living, and/or who have an interest in self-sufficiency and in retrieving some of the "lost arts" which are appurtenant to traditional country life. The information is mostly introductory and rudimentary... a good start for most folks new to these areas of interest.

I have lived in the foothills of rural Appalachia for 55 years and have been involved in carrying out nearly all the construction, activities, arts, and crafts found within this text. Some of the text, (along with the accompanying drawings and photos), is quite good. The information is solid and one can get started along the right track; however, the work goes astray (the publishers sort of "threw in the kitchen sink"), into areas which are not particularly relevant to traditional country living. The editors simply went too far afield when they got into topics such as "Winter Sports," "Kayaking and Rafting," "Foraging for Flour and Emergency Rations," and so on. Most of these subjects are tagged on at the end, I felt just to make the book longer, (it's plenty long enough at 456 pages!)

Additionally, on topics such as "Emergency First Aid," "Fly Fishing" (and fish identification), and "Recipes," there are obligatory sections, none of which are all that useful since these are subjects, any one of which could fill volumes. Had these areas of specific interest been omitted, the more appropriate topics could have been somewhat expanded, such as "Barn Building" or "Preserving Meat and Fish".

There is a far superior (albeit, much older) version of this sort of book which was published by Reader's Digest some years ago: READER'S DIGEST BACK TO BASICS. I can highly recommend it and I've referred to my worn copy time after time.

While there is quite a great deal of quality information in this Skyhorse Publishing Third Edition (2008) for those seeking a new or improved life in the rural countryside, I still feel that the editors strayed off-base to the point that I cannot heartily recommend the work.

This is a great book for kids, even young ones around 2.5 years old. It's an engaging story and my son loves the part where the man wakes up to find his hats gone, and looks up and sees all the monkeys wearing the hats! He asks me to read it everynight, and remembers the phrase "caps for sale."

I loved this book as a child and I love sharing it with my children.

Years ago, a unique peddler stood out from other salespeople because he carried all his goods on top of his head. He neatly stacked a bunch of gray, brown, blue, and red caps in a single pile and carefully balanced them on his head as he walked through town, calling "Caps! Caps for Sale! Fifty cents a cap!" But alas, on this particular day, no one purchases a cap. With no money to buy lunch, the peddler opts for a walk and a nap in the countryside instead. His troubles multiply when he wakes up to the sight of a group of playful monkeys in the treetop, each wearing one of his caps for sale. How will he get the caps back?

This classic story, reissued in a new hardcover edition, does not grow old with its humor, ingenuity, and charm. Underlying the story is an important set of economics concepts related to buyers and sellers in the goods market. If the demand for caps had been a little stronger, the peddler may have been able to avoid this whole predicament, but therein lies the book's merriment. Caps for Sale gets top marks for delivering a story with substantive content that children will enjoy and remember.

This is one of the few books I remember my elementary school librarian reading to us during my childhood. I loved the story of the multi colored caps balancing on the peddler's head as he walked through town yelling "caps for sale!" Then to find that as he napped, his caps disappeared. Looking around for them post-nap, he discovers a band of monkeys in the tree wearing them. He tries to get the caps back but each time he yells at the monkeys, they just ape his actions. Finally they throw the caps down and he continues on his way selling his multi-colored caps. I highly recommend this book for all children. My daughter is 2, almost 3, and she also LOVES this story. She finds the monkeys funny - especially how I imitate their actions.

This makes the top ten list out of all the great picture books we read to our kids when they were young. I never tired of reading it. So simple, symmetric, even musical. The story? How does the peddler get the monkeys to give back all the caps they've stolen from him and carried up into the tree? Okay, I'm the publisher of One Monkey Books, so call me biased. But try this one on your three or five or year old, and really get into singing, "Caps for sale! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" It's been around for ages already, and this book will still be there when your kids are having kids. Nutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1

This book has been around a few years now, but it is still one of my favorite book marketing books. It covers all aspects of book marketing thoroughly, and it does it in a charming way. The authors are well-known for their books on self-publishing, and with this book they have given us their wisdom on marketing. The book is filled with useful tips, and there is no doubt that you will be "charged up" and ready to market your book when you finish reading this one. Almost all aspects of marketing are covered, but it was written before the internet came into extensive use, so the coverage on online marketing is limited. This, however, does not detract from the book. It contains many highlighted (shaded) areas of useful suggestions, and it has a large number of diagrams. The "resource" section of the book would be particularly useful to anyone marketing their book. One thing that makes this book stand out is that it covers several topics that are not covered in other book of its type. Strongly recommended.

