I was fortunate enough to have taken an entrepreneurship and business planning graduate school class with John as the adjunct professor. He made the course worthwhile and put meaning into the work and learning we did. The story he tells is very real, and it could be you or me, but, the secret is in what you do with what you have. And knowing yourself.

John is very down to earth in his book as in life. He knows who he is, and does not profess to be anything else. And in his book, he speaks to you. Not at you. He shares some of his personal struggles on his road to and of success. And don't think he had it paved... that is the best part of the whole story. Here is someone who shares both the ups and downs, and takes you along with him on the journey. Get the book. It's easy and pleasurable to read. If you have ever dreamed of owning yor own business, get this book, read it, and remember the struggles John went through to inspire you through the rough spots in owning your own business. You will be glad you did.

This book is definitely "plain talk" about success. It was an excellent read and an excellent guideline. I've just finished it and enjoyed the book so much, I am re-reading it with my 10 year old daughter. This book should be required reading in our high schools. He makes some very painful points that should be listened to by our educators. The book was written about 10 years ago, but all of the life lessons still apply. Wish he would write a sequel! I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Self-Made in America is an amazing book that was given to me by my father. Like myself he is in the business of people management, as is any entreprenuer. Want to learn the secrets of this two time self made millionaire about motivating and keeping a happy staff? This book will show you that and much more of how this ordinary man with an extroardinary drive for success developed his business empire. It is an great book that tells John McCormack's life story of becoming a millionaire at a very young age, losing his millions and more, and how three immigrants taught him how to believe in himself and become successful again. This is a must read for young and old, read it and pass the message on!

As an EMS project manager I found this book to very comprehensive with easy to follow case studies that were clear, concise and proved to be very valuable. So much of implementing an EMS deals with change management and this handbook lays out what changes an organization and skills a project manager needs to consider as it makes steps on this path toward ISO 14001 implementation. Another benefit is the excellent, easy to read examples created for each element of the standard providing a great starting point from which to take that leap! I recommend the handbook to others investigating environmental management systems.

Practical, straight-forward, simple approach to EMS implementation! We have used as part of our standard training with employee teams.

This handbood explains the elements of ISO 14001 and how to implement them in a clear and concise manner. The authors make the reader feel confident that they can implement an EMS no matter what their industry.

I like how they step through each element of the standard, explain what it means and then show how others have addressed that element with real world examples. We hear from environmental managers in five companies (from a small, Midwest tool manufacturer to a mulit-national pharmaceutical conglomerate) how they implemented their EMS. Actual copies of policies, aspects lists, management meeting notes and cost data as well as tips and advice are, sprinkled throughout the book. There is also a list or resources and related websites listed in an appendix.

This is an easy read (a plus for anyone with limited time) and would make an excellent addition to an EMS training package. I will recommend it to my membership.

Curtis Lindskog, President, Pacific Industrial and Business Association

John Cassidy and David Stein did a great job on this book and the "Bubblething" that come with the book. I have a little girl who loves bubbles and this book and toy have been great fun. The truth be known I am having as much fun blowing these HUGE bubbles as she is chasing them down and popping them. I should warn you though all the kids on the block will be stopping by asking you to blow bubbles for them.

This book, the Unbelievable Bubble Book, is about a toy that produces the biggest soap blown, amateur-created, bubbles in the world.

After the instructions on how to use The Bubble Thing, the book covers all aspects of bubbles (history, science) in an entertaining styling accessible to children and young adults. And older adults, too, whoever cares to open it.

I really enjoyed this book, and guffawed at the author's humor. John Cassidy is an amusing writer. He courageously writes humor right alongside scientific fact, and pulls it off. His writing skills have obviously developed past those deserving a bunch of rotten vegetables thrown at him.

The inventor of the Bubble Thing, David Stein, has an interesting and personal story to tell about his invention. You get the impression from reading his story that there was no financial incentive behind the work he put into making his incredible toy. But he knew what he wanted, performance-wise, from the start. He cared about getting the best bubbles he could, but to entertain his baby daughter. Through trial-and-error, that was just what he got.

The book and the toy are all-around great, and I thoroughly recommend them. Try out the Bubble Thing, it's as good as what you fantasize it could be. The bubbles it makes are HUGE.

My husband received this book several years ago as a 50th birthday present. It sat in it's wrapper for a couple of years-what does a grown man need with a Bubble Book? Well he has resurrected it and has had so much fun with it this summer. We took it to our family reunion, on vacation and to a chorus picnic, kids big and small are fascinated and want to try it. Give it a try--you will be hooked.

