If you would like to read a confusing and a all right book you should read the Pigman and Me by Paul Zindel. In the book the Pigman is a "Person who can see everything you can do and he will be there for you when you need him the most." The Pigman is like your guardian angel. Paul is another character in the story. He is a boy that has no father but has a mother that is a little disabled and moves around to different places a lot. He looks up to a person named Nonno Frankie. He is a person who lives with Paul and Paul's mother. Paul lives with his mom and Nonno Frankie at Victory Boulevard. It doesn't say exactly where he lives in the story. I gave this book 3 stars because the book got really boring during the last half of it.

hi my name is not bob and im here to tell you about the pig man and me. It is about the funnyest and coolest book i have ever read.It is an autobiography about young paul zindal.
one reson i liked this book is becouas its by my favirite autherp.anuther reson is becous it is funny and one more reson is becouse the moral is rellay cool i cant tell you or else i would tell you mommy.
in conclustion this book has 100 some pages.its by paul zindal.and this is not bob this is not arin this is not lorry this is not bobby and this is not me.goodbye ogha bugha boohahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha im still not bob

Readers of Paul Zindel's young adult novels, especially The Pigman, will enjoy reading about the difficulties he and his sister endured growing up with a single mother in New Jersey in the 40's and 50's. After his mother takes in a roommate with 2 young sons, Zindel is exposed to the boys' grandfather, who becomes a surrogate father, a grown-up playmate, an inspiration, and a support to him as he struggles with his coming of age, his mother's strange schemes, and his own insecurities. As he shares his adventures with his pigman, Nonno Frankie, and his best friend, Jennifer, Zindel reveals the source of his humor and the basis for many of his stories and characters. Younger readers will find his light touch and reslience in dealing with difficulty a source of strength. A great introduction to this author and to the memoir genre.

"Their Blood Cries Out" (TBCO) is a masterfully written, meticulously researched, deeply compassionate and intellectually honest account of the persecution of millions of Christians around the world today. Marshall is careful to define a Christian as a person whose "Christian faith is a central aspect of their lives"(see Appendix D). Marshall has produced a much needed, up to date account of the suffering that is inflicted upon Christians today. TBCO surveys many countries and regions where persecution takes place, it examines the reasons and the causes of this persecution, and it tries to understand American (Western) apathy towards religious persecution. It is an honest, all round examination that informs, provokes and convicts.

TBCO is neatly divided into two independent sections: the first section is a global survey of countries where persecution takes place. The second part examines the reasons for the lack of interest in persecution and Marshall tries to come to an understanding of "why don¡¦t people care.¡¨

The first part of TBCO examines persecution in Islamic, communist, Hindu/Buddhist and Orthodox Christian countries. For each country covered, Marshall has carefully collated information and testimonials from easily verifiable sources. The book is well footnoted and his claims can be easily checked. This survey is an interesting investigation that is written with a deep sense of compassion and understanding. Marshall manages to avoid the pitfalls of gross generalizations and appropriately basis his work and conclusions on verifiable evidence. In writing this book, Marshall has traveled to about 20 of the countries he writes about. His willingness to examine the evidence first hand and to compile the stories of those who suffer and die for their faith should motivate unaware Christians to stand up for their persecuted brethren.

TBCO was written in 1997. Although the data presented in the book may be outdated, the overall analysis is still relevant. Many of the countries covered in the survey conducted in the first part of the book are still persecuting Christians and, in some cases, the persecution has become more intense. Since the WTC attacks Christians in Islamic countries have become increasingly vulnerable to attacks. Indonesia saw a drastic increase in communal violence in places like central Sulawesi. The Montagnards in Vietnam have, since December 2000 faced increasing persecution. Christians in North Korea still suffer immensely. And the list continues to grow. The reasons for the persecution remain the same, and the number of testimonies increases.

The second part of TBCO is a fascinating investigation into the apathetic stance that is taken by comfortable Christians and Western secularists. Many Christians, even when informed about their suffering brethren, would rather discuss other things. As Marshall himself says, "The subject of persecuted Christians is jarring to an obsession of personal peace."Elsewhere he comments that, "the vast body of Christians in the United States have abdicated their responsibility to deal with the persecution of Christians."Marshall notes that "the situation of Christians overseas is passed by silently."In my experience, many Christians don¡¦t care. Much of what Marshall has said in the second part of this book remains true today.

