I wasn't sure what to expect with this anthology, but I found myself enthralled from beginning to end. Nnedi Okorafor's "Crossroads", Seth Lindberg's "Atropos", and James Dorr's "Madness" were special delights.

A great mix of chilling, horrifying, and otherwise entertaining stories.

This is a great compilation of magic, madness, culture and creativity. All of the stories were pretty satisfying, some of them terrifying! There are some writers here that are going to go places. Watch for the authors of the two longest pieces, Nnedi Okorafor (her story is called Crossroads) and James S. Dorr (he wrote a story called Madness).

There are a number of handbooks for scientists and engineers. The author's goal with this readily useable reference is to present those topics most useful to CHEMICAL PLANT AND EQUIPMENT OPERATORS. The NST/Engineers, Inc. reviewers agree that the author has succeeded in delivery of those topics, and in a writing style and with graphics presentations that will appeal to operators. Having worked with plant operators for number of years, we have found that they can work in this field for quite awhile and still have nagging questions about the properties and reactions of chemical materials and physical measurements involved in their daily work. This book leads them to many answers. Supervisors of operators should consider placing copies of this handbook in the hands of their operators. The supervisors themselves, plant engineers, and most plant personnel will find the book to be a handy desk reference.

The book begins by covering industrial safety topics. Major OSHA regulations affecting operators are listed. For the sake of brevity and to maintain true "pocket-guide" size, regulations are cited and described however, since the full text is available on the internet, their inclusion would just be clutter. Safety in handling of chemicals gets special attention. For self-protection, operators need every safety reminder they can practically use.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board reports that, on average, there are roughly 60,000 "commercial - chemical" incidents per year. At plant sites there have been about 30 deaths per year and about 1,000 injuries.

Chemical plant operators are regularly called upon to make physical property determinations. They and must clearly understand the "short-hand" of chemical nomenclature. The author covers the most common properties (melting point, boiling point, flash point, density, specific gravity, viscosity, and surface tension) together with sketches of equipment arrangements for their measurement.

It is necessary for the chemical operator to understand not only what the job entails but the more important issue to the operator may be understanding why certain things occur. Some basic knowledge of inorganic and organic chemistry is necessary to provide these answers. In several sections, the author provides a unique blend of rudimentary, basic explanations of matter, how to read the periodic table of the elements, chemical bonding, chemical and structural formulas, figuring molecular weights and chemical naming. Of every day use is the discussion of molecular, mass, and volume relationships along with a detailed discussion of solution terminology and acids and bases. The chemical families are clearly described along with their occurrence and uses in industry and specific precautions to take when handling them.

All employees who deal with chemicals in the workplace are required by OSHA to be trained in the Hazard Communication Standard or HAZCOM. In the section of the handbook on Chemical Handling, chemical labeling and packaging are well covered. Also covered are: material handling (forktrucks), bonding and grounding (flammable materials), spill cleanup for the different groups of chemicals, and chemical disposal. Confined spaces (such as tanks, vats, columns, reactors, and mixers), that are usually encountered in the chemical process industries, are defined and OSHA's Permit Entry system is explained. Lock-Out / Tag-Out and Blanking, both of which are integral parts of the confined space standard, are defined and illustrated. Having several years of OSHA training experience, it is one reviewer's opinion that this section, along with the section on MSDSs, if mastered, would fulfill OSHA's requirements for HAZCOM training.

As the primary means of conveying liquid and gaseous chemicals is by pumps and compressors, understanding the section on pressure and vacuum is essential. Thorough coverage is given to the operation and troubleshooting of pump systems along with explanations of pressure and vacuum measurement. These explanations will help prevent the confusion many operators experience with psig and psia measurements, for instance. The reader will also learn how different types of pressure gauges work.

Other sections such as Fluid Mechanics and Plumbing, Standard Operating Procedures, Basic Electricity, and Process Operations contain information with which the chemical operator should already be familiar. However, they are excellent references none the less. The section on Energy, Work and Power will take the guess-work out of chemical energy and electrical power calculations, and pump and motor selection.

