It wasn't one of my favorite books to read. Too boring. I mean, Danny D-... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Oops sorry. Just an example what I did while reading the book.

The Danny Dunn series was definitely the most popular science fiction books for children during the 1960's.

If I remember the storyline correctly, Danny Dunn was a teenager(?) who lived with his mother who worked as a livein housekeeper for Prof. Bullfinch, an inventor. The Professor was a father figure and mentor for the young Danny.

Each story centers around some new invention that the Professor has invented and the adventures that Danny gets involved in along with his best friend Joe and girl friend Irene. (If I remember the names correctly.)

Unfortunately, the "science" of these books is a little outdated since some of the inventions that appear (like a personnal computer in "The Homework Machine") have moved from "fiction" to "fact". Still, it was a very enjoyable series and I would love to see them back in print.

The "Time Traveler" story is very similar to the storyline of the "Back to the Future" movies. Prof. Bullfinch invents a time machine which transports his entire house, along with the Professor, Danny and Joe inside, back to the 18th century and it appears in the backyard of Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately, since there is no electricity coming to his house in the 18th century, the Professor cannot power his time machine to take them back to the future. They enlist the help of Benjamin Franklin and ... well, you can guess what happens next.

Very superficial. You won't learn much unless you're a complete novice, and even still I don't believe this book will help you much. I'd recommend The Way of Energy to anybody, instead.

I found this book the most helpful in all my studies of Chinese Life-Energy. For example, concerning health--(I have high blood pressure)--one exercise (Swallowing the Qi) lowers my systolic rate 20 to 40 points in two seconds! I know this sounds impossible, but I swear I'm telling the truth.

The book is clearly written with many pictures to aid in correctly making the movements in assuming the poses.

There is good explanatory text--But it is kept to the minimum. In other words you don't "loose the baby in the bathwater" because Qigong (as in Zen and Yoga) is to be experienced, and not just dealt with intellectually.

Also important for me are my spiritual studies. The Connor/Tse book has profoundly helped me in learning how to use Qi (aka Chi) energy in meditation--and also in all aspects of my daily life.

Perhaps most important is that Connor and Tse make it all so simple. Some books have you assuming a pose for an hour--and perhaps that is the correct way for a master of Qi. But this book may have a similar exercise for 30 seconds. But for me at least the short cycle works--at least I can do it.

And I think the same will happen for you as it does for me.

This is a terrible book. It tries to argue that there is a growing suburban gang problem in the USA. To support this claim, it spends most of its time detailing European gangs (football hooligans in UK and racist & anarchistic skinheads in Eastern Europe). However, Korem fails to tie these groups to any American "gangs." Additionally, the "suburban gangs" in America he does find aren't really gangs. Korem argues these "suburban gangs" are caused by a breakdown in the traditional American family (divorce, abuse or dysfunctional parents). Not surprisingly children in this situation are more prone to act out. But, they are not in gangs. They group together with other kids and get deeply involved into Heavy Metal or Punk music or the occult. Sometimes they do drugs or runaway. But, the vast majority of them are just going through a phase and move on within a few years. Korem's attempt to make this a growing national crisis is meritless. He has no hard data to support his claims and uses journalistic accounts and illustrative stories to cover for the absence of any stastical support. Do not buy this book. There are numerous other gang books that are better written, better researched and focus on actual gang problems.

IFP has a web site with more info on the book. The address is www.ifpinc.com

West Belfast is a book of the rise of a young man from street-fighting to full-scale terrorism. If you are interested in a very, very biased Republican (i.e. Sinn Fein) view of the beginning of the troubles, buy this book from a well-known, once convicted Sinn Fein spokesperson. For a much better novel with a similar scope (but less republican, more catholic) buy Maddens One by One in the Darkness. If you want to read the ultimate novel on Northern Ireland, read McLiam Wilsons Eureka Street.

Danny Morrison's first novel, West Belfast, is significant for its honest portrayal of a conflict which has been written on extensively by outsiders but rarely by the people involved. A Republican of some standing, his writings have been criticized by many who feel that the Irish Republican voice should not be heard. This is perhaps the first time that a modern Irish Republican has attempted to show in novel form what his community has gone through under British oppression. The writing is at times slightly awkward--it is a first novel as I said--but it is refreshing honest and sincere. A good examination of politics and general human concerns.

