It is a good chance not to miss this book for the engineers in the fire protection field.

Written in 1870, when Trollope was at the height of his powers, Sir Harry Hotspur is a moving story of greed, courtship, and conflicting emotions. The story is simple. Harry Hotspur is immensely wealthy. He has lost his son, leaving him with just a daughter for as heir to his fortune. His daughter loves a low life cousin who wants her money. The financial troubles of the cousin, and the emotional conflict between father and daughter create the drama of this fine short novel.

The Songwriters handbook is an outstanding book all in all, over all.It just has one drawback that weighs the heightened excellency down...and that is the creativity point of view.Tom Hall does a wonderful job of explaining the different ways to approach and take up songwriting, but he also tends to pull your creativity out of you.I bought this book hoping it would help me make my lyrics more creative...you know, make you dig more to reveal the idea and point the song is trying to bring across.The songwriter's handbook wants you to make everything simple and clear.Besides that, this book is a goody.

This book is the second and most comprehensive of three reports edited by Brotchie, Hall and Newton. This volume is based on an international workshop held in Melbourne in 1985. The first report was published as The Future of Urban Form: The Impact of New Technology (Brotchie et al. (ed.), Croom Helm, London and Nichols, New York) in 1985.

The book is divided into four segments, focusing respectively on the "emerging information economy", the role of information technologies in this economy, the geographical patterns of production and consumption of these new technologies, and the role that government policy is playing and could play in future.

The emphasis is on macroeconomics and spatial issues at the scale of cities and above. Some mention is made of the "household economy" and retailing, but there is scant commentary on the impact of information technology on places at the neighborhood, store or home level.

I found the most useful factoid to be reference to the three types of structure that would be affected by technology: social, economic and spatial. This volume focuses on the interaction of the economic and spatial factors.

Many of the authors, and Hall in particular, explore the implications of a shift from an industrial to an informational economy. They conclude that growth favors existing world cities and some more specialized smaller service centers, at the expense of old-line industrial cities.

The expected impacts of the new technologies on the formal economy have a rather quaint and dated air - understandably, since the work is more than a decade old. For example, it is argued that computing breaks down the physical constraints of the physical body, putting it on a par with the freedom and capacity of the human mind and leading to pervasive and effective tele-presence. Information technologies are seen as space-extending, allowing individuals and firms to operate within geographically larger sets of boundaries. It is argued that the new technologies will benefit larger retail chains operating in suburban centers at the expense of the smaller street-corner shop.

The third segment on new technology and space explores mostly the regional/global disposition of new technologies. The fourth segment on policy likewise focuses on interventions at a regional/national level that could lead to increased competitiveness.

This is a good history of the silicon valley giant Sun Microsystems. The material is of course somewhat dated now, but nonetheless provides the read with a good background.

If you want to know something about Sun, pickup a copy.

John Hall Wheelock, the American lyric poet, is probably best remembered, in the words of P. G. Woodhouse, as "the man who wrote the poem about having a black panther caged within his breast." Certainly he is one of the most under appreciated American poets of his generation. Wheelock graduated Harvard in 1908 as editor of the Harvard Monthly and the class poet. Eventually he would rise to become senior editor at Charles Scribner and Sons, where he worked with Thomas Wolfe and James Truslow Adams, but mainly he wrote verse. In 1936, his published volume of Collected Works was awarded the Golden Rose by the New England Poetry Society, as that year's most distinguished contribution to American poetry. In 1962 Wheelock won the Bollingen Prize and in 1972 he was awarded the Gold Medal by the Poetry Society of America for notable achievement in poetry. "This Blessed Earth" collects poems that were published between 1927 (although, some, like "Aphrodite" were written as early as 1906), and 1977, a year before Wheelock's death. As Wheelock once said, "in poetry, words are employed more as an end, and less as a means merely, than is the case with prose." His poetry, such as "Night Thought in Ages," is lyrical without taking full flight. Ironically, more than any of his poems I have used instead Wheelock's description of the role of the poet: "The statements of science are hearsay, reports from a world outside

I was undecided on whether to give this book two stars or three. Everything I've read lately of John Saul's has been so bad I wonder why I keep going back to him. With this novel, I remembered, if faintly, why I once enjoyed him. If there were a two-and-a-half vote, I'd give Nightshade that honor.

