The Unexpected Storm was extraordinarily written. Filled with emotion, this book gives an honest perspective of a citizen soldier serving our country with dignity. The author, Steven Manchester showed how courageous he is by sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings. And he did an outstanding job specifically describing the physical environment in the Gulf region. His ability to help the reader visualize and feel what he experienced is remarkable. Veterans, or not - people of all ages should read this book!

The Unexpected Storm was extraordinarily written. Filled with emotion, this book gives an honest perspective of a citizen soldier serving our country with dignity. The author, Steven Manchester showed how courageous he is by sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings. And he did an outstanding job specifically describing the physical environment in the Gulf region. His ability to help the reader visualize and feel what he experienced is remarkable. Veterans, or not - people of all ages should read this book!

This new author's writing style keeps you interested and entertained from the very first page to the last. This book provides an accurate as well as enlightening account of the Gulf experience for those of us safe at home. While reading The Unexpected Storm, I experienced emotions ranging from grief and laughter, to fear and disgust. The story explains the physical and emotional changes these men went through during the war. Most left as boys, and returned as men, with much more respect for those who went before them. This is a book I would recommend everyone to read -- it makes you think about the many things we take for granted.

This is a very unique cookbook filled with great recipes -- plus fun stories of the restaurants -- The Frog and The Commissary and their owners.

My copy of this book if literally falling apart from years of hard use -- of 35 cookbooks, I probably use this one 20% of the time!

I love this cookbook. I have been through three copies and given numerous copies to friends and family.

This book was out-of-print for years and I am very happy to see it reissued -- so I can give a copy to my son away in college!

This is where the French-Thai connection started as far as I can tell. The book is a marvel. The illustrations and comments in the margins are as valuable as the recipes and their text.

I have made just about every dish in this book and I have never been disappointed and neither have my guests.

My son grew up on the Thai Popcorn; I believe that the duck and chicken recipes are beyond reproach; the lentil salad is to die for (better have a heck of an extensive spice collection for that one....) and EVERYBODY loves the Carrot Cake.

A fine, fine example of American creativity in the culinary arts.

When we lived in Philly, Frog, the Commisary, and Eden were definitely on our top 10 list. The recipes in this book bring that back for us every time. These recipes cannot be beat. My friends have been BEGGING for the recipes for years: eggplant capponata, carrot cake, chocolate killer cake-just to name a few. I am so glad to see this in print again so that we don't have to be tempted to photocopy.

STEVE ROBERTSON HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF DEPICTING THE
(COMING OF AGE) IN CENTRAL FLORIDA DURING THE 50's AND 60's.
AS A FORMER CLASSMATE AND TEAMMATE, I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH
STEVE'S FIRST ATTEMPT AS AN AUTHOR. I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO
A CONTINUATION OF "ROBBIE DUNCAN'S" LIFE. STEVE, KEEP UP THE
GOOD WORK.

Set in rural Florida, Ranch Boy by H. Steven Robertson is a story about coming of age, as a young man by the name of Robbie Duncan matures and yearns for freedom from his father's stern and absolute control. Fulfilling his dream of becoming a cowboy, Robbie soon learns that the reality of ranch work is far harsher than the dreamy illusions he once held, as tending to animals and laboring in orange groves is physically exhausting work. Yet satisfaction and independence come of a job done well, in this moving and thoroughly entertaining story of personal growth and accomplishment.

Steve Robertson's account of the ranch work was impressive, but I found the tales of football practice in the summer reminded me of my own right of passage. It apparently was a struggle that all boys went through on the field of dreams. It was very hard for words to describe the pure hell of practices in the middle of the steamy Florida summer for a young boy, but Steve does it with skill and style. I feel assured that the ranch work also helped to turn the young boy into the football star he was. Ranch Boy is a great coming of age book and a must read for any reader with an appetite for a good story..

I found this title extremely useful in learning perl mainly because it teaches you how to do 1 thing in 5 different ways. This allows the reader to chose whichever method they are most comfortable with. The book is also very well organized and explains everything in a language that even the best programmers have trouble with- English! Within a couple days, I found myself writing my own scripts in Linux.

The first Perl book I've seen that is truely great for beginners, great for people who are already Perl programmers, has a lot of example code, is a great reference, has a good reference section, and also seems to not leave any important details/sections out. The fact that it is very well organized/divided is definately a plus! Any person who wishes to learn Perl or have a great reference, MUST have this on their bookshelf.