Throughout the handbook, the author provides tables, conversions, calculations, and examples that allow readers to "test" their mastery of the information presented in a given section.

The NST/Engineers, Inc. reviewers believe that this handbook should be provided by supervisors to their employees as an aid to answering those frequent questions such as when I do this, why does that happen? Also, why do we do it this way?

This has a lot of very helpful information that can be used immediately

Ok, so I have to admit that I am mentioned in this book, but this is not why I gave it 5 stars. When I reviewed this book a number of years back I found it to be a great introduction to younger readers about the fire service. It also shows the diversity of the fire service today as well as where it is heading in the future and where it came from in the past. Even if you don't have a young one, get a copy for your fire library at home, or even at the fire station.

An excellent follow up to Emergency also by Joy Masoff. Tons ofgreat color photos let the average person feel like they are actuallyin a burning building spraying water over a blazing fire. The book also shows a lot of the very high tech equipment used to fight fires today.

A cup of Chicken Soup for the soul is a miniature version of one of the best selling inspirational books ever. It is small so it is easy to tote around, so you can read chicken soup whenever you like!

This little book is full of wonderful stories that touch the heart and soul. Even though I've read many of the other "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books, these short stories were all new to me. I'll reference and recommend this book to my participants in my motivational and educational Seminars. This book makes a great gift even to those people who don't enjoy reading. Barry, Jack, and Mark continue to make a positive difference...one story at a time.

Not only have I read the book, my family is in it! Our stories, "Merry Christmas Jennifer" and "Merry Christmas. Love, Jennifer", were published in this wonderful book. It has helped us remember my sister and to share our story with others!!

I thought this book was a very readable overview of Jack Kerouac's life. It helped me gain some kind of overview which I had found elusive reading Gerald Nicosia's more detailed book. However what marred the book for me was Miles's intrusive and over-bearing judgements. Surely it's better to present the facts and let them speak for themselves? In chapter 8 (just over half way through the book) he launches into a tirade ....'How can a man deny his own child?... Where was Kerouac when he should have been reading his daughter bedtime stories, sharing with her his love for words?...' and so on. Unfortunately once he's in this mode he doesn't let up. I appreciate the sentiment and it's difficult not to judge Kerouac harshly over this - but I felt Miles should have made more of an effort to understand his subject. I almost felt I leant more about Barry Miles than Kerouac in this section of the book and it's commendable that Miles feels so strongly about family loyalties but is that really the issue here?

Miles does an incredible job of putting together the jaded intricate life of an insanely selfish man. Kerouac was an incredible writer, yes, because he scrounged off everyone around him to better his skill. Funny when our heros turn into humans and we begin to feel our own inspiration from it.

This biography is part of an unceasing flow of writings about Kerouac and about the Beat movement which he helped to inspire. Miles's book is valuable because it explains why people continue to read Kerouac and the beats and also focuses on the limitations of the movement, I think, through discussion of Kerouac as a person.

Kerouac was first and foremost a writer. Miles' book emphasizes this. It discusses virtually each of Kerouac's major works, and minor works as well, in the context of his life -- when, precisely, they were written, what they are about, and where each book fits, in Miles's usually well-considered opinion, in Kedrouac's work as a whole. Such writing is more the purview of literary criticism than biography but Miles does it well and it is needed in a consideration of Kerouac's life and work. He focuses on the spritual side of the beats, their quarrel with conformity, materialism, and repressed sexuality, and their emphasis on feeling and the expression of feeling. Miles properly places Kerouac in the romantic tradition of literature and within American Romanticism in particular as a follower, most immediately, of Thomas Wolfe.

