United States Books

I had horrible colitis that made drop every thing in my life. I could hardly leave the house sometimes. I tried every other diet out there: vegan, raw vegan, paleolithic, specific carb diet (scd) etc. I was really depressed because none of them had worked. I finally got this book in the mail. It took a long time for me to receive it. I had almost forgotten about it. I opened it up and kind of laughed because to be honest, it really doesn't look very credible. I was at the end of my rope though and gave it a chance. A few pages in, I was hooked. I started to make one of his moisturizing shakes because they sounded good, and they were! Plus, I wasn't really ready for raw meat yet and I knew I could handle raw eggs because I had made my own mayonnaise before. I ate them two or three times a day for a week and my colitis cleared of in a snap. I guess all that raw fat regenerated the lining of my colon. (I didn't even follow his specific colitis diet. I just started eating lots of those shakes because I loved them.) So, now I am following his diet more strictly. I'm almost completely off the Prednisone (steroids). This book has given me my life back. Everyone thinks I'm nuts for eating raw meat, but I don't care. Anyone who's ever had colitis wouldn't care either. If you know someone with colitis or chrone's tell them about this book.

About four years ago I purchased We Want to Live at a friend's recommendation. Odd thing is the same day an acquaintance (a lady in her eighties who had met me wife while both of them were going to doctors and to hospitals) recommended the same book to my wife. I got so enthused even on first reading that I marked about 30 pages with different colored post-its. I have never done that before or since. Since then my health and my lifestyle have improved about 900%. See [...]for hundreds of similar stories.

This is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it. It opens ones eyes to a whole new form of diet. The 2nd edition is now available. Don't waste your money by buying from some of those who offer it used. (...). Hopefully amazon will soon update its catalog accordingly.

A fascinating book by someone who dares to challenge the medical establishment. Made me aware of biases I didn't even know I had. Helps me understand why I had so many problems when I used to be on a raw vegan diet. I have already developed a much healthier respect for raw fats -- and I never even really thought of avocado, coconut, soaked nuts, raw milk, etc., as raw fats.

This book provides only anecdotes and results from Aajonus's personal experience. It contains very little useful information unless you're willing to completely trust Aajonus, though he provides little reason to do that either.

Aajonus's second book The Recipe for Living Without Disease, on the other hand, provides verifiable reasons for choosing the Primal Diet, complete with citations of clinical studies.

This is without question the only book that tells it like it was, all the stories, what really went on between the band members, and plenty of surprises that you never would have imagined. Written in part by Pete Townsend, Richard Barnes was with the band from the get go. This book clarifies fact from fiction, and we all know how much has been written about this band, this book is all fact, so no nonsense here, no made up Keith Moon stories. You get to know the Who for who they really were as four individuals, and you will be quite surprised to find out about the power struggles, for they were much more complicated than most people imagined. Read This Book!!!

Very comprehensive. Lots of photos, very good history. It did come out a while ago so doesn't have anything about Entwistle's death. But it's a great history of the Who!

The definitive book to have on The Who. Loaded & re-loaded with amazing photographs & anecdotes from a friend of the band who isn't afraid to point out the bad in addition to the good.

I bought this book on its original release back in the 1980's; the updated section to review the years 1983-96 is most welcome. Hopefully, Richard Barnes will release yet another edition that takes into account the years 1997 to the present.

If you're a Who junkie, this book is a must. If you're a new fan, this volume is a fantastic primer into the history of the greatest band there ever was.

This book is an excellent resource for all fans of the classic rock band, The Who. Telling the band's story from their earliest days, the reader will find plenty of detail, interviews, and wonderful photographs to enhance this "amazing journey". The author takes a relatively unbiased stance, leaving out personal opinion in favor of simply stating "the facts".

If you are a fan of The Who, this is certainly a book that deserves a place in your library.

This book is really a great overview of the WHO's career. Starting out when the band started to meet as teenagers and spannig all the way to a few years after Keith's death, this book covers every single recording the WHO did.

Aside from just following the WHO through their career, this book is also jam-packed with those crazy Keith Moon anecdotes and interesting picures.

I really enjoyed this book, and enjoyed seein what one of my favorite bands was really like. I would definately recommend it to anyone who loves the WHO.

Outside of Babe Ruth, I can't think of a more interesting American athlete than basketball star Wilt Chamberlain. Anything about him is usually a fascinating read, and this account of the night he scored 100 points in one game (still a record) is terrific.

You can't write an entire book on one 48-minute contest so the author gives us interesting profiles of some of the other players and coaches who played in this particular game and in the NBA in general. We also get some fascinating accounts of what the fans did in Hershey, Pa., this night when the Sixers and Knicks played on a "neutral" court. The account of what happened to the ball used to score the 100th point, alone, is fascinating reading. We also get a feel of pro basketball and the American culture during the year 1962, just before race relations exploded in the '60s.

It all adds up - as Chamberlain's points did in this historic game - to a great read. One doesn't have to be a follower of Wilt to enjoy this book written by Gary Pomerantz. It's good stuff!

