The author uses more than adequate empirical data to demonstrate her thesis. In July 1998, I received my 10 gallon donor certificate from the American Red Cross. I believe that this is 1:10,000 of the eligible donor population, i.e., age 18-65, weight >110 lbs. I began donating in Aug 1976 to corroborate my altruism as a Peace Corps volunteer, 1970-72. This book is highly recommended.

The television series, Soul Food, is being captured in books by
Leslie E. Banks, and this second episode Through Thick and Thin
features some serious issues confronting our favorite couple Kenny
and Maxine. Readers are made aware of how easily a marriage can
become bland.

The stress begins when Maxine, after 13 years of living for her
family, realizes there is something she wants to do just for
herself. But when she approaches Kenny about attending a six-week
writing class, things hit the fan.

Maxine is wondering when or how their sacrifices became so one-sided?
But she's determined not to take this lying down. Kenny is the model
husband and father, a hardworking man who has provided for all of
his family's need. At least that's how he sees things, but Kenneth
has ghosts he needs to confront. When he becomes chauvinistic, Maxine
has had enough, and a standoff ensues. Kenny's position is further
endangered when her instructor sexy, single, renowned author, Paul
Gotier ignites a smoldering fire in Maxine.

Fans of the stories will undoubtedly embrace these books with the
same eagerness afforded the television series. And with good
reason, because Ms. Banks writes a strong mature story with a
good measure of realism. There are lessons to be learned from
the insightful emotions she presents as she showcases the obstacles
and benefits of sharing a marriage. This story will entertain,
enlighten and refresh. The light at the end of the tunnel never
looked so good. Pick up a copy and savor a taste that will please
the palate.

Reviewed by aNN Brown
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Writing this book was such a wonderful idea. For those of you who do not have access to Sho.com or the time to watch the series this is the perfect remedy.

Through Thick and Thin is the first in the series and concerntrates on Kenny and Maxine. They are married with children and Maxine who happens to be a stay at home mom decides she wants to write. The class is once a week in the evening, during hers and Kenny's special time. What follows will have the reader anxious to get to the end, but sad it ended.

The actions and situations match each character from the series. I enjoyed the history Ms Banks furnished throughout Soul Food it afforded the reader the opportunity to get reacquainted with situations from the series, however if your new to the series reading the book will give you a feel for the characters and their issues.

This book was a big disappointment. In very short words the book is a plug for the author's company. But even if you can live with that, the outdated material is not very valuable. My recommendation is for the authors to update the book as much of the cyberlandscape has changed in these few short years. On a positive note, the business models presented are informative. The writing style is not very clear or structured, and in 2 chapters I found more than 2 mistakes. The figures are very primitive and don't add much to the already scant information. It is a shame as I would have loved for this book to work for me. The information the book has to offer can be found free on the Internet and it is more timely.

In the brave new world of Electronic Commerce money or the concept of medium of exchange is morphing. This book lays the ground work for understanding the technology and issues of transacting on-line. Encryption, authentication, smart cards and general security issues are discussed in sufficient detail to grasp the concepts. A must read for all company owners and managers contemplating the era of digital money and preparing for the future.

Although not extremely thorough or insightful,the authors paint a clear landscape of the changing role of money in the new digital economy. Touching on several related products such as smartcards and encryption, they give the reader a solid footing in these new technolgoies