RUN-DMC were truly the movers and shakers of the rap industry during the 1980's. Then suddenly, their fame slipped through the hands like grains of sand. Joseph Simmons (RUN) was a victim of his own fame and success. Thank goodness he was able to find help by way of religion and now see himself as a spiritual to help other young artist see through his mistakes.

I didn't know much about Run until reading this memoir. He let's you know that all your dreams can come true, and that you have to help God help you. He tells how the group was up one day and down the next, and that you should always have a backup plan. This book is for anyone who needs encouragement through any circumstances.

I could not put this extraordinary book down because it is filled with Universal Laws to improve the quality of life. I did not know what to expect when I selected this book, but I have been pleasantly reminded by someone whose career and life has gone through life's changes about God's goodness. Rev. Run did an excellent job of putting these spiritual truths in a manner that can be followed easily to change the tides of one's fortunes.

This was an excellent piece that won't be soon forgotten.

I am very thankful I bought your book Sunday at the picnic. I read it in one sitting. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. It was wonderful! The way you told the story, I actually felt like I was there with The Holy Family. Reading bits and pieces of the Bible doesn't bring you to how it must have been during Jesus' life as a child and the loving, caring, and gentleness in Joseph as a parent and husband. You really brought them to life for me. Thank you,

Donna Huffstutter

There's good news and bad news. The bad news is that this book wasn't written years ago. The goods news is that we're finally presented a role model that can inspire and strengthen the family. The book opens a window to a view on the holy family (Joseph in particular) that has never before been presented. Joseph's relationship with Jesus is as human (and as applicable) as any father and son in today's world.

While other readers will likely be inspired, I can't help but believe this book was written just for me. As the father of two boys, I expect "Joseph Remembered" will serve as a benchmark, recipe and beautiful reminder on the importance of my role within our family. Would you like the change the world or perhaps leave it just a little better place than it was before? I can't think of a better way than to become the best father (role model)possible. "Joseph Remembered" is the blueprint and the perfect Father's Day gift. I intend to keep giving it year after year. You should too!

Father Kleba truly captured my imagination by portraying the Holy Family in the realistic setting of their everyday lives. Most enjoyable reading!

Linda Finney Hillsboro, MO

I disagree that a person could become a "master" data modeler if the contents of this book are the complete set of skills in their arsenal. While the book outlines some good techniques for interviewing end users and basic data modeling skills, there is alot more involved in data modeling than what is covered here.

As an experienced data modeler who works with large, complex data models in a constantly changing business, I find I do not refer to this book at all. The book excludes common data modeling constructs that I have found very useful, including subtypes and supertypes. The book does not explain the difference between conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling. (It covers techniques used to capture conceptual/logical level data, but nowhere does it explain that or the difference between this type of model and a physical model, and why and when you'd need one or the other.)

The book does not cover normalization, which, once one leaves the interview with end users, one will need to understand. The book does not mention data integration with other systems or databases, how this topic is important and could (and often should) arise in interviews with end users.

Some of the topics covered I found shallow and incomplete, for example, how to name things in a data model. The authors take a parochial view by ignoring real world issues such as using consistent names across database and organizations, and avoiding naming things for what they are used for, not what they are.

As a practicing data modeler, I find my users aren't as naieve about data models as Carlis and Maguire assume them to be. I often am asked why I am modeling data in a given way. In my view, this book does not address the "why" - why do you model the data in the way suggested, and what happens if you don't. When I can answer these questions well for my customers, I earn approval, and this book doesn't equip one to do so.

In sum, my belief is that this book contains about 1/4 of the information a person needs to know to become a "master" data modeler. It's a good starter book if you are a novice data modeler or are having trouble gathering information from business subject matter experts, but if you really want to become an expert data modeler, I'd recommend continuing beyong this book. I prefer 'Data Modeling Essentials 2nd Edition' by Graeme Simsion

The secret is out!

I've been using the techniques described in this book for years because one of the authors taught me. I've used them to model data about research science, business, and topology. Now others can learn it too.

