An excellent and highly informative narrative of the nearly unknown world of the United States Navy's small craft fleet in Vietnam. A fine reminder to the sailors of today that individual heroism in a war fought with the machine gun and not missles is part of the recent naval tradition. If anyone can say they followed the path of John Paul Jones and went into harm's way, these sailors can, and LCDR Cutler has told their story well.

I was in the Naval Advisory Group at the same time as LCDR Cutler and I know where he's coming from. He did a great job of research. I'm really surprised at the volume of good factual info he managed to scrape up! BRAVO ZULU from an ex advisor at Rach Soi, Qui Nhon and Cam Ranh Bay.

As a modern day "River Rat," I started reading this book, while waiting to kick off that little invasion down in Panama, affectionately known as "Operation Just Cause" in Dec 1989, and managed to finish reading it in between "Brown Water & coastal Patrols." It's hard to put down once you start reading, and CDR Cutler does this small, sub-community of Navy Special Warfare Sailors justice (pretty unique thing to do for an officer). It's the roots & history of the U.S.N.'s "Brown Water Navy", the combat tactics and actions that are still in use to this date. I highly recommend this literature work to any person(s) that's interested in the Navy, and the and the personnel that forged the Brown Water Navy's history in the volatile rivers, canals and coast line of Viet Nam. A true reflection of courage, human spirit and dedication in the most adverse conditions. PBR= Proud, Brave & Reliable! Keep the Faith

Major League baseball has had its share of controversial owners. But after reading "Chris Von der Ahe and the St. Louis Browns," I never thought I could meet a gent who could build a ballclub to prominence like Ted Turner, then break the team up quicker than Wayne Huzienga did with the Marlins. Von der Ahe also possessed the innovative streak of Charles O. Finley (what other owner, besides Chris, had a ball park with both a horse-race track and a "Shoot-the-Chutes" ride?), could fire a manager quicker than you can say "Steinbrenner," and may have known even less about the game than Marge Schott.

Tom Hetrick's biography vividly takes us to the wild and wooly days of late-19th century baseball, when 10 home runs could get you the home run crown, pitchers never heard the term "pitch count," and umpires had good days if they could go the entire game without getting pummeled. This is the milieu for German immigrant Von der Ahe, as we follow his rags (a modest grocer and back-of-the-store saloon keeper) to riches (real estate magnate and self-proclaimed "Boss President" of the 4-time American Association champion St. Louis Browns franchise) to flaming rags (scandal, prison, bankruptcy and his Browns' ownership wrested away from him) story.

Hetrick presents meticulous research on the largely obscure Von der Ahe. As a lover of baseball history, I liked his outstanding treatment into the history of the American Association, the league that, for ten years (1882-1891), challenged the established National League and ushered in the precursor of today's World Series. But this book is not just for "seamheads." Hetrick presents a rich portrait of St. Louis in its golden era. He also breathes life into the bombastic and often-outrageous Von der Ahe -- fractured English and all. I laughed out loud as Von der Ahe tells his team's press agent, Harry B. Martin, "Now you magke der mistake of drinkin [thinking] dat der beable [people] vish to read about dem bum ball players. Mardin, vot der American beable like to readt is aboudt me, Chris Von der Ahe." To this reader, "Der Poss Bresident" seems to have enough hot air to inflate a Zeppelin.

As biographies go, Tom's book is a home run. A lively and fast read, it is a great account of the game as it was played in the 19th century as well as a portrait of a common immigrant who became a great success -- only to allow that success to eventually destroy him. And don't forget, the next time you're at the ballpark with a cold beer, make a toast to Chris Von der Ahe - the man who put beer and baseball together.

This collection of essays has a rather tight focus: it was compiled to mark the centennial of the "Shaw Memorial" in Boston by examining the events which inspired that sculpture, how the artist joined other media in celebrating the courage of black soldiers and their white companions, and how the saga of the 54th has moved out of Boston to take on a national life since the Civil War and especially since 1897. Thus the various essays present a nuanced picture of a widening cultural movement. Especially in the past half-century, black contributions to our national life have stepped forward to take their rightful place in our national consciousness, though much remains to be found out and held up to American society. Hopefully this volume marks the beginning of a national pride in which all can celebrate what blacks have achieved (generally at dreadful personal cost). I would have been interested in learning more about the poetry and fiction this regiment--and "the Shaw," its memorial--have inspired over the past 140 years. Whether they're wonderful or dreadful (and there have been plenty of both), stories and poems also demonstrate how our consciousness of black achievement has developed. We need all the help we can get, to learn from the past and move beyond it, but this book is a good start.`

i found this book intresting. it shows a side of denver that is not seen sometimes. this book gives a look at a man who believe he was innocent and tries with two trials to prove it and recieves a unthinkable twist when he recieves a worse sentence. this book is wonderful for anyone intrested in colorado and murders.

