These books are a wonderful guide to how this life relates to the next and how God directs all life. They answer questions about why bad things happen, the purpose of life, and order in the universe, in a philosophical way that is practical and easy to understand. If you are looking for something deeper than scientific answers, I highly recommend Divine Love and Wisdom and Divine Providence!

This deluxe volume covers each of the courses on the PGA Tour and has several full color pictures of key holes on each course covered. Since some PGA tour events are replaced by new ones, the book may become slightly dated but, nonetheless, it is a great spectator's guide for those who watch the tour each week on TV or who occasionally attend tour events in person. The volume also includes a great map of each course covered. This is useful because it puts the course in perspective, For example, I have seen the famous 13th hole at Augusta National on TV many times but never appreciated how sharp a dogleg it is until seeing the map. Also, the map shows the direction each hole runs in relation to other holes. For example one hole may go out and the next hole come back in the opposite direction. The maps give you this perspective. Another great feature of the book is a short piece written by a golfer who has won the tournament played on that course. I highly recommend this wonderful book.

i have yet to read this book.send me some edited part

...shove you down onto the cement and make you say, "My god, that's concrete!"

In brief, Chris Conlon's book is five discrete stories, each one a tableaux of reality and each one more eye-opening than
the next. The first story, "Map of the World", is about a young black woman kidnapped by two thugs who pour gasoline on her and
set her afire. The title couldn't be a better one for the story,
but you'll have to read it to find out why.

Perhaps the most moving of the five pieces, "Margins", is about a young boy named Julian who stops talking and as a result, gets sent away to military boarding school by his boozing, caterwauling, abusive parents. It takes the form of a letter written by Julian to his sister. In it,
he recalls about the old "Choose your own adventure"
books they used to read as young kids...and thus, he
reveals that life is literally just such an adventure. He recalls the time they used to spend together at the local cemetary, sitting quietly under the trees sharing a cigarette between them, then venting frustration as they kick over headstones. Eventually, Julian comes full circle finds nirvana after committing suicide and joining the ranks of the entombed.

Also worth mentioning is the final story, "Whisper",
about a young girl whose father is guilty of the
incest taboo. Although she's able to put it
behind her and live a 'normal' life, no matter
how many hours in analysis she spends, the reality is

that it will never completely leave her. Only
after her father is dead and gone does she realize
he was the only man she's ever loved.

Each of the stories is wrought with a harsh, barren
quality and the word choice and core-of-the-note
detail is amazing. Conlon's characters are literally
so real you can touch them. Here and there are small spellbinding moments that are unforgettable.
And it is without a doubt that the characters of this group of "Secrets" are living out these same dramas every single day,
in some similar form or another.

This is a book that will make you step back a few paces.
Writing like this makes us appreciate what we've
got, however much or little. Foreword and afterword
by acclaimed writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson (who co-authored the stories/screenplays "Logan's Run"
and "Ocean's Eleven") are excellent forerunning/
postrunning comments. The foreword reveals just why
Conlon has the rights to tell these tales.

Highly recommended.

This is a well organized tightly written book. Concepts for the differential assessment of treatment-resistant familes and crisis-prone families are introduced and illustrated with deftness and brevity. The result is a guide to intervening in the family system with an economy of effort based an analysis of their past and potential responsiveness to resolving the crisis. By differentiating between the two general types of families and the combination of the two, the high risk family, the authors have been able to generate a flexible protocol to guide choices in interventions. Transcripts illustrating the concepts are detailed enough to without excessive length. Adequate consideration is given to the implications for other systems depending on the target system as well as ethical considerations in communications with other systems, consultation and referral. All around, a very helpful book, suitable reading for both the beginning clinican and the advanced clinician. Frank Heitmann, MSW

George Johnson's articles in The New York Times about quantum computing would make British tabloids green with envy for his talent to sensationalize and to omit important information that runs contrary to his opinions. Mr. Johnson's quantum computing articles have even been satirized on the web, with titles like "IBM Builds Special Computer to Factor Number 15". So I was very surprised to see that this book is not very sensationalist at all. I thought it was on the whole farily balanced. It appears that George has been stung by his satirists and is trying to reform himself. For this I commend him. However, the transformation is not complete yet: he still mysteriously forgets to mention in the book that NMR computers do not produce entanglement. But at least we can all sigh from relief in that he mentions Seth Loyd only once.