THIS IS ABOUT THE NIGHT WILT CHAMBERLAIN SCORED 100 POINTS IN AN NBA GAME. I FOUND MOST OF THIS BOOK TO BE GOOD BUT AT TIMES IT HAD ALOT OF THINGS THAT WERE JUST PLAIN BORING. THE AUTHOR TRIES VERY HARD TO GIVE US THE NOSTALGIA AND ATMOSPHERE OF 1962, BUT I FOUND THE DETAIL TO THE GAME TO BE LACKING. I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT MUCH ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF GOTTLIEB AND ZINKOFF. SEEMS IT WAS USED TO FILL SOME PAGES. WHEN THE BOOK STICKS TO GAME ACTION AND DETAILS THE BOOK EXCELS. BUT THE ONLY REAL DETAIL OCCURS IN THE 4TH QUARTER. I ALSO LIKED THE INTERVIEWS WITH VARIOUS PLAYERS AND COACHES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS GAME. ALSO LIKED THE STORY OF THE STOLEN BASKETBALL AND THE LATER YEARS OF WILT'S LIFE. OVERALL THIS IS A GOOD READ AND I RECOMMEND FOR ALL NOSTALGIC BASKETBALL FANS. ALSO A BOX SCORE OF THE GAME WOULD HAVE BEEN A NICE TOUCH.

This is a fascinating read about one of the most charismatic personalities to play basketball on the professional level, Wilt Chamberlain. Although the book focuses on the night the record was made when Wilt scored 100 points the book reads like a sophisticated movie complete with flashbacks into Wilt's past. This allows the reader to see Wilt in very real terms in spite of the superhuman feats he performed, culminating with the 100 point game. There are many anecdotes that bring the story to life for a compelling portrait of the man and his times. This is a thoroughly good book that can be enjoyed by a variety of levels of reading ability. With slightly over 200 pages of interesting material this is a good book for the student of the game of basketball who may be attending high school. This book would be good for writting a book report on a sports biography.

In the early 1960s - light years before the era of 24 hour cable sports coverage - most pro basketball games might as well have been played on the Moon due to the lack of national media interest and with "home" games being played at neutral sites for bigger gates.

That was the case for the 1962 Philadelphia Warriors, a franchise on the brink of being sold, though it featured a hometown legend, Wilt Chamberlin, and had a history of legendary high-school and college teams.

On March 2 in Hershey, Pa., Wilt accomplished the impossible; scoring 100 points versus the New York Knickerbockers. The arena - with a capacity of 8,000 - was about half-full, the game was not televised and there were no New York sportswriters in attendance. Author Gary M. Pomerantz breaths life into the grainy photos from the event through interviews of referees, players, fans, reporters and team officials.

Though the book breaks the game down into four quarters, it is not simply a history of that night. The early 1960s was a bridge for many black athletes to articulate about the rampant racism in society and sports. Pomerantz aptly writes about Wilt the individual - who was very vocal about the racial quotas on NBA clubs - and businessman as much as Wilt the athlete.

And Pomerantz outlines the biggest controvery from the game; who got possession of the basketball.

It is a record that may never be broken, but there was more to that evening than the game on the court. Wilt, 1962, again shows how sports mirrors society and even the greatest feats on a field of play cannot escape the reflection in black & white.

One of the more interesting points of this book is that the day of 100 points kind of became forgotten. The authir attributes one of the reasons to Wilt himself who stopped talking about the game.

The authors opens up this book with Wilt's death in bed and the circumstances around it. he then takes us thru each quarter of the game with story of witls life between each quarter.

One of the most interestingparts of this book is the detail the author descibes how one young kid stole the game ball and years later put it on EBAY for sale. Great research for that part.

I have my own one-person LLC company since 2000 (besides my regular full-time job) to cover my hobby and hope that will turn into my next full-time job in the future. This book is an excellent reference (or I should say..."Bible") for people plan to run their own biz...mainly small biz.

This book covers most of subjects for running small biz, like:
a) Explain and discuss the trade-off of different legal status:
C-corp, LLC, Small corp...etc.
b) License and permit issues.
c) Trade-off between home office or outside office.
d) Business insurance and health insurance issues.
e) Tax issues, self-employee tax, income tax and tax estimation.
f) Accounting.
g) Retirement planning with your small biz.
h) copyright, patent.
i) Contract, client agreement discussion and trade-off.
...
etc.

This book gives out a lot of real life examples to make reader to better understand the contents. It also points out "traps" or "mistaks" that people should avoid. These tips make this book to stand out comparing with other books in this area. Being a small biz owner, I have quite some collection of books about running small biz, but none of them is comprehensive like this one.

Being comprehensive and trying to cover all aspects of running small biz, this book can not cover each subject in great details. For example, another Nolo book: "Deduct it" covers great details about how to deduct expense to save tax only.

In summary, I strongly recommend this book to people that plan (or already) to run their small biz. This book really give people a comprehensive view about things need to be taken care of.

This book explains all the financial pros and cons of working for yourself, and is especiallty beneficial for consultants. The various forms of corporations and partnerships are carefully explained, along with the advantages and pitfalls to each. There are good tax tips here for consultants, along with advice on trademarks, billing, record keeping, dealing with clients, writing contracts, preparing for audits, etc. There is even a chapter on patents, copyrights and trade secrets. If you have employees, there is plenty here for you to read, including unemployment insurance information. This book has about as much as you can ask for from a single volume reference of less than 400 pages.

Highly Recommended!

They say, "What you don't know, CAN hurt you". This is especially true with legal and tax matters. If you are an independent contractor of any sort, "Working for Yourself" can help you avoid costly mistakes.

It covers a wide range of legal and tax issues that serves a platform for understanding. Detailed inquiry into your particular legal or tax matter is best addressed by a professional familiar with your situation.