It's not bad. Luckily, Saul goes into more of the gorier, disgusting scenes he was so good at in 'Second Child'. The storyline, though, was much the same; the family falling apart at the seams, the distrust and suspicion of everyone in town, the old family "secret", the slow loss of sanity of one of the main characters...nothing ever seems to change much in his plots. The names and locations may change, but the basic story remains the same.

Given that, this was much better than his recent efforts. I didn't find myself as bored with the story; in fact, I sped through it in two days to get to the end. If you are a previous Saul fan, you should and probably will read this one. I'll keep reading as long as he keeps writing. Hopefully soon he can come up with a slightly different story.

This was my first John Saul novel. I had read reviews on some of his books and after finishing the book I agree on many things. John Saul doesn't twirl and shape the words in endless paragraph that extend the book another 100 pages like Dean Koontz. Nor does he create a personal story for most of the characters like some of my favorite St. King's. The writing works most of all to keep the story moving forward, sometimes a little too quick. Now I'm not saying this bothers me that much. In the specific case of Nightshade I found the first few chapters really great as Saul tells the story of this old woman with Alzheimer disease and in some parts did really touch me (like when he relates how Emily began forgetting everybody little by little till everyone seemed to be a stranger). However the book later focuses on the teenager Matt whose life just shatters after a terrible accident. Everything that comes next just seems to make Matt's situation worse and there is not the slightest hint of things getting better. In my opinion this is what's wrong with this book because in the end (I'm not gonna tell it dont worry) things kind of fix too fast, too conviniently. Still it was an easy read, nice to engage with for a couple of nights. Some graphic gorish details.

Nightshade is a poisonous European plant, also known as Belladonna. This title implies that something is deteriorating rapidly - the world of New Hampshire's Hapgood family. Actually one more meaning, I'll mention it later in this review.

Let's start with the Hapgood house, we've Matt Moore, his mom Joan, his stepdad Bill Hapgood and his grandmom Emily Moore.

Life looks great and sweet but it starts turning to nightmare when Emily (she has Alzheimer's Disease, a brain disease that impairs mental and emotional functions) accidentally burns down her own house and moves in with the Hapgoods. Then Emily claimed Cynthia (who is Joan's sister and dead) has returned. Moreover, Matt starts to have erotic dreams that Cynthia satisfies herself on him and leaving behind the pungent scent of her Nightshade perfume. Then one day Bill is killed while hunting with Matt and no doubt Matt is then accused to be the killer. Finally, Joan is trying to find the real killer and the story continues...

The author weaves a fascinating prose with dark family incidents. Trepidation, dread, doom all gathering. It's a enjoyable read of horror and suspense.

The novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles is a great story about friendship in a time of war. The setting is a boarding school for boys in New Hampshire named Devon. The two main characters, Gene and Finny, are enjoying a summer and then school year of innocence, while the rest of the country is off at war against Germany, Japan, and Italy (World War II). However, a different kind of war creeps silently into Devon when Gene becomes jealous of Finny, his best friend, and wrongfully suspects him of deliberately wrecking his grades. Finally, after an epiphany, Gene comes to the truth about how Finny is just too good a person, and the battle was all in Gene's head. That night, the boys are making a midnight jump from a mammoth tree near the river, when Gene subconsciously "jounces" the limb causing Finny to fall and shatter his leg. This is the end of Finny's brilliant athletic career. The remainder of the story discusses Gene's inner examination of his evil heart and his becoming more mature as he takes responsibility for his actions.
All of the characters in the story are extremely plausible and well rounded. Gene especially, has mental battles with his evil heart and spends much of his free time pondering Finny's motives. Finny is a very idealistic character with a kind heart and innocent mind. Indirectly, this innocence leads to his death, as he wasn't able to survive the "war". The theme can be interpreted many ways but all are very complex and involve the loss of innocence and the potential for evil in the human heart. The greatest battles against evil are those fought in the human mind.
I felt that this story moved at a moderate pace, although some parts were bogged down with description. There is a great deal of symbolism in this story concerning a war motif and a Garden of Eden motif. This is a good story on its own, but is much more interesting and puzzling when read between the lines when you take the symbolism into account.
John Knowles did an excellent job on this novel, but I felt that one thing could be changed. The epilogue summarizes the remainder of Gene's life and war experiences in only a few sentences. This could have been explored further.

