The liturgy of the hours has been in use for a long time in the Catholic Church. It is wonderful book which has psalms, old testament readings, new testament readings for each season for the liturgical book. It helps a person to follow's Jesus' commandment to pray always. I have used this book for the past 12 years I found it very helpful in my prayer life. I plan to use it for the rest of my life.

It takes a while to get the hang of using the Liturgy of the Hours, but it is well worth the effort. I highly recommend finding someone else who already prays the Hours to help you learn to navigate. The easiest way is to pray with them until you can find your way on your own. There would very likely be someone in your local Catholic parish who can help you.

The Liturgy of the Hours can be used for private prayer and meditation as well as for communal worship. Concentrating on the words, it is easy to lift one's heart to God. The translations of the Psalms and Canticles are beautiful.

The one-volume set has the music in the back of the book. The four-volume set assumes you already know the melody to the hymns. If you don't know the melody, you can read them as poems instead of singing them.

The Liturgy of the Hours is a tremendous aid to Christian prayer. Based in the psalms, the four volume set provides the pray-er with the all that is needed for Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening and Night Prayer as well as the Office of Readings. It takes a little learning of "how to" - but a comprehensive guide is provided. EXCELLENT for individual or group use.

I'm sad I waited so long to read this excellent book. "Troubleshooting Campus Networks" (TCN) was published in Jul 2002, and it belongs on every network administrator's shelf -- now! This is the best networking book since Scott Haugdahl's "Network Analysis and Troubleshooting" and Eric Hall's "Internet Core Protocols." TCN will truly test your networking knowledge; you'll quickly validate the truth and discard the fiction.

So many books discuss networks, but somehow distort subtle points. Authors Oppenheimer and Bardwell know their material inside-out and explain key points in clear, concise prose. Ever hear of the "37% utilization rule for Ethernet?" It's false. Think that TCP sequence numbers count packets? Wrong -- they count bytes of data. And why are sequence numbers seemingly "off by one?" Look at the difference between ordinal and cardinal numbers, described in ch. 9.

TCN displays an uncanny ability to include just the information that is needed. "Reversible half-ASCII," which accounts for odd-looking NetBIOS traces, appears in ch. 12. The sections on Windows networking are first-rate, with helpful comparisons of NetBIOS with IPX, TCP, and NetBEUI. Even theoretical but damaging attack methods, like corrupting Hot Standby Router Protocol messages (ch. 8), are illuminated.

I have two complaints. I would have liked more attention paid to the mechanics of analyzing traffic, including the use of taps. Also, the Windows chapter seemed to end abruptly, just when the dynamics of Windows 2000 networking and port 445 should have appeared.

TCN is designed to educate protocol analysts. People with this skill set can administer LANs, analyzer network-based IDS traffic, and deploy network infrastructure. I thank the authors for their efforts and look forward to their next endeavor.

In the acknowledgements, Priscilla references the Group Study mailing list and several of its more prominent members. I came to appreciate her devotion to the subjects of protocol analysis and troubleshooting -- as well as sound network design -- through that very list. She didn't just sit down to crank out a book on any old topic with good sales potential. This is a passion as well as a profession for folks like Priscilla.

As a "WAN guy" with limited campus/enterprise exposure, I chose to read this book in very deliberate fashion. I wanted to learn all that I could. My advice would be this for anyone who is serious about LAN protocol analysis and troubleshooting: get yourself a protocol analyzer and play along. Don't just read the capture files in the book - go out and get your own.

In terms of campus technologies and protocols, I learned far more from this book than I did from any of my studies for Cisco's professional-level certifications. I have to imagine that anyone serious about the vaunted CCIE program would need to master all of the skills that Priscilla and coauthor Joseph Bardwell so skillfully coach throughout this entire book. And perhaps of far greater importance would be the real-world applicability of the skills that can be had by practicing the bottom-up troubleshooting approach espoused by these experienced authors.