Marshall shows clearly, conclusively and concisely how modern evangelicals in the west are obsessed with finding inner peace and would rather not hear about persecuted Christians. Marshall also observes that the mainline Churches seek outer peace, they try to maintain the status quo. He documents many examples of when organizations like the National Council of Churches (NCC) have blatantly ignored persecution. This is still true today. Recently a leader in the United Methodist Church has denied that there is persecution in Vietnam and has insisted, at the behest of the Vietnamese government, that there is religious freedom in that country.

Secular organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are also examined. Although Marshall rightly credits them for the brilliant work they do for human rights abuses, he also admonishes them for ignoring the plight of Christians. Marshall also admits that, "though instances of the persecution of Christians and other religious figures may be covered, we lose a recognition of the extent of religious persecution that exists in the world." But Marshall shows understanding when he points out that the extent of human suffering in the world today is so great that it is virtually impossible for those organizations to cover it all. He humbly confesses that he, in his survey, has not covered some countries, like Laos, where persecution is severe but "the events seems less important than other things included."He compassionately, and devastatingly knowingly implicates himself by asking, "How can one say that someone¡¦s death is not important?¡¨

Marshall does not leave us in despair asking what can be done. The last chapter examines things people can do to help suffering Christians around the world. The most important step, in my opinion, is to let others know. Do not be shy, or be unwilling to disturb someone¡¦s peace, be prepared to discuss persecution whenever the opportunity arises and challenge others to care.

TBCO has inspired me, convicted me and humbled me. It has forced me to face issues that are not comfortable to face; it has pushed me to action within my own community. TBCO has challenged me to care, to care for others that live far and near. Will you allow yourself to be challenged? Do you care?

A true view of the persecution of believers in present day. The time of the gentiles has nearly been fulfilled.

This book will bring home a couple salient facts:

1. Christians are persecuted on a level today that hasn't been seen since the persecutions of ancient Rome - and, in raw numbers, probably dwarfs even those.

2. Our major media outlets -- as well as a good number of our ecclesiastical and "human rights" organizations - have been blind to this persecution owing primarily to their left-of-center political proclivities. Conservative Christian organizations don't come out unscathed either - they have a tendency to focus on apocalyptic themes instead of the necessary work at hand of saving Christians.

An added benefit in reading this book is the wonderful insight you'll gain as Mr. Marshall explains the tectonic forces of culture and religion that are in play in each of the countries he covers - not to mention a prescient perspective on the whole idea of culture vs. religion. Which one takes precedence - culture or religion? To listen to the nightly news, you'd think culture. Read this book for an incisive answer.

You'll never look at the evening news the same - and you'll always remember to include a mention in your prayers for those for whom their blood cries out.

Let's face it, the people who most need the information in this book are probably too busy putting out communications fires to sit down with most of the tomes that are available on the subject. Argenti and Forman have written an informative, accessible and most importantly, action oriented text that covers the entire communications function. In particular, the Crisis Communication section is strong and details what steps to take when an organization needs to communicate quickly. If you are a busy professional struggling with communications -- this is the book for you.

As an strategy professor, I find the message here to be right on target. While strategy is easy to formulate, implementation is overwhelmingly diffcult without a coherent and simple message to all. Effective corporate communications ALIGNS internal and external stakeholders around corporte strategy and increases the likelihood of effective implementation. This book is a wonderful bridge between formulation and implementation. It is a bridge conceptually -- as in the comments above --- and it is a bridge practically -- as in how does a firm achieve power and coherence in their messaging?

The strategic importance of corporate communication has been identified by most companies, but the realization and implementation is often lagging behind. Argenti and Forman provide professionals as well as academics with an excellent manual on all aspects of corporate communication. Especially the integration of the different functions like e.g. Investor Relations and Government Relations show the authors' profound knowledge and experience in this field.

