This book is a great book for those needing to do a report like me. It tells about how young David grew up to become the great Civil War Admiral that he is remembered as. Did you know that the ranks of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, and Admiral were created for this ingenious man? With tons of facts, names, and dates this book has all the information you would ever need to do a report on Admiral Farragut!

as i was reading this book, the mans son who shot long cane in, i talked to him over 1 hr. he was a baby at time of shooting.this was in early 60s

This is a good book which takes scientific aproach to running. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's new to running as a guidebook but for those athletes who want to know why they really train by doing intervals or long runs. It also tries point out what research has proved to work and what doesn't work. I would've expected a bit more information on the training on how to use this info in practic.

Forget Cliford, forget Lassy. My son, almost 3 admires Dixie - the (anti) Hero of this sweet and very simple story. Nice illustrations too.

There is very little written on the LRDG and it's exploits. This book does a fine job of detailing many little known facts of the units and dispells many of the "Desert Rats" myth. An excellent book.

The book ¡°Saudi Arabian Modernization¡± by John A. Shaw and David E. Long discusses the many problems that Saudi Arabia experienced on the way to her attempted modernization. The authors of this book present an interesting question about how it is possible that two parts of the world, so dependent on each other¡¯s support, can remain so ideologically different. Another issue that the authors try to analyze is the how the modernization process affects and changes the Saudi Arabian society and how these changes can cause instability. The book was published in 1982 so it does not account for any of the events after that year, and most importantly it does not take into consideration the Gulf War which had enormous impact on Saudi Arabia. The book is not organized chronologically but conceptually; in other words, the authors look at different concepts that have an effect on Saudi Arabia¡¯s modernization such as the economic development and the changes in society. Throughout the book, the authors also manage to fully support their idea of an Islamic cage that imprisons and controls every aspect of politics and society in Saudi Arabia, thus leaving no space for modernization and stability.
The first section of the book discusses Saudi Arabia¡¯s economic situation and explains the process of technical modernization. According to Shaw and Long, economy has had and continues to have great impacts on Saudi Arabia¡¯s move towards modernization. In order to support their views, the authors give a brief but thorough explanation of Saudi¡¯s economy. The authors present us with an interesting and very true statement about Saudi Arabia¡¯s laissez faire economy and its Islamic nature: ¡°Unlike the protestant work ethic that more or less guides American economic activity, Islam does not distinguish between the world of the flesh and the world of the spirit.¡± This basically means that in the Saudi mind, God is the creator of all things and if people have wealth it is because God wants it to be so. In that case, no man should feel guilty about easily acquiring huge amounts of wealth without having to work hard for it. This, according to Shaw and Long, deprives Saudi Arabia from a work ethic without which there can never be modernization such as in the Western world. Shaw and Long further try to make certain that we fully understand how Saudi Arabia¡¯s economy works and that it is entirely based on oil. With its huge incomes from the oil industry, Saudi Arabia has every reason and potential to establish a highly modernized infrastructure. Here the authors imply the importance of the three Five Year Plans that resulted in high technological advances in the sectors of communication, transportation, utilities, housing, health and education (p.11). The first part of the book, therefore, is a nicely written preview of the beginnings of Saudi Arabian industrialization and technological modernization. It is then crucial to understand how it was possible that all this materialization did not manage to corrupt the strong religious and cultural ideologies of the people.
The second part of the book is a critical analysis of the Saudi Arabian society, its response to modernization and its impact on stability. The analysis revolves around the many different groups that exist in the Saudi Arabian nation, such as the Royal Family, at the top of the pyramid, the military, the technocrats, the merchants, the students, the common people, the students, the religious leadership, the women, the Shi¡¯ites and the dissidents. The authors manage to critically assess each group of people as well as apply the ways in which each group responds to the economic factors and the movement towards modernization. All these subjects of society have in some way been dysfunctional and have been the cause of instability, say Shaw and Long. The Royal Family, with its personalized regime, for example, has left no space for a modern, delegated authority. The military, with its materialistic incentives (p.67), has virtually no manpower and therefore no power at all to make any decisions. The technocrats have not been able to develop a masterplan of public administration (p.74) and mobility, thus slinging to traditional rules rather than wanting to modernize. The merchants, who almost always consist of large families controlling large areas of the business, are highly dependent on the ruling elite and also do not attempt to deviate from it. The students and the Saudi common man, according to Shaw and Long, are in no rush to change any policies and are just as happy living in a traditional society simply because they do not know any better. The role of women, being to take care of the household, is another factor that can only bring about a bigger gap in the sphere of manpower and labor. At the end of the social pyramid is the religious leadership, which is also the basis building block of the whole Saudi Arabian society. Shaw and Long express their view that Islam is a political ideology that is above all people and concepts (p.88). The second part of the book, as I have described it above, gives the reader a basic understanding of the Saudi mind and how different people live and work in their own organizations without really bringing about any modernization and thus creating instability. In a society like this one, labor is insufficient, manpower is absent and most of the capital goes to the hands of a few rich people. This, according to Long and Shaw, is also the cause of instability and is the main block to modernization.
¡°Saudi Arabian Modernization¡± is a book that manages to make a long story short. It gives the reader a sufficient amount of knowledge in order to understand Saudi Arabian ideologies. The authors then propose several questions about why modernization has not been able to work, in what ways the Saudi Arabian society is instable and how all of that can change in the future. One flaw that this book has is that sometimes the authors fail to give enough factual evidence to support their claims and the reader is left with too many personal opinions. The overall impression, however, after reading this book is that it is short and precise. The book is also well-organized which makes it easy to follow and comprehend. It is a great source of information and the authors manage to support all their ideas very strongly, leaving us with many interesting interpretations of various issues.