Your computer will not so soon become outdated. If you have got the computer from HP or IBM, you will work quietly 5-10-15 years. I have the programmable calculator HP-67 and it solves the majority of electro technical tasks for me since 1977.

However all question that the law Moore's law naturally lags behind our computing needs , and in a number of cases it simply brakes scientifically technical progress. The progress, and the main tasks of a science and engineering are doubled for each year. Therefore I naturally use by the computer: Pentium 4, 1500 MHz.

Therefore concept qubits is rather urgent, is useful for a wide range of the readers. The speed of the decision of tasks has the large importance, but not always essential. For example I passing with the computer 286, 386, and 486 and so on and this step by step always tested inconveniences with recognition of the received information. My brain could not so quickly be prepared for its adequate and recognition of dates and information from a computer.

Hence the book of the author gives us an opportunity psychologically to be ready to new development. On the other hand, you are ready to understanding of new computing systems, which "do understand" a "difference" between the woman and steam locomotive, instead of it is simple to run "1" and "0" in a operative memory of the computer.

It is very healthy also thank to the author for increase of our technological level.

vavivlad-rvc@mtu-net.ru

"Those in the know tell me the next high tech revolution is quantum computing. But concepts like qubits -- bits that are both on and off -- seem too bizarre to believe. How does this weirdness make computers faster, smarter, and better? Johnson, a New York Times science writer, holds your hand and drops step by step down the rabbit hole. Four hours later, you get it. He makes you smart and quantum computing real." Kevin Kelly, Wired

I enjoyed this book very much. Gell-Mann's contribution to quantum physics is explained well (to the extent that anyone can explain that subject). The author also did an excellent job of exploring Gell-Mann's complex personality and his (often stormy) relationships with other great physicists of the second half of the 20th century. The author's personal relationship with his subject (getting permission to do a biography, getting access to Gell-Mann) is an entertaining sub-theme to the book. My main disappointment with the book (and perhaps this unfair, since the author's subject is Gell-Mann, afterall) is that there is not enough about the interplay between Gell-Mann and his equally great contemporary at Cal Tech--Richard Feynman.

All in all, a well written and enjoyable book.

This is an easy 5. George Johnson took care of the writing and left the physics to Murray. I have always felt an uneasy awe when hearing of the "next" Gell-Mann concept as I grew up hoping to someday become a scientist.

Johnson's book exposes the raw energy of scientific creation in a man so obsessed with "doing it all". It reveals personal traits of a driven human spirit. Based on the prose, Murray must have been something to deal with; but of course, wasn't it well worth it. I know I haven't; but I feel I have met the physicist that orchestrated the rag-tag "particle zoo" of Opie to perform its siren songs.

From the birds that he knew, and thru languages he expressed himself of which math was only one, Gell-Mann would have fit well in the Renaissance. Johnson also exposes Murray's personal life, its beauty, its tragedy, its strangeness.

Though a biography, Johnson's book is also an excellant account of the competition to paint a picture of the physical world. There is little physics, but the events and descriptions of the breakthrus are a must read for any serious physicist.

I hope to hear more from Johnson and more from Murray Gell-Mann.

