This book is something that I will always treasure. It came into my life during a period of darkness and depression. The case studies helped me to see that I was not alone and that I was not the only person going through an obsession. I felt like I was right there with the people presented in the book, be it at the gym or in a car or whatever.

I am slowly starting to heal from my addiction to relationships. Whenever I feel alone, I have a new resource to turn to for comport and support. Confusing Love with Obsession is a compassionately written book that will bring light into your life. John Moore is right when he says, "Being in love should not mean living in agony".

I purchased and read this book a week ago after a painful divorce was finalized. Fast forward to now and here I am in the same situation yet again, falling in love with a different man. I read the book and did not take much to heart, basically because I was in denial. But after picking up the book again and giving serious thought to what Moore presented, I can see how addicted I am to relationships. I also found myself feeling a bit embarrassed as I read this book, because much of what was presented hit a little too closee to home. Looking back on my marriage, I behaved just like some of the people in the case studies did - using food to manipulate my ex-husband into gaining weight. I also broke into his computer and deleted emails and tried to cause trouble for him. Why? Because I was obsessed with my ex husband and addicted to our marriage. I have now been motivated to join a support group and get help from a therapist. As for my new relationship, I am putting that on ice until I begin to heal. If you decide to buy this book, be prepared for some moments where you might cry. This is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read, because Moore writes with compassion and shows how relational dependency effects both WOMEN AND MEN!

It will change your life!

I was assigned to read this book by a psychologist after I was involved in an incident, since I am in the military. Like any other assigned reading, I was very reluctant, until I began reading this book . . . and all I could think was, "How could he know?"; Every relationship case study I followed had the same patterns he was describing, and I couldn't read more than a few chapters at a time without having to put the book down so I could stop crying. It all made so much sense! Never before had my behavior been described to me in such a way to make me realize: There was a reason why I fell for the wrong men and gave so much to a disasterous relationship. I was always a fool in love, and in love with a fool. Now I am in love with a beautiful man who actually puts my needs before his own. Now I cry because he makes me so happy instead of crying because he broke my heart again! If you can relate at all, you must read this book and see for yourself . . .

There's a reason why David Olgilvy calls this the most useful advertsing book he's ever read! I hold a Ph.D in Sales/Marketing and they simply DO NOT teach this money producing stuff enough at our colleges and universities! Instead, most of them opt for creative mush that's clever and makes for good awards and 5 minute speeches....but doesn't sell anything! If you want simple, brass tacks, powerful advertising advice, this book will be the most delapidated marketing resource in your library!
Is you're serious, RUN, don't walk to the checkout and pickup this incredible book. You'll pay guys like Dan Kennedy hundreds and even thousands of dollars for this advice...but it's all right here! Good stuff!

I have read this book twice cover to cover and refer to it almost everyday. If I could have given this book 6 stars I would have done it without reservation.

I have ordered and read at least 4 different books on copywriting and advertising in the last year. Most of the books have good ideas, but none of them describe the methods of writing headlines the way Caples does. He spends 4 chapters on it and let me tell you when he is finished you will know it cold! Personally that would have been enough to sell me on the book, but he doesn't stop there. He talks about scientific advertising to make sure you are writing ads that sell and not waste money. In addition, he talks through how to write the first paragraph and how to structure the copy. Finally, he spends time to talking about how to improve the selling power of copy.

Since I have read this book my ability to write copy has reached a whole new level. If you are in this field or responsible for writing copy I would advise you that this is a book you MUST own.

As an author and professional speaker on marketing, I've recommended this book for years. It provides more specifics and sound advice for novice and experienced marketers on direct response advertising than anything else I've seen. It provides good fuel to test an ad agency's stuff-- especially those that say things like "oh, you can't track that..." I've re-read this book probably 20 times -- and you should too if you really want to improve the results of your advertising.

This truly is a marvelous book and provides a wonderful introduction to warfare in the classical world. The only issue I had with the book was the scant details on warfare during the Roman Empire itself. The Greece section -- from Homeric times to Alexander the Great and his successors -- comprises half the book's pages, and then the Roman Republic section -- from Pyrrhus to the beginning of Octavian/Augustus rule -- comprises about 80 pages. This leaves only 15 pages for the Empire itself, about 400 years of history, and the section scarcely went into any detail whatsoever. I'm not sure why the author chose largely to ignore this critical part of Roman history; perhaps he thought there was enough information out there already.

This one problem aside, the book is simply marvelous, and as long as you don't mind the author breezing over Imperial Rome, it's a must-buy. The Alexander the Great section in particular is spectacular.