I write a lot of code in perl. My primary workstation is a linux box. So while I also develop code in perl, I administer my system in perl. I have O'Reilly's entire bookshelf on Perl (except the Gecko [win32] book). This book is a welcome companion to them. It's written a little differently than youre used to if you have a steady diet of oreilly (as i do). I dont think its meant to be read straight-through as the oreilly books are. Rather this book provides a good reference. Sort of a phone book -- you wouldnt use it to find out how the phone works, but rather to look up a number. I bought this book in a larger set of perl books, and definitely recommend it.

a final note to this: the description on how to program in CGI, while a little sparse, is easy to read, and made my first forays into CGI programming a breeze (reading perldoc CGI was an absolute bear!).

I first bought this book in 1992 along with the first Galen Sword book (Shifter). I personally love the book and have read it and reread it numerous times. And, like a few others that have posted, I have lent the book out to others, and all who have read the books have been beside themselves with admiration for what was written and those who wrote it. So, you can see how sad it is when I have to tell them there was no third book written, eventhough there was obviously a third book in the series.
So I ask simply. Is there a third book? If not published, is there a way to get a copy of the third book? Or at the very least, can someone tell me what is in Australia?
By the way, if you could not guess. I very much enjoyed the books, and found the authors unique vision of the supernatural to be completely entrancing.

I wish the authors would PLEASE finish the series. I've been waiting serveral years for another book in the series. I'm not much of a fantasy fan but this series was really great. I recommend it very highly.

The author(s) started writing Star Trek books after the last "Galen Sword" book and have seemed to have forgotten this series. :(

So many question left unanswered here.

I encourage everyone who wants another book in this series to write to the authors, via the publisher. And express your desire for another book in this series.

Really enjoyed the first two Galen Sword Books, and give it a "10" for the genre. Haven't read it since it first came out in 1991, and had stopped looking for the next one. The first two books created a well developed universe existing in tandem with our own, which slowly reveals itself through the eyes of the main character. I got caught up in the the hero journey, the slow maturation of Galen, and the seamless way in which the alternate fantasy universe was interwoven with our own, including the mix of science and "magic", combined with a gritty realism that heightened my empathy for the various characters. The authors wrote in their appendix that they had the whole plot line laid out, so am curious as to why they haven't published the next one. I know they've been writing a lot; horror, star-trek, other sf, but I got the impression the Galen Sword series was successful enough to warrant a concluding volume. Hope it comes out one of these days!

This book covers all major areas of modern food preparation and practice, albeit from an American perspective. One of the strengths of "Techniques from Expert Chefs" is why you do things, as well as how. The recipes form practical illustrations of each key technique and provide inspiration for other dishes. The descriptions of ingredients and typical usage are one of the most complete that I have seen in a book of this size.

As a collector of culinary texts, I can say that this is one of the better books that I have seen. Labensky and Hause are to be commended.

This is a wonderful book. It's well illustrated and full of helpful information. If you are looking for a recipe filled cookbook I wouldn't suggest this title. If you're looking for a book that will improve your cooking skills this is one of the best I've seen.

I cook to relax and I love food. There is nothing I prefer more than making stock and smelling it through the house. I like to experiment, but I stick to the classics. This book was not written for me. It is a textbook for American professionals, and has quantities to match. I am an Australian amateur. But I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone who already loves to cook. It is not for beginners. But if you are sick of endless recipes and cookbooks which concentrate on graphics and photography, this is for you. This book is incredibly detailed, and wonderful to read. You will never cook everything in this book. But you will learn from everything that you read in it.

I had heard about this book from someone I know and was rather anxious to read this "incredible story"... SO...After managing to get my hands on a coveted copy of James Stevens-Arce's 'Soulsaver' I dove into the pages with a tremendous amount of excitement. I had heard good things about the book and I was anxious to see if Soulsaver was able to live up to the expectation I had blatantly placed upon it. It took me ONE day to read this fantastic book. Now, I'm an extremely picky reader and I usually don't thoroughly enjoy books the way I did enjoy 'Soulsaver'. I read Sci-fi often enough but my true love lies with the classics. Jim Stevens has himself here a classic with this spectacular fable of a world on an extreme edge. The book is not too fantastic that it's unbelieveable, this book hits so close to home that I had chills knowing that the world he portrayed is only but a few years away. If anybody reading this loves dystopian stories like: 1984, Brave New World and is also a fan of religious lore and representation...this novel has it! Don't be pushed away by the sci-fi shroud that surrounds it. Just try picking it up and reading it if you're a fan of reading good..nay...excellent stories. This one is a definite keeper!

I was fortunate enough to see the bound galleys for James Stevens-Arce's first novel, "Soulsaver." I remember reading a short story of his by the same title in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in the early '80s. Stevens-Arce has developed that original intriguing glimpse of a dystopic future into a dizzying journey to the end of the 21st century, when Puerto Rico is the 52nd state in an America taken over by a televangelistic theocracy.

