Best Steam Cleaner

Review of The Best Deals and Steals in San Diego: The Ultimate Consumer Guidebook To San Diego and Environs, 8th Version (Paperback)

2010-02-05T15:38:00.000-05:00

I like this book because there is so much more going on in San Diego than you realize. This book opens some doors to what is happening. Some of the content may be a bit outdated, but it gives you great ideas on what you can look can look to do what you want to do for cheap.

Product Description
Contains everything you could possibly want to spendmoney on in San Diego, from shopping for super high end bargains atdeluxe department stores to factory outlet shopping to the undergroundworld of shopping at liquidators, wholesale outlets, flea markets,resale shops, estate sales, PLUS everything household, great travelbargains, restaurant "finds", free birthday dinners, hundreds of free& bargain things to do ...SAVE A FORTUNE .. and you'll love readingit!It's fun!What sane person doesn't want to save money ? ?

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Review of Sudden Times (Hardcover)

2010-02-05T11:08:00.000-05:00

One of the best books I have read this year is Jeffrey Lent's "In theFall". So when I read the appraisal of this Author's work not only by Mr.Jeffrey Lent, but Roddy Doyle, and others, I thought the chance I wastaking on an Author new to me was minimal. The man who wrote this book, Mr.Dermot Healy, has produced a work that will be on any short list offavorites from 2000 I will have. This book is unique and unconventional itis extraordinary. Some of the commercial commentators felt the need to gobeyond what the jacket provides, and into events in the book. That decisionwas unnecessary, but thankfully it in no way detracts from the book. Thereare no simple explanations for this work, and were the story line known toyou, because of the way Mr. Healy delivers his tale, little would be lost.This is a book that can be read and read again.

The book is written inthe first person and that is about the only conventional aspect of it. Thebook is laid out in an eclectic manner. Actually it is presented in abewildering pattern less structure that initially left me lost. Going backand reading a passage again does not help, because the subject of the bookis lost, and the Author puts to paper the thoughts of what a person in thevarious frames of mind this individual goes through, would look like werethoughts visible. Once you get in step with the Author and his charactereverything makes sense, what seemed random is not, what was seeminglyfragmented becomes perfectly assembled. This book does not say what it islike to feel a certain emotion; it causes the reader to feel as though heor she was experiencing the events themselves. The feeling when the book isread goes beyond the vicarious to something more akin to immersion.

TheAuthor then demonstrates how masterfully and with what range he can craftlanguage, how versatile he is, when, toward the end he lays down courtroomconflict between defense counsel and witnesses that is as well done as anysuch exchanges I have read. The dialogue is sharp, terse, and delivered ina hyperactive exchange. The Author demonstrates with ease what so manycrime story pretenders struggle to produce and generally fail.

The bookis brilliant, the Author a writer of incredible range, and he offers areading experience you will not forget, and one that you will be hardpressed to repeat.

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Review of The Flooring Handbook: The Complete Guide to Choosing and Installing Floors (Hardcover)

2010-02-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

This is an excellent book, by far the best I have ever bought on flooring maintenance and installation (I wish I had bought this one first). This book offers great comparisons of different types of materials, well written and simple instructions on how to install them and advice on when to get a professional if your an amatuer such as myself.This book is a great resource and will help you make an informed decision if your putting in a new floor, whether you do it yourself or not.

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Review of The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand (Paperback)

2010-02-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

Santopietro should be lauded for his approach to this much-written-about subject.Using engaging prose, he casts a critical eye on each piece of the Streisand oeuvre, while always setting the critical examinations within the historical contexts of both society and the entertainment industry.It's refreshing to be able to read about the woman's work without being subjected to hear-say or apocryphal comments that only the lady herself could validate.This critical analysis is the missing link (a long time missing) between Stresiand's interviews about her work, her co-workers' opinions and the press.Hats off to you, Tom.This is a terrific book that I keep thinking about even after having read it some weeks ago.Thank you for setting the record straight on the fine line between celebrities' public lives and their professional personas.

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Review of Chambers Super-Mini Book of Facts (Paperback)

2010-02-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

A useful little book with a surprising amount of information. It's useful even in this time of ubiquitous 'net access - for those times when you can't tweak your query just right or your local ISP has let you down.

If you are an author, having a couple of this type of book with you at all times makes life easier.

Product Description
From Nobel Prize winners to national holidays around the world, Chambers Super-Mini Book of Facts puts essential facts and figures at users' fingertips.
This latest edition has been fully revised to incorporate significant recent world events, such as political changes and sports results. With over 90,000 facts covering 240 fields of interest, along with biographies for more than 1,400 prominent people, this information-packed reference is the most comprehensive little reference book available.

About the Author
This internationally renowned reference publisher continues its celebrated tradition of excellence into the present day with such informative and authoritative works as the Chambers Crossword Dictionary, Chambers Encyclopedia, Chambers Biographical Dictionary and the all-new Chambers Dictionary of Quotations.

Chambers is based in Edinburgh, as it always has been, and employs editors with a wide range of skills on dictionaries and other titles for a variety of users, including students and teachers of English as a foreign or second language. As well as the core business of publishing dictionaries and thesauruses, Chambers also publishes a range of titles on grammar and usage, single-volume reference titles on science, history, biography and quotations, as well as titles for Scrabble® and crosswords.

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Review of Fundamentals of Copy & Layout : Everything You Need to Know to Prepare Better Ads (Paperback)

2010-02-04T06:13:00.000-05:00

This book is great as either an introduction or refresher to the fundamentals of copy and layout. It is a great aidto writingenticing headlines (using the author's A-B-C formula); learing to writer about benefits, rather than features; preparing actual layouts for various media; and writing for braodcast and interactive media.

It offers concise information that leads one through the copy and layout process for advertisements in newspapers, consumer magazines, direct response, outdoor, television, radio, and interactive media. It is truly an essential resource for anyone in advertsing or considering a career in advertising. It goes beyond the basics and highlights the philosophies of advertising's great names such as Bill Bernbach, Leo Burnett, David Ogilvy, Jack Trout, Rosser Reeves, and others.

It also includes materials on research (more and more important every day), data collection, analysis, and integrated marketing. This text's techniques and cutting-edge content will provide students with a solid foundation in the fundamentals that they'll use throughout their careers.

If you are interested in advertising, I highly suggest this book. It is especially great as a companion volume to "The Copy Work Shop Workbook."

Product Description
Everything students need to know to create better ads isincluded in this user-friendly workbook. Self-quizzes, assignments,and cases teach students to solve actual copy and layoutchallenges. Features the creative philosophies of Bill Bernbach, LeoBurnett, David Ogilvy, Jack Trout, and Rosser Reeves. Includesmaterial on research, data collection, analysis, and integratedmarketing. This text's nuts-and-bolts techniques and cutting-edgecontent will empower your students with: * A solid foundation inthe fundamentals that they'll use and thank you for throughout theircareers. * Tips on writing for the Internet, new computerapplications, and photo reproduction techniques. * The criticaloutlook they'll need to succeed by completing the text's quizzes,assignments, and copy and layout problems.

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

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Review of No Lie - Truth is the Ultimate Sales Tool (Paperback)

2010-02-03T19:28:00.000-05:00

The reason Maher scored a 5 is that if you're in sales even if it's just in the form of selling your ideas, vision or yourself you should read this book. It's by no means a definitive guide, but it is a must read.

When I first started in sales I was shocked to find my fellow salespeople, who considered themselves honest, fabricating stories to enhance perception or to create buying pressure.

This book gave me the confidence to sell strongly while maintaining complete integrity - without the need for ANY fabrication. Maher even shows a powerful, audaciously truthful way to close on the first appointment.

For me it wasn't so much about learning to build trust, developing a set of closes or techniques for presenting - although these are included in the book and are crucial for sales. For me, it was much more about striking a balance between loving the truth and actually earning serious dollars. (I once told my sales manager "I'd rather lose my job than lie").

Make Barry Maher more money so he can give you some tools to becoming a better salesperson - buy this book right now.

Product Description

A top Fortune 500 sales trainer shows how to transform the ugly truth into beautiful sales

No Lie--Truth Is the Ultimate Sales Tool introduces salespeople to a powerful new approach to winning customers' trust instantly and selling more, more, more. Drawing upon his years of experience training sales forces at Xerox, American Express, PepsiCo, Verizon, and other top shops worldwide, guru Barry Maher explains why the most effective salespeople know how to transform their product or service's negatives into positive selling points, or even bragging points.

Using fascinating and instructive real-world examples, he describes six proven strategies that let readers:

Win customer trust, instantly, by telling the whole truth about a product
Use that trust to transform a negative into a powerful selling point
Compare a product's shortcomings with a competitor's advantages and come out on top
Convince potential customers that a product's negatives translate into greater success and satisfaction

From the Back Cover

Transform the ugly truth into beautiful sales

Afraid to talk to your customers about the potential negatives of your product or service? After you read No Lie--Truth Is the Ultimate Sales Tool, you won't be able to keep your mouth shut. This straight-talking primer for sales professionals introduces a powerful new approach to winning customers' trust instantly and selling more, more, more! And not just down the road but right now, in the account today.

Drawing upon his years of experience working with , Verizon, Budget Rent a Car, American Express, PepsiCo, and other top shops worldwide, sales guru Barry Maher shows you how to turn negatives into positive selling points, or even bragging points. Using entertaining, enlightening and even humorous "examples, anecdotes, case studies and pontifications," he details six proven strategies for turning lemons into lemonade. You'll learn how to:

Win customer trust, instantly, by telling the whole truth about a product
Transform negatives into powerful selling points
Compare yourproduct's shortcomings with a competitor's strengthsand come out on top
Prove to your customers howperceived negatives translate into superior performance and greater satisfaction

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Review of Spirits White as Lightning (Hardcover)

2010-02-03T16:22:00.000-05:00

In one realm Sir Eric Banyon, known there as Silverflute, a Queen's Knight, is a hero who saved the world.On a more earthly plane, Eric is a Juilliard student flautist who flunked Introduction to Music Theory because he missed his midterm saving the world from Aerune.Eric attends summer school to make up the credits and stay in school

Of course Eric has other activities intruding on his studies. These include a naming ceremony for his daughter Maeve and coping with being ripped off by his professor, a technical genius who has no earthly idea how to teach.This is next to nothing for Eric who has faced deadly enemy in combat, but remains unaware that Aerune and the Sidhe are plotting a rematch with a different ending.

SPIRITS WHITE AS LIGHTNING is a humorous "Bedlam's Bard" tale that cleverly mixes ordinary life with fantasy elements.The amusing story line never slows down as old favorites and villains return for another world threatening engagement in between homework assignments.Eric is a complex hero who can save worlds, fail classes, and look at his infant daughter and seriously claim she looks like Winston Churchill sans cigar; this Queen's Knight makes the tale sing.Sub-genre fans who relish a comic fantasy romp filled with New York guardians and Vegas elves will join the chorus line of readers singing praise to Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edgehill for their latest collaboration.

Harriet Klausner

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Review of Lady Betty Across the Water (Paperback)

2010-02-03T13:25:00.000-05:00

Lady Betty is a delightful heroine.I collect "girls" novels of the 1890-1920 period.Many of them are poorly written and/or formulaic.Lady Betty is an exception.The story is funny, well plotted, and if the ending is not precisely a surprise, it is satisfying. It's not just a collector's item.I'm happy to find the authors other works are still available and, it seems, experiencing a renaissance.

Product Description
Illustrated by Orson Lowell

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Review of Donuts: An American Passion (Hardcover)

2010-02-03T04:26:00.000-05:00

Next time I read a John T. Edge book, I'll remember to wear protection. A bib, to avert the Pavlovian swirls that are sure to follow.

Prepare yourself for a sweet thrill-jaunt in his wake as he flavor-plows North America, accompanied by the usual suspects (sugar & cinnamon), and more than a few surprises. I knew I was a fan when I read his line "I would shout down anyone who dared dispute the goodness inherent in oil-singed orbs of fruitcake." If you want to know where to find me, I'll be the guy on all fours propped behind his poor victim's knees to facilitate smooth sailing in his backward trajectory.

You'll read about why it's patriotic and even possibly healthy (this would be in the "history" part of the book) to indulge your donut fixation. Different ethnic takes on fried dough weigh in. Artistry is in full flower, no ingredient is sacred. Everybody gets into the act, and even "uberchef" Thomas Keller gets a mention.

This book gives you everything you could want in a donut book; history, comedy, personality, machinery, and especially, recipes. There are resources that you could use to start a donut business yourself.

Pretty smart kid he's got helping him out, too.

Product Description
Acclaimed food writer and cultural historian John T. Edge conjures nostalgia by revealing portions of our history through our most cherished foods. Donuts is the cap on a scrumptious series toting comfort food, belyingcalorie-counting, and embracing those cornerstone, iconic dishes that have come to define American cuisine and customs over the years.

In Donuts, Edge walks us though the donut's inception as Dutch fare, the Salvation Army's wartime donuts, the invention of the donut machine, the 1950s donut-shop craze, the Krispy Kreme revolution, the appropriation by other ethnicities, and the fanatical chefs that take donuts to a new art form. Nothing encourages our sweet-tooth cravings like the donut. It is honest. It is satisfying. It is a national symbol that has survived the low carb-diet dogma and the death of the local donut shop, and it is making a comeback into the hearts of Americans.

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Review of Mechanical Cost Data 2005 (Means Mechanical Cost Data) (Paperback)

2010-02-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

As many HVAC estimators apparently know, this book has cost data for just about every mechanical system you can imagine.While the book would be overkill for most folks, those who are considering significant home remodeling projects may find it worthwhile as a way to fairly evaluate bids.A certain amount of time and knowledge is required to figure out how to use the book, but once you do it's a goldmine.As an example, I used it a week ago to verify a $65,000 quote for a big renovation job a coworker's friend was considering and found out that the heat pump piping was ten times too high - $20,000 versus $2,000!It breaks out materials, labor and profit/overhead so you know exactly what you are getting into.Money well spent, especially if you get last year's edition... so the costs are a little lower - it's a good spot to start bargaining with contractors!

Product Description
Definitive data on unit costs for materials, methods, equipment and other building services. This cost data is referenced by professionals Nationwide from constractors and engineers to architects and facility managers.

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Review of Chambers Book of Facts (Hardcover)

2010-02-02T19:44:00.000-05:00

Have been using the Chambers Book of Facts close to daily, for about 5 years and found it very useful, rather essential in solving crossword puzzles.
It was getting somewhat getting out of date and the new issue contains so much more useful and practical information. I would be lost without it and coukld do without it.