Many books have I read where authors speak of Ethernet or TCP/IP or other subjects. This book fills in the gaps without being too vendor biased. Cisco and WildPackets are excellent companies, but the book really focuses on enhancing your network to it's fullest. I learned that just because my network "works", there may be many things ready to break that had not been troubleshot before. Now I really feel able to properly "fix" my troubles and not just make my network magically work when there is trouble behind the scenes waiting for a Friday night to break.
The two authors have been in the industry since it's inception and bring a passion for networking to the table with a focus on teaching those of us who do not have 20+ years in the trenches.
This book is not only a reference book, but a well written, easy to read explanation of networking and troubleshooting. With real-life scenarios from the authors and practical situations played out. I felt as though I had a mentor walking me through the logical steps of analysis.
Buy reference books and keep them on your selves for when you need them. Buy this book, read it and keep it close because you will need it!

Mr. Ray's Weekend Novelist is an excellent reference book. However, I wouldn't necessarily use it as a template for writing a novel . . . unless you plan on writing novels similar to Mr. Ray's or to Ann Tyler's "The Accidental Tourist", the novel that Ray uses as an template throughout citing it as a perfect example of a well written novel.

For those new to the daunting task of writing a novel, this book can pigeonhole you into thinking this is the only way to tackling writing. I came across that dilemma. After getting halfway through the book, doing the exercises and starting to write my own novel I began to abandon my old habits of writing and started to adopt Mr. Ray's. I started to feel that I couldn't put pen to paper UNLESS I completely plotted my novel, developed my characters and set up every scene. This didn't work for me. The natural flow I usually feel when writing was taken away and eventually I completely gave up on the process returning to my methods of writing: sitting down with a pad and pencil and allowing the ideas to flow. Then fine tuning the story only after I have a huge chunk of it written and some idea of what I want to convey. Not all novels are structured in Mr. Ray's manner, not all novels use Aristotle's incline to develop plot and storylines and not all novels can be written in 52 weekends.

Not to say this is a bad book at all. It's a wonderful reference book full of ideas and exercises to help you strengthen your writing. For example, it never occurred to me to create backstories and timelines for each of my characters giving them dimension and realism. Ray also offers exercises to help you set up scenes, write dialogue, write action and plot your novel. I now find that I refer to these exercises to help me develop my writing but I no longer follow the program.

This book is a great starting point for those interested in writing a novel but do not have an idea how to start (one more thing: you definitely have to have some idea of what you want to write BEFORE you start). However, for experienced writers you will find that this book is more useful as a reference guide rather than a program to follow.

I wish I had studied this book before I ever put pen to paper. I used to think that if only I had something very interesting to write about, then all I would have to do is start writing, and a great story would magically appear. Robert Ray helped me understand just how much planning and preparation go into writing a good novel, as well as what to focus on when plotting your story. There are three things in particular that this book taught me which were especially helpful.

First, this book taught me that what really drives a novel is the characters and their relationships to each other and to events. I looked at Grisham and Clancy and thought that smooth prose filled with action would make a novel into a bestseller. Although that is sometimes true, Robert Ray showed me that the real key to a compelling, meaningful story is a stellar character through which the reader can identify. A good character can drive the whole novel.

The second thing this book taught me, which was perhaps the most valuable for me, is that the basic building block of the novel is not the chapter or even the major plot points, but the individual scenes. Robert Ray shows that each scene is like a compact story within your story, with a set-up, a middle part for conflict and development, and a climax which pushes the story into the next scene. The section on scene building in this book was excellent, and it gave me the breakthrough I needed in understanding how to give a story real structure.

Finally, this book helped me understand the importance of the major plot points, and what has to happen in the scenes at these points in order to make your writing tight.

In addition to the above, this book has many basic tips on how to organize yourself, how to approach your writing, and how to work through the major revisions of your story. There's even an appendix at the end with tips on getting published.

For an amateur like me who has never had any classes in story writing, this book was the most helpful guide that I was able to find.

Robert J. Ray's "The Weekend Novelist" can help just about anyone realize their potential as a novelist. I don't think any of us out there can drop everything to become a professional novelist (unless you're born into wealth, I guess). We all have to work sometime. So, Mr. Ray puts together a program that will allow you to not only write a novel on the weekends but also write a novel with depth and meaning.

