I think Frank Marshall fans will find this book invaluable,it features many of his best games and plus it gives a good biography as the book progresses, perhaps the games could use some more notes but what is there is good enough.

GM Andy Soltis certainly knows how to write fine books, and this is one of them. Even non-Americans should appreciate a book about this US Champion who was also one of the world's top 10 for almost 30 years.

The book covers Marshall's life set in its historical context, and also lightly annotates many Marshall games, including some draws and losses. Marshall was famous for his combinational ability, but Soltis shows that he had confidence, with good reason, of being able to outplay many opponents in the endgame.

Marshall's skill should not be underestimated although he lost matches decisively to Lasker and Capablanca. He won the enormously strong Cambridge Springs tournament of 1904 ahead of then world champ Lasker. At St Petersburg 1914, he was one of the five finalists, and Tsar Nicholas II awarded these players the original grandmaster title. In the mid 1920s, Marshall showed that he could cope with the new hypermoderns. Even in the 1930s, when his strength had lessened somewhat, he captained to USA team to victory four times at the Olympiads, and the USA teams have never risen to the same heights since.

Last but not least, as a keen player of the Marshall Attack against the Rúy López, it was interesting to read about its genesis.

I used to have this book, I broke my own rules and lent it to a student and friend ... and he left Pensacola. (I never saw him, ... or the book again. But in his defense, he was in the Navy, and they move those guys around a lot.)
I also used to have an original copy of Marshall's book, but I have lost that over the years, too.

But the book is absolutely a treasure, I borrowed a friend's copy to do this review. (For accuracy's sake.)

I am too young to have known the man. (I played my first chess tournament in 1966.) But I knew Mr. Marshall's wife (Carrie) quite well. For many, many years; she was the lady who sat at the foot of the stairs and greeted you as you walked into the Marshall chess club. I feel very badly - I wish someone had told me who she was the first time I visited there. The Marshall's are a HUGE part of the history of the game of chess, at least here in the U.S.

What do you get when you buy this book? Quite simply one of the very best chess books ever written, at least in the area of a (chess) biography. It is very clear and very obvious that this book has been researched to a level I personally have never seen before.

By comparison, I am interested in history and very fascinated with several figures in history, notably Abe Lincoln and Andrew Jackson. (Among others.) I have read virtually every book I could get my hands on about these two persons ... and in the process I have found literally hundreds of mistakes. (One authors' chronological record itself was ridiculous, he had Jackson - MANY TIMES!! - in two different places at the same time!)

But in Soltis's book, I have yet to find a single error. This might be because Marshall himself left a tremendous amount of material behind. He wrote several books, kept journals, and filled literally hundreds of yellow legal pads with notes of his own. And the people who actually knew Frank Marshall told me he had a fabulous memory.

The former secretary of the club personally told me that Soltis spent hundreds and hundreds of hours there, pouring over records, making notes, and making copies of the material that is available there.

The result? A simply fabulous book that is virtually free of errors. I am NOT saying Andy made no mistakes, every human does. But Andy has worked VERY hard on producing a document/book that is about as error-free as any person could humanly try to do. Andy has gone well above and beyond the call of duty here.

"What about the book," you say? Well, it too is beautiful. A gorgeous hard-back book that is nearly 400 pages in length. 220 very deeply annotated games. Additionally, there are DOZENS of game fragments.

Personally, I do NOT think you would buy this book if your only interest was to improve your game, there are simply too many other good books devoted to that subject. (Check out the books by Capa, Reinfeld, Watson and Yermolinsky.) No, you would buy this book for many reasons - maybe because you consider yourself a Marshall fan. Or you consider yourself a student chess history, and want to learn more. And maybe you think you might benefit from studying one of the greatest tactical players the USA ever produced.

All the bases are covered here. A thorough index, photo's, match and tournament record ... quite simply there is not a topic or subject here that you can't think of that Soltis has not covered in great detail. (On page # 203 you can find Marshall's famous victory over Levitsky, Breslau; 1912.)

The only topic that I could not find was the list of Marshall's best games; perhaps Soltis did not feel qualified to make that judgment. You have over 200 of Marshall's games here, so after playing through them all, you could do your own list. (My own choice would have to come from one of the games from his monumental win at Cambridge Springs, 1904.)

If you are a fan of Soltis, as I am ... or want to learn more about chess history, then get this book. I will say no more.