Product Description
This new edition of Chambers Book of Facts is the most reliable source of up-todate information available. This full-featured reference boasts over 200,000 facts and figures covering 280 fields of interest, all arranged into 14 different subject areas, such as space, nations of the world, history, arts and culture, sports and games, and more. Information is presented in an appealing two-color layout using diagrams, tables, lists, and maps. Facts and figures are complemented by other valuable information, such as brief biographies and current sports results.

Truly international in scope, covering all subjects of interest, Chambers Books of Facts is an essential home reference and a must-have for any trivia junkie.

About the Author
This internationally renowned reference publisher continues its celebrated tradition of excellence into the present day with such informative and authoritative works as the Chambers Crossword Dictionary, Chambers Encyclopedia, Chambers Biographical Dictionary and the all-new Chambers Dictionary of Quotations.

Chambers is based in Edinburgh, as it always has been, and employs editors with a wide range of skills on dictionaries and other titles for a variety of users, including students and teachers of English as a foreign or second language. As well as the core business of publishing dictionaries and thesauruses, Chambers also publishes a range of titles on grammar and usage, single-volume reference titles on science, history, biography and quotations, as well as titles for Scrabble® and crosswords.

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Review of The Athena Factor (Hardcover)

2010-02-02T03:23:00.000-05:00

This isn't too bad a read, although the action bogs down here and there as the author lets his characters expatiate on the pros and cons of cloning people and whatever that seems to entail.It's easy enough to skip these interludes and get on to whatever action is under way at the time they crop up.The characters are not that well developed, tending toward the stock rugged he-men and gorgeous babes (who are actually very well developed) that populate many examples of this sort of novel.The plot gimmick that gets the ball rolling is that many folks who want babies would rather give birth to a clone of some celebrity than whatever might result from their own DNA.The possibility of using genetic fiddling to correct"bad" genes is also broached.

Product Description
Bizarre celebrity thefts are occurring all over the world: A piece of hair from John Lennon, Julia Roberts' bed linens, and Sheela Marks, Hollywood's hottest actress, is constantly being approached in odd ways by obsessed fans literally out for a piece of her. Paranoid and desperate for her own safety, she turns to her security expert, ex-Marine Lymon Bridges, who must match wits with his most formidable opponent yet.
One of Bridges's new recruits, Christal Anaya, was a hot shot FBI agent who recently lost her job due to a major slip-up during one of the agencies most sought after cases. Now Bridges hopes to use her investigative expertise to unveil the perpetrator behind these "attacks." But what she finds is far stranger than anything coming out of Hollywood. A major genetics firm has been all over the world, kidnapping the best genetic scientists to use their expertise in a bizarre black market trade of celebrity DNA, and its megalomaniacal mastermind will stop at nothing until the world is as beautiful as Hollywood's A-list.

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Review of Cupcake (Hardcover)

2010-02-02T02:17:00.000-05:00

After graduating from high school and reluctantly breaking things off with her long-term boyfriend Shrimp, spirited, sassy Cyd Charisse (call her CC) is ready to move on - or at least pretend that she is. Though she loves her family and her home in San Francisco, CC can't wait to live it up in New York with her fantastic older half-brother Danny. She just knows life in the city will be great. After all, what could be better to distract her from Shrimp-missage than the larger-than-life Big Apple?

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men . . . and women named after famous dancers. While walking down multiple flights of steps, CC breaks her leg in three places. (No one ever said she had the grace of her namesake.) Being cooped up in Danny's apartment is not exactly what she had in mind. Luckily, her leg heals more quickly than her heart.

CC knows the value of a good friend, and she stays in touch with her old buds - like Autumn, who is attending college in New York - as she makes new ones - like Max, a cranky yet lovable middle-aged neighbor, and his cat. She keeps in touch with her mother, who both aggravates and oddly inspires her, and her half-sister lisBETH, who tends to simply aggravate her. Her bio-dad is still less of a presence in her life than her stepfather, but everyone is at least making an effort to reconnect. Though she continues to wonder what Shrimp is doing in New Zealand, a chance encounter with an old fling serves as a brief distraction.

What about her career? CC gets enrolled in a cooking class, but stops going when it isn't what she thought it would be, preferring to sample Danny's latest batch of cupcakes than make her own. While on the search for the perfect cappuccino CC stumbles upon the L U _ C H _ O N E _ T E, an old-fashioned-looking dinner run by a Goth-punk boy. In a matter of minutes, she has a new job and an unexpected ally.

Just when things are starting to look up, a blast from the past tears open that hole in her heart and makes CC re-evaluate her priorities and her life.

Author Rachel Cohn has created a unique and memorable character in Cyd Charisse. The girl readers know and love from the previous books has grown up before their eyes. CC thinks she is more independent than ever, yet becomes aware of her sometimes co-dependency on Shrimp and others. It is this kind of acknowledgment that shows her maturity, yet lack thereof. Though CC is constantly searching for freedom from her family, but not quite ready to be wholly on her own. Young adults and older teens who have gone through or are currently going through that same awkward period will definitely relate to her in more ways than one.

Readers first met CC in the book Gingerbread, then reunited with her in the follow-up novel Shrimp. Cupcake is the third and final book in the Cyd Charisse cycle. Due to CC's increased introspection and consideration, it is also the best. CC is older, wiser, and sassier. She's finally become comfortable in her own skin, and Cohn has given her a delicious send-off. Cupcake is a treat which teens and adults alike should indulge in immediately!

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Review of The Mold Survival Guide: For Your Home and for Your Health (Hardcover)

2010-02-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

This book written by long time professional home inspector Jeff May and his writer spouse Connie is a good introduction to mold problems in buildings, particularly homes. It combines an excellent narrative writing style, and unusual for a book that should appeal to many lay readers, a strong scientific understanding of mold, its growth requirements, its effects on human health, its detection in indoor spaces and ultimately its control. Jeff who I have known for over 20 years brings to this book many years (and of course many investigated buildings) of real-world experience with the scientific understanding to match. That is a rare combination. The book is a good read for the lay individual concerned about mold, the parent with a child with asthma, chronic sinusitis, or chronic non-seasonal allergy. It is also a good read for mold professionals of limited experience and those planning to enter the profession.
Thad Godish, Ph.D., C.I.H., Professor of Natural Resources/Environmental Management, Ball State University, Muncie, In. 47304 http://www.bsu.edu/IEN

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Review of How to Restore Your Wooden Runabout (Paperback)

2010-02-01T19:13:00.000-05:00

This book is well written and issomething you can read just for reading sake! Been doing boat repair for a long time and learned a lot from Don. Both Volumes 5 stars.

Product Description
The first complete wooden runaboat how-to guide. Breathe life back into your classic wooden runabout with expert tips from restoration guru Don Danenberg. This valuable guide provides critical information as it discusses woodworking concerns such as surveying, disassembling, repairing, and reconstructing. Lavishly illustrated with 300 photographs that guide you step-by-step through each restoration process. Danenberg also elaborates on topics ranging from engines and electrics to instrumentation and upholstery.

About the Author
Over the past three decades, boatwright Don Danenberg has earned a reputation as one of the United States' foremost experts in the art of restoring wooden hulls to their original beauty. He is an active member of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, a frequent contributor to Classic Boating magazine and he owns Danenberg Boatworks in Manistee, Michigan--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Review of Heavy Construction Cost Data 2001 (Means Heavy Construction Cost Data, 2001) (Paperback)

2010-02-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

This is a great reference guide in standard version. To avoid confusion, the ISBN number for the metric version is 0 87629 555 3.

Product Description
Cost data for public works officials, contractors, facilities managers, developers, civil engineers, and other professionals in need of data for heavy construction costs. Includes indexes and indicators for adjustment of the latest prices for labor, equipment and materials, with unit prices for thermal and moisture protection, concrete, metals, and much more. Softcover.

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Review of Ecodesign: The Sourcebook (Paperback)

2010-02-01T03:48:00.000-05:00

This beautifully designed book is a great idea-generator if you're thinking about using sustainable products and materials in your home or office, or if you just like cool, european design that makes you ask, "so where can I get that?" or "who makes that utterly cool thing that I will probably never find in a shop and can't afford, anyway?"

It introduces you to good-looking examples of ecological design for everyday life -- flooring, furniture, transportation, miscellaneous -- and gives a breakdown of the kinds of materials available (biopolymers, textiles, etc.) and who makes them. For me, it would also be helpful to see price tags on some of these options, as well as more easily located--or at least up-to-date--URLs for the companies that produce them. Many examples had no web sites listed and some were defunct.

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Review of Open Wide: How Hollywood Box Office Became a National Obsession (Hardcover)

2010-01-31T15:39:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't want to bet that this will tell anyone who works in Hollywood anything they don't already know.But to the rest of us it's a eye-opening look at the popcorn-driven big-box office system that keeps one "big" picture after another coming towards us on a treadmill. It's a treadmill heading towards disposibility, but nobody seems to care in mellow L.A.The authors are more succesful at revealing the state of Hollywood today than at how it connects to yesterday, and maybe that's why.

Still it's a compelling read, most well-judged when it looks at how studio executive can $&#* up their own films.And especially when taking a look at the role of fans in the marketing machine, when it comes to films like Terminator 3.

The authors see the cynical exploitation on the one hand, but rightly point out studios can't assume they can control or predict fan reaction either.

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Review of The First Conglomerate: 145 Years of the Singer Sewing Machine Company (Hardcover)

2010-01-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

On the grounds of extensive research, Bissell makes the case that the Singer Sewing Machine Company was a leader in the industrialization leading to rising standardsof living for the masses of average persons, beginning in the U. S. in thedecades before the Civil War and continuing well into the 20th century. TheCompany was a leader not only in developing the sewing machine providingwell-made, mass-produced clothing, but also in creating a large laborforce, implementing progressive employee and business practices, andstanding as a model for other companies formed in the course ofindustrialization. Indeed, the Singer Sewing Machine Company was sosuccessful and so respected over a wide area of the globe that in thelanguage of many Third World countries, the word singer is used for thenoun sewing-machine and the verb to sew.

Bissell follows the history ofthe Company mostly by profiles of its succession of presidents focusing intheir perspectives and practices as they faced different economic andsocial circumstances in the long history of the Company. Singer1sreputation and success suffered a severe setback in 1987 after a hostiletakeover by Paul Bilzerian, who was later indicted on tax and securitiesviolations. Only in the past five years or so has Singer been able torecover from this and regain something of its former prominent position.For following the Singer Sewing Machine Company from its founding untiltoday, Bissell1s history of this major American Company is the definitivebook on this subject.

Henry Berry, Book Reviewer

Editor/Publisher, TheSmall Press Book Review

Product Description
A business history of the Singer Sewing Machine Companyas seen from the company president's office. Overview of sewingmachine history and development. Brief biography of Isaac M. Singerfollowed by biographical sketches of succeeding company presidentsover 145 years to the present day. Biographies of company presidents:Edward S. Clark, George Ross McKenzie, F. G. Bourne, Sir DouglasAlexander, Milton C. Lightner, Donald P. Kircher, Joseph B. Flavin,Paul Bilzerian and James H. Ting.

From the Inside Flap
The sewing machine, America's Great Civilizer, represents the most important invention of the nineteenth century. No other discovery in past or modern times has so affected the world's working class. No other invention has so changed the global workplace or done more to enhance the quality of life all over the planet. No invention, no modern electronic computer or other home appliance has achieved as many sales or as much global recognition as the Singer Sewing Machine.

The Singer Sewing Machine Company's 5,000 branch offices and sewing centers reached into 190 of the world's political entities. At one time, its weekly paychecks went out to 87,000 employees. To accommodate its global customer base, the company translated its sewing machine instruction and repair manuals into at least 54 languages. In many of today's third world languages, the word singer supplants both the verb for sewing and the noun in the defining compound expression, sewing machine, which survives as a singer machine. The global ubiquity of Singer sewing machines, its company factories, and its repair and instruction centers began evolving before the US Civil War. Singer families, like generational military families, also date from these years. For example, Singer's German-managed facilities employed three and four generations of workers from the same family. The company became so ingrained in German culture that World War II German aviators avoided bombing Singer's European manufacturing facilities believing them German-owned. When hostilities ended, relatively intact Singer facilities resumed full operations within days.

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Review of The New York Landlord's Law Book (Every New York Landlord's Legal Guide) (Paperback)

2010-01-31T03:37:00.000-05:00

As a beginner starting out in the rental business, this book was the most helpful that i have found.It is very thorough, but incredibly well organized and easy to use.The forms section and included CD ROM really give you everything you need to get started.Of course you will want to alter them a bit and make them more suitable for your specific situation, but doing so is quick and easy.A friend of mine who has been in the landlording business for quite a while actually rushed out and bought a copy of his own after viewing mine.Truly a great book!

Product Description
New York is notoriously tough on landlords. Thestate's landlord-tenant laws are a confusing jumble that favorrenters. And of the over three million residential rental units in NewYork State, nearly half are subject to complicated rent regulationlaws, complete with tricky formulas for determining the monthlyrent. Botching these calculations can lead to rent overchargecomplaints, rent reduction orders and even triple damages againstlandlords who aren't careful.

The New York Landlord's Law Book explains New Yorklandlord-tenant law in comprehensive, understandable terms, and giveslandlords the tools they need to head off problems with tenants andgovernment agencies alike. Packed with practical advice, the bookcovers the basics such as choosing good tenants, preparing leases,hiring supers and resident managers, collecting overdue rent, makingrepairs and terminating problem tenants. In addition, The New YorkLandlord's Law Book provides "nuts and bolts advice" on how tocomply with the latest laws on rent stabilization and rent control,fair housing, security deposits, required services, roommates andsublets, tenants, privacy, pets, environmental hazards such as leadand much more.

The New York Landlord's Law Book provides an exhaustiveappendix of four dozen legal forms, available as tear-outs and ondisk, including a lease, rental application, rent demand, securitydeposit itemization and termination notices.

Written by an attorney specializing in landlord-tenant law, The NewYork Landlord's Law Book belongs in the hands of every landlord,managing agent, resident manager and building superintendent, andanyone else involved in the rental real estate market in New York.

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Review of Desert Storm Diaries - Letters From Home (Perfect Paperback)

2010-01-31T03:26:00.000-05:00

A unique perspective on the Gulf War, Desert Storm Diaries is the perfect read for long time veterans, the newly enlisted, and anyone interested in the tales brought home by our brave servicemen and women.

