"...a high-quality, hard-cover, beautifully crafted book, which could be a gift, a prize possession of a golfing fan or player-or to anyone who enjoys a little humor."

"The Humorous Golf Poetry of Tom Edwards is quite a good read. I got a kick out of it and I'm a pretty tough critic."

"...a delightful new book...Although I'd rather be beaten with sticks as play golf, I thoroughly enjoyed reading his [Edwards'] witticisms. Edwards may not have mastered the game itself, but he is a gifted wordsmith when it comes to describing his sport in verse."

A superb book! I have been in the gaming industry for over 35 years and this book really tells it like it is. I usually find gambling related stories quite boring or too far away from the truth but this is right on target. I would recommend it to anyone interested in knowing what the customer does not see in the gaming world. I have worked in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe and can easily identify with this story.

I, too, was a dealer at one time. Most of the books about casinos are written by those who don't really know what it's like inside. This is a true picture of a dealer's life - everyone who goes to Nevada - or anywhere - to gamble should read this. It's a real eye-opener.

I live in Reno, so the places the author writes about made the book very real to me. It was wonderful reading - I highly recommend it for anyone interested in gambling. A real eye-opener!

The Pearls Of The Stone Man by Edward Mooney, Jr. is a riveting and complex novel of bridging the gaps between generations, and attempting to reconcile in the wake of impending mortality. Joseph and Anne Marion are very much in love even after 53 years of marriage, and find themselves confronting the inevitable reality of eventual one will lose the other in death and be left behind alone for months that could well stretch into years. Love, heartbreak, and adapting to the inevitable progress of time are central and familial themes to this poignant and highly recommended novel that dwells on what it means to be mortal and human.

This is a beautiful story of a man and relationships with his true love, a mountain, and some teenagers in desparate need of love. It's a powerful description of what Joseph goes through after losing the person who mattered so much in his life. It shows that you never stop loving, no matter what. Also, that everyone deserves love. I cried buckets and smiled lots. A well written novel, it's just so great! I want a sequel!!

Edward Mooney has written one of the best books I have read. Not only is he a great author, but I happen to know him personally, my old high school teacher. When reading the book, I didn't want to put it down. If your looking at reading this book or are interested in a great book, then go ahead and read it. This is one that you will not put down, it feels like you are actually in the book and you actually know the people. Mr. Mooney, thank you for being a great teacher and continue with your great work.

Absolutely necessary for anyone who teches reading and phonics to children of any age. This book will give a list of words that contain any phonic combination in the English Language. I highly suggest every teacher own this book. Give them as gifts to new teachers joining your school. Nothing will be appreciated more by any teacher.

As an elementary ed student (I student teach next semester) this book is everything that I have been looking for to help me be a better reading/language arts teacher. I love this book! I liked it so much I took it to school and shared it with my fellow elementary ed students and instructor, and they ALL bought the book too! This is a must-have for any elementary teacher. You won't be sorry.

I use it endlessly even with Kindergartners. Parents ask to borrow it regularly. A must-have!

This is not a review. It is a complaint about the review I just read critisizing the editors of this fine collection. E.E. Cummings HATED that his publishers put his name in all lower case. He was not emphatic about it. He thought it was gimicky and exploitive of his publishes.
Whoa, when'd this horse get so high. ooop
S.

It really is a great collection of e.e. cummings - certainly everything I wanted.

But what's to review - it's e.e. cummings, it's great

Now I must get back to my toboganning into know

Enjoy.

P.S. e.e. cummings was emphatic about his name being in lower case, so I do have to criticize the Editors of this book for putting his name in caps

This review is from a strictly prose guy, as poetry usually goes right over my head. In my efforts to understand poetry, I have discovered that the work of e.e. cummings breaks through the stylistic barriers that make many people shy away from poetry altogether. cummings' use of bizarre spacing, punctuation, and phrasings keeps the reader away from the "sing-song" routine that tends to damage the credibility of many a poem, and cummings uses the art of style to say many things and make many points in just a few words. The most fascinating aspect of cummings' work is letting the small number of words in a poem really sink in until you gain many insights. This book usefully arranges cummings' most noteworthy poems into categories so you can more easily dwell on his major areas of subject matter. cummings did not live the hard life of many noteworthy poets, so a good number of his poems are musings on abstract concepts like life, love, mythology, and mortality. However, his much sharper observations on war, prostitution, politics, and the dark side of urban life can be truly shocking once you delve into their deeper meanings. Contemplating the title of this review, which is also the first line of the poem on page 181 of this book, will help any poetry-fearing reader to dive into cummings' world.