"Working for Yourself" is concise, well written and indexed and serves the purpose of a "Small Business Essential" exceptionally well.

Recommended.

I really can say much except that this is a great primer for the self employed/independent contractor.

Personally, I think this will become increasingly important as layoffs continue to rise.

If you have been laid off or think you might be given the forced early retirement notice, read this book.

If you want to work from home this is one book that is a must-read. Giving the ins and outs of the laws regarding working for yourself, you will find the information in this book essential to help you make wise choices regarding your business.

As I started to read this book, I began highlighting Dr. Taylor's statements, until it quickly became apparent that I would be highlighting the entire book.

I found myself saying, "Yes, I get it now!" as Dr. Taylor explained how even good media can teach bad habits. Parents will feel empowered after reading this book to take a stand in the war being waged against our families.

Your Children Are Under Attack takes a frighteningly honest look at one of today's most dangerous social diseases: popular culture's battle for control of our children's hearts and minds. Dr. Taylor exposes the ugly war of greed that marketers and the media have been waging on our young, and the spell it has also cast over parents. Step-by step, with the skill of a researcher, the compassion of a wizened therapist, and the heart of a principled human being, he examines each of these unhealthy forces and shows us how to protect our children from this assault and its subsequent ruinous effect on our values. Well-written, poignant, and forceful, Dr. Taylor's work stands as a call to action that comes not a moment too soon. The first step every responsible parent should take to win back control of their children is to read Dr. Taylor's book.

Dr. Taylor identifies the true enemy that is after your child - and gives solid, practical advice on how to protect them from it. In the ever broadening spectrum of pop culture, if you don't have a careful hand in raising your kids, the media will gladly do it for you. Empowering, insightful and straight to the point, Dr. Taylor puts parenting back in the hands of where it belongs.

It was 1960 on the stage of "Bye Bye Birdie" when actor Paul Lynde, playing Mr. Henry McAfee, shouted out to his audience saying, "Kids! I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!"
Toward the end of his barrage, he finally asked, "Why can't they be like we were, perfect in every way? What's the matter with kids today?"
Dr. Jim Taylor, in his book "Your Children are Under Attack: How Popular Culture is Destroying Your Kids' Values, and How You Can Protect Them," addresses this age-old question with an answer: popular culture is devastating our lives.
Video games, too much TV, corporate fraud, materialism, the inundation of information from the Internet, the unreasonable emphasis on physical attractiveness, plus the lack of physical activity leading to childhood obesity -- these are endangering our children and our culture.
Throughout the book, Taylor's theme never waivers. "The messages that American popular culture communicate to children today are in direct conflict with what is best for them," he writes. "Popular culture is now a truly counterproductive force in families' lives...."
Taylor believes that those who in past generations were institutional partners with parents such as the government, corporate America and even our schools have themselves given in to the illusory promises of instant gratification and the almighty "bottom line."
Parents are left standing alone between their children and millions of images from TV, DVDs, XBoxes, etc.
Taylor believes modern pressures lead to lazy parenting - raising children "in the most convenient way" because adults are exhausted and overwhelmed by the pace and impact of everyday life.
The message is grim, but Taylor offers hope. Taylor explains how families can make their values clear, communicate them to one another, and live discriminating lives aware yet distanced from the dangers of pop culture.
For example, he gives straight-forward language parents can use to guide their children toward making safe, sound decisions.
He also gives parents permission to say no to pop culture and to band together with those of like minds to create safe, nurturing environments for their families -- places that do not focus on self-serving ends but that foster compassion, confidence, and kindness.

Dr. Jim Taylor has written a book that needs to be written. Parents, teachers and interested individuals need to be aware as to what our Ameican culture is doing to our children and the values that are being propogated. Dr. Taylor exposes what messages the " media " are sending. Dr. Taylor shows what values corporations in America are esposing. He knows that greed, corruption, materialism and just plain stupidity are out there on our television sets, magazines and what values permeate our culture. Taylor knows what a steady diet of The Osbournes, Friends and of course Paris Hilton will do. We all need to be aware of the messages that are sent to our children on a daily basis and how these messages influence our kids and our culture. Instead of integrity, cleavage is respected in American society. Instead of honor and truth, mascara and designer jeans are extolled as being important. More than ever, parents need to work at discussing values, things of importance and integrity with their children. Parents who do want to help raise their children should read this. Teachers who want to understand the values of their students should read this. And lastly greedy, money hungry corporate American leaders should read this and understand what their crass commercialism is doing to America.

I'm telling you, these Writer's Digest people really do it right. If you're looking for a literary agent, this is the place to look.

The book starts with articles about getting and working with an agent and interviews with reputable agents and editors. Do you need a New York agent? Should your agent suggest rewrites? Do editors like agents, or is their relationship combative? How can you tell a good agent from a bad agent? Do you even need an agent?

All of these questions and more are answered. You'll even find examples of successful query letters, synopses, and outlines. You'll learn the components of a nonfiction book proposal. All of the basics are covered.

Then comes the actual agent listings, divided into two sections: nonfee-charging literary agents, and script agents (both nonfee and fee-charging). Listings include contact information (including e-mail addresses), professional memberships (like AAR or WGA), what they did prior to becoming agents, number of clients, percentage of new authors, percentage of novels versus nonfiction books, genres they represent, preferred method of contact, recent sales, conferences they attend, terms of representation, and tips. There is also a key to let you know how open the agency is to new writers.