Product Description
From mind numbing boredom one moment to being absolutely scared to death the nextLife at sea is always interesting!The men and women of the Navy's HC-5 "Providers", Detachment 4, while deployed on the T-AE-26 Kilauea, set records, got awards, and had some fun too!Start with helicopters hovering with explosive cargo, mix in some truly lunatic fork lift drivers, maybe grab a couple hours of sleep, if you're lucky, have some great food and terrible coffee, grab your Walkman and your gas mask, we'll enjoy surreal sunsets, and oh yeah, don't forget we're in a War Zone!Its an Adventure, just like the Navy promised!Told from the perspective of an aircraft mechanic who was just doing his best to hold things together, you'll feel the salt spray on your face as the rotor wash threatens to blow you over the edge.If you've ever wondered what its really like, this just might save you a 4 year enlistment!This book is dedicated to all the people back home, who wrote the letters and let us know they hadn't forgotten us.Thank you. You have no idea how much it meant to get mail.AMS2 (E-5) Carlin Comm, US Navy Veteran of Desert Shield / Desert Storm

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Review of Dirty Money And Other Stories (Paperback)

2010-01-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

Ayn Imperato reminds me of why I love to read.Even for someone like myself, who is always reading a new book, Dirty Money and Other Stories stopped me in my tracks.After laughing out loud through the first shortstory in this collection, I put everything on hold for a couple of hours,sat down,and didn't get up until i got to the end.It's just one ofthose books.

These stories and vignettes piece together the life,loves, and adventures of a fiery andpassionate young San Francisco womanwho isn't quite ready to give in or give up.We hear the voice of astruggling artist in underground scene, where sex, booze, and creative waysto make rent liven up a raw, urban landscape.Imperato manages to makelaughable the thorny subject matter of slimy phone sex clients, an abusiveboyfriend, and alcoholic excess, yet also connects with the tender emotionjust under the surface of these close-call catastrophes.

I waswarmed by the author's genuine, hopeful resolutions that relate to reallife.No excess cheese or glossing over here.When it hurts, you feel it,but when she's in love, so are you.

I was most impressed by therange of experience covered here, all of it so right-on you'd swear thatyou knew this girl.From the opening description of retail-employmentdrudgery,through the extreme ups and downs of crazy young romance, to thewild nights in the streets, the stories read like the older sister's diaryyou stole when you were 12.In this case, though, they're a lot more funand touching.

While Ayn Imperato's tales of life in the punk rockfast lane allow you to live vicariously, getting muddy in a nude photoshoot and watching your boyfriend chuck bottles at SRV's, these honestwords also let you into the quiet warmth of a thoughtful, intelligentperson's assessment of everyday life, scribbled in a notebook over coffee. The clever phrases and quick-minded analogies here kept me on my toes whilekeeping me pleasantly at ease with the knowledge that the next surprise wasjust around the next paragraph.Imperato is an old-school storyteller thatdoesn't try to dazzle you with way-out mumbo-jumbo because she knows how towrite.

You can't let this one pass you by.More books like this onecould bring on a new urban literary revolution, from voices unheard for fartoo long.Listen and you won't be sorry.

Product Description
In these 23 short stories, Ayn Imperato reports on the contemporary urban life of a groovy punk rock gal in search of love, fun, and gainful employment. Along the way, she works at a Goth store ("Mr. Bojangles and the Brain"), poses for pornographic photographs while covered in mud ("Dirty Money"), and works as a movie extra playing a refugee in Hell ("Dirtier Money"). Always charming and filled with unexpected twists, these rollicking tales will have readers laughing out loud.

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Review of Marching Through Georgia (Paperback)

2010-01-30T15:02:00.000-05:00

My mother grew up in Rossville and was in school during the time this book was written.My grandmother taught in the Rossville schools for over 30 years.My grandfather, aunts, cousins and brother and sisters all attended Rossville High School.I grew up on stories of how great the state championship was in the 50's and it was fun to read about a time that is long gone but not forgotten.I graduated from Rossville in 1985 and although we didn't have a championship team, we had a lot of pride in our teams and band.It is sad that it is all gone.Thanks to the author and all the contributors for bringing to us a story of a great bunch of coaches, players, students and faculty.

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Review of Handbook for Critical Cleaning (Hardcover)

2010-01-30T14:58:00.000-05:00

In my opinion, it's not just the BEST book on critical cleaning, it's the ONLY objective, scientific book on critical cleaning, emphasizing studies, testing and data.Also includes anecdotal information with proper discussion and evaluation, putting one of its feet in the "Handbook" category.In the spacecraft technologies area, Tribble's book "Fundamental's of Contamination Control," is receiving increased attention because it, too, is the ONLY book out there in the field. But while Tribble discusses terminologies, definitions and contamination effects, it really says little about contamination CONTROL...meaning the cleaning, protection and maintenance of critical products. You spacecraft contamination control engineers know what I'm talking about."Clean with isopropyl alcohol and bag with approved film."That's all we have in this "Green" era.The Kanegsberg's book will take you well beyond that. If Tribble is on your desk, Kanegsberg should be right there next to it.

Product Description
With all the cleaning approaches available, how do you choose which one is best for your needs? Components manufacturers wonder which will provide a competitive edge. Chemists and engineers worry about the effect of any process modification on a critical component or on the stability of an irreplaceable antique. There is no silver bullet, no magic drop-in solution. The best approach is application specific and often location specific. Handbook for Critical Cleaning provides the tools you need to select the best approach in a rapidly changing world. Rigorous in its treatment of technical issues, broad in scope, and clearly written, the book includes cleaning agent options, cleaning systems/chemical and equipment integration, contamination control, cleanliness standards, analytical testing, process selection, implementation, and maintenance, specific applications areas, and regulatory considerations and outlook.Cleaning, which was once a simple decision among a few cleaning agents and types of equipment, is now recognized as a major factor in process control and product improvement. Choosing the best process involves an understanding of chemistry, engineering, safety and regulatory requirements, as well as a realistic assessment of the strengths and limitations of the local workforce. Handbook for Critical Cleaning shows you not only what processes are available and how to evaluate them, but how to customize cleaning procedures to meet your needs.

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Review of In His Corner: Will the Real Billy Joe Please Stand (Paperback)

2010-01-30T05:52:00.000-05:00

The sleepy southern town of Overton did not forget or forgive young Billy Joe Bilingsley's transgression. Prosecuted as an adult, Billy Joe served time in prison for a simple, youthful mistake. He was branded a juvenile delinquent, and after serving his time returned to Overton only to realize he would never again fit in. Several years younger, Jane Moss never forgot the troubled young man.

Eleven years later Jane meets up with Billy Joe in Atlanta, knowing at once that they are soul mates. Despite the rumors of his criminal activity and attachment to the Dixie Mafia, Jane believes in Billy Joe's essential good. For a year he tries to protect her from the realities of his illicit activities. She determinedly denies the rumors, enjoying their time together shopping in exclusive stores, traveling to others states, or savoring fancy restaurants.

Lovers of southern literature will savor IN HIS CORNER. Author Joan Moore Lewis' mesmerizing voice captures the flavor of the sixties with a rich realism as she brings Atlanta in the sixties vividly to life. Moreover, she grapples with maintaining the belief in one's essential goodness no matter what. Jane purposefully blinds herself to Billy Joe's criminal behavior, yet her innocent faith in Billy Joe strikes the reader as believable as she determinedly reveals the truth of the Southern gentleman she loves. Billy Joe captures the reader's heart, proving that one wrong turn can forever determine one's life course, no matter the truth of one's character. IN HIS CORNER beautifully reflects the poignancy of the sixties song Ode to Billie Joe and the parallel, inevitable path of destruction. This entrancing novel of the south and soul mates comes very highly recommended.

Product Description
The story of Billy Joe Billingsley, a troubled teenager who grew up to be a full-fledged criminal, and Jane Moss, his constant companion. Jane closed her eyes to Billy Joe's activities until the FBI stepped in. Their journey takes you from Atlanta to Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and other southern states where the so-called Dixie Mafia flourished in the late 1960s. Billy Joe and Jane had one common thread - their hometown of Overton.

Billy Joe, a true Southern gentleman, would be penalized forever for one mistake he made in his youth. Not only was he penalized by some of the people in the small town of Overton, Billy Joe penalized himself. He thought he was unworthy of their trust and friendship.

Jane's top priority was her job. Her only other interests were shoes, clothes, and where she would wear them - until the night she bumped into Billy Joe. Throughout the city of Atlanta in 1967, hippies were wandering the streets with their soulmates. Jane was no hippie, but she knew a soulmate when she saw one, and Billy Joe was definitely hers. It was obvious that Billy Joe felt the same towards Jane.

About the Author
Joan Moore Lewis, a native of Fayette County, Georgia, lived and worked in downtown Atlanta during the 1960s where she met a number of interesting people. She is a graduate of Southern Business University and attended Clayton State College. She holds a Georgia Real Estate Associate Broker License.

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Review of All That Matters (Paperback)

2010-01-29T05:07:00.000-05:00

I finished All That Matters by Wayson Choy in the wee hours of the early morning. It was so beautiful and compelling that I could hardly bear to put it down to finish the next day.

All That Matters is the long and eagerly awaited sequel to Choy's first book, the award-winning and national best-selling The Jade Peony. Expectedly, it is a continuation of Jade Peony, this time written in First Son Kiam Kim's eyes, instead of the rotating narrators (which included all of the siblings of the Chen family) found in The Jade Peony.

All That Matters is very reminiscent of The Jade Peony - it is almost like an echo of Choy's first book. The book focuses centrally on Kiam Kim, from when he first boards the Hong Kong ship to Gold Mountain (Vancouver, B.C.) to his adulthood in Vancouver's Chinatown. Kiam Kim's Poh Poh is another important part of the story, with her Old China and superstitious ways. She tells stories about ancient myths and ghosts, of which make Kiam Kim feel torn - in some instances, he believes in the things Poh Poh tells him, but his father is constantly reminding him that they are in Gold Mountain, not Old China, and to adapt essentially to "modern, scientific, Canadian ways."

Kiam Kim's responsibility as "First Son" and "Dai-Goh (Oldest Brother)" sometimes burdens him, but he soon learns that this is the Chinese way - as the First Son and the oldest sibling, he needs to be a good role-model for the rest of the family and, ultimately, refrain from "shaming" the family in any way. He is best friends with Jack O'Connor, an Irish white boy who is his next-door neighbour. A somewhat clandestine but intimate relationship between Kiam Kim and Jenny Chong (the daughter of one of Poh Poh's mah-jong mates) forms. All That Matters also deals with the second World War, of which readers will see makes a significant impact on Kiam Kim and the rest of the characters in the book.

All in all, All That Matters is a satisfying, triumphant sequel to The Jade Peony - and rightfully so that it was long and eagerly awaited. Choy does not disappoint in this sequel to his first book. In fact, he writes hauntingly and seductively, often incorporating Chinese phrases uttered by Poh Poh and other members of his family to make things more homely and authentic. Readers will be compelled by this wonderful book, entering the world of Kiam Kim - his trials and tribulations, his responsibilities and burdens, his relationships and family, and, ultimately, what matters.

For fans of The Jade Peony, I highly urge you to pick up All That Matters and to read it. I guarantee you will like it as much, if not more, than The Jade Peony. It is no surprise why All That Matters won the Trillium Award again, not to mention was also a finalist for the Giller Prize.

Having met Wayson Choy at an author reading in December made reading All That Matters for me that much more exciting and thrilling. I felt like I shared an affinity with various characters in the book and, at times, with Wayson Choy. I am certainly looking forward to reading more work by Wayson Choy.

I highly recommend All That Matters.

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Review of Site Work & Landscape Cost Data 2005 (Means Site Work and Landscape Cost Data) (Paperback)

2010-01-29T03:16:00.000-05:00

This cost data is very useful for estimating the cost of demolition and remediation of plants and facilities sites.I believe it is the best information available at a reasonable price.

Product Description
Book includes 2005 unit and assemblies cost tables for earthwork sewerage piped utilities, site improvements, handicapped access ramps, drainage, paving, street openings, repairs, trees and shrubs, underground tanks, railroad and marine work walls, site work and landscape construction.

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Review of Radio Activity (Fitzhugh, Bill) (Hardcover)

2010-01-28T20:25:00.000-05:00

This book by Fitzhugh is different, in some good ways, from his previous books, though the trademark keen wit, action-filled plot, and memorable characters are still there. In reading some of the other reader reviews, while most of his fan club loved this book as much as I did, I saw that a couple of readers complained that it was not the "same" as his other works. I think that these readers simply failed to appreciate the added depth of this book. As a writer should, Fitzhugh seems to be maturing. This book retains the ribald humour that we have come to depend on from Fitzhugh, but it also probes deeper into real life. I think that it's a great direction for him to go in, as this book demonstrates that real life can be more entertaining, unpredictable and rewarding than the lighter, more improbable yarns that certain readers seem to want Fitzhugh to spin out.

Unlike Fitzhugh's previous works, which often featured outrageous, hilarious, though implausible, scenes, Radio Activity is more grounded in reality - which I liked. The protagonist, Rick Shannon, is an Everyman, slogging along from paycheck to paycheck. He is someone whose many hard knocks and few successes we can all identify with. But Rick is more than just another "schmo" - he also is a hero, fighting - on the very brink of the yawning, black hole of pasturized rock that the Modern Big Radio Industry has become - to promote a music format that retains and revitalizes the heart and essence of true, classic, rock'n roll. In the course of pulling hard for Rick and his cool cast of DJ's to win the musical battle against corrupt Management and the Industry, as well as for Rick to succeed in solving the murder mystery and in finding real love in mid-life, the reader also learns fascinating details about the history and nuances of rock music and famous rock musicians. Fitzhugh is clearly on home turf when he writes about rock music in a deep South setting.

This a highly entertaining read, with plenty of humour, intrigue and action, that also makes a powerful statement about the sad state of affairs of present-day rock'n roll as played on the radio. By the time I reached the exciting conclusion of Radio Activity, the close relationship I had developed with Rick left me wanting to know what humourous life adventures lie ahead for him, as he seems to be, at last, poised to ascend in his radio career, as well as in his love life.

This is one of Ftitzhugh's best, and represents a promising new direction for him.

Product Description

Rick Shannon is an unemployed FM rock DJ considering a change in career. But just as he begins selling off his record collection, a job offer comes from a small station in Mississippi, where a DJ recently stopped showing up for work.

After discovering an audiotape that might explain the fate of the missing DJ, Rick decides to look into the matter. Sensing a new career path, he assumes another identity: Buddy Miles, PI, naming himself after the one-time drummer for Jimi Hendrix.