In the alternate history genre, David Westheimer's "Death is Lighter than a Feather" is relatively obscure, which is a shame because it is among the most accurate, well-written offerings available. In detailing the events of an American invasion of Japan in the absence of the use of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Westheimer shows a firm grasp of strategy, tactics, weapons and geography. However, unlike many alternate histories that focus on the military to the exclusion of all else, Westheimer has simultaneously produced a rich novel full of fascinating characters that truly captures the fundamental essences of the Japanese and Americans, as well as war in general.

Westheimer begins with a prologue that deftly weaves actual events into a world in which nuclear bombs are never brought to bear. Written in the manner of a history text, it quite effectively conveys the events and players that dictated the course of events without bogging down the fiction reader in historical minutia. At the same time, the matter of fact transition from reality to fiction sets the stage quite nicely for the heart of the novel.

Rather than attempting to follow a primary cast of characters through the entirety of the novel, Westheimer has instead strung together snapshots of the lives of average people on both sides of the fighting; an American frogman, a Japanese colonel, a young Japanese girl, an American Marine, etc. The only link between chapters is the occasional return to the history book approach of the prologue in order to detail the larger course of events, and set the tone for the next chapter. In less capable hands, this approach could make for a disjointed reading experience but Westheimer effectively carries through common thematic elements that allow him to cover an array of experiences and concepts without destroying the flow of the novel.

First and foremost among these elements is Westheimer's focus on the common man or woman. By and large, the big power brokers are completely absent. Neither MacArthur nor the Emperor (nor any of his generals) makes an appearance after the prologue. Instead, Westheimer focuses on low ranking officers, and even more so, on enlisted personal. The overall effect of this approach is a ground level view of the fighting that compliments the big picture portions of the text. At the same time, this close-in approach allows Westheimer to consider issues that would be discordant with a book focused on grand strategy. For example, the author considers a Marine who becomes convinced that he is killing the same Japanese soldier over and over again. Westheimer forces the reader to consider whether this is due to shellshock, or if it is a way of rationalizing the horror of killing one's fellow man.

Which brings me to another fascinating element of this novel: Westheimer's intuitive understanding of the causes of war, and particularly, the mindset of the American soldier. His ability to capture what unremitting hatred does to the Japanese, and the consequences that it has on the American soldier is remarkable. His writing is made even more profound in the light of 9/11 and our recent war against Iraq as he eloquently captures the motivation for fanatical, even suicidal, resistance, and the conflict that resistance causes in American soldiers who are at heart disinclined to kill unless it is absolutely necessary.

That said, Westheimer doesn't limit himself to consideration of combatants. His chapter covering a day in the life of a chaplain's assistant perfectly illustrates the contradictory nature of war in general, and the almost perverse naiveté with which America sometimes goes to war. At the same time, his descriptions of ordinary Japanese citizens, particularly women, and the dichotomy of what they see versus what they are told is superbly handled. Westheimer considers what it would be like to live in a world where the "divine" word of the Emperor is at direct odds with what one sees in their everyday life.

Ultimately, Westheimer has produced in "Death is Lighter Than a Feather" the rare alternate history that is historically accurate even as it is good fiction. From his descriptions of the ferocity of hand-to-hand combat, to the serenity of two lovers in a bamboo grove, the author displays a talent that is rare in authors of any genre. At the same time, he successfully ties these fascinating snapshots into a larger picture. Westheimer writes with authority on the invasion that never was, but he also considers war in general, and given the world in which we live, where kamikaze attacks have once again become the norm, it is perhaps more pertinent today then ever.

Jake Mohlman

A very compelling book that reads much like a series of interconnected short stories. The author sets up the "big picture" nicely then zooms down to describe the experiences of individual soldiers. Using this device, we see the invasion of Japan from both sides. The Japanese outlook is perhaps the most interesting as their belief in their eventual victory, despite the obvious evidence to the contrary, is alien to the Western mindset - as is their blind devotion to their superiors and their total dedication to a type of honor that requires death over surrender. Ironically, books such as this tends to make one think that atom bombs probably saved Japan as a nation for the death and destruction caused by an invasion would have killed millions of the Japanese population.

David Westheimer has written a superb, fact-based novel that covers the first six weeks of Operation "Olympic", the intended invasion of Kyushu in October 1945. Of course in actuality, the invasion did not occur because the atomic bomb raids precipitated a Japanese collapse. Westheimer invites the reader into a very-possible world where the atomic bombs have not been dropped either for political or technical reasons. Given the continuing debate over the morality of the a-bomb attacks, this alternate world is well worth examining. The book begins with a prologue (in earlier versions of the book, this was actually the epilogue) that provides the historical detail behind "Olympic". Eighteen chapters follow, each detailing the experiences of one or more Japanese or American characters in the invasion.

