As millions of other novice investors, I lost substantial amounts of money because I "confused the bull market with brains"

In Dec 2002, I decided to get back into the market, taking advantage of the low prices. But I still didn't have a clue how to pick stocks, especially in unfamiliar industries. Surely, this time I would not wait until stock picks were discussed at parties.

This book was right on target. I feel much more confident in my abilities to research and manage a portfolio than ever before.

One of the most important books I read in the past ten years.

I rarely buy books about investment because I am afraid that the advice will be too complex. I let others choose my stocks and then hope it somehow will work out. Entirely by accident, I bought this book. What I liked about it, from browsing through it in the store, was its clear language. I could understand its common-sense advice. This book paid off since I was able to get the advice that grabbed my curiosity, was clear and to the point. It gave me some pointer as to who to trust with such important decisions like chosing where I put my money. Due to the souring economy, it's so important to educate yourself as you make your investment choices. This book was invaluable tool for me and a great starting point.

I could not put this book down, even though I am not a religious reader of business or finance books, this book kept my interest and I finished it in two nights!
Such great and simple and common sense idease, it is very refreshing and I will follow the advice for sure.
A must read for everyone, I am making my son (he is 13) read it too.

I've read many motivational books that are easy to read and that is all. This book is easy to read and makes it easy to begin the process of creating a life you've always dreamed of. People wonder HOW to get to where they want to go and this book starts the correct thinking, behavior and instills the inspiration we all need to move forward in life. With this book in hand you have all the information you need to navigate the rough waters of life. Bon Voyage!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is easy to read, full of insights, and it is entertaining as well. As a big plus, it will help those of us who are searching for something more in our lives. It is a great "how to" book, complete with exercises for your mind, and a step-by-step road map to success.

I don't read a lot of motivational/self-help books. So when my friend recommended this book I was skeptical. I was expecting to get stuck at Chapter 2 with the typical doctoral psycho babble of this genre. But this book is different. I flew through it. It's written with a conversational tone and offers fun anecdotes and witty insights. It honestly gets you thinking about your choices and life in general. No small feat. I liked how the author uses his own search for answers to help explain and define his whole philosophy for better living. Even if you don't like this kind of book, this one is worth trying out.

Eric Gilmartin's debut book, WOLFPACK STORIES: VOLUME 1, is a thrilling piece of work. The various tales of a future war in space between human space pilots and a mysterious alien race called the Caprons are engrossing and involving. What I like about the stories is that they work on several levels. As pure action-adventure, they kept me entertained, with well-described battles and suspensful action sequences. But what really makes the stories work are the well-described characters who appear throughout the book. Each of the characters are vivid, believable, and complex and they mesh well in all sorts of interesting ways. Story by story, I get more of an emotional investment in them. I also enjoyed the futuristic milieu Mr. Gilmartin has created for this book and the literate style of his writing. His literary and historical references are artfully blended into the stories. All in all, this is a hugely impressive work and I'm looking forward to further volumes in the series.

It's not often that I read Sci Fi. In fact it's not often I read very much at all these days. However it's nice when you get a chance to read something of quality with a varity of interesting characters that you feel you have known all of your life. Just as Babylon 5 pulled me in to the TV this book will pull you into its pages. You won't want to put it down until it's done and then....you will wish there was more.

I purchased Wolfpack Stories on the recommendation of a friend, and I'm glad I did. The author has assembled a very amusing collection of personalities in the Wolfpack Squadron, and has given them an excellent backdrop against which to live and work and fight... and to generally amuse and entertain the reader.

From the fatally efficient Commander Voight, a man with a mysterious, of not entirely above-board past, to the ever-jovial Lieutenant Jarvis, with his insatiable explorer's curiosity and an annoying ability to seemingly 'pop into existance' right behind you at the most opportune moment... the Wolfpack command staff provide an excellent core around which the story unfolds. Stationed at remote Carbaron Base, a military installation originally designed as an amusement park by a wealthy but quite mad Scottish Engineer, the squadron has ample opportunity for adventure, both in space and on the ground.

Volume I introduces the characters well, and gives the reader a chance to grow to like them (or to hate them, in some cases). It does, however, leave me looking forward to seeing a Volume II.

With "Aces Against Germany: The American Aces Speak", the experiences of American fighter aces over Europe during World War II comes alive. Eric Hammel is a most experienced writer, and reading the book one gets the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of a U.S. fighter during those dramatic days. With this book, Eric Hammel has made a terrific work to provide us of the post-war generation with a detailed view of "how the air war really was" from an American point of view. The most interesting detail in the book is the case (or rather: cases) when American aces found out the identity of the German pilots that they met in air combat, or--in one case--even met one of them after the war! Altogether a great and easy read book.