The result is classic Fitzhugh. A wickedly funny amateur investigation that turns up blackmail, murder, arson, and a major FCC violation. The suspects literally come out of the woods, ranging from a divorcé who rents construction equipment to a former local beauty pageant queen (Miss Tire & Auto Parts) to the station's general manager and the president of a local personal finance company (who has peculiar ideas about collateral).

This smart, satiric, southern romp of a novel draws heavily from the author's own experience as a Mississippi-born FM radio disc jockey from the 1970s. An offbeat and hilarious whodunit that redefines the meaning of classic rock.

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Review of Residential Cost Data 2005 (Means Residential Cost Data) (Paperback)

2010-01-28T18:16:00.000-05:00

The 2006 Edition is a worthwhile buy and pays for itself quickly. I wish I had bought it much earlier in my home budgeting process. The information is well organized in a user-friendly manner. It even has cost adjustment factors for hundreds of cities. This should help you to be prepared somewhat before you start negotiating with builders and contractors.

Product Description
Means Residential Cost Data 2005 organizes every aspect of residential construction pricing into 3 major estimating sections, square foot costs; assemblies costs, and unit costs.

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Review of Electrical Cost Data 2005 (Means Electrical Cost Data) (Paperback)

2010-01-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

It was exactly what I expected and needed.

Product Description
Pricing information for every part of electrical cost planning, unit and system costs with design tables, engineering guides and illustrated estimated procedures; complete man-hour, materials, and labor costs for better scheduling and procurement; and the latest products and construction methods used in electrical work.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Review of Hold My Hand (Hardcover)

2010-01-28T06:12:00.000-05:00

All Bridget wants is a safe place to raise her daughter Yasmin. The flat they share in London has become a prison instead of a home. Though Bridget has divorced her abusive husband and the court has ordered Kieran to stay away, he continues to stalk the two vowing to make Bridget pay for leaving him. Bridget struggles to keep a roof over their heads and food on their table as fear and desperation set in.
The hope for a new and better life for Bridget and Yasmin comes in the form of a job offer. Bridget is offered the job of housekeeper at Rospetroc, a manor house in a part of the country where no one will know them- where they will be safe. Rospetroc, however, has it's own secrets and it's own brutal history. The villagers have their suspicions as to why there is such a high turnover rate for housekeepers at Rospetroc. Bridget has run out of options and must stay at the manor house, even though the move now seems like a dangerous mistake.

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Review of How to Mow the Lawn (Hardcover)

2010-01-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

I think this book is brilliant. It touches on a variety of things men "should" know, that may be common sense, but truthfuly don't really know. It is enough of the basics to actually make one a starting functional in a variety of areas, but it is neither a difficult read nor a blow to the ego of the reader.

Brilliantly written, organized, and with an unspoken message of remembering traditional values of "the man". The book is true to it's title, and people who miss the connection just don't get it.

JoeinBC

Product Description
The indispensable guide for fathers, sons, graduates, boyfriends, or any man who needs some helpful advice about all things manly. (It's about time!)

Fixing a faucet.Carving the Thanksgiving turkey.Impressing the fairer sex.How to behave when a lady faints.Mixing the perfect martini or mowing the perfect lawn.Being a man has become a lost art, but help is on the way.With more than one hundred "lost arts" documented throughout the book, How to Mow the Lawn will never let readers feel as if they don't know what to do should a manly situation come up.

Chapters include:

* The Great Outdoors: how to defend yourself against wild animals
* The Perfect Host: getting rid of guests politely
* Gaining Points with the Fairer Sex: remembering important dates and knowing which are important to her
* How to Be a Hero: how to stop a thief in your home

A book that teaches men the basic survival skills they need to win the hearts and minds of the women they love, How to Mow the Lawn is the next great revolution in humor.

About the Author
Sam Martin is a freelance journalist who has worked for This Old House and Mother Earth News magazines, and the Austin Chronicle.

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Review of Masonry Design and Detailing (Hardcover)

2010-01-27T11:36:00.000-05:00

If you want to build more than a backyard wall or barbeque, the information contained here will put you on the right track. Most masons will follow a building plan, but this bookgives the framework for the plans.This text will cover in depth structural design and problem solving associated with layout, material, and construction of masonry structures.

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Review of Industrial Sprays and Atomization (Hardcover)

2010-01-27T05:48:00.000-05:00

I started to use the book three month ago because I'm researching in spray techniques. It's amazing how in just one book I could find lots of information related with my research; it could take me more time to collect it. The book has excellent theoretical explanations supported with a very good number of industrial examples. It is still being useful for me in a study of scale removal in oilwell tubing using spray technique.
Rafael Sucre
Venezuela

Product Description
There are relatively few texts currently available in the field of liquid atomization and these are mostly prepared from theoretical or experimental viewpoints and often with emphasis on fuel sprays for combustion purposes. This book provides a critical and extensive compilation of the wide range of manufacturing processes that involve the application of spray technology in industry. It covers design of atomizers as well as the performance of plant and their corresponding spray systems. The content of the book covers the needs of practising engineers from different disciplines, who may include project managers, and works, maintenance and design engineers. It addresses the lack of in-depth understanding, in the area of the application of spray in industry. Of interest to researchers is the field of liquid sprays, information on fundamental processes involved is discussed, including outlines of the contemporary and possible future research and challenges in the different fields of application. These are all dealt with within the following general framework: - sprays and their production; - sprays in industrial production processes; - processes involving vaporisation and cooling or cleaning of gases; - processes involving spray surface impact; - fuel sprays for fixed plant; - spraying of hot surfaces for steel making and other metals; - spraying of molten metals. Wherever possible guidance is given in respect to the analysis and interpretation of experimental data obtained using different measurement techniques in industrial spray processes.

About the Author
Dr Ghasem Nasr was head of the Division of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Stockport College, England before taking up his present post. He has been involved with sprays and atomization and heat transfer for 15 years in both industry and academia. He has a number of publications in his area of interest and leads the atomization and sprays group, which carries out funded projects. He has also acted as a consultant for major companies in Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe in spray-related matters. Andrew Yule is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UMIST, Manchester, England and he is the leader and founder of the Atomization and Sprays Research Group at UMIST. He has 25 years experience in research in many areas of spray production and utilisation and is consultant for several companies. He was a founder of The Institute of Liquid Atomizations and Spray Systems-Europe, has authored 150 papers and was coauthor of the book Atomization of Melts (OUP, 1994). Mr Lothar Bendig is technical director of the Research and Development department of Lechler GmBH and Co.KG, a leading German manufacturer of spray nozzles and spray equipment. As a physicist he has 28 years experience in mechanics, fluid dynamics, acoustics, heat transfer and spray technology. He is chairman of ILASS Europe.

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Review of Fair Stood the Wind for France (Paperback)

2010-01-27T04:48:00.000-05:00

Not many books change your life.

HE Bates had a magical ability to evoke scenes of beauty and peace.In this novel, against a background of violence and fear.When I first read 'Fair Stood The Wind For France' as aschoolboy, I was attracted by the story of the heroic RAF bomber pilot shotdown behind enemy lines in France, and his efforts to escape back toEngland.As I read it I realised that war was not heroic and glamorous,but filled with fear and disfigurement.Hardly an unique epiphany to besure!But what brought it home to my fifteen year-old mind was Bates'simple illustration of his hero contemplating his inability ever again toopen a bottle of wine and pour a glass.A banal task whose infinitesimalpleasure is usually lost against the noise of our lives.Bates brings homethe happiness we can glean from the everyday, through his ability toconjure beauty from the mundane.Read this book for the beauty that Batescan evoke.Read it again to learn the value of a moment.

Product Description
When John Franklin brings his plane down into Occupied France at the height of the Second World war, there are two things in his mind - the safety of his crew and his own badly injured arm. It is a stroke of unbelievable luck when the family of a French farmer risk their lives to offer the airmen protection. During the hot summer weeks that follow, the English officer and the daughter of the house are drawn inexorably to each other...--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
Herbert Ernest Bates (1905-1974), worked as a journalist and clerk on a local newspaper before publishing his first book, The Two Sisters. His most famous work of fiction is the bestselling Fair Stood the Wind for France (1944). Other well known novels include Purple Plain (1947), Jacaranda Tree (1949), Scarlet Sword (1950), and Love for Lydia (1952). The Darling Buds of May, the first of the popular Larkin family novels, was followed by A Breath of French Air (1959), When the Green Woods Laugh (1960), Oh, To Be in England! (1963) and A Little of What You Fancy (1970). His last works included the novel The Triple Echo (1971) and a collection of short stories, The Song of the Wren (1972).--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Review of A Drinking Life: A Memoir (Paperback)

2010-01-26T22:43:00.000-05:00

I picked this up because it was referenced in Caroline Knapp's Drinking: A Love Story, and the two are often cross-marketed on Amazon.com.I was expecting more of a story about alcoholism and specific drunk events in Hamill's life.This is much more than a story about alcoholism, it is a story about Hamill's life, and alcohol just so happens to be pervasive throughout his childhood and adulthood.This is truly a complete picture of a man, of his boyhood in the Neighborhood, his family, marriage, his career, and alcohol touched every aspect of his life.Drinking was a constant throughout Pete's journey--a way to celebrate with friends, a way to get through your anger, a way to be social in the Neighborhood, and a way to relate to your co-workers as a newspaperman.In Hamill's boyhood, it was a point of pride in the Neighborhood to be able to handle your liquor, not to be a drunk, but to keep a steady stream of drinking while trading jokes and stories and songs.

Hamill doesn't push any kind of 12-step program in this book.He got sober on his own, in a snap, and he is unusual in his ability to do so.For this reason, for alcoholics looking to relate and to get some insight into their disease, I would recommend Caroline Knapp's book instead.For anyone looking for a fascinating memoir, a touching journey through life, and an inside look and the life of being a reporter, Hamill's memoir is highly recommended.

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Review of The Works: Anatomy of a City (Hardcover)

2010-01-26T20:56:00.000-05:00

Imagine:
*an illustration of the special machinery used just to clean the ceiling of the Holland Tunnel.
*a sidebar on the "Poo-Poo Choo-Choo" that for years transported waste 2,000 miles (!) from NYC to a dump in Texas.
*a graphic showing payphone distribution density in all 5 boroughs.
*a drawing of the simple but effective interlocking bolts and cross-tie latching that keep the corrugated metal containers on barges connected to each other so upper containers don't slide off lower ones and fall into the water.
*a key to reading construction markings that crews spray paint on the streets.

Such drawings, historical tidbits, and facts are more abundant in this book than leaves in Central Park.

This book is exceptional. As the former Vice-chair of Manhattan Community Board 5 (greater midtown Manhattan), chair of its parks committee, and member of its land use and zoning committee, I can attest to the great value of Kate Ascher's remarkable accomplishment, "The Works." New York City's infrastructure--from garbage collection to traffic control; subway signaling to cable TV distribution among franchise-controlled territories--is one of the world's most multifaceted, and at times a curious mix of the high-tech and the antiquated.

Reviews suggesting that the text is for teenagers may be accidentally misleading. "The Works" by no means is for teenagers either *primarily* or *at the exclusion of* adults. Yes, the book--especially its more heavily-illustrated sections--will no doubt fire the imagination of many teens who have engineering, design, line drawing, architectural, historical analysis, or problem-solving aptitudes. (Have a teenager who loved Legos as a kid but has outgrown them? This book will probably make a good gift.) Just because the book is broad in scope and doesn't examine each urban work it covers with the detail of a textbook for electrical engineering students at M.I.T. doesn't make it merely for adolescents.

If you enjoy TV shows on The Science Channel or Discovery, shows like "Building the Ultimate," if you are a history trivia buff, if you just like looking at diagrams or line drawings of machinery and equipment, of you're fascinated by cities, or if it is simply the cast that you love New York City, this is a great book, and I highly recommend it.

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Review of Annie Oakley (Paperback)

2010-01-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

What an excellent book!!I could not put this book down!!It is a definate page-turner!!Very well written.The author did her research as it gives an insight to a great historical figure.I highly recommend this book!!!

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Review of Atom : An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth...and Beyond (Hardcover)

2010-01-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

This is an odd book. It is another brave attempt to tell the whole story of creation, this time using the oxygen atom as a main character. In some ways it works as a literary device, but in some ways the concept of the single atom just gets in the way and seems attached to the story even when the author no longer has anything interesting or useful to say about oxygen. The idea of following a single atom is more of a marketing device. There are parts that are well written, some that remain confusing, and more complicated than they need to be. I did like some of the material on the formation of the solar system. But, of course, the author is not able to do much with inflation. Actually nobody has, yet. Nothing new on quantum mechanics. (I thought his comments regarding our daily intake of material from someone else's sweat and sperm to be in poor taste even if highly original. His ideas of what can make a story more entertaining can be a little off. A good editor would have helped here. ) There is also a distressing lack of even simple charts and graphs and timelines which would have helped keep track of many concepts far better than referring to the atom as a unifying concept. A good budget would have helped here. Krauss is an earnest writer (I prefer Quintessence), and he knows what he is talking about. But with a little care and genuine interest from a good publishing house this book could have been much better.

Incidentally, Atom in no way compares to Jacob Bronowski's classics either in style, gravitas, or subject matter. If you are interested in the history of science or just the history of science writing you would do better to read them first before you begin to make comparisons with anything written in the last twenty years.

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Review of Jewelry Concepts & Technology (Hardcover)

2010-01-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

If you are a jeweler, thinking about becoming a jeweler, or interested in how jewelry is made:

BUY THIS BOOK!

The price tag may scare some people off, but this is one of the best practical books on jewelry ever written.

Oppi Untracht does an excellent job of pulling expertise fromdiverse techniques from all over the world to combine them into acompendium that rivals any other.The chapters are sensibly divided in amanner that makes complete sense.The index is huge, detailed andaccurate.

Oppi, our hats-off to you!Thank you for a work that caninspire any one from the absolute novice to the consummate professional. However, (Hint, Hint!) an update with pictures in color, and a well-indexeddatabase on CDROM (with an excellent search engine) would preserve it forposterity.

Product Description
The definitive reference for jewelry makers of all levels of ability--a complete, profusely illustrated guide to design, materials, and techniques, as well as a fascinating exploration of jewelry-making throughout history.

From the Publisher
The definitive reference for jewelry makers of all levels of ability -- a complete, profusely illustrated guide to design, materials, and techniques, as well as a fascinating exploration of jewelry-making throughout history.

B & W and full-color illustrations throughout

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Review of Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War (Paperback)

2010-01-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

Anyone interested in buying this book must understand two things up front:

1. This book is written by a professional soldier and not a business school professor.
2. This book is one man's account of his duties and opinions on the subject of logistics and is not intended to be a textbook on the subject of logistics or a war novel.