Tthought he couldn't improve on the first edition, but he has. A great introduction not only to the basic themes in the world religions but a solid introduction to their relevance to contemporary thought, including the shape of the thinking and consciousness in the arts, psychology, and natural sciences. The approach is that there are common forms and languages to all of the above, and the author speaks in a language that is easy to understand. The basic assumption is that these ways of thinking overlap in ways that recall the origins of religious traditions and make them relevant to today.

I read an average of two books a week and I never felt a need to recommend any author. I read all of Dennis Lehane's books, except A Drink Before the War and I'm waiting for a responsibility free weekend to read it so I won't have to put it down. I read Sacred twice and found it just as amazing the second time as the first. Dennis Lehane's characters really are characters but they are totally believable. Patrick Kenzie, as the main character, tells you the story but he doesn't make himself an invincible hero, just a guy you wouldn't want to date, but would feel lucky to have as a friend. Angie, as his partner, is, of course, beautiful but even with her aggressive, sometimes belligerent attitude, she's human too, staying in an abusive relationship for 12 years. Bubba, although he's a psychotic criminal, has a soft, fuzzy side that's really likable (from a distance). Some won't like the graphic violence in Prayers or Darkness but I think the media has made us jaded enough to deal with it within the context of the stories. I didn't read the stories in order but I think each book is well written enough to stand on its own. I'm wondering how long Dennis Lehane will be able to keep the series going and hoping one new book a year for the next 20 or 30 years isn't too much to ask.

I LOVE reading Dennis Lehane's novels, and I love his main characters: Patrick, Angie, & Bubba. I feel like I know them now, and I also feel like I can count on Lehane to be authentic to their characaters, through action and dialogue and interaction. The main characters are flawed, but good at the core, and strive to work for right. There's something I find very satisfying in that basic goal.

When I first discovered Dennis Lehane a few years ago when his third novel was published, I was hooked. I immediately went back and read his first two. And since then I have been waiting very impatiently for each new book.

What do I like best about his books? His multi-faceted main characters, the way he exposes the dark side of humankind while not burying us in it or leaving us feeling hopeless, the snappy and witty dialogue of all characters, (especially between Patrick & Angie), and his creativity and inventiveness. His descriptions have a way of making me feel like I really know the character or the place or the feeling. Being from Massachusetts, I also enjoy having a first-hand sense of place. And that he ventured off to Plymouth in this novel was even better as I live only 15 minutes away from Plymouth.

I just hope he gives us more of Angie & Patrick & Bubba. (Good to see that Bubba is made more real and multi-dimensional in this book.) They are great characters, and the stories always make me think. Thanks, Dennis.

In the last 30 day I've read all five of Lehane' Kinzie/Gennaro books, finishing Prayers for Rain last night. Lehane has created a terrific franchise in the mystery/thriller arena with his realistic and (more importantly) entertaining pair of detectives. You like these people he's created and believe their motives for what they choose to do as they trek through the plot. Clearly I've found a lot of compelling entertainment in these stories.

The first book in the series, A Drink Before the War, really sucked me in, being in the same vein as the Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais which I also recommend. Both series are consistently well-written, a clear step (or two) above pop/trash/beach fiction, funny, intelligent stories where the plot make sense, and the characters seem frighteningly real. It turned out that the first Kinzie/Gennaro yarn was the lightest. Each one after has ratcheted up the twists and turns, but kept the personality of the characters growing and building. The stories definitely got blacker and bleaker in the depraved actions of the bad guys. By Prayers for Rain, the villain is a hardcore-fulltime psychopath, and Patrick and Angie are a-little-further-than-borderline vigilantes.

After racing through five of the books in so short a period, I am struck with a sense of vulnerability. If some bad dude makes it their career to mess with you, and if they have no normal limits to their behavior, you're just screwed. How can a normal, follow the rules type of citizen even comprehend the introduction of aggression and violence into their regular lives? Unless you have friends to help you out like Kenzie and Gennaro you might as well move out of the country and hope you're never found. Read these, you'll like them.

Passed CIW exam 1D0-420 & 1D0-425 scoring 90% for each.
I found the book very easy to read & a concise Study Guide (at times maybe TOO concise). The Site Design-Part 1, covered all the exam objectives with good explanations. However I felt that the E-Commerce - Part II, fell short of covering 2 aspects of the exam objectives, namely Catelog Design & relating OPI-OBI standards.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone striving to pass the above CIW exams.

A very concise must have book that condenses the material down into what you really need to know to obtain high CIW grades. It helped me pass the Site Designer exam with a 93 and E-Commerce with an 83. The Assessment Test at the beginning of the book gave me a very accurate look at what I needed to concentrate on but I read every page too. Especially helpful were the chapter summaries, exam essentials, and key terms at the end of every chapter which exactly pinpointed what I needed to learn. Also, the questions with answers at the end of every chapter were very exam like and perfect for practice exams when not near a computer. I took the book everywhere. But I also spent many hours with their Sybex EdgeTest Engine on the included CD simulating the exam until my scores were passing. I tried out the included flashcard feature, too, but much preferred the multiple choice format. Since this is their first edition, it does have some typos and a few questions with errors but they were very easy to spot and fix. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and to Amazon.