A Separate Peace is a novel by John Knowles about one man's fight to strengthen his character throughout his high school days. This story takes place at the Devon school, a prep school in New Hampshire during World War Two. This well - written book shows many great struggles in a relationship between two people. This is a good book in my point of view especially since I attend prep school and can relate to some of the same struggles as the main characters Phineas and Gene. Gene explains to his friend in the hospital after Finny has fallen from a tree and has broken his leg, " I jounced the limb. I caused it." "I deliberately jounced the limb so you would fall off." From this moment, this book becomes a battle of truth and conscience. A Separate Peace is a book worth reading for all ages. Any person could relate to Gene and Finny's common struggle between two friends.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles is not the most entertaining book ever, but it is a fairly decent read. Knowle's main strength throughout the book is his ability to develop the characters, keeping their personalities clear while revealing their inward struggles. In two particular scenes, Knowles masterfully develops the characters involved. First, when Gene pushes Finny off the limb, and second when Gene visits Leper at his house. Character development by Knowles is seen when Gene pushes Finny off the tree. This development shows a second side different from Gene's normally quiet, almost obedient side. Gene says, "Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb"(52). This expansion in character provides a great spur to the story because Gene's struggle returns throughout the story. The author does a hands down job of describing Gene's twisted, evil side without discrediting Gene's good side. The actual jouncing of the limb in the story was dulled so that Knowles could create inward struggle. John Knowles uses understatement throughout the novel to illustrate a character's flaws without having them necessarily take over. This character development launches the story. Knowles also illustrates good character development in the scene when Gene goes to Leper's house after Leper has escaped from the army. Knowle's skill is best seen when Leper says, "You're thinking I'm not normal, aren't you? I can see what you're thinking-I see a lot I never saw before-'his voice fell to a querulous whisper'-you're thinking I'm psycho"(135). Knowles does a superb job here explaining how Leper has changed by indicating internal struggle. He indicates struggle is Leper by keeping Leper's character clear when he calms down (he communicates almost normally with Gene at those points), while bringing out Leper's crazy, mixed up side early and late in the scene. After this quote, Gene realizes that Leper has cracked. He gets almost petrified at what Leper says about him and also about what has happened to Leper. This development in Leper is a surprise to everyone, and it turns the book from its climax to a downward spiral leading to the grand finale. A Separate Peace is a good book, and though it is not the best ever, it is worth reading. John Knowles brings out the best and the worst in all of the characters, and also involves a great plot. The struggles that the characters have with finding their identities make this book a good read.

"Profiles in Courage" does not belong to any of my preferred genres. I became interested in it after researching John Quincy Adams. The film "Amistad" started me down this path and eventually led to JFK's Pulitzer Prize winning book. It was written while he was still a Senator and focuses, for the most part, on historic politicians. Kennedy obviously admired these men, not for their great successes but for the personal price they all paid as a result of choosing to do what they felt was right.

Each man gets at most a chapter, and so Kennedy limited himself to one or two important events in their political careers, often their last stand. Not only are these men admirable but they are also very real. He manages to show us the human, less than perfect, side of each while convincing us of their moral strength. Each chapter leaves you wanting to know more about these men, who helped to shape American history.

The nice part about the book, and probably the key reason it won a Pulitzer, is that each event reads like a thriller. These are interesting stories and because Kennedy wrote them in chronological order with a few historic segues, the whole thing holds together to give us a better feel for the sweep of history. We willingly learn about the underlying currents that can inexorably drive a country in a certain direction.

"Profiles in Courage," is an easy read that teaches as it entertains. Kennedy seems to be encouraging us to look back at a past where "politician" was not a dirty word and in so doing, we are left with the suspicion that Kennedy himself, was trying to live up to those outmoded ideals. Knowing his fate, every word seems to have a poignant aura that makes it all the more memorable.