If you understand these two things before you by the book then you will find this book to be very interesting as it is one of the few books written on military logistics. Moreover, you will gain insight into as to how General Pagonis used his personal leadership style to manage the logistical challenges of the first Gulf War. For someone wanting to learn about the nuts and bolts of logistics this book isn't for you. However, for those of you who want to gain an understanding of how logistics can impact the success or failure of a war while picking up a few words of wisdom in leadership from one of the best in the business will enjoy this book. I have read this book twice and I enjoyed it each time. Although I couldn't use much of the material from the book in my MBA classes, I was able to apply some of the information from this book while I was earning a graduate certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Penn State.

Product Description
Senior managers of world-class companies now recognize that logistics is an important source of competitive advantage. In the Gulf War, leadership and logistics came together, and extraordinary goals were achieved. Now, one of the initiators of Gulf War strategies presents lessons for all organizations facing major operational challenges. Photos.

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Review of How to Negotiate with Kids . . . Even if You Think You Shouldn't: 7 Essential Skills to End Conflict and Bring More Joy into Your Family (Hardcover)

2010-01-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

Scott Brown has given my life with my children more perspective than any other book. This book is amazing, and yet, nothing in there is all that earth-shattering.

I took away from the book a few key points:

1. Keep your emotions in check.
2. Don't respond emotionally to your child, but do show your emotions (read the book to find out how!)
3. Name yours and your child's emotions
4. Truly try to understand what is going on in your child's head -- and don't guess why, ASK!
5. Involve your child in decision-making -- and this includes when you decide the consequences!
6. Persuade, don't coerce, your child to see your point.
7. Be willing to be flexible and allow your child to change your mind.

I had a revelation as I read the book that the way he talks about handling your children is how I handle conflict at work. At work, and even in my personal life (other than the kids) -- I am pretty universally known as a consensus-builder. I never force people to do what I want them to do, but I work really hard at persuading people to work with me to come up with a win-win solution for all of us. Yet with my kids, I yell at them to do what I want, when I want, how I want. I don't treat them, and their opinions, with the respect I give my co-workers and friends! How sad is that?

The best thing about the book is in the description of conflicts that we all have with our kids, and the way the same situation could have been solved using his methods. All the arguments are so accurately written that I actually laughed out loud (and was sometimes a little sad). When Brown re-wrote the scenario, using a negotiation method, it all made perfect sense. Does it take longer to negotiate? Yes. Is it really hard to keep your emotions in check? Unbelievably! But it really seems to work.

In short, buy this book. I intend to buy copies for everyone I know.

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Review of The World of Rozome: Wax-Resist Textiles of Japan (Paperback)

2010-01-24T20:57:00.000-05:00

If you want to know anything or everything about Japanese textile dyeingtechniques, this is the sourcebook.It is expensive, but well worth theprice.This is not your usual coffee table book.Sure, it shows picturesof the textiles themselves.But it also discusses the dyeing techniques ingreat detail.It even gives the reader step by step instructions, withpictures, of how to make and apply to various resists.It even givesrecipies for resists!It is an invaluable reference for the textile artistand clothing historian.I have never before seen a book so useful and soinformative.It gets the Reconstructing History thumbs up!

Product Description
This is a comprehensive and fully illustrated guide to a 1000-year-old textile tradition and its modern interpreters. In-depth interviews with leading Japanese textiles artists demonstrate the wide variety and colour of this unique art form, while the colour photographs provide a vivid insight into the working arrangements and techniques of the many artists and craftsmen working today.

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Review of McGraw-Hill's Engineering Companion (Paperback)

2010-01-24T07:56:00.000-05:00

McGraw-Hill claims that this book spans all of engineering. That it is a concise summary of much in the way of references that a typical engineer would need, whether she is in mechanical, civil, electrical or electronic.

Certainly impressive. Probably does live up to the publisher's claim. Tables of dielectric constants, thermal conductivities, electric conductivities, Young's constant, etc. Plus the most used formulas in each field, with succinct descriptions of how to use them. Granted, these descriptions will be of limited use if you have never encountered the formulas before. But the book is intended as a one stop review of things you have hopefully already studied. This is a reference manual, and not a text book.

The editors should be commended on a fine work.

Product Description
Dynamic one-volume database provides reliable, ready-to-apply solutions to literally hundreds of engineering problems. Contains sections on the basics of engineering science and key methods and tools in every branch of engineering. A must-have reference for successful day-to-day problem solving. Softcover.

From the Back Cover
If YOU COULD BUY ONLY ONE DESKTOP REFERENCE-- THIS WOULD BE IT !

Here are the tables, formulas, charts, diagrams, figures, key methods and worked-out problemsengineers in design, product development, operation, production, analysis, and economic evaluation must have for successful day-to-day problem solving.

This dynamic one-volumedatabase provides reliable, ready-to-apply solutions to literally hundreds of engineering problems -- formatted for convenient instant access and carefully culled from McGraw-Hill's most popular and respected handbooks, textbooks, and specialized technical books.

McGraw-Hill's Engineering Companion contains sections on the basics of engineering science and key methods and tools in every branch of engineering:
* mechanical engineering
* civil engineering
* electrical engineering
* electronic engineering
* metallurgical engineering
* architectural and building engineering
* bioengineeringeng
* and more

Covering all major engineering fields and extensively updated for maximum usability, this is the perfect working tool for today's new breed of engineer.

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Review of Hogger: From Fantasy To Fulfillment: A Locomotive Engineer Remembers (Paperback)

2010-01-23T18:46:00.000-05:00

If you enjoy reading books about people who worked for the railroad like I do, then I guarantee you'll enjoy this book.

The author is very good at telling stories about events that happened and people he worked with during his RR career, many of them humorous in nature.I got a kick out of it and wish it had been longer..........(or maybe a part 2 ???).

Product Description
A young lad, stands alongside the tracks in his small town, and dreams of becoming a steam locomotive engineer. Follow Richard Petersen through 42 years in engine service for The Milwaukee Road and the Soo Line, where he rises from #225 on the seniority list to #1 by retirement. Author Richard Petersen paints portraits of the most unforgettable people he met along the way.

About the Author
Richard Petersen retired in 1986 after 42 years as a locomotive fireman and engineer. He and his wife of over half a century, Ellen, are the parents of two sons and a daughter; and still reside in Sabula, Iowa.

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Review of The Complete Guide to Stationary Gas Engines (Paperback)

2010-01-23T15:32:00.000-05:00

This is one of those books that you can read through in a matter of a few hours. There are lots of pictures, but the vast majority of them are quite small, so trying to extract any amount of detail from the photos is fruitless.

The title "a complete guide" left me expecting quite a bit more from this book. A good many of the pages are dedicated to the names of each and every manufacturer known to the author, as well as the home town of said manufacturer. I guess this information might prove useful to some people, but it did not do much for me!

Another aspect of this book is a price guide for many makes and models of engines. Personally, I found the prices to be a bit low based on sales in my area, but that might just be a reflection of the rate of inflation between the publish date and now. Either way, the pages dedicated to the price guide are pretty much dated information.

Product Description
The purpose of this book is to provide information on the history, design, function and manufacture of early internal combustion engines of the 19th century. The book covers all the basic systems of these 'flywheel' engines. Many of the puzzling components of the gas engine are thoroughly explained to the reader so that a general knowledge of their workings becomes clear. The chapters cover engine components in detail such as, magnetos, hot tube and sparkplug ignition, cooling systems, timing systems and different engine designs.The reader can also find useful collecting tips such as how to evaluate an engine before purchasing it and what a fair market price might be based on an engine's condition. The book explains how these engines were originally used in industry and on farms and businesses in America and the author shares his extensive research, cataloging over 3600 different engines and their manufacturers, dating from 1885 to 1940.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
Mark J. Meincke lives in Avon, Ohio with his wife Wendy. As an avid and enthusiastic collector of gas engines for 35 years, Meincke has meticulously researched and restored hundreds of engines. In addition to his collection, in his machine shop Meincke repairs and recreates rare engine parts for his own engines and those of gas engine hobbyists all over the world. Meincke wrote this book to share his expertise and love of gas engines with both new and seasoned collectors. Although Meincke believes that “we are all only curators of these machines for a brief period in time,” it is his hope that many others will join him in the preservation and appreciation of these early innovative engines, for generations to come.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Review of The Dive Sites of the Great Barrier Reef : Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and Snorkeling (Paperback)

2010-01-23T06:29:00.000-05:00

This series of guides has a well-established format - so it is difficult to understand why they have made this particular guide so hard to follow.

The Great Barrier Reef is over 1,200 miles in length and, thankfully, the book does not claim to be a definitive guide.Refreshingly, therefore, it is exactly what is says it is - a "Guide to the Dive Sites of the Great Barrier Reef" and, generally speaking, it is a good one at that.

The book is divided into the accepted geographical sections of the Great Barrier Reef and commences each of these chapters with an informative introduction followed by brief details of a fair and representative selection of the best known dive sites.

So far so good, but then they go and "spoil the ship for a hapenth of tar."With very few exceptions, the photographs are generally very good and include some that are quite outstanding.They lose a "Star," however, for blatantly "touching" and "standing on" corals.No photograph showing such bad practises should have been included - and this book features more than one.Furthermore, diving inside the Yongala shipwreck contravenes the "Laws" of Queensland and I was saddened to find a photograph of a human skull is used to introduce Townsville on page 95.

In the English Language, we read from left to right whilst working our way from the top of the page to the bottom.It is, therefore, quite odd to find a book that sets out to do things in reverse order.This book commences in the south and works its way north.Altogether, over 150 dive sites are included - but each chapter commences with "Site No 1" whereas it would be far more useful had they been numbered consecutively from beginning to end.Most unusual of all, however, is the fact that every map shows these sites numbered from the bottom of the page up to the top.Eventually this really does become very awkward to follow.One might also be forgiven for thinking that it is all a very poor attempt to poke fun at Australia - you know, the country being upside down and all that...Maybe not, but another star lost.

In Summary; a rather good book, but in dire need of some serious rearranging.Nevertheless, all the information is there and, when compared to other books on the Great Barrier Reef, this is a good option.

NM

Product Description

Snorkelers and scuba divers will plunge right into this helpful guide.Features include information on the specific dive site location and dive facilities, one- to five-star ratings of sites, quick reference symbols, tips on underwater photography, health and safety advice, how to travel to the destination, non-diving sightseeing attractions and excursions, and more.

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Review of 20th Century NASA History: Gemini Spacecraft Reference (Ring-bound)

2010-01-23T05:13:00.000-05:00

I purchased this book and the Mercury Spacecraft Reference manual.The good: There is neat information and documents regarding the Gemini program.The bad: It appears to be a photocopy of a photocopy and is housed in a three ring binder.The second generation photocopied text isn't very crisp or clear and my copy arrived with a large section of pages not attached in the binder.I had to locate their proper location and insert them myself.I'd pass on these books unless you're really looking for some photocopied NASA documents relating to the Gemini program.

Product Description
World Spaceflight News is proud to present this definitive reference to the Gemini spacecraft, prepared by McDonnell Aircraft.This version, dated August 1966, covers Gemini 11 - providing over 100 line drawings and schematics, instrument panel layouts, Agena docking system details, and spacecraft construction procedures. Every system and subsystem is described in detail!If you're interested in the magnificent history of American manned spaceflight and the great Gemini program, you'll want this wonderful document!

From the Publisher
World Spaceflight News has covered spaceflight and the Space Shuttle program since 1983. In addition to our flagship publication, we produce printed and electronic Special Reports and NASA videos, and the American Space Encyclopedia series of CD-ROMs. At WSN, our mission is simple: provide space enthusiasts and professionals around the globe with unique technical information and historical material about spaceflight. We hope that a better appreciation of the complexities and challenges posed by space exploration will foster increased support for man's continued voyage into space. Our love of spaceflight drives our publishing efforts, and we've been gratified over the years that readers from Austria to Australia have found great value in our work. We try to satisfy a wide range of interests by producing a broad selection of high-quality products with exclusive material not found elsewhere.

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Review of Why David Hated Tuesdays: One Courageous Mother's Guide to Keeping Your Family Toxin and Allergy Free (Paperback)

2010-01-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

I was really impressed with Amilya's book. I had heard the story of Ms. Antonetti on Oprah and in various publications like People and Time but never gave it much attention but after I read the book everything she is saying made real life sense. I never realized how the products in my home could kill me and I took it for grated that the products I always considered safe could actually be the cause of my allergies and so many other ailments. The best thing about the book is Ms. Antonetti doesn't just tell a sob story or simply tell us everything in our homes is bad, she actually spells out in detail practical solutions you can implement immediately to make your life safer. A great read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Review of The Need to Win: Football from My Own Heart (Hardcover)

2010-01-22T04:44:00.000-05:00

Otis Taylor tells his life story in his honest way.He really was a great player and he knows that and tells you so, but it mostly doesn't come off as too arrogant, just honest.
Taylor does a great job covering his life through the early seventies.He enjoyed a lot of success, as did his team, the Kansas City Chiefs.He provides some thought-provoking glimpses into racism and teamwork in a turbulent era.
My only real complaint is that the book seems to quickly run out of steam as the Chiefs and Taylor fade.I would have loved to learn more about such a great athlete fading and accepting his career's end.I can handle his openness about his greatness, but how about when the greatness starts to diminish?The book does pick up a bit when Taylor discusses his post-playing career.

Product Description
"I wasn't a football player for the fame or the Super Bowls; I was a football player for my own heart." - Otis Taylor. He was one of pro football's first modern receivers, possessing an overpowering combination of size, strength and speed. Otis Taylor moved on the field with gazelle-like ease; his soft hands and intimidating presence were a big part of the Kansas City Chiefs for 11 seasons and a major part of their win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. Starting from the projects of Houston, Taylor first starred for Prairie View A&M's Panthers before bursting onto the American Football League scene with the Chiefs in 1965. By the early 1970s, he was widely considered one of the game's finest receivers. The Need to Win is Taylor's story -- an insider's look at the AFL and NFL player wars, the Super Bowl, racism in sports and America, how the game has changed and his place in football history.

About the Author
Stallard is a freelance writer.