Christer Bergström

This book reads very quickly. Mr. Hammel gives a concise historical summary of the air war against Germany in WW2 that is interspersed with firsthand descriptions of aerial combat from the aces involved.

The book is organized chronologically, moving through the campaigns in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Italy, and Northern Europe/Germany.

Mr. Hammel sets the stage for each chapter with a quick overview of the air war at that point in time. Then, the personal recollections of numerous aces are presented. The biography of each ace up to the time the incident takes place is given. Next, the ace tells his story. After the story, the biography of the ace from that point forward is given. Occasionally, between aces, Mr. Hammel throws in a little more history.

The overall effect is great. You get a good insight into the overall conduct of the air war, and you get great "action" stories from the aces. Each ace is presenting one of his most memorable experiences. This is a real advantage. Rather than one person's story, which contains the inevitable slow parts, this book compiles a string of dramatic actions. It's also interesting to note the similarities in all the stories. The one that jumped out at me was the fact that once the action started, and aircraft were spinning all over the sky, you were lucky if you still had your wingman with you. Plenty of times, you wound up alone (very dangerous!), looking for someone to offer mutual protection as you fought your way out of the battle area and back home.

I learned a great deal in reading this book, and enjoyed every minute of it. You will too. I highly recommend it. "Aces Against Japan" is next on my list!

This is the book that sparked my interest in WW2 in the air.

Hammel, an expert writer on the subject, leaves out each and every thing not essential. Consequently, the action comes through like in no other book I've read, with the possible exception of "Top Guns" by Foss & Brennan.

The stories are short, but once one of them ends, the next one must be read right away, and the whole book is devoured at one sitting. Also included are short descriptions of the large-scale events during which the missions told take place.

Buy all 4 and make your spouse angry for a week.

I'm a seasonal rhinitis sufferer so I only feel really bad for about 6-8 weeks a year. But that is enough to make me want to find a real solution, not one that costs hundreds of dollars and numerous trips to the doctor. I've done all that with no real success. I liked the authors approach to allergy prevention and treatment. I have been following their advise in regard to diet changes and the addition of some supplements and I feel better.
I've read the book, in sections, several times, and still refer back to it. I found it to be an excellent resource.

Of course, I bought this book because I am an allergy victim. I still remember when they broke out. It was like having the rug pulled out from underneath my feet. One day you are carefree, the next you are sneezing your brains out. Work was out of the question. Everything was out of the question. My life was a living hell, and I wondered what I could do to regain some semblance of health and sanity. With this book, I found out that I am not the only one, and that my immune system is not evolutionary backwater. Something else is happening here.

38 percent of Americans have at least one kind of allergy. That is over 100 million people. Make no mistake, allergies have reached epidemic proportions. However, it wasn't always this way. Allergies, along with asthma and various other strange immune system diseases, have been one the rise ever since industrialism went overdrive circa 1950. The link is undeniable: Allergies are correlated with the Western Lifestyle. People from the so-called Third World have fever allergies, and when they immigrate to America or other industrialized countries their allergy rate quickly blends in with the population. In other words, we are not talking about genetics. Environmental factors are clearly at play.

The authors of this book have done a wonderful job tracing both allergies and asthma. Anything you might possibly want to know about the two is in this book. Their approach is broad. Instead of focusing merely on conventional methods, they take a "blended" or "integrated" approach, embracing traditional, environmental and alternative practices. As they say, this gives patients more options, thereby providing more potential remedies to stem the burgeoning epidemic of sneezing and wheezing. Why limit yourself to pills, which often have absurd side-effects?

From Chinese herbalism and acupuncture to medical prescription drugs, this book has it all. They have integrated thousands of university studies, and quote MDs across the board. Does drinking wheatgrass help? How does it measure up to the gold standard conventional methodology of double-blind, placebo controlled studies? Do carotenoids, flavonoids, and essential fatty acids affect our immunofunctioning? Do allergy shots work? From mind-body techniques to sinus irrigation and detoxification, you will be exposed to all; and the authors always detail everything in terms of science, making sure to note risks, side-effects, and other potential concerns.

With this book, I learned so much. Without it, I would not have been able to integrate an approach that includes lifestyle, environmental, and conventional medicine options. Do not attempt to craft an allergy prevention plan without this book. ...

With over a third of the population having an allergy to something or other, this book will definitely be beneficial to those who are searching for relief from means other than prescription medication. Often doctor prescribed medication can cause more side effects than the original problem itself, especially used on a long-term basis.

