This is a clearly-written and fascinating description of what happens when special interest politics collide with historical reality. Codevilla describes in great detail the enormous military and economic pressures the Swiss were under while trying to stay free while surrounded by Fascism during World War II. In order to preserve what freedom they did have, the Swiss were indeed forced to import gold from Nazi Germany, but most of it ended up leaving the country to pay German debts throughout the world and had long since been 'laundered' before it even entered the country. The Swiss settled upon reparations with the Allies directly after the war, and the amount of money found later in dormant accounts belonging to victims of the Nazis was relatively small.

None of these facts stopped the World Jewish Congress and other special-interest bureaucracies from using their influence over the U.S. Democratic Party and that party's control of the New York City courts to blackmail several large Swiss banks into handing over a large portion of their profits in the form of reparations to private organizations whose constituencies are unclear (and in so doing ignoring the ever-so-slightly-more legitimate claims of actual Holocaust victims). The United States government made certain that it was only indirectly involved in this "private foreign policy" that served to enrich the Democratic Party and the various Jewish activist bureaucracies, while alienating the Swiss people. Codevilla's conclusion is that this whole episode only hurt the United States' image while providing no benefits whatsoever to the country as a whole. This is yet another example of the intellectually-dishonest Clinton administration putting its private gain ahead of the national interest.

Although Codevilla is a bit too pro-military and partisan for my taste, this book provides a much-needed and fairly-presented perspective on a rather shameful episode for the United States that has been conspicuously absent from the mainstream U.S. media. The Swiss bank saga is over for the moment, but with the continuing calls for World War II reparations, this book will provide an important and much-needed perspective on current affairs (and breath of intellectual honesty) for some time to come.

BETWEEN THE ALPS AND A HARD PLACE sets the record straight regarding the myth of Swiss collaboration with the Nazis during WWII. The book is crammed full of facts explaining the amazing survival of this small democratic nation surrounded by totalitarian warlords. As an American I am deeply ashamed of the strong-arm extra-legal processes employed by the World Jewish Council, the Clinton Administration, and the Democratic Party to wring 1.2 billion dollars from Swiss banks--nothing short of protection money, or as the Swiss referred to it, a legally required bribe. The one-sided, incomplete, and (bad) coverage of this episode in the American media at the time leaves me with even less faith in their objectivity and competence.

I wish there were someone in Washington with the moral courage to undo this wrong, repay the billions, bring the corrupt American officials to justice, and APOLOGIZE to our long-time most democratic friend, Switzerland.

An entertaining, well written, and highly educational book!

Lively and extremely readable, this is also a first-rate work of history, spanning two time periods-the Second World War and the Clinton Administration. Dr. Codevilla brilliantly analyzes the genuine crisis faced by Swiss politicians and military leaders during the Second World War-how to deter an invasion by Hitler's seemingly invincible Wehrmacht, which by 1940 had left the tiny country completely surrounded. How also to import enough food and coal to keep the Swiss population alive for the duration of the war? How to manage both of these tasks, without surrendering Swiss independence to the hated Nazi regime-which had been threatening invasion and calling for the liquidation of Switzerland since at least 1937? Using original sources, Codavilla answers these questions, and adds important historical perspective and moral nuance to the picture which Americans gained of Switzerland and her citizens during the late 1990s. He also addresses forthrightly the behavior of Swiss banks regarding unclaimed assets of Jews murdered by the Nazis, and the involvement of the Clinton Administration in the politicization of Holocaust accounts.

Although the title is certainly somewhat misleading, this is a good sourcebook of the best teaching techniques culled from a wide range of instructional situations. There is something here for everyone in every situation, elementary ed, high school, community college, and yes, those of us at universities too.

I can't imagine many educators who will not find something to improve their teaching effectiveness in this book. A great advantage is that each technique is presented individually so that you can literally pick and choose and then try them out without having to read extensively to understand the potential for each.

