This well written book gives the beginner investor the information needed to understand investing in stocks.

The book goes through setting your goals, assesing your risks and rewards. It teaches you about common and preferred stocks and the basics of buying and selling stocks.

There is a chapter on different investment strategies and then the book takes you into fundamental and technical analysis of a stock.

Finally the book touches on mutual funds, rights, warrants, and options.

All in all this is an excellent book and is one that any beginner investor will learn a lot from.

This is an excellent book for any one who wants to know about stock market terms and how it works. Chapters on Mutual Funds, Options, Rights.. are also very informative. A must read for anyone before starting to invest in stocks. Worth for the money.

This book is written well enough to be used in a college course on the stock market. I cant say its helped me make money in the market with all the problems that have come about recently. This book will teach you enough about the technical side of stock trading, but not about managing a portfolio of stocks and mutual funds.

I finally found a copy of this book and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed at all. This book gets right to the roots of the rock and roll explosion out of the Pacific Northwest in the 50's and 60's. Don did a good job selecting the bands to be represented. I know he could not cover them all in the space of a single volume. This book needs a volume II and a volume III or more to tell the full story. Still, this single book is the best published on the subject so far. It needs to get back into print... NOW!

It is driving me absolutely nuts that I can't find a copy of this book that I can keep for my own. This is another good work about the music scene in the Pacific Northwest. It covers the bands and venues in and around Portland and Seattle quite well, but as with so many works, Tacoma (which had a large, vibrant and lively music scene) was largely ignored. That is too bad. There were so many great bands in Tacoma, and great musicians that went on to have successful careers with other groups. Other than that, this is an excellent reference and research tool... and a good read for those who just want to read the story. If anyone ever wants to part with a copy, please let me know. SamCarlson@TheRegents.net

If you are into the Pacific Northwest Sound of the '60s, this is the most complete book on the market anywhere!! It doesn't leave ANYBODY out! The Viceroys, Wailers, Kingsmen, Ventures, Sonics, Beachcombers, Bards, Counts, Don & The Goodtimes, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Jim Valley, Dave Lewis, Doug Robertson, and many more!!! Even "Jerden" and "Bolo Seafair Records" companies are listed!!! This book is from A to Z, all inclusive! All played by "KJR Seattle - Channel 95" No Disappointment!!

I liked the book, and enjoyed reading it. It is one of those books that grabs you quickly and you don't want to put it down. You're always wanting to know...and then what happens. And along the way, the author made some really good points. I commend Mr. Hall.

Don Hall has, in a gentle and humorous manner, has gone to the root of how traditional religious views as well as contemporary "new age" religions have missed the mark in uplifting the human spirit. His take on how we all can address these shortcomings is direct and logical, yet still quite spiritual. Bravo!

An inspiring story, that looks at God, the Universe, and Everything, from an a-typical perspective. The book is warm, funny, sad and happy at once, and makes me appreciate the wonder of it all!

Norman Wisdom touched my heart when I was just a boy and he has never let go. After reading his autobiography, DON'T LAUGH AT ME, I was moved to tears with the sadness and heartache he had to endure in his childhood days. To say Norman's life was an emotional rollercoaster would be an understatement, but do not fear, for as many tears of sadness in this book, there are tenfold the number of tears of laughter.
If you like Norman now, you will want to adopt him as your grandfather by the time you read this book. A great biography, I highly recommend it.

For years Norman Wisdom has delighted audiences with his wonderfully self-depricating comedy. His remarkable story - his working-class background through to his rise to fame and top-of-the-bill appearances at the London Palladium - is charted in this the first part of his autobiography. This book scores over other showbiz biographies thanks to Wisdom's warmth, affection, and sheer humility, and, above all, this story of "working-class lad makes good" serves as an uplifting reminder to us all that, with hard work and determination, one can achieve anything.

can i have a joke book i want to play tricks on my friend it's fonna be good please send me one.