This book is both enjoyable and informative. I will find time to read it again.

I have just read the first three chapters and it looks like I'll finish it soon. Key Financial Instruments is the only readable book on derivatives that I have come across.

incredibly well written - like JK Rowling of Harry Potter and Michael Lewis of Liar's Poker combined

Jim Whittaker began his life with only one real difference from most of us and that is that he had an identical twin. However from almost the day of his birth onward, his life accelerated beyond what is normal for most of us.
Mr. Whittaker enjoyed some luck in his life, particularly his ability to meet and mingle with some very powerful, influential and skilled individuals. He also enjoyed the benefit of his own hard work - from his days at REI to his climb on Everest and his efforts to put Americans on top of K2. He also had his share of bad luck, a divorce and a bankruptcy. This makes this story so much more entertaining because it is real, it is personal, it is something that could have happened to almost anyone with the drive and love of the mountains that Mr. Whittaker possessed.
The accounts of his alpine adventures, whether on Mt. Rainier or Mt. Everest or K2, are gripping, well written and harsh reminders of why mountaineering is not a sport for the faint of heart. Jim lost many of his close friends through out his life and the mountains claimed many of them. Despite any set back however, he pushed onward. This drive doesn't appear to be the result of a lust for glory or wealth but simply an extension of the man himself. In my opinion, his greatest successes are not the mountains he climbed but the peace and love of nature, family, and the mountains that he has helped others find.
This book is well written and easy to read and the pictures included are breathtaking (I wish there were more!). Reading this text will almost assuredly add a name to your list of personal heroes.

One of the truly great climbing books! The work describes this American Hero's life philosophy of learning and truly living. It describes how to take on an acceptable amount of risk and gain from the experience. I found valuable Jim's philosophy (who I met and idolized as a kid) translated into a world well beyond the mountain - into his political friendship with the Kennedy's, his professional life at REI and Magellan GPS; as well as his efforts to foster nothing short of world peace. I kept finding myself wondering if there was anything Jim had not taken on!

The writing is considerably less melodramatic than a great number of climbing/travel logs, which is refreshing. Straightforward and clear, even when discussing the inevitable loss of life involved in mountaineering.

A memorable quote follows: "It's about making the most of every moment, about stretching your own boundaries, about being willing to learn constantly, and putting your self in situations where learning is possible - sometimes even critical to your survival. Being out on the edge, with every-thing at risk, is where you learn-and grow-the most.

An incredible book. Not because of his achievments (which are very impressive), but because he shares his wisdom regarding life. This comes from a man who's seen it all, and has seen life's ups and downs. Highly recommended.

I had only read Edward Bunker's 1st novel before I was arrested for armed robbery and I had this book sent in to me when I was in Snohomish County Jail awaiting sentencing and it gave me a strange courage when I read it. Edward Bunker is the real deal.
Nobody can touch him in terms of understandng and experience. Prison is like war; you can never understand it unless you've experienced it firsthand.Most people will never have to endure what Eddie Bunker(and me) have had to endure but because Bunker is so talented, they can get a little taste by picking up any one of his books; I've read them all and they're uniformly awesome. Edward Bunker is my hero. My first book STONE HOTEL was strongly influenced by him. I think he's the greatest.

I have read all of Bunkers books and love this one . A story of a boy and the cycle of life of crime trouble depression... if youve been there you know already. So there is hope out there a way out of the darkness.. Read all his books.. real gritty gangsta ..

All I can say is that "Little Boy Blue" is a blueprint for how a troubled boy can be transformed into an adult sociopath. Ironically, the system that is supposed to reform him is the culprit in pushing him toward further hopelessness and delinquency. Alex Hammond is basically a good kid with good instincts who is battered by authority until he lashes out and becomes submerged in hatred. There are many instances when he can choose between obedience and rebellion, and even though he inevitably decides to rebel, he often seems to have little choice. Frustration with a dictatorship of adults who have little patience or tolerance for the special needs of this disturbed boy sends him hurtling on a collision course with tragedy. Especially troubling is the scene where Alex is placed with relatives who are inflexible in their method of discipline--he seems to be making slight progress when a fabricated lie shoves him back down the mudslide. Here Alex actually shows a hint of conscience--or has he simply gained dominance over the aggressor? The harrowing course of his life is told in uncompromising, brutally-honest terms. Every professional involved in rehabilitating children should own a copy of this book. It chronicles the downfall of innocence, introducing a doomed child whose life is always threatened by an undercurrent of depression.