You are probably thinking of buying this book to save the cost of attorneys fees. Take my advice and don't do it! This book is based on the premise that the court system is a place where actual rules apply and that you will receive some sort of respect (or at least your constitutional rights) from the arrogant swine who inhabit the system. Nothing could be further from the truth! "He who represents himself has a fool for a client" is true not because you are a fool but because the system is a farce and designed to make a fool out of you.All court system paid participants have a vested interest in guaranteeing that you not be allowed to represent yourself in court. The major failing of this book (written by attorneys) is to pretend that you will be accorded some respect and receive a fair hearing. Some of the preposterous suggestions include hiring an attorney at a reduced fee to act as your advisor! (I will give $1000 to anyone able to find an attorney to act in such a capacity) Other absurd suggestions: that you can demand a fair hearing and complain to higher authorities that will insure you receive it.(no, they are all part of the system). This book cost me thousands. I asked for a refund from the authors.......guess what?, they refused.

Overall, I'd give this a positive rating, but since it's written for all 50 states, it is so broad in its coverage that it makes it difficult to learn about how to pursue your lawsuit in your particular state.

I'd suggest reading this book and trying to fill out forms as you go. Pick up the 'local rules' from your own court, and study them for what Bergman doesn't tell you.

One thing I will say, though, is that one bit of advice was invaluable...on visiting the court before your motion or case is heard. I did this, and it took a lot of the mystery out of the whole process.

By doing this, by the way, I was completely surprised that (in the motion hearings) that most of what took place was pretty much on a par with small claims court, with a few legal latin phrases peppering the give-and-take. Most of the motions I heard consisted of two things: Why one or the other party failed to meet deadlines, and trying to get the other guy's case thrown out before everyone went to trial.

One other thing that was also surprising...the opposing lawyers where pretty buddy-buddy with each other. I guess the hostility and animosity that one would associate with a lawsuit pretty much reside only in the parties to the suit themselves.

In my appearance, I took it very cool and did not act emotional at all. Let's face it...the court doesn't want to hear it. They just want to get done so they can go to lunch.

This book gives an understandable rendition of the various legal
procedures involved in bringing a major lawsuit into the Court
system. It is most helpful in assisting litigants with case
organization and presentation. The work explains how to document
a case throughout the various phases of a lawsuit with particular
emphasis on presentation of exhibits for trial. The work is
written in a belles lettres style. It could be read by anyone
wanting to understand the litigation process, as well as
law students taking courses in Civil Litigation. The book could
be useful in organizing a case so that a lawyer could pick it
up at a later time. Very often, the details of a claim may not
be fully known until the deposition process has been completed.
I would supplement this book with the purchase of a Civil
Procedure book if the intention is to complete the entire process
right through to trial. This work focuses on the documentation
you will need to develop in order to prove a case at trial.
The work has a good coverage of negotiation strategies.
Ultimately, it is in your interest to deal with a lawyer during
a formal negotiation in order to ascertain that you've secured
a fair deal.It pays to become familiar with a local legal
library as a supplement to this text. In addition, you should
utilize the internet in order to review similar cases
in the various Court jurisdictions relating to your case.
Sometimes it pays to talk to a lawyer who has completed a similar
case in order to gain perspective on the intricacies of the
whole process. This text gives you a good start.
It would be most helpful in organizing the type of case
that only develops after the deposition process is complete.
Early in the litigation, you should do some research in order
to identify cases similar to yours that have been decided.
The past precedent or stare decisis is very critical to
presenting a claim because it encapsules your case into
a similar fact pattern consistent with other cases that have
been decided by the Courts.It is to your benefit to do legal
research in identifying similar cases to your own either by
going into the legal libraries yourself, researching the
internet or paying a small fee for a legal research firm
to identify similar cases as the one you are filing.

When my older son became fascinated with the Three Little Pigs after seeing a version of it on Sesame Street, I did some research on this site to decide the best version to buy him in book form, and decided on this one. I was glad I did---as he really enjoyed many readings of this version until he moved onto new interests! It's not for the faint hearted, as the first two pigs do get eaten, and the pictures of the houses falling show sticks all over and pigs flying away, but that's life in fairy tales! The text is straightforward, the pictures are clear and well done. Consider this version!

My 2.5 year old loves this book. Now he asks everyone what their house is made of.