If you teach (this is my 25th year teaching college), I recommend two books once you have spent a few years at it and want to continue to improve your effectiveness....this one and Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman's "Six Easy Pieces"

The rating of 4 stars I'm giving this is a combination of 3 stars and 5 stars. Some of the techniques presented are worth the 5 stars; the lack of actual forms or examples as administered is the 3 stars. There are many examples of each technique, but all are given as narrative descriptions, not as copies of the assessment form or handout.

One thing potential buyers should be aware of: THIS IS NOT A BOOK ABOUT GIVING TESTS. If you are looking for how to write tests, how to test your students, how to design exams, try James Popham or something similar. This is a book full of ways to survey your students to determine whether they are ready to learn, whether they are ready to absorb more information, whether they are understanding the material - but not tests.

Let me give you examples of the techniques I found immediately useful:
Technique #1: Background Knowledge Probe. This is to be given at the first class meeting, to see whether your students know what they're supposed to before they start your class. Here's how I administered it: I teach a course called "Quantitative Applications Software." It's mainly about using Microsoft Excel and related spreadsheets, and it's primarily for business majors to fill their core computer requirement. I prepared a survey form which had about 20 questions in all, with three columns to check off: "Know how to do this" (have studies it, remember it, can calculate it), "Have heard of this" (the concept is familiar but I don't remember how to figure it) and "Not familiar with this." The items to rate were divided into 3 categories: math knowledge (Square roots, exponents, order of operations); business concepts (compound interest, present value, mortgages, multi-state sales taxes) and Excel concepts - which is what the students would be learning, but some already know (built-in statistical functions, calculating loan payments, setting up invoicing systems, working with multiple files.) The students filled out this survey anonymously, so no one had to be embarrassed, and then after scanning the surveys, I announced that people who were unsure of the math concepts could get tutoring, people who knew all the Excel concepts might be able to test out of the course, and for everybody else, I would have an idea of how much time to spend explaining background math before introducing an Excel function.

Technique #25: Student-generated test questions. Students have to generate both questions and answers. This allows you to see what they think is the most important material they've studied so far, whether they've done only the homework or also studied handouts and their lecture notes, and whether they can organize their thinking. This one should be done only after you've already given the students at least one exam or a few quizzes, so that they know the length and difficulty of questions you expect.

On the other hand, many of the techniques are not very useful for my subject area - some are writing-intensive and don't fit in with a course that is mostly hands-on lab work; some require students to list pros and cons of something - not necessarily feasible in a course where there's a fixed minimum of material that MUST be covered, whether the students like it or not. More useful, I suspect, for classes where there are issues and current events and discussions, than for computer science basics.

This book is a great explanation of and suggestions for evaluating teaching and learning primarily at the college level. In college, a professor or instructor may have hundreds of students unless you teach a very rare subject or at are a very small school. These fast and often fun exercises are a neat way to figure out how much your students are learning and how to teach better. They could also be used as graded tests but primarily the book was intended for pure assessment. Since students, over-booked with classes in the age of a flat-fee system, may resent too much gradeless assessment, you'll have to read the atmosphere of your own classes and decide how best to use this.

I received a Staying Safe Stories book a few weeks ago and my children have made me read it to them EVERY single night since!!! But, I suppose I am grateful...the message is very positive and effective, and it certainly lessens my burden of having to educate them on these matters!

Thanks!

I have never seen a book like this and my kids LOVE it!!

Let me know when you come out with more!

Thanks so much!

What a clever and fun way to teach children how they can protect themselves. As a journalist and producer, I've learned that often times the best way to get a message across to children is by utilizing their own imaginations. The book's illustrations are sweet and personable, sure to touch the heart of every child. The subject matter, though very difficult, is effectively relayed to children in a way they can appreciate, understand, and not fear! Rory becomes a special hero because he stands up and says "No" to protect himself. His bunny mom endears herself to the reader by comforting and praising her son for telling her what happened. She makes Rory, and the reader know, they should be proud and not ashamed for being able to tell a parent about an uncomfortable event. Bravo to the author and illustrator for a sensitive job well done! This book is a definite stocking stuffer for my 3 nieces and 2 nephews!