The world Stevens-Arce evokes is richly textured and detailed. The book's narrator, Juan Bautista Lorca, is a rookie technician in a squad whose mission it is to quick-freeze suicides for subsequent "re-animation." The fascinating, fast-paced, occasionally sexy and frequently hilarious narrative tracks Juan's voyage of discovery as all the tenets of his faith and sense of self are challenged and rearranged. The book's climax hinges on the most outrageous second coming since "A Canticle for Lebowitz."

In the grand tradition of Orwell, Huxley and Brunner, Stevens-Arce has given us a terrible, fascinating and convincing vision of a future that just might be only a hundred years away.

I was fortunate enough to see the bound galleys for James Stevens-Arce's first novel, "Soulsaver." I remember reading a short story of his by the same title in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in the early '80s. Stevens-Arce has developed that original intriguing glimpse of a dystopic future into a dizzying journey to the end of the 21st century, when Puerto Rico is the 52nd state in an America taken over by a televangelistic theocracy.

The world Stevens-Arce evokes is richly textured and detailed. The book's narrator, Juan Bautista Lorca, is a rookie technician in a squad whose mission it is to quick-freeze suicides for subsequent "re-animation." The fascinating, fast-paced, occasionally sexy and frequently hilarious narrative tracks Juan's voyage of discovery as all the tenets of his faith and sense of self are challenged and rearranged. The book's climax hinges on the most outrageous second coming since "A Canticle for Lebowitz."

In the grand tradition of Orwell, Huxley and Brunner, Stevens-Arce has given us a terrible, fascinating and convincing vision of a future that just might be only a hundred years away.

I saw the movie & was blown away by it. I wouldn't recommend this book to people who haven't seen the movie or read SPR: THE NOVEL. This book isn't good for people who can't stand seeing gory pictures. Seeing them really brings back memories from the film. The horrors of war can be found in this book, the film, & novel. It also has some of the actor's feelings about the film & what they went through with the making of Saving Private Ryan. GET IT!

Saving Private Ryan and The Triumph and the Glory have sparked an interest in me about WWII. The novel isn't quite as good as the movie but anyway this book is a great behind the scenes look at the making of a terrific movie.

This beautiful coffee-table companion is a must for anyone who has seen, and appreciates, Spielberg's superb film. The book chronicles the making of the movie from boot camp, to the construction of Ramelle, to the actual shoot. The behind the scenes photos and interviews with various actors and crew members only serve to enrich what is a truly amazing film-going experience.

Yes, "Kessa" DOES exist, and it IS out there! It just takes some looking for. I was lucky enough to find a copy through my local library's Inter-Library Loan System. If your library has something similar, I suggest trying to find it through that.
As you probably know, "Kessa" is the sequel to "The Best Little Girl in the World", Stephen Leverkron's (in)famous story about Francesca Louise Dietrich (aka Kessa), a girl who is hospitalized for severe anorexia. BLGITW ends with Kessa's impending release from the hospital. As anyone with an eating disorders knows, this is often the first step down the long and difficult road to recovery. "Kessa" acknowledges this, as it depicts the troubled girl's struggle to get her life back.
The best thing this book has going for it is the development of the Kessa's character. Unlike BLGITW, where Kessa is little more than anorexia incarnate, we get to see aspects of her personality other than the eating disorder. We see all her hopes, her passions, her fears, and her opinions that DONT revolve around food as well as some of her interactions with others; in short, she has depth. I found myself relating very easily to her on a very intimate & human level.
Granted, the book has it's flaws. For example, the storyline will often randomly flash back to recount past events, with awkard and often confusing results. There are lots of other characters, very few of which are well-developed, if at all. Levenkron makes a few feeble attempts to inject some social commentary outside his area of expertise (namely racism & segregation) that fail to do justice & perhaps even minimize these important subjects. There is also too much dialouge between Kessa & her therapist. While some of this is interesting, it goes a bit too far; waxes a bit too theoretical to hold my interest. Perhaps worst of all, there is a tragic event injected into the plot that I don't think was dealt with well at all. (I won't say any more to avoid spoiling the story, though). Also, let's face it: this is not noble-prize winning literature; hence it is no longer in publication. Still, the book is an engaging, even adicting read -- I literally couldn't put it down, and finished all 247 pages in a couple hours.
Well, good luck finding this book -- I think you'll find it's well worth the time & effort it takes to find it*
*but not worth the 90 bucks or whatever they're asking for it here -- keep looking; go to a rare or used book store, I promise you, you WILL find it!