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Review of Building Construction Cost Data 2002 (Means Building Construction Cost Data, 2002) (Paperback)

2010-01-22T02:38:00.000-05:00

introduction to cost control and what is a cost control

Product Description
This guide offers readers unchallenged unit price reliability in an easy-to-use arrangement. Whether used for complete, finished estimates or for periodic checks, it supplies more cost facts better and faster than any comparable source. Over 21,000 unit prices for 1998. The City Cost Indexes now cover over 930 areas, for indexing to any project location in North America. Illus Pub: 10/97.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher
The most used, most quoted, most respected unit price guide available to the construction industry. It is the professional estimator's first choice of reliable price data for accurate budgeting and estimating.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Review of Pigeons (Barron's Pet Owner's Manual) (Paperback)

2010-01-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

IT TELLS OF DIFFERANT TYPES OF PIGEONS. HOW TOHOUSE AND FEED THEM.IT TELLS OF THE DISEASES ANDTHEIR TREATMENT.

Product Description
Traces the history of pigeons, discusses their care requirements, and includes information about breeding and common health concerns.

From the Back Cover
back cover

Information and advice to help you

take good care of your Pigeons

Typical Pigeons:their anatomy, physical traits, life cycle, and more

Expert advice: feeding, caging, health care, training, breeding, protection against parasites, and more

Understanding your Pigeons: what you can learn from their body language and general appearance

Step-by-step directions for everyday care

Informative checklists and sidebars

Handsome full-color photos

picture caption

Pigeons have been domesticated since biblical times, serving man in many ways. In modern times, pigeons form the basis of several popular hobbies.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Review of Ford Taurus & Mercury Sable, 1986 thru 1995 (Haynes Automotive Repair Manual) (Paperback)

2010-01-21T19:49:00.000-05:00

The book claims to cover '86-'95 model year Taurus/Sables, but if you own a 1995 Model like me, the pictures of the '86 or '87 Taurus they show in the book won't really help you much. Among others, If you have any engine OTHER than the 3.0 V6, You won't get much useful information. For me this was a strong point with this book, some of the coverage is lacking, but overall, it will get you through at the end of the day and back up an running.I wish this book had better wiring diagrams, and finally, pictures of a more current Taurus would be a real plus.

Product Description
Total Car Care is the most complete, step-by-step automotive repair manual you'll ever use.All repair procedures are supported by detailed specifications, exploded views, and photographs.From the simplest repair procedure to the most complex, trust Chilton's Total Car Care to give you everything you need to do the job.Save time and money by doing it yourself, with the confidence only a Chilton Repair Manual can provide.

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Review of Loew's Triboro: Poems (Paperback)

2010-01-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

John Allman read at the West Side YMCA's Writer's Voice on April 16, 2004.This is from my introduction to the event.

John Allman's poems always provide the reader with a clear sense of place, of time, of mood and ambiance.But in "Loew's Triboro," these senses are heightened, focused.With the familiarity only skill and experience can command, John Allman provides layer after telling layer of detail--vivid names of stores like Sal's Gorcery and Hubert's Flea Circus and of course Loew's Triboro Theatre itself.

John Allman has the ability to lead the reader where he wants them to go--if only then to plunge them down unexpected alleys, whether through sudden violence, or into comradeship and affection.Always with a sense of movement, of events shaping lives, John Allmans' "Loew's Triboro" is a brilliant work.

Product Description
An evocative, often mischievous remembrance and reinvention by the poet of his youth in the New York City of the '40s and '50s.

In Loew's Triboro, John Allman's fourth collection of poems with New Directions, the poet recalls the movie palace in Astoria, Queens-one of the five boroughs of New York City-and its centrality to the lives and fantasies of the people in the neighborhood. In a combination of prose poems and free verse, sometimes darkly funny, Allman juxtaposes vignettes from the streets of Astoria with the movies of the period, revisioning such film noir classics as The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and The Asphalt Jungle. The book itself becomes a narrative place where real and cinematic lives interact, where movies are the engines of history and myth and the motif of journey is implicit from the first poem to the last.

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Review of Happy Housewives (Hardcover)

2010-01-20T12:28:00.000-05:00

I love this book. It celebrates the importance and beauty of being a housewife and mother. It is written as though she is sitting at your table chatting. It's charming, amusing, and full of fun fabulous ideas.

the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is b/c I think she doesn't realize that she is in the top 1 percent or so of the nation financially.

Darla assumes everyone is able to join a gym that has child care, go out to lunch on a frequent basis,decorate on a whim
and shop for amusement. hmmmm.
She also advises to make sure the "resorts" you frequent have child care. ha ha!!!
or my favorite, the living room and dining room should be off-limits to children!! sorry kids but youhave to play in the bathroom or kitchen or bedroom.

My family is firmly middle-class. We are fine financially and I think we are pretty average but we'd be in a whole lotta debt if I started living this way.

it didn't detract from the basic messages though. so I loved the book and have lent it to my best friend

Product Description
Darla shine asks desperate housewives everywhere: What have you got to complain about? Here's a modern-day guide to keeping house, raising kids, and loving life.

After leaving her glamorous, high-profile job when her son was born, Darla Shine quickly learned what it's like to be home with a baby. It was absolutely the hardest job she'd ever had -- but it was by far the best choice she could have made.

At first she refused to admit that she was "just an at-home mom" and employed babysitters and housekeepers to take care of her home and family while she went to the gym, the salon -- anywhere to keep from turning into a "frumpy housewife." But one day she made the mistake of complaining to her mother, who called Shine and her friends a bunch of spoiled brats. Her mom told her to wake up and start enjoying her family -- before it was too late. It was just the dose of reality Shine needed.

Once Shine finally allowed herself to let go of her "ridiculous" expectations of having it all, she was able to truly embrace motherhood, marriage, and homemaking. She got herself into shape, put herself on a schedule, and began to realize that being an at-home mom was the best gift of her life.

Shine's brutally honest -- and hilarious -- ten-step program helps moms everywhere realize that they can be hot mamas, they can rekindle the romance in their marriages, they can reinvent themselves -- and they can do all this without getting desperate. She includes daily and weekly schedules to show how she pulls it all together, fast and easy recipes for even the most kitchenphobic, and online and magazine resources to help you embrace your inner housewife.

Says Shine, "Let's start promoting the good mother, the happy homemaker, the woman who has her act together, the woman who takes pride in being a housewife. Let's lift our spatulas and start demanding some respect!"

About the Author
Daria Shine is a television producer who left the business to stay home with her children. She was the senior producer of Newstalk Television, one of the first 24-hour cable news networks.

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Review of Illinois Central Railroad (MBI Railroad Color History) (Hardcover)

2010-01-20T04:26:00.000-05:00

The Illinois Central was another of America's premeir railroads that helped to develop the contry and which now is no more. From its start in 1838 (with 24 miles of track) it grew to over 6,500 miles. Alas, in 1999 it passed into the hands of the Canadial National.

This is a colorful history of the Illinois Central from its early day through its acquisition. It is profusely illustrated,with a lot of color pictures. The text that accompanies the pictures gives an accurate telling of the story of the line and its operation down through the years.

The IC grew by acquiring other lines as well as by expanding its own tract into new areas. It remained, however a north-wouth line with its solid anchors in Chicago and New Orleans. It grew west to meet with the Union Pacific in Omaha. It grew to the south east, eventually connecting to Birmingham and eventually Miami.

Only in the last couple of pages in the book is the Canadian National merger. It has become a major railroad, from the original IC trackage from Chicago to New Orleans and CN all across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But alas, it's under the CN name, not the IC.

Product Description
One of America's greatest railroads, serving the Midwest and the South for more than 150 years before being acquired by Canadian National in 1999, the Illinois Central ran some of the nation's most famous passenger trains (most notably the City of New Orleans), as well as a freight service renowned for its quality. This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated history of the "Main Line of Mid-America"-the railroad that brought us engineer Luther "Casey" Jones-looks at Illinois Central's motive power and rolling stock, its good old reliable passenger service and crack freight operations, and its most interesting routes. Drawing on archival records and interviews with former employees, and illustrated with photographs from collections around the country, this volume brings to vibrant life a rich chapter of American railroad history.

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Review of Volkswagen Passat, 1998-2001 and Audi A4, 1996-2001 (Haynes Manuals) (Paperback)

2010-01-20T03:16:00.000-05:00

I bought this book knowing full well what year it was for, unlike another reviewer that appears to not know anything about cars. It's a good book for minor to somewhat complex repairs for the Passat and A4. It's not like a Bentley manual, but it's better than nothing, and I really don't want to pay this much for a repair book. I highly recommend this manual for the owners of these cars.

Product Description
Total Car Care is the most complete, step-by-step automotive repair manual you'll ever use.All repair procedures are supported by detailed specifications, exploded views, and photographs.From the simplest repair procedure to the most complex, trust Chilton's Total Car Care to give you everything you need to do the job.Save time and money by doing it yourself, with the confidence only a Chilton Repair Manual can provide.

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Review of Dreisbach's Handbook of Poisoning: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment, Thirteenth Edition (Paperback)

2010-01-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

This is a classic book for students of chemsitry, medicine, industrial safety and engineering. Do not miss it, is very useful.

Product Description
Now in its thirteenth edition, Dreisbach's Handbook of Poisoning is long established as the definitive handbook of poisoning for all physicians, nurses, crisis and hotline workers, paramedics, and students. Rapid response is critical during the initial management of poison cases. This ready-reference guide provides antidotes, antivenins, and more for a vast number of substances. It covers medical toxicology - including prevention and management of exposures, poisonings, adverse effects, abuse and withdrawal from pharmaceuticals - and household, environmental, and natural hazards. The book begins by providing general information about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of poisoning. Then it considers the important medicolegal aspects of poisoning. The remainder of the book focuses on specific poisons, organized into agricultural, industrial, household, medicinal, and natural hazards. Chemically- and pharmacologically-related agents have been grouped together wherever possible. For optimal care of critical or unusual poisonings, the book also contains guidelines for consultations with medical toxicologists and regional poison information centers. A concise summary of the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning, Dreisbach's Handbook of Poisoning provides an extraordinary amount of practical information in a compact format.

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Review of Chopper (Paperback)

2010-01-19T11:47:00.000-05:00

This man has a style of writing which can be compared to no other. He is witty, funny, illiterate, genuine and above all: psychotic.

The book starts off great but halfway lost its grip over me as it became a decoupled series of short stories where he tells of friends he has had in prison. Despite this, some of the stories are hilarious!

Having read the book, I eagerly ventured onto the Web in search of more stories and tales of the feared Chopper Read. This was far more rewarding than the book itself, but obviously something I would not have done had I not learned of his background via the book.

Chopper definately made an impression on me, that is, I evenchristened a boisterous new kitten after him: Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read.

Product Description
Bullied at school and growing up dreaming of revenge, Mark "Chopper" Read determined to be the toughest in any company. He became a crime commando who terrorized drug dealers, pimps, thieves, and armed robbers on the streets and in jail-but boasts never to have hurt an innocent member of the public. His story is one of violence, betrayal by trusted friends, and murder. To read his book is to read a legend who has become one of Australia's-and now the world's-most unlikely literary success stories.

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Review of Ford Mustang 1994 Thru 2003: Haynes Repair Manual Based on a Complete Teardown and Rebuild (Hayne's Automotive Repair Manual) (Paperback)

2010-01-19T04:06:00.000-05:00

I just got this book a week ago. I haven't really done any repairs based on this book yet, but it seems to be an okay book. It has different sections on each of the major systems of the car viz. cooling, heating and ac systems, fuel and exhaust systems, engine electrical systems, emissions and engine control systems, transmission systems, suspension and steering systems, chassis electrical system etc.

I basically bought this book hoping to be able to troubleshoot a trouble code (P0183) that made my 99 Mustang's "Service Engine" light to come on. This code is not listed in the OBD II codes list in this book. According to my scan tool, this code means "Engine Fuel Temperature Sensor A shows a high input value". This book does not have any mention of an Engine Fuel Temperature Sensor. So, I have to warn you there may be a few things missing in this book.

I think one essential section that should be in any of today's auto repair manuals is a section on the possible trouble codes and step-by-step troubleshooting for each code. In the 3 cars that I have owned in the last 6 years, one common issue has been the "Service Engine" light coming on out of the blue. Dealers make big bucks just debugging the OBD code. My dealer charged me 120 for just reading the code and finding out what is wrong.

Also, I felt that many of the pictures are too close-up making it extremely difficult to determine the relative location on the car.

Product Description
Total Car Care is the most complete, step-by-step automotive repair manual you'll ever use.All repair procedures are supported by detailed specifications, exploded views, and photographs.From the simplest repair procedure to the most complex, trust Chilton's Total Car Care to give you everything you need to do the job.Save time and money by doing it yourself, with the confidence only a Chilton Repair Manual can provide.

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Review of The Mother's Guide to Sex: Enjoying Your Sexuality Through All Stages of Motherhood (Paperback)

2010-01-18T21:42:00.000-05:00

Most books on sex that address pregnancy and parenthood will tell you that the loss of desire is perfectly normal, or just give you safe positions. Semans and Winks go much, much farther than by assuring you that damn near every possible way you can react sexually during pregnancy is normal, and they back it up with quotes from the thousands of people who answered their surveys.Beautifully designed, this book does not provide tacky illustrated positions. It does tell you about self-images, self-esteem, desire and how it changes differently for everybody, sex at all points in your pregnancy (and after), and even tips on how and when to talk to your kids about sex. This is just the reassurance necessary for the new mom who's convinced that no one else ever felt the way she does. Well, guess what...

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Review of California Real Estate Practice (Paperback)

2010-01-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

The book is poorly written, which makes it difficult to read and understand.There are very few examples.The end of each chapter has a 10 question quiz, but there are no answers included.The practices they teach in the Prospecting section are questionable.

Product Description
One of our best selling California-specific products, California Real Estate Practice teaches the real estate professional everything it takes to build a successful career and practice. Topics range from disclosure to marketing to taxation. It is, simply, the best "how-to" for a California real estate professional.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Review of Blue Shoe (Hardcover)

2010-01-18T04:44:00.000-05:00

I waited with great anticipation for this new book of Lamott's and was not disappointed, finding it both enchanting and full of her particular brand of wisdom. I thought her Salon essays and "Traveling Mercies" were brilliant and found much of their material incorporated in this novel. The book is about the "mystery of family and the possibility of love" and contains Lamott's own particular brand of philosophizing. When I finished, I felt like I had been talking with a friend about all the family concerns facing women in today's world.

Lamott makes the reader see the world in a different way and feel more at peace with where we happen to be. She expands and expounds, with humor, tenderness, and love, on the smallest incidents and finds new meaning in them. She finds lessons everywhere and deals with life with bold honesty and down-to-earth spirituality. For example: "When God is going to do something wonderful, it starts with something hard, and when God is going to do something exquisite, She starts with an impossibility."