I read this book within two days. Deangelo draws you into this story very quickly and I found myself unable to put this novel down. The characters are believable with faults and good qualities. While I hated the ex-wife Joan for living a lie, I did find myself wondering "how could she have done this?" All this thought pattern created by a work of fiction? That's when you know it's a great book. The ironic part is I find myself still wondering this morning what will become of Sam. All these feelings about "characters". Deangelo knows how to make you care about the characters. In my opinion that makes a worthwhile read.

By page 2, Edward De Angelo's novel had me in its grip. The Lies that Bind is a book that I didn't want to put down. The story of Sam and Pete ensnares you with threads so light you don't realise you are bound.

The human genome, itself, has reached celebrity status and we have to decide what constitutes family, DNA or connection? Edward De Angelo's compassion and empathy with his characters, celebrates the relationships we all need to thrive.

Even though the title is "The Lies That Bind" , the book evokes "The Ties that Bind" and celebrates that thought. Enjoy!

This was a compelling book, one which kept me turning the pages long after I should have put it down. From the first chapter, when Pete Morrison decides to have a blood test done to confirm or allay his suspicions about his son's parentage, this reader was hooked.

I cringed as Sam's parents stumbled through the legal swamp, getting in deeper and deeper with every action taken by their attorneys. The author never dwelled on anything, and never wrote in a preachy fashion as he examined many issues of parenthood that occur on a daily basis in our society. Through some beautifully written thoughts he managed to convey the agony, indecision, and confusion of all the characters.

The ending was not at all contrived, as it easily could have been. Instead, I came away from this book hoping that someone else I know will read it so we can talk about it. Definitely a lot of food for thought and discussion.

I don't know who is stranger? This author or Angelo Buono. The biggest hero in this book is a alcoholic philandering cop who, when he gets liquored up he shoots off his gun. I am inclined to believe Angelo Buono was innocent after reading this geeks view of the world.

I reread this book every couple of years. This is an must read for any true crime junkie. It was so well written and showed all sides of the story. It made me realize random acts of violence against women was the "high" for these two idoits. They killed women they knew as well as someone they just spotted on the street. They were cold blooded murderers ...and ended up where they needed to be... a premanet resident of the state prison. As a female it made me more aware of my surroundings and I never get out of my car without looking around first for weirdo's lurking. :)

I loved this book. I inherited among others from a deceased family member (among other books).

The "Hillside Strangler" became an everyday headline that frightened Los Angeles for a year or so in the late 1970's. During that year, bodies of young women started showing up on the hillsides around the city. But the horror waned beside the revelations that came to light in what became the longest criminal trial in American history--BEFORE O. J. Simpson's 1994 trial--and one of the most controversial

The Hillside Strangler was thought to be one person with a real fast pace in killing. With TWO OF A KIND, Darcy O'Brien gives the inside story and is the first book to make the shocking disclosure that "the Hillside Strangler" was not one man, but two, and not only that -- they were were cousins!

In Mr. O'Brien's riveting story examines the relationship between the murderers and the drive behind their hideously evil crimes. It tells the entire story of the Hillside Stranglers as it has never been told before. He begins with the stranglers themselves who just decided one night out of bordom that they hated women and wanted to kill them (even as one strangler was living with a pregnant girlfriend and hiding the truth of his killing spree from her).

It reveals the torture, the prostitution ring, the killings. But it also shows the other side of the drama--the law. The police were so baffled by the disappearing women and then the subsequent finding them on a hillside dead, that they took drastic measures to ensure justice would prevail in this case.

TWO OF A KIND is a true story of crime and punishment here and now. But even more disturbing, it is a tale of primal evil rising from the darkest human depths and our age-old struggle to defend ourselves from it.

Givry gives an excellent overview of certain areas of occult study and a unique perspective since he substantiates much of his observation with data gleaned from art images of the time periods involved. Quaint and entertaining, and the narrative is delivered with a sort of good-natured offhand manner that makes it quite enjoyable to read.

Many fascinating bits of information and illustrations make this an all-time favourite of mine.

