This book consists of letters written by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. It's extremely heart-breaking to read these letters as they gives "voices" instead of a mere figure. A lot of times, the figure of how many were killed, wounded, missing, etc but it does not portray any "emotions" the soldiers felt. At the end of each letter, the editor includes a few sentences on what happened to the author. It's extremely sad to read how many of those killed were just 19 year-olds, 20 year-olds, and these soldiers were just kids! It makes you think how wasteful, stupid, unnecessary wars are, and the sacrifices that has to be made.

The last chapter of this book speaks a lot. It is chronologically listed and you can see the evolving sentiments of the soldiers. At the beginning of the war, the soldiers were proud to fight against the Communists, how they think the war will be over soon. Towards the end of that chapter, most soldiers were scared, depressed and just wanted to get out of the war... alive! This shows why many Vietnam War veterans suffered from postwar depression as the horror of the war, how their friends, buddies were killed or wounded in front of their own eyes and how many could not possibly forget these horrifying images.

I highly recommend this book as this book speaks a lot. To me, the important message that it is trying to convey is the unnecessary sacrifices that these soldiers have to make, to fight a war that is not theirs, and the horror and bloodiness of the war is vividly described by these soldiers.

I have seen the movie in class last week and my teacher was in the war, but only as an engineer controller down in a ship. When my eighth grade class saw it, it was very good only some parts my teacher cut out because of nudity. I would suggest this boook or movie to anyone that has ever wondered about the Vietnam thing. This "war" that some people like to call it was not a war at all, it was just a police action and the soldiers were the police and we were just looking and were going to arrest the V.C.'s. If you have any problem with what I am saying then you can contact me at my address below. Thank You!

Sarah Quartuccio 14yrs. old

I still remember the day I walked into my college's library back in the late 1980s and saw this publication sitting on the table of new releases. I picked it up and headed for a couch. About six hours, many tears, mixed emotions, and several missed classes later I emerged from that couch and put the completed book back on the table. In those six hours my view about the Vietnam experience and those who fought it changed. The words of those soldiers in their letters are powerful evidence of the collision between innocence and experience that takes place when young men are thrust into battle.

This book should be required reading for all students of that war and required reading for every President who ever contemplates sending soldiers into battle.

This is, by far, the best and easiest-to-understand book on dressage that I have read! I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to understand how to train your horse in a non-confrontational manner up the levels of dressage. This book is a must read for novice or advanced readers!

There is something about the 'master horsemen' that makes them more than great riders. Walter Zettl and Alois Podhajsky are two of my favourites.

They explain dressage, riding, horses and horsemanship with clarity, passion and detail so that you really can learn a lot of lessons by reading their books.

This book will provide you with detailed explainations of dressage movements, aids and training, as well as commenting on common faults and how to address them. Like all the masters Herr Zettl discusses the development of a dressage horse and provides a logical framework for progression (and frequent warnings on the hazards of taking shortcuts).

Along with providing excellent training information, Herr Zettl repeatedly stresses respect and love for the horse. Everyone who has borrowed this book from me has ultimately purchased a copy for themselves!

When I first glanced over Dick's book I thought that it would be based a little too much on his sponser (garden way-great carts by the way, have used them for 20 years) and perhaps some fertilizer company. Although he supports the use of some chemical fertilizers and tills quite a bit more than I might support, he has really terrific organic methods, green manures and old-fashioned thinking that remind me of what gardening used to be - a means to feeding the family with all of the fun short cuts and ideas!
The book has fabulous photos, great wide row and multi-cropping ideas, super tips on all aspects of gardening , and offers insight into maximizing your harvest. His tried and true methods and down-home common sense really make for motivating garden reading! I am going to try to grow sweet potatoes from started slips this year in my community ocean-side garden in Maine, as well as attempt his tomato caging technique with roofing paper. This is a great book to learn heaps about gardening in a simple, friendly way.