Great ideas abound in this book for start up publishers. Takes the guess work out of the equation. Cuts right to the chase.

I think that this book can be very helpful to any writer that wants to sell his/her book. I am using several of the ideas that I recieved in the book to sell my book 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and collectibles. it has increased my sales. Daryle

I've never read a more informative book. It not only points out what you should do to promote, it actually gives you the tools to do it. Both phone numbers and websites that will really help you. It is the first self help book that doesn't tell you what it is going to tell you, IT JUST TELLS YOU. How novel. It will take me weeks to implement all the information, but each step is clearly presented. If you write to sell you need this book as flowers need rain.

Do you know when you should start marketing your book? Marilyn Ross does, and in "Jump Start Your Book Sales" she reveals the answer. (Hint: It's before you start writing it!)

Before, during, and after -- in fact. Regardless of where you are in the writing and publishing process, book marketing should be at the forefront of your thinking. Is your book even marketable? What is the market? What length of book are those people used to buying? Why would they buy yours instead of (or in addition to) all the other similar books on the market? What will differentiate yours? These are the kind of questions you should be asking yourself even before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, as the case may be.

These strategic concepts are the bread and butter of the pages comprising "Jump Start." Don't be surprised if you find meat in the middle that you can really sink your teeth into. This isn't another rehash of duplicative information available for free from countless websites. This is the real deal, written by the co-founder of the Small Publishers Association of North America. Highly recommended reading before you start writing, before you start publishing, and after you think you've marketed it all. - Brent Sampson, author of Self-Publishing Simplified

He went pro at the age of 12; is credited with inventing nearly 80 tricks; won 73 contests in the course of his career; started his own (now multi-million dollar) company in 1992; had a PlayStation game named after him; reportedly rakes in over $1 million a year in endorsements (from The Gap, to Mountain Dew, to the "Got Milk?" campaigns); and during the 1999 X-Games, became the first man ever to land the 900.in the book he talks about how kids at school hassled him about how he skateboard and how he was pro. and it dident get much better for him because the older guys dident like the way he did his air's and they dident like his style I liked this book because it really shows what skaters have to go through with all the people that hassle you because you skate.

I received this hardback edition of Tony Hawk's autobiography at the Los Angeles Convention Center about 5 to 6 six years ago. It was the E3 convention and Tony was there to promote his new video game. I jumped at the opportunity and waited in line to have it personally signed. There is nothing but his name signed inside the cover with no (to/from) or anything like that. This book has never even been read yet. 1st edition and in mint condition. A steal for any Tony Hawk or skateboarding fan.

I'm sure you have heard of this skater he is very famous he was the very first person to land the 900. Can you guess who he is that's right its Tony Hawk. You could say Tony was unexpected until he was born. He said that his parents thought that they were going through a relaxing phase until he was born. When Tony's mom told his dad that he was born he had a heart attack. When he was getting older he began Pre-K and he really didn't like school. He would do anything to get out of school like cry or when his parents came to visit he would grab on to there leg and wouldn't let go or, he would grab on to the fence when his parents dropped him and he wouldn't let go so they had t pry his fingers of the fence. He would fallow the same routine over and over again each day. When he started Kinder garden he began to skate. Tony was really smart when he was little His teachers said he had a 12 year old brain in a 8 year old body. Tony fell on his head so many times (About 5 times) I think he broke a lot of bones when he was skating. Tony Hawk was very famous because he was the very first person to land the 900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to people that like to skate or people that just want to have a good laugh.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater

5 star pro skater? I don't think so. When he was born his dad had a heart attack but didn't die. When he was in pre-K he never wanted to go. So his daily routine is to cry so he didn't have to go and if that didn't work he hanged on to the fence until he could hold no more. He stated skating when he was about 7 or 8 he fell on his head so much but he still continued to skate. Every day before school he would skate the curb in front of his school until the bell rang. He would watch Sesame Street and he learned most of the stuff he learned was from Sesame Street like math with count and Spanish. But after school he would get a ride from his dad or someone from his family to go to the skatepark or he would ride his skateboard there.