Carlis cured me of normalization. There's a difference between normalization and "normal forms". A goal of modeling is to produce databases in high normal forms - Boyce-Codd Normal Form, fifth normal form, etc... Most modelers think the only way to do this is through normalization, a specific process that step-by-step improves to a draft model. This book shows how to avoid that process completely. I used to do normalization. Now I use the conversational techniques of this book to reach high normal forms sooner. One thing I always hated about Normalization was that I usually did it after talking to users, which means I was making decisions that the users should have been making. I have not performed normalization in at least ten years. Yet I still produce databases in high normal form. This book does include a chapter about normalization, with normal forms up to fifth, so you can see for yourself how the technique produces high-normal-form databases. If you learned that normalization was essential part of data modeling, this chapter will help you learn this different way of working. If you are new to data modeling, you should start with this book to avoid learning normalization altogether. The principles of high normal forms are important, but the process of normalization is ludicrous.

This is a book about data modeling, not physical database design. It concentrates on the modeling in users' language. The naming conventions it recommends are based on guidelines of language and categories. If you follow these naming guidelines, you will not need to learn a huge list of more specific, special-case naming rules.

I also like what Carlis and MaGuire say about constraints. By following their constraint advice, I have become a much faster data modeler, and my team mates (programmers, DBAs) do not have to wait so long for me to finish my work. It also helps me keep my data models flexible, good for a changing business environment.

This book has more examples than any book on modeling I have ever seen. I stopped counting sample data models when I got to 300.

The hardest part of application design is understanding the user's data. This book concentrates on solving that problem, leaving the technical details of database design to other books.

This book will be on my table always. It cuts through the computer science's obsession for esoteric notations and undue rigor (that scares the end users even before the analyst has had a chance to begin!) and puts the user needs at their right place: right in the center. I have used this methed several times now with exciting results. Users are more forthcoming, there are lesser I-thought-this-when-you-said-that instances. Two thumbs up for the excellent work!!!

Want to look up cultural references in Denis Miller's rants? Can't remember what the Byzantine empire did? Feel like your loosing your memory? This book can help!

Yes, I'll admit the title does have a certain haughtiness and presumptiouness to it, but this book is packed with information. The topics covered are quite broad, and I guess it would HAVE to be if the goal is to ensure cultural literacy. Including all the things you should have learned in highschool had you been paying attention, this book is a great refresher course in everything from History, to Literature, to proverbs and idioms in the English language.

It has a bit of a western bias, which is sort of what I'm getting at when I say the title presumes alot. Perhaps an alternate title (and I mean this without cynicsm) would be "what most Americans don't know about America but should." I include myself in that category, by the way.

The best thing about this book is it's organization. At first, I was wishing it was all alphabetical, but then you realize that grouping entries in catagorized chapters is better. Additionally, the bites of data are concise and easily digested, enough to answer a question and provide enough information for you to look elsewhere if you want in depth explainations.

Some of the editorial and customer reviews seem to be confused by what they mean when they call Hirsch a "conservative."

Hirsch is only a conservative in the sense that he is confortable with the status quo and is cautious about accepting change but not unwilling. The political right-wing of today calls itself "conservative" but is actually ULTRA-conservative, wanting to turn back the clock on cultural changes and has an almost paranoid view of the left. According to interviews, Hirsch sees himself as more an old New Deal liberal, and while he may often disagree with contemporary radicals on some cultural matters, he does not treat them with utter contempt like today's right-wing movement tends to do.

(For examples, of the type of far-right "conservatives" I was mentioning above, think Allan Bloom or Philip Johnson.)

As for the book itself, it's a good list, but none of the authors ever intended to make it comprehensive of the entire culture. (The main reason Germaine Greer and Sherman Alexie are not mentioned may simply be space limitations. They even had to cut some stuff from the last edition.)

New Dictionary Of Cultural Literacy provides a basic, working knowledge of cultural changes and ltierary topics which range from concepts of the digital divide and Kwanzaa to pheromones, spam, and different cultural icons which have changed over the centuries. Chapters are organized by general topic (world history, American history, politics, psychology and sociology) and provide an A-Z reference for each chapter. Browsers and students alike will find it handy.

I really enjoyed this book. It is really the only book that authoritatively covers this topic. The book's sections on the different SF organizations in the DPRK are based on solid evidence. Some of the information seemed to me to be quite old (from the 60's), but nevertheless is convincing and still relevant considering that the DPRK seems to still operate in many of the same ways.