Before I read this book, I wrote lots of short stories and the start of a few novels. I used this book to turn some of my old ideas into the reality of a manuscript.

I felt myself getting bogged down at first by following his program of hashing out the details of the lives of the characters. But I quickly realized the commitment that is involved in writing a novel. It's important to develop meaningful characters/structure before you start writing.

Thanks, Mr. Ray! I highly recommend this book to any aspiring writer.

This is an interesting story of a young man in World War II. It is detailed and well researched. General John C. Meyer is quoted as saying: "George Preddy was the greatest fighter pilot who ever squinted through a gunsight; he was the complete fighter pilot". The book is also an accounting of the man himself (apart from his war efforts) and his family. It is written by a man who knew George Preddy as a child and looked up to him.

I knew George 'Ratsy' Preddy as a fellow-pilot in the 352nd Fighter Group--the Bluenosers. I saw him at briefings and in action, and quickly developed a tremendous respect for him as a dedicated pilot--calm on the ground, aggressive in the air. This book by Joe Noah and Sam Sox is not only a marvelous tribute to his courage and combat achievements, but a mirror of an outstanding person. He inspired those who flew with him. This book brought back many memories. As Editor/Historian of he 352nd FG Association, I recommend it highly.

Reviewer: John Edwards from United States February 29, 2000 These are merely some thoughts that came to mind while reading the book and shortly thereafter and are in no particular order. This is a detailed account with complimentary diary excerpts providing an excellent glimpse into the man and the ace fighter pilot. A hall mark of a well written biographical account in my opinion is one that depicts the person, not just his/her accomplishments. Military biographies generally do this. I detected no attempt to smear anyone or organization as some lesser works. The book is supported by solid research and timely use of primary and secondary sources, especially interviews and personal rememberances of Preddy. The use of personal recollections makes the book read like an oral history instead of a typical biographical sketch. A particular strength of the work is the use of 'real' photographs, not the well publicized and over used images commonly found in biographical accounts. The gun camera stills bring a certain sense of immediacy to thebook. What better way to visualized the chaotic, swirling dogfights over Europe than with the same images Preddy saw, taken from his own gun camera. I personally like the clear, logical manner of organziation in the book. The writing seemed dynamic and vibrant instead of staid and flat. I never thought the material presented was out of scope in the chapter in which it appeared. Your own close family ties with George did not prevent you and Sam from capturing the man George was. The writing stayed focus on Preddy's life and did not become a dry operational history of the 352nd during Preddy's service. This certainly held true in the first part of the book with Preddy serving in the Pacific. So often in WWII literature, if the subject served in the ETO and PTO authors commonly short shaft the PTO since it does not carry the same appeal. Your book is proportionally balanced. Well done.

These are just random thoughts I had. I enjoyed reading the book. This book does not require prior knowledge like some biographies.

I'm a french teenager. Before I read this book, I thought that American sens of Humour was limited to things like Jim Carrey's films or else. I apologize a thousand times. Since I've read Joe Keenan's books, I've changed my mind, because that's the funniest book I have ever read, I love the characters' irony, they always cope with crazy situations, but the author always find the most amazing solution to their problems without falling into stereotypes. My only regret is not to have read Keenan's books in english : I only had the french traduction, but I hope I will read tehm one day in their original version... Please, one last thing: I you loved this book, you MUST read Benson's books !!! I swear on my copy of "Putting on the Ritz" that you won't be deceived...

If you're happier listening to Noel Coward than Neil Simon and your idea of a great Sunday night includes Wooster and Jeeves, chances are good you'll love this book. Keenan combines a sharp sense of humor and self-depracating pathos to tell his story of romantic intrigue, impossible egos, and high rollers from Manhatten. Not all pratfalls, the story plays on the things we'll do for love and money. The characters are so well developed you can almost match them tycoon for tycoon in current NYC player politics. One of the few books that could genuinely make me laugh out loud not only while I read it, but while I remember it. Highly recommended for fellow spirits of a lost generation.

