Finally---the definitive history of The Light Crust Doughboys, one of the "big three" in the history of western swing and Texas-style country music (the other being Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys and Milton Brown's Musical Brownies). But this must-have book is so much more than a book: history "comes alive" with the included music CD which features a classic Doughboys' decade, the 1940s, alongside their contemporary Grammy-recognized work. And it's in this newer work that fans can really see the legacy and enduring power of a band that's been called country music's greatest historical band. In songs like "Texas Women", "Sending Me You", "Looking Through A Stained Glass Darkly", and "Amarillo, Where The Wind Blows Free, the reader can see how The Light Crust Doughboys keep evolving as artists while always keeping a foot in the best of their Texan and American past.The Light Crust Doughboys are one of the select bands in country music history equally renowned for their instrumental as well as their vocal prowess. Long known for their eclectic approach to music, combining elements of the blues, cowboy music, old-time, gospel, and dixieland, The Light Crust Doughboys are true American ambassadors and modern troubadours of American music. You'll read here of The Doughboys' pioneering use of electric guitar and electric bass in American music. You'll read that they pioneered being a western band in Hollywood's golden age (they pre-dated Bob Wills' film debut by four years). You'll read and hear how they combined gospel music and western swing (with gospel legend James Blackwood) to develop gospel western swing. You'll read how they came up with the idea of blending Pacific/California surf and Texas western swing with Ventures' guitar great, Nokie Edwards, resulting in critically-acclaimed roots music including an Americana Christmas album! Let's all hope that this book paves the way for long-overdue recognition in the NashVegas-dominated Country Music Hall of Fame as well as "early influences" recognition in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Is there a Pulitzer Prize for music history or Texana? This book and CD has earned it! And, do your heart and ears a big favor by searching for other Light Crust Doughboys' music and videos at Amazon.

The Light Crust Doughboys Are On The Air: Celebrating Seventy Years Of Texas Music by John Mark Dempsey (a native Texan and Assistant Professor of Broadcast Journalism, University of North Texas) is an enjoyable and informative study of The Light Crust Doughboys band and their Texas music, which was broadcast in the "golden era" of radio. Their long-lived radio show lasted from 1930 to 1952, and their particular brand of gospel music was nominated for the Grammys in 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002. An enjoyable, fact-filled, enthusiastically recommended blend of biographical background and cogent musical assessment of this evolving group, The Light Crust Doughboys Are On The Air is enhanced with a music CD featuring 30 of the band's most popular and beloved songs.

Used this diving guide when I was in Koh Samui in July this year, very informative and all the info was up to date

Scotty Mackenzie

This is an outstanding and reliable resource on diving in thailand and burma. The author writes with clarity. It is an enjoyable read even if you can't get out there as often as you'd like...
I keep it in my bathroom just in case.
:)

I do believe that these is a unique book written about these issue.

As a dentist working in university, I do believe that these book is a unique written about that issue.

Mobius is certainly a guru for people like me who do analysis on emerging markets. People were questioning the viability of emerging markets investing as an asset class just a couple of years ago due to contrast between the boom of US equity market and the gloomy performance of MSCI. Doubts also come from the debate on the "high alpha or just high beta". Some even go further to say that "either the companies (in emerging markets) have been integrated into global markets or the companies are not worthy at taking a look at all". So what's the virtue of investment market as an asset class? Does it matter? What kind of investors are the fit for this asset class? How?

I am a firm believer in what Charles Ellis as well as David Swensen have said about the alternative investments philosphy. In "winning the loser's game", Ellis eloquently, humorously while ruthlessly concluded that "it is harder and harder to beat the market" for market is yourself or people like yourself. It is a pity that he didn't talk about emerging markets. Mobius went on to explore the markets to share the knowledge on this young while dynamite asset class. It is still too early to draw a conclusion on this-we'll wait and see. Nevertheless, It is great that somebody is there waving to you and say "hay, you might want to try this and it is fine".

Mobius on Emerging Markets demonstrates that the author is more than just a fashion guru. The book is a well-written and compelling read; I read nearly all the 364 pages in one day. It is logically structured and gives the reader an enlightening introduction to emerging markets; this is supported with clear graphical and tabulated statistics.

The book is divided into three Parts:

1) Emerging Markets

Origins of Emerging Markets Macro Economic Trends in Emerging Markets

2) Country Reviews

Emerging Market Overview (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Southern Europe)

3) Investment

Investment Strategies and Investments Evaluating Stock Picks Stock Exchange Characteristics Risks My View on Emerging Markets

Although I was initially sceptical of Mark Mobius I must thoroughly recommend this book and congratulate Mark Mobius on his well-deserved success.

