Allen doesn't waste a single word in his holiday tale of hope and comfort. Christmas stories sometimes tend to be syrupy or fluffy. But not so with "Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices" The story is hard hitting but ultimately heartwarming.

Allen's style is disarmingly simple, yet sophisticated. He makes his points (which are many and profound) with a few words as possible. He implies, he infers...and he leaves it to the reader to connect the dots.

When I was finished reading the book,I felt as if I had read a long, lyrical poem.

I have to admit I shed a couple of tears at various places in the book.

I recommend this book for holiday reading...and inspirational reading throughout the year.

I'm no fancy pants reveiwer, I'm just an everyday reader who loves books. And I think John Allen's Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices is a gem. Allen's prose reads almost like poetry. His writing is restrained, lyrical, and heart-felt. There isn't an unecessary word in the whole book.

I couldn't put the book down...I highly recommend it.

I am going to read this book every Christmas. I wasn't expecting much when I began reading this book.

But when I was finsihed I had a greater appreciation for my family, for life, and for the blessings of service...Yeah...all from this little book.

I'm going to read this book every Christmas from now on. And I highly recommend it to one and all.

Time is a very valuable resource on every project, and this book can help conserve that resource. The first six chapters of the book present defect management within the larger concept of Agile development methods. Chapters 7-20 detail various bug patterns with symptoms, causes, cures, and preventions. The remainder of the book provides some nice resources like a diagnostic checklist, a glossary, a reference list, and an index.

I recognized some of the patterns from the author's column on developerWorks, but the book does a solid of pulling them together to present debugging as a rather orderly and scientific process. The author relies on his real project experience with the DrJava project to illustrate his examples. Various tables are available to link concepts with potential bug patterns or problems to a bug pattern that could be related.

The patterns are explained and depicted with code with each chapter having a summary of the concepts at the end. Tips and variations on the patterns are sprinkled in the text. I found the glossary of particularly helpful. The text is easy to read and the examples are clearly explained. This book and "Bitter Java" may have a good "ROI" as required reading for Java developers.

A great Java resource for programmers of widely varying experience levels. Author found the perfect balance between theory and practical application. There is a wealth of useful information in the chapters devoted to detailed descriptions of the symptoms and cures for the most common and/or most troublesome Java bugs. The book is organized in a very friendly way, making it an excellent reference. I plan on keeping this book very handy.

Every once in a while a novel is published that offers more than a good story. Such is It's Really a New Age. Author and visionary Allen Eric Firesong has written a page-turner that has major motion picture all over it.

Here is a story about peace, love, sharing and spiritual awakening. Imagine three groups of people who live their lives as seekers, bringing and sharing their dreams of a new millenium and a better way...to a nature festival. And then there is the government agent, so hurt, so angry and so hateful...he wants to destroy them, and all that they stand for.

Mr. Firesong offers a tale of transformation from hate to love---from darkness to light. This reviewer also found a cast of clearly defined characters whose lives and personalities are interwoven like a fine tapestry. One group lives on the land in harmony with nature. Add another of city folk involved in the holistic movement. And then add a group from a commune, immersed in healing and spiritual growth.

They all met at an annual nature festival intent on achieving an integration of their truths and a beacon for a new way of living. Will the government special agent succeed with his plan to poison them by going far beyond the dreadful plan authorized by his superiors?

This reviewer eagerly turned 201 pages to the conclusion of a well-written book, and a message of hope. It's Really a New Age is exciting, awakening, and consciousness-raising. Allen Eric Firesong has given us a special book, one that combines a great story with a message of enlightenment. Don't miss this one!

The book gives a very interesting view of what may happen if Sirus B goes Supernova. The star is within 10 light years of earth. The individual making the prediction is a young astronomer who just obtained his P.Hd. Due to his young age, he is not taken very seriously. More discriptions were needed within the book reguarding the atmospheric effects of the supernova. The only discriptions given about the changes in the weather patterm was the statement such as "Storms were the result of the Supernova." There were also brief mentions of the unusualy cool days in parts of California. Also, there was a brief mention of icemelt and snowstorms in Antarctica. Book also includes a rogue religious cult bent on distroying L.A. after it is blasted by a Electro Magnetic Pulse from the supernova. Good book if you like to see L.A. and Tokyo burn. I still recommend it. Need some science background to understand small parts of it

This book is a first in practical, down-to-earth marketing, driven from the customer perspective. Portraying a very logical and simple five-step model, supported by cases where the model has been followed successfully.
Each chapter also has a checklist and a set of key insights, making it easy to scan and lift the essentials
A MUST for all marketers.