Kennedy has proven time and time again that his writting is impecable. I understand he went through a large ordeal with this book where he was accused of having the volume ghost-written for him, but if you read his other works you can tell this is a false accusation.
Profiles in Courage tells stories of a different kind of courage, a political courage many of our present Senators and politicians lack. If this book is not mandatory for your college or high school studies, then all students and lovers of history should seek this book and take advantage of its wonderful stories and great writing.

The book changed the course of my life and I highly recommend it, especially for high school students. The book has always been recognized from its well-known author, the late John F. Kennedy. I doubt that he is the true author of the book, but it does not make a difference because the book definitely changed my life. To Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Sam Houston, Thomas Hart Benton, John Quincy Adams and many other remarkable politicians - it is a history book in itself. Most students will not take much pleasure in reading this book, but in a select few - it will simply open new doors of information and knowledge. It plainly lays out a short history of American politicians that went against the mainstream for the betterment of the country. But these men were not saints, but politicians voting what they thought was the right thing to do. "Profiles in Courage" is an enjoyable book that introduces you to important characters in American politics and get a sense of American history that is ignored in your history book. I found the book extraordinarily inspiring that I wanted to be a history teacher. I am right now a second year student at Indiana State University majoring in History. I recommend this book to people that want to learn "a little bit" about American political history.

...

Very similar to earlier, much scarier best-sellers such as "The God Project" and "Creature", this Saul novel is a little more subdued than many of his pervious works. The story takes place in Haleakala, Maui, among the best (and most volcanic) beaches in the world. Katherine Sunquist, an anthropologist who has come to the islands to study unusual skeleton remains gets much more than what she ever bargained for. Her teenage son Michael has just made the track team and is finally fitting in, yet his physical condition seems to be diminishing and she comes overly concerned. She becomes even more worried when one of Michael's friends unexpectadly dies while walking in the middle of the road. Katharine's biggest fears may become a reality as evidence shows that the organization she is working for may be putting all of its funds into an investment in medical terror--and Michael is the scapegoat. Not violent or scary, yet an intriguing novel none-the-less. Not one of Saul's very best, but certainly worth a read if you're a fan.

The Presence, by John Saul, is a truly gripping and exciting read that totally throws the reader into the content of the story and truly makes the reader feel as though the far-fetched nature of the novel could actually be feasible. The novel's focus on main character Michael Sundquist and his unwilling involvement in one of the most influential and terrifying scientific discoveries of all time. This book not only discusses the possibility of life outside of the confines of earth, but it also delves into the mystery of creation and simultaneously puts to rest all past speculation on either of the two topics. Saul has created a novel that can stand the test time because of universal nature. While the book has a slow beginning it ultimately develops into a tale that the reader cannot wait to finish and discover. John Saul sets up the book so that even readers that do not have a strong scientific background are able to understand the vast scientific concepts that are contained in the novel. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for and exciting read that will bring them into a world full of mystery and suspense.

I have recently just finished reading the book titled "The Presence." I feel that this book was really good. The reason why I think this is because it gives you a feel of what the main character "Michael" is really going through. The book is about Michael having trouble with a bully at his school. When Michael's mom finds a job in Haleakala, Maui she decides that she should take it because it would be a whole lot better for Michael and his mom moved there. When he arives there he starts having the same problem as he was in his other school but this time it is a little bit worse because there was more than just one bully. After a few weeks he starts making friends and he is having a really great time scuba diving and school. He even saved a life and made a friend all one day. Suddenly when something happens to Michael's best friend a horrible truth dawns.

Once you read the book you will really enjoy it. You will also want to read more of his books because his style is really cool. I have read a couple of John Saul's books and I have really understood what type of style he has and I really enjoy reading it. This book is some what like the book "Whispers" By: Dean Koontz.They are both kind talking about presences in a different way. If I were to choose which book would have a higher rate I would choose " The Presence" because it is a better, just how it slowly starts coming together than telling you the whole thing at once. If I rated this "Whispers" I would give it about a 3.5.The reason why is because at first the book really starts off at a fast pace. I really recomend "The Presence" to all of my friends and family members because it is a really great choice of book for anyone into mystery and horror types of books.