Miles does not spare Kerouac the man, in a discussion that should discourage any tendendy to hero-worship or mystification. Kerouac was selfish and inconsiderate of others, adolescent at the core, unduly attached to his mother, on the far fringes of the American right (although he probably deserves to be praised for not adopting the hippie, ultra-left, anti United States attitude of his followers and colleagues), and lead a destructive life, to his own talents and to the lives of people who loved him and had a right to depend upon him, such as his daughter.

As a writer, Kerouac emerges in the book as a person of talent with a vision of American life that is valuable (though hardly unique, I think). He wrote well but too much and too carelessly and too much under the influence of drugs. He also, as Miles suggests was overly dogmatic and rigid in his use of spontaneous prose.

The beats were a unique literary movement and Kerouac was an integral part of it. His books, I think will continue to be read and valued not for the most part as literary masterpieces, but as expressing the mood of a generation. There is much in them that is worthwhile. Miles' portrait of Kerouac and his work is judicious. It also encourages the reader to explore Kerouac's writings for his or herself, which is the goal of any good biography or a writer.

Apparently this book is a retitled version of _That Others May Live: The True Story of the PJs, Real Life Heroes of the Perfect Storm_. If so, the current title is more accurate: the book focuses on "a PJ," coincidentally the author, not PJ's in general. And it's NOT about the Perfect Storm, except in passing, though particularly relevant to the author. As to the PJ's (Air Force Pararescue Jumpers) being "real life heroes of the perfect storm," there's no indication they rescued anyone during that storm. In fact, the Coast Guard ship had to come out and rescue THEM. Yes, you can be a hero for an attempt, but let's not go overboard in naming our book after one rescue attempt in a much bigger event.
The book is interesting. Jack, of course, makes almost no mistakes, and his wife is a perfect angel. She understands when he says, "yes, I went to the strip bar, but that's where the debriefing session was held."
The unexamined assumption that OF COURSE men who work hard have to relax by drinking all night, having bar fights, and visiting strip joints is overdone.
The book does provide information about a little-understood group of airmen who put their lives on the line to rescue others in what can be very difficult situations, much like the Coast Guard rescue jumpers. Their main purpose is to rescue downed pilots and personnel in need of medical help, on land or sea, but they're also available to help civilians when civilian rescue agencies don't have the resources available.
There is some understanding of the mentality of repeatedly putting your life on the line -- you might as well die doing something you love, while helping others.
The book could have argued for better equipment -- although the author repeatedly recounts stories of how difficult it is for helicopters to refuel from tankers during rough weather, the author doesn't argue for a better, heavier, longer, wider (or whatever) fueling drogue design.
The Perfect Storm part takes 30 pages, IF you include the soap opera parts about the wives calling each other for news. A pararescue helicopter and tanker was dispatched during the Perfect Storm to rescue a sailor doing a solo trip around the world. The rescue was aborted due to heavy seas, and the rescue helicopter itself ditched on the way back to base, with the loss of one airman. The helicopter ditched because it was unable to refuel with the existing drogue design. The author, in charge at the base, grounded rescue attempts of this airman due to his orders and impossible conditions. Yet his men took their anger out of him, sometimes in petty ways. They stole his jacket, and snuck a bottle of booze into his luggage as he was about to fly into a Muslim country, which if discovered would have gotten Jack in enormous trouble. There's so much talk of the "teamwork" ethos in the book -- where did it go when his men were angry at Jack, and caused him to have to leave command of the unit?

Enter the world of Rescue. John (Jack) Brehm does an excellent job in telling his story as his life of being a Pararescue Jumper (PJ). And for those of us that know John, and many of the other names that were mentioned in the book, made it hard to put down. Hats off, to both his wife Peggy and their children for their teamwork and support. John's dedication to both his career and family is truely spectacular. Having worked with John, and been flying rescue for over twenty years , I can appreciate all he had to share with his rescue stories. John has motivation and always gives that 150% in no matter what he does and is a super person to be around. He is a role model PJ, that has stuck with it for all these years, many times putting his own life out on the line, but still loving what he does for work. I still hope that the two of us can sit on the cabin porch and tilt a few beers as we look out at Mckinely and share some stories. I see the making of a good movie.