Move over, Donald and Ivana, the Chammmmmmmmpions are here! Peter Champion is a low-life who made it big, and he is the epitomy of nouveau riche. His wife, Eliza, who "ovulates Faberge eggs", is a Boston fish-wife dressed in diamonds. But never fear! Our wholesome (sort of) heroes of the "Blue Heaven" fame are here to skewer the Chammmmmmmmmmmmpions for the pleasure (and hysterical laughter) of the audience. Add to it a Malcolm Forbes charicature, whose exploits range from appearing to date divas and actually dating people quite different, and you have a rather nice setting for another Joe Keenan farce. Some words of warning. (1) You *will* laugh out loud: I saw a distinguished actress reading this book on the plane, and she was laughing practically non-stop. (2) You will have a hard time putting this book down: after having read it at least 3 times, I still finish it in one "seating". And (3) if you are homophobic, don't bother: you won't get the humour, and you will only increase your blood pressure. For everyone else who can appreciate a 20s-style romp in the highest of camp styles, this is a great book!

This book is a "must-read" for any person. Forget about the 9-12 age category. It is easily one of the most moving books I have ever read, and you can't possibly put it down until you reach the harrowing end. I felt so sad for Donn Fendler, and could share every single emotion he must have felt. When reading the story, you couldn't help but want to comfort him in his lonely world. It is a true lesson in keeping Faith and believing in God. May God bless you, Donn Fendler. You will always be one of the world's greatest heros of all time.

When a boy loses his dad and his brothers on a hike, he mostly shows what not to do when you're lost on a mountain on Maine. This is a true story that took place on a real mountain. The mountain he gets lost on is snowy, cloudy, and has a lot of wildlife. He has to find food, water, and shelter all on his own.

My grandma recommended this book to me and I recommend this book to you. This book is exciting and tells you what it's like being stuck on a mountain in Maine. This book also tells how the boy turned out after he survives.

Although I grew up in Maine and had heard of this book as a child, somehow I managed to not read it until recently. I literally could not put it down until I finished it. Donn's survival in the face of incredible hardship is a story that is extremely harrowing and intense. It shows how the body and mind react when pushed to the very edge of death. I defy anyone not to be moved by the ending!

As a trainer for new agents in the Real Estate business, I am using the chapters on negotiating to help them learn how to help their clients negotiate the best deal. Negotiating does not come naturally for most people and these chapters will help almost everyone. I am buying it a second time because one of my agents liked it so much they wouldn't give it back to me! All buyers should also read this book. An educated buyer working with a buyer's agent is the best way to buy real estate in the United States today!

This book is a very easy and entertaining read that is extremely useful for understanding how real estate agents work, how to deal with them and how to negotiate. Although specifically aimed at home buying, the principles can be extended to almost anything. The principles are frequently repeated but are usually expanded upon with more detail or anecdotes.

The book is not just general principles. It shows you how to apply the specific principles through talk and action. For example, you might say "X" to the seller if the seller raises objection "Y".

The book is educational and the principles learned will inspire confidence -- the confidence that you will not overpay for your home.

Thank you Mr. Cummins! In today's inflated housing market this book is the light at the end of the tunnel. Every home-buyer should educate him/herself by reading this book. It is amazing how many people over pay for their dream home. Remember Real Estate Brokers/Agents and Home-Sellers are not your friends, their goal is to make you part with as much of your hard-earn cash as you are willing to give them for a new home.

Triple Ace Col. "Bud" Anderson takes you to his first encounters with aircraft as a young boy in rural California. With WWII Captain Anderson finds himself flying missions over Nazi Germany and encountering a number of talented Luftwaffe pilots as the 357th FG makes its effort for Air Supremacy in 1944. Follow this wonderful pilot as he tests aircraft for the Air force followed by a trip to Vietnam. As you read the book keep in mind the author is "still" flying OLD CROW at airshows! No lack of good adventure in "To Fly and Fight". Hard to put down once you pick it up!