His two front teeth were capped because he tried to do a frontside rock and role(Which is a skate trick)and fell into the ramp on his face. His first sponsor was dog town skate comp. But it didn't last that long until they ran out of business. He was called a pro amateur and there wasn't that much in the 70s. He officially turned pro in 1999.



I would recommend this book
To people who skate and who like to laugh.

To tell you the truth, I was suspect when I first saw this book. This probably has one of the lamer titles around. Fortunately, the book never had a dull moment. This book is well written and hilarious.

I think the temptation here is to give "Paddle to the Sea" five stars. After all, the book is a dazzling display of art and narrative, an educational and interesting tale. But five stars is the voice of the adult reviewer, and this book is mostly read by and to young children.

I was excited to stumble across this book in the library: I remembered it from my childhood. But I was surprised to find how little of the book I remembered. Mostly I remembered the general idea--perhaps my parents were not too keen on reading the entire book.

From the perspective of my daughter (nearly 6), the book was well worth reading, though not terribly compelling. She was curious to learn about Paddle's journey, and interested in the geography (we live right on the route). She liked many of the illustrations, though not nearly so much as I. The book is quite lengthy: it took us several bedtimes to finish it. I was drawn back to the book each night, eager for more of the art and story. I liked the altruism of the people who find Paddle, and the solidarity they show with a maker they will never meet. There is a beautiful selflessness in the land and in the people of the land. But I found that it was I who wanted to read the book each night, more so than my daughter. For young ones, the art is less impressive and the story is a bit slow. And since children's books ought to be ranked with children in mind, we'll have to give this book fewer stars than it otherwise deserves.

I purchased this as a gift for my daughter. She is delighted. The art work is beautiful. She was so happy I purchased the rest of the set and they are just as beautiful.

This is a great book to read. I would highly recommend this book and others by the author for fun reading and at the same time great learning opportunities.

I read this book 60 years ago as a young boy of 10. It made a tremendous impression on me with regards to the geography of the Great Lakes of the US and Canada. I was thrilled to find that it is still being printed and the pictures are the same as I remember--excellent. A wonderful story.

As others here have said, this is a true keeper. A babysitter read it to me when I was 10, and I never forgot it. I bought and read it to my kids when they were around that age, and they wouldn't let me put them to sleep without reading at least one chapter. It's educational, beautifully illustrated, and a touching story. I may have to fight with my kids over who gets to read it first to their kids! A treasure.

NOTE: My review does not regard the quality of the book, i.e., the writing, the plot, etc. Rather, the one star is strictly for PDF downloads from the book's publisher, iUniverse. Please be warned that iUniverse doesn't provide necessary info prior to ordering that could be used to decide on whether to buy the book or not. When I recently ordered a PDF download of a book from iUniverse, I was expecting an instant download. On the contrary, instead I got an e-mail from iUniverse saying my e-book would be coming eventually in an e-mail to follow. But after several days, that second e-mail never arrived, so I contacted customer service and they sent me a link to the book. (My complaint here is that iUniverse should say up front that their e-books are not instant downloads.) Next, upon getting the link, I downloaded the book to my work computer. That worked fine, but be warned that you can only view the book on the computer that it is downloaded to. You can't print the e-book, and you can't attach the e-book to an e-mail to send to your home computer. (So, my second complaint is that iUniverse should reveal this info up front, before a book is ordered.) I sure won't order any more e-books from iUniverse until they clean up their act. Spread the word!