Strange Beauty is a consummate piece of popular science writing that captivates the reader with tales of a fascinating 20th century particle physicist, but without letting the human narrative occlude the science itself. This is no easy accomplishment; often popular accounts of science veer too far into the cult of personality, making their heroes appear to be larger than life and their science to be some kind of high melodrama. George Johnson's storytelling helps us to know the flawed genius of Murray Gell-Mann and to care about him as a lead character. We also care about the knowledge that he and his colleagues are uncovering about the ephemeral wisps of particle reality that give rise to the material world. Gell-Mann comes off in this book as a devoted theorist and a passionate thinker, but also as a real human being. Johnson's portrayal is a more even-handed and fair treatment of Gell-Mann than he has received in other popular writings. The search for new particles reads like a detective story, but not in an affected style. The reader may not fully grasp each stage of the particle trail--a rarefied world that is difficult even for experts to feel at home in. But the particle search that Johnson unfolds makes it clear how mathematical constructs give rise to funny sounding names like "quarks," which then lead researchers on a hunt to find them. Twentieth-century particle physics is strikingly close to Platonic philosophy, which suggests that the foundations of reality can never be known, but only surmised from shadows. Yet, even as Strange Beauty is eliciting all of these insights from the reader, it does so while still managing to to be a ripping good story.

A well told and enthralling story of the search and eventual discovery of the body and belongings of the original Everest pioneer, and a re-examination of the "history" surrounding the fatal 1924 expedition. Seen through the eyes of Jochen Hemmler (the historian/scholar who began the "serious" search) and mountaineering legends Eric Simonson and Larry Johnson, this book is a "must read" for Everest fans, and fans of all great adventures. Well written by William Nothdruft, the book chronicles the challenges, setbacks, determination, skill and sheer luck that led to the discovery of the body of George Mallory high on Everest. The tale is spellbinding to any of us Mallory history fans, and is told with an extraordinary level of sensitivity and unconcealed respect. It is beautifully photographed and illustrated with plenty of archival photos to set the stage properly, and with excellent color photography from the expedition itself. The photographs of the body of George Mallory were thankfully few and tasteful, the sense of history rich and satisfying.

The single most striking thing about the book, for me anyway, was the overwhelming feeling of admiration and respect conveyed upon George Mallory and his achievements by the likes of Eric Simonson whose own list of accomplishments is rather lengthy and extraordinary. This really gave me a better perspective on Mallory's accomplishments, all done with appallingly primitive equipment. This was a hard-won victory for the expedition members, and most of all for Jochen Hemmleb, who, though a man of no great financial means himself, conceived, researched and sacrificed much to make this historic event happen.

One is still left with an appealing lack of confirmation whether Mallory did or did not make the first summit, maybe some stories are just better that way.

For those of us that easily recognize names like Messner, Hall, Fisher, Hornbein, Simonson, Breashears, Viesturs and Mallory, this is a must read.

I thought it had all been said about this expedition and Everest in general until I read this book. The accounts published by the authors in magazines such as National Geographic, and Outside are good but pale in comparison to the quality of the presentation of this book. The photos of the primitive equipment Mallory, Irvine and their colleagues used almost 100 years ago tell a compelling story. I cannot imagine achieving the heights they achieved with the hobnail boots. I had never seen a pair up close. The photos of the mountain from each expedition are remarkable and unique. This book is more than just a climbing tale. The author does a superb job of portraying the people on the 1924 and 1999 expeditions, and the cultures in which they immersed themselves. Mountaineers Books also did an outstanding job of producing the best quality Everest book I have seen to date. It is beautifully designed and executed. It is one of those rare books that I hated to finish and will no doubt refer to and savor again. You will want a quality hardback copy for your library or coffee table.

With their splendid book "Ghosts of Everest" ("Ghosts"), the authors have taken up the gauntlet of attempting to determine whether or not Mallory & Irvine reached the summit of Mt. Everest on June 8th, 1924, before perishing on the descent. The authors provide a fascinating and hugely-detailed description of the fatal climb, and of the Simonson expedition which discovered Mallory. The layout, photography, graphical and sheer physical qualities of the book are to the absolute highest standards.

The front half of the book describes the 1999 expedition, a tale that begins like many of this genre. The difference in "Ghosts" becomes quickly apparent. This is not your bunch of good old boys undertaking a simple task of conquest. Instead, they are only the second expedition since WW-II launched expressly to find the body and camera of the two British climbers, with the intent of finding out how far they got.