As an avid reader of World War Two History. And being a Viet Nam Veteran; I found this book to be a most fascinating history; Of "Not Only the Man"; But his recollections of his life growing up oin Rural California in the 1930's & 1940's. His enlistment in the Army Air Corp; And his experiences in England during the war. This is "No dry" mundane slow reading military text book. Colonol Anderson, tells of his love for flying and his vivid discriptions of Europe during World War Two; Help the reader to picture what it was like for an average guy; Who has a love for flying and trying his best to stay alive in a extremly hostile environment. He does not dwell on the sadder aspects of war. But trys to explain how he learned to cope with these stressors; And still fullfill his dream of flying. He also go's to great lengths to discuss the other aircraft he had flown. His adventures in P-39's and T-6 Texans. I found his book to be non-judgemental; But very fair to all the persons good and bad that he had come to know in his life. He only briefly discusses his flying career during the Viet Nam Conflict. But then this book was not written with Viet Nam in mind solely. This book is about the man; His love of flying.

I found this book to enlightning; refreshing; funny; sad; extrordinary; And written with a smooth tempo and hums along like the engine of a P-51 Mustang. The Book and the Man are unseperable. He takes you up in his Mustang with him through his rememberences. And brings you home to the runway just as a good pilot would do today. I would recommend this book to anyone who has not only an intrest in World War Two. But an intrest in a "Great Man" who lived an extrordinary life. Fighting for all of us; Flying for all of us. This man is a "TRUE"; American Hero.

I found "To Fly and Fight" to be an excellent biography of man who grew up with an intense love of flying, and who fulfilled his dreams. The book chronicles his growing up in the rural foothills of Northern California, and his growing love of flying. It gives a very personal accounts of his early days days with the Army Air Corps from training to activation in England. I enjoyed the accounts of his early friendships and escapades.

The descriptions and events as a P-51 pilot flying in the ETO are first rate. The first chapter grabs hold of you and doesn't let go with his account of a high altitude duel with an ME-109. It is a classic. He describes many of his combat missions and describes his growing friendship with Chuck Yeager. The story of his final mission with Yeager is priceless.

The book also includes some revealing sections about his tedious days as a recruiter and several stints with the Pentagon to heady days as a Test Pilot at Wright Field and later at Edwards. He also gives us some excellent insights into his days as a Squadron Leader flying F-86's in Korea and a Wing Commander flying F-105's from Okinawa and Thailand during the Vietnam Conflict.

I had the opportunity recently to meet Col. Anderson and his lovely wife Ellie. We spent several hours together discussing his flying days. It was a real priviledge. He is truly a humble man but has that touch of steel of man who has lived through a lot. He is still a hearty and it's great to think of him still tearing up the skies at Air Shows flying the Old Crow along side Chuck Yeager.

I highly recommend "To Fly and Fight" to all WWII aviation enthusiasts.

...

Thomas J. Ryan wrote The Adolescence of P-1 in the mid-seventies, and for its time, it must have been a breakthrough in computer science-fiction literature. The story is compelling: an adaptive computer program is created and set loose by a bored college student and becomes so advanced that it develops self-awareness. The computer virus, dubbed P-1 by its creator, can communicate with humans in English through a computer terminal. The dialog between P-1 and the humans is both amusing and provocative, while P-1's ominous nature tugs at the imagination. P-1's existence has a purpose: to survive. Eventually, P-1 must deal with the value of human life and the meaning of what it means to be human. The theme of the novel centers on those two topics while tying in to the speculations on Artificial Intelligence.

However, the novel is not perfect. The Adolescence of P-1 was written by and for those in the nascent computer industry of the mid 70's, an intensely male-dominated industry. As a result, the female character in the novel (the hero's girlfriend) seems a bit oversexed for reality, especially in the beginning. I read through the cheesy, unrealistic dialog and laughed at its wackiness. It seems as if the author dreamed desperately about a woman like this, and had to write her in somehow. Or Ryan might have done a little satire on the flat characters of pop culture by putting one in his novel. But I wouldn't rule out the first possibility. Later, however, when the plot's theme broadens to encompass the more philosophical scope of humanity, she is portrayed as the vital feminine counterpart to the hero.