If you are considering investing in emerging markets 'Mobius on Emerging Markets' is his best advertisement yet.

This is an amazing guide to the first four seasons of the best show ever made. It's filled with facts on all characters - major and minor - along with show recaps and actor bios. It is essential for all true ER fans to own.

This book is chock-full of information about characters, plotlines and episodes. Although it only goes through the fourth season, leaving certain aspects of characters lives unknown, it is a definite for any ER obsessive. Each main character is discussed in detail, including education, personal life, family members, situations at the hospital and professional evaluations. Each minor character is also discussed briefly. Every episode starting with the pilot through the last season four episode, "A Hole in the Heart" is summarized by plotline as well.

As an ER fan, I found this book informative and fun. Though some newer characters are left out, the book is very detailed and easy to refer to when watching the show. And if you want to know just how many of Mark Greene's relationship were work related, you need this book!

Here's why

1. Has tons of information on Spain, above and beyond the other guides - culture, history, architecture, cinema, you name it.
2. Not too many illustrations/pictures to distract you.
3. Maps of hotels/hostels and restaurants.
4. Detailed information even on remote/small towns.
5. The dictionary appendix is very helpful if you don't know Spanish (not many Spaniards know or even understand English/other languages, especially in areas that see few international tourists).
6. Precious info on finding budget accomodation if your budget is tight or you just arrived w/o a reservation.

This is not a guide that you can stick in your pocket - it's 1000+ pages after all! But the sheer wealth of information makes it well worth the money. A few days ago I came back from a 2-week vacation in Spain - went there w/o any knowledge of Spanish and w/o reservation in most cities i visited - just improptu decided to visit the country, although I would not recommend doing that. The guide saved my vacation, and then made it a great one. This is the first book from the 'Rough Guide' series I've ever bought - if the rest are as good as this one, I won't even look at the other guides out there..

I just came back from a 2-week vacation in Spain and let me tell you - this guide was well worth the money. After comparing it to all other guides on Spain I could find in stores, I decided to buy this one, because it seemed to have the most information. One guide that came close in that respect was 'The Illustrated Guide to Spain' - I already own 2 books from the 'Illustrated Guide' series and originally thought about sticking to it - but it's too picture-heavy, which in my opinion is a distraction.
Boy, was I glad to have had chosen 'The Rough Guide'. Here are the reasons:
1. It has detailed information about all cities/places of interest in each of Spain's regions, incl. getting there, and accomodation choices - especially valuale is the budget accomodation info, which most guides don't have
2. It provides historical background on all sites that are worth seeing
3. The city maps with highlights on hotels and restaurants were quite valuable while visiting small towns that did not have a tourist office.
4. The menu dictionary was also very helpful, because in certain regions there aren't very many non-Spanish tourists and the waiters don't understand another language and may not give you a non-Spanish menu.
5. I also found the contexts/appendixes to be a very nice surprise - no visit to another coutry is complete w/o gaining at least a bit of knowledge of its history and culture, and the guide's content was excellent in that respect as well. Also, the mini-dictionary which is in one of the appendixes was very helpful as I went to Spain w/o any knowledge of the language.
6. The guides on eating and drinking were also quite valuable, as each region of Spain has it's own 'indigenous' food and vines.
7. Finally, I liked the layout of the guide - some guides will throw in huge fonts to try to fill in 200-300 pages - this one did not make that mistake.

It is true that the guide is voluminous (1000+ pages) and won't fit into your pocket. But if you want a guide that will tell you the most about Spain, this is the book. I went to that country impromptu - w/o reservation in most cities I was planning to visit and not knowing the language (not a good idea) - and still head a smooth trip around the country and great time.

While other books try to teach the selling process, this piece of art helps you understand all the issues underlying in a sales force area, it's administation, the relationship with pre and post sales areas and the way to succeed in a managing position. One of the best books I've read on this subject.

I teach in one of the finest schools of Mexico, MBA Marketing and Field Force management topics, and was really tired of looking for comprehensive, complete and reasonable readings that covers the most important areas of managing a Sales Force. Churchil is a must-have text for both, college and high level (superior / undergraduate) students, since it really takes you through every important aspect of the topic.

This was the first of a baker's dozen of Alan Watts books which I have read in the past year and, looking back over this reading project, I think I like this one best of all, even over Tao the Watercourse Way and some others which so greatly impressed me at the time I read them.