New in this year's edition is a listing of independent production companies and screenwriting contests. And nonfiction authors and novelists may enjoy the listings of publicists.

More than 600 agencies are listed. I've begun querying, and have already found several agents who responded positively to my e-mail queries.

The agents listed in this book are pre-screened and deemed to be legitimate, reputable agents. No more surfing the Internet and trying to guess who's legit and who's a shyster. If you find an agent through these listings, the book can pay for itself a hundredfold. It's a very worthwhile investment in your career.

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, you NEED this book. 90+% of publishers don't take unagented material. This book will help you to find an agent, and help you to get that manuscript you've worked so hard on published.

I found the information in this guide to be extremely helpful in targeting and securing the right agent. The details that are provided, such as what percent of new authors the agency represents, the types of books the agency represents, and quotes which detail advice from the agents insured I sent my information to those who would be most interested. And it worked!!

You know you need an agent to shop your work, negotiate your contracts and get your manuscript into doors closed to unrepresented authors. Your next step is to add the "2003 Guide to Literary Agents" to your writer's toolbox.

Articles from industry professionals address the most common issues writers face: do you need an agent, how do you find the right agent and how to avoid bad agents. But these articles also walk you through the entire process of getting an agent - from what to do before you begin your search, all the way to knowing your rights before you sign a contract.

The heart of this book lies within the agent listings. Every year contact information, current needs, submission guidelines and contract details are 100 percent updated.

Besides agents who represent fiction and nonfiction work, you'll also find sections on script agents, independent production companies and independent publicists. Most agent listings also specify which writing conferences the agents attend so be sure to look in the writing conferences section to find the details on a variety of writers' conferences in the U.S. and Canada.

Your search for an agent is crippled without this guide in your arsenal. If you're serious about getting an agent to represent your work, the yearly "Guide to Literary Agents" is an absolute must.

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, you NEED this book. 90+% of publishers don't take unagented material. This book will help you to find an agent, and help you to get that manuscript you've worked so hard on published.

This book is just amazing. By combining history with the theory of psychopathy and Political Ponerology with what may have happened on 911, the authors make you think page after page. Is this world such a big lie and manipulation? If the answer is yes, then it is urgently necessary that people start waking up to what may be the truth. This book gave me clues and a big thirst to keep learning. Highly recommended.

This is undeniably the most important book on what really happened on September 11th 2001. LJK and Quinn objectively look at who benefited the most from these events and using publicly available research, piece together the most likely turn of events on that day. It was the day that changed the world in which we live. Since 9/11 there has been an accelerating clampdown on the human rights, freedom of speech and privacy of every individual on this planet.

That the current US administration had forewarning of this event is without doubt to anyone who isn't spell-bound by the main-stream-co-opted press. What is rarely discussed, is the involvement of Israeli intelligence services, how Israel is benefiting from the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and future proposed Middle East invasions. LJK and Quinn present compelling arguments, with a unique historical investigation into the formation of the state of Israel and its Zionist ambitions. This is combined with research on the psychopathic individuals and groups that would be capable of committing such horrific crimes. Together the smoke clears and true perpetrators of this outrageous attack are clear for all to see.

This is an excellent book about 9-11. At least I haven't seen anything like that around, and it's actually two books into one, and so more food for thought here than one could ever have expected.

There's a priceless time-line analysis full of details, and one in particular that you can't miss, 'the saga of babs and ted'. Then it goes from technicalities to the core of the event itself, by passing through the labyrinth of history, and the question about how and why all this could have happened. The second part of the book starts with a quote from Allan Bloom's, 'The Closing of the American Mind', that tells us a lot about the kind of freaks hiding behind the current War on Terror, against all of us:

"The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one hat removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are visible, that removes the sense that there is an outside."

Laura Knight-Jadczyk and Joe Quinn have written what is easily the most comprehensive book on 9/11 to date. There are plenty of books and websites that challenge the official version of events of 9/11, but Ultimate Truth delivers not only an examination of 9/11, complete with unexpected twists and turns, but places it in a political and historical context incorporating the latest research on psychopathy to reveal exactly where it's all leading us and why.

It's a unique, thoroughly researched and important work on the subject of 9/11 and recommended reading for anyone who wants to understand the truth behind the defining event of this century.

With strong efforts in conducting a detailed research on the events of 9/11 and the motivations behind the attacks, Laura Knight-Jadczyk and Joe Quinn wrote the most ground-breaking work entitled "9/11: The Ultimate Truth," which was published in 2006. This 430-page book drives the reader to experience the shocking truth about what happened on September 11, 2001 and to understand the virulent motivations behind the "terrorist" attacks. To understand in depth on why the horrific events of 9/11 happened, the answer lies in "9/11: The Ultimate Truth."

There are two parts in this book. Part One focused primary on the 9/11 events by analyzing the great deal of evidences surrounding the three events: Flight 93, the Pentagon, and the World Trade Centers. And, how the Israel became involved and the role of the United States government on that day is evident. It also laid out the evidence-based scenario of how the events been played out. It is important to point out that in first part of this book addressed a new look at the situation of Ted and Barbara Olson and how they are connected to the 9/11 events.

The second part of "9/11: The Ultimate Truth" focused on the history of Zionism, genetics, the hidden motivations behind the attacks, and the nature of psychopaths. With an understanding of how and why Israel was involved and their on-going insidious actions, one will begin to comprehend why 9/11 was so important and how it led the United States of America to become a Fascist State. This part of the book also included some sections from Political Ponerology (A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes) by Andrew Lobaczewski who had done a paramount work on psychopathy and the nature of evil within the governments.