As one who has a number of allergies ranging from feather pillows to a variety of antibiotics and pain medications, I understand the frustration a person can have in dealing with various allergies. Herbal supplements, adjusting one's diet, and eliminating pollens in the home (I use a filtered air exchanger)can help certain allergies. As the book points out, there are a number of tests which can pin-point allergies, some are helpful and others are outright nasty to endure. The book provides information on allergy testing as well as ways to relieve symptoms.

Each person is different and responds differently to medications. What works for one may or may not work for another, but for allergy sufferers searching for alternative methods for dealing with their symptoms, they may find a helpful solution here.

That Anansi is such a scoundral!!

After boring into one of Elephants melons, he eats himself too big to get out!! So, Anansi waits to get thing again...Only, he's bored! So he decides to amuse himself at Elephant's expense... and Hippo's...and Warthog's...Well, you get the idea.

This is a cute story about a trickster spider. Janet Stevens' illustrations are, as always, excellent. Anansi is not just a regular spider. Stevens gives him expressions and a personality. You wind up laughing with Anansi's pranks. Very well done!

I would definitly recommend this book. I read it to a group of young school age kids - 5-9. They could kinda tell where the story was going, but were more than willing to sit for the ride.

My 5 year old son LOVED the mischief Anansi got into and understood the lessons that were being taught. It is written in a way that younger kids can understand and the illustrations are great!

Anansi the spider bores his way into one of Elephant's melons and thus begins the great trickery of some of the greatest animals in the Animal Kingdom. I used this book with the second grade class and we loved the human characteristics of the animals and all the funny things Anansi says while he is in the melon. It is a great book to act out in the puppet theater and we had great fun taking on the roles of the elephant, monkey, spider and other surprised and astonished animals.

My parents picked this book up for my son at an antique shop and I shelved it for a while, then broke it out on a rainy day. Needless to say, once we began to read it, we could not put it down. The illustrations are beautiful, and it is well written. The characters blossom, and you feel you know each one, and all of their distinctive traits. Once finished, we just wanted the story to continue. It is a treasure.

My boys are now 12 & 16 and they still both speak fondly of this book. We read and read this book MANY times. It was such a favorite that many times they would choose to read this again rather then start something new. We're keeping our copy for their children. If they would ever republish this book I think it should be one on the list for everyone. The boys felt like they knew all the characters and looked forward to certain stories and adventures. The illustrations are wonderful!

I've been reading this book to my 6 year-old daughter every night for weeks. Both she and I love it! The characters are full of life and act naturally. The stories are innovative and entertaining for adults as well as children. The beautiful full page illustrations counterpoint perfectly with the story. This is THE BEST children's book I've ever read (and I've read many). Here's to hoping that I can somehow find many more of the Kincaids' books. My thanks go out to them both!

Mr. Rudd...

Thank you for writing such helpful books for artists. It is a great thing you've done to improve the conditions for so many who need space to create and live with fewer restrictions.

Cheers.

This has been a great source of inspiration and solid, practical advice for me. I'm opening my own studio/gallery soon and found Rudd's book to be a constant source of ideas on how to renovate the cheap, but run-down space we found. Although we weren't able to purchase the space as he recommended (I wish we could) it has been a very helpful book.
It's not just the practical advice, but the encouragement to take your own work more seriously that really made this book valuable to me. When he described how more work could be done in a good studio, I knew then that I had to get my work out of the garage and into a better space. Now, after a lot of elbow grease and plenty of cheap white [local store] paint (as Rudd recommended), I'll have a space much more suited to the work I want to do, plus a gallery to show it.

Multi-media artist Eric Rudd has written two books for
artists who feel compelled to produce not just good art, but great art that has potential for recognition on a grand scale in museums and perhaps a legacy in art history. Rudd pulls no punches in his entertaining account of his successes and failures both as an artist and developer of loft art studios from Washington, D.C. to North Adams, Massachussetts. His ideas aren't for the faint-hearted or the Sunday painter but rather for the artist with a strong belief in the greatness of the work and a willingness to take risks to create a space where this can happen. "The Art Studio/Loft Manual for Ambitious Artists and Creators" provides the practical information needed to make it happen, from how to acquire the real estate to how to renovate the space. The accounts of Rudd's achievements, particularly in his present location in North Adams, are inspiring.