I never gardened until I moved to Vermont a few years back. As a city slicker I was amazed a little seed in some dirt could amount to anything. I got a few gardening books to help me, but this one handed to me by my mother-in-law was the very best (I found the others, especially "Gardening for Dummies" a waste of money). Dick's book is filled with photos of just about any run-of-the-mill vegetable (such as the tomato) as well as the more exotic (like my favorite, the brussels sprout). With clear and easy to follow directions and photos, Dick guides you through the process of growing any vegetable successfully. My second season of gardening I had an incredible bounty of tomatoes as my fellow gardeners' tomatoes were hit by blight - I just followed Dick's suggestions for planting and mulching. With the help of this book, I became a somewhat comfortable organic vegetable gardener. I just bought it for a friend on the West Coast as a housewarming gift - he plans to plant his first garden ever, and as he spoke, I just knew this book would help him.

The only caveats I would add are: 1) I did not find much success with his seed-scattering method. For some veggies, he suggests using a wide row and putting seeds in a salt shaker to scatter and over-sow, and then raking through to thin the young sprouts. I did find his wide-row method helpful for planting more in a smaller area, but I found I had to plot out where things would go. 2) This is a book for organic vegetable gardening. If you are interested in commercial pesticides or primarily in flower-gardening, this book is not for you.

Good luck & happy planting!

Some books are like gold-bearing ore--you have to sift tons of words to find a few nuggets. This book has nuggets on nearly every page. And unlike some authors, Raymond is open-minded to the various gardening methods and has tried them. Even better, he has worked in different soils in different parts of the country. And he is innovative.

I am not a fan of tillers and I am biased against chemicals, so Raymond had to overcome my initial skepticism. He did. While he extols the use of his tiller [he has a long relationship with Troy-Bilt, owned by Garden Way, publishers of this book], he also shows how to garden without one. And in most cases he offers organic alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Furthermore, he started out on a farm, paid for his first home with a garden and roadside stand, has appeared in food production documentaries and has given gardening classes throughout the country, face-to-face and on radio and television.

I do not agree with all he writes, nor is he inclusive of all gardening methods, for instance Fukuoka's no-till, Steiner's biodynamics or Mollison's permaculture. But in gardening, the proof is in the eating and it is clear that Dick Raymond eats very well. Beginning, mid-field and advanced gardeners alike will learn valuable techniques for soil enrichment, bed-building, seed-growing, transplanting, spacing, weed-killing and insect-handling. He is excellent on green manure crops, seeding and harvesting. I was especially taken with his Eternal Yield experimental plots, where he imports only seeds and lime but has improved yields and soil over a ten-year period. "My goal was to plant different sequences of green manure crops to see if they alone could provide all the nutrients food crops need. My guidelines were simple: don't add any fertilizer, compost, or manures to the soil. As for organic matter, till under only the crops that grow on the plot. Do not bring in any outside material--no leaves, no mulch, nothing."

This is the best-illustrated gardening book I have found. Hundreds of color photos and drawings on high-quality paper illustrate every lesson. All popular plants are given their own coverage including gourds, peanuts and sunflowers. In the section on pests I learned a technique I am eager to try on the mole army here--sticking pieces of blackberry canes into the runways. There is an insect pest section as well as one on diseases. An eight-page planting guide supplements and synopsizes earlier coverage, there are maps on first- and last-expected frost dates. The index is small but adequate.

Should your budget allow only one gardening book, this is as good as you can do.

If ever there was a book that deserves accolades, this is it. And yet no amount of superlatives could express just how wonderful this book is and what it does to you. It is not so much a book about pain as a book about life. It evokes a sense of gratitude for life that will stay with you for life. How fortunate it makes you feel when you read about both the misfortune and the courage of others. And how the true meaning of life becomes apparent. Without ever telling you what to think, Dr Brand makes you think. He makes you realise that life, with all its challenges, is the great gift. There were times when reading this book that I found myself so moved emotionally that I had to stop reading, almost as if I had to take a deep breath and contemplate what I had just read. And then, slowly, I'd pick the book up again and re-read that moving passage before continuing on. This book is a journey more than a read. It is a journey you will never forget. Please buy it.