Since Knight-Jadczyk and Quinn focused on the current phenomenon of psychopaths, the Zionist control, and the history in the second part of this book, it is strongly recommended for the readers to obtain and study other works that discussed with certain aspects of this phenomenon, including Political Ponerology (A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes) (by Andrew Lobaczewski), Controversy of Zion (by Douglas Reed), The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11 (by David Ray Griffin), The Mask of Sanity: An Attempt to Clarify Some Issues About the So Called Psychopathic Personality (by Hervey Checkley), Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us (by Robert Hare), The Sociopath Next Door (by Martha Stout), and Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists, and Other Sex Offenders: Who They Are, How They Operate, and How We Can Protect Ourselves and Our Children (by Anna Salter). With these works, one will have a better understanding of how psychopath's mind works and an alarming and dangerous agenda of the Zionists.

In Knight-Jadczyk and Quinn's "9/11: The Ultimate Truth," one can apprehend the nature of evil within the United States government and their motivations in bring about the terrorist attacks on the American people by looking at the real evidences in each events of 9/11, the Israel involvement, the political ponerology, the issue of psychopathy, and the history of Zionist control. Instead of being greatly confused about what happened on the day of 9/11, the authors bring the reader to this understanding of 'why' the horrific day has occurred. This book is easy to read with a historical perspective and it contains a powerful understanding of the nature of the pathocratic rule in United States. The back of the book where it is stated: "This book will shatter your world view," it is no joke.

It is a strong opinion that this book is to be highly recommended, and a must read for those who seek the truth about the attacks on September 11, 2001.

For those of us who are avid world news junkies, a look at the planned route on pages X and XI of Brandon Wilson's book "Along the Templar Trail" reveals that Brandon's journey was a discovery of the complex realities of our present time, as much as it was a replication of journeys that occured centuries ago. Starting in France, the journey would proceed into historic Austria, then through former Soviet satellite nations and the former Yugoslavia, followed by Islamic Turkey and Syria, then Jordan, and finally Israel. If a common ground could be found among all these peoples, wouldn't our world immediately breathe a sigh of relief?

"Along the Templar Trail" describes the effort of two men to begin the finding of this common ground, through walking "seven million steps for peace." I wish I could have been there. But, at least I have the book to tell me what happened. Brandon tells us what happened at many different levels. He describes "a gentle unravelling of life" as the layers of the limitations of our own personal insecurities, our "walls," are stripped away as we confront the unpredictable succession of present moments that the journey brings.

For example, in Bulgaria, Brandon and his co-walker Emile (in his sixties!), came upon "two pitiful, brown eyes staring back at us." A newborn bull calf was stuck around a group of saplings, slowly strangling itself as it struggled to pull away from danger when really it needed to go in the opposite direction to unwind its chain. I like the symbolism of this scene. It seems to me that unwinding the struggles and pain, the losses, both past and present, that are encompassed in this seven million step France-to-Jerusalem slice of our world, is a fundamental reason why Brandon and Emile took this journey.

Brandon poured water from his canteen onto the young bull's head, while Emile sought its owner. A woman came running in tears. The young bull was freed from its choking snare, but it laid down motionless. The woman ran back to her farm and returned, dousing the bull with a full bucket of crisp, cold water, and the youngster sprang to life!

It's the kind of scene I've become accustomed to reading in Brandon Wilson's books. Full of life, adventure, and meaning. "Along the Templar Trail" is a great read for those of us who wish we could be world travellers -- not of the casual sightseer sort, but travellers who want to rediscover history and obtain a vision of how that history resonates with today.

Peace activism assumes many forms and Brandon Wilson's new book "Along the Templar Trail" reveals the immense power of the simple pilgrimage. Wilson shows us that walking for this gentle purpose can evolve into a peace fellowship, one person at a time, inspiring a movement that transcends culture and has the potential to grow exponentially.The stunning backdrop of his path from Dijon France to Jerusalem with his French travel partner traversing ancient crusader roads, sharply contrasts cultures yet discovers the commonalities we all share, bringing a tangible reality to peace.Wilson's intentional footsteps of a true peacewager along with his vividly detailed pilgrimage for peace will touch the common place in the hearts of his readers with the quiet assurance that peace really is possible."Along the Templar Trail" is a must read for peace activists and travelers alike.

Brandon Wilson's journey "along the Templar Trail" from Dijon, France to Jerusalem is, in many ways, something we can all identify with. I would even go as far as to say that his experiences can actually resonate with us deeply, although initially we might not realize it. That in part, is the nature of this fascinating book, and this unique travel adventure.

Brandon's journey was a pilgrimage for peace on a trail that historians generally recognize was not about peace, but was in fact about power and religious and cultural hegemony. However Brandon's pilgrimage was intended to right those wrongs.

A pilgrimage is a long, often difficult, and even perilous journey. Pilgrimages usually suggest a journey to a sacred place. They are also symbolic acts and gestures that confirm a particular belief or belief system. In a very deep sense, a pilgrimage is also a quest -- for a greater truth -- or to pay homage to that truth.

But for Brandon, it was also a very long and very real journey on foot across Europe to the Middle East.

After reading Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace, I came to a greater understanding of the quest that Brandon pursued, and then I had the opportunity to find out more about the man and the impact that quest had on his life.