Written to integrate social studies and language arts, Aztec Plays for the Classroom will take your students back to the world of the Aztecs and provide them an outlet for their enthusiasm. The four plays - "Cinderhoatl", "Jackotl and the Cornstalk", "Rumpelcatchacoldal", and "The Three Little Aztecs" - have been adapted from classic fairy tales and include numerous historical facts from the Aztec era. The thirty character parts vary in length and difficulty, and will motivate even the most passive learner. Not only will your class and your audience stay entertained and focused, they will also be learning a ton about Aztec society. The level of information and kid-friendly word choice make these plays suitable for grades three through eight and a fifty question comprehension assessment is included.

I don't have kids. I am not a teacher. I enjoy acting out this book alone, while I'm at home. It's just a fun fun book! Well thought out, and fun.

I just saw these plays performed in a classroom for third graders last week and I loved them. The kids laughed a lot and were able to follow the whole storyline. The author took familiar fairy tales and translated them into Aztec themes packed with teaching material. The quiz questions make for a perfect follow up.

In my own teaching experience, I have found very little creative material for Aztec study. So if you are an elementary school teacher studying the Aztecs and want to do something beyond the typical dry stuff, you definately want these plays

I had to do a presentation on megiddo for a class. This book was the most useful and interesting one that I had at my disposal.

History is a slight of hands artist of sorts. It tends to focus ones attention on the flashy action center stage while more important events are often happening in the wings. Its spotlight brings out in high relief the massive endeavor of the pyramids, the power and grandeur of the Roman empire, the longevity of Chinese culture, or the blood rituals of the Aztecs. In doing so it tends to neglect the margins, places where cultural synthesis and mere survival of local polities brings the real issues of life during the time into sharper focus. Eric Cline is a master at redirecting ones attention to precisely these issues of history. In The Battles of Armageddon he chronicles the "life" history of a region that was for most of that history on the margins of the action in the Middle East and in the world.

The Jezreel Valley and ancient Megiddo, the Armageddon of Revelation, are brought to center stage in this well researched and thoroughly entertaining book. Here the armies of the world have fought battles deciding the course of human history, and here too it is suggested that the final battle between good and evil will be fought in the future. All tolled, some 34 major battles have been fought in this valley, often if not usually between combatants who are foreign to the area.

In documenting the drama of conflict that has played itself out on this valley floor, Professor Cline has examined a wide variety of data recording human events in the area. He discusses the records of ancient Egypt, the Biblical texts, the cuneiform documents of Anatolia, Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia, the written material of both the Moslem and the Christian participants of the Crusades, French documentation of the Napoleonic wars in the Middle East, the Allenby diaries, letters, etc. for the World War I conflict with the Ottoman Empire, and the more recent evidence for the Arab-Israeli conflicts in the area. In short, he addresses an impressive collection of data and with it constructs an absorbing "biography" of the region, and in doing so brings the history of the world itself into sharper focus.

I found Cline's willingness to entertain alternative proposals for events of the Israelite conquest of the Levant particularly impressive. He does not seem wedded to any particular theme or version of early Biblical history, a fact which gives one confidence in his critical judgment with respect to early documents, both Biblical and extra-Biblical. Where he is uncertain of the order of or veracity of events or their documentation, he is willing to say as much. There is no effort to make the evidence appear more concrete than it is. He also seems to have no preferred "side" in the Arab-Israeli conflict at least as a historian and archaeologist--whether he has one as an individual is his own business. The author also sticks to historical information and its interpretation and only introduces archaeological data where it is pertinent to the discussion. He doesn't burden the amateur enthusiast with more detail than they are willing or able to imbibe. In short he doesn't slow down the "story" of the Jezreel which makes the volume more readable.

Although I certainly found the earlier history of the Valley of interest--my degree is in ancient history--I actually found Professor Cline's treatment of the era of the Crusades more engaging because I learned more. I also enjoyed the discussion of General Allenby's possible foreknowledge of the war between Thutmose III and the Canaanites at Megiddo an excellent demonstration of good historic detective work. (It was definitely a good illustration of the value of a thorough knowledge of history.) The bibliography of The Battles of Armageddon is a veritable who's who of historical and archaeological research since the 19th century, including authors of topical works, of edited collections and encyclopedias, and of journal articles. For anyone with a specific interest this would definitely be a good starting point for the pursuit of information on tangential topics. I will probably use it to help fill in my knowledge of the Crusades. Without doubt this book would appeal to anyone with an interest in history, particularly that of the Levant or of peripheral areas in general, or in political and military history. One might even use it to teach world history, as so many of the main "players" in the events of human activity have passed through this valley and left their mark on it. Definitely a work worth reading.

For anyone interested in battles, ancient and contemporary, this book is for you. Cline invites those interested in the site of Armageddon as well as military history buffs into the world and circumstances of the Jezreel Valley. Destined to be a classic on ancient battles.