If you are currently collecting or playing Magic cards, I suggest buying this book if you dont have it NOW! It is filled w/ information, fully illustrated cards, interesting facts, playing tips, etc. Also, buy the Magic Encyclopedia Volume 1.

Great book of pictures of Mirage, Visions, 5th Edition, Weatherlight & Portal. Helps alot with viewing the cards for collecting.

Richard Garfield is the creator of Magic The Gathering card game. This book gives the reader an in-depth look into the game and shows the beautiful illustration that each card contains. This is a must have for all players and collectors of the card game.

Let me start this review by confessing that I am biased. One of my letters from Vietnam is included in the book. I therefore view the book differently from the average reader.

I also got an advance copy of the book a week before the official release date, and have been able to read it.

Andrew Carroll produced this book by reading through almost 50,000 letters and selected roughly 200 that best show what everyday life in the military - and in war - are like from the viewpoint of the average soldier, sailor, marine, and airman.

Andy was able to get these letters by persuading Dear Abby to publish an appeal in her column on Veteran's Day in 1998. The column urged readers to contribute these letters so that the sacrifices of the writers would not be forgotten. The result was a flood of 50,000 letters - some faded, some muddy, some blood-stained, and one pierced by a bullet. One letter was written on Hitler's personal stationary by an American sergeant who worked in Hitler's personal quarters in Germany just after WW II. What could be a better symbol of justice?

The letter writers' views are very different than the views you will get by reading the memoirs of a general or an admiral. When I was in the Army, there was a wonderful comment that explained life in the Infantry:

"The general gets the glory, The family gets the body, and We get another mission."

Your view of the military - and of war - changes depending on your position in this food chain.

Overcoming an enemy machine gun is an interesting technical problem when you are circling a firefight in a helicopter at 1,000 feet. You take a very different view of the problem when you are so close to the machine gun that your body pulses from the shock wave of the muzzle blast.

These letters were written by soldiers while they were in the military. They are describing events that happened that day, the pervious day, or the previous week. Their memories are very fresh. Their views also are very different from the views that someone might have when writing his memoirs thirty years later. In thirty years the everyday pains, problems, and terrors could very well be forgotten or become humorous.

The book groups these letters by war or police action. There are sections for letters from the Civil War, WW I (the war to end wars), WW II, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and Somolia/Bosnia/Kosovo.

Some things never change. The Civil War letter writers grumble about poor food, tiresome marches, mindless sergeants and incompetent officers. The Vietnam letter writers (myself included) grumbled about the same things.

One anguished letter was from an officer in Vietnam who was torn by his need to hide his opposition to the war for fear of demoralizing his men. At the end of the letter is a brief comment explaining that the officer stepped on a mine and died shortly after writing this letter.

Welcome to life in the military. Welcome to war.

You should read this book if you want to see what life was like and is like in the military and in war.

Let me start this review by confessing that I am biased. One of my letters from Vietnam is included in the book. I therefore view the book differently from the average reader.

I also got an advance copy of the book a week before the official release date, and have been able to read it.

Andrew Carroll produced this book by reading through almost 50,000 letters and selected roughly 200 that best show what everyday life in the military - and in war - are like from the viewpoint of the average soldier, sailor, marine, and airman.

Andy was able to get these letters by persuading Dear Abby to publish an appeal in her column on Veteran's Day in 1998. The column urged readers to contribute these letters so that the sacrifices of the writers would not be forgotten. The result was a flood of 50,000 letters - some faded, some muddy, some blood-stained, and one pierced by a bullet. One letter was written on Hitler's personal stationary by an American sergeant who worked in Hitler's personal quarters in Germany just after WW II. What could be a better symbol of justice?

The letter writers' views are very different than the views you will get by reading the memoirs of a general or an admiral. When I was in the Army, there was a wonderful comment that explained life in the Infantry:

"The general gets the glory, The family gets the body, and We get another mission."

Your view of the military - and of war - changes depending on your position in this food chain.

Overcoming an enemy machine gun is an interesting technical problem when you are circling a firefight in a helicopter at 1,000 feet. You take a very different view of the problem when you are so close to the machine gun that your body pulses from the shock wave of the muzzle blast.

These letters were written by soldiers while they were in the military. They are describing events that happened that day, the pervious day, or the previous week. Their memories are very fresh. Their views also are very different from the views that someone might have when writing his memoirs thirty years later. In thirty years the everyday pains, problems, and terrors could very well be forgotten or become humorous.

The book groups these letters by war or police action. There are sections for letters from the Civil War, WW I (the war to end wars), WW II, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and Somolia/Bosnia/Kosovo.