I learned about Torpedo after a friend pointed me to the books of John Hindinger. Jeff Edwards and John Hindinger's books show up each other's pages, and since I liked Rogue Trident and Rogue Avenger, I gave Torpedo a shot.

My overall take on Torpedo - fun and clever! Edwards unfolds the plot like a chess match, except that the rules of the game roll out at along with the plot. Some of the plot seems contrived, but the author keeps it in the realm of plausible reality.

Torpedo moves fast, and Commander Jim Bowie is likable. However, character development is thin, as with many first effort (most?) naval novels. There are plenty of tidbits of naval fact sprinkled in here that I skimmed through, but I figure that most male readers would appreciate them. I did, however, really like some of the side stories like the `baked potato'. Of course, not enough female characters for me, but I've learned to excuse that when reading naval fiction.

I was thinking 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 for being clever and animated. I pretty much read it in a couple days and enjoyed it, and that's what matters.

Having been a reserve armed cavalry officer, I know little or nothing about submarines and destroyers. This novel was a fine education by somebody who clearly knows what he is talking about and, furthermore, very well written.
I join all before me in giving it my highest rating. If there is more where this came from, please let me know!

Jeff Edward's "Torpedo" is riveting! A great storyline mixed with an intricate knowledge of the subject matter gives the reader a real sense of "being there" as the story unfolds. I found the interjection facts regarding the historical development of the torpedo enhanced the gravity of the subject matter and made the story even more of a page-turner. I highly recommend "Torpedo" and congratulate Jeff Edwards on a torpedo-proof debut.

I recently discovered that Jeff Edwards has finished his next book, The Seventh Angel.
Put me in line for the first copy!

I have been waiting for Jeff's next book ever since I finished reading Torpedo. Scenes from the book often come to mind and I have at remind myself that Torpedo is book, not a movie. (Although it should be.)

The character development is so complete and action sequences so believable that I felt that I was on the ship with the crew while missiles launched from the enemy sub came flying at them from out of the sea.

Thanks for a great book. Give me more!

Byron Mettler, Author Speed Kills!

There are two sides to every story, and Regina Leininger experienced the conflicts between Indians and white settlers from both perspectives. In I am Regina (Philomel Books, 1991), author Sally M. Keehn presents a fictionalized account of one girl's Indian captivity based on the true story of Regina Leininger. Ten-year-old Regina's journey begins on her family farm in Pennsylvania in 1755. She lives a comfortable life, but the threat of attacking Indians constantly looms in Regina's mind. She takes comfort in the safety and security offered by her family, by the big Bible that Father reads from, and by the hymns Mother sings. Then one day, two Indians come to the family's home. The Indians kill Regina's father and one of her brothers and take Regina and her sister, Barbara, as prisoners. Regina is soon parted from her sister, but finds companionship in another prisoner, a toddler she names Sarah. Taking on the role of parent to the little girl, Regina sings Mother's hymns and tells stories from Father's Bible to the little girl during their hard journey to Ohio. Their Indian captor, Tiger Claw, takes them to his village, where both girls are adopted into the community and into Tiger Claw's family. Living is hard in the Indian village, but as the years pass, Regina adjusts to her new way of life. As conditions worsen for her Indian community, Regina's loyalties are torn between the life she once knew and the community of Indian villagers she has come to appreciate.

Told in beautifully descriptive language, I am Regina paints a portrait of life among white settlers and Native Americans that portrays kindness and cruelty on both sides. Regina reaches no easy conclusions about her dual citizenship in the two cultures. I am Regina is the story of one girl's struggles to fit in to a new culture without losing her identity, but it is also the story of the demise of one native community in the rise of a new country.

German immigrant Regina and her family have settled into Pennsylvania in 1755 in Sally M. Keehn's, I Am Regina. Regina finds herself orphaned after Indians attack and kill her brother and father after her mother and other brother have gone to the mill. She and her sister, Barbara are kidnapped from their home, along with the other children from their village, so that the Indians can adopt them. The two sisters are separated and Regina, along with a little girl she has named Sarah, are forced to follow the cruel Tiger Claw to his village. Once there, the girls are reassigned new names and punished if they act in a way in what the tribe views as white. Regina, now referred to as "Tskinnak", and Sarah, who becomes "Quetit," slowly become a part of their tribe until one day the lines become blurred, and Tskinnak can no longer remember who she once was.