As a graduate of Loyola Law I've had the opportunity to view his work up close and personal and truly enjoyed being a part of it. The campus continues to evolve and its development was exciting to witness. This book does indeed showcase and highlight most of his important works and ideas. Also, will shed some interesting light on his background and those experiences that continue to influence him.

One thing I would mention to readers (or those, like myself, that do not read the publishing information so clearly prior to purchase). Though I bought this book on the strength of the New York Times Book Review and have no regrets, it is quite short and takes the form of an oversized glossy magazine or children's book. In fact, the language is written with a younger audience target in mind. Though a great introduction to Gehry, it is not an full in-depth critical review of his work. Additionally, the "DK" logo figures prominently on the front cover giving it even more of a "young adult" feel. This may disappoint some of those readers who are looking for a more academic critical analysis of his work and buy this with that objective in mind. That being said, it is a nice package and thoroughly enjoyable read.

I bought this book for several friends after reading Paul Goldberger's rave review in the New York Times. Actually, everyone agrees that Goldberger was not enthusiastic enough. It is the best introduction to architecture I've ever read--and I grew up amidst the work of Marcel Breuer, Philip Johnson, Eliot Noyes et al. Young people really do go into the book. It is also an outstanding summary of the subject--for young and old alike. A read-aloud book that takes your eyes out of their sockets. I can't recommend it more highly for children of all ages!

Frank O. Gehry is a marvelous innovative architect. As a children's librarian, I am pleased to find such a good work on a contemporary architect. With many full color photographs, young people and adults will be drawn into Gehry's world. A brief history of his life and his early efforts in architecture give way to a tantalizing look at his recent project, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain. This is a must for introducing young people to architecture.

It's not the breathless, tangential style, the neverending italics coming at you until you want to SCREAM "AUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHI CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE WHY CAN'T THIS GEORGE MANGELS GUY WRITE NORMALLY, WHO THE HELL DOES HE THINK HE IS, TOM ROBBINS!," it's not that, and it's not the way Frank makes you absolutely sick, oh no, it's not that at all that puts you off of *Frank's World,* no, not at all, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY; it's the fact that so few books will come out this year with this degree of gutsy originality. If you like The Great Toms (Robbins and Pynchon) and would like to see what would happen if they did a few lines of speed and listened to Nine Inch Nails, this is the book for you. If you want a good read and aren't afraid of something new, this also may be the book for you

I love this book!! its awesome, insightful, and somewhat demented..It took my thinking to a whole new level..George Mangels wrote an epic poem when he wrote this novel!!I could'nt put it down, I even skipped meals to finish it!! Buy it and Love it!!

It just keeps zooming down at you, a perpetual cycle of hate, hate, frank, horrific dreams packaged with the knowledge that you can attain them, the state of being such a FRANK, a being self-condemned to hovering within and controlling all that is disreputable and eternal, violent and intellectual, such a Frank that enacts each twinge of his brain with such clarity and skillful desire to bring about horror and sickness that each seemingly unlikely turn of events gradually and subversively brings the world from happy day-glo mental static/stasis into the plaything of frank's own desire.. Put it on the same bookshelf as "Time's Arrow," by Martin Amis, and "Chants de Maldoror," by Isidore Ducasse. George Mangels is my hero! And the only other author i've read who's discovered the terror of Frank. Plus, if that's not enough for you, it's a really swell-looking book, and I think everyone should own one.

Since I was diagnosed with Clinical Depression, I have read every book I could get my hands on. This one was by far one of the best. It has places for you to write down your feelings on the subject being discussed. I read a chapter, answer the questions then put it down. The next day, I reread the chapter, reread the answers, and sometimes add stuff, the next day, I do the 2nd chapter. I suggest you do it this way too, but it is up to you. This book helped me realize that I had a lot of built up anger.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Usually I buy books based on recommendations from others or from Amazon. This book I bought spur-of-the-moment because it was so inexpensive and I was looking for any and all workbooks at the time. I have Bipolar Disorder and, though it does not address mania much, I found this book extremely helpful in picking apart my poor defense mechanisms. It made me realize why I act and react the way I do to certain situations. The questions the book posed really made me think about my depression in ways I had never tried. The only problem I had with the book was the poorly written case stories. As an English major, I just had to accept that the author is a wonderful technical writer but possibly lacks experience in the creative fiction area. However, the quality of the rest of the book was so beneficial that I could overlook these flaws (and it was easy to flip over the short case studies that began each chapter).

