In this book, there's a chapter called "Single Parenting." The stories contained in this chapter are a perfect counterpoint to all the gloomy statistics painted by "experts" who claim that children of single parents drop out of school, become juvenile delinquents, become pregnant, wind up in prison, or don't have a chance for a bright future. These stories prove that growing up in a single-parent home doesn't have to be that way. Maybe that so-called expert Judith Wallerstein and others like her who doom kids in single-parent homes to gloomy futures should read this book, especially that chapter.

Just when I wondered if I was the only person being made to feel like a freak of nature for being single I found this book! Many people seem to think there's something wrong with anyone who isn't married. Meanwhile some of those around us are choosing to rush into marriage, stay in loveless marriages, or tolerate cheating or abusive spouses just to avoid the dreaded title of "single". This book made me feel (finally) like there are many, many other people who understand singlehood, and that being single doesn't make anybody less of a happy or fulfilled person, or good parent. In a "couple's world" I'm so relieved to know that I'm not the only one waiting for Prince Charming, and realizing that if I keep getting the frogs instead I'll still be okay! This is a very uplifting book and I highly recommend it!

This book touches every level of thought and feeling a single person goes through. With each story, it validates the fact that other people have felt the same way, had the same thoughts. It is heartwarming, hopeful, and optimistic. CS for Singles is the first book I have read that portrayed a single person as someone who could be happy and at peace with being single! If you want to read a book that you can truly identify with, Chicken Soup for the Singles Soul is THE ONE!!! Personally, I don't think you have to be single to enjoy it!!

This is a book about cops, for cops, and by cops. The author has done an excellent job of organizing their stories about what it means be a member of the blue team. There are over a hundred such accounts compiled, and each one has a ring of authenticity, colored by a layer of humor and cynicism that goes often goes with the territoty. The often raw and gritty language, coupled with their vividly described experiences, gives the reader a birdseye view of the underbelly of the beast.

The only problem with the book is that policing has undergone a substantial change in the past several years, which is, of course, not reflected in this book, as it was published in 1985. Read in that context, the book is somewhat anachronistic. Still, it is one that will be enjoyed by those with a penchant for police war stories. If you are an avid cop buff, add one star to my rating.

I'm a brand new police officer. Actually I don't even take my oath until later in October. This book is an excellent read, but I also feel like it's somewhat dated. Most of the interviews were conducted in 1983 and 1984. There's a whole new generation of police officer out there now. Attitudes have changed, training has changed, and I suppose society has changed somewhat. When I first read this book back in 1986 my father was still a cop with six years to go before he retired. At the time the book was dead on. Now, though it is still truthful in spirit, I feel like cops have chnged in many respects. It would be nice to see an update. I would also like Mr. Baker to go farther out into this country of ours and speak to cops in the Western U.S., the South and so on. I get the definite impression that many of his interviews were conducted with NYPD officers and Long Island cops. Contrary to what some may think law enforcement is different in various parts of the nation, just like attitudes and beliefs are different in our many regions. It's still a very good book. Don't let my quibbles discourage you from reading it.

As a New York City Auxiliary Police Officer, I am still baby powder-fresh in the world of law enforcement. This book has shown me how to stay on my toes and make the right decisions. An excellent look into what it means to be blue. A must for all law enforcement, a tool for all anti-police. Excellent.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that once i started reading this book i could not put it down, each chapter seemed to leave me guessing so much that i would HAVE to move on to the next, i had no choice, i had to know what was going to happen to this Ashley Malone character next. so much in fact, i read it faster than any other book i had ever read. And speaking of the characters, they are so beleivable and you just connect with the Ashley, how could you not? the naieve, sheltered single mom moving to the big city to help a friend and being taken advantage of in a most horrifying way. it reminded me of the great old gothic mysteries, but modernized and much, much more horrifying. and...since i can't give away the ending i will just tell you it blew me away, i never expected that!!! i love this author!

I picked up this book soley due to the cover and in somewhat due to the synopsis. Most horror has turned me off after being flooded with the same old names and the same old plots. So, when I saw a new name, Mark Andrew Ware, I decided to give the genre one more chance and...WOW! At first I was thinking Vacant Spaces plot was predictable and then that all changed, the story took a horrifying twist and kept turning from there. I literally could not put this book now and when it ended I wanted more and wished I had not read it so quickly. I give this title five stars, not just because it's a great book, but because it has renewed my faith and intrest in the horror genre!

IF your idea of scary is things that go bump in the night, then you're in for a big surprise when you read Vacant Spaces. This book goes crash in the middle of the night. From page one it grabs you in its clutches and squeezes you with its scary characters, its terrifying plot twist and the shocking surprise ending is to die for,uh, no pun intended. I am a veteran horror reader and this author has outshone all others. I smell a bestseller!