Though Regina's father and brother are killed within the opening scenes of the novel, the story is a bit slow to start as Regina merely recounts the events in a journalistic fashion. Rough transitions from flashback to present once they are captured also hinder the flow of the story, but everything picks up a fourth of the way into the novel when Barbara attempts to save everyone. A few of the important events are also glossed over, such as Regina becoming fluent in a new language and Regina's emotions after her father and brother's deaths reads almost mechanical.

Readers interested in Native American culture will be particularly impressed with this novel, as Keehn has done her research and manages to present both sides of the struggle between the Indians and the English. Ultimately, I am Regina is about a young girl who loses her identity, gains a new one in a different culture, and is then forced to reclaim her childhood, which all makes for an engaging story.

I Am Regina by Sally M. Keehn (Puffin, 1991) begins in 1755 Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, where young Regina is a happy, normal girl living with her sister, brothers, mother and father. Her world is turned upside down when Indians enter their home and kill her brother and father. The Indians kidnap Regina and her sister Barbara. Only her brother John and her mother are safe, for they have gone off to town. They are soon separated, and Regina is dragged off to an impoverished Indian camp. At first, Regina resists, angry and full of hatred for the people who killed her father and brother. Regina is renamed Tskinnak and treated like a slave. She struggles to hold on to her memories of home and forget the gruesome murders of her father and brother. As she becomes more accustomed to the Indian ways, she must force herself to remember passages from the Bible. Eventually, Tskinnak can no longer recall her past life or speak English. She is an Indian, a daughter to an Indian woman and a sister to Quetit, a young girl kidnapped at the same time she was. So, when the French Indian war ends and they are taken back to meet their families, Tskinnak is torn between her Indian family and a mother she can barely remember from her past. Who will Tskinnak chose?

Based on the true story of 10-year-old Regina Leininger, this book is historically accurate and sensitive. It makes great reading material for middle-schoolers interested in history. Although the novel can be slow at times, getting to the end is worth the wait, as Tskinnak's story is completed and the reader will be satisfied with the conclusion.

I picked up this book when I was 12/13 (for some reason I want to say I was younger) on one of my family's trips to Barnes and Noble. Once a week I'd pick out a new book to read and from the time I picked up this book it has been one of my all time favorites. I'm 21 now and still love it, I have reread it numerous times. Some of the other reviewers on here seem to think it's increadibly graphic for the age group but when most families live in different rooms with each a tv I think I would much rather have my child read a book with an inspiring storyline than a gory cop show or playing shootem up video games! Most young adult novels now adays share adult themes. When I was 15 I watched the Grapes of Wrath in a History class and I KNOW that is an adult book. People need to give their children more credit and realize that reading this book is just preparing their children for reading mature intelligent books.

In I am Regina, Sally M. Keehn tells the story of a ten-year-old girl who is taken captive by Native Americans after they brutally kill her brother and father. In their village, Regina is given a new name, Tskinnak, and slowly adapts her new way of life. This young adult novel is well-crafted in terms of structure; it has a sound arc of conflict sustained by a strong narrator and cast of fascinating supporting characters that all possess individual goals and desires. Keehn masterfully juxtaposes Native American culture and the ways of the "white man" through the eyes of Regina/Tskinnak, her innocent narrator. As time progresses in the book, so does Regina/Tskinnak's understanding and acceptance of Native American culture. Though this transformation occurs slowly, the soul of her very being is forever altered. She is able to see the war amongst white men and Native Americans from both sides, and finds herself questioning where she truly belongs, a question that resonates in the minds of children and young adults of today. The only inconsistency in the book occurs during shifts in time. Keehn shifts in "moons" and at times it is confusing to judge how much or how little time has passed since the last scene. Keehn began the story using short choppy sentences, but as the book progresses, it outgrows this simplistic structure and evolves into a well-written text. I am Regina is a powerful and moving story that will captivate readers right down to the final sentence.