Unlike most other Everest expeditions which conjure up the names of Mallory & Irvine to raise financing, the Simonson team actually made the search for the two men and their camera(s) their number one priority. The search effort was planned by Mallory & Irvine researcher Jochen Hemmleb-the catalyst with Larry Johnson-for this expedition. Hemmleb has amassed practical research on the 1924 expedition that pinpointed the probably location of Irvine's body as evidenced by the 1933 discover of his ice ax lying on the route. Yes, they had great luck with the weather-the mountain being unusually clear of snow--but Lady Luck often smiles on the well-prepared, and none were better prepared to undertake this arduous search than the team of this expedition.

The shock of actually finding their needle in the haystack-and then discovering that the body was that of George Mallory rather than Andrew Irvine--sent climbers and researchers reeling back to their notes to try to make sense of this first new ground truth since the discovery of an "English dead" by a Chinese Climber in 1975. The stunned reaction of these hardened climbers to their momentous discovery adds a new element to this tale of historical research conducted under enormous physical adversity; and the photographs of the 1924 artifacts act like an eerie time portal glancing back to an age when climbing the world's highest peak was undertaken with equipment which would today be considered inadequate to climb Mt. Hood. While the consensus forming is that the route was too long and the Second Step cliff too difficult for those pre-WW II climbers to have reached the top, enough ambiguity still exists to give heart to the true believers for whom success might still have been possible. Only the still-sought Kodak camera, with film preserved by the Everest's icy grip, may someday give the final answer. Until that day, "Ghosts" has moved itself to the center of gravity of this still fascinating legend.

Fire in the Mind was extremely satisfying in its treatment of some very complex topics and provided an excellent overview of all the big issues of science today. Johnson ties in a lot of disciplines and draws some very interesting parallels between the work of some very diverse groups. It was also a great vocabulary expander. Apparently, there's a bigger market for big words in the book business than in the pages of the Times.

"In the spirit of 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.' . . . Compression is the essence of science [and] Johnson proceeds to compress with utter clarity, almost casually tap-dancing his way through particle physics, quantum theory, cosmology and evolutionary biology. . . . 'Fire in the Mind' is a connoisseur's gazeteer. . . . Vibrant and exhilarating and even inspirational . . . a god's-eye view of the terrain. Imagine that this book could have been sent back a hundred years, to the time of Darwin and of James Clerk Maxwell mulling over electromagnetism and entropy. What is the corresponding book from a hundred years ahead which might turn our present perspectives inside out?" -- from the review by Ian Watson in New Scientist.

Johnson has produced what can only be described as a brilliant and powerful exploration of the nature of humanity and the way we, in diversity, see our world and our place in it. . . . The parallels he draws between scientific thinking and modern mythological explanations of the world thrill in their revelation of the connectedness of things. . . . "Fire in the Mind" is a masterwork of synthesis . . . Johnson is a beautiful wordsmith. Whether he is describing his own experiences in and around Santa Fe, the arcane ways of difficult science, the entrancing rituals of the Tewa and Penitentes or the philosophical standpoint that brings it all together, his prose is both crystal clear and a joy to read.

While the book makes highly entertaining reading, it is dangerous in its glibness. Dangerfield's account is often referred to as a fundamental source for the women's suffrage movement in Britain, but his manipulation and outright suppression of facts willfully twists the contributions of the Pankhursts, radical feminists whose thinking was far in advance of its time. One often has difficulty identifying which he hated most: the incompetence of the Liberal Party or the women fighting for political recognition.

This book is the classic account of Edwardian Britain and is on the suggested reading list of the Institute for Edwardian Studies...It was written by a contemporary journalist and is a great read. However, it focuses a great deal on the political side and lacks objectivity. An excellent counter-weight to Dangerfield is David Powell, The Edwardian Crisis. This is a first-rate academic revision to what Dangerfield and past scholars have written about the Edwardian period, but it is not really for those new to the subject.

Whoever you are and whatever you do you can find soemthing to take away from this book. Essential for an understanding of politics in a democracy, and better because it gives readers an example to learn from, rather than just theory. Also a great study in human relationships and the tragi-comedic nature of life. Probably one of the best and wittiest books on history/politics ever written.