This book is the first one I read this year (back on Jan 1!). I've since re-read it a few times and continue to find it enjoyable and impressive.

For me, Chapter Four alone is worth the price of admission. Page 79 is priceless, truly inspiring -- and I have to agree with it: after about 35 years of serious drawing, I still learn new things about cartooning all the time, it never stops. [And more than a couple of those new things are ones I learned out of this book.]

What Mark Heath has achieved here is not easy: a fresh approach to the basics that can help raw newbies and wizened amateurs alike. I never felt like "this is stuff I've already read a million times" -- Mark sidesteps the usual intro material and approaches it from a new slant or adds new insights to it.

If you're new, this is a great intro to cartooning that allows you lots of room to find your own style while homing in on solid quality work. If you're an old hand, this book will still show you a few new wrinkles, and re-awaken your love for the artform all over again. What more can you ask?

I already had several other books of cartooning instruction, including ones that have received five-star reviews elsewhere on the Amazon web site, but there was something special about this one when I picked it up. Funny, I used to be self-conscious when I'd pull out my pen or pencil and notebook to draw basic shapes and lines. I didn't want others to see how crude my first scratchings were. But Mark's special touch with words and drawings helped me overcome that. Now I can be seen on the train during my daily commute with his book on one knee and my sketchbook on the other, happily drawing squares and rectangles and circles and noses and hairlines and eyes, and I don't care anymore how they look, becuase I know they'll get better. Thank you, Mark, for your wonderful instructions and examples and your positive approach.

Mark Heath extends a helpful hand to the budding cartoonist in a well thought out and lavishly illustrated book of cartooning tips and tricks that embraces important details other such books have missed. Mark's enthusiasm for his topic and and his gentle, clear and witty guidance make this book one of the best of its kind and a welcome addition to anyone who's wanting to get a grip on the basics. Heartily recommended.

For those of you looking for a book about trading commodities, "God in the Pits" is not for you. Although there are some interesting musings about life on the trading floor within the pages of this book, "God in the Pits" really tackles issues much more significant than trading.

At the core of this book is Mr. Ritchie's account of his own spiritual and religious questions as they relate to significant (and sometimes tragic) events throughout his life. Through a remarkably revealing personal account, Mr. Ritchie takes us from the deserts of Afghanistan to the shores of Oregon and on to the trading pits of Chicago. In the process, Mr. Ritchie shares with the reader a stimulating ideological debate about the reality of religion in his life, and how he was able to reconcile within himself some difficult questions. For anyone who has ever questioned their faith, and who also enjoys a life story of nearly epic proportions, this book IS for you.

This book is unique. You will not find the magic formula for making money in commodities that so many other books promise and none seem to ever deliver. Here the author takes you on a trip through his mind and heart to explore the self, his family and other social relationships, his career as a commodities trader and his experiments with God himself!

It gives one the courage to understand that just how the author had to scramble for a forgotten potato in the refridgerator to becoming a millionaire! The nice thing you will find here is an honest man explaining the good and bad about his life which many of us would prefer to hide. Many people try to create an "external self" to the public which is not true, but this book is different.

Also quite impressive is the author's family struggle to help the poor in Afghanistan where they went to the point of even adopting an entire family and "set them on their feet" in the United States. In short, God has given us and we must give to others is the best lesson to learn from this author.

This book is an incredible expose on the ongoing ethical struggle in the commodities pits. A first-hand look at what the market calls a "straight-shooter." Mark Ritchie does an incredible job at detailing his profession and his life, and being completely candid with the reader. A must read for anyone interested in the market, or just a good book. One of my top 20 books, and recommend it to anyone. Thanks again, Mark Andrew Ritchie!

Virus Hunter was based on fascinating information but was presented in a choppy and stream-of-consiousness style that made reading it boring and tedious at times...I especially disliked the "mini-resumes" of the various people mentioned in the book. These were needless details. Dr. Peters has the background to make for interesting stories, but I did not feel that this book was well written, and I would not read another book by Dr. Peters.

This book was excellent; however, it was not quite what I had expected. I bought it expecting it to read like 'The Hot Zone.' Instead, it turned out to be the autobiography of C.J. Peters, spanning his personal life and career in battling hot viruses. It is a book of memoirs about his career. It was interesting, but did drag a bit in places. It did NOT read like a thriller, as did 'The Hot Zone.'

I am still rating the book five stars, because the last two chapters were the best. They sum up all that he has learned in his career, and make projections into the future. He also discusses extensively throughout his book the political considerations and bureaucracy that all scientists have to deal with. The book was written several years ago, but his imaginary scenario sounds almost exactly like what is currently happening with the SARS virus. He also discusses biological terrorism and chemical and biological warfare, and gives his thoughts about all these things from the perspective of all he has learned in his entire career. These chapters are EXTREMELY pertinent to what is happening today.