As a physical therapy educator in a Masters program I use this book as a central theme in my class. As a PT in neurological rehabilitation I apply this perspective daily in communicating with the people I serve. The "philosphy" that Dr. Brand, through Philip Yancey's always excellent writing, explains and demonstrates is incredibly applicable to each one who reads the book. Any health professional who deals with patients in pain NEEDS to read this book. It provides a perspective of encouragement, of connection to the "gift of pain", and of understanding that although "pain is unavoidable, misery is optional" (Tim Hansel). Most importantly, this book is written with a deep compassion for a person's "holistic" suffering in mind, spirt, and body. It is an inspirational book that will touch your soul. A #1 necessary read!

I learned about Paul Brand's work through "Soul Survivor" by Philip Yancey. I have always loved Yancey's work, and he described how Brand had greatly influenced Yancey as a young man, showing him a true picture of servanthood and love in the mold of Jesus. I ordered "The Gift of Pain" to learn more about Brand and I was not disappointed. Brand describes his childhood as a missionary kid in India, and as a young medical student in WWII England. The book is autobiographical, but more than that, because it weaves in some of Brand's spiritual revelations as well. As the title suggests, much of this book is devoted to the issue of pain. Although we try and avoid pain as much as possible, Brand came to welcome pain as a gift from God. It warns us when we are endangering ourselves, putting the members of our bodies in situations that could be harmful. Leprosy, Brand discovered, is not a disease that rots flesh, but instead dulls nerves. The damaged bodies of lepers are a result of self-inflicted injuries (i.e., stepping on nails, touching something too hot) not from leprosy itself. There are so many lessons to be learned about how we view pain in this book. Also... there is an interesting afterword that compares AIDS as the modern day leprosy.... very interesting.

Paul Scotti presents a thoroughly researched and documented history of the Coast Guard in Vietnam. He expertly uses first-hand sources to supplement and tell his story. Real people with very human emotions and reactions. It is a historical overview but reads like a novel. You will enjoy.

I am a CG Vietnam veteran having served aboard the CG Cutter Chase, CG Squadron 3 in 1969-70. Paul Scotti's book is the definitive book about the CG operations in Vietnam. Paul gets you up front and personal to the point you can smell the smoke and hear the gunfire. His book vividly describes the everyday life of a Coastie in Vietnam be it on the water, in the air or at the base and will touch your hearts as you read not only about combat but about the many humanitarianism projects that the folks back home never new about. After reading this book you will realize just how important and diverse our Coast Guard is and have a new respect for the brave men and women of our oldest "Naval" military service. "I know, I was there". Read this book and you'll be there too!!

Paul Scotti's interesting and well-researched work deserves to be read by all Americans. The Coast Guard is the smallest of the five Armed Services yet arguably provides the public with the most value, dollar for dollar, than any of them. Many Americans are unaware of the myriad duties and responsibilities assigned by law to the Coast Guard, and too many more are incredulous upon learning of the significant Coast Guard presence in Vietnam. This book goes a long way toward telling that story; a story without which the history of American involvement in Vietnam cannot be complete.

I highly recommend all of Dr. Brand's and Yancey's collaborative efforts. This one is fairly short and readable and the emphasis here is on the intricate workings of the human body, and what it suggests to us about how the Body of Christ works or should work. Just the chapter on the properties of bone is fascinating enough to warrant reading this book. The gift of movement, or the protection of our skin, is something we most likely take for granted. Dr. Brand will rob us of that conceit! He also gives examples from his groundbreaking work in treating leprosy to show just how precious a healthy body can be. The real message, however, is that God's design for his church is not accidental- just like a working body, it is intricate beauty, strength, and order in dynamic motion!