This is a wonderful presentation of the original story without the moralisms of Disney's adaptation. There is bad and good luck, cunning, bravery and dealing with tough situations without whining. This leaves room for children to respond to the story and interpret it. My two year old grandson loved it, even if he didn't know what a churn was. The drawings are stylish. I recommend it as an addition to your basic library of classic children's tales.

A first rate book to accompany the likes of Hull. Wilmott has produced a comprehensive piece of work which address' the subject matter in a less formal approach with accompanying thoughts on the practical relevance of the theory. The inclusion of Bloomberg screenshots and workable examples in the form of a CD rom has resulted in a book more relevant to the real world. For those who can't get enough there is even a discount included to upgrade to the double volume set entitled 'Quantitative Finance'. Well worth the read.

A delight to read, makes understanding of even the most complicated subjects easy. BEST CD IN A TEXT BOOK EVER! WHY ARE YOU READING THIS REVIEW WHEN YOU COULD BE READING THIS BOOK AND BECOME A QUANT!!!

Excellent book for laying foundations. Both theory and practice are covered. Read this first and then follow with the same author's more advanced volumes. Beats Hull for sophistication and ease of understanding. This book is coherent, unlike Hull which is just a random collection of disjoint chapters. Very modern.

Holland Taylor, the likeable P.I. in this new series, is a former St. Paul, MN Homicide detective. He quit the force after his wife and daughter were killed by a drunk driver. Now that driver is out of prison and when he's found dead, Taylor is a logical suspect. Then when he sets out to clear his name he uncovers an elaborate series of plots and counter plots, involving Minnesotta politics, police wrong doing, bookies & bettors, lesbians, etc. It all gets to be a little much, but a first time novelist can surely be forgiven for pulling out all the stops; after all, who knows if there'll be a second book in which to use leftover plotlines.

The characterization of Taylor is a little uneven, as Housewright struggles with balancing hard-boiled conventions with totally unnecessary 90's political correctness, but I enjoyed the book, especially the unusual Twin Cities setting and I look forward to more from Mr. Housewright.

GRADE: B-

Private investigator Holland Taylor finds himself drawn into the campaign of a ditsy gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. Anyone can be governor of Minnesota, especially when their opponents have scandals in their personal lives. The murder of an ex-con who had served time for killing Taylor's wife and child while the man was driving drunk puts some suspicion on Taylor. His own investigation of the murder leads into the gubernatorial campaign.

When he is hired to recover a video tape, supposedly being used for blackmail, Taylor stumbles into a string of dead bodies. The tape has some surprising (or should I say revealing) details of the candidate. There are some side comments or inferences about how some women worked their way through college. Some people want the tape revealed, and others want it destroyed.

The story concludes with some surprising revelations. Along the way there are some digressions into a problem Taylor's bookie is having with a card sharp. Taylor has his own ways of dispensing justice when evidence will not support criminal prosecution.

"Penance" is the first Holland Taylor novel by David Housewright. This book won the Edgar Award for the Best First Novel. PI Holland Taylor has lost his wife and daughter to a drunk driver. When the driver of the car, John Brown, is found murdered, the police think Holland is the prime suspect. To clear his name, he begins to search for the real killer. Every avenue he looks into leads to C. C. Monroe, a candidate for the governor of Minnesota. The plot is rather complex, but I really liked the novel and the character of Holland Taylor who has some personal demons that he struggles to deal with. I especially enjoyed the parts with Ogilvy, his pet rabbit, because we own a male lop-eared rabbit. This is an excellent debut novel, and I look forward to reading the next 2 Holland Taylor novels.

First off, this is a very believable book, except that it does play a bit loose with the interpretation of the Constitution and the Presidential Succession bit. Also, the gullibility of the public is assumed, which stretches things a bit (e.g. the fawning over Hammett! Sorry, don't think so!). And the high tech 'stuff' available to the employees (!!) of the principle characters; again, stretches credulity a bit!
But having said that, it does bring it all together in some fascinating glimpses into what might be if we let ourselves get into. Wonderful character development, the boys and girls romping through the story (and that's how they're referred to!) along with the presumed-adults, and its a fine tale. I couldn't put it down.
Why only four stars? The characters are too superhuman and they do things a bit too easily; sorry, just need some normal human problems to appear. Murphy's Law and all that, traffic jams, flat tires maybe.
Highly recommended nonetheless. I'm already on the prowl for the author's other books!