This is an inspiring book definitely. Well written in an easy-to-read way ( and believe me, I know when something is easy-to-read), and captivating from chapter to chapter ( is that kind of books you begin looking at and before you know it you have read it from cover to cover in one day ). It also includes some pictures that help you get deeper into the book's atmosphere. Of course, this is kind of a self biography, centered more on the proffessional life of Dr. Peters than on the viruses themselves ( in that case you are advised to get another book containing specific information on this matter ).

Finally, I say it's inspiring because I'm a med student that hadn't decided for a particular specialty until I read that book.

I thought this was a great idea for a novel, to really explore the emotions of brothers who had a tough time communicating and understanding each other. But as I read this novel, all I got from Joe Columbus was jelosy and pettyness. He had no introspection as to why he and his brother didn't connect, which made it hard to know the characters or their real feelings. CJ Columbus was interesting and possessed not only a baseball tallent, but an almost mystical understanding of the universe, which wasnt really explored enough. I did enjoy reading this book, that could have been a great book.

My younger brother and I were close..almost like twins...when we were young. But as the years past, we grew more distant. I'm a professional, white collar worker and he's a union employee. And thus my fascination with this book. However, Friedman's brothers are a famous baseball player for the Chicago Cubs and a Bethesda school teacher.

In the spirit of "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles, Friedman explores this relationship between brothers from the perspective of the less famous and jealous school teacher brother. Close in their youth, the brothers start to grow distant when the younger brother's baseball talents are "discovered" on a little league diamond. CJ is soon uprooted from the neighborhood teams and placed in a league of gifted youngsters. As the younger brother becomes more famous, the older Joe sinks deeper in jealousy.

It's only when the younger brother faces a life ending disease does "Joe" come to understand life. This is a very good sports based novel that will appeal to any sports fan and should be a must read for the junior-high, high school age boy..preferably one with brothers.

Taken out of life's pages, the realism of sibling jealousy and regret is artistically portrayed in this thought-provoking first novel. I started to read this book with limited knowledge about the storyline or characters. At first I thought older brother Joe would teach younger brother CJ, a baseball prodigy, life's lessons, especially that stardom has no guarantees but anyone can achieve happiness if they work to fulfill their potential. Instead, Joe was too bound up in his own insecurities and jealousy and he missed out from enjoying his brother's success and maximizing his own talents and interests. How he attempts to recover what he has lost pulls the reader into his emotional life and doesn't let go easily.
This novel does what all good literature does: it mirrors life, teaches lessons and causes the reader to compare the emotions, insights and conflict resolution in the story to the reader's own life experiences. If Mark Friedman never writes another word he will still have made a valuable and lasting contribution to American fiction.

An excellent work by an author who obviously has a tremendous love and fascination for American history. The book starts slowly with the family histories of the two main characters - Chamberlain and Oates. He does an excellent job of introducing the reader to two completely different character with completely different backgrounds without taking sides or displaying predjudices. Chamberlain, the hard working, devout, formally educated New Englander projected against the self educated rambler from Alabama. He then shows how the paths these men take lead them both to that infamous day on Little Round Top. The author also does a good job of setting the stage so the reader understands how easily the course could have taken another direction - Longstreet's counter-march and delayed attack allowing the Union to reinforce the critical position and maintain control of the good ground setting the stage for the ill-fated Pickett's Charge. I think that the only area lacking in the book is the Post Civil War period in the South. While Perry spends time explaining the obvious differences between the Democrats and the reconstructionist Republicans, I do not think enough effort was given to Oates' wavering political positions and how he was influenced. All in all, one of the best works on a very demanding and focused subject.

One cannot gain an understanding of the American Civil War, (as well as the periods preceding it and following it), unless one eventually learns to see it through the eyes of the people who lived it. This book is presents the reader with just such an opportunity.

The author follows the lives of two men from two completely different societies, through their youth, their adolescence and young adulthood, through the War and to the time where their paths cross in the battle on Little Round Top in July 1863, through the remainder of the war and its aftermath, right into old age. Each is affected by the society which surrounds him, each man embodies the best and the worst of those societies and each is motivated to fight in their defense. There's no hero worship here; each man is presented as being quite human. Yet, each man remains quite likeable in his own way.

There's some surprises as well. Chamberlain was played by Jeff Daniels in the movie "Gettysburg". In that movie Chamberlain gives an impassioned speech to his troops about being "...an army out to set other men free..." The real Chamberlain wasn't a friend of slavery but he was no abolitionist either. Oates, for his part, (and much to my surpise), was one of the first officers to officially lobby the Confederate Congress for the enlistment of slaves early in 1863. (He was unsuccessful in his attempt).

