I, too, heard Mr. Samuelson speak at a leadership conference. The audience was riveted by his story and the lessons he had to convey. I immediately went out in search of his written work. When I first found this book, I put it back, thinking it would be too depressing to read, but then I couldn't get it out of my mind.

I ordered it and read it...and found it to be one of the most life-affirming books I've ever read. Not in a preachy, how-to way but in a subtle, "look at what these people are dealing which and how" way. Mr. Samuelson writes with as much energy as he speaks. He challenges us to look at the adversity in our lives and use it to learn, grow and make a difference. This is a very human book and anyone who reads it should come away with at least one life lesson. Amazing.

I've since learned a cousin has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She'll be receiving a copy of the book asap.

My Father, Tim Harbour is chapter 1 in this book. Michael Samuelson is a good friend of his. This book really touched my family and my dads courage through his cancer has really touched other people too. In his story, my dad discribes me as a different kind of kid, vary strong deep for a 13 yer old (iam now 14) because i have never known in my life when he was well. I suggest you to read this book, it is a great way to look at cancer with the peoples view in this book. :O)

I'm not a cancer survivor, but when I heard the author speak at a leadership conference, I had to get the book. Most of the conference participants in the room were in upper management positions at Fortune 500 companies. Every one of us was captured by Michael's words. The book is no less compelling. It grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go.

For anyone who has never had cancer, it's a powerful read. I can only imagine how powerfully gripping it must be for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer. If you're not a cancer survivor, buy a copy and read it. If your life has been touched by cancer, buy three copies - one for yourself and one for two people close to you.

Catalan cuisine is ancient. It earliest roots go all the way back to the Romans who occupied northeastern Spain.

It uses many of the same ingredients as other Mediterranean cuisines -- tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, beans, pasta and all kinds of meat -- but it combines them in unexpected ways.

Who would expect salt cod with honey, for example? Catalan cuisine has it, and Colman Andrews presents its recipe here. And who would expect a restaurant which specializes in salt cod? Andrews tells us that Barcelona has one.

He says that one very unusual -- indeed unique -- feature of Catalan cuisine is its habit of mixing olive oil and lard together, in the same dish, as a cooking oil. Catalans also use butter as a cooking fat, making for rich, nourishing, tasty dishes.

Catalonia has both mountains and seashore. So one may find spiny lobster stew (Civet de Llogosta) on the one hand and Andorran-style trout (Truita de Riu Andorrana) on the other.

In Catalan Cuisine, Colman Andrews draws upon the great cooking traditions of Spain's Catalonia region. This superb collection of regional dishes showcases the simple and vibrant flavors in hundreds of Catalonia's best and beloved recipes ranging from Valencian Paella with Shellfish; Eggplant Flan; and Sweet Red Peppers Stuffed with Duck, to Salt Cod with Garlic and Paprika; Pork-Stuffed Apples, and Cinnamon Ice Cream with Warm Strawberry Coulis. The recipes are "kitchen cook friendly" and will turn any family meal into a celebration of taste and delight.

This study of Catalan cuisine provides an in-depth and excellent approach to the foods and customs of the Spanish province. No color photos, but the book is packed with not only recipes, but observations of the culinary traditions which make Catalan cuisine unique. An outstanding reference.

It is a great book to have when you need to do some admin job and want to have a checklist of what to look out for. The book mainly draws from the authors personal experiences and so is filled with practical tips and what to watch out for. I really like the replication part...

This book is an excellent start to learning how to use SQL Server v6.5. It gives an overview of the features that the SQL Administrator would need to know for handling day-to-day tasks and problems with it.

I thoroughly recommend this book. Well worth the money! Easy to understand for both beginners and advanced users.

