Here is a thinking person's story of terror, resolve, fatigue, death, and redemption - of the vicissitudes
of war. No overblown theatrics diminish the drama of Mr. Veatch's experiences. Instead, in a most tender manner, the solder's story unfolds with increasing excitement at each new war venue. This book's beauty are the descriptions of a young soldier's medley of experiences, any one of which was life threatening. This book well illustrates the wondrous nature of the American soldier.

Here is a thinking person's story of terror, resolve, fatigue, death, and redemption - of the vicissitudes of war. No overblown theatrics diminish the drama of Mr. Veatch's experiences. Instead, in a most tender manner, the solder's story unfolds with increasing excitement at each new war venue. This book's beauty are the descriptions of a young soldier's medley of experiences, any one of which was life threatening. This book well illustrates the wondrous nature of the American soldier.

This is an excellent beginner's guide to UNIX. The book explains the basics very well and the excellent exercises at the end of each chapter, helps a person apply the new knowledge to use.

I would recommend this book to anybody learning UNIX for the first time.

A very easy to learn book for people who are new to Unix.

This is another one of the American Girls Short Stories series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. When Josefina's grandparents arrive with her aunt Dolores, Josefina finds herself suddenly torn. She had always been her grandmother's favorite, and mainly because she reminded her so much of her dead mother, a fact that Josefina had always been proud of. But now, she is getting older and is beginning to grow in directions her mother never had, a fact that her grandmother finds disappointing. What can Josefina do?

The final chapter of this book is a fascinating look at women's rights in 1824, both in Mexico and in the United States. (Plus there are directions for making apple empanditas, and delicious apple tart!) And, as always, Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations are excellent, and help to make this a truly wonderful book.

This is an excellent story, and a wonderful addition to the Josefina stories. My daughter and I both enjoyed the story for itself, and I like the lesson it taught, both for children and the ones who love them. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book.

"Just Josefina" is the most recently published (and fourth) short story about Josefina. "Just Josefina" fits between the books "Meet Josefina" and "Josefina Learns a Lesson". Josefina's grandparents have brought Tia (Aunt) Dolores to stay with Josefina's family and to visit. Josefina and her sisters greet their grandparents with respect, and then Josefina helps Abuelita freshen up after her journey. It is clear that Abuelita holds a special place in her heart for Josefina. It is also clear that Abueblita expects Josefina to be a quiet, well mannered girl who follows the rules of conduct, even when her sisters don't.

Josefina is torn between wanting to please her Abuelita and wanting to be herself. At a party, Tia Dolores plays her piano while the friends and neighbors dance. She urges Josefina to show them the new dance that she has learned, but Josefina is too young to dance in front of others. Abuelita is shocked at Tia Dolores's suggestion, and claims that Josefina is too shy. But dance is exactly what Josefina wants to do, and ends up doing, to Abuelita's disapproval.

Then, her skirt button pops. Abuelita had given the skirt to Josefina because it was the skirt of Josefina's deceased mother, and Abuelita's oldest daughter. Josefina tries to give Abuelita the skirt back, because, like Abuelita's image of Josefina as being shy and obedient like her Mama, it just didn't fit. In the end, the skirt button can be adjusted to fit, just like how Abuelita sees Josefina can be changed to accept Josefina as "Just Josefina".

This book is my favorite out of the Josefina short stories because of the clear, dignified portrayal of Abuelita as a traditional Spanish matron. I also enjoyed this book because Josefina learns that she can communicate who she is without compromising her relationship with her grandmother.

I bought Mr Keirstead's practice pad when I first arrived in Tokyo. Having no prior knowledge of Japanese, it took me about 3 weeks to master all of the Kana. After that, I quickly discovered that I could walk into any Western style restaurant in Tokyo, and understand 80 to 95% of the menu. His practice pad gave me the confidence I needed to get around in Japan. I am now studying his Kanji-A-Day practice pad. Thank you Mr Keirstead for your excellent idea.

My school doesn't offer any Japanese classes, so I have been trying to find the best resources for self-education to prepare myself for when I have the opportunity to be in a classroom. This pad shows stroke order and has plenty of space for practicing both the Hiragana and Katakana symbols. By keeping the used pages on my cork board and drawing the symbols, I have retained memory of each of the symbols I have learned so far! This pad was a really great idea!

Paul Fleischman's writing stirs more ideas than could be followed tghrough in the space of an essay. His language has a technical tone yet tends toward the poetic. Some sentences need to be read more than once. But for those who find themselves drawn into his writings, these challenges fall away to reveal a rare gem. His unique style is integral to the power it evokes, and he writes things I have always wanted to be able to read. My favorite was the title essay, Karma and Chaos, where he explains, and better yet, demonstrates, how a life in line with karma can yield a balanced personality without sacrificing intellectual integrity. To me this book exudes compassion, wisdom, and joy.

This collection of essays is the most lyrically beautiful and forcefully personal account of the effect of the Buddha's teachings in real life I have ever read. Dr. Fleischman writes with the soul of a poet and the critical thought of a scientist. His and his family's life and growth together in Dhamma shine through again and again as the real theme of the essays. Anyone who wonders about the amorphous interface between modern psychotherapy and the Buddha's path should not miss the essay, "Vipassana Meditation: A Unique Contribution to Mental Health."

And the title essay, "Karma and Chaos" is an amazingly fertile presentation of the ancient and timeless teachings of the Buddha in light of the cutting edge discoveries of western science.