An absolute must have for anyone who is remotely interested in warfare in the classical world. Not just dry descriptions, but beautiful, realistic, full color illustrations of the soldiers from each important evoloution. (Such as the Homeric and Spartan hoplites, the Macedonian Phalangite, the Companion Cavalryman, the Thracian Peltast, the varied Persian troops, and the various evoloutions of the Roman Legionary and their foes (including Hannibal's Iberians, the Celts, and the Huns), along with detailed descriptions of each one's panopoly and tactics. Also describes all major battles, seagoing and siege tactics and the historical timeline surrounding each. The one thing it lacks is analysis of the great generals, which is appropriate as a good study of any great leader can easily fill a book this size. However, is a must-have companion to any T. A. Dodge or similar work on the period. Really puts a face on the fighting soldier.

This is a superb "history" of classical warfare as practised by Greek and Roman armies. The reason I state "history" and not just an encyclopedia is because the book is set out in a chronological order and not purely as your typical encyclopedic style ie. not alphabetically. However this presentation is much more logical and lucid. The writing is very good and not at all dry and the illustrations are superb. This book has all one needs to know about warfare in the classical world of Greece and Rome and even includes details and illustrations of the various foes fought by the Greeks and Romans such as the Persians, Carthaginians and Celts. My only difficulty now is to decide whether this book is better than "Greece and Rome at War" by Peter Connolly....

This is a nice addition to the currently available literature on the Apollo program. For those who are unfamiliar with Alan Bean's work, it is more impressionistic, rather than focusing on complete, detailed accuracy. Those who watched "From the Earth to the Moon" and expect the same kind of art may be disappointed. However, Bean's work adds another layer to the basic photographs we've already seen, incorporating the sense of grandeur and "magnificent desolation" that the astronauts were able to experience. Chaikin's text does not add anything that was not already covered in his book, so don't purchase this text to find out new facts about Apollo. DO purchase this book for the paintings. It makes you want to own a Bean original!

I have read all of the Apollo astronauts' accounts of their journeys, and this book adds something different. Alan Bean gives a unique view of the United States' greatest adventure. His paintings renewed my excitement for our space program. The narratives that go with the paintings are genuine and speak to every American. This book will inspire young people to be proud of our space achievements--a quality that both the news media and our politicians sorely lack these days. Bean's love of the space program is displayed by the colors and settings of his works. Many times, Bean reminds us that Apollo was an act of all of America, not just the astronauts. From a space enthusiast's point of view, we need more books like this!

With the descent of the lunar lander Intrepid, Apollo 12 astronaut Bean became the fourth man to walk on the moon. Since his retirement from NASA in 1981, Bean has devoted himself to his realist paintings; this handsome volume allows him to display both his artistic skills and his orbital experience, reproducing dozens of Bean's paintings of lunar surfaces, moonwalks, astronaut gear and so on, alongside a blow-by-blow narrative of Apollo 12, which Chaikin (The National Air and Space Museum Book of Aviation and Space Flight) has written very much from Bean's perspective. Chaikin and Bean describe the thrills and setbacks on the latter's path from naval aviator to astronaut, his first view of the blue-and-white Earth from 293,000 miles and the technical problems of making sure an American flag stays up on the moon. Final chapters track Bean's adventures with the paint and canvas he took up in 1974 ("Flying skills are so much like painting skills, it's amazing"), the exploits and close calls of other astronauts and Bean's hopes for his art and for space exploration. Short paragraphs in which Bean explains his pictures' subjects and techniques alternate with the longer segments of narrative; this format can make the whole book seem scattered, though the images, and the anecdotes, retain undeniable power. The meticulously detailed paintings themselves add warmth and a mid-19th-century softness to the photos and equipment on which many of them are based.

this book was realy great. i liked it because boba fett is in it and he has a big part in the book. i also liked it because it reminded me of event horizin the movie. i hope you read this realy good book.

If you like action and fun this is a great book to read, I got it mainly because I like Boba Fett and when I read I loved it. It's a great story about Zac and Tash and their Uncle Hoole go to a planet called Necropolis and how they get pretty mixed up with Boba and get into a bit of trouble.

Zak and Tash go to a planet with strong superstition of the dead. They are looking for a spaceship there. With their Uncle Hoole, a shape-shifter, they find out Dr. Evazan's secret. They have many adventures along the way. This was a great book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.The author did a great of explaining. I highly reccomend this book to any sci-fi fan.