"Blue Shoe" gives us several years in 37-year-old Mattie Ryder's disorderly life, a life that is typical of those about whom Lamott writes.Once again, the setting is on the coast of Marin County, where the author herself lives. Mattie is newly divorced at the beginning, coping with all the traumas associated with still wanting her unfaithful ex-husband, moving back to her childhood home, and trying to keep body and soul together. During these years, Mattie finds new loves, deals with her mother's increasing confusion, and raises her young son and daughter with love and laughter. All the oddball characters, also typical of Lamott, somehowgracefully fit into this story and help Mattie cope, along with a strong reliance on God.

The little blue shoe is the catalyst which leads Mattie and her brother to find out more than they really want to know about their family, whose past has been glossed over by their mother. The tangled skeins of their parents marriage are slowly revealed. Mattie carries the blue shoe as a kind of good- luck charm, which gives her comfort as some difficult truths come to light.

Mattie seems to float along rather than confronting her problems head on, yet somehow, for her, this approach works and keeps her from sinking into depression as she accepts life as it is rather than fighting it. Mattie says "It was not facing what life dealt that made you crazy, but rather trying to set life straight where it was unstraightenable." This is a re-phrasing of the AA prayer with which the author is very familiar, I am sure. She has never hidden her addictions nor her continuing recovery. I think that this is a lesson that would allow many of us to be less stressed - trying to change what cannot be changed is a sure way to create stress in one's life!

Lamott's writing shines and her spiritual reflection is given full rein when she writes about Mattie's everyday worries: caring for an aging mother; attempting to get a young daughter to stop biting her nails; getting rid of the rats in the walls of her house; dealing with her son's temper.

This lovely book moves slowly through Mattie's post-divorce years and follows her gradual emotional recovery, impeded somewhat by her search for the truth about her family. During this time, many people inhabit her life, and Lamott shows us that family does not just consist of those with whom we have a blood relation, but also includes those whom we love and need on a daily basis.

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Review of Yes Man (Hardcover)

2010-01-17T19:31:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest reading pleasures in recent years. I bought this book upon reading a review in EW, and was unable to put it down. Perhaps it's the fact that Danny and I are the same age (26) and both are at a crossroads at which we're unsure how to proceed with life and how to get the most of it, but I guarantee there's more to it.

Danny Wallace, first of all, did a great job writing his year of saying Yes in book format. At once glib, crazy and wracked with confusion, Danny infuses every page with that indelible dry British wit.

Yes, he wins the lottery; yes, he travels the globe; yes he meets a whole variety of unusual characters; yes, he goes to the boring coworker's party and winds up meeting a BBC exec who makes him a TV documentary star; and yes, it all comes off very believable and human.

If you've ever been feeling disenchanted with the flow of modern life, if you have been wanting to take a stand and grab the reins of life (ironically in Danny's case, by letting life sweep him wherever it wanted) or merely want to read an account of how a simple change can give you new eyes to view the world, don't miss "Yes Man."

My highest recommendations all around.

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Review of Yes Man (Hardcover)

2010-01-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

Review of Boatbuilding with Aluminum (Hardcover)

2010-01-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

When I first received the book, it looked like a text book.Within the first two chapters though, I was hooked.Mr. Pollard coveys a vast amount of information in a very easy reading style.I wishall "howto" books were as easy to read and understand.

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Review of 100 Secrets of the Smokies: A Savvy Traveler's Guide (The Savvy Traveler's Guide) (Paperback)

2010-01-16T22:57:00.000-05:00

I have been traveling to the Smokies for years.The cabin we were staying in had this book on the coffee table.I really enjoyed it and was able to discover new places we knew nothing about.While it does tell about some of the more popular places, it also tells about places out of Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg that aren't advertised.I couldn't wait to come home and order a copy for myself.Interesting history of some of my favorite places too.Great book for anyone who loves the Smokies.

Product Description

This helpful guide provides visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains with"Top Secret" instructions on where to eat, where to stay, and how toavoid traffic gridlock in the area. Illustrated and indexed.

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Review of Elizabeth Sinkler Coxe's Tales from the Grand Tour, 1890-1910 (Women's Diaries and Letters of the South) (Hardcover)

2010-01-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

One of the joys of history - the human element of history, that is - includes snapshots into the lives of the people who've come before us. There are treasures to be found in their letters, their musings in the margins of books they read, articles they clipped. Even if their world was not our world, and would never resemble our world in any stretch of the imagination, the people who came before have left a rich legacy that many of us in the modern world should consider creating for those who'll follow us.

It is in that spirit of human appreciation that one should approach the 23rd volume in the Women's Diaries and Letters of the South series. In it, Anne LeClercq mines years of family writings to show the world the extraordinary life of an ancestor whose diaries and letters show how one woman truly drank the essence of an amazing time in history.

The book is a collection of diary entries spanning two decades of adventure and thousands of miles in travel. The editor is not only a family member but a university librarian skilled at combing materials for nuggets a larger audience would enjoy.

Elizabeth Sinkler Coxe's life bridged the old and the new - the South before the Civil War and the world after, when northerners and southerners began to commingle, and when the Gilded Age and requisite Grand Tour allowed those of means to visit far off lands. Through the deft editing of LeClercq, we envision Constantinople at sunrise, ride deep into the Sudan, take tea in the shadow of the Sphinx and behold the Acropolis at Athens and Smyrna's harbor.

On the surface, such diaries might be dismissed as dinosaurs from an age that has lost its relevance. However, as offerings of history, they let the characters - real ones, mind you - of the time speak for themselves.

Coxe's diary isn't necessarily a book meant for a rainy-day read. It is easy to slip in and out of her travels. Indeed, it's often easy to get sidetracked in the copious footnotes that LeClercq uses to keep readers up to date on the family members.

Summed up, this book is meant for historians, amateur or professional; unless the reader has a keen interest in the Gilded Age or Grand Tour life in general, it' probably a little obscure for a general audience.

However, as part of a collection, this "modern" addition to the series that started as a 19th century look at women's lives is fun to have around. Coxe's language is vivid, and even if it takes a few days to absorb all of her stories, it's worth the trip for a historian looking to see how the other half lived.

Product Description
Elizabeth Sinkler Coxe's Tales from the Grand Tour, 1890-1910 is a travelogue of captivating adventures through exotic lands as experienced by an intrepid American aristocrat and her son at the dawn of the twentieth century. A member of the prominent Sinkler family of Charleston and Philadelphia, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Sinkler married into Philadelphia's wealthy Coxe family in 1870. Widowed just three years later, she dedicated herself to a lifelong pursuit of philanthropy, intellectual endeavor, and extensive travel. Heeding the call of their dauntless adventuresome spirits, Lizzie and her son Eckley set sail in 1890 on a series of odysseys that would take them from the United States to Cairo, Luxor, Khartoum, Algiers, Istanbul, Naples, Vichy, and Athens. Like many of their peers in the upper echelons of American society, this wealthy duo were drawn into the Egyptian craze that swept late-nineteenth-century society, and they fully immersed themselves in the nascent field of scientific archaeology. More obsessed and philanthropic than most, the Coxes not only visited the sites and monuments of ancient civilizations but also participated in digs, funded entire expeditions, and ultimately subsidized the creation of the Coxe Wing of Ancient History at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. In addition to the scholarly contributions gained through their patronage, they left a vivid chronicle of camels and trains, tents and trenches, and dervishes and pyramids that has gone unpublished until now.

A prolific correspondent, Lizzie conscientiously recorded her adventures abroad in lively prose that captures the surreal exhilarations and harsh realities of traversing the known and barely known worlds of Africa and the Middle East. She journeyed through foreign lands with numerous nieces in tow to expose them to the educational and social benefits of the Grand Tour. Her letters and recollections are complemented by numerous photographs and several original watercolor paintings. By words and pictures, Lizzie Coxe's Tales from the Grand Tour reveal the turn-of-the-century excitement about the burgeoning field of Egyptology, the intellectual pursuits available to women of means, and the familial and social ties between the upper classes of the North and South, that predated and survived the Civil War.

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Review of How to Restore Your Chevrolet Pickup (Paperback)

2010-01-15T04:23:00.000-05:00

A Great starting point if you want to see whether or not you're cut out to do a full restoration or a rebuild of an older Chevy pickup. Things I liked about this book:It gives you a pretty thorough picture of what you're infor.Spells out what you'll need (shop tools) and the steps and timeyou'll need to do a good job.It also provides a list of where you can gofor shop manuals and other technical references. Things I didn't like aboutthis book:Black and white photography...

Product Description
A step-by-step restoration guide for all Chevy light-duty trucks from 1928-1991. Included are more than 320 photographs accompanied by detailed text giving advice, recommendations, and tips on restoring your truck. These trucks were hard-workers over the years and refurbishing them to their original condition will keep them on the job for many more years to come.

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Review of The Sheep Look Up (Hardcover)

2010-01-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

Publishers have shown some intelligence by keeping both Stand on Zanzibar and The Shockwave Rider still in print but still show odd lapses of judgement by keeping this book relegated to used book stores instead ofreissuing it for all to read.This is definitely better than ShockwaveRider, and more focused than Zanzibar (though not better).It is probablyone of the grimmer books to emerge from any genre, I thought On the Beachwas depressing, this is even more so.Brunner takes threads and weavesthem together to show you a world where the ecology is falling apart, thepeople who have the money to fix it also have the money to keep themselvesabove it while the normal people just live with it and can't think thatanything will be better.There is a plot, per se, involved withenvironmental leader Austin Train and his emergence from hiding but mostlythe novel is concerned with showing the slow inexorable decline of theworld into a polluted and chaotic mess.If you keep reading it looking forsome last minute save, some ray of hope, you might as well stop readingbecause that isn't the point.Brunner isn't showing us how to get out ofit (other than an ironic comment made by a character at the very end) butshowing us what he thought would happen if we didn't change things.Givingit a specific date dilutes the impact of the book but his message is stillas strong as ever and even though we've taken steps to prevent that future,there's still a way to go.Brunner isn't with us anymore and his voice issurely missed, moreso when we read about an oil spill or a forest being cutdown for development.Reading his books keeps that voice alive today.

Product Description
An enduring classic, this book offers a dramatic and prophetic look at the potential consequences of the escalating destruction of Earth. In this nightmare society, air pollution is so bad that gas masks are commonplace. Infant mortality is up, and everyone seems to suffer from some form of ailment. The water is polluted, and only the poor drink from the tap. The government is ineffectual, and corporate interests scramble to make a profit from water purifiers, gas masks, and organic foods. Environmentalist Austin Train is on the run. The Trainites, environmental activists and sometime terrorists, want him to lead their movement. The government wants him in jail, or preferably, executed. The media wants a circus. Everyone has a plan for Train, but Train has a plan of his own. This suspenseful science fiction drama is now available to a new generation of enthusiasts.

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Review of Reversing Asthma: Breathe Easier with This Revolutionary New Program (Paperback)

2010-01-14T08:19:00.000-05:00

Like the author, I have had horrendous asthma since I was born (I'm now 30).I've been on ALL the asthma meds (inhalers, pills, steroids, myrax, etc.).A HUGE animal lover, I got a dog two years ago and my asthma got even worse (like it could get any worse).I was taking my rescue inhaler 6-10 times a day in addition to my steroids!I told myself I had to do something, so I bought a bunch of books, including this one.Took the test in this book, found out my asthma was moderate to severe (I figured that).I started taking fish oil, vit c, e, a multiple, calcium, magnesium, selenium and quercitin, and a b-complex like he recommends, and SLOWLY (over 4-5 months) weaned myself off of my meds (I was extrememly addicted, and let me tell ya, it was HARD!).It's been over 6 months now that I haven't needed ANY meds, not even in the morning, haven't even had a shortness of breathe, and to top it off, my doggie sleeps in my bed right next to me now, and she doesn't give me the slightest bit of wheezing (for years my pulmonologists/doctors insisted that I give up my pets).this author has changed my life forever for the better.thank you, oh, and my doggie thanks you too!

Product Description
Comprehensive, balanced and up-to-the minute, Reversing Asthma is destined to be the new bible for asthma treatment - giving asthma sufferers new knowledge and new choices for overcoming this frightening and debilitating disease.

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Review of Indiana: A New Historical Guide (Paperback)

2010-01-13T19:48:00.000-05:00

This large, hefty book is an excellent travel guide of the Hoosier State. Modeled somewhat after the WPA Guide published in 1941, the book highlights 14 different regions from around the state. The larger cities (Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Richmond, Terre Haute, etc.) are the starting points for each tour, with travelers being directed to various smaller towns and historical points of interest in a circular motion, finally bringing them back to their starting points again. Major historical sites are, of course, described in detail, but so are numerous minor places, including notable houses and buildings, parks, monuments and memorials, churches, and museums. The guide is particularly worthwhile for the amount of detailed information included. It is a guide to the history of Indiana and does not contain hotel/motel listings, popular attractions, outlet malls, etc. But anyone interested in the history of Indiana will find this guide of great value.

Product Description
This guide offers nineteen large circular tours of thestate perfect for the weekend traveler. It also includes detailedinformation on more than 2,000 sites and 425 cities and towns thatwill delight any armchair traveler.

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Review of No Time to Clean: How to Reduce and Prevent Cleaning the Professional Way (Paperback)

2010-01-13T19:44:00.000-05:00

Easy to read, straightforward, and illustrated well. This is a must have for every household. It's also very inspiring. I've used the techniques in the book to really reduce the cleaning time in my home.

I've read a lot of Aslett books and they are great. Literature? No. But if you want to get stuff done, keep it clean, and do it quickly - he's the guy to follow.

Product Description
Americans spend an average of five years of their lives cleaning and maintaining their households. Instead, these tried and tested techniques help prevent the need to clean so readers can spend more of their precious time doing the things they enjoy. Readers will learn how to: Clean faster and more efficiently; Reduce clutter and messes; Make cleaning last longer; Set cleaning schedules that work with a hectic lifestyle; Aslett presents information in lots of easy-to-browse checklists, quizzes and sidebars that serve to educate and inspire readers every step of the way.

About the Author
Don Aslett is the author of several bestselling books on cleaning and organization, including is There Life After Housework? Clutter's Last Stand, and The Office Clutter Cure. He has more than 40 years of professional cleaning experience and is the founder and chairman of Varsity Contractors, a multi-million dollar cleaning operation.

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Review of 55 Years In Five Acts: My Life in Opera (Paperback)

2010-01-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

In the pantheon of twentieth-century Wagnerian sopranos, Astrid Varnay ranks very high, though she is woefully underrepresented on available recordings today. Through the efforts of friends and supporters, detailed in the preface, her autobiography has been made available in English, and music and opera fans everywhere should be grateful.