This is an excellent, well done, entertaining read! Here is a female perspective from one who has an Army NCO brother, and cousins and uncles who have served in various military branches. Jack's story gave me new insight on military life and the sacrifices he, his family, and others like him have made and continue to make in service to our country. From 1986-1996 I lived in Connecticut very near Long Island Sound and remember well "The Perfect Storm" that cost a PJ's life.

Especially wonderful is the support and commitment Jack and his wife have given to each other and their family. That is what a marriage should be - a partnership. I also thoroughly enjoyed the stories of the other PJs and what happened in their lives. It is good to know heroes still exist and that there are parents who will do what is best for their children, not just what is convenient for the parents.

As I was reading, I often thought, "These guys are nuts!" However, it takes extraordinary men to do what they do and it is comforting to know the PJs are there for those who need them. It is heartening that, so far, it seems the PJs have been able to avoid the "kinder, gentler" political correctness that is destroying our military. I can only pray that the rest of the military and country wakes up before it is too late.

God bless Jack and Peggy Brehm and the other PJs for sharing their stories with us.

The story is about Barry Sanders, one of the best player in the NFL. The book talks a out his childhood in Wichita, Kansas. His father always wanted him to have a good education.

I would recommend the book because it is an interesting, inspiring story. The writer's style is easy to read. It is straightfoward and chronological.

When I started to read Passage By Night I wasn't really into the story, but I kept on reading on. As I got towards the middle I realized the book was really intresting. I never would of thought to finish this book, but here I am telling you about this great book I read and encouraging you to read it. I enjoyed reading this book because Jack Higgens wrote this book with lots of mysteries to think about and for you to keep on reading. This book shows what a person can do for their loves death, for xample revenge.If you ever have a chance to read this book I know you'll enjoy it. To me this book can not be compared with other books I have read because I never would of thought a book could be this intresting.

I have to admit that I have not really given Jack London his proper due up to now. Perhaps it is because I don't by my nature like outdoor adventure type stories, or perhaps it is because I associate White Fang and "To Build a Fire" with my youth. The fact is that Jack London is a tremendously talented writer. His understanding of the basics of life matches his great knowledge of the snow-enshrouded world of the upper latitudes. The Call of the Wild, despite its relative brevity and the fact that it is (at least on its surface) a dog's story, contains as much truth and reality of man's own struggles as that which can be sifted from the life's work of many another respected author. The story London tells is starkly real; as such, it is not pretty, and it is not elevating. As an animal lover, I found parts of this story heartbreaking: Buck's removal from the civilized Southland in which he reigned supreme among his animal kindred to the brutal cold and even more brutal machinations of hard, weathered men who literally beat him and whipped him full of lashes is supremely sad and bothersome. Even sadder are the stories of the dogs that fill the sled's traces around him. Poor good-spirited Curly never has a chance, while Dave's story is made the more unbearable by his brave, undying spirit. Even the harsh taskmaster Spitz has to be pitied, despite his harsh nature, for the reader knows full well that this harsh nature was forced upon him by man and his thirst for gold. Buck's travails are long and hard, but the nobility of his spirit makes of him a hero--this despite the fact that his primitive animal instincts and urges continually come to dominate him, pushing away the memory and reality of his younger, softer days among civilized man. Buck not only conquers all--the weather, the harshness of the men who harness his powers in turn, the other dogs and wolves he comes into contact with--he thrives. This isn't a story to read when you are depressed. London's writing is beautiful, poignant, and powerful, but it is also somber, sometimes morose, infinitely real, and at times gut-wrenching and heartbreaking.

The two rivals circle the ring, probing for any point of weakness. The duel has lasted longer than either competitor had anticipated. Weakened by fatigue, the challenger feints high and goes for a crippling blow. No, this is not a boxing title match in Las Vegas. This is a life-and-death struggle of one domestic dog for survival in the cold, icy, barren regions of the Alaskan plains. This is a clash between the civilized and the primordial. This is the conflict between domestication and liberation. This is the Call of the Wild.