The title is taken from the Japanese expression that, "while duty is heavier than a mountain, death is lighter than a feather." The real strength of this novel lies in the depictions of combat from the Japanese point of view, which is atypical for American readers. Having lived and gone to college in Japan, I can attest that Westheimer strikes many a true note in these depictions. Characters include resolute warriors, including a veteran fighter pilot, a determined corporal in a bunker and a fanatical battalion commander, but also cover Japanese civilians as well. One Japanese sergeant complains about some of the new recruits called up to face the invasion: "in his own regiment there was a private who had been a teacher in the middle school but it was known that he entertained subversive ideas and was not to be trusted with authority. It was a measure of the Army's desperate need that he had been permitted to serve at all. His proper place was prison, with other traitors and weaklings."

The combat scenes are very well done and these scenes evoke a sense of hopeless futility at times. The writing style is rich and detailed, but without irrelevant diversions. Westheimer also has a knack for focusing on interesting characters and situations, which is particularly true of his American characters. There is the UDT (underwater demolition team) frogman who bets that he will be the first American on Japanese soil and a B-29 pilot who affects a heroic attitude while concealing his cowardice. There is even a Japanese-American college girl who was visiting relatives in Japan when the war broke out and desperately wants to be "liberated" by the invading GIs. My particular favorite is the combat-happy US marine who believes that the Japanese are "playing a game on him" and that every Japanese soldier he kills is the same one.

The main point of the novel is to flesh out what most people with common sense could anticipate: the Americans will win but at great cost. Again and again, the fanaticism of the Japanese defense astounds the Americans. The novel ends by anticipating a Japanese surrender in January 1946, after many thousands have died on both sides. This novel should be read by anyone interested in the Pacific War or the atomic bomb controversy.

This excellent book is full of examples and equations to help students relate to the fundamental concepts in an introductory aerodynamics class.

The book is especially useful for reference, as it explains the derivations and many forms of complex equations such as the continuity equation. Furthermore, there are lots of examples of real-world design situations and historical backgrounds.

Overall, one of the best books I have used in my undergraduate aerospace engineering curriculum.

Great book for first and second semester aerodynamics. Especially the sections on supersonics and hypersonics. Links the technical and historical aspects of aerodynamics to give a very good global perspective of the subject. Anderson also provides "roadmaps" which tend to help the reader stay on track as to where the discussion is going. Those are especially helpful for technical books such as this one.

This book is one of the best written books I have. This book is well-organized, clearly written and easily understood. Each chapter contains a road map to keep the reader well aware of the proper flow of ideas and concepts.

a great visual journey into john lennon's life with plenty of intimate photographs

i bought this book after seeing the rave reviews it got, thinking it was a real reading book. turned out to be a HUGE, glossy pictorial account..... but it's just as good probably better. awesome rare photos and quotes by the man and friends, and packed full of priceless memories. get it.

All I can say is that this book is the best I've ever owned on any member of the Beatles. Jammed full of pictures and a detailed bio, this book is everything that you need to know about John Lennon's life, work, and social standings. I give it an A++++. Forwarded by Yoko Ono.

This book gives a terrible tarnished picture of the Vatican, even if the author is wrong and there was no murder or active murder (they could have let Pope John Paul I die, by not administering him his medicine).
A Vatican controlled by a bunch of corrupt, merciless, avid for power, 'holy' cardinals (Villot, Cody, Marcinkus, Baggio), implicated in a web of depraved banking, masonic and Mafia figures like Calvi, Gelli and Sindona. (I recommend for the 'banking' part also the book by Richard Hammer 'The Vatican Connection').
What is also intriguing, or should I say 'demonic', is the fact that the next pope didn't remove anybody entangled in these murky affairs from his office.
The author gives also very plausible hints why, besides personal career interests, there were moral (the issue of birth control, for instance) and financial (money laundering to help friendly unions or parties) motives.
A devastating book. Not to be missed.

Back in 1958, when I was a student in a Catholic school, Pope John XXIII was elected. One of the lay teachers said that Pope Pius XI was bumped off to allow a "German Pope" to be put into power. That was before I was born and of little interest to me. Little did I realize that in twenty years another Pope would be bumped off to put another reactionary Pope into power.

This book points out the politics and personalities that went into the decision to eliminate Pope John Paul I. Afterwards, some of the reforms did go thru, perhaps due to the banking scandals of the 1980s, and other events that followed Vatican II.

Back in 1981 a State Dept. employee was kicked out of Nicaragua because she tried to poison their Foreign Minister (also a cleric). The poison to be used was said to be undetectable unless they knew what to look for. The symptoms made it look like the flu, and the cause would likely be overlooked. I wonder how many times this was used in other time and places?