This book has been invaluable to me. I have learned at lot of things that I didn't know about myself.

I and my children found this book helpful when discussing fears and swimming lessons. Not only is the book fun to read (neat sounds, etc.), it has the added bonus of providing two useful teaching tools for beginning swimmers. I have to say that the part where Froggy loses his bathing suit is over done, and really is not necessary to the storey. It conveys embarrasment about nudity when it really isn't necessary. A little skillful editing while reading can minimize this. The bottom line is that I and my son found the book helpful, it is well written, and has enjoyable illustrations.

What can I say......the Froggy book series are fantastic! Jonathon London writes so well that children can help but enjoy the book. And Frank Remkiewicz is a wonderful illustrator - he makes the books come alive with his drawings of Froggy and the rest of the gang!

I started my daughter on these books when she was about 4 or 5 and she is almost 10 and she still enjoys breaking out her old Froggy books and reading them!

This is the type of book you want you children to read again and again! If you start them on the Froggy series books early they will learn to enjoy the books and other books. The books are tons of fun!

I agree with the other reviews that this book is especially splendid in it's illustrations, text and message. Like many young children, Froggy is fearful of the water (and, presumably, other new experiences). However, by taking it at his own pace, and with the encouragement of his mother, he soon masters his skills at swimming (anyone who has or works with young children will empathize with a tired mom & dad frog who are still waiting patiently on into the night as Froggy practices his new learning). While very cute, age appropriate and fun, I have only one criticism: at one point, no doubt for humorous effect, Froggy looses his bathing suit and "turns more red than green." Demanding his parents NOT to look, he skedaddles into the bushes and re-suits. Perhaps I'm reading into this too much, but I would hope that children don't come to devolop negative body issues re: being nude, especially around their own parents (no one else is at the beach with Froggy, Mom & Dad). My only concern is that this might reinforce the unnecessary shameful aspect of nudity that people in this country embrace and that, IMHO, is often one of the issues that lead to negative body image in children in America (why do you think we have so many anorexic/bulimic children here??)

Gasp! opens as Martin Muntor prepares to exact vengeance upon the tobacco industry. A lifelong smoker, Muntor is suffering from terminal cancer.

After lacing hundreds of cigarettes with cyanide, Muntor sends the tampered packages to hundreds of  tobacco vendors through the country. Packaged as a tasty new cigarette from TobacCo, the vendors are eager to try out the new product. The body count rises as hundreds of people die a relatively quick, but ghastly, death.

The FBI heads the investigation to find Muntor and put an end to what has quickly become a national panic about cigarette smoking. In addition, fictional tobacco giant TobacCo's chief of security Tommy Rhoads searches for Muntor.

Quit-smoking programs and anti-smoking campaigns are on the rise, cigarette sales are declining, and TobacCo's stock is sinking fast. Rhoads is offered a huge bonus to solve this case quickly. But Rhoads doesn't know what he is in for, and he doesn't realize that he is in the middle of a deadly cover-up and double-cross at TobacCo. By the novel's end, we wind up questioning whether or not Martin Muntor is the real villain of this story.

Gasp! is about a Philadelphia journalist who gets lung cancer from smoking. He decides to spend his remaining days expressing his gratitude to the tobacco industry -- by slipping cyanide-laced cigarettes into retail distribution. In the first week of tobacco terror, several hundred people die. You should see the panic -- especially in the tobacco firms' boardrooms when sales begin to slip! It doesn't take long for the journalist Martin Muntor to become one of the most sought-after men on the planet. The FBI and a tobacco industry goon squad are after Muntor -- who does outrageous things in part because he has nothing to lose. But when he tells a reporter (via pay-phone interview) that "the tobacco companies put things in cigarettes that kill people, so why can't I?", the public begins to see the dying man's point. What I want to know is when is the movie version of this book coming out? -- because I'll be first in line. I started this book one night at 10 when NYPD Blue was a re-run. At 5:30 the next morning, I finished it. One out of every 50 books I read so totally satisfying that I walk around euphoric for the next couple of days. Gasp! is one of those books. The dying journalist is an expert at manipulating the media, taunting the FBI and driving the tobacco industry mad. And Freudberg, the author, demonstrates an equal genius for hooking readers and keeping them hooked. (Reviewed by Thomas Cattalin, Books & Cinema Syndicate)

