Running Books

This book is short sharp and to the point and yet has a suprising amount of detail. For someone wanting an introduction to this subject this is definatly the book to have as it is easy to read and understand and covers the most exciting period in the age of the sailing navy. A good background book for Jack Aubry, Hornblower and Richard Bolitho readers.

This book is excellent for someone looking to learn the basics of the Crimean war.It is beautiful in its ability to bring to life the economic, political and military circumstances which lead to this war, its also critical of their failures and successes.


Very good book, I highly recommend it to anyone who is a military history buff but knows little about the Crimean war & wish to find a book to "jump start" their further reading into this unique and fascinating conflict of Victorian Era warfare.

By "walk-through" I mean a highly-informed introduction to China's millennias-long history and contemporary challenges, one that is neither romantic nor simplistic, and one that is conducted by a well-spoken guide. The reader will conclude with a sense of China's historic memories and aspirations, and a better understanding of the present moment. It is a satisfying read, perfect for anyone headed--by air or armchair--to Beijing.

I have always believed that the BBC made the finest adaptations for radio and television, and indeed the BROTHER CADFAEL series is no exception; Bert Coules (who most recently adapted Sherlock Holmes for BBC radio) and the fine actor Philip Madoc brought Cadfael to life in three adaptations which are well worth listening to if you can: MONKS HOOD, THE VIRGIN INN THE ICE and DEAD MAN'S RANSOM. However, Sir Derek Jacobi was an excellent Cadfael for television ... even if some of the teleplays didn't quite follow the plot of the original novels. Acorn Audio did something quite extraordinary when they turned the audio tracks of the four teleplays of the first Cadfael TV series into an audio series, adding a narrator to fill in the gaps and adding some slight commentary on the action which could not be seen on an audiotape; in doing so, they tightened up the narrative to keep the stories moving at a good clip so that the listener would not lose interest, and Stephen Flynn's narration is well-read and well-written. This story, ONE CORPSE TOO MANY, was the first of the TV Cadfael mysteries (despite the fact that the book it was based on was the SECOND in the series), and is a good way to introduce Brother Cadfael, played wonderfully by Derek Jacobi, and his soon-to-be comrade and best friend Hugh Beringar. I am sorry that Acorn Audio hasn't adapted the rest of the televised Cadfael stories into this format, and the only grievance I have is that the cast of characters is not read out at the end of each story (all we get to know is that Sir Derek Jacobi plays Brother Cadfael, when there are some fine actors in each of the stories). This is something entirely new, coming somewhere in between actual radio drama and books-on-tape, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the Brother Cadfael series. The listener will not lose anything by not seeing the action on a TV screen, and the acting you will HEAR combined with the narration will definitely provide an ejoyable listening experience.

This series of Fit-A-Shape books is excellent for teaching children. They can improve their fine motor skills as well as learn matching shapes, colors and sizes. An excellent purchase to make for a toddler.

Somewhere between fiction and anthropology, Start Exploring Bulfinch's Mythology recounts the famous Greek myths, with guides to pronunciation for the Gods' names. The stories are retold by Steven Zorn, who has shortened and simplified them for a younger audience. It is a great introduction to ancient Greek culture and religious legends, and will definitely help the student later, since literature and history allude to these famous tales. Alongside the stories are giant pictures to color in. The text and illustrations work together to make an awesome little book. I highly recommend it!

This small format pocket size guide is divided into three parts - Gardening from the Ground Up, Plant Portraits, and the Practical Gardener. The first section includes a wealth of information on critical factors for a successful garden. Some of the items discussed include climate, rainfall, wind, sun, soil type, drainage, and garden design.

The Plant Portraits section is by far the largest section of the book and grouped by annuals and biennials, perennials, bulbs, roses, vegetables, herbs, groundcovers, and vines. For each plant the authors include descriptions (height, colors, etc.), tips for growing (when to plant, how to thin, transplanting, etc.), and other useful information. It also has a small section of photographs for several of the more common plants.

The Practical Gardener section primarily covers equipment, pests, and diseases. The pests and diseases portion is good in that it covers characteristics, symptoms, hosts, and controls. While not a very thorough treatment of the pests and diseases it does cover the most common ones. The last part of this section has an excellent listing of plants organized by environmental preferences and uses. For example, it lists appropriate plants for bright sunny areas and for thickly shaded areas as well as ones to use for a cutting garden, for attracting butterflies, etc.

If you are looking for a smaller book that is easy to take along to the garden center but thorough enough to have all the most common information you can't go wrong with the Burpee Gardening Cyclopedia.

Written by a small business owner of 20 years experience, A Business Of My Own? 21 Steps To Successfully Starting and Running a Small Business is a practical-minded guide to going into business for oneself. Chapters address the personal characteristics required to run one's own business (for example, individuals unwilling to risk a fluctuating income or who have poor people skills are advised to reconsider), sample occupations and professions to start a business for, business structures and plans, pitfalls to avoid when choosing a location, setting a budget, and keeping records, marketing, building a client base, and much more. A host of sample forms from brochure samples to thank-you letters, subcontractor agreements and logs of potential clients round out this omnibus starter guide, written especially to be accessible to lay readers and budding entrepreneurs of all backgrounds.

A tiny jewel studded with quotes, lines of poetry, a smattering of history and lovely pictures of many of the more common butterflies with brief information about each. A real gem and perfect gift for any buterfly lover!

Every programmer should have a copy of this by their side!=