Like Kundera in T"he Book of Laughter and Forgetting," this author kept startling me with little reports on what it feels like to be unable to live unself-consciously.

"Much of what I write is simple truth, but even so, when you say it over and over, it feels like a lie."

Old Buddy Old Pal is a remembrance. But how do you recount the tale of a shared history? What's fair? What's true? The narrator, Burt, is too honest for nostalgia and too self-aware to be at ease with his past.

This book is about missed chances and what happens when a chance for perfect love (and the re-vision of self it offers) re-appears. I was completely absorbed by this thoughtful, contemporary tale of friendship between two men.

Even readers who look no deeper than the surface of "Old Buddy, Old Pal" will find Mr. Laser's exploration of the boundaries friendships and relationships a worthwhile read. That is, the tension, the conflicts and the "universal truths" within the story - by themselves - are sufficient to keep the pages turning towards the book's surprising and satisfying finish. But readers who look beyond the simple "plot/story" of the book are in for a special treat. The author's skillful clipped-prose, present tense style lends itself well to developing the book's complex, multi-dimensional characters. Vivid imagery, subtle symbolism, and unexpected ironies await thoughtful readers seeking not merely a good story, but excellent writing as well.

With remarkable sensitivity, OLD BUDDY OLD PAL tells of the gradual dissolution of a college friendship over a 10 year period. There is a sub text of the alienation created by living in a big city. Mr. Laser switches effortlessly between the present and the past. Two great incidents describe a wedding ceremony held in an upstate Holiday Inn and attending a Yankee baseball game. Mr. Laser also has a gift for writing terse sentences which speak volumes (e.g. "That's what Thanksgiving is for...the reawakening of ancient enmities" and "It's just a convention of TV that friends hold no grudges, have no memories." I look forward to his next book.

Simple and peaceful story with lush pastel illustrations

This quiet and lyrical book presents the wonders of the rain to children and parents alike. The illustrations complement the writing perfectly. Everyone will want to rush out and feel the rain drops on their cheeks after reading this fine book.

To truly appreciate this book, you must look long and deep into the illustrations. The faces convey an almost lifelike quality. Kids will love it

This book started out really well, and I thought I would like it a lot. But really, nothing exciting happened. My favorite part was probably when the boys are telling the secrets that they know. Also, why does the principal believe that Marc always has something to do with a fight when he was the one being beat up? Better for younger readers.

I thought this book was one of the best books I've ever read. It's a coming-of-age story and also has some comedy, drama, and sorrow. My favorite part was when the children heard of Kennedy's assasination and realized how unimportant their school yard fighting really was. I recomend this book to people of all ages.

It seems strange to use the word "halcyon" to describe the turbulent 60's, the era of Vietnam and the Kennedy assassination. However, Mr. Laser lovingly recreates that era when children did not have computers or video games to distract them...when school projects were joint efforts...when neighborhood schools were really neighborhood schools. Yet, today's young readers will realize that their wants, needs, fears, desires are not that different from children of yesteryear. This is a book for young readers to enjoy. I think their parents will enjoy it too. What a wonderful way to bond with one's children.

This book is quite out of date. The supplier it lists for the plates no longer supplies them. The new supplier described "Shoebox Holography" in terms I can't post on a public website. Avoid this book; I wish I had.

This is an excellent book for those looking into and exploring holography. It demistifies a lot of the jargon associated with holography, as well as the most difficult part... correct development. Unlike what another reviewer said, this book is up to date and has good sources for materials. I would not suggest this book for those who are already making holograms, it is really for those just starting out. But it is almost perfect for those beginers. The only downfall of this book is it's lack of setup diagrams, it only illustrates one. This keeps things simple but does not allow you to progress unless you do research outside the scope of the book. Over all this is an excellent book that truely makes "real" holography easy enough and cheap enough for anyone to do.

I have used this book personally, I have used it in my high school Communications Technology lab, and it works. After reading the book, and introducing the world of Shoebox Holography to my student, it was like a DREAM COME TRUE. The students are are not only learning how to make holograms but it is the knowledge they learn from the process. The Science, Math, and Technology they learn, from the process, becomes MEANINGFUL to them. This book not only covers the process of holography it also goes into great detail of laser and fiber optic technology. It excites all levels of high school students and they actually run to class to make their holograms. It has also been useful to build teamwork in the classroom. By creating teams they learn to work, communicate, and rely on each others abilities. The book has illustrations and photos that explain the concept along with the written directions. I have been teaching for 23 years and this is the best classroom tool I have seen in years. I am going to order classroom sets, of this book, for my students to use in their studies. I highly recommend this book.

One image in this book, called "First Lady", has taken on additional significance since the events of 9/11/2001. This book is worth it, if just for the chills you'll get when you finally realize what your seeing.

Other than that, the graphics are of good quality and easy to "discover". The explanation of how magic eye images work is a bit sparse but this really is a children's book. The copy I saw has been well enjoyed by a number of children since 1994.