I have read Best Little Girl In The World By Steven Levenkron and loved it. I Really want to purchase Kessa but can't find it anywhere and I have been looking for a long time. If you know how or where I can purchase, please let me know! Thank you. rainyday@webcombo.net

I have suffered from anorexia for eight years--I read Steven Levenkron's The Best Little Girl in the World, and then happened to stumble across a used copy of Kessa. I HIGHLY recommend ANYONE whether they are suffering from an eating disorder or not, or if you have read TBLGITW, PLEASE read Kessa, too! I was so encouraged--reading Kessa has showed me that recovery from a serious eating disorder is truly possible. Steven Levenkron really knows his stuff--if you get a chance, I would also suggest you pick up his Anatomy of Anorexia.

I have read this Cambridge edition of Sir Steven Runciman's great three-volume "History of the Crusades". I can only say that the narrative is excelent, and that in my opinion it is difficult to find another book that describes so well, and in both detailed and concise ways, the two centuries of history of the Frankish states in Syria. The first volume comprises the whole first Crusade, from its origins to the establishment of the four Latin states: the Principality of Antioch, the counties of Edessa and Tripoli, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The second volume tells the history of those princedoms for almost a century, including the fall of Edessa, until the great defeat of the first Kingdom of Jerusalem, that for a long time had been an established Christian power in Palestine, extending well beyond the Jordan river. The third volume speaks of the last century of Outremer, reduced only to coast defenses, no longer powerful, and always in peril, until the fall of (St. John of) Accre in 1291. Two centuries where the main characters are the Frankish and Norman lords of the first Crusade, the Eastern Roman emperors of Constantinople (especially Alexius, John and Manuel Comnenus) and the now weak though organized Byzantine armies, the Counts of Edessa and Tripoli, the Princes of Antioch, the Kings of the Jerusalem (especially until the end of the first and mighty Kingdom), the pious Christian crusaders and the evil adventurers, the great and wise Saladin, Richard the Lionheart and the men of the Third Crusade, the shamefull venetians and Frenchmen who pillaged Constantinople in the so-called "Fourth Crusade", the fighting monks of the three great military orders (Temple, Hospital and Teutonic Knights), the Palestine-born barons who kept what remained of the Christian Holy Land, the Nestorian Mongols, the native Christians of Syrian or Greek stock, the Arab neighbours, the Armenian princedom in Asia Minor, the Moslem Turks and other related stocks, the cruel Egyptian Mameluks. It is a history of great achievements, brave and pious actions, great and doomed expeditions, treasons, cruelty (on both sides), great honour (Saladin is a good exemple), terrible defeats, a sudden resurrection, religious tolerance and also intolerance, etc. In summary, these three volumes include a wide range of developments, always seen from an independent and critical standpoint. Two hundred years of the history of a whole world that once existed and now is forever gone. Today its only remants are those Arab-speaking eastern Christians who due to the Crusader's activities turned to obbey the Roman Church, some Latin churches and castles, and the remembrances (brought again to life by this work) of one of mankind's greatest adventures.

This book, often published as three volumes is the definitive history of the crusades. It is at once a tremendously entertaining and gripping story, and an academically accurate account that stimulates one to further enquiry. His account is so alive it is as if one was reading events unfolding in a newspaper day by day and the destruction of Constantinople was only yesterday.

Runciman tells the story of the West's response to the fall of Jerusalem to the Arabs, and their unexpected success in reconquering it. Throughout the story the Christian west, the Byzantine Empire, and the Arab world are painted with all their good and bad points.

No one comes out of this story without fault, but Runciman points out that there was a tremendous invigoration of western civilization through its contact with the Byzantine and Arab world. The short lived Kingdom of Jerusalem became in a way an experiment in East-West civilization that ultimately was destroyed by the arrival of later crusaders whose enthusiasm for attacking the Arabs (with whom the earlier crusaders had learned to live in relative peace) was not matched by their numbers or competence. Runciman notes that Arab distrust of the West had its roots in this time.

A great introduction to Byzantine, Arabic, or Latin history. See also the work of JJ Norwich on Byzantium and the Normans in Sicily

Runciman gives a comprehensive, panoramic account of the Crusades, from the unlikely success of the First Crusade to the final, inevitable defeat of the Crusading movement. He analyzes the reasons for the success and the causes of the ultimate failure of the Crusades, and therein lies a lesson for modern times.

Runciman speaks of the many causes of initial victory and ultimate defeat, and catalogs the grievous injuries to all concerned resulting from the Crusades. His analysis is sobering, and some of it is not inapplicable to the current state of affairs in the Middle East. The Crusader States were looked on by the native Moslems as interlopers to be driven into the sea. That final victory was achieved, but at what cost? Given the fiat accompli of the First Crusade, and the centuries of existence of the Crusader States, couldn't they have achieved a modus vivendi which, if not completely satisfactory to either side, at least allowed the parties to live in harmony without doing further mischief to each other. If all sides of the current conflict in the Middle East would read this book, it might expedite the peace process.