As someone who is appalled by the passive learning and hypocricy inherent and unchallenged in our educational system this book was an INSPIRATION to me. I found a copy several years ago at a thrift store in Chicago and among other things the book inspired me to create a radical student action committee at Teachers College Columbia University (oh let's just say they HATED me at TC). This book is the incredible account of two "hippy" sociology professors who challeneged the ENTIRE educational system and attempted to create classes that fostered "active" relevant and meaninful learning for their students. They refused to assign grades to assignments and generally ruffled LOTS of feathers! At one point, one of the co-authors publicly burned his doctoral dissertaion instead of handing it in. The best part of the book is the account of how they responded to then Governor Ronald Reagan's attempts to censor a work of nude student sculpture. The authors created a class called "The Myth of Obscenity" in which they set up three projectors: one showing a police training film, one showing a 7th grade sex education film and another showing a porno film - these images were projected side by side for their students while live naked models approximated the poses of the nude sculptures that Reagan had banned from campus. Needless to say, they were canned shortly thereafter. What an INCREDIBLE little book! If you can find this at your library or Salvation Army store or here at Amazon - PLEASE read this book!

Dan Gauss

Don Ball, Jr. was a flat-out genius. An artist with a camera. His pictures in this book are brilliant. On top of that, the man was a poet. His descriptions of the old railroads and the settings for his shots are everything from rhapsodic to humorous to downright heartbreaking. There's not a lot of text to this one, just enough to complement the photos, one on each page, each carefully crafted. Thanks to Amazon for making this available through their used book network...

Patti is truly a gem to be cherished. She is truly a living testimony. Through the tears and the pain, heartache and betrayal, Patti rises above it all, to show that there is gold at the end of the rainbow of life. This book is no less than remarkable, compelling, and exceptional. As you read, it leaves you, not only not wanting to put it down, but selfishly wishing for a sequel. Patti's life has only just begun, and through "Don't Block The Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime," Patti shows us, without reservation, that we can truly overcome anything, as long as we don't block the blessings. Everything in life happens for a reason, and if you learn from each life's experience, you will transcend and begin to appreciate people, as well as yourself, just don't block the blessing.

Don't Block the Blessings is an excellent book. When I began to read the first couple of words, I knew that this would be one book that I would not be able to put down. I often found myself reading the book while taking tests, taking a bath, while exercising, and sometimes while riding in the car. I think that the reason it caught my attention was because some of the issues that Mrs. LaBelle faced, I have gone through also. Although I am only sixteen years old, I have been in similar situations. Like Patti, I have often feared death, and I let that bother me for so long. I have lost an aunt, tragically, and me not being able to say to her what I needed to say still haunts me. After reading the book, I've learned to deal with my problems, as did Patti. I know Mrs. LaBelle will remain a true inspiration in my life because through her book, and through God, she has helped me to learn to never block the blessings. I believe that if America were to live by this motto, it would be a much better place. We need more people , like Mrs. Patti LaBelle, to speak out and help make this world a better haven. I commend her and may God continously bless her. I will remain her number one fan!!!

This book has truly been a blessing to my life. After reading it four times, I have been compelled to stop complaining and appreciate life, for I am truly blessed. Patti is truly a gem. She is a living testimony. Through the tears and the pain, heartache and betrayal, like a phoenix, Patti rises above it all. She shows that there is gold at the end of the rainbow we call life. This book is no less than Remarkable, compelling, and exceptional. Patti tells all, and each revelation brings about a major learning experience that makes her the powerful, spiritual, and "down-to-earth" Diva that she is today. As you read, it leaves you not only NOT wanting to put it down, but selfishly wishing for a sequel. If there were a class on autobiographies of the stars, this would be a Required Reading. Patti's life has only just begun and through "Don't Block The Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime," Patti shows us, without reservation, that we can truly overcome anything, as long as we don't block the blessings. Everything in life happens for a reason, and if you learn from each life's experience, you will transcend and begin to appreciate people, as well as yourself, ...just don't block the blessings

There are veterans and there are veterans, but then there are
"Professional Veterans".