To hear an audio interview with Brandon, visit Travelosophy ([...]) and click on Travelosophy Talks.

Imagine taking a journey of 7 million steps, across 11 countries and 2 continents, racking up over 4,200 kilometers on your sneakers. Award-winning adventure travel writer and explorer Brandon Wilson invites his readers along on this amazing walking trek from France to Jerusalem, and while we may wince at the eloquently described struggles and challenges he and his companion face, we are spared the exhaustion, sweat and blisters. Instead, we can enjoy the magic and adventure of this amazing odyssey that unfolds along the ancient roads of the Knights Templar and be inspired and uplifted with these brave visionaries' endeavors in spreading messages of peace and hope where there has so often been strife.

Wilson's detailed and often tongue-in-cheek chronicles of the 5 month trek read almost like a diary and draw the reader into each scene and episode, from charming descriptions of bucolic landscapes and unforgettable characters, to tales of comical escapades and even frightening accounts of dangers lurking along the way. We are swept up as the travelers dodge murderous traffic and hostile encounters, adapt to hosts of local customs and struggle with language barriers, and we are truly uplifted by the countless poignant miracles of the "angels" the pilgrims meet all along the way,

Along the Templar Trail is written from the soul and in thoughtful, clever, and humorous style. In Wilson's own words, this is about a "...fellowship shared between pilgrims--those who travel with their feet--and those who join us with their hearts." This is the heartwarming story of an incredible pilgrimage, and it is impossible not to be touched by the vision of peace and humanitarianism at the heart of this journey.

by Zsuzsana Summer
www.arcanamatrix.com
authour of The Now Age: Demystifying Spirituality, The New Age And The Metaphysical

and Angels Abound: 111 True Stories of Angel And Spirit Encounters

In Along The Templar trail, Brandon Wilson takes us on an odyssey across 14 countries, and you feel you're walking along with him and his pilgrim companion, Emile, on each of his 7 million steps. He not only beautifully teaches us what it takes to be a modern pilgrim, but he paves the way for those inspired by his effort, to follow in his footsteps. With so much valuable and practical information of where to stay, where to eat, what roads to take, safety, what to pack, and descriptions of the different cultures he passed through, you feel you've got a wonderful travel guide as well!! In fact, this book has it all: drama, suspense,danger, moments that make you cry, and others that make you laugh. This is not a book you want to speed read through....you'd want to take your time, savor every step like you would if you traveled through exotic places and you didn't want to walk too fast and miss something important.

If you think backpacking through 2 continents on foot through foreign countries with dangers of war, fatality, and the daily challenge of finding water, food and shelter is fascinating...imagine transforming an ancient path of war, into a path of peace!!

If you like to travel and love history then you will greatly appreciate this excellent resource. This book provides information on the best Living History destinations in the United States from prehistory to the early 1840s. Instead of organizing the locations by particular area of the United States the authors have chosen to organize them by significant historical groupings. Examples of these groupings include a section on America's native peoples, one on religious and secular groups, one on the road to independence, and one on opening the West.

Most destinations have between a half page and a full-page description of the location, its historical significance, and interesting facts about the location or a related history. The book is filled with excellent color photographs that give the reader a solid feel for what to expect. This is one of the most invaluable resources I have ever found for planning a trip focused on American history and the historical significance of various areas of the United States. Americans Living History is very highly recommended.

We are history buffs at home--both of us grew up in historic areas. Trips to Gettysburg, Independence Hall, The Old North Church and Washington, DC were in our childhood experiences. You could hardly take a daytrip without seeing some of America's oldest treasures. So we as children enjoyed historical sites and we still stop for historical markers as a habit when we are out touring any area.


For people with similar tastes or who have children to educate, this is a wonderful resource. Some of the well-known and lesser known historical sites all over the US that date from the early years are laid out in a travel guide format.


The book is organized by popular sites, subjects like religious movements, colonization, the Western movement, and the Revolutionary War and the times leading up to this watershed event. Each historical site has photographs, address and phone number and a synopsis of what is available for touring. The geographical maps show towns or cities of interest. The only thing missing would be day trip routes in some of the more densely-historical areas (Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, New Jersey.)



But there are also timelines and write-ups of the history of the times (the Shakers, the Mormons, the battles of the Revolution and War of 1812, and the early contact with Native Americans.) So the book is not just a "what to see" but has important background and a good if brief overview of early American history.

After I read this book, I immediately wanted to go see at least a half a dozen sites I had not visited that are not really very far from my, and added a list of places I want to see next time I'm out West.


This is a very pretty book and one that home schoolers would find absolutely a treasure. My parents took us on endless daytrips on weekends and these are some of my fondest memories of childhood. If you have kids and an automobile, I'd put this book on the "must-have" list because you can build some excellent memories and give your kids a fine sense of where we came from as a nation. Big thumbs-up and I eagerly await more in this series.

Say the words "road trip" and "history" and I get excited. Suzanne & Craig Sheumaker have written a wonderful guide book for people who love living history sites and museums. I've been to most of the places described in Virginia and I can say that they got their descriptions absolutely correct.

I especially liked the photos. Most guide books have no pictures or annoy me with dinky little artsy drawings. When I'm in a car looking for something I don't want a drawing.

The Sheumakers seem to really love what they do and their enthusiasm comes though in each chapter. I've always scorned the Jamestown Settlement and prefered to head to the real Jamestown down the road but after reading the Sheumakers section on it I think I'll give it a try.