What would you do if you learned that a multi-billion dollar corporation hid vital information from you (and the rest of the public) simply to enhance its bottom line? And what would you do if that information could have helped you save your life? Well, if you were Frank Freudberg's nightmare character Marntin Muntor, you'd set out on a murderous spree designed to give the tobacco industry a taste of its own medicine. In Gasp!, Muntor , a wire service editor dying of lung cancer from a lifetime of smoking, learns how to poison cigarettes with sodium cyanide and heads west from Philadelphia, leaving a trial of death and chaos. The FBI and a tobacco industry goon squad head out after him. But Muntor is smart and cautious as a cat, and he's tough to get a bead on. Eventually, the old it-takes-one to-catch-one truism comes into play and another semi-mad man (a tobacco company investigator) puts himself in Muntor's shoes. The problem is, the investigator then kind of sees Muntor's point. This book kept me so rapt, I literally couldn't put it down. There were actually times when (during a scene where the FBI and tobacco industry hired-gun almost capture Muntor) my heart was actually pounding. Read it

Frank Asch's _Good Night Baby Bear_:

Baby Bear doesn't want to go to sleep in the cave. He has a litany of complaints/stalling tactics, including needing water, needing food, and needing to see the moon. Ingenious (and patient!) mother bear satisfies each request, and eventually mother bear and baby bear fall asleep happily.

A good offering from Frank Asch. Illustrations are bold and blocky, with nothing terribly intricate or cluttered about them. Text is easy to understand, with just a sentence or two on each page. Great for 2- and 3-year olds, maybe a solid bedtime book for 4- and 5-year olds as well.

I've used this as a bedtime book with my 2-year old many times, and he seems to like it quite a bit, though it's not his favorite.

Be sure to also check out Frank Asch's _Goodbye House_, which I think is his best book.

ken32

My son and I read this almost every night. The relationship between the mother and baby bear is so sweet and when baby bear gives his Mom a kiss on the nose at the end, my son does the same! Very sweet book with simple, pretty illustrations. This is one of our favorites.

My daughter and I just checked this book out of the library, but a month isn't enough....so I am buying it for her for Chrstmas. The best part of the book is Mother Bear's loving way with her baby bear who doesn't want to go to sleep any more then my daughter does, but ultimately, sleep prevails...for both of them..:) Definitely reccomended!

I found the book interesting however if you're hoping for a good explanation of the JET engine, the developments and aircraft, this book is NOT for you. Not enough meat, diagrams or pictures. See instead other works like Klaus Hunecke's excellent book "Jet Engines".

If you're an avid historian and want to know how a visionary RAF officer/engineer worked himself to near death for little reward or advancement within a government system that tried hard to stymie him at every step, this is indeed a moving,fascinating and somewhat depressing book... they even gave his engines away to the Russians and Americans.

If you are an aficionado of turbine engine history you owe it to yourself to find out how it all started. John Golley gives an exhaustive account of Frank Whittle's struggle to develop and perfect the first jet aero engine. The technical difficulties are discussed, but the emphasis is on Whittle's battles with the British government over private versus government control of patents, R&D funding, and development work. It also illustrates how war-time necessities can actually delay experimental work when priorities are placed on existing technology (i.e. piston engines). Well written with great detail on who, what, where, and when. Working in the engineering field myself, I would have liked to have more detail on the "nuts & bolts", but this is a minor complaint. There is more than enough detail in this area for the average reader.

Perhaps a little too detailed for casual readers, the story of Frank Whittle's struggle to develop the jet engine. From his early days at Cranwell, through his battles with government and corporations, through his final success. A great addition for the aviation historian.

This book may be good for a player with absolutely no poker experience, or a player who wants to be able to keep his/her head above water a little longer at the tables while on a yearly trip to Vegas or Atlantic City. However, if you already know how to play Texas Hold'em and are looking to improve your game, there are a few books that are better than this one.

This book is very dry and flat. It is an interminable list of, "do this, don't do this, except what that happens". It reads like a buddy giving you advice on how to play.