Over the years, millions of books
have been written by "combat authors", expounding on their
exploits, their heroics, regardless of war; the main theme which I've
gathered from all of these books has been "This war could not
have been won if it wasn't for me being in it", or "I won
the war by myself". The books being well written, just like a
typical "Hollywood Script", leaving the reader with that
very impression. These "Hollywood Books" will suffice the
average reader, fulfilling a need for adventure. In reading "I
Served" by Don and Annette Hall, the reader isn't left with the
two above characteristics (the book is well written too), it relates
the saga of a unit, not just about a man who served in that unit,
Co. F (LRP), 51st Infantry (Airborne). While I personally didn't care
to read about another's hardship in his early years, it set the stage
for what the author endured for the sake of life, it made the man, THE
MAN. Readers are offended about exposing the fact that mercenaries
were employed by the U.S. in the war, yes the U.S. Government did
employ mercenaries, and they were ruthless
adversaries. ... Recommending the book to a histroy student is a must,
if that student wants to read the facts about one unit and the war
which one man endured. If the student wants to read real fiction, try
one of the other million books available on the subject.

War is
always hell, dying is the easy part, surviving it is harder.

I read I served by Don Hall in two nights. It was so riveting I could not put it down I had to read one more page until three in the morning each night. I was in Vietnam during Tet of 1968 at Plantation Army airfield in Long Bien. I served with the 195th. Assualt Helicopter Company. I supported F. Co. 51st Inf. (Airborne) LRPs until May of 1968 when my helicopter was painted Camo (first ones in the Army) and I was assigned to MACV- SOG. Our first platoon kept on supporting F. Co 51st Inf (Airborne) LRPs. Don's story of his upbringing in an orphanage where he met his wife and then his tour with one of the greatest LRP companies to serve in Vietnam is compelling reading for anyone who would like to get a feel for combat in Vietnam. I have given the book to others to read and they all agree with me you can't put it down. As a Soggie I have supported the best and Don Hall's book tells it like it is. Don has searched the Army's achives and obtained the after action reports so his story is woven with the actual facts.

A well written factual account of what it was like to be a LRP in Vietnam.

'I Served' is excellent. It is a very honest and moving account of
what many young men went through when they served our country during the
Vietnam war. I'm not a military buff, so this was the first military
memoir I've ever read. I learned so much from reading it, and have a
newfound respect and compassion for soldiers who are required to fight
in live combat, and in particularly those who have fought with
inadequate support and equipment. The book is also very well written,
humorous at times and a page turner - always interesting. I'm not the
only one who liked it. Don's commanding officer, Colonel Maus (who died
in 1998), liked the first edition of the book so much that he was
influential in getting General Schwarzkopf to grant Don Hall an
interview for the documentary Don and his wife made about Don's unit,
F/51st LRP. The documentary is also excellent, and won a documentary
award at the 2001 Telluride Indiefest Film Festival. It received
extremely high marks from the festival previewers and from the audience.
I've noticed a few of the less favorable reviews about 'I Served' on
this site, and can only say that if anyone questions the veracity of
details portrayed in 'I Served', they can check the national archive
records which are referenced in the back of the book. I met Don and
Annette last year and have become close friends with them. They told me
one of their goals in writing 'I Served' was to write an exciting book
that was based on fact, and that did not rely solely on 30-plus-year-old
personal memories. That's why Don acquired the thousands of pages of
National Archives documentation on his unit and the units F/51st LRP
operated for. Apparently, most Vietnam memoirs are written without using
any official National Archives documents as reference material. From
what I understand, it's a time-consuming and expensive task to acquire
all that information, or the authors don't know where to get it, so they
rely on their memories to write their books. I was very impressed that
Don and Annette went that extra mile to make sure their book was
accurate. I'm honored that they are my friends, and grateful that they
wrote this very important, and very readable, book.

In Libra, Delillo deals with one of the most well-known and well-documented events in recent history. The volumes of information, of images, of rumor, of intrigue dominate the story of JFK's assassination. Wisely, Delillo chooses to focus on a more peripheral and much less understood individual, Lee Harvey Oswald. There are so many contradictions in the case for and against Oswald. Was he alone? Was he innocent? Was he part of a team? These questions slide into obscurity as Delillo reconstructs Lee Harvey Oswald/O. H. Lee/A. J. Hidell/William Bobo. The inconsistent Oswald.