Jack London centers his story on a dog by the name of Buck. Buck is a big, strong dog, his father being a St. Bernard and his mother being a Scottish shepherd dog. At one hundred and forty pounds, Buck was no mere house pet. Kept physically strong with a love of rigorous swimming and constant outdoor exercise, Buck was a lean, formidable dog. Undoubtedly, his great condition was part of the reason that the gardener's helper dog-napped and sold him to dog traders, who in turn sold him to Canadian government mail couriers. The gold rush in Alaska had created a huge demand for good dogs, which eventually led to the "disappearances" of many dogs on the West Coast. Buck was no exception. He was sold into a hostile environment, which was unforgiving and harsh. Although civilization domesticated him from birth, Buck soon begins almost involuntarily to rediscover himself, revealing a "primordial urge", a natural instinct, which London refers to as the Call of the Wild.

This book is set in the Klondike, a region in Alaska that was literally stormed by thousands of men looking to get rich quick via the gold rush. Transportation was increasingly important, but horses were near useless in winter, prone to slip and fall on snow and ice. Dogs were by far the best means of transportation in Alaska at the time, somewhere near the end of the 19th century. As the demand for dogs grew, the prices for good dogs skyrocketed. This price hike inevitably created a black-market- style selling of dogs, and the gardener's helper Manuel did what many men did; they sold the dogs for a good price.

A recurring theme in London's novel is the clash between natural instinct and domesticated obedience. Soon after the dog traders captured Buck, a man broke him with a club. Buck is thoroughly humiliated, but learned an all-important truth of the wild: The law of club and fang. Kill or be killed. Survival is above all. Buck resolved to himself to give way to men with clubs. In the beginning, Buck had problems with this new restriction, but learned that when his masters' hands hold whips or clubs, he must concede. However, that did not keep Buck from doing little deeds like stealing a chunk of bacon behind his masters' backs. However, as London says, "He did not steal for joy of it, but because of the clamor of his stomach . In short, the things he did were done because it was easier to do them than not to do them." In this way Buck learns the way of the wild but also acknowledges his inferiority to men with clubs or whips. Eventually in this novel, Buck throws away his old life completely and replaces it with his natural urge, the primordial version of himself, the Call of the Wild.

Another underlying theme is the relationship between dog and master. In the beginning, Buck is acquainted with the Judge with a dignified friendship, his sons with hunting partnership, his grandsons with protective guardianship, the mail couriers Francois and Perrault with a mutual respect. Against the man with a club he despised but gave respect. However, when Buck met John Thornton, he loved his master for the first time ever. There wasn't anything Buck wouldn't do for his master. Twice Buck saved Thornton's life, and pulled a thousand pounds of weight for Thornton's sake. Even after Buck routinely left his master's camp to flirt with nature, Buck always came back to appreciate his kind master. However, even after Thornton was gone and Buck had released all memories of his former life, Buck never forgot the kind hands of his master, even after answering the Call of the Wild.

Jack London truly brings Buck to life. Using a limited 3rd person view, the reader is told of Buck's thoughts and actions. Obviously, London gave several ideal human qualities to Buck, including a sharp wit, rational reasoning, quick thinking, and grounded common sense. However, he does not over-exaggerate the humanity in Buck, which would have given an almost cartoon-like feeling for a reader. Rather, being a good observer, London saw how dogs acted and worked backwards, trying to infer what the dogs think. The result is a masterful blend of human qualities and animal instinct that is entirely believable. It is obvious that Buck's experience was similar to many other dogs' experiences.