I'm excited to use this book to plan our hiking and snorkling on Kuaui in January. It seems well organized, with clear and detailed info, and has additional data re: local good eats spots and museums, attractions, etc.

As much as I like the "revealed" series, this book had more detail (on snorkeling particularly), so it was money well spent.

We used this book every single day we were in Kaua'i. It has the best info of any guide book for Kaua'i if you are there to do any adventuring. A+.

I'm a big fan of this series and have their Maui and Big Island guides on my shelf. I love Hawaii because it's a place where I can totally relax without having to think about my passport getting lost or communicating in another language. This guide for Kauai is so straighforward and not only contains descriptions of all the beaches and trails but talks about the island's history and that's what was so interesting.

When I arrive I always head for the beach first and starting in the Poipu area was my first choice. Shipwreck Beach was the perfect day one place to recuperate from jetlag.

For plenty of reliable advice and outsanding presentation and pictures, these trailblazers are right on.

Guess where my wife wants to take me on her summer vacation? Hint: she likes lush resorts with hiking opportunities.

I've been to the other islands of Hawaii several times, but never to Kauai. I don't need the usual 50 pages of cajoling to enjoy myself that most guidebooks feature, and in this era of goooogle, I certainly don't need out-of-date hotel listings. This is a book crammed with info that I may find useful when I get there, concerning the rugged activities that make flying all those hours worthwhile, written in a plain and honest prose. I'd venture to say that this is the most convincing guidebook I've ever encountered.

Another reviewer complains about the absence of maps. I'd agree that lack fo maps would be a problem, except that the maps one finds in other guidebooks are almost always next to useless. My advice: get a real full-sized map and correlate!

I fought in this battle, I treated and remember many of the dead and wounded men described in this book. I kept a written memory of my feelings and memories from April 4th that I jotted down in the days afterward. Unfortunately, "The Long Road Home" is no Blackhawk Down and Martha Raddatz isn't the caliber of writer and especially not researcher that Mark Bowden (author of BHD) was. It seemed that Ms. Raddatz was more interested in telling a story and projecting some very general philosophies and cliched lessons learned from American war. In the same style of Band of Brothers, or other Stephen Ambrose classics (that was the greatest generation, fighting for far different reasons). Rather than telling THE story, following the factual timeline, interviewing more participants and other units involved. Much of her initial research, I have to assume, was taken after interviews with the Commanders and senior leadership, some of whom had almost no involvement in this battle. They told their story first, and the book reads like they may want it to be read.

This clearly became the framework for her story and a positive, "it's just war" message permeates the entire book. She is critical of almost none of the planning or decisions made. Her interviews with the junior Officers and NCOs do not reflect any opinion they have, merely the sacrifices they made, and their recollections of the extreme violence, fear, and emotions they felt.

She took very little time to try to understand what happened, why it happened, or what should have happened, instead merely echoing some worn out ideals of American war and applying the civillian paintbrush. It's often said that history is written by the victor, in this case history was written by the first persons to mug the reporter with their credentials.

She does not do justice to April 4th. This book felt cobbled together, as if the prologue and epilogue were written, pictures were inserted midbook, and the HYPOTHESIS and CONCLUSIONS were drawn before she ever conducted interviews and research.

When writing a true story, you are supposed to interview, with an open mind, and seek out facts and truth. Martha Raddatz just wasn't asking the right questions.

This is sad to me, as this is a story that still needs to be told, in print or in movie. I suspect that one day this will become a movie, my hope is that when it does the story will be told accurately and the philosophical and moral questions (and answers) will be unique to the war WE fought in.

Dan

I found this book to be very interesting. It is true that it is mindful of Black Hawk Down. At times it needed a strong stomach but I found it an enjoyable read.