The problem with most novels about Washington is that they are either 1)completely implausible (see FAVORITE SON) or 2)boring to anyone who doesn't actually live here. Charles McCarry's books are the exceptions that prove the rule. SHELLEY'S HEART works equally well as political thriller and incisive satire of late-20th century Washington (the reviewer who found it the work of a rightwing conspiracy clearly didn't get it). His attention to detail is perfect, and his characters are priceless. It would make a great movie, except that Hollywood probably doesn't care for this vision of our nation's capital.

A bombshell of a political thriller, the sequel to McCarry's The Better Angels. A tense and riveting tale of a struggle for presidential power, and the human and political consequences it leaves in its wake. Loading his story with rich, detailed characters, McCarry proves his mastery of the political spellbinder as well as the spy novel. You will be hungry for more!

I was a great fan of the first two novels in this trilogy of Confluence. The third and final novel in McAuley's telling of the Confluence is a mixed bag with a beginning similarly well written, but an ending that is unsatisfying to the reader.

McAuley seems to compress far too much in Shrine of Stars, rather than let the story build it's way to a finale, he jams so many scenarios and near misses that the reader becomes a little jaded towards the end. Time after time the antagonist(s) reappear after you think they have been eliminated. The effect is that you're never surprised that another antagonist shows up again (in fact the question becomes: which one will appear next?).

But most importantly McAuley lets the reader down. After almost three books where Yama looks for his human bloodline, the results are disappointing and not really worthy of the buildup the author coaxes the reader to expect.

One wants to know more about humanity: what happened, why and so on. Instead the meeting becomes another mini-adventure in a trilogy of mini-adventures that ends in disaster for humans. And still there's no really fulfilling explaination of the past. After three novels what a disappointment! The ultimate end is of an unsatisfying "loop of time" variety.

There is a part in Shrine of Stars where Dimas tells Yama that he can tell him all about the history of humanity, why Confluence exists and what exactly happened. Yama's reply is that he doesn't want to know.

Yama might not want to know, but the reader does.

I haven't read Paul McAuley's other books in his Confluence trilogy, but he is certainly deserving of praise as one of the better writers working in Anglo-American science fiction. That said, however, I did not find "Shrine of Stars" as mesmerizing or as profound as Dan Simmons' "Hyperion" saga or Gene Wolfe's science fantasy series, such as the "Book of the New Urth". Science fiction fans interested in reading great literature that's thematically similar to McAuley's Confluence trilogy would be well advised to read instead the works of Simmons and Wolfe. Yet those interested solely in entertainment should find McAuley's work both pleasurable and intriguing.

First, one must clarify and emphasis the total and complete dependence "Shrine of Stars" has to the preceding volumes of Confluence. For those of you that are considering reading this book, it will not make sense unless you read "Child of the River" and "Ancients of Days" first. In fact, I see little reason (except for girth) that these weren't published as a single volume with a few of the 'remember from the last volume' details edited out.

On to the books. One reviewer commented that too much is jammed into this third volume, and I agree. What one ends up with is almost a series of intensely imaginative summaries. The locales change so frequently, as do the flora and fauna. Each environment is so different than the last, and eachis packed with enough loving details to support a novel of its own. The magic McAuley is able to display works its best in "Child of the River". There, the pacing is right for the language of description and the wonders of Confluence. In "Ancients of Days", one gets the sense that McAuley is rushing to the end... too excited and unable to withhold his 'big idea ending'. And as for that, the ending isn't really a big idea. It's an old, well-trodden idea. Upon the book's completion, I felt similar to many of the other reviewers: cheated by what felt masterfully tacked on; underwhelmed by what should have been explosively overwhelming. But upon reflection, I see the wisdom of it. The ending serves its on perfect purpose. It wraps the work and the place of Confluence up into an egg-like shell, giving birth to imagination and a galaxy ready for life.

If there is such a thing as a premature opus, this is it. The moments of Confluence that are so terrible are only so because the rest is so good. No reader of imaginative and thought provoking fiction should go without reading this trilogy at least once. If anything, just for the beautiful writing that is so rare in the genre.