A friend kept bringing delicious vegan dishes to potlucks. Every time I asked her for a recipe, it was out of "May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World." I pulled this book off the shelf and into the kitchen, and now people are complimenting my cooking and coming back for seconds--even meat eaters. At a recent party, meat lovers kept coming back for seconds of the Vegetable Tofu Loaf, and I knew I had a goldmine of a cookbook. Every recipe I've tried has worked out great. I cut the oil in half in the Lemon Rice and Peas, because it didn't need 2 tablespoons for 4 servings, and it was still delicious.

The cookbook portion is the second half of the book. The first half is full of well referenced, easy-to-read information on a variety of nutritional and health topics, including protein (ch. 3); chicken, fish, dairy, and eggs (ch. 5); the marketing of infant formulas (ch. 6); and what individuals can do about the problems discussed in chapters 2 - 6 (ch. 7). I found the charts and graphs great for concisely conveying Robbins' points. Although he discusses serious societal and individual problems, the tone of the book is positive: all these problems are correctable and here's what you can do to help solve them.

Whether one uses this as a just a cookbook, a reference book, or both, this book is worth having!

John Robbins is a great author. Everyone must read this if they are not a vegetarian or do not understand or respect the intelligence of our fellow creatures who share this earth. Robbins' sensitive look into the meat industry and the propoganda behind it sheds light on the coruptness and greed of the business, not to mention the deception and lengths for which they are willing to go to keep certain information virtually hidden from the masses.

The second half of the book is filled with wonderful recipes. Not a bad one yet...best thing is, it's vegan. The cream of broccoli soup is absolutely the best, and no one can believe there is no dairy in it! I reccommend this book to everyone. After reading this book, one must go on to read Robbins other book, Diet for a New America.

Diet for a New World will make you think twice about your next meal. Robbins offers real solutions to third world issues. When we consume meat, the crops were grown in abundance in a third world or extremely poor country, then it was exported to a meat farm to feed the cattle. Robbins explains that the grain used to feed the cattle could have fed the starving population of the growers and us as well.

Some of this book is difficult to read because it makes us take a serious look and the way live, eat and purchase everyday items. I'm glad I did- it changed my life.

Becoming vegetarian or vegan is only part of the solution. Buy the book, read it, practice it, bring veg dishes to gatherings and share what you know. Buy the book as a gift too, that's how I got it.

I realize we have One Earth and One Chance- let's make it count. John Robbins can get you started on the right path.

Satellite Encryption by John Vacca describes the complex security issues that continue to arise as the amount of electronic, voice, and video data is transmitted via satellite communication channels. Of particular interest was the number of satellite launches by major corporations that are planned in the near future. As a business, we are finding the need to conduct business at a much greater speed via the Internet. The book goes on to describe the importance of this trend but also details the perils that face companies that will be required to conduct business using E-Commerce. The book informs the reader how satellite encryption methods are utilized today to safeguard critical and confidential information, and what techniques are utilized to implement these methods. The book emphasizes the inadequacies of the current encryption methods and the direction that improved encryption methods are taking to combat misuse by government, terrorists, and criminal organizations. Overall the book provides an intriguing view into the world of satellite encryption and brings to light the increasing need for confidentiality of both personal and government information in a rapidly changing information age.

As always, John Vacca provides an incredible level of detail in a readable manner. The Internet implications are particularly applicable to almost any reader. In our case, where the line-of-sight constraints of radio transmission in our wireless WANs are forcing us to look at satellite options, this book is an invaluable resource. And the tales told herein about encryption break-ins and techniques make fascinating reading in their own right.

Technical from orbit to chip, and immensely readable as well!

Highly recommended!

Mr. Vacca's book, Satellite Encryption, is a must read for anyone. *Every* aspect of our life is affected by the new information age and how satellites are (un)able to provide reliable communications though encrypted pathways. Satellite technology now affects Internet, banking, personal communications (e.g. phone, pager) as well as our governmental infrastructures.

Detailed and highly accurate information is well described in this book and will surely be the core material for Tom Clancy's future techno novels. Mr. Vacca provides an expose of the susceptibilities of our satellite systems like no one else has.

I have read a few of Mr. Vacca's other publications, and like the others, this book is a jewel because very practical implementation information is provided. In particular, Part three, "Implementing Satellite Encryption", is fascinating reading to understand how end to end data flows in various satellite systems.

This books is very easy to read and the examples in the sidebars are excellent. The last chapters provide sobering insight into the future and what steps should be done to assure a viable future for this technology. The warfare implications are challenging and scary. Great reading.