I particularly enjoyed the way that they split the book up. If you are interested in sites from the Spanish colonization years or the French or of course the English you can find chapters that deal just with that particular period. If you want to understand more about Indian life they have an exceptionally good section of sites dedicated to America's earliest settlers. Be sure to check out the Cherokee villiage in North Carolina. The book also talks about the Catholics, the Jews, Amish, Moravian, Shakers, Quakers and Mormons who came to America and the living history sites they left behind.

If the Revolutionary period is what interests you most they have a chapter on sites to visit. If the sites of the new nation are your thing then they have a chapter for you. This is really a delightful book and is such a good travel companion I'd say that the best thing to do is to buy two copies. One for the coffee table and one to keep in the car. I hope this is the begining of a new series.

What can you expect from America's Living History-The Early Years? Definitely not just another "coffee table" book! The stunning photographs may catch your eye, but you'll want to pick up this book and use it.

Have you ever wanted to visit the historic Jamestown site in Virginia? You can view hundreds of artifacts discovered from the first permanent settlement there.

Do you remember the story about Washington crossing an icy river to attack British forces? Been to the place it happened? Did you know that every year on Christmas Day, hundreds of re-enactors cross the river to commemorate this Revolutionary War triumph?

Know where you can find incredible Native American petroglyphs? Sites in New Mexico and Nevada are mentioned in this book.

Readers will find the answers to innumerable questions about early American life in this book. Whether readers are interested in a day trip close to home or going cross-country, this is a great resource.

From the plains to the coast, Alaska to Hawaii, nearly every state is represented in this guide. With three hundred destinations featured, a history buff or interested traveler couldn't ask for more.

The authors have done a great job with tasteful and applicable photographs. They accent pages filled not just with contact information (although it's there for your reference) but with interesting facts, too. The book is separated into categories, including: America's Native Peoples, European Colonization, Road to Independence, and more. It also features destinations lists by region, to help you plan adventures if you are on a trip.

The authors have obviously done their homework and it shows in this wonderful resource.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.

Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker have created an incredible resource for people looking to vacation in the United States in places where history lives. They profile 300 living history sites in the United States that cover American history from the time when Native Americans had empires and confederations to the 1840's. The Sheumakers provide excellent cross-references to aid people planning a living history vacation. However, this book is more than just a guide for people looking for an excellent place to vacation; this book is also a wonderful history book with factual tidbits sprinkled throughout.

The beginning of this book provides maps of the profiled locations. These maps also divide the sites into categories described later in the book (more on that in a moment). Thus, if your focus is on European colonization and you are interested in traveling to the mid-Atlantic or the South, you will be able to quickly find the sites that are focused on this aspect of history.

The Sheumakers organized this book into six historical categories; America's Native Peoples, European Colonization, Religious & Secular Groups, Road to Independence, Our New Nation, and Opening the West. Each section is color coded to more easily locate them on the previously described maps. Even better, each section has dozens of photographs, typically one per site, along with location information, fee information, and, perhaps best of all, the best available web site for the location. In addition, the Sheumakers sometimes recommend the best time of year to see special events and they typically provide information regarding the historical significance of the site.

I have checked several of the sites recommended by the Sheumakers to see how accurate their information is. Consider Cahokia Mounds, in Illinois, described on page 38 of this book. There are two photographs. One photograph is of the largest mound on the site. The other is a photograph of a walk-through diorama available at the interpretive center. The Sheumakers include several pieces of information about the history of the site and its significance (a small portion of what you can learn at the site). Their information regarding the location of Cahokia Mounds matches the direction provided on the highways east of St. Louis, Missouri. The fee information is also correct (free), though the interpretive center suggests a $1 donation per person. The only flaw I found in the Sheumaker's description of this site is that they neglected to mention the miles of walking trails on the site.

Other sites contain similar accuracy. I looked at Spring Mill Pioneer Village in Indiana, which is a wonderful place to visit (though sometimes it gets very busy). Historic St. Charles, Missouri is yet another wonderful place to visit, if you can avoid the distraction of the gigantic casino that is nearby. Ft. Osage in Sibley, Missouri, has been a popular destination for the nearby residents of Kansas City, Missouri, for decades.

If there is a flaw in this book, it is that space limited the Sheumakers to only 300 destinations. There are many more living history places in the United States. However, the Sheumakers certainly picked many of the very best places from the era before the 1840's. Perhaps if this book is successful, they can write a follow-up book titled "More of America's Living History."

This book is a phenomenal resource for people planning a vacation or seeking a starting point for a history paper. Teachers and other educators may wish to explore one of the living history sites near your school. You may just want to take a day trip to one of these sites. All of them are worth at least a day trip and some of them require days to fully explore.

Traveler's guides seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days. Everyone is competing for shelf space and your attention. The Sheumakers have a unique approach, eschewing typical tourist attractions for those that focus on our (United States) history. It would be a mistake to call these sites tourist attractions, because many of them contain on-going historical research. For example, excavations continue at Cahokia Mounds. Regardless of your need, this beautiful, full-color book is a wonderful as a resource, a coffee-table book, or even just to read - I started it and could not put it down. Whatever your need or goal, if you appreciate the history of the United States and you are seeking an opportunity to immerse yourself further in that history, you need this book.

This review is based on a copy of the book provided to me by the authors.

Enjoy!