Varnay's story, told calmly but with frequent flashes of wit, begins with the tale of how her parents, both opera singers, met, married, and made their careers in Europe before coming to the U.S. and settling in New York. Young Violet Varnay, as she was dubbed by a teacher who could not cope with her Hungarian name Ibolyka (little violet), worked as a secretary, waited in the Met standing room line and quietly prepared herself for an operatic career. She prepared so well with her coach and eventual husband, Hermann Weigert, in fact, that her resume was met with astonished laughter at her eventual Met audition. The powers that be were quickly won over upon actually hearing her, and her stage career began at the Met in 1941 as a last-minute replacement for Lotte Lehmann in Die Walkure. Before retiring in the late 90s, after a career spanning more than five decades, her voice and dramatic presence would take her to Bayreuth and all of the great opera houses of the world.

It is of course difficult to say how much of the structure of the book stems from the singer herself, and how much from her co-author, Donald Arthur; but one of the attractions of this memoir is the skillful mix of narrative, anecdote and self-analysis of Varnay's numerous roles. She draws portraits of her husband, family and colleagues that leap vividly from the page, without ever descending to mere bitchiness, though she does allow herself some jabs at Herbert von Karajan and Rudolf Bing. The ultimate impression is of a strong, self-aware but not overweeningly arrogant personality--someone one would like to meet and talk to in person. One is touched by her inexhaustible eagerness to perform, and her capacity for discovering insights into roles usually dismissed as worthy only of comprimaria singers. She is also not above laughing at herself, and includes some amusingly informal photographs. Highly recommended.

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Review of Allergy (Hardcover)

2010-01-12T18:11:00.000-05:00

This book has excellent pictures and tables, however it lacks in depth and substance.For example, in the atopic dermatitis section, there is no discussion on differential diagnosis/other clinical conditions to consider.The drug allergy chapter has a nice chart for drug desensitization, but the chapter lacks a good discussion on any of the most important drugs...IE the PCN drug section is skimpy at best. And for some reason, they don't even have devoted chapter on food allergy.Overall, I am disappointed with this book. This book is best applicable to medical students and residents. In my opinion, it will not fit the need of Allergy/Asthma/Immunology fellows or practicing staff. I highly recommend "Pediatric Allergy" (also from Mosby) which is an excellent resource for Pediatric Allergy. Patterson's Allergic diseases is also good reference.

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Review of How To Stylishly Fall From Grace: Revelations From My Perfectly-Flawed Life (Paperback)

2010-01-12T17:55:00.000-05:00

I read this book in a single weekend and was drawn to the main character immediately. I absolutely loved this book. It was engaging and a definite pageturner. Zoe is my hero and I believe that she can easily be an inspiration for women everywhere!

Product Description
Zoe Chapman is a bit of a snob when it comes to zip codes, food and personal hygiene.Making no apologies, she prances through life as a fashion-forward, independent gal with a penchant for Broadway plays. It's at one of her Broadway play excursions that she meets a charming guy. Beau Sampson is instantly drawn to Zoe, and a year-long, long-distance relationship blossoms. He woos her with weekend "play dates" and whirlwind reservations for two, which eventually sweeps Zoe off her feet. Or so she thinks, until she relocates her life, wardrobe and shoes to New York City to live with him..."How to Stylishly Fall From Grace" details a young woman's life-transforming journey, going from thriving in the city that never sleeps, to barely surviving in a sleepy city obsessed with naps. Even with a background of management credentials and model looks, Zoe is forced to find the true meaning of her worth -Because "shoes to die for" should never be part of a woman's epitaph.

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Review of Beautiful Atrocity (Paperback)

2010-01-12T17:18:00.000-05:00

Right from the beginning you realize that you're reading a quality work. The vivid detail put into every aspect of the storyline keeps you wanting more.
Adam's story grips you from the very start. Starting out as any normal teenager she soon learns of things that would shock most adults. Her strength is admirable and leaves you with the knowledge that even the most humble people are capable of amazing things.
A definite "must read" for those who enjoy a well written fantasy novel.

Product Description
Adamiata Forrester never thought herself to be a typical teenager. An abused foster child always on the move, she had no friends and kept to herself. When adopted by a wonderful family, Adam believed her days as a normal teen could begin. It came as no surprise to Adam when a series of bizarre events quickly snuffed hope for a typical life. Upon learning the world was in serious danger and that she was the only one who could save it, she had a decision to make, and it was a decision she would have to make alone. Should she let the world that treated her so badly be destroyed, or save it and continue life as just another outcast?

About the Author
Visit Mallory at http://www.moonprism.com!CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)It was at an early age that Mallory R. Evans found writing was her true passion. Equipped with an extensive vocabulary, writing utensils and an over-active imagination, she began sketching comic-strips at the age of nine. At sixteen, Mallory began creating a graphic novel. When drawing each frame wasn't working, Mallory decided to put her thoughts into more words than images. Finding she greatly enjoys entertaining people with her writings, Mallory fully intends to write many more novels of many different genres. Not only does Mallory enjoy writing fantasy, but she enjoys reading it. Mallory is also a fan of Japanese manga; her favorite being 'Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon' by Takeuchi Naoko.

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Review of Real Estate Business and Investment Opportunities: The Complete Guide to Starting a High-Profit Business (Paperback)

2010-01-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

This 2002 book is the latest of Bryan Wittenmyer's three books and it is the best.I recommend all three, but this one is my favorite.For one, this book appears to be professionally edited and comes with an index, unlike his previous two endeavors.

At 370 pages this is also his longest book and it is jam packed with over 40 real estate business plans.Included are such far reaching opportunities as title examiner, cell phone tower lease, real estate paper, publishing, broker, land investor and many more..He provides the business model and the tools and skills required for these diverse paths.I expect that many of them are paths taken by the author and some close associates. If you can't find a real estate opportunity in this book, there probably isn't one for you.Mobiles homes, real estate consultant, professional management, home inspection, are just some of the topics in this book..There are chapters on marketing, business tips and secrets and the 10 stupid things business owners do.The amount of good information contained in this book is just overwhelming.The author has a website ... and I know he'll answer your questions about the books as he has answered mine.Some of the things that I like about Bryan Wittenmyer's books is that there is no fluff, he has done much of the things that he writes about, and that he presents his material in an easy to read, informative, and intelligent manner added details missed in other books and telling you the pluses and the minuses.

Product Description
This unique book covers in detail over 40 different real estate business and investment opportunities that can be started with minimal cash. Start your own part-time or full-time real estate business or investment career with the ideas contained in this virtual encyclopedia of real estate opportunities. There is no other book on the market like this. Most real estate books cover only a few topics. This book covers dozens of small business and investment ideas that will give you the ideas to get started today. In addition, the book has extensive additional resources and websites to help further your education.

Here is a small sampling of real estate businesses and investments covered: Apartment Preparation Services, Flipping Houses Fast, Mobile Homes Profits, Multi-Unit Income Property, Perpetual Income from Houses, Low-Budget Land Deals and Flips, Rooming House Money Machines, Cell Tower Land Leases, Foreclosure Consulting and Mediation, Bad Paper Profits, Title Examiner, Real Estate Publishing, Real Estate Sales Careers, Note Brokerage, Master Leasing and Subleasing, Parking Lot Rental Space, Garage Storage Unit Rentals, Property Management Services, Wholesaling Property, Lease Options and Rent-to-Own Houses, Eviction Services, Land Trust Trustee Services, Discount Note Investing, Marketing Consulting, Land Deals, Maintenance Services, Home Inspection Service, Creating Notes/Income Streams from Wraps, Mortgage Brokering, Judgment Recovery, 1031 Exchange Services, Landlord Consulting, New Construction Cleanup Services, Low Income Housing and Section-8 Housing, Handicapped Rentals, 4 New Real Estate Consulting businesses, and many more...

Beyond real estate, the book contains numerous chapters on street-smart entrepreneuring, along with tips, guidelines, and strategies for operating a business or investment program with minimal cash.

If you like a book with plenty of ideas, quotes, tips, and resources for further information marked in bold, then you will like this book.

From the Publisher
This book is truly unique for several reasons.It not only gives you ideas but it gives specific how-to directions for taking the ideas and implementing it.It also gives the pros and cons for many of the business plans in the book.Furthermore, this book includes the author's personal email address and he welcomes your questions and feedback after completing the book!

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Review of Trackside Scenes You Can Model (Paperback)

2010-01-11T11:45:00.001-05:00

The idea behind this book is a sound one. The author takes from his vast collection of railfan photos and points out ideas that would be useful for model railroaders. The problem is that there are plenty of nice photos, a few bright ideas and, on occasion, a well thought out observation on what will cause problems or be innovative but there is precious little on making actual use of any of these ideas.

He does give lists of parts from various suppliers that might be made to fit certain scenes but there is almost nothing of the "how to"variety. Its basically an idea book. There are better idea books out there. This is not to say that this book is worthless; it is not. There are some good ideas in here. I just wish there were more.

Product Description
This is the "Trackside Scenes You Can Model" Book from Kalmbach Publishing.FEATURES: Looking to make that scene on your layout look more "railroady"? Wanting to find a trestle that will look right bridging the gorge on your layout? Searching for yard buildings that make sense? Model Railroader's now-retired managing editor and creative modeler Jim Kelly has answers and ideas for you in this book. Divided into five chapters, arranged by type of railroad structure or feature: -Arrivals and departures: railroad yards. -Care and feeding: enginehouses and terminals. -Staying above it all: bridges. -The battle against monotony: tunnels and shelf scenes. -Along the line. In every instance, black-and-white or color photos of a railroad location are provided. Includes modeling suggestions, ideas on kits or materials and track plans and drawings. By following the advice and ideas in this book, you're guaranteed to have a more interesting, more realistic and more accurate model railroad.INCLUDES: One "Trackside Scenes You Can Model" Softcover Book.SPECS:Pages: 80 sdw 11/10/03 ir/jxs

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Review of Trackside Scenes You Can Model (Paperback)

2010-01-11T11:45:00.000-05:00

Review of Penucquem Speaks: A Look at Our World From a Different Culture (Paperback)

2010-01-11T02:36:00.000-05:00

Ron's work is a true landmark!

The book provides a striking balance between cultural ethnography, personal confessional, and mythic parable all rolled into one. You will be entertained by West's singular humor, frankness, and perspective regarding life at the intersection of two distinct worlds. Its a book that's hard to put down in its unflinching look at life in Indian Country, within the context of modern America.

There is a subtle presence that lives within this book, with powerful truths both concealed and revealed throughout its pages, in layers of meaning and insight waiting to be revealed to the right eyes and ears.

Ron West is also an investigative journalist and legal historian who has chronicled to unparalled depths the true story of Indian-American affairs and the unfortunate deceits of history.

Much wisdom and mirth lies in these pages!

Product Description
EXTRAORDINARY MEMOIR: I found PENUCQUEM SPEAKS totally fascinating, unlike anything else I've ever read. I don'tknow of anyone who has had theunique experience Ron has had, of living in two cultures, and therefore being in a position to learn from that. Quite an amazing trajectory, from Vietnam to Blackfeet culture. And Ron's analysis of Whiteman thinking, Whiteman culture,fundamentalism, the difference between Jesus and Paul -- all very interesting to me.Ron West brings us back to what Indian culture cherished,the equality of women, the preservation of nature, everything that 'progress' and 'civilization' have corrupted. HOWARD ZINN

About the Author
Ron West is a retired investigator that had worked primarily in Human Rights and is published in that field together with Dr Mark D Cole under the title "The Right of Self Determination of Peoples and its Application to Indigenous Peoples in the USA: The Mueller-Wilson Report" ISBN 3-7890-7023-8

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Review of The Groom's Secret Handbook: How Not to Screw Up the Biggest Day of Her Life (Paperback)

2010-01-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

A good helping of humor is good for potential grooms, but most of us need more substantial info along with it.This book does provide a few good laughs (like the description of a diamond as an "overdigested lump ofcoal -- the kidney stone of earth's urinary tract),"but if you arelooking for actual guidance - which you most likely will need - lookelsewhere in the handful of books for grooms.

Product Description
Before settling down to wedded bliss with the woman of his dreams, a groom-to-be faces many challenges. Now two men who survived the rituals have put together this handy and hilarious guide, taking a wry look at planning the wedding, registering for essential gift items, the bachelor party, and wedding day nightmares.

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Review of Escape the Black Cloud of Housework (Paperback)

2010-01-10T09:53:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't recommend this as your main, basic housekeeping manual. However, if you've struggled with these issues forever, like I have, it's great for a new perspective.

The author has a useful list of questions for prompting you to see your hangups and roadblocks. Also, her system of working around a room in sections goes a bit further than Sandra Felton's "Mt. Vernon method." She actually has you paint and decorate each section as you go, not just declutter and clean. It's a stroke of genius that I wish I'd thought of myself. I've been procrastinating big time about some painting projects because I couldn't face having a whole room torn apart at once. This one's a keeper, for me.

Product Description
Learn how to change your attitude about the way you clean or don?

About the Author
During her twenties and thirties, Laurel Zigler owned her own 'Black Cloud' of housekeeping. She lived and raised three children in eastern Oregon. During those years, she claims her role was 'Super Mom.' Maintaining the perfectly clean house was the driving force of her life.After years of trying, she finally escaped her 'cloud.' It took years of trial and error to be free of her perfectionism housecleaning that shadowed every corner of her life. She claims that the struggle to remain free is never ending. Like bad weather, you never know when a cloud might try to block the sunlight. Curiosity encouraged Laurel to talk to others about how and why they keep house the way they do. She began interviewing and talking to anyone and everyone who would talk to her. During these interviews and conversations, she designed a simple exercise that often opened the person's understanding about themselves.Laurel put all the information she learned from her own experiences and of those she interviewed into a book that she feels will help others escape their own 'Black Cloud.'In 1979 she left the Oregon winters for the cactus and sun of Arizona. With her children grown, she now lives in Tucson where she loves hiking in the desert and the mountains. Laurel loves travel, and when she is not visiting her children and grandchildren, she is off to visit places around the world. Laurel Zigler's first book, WHEN I WAS A KID, was published in 1996. This collection of autobiographical stories details the childhoods of those interviewed. All proceeds from the sale of this limited-edition book went to the Pio Decimo Center, a non-profit Community Center located in Tucson, Arizona. The Author has plenty to say about Escaping the Black Cloud of Housekeeping and why she wrote it. She sums it up with one statement - 'If one person reading my book, finds the freedom and the peace that I did, it was worth the time it took to write it.'

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