The Call of the Wild focuses on a house pet named Buck who is stolen from his comfortable life and inserted into a harsh life working as a husky dog in Alaska. Buck becomes acquainted with some vicious animals and begins slowly to de-evolve. He reverts back to a wolf like his ancestors were before him. The Call of the Wild is useful as an historic tribute to the Alaskan Gold Rush. It tells of the hardship up in Alaska through the eyes of a dog but it's about more than a search for a metal. It's about an animal de-evolving. He is removed from domesticated life and finds the life of a working dog difficult at first but he eventually grows to love it. A man saves him from his turmoil and he becomes domesticated again but he can't silence the wolf inside him. On the death of his new master he reverts to the wild where he stays forever. How can this be classified as a children's book? This is one of the most adult stories I have ever read and I don't think any child will get the books qualities. This can only be appreciated by very mature adults but if you can appreciate you're life will be better for it. This is a great read - an all time classic.

Soon after I read this book, I tossed it out along with my retro polyester pants and orange creepers. The concept of the novel is a clever one and it starts out as being cute and funny. Even as a gay male, I could identify with Phoebe and a lot of her unwise choices in men.

Then somewhere along the line, the book loses what little bit of charm it has and suddenly you're finding yourself not liking Phoebe that much. As each man revolves his way through her life, you begin to dislike her and her choices more and more. Some of the boyfriends listed aren't even boyfriends but rather fantasy characters, penpals and in the case of Arnold Allen (the only Black guy who stereotypically appears on her list) a criminal. By the end of the novel you're thinking that she deserves everything that has happened to her. Some guys aren't good enough, others are too good and why doesn't she have any friends? One word for you Phoebe: THERAPY!!

At first I thought this was going to be a Sheila Levine for the new millenium. Whereas Sheila's self-depreciating humor and poor choices in men endeared you to her, Phoebe's self depreciating humor had you hoping she would grab a bottle of sleeping pills and end it all. I guess Mrs. Rosenfeld is a fairly talented writer as she was able to evoke such dislike for her protagonist from me, but overall this novel went absolutely nowhere and was a complete waste of my time. I liked Bridget Jones better and that's a stretch. I wouldn't really recommend this to book anyone. If you can find a copy, check out Gail Parent's 'Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York'. Although it's well over trhity years old now, it still maintains a crisp, hip, cutting edge feel to it unsurpassed by any other writer writing in the same vein as What She Saw.

Wherein we observe the development of a girl from 5th grade to about age 27, a girl that we eventually realize is quite attractive, though she has the persistent belief that she's a Dawn Weiner. It could make a great film. While I think Lucinda Rosenfeld has a good ear for dialogue and gives us painfully well-executed visuals, to the point where I felt I had been there myself (because, what young self-involved American female hasn't?) I thought the writing tired and too desperately-trying-to-be-trendy. It's the kind of book that would've made an impression about 10-15 years ago, but now the market is just too saturated, and let's face it - descriptive language a la Confederacy of Dunces has been immitated ad nauseum. Judging by the age of the character, Rosenfeld probably did write like this 10 years ago (in college), so it's too bad she didn't try to get it published then. Now, though, I think she'd be great writing for current female TV characters -- could give them something interesting for us to watch!

dreadful and fun is the conundrum i'm put in when i begin to go back through the quite thick entanglement of the boys, boys, and men i've dated, and in the book "what she saw", i was given the chance to delve into someone else's mess.

each chapter takes a look at a different boy/man the main character dated/went with/screwed. a fun idea, but there's such a distance on the page... it's difficult to understand her convictions. i wanted to laugh, and groan in aggreeance, but was left slightly unsympathetic and befuddled. the book begs to be written in the first person, but for some bizarre-o reason lucinda rosenfeld gave us a third person story.

after reading the first chapter i thought it was clunky, and decided to shut it for good, but i was at work, with nothing elese to read, so i kept going, and somehow fell in. i still didn't really like it, but felt hooked nonetheless. weird.

i gave it four stars due to the 'it hooked me factor;' what does it all mean? i suppose it's just as confusing as what she really did see in all of those guys.