This, reader, is an unvarnished narrative of one doomed by the laws of the Southern States to be a slave. It tells not only its own story of grief, but speaks of a thousand wrongs and woes beside, which never see the light; all the more bitter and dreadful, because no help can relieve, no sympathy can mitigate, and no hope can cheer. -William Wells Brown, Clotel, or The President's Daughter

Clotel would have historic interest simply by virtue of the fact that William Wells Brown appears to have been the first African American to write a novel. But it's not merely a literary curiosity; it is also an eminently readable and emotionally powerful, if forgivably melodramatic, portrait of the dehumanizing horrors of slave life in the Ante-bellum South. Brown, himself an escaped slave, tells the story of the slave Currer and her daughters, Clotel and Althesa, and of their attempts to escape from slavery. The central conceit of the story is that the unacknowledged father of the girls is Thomas Jefferson himself.

There is an immediacy to the stories here--of slave auctions, of families being torn apart, of card games where humans are wagered and lost, of sickly slaves being purchased for the express purpose of resale for medical experimentation upon their imminent deaths, of suicides and of many more indignities and brutalities--which no textbook can adequately convey. Though the characters tend too much to the archetypal, Brown does put a human face on this most repellent of American tragedies. He also makes extensive use (so extensive that he has been accused, it seems unfairly, of plagiarism) of actual sermons, lectures, political pamphlets, newspaper advertisements, and the like, to give the book something of a docudrama effect.

The Bedford Cultural Edition of the book, edited by Robert S. Levine, has extensive footnotes and a number of helpful essays on Brown and on the sources, even reproducing some of them verbatim. Overall, it gives the novel the kind of serious presentation and treatment which it deserves, but for obvious reasons has not received in the past. Brown's style is naturally a little bit dated and his passions are too distant for us to feel them immediately, but as you read the horrifying scenes of blacks being treated like chattel, you quickly come to share his moral outrage at this most shameful chapter in our history.

GRADE : B

This is a exemplary novel that also deals with the harsh realities of slavery. This novel distinctly tells a true story, which is relevant to ALL Americans (believe it or not. This is a must reader for ALL.

This book is interesting to read! It contains many insightful tips that can be useful not only to other managers. I would say that most of the contributing managers are well worth reading, but in a collection like this one some are of course better than others. All the business leaders have been choosen in a careful evaluation-process to find the best of the best. This process is also described in the book. After the recent developments in the US Economy, it can also be interesting to get the book from the bookshelf, like I did, and read what managers like Ken Lay (Enron), Bernie Ebbers (Worldcom) and Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco) have got to say.

Each chapter, somewhere between 10 and 20 pages, includes the managers career in short along with the key facts about the company they lead. I found it interesting to read about people who have made to the top, and these kind of publications normally includes information you won't find elsewhere. This book is no exception. It is also a book that you can read when you have a few minutes over since the chapters are so short, it is also easy to pick out the managers that find most interesting an concentrate on them.

I have read a lot of business books about leadership. While most of them have been interesting, they have also been a little dry because the references to real people have only been used by way of example. Therefore, I liked this book because it allowed me to spend a liitle time with 50 people that one has to respect and acknowledge for their accomplishments. They have had to do something right in order to achieve what they have. But, then the book takes these 50 real life experiences and distills it down into a framework and a few basic lessons that helps all these individual experiences make sense within the larger scheme of things. People might say that there is nothing new here, only common sense notions, yet until one sees things within a larger picture or framework that ties things together, these are just disjointed ideas with little context, synergy or power to change. I can apply these lessons for the top to my own life situation and career and that makes the book work for me.

I have seen an early edition of "Lessons From the Top". Remarkably, "Lessons From the Top" brings America's Corporate Board Room to the rest of America. As a former Assistant Corporate Secretary for what was at the time, America's largest outside Board of Directors, I had the unique opportunity to participate in strategy sessions and become acquanted with captains of US business.

Now, I am happy to say, the rest of America is provided this special opportunity with a glimpse into some of the country's finest corporate leaders. "Lessons from the Top" takes a look at what makes these 50 industry leaders tick and how their actions and skills have contributed to their leadership success.

The access afforded these authors is impressive, as is the statistical selection process utilized to select the participants.

The book is clearly organized and valuable lessons may be learned as we take this book with us on our business travels.

I recommend it for everyone who is interested further insights into leadership skills for work and extra-curricular activities.

The watercolors of JMW Turner have the concise, simplified vision of contemporary art even though they were painted in the mid 1800's. This survey shows the progression of this master of light and delicate color from tightly delineated landscapes to the atmospheric , nearly abstract vistas of his late career. The reproductions are supported by quotes selected from writings contemporary to the paintings. This book provides an inspirational overview of the work of Turner and belongs in the library of the serious watercolor artist.