Both David Von Drehle and Michael Mello's books are excellent and very well describe what life is like for those on death row and those representing death sentenced persons, particularly at the old CCR [Office of Capital Collateral Representative]. However there is more:

After Mark Olive voluntarily resigned from CCR about March 1988, Billy H. Nolas became the next Chief Litigator. It is extremely odd that neither Mello nor Von Drehle even mention Nolas nor the next Chief Litigator Martin or Marty J. McClain. For important reasons they should have.

Billy H. Nolas is an excellent litigator like Olive. Nolas was the Chief Litigator for the last two years of the Gov. Martinez "regime", which was the most difficult time in CCR history [during my employment there] with Martinez signing death warrants as if he was at a Republican Party event signing autographs.

Nolas resigned at the end of 1990, after Martinez had been defeated by former U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles and former U.S. House of Representatives member Buddy MacKay.

Nolas was completely drained from the years he endured and litigated while at CCR, due to the huge case load and the internecine warfare within the agency. McClain and his faction within CCR did their best to cause Nolas to leave -- eventually they were successful -- and THAT is when clients' cases began to suffer.

Martin J. McClain is an excellent litigator, however his strategic decisions in various cases are questionable. When Mello writes on page 245 of the hardcover version of "Dead Wrong" regarding CCR, "Look beneath the surface of CCR's 'success rates', however, and you'll find an artifice typical of hack public defender officers. CCR has in the past farmed out the hardest cases to outside lawyers (by finding that it has a 'conflict of interest')". The period of time that Mello is referring to is when Martin J. McClain was the Chief Litigator and Michael Minerva was the executive director of CCR.

As the premier example of McClain alleging a "conflict of interest" [and I can only assume with the consent of the director of CCR at the time, Michael Minerva] is the client Jerry Layne Rogers, Sr. -- a wrongfully convicted and innocent man -- Mr. Rogers's case in 1992 consisted of at least 80 boxes of documents, from court files, prosecutor and law enforcement files, trial and evidentiary hearing transcripts, etc. Mr. Rogers's case was the largest and most complicated that CCR has ever represented.

The second largest and most complicated was that of Mr. Gerald Stano, whose lead attorney during most of the development of his case was Mark Olive.

McClain simply didn't want to have such a complicated case as a CCR case, so McClain, in my considered insider opinion as Mr. Roger's only investigator from 1989 until my involuntary departure in 1992, alleged in a misrepresentation to the Florida Supreme Court (FSC) that he had a "conflict of interest" with Mr. Rogers -- while Mr. Rogers's case was pending at the FSC.

As a result, Mr. Rogers had no counsel for an extended period of time until the Washington, D.C. law firm Covington and Burling became his pro bono counsel in 1995. The result was an unanimous FSC 26 page opinion ordering a new trial due primarily to prosecutorial misconduct, in particular Brady v. Maryland violations.

To read the opinion, go to the Florida Supreme Court website, to recent opinions, to the year 2001, scroll down to February 15, 2001.

During the summer of 2002, Mr. Rogers was re-convicted, however the jury recommended and Mr. Rogers received a life sentence. Thus for a second time Mr. Rogers has been wrongfully convicted.

Another wrongfully convicted Florida death row inmate, who is now a free man, Juan Melendez, testified about his neighbor on death row, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers taught him how to speak, read and write in English as well as assisting him in coping skills while on death row.

In 2004, the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal denied relief. The FSC declined to accept jurisdiction and thus denied the petition for review.

Mr. Rogers' case is pending Federal review.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Joseph "Crazy Joe" Spaziano, who avoided Florida's electric chair six years ago when his condemnation for murder was thrown out, was denied parole Wednesday, on a sentence of life plus five years for raping a 16-year-old Orlando girl and slashing her eyes in 1974.

The state Parole Commission voted against changing Spaziano's April 2060 parole date on the rape conviction after a 40-minute hearing Wednesday when family members and attorneys on both sides testified in the case of the one-time member of the Outlaws motorcycle gang.

Spaziano, now 58, will be eligible to seek another parole hearing in 2009.

Bill Cotterell has been a journalist with UPI and more recently for a good number of years at the Tallahassee Democrat covering primarily state government news in Florida. His email address is bcotterell@tallahassee.com for verification of this account and a more accurate recounting.

He has recounted to me several times about the time in one case that Ms. Holdman said something to the effect that the murdered youth would just have to miss her high school prom --- said in a scarcastic and offensive tone -- meaning minimizing the impact that the murder had upon the murdered youth herself.

Michael Mello's "Dead Wrong" quote from page 195 (hardcover version): "There were some days (and nights) when CCR was the best public defender office in the world." I agree -- "some" being the operative word here.

For more insight, Michael Moline, formerly of UPI in Tallahassee, wrote a long article for a California newspaper (the name I don't have with me at this time) about Scharlette Holdman shortly after she arrived in California from Florida by means of South Carolina.

A professor in the Sociology department of the University of Delaware recommended Von Drehle to me for an example of a writing style I could use. I'm glad to have made the purchase both because of writing style and content.

Though the author never specifically articulates his beliefs about the death penalty anywhere within this volume, I had the distinct impression that he was actually, in principle, a proponent of the punishment, but had become increasingly frustrated with its practice as he investigated every capital case in Florida during the first few years of the death penalty's reimposition. It is this perspective, along with the excellent writing and the telling details he unearths about each case (details concerning the commission of the crime, the investigation, trial, appeals, execution, and aftermath) that separate this volume from most of the other anti-death penalty materials. Above all else, it is an excellent read.