I have just finnished reading The Long Road Home and must commend Martha Raddatz on her brilliant book. I have been a friend of the Weibleys(Trysha)for years and decided that it was past due for me to read. It was not political or opinionated in any way, it was factual and desctiptive like nothing I have ever read.Since There is one part of this book where Seth gets out to clean a windshild..knowing him the way I do, I HAD to laugh through the tears. It was just soooo something he would do.
Thank you for writing this amazing book for the world to read. It is integral to all Americans to know what REALLY happend that day. I know that the Weibleys apreciate it as do I and all that I will be passing this on to.

I saw Martha Raddatz speak at the Pritzker Military Library last week (June 2008) and bought the book there on the spot. I have read it straight through in a couple of days and wish that every American would read this book or one with a similar story. It seems that Iraq has become background noise in light of the energy crisis and the country's economic woes.

It's easy to forget that we are at war and that American servicemen are losing their lives. This book brings that reality home. It's not a fun read - it's a distinctly uncomfortable and sometimes depressing one. But reading stories like this might go some ways towards breaking through this desensitization we seem to have as a country when it comes to the war in Iraq.

I think that the portions of the book written from the view of the soldiers are solid and really brought me into the action of that awful battle. I won't ever know what it is like to be a soldier who engages in battle and is wounded or sees friends wounded or, worse, killed in action. But this book at least makes me really think about it and gives a good description of how these soldiers felt.

On the other hand, I did not think that the parts of the book written from the perspective of the families was as strong. I am not sure if this is the result of Ms. Raddatz respecting the wives of the killed soldiers and not interviewing them directly or just because her passion lies with the stories that these men have to tell more than with the stories of their families. Either way, it made the book feel a little unbalanced to me.

All that being said, I think that this book is important. The story that it tells is important not only because the battle it details was a turning point in the war but because it reminds us that our fellow countrymen are going through unspeakable things. This war remains relevant and I applaud the efforts of Ms. Raddatz and others like her for fighting to keep it in the media.

Excellent read about the war in Iraq. I bought this book after I found parts contained action my son was involved in. Found my son's name and picture of truck he was in. He was trying to save Cindy Sheenan's son Casey. He was ambushed also and was hit in his foot. They lost eight good soliders that day. I hope they make a movie someday. My son is a IV and he was shot on 4-4-4 in Sadr City Iraq. He now has PTSD and is divorced from the woman he loves. Where is Cindy Sheenan now?

I would just like to say that this sender wasted no time and I received the book promplty within the week that i ordered it. Also, the book was just as they promised it would be. Thank you very much. I have asked and paid extra for items to be expedited before and they still took forever.

For those who are wondering if the BRS Physiology book is worth it: IT DEFINITELY IS!!! I am very happy that I purchased it and know that I will be using it for decades... yes I said decades.

This book is awesome, but I can still criticize it. I read it along with the little Guyton book, and used it as a main source a couple of days before the NBME, which we took at the end of our physiology class in medical school. I read the entire book in two days, and understood it all! It is a fast dirty way to study physiology that hits all the necessary points. However, it has its down points. The book is in bullet point format all the time. It became a little degrading to see point after point, which is why I used the pocket Guyton book. Guytons pocket book is another source that I highly recommend because it explains rather than bullet points, and if the bullet points in this book become too much for you, try pocket Guyton. Also, the sections of this book may not follow your class lecture. It can be unpleasant to search for what your studying. If the book had sections smaller than 30 pages it would help. Another word of warning, this book is build for medical school. This book is not intended as a source for PhD work, etc. However, if you are in med school, this is a necessary evil!

The book had a lot of concepts that really helped with my learning of physio throughout the course and later with prepping for the physio shelf exam. My only beef with the content was with the impertinent discussions of molecular similarities between some hormones, but overall, I was pretty satisfied with the book.

This book is an amazing tool for my Medical School Physiology class, it will be a vital piece of my USMLE study regimen.

I think this is the best BRS there is. I used this book for course exam prep as well as board review. It is a great tool to highlight important concepts, and it explains things in a simple and effective way with the right amount of information.