This is a classic photo-reproduction of the Artium Magister, Grillot de Givry's: 'Le Musee des sorciers, mages et alchemists' (1929). It is an Art Historical tour of the Occult heritage in virtually all the classical Arts; from painting and illuminated manuscript, to sculpture and architecture, as well as a vast body of Literature, including many extremely rare & beautiful manuscripts "writ in the sublimest poesy" found mostly in private French and Parisian libraries, the Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal, and from the exemplary Art Historian's own collection. Some 375-plus high-quality Black & White Illustrations on archival glossed paper make this a valuable document for both Occultists' and Artists/Art Historians of varied fields of inquiry. This is the book which more than any other inspired and taught the SURREALIST'S about all the Occult Arenas which were so much a part of their heritage dating back just a few decades before to the late 19th century 'European Occult Revival' which was infiltrated by the SYMBOLIST's-DECADENT's (perhaps the largest singular influence on the Surrealist's versatile agenda) who undertook the immense task of making ART THEIR OWN RELIGION by finding their individualized spiritual definitions in the magical world of Occultism.

Fulcanelli's 'Mystery of the Cathedrals' & 'Dwellings of the Philosophers'---of which de Givry's catalogue is a pictorial companion-piece---is the only other work(s) which so affected the Artistic Advanced Guards between the World Wars to an immeasurable degree and literally unlimited extent, especially those working in a non-literary medium.

For, the writers, both linear and poetic turned to the Occult Authors such as Eliphas Levi, or Paschal Beverly Randolph, or Paul Christian, and of course the Theosophical Madame, her big Russian self---and Steiner's Anthroposophist's...the list goes on & on.
But there is Nothing to compare too this pictorial archive as de Givry's assembled for the sheer bulk of their numbers and the high quality of the works he labored valiantly to include, reveling in the many mysteries abounding all over the European landscape, especially within the sculpture of the cathedrals from several historical era's. Many criminally unknown (or just ignored) medieval & Renaissance Artist's that have somehow gotten buried by those ladies of T.S.'s still talking of Michelangelo are herein restored.

Occultist's/Occult Historians should find this book an immensely helpful anthology for use alongside such Classical scholars as the English dame Francis Amelia Yates' and D.P. Walker's works on the subject of Renaissance Hermeticism and both kinds of Magical professors. Or works dealing with any other era in European 'Hidden History'.

All in all, this is a highly informative and absorbing compendium of a wide variety of works that would find a good home in so many differing disciplinarian's studios! Also, the translation by J. Courtenay Locke is excellent, as de Givry's prose is always insightful and has an down to earth romantic quality imbuing it as a whole, allowing for some rather fantastic humor which the translator has indeed caught well. The book is published by DOVER PRESS in photo-facsimile (the best mass Paperback Publishers still around when it comes to quality and unbeatable prices! It was originally pub. by Houghton Mifflin Co. in 1931) and it therefore has a whiff of ages about it which confers upon it an antiquated sense of thumbing through a tome from a far distant time, making it seem even more of a miracle such a unique Art Historical work as this is still so readily available in the early days of century number MMI.

Such an area of European Spiritual heritage has yet to be explored in any depth approaching the deeps which Grillot de Givry succeeds in delving to! As much as the Arts have a rich cultural heritage in Esotericism---so does Occultism have a long and flourishing tradition in the Arts; both are wondrous facets of a single fact this book documents well! I am surprised it is not more well-known?

If you like gazing at works with a very Gothique edge; with a definitely Sublime terror about their subject matter, and executed by the European continental likes of Goya, Bosch, Brueghel, Cranach, Rembrandt, Van Der Weyden, etc...to Paracelsus, Magnus, Barrett, Fludd, Kircher, etc... & all variety of Faustian caricatures and outtakes from innumerable incunabular texts of both Literary and Goetic/Theurgical origins...This is a visual Feast that will ravage your visions after you go to sleep just as much as you will frequent the hellish sights within its pages!

