Inspirational. Profound. Practical. A companion.

A one page/three-minute read every day. And an opportunity to plumb the depths of what it means to be a man or a woman.

Philosophy has been called: The Queen of all Sciences. These meditations are from the mind of a brilliant philosopher. A great intellect. An extraordinary human being. A man who has used his mind to reason to Truth. A Truth reflected in his personal life. A life that has transcended and soared above personal tragedy, Naziism, Communism, and Modernism.

This book provides the reader with a few minutes each day to reflect on what is most meaningful to each of us: relationships, work, marriage, family, sex, education, success, failure, suffering, tragedy, death, life.

"Prayers and Devotions: 365 Daily Meditations" is a reflection of other writings by John Paul, such as "Fides et Ratio", which is a treatise discussing the interdependence and complementarity of Faith and Technology. "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth---in a word, to know himself---so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves."

From "Veritatis Splendor": "The splendor of truth shines forth in all the works of the Creator and in a special way in man, created in the image and likeness of God. Truth enlightens man's intelligence and shapes his freedom, leading him to know and love the Lord. Hence the psalmist prays: 'Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.'"

And from "Evangelium Vitae": "The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as 'good news' to the people of every age and culture."

"Prayers and Devotions" capsulizes much of the thought of John Paul. It is a rich treasure with each page providing jewels to be discovered, polished, and reflected upon. A book to be read, enjoyed, shared, and re-read.

This book is the last book in a series of books issued by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. It is a highly useful and interesting book for any Wisconsin history nut.

In detailing the largest and most significant research study of its type (i.e. The MacArthur Study of Mental Disorder and Violence), Rethinking Risk Assessment describes what is surely to become the seminal work in the area violence and mental illness. The authors point to the methodological flaws in many earlier studies that failed to establish clear links between mental illness and violence. It moves beyond previous studies to point to a clear link between serious mental illness and an increased risk of violence.

Although based upon a North American population (i.e. with its higher societal rates of violence generally) the size of the study, and the relationships it demonstrates suggest that this work has significant implications for other jurisdictions. The book illustrates tools clinicians can use to assist with identification of those with higher for risk of violence.

Although actuarial methods do not offer a panacea for problems associated with risk prediction, they nevertheless provide pointers for increasing the precision with which such assessments can be made. Monahan et. al. acknowledge the limitations of such methods, and point to the complexity of clinical risk assessment for violence potential. The authors also point to the broader contextual, and problematic issues associated with false positives and negatives, in terms of prediction.

Armed with the information contained within this text, clinical staff will have a thorough grounding in the most up to date evidence in the field. This should provide a solid foundation from which staff can approach the complex issue of considering risk assessment generally.

Klippel's "Rheumatology" came as a surprise in its first edition. Now, the second edition probably reinforces its position as the number one textbook of Rheumatology on the market. Not only is it written in an easy, down-to-earth manner (without losing its scientifical objectivity), but it balances depth and focus on every single topic it approaches in a masterful way. To the medical student it provides the basics in a comprehensive approach, while providing all of the juicy tidbits of information, along with the clinical evidence that the resident and the practicing rhumatologist needs. It also constitutes an excellent source of practical illustrations, diagrams and clinical photography. The clinical cases of each section allow for a perfect correlation between the theory and the clinical, everyday challenges. All in all, a great book, the one to beat if there is to be a new, definite textbook in this field.

I am a mother of two children married to a successful business person. This book helped me prepare my case and find assets in the business. Our case is still pending but I have already received more information from this book than I have from my lawyer during the entire case. I recommend it to anyone considering a divorce. I especially appreciate the list of professionals contained in the back of the book and the social security information. This should be required reading for anyone who is going through a divorce.

The valley of the spotted horses is a story about how Scrapper John's father is killed by a bear in a lion attack.

He goes to live with an Indian tribe where he meets a friend and they decide to go on a journey to the valley of the spotted horses.

After making into the valley by climbing a wall, they escape with their new horses through the snakes with the help of a flood.

"Sea Stories - Book II - Seagods and Sundogs," follows John Paul Barrett's first book, "Sea Stories - Of Dolphins and Dead Sailors." Be ready for uncontrollable chuckles but have a box of tissue handy. "Seagods and Sundogs" combines humor and sadness in an entertaining compilation of stories, anecdotes, and poems. Each chapter stands on its own. One tells of unexplained disappearances of sailors at sea and another of sightings of unidentified flying objects. We learn of the phenomenon of a sundog--the reflection of the sun off a cloudbank, which is sometimes difficult to tell from the real sun. We laugh at the saga of "The Deckhand from Hell" who was unable to do anything right. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Seagods and Sundogs" and recommend it to anyone. -- Pat Swearingen -- Oregon Coast Magazin

Felix Rodriguez, a Cuban-born CIA Agent better known to many by his nom de guerre, Max Gomez, relates how the brutality and oppression of Castro's communist regime led his family to emigrate to the US and him to become one of the youngest participants in the Bay of Pigs landing. After successfully evading capture, he made his way back to the US where he became a US Army Officer and later a CIA Agent. In Bolivia, he trained the forces which captured Che Guevarra. As one of his last acts before the Bolivians executed him, Che gave his wristwatch to Rodriguez who wore it constantly thereafter. Despite their adherance to different systems, each recognized the other as a fellow warrior. He also writes of his years in Vietnam where he worked with William Buckley, the Agent who was later taken hostage in Lebanon and ultimately tortured to death. Finally, he relates his involvement in extending US support to Nicaraguan freedom fighters seeking to liberate their own country from the secret police and political prisons which proliferated under the Sandinista government. The book is very inspirational and should, if they would read it, open the eyes of those who live in a fool's paradise regarding the fate which awaits them should America ever lose its strength and resolve. It is also a tribute to the contribution, to that strength and resolve, made by those Cubans who came to our country and proved to be better Americans than many who were born here. Felix Rodriguez is an American hero, and this is his story. Read it.

A useful book filled with interesting and important papers. At least some of them are, i haven't read them all...

This book shows his master of the darkroom, making all his works unique to themselves. If you are into black & white photography and printing this book is a revelation of what is possible.