David A. Yallop wrote four previous works (one caused the British government to reopen a twenty-year old murder case, another freed a man serving a life sentence for murder). This investigates the mysterious death of Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I. He spent three years of intensive investigation using various sources in Rome, New York, London, and South America; they cannot be publicly identified.

Luciano Albini opposed the looting of Banco Ambrosiano while Bishop of Venice. As Pope he would rid the Vatican Bank of swindlers, money launderers, drug dealers, and their allies. But these had connections with organized crime and certain intelligence agencies. Pope John Paul I was as doomed as President John F. Kennedy's attempts to curtail the military-industrial complex, and Big Oil.

In 1981 there was an attempt to poison the Foreign Minister of El Salvador: the poison was to be put into his alcoholic drink. Nothing would happen for a week, then he would develop a flu-like disease, and die the next day. This poison could not be detected unless the coroner knew what to look for. This plot was exposed by the double agent recruited for the job, and a US diplomat was expelled from the country. The newspapers did NOT compare this to the death of Pope John Paul I.

Pages 40-49 tell of a swindle using counterfeit bonds worth $635 million. They would be sold to the Vatican Bank, and the money used for payoffs, and buying control of a company. The bank would write this off as a loss. You can be sure of high-level corruption and collusion in the bank!

The murder of Pope John Paul I may never be solved officially. Perhaps another Pope would continue his proposed reforms; we'll see in the near future.

Wow, I love it. This book is straight to the point. Check out the table of contents: Choosing/Changing a major or program, Financial aid/money management, Registering for classes, Dorm life, Textbooks: buying & selling, ID cards, The classroom experience, Study skills, note taking,and test taking, Library services, Computers, The internet and email, Campus/Student organizations, Having a car on campus and car safety, Parents, families, and friends, Physical health, Stress management and mental health, Time management, Internships, Job interviewing, and Returning to college. Wow, this book cuts right to the point. I have purchased other college books, and let me tell you I don't have time to read a 20 page chapter ( I have 60 pages in my biology book to read). You can easily flip to the chapter that you need in no time at all. You can also read the book in less than an hour. This book contains over 300 bullet points of information.This book is more than a coffee-table book. It is really AWESOME!

I thought College 101 was wonderfully straightforward and right to the point. The authors did a fine job of cutting through the red tape and confusion associated with the going to college, and formatted a book that is clever, witty and easy to read. I plan to give this book as a graduation present to all of the high school seniors that I know.

Inspiring! Sensational! An informative adventure that will direct you on the path to a successful college experience."

John Becker is a man with a strange background. His childhood keeps him up nights, afraid of the dark. And yet, he has an uncanny ability to get into the heads of the killers he's asked to track.But this ability takes its tol on him. So when the FBI call him in, it's because they really need the help.

In this book it's to track down a killer they are calling Lamont Cranston, a kidnapper and killer of young boys. Only his profile doesn't seem to be working. Why? Because this is no typical killer. So while Becker struggles with his past and why he can't wrap his head around this case, another boy's life is in the balance.

This book, like Wiltse's others, has great pacing and keeps you wanting to urge the characters on. A wonderful ending as well.
Well worth the time to read, just be prepared to want more!

jon jordan

I loved reading this book. I read the books "Into the Fire" and this one out of order. Now is this the faulty, complex and human hero that I have come to love. I don't read thrillers for goody-two shoes protagonists. We all have evil inside of us and whether we choose to act upon that evil thought or restrain ourselves is what makes us moral or immoral, IMO. Becker and Crist while full of fault are moral they acknowledge the dark side that resides in all of us. This is one good book!

WILTSE TELLS A STORY OF TWO KILLER, THAT BECKER MUST MAKE HIMSELF UNDERSTAND. ONE OF THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ.

If you have seen and enjoyed the movie, you will enjoy this guide. It actually sheds some light on the reasons why the artists featured various items and artifacts.

If they had included some of the facts in this book in the movie, it would have made it way more interesting for me. I'm almost wondering if you read the book first, you would enjoy the movie more.

In this book you can find out more about your favorite characters, explore the underwater royal chambers and secret caves, see detailed pictures of the amazing fleet of vehicles and travel to the magical world of monsters, giants, princesses and kings.

Dorling Kindersley makes great looking books. This book for Disney's ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE is very nice. It covers each character and hardware used in the film and is both captivating and educational. Excellent!

This book has a wide range of hidden facts about the movie It's also full with awesome pictures and fantastic guidelines for a collector to know .There's also some speciality in this book that amaze me like a complete data and knowledge of each and every single character,maps,about vehicles,history of Atlantis and much more.It's simply a must have for all the disney and atlantean fans out there.