There is no question that Watts was an intellectual giant and this book is evidence of that. The articles are well-researched and presented with clarity and detail. There is more scholarship here than in some of his other books.

I especially liked his extended discussion of Pure Land Buddhism and its relation to Mahayana. Pure gold here!

It was this book also which introduced me to the quote on the omnipresence of God from F.W. Faber (page 227) which has made a great impact on my life. Everything changed from the moment I read that.

If you have read any of my other reviews on his books, you will see that my initial enthusiasm turned eventually to boredom with his predictability, but none of that includes Seeds of Genius. I have read it several times now and have greatly enjoyed it. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. I am glad to have been introduced to Alan Watts and Seeds of Genius and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in philosophy and religion, whether or not you agree with his own philosophical stance.

Generally speaking, Alan Watts "did his own thing" with the themes and thoughts of Eastern philosophy, often in such a way that "square" Buddhists and others sought to distance himself from him. In this book, where most of the selections are taken from when he was still in his early twenties, he is seen engaging the ideas of Zen, Taoism, Krishnamurti and other topics, for the first time, in a way that is more orthdox, yet also contains his fresh insights. Also of interest is a section of political writings, since Watts is generally veiwed as apolitical.

Three of my favorate personal development books are The Power of Positive Thinking, Think and Grow Rich, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Now I have four. Self-Wealth restates some time proven self-development principles combined with alot of very inciteful new material. This is a book you can't put down, and I know I got more information from my second read. Great stuff!

When I was in my early twenties I bought my first "personal development" book, written by Anthony Robbins. Little did I know this would start a long journey of studying self-help litterature, listening to motivational audiotapes, and even attending a few inspirational lectures and seminars. Now, with all that I've read and all that I've studied, I must say that Self Wealth has probably had the most profound impact on me to date. And I say this even though it's been less than a week since I finished the book! Maybe it's because the timing and the message was right for me just now. Maybe it's the result of the book's powerful simplicity.. In any case, I really feel like "I got it!" Honestly, this book really tied it all together for me and I am sure it will be a tremendous asset for anyone. No matter what your background, occupation, age, sex or location may be, this book can really help you change, reach your goals and live more abundant and balanced lives. I know this without a doubt... Still, YOU need to USE the principles and ideas that are presented. In Self Wealth you will also find tips and excercises to help you do just this. Again, it's simple, it's easy and it's practical. It is all this and more... It's one GREAT, GREAT book!

I would have assumed that a book on "the meaning of life" would be either a spoof or the work of a fool. It's probably fitting, therefore, that I find myself with the task of writting a review of Significance.

There are no words for the task.

Genuine authority is a rare thing. Find it here.

Significance is a significant book because it makes you think. John Kimpel has created a compilation of ideas, stories and bursts of philosophical musing.

The book contains:

In Praise of Another's Work
On Telling Stories
A Letter
In the Forest
A Brief Comparison
Priorities
On the Limits of Psychology
About Truth
On Kindness
A Letter
Criticism of Another's Work
Perspective
Restating the Argument Once Again
Letters to C. Stephen Evans
Notes

"Restating the Argument Once Again" on page 63 has a very true statement about why we enjoy reading similar books as our friends.

Then the author also considers various questions:

Why does horrible evil occur while God stands by?
Why do people worry about the state of their soul?

I can't necessarily agree that Hell could be the best place for anyone to be, but
the thought is one that is very unique. The author says that God would not send anyone to hell unless it was the best place for them to be. I disagree while still being intellectually amused.

I saw a lot of truth in his ideas about suicide. And this relates to the book title.

The author takes statements that a Christian will find to be untrue, like "Suppose that God is evil." If you believe the Bible, you will question his thinking at various points.

All I can say is that most of us have never written such complex letters
to our friends or maybe even to authors.

The beauty of this book is not necessarily in the complexity of the stories or the understanding of the principles, but perhaps in the simplicity of a sentence that jumps out at you and begs to be collected.

My favorite quotes:

"Christians are broken, imperfect people struggling in the same world as everyone else."

"Self-deception is, at best, a temporary anesthetic that is purchased at a cost to the individual's soul."

"Perhaps the only way to deal with unbearable horror is to pretend that it isn't there."

This is not a book to read in a hurry, it is a book you want to think
about. Some of the items in this book will haunt your very soul.

If you love philosophy and want to delve into another human's mind and see how they think, this might be for you. If you also enjoy authors like J. Budziszewski you will see a difference in the thought process presented.

Haunting.