Some things never change. The Civil War letter writers grumble about poor food, tiresome marches, mindless sergeants and incompetent officers. The Vietnam letter writers (myself included) grumbled about the same things.

One anguished letter was from an officer in Vietnam who was torn by his need to hide his opposition to the war for fear of demoralizing his men. At the end of the letter is a brief comment explaining that the officer stepped on a mine and died shortly after writing this letter.

Welcome to life in the military. Welcome to war.

You should read this book if you want to see what life was like and is like in the military and in war.

This book, War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, by Andrew Carroll (Editor) is a touching book. With the recent release of the movie Pearl Harbor, the questions that my generation wants to ask the veterans of war are rising out of the ashes once again. Carroll did an excellent job of putting together a collage of soldier's letters which portrays the true emotions of our freedom fighters. Recently having studied many of the wars included in this book, War Letters pulled everything into one book; from the Civil War all the way through Bosnia/Kosovo. The letters in WWI and WWII seemed more hopeful, and 'the great generation' seemed more patriotic. While the soldiers fighting Vietnam had more of a sense of urgency, kind of 'get this over with already' attitude. A common theme with all the letters was they were writing to loved ones, and would claim they would see them soon. Unfortunately, many of these letters were the 'last letters' to the families, some even written on backs of photographs, on scratch paper, or on Hitler's personal stationary. Also, these letters are written a few hours, days, or weeks after the events happened. The soldier has no opportunity to hear what the media said, or how the nation reacted to such a horrific event. They write with their souls, spilling their guts to their families, and shedding their blood for their nation. Granted, having just completed one year of US History helps me understand these events just that much more, but all in all, this book was everything from terrifying to heart warming.

First, this "novel" appears to contain two unrelated stories. "Flood" is the shorter of the two. I like a lot of Drooker's work, but as a piece of narrative this just didn't hold me for very long.

In both pieces very little action occurs-- most of the longer story involves the protagonist walking from one place to another. Most of "Flood" involves the protagonist ignoring an increasing level of water.

In addition, character development is almost absent.

The visual metaphors in this book
are skillful and moving,
as well as very witty at times.
I laughed, I... well I didn't really CRY,
but I did get sniffly. ;)
An engaging commentary on life.

Note: If you don't really look at the pictures,
you won't get anything out of it.
Some of this work is very subtle.

3. Type your review in the space below: (maximum of 1,000 words)

I will write only 3 words: I LOVE IT

If you are a real Ginsberg fan, you'll appreciate having this book in your collection, even if you you're not a big art lover. The art will inspire a new appreciation of the poems- and it's easier to carry than your "bible"(collected poems)! Poems inside: The Altering Eye Alters All, An Eastern Ballad, A Mad Gleam, In Death Cannot Reach What Is Most Near, Song, Lay Down Yr Mountain, Manhattan Thirties Flash, Morning, Howl, Footnote to Howl, New York Blues, Native New York, On Neal's Ashes, Punk Rock Your My Big Cry Baby, Get It?, Capital Air, Pentagon Exorcism, Love Forgiven, War Profit Litany, When The Light Appears, Tears, The Lion For Real, I'm A Prisoner of Allen Ginsberg, Fighting Phantoms Fighting Phantoms, This Form Of Life Needs Sex, Birdbrain!, American Again, New Stanzas For Amazing Grace, X-ray Manhattan, Jumping the Gun On the Sun, Rock Song, Gospel Noble Truths, The Ballad of the Skeletons, Father Death Blues, Confession Is Dream for the Soul, and my favorite, Sunflower Sutra.

This a beautiful book, that not only shares ginsbergs work but works with the images created by eric drooker to communicate the poems and songs vividly, providing candy for the eyes and mind. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ginsberg, no ginsberg collection is complete without it , in my opinion.

an excellent illustrated book of gonsberg's poems

My husband & I recently got a kitten & trying to read up as much as we can on his care.. This book takes you through step by step in choosing & caring for a kitten. I found the book very informative but I also found it contradicted some things that other cat care books mention.. Also the book doesn't really give you any information about spaying/neutering but advises you to seek out your vet.

My husband thought the book useful for the most part, but in some ways strict.. Seeming to advise against some things that other cat care authors give allowance for.. such as what type of food the kitten and/or cat should eat.

I would definitly reccomend this book with the advice to let it AND other books be your guide....

Mr. Swanson has written a bok that not only ENJOYABLE to read, but FULL of information for 1st time cat owners, "thinking of being" cat owners or even long time cat owners. Great illustrations also. Thank you, Mr. Swanson (and Mr. Dombrowski)