I read this book to my daughter last October when she was just a little over two. She's just turned three and we're using it as our pre-Halloween reading again. What I like best about the book is that the characters, a witch, ghost, vampire, mummy and bat, aren't at all scary. They all have the same sole interest, eating pumpkin pie. There's no witchcraft, no haunting, no nasty mischief. They're basically silly characters, offering parents a good way to introduce young children to them in a way that might later neutralize potentially scarier meetings. This book will not give my three year old nightmares - she may, however dream of pumpkin pie.

In Erica Silverman's _Big Pumpkin_, a witch tries to get her big pumpkin off the vine, so she can make pumpkin pie. A mummy, a vampire, a ghost and a bat each stop by and try to pull the pumpkin from the vine. They succeed when they all pull together. Later they share the pumpkin pie.

Schindler's illustrations are hilarious. The image of the mummy trying to pull the pumpkin from the vine is one i will never forget... the image of the bat eating pumpkin pie is another one. Both I and my (3 year old) son find this book very funny. The story is simple and repetitive...nothing really scary or morbid here at all.

In my opinion, this is an ideal Halloween picture book for 3- and 4-year olds.

ken32

This is my favorite Halloween book I know it so well that I will often just tell the story. It is really funny, it has the typical cast of Halloween monsters with out being scary and its great for reading out loud the kids always love to join in on the "Drat" and the pulling. I would also encourage you to purchase the audio version as it is a wonderful performance that children will listen to anytime of the year.

[CAUTION: minor spoilers!]

I was elated upon my discovery of Wither, Passarella's first novel in what I believe will be a trilogy of horror/thriller novels centered around the ever-diabolical witch Elizabeth Wither. I had searched high and low for a quality story about witches, and here it was, embodied in this wonderful novel. You can imagine, then, the absolute euphoria that swept over me when I read Wither's Rain, the sequel to Wither, and found that it involved not one, but two of my mythical interests, beautifully adding a young werewolf to the mix.

Well, maybe not a werewolf per se. Nine year-old Abby MacNeil, changed irrevocably by her first encounter with Wither, has become a shape-shifter, taking on the form of a white wolf. Also changed by their earlier encounters with the evil witches of old Windale, Massachusetts are Karen Glazer and her daughter Hannah, who seems to be maturing in both body and mind at an exceptionally accelerated rate. And, of course, there's Wendy Ward, the teenage Wicca whose body had been chosen by Wither herself to inhabit after her three-hundred-year nap in a farm outside of the city. Wendy thought she'd rid herself of the evil witch, crushing her in the final chapters of Wither, but she was wrong. Now, Wither has taken refuge in the body of high school student Gina Thorne, and continues on with her chaotic behavior, and her prideful pursuit of Wendy, the woman who almost destroyed her. With the aid of a watchful old woman from the future, Wendy must destroy Wither once and for all, before its too late and no matter the cost.

Passarella is incredible in his ability to make his characters come alive on the page. I could literally feel the fear that swelled through Wendy as she raced to save her parents from Gina's wrath, and oxygen seemed a rare commodity to me as little Abby lie dying on the cold floor of Wendy's cabin. More than once I found myself whispering such phrases as No, don't go in there! Hit him, hit him! Look out! You'll be okay, it'll all be okay. Passarella has a rare knack for making his readers empathize with his characters, and an even rarer talent for scaring the hell out of us.

The characterization of Gina Thorne was purely magical. The indifference with which she regarded her victims, the whimsical way she expelled them and moved on, the sexy wiles with which she engaged her intended "Keepers" or simple play things. Never have I liked a villain so much, she has become my newest guilty pleasure.

My only qualm with this book was that it had to end, as do all good things, they say. From page one to the final confrontation, the chills never stopped coming. Passarella is making a name for himself in the horror writing industry. If it were up to me, that name would be bathed in light, the light reserved for only the best.