This book builds a bridge made to last, that many have already passed through...it should be a more frequented path in academia as well as independently trodden again, Amen!

This Dover reprint of de Givry's classic text contains all of the art work of the original, although all of it in B&W. It is a treasury for anyone interested in the history of art, as well as the presumed subject matter.

First off there's no jive in this book about console apps or how to draw polygons or other useless stuff. Why can't all computer books be like this? It's just page after page of really solid code that I've been able to use right now. I can't say enough good things about it really. There's some theory here and there but the book mainly focuses on real-world nuts and bolts tasks. Actually the whole book is laid out nicely and builds on previous chapters unlike some of the books wrox has put out in the past. They definitely got this one right. If you want the theory behind NET then keep looking. But if you want to know how to do something useful in C# then you must get this book.

I wish I could give this book 6 stars. This is one of the best computer books I have ever read. I just fished reading this book and am still wondering how a 500 pages book can contain such a rich contents, from starting Visual Studio.NET to .NET Framework, from data types to OOP. I like the way the book is organized. It uses several real-world examples to illustrate C# and OOP. It's easy to read and gives readers quite deep understanding of C# and OOP.

I thank the authors and editors for giving us such a wonderful book.

Wrox's supports are good. I am surprised to receive answers to my question regarding event handler from Technical Support Analyst Rowena Perks and Support Editor Mike Foster in just two days. Thanks.

This book provides an excellent introduction to C# and .NET for Visual Basic 6 developers. Having programmed in VC++ rather than VB for the past few years, I still rate the book highly for anyone interested in getting a grounding in .NET...

Chapter 14 provides a fitting conclusion to the book by showing us how to deploy our applications. You may be able to deploy your application with a simple XCOPY, but Visual Studio.NET provides powerful tools to create a Setup program. The authors provide a through disscussion of the Setup tools, and remind us that we must insure that the .NET runtime is installed on the target computer. ---Reviewed by Jack D.

This book isn't great, but it could be a lot better if cut to, say, 50 pages (from 281, plus 40 pages of footnotes.) Ripellino is a modern pedant who floods his disjointed essay with adjectives, metaphors and literary quotes; not necessarily a bad thing, but not good when endlessly rehashing the same idea. The idea is that Prague is a melancholic, Kafkaesque city haunted by the ghosts of 4 centuries of disasters. There're fragments of (heavily interpreted) history, quantities of literary allusions, and perverse descriptions of eccentric art and science, but its all so poorly organized and repetitive that it makes for a bore of a book.

'Magic', for Ripellino, means atmosphere; he has NO sympathy for occultism and to him Prague's Golden Age, the late Renaissance period, is a period of fools (Rudolf II and other alchemically-minded aristocrats), swindlers (Edward Kelley and all other alchemists), quacks (John Dee and other mystics), and knaves (Rudolf's ministers.) Half the book is spent archly ridiculing the period and its passions.

In Part Two Ripellino paints an equally grim picture of the period from Rudolf II's abdication in 1612 to, oh, sometime around 1946. But it's still all bits and pieces. We get a gloomy look at a few historical figures, some poets and writers, maybe an artist or two.

Kafka is the dominant spirit of Ripellino's Prague and what he gives us is a dismal, victimized city. There are no maps or pictures (except for 4 on the hardback's book jacket.) This suits the essay, which is more about Ripellino's mental image of Prague than of a physical locale.

I tried to read this before my trip to Prague and found it inaccessible and its language pretentious. Then, after a week in the city, I started reading again. And couldn't stop. It is only when you visit the Jewish cemetery or Prague Castle that the myths, ghosts and executioners of the past come alive. Although a tough read, it is exceptionally rewarding for the traveller who wants to take more home from Prague than just Bohemian crystal.