Danny Morrison is a former Irish nationalist terrorist and publicity director for the IRA front group Sinn Fein (ourselves alone). He now fancies himself as a writer and this is the sorry result. I tried reading this book but just could not get past the man's narrow and violent perspective. It's very depressing to enter his world.

A gripping story about the emotional reality of the political conflict in the North of Ireland. Morrison has been intimately involved in the struggle and paints the story with intelligence, detail, and understanding. Highly recommended!

Great idea for a children's book. The story tends to be choppy, because it is written in rhyme. With my background in children's education, I know that children enjoy and best understand books when they are written with sentences. Illustations are wonderful. They really catch the eye, and they are very colorful.

This story is a very nice Christma story. It is especially good for children who live in apartments or homes without chimney's. It is my belief that many children ages 3 to 8/9 have this concern and wonder how Santa can bring them toys. This story in rhyme form answers that concern and Zarf The scarf may someday become as well known as Rudolph the red nosed reindeer.

I hate the Bulls, but I LOVE Rodman. He cracks me up. I think he's sexy and funny and wild. The more outraged people are by his antics, the further he goes. So when I saw this, I thought, 'Yay!'.

The main thing I don't like about it is that the doll does not seem to be based on Rodman's body. It is an air brushed body that doesn't show you Rodman's muscles, etc. The basic concept is pretty cool, and the outfits are funny. I don't regret getting it, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I'm not going to cut it up though, that would ruin it.

If you're a Rodman fan, go ahead and get it because it doesn't seem really mean spirited to me. If you dispise him, get it too, then you can cut it out and have all sorts of satirical fun with it.

Anyone wanting to wax nostalgic about baseball's past, particularly the 1940's, 50's and 60's, should pick up Peary's book. Anyone looking for a compendium of baseball's cult figures, particularly the weird or offbeat, may be disappointed. Each player gets a short revealing chapter penned by a different author. Like any compilation, the quality varies from chapter to chapter, from sports-column bland to personal reminiscense. But the range of major leaguers--from unknowns to certified greats--is broad enough to interest any fan. The gamut runs from legends like Mantle, Mays, Williams, Ruth, to middlings like Kluszewski, Colavito, Waitkus, to bottomers like Ueker, Throneberry and Bilko. There are the burn-outs too: Fidrych, Spooner, Belinsky; and most importantly the weird cases: Piersall, Lee, and my favorites, Joe Charboneau, and Steve Dalkowski. In fact, the book suffers from not including more of the latter, that is, those unknowns who have either an unusual flair or a distinctive story to tell. The greats have had their stories told many times over, making their inclusion seem unnecessary. It's the bottomers and oddballs where the real gold lies. Theirs are the stories that add genuine color and spice, showing that the game is defined by real human beings, not by the gods of hitting and pitching--and given baseball's rate of turnover, I'm sure their ranks are legion. (Good example not included in the book- Ryne Duran, whose 100mph fastball, Coke bottle eyesight, and Jack Daniels restbreaks, sent opposing players wild-eyed and running for cover.) Peary doesn't define cult as in cult ballplayers, but his successful film series defines cult movies by their distinctive qualities, not by their popularity or excellence. I wish he had applied more of those same standards to the fertile field of baseball. As it stands, the book remains something of a promising though unfulfilled project.

Midston University, as part of a convention, builds (as suggested by Danny Dunn) a dream future house. Danny, Irene, and Joe check out the house before it opens. The gadgets are interesting, though they don't project how much computers would change things for us all - on that level. Some things in the house aren't quite meant to be (as always, the book shows technology's practical limits), and that's how they get in trouble - locked in because the voice-activated door malfunctions. They use a little ingenuity, though...

Well, the culmination of a project, anyway. The whole gang (Danny Dunn, Irene Miller, Joe Pearson, Prof. Euclid Bullfinch, Dr. A. J. Grimes) accompany another scientist to England, where he has secured time on a radio telescope, to listen for interplanetary radio signals. They have the usual mishaps, but Danny comes through in the end when a message comes in, and figures out how to decipher it. What does it say? That, you'll have to find out for yourself.