It is not surprising that some of the rhetoric in the book is right-of-center. For instance, Bermudez (like most other American authors on the DPRK) likes to point out atrocities committed by 'communist' guerillas while ignoring the fact that most atrocities committed during the period of 1945-1953 were committed by the Korean National Police, Army of the Republic of Korea, and right-wing youth groups. He mentions atrocities committed by communists during the Yosu-Sunchon Rebellion, but fails to mention the utter holocaust visited upon the residents of Cheju Island by the Korean Constabulary (Army), KNP, and violent right-wing youth groups; by the way, these forces were transported to the island with US assets and advised by US military advisors in the field. Bermudez doesn't seem to be interested in really addressing what motivated the guerillas of the South, but considering the scope of this book, this is just a minor detail.

Also rather annoying were the frequent and obvious spelling and grammar issues. I don't think there was much of an editing process! Check out page 22 where Bermudez says that communist partisans were to "ferment unrest". I didn't know you COULD "ferment" unrest(!) I believe the word he was looking for was "foment". These issues with his English are frequent enough to be somewhat of an annoyance, but don't really make the book any less interesting.

One is hard-pressed to find a well-researched material on North Korea's military forces, though there are some excellent research books written by military officers in "lessons learned" formats. The North Korean special operations force, according to South Korea's Defense White Paper, poses one of the most significant military threat in the region along with P'yongyang's chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. This book traces this formidable force from its inception through the present, revealing a significant facet of North Korea's overall military strategy. Despite the timeliness of this work and the depth of its research from one of the most well-known North Korea specialist, it suffers from somewhat poor readability.

I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Bermudez as well as reading this book while researching North Korean Special Forces. The book is highly informative and the author exceptionally knowledgeable. It would be interesting to see the latest information he has gathered considering the present economic/food situations.

At time of printing, NKSF were the best special forces in the world for their set of missions. Other special forces are better suited for different missions and have different resources available to them.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for reliable background information on the specific topic, as well as anyone interested in the highly ideological and self sacrificial mentality instilled in these people.

Joseph D'Aniello's A FAMILY HEIRLOOM is that rare case of a fast-paced "popular mystery" that is written with intelligence and humor. The reader is challenged by D'Aniello's liberal use of flashbacks in the narrative, as well as some scenes repeated in multiple viewpoints. Having his protagonist, Andrew Lathrop, be a former Yale graduate, and currently employed by a trucking firm, allows D"Aniello to comment surreptitiously on some issues of social class. The author also has an astute ear for the dialogue of his mostly Italian-American working class characters in Connecticut. In the book's unique and engaging opening scene of Andrew's truck driving buddies holding a contest to see who can hold their breath longest underwater, Vinne attempts to insult co-worker Wendy: "When God was passing out ____, she must have thought He said Zits and said 'Don't give man any';" only to be humiliated by Wendy's retort: "When God was pasing out ____, he must have thought He said clocks and said, 'give me a cuckoo.' "

None of the above, however, can obscure the fact that A FAMILY HEIRLOOM succeeds best as an intriguing mystery. D'Aniello's premise is Andrew looking for the enigmatic Shawna Hutchinson, presently a college student, but also supposedly killed in a fire at age 3. What D'Aniello continues to do best (including in his first novel GUILT BY ASSOCIATION) is to arrange a series of puzzling events that are seemingly incongruous and sometimes even impossible, only to "pull the rug out" from under the reader in the last few chapters as the mystery unravels. I can't tell you much more than that without revealing an extremely clever ending, only to reiterate that D'Aniello has peopled Andrew's world with a group of considerably vivid characters: Andrew's vivacious girlfriend Rita, an ex-waitress looking for the right man, Glenn Hutchinson, a small-time crook who has married for money, and Carla, Andrew's practical niece and Shawna's roommate. Above all, Andrew Lathrop himself is an appealing combination of crude humor, educated sophistication, psycholgical insight, and apparently a man "running from his privileged past" by immersing himself in a working class world - a la the Jack Nicholson character in FIVE EASY PIECES. A FAMILY HEIRLOOM also benefits from D'Aniello's considerable knowledge of New England geography, particularly Connecticut. Anyone who has ever lived in the Nutmeg state will recognize many familiar landmarks, and enjoy the book even more.

But A FAMILY HEIRLOOM doesn't need geography to succeed with readers. This book exemplifies that old cliche: "I couldn't put it down!"

Neither could I until I had finished it!

Ed Menta, Ph.D.