I think of myself as quite the computer buff, with a comprehensive knowledge of the computer industry and its technological history. However, in my short 17 years of age, I had never encountered the level of computer competence that this book demands. The actual technology described in the book is ancient. Although the author clearly explains the concepts that are required for believability, a few explanations cover too much depth and move too quickly for any normal reader to follow.

But I thoroughly enjoyed the book despite these minor setbacks.

Ah, the wit of a computer geek.

"The Adolescence of P-1" is one of those rare books: one that will satisfy computer enthusiasts as well as those who STILL can't program their VCR. It is an engaging tale about a programmer who creates a computer program that will find its own way into large computers. All the while the program "learns" from its mistakes and improves itself. Then one day it disappears ... and that's where the story starts. Considering this novel was published in 1977, I have been constantly amazed as to how well the author describes the workings of computer systems. Even though the computers in the novel are way out of date now, the story still seems surprisingly contemporary. The characters in the novel are believable and are well developed. This is one of the few books I can pick up and re-read many times. Many people I have lent the book to also like the story very much.

I read this book the first time decades ago. I was just getting my feet wet in the computer industry and the story was compelling and exciting. We didn't really know it at the time, but the hero of P1 wrote a polymorphic computer virus that could learn and grow. We are getting to this point only now, so the story has enormous relevance. Don't get me wrong, I'm not glorifying computer viruses. What attracted me then, and still does, is the possibility that we may one day interact with machines that are our equals, emotionally and intellectually. This book gives us a glimpse of that brave new world.

I started the process of researching German-American internment for a English-101 assignment. I found the author's web site and various other materials on internment. My schooling consisted of learning about Japanese relocation, and as 40-year-old adult, I never knew of the internment of others, called enemy aliens of the United States.

Locating Mr. Jacobs' book in my library, I read a fascinating account of what the author and his family endured during World War II, and after the war with the expatriation and repatriation to Germany.

Interviewing Mr. Jacobs for my research paper, culminated in a better understanding of what our government did, and may do once again with Arab-Americans in the attempt to prevent future terrorism. It is tragic when a government does what it thinks right at the time, but then refuses to apologize for the injustices committed against its own citizens.

I recommend this book to every German-American, as well as all Americans who never learned the whole story during their formative education.

Mr. Art Jacobs, the author of "The Prison Called Hohenasperg" writes his story out of love. Love of life, country, friends, and family. Unfortunately, Art, at the age of 12 was separated from these very basic essentials of life.

He narrarates this true story detailing his youth in school, boy scouts, and support for his ball club, the Brooklyn Dodgers. However, life will soon change for young Art and his family as his father is illegally taken from them and interned at Ellis Island as a "Nazi criminal". This is just the beginning of the Jacob's family internment journey that takes them from Ellis Island, to the Crystal City Texas Internment Camp, then to Germany where Art spends his 13th birthday in the Hohenasperg prison.

I believe that his intention and motive for writing his story is NOT for compensation, revenge, or to denounce the United States. As I read his story, I felt his sincerity, compassion, and most importantly his intention to MAKE THE TRUTH KNOWN. Because of Art's story, The United States Government has an opportunity to acknowlege Art and other internees that wrongdoings to Americans of German decent did occur.

I recommend this hard to put down, well documented book to those who are interested in WWII history, post WWII Germany, internment life, as well as those interested in reading a boy's burning desire to overcome and succeed under any circumstance to come back to his "Country 'tis of thee".

... A young boy marched back and forth before the hangman's tree with his hands above his head, ordered not the speak, turn his head the wrong way, or even sit to eat - unless he wanted to be hanged - treated like the worst criminals the world has known - and called a little Nazi - He was an American Boy Scout! One day of such treatment, even if corrected immediately, is inexcuseable. We must stop thinking that the United States make mistakes, but the rest of the world makes criminal acts.

I believe this book should be an eye-opener. We need to be concerned that our government can give such power to one man such as Edward J. Ennis, that our military could treat even criminals the way this child was treated, and that most Americans still know nothing about the treatment of German Americans during World War II.