Among the 6 MSSQL-Server books that I have waded through, everyone of them is good but not everybody has the time and resouces to commit the whole book just for a few programmer-related or administrator-related chapters. Like "Teach Yourself Transact-SQL within 21 days" that accomplishes its objectives to deliver T-SQL entirely at the programming level, this book also delivers by devoting itself essentially to administrating MSSQL-Server. There are a few distinctive features that I like about this book: 1) Every chapter is kept small and makes for assiduous reading easy at one go. 2) The presentation style is highly informal and interactive, focusing on the "you" administator and the tasks on hand. 3) Every section has a "hard-to-miss" header for easy identification of sub-topics. 4) The chapter introduction that highlights and the summary that reviews the core of the chapter without "missing the forest from the trees". 5) The size of the book (469 pages) is not intimidating or demoralizing, which is just about right.

Scoblete is the best writer in the gambling market because he knows how to mix interesting stories with serious analysis in a way that is pleasing to most readers. This is the third book of his that I've read and it is a great look at slot machines past and present. he writes about how today's slots differ from their ancestors and he discusses why they are impossible to beat. However, he also explains how the casinos place their loose and tight machines. This at least gives you a chance to reduce what the casino takes and allows you to stretch your money and your fun. He has several interviews in the book that are just great, one with a casino executive, one with Jim Hildebrand and one with a computer programmer. The book has an hysterically funny, and true!, story of Grandpa, a man who went a little too far in trying to get a gambling stake together. Great book!

Casinos are in the business of taking people's money. They are not a charity and they have a 30 day money back guarantee. It's a fact and no matter what spin they try to put on it, it's your wallet that they have in their sights. It's operation drain pocketbook. And according to some estimates, as much as 80% of a given casino's revenues now come from slot machines.

They are easy to play and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure them out. Unlike table games which can be intimidating because of the interactions with other players and the complexities of the games themselves, you just put a couple of coins in and hit the little button or pull the magic lever. Who can't handle this?

It is because of this simplicity that slots generate the largest share of revenue for the gaming industry. In Blackjack, a player has lots of control over how much of an "edge" the house has. With a slot machine, it does what it is programmed to do and short of taking a sledge hammer to it - there is nothing you can do to change that - until now.

Frank begins with an excellent - but short and sweet - history of slot machines as they related to the industry. He also describes how the machine actually works, which is of great importance to the player. Some of the most basic information he provided about today's "smart slots" dispels many myths: including the one of hot and cold machines.

Not only is this section a learning experience, it helps the savvy slots player understand the forces at work behind the machines designed to take his money. Understanding how the machines work is half the battle - knowing how the casino works and why is the other half. And Frank does a remarkable job of quenching the readers' thirst for both.

Using Frank's techniques and information obtained from his interview with a casino slot executive who he refers to as "Mr. Handle", I have been able to locate the "loose" machines in even the tightest casinos. The information is not only on target, it makes sense when one considers what is being said.

Frank's extremely revealing interview - quoted verbatim - has exposed so much about the placement of "loose" machines. And what's even more valuable is the fact that Frank has not only provided the locations but also the reasoning behind the locations.

Finally, the book contains a wealth of information that has been put into perspective about the slot player's long and short term prospects. Can you really come out ahead? According to Frank, yes - but only if you are careful and heed the warnings in this title.

For the few dollars you spend on this book, you may save yourself hundreds and maybe much more at the slots.

This book does have some things no other slot books have. First, it has an interview with a casino slot executive who discusses the philosophy behind the placment of the loose and tight machines. It also has certain "markers" to look for when playing machines. The book is also a very enjoyable read as Scoblete sprinkles his wit and charm throughout. If you play slots this should become your bible.

As a former Marine Sniper who served two tours in Nam and who is still trying to understand what I went through this is an okay read. Not as good as some and a bit over blown at times but worth understanding the other side. It does make you want to better understand the other side of our current crisis in terrorism and see what makes them tick. Our leaders in Nam were a little lazy and self serving when it came to history. That is the leaders in Washington. Makes you wonder what might have been?

As a North Vietnamese colonel and high ranking Party member, the author accepted the surrender of Saigon on April 1975. He continued to work for Hanoi until 1990, when disillusioned with the communists he moved to Paris and hoped to see a free and democratic Vietnam.