Note: This review refers to an additional book, "In His Image" by the same author that I consider a "companion" to this one.

In both these books the authors take us into the world of medicine as seen through spiritual eyes. The parallels between our own bodies and the Body of Christ are fascinating to say the least. Read, for example, how when one area of our physical body is injured an urgent call goes out and hundreds of thousands of cells respond by plugging the holes in the walls, protecting the weak, cleansing the area and rebuilding itself. Read also how the body responds when there is rebellion loose within it. The list includes the workings of: (Fearfully and Wonderfully Made) cells, bones, skin, motion, (In His Image) image, blood, head, spirit and pain.

The reading style is very relaxed and everything is explained simply so that you don't need a degree in chemistry to understand what's going on. A special bonus is Dr. Brand's focus on his life's work with lepers which is interwoven throughout both books. If you've got an interest in how the physical body works and how it relates to biblical concepts, get these books - you won't be disappointed. -- Moza

If you're like me, you have occasionally wondered at the human body. You might have marveled at the birth of a newborn, or wondered how in the world all of your parts work together so well. I am NOT a biology person. I took one course of biology in high school, and that was plenty for me. But this book is *fascinating*. It tells you things about yourself that you would have never guessed. It makes an amazing case for a Creator who uses a specific design in human beings. It makes the case so well that I was overwhelmed at times, gasped, and told whoever happened to be in the room what I had just read.

This book will make you much more confident in your belief in a Creator. It will give you amazing real-life facts that back up the Biblical ones. I have not been the same since reading this book several years ago. I still remember the impact it made on me, and I can still share with others fervently that there is design here. And the design cannot be argued. If you think it can be, read this book.

The stories featured in A. P. Martin's Harnessing the Power of Intelligence are fun to read and talk about, at work and at home. I have used some of them to alert my customer-service team about hidden risks and untapped opportunities. We have been applying the ideas of the first six chapters (Part I) for about three months. Our interactions with customers are yielding better results. We are now moving aggressively to prevent tampering with our information assets as noted in the section titled "How Good Organizations Lose Intelligence".
Four of my high-school educated supervisors, who read the book, found Part I a down-to-earth eye-opener, and right on target, for making wiser choices and avoiding costly errors. They, however, thought Part II would be more applicable to middle and senior management. A drawback: the cases in the chapter on Psychographics lack the detail necessary to be useful.
I have also read C. S. Fleisher's Strategic and Competitive Intelligence. Both books represent, in my opinion, two different, credible and complementary approaches to intelligence-based decision-making. Except for some references, there is virtually no duplication of content. A big bonus!

Alain Paul Martin gives us a new, non-traditional, and thought-provoking guide to intelligence gathering and strategic planning. This book is must reading for decision makers. Its incisive analyses, practical framework, and real-world examples provide valuable lessons that can be immediately put to use as we cope with our ever-changing world. Mr. Martin deserves our congratulations and our gratitude for this masterful work.

"Ninety percent of the information used in organizations is internally focused and only ten percent about the outside environment. This is exactly backwards." -- Peter Drucker

As usual, in one pithy phrase, management sage Peter Drucker captured the central problem facing organizations in uncertain environments -- they look in the wrong place. In volatile times, humans tend to hunker down in the cocoon of the controllable. Effective leaders embrace such times as an opportunity for greatness, when the prepared organization can jump ahead of ostrich-like competition.

Yet, few management advisors opine on how to combat these human tendencies and systematically scan, analyze and act in uncertain environments. Michael Porter's classic works on Competitive Strategy and Competitive Advantage did dispense advice on competitive intelligence gathering, but did not attend to the conversion of intelligence into commercial advantage. Alain Martin's new book "Harnessing the Power of Intelligence" compiles tested processes which create such value.