If I haven't given the book 5 stars it's because the author's writing style is a bit on the ponderous side. Nonetheless, this is the kind of book that you'll need to have in your library if your interest in the period is a serious one. Go experience it for yourself!

So many books have been written about the Civil War that Conceived In Liberty might seem to be more of the same. But the book clears new ground on Joshua Chamberlain, by noting that this "marble man" of the North had blemishes of his own -- as did his counterpart, Col. William Oates of Alabama (the other subject of this first-rate dual biography.

I have read a number of books on Joshua Chamberlain and have always thought that there was another side to the man: that he was not simply a great hero, but also a soldier who was thoughtful, and deeply disturbed by the conflict. Perry adds the balance that is so desperately needed to our knowledge of Joshua Chamberlain, then completes the portrait by counterposing his life with that of William Oates.

These two men not only met at Gettysburg, but they are symbols of the larger issues that consumed our nation in the nineteenth century. Filled with information and anecdotal accounts of the lives of both men (incidents that appear in no other work on either Chamberlain or Oates) Conceived In Liberty is not only well-researched it is a fantastic read. This book is long overdue.

Yes, Conceived In Liberty is controversial, but that is its value. Perry is a courageous writer and a first-rate historian.

This book is simply the best computer related book available, in my opinion. I learned more about assembler, systems programming, viruses, and artifical life from this book than I could have from any other combination of sources. This book's clear, fascinating examination of viruses still holds my attention; I have read it cover to cover dozens of times, and refer to it frequently for information on a variety of topics. I cannot praise this book highly enough.

mark A.ludwig really educates you with he's book. If you really want to learn about the power of assembly language, this book sertainly teach you just that. If you consider yourself a computer expert,read this book and find out that your not!!!

Ok this book is about computer viruses but for those of us who have no intention of writing viruses, this book can teach quite a bit about system programming. The aurthor is clearly a very good programmer and he is able to teach the subject well.

Mr Ludwig, I think you should consider writing "under the hood" articles for the benefit of other programmers.

This is undoubtedly an ambitious book, covering some of the most complicated (and neglected) topics in the world of Linux programming. Unfortunately, it suffers from some critical defects.

The first two chapters are the obligatory redundant recycling of Linux fundamentals that are the hallmark of lazy authors. Face it: if you don't know what emacs or a shell is, you shouldn't be reading this book; if this is the best opening you can come up with, you shouldn't be writing it.

The authors fail to cover their subjects in sufficient depth. Sockets receive a scant five pages and the examples only treat UNIX domain sockets. Who the hell cares about UNIX domain sockets? Why are there no examples of multi-threaded Internet domain socket servers?

To be fair, the coverage of the linux-specific material is decent, but doesn't justify the price tag. Bottom line: this is a good introduction to the subject of threads and Linux technicals, but will leave you needing more. Go to your favorite bookstore, get a cup of coffee and spend half of an afternoon reading the book in the store and saving yourself ...

As some other reviewers had mentioned, do not be intimitated by the "advanced" word in the title. The book goes through a lot of more advanced aspect of Linux programming, especially towards the end, but it gives such a good introduction to linux beginners and have such nice pace throughout the book that any newbie would become totally familiar with linux programming after finished reading this text.

First section: Getting started. If you've ever written program in Linux, you'd be familiar with things in this section. It acts as a good reference to things like using GCC, makefile, GNU debugger, etc.

Second 3 and 4 dive into processes and thread. The author spend decent amoung of time explainning the differences between the two, and how both of them work internally. Fork() system(), exec() pthread_create() and other functions are covered in details. The author also give enough word on how to clean things up.

Some system calls are discussed, as well as how linux interacts with devices (/dev) and the /proc directory. Security was given a full chapter in the book. Sure there could have been more on writing secured codes, but it really is out of the scope of this book.

The author gives simple examples as he progresses, and there's one big example at the end that would give you a extremely clear idea how all the things mentioned in the book can be integrated. The GNU http server is one of the best example I'd seen in programming books.

This book is one of the best written Linux programming book.

This book was a pleasant surprise. Not 700-1000 pages, but just above 300 pages and packed with information and small workable c-examples. I was walked through creating basic applications, shared & static libraries, sockets, pipes and security, forks/threads and detailed expamples on synchronization mechanisms. The book also guides you through creation of a relatively simple web server with plugin-modules. Quite fun !

So in addition to discover how typical intermediate/advanced programming tasks were handled in Linux I also learned a lot more on how the system works.

No shell programming here - only C. Keep your Linux box close by when reading!