In his memoir, he talked about communism being elevated to the rank of a "blind faith", the purges within the Party, the errors, greed, and corruption of communist leaders, the "arrogance of the Party" and so on.

This book is recommended to those who are interested in the inner world of the Vietnamese communist Party and the causes of its failure. It is not the ideal world painted by the communists, not the people's rule but the rule of five or six men who imposed their dictatorship on the people.

The rarest of gifts -- a credible account from a Vietnamese communist cadre! Bui Tin has done a great service to all of his countrymen, regardless political faction or religion. His assessments of legendary Vietnamese cadres, including Ho Chi Minh, Le Duan and Le Duc Anh are stunningly frank. Those interested in Vietnam or Cambodia should place this title on the top of their reading lists. There is simply no other work of its kind, although we can always hope that another courageous figure will follow in the author's footsteps.

Knowing Kenneth R. Timmerman's reputation as a journeyman, I read this book with quivering anticipation hoping a professional would, at last, address our nation's continuing refusal to address the ramifications of the China-Lube Proclamation. Despite a perky warm-up in the introduction (congrats to Chris Cox!), short shrift is given to China-Lube. Readers who are interested in the West's increasing dependence on Lube Technology and its possible misuse by rogue elements of the Chinese small device industry should look elsewhere.

Timmerman's latest book is one of the most important books that any citizen of the United States can read. It is especially a must read for any person who is a part of the defense, aerospace, or computer industries in this country. He really fills in the blanks for the questions that so many of us with industry experience have been asking since the late 1980's about what has happened to our national security with regard to technology transfer and why no action has been taken by the Administrative, Legislative or Judicial branches of our government to correct the problems that his book so well describes. My husband and I have spent 40 years in the defense industry, and this book says it all. Thank you Ken Timmerman for having the courage of your convictions.

Mr. Timmerman, a long time investigative reporter with impeccable credentials has compiled and published the results of his investigations (formerly published in different publications) in his new book, entitled 'Selling Out America.' The collection of his published stories in one volume details the chilling breach of US national security and the connections within the Clinton administration. Also included in this well-laid-out publication are his personal notes and insight into how these dealings have been covered up by US officials, including how the Clinton administration removed government employees that failed to follow the new policy of wholesale appeasement to the People's Republic of China and the media counterattack against the Cox Report and any others who dared to investigate.

'Selling Out America' provides the reader with a clear understanding of how the US policy of engagement with the PRC has gone well beyond engagement and entered the realm of kow-towing to the Chinese Communist leadership.

This book is a must read for the American people as the next US president will either clean up or continue this foreign policy disaster.

As citizens, we can make a difference, in the words of Mr. Timmerman: "Resistance is not futile"

This book is not for the beginner as it does not present basic conditioning for someone starting from scratch. For more advanced lifters, the suggestions in the book might be fun. The contra-lateral theory he presents is nearly laughable though.

Darden trains and tracks the progress of two people using the routine described in "42 days". I wish he tracked a larger group of persons and those who are a little more 'ordinary'. He trains one person who is already an accomplished amateur bodybuilder and another guy who is 18, of a hefty frame, and an athlete. I would like to see Darden train someone who isn't a newbie, but who also isn't already a bodybuilder. I would also like to see this routine work on persons of slimmer build and who have a difficult time gaining weight.

I bought this book about four years ago and still keep it handy for ready reference. Sure, there are some negatives to the book such as the contra-training routines (I think Darden found himself needing to fill space with this zinger). However, most else is truthful and helpful. I love the idea of gaining weight, strength and size without drugs and supplements. I basically went from 205 lbs to 228 lbs. in a couple of months. Being a family man with two sons, it was impossible for me to exactly follow prescribed diets, workouts and daily routines but I tried to fit all within my responsibilities and lifestyle. I think the pictures are great; very inspirational. It just strikes me as a more "common sense" approach to weight training and gaining.