Martin's frameworks are based on research at American Express, Boeing, Dell, DuPont, GlaxoSmithKline, and Microsoft as well as application of his ideas in businesses, government, and the military. The book has the most up to date, and complete list of intelligence sources. For example, Martin cites the University of California at Berkeley "invisible web" project, which has shown that search engines only document about 15% of the business intelligence available publicly, because the vast majority of it is either not in a standard hypertext format or not linked to a public domain name (the silent campers). His framework on issue incubation, shows that large scale issues go through a relatively predictable process of incubation and development. Many leaders make the mistake of getting on an issue too early or too late. The issue incubation process delineates ways to recognize the progression of topics, and provides advice on if, when and how to intervene. Martin also has a tool called, Factional Analysis that helps a manager analyze who is likely to influence a volatile situation (from allies to adversaries). This tool is much richer than the traditional stakeholder analysis for it includes roles that do not fit in the normal economic calculus. For example, he includes "fanatics" in the analysis -- people whose sole purpose is to disrupt.

A leader can take the advice in this book and use it to guide outward looking intelligence, assess the current state of issues (or do a triage on a surprise event), and then take concerted action.

At points, the book does suffer from the same weakness of Porter's books in that its desire for completeness, the text often has a "list-like" feel. But, on balance this book provides a framework full of tested tools to turn uncertainty into value.

this is shakespeare's most accessible comedy. it's a farce about mistaken identities among identical twins. nothing complicated here. the play has it's funny moments. it's not the bard's best comedy; that's 'much ado about nothing', imho. but this is not a bad place to start.

"Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother."
So says Dromio of Ephesus, one of the members of two sets of estranged twins whose lives become comically intertwined in this delightful, ingenious, & aptly named Comedy of Errors. Being an avid Shakespeare fan and reader, I unequivocally consider The Comdey of Errors to be Shakespeare's finest and funniest comedy. Antipholus of Syracuse and his long lost twin Antipholus of Ephesus along with the two twin servants Dromio of Ephesus and Syracuse become unceasingly mistaken for each other making for a hilarious and entertaining farce of a play.

The Comedy of Errors has been copied many times since in literature, movies, & sitcoms, although it has never been duplicated.

There is no doubt that this comedy of Shakespeare's is delightful, crazy fun. You could call it the father (or mother) of all sit-coms. The play is suitable for middle school production and viewing, with some modifications. For my students and myself I prefer the Folger's edition of Shakespeare's plays for three reasons. First, the footnotes are easy to read and across from the text. 2. The choice of illustrations and 3. The introductory information. When purchasing for my students, though I have tried other publishers, I now always choose Folgers.

Anna was left resposible to care for Winston, Mrs. Wiggins' pony while she was on a trip.Winston is a very special pony,not only because Mrs.Wiggins loves him,but because he pulls the cart every year in the spring parade.Then,everything goes wrong and Winston gets sick and dies...how will everyone do? What about the parade? The Pony Pals have it all figured out......

Have you ever lost your best friend? Well my best friend is my pony and I hope he never dies!

When the Pony Pals friend Ms Wiggens is away in Boston the Pony Pals agree to visit her horse Picasso and old pony Winston. Then Winston gets sick. Pam and Lulu know that his time has come but Anna can't take it. Acorn and the Pony Pals have to help Anna cope but one problem remains. Now who will pull the cart to lead the big parade? Can Acorn do it? Read this book and find out!

I thought this book was extremally sad I even cried during the bit with Ms Wiggens coming home. I have a pony and I would be devastated if he died(his name is Acorn!)

Ms Wiggens is training Anna and Acorn for the Wiggens Winter Festival. When she has to go to a painting show in Boston she asks Anna and her Pony Pals Pam and Lulu to visit her pony Winston and horse Picasso. The Pony Pals discover that Winston is sick so along with Acorn they help take care of him. Anna is convinced that Winston is okay but Pam and Lulu know the time has come. Can they help Anna say good-bye? Also with Winston on his death bed Anna isn't sure if there will be a pony leading the parade. Can Acorn do it? A very sad but nice book.