From Custer to Kerouac to Kaczynski, tourists in the West have left their mark ... and in many ways, the West has left its own indelible mark on them -- just ask Custer.

In 150 years of travel across the Big Empty (as pioneers called the Intermountain West) a few have stayed, but all began as passersby. Who are they and why do they come? Why do we want them to come? Where do they go? How can we make them spend more money? Why do we make fun of them? Those are just some of the questions asked and answered in a new anthology nurtured by the University of Colorado's Center of the American West.

"Seeing and Being Seen" explores the history of tourism in the American West, and examines its effect on both the tourists and the people and places they visit. Essayists from National Park Service historian David Louter to novelist Rudolfo Anaya ponder the various dilemmas posed by tourism for western communities, from economic and environmental questions to cultural change.

The book explains how some towns, such as Trinidad, Colo., have been reluctant to embrace tourism for fear of losing their culture, while others, like Burlington, Colo., look for ways to control -- and profit from -- the exploitation of local history and culture.

"Seeing and Being Seen" sprouted from a tourism colloquium sponsored by CU's Center for the New West in 1997. It is a good exploration of the industry by people whose job it is to analyze such things.

As the older sibling thirteen-year-old Brad Denning knew he was responsible for his kid brother nine-year-old tag along Petey. However, his friends encouraged Brad to send Petey home. So Brad told Petey to leave. The sobbing preadolescent biked away. However, when Brad returned home for supper he learns that Petey did not come home. Frantically their parents called friends and the police, but the skinny little kid never came home.

Nearing forty, Brad is married, has a son, and has a successful architect career, but remains guilt stricken by the sobbing of a LONG LOST nine year old. Desperate for closure he appeals on TV for Petey to come home. In Denver, a mangy looking construction worker calls Brad by name insisting he is Petey. Though initially skeptical, Brad begins to believe him because this guy knows insider things about Brad and their parents. Brad takes Petey home, where his wife and son warmly welcome him.

While camping, Petey shoves Brad off the edge of a cliff before abducting his sister-in-law and nephew. Brad survives and begins an odyssey to rescue his family from the avenging serpent.

LONG LOST is a taut suspense thriller that hooks readers from the very first line until the one sitting tale is finished. Though Petey's revenge seems extreme, especially the events he committed after he left his brother for dead, the suspenseful plot thoroughly retains its grip on the reader. David Morrell has furnished a powerful haunting thriller with a frightening ending that just adds to the depth of a hard to forget novel

Harriet Klausner

David Morrell's new novel, "Long Lost," is about Brad and Karen Denning, a happily married couple who live with their eleven-year-old son, Jason, in Denver, Colorado. Brad is a prosperous and well-known architect. He has received favorable magazine and television coverage praising the innovative structures that he has built.

Brad has one major regret in life. When he was a thirteen-year-old youngster in Ohio, he once told his nine-year-old brother, Petey to go home by himself, since Brad's friends didn't want a little kid tagging along with them. Tragically, Petey got on his bike, pedaled away, and disappeared off the face of the earth. Petey's disappearance devastated the Denning family and Brad has never gotten over his grief and his guilt over the loss of his brother.

One day, a man shows up out of the blue and calls out Brad's name while Brad is walking along the street in downtown Denver. The man states that he had seen a television spot featuring Brad, and he insists that he is Petey, Brad's long-lost brother. "Petey" claims to be elated to have the opportunity to reconnect at last with his family and he seems anxious to make up for all the lost years when the brothers were separated. After an initial period of understandable skepticism, Brad buys the man's story, particularly because "Petey" knows facts about the boys' childhood that no one else could have told him.

Brad soon finds that he has inadvertently plunged himself and his family into a morass of terror and despair by allowing this man into his home. Is this man really Brad's long-lost brother, or is he an impostor? What soon becomes clear is that "Petey's" agenda is not about reconciliation. Brad is soon put into a position of having to single-handedly save his family and himself from disaster.

Morrell's writing in "Long Lost" is simple and understated. The chapters are brief and he uses the first person, which makes the action more personal and immediate. The novel is fast-paced and exciting and the reader is kept on the edge of his seat wondering how the plot will resolve itself. The only downside is that occasional melodramatic touches seep into the narrative, and there are a few cliches which detract from the flow of the story. However, for the most part "Long Lost" is a good summer read. Put your feet up and prepare to lose yourself in a story about a desperate person who will do anything to reclaim his life from a very dangerous man.