Excellent book. Destroys many bodybuilding myths while providing proof Darden's work. Especially like his insistence that supplements are not needed to gain size. Great pictures. Only drawback to book was silly Contra One-Sided Training. Methinks Darden had space to fill and cooked this up. Speaking of that, receipes were excellent as well

This was a well written true crime book. The story was horrible and I just couldn't believe this man could shoot an innocent baby, not once but twice. How bad can a person be? I am an avid true crime buff. This man takes the cake as far as the most cold hearted, creature ever to walk the face of this earth.

This account of a cold-blooded double-murder of the killer's ex-girlfriend and his own daughter is interesting and well written. I especially like that the trial and sentencing were covered but without taking up half the book which often happens in true crime; the reader is not left hanging by not knowing how it ends, yet is not bored with dry legal transcipts and life histories of all the attorneys, either. I highly recommend this book!

I had a very good friend who was shot to death during a domestic disbute. I know what my own range of emotions were then and so I have great empathy for the friends and family of Deborah McCormick as they have tried to deal with her violent and tragic death.
However, I also have known Michael Griffith. Michael was a deputy at the Bay County Sheriff's office when I worked for another law enforcement agency in Panama City . We continued to be friends after I moved to Tallahassee. I knew the woman he was married to when he lived in Panama City. I was present the day her next husband was arrested for having a 3 year long sexual relationship with Michael's 13 year old daughter.Mom was called in for an interview and admitted that she knew about the relationship and had given her consent.
So forgive me if I don't see her cast as the much abused and mistreated ex-wife. We are not talking June Cleaver here.
I was working the night Michael was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. His watch commander called and said one of the local business groups was going to give out the award at their banquet that night and for Michael to go pick it up because no one else wanted to go. That certainly doesn't sell books, does it?
I can assure you that, when a hurricane came through Bay County, we had our hands full just taking care of our county; and that was using every city, county and state law enforcement officer available in our area. There is no way anyone would take a 2 man patrol car and send it 100 miles away to Pensacola to check on a citizen when there are four counties full of law enforcement officers between our county and the misplaced citizen. The inaccuracies go on and on.
I doubt very seriously that any part of this manuscript came from interviews the author held with anyone in Bay County whoever knew Michael. Alot of those people have read the book, and alot of them refuse to believe that he has always been the malicious person this book portrays him to be.
To me, the book reads like a cut and paste job from newspaper stories and trial transcripts.
To portray Michael Griffith as a bad seed from birth may sell a few books. But it NOT an accurate representation of who he was.
Although I don't know who he became after he left Panama City, I know that during the 8 years I knew him he was a good deputy, a good friend and a nice guy. I've known a lot of people who have developed much more agressive personalities after years in law enforcement. I know that in every agency I have been affiliated with we have had our share of loose cannons, addicts, wife beaters and child molesters: we knew who most of them were, but nobody wanted to deal with it at the departmental level.
Those officers usually stay employed until they decided to leave; or they get fired because they go so far off the deep end they can't be concealed from the public any more. At which time their department takes away their gun and their badge and turns them loose on an unsuspecting public...with no safety net for the officer or the public.
If we can't qualify "Little Shop of Horrors" as complete fiction.....please lets not try to qualify it as investigative journalism, either.

I have read hundreds of true crime books. I have until now, never actually considered demanding the author give me my money back! I would send him his book back if it wouldn't cost more than the book did. More than focusing on the story line I found myself "catching" all the mistakes in his grammer. The idea and the story seemed interesting but I just couldn't keep track. When I did finally finish the book I was more mad that I paid money for it. This is one to borrow but not pay for. If you'd like to practice your english skills, this ones for you. Maybe Bill's editor was too busy to edit this one. The pics didn't match the story either. Hope he has better luck with his next book.

I disagree with the other reviewer, who I don't think was fair to this book or its author. While it's not the best I've ever read, it was good and certainly worth the price. I felt I got to know the main characters fairly well, and the trial was covered in some detail without bogging the reader down in dry legal prose. As for the other reviewer's comments about the pictures not matching the text, I have no idea what he's referring to... the pictures were of the crime scene, the victims, and the prosecutors.