Kalamazoo College

Professor and Director of Theatre

Joe D'Aniello departs from his baseball musings to deliver a thoroughly suspenseful and ultimately satisfying tale about a man confronting both his present and his past in attempting to learn the truth about an 18 year old college student named Shawna Henderson. Readers will enjoy the exploits of Andy Lathrop, an over-educated beer-distributor driver with a flair for magic, gambling, and reflections on male/female relationships. D'Aniello displays an excellent sense of dialogue and guards the book's climax as effectively as Mariano Rivera would guard a lead for his beloved Yankees.

I've read many books that capture my interest from the beginning as "A Family Heirloom" did. And I've read books that can keep me turning pages for the entire story as "A Family Heirloom" did. What makes me rate this book so highly is that the ending was truly ingenious and inspiring. What else can I say about this book? The characters were interesting, the dialogue entertaining and realistic, and the author created tension not with murder and bloodshed, but the hard way . . . with good writing!

HARRISON'S is synonymous with clinical books that worth their weights in gold. This 15th/ed CD-ROM maintained that tradition. It adds the much-needed portability to some 2700-paged heavyweight. However, the air-tight use-restrictions attached to the ...price is simply suffocating. I wish that the publisher had relaxed a bit!
Overall though, there were compensations. The CD contents are superb: far better than what the textbook versions offer. Anyone with interest in medical science should give it a try. It is elaborate and easy to understand. The excellent chapters on pharmacology and infectious diseases are particularly worth mentioning.

I have been reading Harrison's Medicine right from my residency. Its a fabulous book one can refer to as an undergraduate or postgratuate student. However for a practitioner one would prefer to have little more stress on management details. Adding audio to CD of the same book will make it more useful.

Mukund Baheti Consultant Neurologist Nagpur- 440 012 India

This book is the Bible of Internal Medicine. Anyone considering a career in medicine should have this book in their library. Comprehensive and well written, it is the gold standard of medical textbooks.

America's funniest political pundit dissects America's funniest president (whom Sobran rightly likens to Falstaff): so how can you possibly go wrong with this collection of spirited and fierce essays? The author's combination of moral passion with complete freedom from unctuousness remains as impressive as ever.

This is a great selection, full of Sobran's characteristic wit and insight.

Over the last 8 years America was under the charm of the Bill Clinton. Books, magazines, newspapers, television and radio relayed countless stories about the scandals and corruption within the White House day after day and nobody cared - or so I thought.

With this book you have an author who takes an objective and biased looked into what made and what makes up the legacy of Bill Clinton and his presidency. Written with a great detail to the facts, Sobran presents story upon story about what happens when you cross Bill and when Bill determines to disregard his advisors.

Read stories about the sex scandal, dealing with the Republican majority, foreign affairs, trashing those who disagree with Bill and Hillary. Also the is stories about people like Monica, Paula Jones, David Brock, Linda Tripp and others.

Overall the author makes very short work of those liberal myths about what Bill Clinton stood for and what his presidency was all about. Well documented and well argued this book is a real eye opener. The book does require and open mind in order to understand the gravity of each story, but the time spent reading is well worth it.

A good introduction on Transformative Mediation but just a good "Introduction".

It would have been nicer had the authors discussed more about the skills which can be used in Transformative Mediation.

Nevertheless it is still a rather interesting read.

This book helped me clarify just what I'm doing as a mediator. The authors show that one's worldview necessarily affects how one mediates. Unawareness of one's assumptions creates the potential to do great harm as a mediator. Our assumption that it's our job to make a settlement happen requires us to behave in a way that is neither neutral nor helpful to the parties. It's too easy to use our litigation tools (such as evaluation, analysis, and persuasion) against both parties in order to further our own agendas. By gaining clarity about what our agenda is, and about what's beyond our jurisdiction, we reduce the harm we do to the parties; and we create more opportunity for the parties to take greater responsibility. The approach described in this book supports parties as they tend to grow from weakness to strength and from selfishness to compassion. I'm grateful to the authors.

Most mediators learn a facilitative style of mediation. Many mediators stray to an evaluative style when the going gets tough. This book gives mediators a new way to look at the process and it offers another style that emphasizes the humanity and power of the parties. The authors argue that too much emphasis on settlement can corrupt the mediation process and subvert other important goals of conflict resolution. I have asked every mediator I know to read it.