I've read every book David Morrell has written and Long Lost is his best in years. The last few books he's written have been good books, but the heroes are almost superhuman. Yes, Morrell did create Rambo, but David Morrell's Rambo was a real, flawed person, not the perfect hero Stallone turned him into. With 'Long Lost' Morrell returns to the kind of human story he told in 'First Blood'. It's a fairly simple story of a boy, Petey Denning, who disappears when he is nine years old, devastating his parents and older brother. Years later his parents are dead and his brother Brad is married and successful. Petey returns to Brad's life and kidnaps his family. The story takes off from there as Brad chases his family across the country trying to save them from his brother. The characters are very real, and the situations all make sense.
Although, the way Brad tracks his brother is a little hard to believe. The ending rings very true to life. It's not exactly a happy ending. This book is one incredible book!

I found this book interesting in the begining and sometimes really funny but as it went on it got a little dull and at times quite predictable. If ayone were to use this book as a travel guide, he or she would probably find Australia very ordinary. I have myself been to Australia and there are quite an exciting array of things to do and see. Read it as you would a novel and you should be fine. Here you will read about how an Australian sees his own counrty which I found rather interesting. His humour is one of a kind and he definitely has a way of describing his fears for speed and David's driving skills. Now that I have finished the book I know if I ever travel, Sean is definitely not on my list of possible travel partners.

you're looking for a travel guide, or the ultimate truth about the Australians, or the origin of the Universe. In particular, don't read this book if you're easily offended or don't have any sense of humour. In my perception, this guy didn't even attempt to write a faithful description of Australia; there is no need to. He probably tells lies here and there, but that is what jokes are all about. There's plenty of "serious" books about history, geography, sociology of every single corner of this planet. If you want facts, read one of those. If you want to have fun, lot of fun, grab this book and lough 'til your stomach will hurt. Me, I'll just go and place the order for his other book. If it will be just half as fun, it will be funny enough.

I'm an American who will be traveling to Australia for the first time in one week, so I read this book for "background." It's quite funny-- Sean Condon has a certain sarcastic yet empathic way of looking at the world. He's sort of a Gen-X cross between Bill Bryson and Dave Barry.

What was also interesting to me is the degree to which American pop culture had totally saturated Sean and David's worldview and vocabulary as they talk back and forth during the trip. They not only reference the easy stuff that everyone in the Western world knows-- Charlton Heston, Disneyland-- but also obscure pop cultural references that I thought we had agreed to keep within our own borders-- e.g., The Hawaii epsiodes of "The Brady Bunch" and Snuggle the Bear. It sort of depresses me; I wished there was more of an even exchange, but I guess the only Australian pop cultural references shared by my generation here in the US are that "Kookaberra/gum tree" song and Crocodile Dundee.

All in all this is an entertaining book. It shatters the impression of a desolate Outback when Sean can tune into bad TV shows from a hotel near Ayers Rock. I'm really looking forward to their next book, their drive across the US.

I found this book to be both beautifully written and a compelling read. I have a tendency to "enjoy the journey" through a well written book (John LeCarre and James Lee Burke come to mind). Should the writing falter, the plot surfaces quickly for me. This plot was worthy, and the writing held my attention. While I found some of the "story" passages rather longish, my attention didn't falter. Long uses some interesting devices in the telling of his tale, and Julia Lemoreauex is a very intriguing character -- as are her father, Simon, and the narrator himself, Miles Fanning. I found the religious elements particularly interesting. David Long's other works are also highly recommended, especially his short fiction in Blue Spruce: Stories.

I've long been a fan of David Long's short fiction, and I was pleasantly surprised a couple of years ago to find that The Falling Boy was just as compelling and gorgeously written. Now this new novel convinces me that Long is a very underrated writer. This story is suspenseful, intriguing, and, again, masterfully written with phrases that simply stun me. Though I was disappointed that the book wasn't set in Montana like much of Long's work, I continue to be a big fan with The Daughters of Simon Lamoreaux. This was luxurious to read.

THE DAUGHTERS OF SIMON LAMOREAUX confirms David Long as America's greatest underappreciated fiction writer. The novel is propelled by a mystery - what happened to Carly Lamoreaux? - and is in its way a page-turner, but eschews the cardboard conventions of the mystery genre. Here, it's not the cause but the effects that are riveting; the fact of what happened to Carly is less important than what her disappearance does to those around her. Likewise, Long's writing is as much concerned with the silences around words as the words themselves. His prose is at once pared down and profligate. Read it aloud! Like the best novels, this one makes you want to read it again, and to read others as well; rather than providing any pat answers (to its own plot, or to human psychology), it opens into wider and wider questions. David Long has given us a subtle, haunting, funny, sexy, and utterly unforgettable story.