Mu Soeng, director of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, has said of it: "I just finished reading the essay on Karma and Chaos from your book and I want to congratulate you on an extraordinary piece on Dhamma and scientific perspectives. I would like to say that it is one of the shining moments of how ancient wisdom tradition from the East is being received in the West. The language is beautiful and there is a cogent and passionate communication of some very complex ideas in ways that do not oversimplify them and yet make them accessible."

I, too, have only ever seen this produced, and never found it in print... but it's just brilliant. And FUNNY. How do you build a farce around the idea that "bad faith makes the world go 'round?" Well, Sartre manages it... I'll stop before this turns into an essay, and just recommend that anyone who has a chance to see this performed by a cast of any distinction at all should jump at it.

My first trip to England in the early 70's was the highpoint of my theater-going experiences. I was lucky enough to see Alec Guiness in "Voyage Round My Father," the Peter Brook production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and a young Ian McClellan playing the lead in "Kean." All were unforgettable, but this play still sticks in my mind as being among the negelected masterpieces of 20th century playwrighting. Sartre understood theater history and he understood role-playing, appearance vs. reality and all the other critical saws that are discussed in high-school English classes. Yet in this play these tired themes are perfectly expressed and therefor renewed and made infinitely interesting by the manner in which the playwright unfolds them. There is a gradual peeling away of pretense and bravado on the part of the protagonist (the play might as well be a monologue), and the audience comes to understand that behind all the masks, what Sartre finally wants to show us is humanity stripped of its skin. He exposes the viscera, the protruding bones, the raw psychic flesh that we are all heir to. Kean, by play's conclusion, has degenerated into a knd of erstwhile Truman Capote, having sacrificed his soul in the process of gaining notoriety. He also shares Capote's substance abuse weaknesses, though his alcoholism is merely a symptom of his inner malaise. Sartre is saying a great deal about art, about the effect of fame and about the human condition in this work. It is a play that should be revived every fifth year either on the West End or on Broadway, in my opinion. It is apparently hard to come by. I can't even swear that it reads as well as it plays (I've seen two productions, but haven't been able to find it in print myself). If you ever have the opportunity to see the play, by all means avail yourself of a rare theatrical treat.

Although the liner notes describing portions of Act 4 in the boxed set I received were a little amiss, it would be hard to see how the performance itself could be improved. Paul Scofield is absolutely extraordinary as Lear as is Alec McGowen as Glouster and Kenneth Branagh as the Fool. Five stars isn't enough! It's rare that a story like this, which can become quite complex if one isn't familiar with the action, can literally jump off the recording and present us with visual images all along the way. Every actor deserves the highest praise for his/her performance!

I read this book again and again from the time I was 8 years old until I was 10. It never ceased to fascinate me as a child. I can't seem to find a copy for my own kids. If you are looking for a good bedtime story for children it is a must read.

A 1000 yr. old King is dying and only the Wonder Doctor can save him by collecting a magic plant which blooms but once a year. On his travels to find the plant the doctor tells all the animals he meets to go the the Copper Castle and tell the king a story, only these will keep him alive until the doctor returns. The animal's stories are both enchanting and captivating fitting together like the pieces of a puzzle. Dwarves, dragons and magical lands will keep your interest until the end which, like a good malt whisky, is rounded and smooth. I first read this book at the age of 8 and have read it at least 15 times since. I am a primary school teacher and have read it to all the classes I have taught. This books is appealing to all age ranges, including adults. If you find a copy BUY it! You will not be disappointed.

"Kirby Puckett's Baseball Games" is about baseball in the largest sense. Yes, the Hall of Famer talks about the fundamentals of baseball as it is played on a regulation Little League diamond, but this book is also about tennis played in a sandlot, a gymnasium, or even a living room. This is for kids who play baseball when they do not have a bat or a ball, let alone a field to play on. The games are geared to three levels of difficult (Rookie, Pro, All-Star) and focus on the four fundamental baseball skills of hitting, running, catching, and throwing. You might have heard of Pepper, but have you heard of Bubble Batting, Capture the Glove, Freeze Fly or Flipper? The book also covers baseball rules (an early section emphasizes how agreeing on Ground Rules is important), examples of baseball talk (from batting average to rundown), various records for each aspect of the game, as well as lots of tips from Kirby.

It is amazing how much is crammed in this book besides the 34 games promised on the cover. Puckett co-authors this book with Andrew Gutelle, who has written several excellent juvenile books dealing with great moments in baseball history. The illustrations by Paul Meisel fit nicely into the scheme and content of the book. "Kirby Puckett's Baseball Games" has as much in its 100 pages as anything book for teaching kids the game as anything I have ever seen. No matter what level of experience your youngster is at, they will not only have fun with what they find in this book, they will understand the game better and improve their playing skills.

As a All Star Little League Coach of 7 and 8 year olds, and a MOM, this has sparked my imagination for coming up with creative drills. I've used some of Kirby's and some of my own, to pass on the love of the game of playing baseball at whatever level. Gosh, I love the look in the kids eyes, when they finally get it. Thanks Kirby

This is a adventures book takes you to another world while keeping your thoughts on the interation of people and cultures when they are so different. This a fast read that I could not put down until I had finished the last page. Take some time and travel to Kenya and meet Leslie and Firingin and get a new twist on the struggles of Love.

This book takes you to a remote area of northern Kenya, a place where tourists would seldom go. You can see how an American woman married to a Kenyan man lives in a totally different alien environment.

The writing really flows and allows you to get into the story very quickly, immersing yourself in another world. The viewpoint switches between the two main characters, which is also an interesting device to involve you in life in Kenya.

I highly recommend this book.