However, there is really no logical way to digest all of this information. The information is useless if you can't recall it, and the way this is written it would be difficult for anyone to be able to use the advice without the book next to them to look it up whenever a particular situation comes up.

In my opinion, this occurs because Mr. Burton never really never goes into depth about why you should or shouldn't make a particular play. He does to a point, but never in a way that makes you think for yourself. He is just like a buddy that spoon feeds you advice without telling you the underlying how or why of a decision.

To be able to use any kind of advice, you need to be able to understand the underlying theory of the advice so you can make your own, well informed and educated decisions, not play like a robot. If you want to play systematically and unimaginatively, you'd be better off learning the basic strategy of blackjack and stick to that instead of poker. If you want a book that teaches you AND makes you think for yourself, check out Lee Jones' book.

There are many books available on this subject, but this one just might be the definitive work for those who are just starting out!

Not only is it incredibly informative, it is also both easy and fun to read! It chronicles Bill's first-time journey into the world of Hold 'em Poker, detailing the learning process and ups and downs of the game.

Having read just about every other book available on this subject, I can honestly say that this one presents new information and insight into this apparently simple, but incredibly complex game.

There is a world of mis-information circulating regarding the game of poker vis-à-vis "casino gambling in general.

If you are one of those who believe that poker falls under the general heading of "gambling", then this is a "MUST READ" for you!

As you make the journey with Bill, you will discover that, indeed, poker is a game of skill, not pure chance or blind luck, and that once you master the requisite skills, you too can be one of the few players who can be a long-term winner at this game.

Whether you are serious about mastering the skill, or simply want to expand your general knowledge base, this book will greatly assist in both!

This is another great book in the Frank Scoblete Get the Edge series and, as a poker player, I am happy to see that Frank's line is now incorporating this game. Bill Burton, the casino guide for About.com, has done a great job of boiling down the essentials of Texas Hold em to a series of rules and betting strategies that I find right on the money. Even as a long time player, I learned a lot from Mr. Burton. This book is an excellent book for beginners and somewhat more experienced players. Burton is easy to read and the book should be one of the two or three must books for starting players to master. Good job all around!

This guide provides an interesting overview to the Grand Canyon. Parents will find this guide useful in sharing this awesome wonder with their children. However, this guide falls short as a vacation planner.

The way the books of this series work is that they took a guide for new rangers in Yosemite with the 100 or so most frequently asked questions, and wrote their own answers for each park. So in each book the questions are very similar but the answers might be very different.

It's a great format because it makes for easy reading beforehand, but it's also quick as a reference when you're there because they're arranged in an intelligent order. There's also a huge reference section at the end with lists, copies of permit forms, and so forth. So the thing to do is read the FAQ before you leave but bring the book and refer to it once you're there.

Before I went I really wasn't sure how long we'd want to stay or even if there was really anything to do other than look at the canyon. As it turns out there's a ton of things to do - ruins, great hiking, sunsets, stargazing, and we spent a lot more time there than I would have thought. Without this book either I wouldn't have realized this stuff existed (the park service doesn't exactly promote the nearby native ruins, but they're cool) or I would have scheduled way too little time.

We searched far & wide for info. about the G.C. while planning our trip. There's a lot of info. online, to be sure. But if you want the insider's perspective - skip Fodor's, Frommer's, Let's Go, and the rest of the "mainstream" travel guides. Those "other guides" will only give you the most basic information (which is also readily available on the web).

The Grand Canyon Handbook: an Insider's Guide to the Park will give you just about everything you need to know to make the most of your trip to the G.C.! From, directions, camping, lodging & dining info., tours, a history of the canyon and the park to the best times (& places) to view surise & sunsets, the best time of year to go, and plenty of info. on the flora & fauna, too! As well as many different ways you can see the Grand Canyon: shuttlebus, hiking along the rim, your car/RV, hiking into the canyon, rafting through the canyon, by helicopter or plane, etc. It's written by some REAL insiders - people who know the Park inside & out. We'd definitely reccomend this book to anyone who wants to learn about one of our Nation's greatest natural treasures!

The only things it left out were: how amazing the drive around the canyon from the South to North Rims is, and other area attractions (like The Grand Canyon: West with the Hualapai Indians and Grand Canyon Caverns). But, maybe those will make it into the 2nd edition.

If you're planning a trip to the Grand Canyon (even if you're only stopping by for one day) YOU NEED THIS BOOK!