The late Mr. Ripellino has amassed a tribute to Prague like no other. It breathes. Anyone that has ever visited the "Golden City of a 100 spires" must have had an inkling deep in their soul of what the author has magnificently put down in words. The "Old Crone [Prague] has claws", as Kafka put it, and Ripellino shows exactly why that is so. The research that went into this book is simply astounding, with my edition having 44 pages of tightly spaced notes, of 333 pages total, including index. The book takes us from one extraordinary Prague tale to another, with myth, legend and reality all melting into one pot of magic. Anyone that plans to visit the center of Europe should read this book in advance, or at least skim it on the plane. It is a tough read, being full of poetic phrases and meticulous details, which often beg for multiple readings. However, the time spent is well worth it. The book will serve as a beautiful bridge between the soul and the mind, as the traveler wanders along the cobblestones of thousand year old "Praha." p.s. I bought my edition (Picador) in Prague for 315 Kcs, or about US$ 9. The price on the back of the paperback is 9.99 British Pounds, which is about US$ 17, depending on the day.

This is a excellant ID manual for the trees in the eastern USA and Canada. I feel that the way the manual is layed out is a big plus. The photos are very good. This is a book for all levels of the studing of these beautiful kings of the earth.

The only area that can be improved (in my opinion) is the IDing of trees in the winter stage or off season.

Overall, this book/manual is very portable and is easy to transport, fitting well in a backpack.

This field guide is an excellent field to the trees typically found east of the continental divide of the United States. This guide includes photos and descriptions of 315 species of trees, excluding about 100 trees of south Florida and a small number of imported varieties. The front 1/2 of the book includes 630 photos of leaves and bark, flowers, cones and fruit, and autumn leaves. The second 1/2 contains detailed descriptions of the 315 species presented in the front portion of the book. A detailed index including both common and scientific names is found in the rear of the book

We just purhased some new land with an abundance of trees. While I don't consider myself to be a tree expert, there where quite a few that stumped my husband and I. This is where this great little book came in handy. It lets you identify trees based on either flower, leaf, bark, etc and has them sorted into appropriate sections with colored photos. Needless to say, we have used this book time and time again. It is a nice size too so that you can take it with you.

...I needed this book in my life, It really does show one that there are people who do watch out for us...that care for us... The authors use of verbal imaging...is incredible. You can visually see all that is happening in the story. I have only begun the book... only a few chapters in...and yet...I am spellbound, hooked, I fell in love....with Jack and Fred. I highly recommend this book to all who believe in angels...and to those that don't...There is more than enough action in this book to keep your interest.

"My Guardian Angels Jack and Fred" is a heart warming story of two angels and a young boy named Henry. Many emotions are displayed throughout the book. The author adds some comedy to lift your spirits. The love and pain the parents have for their son Henry you can't help but share with them. The relationship the angels have amongst themselves you relate to when you think of a dear life long friend. And of course the relationship Jack and Fred have with Henry is immeasurable. If you could do for a young boy what the angels do for Henry you would in a heart beat. The author is discriptive enough throughout the whole story you understand at all times what is taking place.He also manages to make it appear as he is telling you the story instead of you reading his words. While reading the book you can't help but feel your spirits lifted and smile. I myself was able to imagine what was being said to me and caught myself giggling in many sections of the book. If you believe in angels and miracles already this story helps confirm your belief. If infact you border on the side of being unsure or not believing at all this offers you hope that wonderful things like angels do exsist. I can sincerely say I enjoyed every page of the story. I strongly recommend anyone of any age group to buy "My Guardian Angels Jack and Fred". I know your heart will grow to love the characters in the novel as much as mine did.

My Guardian Angels Jack & Fred is a very imaginatively written novel that successfully blends many elements such as spirituality, romance, comedy, and adventure among others. On a whole, I felt that the novel seems to have different episodes or sections that read like different acts of a play. And it is throughout these episodes that the author continually develops the creative characters as the book moves towards its climax. What stands out in my mind about the book is the witty and colorful dialogue filled with clever quips and one-liners that runs throughout the story. I ended up feeling I was involved in a conversation and could hear the words and see the characters expressions rather than reading them off the page. Even after serious moments, I soon found myself smiling or laughing again over the humorous dialogue or character actions that followed in the next parts. My Guardian Angels Jack & Fred - a very uniquely written and very enjoyable novel!!!