The book unfolds with alternating chapters between two narratives of the past, and one in the present [1988]. One of the pasts is Oswald's life starting as an adolescent boy in the Bronx, which eventually collides with the other, beginning in April 1963 as a group of disenfranchised former CIA men decide to create a plot to make an attempt on the President. They do not intend to kill him. Shoot and miss is the plan. But as Delillo famously says, "Plots carry their own logic. There is a tendency of plots to move toward death." So here we have a postmodern explanation for the mystique of conspiracy theory. There isn't an ordered lattice of events and characters, conducted by a deliberate intelligence. There is chaos, only ordered by a downward tendency toward death and destruction. It's Chaos Theory applied to human and political systemms.

Libra is also Delillo's most accessible book, at least in the context of the others I have read, (all but Underworld, The Names, and Mao II). Unlike White Noise, the people in Libra seem somewhat real. They are not totally so for that would mean that we understand them, which we don't. Delillo always creates fractured, composite views of his characters. We get glimpses, often contradictory, into their past and their intentions. Maybe it's because I have read a lot of his work, but Delillo's philosophic statements, if you can even call them that, are much more connected to the narrative here than in his other work. For example, Nicholas Branch, in the present day narrative, is a contemporary CIA analyst poring over all the data on the assassination. At one point he begins examining the physical evidence. There are so many abstractions and difficulties in this investigation that the presence of real objects provides a glimpse of something like truth. "The Curator sends the results of ballistics tests carried out on human skulls and goat carcassess, on blocks of gelatin mixed with horsemeat...They are saying, 'Look, touch, this is the true nature of the event. Not your beautiful ambiguities.'" These sections contain some of the most poignant and valuable insight in any of Delillo's work I have seen.

Libra is an interesting, if somewhat complicated work that both illuminates and obscures the character of Lee Harvey Oswald. This isn't as frustrating an experience as it might sound. By the novel's conclusion it would be cheap to wrap up such a sad and desolate story with niceties and tidy endings.

Not being a major scholar in the conspiracies and ideas bouncing around about the Kennedy assassination, I have absolutely no idea how factual Delillo is being in this book as concerned with major figures, events, etc. And I really don't care. The only thing that I used when deciding whether I liked the book or not is whether it entertained me and made me think. And it sure did. Delillo presents another version of the famed assassination, focusing more on the mind and manners of one Lee Harvey Oswald and how he might have got sucked into a conspiracy to kill the President. Or something. As the book starts out, the goal is to not kill the President but to make it seem like someone is trying so that everyone will blame the Cubans (the Bay of Pigs invasion still fresh in everyone's mind). From there, things get . . . strange. The plot flips back and forth from Oswald and how he goes about his short life (his mother gets most of the best monologues) from America to Russia and back again, all the while interspersing it with the various characters who interacted and might have had something to do with the assassination. Which makes everything confusing and earlier portions of the book slow, as you're trying to figure out just where this is all going. However, this is a slow burning intense book, where the suspense leading up to the action is longer than the event itself. Delillo uses his masterful command of the English language to craft an insular paranoid world for the reader, without going nutty with conspiracies, he puts forward a fictional version of how things might have happened and makes you believe it. Everyone is drawn three dimensionally, including Oswald, who is seen as more of a tragic figure but at the same time knows exactly what he's doing and how people will perceive him forever. Delillo's writing is full of surprising phrases, just when you think he's dipping into the waters of Hemmingway and not being that descriptive, he throws out seemingly random comments that make everything fall into place perfectly, or turn everything on its head and make you reconsider. By the end, his writing has been polished to a spare, desolate beauty and ending of the book is one of the most touching I've read in a while. With the events of that grim day in November already spelled out for everyone, Delillo's makes it his task to make you know the people (perhaps) and he passes that with flying colors. If you can keep the time lines (he mucks things up even more by throwing in some guy who is researching the assassination for the CIA years later) and the people straight, you'll have a grand time. Whether you think it was a lone gunman or an army of them, you won't go wrong with this book.

Don Delillo is one of the best American writers out there. In Libra, his ninth novel, reflects on one of the most tragic and memorable events in US history: the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He turns his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, into the protagonist by reflecting upon his troubled life, and an antagonist for obvious reasons. Many conspiracies and coincidences are made evident by Delillo, like Oswald's life in the USSR and the FBI's involvement w/ Oswald, and JFK. It all leads to the focal point of the entire book, though it is predictable since we all know what happens. It leaves you in suspense throughout the entire book and it is very exciting and well-written.