First of all, before I get into my long review, I am going to start with saying this is a great book that any horror or avid book fan for that matter, should enjoy. In only his fourth novel(3rd solo, he was co-author of Wither), John Passarella breathes fresh air into the horror genre that even the most jaded fan should enjoy. The story of Wither's Rain centers around Wendy Ward, a college student with a gift for magic. She thought she had taken care of Elizabeth Wither when she watched her get crushed under falling stone, but it would not be the last she would see of her. Wither's physical form may have been crushed, but her blood survived. Unknown to Wendy, Wither's blood has found a new host in Angelina Thorne, and this time Wither's power grows more quickly. Wendy is going to have to face the same evil that she has not been able to get out of her nightmares since that one Halloween Night. In order to face the evil, she will need the help of her friends, Abby a young girl with the new found ability to turn into a wolf, Hannah a baby with extremely accelerated growth, and a crone figure from the future. That is a real simple explanation of where the book begins. One important thing to mention is that Wither's Rain stands alone really well. Meaning that you didn't have to read Wither in order to understand what is going on. Passarella does a great job of leading you into the story, and offering the vital information you might have missed not reading the first. Though since Wither was so great, I would think that you would enjoy going back and reading it anyways. Wither's Rain is one of those books that grabs a hold of you and just doesn't let go. From the first page, it engulfs you, and you just can't stop flipping the page. I would pick up the book to read just a few pages before I go to bed, and next thing I know, I have read over thirty pages(which is a lot of pages when you read as slow as me) and still can't seem to stop. Passarella just does such a great job of setting situations up, that you continue to read just a few more pages to find out what happens. The suspense throughout Wither's Rain is of a cailiber rarely seen or even approached. Then there is Wendy Ward, who is a great main character to base a series around. She has that extra something that helps to put her in a catergory with some of the best leading characters of today, such as Buffy and Anita Blake. John Passarella is a great author, and is personally responsible for my new found interest in books. Wither's Rain is a completey enjoyable and satisfying experience. John Passarella continues to prove why he belongs to be mentioned with some of the great writers of today.

Every century Wither and her coven come back on the anniversary of their death to commit murder and mayhem on the Massachusetts town of Windale. In 1999, Wither needed a new vessel and tried to take over the body of Wiccan witch Wendy Ward but as untested as the teenage was, she still was able to defeat the evil witch. Wendy thought that she destroyed her but will soon learn that the essence of Wither lives on in the body of eighteen year-old Gina Thorne.

Gradually, Wither's essence spreads throughout Gina's body, allowing the teen to access the witch's powers. She plans to start a new coven but knows that to succeed, she must destroy Wendy. Thanks to the Crone, Wendy realizes that she will battle Wither once again and this time she must learn how to control and use her powers if she wants to destroy her adversary permanently.

WITHER'S RAIN is one of the best horror books of the new millennium. John Passarella has an uncanny knack of tapping into our hidden fears on the pages of his books, especially this one. His talent is on a par with Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Bentley Little. Gina/Wither is the epitome of evil and the allies she converts to her cause makes her even more dangerous to the heroine who like in High Noon needs to fight by herself.

Harriet Klausner

The next best thing to hearing John Welshons share his insights on grieving in person, is to read this fine, fine book. His voice is warm and deeply penetrating, his style so easy, one would forget he/she is reading a work about death and loss.

There is certainly a place for Mr. Welshons alongside this generation's most hallowed champions of the human potential movement...Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Stephen Levine, Dr. Wayne Dyer, et al can be proud to include him as a contemporary and a torch carrier, who, with bold honesty and great love, takes their work to a yet more personal level.

A wonderful gift for all of us...

In my house I have a box in which I reverentially keep those few precious writings and items that most help me heal from the death of my daughter last year. "Awakening From Grief" is in that box. Believe me, I've read a whole lot of grief books and this is one of the best.

John Welshons has a genius for blending life experience and philosophy into a provocative healing balm for the soul. You can feel him reach out from the pages. "Awakening from Grief" helped me unite my emotions and thoughts so that they worked together to form a new outlook on the situation.

The book works as memoir as well as grief companion. Welshons shares touching stories from his own life that let readers know he has lived on the emotional landscapes about which he writes.

His writing voice is assuring, conversational, honest and caring.

This book will make you weep but when you finish it I believe you will find, as I did, that you walk more peacefully and happily in the world. You will feel, and be aware of, how your grief has deepened you.

If this book were a gem, it'd be a diamond.

My father passed away in August. I was devastated. September and October were such dark months for me. Then I read these customer reviews and purchased this book. I got the book and by the time I read the first 3 pages my perspective on my Dad's death had totally changed. I realized his death wasn't pointless. It actually made me realize that his death was his last "gift" to me. It was a total paradigm shift. It made me realize that life is all about joy and sadness. It's all part of the deal. Death is natural and sometimes even beautiful. The book made me realize that his death could actually enhance the way I live my life.

I highly recommend it for those who are hurting. I bought a copy for each member of my family. I also buy it for everyone I know who is taking care of someone who is very sick and for those who have lost someone already.