I got this because I want to write medieval historicals and needed to know what people ate. This book gives a very good overview of foods available, how they were eaten, table manners, etc.; I just wish it went into just a little more detail. But that's not really what it's about; it's for presenting actual medieval recipes, and it certainly does give a lot of them with modern equivalents.

But what did people eat for breakfast? How widespread was corn or oats? What other kinds of grains were used? What were sub-regional specialties? How much was wine thinned with water? How long could a wine last in those days before it went bad? How often did people get food poisoning?

For what this book was written for, it's an excellent one. For a writer, it's a very good starting point.

This book is great. I went to a so called medieval banquet one semester. Besides the fact that it was pretty lame, the food stunk. (They gave no atmosphere to the whole thing. It was just a wretched overpriced meal.)

All they served was alcohol to drink. Neither my husband nor I drink, so we went dry the whole night. There were a few others like us. Then almost all of the dishes were made with alcohol. And I mean SOAKED in it. Not the kind of meals where most of the alcohol was cooked off. Then the main dish was a skimpy serving of oysters. Needless to say, our palates were not satiated.

Those fools really could have used this book. There are tons of MEAT recipes from chicken to hare. There are numerous soups that aren't made with beer. There are desserts besides rim soaked cake. Lo and behold, there is even almond milk for the non-alcoholic.

The front of the book has some menu suggestions and the back is great for the historian. There is a fair sized section with the recipes in the original language. It's fun to pick through the old wording.

This truly is a wonderful book and the recipes taste great. A must have for anyone who wants to put together a REAL medieval dinner.

I'm one of those people who "read cookbooks like novels". This is definitely a worthwhile read. And the recipes I've tried have been very good.

One of the spice blends that they give has become a staple in my kitchen, the "Sweet spices for many good and fine foods", which I love to use on salmon before cooking. I did make one change (which the authors note many sources recommending) to season "to the taste of the lord" (that's me) -- I changed the bay leaf to dried orange peel. Try it.

Another recipe I will definitely make again is the Asparagus with Saffron.

My one quibble is that the recipes are almost exclusively French or Italian, with very few from England, and none from any other culture. But, since the authors themselves hail from the first two countries, this is perhaps understandable.

Mr. Hess purports to present the first tactical history of one of the most famous military actions of the Civil War. He therefore sets high expectations for himself, perhaps too high. Mr. Hess does accomplish this forensic and encylopedic presentation, but either this approach to the subject or Hess's style is dry and emotionally unengaging. Hess does a great job in researching soldiers letters and accounts of events surrounding July 3, some of which see the light of day for the first time I have no doubt. These annecdotes are wonderful.

Mr. Hess also does a good job in rebalancing the participation of Pettigrew's and Trimble's commands in the charge. Many accounts of this engagement focus on Picketts' Virginians, partly because these men left a better aggregate written record of their impressions, and partly as a result of post-war prowess with the pen.

There are some gaps. The account of the immediate post-charge Confederate impressions is thin. Is it due to lack of data or just lack of presentation? Does Hess credit the account found in many histories that Lee lets loose his despair that night telling John Imboden "Too bad, too bad, Oh too bad." Did that happen? Is it post-war hyperbole? The account is extant but Hess is silent about what he knows about it. You are begging for a glimpse of Longstreet's post-charge movements that night or over the next few days. Who did he talk to? Did Lee and Longstreet meet within the days following the attack? If Hess doesn't report it you are left to conclude it didn't happen, but is that an accurate conclusion? The Imboden encounter leaves doubt about how thorough the author has been.

Hess explained the storied background of the officers and men who participated in the charge. He mentions Waller Tazwell Patton, colonel of the 7th Virginia, but says nothing about his relationship to WWII's George Patton. Perhaps these ommission's are minor. If Hess sets himself such high expectations, however, the reader has the obligation to call him on it if he fails to deliver.

As a Civil War historian myself, I'm only to pleases to recommend this and all of Earl Hess' other fine works. One of the best tactical studies to appear in a long while

I have thought Stewart's "Pickets Charge" to be the best source for the past 40 years. Hess has written a book that will replace Stewart for more than 40 years. While a master of the sources, Hess is a thoughtful military historian and a writer of a judicious narrative. I have been reading, writing and teaching about the Civil War since 1960 (and graduated from Gettysburg College) and Hess tells me things that I never knew or failed to consider. This is an essential book on the Battle of Gettysburg and one of the better military history works at the beginning of the new century.